"Immersed in the Body" ~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu

"Immersed in the Body" 
~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu

"One of the things that we want to try to do as we meditate is to get [the mind] to stay in one place, to save some energy. As long as you’re going to have a sense of self, keep it solid — rock solid — immersed in the body.

Breath meditation is one way of staying immersed in the body. The term in Pali is kayagatasati, mindfulness immersed in the body. And the quality of immersion is important. You want to fill the whole body, occupy the body, inhabit the whole body, as much as you can.

Where is your observer right now? For many of us, it’s like a weird bird perched on our shoulders and peering through our eyes. It watches the body as if the body were something separate. But as we meditate, we’re trying to get away from identifying with that particular observer; we want to be an observer filling the whole body. 

Your feet fill your feet, your hands fill your hands. Your entire sense of who you are fills the entire body.

This puts you in a position of strength, because if you’re leaving big gaps of unoccupied territory in your body, other things will occupy it — different thoughts, different defilements. 

But if your awareness occupies your whole body, other things can’t get in so easily. The image in the Canon is of a solid wooden door: a ball of string thrown at the door won’t leave a dent at all. Even if things do come in and make a dent on the mind, you’re going to know it, you’re going to see it because you’re right there. You’re not off in some other corner of the body looking at something else.

So as you focus on the breath, try to get past the idea that you’re in one part of the head watching the breath in other parts of the body. You want to occupy the whole body, bathed in the whole breath.

The breath and the body should be surrounding your sense of where you are. And then you want to maintain that sense of being centered in the body like this, filling the whole body with your awareness as you breathe in, as you breathe out.

Why? For one thing, this sense of filling the body helps you stay in the present moment.

When the mind goes off thinking thoughts about past and future, it has to shrink its sense of awareness, shrink its sense of itself, down to a small enough dot so that it can slip into the past or slip into the future. In other words, you latch onto the part of the body that you use as a basis for thinking about the past or the future, while other parts of the body get blotted out. But if you’re filling the body with your awareness and can maintain that full awareness, you can’t slip off into the past and future unless you want to.

So this is one way of nailing yourself down to the present moment. Your inner hands are nailed to your physical hands, your feet to your feet. You can’t move.

Think of the breath coming into the *whole* body. Every cell of the body is participating in the breathing process, and you’re sitting here in the midst of it. This gives your sense of observing self a greater solidity, so that when thoughts come into the mind you’re not knocked off balance by them.

You’ve got a solid foundation. The word they use for the object of meditation in Pali, arammana, literally means “support,” the idea being that your mind is standing firm on something. You’re standing here in the body. This is your location. This is where you take your stance. And when your stance is solid, nobody can kick you over or knock you down."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Immersed in the Body" (Meditations3)

https://www.dhammatalks.org/books/Meditations3/Section0012.html?fbclid=IwAR3KMSeqyEMYiApKpZEe5FlYDrO7Mh-4lU3P82gStBYjbm-n4ldPeSWZuvU

Playing Host by Ajahn Lee Dhammadharo September 27, 1956

Playing Host by Ajahn Lee Dhammadharo
September 27, 1956

When you sit and meditate, tell yourself that your body is like your home. When you repeat the word buddho in with the breath, it’s like inviting a monk into your home. When people invite a monk into their home, what do they do in order to qualify as having good manners?

1) They have to prepare a place for him to sit down.

2) They provide him with good food or drinking water.

3) They have to converse with him.

When we meditate, “preparing a place to sit down” means thinking bud- in with the in-breath, and dho out with the out. If we’re mindful to think in this way, the word buddho will always stay snug with the breath. Whenever our thinking slips away from the breath, it’s as if we put a rip in the seat we’re preparing for our guest.

And don’t forget that before you prepare a seat, you first have to sweep the place clean.

In other words, when you first start out, you should breathe in long and deep and then let the breath come all the way out, two or three times. Then you gradually allow the breath to grow lighter, bit by bit, until it’s just enough for you to follow comfortably. Don’t let it grow any weaker or stay any stronger than just right.

Then you start combining buddho with the in-and-out breath. When you do this, your visiting monk will come into your home. Now make sure that you stay with him. Don’t go running off anywhere else.

If your mind runs off to hang around with external concepts of past or future, it’s as if you’ve run away from the monk you’ve invited into your home—which is really bad manners.

Once the monk has sat down in the seat you’ve prepared for him, you have to give him some good food or water, and then find good things to converse with him. The good food here is the food of intentions, the food of sensory contact, and the food of consciousness.

The food of intentions stands for the way you adjust the breath so as to make it comfortable both for the body and for the mind. For instance, you’re observant to see which kind of breathing is good for the body, and which kind is bad. What kind of in-breathing feels easy? What kind of out-breathing feels easy? Does it feel good to breathe in fast and out fast? How about in slow and out slow?

You have to experiment and then taste the food you’ve prepared. This is one kind of food for the mind. This is why being intent to stay with the breath is called the food of intention.

When you adjust the breath to the point where it feels comfortable and in good order, it’ll give rise to a sense of fullness and ease. That’s when you can say that you’ve provided your visiting monk with good, nourishing food.

When he’s finished his meal, he’s going to chant blessings for the sake of your well-being and happiness, so that you’ll be free from pain and suffering. Or, as the saying goes, the power of the Buddha gets rid of suffering.

In other words, when you’ve adjusted the breath properly, the pains in the body will disappear. Even though there may be some that don’t disappear, they don’t impinge on the mind. As for pain and suffering in the heart, that will all disappear. The mind will cool down. When it cools down, it’ll be at its ease—quiet, blooming, and bright.

And as for the saying, the power of the Dhamma gets rid of dangers: the various forms of Mara coming to disturb the body, such as the pains of the aggregates, will all vanish. The mind will be free from dangers and animosities.

And as for the saying, the power of the Saṅgha gets rid of disease: all the various diseases in the mind—sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair—will disappear. This way, once you’ve invited this monk into your home and provided him with good food, he’s going to give you three kinds of blessing: you escape for pain, from danger, and from disease. This is part of the blessing that your visiting monk will give you.

But if, when you’ve invited a monk into your home, you go running off outside—in other words, if you forget the breath or go hanging around with external thoughts—it’s really impolite, and the monk is going to be put to difficulties. It’s as if you had invited him into your home but had forgotten to prepare his meal. So if you aren’t really intent on the breath and don’t really welcome your monk into your home, you won’t get this kind of blessing.

The last part of inviting your monk into your home is to converse with him. Once he’s eaten his fill, you talk with him. This stands for the qualities of directed thought, evaluation, rapture, pleasure, and singleness of preoccupation. You connect all six types of breath energy in the body so that they all flow into one another—as when you put up a telephone line. If the line stays in good shape, you can hear what they say all over the world. But if the line is cut, you can’t get word of what they’re saying even in Bangkok just down the road.

So when you keep your line in good shape, you can hear anything being said anywhere at all.

When the mind stays in the first jhāna this way, it’s as if your visiting monk is talking with you, and you’re talking with him. And the things you’re talking about are all Dhamma. This puts you in a good mood. As time passes, you feel so good that you don’t even want to eat. This is rapture: the body feels full. At the same time, the mind is free from disturbances and so feels pleasure. Wherever you get a sense of pleasure, you keep staying interested in that point: this is singleness of preoccupation.

When you welcome your visiting monk in this way, he’s going to keep coming to visit you. No matter where you go, he’ll be able to reach you.

Even if you’re staying in the mountains or forest wilderness, he’ll be able to give you whatever help you need.

*******

From Starting Out Small: A Collection of Talks for Beginning Meditators, by Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo at  https://www.dhammatalks.org/books/StartingOutSmall/Section0017.html

“Once you’re liberated, it is all the same for everyone.”

“Once you’re liberated, it is all the same for everyone.”

When it comes to meditation practice, it doesn’t matter when you get there. You will get there eventually. Once you’re liberated, it is all the same for everyone. It’s like eating. It doesn’t matter when you feel full; you will feel full eventually. 

