Free of Debt

0:00 Okay, how did you find giving kindness to your body? Was that nice? Good thing to do? Yeah? Good. It's also, I think, very healing. Nice thing to learn, I think, to just get in touch with the body and allowing the body to heal itself. All of us, whether we have been diagnosed with some kind of sickness or not, there is all kinds of things happening. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:28 Yes, it's nice to do this kind of thing from time to time. However, today I thought for the dharma talk, I'm going to talk about being free of debt. Report an error in the passage at 0:28 Highlight the passage at 0:28

0:42 Being free of debt. Who's free of debt? No more mortgages, no more loans, everything paid. Oh yeah, kids, great, yes. Yeah, smart. That's my niece. She's pretty smart. She's free of debt, not yet. Hopefully, don't take any mortgages. But anybody here? Because some people have paid off their debts, right? Report an error in the passage at 0:42 Highlight the passage at 0:42

1:09 And you feel free. Yeah. But sometimes it takes a long time, decades, to pay your house mortgage. I don't know. Future people, whether they'll ever be able to pay off debts because houses are very expensive. So anyway, I'm sure even people are not putting their hands up. There are people who feel that they're free of debt and others are thinking, well, I still have a big mortgage. But the debt that I'm going to talk about, well, maybe you are not yet... Report an error in the passage at 1:09 Highlight the passage at 1:09

1:38 mortgage. Report an error in the passage at 1:38 Highlight the passage at 1:38

1:48 free even the ones who think you are free of debt, you will have to see. that okay? The voice is okay? Report an error in the passage at 1:48 Highlight the passage at 1:48

1:59 Okay, all right. So what is debt according to the Buddha? There is a really beautiful sūtra. I'm going to base this talk on Buddha's discourse. It is found in Numerical Discourses, Anguttara Nikaya. In book 6, sutta number 45, the name of the sutta is also called debt. Right? And it's a different kind of debt that the Buddha talks about here. And I just wrote a little bit of the sutta so I can remember what it is. Report an error in the passage at 1:59 Highlight the passage at 1:59

2:41 So the Buddha says, people who are interested in sensual pleasures. Do you know what sensual pleasures are? the kids are here the things that you like to see enjoy the music the nice food beautiful feelings sensations in your All of these things are called sensual pleasures, right? And people like and run after these. Report an error in the passage at 2:41 Highlight the passage at 2:41

3:16 Things, right? People enjoy these things. Do you enjoy or not enjoy? Do you want them or not want them? You want them? Yes. So the Buddha says, people who are intent on sensual pleasures, it's like somebody who is having poverty. Imagine somebody who is undergoing poverty. Report an error in the passage at 3:16 Highlight the passage at 3:16

3:44 Having sensual desires is difficult, right? Because if you don't have enough money, there are many people who don't have enough money to get what they want. They want nice food, they want to go and see musical shows, they want to go on holidays, they want to enjoy all these things that everybody else is doing. Report an error in the passage at 3:44 Highlight the passage at 3:44

4:08 But because they are poverty stricken, they can't do it. It's a suffering, right? So somebody who is undergoing poverty, sensual desires are a debt. Report an error in the passage at 4:08 Highlight the passage at 4:08

4:25 But what do people do? Because when their desires are so strong, when they really want it, they take out a loan. It's incredible. Do you know of some people who borrow money to have a grand wedding party? Report an error in the passage at 4:25 Highlight the passage at 4:25

4:41 There are, right? They take, they can't afford, but they want to have a grand wedding and they just take a huge loan. Sometimes they want a really nice, luxurious car and they buy it. I mean, they can buy a comfortable, good car with the money they have, but it's not good enough. They want a really luxury car and they take a big loan. Report an error in the passage at 4:41 Highlight the passage at 4:41

5:20 loan. But what happens when we take out a loan? have to pay paying having to pay interest suffering or happiness? It's a burden, right? It's in the back of your mind. It gives you a lot of stress. You're so worried. What will happen to me? I have a big loan to pay with interest. What happens if I lose my job? There's always this kind of stress in people's lives. So having interest is a suffering. Report an error in the passage at 5:20 Highlight the passage at 5:20

5:51 And then of course, sometimes you're not able to pay your interest because you haven't earned enough. Or you have more desires and you spent whatever you earned, you know, overly spent, so you can't pay back your loan. Then what happens? So you get a warning call, right? You get a letter. It's overdue. Your repayment is overdue. Is that pleasant to get that? Report an error in the passage at 5:51 Highlight the passage at 5:51

6:18 No, it's very stressful, isn't it? And then sometimes you can't still pay because you haven't got money. Then you get prosecuted. Is that fun? Not at all, isn't it? That's even more suffering. And finally, if you're unable to pay back, then you're put in jail. That's definitely not fun, isn't it? So the Buddha says for somebody who is penniless, who is poor, having sensual pleasures, it's like this, like having a debt, having an interest to pay. Report an error in the passage at 6:18 Highlight the passage at 6:18

6:58 Getting all those warning letters, getting prosecuted and being put in jail. Take a moment to reflect. This is true, isn't it? It's very true. This is kind of our life. This is just the normal things that we do. But the sutta goes further than that. Deeper than that. And it takes another angle. So the Buddha says, in the Buddha's dispensation, what he calls, Somebody who is penniless, somebody who has a debt is like this. It is somebody who does not have faith or confidence in the Buddha and his teachings. Report an error in the passage at 6:58 Highlight the passage at 6:58

7:41 Somebody who does not have confidence in these beautiful teachings, so don't take them on board. If you don't have confidence, then you also don't have conscience and prudence. That's two words for hiri. and ottappa, the Pāli words. Sometimes Sabikku Bodhi translates this as moral shame and moral dread, but they are loaded words. Report an error in the passage at 7:41 Highlight the passage at 7:41

8:04 I don't know which translation you want to use, but whichever it is, I think you get the idea, that kind of feeling you get about doing something that is unskillful by body, speech and mind. But if you don't have conscience or prudence or moral shame, or moral dread, then you're not afraid to do anything, isn't it? So this is somebody who doesn't have faith and confidence, doesn't have this hiri and ottappa, which is conscience and prudence, does not have energy to put forth effort, or doesn't have wisdom, who is foolish. Report an error in the passage at 8:04 Highlight the passage at 8:04

8:45 So somebody like that is like somebody who is poor, stricken by poverty, penniless. And such a person such a person do Bad deeds by body, speech and mind. Because they don't have any confidence. They don't think that their intentional actions have consequences. Because it's one of the Buddha's teachings saying about the law of kamma, your intentional actions have consequences. So if you remember your intentional actions and the consequences, would you ever scold somebody? Report an error in the passage at 8:45 Highlight the passage at 8:45

