What is This World, After All?

What is This World,Affer All?

By Buddhadasa Bhikkhu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our world is just a theater that never
bothers to teach us how to play our parts well.
We flood onto the stage so seriously, all life long,
So long as avijja* drags us on by our throats. 

 

This world is a chicken's coop we're put in
so our flesh can be sliced away till none is left.
Yet we viciously peck at those sharing this cage
chasing excuses to fight — it terrifies me! 

                             ******* 

 ME-YOU

The simple fact is that no “me” exists
but in a wink and a slip the ghost appears.
Once awareness recovers, “me” disappears.
Ending this “me” business is good for all.

 

Dear Comrade, why not remove the "me"-ing
and, while you’re at it, the "you"-ing, too.
Living together with wisdom and kindness,
each doing the moment’s duty as best we can.

                   *******

The best way from http://www.suanmokkh.org/

Right View - the Place of Coolness

A Dhammatalk by Ajahn Chah

 

 

        The practice of Dhamma goes against our habits, the truth goes against our desires, so there is difficulty in the practice. Some things which we understand as wrong may be right, while the things we take to be right may be wrong. Why is this? Because our minds are in darkness, we don't clearly see the Truth. We don't really know anything and so are fooled by people's lies. They point out what is right as being wrong and we believe it; that which is wrong, they say is right, and we believe that. This is because we are not yet our own masters. Our moods lie to us constantly. We shouldn't take this mind and its opinions as our guide, because it doesn't know the truth. 

        Some people don't want to listen to others at all, but this is not the way of a man of wisdom. A wise man listens to everything. One who listens to Dhamma must listen just the same, whether he likes it or not, and not blindly believe or disbelieve. He must stay at the half-way mark, the middle point, and not be heedless. He just listens and then contemplates, giving rise to the right results accordingly. 

        A wise man should contemplate and see the cause and effect for himself before he believes what he hears. Even if the teacher speaks the truth, don't just believe it, because you don't yet know the truth of it for yourself. 

        It's the same for all of us, including myself. I've practised before you, I've seen many lies before. For instance, ''This practice is really difficult, really hard.'' Why is the practice difficult? It's just because we think wrongly, we have wrong view. 

         Previously I lived together with other monks, but I didn't feel right. I ran away to the forests and mountains, fleeing the crowd, the monks and novices. I thought that they weren't like me, they didn't practise as hard as I did. They were sloppy. That person was like this, this person was like that. This was something that really put me in turmoil, it was the cause for my continually running away. But whether I lived alone or with others, I still had no peace. On my own I wasn't content, in a large group I wasn't content. I thought this discontent was due to my companions, due to my moods, due to my living place, the food, the weather, due to this and that. I was constantly searching for something to suit my mind.

        As a dhutanga monk, I went travelling, but things still weren't right. So I contemplated, ''What can I do to make things right? What can I do?'' Living with a lot of people I was dissatisfied, with few people I was dissatisfied. For what reason? I just couldn't see it. Why was I dissatisfied? Because I had wrong view, just that; because I still clung to the wrong  Dhamma. Wherever I went I was discontent, thinking, ''Here is no good, there is no good...'' on and on like that. I blamed others. I blamed the weather, heat and cold, I blamed everything! Just like a mad dog. It bites whatever it meets, because it's mad. When the mind is like this our practice is never settled. Today we feel good, tomorrow no good. It's like that all the time. We don't attain contentment or peace. 

        The Buddha once saw a jackal, a wild dog, run out of the forest where he was staying. It stood still for a while, then it ran into the underbrush, and then out again. Then it ran into a tree hollow, then out again. Then it went into a cave, only to run out again. One minute it stood, the next it ran, then it lay down, then it jumped up. That jackal had mange. When it stood the mange would eat into its skin, so it would run. Running it was still uncomfortable, so it would stop. Standing was still uncomfortable, so it would lie down. Then it would jump up again, running into the underbrush, the tree hollow, never staying still. 

        The Buddha said, ''Monks, did you see that jackal this afternoon? Standing it suffered, running it suffered, sitting it suffered, lying down it suffered. In the underbrush, a tree hollow or a cave, it suffered. It blamed standing for its discomfort, it blamed sitting, it blamed running and lying down; it blamed the tree, the underbrush and the cave. In fact the problem was with none of those things. That jackal had mange. The problem was with the mange.''

        We monks are just the same as that jackal. Our discontent is due to wrong view. Because we don't exercise sense restraint we blame our suffering on externals. Whether we live at Wat Pah Pong, in America or in London we aren't satisfied. Going to live at Bung Wai or any of the other branch monasteries we're still not satisfied. Why not? Because we still have wrong view within us. Wherever we go we aren't content.

        But just as that dog, if the mange is cured, is content wherever it goes, so it is for us. I reflect on this often, and I teach you this often, because it's very important. If we know the truth of our various moods we arrive at contentment. Whether it's hot or cold we are satisfied, with many people or with few people we are satisfied. Contentment doesn't depend on how many people we are with, it comes only from right view. If we have right view then wherever we stay we are content. 

        But most of us have wrong view. It's just like a maggot - a maggot's living place is filthy, its food is filthy...but they suit the maggot. If you take a stick and brush it away from its lump of dung, it'll struggle to crawl back in. It's the same when the Ajahn teaches us to see rightly. We resist, it makes us feel uneasy. We run back to our 'lump of dung' because that's where we feel at home. We're all like this. If we don't see the harmful consequences of all our wrong views then we can't leave them, the practice is difficult. So we should listen. There's nothing else to the practice. 

