Buddhism-Buddhism

Appamadavagga: Heedfulness

Comment January 20, 2021
Heedfulness is the path to the Deathless. Heedlessness is the path to death. The heedful die not. The heedless are as if dead already.

Clearly understanding this excellence of heedfulness, the wise exult therein and enjoy the resort of the Noble Ones. [4]

The wise ones, ever meditative and steadfastly persevering, alone experience Nibbana, the incomparable freedom from bondage.

Ever grows the glory of him who is energetic, mindful and pure in conduct, discerning and self-controlled, righteous and heedful.

By effort and heedfulness, discipline and self-mastery, let the wise one make for himself an island which no flood can overwhelm.

The foolish and ignorant indulge in heedlessness, but the wise one keeps his heedfulness as his best treasure.

Do not give way to heedlessness. Do not indulge in sensual pleasures. Only the heedful and meditative attain great happiness.

Just as one upon the summit of a mountain beholds the groundlings, even so when the wise man casts away heedlessness by heedfulness and ascends the high tower of wisdom, this sorrowless sage beholds the sorrowing and foolish multitude. Continue reading →
Yamakavagga: Pairs

Comment January 18, 2021
Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with an impure mind a person speaks or acts suffering follows him like the wheel that follows the foot of the ox.

Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts happiness follows him like his never-departing shadow.

“He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me.” Those who harbor such thoughts do not still their hatred.

“He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me.” Those who do not harbor such thoughts still their hatred.

Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal.

There are those who do not realize that one day we all must die. But those who do realize this settle their quarrels. Continue reading →
The Dhammapada – The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom

Comment January 18, 2021

Preface

The Dhammapada is the best known and most widely esteemed text in the Pali Tipitaka, the sacred scriptures of Theravada Buddhism. The work is included in the Khuddaka Nikaya (“Minor Collection”) of the Sutta Pitaka, but its popularity has raised it far above the single niche it occupies in the scriptures to the ranks of a world religious classic. Composed in the ancient Pali language, this slim anthology of verses constitutes a perfect compendium of the Buddha’s teaching, comprising between its covers all the essential principles elaborated at length in the forty-odd volumes of the Pali canon.

According to the Theravada Buddhist tradition, each verse in the Dhammapada was originally spoken by the Buddha in response to a particular episode. Accounts of these, along with exegesis of the verses, are preserved in the classic commentary to the work, compiled by the great scholiast Bhadantacariya Buddhaghosa in the fifth century C.E. on the basis or material going back to very ancient times. The contents of the verses, however, transcend the limited and particular circumstances of their origin, reaching out through the ages to various types of people in all the diverse situations of life. For the simple and unsophisticated the Dhammapada is a sympathetic counselor; for the intellectually overburdened its clear and direct teachings inspire humility and reflection; for the earnest seeker it is a perennial source of inspiration and practical instruction. Insights that flashed into the heart of the Buddha have crystallized into these luminous verses of pure wisdom. As profound expressions of practical spirituality, each verse is a guideline to right living. The Buddha unambiguously pointed out that whoever earnestly practices the teachings found in the Dhammapada will taste the bliss of emancipation.

Due to its immense importance, the Dhammapada has been translated into numerous languages. In English alone several translations are available, including editions by such noted scholars as Max Muller and Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. However, when presented from a non-Buddhist frame of reference, the teachings of the Buddha inevitably suffer some distortion. This, in fact, has already happened with our anthology: an unfortunate selection of renderings has sometimes suggested erroneous interpretations, while footnotes have tended to be judgmental.

The present translation was originally written in the late 1950’s. Some years earlier, while consulting a number of English-language editions of the Dhammapada, it was observed that the renderings were either too free and inaccurate or too pedantic, and it was therefore felt that a new translation avoiding these two extremes would serve a valuable purpose. The finished result of that project, presented here, is a humble attempt by a practicing follower of the Buddha to transmit the spirit and content, as well as the language and style, of the original teachings. Continue reading →
Buddhist Theravada Pali Chanting by Venerable Vajiradhamma

Comment December 31, 2020

One of the best Pali Buddhist Chanting. It is a very peaceful, tranquil, pleasant and harmonious chanting.

