💬 Daily Discourse Discussion 💬 09-10-2017 Relying on the teacher – Explaining the Teachings is not an easy task

After listening to today’s discourse, i feel that leaning the Buddha Dharma, is not is not just for our own, but is to improve on ourselves in order help other people.

It is even more difficult to help other people compared to just benefiting ourselves.

Indeed. Great joyous perseverance is needed. But my question is, how to maintain the “unyielding” attitude through out?

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I think the key is to subdue own self first before subduing others.

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I agree with Venerable that the key is to subdue self, which is why practicing Buddhism is difficult, since we have always been thinking for ourselves. Once self is subdued, there is no self and that is where the welfare of others will be more important than self and so there will be greater motivation to help and benefit others, and benefitting others is also helping ourselves in our path to happiness. Hmmm… seems like interlinked?

So the motivation is, in order to subdue your own self, the technique is to help others first? Seems like trying to be “superficially” selfless for a SELFISH act. Haha…

:roll_eyes::crazy_face:

Selfless people will have merits in their thoughts and deeds. Benefits yourself is benefiting other’s so as to say vice versa. Self and other’s is one and not two .

Namo Amithabaya

The very nature of humanity are expressed via human as a vehicle of thoughts. A untrained mind as such cannot focus and can drift from identity (you/me) to attainments /non-
attainment, existence / non existence -and it turn creates instability/fickleness expereinced by us daily. Our thoughts are constrained by duality and our mindscape becomes trapped in many cycles of perceived reality afflicted by our senses. The perceptions are instantaneously movement of thoughts and it is our associations and our attachments that affects our emotions.

Not unless we trained ourselves to be aware of it we will continue to be afflicted. If you and me were to be awaken we need tools and methods. our tools need to be sharpened by practice and we need qualified guides who can teach us diamond clear methods that cut through our illusions.

Without doubt Lord Buddha is our natural choice of refuge - his methods are proven. So the question we must always bare in our mind is this - since his passing on more than 2500 years ago - how do we ensure the methods we learn are reliable?

As a laymen, we need to understand and trace the lineage - it is not merely enough in my opinion to read and assume. A questioning mind can be beneficial - it is with respect that we confirm its authenticity. The right lineage can reassure that the sutraa and commentaries passed down are rightful and non tainted.

Once we are assured, we began to adjust our habits of learning. From understanding what is proper listening, to how to behave as a proper listener. Understanding the qualities of a good speaker to how to properly deliver a speech. Proper conduct first seek to eliminate our obstacles or learning and reliance.

With that foundation we can then establish the quality of teacher that we can rely on and serve with discerning wisdoms for truth and the dharma. This trust must be build about the correctness of the Lord Buddha’s methods being conveyed to us so that we may progress in learning with conviction to reach Buddhahood. After all we are all humans and humans are not perfect and ultimately our learning must rely on proper listening, contemplation and practice.

Rejoice to All