9:23 Would you ever lie? Would you ever hurt somebody's feelings? Would you hit somebody, kill somebody, steal something? We won't do anything, right? But do we sometimes do these things? Sometimes happen, maybe not the really gross ones, but still, you know, our speech is not necessarily nice at times. But if we remember the consequences of our actions by body, speech and mind, we won't be doing that. But the thing is, it depends how much confidence, how much faith you have in these Buddha's teachings. Report an error in the passage at 9:23 Highlight the passage at 9:23

9:57 And if you don't take them on board, then you don't have shame or fear for doing any kind of action. Right? You would do whatever you feel like because you don't believe that there is a repercussion or consequences of it. So when you do, so such a person, then when they do these things that are unskillful, in the sense that are harmful, hurtful for themselves and others, right? Report an error in the passage at 9:57 Highlight the passage at 9:57

10:25 You do actions by body, speech and mind like that. And what happens? Then they want to hide it, of course. They do this, but they don't want anybody to know. Nobody wants other people to find out that you have lied, you have stolen something. You do that, but still you don't want other people to know. So you try to hide. So that hiding of it, may nobody find out what I have done, that is like the interest accumulating. Report an error in the passage at 10:25 Highlight the passage at 10:25

10:57 So when you do bad actions by body, speech and mind, that is your debt. So you start having a debt. A karmic debt. But when you have the wish that may nobody find out, you want to hide it, this is when you also start lying. Then you also start to get interest. Report an error in the passage at 10:57 Highlight the passage at 10:57

11:18 And then of course, wise people try to give you advice. Saying, you know, you have done this, you shouldn't do this. This is like getting the warning letters. You don't like it. You don't want to be told by people that you have done that, you shouldn't do that. And of course, then, you know, you have to face court. So this is, you know, you get prosecuted for the things. And then, what is the imprisonment? Report an error in the passage at 11:18 Highlight the passage at 11:18

11:44 That is rebirth. According to the Buddha, this is straight from the sutta, either in the animal realm, Or in a hell realm. And the Buddha says there is no prison that you can see in the human world that you can compare to the prison of animal realm and hell realm. Because the time there is very long. Here even if you say lifetime, it's not a very long, you know, it's 25 years maybe. But the time in these realms are very, very long. Report an error in the passage at 11:44 Highlight the passage at 11:44

12:18 It's hard to escape these places and difficult. So this is when we, in our pursuit of happiness, we chase after sensual pleasures in the wrong way, right? In order to get our sensual pleasures, we break, you know, do things that are harmful. So this happens. I mean, if I just put it into normal language, extramarital affairs, very common in the world, right? Report an error in the passage at 12:18 Highlight the passage at 12:18

12:50 This is very, very common. And this has become very easy because access to people has become so easy in the modern world. So the moment you got an impulsive feeling, you like somebody, you can access them quite easily. So these things happen. So one of those things. So what happens? You accumulate a great debt which can take you We don't think about it. When our mind is intoxicated by those feelings, we don't realize. Same with wanting to steal something. Report an error in the passage at 12:50 Highlight the passage at 12:50

13:26 When you see something that is really nice that somebody else has and you don't have. For some people, It's not a big deal. Shoplifting is so common in the world, isn't it? Lots of people do this without thinking the consequences. This is just to alert. This happens more commonly than we think without realizing the far-reaching consequences of these things. Report an error in the passage at 13:26 Highlight the passage at 13:26

13:52 But what about the opposite of this? The opposite of this is once you have confidence, faith in the Buddha's teachings, once you understand the law of kamma, Then you are very careful about your actions by body and speech and mind as well. So you have that hiri or tapa, beautiful, they are called the guardian angels. This prudence and conscience or moral dread and moral fear, these are called the guardian angels, stop you, protect you from getting into imprisonment. Report an error in the passage at 13:52 Highlight the passage at 13:52

14:29 Very, very important. important. So, um, So once you have that, then you put forth effort to do the right thing and refrain from doing the wrong thing that takes you into imprisonment. And of course, you are wise to be able to do that. So if you have wisdom and all of these five factors, then you are keeping, what are you keeping? Report an error in the passage at 14:29 Highlight the passage at 14:29

14:54 Your virtue, you are a good person. You are doing things that are right by body, speech and mind. So as a result of that, what do you get? You get something called the blameless happiness. So you feel happy. Because otherwise what happens? If you've done things that are not skillful by body, speech and mind, you have regrets and remorse. Report an error in the passage at 14:54 Highlight the passage at 14:54

15:20 And that's not a very pleasant, nice state to be, isn't it? But once you have done things to your very best ability in a good way, then of course, You have this beautiful feeling of happiness knowing that you have done your best. You have lived your life in a good way. And this is not a small thing. This is actually quite a big thing. Because you can't buy this from money. This feeling of feeling good, feeling of being a good person, keeping virtue is much higher than the pleasures that you get from the sensual world. Report an error in the passage at 15:20 Highlight the passage at 15:20

16:02 Being good feels good is my way of expressing this. Isn't being good feels good? And that feeling is far greater than the yummy food, the holidays, all of those, right? Isn't that true? Think about it. Contemplate, we forget, we never put those two together. But it is actually like that, right? So I'm going to tell because otherwise people... Report an error in the passage at 16:02 Highlight the passage at 16:02

16:28 Being Ajahn Brahm student, I'm supposed to tell stories. I'm not really good at telling jokes, but I'll try to tell a story. So this story, I think, is about an Indian couple because the names are Indian. So the guy's name is Rag. The girl's name is Sukha. So Rag really, really is like Sukha very much. So she is dating her. Report an error in the passage at 16:28 Highlight the passage at 16:28

16:58 And she is really, really beautiful. She wears all these dazzling clothes, really beautiful curves, really nice personality, the kind of person you really want to go out. So Rag is crazy about Sukha. So he's been dating her for a while. Report an error in the passage at 16:58 Highlight the passage at 16:58

17:19 He takes her out for nice restaurants to eat nice meals. They go out to listen to nice musical shows. They go out shopping. They go out on holidays. But there is one little problem. And he's spending lots and lots of money and try to spend as much as time with her. But she only lasts for a little while. She only stays with him for a very short time. She comes for the dinner. Report an error in the passage at 17:19 Highlight the passage at 17:19

17:49 After the meal is over, she disappears. Very unfair, poor guy. She goes with him to the musical concert. The moment the songs are over, she goes away, saying, I'm busy, I have other things to do. Same with the shopping. As long as he's buying all the things she wants, she's there holding on to his hands very lovingly. While she's got the shopping bags, Out the door she goes, right? And poor rags waiting there, thinking, oh no, you know, and this has been going on for a long time. Report an error in the passage at 17:49 Highlight the passage at 17:49

