Friday 23 October 2009
I am feeling what you're feeling...
Wednesday 14 October 2009
Bad Dream
How are you doing? i hope you're keeping well with your girl and boyfriends...today i am going to write something very terrible. it's about a dream that i saw today at night at 01.20AM and heard some noise which woke me up in the room...so before i go to talk about my dream let me tell you what happened yesterday.....
Yesterday from morning to evening i was busy with books. i was trying to read for my exam but something kept me thinking all the time.....i could not study but yet i tried to be with books...In the evening the pain of my thinking became very powerful and then i tried to cantact the person that i was thinking about...i thought and looked back at what i have done and what i am doing and what i have to do...at 06.39PM it became very very powerful and as there was nothing that i could do, i decided to commit suicide but fortunately there was a call to go for chantting then i went to chantting and there i was thinking her as well....there also i thought i should prepare for my death by hanging with robe binding with the fan why should i disturb her if i really love her then i should let her do whatever she likes and i was confidence to hang up as well....it was 08.23PM when i came back from chantting i sat on my computer chair to see whether she is online or not. As i have no permission to contact her through phones....i wanted to contact only to hear her voice and die ....but if she is online also i dont know because she had already deleted my account from her messenger list. anyway when i opened my msn to see her onoline luckily my brother nuzzed me and wanted me to do something for him ....by this he saved my life otherwise i was getting to arrange everything and say good bye to everyone...so atlast i did what my brother asked me to do ....and slept at 11.00PM but this is not my usual time to sleep...so when i laid down i went fast asleep because i was thinking and very much worried...and i saw a terrible dream in the middle of my sleep...i dont know how far it can be true...
My Dream
i saw a big building i was in the first floor and i did not have awareness as i was thinking about her...i recollected how much i loved her but she didnt care...what i have to do to make her happy but i saw that i can never make her happy because i am not the man for her...she has her own man...then thinking all those things i decided to go to her and to say the last word "Oh my dear Wherever you be with whoever you be please take care because your life is worth living" and then i went to the fiveth floor of the building and she was also coming behind me and i walked faster than her and quickly jumped from fifthfloor to the ground with my head downward...then my head was full of blood and she came down from fifthfloor to see me and started to cry with loud voice...i was imediately taken to hospital but i died in the van...she was crying severely and then imediately my brother was informed about the situation and he too started to cry..and he got very angry with her....because he knows that i died because of her...then my sister was informed and she cried like she lost her life...everyone was informed about my death.....then suddenly my dream stopped when i heard a frightened noise coming from my room ....which woke me up imediately...this is the end of my dream....
What happened because of the dream?
Because of the dream i woke up early and i was unable to do anything...i forgot that i have exam today...i thought of making people happy and today i made three people happy and two people unhappy...three peole whom i made happy are Phra maha buluwat, A begger and a foreign lady whom i made when i was going to MCU for writing exam...and the people whom i made unhappy are phra maha doung dii and achin nyaninda who asked for some help for the exam. i sat for the exam at 5.40PM but i did not know what to write...questions were already given and answers are also given but it was geting so difficult for me to write...i could think nothing...i am not a student who writes little and give back the paper if cant write...but today what happened is that i wrote whatever i liked and gave back the paper within one hour although the exam is for 02.30 minutes...exam started at 5.40PM and i gave back the paper at 6.30PM...i am still worried whether it's going to be true or not...i am really scared....if it is my kamma ...i must say i am ready to accept it ...i shall die and be born in heaven and wait there for the dearest friend....if loving someone means giving life then i am ready to offer my life for her sake.....
By Mangala priya
Monday 12 October 2009
Be A Bird
i know the feeling that i have for my best friend can never be explained with words. at first when i saw her i was crzy and i knew i was in love... when i talked to her i was even more than that...but somehow she studied me completely and said nothing....first thing she did is that she blocked me from msn and slowly slowly i got to know what she is doing but i didnt care although i knew everything...i wanted to stop but i thought no...if there is love there is everything...i have to accept every part if i really love...but the more i tried to go near she went far with the word beautiful distance...well ....i have never feel so good before meeting her...i made her everything ...but to her its was nothing...now i am living apart without the heart...now i know i am not the one for her although i thought she was send for me....she is not a normal girl but an extra-ordinary one....for some reason she wants to be away from me....she was my princess but she didnt care for it...now i know for sure we'll meet again in some place...and my heart is also telling me that i will surely meet you again in my next life as the best friend that's what i am praying for these days...today i checked my msn deletor.....and noticed that my best friend delelted me from msn...hahahaha....how do you guys fell when you love somebody but you get opposite result for it....she deleted me from msn ..its alright ....but she can never delete herself from my heart....if she cuts the heart ...she will see her pictures only nothing more than that....whatever she is...i accept her the best and she'll forever be the best ....all things that shine are not gold....people tell me crazy when i talk about her but i tell them i can offer my life for her only....she is mine and forever will be mine....it doesnt matter where she stays ..with whom she stays...love doesnt need distance...beauty..position...anything...its just the two heats coming together at one point...now she deleted me ..its alright but i stll love her and i will always love her...if she wants me to forget her, she has to cut my heart with a knife and see her own pictures in front....whatever it is i want to tell her that may you be success in whatever you plan..because Good plans go wrong at times ...and never forget to take care and think about yourself for atleast 30 minuts...eat more and be healthy... you told me good bye many times but yet i never tell you good bye and i will not tell you good bye...you have completely captured me my dear...now with one hope i live....to see you being a very big professor and opening an orphanage...i will fullful your wishes without your concern...i will do my duty on rememberence of my love.....i will make my own .... like tajmahal today....we will see each other as close friends in next life i am sure... now you take care well...you need to live more than i do...
Sunday 11 October 2009
Beer for the First time..Part II
To: Mangalapriya Barua
Sent: Sun, October 11, 2009 7:31:06 PM
Subject: read this attached file
mangalbarua sraman: i am taking beer man
Receiving IMVironment from mangalbarua sraman...
mangalbarua sraman: wow..its fucking good
mangalbarua sraman: Hey sexy
mangalbarua sraman: I love what you've done with your window
mangalbarua sraman: So...you're a girl, huh?
mangalbarua sraman has signed out. (10/10/2009 11:39 PM)
AUNG: hi
mangalbarua sraman: yep
mangalbarua sraman: what
mangalbarua sraman: i m taking beer
mangalbarua sraman: beer is great man
mangalbarua sraman: now i wanna fuck ladies
AUNG: good
mangalbarua sraman: i m very hot now
AUNG: fuck ur gf
mangalbarua sraman: i want u
mangalbarua sraman: plse come let have a nep
mangalbarua sraman: plse come i wanna fuck man
mangalbarua sraman: not lady anymore
mangalbarua sraman: i m really beer
mangalbarua sraman: wow..
mangalbarua sraman: its so great
mangalbarua sraman: hahaha
AUNG: if it is good to u ok
mangalbarua sraman: hahaha
mangalbarua sraman: hahahhah
mangalbarua sraman: ok??
AUNG: no one can controle others
mangalbarua sraman: what do u mean
mangalbarua sraman: man be frack
mangalbarua sraman: frank
mangalbarua sraman: i wanna sleep now
mangalbarua sraman: my friends brought me beer and i took all
AUNG: i will send ur message to korean ajarn
mangalbarua sraman: now i m dying
mangalbarua sraman: whatever i dont care
mangalbarua sraman: i wanna fuck
mangalbarua sraman: i m dying man
mangalbarua sraman: i dont care anybody
mangalbarua sraman: i only wanna die
mangalbarua sraman: after fucking all ladies and man of the universe
mangalbarua sraman: can u help me
mangalbarua sraman: come to me i wanna have sex
mangalbarua sraman: hahahahahahahahahahaha
mangalbarua sraman: ahahahahahaha
mangalbarua sraman: hahahahahaha
mangalbarua sraman: hahahahahaha
mangalbarua sraman: hahahahahahaha
mangalbarua sraman: ]ahahahahahaha
mangalbarua sraman: ahahahahahahahahaha
mangalbarua sraman: ahahahahahahahahga
mangalbarua sraman: haahahahahahahaha]
mangalbarua sraman: hahahahahahahaha
mangalbarua sraman: hahahahah
mangalbarua sraman: ahahahahahaha
mangalbarua sraman: hahahahaha]
mangalbarua sraman: haahahahahaha]hahahahaha]hahahahaha
mangalbarua sraman: hahahahahaha]ha]
mangalbarua sraman: hahahahahahaha
mangalbarua sraman: hahahahahahaha
mangalbarua sraman: hahahahahahaha
mangalbarua sraman: ahahahahahaha
mangalbarua sraman: ahahahahah]a
mangalbarua sraman: are u coming
mangalbarua sraman: i m going to sleep now
mangalbarua sraman: i cant stay awake anymore
mangalbarua sraman: i feel sleepy
mangalbarua sraman: i wanna lay down
mangalbarua sraman: plse send something for me
mangalbarua sraman: send somemore beer
mangalbarua sraman: can u send somemore beer
mangalbarua sraman: i wanna take beer everyday
Saturday 10 October 2009
Beer for the First time...
today is the happiest day in Thailand,
I'm taking beer,
Early for me beer was bad,
but these days beer is the best,
i never thought it could be so sweet,
Woman is nothing compared to beer,
Now in thousand pieces this love i wanna tear,
What is the use of bear?
see you in next life my belove dear,
That's what you wanna hear,
Now don't forget to take care,
otherwise i wont have peace here.
Saying it with cheer...hahahaha...
*Titu*
Friday 9 October 2009
FUCKING LOVE
Do you know the meaning of ABCDEFG ?
A boy can do everything for girl.
Reverse the meaning of ABCDEFG....
which comes to be GFEDCBA..
Girls forget everything done and catches new boy again.....
Monday 5 October 2009
CHEATER
Not for love I was born,
For tears I was born.
For me you’re special,
But to games you’re partial.
Your personality I seek,
Like a bee wondering in Greek.
To you I love,
To you I believe,
To me you belong,
I need to hear you song.
In the heart you’re there,
Your voice I like to hear.
In communication I’m wrong,
But reality I’m not wrong.
With me you’re done,
Although I’m yet not done.
With me games you’re playing,
But with you I’m dreaming.
To see love is wonderful,
To understand love is tearful!
A love of heart,
May not last tight!
In me you exist,
Like the shadow that never leaves,
From me time passes,
But you never pass
Now you’re a part of me,
In the world that seeks peace.
Saturday 3 October 2009
DISAGREEMENT OF LOVE
By
B.C.R.Titubarua
Thailand.
For you I am low,
Therefore you’re too slow,
As the greatest I think of you,
With blood I wanna sew.
Now with one hope I live,
Only to you I believe.
To you I wanna trust,
But to me you wanna blast.
Only to you I like,
Therefore only to you I love.
Have you ever decided not to become a couple?
Because you were so afraid of losing,
What you already had with that person?
For me your love may die,
But for sure my love for you will never die.
Please leave a comment and go.....
Wednesday 30 September 2009
DISAGREEMENT OF LOVE
Therefore you’re too slow,
As the greatest I think of you,
With blood I wanna sew.
Now with one hope I live,
Only to you I believe.
To you I wanna trust,
But to me you wanna blast.
Only to you I like,
Therefore only to you I love.
Have you ever decided not to become a couple?
Because you were so afraid of losing,
What you already had with that person?
I wrote this in the bus when I was coming back from wong noi. I thought of my special girl and wrote this. I wrote this at 04.30PM on 30.09.2009
Friday 25 September 2009
BEING FREE
Mangala priya
Time:09.30PM
Date:25.09.2009
Since the time I saw you,
I felt something special,
And I knew I was in love,
At first I thought you’re kept for me,
So I had a desire to contact,
Now you know who I am,
But yet I don’t know who you are,
Because for love nothing much is needed,
No need distance, no need position, no need age.
Love is to share and care,
When two hearts feel the same,
The love arises there,
I loved you and still do,
In the world there is no such power,
That can keep me away from loving you,
With me you’re done,
Although I am yet not done,
Now the sorrow I have in me,
Seems to be more than the water in the sea,
I tried to prove my love,
But you didn’t care for it,
I have cried enough dear,
I am not a stone to bear,
Everywhere you’re voice I hear,
Everywhere you’re face appear,
But now you made me with tear,
As I beared I saw only tears,
Now I want tear no more,
I wanna let you be free,
But with one last hope,
That you be safe everywhere you go.
I know I am dead already,
I don’t wanna die anymore,
I wanna see only peace,
Suffering is to be cease,
In some place we may meet again,
But for sure I will not be the same,
It’s terrible to see friends becoming strangers,
So from now onward I shall be your stranger,
But I can’t really forget you.
For life Special people should not be forgotten,
In the rain I will cry for you.
Through god let you know that I still love you,
Till death you’re my angel,
Buddha’s teaching that I am following,
On this path I should lead,
And be the owner of the garden.
Thursday 24 September 2009
LOVE OF PEACE
By
Mangala priay
Time: 08.47AM
Such a feeling is coming over me,
Not the flower in the garden,
Not the shine in the world,
You will be surprise when I am gone.
