1. Accept that great love and great achievement require great risk. Risk is present in every great opportunity in life. If it wasn't risky, then everyone could use it, which would make it common rather than "exceptional." Separate yourself from the crowd as someone who can not only take risks, but loves to do so. This kind of confidence in life can bring you satisfaction until you get tired of it.
2. When you miss something, don't miss the lesson. If you lose what you knew to be something you shouldn't do, you will be doomed to learn that lesson again. More important, however, is the fear of failure. Failure is a precursor to success. It's unlikely that anything special you want to achieve will come without a hitch. This brings us back to the risk rule mentioned above.
3. Follow the three eternal rules: Respect yourself— Trust plays a key role in success and those who respect themselves are trusted by others. So, if you don't respect yourself, you won't be able to succeed in anything big and you won't be able to respect others. Respect others- And you will be respected mutually. Anyone who doesn't show you respect on a reciprocal basis is immediately letting you know that they aren't worth your time and don't respect themselves. Avoid weak, unreliable, self-loathing people. Take responsibility for all your actions- Only you are responsible for your feelings, actions, success, etc. You have complete control over your life, so don't try to blame other people for your mistakes or misfortunes.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes an incredible stroke of luck.. Not everything you want will necessarily be good for you in the long run. If something doesn't work out for you over a long period of time, so much so that it feels like fate has intervened, consider letting it go completely or returning to it at another time. The ways of the Universe are mysterious and should be trusted. Just make sure you don't pass off your own mistakes as clues from the Universe.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them correctly. Rules are meant to be broken. Most of them are put in place by archaic, corrupt institutions that seek only to enslave and maintain their own power. When it comes to breaking the rules they set, do it correctly to avoid punishment. But first of all, make sure that you are actually breaking the rules. If authority were never challenged, we might become a stagnant civilization.
6. Don't let a small disagreement ruin a great friendship. Obviously, friendship is more important than one small argument, but very few people actually put this rule into practice. They will also have to follow rule #7 in order to truly follow this rule.
7. When you realize you have made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it. And don't let your pride get in the way of taking these steps. Apologize, taking full responsibility. This will say more about your personality than the action that led to the mistake being made in the first place.
8. Spend some time alone with yourself every day. No matter what you do, set aside at least 30 minutes a day to spend alone in a quiet place. This will give you at least half an hour to analyze what's going on in your life, explore yourself and figure out what you want. Whether you use prayer, meditation, yoga or golf to achieve this, this ritual is a must.
9. Open your arms to change, but don't throw away your values. This world is constantly changing. If you are not open to change, then you will live a very unhappy life. You yourself will change too, but this does not mean that your values should be discarded. Welcome new places, new faces and new loves, but never change the core of yourself unless you have good reason to believe that your belief in them was wrong to begin with.
The Dalai Lama is a lineage of wisdom and also the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. The true meaning of life, paradoxes of time, friendship, love, strength, weakness, landmarks.
The true meaning of life
We are guests on this planet. We're here for 90 or 100 years, maybe longer. During this time we must try to do something good, something useful. If you help others become happy, you will discover the true purpose of life, its true meaning.
Precious human life
Every morning, when you wake up, start with the thoughts: “Today I was lucky - I woke up. I am alive, I have this precious human life, and I will not waste it. I will focus all my energy on inner development, To open my heart to others And to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I will only have good thoughts for others. I won't get angry or think anything bad about them. I will do my best to benefit others.”
Never give up
No matter what happens, never give up! Develop your heart. Too much energy in your country is spent on developing the mind rather than the heart. Develop your heart, be compassionate not only to your friends, but to everyone. Be compassionate, work for peace in your heart and in the whole world. Work for peace, and I will say it again: never give up. No matter what happens around you, no matter what happened to you - never give up!
The paradox of our time
Our houses are getting bigger, but our families are getting smaller. We have more conveniences, but less time. More degrees, but less common sense. More knowledge, but less ability to make sober judgments. More specialists, but even more problems. More medicine, but less health. We've come a long way to the moon and back, but we find it difficult to cross the street to meet our new neighbor. We created many computers to store and copy huge amounts of information, but we began to communicate less with each other. We won in quantity, but lost in quality. This is a time of fast food, but slow absorption. People of tall stature, but low morality. High incomes, but petty relationships. This is the time when there is so much outside the window, but nothing in the room!
Love and kindness
From the first moment of birth, we find ourselves under the wing of the care and kindness of our parents. Then, in our declining years, when illness and old age approach us, we again surrender ourselves to the mercy of others. If at the beginning and end of our lives we rely so much on the mercy of other beings, how can it be that in the middle we deny them kindness?
Spiritual practice
You need to start spiritual practice with the same inner aspiration, with the same attitude as a child who is passionate about sports or playing. A child, completely and completely absorbed in the game, experiences such delight that he cannot play enough. This should be the attitude of your mind when you make efforts in Dharma practice.
