Perusal through the history of Buddhism since its beginning two thousand five hundred years ago reveals the significance of the Buddha's Teaching; translated into more than thirty languages it has influenced most of the nations and cultures worldwide. The textual foundation of Buddhism known as the Tripitaka consists of three parts, namely, the sutras, the rules of discipline or Vinaya, and the commentaries or sastras, Teaching contained in the Tripitaka is profound, subtle and extensive; the texts are quite voluminous and make the Tripitaka elude description. Buddhism has attracted scholarly interest in the areas of philosophy, religion, psychology and history, to name only a few, and continuing interest in Buddhism throughout the world has generated numerous publications internationally; its relevance to education at all levels is demonstrated by the on-going effort on the part of countless educators to implement its principles in their field of expertise. Buddhism is considered a religion by some, while others feel it is a philosophy. Whose view is correct?
Buddhadharma is the unsurpassed means to liberation from delusion and attachment. The Buddha's teaching is the Truth, pure and simple, focused on reality as oneness or Suchness. Dharma represents both the substance and function. Delusory thought does not reveal reality, nor is attachment conducive to Suchness. Most thought-systems available to us are contaminated by personal preferences and subjective views and cannot be applied universally for those reasons. Buddhism, by contrast, has a fully awakened mind for its source, as the term "Buddha" suggests. Since Shakyamuni Buddha's unsurpassed awakening more than two thousand five hundred years ago, his teaching, based on his realization of the most profound kind, has illuminated countless universes and has provided all without exception with an occasion to perceive one's own original face and to realize the essential truth of existence. Although great many accomplished thinkers have formulated a world view that is both brilliant and valid, none could withstand comparison with the Buddha's teachings in terms of their universal applicability and clarity. But the Buddhadharma is at its most powerful when directed toward the improvement of understanding and action on the part of those who study and practice it seriously.
Two such parallels can be established between Buddhadharma and the system of principles, practices and procedures as applied in scientific research today: A sustained avoidance of thought devoid of substance and expanding the field of experimentation when the results or evidence have been inconclusive. Central to all Buddhist practice are the three studies, namely, self-discipline, concentration of mind, and wisdom generated by intuitive insight.
Furthermore, every insight without exception should be evidenced by direct experience which, in turn, qualitatively improves through application of the three studies. The sciences are operative within an objective framework, while the Buddha's teaching is at its most efficacious in the context of subjective practice.
Whoever feels that Buddhism is a religion should examine carefully the features which distinguish it from the theistic religious traditions. The Buddha advised to rely solely on the four following points:
1) Depend on the teaching, not on men;
2) Depend on the meaning, not on words;
3) Trust wisdom rather than consciousness;
4) Study texts containing complete rather than partial revelation.
Although the historical Buddha is widely respected as the most exceptional human being that ever graced this world, according to his own Teaching he is, nevertheless, equated with the mind and with sentient beings. The concept of an "other" power, an "undefinable absolute", a "supreme being" or "God" as the creator and the law-giver whom all must fear, obey and supplicate is absent from Buddhist thought. That is the first difference.
It is customary in other religious traditions to rely on scriptural foundation consisting of eternally valid rules, commands, admonitions and comments which are to be accepted and obeyed. By contrast, the just mentioned four points recommended by the Buddha open the whole of his teaching to exploration and discovery, without losing any of its depth or subtlety. The truth promulgated by Buddhadharma can be evidenced by anyone interested and thought it is open to discussion, it has become widely accepted as rooted in common sense. There does not appear to be any need for debate, just as in geometry the theorem "right angle equals ninety degrees" though not sacred, is not debated either. This is the second difference to bear in mind when comparing Buddhadharma with theistic traditions.
Theistic religious doctrines invariably contain some dogmas which, though not understood by the faithful, must nevertheless be unquestioningly accepted by them. The Buddha's teaching, on the other hand, is rational and his intent is out in the open. His goal is the enlightenment of all sentient beings. All of the Buddha's teachings are merely expedient means to that end. Initially, everyone has the great Bodhi-mind, but defilements and obstacles impede its radiance and whoever wishes to retrieve it must seek true wisdom through the practice of meditation which, in turn, requires self-discipline. Meditation is the expedient conducive to wisdom, self-discipline is conducive to meditation. This approach typifies a broad and open mind completely free from dependence on external factors. This is the third difference.
