1033 LESSON 06-09-2013 FRIDAY
FREE ONLINE eNālāndā Research and Practice UNIVERSITY
http://sarvajan.ambedkar.org
for revival of Buddhism
Metta to create Peace, Societal Harmony & Progress
Most Venerable Dr.ANANDA BHANTE
General Secretary,
Maha Bodhi Society, Bangalore
Please watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS63HFK9BkA
Dhammapada Pali Hymn, 46 Verses
26:11mins
You may find the translation of this hymn at the following links:
Dhammapada in Khmer and English as pdf http://khmerbuddhism.com/profiles/blo…
Dhammapada Stories in English as pdf http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/bmD…
Dhammapada Commentary as pdf http://www.atmajyoti.org/pdfs/Dhammap…
Dhammapada Stories with Pali and English Verses http://www.tipitaka.net/tipitaka/dhp/
Treasury of Truth: Text from the Illustrated Dhammapada (pdf) http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/dha…
Listen to Dhammapada at http://dhammacitytv.blogspot.com/p/dh…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVYWmFQ7tfQ
Pali Chanting With Music-30:13 Mins
Metta to create Peace, Societal Harmony & ProgressMost Venerable Dr.ANANDA BHANTE
General Secretary,
Maha Bodhi Society, Bangalore
Happiness is the goal of all living beings. Everything that is done by a human
being or any being, is done for the sake of happiness. Health
contributors greatly to feeling of happiness. Happiness is entirely
inner wealth which has nothing to do with the external circumstances.
Therefore even if sometimes health is not good, one can be happy if one
has the clear understanding of reality and is able to go beyond the
changeful world.
For common people health is crucial as it influences the mind moment to moment. Therefor the Lord Buddha said ‘Arogya Parama Labha - Health is highest gain’. Arogya means health in
every sense. Venerable Acharya Buddharakkhita often says ‘arogya’ is not
just the absence of disease but the positive presence of well-being. It
is Total Health in every field of life’s journey.
The state of
comfort comes from physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. There are
words in use like holistic which means an all roung wellbeing and
holistic medicine which means all round approach for well being. Since
the body and mind, both are interrelated, one affects the other. If one
really wants to be healthy one should take care of both body and mind.
Our
Supreme Lord Bhagavan Buddha has given very valuable teachings about
this subject which appear in the Sukhavagga of the Dhammapada.
Whenever
negativity arises in the mind, the mind becomes sick. It is not at
comfort and it is not in happy state. And this can happen any moment if
it is unchecked. Greed, hatred and ignorance are root defilements which
pollute the mind and bring suffering here and now. Therefore the Buddha
said;
202.
No fire like passions, no loss like wrath, no misery like this self. Nibbàna’s bliss supreme
Explanation: There is no fire like passion. There is no crime
like anger. There is no pain like the personalized aggregate of phenomena.
There is no higher happiness than the supreme peace.
There
is nobody to set this problem right except oneself. And this is
possible only through development of the mind. If this root problem is
solved then other levels of sufferings can be overcome.
At the
body level there is hunger which comes again and again which in itself
is a big disease. It is not that once we eat and hunger is gone. It
comes again and again and creates an uneasy feeling, dis-ease. So also
mind is hungry of sense objects moment to moment. Our life is fully
conditioned by so many things that this conditioned existence itself is
subjected to dukkha, suffering. So the Lord advises us to realize this
truth of uncertainty and realize Nibbana which is the highest happiness.
The
Buddha thus highlights the importance of wisdom in understanding what
exactly is suffering and how it comes, and then advises how to overcome
it. We have to get freedom from suffering at two levels. One is at day
today life situations and the other is ultimate freedom from the
sufferings of samsara. At daily level true body has to be in good
condition. But it is so heavily conditioned on innumerable things, that
to maintain good health’s not that easy. The body has thousands of
parts, it can be very painful. Our body is dependent on the food,
surrounding influence like water, wind, heat, cold etc.along with
infections. It is dependent on mind every moment and it is dependent on
the kammas we have done in the past. Bhagavan Buddha teaches:
Verse 203. Worst Disease And Greatest Happiness
Jighaccaparama roga,
‘Sankharaparama dukkha;
Etam natva yathabhutam,
Nibbanam paramam sukham
Hunger is the greatest ill,
the greatest dukkha - conditionedness,
knowing this reality at it is:
Nibbana bliss supreme.