So all you have to do is to keep up with your practice.

As to when you’ll reap the result, it all depends on your merit and destiny. For those who have lots of defilements and are dimwitted, it may take a while. But for those who have few defilements and perceptive minds, it will be very quick.

Just keep up with your practice. It doesn’t matter when. It’s like riding a bike, which will take you a little longer than driving a car, but both will get you there eventually.

It all depends on your merit. It all depends on the good deeds you’ve done in the past. You may compete with others on certain things, but definitely not when it comes to past merit and destiny.

By Ajaan Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

Youtube: Dhamma in English
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g

“The one who will accept the result of your good or bad deeds is yourself.”

“The one who will accept the result of your good or bad deeds is yourself.”

Question from Singapore:  “When we are doing the right things but being accused for wrong doings, how shall we handle the situation?  Shall we accept it and prevent anger arises?”

Than Ajahn:  “Yes, you should not be angry at people’s accusation. You should never get angry regardless of what happens. You should always be logical and rational. You deal situation in a rational way. If somebody accuses you of doing something you didn’t do, if you can prove that you didn’t do it, then prove it. If you cannot prove it, as long as you know that you didn’t do anything wrong, then just remain calm because there is nothing you can do about it.

Accept that this part of life. Some people will believe you. Some people won’t believe you. But the one who will accept the result of your good or bad deeds is yourself. This is all you have to know. You wouldn’t care what other people think or what other people say.”

Question:  “Does renunciation in daily life mean there is no right or wrong, ‘yes or no’?”

Than Ajahn:  “No, right or wrong is always there.

Renunciation means stop seeking happiness from the body; stop looking for happiness through your eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body.

Find happiness through meditation. Right and wrong are still there but you don’t have to get involved with them.”

“Dhamma in English, Q&A session, Aug 15, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g

From The Craft of the Heart by Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo

From The Craft of the Heart by Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo

In practicing meditation, if you direct your mind along the right path, you’ll see results in the immediate present. At the same time, if you lead yourself astray, you’ll reap harm in the immediate present as well. For the most part, if meditators lack the training that comes from associating with good people who are truly expert and experienced, they can become deluded or schizoid in a variety of ways.

How so? By letting themselves get carried away with the signs or visions that appear to them, to the point where they lose sense of their own bodies and minds.

Playing around with an external kasiṇa is a special culprit in this regard. Those who lack sufficient training will tend to hallucinate, convinced of the truth of whatever they focus on, letting themselves get carried away by what they know and see until they lose touch with reality, making it difficult for any sort of discernment to arise.

For this reason, in this guide I have taught to focus exclusively on the body and mind, the important point being not to fasten on or become obsessed with whatever may appear in the course of your practice.

There are a wide variety of meditation teachers who deviate from the basic principles taught by the Buddha. Some of them, hoping for gain, status, or praise, set up their own creeds with magical formulae and strict observances, teaching their students to invoke the aid of the Buddha. (Our Lord Buddha isn’t a god of any sort who is going to come to our aid. Rather, we have to develop ourselves so as to reach his level.)

Some teachers invoke the five forms of rapture, or else visions of this or that color or shape. If you see such and such vision, you attain the first level of the path, and so on until you attain the second, third, and fourth levels, and then once a year you present your teacher with offerings of rice, fruit, and a pig’s head.

(The Buddha’s purpose in spreading his teachings was not that we would propitiate him with offerings. He was beyond the sway of material objects of any sort whatsoever.)

Once the pupils of such teachers come to the end of their observances, they run out of levels to attain, and so can assume themselves to be Buddhas, private Buddhas, or noble disciples, and thus they become instant arahants. Their ears prick up, their hair stands on end, and they get excited all out of proportion to any basis in reality.

When you study with some teachers, you have to start out with an offering of five candles and incense sticks, or maybe ten, plus so-and-so many flowers and so-and-so much puffed rice, on this or that day of the week, at this or that time of day, depending on the teacher’s preferences. (If you can afford it, there’s nothing really wrong with this, but it means that poor people or people with little free time will have trouble getting to learn how to meditate.)

Once you finish the ceremony, the teacher tells you to meditate arahaṁ, arahaṁ, or buddho, buddho, until you get the vision he teaches you to look for—such as white, blue, red, yellow, a corpse, water, fire, a person, the Buddha, a noble disciple, heaven, hell—and then you start making assumptions that follow the drift of the objects you see.

You jump to the conclusion that you’ve seen something special or have attained nibbāna.

Sometimes the mind gathers to the point where you sit still, in a daze, with no sense of alertness at all. Sometimes you experience a bright light and lose your bearings. Or else pleasure arises and you become attached to the pleasure, or stillness arises and you become attached to the stillness, or a vision or a color arises and you become attached to that. (All of these things are nothing more than uggaha nimitta.)

Perhaps a thought arises and you think that it’s insight, and then you really get carried away. You may decide that you’re a stream-enterer, a once-returner, or an arahant, and no one in the world can match you. You latch on to your views as correct in every way, giving rise to pride and conceit, assuming yourself to be this or that. (All of the things mentioned here, if you get attached to them, are wrong.) When this happens, liberating insight won’t have a chance to arise.

So you have to keep digging away for decades—and then get fixated on the fact that you’ve been practicing a full twenty years, and so won’t stand for it if anyone comes along and thinks he’s better than you. So, out of fear that others will look down on you, you become even more stubborn and proud, and that’s as far as your knowledge and ingenuity will get you.

When it comes to actual attainment, some people of this sort haven’t even brought the Triple Gem into their hearts. Of course, there are probably many people who know better than this. I don’t mean to cast aspersions on those who know.

For this reason, I have drawn up this book in line with what I have studied and practiced, If you see that this might be the path you are looking for, give it a good look.

*******
From The Craft of the Heart by Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
https://www.dhammatalks.org/books/CraftHeart/Section0000.html

Photo from https://www.facebook.com/watasokaram.org/photos/3617684921638036

From the Foreward by Thanissaro Bhikkhu:

"Although Ajaan Lee’s teachings continued to develop over the course of later years, the basic outlines remained constant. Most of his later teachings are simply elaborations on themes already given in this book.

One of these later developments, though, deserves special mention here:

It concerns the question of how a beginner should get started in practicing meditation. Ajaan Lee’s eventual solution to this question, given in his book, Keeping the Breath in Mind: Method 2, can briefly be stated as follows:

Start right in developing the factors of jhāna by
(1) being clearly aware of each breath,

(2) evaluating and adjusting the breath so that it is as comfortable and satisfying as possible, and

(3) letting this comfortable sensation spread, along with a sense of present awareness, throughout the entire body.

If an individual meditator had trouble sticking with step (1), Ajaan Lee might recommend some of the methods given in this book—the repetition of the word “buddho” in conjunction with the breath, the contemplation of the basic properties of the body, etc.—but these methods were regarded as ancillary to the central practice of keeping the breath in mind.

Yet even though Ajaan Lee’s later teachings developed new perspectives on some of the individual themes contained in this book, none of his later writings have its scope or completeness. For this reason it remains to this day one of his most popular and esteemed works."

HAPPY FULL MOON UPOSATHA The Significance of the Lunar Calendar in Buddhism

HAPPY FULL MOON UPOSATHA
The Significance of the Lunar Calendar in Buddhism

The Uposatha is a time to intensify one's own meditation and Dharma practice, for instance, meditating an extra session or for a longer time, reading or chanting special Buddhist texts, recollecting or giving in some special way.

One can observe Uposatha on the days of half-moon, new moon, and full moon of each lunar month.  Traditionally, the Uposatha days are observed ten times a month, on the 1st, 8th, 14th, 15th, 18th, 23rd, 24th and final three days of each lunar month.

On each Uposatha Day, devout Upāsaka and Upāsikā (those who have taken lay-precepts) practice the Eight Precepts, perhaps echoing the Buddha's teaching that laypeople should "imitate" arhats on Uposatha days.

