Dharma is For Everyone
(By Tsem Rinpoche)
Religion is just a label. It is the teachings of the religion that help nurture our innate goodness. Therefore I have always encouraged people of different backgrounds to practice their chosen religion with great faith and devotion.
I will never try to distract and convert people from their religious teachers to Buddhism because I believe all major religions in the world teach their followers love, peace and compassion. Kechara is the way it is today not because the beautiful people of Kechara are special, or have incredible abilities that others may not possess, but because they work very hard, long hours and respect others regardless of their social status and background. The results reflect that. There is no special secret, it is just hard work, dedication and everybody can do that. If the growth of Kechara both physically and spiritually amazes you, then I hope that you know of the hard work by dedicated people that goes on behind-the-scenes, and feel inspired to follow their footsteps by applying this good attitude in your own centres.
In Buddhism, all enlightened beings’ minds and consciousnesses are equal. The state of an enlightened mind is one that has achieved perfection of wisdom and compassion, which means there is no enlightened being greater than the other. Enlightened beings such as Shakyamuni and Cherezig appear different in our limited minds, but by nature, they are one and inseparable. However, although all enlightened beings are the same, out of their great compassion, they manifest to us in various different forms such as Medicine Buddha, Tara, Manjushri etc. And because samsaric beings like us are affected and influenced by karma, we develop a stronger form of connection and affinity to one (or more) enlightened beings that manifest to aid us in dispelling whatever klesha we hold strongly in our mind.
In a similar way, one manifestation of Dharma is no greater than another because the essence of the teachings are the same. Whether we label ourselves as Buddhists, Christians or any other religion, the practice of Dharma transcends those labels. Practice of one’s religion does not come from the labels we give ourselves, but from actually carrying out compassionate acts as taught by our beliefs. There are many people who identify themselves as ‘Buddhist’, yet they do not truly understand or practice Dharma and there are many people who identify themselves as ‘Christians’, yet they repeatedly sin then beg for forgiveness. Is this the outcome we truly want just because we are so fixated about religious labels?
Dharma is a doctrine. To one who’s not Buddhist, it can simply be taken as advice to live a virtuous life; to a spiritually inclined person, Dharma is the essential teachings to transform the mind towards that of an enlightened being. Although it can be a part of it, Dharma is not just lighting some candles or incense every day, or going to the church or temple every week… at the end of the day, we must observe whether we remain mean, lazy, uncommitted and uncompassionate, or if we transformed to overcome our negative behaviours.
In this respect, the deities of Buddhism can appear in different forms but their essence remains the same. Compassion and love are also taught in other religions such as Christianity, even if the method of delivery to the people is different. In Buddhism there is the Buddha and in Christianity there is Jesus Christ. I will not say that Buddhism is objectively better than Christianity, but Buddhism is just the best for me and that will not change. There are many Buddhists who find that Buddhism is not the best for them and that is okay. And there may be Christians that do not find Christianity is the best for them, and that is okay too… Ultimately, it is who we become at the end of the day that is more important than any label we can put on ourselves.
We should understand this. Dharma cannot be owned by anybody or anything so labelling that only Buddhists can practice Dharma would be very incorrect… and labelling that Christians or anyone of other faiths cannot practice Dharma is not correct either, because there is nothing religious about Dharma; it is about finding ways to become a better person and lead a virtuous life. Anybody can be on the Dharmic path, not just a Buddhist. Before Lord Buddha became enlightened and started to teach, there was no labelling of Buddhism but Dharma existed before and will exist after Buddhism is no longer heard of in this world. Also, Buddha has surely manifested in parts of the universe that we do not know of and at those places, the term Buddhism may not exist. Yet the Dharma remains the same.
This article below illustrates a half-dozen examples on how the Dharma helped some Christians to deepen their relationship with God, and how they strengthened their Christian beliefs and are now better Christians by applying some Buddhist teachings in their lives. I am sharing this not to show that Buddhism is superior to other religions, absolutely not. But as an example of how some people, by keeping an open mind and not trapping themselves within the boundaries of religious labelling, have managed to find more inner peace. I wish everyone to have a great spiritual journey and may you always find peace and happiness.
Sarva Mangalam.
Tsem Rinpoche
Why are Christians Turning to Buddhism?
Six Examples by Jay McDaniel
A small but growing number of Christians in the West are turning to Buddhism for spiritual guidance. Many are reading books about Buddhism, and some are also meditating, participating in Buddhist retreats, and studying under Buddhist teachers. They are drawn to Buddhism’s emphasis on “being present” in the present moment; to its recognition of the interconnectedness of all things; to its emphasis on non-violence; to its appreciation of a world beyond words, and to its provision of practical means — namely meditation — for growing in one’s capacities for wise and compassionate living in daily life. As they learn from Buddhism, they do not abandon Christianity. Their hope is that Buddhism can help them become better Christians. They are Christians influenced by Buddhism.
