Day by Day (Dharma lectures)

by Stephen L. Klick | 37,321 words

These are the Dharma lectures from the early years of the Buddhist Information ministry. The writing style is not as developed as it would later become but the content is wonderful because it is Dharma. Many of these lectures bring back fond memories of the very early days when we were not quite sure of the direction we would take. We often spent f...

My Perfect Teacher (Part Two)

Thank you for staying I won't keep you much longer.  We have decided to follow the Buddha.  We have realized that there is a path that leads to the end of suffering, so we are seeking enlightenment.  To arrive at any higher state we must understand that everything comes from mind.  We are made up of the thoughts and actions that we have been compiling since the beginning-less past.  This means that we are totally responsible for whatever happens to us.

Knowing that we are totally responsible can be disheartening when we think about some of the things that have occurred in the past, but it is liberating as well because being responsible also means that we are free to create our own future.  If we have the wisdom to see that everything comes from mind then we will begin to develop healthy thinking, which will lead to beneficial actions and wholesome speech.

To produce healthy thinking we should focus our mind on dharma every day.  Set aside some time, early in the morning on your way to work, on your lunch hour, or even some time in the evening to study the dharma.  Please expose your mind to right thought.

The society we live in is sick and exposure to some forms of entertainment will definitely make you mentally unhappy.  Remove these unsettling, vile patterns of thinking from your mind and you can experience peace and joy.  It does not make sense to practice and study daily in an effort to purify your mind if you also fill your head with the many kinds of unwholesome garbage pumped into our homes as ‘entertainment’.  This kind of material is not fun!

We have forgotten what fun actually is. If you do not feel light and happy after being ‘entertained’ then you have had an experience of some sort, you may have been distracted for an hour or two, but you did not have ‘fun’!  Spend a few weeks living without unpleasant movies, or television shows and find out for your self just how much your life condition will improve.  As a bonus, when you do watch the occasional worthwhile movie you will deeply appreciate it.

We become jaded from constant exposure, so it is good to get away from the explosions, car chases, and endless murders that fill the average television show or movie.  If we fill our minds with good things we will become peaceful and happy.  Healthy thinking causes you to perform beneficial actions and beneficial actions reinforce healthy thinking.  It is great to make your mind peaceful but it is crucial that we take action and help the people who want to be helped.  This is the path to happiness.

It is fine to say, “Don’t Kill,” but we must do more than merely refrain from murdering one another if we desire to be happy.  We must do more than merely tolerate each other; we must actually love every person who lives on our planet.  This is the path that leads to Buddhahood.

Please remember that our teacher stated that all the beings alive have been our mother or father at some point in time.  That means we owe them a debt that is very difficult to repay.  If you have not read the teaching entitled “The Sutra About The Deep Kindness of Parents and the Difficulty of Repaying It” you will find it in the Sutra section of our library site.  (www.buddhistinformation.com)

In this discourse the Buddha reminds us, “While the mother is with child, she feels discomfort each time she rises, as if she were lifting a heavy burden.  Like a chronic invalid, she is unable to keep her food and drink down.  When the… time comes for the birth, she undergoes all kinds of pain and suffering so that the child can be born. She is afraid… then the blood flows…  Once the child is born she saves what is sweet for him and swallows what is bitter herself.  She carries the child and nourishes it; washing away it’s filth.  There is no toil or difficulty that she does not willingly undertake for the sake of her child.  She endures both cold and heat and never even mentions what she has gone through…  Parents continually instruct and guide their children in the ways of propriety and morality as the youngsters mature into adults.”

So, the Buddha reminds us of something we already know; on some level of our mind we are already aware of this truth, but what do we do about it?  It is critical that we learn to repay these kinds of debts, for that is what makes us develop into human beings.  To repay the incredible kindness of these beings we should offer not only support and respect but also love.

We are closely connected to every being on Earth that is why we are on the same planet at the same time.  When you go out your door today, realize that none of the people around you are “total strangers” you have had close relationships with all of them. You owe all of these people the same kind of debt that you owe to your current parents.  Even if you have no understanding at all about the true nature of reality, the practice of compassion is obviously good for you and the people around you.

It does not matter if you believe in the eternity of life, the way you feel when you live a life dedicated to helping others is already ample reward.  The person who is narrow and self-centered misses out on the best things that life has to offer.  Hatred is not the opposite of love; it is the opposite of life.  Love is life affirming, life blossoms in the presence of love.  Love attracts people while hatred drives people away.  Please make love an integral part of whatever spiritual practice you follow, because love is very influential.

One good deed so often leads to another. It is possible to have a community full of smiling faces and warm hearts; it only takes one person to make the difference.  Please find out for yourself.  To practice love and compassion we must not engage in negative, hurtful, speech.  The biggest problem our species faces on this planet is the noise produced by our own mouths.  Every violent, hurtful of hateful act is preceded by negative speech.  Unless you are truly a very special person some form of negative speech causes your worst problems.

We need to discover some practical method that will allow us to control our mind.  Before you open your mouth, analyze what you are intending to say.  If it is negative or hurtful it is better to remain silent.  This is a technique that can be practiced by anyone.  Self-control is an important first step but it is even better to remove this kind of garbage from our mind, then we don’t have to work so hard because our thoughts are peaceful, at least most of the time.

To make your thoughts peaceful strictly control what you allow to enter into your mind.  Avoid unhealthy material and replace it with good things like Dharma.  Generate a benevolent mind and follow up by taking action.  Proper Buddhist practice will support this mind of love and it will grow stronger day by day.  The next time anger arises in your mind get away by yourself and examine why you are so angry.  Be honest, because this is very important.  Make certain that your false perception of self is not involved.  Viewing things through your ‘ego’ is like looking in a funhouse mirror that distorts whatever image it reflects.  Remember that anger is destructive and that arrogance and contempt are mental poison.

 You will never be content if your mind is open to this kind of negativity.  Exert yourself to practice every day and fill your mind with dharma at every opportunity.  Practice for yourself and for others, and always be ready to help anyone who needs you.  This method is practical and effective.  My Teacher, Nichiren Daishonin, freely gave it to me and now I offer it to you in the same spirit.              

 I would like to thank you for spending time with us today.  Buddhist information operates twenty-four hours every day of the year.  In the Kansas City Area please call (913) 722-0900.  The rest of North America can reach us (toll free) at (800) 576-9212.  You can reach us by e-mail at Amazon1227@Gateway.net" and our web site can be found at www.buddhistinformation.com             

Let's dedicate the merit for what we've done here today for the benefit of all beings everywhere.  So, may all beings find peace and happiness, may all beings find the path that leads to Nirvana, Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, may all beings benefit. 

Thank you, very much.

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