THE MEANING OF CULTIVATION

In Chan, we speak of "cultivation." The Chinese term xiuxin sometimes translated as "practice" connotes rectifying, correcting, or amending. In cultivating Chan we are trying to rectify our erroneous ways. We begin by recognizing errors in our way of acting, thinking, or speaking; we become aware of aspects in our behavior that are troubling to ourselves as well as to others. This is the real meaning of cultivation. But recognizing our shortcomings is not easy, much less correcting them. Cultivating harmlessness is more than just recognizing our mistakes. Each stage of cultivation is harder than the previous. First, we must recognize our mistakes, second, we must rectify them, and third, we must become free of negativities that cause harm. To begin self-discovery we can use the methods of Chan, but we first need to recognize our negativities of mind, body, and speech. With regard to the mind, we must recognize attitudes, habits, and vexations that are unwholesome; with regard to the body, we must admit that we do things that cause harm; with regard to speech, we should be aware when our words are unkind. Therefore, practice should be a holistic approach to rectifying our whole being.

Through cultivation we learn that vexations arise from lack of mindfulness; we discover how suffering arises in us, and how we cause suffering to others. Once we recognize, this we can rectify our mistakes. By all means, this is not easy. As we engage the practice, we will inevitably discover vexations and negativities in ourselves. When we fail, we should just resume practicing mindfully. We must do it again and again. Even in the simplified space of a meditation retreat, where silence is the rule, we can still be mindful in our thoughts and as we go about our daily activities. We should be very clear about how we respond to situations. After retreat, when we can talk again, we need to be very aware of what we want to say and what we are saying; we will see that a clear mind and composure are essential when interacting with people. Being on retreat is a chance to begin this practice.