Question: I don’t want to become a Buddha. I just want peace of mind. Can I have this?
by Khenpo Tashi
Buddha-mind is total peace of mind.
Temporarily, we may do sitting or walking meditation. Behind these meditations is the concept of ‘focused concentration’ (Tibetan: shi ne). These will reduce our external distractions and temporarily settle down our habitual tendencies (Tib. bak chak). Thus, these kinds of practices give an appearance of a calm and serene mind.
However, when external things and situations trigger our inner habitual tendencies, our inner peace will be disturbed again. Due to the stubborn habitual tendencies still remaining inside us.
So, to remove these habitual tendencies inside us, we do all sorts of prayers, rituals, studies, Sutra reading and chanting, supporting the temple, generating faith in the Triple Gems and so on. Besides to reduce our inner habitual tendencies, they also reduce our many misdeeds (Tib: dig pa), negative Karma (le ngen), and emotional and cognitive obscurations (nyon drib and she drib).
This is called merit accumulation and cleaning negative Karma. These will give us a more permanent solution.
We can do focused concentration, merit accumulation and cleaning of negative Karma together. It is up to our effort and schedule.