Buddhism.
With the exception of Buddhism, all religions affirm the existence of an inherent and independent self. Buddhism is the sole religion or philosophy that does not accept the reality of a self independent of any other factor.
Buddhism adopts the perspective of both the dependent origination and the emptiness of all phenomena. As such, no phenomenon exists solely based on itself in an independent fashion. This is also referred to as the absence of inherent existence. The teaching on the four seals of Dharma explains this point of view.
Today, there are various ways of defining a Buddhist and numerous criteria that contribute to those definitions. Nevertheless, we can sum them all up with the following sentence: whoever accepts and applies the four seals of the Dharma is Buddhist.
This teaching shows the Buddha’s path and the Buddhist perspective. Therefore, it is essential that anyone who embraces the Buddhist path study it and try to, first, understand it and, second, apply it.
Authentic Buddhist practice also requires an understanding of what liberation from samsara means. It is important to know the qualities of the state of nirvana and to generate a sincere aspiration to attain nirvana on the basis of this knowledge. Developing this aspiration occurs thanks to previously acquired knowledge of the characteristics and nature of samsara. This understanding allows us to generate authentic renunciation of samsara, which naturally leads to an aspiration to liberate ourselves from it.
These points are essential if we harbor a sincere wish to apply the Dharma. Without the aspiration to attain liberation and without renunciation of samsara, our practice of meditation is not fruitful. We can recite mantras, accomplish yidam practices, etc., but, in the absence of renunciation of samsara and aspiration to ward liberation, our practice is not effective, and we do not obtain results. The Kagyü masters—as well as the Kadampas and those of Dzogchen—explain this point in particular.
The teachings on the four seals are thus essential in order to:
- Know the characteristics of samsara.
- Give rise to renunciation of samsara.
- Know the qualities of nirvana, or liberation.
- Develop the wish to attain liberation.
In general, everyone wishes to free themselves from samsara, and we often repeat, “I aspire to this ultimate felicity! I wish to actualize this state of supreme well-being. I want to attain liberation!”
However, we remain attached to samsara. We continue in an intermediate state; we wish for liberation, but we are still subject to our habitual functioning. We stagnate in a form of bardo,13 incapable of moving forward in a given direction because we have not given rise to a sincere renunciation of samsara.
The aspiration for liberation in question here is not a casual wish such as, “Oh! How nice it would be if I could attain liberation!” It is a sincere wish that develops over the course of study and progressive understanding of the characteristics of this state. The process consists of: means actualizing all of these qualities ourselves; - Knowing the nature of this state.
- Studying the qualities of enlightenment;
- Acquiring absolute confidence in these qualities;
- Developing a conviction that obtaining this state means actualizing all of these qualities ourselves;
- Knowing the nature of this state.
Carrying out these steps gives rise to an unavoidable awareness within our minds: attaining liberation constitutes the sole option that allows us to put an end to suffering. There is no other solution.
Renunciation is essential for becoming aware of this necessity. Without it, liberation is not possible, as liberation specifically means giving up samsara definitively. Renunciation arises based on knowledge of the characteristics of samsara. We study them until we are convinced of them—in other words, until we have confirmed through our own experience that the nature of samsara is solely a source of suffering—an ocean of unhappiness.
When not a shadow of doubt remains in this regard, complete and authentic disillusionment takes place. It is no longer a vague remark such as, “It’s true that things are kind of uncomfortable here,” but an intimate realization that our present condition does not offer and will never offer us stable happiness and that samsara yields only unhappiness. Without disillusionment in regard to samsara and without aspiration for liberation, it is difficult to fully commit to Dharma practice and thus to gain the results of practice.
Knowledge of the characteristics and the nature of samsara gives rise to spontaneous and authentic renunciation. Based on this, we must then settle into regular meditation practice and persevere with this practice. In general—even if we sometimes meditate with great enthusiasm—we quickly tire of practice, while the success of meditation practice lies in its continuity and vigor.
A story rooted in one of the sutras that the master Shantideva retells in a stanza of the Bodhicharyavatara14 illustrates this. This passage describes the conduct of the arhat Katyayana who lived during the time of Shakyamuni Buddha.
One day, a famous ruler invited this arhat to the palace. The king had carefully prepared a magnificent welcome ceremony to receive the arhat. He had stationed performers all along the boulevard leading up to the palace so that Katyayana was welcomed with song, dance, and a rain of flowers thrown across his path by a magnificent procession.
When he arrived at the palace, the king asked him, “Did you appreciate the welcome ceremony?”
Having attended to the most minute detail of the spectacle and décor, the king hoped for a positive response. The arhat replied, “I did not see anything on my way in. What ceremony are you speaking of?”
Very surprised, the king exclaimed, “How can it be that you did not see anything with all that we had organized?”
Facing the king’s surprise and great disbelief, Katyayana insisted, “Truly, I did not see anything! I neither saw dancing nor heard music. The ceremony surely took place; I do not contest that, but—as for myself—I did not see it.”
As the king continued to think it quite impossible that he had not seen anything, Katyayana asked him to bring a man who had been sentenced to death—the most dangerous criminal in the prison—to the palace and to restage the ceremony for him. However, he added one condition. The criminal had to walk while holding a bowl filled to the brim with sesame seeds, and he could not drop a single seed. If the criminal failed to fulfill this condition, he would be executed on the spot by one of the four guards walking with him.
Thus, the criminal set out on his walk. Knowing that his life depended on it, he concentrated all of his attention on not dropping a single seed.
The ceremony was exactly the same as that performed for the arhat.
When the criminal arrived at the palace, Katyayana said to the king, “Ask him what he thought of the welcome ceremony.”
The king obliged, and the criminal replied, “What ceremony? I did not see anything! What music and dance do you speak of?”
Now the king believed Katyayana and understood the teaching that the arhat was transmitting to him. When we focus on one thing, free from distraction, the sense faculties do not take in any other information.
