Today—when I teach—if someone doesn’t understand me, I try a few alternative ways of explaining. If these fail I know that the person must have some philosophical construct— that is acting almost like a computer virus—that I have to unearth. Most people are not even aware that these viruses exist in the fabric of their perception – so they do not know what they do not understand. It’s then up to the teacher to identify it. That is not always as difficult as it may sound – because it’s usually connected with one of the four philosophical extremes: monism, dualism, nihilism, or eternalism.
If a person wants to hang on to any one of the four philosophical extremes as being valid – then Buddhism will either never make sense, or become distorted.
This is what I learned from Kyabjé Künzang Dorje Rinpoche – and a great deal more. Each story that follows elucidates some aspect of Buddhism. Rinpoche’s method was to teach me how to find my own answers – and find them to be Buddhism.
p76-77, Wisdom Eccentrics : Rumours of realisation as told by Künzang Dorje Rinpoche with additional tales of the unexpected.
Ngakpa Chögyam, Aro Books, 2011, ISBN 978-0-9653948-6-4