I Wonder Why 2018 PDF

Thubten Chodron
on d e r
w y
w h
Published for Free Distribution Only
Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery

Awaken Publishing and Design
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1st Edition, May 1999

2nd Edition, 3rd print, November 2016
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© Thubten Chodron
EWON-0301-0418
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Contents
The Essence of Buddhism & The Buddhist Traditions ...... 1
The Buddha ............................................................................... 11
Idols & Offerings ...................................................................... 20
Prayer & Dedicating Positive Potential ............................... 25
Rebirth vs. Creation ................................................................ 32
Karma: The Functioning of Cause & Effect ........................ 38
Impermanence & Suffering ................................................... 47
Death .......................................................................................... 51
Attachment, Detachment & Desire ...................................... 56
Women & the Dharma ............................................................ 61
Monks, Nuns & Lay Devotees ................................................ 63
Meditation ................................................................................. 73
Steps Along the Path .............................................................. 79
Selflessness ............................................................................... 81
Vajrayana .................................................................................. 86
Dedication
By the merits of printing this book,

May all sentient beings
have happiness and its causes;
be free of suffering and its causes;
not be separated from sorrowless bliss;
abide in equanimity free of bias,
attachment and anger,
and share with others compassion.
Preface
I had been in Singapore just a few days when a young

man appeared at my door. “Can I ask you some
questions about Buddhism?” he queried. We sat down
and began to talk. Some of his questions were similar
to the ones that westerners who were just meeting
Buddhism would ask. Yet others were peculiar to
Asians who had grown up in societies where Buddhism
and the old folk religions were often mixed up, at least
in the minds of the lay people. As I began teaching
in Singapore, I noticed over and over again that the
same questions were being asked. Especially the
young people, who were intelligent and educated,
were earnestly seeking to understand Buddhism and
its relationship to modern life.
Soon thereafter, another man came to see me,
and in the course of our discussion he said, “We need
to hear about the Buddha’s teachings in everyday
English, a clear explanation without a lot of Pali and
Sanskrit terms that we do not understand. Why not
publish a book on some of your talks? I would be
happy to help you.”
The idea to write this small book thus came from
these two people — Lee Siew Cheung and Robert
Gwee. My motivation has been to benefit others,
although my knowledge is limited and my writing
style poor. Any mistakes are due entirely to my own
ignorance.
My deepest respect and gratitude is offered to the
Buddhas and to my spiritual masters, especially His
Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tsenzhab Serkong Rinpoche
and Zopa Rinpoche.
Thubten Chodron
The Essence of Buddhism &
The Buddhist Traditions
What is the essence of the Buddha’s teachings?

Simply speaking, it is to avoid harming others and
to help them as much as possible. Another way of
expressing this is, “Abandon negative action; create
perfect virtue; subdue your own mind. This is the
teaching of the Buddha.” By abandoning negative
actions (killing, etc.) and destructive motivations
(anger, attachment, close-mindedness, etc.), we stop
harming ourselves and others. By creating perfect
virtue, we develop beneficial attitudes, like impartial
love and compassion, and do actions motivated by
these thoughts. By subduing our mind, we cut away
all false projections, thus making ourselves calm and
peaceful by understanding reality.
The essence of Buddha’s teachings is also
contained in the three principles of the path: definite
emergence, the dedicated heart and wisdom realising
emptiness. Initially, we seek definitely to emerge from
the confusion of our problems and their causes. Then,
we see that other people also have problems, and
2
with love and compassion, we dedicate our heart to

becoming a Buddha so that we are capable of helping
others extensively. In order to do this, we develop the
wisdom understanding the real nature of ourselves
and other phenomena.
What are the Three Jewels?

What does it mean to take refuge in them?
The Three Jewels are the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.
Buddha is one who has purified all the defilements
of the mind — the afflictive emotions, the imprints
of the actions motivated by them, and the stains of
these afflictive emotions — and who has developed all
good qualities, such as impartial love and compassion,
wisdom knowing all existence, and skilful means of
guiding others.
The Dharma embodies the preventive measures
which keep us from problems and suffering. This
includes the teachings of the Buddha, as well as the
realisations of those teachings — the cessations of
problems and their causes, and the realisations or
paths which lead to those cessations.
The Sangha are those beings who have direct non-
conceptual perception of emptiness or ultimate truth.
On a relative level, Sangha also refers to the ordained
people who put the Buddha’s teachings into practise.
The Essence of Buddhism & The Buddhist Traditions 3
The Dharma is our real refuge, the medicine we

take which cures our problems and their causes. The
Buddha is like the doctor, who correctly diagnoses the
cause of our problems and prescribes the appropriate
medicine. By assisting us in the practise, the Sangha is
similar to the nurse who helps us take the medicine.
Taking refuge means that we rely wholeheartedly
on the Three Jewels to inspire and guide us towards
a constructive and beneficial direction to take in our
life. Taking refuge does not mean passively hiding
under the protection of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.
Rather, it is an active process of taking the direction
they show and improving the quality of our life.
Why are there many Buddhist traditions?

The Buddha gave a wide variety of teachings because
sentient beings (any being with a mind who is not a
Buddha, including those in other realms of existence)
have different dispositions, inclinations and interests.
The Buddha never expected us all to fit into the
same mould. Thus, he gave many teachings and
described various ways of practising so each of us
could find something that suits our level of mind
and our personality. With skill and compassion in
guiding others, the Buddha turned the wheel of
Dharma three times, each time setting forth a slightly
4
different philosophical system in order to suit the

various dispositions of sentient beings. The essence
of all the teachings is the same: the wish definitely
to emerge from the cycle of constantly recurring
problems (samsara), compassion for others and the
wisdom realising selflessness.
Not everyone likes the same kind of food. When a
huge buffet is spread before us, we choose the dishes
that we like. There is no obligation to like everything.
Although we may have a preferential taste for sweets,
that does not mean that the salty dishes are not good
and should be thrown away! Similarly, we may prefer
a certain approach to the teachings: Theravada, Pure
Land, Zen, Vajrayana, and so on. We are free to choose
the approach that suits us best and with which we
feel the most comfortable. Yet we still maintain an
open mind and respect for other traditions. As our
mind develops, we may come to understand elements
in other traditions that we failed to comprehend
previously. In short, whatever is useful and helps us
live a better life, we practise, and whatever we do not
yet understand, we leave aside without rejecting it.
While we may find one particular tradition best
suited for our personality, do not identify with it
in a concrete way: “I am a Mahayanist, you are a
Theravadin,” or “I am a Buddhist, you are a Christian.”
It is important to remember that we are all human
beings seeking happiness and wanting to realise the
truth, and we each must find a method suitable for

our disposition.
However, keeping an open mind to different
approaches does not mean to mix everything
together at random, making our practise like chop
suey. Do not mix meditation techniques from different
traditions together in one meditation session.
In one session, it is better to do one technique. If we
take a little of this technique and a little from that,
and without understanding either one very well mix
them together, we may end up confused. However,
a teaching emphasised in one tradition may enrich
our understanding and practise of another. Also, it is
advisable to do the same meditations daily. If we do
breathing meditation one day, chanting the Buddha’s
name the next, and analytical meditation the third, we
will not make progress in any of them for there is no
continuity in the practise.
What are the various Buddhist traditions?

Generally, there are two divisions: Theravada and
Mahayana. The Theravada lineage (Tradition of the
Elders), which relies on sutras recorded in the Pali
language, spread from India to Sri Lanka, Thailand,
Burma, etc. It emphasises meditation on the breath to
develop concentration and meditation on mindfulness
6
of the body, feelings, mind and phenomena in order

to develop wisdom. The Mahayana (Great Vehicle)
tradition, based on the scriptures recorded in Sanskrit
spread to China, Tibet, Japan, Korea, Vietnam,
etc. Although in the Theravadin practise love and
compassion are essential and important factors,
in the Mahayana they are emphasised to an even
greater extent. Within Mahayana, there are several
branches: Pure Land emphasises chanting the name
of Amitabha Buddha in order to be reborn in his pure
land; Zen emphasises meditation to eliminate the
noisy, conceptual mind; Vajrayana (Diamond Vehicle)
employs meditation on a deity in order to transform
our contaminated body and mind into the body and
mind of the Buddha.
Why do people in some Buddhist traditions eat

meat, while those in others are vegetarian?
Initially, it may appear confusing that the Theravada
eat meat, the Chinese Mahayanists do not and
the Tibetans, who practise the Vajrayana, do. This
difference in practise depends on the different
emphasis of each tradition: the emphasis of the
Theravadin teachings is to eliminate attachment
towards sense objects and to cease the discriminating
mind that says, “I like this and not that.” Thus, when
the monks go out on alms round, they are to accept
silently and with gratitude whatever is offered to

them, be it meat or not. It would not only offend the
benefactors but also harm a monk’s own practise of
detachment, if he said, “I cannot eat meat, so give me
more of those delicious vegetables.” Thus, provided
that the meat comes from an animal that the monk
neither orders to be killed, nor sees, hears or suspects
is killed to give him the meat, he is permitted to eat
it. However, it is wise for those who make offerings
to remember that the principal premise of Buddhism
is not to harm others, and to choose what they offer
accordingly.
Upon the foundation of detachment, compassion
for other beings is emphasised, especially in the
Mahayana tradition. Thus, for such a practitioner it
is advisable not to eat meat to avoid inflicting pain
on any being and to prevent potential butchers
from committing negative actions. Also, because
of the vibration of meat, it can impede an ordinary
practitioner from developing great compassion.
Therefore, vegetarianism is recommended.
The tantric path or Vajrayana has four classes.
In the lower classes, external cleanliness and purity
are emphasised as a technique for the practitioner
to generate internal purity of mind. Therefore, these
practitioners do not eat meat, which is regarded
as impure. On the other hand, in the highest yoga
tantra, on the basis of detachment and compassion,
8
a qualified practitioner does meditation on the subtle

nervous system, and for this, one’s bodily elements
need to be very strong. Thus, meat is recommended
for such a person. Also, this class of tantra stresses the
transformation of ordinary objects through meditation
on selflessness. Such a practitioner, by virtue of his/
her profound meditation, is not greedily eating meat
for his/her own pleasure.
In Tibet, there is an additional factor to consider:
due to the high altitude and harsh climate, there
is little to eat besides ground barley, dairy products
and meat. To stay alive, the people have to eat meat.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama has encouraged those
Tibetans in exile, who now live in countries where
vegetables and fruits are more plentiful, to refrain
from eating meat whenever possible. Also, if a
practitioner has severe problems with his/her health
due to not eating meat, then the master may give
permission to take it. Thus, each person must check
his/her own level of practise and bodily requirements
and eat accordingly.
The fact that there is such variety within the
Buddhist doctrine attests to the Buddha’s skill in being
able to guide people according to their dispositions
and needs. It is extremely important not to be partial
and sectarian, but to have respect for all the traditions
and their practitioners.
Why do some monks and nuns wear saffron robes

while others are dressed in maroon, grey or black?
As the Buddha’s teachings spread from one country
to another, it was flexible and adapted to the culture
and mentality of the people in that place, without
changing its essence and meaning. Thus, the styles of
the Sangha’s robes vary. In Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma,
etc., the robes are saffron-coloured and without
sleeves, like the robes at the time of the Buddha.
However, in Tibet dye of that colour was not available,
so a deeper colour, maroon, was used. In China the
people considered it rude to expose the skin, so the
dress was adapted, with the long-sleeved costume of
the T’ang Dynasty being used. The culture considered
saffron too bright for those on a religious path, so the
colour was changed to grey. However, the spirit of the
original robes was kept in the form of the seven- and
nine-pieced brown, yellow and red outer robes.
The way the chanting is done in the various
countries is different as well, corresponding to the
culture and language of the place. The musical
instruments differ too, as does the way of bowing. The
Chinese stand up while they chant, the Tibetans sit
down. These variations are due to cultural adaptations.
It is important to understand that these external forms
and ways of doing things are not the Dharma. They are
tools to help us practise the Dharma better according
to the culture and place in which we live. However, the
10
real Dharma cannot be seen with our eyes or heard

with our ears. It is to be experienced by our mind. The
real Dharma is what we must emphasise and give our
attention to, not superficial appearances which may
vary from place to place.
The Buddha
Who is the Buddha?

