Mind Buddha. All things Buddhism.

Vattaka Jataka: The Baby Quail (Jat 35)

2012-01-20T21:55:00.000+08:00

While he was on tour through Magadha, Buddha told this story about the extinguishing of a forest fire.

One day, Buddha went on his morning round for alms through a hamlet in Magadha. After finishing his meal, he went out again accompanied by a large group of bhikkhus. Some monks walked ahead of Buddha, and some walked behind him. While they were on their way, a great forest fire broke out, raging fiercely and spreading rapidly, until the jungle was a roaring wall of flames and smoke.

Those monks who had not yet made attainments were terrified with the fear of death. "Let us set a counter fire so the jungle fire cannot reach us over the ground we have burned," they cried, and immediately started to kindle a fire.

"What are you doing?" asked the other monks. "You are blind to the sun rising in front of your eyes. Here you are, journeying along with Buddha who is without equal, but still you cry, 'Let us make a counter fire!' You do not know the might of a Buddha! Come with us to the Teacher."

All the monks gathered around Buddha who had halted as soon as he had seen the flames. The blaze whirled and roared as if to devour them. Suddenly, however, when the fire was exactly sixteen lengths from the spot where Buddha stood, the flames went out like a torch plunged into water, extinguished and completely harmless.

The monks burst into praises of Buddha, "Oh, how great are the virtues of the Teacher! Even fire can not singe the spot where Buddha stands!"

"It is no present power of mine," Buddha told them, "that makes the fire go out as soon as it reaches this spot. It is the power of a former Act of Truth of mine. No fire will ever burn this spot during the whole of this world age. This is one of the miracles which will last until the end of this era."

The Elder Ananda then folded a robe in fourths and laid it down for Buddha to sit on. After he had taken his seat, the monks bowed to him and seated themselves respectfully around him. "Only the present is known to us, Sir. The past is hidden," they said. "Please make it clear to us." At their request, the Buddha told this story of the past.

Long, long ago in this very spot the Bodhisatta was reborn as a quail. Every day, his parents fed him with food which they brought in their beaks, since he was still was confined to the nest and unable to forage on his own. The baby quail did not even have the strength yet to stand on his feet to walk about, much less to spread his wings and fly.

One day, a great jungle fire broke out. (At that time also, this area of Magadha was ravaged by fire every year in the dry season.) As the flames swept through the grass and the forest, birds and animals fled for their lives. The air was filled with the shrieking of adult birds flying away from their nests. The parents of this young bird were as frightened as the others and abandoned their helpless offspring to his fate. Lying there in the nest, the little quail stretched his neck to see what was happening. When he saw the flames coming toward him, he thought to himself, "My parents, fearing death, have fled to save themselves, leaving me here completely alone. I am without protector or helper. Had I the power to take to my wings, I too would fly to safety. If I could use my legs, I would run away. What can I do?"

"In this world," he thought further, "there exists the Power of Goodness and the Power of Truth. There are beings who, having realized all the Perfections in previous lives, have attained enlightenment beneath the Bodhi tree. They have become Buddhas, filled with truth, compassion, mercy, and patience. There is power in the attributes they have won. Although I am very young and very weak, I can grasp one truth that is the single principle in Nature. As I call to mind the Buddhas of the past and the power of their attributes, let me perform an Act of Truth."

The little quail concentrated his mind by recalling the power of the Buddhas long since passed away and declared, "With wings that cannot fly and legs that cannot yet walk, forsaken by my parents, here I lie. By this truth and by the faith that is in me, I call on you, O dreadful Fire, to turn back, harming neither me nor any of the other birds!"

At that instant, the fire retreated sixteen lengths and went out like a torch plunged in water, leaving a circle thirty-two lengths in diameter around the baby quail perfectly unscathed.

From that time on, that very spot has escaped being touched by fire, and so it will continue to be throughout this entire era. When his life ended, the quail who had performed this Act of Truth, passed away to fare according to his deserts.

"Thus monks," said the Master, "it is not my present power but the efficacy of that Act of Truth performed by me as a young quail, that has made the flames spare this spot in the jungle."

At the end of his lesson Buddha preached the Truths. Some of the monks who heard attained the First path, some the Second, some the Third, and some became Arahats. Then Buddha showed the connection and identified the Birth by saying, "My present parents were the parents of those days, and I myself the little quail who became king of the quails."
(Source: Jataka tales)

Peace among heavy rain

2012-01-20T20:30:00.004+08:00

It was a heavy downpour under a huge tentage sat the largest Jade Buddha in the world.

Bros n Sis please do pay homage to this unique symbol of Buddha. Trust me, it has immense vibration to reach your inner consciousness. Soon after I felt this, the announcer read an email dated 19 Jan 2012 (see below) from Bodhaya, Lama Zopa extolling the immeasurable merits to pay homage to this Jade Buddha. Sadhu x 3
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"I want to emphasize the importance of so many people, I think it seems millions of people, who have seen the statue and have therefore have had strong imprints placed in their minds for enlightenment. As much as possible remember this and to REJOICE, this is such a wonderful achievement!!! Please remember the benefits to sentient beings in what you are doing with the tour, by people even merely seeing the Jade Buddha, ultimately brings them extensive benefit." - Lama Zopa Ripoche

Largest Jade Buddha in the World in Singapore

2012-01-20T20:23:00.002+08:00

Weighing 4 tons which was carved from a solid gem-quality nephrite jade of 20 tons discovered in Canada. This jade buddha, estimated to worth US$5 million, went on the world tour and after Singapore, will be kept in Australia.

Upasika Kee : The Practice in Brief March 17, 1954

2012-01-19T14:33:00.001+08:00

Those who practice the Dhamma should train themselves to understand in the following stages:
The training that is easy to learn, gives immediate results, and is suitable for every time, every place, for people of every age and either sex, is to study in the school of this body — a fathom long, a cubit wide, and a span thick — with its perceiving mind in charge. This body has many things, ranging from the crude to the subtle, that are well worth knowing.
The steps of the training:
1. To begin with, know that the body is composed of various physical properties, the major ones being the properties of earth, water, fire, and wind; the minor ones being the aspects that adhere to the major ones: things like color, smell, shape, etc.
These properties are unstable (inconstant), stressful, and unclean. If you look into them deeply, you will see that there's no substance to them at all. They are simply impersonal conditions, with nothing worth calling "me" or "mine." When you can clearly perceive the body in these terms, you will be able to let go of any clinging or attachment to it as an entity, your self, someone else, this or that.
2. The second step is to deal with mental phenomena (feelings, perceptions, thought-formations, and consciousness). Focus on keeping track of the truth that these are characterized by arising, persisting, and then disbanding. In other words, their nature is to arise and disband, arise and disband, repeatedly. When you investigate to see this truth, you will be able to let go of your attachments to mental phenomena as entities, as your self, someone else, this or that.
3. Training on the level of practice doesn't simply mean studying, listening, or reading. You have to practice so as to see clearly with your own mind in the following steps:
a. Start out by brushing aside all external concerns and turn to look inside at your own mind until you can know in what ways it is clear or murky, calm or unsettled. The way to do this is to have mindfulness and self-awareness in charge as you keep aware of the body and mind until you've trained the mind to stay firmly in a state of normalcy, i.e., neutrality.
b. Once the mind can stay in a state of normalcy, you will see mental formations or preoccupations in their natural state of arising and disbanding. The mind will be empty, neutral, and still — neither pleased nor displeased — and will see physical and mental phenomena as they arise and disband naturally, of their own accord.
c. When the knowledge that there is no self to any of these things becomes thoroughly clear, you will meet with something that lies further inside, beyond all suffering and stress, free from the cycles of change — deathless — free from birth as well as death, since all things that take birth must by nature age, grow ill, and die.
d. When you see this truth clearly, the mind will be empty, not holding onto anything. It won't even assume itself to be a mind or anything at all. In other words, it won't latch onto itself as being anything of any sort. All that remains is a pure condition of Dhamma.
e. Those who see this pure condition of Dhamma in full clarity are bound to grow disenchanted with the repeated sufferings of life. When they know the truth of the world and the Dhamma throughout, they will see the results clearly, right in the present, that there exists that which lies beyond all suffering. They will know this without having to ask or take it on faith from anyone, for the Dhamma is paccattam, i.e., something really to be known for oneself. Those who have seen this truth within themselves will attest to it always.
(Source; Acess to Insight)

Matakabhatta Jataka: The Goat That Laughed and Wept (Jat 18)

2012-01-15T21:41:00.001+08:00

One day, while the Buddha was staying in Jetavana, some bhikkhus asked him if there was any benefit in sacrificing goats, sheep, and other animals as offerings for departed relatives.

"No, bhikkhus," replied the Buddha. "No good ever comes from taking life, not even when it is for the purpose of providing a Feast for the Dead." Then he told this story of the past.

Long, long ago, when Brahmadatta was reigning in Baranasi, a brahman decided to offer a Feast for the Dead and bought a goat to sacrifice. "My boys," he said to his students, "take this goat down to the river, bathe it, brush it, hang a garland around its neck, give it some grain to eat, and bring it back."
"Yes, sir," they replied and led the goat to the river.

While they were grooming it, the goat started to laugh with a sound like a pot smashing. Then, just as strangely, it started to weep loudly.

The young students were amazed at this behavior. "Why did you suddenly laugh," they asked the goat, "and why do you now cry so loudly?"

"Repeat your question when we get back to your teacher," the goat answered.

The students hurriedly took the goat back to their master and told him what had happened at the river. Hearing the story, the master himself asked the goat why it had laughed and why it had wept.

"In times past, brahman," the goat began, "I was a brahman who taught the Vedas like you. I, too, sacrificed a goat as an offering for a Feast for the Dead. Because of killing that single goat, I have had my head cut off 499 times. I laughed aloud when I realized that this is my last birth as an animal to be sacrificed. Today I will be freed from my misery. On the other hand, I cried when I realized that, because of killing me, you, too, may be doomed to lose your head five hundred times. It was out of pity for you that I cried."

"Well, goat," said the brahman, "in that case, I am not going to kill you."

"Brahman!" exclaimed the goat. "Whether or not you kill me, I cannot escape death today."

"Don't worry," the brahman assured the goat. "I will guard you."

"You don't understand," the goat told him. "Your protection is weak. The force of my evil deed is very strong."

The brahman untied the goat and said to his students, "Don't allow anyone to harm this goat." They obediently followed the animal to protect it.

After the goat was freed, it began to graze. It stretched out its neck to reach the leaves on a bush growing near the top of a large rock. At that very instant a lightning bolt hit the rock, breaking off a sharp piece of stone which flew through the air and neatly cut off the goat's head. A crowd of people gathered around the dead goat and began to talk excitedly about the amazing accident.

A tree deva[5] had observed everything from the goat's purchase to its dramatic death, and drawing a lesson from the incident, admonished the crowd: "If people only knew that the penalty would be rebirth into sorrow, they would cease from taking life. A horrible doom awaits one who slays." With this explanation of the law of kamma the deva instilled in his listeners the fear of hell. The people were so frightened that they completely gave up the practice of animal sacrifices. The deva further instructed the people in the Precepts and urged them to do good.

Eventually, that deva passed away to fare according to his deserts. For several generations after that, people remained faithful to the Precepts and spent their lives in charity and meritorious works, so that many were reborn in the heavens.
The Buddha ended his lesson and identified the Birth by saying, "In those days I was that deva."
(Read more Jataka tales here).

My new video blog!

2012-01-15T13:33:00.005+08:00

These three words: "mind", "blog" and mindboggling" came to form Mindbloggling! All my affiliated blogs have the prefix "Mind".

This blog is inspired by the extraordinariness of video images which tell a million words. I called it Mindbloggling Videos. They span a wide range of themes. I will add new videos, including homemade ones, whenever I find them worthy.

Upasika Kee: Observing the Breath

2012-01-14T20:40:00.003+08:00

Continuous Practice January 14, 1964
The passage for reflection on the four requisites (clothing, food, shelter, and medicine) is a fine pattern for contemplation, but we never actually get down to putting it to use. We're taught to memorize it in the beginning not simply to pass the time of day or so that we can talk about it every now and then, but so that we can use it to contemplate the requisites until we really know them with our own mindfulness and discernment. If we actually get down to contemplating in line with the established pattern, our minds will become much less influenced by unwise thoughts. But it's the rare person who genuinely makes this a continuous practice... For the most part we're not interested. We don't feel like contemplating this sort of thing. We'd much rather contemplate whether this or that food will taste good or not, and if it doesn't taste good, how to fix it so that it will. That's the sort of thing we like to contemplate.
Try to see the filthiness of food and of the physical properties in general, to see their emptiness of any real entity or self. There's nothing of any substance to the physical properties of the body, which are all rotten and decomposing. The body is like a restroom over a cesspool. We can decorate it on the outside to make it pretty and attractive, but on the inside it's full of the most horrible, filthy things. Whenever we excrete anything, we ourselves are repelled by it; yet even though we're repelled by it, it's there inside us, in our intestines — decomposing, full of worms, awful smelling. There's just the flimsiest membrane covering it up, yet we fall for it and hold tight to it. We don't see the constant decomposition of this body, in spite of the filth and smells it sends out...
The reason we're taught to memorize the passage for reflecting on the requisites, and to use it to contemplate, is so that we'll see the inconstancy of the body, to see that there's no "self" to any of it or to any of the mental phenomena we sense with every moment.

