Listening well to Buddha Dhamma

Buddha said "Endowed with these six qualities, a person is capable of alighting on the lawfulness, the rightness of skillful mental qualities even while listening to the true Dhamma. Which six?

"When the Doctrine & Discipline declared by the Tathagata is being taught,

1. He listens well
2. Gives ear
3. Applies his mind to gnosis
4. Rejects what is worthless
5. Grabs hold of what is worthwhile
6. Endowed with the patience to conform with the teaching

(AN 6.88)
Sussusa Sutta-Listening Well

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an06/an06.088.than.html

Rewards in listening to the Dhamma...

Buddha said : "There are these five rewards in listening to the Dhamma. Which five?

1. One hears what one has not heard before.
2. One clarifies what one has heard before.
3. One gets rid of doubt.
4. One's views are made straight.
5. One's mind grows serene.

"These are the five rewards in listening to the Dhamma." -AN 5.202
Dhammassavana Sutta
Listening to the Dhamma

How do you awaken to the truth ?

"When, on observing that the monk is purified with regard to qualities based on greed, hatred and delusion, he places conviction in him.

1. With the arising of conviction
2. He visits him & grows close to him
3. Growing close to him
4. He lends ear
5. He hears the Dhamma
6. He remembers it
7. He penetrates the meaning of those Dhammas
8. He comes to an agreement through pondering those Dhammas
9. Desire arises
10. With the arising of desire, he becomes willing.

11. Willing, he contemplates (lit: "weighs," "compares")
12. Contemplating, he makes an exertion
13. Exerting himself, he both realizes the ultimate meaning of the truth with his body and sees by penetrating it with discernment

" To this extent one awakens to the truth. I describe this as an awakening to the truth." -Buddha
Canki Sutta -With Canki

Overcome craving...like water falling off a lotus leaf

Whoever is overcome by this wretched and sticky craving, his sorrows grow like grass after the rains.

But whoever overcomes this wretched craving, so difficult to overcome, from him sorrows fall away* like water from a lotus leaf.

-Dhammapada

(*water does not "stick" to the lotus leaf)

The sequence of events in the mind that lead to quarrels, conflicts, disputes, or even wars in the world? A sample of Buddhist wisdom

craving is dependent on feeling,
seeking (investigating/research) is dependent on craving,
acquisition (gain) is dependent on seeking,
ascertainment (inference and give value) is dependent on acquisition,
desire and passion is dependent on ascertainment,
attachment is dependent on desire and passion,
possessiveness is dependent on attachment,
stinginess is dependent on possessiveness,
defensiveness is dependent on stinginess,
and because of defensiveness,
dependent on defensiveness,
various evil, unskillful phenomena come into play: the taking up of sticks and knives; conflicts, quarrels, and disputes; accusations, divisive speech, and lies.
-Maha-nidana Sutta- The Great Causes Didclourse
(Please note that I have added some addition meanings to the original translation after listening to a Pali version of the sutta)

How can we apply this to our day to day life?

A child:
A child sees an "X box"...craving arises...researches about it...buys it..passion arises about it...attachment to it occurs...stinginess develops...defensiveness happens...another sibling tries to play... may result in an argument or even physical fight.

An Adult:
Man sees a beautiful woman.. may be you can fill the rest of the sequence as stated above!

A country:
A leader of a country...sees a another country adjoining to him... craving arises...rest of the sequence just as above.. but may end up in a conflict or a war.

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Just as a bird, wherever it goes, flies with its wings as its only burden...

How is a monk content?

Just as a bird, wherever it goes, flies with its wings as its only burden; so too is he content with a set of robes to provide for his body and almsfood to provide for his hunger. Wherever he goes, he takes only his barest necessities along. This is how a monk is content.

Samaññaphala Sutta
The Fruits of the Contemplative Life

How to deal with bullying? A sample of Buddhist wisdom.

If somebody calls you a name, in school, at work or even while you are on the road how would you react to it? Would you retaliate with a name, anger or even physical violence?

Is there another way ? Can we RESPOND to it rather than REACT to it?

Buddha showed this amazing way how you can deal with it. It is the training of the mind thorough a process called insight (Vipassana) meditation.

For example, somebody tells you a stupid idiot! You know it is just a “sound”. It is impermanent and subject to change. You have to contemplate “if I hold on this will lead to suffering, and does not belong to me anyway. Bingo! The “sound” is gone!...in a flash. No anger arises in you. You are peaceful and you are ready for your next encounter.

Sounds fun isn’t it? It is not easy but it can be done. It needs a little bit of work. This is where insight (Vipassana) meditation comes in to play. This training can be put into practice in our day to day life to save us from suffering. Mindfulness plays a big role in here.

In essence we create our own suffering. We receive the sound, interpret it, keep thinking about it, making thought after thought…you become a “kamma machine.” You need to switch off that kamma machine. This is the only way.

The path to final freedom from suffering! The ultimate happiness.

Want to lean more?

Please click on the labels below:

Happiness is infectious

The graph shows the largest component of friends, spouses and siblings in 2000. Circles are females, squares are males and the lines between them indicate relationships (black for siblings, red for friends and spouses). Colors show the average happiness of a person and all of his or her social relations, with blue for sad, yellow for happy and shades of green for inbetween. Credit: James Fowler, UC San Diego

Happiness is infectious from PhysOrg.com

If you're happy and you know it, thank your friends—and their friends. And while you're at it, their friends' friends. But if you're sad, hold the blame. Researchers from Harvard Medical School and the University of California, San Diego have found that "happiness" is not the result solely of a cloistered journey filled with individually tailored self-help techniques. Happiness is also a collective phenomenon that spreads through social networks like an emotional contagion.

