སྔ་དྲོ་བདེ་ལེགས། (nga-to delek)! Good morning! Tonight we will resume our Tara group practice at 7 pm. Please come join us to supplicate to Mother Tara for the well-being of all sentient beings. Want to learn some basic Tibetan language with some Dharma incorporated and taught in a fun lively way? Venerable Lama Konchok Sonam will be starting a Tibetan class for entry level. Interested individuals, please contact dmcdharmaevents{at}yahoo{dot}com. **********Dharma Quote of the Day**************** [Yesterday we shared an excerpt teaching on how to transform suffering to the enlightened path by changing our perception of suffering and not allowing our mind to conceptualize suffering. Today we continue to share another excerpt teaching to further elaborate that everything is mind, by understanding and constantly remembering the Four Seals of Dharma - the hallmarks of Buddhas teachings. Since everything is mind, it is essential to have a kind mind, that is the root of happiness.] People who do not believe in anything more than this physical world appear to be happy but when they face tragedy they cannot cope with it. However the spiritual person when beset by tragedy and sufferings will remember the basic teachings which are known as the Four Seals. 1) All compounded things (things that are created through causes and conditions) - are impermanent. Thus the powerful person will become weak, healthy people one day become sick, and rich people one day become poor. Everything is impermanent. So when Buddhists come into contact with such situations they recognize them as a sign of impermanence and that is faith. 2) Buddha said that everything which possesses defilements is suffering. So when Buddhists are faced with tragedy they know that the nature of Samsara is suffering, just as the nature of fire is hot whether it be a small fire or a big fire. The different realms: the hell realms, the hungry ghost realm, the animal realm, the human realm, the Asura realm all have different types of suffering. Some of course have more visible suffering and some have subtle suffering - but it is all suffering. We can learn this from the scriptures and we can also experience this very clearly in our own human life. No matter where you are - whether you are in a developed or an under-developed country, there is not real satisfaction no real happiness. There is always some kind of problem and there is always suffering. Especially when facing tragedy, the person who has spiritual practice will realize that suffering is inevitable and so will have a readiness to face such a situation. This readiness lessens the burden on the mind and when the burden on the mind lessens then of course physical suffering is naturally less because in body and mind, mind is like a boss, and the body is like a servant. So when the mind is happy, even when you are in the poorest country, or in very poor conditions then you are happy. However if your mind is not happy, even if you are in the heavenly realms you are not happy. 3) The third thing Buddha has said is that all phenomena are selfless. In other words although we all cling to a “self”, actually there is no personal “self” there. We always say my body, my mind but where is the mind itself? It has to be either in the body or mind, or in between, or somewhere external, but you cannot find it. So in all beings there is no personal “self”. Similarly with external phenomena like table and flowers. If you take these to pieces you cannot find any part which is inherently the thing itself. Thus all phenomena are selfless. 4) Fourthly Buddha says Nirvana is peace. Nirvana is where all suffering is completely exhausted. The special characteristic of a Buddhist is that he assents to these four basic teachings: 1. Everything is impermanent. 2. Everything is suffering. 3. Everything is selfless. 4. Nirvana is peace. IMPORTANCE OF TAKING REFUGE In addition of course to be a Buddhist one must have taken refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. This is so because in order to cross the ocean of suffering to get to Nirvana, or the enlightened state, you need to take refuge just as, if you go to an unknown country, you need a guide to show you the path, you need the path, and to accomplish a long and difficult journey you require companions. Similarly when traveling the Buddhist path the guide is the Buddha and the Dharma is the path you need to follow to reach the destination. However you cannot just have someone tell you how to get there, you have to actually travel there yourself. That is why it says in Buddhas teachings that you yourself are your own savior, because you have to practice the Dharma yourself to reach the goal. The Sangha are the companions who are travelling along the same path to the same destination and who can help you reach the goal....... DHARMA PRACTICE = CHANGE OUR PRESENT WORLDLY MIND INTO A SPIRITUAL MIND It is not enough just to know Dharma intellectually since to know it and experience it are two different things. In order to experience Dharma from the inside you have to study and think about it all the time. Many people say it is difficult to practice Dharma in modern society because life is very busy and there are so many disturbances. However Dharma does not mean just reciting mantras and meditating alone. The most important sense of the word Dharma is to change our present worldly mind into a spiritual mind. You can do this while you are traveling, while you are working, talking with your friends. Once you gain a little experience of Dharma then everything you do actually becomes a teaching. For example when you are travelling, you see so many people; you see things changing; you see suffering. That is already an experience of Dharma because when things are changing that is the teaching of impermanence. When you see suffering you realize that the whole of Samsara is suffering. In this way Dharma is actually something to be practiced by mind wherever you go, or whatever you do. Everything can be turned to Dharma practice. For example, a rule associated with refuge is that wherever you go, you should think of the Buddha of that particular direction. So that means that wherever you go you think about Buddha. Further when you see people suffering you can practice compassion. If you meet people who make you angry or who disturb you then you have the chance to practice patience. So even the busiest man in the busiest city can turn every day, every moment into Dharma practice. For example in ancient India and Tibet the Dharma kings were all householders and undertook many worldly activities but at the same time they were all very great Dharma practitioners. However if your mind does not change, even if you stay in a very secluded place, then you cannot become a good Dharma practitioner. The main thing to remember is that EVERYTHING IS MIND. To have a kind mind is the root of all Dharma particularly the Mahayana path. After taking refuge in Dharma you should not harm any sentient beings intentionally. In the Mahayana you should not only refrain from harming beings but you should try to benefit sentient beings and this comes from a good mind. So a kind mind, kind heart is the root of the Mahayana path.... - Excerpt taken from “Following the Path, Reading the Signs”, teaching given by H.H. Sakya Trizin in Bristol October 1991. *H.H. Sakya Trizin is the 41st patriarch of the Khön lineage and the revered throne holder of the Sakya School. The present Sakya Trizin is renowned as an emanation of both Manjushri and Mahasiddha Virupa, and also as an incarnation of Apang Tertön.
Posted on: Thu, 09 Oct 2014 12:55:41 +0000
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