Comments on: Perfuming the Mind: Yogacara Buddhism http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/07/10/perfuming-the-mind-yogacara-buddhism/ My life as a father, Buddhist and Japanophile. Sat, 11 Jun 2011 01:53:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Doug http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/07/10/perfuming-the-mind-yogacara-buddhism/#comment-2900 Doug Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:28:41 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=4498#comment-2900 Ha ha ha, not at all. Great input, and I like your suggestion about gongyo *before* you meditate. I always tended to do the opposite, but I'll try it your way. As for incense, if I had the time and lived in Japan, I'd probably look into "kado" (way of incense) just for fun. :) Ha ha ha, not at all. Great input, and I like your suggestion about gongyo *before* you meditate. I always tended to do the opposite, but I’ll try it your way.

As for incense, if I had the time and lived in Japan, I’d probably look into “kado” (way of incense) just for fun. :)

]]> By: johnl http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/07/10/perfuming-the-mind-yogacara-buddhism/#comment-2899 johnl Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:59:44 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=4498#comment-2899 Thanks for the interesting post. In addition to being careful about daily life, I think part of that perfume comes from practices like gongyo, otsutome, reading sutras, etc. I like to do this before meditation, to let that perfume sink in. It is natural to seek an intellectual understanding of the sutras, but there is something to be said for just repeating them, and letting them resonate for a while, hooking up with a deeper level of the mind. I am a bit of an incense freak as well. It is such a great metaphor--the perfume wafting through the room. The sense of smell is really direct--no symbolic language, no decoding that is so often a part of our visual and auditory life. Hope I'm not getting carried away here... Regards, JL Thanks for the interesting post.

In addition to being careful about daily life, I think part of that perfume comes from practices like gongyo, otsutome, reading sutras, etc. I like to do this before meditation, to let that perfume sink in. It is natural to seek an intellectual understanding of the sutras, but there is something to be said for just repeating them, and letting them resonate for a while, hooking up with a deeper level of the mind.

I am a bit of an incense freak as well. It is such a great metaphor–the perfume wafting through the room. The sense of smell is really direct–no symbolic language, no decoding that is so often a part of our visual and auditory life.

Hope I’m not getting carried away here…

Regards,
JL

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