His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Study and Practice

Post sayings or stories from Buddhist traditions which you find interesting, inspiring or useful. (Your own stories are welcome on DW, but in the Creative Writing or Personal Experience forums rather than here.)
Post Reply
User avatar
BFS
Posts: 317
Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2009 1:17 pm

His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Study and Practice

Post by 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
User avatar
DharmaKitty
Posts: 62
Joined: Sun Jun 27, 2010 3:23 pm

Re: His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Study and Practice

Post by 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! :)
The essence of a real practice is to bring our intellectual understanding to the level of our heart - so as to feel it - to live it!
User avatar
BFS
Posts: 317
Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2009 1:17 pm

Re: His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Study and Practice

Post by BFS »

:)
User avatar
mudra
Posts: 453
Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2010 3:55 am

Re: His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Study and Practice

Post by mudra »

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

Return to “Dharma Stories”