Sugar-Coated Poison
Theravada monk and teacher Ajahn Martin Piyadhammo on overcoming mental defilements
By Ajahn Martin Piyadhammo
Part 2 of 2
We have to put the brakes on, to stop the engine running. After all, if a car engine is running, it takes the car in whatever direction it is traveling, and if the kilesa engine is running, it just takes us wherever the kilesas want to go. We have to slam the brakes on, and that’s much easier to do in a monastery, because we know from our teachers and the monastic rules what kind of work it is proper to do and what really needs to be done. Than Ajahn Mahã Bua realized that there were tasks involved in taking care of a monastery, but he insisted that they be done quickly, with sati and without talking. He always pointed out, however, that the true work of a samana was sitting in samadhi and doing walking meditation. Please be clear about this; having sati when performing everyday tasks is all right, but it doesn’t get rid of the kilesas. The only way to destroy them is to keep your attention on the meditation object while sitting or walking when practicing for samadhi, or on the subject of investigation when developing wisdom (panna). This should be your work. Everything else is not the work of a samana.
Practices like the dhutangas are vital if we want to see how the kilesas drive our lives. The kilesas want to do things and are happy as long as they are active. When they are not in action, they are full of discontent, and that’s why they think up things for us to do. Their suggestions have a certain logic to them, but logic and rationality is a department of the kilesas. Everything is a department of the kilesas, and that’s why we need the teachings of the Lord Buddha to hold on to. We can remind ourselves of his teachings, and how he wanted us to behave as we go through daily life. Without these teachings, we would have only our own thoughts, views, and opinions, and would be trapped in the logic of the kilesas. They are the masters of rationality and smartness, magicians who have tricked us all our lives into believing something or other. Than Ajahn Mahã Bua’s point about sugar-coated poison is that people don’t see the danger in the coating and don’t even recognize that there is poison inside. They are drawn to the sweetness, the attraction of the sugar coating. He wasn’t talking about sweetness in a literal sense, of course; there are many other attractions that the kilesas can dangle before us. For instance, bhikkhus might be attracted to the idea of building another temple or constructing a better kuti. It’s all the same kind of thing; we just can’t see through the sweet coating. As soon as the kilesas are gone, we see the poison immediately, but normally we can’t see it because the kilesas rule the heart.
So how can we get rid of the kilesas? We have to stop them somehow, and we do that by adopting a lifestyle that goes completely against them, by meditating from the moment we open our eyes in the morning to the moment we close them again at night. Other kinds of work should be done only if it is absolutely necessary. There can be time for eating, washing clothes, bathing, and so forth, but otherwise we should be practicing meditation. I sometimes stress to my students that even if they want to go to the toilet, they should think twice and not just go straightaway. When you want to take a shower, ask yourself if it’s the right time. When you are living in this monastery, you can take a shower after sweeping time, but if you start wanting to shower at midday, you know something’s wrong. If you had a good meditation but feel the need to go and do something or other immediately afterward, you know that it wasn’t a good meditation for you. Rather, it was a good meditation for the kilesas, because they could think up things for you to go and do. We can easily spend our whole life following the suggestions of the kilesas, only to realize at the end, when we close our eyes for the last time, that we hadn’t done the work we were really supposed to do.
Theravada monk and teacher Ajahn Martin Piyadhammo on overcoming mental defilements
By Ajahn Martin Piyadhammo
Part 2 of 2
We have to put the brakes on, to stop the engine running. After all, if a car engine is running, it takes the car in whatever direction it is traveling, and if the kilesa engine is running, it just takes us wherever the kilesas want to go. We have to slam the brakes on, and that’s much easier to do in a monastery, because we know from our teachers and the monastic rules what kind of work it is proper to do and what really needs to be done. Than Ajahn Mahã Bua realized that there were tasks involved in taking care of a monastery, but he insisted that they be done quickly, with sati and without talking. He always pointed out, however, that the true work of a samana was sitting in samadhi and doing walking meditation. Please be clear about this; having sati when performing everyday tasks is all right, but it doesn’t get rid of the kilesas. The only way to destroy them is to keep your attention on the meditation object while sitting or walking when practicing for samadhi, or on the subject of investigation when developing wisdom (panna). This should be your work. Everything else is not the work of a samana.
