|
The young Venerable Khai Thien (A Handbook for Buddhists)
Foreword
Dear
Friends in Dharma, This
handbook, Buddhism
101—Questions and Answers, is a selected collection
of Buddhist basic
teachings for beginners. While composing this book, we thought in
particular
about those Buddhists who just initiatively started to study and
practice
Buddhism in environments of multiple religions and multiple cultures.
Therefore, the basic themes introduced here serve to provide readers
with a
general view of the Buddha’s teachings in regard to both
theory and practice.
Given the limitations of a handbook, we dare not go further into
intensive
issues of Buddhist philosophy as doing so may lead to difficulties for
beginners. However, the selected questions discussed here are the core
teachings of Buddhism. As a beginner, you need to master these
teachings firmly
and precisely before going further into the Buddhist studies. We hope
that this
handbook will be a useful ladder to help you along the way in your
learning and
practicing. Los Angeles, Spring 2009 Ven. Khai Thien, Ph.D. ~oOo~ 101
– Questions and Answers 1.
What
common feature does Buddhism
share with other religions? 2.
What
is the difference between
Buddhism and other religions? 3.
What
is a brief history of the
Buddha? 4.
What
is the essential characteristic
of Buddhism? 5.
Does
Buddhism advocate for
renunciation of the world? 6.
Is
Buddhism a religion or
philosophy? 7.
What
is the essential tenet of
Buddhism? 8.
If
Buddhism is a non-theistic
religion, can we say that it is a religion of science or one of
philosophy? 9.
If
Buddhism already had, from the
beginning, its establishment for the path of enlightenment and
liberation, why
did such concepts as the Great vehicle (Mahāyāna) and
Small vehicle (Hīnayāna)
subsequently arise in its history? 10.
How
does the original form of
Buddhism differ from its development? 11.
In
addition to the two forms of
Buddhism—origin and development—why do we have the
names Southern Buddhism and
Northern Buddhism? 12.
Regarding
practical activities, is
there any difference between Southern Buddhism and Northern Buddhism? 13.
Regarding
the process of
enlightenment, is there any difference between Southern Buddhism and
Northern
Buddhism? 14.
Can
you explain more about the ten
stages of Mahāyāna Bodhisattva development? 15.
Regarding
the Buddhist
ideal model for practitioners, is there any difference between Southern
Buddhism and Northern Buddhism? 16.
How
many major systems of philosophy
exist in Buddhism? 17.
What
is the fundamental belief in
Buddhism? 18.
What
is the karmic law of causes and
effects? 19.
What
are the three karmas? 20.
What
does Samsāra
mean in Buddhism and how does it work? 21.
If
Buddhism does not believe in an
immortal soul, then what and who will be reborn in the cycle of samsāra? 22.
How
can one know that he
or she will be reborn in the cycle of samsāra? 23.
Buddhist
mental
formations include such concepts as the mind, thought, and
consciousness. How
different are
they? 24.
If
there is no existence of God, then on what condition is the
existence of heaven and hell based? 25.
If
all comes from the mind, can a non-Buddhist practice the
Buddhist doctrine? 26.
What
is the primary core
of spiritual practice in Buddhism? 27.
Is
there any difference in the manner
of practice of Buddhism and that of other religions? 28.
Does
one benefit if he practices
just one of the three pure studies: moral discipline, meditation, or
wisdom? 29.
How
can a person become a Buddhist? 30.
Why
must a person take refuge in the
Triple Jewels to become a Buddhist? 31.
Can
a person attain enlightenment
and liberation if he just practices the Dharma without taking refuge? 32.
Is
the moral discipline of Buddhism
similar to or different from that of other religions? 33.
What
are the four all-embracing virtues (Catuh-samgraha-vastu)? 34.
What
are the deeds of pāramita
(transcendental perfection)? 35.
What
is the Bodhi mind (Bodhicitta)? 36.
What
are the four foundations of
mindfulness? 37.
What
are the four right efforts (catvāri prahāṇāni)? 38.
What
are the four supernatural powers (rddhipāda)? 39.
What
are the five spiritual faculties (pañcānām
indriyāṇām)
and their five powers (pañcānāṃ
balānām)? 40.
What
are the seven branches of
enlightenment (saptabodhyanga)? 41.
What
is the noble eightfold path? 42.
Is
there any plain and simple teaching
that can be remembered most easily? 43.
Why
do we eat vegetarian foods? 44.
Can
a person become a Buddha by
eating purely vegetarian foods, and how is vegetarianism related to
spiritual
practice? 45.
Does
a Buddhist break the precept of
not killing when he eats meat? 46.
What
does repentance (Ksamayati)
mean in Buddhist rites? 47.
Can
a person’s unwholesome karmas be
eradicated through repentance? 48.
What
is the aim of reciting the
Buddhas’ names? 49.
Would
you please explain more about
the doctrine of 50.
What
is the core teaching of the 51.
What
is meditation? 52.
How
is Ānāpānasati meditation
related to vipassanā meditation? 53.
What
are the main themes of both
Ānāpānasati and vipassanā
meditation? 54.
Regarding
the breaths and breathing,
how important are they in the practice of meditation? 55.
Would
you please explain more about
the role and function of the one-pointed mind in meditation? 56.
How
do feelings relate to the mind? 57.
Would
you please explain more about
insight meditation? 58.
Why
does a practitioner have to
mediate on the body in such detail? 59.
What
are the five aggregates? 60.
Why
are the five aggregates
considered the foundation for the twelve senses-bases and eighteen
psychophysical domains? 61.
Why
are aggregates, senses-bases,
and psychophysical domains analyzed in such detail? 62.
Would
you please explain the nature
of the self or ego in the Buddhist view? 63.
If
there is no individual self or
personal ego, who will suffer and who will be happy? 64.
What
is non-self? 65.
Does
the reality of the non-self relate to nirvāna? 66.
How
can one perceive the meaning of
emptiness (śūnyatā)
in the presence of things? 67.
Why
is it said that the middle way
is the path leading to nirvāna? 68.
How
can we apply the teaching of the
middle way to practical life? 69.
Would
you please explain more about
the two truths? 70.
Is
the absolute truth identical to
the realm of nirvāna? 71.
Would
you please explain more about the characteristics of nirvāna? 72.
Why
does a Buddhist expression say that “samsāra is nirvāna”? 73.
What
does nirvāna
relate to in the doctrine of three Dharma Seals? 74.
How
can an ordinary person live a
life of non-self? 75.
How
should a selfish and egocentric
person practice the Dharma? 76.
Would
you please explain the concept
of “merit” in Buddhism? 77.
What
is the characteristic of ‘pure
merit’ and that of ‘impure merit’? 78.
What
is the Buddhist view on the
issue of “good and evil”? 79.
Why
are there different viewpoints
on the issue of “good and evil”? 80.
What
is ignorance in the Buddhist
view and is a wise person like a scientist still ignorant? 81.
How
should a person of weighty
ignorance practice the Dharma? 82.
How
should a person of weighty
hatred (ill will) practice the Dharma? 83.
How
should a person of weighty
craving practice the Dharma? 84.
How
does the Buddhist concept of
happiness differ from the mundane concept of happiness? 85.
What
is the true career of a
Buddhist? 86.
Do
different methods of spiritual
practice oppose one another? 87.
Is
there any difference in
the methods of practice for
young and old persons? 88.
How
should an aged person practice
the Dharma, particularly when his or her time of life is shortened? 89.
Why
should a person be aware of the
future life if he or she practices being
in the present? 90.
How
should young people practice the
Dharma? 91.
How
should a person who is
experiencing much illness or who is near death practice Dharma? 92.
What
should one do in order to
extinguish his or her fear of death? 93.
Loneliness
is an obsession of a
person when facing old age and death. How should one practice Dharma in
order
to overcome this obsession? 94.
How
can a person overcome this
obsession of old age and death if he or she is unable to appreciate the
taste
of inner tranquility? 95.
How
should we encourage our younger
children to practice the Dharma? 96.
How
can we live in harmony with a
person who follows other religions in the same family? 97.
How
should we live in harmony with a
person of divergent views? 98.
How
can we live in harmony with a
person who embraces the wrong views? 99.
How
can one live peacefully with or
alongside a person who is gossipy and stubborn? 100.
What
should one do in order to make
the inner life peaceful? 101.
How
should a Buddhist practice when
facing suffering? 1.
What
common feature does Buddhism
share with other religions? Buddhism
shares numerous common features with all other religions. All religions
encourage human beings to do good deeds, avoid evil deeds, cultivate a
life of
morality and compassion, and develop human dignity for both oneself and
others
as well as for family and society. 2.
What
is the difference between
Buddhism and other religions? The
key point in which Buddhism differs from other religions is that
Buddhism does
not believe in the existence of a Personal God who creates, controls,
and
governs the life of all sentient beings, including human beings.
According to
the Buddhist view, suffering or happiness is created not by God, but by
each
individual person together with the karmic force, which is also the
product of
each person. The Buddha taught that a person becomes noble or servile
not
because of his or her origin (e.g., family background or social rank),
but
because of his or her own actions. Indeed, personal action makes a man
or woman
noble or servile. In addition, radical differences exist in the
teaching of
Buddhism and that of other religions. Buddhism considers all dharmas
(things or
existences, including both the mental and the physical) in this world
to be
conditional and exist in the mode of Dependent Origination. No dharma
can exist
independently and permanently as an immortal and invariable entity.
Thus, all
existences are non-self. Similarly, no one—either human or
non-human—is able to
control and govern the life of another person, only the person him- or
herself.
Consequently, the most essential point in Buddhist humanistic teaching
is that
all sentient beings have their own Buddhahood; thus, each person has
the
ability to become a Buddha. Enlightenment and liberation, in the
Buddhist view,
are equal truths for all sentient beings, not a holy privilege reserved
particularly for a certain person. This great view of equality in
Buddhist
doctrine is rarely found in any other religion. 3.
What
is a brief history of the
Buddha? Buddhism
was established in 4.
What
is the essential characteristic
of Buddhism? Traditionally,
Buddhism is defined as the path leading to enlightenment, as Buddha
means an awakened person or enlightened person. Thus, the essential
characteristic of Buddhism, as the term expresses, is the path
to
enlightenment and liberation from the world of
samsāra. 5.
Does
Buddhism advocate for
renunciation of the world? This
question requires a delicate answer. History tells us that the
middle-aged
Buddha Sakyamuni attained enlightenment and ultimate liberation from
the
binding cycle of samsāra. However, he remained with the world
for more than
forty years to teach the Dharma and bring benefits to all sentient
beings.
Thus, two important points should be considered: a) The Buddhist concept
of enlightenment (bodhi): The term bodhi in Buddhism refers
to a full
awakening or full awareness of the operation of
pratītyasamutpāda, the Law of
Dependent Origination, the mental and physical corporeality on which
the life
of a human being is developed. Based upon this capability of full
awareness,
the individual is able to overcome all afflictions, delusions, and
impurities
and create a true life of peace and happiness. In addition, the
capability of
awareness is, in reality, divided into various levels from low to high;
therefore, you should keep in mind that spending a whole life
practicing the
Dharma does not always mean that you will obtain full awareness
(realization of
the absolute truth). Although you have the ability to become
enlightened, your
level of enlightenment always depends on your individual karmic force,
which is
a personal current of mental cohesion of your own lives in the past. b)
The Buddhist concept of
liberation
(moksha):
Literally, the term moksha
or mukti in Sanskrit means release,
transcend beyond, or
liberate from the bondage of samsāra. Thus,
liberation in Buddhism also
consists of various levels, from simplicity to absolute freedom.
Whenever you
transcend beyond the bondages of afflictions and defilements such as
craving,
hatred, ignorance, self-attachment, and self-pride in your own life,
you will
reach the realm of liberation. Until you liberate yourself from such
afflictions (i.e., your mind is no longer governed or controlled by
such mental
impurities), you cannot truly enjoy the taste of liberation. However,
in order
to reach the state of absolute liberation, you must completely
eradicate the
roots of those afflictions as those roots of impurity are the causes of
birth
and death (samsāra). In other words, to
liberate oneself from the cycle
of samsāra, in the Buddhist view, is to release oneself from
one’s own life of
afflictions and impurities; this is the very concept of renunciation
in
Buddhism. Therefore, it is important to remember that—to be
truly liberated—you
do not have to go anywhere else but to practice the Dharma right here
and right
now in this person and this world. 6.
Is
Buddhism a religion or
philosophy? The
modern world is home to various kinds of religions as well as various
concepts
of God[1];
moreover, each religion has its own
doctrine and vocation. However, based on the characteristics of
religions, we
may generalize all world religions into two groups: a) theistic
religions—religions
believing in the existence of either one personal deity (monotheism) or
multiple deities (polytheism) such as the Creator, God, Brahma, Gods,
etc., who
creates and controls the life of humans and nature; or b) non-theistic
religions—religions that do not believe in the
existence of any deity whose
works create and control the life of both sentient and non-sentient
beings. In
the limit of this definition, Buddhism is a religion that does not have
a
personal God, but incorporates all the functions of a
religion—as characterized
by the modern view of religious studies—including
conceptions, canonical languages,
doctrines, symbols, rituals, spiritual practices, and social
relationships. Yet
many people today consider Buddhism to be “a philosophy of
life” or “a
philosophy of enlightenment”; this is just a personal choice.
7.
What
is the essential tenet of
Buddhism? The
essential tenet of Buddhism was taught by the Buddha during his first
teaching
in the Deer Park (Sarnath), which focused on the
Four Noble Truths (Catvāri
āryasatyāni):
the
truth of suffering (dukkha), causes of suffering,
cessation of
suffering, and the noble path leading to the cessation of suffering.
Following
this first Dharma teaching, the Buddha taught about
non-self—i.e., no
independent entity is perpetual and invariable in the existence of five
human
aggregates (form, feeling, perception, mental formation, and
consciousness). In
other words, nothing in either the physical or mental world can be
considered
an immortal self or permanent ego. In addition, speaking of the
Buddhist
essential tenet, it is important to remember a historical fact that, on
the way
to enlightenment, the Buddha deeply meditated on the law of Pratītyasamutpāda
(Dependent Origination), during which the Bodhisattva Siddhartha became
a
Buddha when he himself cut off the series of samsāra.[2]
Therefore, we may conclude that the
essential tenet of Buddhism includes the teachings of the Four Noble
Truths,
Non-self, and Dependent Origination. 8.
If
Buddhism is a non-theistic religion,
can we say that it is a religion of science or one of philosophy? You
can name Buddhism as you choose, but you should keep in mind that, from
the
beginning, Buddhism has had no purpose to interpret or certify any
problem
belonging to science, as the industries of modern science do today.
Buddhism
does not put science at the top of its teachings; it is not inclined to
any
interpretation of science, although what the Buddha taught was always
very
scientific. The truth is that, when science is intensively developed,
its
discoveries help us verify the subtle problems of the Buddhist
teachings,
particularly those in the field of psychophysical studies. Perhaps, for
this
reason, Buddhism has become increasingly popular today and has quickly
developed in Western countries—particularly in academic
environments such as
the universities of 9.
If
Buddhism already had, from the
beginning, its establishment for the path of enlightenment and
liberation, why
did such concepts as the Great vehicle (Mahāyāna) and
Small vehicle (Hīnayāna)
subsequently arise in its history? Three
doctrinal movements occurred in the history of Buddhism: Theravāda,
Hīnāyana, and Mahāyāna.
