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Key passages
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- 0:47
Flowers always represent their symbol for sīla, or morality. You notice on Buddha images that Buddha is always sitting on lotus petals, which means symbolically a foundation of moral purity. And then the incense is symbolic of samādhi, or the kind of balance of emotions. The equanimous heart in which the fire of wisdom is supported so that the candles represent symbolically wisdom or light.
- 8:45
Now the conditions of the mind, all that is common to the, or the characteristic that is common to all those conditions is that they arise and pass away. Even the sense of solidity, the ideas of a round, of a spherical earth, ideas of space and time, these are in the mind. They come and go.
- 25:10
what we can know without believing is, now at this moment, the impermanent nature of this sensory consciousness. Whatever it is, whatever you're feeling now, whatever mental condition traversing your traversing your mind.
- 32:24
And through that, observing that what is created is destroyed, what is born dies, what has an origin will cease. And in that knowing, then there's the liberation from any delusions in regards to any mortal condition whatsoever.
- 37:29
But it's more of an active prayer than a passive one of asking for an outside source to do something. We take that opportunity ourselves to do something kind, good, generous in the world at that moment, offering that for the welfare of that sick person or for all sentient beings. Now this is an important kind of reflection and titters we... Last year we dedicated a whole year, a whole merit of our life as monks and meditators for the welfare of all sentient beings.
Transcript
0:00 In the morning puja, it's a time to reflect on the Buddha Dhamma Saṅgha, the three refuges of a Buddhist. They're the traditional introduction of offering candles, incense and flowers. Report an error in the passage at 0:00
0:27 These are offerings made at a Buddhist shrine in any Buddhist temple, at least in Theravadan countries. Report an error in the passage at 0:27
0:47 Flowers always represent their symbol for sīla, or morality. You notice on Buddha images that Buddha is always sitting on lotus petals, which means symbolically a foundation of moral purity. Report an error in the passage at 0:47
1:09 And then the incense is symbolic of samādhi, or the kind of balance of emotions. The equanimous heart in which the fire of wisdom is supported so that the candles represent symbolically wisdom or light. Report an error in the passage at 1:09
1:47 Then the offering of these is an act of giving. These three kinds of things most anyone can afford to offer at some time or another. Report an error in the passage at 1:47
2:15 Reflect on the qualities of the Buddha, characteristics of the Buddha. And of course these are like the Arahant, the perfected one, the Bhagavan, the purified one, the Sambuddha, the self-enlightened one. So Report an error in the passage at 2:15
2:46 these particular descriptions of purity and perfection and Sambuddha meaning through one's own efforts. Report an error in the passage at 2:46
3:00 upon some outside force for Report an error in the passage at 3:00
3:06 this Buddha Report an error in the passage at 3:06
3:11 though people seem to regard this as the qualities of a sage of the past, Gautama, the Buddha, have to see that these symbols, concepts, Report an error in the passage at 3:11
3:27 stages included. these conventional forms are Just pointing at the immediacy, the moment now, we're not just reciting some historical record qualities of somebody who's dead and worshipping or paying respect to someone who died 2,500 years ago in India, who we've never known, who seems to be... someone remote in time and in place civilization. Report an error in the passage at 3:27
4:09 these very qualities, these very characteristics of purity, perfection. Report an error in the passage at 4:09
4:21 the, what we say, taking refuge in the Buddha this moment. Report an error in the passage at 4:21
4:34 other Ujjajarana, Sampanro, means perfect in knowledge and conduct. Report an error in the passage at 4:34
4:43 this means that Buddha's... There's not any discrepancy between what they say and what they do. They're not saying one thing and then doing another. Nowadays it's very common that seemingly wise people will give off wise wisdom, advice, and yet they themselves, their lives are not, we charge around or something, or they're not impeccable in their own lives. Report an error in the passage at 4:43
5:22 They still... Their conduct is not up to the standard of what they're saying. Report an error in the passage at 5:22
5:37 And the quality of loka-mitu means the knower of the world, the seer. Report an error in the passage at 5:37
