March 2005 Edition
" If there be one, a wise man, fair of speech, he knows the proper time, and speech concerned with righteousness and practice of right talk. Thus speaks a sage: not angry, well-restrained. With humble mind, not laying down the law, not curious ; but wisely speaks fair speech, welcomes the kindly word, rejects the cruel, knows no resentment, does not carp at faults, does not retort nor crush his rival down, nor from the issue speak.
O true it is that the Nobles' words alike instruct and please! Thus the Nobles speak, such is Noble talk: And knowing this the wise should humbly speak."
- Anguttara
Nikaya i 199
April Meditation Course starting soon
Vipassana Fellowship's online meditation courses have been offered since 1997 and have proven helpful to meditators in many countries around the world. Registration is now available for the April course. The main text is based on a tried and tested format and serves as a practical introduction to samatha (tranquility) and vipassana (insight) techniques from the Theravada tradition of Buddhism. Intended primarily for beginners, the 90 day course is also suitable for experienced meditators who wish to explore different aspects of the tradition. The emphasis is on building a sustainable and balanced meditation practice that is compatible with lay life.
Until now, the course has only been available to Windows' users but we are pleased to announce that the April course will be available to users of any major operating system (Windows, Apple Mac, Linux) provided they have a recent web browser that can display Macromedia Flash files. The course uses our new Online Course Campus which adds additional flexibility and permits greater interactivity. Participants also receive an audio supplement on CD-Rom containing guided meditations and chants to support the online material.
The course is led by Andrew Quernmore, an experienced meditation teacher based in England.
Registration details are available at:
Identity
A course participant writes:
If there is no Self then what do we love, why do we feel separation, why do we agonise at the possibility of someone being seriously ill, why do we grieve?
Andrew replies:
One of the difficult things for all of us to grasp is that the doctrine of anatta means that there is no enduring permanent Self or Soul. It does not mean that, at any single moment, there is not a construct with which we and others can identify.
Just like any object we can set our sight on, we are made up of components. In the case of humans these are a little more complex than your regular nuts and bolts - because consciousness, material forms, mental formations, feelings, and perceptions are 'our' components. These are known as the five aggregates of clinging and each of them is constantly changing. Part of the function of vipassana meditation is to give us an insight into this reality. At first, this concept can seem quite dry (or even threatening) but when the reality of it starts to be known we come to understand that this is who we are. At any given moment of course we exist. The important thing is not to enshrine this momentary 'being' with a grander significance. When we enshrine the sense of I, me and mine that is when we come to suffer at the inevitable separation from what is 'mine'.
The dry academic in us could simply say, "Right, I won't get attached to this notion of Self. I won't regard others as personally connected to me. That way I won't suffer." .... but this isn't going to work, because it is as much a denial of what we are really like as that old mistaken notion of an enduring Self.
This is why meditation is so very important. Rather than the limited world of logical deduction and testing of third-party theories, it is a way of seeing for ourselves the nature of life. It allows the meditator to gradually unearth what is going on. With patient work we can come to see things as they are - nothing to be frightened of; and strangely comforting once we've explored the territory.
With metta
Andrew
Comfortable Words
Thus have I heard: The Exalted One was once staying among the Bhaggi, at Crocodile Haunt in Bhesakala Grove in the Deer Park. Then the housefather Nakulapitar came to the Exalted One, saluted Him, and sat down at one side.
As he sat there, the housefather Nakulapitar addressed the Exalted One, saying: "Master, I am a broken-down old man, aged, far-gone in years, I have reached life's end, I am sick and always ailing. Moreover, Master, I am one to whom rarely comes the sight of the Exalted One and the worshipful brethren. Let the Exalted One cheer and comfort me, so that it be a profit and a blessing unto me for many a long day!"
"True it is, true it is, housefather, that your body is weak and cumbered! For one carrying this body about, housefather, to claim but a moment's health would be sheer foolishness. Wherefore, housefather, thus should you train yourself: 'Though my body is sick, my mind shall not be sick.' Thus, housefather, must you train yourself."
Then Nakulapitar, the housefather, welcomed and gladly heard the words of the Exalted One, and rising from his seat he saluted the Exalted One by the right, and departed.
(Extract from S.N. iii 1.)
The
Goal of the Buddha-Dhamma
by Bhikkhu Kassapa
"No lie is the
Nibbana Dhamma;
this the Ariyas have seen;
they, indeed have
realized the Truths,
Peace Eternal."
