All of us keep going through the cycle of birth and death because of Avijja or not knowing.
It is this state of not knowing that causes us endless sufferings.
To have the Buddha come enlighten us who are trapped in this wheel of life, and lead us to the end of all sufferings, is such an extremely rare opportunity. Therefore, do not ignore this chance by just living your life meaninglessly.
Option?
“Everyone has the right to think and choose. Some people feel happy when they are doing sinful acts. Let them be. Otherwise, there won’t be any demons, beasts, or hungry ghosts and the Hell would be too empty. So, let them be.
Some people, on the other hand, feel happy just by doing good deeds or making merits. And they believe such things are already good enough for them. So let them be. What else can we do if that’s all they’ve ever wanted?”
The Buddha’s teaching is simply about alms, precepts, and meditating (to achieve wisdom) which help improve our mind from the basic to principal.
“I wish you all nothing but to try improving yourself and your own mind. That’s all I’ve been trying to teach you – to develop from almsgiving to keeping precepts or basic morality, and finally to achieve true wisdom via meditating.”
Alms (or almsgiving) mean giving to others without expecting anything in return. It can be in the form of materials, or providing help or knowledge.
“One would only get full merits from giving alms when such act of giving is done under the following 3 conditions;
(1) The recipient is a person of virtues or has a pure mind including the so-called Sodaban, Sakitakami, Anakami, Arahant (Arhat), and the Buddha.
(2) The alms given are obtained through an act of virtue or morality.
(3) The giver’s mind is filled with great joy or happiness while giving alms.
Almsgiving done through the above conditions is considered to be full of merits and the persons who give alms themselves are also slightly enlightened for they have somewhat followed the Buddha’s teachings. Do not fool yourself by giving out everything and believe that you have made great merits. That is not almsgiving.”
By giving alms, you can also overcome yourself. Through giving, you can slowly rinse out the greed and stinginess by expecting nothing in return. It is a true development of your own mind.
The best almsgiving of all is forgiving – letting go of the anger or hatred you have towards anything unsatisfactory.
“By giving alms and extending kindness to all creatures, you will receive up to 11 benefits including falling into water but not getting drowned; caught in a fire but not getting burnt; loved by all creatures, both human and non-human; easily reach the highest level of meditation, like a wind blowing by; a peaceful sleep; a calm mind while awake; worry-free while travelling for there’ll always be guardian angels to protect you.”
Those who give alms will always be full of great happiness.
Those who do not will never know the true joy of giving.
“Almsgiving does not have to be something big or expensive. If it is given with a heart that truly wishes nothing in return, it is full of great merits. And the givers themselves are filled with joy and happiness from giving. But no matter how much or how often you give alms, the Buddha said that it is still nothing compared to when you truly believe in the precepts and therefore abide to such morality by heart. This means to refrain yourself from any sinful acts or thinking that might put you or others in a dangerous or difficult situation.”
Precept or Sila in Buddhism means the normal state of mind which can be derived through the right action, right speech, and right thinking by refraining from causing any suffering or difficulty to yourself or others.
There are different levels of precepts in Buddhism. The most basic one is the Five Precepts.
“(1) Refrain from harming the living beings.
(2) Refrain from taking what is not given.
(3) Refrain from improper sexual activity or sexual misconduct.
(4) Refrain from making false or improper speech.
(5) Refrain from gambling, alcohol, or intoxicating drinks and drugs which lead to carelessness and therefore causing troubles to yourself and others.”
No matter how many precepts you follow – 5, 8, 10, or even 227—it’s all about the persisting mind that vows to refrain from any sinful or troublesome acts and thinking.
“By giving alms and sincerely abiding to the precepts, your mind will be filled with joy and happiness which would in turn make you feel peaceful. Such peacefulness is derived from the power of almsgiving and following the precepts wholeheartedly.”
“The Buddha once said that no matter how long you give alms, it is nothing compared to following the precepts. He also said that no matter how long you abide to the precepts, it is nothing compared to when your mind can find peacefulness from meditating for just a fraction of second. Even if you can build a golden pagoda so high that its tip reaches the heaven, the merit you get is still nothing compared to when you have a peaceful mind which might last for only a millisecond.”
“That’s why I want you all to try improving yourself from just giving alms to keeping precepts and finally to meditating.”
By meditating, it means to develop awareness, concentration, and wisdom (Sati, Samathi, Panya).
“Meditating is when you mind focuses on one particular thing until it is calm and at peace where you would then further gain more insights or true wisdom. This is also known as Vipassana.”
