The Real Meaning of the Dharma

The real meaning of the Dharma…
must be directly experienced.

~ Siddhi Nagarjuna

Personal experience is…
the foundation of Buddhist philosophy.
In this sense, Buddhism is radical empiricism or experimentalism.

~ D.T. Suzuki

The Truth itself…
can only be self-realised
within one’s own deepest consciousness.

~ The Buddha

Taking Refuge in the Dharma

Be islands unto yourselves,
refuges unto yourselves,
seeking no other refuge;
with the Dharma as your island,
the Dharma as your refuge,
seeking no other refuge.

- The Buddha

Shortly after the Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi (Enlightenment) Tree, and having surveyed the entire universe, he reflected thus – 'It is not a good thing to live without anyone to look up to, follow, or take refuge in. But there is no holy teacher or brahmin [noble person], no one in this world, who surpasses me in [the Threefold Training of] discipline [morality], meditation [concentration] or wisdom, whom I could honour and venerate.

All there is for me to honour and venerate is the Dharma, the holy teaching [that leads to enlightenment] that I have discovered myself… That is good. I shall place myself under that. The enlightened Buddhas of past ages of the world also lived honouring and venerating the precious holy Dharma.' If even all the countless Buddhas saw the Dharma to be so good for taking refuge in, it must be all the more beneficial for us unenlightened beings to look up to, follow and take refuge in as well – for it leads to the perfection of the Threefold Training, culminating in unsurpassable Buddhahood!

The Buddha's thoughts above form a remarkable teaching, which expresses the humility of the Buddha despite his obvious spiritual greatness, of how he sees the need to check one's position with what is above oneself, which in his case, similar to ours, is the Dharma – the truth itself, and the path that leads to the realisation of it.

Even the Buddhas are not above the natural and universal laws of the Dharma, which is why even after the Buddha had attained supreme enlightenment, he continues to take refuge in the Dharma. In fact, still under the Bodhi Tree when recently awakened, he spent time to fully reflect upon and relish in the marvels of the Dharma. Becoming one with it in totality of body, speech and mind, he meant it literally when he uttered, 'One who sees the Dharma sees the Buddha.'

The Buddha is the living embodiment of the Truth and one who walked the path to it perfectly, who unceasingly honours and venerates the Dharma by practising and sharing it out of boundless compassion for all who have yet to realise it. Without the Dharma, there would be no Buddhas or Sangha!

The two earliest lay Buddhists could only take refuge in the Double Gem of the Buddha and the Dharma due to the absence of the Sangha then. Thereafter, Buddhists take the Threefold Refuge in the Triple Gem – of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

This is so with the exception of Buddhas. Though also perfect members of the Sangha, they take refuge only in the Dharma. Even the Sangha community of monks and nuns founded by the Buddha takes refuge in the Triple Gem (including the Sangha itself).

However, the central aspect of refuge in the Triple Gem for all monastic and lay Buddhists is always 'the Dharma taught by the Buddha' (Buddhadharma). This is so as unless the Sangha members we take refuge in are of the Arya (Noble) Sangha, who consist of those who are enlightened to some extent, the ordinary and thus somewhat worldly Sangha is realistically imperfect, still a work in progress towards enlightenment. The tricky thing is that we can't, with our limited wisdom, readily differentiate who is a member of the Arya Sangha, who can range from the young to the old, men to women, laypeople to monastics. It makes sense then, to respect everyone – even if they are not Buddhists by label!

The true Triple Gem never disappoints
as the Buddha, Dharma and Arya Sangha together
is a perfect teacher, a perfect teaching
And its community of perfect practitioners.

- Stonepeace

Extracted from The Daily Enlightenment

16 Truths That Make Us Strong

1. Life is not easy. – Hard work makes people lucky – it’s the stuff that brings dreams to reality. So start every morning ready to run farther than you did yesterday and fight harder than you ever have before. (Read The Road Less Traveled.)

2. You will fail sometimes. – The faster you accept this, the faster you can get on with being brilliant. You’ll never be 100% sure it will work, but you can always be 100% sure doing nothing won’t work. So get out there and do something! Either you succeed or you learn a vital lesson. Win – Win.

3. Right now, there’s a lot you don’t know. – The day you stop learning is the day you stop living. Embrace new information, think about it and use it to advance yourself.

4. There may not be a tomorrow. – Not for everyone. Right now, someone on Earth is planning something for tomorrow without realizing they’re going to die today. This is sad but true. So spend your time wisely today and pause long enough to appreciate it.

5. There’s a lot you can’t control. – Wasting your time, talent and emotional energy on things that are beyond your control is a recipe for frustration, misery and stagnation. Invest your energy in the things you can control.

6. Information is not true knowledge. – Knowledge comes from experience. You can discuss a task a hundred times, but these discussions will only give you a philosophical understanding. You must experience a task firsthand to truly know it.

7. You can’t be successful without providing value. – Don’t waste your time trying to be successful, spend your time creating value. When you’re valuable to the world around you, you will be successful. (Read Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?)