Religious systems, Buddhism excepted, exercise control over their adherents, eliciting their obedience as a token of their faith. Buddhadharma, on the other hand, invites a reasonable approach to its teachings, its practice and its goals. In order to have a clear understanding of the truth, one must develop one's capacity to apply one's own wisdom and no one and no thing can do it in one's stead. In most religious traditions, the faithful are held in check by a system of rewards and punishments, while Buddhism, by contrast, fosters rational understanding on the part of its practitioners of the advantages benefiting one's own self as well as all the others through the practice of voluntary self-discipline. Where other religions worship one or several supreme powers or beings that are completely beyond reach of their followers, Buddhadharma recognizes wisdom and Self-nature as qualities possessed by all, thereby empowering all human beings to attain the great awakening. Such faith in one's own self, such self-respect imply a full recognition and acceptance of one's own mind and one's own Self-nature as pristine and perfect. Faith of that kind is superbly all-inclusive. It would appear that where other religious systems coerce the devotees through the power of authority, Buddhism promotes in its practitioners self-reliance and self-respect. That is the fourth difference.
Due to these fundamental differences, one cannot draw parallels between Buddhism and other religions in any meaningful way, at the face of it, Buddhadharma is the only comprehensive thought-system which offers clear and complete interpretation of one's own existence within a universal context. By means of Right Understanding all wrong views are severed. Due to Right Faith all superstition can be cast away, by means of Right Action all unwholesome or evil acts are defeated and, eventually, through perfect enlightenment all delusion is dispelled. Buddhadharma accommodates all other religious and philosophical doctrines and encourages the development of varied approaches to benefit all sentient beings. Kindly bear with me while I explain.
According to Buddhadharma, especially as developed along the Mahayana tradition, its adherents' lives are active and free from constraints other than those accepted willingly. Human life is perceived neither as superior nor inferior, but as equal to the rest of the universe. We must understand that in Buddhist thought all that exists is endowed with the same greatness, the tiniest mote of dust included. The cyclic pattern of births and deaths generate perpetual change in the incessant flux of contiguous mind-moments. Birth and death are discerned because one generates the other and the same applies to all opposites. To apply a current term, we call it the "steam of life". A person, an object, a mote of dust, the entire universe, all that exists is engulfed in that flow which has no beginning and no end: That is reality. Each present moment is the convergence of past causes and present conditions; it is the root cause for the following moment or, in other words, the future. Cause and effect follow each other the way they always did and always will. Neither the beginning nor the end can be traced. All that exists is thus interrelated or interwined and in each new moment all arises conjointly. Understood in such manner the entire universe arises with each rising mote of dust. Neither has a beginning nor end; both are devoid of a center and a boundary. Therefore we speak of the phenomena as rising all at once (since all being is interwined), and the forms we perceive as permanent all are fictitious and contrived.
Whoever attempts to trace the line from son to father, to grandfather to great-grandfather and so on, will soon realize that the very first father is nowhere to be found. Similarly, all the components of one's personality, such as the four elements, one's philosophy, one's psychological makeup, even one's kin, one's education and cultivation all are impossible to trace. If, for one moment, you consider your breath, you are bound to realize by means of own experience your own connectedness with the entire universe; there is no way to determine who or what is in the center, on the inside or outside. One represents all and all represent the one.
It would not be far-fentched to say that the purpose and the end of the universe is one's own self. Furthermore, it makes good sense to say that one is the creator of one's own universe, as well as its center and law-giver. This is the Dharmadhatu according to Buddhadharma. Dharmadhatu of Dharma-sphere is devoid of personality and ego. The human existence, just like the universe, is dynamic, unencumbered, without center and boundary, without beginning and without end. Perfect balance exists between the two. It is not an exaggeration to say one stirs the Pacific Ocean using one finger and with one breath one stirs the air in the entire world. One's finger is very small, but it has two sides, and therefore the ocean is affected. The movement is so subtle it is not perceptible by one's eyesight; the same can be said about one's breath. History provides many examples of the very real strength or impact of a particular human being on subsequent generations in terms of karmic force. In the more or less distant past, there lived occasionally some truly great individuals endowed with exceptional wisdom, and their influence on mankind is noticeable to this day. Their wisdom is reflected in all that exists, thereby confirming that all of us are inextricably interrelated one with another, as well as with the rest of the universe.
We find ourselves in a universe without a beginning and without end; all we need is a complete understanding that there is nothing to crave, nothing to cling to. Then the mind can reach its full potential, expand and meet the universe on equal terms by becoming boundless, immeasurable. At such time we are able to understand our life as birthless and deathless, and perceive clearly the radiance of the path to the supreme Bodhi and to enlightenment.
