Thiền Tông Việt Nam
Keys to Buddhism (Chìa Khóa Học Phật)
Conclusion

Many topics have been discussed within a very limited space. These ideas may not be easy to grasp and comprehend. Hopefully, readers are able to realize the essentials of each topic. For further studies, one may read other books and sutras or rely on instructions from monks, nun, and dharma friends. Here are the essentials points of this book.

1. The Buddha was enlightened and freed from the cycle of birth and death.

2. The Buddha Dharma is his teachings of these Truths:

• Phenomena arise due to causation

• Forms arise due to conditionality

• We all have Buddha nature

3. Learning Buddhism is to be on the path towards enlightenment, reflecting on the truths in the Buddha’s teachings and applying them to our lives. We need to use the eye of wisdom to do these things successfully.

With this practice, we can undo the defilements and wrong views that are ingrained in our minds, bringing us peace right now in the present and forever into the future. Further more, this also means we aspire to be out of duality and the cycle of birth and death, free from all bounds or limitations in order to become free people.

When we have profound and intuitive understandings of these essential teachings, we will know that we already have bright torches in our hands and will not become lost as we return to our land. To study Buddhism is to practice what we have learnt, not keeping it at the intellectually or discursive level. The deeper we practice, the more we will realize the value of the Buddha Dharma. Those who just want to learn Buddhism so that they can preach it are like those who have eaten all kinds of foods but cannot digest it; or like bank tellers who count money all day long yet return home empty-handed.

Dear readers, may the teachings in this book inspire your practice.

Mục Lục