5:50 Loka-mitu is a characteristic of a Buddha. And as I was saying yesterday, what is it that Buddhists know that enlightened beings don't know? Buddhists know that anything that arises passes away. Report an error in the passage at 5:50
6:11 Now the loka, or the world, is something that we tend to conceive as, in very coarse terms, probably from having taken geography lessons and looked at maps and globes, so that to us oftentimes the world is a globe, or a continent, oceans, mountains, and so forth. But Report an error in the passage at 6:11
6:42 is that really the world? I mean, you think about it, you conceive the world as an idea in your mind. You go out and look at the world, what do you see? You see an object of your eye consciousness, like this room here. Report an error in the passage at 6:42
6:58 This is the real solid world here. I can touch it, I can hit it. But that in itself is in the mind, isn't it? That perception of solidity. That actually touching the form, the sense of solidity, to touch is a perception in the mind. Report an error in the passage at 6:58
7:29 All your views and opinions about the world as being round and a globe and with continents and so forth, these have come from the minds of human beings. In Report an error in the passage at 7:29
7:50 other words, the world is the mind rather than a lump of earth. Report an error in the passage at 7:50
8:19 Australia. say he's Loka Widu. Report an error in the passage at 8:19
8:28 mention China, Japan. Report an error in the passage at 8:28
8:38 What fear or the know of the world means, knowing the mind. Report an error in the passage at 8:38
8:45 Now the conditions of the mind, all that is common to the, or the characteristic that is common to all those conditions is that they arise and pass away. Even the sense of solidity, the ideas of a round, of a spherical earth, ideas of space and time, these are in the mind. They come and go. Report an error in the passage at 8:45
9:14 So Buddhas know this, not deluded by the qualities of the conditions of perception, no longer fascinated nor averse, but knowing the simple truth that all that arises passes away. Report an error in the passage at 9:14
9:38 Then the characteristic, the quality of anuttaro bodhisattva masarati santa teva manusanam. This is the Buddha. is that which is capable of training gods and men. In this way of speaking, gods and men represent intelligent beings. In the Buddhist cosmology, devas are like highly intelligent beings. Now they could be, or even kings and noble sages were called devas in Pāli. Report an error in the passage at 9:38
10:24 But also it refers to, say, invisible celestial beings, Report an error in the passage at 10:24
10:33 which are virtuous and good and have intelligence. And to manusia, which are human beings, which have the animal form, the animal senses, but the intelligence. Now Report an error in the passage at 10:33
10:58 this human intelligence is, or this intelligence of a human being, the ability to Reflect on, to observe, like even though your body is an animal's body, your body, we share the animal world, we share our consciousness very much with animals, the sensory consciousness. We can see them, they can see us, and we have the same kind of body, a physical body that experiences pain and pleasure, heat and cold, just as all animals. Report an error in the passage at 10:58
11:36 But the animal world can't reflect on itself at all. If you try to teach a cat about morality, about not killing anything, there's no results yet. I've heard this cat, a chitterist, I've been teaching morality to now for four years. Report an error in the passage at 11:36
12:06 Even though she's met great teachers like Mahāsi Sayadaw and Ajahn Chah. Report an error in the passage at 12:06
12:16 Living in with virtuous monks, lay people, they still insist on killing rabbits and mice. Inability to reflect on. But a human being can do this. We can look at these things, what is right, what is wrong. Report an error in the passage at 12:16
12:45 So the Buddha is the trainer of gods and men. This means that this is Buddha wisdom. That which knows that all that arises passes away, that very knowing, wisdom, is the way that we are trained to break through the illusions of the human form of the, even the intelligence, the human intelligence or the deva intelligence. Report an error in the passage at 12:45
13:15 Because human beings have the animal form but the intelligence of the gods. So Report an error in the passage at 13:15
13:27 our particular dilemma in In birth, as a human being, how do we relate the coarse body with the refinement of our consciousness? Report an error in the passage at 13:27
13:46 Mentally, we'd like to soar up into space. We're trying to do it physically now. We just can soar up into outer space. We always want to go up. Nobody wants to go down. Report an error in the passage at 13:46