18:27 She's chasing after this sukha like anything, like nobody, you know, really trying hard. And she's there, she's really sweet, she's dazzling, tantalizing, really nice, gives him a nice time, but only for a very short time. It's never satisfying. And he wants to marry her, own her, make her, him, you know, own her, kind of, you know, make, you know, last forever. Report an error in the passage at 18:27 Highlight the passage at 18:27

18:59 But it's not, he's never getting an opportunity. So one day, he's put up, gets some courage and decides, okay, I am going to ask. You know, I'm really going to ask, why? What's going on? Where are we at with our relationship? Why do you really always run away and disappear? You know, I really want to be with you forever and ever and ever and I want you to last. I want to enjoy. I want to be with you. And she says, you know, you have been with me for long enough to know. Report an error in the passage at 18:59 Highlight the passage at 18:59

19:32 It's nothing. about you. It's not anything wrong with you. I'm like that. I'm not the commitment type. I just can't last. I enjoy being with you. But when the enjoyment part is over, I have to go. This is who I am. I thought you have figured it out by now. you know? Report an error in the passage at 19:32 Highlight the passage at 19:32

19:58 And then she says she feels sorry for him because he's so disappointed because he spent so much time chasing after this girl, right, Sukha? And she feels sorry. She says, you know, you really should be dating, not me. You know, there's this other girl called Shanti. You should be dating her, not me. You know, I'm not your type. Yes, I'm tantalizing, entertaining, you know, exciting. Report an error in the passage at 19:58 Highlight the passage at 19:58

20:26 But I can't be with you for long. It's my nature, I can't be with you for long. If you want long-lasting, stable relationship, stable, fulfilling happiness, then you better date Shanti. Right? So I don't know whether you figured out, if you know your Pāli, rag is rāga. Rāga is passion or desire. So this guy, it's desire. Report an error in the passage at 20:26 Highlight the passage at 20:26

20:56 Sukha means pleasure. So rāga is always chasing after pleasure. But we all know this, right? What's pleasure like? How long does pleasure last? Very short while, right? You have to go for the next one. How much does it cost? Report an error in the passage at 20:56 Highlight the passage at 20:56

21:16 How much have you worked? How hard do you work? There's a really... I can't say beautiful sutta, very insightful sutta called Mahadukkha Khandopama Sutta, the mountain of suffering. The Buddha really rubs it on in this sutta. He says, you know, this is in my modern language, was going to school and studying and passing exams, happiness or suffering? Report an error in the passage at 21:16 Highlight the passage at 21:16

21:48 Going to work in the traffic, whether it's cold or hot, happiness or suffering. Going shopping, happiness or suffering. Even going out, planning to go out on holiday, is that happiness or suffering? Difficult, isn't it? All your life, how much of suffering have you invested? In order to get the little gratification, of course there is happiness once you reach to your holiday, once you are having your nice meal. Report an error in the passage at 21:48 Highlight the passage at 21:48

22:18 And then the Buddha says, yes, okay, it's okay if you enjoy your gratification, enjoy it. But how many times, this is in the sutta, how many times do you miss your meal? Report an error in the passage at 22:18 Highlight the passage at 22:18

22:30 And how many times you are having an argument? You go into a really expensive restaurant, spend a fortune to have this really nice food. And you're so busy arguing and having not a nice time and you don't know what you ate. Or you're in front of your TV eating something, don't know what it tasted like. Report an error in the passage at 22:30 Highlight the passage at 22:30

22:51 Or because you got really upset and you're really, really upset, you skip a meal. This is in the sutta. Because you're upset and angry, you don't eat. I'm not eating today. And go to your room and close the door. You miss many meals like that. So even things that are there, you worked really hard to get them, still you miss out on the little gratification. And the gratification is little, just like sukha. Report an error in the passage at 22:51 Highlight the passage at 22:51

23:19 It's only there while the contact is there. But the investment of suffering is greater. Yet we get into debt chasing after these things. Put all of those things together, right? How long these things last and the debts. And the interest that we have, the imprisonments that are awaiting, it's a bit scary, right? It's a bit scary. So it is time to put into perspective how long these sensual pleasures last. Report an error in the passage at 23:19 Highlight the passage at 23:19

23:53 Sensual pleasures are very transient, last only a very short time. They do have gratification, but the danger in them I'm sorry to say these things. Sometimes people don't want to hear these things, but you do need to hear sometimes. Otherwise we get fooled by life. We get literally robbed off, isn't it? We spend, I mean, literally money gets robbed off into paying for these things. Report an error in the passage at 23:53 Highlight the passage at 23:53

24:26 We work really, really hard and we waste our life, our money, our time chasing after. The wrong thing, like sukha. So instead, we should be investing, we should be chasing after santi. What is santi? Peace. That's the Pāli word for peace. Peace, contentment. The Buddha says contentment is the highest, santuti paramangdanam, the greatest wealth. Report an error in the passage at 24:26 Highlight the passage at 24:26

25:01 Contentment is the greatest wealth. So it is important to understand these things and also to see the real happiness is not in getting what you want. Because getting what you want does give some happiness. This is what we go out into the world for. But what about happiness born from giving? Many people who are here, you are also... Report an error in the passage at 25:01 Highlight the passage at 25:01

25:26 volunteering, doing good things in the world, giving your time, giving your energy, giving your ear, lend an ear to listen to somebody, and even material support. You know the difference between happiness born from getting and happiness born from giving? So the giving is far greater. one form of giving is also giving your... Report an error in the passage at 25:26 Highlight the passage at 25:26

25:55 Virtue, keeping your body, speech and mind. You are a harmless person. It's nice to hang around with these kind of people, right? If somebody is really shouting, screaming, harsh speech, lying, you know. We don't want to be around that kind of people, right? It's scary. But if somebody is very gentle, very kind, speak words that goes to the heart, we want to hang around with these kinds of people. Report an error in the passage at 25:55 Highlight the passage at 25:55

26:22 It's a beautiful gift that we give. But at the same time, the benefit is ours. So as we explained in the sutta, the way the Buddha explains, you are then free of debt because you haven't done... Anything that is bad by body, speech and mind, instead you have done good things by body, speech and mind. So you are free of debt, you are free of interest, you don't get those letters, warning letters, you don't get prosecuted, you don't get put in prison, instead you are free. Report an error in the passage at 26:22 Highlight the passage at 26:22

26:56 So this is the power of sīla, this is the power of virtue. I was thinking of talking about this because also, as you know, we have started this beautiful series of workshops on gradual training. So we started last week the gradual training, the path to liberation. And tomorrow we are coming onto the next phase of it. Myself and Ajahn Mudito, we will be talking about aspects of virtue all the way up to sense restraint. Report an error in the passage at 26:56 Highlight the passage at 26:56

27:31 But we are going to call it finding happiness on the path. So that is why I wanted to bring this up to show that keeping virtue is being free from debt. Free from interest, but rather blameless happiness. Just beautiful happiness that comes from it. But the next stage of that, that is another beautiful simile. Report an error in the passage at 27:31 Highlight the passage at 27:31

27:55 And that is after the stage of virtue, you go into restraining your senses. So because the sense restraint, when we are unable to restrain our senses, this is also when we have the chase, right? This is when we chase after sukha. The wrong kinds of chases happen when we are unable to restrain our senses. Whatever we see, we want to have it. Report an error in the passage at 27:55 Highlight the passage at 27:55

28:23 Whatever we hear, we want to listen to it. All these things, whether it's skillful, whether it's helpful, whether it's harmful, it doesn't matter. We want to go for it because we want to enjoy it. And these things are okay, but things that are much more harmful in the world, also we do. Like I said, extramarital affairs, it's not nice, isn't it? Report an error in the passage at 28:23 Highlight the passage at 28:23

28:47 It gives so much harm to so many people. Just one example of this kind of thing. So the Buddha says, another very beautiful sutta, this is also in Numerical Discourses, Book 6. I think Sutta number 63, Nibetika Bhagya Sutta, there is a very beautiful verse. I'm just going to say it in Pāli. For anybody who enjoys Pāli, I myself get inspiration from Pāli, then I will say it in English translation. Report an error in the passage at 28:47 Highlight the passage at 28:47

29:19 Sankappa Rago. puri sāsakāmo netekā māyāni citrāni loki. Sankappa rāgo puri sāsakāmo titāni citrāni tateva loki. Ase sa dhīra vinayanti. So the meaning of this in English is it's not the world's pretty things that gives rise to somebody's passion or desire or lust. So the lust comes up in our mind not because of the world's pretty things. The world's pretty things have the potential to arouse lust. Report an error in the passage at 29:19 Highlight the passage at 29:19

29:57 But the lust comes from lustful intentions. It is our intention. The way we direct our mind, that is what gives rise to the lust. And to understand this, for example, there might be somebody. And for one person, they might find this person very attractive. And for another person, they're probably very ordinary looking. Report an error in the passage at 29:57 Highlight the passage at 29:57

30:27 And somebody might even say, not good looking at all to me, not my taste, not my type. Isn't it? So it's the same person, but for different people, one person gets very lustful, the other person very neutral. Report an error in the passage at 30:27 Highlight the passage at 30:27

30:45 So that goes to show, and also with things, whether it's a beautiful flower, one might call it a beautiful flower, the other might say it's ordinary, nothing beautiful. Whether it's a nice cake, a sweet, anything, whatever it is, different people like different things. How does it come from? It's your individual way of projecting it. That is where. So, how do you do sense restraint? Report an error in the passage at 30:45 Highlight the passage at 30:45

31:12 So the wise person, the sutta says, the wise person removes that lustful intention. Then the world's pretty thing remain as they are, but you are not being shaken by it. So you don't fall, you don't chase after these things and end up with debts and interest and imprisonment. Rather, you can go through life better. Report an error in the passage at 31:12 Highlight the passage at 31:12

31:38 So this is just to understand, you know, our desires, our sensual desires come because of the way some of the views that we have taken on board, perceptions that we have taken on board, and ways of thinking that we have been conditioned to think. Report an error in the passage at 31:38 Highlight the passage at 31:38

31:58 We become like slaves of these things. It's really hard to get out of these things, just like that poor rag. He was crazy about Sukha because of the way he was thinking about her. And it's really hard. You can't get out of these things. I'm sure you can relate to these things. Each person has different things. But once you have a certain kind of desire, it's very hard to get rid of it. Report an error in the passage at 31:58 Highlight the passage at 31:58

32:22 You can't stop. So sensory strength becomes difficult. But it is important to learn how to do sensory strength properly. Why? Because otherwise we have no escape from being a slave to these things. We are being dragged by our nose by these kinds of things. Have you experienced this? Do you realize? Sometimes you want to end this slavery. Report an error in the passage at 32:22 Highlight the passage at 32:22

32:50 Being slave to our craving, to our desires. So if you want to do that, then we need to learn how to do sensory strength. I only brought up just one little sutta, which is a very powerful one for deep reflection. I'm not going to go into detail. We might go into detail tomorrow. And the following workshops, the other venerables will also speak a lot more about sensory strength, what it is worthwhile doing. Report an error in the passage at 32:50 Highlight the passage at 32:50

33:20 And after sensory strain comes the meditation part. In the gradual training, then there is the development of the mindfulness and then... The mind becoming free from the hindrance. So I want to end this talk with another really beautiful sutta which also has an aspect of debt, but a different kind of aspect. Report an error in the passage at 33:20 Highlight the passage at 33:20

33:44 So in this sutta, the Buddha says, I will read it out because it's quite nice. So having abandoned covetousness for the world, he dwells with a mind... He is free from covetousness. He purifies his mind from covetousness. Having abandoned ill will and hatred, he dwells with a benevolent mind. Sympathetic for the welfare of all beings, he purifies his mind from ill will and hatred. Having abandoned dullness and drowsiness, he dwells perceiving light. Report an error in the passage at 33:44 Highlight the passage at 33:44

34:23 Mindful and clearly comprehending, he purifies his mind from dullness and drowsiness. Having abandoned restlessness and worry, he dwells at ease with himself. With a peaceful mind, he purifies his mind from restlessness and worry. Having abandoned doubt, he dwells as one who has passed beyond doubt. Unperplexed wholesome states, he purifies his mind from doubt. Report an error in the passage at 34:23 Highlight the passage at 34:23

34:55 So for anybody who's not familiar, these are the five hindrances. First one is sensuality. Second one is ill will and negativity. Third one is dullness and drowsiness. Fourth one, restlessness, worry. And fifth one is doubt. So these things are constantly in our minds. They are distorted. distorting our experience of the world and that is where we get fooled by the world but when these things subside they subside as we meditate so this Report an error in the passage at 34:55 Highlight the passage at 34:55

35:50 This is very important. So this is the starting point. As we start to meditate, as the mind is becoming still, these hindrances start to settle down. Because how is it when we have sensual desires? We know it is very tiring, it is very exhausting, isn't it? It is like burning. When we have ill will and negativity, it is also like that. It is like burning, tiring. Report an error in the passage at 35:50 Highlight the passage at 35:50

36:20 Dullness is also not a nice state. Of course restlessness and worry, we know what that's like. And doubt is also very unsettling. So in this sutta, the Buddha says, once the mind is settled down, with the hindrances settled down, it is like as if you have, first of all, taken a loan to start up a business. Report an error in the passage at 36:20 Highlight the passage at 36:20