But before I sleep,
I have miles to go around,
And fulfill you wish,
A killer I have become,
Who will protect you from sinners,
For me whole world is bad,
Nobody can really grantee that,
Be happy although you’re alone,
Sing your song in a good tone,
Make your life wonderful,
Make your life a bliss,
Don’t forget this please,
If you do, I won’t get peace
Wednesday 23 September 2009
DEAR KS
Oh my love,
In mind you keep things,
That can’t talk.
What are you made of?
You make me confuse day by day,
And I’m tired of it.
Why can’t you frankly say?
What you really need to say.
Since the time I saw you,
I was glad and gentle to people,
I try to give you love,
But you accepted it not,
What can I do to prove my love,
Do you want my life?
I’m really ready to offer for it,
You’re my life,
You’re my everything,
I can’t stay even a minutes without thing about you,
If I could get a penny in every moment I thought of you,
I would be a millionaire right now,
The more I try to contact you,
The more I go wrong on you,
I feel so trilled,
Even to hear your voice,
Though I know I can never be near you,
But I pray to be near,
Since the day, you stopped talking to me,
I have no way to keep in touch with you,
I am scared that I have to leave you alone,
Around all types of people,
And pray only for my end,
Dear friends help me to leave early,
Pray at least once a week for my death,
I have cried enough,
And now I’m tired of it,
I wanna die and be born in heaven,
I can feel that death is coming near,
One day we will both die,
But I pray to God to expand your life,
And wait for you in heaven,
So that we rebirth together,
Remember if I die,
It because of you,
No one shaked my heart as you did.
I love you more than I can say,
But you gave me a shit,
By this I understand that,
In this life I’m not the one for you,
But in next birth I pray to be,
So my love if I die,
Do not cry
Be happy with the life you have,
That’s what you want,
I know I need to perform perfections,
To see you to be mine,
This is the beginning of love,
I need to struggle for it,
I feel sad to leave you alone,
But its what you want,
Oh my love yet I’m not dead,
Come and hold my sweet love,
I still love you more that anyone,
Don’t laugh loudly,
It may hurt you,
Don’t smile in silence,
It may decay you fast,
See your smiles,
Although you have miles,
by
Titu Barua
DEAR KS
Now you know to ignore,
But do you know the result of it.
Past determines present,
Present determines future,
See your past and presnt.
Keep your tears for future,
Today you’re glad,
Tomorrow you get to be sad.
Things change without conscious,
Oh my love, bring your senses.
Games are for fun,
Otherwise, they’ll come to your turn.
Day and night ignorance makes us cry,
So for truth why should we shy.
Lies don’t last for life,
But truth really does.
To ignorance is easy,
To smile is easier,
But to forget it’s a hell of a thing,
Make tears out of blood,
by
Titu Barua
DEAR KS
Don’t know what’s in you,
Don’t understand the figure of you,
I wanna know you,
You have something that I really need,
In me you live all the time,
You’re only mine,
I love you more than I can say,
For that I can really pay.
Oh my love, why are you hiding in the forest,
Come and hold my breast.
by
Titu Barua
Friday 18 September 2009
I MISS YOU MY LOVE
What you want to say?
I really don’t understand,
I see you hiding something from me,
You’re simple words become heavy,
When they come directly to me,
I think I am afraid,
Of what I am going to do,
I hear you, I feel you,
I need you,
I want you to trust me,
You’re my angel,
You’re my triangle,
I see you smiling,
I see you getting weak,
Friends are the life to beings,
No man can live without,
Now I am scared to say,
What I really wanna say,
Everything you say seems to be nectar to me,
You’re words are sharp and short.
Easily imaginable are your examples.
Oh my beloved Mother,
You’re the creator of happiness,
You’re the world that gets sunshine throughout the days.
Sun never forgets to send its wishes on your ways,
I wanna say I love you,
But it’s more than what I say,
There love exists,
Where red rose exist!
Making one’s dream,
Making one’s cream.
I MISS YOU
372/1 mulleriyawa,
himbutana road,
angoda, Sri Lanka
My heart is not a rock,
Which will bear everything silently.
The dream I see is forever with you,
Tell me how much tear do I need?
To prove my love for you.
In silent Love comes to every being,
Some get and some loses,
But still strive proceeds.
Turn the blood to water,
Only to prove their love.
Whatever you say I don’t care,
You’re the best in my heart,
In the dream I built a house,
You’re the master of the house.
You tell me, I like you,
But I tell you, I love you,
Love and like are not the same,
I hope you understand the same.
Distance and age don’t matter in love,
Love understands the two hearts.
In the cloud there is a blue,
In the wind there is a smell,
In the heart there is feeling,
You’re in the feeling.
Saturday 5 September 2009
Special Rose
By
Mangala priya
You don’t run with the crowd,
You go your own way,
You don’t play after dark,
You light up my days,
Got your own kind of style,
That sets you apart,
That’s why you captured my heart,
I know sometimes you feel like you don’t fit in,
And this world doesn’t know what you have within,
When I look at you, I see something special,
A rose that can grow anywhere,
And there is no one I know that can compare,
what makes you different,
what makes you so beautiful,
what’s there inside you,
shines through to me,
in your eyes I see, all the love that I ever need,
you’re all I need,
you got something real,
you touched me so deep,
you don’t know how you touched my life,
In many ways, I just cant describe,
everything you do is beautiful,
you’re beautiful to me.
Wednesday 2 September 2009
Sweet Rose
This is a poem very small poem I have written during my Advance pali grammar class
interval time.
Dr.BCR.Mangala priya
Watsuthivararam,
Yannawa,Sathorn,
Bangkok,10120.
Thailand.
Time:03.35PM Tuesday
I see your face,
Glooming with stars.
I see your face,
Fighting with hearts.
I see your smile,
Brightening the pretty world.
I see your smile,
Showing the path to happiness.
I see your body,
Getting more and more beautiful.
I see your body,
Bringing trill to thousands.
I wanna tell you,
I like you,
I love you,
I will always love you.
Tuesday 1 September 2009
TOUCHING ROSE S.
Watsuthivararam,
Yannawa,Sathron,
Bangkok,10120.
Thailand
Written with a pen, sealed with a kiss.
If you’re my friend, please answer me this.
Are we friends or are we not?
You told me once, but I forgot.
So tell me now, tell me the truth.
So that I can say, I am here for you.
Of all the friends I’ve ever met.
You’re the one I won’t forget.
And if I die before you do.
I will go to heaven and wait for you.
I will give the angels back their wings
And risk the loss of everything.
Just to prove my friendship is true.
To have a friend like you.
Monday 31 August 2009
Dear Rose S.
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Dr.BCR.Mangala priya
Watsuthivararam,
Yannawa,sathron,
Bangkok,10120.
Thailand
11.26PM Monday 30/08/2009
I wanna tell you something,
You still make my heart skip a beat.
I still get butterflies,
When I see you.
I still think about the day you smiled.
I try so hard to forget,
But I can never forget.
I know you have some else in your dream,
I feel sad about it.
Maybe he is your dreaming man,
Maybe he is smart, funny, and amazing,
But I promise you this,
He will not care about you the way I do,
No one on earth could ever have stronger feelings for you than me.
If you come back to me,
I would give up my dreams,
To make yours come true.
I wanna take a bullet for you,
I wanna walk a thousand miles,
In the pouring rain for you,
I would do anything for you.
The day I saw you at Mahadhatu,
Something happened and I can’t explain.
I just knew, you were special.
The moment I looked at you,
I could ever imagine.
It’s not the fact that,
You’re dreaming of him that kills me.
It’s knowing that I could have been that man,
If I had not messed it up.
I regret for your sorrow,
I regret for all the horrible things,
I said to you.
I never wanted to hurt your feelings,
And I am sorry if I did.
I can’t get over you,
I don’t wanna let you go.
I miss everything about you,
I miss your beautiful smile,
I miss your timid laugh.
I miss your charming voice.
I never thought someone could make me so happy,
When remembering about you.
You’re the first to do it,
No one knows why,
I am like this about you.
Sometime I even don’t know myself.
But then I see you.
And then all makes sense again.
You told me to follow my head,
Instead of my heart.
But do you have any idea,
How hurt it is.
When you’re in love with someone.
I love you.
I always have loved you,
And I will always love you.
Saturday 29 August 2009
Oh My Beloved Rose S.
Dr.BCR.Mangala Priya
Watsuthivararam,
Yannawa,sathorn,
Bangkok,10120.
Thailand
Sunday _29/08/2009 Time: 09.48
Oh my beloved rose S,
Where are you?
How are you?
I hope nothing is wrong with you.
Because you have my heart with you.
You have stolen my hours,
You have stolen my days,
You have stolen my sleep,
Finally you will steal me totally.
I can feel you,
Both physically and mentally,
I see you praying for me day and night,
Just to give me a better life,
I can’t close my eyes,
I can’t keep my eyes open,
I see you while eating,
I see you while walking,
I see you while sitting,
I see you everywhere,
I hear your sweet voice everywhere,
Now dear tell me,
What shall I do?
Shall I die for you or live for,
I see you but can’t feel you
Why is this god so cruel to me?
Oh my sweet dear rose S.
Why can’t we be together?
I think we are made for each other.
Why do you pray for me?
If you don’t wanna be with me.
I believe in rebirth,
I believe in mechanism,
I believe in heart,
I believe in Love,
More than that I believe in you,
And I Love you,
You made my eye fallen on the ground,
With your first sweetest smile you gave,
I can’t put back the eye,
That has fallen already,
Once a man is dead,
He is dead forever.
We can’t offer him a life.
Oh my sweetest rose S,
Please give me your heart,
It values me more than God.
God created suffering in the world,
But you create only happiness in the world.
You are the one for me,
I love you till death.
I love you more than I can say.
You are not only a mother to me,
But an irreparable being to me.
You are my everything,
My irreparable red rose S,
I love you, and I will love you,
No one can stop me from loving you,
I am the master of myself,
But still I am ready to offer my life for you.
………………………………..To be continued
Friday 28 August 2009
Oh My Red Rose Flower by Mangala priya
Dr.BCR.Mangala priya
Watsuthivararam,
Yannawa,sathorn,
Bangko,10120.
Thaialnd
How could I break my heart so bad?
I currently feel,
I am in love.
I think I am in love.
If you dies right now,
I would die too.
Love feels like heaven,
But it can hurt like hell.
Why can’t I feel anything?
For anyone other than you?
Oh my sweet red rose,
Please come to me.
No one loves you more than me,
And no one even will.
In the world you may be only one person,
But to me you are the world.
Don’t try to understand me,
Try to come closer to me.
Don’t leave me,
Be beside me.
I holding a dream,
That will never come true.
The first thing you give,
Is a beautiful bright smile.
I wanna be the reason,
For the smile on your face.
I would live for your smile,
And die for your sorrow.
It’s funny how you breaks my heart,
But still I love you with all little pieces.
I believe in love,
I believe in you,
So I love you.
My heart tells me to give up,
But my heart won’t let me.
So this is the teenage romance,
Knowing not, why it hurts like hell.
So this red rose flower,
And it has my heart.
it doesnt understand,
How much I love it.
Tears are the words,
That the heart can’t say.
You hurt me so much,
When all I do is to love you.
What happens when you are my Cinderella?
But I am not your prince.
Why can’t you just love?
When I have fallen for you.
The Flower
.jpg)
Dr.BCR.MANGALA PRIYA
WATSUTHIVARARAM,
YANNAWA,SATHORN,
BANGKOK,10120.
THAILAND
She may be the devil of my life,
But still I LOVE her.
If there is only one friend left,
I would want it to be her.
I believe in LOVE,
Because I love her.
She is the most beautiful lady,
I have ever seen.
I think she is not a human,
But a damsel coming down from heaven,
And she came only for me.
She is the red rose,
Every man wants to have.
I would be happy to offer my life for her,
She is more than my life.
Her face is the moon,
Her smile is the brightness,
She gives happiness to thousands,
Her beautiful smile will never be forgotten,
Her words can never be thrown away,
She shines in thrill and sorrow,
She is the goddess,
I take refuge in.
Why is god so cruel to me?
But I’m still happy,
because I could at least,
See her charming face in my life.
What is the use of this life without her?
So I wanna die,
And rebirth again to make her mine.
THE HEART BEAT
.gif)
Dr.BCR.MANGALA PRIYA
WATSUTHIVARARAM,
YANNAWA,SATHORN,
BANGKOK,10120.
THAILAND
It’s hard loving someone,
That doesn’t love you back.
They say before you die,
You whole life flashes before your eye,
Please make it worth watching.
I wish I was as invisible,
As you make me feel.
Never make someone your everything,
Because when they leave, they have got nothing.
Smiling is easier than explaining,
Why are they crying?
Sometimes you can’t always see,
The pain someone feel.
When I lost you,
I lost the smile on my face.
Why everything I want,
Everything I don’t have.
I could never forget you,
That’s why I cry every day and night.
I don’t know the pain,
I feel inside.
You asked what was wrong,
And I smiled and said nothing,
Then I turned around and said everything.
