Treat people the way you want to be treated. Talk to people the way you want to be talked to. Respect is earned, not given. — Hussein Nishah
Ananda raking leaves at Wat Kiryvongsa Bopharam on October 17, 2020.
Don’t wake up with the regret of what you couldn’t accomplish yesterday. Wake up while thinking about what will be able to achieve today.
Verse 118: If a man does what is good, he should do it again and again; he should take delight in it; the accumulation of merit leads to happiness.
The Story of Lajadevadhita
While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (118) of this book, with reference to Laja, a female deva.
At one time Thera Mahakassapa stayed in the Pippali cave and remained in sustained absorption in concentration (samapatti) for seven days. Soon after he had arisen from samapatti, wishing to give someone a chance of offering something to a thera just arisen from samapatti, he looked out and found a young maid frying corn in a field-hut. So he stood at her door for alms-food and she put all the pop corn into the bawl of the thera. As she turned back after offering pop corn to the thera, she was bitten by a poisonous snake and died. She was reborn in Tavatimsa deva world and was known as Laja (pop corn) devadhita.
Laja realized that she was reborn in Tavatimsa because she had offered pop corn to Thera Mahakassapa and felt very grateful to him. Then she concluded that she should keep on doing some services to the thera in order to make her good fortune more enduring. So, every morning she went to the monastery of the thera, swept the premises, filled up water pots, and did other services. At first, the thera thought that young samaneras had done those services; but one day, he found out that a female deva had been performing those services. So he told her not to come to the monastery any more, as people might start talking if she kept on coming to the monastery. Lajadevadhita was very upset; she pleaded with the thera and cried, “Please do not destroy my riches, my wealth.” The Buddha heard her cries and sent forth the radiance from his chamber and said to the female deva, “Devadhita, it is the duty of my son Kassapa to stop your coming to the monastery; to do good deeds is the duty of one who is anxious to gain merit.”
Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
Verse 118: If a man does what is good, he should do it again and again; he should take delight in it; the accumulation of merit leads to happiness.
At the end of the discourse, Lajadevadhita attained Sotapatti Fruition.
Dhammapada Verse 118
Lajadevadhita Vatthu
Punnace puriso kayira
kayira nam punappunam
tamhi chandam kayiratha
sukho punnassa uccayo.
Source: Tipitaka
Mountains, according to the angle of view, the season, the time of day, the beholder’s frame of mind, or any one thing, can effectively change their appearance. Thus, it is essential to recognize that we can never know more than one side, one small aspect of a mountain. ~ Haruki Murakami
Jendhamuni at Sugarloaf Mountain on September 5, 2020
Only humility knows how to appreciate and admire the good qualities of others. — Sri Chinmoy
What you see in others, that’s what they will show you back. ~Ajahn Brahm
A lot of anger comes from not seeing the full picture, from not understanding the truth of the matter. ~Ajahn Brahm
It does not matter how long you are spending on the earth, how much money you have gathered or how much attention you have received. It is the amount of positive vibration you have radiated in life that matters. ~Amit Ray
Verse 117: If a man does evil, he should not do it again and again; he should not take delight in it; the accumulation of evil leads to dukkha.
The Story of Thera Seyyasaka
While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (117) of this book, with reference to Thera Seyyasaka.
Once there was a thera by the name of Seyyasaka, who was in the habit of masturbating. When the Buddha heard about this, he rebuked the thera for doing something that would lead one farther away from the attainment of Magga and Phala. At the same time, the Buddha laid down the discipline prohibiting such indulgence in sexual pleasures, i.e., Samghadisesa Apatti, offences which require penance and suspension from the Order. Then, the Buddha added, “This kind of offence can only lead to evil results in this world as well as in the next.”
Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
Verse 117: If a man does evil, he should not do it again and again; he should not take delight in it; the accumulation of evil leads to dukkha.
Dhammapada Verse 117
Seyyasakatthera Vatthu
Pipance puriso kayira
na nam kayira punappunam
na tamhi chandam kayiratha
dukkho papassa uccayo.
Source: Tipitaka
Little acts of kindness are huge. They make both you and others very happy. These are what we call: instant karmic rewards. ~Ajahn Brahm
Ananda at Plymouth, Massachusetts on October 3, 2020.
ព្រះត្រៃបិដក ប្រែថា កញ្រ្ចែង ឬ ល្អី ៣ សម្រាប់ដាក់ផ្ទុកពាក្យពេចន៍នៃព្រះសម្មាសម្ពុទ្ធ
The Tipitaka or Pali canon, is the collection of primary Pali language texts which form the doctrinal foundation of Theravada Buddhism. The three divisions of the Tipitaka are: Vinaya Pitaka, Sutta Pitaka, Abhidhamma Pitaka.
វចនានុក្រមសម្តេចសង្ឃ ជួន ណាត
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Listen to Khmer literature and Dhamma talk by His Holiness Jotannano Chuon Nath, Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia Buddhism.
Should anyone wish to ridicule me and make me an object of jest and scorn why should I possibly care if I have dedicated myself to others?
Let them do as they wish with me so long as it does not harm them. May no one who encounters me ever have an insignificant contact.
Regardless whether those whom I meet respond towards me with anger or faith, may the mere fact of our meeting contribute to the fulfilment of their wishes.
May the slander, harm and all forms of abuse that anyone should direct towards me act as a cause of their enlightenment.
As a solid rock is not shaken by the wind, so the wise are not shaken by blame and praise. As a deep lake is clear and calm, so the wise become tranquil after they listened to the truth…
Good people walk on regardless of what happens to them. Good people do not babble on about their desires. Whether touched by happiness or by sorrow, the wise never appear elated or depressed. ~The Dhammapada
