Question and answer at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
24 November 2011, evening
(1) Question: I am a philosophy student from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. I have always wanted to have a holistic understanding of Tathagatagarbha (Buddha nature), where should I start
Answer: In order to fully understand Tathagatagarbha, I suggest a few fundamental and essential sutras and sastras: Tathagatagarbha Sutra, Maitreya Bodhisattva”s Jewel Nature Treatise, Mipham Rinpoche”s The Lion”s Roar: Buddha Nature in a Nutshell, Jonang tradition”s Karma Chakme”s Mountain Dharma. These Sutrayana sutras and sastras have elaborated in detail on Buddha nature.
(2) Question: Thank you very much for your talk today! Young people growing up in the 21st Century have little interest in Buddhism. How do we let these young people understand Buddhadharma and accept Buddhadharma
Answer: Let them feel that the benefits are very important!
The majority of people studying Buddhism today are middle aged. Also when older people are searching for a destination for life they engage with Buddhism. Young people born after the 1980s and 1990s focus on life immediately ahead of them and mostly feel that Buddhism has no relevance to them. But in my view, it is not irrelevant. I even believe that if you wish to live a good life immediately, Buddhism has the most beneficial ideas that are indispensable.
That is why we have always been doing our best to spread the Buddhadharma, to let it sink into people”s minds. We do not wish to control anyone using the teachings, nor do we have any political or economic motivations. As Buddhists, we merely wish to allow everyone to understand Buddhadharma and for everyone to enjoy the true teachings of Buddhism. Particularly for university students, if they do not understand it, we try to let them understand it. If they already understand some, then we encourage them to go beyond surface levels and keep going deeper. My thinking is that so long as I maintain the sincere wish to benefit others when I spread the Dharma, others will gradually gain in interest.
Of course there are stages of when a person comes into contact with the Buddhadharma: initially perhaps because of prior education some would misunderstand it, or even reject it; then in the process of being curious and through thinking, they start to half believe and half doubt since young people have a greater ability to be open minded; finally as they put it into practice – for example through prayer, repentance or stopping unwholesome behaviours and doing good deeds, they receive true benefits. As long as there are true benefits, who would still be unwilling to receive it
(3) Question: I am a visiting scholar here, and I am very interested in Buddhadharma. I heard you say just then that it is not enough to be merely interested, but one needs to practice. How do I practice
Answer: Practice should have order, as described in Words of My Perfect Teacher: first cultivate “Rarity of Human Life”, understand how precious human life is, then you value it, do not use it to commit unwholesome deeds, and are more willing to do good deeds; then cultivate “Impermanence of Life”, and you would feel an urgency when you practice this: you are young now, but youth will quickly disappear, death is inevitable and uncertain; then cultivate “Samsara”s Defects and Penalties”, “Inerrant Principle of Cause and Effect”, these practices allow you to know that life has its past and future, future lives and generations rely solely on practice in the present…Like this, starting from the preliminary practices you practice step by step and only practicing as such you can put down solid foundations. Otherwise if you directly practice the most advanced teachings, even if …
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