Just let me cry,
That’s just a hard lesion,
Everyone has to learn.
Why every song reminds me of you,
I have lost other half.
Nobody will ever make me feel,
The way you did.
I need you like the fat,
Kid needs cake.
I like walking in the rain,
Nobody can tell that I am crying.
Every day is a struggle for me,
Seeing you with him,
Hurts more than you think.
I just want you to come back,
And let you know that,
The hardest part of life is not looking back.
The tears
WATSUTHIVARARAM,
YANNAWA,SATHORN,
BANGKOK,10120.
THAILAND
If there was a stream,
Connected to my eyes,
I could now make a river,
Out of my tears.
I cry both day and night,
Just to hear the sweetest bright.
I told her how I feel,
But she doesn’t care.
I try to forget,
But she is my only trust.
If you love someone tell them,
Because hearts are often broken,
By words left unspoken.
Relationships are like glass,
Sometime it’s better,
To leave the heart broken,
To try to hard yourself,
Putting it back together.
Looking back over the months,
That we have been friendly,
I can’t help but wonder.
Every time she smiles at someone,
It’s a gift to that person.
The poem
Beautiful Seori
I know you could never resist cake and ice cream,
Even though they would make your tummy swollen.
My Poem
WATSUTHIVARARAM,
YANNAWA, SATHORN,
BANGKOK,10120.
THAILAND
In some people’s life LOVE is wrong,
Whole life has to be given for the result.
The one that Built house in the heart,
Brought the greatest rain in life.
The hope, I had in my dreams,
Really didn’t understand.
Whom I wanted with LOVE,
Became someone else.
I planted a flower after breaking the Heart,
Result I got was a cut.
Friday 10 April 2009
Types of Communication
Dr.BCR.Titu barua.
watsuthivararam
yannawa,sathorn
Bangkok 10120,
Thailand
There are four kinds of Communication.
1. Intrapersonal Communication
When we hear ourself speak, feel ourself move, interpret the world arround us, think about ideas or things we see and do, this is intrapersonal Communication. Consciously or unconsciously.Intrapersonal Communication continues as long as we are alive.
2.Interpersonal Communication
Interpersonal Communication occurs when we communicate directly with other people in a one-to-onw situation or in a small groups. the words parts "inter" and 'persoanl' suggest that 'interpersonal' means any communication bwtween persons. Practically speaking, the situation usually involves two to eight persons, but the number of people is not what creates interpersonal communication. Direct intraction on one-to-one basis is the essential feature.
Interpersonal commuication involves the kind of interaction that most of us refer to as conversation, which is the person to oerson interaction with one another or with a small informal group of people.
3. Public Communication
Public Communication takes place situations where many people receive message largely from one source. A movie,television show, sermon,political speech, advertiser's message, professor's lecture are all examples of public communication.
4. Mass Communication
Mass Communication is public communication trasmitted electronicall or mechanically. Television, radio, movies, newspaper, boooks and magazines are all examples of mass communicatio. Speech are the best known examples of public interact in direct one to one relationships.
Tuesday 17 March 2009
The pali canon
The Canon was not printed until the nineteenth century, and is now also available in electronic form. [6]
The Pali Canon falls into three general categories, called pitaka (piṭaka, basket) in Pali. Because of this, the canon is traditionally known as the Tipitaka (Tipiṭaka; three baskets).The three pitakas are as follows. [7]
Vinaya Pitaka, dealing with rules for monks and nuns
Sutta Pitaka, discourses, mostly ascribed to the Buddha, but some to disciples
Abhidhamma Pitaka, variously described as philosophy, psychology, metaphysics etc.
Contents
[hide]
1 The Canon in the tradition
2 Origins
2.1 Attribution according to scholars
2.1.1 1. Certain parts can be attributed to the Buddha
2.1.2 2. Very little can be attributed to the Buddha
2.1.3 3. Attribution to Pre-sectarian Buddhism
2.1.4 4. Unknown nucleus
2.1.5 5. Only from much later are its contents definitely definable
2.2 The Earliest books of the Pali Canon
3 Texts and translations
4 Contents of the Canon
4.1 Vinaya Pitaka
4.2 Sutta Pitaka
4.2.1 Khuddaka Nikaya
4.2.1.1 Paracanonical or semicanonical works
4.3 Abhidhamma Pitaka
5 Comparison with other Buddhist canons
6 Notes
7 See also
8 External links
8.1 English translations
8.2 Other
9 Further reading
[edit] The Canon in the tradition
Theravada
Countries
Sri Lanka
Cambodia • Laos
Burma • Thailand
Texts
Pali Canon
Commentaries
Subcommentaries
History
Pre-sectarian Buddhism
Early schools • Sthavira
Asoka • Third Council
Vibhajjavada
Mahinda • Sanghamitta
Dipavamsa • Mahavamsa
Buddhaghosa
Doctrine
Saṃsāra • Nibbāṇa
Middle Way
Noble Eightfold Path
Four Noble Truths
Enlightenment Stages
Precepts • 3 Jewels
view • talk • edit
The Canon is traditionally described by the Theravada as the Word of the Buddha (Buddhavacana), though this is obviously not intended in a literal sense, since it includes teachings by disciples.[8]
The traditional Theravadin (Mahaviharin) interpretation of the Pali Canon is given in a series of commentaries covering nearly the whole Canon, compiled by Buddhaghosa (fourth or fifth century CE) and later monks, mainly on the basis of earlier materials now lost. Subcommentaries have been written afterwards, commenting further on the Canon and its commentaries. The traditional Theravadin interpretation is summarized in Buddhaghosa's Visuddhimagga.[9]
An official view is given by a spokesman for the Buddha Sasana Council of Burma:[10] the Canon contains everything needed to show the path to nirvana; the commentaries and subcommentaries sometimes include much speculative matter, but are faithful to its teachings and often give very illuminating illustrations. In Sri Lanka and Thailand, "official" Buddhism has in large part adopted the interpretations of Western scholars.[11]
Although the Canon has existed in written form for two millennia, its earlier oral nature has not been forgotten in actual Buddhist practice within the tradition: memorization and recitation remain common. Among frequently recited texts are the Paritta. Even lay people usually know at least a few short texts by heart and recite them regularly; this is considered a form of meditation, at least if one understands the meaning. Monks are of course expected to know quite a bit more (see Dhammapada below for an example). A Burmese monk named Vicittasara even learnt the entire Canon by heart for the Sixth Council (again according to the usual Theravada numbering).[12] Recitation is in Pali as the ritual language.[13]
The relation of the scriptures to Buddhism as it actually exists among ordinary monks and lay people is, as with other major religious traditions, problematical: the evidence suggests that only parts of the Canon ever enjoyed wide currency, and that non-canonical works were sometimes very much more widely used; the details varied from place to place.[14] Dr Rupert Gethin says that the whole of Buddhist history may be regarded as a working out of the implications of the early scriptures.[15]
[edit] Origins
The neutrality of this section is disputed.
Please see the discussion on the talk page.(April 2008)
Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved.
It is traditionally believed by Theravadins that most of the Pali Canon originated from the Buddha and his immediate disciples. According to the scriptures, a council was held shortly after the Buddha's passing to collect and preserve his teachings. It was recited orally from the 5th century BC to the first century BC, when it was written down. The tradition holds that only a few later additions were made.
[edit] Attribution according to scholars
Various views concerning the attribution of the Pali Canon are current amongst scholars:
parts of it can be attributed to the Buddha.
very little can be attributed to the Buddha
parts can be attributed to the period of pre-sectarian Buddhism.
it has an unknown nucleus
not until the fifth to sixth centuries CE can we know anything definite about the contents of the Pali Canon.
[edit] 1. Certain parts can be attributed to the Buddha
Various scholars have voiced that some of the contents of the Pali Canon (and its main teachings) can be attributed to Gautama Buddha. Dr Richard Gombrich[16] thinks that the teachings (of the Vinaya and Sutta Pitakas) probably go back to the Buddha individually[17]. Some scholars argue that the teachings are coherent and cogent, and must be the work of a single genius, i.e. the Buddha himself, not a committee of followers after his death[18][19].
J.W. de Jong has stated that parts of the Pali Canon could very well have been proclaimed by the Buddha, and subsequently transmitted and developed by his disciples and, finally, codified in fixed formulas[20]. A. Wynne has said that the Pali Canon includes texts which go back to the very beginning of Buddhism, which perhaps include the substance of the Buddha’s teaching, and in some cases, maybe even his words[21].
A.K. Warder has stated that there is no evidence to suggest that the shared teaching of the early schools was formulated by anyone else than the Buddha and his immediate followers[22].
[edit] 2. Very little can be attributed to the Buddha
Some scholars say that little or nothing goes back to the Buddha[23] Some of these argue that[24]
some passages contradict the main teachings
the Buddha must have been consistent
therefore only one of the teachings can have been his
if he had taught the main teachings, contradictory teachings would never have got in
therefore he taught the divergent teachings, and the main teachings were elaborated by his followers after his death
[edit] 3. Attribution to Pre-sectarian Buddhism
Much of the Pali Canon is found also in the scriptures of other early schools of Buddhism, parts of whose versions are preserved, mainly in Chinese. Many scholars have argued that this shared material can be attributed to the period of Pre-sectarian Buddhism. This is the period before the early schools separated in about the fourth or third century BCE.
[edit] 4. Unknown nucleus
Some scholars see the Pali Canon as expanding and changing from an unknown nucleus[25]. Arguments given for an agnostic attitude include that the evidence for the Buddha's teachings dates from (long) after his death.
Some scholars have said that the application of text-critical methods derived from Biblical criticism is invalidated by the fact that the Bible was a written text while the Pali Canon was oral[26].
Some scholars have stated that it would be hypocritical to assert that nothing can be said about the doctrine of earliest Buddhism[27].
[edit] 5. Only from much later are its contents definitely definable
Dr Gregory Schopen[28], argues[29] that it is not until the fifth to sixth centuries CE that we can know anything definite about the contents of the Canon. This position did not attract much support, and was criticized by A. Wynne.[30]
[edit] The Earliest books of the Pali Canon
Different positions have been taken on what are the earliest books of the Canon. The majority of Western scholars consider the earliest identifiable stratum to be mainly prose works,[31] the Vinaya (excluding the Parivara[32]) and the first four nikayas of the Sutta Pitaka[33], and perhaps also some short verse works [34] such as the Suttanipata.[35]However, some scholars, paricularly in Japan, maintain that the Suttanipata is the earliest of all Buddhist scriptures, followed by the Itivuttaka and Udana.[36]. However, some of the developments in teachings may only reflect changes in teaching that the Buddha himself adopted, during the 45 years that the Buddha was teaching[37].
Most of the above scholars would probably agree that their early books include some later additions.[38] On the other hand, some scholars have claimed[39] that central aspects of late works are or may be much earlier.
According to the Sinhalese chronicles, the Pali Canon was written down in the reign of King Vattagamini (Vaṭṭagāmiṇi) (1st century B.C.E.) in Sri Lanka, at the Fourth Buddhist council. Most scholars hold that little if anything was added to the Canon after this,[40] though Schopen questions this.
[edit] Texts and translations
The climate of Theravada countries is not conducive to the survival of manuscripts. Apart from brief quotations in inscriptions and a two-page fragment from the eighth or ninth century found in Nepal, the oldest manuscripts known are from late in the fifteenth century,[41] and there is not very much from before the eighteenth.[42]
The first complete printed edition of the Canon was published in Burma in 1900, in 38 volumes.[43] The following editions of the Pali text of the Canon are readily available in the West.
Pali Text Society edition, 1877–1927 (a few volumes subsequently replaced by new editions), 57 volumes including indexes, individual volumes also available separately (website)
Thai edition, 1925–8, 45 volumes; more accurate than the PTS edition, but with fewer variant readings[44]; electronic transcript by budsir: Buddhist scriptures information retrieval, CD-ROM and online, both requiring payment; and, BUDSIR on Internet, free with login
Sixth Council edition, Rangoon, 1954–6, 40 volumes; more accurate than the Thai edition, but with fewer variant readings[45]; electronic transcript by Vipassana Research Institute available online in searchable database free of charge, or on CD-ROM (p&p only) from the Institute; another transcript of this edition, produced by the Dhamma Society Fund under the patronage of the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand, is expected online soon
Sinhalese (Buddha Jayanti) edition, 1957–?1993, 58 volumes including parallel Sinhalese translations, transcript in BudhgayaNews Pali Canon, searchable, free of charge (not yet fully proofread)
No one edition has all the best readings, and scholars must compare different editions.[46]
Translation: Pali Canon in English Translation, 1895- , in progress, 43 volumes so far, Pali Text Society, Bristol; for details of these and other translations of individual books see the separate articles. In 1994, the then President of the Pali Text Society stated that most of these translations were unsatisfactory.[47] Another former President said in 2003 that most of the translations were done very badly.[48] The style of many translations from the Canon has been criticized[49] as "Buddhist Hybrid English", a term invented by Paul Griffiths for translations from Sanskrit. He describes it as "deplorable", "comprehensible only to the initiate, written by and for Buddhologists".[50]
Selections: see List of Pali Canon anthologies.
