Who can tell us whether we makes Progress in our Buddhist practice?
Many people who practice Buddhism or other spiritual paths for years are uncertain whether they make good progress in their practice. They believe that they have to go and see a Lama or teacher to find out.Some teachers may be able to actually help you with this. There are of course some outer signs which can hint to good spiritual progress. Still, there is in fact one person who can really judge our progress properly. No, I do not mean our husbands, wives, or close relatives, even though they may serve as an indicator.
The only person who will really know best about the progress of your practice is YOU.
Pretending to be a good Buddhist practitioner is quite easy. If one does it well, one may even believe it oneself. All one needs is having some basic knowledge of the Buddhist teachings and keeping up a good appearance before others.
Whether aware of it or not, almost everyone does this to some extent. We want to be perceived as good disciples, students, teachers, Buddhist practitioners, meditators, generous people, having good moral ethics, and so on.
The Dharma and Inner Transformation
The Buddhist teachings or Dharma are sometimes called an “inner Dharma”. This points to the fact that Buddhist Practice is not about external behavior or conduct.Buddhism is also not about doing specific practices and rituals. The amount of books we’ve read and studied is not that important. The hours we’ve spend meditating doesn’t count. It does not matter what we have learned. What really matters is if and how it has transformed us.
In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition it is for example customary to do practices involving a great number of prostrations. Prostrations are a physical activity which may have some limited positive effect on our body. But in some cases, it can also harm our body, particularly the knees.
It is therefore quite important for a practitioner to understand that it is not the physical prostration as such which matters. The inner perspective which goes along with it is important. The associated meditation can help us to transform our personality by strengthening our refuge and developing bodhicitta. If we do not pay attention to this, the practice of prostration may merely become some sort of physical exercise.
How can we find out if our Buddhist practice goes well?
Along with many Buddhist practices, there are associated instructions which describe good signs like dreams and meditative experiences that may indicate our progress.These signs of progress should be seen as guidelines or indicators only. If we become excited or even satisfied if such signs of progress occur, they may even act as nourishment for our ego-clinging: “I am no longer a wonderful and intelligent person, but I am also spiritually advanced now.”
To the contrary, not having any such signs should also not make us feel bad or depressed. Actual spiritual progress is not about dreams or visions. If we misinterpret them, they can even lead us astray. All in all, the Buddhist path is about developing as a human being in all aspects of our personality.