1. Julia is typical of one kind of Christian influenced by Buddhism. She is a hospice worker in New York who, as a Benedictine sister, turns to Buddhism “to become a better listener and to become more patient.” As a student of Zen she has been practicing zazen for twenty years under the inspiration of the Vietnamese Zen teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, whose book Living Buddha/Living Christ gave her new eyes for Christ, proposing that Jesus himself was “mindful in the present moment.” She practices meditation in order to deepen her own capacities for mindfulness, particularly as it might help her be more effective in her life’s calling. As a hospice worker she feels called to listen to dying people, quietly and without judgment, as a way of extending the healing ministry of Christ. Like many people in consumer society, she sometimes finds herself too hurried and distracted, too caught up in her own concerns, to be present to others in patient and healing ways. She turns to Zen practice because it has helped her become more patient and attentive in her capacities to be available to people in a spirit of compassion.
From Julia’s perspective, “being present” to people in a compassionate way is a spiritual practice in its own right. She calls this attention “practicing the presence of God,” and she believes that this listening participates in a deeper Listening – an all-inclusive Love — whom she calls God, and whom she believes is everywhere at once. She turns to Zen meditation, then, not to escape the world, but to help her draw closer to the very God whose face she sees in people in need, and to help her become gentler and more attentive in her own capacities for listening. In her words: “I hope that my Zen practice has helped me become a better Christian.”
2. John, too, is a Christian who practices meditation, but for different reasons. He suffers from chronic back pain from a car accident several years ago. He has turned to meditation as a way of coping more creatively with his pain. “The pain doesn’t go away,” he says, “but it’s so much worse when I fight it. Meditation has helped me live with the pain, instead of fighting it all the time.” When people see John, they note that he seems a little more at peace, and a little more joyful, than he used to seem. Not that everything is perfect. He has his bad days and his good days. Still, he finds solace in the fact that, even on the bad days, he can “take a deep breath” and feel a little more control in his life.
When John is asked to reflect on the relation between his meditation practice and Christianity, he reminds his questioner that the very word Spirit is connected to the Hebrew word ruach, which means breathing. John sees physical breathing – the kind that we do each moment of our lives – as a portable icon for a deeper Breathing, divine in nature, which supports us in all circumstances, painful and pleasant, and which allows us to face suffering, our own and that of others, with courage. “Buddhism has helped me find strength in times of pain; it has helped me find God’s Breathing.”
3. Sheila is an advertising agent in Detroit who turns to Buddhism for a different reason. She does not practice meditation and is temperamentally very active and busy. But over the years her busyness has become a compulsion and she now risks losing her husband and children, because she never has time for her family. As she explains: “Almost all of my daily life has been absorbed with selling products, making money, and manipulating other people’s desires. Somewhere in the process I have forgotten what was most important to me: helping others, being with friends and family, and appreciating the simple beauties of life. Buddhism speaks to my deeper side.”
When Sheila reflects on the relationship between Buddhism and Christianity, she thinks about the lifestyle and values of Jesus. She recognizes that Jesus himself had little interest in appearance, affluence, and marketable achievement, and that he was deeply critical of the very idea that “amassing wealth” should be a central organizing principle of life. She doubts that Jesus would approve of the business culture in which she is immersed, in which the accumulation of wealth seems to be the inordinate concern. For her, then, Buddhism invites her to rethink the values by which she lives and to turn to values that are closer to the true teachings of Christ. “I find this simpler way challenging,” she says, “but also hopeful. I hope that Buddhism can help me have the courage to follow Christ more truly.”
4. Robert is an unemployed social worker in Texas, who feels unworthy of respect because he does not have a salaried job like so many of his friends. He, too, has been reading books on Buddhism, “Most people identify with their jobs,” he says, “but I don’t have one. Sometimes I feel like a nothing, a nobody. Sometimes I feel like it is only at church, and sometimes not even there, that I count for anything.”
Robert turns to Buddhism as a complement to the kind of support he seeks to find, but sometimes doesn’t find, in Christianity. Buddhism tells him that his real identity – his true self, as Buddhists put it – lies more in the kindness he extends to others, and to himself, than in making money and amassing wealth. Like Sheila, he sees this as connected with the teachings of Jesus. “Jesus tells me that I am made in the image of God; Buddhism tells me that I possess the Buddha-Nature. I don’t care what name you use, but somehow you need to know that you are more than money and wealth.”