[edit] Contents of the Canon
Pali Canon
Vinaya Pitaka
Sutta-
vibhanga Khandhaka Pari-
vara
Sutta Pitaka
Digha
Nikaya Majjhima
Nikaya Samyutta
Nikaya
Anguttara
Nikaya Khuddaka
Nikaya
Abhidhamma Pitaka
Dhs. Vbh. Dhk.
Pug. Kvu. Yamaka Patthana
view • talk • edit
As noted above, the Canon consists of three pitakas.
Vinaya Pitaka (vinayapiṭaka)
Sutta Pitaka or Suttanta Pitaka
Abhidhamma Pitaka
Details are given below. For fuller information, see standard references on Pali literature.[51]
[edit] Vinaya Pitaka
The first category, the Vinaya Pitaka, is mostly concerned with the rules of the sangha, both monks and nuns. The rules are preceded by stories telling how the Buddha came to lay them down, and followed by explanations and analysis. According to the stories, the rules were devised on an ad hoc basis as the Buddha encountered various behavioral problems or disputes among his followers. This pitaka can be divided into three parts.
Suttavibhanga (-vibhaṅga) Commentary on the Patimokkha, a basic code of rules for monks and nuns that is not as such included in the Canon. The monks' rules are dealt with first, followed by those of the nuns' rules not already covered.
Khandhaka Other rules grouped by topic in 22 chapters.
Parivara (parivāra) Analysis of the rules from various points of view.
[edit] Sutta Pitaka
The second category is the Sutta Pitaka (literally "basket of threads", or of "the well spoken"; Sanskrit: Sutra Pitaka, following the former meaning) which consists primarily of accounts of the Buddha's teachings. The Sutta Pitaka has five subdivisions or nikayas.
Digha Nikaya (dīghanikāya) 34 long discourses.[52] Joy Manné argues[53] that this book was particularly intended to make converts, with its high proportion of debates and devotional material.
Majjhima Nikaya 152 medium-length discourses.[54] Manné argues[55] that this book was particularly intended to give a solid grounding in the teaching to converts, with a high proportion of sermons and consultations.
Samyutta Nikaya (saṃyutta-) Thousands of short discourses in fifty-odd groups by subject, person etc. Bhikkhu Bodhi, in his translation, says this nikaya has the most detailed explanations of doctrine.
Anguttara Nikaya (aṅguttara-) Thousands of short discourses arranged numerically from ones to elevens. It contains more elementary teaching for ordinary people than the preceding three.
Khuddaka Nikaya A miscellaneous collection of works in prose or verse. See below.
[edit] Khuddaka Nikaya
The contents of this nikaya vary somewhat between different editions of the Canon. The "standard" list, given in most western sources,[56] contains the following.
Khuddakapatha (-pāṭha) Nine short texts in prose or verse. This seems to have been intended as an introductory handbook for novices.[57] Most of its contents are found elsewhere in the Canon.
Dhammapada 423 verses ascribed by tradition to the Buddha in 26 chapters by topic. About half the Pali verses are found elsewhere in the canon. In the Sinhalese tradition, monks have been required to know this book by heart before they can be ordained.[58] In the Burmese examination system, this is one of the texts to be studied in the first stage of the syllabus.[59]
Udana (udāna) 80 short passages, mostly verse, ascribed to the Buddha, with introductory stories.
Itivuttaka 112 short prose teachings ascribed to the Buddha followed by verse paraphrases or complements. These are arranged numerically, from ones to fours.
Suttanipata(-nipāta) Poems, some in prose frameworks. In five parts, of which the first four contain 54 poems. The fifth part is a single poem in 16 sections, plus an introduction and a conclusion, which last includes a little prose.
Vimanavatthu (vimāna-) 85 poems telling of celestial mansions resulting from good karma.
Petavatthu 51 poems telling of the suffering of ghosts resulting from bad karma. It gives prominence to the idea that gifts to monks can benefit one's deceased relatives' ghosts.
Theragatha(-gāthā) 264 poems ascribed to early monks, arranged roughly by increasing number of verses.
Therigatha (therī-) 73 poems ascribed to early nuns, arranged by increasing number of verses.
Jataka (jātaka) 547 poems said to relate to the Buddha's previous lives,[60] arranged roughly by increasing number of verses. Professor Oskar von Hinüber[61] says only the last 50 were intended to be intelligible on their own without the Commentary. As a result of the arrangement, these make up the greater part of the book.[62] according to A. K. Warder,[63] this is the most popular book of the Canon.
Niddesa Commentary on parts of Suttanipata:[64] the last two parts and one other sutta. Traditionally ascribed to the Buddha's disciple Sariputta.
Patisambhidamagga (paṭisambhidā-) 30 treatises on various topics. Traditionally ascribed to Sariputta. Gethin[65] says this book presents the awakening experience as having many different dimensions and aspects, related to the whole of the teaching, and yet as a simple, coherent whole.
Apadana (apadāna) About 600 poems, most telling how their authors performed a meritorious act in a distant past life, resulting in favourable rebirths and eventual nirvana. There are 589 in the Pali Text Society's edition, 603 in the Sixth Council edition and 592 in a number of others.[66]
Buddhavamsa (-vaṃsa) Short verse book, mainly telling of the previous 24 Buddhas and the current Buddha's meritorious acts towards them in his previous lives.
Cariyapitaka (cariyā-) 35 poems telling of Gotama Buddha's practice of 7 of the perfections in his previous lives.
However, some editions contain in addition some works that have been described by western scholars as paracanonical or semicanonical.
[edit] Paracanonical or semicanonical works
The following works are included in the Sixth Council edition of the Canon,[67] including the new transcript from Thailand.[68]
Nettipakarana (nettipakaraṇa, nettippakaraṇa or just netti) This book presents methods of interpretation. The colophon ascribes it to the Buddha's disciple Kaccana.
Petakopadesa (peṭakopadesa) Presents the same methods as the preceding book. They have a large amount of overlap. The text of this book is very corrupt. The colophon ascribes it to the Buddha's disciple Kaccana.
Milindapanha (-pañha or -pañhā) A dialogue between King Menander of Bactria (second century B.C.E.) and the monk Nagasena. Rhys Davids describes this as the greatest work of classical Indian prose literature.
The first two of these, but not the third, are included in the Sinhalese (printed) edition. All are omitted from the Thai edition. Inclusion in printed editions is not the same as canonicity (cf. Apocrypha). Professor George Bond of Northwestern University says of the first of these books that some Theravadins regard it as quasi-canonical, others as canonical, especially in Burma.[69] About 1800, the head of the Burmese sangha regarded at least the first two of these books as canonical.[70] On the other hand, at least one recent Burmese teacher has not.[71]
Ancient style of scripture used for the Pali Canon
[edit] Abhidhamma Pitaka
The third category, the Abhidhamma Pitaka (literally "beyond the dhamma", "higher dhamma" or "special dhamma", Sanskrit: Abhidharma Pitaka), is a collection of texts which give a systematic philosophical description of the nature of mind, matter and time. There are seven books in the Abhidhamma Pitaka.
Dhammasangani (-saṅgaṇi or -saṅgaṇī) Enumeration, definition and classification of dhammas
Vibhanga (vibhaṅga) Analysis of 18 topics by various methods, including those of the Dhammasangani
Dhatukatha (dhātukathā) Deals with interrelations between ideas from the previous two books
Puggalapannatti (-paññatti) Explanations of types of person, arranged numerically in lists from ones to tens
Kathavatthu (kathā-) Over 200 debates on points of doctrine
Yamaka Applies to 10 topics a procedure involving converse questions (e.g. Is X Y? Is Y X?)
Patthana (paṭṭhāna) Analysis of 24 types of condition[72]
The traditional position is that the Abhidhamma is the absolute teaching, while the suttas are adapted to the hearer. Most scholars describe the abhidhamma as an attempt to systematize the teachings of the suttas: Harvey,[73] Gethin.[74] Cousins says that where the suttas think in terms of sequences or processes the abhidhamma thinks in terms of specific events or occasions.[75]
[edit] Comparison with other Buddhist canons
The other two main canons in use at the present day are the Tibetan Kangyur and the Chinese Buddhist Canon. The former is in about a hundred volumes and includes versions of the Vinaya Pitaka and the Dhammapada (the latter confusingly called Udanavarga) and of parts of some other books. The standard modern edition of the latter is the Taisho published in Japan, which is in a hundred much larger volumes. It includes both canonical and non-canonical (including Chinese and Japanese) literature and its arrangement does not clearly distinguish the two. It includes versions of the Vinaya Pitaka, the first four nikayas, the Dhammapada, the Itivuttaka and the Milindapanha and of parts of some other books. These Chinese and Tibetan versions are not usually translations of the Pali and differ from it to varying extents, but are recognizably the "same" works. On the other hand, the Chinese abhidharma books are different works from the Pali Abhidhamma Pitaka, though they follow a common methodology.
Looking at things from the other side, the bulk of the Chinese and Tibetan canons consists of Mahayana sutras and tantras, which, apart from a few tantras,[76] have no equivalent in the Pali Canon.
[edit] Notes
^ Gombrich, Theravada Buddhism, 2nd edn, Routledge, London, 2006, page 3
^ Encyclopedia of Religion, Macmillan, New York, sv Councils, Buddhist
^ A.K. Warder, Indian Buddhism, 3rd edn, page 307. American Asiatic Association, Asia Society, Asia: Journal of the American Asiatic Association, p724.
^ If the language of the Pāli canon is north Indian in origin, and without substantial Sinhalese additions, it is likely that the canon was composed somewhere in north India before its introduction to Sri Lanka How old is the Sutta Pitaka?, Alexander Wynne, St. Johns' College, 2003
^ Harvey, Introduction to Buddhism, Cambridge University Press, 1990, page 3.
^ Bechert & Gombrich, The World of Buddhism, Thames & Hudson, 1984, page 293
^ Gombrich, page 4
^ Gombrich, page 20
^ Gombrich, pages 153-4
^ Morgan, Path of the Buddha, Ronald Press, New York, 1956, pages v, 71
^ Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, volume 28 (part 2), page 302
^ Mendelson, Sangha and State in Burma, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York, 1975, page 266
^ Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics, 2nd edn, volume 9, Elsevier, Amsterdam/Oxford, 2006
^ Journal of the Pali Text Society, volume XV, pages 103f
^ Gethin, Foundations of Buddhism, Oxford University Press, 1998, page 43
^ Academic Director of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies, former Boden Professor of Sanskrit at the University of Oxford and former President of the Pali Text Society
^ I am saying that there was a person called the Buddha, that the preachings probably go back to him individually... that we can learn more about what he meant, and that he was saying some very precise things. source: http://www.ordinarymind.net/Interviews/interview_jan2003.htm
^ Gombrich, Theravada Buddhism, 2nd edn, Routledge, London, 2006, pages 20f
^ While parts of the Pali Canon clearly originated after the time of the Buddha, much must derive from his teaching. - An introduction to Buddhism, Peter Harvey, 1990, p.3
^ the basic ideas of Buddhism found in the canonical writings could very well have been proclaimed by him [the Buddha], transmitted and developed by his disciples and, finally, codified in fixed formulas. J.W. De Jong, 1993: The Beginnings of Buddhism, in The Eastern Buddhist, vol. 26, no. 2, p. 25
^ If some of the material is so old, it might be possible to establish what texts go back to the very beginning of Buddhism, texts which perhaps include the substance of the Buddha’s teaching, and in some cases, maybe even his words, How old is the Suttapitaka? Alexander Wynne, St John’s College, 2003. [www.ocbs.org/research/Wynne.pdf]
^ there is no evidence to suggest that it was formulated by anyone else than the Buddha and his immediate followers. AK Warder, Indian Buddhism, 1999, 3rd edition, inside flap.
^ Skorupski, Buddhist Forum, volume I, Heritage, Delhi/SOAS, London,1990, page 5
^ see Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, vol 21, part 1, page 11 for some of this
^ an article in the Macmillan Encyclopedia of Buddhism (2004), page 10
^ Buddhist Studies in Honour of Hammalawa Saddhatissa ed Dhammapala, Gombrich & Norman, University of Jayawardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka, 1984, pages 56, 67
^ It would be hypocritical to assert that nothing can be said about the doctrine of earliest Buddhism ... the basic ideas of Buddhism found in the canonical writings could very well have been proclaimed by him [the Buddha], transmitted and developed by his disciples and, finally, codified in fixed formulas. J.W. De Jong, 1993: The Beginnings of Buddhism, in The Eastern Buddhist, vol. 26, no. 2, p. 25
^ Professor of Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Buddhist Studies at the University of Texas at Austin
^ Bones, Stones, and Buddhist Monks, University of Hawai'i Press, 1997, page 24 (reprinted from Studien zur Indologie und Iranistik, volume 10 (1985))
^ How old is the Sutta Pitaka? - Alexander Wynne, St John’s College, 2003. [www.ocbs.org/research/Wynne.pdf]
^ A. K. Warder, Introduction to Pali, 1963, Pali Text Society, page viii
^ L. S. Cousins in Buddhist Studies in Honour of Hammalava Saddhatissa, ed Dhammapala, Gombrich and Norman, University of Jayewardenepura, 1984, page 56
^ The World of Buddhism, ed Bechert and Gombrich, Thames and Hudson, London, 1984, page 78; Gethin, pages 42f
^ Gethin, The Buddha's Path to Awakening, E. J. Brill, Leiden, 1992
^ Cousins, loc. cit.
