Date: 12/16/2023 12/17/2023
Location: Star Ocean Meditation Center
Teacher: Laura
Dharma Knowledge
The relationship between the Dharma and awakening
The relationship between the Dharma and awakening lies at the heart of Buddhist teaching. The Dharma is not meant to be a system of accumulated knowledge, but a path that points directly toward awakening. Awakening does not refer to acquiring supernatural abilities, but to seeing reality clearly and waking up from confusion, attachment, and distorted understanding. The Dharma exists to guide beings toward this awakening.
From the perspective of the Dharma, awakening is not something given from outside, but the natural unfolding of inner wisdom. The Buddha did not bestow awakening upon others; he revealed a path that can be practiced and verified through experience. The function of the Dharma is to help people understand the nature of suffering and how it arises and ceases. When these truths are seen directly, awakening naturally occurs.
One fundamental aspect of awakening in the Dharma is insight into impermanence. People often assume that things will remain stable, relationships secure, and pleasant feelings lasting. When change inevitably arises, suffering follows. Through the teachings and practices of the Dharma, one learns to observe constant change in both mind and world. When impermanence is deeply understood, fear and resistance toward uncertainty begin to loosen.
Another essential dimension of awakening is understanding attachment. The Dharma teaches that suffering is not caused solely by external events, but by the mind’s tendency to cling and resist. Attachment to identity, desire, and rigid views tightens the heart and limits freedom. Through practice, one learns to see attachment as a process rather than a necessity, allowing it to soften and release.
The relationship between the Dharma and awakening is also expressed in the insight into non-fixed selfhood. Awakening does not strengthen the sense of self; it reveals that what we call “self” is a dynamic flow of thoughts, emotions, and perceptions. The Dharma encourages careful observation of these processes. As this observation deepens, identification weakens, and a sense of openness emerges.
On a practical level, the Dharma offers concrete methods for cultivating awakening. These methods are not designed to create special states, but to develop awareness, stability, and wisdom. Through continuous observation and reflection, one begins to recognize habitual reactions in daily life. Not being automatically driven by these habits is itself a living expression of awakening.
In the Dharma, awakening is not a final destination but an ongoing process of integration. Even after insight arises, it must be embodied in conduct, relationships, and ethical responsibility. Awakening is not an escape from the world, but a way of engaging with life more clearly and compassionately.
In essence, the Dharma is the path, and awakening is its realization. Without the guidance of the Dharma, awakening can remain vague or conceptual; without awakening, the Dharma risks becoming mere theory. Together, they form a path that leads from confusion to clarity, from attachment to freedom, and from unconscious reaction to mindful living.