For lay practitioners, the Uposatha is a time to intensify one's meditation and Dharma practice.

For example, meditating for an extra session or a longer time, reading or chanting special sutras, eating only vegetarian, and practicing Dana.

The Eight Precepts are for upāsakas and upāsikās who wish to practice Buddhism more strictly than through adherence to the five precepts. The eight precepts focus both on avoiding morally bad behaviour, as do the five precepts, and on leading a more ascetic life.

The Buddha gave teachings on how the eight precepts are to be practiced, and on the right and wrong ways of practicing the eight precepts.

I undertake to abstain from causing harm and taking life (both human and non-human), and to abstain from eating meat.

I undertake to abstain from taking what is not given (for example stealing, displacements that may cause misunderstandings).

I undertake to abstain from sexual activity.

I undertake to abstain from wrong speech: telling lies, deceiving others, manipulating others, using hurtful words.

I undertake to abstain from using intoxicating drinks and drugs, which lead to carelessness.

I undertake to abstain from eating at the wrong time (the right time is after sunrise, before noon).

I undertake to abstain from singing, dancing, playing music, attending entertainment performances, wearing perfume, and using cosmetics and garlands (decorative accessories).

I undertake to abstain from luxurious places for sitting or sleeping, and overindulging in sleep.

https://methika.com/observance/buddhist-observance-date-uposatha-days/

A short illustrated talk on the significance of the Full Moon Day in December: 
http://goo.gl/VsXkIo

Bliss Of Letting Go by AJAHN BRAHM

Bliss Of Letting Go

by AJAHN BRAHM

“A meditator who has familiarity with Jhanas will recognise them as blissful states of letting go, and it is right there, in the experience of letting go, letting go that the relevance of Jhana is known.

The First Jhana is the natural result of letting go of the concern for sensory pleasure (Kama Sukha), by which is meant all concern, even for mere comfort, in the realm of the five external senses (sight, sound, smell, taste and touch). In the First Jhana, through sustained and complete removal of all interest in these five senses the meditator loses all sense of the body, and these five external senses disappear. They abide wholly in the sixth sense that is pure mind, and are still, in blissful inner silence. The Buddha called this "The Bliss of Renunciation", or the bliss of letting go.

The Second Jhana is the natural result of abandoning a very subtle movement of attention towards and holding onto this blissful mind object. When this final 'wobbling' of attention is let go of, one experiences the even more pleasurable bliss of full inner stillness (Samadhi), where the mind is absolutely one -pointed and motionless.

The Third Jhana is the natural result of letting go of the subtle excitement of rapture, and the Fourth Jhana is the natural result of letting go of happiness itself, so as to enjoy the most profound and immovable mental equanimity.

 

 In Buddhism, experience, not speculation, and even less blind belief, is the criterion for understanding.

A meditator simply does not realise what stillness, rapture, happiness or equanimity fully mean until they have become familiar with the Jhanas. But the experience of the Jhanas, these stages of letting go, give one direct understanding through experience of these mental phenomena, in particular happiness (Sukha) and suffering (Dukkha).

 

 It is similar to the tadpole who has spent her whole life in the water but who can have no understanding of water because she has known nothing else. Then, when she grows up into a frog, lets go of the water, and attains to dry land, she knows both the nature of water and the way to go beyond it. In this simile, the water stands for Dukkha, the dry land for Jhana (not Nibbana - the frog still carries a little water on her skin upon dry land!), and the way to go beyond stands for letting go.

 

 In this way, the practice of Jhana reveals the Path to fully ending Dukkha. The meditator who achieves Jhana will eventually ask "Why are these Jhanas so profoundly blissful? They will discover for themselves the obvious answer -"Because they are stages of letting go of that which they now see as fine forms of suffering!"

 When one is familiar with Jhana, and realises the origin of the bliss therein, one will come to see for oneself that all worldly pleasures, that is, of the five external senses (which include sexuality), are merely Dukkha. The attachment to the body and its sensory adventures will begin to fade away. One will understand clearly why all Enlightened Ones are celibate.

Then, as one progresses onwards to the higher Jhanas and contemplates why each further one is ever more pleasing, one comes to understand that it is because one is letting go of refined mental attachments, such as the attachment to rapture, happiness and equanimity. It becomes clear that even these most lofty of mind states are just refined forms of suffering, because when one lets them go, then more suffering goes too. The higher one goes , the more Dukkha is let go of and through this process Dukkha becomes known.

One cannot know fully the Truth of Suffering, and thus the Buddha's Four Noble Truths, except by letting go of suffering through the experience of Jhana.”

Source:  Bliss Of Letting Go

by AJAHN BRAHM

http://www.dhammatalks.net/Books/Ajahn_Brahm_Bliss_of_Letting_GO.htm

"Life is like a candle. Once lit, it will continue to be shortened.

"Life is like a candle. Once lit, it will continue to be shortened. 

As you age, your life span becomes shorter. The number increases –now you are 40 or 50 years old, but the remaining years of your life continue to be shorter. The remaining time to practice in line with the Path (magga) gradually decreases.

Do not waste time. You should get on with this. Relieve yourself from worldly affairs.

Do away with whatever is not essential. Commit yourself to this work of mental development. This kind of work is genuine, leading you to the cessation of suffering while endless worldly work takes you nowhere."

“My Way.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g

“If those who were thousands of miles away chose to learn and practise what the Buddha taught, it was as if they were in the presence of the Buddha himself.”

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

18 July 2024

“If those who were thousands of miles away chose to learn and practise what the Buddha taught, it was as if they were in the presence of the Buddha himself.”

- - -

Question:  In China, people follow the teachings of many different Buddhas and Bodhisatta. Are those teachings the same as the ones we follow in Thailand?

Tan Ajahn: The teachings of the Buddhas are all the same even if there are hundreds of them. It is the same as with doctors: No matter how many doctors there are, they will all treat the flu in the same way, so you can go see any of them. Similarily, you can learn from any Buddha because they all teach the same thing, which boils down to three points: do good, give up evil, and purify your mind. These are the teachings of every Buddha. 

Therefore, it is not significant which Buddha you meet or choose to follow. Bowing, wâiing (Thai gesture), and other gestures of respect are not the essence of the practice. The Buddha did not teach us to just show respect externally; he wanted us to really listen to his teaching. We don’t pay respect like some people worship God. 

That’s not correct. Buddha is not God. Buddha is a teacher, an Ajahn.

People who go see the Buddha should pay attention and listen to him in order to benefit from his teachings. Just bowing isn’t enough. The Buddha said that even if someone was close enough to him that they could reach out and touch his robes, if they were not interested in Dhamma, it was like they were far, far away. However, if those who were thousands of miles away chose to learn and practise what he taught, it was as if they were in the presence of the Buddha himself. The proper way to approach the Buddha is with a determination to learn and study his teachings. 

Every Buddha is the same, whether it is Buddha Konāgamana or Buddha Matrieya, because they all gain enlightenment following the same path, using the same Four Noble Truths of dukkha, samudaya, nirodha, and magga. 

Magga (path) means to do good, to refrain from evil, and to purify your heart. Once magga is attained, desire can be discarded, and dukkha (discontentment) can be extinguished. Just these simple, short instructions are the teachings of the Buddhas that enable us to extinguish all dukkha from the heart.

“Mountain Dhamma, Mar 31, 2013”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g

Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Worlds & Their Cessation: The Buddha’s Strategic View of the Cosmos" ~ with Adelaide de Bethanie. "

Thanissaro Bhikkhu 
"Worlds & Their Cessation:
The Buddha’s Strategic View of the Cosmos" 
~ with Adelaide de Bethanie.

Recently, while teaching a retreat sponsored by a vipassana group in Brazil, I happened to mention devas and rebirth. The response was swift. 

The next morning, as I was looking through the slips of paper left in the question box, two questions stood out.

