COVID and Spiritual Practice
Recently, I heard about two people testing positive for COVID-19. While some might jest that this number is too low, it raises an interesting question: Are there practitioners skilled enough to maintain deep meditative concentration (samadhi) while having COVID? If not, perhaps it indicates we need to intensify our practice.
This reminds me of a scene from the movie "Shaolin Temple" starring Jet Li. In it, a master demonstrates practicing kung fu to cure illness. While they focused on external kung fu (training muscles, bones, and energy channels), our practice is internal - focused on the mind. The mind is considered the root of everything, including our body, energy, and environment.
If we truly master our minds, dealing with illnesses should be an easy job. However, this raises another question: Why do highly accomplished monks and spiritual leaders still get sick? The answer lies in the complexity of spiritual practice. Some may have great insights but lack deep samadhi or still carry karmic burdens. Others might excel in meditation techniques like tummo (inner fire) without having fully realized their true nature. Therefore, we can't assume that good practice guarantees perfect health in all aspects.
Enlightenment and Attachments
Many wonder if enlightenment eliminates all attachments. Interestingly, even enlightened individuals can have strong attachments. The difference lies in how they approach these attachments post-enlightenment. Instead of suppressing negative emotions through concentration or mere emptiness meditation, advanced practices like Dzogchen take a different approach. Practitioners learn to observe these emotions without judgment, transforming them into allies for faster spiritual growth.
While some traditions, like Chan, emphasize that true practice begins after enlightenment, this view can be limiting. Our current gradual practice is crucial. As long as we maintain proper motivation and don't abandon our spiritual refuge, our efforts contribute significantly to our eventual realization.
Excerpted from: Cognition and Expression Part Three
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