Of course, for beginners in the Dharma, there is no need to know so much at the outset. Most of us are neither great Dharma teachers who must read extensively and win others over through their learning, nor scholars who read vast numbers of books for academic research. Scholars may not necessarily teach the Dharma, yet they often produce many monographs—I have collected nearly enough of such books to amount to a whole library. But because they have not actually put them into practice, their understanding often remains at the level of words. They may speak in a very elaborate and well-structured way, yet in reality many do not even possess the most basic meditative skill.
What is meant by basic meditative skill? For example, when you sit down, can you make your mind remain without a single thought arising? Let along half an hour—many people cannot do it for even three minutes, or even one minute. Anyone can test this: sit cross-legged and try to remain for one minute without any thoughts arising and without falling asleep. Many people simply cannot do it.
Some scholars are like this as well. They may be highly skilled in concepts and docrtrinal terminology, yet possess no genuine realization through practice. Without authentic experience, their learning becomes nothing more than a meaningless accumulation of terms and conceptual labels. In Buddhism, such people are sometimes called adherents of mere intellectual understanding. They know a great deal, yet have never tasted the living reality of Dharma practice. Their minds have never have never actually experienced what those Buddhist terms refer to what those Buddhist terms actually point to.
For example, if a person’s mind has never had any direct realization of emptiness (śūnyatā), he may still use the word “emptiness” and explain all its meanings. Yet because he has no direct experience of it whatsoever, his explanations of the Dharma will generally be problematic.
Why do modern people often cannot really get into some Buddhist books? Because the authors may take something simple and make it increasingly complicated. Take the term ālayavijñāna (storehouse consciousness), for instance. They may give dozens of names and dozens of explanations, often in a confused and disorderly way that leaves readers bewildered. Yet in truth, they may not really know or be able to explain clearly what it is. It is like calling a cup a “container” or a “thermos” and talking about its place of origin and material, yet never telling you what it is actually for.
So what should beginners do? We only need to understand and master the scriptures and treatises appropriate to our own situation, together with the methods for putting them into practice. Especially for lay practitioners today, life carries considerable pressure. Whether in the United States or China, there are very few people who do not need to work and who have abundant free time. Even those who do not work often face responsibilities such as caring for family members and many other life pressures.
Most modern people cannot study the Dharma full-time at all times. their minds are polluted and taken over by all sorts of chaotic things in the media and daily distractions—even one’s phone social feed alone is enough to wear a person out. Therefore, most lay practitioners do not have time to study everything. It is enough to grasp the teachings and practical methods suited to one’s own condition and use them to attain liberation. Of course, if you aspire to become a great Dharma teacher, dedicating your whole life to Buddhism and studying thousands of scriptures and treatises, that too is that too is something worthy of rejoicing in / that too is worthy of rejoicing.
—Excerpted and compiled from The Relationship Between Buddhist Theory and Practice
This article is a preliminary translation draft and has not yet been reviewed or proofread by the speaker.
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