Forwarded from Buddha
Phra Phuttha Mahanawamintra Sakayamunee Sri Visejchaicharn, Big Buddha at Wat Muang temple in Ang Thong Province, Thailand
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Forwarded from Words of the Buddha
Give Before You Get
On the ultimate happiness that comes from developing the skill of generosity
By Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Part 2 of 2
In Thailand, they have ready-made packages for Sanghadana, when you want to give to the sangha. You go down to a store, and the items are already wrapped for you. That kind of gift doesn’t go into the heart nearly as much as when you stop to think, “What do the monks need? What would be something special for them that would really be in line with their needs?” The more thought you put into a gift, the more happiness comes when you reflect on that act of giving. And when you reflect that it was given out of the goodness of your heart, for the sake of making your heart serene, that gives you even more happiness. You have a strong sense of your own worth, that you’re not dead weight on the earth. You’ve actually given something. You’ve contributed something to the goodness of the world. And the world needs a lot of goodness. The fires of greed, aversion, and delusion always threaten to burn it up. With your act of generosity, it’s like putting water on the fires.
When you have that background, and when you’ve learned the lesson from giving that there’s a greater happiness that comes from giving rather than from consuming, it puts you in the right frame of mind to meditate—not only when you meet with obstacles but also when you approach meditation as a whole.
The world needs a lot of goodness. The fires of greed, aversion, and delusion always threaten to burn it up. With your act of generosity, it’s like putting water on the fires.
All too often, when people start meditating, they say, “What can I get out of this?” But if you come to it from the act of giving, your first thought should be, “What can I give here?” You can give your time. You can give your energy. The three qualities the Buddha says are necessary for getting the mind into concentration are mindfulness, alertness, and ardency. The ardency requires that you give energy, that you’re going to give before you can get. It’s through your ardency that you develop more mindfulness—in other words, the ability to keep in mind the fact that you’re going to try to stay here with the breath—and more alertness, because it takes energy to be alert. There’s a part of the mind that’s aware without any effort, but that’s not what the Buddha is talking about when he talks about alertness. Alertness means clearly knowing what you’re doing and the results you’re getting from your actions. You have to put energy into paying attention, because all too often we do things without paying full attention to what we’re doing. We’ve got our mind on something else. As a result, we can’t really connect our actions with the results of those actions, because we weren’t paying attention. That’s why we don’t learn much from our actions.
So you have to be resolute in being mindful, ardent, and alert. You give before you get. You start giving with the practice of mindfulness, with the practice of right effort, and those two factors help to develop your concentration. The concentration is the reward, but then the concentration itself requires effort to maintain the sense of well-being that comes with getting the mind to settle down and let go of all of its other preoccupations.
That’s the other aspect of mindfulness. You’re mindful to stay with your one object, but you’re also mindful to put aside all thoughts about the world that are not related to staying with that object. As you give up outside preoccupations, you find that the mind is wealthier as a result. We tend to think that the more opinions we have, the more ideas we have, the richer our mind. But the Buddha is showing us that the mind reveals its luminous nature—what goodness it’s capable of—when you let go through the act of being generous, through the act of giving things up and seeing the good qualities of alertness, of mindfulness, and of awareness that develop as a result when the mind is not weighed down with a lot of opinions, not weighed down with a lot of possessions.
On the ultimate happiness that comes from developing the skill of generosity
By Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Part 2 of 2
In Thailand, they have ready-made packages for Sanghadana, when you want to give to the sangha. You go down to a store, and the items are already wrapped for you. That kind of gift doesn’t go into the heart nearly as much as when you stop to think, “What do the monks need? What would be something special for them that would really be in line with their needs?” The more thought you put into a gift, the more happiness comes when you reflect on that act of giving. And when you reflect that it was given out of the goodness of your heart, for the sake of making your heart serene, that gives you even more happiness. You have a strong sense of your own worth, that you’re not dead weight on the earth. You’ve actually given something. You’ve contributed something to the goodness of the world. And the world needs a lot of goodness. The fires of greed, aversion, and delusion always threaten to burn it up. With your act of generosity, it’s like putting water on the fires.
When you have that background, and when you’ve learned the lesson from giving that there’s a greater happiness that comes from giving rather than from consuming, it puts you in the right frame of mind to meditate—not only when you meet with obstacles but also when you approach meditation as a whole.