We contemplate mental phenomena to see clearly that they're not-self, to see this with every moment. The moments of the mind — the arising, persisting, and disbanding of mental sensations — are very subtle and fast. To see them, the mind has to be quiet. If the mind is involved in distractions, thoughts, and imaginings, we won't be able to penetrate in to see its characteristics as it deals with its objects, to see what the arising and disbanding within it is like.
This is why we have to practice concentration: to make the mind quiet, to provide a foundation for our contemplation. For instance, you can focus on the breath, or be aware of the mind as it focuses on the breath. Actually, when you focus on the breath, you're also aware of the mind. And again, the mind is what knows the breath. So you focus exclusively on the breath together with the mind. Don't think of anything else, and the mind will settle down and grow still. Once it attains stillness on this level, you've got your chance to contemplate.
Making the mind still so that you can contemplate it is something you have to keep working at in the beginning. The same holds true with training yourself to be mindful & alert in all your activities. This is something you really have to work at continuously in this stage, something you have to do all the time. At the same time, you have to arrange the external conditions of your life so that you won't have any concerns to distract you...
Now, of course, the practice is something you can do in any set of circumstances — for example, when you come home from work you can sit and meditate for a while — but when you're trying seriously to make it continuous, to make it habitual, it's much more difficult than that. "Making it habitual" means being fully mindful and aware with each in-and-out breath, wherever you go, whatever you do, whether you're healthy, sick, or whatever, and regardless of what happens inside or out. The mind has to be in a state of all-encompassing awareness while keeping track of the arising and disbanding of mental phenomena at all times — to the point where you can stop the mind from forming thoughts under the power of craving and defilement the way it used to before you began the practice.
Every In-and-out Breath January 29, 1964
Try keeping your awareness with the breath to see what the still mind is like. It's very simple, all the rules have been laid out, but when you actually try to do it, something resists. It's hard. But when you let your mind think 108 or 1009 things, no matter what, it's all easy. It's not hard at all. Try and see if you can engage your mind with the breath in the same way it's been engaged with the defilements. Try engaging it with the breath and see what happens. See if you can disperse the defilements with every in-and-out breath. Why is it that the mind can stay engaged with the defilements all day long and yet go for entire days without knowing how heavy or subtle the breath is at all?
So try and be observant. The bright, clear awareness that stems from staying focused on the mind at all times: Sometimes a strong sensory contact comes and can make it blur and fade away with no trouble at all. But if you can keep hold of the breath as a reference point, that state of mind can be more stable and sure, more insured. It has two fences around it. If there's only one fence, it can easily break.
(Source: Access to Insight)

World's largest gemstone Buddha here in Singapore

2012-01-14T20:28:00.002+08:00

World's largest gemstone Buddha here in Singapore
The world's largest gemstone Buddha was unveiled at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza last night.

Valued at $5 million, the 2.5m-tall Jade Buddha for Universal Peace was flown in here by the Amitabha Buddhist Centre with the aim of promoting universal peace and inter-faith harmony.

It was carved out of a single piece of jade that was discovered in northern Canada in 2000.

The centre chose Orchard Road, the main tourist belt, to exhibit the Jade Buddha as a showcase of Singapore's multi-racial, multi-religious society, Education Minister Heng Swee Kiat said in a speech to guests at the unveiling last night.

Mr Heng was the guest of honour at the ceremony.

Representatives from Singapore's nine major religions also lent their support and offered prayers for world peace.

Mr Heng said he hoped that parents will be encouraged to cultivate the value of religious harmony and respect for other people in their children through the exhibition.

The Jade Buddha began its five-year global tour in 2009 and has since stopped in Vietnam, Australia, the United States, Canada and various parts of Europe, The Straits Times reported.

After the tour, it will be housed in the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo, Australia.

Breath Meditation Condensed by Upasika Kee Nanayon - translated from the Thai by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

2012-01-11T20:37:00.003+08:00

There are lots of people who are ashamed to talk about their own defilements but who feel no shame at talking about the defilements of others. Those who are willing to report their own diseases — their own defilements — in a straightforward manner are few and far between. As a result, the disease of defilement is hushed up and kept secret, so that we don't realize how serious and widespread it is. We all suffer from it, and yet no one is open about it. No one is really interested in diagnosing his or her own defilements...
We have to find a skillful approach if we hope to wipe out this disease, and we have to be open about it, admitting our defilements from the grossest to the most subtle levels, dissecting them down to their minutest details. Only then will we gain from our practice. If we look at ourselves in a superficial way, we may feel that we're already fine just as we are, already know all we need to know. But then when the defilements let loose with full force as anger or delusion, we pretend that nothing is wrong — and this way the defilements become a hidden disease, hard to catch hold of, hard to diagnose...
We have to be strong in fighting off defilements, cravings, and illusions of every sort. We have to test our strength against them and bring them under our power. If we can bring them under our power, we can ride on their backs. If we can't, they'll have to ride on ourbacks, making us do their work, pulling us around by the nose, making us want, wearing us out in all sorts of ways.
So are we still beasts of burden? Are we beasts of burden because defilement and craving are riding on our backs? Have they put a ring through our noses? When you get to the point when you've had enough, you have to stop — stop and watch the defilements to see how they come into being, what they want, what they eat, what they find delicious. Make it your sport — watching the defilements and making them starve, like a person giving up an addiction... See if it gets the defilements upset. Do they hunger to the point where they're salivating? Then don't let them eat. No matter what, don't let them eat what they're addicted to. After all, there are plenty of other things to eat. You have to be hard on them — hard on your "self" — like this... "Hungry? Well go ahead and be hungry! You're going to die? Fine! Go ahead and die!" If you can take this attitude, you'll be able to win out over all sorts of addictions, all sorts of defilements — because you're not pandering to desire, you're not nourishing the desire that exists for the sake of finding flavor in physical things. It's time you stopped, time you gave up feeding these things. If they're going to waste away and die, let them die. After all, why should you keep them fat and well fed?
No matter what, you have to keep putting the heat on your cravings and defilements until they wither and waste away. Don't let them raise their heads. Keep them under your thumb. This is the sort of straightforward practice you have to follow. If you're steadfast, if you put up a persistent fight until they're all burned away, then there's no other victory that can come anywhere near, no other victory that's anywhere near a match for victory over the cravings and defilements in your own heart.
This is why the Buddha taught us to put the heat on the defilements in all our activities — sitting, standing, walking, and lying down. If we don't do this, they'll burn us in all our activities...
If you consider things carefully, you'll see that the Buddha's teachings are all exactly right, both in how they tell us to examine the diseases of defilement and in how they tell us to let go, destroy, and extinguish defilement. All the steps are there, so we needn't go study anywhere else. Every point in his doctrine and discipline shows us the way, so we needn't wonder how we can go about examining and doing away with these diseases. This becomes mysterious and hard to know only if you study his teachings without making reference to doing away with your own defilements. People don't like to talk about their own defilements, so they end up completely ignorant. They grow old and die without knowing a thing about their own defilements at all.
When we start to practice, when we come to comprehend how the defilements burn our own hearts, that's when we gradually come to know ourselves. To understand suffering and defilement and learn how to extinguish defilement gives us space to breathe...
When we learn how to put out the fires of defilement, how to destroy them, it means we have tools. We can be confident in ourselves — no doubts, no straying off into other paths of practice, because we're sure to see that practicing in this way, contemplating inconstancy, stress, and not-selfness in this way at all times, really gets rid of our defilements.
The same holds true with virtue, concentration, and discernment. They're our tools — and we need a full set. We need the discernment that comes with Right View and the virtue that comes with self-discipline. Virtue is very important. Virtue and discernment are like our right and left hands. If one of our hands is dirty, it can't wash itself. You need to use both hands to keep both hands washed and clean. Thus wherever there's virtue, you have to have discernment. Wherever there's discernment, you have to have virtue. Discernment is what enables you to know; virtue is what enables you to let go, to relinquish, to destroy your addictions. Virtue isn't just a matter of the five or eight precepts, you know. It has to deal with the finest details. Whatever your discernment sees as a cause of suffering, you have to stop, you have to let go.
Virtue is something that gets very subtle and precise. Letting go, giving up, renouncing, abstaining, cutting away, and destroying: All of these things are an affair of virtue. This is why virtue and discernment have to go together, just as our right and left hands have to help each other. They help each other wash away defilement. That's when your mind can become centered, bright, and clear. These things show their benefits right at the mind. If we don't have these tools, it's as if we had no hands or feet: We wouldn't be able to get anywhere at all. We have to use our tools — virtue and discernment — to destroy defilement. That's when our minds will benefit...
This is why the Buddha taught us to keep training in virtue, concentration, and discernment. We have to keep fit in training these things. If we don't keep up the training as we should, our tools for extinguishing suffering and defilement won't be sharp, won't be of much use. They won't be a match for the defilements. The defilements have monstrous powers for burning the mind in the twinkling of an eye. Say that the mind is quiet and neutral: The slightest sensory contact can set things burning in an instant by making us pleased or displeased. Why?
Sensory contact is our measuring stick for seeing how firm or weak our mindfulness is. Most of the time it stirs things up. As soon as there's contact by way of the ear or eye, the defilements are very quick. When this is the case, how can we keep things under control? How are we going to gain control over our eyes? How are be going to gain control over our ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind? How can we get mindfulness and discernment in charge of these things? This is a matter of practice, pure and simple... our own affair, something by which we can test ourselves, to see why defilements flare up so quickly when sensory contact takes place.
Say, for instance, that we hear a person criticizing someone else. We can listen and not get upset. But say that the thought occurs to us, "She's actually criticizing me." As soon as we conjure up this "me," we're immediately angry and displeased. If we concoct very much of this "me," we can get very upset. Just this fact alone should enable us to observe that as soon as our "self" gets involved, we suffer immediately. This is how it happens. If no sense of self comes out to get involved, we can remain calm and indifferent. When they criticize other people, we can stay indifferent; but as soon as we conclude that they're criticizing us, our "self" appears and immediately gets involved — and we immediately burn with defilement. Why?
You have to pay close attention to this. As soon as your "self" arises, suffering arises in the very same instant. The same holds true even if you're just thinking. The "self" you think up spreads out into all sorts of issues. The mind gets scattered all over the place with defilement, craving, and attachments. It has very little mindfulness and discernment watching over it, so it gets dragged every which way by craving and defilement.
And yet we don't realize it. We think we're just fine. Is there anyone among us who realizes that this is what's happening? We're too weighted down, weighted down with our own delusions. No matter how much the mind is smothered in the defilement of delusion, we don't realize it, for it keeps us deaf and blind...
There are no physical tools you can use to detect or cure this disease of defilement, because it arises only at sensory contact. There's no substance to it. It's like a match in a matchbox. As long as the match doesn't come into contact with the friction strip on the side of the box, it won't give rise to fire. But as soon as we strike it against the side of the box, it bursts into flame. If it goes out right then, all that gets burned is the matchhead. If it doesn't stop at the matchhead, it'll burn the matchstick. If it doesn't stop with the matchstick, and meets up with anything flammable, it can grow into an enormous fire.
When defilement arises in the mind, it starts from the slightest contact. If we can be quick to put it out right there, it's like striking a match that flares up — chae — for an instant and then dies down right in the matchhead. The defilement disbands right there. But if we don't put it out the instant it arises, and let it start concocting issues, it's like pouring fuel into a fire.
We have to observe the diseases of defilement in our own minds to see what their symptoms are, why they're so quick to flare up. They can't stand to be disturbed. The minute you disturb them, they flare up into flame. When this is the case, what can we do to prepare ourselves beforehand? How can we stock up on mindfulness before sensory contact strikes?
The way to stock up is to practice meditation, as when we keep the breath in mind. This is what gets our mindfulness prepared so that we can keep ahead of defilement, so that we can keep it from arising as long as we have our theme of meditation as an inner shelter for the mind.
The mind's outer shelter is the body, which is composed of physical elements, but its inner shelter is the theme of meditation we use to train its mindfulness to be focused and aware. Whatever theme we use, that's the inner shelter for the mind that keeps it from wandering around, concocting thoughts and imaginings. This is why we need a theme of meditation. Don't let the mind chase after its preoccupations the way ordinary people who don't meditate do. Once we have a meditation theme to catch this monkey of a mind so that it becomes less and less willful, day by day, it will gradually calm down, calm down until it can stand firm for long or short periods, depending on how much we train and observe ourselves.
Now, as for how we do breath meditation: The texts say to breathe in long and out long — heavy or light — and then to breathe in short and out short, again heavy or light. Those are the first steps of the training. After that we don't have to focus on the length of the in-breath or out-breath. Instead, we simply gather our awareness at any one point of the breath and keep this up until the mind settles down and is still. When the mind is still, you then focus on the stillness of the mind at the same time you're aware of the breath.
At this point you don't focus directly on the breath. You focus on the mind that is still and at normalcy. You focus continuously on the normalcy of the mind at the same time that you're aware of the breath coming in and out, without actually focusing on the breath. You simply stay with the mind, but you watch it with each in-and-out breath. Usually when you are doing physical work and your mind is at normalcy, you can know what you're doing, so why can't you be aware of the breath? After all, it's part of the body.
Some of you are new at this, which is why you don't know how you can focus on the mind at normalcy with each in-and-out breath without focusing directly on the breath itself. What we're doing here is practicing how to be aware of the body and mind, pure and simple, in and of themselves...
Start out by focusing on the breath for about 5, 10, or 20 minutes. Breathe in long and out long, or in short and out short. At the same time, notice the stages in how the mind feels, how it begins to settle down when you have mindfulness watching over the breath. You've got to make a point of observing this, because usually you breathe out of habit, with your attention far away. You don't focus on the breath; you're not really aware of it. This leads you to think that it's hard to stay focused here, but actually it's quite simple. After all, the breath comes in and out on its own, by its very nature. There's nothing at all difficult about breathing. It's not like other themes of meditation. For instance, if you're going to practice recollection of the Buddha, or buddho, you have to keep on repeating buddho, buddho, buddho.
Actually, if you want, you can repeat buddho in the mind with each in-and-out breath, but only in the very beginning stages. You repeat buddho to keep the mind from concocting thoughts about other things. Simply by keeping up this repetition you can weaken the mind's tendency to stray, for the mind can take on only one object at a time. This is something you have to observe. The repetition is to prevent the mind from thinking up thoughts and clambering after them.
After you've kept up the repetition — you don't have to count the number of times — the mind will settle down to be aware of the breath with each in-and-out breath. It will begin to be still, neutral, at normalcy.
This is when you focus on the mind instead of the breath. Let go of the breath and focus on the mind — but still be aware of the breath on the side. You don't have to make note of how long or short the breath is. Make note of the mind staying at normalcy with each in-and-out breath. Remember this carefully so that you can put it into practice.
The posture: For focusing on the breath, sitting is a better posture than standing, walking, or lying down, because the sensations that come with the other postures often overcome the sensations of the breath. Walking jolts the body around too much, standing for a long time can make you tired, and if the mind settles down when you're lying down, you tend to fall asleep. With sitting it's possible to stay in one position and keep the mind firmly settled for a long period of time. You can observe the subtleties of the breath and the mind naturally and automatically.
Here I'd like to condense the steps of breath meditation to show how all four of the tetrads mentioned in the texts can be practiced at once. In other words, is it possible to focus on the body, feelings, the mind, and the Dhamma all in one sitting? This is an important question for all of us. You could, if you wanted to, precisely follow all the steps in the texts so as to develop strong powers of mental absorption (jhana), but it takes a lot of time. It's not appropriate for those of us who are old and have only a little time left.
What we need is a way of gathering our awareness at the breath long enough to make the mind firm, and then go straight to examining how all formations are inconstant, stressful, and not-self, so that we can see the truth of all formations with each in-and-out breath. If you can keep at this continually, without break, your mindfulness will become firm and snug enough for you to give rise to the discernment that will enable you to gain clear knowledge and vision.
So what follows is a guide to the steps in practicing a condensed form of breath meditation... Give them a try until you find they give rise to knowledge of your own within you. You're sure to give rise to knowledge of your very own.
The first thing when you're going to meditate on the breath is to sit straight and keep your mindfulness firm. Breathe in. Breathe out. Make the breath feel open and at ease. Don't tense your hands, your feet, or any of your joints at all. You have to keep your body in a posture that feels appropriate to your breathing. At the beginning, breathe in long and out long, fairly heavily, and gradually the breath will shorten — sometimes heavy and sometimes light. Then breathe in short and out short for about 10 or 15 minutes and then change.
After a while, when you stay focused mindfully on it, the breath will gradually change. Watch it change for as many minutes as you like, then be aware of the whole breath, all of its subtle sensations. This is the third step, the third step of the first tetrad: sabba-kaya-patisamvedi — focusing on how the breath affects the whole body by watching all the breath sensations in all the various parts of the body, and in particular the sensations related to the in-and-out breath.
From there you focus on the sensation of the breath at any one point. When you do this correctly for a fairly long while, the body — the breath — will gradually grow still. The mind will grow calm. In other words, the breath grows still together with the awareness of the breath. When the subtleties of the breath grow still at the same time that your undistracted awareness settles down, the breath grows even more still. All the sensations in the body gradually grow more and more still. This is the fourth step, the stilling of bodily formations.
As soon as this happens, you begin to be aware of the feelings that arise with the stilling of the body and mind. Whether they are feelings of pleasure or rapture or whatever, they appear clearly enough for you to contemplate them.
The stages through which you have already passed — watching the breath come in and out, long or short — should be enough to make you realize — even though you may not have focused on the idea — that the breath is inconstant. It's continually changing, from in long and out long to in short and out short, from heavy to light and so forth. This should enable you to read the breath, to understand that there's nothing constant to it at all. It changes on its own from one moment to the next.
Once you have realized the inconstancy of the body — in other words, of the breath — you'll be able to see the subtle sensations of pleasure and pain in the realm of feeling. So now you watch feelings, right there in the same place where you've been focusing on the breath. Even though they are feelings that arise from the stillness of the body or mind, they're nevertheless inconstant even in that stillness. They can change. So these changing sensations in the realm of feeling exhibit inconstancy in and of themselves, just like the breath.
When you see change in the body, change in feelings, and change in the mind, this is calledseeing the Dhamma, i.e., seeing inconstancy. You have to understand this correctly. Practicing the first tetrad of breath meditation contains all four tetrads of breath meditation. In other words, you see the inconstancy of the body and then contemplate feeling. You see the inconstancy of feeling and then contemplate the mind. The mind, too, is inconstant. This inconstancy of the mind is the Dhamma. To see the Dhamma is to see this inconstancy.
When you see the true nature of all inconstant things, then keep track of that inconstancy at all times, with every in-and-out breath. Keep this up in all your activities to see what happens next.
What happens next is dispassion. Letting go. This is something you have to know for yourself.
This is what condensed breath meditation is like. I call it condensed because it contains all the steps at once. You don't have to do one step at a time. Simply focus at one point, the body, and you'll see the inconstancy of the body. When you see the inconstancy of the body, you'll have to see feeling. Feeling will have to show its inconstancy. The mind's sensitivity to feeling, or its thoughts and imaginings, are also inconstant. All of these things keep on changing. This is how you know inconstancy...
If you can become skilled at looking and knowing in this way, you'll be struck with the inconstancy, stressfulness, and not-selfness of your "self," and you'll meet with the genuine Dhamma. The Dhamma that's constantly changing like a burning fire — burning with inconstancy, stress, and not-selfness — is the Dhamma of the impermanence of all formations. But further in, in the mind or in the property of consciousness, is something special, beyond the reach of any kind of fire. There, there's no suffering or stress of any kind at all. This thing that lies "inside": You could say that it lies within the mind, but it isn't really in the mind. It's simply that the contact is there at the mind. There's no way you can really describe it. Only the extinguishing of all defilement will lead you to know it for yourself.
This "something special" within exists by its very nature, but defilements have it surrounded on all sides. All these counterfeit things — the defilements — keep getting in the way and take possession of everything, so that this special nature remains imprisoned inside at all times. Actually, there's nothing in the dimension of time that can be compared with it. There's nothing by which you can label it, but it's something that you can pierce through to see — i.e., by piercing through defilement, craving, and attachment into the state of mind that is pure, bright, and silent. This is the only thing that's important.
But it doesn't have only one level. There are many levels, from the outer bark to the inner bark and on to the sapwood before you reach the heartwood. The genuine Dhamma is like the heartwood, but there's a lot to the mind that isn't heartwood: The roots, the branches and leaves of the tree are more than many, but there's only a little heartwood. The parts that aren't heartwood will gradually decay and disintegrate, but the heartwood doesn't decay. That's one kind of comparison we can make. It's like a tree that dies standing. The leaves fall away, the branches rot away, the bark and sapwood rot away, leaving nothing but the true heartwood. That's one comparison we can make with this thing we call deathless, this property that has no birth, no death, no changing. We can also call it nibbana or the Unconditioned. It's all the same thing.
Now, then. Isn't this something worth trying to break through to see?

