DHARMA IN EVERYDAY LIFE

By Nhat Quan

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Buddhist teachings generally aim to guide people to a happy life, and the Eightfold Path presented by the Buddha is no exception. But you need to pay attention to this point: Buddhism's educational tendency has the common goal of enlightenment and liberation.

These concepts all have different, very specific meanings, and of course, they all have different values ​​in each historical period. You can borrow the idiom:

- Old bottle for new wine, to describe this meaning.

Therefore, you need to be careful when using it to explain or solve problems in your current life. If you do not grasp the fundamental meaning of the Buddha, the different ways of applying it through the ages, the situation becomes dangerous. Just like the general purpose of medicine is to cure illness, it does not mean that every illness is treated with any medicine. By doing so, the old illness is not cured, and a new illness is added. Whatever the meaning, Buddhism mentions the view of non-attachment; it does not mean that soil and rocks are the same as food. Buddhism mentions the concept:

- Non-discrimination does not mean that Buddhism advocates that good and evil are the same.

- Buddhism advocates equality, which does not mean that profits are divided equally per capita; the salaries between experts and manual workers are the same.

- Buddhism talks about nothing, talks about falsehood, that does not mean that Buddhism advises people not to protect life, protect family, and country.

If you do not clarify the true meaning of Buddhism, you are unintentionally the one who slanders Buddhism, making the meaning of Buddhism more and more obscure, far from reality.

The common goal of human beings is to seek happiness. How that happiness is defined depends on the habits and understanding of each individual. That is why there are differences between the views of each person, each group in society. This difference is expressed through lifestyle, thoughts, feelings, political views, and beliefs. After all:

- The purpose of starting a family is to find happiness.

- Going to work to earn money is also a way to find happiness.

- Buying toys for children is also a way to find happiness.

- Going to the temple to worship Buddha is also a way to find happiness.

- Even having a political party or war is also a way to find happiness for your group of people, for your country.....

Of course, each lifestyle, each point of view has its meaning and happiness, even beggars or thieves have their reasons and happiness. The difference between one lifestyle and another is simply a difference in morality or immorality, little or much, short-term or long-term. The cause of that difference is determined by the difference in perception. If the perception is correct, it will give you long-term, reasonable happiness. If that perception originates from a wrong understanding, of course, the result is a meaningless, short-lived happiness.

Buddhist teachings in general aim to guide people to have a happy life, and the Noble Eightfold Path teachings presented by the Buddha are no exception. But here you need to pay attention to this point, the educational tendency of Buddhism all have the common goal of enlightenment and liberation. Enlightenment refers to the role of wisdom, the nature of understanding. Liberation refers to the state of no afflictions, peace, and happiness. This is a special point in the Buddhist teachings system, specifically the Noble Eightfold Path teachings. If you agree that afflictions arise from ignorance, then the content of the Noble Eightfold Path teachings will present and introduce a way of life that brings happiness.

The correct concept that Buddhism often mentions is viewed from a different perspective. When you call Buddhist teachings the right dharma, you must refer to the teachings: Dependent Origination, Impermanence, and Non-self. Dependent origination and impermanence are the natural laws or nature of things. The doctrine of non-self is the human attitude towards the natural world.

There is no combination of causes and conditions; there are no forms, no dharma. So, whatever is formed by the combination of causes and conditions has no self-nature and cannot exist independently. Thus, the nature of all dharmas is impermanence. Whatever is impermanent and changing, you cannot control it, so it is called non-self. Thus, dependent origination, impermanence, and non-self are the nature of life; anyone, regardless of religion or party, must follow this law, must also perceive it like this, and cannot do otherwise. Thus, these three teachings are the truth, the fundamental teaching system of Buddhism, and are therefore called the true dharma. The thirty-seven aids to enlightenment and other teachings are also based on this.