The first was a complaint: “Why do we have to listen to this supernatural stuff? I don’t believe in anything except for the natural world I can see with my own eyes.”

The second was a complaint of a different sort: “Why are Western Buddhist teachers so afraid to talk about the supernatural side of the Buddhist tradition?”

To answer the second question, all I had to do was point to the first. “It’s because of questions like these. They scare teachers away from the topic.” I might have added that there’s an irony here. In an effort to be tolerant, the early generation of Western Buddhist teachers admitted dogmatic materialists into their ranks, but these materialists have proven very intolerant of the supernatural teachings attributed to the Buddha. If he was really awakened, they say, he wouldn’t have taught such things.

To answer the first question, though, I asked a question in return: “How do you know that the natural world is real?

Maybe what you see with your eyes is all an illusion. What we *do* know, though, is that suffering is real. Some people have the kamma to experience supernatural events; others, the kamma to experience only natural events. But whatever the range of the world you experience, you can create real suffering around it, so that’s what the Buddha’s teaching focuses on. He’s got a cure for suffering regardless.”

Here I could have added even more. The awakening that goes beyond suffering also goes beyond all worldviews, but the path leading to that awakening requires that you adopt a provisional sense of the world in which human action has the power to bring suffering to an end. This is the same pattern the Buddha adopts with regard to views about the self: Awakening lies beyond all views of the self, but it requires adopting, provisionally, a sense of your self as responsible and competent to follow the path."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Worlds & Their Cessation:
The Buddha’s Strategic View of the Cosmos"  — with Adelaide de Bethanie.
https://www.dhammatalks.org/books/uncollected/Worlds.html?fbclid=IwAR1wADyYf3fFjWdUGRRevlgghaCrJWRWjrmr1lsRxDJAYpVnjLRblDZt82g

The teachings of Ajahn Suchart

The teachings of Ajahn Suchart

Question:  Could Ajahn please explain what are the 3 kinds of taṇhā that give rise to dukkha? Could Ajahn give examples for each one of the 3 taṇhās?

Than Ajahn:  The 3 taṇhās (cravings) are:

kāma-taṇhā, craving for sensual gratification;

the second taṇhā is called, ‘bhava taṇhā,’ craving to be;

and the third one is vibhava taṇhā, the desire or craving not to be.

These are the 3 cravings or taṇhās: kāma-taṇhā, bhava-taṇhā and vibhava-taṇhā.

Examples of kāma-taṇhā (sensual craving) are the desire to see a movie, desire to listen to music, craving for coffee or some favorite dishes. These are all craving for sensual objects. Kāma-taṇhā can also be the sexual desire. When you have sexual desire, this is also kāma-taṇhā – craving for sensual gratification.

Bhava-taṇhā (desire to be) is the desire to be something that you are not, right now. For instance, if you are not rich, you want to be rich. This is bhava-taṇhā. The desire to be somewhere else can be considered as bhava-taṇhā. 

When you are at home and you are bored, then you want to go out – this is considered to be bhava-taṇhā. You want to become handsome, to be rich, for instance - these are bhava taṇhā.

Vibhava-taṇhā is the desire or craving not to be something, like not to get old, get sick or die, not to be poor, not to be handicapped, not to be scolded. 

These are considered to be vibhava-taṇhā. I hope this explanation answer your question.

- - -

Question:  What is the root of human beings to be reborn in this world?

Than Ajahn:  The root cause of human beings to be reborn in this world are the 3 cravings: the craving for sensual gratification (kāma-taṇhā),
the craving for being (bhava-taṇhā), and
the craving for not being (vibhava-taṇhā). If you have these 3 cravings in your mind, then you will always come back to be reborn as a human being, sooner or later.

Dhamma in English, Sep 5, 2020.

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g

Thanissaro Bhikkhu "A Dependable Mind"

Thanissaro Bhikkhu "A Dependable Mind" 

 "Our basic problem in life is that the most important thing in our lives is the thing we know the least about: our own minds. As the Buddha said, all things come out of the mind — all our experiences, all the happiness and all the pain we experience, come from the mind. “All things have the mind as their forerunner. Things are made of the mind, determined by the mind” — and yet we don’t know our minds, so our lives are out of control. We don’t understand where things come from or how things happen in our lives. That’s why we have to meditate — to get to know our own minds.

The difficulty in meditation is that you can’t focus directly on the mind. It’s like focusing on the wind up in a sky with no clouds — you have no way of knowing which direction it’s going because there’s nothing against which it’s going to make contact. That’s why you need a meditation object like the breath or “buddho” or parts of the body. Whichever object you find easy to settle down with, that’s the one you take. Having an object gives the mind something to bounce off of — because when you decide you’re going to stay with something, you begin to see how erratic the mind is. It keeps jumping around. It goes here a little while, then it goes there for a little while, and then over there. You begin to realize how this most important element in life — the mind — is so totally out of control, totally undependable. That’s why the mind needs training. We need to strap it down to one object and make it stay there so that we can really get to know it and train it until we sense that we can depend on it.

We talk about taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha, but they can be our refuge only when we bring them into the mind. And the mind can be dependable only when we’ve got the qualities of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha in there: qualities like mindfulness, concentration, persistence, and dependability. So if you want to depend on the mind, make it something you *can* depend on.

The Buddha’s good news is that it’s possible to do this. At the time the Buddha was teaching, there were other teachers who said that there is nothing that you can do about the way life is, it’s all written in the stars. Others said that no matter what we do, any action leads to more suffering, so the only way to stop suffering is to stop acting. And still others said that life is totally chaotic, there’s no way you can make any sense out of it at all, so don’t try. Just try to have as much fun as you can while you can because everything falls apart at death. So there were all kinds of teachings, but they were all teachings lacking in hope. The Buddha’s teaching was the only one that offered any hope. He said, yes, there is a skill that you can develop in training the mind and, yes, it does lead to true happiness."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "A Dependable Mind" (Meditations1)

https://www.dhammatalks.org/books/Meditations1/Section0036.html

WHAT BUDDHISTS BELIEVE Meditation ~ Ven. Dr K Sri Dhammananda

WHAT BUDDHISTS BELIEVE
Meditation 
~ Ven. Dr K Sri Dhammananda 

Meditation is the psychological approach to mental culture, training and purification of the mind. 

In place of prayer, Buddhists practise meditation for mental culture and for spiritual development. No one can attain Nirvana or salvation without cultivating the mind through meditation. Any amount of meritorious deeds alone will not lead a person to attain the final goal without the corresponding mental purification. Naturally, the untrained mind is very elusive and persuades people to commit evil and become slaves of the senses.Imagination and emotions always mislead humans if their minds are not properly trained. One who knows how to practise meditation will be able to control the mind when it is misled by the senses. Most of the troubles which we are confronting today are due to the untrained and undeveloped mind. It is already established that meditation is the remedy for many physical and mental sicknesses. Medical authorities and great psychologists all over the world say that mental frustration, worries, miseries, anxieties, tension and fear are the causes of many diseases, stomach ulcers, gastritis, nervous complaints and mental illness. And even latent sickness will be aggravated through such mental conditions. 

When the conscious ‘I’ frets too much, worries too much, or grieves too long and too intensely, then troubles develop in the body. Gastric ulcers, tuberculosis, coronary diseases and a host of functional disorders are the products of mental and emotional imbalance. In the case of children, the decay of the teeth and defective eyesight are frequently related to emotional disorders.

Many of these sicknesses and disorders can be avoided if people could spend a few minutes a day to calm their minds through the practice of meditation. Many people do not believe this or are too lazy to practise meditation owing to a lack of understanding. Some people say that meditation is only a waste of time. We must remember that every spiritual master in this world attained the highest point of his life through the practice of meditation. They are honoured today by millions of people because they have done tremendous service to humanity with their supreme wisdom which they obtained through the practice of meditation.