Monks, Mountains and Magic: Explorations of Thailand (book)

2012-01-01T21:57:00.001+08:00

Currently reading this. Bought it at Amazon. The book, published in 1990, gives some rare insights of Thai rural lifestyles which were often centred around its tudong brand of buddhism.

"Weird Life": Beginning of life

2012-01-01T21:29:00.003+08:00

In his lab, Martin Hanczyc makes "protocells," experimental blobs of chemicals that behave like living cells. His work demonstrates how life might have first occurred on Earth ... and perhaps elsewhere too.

Martin Hanczyc is developing novel synthetic chemical systems based on the properties of living systems, in a quest to understand how life forms. These synthetic systems, or "protocells," are model systems of primitive living cells and chemical examples of artificial life. As Rachel Armstrong puts it: "Although the protocell model system is just a chemically modified oil droplet, its dynamics are astonishingly varied and complex."
He's based at the Institute of Physics and Chemistry and the Center for Fundamental Living Technology (FLinT) in Denmark. He is also an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London.
"Martin Hanczyc of the University of Southern Denmark just spoke on his research on protocells. It was, trust me, an astonishing illumination"
Tom Chatfield

Joan Halifax: Compassion and the true meaning of empathy

2011-12-23T22:28:00.002+08:00

Buddhist roshi Joan Halifax works with people at the last stage of life (in hospice and on death row). She shares what she's learned about compassion in the face of death and dying, and a deep insight into the nature of empathy.

Activist, anthropologist, author, caregiver, ecologist, LSD researcher, teacher, and Zen Buddhism priest -- Joan Halifax is many things to many people. Yet they all seem to agree that no matter what role she plays, Halifax is consistently courageous and compassionate. Halifax runs the Upaya Zen Center in New Mexico, a Zen Peacemaker community she opened in 1990 after founding and leading the Ojai Foundation in California for ten years. Her practice focuses on socially engaged Buddhism, which aims to alleviate suffering through meditation, interfaith cooperation, and social service.

As director of the Project on Being With Dying, Halifax has helped caregivers cope with death and dying for more than three decades. Her book Being With Dying helps clergy, community activists, medical professionals, social workers and spiritual seekers remove fear from the end of life. Halifax is a distinguished invited scholar of the U.S. Library of Congress and the only woman and Buddhist on the Tony Blair Foundation’s Advisory Council.

Venerable Bikkhu Bodhi

2011-12-06T20:05:00.001+08:00

Bhikkhu Bodhi is an American Buddhist monk from New York City. Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1944, he obtained a BA in philosophy from Brooklyn College (1966) and a PhD in philosophy from Claremont Graduate School (1972).

Drawn to Buddhism in his early 20s, after completing his university studies he traveled to Sri Lanka, where he received novice ordination in 1972 and full ordination in 1973, both under the late Ven. Ananda Maitreya, the leading Sri Lankan scholar-monk of recent times.

He was appointed editor of the Buddhist Publication Society (in Sri Lanka) in 1984 and its president in 1988. Ven. Bodhi has many important publications to his credit, either as author, translator, or editor, including the Buddha — A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya (co-translated with Ven. Bhikkhu Nanamoli (1995), The Connected Discourses of the Buddha — a New Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya (2000), and In the Buddha’s Words (2005).

In May 2000 he gave the keynote address at the United Nations on its first official celebration of Vesak (the day of the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and passing away). He returned to the U.S. in 2002. He currently resides at Chuang Yen Monastery and teaches there and at Bodhi Monastery. He is currently the chairman of Yin Shun Foundation.

Visit Bikkhu Bodhi's blog here.

Instant karma 2

2011-12-06T15:03:00.001+08:00

Instant karma (video)

2011-12-06T15:00:00.003+08:00

Venerable Heng Sure

2011-12-06T11:12:00.001+08:00

Heng Sure (恆實法師, Pinyin: Héng Shí, birth name Christopher R. Clowery;[1] born October 31, 1949) is an American Buddhist monk, born and ordained in the United States. He is a senior disciple of the late Venerable Master Hsuan Hua, and is currently the director of the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery, a branch monastery of the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association. He is probably best known for a pilgrimage he made for two years and six months from 1977-1979. Called a three steps, one bow pilgrimage, Rev. Heng Sure and his companion Heng Chau (Dr. Martin Verhoeven), bowed from South Pasadena to Ukiah, California, a distance of 800 miles, seeking for world peace.

Born in Toledo, Ohio, he attended DeVilbiss High School, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, and later attended the University of California at Berkeley from 1971-1976. During his time at the university, Heng Sure was active in theatre. At an early age, Heng Sure learned Chinese from studying the language in high school and by means of his sister, who worked at the U.S. Information Agency. After receiving his masters in Oriental languages, he met his teacher, Master Hsuan Hua, who would later ordain him in 1976 at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, as "Heng Sure" a Dharma name which means "Constantly Real."

Heng Sure currently gives lectures in Berkeley to the public and through webcasts. Heng Sure also gives lectures in many parts of the world on various subjects, such as the sutras and veganism. He is also an accomplished musician and guitarist.

In 2008, Heng Sure published his first music CD "Paramita: American Buddhist Folk Songs."

Visit Ven. Heng Sure's blog here.

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heng_Sure
Last accessed on 6 December 2011)

Ajahn Plien Buddha amulet

2011-12-06T10:44:00.003+08:00

A gift from my brother who recently visited this great Meditation Master.

Biography: Phra Ajahn Plien Panyapatipo (Wongsachan - family name prior to ordination) was born on 16 November 1933, year of the rooster, at Koakdon Village, Koaksi Subdistrict, Sawang Dandin District, Sakon Nakon Province. His father’s name is Ging; his mother’s Oradee. Phra Ajahn Plien has five brothers and one sister. He is the third child of the family. His grandfather, Koon Joonratchapakdi, and his grandmother raised him since young until he finished primary four. Once he turned 11 years old, his mother asked him to help his father on the family business. Phra Ajahn Plien gained an interest in medical practice when he was 18 years old. He started to treat patients under the guidance of a district doctor who was his relative. He also had a plan to pursue his study in Medical at Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok but his mother preferred him to help the family business.

Phra Ajahn Plien wanted to enter themonkhood since he was 12 years old. However, his ordination took place on 31 March 1959 (25 years old) at Wat Tat Mee Chai, Koak Don Village, Koak Sri Subdistrict, Sawang Dandin District, Sakon Nakon Province. Phra Kru Adul Sangkakit was his preceptor. Phra Kru Pipit Dhamma Soontorn was his ordination-proclaiming teacher and Phra Ajahn Suparb Dhammapanyo was his teacher for the formal words of ordination. Phra Ajahn Plien passed the third level of Dhamma Doctrine exam three years after his ordination.

After his first rain retreat, Phra Ajahn Plien started his austere practice to search for salvation in various provinces and met many renowned teachers in northeastern, southern, and northern part of Thailand. But the teachers whom Phra Ajahn Plien received tutelage for his Dhamma practice from and served closely were Luang Puu Prom Jirapoonyo, Luang Puu Tate Tate-rangsi, Luang Puu Tuer Arjaladhammo, and Luang Puu Waen Sujinno. Other teachers included Phra Ajahn Juan Kulachetdho, Luang Puu Khao Analayo, Luang Puu Kamdee Papaso, Luang Puu Chob Thanasamo, Kruba Intajakraksa Intajakko, Luang Puu Saam Akinjano, Phra Ajahn Won Utamo, Luang Puu Waan Dhanapalo, Luang Puu Parng Jittakutto, for example. All teachers had kindly taught Phra Ajahn Plien and led him to good progress in his Dhamma practice.

Go to this website for more info.

The Power of Mindfulness - Ajahn Brahm (video)

2011-12-04T23:36:00.005+08:00

Matthieu Ricard on the habits of happiness (video)

2011-12-04T22:57:00.007+08:00

What is happiness, and how can we all get some? Biochemist turned Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard says we can train our minds in habits of well-being, to generate a true sense of serenity and fulfillment.

Matthieu Ricard
After training in biochemistry at the Institute Pasteur, Matthieu Ricard left science behind to move to the Himalayas and become a Buddhist monk -- and to pursue happiness, both at a basic human level and as a subject of inquiry. Achieving happiness, he has come to believe, requires the same kind of effort and mind training that any other serious pursuit involves.

His deep and scientifically tinged reflections on happiness and Buddhism have turned into several books, including The Quantum and the Lotus: A Journey to the Frontiers Where Science and Buddhism Meet. At the same time, he also makes sensitive and jaw-droppingly gorgeous photographs of his beloved Tibet and the spiritual hermitage where he lives and works on humanitarian projects.

His latest book on happiness is Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill; his latest book of photographs is Tibet: An Inner Journey.
"Matthieu Ricard, French translator and right-hand man for the Dalai Lama, has been the subject of intensive clinical tests at the University of Wisconsin, as a result of which he is frequently described as the happiest man in the world."
Robert Chalmers, The Independent

We can be a Buddha? (video)

2011-12-04T22:43:00.008+08:00

Tenzin Robert Thurman became a Tibetan monk at age 24. He's a professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies at Columbia University, and co-founder of Tibet House US, a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Tibetan civilization.

Thurman's focus is on the balance between inner insight and cultural harmony. In interpreting the teachings of Buddha, he argues that happiness can be reliable and satisfying in an enduring way without depriving others.