It is most unfortunate that the uniformed majority have not developed yet their capacities to understand this doctrine. Their idea of "self" is based on assumptions unverifiable by experience, restricted in terms of space along the horizontal line while along the vertical line such thinking is restricted by time, Although the self as understood by the uninformed is a delusion, it is vigorously protected against the "other", held to incessantly jeopardize the "I". Such an attitude is at the origin of countless conflicts. All discriminatory views which ultimately lead to confrontations result from the root delusion as regards the self. The worst possible scenario we can think of is not, as some might imagine, some natural disaster or shortage of food, but an on-going violent confrontation between people divided by irreconcilable views (whatever they may be), which both sides tenaciously hold on to. People destroying people or "the others", for their own benefit is about as low as mankind can sink.
People's reaction to life and its vicissitudes tends to be melancholy and the escape routes they devise frequently prove inadequate, with the result that many people today feel continually despondent and some even take their own life. Self-indulgence appears to be the most popular and the most deceptive way people deal with problems. Food, drink, sex, entertainment and consumerism are the perennial remedies often applied to excess; more often that not people bring about their own ruin not only financially, but in terms of their health and their character as well. The media cannot be relied upon for support because they thrive on bad news and we receive a fresh supply of it daily. The most reliable means to counter these states resulting from alienation is to understand, first of all, the causes and conditions underlying our relationships with others, and to refrain from making sharp distinctions between oneself and others. It is healing to realize as often as possible the essentially interactive character of all existence in this universe.
The distinctive mark of wisdom is to choose actions benefiting others, because that is where our own benefit is to be found. In the final analysis, when we hurt others we are hurting ourselves. We can resolve many difficult situations by means of a simple reminder that whatever happiness or grief we presently experience is the result of past causes and our present actions are the foundations of future results of effects. We interact with the world, it cannot be avoided, and therefore we need to be mindful of the effect our actions have on others. The sooner we all understand this, the closer we get to the peaceful, happy world we all long for.
At this point we all, hopefully, understand that life as such has no beginning and no end, and the forms we tend to consider real are actually not so. Yet most of us cultivate the view that one such false form is a more or less independent entity demarcated by birth and death, around which life structures itself. Only when it has been singled out as one complete sequence and designated as life of a person, does it become one of the countless manifestations in the steam of life. In reality, there is no birth that precedes duration and death. There is nothing there which begins, nothing that dies. There are only moments follows one another, the preceding one being the cause of the one which follows; each moment, though unique, is causally connected with the preceding one and with the one which immediately follows. The only reality, as far as mind is concerned, is change, and change, and change, without end. We speak of birth and death because we get caught up in the wheel of existence. Because our mind gets caught up in circumstances, there is birth and death, and when circumstances are favorable there is happiness, attachment and clinging; circumstances being unfavorable, there is aversion, hate and anger. We almost never perceive a given situation as a fabrication produced entirely by our own thoughts and feeling. On the contrary, we consider all of it real, and react to a given situation with clinging or with anger; in both cases we sink deeper into ignorance. Due to our conceptualizing of what we experience, we react to circumstances by give rise to greed, hatred and ignorance countless times. Each thought forms a new fetter and reinforces the old ones, tying together body and mind and we keep on turning in the wheel of existence without respite. Our bodies follow our minds; if our minds do not relinquish delusion and abide in greed, hatred and ignorance, our bodies will follow our minds and suffer, endlessly repeating the cycle of birth and death. In this manner countless karmas are produced.
Modern understanding of evolution does not address its full breath. The only real evolution means liberation from suffering and from unwholesome karma. It means, furthermore, allowing one's mind to settle in the teachings, thereby fostering emancipation from dependence on circumstances. Shakyamuni attained the great liberation from the fetters of circumstance by means of his perfect, incomparable enlightenment. Out of great compassion he shared his findings with all sentient beings so they may, likewise, set themselves free. All of his teachings are directed toward this goal. Whoever has entered the path to Bodhi will be able to appreciate the perfume and the flavor of freedom by means of dharmas along the way. Buddhadharma answers our questions directly and exhaustively. One of its fundamental teachings emphasizes the importance of abandoning unwholesome or unskillful actions through our body, speech and mind, because only in such manner can we abandon bad karma and progress on our path to liberation. As one rises from the status of sentient beings to buddhahood, one's wisdom and one's life gradually become boundless. The mind, freed from obstructions, feels comfortable and relaxed, and that is the principle of evolution.
