buddhism-Buddhism

For a man to be perfect there are two qualities that he should develop equally

Comment December 10, 2020

Novices Calvin and Ananda

According to Buddhism for a man to be perfect there are two qualities that he should develop equally: compassion on one side, and wisdom on the other. Here compassion represents love, charity, kindness, tolerance and such noble qualities on the emotional side, or qualities of the heart, while wisdom would stand for the intellectual side or the qualities of the mind. If one develops only the emotional neglecting the intellectual, one may become a good-hearted fool; while to develop only the intellectual side neglecting the emotional may turn one into a hardheaded intellect without feeling for others. Therefore, to be perfect one has to develop both equally. That is the aim of the Buddhist way of life: in it wisdom and compassion are inseparably linked together.

— Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught
What is Theravada Buddhism?

Comment December 7, 2020

Theravada (pronounced — more or less — “terra-VAH-dah”), the “Doctrine of the Elders,” is the school of Buddhism that draws its scriptural inspiration from the Tipitaka, or Pali canon, which scholars generally agree contains the earliest surviving record of the Buddha’s teachings. For many centuries, Theravada has been the predominant religion of continental Southeast Asia (Thailand, Myanmar/Burma, Cambodia, and Laos) and Sri Lanka. Today Theravada Buddhists number well over 100 million worldwide. In recent decades Theravada has begun to take root in the West.

Many Buddhisms, One Dhamma-vinaya

The Buddha — the “Awakened One” — called the religion he founded Dhamma-vinaya — “the doctrine and discipline.” To provide a social structure supportive of the practice of Dhamma-vinaya (or Dhamma for short [Sanskrit: Dharma]), and to preserve these teachings for posterity, the Buddha established the order of bhikkhus (monks) and bhikkhunis (nuns) — the Sangha — which continues to this day to pass his teachings on to subsequent generations of laypeople and monastics, alike.

As the Dhamma continued its spread across India after the Buddha’s passing, differing interpretations of the original teachings arose, which led to schisms within the Sangha and the emergence of as many as eighteen distinct sects of Buddhism. One of these schools eventually gave rise to a reform movement that called itself Mahayana (the “Greater Vehicle”) and that referred to the other schools disparagingly as Hinayana (the “Lesser Vehicle”). What we call Theravada today is the sole survivor of those early non-Mahayana schools. To avoid the pejorative tone implied by the terms Hinayana and Mahayana, it is common today to use more neutral language to distinguish between these two main branches of Buddhism. Because Theravada historically dominated southern Asia, it is sometimes called “Southern” Buddhism, while Mahayana, which migrated northwards from India into China, Tibet, Japan, and Korea, is known as “Northern” Buddhism. Continue reading →
The Story of Five Hundred Visiting Bhikkhus

Comment February 19, 2019

Verses 87 & 88: The man of wisdom, leaving the home of craving and having Nibbana as his goal, should give up dark, evil ways and cultivate pure, good ones. He should seek great delight in solitude, detachment and Nibbana, which an ordinary man finds so difficult to enjoy. He should also give up sensual pleasures, and clinging to nothing, should cleanse himself of all impurities of the mind.

Verse 89: Those, with mind well-developed in the seven Factors of Enlightenment (bojjhanga), having rid themselves of all craving, rejoice in their abandonment of attachment. Such men, with all moral intoxicants eradicated, and powerful (with the light of Arahatta Magganana), have realized Nibbana in this world (i.e., with Khandha aggregates remaining).

1. oka anakamagamma; lit., having gone from home to the homeless. In this context interpreted as leaving the seat of craving and having Nibbana as a goal.

2. viveke: solitude, detachment, Nibbana.

3. akincano: lit., having nothing; clinging to nothing. (The term kincana may include any of the kilesas or defilements such as passion, ill will, ignorance, etc; it also means clinging or attachment to the world.)

4. cittaklesehi: citta kilesa: impurities of the mind.

5. sambodhiyangesu: sambojjhanga: the Factors of Enlightenment or requisites for attaining Magga Insight.

6. khinasava: one in whom human passions are extinguished; an arahat.

7. jutimanta: one endowed with the power of Arahatta Magganana.

8. te loke parinibbuta: the realization of Nibbana in the realm of the five aggregates (khandhas), or in other words, in this world. But according to the Commentary, in this context, both Sa-upadisesa and Anupadisesa Nibbana are meant. Sa-upadisesa or Kilesa Nibbana is Nibbana with groups of existence or khandhas remaining; it is realized by an arahat on the attainment of arahatship. Anupadisesa or Khandha Nibbana is Nibbana without groups of existence or khandhas remaining. It takes place on the death of an arahat.

