Clocks and Brains

Vibrating With the Right Frequency

A man is known by the company he keeps. We have heard that phrase so many times. Our folks have cautioned us often with that in our childhood.
Do we need to heed that advice in our business?
Where do you hang out?
Who do you hang out with?
What is your business surrounded by?

Christiaan Huygens was a scientific genius of the early 17th century. He discovered a law of resonance, which was well accepted in physics later and is now being applied to brain science. The story goes that Huygens kept a few pendulum clocks on the wall of his room. Each clock swung independently. He discovered that after a few cycles of independent swinging, all the clocks started swinging precisely in a synchronized rhythm. He deduced that waves from clocks produced vibrations in the wall which in response produced waves that synchronized the rhythm of all the clocks.

Scientists are now studying if this same phenomenon occurs in human brain waves. Have you ever noticed that successful people are surrounded by similarly successful ones?
Is it mere coincidence that when like- minded people are at work, success is more likely? In applying this theory to your life, you can attract success by surrounding yourself with people who are successful or have faith that great things are possible.

Similarly, avoid the naysayers and complainers. They give out negative vibrations that could impact your own thoughts and behaviour. Your mind reacts to them like walls did to the clock and produces similar waves. Before you realize it, you would already have lost faith in your dream.

Your mind is the powerhouse of ideas which will make your business a success. Your mind is the source of your strength that enables you to carry the burden in difficult times. Feed your mind the good food. Avoid stuffing it with junk food. So reset your clocks. It's time to vibrate with the right frequency.

It will PASS

When I was facing my darkest hour, a friend wrote to me that

"IT WILL PASS"

And I share the same important message too..... all things are impermanent, both GOOD AND BAD, and because the 'bad' is also impermanent, we have hope... and it will pass.

All things are impermanent, whatever happiness we have is transient, let us appreciate it while it is with us, let us not moan when it passes as it surely will,

similarly,

WHATEVER PAIN AND UNHAPPINESS WILL ALSO PASS! It is precisely because all things are impermanent that we have hope, that we can become better, that we can purify ourselves.

Let us Learn the Dhamma lessons from the experience of everyday life, the Dhamma is life and everyday life is the Dhamma... we only need to see it.

In the Mind

For many of us hanging around meditation centres, Buddhist societies, "eminent" Monks, Teachers, or holding Bachelor's or Master's degrees in Buddhism or Philosophy, this sutta is a sobering lesson.......

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:

"Even if a monk, taking hold of my outer cloak, were to follow right behind me, placing his feet in my footsteps,

yet if he were to be greedy for sensual pleasures,

strong in his passions,

malevolent in mind,

corrupt in his resolves,

his mindfulness muddled, unalert, uncentered, his mind scattered,

& his faculties uncontrolled,

then he would be far from me, and I from him.

Why is that? Because he does not see the Dhamma. Not seeing the Dhamma, he does not see me.

"But even if a monk were to live one hundred leagues away, yet if he were to have no greed for sensual objects, were not strong in his passions, not malevolent in mind, uncorrupt in his resolves, his mindfulness established, alert, centered, his mind at singleness, & his faculties well-restrained, then he would be near to me, and I to him.

Why is that? Because he sees the Dhamma. Seeing the Dhamma, he sees me."

Though following right behind,
 full of desire, vexation:
see how far he is! —
the perturbed
 from the unperturbed,
the bound
 from the Unbound,
the greedy one
 from the one with no greed.

But the wise person who, through
 direct knowledge of Dhamma,
 gnosis of Dhamma,
grows still & unperturbed
like a lake unruffled by wind:
see how close he is! —
the unperturbed to the unperturbed,
the Unbound to the Unbound,
the greedless one
to the one with no greed.

Journey

On life's journey Faith is nourishment,
Virtuous deeds are a shelter,
Wisdom is the light by day
and Right mindfulness is the protection by night.
If a man lives a pure life nothing can destroy him;
If he has conquered greed nothing can limit his freedom.

Meditation

Santisukharama Meditation Ctr at Kota Tinggi, Johor
- a little green heaven on earth.



