1. Naturally stress-free and tranquil life

    Comment

    “Always be aware that you have the power to create the naturally stress-free and tranquil life you deserve.”
    “One day you’ll look back and realize that you worried too much about things that don’t really matter.”

    ~ Anonymous

  2. The Story of Prince Abhaya

    Comment

    Verse 171: Come, look at this world (i.e., the five khandhas), which is like an ornamented royal carriage. Fools flounder in this world of the khandhas, but the wise are not attached to it.

    The Story of Prince Abhaya

    While residing at the Veluvana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (71) of this book, with reference to Prince Abhaya (Abhayarajakumara).

    On one occasion, Prince Abhaya triumphantly returned after suppressing a rebellion at the frontier. King Bimbisara was so pleased with him that for seven days, Abhaya was given the glory and honour of a ruler, together with a dancing girl to entertain him. On the last day, while the dancer was entertaining the prince and his company in the garden, she had a severe stroke; she collapsed and died on the spot. The prince was shocked and very much distressed. Sorrowfully, he went to the Buddha to find solace. To him the Buddha said, “O prince, the tears you have shed all through the round of rebirths cannot be measured. This world of aggregates (i.e., khandhas) is the place where fools flounder.”

    Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

    Verse 171: Come, look at this world (i.e., the five khandhas), which is like an ornamented royal carriage. Fools flounder in this world of the khandhas, but the wise are not attached to it. Continue reading

  3. Surround yourself with positive people

    Comment

    Your friends should motivate and inspire you. Your circle should be well rounded and supportive. Keep it tight, quality over quantity.” ~ Anonymous

    Jendhamuni at H.H. Maha Ghosananda’s International Community of Khmer Buddhist Monks Center on October 16, 2022.

    “Keep people in your life that will change it for the better.”
    “Do not expect positive changes in your life if you surround yourself with negative people.”

    ~ Anonymous Continue reading

  4. Be mindful, grateful, positive, true and kind

    Comment

    Ananda with Maha Thera Siripanno Sophon Thon at H.H. Maha Ghosananda’s International Community of Khmer Buddhist Monks Center (ICKBM) on October 15, 2022.

    “Be mindful. Be grateful. Be positive. Be true. Be kind.” ― Roy T. Bennett

    “Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but manifestations of strength and resolution.” – Kahlil Gibran Continue reading

  5. Sunrise and a sunset every single day

    Comment

    Jendhamuni in the backyard on November 21, 2021.

    “There’s a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they’re absolutely free. Don’t miss so many of them.” ~ Jo Walton
    “Let every sunrise adorn your mind with the power of hope. Let it paint your life with the colors of the morning sky.” ~  Debasish Mridha

    “One grateful thought is a ray of sunshine. A hundred such thoughts paint a sunrise. A thousand will rival the glaring sky at noonday – for gratitude is light against the darkness.” ~ Richelle E. Goodrich Continue reading

  6. Nature unfolds her treasure

    Comment

    “Nature unfolds her treasure at the first ray of sunrise.” ~ Kishore Bansal

    “It was sunsets that taught me that beauty sometimes only lasts for a couple of moments, and it was sunrises that showed me that all it takes is patience to experience it all over again.” ~ A.J. Lawless

  7. The Bhikkhus’ Rules

    2

    Bhikkhu Buddha Saddha Vey Ve​​, Bhikkhu Indajoto and Samanera Ananda at the Kiryvongsa Bopharam Buddhist Temple, the Peace Meditation Center.

    The Teaching of the Buddha is concerned with more than intellectual knowledge for it needs to be experienced as truth in one’s own life. The Buddha often called his Teaching the Dhamma-Vinaya and when he passed away he left these as the guide for all of us who followed. As Venerable Thiradhammo writes:

    In simple terms we could say that while Dhamma represented the principles of Truth, the Vinaya represented the most efficacious lifestyle for the realization of that Truth. Or, the Vinaya was that way of life which enshrined the principles of Truth in the practicalities of living within the world.” (HS Part 2)
    For the bhikkhu, the Vinaya helps to highlight actions and speech, and show up their significance. It brings an awareness of how he is intervening in the world, how he is affecting other people. For better? For worse? With what intention?

    Of course, such an awareness is necessary for every human being, not just Buddhist monks. This is why the Buddha bequeathed to us the Five, the Eight and the Ten Precepts — as well as the bhikkhu’s 227 rules of the Paatimokkha. These precepts and rules remain as pertinent today as they were 2,500 years ago for they restore the focus back to the human being, to how actions and words affect individuals and the world. While the particulars may have changed, the fundamentals remain the same. Continue reading

  8. Stressing and complaining will change nothing

    Comment

    Jendhamuni at the Peace Meditation Center during meditation retreats on June 30, 2022

    “Happiness comes a lot easier when you stop complaining about your problems and you start being grateful for all the problems you don’t have.”
    “Happy are they who take life day by day, complain very little and are thankful for the little things in life.”
    “Complaining is a complete waste of one’s energy. Those who complain the most accomplish the least.”
    “As you breathe right now, another takes his last. So stop complaining and learn to live with what you have.”

