Introduction to Buddhism

Oral Teaching by the Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche

First of all, it’s important to understand that the term Buddhism means the inner pursuit, turning inside rather than outside. What we look at within ourselves is our own mind, the nature of our mind. We engage in the inner pursuit to root out the delusions and to actualize our highest potential. And once we have decided to engage in this inner pursuit, we may find we need guidance, that we need a teacher.

The teacher we choose should be one who has already realized the nature of his or her mind and is liberated from the round of cyclic existence. Otherwise, if we follow a teacher—or teachings that arise from someone—who is still in the world, still worldly, then, because such a person is no different from us, it is not possible for him to help us in a meaningful way. When we engage in the inner pursuit, which means the spiritual pursuit, we do so because we want to improve our inner self. So it’s important that the teacher we find will have already accomplished the result that we want to achieve.

How do we know that a teacher is qualified in this way? According to the Buddhist path, it is an accepted fact that Lord Buddha Shakyamuni is such a teacher. Born Prince Siddhartha, and destined to be the most powerful king of India at that time, he renounced all of his worldly power and wealth because he saw that the nature of cyclic existence is suffering. Wishing to understand the true nature of life and the true nature of reality, he pursued the spiritual path until he attained the state of full enlightenment, the state of awakening, which is characterized by tremendous compassion and concern for all living beings and their awakening.

Without a doubt, the Buddha is a very great teacher. He has a great message to give to us—as do all the saints and masters of the other world religions, such as Jesus, and many others. Although I haven’t studied those religions, I know that those teachers are also truly very, very great.

What is the benefit of taking refuge in a great teacher such as Buddha? Why would we want to do that? Is it so we can become more worldly, have more worldly power and develop worldly qualities? Actually, it’s for just the opposite reason.

If we take refuge in a great spiritual teacher and follow a true spiritual path, we will achieve happiness, and many obstacles in our life will be removed. But the most important point to consider is the way that refuge affects our mind and prepares us for future lifetimes. The duration of this life is a very short period of time. Rather than be concerned with this life alone, it is far more important to think about endless time and what happens after this life.

This is why we take refuge in a spiritual guide, and why we should do it without any doubt, with a mind that is single-pointedly aware of the qualities and accomplishments of that object of refuge. It is important to recognize what those qualities and accomplishments are, and to understand that exactly that is what we wish to actualize, and will actualize, if we follow the path our object of refuge presents to us.

So, without a lazy, slothful attitude, and without any doubts, we must follow an object of refuge. At the same time, we must consider that up until now, throughout all of our past lifetimes, we have tried to accomplish our own purpose, focusing only on ourself, but we haven’t been able to accomplish even that. Wouldn’t it be wiser to exchange self for others and focus on how to be of benefit to others? If we think in this way, and exchange our self-cherishing attitude for the wish to benefit others, automatically we benefit ourself. This is really the only way to benefit ourself. By thinking of others, automatically we experience happiness.

To work for the welfare of others, we must first of all have the aspiration, the wish to do so. In this wishing, we must first develop a sense of the equality of all that lives; we must recognize that all beings are truly equal. Then we must develop love for them all, equally, compassion for them all, equally, and joy for them all, equally. When we are able to develop these four qualities—equanimity, love, compassion, and joy—we can then engage in practices, in our daily life, to actually bring benefit to beings, practices such as generosity, patience, ethics, perseverance, concentration, wisdom, and so forth.

Compassion for others is developed by seeing that all living beings without exception, as long as they remain on the wheel of existence, exist in a state of suffering and discontent because they haven’t been able to realize the true nature of their own minds. Seeing them like this, suffering in all their different predicaments, we feel compassion for them. It is just how we would feel if our own child were to be thrown into prison and we would see him, or her, suffering there.

Love arises when we then develop the wish that these beings may be free from their suffering. For instance, we certainly feel compassion and pity for our child who is suffering in prison, but along with that we also have a strong desire that our child be liberated from that experience of suffering. That strong desire is love.

Then, the happiness we feel when we see others established in a state of permanent happiness or bliss, is joy. We naturally feel joy when we see others happy and liberated from their suffering.

Finally, equanimity is the experience of compassion and love and joy for all living beings equally, without any partiality. For instance, if we have two children in jail, we feel the same about each of them, not loving one more than the other, not wanting one to be free of the condition of suffering more than the other. Exactly in this way, we must develop love and compassion equally for all living beings.

