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62 EASTERN HORIZON | DHARMA THOUGHTS
Dharma Thoughts

Vijaya Samarawickrama is an accomplished Dharma educator,
teacher, and author. He retired after 60 years of teaching in
schools, colleges and universities. However, he continues to give
Dharma talks throughout the country, participates in inter-faith
dialogues, speaks at various international seminars, and writes
for Buddhist books and journals.

Gratitude: see-things-as-they-really-are. And
before the mind can be trained, the
body has to be disciplined. The reason
A gateway to why many newcomers find Buddhism
‘too demanding’ is that they do not
follow the sequence laid out by the
happiness Buddha and want to see miraculous
results almost immediately, by
attempting the most difficult practices
By Vijaya Samarawickrama first. Putting the cart before the horse,

so to speak.
Some people think that they can find future existence” (Egerton C Baptist,
happiness by simply changing their Nibbana or the Kingdom?). The Buddha divided his Teaching
allegiance to a religion. This is why The first five monks he taught quickly into two broad categories: mundane
when they ‘become’ Buddhist they grasped his meaning because they had (lokiya) and transcendental
expect immediate results and plunge ‘little dust in their eyes’ as a result of (lokottara). The former leads to a
into meditation and vegetarianism and training over many lifetimes. But the sense of general well-being which acts
run from one retreat to another only Buddha knew that there were many as the foundation for the creation of
to find themselves more stressed and others who had to take a longer route. the conditions which are necessary to
disillusioned. Finally, they declare that For example, he did not talk about eventually produce the highest level
Buddhism is too unrealistic in its goals meditation and Dependent Origination of happiness which we call Nibbāna. It
and give up. to women like Kisa Gotami or Patacara was this two-pronged approach which
or to laymen like Sigala or Dighajanu. made it possible for human beings
What they fail to realize is that the Even when he addressed the gods, like with vastly different levels of spiritual
Buddha never promised instant he did in the Mangala Sutta on what and intellectual backgrounds to find
enlightenment to anyone. He brings the highest levels of well-being, happiness in their daily lives. It is no
repeatedly referred to his method as a he started with the simple basics of secret that people in countries with
gradual path, comparing the Dharma sensible behavior before proceeding to Buddhist majorities are well known
to the ocean which is shallow at the the complex psychological issues. for the levels of happiness they enjoy
beach but which gets progressively even though they might not have
deeper as one goes forward. “The The Buddha’s method of spiritual a sophisticated knowledge of the
Buddha does not expect everyone training proceeds from the simple to Teachings.
immediately to follow the precepts the complex. It is divided into three
leading to Nibbana. He knows human parts namely, Sīla, Samādhi and Paññā Perhaps what distinguishes the
nature too well. To those whom this which translates as Virtue or physical Buddha’s teaching from that of the
Path does not appeal he makes it clear discipline, Concentration or mental Faith religions is that the Buddha
that they can, by following the gentler discipline, and Wisdom. The Buddha declares that his Teaching is to be
courses of action, at any rate prepare is very clear that before one can attain ‘self-realized, here and now, bringing
themselves for the happier kinds of wisdom, one must tame the mind to good results, inviting investigation,

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