Make an island for yourself

Make an island for yourself!

Work quickly!

Be wise!

With impurities all blown away,

unblemished,

you won't again undergo birth & aging.

-Dhammapada

Just as the ocean ...

Just as the ocean has a gradual shelf, a gradual slope, a gradual inclination, with a sudden drop-off only after a long stretch, in the same way this Doctrine and Discipline has a gradual training, a gradual performance, a gradual progression, with a penetration to gnosis only after a long stretch.

-Uposatha Sutta -The Observance

(Also Paharada Sutta)

Just as birds who've escaped...

Blinded this world —
how few here see clearly!
Just as birds who've escaped
from a net are
few, few
are the people
who make it to heaven.
-Dhammapada

The constant danger is death

Like ripe fruits whose downfall,
whose danger is falling,
so for mortals, once born,
the constant danger is death

Salla Sutta -The Arrow

Mindfulness meditation slows progression of HIV

Mindfulness meditation slows progression of HIV, study shows from PhysOrg.com

CD4+ T lymphocytes, or simply CD4 T cells, are the "brains" of the immune system, coordinating its activity when the body comes under attack. They are also the cells that are attacked by HIV, the devastating virus that causes AIDS and has infected roughly 40 million people worldwide. The virus slowly eats away at CD4 T cells, weakening the immune system.

But the immune systems of HIV/AIDS patients face another enemy as well — stress, which can accelerate CD4 T cell declines. Now, researchers at UCLA report that the practice of mindfulness meditation stopped the decline of CD4 T cells in HIV-positive patients suffering from stress, slowing the progression of the disease. The study was just released in the online edition of the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.

"How to restraint your senses..."

How to restraint your senses:

"Just as if a person, catching six animals of different ranges, of different habitats, were to bind them with a strong rope. Catching a snake, he would bind it with a strong rope. Catching a crocodile... a bird... a dog... a hyena... a monkey, he would bind it with a strong rope. Binding them all with a strong rope, and tying a knot in the middle, he would set chase to them.

"Then those six animals, of different ranges, of different habitats, would each pull toward its own range & habitat. The snake would pull, thinking, 'I'll go into the anthill.' The crocodile would pull, thinking, 'I'll go into the water.' The bird would pull, thinking, 'I'll fly up into the air.' The dog would pull, thinking, 'I'll go into the village.' The hyena would pull, thinking, 'I'll go into the charnel ground.' The monkey would pull, thinking, 'I'll go into the forest.' And when these six animals became internally exhausted, they would submit, they would surrender, they would come under the sway of whichever among them was the strongest. In the same way, when a monk whose mindfulness immersed in the body is undeveloped & unpursued, the eye pulls toward pleasing forms, while unpleasing forms are repellent. The ear pulls toward pleasing sounds... The nose pulls toward pleasing aromas... The tongue pulls toward pleasing flavors... The body pulls toward pleasing tactile sensations... The intellect pulls toward pleasing ideas, while unpleasing ideas are repellent. This, monks, is lack of restraint.

"Just as if a person, catching six animals of different ranges, of different habitats, were to bind them with a strong rope. Catching a snake, he would bind it with a strong rope. Catching a crocodile... a bird... a dog... a hyena... a monkey, he would bind it with a strong rope. Binding them all with a strong rope, he would tether them to a strong post or stake.

"Then those six animals, of different ranges, of different habitats, would each pull toward its own range & habitat. The snake would pull, thinking, 'I'll go into the anthill.' The crocodile would pull, thinking, 'I'll go into the water.' The bird would pull, thinking, 'I'll fly up into the air.' The dog would pull, thinking, 'I'll go into the village.' The hyena would pull, thinking, 'I'll go into the charnel ground.' The monkey would pull, thinking, 'I'll go into the forest.' And when these six animals became internally exhausted, they would stand, sit, or lie down right there next to the post or stake. In the same way, when a monk whose mindfulness immersed in the body is developed & pursued, the eye does not pull toward pleasing forms, and unpleasing forms are not repellent. The ear does not pull toward pleasing sounds... The nose does not pull toward pleasing aromas... The tongue does not pull toward pleasing flavors... The body does not pull toward pleasing tactile sensations... The intellect does not pull toward pleasing ideas, and unpleasing ideas are not repellent. This, monks, is restraint.