5. Jane is a practicing physicist who works at a laboratory in Maryland who goes to a local Methodist church regularly. For her, a religious orientation must “make sense” intellectually, even as it also appeals to a more affective side of life, as discovered in personal relations, music, and the natural world. But she also finds God in science and in scientific ways of understanding the world. She is troubled that, too often, the atmosphere of church seems to discourage, rather than encourage, the spirit of enquiry and questioning that is so important in the scientific life. Jane appreciates the fact that, in Buddhism as she understands it, this spirit is encouraged.
This non-dogmatic approach, in which even religious convictions can be subject to revision, inspires her. In her words: “I plan to remain a Christian and stay with my Methodist church, but I want to learn more about Buddhism. I sense that its approach to life can help me see the spiritual dimensions of doubt and inquiry and help me integrate religion and science.”
6. Sandra is a Roman Catholic nun in Missouri who leads a retreat center. Twelve months a year she leads retreats for Christians, Catholic and non-Catholic, who wish to recover the more contemplative traditions of their prayer life and enter more deeply into their interior journey with God. At her workshops she offers spiritual guidance and introduces participants to many of the mystics of the Christian tradition: John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, Meister Eckhart, Hildegard of Bingen. Even as she does this, she herself is on the very journey to God, and she makes this clear to people who come her way.
Sandra turns to Buddhism because she believes that its teaching of no-ego or no-self, when understood experientially and not just intellectually, is itself an essential dimension of the journey to God. She sees this teaching as complementary to, and yet enriching, the teaching of “death and resurrection” that is at the heart of Christian faith. In her words: “Christianity and Buddhism agree that the spiritual pilgrimage involves an absolute letting go, or dropping away, of all that a person knows of self and God. Indeed, this is what happened in Jesus as he lay dying on the cross, and perhaps at many moments leading up to the cross. Only after the dying can new life emerge, in which there is in some sense ‘only God’ and no more ‘me.’ I see the cross as symbolizing this dying of self and resurrecting of new life that must occur within each of us. Buddhism helps me enter into that dying of self.”
As you listen to their stories, perhaps you hear your own desires in some of them? If so, you have undertaken an empathy experiment. You need not be “Christian” or “Buddhist” to do this. There is something to learn from them even if you are not religious at all. Don’t we all need to live by dying? Don’t we all need to listen better? Don’t we all need to inquire and seek truth? There is something deeply human in their searching, and deeply human in our willingness to learn from them, even if we don’t share their faith. And even if we do.
[Source: http://www.bbncommunity.com/why-are-christians-turning-to-buddhism/]
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Religion is the most comprehensive and intensive manner of valuing known to human beings. Very true….Dharma is for everyone Dharma is doctrine as said by Rinpoche. Dharma is universal and eternal, which are applicable to everyone. Dharma has nothing to do with any religion. All religions in the world taught us all the same .Reading this article we will definitely understanding better. Applying what we learn, practice will have our mind transform to be a better person with compassion, kindness, caring and wisdom.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.
Dharma is a key concept with multiple meanings. To practice Dharma means to apply Buddha’s teachings in our daily life. It will lead us to attain permanent liberation from lower rebirth if we practice sincerely. Dharma was a kind of education or knowledge imparted to a person to lead a life in a certain way. Dharma is for everyone and through learning Dharma, practicing and applying what we learn to transform our mind. All religions nor matter what religion you are, it teaches one to be loving, peaceful, compassion and to live harmoniously
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.
From this article, I have learned that when we truly understand the essence of dharma, we know that Buddha Shakyamuni have taught us how to live mundane lifestyle into more meaningful life. On spiritual level, Buddha Shakyamuni have gave ur a gift that free ourself from various problem that we do on ourself either intentionally or unintentionally.
Dharma is a gift from Buddha for us to know ourself better and to be free of the chain of karma. Also to help to benefit peoples around us.
The more we know and practice, the more we appreciate this knowledge. Especially to my Guru H.E Tsem Rinpoche, he have taught us this precious knowledge.
Thank you for sharing this meaningful article. Dharma it is something we need to apply in daily life and benefits others. Dharma always brings peace and love
The real practice of the Dharma is about transforming ourselves to bring us closer and closer towards our ultimate goal of Enlightenment.
Thanks once again for sharing this…
Religion is a system where we are taught the virtuous way to live our lives. We are taught how to be responsible, how to accept the differences, how to live in harmony, etc. Through religious practice, we hope we can be a better person and make our community a better place to live in.
Different religions simply mean different ways of practicing the good virtues. It may be learned through some religious rituals or through study and take action of what we have learned. If the religion is not manipulated for personal gains, the teachings will not deviate from what is mentioned above.