Source: Harvard Medical School

Read more:Happiness is infectious

Life is like whatching a "movie".....check out how it works !

When the eye meet an object, the eye consciousness arises.

The union of three: The eye+ the object + the eye consciousness = contact arises
(The same is true for all other 5 senses).

Contact gives rise to feeling, perception and mental formations.
In every step there is this “glue” which makes it ”sticky” (craving)

Feeling then give rise to more craving …to clinging…to becoming…births…(Dependent Arising/Origination)
(see previous post)

In day to day life all these processes with our sensors happens at an incredible speed. It is almost impossible for us to recognize these steps, especially for an “untrained mind”. Invariably you are going to end up with feelings, perceptions, and mental formations. These will lead to carving …clinging …. existence in this samsara. It is just like you are watching a movie and getting emotionally involved, not realizing how it is generated at all.

In Samatha meditation (breath meditation) you eliminate the background noise and only focus on your breath (aware of breath). When the mind has achieved a state of smadhi (one pointed concentration) you can start observing how your sensors and their respective stimuli work at a much slower a pace. It is like you are watching the movie in slow motion now.

Now if you want to know what is really happening, you need to get to the projector and examine it. You will find it is a plastic tape going through between a powerful light and a lens, frame by frame. This is some thing like what we do in Vipassana meditation.

Dependent Arising

When the eye meet an object...

The whole “world” is our six senses.This is where it ALL starts.

When the eye meet an object, the eye consciousness arises.

The union of three: The eye+ the object + the eye consciousness = contact (arises)

(The same is true for all other 5 senses).

Contact gives rise to feeling, perception and mental formations.

In every step there is this “glue” which makes it ”sticky”

Feeling then give rise to craving …to clinging…to becoming…births…(Dependent Arising/Origination)

Dependent Arising

Why do Buddhist monks fast ?

Buddha said to the monks to refrain from the night meal. Here are the reasons why:

"Monks: I abstain from the night-time meal.
As I am abstaining from the night-time meal I sense"-

1. next-to-no illness
2. next-to-no affliction
3. lightness
4. strength
5. a comfortable abiding

"Come now. You too abstain from the night-time meal. As you are abstaining from the night-time meal, you, too, wil: sense"-

1. next-to-no illness
2. next-to-no affliction
3. lightness
4. strength
5. a comfortable abiding

-Kitagiri Sutta-At Kitagiri

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.070.than.html

What anger can do to you....

When anger does possess a man;

He looks ugly;

He lies in pain;

What benefit he may come by

He misconstrues as a mischance;

He loses property (through fines)

Because he has been working harm

Through acts of body and speech

By angry passion overwhelmed;

The wrath and rage that madden him

Gain him a name of ill-repute;

His fellows, relatives and kin

Will seek to shun him from afar;

And anger fathers misery:

This fury does so cloud the mind

Of man that he cannot discern

This fearful inner danger.

An angry man no meaning knows,

No angry man sees the Dhamma,

So wrapped in darkness,

as if blind, 

Is he whom anger dogs.

Kodhana Sutta
The Wretchedness of Anger

Buddhist meditation 'as good as drugs' at beating depression

Buddhist meditation 'as good as drugs' at beating depression
The Telegraph, Nov 30, 2008

A piece of timber...

"Now, suppose that there were a dry, sapless piece of timber, and a man were to come along with an upper fire-stick, thinking, 'I'll light a fire. I'll produce heat.' What do you think — would he be able to light a fire and produce heat by rubbing the upper fire-stick in the dry, sapless piece of timber?"

"Yes, lord."

"In the same way, in whomever mindfulness immersed in the body is not developed, not pursued, Mara gains entry, Mara gains a foothold.

"Now, suppose that there were a wet, sappy piece of timber, and a man were to come along with an upper fire-stick, thinking, 'I'll light a fire. I'll produce heat.' What do you think — would he be able to light a fire and produce heat by rubbing the upper fire-stick in the wet, sappy piece of timber?"

"No, lord."

"In the same way, in whomever mindfulness immersed in the body is developed, is pursued, Mara gains no entry, Mara gains no foothold.

Kayagata-sati Sutta
Mindfulness Immersed in the Body

Like an inscription in rock...

"Monks, there are these three types of individuals to be found existing in the world. Which three? An individual like an inscription in rock, an individual like an inscription in soil, and an individual like an inscription in water.

"And how is an individual like an inscription in rock? There is the case where a certain individual is often angered, and his anger stays with him a long time. Just as an inscription in rock is not quickly effaced by wind or water and lasts a long time, in the same way a certain individual is often angered, and his anger stays with him a long time. This is called an individual like an inscription in rock.

"And how is an individual like an inscription in soil? There is the case where a certain individual is often angered, but his anger doesn't stay with him a long time. Just as an inscription in soil is quickly effaced by wind or water and doesn't last a long time, in the same way a certain individual is often angered, but his anger doesn't stay with him a long time. This is called an individual like an inscription in soil.

"And how is an individual like an inscription in water? There is the case where a certain individual — when spoken to roughly, spoken to harshly, spoken to in an unpleasing way — is nevertheless congenial, companionable, & courteous. Just as an inscription in water immediately disappears and doesn't last a long time, in the same way a certain individual — when spoken to roughly, spoken to harshly, spoken to in an unpleasing way — is nevertheless congenial, companionable, & courteous. This is called an individual like an inscription in water.

Lekha Sutta -Inscriptions