Theravāda is the primitive form of Buddhism, which
began in the time of the Buddha and continued to develop until almost
one
hundred years after his Nirvāna. Following this original
period came the
spreading of two major movements: Hīnāyana and
Mahāyāna. Generally, the concept
of Hīnāyana (Small vehicle) and
Mahāyāna (Great vehicle) gradually emerged in
the process of the expansion of Buddhist thought and philosophy. The
development of these two major movements in Buddhist history gradually
diverged
into eighteen sub-schools. However, both major movements based their
teachings
on the same doctrinal foundation (i.e., the Four Noble Truths,
Dependent
Origination, and Non-self), although each movement had its own views
and
interpretations on various aspects of personal practice and social
relationships.
History states that, when a society develops, its languages, thoughts,
and
practical life also develop, thereby resulting in various views and
interpretations of the Buddha’s disciples in the stretching
of Buddhist
history. In particular, after the Buddha had already been in
Nirvāna for
hundreds of years, his plain and simple teachings had, through the
course of
time, been covered up with philosophical reasons and social
reformations. In
regard to the differences in various forms of Buddhism, Buddhists
nowadays
often use the concept of traditional Buddhism and developed
Buddhism
to refer to such diversities. 10.
How
does the original form of
Buddhism differ from its development? We
can summarize some basic differences between the two forms, origin and
development, of Buddhism as follows: a)
Canonical languages: Primitive Buddhism
(Theravāda) uses Pali as their
primary language in which the Nikāya sutras (or sutta in Pali
form) are the
foundation for their practice. Meanwhile, Mahāyāna
Buddhism uses the Mahāyāna
sutras, in which Sanskrit is the primary language, together with some
ancient
languages, such as Tibetan and Chinese. b)
Thoughts: Primitive Buddhism is based on the
teaching of Dependent
Origination (Paticcamūpāda), while
Mahāyāna Buddhism established two
additional major philosophical movements: the Middle Way (Mādhyamika)
and Mind-only (Yogācāra), which
are also based on the same grounds of
Dependent Origination. Finally, the Diamond vehicle (Vajrayāna)
was the
last school developed in the entire process of Buddhist development.
Although
these various forms of Buddhism differ somewhat, their fundamental
teachings
are not contradictory to one another except in regard to the conceptual
expansions in the meaning of spiritual end and the
problem of saving
others. c)
Practices: Primitive Buddhism concentrated on
meditation in which the
major themes are the four foundations of mindfulness; body, feeling,
mind, and
mind’s objects (all existences). Mahāyāna
Buddhism expanded its forms of
spiritual practice, such as Zen (meditation),
11.
In
addition to the two forms of
Buddhism—origin and development—why do we have the
names Southern Buddhism and
Northern Buddhism? Southern
Buddhism and Northern Buddhism are alternative names used for primitive
Buddhism and developed Buddhism. These particular names refer to the
directions
in which the two Buddhist traditions developed. Southern Buddhism, the
primitive branch, was popularly propagated in southern 12.
Regarding
practical activities, is
there any difference between Southern Buddhism and Northern Buddhism? When
speaking of monastic lifestyle, Southern Buddhism still maintains the
primitive
style for everyday activities, which were traditionally set up during
the time
of the Buddha. In other words, monks in Southern Buddhism all wear
yellow
robes, eat one meal a day at On
the contrary, monks and nuns in Northern Buddhism do not keep the
traditional
lifestyle, as primitive Buddhism does. Rather, they adjusted their
lifestyles
in everyday activities as well as in spiritual practices, relying on
different
habits, customs, national cultures, and social requirements. Thus, the
lifestyles of monks and nuns in Northern Buddhism are diversely
dependent on
various traditions of different natives. For example, monks and nuns in
Northern Buddhism wear different styles of robes with different colors.
Canonical languages are translated into different languages, and
followers can
eat more than one meal a day, depending on health issues. Generally
speaking,
Northern Buddhism is a form of development by nature; therefore, it has
effectively adapted to social needs to become the first priority in the
mission
of preaching the Dharma. 13.
Regarding
the process of
enlightenment, is there any difference between Southern Buddhism and
Northern
Buddhism? Traditionally,
the process of enlightenment and emancipation of a Buddhist Holy One is
concretized in the Hearer (Srāvaka)—four
stages of attainment that
include Stream-enterer (Sotāpana),
One-returner (Sakadāgāmi),
None-returner (Anāgāmi), and
Complete liberation (Arhat). This
process of enlightenment has been explained in detail. A holy man or
woman must
purify all their afflictions practically by cutting off ten fetters (samyojana)
as follows: -Belief
in an individual self (sakkāya-ditthi), -Doubt
or uncertainty about the Dharma (vicikicchā),
-Attachment
to rites and rituals (silabata-parāmāsa),
-Sensual
desire (kāma-rāga), -Hatred
(vyāpāda), -Craving
for existence (rūpa-rāga), -Craving
for non-existence (arūpa-rāga), -Pride
in self (māna), -Restlessness
or distraction (uddhacca), and -Ignorance
(avijjā). Thus,
in regard to spiritual training, no difference exists between Southern
Buddhism
and Northern Buddhism, although the concepts used to describe this
process may
vary, such as the expansion of the notion of “spiritual
end” and “saving other
sentient beings” in the ten
stages of Mahāyāna
Bodhisattva development. Briefly, although descriptions of the way to
enlightenment may be diverse, the content of spiritual liberation
always
remains the same—namely, to attain enlightenment, an Arhat or
a Boddhisattva
must completely delete the ten fetters of defilement. Process
of enlightenment
and liberation of a Holy one in Buddhism
14.
Can
you explain more about the ten
stages of Mahāyāna Bodhisattva development? The
ten stages of Mahāyāna Bodhisattva development are: -Pramudita:
joyfulness at having overcome the afflictions and defilements and
beginning to
enter the Buddha’s path; -Vimalā:
liberation from all possible defilements, the stage of purity; -
Prabhākari: the stage of developing wisdom;
-Arcismati:
the stage of shining wisdom; -Sudurjayā:
the stage of overcoming the utmost or subtle defilements; -Abhimukhi:
the stage of attaining transcendent wisdom; -Dūramgamā:
the stage of transcending all notion of self in order to save others; -Acalā:
the stage of not falling back into impurity; -Sādhumati:
the stage of skillful wisdom and attainment of the ten powers; and -Dharmamega:
the stage of absolute liberation and freedom. A
holy one practices ten
pāramitās (perfections) in
connection to the ten stages above: dāna/charity;
sīla/purity or morality;
ksanti/patience; virya/progress; dhyāna/meditation;
prajňā/wisdom;
upaya/skillful means; pranidana/vows; bala/power; and
jňāna/true knowledge. 15.
Regarding
the Buddhist
ideal model for practitioners, is there any difference between Southern
Buddhism and Northern Buddhism? This
is an interesting question. We know that, in all aspects of humans, the
ideal
model plays an important role in forming a certain
personality and
lifestyle for each individual, regardless of religion or non-religion.
Likewise, the ideal models for practitioners between primitive Buddhism
and
Mahāyāna Buddhism vary. In
primitive Buddhism, the ideal model is the very image of an Arhat,
a
Holy one who has given up all impurities of the personal life, living
in
awakening and blissfulness, and teaching and helping others
accordingly.
However, in Mahāyāna Buddhism, the ideal model is the
embodiment of a
Bodhisattva, who always carries within him- or herself the vow to save
others
throughout the journey of spiritual training. The ideal of saving
others or
performing beneficial acts for all other sentient beings here is a
spiritual
mission with which a Bodhisattva vows to consecrate his or her life in
the
spiritual journey, from first vow to the day of becoming a Buddha.
Consequently, in order to carry out the vow of saving others, a
Bodhisattva endlessly
practices and cultivates his or her wisdom and compassion. It is
important to
note that wisdom and compassion are the true career of a Buddha or
Bodhisattva.
Furthermore, to fulfill the ideal of saving others, a Bodhisattva must
make a
vow to enter the mundane world in thousands of worldly forms in order
to
benefit the world, which is why Mahāyāna Buddhism
always modernizes the way
of entrance to any practical life in order to benefit it.
The way of
practicing the Bodhisattva’s vows consists of the ten pāramitās
previously addressed (see question 14), which definitely bears the same
traditional characteristics of primitive Buddhism. 16.
How
many major systems of philosophy
exist in Buddhism? As
we have seen, several periods of thought emerged in the process of
Buddhist
development. At least two major systems of thought, roughly speaking,
closely
related to what we call the primitive Buddhism and the developed
Buddhism. The
first is the Buddhist history of thoughts,
as defined by
Buddhologists such as academician
Theodor Stcherbatsky (1866-1942); this division relied on
different
periods in the whole process of development of Buddhist thoughts.
Second is the
history of thoughts of Buddhist Schools, which
includes several Buddhist
schools; thus, you need to have time to study doctrines of each single
school
(e.g., Zen, We
may generally divide the first major system, the Buddhist
history of
thoughts, into two major categories based on history: a)
Buddhist thoughts
in the primitive period and b) Buddhist thoughts in the periods of
development.
Buddhist thoughts in the primitive period were established on the
foundational
teachings of Dependent Origination and non-self, which were taught
directly by
the Buddha after his attainment of ultimate enlightenment. The central
content
of these teachings explain that all existences (dharmas) in the three
worlds—senses-sphere realm, fine form realm, and formless
realm[3]—
are nothing but the products of
inter-beings from multi-conditions. They appear in either cosmic mode
(e.g.,
institution, existence, transformation, and destruction) or in the flux
of
mental transformation (e.g., birth, being, alteration, and death). In
this way,
all things—both the physical and the mental—are
born and die endlessly, dependent
on multiple conditions in the cycle of samsāra. All that is
present through
this Law of Dependent Origination is, therefore, impermanent,
ever-changing,
and without any immortal entity whatsoever that is independent and
perpetual__.
This is the truth of reality through which the Buddha affirmed that
“whether
the Buddha appears or not, the reality of dharmas is always as
such.” Based
upon this fundamental teaching, Buddhists built for themselves an
appropriate
view of personal life and spiritual practice: the liberated life of
non-self—the end goal of the spiritual journey. Although
Buddhist thought in periods of development were gradually formed by
various
schools, two prominent systems of philosophy emerged: the
Mādhyamika and the
Yogācāra. Both these two philosophical systems
related strictly to the
primitive thought of Paticcamūpāda; however, each
system has its own approach
to interpretations and particular concepts. The Mādhyamika
developed the
doctrine of Emptiness (Śūnyatā),
while the Yogācāra instituted the
teaching of Mind-only (Vijñapati-mātratā),
emphasizing the concept of
Ālaya (store consciousness). The doctrine of Emptiness focuses
on explaining
that the nature of all dharmas is emptiness of essence and that all
dharmas are
non-self by nature and existences are but manifestations of conditional
elements. Thus, when a practitioner penetrates deeply into the realm of
Emptiness, he or she simultaneously experiences the reality of the
non-self.
However, you should remember that the concept of Emptiness used here
does not
refer to any contradictory categories in the dualistic sphere, such as
‘yes’
and ‘no’ or ‘to be’ and
‘not to be.’ Rather, it indicates the state of true
reality that goes beyond the world of dualism. For this reason, in the
canonical languages of Mahāyāna Buddhism, the term Emptiness
is used as
a synonym for Nirvāna. In the Yogācāra
philosophy, the concept of Ālaya—the
most fundamental issue of this system of thought—points out
that all problems
of both suffering and happiness are the very outcomes of mental
distinctions (vikalpa)
between subject (atman) and object (dharma),
or between self and
other. This mental distinction is the root of all afflictions,
birth-death, and
samsāra. Thus, in the path of spiritual training, a
practitioner must cleanse
all attachments to self as it embodies what we call the
‘I’, ‘mine’, and ‘my
self’ in order to return to the realm of pure mind, which is
non-distinct by
nature. Based
on what has been discussed here, clearly the consistency in Buddhist
thoughts—whether origin or development—is that all
teachings focus on
purification of craving, hatred, and attachment to self in order to
reach the
reality of true liberation: the state of non-self or Nirvāna. 17.
What
is the fundamental belief in
Buddhism? Buddhists
are encouraged to believe in the Triple Jewels—Buddha,
Dharma, and Sangha—and
vital teachings of the Buddha as explained in the Four Noble Truths.
Put more
simply, Buddhists need to believe in the basic teachings of both
morality and
spirituality, which extend from the Four Noble Truths such as the
karmic law of
causes and effects; in particular, Buddhists must believe in
their own
ability to attain enlightenment and spiritual liberation. If
you yourself
do not practice and transform all negative or even evil deeds in your
own life,
you shall still suffer. Conversely, if you put your efforts into
practicing the
Dharma, your life will be happy, peaceful, and free from the bondages
of sufferings,
depending on your degree of practice. Briefly, these basic teachings of
Buddhism help us avoid any negative karmic actions, cultivate good
actions, and
purify the mind in order to have a happy and peaceful life.
Furthermore,
practicing the Dharma will help us transform the current of karmic
force in
both this life and the afterlife. 18.
What
is the karmic law of causes and
effects? To
be exact, karma and the law of causes and
effects are the two
most important issues strictly connected to the life of human beings.
They are
also considered to be the reason for the existence of human beings in
the cycle
of samsāra. Literally, cause is the original force or reason
that produces a
direct effect and effect is a mature consequence created by its causes.
You can
understand the relationship of causes and effects through the
correlations of
an action, such as when you eat, your stomach is full, or when stay up
late,
you feel sleepy. Causes and effects are the compensational law, working
objectively and correspondingly, but the actual impact is always
influenced by
psychological elements. Contrastingly, karma refers to a good or bad
action
that is created and governed by the mind. A proper name for such
actions is
wholesome karma or unwholesome karma. Accordingly, karma and causes and
effects
always connect to each other; in other words, karma is the
operation of
causes and effects in which the mind always serves as the foundation
for any
creation and destruction. Therefore, the current of mental
energy is the
life of karma. Truly, a good mind produces good karma and a bad mind
gives
birth to bad karma. Hence, in order to have a life of peace and
happiness, you
should cultivate the wholesome seeds through your three personal karmas
and
develop the pure and bright energy of the mind. Buddhism teaches that a
practitioner must always nurture and cultivate the four virtues of the
sublime
mind: loving kindness, compassion, joyfulness, and equanimity. 19.
What
are the three karmas? The
three karmas are the body, mouth, and mind or the physical, verbal, and
mental.
Body and mouth belong to the physical realm while the mind is all about
psychological activities. However, it is the mind that serves as the
decisive
factor in creating any kind of karma (Cittamātram
lokam—the
world is nothing but mind.)
A natural action like standing, walking, lying, or sitting cannot
create karma
actually, except that the action is governed by the mind. Thus, actual
karma
always comes from a volitional action or an intentional action. For
this
reason, the Buddha divided the three karmas according to the three
aspects of
the physical, verbal, and mental into ten karmas:
These
ten basic
karmas are the causes that force us adrift in the ocean of samsāra, with its six realms
of destinations. 20.
What
does Samsāra
mean in Buddhism and how does it work? In
Sanskrit, samsāra means being born, dying, and being reborn in
accordance with
the continuous karmic circulation, like a wheel circulating endlessly.
Thus,
samsāra is the cycle of life. However, the concept of
samsāra in Buddhism
describes the flowing of a sentient being in the three worlds
(senses-sphere
realm, fine form realm, and formless realm) and six destinations
(heavens,
human beings, titans, hells, hungry ghosts, and animal kingdom).