    ~ Anonymous Continue reading

  9. The Story of Five Hundred Bhikkhus

    6

     

    Verse 170: If a man looks at the world (i.e., the five khandhas) in the same way as one looks at a bubble or a mirage, the King of Death will not find him.

    1. evam jokam avekkhantam: one who looks at the world in the same way, i.e., looks at the world as being impermanent as a bubble and as non-material as a mirage.

    The Story of Five Hundred Bhikkhus

    While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (170) of this book, with reference to five hundred bhikkhus.

    On one occasion, five hundred bhikkhus, after taking a subject of meditation from the Buddha, went into the forest to practise meditation. But they made very little progress; so they returned to the Buddha to ask for a more suitable subject of meditation. On their way to the Buddha, seeing a mirage they meditated on it. As soon as they entered the compound of the monastery, a storm broke out; as big drops of rain fell, bubbles were formed on the ground and soon disappeared. Seeing those bubbles, the bhikkhus reflected “This body of ours is perishable like the bubbles”, and perceived the impermanent nature of the aggregates (khandhas).

    The Buddha saw them from his perfumed chamber and sent forth the radiance and appeared in their vision. Continue reading

  10. The Story of King Suddhodana

    1

     Anjali

    Verse 168: Do not neglect the duty of going on alms-round; observe proper practice (in going on alms-round). One who observes proper practice lives happily both in this world and in the next.

    Verse 169: Observe proper practice (in going on alms-round); do not observe improper practice. One who observes proper practice lives happily both in this world and in the next.

    1. dhammam sucaritam: proper practice. The Commentary says that here proper practice means stopping for alms-food at one house after another in the course of the alms-round except where it is not proper to go (such as a courtesan’s house).
    2. na nam duccaritam: improper practice. Here it means not observing the above rules.

    The Story of King Suddhodana

    While residing at the Nigrodharama monastery, the Buddha uttered Verses (168) and (169) of this book, with reference to King Suddhodana, father of Gotama Buddha. Continue reading


Live & Die for Buddhism

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Khmer Tipitaka 1 – 110

 ព្រះត្រៃបិដក

ព្រះត្រៃបិដក ប្រែថា កញ្រ្ចែង ឬ ល្អី​ ៣ សម្រាប់ដាក់ផ្ទុកពាក្យពេចន៍នៃព្រះសម្មាសម្ពុទ្ធ

The Tipitaka or Pali canon, is the collection of primary Pali language texts which form the doctrinal foundation of Theravada Buddhism. The three divisions of the Tipitaka are: Vinaya Pitaka, Sutta Pitaka, Abhidhamma Pitaka.

Maha Ghosananda

Maha Ghosananda

Supreme Patriarch of Cambodian Buddhism (5/23/1913 - 3/12/07). Forever in my heart...

Samdech Chuon Nath

My reflection

វចនានុក្រមសម្តេចសង្ឃ ជួន ណាត
Desktop version

Listen to Khmer literature and Dhamma talk by His Holiness Jotannano Chuon Nath, Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia Buddhism.

Shantidevas’ Bodhisattva vows

My reflection

Should anyone wish to ridicule me and make me an object of jest and scorn why should I possibly care if I have dedicated myself to others?

Let them do as they wish with me so long as it does not harm them. May no one who encounters me ever have an insignificant contact.

Regardless whether those whom I meet respond towards me with anger or faith, may the mere fact of our meeting contribute to the fulfilment of their wishes.

May the slander, harm and all forms of abuse that anyone should direct towards me act as a cause of their enlightenment.

As a solid rock is not shaken by the wind, so the wise are not shaken by blame and praise. As a deep lake is clear and calm, so the wise become tranquil after they listened to the truth…

Good people walk on regardless of what happens to them. Good people do not babble on about their desires. Whether touched by happiness or by sorrow, the wise never appear elated or depressed. ~The Dhammapada

Hermit of Tbeng Mountain

Sachjang Phnom Tbeng សច្ចំ​​ ភ្នំត្បែង is a very long and interesting story written by Mr. Chhea Sokoan, read by Jendhamuni Sos. You can click on the links below to listen. Part 1 | Part 2

Beauty in nature

A beautiful object has no intrinsic quality that is good for the mind, nor an ugly object any intrinsic power to harm it. Beautiful and ugly are just projections of the mind. The ability to cause happiness or suffering is not a property of the outer object itself. For example, the sight of a particular individual can cause happiness to one person and suffering to another. It is the mind that attributes such qualities to the perceived object. — Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

Nature is loved by what is best in us. The sky, the mountain, the tree, the animal, give us a delight in and for themselves. — Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Our journey for peace
begins today and every day.
Each step is a prayer,
Each step is a meditation,
Each step will build a bridge.

—​​​ Maha Ghosananda