        If we have right view wherever we go we are content. I have practised and seen this already. These days there are many monks, novices and lay people coming to see me. If I still didn't know, if I still had wrong view, I'd be dead by now! The right abiding place for monks, the place of coolness, is just right view itself. We shouldn't look for anything else.

        So even though you may be unhappy it doesn't matter, that unhappiness is uncertain. Is that unhappiness your 'self? Is there any substance to it? Is it real? I don't see it as being real at all. Unhappiness is merely a flash of feeling which appears and then is gone. Happiness is the same. Is there a consistency to happiness? Is it truly an entity? It's simply a feeling that flashes suddenly and is gone. There! It's born and then it dies. Love just flashes up for a moment and then disappears. Where is the consistency in love, or hate, or resentment? In truth there is no substantial entity there, they are merely impressions which flare up in the mind and then die. They deceive us constantly, we find no certainty anywhere. Just as the Buddha said, when unhappiness arises it stays for a while, then disappears. When unhappiness disappears, happiness arises and lingers for a while and then dies. When happiness disappears, unhappiness arises again...on and on like this. 

        In the end we can say only this - apart from the birth, the life and the death of suffering, there is nothing. There is just this. But we who are ignorant run and grab it constantly. We never see the truth of it, that there's simply this continual change. If we understand this then we don't need to think very much, but we have much wisdom. If we don't know it, then we will have more thinking than wisdom - and maybe no wisdom at all! It's not until we truly see the harmful results of our actions that we can give them up. Likewise, it's not until we see the real benefits of practice that we can follow it, and begin working to make the mind 'good'. 

        If we cut a log of wood and throw it into the river, and that log doesn't sink or rot, or run aground on either of the banks of the river, that log will definitely reach the sea. Our practice is comparable to this. If you practise according to the path laid down by the Buddha, following it straightly, you will transcend two things. What two things? Just those two extremes that the Buddha said were not the path of a true meditator - indulgence in pleasure and indulgence in pain. These are the two banks of the river. One of the banks of that river is hate, the other is love. Or you can say that one bank is happiness, the other unhappiness. The 'log' is this mind. As it 'flows down the river' it will experience happiness and unhappiness. If the mind doesn't cling to that happiness or unhappiness it will reach the 'ocean' of Nibbāna. You should see that there is nothing other than happiness and unhappiness arising and disappearing. If you don't 'run aground' on these things then you are on the path of a true meditator. 

        This is the teaching of the Buddha. Happiness, unhappiness, love and hate are simply established in nature according to the constant law of nature. The wise person doesn't follow or encourage them, he doesn't cling to them. This is the mind which lets go of indulgence in pleasure and indulgence in pain. It is the right practice. Just as that log of wood will eventually flow to the sea, so will the mind which doesn't attach to these two extremes inevitably attain peace. 

*******

The best way from http://www.ajahnchah.org

Teaching Children to Make Merit

Teaching Children to Make Merit
  BY PHRA PAISAL VISALO

Boosting social immunity : Parents not only want their
children to be successful, but also to have a happy
and moral life. It is meaningless if their children,
despite their wealth, are still ridden with suffering
or are corrupt and addicted to vices.

But it is not easy for us to live a moral and happy
life these days. Youngsters need to be immunised
against all kinds of vices around them so they are not
lured onto the wrong path. They also need to learn to
think, seek virtuous things and live a meaningful
life. 

Knowledge helps children to be smart. But if you want
your children to be happy and good, you need to teach
them what boon, or merit, is, because it can help
stave off all sorts of vices from your children. It
can help them solve and manage life's problems as well
as nourish them spiritually with inner peace and
happiness.

Boon means cleansing. Firstly, it is the cleansing of
one's deeds so one can live a moral life that benefits
both oneself and others. Secondly, it is the cleansing
of one's mind from the blues as well as the fire of
desire so that one can cultivate a wise mind that is
not driven by emotional impulses.

Boon also means the blissful feelings that come from
doing good deeds. 

The givers get happiness : Boon starts when we know
how to give. Giving, or "dana", helps erase our
self-centredness. The mind that is always on the take
is narrow and selfish, making that person unlikeable
and making it difficult for that person to be happy.

Children grow up safe and sound because they receive
what they need from others, from the time of their
birth. If they do not learn how to give, they will
believe that they are always entitled to get things
from others. 

Kids should learn that life is about give and take.
They can learn from the trees, for example: The tree
take nutrients and water from the soil, but they also
give back humidity and dry leaves to nourish the soil
in return. 

But giving does not mean an exchange or a duty. For
giving essentially gives us happiness. Teaching kids
to give therefore amounts to teaching them to be happy
from their own generosity. The truth that the givers
get happiness is what all children should learn. 

This is why parents in the old days take small
children to temples to give alms to monks so they will
want to do that on their own when they grow up.

One is blessed for giving alms to monks, but the
blessing from boon also comes from giving to the
distressed. Children can make merit just by giving
away their toys to poor children or by donating money
to the handicapped.

Apart from money and materials, giving life to animals
is also a merit-making act. Simple kindness such as
freeing fish that are stuck in mud and returning them
to the waterway, or watering wilted plants, is also
considered boon.

Lift the world with generosity : Teach your children
that what they give or how much it costs is not as
important as the thoughtfulness itself. You can
tremendously help your children if you teach them that
even when they have limited energy and money, they can
equally make great merit as powerful as that of
grown-ups if they are thoughtful. You should teach
your children that our qualities are not measured by
age, success or fame, but the quality of our hearts.