Important gems taught by Ajahn Chakat:

1. Do not be attached to the external 'form' of meditation. Whether one is sitting full lotus or not or sitting on a chair or walking is Immaterial. The important point is LOOKING at the Mind. ALL else is secondary

2. The time spent in formal practise is of the least importance. What is IMPORTANT is whether we are LOOKING at our Minds in the times when we are NOT in formal practise. At all times whenever possible, LOOK at the Mind when we are working. walking, cooking, in bus, etc That is the important practise

3. Do NOT worry about Jhanas, just be constantly Mindful, that is IMPORTANT. The concentration will arise by itself.

4. Looking at the Breath is important but looking at the Mind is even more so.

5. Meditation can be done with or withOUT the eyes being closed. This is because we are not concerned with what is seen, but what is arising in the Mind as a result of what is seen!

6. From Sense contact will arise FEELINGs (Vedana), Perception (Sanna), Thought Formations (Sankhara) and the Knowing of the Object ie Consciousness (Vinana). When an object is in contact with the sense Base, the result is the Feeling which is NOTED, and the Perception associated with that object. Just KNOW / be Conscious of the Object without THINKING about it. Keep the Thought Formations MINIMAL, just have SATI- the knowing of the Feeling.. thats all. With Training the Perception of it Lessens, and the Thought Formations which results from it lessens. It becomes Just KNOWing of the arising of a Feeling, Just NOTE it .. without responding/prejudice/interpretation. Looking at the Mind enables us to see all of this and to train appropriately.

7. When fear arise, just NOTE the arising of the emotion and stop. When thoughts arise, just see the arising of the Thought and stop. Note and Know this arising and ceasing within the Mind.

8. It is Much more important to train the Mind than the Body; even at near death, we need to be Mindful, to see the Mind process.

9. Looking at the Mind is akin to looking straight into the Mind, the arising Thoughts are like shadows arising at the sides, we do not turn to look at these shadows but merely know that it had arisen, we know it and it fades away . The Knowing Mind is just Looking straight into the Mind unwaveringly, unaffected by the changing emotions and thoughts.

10. It is NOT so easy to see Ghosts and Devas, most times what we think we see is just the result of our Imagination. If the Mindfulness is strong, only Hearing is Noted or Seeing is Noted without interpreting whether it is a "Ghost" or a "Deva"!

11. Do not be attached to external forms; looking at the Vens, what do we see? Monks? It is so perceived because of the Robe that is worn. But it is NOT necessary that all are behaving like Monks just because of the Robes, it is just an image that we perceive. Similarly in meditation, it is NOT necessary that the one sitting unmovingly is in meditation..... it is INDEED the one who is constantly NOTING and KNOWING his Mind who is in Meditation, and this person need not be in full lotus position. This person is just intensely aware, and Mindful. So do not compare oneself with others, instead just train oneself.

12. The main purpose of the teacher is to help the yogi proceed when the yogi is stuck in all his concepts.

13. Whether a Yogi is experiencing Bliss or Depression in meditation, JUST note the emotion and let it go, proceeding from there. Do not be stuck in the emotion, just note it without being INVOLVED in it.

14. Bad kamma is like salt, we can dilute it in lots of water- Good Kamma. Do not live in the past, or keep hoping for the future BUT just Be in the Present moment Mindfully KNOWING the Mind.

15. Do not expect instant results, training oneself to constantly look at the Mind takes time, but we can do it everyday and everytime we have an opportunity. At work we should look at the Mind whenever there is the opportunity. This training in Mindfulness will in fact make one a better worker! The IMPORTANT point is to be ardent and train oneself to be ceaselessly Mindful.

16. Meditation is very simple, it is our wrong concepts which makes it very difficult. -- A flower falls, even though we love it; and a weed grows, even though we do not love it.

Mindfulness

"Mindfulness is being aware of what is happening within oneself or to oneself at any given moment of experience.

One's mind is usually focussed outwards in the various projects and undertakings with which one is engaged. From time to time such awareness may arise momentarily, but it quickly gets lost because we don't see any special value or purpose in developing that quality of awareness.

But according to the Buddha, that quality of awareness is the essential foundation or quality of mind that is needed for both concentration and wisdom. To develop that one-pointedness of mind, one must go on attending to a single object with mindfulness again and again. And to see them as they really are, one must examine them with mindfulness.

