Everything is naturally perfect just as it is.

All phenomena appear in their uniqueness as part of the continually changing pattern. These patterns are vibrant with meaning and significance at every moment; yet there is no
significance to attach to such meanings beyond the moment in which they
present themselves.

This is the dance of the five elements in which matter is
a symbol of energy and energy a symbol of emptiness. We are a symbol of
our own enlightenment.

With no effort or practice whatsoever, liberation or enlightenment is already
here.

The everyday practice of Dzogchen is just everyday life itself.

Since the undeveloped state does not exist, there is no need to behave in any special
way or attempt to attain anything above and beyond what you actually are.
There should be no feeling of striving to reach some ‘amazing goal’ or
‘advanced state.’ To strive for such a state is a neurosis which only
conditions us and serves to obstruct the free flow of Mind.

We should also avoid thinking of ourselves as worthless persons – we are naturally free and
unconditioned. We are intrinsically enlightened and lack nothing. When
engaging in meditation practice, we should feel it to be as natural as eating,
breathing and defecating. It should not become a specialized or formal event,
bloated with seriousness and solemnity.

We should realize that meditation transcends effort, practice, aims, goals and the duality of liberation and nonliberation.

Meditation is always ideal; there is no need to correct anything.
Since everything that arises is simply the play of the mind as such, there is
no unsatisfactory meditation and no need to judge thoughts as good or bad.

Therefore we should simply sit. Simply stay in your own place, in your own
condition just as it is.

Forgetting self-conscious feelings, we do not have to
think ‘I am meditating’

Our practice should be without effort, without strain,
without attempts to control or force and without trying to become ‘peaceful’. If
we find that we are disturbing ourselves in any of these ways, we stop
meditating and simply rest or relax for a while. Then we resume our
meditation.

If we have ‘interesting experiences’ either during or after
meditation we should avoid making anything special of them. To spend time
thinking about experiences is simply a distraction and an attempt to become
unnatural. These experiences are simply signs of practice and should be
regarded as transient events. We should not attempt to re-experience them
because to do so only serves to distort the natural spontaneity of Mind.
All phenomena are completely new and fresh, absolutely unique and entirely
free from all concepts of past, present and future. They are experienced in
timelessness.

The continual stream of new discovery, revelation and
inspiration which arises at every moment is the manifestation of our clarity.

We should learn to see everyday life as mandala – the luminous fringes of
experience, which radiate spontaneously from the empty nature of our being.
The aspects of our mandala are the day-to-day objects of our life experience
moving in the dance or play of the universe. By this symbolism the inner
teacher reveals the profound and ultimate significance of being.

Therefore we should be natural and spontaneous, accepting and learning from everything.
This enables us to see the ironic and amusing side of events that usually
irritate us. In meditation we can see through the illusion of past, present and
future – our experience becomes the continuity of nowness. The past is only
an unreliable memory held in the present. The future is only a projection of
our present conceptions. The present itself vanishes as soon as we try to
grasp it. So why bother with attempting to establish an illusion of solid
ground? We should free ourselves from our present memories and
preconceptions of meditation. Each moment of meditation is completely
unique and full of potentiality. In such moments, we will be incapable of
judging our meditation in terms of past experience, dry theory of hollow
rhetoric. Simply plunging directly into meditation in the moment now, with our
whole being, free from hesitation, boredom or excitement, is – Enlightenment

May all beings receiving this note also receive happiness and the causes of happiness;
May they all be free of suffering, and the causes of suffering;
May they not be seperated from the bliss that is without suffering;
May they dwell in equanimity, free from attachment, hate, and aversion.

Any merit accumulated from this note is instantly dedicated to all sentient beings liberation.

Tsoru Dechen Chokhor Ling Vajrayana Buddhist Center
3239 West Trade Avenue # 10
Miami, Fl. 33133

Meditations every Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 8:00 p.m.
Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

Our root guru is His Eminence Tulku Tsori Rinpoche
For more information call Daniel 305-775-7541 or Jorge 786-556-3040
http://ytdr.org/en/
www.childrensmonastery.org

Listen to this audio dharma talk here:
http://www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/

In the early centuries after the Buddha’s passing away, as Buddhism became a popular religion, the idea was formalized that there were three paths to awakening to choose from: the path to awakening as a disciple of a Buddha (s›vaka); the path to awakening as a private Buddha (pacceka-buddha), i.e., one who attained awakening on his own but was not able to teach the path of practice to others; and the path to awakening as a Rightly Self-awakened Buddha (samm› sambuddha). Each path was defined as consisting of perfections (p›ramı) of character, but there was a question as to what those perfections were and how the paths differed from one another. The Therav›dins, for instance, specified ten perfections, and organized their J›taka collection so that it culminated in ten tales, each illustrating one of the perfections. The Sarv›stiv›dins, on the other hand, specified six perfections, and organized their J›taka collection accordingly.

Download the entire teaching here: http://www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/Writings/StudyGuides/TheTenPerfections.pdf

The Noble Eightfold Path describes the way to the end of suffering, as it was laid out by Siddhartha Gautama. It is a practical guideline to ethical and mental development with the goal of freeing the individual from attachments and delusions; and it finally leads to understanding the truth about all things. Together with the Four Noble Truths it constitutes the gist of Buddhism. Great emphasis is put on the practical aspect, because it is only through practice that one can attain a higher level of existence and finally reach Nirvana. The eight aspects of the path are not to be understood as a sequence of single steps, instead they are highly interdependent principles that have to be seen in relationship with each other.

1. Right View

Right view is the beginning and the end of the path, it simply means to see and to understand things as they really are and to realize the Four Noble Truth. As such, right view is the cognitive aspect of wisdom. It means to see things through, to grasp the impermanent and imperfect nature of worldly objects and ideas, and to understand the law of karma and karmic conditioning. Right view is not necessarily an intellectual capacity, just as wisdom is not just a matter of intelligence. Instead, right view is attained, sustained, and enhanced through all capacities of mind. It begins with the intuitive insight that all beings are subject to suffering and it ends with complete understanding of the true nature of all things. Since our view of the world forms our thoughts and our actions, right view yields right thoughts and right actions.

2. Right Intention

While right view refers to the cognitive aspect of wisdom, right intention refers to the volitional aspect, i.e. the kind of mental energy that controls our actions. Right intention can be described best as commitment to ethical and mental self-improvement. Buddha distinguishes three types of right intentions: 1. the intention of renunciation, which means resistance to the pull of desire, 2. the intention of good will, meaning resistance to feelings of anger and aversion, and 3. the intention of harmlessness, meaning not to think or act cruelly, violently, or aggressively, and to develop compassion.

3. Right Speech

Right speech is the first principle of ethical conduct in the eightfold path. Ethical conduct is viewed as a guideline to moral discipline, which supports the other principles of the path. This aspect is not self-sufficient, however, essential, because mental purification can only be achieved through the cultivation of ethical conduct. The importance of speech in the context of Buddhist ethics is obvious: words can break or save lives, make enemies or friends, start war or create peace. Buddha explained right speech as follows: 1. to abstain from false speech, especially not to tell deliberate lies and not to speak deceitfully, 2. to abstain from slanderous speech and not to use words maliciously against others, 3. to abstain from harsh words that offend or hurt others, and 4. to abstain from idle chatter that lacks purpose or depth. Positively phrased, this means to tell the truth, to speak friendly, warm, and gently and to talk only when necessary.

