Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘buddhism’

Animals go to heaven by Piya Tan

Posted in Teachings to remember, tagged , , on 02/09/2025|

I sincerely thank Piya for making the effort to put all this together. As pet owners, we often hope that our animals would have a favourable rebirth. Best if they are able to meet the Dhamma and attain liberation themselves. We don’t want them to suffer as animals again or to be reborn in a woeful realm.

Though we cannot directly help them, I believe our virtue and good ethics can influence them in one way or another. I hope the text from Piya Tan below will bring you inspiration!

The Buddha teaching is unique amongst the world religions: it is not only for humans and gods; it is also for animals. There are numerous stories that relate how animals who associate with good humans or are well treated, go to heaven after they die.

The first example is that of the Bodhisattva’s HORSE Kanthaka. The Introduction to the Jataka Commentary (which is one of the earliest records we have of the Buddha’s early life) tells us how when the Bodhisattva Siddhattha renounces the world, his horse Kanthaka is so deeply saddened that he dies broken-hearted, but obviously with a wholesome last thought-moment. He is reborn as the deva Kanthaka in the heaven of the Thirty-three Gods (Sakra’s heaven).

The next famous animal story is found in the story of the Buddha’s solitary retreat in the Parileyya. The Vinaya (V 1:337-357) records how in the 10th year of the ministry, when a dispute arises amongst the monks of Kosambi who even tell the Buddha off when he tries to counsel them. After trying hard to reconcile them and failing, he quietly leaves for a solitary retreat in the Parileyya forest where he is attended by a like-minded ELEPHANT (he leaves his own tribe for the joy of solitude). Watching how the Buddha prepares warm water every morning the elephant Parileyyaka himself prepares it for the Buddha. He also offers the Buddha wild fruits and takes care of his robe and bowl.

A MONKEY, watching the elephant, offers the Buddha a honeycomb. Later, however, in his excitement, the monkey falls on a sharp stump, immediately dies and is reborn in the heaven of the Thirty-three Gods. So too the elephant, who becomes the deva Parileyyaka. This full story is given in the Dhammapada Commentary (see “Buddhist Legends,” book 1 story 5).

Then there is the well known story of the FROG deva in the Vimana Vatthu (Vv 852- 88). It is said that once a frog sits listening to the Buddha teaching. Although not knowing human language, it is captivated by the Buddha’s soothing voice. As he listens entranced, a farmer, leaning on his pole, immediately pierces him to death. The frog is reborn in the heaven of the Thirty-three as Manduka Deva (the frog deity). He appears before the Buddha in all his glory to sing his praises. (The full story is given in the Vimana Vatthu Commentary: see “The Minor Anthologies” vol 4 pages 102 f.)

One of the longest stories in world literature, that is, the Udena cycle, found in the Dhammapada Commentary (book 2 story 1). It is actually a cycle of nested stories spanning many lives leading to the Buddha’s time. In one of the stories, during a plague, a poor luckless wandering man named Kotuhalaka reaches a herdsman house and is given some food. The herdsman feeds his DOG with the same food. Kotuhalaka looks with envy at the dog. That night, Kotuhalaka dies from over-eating, and his thinking about the dog leads him to be reborn as the bitch’s puppy.

Now, a pratyeka Buddha (a solitary fully self-awakened Buddha who does not establish his teaching) regularly comes to the house for alms, and the dog (Kotuhalaka) takes a liking to him. When the pratyeka-buddha finally leaves, the dog is saddened and dies. The commentators remarks that dogs, unlike humans, are straightforward and lack deceit. So upon dying, he is reborn in the heaven of the Thirty-three as a deva.