Buddha's Teachings
When you listen to the Teaching, your mind turns to faith and devotion, is filled with joy and becomes stable. By listening to the Teaching, you cultivate wisdom and eliminate ignorance. Therefore, listen to the Teaching, even if it costs you your life. Listen to the Teaching, for it is like a torch that dispels the darkness of ignorance. If, by listening to the Teaching, you manage to enrich your mental stream, then no one will take this wealth away from you. This wealth is the highest possible.
Correct landmarks
If you choose as a guide a person who is inferior to you in terms of merit, this will lead you to decline. If it becomes someone whose merits are comparable to yours, then you will remain at the same level. But if you decide to rely on a person who is superior in merit to you, then this will help you achieve a higher state.
Don't lose hope
When at some point in our lives we encounter real tragedy - and this can happen to any of us - we can react in two ways. We can simply lose hope, allow ourselves to fall into despair, turn to alcohol, drugs, and give in to endless melancholy. Or we can awaken ourselves, discover the energy that lies deep there, and begin to act with even greater clarity, with even greater power.
Two Important Reminders
In this ever-changing world, there are two important things to remember. The first is introspection; we must reconsider our attitude towards others again and again and check whether we are acting appropriately. Before you point your finger at someone else, you need to look inside yourself. Second, we must be willing to admit our mistakes and correct them.
Spiritual practices
The people who are best suited for spiritual practice are those who are not only intellectually gifted, but also those who have single-pointed faith and devotion, and are certainly wise. Such people are the most receptive to spiritual practice. In second place are those who, although they cannot boast of high intellectual abilities, but who have a rock-solid foundation of faith. Those who fall into the third category are least fortunate. These are people who are extremely developed intellectually, but are constantly torn by doubts and skepticism. They are smart, but every now and then they fall into the trap of skepticism and internal hesitation and cannot find a foothold. Such people are the least susceptible.
Precious moments
Try to develop within yourself the deepest conviction that your present human body has enormous potential and that you should not waste a moment while you have it. Not using this precious life properly, but just wasting it is almost equivalent to swallowing poison, fully aware of the consequences of such an act. It is fundamentally untrue that people become desperate because of the loss of money, and, wasting precious moments of their lives, do not feel the slightest remorse.
Phantom Pleasures
The modern world is so mired in conflicts and suffering that everyone now dreams of peace and happiness; this dream, unfortunately, leads people into the pursuit of illusory pleasures. But still there are enlightened people who, not finding satisfaction in what vision and other senses usually present to us, turn to deep reflection and the search for true happiness. I think this search for truth will continue and gain new strength with the growth of material progress.
Cultivate Patience
If we want to cultivate patience, then we need someone who would wholeheartedly want to harm us. Such people offer true opportunities for the practice of patience. They test our inner strength as no guru can test it. In general, patience protects us from despondency and despair.
Strength and weakness
Many people believe that patience in a moment of defeat is a sign of weakness. In my opinion, this is a mistake. It is anger that is a sign of weakness, while patience is a sign of strength. If a person defends his point of view on the basis of convincing arguments, he maintains self-confidence and sometimes even smiles, proving that he is right. If his arguments are unfounded, and he is about to lose face, then he becomes furious, loses control and begins to talk nonsense. People rarely get angry if they are confident in what they are doing. Anger usually strikes us in moments of confusion and confusion.
Reliance on a spiritual teacher
The advantage of relying on a spiritual master is that even if you have performed an action that should lead to rebirth in the lower worlds, the result of this action can be experienced by you in this life in the form of minor suffering or minor problems. Or you can even experience it in a dream and thus nullify the destructive impact of your negative actions.
Meditation
Meditation reveals to us - as we slowly go within ourselves - that this sense of inner peace already lives within us. We all sincerely desire it, although it often turns out to be hidden, disguised, and inaccessible. If we carefully consider human nature, we will find in it kindness, benevolence, and a desire to help. And it seems to me that today the desire for harmony is growing, the desire to live together in peace and quiet is becoming stronger and spreading more and more widely.
Nonviolence
Judging by external signs alone, it is difficult to determine whether an action is a manifestation of violence or non-violence. It really all depends on the motivation behind the action. If this motivation is negative, then even at a superficial level the action seems very gentle and kind, at a deeper level it will still be a manifestation of violence. Conversely, harsh actions and harsh words spoken with sincere and good motivation are essentially nonviolent. In other words, violence is destructive energy. Nonviolence is creative.
Spiritual revolution
My call for a spiritual revolution is not a call for a religious revolution. I do not encourage everyone to become “not of this world,” and especially not to something magical and mysterious. Rather, it is a call for a radical change of orientation, when, leaving our usual concern only with our own well-being, we begin to care about a larger community of beings, and in our behavior take into account the interests of others along with our own.
Selfishness does not bring happiness
Egocentrism makes us extremely tense. We consider ourselves extremely important, and our main desire is the desire for our own happiness, for everything to work out well for us personally. And yet we don't know how to achieve this. In fact, actions based on self-centeredness never bring us happiness.
