1. Don’t look down on others

    4 October 21, 2020

    We judge others instantly by their clothes, their cars, their appearance, their race, their education, their social status. The list is endless. What gets me is that most people decide who another person is before they have even spoken to them. What’s even worse is that these same people decide who someone else is, and don’t even know who they are themselves. ― Ashly Lorenzana

    Jendhamuni at Wat Kiryvongsa Bopharam on October 17, 2020.

  2. Respect is earned, not given

    Comment October 18, 2020

    Treat people the way you want to be treated. Talk to people the way you want to be talked to. Respect is earned, not given. — Hussein Nishah

    Ananda raking leaves at Wat Kiryvongsa Bopharam on October 17, 2020.

  4. The Story of Lajadevadhita

    Comment October 18, 2020

    Verse 118: If a man does what is good, he should do it again and again; he should take delight in it; the accumulation of merit leads to happiness.

    The Story of Lajadevadhita

    While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (118) of this book, with reference to Laja, a female deva.

    At one time Thera Mahakassapa stayed in the Pippali cave and remained in sustained absorption in concentration (samapatti) for seven days. Soon after he had arisen from samapatti, wishing to give someone a chance of offering something to a thera just arisen from samapatti, he looked out and found a young maid frying corn in a field-hut. So he stood at her door for alms-food and she put all the pop corn into the bawl of the thera. As she turned back after offering pop corn to the thera, she was bitten by a poisonous snake and died. She was reborn in Tavatimsa deva world and was known as Laja (pop corn) devadhita.

    Laja realized that she was reborn in Tavatimsa because she had offered pop corn to Thera Mahakassapa and felt very grateful to him. Then she concluded that she should keep on doing some services to the thera in order to make her good fortune more enduring. So, every morning she went to the monastery of the thera, swept the premises, filled up water pots, and did other services. At first, the thera thought that young samaneras had done those services; but one day, he found out that a female deva had been performing those services. So he told her not to come to the monastery any more, as people might start talking if she kept on coming to the monastery. Lajadevadhita was very upset; she pleaded with the thera and cried, “Please do not destroy my riches, my wealth.” The Buddha heard her cries and sent forth the radiance from his chamber and said to the female deva, “Devadhita, it is the duty of my son Kassapa to stop your coming to the monastery; to do good deeds is the duty of one who is anxious to gain merit.”

    Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

    Verse 118: If a man does what is good, he should do it again and again; he should take delight in it; the accumulation of merit leads to happiness.
    At the end of the discourse, Lajadevadhita attained Sotapatti Fruition.

    Dhammapada Verse 118
    Lajadevadhita Vatthu

    Punnace puriso kayira
    kayira nam punappunam
    tamhi chandam kayiratha
    sukho punnassa uccayo.

    Source: Tipitaka

  5. Mountains can effectively change their appearance

    3 October 16, 2020

    Mountains, according to the angle of view, the season, the time of day, the beholder’s frame of mind, or any one thing, can effectively change their appearance. Thus, it is essential to recognize that we can never know more than one side, one small aspect of a mountain. ~ Haruki Murakami

    Jendhamuni at Sugarloaf Mountain on September 5, 2020

  9. It does not matter how long you are spending on the earth

    111 October 16, 2020

    It does not matter how long you are spending on the earth, how much money you have gathered or how much attention you have received. It is the amount of positive vibration you have radiated in life that matters. ~Amit Ray

     

  10. The Story of Thera Seyyasaka

    Comment October 14, 2020

    Verse 117: If a man does evil, he should not do it again and again; he should not take delight in it; the accumulation of evil leads to dukkha.

    The Story of Thera Seyyasaka

    While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (117) of this book, with reference to Thera Seyyasaka.

    Once there was a thera by the name of Seyyasaka, who was in the habit of masturbating. When the Buddha heard about this, he rebuked the thera for doing something that would lead one farther away from the attainment of Magga and Phala. At the same time, the Buddha laid down the discipline prohibiting such indulgence in sexual pleasures, i.e., Samghadisesa Apatti, offences which require penance and suspension from the Order. Then, the Buddha added, “This kind of offence can only lead to evil results in this world as well as in the next.”

    Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

    Verse 117: If a man does evil, he should not do it again and again; he should not take delight in it; the accumulation of evil leads to dukkha.

    Dhammapada Verse 117
    Seyyasakatthera Vatthu

    Pipance puriso kayira
    na nam kayira punappunam
    na tamhi chandam kayiratha
    dukkho papassa uccayo.

    Source: Tipitaka

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

List of Khmer songs