^ Nakamura, Indian Buddhism, Japan, 1980, reissued by Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1987, 1989, page 27
^ as the Buddha taught for 45 years, some signs of development in teachings may only reflect changes during this period. - An introduction to Buddhism, Peter Harvey, 1990, p.3
^ Bechert and Gombrich; Warder, Introduction to Path of Discrimination, 1982, Pali Text Society, page xxix
^ Cousins, "Pali oral literature", in Buddhist Studies, ed Denwood and Piatigorski, Curzon Press, London, 1982/3; Harvey, page 83; Gethin, page 48; The Guide, Pali Text Society, page xxvii
^ Harvey, page 3; Warder, Path of Discrimination, Pali Text Society, pages xxxixf; Gethin, Path, page 8
^ Hinüber, Handbook of Pali Literature, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, 1996, page 5.
^ Pali Text Society Home Page
^ Günter Grönbold, Der buddhistische Kanon: eine Bibliographie, Otto Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden, 1984, page 12; as noted there and elsewhere, the 1893 Siamese edition was incomplete
^ Warder, Introduction to Pali, 1963, PTS, page 382
^ Hamm in German Scholars on India, volume I, ed Cultural Department of the German Embassy in India, pub Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, Varanasi, 1973, translated from Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft, 1962
^ Cone, Dictionary of Pali, volume I, PTS, 2001
^ Memoirs of the Chuo Academic Research Institute, No. 23, Dec. 1994, page 12, reprinted in Norman, Collected Papers, volume VI, 1996, Pali Text Society, Bristol, page 80
^ Interview with professor Richard Gombrich for Ordinary Mind - An Australian Buddhist Review issue No 21
^ Journal of the Pali Text Society, Volume XXIX, page 102
^ Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, 4.2 (1981)
^ Norman, Pali Literature, Otto Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden, 1983; Hinüber,op. cit.
^ Harvey, Introduction to Buddhism, appendix
^ Journal of the Pali Text Society, volume XV
^ Harvey, appendix
^ loc. cit.
^ Pali Text Society; Norman; Hinüber; Harvey, Appendix; Lamotte, History of Indian Buddhism, 1958, English tr, Oriental Institute, Catholic University of Louvain, 1988
^ Norman, page 58
^ Dhammapada, ed Sumangala, pub Humphrey Milford for the Pali Text Society, London, 1914, page v
^ Mendelson, appendix
^ Harvey, appendix
^ op. cit.
^ This can be verified by inspecting the table of contents of the VRI transcription.
^ Introduction to Pali, 1963,PaliText Society, Bristol, page 383
^ Harvey, appendix
^ Path, pages 311f
^ JPTS, volume XX, pages 1-42
^ The Guide, Pali Text Society, 1962, page xii; Hinüber
^ ([1]).
^ Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies, ed Potter, volume VII, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1996
^ JPTS, volume XXVIII, pages 61f
^ Rewata Dhamma, The Buddha and His Disciples, Dhamma-Talaka Pubns, Birmingham, 2001, page 89
^ Harvey, page 83
^ loc. cit.
^ Foundations, page 44
^ "Pali oral literature", page 7
^ Most notably, a version of the Atanatiya Sutta (from the Digha Nikaya) is included in the tantra (Mikkyo, rgyud) divisions of the Taisho and of the Cone, Derge, Lhasa, Lithang, Narthang and Peking (Qianlong) editions of the Kangyur: Skilling, Mahasutras, volume I, Parts I & II, 1997, Pali Text Society, Bristol, pages 84n, 553ff, 617ff.
[edit] See also
History of Literature
Bronze Age literature:
Sumerian
Egyptian
Assyro-Babylonian
Classical literatures:
Chinese
Greek
Latin
Pahlavi
Pali
Sanskrit
Syriac
Tamil
Medieval literature
Anglo-Saxon
Arabic
Byzantine
French
German
Hebrew
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Irish
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Japanese
Kannada
Nepal Bhasa
Norse
Persian
Welsh
Early Modern literature
Renaissance literature
Baroque literature
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18th century
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Buddhist texts
Tripitaka
Pali Literature
Tripitaka Koreana
[edit] External links
What-Buddha-Said.net What Buddha said in plain English. Translations & Explanations.
The Three Baskets as in the Buddhist Encyclopedia
Guide to Tipitaka– Online transcript of a book by Professor U Ko Lay giving a detailed account of the contents of the Burmese edition of the Canon.
Tipitakadhara Sayadaws of Burma
Sayadaw U Vicittasara Mingun Sayadaw: A Fabulous Memory
[edit] English translations
Access to Insight has many suttas translated into English
Ida B. Wells Memorial Sutra Library
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[edit] Further reading
In addition to Ko Lay's book above, two other books are devoted to detailed accounts of the Canon:
History of Pali Literature, B. C. Law, volume I
Analysis of the Pali Canon, Russell Webb, Buddist Publication Society, Kandy, Sri Lanka
Fundamental principles of buddhism
Buddhism began in northeastern India and is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. Buddhism is divided into two major branches: Theravada, the Way of the Elders, and Mahayana, the Great Vehicle. Buddhism is now prevalent in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, (where Theravada is popular) and in China, Japan, Taiwan, Tibet, Nepal, Mongolia, Korea, Burma, Vietnam, and India (where Mahayana is more common).. There are about 300 million Buddhists in the world.And Buddha was the Light of ASIA.There are seven chapters and conclusion in order to depend on Buddhism that there are so many Buddists in ASIA in the present.Buddhism teaches its followers that in this life they are only temporary vessels of body, emotions, thoughts, tendencies, and knowledge. Buddhists believe that there is no sense of self or soul when in this world. A fundamental concept of Buddhism is the notion that the goal of one’s life is to break the cycles of death and birth. Reincarnation exists because of the individual’s craving and desires to live in this world. The ultimate goal of a Buddhists is to achieve freedom from the cycle of reincarnation and attain nirvana. The enlightened state in which the person is free from greed, hate, and ignorance. The way to nirvana involves the person showing love for others, being compassionate and sympathetic of other people, and showing patience in everything. A Buddhist must also follow five main principles which prohibit killing, stealing, ill language, sexual immorality, and the use of toxic substances. When one successfully follows these principles.
Fundamental principles of Buddhism.
I-The Four Noble Truths
1.1 Life means suffering:
1.2 The origin of suffering is attachment.
1.3 The cessation of suffering is attainable.
1.4 The path to the cessation of suffering.
1- Life means suffering.
To live means to suffer, because the human nature is not perfect and neither is the world we live in. During our lifetime, we inevitably have to endure physical suffering such as pain, sickness, injury, tiredness, old age, and eventually death; and we have to endure psychological suffering like sadness, fear, frustration, disappointment, and depression. Although there are different degrees of suffering and there are also positive experiences in life that we perceive as the opposite of suffering, such as ease, comfort and happiness, life in its totality is imperfect and incomplete, because our world is subject to impermanence. This means we are never able to keep permanently what we strive for, and just as happy moments pass by, we ourselves and our loved ones will pass away one day, too.
2- The origin of suffering is attachment.
The origin of suffering is attachment to transient things and the ignorance thereof. Transient things do not only include the physical objects that surround us, but also ideas, and -in a greater sense- all objects of our perception. Ignorance is the lack of understanding of how our mind is attached to impermanent things. The reasons for suffering are desire, passion, ardour, pursuit of wealth and prestige, striving for fame and popularity, or in short: craving and clinging. Because the objects of our attachment are transient, their loss is inevitable, thus suffering will necessarily follow. Objects of attachment also include the idea of a "self" which is a delusion, because there is no abiding self. What we call "self" is just an imagined entity, and we are merely a part of the ceaseless becoming of the universe.
3- The cessation of suffering is attainable.
The cessation of suffering can be attained through nirodha. Nirodha means the unmaking of sensual craving and conceptual attachment. The third noble truth expresses the idea that suffering can be ended by attaining dispassion. Nirodha extinguishes all forms of clinging and attachment. This means that suffering can be overcome through human activity, simply by removing the cause of suffering. Attaining and perfecting dispassion is a process of many levels that ultimately results in the state of Nirvana. Nirvana means freedom from all worries, troubles, complexes, fabrications and ideas. Nirvana is not comprehensible for those who have not attained it.
4-The path to the cessation of suffering.
There is a path to the end of suffering - a gradual path of self-improvement, which is described more detailed in the Eightfold Path. It is the middle way between the two extremes of excessive self-indulgence (hedonism) and excessive self-mortification (asceticism); and it leads to the end of the cycle of rebirth. The Fourth Noble Truth: We have already tasted true happiness and freedom in the The Third Noble Truth that promises the end of dukkha, the disease of unsatisfactoriness. The Third Noble Truth presents a simple prognosis of the antidote to suffering, being essentially the extinction of tanha(thirst or craving). Not easy to realize this freedom, the Buddha Gotama put forward a systematic approach to be applied at every moment in our lives. The medicine which the Buddha prescribed is the Eightfold Noble Path :
a) Samma ditthi : Right Understanding
b) Samma sankappa : Right Thought
c) Samma vaca : Right Speech
d) Samma kammanta : Right Action
e) Samma ajiva : Right Livelihood
f) Samma vayama : Right Effort
g) Samma sati : Right Mindfulness
h) Samma samadhi : Right Concentration
The cultivation of these eight qualities requires both internal and external development. This systematic training of the mind may be grouped into three aspects of ethics, meditation and wisdom. In this context, here is a brief summary of (what I understand by) each of the components of the Eightfold Path: Ethics Right Speech This is a very subtle quality, which does not merely require speaking the truth at all times, but knowing also when to speak and to what extent. Right speech covers abstention from telling lies; from harmful and malicious speech whether directly at someone or indirectly about someone; and from gossip or frivolous chat. Right speech is always appropriate for the particular situation. Right Action is selfless conduct that respects all life, plus the property (material and intellectual) of others, has honourable respect for oneself and enters into honourable relationships with others. Right Livelihood means undertaking an ethical way of earning a living, hence choosing an occupation that facilitates the Eightfold Noble Path, especially one that does not involved killing or fraud. This quality can be applied at successively finer levels, so that one chooses perhaps methods of carrying out a job in a noble manner ... until right livelihood meets with right action. Meditation :Right Effort is energetic will that on the one hand seeks to cultivate worthy and wholesome states of mind until they are perfected; and, on the other, to reduce and eradicate each and every unwholesome state of mind. Right Mindfulness is awareness at all levels of mind, attentive to the activities of kaya (the body), vedana (sensations or feelings) , the activities of citta (the mind) and dhamma (thoughts, ideas, concepts and perceptions) Right Concentration is the development of mind that is successively more and more focused, until equanimity is reached. It is the quality that is synonymous with states that are reached in meditation. Wisdom :Right Understanding In any situation, with this quality one knows things as they really are: that such is such, that given these causes, then there may arise those effects; more generally it means understanding the Four Noble Truths at the deepest level, with the whole mind.. Right Thought/Aspiration is the quality of having the right initial intention as regards any undertaking, being one of selfless renunciation and service. Sometimes these aspects are summed up as the Three Fundamental Principles: Cease to do evil Cultivate what is good Purify the mind The Eightfold Noble Path is popularly termed the Middle Way (Majjhima Patipada) since it avoids the two extremes of searching for happiness through sense pleasure, which is "low, common, unprofitable and the way of ordinary people"; and the search for happiness through self-mortification, which is "painful, unworthy and unprofitable". Characteristic of the Middle Way is a balanced life, one that cultivates wisdom and compassion: Words of wisdom to become True Individuals: Don't go by mere tradition. Don't go by mere reasoning. Don't go merely because it is the master who says this. Don't go merely because it is said in the scriptures, etc... But when you know for yourselves - these things are not good, conducing to loss and sorrow - then reject them. When you know for yourselves - these things are good, conducing to welfare and happiness - then follow them And words of compassion to encourage on-line Community: It is the whole, not the half, of the best life - this good friendship, this good companionship, this association with the good. Whatever living beings there may be - feeble or strong, long, stout, or medium, short, small or large, seen or unseen, those dwelling far or near, those who are born and those who are yet to be born - may all beings, without exception, be happy. Just as a mother would protect her only child even at the risk of her own life, even so let one cultivate a boundless heart towards all beings. Links on the Fourth Noble Truth Eightfold Noble Path – Overview Dharma Talk by Lama Surya Das: The Fourth Noble Truth: the Eightfold Path to Enlightenment: Part One and Part Two. The series of talks are part of a book entitled The Facts of Life From a Buddhist Perspective. The Buddha`s Message to Mankind is a personal page by Michael Holmboe Meyer, containing an overview of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Noble Path, set in a contemporary context. It is visually very delightful. Ethics Journal of Buddhist Ethics is the first academic journal dedicated entirely to Buddhist ethics and has earnt much respect in the Buddhist community and several net awards. A mirror(?) site is here (Goldsmiths College, UK). To establish a solid ethical foundation, many Buddhists try to observe Five precepts. These are discussed in an interesting Question and Answer Session. Meditation Meditation and Mental Culture provides a variety of inspiring teachings from some famous Theravada monks, including Ven. Ajahn Chah and Mahasi Sayadaw, plus Jack Kornfield, kindly made available by the NCF (Ottawa) Special Interest Group on Buddhism Wisdom The Heart of the Prajna Paramita Sutta - a famous sutra of the Mahayana school that fuses Wisdom and Compassion. The above is just a small selection: these three major themes constitute the heart of Buddhism, so we shall meet them many times in future! Note This article was originally one of a series of contributions I made as a 'Buddhist Guide' for the meaning company.The latter quality discerns it from other paths which are merely "wandering on the wheel of becoming", because these do not have a final object. The path to the end of suffering can extend over many lifetimes, throughout which every individual rebirth is subject to karmic conditioning. Craving, ignorance, delusions, and its effects will disappear gradually, as progress is made on the path.