Mindfulness is that essential mental quality by which we use the beam of awareness to illuminate and to understand our own experience; the bodily and mental experience. This mindfulness must build up momentum through continuous practice. When appropriate strength of mindfulness is developed, it is capable of uncovering the deepest secrets of existence."

Mindfulness is what we need in everyday life, with this quality we will reflect for a moment before we act, and save ourselves from much unwise actions that we will regret later. It also gives us the "circuit-breaker" that stops us from conditioned or reflex responses, much of our responses are based on greed and "self", and hence needs to be reviewed as to its appropriateness. Formal meditation is of course the training ground for the development of high states of mindfulness, BUT it is the everyday - every moment mindfulness that makes a huge difference to our lives and the lives of those that we touch.

"In reference to the seen,.. only the seen,.. to the heard, only the heard,.. to the sensed, only the sensed,.. to the cognized, only the cognized. Then there is no "you" in terms of that... This is the end of stress."

Simply Truth

"Whatever Dhamma-Vinaya I have pointed out and formulated for you, that will be your Teacher when I am gone."

In the Maha Parinibbána Sutta (DN16);

Then the Blessed One said to Ven. Ananda,

"Now, if it occurs to any of you -- 'The teaching has lost its authority; we are without a Teacher' -- do not view it in that way. Whatever Dhamma-Vinaya I have pointed out and formulated for you, that will be your Teacher when I am gone."

This is a very important statement the significance of which has been overlooked by many Buddhists. Because many have not heard this advice or grasped its significance, they search far and wide for a teacher; a teacher they can be proud of and brag about his attainments, etc.. Some even travel halfway round the world or more in such a search. These people create personality cults based on the perceived or real goodness of the teacher rather than on the Dhamma-Vinaya itself.

A later teacher, no matter how wise, brilliant, charismatic or "attained"... is NOT the Buddha. In the 3 Refuges, we take the Buddha our Teacher as the First Refuge, His Teachings as in the Dhamma - Vinaya is the Second Refuge and the Third Refuge is in the Ariya or Noble Sangha who lives and preserves these Teachings.

Our teachers, however much we respect them, are our good spiritual friends who introduce us to the Dhamma, they are the link which helps us to understand the Dhamma BUT our real Teacher is still the Dhamma-Vinaya. In there, there is NO confusion or controversy. In there, there is NO tradition or school. In there is just the TRUTHS.

Precepts

The 5 precepts

Dighajanu Sutta (To Dighajanu) AN VIII.54

"And what does it mean to be consummate in virtue? There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones

1. abstains from taking life,

2. abstains from stealing,

3. abstains from illicit sexual conduct,

4. abstains from lying,

5. abstains from taking intoxicants that cause heedlessness.

In The Dhammapada 246-247

HE WHO DOES NOT OBSERVE THE FIVE PRECEPTS RUINS HIMSELF,
BE NOT AVARICIOUS AND DO NO WRONG

12-13. Whoso in this world destroys life, tells lies, takes what is not given, goes to others' wives, and is addicted to intoxicating drinks, such a one digs up his own root in this world.

We observe precepts (Sila) to train the mind. We train ourselves by observing these secular principles, knowing the dangers of violating them.

eg We refrain from killing by knowing the cruelty and suffering that will be inflicted on other beings: Not to do evil (Avoidance/Refraining). At the same time, we develop kindness, sympathy and harmony: To do good (Positive Performance).

We have to cultivate both these negative and positive aspects of virtue. In Buddhism, the observance of sila or precepts means:

I train my mind not to do certain harmful things, not because of god or fear of his punishment, but understanding that they are wrong. I do not fear punishment or expect reward, but I do good for its own sake, because it results in the well-being of others and myself.

The Buddha taught us "Not to do evil and To do good"

THINK NOT LIGHTLY OF GOOD

Do not disregard merit, saying "It will not come nigh unto me"; by the falling of drops even a water-jar is filled; likewise the wise man, gathering little by little, fills himself with good. 122.

Mindfulness is the Method, Compassion is the Expression, and Wisdom is the Essence

Protection

Dear Bros and sisters,

The typical image of the Buddha in the “Protection” posture / mudra is one where the Buddha is pictured with His right palm raised facing the audience.

One would find such a Buddha image in most temples. But let us go beyond the iconography.