4. Right Action

The second ethical principle, right action, involves the body as natural means of expression, as it refers to deeds that involve bodily actions. Unwholesome actions lead to unsound states of mind, while wholesome actions lead to sound states of mind. Again, the principle is explained in terms of abstinence: right action means 1. to abstain from harming sentient beings, especially to abstain from taking life (including suicide) and doing harm intentionally or delinquently, 2. to abstain from taking what is not given, which includes stealing, robbery, fraud, deceitfulness, and dishonesty, and 3. to abstain from sexual misconduct. Positively formulated, right action means to act kindly and compassionately, to be honest, to respect the belongings of others, and to keep sexual relationships harmless to others. Further details regarding the concrete meaning of right action can be found in the Precepts.

5. Right Livelihood

Right livelihood means that one should earn one’s living in a righteous way and that wealth should be gained legally and peacefully. The Buddha mentions four specific activities that harm other beings and that one should avoid for this reason: 1. dealing in weapons, 2. dealing in living beings (including raising animals for slaughter as well as slave trade and prostitution), 3. working in meat production and butchery, and 4. selling intoxicants and poisons, such as alcohol and drugs. Furthermore any other occupation that would violate the principles of right speech and right action should be avoided.

6. Right Effort

Right effort can be seen as a prerequisite for the other principles of the path. Without effort, which is in itself an act of will, nothing can be achieved, whereas misguided effort distracts the mind from its task, and confusion will be the consequence. Mental energy is the force behind right effort; it can occur in either wholesome or unwholesome states. The same type of energy that fuels desire, envy, aggression, and violence can on the other side fuel self-discipline, honesty, benevolence, and kindness. Right effort is detailed in four types of endeavors that rank in ascending order of perfection: 1. to prevent the arising of unarisen unwholesome states, 2. to abandon unwholesome states that have already arisen, 3. to arouse wholesome states that have not yet arisen, and 4. to maintain and perfect wholesome states already arisen.

7. Right Mindfulness

Right mindfulness is the controlled and perfected faculty of cognition. It is the mental ability to see things as they are, with clear consciousness. Usually, the cognitive process begins with an impression induced by perception, or by a thought, but then it does not stay with the mere impression. Instead, we almost always conceptualize sense impressions and thoughts immediately. We interpret them and set them in relation to other thoughts and experiences, which naturally go beyond the facticity of the original impression. The mind then posits concepts, joins concepts into constructs, and weaves those constructs into complex interpretative schemes. All this happens only half consciously, and as a result we often see things obscured. Right mindfulness is anchored in clear perception and it penetrates impressions without getting carried away. Right mindfulness enables us to be aware of the process of conceptualization in a way that we actively observe and control the way our thoughts go. Buddha accounted for this as the four foundations of mindfulness: 1. contemplation of the body, 2. contemplation of feeling (repulsive, attractive, or neutral), 3. contemplation of the state of mind, and 4. contemplation of the phenomena.

8. Right Concentration

The eighth principle of the path, right concentration, refers to the development of a mental force that occurs in natural consciousness, although at a relatively low level of intensity, namely concentration. Concentration in this context is described as one-pointedness of mind, meaning a state where all mental faculties are unified and directed onto one particular object. Right concentration for the purpose of the eightfold path means wholesome concentration, i.e. concentration on wholesome thoughts and actions. The Buddhist method of choice to develop right concentration is through the practice of meditation. The meditating mind focuses on a selected object. It first directs itself onto it, then sustains concentration, and finally intensifies concentration step by step. Through this practice it becomes natural to apply elevated levels concentration also in everyday situations.

Taken from: http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/eightfoldpath.html

Discipline is for the sake of restraint,
restraint for the sake of freedom from remorse,
freedom from remorse for the sake of joy,
joy for the sake of rapture,
rapture for the sake of tranquillity,
tranquillity for the sake of pleasure,
pleasure for the sake of concentration,
concentration for the sake of knowledge
and vision of things as they are,
knowledge and vision of things as they are
for the sake of disenchantment,
disenchantment for the sake of release,
release for the sake of knowledge and vision of release,
knowledge and vision of release
for the sake of total unbinding without clinging.
— Parivaara.XII.2 (BMC p.1)

(The Five Wonderful Mindfulness Trainings below are Zen Master Thich Nhat’s Hanh’s translation of the 5 basic precepts as taught by the Buddha Shakyamuni. The Buddha offered these precepts to both his ordained and lay followers so that they could have clear guidelines to lead mindful and joyful lives on the path to awakening. Thich Nhat Hanh has updated the precepts so that they are beautifully appropriate and relevant in today’s society. In his book entitled “For a Future to be Possible”, Thich Nhat Hanh describes in detail how the Five Wonderful Mindfulness Trainings can be used by anyone in today’s world to create a more harmonious and peaceful life.)

The First Mindfulness Training:
Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I vow to cultivate compassion and learn ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to condone any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, and in my way of life.

Thich Nhat Hanh has a commentary on the 1st Precept.

The Second Mindfulness Training:
Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing and oppression, I vow to cultivate loving kindness and learn ways to work for the well being of people, animals, plants and minerals. I vow to practice generosity by sharing my time, energy and material resources with those who are in real need. I am determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others. I will respect the property of others, but I will prevent others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other species on Earth.

Thich Nhat Hanh has a commentary on the 2nd Precept.

The Third Mindfulness Training:
Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I vow to cultivate responsibility and learn ways to protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples, families and society. I am determined not to engage in sexual relations without love and a long-term commitment. To preserve the happiness of myself and others, I am determined to respect my commitments and the commitments of others. I will do everything in my power to protect children from sexual abuse and to prevent couples and families from being broken by sexual misconduct.

Thich Nhat Hanh has a commentary on the 3rd Precept.

The Fourth Mindfulness Training:
Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to others, I vow to cultivate loving speech and deep listening in order to bring joy and happiness to others and relieve others of their suffering. Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I vow to learn to speak truthfully, with words that inspire self-confidence, joy and hope. I am determined not to spread news that I do not know to be certain and not to criticize or condemn things of which I am not sure. I will refrain from uttering words that can cause division or discord, or that can cause the family or community to break. I will make all efforts to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small.

Thich Nhat Hanh has a commentary on the 4th Precept.

The Fifth Mindfulness Training:
Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I vow to cultivate good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and my society by practicing mindful eating, drinking and consuming. I vow to ingest only items that preserve peace, well-being and joy in my body, in my consciousness, and in the collective body and consciousness of my family and society. I am determined not to use alcohol or any other intoxicant or to ingest foods or other items that contain toxins, such as certain TV programs, magazines, books, films and conversations. I am aware that to damage my body or my consciousness with these poisons is to betray my ancestors, my parents, my society and future generations. I will work to transform violence, fear, anger and confusion in myself and in society by practicing a diet for myself and for society. I understand that a proper diet is crucial for self-transformation and for the transformation of society.

