Practice | 修行

Many people believe that the aim of practices of almost all religious are to gain protection, a healthy death, and a bright afterlife through their actions such as worshiping a deity/Buddha, abstaining from killing, and displaying kindness and generosity to gain protection, precognitive abilities, a healthy death, and a bright afterlife.

許多人認為，幾乎所有宗教的修行目的，都是為了透過崇拜神明／佛陀、不殺生，以及展現仁慈與慷慨等行為，來獲得庇護、安詳離世與光明來世。

These means do strengthen oneself and improve life to some extent, but are unable to make people transcend the ordinary. Even if one can perfectly obey the law and follow the precepts in outward behavior, he may still suffer because his words and actions contradict his inner malice (such as greed, anger, ignorance, and hatred).

這些方法固然能在某種程度上強化自身並改善生活，卻無法使人超越凡俗。即使一個人能在外在行為上完美地遵守法規與戒律，若其言行與內心的惡念（如貪婪、憤怒、無明與憎恨等）相矛盾，仍可能遭受苦難。

Practice should begin with "Karma", which is one's mindset and intentions, the root of "Cause and Effect". In another word, correcting one's thoughts and mind and thus producing correct words and actions that do not go against his conscience. The matured negative "karma," (the procedure of acts arising from intentions, generating feelings and experiences, attachments of love and hate about the feeling, and subsequent good and evil thoughts), cannot be easily erased. However, in its initial stage (before the action occurs), it can be corrected and guided to positive intentions through stronger awareness.

修行應從「業力」著手，即個人的心態與意圖，這正是「因果」之根源。換言之，應先糾正自己的思想與心念，從而產生不違背良知的正確言行。已成熟的負面「業」（即由意圖引發的行為過程，進而產生感受與體驗，對這些感受產生愛憎的執著，以及隨之而來的善惡念頭），並不容易消除。然而，在其初超階段（行為發生之前），仍可透過更強烈的覺知來加以糾正，並引導其轉向正向的意圖。

The aim of practicing is purification of karma, that is, to make us a rational and wise person by completely changing our bad minds and habits. Besides bringing us physical and mental health, practice may let us remain calm in any adverse environment, and eventually let us "attain liberation" (equivalent to "conquering death" in Western religions). It may also be possible to allow us to develop others' inner wisdom.

修行的目的在於淨化業力，也就是透過徹底改變我們的不良心念與習慣，使我們成為理性且睿智的人。除了為我們帶來身心健康之外，修行還能讓我們在任何逆境中保持平靜，並最終使我們「證得解脫」（相當於西方宗教所說的「戰勝死亡」）。修行或許也能幫助我們開發他人的內在智慧。