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Creating Space for Dharma
Fun and games with Lama Yeshe circa 1976 For more about those times, read “History in the Making,” Mandala December 2005-January 2006. The antidote to delusion, ego, and every other problem we face is the wisdom of Dharma; Dharma wisdom provides the deepest solution to every human problem. Whoever has problems needs Dharma; Dharma wisdom is the light that eliminates the dark shadow of ignorance, the main source of all human afflictions. Dharma philosophy is not Dharma; doctrine is not Dharma; religious art is not Dharma. Dharma is not that statue of Lord Buddha on your altar. Dharma is the inner understanding of reality that leads us beyond the dark shadow of ignorance, beyond dissatisfaction. It is not enough merely to accept Dharma as being true. We must also understand our individual reality, our specific needs and the purpose of Dharma as it relates to us as individuals. If we accept Dharma for reasons of custom or culture alone, it does not become properly effective for our minds. For example, it’s wrong for me to think, “I’m Tibetan, therefore, I’m a Mahayanist.” Perhaps I can talk about Mahayana philosophy, but being a Mahayanist, having Mahayana Dharma in my heart, is something else. You may have been born in a Dharma country, in an environment where religion is accepted, but if you do not use that religion to gain an understanding of the reality of your own mind, there is little sense in being a believer. Dharma cannot solve your problems if you do not approach it pragmatically. You should seek Dharma knowledge in order to stop your problems, to make yourself spiritually healthy – in religious terms, to discover eternal happiness, peace, and bliss. We ourselves are responsible for discovering our own peace and liberation… From a teaching given by Lama Yeshe at Tushita Mahayana Meditation Centre, New Delhi, India, on 31 October 1979. It was first published in Teachings at Tushita in 1981. Edited by Nicholas Ribush. Now available in Teachings from Tibet: Guidance from Great Lamas, a new offering from the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. The other fifteen chapters include teachings by the Dalai Lama, Song Rinpoche, Geshe Rabten, Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Email: info@LamaYeshe.com; tel: 781 259 4466; web: www.LamaYeshe.com |
