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Introduction |
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Dharma Talks / Teachings
We beg the most honored of heavenly and human beings
to turn the wheel of the unsurpassed Law.
Strike the great Dharma drum,
blow the great Dharma conch,
rain down the great Dharma rain all around
To save immeasurable living beings!
-The Brahma kings ask the Buddha for a Dharma talk in The Lotus Sutra -
The Buddhist teachings are called the Buddhist Dharma but the word dharma means much more than “instruction” or “doctrine.” Dharma refers to all phenomena in the universe including the basic constituents of mind and matter. Taken in this sense, the Buddhist Dharma is more a description of or guidebook to the practical realities of human life than a fixed set of moral codes. The Buddha’s own spiritual quest began with the simple and practical goal of ending human suffering; the Buddha did not set out to uncover all the secrets of the universe or to acquire great supernatural powers. He discouraged his disciples from focusing on questions like “What is the origin of the universe?” In the Culamalunkya Sutra, the Buddha compared our situation to a man who has been shot with an arrow. Naturally, removing the arrow is the most pending task. Asking questions like “Who shot the arrow?” “How long is it?” “Is it made of wood or metal?” only distracts us from our work.
Dharma talks are practical instructions for removing the arrow. Talks may include worldly wisdom as well as more transcendent truths but they are always aimed at helping us down the path to enlightenment. Furthermore, Dharma talks and the Buddhist Dharma are always open to question. The Buddha, himself, encouraged his disciples to test out and experience the Dharma. In the Mahatanhasankhaya Sutra, he told his disciples: “So you have been guided by me with this Dharma, which is visible here and now, immediately effective, inviting inspection, onward leading, to be experienced by the wise for themselves.” As the Buddha explained, the Dharma is visible here and now in what we experience and in the words of our teachers. Below we have gathered together information on and samples of great Dharma talks. We hope you will inspect and experience them for yourself.
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