His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Study and Practice

[BFS]

His Holiness the Dalai Lama:

"In general, the teachings of the Buddha are composed of scriptures and realizations. The way in which these two are upheld is through study and practice.

Buddhism is a training of the mind. An effect on the mind will never take place by force, but only voluntarily, on the basis of reason. Faith has an important role in mental transformation, but from a Buddhist point of view it must be faith based on conviction. Conviction, in turn, is based on understanding gained through investigation and analysis. Therefore, the study of the vast Buddhist scriptures is very essential. However, just as it is important to have a comprehensive understanding of the entire spectrum of the Buddha's path, it is equally important to integrate it into one's practice so that one takes the essence of these texts.

I think that a particular piece of advice from the Kadampa master Dromtonpa is very useful. He said: “When I engage in study, also contemplation and meditation are present right there and then. When I meditate, also study and contemplation are present. When I contemplate, also study and meditation are present.” It is important to have a combination of all three, study, contemplation, and meditation, because otherwise there is a danger of falling into, as one Tibetan said, being a logician whose mind is completely hardened by rational thinking and who is so difficult to tame that even if Buddha himself were to appear to him, he would fail to tame him."

Excerpts from:
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA
Centro Ewam
Florence, Italy
16 May 1999

[DharmaKitty]

Thanks for this! I am always amazed then some schools are referred to as 'practice' schools or 'study' schools. . . . We have to have both! Now, i'd better get back on my cushion!

[BFS]

[mudra]

Particularly powerful when HHDL quotes Dromtonpa, who is considered to be in his line of reincarnations...