CHAPTER 1

DOCTRINE.VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.

Through meditation, the Buddha appeared after reaching Enlightenment 2,500 years ago. The theme of His first doctrine is the Four Noble Truths. The First Noble Truth is the truth about suffering, because our happiness keeps flowing away. Everything we have is subject to impermanence. There is nothing constant in what we often assume is real. Greed, hatred and ignorance are the causes of our tremendous suffering. So the Second Noble Truth is to understand this cause of suffering. When you eradicate the root of suffering (delusion), you attain a state of cessation of suffering - Third Noble Truth, or Nirvana. The Fourth Noble Truth is that there is a path to the end of suffering. To reach that state in your mind, you have to follow a path.

It is only when we understand the law of karma or cause and effect that we are inspired to embark on the path to ending suffering. Negative thoughts and actions produce negative conditions and conditions, as well as positive thoughts and actions that produce positive results and conditions. When we develop a deep conviction in the law of cause and effect, we will be able to realize the causes and conditions (conditions) of our own sufferings. Our present happiness or unhappiness is the result of previous actions no less and no less. Suffering in itself is so obvious that our experience confirms their presence. Therefore, we will develop the awareness that if we don't want suffering, we should now work to eradicate its causes. By understanding suffering and its sources, we can realize the capacity to eliminate ignorance, which is the main cause of suffering, and we can conceive of a state of ceasing, a the end of this total ignorance and the delusion born from it. When our understanding of the cessation of suffering is perfected, we will develop a strong and immediate desire to reach such a state. Our awareness must be so profound that it touches our entire being, and gives us an instant desire to reach that state. Once we develop this immediate desire to achieve the cessation of suffering, an immense appreciation for those who have realized this cessation in their obligation will develop. Awareness of Buddha's achievements will become strong.

The teachings on the stages of this path to enlightenment from India are transmitted to Tibet. Buddhism did not arrive in Tibet until the eighth century, but in the ninth century its practice was forbidden by King Lang-dar-ma. He closed the monasteries, which was the main center for teachings. The destruction of Buddhism by King Lang-dar-ma is vast, but one can still practice it in remote areas, and the tradition is preserved. In the eleventh century, confusion arose from two approaches to doctrinal practice. It is the sutra, or path of research and practice, through which it takes many lives to attain Enlightenment, and tantra, the secret practices that enable Enlightenment to be achieved in one lifetime. In the eleventh century, an Indian monk named Atisha became famous for his ability to teach Dharma and to protect the Dharma in debates with non-Buddhist philosophers. He could gather all the different Buddhist philosophical views that had developed over the centuries as well as the practicing systems of lay people and monasteries. He is regarded by all schools of philosophy as a carefree and competent master.

At that time, the king of western Tibet, inspired by the great Buddha Dharma of his ancestors, he read many texts and realized that what he thought was contradictory in different systems. , especially for the Sutrayana (sutra) and the Mantrayana (tantra). Many Tibetans at that time, due to a misunderstanding of the role of the precepts in the two systems, considered that the Sutrayana and Tantric practices could not be performed by one person. However, the king realized that when Buddhism came to Tibet in the eighth century, the two systems coexisted smoothly. Shantarakshita, the Indian master, spread the practice of monastic discipline and the extensive and compassionate practices of the Sutrayana. At the same time, the great yogi Padmasambhava (Padmasambhava) is spreading tantric practice and tame the evil forces that cause harm to Tibet. The two masters taught the same Dharma practice and there was no hostility between them. Recognizing that India was the source of the Sutrayana and Tantric practice, the king sent twenty wise disciples from Tibet to India to study with the intention that they would return and clarify the teachings. for the Tibetans. Many of them died on the way, but the two returned and reported to the king that in India, the practice of Sutrayana and Mantrayana was conducted without any difficulty between them. At Vikramashila Monastery in Bengal they found Atisha, the great master. These disciples felt that Atisha was someone who could help Tibet. The two masters taught the same Dharma practice and there was no hostility between them. Recognizing that India was the source of the Sutrayana and Tantric practice, the king sent twenty wise disciples from Tibet to India to study with the intention that they would return and clarify the teachings. for the Tibetans. Many of them died on the way, but the two returned and reported to the king that in India, the practice of Sutrayana and Mantrayana was conducted without any difficulty between them. At Vikramashila Monastery in Bengal they found Atisha, the great master. These disciples felt that Atisha was someone who could help Tibet. The two masters taught the same Dharma practice and there was no hostility between them. Recognizing that India was the source of the Sutrayana and Tantric practice, the king sent twenty wise disciples from Tibet to India to study with the intention that they would return and clarify the teachings. for the Tibetans. Many of them died on the way, but the two returned and reported to the king that in India, the practice of Sutrayana and Mantrayana was conducted without any difficulty between them. At Vikramashila Monastery in Bengal they found Atisha, the great master. These disciples felt that Atisha was someone who could help Tibet. The king sent twenty wise disciples from Tibet to India to study with the intention that they would return and clarify the teachings to the Tibetans. Many of them died on the way, but the two returned and reported to the king that in India, the practice of Sutrayana and Mantrayana was conducted without any difficulty between them. At Vikramashila Monastery in Bengal they found Atisha, the great master. These disciples felt that Atisha was someone who could help Tibet. The king sent twenty wise disciples from Tibet to India to study with the intention that they would return and clarify the teachings to the Tibetans. Many of them died on the way, but the two returned and reported to the king that in India, the practice of Sutrayana and Mantrayana was conducted without any difficulty between them. At Vikramashila Monastery in Bengal they found Atisha, the great master. These disciples felt that Atisha was someone who could help Tibet. At Vikramashila Monastery in Bengal they found Atisha, the great master. These disciples felt that Atisha was someone who could help Tibet. At Vikramashila Monastery in Bengal they found Atisha, the great master. These disciples felt that Atisha was someone who could help Tibet.

