Buddhism is a religion of compassion and wisdom. The ultimate goal of Buddhism is to help people live peacefully, let go, and attain enlightenment and liberation. The Buddha once said: "The water in the ocean has only one taste of salt, and my Dharma has only one taste of liberation."
Buddhism was formed and developed in India twenty-five centuries ago by the Buddha Shakyamuni. Today, Buddhism is present in all five continents and with many different traditional sects and schools. No matter which school or sect you follow, you are all based on the core foundation of Buddhism: the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment... Among them, the Noble Eightfold Path is the middle path, the path to transform the mundane into the holy, to transform ignorance into enlightenment, to transform the five turbidities of the evil world into nirvana. Not just Buddhists, but all people in this world, if they rely on the Noble Eightfold Path to practice, will all achieve success. No matter what label people have, once they practice the Noble Eightfold Path, they can all reach enlightenment and nirvana.
Practicing the Noble Eightfold Path is practicing precepts, concentration, and wisdom. Precepts correspond to: Right speech, right action, and right livelihood. Concentration corresponds to: Right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration, and finally wisdom corresponds to: Right view and right thinking. We often hear that only with precepts can concentration arise, and only with concentration can wisdom arise, but here it is clear that right view and right thinking come first. Let's try to understand a little bit!
Right view comes first in the Noble Eightfold Path, there are two kinds of right view: worldly right view and transcendental right view. Right view is the understanding of suffering, the origin of suffering, the path out of suffering, and the end of suffering. Right view is the Four Noble Truths. Expanding and relating a little, right view means seeing and knowing correctly and correctly. Right view is the view of things, events, and phenomena according to their true nature, in other words, as they are. Right view is the correct view, not biased to either side, not allowing favorite viewpoints to interfere. This is indeed difficult for people in the world, because people from ancient times to the present have always looked at things and events through the lens of love - hate, liking - disliking, benefits - harms, gains - losses, us - enemies... That is why we, beginner Buddhists, need to have right view, an objective view, and correct understanding. Right view does not come naturally, nor is it given by Buddha or gods. Right view must be gradually cultivated by oneself to form. We have been deluded and delusional for a long time, now we reflect and turn back, we must try to learn and practice to be able to have it. In today's world, right view is very difficult to have, people with right view are also difficult to meet, not to mention novice Buddhists, even many monks still do not have right view, because of not having right view, their speech and actions are controlled by delusion and prejudice. Because of not having right view, they say and do wrong things to protect their own rights and reputation or that of their group. We can see specifically cases like the cases of people going on the stage to talk nonsense, talk nonsense, and say nonsense such as: "China is the older brother, Vietnam is the younger brother. China attacking Vietnam is like the older brother teaching the younger brother" or "Ly Thuong Kiet attacking Song is rude", "Building an army like North Korea"... Then there are many scandals that seriously affect the reputation of Buddhism as well as cause dissatisfaction among the people such as: exorcism, opening spells, exorcism, spirit possession, star worship to ward off bad luck, indiscriminately mobilizing donations... All of the above cases are typical examples of lack of right view. The novice Buddhists who listen, act, and believe are all because of a lack of right view. People without right view will do wrong things, say wrong things, and easily go astray because of the seduction of heretical sects (practicing according to Thanh Hai, Falun Gong, etc.).
Right thinking is thinking in the direction of detachment from desire, good heart, no anger, and no harm. Right thinking is thinking with the right intention, detachment from desire, detachment from anger, and detachment from harm, according to the scriptures. As for right thinking according to the way of thinking of novice Buddhists, right thinking is thinking that is correct, upright, and in accordance with the truth. Humans are inherently different because of their karma, biased views, wrong views, and attachment to precepts. People, because of self-interest, false reputation, and delusion, think without clarity and think crookedly. Right and upright thinking must be in accordance with the Dharma, must be in accordance with the Four Noble Truths, the Three Dharma Seals; Suffering, emptiness, impermanence, non-self... If the thoughts are contrary, then it is wrong thinking. Right view and right thinking often go together, right view determines the content of right thinking, if there is right view then there is right thinking, if there is right thinking then right view is stable, both complement each other. Right thinking is kind thoughts, in accordance with the Dharma, beneficial to oneself, to others, to animals. Right thinking guides one's speech or actions in the right direction on the path of studying and practicing Buddhism.
