Good Dharma, Better Dharma

The word “Dharma” has many meanings: one is “teachings” and another is “action” (sustaining).

The teachings are the theory, and the action is putting them into practice – taking the teachings to heart. So there is Dharma – and there is real Dharma. We may do many practices of meditation, chanting, study and reflection on meaning, but the real Dharma is what is going on in the mind – now!

I meet lots of Dharma students who can reel off names of teachers and teaching (I think they like the exotic words!) but our minds never meet – they are too busy being ‘buddhists’.

If we keep putting off real investigation and experience, and rely instead on books, attending teachings, and merely repeating words and phrases (including blogs like this!), we will never be ready for death. If we keep putting off real practice – recognising essence and the obscurations – we will become weak, and karma will rule the day.

For yogis, death is a joke, as there is no difference from one moment to the next: they live in the gap all the time (‘gap’ translates in Tibetan as ‘Bardo’, and Bardo means the so-called death experiences we can recognise from moment to moment…but may not notice).

Most of us don’t know what to expect at death. We either prepare or not. The foolish say, “Bring it on!” It’s true! I’ve read it many times on forums…

The achievement of obtaining a human birth is a very rare occurrence in this universe. It’s even rarer to be a practitioner. We got here by good karma, as we acquired merit. So far so good! There are two reasons for being here as practitioners: one is to realise our true nature, which is emptiness, cognisance and compassion. The other is to exhaust karmic effects.

Now, here’s the rub (problem)! We can use up our good karma mucking around in this existence, and, as a result of this, may not acquire a human body next time. There are countless beings who do not achieve a human body, spending their next incarnation scavenging for food, without access to the Dharma, or any intelligent thinking. As relative time is infinite, this type of existence can go on for a very long time…it has already!

As we get older, we get more tired, sick and frail, and then it may become too late to practise clearly. That’s why it is important to understand the mind now, dealing with that which is habitually obscuring our pure view.

We all need a routine for practice, but our time is mainly spent mingling it with daily life, moment to moment. It is in our own actions that good luck manifests, and that good luck (good fortune, good karma) is a bonus for further practice and experiences. So why waste it?

Complete everything you start = good karma.

Putting things off becomes a habit = bad karma.

Resting in pure perception = no karma.

Everything…everything!…is noted in Yama’s (the lord of death) book.

White pebbles

Black pebbles

No pebbles.

 PS If you’re reading this, count yourself fortunate 😉

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