8. Someone else will always have more than you. – Whether it’s money, friends or magic beans that you’re collecting, there will always be someone who has more than you. But remember, it’s not how many you have, it’s how passionate you are about collecting them. It’s all about the journey.

9. You can’t change the past. – As Maria Robinson once said, “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” You can’t change what happened, but you can change how you react to it.

10. The only person who can make you happy is you. – The root of your happiness comes from your relationship with yourself. Sure external entities can have fleeting effects on your mood, but in the long run nothing matters more than how you feel about who you are on the inside.

11. There will always be people who don’t like you. – You can’t be everything to everyone. No matter what you do, there will always be someone who thinks differently. So concentrate on doing what you know in your heart is right. What others think and say about you isn’t all that important. What is important is how you feel about yourself.

12. You won’t always get what you want. – As Mick Jagger once said, “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you might find you get what you need.” Look around. Appreciate the things you have right now. Many people aren’t so lucky.

13. In life, you get what you put in. – If you want love, give love. If you want friends, be friendly. If you want money, provide value. It really is this simple. (Read The Four Agreements.)

14. Good friends will come and go. – Most of your high school friends won’t be a part of your college life. Most of your college friends won’t be a part of your 20-something professional life. Most of your 20-something friends won’t be there when your spouse and you bring your second child into the world. But some friends will stick. And it’s these friends – the ones who transcend time with you – who matter.

15. Doing the same exact thing every day hinders self growth. – If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting. Growth happens when you change things – when you try new things – when you stretch beyond your comfort zone.

16. You will never feel 100% ready for something new. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises. Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means you won’t feel totally comfortable or ready for it.

And remember, trying to be someone else is a waste of the person you are. Strength comes from being comfortable in your own skin.

- Extracted From Transitioning.org

The Guilt of War

The first casualty of war is always the Truth.

And it is often the poor people who suffered the most.

The rich will just get on with their lives, with no worries about how the war will impact them. It is like they live in another world where sufferings will not touch them.

Yet, all of them are living under the web of delusions.

As all of us are connected one way or another, the consequences of the war will also visit them sooner or later...

The Tiny Dot

The truth about politics and the power you surrender to your elected representatives.

The Truth is the First Casualty of War

There is so much suffering in the world. So much evil done in the name of "righteousness". So much death in the service of some fragile ego.

When will it ever end?

It will end when all people treat each other like their brothers and sisters.

It will end when all of us see life through the lens of compassion and tolerance.

It will end when the Truth is revealed and people awakens ...

The 4 Standards of Truth

The Four Standards of Truth (Siddhanta) are another guide to help us understand the Buddha’s teachings

The First Standard is ‘the worldly.’ The teaching is offered in the language of the world so that those in the world will be able to understand. We have to take into account the contemporary cosmologies, arts, philosophies, metaphysics, and so forth and deal with them. For example, we call the days of the week Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc. We divide time into days, months, and years to express truth relatively, for our convenience. When the Buddha tells us that he was born in Lumbini, it is in accordance with the First Standard.

The Second Standard is ‘the person.’ We must remember as we read the Buddha’s discourses that his words varied according to the needs and aspirations of his listeners. When the Buddha taught, he was deeply aware of the particular assembly, and what was specifically addressed to them.

The Third Standard is ‘healing.’ When the Buddha spoke, it was always to cure the particular illness of those he was addressing. Everyone has some illness that needs to be healed. When you speak to express healing, what you say will always be helpful.

The Fourth Standard is ‘the absolute.’ The Buddha expressed absolute truth directly and unequivocally. He said there is no self even when people did not believe or agree with him. He said it because he knew it was true. Fifteenth-century explorers said the world was round even when the community threatened to imprison them for saying so. We can use these Four Standards of Truth to understand the Sutras as we read them.

- Thich Nhat Hanh

The Gift of The Truth

"The gift of the Truth exceeds all gifts; the sweetness of the Truth exceeds all sweetness; the delight in the Truth exceeds all delights; the elimination of craving overcomes all suffering."

- The Buddha

Finding Zen

There is a story of a young, but earnest Zen disciple who approached his Teacher, and asked the Master, "How long will it take for me to find Zen?

The Master replied immediately, “Ten years...”

The disciple then said, “But if I work hard and really apply myself to learn fast — how long then?”

Replied the Master, “Twenty years.”

“What if I really, really work at it, how long then?” asked the disciple.

“Thirty years,” goes the Master.

“I do not understand,” said the disappointed student. “Each time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer. Why do you say that?”

The Master said, “When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the Path.”


Not many people realize what actually Zen is. It is the Truth. It is really everywhere. It is where you are right now.

Many of us are so goal oriented that we forget that the joy is in the journey itself, not the destination.

Wherever you are, if you are present and mindful, you have found Zen.

There is no need to go up to the mountain top to meditate. There is no need to go to church and subscribe to all the rituals to find God.

It is within you... it is there, now.

