Forwarded from Words of the Buddha
So pay heed, all you celestial beings, have love for humankind, who day and night bring offerings; please protect them diligently.
Tasmā hi bhūtā nisāmetha sabbe
Mettam karotha mānusiyā pajāya
Divā ca ratto ca haranti ye balim
Tasmā hi ne rakkhatha appamattā
Ratana Sutta verse 2
Balinese offerings for the divine, southern Bali seas, Indonesia.
Tasmā hi bhūtā nisāmetha sabbe
Mettam karotha mānusiyā pajāya
Divā ca ratto ca haranti ye balim
Tasmā hi ne rakkhatha appamattā
Ratana Sutta verse 2
Balinese offerings for the divine, southern Bali seas, Indonesia.
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Forwarded from Words of the Buddha
A Satisfying State of Happiness
How tranquility supports meditation practice and ultimately leads to a deeper sense of contentment and peace
By Gil Fronsdal
My body was tranquil and undisturbed, my mind concentrated and unified.
—The Buddha MN 4.22 (i 21)
Tranquility is both a gift of meditation practice and a support for deepening the practice. As a gift, it can be healing and confidence-producing. As a support, it provides a sense of well-being that nourishes concentration and mental harmony. Meditative tranquility is a compelling state that can involve feelings of peace, calm, serenity, contentment, and deep rest. In the body, tranquility is like a deep, clear lake with a wide, still surface. In the mind, it’s like the soft, quiet, fresh air over the lake at dawn.
Tranquility supports mindfulness, and in turn mindfulness is a support for tranquility. As agitation decreases with greater tranquility, mindfulness can become more stable and insightful. And as mindfulness recognizes agitation with a clear, non-conflictive awareness, tranquility grows.
While tranquility can be conducive to sleepiness, well-developed tranquility is an invigorated state similar to waking up refreshed from a good nap. Sometimes partial tranquility slides into complacency, but full tranquility comes with an alert presence. And while the idea of tranquility can seem boring to those unfamiliar with it, in reality it is quite engaging for those who experience it.
In the Buddha’s teachings, tranquility is a supportive condition for happiness that can be characterized as “peaceful happiness.” In meditation, the state of tranquility provides contentment and peace that are the basis for a deep and sublime sense of well-being. This is a happiness that’s not possible when the mind is restless or preoccupied. Tranquility removes the excitement from joy so joy can transform itself into a more satisfying state of happiness.
Tranquility is born when agitation calms down, when conflict is put to rest, and when desires are reduced. Relaxing the body is a primary practice for cultivating tranquility. We can soften the face, release the shoulders, and loosen any tension in the belly. We can also let go of thoughts and relax the “thinking muscle,” letting go of any physical tension, pressure, or agitation associated with thinking. As the body relaxes, anxiety abates. As thinking quiets down, agitation decreases.
The Buddha said that tranquility is the nourishment for tranquility. This can be translated into the idea that tranquility is fostered by paying attention to tranquility, that peace grows by noticing what is peaceful, and that relaxation expands by appreciating relaxation. Being aware of even the smallest amount of tranquility, peace, or relaxation can foster more of these same states. Observing them in others can evoke them in ourselves. Perceiving the tranquility and peace of particular places can suffuse the body with these qualities. Visiting locations with strong atmospheres of tranquility can be medicine for releasing tensions and preoccupations.
In addition to meditation, other supports for tranquility are spending time alone or in nature. Being around calm people also helps. Avoiding multitasking by doing just one thing at a time reduces agitation; doing one thing at a time in an unhurried and undistracted manner can be deeply calming. For some people, talking less or talking more slowly promotes relaxation.
An axiom about tranquility is, “If you need wisdom, try tranquility first.” The more we value being wise in our life, the more valuable it is to be tranquil. With the support of tranquility, what is wise will often be obvious and simple. This is especially true in meditation; everyone has the ability to be wise in meditation provided we are not too agitated to recognize it.
How tranquility supports meditation practice and ultimately leads to a deeper sense of contentment and peace
By Gil Fronsdal
My body was tranquil and undisturbed, my mind concentrated and unified.
—The Buddha MN 4.22 (i 21)
Tranquility is both a gift of meditation practice and a support for deepening the practice. As a gift, it can be healing and confidence-producing. As a support, it provides a sense of well-being that nourishes concentration and mental harmony. Meditative tranquility is a compelling state that can involve feelings of peace, calm, serenity, contentment, and deep rest. In the body, tranquility is like a deep, clear lake with a wide, still surface. In the mind, it’s like the soft, quiet, fresh air over the lake at dawn.