Meditation should not be a task to which we force ourselves ‘with gritted teeth and clenched fists’, it should rather be something that draws us, because it fills us with joy and inspiration. So long as we have to force ourselves, we are not yet ready for meditation. Instead of meditating we are violating our true nature. Instead of relaxing and letting go, we are holding on to our ego. In this way meditation becomes a game of ambition, of personal achievement and aggrandizement. Meditation is like love: a spontaneous experience—not something that can be forced or acquired by strenuous effort.

Therefore Buddhist meditation has no other purpose than to bring the mind back into the present, into the state of fully awakened consciousness, by clearing it from all obstacles that come through the senses and mental objects.

The Buddha obtained His Enlightenment through the development of His mind. He did not seek divine power to help Him. He gained His wisdom through self-effort by practising meditation. 

To have a healthy body and mind and to have peace, one must learn how to practise meditation.

THE RIGHT LIVELIHOOD By Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi

THE RIGHT LIVELIHOOD
By Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi

“Therein, bhikkhus, right view comes first. And how does right view come first? 

One understands wrong livelihood as wrong livelihood and right livelihood as right livelihood: this is one’s right view.

“And what, bhikkhus, is wrong livelihood? 

Scheming, talking, hinting, belittling, pursuing gain with gain: this is wrong livelihood.

“And what, bhikkhus, is right livelihood? 

Right livelihood, I say, is twofold: 

1. there is right livelihood that is affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions;

2.  and there is right livelihood that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path.

“And what, bhikkhus, is right livelihood that is affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions? 

Here, bhikkhus, a noble disciple abandons wrong livelihood and gains his living by right livelihood: this is right livelihood that is affected by taints…ripening in the acquisitions.

“And what, bhikkhus, is right livelihood that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path? 

The desisting from wrong livelihood, the abstaining, refraining, abstinence from it in one whose mind is noble, whose mind is taintless, who possesses the noble path and is developing the noble path: this is right livelihood that is noble…a factor of the path.

“One makes an effort to abandon wrong livelihood and to enter upon right livelihood: this is one’s right effort. 

Mindfully one abandons wrong livelihood, mindfully one enters upon and dwells in right livelihood: this is one’s right mindfulness. 

Thus these three states run and circle around right livelihood, that is, right view, right effort, and right mindfulness

THE RIGHT INTENTION By Venerable Bhkkhu Bodhi

THE RIGHT INTENTION
By Venerable Bhkkhu Bodhi

“Therein, bhikkhus, right view comes first. And how does right view come first?

One understands wrong intention as wrong intention and right intention as right intention: this is one’s right view.

“And what, bhikkhus, is wrong intention?

The intention of sensual desire, the intention of ill will, and the intention of cruelty: this is wrong intention.

“And what, bhikkhus, is right intention?

Right intention, I say, is twofold:
1. there is right intention that is affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions, and
2.  there is right intention that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path.

“And what, bhikkhus, is right intention that is affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions?

The intention of renunciation, the intention of non-ill will, and the intention of non-cruelty: this is right intention that is affected by taints…ripening in the acquisitions.

“And what, bhikkhus, is right intention that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path?

The thinking, thought, intention, mental absorption, mental fixity, directing of mind, verbal formation in one whose mind is noble, whose mind is taintless, who possesses the noble path and is developing the noble path
: this is right intention that is noble…a factor of the path.

“One makes an effort to abandon wrong intention and to enter upon right intention: this is one’s right effort.

Mindfully one abandons wrong intention, mindfully one enters upon and abides in right intention: this is one’s right mindfulness.

Thus these three states run and circle around right intention, that is, right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.

https://suttacentral.net/mn117/en/bodhi

“It is like eating. If you keep eating, one day you will get full. If you keep on practising, one day you will attain your goal.”

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

10 March 2023

“It is like eating. If you keep eating, one day you will get full. If you keep on practising, one day you will attain your goal.”

- - -

Question: So when I stand up, will the separation last for a long time afterwards?

Than Ajahn: No. When you come out of samādhi, the separation: the body and the mind will rejoin. Then, you need to use wisdom to remind yourself that we are two different parts but we are together right now and we must not cling to this body because the body is only a temporary part of our life.

You should stick to the mind. Just to be aware. Just know.

Don’t have any desire to have anything to remain with you all the time, because it cannot.

Everything comes and goes. That’s the duty of wisdom.

When you come out of samādhi, you remind yourself that the mind is not the body, that one day the body will disappear. The mind will separate from the body forever and if you cling to the body, you will only create dukkha in the mind.

If you don’t want any dukkha then you will have to let it go.

You can find something fearful that causes you to have fear of death. Then, you have to let go of your body and that fear of death will disappear. That’s why you have to go into the forest to be alone, to find some place fearful, some place that might present you a life and death situation.

When you face something fearful like a tiger or a snake, then you can have a choice of clinging or letting go. If you cling then you will have dukkha. If you let go then you will have peace because the dukkha will disappear. Once you have let go then you know that it is better to let go of the body than to cling to it.

When you cling to the body, you’ll have dukkha. When you let go of the clinging, you’ll have peace of mind.

However, you will need to have samādhi first. When you don’t have samādhi, when you are faced with life and death situation, you are not able to stop your clinging. Your clinging will be stronger than your thought of letting go.

Even though your logic tells you to let go, the mind won’t listen because the mind is still driven by delusion. It still thinks that it is going to die with the body.

You need to have samādhi first, so that you can resist this clinging and can get rid of this clinging. When you are in samādhi, you are already rid of this clinging temporarily.

But when you come out of it, the clinging returns. Samādhi cannot destroy the clinging permanently. You need wisdom to tell the mind to let go of the clinging because by clinging you are only creating dukkha in your mind. If you don’t want dukkha, you have to let go.

I hope you will all meet your goal one day. If you all try hard enough, I think one day you will. Wherever there is a will, there is a way. It is like eating. If you keep eating, one day you will get full, right? If you keep on practising, one day you will attain your goal. As soon as you stop you will never reach your goal.

“Monks from Wat Pah Nanachaat, Jun 9, 2015”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: 

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The teachings of Ajahn Suchart “The fear arises out of your own negligence that your body is subject to ageing, illness, and death.”

The teachings of Ajahn Suchart

18 February 2023

“The fear arises out of your own negligence that your body is subject to ageing, illness, and death.”

Craving and desire, which are the cause of depression and fear, will be under the control of samādhi. Therefore, they won’t conjure up depression and fear in your mind. Your mind will then be able to recollect and contemplate death. You will see that death is something as normal and expected as the weather; it has no effect on your mind at all.

The body is what is affected by death. 

However, the body cannot feel or acknowledge its own dying. The body is just like a tree that shows no reaction when it is being cut down. So it is only the mind that reacts to the body’s dying. 

When there is wisdom in your heart, telling you exactly who is being affected by death, then your mind won’t react to it. It will accept and acknowledge the reality—the dying of your body.

It is not your mind that dies, but only your body. However, it is only your mind, and not your body, that suffers from the death of your body. It is like a tree that isn’t bothered by getting cut down, but its owner is the one who gets upset. If the owner cares about and is attached to the tree—not wanting it to die, then he’ll be very upset and angry when somebody cuts it down.

It is the same with your body and mind. Your mind is the owner of your body. You’re a woman UUID’s mind is only a temporary owner of your body. It is not a permanent owner, because your body doesn’t belong permanently to your mind—your body is bound to grow old, get ill, and die eventually.

If your mind is aware of this truth and able to distinguish itself from your body through contemplation, it will remain equanimous and be able to let go when something happens to your body. Your mind won’t be bothered by your body’s death.

Your suffering is due to your craving for the body not to die. However, with wisdom come equanimity and the ability to let go. Consistent contemplation and recollection of the inevitability of ageing, illness, and death will allow you to keep calm and let things be when something happens. This is because there is wisdom in place to keep reminding you so that you don’t forget. But suffering will arise if there’s craving for not dying, ageing, and getting ill.