"The 'strong post or stake' is a term for mindfulness immersed in the body.

"Thus you should train yourselves: 'We will develop mindfulness immersed in the body. We will pursue it, hand it the reins and take it as a basis, give it a grounding. We will steady it, consolidate it, and set about it properly.' That's how you should train yourselves."


Please read the full sutta below:
Chappana Sutta -The Six Animals

Just like a salt crystal...

"Suppose that a man were to drop a salt crystal into a small amount of water in a cup. What do you think? Would the water in the cup become salty because of the salt crystal, and unfit to drink?"

"Yes, lord. Why is that? There being only a small amount of water in the cup, it would become salty because of the salt crystal, and unfit to drink."

"Now suppose that a man were to drop a salt crystal into the River Ganges. What do you think? Would the water in the River Ganges become salty because of the salt crystal, and unfit to drink?"

"No, lord. Why is that? There being a great mass of water in the River Ganges, it would not become salty because of the salt crystal or unfit to drink."

"In the same way, there is the case where a trifling evil deed done by one individual [the first] takes him to hell; and there is the case where the very same sort of trifling deed done by the other individual is experienced in the here & now, and for the most part barely appears for a moment.

'Now, a trifling evil act done by what sort of individual takes him to hell? There is the case where a certain individual is undeveloped in the body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind [i.e., painful feelings can invade the mind and stay there], undeveloped in discernment: restricted, small-hearted, dwelling with suffering. A trifling evil act done by this sort of individual takes him to hell.

'Now, a trifling evil act done by what sort of individual is experienced in the here & now, and for the most part barely appears for a moment? There is the case where a certain individual is developed in the body, developed in virtue, developed in mind [i.e., painful feelings cannot invade the mind and stay there], developed in discernment: unrestricted, large-hearted, dwelling with the unlimited. A trifling evil act done by this sort of individual is experienced in the here & now, and for the most part barely appears for a moment.

Lonaphala Sutta -The Salt Crystal

The worst "darkness" of all..."

There is, monks, an inter-cosmic void, an unrestrained darkness, a pitch-black darkness, where even the light of the sun & moon — so mighty, so powerful — doesn't reach."

When this was said, one of the monks said to the Blessed One, "Wow, what a great darkness! What a really great darkness! Is there any darkness greater & more frightening than that?"

"There is, monk, a darkness greater & more frightening than that."

"And which darkness, lord, is greater & more frightening than that?"

"Any priests or contemplatives who do not know, as it actually is present, that 'This is stress'; who do not know, as it actually is present, that 'This is the origination of stress'... 'This is the cessation of stress'... 'This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress'*: They revel in (thought-) fabrications leading to birth; they revel in fabrications leading to aging; they revel in fabrications leading to death; they revel in fabrications leading to sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair. Reveling in fabrications leading to birth... aging... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair, they fabricate fabrications leading to birth... aging... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair. Fabricating fabrications leading to birth... aging... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair, they drop into the darkness of birth. They drop into the darkness of aging... the darkness of death... darkness of sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair. They are not totally released from birth, aging, death, sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses, & despairs. They are not totally released, I tell you, from suffering & stress. -Andhakara Sutta -Darkness

*The Four Noble Truths

(The worst darkness of all...not realizing The Four Noble Truths)

"The wise control themselves"

Irrigators regulate the rivers;
fletchers straighten the arrow shaft;
carpenters shape the wood;
the wise control* themselves - Dhammapada

*Control: Three ways of good conduct, Mind, body and speech

How to Deal With Anger Skillfully (Part 1)

This is a preview of the talk "How to deal with anger skillfully" given in Toronto by Ajahn Brahm in June 2008. The full talk will be available shortly at the BSWA website (www.bswa.org)

Where Science and Buddhism Meet-by Gerald D.

An Interesting video posted on You Tube by Gerald D.

Just like a log...

"Monks, do you see that large log being carried along by the current of the river Ganges?"

"Yes, lord."

"Monks, if that log doesn't veer toward the near shore, doesn't veer toward the far shore, doesn't sink in the middle, doesn't get washed up on high ground, doesn't get snared by human beings, doesn't get snared by non-human beings, doesn't get snared in a whirlpool, and doesn't become rotten inside, it will tend to the ocean, tilt to the ocean, incline to the ocean. Why is that? Because the current of the river Ganges tends to the ocean, tilts to the ocean, inclines to the ocean.