14:04 Going up to heaven, you never go down to heaven. Go down to hell. Hell is supposed to be under the ground. And so we have this desire to soar out. The mental faculty is seeking to be liberated from the coarse physical limitations. And if you notice how much we resist the body itself, its heaviness, its limitations, we really resent. Report an error in the passage at 14:04
14:41 We don't like to. To be bound, earthbound, stuck on the ground with an animal's body. But Report an error in the passage at 14:41
14:57 this particular problem of human birth also has its advantages. The fact that the gods or the devas, say, experience so much happiness that they can never really, really understand the full meaning of the Four Noble Truths, suffering, origin, cessation and path. Report an error in the passage at 14:57
15:27 Whereas a human being, the amount that we experience, a goodly amount of suffering, this physical pain, aging, physical aging, sickness and death of the body, discontentment in the mind. Report an error in the passage at 15:27
15:47 Now because of that, the Buddha is a teacher of men, and he established this teaching of the Four Noble Truths as a way of teaching human beings. who were We're willing to, say, observe, wake up, be mindful, would see the way of liberation, the path out of the cycle of birth and death. Report an error in the passage at 15:47
16:28 Now, in taking refuge in the Buddha in the morning, it's a way of remembering this. We forget all the time. We have very good memories and we also are very good at forgetting. And so we... We get carried away with our enthusiasm or ideas or depressions and doubts. So we need kind of symbols, ceremonies, conventional forms in which we can recollect. Report an error in the passage at 16:28
17:03 And so the beginning of a day like this is a way of recollecting, starting at the beginning of a new day. What happened yesterday is over. It's only a memory. Report an error in the passage at 17:03
17:23 The rest of this day is the unknown, the future. Here and now it's the early morning and we're sitting here with this opportunity to recollect the Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 17:23
17:43 Now also the recollection of the Buddha, we can also reflect on the Gautama, the Buddha, who was indeed a very wise and admirable being. Report an error in the passage at 17:43
18:04 Because this sage in India broke through the illusions of the body and mind and then spent the rest of his life establishing a teaching and a tradition which would be carried through a span of time. Report an error in the passage at 18:04
18:27 Now, there's also Buddhas before Gautama who didn't establish their teachings, but who were enlightened Buddhas. Their teachings never lasted very long. They were forgotten generally after the sage himself, the master, died. There was nothing to carry it on through a span of time. And the Shakyamuni Buddha is noted as the Buddha that established the Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, and the Saṅgha that would be carried through. Report an error in the passage at 18:27
19:10 5,000 years span. Now Report an error in the passage at 19:10
19:17 that's a pretty clever thing to do, actually, seeing Report an error in the passage at 19:17
19:26 that it's still going. It's even more amazing. Imagine someone could say that 2,500 years ago. You could say, oh, this teaching will be carried through 5,000 years. Then at this halfway mark now, we are still able to use this particular teaching in a country as remote. In time and in place as this one. Report an error in the passage at 19:26
20:00 And yet the teaching itself is as clear and as precise and as useful to us as it no doubt was to those in India at that time. Report an error in the passage at 20:00
20:32 Now the Buddhist cosmology, Buddhist cosmology, this Report an error in the passage at 20:32
20:43 particular teaching is the way that a human being can say break through the delusions of the sensual world. Report an error in the passage at 20:43
20:55 ...can transcend the conditions of birth and death and attain the nibbāna or the deathless in Report an error in the passage at 20:55
21:09 this life, at this moment. Now this is also a very special kind of teaching because of that, because in religious experience usually most religions only take you into the state of purity but not liberation. So Report an error in the passage at 21:09
21:36 that... And this is what we mean by Samma, Sambuddha, because this means that through putting forth this very effort to see clearly that anything that arises passes away, and through that, just that kind of understanding, we Report an error in the passage at 21:36
