Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia www.ybam.org.my
Y B A M
Unites more than 270 Buddhist organisations representing both the Theravada and Mahayana traditions throughout Malaysia Provides guidance to students to establish Buddhist societies in schools, colleges and universities Conducts regular training courses on Buddhist teachings, missionary techniques and leadership building Arranges lectures on Buddhism by both local and visiting foreign Buddhist scholars and teachers Assists in conducting the annual Malaysian Buddhist Examination
Organises various welfare, cultural and education activities for the benefit of the Buddhist community at local, state and national levels Publishes Eastern Horizon, Buddhist Digest, Berita YBAM and other Buddhist books and pamphlets in English, Chinese and Bahasa Malaysia Makes representation to the authorities on matters related to the Buddhist Community
Be a part of us. We offer Affiliate Membership for organizations and Associate Membership for individuals
YBAM 50th Anniversary Live Stream 29/7/2020 Zoom Meeting
The former Chairperson of Puzhao Buddhist Vihara Management Committee, Chong Hung Wang, sharing the challenges and obstacles during the construction of YBAM Puzhao Buddhist Vihara.
Sek Chin Yong, the Immediate Past President of YBAM, sharing the duties and expectations of the YBAM Standing Committees.
YBAM General Secretary Hoi Jun Wai introducing the Administrative Structure of YBAM.
Saw Hung Yeat conducting a game session with the audience.
Ven. Chi Chen, the Religious Patron of YBAM, explaining the importance of blessings.
The Trainee Teachers Coordination Committee presenting a video presentation to celebrate YBAM’s 50th Anniversary.
‘Fight the Pandemic with Loving Kindness’ Fundraising Campaign 28/3/2020 – 30/4/2020
YBAM Kelantan SLC Chairperson Yap Lie Hue and Secretary Leong Yun Yin handing over 500 face shields to Ms. Khalina, a nurse of Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II Kota Bharu on 13th April 2020.
YBAM Melaka SLC and Persatuan Buddhist Malaysia Gemas contributing 200 sets of medical isolation gowns and face shields to Klinik Kesihatan Gemas.
YBAM Deputy Chairman Sin Yew Sen and KL/Selangor SLC handing over 10 sets of medical beds to Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahmah Klang on 8th April 2020.
YBAM Pahang SLC contributing masks and sanitizers to Temerloh Hospital on 15th April 2020.
YBAM Perak SLC contributing 1000 pieces of medical gloves and sanitizers to Taiping Hospital to support frontline workers.
YBAM 50th Anniversary Live Stream 29/7/2020 Zoom Meeting
The former Chairperson of Puzhao Buddhist Vihara Management Committee, Chong Hung Wang, sharing the challenges and obstacles during the construction of YBAM Puzhao Buddhist Vihara.
Sek Chin Yong, the Immediate Past President of YBAM, sharing the duties and expectations of the YBAM Standing Committees.
YBAM General Secretary Hoi Jun Wai introducing the Administrative Structure of YBAM.
Saw Hung Yeat conducting a game session with the audience.
Ven. Chi Chen, the Religious Patron of YBAM, explaining the importance of blessings.
The Trainee Teachers Coordination Committee presenting a video presentation to celebrate YBAM’s 50th Anniversary.
‘Fight the Pandemic with Loving Kindness’ Fundraising Campaign 28/3/2020 – 30/4/2020
YBAM Kelantan SLC Chairperson Yap Lie Hue and Secretary Leong Yun Yin handing over 500 face shields to Ms. Khalina, a nurse of Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II Kota Bharu on 13th April 2020.
YBAM Melaka SLC and Persatuan Buddhist Malaysia Gemas contributing 200 sets of medical isolation gowns and face shields to Klinik Kesihatan Gemas.
YBAM Deputy Chairman Sin Yew Sen and KL/Selangor SLC handing over 10 sets of medical beds to Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahmah Klang on 8th April 2020.
YBAM Pahang SLC contributing masks and sanitizers to Temerloh Hospital on 15th April 2020.
YBAM Perak SLC contributing 1000 pieces of medical gloves and sanitizers to Taiping Hospital to support frontline workers.
How to be Resilient during the New Normal At this time of writing over 22 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with the respiratory virus known as Covid-19, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The actual numbers are, however, believed to be much higher. And 800,000 people world-wide have died. In Malaysia, we have over 9,000 infected cases and 125 people have died.
As the Covid-19 pandemic devastates lives and economies globally, including Malaysia, where between 1.5 million and 2.4 million jobs may be lost in 2020, fears and anxieties are becoming increasingly common. But it looks like Covid-19 is here to stay. So how can we live with ease in the New Normal? A key Buddhist practice is to cultivate resilience (paṭikuñcana). Resilience is the ability to cope with adversity or stressful life events such as trauma, tragedy, or threats. To cultivate resilience, we need to have a correct view of the world. This means seeing our Covid-infected world as impermanent (anicca) and subject to change, and thus by nature unsatisfactory (dukkha). Then letting go of our self-centeredness, we cultivate a positive attitude – both to ourselves and others, by being more compassionate, loving and kind, patient, equanimous, and having a sense of humor.
The Buddha explained that we are the cause of our own dissatisfaction which lies in our attachment to our desires to have and not to have. We assume things will remain the same but in reality it is otherwise. Despite our best efforts, we don’t always get what we want, and we sometimes get what we don’t want. For instance, we don’t want the virus but it is here to stay. We want to be able to travel to different countries during the holidays but the virus is not allowing us to do so. But the problem isn’t the “wanting”, per se, but our attachment and clinging to the idea of what we could do in the past, and what we want to do in the future.
So instead of attachment, the Buddha tells us to practice non-attachment. We can continue to try our best to get what we want but we should be wise enough to know that there will be times when we will not be successful in our attempts. When things don’t go according to plan, we should learn to be equanimous and not be disappointed. By practicing non-attachment, we learn to live a calm and peaceful life so that when things do not go our way, we aren’t unhappy or devastated. Nonattachment, therefore, reminds us that outcomes cannot be guaranteed no matter how hard we work or how much we prepare for it. But this, of course, should not stop us from doing what we want. It is through understanding the Buddhist teachings of impermanence and non-attachment that help us to deal with life’s uncertainties with greater resilience so that we can live life with ease even in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the Buddha’s wisdom that we can all apply in this New Normal. August 22, 2020
CONTENTS 04
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LEAD ARTICLE From the Mountains to the Cities: The Resurgence of Buddhism in Korea By Emi Hayakawa
12 16 19 23 25
FACE TO FACE Bringing Joy to our Pandemic World By Venerable Ayya Yeshe
The Essence of Zen Unveiled By Vanessa Zuisei Goddard
Understanding Mahāyāna Buddhism ByVenerable Shih You Deng
TEACHINGS How to Determine the Criteria of a True Religion (Part 1) By Rasika Quek
Patience By Norman Fisher Roshi
ISSUE NO.62
SEPTEMBER 2020
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30 35 37 42 45 48 52
The Four Highest Emotions By Venerable Ayya Khema
On Developing Equanimity By Venerable Sayādaw U Pandita
Death – Why we Fear it and How to overcome it By Venerable Geshe Dadul Namgyal
FEATURES A Guiding Light
By Sergio León Candia
The Science of Mantra Chanting By Gemma Perry
ABBi - a game changer in Buddhist Dhamma Studies By Lim Kooi Fong
FORUM Making Sense of the Covid 19 Pandemic By Venerable Āyasmā Aggacitta, Venerable Min Wei & Geshe Dadul Namgyal
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NEWS Listen to “Compassion,” from the Dalai Lama’s new album, Inner World By Rod Meade Sperry
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How Did Majority Buddhist Countries Achieve COVID Success? DHARMA THOUGHTS Transcending Human Suffering By Vijaya Samarawickrama
BOOK IN BRIEF Rowing in the Dharma Sea By Ang Choo Hong
EASTERN HORIZON PUBLICATION BOARD CHAIRMAN EDITOR SUB-EDITOR
: Dr. Ong See Yew
: B. Liow <Bennyliow@gmail.com> : Dr. Ong Puay Liu
MANAGER : Teh Soo Tyng
ART DIRECTOR : Geam Yong Koon
PUBLISHER : YBAM <ybam@ybam.org.my>
PRINTER : Nets Printwork Sdn Bhd Lot 52, Jalan PBS 14/4, Taman Perindustrian Bukit Serdang, 43300 Sri Kembangan, Selangor, MALAYSIA. Tel : 603-89429858 Email : info@netsgroup.com.my COVER DESIGN : Geam Yong Koon
EASTERN HORIZON is a publication of the Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia (YBAM). A non-profit making project, this journal is non-sectarian in its views and approach. We aim to inspire, stimulate and share.
The opinions expressed in EASTERN HORIZON are those of the authors and in no way represent those of the editor or YBAM. Although every care is taken with advertising matter, no responsibility can be accepted for the organizations, products, services, and other matter advertised. We welcome constructive ideas, invite fresh perspectives and accept comments. Please direct your comments or enquiries to: The Editor EASTERN HORIZON Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia 9, Jalan SS 25/24, Taman Mayang, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, MAlAYSIA Tel : (603) 7804 9154 Fax : (603) 7804 9021 Email : admin@easternhorizon.org or Benny Liow <Bennyliow@gmail.com> Website : www.easternhorizon.org KDN PP 8683/01/2013(031165)
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From the Mountains to the Cities: The Resurgence of Buddhism in Korea By Emi Hayakawa
Emi Hayakawa is the Head of Global Operations at Buddhist Television Network (BTN) headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea. She is also involved in BTN WORLD, a registered nonprofit religious organization which propagates Korean Buddhist teachings globally. She has contributed a chapter, ‘South Korea: Compassionate Approach to Journalism - Buddhist True Network’, in the book, Mindful Communication for Sustainable Development: Perspectives from Asia, edited by Kalinga Seneviratne (2018, New Delhi, India: Sage Publications India Pvt Ltd).
Benny Liow interviewed Emi on the current status of Buddhism in Korea, challenges from Christianity, and its future prospect in the country.
Benny: Buddhism was introduced to Korea in 372 CE and for centuries it was the dominant religion, even until the 18th century when Christianity was introduced to the country. But today, 30% of Koreans are Christians while only 21% are Buddhists. Christian missionaries a century ago predicted that Buddhism would disappear from Korea. Do you see that happening now or in the near future? Emi: According to the “General Population and Housing Census 2015,” released in 2016,
Protestantism has 9.67 million followers, making it the most followed religion of Korea, ahead of Buddhism. This was the first time since the launch of the national census in which Buddhism was not the majority religion. In 1995, there were 10.15 million Buddhists and in 2005, the number was 10.58 million. However, in the 2015 census, the number of Buddhists have dropped to 7.61 million. This drop of some three million Buddhists was a severe blow to the Korean Buddhist community. However, a survey in 2018 conducted by the Korean Council of Christian Pastors with 5,000 adults revealed that Buddhism had a much more positive image than Protestantism. Furthermore, according to another survey
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Chilbulam in Mt. Namsan, Gyeongju
conducted on Koreans with no religious affiliation, 40.6 % had a favorable image of Buddhism, four times more than Protestantism’s 9.5%, and Catholicism’s 37.6%.
Thus, even though the Buddhist population has decreased, it is still highly regarded by the Korean people. Although Korean Buddhism does have some issues to resolve, such as an aging Buddhist
Venerable Wonhaeng
population and fewer youths, the prediction that Buddhism would disappear from Korea is unlikely to happen. This is because Buddhist groups and monastic leaders have developed various creative solutions to combat these issues. So how is Buddhism responding to Christian evangelism and the secular environment it finds itself in?
Korean Buddhism is constantly adapting to various changes in society. For example, Venerable Wonhaeng, head of the Jogye Order, initiated the One Million Vows Assembly to create a brighter future for Korean Buddhism. Through this Assembly, the Jogye Order will engage one million Buddhists to
donate 100 won a day to establish a foundation to revitalize Korean Buddhism. When sufficient funds are collected, they will be used for socially engaged programs and selected priority projects, such as the establishment of a Korean temple in Bodhgaya, India; the establishment of a nursing home and hospital for elderly monastics; the “Dharma hall outside the barracks project” at the Gyeryongdae Complex, which houses the headquarters of the Korean army, navy and air force; and the proper repositioning and exhibition of a rock-carved Buddha on Mt. Namsan in Gyeongju, which was discovered lying on its stomach. Within a year after it was launched, 300,000 people have joined the
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Assembly and raised over 10 billion won. Through these efforts, many of the proposed projects came into fruition.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Korean temple in Bodhgaya was going to be held in March 2020, but the outbreak of COVID-19 forced the ceremony to be put off until September 2020. The project to build a Dharma hall outside the barracks of the Korean military at Gyeryongdae will be launched before the end of the year. Tangible outcomes will also be seen for the establishment of the Jogye Order’s
nursing home and hospital and for the repositioning of the rock-carved Buddha on Mt. Namsan in Gyeongju. The One Million Vows Assembly also marks the starting point to transform the management system of the Jogye Order, which currently operates with set contributions from each temple. Other Buddhist Orders, like the Cheontae Order and Jingak Order, are also adapting actively to our changing society.
How much of the decline of Korean Buddhism is due to corruption within it, especially the scandals in the media regarding gambling, fist fights, sexual misconduct of monks and financial impropriety of temples, rather than the lure of evangelical Christianity? Although limited to a small minority, it is true that negative incidents like gambling, financial impropriety, and sexual misconduct have been committed by some monastics. According to the “Survey for the
Jogye Order’s Future Planning,” which was given out to 10,000 monastics by the Buddhist Society Institute of the 100 Year Compendium Headquarters of the Jogye Order, respondents suggested the following as the biggest reasons for the decline in Buddhist devotees: indifference to religion (28.1 %) and disgraceful behavior (27.0 %). Even though a few monastics have engaged in negative behaviors, I do not think this would lead to the demise of Korean Buddhism. Korean Buddhism had the resilience to survive suppression during the Joseon Dynasty, which actively promoted Confucianism. It was also able to preserve its purity during the ruthless Japanese colonial period. And, in the midst of the total destruction caused by the Korean War, it cultivated flowers of hope.
Furthermore, according to attendance records for the 2019 winter meditation retreat, tabulated by the Association of Korean Seon Monks to identify practitioners for the three-month retreat, 2,000 monastics practiced intensive meditation in 100 Seon Halls across Korea: 280 practiced at eight monastic training complexes (chongnim); 1,069 monks in 56 Seon Halls for monks, and 651 nuns in 33 Seon Halls for nuns. And the number of monastics participating in these biannual three-months retreat is very consistent year after year (at least 2,000 practitioners each retreat). Because of this firmly established tradition of monastics in practice
Ven Manhae (1879 – 1944)
Ven Yongseong (1864—1940)
at temples nationwide and the laity who support them, Korean Buddhism will continue to develop while keeping its purity intact.
Korean Buddhism has moved from the mountains to the cities in recent times to meet the needs of the lay Buddhist community. To what extent has this been successful? Various Buddhist monastics in modern Korea have propagated Buddhism to the masses. For example, Venerable Manhae (1879 – 1944), one of the 33 signatories
to the declaration of independence, wrote a treatise titled Reforms of Korean Buddhism (Joseon bulgyo yusinnon) in preparation for the
LEAD ARTICLE | EASTERN HORIZON
“March First Movement of 1919,” an independence movement during the Japanese occupation. In it, he contended to make Buddhism more accessible to the masses, and thus should be transformed from “mountain Buddhism” to “urban Buddhism, and from “seclusion Buddhism” to “daily life Buddhism.” Venerable Yongseong (1864— 1940), another of the 33 signatories, established the Great Enlightenment Society and actively worked to bring Buddhism closer to the laity. Under the proactive leadership of Venerable Yongseong, Buddhist scriptures were translated into Korean, meditation halls for women were established, and Buddhist hymns were composed and distributed.
For the past 100 years, Korean Buddhists have put in much effort to shift the focus of Buddhism from the mountains to the urban areas. Various Buddhist centers were established in cities to bring the Dharma closer to children and the youths. The Masan City Center of Tongdosa Temple, which was the first official Buddhist city center, celebrated its 108th anniversary this year. In addition, lay Buddhist colleges have been established to propagate the Buddha Dharma in a much more simplified manner and in a more convenient environment for the public. As of April 2020, there are 160 lay Buddhist colleges certified by the Jogye Order across Korea.
Ceiling of the Tongdosa Temple, Korea
Seven Treasure Pagoda, Hanmaum Seon Center, Anyang
The typical curriculum requires 96 class hours over 32 weeks to be completed within one year. Mandatory subjects include “Introduction to Buddhism”, “Buddhism for Beginners”, and “Life of the Buddha”. Various online Buddhist universities have also been established so that busy people with little free time can study Buddhism at home.
More recently, modern urban temples have emerged in Seoul. Is this a good reflection of how Buddhism can adapt to the modern world without losing its core identity? As mentioned, Korean Buddhism has been resilient and have acclimatized to modern society throughout history without losing its core identity. The Jogye Order
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Ven Daehaeng (1927-2012)
Temple stay programs across Korea
has established Buddhist centers in cities to bring Buddhism closer to the people and their daily lives. In addition, more modern temples are being established in cities to spread the Buddha’s teachings more widely.
One excellent example is the Hanmaum Seon Center, established in 1972 by the Buddhist nun, Venerable Daehaeng (1927-2012). The Hanmaum Seon Center’s headquarters is in Anyang, and operates 15 branches nationwide. They have also established 10 overseas branches in the USA, Germany, Argentina, Canada and Thailand to propagate Korean Buddhism. The Jungto Society, guided by Venerable Pomnyun (b. 1953), has established Dharma Halls in various locations across Korea, and have also operated Buddhist colleges and training centers for the past 30 years. It is very active in propagating Buddhism overseas, with branches in USA, Canada, Australia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Singapore.
The Cheontae Order, founded by Venerable Sangwol Wongak, is still growing under its three basic principles: patriotism, close-to-life, and public-friendliness. In keeping with these principles, the Cheontae Order has established all its temples in cities. Their Dharma halls are open 24/7 to serve students and workers alike. In the Cheontae Order, lay Buddhists also attend intensive meditation retreats twice a year, in summer and winter, and cultivate themselves based on the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva mantra. The Jingak Order has established Dharma Halls in cities to transmit Buddhism to the masses, in keeping with the teachings of its founder, Venerable Hoedang (1902-1963). The devotees in the Jingak Order include many teams of husband and wife priests.
