We suffer because...

We suffer because we don't like the change. But change is the reality of all conditioned things, animate or inanimate alike.

It's all about coming to our senses..

Suffering is a result of clinging, clinging is a result of craving, craving is a result of feeling, and this all goes back to our senses. If we "come to our senses," our ignorance will be gone. So will be our craving and suffering. We then will be free.

The footprint of the elephant

Ven. Sariputta said: "Friends, just as the footprints of all legged animals are encompassed by the footprint of the elephant, and the elephant's footprint is reckoned the foremost among them in terms of size; in the same way, all skillful qualities are gathered under the four noble truths. Under which four? Under the noble truth of stress, under the noble truth of the origination of stress, under the noble truth of the cessation of stress, and under the noble truth of the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress.

"And what is the noble truth of stress? Birth is stressful, aging is stressful, death is stressful; sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair are stressful; not getting what is wanted is stressful.1 In short, the five clinging-aggregates are stressful. And which are the five clinging-aggregates? The form clinging-aggregate, the feeling clinging-aggregate, the perception clinging-aggregate, the fabrication clinging-aggregate, & the consciousness clinging-aggregate.

Maha-hatthipadopama Sutta: The Great Elephant Footprint Simile

translated from the Pali by

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

To read the full sutta:http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.028.than.html#inlaw

You can't gain wisdom by shutting the eyes...

You can't gain wisdom by shutting the eyes, closing the ears... and so on (same is true for all the six senses) but understanding (realizing) how they really work...

We have fallen into a "river rapid" called...

We have fallen into a "river rapid" called the dependent origination, a chain of reactions that causes this whole mass of suffering. Every moment we are accumulating kamma that will generate our future birth. However we are not aware of it because of our ignorance. Only the ones who realize this, can unchain this series of unfortunate events. The key link is getting rid of craving.... this is our fina goal... Nirvana.

One drop at a time....

Keep reflecting mindfully on the Dhamma you have learnt. Dhamma is everywhere around you. Then just apply it to your life, every moment, one drop at a time.

How to grow a tree of wisdom....

This is the method how you grow this tree to bear tasty fruits.

1. Before you plant the seed, you need to prepare the soil (fertile).

2. Then you need to water it well.

3. When the tree grows you have to clean the roots.

4. Then you have to remove the worms that may damage the tree.

5. Finally you have to remove the spider webs from the tree for it to grow to full potential and bear tasty fruits.


In the simile here: Preparing the soil is morality (Sila), watering is acquiring knowledge of Dhamma (Sutha), Cleaning the roots is discussing Dhamma and clearing doubts ( Dhamma sarkach-cha), Clearing the worms is breath meditation (Samatha) and suppressing the five hindrances, and finally removing spider webs is mindfulness meditation (vipassana).

This is taken from a sutta I have heard called, "Anngghita sutta.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an05/an05.025.than.html
Note: I did not find the simile in the translation here...

Cutting the fetters that tie us down....

Dhamma teaches us the the path, that finally liberate us (Nirvana) from Samsara. This is our final goal! Fetters tie us down to the Samsara. Cutting the fetters off using the practice of Dhamma is the art of liberation.

Dhamma is like a "shap knife" for this purpose... But you need to grab it from the right end !

Like wind would leaves from a tree...

He has become calm and at rest, Wise in speech and not self-centered; He's shaken off unwholesome states — Like wind would leaves from a tree.

Sariputta Thera: Keeping the Wheel Rolling

translated from the Pali by

Andrew Olendzki

How to be FREE (from samsara)?

“When you see you only see, when you hear you only hear, when you taste you only taste, when you smell you only smell, when you feel (touch) you only feel, when mental objects arrive at the mind, they only arrive”…if you realize this as a direct knowledge, you are NOT HERE…if you are not here you are NOT THERE, if you are neither here or there, you are NOT IN-BETWEEN, you are then “FREE” (from this Samsara)- Buddha

The right technique will give results whether you wish or not ...

"Suppose a man in need of fire, looking for fire, wandering in search of fire, would take a fire stick and rub it into a wet, sappy piece of wood. If he were to take a fire stick and rub it into a wet, sappy piece of wood even when having made a wish [for results]... having made no wish... both having made a wish and having made no wish... neither having made a wish nor having made no wish, he would be incapable of obtaining results. Why is that? Because it is an inappropriate way of obtaining results.

"In the same way, any priests or contemplatives endowed with wrong view, wrong resolve, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, & wrong concentration: If they follow the holy life even when having made a wish [for results]... having made no wish... both having made a wish and having made no wish... neither having made a wish nor having made no wish, they are incapable of obtaining results. Why is that? Because it is an inappropriate way of obtaining results.

"Suppose a man in need of fire, looking for fire, wandering in search of fire, would take a fire stick and rub it into a dry, sapless piece of wood. If he were to take a fire stick and rub it into a dry, sapless piece of wood even when having made a wish [for results]... having made no wish... both having made a wish and having made no wish... neither having made a wish nor having made no wish, he would be capable of obtaining results. Why is that? Because it is an appropriate way of obtaining results.

"In the same way, any priests or contemplatives endowed with right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, & right concentration: If they follow the holy life even when having made a wish [for results], they are capable of obtaining results. If they follow the holy life even when having made no wish, they are capable of obtaining results. If they follow the holy life even when both having made a wish and having made no wish, they are capable of obtaining results. If they follow the holy life even when neither having made a wish nor having made no wish, they are capable of obtaining results. Why is that? Because it is an appropriate way of obtaining results.

