May 2007 Newsletter

Vipassana Fellowship Newsletter

May 2007 Edition

"For ever am I liberated, This is the last time that I'm born, No new existence waits for me."

- The Buddha

Vesak Greetings

Vesak celebrates the birth, Enlightenment and final passing (mahaparinibbana) of the Buddha Gotama. It is celebrated on the Full Moon of May each year. In 2007 we have two Full Moons in May, and Buddhists in different countries will be observing Vesak on the 1st/2nd May or 31st May. May we take this opportunity to wish you the best of the Vesak season. May you be well and happy; may you too attain Nibbana. May we all take the opportunity to renew our practice and commitment throughout this Vesak month.

From the Mahaparinibbana Sutta:

Now the Blessed One spoke to the Venerable Ananda, saying: "It may be, Ananda, that to some among you the thought will come: 'Ended is the word of the Master; we have a Master no longer.' But it should not, Ananda, be so considered. For that which I have proclaimed and made known as the Dhamma and the Discipline, that shall be your Master when I am gone. ... And the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: "Behold now, bhikkhus, I exhort you: All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness!" This was the last word of the Tathagata.

Online Meditation Course starts this weekend

Vipassana Fellowship's online meditation courses have been offered since 1997 and have proven helpful to meditators in many countries around the world. The main text is based on a tried and tested format and serves as a practical introduction to samatha (tranquillity or serenity) 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.

The course is suitable for users of any major operating system (Windows, Apple Mac, Linux) provided they have a recent web browser that can display Flash files. The course uses our 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.

Our courses are led by Andrew Quernmore, an experienced meditation teacher based in England, and the first begins on Saturday, May 5th, 2007. Andrew wrote our first course ten years ago and he has personally led each course since then.

Registration for the May course is available at:

http://www.vipassana.com/course/

Applications will be considered until the start of the course. Please note that the Audio Supplement is despatched from the UK by Airmail but late applicants will be able to work with online versions of the main audio files until the CD-Rom arrives. After the May course, we hope to offer courses in September and January.

Parisa Support Programme

If you have taken one or more of our online courses you are eligible to subscribe to our Parisa support and encouragement programme for former participants. Parisa provides ongoing access to our courses and new monthly material to provide inspiration for your practice.

http;//www.vipassana.com/parisa/

The Final Triumph

Cross-legged he sat under a tree, which later became known as the Bodhi Tree, the "Tree of Enlightenment" or "Tree of Wisdom," on the bank of the river Nerañjara, at Gaya (now known as Buddhagaya), making the final effort with the inflexible resolution: "Though only my skin, sinews, and bones remain, and my blood and flesh dry up and wither away yet will I never stir from this seat until I have attained full enlightenment (samma-sambodhi)." So indefatigable in effort, so unflagging in his devotion was he, and so resolute to realize truth and attain full enlightenment.

Applying himself to the "mindfulness of in-and out breathing" (anapanasati), the Bodhisatta entered upon and dwelt in the first meditative absorption (jhana; Skt. dhyana). By gradual stages he entered upon and dwelt in the second, third, and fourth jhanas. Thus cleansing his mind of impurities, with the mind thus composed, he directed it to the knowledge of recollecting past births (pubbenivasanussati-ñana). This was the first knowledge attained by him in the first watch of the night. Then the Bodhisatta directed his mind to the knowledge of the disappearing and reappearing of beings of varied forms, in good states of experience, and in states of woe, each faring according to his deeds (cutuupapaata-ñana). This was the second knowledge attained by him in the middle watch of the night. Next he directed his mind to the knowledge of the eradication of the taints (aasavakkhayañana).

He understood as it really is: "This is suffering (dukkha), this is the arising of suffering, this is the cessation of suffering, this is the path leading to the cessation of suffering." He understood as it really is: "These are defilements (asavas), this is the arising of defilements, this is the cessation of defilements, this is the path leading to the cessation of defilements."

Knowing thus, seeing thus, his mind was liberated from the defilement's of sense pleasures (kamasava), of becoming (bhavasava), and of ignorance (avijjasava). When his mind was thus liberated, there came the knowledge, "liberated" and he understood: "Destroyed is birth, the noble life (brahmacariya) has been lived, done is what was to be done, there is no more of this to come" (meaning, there is no more continuity of the mind and body no more becoming, rebirth). This was the third knowledge attained by him in the last watch of the night. This is known as tevijja (Skt. trividya), threefold knowledge.

Thereupon he spoke these words of victory:

"Seeking but not finding the house builder,
I hurried through the round of many births:
Painful is birth ever and again.
O house builder, you have been seen;
You shall not build the house again.
Your rafters have been broken up,
Your ridge-pole is demolished too.
My mind has now attained the unformed Nibbana
And reached the end of every sort of craving."

Thus the Bodhisatta Gotama at the age of thirty-five, on another full moon of May (vesaakha, vesak), attained Supreme Enlightenment by comprehending in all their fullness the Four Noble Truths, the Eternal Verities, and he became the Buddha, the Great Healer and Consummate Master-Physician who can cure the ills of beings. This is the greatest unshakeable victory.

The Four Noble Truths are the priceless message that the Buddha gave to suffering humanity for their guidance, to help them to be rid of the bondage of dukkha, and to attain the absolute happiness, that absolute reality—Nibbana.

Extracted from Piyadassi Thera's 'The Buddha: his life and teaching", Copyright BPS, Kandy.

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 June. Our site can be accessed via the vipassana.com and vipassana.org domains.