Ven Pomnyun (b. 1953)
There are about 32 Buddhist temples that offer Templestay programs in Korea. Does this program have an impact on the local population in creating a better image of Buddhism in Korea, or does it only benefit foreign tourists looking for cheap accommodations? Recognized by the OECD as offering “excellent cultural content of creativity and competitiveness,” the Templestay Program was launched during the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup to showcase the excellence of Korean traditional culture. The Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism operates Templestay programs at 137 Jogye Order temples nationwide. Participants can experience the daily life of monastic practitioners at mountain temples where the 1,700-year history and culture of Korean Buddhism is vividly alive. It is now a firmly established major cultural program that both foreigners and Koreans can experience. Furthermore, Templestay programs tailored to foreigners are successfully operated at selected temples
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participants’ positive mental health, the Templestay programs have also created a favorable image of Buddhism among Koreans while showcasing the best of Korean culture to foreigners.
nationwide, including: Bongseonsa in Namyangju, Magoksa in Gongju, Geumsansa in Gimje, Naksansa in Yangyang, Bulguksa in Gyeongju and Yakcheonsa in Jeju. In 2019, 134 temples operated the “Templestay for Sharing” program to support families in financial hardships, high school dropouts, foreign laborers, low income families, injured police officers, gambling addicts, and people on probation. This program drew as many as 276,204 participants, which was 8.85 % of all Templestay participants for that year.
A research team led by Prof. Gwon Jun-su from the Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, conducted a case study on the impact of Templestay programs on mental health. The results, which were published in an academic conference, revealed that Templestay participants showed significant enhancement of resilience in coping with daily stress, and maintained their stressfree level even after three months. Thus, besides contributing to
There are at least four Buddhist media outlets in Korea: Buddhist Broadcasting System, Buddhist Cable TV Network, Buddhist Television Network, and Hyundae Bulgyo Buddhist Newspaper. How successful have they been in propagating Buddhism in the country? Korea’s Buddhist media outlets include two Buddhist broadcasting companies, Buddhist Television Network [BTN] and Buddhist Broadcasting System [BBS]. There are several Buddhist newspapers, both print and digital: Bulgyo Sinmun, Beopbo Sinmun, Hyundae Bulgyo Sinmun, Uri Bulgyo, Jugan Bulgyo Sinmun, Geumgang Sinmun, Milgyo Sinmun, Hanguk Bulgyo Sinmun, and Media Buddha. Korean Buddhist media are using various means to propagate the Buddha’s teachings and have reaped visible results.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, BTN, the most influential Buddhist media station, has 14 million subscribers on cable television as of December 2019. BTN also has 4.18 million subscribers on satellite television; 8.35 million subscribers for IPTV, 8.35 million subscribers using KT, 5.19 million subscribers using BTV, and 4.48 million subscribers using LG U+.
BTN also transmits its programs throughout the world through the services of Amazon TV, ROKU TV, Apple TV, TBO Play, Hankook TV (USA), UNIC TV (China & Southeast Asia), and AKTV (Korean TV in New Zealand).
In line with the fast-paced changes of contemporary society, BTN is the pioneer in new media, and provides services like AI speakers (SK & KT), TPOD (listening TV), and Naver Audio Clips. BTN was also the first Buddhist network to launch its own YouTube channel and received YouTube’s Silver Play Button Award last year reaching 200,000 subscribers this year. Furthermore, BTN is ranked top among Korea’s religious broadcasting companies. BTN also established “Ullim” (lit, “Resonance”), an app-based radio service, putting itself well on the path to becoming a more comprehensive media company.
Moreover, BTN has also established and operated many affiliated organizations, such as BTN Buddha Association, a faith and practice community for Buddhists; Sansaae, an internet e-commerce site; BTN Buddha Land Mutual Aid, a community-based business to help arrange proper Buddhist funerals; BTN Tour, which specializes in pilgrimages to sacred Buddhist sites; BTNWORLD, which transmits Korean Buddhist teachings globally; a corporation aggregate titled ‘Cities & Farming-Fishing Villages’, which explores mutually beneficial ways to connect cities with rural
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Korean monks (left) and nuns (right)
villages; and the Traditional Cultural Content Development Institute, which propagates Korean traditional culture. Is secularization a major concern in Korea today affecting the number of new monastics?
Secularization is an irreversible trend in our society. Korean Buddhism is also affected by a reduced number of Buddhist followers, a decline in faith and Buddhist practices, and a decrease in new monastic ordinations. According to the 2005 Jogye Order’s statistics, monastics who received full precepts numbered 467 (254 males and 213 females). However, in 2008, the number of fully ordained monastics dropped to around 200, and the decline continued: 276 in 2010, 212 in 2015, 189 in 2018, and 169 in 2019. This prompted the Jogye Order to initiate diverse efforts to attract more novice monastic trainees, such as opening an online site to attract prospective monastics and appointing counselors to advise them. The Jogye Order also established a new monastic system tailored for retirees in an effort to enlist specialists with a lifetime of diverse and expert experiences to
Woljeongsa Temple in Pyeongchang, Korea
receive ordination and immerse themselves in Buddhist practice and propagation. Furthermore, the Jogye Order actively reaches out to Koreans through meditation and Templestay programs to promote Buddhist values.
Today, health and inner peace are top trending issues in Korea. Exposed to extreme competition since childhood, Koreans tend to be under severe stress. According the statistics, an average of 37.5 people commit suicide each day, giving Korea the dubious honor of having the highest number of suicides among the 36 OECD member countries. To counter this, Korean Buddhist orders have developed various forms of meditation to help heal the hearts of contemporary Koreans. Teachers from the Korean Meditation Teachers Association are also aiding to spread the practice of meditation and to train new teachers. Spearheaded by Woljeongsa Temple in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, “meditation villages” are also being established by many temples to provide diverse meditation programs. In line with the “era of well-being,” the Jogye Order also promotes temple food to the laity, a diet that prohibits eating meat
and the five pungent vegetables prohibited by Buddhism.
What do you regard as the most important success factors for Buddhism to regain its respect and once dominant position in Korean society again? The Buddha taught the impermanence of all things. With changes occurring moment by moment, nothing remains constant. To remain in harmony with society’s constant state of flux, Korean Buddhism should adapt itself continually. Entering this era of the 4th Industrial Revolution and Artificial Intelligence, the Korean Buddhist community is aware that it too must change in order to not fall behind.
According to the “Survey for the Jogye Order’s Future Planning,” which was given to 10,000 monastics by the Buddhist Society Institute of the One Hundred Year Compendium Headquarters of the Jogye Order, the Order’s most urgent task is to improve its unequal structure (38.2 %). The remaining tasks in descending order are: to prepare for increasing numbers of elderly monastics (37.1 %) and to strengthen the Order’s organizational structure (9.2 %). As
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for the future direction of Korean Buddhism, 53.2 % of respondents suggested expanding Buddhism’s social engagement. As the survey indicated, Korean Buddhism should strive to improve the unequal structure within the Order, such as the discrimination between male and female monastics, and the structure dividing monastics and the laity should be abolished. Other suggestions included: the polarization between large city temples and small rural temples should be reduced; to prepare for
an increasing number of elderly monastics, the monastic welfare system should be strengthened; and the organizational structure of the Buddhist orders and monastic lineages should be improved.
In pursuit of expanding its social engagement, Korean Buddhism should put into action in society the following teaching from the Vimalakirti Sutra, which says: “The Buddha is sick because living beings are sick.” Even as Korean Buddhism adapts to change, there are some things that should be preserved, and among those are the Buddhist precepts. The purity of the monastic community will determine if Korean Buddhism progress or decline. The laity should also observe the lay precepts and be actively involved in faith and practice activities. In addition, they should make giving a part of daily life in order to support the less fortunate among us.
With the Covid-19 pandemic, there is now a new normal in how Buddhist temples should promote the Dharma. Could you share briefly how it is done in Korea? With the COVID-19 pandemic, the Korean Buddhist community took proactive measures to prevent its further spread, including closing temple gates and ending Dharma assemblies. This led to a more positive image among Koreans toward Buddhism; according to “Some Trend,” an SNS big data analysis site, a positive perception of Buddhism surged drastically to 66 % on SNS. One of the reasons is that the public was encouraged Photo by Liza Matthews by the Buddhist community as we began our own blood drive to combat the decline in blood donations and blood reserves fell due to the fear of corona virus infection.
A communication company’s article titled “Jogyesa’s Blood Donation Campaign of Compassion,” published on an online portal site, received 1,300 comments. Most of the comments expressed praise and respect for monastics who participated in the blood drive and for Buddhism in general. Moreover, since the corona virus made the normal activities of faith and practice difficult, nationwide temples held online Dharma assemblies to serve and maintain contact with devotees. Through real time live broadcasts using online platforms like YouTube,
temples soothed the weary hearts of Buddhists fatigued from the virus and its negative impact on their lives. BTN organized a special feature program titled “Dharma Talks of Complete Peace to Overcome COVID-19” to deliver reassuring talks by eminent monks to Buddhists who were distressed by the pandemic. BTN also revamped its website so that people could view online Dharma assemblies at major temples nationwide. People were
also able to participate in prayers and Dharma assemblies and receive blessings via real-time subtitles where immediate communication is enabled through a chat service. With the further spread of COVID-19, the Korean Buddhist community saw the need to cease traditional religious practices like coming to the temple to offer prayers and worship on ceremonial days, but they also found ways to support religious activities online. This trend is expected to expand further, and the Korean Buddhist community should adapt and develop by actively embracing it. EH
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Bringing Joy to our Pandemic World By Venerable Ayya Yeshe
Ayya Yeshe Bodhicitta ordained as a nun in 2001. She discovered Buddhism whilst travelling in Nepal and India at the age of 17 on a search for the meaning of life. Coming back to Australia after a year of study and practice in monasteries, she helped run a Buddhist Centre in Sydney and trained with her teacher Khenpo Ngawang Dhamchoe for five years whilst working as well. Upon ordaining as a nun at the age of 23 Venerable Yeshe, found like the majority of Western monastics before her that there was very little care or support for Western monastics, people preferring to access Tibetan Lamas who are already trained. She had no where to live and had to beg on traditional alms round to get food, she stayed with various friends and in garden sheds. She engaged in teaching Dharma in HIV hospices, schools, drug and alchohol rehab centres and trained as a yoga teacher. Coming to India in 2004, Venerable Yeshe studied for two years in a monastery, but felt a need to make Buddhism accessable and socially engaged, whilst still trying to maintain her contemplative way of life. She met Indian Buddhists in 2005 and has been working with them ever since. Her teachers are Sakya Trizen (the second highest Lama in Tibetan Buddhism) and Ven Thich Nhat Hanh, the nobel peace prize poet and peace activist. Ayya Yeshe Bodhicitta is the author of ‘Everyday Enlightenment’ published by Harper Collins and is featured in the documentaries ‘life beyond the begging bowl’ and ‘Through the Eastern Gate’. She is also made a Buddhist chanting CD with one of Australia’s top world music groups - India Jiva called ‘Dakini’. Despite her very hectic schedule, she was able to grant an on-line interview to Eastern Horizon when requested by Benny Liow. The following is an extract of the interview.
FACE TO FACE | EASTERN HORIZON
What is your main motivation in starting the Bodhicitta Foundation, and why in India? I visited Nagpur in India by chance and I saw the enthusiasm of the local people for Dharma. But I also saw a lot of poverty. They were some of the poorest Buddhists in the world, and very few organizations even know Ambedkarite Buddhists exist. Because of the revolutionary human rights campaigner, Dr Ambedkar, the local people were motivated for change. I was moved by their plight and as a nun from a developed country with white privileges, I realized they did not need my prayers, as someone with the bodhisattva vow to help all beings. But they needed direct action in terms of employment, vocational training, education etc. Bodhicitta or sublime compassion and the local people’s fighting spirit was my motivation.
You wanted to be socially engaged so that you can bring Buddhism to the people, but yet you need to maintain a contemplative way of
life. How do you balance that? Not always well! It’s hard to be peaceful when all around you see suffering and gross inequality. Basically it took me many years and a bit of burnout to realize that if I was going to help others, I also needed self-care. That is why I am starting a monastery and meditation center for activists and monastics in Australia to complement our social work. Activism is a long term race. We may not see the massive change we hope for immediately as it may take a generation but we keep working for justice. Because without justice, without empathy for those living in real suffering, all our spiritual words about love and compassion don’t mean much. If we don’t meditate daily we lose touch with peace and our activism is not sustainable or we can feel cynical. Spiritual practice reminds us to focus on the bigger picture, that even if the world can be cruel, we don’t have to be. How do you train Buddhist activists to be engaged in social work and yet have time for inner reflection and mental peace, and
especially that they will not burn out? Basically it’s all in the schedule. We spend half the day meditating and studying Dharma, and half the day doing social work. Social workers need to work shorter hours and take more holidays, as they see shocking things - acts of great violence. We have counseling and debriefing. Humor helps! We have regular retreats and Dharma classes.
People tend to associate Buddhist monastics as sitting in deep meditation in caves, chanting in monasteries, or conducting empowerment ceremonies and rituals. How much is social work like what you’re doing actually emphasized or encouraged in the Buddhist scriptures? The Buddha saw a monk lying sick and helped him. He cleaned the sick man himself. The Buddha accepted women and ‘low caste’ people into the monastic community in a time when they were not regarded as equal human beings.
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The Mettā Sutta says: “Just as a mother protects with her life, her child, her only child, so with a boundless heart should one cherish all living beings” Certainly service and boundless compassion is emphasized in the Bodhisattvas’ Way of Life as mentioned by Śāntideva, as is meditation and mind training. If we don’t meditate, there is a risk that we will lose the Dharma, but if we never implement compassion, there is a risk we will never know the real meaning of lived spiritual principles. Was the Buddha himself socially engaged when he was alive?
Some of the children and women who have benefitted from Ayya Yeshe’s charity
The Buddha praised solitude, but he also took to the road and traveled everywhere ‘for the benefit of the many’. He met Princes and paupers alike and taught them according to their needs and understanding. The Buddha challenged many of the rigid brahmanical culture of caste and destiny. In many ways he challenged the privileges and social decay of the time. That is one of the reasons why the Brahmins worked so hard to rid India of Buddhism later on - it challenged their hold on the people and the oppressiveness of a system of privileges that discriminated humans based on birth.
I believe there are other Buddhist charities like Bodhicitta Foundation in India. Do you see enough collaboration among the
various Buddhist charities so that we have more synergies and less duplication of work? Sectarianism is a problem. But the Buddhist Global Relief (www. buddhistglobalrelief.org) has been a huge support to us. You mentioned that when you first became a nun at the age of 23, you found the majority of Western monastics had little support among the laity as they prefer to support their Tibetan masters. Have you seen significant positive changes over the years? No, sadly I have not. I ordained with 15 people. There is only myself and one other nun in her 70s are left. People don’t understand that Buddhism needs trained teachers from each Buddhist culture and community support to preserve the teachings to survive. There is still a great deal of patriarchy to overcome. Is that why you started the Bodhicitta International Socially Engaged Buddhist Community? Yes, we have started a monastery. I don’t want other non-Himalayan monastics to suffer as we did. It’s unconscionable that we charge Western monastics to stay in Dharma centers. This is why we started Bodhicitta Dakini Monastery, TAS, Australia. We will soon buy land.
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What do you need most for your charity in India now that the country is badly devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic? How could our reader assist if they are interested? Many of our regular sponsors have gone bankrupt. So honestly what we need most is money. Money can save lives. So many people have lost their jobs and have no savings. They are completely dependent on charitable food. We have fed 350 people so far. In the long term we will buy land to house the girls as they don’t have opportunities for education. Many of them ended up as child brides. We need to send hundreds of children to school. For more details on how you can support Ven Yeshe’s charity, please contact her for details: moondakini@hotmail.com http://www.bodhicitta-vihara.com
In India with photo of late Dr Ambedkar in the background
Her charity in India
You can also watch her short documentary: https://youtu.be/GvzKfwF5vDk EH
Some of the children and women who have benefitted from Ayya Yeshe’s charity
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The Essence of Zen Unveiled By Vanessa Zuisei Goddard
This interview for Eastern Horizon was based on questions raised by Benny Liow with Vanessa.
Vanessa Zuisei Goddard is a writer and Zen teacher based in New York City. She trained full-time at Zen Mountain Monastery from 1995 to 2014, fourteen of those years as a monastic. In 2018 she received dharma transmission (authorization to teach) from Geoffrey Shugen Arnold Roshi, abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery and Head of the Mountains and Rivers Order. For the last ten years, Zuisei has been leading retreats and workshops on a wide range of teachings on Buddhism and meditation, all with special emphasis on the power of stillness and silence to transform our lives. Zuisei is currently working on a book about faith, belief, and contemplation. Her first book, Still Running: The Art of Meditation in Motion, was published by Shambhala Publications in August of this year. Zuisei can be found at vanessazuiseigoddard.org.
What really inspires me listening to your podcasts is that even though you are a Zen teacher, you adopt a nonsectarian approach by including both Theravāda and Tibetan teachings in your talks. Could you tell us how you got interested in Buddhism, and your biggest take-aways as a Zen nun for 14 years? I was raised Catholic, but my mother had a very unorthodox approach to religion. For her, a religious tradition wasn’t worth much if it didn’t teach you how to live your life better and I agree with her. During my teens I moved away from Christianity for a time, and got interested first in zazen, then in learning more about Buddhism, which I studied a little in college. Then I found Zen Mountain Monastery in upstate New York, and moved in after graduating. I never thought I would become a monastic. And once there, I never thought I would leave. Which just goes to show that we really don’t know very much, and the more we get comfortable with that, the better. I would say that’s the biggest takeaway: the acceptance of groundlessness or impermanence. What is the difference between a priest and monk/ nun in Zen Buddhism? Does Zen monasticism includes vegetarianism and celibacy?
I’ll speak only for the Mountains and Rivers Order, where I did all my training, since forms vary from lineage to lineage. Everyone who gets ordained in our order becomes a monastic. We did away with using the gendered terms monk and nun because historically nuns have been second-class citizens in Buddhism. My first teacher, John Daido Loori Roshi, wanted to stress the fact that women and men undergo equal training in our order. One is no higher than the other in terms of hierarchy. In our order, a priest differs from a monastic in that the first is empowered to do priestly functions like
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In what ways does Zen share a commonality with Chinese Ch’an and Korean Sŏn practice? Or are they distinctly different? My familiarity with the forms of Ch’an and Sŏn is minimal. I would say that in terms of the fundamental teachings and practice, we share the same ground, but my understanding is that the forms, the liturgy, etc., are different—which makes sense, given that each of these took shape in a different culture. Zen in the West has also developed its own forms and hopefully it will continue to do so. This adaptability is what ensures its relevance and enduring power. The term zazen means meditation. What is the ultimate aim of Zazen in Zen practice? marriages, naming ceremonies, funerals, giving of the precepts, etc, while monastics are not. All our priests are monastics but the opposite is not true. As for vegetarianism and celibacy, our monastery served vegetarian meals exclusively (with vegan alternatives) but vegetarianism was not required. A number of the monastics are not vegetarian, and neither am I. It’s seen as a personal choice. The same with celibacy. Monastics can choose to be in stable, monogamous relationships, or they can be celibate, but it’s not required for ordination.
