When the Buddha first turned the Wheel of Dharma, he taught the Four Noble Truths.
The First Noble Truth is that there is suffering, and it should be recognised.
The Second Noble Truth is that suffering has a cause, which therefore needs to be given up. That cause is the kleshas, the negative emotions or afflicting mental factors. Although there are many such obscured states of mind, the five principal obscurations are desire, aggression, ignorance, pride, and jealousy.
The Third Noble Truth is that there is a path that leads beings away from suffering; this path therefore needs to be followed.
The Fourth Noble Truth is that suffering can thus be brought to cessation.
Through the Four Noble Truths, the Buddha urged us to renounce worldly concerns and strive for liberation from samsara.
In our search for the means to be free from samsara, the first step is to listen to the teachings which explain the different methods of so doing. In addition to the precious knowledge that is thus acquired, simply hearing the sound of the Dharma being taught – even the sound of the conches and gongs that call the community to gather for teachings – has inconceivable blessings and benefits, the Buddha said, and can liberate beings from rebirth in the lower realms.
Through listening to the teachings, even those who lack the faculties to understand their meaning thoroughly will at least gain some notion of the Dharma’s qualities. Even a general idea of how to practice the Dharma is already precious.
The second step is to reflect on what you have heard and try to find the essential meaning in it. Examine your own mind to see whether it is really as the teachings describe or not, and whether you can keep it focused on an object of meditation.
Third, once you have a clear idea of the essential meaning of the Dharma, you must try to realize that meaning through your inner experience, and assimilate it into your being. This is called meditation.
As you progress through these three steps, spiritual qualities will naturally arise, and you will see the truth of the teachings. Those qualities will bloom spontaneously because the buddha nature within you is being revealed.
The buddha nature, or tathagatagarbha, is present in all beings, but is hidden by obscurations, in the same way that buried gold is hidden by the earth under which it lies.
As you listen to, reflect, and meditate on the Dharma, all the inherent qualities of your buddha nature will be actualized. When a field has been carefully prepared and planted with seeds, and all favorable conditions are present, such as temperature, moisture, and warmth, the seeds will germinate and grow into crops.
– Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
