WHAT BUDDHISTS BELIEVE Buddhism for Human Beings in Society ~ Ven. K Sri Dhammananda

WHAT BUDDHISTS BELIEVE
Buddhism for Human Beings in Society 
~ Ven. K Sri Dhammananda 

This religion can be practised either in society or in seclusion. 

THERE are some who believe that Buddhism is so lofty and sublime a system that it cannot be practised by ordinary men and women in the workaday world. They think that one has to retire to a monastery or to some quiet place if one desires to be a true Buddhist. This is a sad misconception that comes from a lack of understanding of the Buddhist way of life. People jump to such conclusions after casually reading or hearing something about Buddhism. Some people form their impression of Buddhism after reading articles or books that give only a partial or lopsided view of Buddhism. The authors of such articles and books have only a limited understanding of the Buddha’s Teaching. His Teaching is not meant only for monks in monasteries. The Teaching is also for ordinary men and women living at home with their families. The Noble Eightfold Path is the Buddhist way of life that is intended for all people. This way of life is offered to all mankind without any distinction. When four aspects of life i.e., Family life, Business life, Social life and Spiritual life are satisfactorily harmonized, lasting happiness is gained.

The vast majority of people in the world cannot become monks or retire into caves or forests. However noble and pure Buddhism may be, it would be useless to the masses if they could not follow it in their daily life in the modern world. But if you understand the spirit of Buddhism correctly, you can surely follow and practise it while living the life of an ordinary person.

There may be some who find it easier and more convenient to practise Buddhism by living in a remote place; in other words, by cutting themselves off from the society of others. Yet, other people may find that this kind of retirement dulls and depresses their whole being both physically and mentally, and that it may therefore not be conducive to the development of their spiritual and intellectual life.

True renunciation does not mean running away physically from the world. Sariputta, the chief disciple of the Buddha, said that one man might live in a forest devoting himself to ascetic practices, but might be full of impure thoughts and ‘defilements’. Another might live in a village or a town, practising no ascetic discipline, but his mind might be pure, and free from ‘defilements’. ‘Of these two’, said Sariputta, ‘the one who lives a pure life in the village or town is definitely far superior to, and greater than, the one who lives in the forest.’ (MAJJHIMA NIKAYA)

The common belief that to follow the Buddha’s Teaching one has to retire from a normal family life is a misconception. It is really an unconscious defence against practising it. There are numerous references in Buddhist literature to men and women living ordinary, normal family lives who successfully practised what the Buddha taught and realized Nirvana. Vacchagotta the Wanderer, once asked the Buddha directly whether there were laymen and women leading the family life who followed His Teaching successfully and attained the high spiritual states. The Buddha categorically stated that there were many laymen and women leading the family life who had followed His Teaching successfully and attained the high spiritual states.

It may be agreeable for certain people to live a retired life in a quiet place away from noise and disturbances. But it is certainly more praiseworthy and courageous to practise Buddhism living among fellow beings, helping them and offering service to them. It may perhaps be useful in some cases for a person to live in retirement for a time in order to improve the mind and character, as a preli-minary to moral, spiritual and intellectual training, to be strong enough to come out later and help others. 

But if a person lives all his or her life in solitude, thinking only of personal happiness and salvation, without caring for his or her fellowmen, this surely is not completely in keeping with the Buddha’s Teaching which is based on love, compassion and service to others. One might now ask, ‘If a person can follow Buddhism while living the life of an ordinary person, why was the Sangha, the Order of monks, established by the Buddha?’ The Order provides an opportunity for those who are willing to devote their lives not only to their own spiritual and intellectual development, but also to the service of others. An ordinary layperson with a family cannot be expected to devote a life to the service of others, whereas a monk or nun, who has no family responsibilities or any other worldly ties, is in a position to devote his or her life ‘for the good of the many’.