You belong to the Mountains and Rivers Order of Zen Buddhism, founded by John Daido Loori Roshi in 1980 in New York. This reminds me of the old Zen saying: “In the beginning, mountains are mountains and rivers are rivers; later on, mountains are not mountains and rivers are not rivers; and still later, mountains are mountains and rivers are rivers.” Perhaps you could explain the meaning of these sayings? I should clarify that I am now teaching independently and am no longer a formal member of the MRO. But this saying is one that my teacher really loved. But to be honest, I don’t want to explain it. That will kill it. Let’s just say it has to do with different ways of seeing and understanding reality.
I hesitate to use the term “ultimate” because it feeds into our desire to transcend—transcend our humanity, our suffering, the everyday struggles that make a human life. I prefer to use very simple terms that demistify the practice and even the insights we gain along the way. One way I like to describe the purpose of Zen and of Buddhism in general is to be close. To be close to yourself, to others, to reality. In other words, to see that closeness—let’s use Thich Nhat Hanh’s term, interbeing—is the nature of all things. We usually associate zazen with the study of kōan. Can you explain what is a kōan and what’s the purpose of meditating on kōan?
A kōan or “public case” is a record, most often of a dialogue between two monastics and on occasion, a line or lines from a sutra, that presents the meditator with a question or conundrum that points directly to the nature of reality. The purpose of sitting with a kōan is to go beyond the intellect and to directly see “the way things are,” as one of the sutras describes the Buddha’s enlightenment. Then there’s the other method called shikantaza which we tend to think of as a meditative approach where the mind has no object at all. Could you clarify what is shikantaza?
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Sitting with a kōan is also a meditative approach but the
difference is that here the meditator or student sits with the question, with the dilemma posed by the kōan, in an effort to see into it. In shikantaza there’s no focus to zazen other than awareness itself. In kōan study the mind is like a laser beam; in shikantaza it’s like a flood light. In koan study the man driving force is doubt and the need to resolve it. In shikantaza it’s faith or trust that things are exactly as they need to be. There’s nothing to fix, nothing to change, nothing to realize even. In the Theravāda and Vipassanā movements, their meditation practices are based on two early Buddhist discourses, ie Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta and Ānāpānasati Sutta. Is Zen meditation also based on these two suttas or on other discourses or sūtras taught by the Buddha? I would say that their meditation practices are based primarily but not exclusively on those two sutras. And while we also study them in Zen, we don’t use them explicitly. It’s much more common for Zen teachers to refer to Mahayana texts like Master Dogen’s “Zazenshin,” Master Hongzhi’s “Cultivating the Empty Field,” or Master Dahui’s letters to his students. But we of course also go back to the Pāli Canon, which contains, as far as we know, the closest expression of the Buddha’s teachings. We study all of it: Theravāda, Mahāyāna, Vajrayāna, and anything else that will help our understanding of the Way.
The following phrases were attributed to Bodhidharma: “Direct pointing to the human heart; Seeing the nature and becoming Buddha; Not standing on letters; A separate transmission outside the scriptures.” Does this mean Zen does not rely on study of scriptures like other Buddhist traditions and only has meditation as its practice? No. That’s the misconception that Zen teachers have been trying to correct for centuries. Zen is rich with poetry, the Mahāyāna Sūtras like the Diamond Sūtra, the Platform Sūtra, the Lotus Sūtra, etc., and of course, the koan literature. We do as much study as anyone else. It’s just that we understand that intellectual knowledge has to be complemented and strengthened with experiential knowledge, which happens through meditation practice. But even the Buddha knew this— intellectual and experiential knowledge are the two divisions of right view, which he saw as the precursor of the eightfold path and the absolute requisite for understanding and putting into practice what you realize on the cushion. Any final advice for someone who is interested to study and practice Zen? Sure. Just do it. EH
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Understanding Mahāyāna Buddhism By Venerable Shih You Deng
Ven You Deng is currently the Vice-President of the Buddha’s Light International Association – Young Adult Division, Malaysia Chapter. She is also a lecturer in Dong Zen Buddhist College. Her previous positions include being the Spiritual Advisor to the Buddha’s Light Association (Singapore), Young Adult Division. She graduated from Fo Guang Shan Tsung Lin University, International Buddhist College – English Division. She also holds a Bachelor of Business Studies (Management) from Massey University, New Zealand, and a Master in Education Policy and Society from Cardiff University, UK. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Malaya, Malaysia.
The following questions about Mahāyāna Buddhism have been frequently asked by followers of other Buddhist traditions. On behalf of Eastern Horizon, Benny Liow shared with Ven You Deng of Fo Guang Shan some of the more common misconceptions or doubts about Mahāyāna Buddhism, and the following are her comments.
Benny: Many of the sūtras found in the Sanskrit Āgamas are similar to that in the Pāli Nikāyas but later Mahāyāna sūtras appear in very flowery language and adopt a different style, and instead of Śākyamuni Buddha, the focus seems to have shifted to numerous non-historical Buddhas. Can you explain why this is so, and how the approach of the sūtras in terms of style, approach and content change so much? You Deng: After Buddhism spread to the east, it gradually became acculturated to its new home. A unique result of acculturation is the Chinese language. Besides, Buddhism has exerted tremendous influence on countless facets of Chinese culture. Some of these include politics, culture, art, fashion, and food. The Chinese language evolved through Buddhism, not
only by its contribution of new vocabulary but also in enriching its existing literature. The beauty of the Chinese language can be attributed to the effect of Buddhist terminology.
Indeed, the spread of a Buddhist text would depend on the fluency of its translations. Translators from later periods followed Master Xuan Zang’s rules and rendered the “new translations” which have remained particular in their translation techniques. Therefore, it is essential that the language used in Buddhism not be rigid or adamant. A reasonable level of adaptation to ensure the readability and fluency of Buddhist language is necessary. Just as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Theravāda, and Tibetan Buddhism each developed their unique languages, ways of practice, geographical and historical backgrounds were the major contributing factors.
Today, as we harmonize all forms of Buddhism into Humanistic Buddhism, not only are we integrating all Buddhist vocabularies throughout history; we are also reinstating Buddha’s original intents. Our resolve is to offer, to the world, unified teaching focused solely on the Buddha’s intent at bettering society.
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In many Mahāyāna sutras, the role of Bodhisattvas is more prominent that the arahants. What is the reason for this? “Bodhisattva” is a Sanskrit word with two parts. Bodhi means enlightenment, wisdom and the way. Sattva means sentient being. Bodhisattvas are motivated by great compassion towards all sentient beings and are committed to liberating all beings from suffering. Concurrently, Bodhisattvas develop themselves spiritually to reach enlightenment through practices such as giving, following precepts, endurance, diligence, meditation, and wisdom. They may be regarded as Buddhas in training. Arhats represent beings who are followers of Buddhism who have eradicated all defilement and have reached the level of enlightenment to be beyond the samsara process of rebirth. They are
considered worthy of receiving offerings from people and celestial beings. However, they have not yet reached the full enlightenment worthy of to become a Buddha. Why are there so many cosmic Buddhas in Mahāyāna Buddhism? How are they related to our historical Śākyamuni Buddha, and what is the reason they are emphasised in the Mahāyāna scriptures? The Buddha manifest in billions of forms, many of which comprise that of aforementioned Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. For this reason, when in the presence of a Guanyin Bodhisattva statue, I would be prostrating to Sakyamuni Buddha. Before an Amitābha Buddha effigy, I would be prostrating to Sakyamuni Buddha as well. In the same manner, when facing a Sakyamuni Buddha statue, I could also be prostrating to Amitābha Buddha and the Medicine Buddha. Subsequent to the Buddhist saying, “All Buddhas are on the same path, and all lights interpenetrate one another.” Each Buddha embodies all other Buddhas, while all Buddha symbolizes the one Buddha. All the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are represented by the supreme one – Sakyamuni Buddha in this sahā world. Is Guan Yin or Avalokiteśvara considered a Buddha or a Bodhisattva? Are enlightened Bodhisattvas the same as Buddhas?
Buddhas are fully enlightened and have entered nirvana while Bodhisattvas are practicing Buddhas who are very close to full enlightenment. According to Mahāyāna scriptures, it is also believed that Bodhisattvas are deliberately retaining a little karmic force in their consciousness so that they will reincarnate back into the human world to carry out their infinite compassionate deeds in liberating people or they are actually Buddhas but manifest themselves to us in this sahā world as Bodhisattvas only. Billions of manifestation body of Buddhas and Bodhisattva are for the needs of all sentient beings. What is Pure Land? Is it similar to Nirvāṇa (Pāli, nibbāna) which is commonly spoken of by the historical Buddha in the Pāli scriptures?
The Pure Land is a realm created through the power of a Buddha’s vows to ease the suffering of living beings. All people would like to live in a place such as this. Buddhists frequently mention Amitābha Buddha’s Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss in the West or the Medicine Buddha’s Pure Land of Azure Radiance in the East. Nevertheless, there are more Pure Lands than just those in the east or west. Maitreya Bodhisattva, who will become the next Buddha, resides in the Tusita Pure Land, and the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra mentions the Pure Land of the mind. Pure lands are everywhere on earth. Pureland not be thought of as some place to escape to after this lifetime, but rather as a state of mind that we can open up to in this life. Buddha taught that through our daily practice of purging our minds (including Pureland chanting) and through study, we can manifest in all our actions the Pureland that is already present for the benefit of all beings. Nirvāṇa is the state of total liberation from suffering. Ven. Master Hsing Yun said “Nirvāṇa is like a mani pearl. It can radiate a virtuous glow and bring joy to all sentient beings.” In Nirvāṇa, there is no arising and consequently no ceasing, no impermanence, no attachment to the phenomenal self, without blemish and is most wondrous and perfect. Nirvāṇa is not something that can only be experienced after death. The instant we extinguish the fires of delusion is the instant we experience Nirvāṇa.
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Amitābha and his attendant bodhisattvas Avalokiteśvara (r) and Mahāsthāmaprāpta (l)
Statue of Amitābha Buddha seated in meditation. Borobudur, Java, Indonesia.
Male depiction of Guan Yin, c. 1025 Northern Song Dynasty, China.
Pure Land soteriology teaches that by calling upon the name of Amitābha Buddha, one can erase one’s bad actions. Doesn’t this concept go against the very essence of the law of karma where no one can purify one’s karma except oneself?
rites and rituals prevent the spiritual seeker from attaining the first stage of sainthood (śrotāpanna). But in Mahāyāna Buddhism, there is much emphasis on rituals and ceremonies. Why are they important in Mahāyāna Buddhism?
Reciting Amitābha Buddha’s name with single-minded focus can lead to samadhi. If the person is sincere and can meditate on the name of Amitābha Buddha with single-mindedness, the strength of Amitābha Buddha will guide the person to be reborn, by transformation into a lotus flower, in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, even though he or she may still be burdened with karma. There is no regression from the Pure Land into the wheel of rebirth because one continues to practice in order to eventually become free from the wheel of rebirth and attain the ultimate bodhi.
Rituals express resolution and faith, in spiritual or worldly matters of concern. Chanting and meditation are two of the most known rituals associated with the religion of Buddhism. Mahāyāna Buddhism, for example came to China during the Eastern Han Dynasty. During the two thousand years of Chinese Buddhism, the repentance practice has been combined with the local Chinese culture and etiquettes, and gradually shaped into ritualized services with Chinese characteristics. Ritual practice engages the whole person. Ritual’s operative premise is that physical and imaginative gesture, including the movement of energy in and beyond the body, will reshape our lived experience. After many repetitions, ritual becomes a performance of our deepest knowing of self and world. Like rehearsing artists, we hone our expressive skills until our practice of compassion, wisdom, and wholeness becomes the real thing. We revisit the gestures of ritual again and again until we gain the force of habit to carry our seeing and being with full-hearted and loving generosity into the hurly-burly of everyday life.
Karma is the most crucial element that makes the world turn round. It is a conscious action or deed that leads to “causality” or cause and effect, a law of nature, a fundamental Buddhist doctrine. The force of such an action has to dissipate or neutralized when the right conditions surface, or it will be stored in our deepest consciousness until the time is right for it to sprout up. Observe carefully, and we shall find that there is no action in this universe that produces absolutely no consequence. It works like Newton’s famous third law, but it applies not just in the physical world but also in the mental realm. It is taught in the Pāli scriptures that attachment to
The power of ritual does not lie with facticity. The essence of Buddhism is the law of cause and effect. We pray to Buddha for Inspiration and Guidance, not miracles and salvation. Buddhas cannot save us;
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1,000 arm Guan Yin, Japan
1,000 arm Guan Yin, Vietnam
we must liberate ourselves from our problems and confusion. However, by opening our hearts to Buddha and his teachings, our inner strength and confidence will be reinforced to assist us in our life.
Mahāyāna Buddhism, especially in China, is not one common tradition as there are various schools within it, from Jìngtǔ to Chán, and Tiāntāi and Huáyán. Is there a set of common teachings in all these schools? “All teachings expounded by the Buddha, Serve the purpose of remedying all minds; Without the existence of all minds, Such teachings shall serve no purpose at all.” – Record of Contemplation, Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra
When the Buddha taught, he constantly acknowledged the different aptitudes of his disciples and amended his approach. Yet, he always taught according to the same set of core concepts. For example, the teachings of suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and selflessness are commonly recognized as the earliest Buddhist teachings. In later periods, Buddhists were encouraged to practice the Six Paramitas, aspire to the Four Immeasurable States of Mind, and realize the Four Universal Vows. After Buddha entered Nirvāṇa, various sects and reflections of Buddhism arose due to the differences in opinion among Buddhist disciples regarding teachings and precepts. As time passed, further schisms ensued and came Early Buddhism and Mahāyāna Buddhism. By
Guan Yin, Gandhara, India
geography, Buddhism was further split into Southern Buddhism, Northern Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism. Eventually, there was also Korean Buddhism, Japanese Buddhism, Thai Buddhism, and Western Buddhism. In particular, Chinese Buddhism alone split into the Eight Schools, followed by the spread of Chan Buddhism into the Five Houses and Seven Schools. These differences in opinion were not personal, just as the Eight Schools of Chinese Buddhism each held to their own standards of classification. Instead of further schism, the outcome has allowed Buddhism more diversity and a greater range of expedient means to cater to the aptitudes of living beings. On balance, all these individuals believe in the same Buddha and propagate the same Dharma based on the Truths of the Three Dharma Seals, which the Buddha has dedicated his entire life to teaching.
However, these disparities have added to the challenge of unity among Buddhists. For this reason, cooperation between Buddhists and the development of Buddhism have become rather difficult. Furthermore, after Buddhism spread to China, political oppressions and social changes impelled Buddhism into the mountain forests, causing Buddhism to become a religion that focused on spiritual cultivation in seclusion for the sole benefit of oneself. The situation was exacerbated by monastics who spoke the Dharma solely from their own perspectives, exaggerating the need to be other-worldly, dismissing people’s needs in life for wealth, love, and family. For instance, on the topic of wealth, they would
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speak of money as a poisonous snake; when speaking about marriage, they would describe husband and wife as adversaries; when talking about children, they would call them debtors who have come to collect their due. The lack of value for human life in “traditional” Buddhism has drawn criticism from society for being inhumanly and irrelevant to real life. Sakyamuni Buddha featuring billions of manifestations in Buddhism, we should all be allowed to follow our own chosen faith and abide each other. Buddhism truly has evolved along with history, culture, diverse backgrounds, as well as the changing needs of time. No matter the needs, Buddhism must be centered on humans and help them discover happiness, safety, and transcendence in addition to perfection of their character. Therefore, Ven. Master Hsing Yun focus on
human nature the same as buddha-nature, a principle based on the fact that “a buddha comes from a perfected human,” and “humans are buddhas-to-be,” namely, the unity of human and buddha-Humanistic Buddhism. Ven. Master Hsing Yun believes that Humanistic Buddhism can encompass all types of Buddhism together with the complex system of faiths and names that have existed throughout the past two thousand years. Humanistic Buddhism shall redirect Buddhism that was once divided by geography, time, and individual bias back to the Buddhism that is rooted in oneself as a human being and the Buddha. Source: Humanistic Buddhism: Holding True to the Original Intent of Buddha, by Ven. Master Hsing Yun, (FGS Publication, 2016). EH
How to Determine the Criteria of a True Religion (Part 1) By Rasika Quek
Quek Jin Keat aka Rasika Quek is a retired Chartered Quantity Surveyor. Born in 1958 in Johor Bahru, he now resides with his family in Subang Jaya. He has worked domestically and internationally in academic, consultancy, construction and development organizations. His last position before retirement was as Project Director in AECOM, the world’s largest public-listed Project Management company. He has been a speaker in his field and has given talks domestically and internationally in Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore. He was given a commendation by the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) of Malaysia for his contribution to the industry on Building
Information Modelling (BIM).
In his younger days, Rasika gave talks at Buddhist centers throughout Malaysia. While at university, he was Chairman of the University of Technology Malaysia (UTM) Buddhist Society. He was the founder Chairman of the Metta Lodge Buddhist Centre, Johor, and founder Secretary of the Buddhist Wisdom Centre, Selangor. He was also one of the originators of the Kota Tinggi Hermitage and the Selangor Buddhist Vipassana Meditation Centre in Petaling Jaya. He is currently a non-executive director of the Santisukharama Hermitage in Kota Tinggi and Sukhi Hotu Sdn. Bhd.
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Before I give the excerpt of the Most Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw’s teachings on the above which can help us determine whether a religion is true or false, I would like to relate my recent experiences in pushing a faulty trolley at a supermarket and the brushing off of fungus from a stretch of my garden wall. As it turned out, I had to push a faulty trolley in the AEON supermarket in Subang Jaya recently. It was hard to control as the front wheels seemed to have a mind of their own. Instead of going the direction I wanted, they seemed to veer off to another direction instead. This seemed to go on and on until I noticed that when my wife held the front of the trolley its direction was stabilized and it went where I wanted it to go. Sure enough, when she let go of the trolley, it started to veer again.
This reminds me of how difficult it is to control one’s own mind during meditation. The mind tends to be restless and runs helter skelter. To ensure its pliancy, we need to exert right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. Right effort means the effort to avoid unwholesome states of mind that have not arisen and to dispel unwholesome states of mind that have already arisen. It also means to arouse wholesome states of mind that have not arisen and to maintain wholesome states of mind that have already arisen. The way to do this is applying right mindfulness which is continuously noting without any break inbetween. Right concentration will develop when there is right mindfulness. In Vipassanā meditation, right concentration is momentary concentration (Khanika samādhi) which “fixes” at the object moment-tomoment and is so powerful that one can be mindful of dukkha (suffering), anicca (impermanence) and anattā (non-self) of the objects being noted. This khanika samādhi is equal in strength to upacāra samādhi (access concentration).