"In the same way, monks, if you don't veer toward the near shore, don't veer toward the far shore, don't sink in the middle, don't get washed up on high ground, don't get snared by human beings, don't get snared by non-human beings, don't get snared in a whirlpool, and don't become rotten inside, you will tend to Unbinding, tilt to Unbinding, incline to Unbinding. Why is that? Because right view tends to Unbinding, tilts to Unbinding, inclines to Unbinding."

When this was said, a certain monk addressed the Blessed One: "What, lord, is the near shore? What is the far shore? What is sinking in the middle? What is being washed up on high ground? What is being snared by human beings? What is being snared by non-human beings? What is being snared by a whirlpool? What is becoming rotten inside?"

"'The near shore,' monks, stands for the six internal sense media. 'The far shore' stands for the six external sense media. 'Sinking in the middle' stands for passion & delight. 'Being washed up on high ground' stands for the conceit, 'I am.'

"And what, monks, is being snared by human beings? There is the case where a monk lives entangled with householders, delighting with them and sorrowing with them, happy when they are happy, pained when they are in pain, taking on their affairs as his own duty. This is called being snared by human beings.

"And what, monks, is being snared by non-human beings? There is the case where a certain monk lives the holy life in hopes of a certain company of devas, [thinking,] 'By means of this virtue or practice or austerity or holy life I will become one sort of deva or another.' This is called being snared by non-human beings.

"'Being snared by a whirlpool' stands for the five strings of sensuality.

" And what, monks, is becoming rotten inside? There is the case where a certain monk is unprincipled, evil, unclean and suspect in his undertakings, hidden in his actions, not a contemplative though claiming to be one, not leading the holy life though claiming to do so, inwardly rotten, oozing with desire, filthy by nature. This is called becoming rotten inside."

Daruka-khandha Sutta (The Log)

The Three Urgent Duties

There are three things a farmer should do in a hurry (urgently)

1. get the field well-plowed & well-harrowed.

2. plants the seeds

3. lets in the water & then lets it out.

Then you wait... results will come. You cannot rush it. You will reap the crops in time.

In the same way cultivate sila (morality), samdhi (concentration through meditation), panna (wisdom)... following this path (the noble eightfold path) ...apply the right technique...results will be there in time.

Just read the following sutta:

"There are these three urgent duties of a farming householder. Which three?"There is the case where a farming householder quickly gets his field well-plowed & well-harrowed. Having quickly gotten his field well-plowed & well-harrowed, he quickly plants the seed. Having quickly planted the seed, he quickly lets in the water & then lets it out."These are the three urgent duties of a farming householder. Now, that farming householder does not have the power or might [to say:] 'May my crops spring up today, may the grains appear tomorrow, and may they ripen the next day.' But when the time has come, the farming householder's crops spring up, the grains appear, and they ripen."In the same way, there are these three urgent duties of a monk. Which three? The undertaking of heightened virtue, the undertaking of heightened mind, the undertaking of heightened discernment. These are the three urgent duties of a monk. Now, that monk does not have the power or might [to say:] 'May my mind be released from fermentations through lack of clinging/sustenance today or tomorrow or the next day.' But when the time has come, his mind is released from fermentations through lack of clinging/sustenance."Thus, monks, you should train yourselves: 'Strong will be our desire for the undertaking of heightened virtue. Strong will be our desire for the undertaking of heightened mind. Strong will be our desire for the undertaking of heightened discernment.' That's how you should train yourselves."

-AN 3.91Accayika Sutta (Urgent)

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an03/an03.091.than.html

The formula to progress in path of enlightenment

The formula to progress in path of enlightenment

There are four factors. The first two are external factors (you gain from outside). The last two are internal (has to come within you)

1. A Noble Friend (Kalyana Mitta)
2. Listening to Dhamma (Sadhamma Savana)
3. Wise Attention/Mindful reflection (Yoniso manasikara)
4. Practicing Dhamma -Mindfulness, Concentration (Dhammanu Dhamma Patipada)

The noble friend is one you lean true Dhamma (For example, The Four Noble Truths, Five aggregates... and so on). Once Buddha once said to Ven. Ananada "the progress path entirely depends on a true noble friend".