For Buddhism, what we are learning is called Dharma. Dharma means the good morality. We learn how to live our lives with the correct principles so we don’t create sufferings to others and make constructive contributions towards the community we are living in and eventually we can live our lives happily. Therefore, if we really practice a religion, we should be happy and contented at the end of the day.
Thank you Rinpoche for guiding us to understand the real meaning of Dharma in the practical ways by learning and practicing Buddha’s teachings consistently through persistent hard work and dedications for the benefits of others selflessly and compassionately rather than merely by knowing about Buddhism on the intellectual surface. The context of Dharma should not only be bounded within Buddhism but to all other religions as well that teach respective practitioners or followers to become better persons with humanity, good moral values, positive attitudes and behavior, kindness, compassion, selflessness and many more of good qualities. After reading the good examples of how Buddhism has helped Christians to progress positively in their faith as written by Jay McDaniel in his article, I fully understand that Buddhists and Christians are having the same goals in spiritual practice, which consists the positive values such as selflessness, compassion, loving kindness, right focus, right effort and many more. May all the practitioners from different religions and faith able to live together happily and peacefully.
Thank you with folded hands,
kin hoe
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this. Dharma it is something we need to apply in our daily life and benefits others. Dharma always brings peace, love, compassion and inner peace.
With folded hands
James
Dharma is for everyone cannot be owned by anybody..when we pratice it we apply Buddha’s teachings in your daily life. Buddha will show us the way,we need to walk the path, understand the teachings and sincerely apply the Dharma to our lives.We must help ourselves by transforming our mind with compassion,kindness,caring and wisdom to be enlightened beings.Dharma is doctrine as said by Rinpoche.
Religion is the set of beliefs, feelings and practices that define the relations between human being and divinity. Hence there is nothing religious about Dharma , all religions in the world teaches love, peace, compassion and to live happily.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing.
Very interesting, to Buddhists, Buddhism is a religion and to non Buddhists, Buddhism is a philosophy, a way of life.
As explained clearly by H E the 25th Tsem Rinpoche, the essence of Buddhism is the teaching of Dharma and it is for everyone to bring out the innate goodness within mankind. Beautifully taught. Thank you, Rinpoche.
“I hope that my Zen practice has helped me become a better Christian.” Quote from Julia.
Through the eyes of the many who shared their experience and contact with Buddhism, it shows that Buddhism can be a tool to help them with their faith and everyday life. Buddhism does not require one to believe in the Buddha per se. It is as Rinpoche said, just a label.
Dharma is dharma and is meant to help alleviate the suffering of beings. and it has helped these individuals in their own ways. It is not to brand anybody.
Thank you for this sharing. It is very empowering in its way.
Thank you Rinpoche for making us look at the essence of the practice of the Buddha Dharma, in fact the essence of true practice of any religion. The real practice of any religion must go beyond the label to the practice of what that religion’s doctrine teaches us about how to be a better person, by practicing love, peace and compassion.
The real practice of the Dharma is about transforming ourselves to bring us closer and closer towards our ultimate goal of Enlightenment ( a state of mind of total peace and liberation from all suffering and disturbance). Ultimately at the end of each day and over a period of time, we should be checking ourselves to see if we have become kinder, more patient, more tolerant, and more committed people and if we have worked successfully to remove our negativities -self-grasping,attachment, aversion , anger, hatred, and the like , even if it’s a little at a time.
At the heart of Buddhist practice to become better people is practicing mindfulness or awareness of our interconnectedness to others and our interdependence, and of developing inner peace and tranquillity of mind. That is why, Christians are turning to Buddhist practices, like meditation and retreat, to help them become better Christian practitioners.
Dharma is doctrine. It leads to mind transform to become a enlighten beings with compassion and wisdom as well .Dharma can’t be label as Buddhism or Christian. It is a spiritual path which can be adopted by any religion.
Thanks Rinpoche for sharing
感谢仁波切这篇博文，让我们可以更进一步了解有关宗教的课题。
以下是个人从以上的博文所得到的一些理解：
1. 宗教其实只是一个标签。可以说是现代人方便的将宗教信仰归类。
2. 一般宗教的教诲都是帮助我们怎样成为一个好人。而要成为一个好人是要打从内心所呈现的仁爱、平静、同情与慈悲对待身边的人。因此，我们都必须接受与尊重每个人的宗教选择。
3. 仁波切一再提醒我们，所有证悟者/诸佛菩萨都是有相同的心识和拥有圆满的慈悲心与智慧。佛菩萨会呈现不同的形象来普渡众生比如药师佛，文殊菩萨，度母等等。而他们为何会有如此的形象出现在我们面前，其实这都是和我们的业力有关。
4. 佛法其实在很早以前就已经存在了。在佛陀还没有达到证悟和传授佛法时，当时根本就没有像现时代被称为佛教徒。所以，佛法其实是不管在几千或是几万年前，或是以后当没有人再听到‘佛法’或是‘佛教徒’，佛法依然是存在的。
5. 博文里面所提到的6个不同背景的基督教徒都赞同佛法一些方面的解释是可以帮助到他们在灵修方面更上一层楼。这包括了我们要活在当下、要有正念与警觉心、接受与忍耐的去面对一切苦、帮助他人与时时刻刻怀有感恩之心、面对原来的我与不虚伪、放下自我与以不同角度来了解心灵上的修持。
Dear Rinpoche,
Thanks for sharing this article.
