Blog Post 31: The Six Harmonies of Buddhism

 “All religions teach us how to be better versions of ourselves, but only Buddhism pushes us further to become awakened.”

 The only beneficial activities for anyone while in samsara are continued practice, prayer and support for each other. Practice and prayer are not panaceas or deterrents against sickness and death. They are for us to be able to eject ourselves without attachment, and to train and transform our minds. Due to karmic conditioning certain things will happen. Practicing Buddhism will not make everything perfect for us. It will only help us be in harmony. Harmony of body, of speech, and of mind.

These are the Six Harmonies of Buddhism. And the following will clarify the aspects of each:

1.   Viewpoints: The harmony of having the same viewpoints means that we can harmonize with everyone, agreeing that we do not do certain things that will be the cause of quarrels. It is a choice to see things from a perceived angle that is of benefit for the whole community. There are so many different dimensions of views. The most delusive viewpoint is that we do what we do, or we define as our occupation.

2.   Precepts: The harmony of observing the same precepts allows us to have the ability to be in oneness with each other.

3.   Acceptance: The harmony of acceptance allows us to accept all beings in a way that enables us to peacefully all to live together. This requires some self-sacrifice.

4.   Skilful speech: The harmony of speaking skilfully means we must be understanding of the capabilities of others and then able to adjust ourselves accordingly, to speak without conflict.

5.   Dharma integration: The harmony of experiencing how dharma has integrated into our minds helps us to experience the bliss of oneness with the dharma; the truth. It begins first with accepting it, then learning it, cultivating it and then digesting it.

6.   Sharing benefits: The harmony of sharing the benefits we have received does not pertain only to sharing of material things and knowledge but also to sharing our hearts. Sharing our heart is the way to share our inner space through prayer, love, light and support.

While these harmonies arise through practice and prayer, their objective is to help support each other. However, while we are in samsara, most of us pray with a different intent altogether. We pray, for example, to get out of Covid – but who prays to get out of samsara? We pray only to climb out of one hole and drop into the next hole.

Dharma is the only medicine out of this samsara and into awakening, once we cultivate the harmonies and refrain from a non-stop chase for one thing or the other.

Dharma Teaching by Singha Rinpoche and edited by Sandeep Nath
11 April 2021