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The Marvellous Companion
Jatakamala - The Life Stories of the Buddha
By Aryasura

The present volume is based on the English translation of Aryasura's Jatakamala by Joseph Speyer, published in England in 1895.
To assure the accuracy of this new version of Aryasura's work, we have carefully compared it to the Tibetan text of the Jatakamala as it appears in the Nyingma Edition of the sDe-dge bsTan-'gyur.
Translated from the Sanskrit in the eighth century by Vidyakarasimha and the Tibetan lotsawa Manjushivarman, the Tibetan version is very close to the Sanskrit text used by Speyer, except that in isolated passages its meaning appears to be clearer.
We are satisfied that the resulting text presented here is generally faithful to Aryagura's original work. Still, there remain difficult passages, and further study and research into the existing manunoscripts of the Jatakamala by qualified scholars may lead to revisions in future editions.

Free download here:

https://wisdomcompassion.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Marvelous-Companion-The-Jatakamala-of-Aryashura.pdf
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Clinging

Untangling the habits that keep us in the loop
By Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

Part 2 of 2

The Buddha explains that greed is just like this. When one is enmeshed in ignorance, it is impossible to live without greed; and at the same time, greed brings about much suffering. Vepacitti represents the gamut of negative traits headed by greed, while Sakka embodies all the good qualities developed by mindfulness. When both sides are in a tug-of-war, mindfulness intervenes, serving as judge and justice. It is the balancing act that allows us to regain restraint in order to bring greed back under control. Without mindfulness we remain like Vepacitti, shackled by the cords of sensual pleasures, bound by greed.

A serene and peaceful life free from clinging is like a hang glider gracefully flying on the horizon, while clinging makes the glider of serenity crash.

Human nature has always struggled with the idea of abandoning what is pleasant, and even some disciples of the Buddha rebelled against forgoing sensual pleasures. In The Discourse on the Simile of the Quail, the Venerable Udayin tells the Buddha how much suffering has been averted by restraint and abandonment. But some monastics seem to have rebelled against the rules of restraint laid out by the Buddha. When told, “Abandon this,” they would disregard the Buddha, obstinately thinking, “What a mere trifle. Our teacher is too demanding!” As a result, the small thing to be abandoned became a big, strong thick yoke.

To illustrate the danger, drawback, and painful consequences of clinging to what is pleasant, the Buddha tells the Venerable Udayin the story of a captive quail that is unable to unbind itself. The quail is bound up by a rotting creeper. But since the quail is a feeble creature, she is unable to free herself. Even though the creeper is rotting, to the quail it appears very strong and solid. In the same way, the little things and habits pertaining to the pleasures of the senses, which at first seem so insignificant and benign, become very big fetters when one is unable to abandon them. The Buddha further explains that when one is able to overcome clinging, all fetters connected with greed become like a weak and rotting creeper. For a royal tusker elephant that is tethered, a simple twist of his body would be enough to free him from a strong fetter, which to him is no more than a mere weak and rotting creeper.

A serene and peaceful life free from clinging is like a hang glider gracefully flying on the horizon, while clinging makes the glider of serenity crash. Learning to fly a hang glider provides a direct simile for how grasping works and how letting go sets one free. One grasps the bars due to fear borne out of a sense of self, or me. The orientation and balance of the wings together with the position of the glider’s nose is what controls its flow through air currents. As soon as one clings to the bars, they become off-balance and the nose tilts downward. When one grasps, the mind is absorbed in holding on tightly, paying no attention to the position of the glider’s nose. When one does not see things as they are, heedfulness is gone due to fear. One trains to barely touch the down bars at liftoff, controlling the glider by the slightest push. With time and effort this becomes natural, and one can easily take off and stay in the air some two hundred feet or more, gently controlling the apparatus with the down bar. The pilot’s success rests in his or her ability to overcome grasping. This little victory over oneself gives a great sense of freedom as one glides through the air. So if flying in a mundane way can give one such a thrill, can you imagine the joy of soaring to the heights of spiritual liberation?