Some of the points I learned from this article:
1. Everyone should practice dharma. Dharma is not only practice by Buddhist but for everyone. Dharma is about finding a way to be better person and leading a virtuous way.
2. It is our action and how we transform our mind that is important. Religion is only a label.
3. Be contented and have compassion to everyone and our environment. Willing to change and improve the situation and be persistent.
4. Meditation provide us an option to free our self from pain and have more focus. We should learn to accept the situation and not to fight it.
5. I am happy to know that there is a group of people who have great openness to embrace Buddhism into their Christianity practice. I hope more people are more open in accepting as it is a method which will benefit one. Everyone has a freedom to adopt the best best for their practice.
In my opinion, religion is a collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence. What is important is the teachings of these religion that teach their followers love, peace and compassion.
Dharma is the essential teachings to transform the mind towards that of an enlightened being or ways to lead us to become a better person and lead a virtuous life. Dharma is not owned by anybody or anything and there is Dharma in every religion because the essence of the teachings are the same. Whether we label ourselves as Buddhists, Christians or any other religion, the practice of Dharma transcends those labels..
Are we Buddhists just because we call ourselves Buddhist? What makes us a good Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, etc.? Practice of one’s religion does not come from the labels we give ourselves, but from actually carrying out compassionate acts as taught by our beliefs.
Buddhism, Christianity and all of the other major world religions share rules of behavior which governs how they are to treat others. Two quotations from Buddhist texts which reflect this ethic are:
“…a state that is not pleasing or delightful to me, how could I inflict that upon another?” Samyutta Nikaya v. 353
“Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.” Udana-Varga 5:18.
We can see the similarity in Christianity’s Golden Rule:
Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.”Matthew 7:12.
“…and don’t do what you hate…” Gospel of Thomas 6.
This Gospel was said to have been widely used in early Christianity but never made it into the official canon because of its Gnostic content.
Of all the stories shared in the blog post, I like the story of Sandra, a Roman Catholic nun in Missouri who leads a retreat center. What I like is that she saw no conflict in the two religions and that both traditions agree that the spiritual pilgrimage involves an absolute letting go, or dropping away, of all that a person knows of self or God. This shows that religion is not about praying to God or Buddha, but of mental transformation to become a better person.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for sharing this articles,
From 6 example stories show six different background with same religiou and the beautiful things are they practice Dharma to benefits them without shifting their own religion. All the religions are same and religious is just a label, As Rinpoche said “There is nothing religious about Dharma, is it about finding way to become a better person and lead a virtuous life.” Anybody can be on the Dharmic path. The important is to practice dharma with a open mind then have our mind changed and transform to be a better person.
With folded hand
Asyley Chia
We have a habit of labeling everything in order to condense and confine the universe down to the scale we can understand and accept. But doing so does not bring any joy or peace. In fact because we are restricting our true nature, we bring ourselves sufferings. And we get stuck in that cycle.
Remove the label, keep an open mind. Do not be so obsessed with who we think we are. No matter our DNA, background, culture, religion, experiences we all ultimately want the same thing – to not suffer, to have happiness, to have peace. That is universal and dharma is the essential teachings that to transform our mind towards achieving that. It’s applicable to everyone.
Dharma is about finding ways to become a better person and lead a virtuous life. Anybody can be on the Dharmic path, not just a Buddhist.
Buddhism can appear in different forms but their essence remains the same. Compassion and love are also taught in other religions such as Hindu and Christianity. Ultimately, it is who we become at the end of the day that is more important than any label we can put on ourselves. We can call ourself Buddhist or anything, at the end of the day, be kind and compassion
This articles has given importance insight of how some people by keeping an open mind and not trapping themselves within the boundaries of religious labelling, they have managed to find more inner peace. The most interesting is Dharma has help them to gain more faith in their own religion.
…indeed in the realms of spiritualism, there is no ‘ spiritual plagiarism’ per se. It is really not so important in modern society to care where where and when spirituality originates but the message is clear – delve within and let the beauty of spirituality arise unhindered…thank you for sharing this article because it helps us see a seamless society reaching towards the divine.
