Buddhism As Education

What is merit? It is purity of mind, concentration and wisdom. Think about it, if we lose our tempers, how can we maintain our concentration and wisdom? It is impossible. As for good fortune, it is our wealth and intelligence. When our mind attains Constant Mindfulness of Buddha Amitabha or One Mind Undisturbed, we can accumulate merits and virtues. But with just one outburst of temper, all is lost i.e. no more Constant Mindfulness of Buddha Amitabha or One Mind Undisturbed. Therefore, we need to remain vigilant so as not to lose our merits. The Buddha once said, if we practice the Ten Virtuous Karmas, we will not fall into the Three Bad Realms. Instead, we would likely be born in the heavenly realms if we practice these good conducts diligently. If we achieve the deep concentration along with the Four Immeasurable Minds of loving kindness [providing happiness to others], compassion [taking away bitterness of others], joy [liberating others from suffering and feeling happy for t...

When we observe all the worries, pain, bitterness, anger, good fortune, misfortune, good, evil, conflicts, confrontations and natural disasters around worldwide, we see that they are due to wrong understanding of the truth about life and the universe. From this misunderstanding, we erroneously generate emotional attachments, differentiate between others and ourselves, expand the conflicts and confrontations within ourselves to all beings, affairs, objects and the natural environment outside ourselves. This is why we are making disasters worsening everywhere. In reality, natural disasters are caused by human minds. The Buddha said, "greed is the cause of flood, anger is the cause of fire, ignorance is the cause of wind, arrogance and inequality are the cause of earthquakes". Once we understand the fundamental principles, we will understand that everything in this world and beyond arises from the mind and changes according to our perceptions. If we seek to become Buddh...

What is exactly no wandering thoughts? What is correct thoughts? Having no wandering thoughts is being free from wandering thoughts, all discrimination and all attachment. Correct thought is a clear and correct understanding of all principles and matters, causes and results and the condition of anything and its phenomenal expressions. Therefore, in correct thought, these is wisdom, there are virtues and capabilities and auspicious marks. In correct thought, there are no wandering thoughts, discrimination and attachments. According to the Diamond Sutra, "Even the Dharma has to be laid aside, let alone worldly teachings". The "Dharma" refers to the Buddhadharma. One should not be attached to the Buddhadharma either. Any attachment would be a mistake. The Buddhadharma is like a boat, something we use for crossing a river. Upon reaching our destination, we should let go of the tool that got us there. The Buddhadharma is to help us overcome obstacles. When we ha...

If we see someone in need and we unreservedly give him a dollar or more, then the merit of this accords with our true nature because at that time we did not discriminate between others and us. We did not distinguish between the receiver and the donor. We were not attached. In this way, the merits from giving a dollar or more are infinite for they are the uncovering of our virtuous natures. Jealousy and hatred are indeed thoughts of stealing. Why is that so? Because one does not like seeing others doing better. This mindset is abnormal. Wishing others would be worse off or becoming displeased, critical or slanderous when seeing virtuous people or good deeds being carried out - these are all thoughts of stealing. A virtuous person delights upon seeing other virtuous people or good deeds and will wholeheartedly assist these good people and help them accomplish their good deeds. A virtuous person will set a good example for whatever community he is in and his good deeds will certa...

The sutras help us to understand the true reality of life and the universe so that we will know the proper way to think and behave as well as the appropriate cultivation method to be used. Only when we truly accord with the teachings of the sutra will we benefit. if we chant or read indifferently without applying the principles, then our efforts will be futile. Only when we become aware of the purpose and method of chanting the sutra can we actually achieve any results. Today, people simply recite absentmindedly like a small child who sings a song with the right words to the right tune but without understanding the meaning. Only when we become aware of the purpose and method of chanting the sutra can we actually achieve any results. If the Buddha's teachings are not integrated into our minds and our minds are still dictated by our afflictions and habits, what is the use of chanting the sutras? Only our verbal karma is good; whereas our minds and behavior still remains the sa...

When we go to the western Pure Land, we are like elementary school students. But there are also university students, post-graduate students and PhD students in the same classroom. When we face difficulty, they will help us. An inconceivable world! Therefore, attaining rebirth in the Land of Common Residence of Ordinary Beings and Saints, the first of the four lands, is the same as attaining rebirth in the Land of Expedient Liberation because arhats are our fellow practitioners. It is also the same as attaining rebirth in the Land of Eternally Quiescent Light, the highest of the four lands because Buddhas are also there with us. Although there are uncountable number of methods, their objectives are the same. It is often said, 'all the roads lead to Rome' and 'all methods are the same'. Pure Land practitioners should never criticize or slander Zen, Esoteric or any other schools because their objectives are the same as ours; they simply follow different methods of p...

Purity, impartiality and enlightenment are the guidelines for learning and practicing. what are we learning? We are learning to, first, cultivate a pure mind, second, cultivate an impartial mind and third, be awakened and not deluded. Purity, impartiality and enlightenment are three in one, one in three. The Pure Land school focuses on the cultivation of a pure mind. When the mind is pure, the land will be pure. The connection between us and Amitabha Buddha of the Western Pure Land lies in a pure mind. Amitabha Buddha is Sanskrit. Amitabha means 'infinite', Buddha means 'awakening'. This name therefore implies infinite enlightenment. 'Infinite' describes that which is innate in the true nature: infinite wisdom, infinite virtues and abilities, and infinite auspicious marks. These three categories of  'infiiteness' covers all the infinities in the entire universe. 'Amitabha Buddha' is the name of the true nature. That is why Venerable Mast...