Thich Nhat Hanh has a commentary on the 5th Precept.
(Excerpted from “For a Future to Be Possible: Commentaries on the Five Wonderful Precepts” (1993) by Thich Nhat Hanh, with permission of Parallax Press, Berkeley, California.)

Last updated January 21st, 2004.

Taken from: http://dharma.ncf.ca/introduction/precepts.html

This is what should be done
By one who is skilled in goodness,
And who knows the path of peace:
Let them be able and upright,
Straightforward and gentle in speech.
Humble and not conceited,
Contented and easily satisfied.
Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.
Peaceful and calm, and wise and skillful,
Not proud and demanding in nature.
Let them not do the slightest thing
That the wise would later reprove.
Wishing: In gladness and in saftey,
May all beings be at ease.
Whatever living beings there may be;
Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,
The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,
The seen and the unseen,
Those living near and far away,
Those born and to-be-born,
May all beings be at ease!

Let none deceive another,
Or despise any being in any state.
Let none through anger or ill-will
Wish harm upon another.
Even as a mother protects with her life
Her child, her only child,
So with a boundless heart
Should one cherish all living beings:
Radiating kindness over the entire world
Spreading upwards to the skies,
And downwards to the depths;
Outwards and unbounded,
Freed from hatred and ill-will.
Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down
Free from drowsiness,
One should sustain this recollection.
This is said to be the sublime abiding.
By not holding to fixed views,
The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision,
Being freed from all sense desires,
Is not born again into this world.

Chapter 1. THE BUDDHIST WORLDVIEW

First, let me talk to the Buddhist practitioners in the audience about the proper motivation for listening to lectures on religion. A good motivation is important. The reason why we are discussing these matters is certainly not money, fame, or any other aspect of our livelihood during this life. There are plenty of activities that can bring these. The main reason why we have come here stems from a long-term concern.

It is a fact that everybody wants happiness and does not want suffering; there is no argument about this. But there is disagreement about how to achieve happiness and how to overcome problems. There are many types of happiness and many ways to achieve them, and there are also many types of sufferings and ways to overcome them. As Buddhists, however, we aim not merely for temporary relief and temporary beneÞt but for long-term results. Buddhists are concerned not only for this life but for life after life, on and on. We count not weeks or months or even years, but lives and eons.

Money has its uses, but it is limited. Among worldly powers and possessions, there are, doubtless, good things, but they are limited. However, from a Buddhist viewpoint, mental development will continue from life to life, because the nature of mind is such that if certain mental qualities are developed on a sound basis, they always remain and, not only that, can increase. In fact, once properly developed, good qualities of mind eventually increase inÞnitely. Therefore spiritual practice brings both long-term happiness and more inner strength day by day.

So keep your mind on the topics being discussed; listen with a pure motivation-without sleep! My main motivation is a sincere feeling for others, and concern for others’ welfare.

Behavior and View

Meditation is needed in developing mental qualities. The mind is definitely something that can be transformed, and meditation is a means to transform it. Meditation is the activity of familiarizing your mind with something new. Basically, it means getting used to the object on which you are meditating.

Meditation is of two types-analytical and stabilizing. First, an object is analyzed, after which the mind is set one-pointedly on the same object in stabilizing meditation. Within analytical meditation, there are also two types:

1. Something, such as impermanence, is taken as the object of the mind and is meditated upon;
2. A mental attitude is cultivated through meditation, as in cultivating love, in which case the mind becomes of the nature of that mental attitude.

To understand the purpose of meditation, it is helpful to divide spiritual practices into view and behavior. The main factor is behavior, for this is what decides both one’s own and others’ happiness in the future. In order for behavior to be pure and complete, it is necessary to have a proper view. Behavior must be well-founded in reason, and thus a proper philosophical view is necessary.

What is the main goal of Buddhist practices concerning behavior? It is to tame one’s mental continuum-to become nonviolent. In Buddhism, the vehicles, or modes of practice, are generally divided into the Great Vehicle and the Hearer Vehicle. The Great Vehicle is primarily concerned with the altruistic compassion of helping others, and the Hearer Vehicle is primarily concerned with the nonharming of others. Thus, the root of all of the Buddhist teaching is compassion. The excellent doctrine of the Buddha has its root in compassion, and the Buddha who teaches these doctrines is even said to be born from compassion. The chief quality of a buddha is great compassion; this attitude of nurturing and helping others is the reason why it is appropriate to take refuge in a buddha.

The Sangha, or virtuous community, consists of those who, practicing the doctrine properly, assist others to gain refuge. People in the Sangha have four special qualities: if someone harms them, they do not respond with harm; if someone displays anger to them, they do not react with anger; if someone insults them, they do not answer with insult; and if someone accuses them, they do not retaliate. This is the behavior of a monk or nun, the root of which is compassion; thus, the main qualities of the spiritual community also stem from compassion. In this way, the three refuges for a Buddhist-Buddha, doctrine, and spiritual community-all have their root in compassion. All religions are the same in having powerful systems of good advice with respect to the practice of compassion. The basic behavior of nonviolence, motivated by compassion, is needed not only in our daily lives but also nation to nation, throughout the world.

From Chapter 4. THE VALUE OF ALTRUISM

The other technique for developing altruism is called equalizing and switching self and other. Here, one should investigate which side is important, oneself or others. Choose. There is no other choice — only these two. Who is more important, you or others? Others are greater in number than you, who are just one; others are inÞnite. It is clear that neither wants suVering and both want happiness, and that both have every right to achieve happiness and to overcome suVering because both are sentient beings.

If we ask, “Why do I have the right to be happy?” the ultimate reason is, “Because I want happiness.” There is no further reason. We have a natural and valid feeling of I, on the basis of which we want happiness. This alone is the valid foundation of our right to strive for happiness; it is a human right, and a right of all sentient beings. Now, if one has such a right to overcome suVering, then other sentient beings naturally have the same right. In addition, all sentient beings are basically endowed with the capacity to overcome suVering. The only diVerence is that oneself is single, whereas others are in the majority. Hence, the conclusion is clear; if even a small problem, a small suVering, befalls others, its range is inÞnite, whereas when something happens to oneself, it is limited to just one single person. When we view others as sentient beings too in this way, oneself seems not so important.

Let me describe how this is practiced in meditation. This is my own practice, and I frequently speak about it to others. Imagine that in front of you on one side is your old, selÞsh I and that on the other side is a group of poor, needy people. And you yourself are in the middle as a neutral person, a third party. Then, judge which is more important — whether you should join this selÞsh, self-centered, stupid person or these poor, needy, helpless people. If you have a human heart, naturally you will be drawn to the side of the needy beings.