Explanation: The most severe disease is hunger. The worst
of pain is in component things. If this is realistically appreciated,
Nibbana is the highest bliss.
As
our wishes are not fulfilled always, contentment is good practice or
else we remain always in dissatisfied state of mind. If we understand
the conditional existence and uncertainty of everything then it is
easier to live peacefully.
While social relationshis too
influence our happiness, we can depend on those who are dependable. The
Buddha in fact calls such dependable persons as great relatives.
Verse 204. Four Supreme Acquisitions
Arogyaparama laabhaa,
santutthiparamam dhanam;
Vissaasaparamaa naati
Nibbaanam paramam sukham.
Health’s the greatest gain,
contentment, best of wealth,
trusting’s best of kin,
Nibbana bliss supreme.
Explanation: Of acquisitions, good health is the foremost.
Of wealth, the greatest is peace of mind. Of kinsmen, the trustworthy
are the best. The highest bliss is Nibbana.
If
we are free from anger or any negativity for a short time, to that
extent we are free from sufferings. but if we are free from negatives
for a long time, it is still better. the best of course , is when we can
be from greed, hatred and ignorance for ever! That is the state of
Nibbana which the Lord says is highest Bliss.
The
Buddha related realization of truth and happiness very closely. He said
it is because of not knowing the reality that a being goes through
suffering and the path leading to the end of suffering, cause of
suffering and the path leading to the end of suffering, then one will
surely be free from suffering and the path leading to the end of
sufferingg, then only will surely be free from suffering at the highest
level. Mind is aloof from defilements and mental corruptns. It is great
taste indeed to be untouched by fires of defilements. Therefore this
luminous verse came from the Blessed One:
Through sweetness of solitude and joy of tranquility, via the Dhamma, to innocence and quiet.
Being with worthy ones is constant happiness. Avoid the fool for perpetual peace.
In one of the
teachings the Sublime One says that there are two causes for wisdom to
arise - wise consideration or hearing of dhamma. Wise consideration is
seeing things according to reality. This ability of has to be from
within one’s own mind. But everybody is not able to develop all the time
this wisdom. Sometimes it gets activated when one hears the Dhamma from
another person. So the Compassionate Lord always advised to associate
with wise people. Wise people means those who have become Arahats -
Noble Ones. It is always gain and never loss and serve them. But
association with foolish people brings great problems and confusions.
One is led in wrong way. For example one may learn smoking,
drinkingalchohol or squandering money, etc. Just because of wrong
company one looses everything in life. So we should be careful with what
kind of associate we have. The Buddha breathed forth these simple yet
parctical instructions through these gathas:
206.
In the company of fools one ever suffers. The wise, like kinsmen, are a pleasure source.
207
Today at many levels - individual level, family level, state level or
international level people are lost in competition and selfish
interests. They fight and feel proud when they win and feel depressed
when they are lost. Those who win develop even more enmity and
arrogance. Those who are lost too develop enmity and wait for revenge.
Peaceful ones are the wise who don’t run after win or loss. They prefer
to go beyond. Look at what our Supreme Buddha advises!
201
Jayaü veraü pasavatidukkhaü seti paràjitoupasanto sukhaü setihitvà jayaparàjayaü.
The Buddha was practical and he knew that it is
not possible to change everybody in the whorld. there will be people who
enjoy having defilements like hatred covetousness, stinginess,
jealousy, arrogance etc. So the Buddha teaches us to live positively
with these people. It is a training which we have to undergo every day
to develop patience and live in peace with the world. Recently when the
holy Mahabodhi Mahavihara was bombed in Buddhagaya, the Buddhist world
did not react in a violent way. That shows how the Buddha’s teachings
have been deeply engraved on the minds of Buddhists. Let us hear these
Dhamapada verses from the Buddha’s sacred lips:
197
It is comfort indeed to live among the diseased for those with feelings of good health
199
Susukhaü vata jãvàmaussukesu anussukàussukesu manussesuviharàma anussukà.
Unagitated we live in comfort in the midst of highly agitated worldlings
Possessionless we live in great happiness. Sustained by joy are we like heavenly beings.
The
Compassionate Master has bestowed on us all the necessary directions to
live a healthy and peaceful life in every way. Total health is achieved
only when we are physically strong, mentally pure and spiritually
enriched. From healthy body and healthy mind come healthy toughest,
speech and actions. From such good actions come good results of
happiness.
May all be healthy and progress on the path of awakenment with Awareness!