Free Buddha Dharma ebook

Practicing the Dhamma with View to Nibbana
By Radhika Abeysekera

Practising Dhamma with a View to Nibbana is written by Radhika Abeysekera. Radhika Abeysekera began teaching and writing about the Dhamma to aid in the reintroduction of Buddhism to non-Buddhist immigrants. The books are constructed in such a way that they can be used to teach Buddhism to a kid by a parent or educator.

Mrs. Abeysekera believes that parents should first study and practice the Dhamma to the best of their ability in order to reap the greatest advantages because you cannot give to your kid what you do not have. The books were also created to promote non-Buddhists’ comprehension of the Dhamma so that peace and harmony might be achieved by understanding and respect for other people’s ideologies and faiths.

Free download available:
https://static.sariputta.com/pdf/tipitaka/745/dhamma-nibbanapdf.pdf
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Big White Buddha at Wat Tham Khao Prang Buddhist temple, Lopburi, Thailand.

Dhammapada Verse 362
Hamsaghatakabhikkhu Vatthu

Hatthasamyato padasamyato
vacasamyato samyatuttamo
ajjhattarato samahito
eko santusito tamahu bhikkhum.

Verse 362: He who controls his hand, controls his foot, controls his speech, and has complete control of himself; who finds delight in Insight Development Practice and is calm; who stays alone and is contented; — him they call a bhikkhu.

The Story of a Bhikkhu Who Killed a Swan (Hamsa)

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (362) of this book, with reference to a bhikkhu who killed a swan.

Once there was a bhikkhu who was very skilful in throwing stones; he could even hit fast-moving objects without fail. One day, while sitting with another bhikkhu after having their bath in the Aciravati River, he saw two swans flying at some distance. He told his friend that he would get one of the swans by throwing a stone at it. At that instant, the swan, hearing voices, turned its neck and the bhikkhu threw a pebble at the bird. The pebble went through one eye and came out of the other eye of the bird. The bird cried out in pain and agony and dropped dead at the feet of the young bhikkhu.

Other bhikkhus seeing the incident took the young bhikkhu to the Buddha. The Buddha reprimanded him and said, "My son, why have you killed this bird? Why especially you, a member of my Order, who should be practising loving-kindness to all beings and who should be striving ardently for liberation from the round of rebirths? Even during the period outside the Teaching, the wise practised morality and observed the precepts. A bhikkhu must have control over his hands, his feet and his tongue."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
Verse 362: He who controls his hand, controls his foot, controls his speech, and has complete control of himself; who finds delight in Insight Development Practice and is calm; who stays alone and is contented; — him they call a bhikkhu.


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Words of the Buddha channel:

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It was Christmas and the foreign monks had decided to celebrate it. They invited some laypeople as well as Ajahn Chah to join them. The laypeople were generally upset and skeptical. Why, they asked, were Buddhists celebrating Christmas? Ajahn Chah then gave a talk on religion in which he said, "As far as I understand, Christianity teaches people to do good and avoid evil, just as Buddhism does, so what is the problem? However, if people are upset by the idea of celebrating Christmas, that can be easily remedied. We won’t call it Christmas. Let’s call it "Christ-Buddhamas". Anything that inspires us to see what is true and do what is good is proper practice. You may call it any name you like."

Reflection on Life in general

Written by Ven. Ajahn Chah, founder of Theravada Thai Forest Tradition Buddhism Monasteries

A Mind Like Space

A German-born Bhikkhu on using the notion of space as a powerful tool for actualizing the potential of emptiness.
By Bhikkhu Analayo

The instruction on cultivating a mind like space forms part of a detailed teaching reportedly given by the Buddha to his son, Rāhula. After covering the four elements and the element of space in their internal and external manifestations, the instruction proceeds by encouraging Rāhula to take inspiration from each of these five elements for cultivating a beneficial mental attitude. The part relevant to space proceeds as follows:

Rāhula, just like space, which is not established anywhere, in the same way, Rāhula, you should cultivate meditation that is like space. Rāhula, on cultivating meditation that is indeed like space, arisen agreeable and disagreeable contacts will not remain and overwhelm the mind.

The idea of being able to handle the arising of what is agreeable and disagreeable without becoming overwhelmed could be fleshed out with the help of another Pāli discourse, which in agreement with its Chinese parallel describes how to undertake a cultivation of the sense faculties (indriyabhāvanā). Accomplishment in such practice leads to establishing equanimity at any sense door, with the understanding that whatever arises is conditioned and coarse, whereas equanimity is peaceful. When the eyes see something agreeable or disagreeable, for example, equanimity can in this way become established as swiftly as someone may close or open their eyes. With sounds that are agreeable or disagreeable, the same ability to establish equanimity is comparable to snapping the fingers; with odors it compares to a raindrop rolling off a sloping lotus leaf (which has a superhydrophobic surface and thus is waterproof, wherefore a drop of rain just rolls off); with flavors it is like spitting out a ball of spittle on the tip of the tongue; with tangibles it is like bending an extended arm or extending a bent arm; and with mental objects it is like a few drops of water that land on a thoroughly heated iron plate and evaporate on the spot.

The powerful images provided by this discourse can be of considerable help in actual practice, showing the ease and swiftness with which reactivity to what is agreeable or disagreeable can be avoided. Needless to say, this is a more advanced practice that would build on previous working with defilements by way of relying on antidotes. Such employment of antidotes to particular defilements clearly has its place, but it need not be seen as the only option. Based on some proficiency in the approach of employing antidotes and the resultant familiarity with our own mental tendencies, at times it becomes possible to deal with reactivity in the mind as swiftly and effortlessly as envisaged in these illustrations.

The understanding that something is conditioned and coarse in contrast to the peaceful nature of equanimity could in principle also be cultivated through the instruction given to Rāhula. The basic task would be to keep the mind like space when anything arises at a sense door. The open receptivity of the space-like mind naturally forestalls the onset of reactivity toward what is being experienced, which necessitates a narrow state of mind focused on likes and dislikes. In contrast, although we still clearly notice the initial impact of what is agreeable and disagreeable, the spaciousness of the mind simply allows this to arise and pass away without being turned into another act in the drama of experience. In terms of the terminology employed in the instruction to Rāhula, the agreeable and the disagreeable will not remain and overwhelm the mind.

Cultivating equanimity through maintaining a mind like space is not some form of escapism by way of turning a blind eye to what is happening. Instead, the mind that is like space is simply too vast to be overwhelmed by the pettiness of any contact through the six senses.

The vastness of space puts things into a wider context; it thereby helps forestall reactions stemming from taking whatever happens too personally and then feeling a need to react, which usually leads to the thriving of defilements. Due to the open receptivity of the mind that is like space, there is certainly plenty of room for deciding to take action whenever this is required. However, the decisive difference is that such action springs from deliberation rather than being a compulsive reaction due to feeling overwhelmed.

There is certainly plenty of room for deciding to take action whenever this is required. However, the decisive difference is that such action springs from deliberation rather than being a compulsive reaction due to feeling overwhelmed.

The same approach applies not only to seeing but of course also to the other senses, including the mind. The agreeable and the disagreeable in the mind can quickly evaporate like water drops falling on a thoroughly heated iron pan. With sufficient training, this approach can be put to good use in relation to thinking activity in general. With a mind that is like space, there is no need to fight thoughts and force the mind into stillness. This is not to devalue thought-free stillness of the mind, but much rather to propose a different approach for arriving at it. Rather than trying to suppress thinking activity, it can simply be noticed as occurring in the vast space of the mind. When thoughts are surrounded by space, as it were, they lose much of their presumed importance and therewith much of their ability to overpower the mind and carry it away. Said differently, arrival at stillness does not require a total absence of thinking activity. Instead, it requires not taking thinking activity so very personally, not identifying with it. When cultivated in this way, the notion of space can become a powerful tool for actualizing the potential of emptiness meditation in relation to the perennial challenge of a distracted mind.


Excerpted and adapted from Abiding in Emptiness: A Guide for Meditative Practice by Bhikkhu Anālayo.
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Bhikkhu Analayo is a scholar-monk, meditation teacher, and the author of numerous books. He is the co-founder of the Āgama Research Group, resident scholar at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, and a retired professor at the Numata Center for Buddhist Studies, University of Hamburg.
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Dhammapada, beloved and favorite teachings of the Buddha channel:

https://news.1rj.ru/str/dhammapadas
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“If, mendicants, a mendicant cultivates a mind of love even as long as a finger-snap, they’re called a mendicant who does not lack absorption, who follows the Teacher’s instructions, who responds to advice, and who does not eat the country’s alms in vain. How much more so those who make much of it!”

AN 1.53: From Accharāsaṅghātavagga: Section on A Fingersnap

Free Buddha Dharma ebook

The Seeker’s Glossary of Buddhism
By The Sutra Translation Committee of USA and Canada

The Seeker’s Glossary of Buddhism is a compendium of excerpts and quotations from some 350 works by monks, nuns, professors, scholars and other laypersons from nine different countries, in their own words or in translation.

How to use the Glossary: This book can be used in three ways: to find the definition of unfamiliar terms; to gain a broader understanding of specific Buddhist concepts; and also as an introduction to Buddhism.

In the vast corpus of the Mahayana tradition, one text, the Avatamsaka Sutra, stands supreme. Described by Dr. D. T. Suzuki as the “epitome of Buddhist thought, Buddhist sentiment and Buddhist experience”, the sutra recounts the story of the youth Sudhana, the perennial seeker of the Way, who toward the end of the sutra sought entrance into Maitreya’s Tower – his own Self-Nature and Mind.

The present Seeker’s Glossary of Buddhism is devoted to this inner pilgrimage, as it attempts to make the treasures of Maitreya’s Tower accessible to the greatest number. Thus, over the last several years, the editors have canvassed some 30 Buddhist dictionaries and encyclopedias and over 350 books on Buddhism, published in different languages, extracting what they believe are key terms and concepts useful to the average student of Buddhism. Although the whole range of Buddhist thought is covered, special emphasis is placed on the Pure Land and Hua-yen (Avatamsaka) world views, the so-called Schools of Existence (q.v.). An important aspect of this Glossary is its extensive cross-referencing of key Buddhist terms, a feature which we believe is particularly useful at this stage of development of Buddhist terminology in the West.

Free download available:
https://static.sariputta.com/pdf/tipitaka/256/budglossary_pdf.pdf
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Jesus said, “If those who lead you say to you, ‘Look, the Kingdom is in the sky,’ then the birds of the sky will get there first. If they say, ‘It is in the sea,’ then the fish will get there first. Rather, the Kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the children of the living Father. But if you will not know yourselves, then you dwell in poverty, and it is you who are that poverty”.

Thích Nhất Hạnh, Living Buddha, Living Christ

A Time to Perfect Our Compassion

By Bhante Suddhaso


Gift giving is a physical enactment of the principle of compassion, says Buddhist monk Bhante Suddhaso.

The Buddhist monk Ajahn Chah said, “Anything that inspires us to see what is true and do what is good is proper practice.”
Christmas is an excellent example of this. At first glance, it may appear to be non-Buddhist, but on closer examination we see that it provides an opportunity to practice several aspects of the Buddhist path: generosity, consideration, kindness, and mutual regard.

In particular, the practice of gift giving is a physical enactment of the principle of compassion. This is especially relevant when we recall that our actions arise directly from our mind states: the perfection of compassion as a mind state naturally manifests as physical acts of kindness and generosity. If we find that we do not readily act for the well-being of others, that indicates there is a need for further development of inner compassion. That can be developed by giving gifts to others.

Bhante Suddhaso is a Buddhist monk in the Thai Forest Tradition. He lives in New York City.

Dhammapada Verse 363
Kokalika Vatthu

Yo mukhasamyato bhikkhu
mantabhani anuddhato
attham dhammanca dipeti
madhuram tassa bhasitam.

Verse 363: The bhikkhu who controls his mouth (speech) who speaks wisely with his mind composed, who explains the meaning and the text of the Dhamma, — sweet are the words of that bhikkhu.

The Story of Bhikkhu Kokalika

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (363) of this book, with reference to Bhikkhu Kokalika.

Bhikkhu Kokalika had abused the two Chief Disciples, the Venerable Sariputta and the Venerable Maha Moggallana. For this evil deed Kokalika was swallowed up by the earth and had to suffer in Paduma Niraya. Learning about his fate, the bhikkhus remarked that Kokalika had to suffer grievously because he did not control his tongue. To those bhikkhus, the Buddha said, "Bhikkhus! A bhikkhu must have control over his tongue; his conduct must be good; his mind must be calm, subdued and not flitting about as it pleases."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
Verse 363: The bhikkhu who controls his mouth (speech) who speaks wisely with his mind composed, who explains the meaning and the text of the Dhamma, — sweet are the words of that bhikkhu.

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Dhammapada, beloved and favorite teachings of the Buddha channel:

https://news.1rj.ru/str/dhammapadas
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Buddham Saranam Gacchami
Dhammam Saranam Gacchami
Sangham Saranam Gacchami

I go to the Buddha for refuge.
I go to the Dhamma for refuge.
I go to the Sangha for refuge.

बुद्धं शरणं गच्छामि। धर्मं शरणं गच्छामि। संघं शरणं गच्छामि।