Compassion, love, joy, and equanimity are what is called “aspirational bodhichitta”, and because we have this for all living beings, which are limitless, these four qualities are called the “four immeasurables”. If we have them as a foundation, then any activity we engage in will be virtuous and positive. Actualizing our bodhichitta aspiration, putting it into action in our daily life, will produce powerful, positive results. But if we don’t have this foundation we won’t achieve the same results. Doing good things without compassion, love, joy, and equanimity simply doesn’t accomplish the same results at all. This point is extremely important.

Without understanding that samsara, by its very nature, is a place of natural suffering, we won’t be motivated to have compassion to begin with. We must truly understand that, by its very nature, cyclic existence, the round of transmigratory existence, cannot bring any ultimate happiness. Simply, it is nothing but suffering and discontent. Knowing this, and knowing that all living beings equally are experiencing this, is the most important point.

Some of you who are new students, and maybe hearing Buddhist teachings for the first time, might be thinking, “It sounds like these Buddhists are really into suffering; they sure talk a lot about it.” And, in fact, it has been my experience, when giving Dharma talks, that people often ask why Buddhism focuses so much on suffering. Actually, it’s not that Buddhism focuses on suffering, it’s just that it simply recognizes the basic nature of cyclic existence, and then it teaches what that nature is. It’s all a matter of recognizing the truth of what’s really going on—and not just in this realm, but throughout the three realms of cyclic existence.

All living beings suffer, all of us, without exception. We suffer when we’re born. Throughout our lives we suffer from illness and disease, and then we suffer from old age, the process of growing old and losing the capabilities and sensibilities that we once had. And finally, inevitably, we suffer death. Each and every one of us will die, and none of us knows how or when, or what will happen to us after that. So, although we may have temporary experiences of happiness in life, this state of cyclic existence is undeniably a state based on and permeated by suffering.

Maybe you wonder: What is the benefit and result of recognizing this? The benefit is that if we recognize that there’s a problem, and we know what that problem is, then we can then do something about it. If we find out that we have a cancer, for instance, then we’re going to do something about it. We’re going to see a doctor and get some treatment that will cure us or at least enable us to live a few years longer. We will look for the best doctor we can find and get the best medicine we can. In just the same way, if we recognize the nature of existence, we will look for a spiritual path and then pursue it. We will do something to improve our situation rather than just let it go on the way it is.

We don’t have a lot of time to share together tonight, but I will give you, in brief, a method for taming the mind as best you can in the beginning. This is really just an introduction because the subject of meditation is very vast. To cover it completely we would need weeks, even months, but I will give you the essential, important points.

It is important to somehow get a hold of the mind. It is the mind that brings us happiness, and it is the mind that brings us suffering. The mind is very busy. It is always thinking of this and that and the other thing, and taking us here and there, distracting us or causing us to be unfocused. If we can get a handle on the mind and its nature, then we will definitely benefit, because everything we do and say is based on the mind, on what we think. Have no doubt about this.

In the beginning, it is best to practice meditation in a quiet place where you are comfortable and, ideally, where you are alone. If others are present it is easier to be distracted. It is best, if you can, to sit in a cross-legged position, with a straight back, but if you can’t do that, then you can sit in a chair or even lie down. It is important to be comfortable, because then it will be easier for the mind and body to be still. You should not be talking. Your mouth should be closed, comfortably relaxed, neither too loose nor too tight, and your tongue should press lightly against the roof of your mouth. Your breathing should be natural.

Now what about the mind, the most important thing? What should you do with the mind now that the body and speech are still?

You should definitely abandon recalling the activities and events of the past. A great deal of our mental activity is spent reviewing the events of the past, forming opinions and judgments about them, thinking about whether they were good or bad, and so on. All of this is useless because the past is gone.

Furthermore, you should definitely abandon thinking about and anticipating what will happen in the future, giving rise to expectations and hopes about future events, events that will most probably just bring you disappointment because they won’t turn out the way you want them to. You don’t know what the future will be, so just leave it.

Simply remain in the present moment and let the mind be natural. Whatever arises in the mind, just let it arise. Don’t get caught in chasing after thoughts about the past or giving rise to thoughts about the future. This remaining in the present, without expectations or disappointments about the past and future, which, in effect, is calming the mind, is called “peaceful abiding”. This is the first step.

If you attempt this practice and find that your mind does not remain peaceful, but continually fluctuates between thoughts of the past and thoughts of the future, giving rise to many different discursive concepts, then you need something to focus on before you can peacefully abide in the present natural state. Therefore, you can imagine in the center of your heart the Tibetan seed syllable HUNG—if you’re familiar with it. If you’re not familiar with that you can imagine in the center of your heart a tiny, luminous orb, white in color. Let your mind focus gently on that object. Don’t hold on to it too strongly, simply be aware of its presence.

