This website is the home of The Four Noble Truths on the web.

Ten Advantages

• 1. Born as human: Even the best animal cannot say Mani matra. Gods cannot hold self-liberation vows because these are based on seeing truth of suffering. Tantric teachings has to do with subtle channels, winds and drops. These teachings cannot take place in a distracted mind. Advantages of human body surpass even gods. Nagas have wealth, but not human form. Because they did not practice discipline. These days we have dogs and cats with money, but not human form. Feel happy about being human. This advantage comes due to kindness of parents.
• 2. Central land: Refers to place where there is teacher, teaching, practice. Place where we can get the antidotes to afflictions. Are we truly practicing? Feel happy about having dharma teachings.
• 3. Sense faculties intact: Appreciate sense faculties are intact. Feel happy about your senses – feel each and every one of them.
• 4. Not having a conflicting lifestyle: This refers to worldly concerns. To not have worldly concerns is extremely difficult. See that cyclic existence has no essence. Have we committed heinous crimes that would affect the spiritual path?
• 5. Faith: Check - can dharma really liberate us from suffering? Is it antidote to ‘I’?
• 6. Buddha has come: Think how rare it is for the buddha to come.
• 7. Buddha has taught: Contemplate how precious it is that the buddha teaches about virtue and non-virtue. Buddha taught tantric teachings - to become buddha in a single lifetime.
• 8. Teachings exist: This means there are practitioners. Rejoice in this. Resolve - I must practice. The teachings exist because there are lineage teachers.
• 9. We have entered the path: If the sun is shining and one is blind, it makes no difference. Accept the path. Enter the path. How to enter? Enter knowing that wherever one is born, nature of samsara is suffering. Enter the practice to benefit others. This is the crucial point of entering - proper motivation. This is what makes the 4th endowment complete.
• 10. Held by compassion of an authentic teacher: If your motivation is pure, you will be held by compassion of an authentic teacher. Teacher gives pith instructions. Look for essence. Don’t ignore pith instructions. It is hard to find a teacher. All advantages are included in meeting a teacher.