Buddhism Now
It is you who must make the effort. The Great of the past only show the way. Those who think and follow the path become free from the bondage of Mara.
If we all have an instinctive wish for happiness, these words taken from the Dhammapada tell us where to begin the search to fulfil it. We are our own refuge. The key to fulfilling our need for happiness lies within, not outside, us. This means that we have all we need right here, inside, without looking to external things. And more good news—it’s cheap! We don’t have to pay for our happiness!
I cannot emphasise enough how powerful and accurate this verse is. Everybody, all the time, is trying to fulfil the instinctive wish to attain happiness and avoid unhappiness, and yet no one seems able to do so. Here, however, is the simple truth: the source of our own happiness is within ourselves.
We are still not really aware of the inner refuge that the Buddha says we should understand, because we have not reached the level where we can tap it. Until we do, we will continue looking for happiness outside, and there will be no way to satisfy that instinct. Bringing that internal refuge to life is what Dharma practice is all about. (more…)
Filed under: Beginners, Books, Buddhism, Tibetan | Tagged: Buddha, Dhammapada, Ethics for the New Millennium, Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Geshe Tashi Tsering, Hazel Waghorn, Jamyang Buddhist Centre, Kwan Yin Temple Vancouver, Lisa Daix, Tenzin Gyatso | 4 Comments »
