Practising the Dharma

Retold by Esther Thien

Once, there was a man who decided that he was going to practise the Dharma. So he started to circumambulate. His teacher came along and said, "Oh, it's very good that you are circumambulating stupa but it would be better if you practise the Dharma."

So he thought, "I will do prostrations then." The next day, in front of the stupa, he started to prostrate. Up and down he went, perspiring profusely. Then his teacher appeared and remarked, "Oh, it's very good that you are prostrating but it would be better if you practise the Dharma."

"Hmmm," thought the man. "Perhaps I should be reciting Dharma text?" The next day, he was out there reading aloud his Dharma text, thinking that he was doing something holy. Again, his teacher came by and quipped, "Oh, it's very good that you are reciting the Dharma text but it would be better if you practise the Dharma."

By then, this man was utterly confused and perturbed. "Am I not practising the Dharma?" I was circumambulating the stupa, prostrating and reciting the Sutra. What, then, is practising the Dharma?"

His teacher smiled and replied, "Transform your mind."

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This story tells us that the focal point is not on the external things. Rather it is the mind, or the mental state that one has when doing things that determines if one is practising the Dharma. We can never judge whether an action is Dharma or not, just by the action itself. We have to look at the mind that's doing it.

That's why in Buddhism, one's inner motivation is emphasised again and again. In this way, we cut out all hypocrisy. If we are not mindful of our motivation and we think being religious simply means doing all these external things, then we get really lost. We may be doing something externally, but if we still have the same old mind and habitual tendencies to cling and reject, we are not transforming.

So always be mindfully aware and ask yourself, "Why am I practising? Why am I doing this?" Always look internally, at the mind that is doing it.