He has translated many Buddhist Sutras, or teachings, and written many books, recently taking on the topic of Anger for the recent Oxford series on the seven deadly sins. He maintains a podcast on Buddhist topics. And yes, he is Uma's dad.
"Thurman considers Buddhism to be primarily a system of education, a science that guides individuals to live life to its fullest."
Kansas City Star

Monks and Money by Ajahn Brahmavamso

2008-07-20T10:33:00.003+08:00

In the light of the case of a local monk who was charged recently of 10 counts of misappropriation of the funds at the organisations under him (see the last post), this article "Vinaya - Monks and Money" is a timely remainder of not mixing the two.

"The issue has been controversial for over 2,000 years. Around 200 years after the Buddha's final passing away, there arose a great quarrel in which "both endless disputations arose and of not one speech was the meaning clear" [1]. This dispute arose because a large community of monks were accepting money in defiance of the Vinaya. The proceedings of the dispute became known as the Second Council and it sowed the seed of the first great schism in the Buddhist world, which happened soon after.

Then, as now, there is no excuse for uncertainty on this point, for the Buddha's own words make it plain...

On Monks and Money

Buddhist monks (bhikkhus) and nuns (bhikkhunis) are not allowed to accept money for themselves. Nor are they allowed to tell a trustworthy layperson to receive it on their behalf and keep it for them (e.g. keeping a personal bank account). Such practices are explicitly prohibited in the 18th rule of the section of Vinaya called Nissaggiya Pacittiya.

Nor may monks or nuns buy and sell things for themselves using money. This is prohibited by the 19th rule in the Nissaggiya Pacittiya.

Some people argue that these two rules refer only to gold and silver but such a view is indefensible. The Vinaya specifically states that these rules cover "whatever is used in business" [2], i.e. any medium of exchange.

Other people try to get around this rule by saying that it is only a minor rule, inapplicable to monastic life today. Indeed, the Buddha once did say that the Sangha may abolish the "lesser and minor" rules.

But is this rule a minor one?."

Click here to continue reading the full article.

What's in the name? A sad day for buddhists here

2008-07-15T23:21:00.005+08:00

The word "venerable" suddenly appears irrelevant or rather irreverential. Goh Kah Heng, the birthname of the famous personae Venerable Ming Yi has been charged with 10 counts including forgery, misappropriation of funds and conspiracy to give false information to the Commissioner of Charities. The venerable appears vulnerable now.

This is the high conduct expected of those in position of power, whether secularally or spiritually. The public expects the high standards of conduct that go with the position. A monk, in this case, has a moral obligation higher than a layperson.

No doubt this venerable, who has since stepped down from all positions and responsibilites in his capacity of his spiritual organisation, has done good work. Millions of dollars have been raised due to his acrobatic stunts for the Renci hospital. He was from a top secondary school when he decided to enrobe and became a monk. He is fairly young in his mid-forties and has a long future ahead in his mission for his hospital as well as his religious journey. Suddenly, events took a turn for the worst, and now he has stepped down from all his positions and responsiblilites. Will he be disrobed? Well, in my opinion, disrobing will not undo the deeds he has done.

His good work will certainly be remembered by the public and the buddhist fraternity. The paradox is: a life's good works can be tarnished by a single embelishment. It is like a drop of ink on a white parch of cloth. We don't see the whiteness; we focus on the black spot.

I guess humans have high expectations for public figures. A monk is a public figure. His name came with religious connotations and people of faith respect him for this. If the person was to disrobe or never enrobe, doing good work, the impact of moral embelishment will not be far-reaching and ramifying.

The impact of this case of Goh Kah Heng is a case of a good monk whose position demands a higher moral conduct than a good man. Mr Goh Kah Heng is certainly a good man.

Website of the Month - Mahasati Meditation

2008-06-22T23:58:00.006+08:00

What is the meaning of Mahasati Meditation?

"Mahasati" is a Pali (ancient Indian language) term. Maha means great or big; Sati means self-awareness or mindfulness. So Mahasati means great self-awareness, total self-awareness, or perfect self-awareness. If one cultivates self-awareness, he/she will be able to know his/her bodily movement more and more. When he/she knows the bodily movement all the time, the "knowing element" will work by itself automatically. At this point, the knowing element grows/develops up to its full capacity. It's then called "Mahasati."

Introduction taken from Mahasati Meditation website:

In today's complex and hectic world, meditation is playing a more and more important role for those who seek psychological well-being and balance. Many teachers, mostly from the East, provide many different forms of meditation. Some teachers use breath-counting and breath-concentration. Others teach concentration on a mantra or a koan. Some tell their students to visualize a religious image or some form of light or color. These methods all share the same central theme - the concentration of the mind.

Luangpor Teean, an important teacher in the world of Thai Buddhism, introduced a new way of looking at and practicing meditation - Mahasati Meditation. He taught that meditation is the art of seeing things as they are with awareness and wisdom. Usually we see the world and everything around us through the filter of our concepts or thoughts and through our mental images which we have collected in our daily life since childhood. Thus, these thought are both the source of human activity and human suffering. Thought is, for Luangpor Teean, the source of greed, anger and delusion.

Luangpor Teean said that we cannot simply suppress greed, anger, and delusion by keeping moral precepts, nor can we suppress them by maintaining calmness through some form of meditation based on concentration. Though these activities are useful to some extent, we need to go to the root of suffering: to let awareness see through and break through. When we see things as they are, outside of thought, the mind changes its qualities completely. At the very moment of awareness, the mind immediately becomes active, clear, and pure. With this active, clear, and pure mind we will realize the law of nature and the freedom of life. And then, we will be free from suffering.

Mahasati Meditation is a form of moving meditation. In Mahasati Meditation the practitioner moves rhythmically with their awareness open to the movement of body and mind. The movements are simple and repetitious, yet Mahasati Meditation is a powerful, deep, and advanced method for self-realization.

Periods of sitting mediation alternate with walking meditation. There is complete flexibility in the amount of time spent on each posture. Even when practicing as part of a group each meditator is free to sit or walk as they so wish.

The aim of Mahasati Meditation is to attain direct insight into one's self-freedom from pain and suffering, and to attain a healthy mind, one that is stable and wise. This healthy mind benefits not only the practitioner, but is also a beneficial influence on the practitioner's surroundings, including those who are close to him/her, and to society in general.

Vipasanna demonstrated by luang phor Thong

2008-06-22T23:52:00.002+08:00

Move one body part at a time so that you are aware of only that one movement.

Physical health and spiritual health are connected to each other?

2008-06-15T22:31:00.005+08:00

"An integral part of many people's lives, religion defines patterns of worship and socialization, but its impact, if any, on health is unclear. Some studies show a benefit to religious practice, while others -- including much of the research into prayer -- fail to prove its health value.

The question of the role something as unquantifiable as religious belief might play in health troubles some scientists in an age when mainstream medicine is turning ever more toward epidemiological science to define research protocols and to determine the validity of treatments.

That said, it's not hard to understand why being religious might be good for the body, experts say. Religious people often attend regular services; this puts them in a socially supportive environment, which has widely acknowledged health advantages. And some religions promote healthful diets and discourage unhealthy behaviors such as drinking alcohol and smoking.

"Religions package many of the ingredients of well-being to make them accessible to people," said Richard Eckersley, a visiting fellow at the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at the Australian National University in Canberra. And the "psychological well-being" that religion can promote is "linked to physical health through direct physiological effects, such as on neuroendocrine and immune function, and indirect effects on health behaviors, such as diet, smoking, exercise and sexual activity."

To read the complete article, click here.

Skin deep

2008-05-23T19:47:00.004+08:00

There is a technique of meditation regarding the impermanence of physical beauty. A person will sit infront of a corpse and meditates on it. This technique is not possible now due to practical reason. However, a meditator can still contemplate on the reality of beauty. Look underneath the skin. What do you see? You will see bones, blood, muscles, blood vessels and so on. Are you still attracted to them? Literally, beauty is skin deep. Now go back to the surface, the skin. Look carefully here. You will soon see it is not as what you thought it to be. You can see scars, spots, pimples, birthmarks, wrinkles, scratches and so on. When you calmly contemplate on the physical body, you will react with repulsion - the body will decay, grow old, rot and becomes ugly! We must be grounded to the reality and not let our senses go overboard like lusting over someone's body. To add a caveat, Buddha understands the bodily needs of man and woman; it is called marriage or faithfulness to your wife or husband and only with them, the physical needs are taken care of. This is the dharma way.

A hippie became a buddhist monk

2008-04-08T22:56:00.002+08:00

Over the telephone, Buddhist monk Bhante Yogavacara Rahula sounds a little like a stranger in a strange land. There's a faint accent that suggests he learned English later in life and, of course, there's his name.

Bhante means "venerable sir," and is the polite way to address a Theravedan Buddhist monk. Rahula is a common name in India and Nepal and refers to the historical Buddha's only son. He is not, however, a stranger in a strange land.

Bhante Rahula was born Scott Joseph Duprez in 1948. He grew up in California, attending a Methodist church with his parents. His first Buddha statue decorated the top of an old television set. He used to hang a hat on it.

He went to junior college, smoked marijuana, then joined the military. After his tour in Vietnam, he wore his hair long, grew a beard, chased girls and did just about any drug he could get his hands on.

"Sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll," said the monk, who visits Charleston today through Sunday to give several public presentations.

Bhante Rahula's story of how he went from typical hippie to clear-headed Buddhist monk is chronicled in his book, "One Night's Shelter: Autobiography of an American Monk." Two versions of the book exist. There's the "green" version, which catalogs his extensive drug use and sexual escapades. It details his time as a drug dealer, mentions his time in the Army stockade for being AWOL, as well as his arrest and detainment in an Afghan prison after trying to smuggle drugs into India.

To read further, click here

My table top mani wheels

2008-03-10T21:03:00.003+08:00

They just arrived today! Got them for my home and office desks. The mani wheels are meant to be turned clockwise and inside them are prayerful papers of the tibetan chant "om mani padme hum". By turning the mani wheel, there is an effect of chanting the om mani padme hum mantra thereby gaining merits and sanctifying the atmosphere around it.

Dying professor Dr Randy Pausch's brilliant last lecture

2008-02-25T20:53:00.000+08:00

Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch, who is dying from pancreatic cancer, gave his last lecture at the university Sept. 18, 2007, before a packed McConomy Auditorium. In his moving talk, "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams," Pausch talked about his lessons learned and gave advice to students on how to achieve their own career and personal goals.

Mulling of a sedentary buddhist

2008-02-03T22:48:00.000+08:00

Do we choose something that is obviously right in spiritual terms? I have read and try to practise spirituality drawing from the rich pool of buddhism, vedanta philosophy, jainism, syncretic Sai Baba teachings, a smattering of biblical knowledge, gandhian ahimsa or non-violence, thai buddhism of animism and spirits worshipping, russellian humanism of respect and love, and jiddu krishnamurthi's belief of self and goodness as a a priori construct.

Each tentative step in my earthly intellectual journey for the search of spiritual truths of some 45 years is enriching. The journey is not plain sailing though. By this I mean, I had and still do reflect, investigate, discard, sieve, analyse what is good for me. Sometimes there is an inner tension between the intellect and the heart. Take for example, can I use violence means for a violence end? - if someone is behaving aggressively towards you, do you react or avoid a conflict?

As the material body is temporary, we know we have to give up this body and all the material things, what is left are experiences and consciousness. Our lord Buddha and others have shown the way by their living examples: devoting full-time to be the roaming mendicant monks, the wandering hermits, the solitude sanyasi. They have realised the truths and showed the way. Their vision has become our mission.

How would a person react in the face of such visions laid down by great masters? Do we have to go through the cycles of mundane living to reach the juncture that they are impermanent? If we have implicit trust in our spiritual teachers, wouldn't it be simpler to follow the path so as to avoid pitfalls and unnecessary discoveries?

My guess is that we are either restless spirit or contented fools! For the latter, a person is contented with food and creature's comforts and does not think about the after-life or the other worldly issues. On the other hand, the restless person will think, mull, investigate, reflect and keep searching for his or her spiritual compass. A happy pig or an unhappy man? A quesion of means to an end or the end itself. If happiness is the end, a happy pig has reached its end. For a restless person, it is searching for some finality and sense in all that is going on around him.

In an urban society like ours, our psyche is bombarded daily by the external influences of the mass media like the newspapers, tv, internet and the utilitarian patronage of the state - cpf, erp, inflation, health savings etc. The bombardment is endless. It is therefore no surprise that many people here are sensitised by materialism and desensitised on spirituality. Try asking someone in the street about existential questions like: why are you here? or, do you meditate? will be met with bewilderment and strange looks.

We often observed when individuals who had met with a life-changing situation such as accidents or recovered from a disease, will almost always turn to spirituality, a search for meaning of life. Meanings of life are inherent epistemes to ontological finitude. Searching for meanings can, paradoxically, stops at the first step. The first step which all great masters have experienced going round in full circles and many lifetimes, and cystalising their wisdom in prescriptive tenets. They are called the path, commandments, steps, stages which are the ends in themselves. Humans choose, knowingly or unknowingly, to go full circles, not realising that they can hop on the spiritual bandwagon via the super expressway that great souls have shown to reach the spiritual end in the shortest possible way.

S.N. Goenka on Mindfulness or Vipassana meditation

2008-01-27T14:14:00.000+08:00

Observe your anger. Observe what your mind contains. Refrain from reacting. This is the first step towards coming out of suffering, advises Vipassana meditation master S.N. Goenka

Sectarian rites and rituals, sectarian beliefs or philosophies, sectarian religious ceremonies or outward appearances have nothing to do with dharma.

Dharma is totally different. Dharma means what your mind contains now. If what it contains is wholesome, it rewards you. If it is unwholesome, it punishes you.

That means, is one keeping one's mind pure, free of impurities, free from negativities? If you keep generating anger, hatred, ill will, animosity and other negativities, you are not a dharmic person.

You may perform some rite or ritual. You may go to a temple and bow before a particular idol, or to a mosque to recite namaz. You may go to church to say prayers, or to a gurudwara to chant kirtans. Or you may go to a pagoda and pay respect to the statue of Buddha. These do not help at all.

When you generate negativity in your mind, you may blame various outside reasons for your misery. You may find fault with others. You may be under the wrong impression that you are miserable because so-and-so abused or insulted you, or because something which you wanted has not happened, or because something that you did not want has happened.

You remain deluded for your whole life that you are miserable because of these apparent external reasons. Because dharma was lost to the country, we have forgotten to go deep inside to find the real cause of misery.

Suppose someone abuses me, and I become miserable. Between these two events, something very important happens inside me. But that link remains unknown to me.

When somebody abuses me, I start generating anger and hatred; I start reacting with negativity. Only then do I become miserable, not before.

