Expert: Bodhicitta - 1/21/2009

Question
HI, the experts
I am really interested in Buddhism and I have read many Buddhist books; however, this question is still a headache to me:
HOw could the Buddha recognize that he was going on the right path and how he could know that what he reached was the ultimate, the highest?
Many masters say that while practicing Dharma, we may go to another direction but be unaware of that. I am a teacher and I also want to practice Buddhism in a busy life. How can I do that if I choose the school of Buddha's land?
I really appreciate your help.

Answer
Hi Quyen,
<<
1/ HOw could the Buddha recognize that he was going on the right path
2/ ..how he could know that what he reached was the ultimate, the highest?
3/ ... How can I do that if I choose the school of Buddha's land? I also want to practice Buddhism in a busy life.
>>
1/ This is a good question. There are many answers to this question
some pretty technical. but your question is a common-sense sort of
question at the end of the day.Here are some answers that might
respond to that ..

Firstly/ There is no answer - we can never know - this means that
we are doomed and nihilism is true! However if we look at the world
we do seem to know poison from wholesome food. We do seem to decide
good from bad some of the time. Of course we are often confused and
make bad choices - but we would recognise afterwards that we weren't
skilful in making those choices.

In Buddhism there is a faculty called "Knowing the Dharma from the non-Dharma". It is confused in most of us. But nevertheless it must
be present in us all to some extent if we are to ever practice dharma.
On the Bodhisattva path to enlightenment there is a stage when this
faculty becomes perfect - then our path is certain. Prior to that we
may make bad choices and take wrong turns - but we should keep trying
Holding in our hearts the wish for enlightenment!

Secondly/ There is the View and the Meditation in Buddhism. The view
is what moves us in a certain direction - positive or negative.
The meditation is the method of travel . So the View would be the
road map or our itinary and a car might be the meditation. Most
Westerners coming to Buddhism aren't aware that there are these two.
The meditation practice is a very small part of Buddhism and isn't
necessarily a good thing! The view makes it good. Most of Buddhism
is about the View. How do you acquire the View? Good teachers, good
texts , good transmissions,good motivation and good fortune!

Thirdly/ There is the view in Buddhism that the Universe is full of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas . These beings strive endlessly to help
sentient  beings such as ourselves. So all we need to do is to be
open to their help. This answer would say to you that enlightenment
just does have the edge in the Universe over confusion and we
just need have faith in that. This answer also says that we do not
achieve anything through self effort. Self effort leads to confusion
- openness leads to enlightenment.

Best wishes
Bodhicitta