The world needs a lot of goodness. The fires of greed, aversion, and delusion always threaten to burn it up. With your act of generosity, it’s like putting water on the fires.
All too often, when people start meditating, they say, “What can I get out of this?” But if you come to it from the act of giving, your first thought should be, “What can I give here?” You can give your time. You can give your energy. The three qualities the Buddha says are necessary for getting the mind into concentration are mindfulness, alertness, and ardency. The ardency requires that you give energy, that you’re going to give before you can get. It’s through your ardency that you develop more mindfulness—in other words, the ability to keep in mind the fact that you’re going to try to stay here with the breath—and more alertness, because it takes energy to be alert. There’s a part of the mind that’s aware without any effort, but that’s not what the Buddha is talking about when he talks about alertness. Alertness means clearly knowing what you’re doing and the results you’re getting from your actions. You have to put energy into paying attention, because all too often we do things without paying full attention to what we’re doing. We’ve got our mind on something else. As a result, we can’t really connect our actions with the results of those actions, because we weren’t paying attention. That’s why we don’t learn much from our actions.
So you have to be resolute in being mindful, ardent, and alert. You give before you get. You start giving with the practice of mindfulness, with the practice of right effort, and those two factors help to develop your concentration. The concentration is the reward, but then the concentration itself requires effort to maintain the sense of well-being that comes with getting the mind to settle down and let go of all of its other preoccupations.
That’s the other aspect of mindfulness. You’re mindful to stay with your one object, but you’re also mindful to put aside all thoughts about the world that are not related to staying with that object. As you give up outside preoccupations, you find that the mind is wealthier as a result. We tend to think that the more opinions we have, the more ideas we have, the richer our mind. But the Buddha is showing us that the mind reveals its luminous nature—what goodness it’s capable of—when you let go through the act of being generous, through the act of giving things up and seeing the good qualities of alertness, of mindfulness, and of awareness that develop as a result when the mind is not weighed down with a lot of opinions, not weighed down with a lot of possessions.
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Forwarded from Words of the Buddha
So come to the meditation with the right attitude. You give before you get, and whatever you get, you’re going to give that away, too, but it’s like a trade. Keep trading up and you finally get to the point where there’s no further “up.” In other words, you’ve reached the ultimate happiness, which the Buddha said is also the ultimate emptiness. It’s empty of disturbance, empty of defilement, but it’s full of well-being. There is that potential in the mind, but we’re not going to know it until we learn how to give up the things that hold us back.
Luang Pu Dune, one of the masters of the forest, was visiting Ajaan Suwat one time, and when he left, he made a comment that “The world is all about things that come in pairs, but the dhamma is one thing clear through.” He didn’t say what that one thing was, but the attitude of generosity is a good candidate.
This article was adapted from a talk given on September 29, 2024, and originally appeared on www.dhammatalks.org
===
Part 1 of 2:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/lorddivinebuddha/2786
Part 2 of 2:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/wordsofbuddha/3404
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Luang Pu Dune, one of the masters of the forest, was visiting Ajaan Suwat one time, and when he left, he made a comment that “The world is all about things that come in pairs, but the dhamma is one thing clear through.” He didn’t say what that one thing was, but the attitude of generosity is a good candidate.
This article was adapted from a talk given on September 29, 2024, and originally appeared on www.dhammatalks.org
===
Part 1 of 2:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/lorddivinebuddha/2786
Part 2 of 2:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/wordsofbuddha/3404
===
Words of the Buddha channel:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/wordsofbuddha
===
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Words of the Buddha
Daily teachings of Buddha Dharma
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Free Buddha Dharma ebook
A Buddhist Perspective On Pain Stress And Illness
By Bhikkhu Sumedha
This work, which deals with the inherent nature of mind during pain and chronic illnesses and the Buddhist method of managing it, is based on personal experiences with Ven. Sumedha. It is dedicated to his memory, as the spiritual patron of Peradeniya Teaching Hospital, and for his invaluable services for over 30 years in Sri Lanka as a Buddhist monk.
Free download here:
https://ftp.budaedu.org/ebooks/pdf/EN370.pdf
===
A Buddhist Perspective On Pain Stress And Illness
By Bhikkhu Sumedha
This work, which deals with the inherent nature of mind during pain and chronic illnesses and the Buddhist method of managing it, is based on personal experiences with Ven. Sumedha. It is dedicated to his memory, as the spiritual patron of Peradeniya Teaching Hospital, and for his invaluable services for over 30 years in Sri Lanka as a Buddhist monk.
