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The
Internet Newsletter of Jewel Heart
A TEACHING FROM GEHLEK RIMPOCHE
The Dharma Within
The word dharma is familiar to you. The moment your hear
dharma what projections do you get? My guess is that you probably
get the picture of something external that you must try to
reach out for. But that is wrong. If you have the projection
that the dharma is teachings contained in books, again that
is something external. I cannot say that it is wrong but it
is not as relevant to the individual. What is relevant to
the individual is the dharma within. This dharma makes our
own mindstream which is rough, unsettled, wavering, and raw,
into a mindstream which is stable. Leaving information as
something external is not going to be that helpful. It is
not going to make much difference to our lives. We have the
opportunity to do better that that.
Think of going to a temple. The Buddhist temples are very
rich in images made of gold, silver, brass, bronze, and wood.
If we look at these images as something separate, over there,
this is externalizing. It may bring some merit, but it does
not affect the individual too much. Even if we burn incense
and make offerings, it will not be that helpful as long we
have the mind that views these images as something separate
from ourselves. That is not the purpose. It is great to have
a Buddha image, but if you externalize it, it remains external.
We need to try to internalize it. When you see the image think
to yourself “I want the qualities of that Buddha and
whatever it takes I will get them!” Likewise when you
think that dharma is something out there, the most you can
get is some kind of blessing, or different feeling. This is
just spiritual materialism. It is not spiritual.
Spirituality has to do with internalizing the dharma. When
we internalize dharma we are influenced by the dharma. Our
neuroses will become shaky and weakened. This has nothing
to do with philosophy; it is how people actually practice.
I would like to make this as clear a possible because it is
a very important point. We must not leave information as information.
We have to begin internalizing these things.
We know that our neuroses are within ourselves, not outside
somewhere. If we look outside ourselves we can find all kinds
of conditions that activate our neuroses. But the neuroses
are within our own minds, and when outer conditions touch
them the neuroses rise up. When somebody insults you they
provide the conditions for your internal anger to come up.
Your internal neurosis is making contact with external conditions.
Delusions rise because they are within us. Right now we don’t
need much effort to stimulate our delusions. It is enough
for someone to give us a funny look. This shows how deeply
internalized our neuroses are. They rise automatically, without
effort. When we internalize the dharma we experience the same
thing, but instead of our delusions rising, our positivity
arises. This is our spiritual development. It is nothing external.
Once again, spiritual achievement means making a difference
to your neuroses. It means reducing your anger, your attachment,
your hatred, your jealousy. If you find yourself kinder than
before, more patient than before, more understanding than
before, then the teachings are affecting you. That is what
dharma really means.
Edited by Aura Glaser, March 2004
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