The document discusses the Buddha's original teachings of Buddhadhamma, which is about direct experience rather than adherence to a system or religion. It emphasizes that Buddhadhamma is universal and applicable to all, focusing on methodology over any individual. True understanding comes from direct experience and practice, not just reading scriptures. The key is meditating to see the ultimate nature of reality for oneself, rather than getting attached to ideas of Buddhism.

1. Buddhadhamma
(Embracing Neutrality)
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Presented by : Buddhitakso

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‘My teaching is not a philosophy. It is the result of direct experience...
My teaching is a means of practice, not something to hold onto or worship.
My teaching is like a raft used to cross the river.
Only a fool would carry the raft around after he had already reached the
other shore of liberation.’
~ The Buddha ~
“The Buddha’s original teaching is not a religion as the word is
conventionally understood. The Buddha taught ‘Dhamma’ – a moral,
wholesome way of life which is universal, and can be practised by anyone.
He did not teach ‘Buddhism’, and was not interested in making anyone a
‘Buddhist’.”
~ Acharya S. N. Goenka (1924 – 2013) ~

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• In a way, the Buddha’s teaching is not a constricted path
dedicated for the few privileged ones per se.
Buddhadhamma is simply about direct experience by
oneself and nothing else.
• It is in the air you breathe, in the things you feel or touch,
it is just simply in every nook and corner of the cosmos.
Therefore, it is universal and applicable to all beings or
things within Mother Nature.
• As Ajahn Brahm has mentioned, ‘Do not eat the menu,
just taste the food.’

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• For general understanding, the Buddha’s original
teaching has an implication far transcended ‘Buddhism’
as what the word is conventionally understood. The
attached suffix ‘-ism’ in this context represents an
adherence to a system or a class of principles as
taught by the Buddha.
• In fact, the original context of Buddhadhamma focuses
on the methodology rather than the persona of an
individual. This means the essence of the Buddha’s
original teaching lies in the direct experience of
oneself, be it by oneself or through other means.

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• As such, Buddhadhamma is not about what the
Buddha’s words or experiences as witnessed in the
various discourses or suttas but more on what you
could share after undergoing and realising it directly.
• Unfortunately, nowadays, Buddhism is a reflection of
a distorted understanding of the Buddha’s original
teaching. A wise one would just pass on the
generated ‘heat’ that is ever evolving but not to
emulate the original heater foolishly.

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• The Buddha has laid emphasis that one should look
into all angles of things or matters and then apply one's
wisdom in the decision making (Middle Path).
• The Buddha has merely left behind guidelines for one
to pursue with and it would be meaningless for one to
read and tag along the contents of the discourses or
suttas blindly without applying wisdom.
• No doubt the available discourses or suttas did play an
important role in keeping the essence of Buddhism, but
how many of the so-called Buddhists nowadays have
gained full enlightenment by mere reading or reciting it?

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• The key point here is not merely about the mastering
of theoretical knowledge on Buddhism but instead,
more on the practicality and the direct experience of it.
• These available scriptures, discourses or suttas are
merely tools for one’s Dhamma practices. And the
tools would remain as the tools and it would not turn a
person into an enlightened being if the application is
without wisdom.

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• Dukkha arises because there is mind arising - with
ignorance as the key factor that clouded the mind
from seeing the reality of things or happenings.
• The wise Shakyamuni Buddha has merely seen the
urgency to put a complete end to dukkha - right here,
right now. All other matters are considered as trivial if
compared with the reality of dukkha arising in the
samsāra.
• Buddhadhamma is supremely boundless, stereotype-
less and label-less. It is never about what a unique
person has had achieved a few thousand years ago
but more on the path to one’s spiritual liberation.

9. • So to speak, it is all about one’s direct experience,
recognition and liberation instead of blind obsession
with Buddhism that ultimately leads to spiritual
imprisonment.
• Therefore, meditate, meditate and meditate to see and
taste the real truth.
• Seeing the Dhamma is seeing the Buddha – it is seeing
and knowing the ultimate reality of things and
happenings and not to get entangle with it (no blind
addiction to Buddhism, ok?).
HAPPY PRACTISING, NOT JUST READING…
VIVA BUDDHADHAMMA!
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‘Life itself is prison,
The instincts are prisons,
The senses are prisons,
Superstition is prison,
Sacred institutions are prisons,
Teachers are prisons,
Holy things are prisons,
Goodness is prison,
Views are prisons,
Purity is the highest prison,
Voidness is not prison,
Freedom is salvation from prison.’
～ Buddhadāsa ～