AVOID EVIL, DO GOOD, AND PURIFY THE MIND

The Buddha

Avoid Evil, Do Good, and Purify the Mind

Question

I am interested in Buddhism and I hope to find some way of forging a more direct link between my spiritual path and my kungfu practice.

-- Daniel, Canada

Answer

Buddhism is not a religion in the sense that most Westerners would conceptualize what a religion is. Buddhism actually means the teachings of the enlightened ones. The gist of Buddhism, in Sakyamuni Buddha's own words, is

At the highest level, when the mind is purified, one attains Enlightenment, also called nirvana, bodhi, or Buddhahood. Attaining nirvana is the highest spiritual attainment. But the great majority are not ready for this highest attainment. For them, going to heaven may be more immediate and meaningful. Although many people may not realize it, the Buddhist teaching on going to heaven is practical and detailed.

The onus of spiritual cultivation is not merely knowledge but direct experience. This is not difficult; you merely manifest avoiding evil and doing good in your daily speech, deed and thought.

Good speech, deed and thought will contribute to good karma; and cultivating good karma is a sure way of spiritual growth. We are what we say, do and think; when our words, deeds and thoughts are noble, we are noble. This is a profound truth, but appears so simple that many people fail to appreciate it and look for complex but futile intellectualization instead.

The above is taken from Question 1 Nov-Dec 1997 of the Selection of Questions and Answers.

LINKS

Courses and Classes