I am in the process of revising most of the courses offered at Learning from Buddha College & Seminar (LFBCS). I still believe that the essence of the Seven Dharma System the Buddha Master established is a model we should follow. However, we have not been able to implement it as originally conceived. We only tried to arrange a “debate”once and I realized that it was just not possible to make it work using ZOOM and also allow for students to proceed independently at their own pace. My own goal was to find a way to make the Buddha Master’s teachings—or what we had of them as preliminary translations—available as best I could in English as quickly as possible. I am hopeful that we will have authorized translations in the future and these courses will need to be revised to reflect those translations. I focused on offering more discourses and ignored how to solve the debate part. Now I want to revise that part of the courses to hopefully give you a more effective way to keep the intent and essence of the Seven Dharma System and still be able to progress as fast and efficiently as possible.
I have revised the LFBCS Course D01-Buddhism for Beginners, Listening to the Supreme & Magnificent Dharma to reflect these changes and will be revising the others accordingly. Anyone who has completed a course will not need to redo anything.
What is the Seven Dharma System?
Unfortunately, we do not have an English translation of the Buddha Master’s discourses given in 2000 over a two-day period that established the system. The almost two hours of instruction given when the Buddha Master first came to America were entitled “It Will Be Fruitless If One Does Not Listen to Discourses in Accordance with the Dharma Expounded in This Discourse.”
After explaining the many sources of discourses and warning the students to be careful that some dharma lessons are Mara’s teachings and some slander the Buddhas and may lead to devolvement and not accomplishment, His Holiness offered criteria on how to distinguish between the different types and what should be listened to and what should be avoided. Since those discourses were given, He has also imparted the “128 Evil and Erroneous Views” to use to help discern correct sources.
His Holiness also offered the following instructions known as the “Seven-Dharmas” on how disciples should listen, stressing that once, even several times, are not enough.
Once is not enough. Listen repeatedly.
First time you get the concepts: listen to the Vajra master, not an ordinary master.
Need to read “Karmic condition/affinity between master and disciple Must Read”—One hour discourse.
Second time: Listen to the questions raised by fellow students. What did the master say, what did my brothers say? And what did I miss the first time. What questions were raised: Know the names of the people involved in asking questions. How many questions? How did the master explain the answers? What is the most precious essence?
Third time you grab a notebook and start to take notes. Record some info. Again, what questions were raised, answers given by master? Not enough to only listen once or twice. What is the main essence? Who are you? You are very pitiable.
Fourth time you check your notes to see what you missed. What is the precious essence?
Fifth time you discuss your notes with fellow students. How many attended discussion? Have a debate; Write your own summary or have a discussion. Big scale or small scale?
Sixth time you debate with other students. (Fifth and sixth can be reversed) Maybe you write your summary this time. KNOW THE KEY CONCEPTS: Sixth time is not a debate. You just write a summary of what you learned. You must do this.
Seventh time you spread the teachings to other living beings. It is not “listening to Dharma” until you do this.
Energize yourself: Every student can become a master if they do this. May (usually) need to listen 21 times.
You are only cheating yourself if you do not follow these steps. Follow the Buddha Master’s method. Listen—comprehend—debate—write your script—and act in accord.
CLICK for article that contains my notes from the entire English translation of the first two of three CDs on “It Will Be Fruitless If One Does Not Listen to Discourses in Accordance with the Dharma Expounded in This Discourse.”
Add comment