Right speech is true, kind, and moral speech. Speaking for the Dharma, for the truth. People with right speech will not speak nonsense, speak nonsense, speak for personal gain, speak for political power, fame, and profit... If one wants to have right speech, one must have right view and right thinking. People with right view cultivate the mouth, which is one of the three karmas: Body - mouth - mind.
Right action belongs to the part of cultivating precepts, not killing, stealing, or committing adultery; In a broader sense, right karma means creating a career in a correct and righteous way. Karma leads everyone up or down. Karma is created by body, speech and mind, karma is created by one's own thoughts, speech and actions. Right karma brings benefits to oneself, one's family and those around one. Right karma will benefit oneself, others, and animals, bringing awakening, balance and peace. The right karma of a novice Buddhist is to love and help each other in life as well as on the path of studying and practicing Buddhism. A novice Buddhist who keeps the precepts he has received is also creating right karma.
Right livelihood is to sustain life in accordance with the Dharma, correctly, and in accordance with what the Buddha taught. If we live, we seek to live, then others and animals also desire to live and fear death. Right livelihood is to earn a living to sustain this life but must not harm people, animals, or the surrounding environment. A novice Buddhist who makes a living by honest jobs, earning a living to support himself and his family, should avoid jobs that cause suffering or death to others, such as: manufacturing or trading weapons, drugs, alcohol, brothels, slaughterhouses... We live and need to respect the lives of others, we cannot use the suffering or death of others or animals to sustain our lives.
Right diligence means diligence, effort, and perseverance in practicing the four essential and true things: Do not let evil arise before it arises; eliminate evil that has arisen; make good that has not arisen; make good that has arisen increase. Right diligence is the effort that is correct and in accordance with the Dharma. Try to practice, study, research scriptures, chant sutras, recite Buddha's name, meditate, give alms, release animals... In general, all that brings benefit to oneself, others, and animals; anything that brings peace, balance, and opens up wisdom. Right diligence is the right effort on the path of learning and enlightenment. If you try but the effort makes you confused, more bound, and further away from the Dharma, then it is not right diligence but wrong diligence. For example, a Buddhist who diligently goes to mediums, exorcises, uses fortune telling, casts spells, uses magic, worships ghosts and gods... then this diligence is wrong diligence because it does not bring any benefits, it only makes you more deviant and lost. Or if you are also diligent but practice according to Thanh Hai, according to Falun Gong... then you will be further and further away from the Dharma, further away from the path of enlightenment and liberation. To have right diligence, you need to have right views and right thinking to distinguish between right and wrong in order to practice and study. If you try hard without right views and right thinking, you will listen to whatever anyone tells you to do and eventually follow them into the wrong path.
Mindfulness, the word "niệm" in Chinese writing consists of the "kim" radical above and the "tam" character below, meaning the mind that thinks and remembers, focuses on the present moment. Now and here. Mindfulness is the presence of the mind in the present, objectively observing what appears in us and around us, the mind that maintains the present, quiet, clear. Mindfulness plays a role in controlling practice: Contemplating the body on the body, contemplating feelings on feelings, contemplating the mind on the mind, contemplating dharma on dharma, going deeper, perhaps it is the practice of those who have left the family life. We, the novice Buddhists, are a little superficial: Mindfulness is thinking and remembering correctly and correctly right now. The past has passed, no regrets, the future has not yet come, no longing, there is only this present moment. Whatever you do, know it, put your whole heart and mind into it. When breathing in, know that you are breathing in, when breathing out, know that you are breathing out, when breathing short, know that you are breathing short, when breathing long, know that you are breathing long, stay in the breath... A person with mindfulness does not have a wandering mind or a myriad of thoughts. Buddhists often compare a person without mindfulness to "a wandering mind and a wild horse", which means a mind with wandering thoughts like a monkey swinging from branch to branch or a horse running wild. A person with mindfulness is wholehearted in what he does, knows what he is doing. Mindfulness is not only needed for those studying the Dharma but also for people in the world. Only with mindfulness can the mind be at peace, and when the mind is at peace, it can be concentrated and wisdom can arise. A person with mindfulness does everything completely, without mistakes or failures.