How are we PROTECTED from bad influences, from EVIL, and from OURSELVES?!

THE ONE WAY in which we are protected is by KEEPING THE 5 PRECEPTS WELL AND STRICTLY!

When we live a lifestyle well guarded by these 5 Precepts,

our friends and relatives know us to be good, decent and honest people.

Our business associates know we are not out to cheat them or use underhand techniques to squeeze a deal.

Our wives or husbands trust us and know we will not cheat on them.

Even animals sense we are peace-loving people and will not harm them.

And even the Devas/gods pay respect to one keeping the 5 Precepts earnestly! And they keep a watchful eye over our welfare too as they in turn wish for our happiness and wellbeing.

So the imagery / mudra of the Buddha offering PROTECTION tells a very clear and precise message; the palm with the 5 extended fingers facing us tells us very very clearly to KEEP THE 5 PRECEPTS and we will be well and truly protected, especially from ourselves.

Anatta

"Let me be like the earth, which accepts anything thrown on it,

be it dirty, smelly, foul,

I will accept it without rejecting, patiently, quietly embracing.


Let me be like the water, which accepts anything thrown into it,

be it dirty, smelly, foul, nasty,

I will accept it without rejecting, patiently, quietly embracing.


Let me be like the fire, which accepts anything thrown into it,

be it dirty, smelly, foul, nasty, detestable,

I will accept it without rejecting, patiently, quietly embracing.


Let me be like the wind, which accepts anything thrown into its path,

be it dirty, smelly, foul, nasty, detestable, both good and bad,

I will accept it without rejecting, patiently, quietly embracing.


Treat me like a foot rug, step on me,

with light or heavy steps depending on the individual,

I will bear your weight, quietly accepting.


Treat me like a lowly beggar, I am grateful to you,

for i have nothing and you have more

I will bend my body low, quietly accepting whatever you give.


I'm just like the corpse or a dead snake,

nobody wants to touch or move it,

I am detestable, repulsive, useless,

I will understand your hostility.


I am full of foul excrement,

there is nothing desirable about my body;


I am detestable, repulsive, unwholesome,

It is only natural that you repel me.


I'm a bull with horns broken off, defenceless, harmless,

so should you attack me, it's only one-way;

I will accept your blows silently, calmly, having no reason to
fight back.

So this is how I have practiced, since the day I left home,

since I left behind the hotbed of greed, ill-will and delusion".

The great earth shook nine times with the declaration of Ven Sariputta's declaration of truth.


The Buddha praised him,

"Unresentful like the earth, firm like a gate post,
Equiposed and strong in vows, Mind without impurities like a pool:
For such a one the round of births exists no more!" (Dhp 95)

Please realise that these are the aspirations of an Arahant and that of the wisest one at that too. This is a being who has completely understood NO-SELF....

He has understood that there is Suffering BUT no "one" who suffers,

He has understood that there is Doing BUT no "one" doing the 'doing',

He has understood that there is a Path BUT NO "one" is walking on it,

and He has even realised that Nibbana is BUT there is NO "ONE" entering it....

Such a being as this truly understands ANATTA. Instead of being a doormat, none will think any less of Him, in fact the opposite is true.

He is equanimous to all the things which samsara throws at us; joy, sadness, pain, elation, praise, criticism, blame, gain or loss. Hence He can boldly proclaim all those aspirations honestly. He realises the effects of kamma and accepts it, both good and bad, while He is still in samsara; He accepts it knowing that whatever happens will pass and a result of causes and conditions.

And He has no fear because He knows His purity.

metta,

punna

Preachers

The Blind Men And The Elephant

John Godfrey Saxe (1816-1887) in his poem ....

It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.

The First approached the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
God bless me! but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!

The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!

The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
I see, quoth he, the Elephant
Is very like a snake!

The Fourth reached out an eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain, quoth he;
'Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: Even the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!?

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
I see, quoth he, the Elephant
Is very like a rope!

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

Moral:

So oft in theologic wars,
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has seen!
--

Kindness

If I had earned a string of theological degrees, is a tenured professor in a world renowned university and has mastered the intricacies of Pali but do not care for the illiterate manual worker with a struggling family, I am like the static caused by feedback on a microphone - a noisy irritant.

