Starting Spiritual Practice
How can five minutes before bed become a conversation with yourself?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
Leave five minutes before sleep to become a little quieter and review your day. What went well? What could be adjusted? What made you unhappy, and how could you respond better? Remember to thank yourself for what you did well. For what went poorly, do not only blame yourself; adjust and practice again next time.
YOYO and I discussed this daily practice. Much time goes to work and family, but leave some to understand yourself. Even without a formal retreat, five to ten minutes of solitude and quiet each day can help emotions settle and reveal your present state. Its purpose resembles looking inward on retreat, but formal retreats have other requirements. Brief daily reflection is not exactly the same practice.
Looking inward need not begin with a decision to follow a religious path. I have said that without religious forms, you can still care for your inner life and explore what you truly want. However, in my experience, awakening and training spirituality entirely on your own is not easy. Face your condition honestly, then gradually explore a suitable direction. Someone else’s extraordinary experience need not force you onto the same path.