The Buddhist Teachings and Their Transmission
The great Lord Buddha created the enlightenment thought for the benefit of all sentient beings without exception. His idea was to remove every human being from the sufferings of samsara in order for them to achieve enlightenment. Before that, he had accumulated enormous amounts of wisdom and compassion and had finally attained perfect enlightenment himself, where he departed from all forms of obscuration and obtained every possible quality. After obtaining enlightenment, Lord Buddha performed many great physical activities, voice activities, and primordial wisdom activities. Among these great activities, the most important activity was the voice activity: the turning of the wheel of dharma. Through the turning of the wheel of dharma, he taught what he had realized to all sentient beings so that we also could enter into the path and proceed further toward enlightenment itself.
Just as space has no limit, sentient beings have no limit. The limitless sentient beings are all different. We all have different mindst mentalities, different propensities, different tastes, and so forth. Therefore, in order to suit every level of mentality and every condition, the Buddha gave an enormous variety of teachings. Just as different medicines are needed in order to cure different diseases, the Buddha gave many different teachings to help every level of sentient being.
The teachings are commonly divided into two parts: divisions according to time, and divisions according to subject. In terms of divisions of time, there are three chronological divisions: the first Dharmachakra, the second Dharmachakra and the third Dharmachakra. We may divide the teachings by subject into the Tripitaka, which is comprised of the Abhidharma, the Vinaya, and the Sutras.
The whole purpose of turning the wheel of dharma was to tame our mindsh are overwhelmed with defilements. As an antidote to specific defilements, the Buddha gave specific teachings. Since there are three main defilements, he gave three teachings. As an antidote to the defilement of desire, he taught the Vinaya, which explains moral conduct - how to lead a good disciplined life. As an antidote to hatred, he taught the Sutras which explain the different meditations - how to control and calm our minds. As an antidote to ignorance he taught the Abhidharma which explains wisdom.
The followers of the dharma can be divided into two types: those who follow the lower path or the smaller goal, and those who follow the wider path or the great goal. This is why there are two vehicles, the Hinayana and the Mahayana. Although Buddhism was started in India and spread to many different countries, I believe it is only in Tibet that all the different levels of teaching: the Hinayana, the Mahayana, the Vajrayana, and all the related signs and teachings have been preserved together. In Tibetan Buddhism, practitioners undertake a combination of Mahayana and Vajrayana practices.
Buddha's turning of the wheel of dharma has two meanings: one meaning is that one turns the wheel and one reaches one's destination. Similarly, the Buddha gave the teachings but also transmitted these truths to his disciples. The teachings travel from what he had achieved, and the achieved knowledge is then transmitted to his students. Those who receive the dharma and practice it can reach a higher realization. So there are two meanings: the actual teaching itself and the realization.
Historically, the Wheel of Dharma was turned three times. The first time was the teaching of The Four Noble Truths at Sarnath. The second time, was the teaching of the Perfection of Wisdom Prajnaparamita at Vulture Peak. And the third was a kind of mixed teaching, mainly about Buddha Nature.
When a student receives a teaching, there is the potential for three kinds of faults. The first is called "the container upside down." If a container such as a drinking glass is put upside down, then no matter how much water flows over it, not a single drop falls inside. If you do not concentrate and listen carefully when you receive a teaching, then your mind is like the upside-down container. Although you may be sitting in the place where the teaching is being given, you will not remember or benefit from a single word. The second fault is called "the container with holes underneath." If a container is upright but has holes in the bottom, then whatever is poured into it will drain out. This fault is used to explain "glimpsing" the teaching as you receive it. You may understand the teaching very briefly, but soon afterward you don't remember any of the words. Like a container with holes, your mind cannot retain the teaching and it leaves your memory. The third fault is illustrated by a cont ainer, which is upright, and without holes, but has dirt or poison in it. No matter how clean the food or water is that is placed in that container, it cannot benefit you; nor can it be used because it is mixed with the dirt or poison. In this sense, when you receive teachings, you may concentrate on, and actually absorb the teachings. But if your intention is mixed with poison, then the teaching will not be of benefit to you.
In this sense, the container of our whole self, should be upright, without holes, and also clean. Common "poisons" that contaminate the container may be lack of faith in the teachings or the Guru, pride or self-clinging, as well as the thought that you are receiving the teaching to accomplish some worldly purpose (such as gaining wealth or fame). These attitudes are absolutely wrong.
It is generally explained that there are six different kinds of "contaminants" associated with the taking of teachings: pride, lack of faith, disinterest, distraction, meditating during the teaching, and impatience.
Considering oneself better than the teacher, from the standpoint of race or other qualities, is the contaminant of pride. Faithlessness is explained as hearing the teaching yet finding fault in the Guru or the teaching. Disinterest essentially is the attitude of having no real intention to receive the teachings. Distraction consists of thinking of other things (specifically, "outer objects") as you receiving the teaching. Normally one does not meditate when one is receiving teachings, so it is considered a fault to meditate instead of absorbing the teaching as they are given. Finally, impatience is when one is tired of receiving the teachings and wishes that they would be finished. These six qualities are faults. If the container of our mind is mixed with these things, then it is mixed with contaminants and the teachings will not benefit you.
It is also important to remember that both the Guru and the disciple must have the right attitude. The Guru should consider himself as a sort of doctor, the Dharma is the medicine, and persons hearing the teaching are the patients. Extending this analogy, one's defilements are the great sickness from which you need to be cured, in receiving the teaching you receive treatment, and all those who surround you should be thought of as helpers.
Giving, and properly receiving, a teaching embodies the full Six Paramitas. The Teacher giving the teaching to you in words represents the paramita of generosity. By receiving the teaching, you are discriminating between the right path and the wrong path. Choosing to follow the right path, is the paramita of moral conduct. As you receive the teaching, the efforts and sacrifice you are making through your body and your time is the paramita of patience. Your great enthusiasm in receiving the teaching will be the arising of wisdom. So the receiving and the bestowing of the teaching contains the Paramitas.