Take 12-year-old Duanghathai Sothisawapark, for
example. She is proof that we can give a greater thing
than money if we have empathy. When the teenage girl
found out that her cousin had cancer, she drew a comic
book to raise funds for her cousin's medication. Her
comic book might not have been polished, but her
generosity powerfully moved many. Thanks to public
donations, her cousin is almost cured now.

Or take 14-year-old Gaewjai Laonipon. Every night, she
would accompany her parents, who are volunteers of the
Poh Teck Tung Foundation, to rescue accident victims.
She helps jot down the addresses, car plates, or even
takes the injured to hospital. The girl's
self-sacrifice is hard to match.

Putting in one's time and energy to help others is
also a merit-making deed. Children should learn that
they can do this kind of boon every day in their daily
life. For example, picking up broken glass or litter,
helping out with school chores, carrying things for
the elderly, helping the blind cross the street,
growing trees in public areas or doing household
chores. 

Non-exploitation : To help others, we must start by
ensuring that our own conduct does not cause harm to
other people or to the public. Harmful acts include
taking life, stealing, corruption, violating what is
cherished by others, or being addicted to intoxicants.
The boon from refraining from these acts is called
sila (morality, virtue) in Buddhism.

By teaching children not to exploit other people or
the public, you give them a fence to ward off harm,
for a simple mistake can lead to tragedy. You should
not remain passive if the children commit what seem to
be trivial mistakes, such as stealing their friends'
pens, copying others' homework, cheating on exams or
killing ants and worms.

Good deeds not only prevent us from exploiting others,
but also from exploiting ourselves. Those who do good
bring happiness both to themselves and to those around
them.

Wise consumption or simplicity is also part of
Buddhist morality. We should not be excessive in our
eating and living. We should eat nutritious food and
not let greediness harm our bodies.

This includes appropriate use of technology. For
example, children should learn how to use mobile
phones only when it is necessary, watch TV only after
finishing homework, or play computer games moderately.
Children also should learn to save, not to flaunt
wealth, not to overspend nor be addicted to shopping
or such vices as gambling and night entertainment. 

Make merit with your heart : We can make merit at all
times wherever we are, whether or not we have money.
We can make merit without doing anything if we train
our mind properly so that it generates positive
feelings such as admiration for others' fortune _ not
envy. 

Teaching your children how to be happy for others will
give them the seeds of good-heartedness.

Children should also be taught not to go it alone in
their good efforts, but to give an opportunity for
others to join in. Wishing others to share the
blessings from one's good deeds is also a boon in
itself.

Humility is also a merit-making deed. Children should
be taught not to look down on others just because they
are younger, less educated or poorer. They should also
be taught not to be overbearing with household maids.
Humility as a merit also includes not being prejudiced
against people of different faiths.

Making merit with our heart leads to a positive and
happy mind. Envy and arrogance, meanwhile, lead to
anxiety and stress. We should teach children to train
their minds so they can smartly manage external
stimulants affecting their emotions.

Training for a calm mind : Meditation calms the mind
by effectively extinguishing anger. For a start,
children should be taught to breathe in slow, deep
breaths at least four to five times when they feel
angry. 

But meditation is effective when practised regularly
as part of daily life. The methods vary. For example,
focusing on the breathing in and out, or walking
slowly and calmly. It will be more effective if
parents join the children in meditating. Only five
minutes of this practice every day will do wonders in
your mental development.

For small children, games can help. For example, the
robot game. Ask the children to move each body part
slowly and separately, just like a robot. The rule is
that they must observe every sensation that arises
during the movements. This method helps make it fun
for children to learn to cultivate mental
concentration as well as consciousness of one's body.

Actually, we can practise meditation with all our
activities. We can teach children to be mindful when
brushing their teeth, washing dishes, or doing
homework, for example. We should also teach them to do
one thing at a time. Not eating and reading at the
same time, for example. This can help strengthen one's
ability to be focused.

Bedtime is a good time to teach children to cultivate
mental concentration and calmness. This can be done
through simple prayers, followed by the paying of
homage to the Buddha, dharma (his teachings) and
sangha (the community of monks), and then to parents
and teachers. Children should make their minds calm
for a while before going to sleep.

Projecting compassion is an effective mental practice
that can protect oneself from anger. Accumulated anger
is like fire burning our heart. Parents should teach
children to emanate good will and compassion before
going to sleep.

Cultivating compassion is also possible through
regularly expressing admiration and thankfulness for
other people and things around us. 

Children should be taught not only to be thankful for
their parents and teachers, but also for maids,
drivers, janitors, etc, who help to make sure their
lives run smoothly. 

They also should learn to be thankful even to the
trees, the mountains, the sea, as well as things they
use _ pencils, bags, blankets, cars, etc. This helps
instil gentleness, concern for the environment and
frugality.

If children are still very little, teach them to water
plants or to keep a pet and teach them to wish the
plants and their pets to be happy and free from all
suffering. If they do this regularly every morning and
evening, their hearts will be brimming with
compassion.

Emanating compassion is a great merit. The Buddha says
the blessings it brings are greater than giving alms
to the Buddha or to 100 enlightened monks. This is
because it is the deed that directly makes one's mind
positive.

Training for right thinking : After training the mind
to be calm, the next step is training it to be wise,
or to have right thinking. 

Your children should learn to use goodness to guide
their deeds, not using their likes and dislikes. They
should be taught that when rebuked, even when they are
not happy with it, they should ponder if the reprimand
is correct or not. This attitude will help ease your
children's distress and help them to benefit from
rebukes.

