Toh 280Being Mindful of the Dharma
Pāli / Sanskrit:Dharmānusmṛti
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THE SŪTRA ON MINDFULNESS OF THE DHARMA (Dharmānusmṛti)
Background
The Sūtra on Mindfulness of the Dharma (Dharmānusmṛti) is an important scripture in the Mahāyāna Northern Transmission tradition, preserved in the Tibetan Kangyur. This sūtra is taught in the context of Buddha Śākyamuni and his disciples, emphasizing the practice of recollecting the Dharma body (Dharmāsmṛti) as a fundamental and profound means of practice.
In the Mahāyāna tradition, “mindfulness” (smṛti) is not merely remembering through imagination, but the complete presence of the mind with the Dharma. The Dharma here includes the entire teaching of the Buddha, from the most basic instructions to the most profound Dharma methods concerning buddha-nature and Tathatā, suchness.
Main Content
The Sūtra on Mindfulness of the Dharma teaches that practitioners should continually maintain mindfulness of the Dharma body in many ways: mindfulness of the principles, mindfulness of the collections of sūtras, and mindfulness of the correct conduct of bodhisattvas. In particular, the sūtra emphasizes that the Dharma is the luminous planet within the mysterious six palaces of the mind. When a bodhisattva practices mindfulness of the Dharma, they are not only remembering the teachings, but activating direct understanding of the true nature of all things.
Through mindfulness of the Dharma, practitioners are reminded that the Dharma is the sole compass, impermanent and without self, and that all phenomena can be understood through the Dharma. The Dharma is not an abstract concept or a strange spirit, but the truth present in every moment, every thought, and every action.
This sūtra also states that mindfulness of the Dharma is the foundation for the development of other bodhisattva practices: carefulness, compassionate mind, and insight. When the mind is joined to the Dharma, it is automatically protected from unwholesome thoughts and naturally turns toward liberation for all sentient beings.
Practical Meaning
In modern Buddhist Dharma practice, mindfulness of the Dharma does not mean having to memorize thousands of pages of scriptures.
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