Meditating begins with being aware of your body and mind, not getting carried away in your thoughts or emotions. When you constantly become aware of the present moment, concentration automatically occurs. In this state, your mind is normally calm and peaceful which leads to the development of true insights and wisdom where you would see things as they truly are.
“Suppose I’m studying for an exam. If I am not focused on reading books, then I’ll never be able to pass the exam. This is because I have no concentration or Samathi. And why is that? The reason I am not focused is because I don’t have awareness or Sati. Without it, I’m not able to obtain wisdom (Panya) or the ability to understand, analyse and remember the contents of what I’m reading. As a result, I’ll definitely fail the exam. So, that’s what Sati, Samathi, Panya is.
Notice how I did not mention anything about a still or empty mind. That is because Samathi is not about a still or empty mind. It happens when you can concentrate or stay focus on something continuously.”
“If your mind tends to wander elsewhere a lot, making it very difficult for you to concentrate; there are a number of ways to help you to stay focus such as walking slowly, close your eyes while sitting and keep chanting something like Buddho in order to get your mind back to concentration. Once you’re able to concentrate, make use of it.
For instance, when you are able to stay focus, do not hesitate to go studying for the exam. Keep studying, day and night, and you’ll surely pass. Likewise, when your mind stops wandering, try to observe how this body and mind and everything that happens within are subject to change (Anicca), can cause sufferings (Dhukka), and therefore cannot be held on to (Anatta). Keep observing days and nights. Concentrate on this observation until you finally obtain wisdom and truly realise that everything including this body and mind is not permanent. Where there is awareness, there is always wisdom.
So, which practice is best for each of you?
“You have to observe very carefully. Observe where, when and how your mind can best let go of things. That’s the best practice for you. But it might not suit others.”
“Sometimes, those methods provided by the teachers or other practitioners might not suit you. Sometimes chanting Buddho might not work and your mind still keeps wandering around. So, it’s all up to each person. There’re no fixed rules in practising. Some are able to get back to concentration when they are surrounded by the nature. Their minds just stop wandering in that environment.”
“Once your mind stops wandering around and you are able to stay calm and concentrate, do not just linger in there and keep appreciating the peacefulness. If you have an exam coming, please go study. You have gone meditating at the temple for days until you find peace at mind. Now that you’re back home, don’t just sit there and try to empty or still your mind. That would be such a waste.”
So, how can we obtain wisdom through Vipassana?
“Try to observe very carefully and you will notice that even when your mind is already calm and at peace, there is still someone who keeps talking all the time. Your mind just never stops thinking. Even when you are fully aware of the present moment, your mind keeps talking non-stop.”
“The mind that thinks or talks is us. It is the five aggregates that keep thinking and talking.”
“That is the nature of five aggregates. That’s how it naturally works. And you cannot control or get rid of it. It will stop only when you are dead. Five aggregates are our life. Most practitioners misunderstand about this fact.
“They try to get rid of their thoughts, get rid of the mind that talks – they try to get rid of the five aggregates.”
Letting go means ‘just know’. Be aware of everything but not holding on to anything. Not giving in or fighting it. Just know it. That’s all.
“Once you are able to gain wisdom and slowly realise that no matter what your mind is like – calm, peaceful, chaos, thinking, talking, analysing, etc. – if there is no one or no ‘you’ who holds on to anything that keeps happening in your mind, not even the emptiness or peacefulness itself; then you will finally be able to let go of the five aggregates. By keep observing and just know it as it is, you will eventually find the ultimate truth or the end of all sufferings.
This is what the Buddha has always been teaching us. Through his endless perseverance, he finally found the truth of the nature. And with his infinite kindness, he passed on such truth and how to discover it to all of us until the final moment of his life.
“The Buddha’s teaching is like a sunlight which shines through every nook and cranny of the universe without discrimination – whether they are humans, animals, angels, gods, demons, beasts or hungry ghosts; whether they are good or bad, rich or poor, dead or alive. His loving kindness is infinite and he wishes nothing in return but for all of us to finally become enlightened and find a way out of this never-ending cycle of birth and death.”
Now that you all have finally been enlightened by the Buddha’s teachings, passed on to us by our teachers and the Buddhist saints, please live your life very carefully. Do not be reckless. Let’s try to free yourself and others from all the sufferings as soon as possible.
Luangta Narongsak Kheenalayo
Dhamma Teaching from Video
“Luangta’s Teaching : Alms Precepts Meditation”
(English Version is not yet available.)
