Jendhamuni - Buddhism and inspiring quotes

The Story of Bhikkhus Assaji and Punabbasuka

Comment December 22, 2017

Verse 77: The man of wisdom should admonish others; he should give advice and should prevent others from doing wrong; such a man is held dear by the good; he is disliked only by the bad.

1. anusaseyya: to give advice in advance; also to give advice repeatedly.

The Story or Bhikkhus Assaji and Punabbasuka

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (77) of this book, with reference to bhikkhus Assaji and Punabbasuka.

Bhikkhus Assaji and Punabbasuka and their five hundred disciples were staying at Kitagiri village. While staying there they made their living by planting flowering plants and fruit trees for gain, thus violating the rules of Fundamental Precepts for bhikkhus.

The Buddha hearing about these bhikkhus sent his two Chief Disciples Sariputta and Maha Moggallana, to stop them from committing further misconduct. To his two Chief Disciples the Buddha said, “Tell those bhikkhus not to destroy the faith and generosity of the lay disciples by misconduct and if anyone should disobey, drive him out of the monastery. Do not hesitate to do as I told you, for only fools dislike being given good advice and being forbidden to do evil.”

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Verse 77: The man of wisdom should admonish others; he should give advice and should prevent others from doing wrong; such a man is held dear by the good; he is disliked only by the bad.

Dhammapada Verse 77
Assajipunabbasuka Vatthu

Ovadeyya’nusaseyya1
asabbha ca nivaraye
satam hi so piyo hoti
asatam hoti appiyo.

Source: Tipitaka
If you are filled with anger…

Comment December 22, 2017

If you are filled with anger, you create more suffering for yourself than for the other person. When you are inhabited by the energy of anger, you want to punish, you want to destroy. That is why those who are wise do not want to say anything or do anything while the anger is still in them. So you try to bring peace into yourself first. When you are calm, when you are lucid, you will see that the other person is a victim of confusion, of hate, of violence transmitted by society, by parents, by friends, by the environment. When you are able to see that, your anger is no longer there. ~Thich Nhat Hanh
The Story of Thera Radha

Comment December 22, 2017

Photo credit: Randy Neufeldt

Verse 76: One should follow a man of wisdom who rebukes one for one’s faults, as one would follow a guide to some buried treasure. To one who follows such a wise man, it will be an advantage and not a disadvantage.

The Story of Thera Radha

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (76) of this book, with reference to Thera Radha, who was at one time a poor old Brahmin.

Radha was a poor brahmin who stayed in the monastery doing small services for the bhikkhus. For his services he was provided with food and clothing and other needs, but was not encouraged to join the Order, although he had a strong desire to become a bhikkhu.

One day, early in the morning, when the Buddha surveyed the world with his supernormal power, he saw the poor old brahmin in his vision and knew that he was due for arahatship. So the Buddha went to the old man, and learned from him that the bhikkhus of the monastery did not want him to join the Order. The Buddha therefore called all the bhikkhus to him and asked them, “Is there any bhikkhu here who recollects any good turn done to him by this old man?” To this question, the Venerable Sariputta replied, “Venerable Sir, I do recollect an instance when this old man offered me a spoonful of rice.” “If that be so,” the Buddha said, “shouldn’t you help your benefactor get liberated from the ills of life?” Then the Venerable Sariputta agreed to make the old man a bhikkhu and he was duly admitted to the Order. The Venerable Sariputta guided the old bhikkhu and the old bhikkhu strictly followed his guidance. Within a few days, the old bhikkhu attained arahatship.

When the Buddha next came to see the bhikkhus, they reported to him how strictly the old bhikkhu followed the guidance of the Venerable Sariputta. To them, the Buddha replied that a bhikkhu should be amenable to guidance like Radha, and should not resent when rebuked for any fault or failing.

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Verse 76: One should follow a man of wisdom who rebukes one for one’s faults, as one would follow a guide to some buried treasure. To one who follows such a wise man, it will be an advantage and not a disadvantage.

Dhammapada Verse 76
Radhatthera Vatthu

Nidhinamva pavattaram
yam passe vajjadassinam
niggayhavadim medhavim
tadisam panditam bhaje
tadisam bhajamanassa
seyyo hoti na papiyo.