If I can look into the future while in Jhanas and discern the winds of change in economies and political arenas and if I am a spiritual master who has a large following who believe that I am the Voice of Dhamma itself and yet if I do not lift a single finger to help a stranger in need I am as plain useless to one who is hungry and lonely as an empty used chicken rice styrofoam container.

If I am a great philanthropist and give my millions as aid relief to the poverty stricken and if I sacrifice my health by burning out in sasana work but did it to achieve a reputation and a name for myself, I already have my reward which is my 15 minutes of fame.

My ulterior motives will eventually be revealed for all to see.

But if I see a person and not see an irritation, an interruption, a burden or a lesser being, and if I feel compassion for this person and offer some help, I have Metta-karuna; loving kindness and compassion.

Metta-karuna is the energy that helps make life in samsara tolerable. It never runs out, tires or loses its power. That Metta that we radiate during Metta-Bhavana (loving kindness Meditation) is for eternity.

The only constant in our lives is change; Anicca. Coming to the realization that there is nothing certain in this universe and the ability to control our destiny is an illusion; Anatta, we begin to understand that we have been thinking like a child, caught in dreams and living in delusion.

It is time to grow up and see the world as it really is. To see through the illusions that has deceived us for so long. To realize that we had spent large portions of our lives/lifetimes chasing after the non-essential and neglecting the keeping of Precepts, the Mind training, and the cultivation of Metta towards all beings that we should have nurtured and developed.

Clear and contemplative Insight will help us to focus on things that are important. The essentials are the purification of our defilements and the training of our Minds to see clearly into the Realities of life, of the 4 Noble Truths and the 3 Universal Characteristics of Anicca, Dukkha and Anatta, and into the delusion of SELF. In the process we develop faith, happiness, joy, contentment, insight and finally equanimity as we understand directly the Truths of Nature. But until then let us live when alone in deep contemplation and when together in Mindfulness and loving-kindness.

Essentially my Religion is very simple, its simply KINDNESS when in the company of others, and Contemplation when alone. That's it.

Peace

Ajahn MahaSutimon said that whenever we are confronted with problems, we must NOT respond with "Ego" but with wisdom.
............



The reason we get angry and upset is because of the big "I" that we create. We are upset because someone encroached into "MY SPACE", we get angry because someone said something which hurt my EGO, which diminished my STANDING, which hurt my PRIDE. .... notice the many "MY"s .

Notice the many references to Standing, reputation, Ego, etc. That's why expensive cars, watches, shirts, houses all sell so well ..... BECAUSE they pamper this "I", this EGO, this STANDING! That's why glossy advertisements with beautiful girls promoting luxurious cars, bags, jewellery are all over our papers and magazines while an article on Dhamma will get barely a glanze.

Very few have a little dust in their eyes.

Even less are interested in the Noble Truths.

Even far less are those interested in a simple life of few wants and needs. Do we really understand what happiness is.... and what peace means?

" For the one who has no inner, angry thoughts,
Who has gone past being a someone, a this or a that,
That one is free from fear and is blissful.
Even the gods cannot win such serenity."

-Udana

Meditation

What mindfulness meditation isn't?

• In meditation we watch the functioning of our mind in a calm and detached manner so we can gain insight into our behaviour.

• The goal is awareness, an awareness so intense, concentrated and finely tuned that we will be able to pierce the inner workings of reality itself.

• There are a number of common misconceptions about meditation. It is best to deal with these things at once, because they are the sort of preconceptions which can block our progress.

Misconception #1
Meditation is just a relaxation technique

• The problem here is the word 'just'.

• Relaxation is a key component of meditation, but Vipassana-style meditation aims at a much loftier goal. Vipassana seeks another goal-- awareness.

• Concentration and relaxation are necessary concomitants to awareness. They are required precursors, handy tools, and beneficial byproducts.

• But they are not the goal. The goal is insight. Vipassana meditation is a profound practice aimed at nothing less that the purification and transformation of our everyday life.

Misconception #2
Meditation means going into a trance

• Mindfulness meditation is not a form of hypnosis. We are not trying to black out our mind so as to become unconscious. We are not trying to turn ourselves into an emotionless vegetable. If anything, the reverse is true.

