A while back I had a conversation with Daniela about apprenticeships. She did one in tailoring for a few years. We then spoke about a Buddhist apprenticeship. I like that word, apprenticeship. I like the attitudes surrounding it. It’s a good phrase to describe my approach to Buddhism.
noun
1. a person who works for another in order to learn a trade: an apprentice to a plumber.
2. History/Historical. a person legally bound through indenture to a master craftsman in order to learn a trade.
3. a learner; novice; tyro.verb (used with object), ap·pren·ticed, ap·pren·tic·ing.
4. to bind to or place with an employer, master craftsman, or the like, for instruction in a trade.
The master-student relationship is highlighted in this word. Master not in the sense of having dominion over someone, but as someone who has mastered their craft. This is a similar attitude in the guru-disciple relationship.
Some people call Buddhism a religion. That’s true. But religion is too small a word to describe Buddhism. It’s a science of mind. It’s a philosophy. I also like seeing it as a skill, which fits exactly into the Buddhist apprenticeship.
Buddhism as a Skill
There are three main skills in Buddhism.
- Ethics (sila)
- Meditation (samadhi)
- Wisdom (prajna)
Many books have been written on each one. For me the most unusual one to see as a skill was ‘ethics’. Ethical training is not a phrase I’ve heard outside of Buddhism. But the more I reflect on it the more I see how crucial it is for humanity. Ethics is the foundation of civilisation. Agreed rules of ‘do no harm’ or ‘do not steal’ have a significant role for a healthy society.
A Buddhist apprenticeship involves:
- Finding a Buddhist master to apprentice under.
- Engaging in deliberate practice of the three-skills of Buddhism (as above).
- Dedicating a significant chunk of time towards practice and study.
- Integrating Buddhism into all aspects of your life.
- Cultivating a mindset of mastery towards your mind and heart.
- A commitment to passing on knowledge once you transition from apprentice to master.
The word ‘apprentice’ for me has an effect of nostalgia. It reminds me of Miyamoto Musashi – the greatest swordsmen of Japan. I read the book many years ago. I loved his attitudes towards life and his sword. It serves as a good reminder for how I want to approach studying Buddhism (and for that matter, any other religions or topics I decide to study).
“The purpose of today’s training is to defeat yesterday’s understanding.”
Miyamoto Musashi
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