As for my experience of brushing off the fungus from my garden wall, I had to apply water and use a hard brush. I had to brush thoroughly and energetically, checking now and then that even spots to be removed were not left unbrushed. This was difficult as I could not achieve 100% success in getting an unblemished surface. Again,
this reminds me of the energy (right effort) coupled with thorough right mindfulness needed in order that the mind is kept as scrupulously clean as possible. One’s mind should be moistened with thorough mindfulness so that any patches of defilements that are “stuck” to the mind can be removed bit-by-bit until it becomes clean and pure again.
The friction on the wheels of the trolley and the brush on the wall can be likened to impediments or hindrances to one’s own practice of vipassanā, which must be noted continuously without letting up. Although persistent effort is called for, one must take care not to develop aversion to these hindrances. If one reacts with dosa (aversion), turn your attention to the mind completely and not the object of the aversion. Note for example, dislike, dislike … tension, tension, etc. You should not pay attention to the aversion if it fuels more aversion. Be aware of other prominent objects until you can regain your composure and are able to note calmly and easily without any drama involved. Remember, you are noting the process and not getting involved in the story. Like Ven. Jotinanda has said, be like the fish that has come outside of the aquarium watching the other fishes inside the aquarium. This is the mind watching itself and all mental concomitants (cetasikas) in a detached manner without the idea of “I” and “mine” involved. In this way, the idea of “my” pain or anger can be dispelled as one experiences anattā (non-self). When this happens, one experiences nāmarūpa pariccheda ñāṇa (analytical knowledge of mind and matter), which is the insight into the nature of nāma (name) and rūpa (form). Name is one thing and form is another. Nāmarūpa is also known as Mind and Matter. Apart from these two phenomena, there is nothing called “I” or “me” that exists. Processes exist naturally without any intervention of a Deva or Brahmā god. EH
TEACHINGS | EASTERN HORIZON
Patience By Norman Fisher Roshi
Norman Fischer is a Zen priest, poet, translator, and director of the Everyday Zen Foundation. His numerous books include What Is Zen? Plain Talk for a Beginner’s Mind, Training in Compassion: Zen Teachings on the Practice of Lojong, and Opening to You: Zen-Inspired Translations of the Psalms.
The perfection of patience is kṣānti pāramitā in Sanskrit. Kṣānti i can be translated as “patience,” “forbearance,” or “tolerance,” but these words don’t capture the fullness of what kṣānti connotes because they all imply a kind of quietism or passivity. To be patient can be understood to mean to suffer silently, like a patient in a hospital who can’t affect her own cure and so must wait for the ministrations of others. Forbearance has an even greater sense of quietly enduring. Tolerance implies a kind of benign neglect—not correcting, fixing, or complaining but being tolerant. On the other hand, tolerance also implies broad-mindedness: a tolerant person is open to the views and actions of others, neither condemning nor dismissing. Though all these words reflect in part what is meant by kṣānti, kṣānti pāramitā exceeds them. To practice kṣānti pāramitā is to patiently, tolerantly forbear hardships and difficulties—but not passively. The perfection of patience is transformative. It transforms difficult circumstances from misfortunes or disasters into spiritual benefit. For this reason it is a particularly
powerful practice, a prized and essential one. A person who develops it has strength of character, vision, courage, dignity, and depth. She or he understands something profound about human beings and how to love them. I’m using perfection of patience to denote kṣānti pāramitā because we are so profoundly impatient about everything these days. We can use a dose of oldfashioned patience. But understand that I’m using the word patience in this special, fuller sense. Patience is the most important of all the bodhisattva practices because without it all the others will eventually fail. It is easy enough to practice meditation, generosity, ethical conduct, and other wonderful practices when things are going smoothly. But when things fall apart—as they inevitably do from time to time—we revert to old patterns. Over the years many people have told me they regret that they haven’t been tending to their spiritual practice lately, but they can’t right now; they’re having some personal setbacks and will get back to their practice as soon as things clear up. What they haven’t understood is that difficult times are
the most fruitful time for spiritual practice because they are exactly when the practice of patience comes most into play. When things get tough you should intensify rather than set aside your practice.
It’s natural to turn away in the face of difficulty. We come by this powerful habit honestly. No one wants to go toward pain. We want to go elsewhere, take a break, think of something else, get rid of it if we can. We distract, deny, blame, or rush around in generally futile attempts to fix it somehow. With the practice of patience we train ourselves to do the opposite: to turn toward the difficulty and embrace it as an ally. Being with Difficulty We all understand that life will at times be difficult. We are aware of the various drastic forms of suffering like illness, death, loss, disgrace, financial ruin, broken relationships, addiction, or despair. In all too many communities there are, in addition to all these, socially determined forms of suffering like war, violence, sexism, racism, homophobia, severe political repression, and crushing poverty.
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Our lives are subject to these sad, long lists of pain. The usual approach to a bad experience is to bemoan it.
So, yes, our lives are rife with suffering. I hope none of the readers of this book are victims of the crushing forms of social and economic suffering that so many human beings endure. But even the most fortunate among us is touched by suffering. No one avoids death, illness, and loss. Nearly everyone is close to someone who suffers from addiction, serious health problems, disgrace, financial ruin, divorce, mental illness, or other serious troubles. Basic suffering has no respect for social class.
In order to be able to practice patience with these serious forms of suffering, we have to start small. The perfection of patience proceeds by familiarity—we start with something manageable, get used to that, then go on to something more daunting, understanding that we won’t need to produce some stronger suffering for our practice; it will eventually come.
Of course, life is also full of happy experiences, and neutral ones too. Depending on your current circumstances, you could have mostly happy or neutral experiences and not that many mildly difficult or terrible ones—or the reverse. But no matter your circumstances, you are going to have some degree of suffering every day because suffering is a built-in feature of body and mind: the body will experience
discomfort and pain; the mind will know stress and strain. Every day we all experience lesser forms of suffering. Aches, pains, annoyance, anger, frustration, situational depression, feeling disrespected or out of sorts—these experiences pervade our days.
The usual approach to a bad experience is to bemoan it. We say, “I can’t believe this is happening!” and act as if it weren’t, even as it is. We refuse to accept it. Having gotten in an argument with reality, we look for someone to blame so as to have an explanation. Usually it’s not so hard to find a blameworthy person, persons, category of persons, or maybe an institution. Or we can blame ourselves—or reality. Sometimes assigning blame helps fix the situation, reverse the bad experience, or at least prevent it from happening again. If someone steals my identity and drains my bank account, I can take steps to stop it. If I’m miserable because a co-worker is disrespecting me, I can speak up with strength and let her or him know this treatment is not all right. Maybe my coworker will stop. If I’m the victim of racial or gender discrimination, understanding the social dynamic will empower me and point a way forward. So, yes, when assigning blame for the purpose of taking action is possible, we do it.
Disasters are disasters. When bad things happen, we suffer. Through turning toward the suffering with patience, bodhisattvas transform it into something meaningful.
But much of the time—maybe most of the time—blaming doesn’t help. The offending person isn’t going to change, the court’s verdict won’t be overturned, the medical diagnosis is what it is, the divorce is final. When in times like that you insist on blame, dismay, and obsession with the injustice of what happened, you are adding injury to injury, making a bad situation worse, shooting a second arrow into the arrow-punctured wound, as the Buddha once put it. Going on like this—even if you have good reason—will erode your point of view and put you in danger of becoming a bitter person. So when
what’s happened can’t be changed, there’s no choice but to turn toward the difficult experience, whatever it is, and take it on. As Santideva succinctly puts it, “If you can find a solution, what’s the point of being upset? And if you can’t find a solution, what’s the point of being upset?” Too true! If you can fix the problem, why groan, moan, and jump up and down wearing yourself and your friends out? Fix it. If you can’t fix it, what good will it do to groan, moan, and jump up and down? Instead, why not recognize that the state of life you previously enjoyed has ended and you are in a new state? Why not make something out of that state? This is the practice of patience.
What they haven’t understood is that difficult times are the most fruitful time for spiritual practice because they are exactly when the practice of patience comes most into play.
Disasters are disasters. When bad things happen, we suffer. Through turning toward the suffering with patience, bodhisattvas transform it into something meaningful. One of the chief ways they do this is by expanding the nature of the suffering through acts of the imagination.
Let’s say I am suffering because someone has treated me disrespectfully, even scornfully. In the biggest picture of things, why would I care about this? When I was a child, my parents, to protect me against schoolyard taunts, taught
me the old saw, “Sticks and stones will break your bones, but names can never hurt you.” Makes sense, and, of course, it’s literally true. Santideva says exactly the same thing: A word has no substance. It’s just a vibration in the air that disappears as soon as it’s uttered. How can it hurt you? Besides, the “you” that it could hurt is a chimera. There’s no “you,” just a floating ongoing rush of impressions, gestures, actions, memories, and so on. How could a word hurt that? Still, it does. Even if it doesn’t make sense, you feel upset when someone diminishes and disrespects you. Despite Santideva’s wise perspective, you can’t talk yourself out of it. So bodhisattvas recognize the feeling of suffering, and they expand it. They know that the pain of disrespect is not just theirs; it’s a basic human pain. They reflect like this: “The pain I’m feeling now is the same pain others feel when they are disrespected. No doubt in this very moment, as I am feeling this pain, thousands or even millions
of others are feeling it. So this pain isn’t mine. It belongs to all of us. Being a person entails this pain. So as I feel and suffer it, I feel and suffer in solidarity and sympathy with others.”
When I practice such reflections, I transform my personal suffering into connection and love. I expand the word suffering from its narrowest meaning, “to feel anguish and pain,” to its related, wider meaning, “to allow”—to allow more and more love and connection. The practice of patience calls
for tolerance, understanding, forgiveness, compassion, and loving-kindness toward others. Such imaginative deepening and ripening of suffering goes to the heart of what’s most valuable about the practice of patience. When we’re patient with our suffering rather than bemoaning it, we see that suffering is expansive, connecting us warmly to the world and to others. When suffering is “ours” instead of “mine,” it’s not suffering. My sorrow, grief, or fear is painful, yet it’s also sweet, because I share it with everyone. This is how bodhisattvas understand the third noble truth of the Buddha: “the end of suffering.” To them, the end of suffering doesn’t mean the end of physical pain, failure, loss, alienation, fear, and other forms of suffering but rather the transformation of suffering into solidarity and love. In traditional discussions of the practice of patience, three arenas for the practice are distinguished:
first, patience with personal pain and hardship; second, patience with suffering caused by our interactions with others; and third, patience with the painful truths about our human life. Patience with personal hardship
The first arena for practicing patience is personal hardships such as physical pain, failed arrangements, not getting what you want or feel you need, and so on. As usual, meditation practice helps. People take up meditation as stress reduction, but meditation isn’t always so peaceful. Sometimes it’s full of agitation, mental and emotional jumble, even physical pain. New meditators think that if these things occur they must be doing something wrong. But no, they’re normal, and they’re opportunities to practice patience. In the simple format of meditation, just sitting there by yourself with no one to negotiate with and no task to perform, you have the perfect conditions for practicing patience. Take the issue of physical pain, an experience we naturally view as problematic. Working with pain in meditation can be a way to develop patience. Here’s a way to go about it: When physical pain arises in meditation, stay with the breath and the sensations of physical pain. Don’t move, don’t adjust, even though you want to. Doing this will quickly show you how the mind runs away when it doesn’t like what’s going on. Gradually train your mind to stay close to the unpleasant sensations
and the thoughts that inevitably go with them. When you do this, you will be surprised to discover within yourself a larger person, someone more forbearing, more dignified, and more courageous than you thought you were. It may seem masochistic to practice like this, but developing patience with unpleasant physical sensations is perhaps the most valuable thing you can learn from meditation practice. To be able to endure physical discomfort and pain with grace and composure is a valuable skill you will come to appreciate as time goes on. This practice with physical discomfort extends to emotional pain. Once you get the point—in your body, and all the way to your heart and soul—that avoiding pain, adjusting, blaming, and perseverating about it makes the pain worse, you see that facing pain with tolerance and dignity is much better.
Patience with Suffering in Relation to others: Anger The second arena for the practice of patience is in relation to others. Despite the fact that relationships are potentially the source of our greatest joy, and love the fullest and most positive human experience, relationships are, as they say, complicated. Meditation shines a light on our own complications. It shows us how stubborn, deceptive, and hard to deal with we are. So it comes as no surprise to find that others are the same. Inevitably, human interaction gives rise to sticky, painful, and sometimes tragic problems. Practicing patience
with the painful feelings that arise in relationship to others is a key practice for bodhisattvas, whose primary commitment is to love and be of service to others.
To them, the end of suffering doesn’t mean the end of physical pain, failure, loss, alienation, fear, and other forms of suffering but rather the transformation of suffering into solidarity and love. Imagine what life would be like if we loved everyone, treated everyone with unwavering positive regard, and were never in conflict
with anyone. We would be happy people. Most of the unhappymaking factors in our lives would be removed. Even if we got sick and had to undergo hardship, the loving support of others would make that difficult experience better. Even if we were poor and in a bad social situation, the love, support, and respect of others would make it endurable. Our friends would help us out and make sure we always had the necessities of life. Of course, this isn’t how it is. We have plenty of trouble with people in our lives. People will behave badly, and we will get upset. The practice of patience calls for tolerance, understanding, forgiveness, compassion, and loving-kindness toward others. It also takes into account that anger and resentment will arise and we will have to learn to live skillfully with such emotions. A great deal of the traditional discussion of the practice of patience focuses on anger. This makes sense. Anger poisons
relationships. According to the traditional teachings, anger is never justified. Santideva begins his chapter on patience by saying that a moment of anger can destroy lifetimes of positive spiritual effort. If that were literally the case, we would all be in plenty of trouble! But perhaps Santideva is only trying to scare us into recognizing that we had better turn toward our anger and learn to understand it. Facing our anger is an important acupressure point in our practice. Santideva argues that it makes no sense to get angry at another person. His argument is, as usual,
imaginative and unexpected. Even when a person does terrible things, it isn’t that person who is at fault. It’s the passion inside them that has them in its clutches. They themselves are innocent victims of this passion. They really can’t help it. So it’s irrational to be angry with them. We should be angry at the passion. But what’s the use of getting angry at a passion? Santideva uses the analogy of a man beating a dog with a stick. Stung by the stick, the dog immediately gets angry and vigorously attacks the stick, not understanding that it is the man wielding the stick, not the stick itself, that is the agent. In the analogy, the stick stands for the aggressive person who attacks you, and the person wielding the stick stands for the passion that grips the aggressive person. When you attack the aggressive person for what he is doing to you, you are like the dog foolishly going after the stick. What a waste of energy! Practicing patience with the painful feelings that arise in
TEACHINGS | EASTERN HORIZON
relationship to others is a key practice for bodhisattvas, whose primary commitment is to love and be of service to others. He goes on with his argument: The actions of others, no matter how heinous, are not what make us angry. The real cause of our anger is our own unwise reaction to the action. If you hit me and I don’t mind, there’s no anger. If you wave a stick through the air and I am not there to receive the blow, there’s no anger. “You made me angry!” is never accurate. No other person is responsible for my anger, no matter
how terrible their behavior may have been. Anger is mine and mine alone. When I seize my anger, train it on you, and act, I am going to cause a lot of harm. Acting in anger is like trying to throw a handful of shit at your enemy. You may or may not hit her or him, but you will certainly soil yourself. In our culture, anger is often viewed positively. When someone says or does something wrong, especially to you, someone you care about, or an institution or a symbol you identify with, you should get angry. You shouldn’t just sit back and acquiesce. Justice, as well as your dignity and self-respect, is served by your anger. By extension, a society is best served when it is made up of individuals who take this attitude, whose anger won’t let them sit idly by as bad guys do bad things, and who will collectively pursue such bad guys anywhere in the world with state power and might.
But our culture also has the opposite idea. Jesus’s radical teaching is to
love our enemy and practice mercy, regardless of the circumstances. So it is not only Buddhists who preach universal love, compassion, and care for the other. If anything, Christianity and the Judaism out of which Christianity arose have even more radical teachings on love than Buddhism does. It would be hard to find a more thoroughgoing expression of universal love and care for others than that which is everywhere in the Sufi poetry of Rumi. “If you don’t want to be dead, never be without love. / Die in love if you want to be truly alive,” he writes. It seems to me that however much justifying anger makes sense in theory, it doesn’t actually work in practice, because retaliation— seeking what we call “justice”— breeds further retaliation. In my anger I decide that your conduct is evil. I do not consult with you about this; I decide for myself. Then I engage in a battle with you that goes on and on, possibly for generations. We have seen this happen in personal as well as world affairs—in families, religious groups, nations. Insult leads to insult, incident to incident, war to war. Even if the warring parties are happy to go on with their aggression, innocent people always end up being hurt. In the end someone will have to help the warring parties heal. Or bury them. If peace and concern for others is the bodhisattva path, it’s clear that anger must be dissolved. Trying to practice love and compassion, and letting go of anger, doesn’t mean acquiescing when harm is done, especially when
others are being hurt. A bodhisattva could never stand by and let that happen. A bodhisattva practices radical acts of protection, which might sometimes be forceful. But force is avoided if at all possible in favor of any gentler method that stands even a slight chance of working. Even where forceful methods seem necessary, they are applied without anger or hatred but rather with sadness, strength, and an eye to eventual healing as soon as the conflict abates. EH
Extracted from Norman Fischer, The World Could Be Otherwise, Boston: Shambhala, 2019. Pp 224. US$17.95. www.shambhala.com
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The Four Highest Emotions By Venerable Ayya Khema (1923 – 1997)
Ayya Khema was a Buddhist teacher and was very active in providing opportunities for women to practice Buddhism, founding several centers around the world. In 1987, she helped coordinate the first-ever Sakyadhita International Association of Buddhist Women. Over two dozen books of her transcribed Dhamma talks in Enlish and German have been published. In the last year of her life, she also published her autobiography, I Give You My Life.
When we think of love, we have ideas that are purely personal and, on the whole, quite fanciful. They are based in general on our desire to be loved, from which we expect fulfilment.
In reality love fulfils only the one who loves. If we understand love as a quality of the heart, just as intelligence is a quality of the mind, then we won’t deal with love as people customarily do. As a rule, we divide our hearts into different compartments, for lovable, neutral and unlovable people. With that sort of divided heart, there’s no way we can feel good. We can be “whole” only with a heart united in love.
