Which five?

Business in weapons,
business in living beings,
business in meat,

business in intoxicants, and
business in poison.

Eightfold path

Buddha and his Eightfold noble path

Here’s the Noble Eightfold path , A Gift of truth from the Buddha..
- Wisdom (PaññÄ•)
- Right view
- Right intention
- Ethical conduct (Śīla )
- Right speech
- Right action
- Right livelihood
- Mental discipline (Samĕdhi)
- Right effort
- Right mindfulness
- Right concentration Wisdom (PÄ•li: paññÄ•)
- Right view “right perspective” or “right understanding”. This element of the Noble Eightfold Path refers explicitly to the
Four Noble Truths of Buddhism, stating that these must be fully understood by the Buddhist practitioner Here’s what the
Buddha had said: “And what, O Bhikkus, is right understanding? To understand suffering, to understand the origination of
suffering, to understand extinction of suffering, to understand the path leading to the extinction of suffering; this is called
right understanding”
- Right intention “right thought”, “right resolve”, or “right aspiration” or the exertion of our own will to change. This
element of the Noble Eightfold Path deals, fundamentally, with the Buddhist practitioner’s reasons for practicing
Buddhism, and with his or her outlook towards the world. It enjoins renunciation of worldly things and an accordant
greater commitment to spiritual matters; good will; and a commitment to non-violence, or( ahimsa) towards other living
beings Here’s what the Buddha had said: “And what, O Bhikkus, is right thought? Being resolved on renunciation, on
freedom from ill will, on harmlessness: This is called right thought” Ethical conduct (Śīla )
- Right speech “Abandoning false speech, he abstains from false speech. He speaks the truth, holds to the truth, is
firm, reliable, no deceiver of the world” Here’s what the Buddha had said: “And what, O bhikkhus, is right speech?
Abstaining from lying, abstaining from divisive speech, abstaining from abusive speech, abstaining from idle chatter:
This, monks, is called right speech
- Right action “right conduct” and, as the name implies, deals with the proper way in which a Buddhist practitioner
would act in his or her daily life Here’s what the Buddha had said: “And what, O Bhikkus, is right Action? And how is one
made pure in three ways by bodily action? “There is the case where a certain person, abandoning the taking of life,
abstains from the taking of life. He dwells with his rod laid down, his knife laid down, scrupulous, merciful, compassionate
for the welfare of all living beings. “Abandoning the taking of what is not given, he abstains from taking what is not
given. He does not take, in the manner of a thief, things in a village or a wilderness that belong to others and have not
been given by them. “Abandoning sensual misconduct, he abstains from sensual misconduct. He does not get
sexually involved with those who are protected by their mothers, their fathers, their brothers, their sisters, their relatives,
or their Dhamma; those with husbands, those who entail punishments, or even those crowned with flowers by another
man”
- Right livelihood Right livelihood (samyag-Ä•jÄ«va · sammÄ•-Ä•jÄ«va) is based around the concept of ahiṕsÄ•, or
harmlessness, and essentially states that Buddhist practitioners ought not to engage in trades or occupations which,
either directly or indirectly, result in harm to other living beings or systems. Such occupations include “trading in arms
and lethal weapons, intoxicating drinks, poisons, killing animals, [and] cheating”, among others Here’s what the Buddha
had said: “And what, O Bhikkus, is right Livelihood…”Business in human beings—such as slave trading and
prostitution—is also forbidden, as are several other dishonest means of gaining wealth, such as “[s]cheming,
persuading, hinting, belittling, [and] pursuing gain with gain” FOR LAY FOLLOWERS “Herein, Vyagghapajja, a
householder knowing his income and expenses leads a balanced life, neither extravagant nor miserly, knowing that thus
his income will stand in excess of his expenses, but not his expenses in excess of his income. “Just as the goldsmith, or
an apprentice of his, knows, on holding up a balance, that by so much it has dipped down, by so much it has tilted up;
even so a householder, knowing his income and expenses leads a balanced life, neither extravagant nor miserly,
knowing that thus his income will stand in excess of his expenses, but not his expenses in excess of his income.”"A lay
follower should not engage in five types of business. Which five? Business in weapons, business in human
beings(Prostitution, etc), business in meat, business in intoxicants, and business in poison.”Mental discipline (SamÄ•dhi)
- Right effort “right endeavor”, and involves the Buddhist practitioner’s continuous effort to, essentially, keep his or her
mind free of thoughts that might impair his or her ability to realize or put into practice the other elements of the Noble
Eightfold Path; for example, wishing ill towards another living being would contradict the injunction—contained in
the “Right thought” element—to have good will towards others, and the “Right effort” element refers to the process
of attempting to root out such an ill wish and replace it with a good wish. Here’s what the Buddha had said: “And what, O
Bhikkus, is right Effort? [i] “There is the case where a monk generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds
& exerts his intent for the sake of the non-arising of evil, unskillful qualities that have not yet arisen. [ii] “He generates
desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the abandonment of evil, unskillful
qualities that have arisen. [iii] “He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the
sake of the arising of skillful qualities that have not yet arisen. [iv] “He generates desire, endeavors, activates
persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the maintenance, non-confusion, increase, plenitude, development, &
culmination of skillful qualities that have arisen: This, monks, is called right effort.”
- Right mindfulness right memory”, together with right concentration, is concerned broadly with the practice of Buddhist
meditation. Roughly speaking, “mindfulness” refers to the practice of keeping the mind alert to phenomena as they are
affecting the body and mind. Here’s what the Buddha had said: “And what, O bhikkhus, is right Mindfulness? (i) There is
the case where a monk remains focused on (his/her) body in and of itself … ardent, aware, and mindful … having already
put aside worldly desire and aversion. (ii) (He/she) remains focused on feelings in and of themselves … ardent, aware,
and mindful … having already put aside worldly desire and aversion. (iii) (He/she) remains focused on the mind in and of
itself … ardent, aware, and mindful … having already put aside worldly desire and aversion. (iv) (He/she) remains
focused on mental qualities in and of themselves … ardent, aware, and mindful … having already put aside worldly desire
and aversion. This, monks, is called right mindfulness
- Right concentration Right concentration (samyak-samÄ•dhi · sammÄ•-samÄ•dhi), together with right mindfulness, is
concerned broadly with the practice of Buddhist meditation. Here’s what the Buddha had said: “And what, O Bhikkus, is
right concentration? (i) Quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unwholesome states, a monk enters in the first
jhĕna: rapture and pleasure born from detachment, accompanied by movement of the mind onto the object and retention
of the mind on the object. (ii) With the stilling of directed thought and evaluation, (he/she) enters and remains in the
second jhĕna: rapture and pleasure born of concentration; fixed single-pointed awareness free from movement of the
mind onto the object and retention of the mind on the object; assurance. (iii) With the fading of rapture, (he/she) remains
in equanimity, mindful and fully aware, and physically sensitive of pleasure. (He/She) enters and remains in the third
jhÄ•na which the Noble Ones declare to be “Equanimous and mindful, (he/she) has a pleasurable abiding.” (iv) With the
abandoning of pleasure and pain…as with the earlier disappearance of elation and distress…(he/she) enters and remains
in the fourth jhĕna: purity of equanimity and mindfulness, neither in pleasure nor in pain.
This, monks, is called right concentration

