The Thirty Seven Principles Of Enlightenment

'I am very impressed by Dharma Master Cheng Yen.'-- Thich Nhat Hanh 'Dharma Master Cheng Yen is a role model for us all.'--Dalai Lama The Thirty-Seven Principles of Enlightenment contains 7 parts: (1) The Four Right Efforts, (2) The Four Steps Towards Obtaining Supernatural Powers, (3) The Four Considerations, (4) The Five Roots, (5) The Five Strengths, (6) The Seven Factors of Wisdom, and (7) The Noble Eightfold Path. The Buddha reminded us to practice the Thirty-Seven Principles to Enlightenment, which tells us the way to live a wholesome life. We must have right views and correct belief, think in a wholesome way, and earn our living honesty. When we are inspired to do good and serve as a bodhisattva, it takes just the slightest setback to upset us and make us afflicted. Then, we want to quit. When we start to have the intention and conviction to do good, very quickly, our faith in what we're doing wavers and we lose our conviction. It's all because we're upset, or we resent others for not treating us well. So, we really have to be on guard against this and always be vigilant to stop ourselves from developing such a wrong mentality. We need to always check to see whether our good intentions have changed, whether we've slackened or stopped, and whether our convictions are gone. Then we need to ask ourselves whether we have, unintentionally, injured people and made them lose their good intentions or convictions. The Thirty-Seven Principles of Enlightenment teaches us to reflect and realize how the body is unclean, realize that feelings cause suffering, realize our thoughts are impermanent, and realize that all phenomena are empty of a true, permanent self. We must be cautious in all we do. We have to take good care of our heart and mind and stay true to our Buddha nature by removing any wrong that has already started, preventing any wrong from starting, beginning doing good deeds, and continuing to do good deeds. We must never postpone doing good deeds or put off correcting our wrongs because regret is too high a price to pay. We must avoid all that is wrong and do all that is good and wholesome because life is too short. Like the morning dew drop that disappears once the sun rises, life is as fleeting as a dream, and as fragile as a bubble. Since our life is so transient, we should apply such truth in our daily life and think in seconds and not years. A day is made up of 86,400 seconds. Life changing incident can happen any second that means the difference between life and death. To be safe and well at each second, we ought to be very grateful. At every passing second, let us harbor a heart of gratitude and prevent our thoughts from going astray. The Buddha's teachings are a wonderful guide especially when we live in turbulent times and natural disasters are happening at an alarming rate. The Buddha wanted everyone to realize the truth of suffering, its cause and the way to eliminate it, and He exhorted all to faithfully uphold and walk the Eightfold Path. Let us not rely only on knowledge to guide us in life, but wisdom too. When we do what is right, we are using our wisdom. When we refrain from doing what is wrong, we are also using our wisdom. We should learn quickly. That will be a true blessing.

The Thirty-seven Aids to Enlightenment are a set of fundamental teachings of Buddhism in the form of a list. The list’s seeming simplicity belies the fact that it is actually a kind of road map to enlightenment for anyone who follows it with diligence and sincerity. The Thirty-seven Aids comprise seven groups of practices conducive to awakening. Each of the seven groups is itself a list of enlightenment factors, which add up to a total of thirty-seven: (1) The Four Foundations of Mindfulness, (2) The Four Proper Exertions, (3) The Four Steps to Magical Powers, (4) The Five Roots, (5) The Five Powers, (6) The Seven Factors of Enlightenment, and (7) The Noble Eightfold Path. Master Sheng Yen’s down-to-earth teachings take the reader on a progression through each of the practices, illustrating how they relate to the reader’s own path toward enlightenment.

Winner of the 2016 Pinnacle Book Achievement Award for Best Book in Spiritual Self Help Finalist of the 2017 Body Mind Spirit Book Awards All enlightened beings, most founders of religions and many renowned scientists knew and understood the six principles of enlightenment. These universal truths have been written about, taught and discussed for thousands of years yet remain shrouded in mystery and misinterpretation. This book seeks to remove that shroud. The Six Principles of Enlightenment and Meaning of Life is an intellectual and spiritual work that explains the six significant universal truths woven throughout science, religion and philosophy. These principles draw upon thousands of years of wisdom and are presented in a concise, accessible format. Each principle is defined and has an explanation on its application to life; they are further supported by quotes of wisdom from enlightened beings, philosophers, artists and scientists like Buddha, Albert Einstein, Rumi, Stephen Hawking and Jesus. Understanding the six principles then unlocks the meaning of life which is explained in the final chapter.

Essential Teachings presents the first English translation of a series of talks given in 1974 by the Dalai Lama in Bodh Gaya, India—the site of the Buddha's enlightenment—to a gathering of Tibetan refugees and Western Buddhists. His precise and eloquent commentary on the "Path of the Bodhisattva," one of the most important teaching texts of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, offers a step-by-step guide to thirty-seven practices designed to help cultivate the spirit of compassion for all life and service to others that is at the heart of Buddhism.

The Nature of Enlightenment is a book that shatters the mold of Western religion by challenging what our common definition of religion is and the nature of its practice. P.F. Martin teaches from profound experience arising from over 30 years of unceasing Chan and Zen practice by stating that true enlightenment practice is the highest form of empiricism and cannot be imported into the West just as much as it cannot be totally fabricated in a culture that has been subjected to religious dogma for over a thousand years. There is a pervasive sense of urgency throughout this work. For the first time in recorded history, humanity has the ever-escalating means of self-destruction, and Western mind in the form of science and engineering has been the initial portal of this ominous ability. While embracing science and engineering as essential human tools, Mr. Martin investigates the underlying assumptions that stand them apart from the greatest good for humanity and offers a path that these great disciplines may work in compassionate harmony for the benefit of all of humankind. As an integral part of the work, authentic Dhyana (Chan or Zen) Buddhist practices are introduced from a detailed empirical illumination of the nature of the senses, affliction, thought and volition. Such topics as sudden and gradual enlightenment, hua-tou (koan) practice, samadhi, the authenticity of transmission, finding and working with a master teacher, the difference between Chan and Zen practices, divergent teachings and the practice of ongoing realization are examined in detail. Whether you are just entering a path of enlightenment or have been practicing for decades, The Nature of Enlightenment is an essential addition to your library.

This is the first detailed investigation of the role played by Sa-skya Pandita (1182-1251) in the Tibetan Buddhist "Self-sufficient Spiritual Remedy" (dKar po chig thub) controversy, a doctrinal dispute of great significance not only for the Tibetans but also for Mahayana doctrine in general. The study also inverstigates the background of Sa-skya Pandita's critique by gathering and presenting the most relevant passages from the writings of the masters sGam-po-pa (1079-1153) and Bla-ma Zhang (1123-1193), who represented the opposing "simultaneist" position in the controversy.

The Refuge Tree is a symbol of the highest ideals of Buddhism, a traditional image in the Tibetan tradition that takes different forms in different schools. On the refuge tree are formal teachers from Buddhism's history. The Refuge Tree of the Triratna Buddhist Order founded by Sangharakshita includes figures from India, Tibet, China and Japan as well as archetypal Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and the teachers whose guidance helped to shape Sangharakshita's understanding of Buddhism.