If he is just a man, how can he help us?
There are many ways to describe who the Buddha is,
according to different ways of understanding. These
various interpretations have their sources in the
Buddha’s teachings. One way is to see the historical
Buddha who lived 2,500 years ago as a human
being who cleansed his mind of all defilements and
developed all his potential. Any being who does
likewise is also considered a Buddha, for there are
many Buddhas, not just one. Another way is to
understand a particular Buddha or Buddhist deity as
the omniscient minds manifesting in a certain physical
aspect in order to communicate with us. Yet another
way is to see the Buddha — or any of the enlightened
Buddhist deities — as the appearance of the future
Buddha that we will become once we properly and
completely have engaged in the path to cleanse our
mind of defilements and develop all of our potential.
Let’s examine each of these ways in more depth ......
12
THE HISTORICAL BUDDHA

The historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, was born a
prince and had all that life could offer in terms of
material possessions and riches, a loving family,
fame, reputation and power. He saw that although
those things brought temporal worldly happiness,
they were never able to bring lasting happiness.
Thus, he left the princely environment to become an
ascetic searching for truth. After doing severe physical
austerities for six years, he saw that the extreme of self-
denial also was not the path to ultimate happiness.
At this point, he sat under the bodhi tree, and in deep
meditation completely purified his mind of all wrong
conceptions, contaminated actions and their imprints,
and brought to perfection all of his potential and good
qualities. He then proceeded with great compassion,
wisdom and skill, to give teachings, thus enabling
others to gradually purify their mind, develop their
potential, and attain the same realisations and state
of happiness that he had.
How can such a person save us from our problems
and pain? Certainly he cannot pull out the afflictive
emotions from our mind in the same way as a thorn
can be extracted from someone’s foot. Nor can he
wash away our defilements with water, or pour his
realisations into our minds. The Buddha has impartial
compassion to all sentient beings and cherishes us
The Buddha 13
more than himself, so if our sufferings could have

been eliminated by only the action of the Buddha,
he would have done it already.
However, our experience, our happiness or pain,
depends on our mind. It depends on whether or not
we assume the responsibility to subdue our afflictive
emotions and actions. The Buddha showed the
method to do this, the method that he himself used
to go from the state of an ordinary confused being
like we are now to the state of total purification and
growth, or Buddhahood. It is up to us to practise this
method and transform our own mind. Shakyamuni
Buddha is someone who did what we want to do — to
reach a state of lasting happiness. He taught that by
means of both his life story and the various teachings
he gave. But he cannot control our minds, only we can.
Our enlightenment depends not only on the Buddha
showing us the way, but on our own efforts to follow it.
It is like if we want to go to London. First we find
out if such a place called London actually exists, and
then we look for someone who has been there and
who has the knowledge and capability and willingness
to give us all of the travel information. It would be
foolish to follow someone who had never been there,
because he/she could unwittingly make a mistake in
the explanation. Likewise, the Buddha has attained
the state of total purification and growth; he has the
wisdom, compassion and skill to show us the path.
14
It would be silly to entrust ourselves to the guidance

of someone who had not reached the enlightened
state him/herself.
Our travel guide can give us information about
what to take with us on our trip and what to leave
behind. He/she can tell us how to change planes,
how to recognise the various places we will pass
through, what dangers we could encounter along the
way and so forth. Similarly, the Buddha has described
the various levels of the paths and stages, how to
progress from one to the next, what qualities to take
with us and develop, and which ones to leave behind.
However, a travel guide cannot force us to make the
journey — he/she can only indicate the way. We have
to get ourselves to the airport and on the plane. Just
so, the Buddha cannot force us to practise the path.
He gives the teachings and shows by his example how
to do it, but we have to do it ourselves.
THE BUDDHAS AS MANIFESTATIONS

The second way to think of the Buddhas is as
manifestations of omniscient minds in a physical
form. Those beings who are Buddhas are omniscient
in that they perceive all existent phenomena as
clearly as we can see the palm of our hand. They
achieved this ability by fully developing their wisdom
The Buddha 15
and compassion, thus eliminating all defects. But

we cannot communicate directly with the Buddhas’
omniscient minds as we have no clairvoyance. In order
for the Buddhas to fulfil their most heartfelt wish to
lead all sentient beings to enlightenment, they have
to communicate with us, and in order to do so, they
assume a physical form. In this way, we can think
of Shakyamuni Buddha as a being who was already
enlightened, and who appeared in the aspect of a
prince in order to teach us.
But if he is already enlightened, how can he take
rebirth? Shakyamuni did not take rebirth under the
control of afflictive emotions and contaminated
actions (karma) as ordinary beings do, as he had
already eliminated these defilements from his mind.
However, he was able to appear on this earth by the
power of compassion.
When thinking of the Buddha as a manifestation,
do not emphasise the Buddha as a personality. Rather,
concentrate on the qualities of the onmniscient mind
appearing in the form of a person. This is a more
abstract way of understanding the Buddha, so it takes
more effort on our part to think in this way and to
understand.
In the same way, the various enlightened Buddhist
deities can be seen as manifestations of the omniscient
minds. Why are there so many deities if all the beings
who have attained enlightenment have the same
16
realisations? This is because each physical appearance

emphasises and communicates with different aspects
of our personality. This demonstrates the Buddhas’
skilful means. For example, Avalokiteshvara (Kuan Yin,
Chenrezig) is the manifestation of compassion of all
Buddhas. Although possessing all the compassion and
wisdom of any Buddha, Avalokiteshvara’s particular
manifestation emphasises compassion. By thinking
of, praying to and meditating on Avalokiteshvara,
we can develop all the qualities of the Buddhas, and
especially our compassion will develop more quickly.
The white colour of Avalokiteshvara emphasises
purity, in this case the purification of selfishness
through compassion. The thousand arms, each with
an eye in its palm, expresses how impartial compassion
looks upon all beings and is willing to reach out to
help them. By visualising compassion in this physical
aspect, we communicate with compassion in a non-
verbal and symbolic way.
Manjushri is the manifestation of the wisdom
of all Buddhas, although Manjushri, too, has the
same realisations as all the Buddhas. Manjushri,
as found in the Tibetan tradition, is depicted as yellow
in colour, holding a flaming sword and a lotus flower
with the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra. This physical
form is symbolic of inner realisations. Yellow colour
represents wisdom, which illuminates the mind just as
golden rays of the sun light up the earth. The sword,
The Buddha 17
too, represents wisdom in its function of cutting

ignorance. Holding the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra
indicates that the way we are to develop wisdom is by
studying, contemplating and meditating on this sutra.
By visualising and meditating on Manjushri, we can
attain the qualities of a Buddha, especially wisdom.
In this way we can understand why there are so
many deities. Each emphasises a particular aspect of
the enlightened qualities, in order to communicate
that quality to us symbolically. That does not mean,
however, that there is no such being as Avalokiteshvara,
for on one level, we can understand the Buddha of
Compassion to be a being residing in a certain Pure
Land. On another level, we can see him (or her) as
a manifestation of compassion in a physical form.
Do not get confused because Avalokiteshvara is
sometimes in a male form and sometimes in a female
form. It is not because he/she could not make up his/
her mind! The enlightened mind is actually beyond
being male or female. These are just appearances in
order to communicate with us ordinary beings who
are so involved in forms. An enlightened being can
appear in a wide variety of bodies.
The nature of all these various manifestations
is the same: the omniscient mind of wisdom and
compassion. All of the Buddhas and deities are
not separate beings in the same way that an apple
and an orange are separate fruits. Rather, they all
18
have the same nature, only they appear in different

external forms in order to communicate with us
in different ways. From one lump of clay, a pot,
a vase, a plate, or a figurine can be made. The
nature of all of them is the same — clay — yet they
perform different functions according to how the
clay is shaped. In the same way, the nature of all
the Buddhas and deities is the omniscient mind of
wisdom and compassion. This appears in a variety
of forms in order to perform various functions. Thus,
when we want to develop compassion, we emphasise
meditation on Avalokiteshvara; when our mind is dull
and sluggish, we emphasise the practise of Manjushri,
the Buddha of Wisdom. These Buddhas all have the
same realisations, yet each one has his/her speciality.
THE BUDDHA THAT WE WILL BECOME

The third way to understand the Buddha that we take
refuge in is as the appearance of our own Buddha
nature in its fully developed form. All sentient beings
have the potential to become Buddhas, for we all have
the clear nature of the mind. At the present our mind
is clouded by afflictive emotions (klesa) and actions
(karma). Through constant practise, we can remove
these defilements from our mind stream and nourish
the seeds of all the beautiful potentials we have. Thus,
The Buddha 19
each of us can become a Buddha when this process of

purification and growth is completed. This is a feature
unique to Buddhism, for in most other religions there
is an irreparable gap between the divine being and the
human being. However, the Buddha said that each
sentient being has the potential for perfection. It is
only a matter of engaging in the practise and creating
the causes to reach perfection.
When we visualise the Buddha or a deity and think
of him/her as the future Buddha that we will become,
we are imagining our now latent Buddha nature in its
completely developed form. We are thinking of the
future time when we shall have completed the path of
purification and growth. We are imagining the future
in the present, and in this way reaffirming our own
latent goodness. This also helps us to understand that
what ultimately protects us from suffering is our own
practise and achievement of enlightenment.
These different ways of understanding the Buddha
are progressively more difficult to understand. We
may not grasp them immediately. That is all right.
Various interpretations are explained because people
have different ways of understanding. We are not
expected to all think in the same way or to understand
everything at once.
Idols & Offerings
Do Buddhists worship idols?