According to the scriptures, right concentration includes: investigation, reflection, joy, happiness, and one-pointedness. Right concentration (Samadhi) is focusing on one point. Right concentration has concentration meditation (Bhavana) and insight meditation (Vipassana), depending on the level, it goes from low to high, the four meditations, the four emptinesses... For beginners, we only need to know that right concentration means concentrating the mind with the right method. Buddhism has many methods to concentrate the mind, meditation is the most widespread, popular and widely used method. Meditation has many levels suitable for all different dispositions and levels, there is northern meditation, southern meditation, vipassana, koan meditation, counting breaths, concentration, contemplation... In general, all of them help the practitioner to concentrate the mind, to eliminate delusions... when the mind is calm and concentrated, wisdom will arise. Non-Buddhists also have meditation, but it is not right concentration, because their purpose is to open the chakras, to seek supernatural powers... Right concentration of Buddhism is to concentrate the mind, to open wisdom, right concentration is the path of practice, one of the three studies: Precepts - concentration - wisdom.
On the subject of right view of beginner Buddhists, the author only presents his shallow understanding of the Noble Eightfold Path for beginner Buddhists, absolutely does not dare to discuss right view or the Noble Eightfold Path for monks and nuns. Learning Buddhism is to apply it to daily life, not to talk about it in vain or to argue about the words. Now the author will briefly talk about the application of right view and right thinking in his study of Buddhism. Thanks to a little bit of right view, the author has realized more or less what is right and what is wrong in listening to the Dharma and studying Buddhism.
Dharma Master Tinh Khong is a great Dharma Master of the time, his reputation spread far and wide. Chinese and Vietnamese Buddhists both admire him, and the number of people who take refuge and study him is very large. He specializes in Pure Land practice and especially promotes the “Amitabha” Sutra. It must be said that no other sutra has been taught and disseminated as widely as this sutra, videotapes, vcr, mp3, on the Net… are everywhere, and the number of listeners is also large. The writer also admires him very much, has listened for many years and continues to listen, but before he listened with affection, listened with admiration, now he listens with reason, listened through the lens of right view and right thinking. The reason for this difference is because after a long time of listening to the point where he can remember the content of the lecture by heart, but since listening with right view and right thinking, he has realized that there are many unreasonable things, many places that are untrue. Although he admires and respects the Dharma Master, he cannot blindly listen to things that are not true. Buddhism is a religion of right faith and awareness, not superstition or fanaticism. Learning Buddhism requires verification, not blindly following along. In Buddhism, there is a saying: Don’t believe something just because it is written in books, just because many people believe it, just because your teacher said it, or just because of old customs… Even the Buddha himself taught: "To believe in me without understanding me is to slander me."
First of all, let's talk about the doctrine of taking refuge of the Dharma masters and sects. If those who have never taken refuge have nothing to discuss, what is worth mentioning here is that Buddhists who have taken refuge and already have a Dharma name are forced to take refuge again and add the two words Diệu Âm to their existing Dharma name. This is really unnecessary, very funny, like drawing legs on a snake. The purpose is to create their own disciples, to establish their own sects. The content of taking refuge has also changed and become very narrow in a very regrettable way. In the past, taking refuge in Buddhism meant taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, which can be understood as the true nature of the Three Jewels or the true nature of the Three Jewels, both are correct. Now the Dharma master teaches taking refuge in the Three Jewels in a new way: Taking refuge in the Buddha means taking refuge in Amitabha Buddha, taking refuge in the Dharma means taking refuge in the Infinite Life Sutra, taking refuge in the Sangha means taking refuge in Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva. This is really not known how to express satisfactorily, to say it out loud is afraid of touching and causing much confusion, but clearly this way of taking refuge is narrow, local and not very Dharma-like. The practice of reciting the Buddha's name has always been clear, now suddenly having to change to reciting Amitabha Buddha, is completely unnecessary, only making it more cumbersome and confusing. The form of bowing is also the same, the Buddhist kneels down, lowers the ego, two hands embrace the Buddha's feet to show respect, now changed to two hands must be folded and then spread out like a blooming lotus. This issue is for the venerable ones to give their opinions, the author does not dare to discuss, as for the author, he still bows as in the past tradition. Regarding practice, I advise everyone to let go of all sutras and other Buddha and Bodhisattva names, only recite the Infinite Life Sutra and the name of Amitabha Buddha. Just recite Buddha's name, there is no need to study much because studying too much is mixed practice, mixed practice will not be single-minded and will not be reborn. Obviously we still hear: Practicing without studying is blind practice, studying without practicing is like reading a book. So the Dharma Master advises to abandon everything and just focus on reciting Buddha's name, for fear that we will not know what Buddha taught, we will not know the fundamental core of Buddhism.
