The Path to End Suffering

by Khenpo Sodargye Rinpoche

BODHICITTA ENHANCES OUR INNER STRENGTH 

Throughout history, many great writers and successful figures encountered ups and downs in their lives. But tribulation inspired their determination instead of dragging them to self-destruction, or in other words, digging their own graves. In fact, during those times they strengthened their resolve. Similarly, in Buddhism, inner strength is highly recommended and is crucial to practitioners.

Then how can we develop our inner strength? It is through the path of dharma practice. In Dharma practice, the first aim is to liberate oneself which is called renunciation mind. It may sound familiar or it may be completely new to you. It is the aspiration to liberate oneself from the samsara of the three realms. Based on this, we should cultivate bodhicitta, which is the aspiration that I will not only liberate myself from samsara but also would like to help all sentient beings to achieve liberation with all my power and resources.

UNIVERSITIES SHOULD ENCOURAGE HELPING OTHERS 

The attitude of helping others is a very inclusive mindset and what I see here is a culturally and racially inclusive and open-minded university. So each individual should cultivate the concern of helping others which is in accordance with Mahayana Buddhism. A good person should not just focus on his own benefits.

Some university teachers, even some well-known professors, can be narrow-minded about a trifle that would not bother an elementary school teacher. And some college students are also like this. He brags about the university he graduated from and comes across as so great that people are hesitant to speak with him. But after being with him for a few days or weeks, they see that he is a stickler about trifles and they feel pained and sad for him. So there are university students who cling to trivial matters that those who never attended university may not. This is rather puzzling.

BUDDHISM HELPS YOU FACE DIFFICULTIES IN LIFE 

I believe that for all of you today’s society is good because there are economic and political exchanges in an open and free manner. On the other hand, it is essential for those with ideas, especially young people, to embrace and explore ancient wisdom such as Mahayana Buddhism. This is not so common in today’s society. Why are many people attracted to Tibetan Buddhism? In the Himalayas mountains, under blue skies, they learn to be both inclusive and tolerant. If you’ve learned to be like this, all the difficulties in life would seem not worthy of your attention and they would not be obstacles to you. When challenging and hostile conditions arise, you can face them with a smile and an optimistic attitude. This is what I believe.

BUDDHISM CAN WITHSTAND ANY CHALLENGE 

As for the doctrines of Mahayana Buddhism, I cannot say I have mastered all of them. Neither can I say I know nothing about them. Sometimes I feel I’m not too bad, because those things that many people mind a lot may not mean a lot to me. But sometimes, I also notice that I cling to things and wonder how I can teach other people. It makes me feel ashamed. Sometimes I do feel a little lost and confused as was mentioned by our host right now. So you see I have my weak points and you have your strong points. We can learn from each other.

What I can share with you is Mahayana Bodhicitta. It is worth cultivating. It has similarities with all the world’s different religions, sciences, humanities and moralities: within all of them can be found theories similar to Bodhicitta. Because of this, many scientists in the West and religious figures in the East can nowadays participate in successful dialogues. Many intellectuals pay great attention to Bodhicitta because it is able to withstand scientific investigation and theoretical deliberation and observation. This is very important. If the philosophy of Buddhism breaks down under analytical scrutiny — such that Buddhists themselves cannot answer these challenges, then it is not worthy of belief. But this is not the case. When we meet students and professors we feel very confident about expressing our views.

BUDDHISM IS THE BEST THERAPY 

Some people may think Buddhism is only practised by elderly persons or those who burn incense in temples. If this is what Buddhism is all about, I would call it superstition. In fact, it is an honest faith, a positive energy and a spiritual goal worth achieving. For anyone in college or university, such a spiritual goal is worth having and pursuing. If we have no spiritual goal and spend all our days running after material things, we can’t be mentally healthy or even physically healthy. Our health and intelligence are not separated from our minds and rely only to a small extent on material things. So it is necessary to adjust ourselves within our own minds. This is the best and healthiest therapy for everyone. This is what I mean by the truth of the way to the cessation of suffering.

THE TRUTH OF THE CESSATION OF SUFFERING 

Lastly, I’ll talk about the truth of the cessation of suffering. When we reach a certain state of mind we will achieve everlasting happiness that ordinary mortal beings may not be able to experience. A Zen master was once asked how he dealt with them when fairies, devils and ghosts appeared. The master answered that he would regard blue as blue, yellow as yellow and he would listen to and see what could be listened to and seen. It means that having certain realisations as described in Zen and Vajrayana, we find that every phenomenon in this world displays its own nature and does not constrain anyone. Masters in Tibetan Buddhism have also said that appearances do not constrain you, but when you cling to them, they will. Before we reach that state of realisation, we do not know; but once we reach it, we will know.

There is this Zen story. A frog that lived in the water climbed onto the land to enjoy the blue sky and green grass. When she returned to the water, her children, the tadpoles, asked her to tell them about life there. But since the tadpoles had never been on land, no matter how their mother described it, they couldn’t understand. When the tadpoles grew up and came onto the land, they understood what their mother had told them.

Likewise, when we are mortal beings we do not understand the Arhat or Bodhisattva’s state; but when we reach that state of realisation, we will know it to be exactly the liberation from afflictions. We come to that sudden realisation on our own.

Therefore, I hope that we can first know we are sick and treat ourselves like patients. Second, we should consult the doctor to determine the causes. To know we are sick is to know the truth of suffering. To find the causes is to know the cause of suffering. To take medicine is to follow the way to the cessation of suffering, which is a process we must go through. When we have eventually recovered, we reach a state of the cessation of suffering.

Through this journey in life, we achieve the realisation of life at different levels. It is common sense that the realisation of life can bring us freedom and happiness. When we reach the highest level, however, there is no distinction between happiness and unhappiness; no distinction between freedom and bondage, such that everything abides in its own nature as self-liberated. This is the ultimate realisation of life. Thank you.