Your wisdom and mindfulness come from your sustained effort in recollecting death. If you don’t make the effort, then these Dhamma qualities will not take hold and resonate within you. You’ll only be aware of them temporarily, i.e. while listening to the Dhamma, just as you are at the moment. When you go home, back to where you live or to all the things you do, you’ll forget about what you’ve heard if you don’t keep reminding yourself of death. It will just turn into perception (saññā). It will become a memory.

When you encounter your own death or that of others’, you’ll suddenly panic and get frightened. This is because you don’t have the wisdom firmly rooted in your mind to prevent such fear from arising.

The fear arises out of your own negligence that your body is subject to ageing, illness, and death. When there are delusion and heedlessness, craving will arise—craving for the body to last. So when you’re facing death, fearfulness will arise along with suffering. This is because you don’t have the wisdom to keep you constantly grounded. But if you keep in mind what you’ve just heard about death—even after leaving here, and recollect it frequently—your mind will have the wisdom to protect you from being bothered and troubled by death.

It all comes down to your determination and diligence: you must keep developing mindfulness and cultivating wisdom as much as possible. Keep doing sitting meditation to calm your mind. Once your mind is calm, you will be able to let go of your body—your wisdom will make you aware that your body is not you, nor does it belong to you.

Your body is composed of four elements: earth, water, air, and fire. It will eventually revert to its original elements. The composition of the four elements in your body—earth, water, air, and fire—will eventually dissolve and disband.

The air element will no longer go in and out of your body, and so the fire element will disappear. The water element will leave your body to the point where your body is all dried up and turns into earth. This is how it is with everyone’s body. Having been born, each and everyone of us is subject to ageing, illness, and death. No one can prevent their body from ageing, getting ill, and dying. Your wisdom, however, will allow you to accept such reality—to accept the natural course of your body: ageing, illness, and death are inevitable.

By Ajaan Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

Youtube: Dhamma in English

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“Three forms of desire that are the cause of your rebirth.”

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

30 April 2024

“Three forms of desire that are the cause of your rebirth.”

- - -

Question:  We meditate to improve our well-being. Is there any higher purpose to the meditation? 

Than Ajahn: The well-being that you are referring to is the well-being of the body and the well-being of the mind. Well-being of the body is, like I said, temporary, it is not permanent. What you want to have is well-being of the mind. 

The mind that is always peaceful and happy, having no stress, realizing the cessation of all forms of stress or suffering and the end of all rebirths. This is the goal of Buddhist meditation. Because if you still have to be reborn, then you still have to get old, get sick and die. 

So the Buddha said the goal is not to be reborn.

In order not to be reborn, you have to eliminate all forms of desire. The Buddha mentioned three forms of desire that are the cause of your rebirth. Kāma-taṇhā means the desire for sensual pleasure, bhava-taṇhā means the desire to become this or that, and vibhava-tanhā means the desire not to become this or that.

So these are the three desires that you have to eliminate. You can do this with samatha-bhāvanā and vipassanā-bhāvanā, or in other words, samādhi and paññā that you are doing right now. Right now you are developing paññā. Paññā can arise from listening to Dhamma talks. When you listen to Dhamma talks, you get to know the way to eliminate your desire. The next step is to remind yourself of what you have heard. That is because if you don’t remind yourself by contemplating what you have heard tonight, you will forget. 

Keep on repeating, reminding yourself what you have heard tonight, what you have understood, and then try to apply this knowledge that you have learned to your life. When you become attached to something or someone, then you must use this knowledge to detach your mind from them. If you can detach your mind, then you don’t have any desire for them to be this or that because you know eventually they will be whatever they will be. If the body has to get old, get sick, or die, regardless of whatever you do, you cannot stop this process. So this is paññā. We call them the three levels of paññā. 

The first level is the paññā that arises from listening to the Dhamma talk; in Pāli we call it suttamaya-paññā. 

Then you take this knowledge that you have heard from the Dhamma talk and repeat it in your mind, contemplating again and again, this is call cintamaya-paññā. Like tonight you have heard that you have to let go of everything because everything is aniccaṁ, dukkhaṁ, anattā. If you take this knowledge and try to contemplate it in your daily life, whatever you do, try to keep in mind that everything is aniccaṁ, dukkhaṁ, anattā. You must not have any attachment to them. You must not have any desire for them to be this or that. If you can remind yourself of this all the time, when you have to interact with them, you will interact with them in a way that will not cause any stress.

Dhamma in English, Nov 4, 2014.

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

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“When you are in the present, you are ready to enter into samādhi.”

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart

4 March 2023

“When you are in the present, you are ready to enter into samādhi.”

- - -

Question: Can I ask about the basic, the beginning of the practice, the meditation object? When I use parikamma ‘ Buddho’ or ānāpānasati as the object of meditation, is the aim to get a complete body feeling, to maintain the inside body feeling? Is this called sati?

Than Ajahn: No. The aim is to stop thinking, to stop the mind from wandering all over the world. Bring it back to the present, to the here and now.

Question: Does here and now mean in the body?

Than Ajahn: If you are with your body, then you are not going anywhere. You are in the present. When you are in the present, you are ready to enter into samādhi. Samādhi can happen when the mind is in the present.

Question: Do we focus our attention on our body and if we cannot do it then we use the preparatory work of parikamma?

Than Ajahn: The goal is to stop your mind from thinking. If your mind is thinking, somehow you should stop it by using the body as a point of focus or using parikamma, like a mantra as your point of focus to stop your thinking. When the mind stops thinking, the mind will converge and become one. It becomes singular. In Thai language, it’s ‘sak-ta-wa-roo,’ – means really knowing. It separates itself from the body. It becomes by itself.

Question: Does Thai language ‘jit ruam yai’ mean having just peacefulness? Is it samādhi? And when I reach this state, can I then start to contemplate asubha etc?

Than Ajahn: Yes. When you reach this state then you are in complete control of your mind. 

You can stop your mind from generating all kinds of defilements. If you cannot do this yet, when you come out (of samādhi), you cannot stop your defilement when it starts to manifest. When you have this ‘ruam yai’ then you have the strength to stop your defilement when it appears.

“Monks from Wat Pah Nanachaat, Jun 9, 2015”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g

The Kalama Sutta

 The Kalama Sutta

The Buddha’s Teachings is meant to free us from the bondage of blind beliefs. Not only from outside Buddhism but also from within Buddhist fraternity. Then only our mind can be truly free.

He is the only teacher who invite us to examine his teachings ‘ Ehepassiko’ and to question and examine his morality.

Before the Buddha declared his Parinibanna (his final passing). These are the instructions of the Buddha

“Therefore, Ananda, be islands unto yourselves, refuges unto yourselves, seeking no external refuge; with the Dhamma as your island, the Dhamma as your refuge, seeking no other refuge

It may be, Ananda, that to some among you the thought will come: 'Ended is the word of the Master; we have a Master no longer.' But it should not, Ananda, be so considered. For that which I have proclaimed and made known as the Dhamma and the Discipline, that shall be your Master when I am gone.”

If you go to a Buddhist temple, you would likely see an eight spoke wheel, that my friends, is the symbolic representative of the Eight Noble Path – Right Understanding; Right Thoughts; Right Speech; Right Action; Right Livelihood; Right Effort; Right Mindfulness; Right Concentration.

The eight spoke wheel is the symbol of the Teachings of the Buddha or Dhamma set in motion when the Buddha taught the five ascetics who were practicing with him before he attained enlightenment at the Deer Park. In some temples you can see the Dhamma Wheel flanked by two deer which represent the Deer Park.

It is important for those considering themselves Buddhists to examine, learn and practice the Eight Noble Path so that they will know that it is the Buddha Dhamma that they are listening to, otherwise in the end of our life journey we will still be shackled by ignorance.