The Story of Five Hundred Visiting Bhikkhus

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verses (87), (88) and (89) of this book, with reference to five hundred visiting bhikkhus.

Five hundred bhikkhus who had spent the vassa in Kosala came to pay homage to the Buddha at the Jetavana monastery, at the end of the vassa.

The Buddha uttered the following three verses to suit their various temperaments:

Verses 87 & 88: The man of wisdom, leaving the home of craving and having Nibbana as his goal, should give up dark, evil ways and cultivate pure, good ones. He should seek great delight in solitude, detachment and Nibbana, which an ordinary man finds so difficult to enjoy. He should also give up sensual pleasures, and clinging to nothing, should cleanse himself of all impurities of the mind.

Verse 89: Those, with mind well-developed in the seven Factors of Enlightenment (bojjhanga), having rid themselves of all craving, rejoice in their abandonment of attachment. Such men, with all moral intoxicants eradicated, and powerful (with the light of Arahatta Magganana), have realized Nibbana in this world (i.e., with Khandha aggregates remaining).

End of Chapter Six: The Wise (Panditavagga)

Dhammapada Verses 87, 88 and 89
Pancasata Agantukabhikkhu Vatthu

Kanham dhammam vippahaya
sukkam bhavetha pandito
oka anokamagamma1
viveke2 yattha duramam.

Tatrabhiratimiccheyya
hitva kame akincano3
pariyodapeyya attanam
cittaklesehi4 pandito.

Yesam sambodhiyangesu5
samma cittam subhavitam
adanapatinissagge
anupadaya ye rata
khinasava6 jutimanto7
te loke parinibbuta.8

Source: Tipitaka
A practicing Buddhist

Comment May 3, 2018

As long as you accept and practice these four truths (all compounded things are impermanent, all emotions are pain, all things have no inherent existence, nirvana is beyond concepts) you are a “practicing Buddhist.” You might read about these four truths for the sake of entertainment or mental exercise, but if you don’t practice them, you are like a sick person reading the label on a medicine bottle but never taking the medicine. On the other hand, if you are practicing, there is no need to exhibit that you are Buddhist. As a matter of fact, if it helps you to get invited to some social functions, it is totally fine to hide that you are a Buddhist. But keep in mind that as a Buddhist, you have a mission to refrain as much as possible from harming others, and to help others as much as possible. This is not a huge responsibility, because if you genuinely accept and contemplate the truths, all these deeds flow naturally. ~ Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
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
The Story of Samanera Tissa of the Forest Monastery

Comment October 14, 2017

Verse 75: Indeed, the path that leads to worldly gain is one and the Path that leads to Nibbana is another. Fully comprehending this, the bhikkhu, the disciple of the Buddha, should not take delight in worldly gain and honour, but devote himself to solitude, detachment and the realization of Nibbana.

1.Vivekamanubruhaye (vivekam + anubruhaye): Viveka – solitary seclusion. According to the Commentary, the three kinds of vivekas are kayaviveka (seclusion of the body or solitude); cittaviveka (detachment of the mind from human passions) and upadhiviveka (Nibbana).

The Story of Samanera Tissa of the Forest Monastery

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (75) of this book, with reference to Tissa, a samanera, who dwelt in a forest monastery.

Tissa was the son of a rich man from Savatthi. His father used to offer alms-food to the Chief Disciple Sariputta in their house and so Tissa even as a child had met the Chief Disciple on many occasions. At the age of seven he became a novice (samanera) under the Chief Disciple Sariputta. While he was staying at the Jetavana monastery, many of his friends and relatives came to see him, bringing presents and offerings. The samanera found these visits to be very tiresome; so after taking a subject of meditation from the Buddha, he left for a forest monastery. Whenever a villager offered him anything, Tissa would just say ‘May you be happy, may you be liberated from the ills of life,’ (“Sukhita hotha, dukkha muccatha”), and would go on his own way. While he stayed at the forest monastery, he ardently and diligently practised meditation, and at the end of three months he attained arahatship. Continue reading →
The Story of Ahipeta

Comment September 3, 2017

Verse 71: An evil deed does not immediately bear fruit, just as the newly-drawn milk does not curdle at once; but it follows the fool burning him like live coal covered with ashes.