One of the most famous animal stories is that of the Abhidhamma bats. The Dhammapada story (book 14 story 2) tells us in an interesting aside, that 500 youths, witnessing the Buddha perform the twin wonder (a miracle of fire and water radiating from his body), decide to go forth under Sāriputta. It is said that in Kassapa Buddha’s time, they were BATS living in a cave where two monks were reciting the Abhidhamma. So enthralled were they by their sound, although not knowing its meaning, they pass away into the heavens, and are reborn in Sāvatthī. (See “Buddhist Legends” 3:51 f)

The point of all such stories, I think, is that we should treat animals well. When animals (like humans) dies in a peaceful way, they are likely to be reborn in a better state where they go on to come in contact with the Dharma so that they attain spiritual liberation. Anyhow, it is nice to know that our pets or the animals we knew have been reborn as devas and have us to thank for their good rebirth! Let us then love life and love lives. This year we should spare some kind thoughts especially for the ox.

To read Piya Tan’s suttas translation, please click the link below.

https://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/

Read Full Post »

Laymen Saint by Piya Tan

Posted in Teachings to remember, tagged , , on 10/07/2025|

I would encourage everyone to read Piya Tan’s Layman Saint.

Laymen Saint is a good article written by Piya Tan who explained the differences between being a monastic and a lay follower.

In the early Buddhist text, it was recorded that the lay followers’ duty was not only to support the monastic sangha, but also to learn and practise the Dhamma.

In the Suttas, the Buddha often mentioned the attainment of the lay followers. They were stream enterers, once-returners and non-returners which are on par with the monastics. 

What about Lay Arhat?

I have browsed and read through the comments from Sutta central, Dhamma wiki, Reddit and other Buddhist forums. Interestingly, some lay people are positive and agree the attainment of lay Arhat is possible, while 99% of the monastics would say not possible.

The comments given was if a lay person is to attain Arhatship, he or she would die immediately or would have to enter the monastic sangha. Please take note that this is not spoken by the Buddha. It was just a comment! 

Below was one of Piya’s quote taken from the Buddha’s teachings:

Monks, whether for a lay person or for one gone forth, I praise the right way. Whether it is a lay person or one gone forth who is practising rightly, because of undertaking the right way of practice, he attains the true way (ñāya), the wholesome Dhama. And what, monks, is that right way? It is the noble eightfold path… This, monks, is called the right way.

Monks, whether for a lay person or for one gone forth, I praise the right way. Whether it is a lay person or one gone forth is practising rightly, because of undertaking the right view of practice, he attains the true way, the wholesome Dhamma. (S 45.24/5:18 f) 

Piya ended with the below quote from Dhammapada: 

Though well adorned [finely clad], if he fares in calmness,

At peace, tamed, self-controlled, living the holy life,

Having put down the rod towards all beings—

He is a brahmin, he is a recluse, he is a monk. (Dh 142; Kvu:SR 157 f)

To read more, please click Layman Saint.

Piya Tan’s Sutta translation can be found here.

As one progresses and meditates with Dhamma knowledge, our mind is often tilted towards the meditative mind. The mind that understood and experienced(meditation) the Buddha’s teachings. 

I believe a lay person can attain Arhatship if all conditions are fulfilled!

Read Full Post »

“Being Nobody Going Nowhere” by Ayya Khama

Posted in Teachings to remember, tagged , , on 05/04/2025|

This was taught during a 10-day meditation retreat. The final chapter was a closing speech from Ayya Khama and it made me feel that I was attending the retreat and was bidding farewell. Yes, the Dhamma is not in the temple, it’s not anywhere but in our heart.

This book can be read by clicking the following link https://www.bps.lk/olib/bp/bp511s_Khema_Being-Nobody-Going-Nowhere.pdf

Below are a few quotes to ponder.

“One second of concentration in meditation is one second of purification because, luckily, the mind can only do one thing at a time.” 

“The spiritual path is all about letting go. There is nothing to achieve or gain.”

“The only time the mind can have a real rest is when it stops thinking and starts only experiencing.”