I have a friend who chose to practice as Christians rather than as a Buddhist. She likes both Christianity and Buddhism but was put off by the latter in terms of daily rituals, making offerings etc…that is fine…untimately spirituality is about mind transformation and everything else we do is just a platform for help us get there – hence there are choices and we chose and live by our choices…
It’s good to read about what people of other faith think about Buddhism, it doesn’t mean that Buddhism rules the world or Buddhism is the best, no of course, we all have different views and we definitely have the freedom to adopt any religion we want.
I’m glad that people are open minded enough to share their experiences with the others, personally I find meditation very helpful. Meditation helps us to relax our mind and the body. If we’re doing breathing meditation, we focus only on the breathing and nothing else, the results you get from doing it is amazing. If it’s done consistently, you will definitely see the difference in your mind, most of the people find themselves more calm after the meditation. It’s going to be hard at first, but if we are persistent, there’s nothing that we can’t conquer, literally.
感谢仁波切分享这篇文章给我们。
在这篇文章中分享的故事，人们明白要学习成为一个更好的人是没有国界或是宗教之分。
学习善待他人，尊重一切众生，要有慈悲心，成为一个更好的人。
佛法是真理, 适用于每一个人, 不管你是不是佛教徒，你都可以学习佛法的真理，当我们
遇到问题，能够更容易，更有效地处理情况。
也让我们看到了生命的意义，从中学习我们如何过着有意义的生活。
Dharma is the truth, the law of which how phenomena function in the universe. Within dharma, there are Buddha dharma, Jesus dharma, Prophet Muhammad dharma, Krishna dharma etc. and they suits different mind that prefer different ways of presentation. Dharma is dharma, there shouldn’t be any restriction in application regardless of external factors and labels. Dharma is for the mind which is formless and its essence is emptiness, therefore any label we placed on the outside will not stop dharma from functioning.
Below points are elaboration of the examples given in the article:
1) Mindfulness is applicable to everyone who would like to be focus, to absorb new information quickly and accurately, to become more patience and heal others by listening attentively.
2) Meditation allow us to accept all situations without fighting them. Acceptance makes us calm and are able to deal with situations more easily and effectively.
3) Appreciation is the very basis of the bodhi mind, which is one that wishes to attain enlightenment for the benefits of all sentient beings. Being gratitude allow us to experience life to the finest details and to connect truly.
4) Recognising our innate nature free us from perceptions, while allowing us to live our lives to the fullest shining with our true beautiful nature of kindness, compassion and care.
5) Making enquiries and asking questions help us to understand and strengthen our faith towards the dharma of our choice. It also allow us to learn and understand quickly.
6) Letting go of attachment, the self and most importantly dharma eventually is necessary for us to achieve oneness with our innate nature, the quality of being fully awaken, to recognise the truth and to be liberated from our wrong views.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for sharing this article. What I had learnt from this post is that religion is a label and very superficial if we are not truly incorporating it into our daily lives. A lot of people like to label themselves as Buddhist but do not practice dharma at all. This does not only happens in Buddhism. Example of what mentioned in the post, a lot of ” Christians” keep repeating the same sin and den confess about it without making an effort to actually change that.
In Buddhism, we study and practice dharma. Dharma is the teaching of Lord Shyakyamuni 2500 years ago which is also known as the truth. Why is it known as truth, because it is explains how the universe works and it applies to everyone without exception. It will still applies to you weather you believe it or not, because it is the TRUTH. The truth does not change according to your liking or faith in it. This is why, some of the poeple of other religion find dharma to be useful and it compliments their faith in their own religion because Dharma does not only applies to Buddhist.
I also learn that all religion teaches the same thing when we distil the essence of their teachings to the core, which is being kind to others and be a better man. Although it might seems like there is a huge difference between the religions, it is the same goal after all. So, there is no need to slender another religion because deep down, we are trying to pursue the same goal, just different method and ideology.
Chris
Thank you Rinpoche for the sharing,
The minds and consciousness of all the enlightened beings in Buddhism are the equal. Although they are the same, out of their great compassion, they manifest to us in various different forms because samsaric beings like us are affected and influenced by karma.
Dharma is doctrine, It is about finding ways to become a better person and lead a virtuous life. Transformed to overcome our negative behaviours. Therefore, Dharma can be practised by all religious and should be not labelled only can be practiced by Buddhist. There are successful examples that Christians practising dharma to improve their life and practices.
Thank you
with folded hands
Pee Bee Chong
Dharma or Buddhism is just a words for label. The core practices is about peace of mind. Once a monk told me that, real buddhism will make the person feel light. Since learning dharma, I felt i am lighter and can see problems in a way more to reality. Even when there is mara arise, i can still overcome the situation in more patient way.