However, the level of the foundation of sentient beings is different; some are low, some are high so Based on this principle, depending on the different foundations, different teachings exist, which is why in Buddhism, there are many scriptures, many different sects. The difference is only a difference in form, but its content and ideas found in any scripture, whether Hinayana or Mahayana, contain the meaning of the teachings of dependent origination, impermanence, and non-self. Any scripture that does not carry this meaning is not a Buddhist teaching. However, if the forms of education are different, the methods of practice are different; sometimes it is not the truth, it cannot be called the true dharma. Because it is only valuable to one person but not to another. Thus, when you call the Buddhist teachings the true dharma, it means the teachings of dependent origination, impermanence, and non-self. This meaning, true in terms of truth, is therefore called the true dharma.

In addition to this meaning, in Buddhism, the word "true" is defined as being by reality. It means that what people think about is the doctrine of the object that people think about, consciousness and reality are by each other, matching each other, called true. That way of thinking that is not by the Diamond Sutra is called "inverted fantasy". For example, when you are thirsty, to solve the problem of water, you need to think about things related to water. That way of thinking is reasonable thinking; thinking differently is called unreasonable thinking. Thus, the meaning of reasonable thinking is that your way of thinking is by the principles of the object you want to think about, so it is called "correct". This correct concept is the direct connection between the perceiving subject and the perceived object; it has nothing to do with other meanings. For example, if you have a cold, you immediately think of going to the doctor and buying cold medicine to take, and as a result, you are cured. This is a reasonable way of thinking because that way of thinking is in accordance with reality. Therefore, this way of thinking is called "correct", even though it has nothing to do with the teachings of dependent origination, impermanence, or non-self. But if someone accidentally drinks poison, refuses to go to the hospital, finds a specialist for treatment, and thinks that they should meditate or recite Buddha's name to detoxify the poison, the result is that the poison spreads and leads to death. The cause of this death is an unreasonable solution, so this method is called an evil or wrong view, whether it is reciting Buddha's name or meditating.

Thus, the concept of "right" in Buddhism is defined in two ways:

- First, it means the truth of life, the nature of principles, such as the doctrine of dependent origination, impermanence ...

- Second, the concept of "right" means: "As the principle of things is, you think like that."

This is the meaning of the word "right" in Buddhist teachings. Now, let's try to understand the meaning of the 8 parts of the Noble Eightfold Path.

Based on this principle, the Buddha established the Noble Eightfold Path to explain the process of eliminating ignorance to bring happiness. That path begins with the first branch of right view, which is considered the basic cause to bring about right thinking, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and the last branch is right concentration. This is a logical and reasonable process to light the torch of wisdom. In this process, right view plays a very important role, guiding and directing the other branches to carry out the path to enlightenment and liberation.

Through the content and meaning of the Noble Eightfold Path, it gives you awareness. It is a process of transforming consciousness, transforming ignorance into enlightenment, transforming ordinary people into saints, transforming suffering into peace and happiness. Or in other words, the Noble Eightfold Path is a method to help you perceive the natural world correctly, and act by the natural laws of the universe, thanks to which you can live in peace and happiness.

The Noble Eightfold Path is a teaching for people to practice and live by the truth, not a teaching to praise Buddhism. The Noble Eightfold Path is a teaching that advises people to see right, understand right, and do right, not a teaching to believe or develop faith. If wisdom is the sharp sword that cuts off ignorance and afflictions, then the Noble Eightfold Path is the path that leads to wisdom.

The Noble Eightfold Path depends entirely on your level of understanding and practice in this life. It is not just for reciting or chatting, but you should try to verify it through your own life. What troubles and sufferings have you encountered, Do they all come from ignorance and wrong views? If the troubles and sufferings you experience come from wrong views, then the Noble Eightfold Path is the path that brings you peace and happiness in this life and the next.

Indeed, after Buddha Shakyamuni attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, he began to turn the wheel of the Dharma in the Deer Park to convert the five brothers of Master Kondanna. The first Dharmachakra Sutra was used to inaugurate the teachings of morality. The Buddha taught here the Four Noble Truths, and the core of this sermon is the Noble Eightfold Path.

