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Mercredi, Avril 20, 2005
No Independent Existence

Article in What Is Enlightenment? magazine by Amy Edelstein.

In this interview she interviews the Dalai Lama. This interview with the Dalai Lama offers some insights. One of the concepts is Enlightenment. He equates enlightenment to knowing. And the ultimate in knowing is Buddha-hood enlightenment, which is also called a fully awakened state. Negative emotions are a hindrance here and should be opposed with compassion. Just following the Buddhist way of life does not lead to enlightenment. One should aspire to enlightenment. One should understand the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism.

One of the key teachings of Buddhism is emptiness. The Dalai Lama defines emptiness as “the lack of true existence of the ‘object of negation’”, but also “the absence of independent existence”. His explanation of this is very abstract. He says that there is no independent existence, it is wrong, it is ignorance. However there non-independent existence and that is wisdom.

There is no beyond good and evil when one is enlightened. Both bad and good are equal. Everything is equal. Conventional reality does not play a role anymore.

In order to learn Buddhism one should learn dharma, the teachings and then one will find refuge in the Buddha. The Buddha is here however an abstract designation of a teacher. It is not necessary to have a human teacher, books might function as a teacher.

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