According to
primitive Buddhism, only an enlightened one (such as the Buddha or an Arhat)
can truly be liberated from the cycle of samsāra. Meanwhile,
in Mahāyāna
Buddhism, the Bodhisattvas always vow to return to the world of
samsāra to save
all sentient beings. Therefore, there are two ways to enter the world
of
samsāra: a) vow to be reborn, as a Bodhisattva does
voluntarily, and b) be
forced to enter a certain realm, like a human, hell, or hungry ghost,
by the
unwholesome karmas of each individual. 21.
If
Buddhism does not believe in an
immortal soul, then what and who will be reborn in the cycle of samsāra? This
is an interesting question. Buddhism definitely does not accept the
belief that
there is an immortal and perpetual soul. As mentioned in the teaching
of
non-self, no permanent self or soul entity exists permanently and
invariably—only the current of karmic consciousness of
sentient beings flowing
constantly like the running of a river. If there were an immortal and
invariable soul, an animal would not be able—after
cultivating wholesome karmas
through multiple lives—to become a human and a human would
not be able to
become a Bodhisattva or even a Buddha (See Jataka Tales for more
information). Here,
it is the very karmic current of consciousness that continually
operates and
transforms itself from this life to the next life in the cycle of samsāra in which the mind of
each individual is the only
foundation for this operation (see question 18). Consequently, Buddhism
does
not accept the existence of an immortal soul, although it does accept
that a transformation
of the mind occurs throughout the journey of birth and
rebirth. Until a
practitioner—after a long term of spiritual
training—attains sainted fruits
such as Arhat, Buddha, or Bodhisattva in the eighth stage, he or she
will break
the cycle of samsāra. At this point of the spiritual journey,
the motivation of
birth and rebirth belongs to the devotional vow of each Bodhisattva; it
is no
longer pushed by the karmic force. Speaking of problems of rebirth or
samsāra,
you should note that Buddhism does not use the term soul,
but rather
mind. 22.
How
can one know that he
or she will be reborn in the cycle of samsāra? This
question goes beyond the ability of human knowledge because we human
beings are
not able to control the problem of birth and death in the cycle of samsāra
subjectively. According to the Buddhist
view, we are all adrift in the ocean of karma unknowingly and
inconceivably. If
you were asked “where did you come from?” you would
also be puzzled in the same
way; however, to the Buddha, Arhats, or Holy ones who all already
possess
supernatural eyes (spiritual powers), such a question as
“where did one come
and where will one go?” is no longer an uncertain matter left
in the dark. The
Buddha in Jātaka Tales told us many of his own stories of
previous lives when
he used to be a practitioner practicing the noble path. However, as the
karmic
law of causes and effects has already explained, you need not worry
about where
you will go after death; rather, what you need to know is how you are
living
and how your mind develops. Are you cultivating good or bad karmas? The
karmic
law of causes and effects will itself manage all the remaining matters
of your
life. However, if you are a practitioner, you may make a devotional vow
for
your next rebirth depending on your school of practice. For example, a
practitioner in 23.
Buddhist
mental
formations include such concepts as the mind, thought, and
consciousness. How
different are they? In
primitive Buddhism, the three terms mind, thought,
and consciousness
are used interchangeably according to various statuses, despite the
fact that
these three terms all indicate the entire activities of the mental
formations.
In developed Buddhism, particularly in the doctrine of Mind-only (Vijñapati-mātratā)
of Yogācāra philosophy, the system of
mental activities consists of eight
consciousnesses categorized as follows: a)
Thought consciousness (pravrtti-vijňāna):
This senses-sphere includes
six sense organs: consciousness of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body,
and thought. b)
Thinking consciousness (mano-mana-vijňāna):
This consciousness’s
function serves as the intermediary connection between the six senses
organs
and the mind deep inside; it is also referred to as the seventh
consciousness. c)
Store consciousness (ālaya): This serves as
the store that contains all
kinds of conceptual seeds (experiential data) of the past and present;
it is
also named the eighth consciousness. Together
these three consciousnesses are generally called the mind; they all
work
together in order to produce an actual experience through a process of
psychological processing. For instance, when your eyes see a flower,
the notion
of that flower will be transferred into the store
consciousness—where images of
all kinds of flowers of your past experiences have been
stored—through the
thinking consciousness in order to process and produce the actual
recognition
that it is a rose. Subsequently, this rose’s characteristics
and smells, etc.,
all must go through a process of mutual recognition until you are
finally able
to create an actual experience of the rose that you have just seen. Briefly,
mind, thought, and consciousness are the mental aggregate of human
psychological activity. This mental aggregate exists as a whole; it
cannot work
effectively if we divide it into separate parts. However, you can
clarify the
basic function of each characteristic of this mental aggregate. The
mind is the
place where all conceptual data are stored, thought is the mental
energy of
creation, and consciousness is the ability of recognition and
distinction. Suffering
or happiness is created by the operation of the mind, thought, and
consciousness; all other realms of sentient beings are also products of
the
mind’s making. 24.
If
there is no existence
of God, then on what condition is the existence of heaven and hell
based? Everything
is mind-made, but you should never use the impure mind of the human
realm to
think about the blissfulness and happiness of other realms, such as
heavens
(states of devas) or the 25.
If
all comes from the
mind, can a non-Buddhist practice the Buddhist doctrine? Everyone—Buddhist
or non-Buddhist—can practice the noble Dharma
taught by the Buddha equally. Certainly, those who follow the way of
practicing
Dharma precisely and sincerely will be able to change and transform
their
karmic life of defilements, at least in the present being. For those
who are
non-Buddhists, their practice in the Buddhist way needs to be guided by
a monk,
nun, or any layperson who has some experience in terms of spiritual
training.
As such, you are encouraged to study and examine the Buddhist teachings
under
the guidance of a master. The practice of Dharma will bring to us
actual
effects whenever our mental current of greed, hatred, self-attachment,
and
self-pride begin to change in the tendency of cooling down. If you just
study
the Dharma or even have a great knowledge of Dharma, but those mental
afflictions do not decrease or weaken, you have not practiced the
Dharma and
never exercised any mental improvement practically. 26.
What
is the primary core
of spiritual practice in Buddhism? The
primary core of spiritual practice in Buddhism—regardless of
any school,
whether traditional or modern—is to develop ethics (sīla),
meditation (samādhi),
and wisdom (prajňā). First, to
practice ethics or moral disciplines is
to prevent and avoid unwholesome deeds as well as cultivate human
dignity,
especially to restrain the ability of performing evil deeds potentially
hidden
in the mind. In other words, developing Sīla is training
oneself for a life of
ethics, dignity, and noble virtues. Second, practicing meditation is
the way by
which one can purify all affections and afflictions in the mind and
make it
pure, peaceful, and bright. Finally, practicing wisdom means developing
the
right view, recognizing truths, understanding the nature of life, and
attaining
enlightenment. These three aspects of this path of practice always
supplement
one another. For example, the one who lives a life of high ethical
discipline
and noble virtues will have a peaceful mind, self-confidence, and
fearlessness.
The one who develops meditation will have a quiet, calm, and blissful
mind. The
one who develops wisdom will have a bright, smart, and tranquil mind,
always
and everywhere. You may gain various results of your mental training,
according
to the various degrees of practice. Buddhism calls these three aspects
of
practice the pure studies (anāsrava) of deliverance
from the passion stream; in other words, you no longer fall into the
stream of
samsāra, truly liberating yourself from all impurities of the
mundane world.
27.
Is
there any difference in the
manner of practice of Buddhism and that of other religions? In
regards to the manner of spiritual practice, other religions focus on
prayers
as a way of connecting to the Holy existence; Buddhist practice focuses
on
developing (bhāvanā) the three
studies (ethical disciplines, meditation,
and wisdom), although prayers are still sometimes applied in the
process of
practice. The term bhāvanā
(development) in Buddhism has a special
meaning that includes two parts: a) renunciation of unwholesome deeds
and b)
development of noble virtues such as loving kindness, compassion,
sympathetic
joy, equanimity, and performances
of pāramitās (see
question 14). If you focus on the first part—namely, the
renunciation of
unwholesome deeds—you are only stopping at the point of not
doing evil; at such
a point, you have actually not undertaken any spiritual training. For
example,
an addict who drinks alcohol for many years becomes seriously sick;
being aware
of his illness, he stops drinking. Such an action means he is just
giving up
his habit of alcoholic addiction. The remaining matter he has to deal
with is
healing the illness in his body, simultaneously developing his health
as well
as his wholesome life both physically and mentally. Similarly, in
Buddhist
practice, you have to do both: quit all evil deeds you have done and
cultivate
the good deeds you have not yet done. In brief, the fundamental
Buddhist
practice is not to do evil, to do good deeds, and to purify
one’s mind through
the noble path of ethical disciplines, meditation, and
wisdom. 28.
Does
one benefit if he practices
just one of the three pure studies: moral discipline, meditation, or
wisdom? You
should keep in mind that the three pure studies—ethical
discipline, meditation,
and wisdom—are three facets (more precisely, three elementary
characteristics)
of spiritual practice in Buddhism. They are considered a group
quality
working mutually and cooperatively. For instance, when practicing
ethical
disciplines, your mind will be pure, peaceful, fearless, and free from
worriment and sorrow, which is all about the quality of meditation or
concentration. These pure qualities of course will lead you to a higher
level
of meditation. Furthermore, based on this pure mind, you will be able
to set
yourself up for the right view and bright choice, guiding you in
everyday
activities. In this way, it is all about the quality of wisdom. Ethical
discipline,
meditation, and wisdom are, therefore, a group quality, always working
together. For example, how can a bank robber be peaceful and tranquil
while
having true wisdom in life and truths when his mind full of greed,
hatred, and
ill will? Accordingly, the greater ethical virtue is, the higher
meditation
develops and the brighter wisdom will be. Thus, you need not divide
this group
of qualities into separate parts in the path of spiritual practice. 29.
How
can a person become a Buddhist? Becoming
an actual Buddhist, you must take refuge in the Triple
Jewels—Buddha, Dharma,
and Sangha. Buddha is the Fully Enlightened One, who transcended beyond
the
world of defilements (kleśa)
and samsāra.
Dharma is the teachings of the Buddha, the noble path to enlightenment.
Sangha
is the Buddhist community that lives in harmony and awareness, such as
monks
and nuns, following the path of the Buddha. However, the Triple Jewels
can be
understood in various ways, as described in the following table.
The
basic ethical discipline of a Buddhist is also the foundation of
Buddhist
ethics, including five precepts: not to kill, not to steal, not to be
involve
in sexual immorality, not to lie, and not to use intoxicants. Being a
Buddhist,
you must undertake at least one of the five precepts. The more fully
you
practice the precept, the higher your ethical virtues develop, and the
greater
dignity you will seek to achieve. 30.
Why
must a person take refuge in the
Triple Jewels to become a Buddhist? If
you do not have a sincere desire to take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma,
and
Sangha (Triple Jewels), it means that your decision and devotion are
not strong
enough for you to sow the Bodhi seed (seed of enlightenment) in your
own mind.
In fact, you may ethically perform various wholesome deeds in a very
natural
way directed by your own congenital temperament. However, if an
outburst of
rage and ill will suddenly emerges in your mind, it may whirl you,
sweeping you
impotently into the darkness of your own karmic habits. In such a
situation,
you may be engulfed in sin after sin, for at this point in life, you
still have
no coast of enlightenment as your own spiritual
refuge or shelter. Once
you have taken refuge in the Triple Jewels, you have sown a seed of
Bodhi in
your field of mind. If you always take good care of your own Bodhi tree
by
practicing the Dharma, you are creating for yourself an
invisible current of
protective energy and bearing that current of energy with you
throughout
life. Thus, even when the mental storm of greed, hatred, and ill will
emerges
in your life and disturbs your inner peace, this invisible energy of
protection
provides the very spiritual shelter for you. It will, at a certain
point in
your life, regenerate the Bodhi seed that latently slept in the bottom
of your
mind—the very enlightened energy you once sowed with all
sincerity and
devotion. Even if—after taking refuge in the Triple
Jewels—you neglectfully
care for or completely ignore your Bodhi seed, that enlightened seed
still
sleeps in your mind soundly; it may be awakened at any time in the
right
conditions, like an old friend coming back with earnestness and love.
Now, in
the light and love of that spiritual regeneration, you are able to
continue to
nurture the enlightened source of your own Bodhi tree that was once
forgotten.
This is why a Buddhist needs to take refuge in the Triple Jewels. 31.
Can
a person attain enlightenment
and liberation if he just practices the Dharma without taking refuge? Yes,
but it is really rare! The Buddha Sakyamuni is the one person in
history who
attained enlightenment based on his self-training, self-discovery, and
self-realization; his personal efforts cut off all roots of suffering.
He is
honored for his attainment of full enlightenment by self-realization of
truths.
Furthermore, the Buddha’s first five Holy disciples as well
as other Holy ones
in the Buddha’s time became enlightened or Arhats not by
taking refuge, but by
listening to the Dharma directly taught by the Buddha.
Likewise,
Prateyka-Buddha(s)
achieve enlightenment through their own realization of the truth of
Dependent
Origination. Generally, achieving enlightenment without taking refuge
in the
Triple Jewels is really rare in the realm of human beings, particularly
for an
ordinary person. You should keep in mind that taking refuge in the
Triple
Jewels is the first step in becoming an actual Buddhist. However, to be
enlightened and liberated or not depends on the ability of your
spiritual
training. In fact, after taking refuge, a Buddhist must practice the
Dharma in
a step-by-step manner, such as ethical disciplines, six
Pāramitās,
or four all-embracing
virtues (Catuh-samgraha-vastu), in order to have a peaceful and happy
life. 32.
Is
the moral discipline of Buddhism
similar to or different from that of other religions? Buddhist
ethics and other religions have some common features and some
differences. The
common features belong to the human base of morality and
ethics relating
directly to the life of humanity. Meanwhile, the differences between
the
Buddhist moral disciplines and that of other religions relate to the path
of
enlightenment and spiritual liberation. Thus, we should be
concerned about
two aspects: a)
Human base of morality and ethics: Buddhist ethics
are based on the five
precepts (not killing or doing harm to the life of humans and sentient
beings,
not stealing or taking things that are not given, not conducting sexual
immorality, not lying in order to do harm to one’s self or
others, and not
using intoxicants that weaken the mind). Christianity teaches ten
commandments
(worship God, do not make yourself an idol, not making false use of the
name of
God, keep the Sabbath holy, honor and respect your parents, not
committing murder,
not committing adultery, not stealing, not bearing false witness
against your
neighbor, not coveting your neighbor’s wife, and not coveting
things that
belong to others). Likewise, Islam teaches some fundamental creeds,
such as
worshiping the one and only Allah, honoring and respecting your
parents,
respecting the rights of others, treating all people fairly, giving to
and
helping the poor, not killing humans except in holy wars, not
committing
adultery, taking care of orphans and the poor, and being sincere in all
of your
intentions. In addition, Islam includes some conductive regulations,
such as
visiting b)
Buddhist ethics—the path leading to enlightenment
and spiritual liberation:
The five precepts (ethical disciplines) in Buddhism fully associated
with the
three personal karmas—the physical, verbal, and
mental—are physical karmas
(killing, stealing, and conducting sexual immorality), verbal karmas
(false
speech, a double tongue, hateful speech, and slanderous speech), and
mental
karmas (craving, hatred, and ignorance or false view). Therefore, if
you are
able to keep your three karmas completely pure, you yourself will enter
the 33.
