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Choosing
The
Path to Bliss
by
H.H. the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso
 All
living creatures possess an innate notion of
self based upon the aggregates of body and
mind, a self that naturally desires happiness
and wishes to avoid suffering. This natural
instinct knows no boundaries, and pervades all
forms of life in this universe, regardless of
the external differences in the physical
appearances of these forms. It is this urge
that makes all of us hold ourselves most dear
and precious. Because this instinct is a just
one, the individual has a natural right to
work for the achievement of happiness and the
overcoming of suffering.
As
mentioned in Uttaratantra (Unsurpassed
Continuum), all beings further possess the
potential to free themselves from the binding
chains of suffering and anxiety. The presence
of this potential strongly indicates the
presence of the Buddha nature or the seed of
full enlightenment inherent within all beings.
The
factor that distinguishes humans from other
living species is the ability to utilize
intelligence while retaining the human
qualities of love, kindness, and honesty
towards fellow beings. It is vital for people
with an appreciation of a deeper dimension of
human nature not to let themselves be enslaved
by materialism. It is possible to work for
one's livelihood and yet not to stray from
sincerity and honesty. Ironically, although
the underlying aim of material development is
the attainment of more happiness and peace, if
one were to lead one's life totally occupied
with material development alone and were to
disregard the needs of one's spiritual life,
the fulfillment of this basic aim probably
would not be realized.
It
is very obvious to us that the experiences of
the mind are far more acute and strong than
those of the body. Therefore, if the
continuity of the mind remains even after
death, then it becomes most essential for us
to ponder upon our after-death fate. It is
important to probe whether or not it is
possible, on the basis of this consciousness,
for an individual to achieve a permanent state
of peace and happiness. If it is, then it
becomes a matter of great personal concern for
us to take the initiative to make the
necessary efforts to arrive at such a state.
When
we talk of consciousness superficially, it
appears as though we were talking about a
single entity. But if we analyze deeper we
find that there are various types and levels
of consciousness. Certain types of consciousness
are undesirable in that when they arise they
torment the individual's mind, but there are
others whose arising ushers in calmness and
peace. So our task now is to discriminate
skillfully between these two categories of
consciousness.
Generally speaking,
consciousness is in the nature of clarity and
knowing; it is susceptible to change and
transformation. Therefore, the essential
nature of consciousness is pure and clear,
which suggests that the delusions that pollute
the mind have not penetrated into its nature.
All the mental stains, such as ignorance and
the other delusions that often torment us, are
adventitious and hence not indivisible aspects
of our minds. Because these delusions,
dualistic conceptions and so forth are
unstable and reside only temporarily within
our consciousness, they can be alleviated and
eventually rooted out when their actual
opponent forces are applied properly. The
achievement of such a feat marks the
attainment of a permanent peace and happiness.
As
I often remark, in this world there are many
different categories of people: those who
adhere to some form of spiritual belief, those
who are totally against it, and those who are
just indifferent to religion. When people
confront situations that defy rational
explanation and that are adverse, they differ
in their ability to cope with them. As long as
those who do not believe in any spiritual
system encounter situations that are within
the scope of human understanding, they can
cope with them. But any circumstances beyond
their own understanding come as a shock, and
their attempts to deal with them result in
frustration and anxiety. A practitioner of
dharma has a better understanding of life and
therefore will not lose courage and hope,
factors that are most vital for sustaining the
force of life. Therefore, the importance of
spiritual development in one's life is
obvious; and in this respect, I believe that
the Buddhist doctrine has much to offer.
The
Practice of Dharma
Editor's
Note: Dharma is a Sanskrit work with many
different meanings. The most common usage
denotes a "way of life" or "transformative
process". In this context, it not only
refers to the process itself but to the
transformed result as well.
There
are many different ways of undertaking the
practice of dharma; these vary from individual
to individual. Some people can totally
renounce the worldly way of life and choose
the way of a hermit, devoting their entire
time and energy to meditation. Others
undertake their practice while maintaining a
conventional life in the world.
One should not
have the wrong notion that the practice of
dharma is to be put off for the future when
one can set aside a specific time for it;
rather, it should be integrated into one's
life right now. The essence is to live one's
life within the noble principles of the dharma
and give a direction and purpose to one's
life. If one can adopt such an outlook, the
dharma will not only be beneficial to oneself
as an individual but will also contribute to
the betterment of the community in which one
lives.
Generally
speaking, altruism is the genuine source of
benefit and happiness in this world. Thus if
we were born in a realm of existence where the
development of altruism was not possible, we
would be in a rather hopeless situation, which
is fortunately not the case. As human beings
we have all the faculties appropriate for
spiritual development, among them the most
precious of all -- the human brain. It is very
important that we do not waste the great
opportunity afforded by our being human,
because time is a phenomenon that is momentary
and does not wait. It is the nature of things
that they go through a process of change and
disintegration. Therefore, it is a matter of
utmost importance that we make our human lives
meaningful.
The
One and the Many
As
explained earlier, just as one has a natural
right to work for one's own happiness, so, in
equal measure, do all sentient beings. What,
then, is the difference between self and
others? The only difference is that when one
talks of one's own affairs, no matter how
important one might be, one is only concerned
with a single person, whereas the affairs of
others concern the welfare of numberless
living beings. The difference between the two
concerns lies in the quantity.
Moreover,
if one were totally unrelated to and
independent of others, then one's indifference
towards their welfare would be understandable,
but this is not the case. All living beings
survive in dependence upon others; even one's
experiences of happiness and suffering come
about in relation to one's interaction with
others. One's dependence on others is not
confined to day-to-day survival alone; all
one's spiritual development depends upon
others as well.