The king himself was looking for enough gold to meet the costs of inviting the teacher from India, but he was arrested by a king who was hostile to Buddhism. He was able to choose between his life and his search for Dharma. When he refused to give up the search, he was imprisoned. The nephew tried to rescue him, but the king said: "You should not worry about me. Don't waste even a single gold coin to redeem us. Use all the gold to invite Mr. Atisha in India. ” The grandson disobeyed his uncle and eventually gave him the amount of gold that weighed as much as the king's weight as a ransom for him. But the kidnapper refused this, saying that the grandson brought back the amount of gold just the weight of his uncle's body, but not enough to redeem the head. He refused to release the prisoners until his grandson brought more gold. Then my grandson told me what happened. "If you go to war to save me," the grandson said, "there will be a big bloodshed. So I will try to collect gold to redeem your head. Please pray for my success. ” The king answered, "This is my wish to bring the Dharma light to Tibet to illuminate all doubts and contradictions. If this wish is fulfilled, even if we die here, we will not regret it. I am old; Sooner or later, he will die. We have been reborn many times, but the fact that we can sacrifice our lives for the Dharma is something very rare. I have been given that opportunity today. So, please send a word to Mr. Atisha himself, telling him I have given up my life so that he can visit Tibet, spread the Buddha's message and enlighten our misunderstandings. Listening to his decision, his nephew was deeply moved. With great sadness, he said goodbye to his uncle.

The grandson sent a group of Tibetan translators to India to search for Atisha. The six-man search party carried seven hundred pieces of gold and eventually reached Atisha's monastery, where they were allowed to meet the abbot. Although they did not reveal their purpose of going to India, the abbot said, "It is not that I want to possess Atisha, but there are very few teachers like him, and if he leaves India, Degrees will be a great disaster for the Dharma itself and thus for the entire people. Your presence in India is very important. ” Finally, the Tibetan translator was able to meet Atisha, and his eyes filled with tears. Sir Atisha realized this and told him, "Don't worry. We know the great sacrifice that the Tibetan king made for me. I am seriously considering the king's request, but I am old and also responsible for looking after the monastery. " But eventually Atisha agreed to go to Tibet. After arriving in western Tibet, he was asked by the king's nephew to compose a text that benefited all of the Dharma in Tibet. He left us with the Lamp on the Road to Enlightenment, which condenses all the essential paths from all the teachings into a form suited to the real needs of the Tibetan people. .

In the fifteenth century, Tibetan master Tsong-kha-pa wrote a book called Lam Rim or Stages of the Road to Enlightenment. He studied Atisha's presentation and made these intact teachings more suitable for any person in practice. Lam Rim is the foundation for the teachings contained in this book.