• We will become more and more attuned to our emotional changes. We will learn to know ourselves with ever- greater clarity and precision.

Misconception #3
Meditation is a mysterious practice which cannot be understood

• Meditation deals with levels of consciousness which lie deeper than symbolic thought. Therefore, some of the data about meditation just won't fit into words.

• It is not something that we can learn in abstract terms. Meditation is to be experienced.

• We can never really predict exactly what will come up in any particular session. It is an investigation and experiment and an adventure every time.

• Learning to look at each second as if it were the first and only second in the universe is most essential in Vipassana meditation.

Misconception #4
The purpose of meditation is to become a psychic superman

• No, the purpose of meditation is to develop awareness. Learning to read minds is not the point. Levitation is not the goal. The goal is liberation

Misconception #5
Meditation is dangerous and a prudent person should avoid it

• Take a shower and we could break our neck

• Meditate and we will probably dredge up various nasty-matters from our past. The suppressed material that has been buried there for quite some time can be unpleasant. It is also highly profitable.

• Vipassana is development of awareness. That in itself is not dangerous, but just the opposite. Increased awareness is the safeguard against danger.

• Properly done, meditation is a very gently and gradual process. Nothing should be forced.

Misconception #6
Meditation is for saints and holy men, not for regular people

• This attitude is very prevalent in Asia, where monks and holy men are accorded an enormous amount of ritualized reverence.

• It is true, of course, that most holy men meditate, but they don't meditate because they are holy men. They are Holy because they meditate!
  

• A sizable number of students seems to feel that a person should be completely moral before he begins meditation. It is an unworkable strategy.

• Morality requires a certain degree of mental control. We can't follow any set of moral precepts without at least a little self-control.

Misconception #7

Meditation is running away from reality

• Incorrect. Meditation is running into reality.

• It does not insulate us from the pain of life. It allows us to delve so deeply into life that we pierce the pain barrier and go beyond suffering.

• What is there is there. We are who we are, and lying to ourselves about our weaknesses only binds us tighter to the wheel of illusion.

• Vipassana meditation is not an attempt to forget ourselves or to cover up our troubles. It is learning to look at ourselves exactly as we are. See what is there, accept it fully. Only then can we change it.

Misconception #8
Meditation is a great way to get high

• Well, yes and no. Meditation does produce lovely blissful feelings sometimes. But they are not the purpose, and they don't always occur.

• Furthermore, if we do meditation with that purpose in mind, they are less likely to occur than if we just meditate for the actual purpose of meditation, which is increased awareness.

• Bliss results from relaxation, and relaxation results from release of tension. Seeking bliss from meditation introduces tension into the process, which blows the whole chain of events.

Misconception #9
Meditation is selfish

• It certainly looks that way. There sits the meditator parked on his little cushion. Is he out giving blood? No. Is he busy working with disaster victims? No.

• But let us examine his motivation. Why is he doing this? His intention is to purge his own mind of anger, prejudice and ill-will. He is actively engaged in the process of getting rid of greed, tension and insensitivity. Those are the very items which obstruct his compassion for others.

Misconception #10
When you meditate, you sit around thinking lofty thoughts

• Wrong again. There are certain systems of contemplation in which this sort of thing is done. But that is not Vipassana.

• Vipassana is the practice of awareness. Awareness of whatever is there, be it supreme truth or crummy trash. What is there is there.

• Of course, lofty aesthetic thoughts may arise during our practice. They are certainly not to be avoided. Neither are they to be sought. They are just pleasant side-effects.

• Vipassana is a simple practice. It consists of experiencing our own life events directly, without preference and without mental images pasted to them.

• Vipassana is seeing our life unfold from moment to moment without biases. What comes up comes up. It is very simple.

Misconception #11
A couple of weeks of meditation and all my problems will go away

• Sorry, meditation is not a quick cure-all. We will start seeing changes right away, but really profound effects are years down the line.
  

• At each sitting we gain some results, but those results are often very subtle. They occur deep within the mind, only to manifest much later.

• And if we are sitting there constantly looking for some huge instantaneous changes, we will miss the subtle shifts altogether. We will get discouraged, give up and swear that no such changes will ever occur.

• Patience is the key. If we learn nothing else from meditation, we will learn patience. And that is the most valuable lesson available.

