from
Vajrayana and the Culmination of the Path
Volume 10 of The Library of Wisdom and Compassion
by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and
Ven. Thubten Chodron
Wisdom Publications
Skillful Practice
The lamrim (stages of the path teachings) enables you to become a doctor for your own mind. There is a Dharma remedy for whatever affliction may invade your mind, bringing suffering or confusion.
As you learn the Buddha’s teachings, starting from the beginning and gradually proceeding to more difficult topics, you will learn these Dharma medicines. But knowing them isn’t sufficient; you must remember them and call them to mind when you need to calm and rebalance your mind.
The more we are familiar with the topics of the stages of the path, the more we will see their validity and applicability in our daily lives. We will learn how to handle our problems by contemplating on the appropriate topic.
Being responsible for our own state of mind is a sign of maturity. We should not think that every time we have a problem we must ask our spiritual mentors what to do. All along they have been teaching us the antidotes to afflictions, and we must learn how and when to apply them.
Someone once asked me how to use the teachings on emptiness in difficult situations when our mind is already overwhelmed with a particular affliction. Although the wisdom realizing emptiness is the ultimate antidote for all afflictions, this takes time and effort to understand and experience. Given that we are not bodhisattvas or aryas, we need to be familiar with antidotes that are easier to understand and apply in such situations.
For example, when we face strong attachment, contemplate impermanence and the defects of samsara; when we are criticized, generate fortitude and compassion; when situations do not turn out the way we would like, think of the defects of the self-centered attitude and cultivate the mind that cherishes others; when jealousy strikes, rejoice at others’ good fortune and pray that they use their good fortune to benefit others.
In short, we have a long history of misapprehending reality—a history that is beginningless and so deeply ingrained that it constitutes our way of seeing the world. To counteract this, we must rejoice that we have met the Buddha’s teachings and good spiritual mentors so that we can learn the Dharma and familiarize ourselves with the antidotes to afflictions and defilements for a long time.
To follow His Holiness’ advice about studying the lamrim, see Ven. Sangye Khadro’s recently released book, How to Meditate on the Stages of the Path. >
Lama Tsongkhapa Day is December 25. Check this post for ways to bring the celebration into your holiday practices >