Practices like the dhutangas are vital if we want to see how the kilesas drive our lives. The kilesas want to do things and are happy as long as they are active. When they are not in action, they are full of discontent, and that’s why they think up things for us to do. Their suggestions have a certain logic to them, but logic and rationality is a department of the kilesas. Everything is a department of the kilesas, and that’s why we need the teachings of the Lord Buddha to hold on to. We can remind ourselves of his teachings, and how he wanted us to behave as we go through daily life. Without these teachings, we would have only our own thoughts, views, and opinions, and would be trapped in the logic of the kilesas. They are the masters of rationality and smartness, magicians who have tricked us all our lives into believing something or other. Than Ajahn Mahã Bua’s point about sugar-coated poison is that people don’t see the danger in the coating and don’t even recognize that there is poison inside. They are drawn to the sweetness, the attraction of the sugar coating. He wasn’t talking about sweetness in a literal sense, of course; there are many other attractions that the kilesas can dangle before us. For instance, bhikkhus might be attracted to the idea of building another temple or constructing a better kuti. It’s all the same kind of thing; we just can’t see through the sweet coating. As soon as the kilesas are gone, we see the poison immediately, but normally we can’t see it because the kilesas rule the heart.
So how can we get rid of the kilesas? We have to stop them somehow, and we do that by adopting a lifestyle that goes completely against them, by meditating from the moment we open our eyes in the morning to the moment we close them again at night. Other kinds of work should be done only if it is absolutely necessary. There can be time for eating, washing clothes, bathing, and so forth, but otherwise we should be practicing meditation. I sometimes stress to my students that even if they want to go to the toilet, they should think twice and not just go straightaway. When you want to take a shower, ask yourself if it’s the right time. When you are living in this monastery, you can take a shower after sweeping time, but if you start wanting to shower at midday, you know something’s wrong. If you had a good meditation but feel the need to go and do something or other immediately afterward, you know that it wasn’t a good meditation for you. Rather, it was a good meditation for the kilesas, because they could think up things for you to go and do. We can easily spend our whole life following the suggestions of the kilesas, only to realize at the end, when we close our eyes for the last time, that we hadn’t done the work we were really supposed to do.
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Instead, we’d spent all our time running after the kilesas, trying to get whatever they thought we needed.
If you can’t stop, then you know that kilesas are involved.
I warn you: Most of the things we think are necessary are really just a product of the kilesas. Most of what we consider logical, rational, or reasonable is the way of the kilesas. That’s why we come to live in a monastery with a great Ajahn—to follow his example. Did you ever see Than Ajahn Mahã Bua carrying out unnecessary building work or running around doing unimportant things? No. When he came back to the monastery from visits to teach and help people, he went straight back to his walking (caçkama) path. Than Ajahn Mahã Bua used to stress that doing building work would make the monks rotten. It’s not that building something is wrong in itself; it’s a question of what is being built, the amount of effort that has to go into it, and whether you can stop afterward. If you can’t stop, then you know that kilesas are involved. Similarly, if laypeople living in a monastery want to perform a service for the monastic community, that’s fine, but if they endlessly want to do more and more and more—cooking, shopping, driving, and so on—it’s a sign of the kilesas. We have to put an end to these endless things.
