WORDS OF WISDOM AUTHOR: KHENPO TSULTRIM LODRO

Apparently, even non-Buddhist practitioners with some spiritual realization may still be confused about the workings of cause and effect, not to mention people without any right view or understanding. These non-Buddhist practitioners are usually well learned; some may even have acquired certain clairvoyance over worldly matters. However, they jumped to a conclusion only based upon what they saw—virtuous people took rebirth in the lower realms—and from it the conclusion was drawn that cause and effect could not have existed. Then books were written and theories developed based on this conclusion, which gradually formed into a sect after attracting enough followers. This is how nihilism was established.

~ Depicted from Luminous Wisdom Book Series 1

Death is an important issue to everyone as it is a reality that everyone is reluctant but has to face. To ordinary people, death represents a dark unknown filled with despair, mysteries, pain and sorrow. In the face of death, almost all of us are panic-stricken and terrified. It is really due to a misunderstanding of death itself. To know correctly what death is can thus eliminate fear of death and help us better prepared for it.

~ Depicted from "THE HANDBOOK FOR LIFE"S JOURNEY : On Death And Rebirth-Understanding Death

There are two levels of bodhicitta: relative and absolute bodhicitta. What we have discussed so far falls under relative bodhicitta. Absolute bodhicitta is realization of emptiness being the ultimate nature of all phenomena. Relative and absolute bodhicitta encompass the whole of Mahayana teachings; they are the quintessence of Mahayana Buddhism. Without bodhicitta, it would be impossible to practice Mahayana Buddhism. That is how vital bodhicitta is.

~ Depicted from THE RIGHT VIEW - The Three Supreme Methods—the ultimate methods of cultivating virtue and training the mind

In the Diamond Sutra, it is clearly stated, “Seeking to see me in form or hear me in sound is taking the deviant path. The Thatagata cannot be met this way.” The Buddha represented via form or sound is not the real Buddha. Thinking that seeing the Buddha is to see the body of the Buddha and hearing the Buddha is to hear the voice of the Buddha are all wrong views. It is also stated very clearly in The Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows that only dharmakaya represents the real Buddha.

~ Depicted from "THE HANDBOOK FOR LIFE"S JOURNEY : On The Three Poisons - How to Confront Anger

UNDERSTANDING ILLUSION

Firstly, Buddhism teaches two types of truth — relative truth and ultimate truth. The word "truth" is used in both cases to indicate they are both real.

What is real? As an example, all the appearances in a dream are not real to a person who is awake; however, they are very real to a person in the midst of a dream, just as the experiences in life are very real to a person during the day. Similarly, a practitioner and a non-practitioner see this world differently. However, each thinks the world he or she lives in is real.

~ Depicted from ARE U READY FOR HAPPINESS : The Significance of Buddhist Philosophy Today

The majority of human beings living in the mundane world is ordinary and is deluded with three main afflictions: greed, hatred and ignorance. In Buddhist terminology, these are the “three poisons”.

Once our mind is caught up in the three poisons, we feel uneasy and lose our freedom. If our negative emotions develop to a certain level where they cannot be subdued, our family and friends become the victims, and these afflictions can even harm the whole society.

How do we overcome and eliminate these emotional afflictions? Buddhism provides many ways to do so, one of which is the Buddhist view.  There are Buddhist views which go beyond the understanding of ordinary beings, but the general view can be divided into three categories: the value of our world, life and morality.

~ Depicted from Luminous Wisdom Book Series 3

Genuine bodhicitta of a bodhisattva refers to the aspiration to give others whatever is needed unselfishly and unconditionally, which in hard times is a particularly difficult thing to do. When times are easy and lives comfortable, it may not be too difficult to make a wish now and then during meditation: “I vow to attain Buddhahood for the liberation of all sentient beings. It is for this purpose that I meditate and undergo spiritual training.” But bodhicitta aroused in this kind of condition is an unstable one. Only with repeated practices can we generate bodhicitta that is genuine and firm.

~ Depicted from THE RIGHT VIEW - The Three Supreme Methods—the ultimate methods of cultivating virtue and training the mind

Atisha once told his chief disciple Dromtonpa Gyalwe Jungne, “My master told me that when a thought arises, observe and realize its nature. While doing this, you will meet the true Self of the Buddha (dharmakaya).” Dromtonpa asked, “What should be done when a thought arises again?” Atisha replied, “When the thought arises the second time, go realize the nature of the thought again. You will meet the enlightened truth body of the Buddha for the second time and do likewise the third, the fourth time and so forth. If there are one hundred various thoughts in a day, greedy or hateful ones among others, you will meet dharmakaya one hundred times in a day this way.” What is dharmakaya? It is simply the nature of our mind, also called Buddha nature which is the same essential nature that practitioners of Chan Buddhism seek to realize.

~ Depicted from "THE HANDBOOK FOR LIFE"S JOURNEY : On The Three Poisons - How to Confront Anger

The Mind Only tradition is relatively more important in Chinese Buddhism. When Xuanzang went to India to seek the Dharma, he spent most of his time studying at Nalanda University, the highest Buddhist institute of learning in India at the time. Courses were offered in Mind Only, Middle Way, and tantra. Xuanzang' s teacher was an accomplished master of the Mind Only school. As a result, Xuanzang received more of his training in the Mind Only tradition, and mainly propagated this school of thought upon returning to China.

~ Depicted from ARE U READY FOR HAPPINESS : The Significance of Buddhist Philosophy Today