Upasika Kee: Observing the Breath

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)

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

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?

Website of the Month - Mahasati Meditation

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.

S.N. Goenka on Mindfulness or Vipassana meditation

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.

Meditation is so easy for a child (video)

Convince if this is the new Maitreya? :)

The Place of Vipassana in Buddhist Practice by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

"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

Satipatthana by Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw

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

Luang phor Jarun on vipassana meditation

"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.

The Fundamentals of Meditation by Ajahn Plien

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)