October 2, 2026 Buddhism is like an immense mountain
with 84,000 paths leading to the peak.
Choose—and remain on—one path.
To attain the summit of a mountain in the most effective and enjoyable manner, climbers choose one route. Depending on their abilities, some will prefer a more cautious approach, others a more challenging one. Having chosen their route, they do not deviate from it. The climbers do not keep trying different ones for they know they’ll end up wandering around the mountain instead of climbing it, their time and energy wasted.
Our practice is the same. With the summit of enlightenment as our goal, we choose the path that best suits our conditions and abilities. Like the climbers, we also want to stick to our chosen route. Should we take our eyes off our goal, we can become enthralled by other paths.
This one looks easier! That one looks more challenging! I’ll try it!
Enamored with exploring myriad options, we will end up circling the mountain. And our goal of climbing it and reaching enlightenment? Forgotten.
Chapter 32: Infinite Lifespan and Joy (9)
This means to keep on practicing diligently in one direction, towards one goal. There is no time for laxness in our practice. It’s alright for the body to relax a little bit. The mouth can relax, too. It’s okay to take a break as long as the buddha-name is not interrupted in our mind. If we chant too long, we will get tired. We have to know how to adjust our body so that we are comfortable. We can chant the buddha-name, whether we stand, sit, walk, or recline. We can also chant loudly or softly, or even silently, while we move our lips. In the latter, we can hear ourselves very clearly, but others cannot. Even if we chant in silence without moving our lips, it is all the same.