The kilesas are not all bad or negative, however, for there are “good” kilesas. For instance, the desire to attain nibbana is necessary, otherwise we would never even begin practicing to get there. The wish to attain nibbana is a positive thing, and we can put the kilesas to work to help us get there. Also, if we recognize that we are stingy, we can use the kilesas to do good and be more open-handed until we enjoy being generous. But we have to use wanting in a skillful way; there’s no use wanting to attain samadhi but deciding not to act on it and reading a book instead. There’s nothing wrong with wanting if it’s directed toward a proper path. If we want to attain nibbana or want to have sati continuously for seven days and nights, that’s fine. The desire to end discontent (dukkha) is fine. In the end, all desire and wanting will be destroyed at the moment ignorance (avijja) is destroyed.
This excerpt was adapted from a dhamma talk given on September 27, 2009, and which was originally published in The Way to the Heart: Talks on Dhamma Practice by Ajahn Martin Piyadhammo (Phu Khong Tong Monastery).
===
Ajahn Martin Piyadhammo as lived as a Buddhist forest monk in jungles of Thailand for thirty years in the Thai Forest Tradition founded by Luangphu Mun (1870-1949). He stayed at Wat Pa Baan Taad for many years under the guidance of Luangta Mahā Bua (1913–2011) who was widely considered to be the successor of Lungphu Mun. Ordained in Thailand as a Buddhist monk in December 1995, he has lived there ever since, going on tudong (journeying alone in solitude through the forests) for a few months each year and meditating about 14 hours every day.
===
Part 1 of 2:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/wordsofbuddha/4449
Part 2 of 2:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/dhammapadas/3191
===
Dhammapada, beloved and favorite teachings of the Buddha channel:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/dhammapadas
===
If you can’t stop, then you know that kilesas are involved.
I warn you: Most of the things we think are necessary are really just a product of the kilesas. Most of what we consider logical, rational, or reasonable is the way of the kilesas. That’s why we come to live in a monastery with a great Ajahn—to follow his example. Did you ever see Than Ajahn Mahã Bua carrying out unnecessary building work or running around doing unimportant things? No. When he came back to the monastery from visits to teach and help people, he went straight back to his walking (caçkama) path. Than Ajahn Mahã Bua used to stress that doing building work would make the monks rotten. It’s not that building something is wrong in itself; it’s a question of what is being built, the amount of effort that has to go into it, and whether you can stop afterward. If you can’t stop, then you know that kilesas are involved. Similarly, if laypeople living in a monastery want to perform a service for the monastic community, that’s fine, but if they endlessly want to do more and more and more—cooking, shopping, driving, and so on—it’s a sign of the kilesas. We have to put an end to these endless things.
The kilesas are not all bad or negative, however, for there are “good” kilesas. For instance, the desire to attain nibbana is necessary, otherwise we would never even begin practicing to get there. The wish to attain nibbana is a positive thing, and we can put the kilesas to work to help us get there. Also, if we recognize that we are stingy, we can use the kilesas to do good and be more open-handed until we enjoy being generous. But we have to use wanting in a skillful way; there’s no use wanting to attain samadhi but deciding not to act on it and reading a book instead. There’s nothing wrong with wanting if it’s directed toward a proper path. If we want to attain nibbana or want to have sati continuously for seven days and nights, that’s fine. The desire to end discontent (dukkha) is fine. In the end, all desire and wanting will be destroyed at the moment ignorance (avijja) is destroyed.
This excerpt was adapted from a dhamma talk given on September 27, 2009, and which was originally published in The Way to the Heart: Talks on Dhamma Practice by Ajahn Martin Piyadhammo (Phu Khong Tong Monastery).
===
Ajahn Martin Piyadhammo as lived as a Buddhist forest monk in jungles of Thailand for thirty years in the Thai Forest Tradition founded by Luangphu Mun (1870-1949). He stayed at Wat Pa Baan Taad for many years under the guidance of Luangta Mahā Bua (1913–2011) who was widely considered to be the successor of Lungphu Mun. Ordained in Thailand as a Buddhist monk in December 1995, he has lived there ever since, going on tudong (journeying alone in solitude through the forests) for a few months each year and meditating about 14 hours every day.
