Thoughts for Meditation

HT: Punna

The Ultimate Truth of Nature

The Buddhist Centre

The Ultimate GOAL

The ultimate goal for students of the Buddha-Dhamma is to escape the cycle of samsara, the endless rebirths, and attain the peace of Nibbana. While those of theistic faiths hope to be 'born again in Heaven,' the Buddhist aims not to be born anymore. This is indeed a huge difference.

The idea of extinction is very often misunderstood. Greed, hatred and Ignorance is what is extinguished, ego is what is being extinguished - the sense of separation and isolation of "I" from the rest of existence.

But the idea that people are striving to literally not exist in any possible sense of the word is a fundamental misunderstanding of the Dhamma.

Disatisfaction
Suffering is a fundamental fact of life, a common denominator to the rich and poor. The fact that we constantly seek for movies, music, tasty food or even just conversation and company, are ceaseless acts of escape from a fundamental disatisfaction with what is at present. For all beings, life has suffering and suffering is bad. Thus the aim of all Dhamma classes or sharing is to learn how to live lives that can minimise and ultimately END suffering, to do that we learn to lessen desires and eventually directly see the delusion of self, so that suffering ceases.

Suffering is suffering, pain is pain. Physical pain is inevitable while mental suffering is optional. One is unavoidable so long as we are in the world of form, the other is not. We can learn from all experiences including pain (which is one form of suffering), but there is a difference between psychological and physical pain. Some people through a strong faith or believe in God or gods, are able to find relief from their pain and suffering with prayers and devotions, hoping for a future rebirth in a pain-free heaven. In this, religions truly act as the opiate for the suffering masses.

From the Buddha Dhamma we know that neither God nor gods can save anyone for while they are powerful and have very long lives, they are still Unenlightened and within the realms of samsara,hence deities like humans have emotions of jealousy, anger and even threaten "Vengeance is mine"; the Dhamma is not about the imagery of creation or judgement but the Ultimate Truth of Nature. Within samsara all our actions should be in accord with virtues such as unconditional love, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity. How good or virtuous humans are is NOT based on any religious label but 'By their fruits shall you know them.' It is our Thoughts, speech and actions which makes us what we are.

Ceaseless Change, hence HOPE
All form is impermanent – things change. The greatest "sinner" of today eg the mass murderer Anggulimala can be the great saint of tomorrow. No surprise, then, that the idea of sin or sinner is not a part of the Buddhist vocabulary. If we are permanent entities then there will be NO HOPE but it is because we are ceaselessly changing that we can evolve to be better beings.

The three poisons (greed, hatred, and ignorance), which are the root cause of suffering, are born of delusion or our stupidity regarding Ultimate Reality. It is the wisdom of the Truth that finally liberates.

A Peaceful & Calm Way of Life

The Buddha is not a saviour who ferries one from earth to heaven BUT a TEACHER who teaches us to free ourselves from Ignorance and be Enlightened. The distinction is that one must walk his own path, not that one does so selfishly. It is a way of life, NOT of"Do this ritual, kneel, say this prayer, sing this hymn, take this sacrament, memorise this Creed".

And there is no evangelism; whether one wishes to take the SHORT CUT to Enlightenment or the LONG CUT of the ups and downs of existence in Heaven, Hell and earth is entirely an individual choice. Most Buddhists would not be comfortable debating the contentions of other faith traditions, the emphasis is upon the simple sharing of the teachings of the Buddha should one wishes to hear it.

However some people take this open and mild mannered approach as one of weakness.

If we are to "evangelise", then it should be by the example of a virtuous life, not by words. Even if we accept "evangelism" as being a synonym for “converting people to a religion”, there is no conversion per se in Buddhism.

If a person wishes, he or she can the vows of refuge, but this is not like the notion of baptism. Nor is it even necessary to take such vows in order to practice the Dhamma. Nor does anyone have to renounce being of any other religion.

No one has anything sprung on them. There is no pressure to join a cell group or to conform to rituals, if they just want to learn to meditate or chant, that is fine. If they want to learn about the Buddha's discourses, that is fine too. Ehipassiko.. come and hear what the Dhamma is and then decide for yourselves if you agree and want to learn more. No one is ever condemned as a sinner or threatened with eternal damnation if they don’t accept what is being taught.

It is never about "numbers", it isn’t about luring people into the temples but about genuine sincerity in loving thy neighbor, and valuing the worth of each person whether or not they believe. I was so proud and happy last Vesak day when a centre that I am affiliated to gave bursaries to 10 needy students, NONE of whom were from Buddhist families- they were simply people in need.

So many gods, so many creeds,

So many beliefs that wind and twist,

While just the art of being kind,

Is basically what this sad world needs.

My religion is very simple,

It's simply kindness!

Our actions "speak" so loud that you cannot not hear what we say!

HT: Punna

The Star

Ideals are like stars,

we will not succeed in touching them with our hands,

not yet....

But like the seafaring man on the desert of waters,

we can choose them as our guides,

and following them,

we will reach our goal,

one day.

HT: Punna

A Healing Presence

In an old Eastern story, God wants to reward a man for his exceptional kindness and purity of intentions. He calls an angel and tells him to go to the man and ask him what he wants. He will have whatever his heart desires. The angel appears before the kind man and gives him the good news. The man replies, "Oh, but I am already happy. I have all that I want." The angel explains that, with God, you just have to be tactful. If He wants to give us a gift, it is best to accept. The kind man then replies, "In this case, I would like all who come in contact with me to feel well. But I want to know nothing about it." From that moment, wherever the kind man happens to be, wilted plants bloom again, sickly animals grow strong, ill people are healed, the unhappy are relieved of their burdens, those who fight make peace, and those beset by problems resolve them. And all this happens without the kind man's knowing — always in his wake, but never in front of his eyes. There is never any pride, nor any expectation. Unknowing and content, the kindly man walks the roads of the world, spreading happiness to everybody.

