Buddhism As Education

If we examine the nature of reality deeper, we will find that within this complex world, there are things and events that have a certain degree of permanence, at least from the point of view of their continuum. Examples of this include the continuity of consciousness and the mind's essential nature of luminosity and clarity. There is nothing that can threaten the continuity of consciousness or the essential nature of mind. Then, there are certain types of experiences and events in the world that appear evident at a particular point but cease to exist after contact with opposing forces, such as phenomena can be understood to be adventitious or circumstantial. It is on the basis of these two categories of phenomena that the teachings of the Four Noble Truths such as the truths of suffering and its origin become relevant. When we further examine this dynamic, complex and diverse world that we experience, we find that phenomena can also be categories in three ways: 1. The Worl...

Buddhism discusses what are known as the two truths - the truths of conventional and ultimate reality. The concept of two levels of reality is not unique to Buddhism. It is a common epistemological approach in many of the ancient Indian schools. Followers of non-Buddhist Samkhya school, for example, explain reality in terms of twenty five categories of phenomena. The self [Sanskrit: purusha; Tibetan: kye-bu] and the primal substance [Sanskrit: prakriti; Tibetan: rang-zhin] are said to be ultimate truths, while the remaining twenty three categories of phenomena are said to be manifestations or expressions of this underlying reality. However, what is unique in Mahayana particularly in the Madhyamaka or Middle Way School is that conventional and ultimate truths are not seen as two unrelated, independent entities but as different perspectives of one and the same world. According to the Middle Way School of Buddhism, the ultimate truth or the ultimate nature of reality is the emptine...

The objects of salutation in this verse - the conquerors of the three times - are the Three Jewels of Refuge. It is important to pay homage to the Buddha not as just some noble object but in terms of the meaning of jang-chub. The Sanskrit term for jang-chub is bodhi, which conveys a sense of awakening, a state where knowledge and realization have been perfected. Therefore, when explaining the meaning of awakening or enlightenment, we can speak about both process by which this awakening takes place and the state to which awakening brings us; in other words, the means and fruition. When we understand enlightenment as resultant state, we are primarily referring to the enlightened quality of purity - the perfected state where all negativities and limitations have been purified. There's another aspect to this purity, which is the primordially pure nature of the enlightened state. The reason why enlightenment is a perfected state where all obscuration has been purified is because na...

All this suggest the importance of having a deeper knowledge of the nature of the mind and its various aspects and functions in general and the nature and complexity of emotion in particular. Also since we realize that many of our problems arise from a fundamentally flawed way of perceiving and relating to the world, it becomes important for us to be able to examine whether or not our perception accords with the true nature of reality. Understanding the true nature of reality is crucial as it is our perception of reality that lies at the heart of how we relate to the world. However, reality here means not just the immediate facts of our experience and environment but the entire expanse of reality because many of our thoughts and emotions arise not only as a result of the immediate physical environment but also out of abstract ideas. Therefore, in the Buddha's teaching, we find a great deal of discussion on the nature of reality in terms of eighteen constituents, the twelve s...

How do we know that it is possible to transform our mind? There are two basis for this. One is the fundamental law of impermanence; that all things and events are subject to transformation and change. If we examine this deeper, we will realize that at every instant, everything that exist is going through process of change. Even though, for instance, we speak of yesterday's person as existing unchanged today, we are all aware at a gross experimental level of the laws of impermanence; that for example, even the earth on which we live will one day come to an end. If things and events did not have the nature of changing from moment to moment, we would not be able to explain how transformation takes place over the time. When we reduce vast passage of time down to very brief ones, we can realize that things are actually changing from moment to moment. Modern technology helps us to see some of these changes; the development of a biological organism, for example, can be observed throu...

It is important to be able to differentiate between two levels of understanding, one is the superficial, intellectual level, where on the basis of reading, studying or listening to teachings, we distinguish between negative and positive qualities of mind and recognize their nature and origin. The other is the deeper, experiential level where we actually cultivate and generate positive qualities within ourselves. Although it can be challenging to develop an intellectual understanding of certain topics, it is generally easier because it can be cultivated merely by reading texts or listening to teachings. Experiential understanding is far more difficult to develop, since it comes about only as a result of sustain practice. At the experiential level, your understanding is essentially a felt experience. Because experiential understanding is thus accompanied by powerful emotions, you can see that although many emotions are destructive, there are positive emotional states as well. Actu...