Tranquility supports mindfulness, and in turn mindfulness is a support for tranquility. As agitation decreases with greater tranquility, mindfulness can become more stable and insightful. And as mindfulness recognizes agitation with a clear, non-conflictive awareness, tranquility grows.
While tranquility can be conducive to sleepiness, well-developed tranquility is an invigorated state similar to waking up refreshed from a good nap. Sometimes partial tranquility slides into complacency, but full tranquility comes with an alert presence. And while the idea of tranquility can seem boring to those unfamiliar with it, in reality it is quite engaging for those who experience it.
In the Buddha’s teachings, tranquility is a supportive condition for happiness that can be characterized as “peaceful happiness.” In meditation, the state of tranquility provides contentment and peace that are the basis for a deep and sublime sense of well-being. This is a happiness that’s not possible when the mind is restless or preoccupied. Tranquility removes the excitement from joy so joy can transform itself into a more satisfying state of happiness.
Tranquility is born when agitation calms down, when conflict is put to rest, and when desires are reduced. Relaxing the body is a primary practice for cultivating tranquility. We can soften the face, release the shoulders, and loosen any tension in the belly. We can also let go of thoughts and relax the “thinking muscle,” letting go of any physical tension, pressure, or agitation associated with thinking. As the body relaxes, anxiety abates. As thinking quiets down, agitation decreases.
The Buddha said that tranquility is the nourishment for tranquility. This can be translated into the idea that tranquility is fostered by paying attention to tranquility, that peace grows by noticing what is peaceful, and that relaxation expands by appreciating relaxation. Being aware of even the smallest amount of tranquility, peace, or relaxation can foster more of these same states. Observing them in others can evoke them in ourselves. Perceiving the tranquility and peace of particular places can suffuse the body with these qualities. Visiting locations with strong atmospheres of tranquility can be medicine for releasing tensions and preoccupations.
In addition to meditation, other supports for tranquility are spending time alone or in nature. Being around calm people also helps. Avoiding multitasking by doing just one thing at a time reduces agitation; doing one thing at a time in an unhurried and undistracted manner can be deeply calming. For some people, talking less or talking more slowly promotes relaxation.
An axiom about tranquility is, “If you need wisdom, try tranquility first.” The more we value being wise in our life, the more valuable it is to be tranquil. With the support of tranquility, what is wise will often be obvious and simple. This is especially true in meditation; everyone has the ability to be wise in meditation provided we are not too agitated to recognize it.
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Words of the Buddha
Daily teachings of Buddha Dharma
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Forwarded from Words of the Buddha
While tranquility is not the ultimate purpose of Buddhist meditation, it is an important part of the path to liberation, which is the ultimate purpose. Tranquility sets the stage for the final stages on the path to liberation. It is considered a factor of awakening that prepares the ground for deep concentration and equanimity. It also prepares the mind for liberation by doing some of the initial work of letting go of what keeps the mind agitated. Becoming tranquil by relaxing tension, quieting agitation, and letting go of discursive thinking is exercising the mind’s capacity to release its attachments. When that capacity is mature, the mind can let go fully. This ultimate letting go comes with a profound sense of peace and happiness that is the greatest fruit of tranquility.
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Gil Fronsdal teaches at the Insight Meditation Center and at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. He has practiced extensively in the Soto Zen and Theravada Buddhist traditions. He is the author of The Issue at Hand: Essays on Buddhist Mindfulness Practice and the translator of The Dhammapada: A New Translation of the Buddhist Classic.
===
Words of the Buddha channel:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/wordsofbuddha
===
===
Gil Fronsdal teaches at the Insight Meditation Center and at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. He has practiced extensively in the Soto Zen and Theravada Buddhist traditions. He is the author of The Issue at Hand: Essays on Buddhist Mindfulness Practice and the translator of The Dhammapada: A New Translation of the Buddhist Classic.
===
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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Forwarded from Words of the Buddha
Heavenly gapura gate facing Mount Agung, Candi Bentar temple, Lempuyang temple compound, East Bali, Indonesia.
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Forwarded from Buddha
Free Buddha Dharma ebook
Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?
By Ajahn Brahm
Free download available:
https://static.sariputta.com/pdf/tipitaka/211/Who-Ordered-This-Truckload-of-Dung-Preview_pdf.pdf
===
Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?