Dharma Master Tinh Khong teaches: "Buddha Shakyamuni became a Buddha thanks to reciting Buddha's name". We all know that after leaving home to seek the path, the original master Shakyamuni practiced asceticism for six years in the snowy mountains but in the end did not get any results. After that, the original master went to meditate for forty-nine days and nights under the Bodhi tree, until he saw the morning star rise and became enlightened. He practiced meditation diligently for forty-nine days in his last life and had practiced countless lives in the past. How could it be that the original master Shakyamuni practiced reciting Buddha's name and became a Buddha? This is just a way of claiming that "seeing someone rich and claiming to be related to them" to promote the practice of reciting Buddha's name!
The Dharma Master reminded everyone not to “self-praise and destroy others,” but throughout his lecture, he committed the excessive act of “self-praise and destroy others.” Because he promoted the Pure Land method too much, he was ridiculed and criticized the meditation method, with specific statements such as: “There are many people who recite Buddha’s name to become Buddha (rebirth), but not even one person who practices meditation has become enlightened,” or: “Isn’t it better to sit and sleep than to lie down and sleep?” People who practice meditation sit in a state of mindfulness, awakening, purifying their minds, observing each thought that arises, each breath, not sitting to sleep! Then the Dharma Master went even further: “Ninety percent of vegetarians and fasting people suffer from stomach and intestinal diseases. They combine three meals into one meal to eat.” This is too much. In the past twenty-five centuries, no one has ever heard of people who practice meditation suffering from stomach and intestinal diseases. So where did the ninety percent come from? People who keep the fast eat one main meal at noon and one normal meal, not three meals in one. The monks and nuns of Southern Buddhism and a few monks and nuns of Northern Buddhism still keep the fast, and no one has ever heard of anyone getting stomach problems because of keeping the fast!
The Dharma Master talks about the Western Pure Land as if it were a fairy tale or a magical world like fairy tales. The Dharma Master said: "When people are reborn in the Western Pure Land, every meal, the seven precious and eight precious foods and hundreds of flavors appear, because people who are reborn still have the habit of eating and drinking, so when they have a thought, food and drink automatically appear. If so, then when habits such as: hygiene, urination, sexual activities... arise, then those problems will appear? If so, then what is the Pure Land, the Western Pure Land? He also said: "The Western Pure Land is truly constant and unchanging, only the lotus flower changes. When a person recites Buddha's name, the lotus flower blooms. When he stops reciting or changes his mind on meditating, the lotus flower withers. Buddha waits until that person is reborn and then gives him the withered lotus flower..." These words can truly be said to be very "mythical", not at all like the Dharma, far from the fundamentals of Buddhism.
