How to Interprete Messages of The Universe

A number of years back,
when I was a student at a Dharma Class
of Singapore Buddhist Federation,
I was very delighted to pick up this very
precious teaching from Sakyamuni,
called "The Four Reliances" (四依止)

The Four Reliances is a Learning Skill
that Sakyamuni taught to his disciples
just before he entered Nirvana (passed away),
in order that his disciples and many dharma students
generations to come,
do not misinterprete dharma, the truth of universe.

I apply this very powerful Learning Skill
in my day-to-day life,
not just in dharma studies; and
I have reaped a lot of benefits
in term of learning efficiency and accuracy of interpretation.

The Four Reliances are:

During the course of learning just anything,

(1) Rely on the Dharma rather than the teacher
依法不依人
.. follow the teachings of a person
rather than blindly following the person's deed

(2) Rely on the words rather than the letter of the teachings
依义不依语
.. follow to the essense of / message underlying the teachings
rather than the superficial phrases of the teachings

(3) Rely on the ultimate meaning rather than the provisional meanings
依了义不依不了义
.. follow the core and comprehensive principles of a teaching
rather than the expedient/non-comprehensive guidelines of a teaching

(4) Rely on wisdom rather than common afflictions
依智不依识
.. follow the guidances that arise from the calm awareness/consciousness
rather than mis-leading and illusive phenomena derived from our 5 senses

Basically, with this Learning Skill,
we need to constantly "read between the lines"
the messages fed to us from our surrounding at every instance.
Without a clear mind and
the skill to interprete the massive information flooding our brain everyday
we easily get misled or misguided.

May this precious method of learning
brings you clarity and the bliss of awareness.


With metta,
Kee Yew

p/s: detailed explanation of 4 Reliances here:
http://www.merit-times.cn/NewsPage.aspx?Unid=128022
http://www.merit-times.com.tw/NewsPage.aspx?Unid=132039

.