By pointing out all the stages of the path to enlightenment, Lam Rim also shows how all the teachings constitute an organic whole - how the Dharma includes the Sutras, the ordinary path. , and tantra, the secret path. Although these teachings may seem contradictory at times, they do not conflict when practiced adaptively in a gradual process. They are all as important as guides on the path to enlightenment. Some people claim that they can perform esoteric practices without understanding the basic Buddhist teachings. Without the proper basis of the ordinary path, one may not make any progress in tantricism. Without the compassionate wish to attain Enlightenment to bring all sentient beings to liberation, the Mantrayana only becomes a chant of some mantra; Tantric practice will be confined to the use of instruments such as the brain, trum-trumpet made of the thigh bone and make a lot of noise. The Great Prajnaparamita Sutta says that practicing generosity, generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, meditation, and wisdom is the only way, whether following the Sutrayana or Mantrayana, that all the Buddhas of the past have overcome to come to Enlightenment. If you abandon the most common and common aspects of the path, that is a big mistake. patience, diligence, meditation, and wisdom are the only path, whether following the Sutrayana or Mantrayana, that all Buddhas of the past have overcome to reach enlightenment. If you abandon the most common and common aspects of the path, that is a big mistake. patience, effort, meditation, and wisdom are the only path, whether following the Sutrayana or Mantrayana, that all Buddhas of the past have overcome to reach enlightenment. If you abandon the most common and common aspects of the path, that is a big mistake.

Therefore, the great master Tsong-kha-pa, author of the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, advises that practitioners should seek the guidance of an experienced guru and strive to understand it all. The teachings of the Buddha are appropriate and adapted to their practice. Aspects that cannot be immediately practiced should not be eliminated. Instead, ask yourself deeply whether you can put them into practice in the future? If you can do that, your insight into Buddhist teachings will be profound.

All Buddhist Sutras are necessary and appropriate for a practitioner. While painting a thangka (a scroll of Tibetan Buddhism), the artist must understand the necessity of all paints. But that is not enough; he must know when each paint is needed, first outline the outline and then add the colors. Understanding their true coordination is paramount. Similarly, we must know the importance of all Buddhist teachings as well as when and how they should be practiced. When these factors exist, all the obscurations and difficulties associated with your practice are naturally eliminated.

When talking about Dharma practice, I do not mean to renounce everything and go into solitary retreat. I just want to say that we should focus our awareness on our daily life. Whether we are eating, sleeping or working, we should constantly control our intentions, control our body, speech, mind and actions, even the most subtle negativity. Try to coordinate your daily activities with a compassionate motivation. Instill your physical, speech and mental behaviors with the wisdom gained from listening to teachings and from practicing. But if someone can give up everything and dedicate his life to practice, then he is admirable.

Learning is like the light that illuminates the darkness of ignorance, and the accumulated knowledge is the supreme asset because even the best thieves cannot steal it. Learning is the weapon to destroy the enemy of ignorance. It is like the best friend who leads us through all the hardships of our life. We make true friends because we have a kind heart and don't deceive people. The people we make friends with when we have power, status, and influence are friends who rely solely on our power, influence and position. When we experience unhappiness and loss of property, these so-called friends leave us alone. The unmistakable friend is the study of doctrines. This is a medicine without side effects or dangers. Knowledge is like a mighty army that will help us crush the forces of our own mistakes. With that knowledge we can protect ourselves from committing evil deeds. Reputation, status, and possessions can be born from human knowledge; but only learning and practicing to eliminate delusion is to bring about the lasting happiness of Enlightenment.

Without understanding the doctrine, realizations will follow. The teachings we receive need to be alive. When we train a horse for a race, we must train on the same track when the race takes place. Similarly, the topics you study are the teachings you have to put into practice. The learning done is for practice. Tsong-kha-pa said that if you can understand the extensive sutras as your personal advice, then you will not have any difficulty understanding the tantras and their commentaries. specific advice to put into practice on the path to enlightenment. This keeps us from the misconception that there are certain types of teachings not necessary for practice and some that are only necessary for scholarly research.

Bowing and clasping your hands before receiving teachings is a way to counter your arrogance and pride. Sometimes you see someone who is less knowledgeable than the Dharma but who has a greater sense of humility and respect. By understanding the Dharma, you have to be humble than others. If you're not, you're shorter than the other person. So as you learn, try to control your own mind and integrate what you learn with the way you think. If that is done then there will come a stage where you may see some kind of result, some change or effect in your mind. It is an indication that you are making progress in the practice and the purpose of the study has been met.

Winning ignorance delights is the work of a lifetime. If we can engage in practice in a persistent way, then over the years we will see a transformation in the mind. If we seek immediate realization or immediate submission of thoughts and feelings, we will become courageous and discouraged. The 11th-century yogi Milarepa, one of the greatest masters of Tibetan history, lived many years as a wild beast and endured tremendous hardship to achieve these ultimate enlightenment. If we can dedicate such time and energy, we can see the benefits of our practice even more quickly.

