..续本文上一页 we shoulder the burden of the defilements by merely learning the Dhamma by rote. That”s quite contrary to the purpose of the Teaching. And it explains how Dhamma becomes worldly and mundane.

　　The way for Dhamma really to be Dhamma is by the practice that I”ve already mentioned. When the texts have been studied and one turns to practice, only then will the truth be learned. This is because the Lord Buddha”s way of teaching was the Well-proclaimed Dhamma.9 It doesn”t go wrong or deviate from this principle unless it”s through the practitioner”s own misunderstanding. If that happens, there isn”t much that can be done because it runs contrary to the truth, which is Dhamma.

　　The Dhamma Teachings of the Lord Buddha are like merchandise that boldly challenge any test of validity or quality. This ”Dhamma merchandise”, regardless of the market place, will put all the other products out of business because people are always on the lookout for a good and genuine product. Once they”ve seen it, how can they fail to recognize its worth — even small children can perceive that much.

　　However, Dhamma is no material commodity that can be advertised to compete with other products. It can only be appreciated by those who have experienced it, and can only be inpidually realized. Yet this isn”t aimed at the accumulation of defilements, whether boastfulness or conceit. Every stage of insight and realization is for the sake of uprooting defilements, for these are inimical to both oneself and others. How then could one show off and boast — for that”s promoting and exhibiting the defilements. That”s enough to make anyone sick and it certainly isn”t the way to get rid of them.

　　It”s because of this that those who practice and understand anything about Dhamma appear serene and at peace. Their speech is appropriate to the circumstances and when there”s no reason to say anything they remain silent. They are neither grasping nor covetous but live like a samana,10 responding serenely and appropriately with words or stillness. This is what the Lord referred to when he said:

　　"To behold a samana who is free from corruption and perversion is the highest blessing."11

　　The samana here can be considered in four stages: The first is stream-enterer, the second nonreturner, the third once-returner and the arahant as the fourth.

　　The standard viewpoint refers to those who have become a samana by virtue of their attainment to the various levels of Dhamma: stream-entry, once-returning, nonreturning and arahantship. All of them are a blessing to those who look to them with respect. This is the external samana.

　　Turning within to the internal samana. We see the first, second and third samana in the heart by investigating the Dhamma-truth. It”s this that uncovers the Path and the Fruit so that they can be clearly perceived within the heart. And it forms another of the highest blessings. We must turn inward for our own benefit, or else we will be constantly searching for the external samana, always speculating as to who is at what stage. None of the stream-enterers, once-returners, nonreturners or arahants wear labels or insignia like military officers, so how can we pick them out

　　 And if they are genuine how can we know from their behavior and deportment

　　 They would never flaunt their achievement in the gross way the world likes to indulge in. Those with impeccable virtue, who seek after and are imbued with the Truth and Dhamma, can”t possibly behave in this way. Seeking out this kind of samana to pay our respects is far from easy. It”s so difficult to know when we might come across them. Instead, we should take up the Teaching that points towards those four levels of samana, and with application we”ll be able to reach those same stages within ourselves. This is by far the mo…

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