From seed to fruit

Question: What does “All dharma is Buddha dharma” mean?

Answer: Often times people understand that “Buddha\r\ndharma” is the teachings of Buddha or the teachings of the Monks, not\r\nexpecting that everything that happens around themselves is dharma of Buddha.\r\n“All dharma is Buddha dharma” talks about the deep meaning of Buddhism that only\r\nthe people who have learned and had a solid foundation of Buddha dharma can\r\nfully comprehend the profound meaning of this sentence. When a person has\r\npenetrated deeply into Buddha dharma, whenever and wherever they are, they\r\nalways apply dharma to look at every problem, thus, everything becomes Buddha\r\ndharma.

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For example, a physician who looks at any kind of plant\r\nwould think of it as a kind of medicine. Or a person specializing in bonsai\r\ncare could make any tree they see into a beautiful bonsai. Similarly, someone\r\nwho understands the general principles of Buddha dharma can apply it to\r\nunderstand all things and events happening around them.

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There are three truths of Buddhism that always\r\nappear in all universal things. The first is “Everything changes”, which is\r\na popular truth that covers everything. Understanding this first truth, we\r\nwill see the impermanent changes in all things, whether it is seeing yellow\r\nleaves or a falling flower in our front porch. The leaf or the flower fall down\r\nto the ground despite still being attached to the tree only yesterday.

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Through the impermanence of leaves and flowers, we see that\r\nthe changes can also wreck havoc in our bodies. Using the eyes of Buddha\r\ndharma, when we see two people arguing, their faces turning red, their arms\r\nwaving about, their feet moving restlessly; we know that it is their lack of\r\npatience and their inability to control anger that lead them to this suffering.\r\nWe enter the kitchen to cook and lay out all the delicious dishes. To a normal\r\nperson, the dishes represent good food, but to a person who understands Buddha\r\ndharma, the food is just the temporary borrowing of material to keep the body\r\nalive, without eating we cannot live. What has been borrowed must be paid back.\r\nThere should not be greediness in eating. Buddha dharma lies in our diet.

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Applying the second truth of Buddhism, “All things rely on\r\neach other”, will help us see that everything indeed rely on each other to\r\nlive, nothing that stands separately from others can form and survive. The body\r\ncan survive thanks to food. Buddha dharma is always there in our bodies. Right\r\nnow, people are breathing, no breathing leads to instant death. Breathing is an\r\nact of borrowing air to sustain life. When there is breathing, there is life.\r\nThus, Buddha dharma is also present in a breath.

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Penetrating the third truth, “Tranquility is the most\r\njoyous”, will lead us to the utmost happy and peaceful life. Tranquility means\r\nquietness. A bright and tranquil soul is a safe place of dwelling for a\r\nBuddhist. Unlike the light and gentle joy of religious people, the joy of the\r\nworld is a kind of spontaneous fun in chaotic confusion. It seems fun\r\ninitially, but later turns out to be pain, sickness and misery.  

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Thanks to seeing the true nature of all things, we no longer\r\nwant to chase after the sensual pleasures. We stop to become more tranquil and\r\npure. A pure and bright soul will reflect all things like a mirror. When we no\r\nlonger suffer from confusion and pain, we have reached happy enlightenment.\r\nAbsolute pleasure of the inner is unlike the joy of outside dislocations, of\r\nbirth and death like before. This is the true joy of someone who practices\r\nBuddha dharma.

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Translated into English by Doan Thanh Truc.