What
are the four all-embracing
virtues (Catuh-samgraha-vastu)? The
four all-embracing virtues are four actions concentrating on helping
others
achieve a true life of peace, happiness, and spiritual liberation.
Thus, these
four actions are named four all-embracing virtues (Catuh-samgraha-vastu)
for these actions have the ability to transform others and help them
return to
the truth of life free from defilements and sufferings.
The four all-embracing
virtues consist of donation, affectionate speech, the conduction of
profit to
others, and cooperation with
and adaptation of
others. The following table describes the general meaning of these four
virtues.
34.
What
are the deeds of pāramita
(transcendental perfection)? Pāramita
is the characteristic of transcendental perfection that goes beyond the
world
of dualism, such as attachment to the self and others or the inner
discrimination between atman and dharma. This transcendental perfection
is also
known as the spirit of non-distinction and
non-attachment. For instance,
you give a donation to someone; however, at the back of your mind, you
are
still entangled in the thought of that donation, identifying the giver
and the
receiver. Donations to others in such a manner result in attachment
to the
performance of giving—namely, giving in
the bondage of the self and
others. It is absolutely not giving from your true heart of compassion
without
any strings attached. Until you give a gift to someone without any
attachment
to the notion of the giver, the receiver, or the gift, you cannot truly
reach
the state of non-attachment to the act of giving—that is, the
true giving free
from the three-wheeled
condition of giver, receiver,
and gift. Therefore, practicing the deeds of Pāramita
is but training
renunciations of self-attachment and distinction. The Pāramita
deeds include
six factors: giving, practicing ethical disciplines, right efforts,
patience,
meditation, and wisdom. 35.
What
is the Bodhi mind (Bodhicitta)? The
Bodhi-mind (Bodhicitta) in Sanskrit is the mind (citta)
of
awakening (bodhi), also named the enlightened
mind, the mind
orientating toward enlightenment, or the mind that tranquilly resides
in the
state of awakening. However, the Bodhi-mind, in Buddhist thought, is
understood
through two basic aspects: the conventional—namely, the daily
practice of
ethics, virtues, and merits in order to achieve the noble happiness and
peace
in practical life—and the absolute—namely, the full
awakening of the Perfect
Wisdom, becoming a Holy one, a Bodhisattva, or a Buddha. Thus, the
Bodhi mind
is the heart of Buddhism, the foundation for the whole process of
spiritual
training of Buddhist practitioners. Accordingly, if a person does not
nurture
and take good care of the Bodhi mind, his own Buddhahood will be buried
by
karmic defilements. You should absolutely keep in mind that the Bodhi
mind is
the Buddha nature within each person, which is the very seed
(potentiality) of
true happiness and enlightenment. Traditional Buddhism includes several
practices to help you develop the Bodhi mind, including 37 conditions
leading
to Bodhi (Bodhipaksika): four foundations of mindfulness,
four right efforts,
four steps towards supernatural powers, five spiritual faculties and
their five
powers, seven branches of enlightenment, and the eightfold noble path. 36.
What
are the four foundations of
mindfulness? The
four foundations of mindfulness (smrti-upasthàna)
are the ground of practicing meditation. These four foundations are
also known
as the four themes of mindfulness (smrti)
in the process of meditating. They are body, feeling, mind, and the
mind and
mind’s objects. The following table categorizes the position
and functions of
these four foundations of mindfulness.
37.
What
are the four right efforts (catvāri
prahāṇāni)? The
right efforts are devotional endeavors towards a virtuous life in order
to cut
off the defiled roots and cultivate wholesome roots in the field of the
mind.
There are four right efforts with which a practitioner must train
himself along
the path of spiritual development: a) the effort to discard all evil
deeds that
are already done so as not to commit them again; b) the effort to
prevent evil
deeds that have yet to arise; c) the effort to maintain and promote the
further
growth of good deeds that have already arisen; and d) the effort to
generate
and develop unborn good deeds. 38.
What
are the four
supernatural powers (rddhipāda)? The
four
supernatural powers are four special powers of the pure mind leading to
concentration (samādhi)
and/or working in concentration independent of any ordinary
or natural law. They are also known as the four exclusive
characteristics of
meditation (dhyāna).
These four
powers are: a) the desire for intense concentration (chanda-rddhi-pāda)—strong
devotion to self-purification that creates extensive concentration
during the
time of meditation; b) persevering energy or intensified effort (Vīrya-rddhi-pāda)
that creates the power of concentration (samādhibala)
in meditation; c)
the powerful mind in the stage of freedom from all defilements (citta-rddhi-pāda)
in meditation; and d) the power of intense observation (mimāmsā-rddhi-pāda)
in meditation. When a practitioner attains these four special powers in
meditation, he or she perfectly achieves the four supernatural powers
of
meditation. 39.
What
are the five
spiritual faculties (pañcānām
indriyāṇām)
and their five powers (pañcānāṃ
balānām)? The
five
spiritual faculties are five fundamental agents upon which you may
develop your
state of spirituality, including belief, persevering effort,
mindfulness,
concentration, and wisdom. The five powers are the five mental forces
that
arise from the above five spiritual faculties: powers of belief,
persevering
effort, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. In the process of
spiritual
training, you should develop all five faculties because they are
mutually incorporated
with one another. For instance, if you have a strong belief in what you
are
doing, you are then able to put all your efforts into doing it so that
you may
reach the end goal. In addition, when your effort is directed in the
principle
of mindfulness, you may generate for yourself an inner source of
powerful
concentration and wisdom. All Buddhist schools of practice must always
consist
of these five faculties and their five corresponding powers. The five
spiritual
faculties differ from the five physical organs (eyes, ears, nose,
tongue, and
body.) 40.
What
are the seven branches of
enlightenment (saptabodhyanga)? The
seven branches of enlightenment are seven elements in the state of
awakening or
seven factors of a peaceful and liberated life of enlightenment. They
consist
of mindfulness (smrti), investigation of dharma (dharma-pravicaya-sambhodyanga),
persevering effort (vīriya), rapture (prīti),
calmness (prasrabidhi),
concentration (samādhi), and equanimity (upeksā).
If you develop
these seven characteristics to the perfect degree, you will attain the
blissfulness of enlightenment and liberation. 41.
What
is the noble eightfold path? The
noble eightfold path is the Holy path to enlightenment; it includes
eight
branches: a) right view (samyak-dṛṣṭi),
the
view that is always in accordance with the truth; b) right thought (samyak-saṃkalpa),
the thinking or intention that is
in accordance with the truth, leading to the virtuous life of true
peace and
happiness; c) right speech (samyak-vāc),
the speech of truth that is in
accordance with Dharma; d) right action (samyak-karmānta),
doing good
deeds; e) right livelihood (samyak-ājīva),
the noble life of goodness,
virtue, and ethics; f) right effort (samyak-vyāyāma),
diligence in
practicing ethical disciplines, meditation, and wisdom; g) right
mindfulness (samyak-smṛti),
an action performed with
attention, awareness, and alertness; and h) right concentration (samyak-samādhi),
the concentration or meditation that leads to the renunciation of
craving,
hatred, ill will, self-attachment, etc. The noble eightfold path is the
guideline for spiritual practice in the Buddhist life. Each branch of
the
eightfold path works with the others mutually. Thus, you can divide the
eightfold path into the pattern of the three pure studies, as follows:
The
term right (samyak) always
stands in front of each branch to
remind us of the difference between right and wrong. For instance, the
right
view (non-attachment to the self) differs from the wrong view
(attachment to
the self and other); the right livelihood (good life) differs from the
wrong
livelihood (evil life). 42.
Is
there any plain and simple
teaching that can be remembered most easily? The
Dharma that can be remembered most easily was taught by the Buddha: Not
to do evil, To
do good, To
purify one’s mind, This
is the teaching of the Buddhas (Dhammapada.183). 43.
Why
do we eat vegetarian foods? Maintaining
a vegetarian diet has become increasingly popular for several reasons,
such as
improving health, controlling sexual desire, or protecting animals and
environments. Eating vegetarian foods means not eating the meat of any
animal.
The aim of eating vegetarian foods in Buddhism is to purify your three
karmas,
particularly the karma of killing sentient beings either directly or
indirectly. Refraining from meat is also one way to develop your
compassion. As
a lay Buddhist, you are not prohibited from eating meat, but you are
encouraged
not to do so either periodically or permanently. 44.
Can
a person become a Buddha by
eating purely vegetarian foods, and how is vegetarianism related to
spiritual practice? No
one in history has ever become a Buddha simply by eating vegetarian
foods. You
should keep in mind that eating vegetarian foods is one way to support
your
practice of personal purification, both physically and mentally.
However,
achieving the life of awakening is always comprised of the three pure
studies:
ethical disciplines, meditation, and wisdom. 45.
Does
a Buddhist break the precept of
not killing when he eats meat? By
eating meat, you may break the first precept (not killing) in three
specific
cases: a) you yourself kill an animal to make food; b) you order other
people
to kill an animal to make food for you; and/or c) you are satisfied by
seeing
other people kill an animal to make food for you. In these three cases,
the
first one directly commits killing while the last two are considered
indirectly
breaking the precept. 46.
What
does repentance (Ksamayati)
mean in Buddhist
rites? “Repentance”
in Sanskrit is Ksamayati,
translated into English as
repentance and remorse. Basically, Ksamayati
includes two crucial parts: a)
repentance—to feel regret or contrition for a past sin or
guiltiness—and b)
remorse—to be gnawed at, be distressed by, or suffer from a
sense of guilt for
past wrongs for which you promise yourself not to commit again.
Briefly, when
you perform repentances, you know that you sinned or were guilty; being
aware
of that sin, you honestly repent in your own remorse and promise that
you will
never commit that sin again. However, when performing a repentance
ritual, your
body and mind must unite together in a respectful manner (e.g., adornments by both physical and
mental purification);
in the state of one-pointed mind, you earnestly and sincerely pray and
make a
promise in front of the Triple Jewels. With your true esteemed respect,
after
repentance, your own body, mouth, and mind will become pure. The level
of
purification depends on your sincerity; the more profound your
sincerity is,
the more ease you will feel, regardless of whether you repent in front
of the
Triple Jewels or face your own conscience. The Buddha taught that two
classes
of noble persons can be found in the world: the first one is the person
who
lives nobly and never creates a sin—even a simple one; the
second one is the
person who has the awareness of sin and is always ready to repent
whenever he
commits one. 47.
Can
a person’s unwholesome karmas be
eradicated through repentance? What
you have sown (created or done) in the past shall definitely come to
fruition
when its time of maturation arrives. When you honestly repent for your
sins
properly, you may transform your own karmic force through two aspects:
not
creating more sin and cultivating good deeds. However, with the mind of
purity,
tranquility, control, and renunciation (the liberated mind), the mature
effect
from past deeds—whether painful or pleasant—is not
powerful enough and no
longer governs the life of your inner peace and tranquility. When your
mind is
absolutely pure as snow, no sin remains; even the notion of remorse is
removed.
At this point of purification, you actually go beyond the dualistic
realm of
birth and death. In such a state, the problem of causes and effects is
no
longer discussed. 48.
What
is the aim of reciting the
Buddhas’ names? Recitation
of or meditation on the Buddhas’ names is a method of
cleaning impurities from
the three karmas of body, mouth, and mind. When you put your heart and
devotion
into the chanting of the Buddhas’ names respectfully, you may
nourish the pure
and virtuous qualities of your own inner life as well as annihilate all
contaminated defilements in your mind. The truth is, if your mind is
pure, your
world will be pure as well, regardless of where you are. For this
reason, the
recitation of or meditation on the Buddhas’ names can be
carried out in several
ways. For instance, you may sincerely recite the Buddhas’
names out loud or
just whisper or mutter them softly. You may also simply sit down and
visualize
the holy images of the Buddhas or attentively and respectfully chant
the
Buddhas’ names, bowing to the Buddhas. In fact, you may
choose for yourself a
specific name of either a Buddha or a Bodhisattva, such as
“Namo Amitābha
Buddha” (the Buddha of infinite
light), “Namo
Sakyamuni Buddha” (the only historical Buddha in the human
world), or “Namo
Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva” (the Bodhisattva of
compassion). Most importantly,
you must put all of your heart into every single sound of chanting
(i.e.,
achieve the state of one-pointed mind through the union of mind and
sound) in
your practice. In meditation, the body and mind must unite together;
likewise,
during the recitation of the Buddhas’ names, the mind and the
sound of
chanting—either loudly or softly—must join
together. Reciting the Buddhas’
names in such a manner, your mind will gradually become pure, bright,
and
tranquil, naturally nurturing your virtue of purity and, of course,
making your
life happy and peaceful. 49.
Would
you please explain more about
the doctrine of the Reciting
the name of the Buddha Amitābha is the principal practice of
the 50.
What
is the core teaching of the A
practitioner in the 51.
What
is meditation? Meditation
or Zen is the basic practice of Buddhism. The aim of meditation is to
guide
practitioners in returning to the life of awareness and mindfulness in
order to
attain the state of renunciation, purity, and enlightenment. Several
techniques
of meditation exist in both the primitive and developed forms of
Buddhism.
However, we may generalize the characteristics of meditation through
the
following principal terms. Meditation (dhyāna)
is awareness,
attentiveness, and alertness, while concentration (samādhi)
is the focus
of the mind on one object. Buddhist sutras offer two major methods for
practicing meditation: a) breathing meditation (Samatha
also known as Ānāpānasati,
Skt: ānāpānasmṛti)
and b) insight meditation (Vipassanā).
Breathing
meditation relies on breathing in and out to dispel thoughts and to
control the
mind, while insight meditation involves meditating on the four
foundations of
mindfulness: body, feeling, mind, and mind’s objects (see
question 36). 52.
How
is Ānāpānasati meditation
related to vipassanā meditation? Both
methods of meditation mutually support each other, although breathing
meditation focuses on mental concentration while insight meditation
attends to
the development of wisdom about reality through the four foundations of
mindfulness. In the Ānāpānasati
Sutta, the Buddha taught how to use
breaths (bring awareness to breaths) in four main themes of meditation.
He also
taught that, when a practitioner diligently exercises breathing
meditation
properly, he or she shall attain the full control of the four
foundations of
mindfulness and may further achieve the seven factors of enlightenment
(see
questions 36 & 40). 53.