Search for Truth has been in the forefront of human endeavor as far back in history as the available records allow as to go. What are the results? Modern science is effective in the realm of phenomena and intellect, working with the branches, not with the roots. Philosophers have proposed thought-systems such as monism, dualism idealism, materialism, liberalism and determinism, to name only few, and their ongoing debate has not yielded any plausible conclusion in the realm of metaphysics. Confucius, one of China's most influential thinkers, expounded on relationships between people in general and between society and its members in particular, but he did not address man's relationship to the absolute. These numerous concepts remain epistemological paradigms of little real value in terms of providing a method of dealing with the great matter of life and death.
Buddhadharma is the only source that provides a method together with the teaching. Why is it that no one, the Buddha excepted, could effectively address the problem? It is my personal view that the motivation of all those thinkers never really left this world: Their knowledge is the knowledge of the conditioned only, and as such bound by obstacles. In consequence, the arguments cannot be settled and a full understanding can not be reached in that manner. For full development of the mind, understanding the world of phenomena alone is not enough. The Bodhi, or the fully awakened mind, encompasses immeasurable spheres and countless universes. To attain that status, we must relinquish attachment and sophistry and eradicate the barrier of the known; only then can we get an unencumbered view. When we have achieved that, our defilements will drop off by themselves. Dear friends, do not think for a moment these states of mind are remote from daily suffering, secluded as they appear to be in happy and unhappy states. We should understand that if we want to resolve the common varieties of suffering as well as the accompanying attachment to happiness, we must transcend both. Presently the question is, what is meant by "transcend"? Abandoning the usual types of suffering as well as one's attachment to happiness does not imply not caring. In the words of an ancient sage, "Buddhadharma is just plain, ordinary food. When we teach it , it is just plain talk about commitment."
If there is one feature that may be said to characterize all of the Buddha's teaching, it is boundless equanimity and a wholehearted commitment to guide all sentient beings to a speedy awakening. A mind of equanimity and a great vow both are rooted in harmony and their range is boundless. When combined, they are jointly called the great compassion. We understand a mote of dust is minute, and the world is immense. Our perception of the world usually places closest to us other people, some distance away are sentient beings, and all of them interface, interrelate and interact moment to moment in the flow of life that never ceases. Such is the meaning of equality in the Buddhist context. All sentient beings possess a mind which means they all have the capacity to change and attain enlightenment. The single thought and the mind's true nature are of the same substance as the Buddha, but although he attained enlightenment, we remain confused. There neither was an increase because of his enlightenment, nor is there a decrease because of our ignorance and confusion. These are values related to material. Due to his enlightenment, the Buddha was in complete harmony with nature, but we suffer greatly because of our conflict-ridden attitude due to ignorance. The Buddha's mind was exactly of the same substance, but he delighted in Dharma, freed himself from all conditioning, applying his mind as boundless compassion and remembering all sentient beings moment by moment.
Sentient beings, on the other hand, use their mind for different purpose. Ignoring their mind which has the same substance and the same standing that of the Buddha, they choose the small form of their bodies, hold that form to be their true self and endure unspeakable suffering as a result of it. Because they seek the outward form, they end up empty handed. For countless kalpas, sentient beings have been searching outside their mind and have produced innumerable karmas because of ignorance. Because we are unenlightened, we assume that the causes of our suffering are not in our minds, but outside, perceiving ourselves as the victims of circumstances. As we gradually come to understand the motivation of all buddhas, knowing the defilement of ignorance is exceedingly heavy among sentient beings, we will be more inclined thereafter to generate continually a mind of equanimity. At the same time we should be able to discern clearly the essence of Mahayana Dharma.
Mahayana Dharma can be described as simultaneously empty and not empty. It is empty in the sense of being empty of ego, yet it cannot be considered empty because there is compassion. The practice of compassion is void when there is compassion. The practice of compassion is void when there is no ego-grasping, but it is not void because it can be perceived as existing. Compassion that is ego-motivated cannot be called compassion. True compassion is saturated with substance, grounded as it is on the understanding that sentient beings are not different from self, and there is no room left for ego-oriented concerns. Only when the substance is recognized as the common ground of all sentient beings, can true compassion be generated.
In the context of Buddhist thought, true compassion has three distinctive characteristics, i.e., it is void of self, void of form and void of intent. The compassion arising from the condition of sentient beings, felt in every instance as inseparable from people, is of greatest benefit to the world. It is known as great compassion. Whoever has attained the great Void as understood in the context of teachings has abandoned ego-views and ego-clinging. Only in that state of mind can genuine acts of compassion be accomplished. At such time the actions offered for the benefit of sentient beings and for the salvation of the world truly are what they purport to be. Whoever attains that stage is free from attachment to his or her own body and mind, and therefore not capable nor tempted to neglect his/her duties, deceive others or misuse situation. Such a person abides in the great Void, his/her mind firmly established in the great vow to save the world and thereby benefit both self and others. The mind thus established provides the ideal frame for peaceful negotiations of any kind, and if statesmen and influential politicians would adopt this view and deal with the non-void while dwelling in the Void, they all would be bodhisattvas.
Buddhists who have the capacity to perceive both the Void and the non-void have found therein a firm footing for the cultivation of both. Through cultivation of the Void they eradicate the three poisons, being thereby released from the four forms and empowered to progress upwards to higher levels of insight while not abandoning the sentient beings to be saved.
The following is a dialogue between the Buddha and one of his disciples as retold in a Mahayana sutra. To the disciple's question regarding who ought to go to hell the World Honored One answered "I ought to go there; not only go there but stay there; not only stay there but be happy while there; not only be happy while there but become the adornment of hell." The one who has learned the Tao and generated the Bodhi-mind to the degree of being an adornment in hell has acquired an immeasurable strength of vow and his/her natural power is inconceivable. The following eight excerpts are from the Avatamsaka Sutra. They provide supreme guidance for all those who seriously study and practice Buddhadharma:
1) a bodhisattva enters the teaching of equanimity by considering all sentient beings as own relatives and friends. When sentient being expresses unwholesome views in the presence of a bodhisattva, the bodhisattva remains untainted by anger and his/her attitude of equanimity remains unaffected; he/she maintains friendship towards all sentient beings, thereby improving their practice. A bodhisattva is like the great ocean that will not decay no matter how much pollutant is thrown in. The fools, the ignorant, those devoid of wisdom and kindness the selfish and arrogant whose minds are impervious to Buddhadharma cannot upset him/her.
2) A bodhisattva does not abandon the foolish and the unwholesome even if they are difficult to be with, difficult to guide and have never helped another being. At such time the bodhisattva expediently applies the great Vow, wearing it as his/her adornment and as an armor to protect all sentient beings without exception, never considering abandoning the burden. He/she retains his/her determination when faced with ingratitude and insensitivity both of which are common among sentient beings. Bodhisattvas do not dwell on the faults of others, nor do they give rise to dislike; not for one moment do they consider returning to the status of worldings.
3) A Bodhisattva Mahasattva, when perceiving unwholesome actions of sentient beings, realizes they produce bad karmas which automatically result in suffering. He/she resolves to take on their suffering in their place. The bodhisattva remains dedicated to the progress of sentient beings on their spiritual path and never fails to carry out a promise or commitment; he/she does not backslide and does not yield to resentment or fatigue while fulfilling his/her great vow.
4) A bodhisattva takes upon himself or herself the suffering of sentient beings rather than watch them suffer and be defeated. He/she always keeps in mind what is in their best interest and accepts falling in hell, being taken hostage in dangerous situations or sitting by Maya's side in the animal-hells just to deliver sentient beings from evil.
5) A bodhisattva observes and then reflects on his/her observations as follows: The people in this world, greedy as they are, endure immeasurable suffering in order to satisfy merely a small portion of their desires. Therefore I never give up quest for the supreme Bodhi, not confusing it with the five desires, but always staying with the bodhisattva action. To save all sentient beings I set them free through practice of the great vow in its completeness, breaking of all fetters.
6) A bodhisattva practicing the virtues of bodhisattvas keeps in mind those who cannot save themselves and wonders how to save them. Starting with himself or herself, the bodhisattva makes the great vow, develops good roots and transfers the merit to others. This is called converting, illuminating and directing all sentient beings. As he/she protects and saves them, the bodhisattva helps them to overcome doubt and joyfully attain final deliverance.
7) A bodhisattva illuminates all without exception but never looks for reward, and in this respect he/she is just like the sun in the sky. When sentient beings fall into unwholesome, unskillful ways, the bodhisattva forbears, never abandoning his/her vow. Fastidiously avoiding unwholesome actions through body, speech and mind, he/she obtains happiness for all by means of his/her practice of virtues.
8) A bodhisattva shelters sentient beings from numerous forms of suffering. He/she is like a peaceful community into which sentient beings retire to find seclusion from defilements, from fear and from stress. A bodhisattva is like a garden where sentient beings enter for wisdom and safety. He/she is like a bright light which swallows the darkness of ignorance. A bodhisattva is like a pool that soothes as it cools, purifying all without exception. He/she is a teacher and a guide on the enlightening path to wisdom.
The eight excerpts from the Avatamsaka Sutra we have just quoted express the spirit of Mahayana at its clearest. Based on these, how can anyone hold the Budda's teaching as pessimistic and how can anyone say Buddhadharma is negative?