II-The Noble Eightfold Path
Wisdom2.2. Right View
2.2. Right Intention
Ethical Conduct2.3. Right Speech
2.4. Right Action
2.5. Right Livelihood
Mental Development2.6. Right Effort
2.7. Right Mindfulness
2.8. Right Concentration
The Noble Eightfold Path describes the way to the end of suffering, as it was laid out by Siddhartha Gautama. It is a practical guideline to ethical and mental development with the goal of freeing the individual from attachments and delusions; and it finally leads to understanding the truth about all things. Together with the Four Noble Truths it constitutes the gist of Buddhism. Great emphasis is put on the practical aspect, because it is only through practice that one can attain a higher level of existence and finally reach Nirvana. The eight aspects of the path are not to be understood as a sequence of single steps, instead they are highly interdependent principles that have to be seen in relationship with each other.Right View Right view is the beginning and the end of the path, it simply means to see and to understand things as they really are and to realise the Four Noble Truth. As such, right view is the cognitive aspect of wisdom. It means to see things through, to grasp the impermanent and imperfect nature of worldly objects and ideas, and to understand the law of karma and karmic conditioning.
2.1. Right view is not necessarily an intellectual capacity, just as wisdom is not just a matter of intelligence. Instead, right view is attained, sustained, and enhanced through all capacities of mind. It begins with the intuitive insight that all beings are subject to suffering and it ends with complete understanding of the true nature of all things. Since our view of the world forms our thoughts and our actions, right view yields right thoughts and right actions.
2.2. Right Intention :While right view refers to the cognitive aspect of wisdom, right intention refers to the volitional aspect, i.e. the kind of mental energy that controls our actions. Right intention can be described best as commitment to ethical and mental self-improvement. Buddha distinguishes three types of right intentions: 1. the intention of renunciation, which means resistance to the pull of desire, 2. the intention of good will, meaning resistance to feelings of anger and aversion, and 3. the intention of harmlessness, meaning not to think or act cruelly, violently, or aggressively, and to develop compassion.
2.3. Right Speech :Right speech is the first principle of ethical conduct in the eightfold path. Ethical conduct is viewed as a guideline to moral discipline, which supports the other principles of the path. This aspect is not self-sufficient, however, essential, because mental purification can only be achieved through the cultivation of ethical conduct. The importance of speech in the context of Buddhist ethics is obvious: words can break or save lives, make enemies or friends, start war or create peace. Buddha explained right speech as follows: 1. to abstain from false speech, especially not to tell deliberate lies and not to speak deceitfully, 2. to abstain from slanderous speech and not to use words maliciously against others, 3. to abstain from harsh words that offend or hurt others, and 4. to abstain from idle chatter that lacks purpose or depth. Positively phrased, this means to tell the truth, to speak friendly, warm, and gently and to talk only when necessary.
2.4. Right Action :The second ethical principle, right action, involves the body as natural means of expression, as it refers to deeds that involve bodily actions. Unwholesome actions lead to unsound states of mind, while wholesome actions lead to sound states of mind. Again, the principle is explained in terms of abstinence: right action means 1. to abstain from harming sentient beings, especially to abstain from taking life (including suicide) and doing harm intentionally or delinquently, 2. to abstain from taking what is not given, which includes stealing, robbery, fraud, deceitfulness, and dishonesty, and 3. to abstain from sexual misconduct. Positively formulated, right action means to act kindly and compassionately, to be honest, to respect the belongings of others, and to keep sexual relationships harmless to others. Further details regarding the concrete meaning of right action can be found in the Precepts.
2.5. Right Livelihood Right livelihood means that one should earn one's living in a righteous way and that wealth should be gained legally and peacefully. The Buddha mentions four specific activities that harm other beings and that one should avoid for this reason: 1. dealing in weapons, 2. dealing in living beings (including raising animals for slaughter as well as slave trade and prostitution), 3. working in meat production and butchery, and 4. selling intoxicants and poisons, such as alcohol and drugs. Furthermore any other occupation that would violate the principles of right speech and right action should be avoided.
2.6. Right Effort :Right effort can be seen as a prerequisite for the other principles of the path. Without effort, which is in itself an act of will, nothing can be achieved, whereas misguided effort distracts the mind from its task, and confusion will be the consequence. Mental energy is the force behind right effort; it can occur in either wholesome or unwholesome states. The same type of energy that fuels desire, envy, aggression, and violence can on the other side fuel self-discipline, honesty, benevolence, and kindness. Right effort is detailed in four types of endeavours that rank in ascending order of perfection: 1. to prevent the arising of unarisen unwholesome states, 2. to abandon unwholesome states that have already arisen, 3. to arouse wholesome states that have not yet arisen, and 4. to maintain and perfect wholesome states already arisen.
2.7. Right Mindfulness :Right mindfulness is the controlled and perfected faculty of cognition. It is the mental ability to see things as they are, with clear consciousness. Usually, the cognitive process begins with an impression induced by perception, or by a thought, but then it does not stay with the mere impression. Instead, we almost always conceptualise sense impressions and thoughts immediately. We interpret them and set them in relation to other thoughts and experiences, which naturally go beyond the facticity of the original impression. The mind then posits concepts, joins concepts into constructs, and weaves those constructs into complex interpretative schemes. All this happens only half consciously, and as a result we often see things obscured. Right mindfulness is anchored in clear perception and it penetrates impressions without getting carried away. Right mindfulness enables us to be aware of the process of conceptualisation in a way that we actively observe and control the way our thoughts go. Buddha accounted for this as the four foundations of mindfulness: 1. contemplation of the body, 2. contemplation of feeling (repulsive, attractive, or neutral), 3. contemplation of the state of mind, and 4. contemplation of the phenomena.
2.8. Right Concentration:The eighth principle of the path, right concentration, refers to the development of a mental force that occurs in natural consciousness, although at a relatively low level of intensity, namely concentration. Concentration in this context is described as one-pointedness of mind, meaning a state where all mental faculties are unified and directed onto one particular object. Right concentration for the purpose of the eightfold path means wholesome concentration, i.e. concentration on wholesome thoughts and actions. The Buddhist method of choice to develop right concentration is through the practice of meditation. The meditating mind focuses on a selected object. It first directs itself onto it, then sustains concentration, and finally intensifies concentration step by step. Through this practice it becomes natural to apply elevated levels concentration also in everyday situations. The Four Noble Truths encapsulate the central essence of Buddhism. Considered as the most fundamental teaching of the Buddha, the Four Noble Truths was the direct culmination of the Buddha’s experiences of the Four Noble Sights. The first sermon, also known as "Setting in Motion the Wheel of Law", was delivered by the Buddha to five ascetics in a deer park near Benares, after his enlightenment. This was based on his realization of the Four Noble Truths: There is Suffering (Dukkha in Pali which means "not able to bear or withstand anything").There is a cause to Suffering (Samudaya) There should be cessation of Suffering (Nirodha) Suffering can be ended by following the Eightfold Path .The First Noble Truth has three aspects: There is suffering (Dukkha); Dukkha should be understood; and Dukkha has been understood. The first aspect underlines that birth, ageing, sickness, dissociation from the loved ones, and not getting what one wants are all characterized by “clinging”, and are thus forms of suffering. The second aspect explains that understanding suffering should be based on vision, insight, wisdom, and knowledge. Only then can one claim to have understood suffering through these insights. The second Noble Truth has three aspects: There is a cause to suffering and the cause is attachments to Desire; Desire should be done away with; and Desire has been done away with. Desire, which is the cause to suffering is of three kinds: Desire for pleasure (kama tanha), desire to become (bhava tanha), and desire to get rid of (vibhava tanha). The Third Noble Truth has three aspects: There is cessation of suffering; Cessation of suffering should be realized; and the cessation of suffering has been realized. The Fourth Noble Truth has three aspects: There is the Eightfold Path to end suffering; This path should be developed; and this path has been fully developed. The Eightfold Path which is also called the Ariya Magga (the Ariyan or Noble Path) reflects the Buddha’s final solution to end suffering. Grouped under three categories, the Buddha prescribes in the Eightfold path:Wisdom (panna).Right Understanding (samma ditthi)Right Aspiration (samma sankappa).These basic expressions of the Buddha should be best understood, not as beliefs, but as categories of experiences which does not depend on any metaphysical speculation or belief.
III-The three special Paths:
3.1. Morality is the quality of being in accord with standards of right or good conduct or a system of ideas that fall into those same categories. We often hear words about religious morality or the phrase Christian morality in society. Items that fall into the morally sound category are qualities like good, goodness, rightness, virtue, and righteousness. When talking about a moral quality involving a course of action, we think of ethics. To define morality, a person will use the rules or habits with regard to right and wrong that he or she follows. It is a complex system of general principles and particular judgments based on cultural, religious, and philosophical concepts and beliefs. Cultures and or groups regulate and generalize these concepts, thus regulating behavior. When someone conforms to the codification, you consider this person to be moral. And yet, the notion of how we ought to behave and the reality of how we do behave are varied and real morality behaves in accordance with one's perception of morality. Often, doctrines or moral duties that support the quality of an action which renders it good, is moral. And so a system of standards used to produce honest, decent, and ethical results are consideredHumanistic Buddhism emphasizes our treatment of other people above all else. No one can ever expect to come into full awareness of the Bodhi mind if they do not know how to treat other people with compassion, respect and unfailing kindness. These basic traits are nothing less than aspects of the Bodhi mind.Since the BLIA is an active, world-wide organization, I have spoken at length in this letter about the importance of human virtues, intelligent activity, and the outgoing practice of compassion. These are the central themes of humanistic Buddhism. In this chapter, I will speak briefly about how to practice Buddhism. Since the BLIA is an open organization, tolerant and accepting of all, we do not advocate only one kind of practice of Buddhism. There are many ways to discover the Bodhi mind. Different people follow different paths. In one life, many people undertake more than one form of practice. Whether we practice Zen, Pure Land, esoteric Buddhism, or some other form of Buddhism, there are several fundamental aspects of good practice that all of us should bear in mind. I will discuss them briefly in the following sections.
3.2. Concentration,In the sutras there is a story about a man who had been condemned to death. The king who had condemned the man gave him one last chance to live. The king told the man that if he could carry a jar of oil on his head around town without spilling a single drop, he would let him go free. The man agreed to the proposal. With utmost concentration he slowly carried the jar of oil around the town. As he walked along his route, the king had people ring bells and make noise to distract him. When this did not work, the king had beautiful dancing girls sway beside the man as he proceeded. Nothing made him lose his concentration. Since his life depended on it, the man's mind was perfectly fixed on the jar of oil on his head. Eventually he succeeded in completing his route without spilling a drop of oil, and the king let him go free. This story graphically illustrates the importance of concentration. Just as the man's life depended on the jar of oil on his head, our lives depend on the Dharma. If we can realize this truth with the same immediacy as the man in the story, we will make great strides in our practice. The Sutra of Bequeathed Teachings says, "If you can concentrate on one thing, there is nothing you can not do."Concentration is not a gift. It is something each one of us must work to achieve. Once it has been achieved, concentration becomes our single most important tool in the practice of Buddhism. Every aspect of Buddhism requires concentration. To be mindful, we must concentrate. To be compassionate, we must concentrate. To meditate, we must concentrate. To get along with others, we must concentrate. Concentration can, and should, be developed in working situations and whenever we interact with other people. The most basic way of developing concentration, however, is through meditation. There are many kinds of meditation, but all of them depend on concentration. In its most basic form, successful meditation requires that we sit still for fairly long periods of time. This sitting is a basic form of physical concentration that has profoundly beneficial effects on both the body and the mind. Buddhism Buddhist Buddhic Contemplation Meditative Concentration The founder of Buddhism and the primary enlightenment guiding light to the Buddhist was Siddhartha Gautama Buddha. Siddhartha became a wandering ascetic which was an esteemed and well traveled path in India during those days. After he studied Yogic meditation with two Brahmin hermits, Gautama Buddha succeeded in attaining high meditative states. Know after his enlightenment as the Sakyamuni Buddha and Gautama Buddha, Buddha eventually left all teachers and sat under a Bodhi Tree facing east. He remained there in meditation until he attained enlightenment on the night of the full moon, ascending the Dhyana, the four trance stages, to become Gautama Buddha or the "Enlightened One". Buddha’s teachings were recollected by his followers and transmitted orally as Buddhism and Buddhist teachings. It was not until many years after his death that the Buddhist principles of Buddhism were written down. The Pali dialogues or sutras are believed to be the closest approximation to what Gautama Buddha actually taught. Gautama Buddha taught a new spiritual path which he called "The Middle Way". If one followed the Buddhism Pathway it would bring a spiritual pilgrim clear vision, insight, wisdom, tranquility, awakening, Enlightenment, and Nirvana. Meditation or Concentration was the essential ingredient needed for one to reach the exalted state of Nirvana. By contemplating universal truths and one’s essential beingness, growing Buddhic consciousness nurtured detachment and abstract understanding. Wisdom came from cultivating "Right Views" and "Right Intentions". To promote a happy harmonious life for both the individual and society and to build a foundation for higher states of consciousness, the Buddhist must perform only enlightened moral actions. Enlightenment and peace result from training and study of this path of upward spiral movement. Aspirants begin with a small spark of wisdom which inspires them to moral action and meditation which expands the wisdom which bolsters the morality and leads to higher levels of meditative concentration and so on. There are many types of meditation and concentration. Vipassana meditation was self-possessed,mindful concentration on the mind, emotions, thoughts, and dharmic principles. Another recommended type of meditation was to charge the four corners of the earth with pure thoughts of compassion, empathy, friendliness, nonviolence, and generosity and then to see them in one's mind's eye, rippling out to the ends of the universe.