Wealth
is lost nothing is lost

INTERNATIONAL JIVAKA
PRESUMPTIVE HEALTH PROTECTION (IJPHP)      

Patchouli

Botanical: Pogostemon patchouli (PILL.)

Family: N.O. Labiatae

• Description
• Constituents
• Medicinal Action and Uses
• Other Species and Adultertions

—Synonym—Pucha-pat.

—Part Used—The herb, yielding a volatile oil by distillation.

—Habitat—East and West Indies and Paraguay.

—Constituents—Oil of Patchouli is
thick, the colour being brownish-yellow tinted green. It contains
coerulein, the vivid blue compound found in matricaria, wormwood and
other oils. It deposits a solid, or stearoptene, patchouli alcohol,
leaving cadinene.

It is laevorotatory, with the specific gravity of 0.970 to 0.990 at 15 degrees C. (59 degrees F.).

—Medicinal Action and Uses—Its
use is said to cause sometimes loss of appetite and sleep and nervous
attacks. The Chinese, Japanese and Arabs believe it to possess
prophylactic properties.

—Other Species and Adulterations—

Java patchouli, often grown in Indian gardens for home use, is a product of Pogostemon Heyneanus.

The inferior oil of Assam is from Microtoena cymosa.

Cubeb and cedar oils are said to be usual adulterants.

Health is lost something is lost

FREE
ONLINE TRAINING ON BUDDHISM FOR CHILDREN-28

The Goat Who Saved the Priest
[Ignorance]

Once upon a time, there was a very famous
priest in a very old religion. He decided it was the right day to perform the
ritual sacrificing of a goat. In his ignorance, he thought this was an offering
demanded by his god.

