Search results for: "The Sangha"

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  2. Complacency
    When King Asoka recommended a series of chants for the monks and nuns to repeat every day, there was one that dealt with what are called future dangers, reflecting on the fact that we’re all subject to aging, illness, and death; there’s always the possibility of famine, social collapse, a split in the sangha, or just a general corruption of the practice … 
  3. The Arrow in the Heart
     … We talk about taking the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha as our refuge. We do that in the sense of taking the life of the Buddha, the life of the members of the noble Sangha, as our example. We take the Dhamma as our guidance, so we can give rise to the qualities in the Buddha’s heart, in the hearts of the … 
  4. Worry vs. Heedfulness
     … talks about future dangers. A monk should contemplate the fact that death can come very easily, aging can come, illness can come very easily. Famines can happen. Societies can break down. The Sangha can split. When any of these things happen, it’s going to be hard to practice. And there will be other difficulties as well. The Buddha’s response is not to … 
  5. People of Integrity
     … This is why we have the Sangha, all the monastics he trained and who have trained one another since then, to keep these traditions alive. But as the Buddha pointed out, to recognize a person of integrity, you have to have some integrity, too. You may not have the knowledge you’re looking for, but you do want to develop the qualities of being … 
  6. Harmony Inside & Outside
     … This is why a split in the Sangha, the Buddha said, is one of the five most heinous things you can do. Once there’s a split, then it’s difficult for people to get along; it’s difficult to practice. Everyone spends his time talking about the issues, taking sides, and as a result very little time is left for meditating. And even … 
  7. Crossing the River
     … We’ve got the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha as our refuge in the sense that we have their example that it is possible to get across the river safely and to find true safety on the other side. And following their example, you put this raft together. Sometimes it’s discouraging, though. You put it together little bit, but it’s not … 
  8. Swept Downstream
     … You say you take refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha, but do you really take refuge in them? Where do you take your refuge? As Ajaan Maha Boowa says, for most of us, the reality is, Kilesam saranam gacchami: “I take refuge in defilement.” We look for some fun in thinking about sensuality or in getting worked up and angry about … 
  9. Integrity — In Memory of Luang Loong
     … So they had a meeting of the Sangha, they removed the meal assigner from the office, and they put Luang Loong in charge instead. Luang Loong was so honest in the way he dealt with that assignment that he kept it for the rest of his life. Sometimes there’d be controversies caused by people who wanted a little bit more than what they … 
  10. Preparing for Death
     … They have no doubts about the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha, because they see that what the Buddha taught is true: There is a deathless element. It’s an awareness. It’s not quite the same awareness as the awareness in concentration, but it’s an awareness that can be accessed by learning the skill of separating body, feelings, and mind: those first … 
  11. You’ve Got Friends
     … You’ve got the Dhamma and you’ve got the example of the Buddha and the Sangha, and they’re all rooting for you. So accept their help. It’s offered freely.
  12. The Buddha’s Qualities
     … We chant about the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha to remind ourselves of the values behind the practice. Some people have characterized Buddhism as a religion no need for faith. Well, there is an element of faith, an element of belief, believing that the Buddha was awakened. The implication there is that he did it through his own efforts, and he did it … 
  13. The Quest for Inner Happiness
     … But before that chant, we also have the chant reflecting on the qualities of the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha, to remind ourselves of how the Buddha found happiness, how he taught others to find happiness, and the qualities of the people who followed his teachings so that they could find happiness, too. And particularly the qualities of the Buddha. They come down … 
  14. One Thing Only
     … That’s when you need contemplation of the body, contemplation of death, contemplation of the principle of karma, reflections on the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha: All of these things are there to help you with whatever the specific problem that’s coming up, whether it’s laziness or lack of self-confidence. There are ways of thinking that can get you around … 
  15. Restlessness & Anxiety
     … In other words, make sure you’re living in a world where a Buddha is still remembered, the Dhamma is taught and practiced, and the Sangha has carried the true Dhamma down for many generations. When you have that context in the world of your mind, it’s a lot easier to hold perceptions that will calm the mind down and give you more … 
  16. Protection, Inside & Out
     … You’ve got to be your own refuge, but to protect you from outside dangers, the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha are offered as good examples. When you think about what the world has to offer and the prices you have to pay in order to get what the world has to offer, think about the Buddha’s values. Would he make that … 
  17. The Wealth of Simplicity
     … When you’re feeling discouraged, think about all the members of the Sangha in the past, all the monks and nuns who were going crazy one way or another. There’s a story about a monk who said he hadn’t experienced a finger snap worth of stillness in thirty years and he was ready to commit suicide. But he suddenly came to his … 
  18. Look at Yourself
     … How can a person live in the Sangha and live at peace? The Buddha’s basic answer, aside from developing your powers of concentration and getting rid of your defilements, starts out by saying to focus on your own actions, on your own faults. Don’t focus on the actions and faults of others, aside from the question of whether you can learn from … 
  19. 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 … 
  20. Endurance Through Discernment
     … As the Buddha said, you think about all the dangers that can happen—aging can come, illness can come, death can come, a split in the Sangha can come, social turmoil can come—and you want to learn the skills so that even if these things happen, you can still be free from suffering. So we don’t deny that there are problems in … 
  21. 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 … 
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