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Middle Path
Worldly phenomena are often presented in contrasting pairs:
wholesome and unwholesome, true and false, good and evil,
phenomenon and principle, right and wrong, difficult and easy, high
and low, big and small, male and female. Buddhism, on the other
hand, does not emphasize dichotomy, but the Middle Path. The
Middle Path transcends extremes such as existence and absence,
increase and decrease, wholesome and unwholesome, love and hate.
It is neither the same as compromise nor the Confucian “doctrine
of the mean.” The Middle Path is a way towards liberation that
harmonizes phenomenon and principle, as well as existence and
emptiness, through the application of prajna wisdom.
During the Buddha’s time, six non-Buddhist schools existed in
India. In terms of cultivation, the Ajita-Kesakambala Sect practiced
extreme hedonism, while the Nirgrantha-Jnatiputra Sect practiced
extreme asceticism. In terms of their views on the universe and life,
schools ranged from radical “fatalism” to its antithesis of “non-
causality.” The schools were attached to their extreme views, which
the Buddha thought unconducive. To prevent falling into these
predilections, the Buddha distanced from dualism and taught the
Middle Path.
158 Middle Path
One of the Buddha’s disciples, Sronakotivimsa, was a sitar player.
After ordaining under the Buddha, he diligently cultivated day and
night, hoping to quickly attain arhatship. However, not only was he
unable to do so, he also exhausted his body and mind to the point of
quitting his practice.
When the Buddha heard of this, he visited Sronakotivimsa and
guided him, “I commend you for using music to help spread my
teachings and cultivate faith in both yourself and others. When you
play the sitar, what happens if the string is too tight?”
“If the string is too tight, it will snap!” Sronakotivimsa answered.
“What if it is too loose?”
“There would be no sound!”
“A string that is either too tight or too loose is out of tune. Only
with appropriate tension can the string produce a beautiful sound. The
same applies to cultivation; neither extreme fervor nor laziness is the
right path.”
After listening to the Buddha’s guidance, Sronakotivimsa adjusted
his method of cultivation and attained arhatship shortly after.
The teaching of the Middle Path comes from the wisdom that
arises from the harmony between emptiness and existence, and can
be used to directly understand the truth of this world. With it, joy and
happiness can be attained in this present life. As such, the Middle Path
is not limited to only cultivation, but also applies to all situations;
neither too much nor too little of anything is desirable. For example,
some people are overly materialistic while others are overly austere.
Some spend too lavishly while others are too frugal. None of these
are normal behaviors. To illustrate, it is abnormal for a hand to always
be clenched and unable to open. Similarly, it is also abnormal for it to
Buddha-Dharma: Pure and Simple 159
always be open and unable to close. Only a hand that can freely relax
and tighten is the norm.
In the Madhyamaka School, the Middle Path is equated with prajna
wisdom. With it, one understands and makes use of the principle
behind the arising of phenomena in all circumstances. Instead of
blaming heaven and accusing others, one discerns and understands
causes by observing its effects.
The Buddha taught about the nature of emptiness in dependent
origination so that one understands existence as originating from
emptiness. Those who truly apprehend dependent origination are not
attached to the essence of existence nor the emptiness of phenomena.
The realization of non-emptiness and non-existence as per the saying,
“form is emptiness, emptiness is form,” is the Middle Path.
The practice of Humanistic Buddhism is a balance between a life
of possession and emptiness, a life of community and solitude. The
Middle Path can only be realized by harmonizing everything in the
world, living according to the Middle Path, refraining from extreme
views, and ceasing dualistic thinking. It is what allows the world to
be peaceful and free of conflict. It is what makes life interesting and
wonderful.