It is only in relation to
others that one can cultivate such human
qualities as universal compassion, love,
tolerance, generosity, etc. Even the Buddha's
noble activities come about because there are
other sentient beings to work for. If one
thinks in such terms, one will find that
working for one's own benefit, totally
neglecting the welfare of others, is very
selfish and hence unfair. When one compares
the welfare of oneself with that of the
numberless others, one finds that the welfare
of others is far more important; and therefore
giving up the benefits accruing to a single
person for the sake of numberless others is a
just and a righteous act. On the contrary,
sacrificing the well-being of many for the
benefit of one is not only a most unfair act
but also a foolish one.
At
this juncture, when we possess the
intelligence to judge between right and wrong
and also can draw inspiration from the
examples of great bodhisattvas of the past, we
should make every attempt to reverse our
normal self-centered outlook. Our attitudes
towards our own welfare should be such that we
open ourselves completely to the service of
others -- so much so, that on our part there is
not even a slight sense of possessiveness
towards our belongings or our being. We have
this great opportunity now.
The
Practice of Altruism or Selflessness
We
should rejoice in our fortune of having the
precious chance, as humans, to practice
altruism, a practice that I personally believe
is the highest fulfillment of human value. I
feel extremely fortunate to be able to speak
on the importance and merits of a good heart
and altruism. Should we persist in our normal
self-centered tendencies and behavior in spite
of our human birth, we would be wasting a
great opportunity. Our tenure in this world
should not be that of a troublemaker in the
human community. Therefore, it is very
important to realize the preciousness of the
present opportunity and that such an
opportunity comes about only through the
aggregation of many favorable conditions.
On
our part, as practitioners of dharma, it is
very important to put the noble principles of
the Buddhist doctrine into proper practice
within our lives, and thus to experience the
real fruits of the dharma. Dharma
practitioners should set good examples and
demonstrate the true value of the dharma.
Otherwise, if our dharma remains only
conceptual and is not transformed into
experience, its real value may not be
realized.
The
essence of dharma practice is to bring about a
discipline within the mind, a state of mind
free of hatred, lust, and harmful intentions.
Hence the entire message of the buddhadharma
could be summed up in two succinct statements:
"Help others," and "If you
cannot help them, at least do not harm
others." It is a grave error to think
that apart from such a disciplining of the
physical and mental faculties there is
something else called "the practice of
dharma". Various, and in some cases
divergent, methods to achieve such an inner
discipline have been taught in the scriptures
by the Buddha.
This
task of bringing about an inner discipline may
look very complex and difficult at the outset,
but if we really make the effort, we will see
that it is not that complicated. We find
ourselves caught in the confusion of all kinds
of worldly conceptions and negative emotions
and so forth, but if we are able to discover
the right key through the practice of dharma,
we will be able to unravel this knot of
confusion.
Practitioners
of the dharma should have not only the
ultimate aim of attaining full enlightenment,
but also the goal of becoming righteous and
kind-hearted persons within this life too. Let
us say that there is a person who is normally very short-tempered, but
as a result of his listening to the teachings
and practicing the instructions he changes;
that really is the mark of having benefited
from the dharma. The fundamental questions,
such as whether there is rebirth or not, and
whether or not full enlightenment is possible,
are difficult to answer. But what is very
obvious to us is that a positive state of mind
and positive action lead to more happiness and
peace, whereas their negative counterparts
result in undesirable consequences. Therefore,
if as a result of our dharma practice we are
able to alleviate our sufferings and
experience more happiness, that would in
itself be a sufficient fruit to encourage us
further in our spiritual pursuits.
Even
if we were not able to attain high spiritual
realizations in this lifetime, but were able
to develop the altruistic mind of bodhicitta
-- even
to a very small degree -- we would at least be
able to perceive all beings as our closest
friends. If, on the other hand, we were to
cling to the self-cherishing attitude and the
misconception that grasps at the inherent
existence of things, there would be no
possibility of a genuine and lasting mental
peace and happiness, even if all the living
beings around us were trying to be friendly
towards us. We can observe the truth of this
in our daily lives. The more altruism we
develop in a day, the more peaceful we find
ourselves. Similarly, the more self-centered we
remain, the more frustrations and trouble we
encounter. All these reflections lead us to
conclude that a good heart and an altruistic
motivation are indeed true sources of
happiness and are therefore genuine
wish-granting jewels.
The
twentieth century was an era marked with revolution in many
fields of human knowledge. During the
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when
revolutionary scientific discoveries were
being made, religion and science became more
and more separated. Many people felt that they
were perhaps incompatible. But in this
century, when human intelligence has been so
enriched by new knowledge derived through
important scientific discoveries, a new trend
is fortunately emerging. People in the
scientific disciplines are taking a fresh
interest in spiritual and moral concepts and
are prepared to reappraise their attitudes
towards the relevance of spiritual development
in order to achieve a more complete view of
life and the world. In particular, there is a
growing interest among the scientific
community in Buddhist philosophical thought. I
am optimistic that over the next few decades
there will be a great change in our world view
both from the material and the spiritual
perspectives.
 This
article was excerpted from Path
to Bliss, © by H.H. the Dalai Lama,
Tenzin Gyatso. Reprinted with permission of
the publisher, Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca,
NY 14851. http://www.snowlionpub.com
For
info or to order this book.
About The
Author
Tenzin
Gyatso was born in Amdo, Tibet in 1935 and was recognized as the
Fourteenth Dalai Lama, spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet. Since the
Chinese takeover of Tibet in 1959, he has served as head of the Tibetan
Government-in-exile based in Dharamsala, India. Today he is known the
world over as a great spiritual teacher and a tireless worker for peace.
He is the author of numerous books, including his recent Ethics
for the New Millennium.
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