Dalai Lama On Importance Of Rational Thought In Spiritual Practice

The Ever-grateful Monk By: Swati Chopra 

Having taught Tibet the dharma, India should now not forget its chela, says H H The Dalai Lama reports SWATI CHOPRA

Gate gate paragate parasagate bodhi svaha — the Heart Sutra, which the Dalai Lama translated as ‘Go, go, go beyond, go further beyond, establish Buddhahood’ — could be seen as the core message that emerged from his teachings in Delhi, March 23-25.

The implication is to practise, constantly and diligently, ways of transforming oneself until Buddhahood is achieved. It is an enlightenment that is not just for oneself, though, and is accompanied by a vow to work for all sentient beings.

Organised by the Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the teachings were centred on the ‘Four Noble Truths’. Given the Dalai Lama’s facility and skill as teacher, they went far beyond, and knitted complex concepts of Buddhist philosophy about the nature of reality with latest research in quantum physics, and detailed explanations of mind and emotions in Buddhism’s ‘science of mind’ with everyday experiences.
 

The Four Noble Truths have usually been translated as: the truth of suffering, its cause in grasping and desire, the possibility and the path to its eradication. “All phenomena are born from causes and conditions and these have been taught and also their cessation by the Buddha,” explained the Dalai Lama. He went on to connect the changeability of phenomena with impermanence and interconnectedness — everything changes and is impermanent, and every result is conditioned by its causes, making for an interconnected reality. 
 

Speaking to an audience of 300, the Dalai Lama employed his legendary wit to liven his discourse and the ensuing conversations. His jokes were at times about others — the solemnity of the Queen of England and that of a head priest of a Korean tradition, for instance — but he laughed the hardest while poking fun at himself. His own example cropped up time and again, like how he was made aware of his own attachment to his tradition when a scientist remarked that he was practising detachment from his tradition, science.
 

While talking about the importance of rational thought in spiritual practice, the Dalai Lama recounted how he had given up the scriptural notion that Mount Meru held up the centre of the universe because his aeroplane journeys had shown him otherwise. Yet, he says his scientific temperament was doubted by a friend who said it could not co-exist with his belief in the state oracle.

The Dalai Lama countered it with an explanation of different levels of reality, many of which cannot be explained or measured in scientific terms. These instances revealed his openness to interrogating tradition, while not losing sight of the wisdom that is transmitted through it, which in the case of Tibetan Buddhism includes insights into the nature of mind and reality that are now being validated and valued by modern science.
 

His humour transformed many a moment. With a twinkle in his eye, he recounted how he followed the Christian tradition and kissed his friend, Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s ring, and how the latter would praise him and add in jest, “He is a wonderful man, but what a pity he is not Christian!”
 

The Dalai Lama’s ability to exude lightness of being at a time when he has spent most of his life in exile from his homeland, where the situation continues to be tense, is a testimony to the equanimity that is a result of intense spiritual practice. The poignancy was not lost on the audience, and one of the questions asked was, ‘How can we share your pain?’ The Dalai Lama’s response was that he needed to deal with his pain through his own effort. This was in keeping with what he had asked us to do — because suffering arises from ignorance of reality, it is possible to eradicate it through knowledge and practice.
 

The Dalai Lama concluded by reminding the largely Indian audience that India, who he refers to as the guru of Tibet, having taught it the dharma, should now not forget its chela.

"Each of us in our own way can try to spread compassion into people’s hearts. Western civilizations these days place great importance on filling the human brain with knowledge, but no one seems to care about filling the human heart with compassion. This is what the real role of religion is.”

- Dalai Lama