The Heart

The heart that we speak about, is merely the place where all our feelings arise.

The Lord Buddha Himself had these experienced over and over again. In order not to be reborn again and again, He was able to extricate such experiences of suffering from the heart.

Even though it was not easy, the Lord Buddha trained to perfect the ten paramīs in numerous lifetimes. As a result, all difficulties became easy for Him to overcome.

Even when He became fully enlightened, He met with difficult people. When it was necessary, the Buddha used his powers; when it was not, he showed compassion to them and helped them to obtain good rebirths, with loving-kindness (mettā).

In 1999, I was invited by the Sangha Association of England to teach the Dhamma in England, in a six-month long retreat. Many of the students came from Europe and the Western countries. While I was conducting meditation interviews with them, I was able to understand their society norms and cultures better.

I was invited by the professors at Oxford University to deliver a talk and to teach a meditation retreat. I had dreamt about Oxford University when I was young. When I entered the dining hall within the sprawling university compound, I was pleased and filled with pride to see many paintings of people from all over the world. I was also filled with great admiration.

After I delivered a talk to about two hundred lecturers and students, there was a question and answer session and a lecturer asked this question:

“In the teachings of Buddhism and Ayurveda, it is believed that the mind is in the heart. In our country, we believe that the mind is in the brain. Could you explain in a way that we can understand practically?” 

I replied, “Do you accept that the feelings we experience include that of happiness (sukha), suffering (dukkha) and equanimous (upekkhā) feeling?” He replied, “I accept that.”

“Let's say that you have two lovers. One of them tells you that she loves you from her heart. The other tells you that she loves you from her brain. Who would you choose?”

After thinking for three minutes, he said, “I will choose the one who loves me from her heart.” Hearing his reply, everyone clapped. Out of the many questions that were asked, I chose this question as an example because of its importance.

Propagating the Buddhist teachings is very important. We need to know how to help other beings with good intentions. We cannot give priority to our self-benefit or to our feelings. We have to let go of people we love. It is only in this way that we can be free from clinging and we can go about as we wish. We also need to have understanding between each other.

When I review my life from youth till the present, images of acts of generosity (dāna), observing of the precepts (sīla), development of the mind (bhāvanā); making way and showing respect for the elderly and honorable persons; and practising the sublime mind-states (brahma vihāra) appeared.

During twenty-three years of propagating the Sāsana, I associated with people with loving-kindness (mettā), helping and protecting them. For that, I am also very grateful to the Sayadaws, dhamma friends locally and internationally, and to all my students. I also send loving-kindness to all of you.

With mettā,
Sayalay Dipankara Theri