“A moment which brings the kind of happiness not available anywhere else, through anything else. A happiness which is independent of outer conditions. It’s not unconditioned but conditioned only by concentration. It’s not dependent upon good food or climate, entertainment or the right relationships, other people or pleasant responses or possessions, all of which are totally unreliable and cannot be depended upon because they are always changing…”

“Thinking is suffering, no matter what it is that we think. There is movement in it and because of that there is friction. Everything that moves creates friction. The moment we relax and rest the mind it gains few strength and also happiness because it knows it can go home at anytime. The happiness created at the time of meditation carries through to daily living because the mind knows that nothing has to be taken so seriously that it can’t go home again and find peace and quiet.”

“When the ego stops wanting, all unsatisfactoriness vanishes. This is why we should meditate. Now we’ll look at the ‘how’ of meditation.”

“When the mind becomes calm and tranquil, the breath becomes equally soft and tranquil. When the breath becomes so fine we can’t find it, that’s the moment when we actually enter into a concentrated state.”

“All minds are alike. You don’t have to think: I am especially unsuited for this. ‘Who’s ’I’ anyway? It’s just an untrained mind as opposed to a trained one. Anyone who enters a marathon race can run well and quickly if they have trained for it. It is silly to think I’m useless, I can’t run fast’ if you haven’t trained for it.”

“One doesn’t have to think about anything when meditating. Life keeps on happening and doesn’t need us to think about it. It’s constantly arising and ceasing every single moment.”

“The one way for the purification of beings, for the destruction of unsatisfactoriness, for entering the noble path, for realising freedom from all suffering, is mindfulness.”

“When people dispute what the Buddha was teaching, he didn’t argue. He wasn’t defending a viewpoint. He was talking about his own experience.”

“When that calm and pleasant feeling arises, which the Buddha called a pleasant abiding, and then it disappears again, which it must, because whatever has arisen will disappear, the first reaction that has to come to mind is knowing the impermanence; not, ‘Oh dear, it’s gone again.’ Or ‘That was nice. How am I going to get it back?’ Which is the usual way of reacting.”

“Liberation is not ‘knowing’, it is ‘feeling’. Everybody feels a ‘me’. Everybody knows their name but everybody also feels that the name describes this special ‘me’. One can feel the self. So in order to get to non-self, it has to be felt too.”

“The enjoyment of the sense becomes or refined when there’s more purification in a person. The smallest thing can be enjoyed, but the danger lies in wanting it. This wanting, the craving, brings the unsatisfactoriness because the wanting can never be fully satisfied. We’re always lagging behind. There’s always something more beautiful to be seek, something more to be heard or touched. There’s always something else. This creates much restlessness, because we can never get total satisfaction.” 

“The hope and anticipation of the gratification of sensual desire is that which makes it pleasurable. Once it has been gratified, it’s already finished and done with and new desire arises.”

“One antidote the Buddha prescribed for restlessness and distracted thoughts is learning more abut the Dhamma, the teaching. When one knows the teaching, one can direct the mind to it often. One remembers the Buddha’s words. When one learns more about it there are clear-cut and decisive answers in any kind of difficulty that arises. The Buddha’s answers always lead out of suffering. They always leads out of egoism, but they are not so easy.”

“The Buddha said the one who can get rid of these five hindrances is one who has finished the work, with nothing ore to be done.”

“I am the owner of my kamma. I inherit my kamma. I am born of my kamma. I am related to my kamma.. I live supported by my kamma. Whatever kamma I created whether good or evil, that I shall inherit. ‘The Buddha said we needed to remember this every day.”

“Right intention is our kamma-making process because our mental formations are having the intentions. Right view can be established in ourselves through some wisdom and insight. It will be foundation for our intentions. Intentions are constantly arising with every action and reaction. ‘Kamma, O’monks, I declare, is intention, are the Buddha’s words. This is how we make kamma, and if we believe that good kamma is essential for our wellbeing, we have to watch our intentions.”

“When we live with mindfulness there is a marked difference in our awareness. We know what’s happening with ourselves but we don’t become involved in it. When anger arises we know it’s arising, but we don’t have to become angry. That’s a great skill. When there is boredom, we know boredom has arisen, but we don’t have to become bored or frustrated. We just know the arising and also the ceasing of all mental states.”