So the Noble Eightfold Path is the path leading to the Holy fruit of liberation, created on eight correct and authentic aspects. Looking back at the history of its establishment, as you know, the core of the Four Noble Truths is still the Noble Eightfold Path in the Noble Truths section of the 37 Bodhipakṣa.

Buddhism from the past until now, through many centuries, even though the leaves are no longer green, the sun has not risen, the moon has fallen, but the truth of the Four Noble Truths remains eternal, does not die with time. This is also easy to understand. The Buddha appeared in this world only because of a great love, wanting all living beings to attain Buddha's knowledge to escape the slavery of desire and suffering that he lived and experienced. Buddhism surpasses all other religions for this very reason. Moreover, living beings do not see suffering because of ignorance; he only shows suffering, shows why there is suffering, and most importantly, the path to the end of suffering. Like a good doctor, showing them that there is an illness, the cause of the illness, but without the important thing of giving medicine, how can the illness be cured? Likewise, if you see an enemy hiding there, without a sword or gun, how can you capture and destroy it? Therefore, the problem of wanting to solve suffering is that the right path to reach the destination without going astray is the Noble Eightfold Path.

The Buddha did not preach sermons such as: Twelve Causes and Conditions, Samsara, Karma, and Cause and Effect first, but preached the Noble Eightfold Path because it is considered the foundation of the massive Buddhist castle; all dharmas also originate from it. Moreover, this is the first threshold, the foundation for Hinayana and Mahayana, and the Noble Eightfold Path was born like a bomb exploding in the Deer Park, breaking two strongholds of egoism.

- First: Excessive asceticism, self-mortification.

- Second: Laxity in self-indulgence.

Thanks to the Buddha opening a Middle Way, bringing insight, the five brothers of Kondanna were enlightened and attained the fruit of Arhat.

Thus, if there are times when people say:

- The tonic medicine makes the body healthy, then the Noble Eightfold Path will liberate people from suffering and pain (mental illness).

The Noble Eightfold Path is like a torch in the night, like the moonlight shining throughout space. It is a mirror reflecting the true face of the Four Noble Truths, the twelve causes and effects, reincarnation and cause and effect, to clearly see the true face of the Dharma, what is real, what is fake, to guide those who want and are struggling to find true joy, to escape the deep sea of ​​suffering that is bound with no way out. If you want to do so, you must truly follow, act, and live according to the path of Right View, the correct path without deviation, to understand thoroughly all existence.

According to the A-Ham tradition, right view is to see the Four Noble Truths, the twelve causes and effects, to see all the wrong extremes of self-mortification and indulgence in desires. Standing on the Mahayana vehicle, right view is to see clearly that all sentient beings have Buddha nature, and have the ability to become Buddha. Understanding the right view is to see the nature of all problems truly and accurately. When you have the right view like that, you understand where the suffering of Old Age and Death comes from, and how to end them.

The first two steps, Right View and Right Thought, are the most important because these two dharmas are like the locomotives of the train cars. They guide practitioners to follow the right path, avoiding the wrong feelings and perceptions that are common in the world. You are willing to step on each other, for a little fame and profit, forgetting all the moral principles, causing fathers to not trust their children, wives to not understand their husbands, and brothers to distance themselves from each other. Far away, neighbors are not close, relationships are severed just because of one untruthful word, not Right Speech, so in folklore, there is a saying:

- Once broken trust, forever broken trust.

Therefore, right view and right thinking are critical; they help you avoid suffering, not live in suffering because of confronting an undesirable person or thing, no longer joke with superficial things, because you know that it is a great loss, once lost, it cannot be repaired. No longer accept the crazy as real, no longer play in the burning house.

During the time of the Buddha, he lived a pure life based on the four holy seeds.

- Practice alms-round.

- Wear a robe of rags.

- Sleep under a tree for no more than three nights.