Thus, real religion teach people on harmony, peace and intergrity. Either Christian or Buddhist. The real practitioner is always live with faith in them, thus, their mind are more stabil
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for sharing this article for us. Religion is just a label, in our samsaric life there are many religion that come across us like Buddhism, Christianity, Islamic and also Hinduism. All religion teach people to be a better person, to be compasionate, be kind to other people and respect all living beings. The stories shared in this article once again give us a great example that learning to be a better person has no boundaries and that the label one put on oneself at the end of the day is just a label. What is important is have our mind changed? Have we transformed into a better person and lead a virtous life, have we eased our mind and have we really achieve joyfulness? Lastly, i still remember what Rinpoche shared before ” if you believe in god, there’s fabulous, if you believe in Buddha, there’s fabulous; if you don’t believe in anything, there’s fabulous. But please believe in yourself and please believe in the happiness you can bring to people around you.”
With hand folded,
NgJesvin
It is important for us to know that the fundamental of religion promotes love, peace and kindness; regardless if you are a Christian, Muslim, Buddhism or Hindu. Religion is label for us to get associated with the method of practice that most suited to us at our level of understanding, which varies due to our affinity, upbringing, culture, etc. If we truly practice the core values of the religion the we subscribed to, with great faith and devotion, then we should be able to nurture our innate good qualities and reduce our bad habituation.
Therefore it is heartwarming to see fellow Christian practitioners embrace the Buddhism values without being swayed away from their own practice. It is a monumental display of true openness and advance spiritual practice.
At the same time, it is also important for us to realize that in Buddhism, all enlightened beings’ minds and consciousnesses are equal. There is no enlightened being greater than the other. But us as samsaric beings are affected and influenced by karma, hence, we develop a stronger form of connection and affinity to one (or more) enlightened beings than another.
Therefore we should not have any pre-conception that one enlightened being is better than another. Let alone making degrading statements. It is in our best interest to respect all enlightened beings and practice dharma with an open mind.
Humbly, bowing down,
Stella
I really enjoyed reading the stories of how Christian faith practitioners who were open minded enough to read and then discovered certain methods in Buddhism that helped them. By applying these methods or Buddhist philosophies, it helped enriched and strengthen their own faith in “God”. They found creative ways to also helped others. How beautiful is that and that is truly how spirituality is supposed to be, to help enriched the spiritual side in all of us. Just because our ways of worship or the image of our God is different, doesn’t mean it is wrong because the essence are the same; love/compassion, kindness, wisdom. Hence no one religion is better than the other or more superior and no person should condemn let alone encourage others to condemn others. No good religion ever had any teacher, saint, or prophet who taught condemning and criticising another’s religion is good. It is us humans who loves to label, divide and conquer from the 3 poisonous mind of ignorant, greedy, and jealousy.
I remembered this theory about religion from a kind lady who so happened to be in the same room as us when we received the sad news that my father did not make it. Her theory was that all religions stems from the same tree, (showing us her arm and hand) and that it just branches out (her 5 fingers) into different branches but it is all from one same source/trunk (the arm) and I suppose now that I think of it, it also reaches out to achieve the same goal, get to the sun! This simple theory was told to me and my sister by a kind lady who did not know us at all in Mount Elizabeth hospital Singapore, where we were waiting. I guess seeing two young girls, who were quite distraught from a tragic news while the adults were discussing about “religion”, she wanted to help comfort and calm us down with something more “universal” and she did with her simple one tree theory. Somehow at just 12 I got it and I could accept her logic cos it sounded like the most logically and fair reason for having so many different religions that could make life very confusing. Why would “god” want to make us so confused for? I used to think that when I was a kid and almost disliked all religion, especially when my father was a “free thinker”. Hence religion should make life better not confuse it further, so when adults argue about who’s religion is right or better, it can really impact a child’s mind to dislike religion.
So yes it is definitely true what Rinpoche said religion is just a label. It is the teachings of the religion that when we apply that helps to nurture us or transform us to being better humans, and to bring out the innate goodness in us. Everything else is really just a “label” that we humans created to identify something, to make communication easier.
It’s really beautiful to read this articles to see how people are encourage and become a better Christians due to the help from Buddhist teaching. The wonderfuly thing to see here is that people does not sway from their religion because of Buddhism and this perfectly reflect the Dharma that is to benefit people regardles of what background you are.
I like what it mentioned in this article that all religions is just a label and we should not be fixated by it. What important is how it transform our mind to be a better person and able to help others.