The ability to forgive
It would be much more constructive if people tried to understand their so-called “enemies.” Trying to understand is much more useful than simply picking up a stone and throwing it at the object of your anger. This is especially true if you are being provoked in any way possible. For the greatest hostility also contains the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and for others.
Friendship
We are bound by true friendship if it is based on a true human feeling - a feeling of closeness, in which there is a place for a feeling of inner connection with another and the desire to share his joy and pain. I would call such friendships genuine because they are not affected by the rise or fall of material wealth, status and influence. It is determined by whether two people are connected by love and affection. True friendship is built on love and does not depend on position in society. Therefore, the more you care about the well-being and rights of others, the more reason to call you a true friend. The more openness and sincerity you have, the more benefits you will gain in the long run. If you forget about others and do not care about their fate, then in the end you yourself will suffer losses.
Peace on Earth
We cannot build peace on Earth if we do not first build it in our soul... In our heart. If there is an atmosphere of hatred, anger, competition and violence, long-term peace is impossible. These negative and destructive emotions must be overcome by the power of compassion, love, altruism, which form the basis of the Buddha's Teachings.
Selfishness
Understanding the importance of compassion can also be achieved through logical thinking. If I help another and show concern for him, then it will be useful for me too. If I harm others, I will eventually suffer myself. I often say, half jokingly and half seriously, that if we really want to be selfish, then our selfishness should be reasonable, not stupid. By using our mental abilities, we can develop a correct worldview. With careful reflection, you can come to a clear understanding of how to achieve your own goals while living a compassionate lifestyle.
Diversity of religions
All religions have a single root - boundless compassion. They all emphasize human improvement, love and respect for others, and compassion for the suffering of other beings. And since love is of decisive importance in any religion, we can say that love is the universal religion. However, in different traditions there is a wide variety of techniques and methods for developing such love, and this is where they differ from each other.
It is unlikely that there will ever be one single philosophy or one single religion. Since there are so many different types of people with different tendencies and inclinations, it makes sense that there should be different religions. In fact, the presence of so many different descriptions of the spiritual path testifies to the richness of religion.
Everyone's responsibility
I believe that we must consciously strengthen our sense of Universal responsibility. We must learn to work not only for the sake of our individual self, family or state, but for the good of all humanity.
Patience
A person with a huge reserve of patience and tolerance goes through life with a special degree of calm and tranquility. Such a person is not only happy and emotionally balanced, but he is also healthier and less susceptible to illness. He has a strong will, a good appetite, and it is easier for him to fall asleep, because his conscience is clear.
When the Chinese Communists invaded Tibet, I was only fifteen years old. A year later, the Tibetan government decided that I should take control of the country's affairs into my own hands. It was a difficult period of life; the freedom of an entire people was destroyed before our eyes. In 1959, I was forced to flee my country's capital to India under the cover of darkness. There, in exile, we faced every day a variety of difficulties: from adapting to a completely new climate for us to the need to rebuild our cultural institutions.
Spiritual practice gave me a worldview that allowed me to continue searching for solutions without losing sight of the fact that we are all human beings, vulnerable to bad thoughts, united by a common bond and capable of becoming better people. Through this, I realized that compassion, peace and insight are extremely important qualities for everyday life that need to be cultivated through daily practices. Difficulties will inevitably arise, which is why it is so important to have the right inner attitude. Anger reduces our ability to distinguish right from wrong. But it is one of the most excellent traits inherent in people. If we lose it, we ourselves can be considered lost. Sometimes we are forced to act decisively, but this can be done without anger. There's no need to be angry, it's just pointless. Compassion and calm are the qualities that give the willpower stability.
In my opinion, everyone needs compassion. Peace of mind and a compassionate attitude towards the world are the main needs of all humanity. The desire for empathy is the basis of healthy development for all people of different ages and professions: students, politicians, engineers, scientists, housewives, doctors, teachers, lawyers.
Nowadays, many people who have interacted with Tibetans note their integrity. Despite the fact that the Tibetan people lost their own country due to the invasion and are now experiencing constant hardships, their representatives are calm and do not lose their composure. Some people think that this character trait is inherent in Tibetans by nature, but for most it is obvious that it grows out of their worldview: a willingness to use unfavorable circumstances for spiritual development. Thanks to this, Tibetans manage to avoid depression, and their carefreeness is an external manifestation of internal freedom from anxiety. The reason for this is the teaching of compassion, which is widespread in Tibet.
There are great benefits to practicing compassion in a way that is consistent with our capabilities. It is also very important to make wishes so that we can do more compassionate things in the future. When people do their work with the right intention, it begins to be beneficial. On the other hand, if a person uses his professional qualities without having such an intention, but acting out of selfish motives or under the influence of anger, then his professional activity does not benefit humanity. Instead, the skills and abilities acquired in the course of mastering a profession entail misfortune and trouble. So empathy is the most important thing.
