Dharma companions is a blog focusing on Dharma activities, information dissemination and bringing awareness to the multifaceted aspects of Buddhism for the community from Shah Alam Buddhist Society (SABS). Postings should be of interest to Buddhist and anyone who seeks information on Buddhism. As the title suggest, we also aim to be a companion to those who seeks our company in this path that we undertake. May you be well, happy and peaceful.
Question: What happen to the citta of an Arahant after he or she Parinibbāna?
Than Ajahn: The citta of an Arahant and the citta of the ordinary beings are the same. The only difference is that the citta of an Arahant is pure, it has no defilements, it has no lobha, dosa or moha, it has no cravings: no kāma-taṇhā, bhava-taṇhā, and vibhava-taṇhā. That’s the only difference. The mind of an Arahant is the mind that doesn’t have kilesa, doesn’t take anymore rebirth, that’s all. The mind of ordinary people still have defilements, greed, cravings, and they keep on taking rebirths after rebirths.
Today’s talk is not from the suttas but based on a poem sent to me via e-mail. The title and author of the poem were not mentioned. However, I'd like to name today's talk “Happiness In and Out”. Let me read out the poem and comment on it.
The Buddha’s eye reminds us to gaze at ourself to see how
Samsara gives us much but takes more away, so we keep wanting.
What is power when we are not really free and not even know it?
What is wealth when we are poor in what truly enriches us.
What are titles when our books are copied pages or empty?
What is knowledge when it blinds us from what frees us?
What is faith when we look to others what is deep within?
What is love when we fear to say it, to show it, and let it die?
The world is our body and speech: let it be beautiful and true.
The mind is our universe: boundless space and open heavens.
Wisdom is present to the passing present, learning to change,
Just as we breathe in, so we breathe out, presently at peace,
To be born, to live, to die, life is this very moment – now.
The way of the Bodhisattva is the way of compassion and wisdom, of realizing your own boundless potential. It comes from realizing that Enlightenment is our true nature, that we have a basic goodness and wakefulness that is fundamental to our being.
Bodhicitta is what the diligence of the Bodhisattva is based on. Bodhicitta means mind of awakening. It’s what helps us overcome the delusions that keep us from seeing our true nature. These delusions are things that we can overcome. They are impermanent like everything else. They may obscure our minds, but we can overcome them. Bodhicitta is our tool for doing this.
I have friends who suggest anything they really like doing is a meditation. When they’re not just being cute or ironic the principal they seem to rely on for this assertion is that such things as knitting, bowling, cooking, all involve concentration and at best, perhaps, an achieving of a sense of “oneness” with the object of their concentration. I have little argument with such an observation and indeed many of the so-called Zen arts such as tea ceremony and archery are such joining of action and attention.
But there is another kind of meditation that has no goal, no purpose other than just being. In my life this is mainly encountered on the meditation pillow. And I know it can take many forms, possibly even in knitting, bowling and cooking.
Zen is a culture of awakening. It doesn’t really match any of the categories we tend to want to put things into in western thought. It defies labels like religion and philosophy. It’s not something to believe. It’s not even something to be. It’s a practice. It’s a way of life.
Zen is like the flower of Buddhism. Beneath it lies the roots of developed doctrine and practice, which has been cultivated for over two thousand years. Beneath these roots are the basic principles that are the foundation of all of the myriad branches of Buddhism. In the case of Zen this flower was planted in China and some of it’s practice was clearly influenced by the spiritual traditions that already existed there. Now it has been planted here in the west.
We have to learn the art of stopping - stopping our thinking, our habit energies, our forgetfulness, the strong emotions that rule us. When an emotion rushes through us like a storm, we have no peace. We turn on the TV and then we turn it off. We pick up a book and then we put it down. How can we stop this state of agitation? How can we stop our fear, despair, anger, and craving? We can stop by practicing mindful breathing, mindful walking, mindful smiling, and deep looking in order to understand. When we are mindful, touching deeply the present moment, the fruits are always understanding, acceptance, love, and the desire to relieve suffering and bring joy.
Than Ajahn: When monks go on pindapatt (alms round), he should not refuse the food given. It is a courtesy that you accept things out of gratitude of people’s generosity, but you don’t have to eat everything that people give you. You can choose (what to eat) once the food is in your bowl, which food you want to eat, which food you don’t want to eat. But you cannot tell people what you want to eat such as that you cannot tell people that “I am a vegetarian, please don’t give me any meat”. If people want to give vegetables and meat together, and if you just want to eat vegetables, you just take the meat out. You don’t have to eat the meat, but you don’t have to tell people what to give. Beggars are not choosers.
Question: Is it possible to attain jhāna without seeing nimitta?
Than Ajahn: Yes. Jhāna is not nimitta, but in the process of attaining jhāna you might have some nimitta. Some people might have, some people might not have. Some people after they have attained jhāna, they start to have nimitta, some people don’t. The point is not to become involved with nimitta because the goal of samādhi is to keep your mind peaceful and calm. If you become involved with nimitta your mind will not be peaceful and calm and you might not have the strength to resist your kilesa after you come out of samādhi, but if you have just plain samādhi without any nimitta, your mind will remain peaceful and calm during the samādhi session and when you come out of samādhi you will have upekkhā.