This type of reßective contemplation will help in developing an altruistic attitude; you gradually will realize how bad selÞsh behavior is. You yourself, up to now, have been behaving this way, but now you realize how bad you were. Nobody wants to be a bad person; if someone says, “You are a bad person,” we feel very angry. Why? The main reason is simply that we do not want to be bad. If we really do not want to be a bad person, then the means to avoid it is in our own hands. If we train in the behavior of a good person, we will become good. Nobody else has the right to put a person in the categories of good or bad; noone has that kind of power.

The ultimate source of peace in the family, the country, and the world is altruism — compassion and love. Contemplation of this fact also helps tremendously to develop altruism. Meditating on these techniques as much as possible engenders conviction, desire, and determination. When with such determination you try, try, try, day by day, month by month, year by year, we can improve ourselves. With altruistic motivation every action accumulates good virtues — the limitless power of salutary merit.

Taken from: http://www.perryland.com/Noteworthy6.shtml

By Chan Master Sheng Yen
Translation by Hao-De Zou

The Meaning of Life is to Fulfill One’s Duties and be Responsible

Many people ask me, “What is the intrinsic quality of life? What is the meaning of life? Where is the value in life? What is the purpose of life?”

The meaning of life is to fulfill one’s duties and be responsible. In the journey of life – from birth, to old age, to death – every person plays different roles. For example, children grow up to be parents and students become teachers. You may be a supervisor, an employee as well as a friend. All of these are duties – ethical relationships shared between people.

When duties are not fulfilled, it is said that the roles are “neither fish nor fowl”. This is a term used to describe strange phenomena. When looking at ourselves from an ethical perspective, we often discover that we are “neither fish nor fowl”.

The Value of Life is to Offer and to Contribute

What is the value of life? Many believe that fame, status, power and wealth make a person highly valuable. However, are any of these real indications of value? Yes and no. The answer depends on how much the person has contributed to society. Where there is no contribution, a person with status, wealth and fame is of limited value.

Offering and contributing also begin by fulfilling one’s duties in different roles, taking on responsibility and putting forward contributions.

In this world there are not many people that are directly related to us. If you were to write out the names of all those who have a direct relationship with you from the first moment you can remember, how many would you have? Probably not many. Very few people will be able to write out one thousand names of those who are directly related to them. There are only a handful of friends and relatives that one can think of. When it comes to people who are indirectly related to oneself, then the figure will increase enormously.

When we talk about responsibilities, it is usually about being responsible for certain matters to a small number or specific group of people. Contribution, on the other hand, is completely different. Whether or not an active role is required, whatever the situation, whoever it is, there is always a chance to contribute in relationships both direct and indirect.

For instance, if you are walking on the street and you see a child wanting to cross the road, you are under no obligation to help him cross safely, but this is an opportunity for you to make a contribution. In many cases people will think, “That child will have no problem crossing the road alone. Besides, I’m in a hurry and have no time.” But if a car suddenly hit that child, would you not regret it considering that you had the opportunity to save that child’s life?

Bearing the Task of Contribution

Thus, contributing is not necessarily restricted to that of our direct relationships, but rather its scope can be large or small; its effects near or far. The scope may be as vast as the entire world extending to all sentient beings. We should shoulder and bear this task of offering and contributing. The meaning of life is to fulfill one’s duties and responsibilities, and so long as one completes their own tasks, that is sufficient. But it is more than that: Performing one’s basic duties cannot be considered a great contribution.

When I was studying in Japan, my late master, Venerable Master Tung Chu, came upon several Taipei Temples in the midst of disputes over land rights and power. He wrote me a letter saying, “Buddhism is currently in a pitiful state. Nobody is undertaking the task of spreading the Dharma but fighting over the property rights of monasteries.” The dispute also involved government claims that since the monasteries were built by the Japanese during their occupation, they were assets of the enemy and should have been returned to the government. Despite this my master encouraged me by saying, “While everyone is fighting over the monasteries, no one is thinking about saving Buddhism by using the Buddha Dharma to save the minds of the people. It is our responsibility to save the future of Buddhism.”

The effort made by Buddhist circles to save monasteries was of little value. Rather, the fundamental solution is to nurture professional Dharma teachers who can make more effective contributions to society. Buddhism has made remarkable contributions to contemporary Taiwan and it is the existence of Buddhism itself, not just its monasteries, that is of real value.

Recently, Nung Chan Monastery fell victim to the Typhoon Herbo disaster. The monastery suffered enormous losses over the two days when it was flooded in one meter deep water. Despite this, I said to all the disciples of Dharma Drum Mountain, “Although we are flooded, there is still a need to rally our followers island-wide to respond to the calls for the disaster relief of others.” As a result, a fund amounting to three million Taiwanese dollars was collected. This is but one example of how Dharma Drum Mountain may be of positive value to society as a Buddhist organization.

Similarly, over the past few years Dharma Drum Mountain Nung Chan Monastery has facilitated a number of activity camps for students at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Also, we have organized a number of meditation retreats of various levels – such as “Chan Meditation Retreat for Teachers” and “Chan Meditation Retreat for Professionals” – aimed at high school teachers, management personnel of tertiary institutions as well as professionals in industry.

At the “Chan Meditation Retreat for Tertiary Institution Management Personnel”, participants included tertiary institution principals, heads of departments and faculties, chancellors and deans. We have never expected anything in return for our contributions. But at the end of an activity a participant asked me, “How do we repay Dharma Drum Mountain?” I replied, “I hope that after this meditation retreat you may go back to your home and school, and share with those who are receptive what you have heard, learned and believe to be useful regarding the concepts and methods of harmonizing the mind and body. By doing so, you are repaying Dharma Drum Mountain.”

Among them a puzzled lecturer asked, “If this is the case, won’t Dharma Drum Mountain go broke in the long run? Will Dharma Drum Mountain have finance for construction?”

I said, “The more we are willing to contribute, the more people will come forth and support us.”

I told them, “All of you coming to Dharma Drum Mountain to participate in meditation retreats are like retailers going to the factory warehouse to replenish stock. You become our agents upon returning. All your contributions to society become our contributions too. And you repay Dharma Drum Mountain by representing the value of Dharma Drum Mountain in Taiwan’s society today.

Accepting Retribution, Fulfilling Wishes and Making Vows

The aim of coming into human existence is to accept retribution, fulfill wishes and make vows. We must accept retribution for what we did in the past, regardless of whether it was from this life, our previous life or the innumerable lives before. We must accept karmic effects when causes and conditions ripen in this life. Wholesome actions bring positive results. Unwholesome actions bring negative results. We must continue to accept karmic results until Buddhahood is attained, whereby aeons of sentient relationships entangled in attachment are transcended.

However, when people experience positive karmic effects they take them for granted. And when they experience negative karmic effects they feel upset. Thinking that they have done nothing wrong in this life, they should not deserve bad karmic effects.

During one of the completion assemblies at the end of the ‘Chan Meditation Retreat for Management Personnel of Tertiary Institutions’, current parliamentarian, Mr Ding Shou Zhong, who initiated the retreats, shared one of his experiences:

“On one occasion my son was playing at a swimming pool. While water was being drained out of the pool, he saw one of his school mates being sucked into one of the pipes and experiencing excruciating pain. He jumped into the water trying to save his friend but ended up with one of his legs being sucked in and sustained a serious injury almost requiring amputation.