Likewise, children should learn early that when
eating, they should not go for what please their
palates, but for that which is useful for their bodies
and is also economical. This right thinking helps your
children learn what right consumption is, and how not
to be slaves of consumerism.

Right thinking also can be cultivated by exposing
children to useful information. You should help your
children listen to good guidance, to read good books
or to watch useful TV programmes. You should also be
with your children when watching TV so you can give
your kids appropriate guidance.

Teaching your children to do good deeds is itself a
merit-making act. If they follow your teaching, they
are joining your boon.

The right boon is one that makes one's mind pure,
clear, calm and full with true happiness. 

You may be ready to give your children all the
material things they want or need. But one thing you
cannot forget is to teach them to know what boon or
merit is, and to live a life full of merit.

What a great inheritance you can give your children!

This is a translation of the Thai language booklet
entitled 'Teach Children to Make Merit', published by
the Network of Buddhists for Buddhism and Thai Society
and supported by Thai Health Promotion Foundation. To
obtain the booklet, call the network on 02-866-2721 or
fax 02-866-2722, or see www.budnet.info 

TEN WAYS TO MAKE MERIT

1. Give money or other materials.
2. Cultivate generosity and refrain from bad deeds.
3. Keep the mind calm.
4. Sacrifice one's time and energy for others or thepublic.
5. Be humble.
6. Appreciate the successes and good deeds of others.
7. Help others to do good or to share in one's ownmerits.
8. Listen to dharma or good thoughts.
9. Give dharma and good thoughts to others.
10. Think rightly in line with virtue.

                 *******

The best way from  http://www.visalo.org

นิทานเซนแม่น้ำกับก้อนเมฆ

นิทานเซนแม่น้ำกับก้อนเมฆ

เรื่อง : ท่านติช นัท ฮันห์  

         กาลครั้งหนึ่งนานมาแล้ว มีแม่น้ำอันแสนงดงามไหลล่องผ่านป่าเขาและทุ่งหญ้า เธอกำเนิดมาจากสายน้ำเล็กๆที่แสนเบิกบาน ยามที่เธอไหลลงจากยอดเขา สายน้ำนั้นเต้นรำและร้องเพลงไปกับเธอ เมื่อไหลลงมาสู่พื้นราบ การเดินทางของเธอก็ค่อยๆ ช้าลง และเริ่มคิดคำนึงถึงมหาสมุทรอันแสนกว้างใหญ่ เมื่อกาลเวลาผ่านไป เธอเติบโตขึ้นเป็นแม่น้ำที่สวยงาม ไหลลัดเลาะไปตามภูเขาและทุ่งหญ้าอย่างสง่างาม

            วันหนึ่งแม่น้ำสังเกตเห็นเงาสะท้อนของก้อนเมฆในตัวเธอ ก้อนเมฆเหล่านั้นมีรูปทรงและสีสันอันหลากหลาย เธอไล่ตามก้อนเมฆเหล่านั้นไป หวังจะได้ครอบครองก้อนเมฆสักก้อนหนึ่ง หากแต่ความเป็นจริงก้อนเมฆนั้นลอยละล่องอยู่บนท้องฟ้าอันแสนไกล และเปลี่ยนรูปร่างไปมาอยู่ตลอดเวลา บางทีก็เป็นรูปเสื้อโค้ต บางทีก็เป็นรูปม้า และด้วยความเปลี่ยนแปลงนั้นเองที่ทำให้แม่น้ำเป็นทุกข์อย่างยิ่ง กลับกลายเป็นว่าความสุขความเบิกบานของเธอคือ การวิ่งไล่ตามก้อนเมฆก้อนแล้วก้อนเล่า ในขณะเดียวกันนั้นความสิ้นหวัง ความโกรธและความเกลียดชังก็ค่อยๆ กลายเป็นชีวิตของเธอ

            แล้ว วันหนึ่งเกิดมีลมแรงพัดพาเอาก้อนเมฆทั้งหมดหายไปจากฟากฟ้า ท้องฟ้าพลันว่างเปล่า เมื่อไม่มีก้อนเมฆให้แม่น้ำวิ่งไล่ตาม ชีวิตก็ช่างดูไร้ค่าเกินกว่าที่จะเธออยู่ต่อไป เธออยากตายและรำพึงกับตัวเองว่า "ฉันจะมีชีวิตอยู่ไปทำไม ในเมื่อไม่มีก้อนเมฆเหล่านั้น" จึงเกิดคำถามกับตนเองว่าแม่น้ำจะคร่าชีวิตตัวเองได้อย่างไร

            ใน คืนนั้นแม่น้ำได้มีโอกาสกลับมาใคร่ครวญอยู่กับตัวเองเป็นครั้งแรก เธอพบว่าที่ผ่านมาเธอมัวแต่วิ่งไล่ตามสิ่งที่อยู่ภายนอกโดยที่เธอไม่เคยย้อน กลับมามองดูตัวเองเลย และคืนนี้เป็นครั้งแรกที่เธอได้ยินเสียงร้องไห้ของตัวเอง เสียงน้ำที่กระทบกับสายน้ำใหญ่ เธอได้ค้นพบบางสิ่งที่สำคัญเมื่อเธอสามารถฟังเสียงภายในตัวเอง เธอพบว่าสิ่งที่เธอเฝ้าตามหามาตลอดนั้นอยู่ในตัวเธอเอง ก้อนเมฆและน้ำนั้นเป็นดั่งกันและกัน ก้อนเมฆกำเนิดมาจากน้ำ และสุดท้ายก้อนเมฆก็กลายเป็นน้ำ ตัวเธอเองก็คือน้ำเช่นกัน

