The achievement of one's practice is based on various causes and conditions.  Practising independently is a self-starting practice by oneself.  It needs remarkable perseverance and concentration.  One also needs the correct knowledge and the right view.  In this way, one will not fall into wrong path without knowing it and will not wasting one's effort and precious time.  The group practice is an excellent method in order to eliminate all the uncertainties mentioned above.  Because Buddha knows the instincts of the living beings, he established the Sangha, a congregation of the practitioners.  They practice together in the same place to sustain one another.  This is called "The Cultivation of Practice".

In the U. S., over one million schoolchildren apply to home-School.  There are innumerable advantages to study at home.  It not only saves the child and guardian's energy of commuting, but the parent also needn't to worry about their kids might be harassed at the school or learn some bad habit.  The problem is that those kids, who study at home, will lose the pleasure of studying with others and they will have less chance in learning how to foster friendships with others too.  But, learning the ways of getting along with others are essential in our lives.

In the Buddhist society, we also often hear someone says: "It is good to practice at home.  Why bother go to the temple to attend the group practice?"  Yes.  Practicing at home definitely has its conveniences in many ways.  With a good mood to recite the Buddha's name, to meditate, to read the Sutra, and to recite Mantra, it's as rich as a full table of Manchu and Han Chinese complete meal.  If you are in a bad mood, then there won't be any Buddha in you mind.  Once you are tired, you will be careless.  You will open the refrigerator, make phone calls and play with the computer.  Just look for the things that you like to satisfy yourself.

But there are many people who practice very hard at home.  they won't forget their daily practice.  They are the ones who practice diligently but they aren't the ones who have the best practice because they do not have the chance to verify their attainment by others.  You don't have to go to the remote mountain to invite the famous and great master to verify your attainment.  the one who are closest to you is the best verifier of your accomplishment.  Whether a person has good practice or not, his/her behavior is the best evidence.

Then, how to verify one's attainment?  If a person could not get along with others, who is arrogant and takes care of his/her benefits first, then this person isn't an imitation of a Bodhisattva.  This type of people annot tolerate other's mistakes.  They look down on others and find other's fault but claiming that they are helping other people to clear up the Karmic Obstructions.  When they made mistake and someone reminded them, they will either fight back or think that the reminder doesn't have good practice as them therefore they don't need to listen to that person's opinion.  They do anything they want in claiming that they are helping people to clear up the Karmic Obstructions but do not allow others to point out their mistake and to clear up their own Karmic Obstructions.  We know clearly in our mind what kind of practice that this type of people have.  If a person's practice made him/her cannot accept others, then it is impossible for this person to be reborn in the Buddha's Pure Land, because this person doesn't have a big enough mind to meet those Bodhisattvas at the lotus pond.

Maybe you will argue that the Bodhisattvas at the lotus pond are all enlightened beings.  They are certainly easier to get along with than the living beings in the Saha World.  But don't forget that the mind, the Buddha, and the living beings are the same in nature.  The Saha World is a place where ordinary beings and saints dwelling together.  How would you know the one who gives you suggestions then rejects by you isn't the emanation of the Bodhisattva?

Therefore, we want to talk about the advantages of group practice.  Group practice will restrain our bodies, speeches and minds.  Everybody regards others as a mirror to learn goodness from others and to remind oneself when sees others' fault.  There is no habitual pattern like at home to the thinking of oneself to be infallible.  One will not learn well in how to get along with others.  This is the true practice of "Becoming a prefect person is achieving the Buddhahood".  If we just practice at home, then the Buddha shouldn't show us the way of becoming Buddha by leaving home.  Also, he would not establish the Sangha to provide a place for monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen to cultivate the practice of the Buddhadharma together and to achieve Buddhahood.

So we shouldn't misunderstand the true meaning of "The Buddha is in The Spirit of Vulture Peak and that Spirit of Vulture Peak is in your mind.  Everybody has a stupa of The Spirit Vulture Peak that we should practice under that stupa quickly".  This stanza reminds us that our mind shouldn't look outwards that everybody has the Buddha-Nature and everyone can become Buddha.  However, it doesn't mean to give up the good condition of cultivating ourselves through the group practice by having a solitary life to live in one's own tower, which is covered by throne.  And, ends up to become an odd person, who cannot be touched by anyone and no one can speak to.