A good Buddhist guru or teacher will have a high discipline standard according to the Vinayas of the sect of which he is ordained and will revolve his teachings around the Eight Noble Path by various expedient ways easily understood and digested by the listeners. . He gives credit to the Buddha at the end of his talks for it is the Buddha’s Dhamma that he is professing. In this way he does not retain the ego that the teachings is from himself and neither does he mislead others into thinking that. Most gurus do that by bowing to the Buddha at the end of the Dhamma talk.

In the Kalama Sutta 

(http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an03/an03.065.than.html)

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One, on a wandering tour among the Kosalans with a large community of monks, arrived at Kesaputta, a town of the Kalamas. The Kalamas of Kesaputta heard it said, "Gotama the contemplative — the son of the Sakyans, having gone forth from the Sakyan clan — has arrived at Kesaputta. And of that Master Gotama this fine reputation has spread: 'He is indeed a Blessed One, worthy, & rightly self-awakened, consummate in knowledge & conduct, well-gone, a knower of the cosmos, an unexcelled trainer of those persons ready to be tamed, teacher of human & divine beings, awakened, blessed. He has made known — having realized it through direct knowledge — this world with its devas, maras, & brahmas, its generations with their contemplatives & brahmans, their rulers & common people; has explained the Dhamma admirable in the beginning, admirable in the middle, admirable in the end; has expounded the holy life both in its particulars & in its essence, entirely perfect, surpassingly pure. It is good to see such a worthy one.'"

So the Kalamas of Kesaputta went to the Blessed One. On arrival, some of them bowed down to him and sat to one side. Some of them exchanged courteous greetings with him and, after an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies, sat to one side. Some of them sat to one side having saluted him with their hands palm-to-palm over their hearts. Some of them sat to one side having announced their name & clan. Some of them sat to one side in silence.

As they sat there, the Kalamas of Kesaputta said to the Blessed One, "Lord, there are some brahmans & contemplatives who come to Kesaputta. They expound & glorify their own doctrines, but as for the doctrines of others, they deprecate them, revile them, show contempt for them, & disparage them. And then other brahmans & contemplatives come to Kesaputta. They expound & glorify their own doctrines, but as for the doctrines of others, they deprecate them, revile them, show contempt for them, & disparage them. They leave us absolutely uncertain & in doubt: Which of these venerable brahmans & contemplatives are speaking the truth, and which ones are lying?"

"Of course you are uncertain, Kalamas. Of course you are in doubt. When there are reasons for doubt, uncertainty is born. So in this case, Kalamas, don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, 'This contemplative is our teacher.' When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to harm & to suffering' — then you should abandon them.

"What do you think, Kalamas? When greed arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?"

"For harm, lord."

"And this greedy person, overcome by greed, his mind possessed by greed, kills living beings, takes what is not given, goes after another person's wife, tells lies, and induces others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term harm & suffering."

"Yes, lord."

"Now, what do you think, Kalamas? When aversion arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?"

"For harm, lord."

"And this aversive person, overcome by aversion, his mind possessed by aversion, kills living beings, takes what is not given, goes after another person's wife, tells lies, and induces others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term harm & suffering."

"Yes, lord."

"Now, what do you think, Kalamas? When delusion arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?"

"For harm, lord."

"And this deluded person, overcome by delusion, his mind possessed by delusion, kills living beings, takes what is not given, goes after another person's wife, tells lies, and induces others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term harm & suffering."

"Yes, lord."

"So what do you think, Kalamas: Are these qualities skillful or unskillful?"

"Unskillful, lord."

"Blameworthy or blameless?"

"Blameworthy, lord."

"Criticized by the wise or praised by the wise?"

"Criticized by the wise, lord."

"When adopted & carried out, do they lead to harm & to suffering, or not?"

"When adopted & carried out, they lead to harm & to suffering. That is how it appears to us."

"So, as I said, Kalamas: 'Don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, "This contemplative is our teacher." When you know for yourselves that, "These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to harm & to suffering" — then you should abandon them.' Thus was it said. And in reference to this was it said.

"Now, Kalamas, don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, 'This contemplative is our teacher.' When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to welfare & to happiness' — then you should enter & remain in them.

"What do you think, Kalamas? When lack of greed arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?"

"For welfare, lord."

"And this ungreedy person, not overcome by greed, his mind not possessed by greed, doesn't kill living beings, take what is not given, go after another person's wife, tell lies, or induce others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term welfare & happiness."

"Yes, lord."

"What do you think, Kalamas? When lack of aversion arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?"

"For welfare, lord."

"And this unaversive person, not overcome by aversion, his mind not possessed by aversion, doesn't kill living beings, take what is not given, go after another person's wife, tell lies, or induce others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term welfare & happiness."

"Yes, lord."

"What do you think, Kalamas? When lack of delusion arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?"

"For welfare, lord."

"And this undeluded person, not overcome by delusion, his mind not possessed by delusion, doesn't kill living beings, take what is not given, go after another person's wife, tell lies, or induce others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term welfare & happiness."

"Yes, lord."

"So what do you think, Kalamas: Are these qualities skillful or unskillful?"

"Skillful, lord."

"Blameworthy or blameless?"

"Blameless, lord."

"Criticized by the wise or praised by the wise?"

"Praised by the wise, lord."

"When adopted & carried out, do they lead to welfare & to happiness, or not?"

"When adopted & carried out, they lead to welfare & to happiness. That is how it appears to us."

"So, as I said, Kalamas: 'Don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, "This contemplative is our teacher." When you know for yourselves that, "These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to welfare & to happiness" — then you should enter & remain in them.' Thus was it said. And in reference to this was it said.

"Now, Kalamas, one who is a disciple of the noble ones — thus devoid of greed, devoid of ill will, undeluded, alert, & resolute — keeps pervading the first direction [the east] — as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth — with an awareness imbued with good will. Thus he keeps pervading above, below, & all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing cosmos with an awareness imbued with good will: abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.

"He keeps pervading the first direction — as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth — with an awareness imbued with compassion. Thus he keeps pervading above, below, & all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing cosmos with an awareness imbued with compassion: abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.

"He keeps pervading the first direction — as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth — with an awareness imbued with appreciation. Thus he keeps pervading above, below, & all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing cosmos with an awareness imbued with appreciation: abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.

"He keeps pervading the first direction — as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth — with an awareness imbued with equanimity. Thus he keeps pervading above, below, & all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing cosmos with an awareness imbued with equanimity: abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.

"Now, Kalamas, one who is a disciple of the noble ones — his mind thus free from hostility, free from ill will, undefiled, & pure — acquires four assurances in the here-&-now:

"'If there is a world after death, if there is the fruit of actions rightly & wrongly done, then this is the basis by which, with the break-up of the body, after death, I will reappear in a good destination, the heavenly world.' This is the first assurance he acquires.

"'But if there is no world after death, if there is no fruit of actions rightly & wrongly done, then here in the present life I look after myself with ease — free from hostility, free from ill will, free from trouble.' This is the second assurance he acquires.

"'If evil is done through acting, still I have willed no evil for anyone. Having done no evil action, from where will suffering touch me?' This is the third assurance he acquires.

"'But if no evil is done through acting, then I can assume myself pure in both respects.' This is the fourth assurance he acquires.

"One who is a disciple of the noble ones — his mind thus free from hostility, free from ill will, undefiled, & pure — acquires these four assurances in the here-&-now."

"So it is, Blessed One. So it is, O One Well-gone. One who is a disciple of the noble ones — his mind thus free from hostility, free from ill will, undefiled, & pure — acquires four assurances in the here-&-now:

"'If there is a world after death, if there is the fruit of actions rightly & wrongly done, then this is the basis by which, with the break-up of the body, after death, I will reappear in a good destination, the heavenly world.' This is the first assurance he acquires.

"'But if there is no world after death, if there is no fruit of actions rightly & wrongly done, then here in the present life I look after myself with ease — free from hostility, free from ill will, free from trouble.' This is the second assurance he acquires.

