Human Life

The last Dhamma Talk 

by the late Most Ven. K. Sri Dhammananda, 

Chief Priest of the Buddhist Temple in Brickfields, 

on 7th July 2006 

at the Buddhist Maha Vihara, Kuala Lumpur.

---

Human Life

"Dear devotees actually I never thought I would have the chance 

to see and talk to you. You see half of my body is dead, but my heart, my mind still has energy. 

What is this diseased body? 

Is it life? No, it's not life. 

It's the house. Life is the energy, mental, kammic and cosmic all joined together as "energy".

That is life.

Body is decayed and life goes away. 

Actually we must be happy when time comes to depart without suffering. To crave so much for the body, we spend our whole life decorating, looking after it, and one day it decays and when energy and the elements dissipate, then mental energy will build another house. 

Life started with mental energy and then birth occurs. Every single child cries, none smiles after birth. Life is suffering; we are using whole amounts of energy to maintain this physical body, but one day we have to depart. 

Then leaves solidity and fluidity ~ 2 elements only, heat and motion has gone.

Christians and Muslims are particular about the body as they believe in resurrection; we do not believe that there is anything in this physical body. 

Spend thousands on funerals, but the departed never get anything! 

The only way to support the departed, you must know how to make use of this life. That is why religion is needed to help us to cultivate compassion, sympathy and kindness and supporting others.

David Morris sent me a letter, he said there are 2 reasons to be happy as an old man:

(1) he will soon be free from pain and suffering, 

(2) ever since he became a Buddhist he has tried his best to maintain and uphold the 5 precepts, if there is another life it won't be an unfortunate one as he departs with confidence.

In the end the dying man takes no solace in dancing and singing, only in meritorious deeds will you get confidence and this will support the kammic energy in the rebirth. 

You must know how to handle life, by doing service to others to help release their suffering. 

Many die with fear and confusion in mind; can't take rebirth in upper realm. Meditation is important to maintain purity. 

Prince Siddhartha, when he was born, there were 5 astrologers invited to predict his fate. 

Four said that he would either grow up to be a sage or monarch, and one said definitely a sage.

When craving and attachment is completely removed, the mind is then completely pure. 

This body is not life. 

It's a house built by energy and 4 cosmic elements. Unfortunately in the past 2,500 years, Buddhists in Asia have introduced a lot of rites and rituals, never introduced by the Buddha. Just keep away from evil by reducing anger, jealousy, enmity, and try to do meritorious deeds, and try to develop the mind through understanding. 

Try to purify the mind.

If you are cruel, hot tempered, or stingy, try your best to take this out. 

If you pray to God to take this out do you think God can do that? 

Buddha can't also, but he can tell you how to do that. War is declared by the human mind, peace also comes from our our minds, not from heaven nor from God.

First by understanding without believing, when you develop a right understanding, then you can carry on a religious way of life. 

When you doubt, you think, investigate, then accept or reject.

Others say if there is doubt, then God will punish you.

All over the world different schools have sprung up and they follow their own traditions which they have maintained for a long time. 

Buddha had rejected old traditions, but it was introduced to the primitive narrow minded people. People in Asian countries don't study the dharma.

Next do Good. Reduce the anger and do something to train the mind through right understanding. Change the mind - through your own experience you can understand right and wrong.

I have been in Malaysia for 53 years, used to have even no room to sleep. 

The Chinese were the main Buddhists here and through Buddhist societies we made them understand what Buddhism is.

My mind mental and life energy is still active but I am half way dead. 

Although the end of my life is now near, I have no fear. Arahants can disconnect mind from body to experience nibbanic bliss and at that time you cannot tell if they are dead or alive, their bodies are still warm and their complexions will remain ruddy. 

They can do that for 1 week at the most.

Remember there are 4 kinds of happiness:

(1) Happiness of Possession - in owing your own property, your house, land, business, bank account.

(2) Happiness of Enjoyment - using what you have earned you can enjoy good food, nice house, nice dress, without abusing, bluffing, cheating others.

(3) Happiness of Debtlessness - try best not to borrow from others, spend within your means; you gain self respect.

(4) Happiness of Blamelessness - try to lead life without doing harm to anybody.

These 4 kinds of happiness must be with you. Don't be lazy; do some work, do not neglect what you have earned, maintain and protect what you have earned, then you can decide what to do including adopting a Buddhist way of life up to arahant, 

know how to adjust your way of life, how to associate with others. 

Associate with good people, not harmful, wicked people. 

Support your father and mother, look after your spouse and children, don't neglect relatives, help them.

Develop your mind to the extent that you are not shaken by the 8 winds of change: 

(1) praise/blame,

(2) fame/shame, 

(3) gain /loss, 

(4) pleasure/pain, and 

treat all the same, then at this stage nothing will affect you."

All meetings end in partings. 

That which rises must fall. 

That which is collected will be dispersed. 

Birth ends with death.” 

- Ven K. Sri Dhammananda 

[ 1918 - 2006 ]