Free download here:
https://ftp.budaedu.org/ebooks/pdf/EN370.pdf
===
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Free Buddha Dharma ebook
A Buddhist Perspective On Pain Stress And Illness
By Bhikkhu Sumedha
This work, which deals with the inherent nature of mind during pain and chronic illnesses and the Buddhist method of managing it, is based on personal experiences with Ven. Sumedha. It is dedicated to his memory, as the spiritual patron of Peradeniya Teaching Hospital, and for his invaluable services for over 30 years in Sri Lanka as a Buddhist monk.
Free download here:
https://ftp.budaedu.org/ebooks/pdf/EN370.pdf
===
A Buddhist Perspective On Pain Stress And Illness
By Bhikkhu Sumedha
This work, which deals with the inherent nature of mind during pain and chronic illnesses and the Buddhist method of managing it, is based on personal experiences with Ven. Sumedha. It is dedicated to his memory, as the spiritual patron of Peradeniya Teaching Hospital, and for his invaluable services for over 30 years in Sri Lanka as a Buddhist monk.
Free download here:
https://ftp.budaedu.org/ebooks/pdf/EN370.pdf
===
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Dhammapada Verse 398
Dve Brahmana Vatthu
Chetva naddhim varattanca
sandanam sahanukkamam
ukkhittapaligham buddham
tamaham brumi brahamanam.
Verse 398: Him I call a brahmana, who has cut the strap (of ill will), the thong (of craving) and the cord (of wrong views together with latent defilements), who has lifted the bar that fastens the door (of ignorance), and who knows the Truth.
The Story of Two Brahmins
While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (398) of this book, with reference to two brahmins.
Once there lived in Savatthi two brahmins, each of whom owned a bullock. Each claimed that his bullock was better and stronger. At last, they agreed to put their animals to a test. So they went to the bank of the Aciravati River and there they filled up a cart with sand. One after the other, the bullocks pulled the cart, but they only pulled in vain, because the cart, did not move and only the ropes broke off. The bhikkhus seeing this reported to the Buddha and the Buddha said to them, "Bhikkhus! It is easy to break off the straps which you can see with your eyes; anyone can break them or cut them. But my sons, a bhikkhu should cut the strap of ill will and the thong of craving which are within you and which bind you."
Verse 398: Him I call a brahmana, who has cut the strap (of ill will), the thong (of craving) and the cord (of wrong views together with latent defilements), who has lifted the bar that fastens the door (of ignorance), and who knows the Truth.
At the end of the discourse five hundred bhikkhus attained arahatship.
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Dve Brahmana Vatthu
Chetva naddhim varattanca
sandanam sahanukkamam
ukkhittapaligham buddham
tamaham brumi brahamanam.
Verse 398: Him I call a brahmana, who has cut the strap (of ill will), the thong (of craving) and the cord (of wrong views together with latent defilements), who has lifted the bar that fastens the door (of ignorance), and who knows the Truth.
The Story of Two Brahmins
While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (398) of this book, with reference to two brahmins.
Once there lived in Savatthi two brahmins, each of whom owned a bullock. Each claimed that his bullock was better and stronger. At last, they agreed to put their animals to a test. So they went to the bank of the Aciravati River and there they filled up a cart with sand. One after the other, the bullocks pulled the cart, but they only pulled in vain, because the cart, did not move and only the ropes broke off. The bhikkhus seeing this reported to the Buddha and the Buddha said to them, "Bhikkhus! It is easy to break off the straps which you can see with your eyes; anyone can break them or cut them. But my sons, a bhikkhu should cut the strap of ill will and the thong of craving which are within you and which bind you."
Verse 398: Him I call a brahmana, who has cut the strap (of ill will), the thong (of craving) and the cord (of wrong views together with latent defilements), who has lifted the bar that fastens the door (of ignorance), and who knows the Truth.
At the end of the discourse five hundred bhikkhus attained arahatship.
===
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Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:
“When an ethical person with trusting heart gives a proper gift to unethical persons, trusting in the ample fruit of deeds, that offering is purified by the giver.
When an unethical and untrusting person, gives an improper gift to ethical persons, not trusting in the ample fruit of deeds, that offering is purified by the receivers.
