Nirvana and Samsara are the same…Wait! What? part 2

This week’s Dharma Talk is entitled Nirvana and Samsara are the same…Wait! What? part 2 by Eric Weinberg.

Part 1 of this talk, given in February, focused on walking the path of wisdom by meditating on the view. Part 2 will focus on accumulating merit. In the sutras the  Buddha repeatedly states that the higher levels cannot be practiced in a stable manner unless they develop on a strong foundation. The pursuit of merit provides that foundation. To paraphrase a modern Buddhist psychologist, one cannot wisely let go of one’s sense of self until one has developed a wise sense of self. The pursuit of merit is the Buddhist way to develop a wise sense of self.