Method

Some years ago a motley group of Dhamma siblings were at Sunlun Meditation centre at Mingyan. We were warmly received and soon tea, bananas and biscuits were offered to us weary travellers.

In the midst of a short Dhamma talk, Sayadaw asked us
"Which is the BEST meditation method?"

We have a potpourri of yogis in our midst, all practising with different "METHODS"! The silence was ghastly..... it was a no win situation for us, and we could not answer diplomatically or honestly without someone getting 'offended'.

Sayadaw broke into a broad smile.... and he said

"The best meditation method is the method MOST suitable for you! and only you know which is most suitable for you...... I don't!"

This was most insightful .... here, a Meditation master is sharing with us what most people will obstinately deny, holding to the view that only 'their' way is the best way.

In Insight Meditation, we aim to note Ultimate Realities, not concepts.

Whatever the method used is merely an approach to lead us in to this exercise of Mindfulness and noting Realities. Whether we start with "Rising, falling", or "Hyperventilation", or "Noting feelings" or "The whole Breath", this is the way that leads us to a still mind that can note clearly the Ultimate Realities that arises at the 5 sense organs and the Mind..... and ultimate realities have NO Names. It just is what it is.

It has the 3 Universal Characteristics of Anicca, Dukkha and Anatta. Whether we want to actively label or not, if we are truly and honestly noting/looking/contemplating, these 3 Characteristics will be seen in all arising phenomena. The point is to look/ note/ contemplate Mindfully and clearly. The rest is all the semantics of how we wish to describe it to our friends and to ourselves!

Now as the Learned Sayadaw wisely said, only we know which approach is best suited for us. We are all different with differing inclinations and personalities. One approach may not be suitable for all. When the Buddha was alive, The Great Teacher with His profound insight into the past and into the Minds of the students, could custom select meditation objects specifically for the student concerned. Progress was of course smooth and quick in this case. Now we do not have this advantage with us and it is up to us to select which approach is most conducive to our Insight development and which teacher we can amicably bond with.

We must remember the aim of the exercise; to see into the Truth of nature, to break the delusions of self, and ultimately to severe defilements and effects of kamma so that rebirth is ended, the task is accomplished, and the peace of Nibbana attained.

Does the technique you are using help you with each of this? If so, Sadhu x 3!

"In reference to the seen,.. only the seen,.. to the heard, only the heard,.. to the sensed, only the sensed,.. to the cognized, only the cognized. Then there is no "you" in terms of that... This is the end of stress."

Does "your" technique help you to understand the above statement? This very brief 'technique' taught to the Ascetic Bahiya enabled him to become Enlightened. Just this few simple lines BUT the essence of Meditation is all within. No lengthy technical description needed.

Passion

Do you have uncontrollable passion?

Then you will likely have uncontrollable suffering!

Let us look at the german word 'leidenschaft' which means "passion",
it is very interesting!!

German word/ English meaning

leidenschaft = passion

leiden=suffering

schaft=to create, to stock

How aptly put! Passion will create or stock suffering, and Buddha's teachings when applied will lead us to dispassion and the end of suffering! Isn't this interesting and much food for thought!

Mindfulness is the Method, Compassion is the Expression, and Wisdom is the Essence

Doors

Q: Is it true that there are '84 thousand' doors to reaching Enlightenment?

A: Pls understand what this means.

84000 Dhamma doors is a common expression but it has a very profound meaning.

It means that whatever Dhamma teaching or door that we learn MUST HAVE:

8- the 8 Fold Noble Path

4- the 4 Noble Truths

000- seeing all things past, present and future as empty; all phenomena being Empty of any unchanging "self"

ie

1. Impermanence [anicca],

2. Suffering [dukkha] and

3. Non Self [anatta]

Now do we clearly understand what this 84000 Dhamma doors mean?

It means that whoever teacher, guru, shifu, bhante, lama, sir, madam, prof, etc that we learn from... MUST teach us the 8 Fold Path, the 4 Noble Truths and the 3 Universal characteristics!

Any deviation from that IS NOT THE RIGHT PATH and we should run away like he's got Bird Flu. Or the bird flu will kill us!

--
Sabbe dhamma nalam abhinivesaya
All phenomena should NOT be clung to as "I", "My" or "Mine".