Since ancient times, the one thing human beings have always longed for is happiness. Yet, with all the progress in society, what we believe to be happiness has eluded us. The rapid decline in the index on global well-being has compelled all of us to rethink: What is happiness? How do we find it? In recent years, this topic has generated even greater interest.

Perhaps there are some methods in Buddhism. These methods might not work for everyone since we each have individual needs — in Buddhist terms, this is to say no one method can suit everyone since we each have karmic dispositions that are vastly different. However, for those who have the inclination, the methods can guide us in finding happiness in everyday life and at work, and in leading a fuller and more meaningful life.

[Depicted from Luminous Wisdom Book Series "Do not be frightened off by the Paper Tiger" : The Tibetan Buddhist View on Happiness]

We need to be really careful with the words we use here. The words Buddhists use to describe the world are very accurate. In the micro-world, nothing is really moving, moving is only illusion of our senses.

An example is when an electron moves around the nucleus from one location to another. On the conceptual level, there is movement. However, there is not a single electron that is moving because when the electron shifts to a different location, at the same time this particular electron diminishes from its original location. This also means that the previous electron vanishes once the present one is generated. After the electron moves to another location, at that spot another new electron appears, then disappears. If we look with our naked eyes, what we see is one electron moving from one location to a second, then to a third and fourth location, and so on. The first electron actually has no correlation to the second or the third one, but is separate from them. On the micro level, we see the illusion of a moving electron, but nothing is truly moving. Although the individual electrons have some certain similarities, they are not the same. Buddhism calls this “arising and ceasing”.

[Excerpt from Luminous Wisdom Book Series ~ The Illusory World]

To liberate lives is a common practice frequently performed by many Buddhists. When conducted properly, the resulting merit is boundless. Otherwise, the merit will be greatly diminished. It is therefore very important for us to know the proper way of liberating living beings.

[Depicted from Luminous Wisdom Book Series 1 : The Right View ~ Liberating Living Beings]

How can a person who has practiced virtue his entire life be reborn in the lower realms? Well, although the person may have been virtuous throughout this life, we do not know anything about this person’s previous lives. Maybe the person had been virtuous in this as well as the last two lifetimes, but this might not still be the case if we could go back even further. Some negative karma might have been committed many lifetimes ago. From the perspective of the three types of immutable karma, virtuous karma that the person had committed in this life happens to ripen not in the current or the next life, but in yet unknown future lives. That is, it may not come to fruition until perhaps hundreds or even thousands of years later.

[Excerpt from Luminous Wisdom Book Series ~ The Right View : On Cause and Effect]

The doctrine of the Twelve Nidanas is a key Buddhist thought. It mainly delineates how the past, present and future lives of human beings or other viviparous animals of the desire realm2 come about. In other words, it explains how we enter and leave this world.

Why do we need to understand our coming and going? The Twelve Nidanas, like the constantly moving wheel, take us into, out of and back into this world over and over again. We need to be prepared when this process restarts. What the Twelve Nidanas deal with are something that everyone has to face, and how to face them is a very important lesson for us all.

The Twelve Nidanas as presented in “Ornament of Clear Realization” are quite complicated. The intent of this discussion is, however, to focus only on the parts that are important for us to know.

[Depicted from Luminous Wisdom Book Series 1 : The Right View ~ The Twelve Nidhanas]

In the Vinaya Pitaka, the Buddha told the monastics that one should avoid being mired in the duality of life.

Duality mentioned in Madhyamaka is the eternalist and nihilist view, whereas in the context of the way of living, duality denotes the impoverished and self-indulgent life.

For us ordinary people, it would be very difficult to consider matters like renunciation, bodhicitta and liberation if we must struggle constantly to make out a living. A harsh living condition may be helpful for some to generate renunciation, but renunciation developed under this circumstances is not real, as genuine renunciation must include aspiration to seek liberation. Poverty alone may not be enough reason for people to forsake samsara. Only those who have grasped the essence of the Dharma may possibly generate true renunciation. Therefore, Buddhists in general need not and should not deliberately live too poorly.

[Depicted from Luminous Wisdom Book Series 1 : The Right View ~ A Buddhist Mode of Living]

Padmasambhava is regarded as the guru in all the Nyingma's terma (hidden treasure) teaching cycles. For example, when we practice guru yoga, the guru that we visualize is Padmasambhava. Even if we have many root gurus, Padmasambhava can represent all of them. In other words, the nature of Padmasambhava is all of those root gurus. The practice of Padmasambhava contains all the guru yogas.

[Excerpt from Luminous Wisdom Book Series ~ The Guru Yoga Practice of the Seven-Line Prayer to Padmasambhava]

Years ago, I wrote a book about the merit of being vegetarian and the faults of eating meat or being non-vegetarian. Our talk today is based on part of that book.

With regard to the Buddhist views on being vegetarian and non-vegetarian, here is what the book said:" According to the Hinayana tradition, one is allowed to eat only the ‘three kinds of clean flesh.’ Other kinds of meat are strictly forbidden. Now in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, the Sangha still upholds this practice. They think that not eating meat at all is to follow the decree of Devadatta1. And the practice of eating the three kinds of clean flesh is rather in keeping with the precepts taught by the Buddha in the Theravadin Vinaya."

[Depicted from Luminous Wisdom Book Series 1 : The Right View ~ Why Vegetarian?]

Broadly speaking, the view, the practice and the behavior of non-Buddhist traditions and those of Buddhism are all different, and so are their results. The key difference lies in whether or not they include taking refuge in the Three Jewels—the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. One that does so is Buddhism; otherwise, it is non-Buddhism.

[Depicted from Luminous Wisdom Book Series 1 : The Right View ~ The Three Differences]