Introduction

The need to look up to something greater than ourselves is imprinted in us all. When we no longer gaze up in awe and wonder, we start searching elsewhere, and this is when our difficulties begin. Within the heart of all of us is a special space, prepared for the spirit. When the spirit is undervalued, neglected and forgotten, other things come to take its place. Thus begins our wandering in samsara, constantly chasing after pleasure and security, in flight from discomfort and fear, never at home, never at peace.

The historical Buddha declared that he had “rediscovered an ancient path to an ancient city” – in other words found a way back to wholeness, to real security and fulfilment. Those who have followed the Buddha have kept the path open. The Buddha was an ordinary human being, but he was an exceptional one. His journey, as outlined in the story of his life, is strangely familiar, because it highlights all those things that are grave and true in human nature, and the dilemma in which he found himself is our dilemma too.

Did the historical Buddha really exist? We don’t really know. What we do know is that the path, which certainly does exist, if followed will lead us out of suffering to happiness and the true heart’s desire – the fulfilment of the human state. The word Buddha comes from the Sanskrit root budh meaning “to wake” – and thus means “The Awakened One”. A Buddha is a person who has woken fully, as if from a deep sleep, to discover that suffering, like a dream, is over. We too can wake up from the nightmare of samsara and be free.

Buddhism is not just an ancient method of transformation – it is a religion. Where it differs from other religions is in the lack of a belief in a creator God, as a permanent entity. However, Buddhists believe that wisdom, intelligence and compassion are inherent in all things, like “salt in water”. They also cultivate faith, devotion and all the virtues. As the Dhammapada says, “To do only good, to avoid doing harm, to purify the heart is the way of the Buddhas.”

The word religion comes from the Latin religio, to “relink”. This makes us think of a path to re-link, or reconnect, with that wisdom and compassion from which we have never been separated but which we have turned away from and forgotten. The path that leads back “home” is clearly laid out in the teachings, and consists of three stages: listening or reading, reflecting upon and thinking about, and putting into action or practising. Buddhism is therefore a practical way: if it does not work, then it should be abandoned; however, if it appears to benefit us, then it can be cultivated.

At the beginning of practice, we think of ourselves as rational and reasonable. However, with a little reflection we can ask ourselves what happens when we are thwarted, when we don’t get what we want. Don’t we get a little heated? In Buddhism these hot-blooded reactions, known as the Three Fires of desire, anger and delusion, are seen as precious energy – not to be squandered, but to be transformed, starting with gradually familiarizing ourselves with these reactions in the body. For this we need to be aware, and this is the reason why the cultivation of awareness is so important in Buddhism.

This cultivation is loosely translated as meditation, but in fact it starts with the cultivation of “good form”, which has two aspects. The first is how we behave, and this is where the paramitas come in, as guidelines to skilful living. Considerable space is given to this in Chapter Two, entitled “Skills for Life”. With these pointers to help us, we can stop acting on impulse and practise restraint. It then becomes possible to work with our transforming energy.

The second aspect concerns the physical side of “good form”: awareness of, and being at home in, the body. This has a venerable history in India, from sacred dance to yoga to formal meditation practices. In fact all cultures cultivate alertness, grace and dignity of movement, but in our hurried time we forget this, and leave it to the professionals – the dancers, the gymnasts, the soldiers. Chapter Three, “Mind and Heart”, looks at awareness in much greater depth. “There is no mind without a body and no body without a mind,” and the healing of this apparent split is of paramount importance.

The word karma means action, and it is those actions that are emotionally fired that have consequences for good or ill. Sooner or later, these actions will bear fruit of one kind or another. Karma is utterly impersonal. It is one of the key doctrines in Buddhism and not easy to understand. This law and other important aspects of the Buddha’s way are covered in Chapter Four, entitled “Finding the Path”. This chapter also revisits some of the earlier teachings and introduces the concept of bodhicitta, the aspiration toward wholeness, as well as gratitude, without which the path would be valueless. Buddha-nature is touched on, as well as nirvana.

Chapter Five, “Planet and Cosmos”, examines some of the ways we can look at time and our physical universe. The book concludes with Chapter Six on “The Global Family”, which includes some of the edicts of the great Buddhist king, Asoka, who ruled a vast empire of many nations, races, religions and languages under the harmonizing influence of the Dharma, giving us an inkling of what is possible today.

The chapters cover a wide range of topics, reflecting both Buddhist practice and life itself. The Buddhist quotations selected come from all the major schools, from antiquity right up to the present. They include representative selections from the Pali Nikayas, from early Indian Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, the early Chinese masters and the schools of Japanese Zen. It should become apparent that despite the differences of expression, these quotations are all informed by the one Buddha-nature. Hopefully, some of these might encourage a deeper study and practice of the Buddhist path.

If this little book were to be discovered in a future age as the only record of our era, it would be found to contain the essential teachings of the Dharma as well as quotes from many sages, poets, philosophers, scientists and others, all through recorded history. It is not possible, of course, to tell from just an examination of their meanings whether they were followers of the Buddha. Some may have expressed profound wisdom memorably without leading exemplary lives. Others may have lived by the highest ideals of service and compassion. Many of those quoted – such as Plato, Montaigne, Schopenhauer, Einstein and Yeats to name but a few – lived in widely divergent intellectual and social milieux. Yet those who choose to walk on a spiritual path or reflect on the mystery and wonder of the universe tend to find little to argue over with their companions. As the great mythologist Joseph Campbell said, “When the theoreticians get together there is much discussion; when the practisers meet there is much nodding of heads in agreement.”

Dr Desmond Biddulph

President, The Buddhist Society

Desmond Biddulph CBE is President Of The Buddhist Society, London (est. 1924) and Editor of their journal The Middle Way. He is a Jungian therapist with a medical practice in London, co-author of The Teachings Of The Buddha, and an international Lecturer.

Darcy Flynn is a Buddhist meditation teacher and author of Buddhism and Women In The Middle Way to be published in 2021. She is co-author of The Teachings of The Buddha and director of the film The Dalai Lama’s Visit.