Receiving the Dharma

You can receive the dharma from many sources. You can listen directly to or to the recordings of discourses given by dharma kings, rinpoches, lamas, or great dharma teachers or read their writings. You can also read the exoteric texts (Tripitaka) and esoteric texts (tantras) as well, along with the classic commentaries (shastas or treatises) on these texts by fully-realized masters. But how can you tell if these are authentic teachings? How do you know if the master or teacher is a true master and, even if they are, how do you know if the translations you receive are correct if the original source was not in English? This is even true with the holy sutras and tantras which come to us from various traditions, cultures, and translations. You must remember that it took centuries and the power and resources of kings and emperors for these translations to be completed in China, Japan, Tibet, and other Buddhist countries and the subsequent testing of their correctness by greatly accomplished holy ones. They can only be considered correct if they work. Does following them result in becoming a fully enlightened being? How do you tell if someone is an accomplished one? They will exhibit complete mastery of the sutras and tantras and manifest great proficiency in all five of the vidyas. You need to quickly develop your wisdom to ascertain what you can use and what you cannot and who is a true dharma king or rinpoche and who is not. You need to listen to the discourses and read the books of His Holiness Dorje Chang Buddha III Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu and Dorje Pa Mu. They teach the correct Buddha-dharma and have exhibited their mastery of all five vidyas. You can rely on their discourses.

Master Mipam Gyatso (1846-1912) of the Nyingma Sect also warned us that "...as sutras and tantras prophesy, there are many who, having abandoned the profound meaning through dry analysis seems so plentiful and so good, distribute quasi-doctrine for material gain, leading those of low merit and small intelligence on a perverse path at this time of the end of the era (Dharma Ending Age)."

His Holiness Dorje Chang Buddha III Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu told us that “The real words of dharma will enlighten people and make people’s fortune increase and get rid of their disasters and help them enter the bodhi state.” His Holiness further said that "the dharma must be taught according to the Buddha’s Tripitaka and other commentaries of those who have realized enlightenment (saints). It does not matter how high a person is who gives the words of dharma or whether he or she is a lay person or a monastic, if the teachings are not according to the Tripitaka or the tantras and if they are not according to bodhichitta and given out of compassion then they will contain some problems. The dharma must tell us how to attain happiness and how to walk the correct path to achieve liberation and freedom from the cycle of reincarnation or it is of no value."

His Holiness has also said that “It is very precious to have the necessary affinity to be able to listen to the dharma in our cultivation. Listening to the true esoteric dharma for a day may achieve what you can’t get from ten years or even decades of practicing and meditation by yourself…In reality, listening to the dharma is a reward for the merit you have accumulated. Otherwise you would not even have the opportunity to do so. It is not easy to get such an opportunity... This is because it is a matter of karmic conditions related to good fortune. ”

If you do not understand the many principles of Buddhism, your cultivation will be wasted because you will practice based upon a confused understanding of the teachings. It is necessary to listen to discourses by His Holiness and read genuine Buddhist books to know how to cultivate yourself properly.

How you listen to dharma is also important. The analogy of the three pots is often given in this regard. A pot can have three faults: it can be upside down, it can be dirty, or it can be full of holes. It is useless for holding water if it has any of these faults since 1) the water cannot go in, 2) if it goes in, it will be contaminated by filth, or 3) if it does go in and it is pure, it will not remain. Similarly, even if you have the good fortune to hear the dharma, it will not help you if you 1) do not pay attention, 2) though paying attention, misunderstand what is heard or listen with a bad motivation, or 3) do not remember what was said.

His Holiness Dorje Chang Buddha III Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu said, "The sutras offer three phrases to remedy these faults: 'Listen well, thoroughly, and hold it in mind!' I have to add one more sentence: You have to practice it in your daily behavior."

Modern people may lack the incredible capacity for memorization possessed by those in ancient India and Tibet, but we do have the advantage of electronic recordings and the printed word. We should repeatedly listen to and reread the teachings until we thoroughly understand the principles being expounded and practice them daily--that is real understanding.

It is not enough to just listen to or read or even memorize the words of dharma. You must understand the dharma and apply it to your daily life. All of the teachings of the Buddha were intended to be put into practice and not just serve as the basis for intellectual discussion or study. Your actions, speech and thoughts must be consistent with the dharma. Dorje Pa Mu’s book, the Dharma That Every Buddhist Must Follow, is an excellent guide as are all of her and His Holiness Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu’s books and regular discourses. However, this is just one part. With respect to the true, great dharma, you should especially listen to His Holiness expound the "Mind Dharma-Method" and "Instantly Becoming a Holy Being" Buddha-dharma. You must read the book H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III to be able to understand where the true Buddha-dharma is in the world today.

The sutras teach that when attending a dharma lecture or listening to any dharma teacher or lama, a practitioner should concentrate on listening and learning the dharma. He should avoid personal reactions to the teacher, such as, the teacher 1) has/has not violated the precepts; 2) comes from a poor/wealthy background; 3) has a pleasant/unpleasant physical appearance; 4) has good diction/a speech impediment; or 5) has a melodious/harsh voice. Furthermore you should heed the advice of the Buddha who gave us four guidelines in the Catuhpratisarana and the Samdhinirmocana Sutras:

Rely upon the teaching, not the teacher.
Rely upon the meaning, not the text.
Rely upon the definitive meaning, not the provisional meaning.
Rely upon prajna (wisdom), not consciousness.
You should become familiar with the Tripitaka and tantras so that you can evaluate the authenticity of any teaching and then practice those teachings and see if they really work. Even the Buddha said that you should not believe what He said just because it was the words of a Buddha. The Buddha Said, “You would not take gold from a stranger without testing it to make sure it was truly gold.” You should treat the dharma with the same care and consideration.