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The Nine qualities of the Buddhas teachings.

DZONGSAR KHYENTSE RINPOCHE

The Dharma can be classified into to as!ects" the scri!t#ral Dharma or Dharma of

transmission" and the Dharma of realisation" that hich arises in the mind of the

!ractitioner alon$ the !ath%The Dharma of transmission incl#des the ddha's onords" the s#tras" and the shastras"hich are the commentaries on the s#tras%

The Dharma of transmission has fi(e )#alities*

+%,irt#o#s in the be$innin$

*hearin$ and st#d-in$ these scri!t#res in(o.es tr#st and de(otion b- con(incin$ -o#

of the $ro#nd" !ath and fr#it%

/%,irt#o#s in the middle

*as -o# contem!late on hat -o# ha(e heard" then -o# ill be able to con(ince

-o#rself that the res#lt can be obtained%

0%,irt#o#s at the end*as -o# meditate on it" sim#ltaneo#sl- -o#r isdom ill $ro%

1% E2cellent meanin$

*it consists of teachin$s on both relati(e and #ltimate tr#th%

3% E2cellent ords

*ddha's teachin$s #se ordinar- lan$#a$e" somethin$ that is .non in the

ordinar- orld%

The im!ortance of definin$ 4tr#l- e2istent'

Do not thin. abo#t the 5adh-ami.a in a com!licated a-

The Dharma of transmission and the Dharma of realisationThe fi(e )#alities of the Dharma of transmission

In order to #nderstand these )#alities" it is im!ortant to tal. abo#t hat the

teachin$s are bein$ com!ared to% There are teachin$s or !aths that ha(e onl-

relati(e tr#th or #ltimate tr#th" or !erha!s neither" hereas the teachin$s of the

ddha com!rise both%Yo# can sa- that it does not abandon either of the to

tr#ths% This is a (er- im!ortant remar. beca#se" for e2am!le"shastras li.e those

anal-sin$ the tooth of the cro ha(e teachin$s on neither relati(e tr#th nor

#ltimate tr#th% I thin. e can see man- similar e2am!les in boo.sho!s these da-s%

The )#alit- of #sin$ ordinar- lan$#a$e is also )#ite im!ortant if -o# .no the

histor- of ddhism% Some Hind# schools #se onl- ,edic ords" so that in order to!ractice those methods -o# almost ha(e to learn a com!letel- ne hol- lan$#a$e%

This ma- be h- man- Thera(adin scholars belie(e that the ddha's teachin$s

ere ritten in Pali rather than Sans.rit" beca#se Sans.rit is a (er-,edic lan$#a$e% I

am sa-in$ this to sho that hat I am recitin$ is not 6#st somethin$ !oetic" b#t that

e(er- ord has its !#r!ose%These are the fi(e )#alities of the Dharma of

transmission"hich is li.e a medi#m for transmission%

The act#al Dharma" hich is the Dharma of realisation" has fo#r .inds of )#alities*

+% Not mi2ed #! 7madre!a8

* this has nothin$ to do ith the st-le of the teachin$9 it is contrastin$ ddhismith Hind#ism a$ain% :hen Atisha Di!am.ara as inTibet" he heard that 5aitri!a

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had died in India" and he as (er- sad% He mo#rned dee!l- for se(eral da-s" and

later his disci!le Dromt;n!a as.ed him h- he as es!eciall- sad this time" $i(en

that he had heard a lot of other bad nes in the !ast%Atisha re!lied that onl- to

scholars in India co#ld differentiate beteen Hind#ism and ddhism" 5aitri!a and

himself% Since Atisha as no in Tibet" there as almost nobod- in India ho co#ld

differentiate beteen Hind#ism and ddhism%This tells #s that !eo!le li.e #s canbe easil- be attracted to some of the Hind# teachin$s on non