By Ajahn Brahm
Free download available:
https://static.sariputta.com/pdf/tipitaka/211/Who-Ordered-This-Truckload-of-Dung-Preview_pdf.pdf
===
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Forwarded from Buddha
Free Buddha Dharma ebook
Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?
By Ajahn Brahm
life is a series of interwoven stories, not a set of concepts. Ideas are generalizations, always some distance from the truth. A story, with its array of meanings and richness of detail, is recognizably much closer to real life. That is why we relate more easily to stories than to abstract theories. We love a good yarn.
The stories in this book revolve around the second of these noble truths, the cause of happiness. The Buddha would often teach using stories. My own teacher, the late Ajahn Chah of northeast Thailand, also taught using stories. After hearing one of Ajahn Chah’s discourses, it was the stories I would remember most, especially the funny ones. Moreover, it was these stories that conveyed the deepest instructions about the path to inner happiness. The stories were the messengers carrying his teachings.
I have also used stories when teaching Buddhism and meditation in Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia for more than twenty years, and in this book I present some of what I feel are the best of these stories. Each story is intended to speak for itself, so I have added minimal commentary. Each one carries many levels of meaning, so the more you read them, the more truths are revealed.
Free download available:
https://static.sariputta.com/pdf/tipitaka/211/Who-Ordered-This-Truckload-of-Dung-Preview_pdf.pdf
===
Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?
By Ajahn Brahm
life is a series of interwoven stories, not a set of concepts. Ideas are generalizations, always some distance from the truth. A story, with its array of meanings and richness of detail, is recognizably much closer to real life. That is why we relate more easily to stories than to abstract theories. We love a good yarn.
The stories in this book revolve around the second of these noble truths, the cause of happiness. The Buddha would often teach using stories. My own teacher, the late Ajahn Chah of northeast Thailand, also taught using stories. After hearing one of Ajahn Chah’s discourses, it was the stories I would remember most, especially the funny ones. Moreover, it was these stories that conveyed the deepest instructions about the path to inner happiness. The stories were the messengers carrying his teachings.
I have also used stories when teaching Buddhism and meditation in Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia for more than twenty years, and in this book I present some of what I feel are the best of these stories. Each story is intended to speak for itself, so I have added minimal commentary. Each one carries many levels of meaning, so the more you read them, the more truths are revealed.
Free download available:
https://static.sariputta.com/pdf/tipitaka/211/Who-Ordered-This-Truckload-of-Dung-Preview_pdf.pdf
===
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Yamaka Vagga
The Twin Verses
15. Idha socati pecca socati
papakari ubhayattha socati
So socati so vihannati
disva kammakilittham attano.
EVIL-DOERS SUFFER HERE AND HEREAFTER
15. Here he grieves, hereafter he grieves. In both states the evil-doer grieves. He grieves, he is afflicted, perceiving the impurity of his own deeds.
Story
A pork-butcher named Cunda, who lived by killing pigs throughout his lifetime, was subject to much suffering in his last days. Before dying, he rolled on the floor actually squealing like a pig. After death he was born in a woeful state.
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Ajahn Chah, Buddhist teacher of Thai forest meditation of Theravada Buddhism channel:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/ajahnchah_buddhism
===
The Twin Verses
15. Idha socati pecca socati
papakari ubhayattha socati
So socati so vihannati
disva kammakilittham attano.
EVIL-DOERS SUFFER HERE AND HEREAFTER
15. Here he grieves, hereafter he grieves. In both states the evil-doer grieves. He grieves, he is afflicted, perceiving the impurity of his own deeds.
Story
A pork-butcher named Cunda, who lived by killing pigs throughout his lifetime, was subject to much suffering in his last days. Before dying, he rolled on the floor actually squealing like a pig. After death he was born in a woeful state.
===
Ajahn Chah, Buddhist teacher of Thai forest meditation of Theravada Buddhism channel:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/ajahnchah_buddhism
===
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Ajahn Chah - Theravada Thailand Buddhism
Collection of teachings of Venerable Ajahn Chah, a foremost meditation and Buddhist teacher from Thailand
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“Mendicants, there are eight causes and reasons that lead to acquiring the wisdom fundamental to the spiritual life, and to its increase, growth, and full development once it has been acquired. What eight?
1. It’s when a mendicant lives relying on the Teacher or a spiritual companion in a teacher’s role. And they set up a keen sense of conscience and prudence for them, with warmth and respect. This is the first cause.