36:46 So you do have a debt. But your business is going well, you're earning money, and you're able to pay off your debt. Nice feeling, right? Those of you who put your hands up saying, I'm free of mortgage, that nice feeling. So you're now free of debt. You have paid off your debt. So when the hindrances are down, it's like you're free from debt. Another simile the Buddha says, it's like when you have been sick. Report an error in the passage at 36:46 Highlight the passage at 36:46

37:17 Is being sick nice? But when you get better, it's a very nice feeling, right? So when you feel healthy again, so when the hindrances are going down, because hindrances are like a disease, it's like a tumor, it's like a dart, it's a problem, it's painful. But when the hindrances are going down, it's like you're free from sickness. Quite beautiful, isn't it? So it's like being free from debt, being free from sickness, you're healthy. Report an error in the passage at 37:17 Highlight the passage at 37:17

37:48 And the third one is, what was the third one? Report an error in the passage at 37:48 Highlight the passage at 37:48

37:58 It's like being free from prison. Being free from being in jail. Being in jail is not nice, right? So it's confined. So being free from being in prison. And the fourth one is like being free from being a slave. If you've ever been, if you know about or seen a movie about slavery, you know, it's not a nice thing to be a slave, but when you're released from your slavery, it's also a really nice feeling of freedom. Report an error in the passage at 37:58 Highlight the passage at 37:58

38:27 And the fifth one is like somebody who's crossing a desert where it's really, you know, harsh, no food, no drinks, no nothing, and finally you come to the other side and reach a village and you find cool water, Food to eat and place to rest. The desert is a very harsh place, but when you reach the other side, so this is like when the hindrance is going down, when you meditate, when the mind becomes peaceful, this is meeting up with Santhi, this is when you start dating Santhi instead of Sukha. Report an error in the passage at 38:27 Highlight the passage at 38:27

39:07 So when you start dating Santhi, then you are free from debt. You have good health. You're free from jail. You're free from slavery. You have crossed the desert and reached to an oasis. Isn't that nice? Copyright © 2020 Mooji Media Ltd. All Rights Reserved. No part of this recording may be reproduced imprisonment, into slavery. Rather, find freedom, right? Find happiness. Report an error in the passage at 39:07 Highlight the passage at 39:07

40:02 The Buddha's path is a path of happiness. Starting, you know, and it increases in happiness. It's beautiful. It's a really beautiful path. And that's what we are going to focus tomorrow. All the happinesses that you could have on the path as you practice. So it's a win-win situation. Good deal. And also you have all this freedom. So I'm going to stop the talk here and open up for any questions. Report an error in the passage at 40:02 Highlight the passage at 40:02

40:47 Okay. Okay. Thank you, Eddie. Report an error in the passage at 40:47 Highlight the passage at 40:47

41:05 Ayya Karunika, is it? Yes. Thanks for the really wonderful deep talk. What a change. Yes. When I listen to this talk, I say, wow, you know. Report an error in the passage at 41:05 Highlight the passage at 41:05

41:20 I'm a lay person. I'm just a lay person. And then there's the saṅgha, monks and nuns. So I ask you, you talk on the sutta. There was a Buddha speaking to the monks and nuns. No doubt desire brings suffering. There's a karmic pain to pay. He tells the monks and nuns, they accept it. Lay people is a different thing. The Buddha also said, desire brings suffering. And not having desire is also suffering. Report an error in the passage at 41:20 Highlight the passage at 41:20

42:01 He mentioned about the middle path. The path to enlightenment is the middle way. Don't you think, for lay people, it's a gradual path, isn't it? You can't just say, no sex. The purpose will just go away, run away, you know, a newcomer. Yeah, I know. Yeah, it takes, you understand? Report an error in the passage at 42:01 Highlight the passage at 42:01

42:28 You see what I mean? It's a gradual path. It's not just like, oh, you can't do this. No, people run away. It's a gradual path for everybody. So the Buddha's idea is people are where they are at. But while you're dating Sukha, that's the whole point. The Sukha, actually I forgot to mention, the Rāga asked, why did you take so long to tell me you are like this? You know, you told me in the beginning. Report an error in the passage at 42:28 Highlight the passage at 42:28

42:57 She said, nobody wants to listen if I speak. They have to listen. Go through that process, you have to have your things, chase after your sensual pleasures, and then at some point you realize, some point you get a bit of wisdom and understand, hey, hang on, what am I chasing? All my life, all my life I'm chasing. Report an error in the passage at 42:57 Highlight the passage at 42:57

43:23 Yes, there is gratification, but it is not... Not lasting. Not lasting. Not lasting, there's no doubt about that. So the wise people, as they keep coming to the Buddhist society of Western Australia, hear the wise monks and nuns, hopefully, speak, they think about it. Ah, is it true? Is it not true? Keep asking questions, try it out. Report an error in the passage at 43:23 Highlight the passage at 43:23

43:45 And slowly, slowly they realize. So it's not like a bad deal. It's not like you give up your sensual pleasures and you're left with nothing. Actually you are rewarded with something far greater. I have a very beautiful way of explaining this. This is not a Buddha simile. This is something that I thought about. Struggling with the same thing. It's not just... Everybody has these issues. We also have our moments of... Report an error in the passage at 43:45 Highlight the passage at 43:45

44:14 I want to enjoy things, like, you know, I like my sweet chai, like my sweet, sweet drinks. I have a sweet tooth, so, you know, it's not good for me. But, you know, we enjoy things also. So, one day this simile came to me. It's like, it's really hard to give up. You know, I don't want to give up my chai, even though I should, but it's hard. Report an error in the passage at 44:14 Highlight the passage at 44:14

44:41 Copyright © 2020 Mooji Media Ltd. All Rights Reserved. But you know that's not good, that's not helpful. But you know that there can be something even better than that. Of course, sweet chai is nice, but I like honey better. Honey is sweeter, much more yummy. I'd rather have a cup full of honey than a cup full of chai. But if I have only one cup, if I have to throw out the chai in order to get the honey, and I have to wait for honey to come, and honey comes in small drops. Report an error in the passage at 44:41 Highlight the passage at 44:41

45:31 It takes a long time to fill up a cup. It's difficult and I can't bear the feeling of an empty cup. This is the kind of feeling that you're talking about. The lay people you're saying or whoever, when we're chasing after these sensual pleasures, if we stop suddenly and left with no pleasure and your meditation isn't going well and thinking it'll be really boring, it'll be really difficult. Report an error in the passage at 45:31 Highlight the passage at 45:31

45:57 So this is the problem. You know meditation and the spiritual path has far greater happiness just like honey. But it is that time that you can't wait to give up the chai. Chai is like your sensual pleasures. Honey is like your spiritual path happiness. But you can't bear the feeling of that empty cup. So I have a solution. Report an error in the passage at 45:57 Highlight the passage at 45:57

