August 2020 — Jendhamuni-Buddhism

The Story of Theri Kisagotami

Comment August 31, 2020

Kisagotami

Verse 114: Better than a hundred years in the life of a person who does not perceive the Deathless (Nibbana), is a day in the life of one who perceives the Deathless (Nibbana).

The Story of Theri Kisagotami

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, thc Buddha uttered Verse (114) of this book, with reference to Kisagotami.

Kisagotami was the daughter of a rich man from Savatthi; she was known as Kisagotami because of her slim body. Kisagotami was married to a rich young man and a son was born to them. The boy died when he was just a toddler and Kisagotami was stricken with grief. Carrying the dead body of her son, she went about asking for medicine that would restore her son to life from everyone she happened to meet. People began to think that she had gone mad. But a wise man seeing her condition thought that he should be of some help to her. So, he said to her, “The Buddha is the person you should approach, he has the medicine you want; go to him.” Thus, she went to the Buddha and asked him to give her the medicine that would restore her dead son to life. Continue reading →
The Story of Theri Patacara

Comment August 31, 2020

Patacara

Verse 113: Better than a hundred years in the life of a person who does not perceive the arising and the dissolving of the five aggregates (khandhas), is a day in the life of one who perceives the arising and dissolving of the five aggregates.

1. Udayabbayam: the arising and the dissolving of the five aggregates (khandhas). Udayabbayanana is the knowledge acquired through Insight Development Practice, indicating the impermanent characteristics of the five aggregates.

The Story of Theri Patacara

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (113) of this book, with reference to Patacara.

Patacara was the daughter of a rich man from Savatthi. She was very beautiful and was guarded very strictly by her parents. But one day, she eloped with a young male attendant of the family and went to live in a village, as a poor man’s wife. In due course she became pregnant and as the time for confinement drew near, she asked permission from her husband to return to her parents in Savatthi, but her husband discouraged her. So, one day, while her husband was away, she set out for the home of her parents. Her husband followed her and caught up with her on the way and pleaded with her to return with him; but she refused. It so happened that as her time was drawing so near, she had to give birth to a son in one of the bushes. After the birth of her son she returned home with her husband. Continue reading →
Finding peace of mind and happiness inside

3 August 31, 2020

Gratitude is one of the sweet shortcuts to finding peace of mind and happiness inside. No matter what is going on outside of us, there’s always something we could be grateful for. — Barry Neil Kaufman
Relationships in the absence of attachment

Comment August 31, 2020

by 17th Karmapa

The wish to pull in or push away what we perceive around us is a big force in our relationships. Rather than relaxing and appreciating the other person, we engage in a constant struggle to get what we want from them, and to avoid getting what we do not want. For that reason, in order to build healthy relationships we need to deal with our attachment as well as our aversion.

It might be useful to start by looking at our assumptions about attachment and also about non attachment. Conventional wisdom leads many people to question whether or not relationships are even possible without attachment. I have heard people say that if there were no attachment, they would have no close relationships. People try to induce attachment in others as a basis for starting a relationship with them. They wield a attachment like a hook, trying to pull people towards them and literally get them hooked.

If you find it hard to imagine how a warm and healthy relationship could exist in the absence of attachment, this indicates confusion between being detached and being free of attachment. Detachment is very different from non attachment. Detachment suggests an unfeeling indifference. By contrast, when there is an absence of attachment, healthy feelings have ample room to blossom. This is because attachment causes you to be totally consumed by something or someone.
A dream you can touch

1 August 31, 2020

Let every day be a dream you can touch, a love you can feel
and a reason to smile, because life is too short not to be happy.
Flowers are restful to look at

1 August 30, 2020

Flowers are restful to look at. They have neither emotions nor conflicts. – Sigmund Freud

Jendhamuni at home on August 26, 2020.
It’s time to let go

38 August 30, 2020

Don’t let something that’s long gone
continue to control you.
It’s time to let go.
~Unknown
Keep love in your heart

2 August 29, 2020

Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead. – Unknown

Jendhamuni at home on August 26, 2020.
The meanings of offerings to the Buddha

Comment August 29, 2020
By Essence of Buddhism | September 28, 2013

Here, we are offering the best of ourselves to something higher than us – so that we can one day, aspire to become like that too!

The act of offering is an act of dana – an act of generosity. So it’s an emotional and physical expression of our reverence:

To the Buddha himself – the Perfectly Enlightened One

To the Dharma – the Truth – sometimes we place holy Sutras and Mantras on altars to pay our respects to the wisdom elucidated within those sacred teachings.

[To the Buddhist monks], To the Noble Enlightened Ones like the Bodhisattvas – like Gwan Yin Bodhisattva who is a symbol of Great Compassion

What sorts of things do we usually offer?

Flowers

Flowers are the most beautiful things in the world, so here, we are offering the most beautiful things in the world to the Buddha. And when they fade, it is also a reminder that things of the world also fade – so it’s reminds us of the teaching that “Whatever is of the nature to arise is also of the nature to cease”. But in general, we want to offer the most beautiful things in the world to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas anyway! Continue reading →
Nothing in the nature

302 August 29, 2020

Nothing in the nature lives for itself
Rivers don’t drink their own water
Trees don’t eat their own fruits
Sun doesn’t give heat for itself
Moon doesn’t ever go on honeymoon
Flowers don’t spread fragrance for themselves.

~sms4smile