I have learned from my own experience that it is possible to change one's inner attitude and transform the mind. Despite the fact that the mind is represented in the human body as a gray, soft, shapeless substance, it can be stronger than steel. To harden it, you need to exercise patience and determination. If we train our minds with perseverance and determination, moving towards our goals step by step, we will achieve success no matter what difficulties may arise along the way. Patience, practice and time will bring about change. Don't give up, be brave and go as far as you can.
Dalai Lama. “The Heart of Meditation: Understanding Deep Awareness”, Publishing House “E”, 2017
E.S. Dalai- Lama
Create positive karma
Karma means action. Karma is a Sanskrit word that translates to "action". Whether people use the word "karma" or not, I think everyone knows that everything depends entirely on their efforts, on their actions. In this sense, the words “effort” and “karma” contain approximately the same meaning.
It follows that if you want something, be it to overcome suffering or achieve something favorable, then prayers alone are not enough. You need to work, you need to create karma - positive karma. Positive karma is positive action.
Don't waste your human birth
It is very difficult to piece together the reasons leading to the acquisition of human life with all its benefits and freedoms. When you reflect on this topic, you immediately begin to feel how precious your human birth is. If you waste it, you will later sincerely regret what happened.
What makes us waste our human birth? Clinging to the constancy of this life that we have today, and therefore it is necessary to reflect on the fact that our current life contains the necessary benefits and opportunities for finding true happiness.
Don't get caught up in anger
First, you must understand that anger can fill you with some energy for a short moment, for a short time. But this energy is blind energy. Anger actually blocks the part of the brain that allows you to reason, to differentiate between good and bad. When we are completely in the grip of anger, we lose the ability to see reality. This energy makes us bolder, but it is blind energy.
In order to solve the problem, our method must correspond to reality. And to choose such a method, you need to know what reality is. When we observe reality, when we explore it, our mind must be at peace, otherwise we cannot achieve an objective view of things. In order to properly engage the human mind, you must first bring your mind into a calm state. Think like this: firstly, anger deprives us of inner peace, and secondly, it deprives us of the ability to explore reality.
Think about it. And when you achieve a clear awareness that anger is useless, that it only brings destruction, you will be able to distance yourself a little from anger.
Painful emotions harm us
One of my childhood memories illustrates exactly how painful emotions harm us. When I was a teenager, one of my favorite pastimes was trying to fix old cars that had been given to my predecessor, the thirteenth Dalai Lama, shortly before his death in 1933. There were four cars - two small cars." Austin" of British manufacture and a Dodge and Jeep of American origin. Together they represented almost the entire automobile fleet of Tibet. In the eyes of the young Dalai Lama, these dirty relics had an indescribable attraction, and I passionately wanted to get them moving again.
But actually, my secret dream was to learn to drive a car. However, only after my endless pestering of various officials, I finally found a person who understood something about cars. It was Lhakpa Tsering, who came from Kalimponga, a city located near the border with India. I remember one day he was digging into the engine of one of the cars and, having dropped the wrench, cursed loudly and tried to straighten up abruptly. Unfortunately, he forgot about the open hood of the car hanging over him and hit his head on it with a terrible crash. But then, to my great surprise, instead of carefully getting out from under the hood, he became even more angry and straightened his back again - and hit his head a second time, even harder! For a moment I froze in amazement at such absurdity. But then I realized that I couldn’t stop laughing.
Flash Lhakpa Tseringa only led to him receiving two magnificent bruises. For him it was just bad luck. But we can also see how painful emotions destroy one of our most precious qualities, namely our capacity for discriminative awareness. Deprived of the ability to distinguish good from bad, the ability to assess where there is long-term and where only short-term benefit for ourselves and for others, to foresee the most possible consequences of our actions, we become no better than animals. It is not surprising that, under the influence of painful emotions, we do things that would never have occurred to us under other circumstances.
My body, soul and mind should be dedicated to the welfare of all living beings
Question: - Have you never had a situation where you wanted to do something good, but it turned out bad?
Reply E.S.- No I do not think so. I am a Buddhist monk. This means that my body, soul and mind should be dedicated to the welfare of all living beings. At the same time, I should not expect any reward for this. If you are waiting for something, then you are already a businessman. Or a businesswoman. Hehe. In business, you do something good and expect profit. And here everything is complete and it doesn’t matter how this person treats you.
The beauty of the body depends on the control of the mind
My friends, when we meet them, say that I won’t be over sixty. I know that many women use... this what’s her name... (turns to the secretary: “How’s it going? Huh!”) cosmetics! Hehe. You need to control your mind, then your body will be fine.
A person must change
Every person is obliged to change. Change in the world depends on the change of individuals.
Liberation can be achieved in worldly life
Many kings and ministers of India and Tibet practiced the Dharma. If someone really strives for Liberation, it can be achieved in ordinary worldly life.
Optimism is the key to success
It's difficult to achieve even small goals if you're pessimistic from the start. This is why it is important to always remain optimistic. An optimistic attitude is the key to success.