3.3. WISDOM,Today we are going to complete our survey of the Noble Eightfold Path. In the last two weeks, we have looked at good conduct and mental development. Today, we have the third group to look at, and that is the wisdom group. Here we have an interesting situation which we attended to sometime ago when we discussed the Four Noble Truths. When one sees the Noble Eightfold Path listed in sequence, one begins with Right Understanding and yet in the context of the three fold division of good conduct, mental development and wisdom, wisdom comes at the end. One tries to explain this by using the analogy of climbing a mountain. When one sets out to climb a mountain one has the summit in view and it is the sight of the summit that gives direction to one’s path. In that sense, even when one begins to climb the mountain, one has one’s eyes on the summit. As such, right understanding is necessary right at the beginning of the path. Yet in practical terms one has to climb the lower steps, scale the intermediate ridges before one reaches the summit, the attainment of wisdom. In practical terms, therefore, wisdom comes at the end of one’s practice of the path. Wisdom is described as the understanding of the Four Noble Truths, or the understanding of dependent origination and so forth. What is meant by this is that when we speak of the attainment of wisdom, we are concerned with transforming these items of the doctrine from simple intellectual facts to real personal facts. We are interested in changing this knowledge from mere book learning to real living experience. And the way this is done is through the cultivation of good conduct and specifically through the cultivation of mental development. Otherwise, anyone can read in a book the explanation of the Four Noble Truths and so forth and yet this is not the same as attaining wisdom. As the Buddha Himself said, it is through failing to understand the Four Noble Truths and dependent origination that we have all run on in this cycle of birth and death. Obviously when He said this, He meant something deeper than simply failure to be acquainted intellectually with these items of doctrine. Understanding here has to be taken in the sense of Right Understanding, direct understanding, in the sense of seeing. This is perhaps why so frequently the language of seeing is used to describe the attainment of wisdom. We speak in terms of seeing the Truth, of seeing things as they really are. Because the attainment of wisdom is not an intellectual or academic exercise. It is seeing, understanding these truths directly. When this kind of direct understanding of the truth is gained, this is equivalent to gaining enlightenment. This opens the door to freedom, freedom from suffering and to Nirvana. Wisdom is the key thing in Buddhism. In other religions, we find that faith is paramount. In still other religions, we find that meditation is supreme as for instance in Yoga. In Buddhism, faith is preliminary, meditation is instrumental. The real heart of Buddhism is wisdom. The two steps of the Noble Eightfold Path that are included in wisdom are Right Understanding and Right Thought. Right Understanding can be said to be seeing things as they really are. Understanding the truth about things rather than simply seeing them as they appear to be. What this means is insight, penetrative under-standing, seeing beyond the surface of things. If we want to explain this in doctrinal terms, we will have to speak about the Four Noble Truths, dependent origination, impermanence, not-self and so forth. But for the moment let us just speak about the means of gaining Right Understanding. Here we can again see the scientific attitude of the teachings of the Buddha. Because when we come to look at the means of acquiring Right Understanding, we see that we begin with objective observation of the situation and of ourselves. We join objective observation with enquiry, examination and consideration. In acquiring Right Understanding, we find that there are two types of understanding. One is the understanding that we acquire by ourselves. The other is the understanding that we acquire through others, that we are shown by others. Ultimately, these two types of understanding merge because in the final analysis real understanding of Right Understanding has to be our own. But in the meantime, one can distinguish between Right Understanding that we achieve through observation of the environment and the Right Understanding that we achieve through the study of the teachings. Just as with regard to our situation, we are asked to observe objectively what we see, what we experience and then examine and consider its significance, so when we approach the teachings of the Buddha we are asked to study them, to listen to them and then to consider them, to examine them. Whether we speak in terms of observation and enquiry, or whether we refer to study of the doctrine and we speak in terms of reading, or listening and consideration, the third step in this process of acquiring understanding is meditation. It is on this third stage of the process of acquiring Right Understanding that the two types of understanding merge.
To summarize, the means of acquiring Right Understanding is as follows - on the first stage, one has to observe, study and read. On the second stage, one has to examine intellectually what one has observed, studied and read. On the third stage, one has to meditate upon what one has examined, considered and determined. Let us use a practical example. Let us say we intend to travel to a certain destination. In order to do so, we acquire a road map which shows the route to reach the destination. We look first at the map for the directions. Then we must review what we have seen, review the map, examine the map to be certain that we understand the directions. Only then do we actually travel to our destination. This is analogous to meditation. Again supposing we have bought a new piece of equipment. It is not enough to read the instructions. We have to study the instructions, examine them to be certain that we understand them intellectually. When we are certain that we have clarified our intellectual understanding, we can then proceed to actually operate the new piece of equipment. This is analogous to meditation, to meditating upon what we have acquired through observation, learning, consideration and examination. On the third stage, through meditation these facts become part of our living experience. Perhaps we might spend a few moments discussing the attitude that one can do well to cultivate in approaching the teachings of the Buddha. It is said that one who approaches the teachings ought to seek to avoid three faults in his attitude and these faults are illustrated with the example of a vessel. In this context, we are the vessel, the teachings are what are to be filled into the vessel. Suppose the vessel is covered with a lid, we will not be very successful in filling the vessel, say with milk. This is similar to one who listens to the teachings with a closed mind, a mind that is already made up. The Dharma cannot enter, fill the vessel. Again supposing we have a vessel that has a hole in the bottom. If we fill the vessel with milk, the milk will run out of the hole. This is similar to those of us who find that what we hear does not stay with us. And finally there is the case of the vessel in which there are impurities. Suppose we fill the vessel with milk before having cleaned it. Suppose there is some spoiled milk left in the vessel. The fresh milk that we fill into the vessel will be spoilt. In the same way if we listen to the teachings with an impure mind, with impure attitudes, because for instance we want to achieve a certain amount of honour, or fame, with these kinds of selfish attitudes or desires, we are like a vessel tainted by impurities. We must seek to avoid these faults in our approach to the teachings of the Buddha, in the study of the Dharma.
Alternatively, it is said that one might listen to the Dharma in the way that a patient listens to the instructions of the physician. In this context, the Buddha is the physician, the Dharma is the medicine, we are the patients and the practice of the Dharma is the means by which we can be cured of the disease, the disease of the defilements - greed, anger and delusion - that produce suffering. We will surely achieve some degree of Right Understanding if we approach the study of the Dharma with this notion in mind. We often divide Right Understanding into two aspects. The first relates to the ordinary level while the second relates to a deeper level. Sometime ago, we spoke about the goals that Buddhism offers, in the sense of two levels of goals - happiness and good fortune in this life and the next, and ultimate liberation. Here too, in discussing Right Understanding, we see that there are two levels, two aspects of Right Understanding. The first aspect corresponds to the first type of goal, and the second corresponds to attaining liberation. The first aspect of Right Understanding is the understanding of the relation between cause and effect in the sphere of moral responsibility of our actions and our behavior. This briefly stated means that we will experience the effects of our actions. If we act well, if we observe the principles of respect for life, property, truth and so forth, if we act in these wholesome ways we will experience the good effects of our actions. We will enjoy happiness and fortunate circumstances in this life and the next. Conversely, if we act badly, we will experience unhappiness, miseries and unfortunate circumstances in this life and the next. On the level of understanding as it relates to the ultimate goal of the teachings of the Buddha, we are concerned with Right Understanding in terms of seeing things as they really are. When we say seeing things as they really are, what do we mean? Again one can get doctrinal answers to this question. It can mean seeing things as impermanent, as dependently originated, as not-self, as impersonal, as seeing the Four Noble Truths. All these answers are correct. All express something about seeing things as they really are, seeing the reality of things. In order to arrive at an understanding of this first and in a sense the last step of the Noble Eightfold Path, we have to look for something that all these expressions of Right Understanding have in common. When we describe Right Understanding in all these various ways, all these descriptions are opposed to ignorance, to bondage, to entanglement in the cycle of birth and death. When the Buddha attained enlightenment, His experience was essentially an experience of destruction of ignorance. This experience is described by the Buddha Himself most frequently in terms of understanding the Four Noble Truths and understanding dependent origination. Both the Four Noble Truths and dependent origination are concerned with the destruction of ignorance. In this sense, ignorance is the central problem, the central idea in both the formula of the Four Noble Truths and dependent origination. Let us look at the Four Noble Truths again for a moment. The key to transforming one’s experience from the experience of suffering to the experience of the end of suffering is understanding the Second Noble Truth, the truth of the cause of suffering. Once we understand the cause of suffering, we can then act to achieve the end of suffering. The Four Noble Truths as we have discussed are divided into two groups, two of them to be abandoned, and two of them to be gained - the truth of suffering and the truth of the cause of suffering are to be abandoned, and the truth of the end of suffering and the truth of the path to the end of suffering are to be gained. Understanding the cause of suffering enables one to do this. We can see this clearly in the Buddha’s description of His experience on the night of His enlightenment. When He saw the cause of suffering, when He understood that desire, ill-will and ignorance were the causes of suffering, this opened the door to His enlightenment. Ignorance, desire and ill-will are the causes of suffering. If we want to reduce our examination to the most essential concept, we must focus upon ignorance because it is due to ignorance that desire and ill-will arise.
Essentially, ignorance is the idea of a permanent, independent self. It is this conception of an "I" opposed and separate from the people and things around us. Once we have the notion of an "I", we have an inclination to favour those things that sustain this "I" and to be averse to those things that we think threaten this "I". It is this conception of the self that is the fundamental cause of suffering, the root of the various negative emotions - desire, anger, ill-will, envy, greed and jealousy. It is ignorant of the fact that the so-called "I", the self, is just a convenient name for a collection of ever-changing, dependent, contingent factors. Is there a forest apart from the trees? The self is just a convenient name for a collection of processes. The self is a cause of suffering and fear. In this context the self is likened to mistaking a rope for a snake in the semi-darkness. If we come upon a rope in the darkness, we may assume the rope is in fact a snake and this assumption is a cause of fear. Similarly, in ignorance we take the impersonal, impermanent processes of feelings, perceptions, and so forth to be a self, and as a result we respond to situations with hope and fear. We desire certain things, we are averse to others. We are fond of certain people, we dislike others. So ignorance in this sense is the mistaken notion of a permanent ego, of a real self. This teaching of not-self does not contradict the law of moral responsibility, the Law of Karma. In fact, you will recall that we described Right Understanding in terms of two aspects, understanding the Law of Karma, and here in terms of seeing things as they really are, understanding the nature of existence. Once this egoism is removed, once this erroneous notion of the self is dispelled by Right Understanding, greed, anger and the rest do not occur. When this is stopped the end of suffering is gained. I do not expect this to be completely clear to everyone immediately. We shall be spending several sessions in the next few weeks deepening and expanding the examination of the nature of ignorance.