This Chanting has helped many people to become peace, calm and tranquil, build mindfulness while listening and/or chant attentively, re-gain confidence from fear and uncertainty, bring happiness and positive energy for those who are in sick and those in their last moment in this very life (as hearing is thought to be the last sense to go in the dying process). May you get the benefits of this chanting too.

This compilation consists of Recollection of Buddha (Buddhanusati or Itipiso), Recollection of Dhamma (Dhammanusati), Recollection of Sangaha (Sanghanusati), Mangala Sutta, Ratana Sutta, Karaniya Metta Sutta, Khandha Sutta, Bhaddekaratta Gatha, Metta Chant, Accaya Vivarana, Vandana, Pattanumodana, Devanumodana, Punnanumodana and Patthana.

This compilation is made possible by Venerable Samanera Dhammasiri getting the permission from Venerable Vajiradhamma Thera to compile and distribute, and co-edit and proofing.

Website: www.dhammalink.com
សីលប្រាំ

Comment December 31, 2020

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សីលប្រាំ — អានដោយ សុស ចិន្តាមុនី

រីឯសីលប្រាំ ព្រះពុទ្ធទ្រង់ផ្តាំ ធ្វើចិត្តឲ្យស្អាត
ទី១ហៅថា បាណាតិបាត ហាមឃាត់ដាច់ខាត
កុំសម្លាប់សត្វ ។

ទី២អទិន្នា យើងទាំងអស់គ្នា ត្រូវចេះអារកាត់
កុំលួចទ្រព្យគេ ឲ្យប្រុងប្រយ័ត្ន ក្រែងមានវិបត្តិ
ដិតដល់ខ្លួនយើង ។

ទី៣កាមេ ទាំងយើងទាំងគេ កុំជែងចចើង
ប្រពន្ធប្តីគេ ទាបថោកឥតថ្កើង ត្រូវលះវៀរឡើង
កុំយកខ្លួនបៀត ។

ទី៤មុសា ព្រះពុទ្ធហាមថា ធម៌មុសាវាទ
កុំភូតកុហក់ ប្រវ័ញ្ចមិត្តញាតិ ធ្វើឲ្យឃ្លៀងឃ្លាត
អស់ទ្រព្យសម្បត្តិ ។

ទី៥សុរា ចុងក្រោយហាមថា ឲ្យប្រុងប្រយ័ត្ន
កុំសេពសុរា មេរ័យវិបត្តិ ត្រូវចេះដុសខាត់
រក្សាសីល៥ ។

បើយើងរក្សា សីល៥ជាប់ណា នោះត្រូវចងចាំ
ថាយើងស្លាប់ទៅ មិនមានសាំញ៉ាំ អុ្នកជាប់សីលប្រាំ
ទៅកាន់ឋានសួគ៌ ។
The Fourth Noble Truth

Comment December 29, 2020

What is the Noble Truth of the Way Leading to the Cessation of Suffering? It is the Noble Eightfold Path, that is to say: Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration.

There is this Noble Truth of the Path leading to the Cessation of Suffering: such was the vision, insight, wisdom, knowing and light that arose in me about things not heard before….

This Noble Truth must be penetrated to by cultivating the Path….

This Noble Truth has been penetrated to by cultivating the Path: such was the vision, insight, wisdom, knowing and light that arose in me about things not heard before.

[Samyutta Nikaya LVI, 11]

The Fourth Noble Truth, like the first three, has three aspects. The first aspect is: ‘There is the Eightfold Path, the atthangika magga – the way out of suffering.’ It is also called the ariya magga, the Ariyan or Noble Path. The second aspect is: ‘This path should be developed.’ The final insight into arahantship is: ‘This path has been fully developed.’

The Eightfold Path is presented in a sequence: beginning with Right (or perfect) Understanding, samma ditthi, it goes to Right (or perfect) Intention or Aspiration, samma sankappa; these first two elements of the path are grouped together as Wisdom (panna). Moral commitment (sila) flows from panna; this covers Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood – also referred to as perfect speech, perfect action and perfect livelihood, samma vaca, samma kammanta and samma ajiva. Continue reading →
The Third Noble Truth

Comment December 28, 2020

What is the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering? It is the remainderless fading and cessation of that same craving; the rejecting, relinquishing, leaving and renouncing of it. But whereon is this craving abandoned and made to cease? Wherever there is what seems lovable and gratifying, thereon it is abandoned and made to cease.

