How To Practice Concentration

　　The first step is to kneel down with your hands palm-to-palm in front of your heart and sincerely pay respect to the Triple Gem, saying as follows:

　　araham samma-sambuddho bhagava

　　buddham bhagavantam abhivademi

　　(bow down)

　　svakkhato bhagavata dhammo

　　dhammam namassami

　　(bow down)

　　supatipanno bhagavato savaka-sangho

　　sangham namami

　　(bow down)

　　Then, showing respect with your thoughts, words and deed, pay homage to the Buddha:

　　Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma-sambuddhassa (three times)

　　And then take refuge in the Triple Gem:

　　Buddham saranam gacchami

　　Dhammam saranam gacchami

　　Sangham saranam gacchami

　　Dutiyampi buddham saranam gacchami

　　Dutiyampi dhammam saranam gacchami

　　Dutiyampi sangham saranam gacchami

　　Tatiyampi buddham saranam gacchami

　　Tatiyampi dhammam saranam gacchami

　　Tatiyampi sangham saranam gacchami

　　Make the following resolution: "I take refuge in the Buddha, the Pure One, completely free from defilement; and in his Dhamma — doctrine, practice and attainment; and in the Sangha, the four levels of his Noble Disciples, from now until the end of my life." Then make the following vow:

　　Etena sacca-vajjena hotu me jayamangalam

　　which means, "By making this vow of truth, may the good fortune of victory be mine." Bow down once. This ends the step of taking refuge.

　　The next step is to take the precepts — five, eight, or ten — and abstain from the five, eight, or ten forms of harm. If you already understand the precepts, you can formulate the intention to observe them using a single vow. For those observing the five precepts:

　　Imani pañca sikkhapadani samadiyami (three times)

　　For those observing the eight precepts:

　　Imani attha sikkhapadani samadiyami (three times)

　　For those observing the ten precepts:

　　Imani dasa sikkhapadani samadiyami (three times)

　　For those observing the 227 precepts:

　　Parisuddho aham bhante parisuddhoti

　　Mam buddho dhammo sangho dharetu

　　If you know what is forbidden by the precepts, you can take them on your own and then go ahead and abandon any form of behavior that runs counter to the five, eight, ten or 227 precepts you”ve taken. Once you”ve examined your precepts to see that they”re pure, examine your heart. Once you see that it has entered the sphere of virtue and the Triple Gem, you should recollect the virtues of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha — both mentally and out loud — so as to nurture a sense of conviction in the heart.

　　The Recollection of the Virtues of the Buddha: Repeat the following passage from the Canon, at the same time nurturing a sense of conviction:

　　Itipi so bhagava araham samma-sambuddho, Vijja-carana-sampanno sugato lokavidu, Anuttaro purisa-damma-sarathi Sattha deva-manussanam buddho bhagavati

　　(He is indeed the Blessed One, worthy and rightly self-awakened, consummate in knowledge and conduct, one who has gone the good way, knower of cosmos, the unexcelled trainer of those who can be taught, teacher of human and pine beings, awakened, blessed.)

　　Then showing respect with body, speech and mind, pay homage to the virtues of the Buddha, saying, "I now ask to pay homage through practice to the three virtues of the Buddha: discernment, purity, and compassion. I ask to pay homage through practice in thought, word, and deed, without being negligent, as far as my alertness and abilities will allow, now and in the time to come. May the virtues of the Buddha appear in my life and heart: Buddham jivitam yava nibbanam saranam gacchami — I go to the Buddha as life and refuge until reaching nibbana." (bow down).

　　The Recollection of the Virtues of the Dhamma: Repeat the following passage from the Canon, at the same time nurturing a sense of conviction:

　　Svakkhato bhagavata dhammo, sanditthiko akaliko ehipassiko, opanayiko paccattam veditabbo…

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