Last but not least…

“There is no escape route externally or through non-attention or non-awareness. The only escape is through insight, which brings total clarity. Every other escape route is blocked.”

Read Full Post »

“I Give You My Life” by Ayya Khema

Posted in Teachings to remember, tagged , , , on 16/01/2025|

This book is an autobiography of Ayya Khema and can be purchased from Amazon. Below is a very short and brief introduction of her life along with the inspiring quotes. I would suggest everyone to look into Ayya Khema’s books which are both beneficial and enriching. 

Ayya Khema shared her entire life journey. She was born a German in a Jewish family and was well protected when she was barely a young child. Misfortune happened and she had to leave her parents and was adopted by a couple. The couple adopted her because they needed a helper. With opportunities given to her, she moved away from them. She never settled down in a place for long. Ayya Khema traveled everywhere with her second husband and her son in a caravan. She traveled from country to country and finally she arrived in India and started her Dhamma journey. She meditated a lot with teachers she met along her way. 

In 1979, Ayya Khema decided to be a nun and received a full ordination in California. She not only taught the Dhamma and meditation, she also donated to the building of halls for the nuns to practise and meditate. Ayya Khema went to Sri Lanka and in a small island, along with her friends, she established Parappuduwa Nuns island which is located in Ratgama Lake.

Unfortunately one day, terrible unrest broke out in Sri Lanka where bomb attacks and terrorist raids made life difficult that Ayya Khema no longer could continue staying at the Nuns Island and had to move again. She left for Germany in 1989. 

Since 1983, Ayya Khema was diagnosed with breast cancer. She decided against an operation or to endless cycles of hospital treatment at that time. In 1993, finally she had to undergo a serious cancer operation as the lump had grown bigger and it was very painful for her and it broke and bled continuously. 

In 1995, Ayya Khema found an ideal location not far away from Buddha Haus (a place where she created along with her good friends, and for like-minded people to learn the Dhamma and meditate) and built the first Buddhist forest monestery in Germany and it is called Metta Vihara (residence of unconditional love). It was opened in the summer in 1997. 

Ayya Khema passed on 2 November 1997 at the age of 74. She had written many meaningful books on the Dhamma which is easy to understand and straightforward. Her meditation experiences provided a realistic way of understanding the process as well as the progress, all which is in accordance with the Buddha’s teachings. 

Below are the quotes which I find it meaningful and down to earth!

The four efforts were simplified as follows, “avoiding, overcoming, developing and maintaining”. It was easy to memorise. 

  • Not permitting unwholesome thoughts to arise that have not yet arisen — in a word, avoiding
  • Not engaging further in unwholesome thoughts that have already arisen — in a word, overcoming
  • Arousing a wholesome thought that has not yet arisen — in a word, developing
  • Engaging further in a wholesome thought that has already arisen — in a word, maintaining

“Pure love is love that has no wish to hold and to keep but is simply given freely.”

“I took walks in the jungle in order to look at nature as a part of myself. After all, in the end we are nothing different from nature.”

“Every person who practices with patience reaches a state of complete concentration. In this way, that person finds a way into the inner space of his or her mind, where absolute purity and clarity prevail. We are then all at once in a position to be able to look objectively at ourselves and the problems that so often threaten to overwhelm us. Through the experience of new levels of consciousness, a new field of vision opens that reveals the world to us anew.”

“The Buddha once said that the Dharma would take root in a country when sons and daughters of good families were ordained in their mother tongue. “Good family,” however, has nothing to do with wealth or fame. It refers to families in which children learn how to behave in virtue.”

“For the past twenty years I have had the feeling that I am not directing myself but am being directed — in the direction I have to go in so as to do what I’m supposed to do. And so I also think that I am in the right place at the right time and am bringing about here in Germany something for which there is a growing need.”

