Introduction
Host: Good evening, dear friends, and fellow practitioners.
Welcome, everyone from Silicon Valley, to attend our lecture on "Buddhist Philosophy and Modern Life" this Friday night. Due to heavy traffic and travel distance this afternoon, the lecture is slightly delayed. Before we begin, please allow me to introduce our esteemed speaker, Mr. Fan Yu (Sangha).
Dharma is not a religion, nor is it a science. It is a path that leads us to seek the truth. Dharma does not need to be proved by mystical means. Through reasoning and practice, we can attain happiness, wisdom, and even liberation.
Mr. Fan Yu hails from Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. He began studying Buddhism in 1980 and has been persistently studying and practicing ever since. Since 2009, he has been communicating online with fellow Buddhists from all over the world. Furthermore, to assist other Buddhists in their study and practice of Dharma, he has been funding and organizing free meditation weeks twice a year in China since 2009, fostering Buddhist communication and other Buddhist activities.
Let’s welcome Mr. Fan Yu.
Mr. Fan Yu
I'm currently in San Jose, United States, and would like to have a conversation about Buddhism with my American friends. I want to clarify that I am not giving a Dharma teaching, but rather engaging in a discussion about Buddhism with all of you.
In Buddhism, a Dharma teaching typically refers to the transmission of the Buddha's teachings to others, usually by a qualified teacher or spiritual guide. The term "Dharma" refers to the Buddha's teachings as a whole, and the term "teaching" implies a formalized delivery of the Dharma to others.
I've received many warm messages from my fellow Dharma practitioners in China, who have wished me success in giving a Dharma teaching in the USA. However, I feel uncomfortable with the idea of giving a Dharma teaching, as some of my fellow practitioners online know. I want to clarify that this is simply a conversation about Buddhism with those who are interested in it, and not a formal teaching.
Unlike in China where there are many people studying and practicing Buddhism, the situation is different here in San Jose. Firstly, there aren't many Chinese individuals here and secondly, only a few people may be interested in learning about the Dharma. Because of this, I cannot consider our conversation as a formal Dharma teaching. Rather, it's simply an opportunity for us to have a general discussion about Buddhism.
This is an open conversation where we can freely exchange our thoughts on the topic of Buddhism. Our goal is not to spoon-feed you with Buddhist teachings or to create a karmic tie through donations, as is often the case in China. Instead, we simply want to engage in a dialogue with those who are genuinely interested in the topic.
Some may wonder why I am doing this. The truth is, I consider Buddhism to be a hobby or passion of mine. It's something that I enjoy discussing and sharing with others. Whether or not you consider me to be a teacher or simply someone who is passionate about the topic, is up to you. What's important is whether or not our conversation can be useful to you."
I believe that my words will not harm you in any way and, at the very least, will not be a threat to you. However, I understand that some of you may still be skeptical about the potential harm of my words. If that's the case, I want to reassure you that the only person responsible for the state of your mind is yourself. Just kidding.
Two Methods of Cognition
To understand the world around us, we rely on our worldview - how we perceive and make sense of things. This perception is influenced by both the means through which we perceive the world and the actual content of our perceptions.
As human beings, we have six senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and mental consciousness. Each of these senses provides us with a unique way of experiencing the world. Seeing forms and shapes through our eyes is one way of perceiving the world, while hearing sounds through our ears is another.
It's important to note that our perceptions through the six senses can be classified into two categories: direct valid cognition and inferential valid cognition.
Direct Valid Cognition
Direct valid cognition, also known as direct perception, is the act of perceiving through the first five senses without any mental labeling or interpretation. It's a straightforward type of perception, but it's also conditional - it relies on specific conditions being present. For example, we can see a flower directly only when it's in front of us and when our eyes are functioning properly. When those conditions change or cease to exist, the perception also ends. We cannot see the same flower that bloomed yesterday again because it has now changed or withered.
If you're unfamiliar with these concepts, please bear with me as they are crucial to our understanding of Buddhism. For those who are already familiar with these ideas, you may have heard them explained differently before. In this session, I'll provide a comprehensive explanation of direct valid cognition and its role in the Buddhist worldview. It's essential to listen carefully and patiently as this understanding will greatly impact our studies and practice of Buddhism.
Inferential Valid Cognition
Inferential valid cognition refers to perception through logical thinking. It is an indirect perception. For instance, to know what makes up the flower, whether it is poisonous, and whether it is healthy, we have to rely on logical thinking. The scope of inferential valid cognition is vast - we can recall what happened yesterday, plan for tomorrow, and think about a multitude of things.