Video “Luangta’s Teaching : Alms Precepts Meditation” in Thai:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nSlLI_c2gE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For further English information, please visit
English Website :
http://www.luangtanarongsak.org/home/index.php/other-languages/english
English YouTube : Luangta Narongsak Kheenalayo
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvt8eL0quDPs0tGJk_p3vYg
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Follow up channels (in Thai) :
ข่าวสารสื่อธรรมและโอวาทธรรม (สำหรับศิษย์ที่อยู่ประเทศไทย) :
ไลน์โอเพนแชท (Line OpenChat) : ธรรมจากหลวงตาณรงค์ศักดิ์
http://bit.ly/2WogqXJ
ข่าวสารสื่อธรรมและโอวาทธรรม (สำหรับศิษย์ที่อยู่ต่างประเทศ) :
WhatsApp Group Chat : ธรรมจากหลวงตาณรงค์ศักดิ์
http://bit.ly/2Wo712w
สอบถามธรรมะและขอรับสื่อธรรม :
Official Line ID : @dhammaluangta
www.luangtanarongsak.org
FB : เพจหลวงตาณรงค์ศักดิ์ ขีณาลโย
YouTube : เสียงธรรมะ หลวงตาณรงค์ศักดิ์ ขีณาลโย
YouTube (English) : LuangtaNarongsak Kheenalayo
Instagram : @luangta.narongsak
Podcast / Antenna : หลวงตาณรงค์ศักดิ์
Podbean : Luangta Narongsak
Soundcloud : เสียงธรรมะ หลวงตาณรงค์ศักดิ์ ขีณาลโย
************************************************
04-Apr02-63 Dhamma Teaching 10
Luangta’s Teaching 2 : Alms Precepts Meditation (Dhamma Practice)
Buddhism is a religious of wisdom that guides us to the end of suffering.
Suffering (Dukkha) occurs when one clings on to something because of not knowing (Avijja or Ignorance). By misunderstanding that there is “self”, we unknowingly take hold of our actions and their consequences. So when things do not go as expected, we suffer.
The core of the Buddha’s teachings lies in the practice which makes us see the truth that there is actually no self. This truth can be derived through reading, listening, pondering, and realizing the fact that “we do not exist”. This would then lead us to the ‘letting go’.
Once we can let go of our own self, there is no one to hold on to happiness and sadness; hence end of suffering. This is Dhamma practice.
So, how do we begin?
Basically, whenever you go absent-minded or get carried away in thoughts or feelings, you must try to come back to your sense and be with the present as soon as possible. Practise like this until you get used to it. And try not to let yourself get carried away again. Be with the present at every moment. Once you can become aware of the present moment, you will see how the body and mind (or the five aggregates) naturally work.
When we are aware of the present moment, we would understand how the five aggregates naturally work.
When you are not absorbed in your own thoughts or feelings, are you aware that you are now sitting? Are you aware that you are talking? You are, right? This is how the body and mind naturally work. When you say something, do you know if it is good or bad? You do, right? No matter what your body does, you are aware of it. This goes the same for your mind.
Naturally, the mind has thoughts. Whenever you don’t get carried away – when you are with the present— do you know if what you think is good or bad? Is your thought a merit or a sin? You do, right?
So, we have narrowed it down to only two things now; awareness and the five aggregates (or your body and mind).
Being aware of the Five Aggregates
There are only 3 things that involve our body and mind – thinking, doing, and speaking. Whatever we say, be it good or bad, merit or sin; we say it because we think that way. Our body turns left or right according to what we think.
So, the one who bosses us around is actually our own thoughts. And that’s exactly what we have to be aware of. Paying attention to just the body movements or to what we speak is not the true Dhamma practice. We have to focus on our mind. It is this mind that tells us what to do and what to say.
To practice Dhamma and be with the present, we have to be aware of our own thoughts. In order to do so, we can use the chanting such as Buddho, or other enticements that we find effective in keeping our mind from drifting away from the present moment.
Try to focus on the chanting Buddho, and observe whether you are fully aware of that chanting. This is very important. Make sure that your mind only stays with the chanting Buddho. Do not try to force your mind from drifting away. Do not try to stop it from thinking. No matter how far it goes, it will come back eventually. Just let it be. Do not try to get rid of it, or go along with it. By going along, it means that your mind no longer stays with the chanting Buddho.
Do not misunderstand and use the chanting Buddho to suppress your thoughts and stop your mind from thinking. That is a wrong way to practise Dhamma. The only thing you should do is try to be with the chanting Buddho as much as possible. No matter what’s going on in your mind, whether it is peaceful or such a chaos; don’t let the chanting Buddho slip away from your mind.
When you can finally focus on the chanting Buddho, try to observe that there are also other thoughts appearing in your mind.