21:59 are no longer bound by the conditions of the body, even though the body is still alive. It doesn't mean we... Throw the body away. But we understand that the body is not self. We understand that it's a condition in nature that has been born that will get old and die. Report an error in the passage at 21:59
22:26 And the conditions of the mind that come and go and change, we realize like emotions, thoughts and memories, feelings, all these are just natural conditions changing. They're not self. So when you fully comprehend that through insight, then there's no more fear, no more desire. Report an error in the passage at 22:26
22:51 One no longer attaches or follows desire. Report an error in the passage at 22:51
23:09 Because this is a path of knowing rather than believing, the important thing is the practice of it rather than believing anything. Report an error in the passage at 23:09
23:22 Like in Buddhism, we never ask people to believe. anything. Report an error in the passage at 23:22
23:30 What do Buddhists believe in? There's no belief. There's nothing that one needs to believe in. It's a direct pointing at the way things are. Report an error in the passage at 23:30
23:46 Direct pointing means to look and see for yourself. Report an error in the passage at 23:46
23:53 But I know most of you believe in all kinds of things. Your karmic habits are to always believe or disbelieve things. Report an error in the passage at 23:53
24:10 Now in this knowing, Report an error in the passage at 24:10
24:19 What can we know for sure without belief, believing in anything, without believing anybody's theory, without believing any doctrines by wise sages, by great prophets? What can you, as just an ordinary human being, man or woman, know without believing? Report an error in the passage at 24:19
24:43 That's important, isn't it? Have you ever thought about that? What can be known directly without... Believing in a theory, even a very good theory, a very wise theory, is still a belief if we don't know the reality. And Report an error in the passage at 24:43
25:10 what we can know without believing is, now at this moment, the impermanent nature of this sensory consciousness. Report an error in the passage at 25:10
25:28 Whatever it is, whatever you're feeling now, whatever mental condition traversing your traversing your mind. Mind, that is a changing condition and is not self. Report an error in the passage at 25:28
25:49 So this is where the Buddha's path is, this is what the Buddha was pointing to very directly. To just know that much is enough. If you really understand, if you really know that, then there's no more problems in life. But Report an error in the passage at 25:49
26:12 the knowing is not a believing knowing. It's not a conceptual understanding either. You understand the concepts easily enough. But a constant knowing, in other words, a constant knowing mindfulness. Report an error in the passage at 26:12
26:50 In the suttas when the sages, the Brahmins and the philosophers of that age would go to the Buddha and ask, what is your teaching? You are the Buddha, the all-enlightened one. You must know everything. And they would ask him about God. Does God exist? Do you believe in an eternal soul? Do you believe in this or that? The Buddha would never answer these questions. He said, all I teach is suffering, it's arising, passing away, and the path, transcendent path. Report an error in the passage at 26:50
27:41 Also, the very wise way of teaching, do not talk about that which is inconceivable. Not try to conceive the inconceivable or limit the unlimited. But a direct pointing is a way of seeing now limitations, the conceived, the... That which is arising and passing, the born, the originated, the created. Now that, knowing these, whatever those conditions are, whatever arises, passes away, no matter how important or how unimportant it is, that very knowing is enough. Report an error in the passage at 27:41
28:40 But Report an error in the passage at 28:40
28:50 to be able to know in that way, we have to let go of our desire to know and our desire to... Ajahn of. have to learn to Report an error in the passage at 28:50
29:35 most sacred Concepts and ideas, all these things are just conditions arising and passing away. And as we constantly reflect on this, in this week of will, opportunity to intensely observe this, reminding ourselves constantly. And just say the ordinary daily routine, being that Buddha, being that very knowing, Report an error in the passage at 29:35
30:15 Other than sitting here for hours on end trying to become Buddhist, a Report an error in the passage at 30:15
30:27 lot of these ideas of modern times are, we have to perfect the body, we have to make this body perfectly healthy, we have to have some kind of perfect intelligence and emotional balance, emphasis Report an error in the passage at 30:27