From Dependent Origination in Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana.

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Bhante Henepola Gunaratana is a Buddhist monk from Sri Lanka and the author of Mindfulness in Plain English. He is president of the Bhavana Society in High View, West Virginia, an organization that promotes meditation and monastic life.
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Part 1 of 2:

https://news.1rj.ru/str/dhammapadas/2246


Part 2 of 2:

https://news.1rj.ru/str/wordsofbuddha/3259

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Words of the Buddha channel:

https://news.1rj.ru/str/wordsofbuddha
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Dhammapada Verse 383
Pasadabahulabrahmana Vatthu

Chinda sotam parakkamma
kame panuda brahmana
sankharanam khayam natva
akatannusi brahmana.

Verse 383: O Brahmana, cut off the stream of craving with diligence, and abandon sense desires. O Brahmana, perceiving the cessation of the conditioned, be an arahat who realizes Nibbana, the Unconditioned.

The Story of a Brahmin Who Had Great Faith

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (383) of this book, with reference to a brahmin, who showed extreme devotion to some bhikkhus.

Once, in Savatthi, there lived a brahmin who became extremely devoted to the Buddha and his Teaching, after hearing a discourse given by the Buddha. Every day, he invited the bhikkhus to his house for alms-food. When the bhikkhus arrived at his house, he addressed them as "arahats" and respectfully requested them to enter his house. When thus addressed, the puthujjana bhikkhus and the arahats felt embarrassed and they decided not to go to the brahmin's house the next day.

When the brahmin found that the bhikkhus did not come to his house again he felt unhappy. He went to the Buddha and told him about the bhikkhus not coming to his house. The Buddha sent for those bhikkhus and asked for explanation. The bhikkhus told the Buddha about the brahmin addressing all of them as arahats. The Buddha then asked them whether they felt any false pride and undue elation when they were thus addressed. The bhikkhus answered in the negative. To them the Buddha said, "Bhikkhus, if you don't feel any false pride and undue elation when addressed as arahats, you are not guilty of breaking any of the rules of discipline of the bhikkhus. The fact is that the brahmin addressed you so because he was extremely devoted to the arahats. So. my sons, you should strive hard to get rid of craving and attain arahatship."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
Verse 383: O Brahmana, cut off the stream of craving with diligence, and abandon sense desires. O Brahmana, perceiving the cessation of the conditioned, be an arahat who realizes Nibbana, the Unconditioned.

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Buddha dharma teachings channel:

https://invite.viber.com/?g2=AQAKw1y3rv%2F6sk61PI2W4izuIiaEZj8YZujhY1tSzL%2B07s7rFnVFDAd0bAYFaMLw
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Kumbh Mela pilgrimage, purification bathing in the sacred rivers (Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers confluence at the Payaga) to cleanse sins and bring spiritual liberation (Moksha).

Buddha mentioned this thousands years old tradition in Vatthupama Sutta telling brahman Sundarika Bharadvaja that bathing in Payaga river will not wash away the negative karma and sins. Only mindfulness, loving kindness and moral conduct can purify an evil-doer from his misdeeds.

MN 7 : Vatthupama Sutta: The Simile of the Cloth :

https://news.1rj.ru/str/wordsofbuddha/3243

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"Monks, one should pay homage to a stupa (thūpa) or shrine (cetiyagara) with a composed mind. A monk should not disrespect or disregard a stupa, whether it contains relics of the Tathagata, relics of disciples, or is merely symbolic (representing the Buddha). Doing so leads to a fault."

Cullavagga VI.10: Respect for Stupas (Thupas)

Free Buddha Dharma ebook

Craft of the Heart
By Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo

Ajaan Lee’s first, this book is also his most comprehensive, covering all aspects of the path of practice, from taking the five precepts to the attainment of arahantship. Although his later books made further developments in the positions offered here — such as the treatment of breath meditation in Keeping the Breath in Mind — this book remains one of the best introductions to Ajaan Lee’s teachings as a whole.

