The doctrine of the Twelve Nidanas is a key Buddhist thought. It mainly delineates how the past, present and future lives of human beings or other viviparous animals of the desire realm2 come about. In other words, it explains how we enter and leave this world.

Why do we need to understand our coming and going? The Twelve Nidanas, like the constantly moving wheel, take us into, out of and back into this world over and over again. We need to be prepared when this process restarts. What the Twelve Nidanas deal with are something that everyone has to face, and how to face them is a very important lesson for us all.

The Twelve Nidanas as presented in “Ornament of Clear Realization” are quite complicated. The intent of this discussion is, however, to focus only on the parts that are important for us to know.

[Depicted from Luminous Wisdom Book Series 1 : The Right View ~ The Twelve Nidhanas]

In the Vinaya Pitaka, the Buddha told the monastics that one should avoid being mired in the duality of life.

Duality mentioned in Madhyamaka is the eternalist and nihilist view, whereas in the context of the way of living, duality denotes the impoverished and self-indulgent life.

For us ordinary people, it would be very difficult to consider matters like renunciation, bodhicitta and liberation if we must struggle constantly to make out a living. A harsh living condition may be helpful for some to generate renunciation, but renunciation developed under this circumstances is not real, as genuine renunciation must include aspiration to seek liberation. Poverty alone may not be enough reason for people to forsake samsara. Only those who have grasped the essence of the Dharma may possibly generate true renunciation. Therefore, Buddhists in general need not and should not deliberately live too poorly.

[Depicted from Luminous Wisdom Book Series 1 : The Right View ~ A Buddhist Mode of Living]

Some regard Buddhism as a kind of belief. Belief also means faith. Of course faith is needed in Buddhism, but it would be oversimplified to regard Buddhism as a belief since keeping faith is only one of many Buddhist ideas. The foundation and the priority of Buddhism are not about belief, but wisdom and compassion.

Although Buddhism does advocate the importance of faith, it is not unique to Buddhism; science also calls for faith. For example, people today all want to promote faith in science. If one does not trust science, one probably would not even dare to take airplane. People take plane because they believe in the technology that allows airplane to transport people to their destination. It takes faith to accomplish anything in this world, the same kind of faith as in Buddhism. Therefore, it is incorrect to equate Buddhism with belief.

[Depicted from Luminous Wisdom Book Series 1 : The Right View ~ The Definition]

Years ago, I wrote a book about the merit of being vegetarian and the faults of eating meat or being non-vegetarian. Our talk today is based on part of that book.

With regard to the Buddhist views on being vegetarian and non-vegetarian, here is what the book said:" According to the Hinayana tradition, one is allowed to eat only the ‘three kinds of clean flesh.’ Other kinds of meat are strictly forbidden. Now in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, the Sangha still upholds this practice. They think that not eating meat at all is to follow the decree of Devadatta1. And the practice of eating the three kinds of clean flesh is rather in keeping with the precepts taught by the Buddha in the Theravadin Vinaya."

[Depicted from Luminous Wisdom Book Series 1 : The Right View ~ Why Vegetarian?]

Broadly speaking, the view, the practice and the behavior of non-Buddhist traditions and those of Buddhism are all different, and so are their results. The key difference lies in whether or not they include taking refuge in the Three Jewels—the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. One that does so is Buddhism; otherwise, it is non-Buddhism.

[Depicted from Luminous Wisdom Book Series 1 : The Right View ~ The Three Differences]

We need to be really careful with the words we use here. The words Buddhists use to describe the world are very accurate. In the micro-world, nothing is really moving, moving is only illusion of our senses.

An example is when an electron moves around the nucleus from one location to another. On the conceptual level, there is movement. However, there is not a single electron that is moving because when the electron shifts to a different location, at the same time this particular electron diminishes from its original location. This also means that the previous electron vanishes once the present one is generated. After the electron moves to another location, at that spot another new electron appears, then disappears. If we look with our naked eyes, what we see is one electron moving from one location to a second, then to a third and fourth location, and so on. The first electron actually has no correlation to the second or the third one, but is separate from them. On the micro level, we see the illusion of a moving electron, but nothing is truly moving. Although the individual electrons have some certain similarities, they are not the same. Buddhism calls this “arising and ceasing”.

[Excerpt from Luminous Wisdom Book Series ~ The Illusory World]

To liberate lives is a common practice frequently performed by many Buddhists. When conducted properly, the resulting merit is boundless. Otherwise, the merit will be greatly diminished. It is therefore very important for us to know the proper way of liberating living beings.

[Depicted from Luminous Wisdom Book Series 1 : The Right View ~ Liberating Living Beings]

What is the difference between the Four Noble Truths and the Two Truths (relative and absolute truth)? The Two Truths delineate the doctrinal view on phenomena whereas the Four Noble Truths, though also contain some elements of that view, focus mainly on the practicable ways to attain liberation. Therefore, both are very important Buddhist doctrines that can lend certain help to one’s practice if understood well. Of course, one may choose to learn only the theories necessary for undertaking specific practice rather than the more extensive knowledge of various Buddhist doctrines such as the Two Truths or the Four Noble Truths. But the chances are one may be prone to mistakes more easily this way except for those with the sharpest faculties.

[Depicted from Luminous Wisdom Book Series 1 : The Right View ~ The Four Noble Trulths]

In present-day India, such highest tantra can no longer be found. During the sarma or the New Translation period after Atisha (982–1054) had entered Tibet, some Tibetan translators arrived in India and realized that they could hardly find any Sanskrit texts on the Great Perfection. Even if they occasionally found one or two short paragraphs of sadhana in the private collection of some elder adepts, when they requested the elders for instructions, the elders would superficially answer, “This was collected by my predecessors. I know nothing about it.” Actually these elders were practicing in secret. They just didn't want to reveal anything.

[Excerpt from Luminous Wisdom Book Series ~ The Guru Yoga Practice of the Seven-Line Prayer to Padmasambhava]