Attachments and the false concept of self
Why do attachments and other similar phenomena arise with such enormous force? They arise due to the beginningless conditioning of the consciousness of all beings of samsara, firmly holding on to the “I” even in sleep.
This false concept of self arises due to lack of knowledge about the essence of things. The fact that all objects of knowledge are empty—that is, they have no independent existence—is not obvious, and it seems that things are self-sufficient and have an independent reality. This delusion is the root of all other obscurations.
The main thing is to have the right installation
If you have the right attitude, all physical and verbal actions become spiritual practice. But if you don’t have the right attitude, if you don’t know how to think correctly, no matter how much you meditate, no matter how much you read sacred texts, and even if you live in a monastery all your life, you will achieve nothing. For spiritual practice, the most important thing is the attitude of the mind, therefore one should take the highest Refuge in the Three Jewels - the Buddha, His Teaching (Dharma) and the Spiritual Community ( Sangha), take into account the connection between actions (karmas) and their consequences, develop a desire to help others.
About mother
I come from a very distant place in northeast Tibet. From a remote village where people lived by peasant labor. Mother and father were illiterate people. However, my mother had an unusually kind heart. She was a very good mother.
We, her children, grew up in an atmosphere of love and, it seems to me, this had a huge influence on us. Sometimes I jokingly tell my friends: My mother was very kind to me... When I was growing up, I was the youngest. A mother, of course, loves all her children, but the youngest especially deeply. And with this she spoiled me a little.
Why? In peasant families, mothers usually carry their children on their shoulders. It was the same with me - my mother carried me on her shoulders. And she was so kind that I began to command her. I held her by the ears. When he wanted to turn right, he pulled her right ear. When I wanted to go left, I went to the left. And if my mother did not obey, then I began to cry and kick my legs.
I'm sure that what little kindness I have I originally got from my mother...
Advice Chenrezig
In the early sixties, before the start of the Cultural Revolution, in one of my dreams I met Chenrezig in the temple Jokhang in Lhasa. There is the most famous statue of this deity. In the dream I entered a room and a statue Chenrezig she winked at me and motioned to come closer. And I felt great joy, I went up to him and hugged him. And he told me something like this:“Stay focused. Make an effort despite the obstacles. Whatever the difficulties, continue your work."
At that moment I felt happy. But now that I think about that dream, I understand the advice. Chenrezig otherwise:“Your life will not be easy. You will encounter difficulties. They won't go away quickly. But there is no reason to despair."
Keep hope despite any difficulties
I always say, I always believe that the goal of our life is happiness. The explanation is simple: we largely live in hopes - we have no guarantees. There are no guarantees that the future will be bright. We live only by hopes. We hope that everything will be fine, that it will get better. But when we lose hope and completely lose heart, then such an internal attitude itself shortens our life, it is difficult for us to remain healthy.
Keep hope, despite any difficulties, do not lose inspiration. “I can overcome these difficulties.” Such an attitude will not only strengthen you internally and give you self-confidence, but will also allow you to act honestly, truthfully, and openly. By doing this, you will earn the trust of other people, and trust will result in friendship. We are collective animals, we need friends. Many of the problems facing the modern world cannot be solved by one person alone. Cooperation is needed, not only within the country, but also at the global level. Take global warming for example. To solve such problems, cooperation from all countries of the world and joint efforts are necessary. And for this there must be trust, friendship - this is vitally important!
About the Big Bang Theory
Regarding the big bang theory in cosmology. We Buddhists easily accept this theory. However, from a Buddhist point of view, a big bang must be preceded by another big bang, and so on ad infinitum. Otherwise, if there was only one big explosion, how can this be explained? There must be conditions and reasons for this, which in turn implies the existence of a previous big bang. This point of view is in full accordance with Buddhist cosmology, the world is infinite - worlds arise and disappear, arise and disappear.
About the stream of consciousness
As for the stream of consciousness itself, there is not a single event or factor that could lead to its complete destruction. Nagarjuna proves that the original mind and the defilements or obscurations that obscure its inherent clarity are two separate entities. Obscurations and defilements of the mind can be eliminated by practicing the powerful antidotes contained in the teachings of the Buddha. However, the flow of the mind itself remains endless.
Self confidence
We can develop self-confidence, but not blind self-confidence, but such confidence that is accompanied by concern for other beings. If this is how we develop self-confidence, then inner strength appears within us.
Openness
If you lead your life honestly, truthfully, then you can be completely open in your actions, otherwise you will have to hide something, hide something. You won't be able to be open. And it's very bad. This is bad for trust.
Don't give in to grief
When my Mentor died, who gave me full monastic vows, a person infinitely close to me, I realized: “Until this day, he was like an indestructible rock for me, on which I could always lean. Now there is no support left.” I felt defenseless, but then I began to think and realized that there was no point in worrying, because it had already happened. Anxiety will not bring my teacher back. I decided that I must implement the wishes of my mentor, his advice. The time had come to put into practice what he expected of me. I advise people who have lost a close friend, parent, or spouse to think like this: “This man was very dear to me, and I was dear to him, and therefore I must try to fulfill his wishes.”