46:17 This is great. So you have your cup of chai. You don't throw it out. You start adding drops. Drop by drop honey. You know the density of honey is higher, right? So it goes to the bottom. A little bit of chai goes out. You have no problem because the cup is still full to the brim. So you keep adding drop by drop honey. You still have your chai. Report an error in the passage at 46:17 Highlight the passage at 46:17

46:45 Keep adding honey. Keep adding honey. What happens? You know the Archimedes theory if you've done physics, yeah? After a while, the honey replaces Copyright © 2020 Mooji Media Ltd. All Rights Reserved. No part of this recording may be reproduced without Mooji Media Ltd.'s express consent. I myself was like that. I went straight away as a lay person, not having done any meditation retreat, I went straight to a nine-day retreat with Ajahn Brahm. Report an error in the passage at 46:45 Highlight the passage at 46:45

47:31 Crazy, I think. I don't know. I thought he's a nice, kind monk. I thought he's not going to really scold me if I don't sit and walk and meditate. I went, I'm thinking, I'll eat, sleep and have a good time. And see what happens. Maybe I might learn some meditation. Report an error in the passage at 47:31 Highlight the passage at 47:31

47:51 So I then had a beautiful experience of experiencing some peace. So I had a few drops of honey. I thought, oh, this is nicer than the chai. It's great. I want more honey. But of course I had that dilemma of not wanting to... So of course I had my... I still continue to do my dancing, my singing. I didn't sing, but listening to my music, watching movies, having parties, and meditating also. Report an error in the passage at 47:51 Highlight the passage at 47:51

48:41 you really like that is hard but that is not how that happens you know how that happens it's just like you know the Australian trees the barks that fall out you know the sun keeps drying it drying it effortlessly the bark If you take out the bark at the wrong time, you need lots of tools, right? You have to really try hard to take it out. Report an error in the passage at 48:41 Highlight the passage at 48:41

49:05 That is like when you're thinking, oh, really hard to give up my nice food and whatever you enjoy. But don't worry. Keep walking the noble eightfold path. Keep doing the right thing. Increase your generosity. Increase your virtue. Enjoy these things. Happiness born from giving rather than happiness born from getting. Report an error in the passage at 49:05 Highlight the passage at 49:05

49:30 Happiness from being a good person. Being good feels good. So this is virtue. So as you up these things, as your heart gets filled, your need to the sensual world naturally dies down, effortlessly. That's the way to do it. And then there is no problem because it's always replaced by higher forms of happiness as you go forward. So it's not a problem. Report an error in the passage at 49:30 Highlight the passage at 49:30

49:54 Anyway, that's what I'm going to tell you. I'm sure you're trying it out. There's somebody who wants to... Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 49:54 Highlight the passage at 49:54

50:07 Thank you for a great talk. Could you please speak to what you mentioned about dullness? Do you refer to sloth? Is that what you mean? Yeah, dullness, the third hindrance, it's an important one for many meditators. Even I realize... For many years, in my early years of meditation, I thought I'm a great meditator, I have great meditation, I can sit for hours. I do get peaceful, right? Report an error in the passage at 50:07 Highlight the passage at 50:07

50:37 And I thought, that's great. But when I became a monastic, I still meditated like that, but I realized, yeah, it's very peaceful, it's really cool, but at the same time, the mind is not as alert. It's very peaceful, very cool, but not very alert. And I thought, this is not awakening. I can't see any insights coming up in a mind like this. Report an error in the passage at 50:37 Highlight the passage at 50:37

51:06 So this is still the third hindrance. Many people fall into it. When you go on a nine day retreat, the first couple of days you will get to that. That's not a problem. You have to get over the tiredness. But after that, if you still continue to meditate like that, that's a problem. Then you are under the So dullness, there are many degrees of it, even that is a form of dullness. The mind is not sleeping, but not awake either. Report an error in the passage at 51:06 Highlight the passage at 51:06

51:39 The awareness is very low. So that's a dull mind. And there are degrees of dullness. A depressed mind is also a dull mind. so yeah, Report an error in the passage at 51:39 Highlight the passage at 51:39

51:58 Okay, that's it. Report an error in the passage at 51:58 Highlight the passage at 51:58

52:05 Thank you, Ajahn. It was a really nice talk. I just wanted to ask one from one of Ajahn's books. Is there a difference between the five components of existence and the five grasping aggregates? They are both called khandas. Report an error in the passage at 52:05 Highlight the passage at 52:05

52:26 I'm not very familiar with the new translations. I'm very much a bhikkubodhi word, so I don't know what you're referring to. Are you talking about the five aggregates? The five grasping aggregates. Report an error in the passage at 52:26 Highlight the passage at 52:26

52:41 It's also called the five components of existence. It's also called the same? I'm not sure. It's in the book, but I'm not sure if it's the same. I'm not really familiar. I'm sorry. That's panchupadana khandainpali. Yeah. And. Report an error in the passage at 52:41 Highlight the passage at 52:41

52:57 With Ajahn Brahm's translation. It's okay. I was just asking if it's just the same word. Are they talking about the same thing? Where does it come? Under which part? Is it in the First Noble Truth? Report an error in the passage at 52:57 Highlight the passage at 52:57

53:19 That is then the Panchupadana Khanda. It's the same thing. It's the same thing. Different people use different translations. And it's not either one is wrong, but it gives another angle. So it's better. So it's good. So the Bhante Sujato used the different five terms. Bhikkhu Bodhi used the different five terms. Ajahn Brahm has his probably. Report an error in the passage at 53:19 Highlight the passage at 53:19

53:42 Ajahn Brahmali has his. And others probably have. But I'm most familiar for the English with Bhikkhu Bodhi's terms. Or in Pāli. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 53:42 Highlight the passage at 53:42

53:57 Shall I take some questions from overseas? Another kind of debt comes to my mind. The Buddha's great disciple, Vishaka, told her not so virtuous father-in-law, you are eating stale rice. Because he was living a very comfortable life. But not doing anything in return to collect the good karma or need virtuous deeds. So like that, even now, I mean, there is in the community, people who are enjoying their life, having all the comforts, but not paying it back in terms of good deeds and creating good new karma. Report an error in the passage at 53:57 Highlight the passage at 53:57

54:43 So to me, it also looks like a debt, isn't it? It is. I didn't speak about all the debts. This is... For lay people, it's a lighter debt. For us, wearing the Buddha's robe, who are monastics, it's a great debt. You know, we live with the generosity of our supporters. Everything we get, right? Our food, our clothing, our medicines, our lodging, everything is given to us, right? So we are in great debt. Report an error in the passage at 54:43 Highlight the passage at 54:43

55:19 To everybody. And the only time the debt gets paid is at least when we get into the first jhāna. No easy job. Yeah? And as we progress on the path. And of course when we have like mettā meditation and things like that, gets paid a little bit. But we are at the cost of great debt. The Buddha says, you know, Report an error in the passage at 55:19 Highlight the passage at 55:19