If you find that your mind is still agitated or disturbed and will not relax, then you should try focusing on an object placed in front of you, something you can actually gaze upon. You can use a candle or a stone or a picture, something small.

Throughout any of these meditations your eyes should not be closed. They should be slightly open, and you should gaze out over the tip of your nose. If you close your eyes you will have too many mental impressions.

Because of the awareness nature of the mind, you should focus on your chosen object for short periods of time and then relax, and then try again. If you experience drowsiness, then you should sit up straight, adjust your posture, gaze upward, or hold your head back for a moment to wake up a little bit. Falling asleep can be an obstacle. If you experience an abundance of discursive thoughts—which often happens when one begins to cause the mind to peacefully abide—then you’re trying too hard, you’re forcing it. Try to relax, and don’t push so hard.

When you first begin to practice a simple but profound meditation technique such as this, it will seem that a tremendous flood of thoughts and discursive concepts are arising in your mind. What is happening is that you are simply noticing, perhaps for the first time, what has always been there. Our minds are filled with a veritable flood of distracting thoughts. Sometimes we think so much, our minds are so disturbed, that we have trouble falling asleep at night. This experience is likened to flood waters in a heavy rainstorm. In a hard rain, the water in a stream is muddy, and we can’t see anything in it, like the fish, or the stones and twigs on the bottom, and so on. Similarly, when we first begin to practice, we notice how dirty, in a sense, or how filled up, the mind is with useless concepts. The more we practice, the rain storm abates, so to speak, and the water in the stream settles and begins to becomes clear enough to see what’s in it.

When the mind begins to become still, we then begin to truly see it. When you first try to stabilize and pacify the mind, initially it will become very busy because it’s not accustomed to being still. In fact, it doesn’t even necessarily want to become still, but it is essential to get a hold of the mind to recognize its nature. This practice is extremely important.

When doing this kind of meditation practice, it is not necessary to do anything with the thoughts that arise. Just allow them to arise as they naturally will, and allow them to disappear as they naturally will. Like waves that arise from the ocean and then sink back into the ocean, thoughts arise and then vanish. If we pursue them when they arise, they become more intricate, and we go off in another direction with them. When a thought arises, if we simply observe that it’s just a thought, it will then vanish into its empty source.

With practice, the gross or coarse thoughts will begin to subside and give way to the more subtle thoughts, which will also subside. Eventually we will be able to remain in the nature of the mind, which is clear and open like space, without the arising of distracting thoughts. This result is called “peaceful abiding”, the accomplishment of the shunyata (emptiness) meditation. In this state, discursive thoughts are arrested and the mind is peacefully remaining.

This practice is a preliminary. When you accomplish it you will be ready to carry it at all times and in all situations. You will have the view—which is knowing the reason why you are practicing—at all times, in all situations. It will be the basis of everything you do. And you will have the practice, which will be constant. You will constantly observe the true nature of the mind—of both oneself and others.

Eventually you will find yourself in a state where your mind is clear and open all the time. It is just like when the clouds are removed from the sky and the sun can clearly be seen, shining all the time. This is coming close to the state of liberation, liberation from all traces of suffering. Many people like to say, “Leave me alone”, or “Give me some space.” This way you can create that space yourself and you don’t have to blame anyone else.

The truth of this practice is universal. It isn’t necessary to call it a religion to practice it. Whether one is a Hindu or a Moslem or a Christian or a Buddhist simply doesn’t matter. Anyone can practice this because this is the nature of the mind, the nature of everyone’s mind. If you can get a handle on your mind, and pacify it in this way, you will definitely experience these results, and you will see them in your daily life situation. There is no need to put this into any kind of category, any kind of “ism”.

To actualize the view, we must first examine the nature of external objects, objective appearances. In the experience of the mind grasping to objective appearances, believing them to be truly existing, we must examine the nature of the mind itself that is the grasper grasping to objective phenomena.

When we see that the nature of both subjective and objective appearances is without any true, inherent existence, when we understand that all phenomena are created by the mind, we begin to recognize the fundamental nature of truth and realize it.

We then take that awareness and apply it to every aspect of our life; it’s not something we experience only when we’re sitting in meditation. Whether we’re walking, sitting around, eating, talking to others, whatever, we carry the practice throughout all the activities of our daily life. We always look into the nature and apply the view.