(DR. WALPOLA RAHULA) 

And what is this ‘good’ that many can benefit from? Monks and nuns cannot give material comfort to a layperson, but they can provide spiritual guidance to those who are troubled by worldly, family, emotional problems and so on. Monks and nuns devote their lives to the pursuit of knowledge of the Dharma as taught by the Buddha. They explain the Teaching in simplified form to the untutored layperson. And if the layperson is well educated, they are there to discuss the deeper aspects of the teaching so that both parties can gain intellectually from the discussion.

In Buddhist countries, the Sangha are largely responsible for the education of the young. As a result of their contribution, Buddhist countries have populations which are literate and well- versed in spiritual values. The Sangha also comfort those who are bereaved and emotionally upset by explaining how all humanity is subject to similar disturbances.

In turn, the layperson is expected to look after the material wellbeing of the Sangha who do not earn income to provide themselves with food, shelter, medicine and clothing. In common Buddhist practice, it is considered meritorious for laypeople to contribute to the well being of the Sangha because by so doing they make it possible for the Sangha to continue to minister to the spiritual needs of the people and to develop their own mental purity.

What does it mean, "I take refuge in the Buddha." ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

What does it mean, 
"I take refuge in the Buddha."

Listen to the entire dharma talk 

http://tnhaudio.org/2016/11/01/touching-life-come-home/

The 53-minute dharma talk offered by Thich Nhat Hanh took place at the Lower Hamlet of Plum Village on November 3, 2005.

What does it mean, “I take refuge in the Buddha.” Buddha is the one who is mindful, awake, enlightened. Taking refuge is not believing in a God or deity. We all have a seed of mindfulness, understanding, and love. We can become a person who is fully awake, enlightened, just like the Buddha. Taking refuge is confirming the fact that you can be enlightened. You are a Buddha. This is not a declaration of faith, but a commitment to practice. In every breath we are taking refuge. In every mindful step we are taking refuge.

The way in is also the way out. Our spiritual life should be established in that vision – being truly ourselves. 

Practicing to bring a spiritual dimension into your life. 

Through drinking our tea, preparing our breakfast, or brushing our teeth. These are spiritual acts. Not being caught by the future or the past. This is being a Buddha.

Going home to ourselves. How is this act accomplished? Practicing in a community like Plum Village, everyone is supported by the sangha. This is taking refuge in the sangha. 

We have faith in the community. Helping to build this refuge for others.

Story of when the Buddha was about 80-years old and how he offered the teaching on taking refuge in the island of yourself. Here we can encounter the foundation of ourselves – the island includes the Buddha, dharma, and sangha. This is the practice of Plum Village also.

How do we respond when we are lonely, not feeling like ourselves? Our feelings of fear? Do we know how to practice going home to ourselves? Walking meditation is a method. Can we walk like a Buddha? Enjoying every step. This is a miracle.

The Buddha-nature is within you and through mindfulness, concentration, and insight it is you that is performing a miracle.

It is a practice of enjoyment.

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

#thichnhathanh #mindfulness #dhamma #meditation 

“First the body has to be secluded. When the body is secluded then the mind will become secluded.”

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

3 July 2024

“First the body has to be secluded. When the body is secluded then the mind will become secluded.”

- - -

Monk: In the current period, after 30 to 40 years, when Thailand has become different from the 70s, what would you say about the biggest obstacles and the danger for young monks? What is your advice?

Than Ajahn: It is the same. The world is the same. The danger is not to practice; it is to think about all other things rather than practising. When you are not becoming mindful you are not practising already and you start creating hindrances for your mind unknowingly.

If you can maintain mindfulness, you can get rid of all the hindrances. So the Buddha said mindfulness is the most important tool in the practice. The biggest Dhamma, the superior Dhamma is not paññā or samādhi, but mindfulness (sati). He compared sati to a footprint of an elephant, while the other Dhamma is like the footprint of other animals. The footprint of the elephant can cover the footprints of all other animals. 