Let us go on to the next part of the path that belongs to the wisdom group and that is Right Thought. Here we begin to see the reintegration, the reapplication of the wisdom group to the sphere of good conduct because thought has an immense influence on one’s behaviour. The Buddha has said if one acts and speaks with a pure mind, then happiness follows as one’s shadow that never leaves. And if one speaks and acts with an impure mind, then suffering follows as the wheel follows the hoof of the ox. Thought has a tremendous influence on one’s behaviour. Right Thought means avoiding desire and ill-will. So you can see how important wisdom is because the cause of suffering is described in terms of desire, ill-will and ignorance. Right Understanding removes ignorance. Right Thought removes desire and ill-will. So Right Understanding and Right Thought remove the causes of suffering.To remove desire and greed we need to cultivate renunciation or detachment. To remove ill-will, we need to cultivate loving-kindness and compassion. How does one cultivate the attitudes of renunciation, loving-kindness and compassion which will act as antidotes for desire and ill-will? Firstly, renunciation is cultivated by meditating upon the unsatisfactory nature of existence, particularly the unsatisfactoriness of pleasures of the senses. We liken pleasures of the senses to salt water. A thirsty man who drinks salt water only finds that his thirst increases. He achieves no satisfaction. The Buddha also likened pleasures of the senses to a certain fruit called the Kimbu fruit. It is a fruit that is very pleasant in appearance. It has an attractive skin. It is fragrant and tasty. But it causes disaster as it is poisonous when eaten. Similarly, pleasures of the senses are attractive, enjoyable and yet they cause disaster. So in order to cultivate detachment, one has to consider the undesirable consequences of pleasures of the senses. In addition, one has to contemplate, to understand that the nature of samsara is suffering. That no matter where one may be born within the confines of the cycle of birth and death, that situation is pervaded by suffering. The nature of samsara is suffering just as the nature of fire is heat. Through understanding the unsatisfactory nature of existence, and through recognizing the undesirable consequences of pleasures of the senses one can cultivate detachment.One can cultivate loving-kindness and compassion through recognizing the essential equality of all living beings. All fear death, all tremble at punishments. Recognizing this, one should not kill or cause others to be killed. All desire happiness, all fear pain. In this, we are all alike. All living beings are alike. Recognizing this, one should not place oneself above others, one should not regard oneself differently from the way in which one would regard others. This recognition of the fundamental equality of all living beings is basic to the cultivation of loving-kindness and compassion. All want happiness just as I want happiness. Understanding this, one ought to regard all living beings with loving-kindness and compassion. One ought to cultivate this wish that all living beings may be happy. Just as I fear suffering and pain, and wish to avoid it, so do all living beings fear suffering and pain, and wish to avoid it. Understanding this, one develops and cultivates an attitude that wishes to see all living beings free from suffering. In this way, we can develop and cultivate the attitudes of renunciation, loving-kindness and compassion which between them counteract and eventually eliminate greed and anger. Finally through wisdom, having eliminated ignorance, greed and anger, having purified ourselves of those three defilements, we can attain freedom, the final goal that is the purpose of the Noble Eightfold Path, the bliss of Nirvana.
IV-CONCLUSION
Life seems to fly by at an increasingly frenetic pace as we enter the twenty-first century. We careen through the obstacle course of our busy lives and grab whatever synopsis is available to help us ibottom linei difficult or dense material. But there is no short cut to listening to a Mozart Symphony and there are no quick and easy Buddhist Cliff Notesi that will open us to the essence of the Buddha-dharma. One can stand back and admire a beautiful flower, but there is only one way to experience its subtle fragrance: up close and personal. Either we dedicate our time and attention to the Buddha-dharma, with an open mind and tender heart, or we do not. This presents the writer with something of a dilemma. I wanted to present the bare bones of the Buddhais early sermons, in a way that would make them accessible to anyone with little or no knowledge of Eastern philosophy but with a mind still open to possibility, with ears and eyes still open to the music of the dharma. Unfortunately, my aspiration was na?ve and greatly out of sync with my ability. After I started to transcribe a series of dharma talks on the Eightfold Path, I discovered that my understanding was impossibly shallow. I donit mind admitting that this came as both a surprise and a blow to my ego. So I started grappling with the Eightfold Path once again. I rewrote as I studied and contemplated as I rewrote. Each chapter eventually evolved into a new series of dharma talks. As a consequence of this long process, each chapter tends to be a self-contained unit, rather than flowing seamlessly from the one before it. Some material in the Bare Bones is repeated simply because I had forgotten what I wrote ten chapters and three years ago. To most Americans, the word iBuddhai conjures up the image of a little fat guy sitting with a silly grin on his face or worse, an emaciated, grim looking man who looks like he never had a friend in his life. Buddhai triggers an automatic deflector shield that rises to protect us from worshiping a false idol. God forbid that our religions should be contaminated by some foreign demon. We are programmed to reject heathen, alien and impure gods.They shall have no other Gods before thee. That programming has been extraordinarily and terribly successful in each religion on earth, including, sad to say, Buddhism. I can never get my mind around this. Here we have a man who said that his aim was to point out the reality of suffering and to show us a way to end our suffering. He never once claimed to be divine, or a god (Mahayana and Tibetan Buddhism notwithstanding), yet this man ranks in the highest pantheon of teachers who ever walked the face of this earth. To most of us in the West, he remains a stranger. This is astonishing and it speaks of a spiritual poverty that I find terribly sad. The Buddhais message is not about belief. He did not demand that you believe in this or in that. I think he would have been okay if you worshiped a chicken. To the Buddha, the journey begins with practice, not belief. You can believe in the Big Chicken and light candles and incense to him/her. But in the meantime, how about learning to quiet your mind and work skillfully with the poisons of greed, hatred and delusion? How about looking at the core of your own ignorance? My astonishment at our spiritual poverty comes home to roost as I face the truth that ignorance begins with me, especially as I begin to look at my own impatience with the ignorance of others. What is it in me that despises ignorance, if not my
own ignorance? If I accept the Buddhais teaching that it is avijja (delusion) that got me here in the first place, rather than an accident of birth, and if I accept his teaching that ignorance or delusion is universal, why then should I be astonished that almost no one seems to have heard of the Eightfold Path, and if they have, they donit take it very seriously? Perhaps it is too painful for us to accept the proposition that we really have not changed that much since the Buddhais time. In the twenty-five centuries since the Buddhais passing, are we more conscious? Are we more compassionate? Do we have more wisdom? The Buddha was a revolutionary then, and he is a revolutionary now. He had no use for metaphysical questions about God, or a First Cause, or evil, or heaven or hell. He was not interested in questions such as.Do we have a soul? Where does it go after death? Do we reincarnate?i Neither was he interested in proclaiming one set of beliefs to be superior to another, for instance, the Mahayana and Vajrayana belief that the bodhisattva ideal is isuperiori to the iselfishi idea of individual enlightenment, as espoused by Theravada Buddhism. I cannot believe that the Buddha would have tolerated such hogwash for one moment. His focus was relentless. You’re stuck in that hole and asking me if one tradition is superior to another? Let me ask you a question: Now that you figured out that you fell into a hole, are you suffering? Yes? Well then, letis find a way to get you out of there!i After asking us if we are suffering in our individual hole, if he heard a sincere response from deep below, the Buddha would not have hollered back, iNow letis all turn to page 780 in our Sacred Book and start praying together.i Nor would he say, iIn order to get out of that hole, we must first believe in a higher power.i Instead, he would analyze the problem of this particular hole, its depth, the possible places to establish our footing, etc., and look around for what was immediately at hand in terms of tools to help us climb out. But if a person needed to believe that a higher power would give him the strength to escape from his hole, the Buddha would have worked with that belief too. This is called upaya, or skillful means. The Eightfold Path is his elegant Upaya Instruction Book for climbing out of the hole that ignorance has dug for us. The Eightfold Path is a dharma wheel of eight spokes. Right Understanding, the first spoke, colors every facet of the Buddha-dharma, especially the First Noble Truth.
I acknowledge that suffering is hard-wired into my brain. From the First Noble Truth comes the Second: When I am oblivious to desire, my desire sinks back into the unconscious and turns into craving. Craving then turns into clinging and suffering is guaranteed. From the Second Noble Truth comes the Third: If I can break the chain before my craving has turned to clinging, I will be free of suffering, at least momentarily. From the Third Noble Truth comes the Fourth: The Eightfold Path is a blueprint for constructing the spiritual laboratory that eventually can produce an end to all clinging, thus an end to all suffering forever. When I complimented a client on the depth and intensity of her psychological work, she replied with a simple, iItis because I am mdesperate.i I will not soon forget the expression on her face. It was a look of recognition of her situation. It terrified her; it bewildered her, but it also gave her the courage and strength to get off the dime. As I observed the sincerity on her face, I was reminded of the Zen saying that we must practice as if our hair is on fire. She knew that her hair is on fire, and what makes her work so powerful is that she recognizes that I cannot save her. If she is to find psychological healing, it will be through her own effort. This is the Buddhais teaching par excellence. The hard message of Right Understanding is that no one can, and no one may save us but ourselves. Most of us stay in the prison of our minds, waiting for someone to come and rescue us. We decorate our little cells as best we can and soon forget that we live in a prison. The unconscious fantasy of rescue is a core delusion, and it is the death of the healing process in psychotherapy as well as in our spiritual practice. Recently, I reminded a client of a dream that he had brought to a session years ago. In it, he saw himself as a teenager who had been beaten up by school thugs. In the dream, he realized that he literally took a certain pleasure in being
beaten to a bloody pulp because he hoped and prayed that someone would see his terrible condition and come and hold him, nurture and comfort him. In the recent session, he looked at me and said, iSo all my life I have waited for someone to come and help me?i I said, iYes. But perhaps you are now able to become your own hero.i If we discover that our hair is on fire, that we have no time to wait for a loving mama or divine savior to rescue us, we grab what is available and start climbing out of our particular hole. We rescue ourselves. The truth of suffering is a hurdle that either blocks our way or gives us a toehold to start the upward climb! If the first spoke of the dharma wheel is the meaning of the Buddha- dharma, the second spoke is the content of that meaning. Martin Luther King said that we should judge someone not by the color of his skin but by the content of his character. Right Thought is the content of our character, pure and simple. This is why I much prefer right thought to right intentioni for the second spoke of the wheel. Right intention is too fancy for me and I suspect it would have been too fancy for Martin Luther King. If my thoughts are filled with ill will and envy, or if I am relentlessly self- loathing, what is the point of my high-toned Buddhist understanding of anicca, anatta or the Twelve Nidanas? Who cares if I can quote the FourNoble Truths and the Eightfold Path in Pali, Sanskrit or Greek, if the content of my thought is a total mess? The third spoke is the immediate expression of the content of my thought, Right Speech. The fourth and fifth spokes, Right Action and Right Living, are the expression of my practice through my daily interactions with others. I love the way the Dharma Wheel curves in an outward direction here. Earlier, we saw a relentlessly linear path with Patanjaliis eight limbs of yoga, a steady movement of interiorization. The Eightfold Path however, is circular. It curves in and it curves out, a constant turning toward truth even as it appears to move away from it. The last three spokes of the wheel are the meditation (dhyana) ones. Right Effort, Right Sati and Right Samadhi are the core of our meditation practice. What chance do we have to observe the crazy movie in our heads, to create the wedge that gives us a precious moment of release from being lost in the content, without intense mind training? Who among us does not have a wild nature? Our minds are the Wild West without any semblance of John Wayne on the horizon. So how do we work with our own wild ,nature without the tools of meditation? And yet, what is the point of a meditation practice if we do not have its context ?What is the point ofsitting on a cushion and getting wonderfully still if, two hours later, we have completely forgotten that clinging causes us to suffer? This is the meaning that I gleaned from the story of Harry the Shanghai Jew. He first endured; then he learned the new language. Unlike ,Harry, most of us want to skip the boring details and get to the reward of a thing. But what if the meaning of a thing rests within its context? What then for those of us who are too impatient to learn the new language? In the Chian tradition, it is said that the wise enshrine the miraculous bones of the ancient teachers within themselves. This is what it means to learn the language: to give our heart and soul, blood and guts to the new thing. Incorporating the teaching of the ancient masters means that we are willing to learn it in our bones, not in our heads. Learning the language is grounded in faith and nurtured in humility. If we are to open our minds to the unknown, we must leave our comfort zone, where layers of memorized facts have created a false sense of security and certainty, and enter a world that is new and unfamiliar. Sad to say, the line to purchase that ticket is not very long. As we come to the last spoke of samadhi and the wheel turns, an amazing truth is revealed about the Eightfold Path. Like prospectors panning for gold, we find, through our practice, the essence of sati shinning at the bottom of the pan. At the same time, the set of mirrors (samadhi) becomes ever more clear and capable of magnifying sati even deeper down to the roots of greed, hatred and delusion. Now, Right Understanding opens into far more subtle levels of knowing. This level of knowing illumines and purifies as the wheel turns again and again into Right Thought and on to Right Speech. From this constant turning comes even greater depth of insight. Eventually, we discover that the dharma wheel of the Eightfold Path is not a circle at all. In fact, it is a spiral of development that guides us with the sure eye of the most seasoned sailor. It will take us across the ocean of unconscious existence, where, until now we have been caught between joy and misery, clarity and confusion, yes and no, before and after. This ascending spiral spreads in all directions and it goes deep down as well as soaring into unimagined heights. It takes us beyond the relentless subtext of life, death and suffering, to a distant shore of liberation. The Buddha teaches us that this spiral is our birthright. It is an urge within each of us, a deep unease knocking at our door, asking us all to come home.
