Part One
The Fundamentals of Buddhism
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Chapter Thirteen
The Fundamentals in Practice
By way of
conclusion, I would like to reflect on what we have discussed over the
course of the preceding chapters and relate it to what we can do in our
own personal lives, both now and in the future.
The teachings
of the Buddha are exceedingly vast and very profound. Thus far, we have
only managed to survey a few of the fundamental teachings
of the Buddha, and these only superficially. You may feel that we have
covered a lot, and that it is impossible to practice everything we have
discussed. Indeed, it is said that it is difficult, even for a monk
living in isolation, to practice all the fundamental teachings of the
Buddha: small wonder that it may also be difficult for laymen and
laywomen like ourselves, who have many secular responsibilities to
fulfill. Nonetheless, if we succeed in sincerely cultivating and
practicing even a few of the many teachings of the Buddha, we will have
succeeded in making this life more meaningful. Moreover, we will be
certain that we will again encounter circumstances favorable to the
practice of the Dharma, and to the eventual realization of liberation.
Everyone can
achieve the highest goal in Buddhism, be he or she a layperson or a
member of the monastic order. All a person need do is make an honest
effort to follow the Noble Eightfold Path. It is said that those who
have realized the truth, like the Buddha Shakyamuni and his prominent
disciples, did not do so accidentally. They did not fall from the sky
like rain, nor spring up from the earth like grain. The Buddha and his
disciples were once ordinary sentient beings like you and me. They were
once afflicted by impurities of the mind--attachment, aversion, and
ignorance. It was through coming into contact with the Dharma, through
purifying their words and deeds, through developing their minds, and
through acquiring wisdom that they became free, exalted beings able to
teach and help others realize the truth. There is therefore no doubt
that, if we apply ourselves to the teachings of the Buddha, we, too, can
attain the ultimate goal of Buddhism. We, too, can become like the
Buddha and his prominent disciples. It is of no use merely to listen to
the Dharma or to read the Dharma, merely to write articles about the
Dharma or give lectures about it, if we do not put it into practice. It
has been said that those of us who call ourselves Buddhists can profit
by occasionally taking stock. If we see that, over the preceding years
or months, our practice of the Buddha's teachings has brought about a
change in the quality of our experience--and it will probably be only a
small change--then we know that the teachings are having some effect.
If all of us
put the teachings of the Buddha into practice, there is no doubt that we
will realize their benefits. If we seek to avoid harming others, if we
try our best to help others whenever possible, if we learn to be
mindful, if we learn to develop our ability to concentrate our minds, if
we cultivate wisdom through study, careful consideration, and
meditation, there is no doubt that the Dharma will benefit us. It will
first lead us to happiness and prosperity in this life and in the next.
Eventually, it will lead us to the ultimate goal of liberation, the
supreme bliss of nirvana.