“When I heard about the incident, my first thought was, ‘How strange! My entire life has been devoted to social work. I am a kind hearted person. So why has this happened to my son?’ At the time I found this very unfair. But after a while, the feeling of injustice died down and I started thinking, ‘Perhaps this is the law of cause and effect! Maybe I have committed some unwholesome deeds in my previous life and caused my son misfortune.’ And then I immediately thought, ‘Maybe this child was predestined to meet with this accident and to survive this misfortune will mean that good fortune will follow.’ Thinking in this way I no longer feel upset.”

In this frame of mind, Mr Ding Shou Zhong’s emotions were calmed. The concept of ‘accepting retribution’ gave him the strength to face calamity peacefully.

Another purpose of coming into human existence is to fulfill wishes. It is impossible to know how many wishes we have made in the past. You all would have made many wishes when you were young. When I grow up I will do this. When I graduate I will do that. When I become a mother I must… when I become a teacher I will… We all wish to achieve many things in a lifetime.

When I was young I enjoyed reading, but at the time it was hard to find any books. During that time a fellow army officer said to me, “Mate! Since you like reading books so much, in the future, I will open a bookshop and let you read as much as you want.”

“You can’t put that many books in a bookshop. There isn’t enough space. How about opening a library?” I replied. “Opening a bookshop can make money so that I can make a living. A library would be a liability and of no benefit to me,” he said. I had never thought about making money and so I said, “In the future I will open a library.”

“Then you go and do that,” he said.

After saying so, I really did not know whether there were the causes and conditions to realize it. Thirty or forty years had passed and the opportunity finally arrived. I founded the Chung-Hwa Institute of Buddhist Studies with a library that holds tens of thousands of books. It is anticipated that one day Dharma Drum Mountain’s Buddhist Library will have a collection of two hundred thousand books in addition to the Dharma Drum Humanities and Social Science University Library. My wish has gradually come true. Making a wish is a form of motivation. Once you make a wish you need to fulfill it. Fulfilling wishes is one of the aims in life.

When people participate in our Chan meditation retreats I also encourage them to make vows. For example, when they are experiencing excruciating pain in their legs as they meditate, they need to vow, “No matter how painful my legs are, I will not change posture until I hear the sound of the bell”. Admittedly, although such vows are often made, most people do eventually change posture for the pain in the legs is just unbearable.

Some people stop wanting to make vows after doing it a few times. They wonder what’s the point of making vows if something is not achievable? Nevertheless, I still encourage everyone to keep on repeating vows. As you slowly become more persistent, your vows will gradually be fulfilled. A vow is of little strength if it was made once and not repeated.

When Buddhists perform their daily services in the morning and evening, included is the recitation of ‘The Four Great Vows’:

I vow to deliver innumerable sentient beings.
I vow to cut off endless vexations.
I vow to master limitless approaches to Dharma.
I vow to attain Supreme Buddhahood.

Many people even just after making such vows will often sulk as before or quarrel with family and friends, only to feel upset and remorseful afterwards. Recalling that a moment ago they just made vows to save innumerable sentient beings and cut off endless vexations, they have instead broken the vows. So I tell them that as long as they continually make vows, the situation will gradually change and the strength of their vows will grow with the passing of each day.

The Different Stages of Generating Vows

Generating vows can also be thought of as directing the mind to the path of cultivation and giving rise to the Bodhi mind. There are five stages, beginning with the ordinary person and ending with the attainment of Buddhahood.

i) The Path of Man

The word ‘Path’ in the Path of Cultivation is like the journey of life. The experience and direction of life is known as the way of life. Each person living in this world has their own path to tread and this consists of short term, middle term and long term goals within the journey of life. Begin by learning what is close at hand and then try seeing what is far ahead. Much like when embarking on a journey, you must begin with a single step and move forward one steady step at a time.

Thus we know that, on a human level, directing the mind to the path of cultivation begins with fulfilling one’s responsibilities to the utmost and equipping ourselves with good character and virtues. When a person does not possess the basic requirements of being a human being, nor behave or think like one, then that person may be criticized as being ‘a beast dressed as a man’.

Why is this so? First, they are pitiful in that they do not comprehend what it means to be human. Second, they lack self control, unable to withstand temptations, stimulation and threats from the environment. Thus they lose control over their mind and body.

The mission of Dharma Drum Mountain is: ‘Uplifting the character of mankind and building a pure land on Earth’. This means starting from the very basics of being human. Hopefully, everyone will bring out appropriate behaviors in the different roles that relate to their identity. In other words, in order to direct the mind to the path of cultivation towards Buddhahood, one must generate vows to fulfill oneself.

ii) The Path of Devas

Directing the mind to the Path of Man is only fulfilling the obligations and responsibilities of being human. But those who cultivate the Path of Devas commit themselves to serving the whole society through contribution. The scope of care, contribution and service encompasses everyone in the world. Such people as these who have big hearts and who perform innumerable wholesome acts accumulate merits that lead to a heavenly existence.

However, those that cultivate the path of Devas only think about human beings on earth. They have not yet thought of other living beings nor have they thought of those living in other worlds. Also, they are still intent on seeking heavenly comfort.

iii) The Path of Self Liberation

Next is the path of liberation. This refers to detachment from the four elements and five skandhas, so that negative karmic activity will not arise, vexations will not appear and the ocean of birth and death in the three realms of existence is transcended.

iv) The Path of the Bodhisattva

Cultivating the Path of the Bodhisattva combines the merits of the Paths of Man, Devas and Self Liberation. This path seeks more than to establish good karmic relationships in the human world. It entails all sentient beings in the ten directions of the past, present and future, as objects of their service, contribution, concern and care. In addition, the performance of wholesome acts is not for the sake of positive karmic results. Mahayana Buddhism always encourages the cultivation of the Path of the Bodhisattva. The path of the Bodhisattva, however, must begin with making wishes, generating vows and fulfilling them.

v) The Path of the Buddha

Finally, the supreme stage is the Path of the Buddha, which is making vows for what is known in Sanskrit as ‘anuttara-samyak-sambodhi’, which means ‘the ultimate supreme perfect enlightenment’. The Heart Sutra, Diamond Sutra, as well as many other Sutras have always encouraged us to vow to attain ‘anuttara-smayak-sambodhi’. This means not merely generating vows to accomplish the Paths of Man and Devas, but also the Path of Self Liberation, and more importantly, to generate the Boddhisattva vow. Supreme Buddhahood is attained upon the perfection of the Bodhisattva vow.

Taken from: http://www.chan1.org/ddp/talks/meaningoflife.html

Ajahn Brahmavamso is the Abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery in Wetern Australia. These Dhamma reflections are extracted from a talk he gave at the Dhammaloka Centre in Perth in 1990.

Enlightenment means there is no anger left in your heart. There are no personal desires or delusion left in your heart.