[After Ayya Khema had briefly explained the life of the Buddha. “Even in an abbreviated form, this story from the life of the Buddha shows what the Buddhist teaching is based on. We have to recognize dukkha, which is the Pali word for suffering, worry, lack of fulfillment, sickness, and death. By doing so, we see through the illusions that we have about our “ego” and our life.

We cannot achieve this (seeing the illusions of our “ego”) by means of our five senses and our usual way of thinking. For this, another level of consciousness is neccessary, which we can attain in the meditative absorptions — in concentration without thought.

In this way we see that we do not exist separately from the rest of creation. And seeing this, we can be freed from the unrelenting craving for recognition, love, respect, and confirmation. Then, at that point, it is no longer so important to us whether we are there or not. We then no longer have any fear of death.

For all this to happen, we only have to let go of something that is quite stubborn — our ego.

We live, we die like all those before us and all those after us, and nothing belongs to us. When we succeed in having no more desires, no more wishes, then death is not annihilation, but rather dissolution into nibbana (nirvana).

In order to make this attitude into something real within oneself, we must continue to practise.”]

“Even the magnificent chariot of a king decays; this body too is hastening toward decay. But the Law of the Noble Ones never decays. Noble ones proclaim it through noble messengers.” This means that we can say to the person that we all are going to die. The body is not the most important thing. The mind and consciousness of the good and true are much more important. They are not subject to decay.”

“I see myself as a person learning from all the human beings I meet and from the nature around me. I experience this with a feeling of happiness and of humility vis-à-vis this endlessly great creation.”

The End.

With this brief explanation and contemplation of what Ayya Khema’s had taught, may I dedicate this merit to my adopted cat, Monnie. May she have a calm and peaceful mind towards the end of her life and towards a favourable rebirth.

Read Full Post »

‘Know where you are going’ by Ayya Khema 

Posted in Teachings to remember, tagged , , , , on 31/12/2024|

The book can be purchased at Amazon. Ebook is available for loan at the Singapore National Library. 

In this book, Ayya Khema explained the way and how to meditate. She guided us along the path to insights through meditation. She elaborated on the Four Noble Truths, Twelve links of Independent Origination and the transcendental dependent arising. The importance of faith and confidence in the Buddha, Dhamma and the Sangha. She explained the Four Establishments of Mindfulness, the Jhanas on both material and non-material meditative absorptions and the Seven Factors of Enlightenment.

Below are the brief explanation and quotes:

Meditation is the only way to arrive at deep concentration and it is a means and a tool and not an end in itself. The goal of meditation is insight, and tranquility (samatha) is the means to that end. Thinking is our habit and we need to stop thinking in order to have control. To control requires meditation.

Quote: Unsatisfactoriness is a feature of existence. If we experience it in ourselves, we prove that the Buddha’s teaching is correct. That’s all. We don’t need to start suffering over it, we can just observe it and say, “Evidence.” There are innumerable things that expose us to unsatisfactoriness, but we can remember the first noble truth that “unsatisfactoriness is” and say, “That’s right, that’s what the Buddha taught.” End quote.

Our suffering is due to craving. The only way to deal with suffering is to let go of the wanting. To stop looking outward and to stop engaging in many unnecessary activities. Meditation helps us to keep looking inside ourselves.

Quote: The Buddha said, “The one way for the purification of beings, for the elimination of pain, grief, and lamentation, for the final ending of all pain and grief, for entering the noble path, for attaining liberation, is mindfulness.” 

“Meditation is the means by which we can practice mindfulness to the point where insight become so strong that we can see absolute reality behind the relative. Mindfulness trained in meditation can then continue in every activity.” End quote.

Many thoughts arise when we meditate. “If thoughts are like clouds in the background, not solid but quick to disappear, it is unnecessary to run after them with a label.

It is the same in our daily life. We drop unwholesome thoughts and substitute wholesome ones. just like we drop all thoughts in our meditation and bring our mind to our breath.

What we have experienced in the past has gone and the future is nothing but a concept. To gain insight and wisdom, we have to constantly live at the present. The more we live at the present, the more we experience the Four Noble Truths.

