Salt * Wet * Fish

Old LJ entry posted on Jan. 21st, 2004 @ 08:28 am

Got a message from one of my Buddhist discussion list and felt that I could share this with you. This was taken from Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh book.

I feel that it serves as an important reminder to everyone of whatever faith that we should not simply take our scriptures at face value and as if its the real thing. Many of the scriptures that we are reading now have been interpreted and handed down over many many years, many texts are lost and many more texts are probably added.

Some buddhists I know will claim: “This is the word of Buddha!”, but my question to them is: “But this is English (or Chinese) and Buddha never spoke any of these language, so how can it his words? Even if its in his original language, it will never be the word of Buddha, because you didn’t hear him speak those words, these are what people tell us that Buddha spoke. So we are only hearing words of the authors of the text, not really his words.”

Then there are people who will “die” to protect or to prove the book or scriptures are real or authentic… I think it just stupidity.

But, of course, it does not mean that they are any less authentic now. Even though we cannot really know what was really spoken, but if we take them as guides and as a means to an end, then it really does not matter if its really spoken by the ONE or not, because others who have reach the same end can also be our guide there.

One last point that many people missed about teachings is that the teachings that we received should not make our hearts more heavier or make our lives more depressing. A good and correct teaching is supposed to provide an uplift to your life and make your journey lighter.

Yet many many people (gay people, esp) I know would just carry this heavy heavy heart with them around and choosing only to believe that they are the problem instead of the teachings.

Why do you want to punish yourself so much, my dear friends?
Why do have walk with such a heavy and guilt-ridden heart?
Life is so beautiful and precious, why don’t we learn to live it for once?
Have strength, lift up those boulders on top of your heart, lighten your load,
make your own journey easier, let loose those baggages,
and, for once, truely live life as it is given to you…
without shame, guilt and fear imposed by others onto you.

**********
From “The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching,” p. 17

Please remember that a sutra or a Dharma talk is not insight in and of itself. It is a means of presenting insight, using words and concepts. When you use a map to get to Paris, once you have arrived you can put the map away and enjoy being in Paris. If you spend all the time with your map, if you get caught by the words and notions presented by the Buddha, you’ll miss the reality. The Buddha said many times, “My teaching is like a finger pointing to the moon. Do not mistake the finger for the moon.”

In the Mahayana Buddhist tradition it is said, “If you explain the meaning of every word and phrase in the sutras, you slander the Buddhas of the three times — past, present, and future. But if you disregard even one word of the sutras, you risk speaking the words of Mara. Sutras are essential guides for our practice, but we must read them carefully and use our own intelligence and the help of a teacher and a Sangha to understand the true meaning and put it into practice. After reading a sutra or any spiritual text, we should feel lighter, not heavier. Buddhist teachings are meant to awaken our true self, not merely to add to our storehouse of knowledge.

– Thich Nhat Hanh

[Updated:28 Mar 2006] The Kalama Sutra (or Teachings to the Kalamas), also called the Charter of Free Inquiry, within Buddhism is probably the teaching that seals this in. As far as I am aware of, no other religions have any similar teachings and, hence, this is unique to Buddhism. For those who are not familiar with reading Buddhist scriptures, the summary goes like this:

The Buddha was in the village of the Kalamas, when they (the Kalamas) seeked advise from him. In those days, there were many gurus and teachers all claiming that they found the truth, so the Kalamas were very confused.

Now, what was interesting was that the Buddha did not then go about preaching his new found truth (as many other types of preachers would). He taught the Kalamas skills to discern what is useful and what is not useful as teachings and ask them to judge for themselves, instead of saying “Everyone else is wrong, only believe in me, I am your only hope and only salvation. You must do this, you must do that…”

In other words, he taught the Kalamas skills that will help them decide on all so-called truths, even including the Buddha’s own (there are commentors that disagree with this position though). What is wonderful about this is that, it showed that the Buddha was so confidence and doubtless about his teachings that he is not afraid that people would test it, criticise it, try to break it apart or find faults and flaws with it.

This is in comparison to other teachings which asks for blind obedience and unquestioned support and even punishment should anyone dare to doubt or question. Sadly, some Buddhist communities and countries seemed to have adopted that position and even enshrined in their country’s penal code, creating a mafia Sangha stronghold of sorts.

Thus it was heard that he said:

“Come, Kalamas. Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing; nor upon tradition; nor upon rumor; nor upon what is in a scripture; nor upon surmise; nor upon an axiom; nor upon specious reasoning; nor upon a bias towards a notion that has been pondered over; nor upon another’s seeming ability; nor upon the consideration, ‘The monk is our teacher.’ Kalamas, when you yourselves know: ‘These things are good; these things are not blamable; these things are praised by the wise; undertaken and observed, these things lead to benefit and happiness,’ enter on and abide in them.

What skills then did he impart to the Kalamas (and Buddhists, of course)?

The basis is the 3 poisons of Aversion, Greed and Delusion. Aversion including hatred, anger, fear, etc (a range of destructive negative emotions). Greed including sensual greed, material greed, pride, jealousy, etc (a range of wants and needs bounded by the ego). Delusion meaning not clearly seeing the reality as it is or incorrect views or knowledge (which inadvertantly leads one to aversion and greed).

Thus he asks of the people to test teachings against these 3 poisons (as it was agreed that these 3 poisons are not beneficial) and to see if they find those teaching beneficial to themselves, people around them, envrionment and other beings like animals [I added this, but is implied], whether they are wholesome (as in beneficial to the whole) and if they are praiseworthy.

Finally, he also added 4 qualities of practice that good teachings should lead to, they are love (unselfish and universal), compassion (unselfish and universal), joy (happiness for other’s joy and delight within ourselves) and equanimity (balanced-minded, equal-minded).