Bhumija Sutta: To Bhumija

translated from the Pali by

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.126.than.html#butter1

Just as a Lute....

"Suppose there were a king or king's minister who had never heard the sound of a lute before. He might hear the sound of a lute and say, 'What, my good men, is that sound — so delightful, so tantalizing, so intoxicating, so ravishing, so enthralling?' They would say, 'That, sire, is called a lute, whose sound is so delightful, so tantalizing, so intoxicating, so ravishing, so enthralling.' Then he would say, 'Go & fetch me that lute.' They would fetch the lute and say, 'Here, sire, is the lute whose sound is so delightful, so tantalizing, so intoxicating, so ravishing, so enthralling.' He would say, 'Enough of your lute. Fetch me just the sound.' Then they would say, 'This lute, sire, is made of numerous components, a great many components. It's through the activity of numerous components that it sounds: that is, in dependence on the body, the skin, the neck, the frame, the strings, the bridge, and the appropriate human effort. Thus it is that this lute — made of numerous components, a great many components — sounds through the activity of numerous components.'

"Then the king would split the lute into ten pieces, a hundred pieces. Having split the lute into ten pieces, a hundred pieces, he would shave it to splinters. Having shaved it to splinters, he would burn it in a fire. Having burned it in a fire, he would reduce it to ashes. Having reduced it to ashes, he would winnow it before a high wind or let it be washed away by a swift-flowing stream. He would then say, 'A sorry thing, this lute — whatever a lute may be — by which people have been so thoroughly tricked & deceived.'

"In the same way, a monk investigates form, however far form may go. He investigates feeling... perception... fabrications... consciousness*, however far consciousness may go. As he is investigating form... feeling... perception... fabrications... consciousness, however far consciousness may go, any thoughts of 'me' or 'mine' or 'I am' do not occur to him."

Vina Sutta: The Lute
translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu

*Five aggregates (see labels)

Just like in a guest house....

"In a guest house, O monks, people from the east may take lodgings, or people from the west, north or south. People from the warrior caste may come and take lodgings there, and also Brahmans, middle class people and menials.

"Similarly, O monks, there arise in this body various kinds of feelings; there arise pleasant feelings, painful feelings and neutral feelings; worldly feelings that are pleasant, painful or neutral, and unworldly* feelings that are pleasant, painful and neutral.

Agara Sutta: The Guest House

translated from the Pali by

Nyanaponika Thera

* Spiritual

These are the four drains on one's store of wealth:

"These are the four drains on one's store of wealth:

1. debauchery in sex

2. debauchery in drink

2. debauchery in gambling

3. evil friendship, evil companionship, evil camaraderie

Just as if there were a great reservoir with four inlets and four drains, and a man were to close the inlets and open the drains, and the sky were not to pour down proper showers, the depletion of that great reservoir could be expected, not its increase. In the same way, these are the four drains on one's store of wealth: debauchery in sex; debauchery in drink; debauchery in gambling; and evil friendship, evil companionship, evil camaraderie.

These are the four inlets to one's store of wealth:

1. no debauchery in sex

2. no debauchery in drink

3. no debauchery in gambling

4. admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie

Just as if there were a great reservoir with four inlets and four drains, and a man were to open the inlets and close the drains, and the sky were to pour down proper showers, the increase of that great reservoir could be expected, not its depletion. In the same way, these are the four inlets to one's store of wealth: no debauchery in sex; no debauchery in drink; no debauchery in gambling; and admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie.

Dighajanu (Vyagghapajja) Sutta: To Dighajanu

translated from the Pali by

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Leave that sound alone....

Leave that sound alone...it is not disturbing you but you are disturbing the sound! Leave that object alone...the object is not distracting but you are distracting the object! The same goes to our other senses too.

Muddy pool of water is like a....

"Suppose there were a pool of water — sullied, turbid, and muddy. A man with good eyesight standing there on the bank would not see shells, gravel, and pebbles, or shoals of fish swimming about and resting.

Why is that?

Because of the sullied nature of the water. In the same way, that a monk with a sullied mind would know his own benefit, the benefit of others, the benefit of both; that he would realize a superior human state, a truly noble distinction of knowledge & vision: Such a thing is impossible.

Why is that?

Because of the sullied nature of his mind."

Udakarahaka Suttas: A Pool of Water
translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Like shedding leaves from a tree...

He has become calm and at rest,

Wise in speech and not self-centered;

He's shaken off unwholesome states —

Like wind would leaves from a tree.

Thag 17.2 PTS: vv. 991...1014
Sariputta Thera: Keeping the Wheel Rolling
translated from the Pali by
Andrew Olendzki

Like a water-pot full of water up to the brim...

"Now, suppose that there were an empty, hollow water-pot set on a stand, and a man were to come along carrying a load of water. What do you think — would he get a place to put his water?"

"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 water-pot set on a stand, full of water up to the brim so that crows could drink out of it, and a man were to come along carrying a load of water. What do you think — would he get a place to put his water?"

"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

translated from the Pali by

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

*Mara is the Buddhist "Tempter-figure"

Dhamma is like a "GPS" but....

DHAMMA* can be seen as a "GPS" in a car. Having GPS alone will not help us to arrive at the destination. We still have to DRIVE the car safely using "GPS" as our guide. Driving is similar to the PRACTICE of the Dhamma, mainly "Dana" (generosity or giving), "Sila" (morality) and "Bhavana" (meditation).

*DHAMMA: teachings of the Buddha