Not at all! A piece of clay or bronze or jade is not the
object of our respect and worship. When we bow
before Buddha images, we are recalling the qualities
of the enlightened beings. It is their impartial love
and compassion, generosity, morality, patience, joyous
effort, concentration and wisdom that we are showing
respect to. The statue or painting serves to remind us
of the qualities of the Buddha, and it is the qualities,
not the clay, that we are bowing to. We need not have
a statue in front of us in order to bow to or respect
the Buddhas and their qualities.
For example, if we go to a place far away from
our family, we think about them and feel much love.
But we also like to have a photo of them with us to
remember them better. When we look at the photo
and feel love for our family, we are not loving the paper
and ink of the photo! The photo merely strengthens
our memory. It is similar with a statue or painting of
the Buddha.
Idols & Offerings 21
By showing respect to the Buddhas and their

qualities, we are inspired to develop these extraordinary
qualities on our own mind streams. We become like
the people we respect. When we take the loving-
kindness and wisdom of the Buddhas as our example,
we strive to become like them.
What is the purpose of making offerings to the

Buddha?
We do not make offerings because the Buddha
needs our offerings. When someone has purified all
defilements and enjoys the bliss that comes from
wisdom, he/she certainly does not need an incense
stick to be happy! Neither do we make offerings to win
the Buddha’s favour. The Buddha developed impartial
love and compassion long ago and will not be swayed
by flattery and bribery like ordinary beings! Making
offerings is a way to create positive potential and to
develop our mind. At the moment, we have excessive
attachment and miserliness. We keep the biggest
and best for ourselves and give the second best or
something we do not want at all to others. With such
selfish traits, we always feel poor and dissatisfied, no
matter how much we have. We constantly fear losing
what little we do have. Such an attitude towards
material objects makes our mind restless, and induces
22
us to do dishonest actions to get more things or to

be unkind to others in order to protect what we have.
It is to break these destructive habits of attachment
and miserliness that we make offerings. When making
an offering, we want to do so without any feeling
of loss from our side. It is for this reason that in the
Tibetan tradition, seven bowls of water are offered
on the altar. Water is readily accessible so that we
can easily offer it without attachment or miserliness.
By offering in this way, we habituate ourselves with
the thought and action of giving. Thus, we come to
feel rich when we give and take pleasure in sharing
good things with others.
Since the Buddhas, bodhisattvas and arhats are
the highest of all beings, it is good to make offerings
to them. We usually give offerings to our friends
because we like them. Here, we offer to the holy
beings because we are attracted to their qualities.
We should not make offerings with a motivation to
bribe the Buddhas, “I offered you incense, now you are
obliged to grant my prayers”! We give with a respectful
and kind attitude. If later, we make a request, we do
so with humility. Do not think that they do not receive
the offerings just because the flowers and fruit are
still on the altar the next day. They can receive them
without taking them away.
Idols & Offerings 23
Is there symbolic meaning to each offering

substance?
Yes. Flowers represent the qualities of the Buddhas
and bodhisattvas, incense the fragrance of pure
morality. Light symbolises wisdom, and perfume
represents faith. Offering food is like offering the
nourishment of meditative concentration and music
symbolises impermanence and the empty nature of
all phenomena.
While we may physically offer one flower, mentally
we can imagine the entire sky filled with beautiful
flowers and offer these as well. It enriches our mind
to imagine lovely things and then offer them to the
Buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Should we offer our food before eating it?

Yes. Normally we just dive into a plate of food with
much attachment, little mindfulness, and even less
real enjoyment. Now, we pause before eating and
imagine the food as blissful nectar. This is offered
to a small Buddha made of light in our heart centre
(chakra). The Buddha enjoys the nectar and he radiates
even more light which fills our entire body and makes
us very blissful. In this way, we remain mindful of
the Buddha and of the process of eating. We create
24
positive potential by offering to the Buddha, and we

also enjoy the food more.
Before eating, some people like to recite the
prayer: “May we and those around us never be
separated from the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma and
Sangha) in all future lives. May we continuously make
offerings to the Three Jewels and may we receive the
inspiration of the Three Jewels.”
Prayer &
Dedicating Positive Potential
Why make prayers?

Can they be fulfilled?
There are many kinds of prayers. Some are to direct
and inspire our mind towards a certain quality or
aim, thus creating the cause for us to attain this.
An example is praying to be more tolerant and
compassionate towards others. Other prayers are for
specific people or situations, as in praying for a certain
person’s illness to be cured. To have either type of
prayer fulfilled depends on more than just praying:
the appropriate causes must also be created. It is not
just a matter of saying, “Please, Buddha, make this
and that happen, but I’m going to relax and have tea
while you do the work!”
For example, if we pray to be more loving and
compassionate and yet make no effort to control our
anger, we are not creating the cause for that prayer
to be fulfilled. The transformation of our mind comes
from our own effort, and we pray for the Buddhas’
26
inspiration to do so. “Receiving the blessings of the

Buddhas” does not mean that something tangible
comes from the Buddhas and goes into us. It means
that our mind is transformed through the combined
effort of the teachings and guidance of the Buddhas
and Bodhisattvas and our own practise. Thus, we
cannot pray to be born in a pure land and expect
the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to do all the work!
We must also make effort to actualise the teachings:
we gradually develop detachment from worldly
pleasures, we practise compassion as much as we
can, and we generate wisdom. Then, praying has an
exceptionally profound effect on our mind. However,
if we do nothing to correct our bad habits of body,
speech and mind, and if our mind is distracted while
praying, then there is minimal effect.
As for our prayers for a sickness to be cured or the
family finances to improve or for a deceased relative
to have a good rebirth, these, too, depend on the
person involved having created the necessary causes.
If he/she has, our prayers provide the condition for
the seed of a virtuous action he/she did in the past
to ripen and bring its result. However, if that person
has not created the causal seed through his/her own
positive past actions, then it is difficult for our prayers
to be fulfilled. We can put fertiliser and water on the
ground, but if the farmer has not planted the seed,
nothing will grow.
Prayer & Dedicating Positive Potential 27
While describing how cause and effect works in

our mental continuum, the Buddha said that killing
causes shortage of life. Both abandoning killing and
saving others’ lives cause us to have a long life, free
from illness. If we neglect to follow this basic advice
and yet pray to have a long and healthy life, we are
missing the point! On the other hand, if in the past
the person concerned has abandoned killing and has
saved lives, then prayers for him/her could be fulfilled.
In the same way, the Buddha said generosity is
the cause of wealth. If we have been generous in a
past life and now pray for our wealth to increase, then
our finances could improve. Yet, if we are very miserly
now, we are creating the cause for poverty, not wealth,
in the future. Being generous, helping those in need
and sharing what we have, will bring their desirable
results sometime in the future. On the other hand,
when we experience some difficulties in our life,
it is good to ask ourselves, “What kind of action could
I have done that created the cause for this result?”
This we can learn from the Buddha’s teachings. Then
we can change our behaviour to avoid creating more
seeds to experience that undesirable result.
28
What role does chanting play in our spiritual

development?
Chanting can be very beneficial if engaged in with
the proper motivation — wishing to prepare for
future lives, striving for liberation from the cycle
of constantly recurring problems, or aiming for the
full enlightenment of a Buddha with an altruistic
motivation. Also, for chanting to be effective in
helping us to generate positive states of mind, we
need to concentrate and reflect upon the meaning
of what we are chanting. There is not much benefit
if we chant while our mind is thinking about food or
work or parties. A tape recorder can also chant the
names of the Buddhas and say prayers! Let’s make
what our mind is thinking correspond to what our
mouth is chanting. Then chanting is very powerful
and beneficial.
However, a complete spiritual practise is more
than just chanting. It is good to listen to teachings,
contemplate their meaning and integrate them into
our daily life, thus developing beneficial actions with
our body, speech and mind. We cannot be liberated
from samsara by chanting alone, for deep meditation
is necessary in order to generate the wisdom realising
selflessness.
Can merits be transferred to deceased ones?

“Dedicate” rather than “transfer” merits (positive
potential) conveys the meaning better. We cannot
transfer merits in the same way as we can transfer
the title to a piece of property or in the same way as I
give my car to you because you do not have one. The
Buddha stated that those who create the causes are
the ones who experience the results. I cannot create
the cause and you experience the result, because the
imprint or seed of the action has been implanted on
my mental continuum, not yours. So if the deceased
ones did not create positive actions while they were
alive, we cannot create the good karma and then give
them our good karma to experience.
However, our prayers and offerings on their behalf
can create the circumstances necessary so that a
positive action they created can bear its fruit. When
a seed is planted in a field, it needs the cooperative
conditions of sunshine, water and fertiliser to grow.
Likewise, a seed or imprint of an action a person
performed will ripen when all the cooperative
conditions are present. If the deceased one has done
beneficial actions while he/she was alive, then the
additional positive potential we create by making
offerings or doing any kind of virtuous action —
reciting and reading Dharma texts, making statues of
the Buddha, contemplating love and compassion for
30
all beings and so forth — can help them. We dedicate

the positive potential from these actions for the
benefit of the deceased person, and this could help
his/her own virtuous seeds to ripen.
What is merit?
Isn’t it selfish to do positive actions just to get
merit, as if it were spiritual money?
“Merit” is an English word that does not really give
the correct connotation. It sounds like getting gold
stars in school because you did well, and that is
not the meaning intended here. First of all, no one
is rewarding us. When we do a beneficial action,
it leaves an imprint or seed on our mental continuum,
and when the necessary cooperative conditions are
present, it will bear fruit. It is not a physical seed or
imprint, but an intangible one, a positive potential.
It is not very advantageous to grasp at positive
potential as if it were spiritual money. If we do, we
are likely to quarrel with other people over who can
make offerings first or become jealous of others
because they do more virtuous actions than we do.
Such attitudes are certainly not very beneficial! While
it is good to take advantage of opportunities to create
positive potential, we should do so in order to improve
ourselves, to create the cause for happiness and to
help others, not out of attachment or jealousy.
Why must positive potential be dedicated?

What should it be dedicated for?
It is important to dedicate our positive potential so it
does not get destroyed by our anger or wrong views.
Like the steering wheel guiding where the car goes,
dedication will guide how our positive potential ripens.
It is best to dedicate for the most extensive and noble
goals. If we do so, all the smaller results will naturally
come. If we set our destination as London, we will
pass through Delhi and Kuwait along the way; we do
not need a special ticket for those places. Likewise,
if we dedicate our positive potential, however small,
towards the ultimate happiness and enlightenment
of all sentient beings, this automatically includes
dedicating for a good rebirth and for the happiness
of our relatives and friends.
Some people think, “I have so little positive
potential. If I dedicate it for the happiness of everyone,
then I won’t have any left over for myself.” This is not
correct. By dedicating our positive potential to others,
it does not mean that we have less for ourselves. We
will not become paupers by sharing the good results of
our actions with others. While dedicating our positive
potential for the benefit of all beings, we can still
make special prayers, for the happiness of a particular
person who is having difficulties at that time.
Rebirth vs. Creation
What is rebirth?
Rebirth refers to a person’s mind taking one body
after the other. Our body and our mind are separate
entities: the body is matter and is made of atoms.
The mind refers to all of our emotional and cognitive
experiences, and is formless. When the body and mind
are linked, we are alive, but at death, they separate.
The body becomes a corpse, and the mind continues
on to take another body.
How did our mind begin?

Who or what created it?
Each moment of mind is a continuation of the
previous moment: who we are and what we think and
feel depends on who we were yesterday. Our present
mind is a continuation of yesterday’s mind. That is why
we can remember what happened to us in the past.
One moment of our mind is caused by the previous
moment of our mind. This continuity can be traced
Rebirth vs. Creation 33
back to childhood and even to our mind when we

were a foetus inside our mother’s womb. Even before
the time of conception, our mind stream existed: its
previous moments were linked to another body.
There was no beginning to our mind. Who said
there had to be a beginning? The continuity of our
mind is infinite. This may be a difficult concept to
grasp initially, but if we use the example of a number
line, it becomes easier. From the “0” position, looking
left, there is no first negative number, and looking
right, there is no last, highest number. One more
can always be added on. In the same way, our mind
stream has no beginning and no end. We all have had
an infinite number of past rebirths, and our mind will
continue to exist infinitely. However, by purifying our
mind stream, we can make our future existences better
than our present one.
In fact, it would be impossible for our mind
stream to have a beginning. As each moment of
mind is caused by its previous moment, if there were
a beginning, then that would mean that the first
moment of mind either had no cause or it was caused
by something else besides a previous moment of
mind. But both of those alternatives are impossible,
for mind can only be produced by a previous moment
of mind in its own continuum.
34
What connects one life with the next?