From the Buddhist teaching people realise the common value that make sense to them and instead to biase with their choice they apply Buddhist teaching to improve their Christianity believes. Buddhism give them hope to understand more of what life is all about and instead of blindly agree they evaluate and come to a common conclusion for both teaching to improve their life by transforming their mind.
This is definitely one of the great articles that shows how true teaching does not separate anyone believe but help us to develop wisdom to see the true meaning of life and how we can live our life meaningfully
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing that Dharma is in fact for everyone.Dharma knowledge, transcend all religion and it is the universal language that guide us all towards the correct path.
Its application will assist us to rediscover the true nature we are born with and to live life to the fullest in the present and after lives.
We are very fortunate to be acquainted with a guru that is generous to share this precious gift of Dharma knowledge and at the sametime patiently guide us to the correct path without any agenda.
Thank you Tsem Rinpoche,with hands folded.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you so much for this very kind post. In the global community of the 21st century, we need more wisdom to guide us to see similarity in the diversity every individual possess. When we overcome our fear to the unknown, we will discover that diversity creates the various personalities and characteristics that empower us to compliment each other and there is somewhat a natural harmony in that.
Like the environment that strives because of its biodiversity, we too can and will flourish when we find ways to optimize ourselves by embracing each others diverse backgrounds, beliefs, skills, knowledge and abilities.
This is a short and very powerful post to show that however different the path and method, the destination is the same: to be better men and women who benefit others
Ultimately there can only be one truth, otherwise it wouldn’t be the truth.
It is very easy to caught up in labels, but we must realise that what we are is without and label, and is impossible to label. The teachings of dharma are based on the truth of our reality, and thus they will apply to all beings wether we believe in one god or another; or even if we don’t believe in gods at all. We can all benefit from dharma teachings as they are logic, and realisation. Even if one person is labelled christian and one is labelled buddhist they can both be good people, and vice versa.
Buddhism is a very logical religion it can be apply to our daily life perfectly in fact the teaching itself is can be use for everyone of us because it make sense, so I am not surprised that Dharma can be apply to others religion as additional matter to improve their life. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing.
What is Dharma? As in essence it means improving our mind by reducing our faults and improving our good qualities. It is our attitudes, motivation and our way of thinking that we need to change, not our external appearances. At a strict minimum, practising the Dharma means giving up our attachment to this lifetime and our sole preoccupation with its concern. If we work to provide ourselves with what need to pursue our practice and see higher goal, our work is said to be perfectly in harmony with Dharma practice. On the other hand, if we work to earn a living just because we want to live well in this lifetime and we never think about future lives, then our work has nothing to do with the Dharma. As our Guru has said, “Dharma is a doctrine to transfer the mind towards that of an enlightened being – not just lighting candles, incense or going to temples or churches everyday. End of the day, we must observe whether we remain mean, lazy, uncommitted, uncompassionable or whether already transformed all negative behaviours.” Om Mani Padme Hung.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for this post. 🙂 It really was uplifting to know that there are people with open minds. And the stories of these six people are inspiring and can be seen as a key to opening the doors of our closed minds as well. 🙂 I am extremely happy to see that these to religions both compliment each other, and can both help us spiritually if we understand them correctly. I am sure that out there, Christianity has helped other people to become better Buddhists as well. 🙂
Thank you for this post, and may you continue spreading beneficial teachings. _/|\_
Your humble student,
Keng Hwa.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this article. I have read these testimonials through online before when I tried to search the topic of Christians converting to Buddhists stories online. Indeed, more and more Christian Westerners and Asians alike are applying Buddhist philosophies in order for them to become a better Christian. They did not abandon Christianity though some did, as they are using dharma or Buddhist logic teachings to relate deeper to become a better person overall.
This shows that Buddhism goes beyond the religion label, it can be applied by any religions and races as Dharma is all about applying virtuous actions that leads to virtuous life.
I am indeed grateful to learn Dharma and precious Buddhist teachings through H.E Tsem Rinpoche and Kechara. Without Kechara, I would be just a lay person labeling myself as a Buddhist without any dharma knowledge. Kechara is giving us rich Dharma teachings which we can apply daily in our lives for us to become a better person.
Thanks to Kechara E division team’s hard work and commitment for providing Guru’s teachings online by ways of social media, blogs and Youtube which make it easily accessible by anyone in every corner of the world. Only the power of Internet, it can reach mass people.
This is an answer for John. I had olso a car accident in Belgium. The same pain. You can mail me!!! I found after years a clinic in brussels area, and the doctor is a nice lady and her collegues too. And they put me a few needles with product in the back where it hurts, because it is the nerf that hs a problem. I don’t have on my nerfs. The nerf has a dommage. Yes i feel better. And i continue with them stopping the terrible pain. This is a gift to you. You may mail me. om mani padme hung I heard you!