What
are the main themes of both Ānāpānasati
and vipassanā meditation? In
the Ānāpānasati Sutta,
the Buddha taught sixteen themes of meditation: Here,
a bhikkhu
(monk), gone to the forest, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty
hut, sits
down; having folded his legs crosswise, set his body erect, and
established
mindfulness in front of him, ever mindful he breathes in, mindful he
breathes
out. (1)
Breathing in
long, he understands: “I breathe in long”; or
breathing out long, he
understands: “I am breathing out long”; (2)
Breathing in short,
he understands: “I breathe in short”; or breathing
out short, he understands:
“I breathe out short”; (3)
He trains
thus: “I shall breathe in experiencing the whole body [of
breath]”; “I shall
breathe out”; he trains thus: “I shall breathe out
experiencing the whole body
[of breath].” (4)
He trains
thus: “I shall breathe in tranquillizing the body
formation”; he trains thus:
“I shall breathe out tranquillizing the body
formation.” (5)
He trains
thus: “I shall breathe in experiencing rapture”; he
trains thus: “I shall
breathe out experiencing rapture.” (6)
He trains
thus: “I shall breathe in experiencing pleasure”;
he trains thus: “I shall
breathe out experiencing pleasure.” (7)
He trains
thus: “I shall breathe in experiencing the mental
formation”; he trains thus:
“I shall breathe out experiencing the mental
formation.” (8)
He trains
thus: “I shall breathe in tranquillizing the mental
formation”; he trains thus:
“I shall breathe out tranquillizing the mental
formation.” (9)
He trains
thus: “I shall breathe in experiencing the mind”;
he trains thus: “I shall
breathe out experiencing the mind.” (10)
He trains
thus: “I shall breathe in gladdening the mind”; he
trains thus: “I shall
breathe out gladdening the mind.” (11)
He trains
thus: “I shall breathe in concentrating the mind”;
he trains thus: “I shall
breathe out concentrating the mind.” (12)
He trains
thus: “I shall breathe in liberating the mind”; he
trains thus: “I shall
breathe out liberating the mind.” (13)
He trains
thus: “I shall breathe in contemplating
impermanence”; he trains thus: “I shall
breathe out contemplating impermanence.” (14)
He trains
thus: “I shall breathe in contemplating fading
away”; he trains thus: “I shall
breathe out contemplating fading away.” (15)
He trains
thus: “I shall breathe in contemplating cessation”;
he trains thus: “I shall
breathe out contemplating cessation.” (16)
He trains
thus: “I shall breathe in contemplating
relinquishment”; he trains thus: “I
shall breathe out contemplating relinquishment.” Bhikkhus,
that is
how mindfulness of breathing is developed and cultivated, so that it is
of
great fruit and great benefit.[4] Version
of practice: (1)
“I breathe in
long”; “I breathe out long.” (2)
“I breathe in
short”; “I breathe out short.” (3)
“I breathe in
experiencing the whole body [of breath]”; “I
breathe out experiencing the whole
body [of breath].” (4)
“I breathe in
tranquillizing the body formation”; “I breathe out
tranquillizing the body
formation.” (5)
“I breathe in
experiencing rapture”; “I breathe out experiencing
rapture.” (6)
“I breathe in
experiencing pleasure”; “I breathe out experiencing
pleasure.” (7)
“I breathe in
experiencing the mental formation”; “I breathe out
experiencing the mental
formation.” (8)
“I breathe in
tranquillizing the mental formation”; “I breathe
out tranquillizing the mental
formation.” (9)
“I breathe in
experiencing the mind”; “I breathe out experiencing
the mind.” (10)
“I breathe in
gladdening the mind”; “I breathe out gladdening the
mind.” (11)
“I breathe in
concentrating the mind”; “I breathe out
concentrating the mind.” (12)
“I breathe in
liberating the mind”; “I breathe out liberating the
mind.” (13)
“I breathe in
contemplating impermanence”; “I breathe out
contemplating impermanence.” (14)
“I breathe in
contemplating fading away”; “I breathe out
contemplating fading away.” (15)
“I breathe in
contemplating cessation”; “I breathe out
contemplating cessation.” (16)
“I breathe in
contemplating relinquishment”; “I breathe out
contemplating relinquishment.” 54.
Regarding
the breaths and breathing,
how important are they in the practice of meditation? When
meditating, sense organs such as the eyes or the tongue as well as
other parts
of the body temporarily cease to work because of the concentration of
the mind,
but the breaths still work naturally and even more prominently than
others.
Thus, you should skillfully employ your breaths, breathing in and out,
as an
invisible string to tie the mind and body together, not letting the
mind work
in a disorderly manner in regards to the complexity of thoughts.
Controlling
the breathing in and out firmly and effectively, you shall no more
float with
thoughts, imaginations, or illusions which may rule the current of your
own
mental operation. This is the way to purify all defilements in the mind
and
give rise to wisdom. Not relying on tranquilly breathing in and out,
you shall
not be able to remain firmly in concentration. Therefore, in the
process of
spiritual training, you should maintain awareness and attention along
the flux
of mentality, following each breath in and out. It is absolutely not
meditation
if you stay in one place (here) and your mind stays in another place
(there),
even though your breathing still works regularly and unintentionally.
In
meditation, a practitioner is able to reach the state of
samādhi only when his
breaths are ruled and controlled by his own mind. 55.
Would
you please explain more about
the role and function of the one-pointed mind in meditation? The
state of one-pointed mind is absolutely important in practicing
meditation. In
order to reach that state of samādhi, you should commit
yourself to a long term
of practice as the reality of our mind always flows like the flux of a
river.
As such, if not tied to a certain object of meditation, the mind will
work in a
disorderly manner, aimlessly thinking—much like a monkey
constantly moving from
one branch to another. Hence, if your mind does not halt in
tranquility, you
will not be able to attain the state of the one-pointed mind that is
the
foundation of tranquility and liberation by nature, regardless of how
long you
have been involved in the meditative practice. The actual state of the
one-pointed mind will bring you an inner peace that transcends all
worries,
sorrows, and fears, cleanses all defilements in the mind, and renews
your own
life through its regeneration of fresh and pure energy. 56.
How
do feelings relate to the mind? The
Buddha taught that feelings are food for the mind. Feelings nurture the
mind
and make the mind develop. Thus, the mind develops depending on each
type of
feeling (e.g., pleasant, painful, or neutral). For instance, a painful
feeling
makes the mind develop in the direction of pain; contrastingly, a
pleasant feeling
leads the mind to the tendency of joyfulness. It is important that you
notice
that it is feelings that lead to various kinds of cravings.
When
feelings are subjectively ruled, the mind becomes comfortable and free
from all
psychological urges. However, if you cannot control your feelings and
you
follow them by all means, your mind will be upset, compelled, and
distressed—which is, in fact, the state of being burnt by
desire and
covetousness of either physical or mental pleasures. In reality, all
kinds of
feelings develop relying on the contacts between the six internal
senses-bases
and their corresponding six external senses-spheres (eyes/object,
ears/sound,
noses/smell, tongue/taste, body/touch, and mind/thought). For this
reason,
feeling is one of the four foundations of mindfulness. 57.
Would
you please explain more about
insight meditation? Vipassanā
is known
as insight meditation, which means seeing things as they are
by
meditating on the four foundations of mindfulness: body, feeling, mind,
and
existences (the mind’s objects). Meditating profoundly on
these themes enables
you to develop wisdom and experience the reality of the non-self.
Practicing
insight meditation, you must deeply observe each theme of mindfulness
specifically. For instance, when meditating on the body, you will start
with
the present body with its constituent elements (four fundamental
elements:
earth, water, wind, and fire), internal and external relationships,
body parts,
body organs, and even each simple motion of the body (e.g., altering
the
long-short and birth-death of each breath). Practicing insight
meditation helps
you realize those subtle realities that cannot be recognized or
experienced by
our ordinary senses. Consequently, practicing insight meditation over a
long
period of time will help enhance the practitioner’s wisdom as
well as lead him
or her to discover the truth of life and perceive the true nature of
reality. 58.
Why
does a practitioner have to
mediate on the body in such detail? In
the Buddhist view, the human body is an aggregate of mental and
physical
elements. Both elements depend on and support each other mutually.
Observing
the body and mind intensively, you will see the characteristics of
impermanence
and variability in the entire process of the birth and death of each
single
cell and its real mode of life. By
achieving these realizations, you may change the direction of your mind
to
create a life that renounces craving and attachment as well as
experiences the
reality of spiritual freedom. For example, in meditating on the body,
you will
recognize its two characteristics: the body as the present house of
spirituality and the body as the store of defilements and illness.
Optimistically, this body is the present house of spirituality, which
embraces
and fosters our base of virtuousness and noble aspirations as well as
our own
life of happiness. In contrast, it is this very body and its
physiological
needs that force us into the roaming life full of sufferings, such as
hunger,
thirst, heat, and cold, and pushes us to find pleasures to satisfy our
own
desires and urges. This is why a practitioner must perceive the
operation of
the five-aggregate body clearly and precisely and try to control that
operation
of the body and mind by observing all their creations. 59.
What
are the five aggregates? In
the Buddhist view, the five aggregates (skandhas)
are five fundamental
elements or five constituent groups that produce a whole person. The
five
aggregates comprise both physical and mental elements. They are the
foundation
of senses-spheres (āyatana)—namely,
psychophysical domains (dhātu).
The following table briefly describes the five aggregates.
60.
Why
are the five aggregates
considered the foundation for the twelve senses-bases and eighteen
psychophysical domains? When
speaking of the existence of humanity and its problems, the Buddha
always
clearly emphasized the relations of the body and mind through three
special
terms: aggregates (skandha), senses-bases (āyatana),
and
psychophysical domains (dhātu). Aggregates
consist of five elements
(mentioned earlier). Senses-bases include twelve kinds: six
senses-organs
(eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind) and six external
corresponding
senses-spheres (form, sound, smell, taste, contact, and dharma or the
mind’s
object). Psychophysical domains include eighteen kinds—the
sum of the twelve
senses-bases plus the six kinds of consciousness of the six
senses-organs. For
example, an actual perception of the eyes must always have three
factors in
contact: the eyes (domain of the eyes’ sense),
eyes’ objects (domain of the
external dharma), and direct consciousness from the eyes (domain of
seeing).
Similarly, a whole person must always have five aggregates, twelve
senses-bases,
and eighteen psychophysical domains. The following table describes the
eighteen
psychophysical domains.
61.
Why
are aggregates, senses-bases,
and psychophysical domains analyzed in such detail? By
deeply meditating on aggregates, senses-bases, and psychophysical
domains, you
will readily recognize the non-self nature of all existences without
using much
intellectual reasoning. For instance, the perception of the eyes comes
from the
contact of three elements: eyes, object, and consciousness. Depending
on the
specific status (vivid or vague) of both the eyes and consciousness,
the object
will be recognized in several ways, thereby leading to various
perceptions and
understandings. This is the very limit of human knowledge regarding reality.
However, in meditating, when you are truly able to recognize the
complexity of
an object (i.e., multiple attributes and angles of an object), you
shall
concurrently reveal its characteristics of Dependent Origination and
non-self.
Consequently, by meditating on such themes of reality, you will easily
give up
your inherent habit of self-attachment. 62.
Would
you please explain the nature
of the self or ego in the Buddhist view? Usually,
the self or ego is identified through three personal categories: the
‘I,’
‘mine,’ and ‘my self’. More
simply, ego is an individual self to which a person
attaches and assumes to be true. According to the Buddhist view,
attachment to
the self is the most ignorant mistake of humans as it leads humans to
float
adrift in the ocean of craving and hatred. All human sufferings arise
from such
an attachment to self. When thoroughly meditating on the five
aggregates, you
will clearly see that the concept of the self or ego is but an illusion
stemming from the discriminations of languages. In reality, the
self or ego
of a person is just a combination of the five aggregates and a name.
Without a doubt, no self has been found in the constituent
establishment of the
five aggregates, as we have discussed (see question 59). Indeed, what
we call
an individual self appears only when the five
aggregates are given a
name; as such, different names will lead to different kinds of
self-attachment,
such as Mr. A is different from Mr. B. For this reason, failing to
meditate on
or be mindful of this problem, humans will willingly sacrifice their
lives just
to protect their own name of self—particularly
when they think that
their self is hurt or offended. Therefore, the more you attach to a
self, the
more you will suffer and the more the mind will develop craving,
hatred, ill
will, and pride. You should keep in mind that the body of five
aggregates
constantly changes at every moment of life; it also does not carry
within
itself any individual self or ego. So why do we all work so hard just
to
embrace the barren name of self which itself does
not possess any
special meaning for our life of true happiness? 63.
If
there is no individual self or
personal ego, who will suffer and who will be happy? Because
of the habitual attachment to an individual self, we always fear that
we will
someday become nothingness and be forgotten. The truth tells us that
the life
of true happiness actually does not need a self to exist—and
neither does
suffering! Just look at the reality of some actual experiences. For
example,
the most peaceful and soundest sleep is the one that is not sobbing and
vacillating because of the ‘I,’
‘mine,’ or ‘my self.’ The
happiest moments of
life are those moments in which we live at ease, in peace and
tranquility, without
being disturbed by the ‘I,’
‘mine,’ and ‘my self’, which
always makes the mind
worry, fear, and hope. The greatest feeling of ease is the feeling of
pure
rapture in which the notion of ‘I,’
‘mine,’ and ‘my self’ is
completely absent.
Contradictorily, the status of suffering will increase if it attaches
to the
presence of ‘I,’ ‘mine,’ and
‘my self,’ such as I lost money, I lost fame, or I
lost power. Indeed, happiness and suffering are all manifestations of
Dependent
Origination, at which point you should use the mind of
non-self to look
without unnecessarily focusing on the self or its name. 64.
What
is non-self? As
previously discussed, non-self is one of the essential tenets of
Buddhism. The
central point of this doctrine can be generalized via three issues: a)
rejecting the view that a powerful God exists who creates and controls
the life
of all sentient beings and non-sentient beings; b) not accepting the
view that
each individual has a soul that is immortal and invariable; and c) not
accepting the view that a perpetual entity or ego exists in the
conditional
world of Dependent Origination. In
the first issue—rejecting the view of the
existence of a powerful God
who creates and controls the life of all sentient and non-sentient
beings—Buddhism teaches that man and his world are created
and formed by
innumerable conditions in which man takes the decisive role in creating
a life
of suffering or happiness through his own karmic operation of the
physical,
verbal, and mental. In
the second issue—not accepting the view
that each individual has a soul
that is immortal and invariable—Buddhism advocates that the
life of each
sentient being is produced by each individual mind; that the mental
current of
each sentient being flows endlessly and is always able to change or
transform
(e.g., from ignorance to enlightenment). Thanks to this very ability of
changing or transformation, a mind of ignorance can be awakened and,
through
spiritual training, that ignorant mind may become enlightened, in
either one
life or several lives. In
the third issue—not accepting the view
that a perpetual entity or ego
exists in the conditional world of Dependent
Origination—Buddhism teaches that
each individual person is matured through the whole process of
multi-conditioning, including influencing from parents, family,
society, and
culture. Accordingly, the existence of a person is an aggregate of both
individual karma and universal (or common) karma. Each individual
always
carries within him- or herself various elemental conditions that
reflect the
meaning of all in one and one in all (inter-being).
No independent ego
or entity can be found here in the existence of a person, except the
series of
Dependent Origination as already explained in the groups of five
aggregates,
twelve senses-bases, and eighteen psychophysical domains. This is core
to the
non-self doctrine. 65.
Does
the reality of the non-self
relate to nirvāna? Two
perspectives are necessarily considered when speaking about
the doctrine of the non-self: the spiritual practice and spiritual
liberation.
Regarding the former, the spiritual practice, you should profoundly
speculate
that the existence of a human is nothing other than an aggregate of
form,
feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. In other
words, that
group of aggregates is the body of both the physical and mental
elements.
Essentially, the innermost characteristics of this body of five
aggregates do
not possess any self-entity that is immortal and independent of the
series of
conditional elements. As such, the real nature of this body of five
aggregates
is emptiness (śunyatā)
and non-self (anātman). Regarding the
latter. the spiritual liberation,
by relying on the practice of meditation, you can obtain the true state
of
non-self, and transcend beyond the world of dualism in which all the
dualistic
notions between self and other are fully purified, all attachments to
self or
other are dropped, and all impure defilements are cleansed. Such a
peacefully
transcendent and tranquil state is indeed the true life of non-self,
the life
of nirvāna. Thus, non-self is nirvāna. 66.