Let’s imagine that after death, life continues and the person who left you sees that after his departure you continue to work with a sincere desire to accomplish everything that he wanted. In this case, the person close to you will be very happy. And if he sees that excessive worries have deprived you of fortitude and made you helpless, then he will be very upset. Not only was his own life cut short, but he would also be very worried about the person dear to him. Think this way, and then the tragedy will not deprive you of strength, but, on the contrary, will give you willpower, determination and optimism.
About Buddha. Question and answer
Question: - Did Shakyamuni Buddha enter nirvana or remain in samsara as a bodhisattva? If not, why not?
Answer E.S.: - Here the principle of the Four Bodies of the Buddha (Four kai). The reason for achieving Buddhahood is to serve all other living beings. Since there are countless living beings in all worlds and universes, therefore the Buddha must serve them endlessly. According to the theory of four kai, Buddha Shakyamuni - nirmanakaya. A nirmanakaya- manifestation sambhogakaya. These two bodies belong to rupakae- Shaped Body. Another body is dharmakaya, or jnanakaya- wisdom that fully comprehends (everything) while remaining in meditative equilibrium.
So, the generation of the embodiment of the wisdom of the Buddha, jnanakayas which penetrates into the nature of reality and is inseparable from it, arises from the embodiment of the true nature of the Buddha - swabhavikakai.
Why did Buddha die? The fact of his death was also a kind of message intended for many people. So the Buddha's entry into Mahaparinirvana does not mean that the Buddha's energy or service has ended. No. And even some people I knew had the opportunity to see Buddha. Like this.
Keep it consistent
In everyday life, when you encounter suffering and become discouraged, it is important to encourage yourself. And you also need to ground yourself when you get too excited. If you have the courage to face difficulties and adversity, they will not throw you out of balance. Some become discouraged in the face of poverty, others become self-important when they acquire a little wealth. The best thing is to remain constant in the face of both suffering and happiness.
Transform unfavorable situations into spiritual practice
If you are able to transform unfavorable situations into factors for spiritual development, then obstacles will become favorable conditions for spiritual practice. By accustoming your mind to such practice, you will achieve success, and nothing will hinder your spiritual development. This ability to transform unfavorable situations is said to signify genuine spiritual practice.
The power of aspiration
Think: “From now on until I attain Buddhahood, always in this life until I die, especially this year, this month and this very day, I will be vigilant in not allowing disturbing emotions to arise due to the false idea of self. . I will not allow them to direct the actions of my body, speech and mind." In general, any undertaking will be more successful if it is well planned. But first of all, success depends on strong determination.
Supreme Being
All religious traditions have a concept - a supreme being. He is called God, Allah, Buddha or Bodhisattva, they give different explanations, but everyone recognizes that there is a being with more extensive knowledge, deeper experience and colossal energy.
Avoid bad deeds and do good
We create magnificent altars and go on costly pilgrimages, but it is much more important to remember the words of the Buddha: “Avoid evil deeds and do good; direct all practices to educate the mind". If our practice does not allow us to get rid of obscurations, negative mood and disturbing states of mind, it means that we are doing something wrong.
Instruction to “Treat Any Deed of the Guru as Perfect”: Treat with Caution
On the path of spiritual improvement, the student needs to rely on the teacher and meditate on his kindness and virtues; however, the instruction to “perceive any act of the guru as perfect” can only be applied in the context of the Buddhist teaching as a whole and a rational approach to the knowledge that it preaches. Since this instruction to “consider every action of the teacher as perfect” is borrowed from the highest tantra and is mentioned in the Lamrim mainly to prepare the student for the performance of tantric practices, beginners should treat it with caution.
Meditate on suffering
Meditate on the suffering of beings in the lower worlds - in the hells, in the world of hungry ghosts and in the animal world. Regarding the world of hells, it is quite difficult to agree with what is written in the Abhidharma and other similar texts. But regardless of what these worlds actually are, we can come to the conclusion that there is a state with the extreme possible forms of suffering.
Approach to Spiritual Practice
I think that among lam-rim practitioners, there are those who have strong faith in the Dharma. For those who have strong faith but lack understanding, it is good to begin by contemplating the rarity of the precious human birth. But, as stated earlier, for some types of people it is better to reflect on the Four Noble Truths, that is, such students begin immediately with intermediate-level practices. This approach will endow them with very extensive knowledge and as a result will allow them to naturally understand the essence of the precious human birth. In this process, the role of the guru is very significant and obvious. On the contrary, when from the very beginning the importance and significance of the guru is established by quotations from Sutra and Tantra, then for many it is quite difficult to understand. After all, first of all, the student will ask about the significance of the texts themselves.