If you observe carefully, you will see that when chanting Buddho, you are actually not thinking about Buddho alone. You might intend to only think about the chanting, but naturally at some point other thoughts will also appear in your mind. And there is nothing you can do to control it. This is because our body and mind (or the five aggregates) also fall under the law of existence – subject to change, can cause suffering, and cannot be hold onto.
So while chanting, try to observe carefully and do not lose your Buddho. Otherwise, your mind will keep drifting away. Once you can clearly see and understand this nature of your mind, you no longer have to rely on the chanting Buddho.
How our body and mind (or the Five Aggregates) actually work?
When we know something through our sensing organs – that is seeing through our eyes, listening through our ears, smelling through our nose, tasting through our tongue, touching through our body, and emotions or thinking through our mind – feelings such as satisfaction, dissatisfaction, or neutrality occur. At the same time, we would recall from our memory and try to make sense of anything that we perceive through our sensing organs. This in turn creates thoughts and emotions which we are able to become aware of through our mind or the so-called ‘Jitta’.
Now, when you finally understand that no matter what you see, hear, smell, taste, or touch; they would all end up as thoughts and emotions that appear in your mind. You can then focus on your mind only. Try to be aware of anything that occurs in your mind at the very present moment, and observe how your mind is always talking whenever anything appears in it. Once you can do this, you are then one step closer to the ultimate truth. You are now able to see the mind that talks.
How to become aware of Jitta or the mind that talks?
When practicing, try to refrain yourself from anything that might distract you from seeing the mind that talks (i.e. watching TV, listen to the music, chatting on social media). Try to consume less through your eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body (i.e. eat less, talk less, sleep less). Only focus on the mind, and observe it with honesty.
When you make contact to anything through those five doors of senses, your mind will talk. When thoughts and emotions occur, your mind will talk. No matter what happen, whether good or bad, just know it as it is. Do not try to adjust your mind. Do not try to get rid of anything, or get carried away with it. Be aware of them but do not become them. Just know it as it is.
Just know it as it is.
Do not try to know because “knowing is not thinking”. It is not something that can be created. One minute you might be able to know it as it is, but a second later you might start thinking and get carried away. That’s alright. Keep practicing. Do not give up. If you fail to know it as it is, then try again, and again and again. Don’t worry, all beginners are like that. Sometimes you might find yourself trying to separate ‘thinking’ from ‘knowing’ and finally realized that all you did was just thinking. That’s because an attempt to do something is not ‘knowing’. The more you try to ‘know’, the more you get absorbed into your own thought without being aware of it. All this is a common thing that every practitioner has to experience. It’s the path we all have to go through.
During the practice, we sometimes get confused between ‘thinking’ and ‘knowing’.
Now, keep looking into yourself. Keep looking until you can’t find anything but a mind that stays still. In fact, the talking mind is still there but you are not aware of it. The talking mind is actually one who keeps looking, one who keeps focusing. You thought you have found peace at mind, that it is so quiet, empty and not thinking at all. But actually your mind keeps talking all the time. You’re just not aware of it. No matter what you can experience, even if it is the peacefulness or emptiness of mind; there always exists one’s self who keeps talking about the thing you are experiencing. It is this self that creates further thoughts and emotions like satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
Ways to Observe the Talking Mind
One of the techniques used by many teachers to help them see the talking mind is to try looking into ourselves and observe how our mind reacts when we experience something.
For those who have just started practising, try to observe how your mind reacts when you are experiencing something that you like or don’t like. Ask yourself if other people in this room or in this world also know how you feel. Do they know if your mind is now empty or very peaceful? Do they know if your mind is so hectic right now? They don’t, right? But there is always one person who knows. And that one person is you, yourself. So focus on this person. Do not pay attention to feelings or anything that you experience. Pay attention to this person, to this self who knows and talks when you experience something. Know it, be aware of it, and let it go.
Try to observe how your mind reacts when you experience something.
Ask yourself, who is the one that can see, hear, smell, taste, or touch? Who is the one that can feel good or bad? Who is the one that knows if your thought is a merit or a sin? Who is it? It’s you, right? No matter how I ask, there will always be ‘you’ in the answer. This is because you keep holding on to your body and mind. You keep holding on to your five aggregates. Unknowingly, you hold on to them and believe that they are ‘you’.