The 20th century wrought havoc on religious and spiritual life in mainland China, especially during the Cultural Revolution. Temples were torn down, believers persecuted and priests, monks and nuns subjected to violence and forced to renounce their religious ways. It must have seemed as though all traditional religious practices would vanish from the country.
Return of religion to China since the death of Mao documented in new book The Souls of China. By following individual monks and priests, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ian Johnson personalises his account of the reawakening of religious belief and practices in China.
Allen Lane 13 APR 2017
A buddhist monk rings a bell with a wooden hammer at the Arhat temple in Chongqing. AFP
Yet, since the late 1970s, religion has slowly been returning to China, as millions of Chinese search for something other than material wealth. Some have looked to old religions such as Taoism and Buddhism while others have turned to a more modern import, Christianity, for answers.
As westerners most of us have come to Buddhism of our own accord. We were never pressed into it by our culture, society or, usually anyway, by our families. On the contrary, our culture and families can be quite hostile towards a religion like Buddhism. Some people seem to get round this by saying they aren’t ‘Buddhist’ as such because they don’t go in for labels; they’re simply interested in Buddhism as they are in many other things, ‘After all, Buddhism isn’t really a religion, is it? It’s more a way of Life.’
The excuses come out and maybe we ease feelings of disloyalty towards ‘our’ group and also ward off any whispers or criticisms from our friends. That look of horror that can sweep across someone’s face when you tell them what you are doing with your life can be quite off-putting; it sort of says, ‘Are you feeling all right? Have you lost it a bit?’
The Buddhist Peace Fellowship (BPF) has announced it will award $2,000 to five activists for peace, social justice, or environmental work that is inspired by Buddhism. The prize is named for Soma Bhikkhuni, the first enlightened woman. Candidates must have done at least two years of work — paid or unpaid — in their field. The deadline for applications is April 28, 2017.
The BPF was founded in 1978 as an ecumenical organization dedicated to the principle of interconnectedness, with the mission of creating peace, liberation, and progressive social change.
Bringing together the deep streams of Buddhist wisdom and organizing for social change, it is our honor to offer awards of $2,000 to 5 activists whose outstanding work for peace, social justice, and / or environmental defense is influenced by Buddhist wisdom.
During the time of the Buddha, people in the country of Jambudīpa (now India) were mostly followers of Brahmanism. The teachings were mainly about caste system, sacrificial rites and the universe. Some people found no satisfaction in this teaching and started to think about the higher meaning in life. Some went further to renounce the world and became “samaņa” or recluse, seeking spiritual knowledge and enlightenment. But not all samaņa shared the same view or practice. Some samaņa engaged themselves in spiritual debates, some practised meditation, while some purposely tormented themselves, thinking that it could dissolve their bad kamma.
Question: Can followers of other religions which have different beliefs & practices develop their mind to reach the state of Nibbāna? (For example those who believe that God determines everything)
Than Ajahn: The Buddha said that for people to reach Nibbāna, they have to follow the Noble Eightfold path. If any religion teaches the Noble Eightfold path then they can reach Nibbāna, if they don’t teach the Noble Eightfold path then they don’t get to Nibbāna.
Form is like a glob of foam;
feeling, a bubble;
perception, a mirage;
fabrications, a banana tree;
consciousness, a magic trick — this has been taught by the Kinsman of the Sun. However you observe them, appropriately examine them, they're empty, void to whoever sees them appropriately.
But you can’t stop doing such wrong actions yet. After you have done wrong bodily and verbal actions, you feel guilty as a consequence. You know you shouldn’t do what is wrong, but you can’t refrain from doing it because you have no skill in reading the habits of your own mind. In the past you have done a lot of things which make you feel guilty, but you are going to do many such things again, and you are doing so in the present too, because you have no skill in reading the habits of your own mind. 但是，你还不能停止做出如此的不善行。在犯下不善的身业和语业之后，你会感到内疚，你知道自己不应该犯错，但却无法克制自己不再犯错，因为你不善于觉察自己心的习性。过去，你已经做了许多令你内疚的事；可是，你将会再次做出许多这样的事情；还有，你目前也正在如此做，因为你不善于觉察你心的习性。
If you think you’re seeing things as they really are, think again, says Ajahn Brahm. Unless you’ve had the deep experience of letting go known as the jhana states, there is only a myriad of illusions.
Meditation is the way of letting go. First you let go of all perceptions of time to enter the timeless present moment. Then you let go of inner speech to rest peacefully in silent awareness. Next, you let go of most of your five senses’ activity, just keeping awareness of your breath. Then you let go of your breath and watch it disappear.
At this stage, you can no longer see, hear, smell, taste, or feel touch. It appears that your body has vanished, and in its place you are mindful of a beautiful light, the nimitta. The nimitta is a reflection of the citta (the mind), seen through the sixth sense. Then you let go of all controlling to merge into the light and enter the bliss of the jhana world. Thus, jhanas are what happen automatically when you really let go; they are described as the deep stages of letting go. The Buddha clearly and repeatedly stated that full enlightenment could not be attained without the experience of a jhana. Yet today, some teachers claim that such a degree of letting go is unnecessary. They often cite the Buddha’s well-known brief teaching to Bahiya, as recorded in the Udana (Ud 1.10).