That’s how important mindfulness is.

That’s why the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta is very important. If you can read and understand and can practise following the instructions in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta, the Buddha said you can attain enlightenment in 7 days, 7 months or 7 years at the maximum. So don’t forget this, it is the most important thing, that is, mindfulness. To be able to be mindful, you have to be alone, live in seclusion because then you will have no distraction to your development of your mindfulness.

When you come to be involved with people and things, your mind will start to go adrift with the events, with happenings, then you are not being mindful and your desire starts to come out. So try to seek seclusion: body and mind. First the body has to be secluded. When the body is secluded then the mind will become secluded. 

When the body is not secluded then the mind will become involved with other things that the body encounters.

Isolate and develop mindfulness then everything will come, samādhi will come. Once you have samādhi, learn how to extend it by investigating the body, the vedāna and the citta to see that they are all aniccaṁ, dukkhaṁ and anattā. When you see them then you can leave them alone.

Right now you want to manage all things. You want to manage your body, your vedanā and your citta. This is wrong because you cannot do it. 

Instead of bringing peacefulness to you, you are bringing dukkha to yourself by trying to manage something that is not manageable.

“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 Sumedho ~ Peace is a Simple Step

The teachings of Ajahn Sumedho 
~ Peace is a Simple Step

We are prone to having blind attachments. For example, say you’re locked up in a foul, stinking prison cell, and the Buddha comes and says, ‘Here’s the key. All you have to do is take it and put it in the hole there underneath the door handle, turn it to the right, turn the handle, open the door, walk out and you’re free.’ 

But you might be so used to being locked up in prison that you don’t quite understand the directions, so you say, ‘Oh, the Lord has given me this key’, and you hang it on the wall and pray to it every day. 

That might make your stay in prison a little more happy, you might be able to endure all the hardships and the stench of your foul-smelling cell a little better; but you’re still in the cell because you haven’t understood that it wasn’t the key in itself that was going to save you. Due to lack of intelligence and understanding, you just grasped the key blindly. 

That’s what happens in all religion; we just grasp the key to worship it, pray to it, but we don’t actually learn to use it. 

So the next time the Buddha comes and says, ‘Here’s the key’, you might be disillusioned and say, ‘I don’t believe any of this. I’ve been praying for years to that key and not a thing has happened! 

That Buddha is a liar!’ And you take the key and throw it out of the window. That’s the other extreme. But you’re still in the prison cell – so that hasn’t solved the problem either. 

But a few years later the Buddha comes again and says, ‘Here’s the key’, and this time you’re a little wiser and recognize the possibility of using it effectively, so you listen a little more closely, do the right thing and get out.

The key is like religious convention, like Theravada Buddhism: it’s only a key, only a form; it’s not an end in itself. 

We have to consider, and to contemplate how to use it. What is it for? 

We also have to expend the energy to get up, walk over to the door, insert the key in the lock, turn it in the right direction, turn the knob, open the door and walk out. The key is not going to do that for us; it’s something we have to carry out for ourselves. 

The convention itself cannot do it because it’s not capable of making the effort; it doesn’t have the energy or anything of its own other than what you put into it, just as the key can’t do anything for itself. Its usefulness depends on your efforts and wisdom.

The practice of the dhamma is learning to take a particular key and use it to open the door and walk out. Once you’re out, you know. There’s no more doubt.

— Ajahn Sumedho, 

Peace is a Simple Step

Teaching of Ajahn Suchart Abhijato

Teaching of Ajahn Suchart Abhijato

11 October 2024

Question (F):  I have my own teacher in my country and I feel that I have a very strong connection with him but sometimes it seems to border on a bit of obsession. I don’t want to say ‘love,’ because that’s silly but I’m just wondering what would Ajahn suggest, should I listen to him less and I see him less or should I just watch the mind? What is the right thing?