Every moment we spend on the training of our hearts is valuable and brings us a step further along the path of purification. True love exists when the heart is so broadly trained that it can embrace all human beings and all living creatures.
This requires a learning process that is sometimes hard, above all when someone turns out to be very unfriendly or unpleasant. But this condition can be reached by everyone, because we all have the capacity for love within us.
Every moment we spend on the training of our hearts is valuable and brings us a step further along the path of purification. The more often we remember that all our heart has to do is love, the easier it will be to distance ourselves from judgments and condemnations. But that doesn’t mean we can no longer distinguish between good and evil. Naturally we know what is evil, but hatred of evil needn’t forever be stirring in our heart. On the contrary, we have compassion for those who act in a way that does harm. Most of our problems are concerned with interpersonal relations. To address these, we can direct our view to the
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teachings on the four highest emotions. These are called in Pāli the brahmavihārās; or four divine abodes. They are loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity.
If we had only these four emotions at our disposal, we would have paradise on earth. Unfortunately that’s not how it is, and so we rarely experience any paradisiacal feelings. Most of the time we torment ourselves with difficulties in the family, in our circle of friends, and on the job. Our mind constantly tells us about all the things that don’t suit it; and it usually fingers the guilty party, the person who’s bothering us, who doesn’t want things the way we want them. But let’s remember: whenever somebody else says or does something, it’s a matter of his or her karma alone. Only a negative reaction on our side creates our own karma. This is what we absolutely have to understand: who is doing the loving—myself or the other? If I myself love, then I have a certain purity of heart. But if the love is dependent on this or that person or situation, then I’m passing judgment and dividing people into those I think lovable and those I don’t. We’re all looking for an ideal world, but it can exist only in our own heart, and for this we have to develop our heart’s capacity so that we learn to love independently. This means that we increasingly purify our heart, free it from negativity, and fill it with more and more love. The more love a heart contains, the more love it can pour out. The one
and only thing that holds us back is our thinking, judging mind.
We’re all looking for an ideal world, but it can exist only in our own heart, and for this we have to develop our heart’s capacity so that we learn to love independently. So the only thing that matters is to incline one’s own heart to love, because the person who loves is by nature lovable too. Yet if we love only because we want to be endearing, we succumb to the error of expecting results for our efforts. If an action is worth doing, then it doesn’t lose this value, whether we get results or not. We don’t love as a favor to another or to get something. We love for the sake of love, and so we succeed in filling our hearts with love. And the fuller it gets, the less room there is for negatives.
The Buddha recommended looking upon all people as one’s own children. Loving all men and women as if one were their mother is a high ideal. But every little step toward this goal helps us to purify our hearts. The Buddha also explained that it was quite possible that we already were mothers to all the many men and women. If we keep this fact before our eyes, it’ll be much easier to get along with people, even those who don’t strike us as lovable. If we observe ourselves very carefully—and that’s the point of mindfulness—we will find that we ourselves are not one hundred percent lovable. We will also
observe that we find more people unlovable than otherwise. That too can bring no happiness. So we should try to turn this around, and find more and more people lovable. We have to act like every mother: she loves her children even though they sometimes behave very badly. We can make this sort of approach our goal and recognize it as our way of practice.
Loving Kindness The Buddha called this kind of love mettā, which is not identical to what we call love. “Craving” in Pāli is lobha, which sounds rather like the English word for love; and because the entire world revolves around wanting-to-have, we also interpret love this way. But that’s not love, because love is the will to give. Wanting to have is absurd, when we think of love and yet degrade it to this level. Although a loving heart without wishes and limits opens up the world in its purity and beauty, we have made little or no use of this inherent capacity. The far enemy of love is obviously hatred. The near enemy of love is clinging. Clinging means that we’re not standing on our own two feet
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and giving love; we’re holding on to someone. It often happens that the person we cling to doesn’t find it especially pleasant and would be glad to get rid of this clinger, because he or she can be a burden. And then comes the great surprise that the love affair isn’t working—but we clung so devotedly! Clinging is thus called the near enemy, because it looks like real love. The big difference between the two is the possessiveness that marks clinging. When no one is there to whom we can give love, that doesn’t in the least mean that no love exists. The
love that fills one’s own heart is the foundation of self-confidence and security, which helps us not to be afraid of anyone. Such possessiveness proves, time and time again, to be the end of love. True, pure love, so famed in song and story, means that we can pass it on and give it away from the heart without evaluation. Here we have to be on the lookout to recognize the negativity within us. We’re always searching for its causes outside ourselves, but they’re not there. They always lie in our gut and darken our heart. So the point is: Recognize, don’t blame, change! We must keep replacing the negative with the positive. When no one is there to whom we can give love, that doesn’t in the least mean that no love exists. The love that fills one’s own heart is the foundation of self-confidence and security, which helps us not to be afraid of anyone. This fear can be traced back to our not being sure of our own reactions. If we meet someone who has no
good feelings to bring our way, then we already fear a corresponding reaction on our side, and so we prefer to avoid such situations in advance. But if the heart is full of love, then nothing will happen to us, because we know that our reaction will be completely loving. Anxiety becomes unnecessary when we’ve realized that everyone is the creator of his or her own karma. This feeling of love, which is aimed not at only one person, but forms a basis for our whole interior life, is an important aid in meditation, because only through it is real devotion possible.
Compassion The second of the four divine abodes—the highest emotions—is compassion, whose far enemy is cruelty and whose near enemy is pity. Pity can’t give others any help. If someone pours out her heart to us and we pity her, then two people are suffering instead of one. If by contrast we give her our compassion, we help her through her trouble. It’s very important to develop compassion for oneself, because it’s the precondition for being able to do so for others. If someone doesn’t meet us lovingly, it will be easier for us to give this person compassion instead of love. It’s
easier because now we know that this person who comes to meet us unlovingly is angry or enraged, is most definitely unhappy. If she were happy, she wouldn’t be angry or enraged. Knowing about the other’s unhappiness makes it easier for us to summon up compassion, especially when we’ve already done so with respect to our own unhappiness. Unfortunately we often deal with our own suffering in the wrong way. Instead of acknowledging it and meeting ourselves with compassion, we try to escape our
trouble as quickly as possible by developing self-pity or getting distracted or making someone else responsible for it.
Here compassion is the only possibility for meeting our difficulties. We experience exactly what the Buddha teaches: in this world suffering exists. That’s the first Noble Truth. Then we can try to acknowledge what we really want to have or get rid of, and thus make suffering our teacher. There is no better one, and the more we listen to it and find a way into what it’s trying to make us understand, the easier the spiritual path will prove. This path aims to change us so emphatically that in the end we may not even recognize ourselves.
Suffering is a part of our existence, and only when we accept that and stop running away from it, when we’ve learned that suffering belongs to life, can we let go—and then the suffering stops. With this knowledge it’s much easier to develop
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compassion for others, for suffering strikes everyone, without exception. Even the so-called badness of others can’t bother us, because it only arises out of ignorance and suffering. All the evil in this world is based on these two things.
over the individual and to see our purification as more important than the wish to have and get, will we find peace in our hearts.
Equanimity The Buddha called the fourth and Sympathetic Joy The third of the four highest emotions is sympathetic joy, whose far enemy is envy, consisting of greed and hatred. The near enemy is hypocrisy, pretending to oneself and others, which we believe is sometimes necessary. We think: these are just little white lies that can readily be forgiven.
Sympathetic joy is rightly understood when we see that there’s no difference between people, that we’re all a part of whatever is momentarily existing in the world. So if one of these parts experiences joy, then its joy has come into the world and we all have reason to share in it. The universal will replace the individual when we have experienced and tasted it in meditation. Our problems won’t let up as long as we try to support and secure the “me.” Only when we begin to put the universal
last of these emotions the greatest jewel of all: equanimity. It’s the seventh factor of enlightenment, and its far enemy is excitement. The near enemy is indifference, which is based on intentional unconcern. By nature we take an interest in everything. We would like to see, hear, taste and experience everything. But since we have often been disappointed by our incapacity to love, we build an armor of indifference around us, to protect us from further disappointment. But that only protects us from loving and opening ourselves to the world of love and compassion. What clearly distinguishes equanimity from indifference is love, for in equanimity love is brought to a higher development, while in indifference love is not felt at all or cannot be shown. Equanimity means that we already have enough insight so that nothing seems worth getting worked up over anymore. How did we reach this
understanding? We’ve learned that everything—above all ourselves— comes into being and then passes away. When we get too excited, instead of recognizing the fullness of life, we don’t yet have a loving heart. Only a loving heart can realize the fullness of existence. The understanding we get through meditation clearly shows us that the end of this life is constantly before us. Teresa of Avila said: “Not so much thinking—more loving!” Where does thinking get us? To be sure, it landed us on the moon. But if we have developed love in our hearts, we can accept men and
women with all their problems and peculiarities. Then we’ll have built up a world where happiness, harmony, and peace are in control. This world can’t be thought up; it must be felt. Only meditation can present us with this ideal world, in which it is absolutely necessary to give up thinking. This heals us and gives us the capacity to turn more to our heart. Loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity are the four highest emotions, the only ones worth having. Since equanimity is a factor of enlightenment, it is based on understanding, above all on the realization that everything that takes place also passes away again. So what do I lose? The worst that can happen is the loss of my life. But I’ll lose that in any event—so what’s all the excitement about? In general, the people who cause problems for us don’t exactly want to kill us. They just want to
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confirm their ego. But that’s not our business; it’s wholly and entirely theirs. So long as we meditate and win new insights, it will always be simpler to recognize that all desire for self-affirmation, all aggression, all claims for power, all wanting to have and be are intertwined with conflict. So we have to keep trying to let go of willing and wishing, in order to return to equanimity. You can’t meditate at all without equanimity. If we are excited or absolutely want to get or get rid of something, we can’t come to rest. Equanimity makes both everyday life and meditation easier. That doesn’t mean that conscience should simply be set aside. We need only understand that this judge in our own heart creates nothing but conflict. If we really want to have peace, then we have to strive to develop love and compassion in our heart. Everyone can achieve this, because ultimately the heart is there to love, as the mind is there to think. If we renounce thinking in meditation, then we sense a feeling of purity. We develop purity
on the spiritual path. If only one person develops it in himself or herself, the whole world will be the better for it. And the more people purify their hearts, the greater the gain for everyone. We can do this work every day from morning to night, because we are constantly confronted with ourselves—with all our reactions and with the mulishness that keeps us busy, because it has such a solid hold on our inner life. The more observant we are, the easier we’ll find it to let go, until the stubbornness has disappeared, and we’ve become peaceful and happy.
This work compensates us with great profit and with a security that can be found nowhere else. At bottom we all know about the factors that make up the spiritual life, but acting in accordance with them is very hard. Loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity are the four highest emotions, the only ones worth having. They bring us to a level on which life gains breadth, greatness, and beauty and on which we stop
trying to make it run the way we want it to—on which we even learn to love something that we may not have wanted at all.
The Buddha spoke about a love that knows no distinctions. It’s simply the quality of the heart. If we have it, we’ll find a completely new path in life. EH
Extracted from “Visible Here and Now: The Buddha’s Teachings on the Rewards of Spiritual Practice”, by Ayya Khema. Translated by Peter Heinegg; edited by Leigh Brasington. Boulder: Shambhala, 2001.US$24.95 www.shambhala.com
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On Developing Equanimity By Ven Sayādaw U Pandita
Sayādaw U Pandita (1921-2016) was one of the foremost masters of Vipassanā. He trained in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition of Burma. A successor to the late Mahāsi Sayādaw, he has taught many of the Western teachers and students of the Mahāsi style of Vipassanā meditation.
According to the Buddha, the way to bring about equanimity is wise attention: to be continually mindful from moment to moment, without a break, based on the intention to develop equanimity. One moment of equanimity causes a succeeding moment of equanimity to arise. Once equanimity is activated, it will be the cause for equanimity to continue and to deepen. It can bring one to deep levels of practice beyond the insight into the arising and passing away of phenomena. Equanimity does not arise easily in the minds of beginning yogis. Though these yogis may be diligent in trying to be mindful from moment to moment, equanimity comes and goes. The mind will be wellbalanced for a little while and then it will go off again. Step by step, equanimity is strengthened. The intervals when it is present grow more prolonged and frequent. Eventually, equanimity becomes strong enough to qualify as a factor of enlightenment. Along with this practice of wise attention, here are five more ways to develop equanimity: 1. Balanced emotion toward all living things
The first and foremost is to have an equanimous attitude toward all living beings. These are your loved ones, including animals. We have a lot of attachment and desire associated with people we love, and also with our pets. Sometimes we can be what we call “crazy” about someone. This experience does not contribute to equanimity, which is a state of balance. To prepare the ground for equanimity to arise, one should try to cultivate an attitude of nonattachment and
equanimity toward the people and animals we love. As worldly people, it may be necessary to have a certain amount of attachment in relationships, but excessive attachment is destructive to us as well as to loved ones. We begin to worry too much over their welfare. Especially in retreat, we should try to put aside such excessive concern and worry for the welfare of our friends. One reflection that can develop nonattachment is to regard all beings as the heirs of their own karma. People reap the rewards of good karma and suffer the consequences of unwholesome acts. They created this karma under their own volition, and no one can prevent their experiencing the consequences. On the ultimate level, there is nothing you or anybody else can do to save them. If you think in this way, you may worry less about your loved ones. You can also gain equanimity about beings by reflecting on ultimate reality. Perhaps you can tell yourself that, ultimately speaking, there is only mind and matter. Where is that person you are so wildly in love with? There is only nāma and rūpa, mind and body, arising and passing away from moment to moment. Which moment are you in love with? You may be able to drive some sense into your heart this way.
One might worry that reflections like this could turn into unfeeling indifference and lead us to abandon a mate or a dear person. This is not the case. Equanimity is not insensitivity, indifference, or apathy. It is simply non-preferential. Under its influence, one does not push aside the things one dislikes or grasp at the things one prefers. The mind rests in an attitude of balance and
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acceptance of things as they are. When equanimity, this factor of enlightenment, is present, one abandons both attachment to beings and dislike for them. The texts tell us that equanimity is the cause for the cleansing and purification of one who has deep tendencies toward lust or desire, which is the opposite of equanimity. 2. Balanced emotion toward inanimate things
The second way of developing this factor of enlightenment is to adopt an attitude of balance toward inanimate things: property, clothing, the latest fad on the market. Clothing, for example, will be ripped and stained someday. It will decay and perish because it is impermanent, like everything else. Furthermore, we do not even own it, not in the ultimate sense. Everything is non-self; there is no one to own anything. To develop balance and to cut down attachment, it is helpful to look at material things as transient. You might say to yourself, “I’m going to make use of this for a short time. It’s not going to last forever.” People who get caught up in fads may be compelled to buy each new product that appears on the market. Once this gadget has been bought, another more sophisticated model will soon appear. Such persons throw away the old one and buy a new one. This behavior does not reflect equanimity. 3. Avoiding people who “go crazy”
The third method for developing equanimity as an enlightenment factor is avoiding the company of people who tend to be crazy about people and things. These people have a deep possessiveness. They cling to what they think belongs to them, both people and things. Some people find it difficult to see another person enjoying or using their property.
There is a case of an elder who had a great attachment to pets. It seems that in his monastery he bred a lot of dogs and cats. One day this elder came to my center in Rangoon to do a retreat. When he was meditating, he was practicing under favorable circumstances, but his practice was not very deep. Finally I had an idea and asked him if he had any pets in his monastery. He brightened up and said, “Oh yes, I have so many dogs
and cats. Ever since I came here I’ve been thinking about whether they have enough food to eat and how they’re doing.” I asked him to forget about the animals and concentrate on meditation, and quite soon he was making good progress.
Please do not allow over-attachment to loved ones, or even pets, to prevent you from attending meditation retreats that will allow you to deepen your practice and to develop equanimity as a factor of enlightenment. 4. Choosing friends who stay cool
As a fourth method of arousing upekkha, you should choose friends who have no great attachment to beings or possessions. This method of developing equanimity is simply the converse of the preceding one. In choosing such a friend, if you happen to pick the elder I described just now, it could be a bit of a problem. 5. Inclining the mind toward balance
The fifth and last cause for this factor of enlightenment to arise is constantly to incline your mind toward the cultivation of equanimity. When your mind is inclined in this way, it will not wander off to thoughts of your dogs and cats at home, or of your loved ones. It will only become more balanced and harmonious. Equanimity is of tremendous importance both in the practice and in everyday life. Generally we get either swept away by pleasant and enticing objects, or worked up into a great state of agitation when confronted by unpleasant, undesirable objects. This wild alternation
of contraries is nearly universal among human beings. When we lack the ability to stay balanced and unfaltering, we are easily swept into extremes of craving or aversion. The scriptures say that when the mind indulges in sensual objects, it becomes agitated. This is the usual state of affairs in the world, as we can observe. In their quest for happiness, people mistake excitement of the mind for real happiness. They never have the chance to experience greater joy that comes with peace and tranquility. EH
TEACHINGS | EASTERN HORIZON
Death – Why we Fear it and How to overcome it By Venerable Geshe Dadul Namgyal
Geshe Dadul Namgyal
The following is an interview that appeared in The New York Times philosophy column, The Stone on February 26, 2020. It was conducted by Dr George Yancy who is the Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Philosophy at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. Prof Yancy is also the author, editor, and coeditor of over 20 books.
Geshe Dadul Namgyal, our regular contributor to the Forum series in Eastern Horizon is the Senior Resident Teacher at Drepung Loseling Monastery Inc., Atlanta, and Senior Translator/Interpreter, Emory-Tibet Science Initiative, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. Eastern Horizon thanks Geshe Dadul for permission to reprint this article in our magazine. George Yancy: Why do we fear death?
Dadul Namgyal: We fear death because we love life, but a little too much, and often look at just the preferred side of it. That is, we cling to a fantasized life, seeing it with colors brighter than it has. Particularly, we insist on seeing life in its incomplete form without death,
Prof George Yancy
its inalienable flip side. It’s not that we think death will not come someday, but that it will not happen today, tomorrow, next month, next year, and so on. This biased, selective, and incomplete image of life gradually builds in us a strong wish, hope, or even belief in a life with no death associated with it, at least in the foreseeable future. However, reality speaks differently and contradicts all these. Thus, it is but natural for us, as long as we succumb to those inner fragilities, to have this fear of death, in terms of not wanting to think of it or seeing it as something determined to rip life apart.
We fear death also because we are attached to our comforts of wealth, family, friends, power, and other worldly pleasures. We see death as something that would separate us from the objects to which we cling. In addition, we fear death because of our total ignorance and uncertainty over what follows in its aftermath. A sense of being not in control, but at the mercy of circumstance, is responsible for the fear in us. It is important to note that fear of death is not the same as knowledge or awareness of death.