In this life that we have we often forget that it’s no great thing to make a mistake. In Buddhism it’s all right to make a mistake. It is all right to be imperfect. Isn’t that wonderful? This means that we have the freedom to be a human being, rather than thinking of ourselves as someone wonderful and great who never makes mistakes. It is horrible, isn’t it, if we think we are not allowed to make mistakes, because we do make mistakes, then we have to hide and try to cover them up. So the home then is not a place of peace and quiet and comfort. Of course most people who are sceptical say: “Well if you allow people to make mistakes, how will they ever learn? They will just keep on making even more mistakes”. But that is not the way it actually works. To illustrate this point, when I was a teenager my father said to me that he would never throw me out or bar the door of his house to me, no matter what I did; I would always be allowed in there, even if I had made the worst mistakes. When I heard that, I understood it as an expression of love, of acceptance. It inspired me and I respected him so much that I did not want to hurt him, I did not want to give him trouble, and so I tried even harder to be worthy of his house.

Now if we could try that with the people we live with, we’d see that it gives them the freedom and the space to relax and be peaceful, and it takes away all the tension. In that ease, there comes respect and care for the other person. So I challenge you to try the experiment of allowing people to make mistakes – to say to your mate, your parents or your children: “The door of my house will always be open to you; the door of my heart will always be open to you no matter what you do.” Say it to yourself too: “The door of my house is always open to me.” Allow yourself to make mistakes too. Can you think of all the mistakes you have made in the last week? Can you let them be, can you still be a friend to yourself? It is only when we allow ourselves to make mistakes that we can finally be at ease.

That is what we mean by compassion, by metta, by love. It has to be unconditional. If you only love someone because they do what you like, or because they always live up to your expectations, then of course that love is not worth very much. That’s like a business deal love: “I will love you if you give me something back in return.”

When I first became a monk I thought monks had to be perfect. I thought they should never make mistakes; that when they sit in meditation they must always sit straight. But those of you who have been at the morning sit at 4:30 am, especially after working hard the day before, you will know that you can be quite tired; you can slump, you can even nod. But that is all right. It is all right to make mistakes. Can you feel how easy it feels, how all that tension and stress disappears when you allow yourself to make mistakes?

The trouble is that we tend to amplify the mistakes and forget the successes, which creates so much of a burden of guilt and heaviness. So instead we can turn to our successes, the good things we have done in our life; we could call it our Buddha nature within us. If you turn to that, it grows; whereas if you turn to the mistakes, they grow. If you dwell on any thought in the mind, any train of thought, it grows and grows, doesn’t it? So we turn our hearts around and dwell upon the positive in ourselves, the purity, the goodness, the source of that unconditional love – that which wants to help, to sacrifice even our own comfort for the sake of another being. This is a way we can regard our inner being, our heart. Forgiving its faults, we dwell upon its nobility, its purity, its kindness. We can do the same with other people, we can dwell upon their goodness and watch it grow.

This is what we call kamma – actions; the way we think about life, the way we speak about life, what we do with life. And really it is up to us what we do, it is not up to some supernatural being up there who says whether you will be happy or not. Your happiness is completely in your hands, in your power. This is what we mean by kamma. It’s like baking a cake: kamma defines what ingredients you have, what you have got to work with. So a person with unfortunate kamma, maybe as a result of their past actions, has not got many ingredients. Maybe they have just got some old stale flour, one or two raisins, if that, and some rancid butter, and – what else goes in cakes? – some sugar… and that is all they have got to work with. And another person might have very good kamma, all the ingredients you could ever wish for: whole wheat flour, brown sugar and all types of dried fruit and nuts. But as for the cake that is produced in the end… Even with very meagre ingredients some people can bake a beautiful cake. They mix it all up, put it into the oven – delicious! How do they do it? And then other people might have everything, but the cake they make tastes awful.

So kamma defines the ingredients, what we have got to work with; but that does not define what we make with it. So if a person is wise, it does not matter what they have got to work with. You can still make a beautiful cake – as long as you know how.

Of course the first thing to know is that the last way to make a good cake is to complain all the time about the ingredients you have. Sometimes in the monastery, if there is an ingredient missing the people who are cooking look in the pantry and just use whatever is there. They have to be quite versatile and you get some very strange cakes, but they are all delicious, because people have learned the art of using what they have and making something of it.

So where is kamma heading? What are we actually making of it? Is it to be wealthy or to be powerful? No. This meditation, this Buddhism, the direction we are going in, is towards enlightenment. We are using the ingredients we have to become enlightened. But what does enlightenment actually mean? Enlightenment means there is no anger left in your heart. There is no personal desire or delusion left in your heart.

At one time there was a Russian teacher called Gurdjief who had a community in France. In his community there was one fellow who was just absolutely obnoxious. He was always annoying people and giving them a really hard time. So the community would meet together and they would ask Gurdjief to send him away, to get rid of the fellow, because he was always creating arguments and making people unhappy. But Gurdjief never would. However later on, after he died, they found out that he had actually been paying the fellow to stay there! Everyone else would have to pay for board and lodging. But Gurdjief was actually paying the fellow to be there — to teach the people a lesson. If you can only be happy when you live with the people you like, your happiness is not worth anything, because you are not being stirred up. It is like a glass of muddy water, when it is not stirred up it looks clear, doesn’t it? But as soon as it is agitated, the mud comes from the bottom and is stirred up. It is good to stir up your glass just to see what is in there really. So Gurdjief used to pay this fellow to stir up everybody to see what was there.

A very good indicator of where one is in the spiritual life is to see how well you get on with other people – especially the difficult ones. Can you be peaceful when someone else is giving you a hard time? Can you let go of anger and irritation towards a person, a place, or towards yourself? Eventually we have to, otherwise we are never going to get to enlightenment, we are never going to get peaceful.

Imagine what it is like to say: “No more will I get irritated, no more will I fight or reject a person or their habits. If I cannot do anything about it, I will learn to peacefully coexist with that which I do not like. I will learn to peacefully accept the pain, instead of always turning my head away from the pain and seeking the pleasure.” Imagine that!

Sometimes people think that if you do not get angry then you just tend to be a vegetable, you just allow others to walk all over you, you will just be someone who sits here and does nothing. But ask yourself: “What do you feel like after you have been angry? Do you feel full of beans, very energetic?” We get worn out when we are angry; it just eats up so much of our heart energy. Even when we are irritated or negative towards a person or a place, that eats up energy. So if we do not want to feel so tired and depressed, we can try, as an experiment, not getting irritated. See how much more wide awake and zestful we feel. Then we can send that energy out into caring for others, and to caring for ourselves as well. It is in our power to do that. If you really want to get on the fast track to enlightenment, try giving up irritation and anger.