55:59 bankrupted, our husbands or whoever left and we just ended up here. It's not intentionally we gave that and became into a place where we are accumulating debt. So the Buddha says this reflection for monastics remember why you put yourself into this position. Why? In order to end suffering in the sense to walk the path fully. Report an error in the passage at 55:59 Highlight the passage at 55:59

56:24 That's why you did that. So you better be careful not to become heedless. And waste your time while you are in debt. In a big debt. Those other debts that we spoke during the dharma talk is nothing compared to the debt that is accumulating for us. Especially in robes if we are not keeping our sīla. If we are doing things that are not good. Report an error in the passage at 56:24 Highlight the passage at 56:24

56:52 The debt accumulating is many folds. Much greater. So when we take things, we need to also work for it, take back, make more, it's very important. Thank you for bringing that up. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 56:52 Highlight the passage at 56:52

57:15 Just quickly one more. So in this case, you are talking about the debt, the Buddhist debt is the suffering, isn't it? The suffering we get, that's the debt. And the reward is the peacefulness. Yeah, the debt is actually the bad karma taking you to suffering states. It comes to you like disturbing feeling, disturbing emotion, problem, all that's the debt. So when you have this thing, you have to think of yourself, what wrong you have done, isn't it? Report an error in the passage at 57:15 Highlight the passage at 57:15

57:49 To change, to do something good again. To pay the debt, this thing, and then to up yourself again. So we all have debts, we all have regrets and remorse, because that's the nature of people with defilements. But the important thing is to make a determination to do the right thing, and keep building up your sīla, keep building up your sense restraint, keep building up your meditation. Report an error in the passage at 57:49 Highlight the passage at 57:49

58:13 So keep building these things up, and you can be free of debt. Thank you. You're welcome. Report an error in the passage at 58:13 Highlight the passage at 58:13

58:22 suppose lay people, we can... Repay our debt by volunteering, can't we? Yeah, of course. So please, volunteer. Good, good opportunity, yes, because you're giving, selfless giving, yeah? Giving is a way of paying back debt, yeah? Starting point, generosity. So, yeah, generosity is a good place to start. Report an error in the passage at 58:22 Highlight the passage at 58:22

58:46 Easy place, and you build it up, but don't just stop there, build up, yeah? Because there's a big debt to pay. Of course! Report an error in the passage at 58:46 Highlight the passage at 58:46

58:55 Okay, so there is questions from Mauritius. Wow! Ayya, is there a sutta that has been especially meaningful for you and what about it continues to inspire your practice? And do you also have favorite suttas? Report an error in the passage at 58:55 Highlight the passage at 58:55

59:37 remind it gives the solution about the 10 pretty things are not not the problem It's our lustful intention bringing the problem. It's a nice sutta. Very powerful mind training technique. But I also like many other things. It's very hard to... I'll be here all night talking. I love suttas. So there's so many. So I won't mention any more. Report an error in the passage at 59:37 Highlight the passage at 59:37

1:00:05 Maybe tomorrow. If you tune into the workshop, you might hear a few more of mine and Bhante Mudito's favorite suttas. Okay, next question is from Romania. What types of exercise do monastics practice in? Interesting that they say this. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:05 Highlight the passage at 1:00:05

1:00:28 My Upatak knows what kind of exercise I was doing. I did some aerobics today. Yes. Yes, yes, yes. So, at the time of the Buddha, people didn't have to do exercise. Why? Because they didn't have cars. Everybody walked everywhere. At least two or three hours of walking, right? To go and get your alms food, you had to go to the well and carry your water, chop your wood, you know, do all of those work. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:28 Highlight the passage at 1:00:28

1:01:02 No need to do... Any more cardiovascular, muscle strengthening. You don't have to do that. Your normal work was enough. So the Buddha specifically didn't mention about exercise. But exercise is important for modern day monastics. If you know, there are many, many monastics who are not well. I have also been and I also have some conditions. And I realize that's partly to do with the sedentary life. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:02 Highlight the passage at 1:01:02

1:01:33 Because it is only now. Because for us, food comes to the monastery, right? And so we don't do very much. And also the food is now not like in the time of the Buddha that they ate the very simple breakfast food. But now everybody brings nice food. It's okay to bring nice food. I'm not saying not to bring nice food. But we have to be careful and know what's helpful, how much is helpful, and take care of that. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:33 Highlight the passage at 1:01:33

1:02:02 But because we don't do that walking and working enough, I mean in our monasteries, at least in the forest monasteries, we still do have quite a lot of work because we live in really large forested areas. Even Santi Forest Monastery is 150 acres, real natural forest, so we have work, but still I think we don't work enough. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:02 Highlight the passage at 1:02:02

1:02:26 I feel like for myself, I'm diabetic and I control by exercise and food, which is why I do aerobics, which is very helpful. I found actually my sugar levels and overall health started to become really better. I had a lot of resistance to doing it in the beginning, thinking, oh, this is very unmonastic like to be doing aerobics. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:26 Highlight the passage at 1:02:26

1:02:51 But then at the end of the day, what is it? You just do what you need to do in a certain movement and ways. And if your health is better, that is good. But of course, most monastics do... Yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong, which I also do. These are also great, but these are much more low intensity. If you want your circulation, you can do. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:51 Highlight the passage at 1:02:51

1:03:14 I mean, Buddha didn't prohibit. You just need to do what is necessary. Anyway, I wanted to speak about that because it's a favorite topic of mine. In fact, I was told, venerable, lots of dharma available, but nobody tells about these practical things that actually get in the way of your practice. Your health, well-being of body and mind is necessary and exercise is part of it. So it is important. So that's one. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:14 Highlight the passage at 1:03:14

1:03:43 And then question from Germany. Dear Ayya Karunika, how do you define patience? How do you stay patient? And what is a good way to stay calm and patient when feeling tense or nervous? Report an error in the passage at 1:03:43 Highlight the passage at 1:03:43

1:04:03 Well, patience is really important. It's actually a whole dharma talk in itself. But in a simple way, it just comes to mind like the Ajahn Brahm's very beautiful simile. Patience is like a waiter at a restaurant, right? So a waiter is not waiting there to get something. The waiter is there very alert to serve the needs of the customer. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:03 Highlight the passage at 1:04:03

1:04:32 So the patience is not waiting for something to happen. That is actually impatience. That's not patience. You're waiting for something to happen. Patience is accepting with understanding what's happening around you. With understanding, I say, not without understanding. You know, patience is, if there is a big thunderstorm comes, Right now. And nobody can go because it's really, you know, hail and thunder coming down. You have to wait. Are you going to really, you know, complain and jump up and down and, you know, you don't know how long you're going to stay. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:32 Highlight the passage at 1:04:32

