The four foundations discussed here are also called the four reminders (that turn the mind towards dharma) because the student should think of these each time he or she sits down to meditate. 

In many ways an understanding of the four foundations is the first step to entering the Buddhist path that leads to complete peace. 

The first foundation is understanding the significance of being born as a human being and not as some other animal. It also involves recognising the obligations that come with this precious birth. 

The second foundation is realising what is permanent and worthwhile in our lives as opposed to what is transitory. Clearly, to cultivate and pursue what is transitory is a foolish endeavour. 

The third foundation is understanding karma; without understanding this law of cause and effect, there would be no motivation for helping others or avoiding harmful acts. Without understanding how we generate both positive and negative karma, we cannot possibly know what path to take towards permanent happiness. 

The fourth foundation is understanding thoroughly our daily behaviour and our present view of the world to see how it prevents us from achieving results on the Buddhist path.

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Why These Are Ordinary 

These four topics we are examining are called the four ordinary preliminary practices, “ordinary” because they are not special instructions or secret in any way. They are so ordinary that anybody can see and understand them; they are visible to everyone. 

Anyone who thinks carefully about impermanence or the suffering of samsara or of karma can understand it. The same thing is true of the precious human birth. So, there is nothing very extraordinary about these teachings; whereas, in contrast, teachings such as the “thatness” or dharmata of phenomena are only accessible to very realised beings. 

Why These Are Preliminary 

The reason why these are called the preliminary practices is that they come before doing the actual practice. We need to have a certain amount of preparation to practice properly.

Some teachers say that the preliminary practice is even more important than the actual practice. In a way this is true because it depends entirely on the preliminary practices as to whether we can turn our mind to the dharma or not, whether we can recognise things properly and trust the truth that is pointed out in these teachings. All this depends entirely on the practice of the preliminary teachings. 

Dealing with Denial 

We see impermanence and the suffering of samsara all the time. We see it, we know it, but we don’t keep it in our mind. We think, “All right, samsara is suffering, but maybe next month it is going to get better. If it doesn’t get better next month, then maybe it will next year.” We keep entertaining some kind of hope. Even though we know samsara’s suffering occurs continually, we’re always hoping for something a bit better. Although we know this, we don’t really acknowledge it. 

The same is true of impermanence. We know that everything is impermanent, but still hold onto the delusion that things are eternal. We still believe things are going to go on just as they are now, still make the mistake of not really thinking about change. The whole point of these meditations is to make us see clearly what exists and to help us recognise what we see. If we can see life clearly, our mind will automatically turn to the dharma. The point is not just to see all these things, but to really recognise them, and having recognised them, translate them into action. 

This Involves Everyone 

Suffering is an inherent feature of samsara, so that each of us has problems and troubles of our own. Sometimes we may think, “Well, this is what’s wrong with me. This is my particular pain. This is my problem.” But we need to realise these problems are shared by all other beings, too. Everyone who lives in samsara suffers, because this is samsara’s intrinsic quality. When we have troubles or difficulties, we might do things that relieve them temporarily or might try different ways to escape to relieve the pain, but the solution never lasts. The difficulties will soon reappear along with all the pain because suffering is inherent in our conditioned existence. This is true for us and all other beings as well. 

The Long Term 

If we think we might still find some happiness by looking for it in money or fame or pleasures, we are mistaken, because this type of happiness just doesn’t last. It isn’t worth clinging to. If we want to go beyond suffering, we mustn’t just try to clear it away in the short-term. We mustn’t just try to get just a bit better. 

We must work on the long-term solution by using the dharma, because the dharma is true: it points out the nature of things. Therefore, it can help us immediately. It can help us be happier now, and it will definitely help us find more and more happiness from lifetime to lifetime, until we don’t have to suffer any more. 

If you wonder how to avoid suffering or how to get beyond it, don’t look for it in temporary remedies, but look for it in the dharma. This is why the teaching on the four ways of changing the mind, the four ordinary preliminary practices, is given to us.

Source: Excerpted from Rinpoche, Khenchen Thrangu. The Four Foundations of Buddhist Practice. Translated by Ken and Katia Holmes. Glastonbury, CT: Namo Buddha Publications, 2011.

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