Being Dharma (eBook)

Fromthe Introduction

TheBuddha said, 'That one who sees emptiness, the Lord of Death cannotfollow.' When an awakened being passes away, what happens next? There areonly the elements breaking up. There is no person, or self, so how could therebe death or rebirth? There are only earth, water, fire, and air dispersing. TheLord of Death can then only follow after earth, water, fire, and air. There isno person to follow. Likewise, if you are looking for a solution to problems,there will always be problems because there is 'you.' When there isno person, there are no problems. There is no need for solutions, because thereare no problems to solve anymore and no one to solve them. But if you believethat you die, you are going to be reborn.

TodayI am speaking a little about the Dharma for grown-ups. When those of childishintelligence hear that there is no self, when they hear that nothing is trulytheirs, not even the body, they may wonder, Should I stick a knife in my flesh?Should I smash all the cups and plates and be done with it because nothing ismine? It's not that way. It is thick obscuration that can lead people to havesuch absurd ideas.

Howcan we make the mind incline to and enter the Dharma? The sotapanna,or'stream enterer,' is one whose mind has entered the stream to nirvanaand does not return. Even if such people have anger, they do not return to thecycle of suffering and attachment. Even though there are desires in theirminds, they will not return, because of the power of knowing these things asthey are.

Thesotapanna enters the Dharma and sees the Dharma, but his being is not yetDharma. Sometimes there will be anger or desire and he will know them yet stillfollow after them, because although he knows and sees Dharma, his being is notyet Dharma. The mind has not become Dharma. So he may study Dharma, understandDharma, practice Dharma, and see Dharma, but to actually beDharmais something quite difficult. It is a place for each individual to reach, apoint where there is no falsehood.

Weare all like birds in a cage. No matter how fine the conditions in the cage,the bird cannot be content. It will always be restlessly hopping about, wantingto be free. The wealthy and the privileged are no better off—,we could say theyare doves in gilded cages.

Fromhearing the Dharma all the way to seeing it, you will still have suffering, andyou won't be free of unsatisfactory experience until you areDharma.Until you are Dharma, your happiness still depends on external factors. Youlean on them: you lean on pleasure, on reputation, on wealth and materialthings. You may have all sorts of knowledge, but this knowledge is tainted byworldliness and cannot release you from suffering, you are still like a bird ina cage.

Thecorrect practice of Dharma is derived from a teacher, who received it fromanother teacher, and it has come down in a long lineage this way. Actually itis just the truth. It doesn't reside with any particular person. If we respectthe person of the teacher and only act out of deference to him or her, this isnot Dharma.

Wewill practice as if doing a chore or fulfilling our duties because we see theteacher around, and when he or she is gone we slacken.

It'slike working in a factory. We work for the company that owns it. We don'treally like the job, but we do it to get money. We take it easy at everyopportunity we get. That is the way people tend to be. Relying on a teacher outof respect is one level of practice. But then we ask, 'When will we seethe real Dharma?'

Theteaching of the Buddha is something that clarifies. It enables humans to...