The reason I am miserable is not because somebody has abused me, nor because something unwanted has happened. Rather, it is because I am reacting to these outside things. This is the real cause of misery.

You cannot understand this by listening to discourses such as this, by reading scriptures, by intellectualising or accepting it on the emotional or devotional level. The real understanding of dharma can only come when you start experiencing it within yourself.

To illustrate this point: Suppose by mistake I have placed my hand in fire. The law of nature is such that the fire starts burning my hand. I take my hand away because I don't like being burned. The next time, I again make a mistake and put my hand in fire. Again, my hand gets burned, and again I take my hand back. I may do this once, twice, or three times, and then I start to understand: "This is fire, and the nature of fire is to burn. I had better not touch the fire." This becomes a lesson, and I begin to understand at the experiential level that I must keep my hand away from fire.

In a similar way, one can learn how to practice dharma using a technique which was very common in ancient India. To learn dharma means to observe the reality within oneself.

The word that was used for this was "Vipassana", which means "to observe reality in a special way", to observe it as it is - not just as it appears to be, not just as it seems to be, not coloured by any belief or philosophy, not coloured by any imagination - but to observe it by working in a scientific way.

For example, when anger has arisen, you observe the reality that anger has arisen. Cutting yourself off from the external object of anger, you simply observe anger as anger, hatred as hatred; or passion as passion, ego as ego. You observe any impurity that has arisen on the mind. You simply observe it, observe it objectively, without identifying yourself with that particular negativity.

It is very difficult to observe objectively. When anger arises, it is like a volcanic eruption, and we get overpowered by it.

When we are overpowered by anger, we cannot observe anger. Instead, we perform all the vocal and physical actions which we did not want to perform. And then we keep repenting: "I should not have done this. I should not have reacted in this way." But the next time a similar situation occurs, we will react in the same way, because we have not experienced the truth within ourselves.

If you learn this technique of observing reality within yourself, then you will notice that, as anger arises in the mind, two things start happening simultaneously at the physical level.

At a gross level - at the level of your breath - you will notice that, as soon as anger, hatred, ill will, passion, ego, or any impurity arises in the mind, your breath loses its normality. It cannot be normal. It will become abnormal - slightly hard, slightly fast.

And once that particular negativity has gone away, you will notice that your breath becomes normal. It is no longer fast, no longer hard. This happens in the physical structure at a gross level.

Something also happens at a subtler level, because mind and matter are so interrelated. One keeps influencing the other, and getting influenced by the other. This interaction is continuously happening within ourselves, day and night.

At a subtler level a biochemical reaction starts within the physical structure. And electromagnetic reaction starts and, if you are a good Vipassana meditator, you will notice: "Look, anger has arisen." And then what happens? There is heat throughout the body; there is palpitation; there is tension throughout the body.

One need not do anything except observe.

Do nothing. Just observe.

Don't try to push out your anger. Don't try to push out the signs of the anger.

Just observe, just observe.

Continue to observe, and you will notice that the anger becomes weaker and weaker, and passes away.

If you suppress it, then it goes deep into the subconscious level of your mind. When it is suppressed, it does not pass away.

Whenever misery comes, we think that the cause of this misery is something outside, and we make a great effort to rectify external things: "So-and-so is misbehaving. I am unhappy because of this person's misbehaviour. When this person stops misbehaving, I will be a very happy person."

We want to change this person. Is this possible? Can we change others? Well, even if we succeed in changing one person, what guarantee is there that somebody else will not appear, who will again go totally against our desires? It is impossible to change the entire world. The saints and sages, enlightened people, discovered the way out: To change yourself.

Let anything happen outside, but do not react.

Observe the truth as it is. But when we don't know the technique of observing ourselves - the technique of self-realisation, the technique of truth realisation - then we can't work out our own salvation.

For example, you may try to divert your attention. You are very miserable and you can't change the other person or the outside situation, so you try to divert your mind. You go to the cinema or a theatre, or worse, to a bar or gambling casino, to divert your attention.

For a while you may feel that your misery is gone. This is an illusion: You have not come out of your misery; it is still there. You have merely diverted your attention, and the misery has gone deep inside. Time and time again it will erupt and overpower you. You have not come out of your misery.

There is another way of diverting your mind, this in the name of religion. You go to a temple, a mosque, a gurudwara, or a pagoda, to chant or pray. Your mind will be diverted, and you may feel quite happy. But again, this is an escape. You are not facing your problem. This was not the dharma of ancient India.

We have to face the problem. When misery arises in the mind, face it.

By observing it objectively, you go to the deepest cause of misery. If you can learn to observe the deepest cause of misery, you will find that layers of this deep-rooted cause start getting eradicated. As layer after layer gets peeled off, you start to be relieved of your misery. You have neither suppressed your negativity, nor expressed it at the vocal or physical level and harmed others. You have observed it. Doing nothing, you have just observed.

Anger

When someone is abusing me, it is that person's problem, not mine. If they are abusing, it means that they are generating negativity in the mind. This person is a sick person, an unhappy person, a miserable person when he is generating anger and shouting. Why should I generate anger? Why should I shout and make myself miserable?

This understanding can not come unless you have experienced it. It is like the experience when you touch fire and learn not to touch it again. Similarly, you can develop the ability to observe what is happening inside. Anger has arisen and you will immediately notice that there is fire, and it has started burning you: "Look, I am burning! I don't like burning. Next time I will be more careful." Or, "No, here is anger. If I generate anger, I'll burn."

By mistake you have again generated anger, again you observe it. Again you generate anger, and again you observe it. After a few experiences, you start coming out of it.

Understanding

To observe anger as anger, or hatred as hatred, or passion as passion, is very difficult. It takes time. That is why the wise people, the enlightened people, the saints and the seers of India advised: "Observe yourself."

Observing oneself is a path of self-realisation, truth-realisation - one can even say "God-realisation", because after all, truth is God. What else is God? The law is God, nature is God. And when one is observing that law, one is observing dharma.

Whatever is happening within you, you are the just the silent observer, not reacting.

As you observe objectively, you have started taking the first step to understanding dharma; the first step towards practicing dharma in life.

By practicing dharma, you won't run away from external activities like going to this or that temple, or performing this or that rite or ritual. But at the same time as you are doing these things, you will start observing the reality pertaining to your mind at that moment: "What is happening in my mind at this moment? Whatever is happening in my mind from moment to moment - this is more important for me than anything that is happening outside."

You will start to notice how are you reacting to things outside. Whenever you react, this reaction becomes a source of misery for you. If you learn not to react but simply to observe, you will come out of the suffering.

Excerpts from 'The Gracious Flow of Dharma' by S.N. Goenka. Published by the Vipassana Research Institute, Maharashtra, India.

Visit http://www.dhamma.org/ for more information about Vipassana meditation as taught by S.N. Goenka.

Repent by luang phor Jarun

2008-01-22T10:53:00.000+08:00

"I have heard that a novel is derived from real life. What I’m going to relate now could be a soap opera in someone’s view. But someone may realize that touching the taste of dhamma and accomplishing the purity of this stream is beyond narration.

Almost half of my life has been lived, passing through happiness, and suffering, I have always been proud of myself, full of confidence and ready to take on any dare in life. I thought I was successful in all aspects, although each aspect was hardly earned. I had always been tired. I spent most of my life with my grandma. My parents were just my birth-givers. Grandma loved me more than herself. Grandma was everything in my life. I loved her more than anyone else in the world. Grandma was a righteous person with a dhamma mind. She made alms giving a habit.

Although I was close to grandma, I steered away from her habit. I believed that I myself was a kind of priest. I was never a follower of any religion in particular, at the same time never denied its validity. I could almost count the number of times I had chanted. Is it necessary to pay homage to what we cannot see? Is there really a next life? Who can confirm this? I never raised my hands to pay respect to anyone I didn’t have faith in. Even a monk, I had to be sure he was a good monk before I paid respect to him.

I never thought that there was any one better than myself – not even my own parents. I was always aggressive to my own parents. I often had a row with my father while he was alive, despite the fact that he was known to be very stern. He used to drive me out of the house when he was very angry with me. But I was not afraid. I stood my ground in order to aggravate him even more.

I had a special faith in King Rama VI, since the time I had paid homage to His Replica, wishing for a certain job and got it unexpectedly. The day I had a row with my father, I ran upstairs to tell Him that I had been unfairly punished. I made a wish that He would make father leave home within 7 days. After that, my father really had to leave his own home.

My father returned home again. This time he returned just to let the children look after him, while suffering from a malignant disease. I never looked after him. I smiled inside satisfactory, thinking that I had won, even beating father. I have to tell this story because I want every one to know that I sought revenge even from my own father. When I had a row with anyone and the case went past heated arguments, I always thought that I would get back for it. That one day, I would embrace him, smile at him and stab him in the back with a knife, making him frighten to death within my arms. This should be enough to explain the strong vengeful trait in me.

I have had to have operations since I was young such as a tonsillectomy, an appendectomy, a cystectomy, bile stone removal and finally a hysterectomy. Every time that I knew I had to have an operation, I never showed any fear at all. On the other hand, my mother seemed to be worried about everything, It had never occurred to me why I had to be hospitalized so often. Later, It was so often that I got bored with myself, that my physical health was the burden. Comparing my education and the jobs I had, I had been lucky, that I had never had any supervisor except a direct boss. The longest job I had was hotel job. I like very much to provide service to others. I always take good care of people around me except my own mother. I speak to mother as if I were possessed by an evil spirit. I can always be contemptibly mean with mother. However, mother has never once reciprocated my evil. She endures all my badness. I have never been spanked at all. I can refrain from talking to mother for a long time. It seems as if it is my happiness to see her suffer. It gives me a kind of satisfying feeling.

I asked my mother for an amount of money to buy myself a new car, though she had to use an old one for a long time. At the beginning she disapproved, until I wrote her a letter reprimanding her with torturous words. I got a new car like I wanted. I won again. I want to tell you more bad things I’ve done to my mother. But I think this is enough for you to imagine the ungratefulness I’ve shown to a lady who gave birth to me. If I go on, the length of my story will be many times longer than the length of a double roll of toilet paper.

I am quite surprised with my own prophetic signs, which are rather accurate. No one believes it when I tell them. I tell myself that I do not want to eat any food leftover from someone else’s meal or from offering. I do not like to receive blessing from sprinkled holy water.

With all these evil, yet I like to make donations. On my 36th birthday, I bought good quality 5 tier food containers of the same number as my age, filled them with savories and sweets and brought them to poor school children. Every one of them thanked me with tearful eyes, not much different from mine. Perhaps, I have made merit, too, but not very much. I don’t know when I will get the result of that merit. But I see the fruit of my donation immediately. I always help the poor. I can give them all I have at that moment. I am always happy to make merit or give donations. It is strange that I am against it when I think about it.

The last time that my karma clearly bore fruit was when everything I did met with obstacles. Close shaves occur everyday. I was on the verge of giving up, not wanting to fight anymore. A couple of close friend visited me at the hospital and hosted me in Pattaya for my convalescence. I had a real rest. All I did was eat and sleep. For almost five days, I had been coaxed to turn to the temple and dhamma. But it sounded like a farce and nonsense to me. In order to stop their insistence, I told them that I would go to observe the Precepts as they wished.

On my last day to Pattaya, I presented a monk with cans of lychees, which I brought from Bangkok with me. I met this monk accidentally. After telling him my birth date, he told me that I would die. I was not affected much accept thinking that he was funny. But I asked him if there was any way to help. He told me to light candles and incense sticks to pay homage to the Buddha. Then he told me to lie down, covering me with white cloth. He told me to think that I was dead. After a short while he removed the cloth and told me to lie with my head pointing to the opposite direction. This time he told me to think that I will be reborn and I should make a wish for myself. I thought that was fun. So, I joined in the game by making a wish for me to be kind, honest and not taking advantage on anyone. I did not have time to add my wish to be rich before he removed the cloth.

That day, I donated all the money in my purse just because I thought he helped to perform the ceremony for me. On my way back to Bangkok, I did not know how I accepted to go to Wat Ambavana for Precepts observance. In fact, I used to go there only when m y friend went to observe the Precepts. I had never been interested in anything at this temple at all. It was strange that my friends had neither questioned nor objected.

Upon return, I told my mother and others that I would go to observe the Precepts. People around me were surprised to hear this news, as if they had heard that the sun would rise at midnight. I was sure I could go to observe the Precepts, as if I had been called to do it. I went out shopping for white clothes and prepared everything like I was going to stay long. I did not know why but I wanted to ask for my mother’s pardon. A day before I left, I took a clean wash basin full of water to wash my mother’s feet. I paid my respect at her feet, telling her that if here had been anything I had done wrong since I had been born, making her sorry or cry, I begged for her pardon. My mother said she forgave me everything. Friends at the office drove me to Wat Ambavana.

Upon entering the temple, I told the nun that I had set no leaving date yet, without realizing why I gave such a statement. After a two-day stay, I felt if I had gone mad to come and learn “right stepping”, ‘left stepping” or “sitting down”. I did not get anything at all. This place was like a lunatic asylum. People who came here were insane. I would be ashamed to tell anyone that I had ever come here. I intended to make a long distance call to a friend to come and pick me up.

But that night I had listened to the sermon by Luang Poh Debsinghapuracariya without being sleepy at all. His sermon lasted till 11 pm. I asked myself how I could listen to the sermon. His words sank deep down in my heart, not passing from one ear out the other like before that was the first time I had listened to a sermon from beginning to the end without feeling like listening to the sermon at all. On the other hand, I felt like I was being reprimanded by a father, a very stern father. I did not move at all. Again, I asked myself, “Was I forced so??” I began to dare even Luang Poh. Well everybody said he was advanced spiritually. What does that mean? I wanted to know. Somebody told me as well that Mae Yai, one of the Precepts observers who were looking after us, knew about the past and the future. What a farce! Set up a fortune-telling office if she could. What kind of ability could she have when she was that old/ my mind and body were against dhamma practice a lot. I began to feel tired and to despair, daring both Luang Poh and Mae Yai.

When I was about to lose patience, I talked to Luang Pho mentally, “Let me have the power to keep meditating until the end of the session. “I opened my eyes at the end of the session. It might have been a coincidence. The next day I put him to test again. What was the result? I opened my eyes like before! The next person was Mai Yai. She came up to practice meditation a little bit after 5 O’clock. I tried to walk as close to her as possible, making a wish for her power to enable me to meditate until 6 in the morning. I opened my eyes at six, sharp. The next day she came at about the same time. I wished for her power again. Who would believe that I opened my eyes at the same time. At this point, I began to be afraid that coincidence did not happen all that often.