What is the purpose of the Dharma? Just like other spiritual traditions, Buddhadharma is an instrument for training the mind - something we use to try to work out the problems that we all experience; problems that originated mainly at the mental level. Negative emotional forces create mental unrest, such as unhappiness, fear, doubt, frustration and so forth; these negative mental states can cause us to engage in negative activities, which in turn bring us more problems and more suffering. Practising Dharma is a way of working out these problems, be they long-term or immediate. In other words, Dharma protects us from unwanted suffering. Buddhadharma means bringing discipline and inner tranquillity into our mind. Therefore, when we talk about transforming our mind and developing inner qualities, the only way we can do this is to utilize the mind itself. There is nothing else we can use to bring about such change. Thus, we should realize that much of what we do not desire - unwante...

Endurance and moderation are the foundation, the beginning of our practice. To start, we simply follow the practice and the schedule set up by ourself or in a retreat or monastery. To train an animal, we will have to restrain it; likewise, we also need to restrict ourselves. An animal which is difficult to train should be given little food. Here we have the ascetic practices to limit ourselves in regard to food, robes and living quarters, to bring us down to bare essentials, to cut away infatuation. These practices are the basis of concentration. Constant mindfulness in all postures and activities will make the mind calm and clear. But this calm is not the end point of practice. Tranquil states give the mind a temporary rest, as eating will temporarily remove hunger but that is not all there is to life. You must therefore use the calmed mind to see things in a new light, that is the light of wisdom. When the heart becomes firm in this wisdom, you will not adhere to worldly stand...

In our practices, we think that noises, cars, voices, sights are distraction that come and bother us when we want to be quiet. But who is bothering whom? Actually, we are the ones who go and bother them. The car, the sound are just following its own nature. We bother things through some false idea that they are outside us and cling to the ideal of remaining quiet or undisturbed. Learn to see that it is not thing that are bothering us, that it is we are the ones who go out to bother them. See the world as a mirror. It is all a reflection of mind. When you know this, you can grow in every moment and every experience reveals the truth and brings understanding. Normally, the untrained mind is full of worries and anxieties, so when a bit of tranquillity arises from practising meditation, you easily become attached to it, mistaking states of tranquillity for the end of meditation. Sometimes you may even think you have put an end to lust and greed or hatred, only to be overwhelmed by t...

Consider the Buddha's compassion and skill. He taught us after his own enlightenment. Finished with his own business, he got involved in ours, teaching us all these wonderful means. Concerning practice, we need to follow him, we need to carry out all efforts in seeking and giving as we believe what the Buddha has taught us, that Path, Fruition and Nirvana exist. But these things are not accidental. They arise from right practice, from right effort, from being bold, daring to train, to think, to adapt and to do. These efforts involve opposing your own mind. The Buddha says not to trust mins because it is defiled, impure, does not yet embody the virtue or Dharma. In all different practices we do, we must therefore oppose this mind and when the mind is being opposed, it becomes hot and distressed and we begin to wonder whether we are on the right path or otherwise. Because practice interferes with defilement, with desire, we suffer and may even decide to stop the practice. Th...

Do not find fault with others. If they behave wrongly, there is no need to make yourself suffer just because of that. If you point out to them what is correct and they refused to practice accordingly, leave it at that. When the Buddha studied with various teachers, he realized that their ways were lacking and incorrect, but he did not disparage them. Studying with humility ad respect, he benefited from his relationship with his teachers, yet he realized that their systems were incomplete. Still as he has yet to become enlightened, he did not criticize or attempt to teach them the otherwise. After he found enlightenment, he respectfully remembered those he had studied with and wanted to share his new found knowledge with them. Real love is wisdom. What most people think of as love is just an impermanent feeling. If you have a nice taste everyday, you will soon get tired and fed up with it all. In the same way, such love eventually turns into hatred and sorrow. Such worldly happ...