Some of us think we have enemies and obstructing forces, whether they might be of the form or formless kind. With practice, we will come to see that all such “enemies” are created by the mind, and nothing else. We will see that obstacles that arise are just projections of the mind.

For example, when we dream at night we experience form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and thought. When we wake up in the morning, what happens to those experiences? Where do they go? In the dream state we are often very busy, going here and there, doing lots of different things. What happens to all those experiences? Where do they come from? Where do they go? All of that is all created by the mind. It is all phenomenal experience and, in essence, our waking reality is no different.

When the mind creates what it thinks is a happy experience, and then becomes attached to that experience and that happiness, it will have an aversion towards the opposite, and that attachment and that aversion will be the cause of suffering.

Thus, as an antidote, it is a crucial point to consider that our waking experiences are just like our dream experiences, and not take them so seriously to the point where we suffer because of them.

We can avoid a lot of suffering by having the right view. If we can abandon attachment, we won’t have aversion; if we can abandon aversion, we won’t have attachment. Without attachment and aversion, we won’t have jealousy and competitiveness. And without jealousy and competitiveness, we won’t have anger and hatred. Without anger and hatred, we won’t experience suffering. We will simply avoid all of it.

In short, the experiences of attachment and aversion, which produce discontent and suffering, arise only from our minds, from our thoughts. If we allow thoughts to subside without following them, without giving rise to attachment or aversion or expectation or disappointment, they will naturally dissolve into their open, empty source. The nature of the mind is empty, totally open. Its nature is not these thoughts. So when we pursue thoughts, we get into trouble. When we can leave them, we begin to experience the nature of emptiness.

I don’t know if you are truly able to understand the meaning of these words but, in my experience, I’ve found that Americans have a capacity to understand very deeply, and in many ways, the more advanced the teaching, the easier it is for you to understand and relate to it. This is not necessarily the case in other countries where, traditionally, a more gradual approach is used. The methods I’ve given you tonight are actually quite advanced methods, and if you apply them with understanding—even though you might be beginners—they will definitely bring you real results very quickly.

I know some of you wonder now, “If everything comes down to the mind, what’s the big deal about all the different images in Buddhism? What are all these statues and stupas and representations of male and female peaceful and wrathful deities all about? What’s the importance of all that?”

The reason for all these different images and so on lies in the fact that sentient beings are all different from one another and have different sensibilities and capacities and needs. Because of this, the Buddha taught 84,000 categories of teachings, which are grouped into nine distinct paths, or vehicles, which themselves are further grouped into the three of hinayana, mahayana, and vajrayana. All of the many different teachings of the Buddha employ different methods for realizing the nature of the mind, but the result is the same.

The result of all these different paths is the state of enlightenment, or awakening: realizing one’s essential nature to be totally free of all suffering, and actualizing one’s full potential to be of benefit to all other living beings, to accomplish their welfare until they, too, are liberated.

So, although the result is the same, because we’re all different while we’re still confused, we need different methods. For instance, at a buffet, different people will choose different foods because they like to eat different things. Also, different illnesses are treated with different medicines. It doesn’t make sense for a doctor to give one medicine to every patient, or to prescribe surgery for every ailment. This would be ridiculous and useless, even harmful. Similarly, on the spiritual path different methods exist because different beings have different needs.

While it is true that, regardless of their differences, all the different paths lead to the single, ultimate result of liberation, awakening, a very important difference between them is in the time it takes to accomplish the result. If one practices only hinayana methods, it will take much longer than if one practices vajrayana methods. Vajrayana methods are very expedient; they bring the results very, very quickly, but they are more difficult. The vajrayana can bring enlightenment in one lifetime, but one has to practice for that to happen. It is totally up to the individual.

We have the path, and the path is profound. Without effort on our part, we will never experience the result. No one can practice for us. Once we’ve decided on a path, we must pursue it with total enthusiasm and without a divided mind. If we’re always hesitating, we never develop anything. If we have great faith in our path, the results we experience will be great. If we have mediocre faith, the results will be mediocre. If we have small faith, we will have small results. If we have no faith, we will have no results, no matter what we do.

So, we must abandon all doubt and hesitation and pursue our spiritual path whole-heartedly. Our goal should be that at the time of death we will be able to die without a single regret, without feeling that we have failed to do what we knew we should have done with our life. At the very least, we should be able to die without being overcome by fear and suffering at that time. We all need to prepare for that, and it is totally up to us.