Is there a soul, atman, self, or real personality
that goes from one life to another?
Our mind has gross and subtle levels. The sense
consciousnesses that see, hear, smell, taste and feel
tactile sensations, and the gross mental consciousness,
which is always so busy thinking this and that,
function very actively while we are alive. At the time
of death, they cease to function and absorb into the
subtle mental consciousness. This subtle mind bears
with it all the imprints of the actions we have done.
It is this subtle mind which leaves one body, enters the
intermediate state and finally takes rebirth in another
body. After the subtle mind is joined with another
body at the moment of conception, the gross sense
consciousnesses and the gross mental consciousness
reappear, and the person again sees, hears, thinks,
etc. This subtle mind, which goes from one life to
the next, is a constantly changing phenomenon. For
this reason, it is not considered to be a soul, atman,
self or real personality. Thus, the Buddha taught the
doctrine of selflessness.
How was the world created?

Anything that is created arises from causes that were
able to produce it. Something cannot be created
out of nothing. The physical world of forms was

produced by previous moments of form. Science is
investigating this. They may find that at the beginning
of our particular universe, there were subtler physical
elements from which our present universe was
created. These subtler physical elements, in turn, were
a continuation from universes which existed prior to
ours. Thus, we can trace the continuity of form back
infinitely.
Why can’t we remember our past lives?

At the moment, our mind is obscured by ignorance,
making it difficult to remember the past. Also, many
changes occur in our body and mind as we die and
are reborn, making recollection difficult. However, the
fact that we do not remember something, does not
mean that it does not exist. Sometimes we cannot
even remember where we put our car keys! Nor can
we remember what we ate for dinner a month ago!
There are people who can remember their past
lives. In the Tibetan community, there is a system
of recognising the reincarnations of highly realised
masters. Quite often, as young children, these people
will recognise their friends or possessions from a
previous life. Some ordinary people, too, have had past
life recall, perhaps in meditation or through hypnosis.
36
Is it important to know what our past lives were?

No. What is important is how we live our present life.
Knowing what we were in past lives is only useful if it
helps us to generate strong determination to avoid
negative actions and definitely to emerge from the
cycle of constantly recurring problems. To try to find
out who we were in past lives only for curiosity’s sake
is not useful. It could even lead us to become proud:
“Oh I was a king in my past life. I was so famous and
talented. I was Einstein!” So what?! Actually, we have
all been and done everything in many past lives in this
cycle of existence. What is important is that now we
purify our previously created negative potentials, avoid
creating more, and put energy into accumulating
positive potential and developing our good qualities.
There is a Tibetan saying, “If you want to know
about your past life, look at your present body. If you
want to know your future life, look at your present
mind.” We received the rebirth we now have as a result
of our past actions. A human rebirth is a fortunate
rebirth and the cause for it was created by our having
guarded our morality well in past lives. On the other
hand, our future rebirths will be determined by the
actions we perform now, and it is the mind which
motivates all of our other actions. Thus, by looking
at our present attitudes and examining whether they
are virtuous or non-virtuous, we can get an idea of

the kind of rebirths we will take. We do not need to
go to a fortune teller to ask what will become of us:
we simply look at what imprints we are leaving on
our mental continuum by the actions we are doing.
Karma:
The Functioning of Cause & Effect
What is karma?
How does it work?
Karma means action, and refers to actions that we
do with our body, speech and mind. These actions
leave imprints or seeds upon our mental continuum,
which ripen into our experiences when the appropriate
conditions come together. The seeds of our actions
continue with us from one lifetime to the next and do
not get lost. However, if we do not create the cause or
karma for something, then we will not experience that
result: if a farmer does not plant seeds, nothing will
grow. If an action brings about pain and misery, it is
called negative, destructive or non-virtuous. If it brings
about happiness, it is called positive, constructive,
or virtuous. Actions are not inherently good or bad,
but are only designated so according to the results
they bring.
The functioning of cause and effect on our mental
continuum is scientific. All results come from causes
Karma: The Functioning of Cause & Effect 39
that have the ability to create them. If you plant apple

seeds, an apple tree will grow, not chilli. If chilli seeds
are planted, chilli will grow, not apples. In the same
way if we do positive actions, happiness will ensue;
if negative actions are done, problems will result.
Whatever happiness and fortune we experience in
our lives comes from our own positive actions. All of
our problems come from our own destructive actions.
Is karma or the law of cause and effect a system

of punishment and reward?
Did the Buddha create or invent the law of cause
and effect?
Definitely not. There is no one who distributes rewards
and punishments. We create the causes by our actions,
and we experience their results. We are responsible for
our own experience. Nor did Buddha create the system
of cause and effect, in the same way that Newton did
not invent gravity. Buddha merely described what
he saw through the power of his omniscient mind
to be the natural process of cause and effect that
is happening within the mental continuum of each
sentient being. By doing this, he showed us how best
to work within the law of cause and effect in order
to get the happiness we desire and avoid the pain
we dislike.
40
The misconception that happiness and pain are

rewards and punishments may come from incorrect
translations of Buddhist scriptures into English.
I have seen some texts translated into English
using terminology from other religions. This is very
misleading. Terms such as “heaven,” “hell,” “sin,”
“punishment,” “judgement,” and so forth, do not at all
explain Buddhist concepts. Appropriate English words
which convey the meaning of the Buddha’s teachings
should be used.
Does the law of cause and effect apply only to

people who believe in it?
No. Cause and effect functions whether we accept
it or not. Positive actions produce happiness and
destructive ones pain whether we believe in it or
not. If a fruit drops from a tree, it falls down even if
we believe it will go up. It would be wonderful if all
we needed to do to avoid the results of our actions
is not believe they will come! Then we could eat all
we want and never get fat! A person who does not
believe in past lives and cause and effect can still
experience happiness as a result of his actions in past
lives. By denying the existence of cause and effect,
and consequently not making an effort to practise
constructive actions and avoid destructive ones, the
person creates few positive potentials and recklessly
creates many negative ones. On the other hand,

people who know about cause and effect will make
effort to be mindful of what they think, say and do
to avoid hurting others and to avoid leaving harmful
imprints on their own mental continuum.
Why are some people who commit many negative

actions successful and appear to be happy?
Why do some people who do not believe in the
functioning of cause and effect have good lives?
When we see dishonest people having wealth, or cruel
people receiving respect and power, or kind people
being robbed or dying young, we may doubt the law of
cause and effect. This is because we are only looking
at what is happening in the short period of time of
this one life. Many of the results we experience in this
life are results of actions created in previous lives, and
many of the actions we perform in this life will ripen
only in future lives. The wealth of dishonest people
is the result of their generosity in preceding lives.
Their current dishonesty is leaving the karmic seed
for them to be cheated and to experience poverty
in future lives. Likewise, the respect and authority
given to cruel people is due to positive actions they
did in the past. In the present, they are misusing their
power, thus creating the cause for future pain. Kind
people who die young are experiencing the result of
42
negative actions such as killing done in past lives.

However, their present kindness is planting seeds or
imprints on the mental continuum for them to have
happiness in the future.
The exact way in which a specific action ripens and
what particular actions we did in the past to bring a
specific result in our life can only be known completely
by the Buddha’s omniscient mind. What is stated in
the sutras and tantras about a certain action bringing
a certain result is a general guideline. However, in
specific situations, things may vary a bit depending on
other causes and conditions. That destructive actions
bring pain and constructive ones bring happiness
does not change. But in a particular situation of an
individual, a negative action of, for example, killing
may ripen in any of the lower forms of rebirth. This
depends on many factors which could make that
action heavy or light, as well as on the conditions
present at the time when that karmic seed is ripening.
Do we necessarily experience the results of all

of our actions?
When seeds, even small ones, are planted in the
ground, they eventually will sprout; that is, unless they
do not receive the conditions such as water, sunshine
and fertiliser necessary for their growth, or unless they
are burnt or pulled out of the ground. The ultimate
way of uprooting the karmic imprints or seeds is by

meditation on the emptiness of inherent existence.
This is the way to purify the afflictive emotions and the
karmic imprints completely. At our level, this is rather
difficult, but we still can stop the harmful imprints
from ripening by doing purification. This is similar to
keeping the seed from receiving water, sunshine and
fertiliser.
How can we purify negative imprints?

Purification by means of the four opponent powers is
very important. It not only prevents future suffering,
but also relieves the guilt or the heavy feeling we
experience now. By cleansing our mind, we are
able to understand the Dharma better, and we are
more peaceful and can concentrate better. The four
opponent powers used to purify negative imprints or
seeds are:
1) regret,
2) determination not to do the action again,
3) taking refuge and generating an altruistic
attitude towards others,
4) an actual remedial practise.
First, we acknowledge and have regret for doing
the destructive action. Self-recrimination and guilt
are quite useless and are just a way of emotionally
torturing ourselves. With sincere regret, on the other
44
hand, we acknowledge that we made a mistake and

regret doing it.
Secondly, we make a determination not to do the
action again. If it is an action that we do habitually
and frequently, like criticising others, it would be
hypocritical to say we will never do that again the rest
of our lives. It is better to choose a realistic amount
of time, be determine not to repeat the action, but
make concerted effort during that period of time to
be especially mindful.
The third opponent power is that of reliance.
Our destructive actions are generally in relation to
either holy objects such as the Buddha, Dharma and
Sangha, or other sentient beings. To re-establish a
good relationship with the holy objects we rely on
them by taking refuge or seeking direction from them.
To have a good relationship with other sentient beings
we generate an altruistic attitude towards them so
that we dedicate our heart to becoming a Buddha
in order to be able to benefit them in the best way.
The fourth element is to do a remedial action.
This may be any positive action: listening to teachings,
reading a Dharma book, prostrating, making offerings,
reciting the names of the Buddhas, chanting mantras,
making statues or paintings of the Buddhas, printing
texts, meditating and so on. The most powerful
remedial action is to meditate on emptiness.
The four opponent powers must be done

repeatedly. We have done negative actions many
times, so naturally we cannot expect to counteract
them all at once. The stronger the four opponents
powers are — the stronger our regret is, the firmer
our determination not to do the action again is, and
so on — the more powerful the purification will be.
It is very good to do purification with the four
opponent powers every evening before going to sleep
in order to counteract whatever destructive actions
we may have committed during the day.
If people suffer because of their own negative

actions, does that mean that we cannot or should
not do anything to help them?
Not at all! We know what it is like to feel miserable,
and that is exactly how another person who is
experiencing the results of his own destructive actions
feels. Out of empathy and compassion, we should
definitely help! That person’s present predicament
was caused by his/her own actions, but that does not
mean that we stand by and relax say, “Oh that’s too
bad. You poor thing. You shouldn’t have done such
non-virtuous actions.”
Do not think of karma in an inflexible way. Yes,
that person created the cause to experience that
difficulty by his/her own actions, but maybe he/she
46
also created the cause to receive help from us! But

even more than that, we all know what we would
feel like if it were us in that horrible situation. We are
all alike in wanting happiness and not wanting pain.
It does not matter whose pain or problem it is, it should
be removed. To think, “The poor are poor because of
their own past lives’ miserliness. I would be interfering
with the natural process of cause and effect if I tried
to help,” is a complete misconception. We should
not try to rationalise our own laziness or apathy or
attachment to our superior position by misinterpreting
cause and effect. A sense of compassion and universal
responsibility are important for our own spiritual
development and for world peace.
Impermanence & Suffering
In Buddhism, there is much emphasis on

impermanence, death and suffering. Isn’t such
an approach to life unhealthy?
The purpose of contemplating impermanence,
death and suffering is not to become depressed
and have the joy taken out of life. The purpose is to
rid ourselves of attachment and false expectations.
If we contemplate these things in such a way that we
get emotionally afraid or depressed, then we are not
contemplating in the right way. Rather, such subjects
should make our mind calm and more lucid as the
confusion caused by attachment has ceased.
At the moment, our mind is easily overwhelmed
with the false projections of attachment. We see
people and objects in an unrealistic way. Things that
are changing moment by moment appear to us to be
constant and unchanging. That is why we are upset
when they break. We may say, “All these things are
impermanent,” but our words are not consistent with
our innate view which considers our body and so on as
unchanging phenomena. Our unrealistic conception
48
is what causes pain, because we have expectations