"'If evil is done through acting, still I have willed no evil for anyone. Having done no evil action, from where will suffering touch me?' This is the third assurance he acquires.

"'But if no evil is done through acting, then I can assume myself pure in both ways.' This is the fourth assurance he acquires.

"One who is a disciple of the noble ones — his mind thus free from hostility, free from ill will, undefiled, & pure — acquires these four assurances in the here-&-now.

"Magnificent, lord! Magnificent! Just as if he were to place upright what was overturned, to reveal what was hidden, to show the way to one who was lost, or to carry a lamp into the dark so that those with eyes could see forms, in the same way has the Blessed One — through many lines of reasoning — made the Dhamma clear. We go to the Blessed One for refuge, to the Dhamma, and to the Sangha of monks. May the Blessed One remember us as lay followers who have gone to him for refuge, from this day forward, for life.

Please explain the Eightfold Path in more detail ~ by Ajahn Jayasaro

 Please explain the Eightfold Path in more detail
~ by Ajahn Jayasaro 

The Eightfold Path is the holistic education or training of body, speech and mind that culminates in awakening. 

Right View refers to beliefs, views, ideals, values that are in harmony with the way things are. Initially its most important elements are confidence in 

i) the human capacity for enlightenment, and

ii) the law of kamma.

Right Thought refers to thoughts consistent with Right View. These are characterized by a freedom from all kinds of toxic thinking, in particular that which is 

i) sensual, ii) hostile or iii) cruel. 

Right Thought includes the aspiration to be free from all inner affliction, and thoughts of kindness and compassion. 

Right Speech is true, useful and timely speech that is polite and kindly in intent. It is speech free from 

i) lying, ii) harshness, iii) slander and iv) idle chatter. 

Right Action refers to actions that do not harm self or others. At its most basic it refers to refraining from 

i) killing, ii) stealing and iii) sexual misconduct. 

Right Livelihood refers to livelihood that does not cause harm to self or others. Wrong livelihoods listed in the texts include the selling of 

i) weapons, ii) living beings, iii) meat and fish, iv) intoxicants and v) poisons. 

Right Effort refers to the endeavor to: 

i) prevent unskillful thoughts and emotions that have not yet arisen in the mind from arising. 

ii) reduce and eradicate unskillful thoughts and emotions that have already arisen in the mind. 

iii) introduce into the mind skillful thoughts and emotions that have not yet arisen. 

iv) sustain and further develop skillful thoughts and emotions already present in the mind. 

Right Mindfulness refers to maintaining an alert, even-minded and committed awareness of present experience, in particular: 

i) the physical body 

ii) the affective tone of experience: pleasant, unpleasant or neutral 

iii) the state of mind iv) mental phenomena as they relate to the Buddha’s path of awakening 

Right Concentration refers to the inner stability, clarity and peace experienced in four stages of “meditative absorption” or “jhāna”. 

The first jhāna is characterized by five ‘jhāna factors’: an initial and sustained attention to the meditation object, zest, bliss and one-pointedness of mind. As the mind becomes more refined the coarser jhāna factors fade away. 

The second jhāna is reached with the shedding of initial and sustained attention. 

The disappearance of zest signals attainment of the third jhāna. 

With the loss of bliss the mind enters the fourth and most subtle level of jhāna, distinguished by unshakeable equanimity. 

(From “Without and Within, Dhamma” by Ajahn Jayasaro)

WHAT BUDDHISTS BELIEVE ==Consulting Mediums == ~ Ven. Dr K Sri Dhammananda

 WHAT BUDDHISTS BELIEVE
==Consulting Mediums == 
~ Ven. Dr K Sri Dhammananda 

Consulting mediums is not a Buddhist practice: it is just a traditional and psychological belief.

In many countries, people seek the advice and guidance of mediums to overcome their problems in situations which they consider as beyond their comprehension. 

The medium's help is sought in many ways and for various reasons. In time of sickness when medical help is apparently ineffective, some people may become desperate and turn anywhere to seek solace. At such times, mediums are often consulted. Some people also turn to mediums when they are faced with a complex and are unable to find an acceptable solution. Others consult mediums out of greed in order to get rich quickly. 

Some people believe that when a medium is in a trance, the spirit of a certain god or deity communicate through the medium and offers advice or guidance to those seeking help. Others believe that the trance-state is the work of the subconscious mind which surfaces and takes over the conscious mind. 

Consulting mediums is a fairly common practice amongst the public. The Buddhist attitude towards consulting medium is one of neutrality. It is difficult to verify whether what the medium conveys is correct or not. The practice of consulting medium is not a Buddhist practice; it is just a traditional practice. 

Consulting mediums is for worldly material gain; the Teaching of the Buddha is for spiritual development. However, if people believe what the medium conveys is true, there is no reason for Buddhists to object to such practices. 

But, if a person really understands and practices the Teaching of the Buddha, he can realize the nature of his problems. He can overcome his own problems without consulting any medium.

At what point does one call oneself a Buddhist?

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

20 October 2024

Question:  At what point does one call oneself a Buddhist?

Phra Ajahn:  A Buddhist is someone who only follows the teachings of the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha. If there are other teachings that contradict to the teachings of the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha, you don’t follow them. Then, you become a Buddhist. 

The teachings of the Buddha teach the law of kamma—you are good or bad determined by your own actions: body, speech and mind. If you want to be good, keep doing good actions of the body, speech and mind and you’ll be happy. If there are other teachings that contradict to the teachings, you don’t follow them; you only follow the teachings of the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha—this is what it means by taking the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha as the refuge. ‘Refuge’ means to let someone lead you. 

We are like blind people. We need people who have good vision to lead us to a place where it is safe. The Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha are people with good vision. They know a place where it’s safe for us. If you follow the teachings, then you will get to that safe place, eventually.

“Dhamma in English, Oct 31, 2018.”

- - -

Question:  Can Ajahn elaborate on what it means by taking refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha? I also read that one should be one's own refuge. What is the difference? 

Phra Ajahn:  Taking refuge in Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha means you take the Triple Gem as your teacher. 

Before you can teach yourself, you need someone to guide you because in the beginning you don’t know what you should do. So you need a teacher to tell you what to do. You need the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha as your refuge, as your teacher.

Once you have learnt from the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha and know what you are supposed to do, then you have to be your own refuge. You have to apply what you have learnt yourself, because the Buddha cannot do it for you; the Sangha cannot do it for you; you have to do it yourself. So this is what it means by taking yourself as your own refuge: you have to do the practice yourself. So you need both: you need to take refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha as your teacher and you need to be your own refuge as a practitioner.

“Dhamma in English, May 5, 2017.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: 

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“The defilement is in your mind.”

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

1 March 2023

“The defilement is in your mind.”

Question (from Singapore):  Whenever a defilement arises, I tried searching for an exact location within my body that I can pin down as "anger", "lust" etc. However, I cannot seem to find a singular point within my body where the defilement resides. I understand that this is a way to manage defilements but I also thought it might be a key towards greater insight (vipassanā). Where do I go from here?

Than Ajahn:  The defilement is not in the body, so don’t waste your time looking for it in the body. The defilement is in your mind and the only way to stop your defilement is to either use mindfulness or wisdom. Using wisdom to stop your defilements is a lot harder when you don’t have it. It is easier to stop your defilements by using mindfulness. 

Mindfulness can be developed by reciting a mantra, Buddho Buddho. When the defilement emerges, you just keep reciting a mantra and your defilement will disappear, but it will come back as soon as you stop reciting the mantra. 

If you want to get rid of your defilement permanently, you have to first look at the kind of defilement you have, for example if you want to have more money, you have to look at the nature of money, that is, money is not permanent. While it can give happiness, it can also give you suffering because when you lose your money, you become sad. So if you can see that your desire for more money will lead you to more suffering, not less suffering, then you can stop your desire for money.

By Ajaan Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

Youtube: Dhamma in English

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g