Buddhism As Education

What is exactly no wandering thoughts? What is correct thoughts? Having no wandering thoughts is being free from wandering thoughts, all discrimination and all attachment. Correct thought is a clear and correct understanding of all principles and matters, causes and results and the condition of anything and its phenomenal expressions. Therefore, in correct thought, these is wisdom, there are virtues and capabilities and auspicious marks. In correct thought, there are no wandering thoughts, discrimination and attachments. According to the Diamond Sutra, "Even the Dharma has to be laid aside, let alone worldly teachings". The "Dharma" refers to the Buddhadharma. One should not be attached to the Buddhadharma either. Any attachment would be a mistake. The Buddhadharma is like a boat, something we use for crossing a river. Upon reaching our destination, we should let go of the tool that got us there. The Buddhadharma is to help us overcome obstacles. When we ha...

The first thing that the Buddha told the Kalamas was that it was right for them to be perplexed and doubtful when a matter that arouses perplexity has arisen. Given the frustration of the Kalamas this opening statement of the Buddha is well placed and understandable. But the Buddha did not mean this as merely a consolation for the Kalamas in order to put them at ease. More than that it also serves as an encouragement to ask questions and seek knowledge when in doubt. For within the Buddha's teaching itself there is a room for healthy doubting which serves as a catalyst for the search after knowledge and truth. This kind of doubt should be differentiated from the vacillating doubt that constitutes a hindrance to the practice of meditation. Vacillating doubt is an unwholesome state of mind closely allied with delusion, the combination of both which gives rise to a confused and debilitating mental vacillation that leads to mental paralysis. The mind that is plague by vacillatin...