Is there a difference between mind and Dharma?

[Dondrup Shugden]

The best offering to the 3 Jewels is BODY, SPEECH & MIND. Therefore it is impossible to even consider that there is a difference between Mind and Dharma.

Consider when we sit down and contemplate in complete silence, who is talking, the MIND.  There is not a single moment in time that we are talking to ourselves in our MIND. We perceive all phenomena to be the truth in an untrained mind and then we hang on to such perception and forget to experience the moment of PRESENT and miss all opportunities to create new and wonderful experiences.

Dharma teaches us to have control of our mind, to be PRESENT and to create new beginnings as if every moment is newly lived for and that is the final mind training for truth in all things being impermanent.

Diamond Girl, all drama are created with attachment to what is perceived as the truth when the truth is about nothing. Dare I conclude that drama is created by no knowledge of Dharma or by skillful means to tame minds?

Our minds and Dharma when well practised will travel a joyful journey in Buddhism.

[negra orquida]

Difference between Dharma and a deluded mind: Dharma is consistent, the mind is not; it constantly flits around like a butterfly and tricks itself

Difference between Dharma and a realised / enlightened mind: none. 

This reminds me of what Bruce Lee said: Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.

So if you pour your mind into Dharma (or vice versa).. the mind becomes Dharma.

Also it is said in the Lamrim that we should treat what is said in the Lamrim as personal teachings.  If we just read what the Lamrim teaches but don't apply it to ourselves and use the knowledge properly, then it just becomes a coffee table book.

[Q]

I came across this teaching recently:

"do not let you mind and the Dharma be two different things, they must be the same, or else the Dharma is of no use whatsoever".

I guess it means that Dharma and the mind comes hand in hand. Merely having knowledge does not mean anything if changes do not occur.

It's like baking a cake... you have the ingredients... but you don't want to understand the sequence of which to bake the cake... and so, in the end nothing is produced.

[Dondrup Shugden]

The mind is the manifestation of our actions which creates Karma.  Therefore with the knowledge of Dharma we control our mind and resulting in the control of our actions in body and speech.

There is distinctly no difference if we apply Buddhism teaching with our mind.