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Yancy: What is at the root of this fear?
Namgyal: Unwillingness and unpreparedness to accept death as an inseparable and inevitable part of life lies at the root of this fear of death. That is, we fail to see and accept reality as it is, i.e. life in death and death in life. In addition, the habits of self-obsession, the attitude of self-importance, and the insistence on a distinct selfidentity separate us from the whole of which we are an inalienable part. Those previous unhealthy and unfair misreadings of life feed into the unpreparedness and unwillingness to just let ourselves be, to let ourselves blend into the rest, and to let go of the grasping at a selfenclosed identity. Yancy: Then how do we face death with a peaceful mind?
Namgyal: We can reflect on and contemplate the inevitability of death, thereby learning to accept it as an inalienable part of the gift of life. If we train to celebrate life for its ephemeral beauty of coming and going, appearance and disappearance, we can come to terms with and make peace with it. We will then appreciate its message of being in a constant process of renewal and regeneration without holding back, like everything and with everything, including the mountains, stars, and even the universe itself undergoing continual change and renewal. This points to the possibility of being at ease with and accepting the fact of constant change, while at the same time making the most sensible and selfless use of the present moment. In other words, it is possible to take in stride everything one encounters, including facing death, from the place of acceptance without complaint while living the best possible way in the present. Yancy: That is such a very beautiful description of the peaceful mind, but do we achieve a peaceful mind?
Namgyal: Try first to gain an unmistaken recognition of what disturbs your mental stability and how those elements of disturbance operate and see what fuels them. Then, wonder if there may be something that can be done to address them. If, in your mind, the answer to this is no, then what other option do you have than
to endure this with acceptance? Then, there is no use for worrying. If, on the other hand, the answer is yes, then you may seek those methods and implement them. Again, there is no need for worry. Obviously, some ways to calm and quiet the mind at the outset will come in handy. Based on that stability or calmness, above all, deepen the insight into the ways things are connected and mutually affect one another, both in negative as well positive senses, and integrate them accordingly into one’s life. Briefly, we should recognize the destructive elements within us in the form of afflictive emotions and distorted perspectives and understand them thoroughly in terms of how and when they arise and what measures would counteract them. Similarly, we should understand the constructive elements or their potentials within us and strive to learn ways to tap them and enhance them. Yancy: What do you think that we lose when we fail to look at death for what it is? My sense is that for you, we lose a certain wholeness, yes? Please explain.
Namgyal: When we fail to look at death for what it is, an inseparable part of life, and prepare, live, and experience our lives with that partial perspective of assured continuity, then that delusion can permeate our thoughts, emotions, and, through them, our speech and actions. In that case, our thoughts and actions would be disconnected from actual reality and, thus, our thoughts and actions would be full of conflicting elements, creating unnecessary friction in their wake. In other words, if we fail to look at death for what it is in relation to life, we could mess up this wondrous gift or else settle for very shortsighted goals and trivial purposes that would have ultimately meant nothing when we ourselves finally get to evaluate it, at which time, it would be too late. Having lived life as though one is not going to die, one would meet death as though one has never lived in the first place, with no clue as to what it is and how to deal with it. Yancy: You spoke earlier of the “gift of life.” Why is life a gift? Is death also a kind of gift? Please elaborate. Namgyal: I spoke of life as a gift because this is what almost all of us agree on without any second
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thought, though we may differ in exactly what ‘life as a gift’ means for each one of us. I meant to use that point of agreement as a starter and as an anchor for appreciating life in its wholeness, with death being an inalienable part of it, and see death as an equal player and contributor to the preciousness, beauty, and mystery of life. Therefore, indeed, death, as it naturally occurs, is a gift, which together with life makes this thing called existence whole, complete and meaningful. In fact, it is due to the fact of its imminent end in the form of death that life receives much of its sensibility, value, and purpose. In addition, death, perhaps ironically, represents renewal, regeneration, and continuity so much so that contemplating it in the proper light imbues us with the transformative qualities of understanding, acceptance, tolerance, hope, responsibility, and generosity. In one of the sutras, Buddha extols meditation on death as the supreme among meditations. Yancy: You also said earlier that we fear death because of our total ignorance and uncertainty regarding what follows in its aftermath. You know, in the Apology, Socrates says that death involves either being in an eternal sleep-like state or the transmigration of the soul to another place. As a Tibetan Buddhist, is there anything after death? Please explain.
Namgyal: In the Buddhist tradition, we believe in the continuity of subtle mind and subtle body into the next life, and the next after that, and so on without end. This subtle mind-body serves as the basis from which the gross mind-body develops and to which it reverts at the time of each death. For us ordinary beings, this way of transitioning into a new life happens, not by choice but under the influence of our past virtuous as well as non-virtuous actions, all of which are induced by afflictions. This includes the possibility of being born into many forms of life, from that of very depraved to extremely well-off ones. However, spiritually advanced practitioners, i.e. those who have gained at least some control over the afflictions, could choose to come back in a new life not driven by afflictions, but instead through the force of their compassion. Yancy: What might we tell our children when they
express fear of the afterlife? I often feel helpless even as I’m a hopeful Christian. Any wisdom that you would like to share? Namgyal: If there is an afterlife, that would be a continuation of oneself. That means one’s own core self will continue into the next one and one’s deeds done well or ill will bear fruit. So, if one has cultivated the inner qualities of compassion and insight in this life by training in positive thinking and properly relating to others, then one would carry those qualities and potentials into the next. In that way, one can be assured that the skills and perspectives thereby developed will be available to draw from and help take every situation, including death itself, in stride. So the sure way to address fear of the afterlife is to live the present life compassionately and wisely which, by the way, also helps us have a happy and meaningful life in the present. Buddha teaches this in the Kalama Sutta.
Yancy: What would you say is the uppermost crisis that we are facing as a human species? Namgyal: We focus and dwell on our differences rather than the shared commonalities and oneness of humanity, thereby growing ever more distant from one another in our sensibilities and sensitivities. This is the uppermost crisis we face and will continue to face in the coming years and decades if the present trend of indifference and otherness continues. This is poised to grow into an even graver and more serious crisis because advanced technology and innovation force us into unprecedented spatial and temporal proximity, making us ever more vulnerable to greater harm and division. If only we could be wiser, more sensible, and closer to reality, this same advancement in the fields of technology and innovation has the potential to become a precious resource for promoting greater prosperity and stronger bonds among all humankind as well as placing us in a better position to solve our pressing common problems such as climate change.
Yancy: For you, how should we relate to the earth? I imagine that it is similar to relating to death in terms of needing to move beyond thinking of our selfish desires.
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Namgyal: In Buddhism, we generally speak of the sentient beings as inhabitants and the earth as their shared habitat. We are totally dependent on our habitat for everything, from food to clothing to shelter and so on. There is not one need that we have that we can provide for ourselves. However, earth’s resources are not unlimited, nor do we have another inhabitable planet at our disposal. For those reasons, it is crucial that we realize our common responsibility to care for and ensure its continued health, rather than exploiting it out of greed and selfishness and short sightedness. We must stop thinking of the earth as something outside of us. We should think of it as part of ourselves. Yancy: How might we overcome greed and selfishness? Namgyal: We must come to understand what walking the path of greed and selfishness is equal to. In the case of greed, it is putting oneself voluntarily, though blindly, on a path of no fulfillment, unlimited exploitation, and constant impoverishment, while selfishness leads us on a path of constriction, constant distrust, and loneliness. We need to realize that greed and selfishness, on the one hand, and fulfillment and independence, on the other hand, do not match up. Whereas contentment and altruism do match up with fulfillment and independence. So, we need to take time out, think through this paradox, and experience the transformation firsthand that is entailed from attuning to the gradual unfolding of these insights. Yancy: How do we rid the world of racism, sexism, and classism?
Namgyal: If one is a believer in some form of God or Creator, I would suggest to them to remember and keep remembering, on a regular basis, that everyone is created equal and in the image of God and has a greater purpose to serve for being the way they are. If one is a believer in the concept of reincarnation, with or without a belief in some form of God or Creator, I would suggest to them to remember and keep remembering, again on a regular basis, that everyone has served as one’s loving mother, caring father, enlightening teacher, generous sister, or some other benefactor, even at the cost of their lives. This has been
going on for innumerable lifetimes in the past and will continue to do so in the future until one’s full freedom from the bondage of unceasing rounds of unenlightened birth and death. If one is a non-believer in any of the above affiliated religions or any form of metaphysical principle, I would suggest they remember and keep remembering, again on a regular basis, that, just like themselves, everyone else wants happiness and no one wants suffering and that everyone has the same right to pursue these goals. On top of that, they should remember that we are all connected and dependent on each other, both temporally and spatially, for all comforts and luxuries, physical and mental, far more than we know or may ever know, and let the natural outcome of these contemplations guide our thoughts and actions vis-avis others. In fact, this alternative is one that anyone, irrespective of personal belief, can contemplate and use as the foundational cultivation. Yancy: What is the meaning of love?
Namgyal: One can speak of self-love, as well. However, here, I will address this question in terms of love for others. In that sense, it is a sincere attitude of caring and concern over others, rooted in the recognition of the fundamental sameness as well as connectedness and indebtedness. It is being willing to reach out selflessly to others in times of need. Such a sense of love is informed and fueled by who the other is essentially, not by who he or she is superficially or what he or she has done or will do to you. In the depth of such an attitude is the sophistication of wisdom to be flexible, not rigid; creative, not fixated; giving, not expecting; and open, not closed, all in the spirit of pure caring and giving. Yancy: I only wish that more people understood and practiced what you are communicating. What role should love play in the 21st Century with so much hatred, conflict, and antagonism between human beings, nations, religions? Namgyal: Love and compassion is the only hope for humankind, its environment, and the world going forward. Resorting to animosity and division,
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particularly in an era of such technological advancement and innovations, would be silly and suicidal at all levels -- individual, societal, and global. There should be a spiritual revolution leading to better and deeper appreciation of our inner positive potential, far greater than we have ever collectively explored, understood, and experienced. Let us be serious in this and let our resources be geared or aligned toward this. Particularly, let our scientific endeavors be directed towards this at least equally if not more than they are presently used in areas of destruction, and let everyone be a witness and a partner to this mission of inner exploration. Let us become clear and convinced that everyone will be better off by this, and that all of our problems and disputes will meet with better solutions through this.
This will be the role of love or rather the role of the practice and concept of love. It can no longer afford to remain locked up in texts and thoughts but must be brought out to actual experience and to its rightful place in peoples’ hearts, not only minds and brains. Yancy: Without some form of spirituality, can science save our planet?
Namgyal: It is quite unimaginable for anything to save something else or someone else without the foundation or basis of at least some form of spirituality, meaning some sense of other-care or other-concern, primarily for the sake of the other. The same principle applies to science, I think. In the end, a kind-hearted or compassionate scientific community is needed to
come to our rescue, to push the course of science in the desirable direction, or else it has the potential to plunge humanity into more chaos and irreparable misery at the cost of everyone. Yancy: In what ways has science supported the beliefs of Buddhism?
Namgyal: I may point out a few: The first is the still unanswered question on the nature of consciousness and the challenges science faces in pinpointing it and bringing closure to it, despite all the efforts and theories propounded. This, at least, does not contradict the Buddhist belief in life before and life after this one. The next is the advent of quantum mechanics, pointing to the weird phenomenon (at least in the eyes of classical physics and general scientific objectivism) of the role of the observer in deciding the nature and property of phenomena, at least at their micro level existence for now. This seems to confirm the Buddhist concept of dependent origination, in all its levels – the obvious, subtler, and subtlest forms, including the most radical one implying the absence of any inherently objective existence for any phenomenon.
The final one is the growing research findings on the benefits of mindfulness, compassion, empathy, meditation, and the like on the overall well-being and health of a person. This provides evidence that inner focus and inner cultivation is valuable and beneficial, as Buddhism and other religions emphasize. EH
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A Guiding Light By Sergio León Candia
Turmoil. This word can encompass what we see around us today.
Sergio León Candia was born in Santiago de Chile, South America. He Holds a Bachelor in Education degree and is a P.E teacher and Personal Trainer. Passionate about language he later became a TEFL English teacher. In 2011 he came to Thailand and went on different meditation retreats. He holds a Master’s degree in Buddhist Studies from the International Buddhist College in Thailand. He received a Permaculture Designer Certificate and was the founder and director of an ecological project in Chile. Currently, he works for One Yoga Thailand, where he shares Ānāpānasati meditation and Dhamma talks. From August 2020, he will study at the International Buddhist Studies College of Mahachulalongkorn University in Thailand pursuing a Ph.D. in Peace Studies.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us both the underlying unwholesome tendencies present in society and the most encouraging stories of mutual support and compassion.
However, it is not only the pandemic in front of us, but also several different situations stirring that state we used to call “normal”. It is not an alien situation. Throughout human history, we see moments of relative peace followed by chaotic periods of turmoil, like it was nature balancing itself in a compensatory “chaos vs order” dynamic. Now it is no different. Although one can argue about the harshness of the different difficulties, which as humans we have confronted at different times, 2020 has been a year that has forced us into retreat, into looking at things differently - perhaps for the first time.
Before the pandemic hit, we cannot say that the old “normal” was peaceful and quiet. It was somehow working, yes. However, was it working okay?
Different episodes of social uprising took over the news for most of 2019. Hong Kong, France, Chile, Venezuela were some examples. Now we can add more cases around
the world. The different outcomes of the virus situation and the way it has been handled have caused discontent in many places. What is this telling us? Are we listening? Compassionately and actively listening? Or are we evaluating our actions and understanding the impact of our choices?
Let us review a few of the major issues being discussed worldwide in terms of important social matters that are increasingly mentioned throughout the COVID-19 crisis.
Firstly, we have seen that many sectors of society are demonstrating against the inequality of the system they live in, and sometimes in some places, more violently. It would be easy to simplify the reaction against it. However, have you noticed the outrageous amount of evidence showing the corruption, abuse, and intolerance coming from the very same institutions that constitute the core of our society? If you were to be directly affected by it (we all are, but some people are in situations more affected than others), can you tell what your reaction would be with total accuracy? Social harmony, social balance, and human settlements are what we need to value, cherish, and take care of as one of our most precious treasures, though they are sometimes achieved after much
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violence. Conditions in general seem to have improved for a large part of society but the opportunities for better education, health, and development are also becoming a market product, and not widely available. This sounds familiar? It is a result of Greed.
a glimpse of a grim future of ferocious competition for survival and scarce resources. This is not seeing the nature of phenomena - conditioned, impermanent, and finally unsatisfactory. This is Delusion.
numerous amount of violent acts of atrocity that have been committed in the name of race? Is it that hard to develop empathy and the will to understand the frustration and sadness of the people who have witnessed such tragedy? What to say about the “Me Too” movement? Go ahead and research the amount of rape, abuse, and discrimination towards women, as well as religious persecution, and ethnical prejudice. This is a result of Hatred.
I do not think the Buddha taught that “life is suffering”. What he meant in the teaching of the First Noble Truth was that the “five aggregates affected by clinging” or “life with clinging” is suffering (pañcupādānakkhandhā dukkha). We can awake to a meaningful life, free from clinging and suffering as individuals that work for the good of the many.
Secondly, many so-called “minority” groups are rising against the systematic and programmed abuse that has sadly continued for way too long, more than we would like to acknowledge. The “Black Lives Matter” movement is an example. Do we need to name here the
Thirdly, the economic system has been tested hard. The dependence of people on big companies has proven too unstable. Many families have been put in terrible situations due to the lack of empowerment, self-sustainability, and cooperation. The interdependence of society has shown its real absence. Although present in wonderful examples, there is very little mutual support. This, plus the current delicate state of natural resources, the continuous growth of disposable goods, and a culture that fosters individuality and consumption, can only provide
This diagnosis shows a common pattern of egoism, egotism, and narcissism. Rigidity and stubbornness and living too fast a life resembles cattle going to the slaughterhouse. We are not even noticing what is constantly going on right in front of our noses.
The origin of all this can be traced, somehow simplistically, to ignorance. It is ignorance of the nature of things, especially of the fragility of the whole world of experience, and of the imperative need of working together as humans.
We might not see the end of this any time soon. It sadly might be a little bit easier to think about this enormous task individually, to forget about everything else, and just focus on our peace. Maybe this is going to the extreme of indulgence, just trying to enjoy as much as we can. Sadly, this way of
living for many people has not been enough and unsatisfying, and at the same time with too many unwanted secondary effects. The other extreme of forgetting about our wellbeing might also prove useless for oneself and others. Taking care of ourselves is also a crucial part of the path but that path is fulfilled when we consider others. While we strive heedfully for our progress and development, the veil of egoistic confusion remains. Maybe not any time soon but we can start working on it now. We are lucky to have a training
system, a path, a guiding light towards better conditions so that many can realize the characteristics of interdependence, impermanence, and unsatisfactoriness of conditioned phenomena. How many times do we have to listen to stories on both extremes, of incredibly amazing, famous, rich and successful people committing suicide, or extremely poor living conditions that create tales of misery and suffering for many others?
What can the Dharma do for an aching world? How can we be of help, as walkers of the path, to our fellow humans, animal friends, and life-sustaining home-planet? Let us go back to some of the main topics discussed above. Greed.
Are we as Dharma practitioners addressing communal issues in a dharmic way? Are we observing the cause and effect of the problems we
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see every day? How are we dealing with greed?
Gladly, I can say that every day, more and more startups and initiatives are trying to see the world anew: Cooperative commons, peer to peer economy, co-working, circular economy, and many more. This is not trying to abolish all that we have but trying to improve the conditions of workers, citizens, and society as a whole. Increasingly we see new technologies giving more opportunities for people to develop their projects, to connect with likeminded people, to study and to build up a new form of organization between people. This is, in my opinion, a good way to go. We can find in the early Buddhist texts that the Buddha also addressed topics concerning society. They range from advice to kings on how to distribute wealth to practical advice to householders on how to manage their work power, family, and resources.
Are we as lay practitioners trying to contribute to society that lays out a firm ground for the practice of the Dharma within our daily lives? Are we looking at building and adapting our reach as Dharma practitioners in community centers, common gardens, and accessible education? Are we actively putting the advice of the Buddha into practice, not preaching or proselytizing but being a living embodiment of the Buddha´s teachings? I know many of you out there are working hard at it and we are indeed grateful for your compassionate work. You should inspire many more, dear sisters and brothers!