            เช้า วันรุ่งขึ้น เมื่อพระอาทิตย์ส่องฉายไปทั่วท้องฟ้า แม่น้ำได้พบบางสิ่งที่สวยงามเป็นครั้งแรก ซึ่งเธอไม่เคยสังเกตเห็นท้องฟ้าสีครามมาก่อน ตลอดเวลาที่ผ่านมาเธอมัวแต่สนใจก้อนเมฆ โดยไม่เคยมองท้องฟ้าที่เป็นบ้านของก้อนเมฆเลย ก้อนเมฆนั้นเปลี่ยนแปลงตลอดเวลา แต่ท้องฟ้านี่สิมั่นคง เธอตระหนักได้ว่าท้องฟ้าอันกว้างใหญ่นั้นอยู่ในใจเธอมาตั้งแต่แรกเริ่ม ปัญญาหรือความรู้แจ้งอันยิ่งใหญ่นี้นำความสุขสงบมาสู่แม่น้ำ เมื่อใดก็ตามที่เธอมองท้องฟ้าอันกว้างใหญ่งดงาม เธอจะรู้ว่าความสงบศานติและความมั่นคงนั้นอยู่กับเธอเสมอ

            และในบ่ายวันนั้นก้อนเมฆก็ปรากฏขึ้นอีก ครั้ง แต่ครั้งนี้แม่น้ำไม่ได้อยากครอบครองก้อนเมฆอีกแล้ว เธอกลับมองเห็นเพียงความสวยงามของก้อนเมฆแต่ละก้อน และยินดีกับการมีอยู่ของก้อนเมฆ เมื่อก้อนเมฆมาเยี่ยมเยือนท้องฟ้า เธอต้อนรับด้วยความรักความเมตตา และเมื่อก้อนเมฆจากไป เธอก็โบกมือลาด้วยความสุขและความรักความเมตตาเช่นเดียวกัน เพราะแม่น้ำรู้ว่าก้อนเมฆเหล่านั้นก็คือเธอ เธอไม่จำเป็นต้องเลือกระหว่างตัวเธอกับก้อนเมฆ ความสงบและความกลมกลืนกันนั้นมีอยู่ระหว่างเธอและก้อนเมฆ

            เย็น วันนั้น เมื่อแม่น้ำเปิดใจกว้างอย่างเต็มเปี่ยมให้กับท้องฟ้ายามเย็น สิ่งสวยงามก็เกิดขึ้น เธอได้พบภาพสะท้อนของพระจันทร์เต็มดวงที่สวยงาม กลมโตดั่งเพชรที่อาบฉายลงในตัวเธอ เธอไม่เคยคิดมาก่อนเลยว่าเธอจะสามารถสะท้อนภาพที่งดงามเช่นนั้นได้ ดังเช่นบทกวีของจีนที่กล่าวไว้ว่า “ดวงจันทร์ที่แสนสวยงามสดชื่น เดินทางท่องเที่ยวไปในท้องฟ้ากว้างไกล เมื่อจิตใจอันกว้างใหญ่ดั่งแม่น้ำของสรรพสิ่งเป็นอิสระ เมื่อนั้นภาพสะท้อนของดวงจันทร์อันสวยงามจะฉาดฉายในตัวเรา” จิตใจของแม่น้ำในขณะนั้นเป็นเช่นนี้เอง เธอได้สะท้อนภาพของพระจันทร์ที่สวยงามในใจเธอ ในขณะนั้น น้ำ ก้อนเมฆ และพระจันทร์กำลังจับมือกันฝึกเดินสมาธิอย่างช้าๆ ไปสู่มหาสมุทร 

นิทานเรื่องนี้สอนให้รู้ว่า
...
ไม่มีสิ่งใดให้วิ่งไล่ตาม
เราเพียงแค่กลับมาอยู่กับตัวเอง
เบิกบานกับลมหายใจ
รอยยิ้ม ตัวของเรา
และสิ่งแวดล้อมที่สวยงามรอบตัวเรา
... 

กิ่งธรรมจาก http://www.thaiplumvillage.org
                   http://allspirit.co.uk/riverclouds.html
แปลโดย : จิตรารัศมิ์

The art of eating _ the Buddhist way

The art of eating _ the Buddhist way
BY PHRA PAISAL VISALO

       After returning from a visit to a temple in the Northeast of Thailand, a western woman told her friends never go to that place, saying that the monks there did not like one another.

       ``When they eat, they never speak even one word to one another,'' she said. ``How can they then expect respect or faith from us?''

       Obviously, this lady did not understand Buddhist monks' practice concerning eating; monks eat in silence because for them, eating is part of mindfulness training.

In the West, eating may be viewed as a time for socialising, but according to Buddhist mores, which do not only govern monks, eating is part of dhamma practice.Most of us think eating is only a physical activity. In fact, eating has a spiritual impact on us. It does not only matter what we eat, but also how we do the eating.

        Many people like to talk while eating. Others get lost in worries instead of being mindful of what they are doing. Apart from getting indigestion, these people tend to get stressed easily, which can lead to ulcers. This pattern of eating also fosters an unsteady mind which cannot concentrate.

       But if we eat in the right way, not only our physical body is nourished, but also our mind. Don't forget that our mind also needs food. What is the food of mind? First, it is serenity. While eating, our mind should get some rest from having been put to use all day. So try to eat in peace, without thinking about anything, while concentrating on the business in hand. We will discover that our sense of taste has become much sharper. If our mind wanders, bring it back to eating again. This is what we call mindful eating. The result is the cultivation of peace and concentration. We will find this concentration useful in our other activities.

