It
can be very easy to get into a habit of squeezing the amount of time
available for meditation into ever-reducing slots in the day. This
really has to be avoided.
Determine that whenever possible your
meditation sittings will take place at a regular time and for a set
duration. Look on this as a minimum rather than a maximum commitment.
Meditation is not a chore which we have to slog our way through. It is a
major part of the path we have chosen to tread. Nurture it with time.
Many
religions and philosophical systems advocate keeping one day in each
week as special. If we have been brought up in the West this is usually
Sunday (Muslims would observe Friday, Jewish people observe Saturday as
the Sabbath).
Buddhism too has stressed the importance of Observance
Days (uposatha, or poya) and they can be an enormous help in ensuring
that we take an extended time each week to rededicate ourselves to this
path.
Traditionally the 4 phases of the lunar cycle determine when these
days fall.
In practical terms it may be easier to use the normal
holiday in your country as an Observance Day if this means you would
have more time for meditation practice, and reading, hearing and
reflecting upon the Dhamma..
There are several sites on the Web which
post the dates of the actual uposatha days each year and these include
details of the major Buddhist festivals.
RETREATS
Formal
retreats are an effective and beautiful way of developing our
meditation practice and our knowledge of the Dhamma. In most countries
there are now opportunities to sit formal retreats with experienced
meditation teachers from the Theravada tradition.
These may often be
conducted by monks and nuns attached to particular monasteries or by lay
people. Retreats can last from a weekend to three months or more
depending on our needs and availability of time.
They are also an
opportunity to meet fellow meditators. There are several sites on the
internet which list retreats by reputable teachers, in the Buddhist
tradition, including:
Talks on the
practice of meditation are a vital aspect of the IMS retreat experience
and help to bring alive the Buddha’s teachings of freedom. At the
Retreat Center, teachers offer talks on a daily basis. At the Forest
Refuge, talks usually take place twice a week.
Filter audio results by type.
October 31, 2018
Marcia Rose: Bowing from Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez
The spirit of generosity guides all aspects of IMS’s vision and operations
Generosity is the first
of the ten parami, or qualities of character, that the Buddha taught his
students to cultivate. The practice of generosity develops
lovingkindness and compassion, deepens awareness of our
interconnectedness and encourages non-attachment.
Talks on the
practice of meditation are a vital aspect of the IMS retreat experience
and help to bring alive the Buddha’s teachings of freedom. At the
Retreat Center, teachers offer talks on a daily basis. At the Forest
Refuge, talks usually take place twice a week.
Filter audio results by type.
October 31, 2018
Marcia Rose: Bowing from Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez
The spirit of generosity guides all aspects of IMS’s vision and operations
Generosity is the first
of the ten parami, or qualities of character, that the Buddha taught his
students to cultivate. The practice of generosity develops
lovingkindness and compassion, deepens awareness of our
interconnectedness and encourages non-attachment.
The irony of it is that real peace comes only when you stop chasing it—another Catch-22.
Bhante Gunaratana
About the Bhavana Society
Traditions, Monastics & Community
The Bhavana Society is a community of monastics and lay people living
according to the precepts and practices laid down by the Buddha,
Siddhattha Gotama, over 2500 years ago.
This
collection of Buddhist Digital Resources brings together a
representative selection of Buddhist electronic resources from all the
traditions on the Internet. This will help to make the Buddha’s
teachings more accessible and a valuable research tool and guide for
students and those interested in the Buddha’s Dharma.
Visit our new Buddhist news and events page: news@buddhanet
Buddhanet.net, Buddhist eLibrary
and the World Buddhist Directory are not-for-profit
websites. We run this network of websites entirely on your generous
donations.
Click here to make a Secure (SSL) online dontation.
http://www.forestsangha.org
https://forestsangha.org/
forestSangha
International Monasteries in the Theravada Buddhist Tradition of Ajahn Chah
This Forest Sangha
website integrates the two previously separate sites:
www.forestsangha.org and www.forestsanghapublications.org. It serves as a
portal to the worldwide community of monasteries associated with Ajahn
Chah’s Wat Pah Pong in NE Thailand and is dedicated to the free distribution of teachings in this tradition.
The
best way to choose a retreat (if a choice is available) is to ask
others who have attended retreats with the particular teacher or
organisation. If this is not possible then try to read material produced
by the teacher or group.
We all have different needs and various
prejudices to overcome and the teacher who is ‘perfect’ for one person
is not always what another is looking for.
It is healthy to bear in mind
that a retreat is an opportunity for us to do some serious work and not
necessarily for wisdom to be imparted directly to us by the individual
sitting at the front!
Look upon the retreat leader as a kalyana mitta - a
good friend - with the experience to answer some of our questions and
give advice.
Show them respect even if you disagree with their views.
Always remember that the decisions we make about our practice must be
our own.
It
is best to be cautious of organisations that forbid contact with other
groups and teachers; teachers who claim to have a special or ‘purer’
technique than others, and retreats that are inordinately expensive.
If
there are no opportunities to engage in a formal retreat at a
meditation centre we can always make the effort to conduct our own
retreat. This takes discipline but can be very effective. A typical
schedule would look something like this:
04.30-05.00 Wake up mindfully
05.00-05-15 Chanting / homage
05.15-06.15 Seated Meditation
06.15-06.45 Morning Tea
06.45-07.30 Mindful movement (exercise)
07.30-08.00 Breakfast
08.00-09.00 Mindful working (physical work)
09.15-10.15 Seated Meditation
10.15-11.15 Dhamma study (reading texts, taped talks)
11.15-12.00 Meditation (sitting or walking)
12.00-13.00 Lunch (mindful eating and preparation)
Note
that it is usual to take the Eight Precepts whilst on retreat and that
most people would not eat after midday (unless they had a medical
condition such as diabetes). We also absent ourselves as far as possible
from our usual concerns with work and family responsibilities.
This
time is for concentrated meditation practice and Dhamma reflection.
Peaceful conditions where interruptions will be minimised are
advantageous. Any simple activities we choose to undertake are done
mindfully.
If
you are unable to visit a retreat centre or do not feel able to
structure your own retreat effectively then consider asking a teacher to
run a retreat for you.
If there are a small number of your friends who
are beginning to practice meditation then there are teachers who would
be willing to come to you. Ordinarily you would only need to cover their
expenses.
LESSON 2828 Thu 6 Dec 2018 PRACTICE BUDDHA VACANA for PEACE (PBVP)
Do Good Be Mindful
People all over the world may
practice Buddha Vacana the words of the Buddha from Tipitaka for
Bahujan Hitaya Bahujan Sukhaya I.e., for the welfare, happiness and
peace for all societies and to attain Eternal Bliss as Final Goal.
Online A1 (Awakened One) Tipiṭaka Research & Practice University in Visual Format (FOA1TRPUVF)