Hatred. Racism, hate crimes, misogynism, sexism, homophobia. So many faces of the same problem of hatred. Many believe that hatred emanates from ignorance. This is the first link in the origination of suffering. Therefore, it is a good time to embrace the arduous task of asking ourselves how can Dharma help to become free-minded, critical, compassionate and loving humans. For example, are we flexible enough to embrace diversity, to put ourselves in the shoes of those
oppressed and abused, and work hard to help them overcome their tough realities? Are we lending a hand when possible? Silence will not help in this case. It is time when we need engaged practices the most. It is recorded that the Buddha taught a way to the divine. Indeed if we want to follow the Teacher´s advice, we need to look at his own life, and emulate his attributes to the best of our abilities. Was the Buddha teaching a Dharma path that encouraged us to hate, fear, and discriminate against others? Was it a path that was intolerant, oppressive, and discriminatory, or a selfish path that only cares about one´s well-being? Of course not!
How do we adapt as humans in the 21st century, walking the path for freedom of the heart and mind to a world that seems to be promoting selfishness and a “run for your life” attitude? Let us use the amazing and diverse
tools we can find in all Dharma centers to reach out and help, not only in charity but also in education, promotion of ethics and compassion, and the emancipation and empowerment of the people. Let us work together hand by hand as a tolerant community that wishes the best of everyone. Delusion.
Be a lamp unto yourself.
It seems that the Buddha encouraged us to believe in ourselves in a non-selfish way about change and development. We do not need outer powers or entities to come and save us. He encouraged us to work diligently towards the freedom of our hearts, to develop loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity.
He taught us to train ourselves so as to be able to sustain the right effort to discriminate the wholesome from the unwholesome. Let us find the light of the Dharma in the heart of every one of us and make it shine unto our loved ones, our nearby community, the world, and ourselves too.
I believe the Buddha gave us the tools for this. We must be willing to listen and deeply see that we share the same core under the beauty of diversity and multiplicity. More things unite us than separate us; thus, we can walk the path of the Dharma together. We can also learn from our mistakes. It is with a bittersweet taste of optimism and doubt that I recall
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how for many years many brilliant minds have written about this same dream with more skills and knowledge that I do here.
It is also with a smile that I recall the many years of exertion and effort applied by so many others trying to improve themselves under the guidance of the Buddha and his teachings. We have seen and will likely continue to see difficulties, including failure and success. But this is all part of our growing up process as a human species.
Go ahead and practice for your well-being by taking care of yourself just as you would wish others to take care of themselves too. Most important is that we must always reflect wisely by asking this question: Is this for my well-being and that of others too? We should extend this openheartedness to our closest circle of friends and family. We should share what we know, organize activities for the benefit of others, even if it is a small contribution to benefit others. If we cannot do all these, at least let us not simply criticize others or be an obstacle to them. Every small grain of sand counts, just as many small lights will fire up the guiding light we desperately need. We need not despair because every little effort counts. As the Buddha advised, let us be a guide to ourselves, a lamp to ourselves, so that we can shine and help others shine brighter every day. EH
The Science of Mantra Chanting By Gemma Perry
Gemma scientifically investigates the psychological effects of chanting and how its positive outcomes can impact society. She completed her Honours and Masters of Research in psychology and is now continuing her research with a PhD at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. Gemma is a passionate and engaging communicator and is currently focused on sharing and teaching ancient methods of heightening states of awareness and promoting health and wellbeing.
People often ask me how I found myself studying the science of mantra chanting and what led me to my own mantra practice. The honest answer? Severe depression and accessing the darkest parts of myself are what led me to the ancient practice of mantra chanting. Chanting mantras, quite literally, transformed my life. So, after personally experiencing the dramatic effects of mantra, and having seen that many of the benefits can be scientifically explained, my focus became studying and sharing the value of this ancient medicine with the world. Like many people, I had no idea what mantra chanting was or how it was going to help me, but I was so desperate for a solution to my state of depression, that I gave it a try. I found myself chanting in Tibetan, Hebrew, Arabic and Sanskrit with whomever, whenever and wherever! I had found my medicine! I felt happiness creeping back into my life, and I experienced a depth of connection with myself, others and nature that I had never even known before. I have been practicing mantra chanting (mainly Sanskrit) for over 10 years now, and on the science side of things, I am currently doing my PhD at Macquarie
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University, investigating the cognitive and emotional effects of mantra meditation. What is mantra meditation?
“Mantras are the mind vibration in relation to the cosmos. The science of mantra is based on the knowledge that sound is a form of energy having structure, power, and a definite, predictable effect on the human psyche.” _Yogi Bhajan_ So, what exactly is mantra chanting? Mantra chanting has been practiced for thousands of years in many civilizations all over the world. The practice involves focusing on the mantra, which can be a word, sound or phrase, and it can be recited aloud, whispered or mentally repeated. Also, we can practice mantra chanting alone or in a group setting.
The word mantra is a Sanskrit word that comes from two words; manas, which means mind, and tra, which means truth, liberation or tool. Therefore, mantra chanting is said to connect us with our true mind or our true selves. Mantra, although a Sanskrit word, can be a sound, word or phrase in any language. Ancient
languages such as Sanskrit are said to be more effective due to their vibration, however, most sounds could have some effect on the Parasympathetic Nervous System if chanted aloud. Also, apart from the vibration of the sound, intention is also an important aspect of mantra chanting. Therefore, if mantras are chanted with devotion or intention of the heart, they can be even more effective than simply just chanted for their sound alone. What are the aims and benefits of mantra chanting?
Traditionally, mantra chanting is aimed at achieving higher states of awareness and expanding consciousness, also known as enlightenment, Samadhi and Nirvana. These states may be short-term or even life changing perspectives. In these states, people report feeling extreme positive mood, decreased capacity to determine separateness to others and often loss of memory and concepts such as time and space, making these experiences difficult to define and measure scientifically. However, in these states, an individual can see and experience the world without any prior memories or conditioning. These preconceived ideas and conditioning are basically what prevents us from accepting ourselves, others, or our current situation.
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Therefore, by liberating ourselves from these habitual ways of thinking, we can experience a true state of expanded awareness leading to feelings of peace and joy. Chanting opens us to a new perspective of ourselves, others and the world around us and as George Harrison from the Beatles said, “chanting is a direct connection with God.”
Although the ultimate aim of mantra chanting is to expand consciousness, there are also many practical health benefits of this chanting technique. Therefore, we can also use mantra to increase life satisfaction or to improve our health and well-being. Mantra can be used to overcome obstacles in our life, decrease stress, decrease depressive symptoms or increase mindfulness and attention. There are many health benefits of a mantra practice that are measurable in the Western scientific framework such as: • Decreased stress and anxiety • Decreased depressive symptoms • Increased positive mood • Increased feelings of relaxation • Increased focused attention • Neurological effects • Activates the Parasympathetic Nervous System How does mantra chanting work?
“The degree of freedom from unwanted thoughts and the degree of concentration on a single thought are the measures to gauge spiritual process.” _Ramana Maharshi_ Although very simple to practice, mantra chanting is a complex mental task that aims to increase selfawareness and self-regulate the mind and body. Mantra chanting engages parts of the brain that are involved
in attention and thereby increases the capacity for mindfulness and decreases negative thought patterns.
As well as benefits such as overriding habitual thought patterns and positively influencing our mind, mantra chanting can directly affect our physiology. For example, chanting mantras affects the Parasympathetic Nervous System by slowing breathing patterns which leads to feelings of relaxation. Also, slowed breathing is known to be beneficial for cardiovascular functioning and for happy hearts! By chanting, we are also directly impacting the Vagus Nerve (the longest nerve of the Parasympathetic Nervous System), which is not only related to relaxation, but also to immune function, communication and social connection. Even the simple act of humming has been found to improve immune functioning through the Vagus Nerve. Therefore, chanting regulates stress and immune function by balancing the nervous system and endocrine system, normalizing hormone production, balancing our emotions and contributing to our overall health and well-being. Of course, within the yogic tradition, the sounds themselves are also, more profoundly, to connect us to our true nature or to tune us with our own unique vibration as in the tradition of Nada Yoga.
Another aspect of mantra chanting, when chanting is practiced in groups, is the synchronous nature of the chanting. Synchronous behavior has been found to increase cooperation and social connection. By feeling an increased sense of connection to others, not only does our capacity for compassion increase, but we are more likely to be happier and healthier. Feeling connected to others is what gives meaning and purpose to our lives and scientific studies have found that people
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who feel more connected to others have decreased symptoms of stress and anxiety, and report feeling mentally and physically healthier. How to practice mantra chanting
“If you think you can make a small change in yourself, do it. It will change the world”_Amma_ Anyone can practice mantra chanting and there are various techniques to try. However, it is very important
to have good teachers guiding you on your mantra journey. Mantras, although they can positively transform one’s life, can also stir up old patterns and these need to be well managed when and if they come to the surface during chanting. If any discomfort is experienced during mantra chanting, you can simply take a break from the practice for a few days and come back to it again when you are ready. Also, remember that 5 good minutes of mantra chanting is better than an hour of mind wandering! Be realistic with your practice if you are just starting out and take breaks when you need to. Mantra chanting can be practiced with a mala (prayer beads) to count the repetitions of the sound, but it is not necessary. You can chant alone or in groups and aloud or simply mentally repeat the sound to yourself while in the queue at the post office. Happy chanting! Oṃ EH
ABBi - a game changer in Buddhist Dhamma Studies By Lim Kooi Fong
The Buddhist Channel, 27 July, 2020 Through a sustainable eLearning management system, ABBi hopes to establish a reasonable cluster of quality Dhammaduta learners, the new generation of Dhamma torch bearers who will continue to spin the Dhamma wheel Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -Effective Buddhist spiritual propagation (Pali - Dhammaduta) is associated with someone having wide and deep knowledge of the Buddha’s teachings (Dhamma) and
the ability to use such knowledge appropriately. Knowing the extent of one’s knowledge, and when to use it (or not to use it at all) is the mark of a wise person. Nevertheless, to be truly effective, a Dhamma propagator has to have some depth in Buddhist knowledge.
When we say “Buddhist knowledge” it does not necessarily connote spiritual wisdom. While Buddhist knowledge is acquired through Dhamma discussions or sutta studies, spiritual wisdom is attained
through one’s effort in cultivating calm and insight. One school of thought maintains that sutta study is not necessary in achieving spiritual attainment, while another has the view that studying the Buddha’s word is essential when it comes to propagation work. In essence, both schools of thought are right. Traditionally there are two branches of monastic training open to monks and nuns. The two branches or mode of responsibilities (also known as duties - dhura) are:
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a) the responsibility of study (gantha-dhura), and b) the responsibility of insight cultivation (vipassana-dhura)
Dhamma for the benefit of others as well as to inspire them towards making personal effort to attain spiritual liberation.
Although one need not take up the duty of sutta study (gantha-dhura) to gain enlightenment, nevertheless it is of great benefit when it comes to Dhamma propagation. The duty of Dhamma studies therefore is a matter of choice. Its main advantage lies in the learner’s ability to disseminate the Buddha
“O bhikkhu, if you reside in the forest, you will be able to grow in just one duty (dhura), but staying in this vicinity, you will fulfil both duties of study (gantha-dhura) and insight cultivation (vipassana-dhura). (AA 1:312; Thag A 2:101)
If one joins the Sangha in his youth, one would usually take up the responsibility of study, and go on to cultivation of insight later on (DhA 1:7f, 155). Those who renounce at an advanced age would normally take up the burden of cultivation.
In the Anguttara Nikaya and Theragatha commentaries, there is a story relating how Upali - after being ordained and receiving the subject of meditation from the Buddha – wishes to take leave from the Buddha to go into the forest. The Buddha then advises Upali:
Given the situation today where Buddhism is misrepresented through false teachings and flagrant malpractices, this duty of study (gantha-dhura) is ever more essential. This is to ensure that the Buddha sasana stands firm for a long time to come. Only through true knowledge and correct understanding of the Dhamma can one inspire others to right practice and to eliminate misconceptions. Weaknesses in Dhamma Studies
Compared with major Abrahamic faiths (such as Christianity and Islam) the state of Dhamma Studies in Buddhism is poor. Generally, most self-study initiatives or study groups are organized on an ad hoc basis, without a sustainable
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structure or a universal syllabus.
Lim Kooi Fong, founder of the Buddhist Channel and a strong advocate for systematic Dhamma studies, says what’s hampering effective Dhamma propagation is “the basic lack of study skills”.
“Such sub-standard approach has resulted in low quality of Buddhist knowledge, misunderstanding of basic doctrines and a generally poor grasp about who and what the Buddha represents”, he adds. “Buddhist teachings have an elegant, structured nature. The Buddha was very methodical in his explanations,” he emphasises. Kooi Fong says that the Buddha’s teachings “fits like a textbook” and that “the ancient Nalanda scholars did it right”.
“Because of their scholastic treatment of the Dhamma, various Buddhist schools grew out of them and in turn made Buddhism a global faith,” he says. Window of opportunity to rectify weaknesses While organizing Dhamma studies in contemporary Buddhist centre settings have met many setbacks, the sudden onset of the global Covid-19 pandemic has offered an unexpected opportunity.
The “new normal” situation forced by the viral pandemic has enabled eLearning to take off. People now are more adept at using the computer to take courses. eLearning in education
has also become commonplace in schools and colleges.
In view of this, the Buddhist Channel in collaboration with Bhante Sharvasti Dhammika, the well-known Australian based Buddhist monk, writer and teacher, has initiated “ABBi (pronounced as Abby) - All About Buddhism iLearning”.
ABBi is a self paced, beginners to intermediate level guided Learning Management System (LMS). The ABBi LMS is hosted on a virtual cloud and needs only an online User ID and password to access. Learners access the system free of charge. Although the first course to be hosted on ABBi is Bhante Dhammika’s textbook “All ABout Buddhism”, the system is actually open to any groups or Buddhist centres who wish to host their own courses online.
“There are many courses offered by various groups or Buddhist centres,” explains Kooi Fong. “The problem is when the course leader moves on, the course usually ends with him/her,” he adds. He also laments, “sustainability is an issue. There is simply no continuity or follow up.” With ABBi however, once the course leader/manager is done with leading the study session in person, they can then put it up online. With the course materials now available on ABBi, future learners can now benefit from taking the lessons at their own pace, and with added facilities such as personal progress
monitoring, social network support and earning Open Badges upon the course completion. “Just imagine the potential and the possibilities of having groups and Buddhist centres host various courses of their liking. The workload of preparing materials is now spread around, no longer dependent on any single group of people,” envisions Kooi Fong.
Learners from anywhere will have the opportunity to choose and pick what courses they want to follow. With the ABBi guided system, they can monitor their personal progress which is automatically set by the LMS.
For more details please visit: http:// allaboutbuddhism.org/ ABBi - a game changer in Dhamma Study
ABBi is envisioned to be a major “game changer for Buddhist Dhamma Study”, as it is set to be a service provider for any groups or Buddhist centres who wish to promote their own learning programmes and to encourage groups to start their own Dhamma Study sessions.
For instance, a Tibetan study group may wish to put their Lamrin syllabus on ABBi. Or a Mahayana temple which actively gets students to recite various sutras may want to put up a quick course on the Lotus or Heart Sutras. And maybe that advanced Abhidhamma class, ever ably helmed by a senior monk, may want to use ABBi to set up its
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advanced learner programme.
The possibilities are indeed endless. To have the above besome a reality, ABBi supports the following: • multi-institutions mode (with central management portal) • time-controlled exams • international characters (UTF8) – meaning it can support translations in Chinese, Sinhalese, Thai etc. • automated generation of certificates
With regards to certification, upon the completion of any course, learners will obtain an “Open Badge” generated by the system. ABBi’s Open Badge is a type of electronic certificate that is verifiable, portable and packed with information about the learner’s
attained skills and achievements. Learners can then share their open badges with their friends and anyone who is interested in their attainment. A new generation of Dhamma torch bearers
The Buddhist Channel founder believes that ABBi has the capability to reset the “Dhamma Study mindscape” and reinvigorate Dhamma Studies itself. For one, ABBi is a natural fit for Buddhism’s elegant structure. In the Anggutara Nikaya (A 3:184), the Buddha exhorts others to teach Dhamma, thinking, a) I will give instruction that is regulated and gradually advanced, b) I will instruct using reasoning, c) I will instruct out of kindliness, d) I will instruct not for worldly gain and e)
I will instruct in a way which does not hurt myself nor others.”
Through its easy-to-use, sustainable and cost effective structure, ABBi aims to raise the Dhamma Study bar through knowledge enrichment, study skills enhancement and robust personal and group organization.
Ultimately, what ABBi hopes for is to establish a reasonable cluster of quality Dhammaduta learners. These are the heirs of Buddha’s Dhamma, the torch bearers who will continue to spin the Dhamma wheel. May the Buddha Sasana ever brightly shine through the efforts and discipline of these Dhamma heirs, Buddha’s 21st century torch bearers. EH
Are you searching for a spiritually challenging work? Do you enjoy meeting fellow Dharma practitioners, Buddhist leaders, and Dharma masters? Would you like to introduce the latest Buddhist book you read recently? How about researching into the latest web-sites on Buddhist activities around the world? And of course, what about telling us how you first came in contact with the dharma and what the dharma means to you today. Well, if you find all of these interesting, we can make it spiritually challenging for you too!
In every issue of EASTERN HORIZON, we publish special chat sessions with leading Buddhist personalities, essays on all aspects of Buddhism, book reviews, and news and activities that are of interest to the Buddhist community. We need someone to help us in all these projects. If you are keen to be part of this exciting magazine, please e-mail to the editor at Bennyliow@gmail.com, and we will put you in touch with what’s challenging for the next issue!
Let us share the dharma for the benefit of all sentient beings!
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Making Sense of the Covid 19 Pandemic A core teaching of the Buddha is the law of Dependent Origination which explains that nothing exists independently in our world. It also describes the causes of suffering and the course of events that lead to it. Everything is interconnected and we exist in a complex web of life that is continually changing. Events happen in a series, one interrelating group of events producing another. The current COVID-19 is a classic example – the destruction of forests, killing (and eating) of wild animals giving rise to a virus that has no boundaries. Now, with the coronavirus, we cannot pretend we exist as an independent entity oblivious to the world around us. We cannot fly overseas, watch movies in the cinemas, attend dharma talks in temples, or even go shopping without wondering if we’ll be exposed to others infected with the virus. We ask our teachers what is the Buddhist worldview about the origin of such pandemics, lessons learnt, and how to adapt to life in the new normal. Some religions see pandemics like Covid-19 as a manifestation of divine will, perhaps as a punishment for sin and a warning against moral laxity. What is the Buddhist world view? Is this virus a karmic consequence of human hubris? Aggacitta: The Adhammika Sutta (AN 4.70) describes how unrighteous rulers could progressively and insidiously affect human morality. This causes cosmic upheavals resulting in poor crops, denatured food, disfigurement, the reduction of human lifespan and abundant diseases.