       Apart from serenity, the mind needs wisdom and awareness.Buddhism also sees the time of eating as the time to be aware of the difference between real and false values. The real value of food is to sustain and nourish our body and our lives. The false value of food, meanwhile, is taste and any status attached to certain foods. If we are attached to the tastes or presentation of foods, if we are constantly looking for popular or famous eating places, then greed will gradually grow in our mind, along with the cholesterol in our bloodstream. This is why in true Buddhist tradition, we are prompted to remind ourself of this with a prayer called Patisangkayo before beginning a meal. The aim is to make us aware that we should eat the food for its true value and not to submit to our desires.

       Today's generation might feel that this prayer is too old-fashioned, suitable only for monks. But if we apply its essence to make us aware of the purpose of eating before we begin meals, we will be able to nourish our mind with wisdom.

       There is another awareness that is extremely important _ that our life is dependent on so many things. Eating time is a good time to reflect on this truth. This is because the foods that we eat actually come from the labour of so many people involved. Foods are the product of so many lives. They are inseparable from their own sources of sustenance _ soil, waterways, forests, clouds, rain, sky. When we eat, then, we owe to so many people and so many lives. We should therefore at least express our thankfulness to them and dedicate merit or emanate compassion for them. This is why monks, in the spirit of thankfulness, say the anumodhana prayer after meals. In this spirit, monks also perform the ritual of kruad nam (the pouring of water to dedicate merit or express thankfulness to all beings) every morning and evening. More importantly, the awareness that we owe our life to others helps us try to live in a meaningful way so that it is worthy of the sacrifices of so many people and many things _ the things that make our being possible.

       This consciousness is certainly not a matter for clerics only. It is extremely important for every one of us. Meal-time is the time to reflect on how our life is interconnected with others so that we can see things in proper perspective; according to reality. This outlook helps us to foster a conscientious life. Buddhism considers this outlook a kind of wisdom.

       Life is not divided into separate fragments. When we eat, we should not only nourish our body, but also our mind by eating mindfully while cultivating wisdom in our heart. This can be done by constantly reminding ourselves to see the true value of foods, by not letting ourselves be engulfed by their false values, and by simultaneously being aware that we owe our lives to others _ so that we should live our lives meaningfully.

       Ultimately, eating _ according to Buddhist perspective _ is not only concerned with the physical and spiritual realms. It is also inseparable from the social dimension. We must be always aware of whether what we eat and how we consume affects others on the planet. The manufacturing of many foods and products come from processes which destroy the environment, exploit the poor and torture animals. If we are going to eat and consume according to true Buddhist tradition, we must avoid all such foods and products. If not, our action is tantamount to supporting the ongoing exploitation.

       Body, mind and society are interconnected. They become one in almost every activity in our life, including eating. Our eating is therefore not a matter of putting food in our stomachs. It is an act to develop our mind and our society.

This article has been translated from an article in Thai.
Phra Paisal Visalo, a prominent advocate of clerical reform, has written many books on Buddhism and Thai society. His other articles in Thai are also available on the Internet at www.budpage.com.

******** 

The best way from http://www.visalo.org

No Abiding

A Dhammatalk by Ajahn  Chah

 

        We hear some parts of the teachings and can't really understand them. We think they shouldn't be the way they are, so we don't follow them, but really there is a reason to all the teachings. Maybe it seems that things shouldn't be that way, but they are. At first I didn't even believe in sitting meditation. I couldn't see what use it would be to just sit with your eyes closed. And walking meditation...walk from this tree to that tree, turn around and walk back again... ''Why bother?'' I thought, ''What's the use of all that walking?'' I thought like that, but actually walking and sitting meditation are of great use.

        Some people's tendencies cause them to prefer walking meditation, others prefer sitting, but you can't do without either of them. In the scriptures they talk about the four postures: standing, walking, sitting and lying. We live with these four postures. We may prefer one to the other, but we must use all four.

        They say to make these four postures even, to make the practice even in all postures. At first I couldn't figure out what this meant, to make them even. Maybe it means we sleep for two hours, then stand for two hours, then walk for two hours ... maybe that's it ? I tried it - couldn't do it, it was impossible! That's not what it meant to make the postures even. 'Making the postures even' refers to the mind, to our awareness. That is, to give rise to wisdom in the mind, to illumine the mind. This wisdom of ours must be present in all postures; we must know, or understand, constantly. Standing, walking, sitting or lying, we know all mental states as impermanent, unsatisfactory and not-self. Making the postures even in this way can be done, it is possible. Whether like or dislike are present in the mind, we don't forget our practice, we are aware.

        If we just focus our attention on the mind constantly then we have the gist of the practice. Whether we experience mental states which the world knows as good or bad we don't forget ourselves, we don't get lost in good or bad. We just go straight. Making the postures constant in this way is possible.

        If we have constancy in our practice, when we are praised, then it's simply praise; if we are blamed, it's just blame. We don't get high or low over it, we stay right here. Why? Because we see the danger in all those things, we see their results. We are constantly aware of the danger in both praise and blame. Normally, if we have a good mood the mind is good also, we see them as the same thing; if we have a bad mood the mind goes bad as well, we don't like it. This is the way it is, this is uneven practice.