So how do you give it up? Well, first of all, by wanting to give it up. But a lot of us do not want to give up our anger and irritation – for some obscure reason we like it. There is a wonderful little story about two monks who lived together in a monastery for many years; they were great friends. Then they died within a few months of one another. One of them got reborn in the heaven realms, the other monk got reborn as a worm in a dung pile. The one up in the heaven realms was having a wonderful time, enjoying all the heavenly pleasures. Then he started thinking about his friend, “I wonder where my old mate has gone?” So he scanned all of the heaven realms, but could not find a trace of his friend. Then he scanned the realm of human beings, but he could not see any trace of his friend there, so he looked in the realm of animals and then of insects. Finally he found him, reborn as a worm in a dung pile… Wow! He thought: “I am going to help my friend. I am going to go down there to that dung pile and take him up to the heavenly realm so he too can enjoy the heavenly pleasures and bliss of living in these wonderful realms.”

So he went down to the dung pile and called his mate. And the little worm wriggled out and said: “Who are you?”, “I am your friend. We used to be monks together in a past life, and I have come up to take you to the heaven realms where life is wonderful and blissful.” But the worm said: “Go away, get lost!” “But I am your friend, and I live in the heaven realms,” and he described the heaven realms to him. But the worm said: “No thank you, I am quite happy here in my dung pile. Please go away.” Then the heavenly being thought: “Well if I could only just grab hold of him and take him up to the heaven realms, he could see for himself.” So he grabbed hold of the worm and started tugging at him; and the harder he tugged, the harder that worm clung to his pile of dung.

Do you get the moral of the story? How many of us are attached to our pile of dung? When someone tries to pull us out we just wriggle back in again because that is what we are used to, we like it in there. Sometimes we are actually attached to our old habits, our anger and our desires. Sometimes we want to be angry.

So next time you get angry, stop and watch. Just take a moment of mindfulness just to see what it feels like. Decide, remind yourself: “Next time I am angry I am going to feel it, instead of trying to be clever, to get my own way or to hurt the other person.” Just notice how it feels. As soon as you notice how anger feels with your heart – not with your head – then you will want to give it up; because it hurts, it is painful, it is suffering.

If only people could be more awake, more aware – know what it feels like, instead of thinking about it, there would be no problem any more. They would let the anger go very quickly because it is hot, it is burning. But we tend to see this world with our heads rather than with our hearts. We think about it, but very rarely do we feel it, experience it. Meditation starts to get you in contact with your heart again: and out of thinking and complaining, where all anger and desire starts from.

When you come from the heart, you can feel for yourself, you can be at peace with yourself, you can be caring to yourself. When I come from the heart, I can appreciate other peoples’ hearts as well. That is how we can love our enemies, when we appreciate their hearts, seeing something there to love, to respect.

People get angry because they are hurting, they are not at ease. But if we are happy, we can never get angry at someone else; it is only when we are depressed, tired, frustrated, having a hard time; when we have got some sickness in our hearts, that is when we can get angry at other people. So when someone is angry at me I feel compassion and kindness towards that person, because I realise that they are hurting.

The first time I went to see someone who was supposed to be enlightened, I thought, “Crikey! I had better make sure I meditate before I get within ten miles of him, because he is bound to be able to read my mind, and that would be so embarrassing!” But an enlightened person is not going to be cruel and hurt you. An enlightened person is going to accept you and put you at ease. That’s a wonderful feeling, isn’t it: just to accept yourself. You can just relax, no anger and irritation. There is that great understanding, great enlightenment, that you are all right. What a lot of pain that would take away from human beings’ lives; what great freedom it would give the people to participate in the world, to serve in this world, to love in this world, when at last they realise that they are all right. They do not have to spend so much time getting themselves right, changing themselves, always afraid of making mistakes. When you are at ease with yourself you will be at ease with other people, no matter who they are.

Ajahn Brahmavamso

Source: Forest Sangha Newsletter, January 1997/2540, Number 39, UK

http://www-ipg.umds.ac.uk/~crr/newsletter/

Taken from: http://www.budsas.org/ebud/ebdha020.htm

For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma

Now I’m going to remind you of some of the Buddha’s teachings as a way of encouraging you to be intent on practicing correctly in line with the Buddha’s instructions. These teachings are called Dhamma. The Dhamma is an ornament for the mind. It’s also a means for developing the faculties of the mind. The teachings I’m about to discuss come in the Ovada-Patimokkha, the Patimokkha Exhortation. This is a talk that deals with the duties of those who have ordained in line with the Buddha’s instructions, but these practices also apply to lay people as well. Lay people can take these practices and train themselves to be good people, so that they can be eyes and ears, legs, feet, and hands, to help look after the work of the religion and to help it prosper.

These guidelines, which apply to all of us, fall under six headings:

anupavado

not disparaging

anupaghato

not injuring

patimokkhe ca samvaro

restraint in line with the Patimokkha

mattaññuta ca bhattasmim

moderation in food

pantañca sayanasanam

dwelling in seclusion

adhicitte ca ayogo:
etam buddhana-sasanam.

commitment to the heightened mind:
this is the Buddhas’ instruction.

The first guideline: anupavado. Don’t go finding fault with one another. In other words, don’t say evil things about one another, don’t misrepresent one another, don’t say anything that will cause people to fall apart from one another. Don’t start false reports about one another, and don’t encourage them. Don’t curse or yell at one another. Instead of finding fault with one another, each of us should look at his or her own faults. This is what’s meant by anupavado. You can use this principle anywhere, whether you’re ordained or not.

Anupaghato: Don’t allow yourself to hate one another. It’s only normal that when people live together, their behavior isn’t going to be on an equal level. Some people have good manners, some people have coarse manners — not evil, mind you, just that their manners are coarse. Physically, some people are energetic, industrious, and strong; others are weak and sickly. Verbally, some people are skilled at speaking, others are not. Some people talk a lot, some people hardly talk at all; some people like to talk about worldly things, some people like to talk about the Dhamma; some people speak wrong, some people speak right. This is called inequality. When this is the case, there are bound to be conflicts and clashes, at least to some extent. When these things arise among us while we live together within the boundaries of the same Dhamma, we shouldn’t hold grudges. We should forgive one another and wash away that stain from our hearts. Why? Because otherwise it turns into animosity and enmity. The act of forgiving is called the gift of forgiveness. It turns you into the sort of person who doesn’t hold onto things, doesn’t carry things around, doesn’t get caught up on things — the sort of person who doesn’t bear grudges. Even when there are missteps or mistakes from time to time, we should forgive one another. We should have a sense of love, affection, and kindness for everyone around us, as much as we can. This is called anupaghato. It’s a part of our training as Buddhists, both for householders and for contemplatives.

Patimokkhe ca samvaro: Act in a way that keeps you near the entrance to nibbana. What’s the entrance to nibbana? The Patimokkha. Mukha means mouth or entrance. Mokkha means liberation. Sit close to your food so that your mouth is near liberation. Don’t sit far away, or you’ll have trouble eating. Sit close enough so that liberation is within reach and you can stick it right in your mouth. In other words, whatever behavior is near the ways of the religion, that’s the behavior you should follow. To be near the religion means following the holy life. Lay people have their holy life, too, you know, just as monks have theirs. Lay people follow the holy life in two ways. The first is observing the first five of the eight precepts: no killing; no stealing; no sex — this is what makes it the holy life; no telling lies; and no intoxicants. This is one form of holy life, near the entrance to nibbana. The second way for lay people to follow the holy life is by observing all eight precepts.