The next Buddhist holy day, Luang Poh gave a sermon. I was listening just like before. After a long while, I felt like I was being forced to weep. I tried my best to resist. And then my palms were clasped together up to the forehead in salutation manner. I made a bow towards Luang Poh. A few minutes later, I bowed towards Mae Yai, while closing my eyes. That time I put my clasped palms up to the mouth level and bowed down to the floor like a bent-back old woman. I was conscious all the time. I could hear the sound of people around me. At the same time, people who sat near me must have heard the noise of my sobs. But I was surprised they kept still. I cried of being sorry, asking myself why I had been so. Why did I have to weep? Why didn’t I resist? It was like a force that I could not fight at all. That night, I felt that I had been punished for insulting them both. I began to be afraid then. Not of ghost like before. I was rather afraid of sin. I was conscious of sin. What had happened to me? How could I have been so change?

The next day I put an effort into practicing mediation. I missed my mother a great deal. I saw my own bad deeds, one after another, mushrooming. I began to be sorry for my own actions toward my mother. Why was she so kind to me? On the day I asked for her pardon, I should have been trampled instead of forgiven. I wondered which part of hell would I be?

But I still keep on being rebellious. There was another monk, whom I happened to meet. On the first meeting, I criticized him mentally for not being proper, because he told me that I was obstinate. If I used it right, it would be useful. I was not satisfied at all. But I kept quiet. The next day, I felt despair again. So, I asked for his power. What was the result? That day I could mediate in trance until I could feel it. What was it then? Who exactly was the monk? I had to arrange for a set of candles and incense too offer to him as a way of begging for his forgiveness.

On the eve of my scheduled leaving date, I prepared a lei to offer as homage to the Precepts and told Mae Yai that I would leave the day after. She asked me if I could stay for two days more. I did not know how I accepted, as I had stayed for 9 days already. That was quite long for those who knew me. But for me, it was the most valuable time in my life. I had not been counting time to leaving date at all. I only knew that my responsibility was waiting. Then I learned that on that day, I had originally planned to leave, a newly disrobed monk was hit by a car just a bit further along the temple gate. Oh! My! If that day I had left, what would have happened to me? After I heard this news, my feeling told me to offer my grateful thanks to Mae Yai. She had just saved my life.

Even so, the last two days were my rebellious period as before. I had an alarm clock with me, thinking if I could wake up without it at 3.30 a.m. for two consecutive days, I would give it to the nun who registered me for this dhamma practice session. The last day I had an occasion to give this alarm clock to the nun according to my intention. I have many more of this kind of story. But , as I said, people would think that I have written a soap opera. Today, now I want to go and tell everybody so that they realize that there is karma. If you do good deeds, you will get good return. If you do bad deeds, you will get bad in return.

I promised Luang Poh that I would not return to sin any longer. I asked for his blessing that goodness would not leave me and sin would not return. I was reformed through punishment and was really afraid. I have just learned that the fruit of dhamma practice is opening up my eyes. It makes me know myself, being ashamed and afraid of wrong doings. I do not dare to say how much I have changed. But from hardly chanting before, I have chanted the virtues of Buddha, more than the number of times Luang Poh advised me to, without counting. People around me look at me with strange looks, like on the day I told them that I would go to observe the Precepts. But the strange look today is radiated with bliss in my new life – the bright life without the poison of sin in mind and the mind that blossoms from the taste of dhamma. Now you have read my story. Don’t you want to know if you can come to practice like I’ve done, how valuable an asset you will receive on your return? It may be even more than what I’m receiving now.

And finally, I would like to make a wish to the Buddha, thanking him for giving the Dhamma to me. It is like nectar that pours into my life. I would like to make a wish to Luang Poh Phra Debsinghapuracariya, Mae Yai and all the nuns, including those who look after me a Wat Ambavana and those who have taken me here to know the taste of dhamma. The power of you all will direct me away from sin. And perhaps, towards the end of my life I may come back to reciprocate the favor of all benefactors here.

Sisya Dhadasiha
410 Sukhumvit 63, Bangkok 10110"

Taken from Book 6, The Law of Karma by Luang Phor Jarun, Wat Ambhavan, Thailand.

Biography of luang phor Jarun

2008-01-22T10:44:00.000+08:00

Born:

August 15, 1928
Tambon Muangmoo, Amphoe Mueang, Sing Buri Province
Parents: (Mr.) Pae and (Mrs.) Jerm Janyarak

Education:
Fourth year of secondary school education, 1944

Ordination:
July 15, 1948 at Wat Phrom Buri, Sing Buri

Study Of Dhamma - Vinaya and Meditation:
1949: Second grade of Nak-dham Dhamma Examination
1950: Studied meditation with Phra Kru Nivasdhammakhan (Luang Phor Derm) at Nong Pho, Nakhon Sawan Province
1951: Studied meditation with Luang Phor Lee and Chao Khun Ariyagunadhara in Khoon Kaen Province
1954: Studied and practiced insight meditation with Phra Rajsiddhimuni (Chodok Yannasith) at Wat Mahadhat, Bangkok
1955: Studied Abhidhamma with Ajarn Tejin (a Burmese monk) at Wat Rakang, Thonburi

Positions and Titles:

1957: Acting Abbot, Wat Ambavana, Ban Paeng Sub-District, Phrom Buri District, Singh Buri Province
1958: Conferred the title Phra Khru Palat
1968: Confered the title Phra Khru Bhavanavisuddhi, and appointed as Abbot of Wat Ambavana
1975: Appointed Ecclesiatical Head of Phrom Buri District, Singh Buri
1988: Conferred the title Phra Bhavanavisuddhiguna
1992: Conferred the title Phra Rajsuddhinanamongkol
1999: Appointed Ecclesiastical Head of Singh Buri Province
2001: Conferred the title Phra Debsinghapuracariya

Honorary Degrees:

1993: Bachelor Degree in Education, Council for Teacher's Training, Ministry of Education
1993: Doctorate Degree in Buddhist Studies, Maha Chualalongkorn Rajavidyalaya University
1994: Doctorate Degree in Education, Ramkhamhaeng University
1997: Doctorate Degree in Philosophy and Religions, Srinakhrarinwirot University
2001: Doctorate Degree in Buddhism, Thepsatri Rajabhat Institute
2003: Doctorate Degree in Religious Studies, Mahidol University

Buddhist Monastic Code Chapter 8.4 - Pācittiya: The Food Chapter

2008-01-20T21:34:00.000+08:00

Theravadin monks are forbidden to eat the following things, among other things :

The following types of meat are unallowable: that of human beings, elephants, horses, dogs, snakes, lions, tigers, leopards, bears, and hyenas. Human beings, horses, and elephants were regarded as too noble to be used as food. The other types of meat were forbidden either on grounds that they were repulsive ("People criticized and complained and spread it about, 'How can these Sakyan-son monks eat dog meat? Dogs are loathsome, disgusting'") or dangerous (bhikkhus, smelling of lion's flesh, went into the jungle; the lions there, instead of criticizing or complaining, attacked them).

The Commentary adds three comments here: These prohibitions cover not only the meat of these animals but also their blood, bones, skin, and hide (the layer of tissue just under the skin — see AN IV.113). The prohibition against dog flesh does not include wild dogs, such as wolves and foxes, (but many teachers — including the Thai translator of the Commentary — question this point). The flesh of a half-dog half-wolf mixture, however, would be forbidden. The prohibition against snake flesh covers the flesh of all long, footless beings. Thus eels would not be allowed.

To eat human flesh entails a thullaccaya; to eat any of the other unallowable types, a dukkaṭa (Mv.VI.23.9-15). If a bhikkhu is uncertain as to the identity of any meat presented to him, he incurs a dukkaṭa if he doesn't ask the donor what it is before eating it (Mv.VI.23.9). The Commentary interprets this as meaning that if, on reflection, one recognizes what kind of meat it is, one needn't ask the donor about the identity of the meat. If one doesn't recognize it, one must ask. If one mistakenly identifies an unallowable sort of meat as allowable and then goes ahead and consumes it under that mistaken assumption, there is no offense.

Fish or meat, even if of an allowable kind, is unallowable if raw. Thus bhikkhus may not eat steak tartare, sashimi, oysters on the half-shell, raw eggs, caviar, etc. (Raw flesh and blood are allowed at Mv.VI.10.2 only when one is possessed by non-human beings (!)) Furthermore, even cooked fish or meat of an allowable kind is unallowable if the bhikkhu sees, hears, or suspects that the animal was killed specifically for the purpose of feeding bhikkhus (Mv.VI.31.14).

Source:
Buddhist Monastic Code I
Chapter 8.4
Pācittiya: The Food Chapter

When religion can be destructive

2008-01-20T15:00:00.000+08:00

Burke Lecture: John Shelby Spong: UC San Diego - Jan 10, 2005. A pre-eminent voice for liberal Christianity, John Shelby Spong was the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark for 24 years before his retirement in 2000. His admirers acclaim his legacy as a teaching bishop who makes contemporary theology accessible to the ordinary lay person. He is considered a champion of an inclusive faith by many both inside and outside the Christian church. His challenges to the church have also made Bishop Spong a target of hostility, fear, and death threats. In what may come as a surprise to his critics, his latest book, A New Christianity for a New World, is a statement of Christian faith and love for the church. Calling himself "a joyful, passionate, convinced believer in the reality of God," he seeks not to create a new religion, but to reform the church he loves.

Watch video lecture (1hr 23min.) here: John Shelby Spong

Thich Nhat Hanh on dying

2008-01-18T15:37:00.000+08:00

"The finger pointing to the moon is not the moon" a memorable phrase from Vietnamese Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh, an exile monk living in Plum village, France. Reading several of his books, I found Thich to be poetic and literary in his expressions with Buddhism as its core philosophy. Please click here to his Plum Village website for more information.

"When you sit close to a person dying talk to them of happy experiences in their life. Touch seeds of happiness in them.
The monks asked Anathapindika to look at his feelings and perceptions. “I am life without boundaries, this body is a residue.”
Help the dying person not to cling to his or her body. If there is regret, help them to see they are not their feelings. When conditions are manifested this body manifests and when not, it goes. The nature of this body is not birth, death, coming or going – not hurt by notion of being or non-being. I am free from birth or death. That practice helps me.
Anathapindika cried. Ananda asked, “why are you crying?”
“No, I don’t regret anything,” Anathapindika replied.
“Why are you crying?” asked Ananda.
“I cry because I am so moved by such a wonderful practice as today,” Anathapindika said.
“We monastics receive this every day,” said Ananda.
“There are those amongst us lay people who still need this, please tell the Lord Buddha this.”
Ananda promised to tell the Buddha, and Anathapindika died smiling peacefully.
Thich Nhat Hanh gave an illustration with a box of matches.
Holding up an unlit match, he said, “there is flame, but the conditions to manifest it are not here now.”
Then he lit the match and blew it out.
He said when the conditions were right (the conditions being his hand striking the match to the matchbox), the flame became. And when the conditions were not right, the flame was extinguished."

- Thich Nhat Hanh.

Buddhist Society of Western Australia Dharma talks on RSS feed

2008-01-15T21:12:00.001+08:00

Ajahn Brahmavamso is a well-known preacher monk in this part of South Asia, namely Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. I have added a RSS feed of BSWA's latest dhamma talks.

Below is a video on Interconnectedness by Ajahn Brahms:

Meditation is so easy for a child (video)

2008-01-15T11:51:00.001+08:00

Convince if this is the new Maitreya? :)

The Place of Vipassana in Buddhist Practice by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

2007-11-17T13:24:00.000+08:00

"What exactly is vipassana?
Almost any book on early Buddhist meditation will tell you that the Buddha taught two types of meditation: samatha and vipassana. Samatha, which means tranquillity, is said to be a method fostering strong states of mental absorption, called jhana. Vipassana — literally "clear-seeing," but more often translated as insight meditation — is said to be a method using a modicum of tranquillity to foster moment-to-moment mindfulness of the inconstancy of events as they are directly experienced in the present. This mindfulness creates a sense of dispassion toward all events, thus leading the mind to release from suffering. These two methods are quite separate, we're told, and of the two, vipassana is the distinctive Buddhist contribution to meditative science. Other systems of practice pre-dating the Buddha also taught samatha, but the Buddha was the first to discover and teach vipassana. Although some Buddhist meditators may practice samatha meditation before turning to vipassana, samatha practice is not really necessary for the pursuit of Awakening. As a meditative tool, the vipassana method is sufficient for attaining the goal. Or so we're told."

To read the full article, click here : what is vipassana

Tibetan Book of the Dead

2007-10-14T10:39:00.000+08:00

The complete sections can be found by going to Youtube.com and search for the keyword "Tibetan Book of the Dead."

Three Essentials of Death by Dharma Master Yin Guang

2007-09-25T00:09:00.000+08:00

Death is the greatest tragedy in the world and yet no one on earth can avoid it. Thus if you wish to help both yourself and others, you need to plan and prepare for it in advance. "Death" is nothing more than a fake name. At death, as the retribution from past lives which brings about this one life-term ends, one's consciousness leaves this body and takes on another body. Those who do not know Buddha-dharma have no way to deal with this problem, and must simply endure the process and be reborn according to their karma.

Since we heard about the Thus Come One's (tathagata) Pure Land practice that can save all living beings, we should recite Amitabha Buddha's name with faith and determination, so as to make appropriate provisions for our rebirth in the Pure Land. Then, when the time comes, we will be able to avoid the illusory suffering of the revolving cycle of birth and death and can realize the true bliss of eternal Nirvana.

When your father, mother, brothers, sisters, or other family members contract a serious illness and cannot be cured, you should be filial and compassionate and exhort them to recite Amitabha Buddha's name to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land. Moreover, you may help them recite with a Recitation Assistance Group. When the sick person dies in this situation, he or she can be reborn in the Pure Land. How can we ever give a name to this kind of benefit!

Now I will state three essentials as guidelines for a person near death to gain rebirth in the Pure Land. Although my writing lacks literally elegance, the principles are originated from the Buddha's sutras. Having met these causes and conditions, let's all put them into practice!
To read the complete article, click here: Three Essentials

My thoughts on spirituality

2007-09-20T23:17:00.001+08:00

Let me share my thoughts on spirituality. Below are the principles I arrived at:

1. All spiritual effort is not wasted.
2. There is a destination but the journey is more important. The destination may not be reachable, that is, heaven, nirvana, satori, syurga, valhalla, brahman. When in the journey in this earthly existence, make full use of your vehicle (body and mind).
3. Each person is for himself and utlimately only the mind exists.
4. "you" go in one big circle and finally "you" come back to "yourself".
Isn't this a wonderful adventure? It is like a person being presented with a buffet table spread. He goes round to try this and that, absorbs in the wonderful sight of delicious food and chooses the most delicious food. But he can only eat so much! So if he is wiser, he will just settle for a la carte and order a single meal that satisfies his hunger.
5. There is interconnectedness in everything. How they are connected is due to conditions coming together. You are one of the conditions.
6. Hope and faith keep a person going, no matter what had happened, good or bad.
7. The phenomenon of death is the greatest mystery ever.