The Buddha spoke about four supreme emotions, which are the only ones worth having, they are loving-kindness (mettā), compassion (Karunā), sympathetic joy (muditā), and equanimity (upekkkhā). 

Quote: The Buddha said that in order to meditate properly one has to be comfortable in mind and body. We need a benevolent feeling toward ourselves, not only to give us ease in our daily lives, but also to succeed in our meditation. To relax within doesn’t mean that we no longer know what our defilements are but that we realise that why, too, are acceptable.” End quote.

Ayya Khema further taught three types of loving-kindness meditation and the five recollections which is important to me. 

  1. I am of the nature to decay. I have not gone beyond decay
  2. I am of the nature to be diseased. I have not gone beyond diseased. 
  3. I am of the nature to die. I have not gone beyond death.
  4. All that is mine, dear, and delightful will change and vanish.
  5. I am the owner of my kamma, the heir of my kamma, born of my kamma, related to my kamma. Whatever kamma I shall create, whether good or evil, that I shall inherit.

Quote: The Buddha said, “Who sees dependent arising, sees Dhamma. Who sees Dhamma, sees dependent arising.”

“We also need to remember again and again that meditation taken out of context cannot succeed. It may bring some peacefulness eventually, but it will not bring the real transformation that a spiritual path provides.” End quote.

To end the cycle of birth and death, whatever that is in our head and the things that we’ve experienced or come to us, we just have to be aware of it and not put ourselves into wanting the pleasant or getting rid of what is unpleasant. In other words, we practise equanimity, even-mindedness.

Quote: The whole of the Buddha’s teaching, and the sole purpose of meditation in the Buddha’s dispensation, is elevating our worldly, everyday, consciousness to liberation. End quote.

Feelings are just feelings. When feelings arise, we acknowledge and accept them without having to react. This way we can achieve equanimity.

Quote: We need to prepare the mind to become so calm, one-pointed, and strong that it will no longer flinch when it is confronted by the deepest truth. End quote.

We are made of four elements, earth, water, fire and air and it is impossible to find a “self” in this combination. The feeling and sensation that we have are impermanent. We focus on the arising and ceasing of feeling and sensation in the meditation. When we have experienced the impermanence and the constant change, we’ll place ourselves as a little less solid than before. 

Quote: As long as our consciousness has not yet become Dhamma consciousness, we will all fall into that trap. End quote.

The Buddha often start with “secluded” when explained in the meditation process, it means “secluded from sense contact.” In order to be secluded from sense contact, we need to have the inner feeling of happiness, of ease, of contentment. Contentment and satisfaction come from knowing that one has done one’s utmost.

There are five spiritual faculties when developed bring fruition. They are mindfulness, faith, wisdom, energy and concentration. Mindfulness is the leader. We must always be mindful when we are sitting, walking, standing or lying down. Mindfully knowing what we are doing. Mindfully living at the present. Without mindfulness, we are constantly being carried away by our emotions and thus, suffering entails.

With faith, we are devoted and committed in our practice. Wisdom allows us to know whether we are devoted and committed to the truth. Unless we have that assurance, our faith could be ill placed.

Energy spurs us to meditate. With excess energy, we’ll experience mental and physical restlessness, thus our concentration will be affected. With less energy, we’ll fall into sloth and torpor. We’ll unable to concentrate. Balance is required to balance the faculties of both energy and concentration. 

Quote: When heart and mind are balanced, the mind understands what we are doing, and the heart can feel. The spiritual path can only be practiced through our feelings. If we understand the teaching but don’t feel any benefit, it is an intellectual exercise and belongs at the university. End quote. 

Practising tranquility is necessary for liberation and meditative absorptions are part of the path. Without meditation, we are not able to go deeper into understanding the Buddha’s profound teachings.

Quote: When we can stay with the subject of meditation and do not become distracted, we gain confidence through the experience that, first of all, it is possible to; secondly, that we are able to do it; and thirdly, that the results that accrue are exactly as the Buddha said. 