As for novices and monks, they should maintain restraint in line with the ten or 227 precepts. At the same time, they shouldn’t omit any of the good types of behavior that they should follow. This is called acara-gocara-sampanno. Don’t go wandering around in areas that are out of bounds and can harm you. In other words, don’t let your body go there, don’t let your speech dwell on those places, and don’t let your mind go there, either. Don’t associate with immoral people who are coarse in their habits. Don’t ask advice from unvirtuous people. Don’t let your mind get entangled with them. Try to keep in mind people who are good, together with the goodness that you yourself are trying to develop. This is called the holy life. Whoever behaves in this way is said to be restrained in line with the Patimokkha, right next to nibbana.

Mattaññuta ca bhattasmim: Have a sense of moderation in the food you eat. Here I’ll talk about physical food. People eat in three ways, and the first is eating greedily. Even though the stomach is full, the mind isn’t full. The mouth is full, you can’t swallow what you’ve got, the stomach is full, and yet the mind still wants to eat more. This is called eating greedily. Don’t let this greed take charge of the heart.

The second type is eating contentedly. You’re content with what you have in your alms bowl, and don’t eat anything outside your bowl. Or you’re content with the food within reach. You don’t ask for anything out of reach. You don’t give any sign with your hand, your eyes, or your expression that you’d like more to eat. You eat only what’s on your plate, what’s in your bowl. This is called eating contentedly.

The third type is eating modestly. This type of eating is very good, both in terms of the world and of the Dhamma. Take Ven. Sivali as an example. He ate modestly. How did he eat modestly? All that most of us know about Ven. Sivali is that he was wealthy in terms of the donations he received. But where did that wealth come from? It comes from eating modestly. Eating modestly is the source that gives rise to wealth. What Ven. Sivali did was this: whenever he received cloth, if he didn’t then give a gift of cloth, he wouldn’t wear what he had received. When he received food in his bowl, he wouldn’t eat until he had given some of it as a gift to someone else. No matter which of the four requisites he received — food, clothing, shelter, or medicine, no matter how much or how little — once it was in his possession, he wouldn’t use it until he had shared some of it with those around him. When he received a lot, he would make a large gift to benefit many people. When he received just a little, he’d still try to benefit others. This gave rise to all sorts of good things. His friends loved him, his community loved him, and they were kind to him. This is why being generous is said to tie the knot of friendship and to wipe out your enemies.

So that’s what Ven. Sivali did. When he passed away from that lifetime and was reborn in his last lifetime, he gained all kinds of wealth and never had to go hungry. Even when he went to live in places where food should have been scarce, he never suffered from scarcity, never had to do without…

What this means for us is that, whatever we get, we eat only a third and give the other two thirds away. The parts appropriate for animals, we give to animals. The parts appropriate for human beings, we give to human beings. The parts we should share with our fellows in the holy life, we give with a clear heart. This is what it means to be modest in our consumption. We feel ease of heart and ease of body. When we die, we won’t be poor.

This principle is something very good not only in terms of the religion, but also in terms of the modern world at large. It’s a great means for subduing terrorism. How does it subdue terrorism? When people aren’t poor, they don’t get stirred up. Where does terrorism come from? It comes from people having nowhere to live, nothing to eat, no one to look after them. When they’re poor and starving like this, they think, “As long as I’m suffering, let’s have everyone else suffer all the same. Don’t let there be any private property. Let everything be owned in common.” This kind of thinking comes from poverty and deprivation. And why is there poverty? Because some people eat all alone. They don’t share with people at large. Then when people at large suffer and feel revenge, they turn into communists and terrorists.

So terrorism comes from greed and selfishness, from not sharing what we’ve got. If we get ten baht, we can give away nine and eat what we can get for the one baht remaining. That way we’ll have lots of friends. There will be love and affection, peace and prosperity. How can that come about? When people have places to live and food to eat, when they can eat their fill and can sleep when they lie down, why would they want to bother their heads with the confusion of politics?

This is why the Buddha taught us that modesty in our consumption is something good, something noble and outstanding. When we practice in this way, we’re in line with the phrase, mattaññuta ca bhattasmim. We’ll be practicing right, practicing properly, for the benefit of ourselves and others.

Pantañca sayanasanam: Don’t be a busy-body. Wherever you live, try to be quiet and at peace. Don’t get entangled or “play the gongs” with the other members of the group. Don’t get involved in issues unless it really can’t be helped. When you’ve studied and understand your duties, look for quiet, solitary places to live and to meditate. When you live with others, look for quiet groups to live with. When you live alone, in physical seclusion, be a quiet person. Even when you live with the group, be a secluded person. Take only the good, peaceful things the group has to offer. When you live alone, don’t get involved in a lot of activity. Be quiet in your actions, quiet in your speech, quiet in your mind. When you live in a group — either two or three people — don’t get involved in quarrels, for when there’s quarreling there’s no peace. Your actions aren’t peaceful, for you have to get up and storm around. Your words aren’t peaceful. Your mind — with its thoughts of anger, revenge, and ill will — isn’t peaceful. And this gives rise to all sorts of bad karma. When you live in a community — anywhere from four on up to 99 — you have to make sure that the community is at peace, that there’s no conflict, no quarreling, no hurting one another’s feelings or doing one another harm. The community should be a cooperative for training peacefully in virtue and the Dhamma. That’s when it’s a good community, orderly and civilized, fostering progress for all its members. This is one of our duties as part of the Buddha’s following, in line with the Buddha’s instructions. It’s called patañca sayanasanam: creating a quiet place to live, at your ease in both body and mind.

Adhicitte ca ayogo: Don’t be complacent. Be diligent in practicing concentration to the level of adhicitta, or the heightened mind. Practice concentration frequently, sit in concentration frequently as an example to the rest of the community. When you talk, seek advice in how to develop your meditation theme. Discuss the rewards of concentration. Practice ridding the heart of its hindrances. When you do this, you’re acting in line with the principle of heightened mind.

Another level of heightened mind is when the mind has been freed from its hindrances and has entered concentration, without any ups or downs. It’s solid, stalwart, and strong, with nothing defiling it. This is called adhicitte ca ayogo, commitment to the heightened mind. So don’t be complacent. Keep working at this always.

Etam buddhanasasanam: When you do this, you’re acting in line with the Buddhas’ instructions. These are the Buddha’s words, straight from his mouth.

So we should all work at giving rise to these principles within ourselves. If you establish yourself in these teachings, in all honesty and integrity, then even if you can’t liberate your mind totally from suffering, at the very least you’ll be developing yourself in the right direction. Your bad habits will disappear day by day, and the good habits you’ve never had before will arise in their place. As for the good habits you already have, they’ll prosper and flourish.

So now that you’ve listened to this, take it and put it into practice. Train yourself to behave in line with the Buddha’s exhortation. When you do that, you’ll meet with happiness and prosperity as you flourish in line with his instructions.