Two paths to happiness
Fortunately, you can come in two ways. The first way is external. By acquiring a better home, better clothes, more pleasant friends, we can find happiness and satisfaction to one degree or another. The second path is the path of spiritual development, and it allows you to achieve inner happiness. However, these two approaches are not equivalent. External happiness without internal happiness cannot last long. If life is painted in black colors for you, if your heart lacks something, you will not be happy, no matter how much luxury you surround yourself with. But if you have achieved inner peace, you can find happiness even in the most difficult conditions. Material well-being in itself can sometimes help solve a problem, but in return it creates another. Let's say a person can be rich, well educated, occupy a high position in society, but happiness passes him by, and now he begins to take sedatives and abuse alcohol. He is always missing something, he is still not satisfied with something and finds salvation in drugs or in a bottle. On the other hand, there are people who don’t have much money to worry about, and they enjoy peace. Poor in material terms, such people are still content and happy. This is what the right mental attitude means. Material wealth alone can never completely solve the problem of human suffering.
Pearls of Wisdom
Just as we encourage physical hygiene to maintain health, we also need emotional hygiene and mental hygiene.
Everyone strives for a happy life and peace of mind, but to find peace, you need to devote time to spiritual practice.
People's ability to smile seems to be one of their best qualities.
Altruistic acts not only bring us happiness, but also reduce the feeling of suffering.
Moral action is refraining from disturbing someone else's sense of happiness or hope for other people's happiness.
Altruism is an essential component of those actions that lead to true happiness.
Those who are actually friends of social position, money and fame are not friends of the man who has all these things.
The main characteristic of true happiness is peace - inner peace.
The true source of happiness is within us.
If you lose, don't lose the lesson.
The spirit in Buddhist medicine is primary, and physical health is secondary, it is just a derivative of the state of a person’s soul. Therefore, the fundamental principle of Buddhist health care is very simple: happy people get sick less. Buddhist monk Barry Kerzin spoke about how the Dalai Lama and all other Buddhists take care of their health, what they get sick with, how they are treated and how they die at the lecture “Human Health: In Harmony of Soul and Body.”
This was a rare opportunity to learn something almost first-hand about the Dalai Lama, because he himself has not come to us since 2004 for reasons that have nothing to do with Buddhism. And that visit to Elista caused protests from China, which considers the spiritual leader of the Buddhists a separatist. Monk Kerzin is the personal physician of the Dalai Lama, and who else, if not him, knows all the intricacies of Buddhist health care.
How do Buddhists heal?
Barry Kerzin answered one of the main questions after the lecture, when he was asked: “What to do from the point of view of Buddhism if a person has a cold and has a sore throat?” “Go to the doctor,” the Dalai Lama’s personal doctor advised without a hint of irony.
Monk Kerzin, who, in addition to a Buddhist academic degree similar to our doctorate, also has an American medical diploma, answered in a purely American way. In the USA, you can’t even buy a regular gargle without a prescription from a doctor. If he had our medical diploma, he would simply advise gargling with a soda solution and taking a pill.
But if in our originally Western medicine the treatment ends with a pill, then in Buddhist medicine it is just beginning. According to Barry Kerzin, the main thing in it is the patient’s mood when he takes the medicine. At the same time, the Buddhist thinks: “I took the pill and now I will be cured. I will be fine, but it would be even better if everyone else who has a sore throat were also cured, and it would be absolutely wonderful if no one There's never been a sore throat in the world."
Such a positive attitude, which does not allow one to become fixated on one’s own health problems and does not even allow the thought that a pill will not help, is a guarantee of a Buddhist’s recovery.
In other words, the famous ancient Roman principle “A healthy mind in a healthy body,” from which Western medicine grew, is turned upside down by Buddhists, or, from their point of view, upside down.
For example, the Dalai Lama's personal physician is quite skeptical about the widespread stereotype of ideas about the healing power of yoga. Yes, it can help with some diseases of the respiratory system, but, of course, not infectious ones, he emphasized. It will help with blood pressure and some psychological ailments. But it will only help, it will not cure.
The Dalai Lama himself, who by virtue of his position as the spiritual leader of Buddhists meditates a lot and has a high degree of enlightenment, relies more on conventional training. According to his personal doctor, the Dalai Lama spends at least half an hour a day on the treadmill.
Barry Kerzin considers Buddhist “prostration” (analogous to prayer with prostrations and prostration in other world religions) to be a useful exercise in the morning. If there is also a spiritual component in it, then such exercise, of course, is even more useful.
What do Buddhists suffer from?
Buddhists suffer from all the same diseases that adherents of other religions and atheists suffer from. The main difference is in understanding the cause of the disease. And the cause of any illness for a Buddhist is his karma. From the standpoint of our worldview, it is difficult to find one synonym for karma. Therefore, Barry Kerzin clarified that in this case, “karma” is the long-term consequences of a person’s past actions.
If the actions were bad, unkind, then the person is doomed to get sick. What exactly is not so important, karma is not a diagnosis, but retribution for the lack of kindness towards others, and not only towards people, but to all living beings, emphasizes the Dalai Lama’s personal physician.
