Energy - how do we develop more energy in the practice? A great deal is knowing how to develop more Joy in the practice. Knowing how to develop more motivation, compassion, lovingkindness, wisdom, and confidence helps to develop Energy.
Wisdom - we have to know how to open to Dukkha, how to open to the impermanence of things. Developing more Wisdom depends a great deal on wise reflection types of meditation, opening to Dukkha especially, so that we can ignite the compassion within us. It is helpful to investigate into what is called the Three Characteristics of Existence in Buddhism: Impermanence, Dukkha and Anatta. I am going to talk a bit more about Anatta in the talk this morning. Basically it means that things are not truly ours to own and control. That is because things are impermanent are not totally satisfactory, Dukkha, and they can't be called "me" or "mine", they are not-self, Anatta.
Wisdom in Buddhism involves insight into the Three Characteristics of Existence, and the Four Noble Truths - Dukkha and the true cause of it. So, in order to develop more wisdom we also have to try to remember the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, especially the Fourth Foundation of Mindfulness. That is, to learn to investigate into the mind-body process. Part of this process is noting and investigating into the hindrances so that we start to see the results of holding on to them within ourselves. This is also opening to the Law of Cause and Effect. It is also helping us to gain insight into the Four Noble Truths, especially the first two - Dukkha and the true cause of it. By trying to investigate honestly and to open to Dukkha and its true cause, it helps us to find the way out, by bringing up compassion and letting go of the cause of it.
Resolution or Determination - Resolution/Determination depends a great deal on Right View and Confidence. It may not be confidence in oneself, but confidence that the Four Noble Truths are really the Truth. At least it was like that for me in the beginning, when my wisdom was not that strong, and perhaps my confidence in myself was not that strong. But I knew the Four Noble Truth as the truth. So this strong confidence helped with my determination because opening to Dukkha, understanding the true cause of it, knowing there is a way out of it, and the realization that it may take longer than 10 days, kept my determination going, even when there were difficulties arising in the practice.
When you know something is true, it is very difficult to forget the Truth or try to ignore it, because it doesn't feel very good inside to ignore the Truth. So, this brings up determination to continue practicing, to continue trying, developing. To understand the broadness of the practice, that every action and experience in life can help develop the Paramis. This also helps with determination. So, having a clear understanding of what the practice is and what the Noble Eightfold Path is helps us to bring it more into our life.
There is often the question, "How can I bring the practice into my life?" I prefer to say how can I revolve my life around my practice. Rather than seeing the practice as just a small part of our life, you can see the opportunities that your life has to be based on your practice. Understanding the preciousness and value of the human birth, that any experience can help to develop the mind, what is important and what is not important is very helpful for the development of determination. This depends a great deal on wisdom, on learning how to reflect on what is important and what is not. It is very easy to forget in our normal life what is important and what is not. The demands of everyday life get us involved in all sorts of activities. So learning how to reflect on what is important, and what is not, is very helpful. Three reflections that help in this way are the Dedication of Intention, to reflect on Death and the fifth reflection, To care and not to care. Take these deeply into our life.
Going through our life and our activities and asking ourselves, "Does it actually help with my dedication to develop the Paramis? Considering I might die tomorrow, is it important or is it not?" If we see that it is not that important, that it does not help with the development of the Paramis, we make a resolution to care less about this particular activity. And if we see that we are not getting enough time for what is important in our life, those things that do help our Paramis, considering we may die tomorrow, we make a resolution to care more about these things and to develop more equanimity with things that are not so important. So wisdom does help with resolution/determination because unless we have an understanding of what is skilful and what is not, what is helpful and what is not, what is important and what is not, it is very difficult to be determined about anything.
One other thing that helps develop determination is to really open to the preciousness and rarity of being born as a human being who has come in contact with the Buddha's teachings. This helps us to value the practice more. We understand how fortunate we really are and this helps to bring forth determination.