When an unethical and untrusting person, gives an improper gift to unethical persons, not trusting in the ample fruit of deeds, I declare that gift is not very fruitful.
When an ethical person with trusting heart gives a proper gift to ethical persons, trusting in the ample fruit of deeds, I declare that gift is abundantly fruitful.
But when a passionless one gives to the passionless a proper gift with trusting heart, trusting in the ample fruit of deeds, that’s truly the best of material gifts.”
Partial excerpts from MN 142 : Dakkhiṇāvibhaṅgasutta
“When an ethical person with trusting heart gives a proper gift to unethical persons, trusting in the ample fruit of deeds, that offering is purified by the giver.
When an unethical and untrusting person, gives an improper gift to ethical persons, not trusting in the ample fruit of deeds, that offering is purified by the receivers.
When an unethical and untrusting person, gives an improper gift to unethical persons, not trusting in the ample fruit of deeds, I declare that gift is not very fruitful.
When an ethical person with trusting heart gives a proper gift to ethical persons, trusting in the ample fruit of deeds, I declare that gift is abundantly fruitful.
But when a passionless one gives to the passionless a proper gift with trusting heart, trusting in the ample fruit of deeds, that’s truly the best of material gifts.”
Partial excerpts from MN 142 : Dakkhiṇāvibhaṅgasutta
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Dhammapada Verse 399
Akkosakabharadvaja Vatthu
Akkosam vadhabandhanca
aduttho yo titikkhati
khantibalam balanikam
tamaham brumi brahmanam.
Verse 399: Him I call a brahmana, who, without anger endures abuse, beating and being bound, and to whom the strength of patience is like the strength of an army.
The Story of the Abusive Brahmin Brothers
While residing at the Veluvana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (399) of this book, with reference to the abusive Bharadvaja brothers.
Once there was a brahmin, whose wife was in the habit of blurting out a string of words whenever she sneezed or when something or someone touched her unawares. One day, the brahmin invited some of his friends to a meal and suddenly she blurted out some words. Since she was a Sotapanna, the words "Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammsambhuddassa" automatically came out of her mouth. These words of veneration to the Buddha were very much disliked by her husband, the brahmin. So, in anger, he went to the Buddha hoping to put some challenging questions to the Buddha. His first question was, "What do we have to kill to be able to live happily and peacefully?" and his second question was, "Killing of what dhamma do you approve of?" To these questions, the Buddha replied, " O brahmin, to be able to live happily and peacefully, one will have to kill ill will (dosa). Killing one's ill will is liked and praised by the Buddhas and the arahats." After hearing the Buddha, the brahmin was so impressed and satisfied with the answer that he asked to be permitted to enter the Order. Accordingly, he entered the Order and later became an arahat.
This brahmin had a brother who was very notorious for his abusive words and was known as Akkosaka Bharadvaja, the abusive Bharadvaja. When Akkosaka Bharadvaja heard that his brother had joined the Order of the bhikkhus, he was furious. He went straight away to the monastery and abused the Buddha. The Buddha in his turn asked, "O brahmin, let us suppose you offered some food to some guests and they left the house without taking the food. Since the guests did not accept your food, to whom would that food belong?" To this question the brahmin answered that the food would be his. On receiving that answer, the Buddha said, "In the same way, O brahmin, since I do not accept your abuse, the abuse would only go back to you." Akkosaka Bharadvaja instantly realized the sagacity of those words and he felt a great respect for the Buddha. He also entered the Order and in due course became an arahat.
After Akkosaka Bharadvaja had entered the Order, his two younger brothers also came to see the Buddha with the same intention of abusing the Buddha. They too were made to see the light by the Buddha and they also, in their turn, entered the Order. Eventually, both of them became arahats.
One evening, at the congregation of the bhikkhus, the bhikkhus said to the Buddha, "O how wonderful and how great are the virtues of the Buddha! The four brahmin brothers came here to abuse the Buddha; instead of arguing with them, he made them see the light, and as a result, the Buddha has become a refuge to them." To them, the Buddha replied, "Bhikkhus! Because I am patient and forbearing, and do no wrong to those who do me wrong, I have become a refuge to many."
Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
Verse 399: Him I call a brahmana, who, without anger endures abuse, beating and being bound, and to whom the strength of patience is like the strength of an army.
