The Middle Way

The middle way is not a philosophical idea to debate; it is the practical psychology of the Dharma and its application, which is actually quite rare.

The middle way is between the two extremes of “It’s all about the words”, and “It’s all about reciting the words” – the academical and the going-along-for-a-chant. Some of us take ourselves too seriously, and some of us are a bit flaky. The middle way is being reliable, without judgement, in all interactions.

It is the middle way that is Buddhism.

As an example, take the mantra of compassion and wisdom – OM MANI PEME HUM. We can translate those words as meaning compassion and wisdom and that’s it, or we can hope that, by chanting the words, we become compassionate and wise. But what is the middle way? The middle way is the practical psychology that leads to enlightenment through the application of generosity, tolerance, morality, discipline and meditation that leads to wisdom. We have to apply these in every interaction, testing them and ourselves – including the person sitting on a cushion next to us whom we think is odd. 😀

The middle way is being practical, flexible and adaptable, neither holding on to dogma nor going along for the ride. Instead of accepting or rejecting, we ponder, appraise, assess worth and look for the cause, so that we can be genuinely beneficial to others.

It is only the middle way that is Buddhism;
the two extremes, anyone can fall into.