Tibetan Lama with chi power

2007-09-13T12:32:00.000+08:00

Lama Dondrup Dorje, a receipient of the 'World Taichi Internal Power Highest Gold Award' in 1995, demonstrates the power of chi in Greece 2006. To watch video, click below:

Satipatthana by Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw

2007-09-09T13:48:00.000+08:00

Satipatthana or the practice of mindfulness was recommended by the Buddha for all who seek to grow spiritually and eventually attain the realization of enlightenment. Buddhism itself is essentially a practical path, a system of physical and psychological techniques designed to bring about this realization. The method here described in this little book by the Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw, Bhadanta Sobhana Mahathera, Aggamahapandita, the spiritual head of Sasana Yeiktha Meditation Centre, Rangoon, is the foundation of all Buddhist meditation practice. This form of meditation may be practised with benefit by all, Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike, because its aim is simply to expand the practiser's consciousness and bring him face to face with his mind.

Buddhist psychology or Abhidhamma teaches that you are not your mind. You already know that you are not your body. But you do not yet know that you are not your mind, because normally you identify yourself with each thought, feeling, impulse, emotion or sensation that comes into your mind. Each takes you on a little trip. Through the practice of mindful ness, you come to observe the rise and fall, the appearance and disappearance of these various thoughts and feelings, and gradually develop a sense of distance and detachment from them. Then you will no longer become caught up by your hangups. This leads to a deep inner peaceful calm. Through further practice, you will develop insight and wisdom, which is the power of consciousness to pierce through the veils of illusion and ignorance to the reality that lies beyond.

To read the complete article, click here: insight meditation

New sections added: Books reviews and indepth articles on buddhism

2007-09-06T23:26:00.001+08:00

As one path does not suit all. the books reviews and scholarly articles are added for those who want substantial analysis and commentaries. Please see the links on the menu section (right of your screen) to read them. The sections are updated regulary.

Qiqong phenomenon

2007-09-04T20:40:00.000+08:00

Watch this qiqong practitioner demonstrates the powers of qi.

Food for Thought - One of the last teachings of Buddha

2007-08-31T22:48:00.000+08:00

To watch video, click here:

Luang phor Jarun on vipassana meditation

2007-08-27T14:14:00.001+08:00

"I want to emphasize the benefits of vipassana meditation. It really works if you can meditate successfully. Mr. Viggo Brune, a Norwegian, is another example. He ordained as a monk and practice vipassana here. He could radiate loving-kindness and offered any merit to his grandfather and his parents, who were in Norway. In his telepathy, he wanted them to answer him by mail if they received his loving-kindness. They did receive it and replied, as he had wanted them to do. I will tell this story later. I want you to understand that you can train in mindfulness and gain wisdom by practicing vipassana meditation and you can radiate your loving-kindness. You cannot gain wisdom by practicing tranquility meditation because you gain only concentration and peace." - Luang Phor Jarun, Wat Ambhavan

To read the full story, click here.

J. Krishnamurthi

2007-08-27T13:56:00.000+08:00

Quotation from Jiddu Krishnamurthi:
"To understand conflict, we must understand relationship, and the understanding of relationship does not depend on memory, on habit, on what has been or what should be. It depends on choiceless awareness from moment to moment, and if we go into it deeply, we shall see that in that awareness there is no accumulative process at all. The moment there is accumulation, there is a point from which to examine, and that point is conditioned; and hence, when we regard relationship from a fixed point, there must be pain, there must be conflict."
(Source: http://www.jkrishnamurti.org/
Accessed on 27 August 2007)

Philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurthi, in my opinion is one of the most under-rated thinkers of our times.

Video of the late Ajahn Chah

2007-08-26T21:54:00.001+08:00

A video of the late Ajahn Chah:

Luang Phor Jarun relates a case of a person seeing his impending death

2007-08-25T11:14:00.000+08:00

THE SIGN OF DEATH
Luang Poh Jarun
From The Law of Karma – Dhamma Practice 3
March 14, 1989

There can be some sign that signifies death. We all have to die and we certainly can’t avoid it. However, people who believe in “nimitta of death” can some how postpone it. (Nimitta = Sign, portent, mental image). If you do not believe in this nimitta, you can’t solve your problem. So it is up to you whether you believe or not. In some cases, the time of death can be postponed. Saying as such has significant meaning. Please listen carefully.
Today I am going to talk about a nimitta of death which appeared two years in advance before a man’s death. He did not solve his problem, so he died.
The man’s name was Mr.Gru Sapthong, who had been acquainted with me for over thirty years. I often hired him to drive for me to other provinces, such as Kumphangpetch, because we did not own any vehicle at that time. He had three vehicles: a van, a pick-up truck and an Austin sedan.
One day, Gru visited his friend, Mr. Yoo, who lived beside Wat Promburi. Yoo told Gru about his dream. There were fore men taking him to the world of death.
“Gru, this is a nimitta of my death. I will die the day after tomorrow.”
Later, Yoo died accordingly to the “Law of Karma”. Can we postpone the time to death? Yes! We can if we believe that there is a signal for us. Most people do not believe. For example, Gru did not believe it. Here is his story.
Gru had a taxi-boat that ran between Singhburi and Chaiyo. He was quite well off. He once ordained as a Buddhist monk for a short time when he was twenty-two years old. Later, he fell in love with a Chinese woman, Miss Hoon of Ban Paeng. Her parents did not approve the marriage because Gru was Thai. After some Struggling, the couple was able to start their own small convenience store in front of Wat Tanarin in the town of Ban Paeng, because his wife had talent in doing business.
When Gru was twenty-four years old, his wife was pregnant with their first child. He had to go to Bangkok in order to buy some goods, such as coconuts, curry ingredients, peppers, shrimp paste, onions and garlic. On his way back from Bangkok, it was quite chilly and he was sleeping under a canvas near the engine room. The taxi-boat struck a rock at 1.00 a.m. and the boat sank near Ban Potoon. He could not escape because he was under the canvas. People die this way because they are sleeping and cannot free themselves from heavy fabric wrapping around them. Gru did not know what to do. However, in his last second before he was going to die, He vowed:
“I will ordain as a Buddhist monk if can survive.”
After that he could somehow escape from the canvas covering and survive the accident! The water was not deep at all. Its depth was only neck level. The accident happened because the driver fell asleep. The taxi-boat struck some rocks near the shore and turned over. Many people died in that accident. Most of them were inside the room. Some were under some big containers.
Gru came home penniless. He lost his there thousand bath capital. He had never told anyone about his vow that night. That year his daughter, Udom was born. He went on raising his family and never ordained as a monk. He also invited his parent to live with him and they stayed with him. Later, his father ordained as a Buddhist monk and became the abbot of Wat Klongsaibua in Changwat Lopburi. This temple is behind Tepstri Teacher’s College. His father has pass away, but his mother is still alive
As time passed, Udom graduated and worked as a nurse at Woman’s Hospital in Bangkok. In August 1974, she was twenty-four years old and going to marry a lecturer of Piboonwitayalai School in Changwat Lopburi. Gru was forty-eight years old when he had a strange and terrible dream for three consecutive nights. He came to see me and told me about his terrible dream. After I gave him some advice, I took notes and kept them as evidence. We also had other witnesses.
On the first night, he dreamed that some divine beings wanted to take him away.
“Why do you want to take me?” he asked in his dream.”
“Your time is up, you must go with us.”
Gru was very frightened and woke up. He came to Wat Ambhavan with tears in his eyes.
“Luang Poh, I cannot drive today. I am very afraid,” he said.
“What happened”? Tell me.”
“I had a very bad dream last night. Four divine beings dressed in red wanted to take me with them. They pulled at my arms and legs. I told them that I could not go because my children are young. After that I woke up frightened.”
That day we missed our appointment at Kumphangpetch because he could not drive for us.
He had that same dream again on the second night. This time they were carrying a list and said that they had to take him away on that night. Gru begged and begged until finally he woke up. The following day we missed our appointment at Lopburi.
On the third night he dreamed again They held that list and asked him,
“Gru do you know why we have to take you away?”
“ I don’t know Sir. Why do you have take me?” , he said very polite. (He was a polite man who had very good manners.)
“Gru, do you remember the event that happened when you were twenty-four years old. Now your daughter is twenty-four years old and is about to get married. Can you recall it?”
“I can not remember Sir.”
“ The taxi-boat accident that happened when your daughter was as yet unborn. You vowed that you would ordain as a Buddhist monk, but you have never ordained. Now your daughter is twenty-four years old. Why didn’t you keep your promise? You do not keep your word. This is the Law of Karma. The boss ordered us to take you away.”
“Please do not take me because my children are still young. Only my child has graduated. The rest are students and need support from me. Please be kind to us,” he cried.
“No, we must take you.”
However, one divine being who was dressed in red and had a white scarf took pity on him.
“Gru, I feel sorry for you, since your children are young. Can you ordain within next two years? If you can do that, I will not take you away.”
“I cannot ordain because my father is a monk. I am his only son, so I have to look after my family. If I ordain, people will accuse us of living on temple charity,” Gru said,
“It is up to you, but you must ordain within two years. If you do not, you will die from a broken neck in a car accident. As a matter of fact, if you are a monk, you will have no chance to drive any vehicle.”
Gru woke up and came to see me, crying and telling his dream. I suggested to him to ordain.
“Gru, you should ordain as a monk.”
I also took notes of this event. One year passed by and he did not ordain. He continued driving for us. One night, he dreamed that he had terrible pain in his liver. It seemed so real that he woke up feeling pain.
A few days before his daughter’s wedding, he dreamed again.
“Your daughter is twenty-four years old and is going to get married. You must forty-eight years old. You will die painfully because you have not kept your vow,” a divine being said in Gru’s dream.
Dear friends, on one is going to break his neck, but it is the Law of Karma, the result of his broken vow.
He heartily made the vow but he broke it.
I noted that his daughter got married on August 9, 1974 and Gru did not ordain. I told him to ordain, but he refused.
“Luang Nah, this is the rains retreat. No one can ordain at this time. People will gossip because I have family. I have a lot of burdens to carry. My children are young and do not have jobs. Moreover, I borrowed forty thousand baht from my mother to buy a car, but I have returned only twenty thousand baht to her, so I still owe her twenty thousand baht. I cannot ordain.”
I tried to persuade him to ordain before August 9,1975 otherwise he would die. I even prepared all the Buddhist monk requisites for him, such as the three robes and an alms-bowl. I planned to invite Chao Khun Phra Prommoli to be his preceptor.
“I will not ordain,” Gru said.
He also asked me not to tell his mother and his wife about his dream. I had to agree to his request.
“Luang Nah, please do not tell my bad dream to Choa Khun Prommoli either,” he also asked.
“Well! O.K.,” I kept my promise.
Mr. Noon Tamnong, the former principal of the School of Wat Klangtanarin, was listening to his story and also took notes.
Seven days before the two years were up, Gru invited me to have lunch at Wat Klngtanarin every day. ON the seventh day, he talked to me.
“Luang Nah, today I cannot drive for you because I have to drive to a wedding at Amphur Tatago in Changwat Nakornsawan.”
He paid respect to me and his mother and left on that day, I had forgot about his two years time. I went with Chao Khun Wat Klang to Tambon Ban Moa in Amphur Promburi and returned to Wat Ambhavan at 2 p.m.
Mrs.Lee, a goldsmith from Singburi visited me.
“Luang Poh, is Mr. Gru here?,” she asked.
“No, he is not. He drove to a wedding in Amphur Tatago.”
“Oh! No, it must be him whom my employee saw, He is dead!”
“How come!”
“One of my employees has just come back from Nakornsawan. On his way back, he saw Gru’s truck in an accident at Amphur Manorom. He helped the victims and I asked her and other people for more details of the accident.
Here they are:
A Man and a woman were on motorcycle, He decelerated and decided to pass the motorcycle by accelerating his truck. But they made a sudden turn just in front of his truck. He forcefully put on the brakes and he also stuck his head out of the truck in order to warn the passengers sitting in the trunk. The truck turned over and broke his neck. Gru died instantly on the 9th of August 1975, exactly two years after his dream.
He died this way because he did not keep his vow. I helped organize his funeral because his wife, Mrs. Hoon, did not know all his friends, and she could not invite them to the funeral. I presented all the requisites and the three robes I had prepared for Gru, to the monks who chanted at his funeral. I dedicated the merit to Gru in the world of the dead, So he could ordain there.
It is clear that making his vow did not cause his death, but breaking his vow was the cause of it. People who break their vow mostly ended up dying this way. Some die from falling and hitting their head. There are several examples of this case.
This is the sign of death for Mr.Gru Sapthong, who was my follower and died according to his dream. I have evidence and witnesses, Such as Mrs. Hoon, who is still alive.
If Gru had ordained as I suggested, he would not have died because he did not have drive. At his funeral, I told his story to the abbot of Wat Klang. He said that I should have told him and Gru’s family.
“Gru had heartily forbid me to tell you and his mother and I cannot break my promise,” I said.
Mr.Noon Tamnong, the former principal of the School of Wat Klangtanarin, Knew his story but not in details. He told Mr. Noon some part of his story. He asked me to keep some details. I disclosed all the information to Mr. Noon after Gru’s death.
This is an example of the sign of death. Everybody has this sign or nimitta of death that signifies how he is going to die, but he may not pay attention to it. Gru did not pay attention to it and he died the way his sign indicated.
Finally, may all of you who behave morally be blessed with happiness, long life, healthy, fair complexion, mindfulness and wealth. May all of you accomplish what you wish.
(Source: http://www.geocities.com/lotus4th/sign_of_death.htm
Accessed on 25 August 2007)

Read other fascinating true incidents of laws of karma as told by luang phor Jarun: http://www.geocities.com/piyapane/

The Fundamentals of Meditation by Ajahn Plien

2007-08-25T01:05:00.000+08:00

Ajahn Plien is a great teacher and meditation master based in Chiangmai, Thailand. The teachings below have all the hallmark of a bona fide practitioner who instructs from experience. A spiritual teacher must speak from experience, not textbook knowledge.