There are some who think that the attainment of Virtue (Sila) is the Goal. Some think it is successful concentration (Samadhi) with the gain of the one-pointed mind of Jhanas. Some think that the gain of Wisdom (panna) is the end. But none of these is the Goal, though they are essential steps of the Path to it.
These three - Virtue, Concentration and Wisdom - are the three factors of the Noble Eightfold Path, the fourth of the Four Noble Truths. The Goal is in the realization of theThird Noble Truth, the total extirpation of all craving and the intuition of Nibbana.
The Path is truly a narrow one. Mankind is enmeshed in the toils of suffering because none but the Noble, the Ariyas, have truly understood and realized the Four Noble Truths. There are many who cannot see that Life is suffering, for they do not possess the critical mind that alone can grasp this First Noble Truth. Because of the transitory pleasure that comes from the pleasurable excitement of one or the other of the five senses, we fail to see that these bodies of ours are all the time, even at the moments we are "enjoying ourselves", most steadily decaying and step by step nearing the grave-yard. We fail to remember that disease often of a foul nature has caught and killed many of our friends, even our nearest and dearest, and that we too can be killed, who can tell at what moment, by some foul disease. We tolerate "living" because we have these transitory pleasures, and these friends to share them with us. But one by one our friends will all die, those who now we love so much, and leave us lonely if we live that long. Otherwise we must die, leaving them. But we are blind, blinded by dull Ignorance. And from this ignorance, and combined with it, are born Greed and Hate, the inseparable twins of craving (tanha), the second Noble Truth. Greed makes us want this, that and the other, and when we cannot get what we long for, we are miserable. Do you doubt it ? Look at the woeful face of your friend who has "fallen in love" (another name for Craving) with even a box of cream chocolates, and is afraid it cannot be obtained. And if it is obtained how long will it last ? What belly-aches may it not cause while it is still not empty, if one eats well but unwisely ? And everything is like, - lover, husband, wife, child parent friend and all that is near and dear to one. They pass away, they die, and while they last, they give us many aches. And this is true of all "possessions," without exception.
And we; we go on; for to die is to be reborn and that again means a repetition of the same round of misery.
Many of us seek to ennoble our petty cravings, naming them "ambition", "getting on in life", "success" and so forth. But all such purely worldly progress is honestly and critically examined, is at the expense of other people's craving, being foiled one way and another. We rise pushing others down. Six boys love one girl. One wins the girl and five are miserable, and the one who wins may later be even more miserable than the other five. It is the same with "success" in business, professions, or anything else. And so comes Hate. We hate those who want what we want, who block our way, who take what we dream is "ours". Most religions point to a sensuous sort of "heaven" as their goal. There are such "heavens". They are not a goal at all, but to gain even them, the path is narrow. The broad road of pursuit after worldly pleasures leads to "hells"; the narrow road to any "heaven" calls for munificence and love, in place of greed and hate. One who gives freely to all in need, who gives as much as he can, such a person conquers greed and wins munificence. Such a person also, not ever wanting what others also need and want, finds it easy to extend love towards all beings. Such a munificent and kindly person surely treads a narrow path to a heaven.
But heavens too pass away. In heavens too, there is birth and death. And these greeds and hates, conquered but not rooted out, may spring up again and bring all the misery back.
So the wise the Buddhas and the Arahants, tell us to be done with it all forever, and for this, we must tread the Noble Eightfold Path of Right Understanding, Right Aspiration (these two come under wisdom), Right Speech, Right Deed, Right Mode of Livelihood (these three come under Virtue), Right Effort, Right Mindfulness. and Right Concentration (these three come under Mind training). The Noble Eightfold Path is indeed, a very narrow and difficult road, but it brings its own fruits and happinesses, very much higher than the worldly joys, to those who follow it, even before the Goal is won.
And one day, the Goal, Nibbana will be won. That only can end this round of birth, death and sorrow for ever.
"No lie is the Nibbana Dhamma" - so said our Teacher, the 'Dhammaraja anuttaro' who himself trod the path and won the Goal with thousands and thousands of his Arahant disciples.
The Vipassana Fellowship Newsletter is published about 10 times each year and is sent only on request and to previous participants of our courses. Vipassana Fellowship is an organisation dedicated to the dissemination of accurate and useful information on Buddhist meditation practices as found in the Theravada tradition. Our next mailing will be in April. Our site can be accessed via the vipassana.com and vipassana.org domains.
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