From this, however, a question that is inconvenient for Buddhism logically follows. Why do even the most consistent Buddhists get sick and die, including the Dalai Lamas and even Buddhist gods?
The question, from a Buddhist point of view, is absurd. After all, Buddhists do not live one life, but continuously travel from one life to another. One life is probably not enough, explains Barry Kerzin, to pay off all the debts accumulated in previous lives.
How Buddhists Die
The death of a Buddhist comes in eight stages. The first four of them, according to the Dalai Lama’s personal physician, are well known to Western medicine. At the first stage, muscles and bones weaken. In the second, the juices “dry” - blood, lymph, hormones, and other biological fluids. On the third, the “fire” weakens and the body gets colder. On the fourth and final stage, the movement of the heart, lungs, and other organs stops.
At this moment, Western doctors diagnose the onset of clinical death. From the point of view of our medicine, a return to life is still possible within a few minutes, sometimes tens of minutes. And from the Buddhist point of view, the last four stages of dying begin.
Barry Kerzin did not explain the essence of each, citing the difficulty of understanding them for the uninitiated. He only said that at the very last eighth stage an experienced yogi can linger for days, weeks and even months. In fact, he is a corpse, but there is no decay, and an aura even appears around him, the feeling of which makes those around him feel good.
But for ordinary Buddhists who do not master this technique, a maximum of 72 hours is allotted for dying, no more.
By the way, it is easy to personally experience death in a Buddhist way. Its eighth and final stage occurs when a person yawns or sneezes. The same processes occur in the body at this moment, says Barry Kerzin, and after that bliss sets in. If you think about it, he's probably right. A hearty sneeze or yawn is truly bliss.
Scientific background of Buddhist medicine
According to Barry Kerzin, the main principle of Buddhist medicine - the positive attitude of the patient - has been unconsciously used by Western medicine for a long time in various schools of psychotherapy. But research into this phenomenon has been particularly intensive only in the last half century.
Barry Kerzin himself was invited in 2011 by the German Max Planck Scientific Society as a consultant for such research and personally takes part in experiments to find a material carrier of Buddhist health.
The search is carried out “at random,” as experimental scientists like to say. A variety of physical and chemical indicators are taken from experimental patients using various instruments, trying to determine which of them are reliably influenced by human emotions.
So far, according to the Buddhist scientist Kerzin, it has been possible to show that a person’s positive attitude strengthens his immune system and, accordingly, the body’s resistance to disease. But this has long been known even without Buddhism. So far no one has died from happiness, but from anger, melancholy and other negative emotions people definitely die prematurely.
The Dalai Lama's personal physician places some hope in epigenetics, the science that studies what happens not in the genes themselves, but around them. Allegedly, a person’s mood affects the rate of protein synthesis by genes. But for now this is not even a theory level, but only a hypothesis.
Kerzin’s special scientific pride is the discovery of periods of unusually large amplitude gamma rhythms in the electroencephalogram (EEG) of Buddhists in a state of meditation. True, a similar phenomenon is observed in epileptics at the time of a seizure, and very similar in schizophrenics during moments of exacerbation. But this does not bother the Dalai Lama’s personal physician.
“Epileptics then don’t remember anything, but a meditator remembers everything,” Kerzin objects and adds that the same gamma bursts were recorded on the EEG of mice at the moment of their death, so what?
Buddhist Kindness Therapy
You can have different attitudes to what the Dalai Lama’s personal physician said. But among other things, he mentioned that he himself was a chronically ill lung patient, and a few hours before the lecture, fluid was sucked out of his lungs. “I couldn’t help but come, you were waiting for me,” he said simply, without affectation.
Lung drainage surgery, if anyone knows, is a rather unpleasant, tedious and painful procedure. But you couldn't tell by Barry Kerzin's appearance. He looked great, even fresher, perhaps, than many of the young listeners in the audience. This alone makes one wonder about the therapeutic effectiveness of the Buddhist principle of kindness to others.
But if only it were that simple. As if he had read the thoughts of the audience, the Dalai Lama’s doctor explained, using an example, what real Buddhist kindness is.
If someone insulted you, you are offended, you are furious. But if you think about it, Barry Kerzin explained, you will realize that it was not the person who offended you, but his words. That is, the words are to blame, not the person. Taking revenge on words is stupid. When you understand this, you will feel funny. You will laugh.
If you get hit on the head with a club, isn't it funny that the stick is to blame and not the person holding it, Barry Kerzin mercilessly continued to reveal the essence of Buddhist kindness.
There was a feeling, and with every word he said, that the feeling grew stronger that such a seemingly simple and easy Buddhist therapy was irrevocably floating into the distance beyond our reach.
“I know it’s difficult the first time,” the Dalai Lama’s personal physician smiled.
It is very difficult to feel kindness towards a person who hits you over the head with a baseball bat, even if it is your karma. To do this, you really need to be a very enlightened Buddhist.
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