Lessons In Practical Buddhism - Sirimangalo.Org

The evil deeds we perform unto others can bring to them
directly at most only physical suffering. Unless the victim
suffers from defilements of mind themselves and thus
becomes upset about our actions and speech, they will not
suffer in the mind no matter what we do or say to them. In
this way, we understand that it is defilements of mind alone
that can cause true suffering.
Seeing
In order to destroy all of the taints, the Buddha taught seven
aspects of practice to be undertaken by a meditator. The
most important aspect, of course, is the meditation practice
itself, and this is where the Buddha begins, with the taints
that are to be destroyed through seeing.
The core of the Buddha’s teaching is to see things clearly as
they are. He taught us to look at the reality that presents
itself to us at every moment and see it clearly for what it is.
He taught us to find the truth for ourselves, rather than
simply accept his teachings as a dogma, theory, or belief.
The Buddha taught mostly practical methods by which his
students could come to understand things as they are,
rejecting philosophical speculation as useless diversions
undertaken to no end. So, if we want to understand what it
was that the Buddha taught in brief, it is to see things as
they are.
More specifically, the Buddha taught how to clear up our
blind faith and attachments in the things that we cling to as
stable, satisfying, and controllable. It was not the Buddha’s
intention that his students should come to learn everything;
there is a famous story in the suttas where the Buddha,
staying in a great forest, picked up a handful of leaves and
asked the monks whether there were more leaves in his
hand or more in the forest. He said that the leaves in the
forest were like all of the things that he knew with his great
wisdom, and the leaves in his hand were what he taught.
This is because, as he said, most knowledge does not lead to
true peace, happiness and freedom from suffering.
Nowadays it is common to read about new and exciting
discoveries by the scientific community and the promise of
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