of things and people that cannot be fulfilled. Our
loved ones cannot live forever; a relationship does
not remain the same, the new car will not always be
the shiny model just off the showroom floor. Thus,
we are perpetually disappointed when we must part
with those we care about, when our possessions
break, when our body becomes weak or wrinkled.
If we had a more realistic view of these things from the
beginning and accepted their impermanence — not
just from our mouth but with our heart — then such
disappointment would not come.
Contemplating impermanence and death
also eliminates much of the useless worries that
plague us and prevent us from being happy and
relaxed. Ordinarily, we become very upset when we
are criticised or insulted. We are angry when our
possessions are stolen; we are jealous if someone
else gets the promotion we wanted; we are proud
of our looks or athletic ability. All of these attitudes
are afflictive emotions which leave harmful imprints
on our mental continuum that bring us problems in
the future lives. Even in this life, we are not happy.
However, if we contemplate how transient these
things are, if we remember that our life will definitely
end and that none of these things can accompany us
at death, then we stop exaggerating their importance
now. They cease to become so problematic to us.
Impermanence & Suffering 49
That does not mean that we become apathetic

towards the people and things around us. On the
contrary, by eliminating the wrong conception of
permanence and the afflictive emotions which arise
depending on it, our mind becomes clearer and more
capable of enjoying things for what they are. We live
more in the present, appreciating things as they are
now, without fantasies about what they are or will
be. We worry less about small matters and are less
distracted when we sit down to meditate. We become
less ego-sensitive to every action other people do in
relation to us. By reflecting on impermanence and
suffering, we can deal better with separation and pain
when they occur, and occur they will as we are still in
the cycle of constantly recurring problems. In short,
by correctly contemplating these truths, our mental
state becomes healthier.
Why is there suffering?

How do we stop it?
Suffering occurs simply because the causes for it exist:
afflictive emotions — ignorance, attachment, anger
and so on — and the actions we do motivated by
these misconceptions, such as killing, stealing, lying
and so forth. By developing the wisdom realising
selflessness, we stop the causes of our problems.
50
Then the painful results cannot follow, and instead,

we can abide in a state of lasting happiness or nirvana.
In the meantime, before we generate that wisdom, we
can do purification practises in order to prevent the
previously created destructive actions from bringing
their results.
The Buddha also taught many skilful ways to think
in order to transform difficult circumstances into the
path to enlightenment. We can learn about these and
practise them whenever we have problems.
Do we have to suffer in order to attain liberation

(nirvana)?
Practising the Buddha’s teachings brings happiness
and never pain. The spiritual path is not itself painful.
There is no special virtue in suffering. We already
have enough problems, so there is no reason to
cause ourselves more in the name of practising
religion. However, that does not mean that while we
are endeavouring to practise the Dharma that we
will have no problems. For while we are on the path,
previously created destructive actions that have not
yet been purified may ripen and bring problems.
If and when this happens, we must use the situation
to energise ourselves to practise better so as to reach
a state beyond suffering, a state of lasting happiness.
Death
How can we best help someone who is dying or

dead?
When a person is dying, it is best that the environment
be calm. Reassure the dying person that his/her
worldly affairs will be taken care of after he/she passes
away. There is no need to be concerned over who will
pay the bills or who will take care of the children. It is
better to concentrate on leaving this life peacefully,
without fears or worries. Don’t bother the person by
asking, “Who will get your jewellery?” “Do you have
any hidden money?” “How will I survive without you?”
Our motivation is to help the dying person, not give
him/her more problems!
It is difficult to die peacefully if the whole family is
in the room crying, wailing and grasping the person’s
hand, and saying, “Please don’t die. I love you. How can
you leave me alone?” We may think we are expressing
our love and concern by such emotional displays, but
actually, it is just our own selfish mind wailing because
we are losing someone we care about. If we really
cared about the dying person more than ourselves,
52
we would try to make the environment calm and

pleasant. We would try to be sensitive to the other’s
requests and needs, not our own.
It is harmful to die with anger or attachment,
jealousy or pride as one’s last thought. It is for this
reason that we try to make the environment quiet and
calm and encourage the person to generate positive
thoughts. If the person is Buddhist, we can talk about
the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Tell him/her to
remember his/her spiritual master and the Buddha.
We can show him/her a picture of the Buddha or
chant some prayers and mantras in the room. Before
death actually occurs, if we can guide the person to
make confession and purify non-virtuous actions,
it is very beneficial. Encourage him/her to pray for a
good rebirth, to meet pure teachings and teachers
and make the life beneficial for others.
On the other hand, if a person is of another faith,
at the time of death, it is unwise to push our faith on
him/her. That could cause confusion. It is best to speak
according to that person’s faith and to encourage the
generation of positive states of mind.
Does chanting for the dead help?

What else can be done for them?
After death, chanting the sutras and doing other
Buddhist practises can be helpful in terms of acting as
Death 53
a cooperative condition for the person’s own positive

potential to ripen. The person has already left that
body and does not hear the chanting with his/her ears.
Nevertheless, by the power of strong dedication, our
creating positive potential can help. Also, each week
for seven weeks after death, it is helpful to do such
chanting. This is because if the person has not already
found another gross body to take rebirth in, he/she
is still in the intermediate stage, the stage between
the death of one gross body and the assumption of
another. The positive potential we create and dedicate
for the deceased can help him/her find a good rebirth.
However, do not think, “I’ll ask some monks and nuns
to do the chanting while I go to play mahjong.” We
have a karmic relationship with the deceased, so our
prayers and our virtuous activities which are dedicated
for that person’s benefit are important too.
It is good to offer the deceased’s possessions
to others as a way of performing generosity and
accumulating positive potential. Offering to holy
objects — the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha — and to
needy people — the poor and sick — is beneficial as
well. The positive potential from this is then dedicated
for the benefit of all sentient beings and especially
for that person.
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Is it necessary to leave food out for the deceased?

What about burning paper money and so forth
for them?
After a person’s mind leaves this gross body, it enters
the intermediate stage before it assumes another
gross body. Depending on conditions, a person
may remain in the intermediate stage only a few
moments, or as long as forty-nine days. It is said that
intermediate state beings survive by “eating” smells,
so leaving out food may be helpful. According to his/
her previous actions, the person is reborn in a happy
or painful transmigration. If our relative has been
born as a god (deva), human, animal or other type
of rebirth, the food set out never reaches him/her,
and most likely, there is food available in that realm.
If he/she has been reborn as a hungry ghost, there are
certain mantras to be recited over the food, which can
eliminate the karmic obscurations of hungry ghosts
to finding food.
Burning paper cars, clothes or money does not
give the deceased these things in their future rebirth.
It is not necessary to burn all these things. The
tradition of doing so is an old Chinese custom, not a
practise taught by the Buddha. If we really want to help
our relatives and friends to have wealth in their future
lives, we should encourage them to make offerings
and be generous while they are alive. The Buddha said
generosity is the cause of wealth, not burning papers.
Death 55
Sometimes, we may advise our relatives, “Don’t

give so much. Then the family will not have.” By
encouraging them to be miserly while they are alive,
we cause them to plant the seeds on their mind
stream to be poor in their future lives. Also, we plant
the same kind of seed on our own mind stream. On
the other hand, if we encourage them to be generous
and to avoid stealing and cheating others in business,
then we are helping them to have riches.
If we want our loved ones to have a good rebirth,
the best help we can give is to encourage them while
they are alive to avoid the ten non-virtues and practise
the ten virtues which are their opposites. These
ten are killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying,
slander, abuse, gossip, coveting others’ possessions,
maliciousness and wrong views. Instead, if we
encourage them to lie to protect us or to cheat
someone, we are helping them to create the cause for
suffering rebirths. Should we spend hours gossiping
with them, drinking and criticising others, we are
merely defeating our own purpose. Since we sincerely
want them to be happy after death, we should help
them abandon these destructive actions and practise
constructive ones. We can encourage (not force) them
to take the five precepts or even to become a monk or
nun. That is really acting to benefit their future lives.
Attachment,
Detachment & Desire
What is the difference between being attached

to other people and loving them?
With attachment, we overestimate other people’s
qualities, thinking that they are better than they
actually are. Also, we care about them because they
please us: they give us presents, praise us, help and
encourage us, etc. What we ordinarily call love is
usually just attachment. With attachment, we do not
see people for who they are and thereby develop many
expectations of them: they should be like this, they
should do that, etc. Then, when they do not live up
to what we thought they were or should be, we are
hurt, disillusioned, and blame them.
With genuine love, we care for other people and
want them to be happy not because they please our
ego and desires, but just because they exist. Real love
does not expect anything from others in return. We
accept people for who they are and still try to help
them, but we are not concerned at all with how we
will benefit from the relationship. Real love is not
Attachment, Detachment & Desire 57
jealous and possessive. Rather, it is impartial and is

shared with all beings.
If we are detached, is it possible to be with our

friends and family?
Of course! Detachment does not mean rejection.
With detachment, we no longer have unrealistic
expectations of others, nor do we cling to them,
thinking we will be miserable when they are not
around. Detachment is a calm, realistic, open and
accepting attitude. It is not hostile, paranoid and
unsociable. Detachment does not mean that we
reject our friends and family: it means we relate to
them in a different way. When we are not attached,
our relationships with others are harmonious, and in
fact, we care more about them.
Are all desires bad?

What about the desire to attain nirvana or
enlightenment?
This confusion occurs because we use the English
word “desire” as a translation for two different words.
In actual fact, there are different kinds of “desire.”
The desire that gives us problems is the one that
over-exaggerates the good qualities of an object,
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person or idea and clings to it. Such desire is a form

of attachment. An example is being very emotionally
dependent on someone, and clinging to him/her.
In actual fact, the other person is not nearly as
fantastic as our misconceiving attachment is making
him/her seem to be.
However, the desire that spurs us to make
preparation for future lives or to attain nirvana or
enlightenment is completely different. Here we
are accurately seeing better states of being and
developing a realistic aspiration to achieve them.
There is no misconception involved, nor is there
clinging to the desired result.
Can one be attached to Buddhism?

What should we do if someone attacks our beliefs
and criticises the Dharma?
Each situation has to be regarded individually.
However, in general, if we feel “They are criticising
my belief. They think I am stupid for believing that,”
it means we are clinging onto our beliefs. We are
thinking “These beliefs are good because they are
mine. If someone criticises them, they are criticising
me.” That is simply attachment and is not very
productive. Such an attitude should be abandoned.
We are not our beliefs. That others challenge our
beliefs does not mean that we are stupid.
Attachment, Detachment & Desire 59
It is advantageous to be open to what others say.