Source: Tipitaka
The highest state of meditation is Samadhi

Comment December 22, 2017

The highest state of meditation is Samadhi, where there is no ego anymore, no doubts, no me, no you, no notion of time, no eating, no talking, no walking, no working and not doing anything at all, realizing that the Self is action-less. ~Dharma Mittra
Just as you feel love for your mother of this life…

Comment December 22, 2017

Photo credit: Randy Neufeldt

Just as you think of your mother in this life, therefore,
Contemplate the suffering and hardship
Of all those poor beings who were your mothers before,
And shed tears for them all, again and again.

Just as you feel love for your mother of this life,
Generate love for all beings, your mothers from the past,
And arouse compassion and bodhichitta too —
With this, you will enter the ranks of the Mahayana.

Again and again, bring to mind all the kindness
Of beings of the six classes, your own kind parents.
If you care for them like your mother of this life,
They will love you too, as their very own child.

~ Shabkar
My Childhood

Comment December 5, 2017

My childhood was the time when i was innocent
When the world seemed to be fair
When my universe was around my toys

My childhood was the time when 9i lived in dreams
When everyone was selfless
When everyone appeared to be a friend

My childhood was the time when my life was full of colours
When sorrows never knocked my door
When smile was gift presented to everyone

My childhood was the time when love was pure
When there were no obligations
When tenderness prevailed

My childhood was the time which is long gone
Tears flow from my eyes when i go back in my childhood
My childhood will never come back but
The child in me will never go

~Jahanvi
Damage

Comment December 5, 2017

I sit in my car
Eyes burning
Like a zombie
My eyes glue to the
Window
Bottles and trash
Punctuate
The landscape before me
Looking
Inconsiderate America
No one thinks
They can make the
Difference
So they just pollute
The Earth
They are all wrong.
Smoke fills the sky from
Factories miles
And miles away
I want to pick up
every bottle
every wrapper
vacuum the smoke
from the sky
Take away all this
Damage.

~Jazmin Kay
What Buddhists Believe

Comment December 5, 2017

By Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda Maha Thera

The Moon and Religious Observances

The outstanding events in the life of the Buddha took place on full moon days.

Many people would like to know the religious significance of the full moon and new moon days. To Buddhists, there is a special religious significance especially on full day because certain important and outstanding events connected with the life of Lord Buddha took place on full moon days. The Buddha was born on a full moon day. His renunciation took place on a full moon day. His Enlightenment, the delivery of His first sermon, His passing away into Nibbana and many other important events associated with His life-span of eighty years, occurred on full moon days.

Buddhists all over the world have a high regard for full moon days. They celebrate this day with religious fervor by observing precepts, practising meditation and by keeping away from the sensual worldly life. On this day they direct their attention to spiritual development. Apart from Buddhists, it is understood that other co-religionists also believe that there is some religious significance related to the various phases of the moon. They also observe certain religious disciplines such as fasting and praying on full moon days.

Ancient belief in India says that the moon is the controller of the water, and circulating through the universe, sustaining all living creatures, is the counterpart on earth of the liquor heaven, ‘amrta’the drink of the gods. Dew and rain become vegetable sap, sap becomes the milk of cow, and the milk is then converted into blood. Amrta water, sap, milk and blood, represent but different states of the one elixir. The vessel or cup of this immortal fluid is the moon. Continue reading →
Virtue appears from good deeds

Comment December 5, 2017

Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue. ~Buddha
An outline of the Metta Bhavana

Comment December 1, 2017
In the Metta Bhavana practice we’re cultivating love, or friendliness, or lovingkindness.

Eventually we want to become like an emotional bonfire: a steady blaze of emotional warmth that will embrace any sentient being that we become aware of. This is an attainable goal for every human being. All it takes is time and some persistent effort.

The practice is in five stages. We cultivate Metta for:

Ourselves

A good friend

A “neutral” person — someone we don’t have any strong feelings for

A “difficult” person — someone we have conflicts with or feelings of ill will towards

All sentient beings (ambitious, huh!)

You may notice that there’s a progression in the stages. It’s easiest for us to cultivate lovingkindness for ourselves and for our friends. It’s a bit more difficult to do this for people we don’t know well. And it really goes against the grain to cultivate lovingkindness for someone we’re in conflict with. Lastly, we cultivate lovingkindness for everyone in the world: i.e. all friends, people we don’t know, and people we’re in conflict with — plus ourselves of course.

We’ll learn these stages one at a time. We suggest that you practice one stage for a while before moving on to the others.

Source: http://www.wildmind.org

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Shantidevas’ Bodhisattva vows

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.