Sutta Reference:

Samyutta Nikaya, Sotapatti Samyuttaya, Sappanna Vaggo

The Fruit of Stream-Entry(Pala Sutta)
“Bhikkus, these four things, when developed and cultivated, lead to the realization of the fruit of stream-entry. What four? Association with superior persons, hearing the true Dhamma, careful attention, practice in accordance with the Dhamma. These four things, when developed and cultivated, lead to the realization of the fruit of stream-entry.”

The Fruit of Once-Returning(Dutiya Sutta)
“Bhikkus, these four things, when developed and cultivated, lead to the realization of the fruit of once-returing. What four? ...(same as above)

The Fruit of Non-returning(Thatiya Sutta)
“Bhikkus, these four things, when developed and cultivated, lead to the realization of the fruit of non-returning. What four? ... (same as above)

The Fruit of Arahantship(Chatutta Sutta)
“Bhikkus, these four things, when developed and cultivated, lead to the realization of the fruit of arahantship. What four? ... (same as above)

(Kindly provided by Mr. Vijitha Jayasinghe)

"impermanence" - it is hard to see

Flowers in a.m. (left) The same flowers in p.m. (right)

Impermanence is one of the key teachings of the Buddha. Mindfulness of impermanence is fundamental to Buddhist insight meditation.


"With these flowers I venerate the Buddha,
By this merit may I gain liberation.
As these flowers fade and wither
So will this body be destroyed"

This is a common stanza Buddhists recite mindfully when offering flowers to Buddha. This may be a good way of reflecting on impermanence in your daily practice.

There are two similes I like to share with you from a sutta that helped me a lot to contemplate on this subject:

Simile of the burning oil lamp

"Just as when the oil in a burning oil lamp is inconstant & subject to change, its wick is inconstant & subject to change, its flame is inconstant & subject to change, its light is inconstant & subject to change. If someone were to say, 'The oil in that burning oil lamp is inconstant & subject to change, its wick is inconstant & subject to change, its flame is inconstant & subject to change, but as for its light, that is constant, everlasting, eternal, & not subject to change': would he be speaking rightly?"
"No, venerable sir. Why is that? Because the oil in that burning oil lamp is inconstant & subject to change, its wick is inconstant & subject to change, its flame is inconstant & subject to change, so how much more should its light be inconstant & subject to change."

Simile of the tree

"Just as when the root of a great, standing tree — possessed of heartwood — is inconstant & subject to change, its trunk is inconstant & subject to change, its branches & foliage are inconstant & subject to change, its shadow is inconstant & subject to change. If someone were to say, 'The root of that great, standing tree — possessed of heartwood — is inconstant & subject to change, its trunk is inconstant & subject to change, its branches & foliage are inconstant & subject to change, but as for its shadow, that is constant, everlasting, eternal, & not subject to change': would he be speaking rightly?"
"No, venerable sir. Why is that? Because the root of that great, standing tree — possessed of heartwood — is inconstant & subject to change, its trunk is inconstant & subject to change, its branches & foliage are inconstant & subject to change, so how much more should its shadow be inconstant & subject to change."

"In the same way, sisters, if someone were to say, 'My six external media are inconstant, but what I experience based on the six internal media — pleasure, pain, or neither pleasure nor pain — that is constant, everlasting, eternal, & not subject to change': would he be speaking rightly?"
"No, venerable sir. Why is that? Because each feeling arises dependent on its corresponding condition. With the cessation of its corresponding condition, it ceases."

Nandakovada Sutta

Burke Lecture: Buddhism in a Global Age of Technology

A distinguished scholar of Buddhism, Lewis Lancaster founded the Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative to use the latest computer technology to map the spread of various strands of Buddhism from the distant past to the present. Series: "Burke Lectureship on Religion & Society" [6/2008] [Humanities]

"One bad Brick" - The fault finding mind

Ajahn Brahm always talk about this. His famous simile of the “brick wall” with the “one bad brick.” I always wondered where doest it fit in the scheme of things in Dhamma. I found this very beautiful sutta called Thyodhamma Sutta. I thought I would share it with you.This is how it goes:

Thayodhamma sutta (Abandon three things at a time).

