【Dhamma Sharing】

Dhamma Sharing @ Zheng Xin Buddhist Association

:- by Luang Poh Thun (In Thai)

:- Introduction (In Mandarin) by Ajahn Cagino

:- Translated (to English) by Ajahn Dton

:- Attended by: Ajahn Suchok

Ajahn Sutthawin

Ajahn Sawaeng

Ajahn Chaiya

Phra Thanakorn

 

The Session commenced with Ajahn Cagino giving a brief introduction (in Mandarin) of all the Luang Poh, Ajahn and Phra who present during the nite.

 

Luang Por started the session by delivering Dhamma/answering to question raised by the floor:

Below were brief summary of what has been delivered:

 

1. Question on the practice towards enlightenment:

Training and practice the mindfulness following the buddha's path; develop, cultivate it's quality and understanding continuously will then lead to enlightenment.

 

2. Question about the secret of practice of Buddhism:

Depending on how we approach it, we need to careful about our mind, we need to be mindfulness and consciousness to safeguard our mind. we have to be mindfulness before we have sense of fear of wrongdoing, When we practice, we look at the quality of sangha. We observe our body, speech and mind. We should always use our mind as measure to be on the right path!

 

3 Question on Theravadian's view of Maitreya Buddha:

There is no different in practice, he also have to cultivate the paramita just like Sakyamurni Buddha into samadhi and attained buddhahood. The main difference would be the context of culture; it may be different and deviated after a while; people may lay down new rules, but the basic practice and the dhamma is the same!

 

4 Question on how to apply Buddhadhamma especially in terms of managing the unwholesome state for modern busy person:

We start with observing morality by the sila, body refrain from stealing, killing, sexual misconduct; avoid gossiping, dividing speech, useless speech; refrain from greed, hatred and illusion. We need to purify our mind and learn the sila. We purify our wisdom and rejoice in the present moment. if we do not stop this action, there will be suffering. So it is important that we keep the good action!

 

5. Question on using music to assist meditation:

it is all right to use music as initial tool to guide and direct the mind into the peaceful state. Mahayana has been good in doing that to pacify the mind. if we look at Buddha who got enlightened under the Bodhi tree, there is no music and just concentrate on breathing to enlightenment. In the present modern world, we have access to a lot of technology & convenient way to reach out to the dhamma such as sms, handphone, email etc.. , but during the Buddha time, he just sit under the tree in the open air; the mind is much more powerful because he didn't use external sources; He instead focus on & direct his mind into subtle sensation; he will go thru many obstacle-Mara which comes in many forms, pains, delusion, thought distracting the initial intention. The Buddha use the Paramita and determination to build up important quality to enlightenment and that needed endurance to win over Mara. You must face with suffering to appreciate happiness. The correct way should be go against it without music. Meditation without any help will make your mind stronger; you'll build up endurance and Paramita rather than depending on external matter!

 

The way of the Buddha is to go against the worldly way; getting away from the selfish way. Let's start wth 5 precepts and refrain from harming others. We have to clear the space before we cultivate other quality. The first precept is refrain from killing and our Metta will be cultivated. Refrain from stealing and we will have integrity & right livelihood for living, Refrain from sexual misconduct, respect for the family with no confusion; be contended with our own spouse and not looking for troubles. Refrain from truthfulness of the word, trust will developed and no confusion in the society. Refrain from intoxication leading to argument, conflict. Practice of Sila is very important and will grow the opposite quality and refrain from unwholesome action. We have to take this training seriously and the only way is progress towards liberation.

 

Buddha emphasize people with five precept; Develop strong confidence in the triple gem, Buddha Dhamma and Sangha as the initial step towards enlightenment.

 

6. Question on whether Sila should be observed before the practice of meditation?

 

if people don't observe sila well and proceed to do meditation; it's like proceed to dye a dirty cloth; So it's better to wash it first before dye. Then meditation that we cultivated will stay. If we look at the Buddha, he will never excuse himself from the sila. The sila is the parent of the quality. We respect sila like our parent, obey the sila and becomes the higher sila. The sila will become more refine when your meditation goes deeper and in return your behaviors will be more refined! Subsequently you can have the extraordinarily sila pledged by the noble one too.

Once people develop the Sila skill, they will not break the sila because they know the consequences and the suffering they will face. The more your samadhi developed, the more you will keep the Sila, if you go against the Sila, you are going the opposite direction and you will not attain the meditation. To summarize this, the one who keep sila will be happy and possessed the treasure both internally and externally. By purifying our sila we will achieve deliverance. if you want to be happy or go all the way to Nibanna, you must start with the basic by keeping the Sila.

 

7. Question about the practice of forest tradition:

"Dhutanga" practice design to speed up the cleansing of mind in the regular or the extreme methods. Lay person can also adopt the essence and adapt to it. For example: refrain from smoking, special practicce for one meal a day! People thought "Dhutanga" means walking in the forest.' But the essence is to be contended with what we have. Want little which boiles down to simplicity of life. The happiness comes from the inner quality; be happy by being simple and contended.

The Dhamma Sharing session ended with the monks chanting and blessing for all the attendees.