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The Tree of Enlightenment

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permanently put an end to suffering, even though it might supply<br />

temporary relief. is fact is important, because although the<br />

teaching <strong>of</strong> the Buddha emphasizes the practice <strong>of</strong> mental development<br />

and is therefore clearly in the tradition <strong>of</strong> the Indus Valley<br />

civilization, the Buddha transcended the limited goals <strong>of</strong> mere<br />

meditation and brought a new dimension to religious experience.<br />

is is what distinguishes the Buddha’s teaching from the teaching<br />

<strong>of</strong> many other Indian schools, particularly those which, in one<br />

form or another, embrace the practice <strong>of</strong> yoga, or meditation.<br />

In short, what distinguishes Buddhism from the contemplative<br />

traditions <strong>of</strong> Hinduism and other religions is the fact that,<br />

for Buddhism, meditation by itself is not enough. We might<br />

say that, for Buddhism, meditation is like sharpening a pencil.<br />

We sharpen a pencil for a purpose, let us say, in order to write.<br />

Similarly, by means <strong>of</strong> meditation we sharpen the mind for a definite<br />

purpose – in this case, the purpose is wisdom. e relationship<br />

between meditation and wisdom has also been explained<br />

with the help <strong>of</strong> the example <strong>of</strong> a torch. Suppose we want to see<br />

a picture on the wall <strong>of</strong> a darkened room with the aid <strong>of</strong> a torch.<br />

If the light cast by the torch is too dim, if the flame is disturbed<br />

by drafts <strong>of</strong> air, or if the hand holding the torch is unsteady, it<br />

is impossible to see the picture clearly. Similarly, if we want to<br />

penetrate the darkness <strong>of</strong> ignorance and see into the real nature<br />

<strong>of</strong> existence, we will be unable to do so if our minds are weak,<br />

distracted, and unsteady as a consequence <strong>of</strong> habitual indolence<br />

and emotional and intellectual disturbances. e Buddha put<br />

this discovery into practice on the night <strong>of</strong> his enlightenment.<br />

en, we are told, he made his mind concentrated, one-pointed,<br />

and supple by means <strong>of</strong> meditation, directed it to the under-<br />

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