To abandon

1. Birth

2. Old age

3. Death

You have to abandon

1. Greed (passion)

2. Hatred

3. Delusion

To abandon the above three you have to abandon

1. Personality view

2. Doubt

3. Rituals and observances

To abandon the above three you have to abandon

1. Drowsiness of the mind

2. Following the wrong path

3. Unwise consideration

To abandon the above three you have to abandon

1. Unmindfulness

2. Unawareness

3. Mental distraction

To abandon the above three you have to abandon

1. Dislike to see the noble ones

2. Dislike to hear the noble teachings

3. FAULT-FINDING MIND (upaarambha citta)

To abandon the above three you have to abandon

1. Conceit

2. Unrestraint

3. Immorality

To abandon the above three you have to abandon

1. Lack of confidence

2. Dislike to listen to others

3. Laziness

To abandon the above three you have to abandon

1. Unfriendliness

2. Disobedience

3. Bad friends

To abandon the above three you have to abandon

1. Shamelessness

2. Fearlessness

3. Non-diligence

You can see how something very basic such as following the five precepts can lead to enlightenment. The shame and the fear for unwholesome deeds as well as the diligence to prevent or get rid of unwholesome deeds can be considered as the first three "stepping stones" in this path. This is basically morality or following the precepts.

To listen to MP3 of Thyodhamma Suttahttp://www.gautamabuddha.ca/bana/english/14_Kitariri_Sutta.MP3(In the link it should read Thayodhamma sutta, not Kitagiri sutta)

A man were wounded with a poisoned arrow

Some people get too much involved in trivial details of the Dhamma rather than focusing on what is essential to the their progress in this path. They will never arrive at the true Dhamma. Buddha used this simile to illustrate this point.

"It's just as if a man were wounded with an arrow thickly smeared with poison. His friends & companions, kinsmen & relatives would provide him with a surgeon, and the man would say, 'I won't have this arrow removed until I know whether the man who wounded me was a noble warrior, a priest, a merchant, or a worker.' He would say, 'I won't have this arrow removed until I know the given name & clan name of the man who wounded me... until I know whether he was tall, medium, or short... until I know whether he was dark, ruddy-brown, or golden-colored... until I know his home village, town, or city... until I know whether the bow with which I was wounded was a long bow or a crossbow... until I know whether the bowstring with which I was wounded was fiber, bamboo threads, sinew, hemp, or bark... until I know whether the shaft with which I was wounded was wild or cultivated... until I know whether the feathers of the shaft with which I was wounded were those of a vulture, a stork, a hawk, a peacock, or another bird... until I know whether the shaft with which I was wounded was bound with the sinew of an ox, a water buffalo, a langur, or a monkey.' He would say, 'I won't have this arrow removed until I know whether the shaft with which I was wounded was that of a common arrow, a curved arrow, a barbed, a calf-toothed, or an oleander arrow.' The man would die and those things would still remain unknown to him.

"In the same way, if anyone were to say, 'I won't live the holy life under the Blessed One as long as he does not declare to me that 'The cosmos is eternal,'... or that 'After death a Tathagata neither exists nor does not exist,' the man would die and those things would still remain undeclared by the Tathagata.

"And why are they undeclared by me? Because they are not connected with the goal, are not fundamental to the holy life. They do not lead to disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, calming, direct knowledge, self-awakening, Unbinding. That's why they are undeclared by me.

"And what is declared by me? 'This is stress,' is declared by me. 'This is the origination of stress,' is declared by me. 'This is the cessation of stress,' is declared by me. 'This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress*,' is declared by me. And why are they declared by me? Because they are connected with the goal, are fundamental to the holy life. They lead to disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, calming, direct knowledge, self-awakening, Unbinding. That's why they are declared by me.

* The Four Noble Truths

Cula-Malunkyovada Sutta-The Shorter Instructions to Malunkya

Mindfulness meditation has become perhaps the most popular new psychotherapy technique of the past decade.

The New York Times

Mindfulness meditation has become perhaps the most popular new psychotherapy technique of the past decade.

Health / Research
Lotus Therapy
By BENEDICT CAREY
Published: May 27, 2008