Daily Practice Q & A: Q3: If I don't finish my daily practice in time, do I have to make up for it on the same day?

Not necessarily. There are two kinds of daily regular practices: set-times and set-quantity (set-number). A set-time practice is carried out at a fixed time, such as morning and evening recitations or morning and evening meditations. If, for whatever reason, you are unable to finish it, you should grasp the principle of "living in the present moment at anytime and anywhere," and settle down in your work or family life without being attached to the unfinished practice or worrying about it. As for set-quantity practice, it is best to take the time to work hard and strive to complete it as much as possible.

It is easier to develop a practice habit by setting aside 10 minutes or half an hour every morning and evening for practice, so that you can easily maintain and cultivate a regular routine. If it is not possible to have a set-time for daily practice, you can arrange a set-quantity practice, such as chanting mantras, reciting the Buddha's name, or doing prostrations to the Buddha. For example, you can recite the Great Compassion Mantra 108 times everyday. It takes about an hour to recite the mantra 108 times at a time. If you cannot complete it all at one time, you can use fragments of time in your daily life to finish it, such as when you are commuting or walking, thereby maintaining the habit of practicing all the time.

As for set-quantity practice, it is easy to become lax without counting the number, so you can use a counter to assist you. As long as you set the amount of chanting you want to do each day, using the counter can remind you to complete your daily chants. Doing so consistently every day, whether as a set-time or a set-quantity practice, will accumulate merits.


Extended Reading:
 

Morning and Evening Chanting as a Regular Monastic Practice

Innovations in Morning and Evening Services in Modern Day Monasteries

Morning and Evening Recitation Helps Mental and Physical Adjustment

The Regular Daily Practice of Venerable Master Sheng Yen

Daily Practice Q & A: Q1: Is it necessary to have a daily practice after studying Buddhism ?

Daily Practice Q & A: Q2: How does one choose a daily regular practice?

Daily Practice Q & A: Q3: If I don't finish my daily practice in time, do I have to make up for it on the same day?

Daily Practice Q & A: Q4: What is the difference between preliminary and daily practice?


Resource: Issue 326 of Life Magazine, Dharma Drum Publishing Corporation
Photos: Issue 326 of Life Magazine, Dharma Drum Publishing Corporation
Translation: Glen Sha 
Editing: YKL, Keith Brown