August 2016 — Jendhamuni-Buddhism

Speaking truth

Comment August 31, 2016

It is possible to speak truth in anger.
When so done, people tend to hear the anger and not the truth.

It is possible to speak truth in arrogance.
When so done, people tend to hear the arrogance
and not the truth.

It is possible to speak truth in deceitful ways.
When so done, people tend to sense the deceit
and take the truth for more deceit.

It is possible to speak truth in loving kindness.
When so done, people tend to hear the love and the truth.

Or so it seems in my experience.

~By Jesa MacBeth
Discipline — a difficult word for most of us

Comment August 31, 2016

“Discipline” is a difficult word for most of us. It conjures up images of somebody standing over you with a stick, telling you that you’re wrong. But self-discipline is different. It’s the skill of seeing through the hollow shouting of your own impulses and piercing their secret. They have no power over you. It’s all a show, a deception. Your urges scream and bluster at you; they cajole; they coax; they threaten; but they really carry no stick at all. You give in out of habit. You give in because you never really bother to look beyond the threat. It is all empty back there. There is only one way to learn this lesson, though. The words on this page won’t do it. But look within and watch the stuff coming up-restlessness, anxiety, impatience, pain-just watch it come up and don’t get involved. Much to your surprise, it will simply go away. It rises, it passes away. As simple as that. There is another word for self-discipline. It is patience. ? Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
The third Buddhist Council being held with the Venerable Moggaliputta Tissa as the presiding Thera

Comment August 31, 2016

The third Buddhist Council being held with the Venerable Moggaliputta Tissa as the presiding Thera

57. The third Buddhist Council being held with the Venerable Moggaliputta Tissa as the presiding Thera

King Dhammasoka understood the essence of Buddhism, and gave great support to the cause of Buddhism by erecting rock-edicts in all parts of his territory enjoining upon the subjects to follow the Doctrine in their daily lives. With his royal patronage Buddhism flourished, and the Sasana gradually grew in importance and numbers. Tempted by worldly gain, many undesirables of alien sects joined the Order and polluted the Sasana by their corrupt lives and heretical views which they taught.

Good monks could not live together with these sham monks and there was trouble. The King consulted the Venerable Moggaliputta Tissa to protect the Sasana. The King tested the monks and disrobed the undesirables to purify the Sasana. The Third Buddhist Council was then held by 1000 Arahants. with the Venerable Moggaliputta Tissa as the presiding Thera.

THE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF BUDDHISM
by ASHIN JANAKA BHIVAMSA (Aggamahapandita)
Artist: U Ba Kyi | Link to this post
Preconceptions

Comment August 31, 2016

Just as fog is dispelled by the strength of the sun
and is dispelled no other way,
preconception is cleared by the strength of realization.
There’s no other way of clearing preconceptions.
Experience them as baseless dreams.
Experience them as ephemeral bubbles.
Experience them as insubstantial rainbows.
Experience them as indivisible space.

~by Milarepa
The one who needs the least

Comment August 29, 2016

“The richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least.” ~Arab Proverb

“When you are discontent, you always want more, more, more. Your desire can never be satisfied. But when you practice contentment, you can say to yourself, ‘Oh yes – I already have everything that I really need.'” ~ Dalai Lama

“Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” ~Lao Tzu
King Asoka offering meal to young novice Nigrodha who sat upon the throne

Comment August 29, 2016

King Asoka offering meal to young novice Nigrodha who sat upon the throne

56. King Asoka offering meal to young novice Nigrodha who sat upon the throne

King Asoka regularly fed the Brahmin priests, in accordance with the custom of the royal household, before his conversion to Buddhism. But he was not pleased with their demeanour at meal-time, as they were neither clean nor calm. The King thought to himself, “Charity on such a lavish scale should be given in proper quarters”. Later, one day he saw a serene-looking young novice, quietly walking along the street with restrained senses.

The King was so impressed with the deportment that the novice was invited to the palace at once and requested to occupy a suitable seat ; and the novice went up the throne and sat on it. The King then served him with an excellent meal and asked him to give an exposition of the Doctrine which his Teacher used to preach. The young novice Nigrodha delivered an instructive discourse on the following stanza of the Dhammapada:— “Heedfulness is the path to Deathlessness. Heedlessness is the path to death. The heedful do not die, the heedless are like unto the dead”.

The word of the Buddha appealed to him and he became a Buddhist and staunch supporter of the religion.

THE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF BUDDHISM
by ASHIN JANAKA BHIVAMSA (Aggamahapandita)
Artist: U Ba Kyi | Link to this post
Walk as if…

107 August 28, 2016

Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet. ~Thich Nhat Hạnh
Anxiety and Sorrow

36 August 28, 2016

When we walk like (we are rushing), we print anxiety and sorrow on the earth. We have to walk in a way that we only print peace and serenity on the earth… Be aware of the contact between your feet and the earth. Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet. ~Thich Nhat Hạnh
Everyday

161 August 28, 2016

Everyday we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child – our own two eyes. All is a miracle. ~Thich Nhat Hanh
In order to be free from anger

145 August 28, 2016

In order to be free from anger, we have to practice, whether we are Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or Jewish. We cannot ask the Buddha, Jesus, God or Mohammed to take anger out of our hearts for us. There are concrete instructions on how to transform the craving, anger and confusion within us. If we follow these instructions and learn to take good care of our suffering, we can help others do the same. ~Thich Nhat Hanh