Let’s not be attached to the name and label of our
religion. We are seeking truth and happiness, aren’t
we, not just defence of a religion because it happens
to be ours. The Buddha himself said we should check
his teachings and not just believe in them blindly.
On the other hand, that does not mean that we
automatically agree with everything other people
say; we do not abandon our beliefs and adopt theirs
indiscriminately. Whenever someone asks us a
question that we cannot answer, it does not mean that
the Buddha’s teachings are wrong. It simply signifies
that we do not know the answer and we need to
learn and contemplate more. We should then go to
knowledgeable Buddhists with these questions and
think about the answers they give. When other people
question our beliefs, they are helping us deepen our
understanding of the Buddha’s teachings by showing
us what we do not understand well. This makes us
study the Dharma and reflect on its meaning more
deeply.
We do not need to defend our belief to someone
else. If the person is asking with sincere interest
to know the answer, if the person is open-minded
and interested in impartial discussion, then talking
with him/her can be mutually enriching. However,
if someone really does not want a response, and
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just wants to poke verbal needles for the sake of

antagonising us or making us confused, then dialogue
is impossible. There is no need to feel defensive in
front of such a person — we do not have to prove
anything to him. Even if we were to respond to his
questions with perfect and logical arguments, he/she
is not listening for he/she is deeply immersed in his/
her own preconceptions. It is not useful to engage in
conversation with such a person. Without being rude
to him/her, we can still be quite firm in letting him/
her know that we wish to be left alone.
Women & The Dharma
Can liberation and enlightenment be attained by

both men and women?
According to the Vajrayana, yes. In the Theravada
and general Mahayana, it is believed that although
one can attain liberation with a female body, to
attain full enlightenment, one has to have a male
body in the last rebirth. However, according to the
tantric practise, both men and women can attain
enlightenment equally. His Holiness the Dalai Lama
repeatedly stressed this.
Why are there comparatively fewer ordained

women practitioners, and why do they seem to
be accorded less respect than the men?
In most cultures, women’s activities are more restricted
and their social position lower than men. So it was in
ancient India, and thus Buddha designated that the
women sit behind the men and be served after them.
This pertains to social customs, and is not indicative
of women’s intelligence or capability. In fact, while
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the man is representative of the method aspect of

the path to enlightenment, the woman is symbolic
of the wisdom aspect!
Can women make offerings and prayers during

menstruation?
Can she meditate at that time?
Of course! Any notion that she cannot is mere
superstition.
Is it harder for a woman to practise the Dharma

than for a man?
That completely depends on the individual. For some
women, their menstrual cycle causes many emotional
changes. But they can learn to deal with that. After
all, men can be moody too! I believe that one of the
principal things that could hold a woman back is her
own limited self-concept and self-confidence. If we
think that we cannot do something well, then we do
not even try. What a waste of our human potential! As
long as we are human beings with human intelligence,
and have not only met the Dharma but also have
all the necessary conditions to practise and attain
realisations, then let’s do it!
Monks, Nuns & Lay Devotees
What are the benefits of taking ordination as a

monk or nun?
Is it necessary in order to practise the Dharma?
No, becoming a monk or nun is not necessary in
order to practise the Dharma. To take ordination is
an individual choice that each person must make for
him/herself. Of course, there are many advantages to
being ordained: by living within the precepts, one is
constantly accumulating positive potential. As long
as the person is not breaking the precepts, even if
one is sleeping, one is continuously enriching one’s
mental continuum with positive potential. One also
has more time and less distractions for practising.
With family obligations, much time and energy have
to be spent taking care of the family. Children require
much care, and it is difficult to meditate if they are
playing or crying nearby. Someone who sees these
as hindrances and who wants to pacify his/her mind
and accumulate a rich store of positive potential, may
decide to take ordination in order to have a better
situation for practise.
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How can a lay person practise the Dharma?

Those who wish to be lay Buddhists can practise the
Dharma well by subduing their mind. It is needlessly
downgrading one’s own potential to think, “I am a lay
person. To listen to teachings, to chant and to meditate
is the work of monks and nuns. It is not my job. I just
go to the temple, bow, make offerings and pray for
the welfare of my family.” These activities are good,
but lay people are capable of a much richer spiritual
life, in terms of both knowledge about Buddhism and
integration of it into their daily life. It is very important
that they attend Dharma talks and follow a series of
teachings. By doing this, lay people will understand the
real truth and beauty of the Dharma. Otherwise, they
remain “joss stick Buddhists,” and if someone asks
them a question about Buddhism, they have difficulty
in responding. That is a sad situation.
After hearing teachings, one should put them
into practise as much as possible. A daily practise of
chanting or meditating is excellent. Sometimes lay
students say, “My day is so busy with work, family and
social obligations. There is no time left to do a daily
Dharma practise.” This is a poor excuse, created by
the lazy mind. There is always time to eat: we take
care never to miss a meal. Just as we are so diligent
and careful to nourish our body, and always find time
to do so, so too should we be about nourishing our
Monks, Nuns & Lay Devotees 65
mind. After all, it is our mind that continues on to

future lives, carrying with it all the karmic imprints of
our actions, not our body. Dharma practise is not done
for the Buddha’s benefit, but for our own. The Dharma
describes how to create the cause for happiness, and
since we all want happiness, all of us should practise
as much as we can.
Also, it is very advantageous and beneficial for lay
disciples to take the five lay precepts for the duration
of their life or take the eight precepts on special days,
such as new and full moon days. In this way, much
positive potential is created.
The responsibility for the existence and spread of
the Buddha’s teachings lies with both monks and nuns
and lay disciples. If we see the value of the Buddha’s
teachings and want them to continue to exist and to
flourish, then we have the responsibility to learn about
them and to practise them ourselves according to
our capabilities. There are many historical examples
of lay people who have attained spiritual realisations.
It is inspiring to learn about their lives and to emulate
them.
Do people become monks and nuns to escape the

harsh realities of life?
If someone becomes a monk or nun for this reason,
he/she has an impure motivation, and such a person
66
will not find ordained life satisfying. The causes of

suffering are attachment, ignorance and hatred. These
attitudes follow us everywhere. They do not need a
passport to go with us to another country, nor are
they left outside the monastery gate. As long as we
have attachment, ignorance and hatred, we cannot
escape problems, be we ordained or lay.
People who ask this question think that having a
job, a mortgage and a family to care for are difficult
tasks and constitute the “harsh reality of life.”
A harsher reality is to be honest with ourselves and
to see our own wrong conceptions and harmful
behaviour. A harder job is to work to eliminate our
anger, attachment and close-mindedness. A person
chanting or sitting in silent meditation cannot show
a skyscraper or a pay cheque as the sign of his/her
success, but that does not mean that that person is lazy
and irresponsible. It takes much effort to change our
detrimental habits of body, speech and mind; it is not
an easy task to become a Buddha. Instead of “escaping
reality,” sincere practitioners are trying to discover it!
Those people who chase after sense pleasures are the
ones trying to escape reality, for they avoid looking at
the reality of death and the functioning of cause and
effect. In the Dharma sense, they are lazy, because
they do not endeavour to subdue their attachment,
anger and close-mindedness.
Some people think, “Only people who cannot

make it ‘in the real world’ become monks and nuns.
Maybe they have family problems, or they did not do
well in school or they are poor and homeless. They
go to the temple to live and take vows just to have a
home and an occupation.” Thinking in this way, some
people look down upon those who are ordained. This
is not correct. Should someone become a monk or
nun for this reason, he/she does not have the correct
motivation, and the masters who give ordination try
to weed such people out. On the contrary, those who
take ordination with a correct motivation have strong
aspiration to develop their potential in order to subdue
their mind and to help others.
Is a person who takes ordination being unfilial by

leaving his/her family?
Not at all. On the contrary, people who sincerely
want to make the world a better place through
their religious practise are very filial. They see that
by creating the causes for future good rebirths, by
purifying and developing their minds, they will be
able to guide others to lasting happiness through the
path of the Dharma. They know that is of great benefit
to their parents and of service to society. Although
attaining high realisations may not occur in this very
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life, they have a broad vision and work for long-range

happiness and benefit. A truly filial and dedicated
child thinks, “If I continue with my worldly life, I will
only create the causes for lower rebirths for myself
and cause others to do the same. How can I help my
parents in this and all future lives if I do that? Whereas
if I engage in sincere practise of the Dharma, my own
qualities will increase and I will be able to guide and
help them in a better way and for a longer time.”
That ordained ones who leave the family life does
not mean that they reject their family. Although they
want to abandon the afflictive emotion of attachment
towards their family, they still appreciate the kindness
of their parents and care about them very much.
Rather than confine their care to a few human beings,
ordained ones seek to develop impartial love for all,
and to consider all beings as part of their family.
How are parents to feel if their child becomes a

monk or nun?
Very happy. It is a sign that they, as parents, have
instilled in their child a sense of morality and care
for others. Contrarily, some parents get upset if their
child wants to become a monk or nun. They fear that
the child will not be happy or will not have financial
security. Some parents are angry, “We paid so much
for your education. Who will take care of us when we

are old if you are in a monastery? How unfilial!”
It is sad to see parents having this attitude. From
their side, they mean well: they want their child to be
happy. But material happiness and having a family,
career and many possessions is not the only way to
happiness. In fact, they bring new problems: we create
negative actions to get them, we worry about not
having enough and what will happen to what we do
have. This is why Shakyamuni Buddha left his family
and sensuous life at the palace in order to seek lasting
and genuine happiness. Of course, his parents were
upset too! But parents who really care about their
child’s happiness will be delighted if the child wants
to practise the Dharma intensely, for such a practise
will ensure that the child will be happy at death time
and in all future lives. With practise, their child can
enjoy the bliss of liberation and enlightenment. A wise
parent will care for the child’s happiness, not only in
this life but in all future lives.
It is wise for parents to be aware of their own
motivation. The Buddha’s father wanted to be able
to say, “My son is a king. He is highly regarded by
the people in the country.” Also, his parents were
attached to their child and did not want to part from
him. That is a natural reaction for parents to have. How
ironic! Their son received more respect from people
70
and greater fame throughout the ages by virtue of

his spiritual practise. He would never have been that
renowned and highly regarded had he assumed the
kingship of his land!
Parents who see the truth in the Buddha’s teachings
will be delighted that their child takes ordination. The
child’s spiritual practise will benefit others — including
the parents themselves — in the long run, even if
obvious results are not displayed in this life. They will
be pleased that their child is intelligent and sees the
truth in the Dharma; they will be proud that he/she
wants to live in pure morality, and they will be happy,
as they see their child become rich in compassion and
wisdom. Such parents do not feel as if they had lost
their child. Rather, they rejoice that he/she can live
his/her life in such a beneficial way.
Is taking ordination a painful sacrifice?

It should not be. We should not feel, “I really want
to be able to do these things, but now I can’t.”
Abandoning negative actions is not to be seen as a
burden, but as a joy. Such an attitude comes from
contemplating cause and effect.
When we take vows, be they the five precepts of
a lay person or the vows of a monk or nun, we first
generate the attitude, “I do not want to do these
actions in any case. In my heart, I do not want to kill,

steal, lie and so on.” Sometimes we are weak in the
actual situation and are tempted to do these things,
but taking precepts gives us extra strength and
determination not to do what we really do not want
to do. For example, we may sincerely want to abandon
killing. But when cockroaches are in our flat, we may
be tempted to use insecticide. Having taken a precept
of not killing, we remember that we do not want to kill.
We are more mindful of our actions and have more
strength and determination to confront and avert the
afflictive emotions which could cause us to engage in
negative actions. In such a way, precepts are liberating,
not confining, for we free ourselves from the habitual
tendency to follow the afflictive emotions and engage
in detrimental actions.
Sometimes we encounter ordained ones and lay

devotees who are bad-natured and difficult to get
along with despite their religious practise. Why?
It takes time to change the mind. Dissolving our anger
is not an easy process. We can understand that from
our own experience: when we are habituated with
losing our temper, it takes more than just saying,
“I shouldn’t do this” for us to stop. It needs consistent
and correct practise. We have to be patient with
72
ourselves, and similarly, we have to be patient with

others. We are all on the path; we are all fighting the
internal enemies of the afflictive emotions and the
imprints of past actions. Sometimes we are strong in
confronting them, other times we are carried away
by anger, jealousy, attachment or pride. Sometimes
we see our close-mindedness; other times we are
blind to it. Judging and blaming ourselves when we
succumb to the afflictive emotions does no good.
Likewise, blaming and criticising others when they
do so is fruitless. Knowing how difficult internal
transformation is ourselves, we should be patient
also with others.
That practitioners are not perfect does not mean
that the method the Buddha taught is not perfect.
It means either that they do not practise it well, or
their practise is not yet strong enough. It is extremely
important in religious circles that people try to be
harmonious and to accept one another’s weaknesses.
Our job is not to point fingers and say, “Why don’t you
practise better? Why don’t you control your temper?”
Our job is to think, “Why don’t I practise better so
their actions don’t make me angry?” and “What can
I do to help them?”
Meditation
What is meditation?
The Tibetan word for meditation is “gom.” This has
the same verbal root as the words to habituate or
to familiarise. Meditation is habituating ourselves
with positive, constructive and realistic attitudes. It is
building up good habits of the mind. Meditation is not
sitting in the full-vajra position, with an arrow-straight
back and a holy expression on our face. Meditation
is done with the mind. Even if the body is in perfect
position, if the mind is running wild and thinking
about objects of attachment, that is not meditation.
With meditation, we transform our thoughts and views
so that they are more compassionate and correspond
to reality.
Can meditation be dangerous?