It is in every moment. It is in the silence, in the stirring of the breeze, in the singing of the birds.

The Zen is already there... you only need to awaken to it.

Do Not Believe...

Do not believe of what you have heard.
Do not believe in the traditions
because they have been passed down for many generations.
Do not believe in anything
because it is rumored and spoken by many.
Do not believe merely
because a written statement of some old sage is produced.
Do not believe in conjectures.
Do not believe in that as truth
to which you have become attached by habit.
Do not believe merely in the authority of your teachers and elders.
After observation and analysis,
when it agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and gain of one and all,
Then accept it and live up to it.

- The Buddha


The above discourse was given by Sakyamuni Buddha when he was asked by one of his disciples, Ananda, on how to identify His true teachings from the fake teachings done by other teachers.

Since the Buddha had traveled all over India, given numerous discourses to uncountable number of people and disciples, Ananda was concerned that there may be lay people who will be misled by so-called teachers proclaiming the Buddha's teachings.

What the Buddha meant was that even though disciples may hear the Buddhist Sutra and teachings from the Buddha himeself, however, the disciple should not just accept it without questions.

The disciples should evaluate from his own experiences, understand from his values and internalize the wisdom before deciding to accept the teachings to be the truth.

Wisdom In The Silence

We may think that we need to be surrounded by distractions, activities and noise to be truly alive.

But are you really HERE when you are in that kind of environment? Can you really think and contemplate the essences of life when you are surrounded with all these "busy-ness"? We delude ourselves by thinking that these thoughts and the inner commentary in our minds show that we know the world and we are therefore alive.

It is only when you are able to quiet down your mind that you realize that in the silence is where the true wisdom will arise.

If you seek the Truth, you should value the silence and be aware of the magnificence of the reality of NOW.

So, be silent... be still. And know the inner beauty that arises with the true wisdom in the silence.

Speak Only The Truth With Thoughtful Words

If you know anything that is hurtful and untrue,

Do not say it.

If you know anything that is helpful but untrue,

Do not say it.

If you know anything that is hurtful but true,

Do not say it.

If you know anything that is both helpful and true,

Find the right time.

"The Shakyamuni Buddha"

Forget Oneself

To learn the Truth is to learn about oneself

To learn about oneself is to forget oneself

To forget oneself is to perceive oneself as all things

.

All things are interconnected. Wisdom is gained through the realization that all things are inseparably linked.

.

Knowing that, you developed compassion for all sentient beings. You realize that as our compassion flows, we become more cheerful and open.

Wisdom and compassion must exist together. One without the other would be incomplete.

A person with wisdom and no compassion will only act out of his own self-interest. A person with compassion but without wisdom will do foolish things because of wrong perceptions and assumptions.

Therefore, develop both wisdom and compassion for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Being Awakened and Being Enlightened

There are people who use the terms "Being Awakened" and "Being Enlightened" interchangeably. Do the two terms mean the same thing?

No, it certainly does not.

"Being Awakened" is just one of the very initial stages of "Being Enlightened". You become "Awakened" when you realized that there is more than what you are in this life.

You know in the core of your soul that you are not defined by the physical boundaries of your life - the identity, the possessions, the people around you. You find that you are not attached to anything; you know that everything is transient, nothing last forever.

Everything dies, everything decays, everything changes. Nothing is permanent.

You increasingly know that you are not the "You" defined by your name, your title and your status in life.

You find that life is meaningless - it is more than about searching for happiness, accumulating riches and power and chasing the illusions of the "I" and the ego.

Having "Awakened", you feel more connected to the "Spirit", the "Supreme Being" or "God". You begin the search for this connection through being more mindful of who you really are and how you "fit" in the scheme of things.

Many people do this through the established religions of the world, trying to form a relationship with this "Being", "God" or however you defined It. Some people go on a spiritual quest, searching for answers by making pilgrimages to the holy places, studying under some mystic gurus or meditation.

But the Truth is always within you. The Truth is everywhere - from the trees, the flowers to all living sentient beings that exist in this world. There is no need to make any special pilgrimages - the "Buddha" is within you.

The Buddhas said "All of you are Buddhas". This is a powerful statement as it states that all of us WILL be enlightened, just that we are so deluded that we do not realize our own true buddha-nature. All of us will eventually become buddhas...

When you realize your own buddha-nature, you become a Buddha, the Enlightened One. When you are enlightened, there are no longer any boundaries or constraints. Space, time and physical limitations no longer exist to you. You can be everywhere and nowhere, in the past, present and future. You can appear in any physical form that you want. You become omnipresent, omniscient and all-powerful. You are everything and nothing.

So, being "Awakened" and being "Enlightened" is really two very different stages. Awakening is just the start of a long journey towards enlightenment.

By being "Awakened", you find that you will live a more meaningful life, knowing that this life too is transient, that you are on the road towards total enlightenment. Therefore, this knowledge gives you very hopeful purpose in your everyday life - to live life with meaning, with purpose and ultimately with love...