30:51 on trying to perfect that which is imperfect. The level of the body and the conditions of the mind, they're all unsatisfactory in the sense of dukkha. This is one of the characteristics of existence. Report an error in the passage at 30:51
31:09 You'll not ever find perfection in any condition of the sensual world because it's not where perfection is. Spending our lives just trying to perfect an environment or a body or a mentality is really a waste of time. Ajahn lead to despair. Report an error in the passage at 31:09
· · · silence, 1 minute
32:03 uncreated in the created it's futile Report an error in the passage at 32:03
32:11 Place our attention on that which is unknowing, on the knowing now of the created, the born, the originated. Report an error in the passage at 32:11
32:24 And through that, observing that what is created is destroyed, what is born dies, Report an error in the passage at 32:24
32:35 what has an origin will cease. And in that knowing, Report an error in the passage at 32:35
32:45 then there's the liberation from any delusions in regards to any mortal condition whatsoever. Report an error in the passage at 32:45
32:56 Now the next Report an error in the passage at 32:56
33:01 reflection that we do in Buddhist countries, when we offer what is called punya, or in the English translation it's a very inspiring word, but they usually refer to it as merit, or grace, or Report an error in the passage at 33:01
33:28 any good results, anything that is good, beneficial. beneficial Good wishes, good thoughts, results from our practice, any kind of good results we get. Report an error in the passage at 33:28
33:44 This sharing of punya is a way of opening out, of not just practicing meditation here just for our own self, but also a reminder of any goodness, any success that we might achieve. or attain or accumulate in our lives to be shared with all sentient beings. Now this kind of reflection also will allow us to feel more responsible for how we live during the day here when you realize that you are not just some alienated, disconnected being that has no effect on the universe. Report an error in the passage at 33:44
34:38 Many people nowadays think How I live is nobody else's business because I can do what I want. U.S., where we stress individualism of doing what we want, living our lives to perfect ourselves, to fulfill our desires, to do what we want to do. And no matter how it affects anyone else, our parents or friends or husband, wife or the society we live in, we think, I want to fulfill myself. I don't care what happens to you. Report an error in the passage at 34:38
35:21 But the Buddhists always reflect the fact that our actions, the way we live, has its effect on the universe we live in. Not only on the immediate beings around us, but on the whole universe. So that if we live a selfish, cruel, stupid life, it adds to the misery of all sentient beings. If we live a good, moral, virtuous life, it's for the welfare of all sentient beings. It has its good effect on the universe. Report an error in the passage at 35:21
36:01 So this sharing of punya is a Buddhist way of praying, like for those we know who are ill or unhappy, those that are suffering, a way of praying for those that we don't know. But it's not just a prayer asking for God to help all those who are miserable and unhappy. But it's an actual offering of our own goodness and merit and grace as offering outward to develop that in our daily lives of good action, virtuous living as an offering for the welfare of sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 36:01
36:55 Those we know, such as our parents, friends and so forth, like in Buddhist countries, oftentimes when somebody is ill, some mother, her child is ill, she'll come to the temple and offer food to the monks in order to share the merit with her sick child. Report an error in the passage at 36:55
37:25 That's why I say it's kind of a Buddhist prayer. But it's more of an active prayer than a passive one of asking for an outside source to do something. We take that opportunity ourselves to do something kind, good, generous in the world at that moment, offering that for the welfare of that sick person or for all sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 37:25
37:56 Now this is an important kind of reflection and titters we... Last year we dedicated a whole year, a whole merit of our life as monks and meditators for the welfare of all sentient beings. All of you were included in that. I hope you noticed the improvement. Like Report an error in the passage at 37:56
38:32 Master Hua in San Francisco said, San Francisco won't sink into the ocean as long as he's there. Hasn't sunk into the ocean yet either. Report an error in the passage at 38:32
