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Everything Leans

"Deep is this dependent origination, and deep its appearance."

"Whoever sees dependent origination sees the Dharma;
whoever sees the Dharma sees dependent origination."

- Buddha [MN:28, DN:15]



PRACTICE


If you wish to practice in the supportive environment of a retreat have a look at our events page.

If you would like to join a drop-in group on dependent origination or emptiness visit the drop-in group page.

If you've been on one of our retreats and would like a reminder of the practices we shared on the noticeboard head to our resources page.

To get right to a practice session read a guided meditation or listen to one right now.

Theory needs Practice and Practice reveals Theory

Theory and practice are dependent on each other. One of the wonderful aspects of Buddhism is that it does not hide its hand. There isn't a secret algorithm at work behind the scenes that nobody is going to share, or not until you're devout enough; it is a series of open secrets that open secrets. The theory is meant to be put into practice, and the practice is our way to try the theory and access the freedom within it.

Theory and practice also support each other. Understanding the theory behind a practice allows one to see that practice from more sides, and enter one’s experiences more effectively, allowing for deeper experiences, and further explorations. Putting a theory into practice enlivens the theory, shows it’s weaknesses and strengths, and both refines and attunes one’s understandings to a verifiable reality.

Exceptional

Some theorists and practitioners may feel the dependency between theory and practice is falsifiable. Although one can have a practice that to the practitioner appears to not have a theory behind it, or a theory that one does not, or even cannot, put into practice, these are only illusionary exceptions.

Any practice must have an intention and a goal, and a methodology to achieve that goal. No matter if it is hidden from the consciousness of the practitioner, the methodology is inseparable from, and revelatory of, the theory. Two common reasons it can appear hidden to the practitioner are 1. it was never explained by the teacher, and 2. they don’t think in that way. Regarding a theory that has no actual practice, not only is this not very interesting as a point on a path, it is also illogical. A theory must, at the least, have a theoretical action or practice, otherwise it cannot be explained to embodied earthlings.

Premise of Practice; to Train in a Theory

The best way of testing a theory, or of getting a better understanding of something is to put it into practice. Also the best way of having an alive and adaptable practice is to understand the theory behind it. The following pages are here to support a deep intentional practice rooted in dependent origination.


Written by Nathan Glyde