As long as we have any confidence in the effectiveness of the teachings, it is important to develop confidence in the value of the practice immediately. To progress on the path, it is necessary to have a proper understanding of the path, and that can only be achieved by listening to a doctrine. Thus, develop a motivation to attain the state of omniscience for the benefit of all sentient beings, and with that motivation listen and read this teaching.

When a person teaches the Dharma, he or she (male or female) is serving as a messenger of the Buddhas. Despite the real enlightenment of the guru, it is important that the listeners of the Dharma see that the teacher is not separate from Buddha. The listener should not waste time thinking about the mistakes of the Master. In the Jataka Stories (Precursor to the Buddha), it is said that the listener of the Dharma must sit in a very low place, with a subdued mind and great joy, look at the Guru's face and drink orange juice. of his words, just like patients listening attentively to the physician. The Buddha said that one should not rely on the guru's person but rather, on the Dharma, the content of the teacher's teaching, the Buddha's message. From the viewpoint of the sacred nature of the doctrine itself, it is very important to respect the teacher.

When listening to or reading teachings, we are like a vessel for gathering wisdom. If the jar were toppled, even though the heavens could pour nectar down, it would only flow outside the jar. If the jar is dirty, nectar will be damaged. If the jar has a hole, the nectar will leak. Although we can attend a lecture, if we are easily distracted, we are like a vessel upside down. Although we may focus, if our attitude is overcome by negative intentions, such as listening to the teachings to prove superior intelligence, then we are like a dirty vessel. Finally, although we can get rid of these mistakes, if we do not keep the teachings in mind, it is like letting them go into one ear and go to the other. After the lecture is over, we will be completely empty, as if we couldn't bring the teachings through the door when we got home. This is why using a notebook, or today, using a tape recorder, is considered a good idea. The ability to memorize teachings based on the power of familiar familiarity.

In a conversation with Lama Khun-nu, he vividly recounted the events in his life that occurred long before I was born. I am now 59 years old. I tend to forget even the texts I am studying now. Lama Khun-nu said that learning is not persistent because mistakes have made no effort in rejoicing, and I think this is very true. Because of lack of time, I did not often read a text; I read through it only once and then came up with some general ideas of what the text was about. Because of my good intelligence, I read the texts very quickly but I don't usually read them. As the proverb says, a man of great intelligence is like a field that burns: the fire extinguishes quickly.

If you read the Stages of the Road to Enlightenment by Tsong-kha-pa nine times, you will have nine different ways of understanding the text. When you read an editorial in the newspaper once in a while there is usually no story to reread it; You don't like to read again, it just makes you tired. When you read deeply and engaging texts for the second, third, and fourth time, sometimes you are surprised that you have forgotten one or the other, even though you have read it many times before. there. Sometimes you come up with a new understanding and a different perspective, so regular familiarization is the main way to treat forgetfulness. Those who desire to attain omniscience should be single-minded, attentive, humble in the mind, motivated by a desire to help sentient beings, concentrating with their whole heart, looking at the Guru with their eyes,

It is also important to listen to teachings with the right attitude. First of all, you should recognize yourself as a patient and the teacher as a doctor. The great Indian poet Shantideva said that when we are suffering from common illnesses, we must follow the doctor's instructions. Because we suffer from hundreds of illnesses due to ignorance such as desires and resentment, listening to the teacher's teachings is no longer a question. The ignorance is downright cunning. When a delusion like anger is present, we lose control. The anxiety caused by greed makes us not sleep well. Just as the patient considers the medicines given by the doctor to be very precious, careful not to waste, so too, the teachings given by the teacher should be preserved as treasures.

To recover, patients must take medicine. Leaving the medication alone in the bottle will not help. Similarly, in order to free our mind from chronic delusion, we have to apply the teachings to the practice, and only through practice will we be able to free ourselves from delusion. . Even in a short time, the stronger your patience, the less your anger and the greater your respect for others. When your pride and arrogance diminishes, the influence of delusions also weakens. Tsong-kha-pa said that people who are suffering from chronic leprosy cannot take medication once or twice to repel the disease, but must take medicine continuously. Also, from the beginningless time our minds have been bound by delusion. How can we hope to get rid of them if we practice only once or twice? How can one hope to cure a disease just by reading a medical text?