===
Part 1 of 2:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/wordsofbuddha/4449
Part 2 of 2:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/dhammapadas/3191
===
Dhammapada, beloved and favorite teachings of the Buddha channel:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/dhammapadas
===
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Forwarded from Buddha
Spend time with the learned
who have memorized the teachings,
an eloquent and uplifting friend. When you understand the meanings
and have dispelled doubt,
live alone like a horned rhino.
Partial excepts from Snp 1.3 : Khaggavisāṇasutta
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who have memorized the teachings,
an eloquent and uplifting friend. When you understand the meanings
and have dispelled doubt,
live alone like a horned rhino.
Partial excepts from Snp 1.3 : Khaggavisāṇasutta
===
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9. Game va yadi varanne
ninne va yadi va thale
Yattharahanto viharanti
tam bhumim ramaneyyakam. 98.
DELIGHTFUL IS THE SPOT WHERE ARAHANTS DWELL
9. Whether in village or in forest in vale or on hill, 23 wherever Arahants dwell - delightful, indeed, is that spot. 98.
Story
Revata, youngest brother of the Venerable Sariputta renounced the world and before long attained Arahantship. He took delight in living alone in the forest. When the monks had meals with the Buddha at Visakha's residence she inquired about the forest where the Venerable Revata dwell. Thereupon the Buddha commented on the attractiveness of forests where Arahants dwell.
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Buddha dharma teachings channel:
https://invite.viber.com/?g2=AQAKw1y3rv%2F6sk61PI2W4izuIiaEZj8YZujhY1tSzL%2B07s7rFnVFDAd0bAYFaMLw
===
ninne va yadi va thale
Yattharahanto viharanti
tam bhumim ramaneyyakam. 98.
DELIGHTFUL IS THE SPOT WHERE ARAHANTS DWELL
9. Whether in village or in forest in vale or on hill, 23 wherever Arahants dwell - delightful, indeed, is that spot. 98.
Story
Revata, youngest brother of the Venerable Sariputta renounced the world and before long attained Arahantship. He took delight in living alone in the forest. When the monks had meals with the Buddha at Visakha's residence she inquired about the forest where the Venerable Revata dwell. Thereupon the Buddha commented on the attractiveness of forests where Arahants dwell.
===
Buddha dharma teachings channel:
https://invite.viber.com/?g2=AQAKw1y3rv%2F6sk61PI2W4izuIiaEZj8YZujhY1tSzL%2B07s7rFnVFDAd0bAYFaMLw
===
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Buddha dharma teachings from the suttas and commentaries from Theravada tradition
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Forwarded from Buddha
If you find an alert companion, an attentive friend to live happily together, then, overcoming all adversities, wander with them, joyful and mindful.
If you find no alert companion, an attentive friend to live happily together, then, like a king who flees his conquered realm, wander alone like a tusker in the wilds.
Partial excepts from Snp 1.3 : Khaggavisāṇasutta
If you find no alert companion, an attentive friend to live happily together, then, like a king who flees his conquered realm, wander alone like a tusker in the wilds.
Partial excepts from Snp 1.3 : Khaggavisāṇasutta
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Forwarded from Buddha Dharma books
Free Buddha Dharma ebook
The Buddha You Never Knew
By Bhante Shravasti Dhammika
Free download available:
https://budblooms.org/the-buddha-you-never-knew/
===
The Buddha You Never Knew
By Bhante Shravasti Dhammika
Free download available:
https://budblooms.org/the-buddha-you-never-knew/
===
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Forwarded from Buddha Dharma books
Free Buddha Dharma ebook
The Buddha You Never Knew
By Bhante Shravasti Dhammika
What is often referred to as “the silence of the Buddha” has become almost proverbial and has been widely commented on by both academic and popular writers. Some have claimed that the Buddha remained silent when asked questions about ultimate reality because he wanted to avoid idle speculation, or because he was agnostic, or even because he did not know how to answer. Others have said that he was silent about God, because “the Divine is beyond words”. One writer says: “Buddhists misunderstood Buddha by taking His silence for negation. The silence of Buddha about God was misunderstood and Buddhists felt that Buddha indicated the absence of God through silence. When you have concluded that God does not exist at all, then what is the object of your meditation? If you say that the self is the object, there is no benefit in taking interest about yourself since you are always interested in yourself.”