1:05:11 You know. This is the nature. This is what, you know, weather is like. So you just wait at that time. Same with other things in the life too. You know, things happen. But the good thing to know, what is helpful for patients, is to know nothing lasts forever. Whether it's good news or bad news, it depends. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:11 Highlight the passage at 1:05:11

1:05:36 And the good things also you can't hold on to. Thank goodness the bad things also doesn't last. Everything passes, whether it's good or bad, right? So once you know that, it is easier. You just wait. Yeah, you just wait. But it is important to also know as you wait, if you see that your unwholesome mind states are increasing and you are getting overwhelmed by that, that means at that time maybe you don't have the strength of the mind or the conducive conditions to keep waiting. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:36 Highlight the passage at 1:05:36

1:06:14 Those are the times when you might have to use a skillful distraction. This is also in the Buddha's suttas. Ajahn Brahmali talks about this. Very often it is in the Vitakka Santana Sutta, Majjhima, maybe 20 or 21, 19 maybe, one of those suttas, where the Buddha talks about when things are difficult, if you are unable to wait, then it is good to use a skillful distraction. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:14 Highlight the passage at 1:06:14

1:06:44 Something like you can listen to an inspiring dharma talk. You can go for a mindful walk. Do some aerobics exercise. Get some endorphins coming. Or go and do an act of generosity. This is not everything in the Vittaka Santana Sutta. But I'm just saying. So you need to be a bit skillful. Build up a bit of mental energy. And then you will be able to wait. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:44 Highlight the passage at 1:06:44

1:07:12 That's what I will say. It deserves a full dharma talk to do full justice, but I shall stop there, otherwise it's getting really late for people. Question from Uruguay. Wow, interesting countries. What reasons did the Buddha have for not allowing women into the Saṅgha? Of course, Buddha didn't do that. Buddha actually allowed women into Saṅgha. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:12 Highlight the passage at 1:07:12

1:07:42 I think you have wrong information. I am a bhikkhuni. I am a fully ordained nun, staying right here. Sorry, before I go on, my niece has a question. Let me see what she has to say, and then I will answer this. This is a bit of a simple question, but like, you know for your story where Roke, what was his name? Report an error in the passage at 1:07:42 Highlight the passage at 1:07:42

1:08:06 Rake, yeah. What if he went to Shanti, but then he like, But Shanti rejected him or something? Who would he go to next? Right. You know the nature of Shanti. Shanti is really wise. Shanti is very gentle. Shanti is very kind. Not the kind you would reject. So that's the idea of peace. Because Shanti means peace. That's the simile. So peace actually never rejects. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:06 Highlight the passage at 1:08:06

1:08:41 But what if someone got to her first? Report an error in the passage at 1:08:41 Highlight the passage at 1:08:41

1:08:48 She is so abundant. Shanti is so abundant that she can serve many people. Many people can benefit from her. Not in a way of relationship, but in a way of being kind, gentle. She is still really kind. first. What if someone got to her first? Report an error in the passage at 1:08:48 Highlight the passage at 1:08:48

1:09:09 There's many shanties too, it's not the only one. So don't worry. What was the other girl's name? Sukha. Sukha said to go to that specific shanty or someone. So is she going to be just kind to him and serve him? Not serve him, but be kind to him and grateful, but not date him or anything? you have anything? Report an error in the passage at 1:09:09 Highlight the passage at 1:09:09

1:10:09 Is that okay? Thank you for asking the question. I'm glad you've been listening and thinking about it. How old are you now? Ten. Okay, going back to this question about why, what is the reason? No, this is wrong information. When the Buddha got enlightened, like he became a Buddha, he had a very clear intention to ordain both monks, nuns, And then also to have female and male lay supporters because, you know, the Māra, the evil one came because he was trying to stop the Buddha from becoming a Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:09 Highlight the passage at 1:10:09

1:10:49 He didn't like, you know, he tried so hard but he failed. Buddha got enlightened. So then he came, the Māra, the evil one came and said, now that you achieved your goal, please pass away. Now you got enlightened, you got what you want, okay, now pass away. Then the Buddha says, not so soon, not so soon, evil one. I will only pass away after I have established bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, upasakas, upasikas, so male and female lay supporters, also the fully ordained monks and nuns. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:49 Highlight the passage at 1:10:49

1:11:23 And then, true to his words, this evil one, after some time, comes, now that you have all of these, now you can pass away. At that time, actually, the Buddha accepts it. Many times later. But anyway, this is in the suttas. You can check this out. Buddha has intention. And he did ordain. But why was there a delay in ordaining? Because they did not straight away. So this is an issue. And this is, if you understand, if you think about it, I don't know whether there is time, but I gave a full dharma talk on this. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:23 Highlight the passage at 1:11:23

1:11:59 It is in Santi Forest Monastery YouTube channel about... Something to do with women's, I can't remember, something. Anyway, so the reason is, you know, if you think about when the Buddha first started, there were no monasteries, nothing, right? Nobody knew who the Buddha was. He just got enlightened and was teaching. And of course, what do we have? Our four requisites, what we have as lodging is just a foot of a tree in the forest, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:11:59 Highlight the passage at 1:11:59

1:12:31 So imagine. For a female, is that safe? Just to sleep by yourself in the forest? It is hard, right? There's a difference. The two genders are not equal. We are different, right? We could get raped. We could get beaten up. Many other things can happen. It's not only that. We might end up then getting pregnant. Then our monastic life is over. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:31 Highlight the passage at 1:12:31

1:12:56 So the two genders, it's not safe. So that's the concern. So out of kindness, out of compassion, the Buddha realized if he ordained straight away women, he didn't have safe place to look after them, for care for them, where they could practice in safety. Because the teaching was still new, people didn't know there was no support base at that time. So he waited. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:56 Highlight the passage at 1:12:56

1:13:21 Until the conditions are right. So that's why it took a little bit of time. Not because he didn't want to. He wanted and he cared about us. Really. And wanted to do the right thing. A Buddha is somebody who is free from defilements. He's a kind person. The wisest person. He wants to treat everybody. Well, we forget sometimes. So Buddha never thought never to ordain females at all. And in fact, females then were ordained. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:21 Highlight the passage at 1:13:21

1:13:51 Females got fully enlightened even with psychic powers and everything. Just like men, there was no difference. There's no difference when it comes to the path between male or female. So that is, I think, wrong information. But if you want a full description, Report an error in the passage at 1:13:51 Highlight the passage at 1:13:51

1:14:08 I have given a talk but I will stop here because it's already 9.16. Thank you everybody for listening, coming and asking the questions. Really appreciate it. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:08 Highlight the passage at 1:14:08

1:14:26 Respects to the Buddha Dharma and the Saṅgha. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:26 Highlight the passage at 1:14:26