38:51 So at this time, this attitude of sharing, when we live a good life and practice the dharma, that which is good in the universe accumulates around us. Grace, in Christianity they call it grace. When we open ourselves up to the truth, then grace operates through us. Merit, that which is good and wise, seeks to. Report an error in the passage at 38:51
39:27 So rather than, say, developing the attitude of accumulating any of this for oneself, we always offer it for the welfare of all sentient beings, so our good actions and our mindful living is of benefit to all sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 39:27
39:52 This is a devotional practice, obviously. So we reflect first on the monks, We always remember our preceptor or the monk that ordained us to share any merit, any grace from our life with our preceptor, with our teachers. For all of you to reflect this moment, to share the grace or goodness, the good results or the happiness that you get from this with your teachers, those who have taught you the dharma. Report an error in the passage at 39:52
40:46 And with our parents, a Report an error in the passage at 40:46
40:56 way of remembering our parents, of offering this goodness to help or to bring happiness or liberation to our parents. In our relatives, husband, wife, brothers, sisters, children, good friends, all those that we feel positive about or we feel love or some kind of relationship with. Some kind of positive relationship. How Report an error in the passage at 40:56
41:37 we can reflect on using their names. And Report an error in the passage at 41:37
42:11 for the leaders of this country to offer the merit and grace from our life, from our practice, for their welfare. Leaders of the country have to make important decisions that affect the lives of many millions of people. So our own virtuous action and wise living. It has its effect also on those who have to make those decisions better than trying to, what happens in America these days, they try to kill them and shoot them. Report an error in the passage at 42:11
42:59 But the Buddha refrains from that kind of action and offers the merit of his life or her life for their welfare. Whether we agree with their political point of view. What they're doing is not the point. We're not here taking political sides. But just that kind of compassion and love unbiased in which we, say, offer this merit to help them to make the right decisions, do the right thing. Report an error in the passage at 42:59
43:35 And Report an error in the passage at 43:35
44:04 offering this punya for the welfare of those that we don't like, those that we know personally who have hurt us. Humiliated us or caused us pain. Report an error in the passage at 44:04
· · · silence, 1 minute
45:00 Beings who, they're all animals. Those animals that we like are pets, cats and dogs, horses, all the animals that we like to eat, cows and pigs, chickens, and Report an error in the passage at 45:00
45:24 all sentient beings, all animals, birds and fish, wild and tame, insects. Report an error in the passage at 45:24
45:42 Then for the welfare of all miserable beings that live in the states of constant fear and obsessive desire. Like those drug addicts, alcoholics, people obsessed with desires of a low kind that have to spend their lives constantly seeking for gratification. All Report an error in the passage at 45:42
· · · silence, 1 minute
46:42 those in prisons, in prison camps, mental hospitals. So forth, offering this merit for their happiness, Report an error in the passage at 46:42
46:56 the way of at least remembering, reflecting on the suffering of other beings at this time, at this moment in time. And Report an error in the passage at 46:56
47:14 then all the malevolent evil forces in the universe, all those caught in hatred and desire to destroy, to share this merit with them. So Report an error in the passage at 47:14
47:49 in this The practice of sharing of punya is like a Buddhist prayer. So Report an error in the passage at 47:49
47:59 we're recognizing that we're all in this world together, from the most ethereal to the most coarse, most angelic forms, the most evil forms. Report an error in the passage at 47:59
48:18 But how we, this person here, how I can live my life has its effect on all these beings. Report an error in the passage at 48:18
48:30 If we really understand this, then we must, at least I personally feel more responsible for my own life, how I must live in this world. Report an error in the passage at 48:30
Related talks
Talk by Ajahn Sumedho. Original at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery via Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/ajahn-sumedho-dhamma-talks. Licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Transcript generated automatically and may contain errors; the audio is the authoritative version.
Talks of Ajahn Sumedho, archived on Internet Archive. More from Amaravati