How
can one perceive the meaning of
emptiness (śūnyatā)
in the presence of things? To
truly perceive emptiness (śunyatā)
in the presence of existences, you
should contemplate the fundamental characteristics of existences, both
physically and mentally, summarized in the following four
terminologies: Dependent
Origination, false name, emptiness, and middle way.
a)
Dependent Origination (pratītyasamutpāda):
An existence (whether
physical or mental) always carries within itself multiple conditions of
causes
and effects; in other words, it is the combination of the series of
multiple
conditions that gives rise to an existence. Therefore, when those
series of
multiple conditions are dissolved, the existence constructed from those
series
would decompose as well. b)
False name (prajñapti):
An existence
(whether physical or mental) is given a name depending on various
conditions.
Accordingly, when those conditions change, the name that stems from
those
conditions changes as well. For example, the process from a tree to its
ashes
includes several names used for each period of time of the same
material: tree,
lumber, table, firewood, and ashes. c)
Emptiness (śunyatā): Although an
existence (whether physical or mental)
is given a name depending on its functions, its own characteristics
would
eventually become empty (i.e., no independent
entity in what we call the
self-nature can be found in that existence)
when those
characteristics are thoroughly chemically analyzed because that
existence is
but the combination of multiple conditions—much the same way
as hydrogen and
oxygen come together to produce water. d)
The middle way (madhyamā-pratipad):
The actual value of an existence (whether physical or mental) should be
viewed
through a series of correlative conditions corresponding to one another
in
order to avoid all extreme views such as things have a(n)
existence/non-existence, ceasing/arising, annihilation/permanence,
identity/difference, appearance/disappearance. Consequently, the middle
way
is the path of transcendence beyond all attachments, leading to
nirvāna. To
deeply ponder the four characteristics above, you may perceive the
meaning of
emptiness in the presence of existence. 67.
Why
is it said that the middle way
is the path leading to nirvāna? Put
more simply, the middle way is the way of medium—namely,
the way in
which we do not tie our views to any extreme, such as
existence/non-existence,
ceasing/arising, annihilation/permanence, identity/difference,
appearance/disappearance. For instance, when talking about the
emptiness of all
dharmas, a practitioner should not be attached to the concept of
nothingness or
nihility so as to hold the view that all is nil or be excessively fond
of
nihilism. If attached to such a view and resigned to live with it, a
practitioner would lose all his or her personal ability to develop
virtuous
deeds and the Bodhi mind. Contrastingly, if they become attached to the
view
that all is true and that each existence has a true self-nature that is
immortal and perpetual, practitioners would increasingly try to
maintain all
the impermanent conditional elements and thus make their life more
miserable
and anguished. For this reason, the wise choose to go on the middle
way
free from all extreme attachments so as to reach the end of
enlightenment and
liberation. Just imagine a bicyclist: if he slopes too much to the
right or
left, the bicycle will fall to the ground and the rider would not
continue his
journey; however, if he keeps the balance (the middle way), he will
finally
reach the end. The middle way is therefore the path of releasing all
attachments, leading to nirvāna. 68.
How
can we apply the teaching of the
middle way to practical life? Applying
the “spirit” of the middle way to your journey of
spiritual training is really
necessary. The Buddha himself discovered the significance of the middle
way
after six years of ascetic practice. He taught that, just like
adjusting a
musical string, if we stretch the string too tense, its sound will be
strident
and the string is likely to break; contradictorily, if the string is
too loose,
it cannot produce a good sound. Only when we properly adjust
it—not too tense
and not too loose—will its sound be perfectly nice
and easy to listen to
(consider rephrasing?). Similarly, when applying the
“spirit” of the middle way
to your life, you should not keep holding the thought that you have to
leave
the world for nirvāna, but what you need to do is build a life
of nirvāna right
here in this mundane world. In the same way, although we know that the
body of
five aggregates is impermanent and ephemeral, if we do not respect it
and
protect it appropriately, how can we train our life of spirituality in
order to
reach enlightenment and liberation? The metaphor of “a boat
carrying passengers
to the other shore” is an excellent illustration for the
middle way. As a
result, you need to rely on the conventional truth in order to attain
the
absolute truth, because without reaching the absolute truth, you are
not able
to live a life of nirvāna in the profane
world. That is the modus
operandi of the two truths of life. 69.
Would
you please explain more about
the two truths? The
two truths are conventional truth (samvriti-satya)
and absolute truth (paramārtha-satya).
The conventional truth is the truth of relativity, which refers to
temporary
means; the absolute truth is the truth of the end, which is forever as
such. In
the Buddhist sutras, these two truths are defined as the means and the
end.
Notably, an ordinary person can neither combine the two truths into one
nor
choose one of the two, as the nature of the two truths are definitely
not
identical. If we just choose one of them, we cannot achieve the end
goal of our
spiritual journey. The metaphoric images of “a boat carrying
passengers to the
other shore,” “a handful of leaves,” and
“yarn lifting the kite” are examples
of the two truths. The boat is the means—i.e., the
conventional truth; getting
to the other shore is the end—i.e., the absolute truth. If we
do not use the
boat, we will not able to get to the other shore; but when we reach the
other
shore, we should leave the boat behind. The two truths also remind us
that we
should never use ignorant knowledge full of craving, hatred, and ill
will of
the human realm to measure the realm of enlightened ones. If we use the
ignorant mind to describe the realm of enlightenment, that realm of
enlightenment will become the ignorant realm—no more and no
less. Thus, we
should bear in mind that what we have learned from the
Buddha’s teaching, or
what the Buddha has taught us, is just the means (conventional truth),
not the
end (absolute truth). Just as with nirvāna, each person should
perceive him- or
herself with the absolute truth, because that absolute truth cannot be
described by our languages. 70.
Is
the absolute truth identical to
the realm of nirvāna? Terminologically,
nirvāna (Pali: Nibbāna)
is a combination of the prefix
ni[r]—(ni, 71.
Would
you please explain more about
the characteristics of nirvāna? The
Mahaparinirvāna Sutra noted that nirvāna has
four special characteristics: a) True Eternity:
no longer being
governed or ruled by conditional elements that are impermanent and
variable; b)
True Bliss: the blissful life of the mind stream in
which craving,
hatred, and ill will no longer exist; c) True Self:
different from the
personal self in the dualistic realm; and d) True Purity:
absolute purity.
Nirvāna is also named “non-birth” (anutpāda),
“everlastingness” (aksaya)
beyond the conditional world, and “absolute
freedom” (mukti) from or no
longer fastened to the cycle of samsāra. 72.
Why
does a Buddhist expression say
that “samsāra
is nirvāna”? “Samsāram
eva nirvānam”
is an expression frequently
mentioned in Mahāyāna Buddhist thought. The content
of this saying emphasizes
the work of building nirvāna in the human world; in other
words, the saying
encourages us to live a life of nirvāna right in this human
world using this
human body. This is a warning for those who think that to enter
nirvāna, a
person must leave the world of birth and death entirely. The truth
tells us
that the Buddha and the Buddhist Holy ones (Arhats) have lived a life
of
nirvāna right in this mundane world and made it beneficial to
the world. In
Mahāyāna Buddhism, the Bodhisattvas also vow to
reenter the world of samsāra
in order to save all sorts of sentient beings,
thereby demonstrating the great heart of compassion of a Buddhist Holy
One. In
another aspect, you should note that we cannot reach nirvāna
(the
absolute truth) without samsāra
(conventional truth)
(see question 69) as the world of samsāra serves as the
foundation through
which we may experience the taste of nirvāna, as
already explained in
the Four Noble Truths (see questions 68-70). Put another way,
nirvāna is the
very blissful life of ultimate liberation and freedom; accordingly, a
practitioner who lives a life of nirvāna is completely free
from the bondage of
the three worlds. 73.
What
does nirvāna
relate to in the doctrine of
three Dharma Seals? In
Agama sutras, nirvāna
is one of the three seals of Dharma (three special Dharma seals that
identify
the Buddha’s teachings in the whole triple baskets), which
include: a) Anicca
(Skt: anitya): impermanence; b) Anatta (Skt: anatman):
non-self;
and c) nirvāna: freedom from samsāra.
The aim of this
Dharma summarization in the three seals of the Holy Disciples is that
it helps
us identify precisely what is taught by the Buddha and what is not. We
may
briefly understand the three Dharma seals as follows: a)
All conditional things (sankhara) are impermanent:
All
volitional actions and creations of the physical and mental body as
well as the
natural world are impermanent. They are all products of multiple
conditional
elements; things will arise when the right conditional elements come
together
and will decompose when those conditional elements dissolve. Thus, the
nature
of things always changing is said to be impermanence. b)
All conditional things are non-self: Since the
nature of
things arises from multiple conditional factors, they do not possess
any
self-entity that is unique and independent of the constant operation of
Dependent Origination. Thus is the non-self nature of things. c)
Nirvāna
is nirodha:
In the three
seals of Dharma, nirvāna is named seal of Nirodha
(extinction of all
afflictions and defilements). This seal verifies the spiritual state of
absolute freedom and liberation of a practitioner. The roots of
sufferings in
the world of birth and death here are craving (tanhā);
therefore, when
all kinds of craving are entirely deleted, a practitioner will obtain
the
ultimate state of tranquil bliss of nirvāna. In
the three Dharma seals described here, the first two seals
(impermanence and
non-self) refer to the characteristics of conditional things;
meanwhile, the
last one—nirvāna—refers to the state of
ultimate reality that is, by nature,
non-impurity (asamkrta), non-birth (anutpāda),
and superlative liberation.
74.
How
can an ordinary person live a
life of non-self? This
is an interesting and practical question. Life in modern society always
forces
people to fully display each personal responsibility and duty in the
correlative relations among individuals, families, schools, and
society. These
correlative relations make the self of each
individual; as such, the ‘I’
and ‘mine’ become excessively dominant in everyday
activities. Thus, what
should a lay Buddhist do in order to practice living a life of
non-self? The
following suggestions are very helpful for you: Instead
of living completely by the individual self or
for the individual
self, you should generate the thought that you are living not
for yourself,
but for your family, your beloved ones, or—expanding
further—other sentient
beings regardless of age, race, sex, or nation. As you generate such
thoughts
and guide your life in such a direction, you actually begin a life of
altruism—namely, living for others—and in your own
life, you will develop more
self-confidence, powerful energy, and a strong will in order to reach
the
ultimate goal of life. If any action of yours bears in itself the heart
of
altruism, you will truly possess the opportunity to cultivate and
develop
compassion, generosity, and tolerance, through which you may gradually
erase
the notion of self-attachment. In reality, of course, you lose nothing
in
directing your life for others; on the contrary, you will have more
motivation
for a better living. Contrastingly, when you live just for
yourself—namely, for
the ‘I’ and
‘mine’—you will lose the real
significance of life and
unintentionally ensconce the immense and marvelous life into the frame
of
self in one way or another. Living such a life is indeed
entering the
avenue of selfishness, which is—by its very
nature—lonely, sad, anxious, and
fearful. In fact, the truth tells us that if you have an altruistic
heart of
compassion and generosity, you will have more friends, more supports,
and—
following such goodness—a real chance for your achievement in
life. 75.
How
should a selfish and egocentric
person practice the Dharma? If
you are truly a person of selfishness, self-attachment, and mental
intricateness, the first thing you need to do is protect your mind,
your mouth,
and your body carefully. Do not allow your individual karma to create
more
suffering to yourself or others in harmful ways. The Buddha, in the
Dhammapada
sutta, taught that “The wise are controlled in bodily action,
controlled in
speech and controlled in thought. They are truly
well-controlled” (234). When
protecting your own three karmas (body, speech, and thought), you also
need to
meditate on the non-self by telling yourself either aloud or silently
that “This
is not ‘I’; this is not ‘mine’,
and this is not ‘my self.’”
Just by
practicing talking to yourself in such a way over the long term, the
energy of
self-attachment will gradually cool down. It is important to note that,
if you
cannot change your mind, you will not be able to change your life or
your
world. In
addition, you should practice conducting pure merits (anāsrāva)—doing
good deeds for others without attaching meanings such as
“what I am doing?”,
“for whom am I doing it?”, and “What will
I get for doing that?” You should
just perform beneficial actions for others with all your heart of
sympathetic
joy and happiness. To do good things without such attachments is to
conduct
pure merits. 76.
Would
you please explain the concept
of “merit” in Buddhism? The
original Pali term for merit is punna, which means
“purification”. Thus,
to cultivate merit is basically to purify the three karmas of the
bodily,
verbal, and mental aspects specifically by cleaning up craving, hatred,
and ill
will in the mental flux. Therefore, to cultivate merit is to control
and
transform craving, hatred, and ill will of the mind into the state of
purity.
In reality, in order to control and transform these basic defilements,
the
Buddha taught us skillful means such as dealing with craving or greed
by offering
donations and charity, developing compassion to eradicate hatred, and
training
in wisdom to eliminate ill will. Based on this radical meaning, you may
cultivate merit in various ways, such as giving to others, offering to
the
Triple Jewels, practicing ethical disciplines, diligently doing charity
work,
meditating, chanting sutras, or reciting the Buddhas’ names
and fostering the
Bodhi mind. Generally, a Buddhist cultivates merit through the
directions of
four all-embracing virtues and six Pāramitās
(see questions 33-35). Most importantly, a Buddhist should cultivate
for him-
or herself the pure merit of spiritual liberation. 77.
What
is the characteristic of ‘pure
merit’ and that of ‘impure merit’? There
are two kinds of merit: impurity and purity. Impure-merit (āsrāva)
is
that which still adheres to the operation of causes and effects in the stream of samsāra while
pure-merit (anāsrāva) is that which goes beyond the karmic
stream of causes and
effects and leads to the state of nirvāna—namely,
ultimate freedom. For
instance, when you conduct a merit with the mind of strings attached
and
self-attached (meaning that, when doing a good thing, you expect a good
response and consider that good response to be the
end goal of your
action) you clearly do it with an impure mind in which you still cling
too much
to the desire of the ‘I’,
‘mine’, and ‘my self.’
Therefore, if you sow the seed
of impurity, you will correspondingly receive the effect of impurity.
Essentially, if you conduct a good deed, but the energetic flux of giving
and paying still exists in your mind and governs your action,
you will be
absorbed into the passion stream of samsāra,
for the mental
energy of giving and paying (causes and effects) is itself
the very spiritual
leakage through which you will be born and reborn in
the samsāra cycle.
Meanwhile, when conducting merit with a true mind of altruism,
compassion,
loving kindness, sympathetic joy, and equanimity, you are sowing the
seed of
pure merit, which leads to renunciation and liberation. The three pure
studies
(ethical discipline, meditation, and wisdom) are the foundation for
cultivating
the merit of purity. 78.
What
is the Buddhist view on the
issue of “good and evil”? The
Buddhist view on the wholesome (good) and unwholesome (not good) is
clearly
defined in the teaching of karma, in which three karmas belonging to
the
physical, verbal, and mental aspects are divided into two categories:
ten
wholesome (kusala) karmas and ten unwholesome (akusala)
karmas
(see the following table).
Committing
the ten
karmas above is considered not good (or evil) while not committing
these ten
karmas and trying to save the life of others—providing help,
speaking the truth
in harmonious and affectionate ways, and cultivating all other virtuous
deeds—are called wholesome (good) karmas. However, two
important aspects
regarding the Buddhist concept of wholesomeness
should be noted: the
human ground of ethics and the spiritual ground of enlightenment and
liberation. Ethically, wholesomeness involves practicing the Dharma and
the ten
wholesome karmas; spiritually, in the noble path of enlightenment and
liberation, wholesomeness is itself nirvāna and the Dharmas
that lead to
nirvāna, including all pure and non-dualistic Dharmas. Thus,
the Buddhist
concept of wholesomeness has two levels; one carries the meaning of
human
ethics while the other refers to the spiritual state of supra-mundane,
nirvāna. 79.
Why
are there different viewpoints
on the issue of “good and evil”? The
human world has many religions and cultures. Thus, the problems of
“good and
evil” are also viewed in different manners. For instance,
Islamic followers do
not eat pork while Hindus do not eat beef. Moreover, modern problems
such as
abortion and euthanasia are still unresolved subjects of controversy.
However,
in Buddhism, the matter of good and evil is, as previously discussed,
clearly
verified in the codes of moral discipline, spiritual practice, and
virtuous
deeds (see questions 76-78). In regard to such problems as abortion and
euthanasia, Buddhists should use their wisdom skillfully, particularly
regarding those problems that “have already been
done.” You should
notice that, on the path of spiritual training, the Buddha taught us to
focus
on the mindfulness and transformation of the suffering’s
origins—that is, the
core practice of Buddhism. Similarly, Buddhists should take good care
to
educate and prepare themselves, as well as prepare for their children,
before
they can become pregnant instead of becoming pregnant and then debating
whether
to perform an abortion or not. The Buddhist teachings warn us that
“the
Bodhisattvas dare to sow the seeds while humans dare to see the fruits.”
The wise always care for the fruits when they sow the seeds while human
beings,
because of ignorance, do not care for sowing the seeds; rather, they
just fear
the retribution of fruits (what they have done.) 80.
What
is ignorance in the Buddhist
view and is a wise person like a scientist still ignorant? The
connotation of ignorance (avidyā) in
Buddhist languages means not truly
understanding or realizing the nature of the Four Noble Truths. Thus,
ignorance
is considered the origin of all sufferings; from ignorance, the
defilements
such as greed, attachment, and self-pride develop. When a practitioner
truly
realizes the Holy Truths—i.e., the Four Noble
Truths—his or her inner peace and
blissfulness immediately arise; by perseveringly practicing the Dharma,
they
may reach enlightenment. To human beings, ignorance is the mind of
unawareness
or foolishness (moha), which—in
misunderstanding—leads to the so-called
individual self attaching to the individual self and regarding that
self as
something real, immortal, and perpetual. By attaching to the self,
defilements
and sufferings arise and force humans to fall into a cycle of the three
worlds.
Thus, as long as self-attachment exists, ignorance is still present in
our
lives. A wise person such as a modern scientist may spend his or her
entire
life creating extraordinary products, such as space shuttles or atom
bombs, but
he or she cannot create any “miracle button” that
is able to turn off craving,
hatred, and ill will immediately except through the practice of ethical
disciplines, meditation, and wisdom to the ultimately perfect degree.
Therefore,
great knowledge cannot destroy ignorance, craving, and self-attachment;
only by
practicing the Holy Truths can a person completely eliminate ignorance
and
obtain ultimate enlightenment. 81.
How
should a person of weighty
ignorance practice the Dharma? Studying
and practicing Dharma are the prerequisites for eradicating the mind of
ignorance. We should study and contemplate such teachings as the Four
Noble
Truths, the twelve factors of Dependent Origination, the five
aggregates, and
the non-self profoundly and diligently in order to develop the true
wisdom,
perceiving reality and the operation stream of life as they really are.
In
meditation practice, the four foundations of mindfulness are
particularly
necessary for helping us discover the true nature and operation of
one’s own
body and mind as well as its connection with the world outside. If you
do not
practice mindfulness, your wisdom will not develop and your spiritual
training
will progress slowly. Therefore, you should practice the three pure
studies
(ethics, meditation, and wisdom) at the same time. 82.
How
should a person of weighty
hatred (ill will) practice the Dharma? If
you have a lot of anger inside your mind or you are easily angered at
anytime,
you should be mindful and deliberate on such miserable and bitter
situations as
sickness, accidents, disasters, death, wars, burning houses, or floods.
Mindfulness of the sufferings of these sights will help you cool the
mind of
envy, revenge, resentment, and jealousy. You should note that the
origin of
hatred is the excessive attachment to self. Accordingly, when getting
angry,
you are willingly doing everything to protect your sense of
self—especially
when you think your self or ego is offended. For instance, a person
(either
intentionally or unintentionally) backbites you for a few minutes, but
you may
keep that hatred (of being backbitten) all year long or even ten years
or more.
This is the long-lasting manifestation of self- attachment. It is
necessary to
speculate that when you are angry, you take upon yourself the
mistakes of
others to punish yourself. Indeed, despite how luxurious and
beautiful of a
complexion you have, how precious your jewelry is, or how high-class
the
perfume is that you wear, you become immediately ugly whenever a rage
of anger
arises inside your mind. Similarly, despite how rich you are and how
luxurious
your house is, you still suffer and imprison yourself in your own
magnificent
castle through your anger. Therefore, in order to eliminate the mind of
hatred,
you need to deeply ponder upon the dangerous and harmful anger inside
of you in
addition to practicing living the non-self and developing a heart of
altruism. 83.
How
should a person of weighty
craving practice the Dharma? Craving
is of different kinds, such as five mundane desires (eating, sleeping,
sexuality, fame, and money) or the subtle desires in meditative states
of the
fine form realm and formless realm. Regarding practice, you should
identify for
yourself what kind of craving is most prominent in your life so that
you may
find an appropriate way to heal. For example, a money-grubber or a
fame-seeker
should think about the danger and bitterness experienced on the way to
satisfying
their cravings as well as contemplate the actual meaning of life. A
person who
always has a strong desire for sexuality should think of the nasty,
impure, and
loathsome stinking body. A person who excessively loves eating should
think
about sickness and sin (e.g., killing or stealing) that comes from the
passion
of eating. Various ways to practice exist according to each specific
case.
Generally, in order to have a true life of happiness (in terms
of wholesome
karma), you need to control your craving by living
harmoniously in contentment
with reality—that is, you should live with what you
need, not with
what you want. 84.
How
does the Buddhist concept of
happiness differ from the mundane concept of happiness? The
concept of happiness is a broad topic. However, the basic difference
between
happiness in the Buddhist view and that of the mundane world is defined
in two
terms: attachment or non-attachment.
Being free from all
attachments, Buddhists live happily and freely in the world no matter
what
circumstances they encounter or how reality affects them. On the
contrary,
happiness of the mundane world is strictly connected to the notion of
‘I,’
‘mine,’ and ‘my self,’ which is
indeed the conflict of craving and attachment
that is always silently destroying the potentiality of true happiness
and
pulling you into the realm of bitter regret over gain and loss,
pleasure and
pain. Thus, non-attachment in the Buddhist view is true happiness. 85.
What
is the true career of a
Buddhist? This
is an interesting question. A Buddhist is simply understood as a child
of the
Buddha. However, Buddhists include two classes of people: monastic
persons
(both male and female, like monks and nuns) and lay Buddhists (both
male and
female). Monastic persons do not get married or have a private family
life;
their main profession focuses on spiritual training. Meanwhile, lay
Buddhists—like any ordinary person—get married and
have children; thus, their
primary concern concentrates on building a family life of happiness in
the most
practical sense. However, when speaking of the true career of
a
Buddhist, whether monastic or lay persons, we need to deal with or
think about
the real foundation of not just a flashing happiness, but a prolonged
or
lifelong happiness—the sort of happiness that significantly
impacts both this
life and future lives. Within this sense, the true career of a Buddhist
is
indeed nothing other than compassion and wisdom. Only with compassion
can you
nurture the existence of life; only with wisdom will you know how to
build for
yourself a life of true happiness that is secure and long-lasting
(enduring?).
In any circumstance, compassion and wisdom will always be the strong
foundation
for happiness; lacking these two crucial factors, you will be unable to
have a
true career as such. Moreover, what you try to do in order to obtain
happiness
would be like building a castle out of sand. Compassion and wisdom are
the true
career of not only a Buddhist, but also of a Buddha or a Bodhisattva. 86.
Do different methods of
spiritual practice oppose one another? The
methods of practice are applied according to the specific person and
specific
situation, just as different kinds of drugs are used for different
diseases.
Similarly, when training your spirituality, you should choose for
yourself an
appropriate application as your spiritual application is the treatment
that
cures your own problems. The effect and efficiency of various
applications
serve to heal various kinds of illnesses. Thus, no opposition exists in
the
nature of different ways of practice; the only thing we should be
concerned
with is whether your application is appropriate and applicable or not.
For
instance, some persons often fall asleep when sitting still in
meditation, but
when reciting the Buddhas’ names their minds become pure and
calm. In such a
case, you should continue reciting the Buddhas’ names instead
of sitting in
meditation. Contradictorily, some persons’ minds continue to
move in a
disorderly manner when reciting the Buddhas’ names, but when
sitting
motionlessness and observing their breaths their minds gradually become
peaceful
and tranquil. In this case, you should keep practicing meditation
instead of
reciting the Buddhas’ names. In addition, depending on the
different situations
and times, you may change the manner of practice. In reality, if you
have
already chosen for yourself a suitable application and enthusiastically
concentrate on that, you will succeed sooner or later. Although
different
techniques of practice may support one another—like a dual
practice of Zen and 87.
Is
there any difference in the
methods of practice for young and old persons? Because
the physiological life between youth and maturity varies, the approach
to
spiritual practice may be applied in several different modes. Most
young
persons are interested in intellectual reasoning; they like to ask
questions
such as “why?” and “for what?”
This curiosity provides them with a good chance
for studying Dharma and developing both knowledge and wisdom. Mature
persons
should encourage the young to study Dharma as a way of looking for
“a
philosophy of life” for themselves as well as for their
future. We should not
push our children to accept religious faith as compulsory dogmas.
Therefore,
the young should be ethically stimulated to learn and discuss Dharma
before
they can begin some initial practice, such as charitable work or
learning how
to develop respectfulness and love for parents, teachers, friends, and
others,
as well as learning how to live and work effectively and carry out
beneficial
tasks for themselves and others. In particular, they should learn how
to build
for themselves a life of true happiness that is secure and long-lasting. On
the other hand, because their ‘time’ is shortened,
the mature follow the
beliefs, knowledge, and practice they already have. Almost all mature
people
like to practice Dharma (such as chanting sutras, reciting
Buddhas’ names, or
meditating), embracing their own way of living and the inner
blissfulness of
their spiritual world. With some background experience, the mature can
practice
Dharma in such a way without the need for any questions or answers. As
such,
the mature’s manner of practice is not applicable to the
young. When you see
your children bowing to the Buddhas, you are very happy; however, if
you do not
create an opportunity for them to study Dharma, they will not
understand the
actual meaning of bowing to the Buddhas and someday, once they are
older, they
may not want to bow any more. Generally,
the spiritual application of the young emphasizes studying Dharma and
exercising wholesome things, while the mature focus on a deep drilling
of
spirituality. However, in order to fully achieve their personal
practice, both
the youth and mature should develop all five spiritual faculties and
their five
powers (see question 39), as previously discussed. 88.
How
should an aged person practice
the Dharma, particularly when his or her time of life is shortened? For
seniors, the path of practice should be steadily formed according to
the
following suggestions: a) clearly affirm the method of personal
practice (e.g.,
Zen, Pure Land, or Tantrism) rather than simply imitating others by
doing
whatever they do; b) after verifying your personal path of practice,
you should
intensively develop it in regards to both theory and exercise;
practicing under
the guidance of a master is always necessary; c) make a vow so that you
are
able to be deeply involved in spiritual training as you are building
your own
spiritual home devotionally and seriously, no matter what your
situation is; d)
in any practice, develop all five spiritual faculties and their
corresponding
five powers (see question 39) until the last breath of your life; and
e) last
but not least, be aware that what you practice today has a great impact
on your
life—both this life and the future life; ignorance of this
correlative karma of
cause and effect will result in negligent practice and your will shall
not be
strong enough to reach the end goal. 89.
Why
should a person be aware of the
future life if he or she practices being
in the present? You
should carefully discriminate between the concepts of awareness
in
meditation and awareness in the
intellectual field used in
this context. The awareness of the karmic law of cause and effect
(flowing
through the cycle of time: past, present, and future) is the
intellectual basis
for spiritual practice. For example, a person who does not believe in
or is not
aware of the cycle of samsāra or the karmic law of cause and
effect is
absolutely regarded as a non-Buddhist. Meanwhile, when practicing being
in the
present, if you are not aware of what you are doing but you are just
concerned
with or focused on the future life, you shall fall into the crazy world
of
illusion and imagination. Therefore, to be aware of the karmic law of
cause and
effect of both this life and the future life belongs to intellectual
ground,
which will help reinforce your will in spiritual training. Meanwhile,
practicing being in the present means living in the state of full
awareness
of every single movement of reality. Being in the present does not mean
that
you need not be conscious of the karmic law of cause and effect.
Therefore, you
should not confuse these meanings. 90.
How
should young people practice the
Dharma? The
path of spiritual practice for the youth needs to be prepared according
to the
following suggestions: a) most of you should build for yourself an
ideal about
the life of true happiness; of course, true happiness is always
established on
the ground of true values and true goodness; b) in order to construct
true
values for one’s own life, the first thing you need to do is
cultivate for
yourself an appropriate view of life and a strong belief in life (right
view
and right thinking); c) once you possess the appropriate belief and
view, you
need to have a shelter for your life—namely, your own philosophy
of
life; in this regard, the teaching of the Four Noble Truths and the
Eightfold
Path are the foundation for your practice (see questions 7 &
41); d)
because life is always changing and also includes difficulties, you
need to
apply the teaching of the middle way and the two truths in your
everyday
practices (see questions 67–69); and e) finally, because the
life of the youth
is often governed by relative elements from family and society, the
beginning
of spiritual training develops via the diligence to do good deeds and
avoid
evil deeds in order to enrich the base of merit for both the present
and
future. However, when meeting good conditions, you should start to
become
deeply involved in some sort of spiritual training so that you can
maintain the
balance of life, reduce stress, and reinforce the life of true
happiness (see
questions 84 & 85). 91.
How
should a person who is
experiencing much illness or who is near death practice Dharma? This
is an interesting question, and the answer depends on what you are
really
asking. When you know without a doubt that you do not have much
“time for
living,” you should make full use of it in a skillful manner
to contemplate on
the teaching of non-self (see questions 73–75) and
painstakingly heighten your
personal practice (Zen, Pure Land, or Tantrism). Old age is in fact a
great
opportunity for you to renew your own will after a long period of time,
year
after year, wandering about in adventure, because at this point in
life, the
stressful hardships of life now no longer press down heavily on your
shoulders.
However, it is your regrets of the past and the fears of leaving the
world that
create the very innermost anguishes that constantly stir your mind.
