Most important bit of dharma?

[Spiny Norman]

What in your view is the most important bit of dharma?

Please select one item only from the various lists, eg one element from the 8-fold path, or one of the 3 characteristics or 5 precepts, etc.

I'm going for the 3rd Noble Truth.

P

[tiltbillings]

Mindfulness

[appicchato]

...,purify the mind...

[Lombardi4]

Dispassion

[bodom]

Non-self

[PeterB]

What in your view is the most important bit of dharma?

Please select one item only from the various lists, eg one element from the 8-fold path, or one of the 3 characteristics or 5 precepts, etc.

I'm going for the 3rd Noble Truth.

P

Its all of a piece, a seamless whole.

[DNS]

How can I choose only one?

Okay, easy:

Samma Ditthi (Right Understanding)

That covers everything; understanding of the Four Noble Truths, the way to end suffering, and the Path out of suffering.

[OcTavO]

The Buddha seemed to hint that Paticca-samuppada what the single most important concept of understanding the Dhamma.

But with the state of the world at present, I'd have to say the most important thing the Dhamma has to offer right now is Compassion.

[adosa]

Kindness.........(thank you, Dalai),


adosa

[martin.bara1]

having questions that moves you toward enlightenment

[dhamma_spoon]

Mindfulness

Hi, Tiltbillings -
how about heedfulness (apamada)?

Tep
----

[IanAnd]

How can I choose only one?

Okay, easy:
Samma Ditthi (Right Understanding)

That covers everything; understanding of the Four Noble Truths, the way to end suffering, and the Path out of suffering.

David is correct here. There is no "one most important" item of Dhamma that can be deemed the most important. The practice of the Dhamma is a response to a process: a process that is made up of many moving parts, the process of being born into the physical realms with a body and a mind. Every element of that process must be addressed if the "person" is to become "free" from the constraint that can be imposed upon it through ignorance of how that process works. So, in this respect, David is absolutely correct to point out the dependent (further hint, hint) nature of the process itself.

That said and properly digested, my first thought is to agree with Tilt and "mindfulness." That is, mindfulness based upon a "correct understanding" (samma ditthi, with thanks to David) of several other factors that make up the teaching of the Dhamma. Within that context, then, mindfulness is unquestionably indispensable, as it informs our every moment of activity. Yet, as mentioned before, with the caveat that the whole of this process is kept in mind.

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

The most important bit is the one that you're able to make use of at the moment.

[Kenshou]

But with the state of the world at present, I'd have to say the most important thing the Dhamma has to offer right now is Compassion.

Hmm, what exactly do you mean by that? The dhamma doesn't work anymore and so we should just work on gaining merit? Or, people these days are nastier than they used to be, so we better put alotta extra effort into counteracting that? Or we're all more depressed so we should be kinder? For what reason is compassion more important than in the past?

Though I wasn't there to know for myself, I sort of doubt that the human mind is all that different for the better or worse than how it used to be.

Don't mind me, just probing.

[acinteyyo]

The most important bit is the one that you're able to make use of at the moment.

very