There is this Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering: such was the vision, insight, wisdom, knowing and light that arose in me about things not heard before.

This Noble Truth must be penetrated to by realising the Cessation of Suffering….

This Noble Truth has been penetrated to by realising the Cessation of Suffering: such was the vision, insight, wisdom, knowing and light that arose in me about things not heard before.

[Samyutta Nikaya LVI, 11]

The Third Noble Truth with its three aspects is: ‘There is the cessation of suffering, of dukkha. The cessation of dukkha should be realised. The cessation of dukkha has been realised.’

The whole aim of the Buddhist teaching is to develop the reflective mind in order to let go of delusions. The Four Noble Truths is a teaching about letting go by investigating or looking into – contemplating: ‘Why is it like this? Why is it this way?’ It is good to ponder over things like why monks shave their heads or why Buddha-rupas look the way they do. We contemplate…the mind is not forming an opinion about whether these are good, bad, useful or useless. The mind is actually opening and considering. ‘What does this mean? What do the monks represent? Why do they carry alms bowls? Why can’t they have money? Why can’t they grow their own food? We contemplate how this way of living has sustained the tradition and allowed it to be handed down from its original founder, Gotama the Buddha, to the present time. Continue reading →
The Second Noble Truth

Comment December 27, 2020

What is the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering?

It is craving which renews being and is accompanied by relish and lust, relishing this and that: in other words, craving for sensual desires, craving for being, craving for non-being. But whereon does this craving arise and flourish? Wherever there is what seems lovable and gratifying, thereon it arises and flourishes.

There is this Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering:such was the vision, insight, wisdom, knowing and light that arose in me about things not heard before.

This Noble Truth must be penetrated to by abandoning the origin of suffering….

This Noble Truth has been penetrated to by abandoning the origin of suffering: such was the vision, insight, wisdom, knowing and light that arose in me about things not heard before.

[Samyutta Nikaya LVI, 11]

The Second Noble Truth with its three aspects is: ‘There is the origin of suffering, which is attachment to desire. Desire should be let go of. Desire has been let go of.’

The Second Noble Truth states that there is an origin of suffering and that the origin of suffering is attachment to the three kinds of desire: desire for sense pleasure (kama tanha), desire to become (bhava tanha) and desire to get rid of (vibhava tanha). This is the statement of the Second Noble Truth, the thesis, the pariyatti. This is what you contemplate: the origin of suffering is attachment to desire. Continue reading →
The First Noble Truth

Comment December 26, 2020

What is the Noble Truth of Suffering? Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, sickness is suffering, dissociation from the loved is suffering, not to get what one wants is suffering: in short the five categories affected by clinging are suffering.

There is this Noble Truth of Suffering: such was the vision, insight, wisdom, knowing and light that arose in me about things not heard before.

This Noble Truth must be penetrated by fully understanding suffering: such was the vision, insight, wisdom, knowing and light that arose in me about things not heard before.

This Noble Truth has been penetrated by fully understanding suffering: such was the vision, insight, wisdom, knowing and light that arose in me about things not heard before.

[Samyutta Nikaya LVI, 11]

The First Noble Truth with its three aspects is: “There is suffering, dukkha. Dukkha should be understood. Dukkha has been understood.”

This is a very skilful teaching because it is expressed in a simple formula which is easy to remember, and it also applies to everything that you can possibly experience or do or think concerning the past, the present or the future. Continue reading →
For a man to be perfect there are two qualities that he should develop equally

Comment December 10, 2020

Novices Calvin and Ananda

According to Buddhism for a man to be perfect there are two qualities that he should develop equally: compassion on one side, and wisdom on the other. Here compassion represents love, charity, kindness, tolerance and such noble qualities on the emotional side, or qualities of the heart, while wisdom would stand for the intellectual side or the qualities of the mind. If one develops only the emotional neglecting the intellectual, one may become a good-hearted fool; while to develop only the intellectual side neglecting the emotional may turn one into a hardheaded intellect without feeling for others. Therefore, to be perfect one has to develop both equally. That is the aim of the Buddhist way of life: in it wisdom and compassion are inseparably linked together.

— Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught