Thai Amulet Forum

Chapter 7
Self-Improvement
Improve ourselves through reading and further study to cultivate a morally virtuous person with improvement in our spiritual life
1. If we do not actively practice what we have learned from the true and valuable concepts of human philosophy that can benefit us in our daily life and growth our virtue and wisdom, whatever we learn or study is merely acquiring some superficial knowledge, even though we thought we had gained the knowledge. We will not be able to make use of what we had learnt, hence if we can apply the knowledge diligently in any related field of interest, transform the knowledge we gained into a useful tool, we will have the enthusiasm to further our learning process. Otherwise, we will only do things based on our own opinion, thinking it is correct. In fact, resulted in what we know may not be the truth due to no proper application of the useful guidelines.
2. There are correct methods and efficient means of learning, which involve the concentration in three mean areas:
a. The attitude of learning (the mind), be mindful, be open-minded, analyse each paragraph sentence to understand the value in it, convince ourselves to believe what we read is equally important and beneficial to us.
b. Vision (the eyes), be focus, concentrate on completing one chapter at a time and finish it before moving to other books. devote enough time and effort to thoroughly understand each chapter of learning, make notes for reference of important points.
c. Questioning (the mouth), ask a question to get the correct logical answers, note down that area you have doubt and seek advice from those who know, ask for clarification or explanation.
3. Read only those books of great value which contain the moral standards and virtue. For those books that are not of the teachings of the saints and sages, it should be discarded and not even looked at. Such books can mislead us or block our intelligence and wisdom and will undermine our aspirations and sense of direction.
4. Keep our study room or area of study neat and clean, tidy the desk, to create a conducive environment with a clear state of mind. Write notes and words clearly with respect is a well state of mind. Arrange books properly on the bookshelves and treasure them. After finishing reading a book, put it back where it belongs. Even if in a hurry, we still need to cultivate a good habit.