===
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Akkosakabharadvaja Vatthu
Akkosam vadhabandhanca
aduttho yo titikkhati
khantibalam balanikam
tamaham brumi brahmanam.
Verse 399: Him I call a brahmana, who, without anger endures abuse, beating and being bound, and to whom the strength of patience is like the strength of an army.
The Story of the Abusive Brahmin Brothers
While residing at the Veluvana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (399) of this book, with reference to the abusive Bharadvaja brothers.
Once there was a brahmin, whose wife was in the habit of blurting out a string of words whenever she sneezed or when something or someone touched her unawares. One day, the brahmin invited some of his friends to a meal and suddenly she blurted out some words. Since she was a Sotapanna, the words "Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammsambhuddassa" automatically came out of her mouth. These words of veneration to the Buddha were very much disliked by her husband, the brahmin. So, in anger, he went to the Buddha hoping to put some challenging questions to the Buddha. His first question was, "What do we have to kill to be able to live happily and peacefully?" and his second question was, "Killing of what dhamma do you approve of?" To these questions, the Buddha replied, " O brahmin, to be able to live happily and peacefully, one will have to kill ill will (dosa). Killing one's ill will is liked and praised by the Buddhas and the arahats." After hearing the Buddha, the brahmin was so impressed and satisfied with the answer that he asked to be permitted to enter the Order. Accordingly, he entered the Order and later became an arahat.
This brahmin had a brother who was very notorious for his abusive words and was known as Akkosaka Bharadvaja, the abusive Bharadvaja. When Akkosaka Bharadvaja heard that his brother had joined the Order of the bhikkhus, he was furious. He went straight away to the monastery and abused the Buddha. The Buddha in his turn asked, "O brahmin, let us suppose you offered some food to some guests and they left the house without taking the food. Since the guests did not accept your food, to whom would that food belong?" To this question the brahmin answered that the food would be his. On receiving that answer, the Buddha said, "In the same way, O brahmin, since I do not accept your abuse, the abuse would only go back to you." Akkosaka Bharadvaja instantly realized the sagacity of those words and he felt a great respect for the Buddha. He also entered the Order and in due course became an arahat.
After Akkosaka Bharadvaja had entered the Order, his two younger brothers also came to see the Buddha with the same intention of abusing the Buddha. They too were made to see the light by the Buddha and they also, in their turn, entered the Order. Eventually, both of them became arahats.
One evening, at the congregation of the bhikkhus, the bhikkhus said to the Buddha, "O how wonderful and how great are the virtues of the Buddha! The four brahmin brothers came here to abuse the Buddha; instead of arguing with them, he made them see the light, and as a result, the Buddha has become a refuge to them." To them, the Buddha replied, "Bhikkhus! Because I am patient and forbearing, and do no wrong to those who do me wrong, I have become a refuge to many."
Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
Verse 399: Him I call a brahmana, who, without anger endures abuse, beating and being bound, and to whom the strength of patience is like the strength of an army.
===
Vajrayana Tantrayana Buddhism channel:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/tantrayanabuddhism
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https://news.1rj.ru/str/tibetanbuddha
===
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Forwarded from Words of the Buddha
Free Buddha Dharma ebook
Things as They Are: A Collection of Talks on the Training of the Mind
By Venerable Ācariya Mahā Boowa, and translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu
These talks were originally given to the monks at Venerable Ācariya Mahā Boowa’s monastery in Thailand. They deal in part with issues particular to Buddhist monks, but they also contain much that is of more general interest. Since the monks being addressed were at different stages in their practice, each talk deals with issues on a variety of levels. Thus there should be something of use for every reader interested in the training of the mind.
Free download available:
https://www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/Writings/Ebooks/ThingsasTheyAre_181215.pdf
===
Things as They Are: A Collection of Talks on the Training of the Mind
By Venerable Ācariya Mahā Boowa, and translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu
These talks were originally given to the monks at Venerable Ācariya Mahā Boowa’s monastery in Thailand. They deal in part with issues particular to Buddhist monks, but they also contain much that is of more general interest. Since the monks being addressed were at different stages in their practice, each talk deals with issues on a variety of levels. Thus there should be something of use for every reader interested in the training of the mind.
Free download available:
https://www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/Writings/Ebooks/ThingsasTheyAre_181215.pdf
===
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