2. When a mendicant lives relying on the Teacher or a spiritual companion in a teacher’s role—with a keen sense of conscience and prudence for them, with warmth and respect—from time to time they go and ask them questions: ‘Why, sir, does it say this? What does that mean?’ Those venerables clarify what is unclear, reveal what is obscure, and dispel doubt regarding the many doubtful matters. This is the second cause.
Partial excerpts from AN 8.2 Paññāsutta: Wisdom
1. It’s when a mendicant lives relying on the Teacher or a spiritual companion in a teacher’s role. And they set up a keen sense of conscience and prudence for them, with warmth and respect. This is the first cause.
2. When a mendicant lives relying on the Teacher or a spiritual companion in a teacher’s role—with a keen sense of conscience and prudence for them, with warmth and respect—from time to time they go and ask them questions: ‘Why, sir, does it say this? What does that mean?’ Those venerables clarify what is unclear, reveal what is obscure, and dispel doubt regarding the many doubtful matters. This is the second cause.
Partial excerpts from AN 8.2 Paññāsutta: Wisdom
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Yamaka Vagga
The Twin Verses
16. Idha modati pecca modati
katapunno ubhayattha modati
So modati so pamodati
disva kammavisuddham attano.
HAPPY ARE THE WELL-DOERS HERE AND HEREAFTER
16. Here he rejoices, hereafter he rejoices. In both states the well-doer rejoices. He rejoices, exceedingly rejoices, perceiving the purity of his own deeds.
Story
A devout person, named Dhammika, who led a religious life, lying on his death-bed, saw happy visions, and after a peaceful death, was born in a celestial plane.
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Free Buddhism books, teachings, podcasts and videos from Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/buddha_ebooks
===
The Twin Verses
16. Idha modati pecca modati
katapunno ubhayattha modati
So modati so pamodati
disva kammavisuddham attano.
HAPPY ARE THE WELL-DOERS HERE AND HEREAFTER
16. Here he rejoices, hereafter he rejoices. In both states the well-doer rejoices. He rejoices, exceedingly rejoices, perceiving the purity of his own deeds.
Story
A devout person, named Dhammika, who led a religious life, lying on his death-bed, saw happy visions, and after a peaceful death, was born in a celestial plane.
===
Free Buddhism books, teachings, podcasts and videos from Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/buddha_ebooks
===
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Buddha Dharma books
Free Buddhism books, teachings, podcasts and videos from Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions
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Forwarded from Words of the Buddha
Free Buddha Dharma ebook
Thus We Heard: Recollections of the Life of the Buddha
By Bhante Walpola Piyananda & Stephen Long, D. Dh.(Bodhicari Dharmapala)
Free download here:
https://ftp.budaedu.org/ebooks/pdf/EN386.pdf
===
Thus We Heard: Recollections of the Life of the Buddha
By Bhante Walpola Piyananda & Stephen Long, D. Dh.(Bodhicari Dharmapala)
Free download here:
https://ftp.budaedu.org/ebooks/pdf/EN386.pdf
===
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Forwarded from Words of the Buddha
Free Buddha Dharma ebook
Thus We Heard: Recollections of the Life of the Buddha
By Bhante Walpola Piyananda & Stephen Long, D. Dh.(Bodhicari Dharmapala)
The timeless teachings of the Buddha have been our source of inspiration, our guidelines for happy living, our motivation for practice, and our tools for higher spiritual attainment for many decades.
The question always arises: Just who was this prince who renounced the world to seek enlightenment and eventually became the Buddha?
Many books have attempted to answer this question, and many have done an admirable job. None, however, have really satisfied our desire for an eye-witness account of who he really was.
We decided that the best and only place to look for him was the Tripitaka, the Three Baskets of 84,000 teachings that were organized during the First Sangha Council ninety days after the Buddha passed away, and then first written down three hundred years after the Buddha's Parinibbana.
Our first intention for writing this book was to present a biography of the Buddha from the perspective of the Tripitaka itself. The ancient Pali-language Canon contains a wealth of information on this subject, and we decided to mine it for deeper clues that might enable us to discover exactly who and what the Buddha was - minus the speculations, fables, and tales from the early Buddhist commentaries.
Our second intention for writing this book was to share verbatim as many translations of the Buddha's primary messages as we could, realizing that most readers would never have the chance to read them unless they took it upon themselves to engage in countless hours of research.