Free download available:
https://budblooms.org/the-buddha-you-never-knew/
===
The Buddha You Never Knew
By Bhante Shravasti Dhammika
What is often referred to as “the silence of the Buddha” has become almost proverbial and has been widely commented on by both academic and popular writers. Some have claimed that the Buddha remained silent when asked questions about ultimate reality because he wanted to avoid idle speculation, or because he was agnostic, or even because he did not know how to answer. Others have said that he was silent about God, because “the Divine is beyond words”. One writer says: “Buddhists misunderstood Buddha by taking His silence for negation. The silence of Buddha about God was misunderstood and Buddhists felt that Buddha indicated the absence of God through silence. When you have concluded that God does not exist at all, then what is the object of your meditation? If you say that the self is the object, there is no benefit in taking interest about yourself since you are always interested in yourself.”
Free download available:
https://budblooms.org/the-buddha-you-never-knew/
===
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10. Ramaniyani arannani
yattha na ramati jano
Vitaraga ramissanti
na te kamagavesino. 99.
DELIGHTFUL ARE THE FORESTS TO THE PASSIONLESS
10. Delightful are the forests where worldlings delight not; the passionless 24 will rejoice (therein), (for) they seek no sensual pleasures. 99.
Story
A monk was meditating in a pleasure park. A courtesan, who had an assignation with a certain person to meet in the park, repaired thither, but the man did not turn up. As she was strolling about she saw the monk and attempted to tempt him. The Buddha, perceiving the scene with his Divine Eye, projected himself before the monk and commented on the attractiveness of the forests where the passionless dwell.
===
Words of the Buddha channel:
https://invite.viber.com/?g2=AQAFqzqlj7FmI061PX17rxWMAtZ%2BRuso%2FH2KmHKZSgnv7v9DD8X0bDkKnZDr9JDq
===
yattha na ramati jano
Vitaraga ramissanti
na te kamagavesino. 99.
DELIGHTFUL ARE THE FORESTS TO THE PASSIONLESS
10. Delightful are the forests where worldlings delight not; the passionless 24 will rejoice (therein), (for) they seek no sensual pleasures. 99.
Story
A monk was meditating in a pleasure park. A courtesan, who had an assignation with a certain person to meet in the park, repaired thither, but the man did not turn up. As she was strolling about she saw the monk and attempted to tempt him. The Buddha, perceiving the scene with his Divine Eye, projected himself before the monk and commented on the attractiveness of the forests where the passionless dwell.
===
Words of the Buddha channel:
https://invite.viber.com/?g2=AQAFqzqlj7FmI061PX17rxWMAtZ%2BRuso%2FH2KmHKZSgnv7v9DD8X0bDkKnZDr9JDq
===
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Daily teachings from Buddha Dharma
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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)
Cullavagga VI.10: Respect for Stupas (Thupas)
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Chapter 8
Sahassa Vagga
Thousands
(Text and Translation by Ven. Narada)
1. Sahassam api ce vaca
anatthapadasamhita
Ekam atthapadam 1 seyyo
yam sutva upasammati. 100.
ONE USEFUL SENTENCE IS BETTER THAN A THOUSAND USELESS WORDS
1. Better than a thousand utterances, comprising useless words, is one single beneficial word, by hearing which one is pacified. 100.
Story
A bloodthirsty villain joined a band of thieves and committed many crimes.
Later, he acted as the public executioner. The Venerable Sariputta converted him. Subsequently he underwent such a complete transformation that after death he was born in a heavenly state. The Buddha explained that his good rebirth was due to the compassion and salutary advice of so spiritual an adviser as the Venerable Sariputta.