Some people say you can go crazy from it. Is that
true?
If we learn how to meditate from an experienced
teacher who gives instruction in a reliable method,
74
and if we follow these instructions correctly, there is

no danger at all. Meditation is simply building up good
habits of the mind. This we do in a gradual fashion;
it is unwise to try to do an advanced practise without
proper instruction, when we are beginners. However,
if we practise a reliable path in a gradual fashion, we,
too, can become Buddhas!
In order to meditate, we must first receive
meditation instruction from a reliable teacher.
Some people think they can invent their own way to
meditate and that they do not need to learn from
a knowledgeable teacher. This is very unwise. It is
to our advantage to listen to teachings given by a
reliable source like the Buddha. These teachings
have been examined by scholars and practised by
skilled meditators who have attained results. In this
way, we can establish that a lineage of teachings
and meditation practise is valid and worthy to be
practised. These days many people teach meditation
and spiritual paths, but we should check them well
and not just excitedly jump into something. If the
meditation practise is one taught by the Buddha and
passed down in a pure lineage, we can trust it. Such a
practise has not been made up on someone’s whim.
Meditation 75
How do we learn meditation?

What kinds of meditation are there?
First, we listen to teachings and then deepen our
understanding by checking and contemplating them.
Then, we combine what we have learned with our
mind stream through meditation. For example, we
hear teachings on how to develop impartial love for
all beings. Next, we check up and investigate if that
is possible. We come to understand each step in the
practise. Then, we build up this good habit of the mind
by integrating it with our being; we try to experience
the various steps leading to impartial love. That is
meditation.
There are two general kinds of meditation: those
designed to develop concentration, and the ones to
develop analytical ability and wisdom. The Buddha
taught a wide variety of meditation techniques and
the lineages of these are extant today. A simple
meditation of watching the breath can be done to
calm the mind and free it of the usual chatter. This
helps us to be calmer in our daily life and not to worry
so much. Other meditations help us control anger,
attachment and jealousy by developing positive and
realistic attitudes towards other people. There are
purification meditations to cleanse the imprints of
negative actions and to stop that nagging guilty feeling.
In some meditations, we see through the fantasies we
76
have about who we are and build up a realistic self-

confidence and a positive self-image. These are just
a few types of meditation.
What are the benefits of meditation?

By building up good habits of the mind in meditation,
our daily life behaviour gradually changes. Our anger
is subdued, we are better able to make decisions
and are less dissatisfied and restless. These results of
meditation can be experienced now. But, we should
always try to have a broader and more encompassing
motivation to meditate than just our own present
happiness. If we generate the motivation to meditate
in order to make preparation for future lives, or to
attain liberation from the cycle of constantly recurring
problems, or to reach the state of full enlightenment
for the benefit of all sentient beings, then naturally
our mind will also be peaceful now. In addition, we will
be able to attain those high and noble goals.
It is very beneficial to have a regular meditation
practise, even if it is only for a short time each day.
Do not think, “I’m a working person. I can’t meditate.
That is the job of monks and nuns.” Not at all! If
meditation is helpful to us, we should make a time
for it every day. Even if we do not want to meditate,
it is important to keep some “quiet time” for ourselves
Meditation 77
each day: time when we sit and reflect upon what

we do and why, time when we read a Dharma book
or do some chanting. It is extremely important that
we learn to like ourselves and are happy to be alone.
Keeping aside some quiet time, preferably in the
morning before the activities of the day are underway,
is necessary, especially in modern societies where
people are so busy. We always have time to nourish
our bodies; we never skip a meal because we see it is
important. Likewise, we should reserve time to nourish
our mind and our inner being as well, because it too
is important.
Can one get clairvoyant powers through practising

Buddhism?
Is this a worthwhile goal to pursue?
Yes, one can, but that is not the principle goal of
the practise. Some people get very excited over the
prospect of having clairvoyance. “Wait until I tell my
friends about this! Everyone will think I’m special and
will come to ask me for advice. I’ll be well-known and
well-respected.” What an egotistical motivation for
wanting to be clairvoyant! If we still get angry and
cannot control what we say, think and do, what use
is it running after clairvoyance? It could even become
a distraction to our practise because we get caught
up in the excitement and the reputation. It is far
78
more beneficial for this and future lives’ happiness

to concentrate on becoming a kind person who has
an altruistic attitude.
Once a child asked me if I had clairvoyance. Could
I bend a spoon through concentration? Could I stop a
clock or walk through a wall? I told him no, and even
if I could, what use would it be? Does that lessen
the suffering in the world? The person whose spoon
I ruined may suffer more! The point of our human
existence is not to build up our ego but to develop
a kind heart and a sense of universal responsibility
working for world peace. Loving-kindness is the real
miracle!
If one has a kind heart, then developing
clairvoyant powers could be beneficial for others.
High practitioners do not go around advertising their
clairvoyance. In fact, most of them will deny it and will
be very humble. The Buddha warned against public
displays of clairvoyance unless it was necessary in
order to benefit others. Humble people are actually
more impressive than boastful ones: their serenity and
respect for others shine through. Someone who has
subdued pride, who has a loving-kindness attitude
towards others, and who is developing his/her wisdom
is someone we can trust. Such a person is working for
the benefit of others, not for his/her own prestige and
wealth. This person we can rely on.
Steps Along The Path
Who is an arhat (arahat)?

What is nirvana (nibbana)?
An arhat is someone who has eliminated the ignorance
and afflictive emotions (anger, attachment, jealousy,
pride, etc.) from his/her mind forever. In addition, he/
she has purified all karma that could cause rebirth in
the cycle of constantly recurring problems (samsara).
This person abides in a state of peace, beyond all
sorrow and suffering, called nirvana or liberation.
What is bodhi or enlightenment?

In addition to eliminating ignorance, afflictive
emotions and karma from one’s mind, a Buddha has
also eliminated the stains of these defilements. Thus,
a Buddha has purified all defilements and developed
all of his/her qualities. The resultant state attained is
called enlightenment.
80
What is a bodhisattva, a dedicated being?

A bodhisattva is a being who spontaneously and
continuously has the wish to attain enlightenment for
the benefit of sentient beings. By practising the path,
such a person will attain the state of Buddhahood.
There are different levels of bodhisattvas, according
to their level of realisation. Some are not yet free from
the cycle of constantly recurring problems, while
others are. The latter can then take birth in the world
voluntarily, by the power of compassion, in order to
help others. Buddhas can do this as well.
What is an arya, a superior or noble one?

This is a person who has direct realisation of emptiness.
Such a realisation occurs before one becomes an arhat
or Buddha, and it is by this wisdom realising emptiness
that one eliminates ignorance, afflictive emotions,
karma, and their stains, thereby attaining liberation
and enlightenment.
Selflessness
Do “selflessness” and “emptiness” mean the same

thing?
Generally, they do.
What is the advantage of realising selflessness

or emptiness?
We are then able to cleanse our mind of all defilements
and obscurations. At the moment, our mind is
obscured by ignorance: the way we perceive and grasp
ourselves and other phenomena as existing is not
the way that they really exist. It is similar to a person
who wears sunglasses all the time. Everything he sees
appears dark and he thinks that that is the way they
are. In fact, if he took his sunglasses off, he would find
that actually they exist in a different way.
Another analogy to our ignorant view is a person
who watches a movie and thinks that the people on
the screen are real. He/she becomes very emotional
and involved in the fate of the characters, and being
attached to the hero, he/she is antagonistic towards
82
the characters who disturb him. The person may even

cry out, cringe, or jump up in his/her seat when the
hero is harmed. In fact, that is not necessary at all,
for there are no real people on the screen at all. They
are only projections which are dependent on causes
and conditions such as the film, the film projector
and the screen. Realising emptiness is analogous to
understanding that the movie is empty of real people.
Yet the appearance of the characters does exist,
dependent on the film, screen and so forth. Thus,
the person is still able to enjoy the film, but does not
emotionally go up and down as the hero experiences
various events.
By generating the wisdom which directly realises
emptiness, we perceive the mode in which we and
other phenomena exist: they are empty of our
fantasised projections on them — especially the
projection of inherent existence. Having this wisdom
realising reality, we are freed from the bonds of
ignorance that misconceives reality. Familiarising
our mind with emptiness, we gradually eliminate all
ignorance, anger, attachment, pride, jealousy, and
other afflictive attitudes from our mind. By doing so,
we cease to create the destructive actions motivated
by them. Freed from the influence of ignorance,
afflictive emotions and the actions motivated by them,
we are liberated from the causes of our problems,
and thus the problems also cease. In other words,
Selflessness 83
the wisdom realising emptiness is the true path to

happiness.
What does it mean to say, “All persons and

phenomena are empty of true or inherent
existence?”
It means that persons (like you and me) and all other
phenomena (tables, etc.) are empty of our fantasised
projections on them. One of the principle deceptive
qualities that we project onto persons and phenomena
is that they are inherently existent, that is, that they
exist without depending on causes and conditions,
parts, and the consciousness which conceives them
and gives them a name. Thus, in our ordinary view,
things appear to have some true or inherent nature,
as if they were really there, as if we could find these
real, independent entities if we searched for them.
They appear to be there, independent of the causes
and conditions that created them, independent of the
parts of which they are made, and independent of the
mind which conceives and gives them a name. This is
the appearance of true or inherent existence and our
mind grasps it as real.
However, when we examine analytically if things
exist in this independent way as they superficially
appear to, we find that they do not. They are empty
of our fantasised projections onto them. Still, they
84
do exist, but they exist dependently, for they rely on

causes and conditions, on parts, and on the mind
which conceives them and gives them a name.
If all people and phenomena are selfless or empty,

does that mean that nothing exists?
No, phenomena and people still exist. After all, I am
still here typing and you are still reading! Emptiness
is not nihilism. Rather, people and phenomena are
empty of our fantasised projections upon them. They
lack what our wrong conceptions attribute to them.
They do not exist in the way they appear to us at the
present, but they do exist.
What is the best way to realise emptiness of

inherent existent?
As this realisation is difficult to gain and is an advanced
stage of path, we develop our understanding slowly.
The path to liberation and enlightenment is a
gradual one, and we practise in steps. First we train
in the elementary aspects of the path, such as
impermanence, refuge, love and compassion, and so
forth. Then we listen to teachings on emptiness from
a reliable and knowledgeable master. Contemplating
and discussing these teachings, our understanding
Selflessness 85
becomes clearer. Once we have a clear idea of the