Our third intention for writing this book was to share the life of the Buddha in a way that would appeal to Westerners and Easterners alike.To do that, we realized the need for a contextual story platform that would make the material both accessible and entertaining: hence the creation of the fictitious First Sangha Council sub-committee that recollected the life of the Buddha.
Free download here:
https://ftp.budaedu.org/ebooks/pdf/EN386.pdf
===
Thus We Heard: Recollections of the Life of the Buddha
By Bhante Walpola Piyananda & Stephen Long, D. Dh.(Bodhicari Dharmapala)
The timeless teachings of the Buddha have been our source of inspiration, our guidelines for happy living, our motivation for practice, and our tools for higher spiritual attainment for many decades.
The question always arises: Just who was this prince who renounced the world to seek enlightenment and eventually became the Buddha?
Many books have attempted to answer this question, and many have done an admirable job. None, however, have really satisfied our desire for an eye-witness account of who he really was.
We decided that the best and only place to look for him was the Tripitaka, the Three Baskets of 84,000 teachings that were organized during the First Sangha Council ninety days after the Buddha passed away, and then first written down three hundred years after the Buddha's Parinibbana.
Our first intention for writing this book was to present a biography of the Buddha from the perspective of the Tripitaka itself. The ancient Pali-language Canon contains a wealth of information on this subject, and we decided to mine it for deeper clues that might enable us to discover exactly who and what the Buddha was - minus the speculations, fables, and tales from the early Buddhist commentaries.
Our second intention for writing this book was to share verbatim as many translations of the Buddha's primary messages as we could, realizing that most readers would never have the chance to read them unless they took it upon themselves to engage in countless hours of research.
Our third intention for writing this book was to share the life of the Buddha in a way that would appeal to Westerners and Easterners alike.To do that, we realized the need for a contextual story platform that would make the material both accessible and entertaining: hence the creation of the fictitious First Sangha Council sub-committee that recollected the life of the Buddha.
Free download here:
https://ftp.budaedu.org/ebooks/pdf/EN386.pdf
===
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Yamaka Vagga
The Twin Verses
17. Idha tappati pecca tappati
papakari ubhayattha tappati
Papam me katan ti tappati
bhiyyo tappati duggatim gato.
THE EVIL-DOER LAMENTS HERE AND HEREAFTER
17. Here he suffers, hereafter he suffers. In both states the evil-doer suffers. "Evil have I done" (thinking thus), he suffers. Furthermore, he suffers, having gone to a woeful state.
Story
The Venerable Devadatta made an unsuccessful attempt to kill the Buddha. In his old age he repented and desired to see the Buddha. While he was being carried on a litter to see the Buddha, he died on the way under tragic circumstances.
===
Buddha dharma teachings channel:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/lorddivinebuddha
===
The Twin Verses
17. Idha tappati pecca tappati
papakari ubhayattha tappati
Papam me katan ti tappati
bhiyyo tappati duggatim gato.
THE EVIL-DOER LAMENTS HERE AND HEREAFTER
17. Here he suffers, hereafter he suffers. In both states the evil-doer suffers. "Evil have I done" (thinking thus), he suffers. Furthermore, he suffers, having gone to a woeful state.
Story
The Venerable Devadatta made an unsuccessful attempt to kill the Buddha. In his old age he repented and desired to see the Buddha. While he was being carried on a litter to see the Buddha, he died on the way under tragic circumstances.
===
Buddha dharma teachings channel:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/lorddivinebuddha
===
Telegram
Buddha
Buddha dharma teachings from the suttas and commentaries
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Forwarded from Words of the Buddha
Three Giant Standing Buddha, Buddhavas of Anatta Universe Buddhist temple, Muang Boran, Thailand.
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“In the wilderness, at a tree’s root, or an empty hut, O mendicants, recollect the Buddha, and no fear will come to you.
If you can’t recollect the Buddha—the eldest in the world, the chief of men—then recollect the teaching, emancipating, well taught.
If you can’t recollect the teaching—emancipating, well taught—then recollect the Saṅgha, the supreme field of merit.
Thus recollecting the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha, mendicants, fear and terror and goosebumps will be no more.”
SN 11.3 : Dhajaggasutta
If you can’t recollect the Buddha—the eldest in the world, the chief of men—then recollect the teaching, emancipating, well taught.
If you can’t recollect the teaching—emancipating, well taught—then recollect the Saṅgha, the supreme field of merit.
Thus recollecting the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha, mendicants, fear and terror and goosebumps will be no more.”
SN 11.3 : Dhajaggasutta
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