The Story of Ahipeta*

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (71) of this book, with reference to a peta-ghost.

The Chief Disciple Maha Moggallana was on one occasion going on an alms-round with Thera Lakkhana in Rajagaha. On seeing something, he smiled but said nothing. When they were back at the monastery, Thera Maha Moggallana told Thera Lakkhana that he smiled because he saw a peta-ghost with the head of a human being and the body of a snake. The Buddha then said that he himself had seen that very peta-ghost on the day he attained Buddhahood. The Buddha also explained that, a very long time ago, there was a paccekabuddha, who was respected by many. People going to his monastery had to traverse a field. The owner of the field, fearing that his field would be damaged by too many people going to and from the monastery, set fire to it. Consequently, the paccekabuddha had to move to some other place. The disciples of the paccekabuddha, being very angry with the land-owner, beat him and killed him. On his death he was reborn in Avici Niraya. In his present existence, he was serving out the remaining term of the evil consequences (kamma) as a peta-ghost.

In conclusion, the Buddha said, “An evil deed does not bear fruit immediately, but it invariably follows the evil doer. There is no escape from the consequences of an evil deed.”

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
Verse 71: An evil deed does not immediately bear fruit, just as the newly-drawn milk does not curdle at once; but it follows the fool burning him like live coal covered with ashes.

* Ahipeta = Ahi + peta; ahi = snake + peta = peta-ghost, an ever-hungry spirit or ghost. In this instance a ghost with the head of a human being and the body of a snake.

Dhammapada Verse 71
Ahipeta Vatthu

Na hi papam katam kammam
sajju khiramva muccati
dahantam balarnanveti
bhasmacchannova pavako.

Source: Tipitaka
Inner freedom is key

Comment June 16, 2017

by 17th Karmapa

Freedom does not start from the outside. Although external conditions have a part to play, that is not where freedom originates. This might sound backward, but authentic freedom arises initially from inner conditions. Its deepest roots are within us.

Most often when we speak of freedom, what we actually have in mind are freedom’s outer manifestations. This may be the gravest error we make in our understanding of freedom. If we think we will achieve freedom when we can exercise complete control over our immediate environment, we overlook the single most important determinant of authentic freedom: our own minds.

Our mind has unlimited potential. It is not bound to any one position or viewpoint. What we think or feel — our mental state — is not simply determined by outer circumstances. Because of this, no matter how challenging our external conditions might be, we can experience freedom if we cultivate the inner resources that allow us to feel free. The basis for establishing authentic freedom is within us.

If you can access a sense of inner freedom no matter what is going on around you, you are experiencing freedom. As important as outer liberties are, freedom does not consist solely in enjoying physical or verbal liberty, such as freedom of movement or freedom of speech. We may have the liberty to do and say as we wish and yet still be deeply unfree mentally or emotionally. This is why inner freedom is key. When we have freed our minds and hearts from within, our happiness no longer depends on making the rest of the world serve our self-centered goals. Not only that, we gain freedom to work to change the external conditions that have the potential to limit or obstruct our freedom from outside, and we also have what we need to be able to work for the freedom of others.

What are we looking for when we seek freedom? Maybe at the bottom of it all, the freedom we seek is the experience of genuine happiness. Since this is an inner experience, external things cannot be the measure of our happiness or our freedom. We will come back in a moment to the question of what we mean by happiness and how it enables us to experience freedom, but I think if we examine our own experiences, we can see that whether we call it freedom or not, if we feel free, we feel happy, and if we feel happy, we also feel free. The state of mind and the feeling we seek can be called freedom, or it can be called happiness. But whatever name we give it, if we want to experience happiness or freedom, we must cultivate the inner conditions that give rise to those states.
Open-minded

Comment June 16, 2017

My own way of thinking is that when we are meeting with angry or stubborn people, we should bring even greater understanding to bear. The more closed-minded or hardheaded someone seems, the more reason there is for us to be open-minded and gentle when interacting with them. We can recognize how difficult and painful it is to live with anger or narrow views, and this allows us to feel compassion for them. ~ 17th Karmapa
Serving the common interest

Comment June 16, 2017

Try to serve the common interest. Whatever happens, think about what is best for the group rather than acting for yourself alone. The benefit of many is more important than that of each individual. If you cannot tell the difference, there is no way you can serve the public. What’s more, your own interests will be ill served. ~ 17th Karmapa