Search results for: "Dhamma"
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- Alone Together… So these are some of the principles that the Buddha would have us keep in mind so the group can get along, even in difficult circumstances, so that our enforced time together doesn’t drive us apart, but actually strengthens the group, strengthens our practice, creates a good emotional field around the fact that we’re here together practicing the Dhamma, something that’s …
- See Your Thoughts as Strange… Right now it’s especially strange, but even when society seems to be relatively normal, going its ordinary way, from the point of view of the Dhamma it’s still strange: people going along with their defilements. As Ajaan Mun used to say, whatever culture there is in the world, it’s a culture of people with defilements. There’s only one culture that …
- A Good Narrative… Think about all you went through before you found the Dhamma in this lifetime, and having to go through that all over again. Just the prospect of having to go through grade school and high school is enough to induce huge bouts of somvega. But still there comes a point where we start picking things up again. There’s another passage where the Buddha …
- The Buddha’s Rules of Order… You have to question it: “What’s its purpose?” You have to ask these voices, “What is your intention?” Sometimes a voice will come in and it’ll sound like Dhamma and it’ll come down really hard on you, making you feel that it’s impossible for you to practice, so you might as well give up. That’s not a compassionate intention …
- You’re Doing Something Wrong… When you can admit your mistakes, that, the Buddha said, is a cause for growth in the Dhamma and Vinaya. The ability to admit mistakes starts from outside. When you have the attitude that you freely admit your mistakes, and try to make amends when you can—when you’re dealing with other people—then that attitude becomes an inner attitude as well. When …
- A Clear, Calm Lake… It’s often said that people listening to the Buddha’s Dhamma would gain that sense of confidence, even though the Buddha didn’t say, “May you forever be well.” But he did give them a perspective on things, pointing out that the present moment is not totally a new moment, unprecedented. Every present moment has a pattern. There are going to be influences …
- Ups & Downs… As I mentioned earlier, look into the books of Dhamma talks from the great ajaans. It’s not that they explain very much in their Dhamma talks. Their talks are mostly encouragement: that the paths and their fruitions are still within reach, and you’ve got the basic resources you need. You’ve got a body, you’ve got a mind, and that’s …
- A Post for the Heart… All too many people think, “Well, Buddhism is okay about change, so why couldn’t we just change the Dhamma, change the teachings to suit us? What’s wrong with that?” It’s because you’d be left with nothing to depend on at all. The whole purpose of the teaching is to give you something solid you can really depend on. This is …
- Organizing Your Inner Committee… Even the voices that sometimes seem like the Dhamma police coming in to berate you for not being a good meditator: Those can be your defilements, you know. You have to convert them to the point where they simply notice, “Okay, you’re off the path here, let’s move over a little bit and get back on the path.” When you’re on …
- Responsible Conviction… You can read the teachings and agree with them, and use the Dhamma to talk to yourself when the mind feels low, but without the sense of well-being that comes from concentration, it’s easy for the mind to run out of strength. And without the mindfulness that you develop by sticking with one thing, like the breath, it’s so easy to …
- Potentials for Rapture… It could be the recollection of the Buddha, the Dhamma, or the Sangha—something that you find it uplifting to the mind; something that allows the body to calm down. Then notice—when you’re thinking about those uplifting themes, the things that make you feel inspired—how does the body feel? If it feels good, can you return to the body as it …
- Shame & Compunction… There are passages where he says you test the Dhamma on your own by putting it into practice and seeing what results. He’s also asking here, though, to look at the behavior of others—because it’s easier to see the harm caused by others than it is to see the harm you cause to yourself or to others. The principle here being …
- Fear & Insecurity… the bank of the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha. That way, if something happens to your body, your feelings, your perceptions, your fabrications, or your consciousness, there’s still something you can fall back on that gives you at least some sense of security. It’s not the ultimate security, but it’s heading you in the right direction, because, as I said …
- Self-doubts… So you have to ask yourself, looking back on your life, “How often have those voices really been in your own best interest?” To say nothing of the Dhamma, even in the world: If you’re going to get ahead, if you’re going to make something of yourself, you can’t listen to belittling voices, dismissive voices. You’ve got to show some …
- Self Esteem… He told me, “You have to think like a thief if you want to learn the Dhamma.” In other words, don’t expect everything to be handed to you on a platter. It’s up to you to be observant. When you’re listening to somebody talk, whether they’re aiming at teaching you a lesson or not, what can you learn from what …
- Lessons in Fabrication… We say we take refuge in the Buddha, refuge in the Dhamma, refuge in the Sangha, and one of the ways we keep taking refuge in them is that we keep them in mind. That’s another meaning of sarana: things you remember. Always remember that the most important event in the world—that should have an impact on everything you do, say, and …
- In the Driver’s Seat… So when you have your mind set on the Dhamma, you become rich; as you develop more and more good qualities, you become richer. So remember, you’re in the driver’s seat. What matters as you’re driving is not your past driving record, except for reminding yourself that you’ve made those mistakes in the past and you don’t want to …
- Wilderness Lessons… Make it a Dhamma exploring trip, not just a picnic as I heard one of you say. Use your ears, use your eyes, and keep your mind alert for the lessons of the forest. The National Park Service sign says take only pictures and memories, leave only footprints. Well, our attitude is to give what you can of your goodwill and bring back whatever …
- Respect Your Center… Ajaan Mun has a nice image in one of his final Dhamma talks. You’re going into battle, and you’ve got a series of weapons. Your concentration practice is your food; discernment, your weapon; mindfulness and all the other aspects of the practice, the other things you need as a soldier. The question is: Who’s the soldier? It’s your determination not …
- A Happy Tradition… Soon after he was taught, he gained the Dhamma eye and then he died. He was reborn as a deva and, as a deva, he outshone all the other devas in heaven. That’s a story that’s told in one of the udanas. In another sutta there’s what seems to be a continuation of the story where the devas are kind of …
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