He obtained an appropriate goat for the
sacrifice. He ordered his servants to take the goat to the holy river and wash
him and decorate him with flower garlands. Then they were to wash themselves,
as part of the purification practice.

Down at the riverbank, the goat suddenly
understood that today he would definitely be killed. He also became aware of
his past births and deaths and rebirths. He realized that the results of his
past unwholesome deeds were about to finally be completed. So he laughed an
uproarious goat-laugh, like the clanging of cymbals.

In the midst of his laughter, he realized
another truth - that the priest, by sacrificing him, would suffer the same
terrible results, due to his ignorance. So he began to cry as loudly as he had
just been laughing!

The servants, who were bathing in the holy
river, heard first the laughing and then the crying. They were amazed. So they
asked the goat, “Why did you loudly laugh and then just as loudly cry?
What is the reason for this?” He replied, “I will tell you the
reason. But it must be in the presence of your master, the priest.”

Since they were very curious, they immediately
took the sacrificial goat to the priest. They explained all that had happened.
The priest, too, became very curious. He respectfully asked the goat,
“Sir, why did you laugh so loudly, and then just as loudly cry?”

The goat, remembering his past lives, said,
“A long time ago, I too was a priest who, like you, was well educated in
the sacred religious rites. I thought that to sacrifice a goat was a necessary
offering to my god, which would benefit others, as well as myself in future
rebirths. However, the true result of my actions was that in my next 499 lives
I myself have been beheaded!

“While being prepared for the sacrifice,
I realized that today I will definitely lose my head for the 500th time. Then I
will finally be free of all the results of my unwholesome deeds of so long ago.
The joy of this made me laugh uncontrollably.

“Then I suddenly realized that you, the
priest, were about to repeat the same unwholesome action, and would be doomed
to the same result of having your head chopped off in your next 500 lives! So,
out of compassion and sympathy, my laughter turned to tears.”

The priest was afraid this goat might be
right, so he said, “Well, sir goat, I will not kill you.” The goat
replied, “Reverend priest, even if you do not kill me, I know that today I
will lose my head and finally be released from the results of my past
unwholesome action.”

The priest said, “Don’t be afraid, my
fine goat. I will provide the very best protection and personally guarantee
that no harm will come to you.” But the goat said, “Oh priest, your
protection is very weak, compared to the power of my unwholesome deed to cause
its necessary results.”

So the priest cancelled the sacrifice, and
began to have doubts about killing innocent animals. He released the goat and,
along with his servants, followed him in order to protect him from any danger.

The goat wandered into a rocky place. He saw
some tender leaves on a branch and stretched out his neck to reach them. All of
a sudden a thunderstorm appeared out of nowhere. A lightning bolt struck an over-hanging
rock, and cut off a sharp slab, which fell and chopped off the goat’s head! He
died instantly, and the thunderstorm disappeared.

Hearing of this very strange event, hundreds
of local people came to the place. No one could understand how it had happened.

There was also a fairy who lived in a nearby
tree. He had seen all that had occurred. He appeared, gently fluttering in the
air overhead. He began to teach the curious people, saying, “Look at what
happened to this poor goat. This was the result of killing animals! All beings
are born, and suffer through sickness, old age and death. But all wish to live,
and not to die. Not seeing that all have this in common, some kill other living
beings. This causes suffering also to those who kill, both now and in countless
future rebirths.

“Being ignorant that all deeds must cause
results to the doer, some continue to kill and heap up more suffering on
themselves in the future. Each time they kill, a part of themselves must also
die in this present life. And the suffering continues even by rebirth in hell
worlds!”

Those who heard the fairy speak felt that they
were very lucky indeed. They gave up their ignorant killing, and were far
better off, both in this life, and in pleasant rebirths.

The moral is: Even religion can be a source of ignorance.

A BLUE PRINT FOR LIFE

ON  CAUSE  & EFFECT

THE WAY OF DEPENDENT ORIGINATION

            This is
specially when the law of cause and

effect is considered over past,present and future. Knowing

that sentient beings are subject to the way of kamma and are

reborn will allow us to care for each other as if we  were

family. Such awareness will stimulate us to practice

“unconditional loving-kindness and great compassion to all

As one.” Not only will we find satisfaction in this life,
but

even more so in future lives. Therefore, a clear
understanding

of the law of cause and effect and kammic retribution will

allow one to take hold of kamma in the search for one’s own

happiness.

Precepts (Character, morality
self-discipline) is lost everything is lost