Free download here:

https://www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/Writings/Ebooks/TheCraftoftheHeart_181215.pdf
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The Art of Letting Go

As our skill in meditation grows, we can learn the art of letting go and finding a calm center in the midst of our changing sense. As we sit, extraordinary levels of silence and peace can open for us. We can feel as if the whole world had suddenly stopped moving. Our body can become light and transparent like a clear spring sky. The senses and the heart can open in a sweet and delicate way, and a powerful contentment can arise. We can learn how happiness comes from a heart at rest and not from changing outer circumstances.

Excerpted from Seeking the Heart of Wisdom: The Path of Insight Meditation By Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield, pages 92–93.

Dhammapada Verse 384
Sambahulabhikkhu Vatthu

Yada dvayesu dhammesu
paragu hoti brahmano
athassa sabbe samyoga
attham gacchanti janato.

Verse 384: When the brahmana is well-established in the two dhammas (i.e., the practice of Tranquillity and Insight Meditation), then, in that knowing one, all fetters are destroyed.

The Story of Thirty Bhikkhus

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (384) of this book, with reference to thirty bhikkhus.

On one occasion, thirty bhikkhus came to pay homage to the Buddha. The Venerable Sariputta, seeing that time was ripe and proper for those bhikkhus to attain arahatship, approached the Buddha and asked a question, solely for the benefit of those bhikkhus. The question was this: "What are the two dhammas?" To this the Buddha replied, "Sariputta! Tranquillity and Insight Meditation are the two dhammas."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
Verse 384: When the brahmana is well-established in the two dhammas (i.e., the practice of Tranquillity and Insight Meditation), then, in that knowing one, all fetters are destroyed.

At the end of the discourse all the thirty bhikkhus attained arahatship.



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Words of the Buddha channel:

https://invite.viber.com/?g2=AQAFqzqlj7FmI061PX17rxWMAtZ%2BRuso%2FH2KmHKZSgnv7v9DD8X0bDkKnZDr9JDq
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Free Buddha Dharma ebook

Dhammapada For Contemplation
By Ajahn Munindo



Free download here:

https://ftp.budaedu.org/ebooks/pdf/EN356.pdf
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Free Buddha Dharma ebook

Dhammapada For Contemplation
By Ajahn Munindo

The collection of sayings called the Dhammapada is a glimpse of the timeless truth offered by the Buddha over two and ahalf millennia ago. Viewed from the East, West, North or South, for the first, second or hundredth time, each occasion of viewing these truths is uniquely rewarding.

It is my hope that the perspective offered here via A Dhammapada for Contemplation will delight those who come across it and serve to encourage still further viewings from different perspectives. I trust that what ever glimpses of truth may be gained, however briefly, encourage all travellers to continue faring on.

Free download here:

https://ftp.budaedu.org/ebooks/pdf/EN356.pdf
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Now, Venerable Bhaddiya, son of the Kaligodhas, used to go to the forest, to the roots of trees & to lonely spots, & while there, cry out: “Oh joy! Oh joy!” Some monks heard him & they thought: “Doubtless, Bhaddiya is discontented with the holy life, seeing as he enjoyed the happiness when he was a royalty.” So those monks went to the Lord & told him of this, & he asked that Bhaddiya come to see him. When he came, the Lord said: “Bhaddiya, is it true as they say that you go to the forest, to the roots of the trees & to lonely spots, & that while there you often utter the cry: ‘Oh joy! Oh joy!’ ”

“It is true, sir.”

“and why do you do this?”

“Formerly, when I enjoyed the happiness of royalty, guards were set inside the palace, outside & even in the area beyond. Yet, although I was well guarded, I lived in fear, I was anxious, trembling & afraid. But now that I lived in the forest, all alone, I am without fear, I am assured, confident & unafraid. That is why I utter the cry: ‘Oh joy! Oh joy!’ ”

Udana 2.10