My dear friends,
The final precept of Atisha’s “The Best” is:
This final precept reflects a profound understanding of what it means to offer true, enduring assistance to others. For a follower of the Bodhisattva path, this precept captures the essence of compassion and wisdom in action, as it points directly to the heart of what liberates beings from suffering. Let us explore why this is considered the best form of help, applicable to everyone—whether they walk a spiritual path or not, and even to oneself.
1. The Source of Lasting Freedom
When we give someone food, shelter, or material assistance, we provide temporary relief. These are acts of generosity and kindness, and they are precious indeed. But such help addresses immediate, surface-level problems without uprooting the deeper causes of suffering. Turning someone’s thoughts to the Dharma, on the other hand, means directing their mind toward the truth, wisdom, and compassion that can lead to enduring freedom from suffering.
The Dharma is not just about religious practices or doctrines; it is the universal wisdom that unveils the nature of reality. To turn someone's thoughts to the Dharma is to guide them toward understanding the nature of their own mind, the patterns of attachment and aversion that keep them bound, and the pathways to peace, love, and clarity. This kind of help offers the possibility of transformation at the deepest level, where true liberation arises.
2. Empowerment to Transform
The Bodhisattva's path is about empowering beings, giving them the tools to discover their own potential for awakening. When someone is directed toward the Dharma, they are not merely given a solution to a problem; they are given the means to transform their own suffering into wisdom and compassion.
This empowerment respects the dignity and innate potential of the person. It does not reduce them to someone in need of charity but lifts them up as someone capable of profound realization. Whether they are aware of it or not, each being has a luminous, wise, and compassionate nature at their core. To turn someone’s thoughts to the Dharma is to help them reconnect with this intrinsic potential.
3. Dharma as Universal Truth
Even for those who do not identify with a spiritual path, the principles of the Dharma can be understood and applied universally. Concepts such as mindfulness, compassion, and the understanding of impermanence are not confined to any one religion but are truths that resonate across cultures and backgrounds. To turn someone’s thoughts to the Dharma might mean helping them see how clinging to impermanent things brings distress, or how acting with kindness and mindfulness brings peace. It’s about introducing a way of seeing the world that brings clarity and calm.
Whether or not one accepts the framework of karma, samsara, or rebirth, the insight that thoughts, words, and actions have consequences, and that cultivating a kind, present, and discerning mind leads to a more harmonious life, is a practical teaching that can benefit everyone. It allows people to engage with their lives more skillfully, reducing unnecessary suffering for themselves and others.
4. The Best Help for Oneself
Turning one's own thoughts to the Dharma is also a form of self-help in the truest sense. Often, when we face challenges, we look outward for solutions—seeking comfort, distraction, or validation from others. But the greatest help we can give ourselves is to look inward, to investigate the patterns of our mind and heart, to confront our fears and desires with the light of awareness.
When we turn our own thoughts to the Dharma, we become capable of truly helping others as well. Without this foundation, our acts of service may be superficial or even misguided, tainted by our own attachments, biases, or fears. But when we have turned our own mind toward wisdom and compassion, we can serve others from a place of authenticity and depth.
5. Bringing Others Closer to Their True Nature
From the perspective of the Bodhisattva, every being is seen as having the potential for enlightenment. Helping to turn someone's thoughts to the Dharma is, in essence, to remind them of their own intrinsic goodness and capacity for wisdom. It is to help them see the sacredness in themselves, the "mind of Christ" or Bodhicitta—the awakened mind of love and compassion that lies within.
Jesus, in his teachings, often directed people not to look for salvation outside, but to recognize the Kingdom of God within. Similarly, turning someone’s thoughts to the Dharma is to help them find the refuge that already resides within their own heart. It is a gentle, profound, and lasting help that encourages people to tap into their own source of peace, strength, and clarity.
6. A Universal Act of Compassion
The act of turning someone's thoughts to the Dharma does not require converting them to a specific belief system. It is about planting the seeds of insight, compassion, and peace, which can take root and grow according to each person’s unique path. This could mean offering a teaching, but it might also be as simple as sharing a moment of silence, a word of encouragement, or an example of patience in a difficult situation. It is an act of love and compassion, grounded in the understanding of what will truly benefit others in the long run.
Conclusion
The best help is that which leads to enduring well-being and liberation. Material aid is necessary and kind, but it is impermanent. Guidance that leads to awakening is the highest form of generosity, for it is an invitation to walk the path of true freedom. Whether someone follows a particular spiritual path or not, turning their thoughts to the Dharma—encouraging reflection on compassion, wisdom, and the nature of reality—can inspire them to find peace, joy, and purpose in their own way.
For oneself, turning one’s thoughts to the Dharma is a continual return to clarity, love, and the deepest truths, ensuring that whatever help we offer to others comes from a place of genuine wisdom and compassion. In this way, the Bodhisattva becomes a source of boundless light, guiding all beings toward their own inner awakening.