— Robert Ferrucci in The Power of Kindness

HT: Spirituality & Practice E-Newsletter Sept 13, 2009
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Deep Peace to You

Deep Peace to You

Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you.

a Gaelic Blessing

HT: Brad Culver

Be Careful for What You Wish For

Before we passionately wish for anything, we should carefully examine the happiness of its possessor.

HT: Punna

Kindness

So many gods, so many creeds,

So many beliefs that wind and twist,

While just the art of being kind,

Is basically what this sad world needs.

My religion is very simple,

It's simply kindness!

HT: Punna

Comparing St Ignatius and St Francis

The latest from Thinking Faith...


Call and response in St Ignatius and St Francis
On the Feast of St Ignatius of Loyola, and in the year of the 800^th anniversary of the founding of the Franciscan order, Brian Purfield compares the spiritual experiences of the founder of the Society of Jesus with those of Francis of Assisi. What similarities are there to be found between the Spiritual Exercises and Bonaventure’s recollection of the life of St Francis? Read >>

Regarding Wealth and Poverty

In the matter of piety, poverty serves us better than wealth, and
work better than idleness, especially since wealth becomes an
obstacle even for those who do not devote themselves to it. Yet,
when we must put aside our wrath, quench our envy, soften our
anger, offer our prayers, and show a disposition which is
reasonable, mild, kindly, and loving, how could poverty stand in
our way?

For we accomplish these things not by spending money but
by making the correct choice. Almsgiving above all else requires
money, but even this shines with a brighter luster when the alms
are given from our poverty. The widow who paid in the two mites
was poorer than any human, but she outdid them all.

St. John Chrysostom

Light at the end of the Tunnel

Moderation and Self-Control

I shall speak first about control of the stomach, the opposite to
gluttony, and about how to fast and what and how much to eat. I
shall say nothing on my own account, but only what I have received
from the Holy Fathers. They have not given us only a single rule
for fasting or a single standard and measure for eating, because
not everyone has the same strength; age, illness or delicacy of
body create differences. But they have given us all a single goal:
to avoid over-eating and the filling of our bellies... A clear
rule for self-control handed down by the Fathers is this: stop
eating while still hungry and do not continue until you are
satisfied.

St. John Cassian

Sweeping Changes

From Spirituality & Practice E-Newsletter 28 July 2009

Having just moved into a new temple, a young Zen monk was filled with energy and dedication and surpassed all the other monks in his zeal for cleaning. During work practice, he was an absolute tornado, running throughout the rooms and hallways, sweeping and polishing and dusting everything in sight. One day his teacher asked him, "What are you doing?" The monk beamed a large smile in the direction of his teacher and said, "I am working hard to clear away the dust of delusion, and to reveal the shining face of Buddha which is beneath it." His teacher said to him, "Please don't ever forget. The dust is also the Buddha."

— Gary Thorp in Sweeping Changes

Birthing

When we lay bare the hidden meaning of the history, scripture is
seen to teach that the birth which distresses the tyrant is the
beginning of the virtuous life. I am speaking of the kind of birth
in which free will serves as the midwife, delivering the child
amid great pain. For no one causes grief to his antagonist unless
he exhibits in himself those marks which give proof of his victory
over the other.

St. Gregory of Nyssa, The Life of Moses.

From Spirituality & Practice E-Newsletter, July 2009

A Zen story relates how a young man left home to study with a famous Zen teacher. On his journey he met a man who asked the youth where he was headed. The young man repeated his intention. The other man advised, "Instead of looking for a mere teacher, you'd be better off looking for the Buddha." "Do you know where I can find him?" the young man asked. "When you return home," he was told, "a person wearing a blanket and with shoes on the wrong feet will come to greet you. That person is the Buddha." The youth arrived home late at night. In her haste to greet her son, his mother threw on a blanket and accidentally put her shoes on the wrong feet. The son took one look at her and was suddenly enlightened. Our love ties may provide us with our richest lode — maybe the mother lode — of enlightenment.

— from Zen and the Art of Everything by Hal French

Ring, Stop, Ring, Stop

Something interesting from Molly Bauthes of Spiritual Directors International newsletter

Ring. Pause. Ring. Pause. Ring. Pause. During a retreat at Thich Nhat Hahn’s Plum Village in France, I learned how to use everyday sounds to practice returning my attention to the present moment. When the telephone would ring during a community meal, everyone on retreat stopped whatever we were doing – we held our forks in mid-bite and ended conversation mid-sentence. The dining hall became silent while the telephone rang three times. On the fourth ring, a Vietnamese Buddhist nun on staff would pick up the telephone, “Bonjour,” and then everyone would start chatting and eating again. The telephone rang frequently, and randomly, so we had plenty of opportunity to learn the rhythm of being in silence together for short, sweet moments of rest.

The simple spiritual practice of using a sound to gently return focus to God’s presence in our lives has more than spiritual advantages. Our minds benefit from a discipline of taking regular breaks from thinking. My shoulders and neck relax when I intentionally practice resting for a minute before resuming whatever tasks compete for my next action.

I recently installed a FREE meditation timer for the computer that also serves as a reminder to return to restful, centered silence. The ability to set the meditation timer with a random chime allows me to spiritually, mentally, and bodily practice resting during the many hours I spend online. The random chime announces it’s time to stop typing, breathe, relax my shoulders, readjust my posture, and thank God for the present moment.

To download the meditation timer, visit the FREE Download page of the Web site in the Resource section. Follow the installation instructions based on whether you have a PC or Mac.