       If we have constancy just to the extent of knowing our moods, and knowing we're clinging to them, this is better already. That is, we have awareness, we know what's going on, but we still can't let go. We see ourselves clinging to good and bad, and we know it. We cling to good and know it's still not right practice, but we still can't let go. This is 50% or 70% of the practice already. There still isn't release but we know that if we could let go that would be the way to peace. We keep seeing the equally harmful consequences of all our likes and dislikes, of praise and blame, continuously. Whatever the conditions may be, the mind is constant in this way.

        But for worldly people, if they get blamed or criticized they get really upset. If they get praised it cheers them up, they say it's good and get really happy over it. If we know the truth of our various moods, if we know the consequences of clinging to praise and blame, the danger of clinging to anything at all, we will become sensitive to our moods. We will know that clinging to them really causes suffering. We see this suffering, and we see our very clinging as the cause of that suffering. We begin to see the consequences of grabbing and clinging to good and bad, because we've grasped them and seen the result before - no real happiness. So now we look for the way to let go.

        Where is this 'way to let go'? In Buddhism we say ''Don't cling to anything.'' We never stop hearing about this ''don't cling to anything!'' This means to hold, but not to cling. Like this flashlight. We think, ''What is this?'' So we pick it up, ''Oh, it's a flashlight,'' then we put it down again. We hold things in this way.

        If we didn't hold anything at all, what could we do ? We couldn't walk meditation or do anything, so we must hold things first. It's wanting, yes, that's true, but later on it leads to pāramī (virtue or perfection). Like wanting to come here, for instance... Venerable Jagaro came to Wat Pah Pong. He had to want to come first. If he hadn't felt that he wanted to come he wouldn't have come. For anybody it's the same, they come here because of wanting. But when wanting arises don't cling to it! So you come, and then you go back...What is this? We pick it up, look at it and see, ''Oh, it's a flashlight,'' then we put it down. This is called holding but not clinging, we let go. We know and then we let go. To put it simply we say just this, ''Know, then let go.'' Keep looking and letting go. ''This, they say is good; this they say is not good''... know, and then let go. Good and bad, we know it all, but we let it go. We don't foolishly cling to things, but we 'hold' them with wisdom Practising in this 'posture' can be constant. You must be constant like this. Make the mind know in this way, let wisdom arise. When the mind has wisdom, what else is there to look for?

        We should reflect on what we are doing here. For what reason are we living here, what are we working for? In the world they work for this or that reward, but the monks teach something a little deeper than that. Whatever we do, we ask for no return. We work for no reward. Worldly people work because they want this or that, because they want some gain or other, but the Buddha taught to work just in order to work, we don't ask for anything beyond that.

        If you do something just to get some return it'll cause suffering. Try it out for yourself! You want to make your mind peaceful so you sit down and try to make it peaceful - you'll suffer! Try it. Our way is more refined. We do, and then let go; do, and then let go.

        Look at the Brahmin who makes a sacrifice: he has some desire in mind, so he makes a sacrifice. Those actions of his won't help him transcend suffering because he's acting on desire. In the beginning we practise with some desire in mind; we practise on and on, but we don't attain our desire. So we practise until we reach a point where we're practising for no return, we're practising in order to let go.

        This is something we must see for ourselves, it's very deep. Maybe we practise because we want to go to Nibbāna - right there, you won't get to Nibbāna! It's natural to want peace, but it's not really correct. We must practise without wanting anything at all. If we don't want anything at all, what will we get? We don't get anything! Whatever you get is a cause for suffering, so we practise not getting anything.

        Just this is called 'making the mind empty'. It's empty but there is still doing. This emptiness is something people don't usually understand, only those who reach it see the real value of it. It's not the emptiness of not having anything, it's emptiness within the things that are here. Like this flashlight: we should see this flashlight as empty; because of the flashlight there is emptiness. It's not the emptiness where we can't see anything, it's not like that. People who understand like that have got it all wrong. You must understand emptiness within the things that are here.

        Those who are still practising because of some gaining idea are like the Brahmin making a sacrifice just to fulfill some wish. Like the people who come to see me to be sprinkled with 'holy water'. When I ask them, ''Why do you want this holy water?'' they say, ''We want to live happily and comfortably and not get sick.'' There! They'll never transcend suffering that way.

        The worldly way is to do things for a reason, to get some return, but in Buddhism we do things without any gaining idea. The world has to understand things in terms of cause and effect, but the Buddha teaches us to go above and beyond cause and effect. His wisdom was to go above cause, beyond effect; to go above birth and beyond death; to go above happiness and beyond suffering.

        Think about it...there's nowhere to stay. We people live in a 'home'. To leave home and go where there is no home... we don't know how to do it, because we've always lived with becoming, with clinging. If we can't cling we don't know what to do.

        So most people don't want to go to Nibbāna, there's nothing there; nothing at all. Look at the roof and the floor here. The upper extreme is the roof, that's an 'abiding'. The lower extreme is the floor, and that's another 'abiding'. But in the empty space between the floor and the roof there's nowhere to stand. One could stand on the roof, or stand on the floor, but not on that empty space. Where there is no abiding, that's where there's emptiness, and Nibbāna is this emptiness.

      People hear this and they back up a bit, they don't want to go. They're afraid they won't see their children or relatives. This is why, when we bless the lay people, we say ''May you have long life, beauty, happiness and strength.'' This makes them really happy, ''sādhu!³'' they all say. They like these things. If you start talking about emptiness they don't want it, they're attached to abiding.

        But have you ever seen a very old person with a beautiful complexion? Have you ever seen an old person with a lot of strength, or a lot of happiness? ...No...But we say, ''Long life, beauty, happiness and strength'' and they're all really pleased, every single one says ''sādhu!'' This is like the Brahmin who makes oblations to achieve some wish.