Tibetan Buddhism has four schools: Nyingma, Sakya, Geluk, and Kagyu. It is a mistake to say that one of these factions is superior to the other. All sects follow the same master, Shakyamuni Buddha, and combine the systems of Sutrayana and Mantrayana. I try to cultivate a belief and respect for all four schools. I behaved like that not at all a diplomatic gesture, but because of a strong conviction. It is also a task that as a Dalai Lama, I must know the teachings of the four schools fully so that I can guide those who come to me. If it were different, I would be like a mother without arms to watch her child drown. Once, a Nyingma meditator came to ask me about a practice I was not familiar with. I could send him to a great master who could solve his problem, but I felt sad that he had come to beg for my guidance, and I did not respond. his wishes. If others' desires exceed our ability to fulfill, that is one thing, as long as it is within our own capabilities, it is important to satisfy the spiritual needs of as many of them as possible. The better you give birth. We must study all aspects of the teachings and develop admiration for them. then the important thing is to satisfy the spiritual needs of as many sentient beings as possible. We must study all aspects of the teachings and develop admiration for them. then the important thing is to satisfy the spiritual needs of as many sentient beings as possible. We must study all aspects of the teachings and develop admiration for them.

Nor should we consider Tibetan Buddhism superior to other forms of Buddhism. In Thailand, Burma and Sri Lanka, monks have a sincere vow when they practice monastic discipline, and unlike Tibetan monks, they retain the alms-seeking practice of Buddha and His disciples practiced 2500 years ago. In Thailand, I participated in a group of monks. It was a hot day, and because of the tradition of walking with shoes on my feet, my feet actually burned. In addition to that, it was inspiring to see the practice of Thai monks.

Today many people see only the negative in the practice of a spiritual or religious tradition. They only noticed how religious organizations exploited and took away the wealth of the masses. However, the mistakes they see are not the mistakes of the traditions themselves, but those who claim to be followers of those traditions, like members of monasteries or churches. using spiritual excuses to benefit yourself at the expense of other believers. If the practitioners themselves are reckless, it will harm all those who are dedicated to that practice. Organizations' institutionalized attempts to correct institutional errors are often misunderstood as an attack on the tradition as a whole. Many people conclude that religion is harmful and cannot help them. They reject any form of faith. Others are indifferent to spiritual practice and content with their worldly lifestyle. They have material comforts and neither follow nor oppose religion. However, all are equal in that they are born with a desire to be happy and to avoid suffering.

If we abandon the spiritual practice, or in this case the practice of Buddhism, we will no longer believe in the law of karma and will no longer consider our misfortunes as a result of negative actions in the past. Misfortunes can be viewed as manifestations of mistakes in society or in the community, or as a result of a friend's behavior. Then we come to blame for blaming others for things that are clearly our own mistakes. This blaming will reinforce self-centered attitudes, such as attachment and resentment. Through our connection with such misleading attitudes, we become entangled with our possessions and surrounded by doubt or even paranoia.

Many great practitioners have walked the path of Dharma and guided their lives on the basis of compassion and compassion. With such motivations, your basic intention will be to work for the benefit of sentient beings, and for their benefit you strive to cultivate your positive attitudes.

In some developed countries, many who are indifferent to any form of spiritual practice are materially wealthy, but even so they are completely dissatisfied. They suffer because they want to be richer, so that even though they are materially affluent, they are mentally poor. It is when they realize that they cannot achieve what they want, the real disorder begins. They become frustrated and sadness arises. I talked to some friends, they are very rich, but because their view of life is materially, they are hard at work. They are not free to dedicate themselves to any practice, which may help them gain some perspective. Gradually, they really lost the dream of happiness, which money had to provide for replacement.

In Buddhist practice, although we avoid these sufferings, we consider them with care - the sufferings of birth, the sufferings of old people, the sufferings of changes in physical condition, suffering of uncertainty in this life, and suffering of death. We try and be careful when we think about them so that when we actually face them we are ready. When we encounter death, we will realize that our time has come. That does not mean that we do not preserve our bodies. When we are sick, we take medicine and try to prevent death. But if death is inevitable, Buddhists will be prepared. Let us set aside for a moment the question of life after death, liberation, or the state of omniscience. Right in this life,

We must use all opportunities to practice the Truth, to improve ourselves, instead of waiting for a time when we think we will be less busy. As Gung-thang Rinpoche said, the activities of this life are like ripples on the pond surface: when one ripple disappears, another appears, never ending. The worldly activities do not cease to die; so we must strive to find a time in each day of our lives to practice the Dharma. On this occasion - when we have gained the precious human body, have encountered the Dharma and have some faith in it - if we cannot put the Dharma into practice, the practice will be more difficult in later lives. , when we no longer have such conditions. Now that we have encountered such a profound system,END=NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).GOLDEN AMITABHA MONASTERY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.25/5/2020.