The Fundamentals of Meditation
The essence of concentration (samadhi) is the study of the heart*. The mind* is cogitating and thinking: pondering about this, wondering about that, turning over assorted problems. Indulging in these suppositions and notions gives the mind no rest. Being aware of the thinking mind is defined (by the Lord Buddha) as mindfulness (sati). The knowledge of the mind occupied in thinking about something is clear comprehension (sampaja��a) and discernment.
We need to train mindfulness and clear comprehension so that they become swift enough to keep up with the mind. If mindfulness is still weak it will be unable to match up against the speed of the mind, and samadhi can’t then progress. The mind can’t be brought together with the selected meditation object*; it can’t concentrate on the in-and out-breathing. Instead it continues on its own way with mindful awareness lagging behind, unable to catch up. We almost manage to bring it in but it then slips away to (thoughts of) ‘America’, and upon following it we find it’s already back in ‘Thailand’….or ‘Germany’ and so on. We can but chase after yet never catch up because mindfulness remains undeveloped and immature. It can’t match the mind. This is the source of problem in the development of our meditation practice. It is therefore essential to improve and cultivate mindfulness. The Cultivation of mindfulness starts from being aware of the current bodily posture. If standing, be mindful of that. Walking, sitting or lying down - - be present with that movement and posture. Bathing, eating or excreting - - be fully aware of what is going on. This constant awareness of bodily actions brings mindfulness and clear comprehension to the forefront.
Once this skill is developed you will become aware of changing postures as different activities occur: working on the job, washing clothes or dishes, reading or writing, sewing or knitting. Whatever you are involved with be present with that activity while you are doing it. Don’t allow the mind to wander away. This is how mindfulness develops in daily life. You will now find mindfulness becoming swifter and sharper, able to recognize and catch the fleeting mind. Wherever your mind may go mindfulness will follow and return with it to the object of meditation. Being more practiced you will now succeed in concentrating on the in-and out-breath. Whenever the mind wanders away you will catch up with it and bring it back together with the breathing. Now skilful and sharp endowed with mindfulness, you will bring the mind and its wayward thinking to reflect on the breathing until it comes into view. At the time the breath is actually seen, the mind is present there together with the breath. Without such vision the mind must be elsewhere – and yet, if you bring them together again you should be able to understand about this. Whatever, if the mind isn’t with the breath it’s off rambling and concocting. Those who can bring the mind to reflect on the breath with relative ease will find that it becomes still quiet with the breath going in and out. There is awareness of a heavier or softer, longer or shorter inhalation and exhalation, as breath succeeds breath. This knowledge and awareness indicate the mind is together with the breath. It should be understood in this way. If it only happens a litter and briefly before separating, then this is define as momentary concentration ( khanika-samadhi). You should then pull the mind back to reflect again on the breath. Together again for a longer period the breath seems much more refined, almost as if there isn’t any at all. You can’t find it! It’s at this point that people fear death: "Where’s my breath gone?" "It was here just now…." And so they come out of samadhi. They withdraw being afraid they will die. Don’t go and be so afraid. The breathing is still there only it’s extremely subtle and refined. But there’s no need to go searching for it. Direct you mindfulness and discernment to the mind and return it to the meditation object. Go and examine: exactly where does the heart or mind have its origin ? Where does its thinking arise ? What is the feeling of happiness and contentment currently been experience like ? At that moment you have found the heat. Now direct it to the chest area or some such point. Place the pleasant feeling which the heart is experiencing there, and support it with your mindfulness and discernment. Keep your reflection there, let that be where any ‘thinking’ occurs. In this way a deeper, more profound tranquillity will develop until the level of access concentration (upacara samadhi) is reached.
At this point some people may experience a bright radiance. But if nothing happens for you, don’t feel discouragement. The practice of meditation is not concern with the desire to see any manifestations. Don’t fabricate any expectations about seeing a bright light or any such thing. Do not speculate about what may be going to happen. The state of tranquillity will develop in its own way and whatever happens, happens. Never crave for a vision of heaven and hell for that type of wishful thinking will itself block any approach to tranquillity.
Anyone who find concentration easy to manage will certainly experience ease and happiness as soon as the heart is still and tranquil. You will realize for the first time what happiness is all about. This state must also include rapture (piti) though it may manifest in a different manner for different people. Your hair may tingle all over and ‘stand on end’; or a sense of coolness refreshes the heart; or you may feel as if enveloped in soft cotton wool; or as though a flash of lighting precedes the coolness; or the body seems so light and buoyant that it might float away. The meditation teacher can’t order or control this sort of experience. They are termed ‘the buoyant body and the buoyant mind.’. Why should the calm mind be so light and buoyant ? It’s because it has released the hindrances (nivarana) and is free of such burdens. Endeavor to support and sustain this state of mind. I would like you to bypass the affair of voices heard in this state. They sound a bit indistinct like over long distance telephone lines. You may actually seem to see and hear both local and distant conversations concerning yourself. However they cut off when the mind either goes deeper or withdraw from that particular level of calm. The mind just happened to be properly tuned in, so don’t go around boasting of your clairaudience or clairvision. Some people may not want to experience such images but whatever appear depends on the nature of the concentrated mind itself. On leaving these things behind the tranquillity deepens, by the hour, the physical body will seem to drop completely away. No arms or legs: you don’t notice your hands or body. Wherever are they ? There’s the temptation to open your eyes to check but don’t bother about doing that. Never mind about those things. Come and look closely at your heart to check what object it rests with, and sustain it there. Tremendous happiness is prominent and vividly present. This is attainment concentration (apana samadhi) where the mind is enraptured and engrossed in that buoyant state, free from all hindrances. There is no hunger or thirst, no wanting of any external object only the desire to stay with that happiness, never experienced before. This spiritual happiness attained through samadhi puts all gross worldly affairs and desires out of mind; business and work concerns are completely thrown out.
Should attainment concentration continue in sublime happiness letting go of all else, then it is called absorption (jhana) . This serenity is only a litter different from the state of equanimity (upekkha). At this point, the question of other people comes up : ‘has anyone else experienced what I have?’ ‘How can they manage to do so ? ‘ this is the time to be extra careful so that you don’t start flaunting your knowledge. It’s all too easy to become sidetracked here so stay prepared and alert to this matter. Many people go off the rails and become crazy, telling all and sundry, "It’s such real happiness…..You must do this ! ….You should do that!…." Forestall this with mindfulness and discernment. Don’t go around preaching --- you’re not enlightened yet. Examine and remember the sequence of steps you have taken to achieve this level of samadhi. Next time you will then be able to retrace the way with ease and greater skill. Notice how you establish mindfulness and clear comprehension right from the beginning of your practice. How was the mind placed ? What was developed and what disregarded ? When the deeper level of samadhi was reached, how was the mind sustained in attainment concentration ? When coming again to the practice you will immediately be able to deal with anything that intrudes. Such things are disposed of in the same way as before and the previous state becomes established again. A person skilled in this way will be proficient in doing this under any circumstances; travelling by car, ship or plane, wherever he might be sitting. Whichever country, it’s all the same. Once expert in entering and withdrawing from meditation it all seems easily and swiftly accomplished. The hindrances no longer come into the picture at all.
There are some people though who find it difficult to concentrate their minds. No matter how they try, the mind always seems to wander away. They should keep mindfulness on the mind’s trail until it tires. It really can’t escape for it is stuck on thinking about money or a car, or a house, or the children or grandchildren and near friends. As soon as it fastens onto some such object, mindfulness and discernment must follow and catch it there. Interrogate it immediately about its possessiveness; "Why be so grasping and attached to this (for example) house ? Is it even yours ? " The answer will come back, "certainly, it’s mine." Mindfulness and wisdom must then probe and examine the mind with, "Then when you die will you take it with you ?" If it should admit the impossibility of that, then follow up with, "Then why be so preoccupied with it; it’s solidly built and isn’t going to run away." The mind must be reprimanded and when necessary brought to order by intimidation. Such threats will leave the mind baffled and dazed and it can then be led back to the meditation object, concentrating on the breathing. This is the way of wisdom developing samadhi, for those who find concentration difficult. It means using the right and most appropriate tactic, the best skilful means that accords with the situation.
Once the mind is together with the meditation object it is time to curb and restrain it there. Sustain it without allowing it to break away. On occasion though, the mind will also deserve approval and praise. For instance the wish to go and meditate arise even in the midst of unfinished work. Try to nourish that intention by speedily tying up any work which left undone might remain a cause of uneasiness. However as no task is ever complete settled, as soon as the right pause or lull appears rewards the mind’s desire by quickly going away. Take the break sitting samadhi in your room or think of a way to get away, like escaping via the bathroom. For it’s when the mind wants to concentrate that the calm and tranquillity will develop with special facility, backed by the full force of faith. Any preoccupation will automatically be cut aside.
The stilled mind brings happiness without any drawbacks or anxieties. It is content in itself. It’s as if one likes the climate and atmosphere of some cave, forest or shady spot. The cool breeze blows and one feels relaxed and quickly becomes at ease. So the praise worthy state of mind wishing to meditate must be encouraged to do so. If at night time the mind is very tranquil then continue on with the practice until midnight. And if it still progresses then don’t quit but develop it further to perfect serenity. It will deepen and establish itself more and more firmly, on a more and more profound level. Don’t stop now. This is the time when you’ll recognize how far your meditation has developed.
With this accomplishment you can now go to bed. After offering respect to the Lord Buddha lie down and recollect the steps you have taken to tranquillity and sleep together with that. On awakening the mind will immediate go to the meditation object and that level of samadhi. I myself practice in this way. The mind will automatically be drawn and concentrated deeper and deeper at the place it knows. With constant development and with genuine samadhi there will absolutely no dreaming during sleep. Once awake again the mind knows its duty and this is what we call mindfulness and clear comprehension. They are there to unremitting uphold and care for the heart. You have to understand about the trained mind. When it needs to be chided, you must chide it. When it needs disciplining then do so and sustain it when it needs supporting. And when it’s commendable then applaud it. It’s like confronting one’s disobedient children. One takes hold of their arm without releasing until they accept. When they listen to one, are good and study diligently then they should be rewarded with praise. The mind is similar in that it resists if one continually uses force, so you must also soothe and coax it along. Being bullied, it might refuse to study, to work; it becomes weak and lazy. But with praise and encouragement it will work all day, our employee need this treatment too. The assistant in our shop sells our merchandise for us, helps us with out work and to earn our livelihood. We can’t simply bully and be on their back all the time. They also need care and attention, kind and solicitous words. However, if a mistake is made they will still need telling and correcting. Bullying will only work and livelihood.
The child is quiet and still because of wise handling on the part of the parents. They don’t solely punish and bully for otherwise the child may fail in his studies or even have a nervous breakdown. The serene mind also needs similar treatment with mindfulness and wisdom carefully watching over and correcting it. Mindful discernment – this is the resource to use. The more the better.
Mindfulness also supervises speech. Defilement’s come in many forms so we need to be aware of what we are saying. By talking in such a way, is it beneficial ? Is it well justified ? For example, is what I am saying right now useful to anyone ? Does it offer happiness and is it worthwhile ? Holding forth without mindfulness supervising means you will blunder and go astray. In the beginning we all have to make mistakes so the first thing is to recognize that and then it can be corrected.
After dealing with speech you come to your thought. Be aware of unwholesome thinking and know when it’s good. Thoughts going in a bad direction must be held back; you must keep them on the right track. The mental process need to supervised and cut off when necessary. Let go of evil thoughts. Fix your mind on skilful thinking in every posture – standing, walking, sitting, lying down. Then happiness will arise. Once you realize this the mind will diligently apply itself in the wholesome direction and accumulate virtue. Comparing this with something on the strictly material plane, it’s similar to making roads, cars, aircraft, ship or clothes etc. Careful and skilful thoughts will result in good, favourable products which will sell well and make your fortune. So with the mind. Good thoughts make your mind buoyant and happy, whereas evil thoughts will result in suffering. If you do not produce good products they will not sell. If you say bad things, you will soon be quarreling and fighting. Then suffering will certainly appear for anger and hatred can only bring distress.
The meditation of everyday life will bring happiness when you are continually aware of whatever activity you’re engaged in. Watch; while standing, walking, sitting, lying down, eating, going to the bathroom, washing your hands. Notice the mind thinking and see with what topic it calms down. No matter what you do be conscious of doing it. People like this meditate all the time. Cooking or washing dishes – it’s the practice of samadhi. They concentrate their mind while walking to the bathroom, while using the toilet. Contemplating and being aware of the mind – this is unfailing meditation. There’s no need to lock yourself away to meditate, the wise person will be able to do so at any time. This is what I would also advise you to do. Don’t continually wait for the appointed time – develop samadhi as you read this book, as you write or sew or even while you cut your finger nails. Be mindful and concentrate on the thing in hand and rest your mind with it. But keep away from unwholesome things for such thinking will bring distress instead. People who diligently watch over their mind in this way, who are aware of the mind at every moment – except when in sleep - - will always be serene and at peace.
The enlightened being (ariya) and our venerable teachers (acharn) practice in this way. Their minds are always concentrated. They converse and it’s still samadhi because their heart doesn’t go out to take issue or bother anybody. Mindfulness and wisdom supervises the whole process so that even a chat together becomes samadhi. Those venerable acharns who recently were killed in a plane crash were prepared for death. Their minds were endowed with samadhi and ready to die without fear at any moment. Wisdom was always composed and present to sustain the mind through any eventually. They were prepared to die at any time, and being always aware of the potential for death they could simply abandon their bodies at the actual time without any distress.
Those people who have never practiced meditation or developed samadhi may find such things hard to believe. If they don’t know what their own minds are truly like through meditation, then they can’t be expected to comprehend things anyway. To them it is impossible for anyone to train his mind because it keeps changing all the time. When the mind grasps onto suffering, we suffer; when it holds to happiness, we’re content. For those acharns the mind was released and serene.
If the mind dwells in samadhi then we meditate all the time. I’ve been contemplating this and really consider the teaching of the Lord Buddha to be very deep and profound, so subtle and intricate. It becomes clear how the purity of mind of those perfectly practiced and accomplished acharns might even suffuse their bones too. Why have the bone fragments found in the burned-out cremation pyre of the venerable Phra Ajahn Mun* now become crystal like, clean and white relics ? The purity is not only a thing of the mind - - it seems to affect the very bones as well. Bones are bones but this is something more. It’s about nibbana isn’t it ? How deep and unfathomable this is !
Buddhism is so profound. Other religions are fine too in their own way. If anyone wants to follow a religion then one can’t say anything about that. It’s definitely their own affair. We should be aware of the different qualities - - parisannuta - - of different groups so we can pass among various communities in different countries without quarreling or disputing about any issue.
(Source: http://www.budsas.org/ebud/ebmed049.htm
Accessed on 25 August 2007)