The first flood to note is he current that accompanies the senses of emotional impressions of their desirability or interest. This is the flood of sensuality (kamogha), a torrent under whose trance sense objects seem to offer pleasant sights, sounds, tastes, fragrances and touches. With some experience and considered attention, we can note that some of these, once seen, heard, etc, actually induce the kind of feeling that the current promises in any but the most fleeting way In the gentle or pulsing waves of this flood however, the objects of the sense seem irresistible, charming and productive of real satisfaction. And yet the manifest truth of our lives is that we are not blissed-out or even satisfied for long in any sense of contact. It happens all day long and with luck it is mostly okay. Sometimes it is pleasant for a little while and sometimes it is unpleasant, but the pleasant, once established, gets to be normal and then became boring after some time. So, desire for newe...

The term "floods" speaks for itself : the overwhelmed, swept-along feeling that comes as we get plunged into stress and suffering. In the Buddhist texts, the word is sometimes used in the broad sense of the mind being overwhelmed by sorrow, lamentation and despair in full-blown dukkha or to the existential dukkha of our being carried along in the flood of ageing, sickness and death. On occasion, the floods refer to five key hindrances that clog the mind :  sense craving, ill-will, dullness and torpor, restless worry and doubt. Meditators in particular know how any of these five can hinder the mind from realizing the clarity and peace that they are aiming for. In the most specific use however, the floods (ogha) refer to four currents, also called "outflows" (asava), that run underneath the bubbling stream of mental activity. There they remain unseen but yet direct the flow of that stream. Sounds eerie? Well if you sit still in silence for a little while, with ...

If there is a threat, we should seek refuge from it. Similarly in the context of spiritual practice, to protect ourselves from the threat of an unfavourable rebirth, we should seek refuge in the Three Jewels: Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Buddhism teaches three different levels of refuge. The first is where we seek protection from the immediate threat of the suffering of rebirth in a lower realm of existence. Inspired by the greater fear that this possibility evokes, we seek refuge in the Three Jewels in order to avoid it. This level of refuge is relevant to initial scope of practitioners, whose goal is to attain an upper rebirth. When we think of the lower realms of existence, we should not think of some place far away in the distant future. All that actually lies between the present moment and the next life is simply the continuity of our breath. The moment we stop breathing, when we breathe out an don't breathe in, the next life is right there in front of us. It is not a m...

Three basic points of practice to work with are sense, restraint, which means taking care not to indulge and attach to sensations; moderation in eating and wakefulness. Sense restraint: We can easily recognize physical irregularities such as blindness, deafness, deformed limbs but irregularities of mind are another matter. When you begin to meditate, you see thing differently. You can see the mental distortions that previously you did not see it before. This brings sense of restraint. You become sensitive, like one who enters a forest or jungle and become aware of danger from poisonous creatures, thorns and so on. One with a raw wound is likewise more aware of danger from flies and gnats. For one who meditates, the danger is from sense objects. Sense restraint is this necessary; in fact, it is the highest kind of virtue. Moderation in eating: It is easy to fast, more difficult to eat little or in moderation in a meditation. Instead of frequent fasting, learn to eat with mindfu...

Today, Drupon Samten Rinpoche held a chanting session for the liberation of fish into the river in front of the Palme Gon Buddhist Society premises. After the liberation, the passing of merits was also conducted in order to ease the suffering of the wandering spirits, as well as for the benefit of all beings.

One develops right understanding by seeing impermanence, suffering and not-self in everything, which leads to detachment and loss of infatuation. Detachment is not aversion. An aversion to something we once liked is temporary. Imagine some food that you like - bamboo shoots or sweet curry, for example. Imagine having it everyday for five to six years; you would get tired or fed up with bamboo shoots. If someone were to offer you some, you would not get exited anymore. In the same way, we should see impermanence, suffering and emptiness in all things at all times i.e. bamboo shoots. We seek not for life of pleasure but to find peace. Peace is within oneself, to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where your experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. To try to run away from suffering is actually to run towards it. Investigate suffering, see its causes and put an end...

A wandering ascetic, having heard of the Buddha, travelled everywhere looking for him. One night, he came to stay in a house where the Buddha was also residing but not knowing the Buddha's physical appearance, the ascetic was clearly unaware of the Buddha's presence. The next morning, he arose and continued his journey to search for the Buddha no knowing that he was in his neighbourhood the whole night. To search for peace and enlightenment without correct understanding is like this. Due to lack of understanding of the truth of suffering and its elimination, all subsequent factors on the path will be wrong i.e. wrong intentions, wrong speech, wrong actions and wrong practice of concentration and tranquillity. You likes and dislikes are not a trustworthy guide in this matter either, although foolish people may take them for their ultimate reference. Alas, it is like travelling to a certain town, you unknowingly start out on the wrong road and since it is a convenient on...