The main purpose of our website is to provide a reliable source of information to those who are keen to learn and practise pure Buddhist teachings. The key message that we wish to share with serious practitioners or students of the Buddha’s teaching is that all pure Buddhist teachings will lead one closer towards Enlightenment.  

As a result of the circumstances of this age of degenerations, earnest seekers of the truth face many obstacles, while all around, new faiths claiming to be the “one and only true path” spring up like poisonous mushrooms after rain. The Buddha’s teachings or Dharma too, has not been spared the adulteration. It is thus very important that you know how to distinguish what is reliable from what is not.  

What the Buddha himself advised His disciples that as a goldsmith would carefully and exhaustively assess a piece of metal to be sure if it is really gold – by cutting, rubbing, and so on –  a wise person would put any teachings he receives to the test against his own life’s experience before accepting it. If this advice was applicable even to the Buddha’s direct teachings, what more to those that we encounter today?  

As the Buddha taught that one can appraise whether a teaching is true or not, is to examine if, in practicing it, one progressing towards, or retrogresses from Enlightenment. This can be done by simply examining one’s own state of mind. When one seriously undertakes the practice of pure Dharma, one would definitely experience lesser afflictive or disturbing emotions and one would be happier, more at peace.  

If, however, after practicing a teaching, one experiences increasing afflictive emotions such greed, attachment to wealth and power, or fear and superstition, then that teaching, even if it was taught in Buddhist temples or Dharma centres by well-known monks,  nuns or lay practitioners, is not a pure Buddhist teaching. Such teachings typically focus, not on the attainment of ultimate liberation from all suffering through the attainment of Enlightenment, but on the improvement of the worldly conditions of this life alone. In extreme cases, teachings may be based on intolerant, unchallengeable dogma that instigate indiscriminate conversions and sow the seeds of disharmony and even terrorism in our midst. It thus pays not to be fooled by magnificent robes and rituals, eloquent speech and impressive entourages. 

Tara Buddhist Centre is dedicated to the teachings of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, whom we are most fortunate to have as our Guru. His Holiness, a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, is the holder of numerous Dharma lineages that can be traced back directly to the very founder of Buddhism, Shakyamuni Buddha. This website is dedicated to His Holiness’ teachings, which He has also kindly consented for us to share with all.