Initial and sustained application are the first two factors of the meditative absorptions and can be likened to unlocking the door to concentration.  End quote.

We have to meditate, study and practise the Buddha’s teachings and make it a habit. Gradually, it will become part of our life. As we sit and meditate and is able to enter into the meditative absorptions and with pleasant abiding, we’re able to purify our negative emotions like anger, ill will, hate or dislike. 

Ayya Khema further explained the way leading to the meditative absorptions which is the four jhanas and the four realms of non-material world. 

Quote: When we experience deep peace and contentment, with no wishes, no problems, the world can no longer hold the same attraction for us as it used to, and we have taken a step toward liberation. …”the knowledge and vision of things as they really are. Vision is the inner experience and knowledge is the understanding of it.” End quote.

Whatever that is happening in life is conditioned. Even our mental awareness is also conditioned. With sense contact, our sense consciousness generates feeling, perception and related thought follow. We observe pleasant and unpleasant feeling whenever it arises and ceases. This helps us recognise the causes of our feelings and enables us to better restrain in our thought, action and speech, not to be reactive. This way, we can divert our thought to a wholesome direction.

Quote: we investigate the five aggregates of which we are composed: body or movement, mind consisting of feeling, perception, mental formations or thoughts, and sense consciousness. When the process of arising and ceasing has become clear to us, it has given us such a significant insight into ourselves and others that we no longer need to get angry at anybody, because we know that our anger is merely one of the aggregates arising and ceasing. End quote.

Joy comes from gratitude and happiness and helps us in our meditation. The meditative steps that were taught by the Buddha leads to insight. The meditative absorptions are preconditions for the attainment of wisdom. When the mind is calm and collected, it is capable of “knowing things as they really are.” 

Quote: The attainment of liberation of freedom is a slow and arduous process, frequently even tedious, and sometimes appears to make no progress at all. At other times, profound insights follow each other so quickly that we would like to step back and say, “Not so fast, I’m not quite ready for all this!” End quote.

When we are disenchanted about the whole world around us, we no longer find them attractive nor would we want to cling to them. It is a gradual process into feeling dispassion. 

There are ten fetters that the Buddha spoke of. The first three are non-self, not being attached to rites and rituals and skeptical doubt. Non-self is losing the belief in ourselves as an entity, having identity or personality. One has understood that the body, feeling, mind and mental objects arise due to conditions. There is never a solid self. When one has understood the Dhamma, rites and rituals no longer seem important. However, that doesn’t mean that one cannot perform them. Understand that liberation requires the effort of practising and understanding the Dhamma and it has to be done by ourselves and nothing or anyone else can help liberate us.

Lastly, we have all the confidence in the Buddha’s teaching by studying, practising and meditating as well as insights into the Buddha’s teaching. Though not fully attained, is stable and not swayed by any external factors or other beliefs. 

Quote: Traditionally, it is said that a stream-enterer has a maximum of seven more lives as a human being before becoming fully enlightened.  However, it is possible for liberation to take place in a single lifetime. Such a person will remain the Buddha’s disciple and can never again break any of the five precepts. End quote.

The non-returner loses the fetter of hate and greed and see the world as it is. They no longer attracted to things around them and are aware that the conditions that have been keeping us in the cycle of birth and death. The remaining five fetters are restlessness, the desire to be born in the fine-material and the nonmaterial realms, conceit and ignorant. These fetters can only be eliminated when one has become enlightened. 

Quote: When aversion, rejection, resistance, anger, jealousy, pride, greed, or craving arise within, we can take a moment to look at them mindfully. When we recognise their burdensome impact on us, we understand that we need not continue to let them exist. We can substitute compassion, or the idea that they are not important, or the understanding of impermanence, or corelessness. End quote.

We all have the potential to become enlightened only when we practise in accordance with the Buddha’s teachings and perfect them!

The End.

With Ayya Khema’s “Know Where You’re Going”, I end the year 2024! 

Read Full Post »

Older Posts »