===
Dhammapada, beloved and favorite teachings of the Buddha channel:
https://invite.viber.com/?g2=AQBLD6phsgvP%2F061YjEM3K%2BNeH1Yb372b9mtfQX2EmuBpgoLUoc99BDMfzHghrme
===
Sahassa Vagga
Thousands
(Text and Translation by Ven. Narada)
1. Sahassam api ce vaca
anatthapadasamhita
Ekam atthapadam 1 seyyo
yam sutva upasammati. 100.
ONE USEFUL SENTENCE IS BETTER THAN A THOUSAND USELESS WORDS
1. Better than a thousand utterances, comprising useless words, is one single beneficial word, by hearing which one is pacified. 100.
Story
A bloodthirsty villain joined a band of thieves and committed many crimes.
Later, he acted as the public executioner. The Venerable Sariputta converted him. Subsequently he underwent such a complete transformation that after death he was born in a heavenly state. The Buddha explained that his good rebirth was due to the compassion and salutary advice of so spiritual an adviser as the Venerable Sariputta.
===
Dhammapada, beloved and favorite teachings of the Buddha channel:
https://invite.viber.com/?g2=AQBLD6phsgvP%2F061YjEM3K%2BNeH1Yb372b9mtfQX2EmuBpgoLUoc99BDMfzHghrme
===
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Dhammapada - Buddha Dharma Teachings
Daily teachings of the Dhammapada, beloved and favorite teachings of the Buddha
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Forwarded from Words of the Buddha
Free Buddhism ebook
Under the Bodhi Tree
A Dhamma Talk on Practicing the Middle Way
By Phra Ajahn Jamnian Seelasettho
Free download here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M-qvHSPy6qpQFrhpLosC9ge7HVZauX0N/view?usp=drive_link
===
Under the Bodhi Tree
A Dhamma Talk on Practicing the Middle Way
By Phra Ajahn Jamnian Seelasettho
Free download here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M-qvHSPy6qpQFrhpLosC9ge7HVZauX0N/view?usp=drive_link
===
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Forwarded from Words of the Buddha
Free Buddhism ebook
Under the Bodhi Tree
A Dhamma Talk on Practicing the Middle Way
By Phra Ajahn Jamnian Seelasettho
Under the Bodhi Tree takes us back to the principles at the heart of Buddha’s teachings—conditionality and dependent co-arising. Ajahn Buddhadasa Bhikkhu makes the case for dependent co-arising as a natural law, and builds a compelling presentation from there of Buddhist philosophy, meditation, and practice. Basing himself squarely on the Buddha’s own words as preserved in the Pali Canon, he brings clarity and simplicity to what is typically a thorny philosophical knot. By returning dependent co-arising to its central place in Buddhist theory and practice, Ajahn Buddhadasa provides perspective on the Buddha’s own insights and awakening.
Free download here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M-qvHSPy6qpQFrhpLosC9ge7HVZauX0N/view?usp=drive_link
===
Under the Bodhi Tree
A Dhamma Talk on Practicing the Middle Way
By Phra Ajahn Jamnian Seelasettho
Under the Bodhi Tree takes us back to the principles at the heart of Buddha’s teachings—conditionality and dependent co-arising. Ajahn Buddhadasa Bhikkhu makes the case for dependent co-arising as a natural law, and builds a compelling presentation from there of Buddhist philosophy, meditation, and practice. Basing himself squarely on the Buddha’s own words as preserved in the Pali Canon, he brings clarity and simplicity to what is typically a thorny philosophical knot. By returning dependent co-arising to its central place in Buddhist theory and practice, Ajahn Buddhadasa provides perspective on the Buddha’s own insights and awakening.
Free download here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M-qvHSPy6qpQFrhpLosC9ge7HVZauX0N/view?usp=drive_link
===
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