- Treat illness with herbs.

The four holy seeds aim at a life of detachment, a life of non-attachment and non-clinging, which is the essential and fundamental thing for a monk. Besides, you see that today's society is full of fraud and cheating, making a living on the sweat and blood of many others through dishonest jobs such as stealing, robbing, cheating, even trading people with people, then their future life will certainly not be good. Before their eyes is the scene of prison that refuses to let go; the court of karma cannot be indifferent. So you should think about this and avoid doing dishonest jobs. Like that, you will not see, there is no prison or hell, but for those who live righteously, right there, true peace appears before your eyes. Therefore, you should always be brave and diligent in practicing the dharma of non-leakage, at the same time preventing the dharma of leakage from arising.

If there are times when you are sleeping endlessly in the dream of life, then Mindfulness is the medicine to wake you up and return to living in real life, which is the awakened life. Be aware of all your movements. That means when you walk, stand, lie down, sit, or speak, you must be aware of them. Therefore, there is no movement of the body that a person with Mindfulness of the body is not aware of. Furthermore, Mindfulness does not see anything as impure, always clearly seeing that the aggregate of form is impermanent, is dynamic, and has no real self-nature.

Mindfulness of the mind means always contemplating and being aware to remember and know all states of the mind that occur. That means when the mind has greed, anger, or delusion, you must remember clearly. The mind has those things, and when the mind does not have greed, anger, or delusion, you must also know that the mind does not have those things. Whatever is happening or not happening in all mental activities, you must know very clearly whether they are happening or not happening. Mindfulness of the mind is to always contemplate and be aware that:

- This is the mind, this is the arising of the mind. If the mind clings to desire, clings to wrong views, clings to wrong thoughts, then it will lead to the result of drifting in the cycle of birth and death.

The liberated life should know how the dharmas depend on the inner mind, then you must know them as they are, that is, Mindfulness of the mind. When all external things cannot control your mind, that is Right Concentration. According to Master Hui Neng, it is called:

- External separation from appearance, internal stillness.

Correct Right Concentration will bring you a life of Right Wisdom and Right Liberation.

The foundation of Buddhism is the Precepts, Concentration, and Wisdom. Precepts, Concentration, and Wisdom are built on the Noble Eightfold Path, also known as the three studies of no outflows. The reason it is called no outflows is that it has no outflows that leak out; it is complete and perfect. Or in other words, there is no more birth and death, no more returning to the cycle of birth and death. Speaking of it, it seems simple, so you often misunderstand the language and are deceived by it. But the language is still in the relative category, if you only rely on the language, listen to the Dharma of the Noble Eightfold Path, and think it is good, peaceful, and liberating. Whether it is real or not, liberating or not, depends on each person's practice. Therefore, when studying Buddhism, you must thoroughly understand the Buddha's teachings. The teachings only have real value, certain effectiveness when you practice from your body, speech, and mind. The Buddha's teachings explain the truth of happiness, because it is eternal, and clearly show specific measures right in the mind stream of each person. It is a medicine to treat the psychological illness of sentient beings... Depending on the illness of sentient beings, there are many different medicines. The Buddha's teachings stand out as a value in treating the mental illness of sentient beings. Thus, it requires the two actions of Knowledge and Action to be closely and unified.

In short, the Noble Eightfold Path is still the torch that lights the way. There is no distinction between rich and poor. A teaching that is completely not limited to the scope of rituals and worship, helping those who want to find true peace, a new ideal, and a new education, can also practice and achieve direct results in this life. A unique teaching in the history of religion, it has destroyed the most solid fortresses of egoism, of extreme thoughts. It is like a bridge across the river of delusion for those who want to cross to the shore of delusion. It is like a spacious highway leading you to the shore of enlightenment. There, if you are wondering about the ultimate truth, the peaceful tomorrow of your life, then pray:

- I will practice exactly as the Buddha taught

Then you will attain true liberation, true peace, and Nirvana as it is.

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