..续本文上一页human beings and all other things are created by God implies that this God does not like to be lonely. He feels loneliness in himself, and therefore his mind is not at peace. For example, when a person is very busy, he feels impatient and hopes that he can be left alone to rest quietly, but when he is actually given a quiet rest, he feels lonely and wants to be around someone again. In other words, in order to fulfil his self-satisfaction and enjoyment, the Mahabrahmin wanted heaven and earth, human beings, and all things. As a result of that, he created endless suffering for all. He is in fact looking for trouble for himself.
A person who possesses a discontented and demanding mind is still not at peace, and is not perfectly emancipated. When a follower of Buddha talks about the cultivation of mind and the emancipation from life and death, his aim is to feel contented anywhere he dwells, whether amidst a buzzing crowd or in an utterly deserted place. It is practitioner who is peaceful and free from attachment everywhere. The Gods in theistic religions are not free from desires, their minds are not yet at peace and this is the most important cause for their falling from heaven in the future. Therefore we cannot adopt this way as our right path.
1.2 To practice Buddhism for more than self-salvation
Nothing in the human or heavenly realm is completely emancipated, so we must try to be released from the cycle of life and death (Samsara), and transcend the three realms of Sensuous Desire (heaven), Form, (the human realm), and the Formless realm of the pure spirit. But this path that is only leading to self-emancipation is still a narrow and roundabout path. The aim of practising the Dharma of course, is to be released from samsara. But the emphasis should be of benefitting others as well as oneself. The release from samsara achieved by practitioners who emphasise self-emancipation only is not final. It is like a pedestrian who runs a short distance and hastens to rest by the roadside. This attitude of hurrying towards a goal can actually result in slower progress. Even as the turtle and the rabbit raced in the well known fable, the rabbit runs fast, but is too anxious to rest and sleep, and he is left behind in the end. Similarly, if we are too anxious to be released from samsara and suffering to secure happiness only for ourselves, the path we follow will prove to be a tortuous one.
1.3 To practice Buddhism for Perfect Wisdom
A true follower of the Buddha should follow the teachings of the Buddha with the aim of attaining the Buddha”s perfect enlightenment. This is the only path that is perfect and direct. The enlightened mind is replete with the perfections of faith and determination, wisdom and compassion; and a beginner may lay their emphasis on any of the following:
a) Faith and Determination: A beginner may seek enlightenment with faith and determination. Since the spiritual potential of each sentient being is different, beginners may try to seek enlightenment through their faith in the abounding merit, ultimate perfection, supreme wisdom, and all-embracing compassion of the Buddha. They look upon the Buddha as their goal and hence determine to attain perfect enlightenment.
b) Wisdom: Another type of person may seek the Buddha”s perfect enlightenment through the practice of wisdom. They investigate the Buddha”s answers to the truth of the Universe and the reality of human existence, and realize that only Buddha has the wisdom and ability to see the truth in all things. He is the most perfected One. Hence, they are determined to learn the Buddha”s great wisdom and through the accrual of wisdom, they progress toward Buddhahood.
c) Compassion and Loving Kindness: There are others who realise the endless sufferings of all li…
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