Direct and inferential valid cognition are the only two methods available to us as human beings to perceive the world. There is no third method.
Some of you may not be familiar with these concepts, and may be feeling confused. Please bear with me and be patient. For those of you who are fellow practitioners in China, you may have heard these concepts explained before. This time, I will provide a more comprehensive explanation, as worldview plays a significant role in our understanding of Buddhism and its practice.
The Perceived World and the Worldview
When we are asleep, our first five senses stop working, while our consciousness remains active. During the dream state, our perception is purely based on consciousness activity, as there is no observation of the external world taking place.
What is the origin of dreams? According to Buddhism, dreams originate from the alaya-vijnanam, the storehouse consciousness where an immense amount of information is stored as karmic traces or seeds. Dreams arise through the activation of consciousness. While our flesh eyes are closed and inactive during sleep, we experience various perceptions and activities in the dream state, all of which are ultimately rooted in consciousness.
That is to say, when all of the six senses stop working, our life activities do not disappear or cease completely. Then the question is that, at this moment, which perceives the external world. There must be something fundamental behind the six senses. What is it? You may say it is the “I”, but the “I” is only a word. Plus, we know little about what the “I” is. People also call it the soul, the spirit, and etc. The point is that there is certainly a “thing” behind what we take for granted. Whether you are a scientist, a religious scholar, or a normal person, there must be an ultimate, invisible observer behind you.
Understanding what the invisible master behind our perception is a complex and challenging puzzle that requires profound contemplation. Therefore, we should pause and reflect on who controls our perception of the world through our six senses. For the time being, we can refer to it as the "perceiver," while acknowledging that the six senses act as its instruments.
Since there is the perceiver, you may wonder what the perceived is. It refers to the object that the perceiver perceives, which we commonly refer to as the world. This includes the shapes and colors we see with our eyes, sounds we hear with our ears, smells we detect with our nose, flavors we taste with our tongue, and sensations such as coldness, hotness, softness, hardness, and heaviness that we feel with our body. Additionally, impressions and thoughts that arise in our consciousness are also part of the perceived world.
All of these perceptions, which are processed through our six senses, contribute to our overall understanding of the world. We use intellectual tools such as language and logical thinking to analyze and interpret our perceptions, ultimately forming a selective comprehension of them. This understanding can be applied to both the macro and micro levels, and collectively we refer to it as our worldview.
What Is Your Worldview Like?
Have you ever thought about your own worldview? It's an essential question to consider because our worldview greatly influences how we behave, think, and ultimately shape our lives.
Our worldview impacts everything from the lifestyle we choose to lead, to the career we pursue, to the kind of future we envision for ourselves. It even affects our relationships with family and friends and our ability to create wealth and prosperity.
It's common for people to overlook the role their worldview plays in their lives. Many believe that material possessions are the key to happiness, and that having money will solve all of their problems. However, this perspective fails to recognize that true happiness is not solely dependent on material wealth.
Those with a higher pursuit understand that happiness comes from within and is influenced by factors such as personal hobbies, morals, knowledge, and social graces. These inner qualities shape our worldview and guide us towards a more fulfilling life.
The concepts mentioned above are a mixture of various types of worldview.
Many people do not possess a systematic, complete, and internally consistent worldview. Instead, their worldview is often characterized by chaos and inconsistency. For instance, materialists believe that everything in the world is composed of matter and that there are no ghosts or deities. However, they may still feel scared when walking alone in a cemetery at midnight and may seek the advice of fortunetellers to overcome obstacles in their lives. If they truly believed that everything was material, then they would have no reason to fear ghosts or rely on fortunetellers.
In reality, many people hold conflicting beliefs and ideas, resulting in a confused and contradictory worldview. They may simultaneously hold onto materialism, idealism, and even superstition, making it difficult to form a coherent understanding of the world around them.
When discussing individuals who prioritize inner qualities, perhaps due to factors such as their family background, level of education, artistic exposure, life experiences, and personality traits, they often exhibit distinct spiritual qualities and corresponding life goals. They may even be looked up to as role models by many. However, upon closer examination, it becomes apparent that their worldview is also in disarray, as their perspective on life and the world lacks a comprehensive and accurate spiritual foundation.
Regardless of one's worldview, it inevitably has an impact on their life.
