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The Buddha's Little Instruction Manual

By Teri Sivilli

Wouldn't it be nice if life came with instructions, a step-by-step manual to guide us to happier, healthier, wiser lives?

Actually, this manual has existed for centuries, in the Buddhist teachings known as the Lam Rim, or Stages of the Path to Enlightenment. This fundamental guide explains how all the Buddhist teachings and practices fit together into a coherent whole. During his lifetime the Buddha gave 84,000 teachings, intended to suit the level and temperament of every individual in his audience, which included beginning, intermediate and advanced students.

The Lam Rim is a method of teaching the principles of Buddhism, the ideas that every practitioner must know and implement, in logical progression. The Lam Rim is a progressive system that distills all of the Buddha's teachings into a coherent and cohesive course of instruction. When taken in order, each topic provides a basis for understanding those that come after, while the subsequent topics expand and illuminate the previous ones. Rather than being viewed in a linear fashion, the teachings of the Buddha are perhaps better viewed as a circle; having come full circle, you will truly comprehend the starting point.

Numerous philosophical and religious systems lay out theories for living happily. Few of these systems offer concrete instructions for implementing the necessary changes in our lives, but Tibetan Buddhism discloses in detail the technology of inner transformation. In particular, the Lam Rim teachings focus on the practical aspects of living happier lives, here and now. For those actively practicing Buddhism, these teachings form the heart of the practice. But this material also contains practical advice that can be implemented by anyone interested in living a happier, more sane and balanced life.

For example, mindfulness and concentration form the basis of Buddhist practice, but on a practical, non-spiritual level, these qualities will make us more successful in any endeavor we undertake, at school or work, or in sports. And, mindfulness is essential for transforming unhealthy patterns and replacing them with more wholesome behaviors. So, while a Buddhist would build mindfulness and concentration as a solid foundation for future spiritual practice, anyone can work on these aspects to improve the quality of their day-to-day life. Building on the foundation of mindfulness and concentration, the Lam Rim teachings include specific methods for dealing with harmful emotions such as anger and jealousy, analyzing them to understand their genesis, and providing techniques for reducing their hold on us.

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