What is Meant by the True Dharma?

What is meant by the true dharma? It is a certain way of mind. It is not something outside of one. There are two areas of dharma: the dharma of scripture and the dharma of realisation. We can say that the methods found in the dharma that correct our way of thinking are the dharma of scripture, and that the correct way of thinking that we arrive at based on implementing the dharma of scripture is the dharma of realisation. Basically, if our way of thinking is not right, then we do not have the dharma, we do not have the teachings.

Our Kagyu school is known as the practice lineage, isn’t it? What we do as followers of the practice lineage is give up all worldly concerns and go away to isolation, to mountainsides, to caves and we think about things. We look into things. Those who do that are called members of the practice lineage. Those who have a special regard for this and a deep appreciation for those who do it, can be called followers of the practice lineage.

Those who go away and look into things like this, and then come to a correct way of thinking, a correct way of mind, can be called upholders or masters of the practice lineage. They’ve identified the true buddhadharma, and having identified it, they treasure it.