Thus, at
this point in time, contemplating on the reality of non-self will help
you
renounce all inner attachments more easily, because, in one way or
another, you
have actually experienced either wholly or partly the real nature of
life. At
the same time, the intensive mindfulness of the karmic law of cause and
effect
will be a helpful flux of energy that helps you regenerate your ideas
of
nobility and wholesome aspirations. A strong belief in the karmic law
of cause
and effect at this point of time will help you carry out
self-repentance for
any wrongs or sins that you have committed in the past, as well as
enhance the
mind of wholesomeness that leads you to develop your own forgiveness
and
tolerance for all intentional or unintentional obstacles that have
occurred
throughout your life. Carefully training the spiritual life through
mindfulness
and the advancement of the wholesome mind during old age is actually
the
infinite happiness of a Buddhist! You should keep in mind that,
according to
the Buddha’s teachings, you may become an angel (celestial
being) in the
Heavens or a holy being in the Pure Land right after
you utter the last
breath if you skillfully and devotionally practice in the last moments
of life. 92.
What
should one do in order to extinguish
his or her fear of death? Death
is a truth about which many people do not want to think or
speak—even if you
believe that you do not fear death. As Buddhists, we know that death is
a part
of life’s entire process of the Dependent Origination of
samsāra. Thus, to see
the truth of death as it really is, you will not be afraid of death
anymore;
rather, you will be afraid of living too long in old age without death!
Just
think that if you lived until 200 or 300 years old—how full
of suffering, how boring,
and how tiresome old age would be! Similarly, when speaking about the
truth of
impermanence, many people hastily assume that this is a pessimistic
view; in
fact, it is indeed truly optimistic, because impermanence always brings
to our
life numerous chances for transformation and alteration in the
ever-changing
life stream. Thanks to the law of impermanence, evil is able to
transform into
good or suffering may change to happiness; your present life may shift
to a
better direction. Death is, therefore, an indispensable fact in the
constant
stream of samsāra. Buddhism teaches that death is just a
matter of removing an
old coat while birth is putting on the new one. Therefore, there is
nothing to
worry about regarding death! What needs to concern us is the state in
which you
should die so that you are able to really take off the old coat and put
on the
new one peacefully and freely. For this reason, practicing the noble
Dharma
becomes the highest priority. The true practitioner is never afraid of
death! 93.
Loneliness
is an obsession of a
person when facing old age and death. How should one practice Dharma in
order
to overcome this obsession? This
question is true for persons of any age. If you are not a practitioner,
yes old
age and death are the very obsessions of loneliness. However, if
practicing
Dharma properly, you are the only one who is able to enjoy the taste
of
inner tranquility with infinite blissfulness. In order to
reach the state
of true blissfulness and liberation, you must experience the subtle
states in
meditation, including the state of bliss stemming from the renunciation
of
senses-desires, the state of bliss stemming from the act of subsiding from thinking and pondering,
the state of bliss
stemming from dwelling with
equanimity and awareness, and the state of bliss stemming from pure equanimity and full awareness. You
may briefly understand this process of mental purification as follows:
a) the renunciation
of senses-desires involves giving up all kinds of attachment,
self-attachment, and manifestations of craving, hatred, and ill will in
the
flux of the mind; b) the inner tranquility is
the blissful state of the oneness of mind that arises from pure
concentration
by subsiding thinking and pondering; c) pure joy is
the state of pure
happiness that arises from the original source of mental purity by
dwelling
with equanimity and awareness; in this state, all kinds of conditional
delights
and sensation-ecstasies disappear; and d) absolute purity
is the state
in which all kinds of sensations—happiness or unhappiness,
joy or sorrow,
etc.—completely disappear; this is the final state of pure
equanimity and full
awareness. These processes encompass the true experience of spiritual
purity
that you may attain only through meditation—in other words,
only by living in solitude.
Consequently, for a true practitioner, the taste of inner
tranquility is
a very noble blissfulness and unthinkable miracle. The truth is that the
taste of inner tranquility of Holy Ones is indeed
inexplicable; it goes
beyond all descriptions of human languages, as does
Nirvāna. Thus, to a
spiritual practitioner, loneliness is a great
chance for him or her to experience the noble tranquility and purity,
which is
definitely not an obsession, as thought by an ordinary mind. 94.
How
can a person overcome this
obsession of old age and death if he or she is unable to appreciate the
taste
of inner tranquility? Several
approaches may help you overcome such obsessions. First, sincerely
focus your
whole mind in mindfulness of the recitation of the Buddhas’
names as well as
enthusiastically put your heart of respectfulness in taking refuge in
the
Triple Jewels. Let your mind-stream concentrate wholeheartedly on the
union
with the Triple Jewels, a Buddha, or a Bodhisattva with your deeply
esteemed
respect in every single breath and rhythm of your heart. Practicing in
such a
way, you are creating for yourself a special energy of awareness and
compassion
connected from your self-power to other
powers of the Holy Ones.
This pure energy will sweep away all obsessions and fears of loneliness
and
bring back to you a source of noble blissfulness for living. Second,
you should
speculate that you alone have come to this world and you alone will
leave this
world; during this trip, no one will go with you except your own karmic
force,
which you created. Thus, you should try in all ways to cultivate merit
by doing
good deeds whenever possible as they create a true shelter for a better
rebirth. In addition, instead of sitting still in melancholy and
lamentation,
you should contemplate the non-self, practice to live in purity, and
enjoy the
taste of inner tranquility—the original source of the pure
mind without
pleasure or sadness. For a Buddhist, respectfulness of and sincere
belief in
the Triple Jewels are always the noble refuge for cultivating the
blissfulness
of the inner mind, especially during the moments of death and rebirth. 95.
How
should we encourage our younger
children to practice the Dharma? You
cannot push your younger children to follow what you are practicing or
what you
want them to be. Young people do not like dogmatic lessons or doing
what they
do not understand or believe in; in particular, they do not like the
style of
“practicing hurriedly so that it will not be too
late” that older people
promote. Contrastingly, the youth will willingly do whatever they think
is
beneficial to them in the most practical sense. Therefore, in order to
encourage younger people to practice the Dharma, you should first be a
real ideal
model for them. If you are always in the mode of peace and
calm whenever
facing storms of suffering and skillfully use your wisdom in all
situations
effectively, younger people will imitate you immediately, without
needing a
call or invitation from you. In contrast, if you are full of hatred,
ill will,
attachment, dissatisfaction, displeasure, and false views, but you call
your
children to follow your ways, they will definitely not listen to you or
may
even resist you and your lifestyle. Thus, to stimulate the youth to
practice
spirituality, you should first be a strong shelter for them, a source
of peace
for them, and an actual inspiration for them. 96.
How
can we live in harmony with a
person who follows other religions in the same family? This
is very simple. Consider the object of worship and respect for others
to be a
Bodhisattva embodied in various forms to save suitable
persons—as the
Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara does, for example. Moreover,
express your deep
respect to the Holy Ones in other religions as spiritual masters or
ethical
teachers. Thinking and acting in such a way, you will have no
difficulty living
with persons who follow other religions in the same family. However, if
you are
living in environments of multiple religions and multiple cultures,
such as 97.
How
should we live in harmony with a
person of divergent views? If
you want others to accept your views, you must first listen to the
views of
others, whether you like such views or not. If you are a true
practitioner, all
views are—whether right or wrong (according to your
view)—able to help you
experience the “polyhedral” complexity of life as
well as enrich your own
wisdom. Essentially, living in the circumstances of diverse thoughts,
you
should patiently develop your compassion and use your wisdom skillfully
in
order to bring about peace and harmony for yourself and for other
persons
living around you as well. However, if you press people with other
views into
following your views, then conflicts would immediately arise; this is
absolutely not a smart choice. Try to avoid this extreme by all means
for the
sake of peace. 98.
How
can we live in harmony with a
person who embraces the wrong views? First,
you should seriously examine your own view and make sure that your view
is
really true before judging the views of others. After clearly ensuring
that you
have an appropriate view, you should take the practical effects in your
practices as the answer for both (i.e., yourself and the other) without
the
need to engage in argument or debate. Any argument based on
self-attachment
will be useless and may cause more suffering for both the self and the
other.
Peace, purity, compassion, and wisdom in your life have the ability to
transform others without requiring intellectual reasoning. You should
keep in
mind that your own energy of purity always has the power to protect you
and
others. 99.
How
can one live peacefully with or
alongside a person who is gossipy and stubborn? This
is an interesting question. Everywhere in life, you will encounter
people whom
you like and people who make you suffer. If you have to live with a
person
whose temper is gossipy and stubborn, you need not talk, but rather
listen with
all your heart of peace and tolerance. In particular, try not to
respond
against that person or involve any resistance. Just meditate on and
practice
the way of the lotus leaf: water drops on it, and rolls off it lightly
and
peacefully. In this case, try to train yourself by listening with
non-reaction;
in other words, willingly listen to all sorts of melodies
as if you are
listening to a music CD of various songs with different vocal
pitches—peaceful
or noisy, happy or sad, soprano or basso. By practicing listening with
a
non-resistant mind over a long time, you will make your mind calm like
the
surface of the earth, which can accept any kind of feet and be trampled
upon peacefully
and freely. 100.
What
should one do in order to make
the inner life peaceful? The
reality of life is that it always includes
difficulties—whether revealed or
hidden—that make us dissatisfied, sorrowful, and anxious.
Thus, daily practice
in maintaining a balance in life is really necessary for the inner
mind. Just
ask yourself a simple question: You take a shower every day, but how
many times
have you taken your mental shower this week, month, or year? In fact,
we do not
often control our minds; rather, the individual mind controls each of
us and
constantly pulls us in every direction—even when we eat and
sleep. Indeed, we
are not the rulers, but the slaves to our own minds. For example, we
never use
the mind as an electrical switch that we can turn on or off whenever we
want;
instead, only our minds can turn us on and off, in a free and
disorderly manner.
In addition, it is the mind full of worry, sorrow, hope, and fear that
consecutively circulates and whirls through all the peace. For this
reason, we
need to practice living in mindfulness and awareness in every breath
and every
footstep so that we may control the mind and protect our own inner
peace.
Through mindfulness, we can rule and take control of the mind as well
as cleanse
all the wildness from our mental states, such as illusions and
imaginations.
You may begin to practice mindfulness in the easiest, most simple way:
follow
your breathing in and out, or bring awareness to every single breath.
Try to
maintain the awareness of breathing in and out as long as possible. In
addition, you need to spend at least fifteen minutes to half an hour or
up to
one hour each day taking care of your mind by contemplating how your
mind has
been and how it is in the present moment. During those times of such
mindfulness, you should decide to renounce all thoughts of greed,
hatred, and
ill will and their manifestations through the body, mouth, and mind; at
the
same time, you should try to develop compassion, loving kindness,
sympathetic
joy, and equanimity. You may make full use of your rest time, or the
time
before going to bed to practice mindfulness (see questions
54–56). 101.
How
should a Buddhist practice when
facing suffering? To
lessen suffering by all means is a sincere desire of humans. However,
the
approach to dealing with suffering, as the Buddha taught us, is not to
run away
from it; rather, we should find the cause of suffering so as to
transform it.
In reality, to reduce suffering, the first thing you need to do is to
embrace
suffering as a valuable experience in life. In order to have the
ability to do this,
you should spend time meditating on the reality of suffering as well as
its
deep roots, instead of sitting still with lamentation or trying to run
away
from it. Any sort of suffering will definitely bring to us precious
experiences
that are also necessary for nurturing vigorous energy and the noble
will of
human beings. Without suffering to fulfill the base for happiness, your
happiness will become as slight as dew and smog. In addition, noble
virtues
exist in suffering, which may help us foster our true wisdom of life.
For
instance, when facing sickness and grief, we can deeply perceive the
meaning of
impermanence, from which we can reduce our self-pride and
self-attachment; when
encountering an accident, death, or disaster, our minds of hatred and
revengefulness will gradually cool down. Therefore, to transform
suffering, you
should not run away from it or dispel it, but embrace it as a
conditional part
of life. However, the most important thing in lessening suffering is
identifying the cause. If you cannot recognize the real causes of
suffering, you
will be unable to transform it effectively. The Buddha taught that
suffering is
a noble truth; when you are able to see the truth
of suffering, peace
and happiness will immediately arise. Thus, mindfulness on suffering or
the
causes of suffering is not only a solution for its transformation, but
also a
way to heal such suffering. =========================
The Venerable Khai Thien, a.k.a. Thich Tam Thien born 1970 in Vietnam; entered monastic life in 1976; Śrāmanera ordained in 1985; Bhiksu ordained in 1990; graduated Ph.D. in Religious Studies in 2008, University of the West, California, U.S.A.; founder of the White Sands Buddhist Center (Florida) established in 2005 and Good Mountain Monastery (California) established in 2010. Published books:
2011 Triết Lý Sống Hạnh Phúc (The Philosophy of Living Happiness), White Sands Buddhist Publications, Mims, printed in U.S.A 2010 Words from the Heart of Wisdom, White Sands Buddhist Publications, Mims, printed in U.S.A 2009 Cẩm Nang của Người Phật Tử (Buddhism 101- Questions and Answers) 2008 Heart Sutra. 3rd Edition. White Sands Buddhist Publications, Mims, printed in U.S.A 2007 The Buddhist Principle of Rebirth (Doctoral Dissertation). University of the West, Rosemead, California. 2007 Hanh Trinh Tam Linh (Foundation of Spiritual Journey). White Sands Buddhist Publications, Mims, printed in U.S.A 2007 Zen In Touch- The Seven Factors of Living Happiness. iUnivese Publisher, printed in U.S.A 2004 Buddhist General Semantics: A New Approach to Buddhist Religion and Its Philosophy. iUnivese Publisher, printed in U.S.A 2000 Suy tuong (Reflections). Printed in VN 2000 Tim Hieu Ngon Ngu Kinh Tang Phat Giao (Buddhist Languages Studies). 1999 Lich Su Tu Tuong Va Triet Hoc Tanh Khong (The Historical Thoughts and Philosophy of Sunyata). VN 1999 Tim Hieu Ton Giao Cua Dao Phat (Buddhist Religious Studies).VN 1998 Tam Ly Hoc Phat Giao (Buddhist Psychology). VN 1998 Hai Nhi Toc Bac (White Hair of the Baby). VN 1997 Kinh Trai Tim Tue Giac Vo Thuong* (Prajnaparamita Hrdaya Sutra) 1997 Kinh Phap Cu Trich Giang (The Dhammapada Sutra). VN 1997 Van De Co Ban Cua Triet Hoc Phat Giao (The Fundamental Question of Buddhist Philosophy). VN 1996 Tu Tuong My Hoc Phat Giao (Aesthetic Thoughts in Buddhism). 1996 Ly Thuyet Khoa Giao Ve Con Nguoi Qua Tu Tuong Gandavyuha (Theory of scientific education of man through Gandavyuha Thoughts). Graduated Thesis in Buddhist Studies. VN 1995 Tim Hieu Nhan Sinh Quan Phat Giao (Buddhist World Outlook Explained). VN
[1] Atheism (no belief in the existence of God), Agnosticism (“unknowism”), Skepticism (doubting), Naturalism (all is organic to natural reality), Theism or monotheism (belief in a personal deity), Polytheism (belief in various kinds of deities), Henotheism (belief in various kinds of gods in different tribes), Pantheism (belief that God is identical with nature as a whole), and Panentheism (belief that all things exist in God). [2] The series of samsāra as explained in the teachings of Pratītyasamutpāda include twelve links: Ignorance, volitional actions, consciousness, name and form, six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, clinging, becoming, birth, old age and death. [3] Triloka: Kārmadhātu, Rūpadhātu, and Arūpadhātu. [4] Bodhi 943-944. See also the Kāyagatāsati Sutta, Satipathāna Sutta. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
