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The genuine masters and mystics of all or no spiritual dream of believing in this dualism of self and other, and
traditions, all speak and point to the same ultimate truth the world ‘out there’ as being real in the absolute sense.
of reality, albeit using different paradigms, frameworks, Only when we start to understand the ephemeral and
concepts and words. What teachings can, on the surface substanceless nature of all phenomena and glimpse
of our intellectual and conceptual understanding, the light of Truth that pervades it at all times, in all
sound very different or even opposing, are really just situations, can we experience true love and compassion.
‘fingers pointing to the moon’. If we simply grasp the
finger without realizing or seeing the deeper reality of Within Buddhism itself there are so many different
the presence of the moon, (i.e. the Truth that the finger schools and traditions. How would someone keen
is pointing to) we will be forever trapped in concepts, to understand the correct teaching of the Buddha
dualistic ways of thinking and engaging, and perhaps approach the study of Buddhism since there is no
also drawn into views, opinions, arguments and debates common scripture like the Bible or the Koran to
about which teacher or religion is ‘right’. rely on?

My “Wisdom of the Masters” YouTube channel and I think we need to approach Buddhism (as a religious
podcasts are an attempt to offer people a chance to form or construct), and its various scriptures and
really listen deeply to the teachings from great masters traditions, with an open heart and mind. If we go into
of all traditions – in the heart, not the head - and to this with a rigid set of views that there is a ‘correct’
discover for themselves how truth and wisdom can be Buddhism to be discovered somewhere in a particular
expressed in myriad ways. This offers us something tradition, we have already gone off the path.
beautiful to discover, to open ourselves up to all genuine
expressions of spirituality, and to let go of our dogmatic The only true ‘Buddhism’ is to be found in our own hearts
assumptions that only our particular religion or and minds, not in the schools, traditions, scriptures,
spiritual practice is the right or best way. senior teachers or lamas, or so on. Yes, they can all be
helpful supports, but grasping them with wrong view
The key similarity that I find all masters point to, is that can, and oftentimes does, cause us to go astray.
ultimate reality can only be found within, realised in
the here and now – in this very moment – when we let There are so many different types of meditation
go of clinging to views, opinions, a sense of self, and the today; so what was the original purpose or method
discursive thinking mind. of meditation taught by the Buddha?

If the essence of all spiritual teachings is kindness and The Buddha himself taught many different meditations
love, how is it that the world has so much violence, and contemplations to various people. You need only
including wars, all carried out in their names? read the final chapter of the Sutta Nipata – The Way to
the Beyond – to realise that he catered his teachings to
Because we are ignorant of our true nature and believe the varying capacities and proclivities of the practitioner.
there to be an ‘I’ and a ‘you’, thus a real separation Of course, he could see into their mind and individual
between ourselves and others. If there is a ‘me’ then I kamma, so he intuitively knew what teaching or pointing
experience fear, division, inner and outer conflict and was most appropriate for them at that very time.
need to do all I can to defend this ‘me’ and its position, We have to do the same for ourselves and discover
beliefs, views and opinions. Dualistic thinking and what meditation practice works for us in the immediate
perceiving are the very root of the problem in ourselves, present and learn to sustain it and deepen it while it is
and until we realise the non-separate nature of reality, still helpful and a skillful means. Meditation practices
and the delusion of this sense of a self, we will always be and objects change over time as our understanding of
caught in conflicts, violence and wars. the Dhamma changes and deepens, and rightly so. How
could it not be this way? It’s important not to fixate
That is what the practice of all spiritual teachings is or attach to a particular method believing this is the
about – to wake up to our delusion and come out of this ‘best’ way, the ‘only’ way, the ‘superior’ way, and so on.