Saturday, March 8, 2025

Essential instructions in Dharma

Bai Juyi was an important government official during the Tang Dynasty in China.
On one occasion, he sought essential instructions in the Dharma from a monk.

"I want to know the most profound and fundamental statement of the Buddha".
He asked.

The monk quoted a summary of the doctrine that the Buddha Shakyamuni offered:
"Avoid evil - Do good - and Purify your mind”.

Bai Juyi was not impressed.
"Even a three-year-old child knows these words.

The monk replied,
" Yes! A three-year-old child knows these words,
But in reality, even the elders of eighty still have not put them into practice."

(From the web)

3 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on instructions on Dharma

    ReplyDelete
  2. So true. I remember Satguru Babaji in his vichar in Toronto said “Having good intentions is not enough. We must act on them.”

    ReplyDelete
  3. Harsh realty.

    ReplyDelete

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