The five aggregates are Rupa, Vedana, Samjna, Sankhara, and Vijnana. When your sensing organs (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind) make contact to anything, Vijnana occurs. At the same time, Vedna, Samjna, and Sankhara will work together with Vijnana to create thoughts and emotions in your mind. The mind that talks is also one of the five aggregates. It is a Vijnana that keeps reappearing very quickly. When the old talking mind dies out, the new one reappears. The entire process keeps repeating itself like this at an extremely high speed. But no matter how quick it is, if you keep observing on the talking mind and know it as it is, you would see that it also keeps changing and does not stay forever too. Once you can truly understand this truth, you are able to let go of the five aggregates.
Why we have to find the talking mind, know it, and let it go?
That is why all practitioners have to focus on the talking mind. Find it, know it, be aware of it, and let it go. Only when you are aware of this talking mind and let it be as it is, that you are able to completely let go of the five aggregates. The Buddha and Buddhist saints all have been through this path. If you find the talking mind, let it go.
Once we can see the talking mind and truly understand that it too does not stay forever – and therefore is not us or ourselves – we have then already let it go, without having to try to ‘let go’ of anything. That’s why all we have to do is just ‘know it as it is’.
Just know it as it is. Let the five aggregates do their work naturally. Be the observer, not the owner. Let them work freely. Do not interrupt them by trying to adjust anything. When you are not absent-minded or get carried away in your thoughts or emotions, you will know by yourself that the five aggregates are working naturally. You will know it by heart without having to ask anyone. There will be no ‘you’ in there. No intention or attempt to know, see, find, or do anything at all. No anything, not even the slightest action in mind. Only then that Avijja would be destroyed.
Avijja means ignorance or not knowing. It is misunderstanding that there is self. By not knowing the truth, we hold on to that self which is the main cause of all sufferings.
You misunderstand that the mind is yours. So when it is good, you feel good. When it goes bad, you also feel bad. In fact, the mind itself is also not certain. It keeps changing all the time. The mind itself does not hold on to you. It is you that hold on to the mind. Why holding on to something that is not certain and is not yours? So, let it go.
The Buddha once asked his students, ‘Do you think you should hold on to something that is not permanent? For anything that can change will cause sufferings. For anything that can change will not stay forever. And anything that does not stay forever can never truly be yours. Since it is not yours, do you think you should hold on to it?’ His students or the Five Ascetics then knew the answer and able to let go of their body and mind and finally reached the state of Nibbana.
Therefore, whenever there is ‘you’ who know or experience something, there will always be ‘you’ who hold on to yourself. Only when there is no ‘you’ in it. When there is only the body and mind that work naturally. Only then that Avijja is destroyed. And so is the entire cycle of existence. There will be no ‘you’ in this life or the next life. There is only the nature or the ultimate truth – Nibbana.
Someone asked Luangpu Lah Kemaputto if there is any way to stop the mind from drifting away. Luangpu kindly said that, ‘Let it be as it is. Let the mind does its work without interfering it at every present moment. Do not hold on to it by misunderstanding that it belongs to you or any animal or individual.’
Luangta Narongsak Kheenalayo
Dhamma Teaching from Video
“Luangta’s Teaching 2 : Alms Precepts Meditation”
(English Version is not yet available.)
Video “Luangta’s Teaching 2 : Alms Precepts Meditation” in Thai:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u9EpGNNc0I
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For further English information, please visit
English Website :
http://www.luangtanarongsak.org/home/index.php/other-languages/english
English YouTube : Luangta Narongsak Kheenalayo
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvt8eL0quDPs0tGJk_p3vYg
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Follow up channels (in Thai) :
ข่าวสารสื่อธรรมและโอวาทธรรม (สำหรับศิษย์ที่อยู่ประเทศไทย) :
ไลน์โอเพนแชท (Line OpenChat) : ธรรมจากหลวงตาณรงค์ศักดิ์
http://bit.ly/2WogqXJ
ข่าวสารสื่อธรรมและโอวาทธรรม (สำหรับศิษย์ที่อยู่ต่างประเทศ) :
WhatsApp Group Chat : ธรรมจากหลวงตาณรงค์ศักดิ์
http://bit.ly/2Wo712w
สอบถามธรรมะและขอรับสื่อธรรม :
Official Line ID : @dhammaluangta
www.luangtanarongsak.org
FB : เพจหลวงตาณรงค์ศักดิ์ ขีณาลโย
YouTube : เสียงธรรมะ หลวงตาณรงค์ศักดิ์ ขีณาลโย
YouTube (English) : LuangtaNarongsak Kheenalayo
Instagram : @luangta.narongsak
Podcast / Antenna : หลวงตาณรงค์ศักดิ์
Podbean : Luangta Narongsak
Soundcloud : เสียงธรรมะ หลวงตาณรงค์ศักดิ์ ขีณาลโย