Phra Ajahn:  Yes, this is usually normal for the students to be attached to their teachers; sometimes they become possessive of the teachers and expect a lot from their teachers. 

When they cannot get what they expect, they become disappointed and sad.

So, you should draw a line—you should not expect anything from your teacher, only accept what he can give you. They are just like your teachers in school or in university so don’t try to have that personal connection.

Once you have personal connection, you tend to become possessive and it can cause you a lot of anxiety and even anger when you feel that he is not treating you properly.

So, basically you have to draw the line: you should not expect anything from him more than what he can give you then this will solve the problem. If you expect more than what he can give you, you will be sad or disappointed; you can become angry with him. Ok? Just look at your teacher as someone who gives you knowledge; don’t expect anything more than that. 

Sometimes you expect more—you want moral support and emotional support. Although sometimes he might give them to you that but it’s not his intention—maybe he saw that you’re feeling bad and he wanted to help you, but you shouldn’t expect from him to do it all the time.

“Dhamma in English, Oct 31, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: 

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

Simple Kindness by Ajahn Candasiri

Simple Kindness by Ajahn Candasiri

When I first came to Buddhist practice I was quite surprised at how much emphasis was put on virtue or sīla, on the way that we live our lives. 

I had already been practising meditation for some time within other traditions, and somehow I had managed to separate meditation from the rest of my life. Meditation was something I did on certain evenings during the week, and at other times I did other things. 

But what struck me most about the way that the Buddha teaches was the encouragement to see the whole of our life as practice. 

How we live, how we speak, and how we act are all part of our practice.

~  Ajahn Candasiri, 

Simple Kindness

********************'

"When invited to look at Jesus through Buddhist eyes, I had imagined that I would use a ‘compare and contrast’ approach, rather like a school essay. I was brought up as a Christian and turned to Buddhism in my early thirties, so of course I have ideas about both traditions: the one I grew up in and turned aside from, and the one I adopted and continue to practice within. 

But after re-reading some of the gospel stories, I would like to meet Jesus again with fresh eyes, and to examine the extent to which he and the Buddha were in fact offering the same guidance, even though the traditions of Christianity and Buddhism can appear in the surface to be rather different." 

~ Ajahn Candasiri

Who We Really Are By AJAHN SUMEDHO

Who We Really Are
By AJAHN SUMEDHO

There are different ideas about enlightenment: instant or gradual. Some may say: "Enlightenment is now", while others say thatit has to be done gradually, stage by stage, lifetime by lifetime. Both these are true - but not right, right but not true. They are just different ways of contemplating and reflecting on the experience of the moment. The idea of instant enlightenment is very appealing to the modern mind: one LSD tablet and we're there - without having to go through a monastic training or give up anything at all; instant enlightenment!

But we have to recognise the limitation of the thinking mind. These concepts - instant and gradual - are just ways of reflecting, they're not positions that we take. Take the word, 'enlightenment', itself: maybe we see it as some kind of absolutely fantastic experience in which we are completely taken over by the light and totally transformed from a selfish, deluded being into a completely wise one - seeing it as something very great and grand. Most of us feel that we cannot reach such a high state, because the personality view is very negative. We tend to emphasise what is wrong, our faults, weaknesses, our bad habits; these are seen as obstructions to this experience of enlightenment. But such thoughts cannot be trusted. So I often say to people: "Whatever you think you are, that's not what you are!"

The aim of Buddhist meditation is to let go of these conditions of the mind, which doesn't mean denying, or getting rid of, or judging them. It means not believing them or following them; instead we listen to them as Dhamma, as conditions of the mind that arise and cease.With an attitude of awakened, attentive awareness, we learn to trust in just being the listener, the watcher, rather than being somebody trying to meditate to get some kind of result.

Source: Who We Really Are

By AJAHN SUMEDHO

https://www.dhammatalks.net/Books3/Ajahn_Sumedho_Who_We_Really_Are.htm