subject, we then begin to integrate it with our mind
through meditation.
Vajrayana
What is Vajrayana?
Vajrayana, which is also called Tantrayana, is a
subdivision of the Mahayana. It is based upon both the
Theravada and general Mahayana practises. Before
entering into the Vajrayana, we must be well-trained
in the thought definitely to emerge from the cycle
of constantly recurring problems (renunciation), the
heart dedicated to attaining enlightenment for the
benefit of all sentient beings (bodhicitta), and the
wisdom realising the emptiness of inherent existence.
Then we take an initiation from a qualified tantric
master and protect the tantric vows and commitments
that are received at the time of initiation. On the basis
of this, we can receive instructions and engage in the
Vajrayana meditation practise.
One technique used in the Vajrayana is visualising
ourselves as the deity and our environment as the
mandala or the environment of the deity. By visualising
in such a way, we transform our ordinary poor self-
image into that of the deity and thus try to cultivate
such noble qualities in our own mind stream. Vajrayana
also contains techniques for transforming death, the
Vajrayana 87
intermediate state and rebirth into the body and

mind of a Buddha. There are also special meditative
techniques to develop calm abiding (samatha) as well
as to make manifest an extremely subtle mind which,
when realising emptiness, becomes very powerful in
quickly cleansing the defilements. It is for this reason
that Vajrayana can bring enlightenment in this very
lifetime to a qualified and well-trained disciple, who
practises under the guidance of a fully qualified tantric
master.
Buddhist Tantra is not the same as Hindu Tantra.
Nor is it some kind of practise of magic. Some people
have written books about Vajrayana with incorrect
information and interpretations. Therefore, if we wish
to learn about this, it is important either to read books
by a knowledgeable author or seek instruction from
a qualified master.
What is an initiation?
Why are there some teachings that are “secret”?
The purpose of initiation is to ripen our mind stream
for the tantric practise by making a connection
between the deity, who is a manifestation of the
omniscient mind, and us. Initiation is not received by
our body being in the room where an initiation is going
on. Rather, we must meditate and do the visualisations
88
that the master is describing. Initiation is not having

a vase put on our head, or drinking blessed water, or
getting a string to tie around our arm. It is ripening
our own potential, through making a connection
with a particular manifestation of the Buddha. This
depends on our having a virtuous motivation and on
concentrating and meditating during the initiation
procedure.
After initiation, a sincere practitioner seeks
instructions on how to do the practise. These
instructions are not given before the initiation because
the disciple’s mind is not yet prepared to practise
them. It is for this reason that they are “secret.” It is
not that the Buddha was miserly and did not want to
share the teachings, nor is the tantric practise like the
possession of an exclusive club which jealously guards
its secrets. Rather, to ensure that those engaging in
the practise are properly prepared, tantric instruction
is given only to those who have received initiation.
Otherwise, someone could misunderstand the
symbolism employed in the tantra or could engage
in advanced and complex practises without proper
preparation and instruction.
Vajrayana 89
What does the imagery in tantric art mean?

Vajrayana deals a lot with transformation,
and therefore, symbolism is widely used. There
are representations of some deities, which are
manifestations of the Buddha, that are expressing
desire or wrath. The sexual imagery is not to be
taken literally, according to worldly appearances.
In Vajrayana, deities in sexual union represent the
union of method and wisdom, the two aspects of
the path that need to be developed in order to attain
enlightenment. Wrathful deities are not monsters
threatening us. Their wrath is directed towards
ignorance and selfishness, which are our real enemies.
This imagery, when properly understood, shows how
desire and anger can be transformed and thereby
subdued. It has deep meaning, far beyond ordinary
lust and anger. We should not misinterpret it.
What is the purpose of reciting mantras like

“om mani padme hung”?
What does that mantra mean?
Mantras are prescribed syllables to protect the
mind. What we want to protect our mind from are
attachment, anger, ignorance, and so on. When
combined with the four opponent powers explained
earlier, mantra recitation is very powerful in purifying
90
negative karmic imprints on our mind stream. While

we recite mantras, we should also be thinking and
visualising in a beneficial way so that we are building
up constructive habits of the mind.
In the Vajrayana practise, mantras are recited
in Sanskrit, rather than being translated into other
languages. The reason for this is that there is a special
beneficial energy or vibration that is induced by the
sound of the syllables. While doing recitation, we
can concentrate on the sound of the mantra, on its
meaning, or on the accompanying visualisations that
the master has taught.
“Om mani padme hung” is the mantra of the
Buddha of Compassion, Avalokiteshvara (Kuan Yin,
Chenrezig). We may recite this mantra even if we have
not received the oral transmission from a master, but it
is more effective if the master first recites the mantra
and we repeat it after him/her.
The entire meaning of the gradual path to
enlightenment is contained in the six syllables of this
mantra. “Om” refers to the body, speech and mind
of the Buddhas, that is, what we want to attain by
our practise. “Mani” means jewel, and refers to all
the method aspects of the path: the wish definitely
to emerge from the cycle of constantly recurring
problems, and to develop compassion, generosity,
morality, patience, joyous effort and so on. “Padme”
(pronounced pay may) means lotus, and refers to the
Vajrayana 91
wisdom aspect of the path. By uniting both method

and wisdom in a combined practise, we can purify our
mind stream of all its defilements and develop all of
our potentials. “Hung” (sometimes written as “hum”)
refers to the mind of all the Buddhas.
Recitation of “om mani padme hung” is very
effective for purifying the mind and for developing
compassion. It can be recited out loud or silently,
and at any time. For example, if we are waiting in a
queue, instead of getting impatient and angry, we can
mentally recite this mantra and think compassionate
thoughts.
92
THE FIVE WONDERFUL PRECEPTS
— THE FIRST PRECEPT —

Respect for Life:
Not to Kill ; To Protect
I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking life

(so that I will practise compassion
by protecting and benefiting all life)
Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life,

I undertake the precept to cultivate compassion and protect
humans and animals. I am determined not to kill or injure,
not to let others do so, and not to support any act of physical
or mental harm.
— THE SECOND PRECEPT —

Respect for Personal Property:
Not to Steal ; To be Generous
I undertake the training rule

to abstain from taking what is not given
(so that I will practise Generosity by sharing
or giving my material and spiritual wealth)
Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, injustice,

theft and oppression, I undertake the precept to cultivate
93
compassion for the well-being of people and animals.

I will practise honesty and generosity by sharing my wealth,
time, energy, empathy, encouragement and other resources,
especially the gift of truth (the Dharma), with those in need.
I am determined not to possess or steal anything (including
time—by being late or shirking work...) that should belong
to others. I will respect the property of others and the public,
and prevent others from profiting from the suffering of living
beings.
— THE THIRD PRECEPT —

Respect for Personal Relationships:
Not to Indulge the Senses ; To be Content

to abstain from misconduct
regarding objects and subjects of sense pleasures,
(especially adultery,
so that I will practise contentment
and channel my energies
towards spiritual development)
Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct,

I undertake the precept to cultivate responsibility and protect
the safety and integrity of individuals, couples, families and
society. I am determined not to engage in sexual relations
without love, responsibility and a long-term commitment.
To preserve the happiness of others and myself, I will respect
the commitments of others. I will do what I can to protect
94
children from sexual abuse and prevent couples and families

from being broken by sexual misconduct.
Aware of the suffering caused by sensual indulgence, I will

also not mindlessly indulge my senses of sight, hearing, smell,
taste, touch and/or mind in the sense pleasures (e.g. shows,
music, food, sex etc.) such that I am distracted from the path
of self-improvement.
— THE FOURTH PRECEPT —

Respect for Truth:
Not to Lie ; To be Truthful

to abstain from false speech
(and other unwholesome modes of speech,
so that I will communicate positively)
Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and

the inability to listen to others, I undertake the precept to
cultivate loving speech and deep listening to bring joy and
happiness to others, so as to relieve them of their suffering.
I will speak truthfully, with words that inspire self-confidence,
joy and hope. I am determined not to spread news, criticise
or condemn that which I do not know for certain. I will
refrain from uttering words that can cause division or discord
in family or community. I will make the effort to reconcile,
and to resolve conflicts big and small.
95
— THE FIFTH PRECEPT —

Respect for Mental and Physical Well-being:
Not to Take Intoxicants ; To be Mindful

to abstain from taking alcohol,
and that which causes intoxication
(so that I will be more healthy and
not break any precept by loss of mindfulness)
Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption,

I undertake the precept to cultivate good physical and mental
health, for myself, my family and society, by practising
mindful eating, drinking and consuming. I will ingest only
items that preserve peace, well-being and joy in body and
mind, and the collective body and consciousness of my
family and society. I am determined not to use alcohol, drugs
or any other intoxicant, or to ingest foods or items that
contain negative elements, so as to cultivate greater awareness,
attention and clarity of mind. I am aware that to damage my
body or my mind with these poisons is to let my family and
society down. I will work to transform violence, fear, anger
and confusion in myself and society by balancing my physical
and mental diets. I understand that a proper diet is crucial for
positive transformation of myself and society, for advancement
in Mental Development.
Written in a clear and engaging
language this book presents the
Buddhist approach to the
fundamental issues and
concerns of daily life that any
modern individual may have.
Not For Sale
Kong Meng San

Phor Kark See Monastery
For Free Distribution Only
ISBN 978-981-11-6344-9

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Thubten Chodron

Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery

1st Edition, May 1999

Although reprinting of our books for free distribution is

© Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery

• Like Awaken Publishing & Design page

The Essence of Buddhism & The Buddhist Traditions ...... 1

The Buddha ............................................................................... 11

Idols & Offerings ...................................................................... 20

Prayer & Dedicating Positive Potential ............................... 25

Rebirth vs. Creation ................................................................ 32

Karma: The Functioning of Cause & Effect ........................ 38

Impermanence & Suffering ................................................... 47

Attachment, Detachment & Desire ...................................... 56

Women & the Dharma ............................................................ 61

Monks, Nuns & Lay Devotees ................................................ 63

Steps Along the Path .............................................................. 79

By the merits of printing this book,

I had been in Singapore just a few days when a young

What is the essence of the Buddha’s teachings?

with love and compassion, we dedicate our heart to

What are the Three Jewels?

The Dharma is our real refuge, the medicine we

Why are there many Buddhist traditions?

different philosophical system in order to suit the

truth, and we each must find a method suitable for

What are the various Buddhist traditions?

of the body, feelings, mind and phenomena in order

Why do people in some Buddhist traditions eat

silently and with gratitude whatever is offered to

a qualified practitioner does meditation on the subtle

Why do some monks and nuns wear saffron robes

real Dharma cannot be seen with our eyes or heard

Who is the Buddha?

THE HISTORICAL BUDDHA

more than himself, so if our sufferings could have

It would be silly to entrust ourselves to the guidance

THE BUDDHAS AS MANIFESTATIONS

and compassion, thus eliminating all defects. But

realisations? This is because each physical appearance

too, represents wisdom in its function of cutting

have the same nature, only they appear in different

THE BUDDHA THAT WE WILL BECOME

each of us can become a Buddha when this process of

Do Buddhists worship idols?

By showing respect to the Buddhas and their

What is the purpose of making offerings to the

us to do dishonest actions to get more things or to

Is there symbolic meaning to each offering

Should we offer our food before eating it?

positive potential by offering to the Buddha, and we

Why make prayers?

inspiration to do so. “Receiving the blessings of the

While describing how cause and effect works in

What role does chanting play in our spiritual

Can merits be transferred to deceased ones?

all beings and so forth — can help them. We dedicate

Why must positive potential be dedicated?

How did our mind begin?