Throughout the process of teaching the Infinite Life Sutra, the Dharma Master always reminded Buddhist students not to "praising oneself and destroying others", but the Dharma Master committed a very serious offense. Perhaps his national pride was too great, he could not overcome himself, he was like other Chinese people in this point. The Great Han ideology always considers itself the best in the world. The Dharma Master said: "Chinese Buddhism with its vegetarianism is the most special point in the world. Buddhism does not exist in other countries. He praised himself: "Chinese literature is full of wisdom, in the whole world there is no nation or country that can compare!". I wonder if the monk knows about the literature and civilization of Mesopotamia, Arabia, Egypt, Greece, Rome? Or does he know but ignores it and considers himself the most civilized and wise? The monk even made completely false statements, distorting the truth. In the lecture tape, the monk said: "In the five thousand years of history, China has never invaded any country, never caused suffering to any people, there are only wars because of the changes of Chinese dynasties!". The truth is that everyone knows, the whole world knows: In the five thousand years of history, China has constantly invaded, waged wars, robbed and destroyed small countries and weak peoples. Many countries have annexed China, many ethnic groups have been assimilated. Chinese dynasties have caused chaos. The pain and sorrow of the small countries and weak peoples around, as Nguyen Trai said: "The Bamboo Mountains in the South cannot record all the crimes, the waters of the East Sea cannot wash away the smell". Even today, China still invades day and night, robs land, rob the sea, annexes... expands its territory, the Tibetan, Uyghur, Vietnamese, other ethnic groups and countries in Central Asia are all victims of China. They are still suffering day and night from China's oppression and threats. The blood of invasion and assimilation of the Chinese ruling class will never change! The monk also distorted another truth, he said: "The kings of the small countries around pay tribute to the Chinese emperors out of admiration and love, and the Chinese emperors also reciprocate!" History still clearly records that tribute in gold, silver, jewels, precious specialties... is a problem for small countries, a miserable fear and suffering, an immense burden, once for some reason they cannot pay tribute, pay tribute insufficiently according to the pressure or pay tribute late... Chinese emperors immediately take that as an excuse to raise troops to attack, there is no such thing as paying tribute out of love and even less so about returning the tribute many times over! The monk over-praised his own people to the point of disregarding both history and reality, he said: "The Chinese people highly respect intellectuals, no other nation can compare. In ceremonies or meetings... the big chair of the chairman is always reserved for educated people, even if the educated people are very poor. In fact, everyone knows that Chinese society is very violent, the strong win over the weak, the one with money or power is the king standing above all social institutions. The chair of the chairman is always reserved for the powerful, the rich or the bandit, there is no way the chair of the chairman is reserved for a poor scholar or a poor student. Saying so is to exalt oneself, to praise one's nation's civilization, the pride, the great Han spirit is too strong. The monk is a learned monk, pure in character, diligent in studying but unfortunately cannot escape the great Han - Chinese ideology.
The monk exalts Confucius on the same level as his master Shakyamuni. He teaches: "Shakyamuni Buddha taught the middle way, Confucius taught the middle way, which is not much worse, Confucius is also great, which is not much worse". The middle way is the path to transform ordinary people into saints, people The path to enlightenment and liberation. The mean is the political doctrine of Confucianism, still in the cycle of fighting for fame and profit, still wandering around the cycle of birth and death. Comparing the mean with the middle way is like comparing the light of a firefly with the sun. Comparing Confucius, a sage, a politician with the Buddha, a master of heaven and humans, an enlightened being who has completely overcome the cycle of birth and death, is truly a ridiculous thing, impossible to compare!
The Infinite Life Sutra he preached was very good, very attractive and appealing to listeners, however, we must clearly recognize the wrong points, the untrue points, the points that are not in accordance with the Dharma so as not to be confused and drawn in. A famous saying also says: "If you love someone, you need to know their bad points and if you hate someone, you must recognize their good points." We admire the Dharma master, love the Dharma master, listen to the Dharma and practice according to the Dharma master, we also need to recognize the wrong things, believe correctly, not believe blindly, believe correctly, not be superstitious, that's it! The disciples of the Dharma Master, the Dharma Master's admirers for many years have been praising this person for rebirth, that person for attaining enlightenment through leaving behind relics. In fact, after cremation, the calcium molecules crystallize like coral or pieces of plaster, which are not relics, where are there so many relics and how can there be so many and so big? Unfortunately, those who are too admiring have caused a wave of fanaticism: leaving relics, having signs, halos, and fragrances after death... spreading the news everywhere, even animals are reborn, then setting up Buddha-recitation machines for sentient beings that we cannot see or hear with the naked eye... This is the result of a lack of right views and right thinking, so when we study Buddhism, we need to have right views and right thinking!
Nowadays, deep in the Dharma-ending Age, many evil teachers are involved in politics, are in charge of politics, and support the government, but speak and act in a way that is not in accordance with the Dharma, even speaking nonsense. We can see that in our old district, many evil teachers take the podium and speak nonsense. scary, using seductive words and slippery tongues to bewitch and lead beginners to follow their attention. We, beginner Buddhists, need to use right view and right thinking to listen to the Dharma and learn Buddhism, not to use emotions. With right view and right thinking, learning Buddhism will not be confused, and will not be a waste of time and effort. With right view and right thinking, right diligence will bring good results.
Thanh Nguyen
At Lang city, 09/22
Bạn có thể trì hoãn, nhưng thời gian thì không. (You may delay, but time will not.)Benjamin Franklin
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