        In our practice we don't 'make oblations', we don't practise in order to get some return. We don't want anything. If we still want something then there is still something there. Just make the mind peaceful and have done with it. But if I talk like this you may not be very comfortable, because you want to be 'born' again.

       All you lay practisers should get close to the monks and see their practice. To be close to the monks means to be close to the Buddha, to be close to his Dhamma. The Buddha said, ''Ananda, practise a lot, develop your practice! Whoever sees the Dhamma sees me, and whoever sees me sees the Dhamma.''

        Where is the Buddha? We may think the Buddha has been and gone, but the Buddha is the Dhamma, the Truth. Some people like to say, ''Oh, if I was born in the time of the Buddha I would go to Nibbāna.'' Here, stupid people talk like this. The Buddha is still here. The Buddha is truth. Regardless of whoever is born or dies, the truth is still here. The truth never departs from the world, it's there all the time. Whether a Buddha is born or not, whether someone knows it or not, the truth is still there.

       So we should get close to the Buddha, we should come within and find the Dhamma. When we reach the Dhamma we will reach the Buddha; seeing the Dhamma we will see the Buddha, and all doubts will dissolve.

        To give a comparison, it's like teacher Choo. At first he wasn't a teacher, he was just Mr. Choo. When he studied and passed the necessary grades he became a teacher, and became known as teacher Choo. How did he become a teacher? Through studying the required subjects, thus allowing Mr. Choo to become teacher Choo. When teacher Choo dies, the study to become a teacher still remains, and whoever studies it will become a teacher. That course of study to become a teacher doesn't disappear anywhere, just like the Truth, the knowing of which enabled the Buddha to become the Buddha.

        So the Buddha is still here. Whoever practises and sees the Dhamma sees the Buddha. These days people have got it all wrong, they don't know where the Buddha is. They say, ''If I was born in the time of the Buddha I would have become a disciple of his and become enlightened.'' That's just foolishness.

         Don't go thinking that at the end of the rains retreat you'll disrobe. Don't think like that! In an instant an evil thought can arise in the mind, you could kill somebody. In the same way, it only takes a split-second for good to flash into the mind, and you're there already.

        And don't think that you have to ordain for a long time to be able to meditate. Where the right practice lies is in the instant we make kamma. In a flash an evil thought arises ...before you know it you've committed some heavy kamma. And in the same way, all the disciples of the Buddha practised for a long time, but the time they attained enlightenment was merely one thought moment.

         So don't be heedless, even in minor things. Try hard, try to get close to the monks, contemplate things and then you'll know about monks. Well, that's enough, huh? It must be getting late now, some people are getting sleepy. The Buddha said not to teach Dhamma to sleepy people.

---

The best way from http://www.ajahnchah.org/

Slave to our thoughts

Slave to our thoughts
BY PHRA PAISAL VISALO 

       A businessman had nearly finished his meal in a restaurant when a stranger approached.

       ``Hello, Kittichai,'' the newcomer shouted.

       ``What happened? You used to be so short, how come you're so tall now? You've got so fair-skinned too _ before you were as black as coal. And your ears are sticking out more than they used to.''

       ``Sorry, I'm not Kittichai,'' the businessman answered in a firm tone of voice.

``Wow,'' the stranger exclaimed. ``You've even changed your name!''

When we are convinced about something, we tend to hold fast to that conviction. Even when new evidence or information contradicts our beliefs, we still won't give them up. Instead, we will continue to find plenty of reasons to support that conviction.

       When we believe deeply in something, sometimes our eyes, ears, or other senses will be shaped by those beliefs. A millionairess who believes that her maid stole her diamond ring will see signs of the crime in whatever the maid does. But when she finds the ring later, stuck in a gap between two desks, she no longer sees those signs.

       Our thoughts affect our perceptions. And we can always find countless reasons to support our ideas. That is why we often come across people who have been duped but, despite being presented with proof of the fraud, still continue to have faith in the conman.

        Our minds have sophisticated defence mechanisms to protect them from being attacked. We also use these mechanisms to reinforce the conclusions we have come to and make them more unshakable.

       Realising this, we should be careful not to trust our own thought processes because they can make fools of us if we don't understand how they work.

Thoughts are good servants but bad masters. Therefore we should be constantly mindful, never letting them become our masters, never letting them dominate us to such an extent that we let ourselves be driven by them, believing them to be true.

       The following story reminds us not to be get carried away by our own thoughts:

Pakpoom paid a visit to Phuket for the first time. While he was waiting for his friends at the bus station, he saw an elderly, well-dressed man standing nearby. So he asked him for the time.

       ``Excuse me, what time is it?,'' he asked.

       Looking at him contemptuously, the man snapped: ``Get lost!''

       Pakpoom was stunned. Then he said: ``I asked you politely for the time so why did you speak to me like that?''

       The old man pretended not to hear. But when Pakpoom pressed him for a response, he let out a long stream of words:

       ``I know what you're up to. First you ask me for the time. If I'd
answered, then you'd have started talking about the weather, the sea, your travel plans and other things. Once we felt more familiar with each other, I'd feel obliged to invite you to visit my house.

       ``What would happen after that? You'd meet Methinee, my lovely
daughter. Then you two might develop a liking for each other. Eventually, you might ask her to marry you. Me? Let my daughter marry you? No way! How could my daughter live with a man who doesn't even have a watch of his own!

       ``So to prevent all these headaches from happening, I'd rather risk
being considered a bad-mannered person than tell you what time it is!''

                                                    *******

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