Paloka Sutta (AN 3.56) mentions that when people are overwhelmed by unrighteous lust, imbalanced greed and wrong Dharma there could be deadly violence, upheavals of nature leading to drought, famine, and the release by demons of amanussa (non-humans / humanoids / human-like things), thus resulting in depopulation.
These two suttas suggest that there is indeed a strong connection between moral laxity and its deleterious
effects on the environment and humankind. The last point from AN 3.56 could also explain the mysterious appearance of the deadly Covid-19 virus. A recent video gone viral showing tennis-sized hailstones with spikes like the Covid-19 virus from an affected area in China could somewhat corroborate this theory.
Min Wei: From a Buddhist viewpoint, we create our own destiny. We should not blame anyone for our troubles as we are responsible for our own life, either for better or for the worst. We should practice selfresponsibility for our own actions rather than blaming circumstances and environments. The coronavirus pandemic has revealed how fragile our life is, causing death and misery, and reminds us of impermanence. It serves as an opportunity to experience the three marks of existence taught by the Buddha which are impermanence, suffering, and nonself. Therefore, fear, unpredictability and uncertainty are natural to ordinary life.
Geshe Dadul: Of course, according to Buddhism, everything in saṃsāra is in one way or the other related to sentient beings’ karma, individual and collective. As Buddhist worldview precludes the concept of a Creator God, everything occurs due to certain causal actions committed in the past by the sentient beings experiencing the results thereof in the present. These consequences are not punishments or rewards, but simply natural unfoldings of those causal forces as they meet their respective conditions. Thus, some of the karmic unfolding may appear, in a conventional sense, helpful/harmful. How they affect the individuals’ experience, the choices made, and how beings emerge from the situations, is largely dependent on many and various aspects of the individuals themselves.
The current pandemic is a natural, karmic consequence, not just of human actions, but of everyone touched by it including animals. Nonetheless,
FORUM it is neither established as a punishment or a reward, nor does it necessarily come with a purpose. It could though, be used as opportunity and/or a burden depending on how it is approached.
Some Theravāda temples in Thailand are handing out talismans bearing images of spirits, sacred syllables, and Buddhist symbols as a form of protective blessings against the virus, while practitioners in Mahāyāna countries chant mantras to the bodhisattva Tārā to gain her protection. Are there doctrinal justifications for such protective and healing rituals? Aggacitta: In the Theravāda tradition, the famous Ratana Sutta (KN 1.6) is believed to be efficacious in warding off calamities caused by evil spirits. The verses in the sutta extol the virtues of the Triple Gem and each ends with an asseveration of truth for the safety and wellbeing of the audience. Although the sutta itself does not explicitly state the circumstances under which it was discoursed, the commentary gives lucid details of how its recitation dispelled the threefold calamities of famine, disease, and attack by amanussa (non-humans / humanoids / human-like things). This makes me wonder. Has the continual recitation of this sutta by the faithful in traditional Theravāda countries like Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand made some contribution to the significantly lower rates of CoVid-19 cases in comparison to other countries?
Min Wei: In fact, there are numerous sūtras that mentioned different kinds of rituals and mantras to pray for protection and healing when we encountered illnesses or diseases. However, to stop the spread of a disease, chanting or praying itself is insufficient. We need to consult a good doctor, take proper medication, do exercises, eat healthily, and have enough sleep, among others.
Thus, we should avoid unscientific methods in coping with the spread of this dangerous virus. In order to protect ourselves and others from Covid-19, we should follow the guidelines and advice from the World Health Organization and local health authorities. At this crucial
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moment, self-discipline is the best way of prevention towards breaking the chain of the pandemic.
Geshe Dadul: Doctrinally speaking, all Buddhas and bodhisattvas have nothing but the wellbeing of sentient beings dearest to their hearts. All their efforts on the path and beyond are inspired, bolstered, and sustained by the sheer dedication and determination to relieve sentient beings of their sufferings and uncertainties characteristic of unenlightened existence. Even the pursuit and eventual achievement of Buddhahood is only a means to serve sentient beings. So, Buddhahood marks not the end of their journey, rather the beginning of serving sentient beings in their capacity as Fully Awakened Ones now. This may include bestowing mantras and rituals, etc., but the chief means is always the teachings. In all of these, sentient beings must meet their part of the equation to receive the benefit. That is, to be open to them and generate trust in them, cultivate whatever level of the three trainings of morality, concentration, and wisdom one can manage. In the Udānavarga, Buddha says, I have taught you the path That puts an end to the miseries of saṃsāra. Tathāgata shows the path. It is now for you to practice.
What Buddhist practices can we apply at this juncture when we are faced with so much uncertainty regarding our lives, including our health, job, and loved ones? Aggacitta: Exercise discipline and vigilant mindfulness in following the preventive measures recommended by the relevant health authorities.
1. Strengthen your immune system by having a healthy lifestyle and wholesome eating habits. 2. Recite Ratana Sutta regularly. 3. Have gratitude for our current situation when we compare with that of other places much worse off. 4. Be continually aware of present activities to develop dynamic composure so that there can be clarity of mind for decision-making.
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5. With a composed mind, practice introspective mindfulness and clear awareness to filter off idle, negative or unproductive thoughts and emotions so that time and energy can be conserved for attending to positive, feasible, creative, productive thoughts and ideas. 6. Have faith in the Law of Karma if one or a loved one succumbs to the disease despite executing all the above. 7. Be comfortable with uncertainty as it is a manifestation of the three characteristics of existence, the hallmark of Buddhist teachings, particularly spiritual cultivation. Min Wei: This coronavirus pandemic is not only challenging our health, work and family, but is also disturbing our peace of mind and stimulating us to
question our own existence. The Buddhist teachings always remind us that everything keeps on changing as it is the nature of existence. Without impermanence, nothing would be possible.
At this time of uncertainty, regular meditation can allow us to recognize fear, anger, and insecurity. Such realization makes it easier for us to recognize these feelings as simply passing reactions to an impermanent situation. Such recognition is extremely valuable in a crisis situation today. The pandemic can be viewed as a source of awareness. This very moment is our perfect teacher, and one can take it as a good opportunity to put it into our daily life practice. Geshe Dadul: First and foremost, as Buddhists, we can recite the refuge prayer while contemplating the qualities of the Triple Gem and invoking the power of truth of those qualities. The simplest version is reciting the following: I go for refuge to the Buddha. I go for refuge to Dharma. I go for refuge to the Saṅgha.
Reflect on what it entails to take them as one’s refuge in terms of one’s mindset and behaviors in the face of personal situations. Make efforts to uphold and embody these attitudes and behaviors.
If conditions permit, recite The Noble Sūtra Remembering the Three Jewels [Skt. ārya ratnatraya anusmṛti sūtra] remembering the qualities of the Triple Gem in detail and entrusting oneself with total confidence to them. One may also contemplate the nature of saṃsāra, particularly the sufferings in it. A Tibetan master Potowa Rinchen Sel (1027? – 1105), as quoted in Tsongkhapa’s Lamrim Chenmo, said: “So long as we are in saṃsāra, … something subject to get sick is getting sick; something subject to die is dying. Nothing inappropriate is happening suddenly; … If we are disgusted by it, then we must eliminate the process of (saṃsāric) birth. To do this, we must eliminate its cause.”
Contemplate impermanence and the four definite endings expressed in Udānavarga Sūtra to the effect that every life ends with death; every meeting ends with parting; every rise ends with fall; every collection ends with depletion. Train to accept these as unavoidable eventualities in life and learn to cope with them as best as one can.
Develop an informed sense of acceptance of the inevitability of death and associated facts of life, thereby generating a renewed appreciation of the preciousness of the time at hand and resolve to fully own one’s present moment and use it most meaningfully.
But if someone in the family has just died from the virus, how do we console the loved ones with a simple yet assuring explanation based on core Buddhist teachings? It may be difficult to explain the complexities of dependent origination during such a tragic occasion. Aggacitta: In a nutshell, sickness, aging and death are the inevitable consequences of birth. No one can escape from them. Understand and accept this fact with wisdom and equanimity instead of wallowing in deluded denial. Honest introspection will reveal that one’s sorrow for the deceased is rooted in selfish attachment to the continual presence of the deceased rather than genuine altruism for the latter. The best way to assist the deceased is to severe this selfish
TEACHINGS FORUM | EASTERN HORIZON
attachment and do the following positive things:
1. Sincerely wish for the quick and smooth transition of the deceased to a favorable destination. 2. Assure the deceased that the survivors are willing to let the deceased move on and the deceased should similarly not be attached to the survivors and other possessions. 3. Forgive perceived misdeeds of the deceased and ask for mutual forgiveness. 4. Perform meritorious deeds, particularly mettā (for all beings) and vipassanā meditations and dedicate the merits to the deceased. 5. Make an asseveration of truth for the highest good of the deceased Min Wei: The fact that human beings are affected by
the coronavirus pandemic cannot be denied. We are all worried about our loved ones and the future, of both the global economy and our own individual homes. As human beings, we experience the same notion of fears, hopes, uncertainties, and it is definite that no one can escape from it.
It means that we are not alone at this juncture. We should be realistic and accept what we have encountered at this critical moment. The Buddhist teachings always remind us that while life is uncertain, death is a reality. When we accept that death is a natural phenomenon, we will be able to face it with calmness, courage, and confidence when it eventually happens. When someone in the family has just died from the virus, we can share with our living relatives that life is impermanent. Sooner or later all of us will also experience death. It is just that this particular family member dies before us. Therefore, instead of being attached to the deceased, we should let him/her go with our blessings and pray for a good rebirth. Out of compassion and with a mind of Bodhicitta, we should reflect on death as a release from suffering in saṃsāra. At the same time, we make aspirations for the deceased to meet with good conditions in the next life.
Geshe Dadul: I am reminded of the story of Kisa Gotami who had lost her only child and was bereft and desperate for her child’s life to be restored. She was so distraught
that it was thought she had lost her mind completely. The Buddha told her that he could bring the child back if Kisa were to bring him a mustard seed from a home where no one had died. Kisa desperately traveled from house to house in search of the seed. Kisa was finally struck by the realization that there is no house free from mortality, that death is our common condition and the natural and inevitable consequence to birth. With the first turning of the wheel, Buddha encouraged us to know suffering and its causes, so we can recognize our predicament and thus be moved to engage the path to liberation and enlightenment. While the death of loved ones can be very painful, familiarity with death as a natural consequence of life can help bring one’s life more purpose and meaning and lessen the blow of loss. The grieving individuals may be given practices they
can engage in that will be helpful for themselves and their loved ones. Reciting prayers or mantras such as Oṃ Maṇi Padme Hūṃ or the 100-sylable Mantra of Vajrasattva or engaging in community service for the loved one’s fortunate rebirth can provide peace of mind. Understanding and engaging in actions on behalf of the deceased may bring loved ones much solace. Some scientists believed that nature has turned against us and is locking down the world through the pandemic because man has devastated nature. How can Buddhism help prevent further degradation of the environment?
Aggacitta: As can be seen from the two suttas referred to earlier (AN 4.70 & 3.56), moral laxity can lead to disastrous consequences on the environment and humankind. The devastation to nature, the environment and fellow humans is rooted in the three poisons of greed, hate, and delusion. Unless these are significantly reduced through education, restraint, and spiritual cultivation, the fate of humankind and our planet is sealed. But this fundamental premise of Buddhism has to be disseminated without the stigma of religious doctrine, given the partisan faith of religious leaders and adherents. Min Wei: This pandemic should be a wake-up call that our impact on the environment is not just about
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carbon emissions. We need to relearn that we are part of nature, and are not separate from it. Now is the right time to put more effort in taking care of nature and wildlife. Humankind can play an active role in environmental protection and being eco-friendly.
From a Buddhist standpoint, environmental degradation is caused by human greed and desire. Significantly, the Buddha recognizes the importance of the environment. He emphasized the harmonious co-existence between humans and nature which demonstrates his understanding of the interdependence among all living things and their environment. Buddhists believe that the development of intuitive insight and wisdom can help to resolve environmental problems through its adherence to the First Precept. When a person observes the First Precept of not killing, he or she controls his hatred and cultivates loving-kindness as well as compassion. They seem to fit perfectly with those values needed to overcome environmentally destructive behaviors.
Geshe Dadul: In Buddhism, we are our own allies as well as our own enemies. In this, the ultimate cure is to bring loving-kindness, compassion, and wisdom to the center and go about our personal and professional lives, including planning and carrying out scientific research, from a place of genuine care and ardent responsibility, not out of greed, selfishness, and short sightedness. In this regard, regularly contemplating the reality of interdependence and common humanity, and integrating the values of empathy and compassion in our lives will go a long way in healing the damage to our environment. The Ratana Sutta mentioned a plague that affected the city during the Buddha’s time. What can we learn from the Buddha’s teachings in this sutta? Are there other references to natural disasters or epidemics in the Buddhist scriptures during the Buddha’s time? Aggacitta: I have already commented on the Ratana Sutta and two suttas referring to upheavals of nature due to moral laxity above. As I pointed out, in the Ratana Sutta itself there is no reference to famine
or disease, which is a commentarial gloss. For your information it has no parallel in the Sanskrit/Chinese Āgamas but the story appears in Mahāvastu, a text of the Lokottaravāda school of Early Buddhism. For details, see Āyasmā Anandajoti’s \ excellent comparative study at https://bit.ly/1PAcNPE. There are a few references to drought and famine in the Vinaya Piṭaka in which the Buddha relaxed some Vinaya rules with regard to the offering of food, but none about how these calamities were overcome. However, the Mahāvaṁsa, a Sri Lankan chronicle written in Pāli verses, records that during the reign of the Sinhalese King Upatissa II, a great famine and plague was instantly overcome by a pompous and ceremonious all-night recitation of the Ratana Sutta by a great congregation of monks. Min Wei: The Covid-19 pandemic is an occasion for us to reflect on our actions more clearly. With every action one takes for self-care, such as washing hands, or keeping a social distance, one is also protecting others. In fact, many diseases occur because of our bad attitude towards the environment and wildlife and our careless actions and unhealthy food habits.
In fact, the Buddha laid down rules for monks not to spit or urinate on the grass. In the Mahāvagga, Vatthakkhandaka, monks are required to dry bed sheets and clothes every day. They are also required to sweep and clean their dwelling places. It is a violation of monastic rules to keep an untidy residence. In addition, the Buddha said that one should live in a suitable location or environment for good health and peace of mind. One should eat moderately at regular intervals and take nutritious food to preserve good health. A moderate meal makes one physically comfortable and prolongs our lifespan.
Geshe Dadul: There were a few occurrences of warfare during the time of Buddha that he helped resolve. There is mention in Chapters on Monastic Discipline [Skt:Vinayavastu] of Buddha relaxing certain rules for his disciples during a famine in Śrāvastī. Also, there is a popular story told of Buddha and his disciples having had to resort to horse food at another famine period.
TEACHINGS FORUM | EASTERN HORIZON
The Ratana Sutta upholds the virtues of righteousness, generosity, and kind-heartedness. It also dwells on the excellences of the Triple Gem and invokes the power of truth of those qualities to usher in well-being to the affected region of Vesali. Once a series of epidemics spread across the great monastery of the Sakya in Tibet. All measures taken— effigy-offering, torma-offerings, medicines, mantras, protection-amulets, and so on—had no effect, and the monastery was in danger of being depleted. Then, they approached the master mahāsiddha Thangtong Gyalpo (1385–1464?) who adviced them to repeatedly recite refuge prayer as well as the six-syllabled Oṃ Maṇi Padme Hūṃ mantra, and told them to say his newly composed prayer which came to be eventually known as “The Prayer that Saved Sakya from Disease.” At that time, the entire epidemic immediately ceased in the wake of performance of those prayers. Recently, His Holiness the Sakya Gongma Rinpoche gave an oral transmission of the above prayer online.
As it seems the virus won’t go away any time soon, how should temples adapt to the new normal of social distancing and no mass gatherings especially in terms of continuing Buddhist education and outreach activities? Aggacitta: The current strategy utilized by many Buddhist organizations is going online to continue Dharma propagation. This will require learning and honing new skills for effective and engaging digital communication.
For approved mass gatherings, participants should practice personal sanitation, the use of face masks, and social distancing. However, those more prone to contagion like the elderly and infants who are unable to abide by the above precautionary measures should not be allowed to participate Min Wei: A new normal of social distancing implies that we can no longer go out freely, attend classes, or even travel without wondering if we will be exposing ourselves to people who are infected with the virus. However, the situation is changing all the time. The Coronavirus helps us to be more awake. Nowadays,
there are many Buddhist teachings, events, and activities have been aired online due to the outbreak of Covid-19.
The internet helps us stay connected during the pandemic. Everyone can still study and learn the Buddha Dharma from his or her home or any convenient place without meeting in the temple. The ways of teaching Buddhism have been changed dramatically, especially with the rise of e-learning. That means an online monastery is becoming a reality and the norm.
Geshe Dadul: The purpose of Buddhist temples and their programs is to serve their faithful clienteles in meeting their religious needs and aspirations, particularly in bringing the teachings of Buddha and his celebrated disciples into their lives. Luckily, we have modern technology that can cut through the barriers of time and space even in dire situations like the current one. It would be naturally sensible and binding to adopt and utilize them. They must be innovative in exploring possibilities of adjusting to the new and changing normal in delivering their services, essentially carrying out most of the activities virtually, with limited inperson access, where necessary, while observing all the social distancing and hygiene guidance. Written by Geshe Dadul Namgyal and edited by Martha Leslie Baker. Venerable Āyasmā Aggacitta is the founder of the Sāsanārakkha Buddhist Sanctuary (SBS) in Taiping, Perak, a Pāli scholar and a meditation teacher.
Geshe Dadul Namgyal is a Geshe Lharampa and senior resident teacher at Drepung Loseling Monastery in Atlanta, Georgia, USA Ven. Min Wei is a teacher of e-learning at the International Buddhist College (IBC) and an independent translator of Buddhism. EH
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Listen to “Compassion,” from the Dalai Lama’s new album, Inner World By Rod Meade Sperry| June 10, 2020
The Dalai Lama’s 85th birthday, July 6, 2020 will see the release of Inner World, a new, 11-track album featuring His Holiness reciting mantras and leading short teachings. Listen to the first released track, “Compassion,” which features the famous mantra Om mani padme hum, below. https://youtu.be/84Fe-2ezVsc
The mantra invokes Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), the bodhisattva of compassion. Net proceeds from Inner World will benefit The Dalai Lama Foundation’s chosen programs, Social, Emotional and Ethical Learning, and the Mind & Life Institute. Tracklist: 1. One of My Favorite Prayers 2. The Buddha 3. Compassion 4. Courage 5. Ama La (featuring Anoushka Shankar) 6. Healing 7. Wisdom 8. Purification 9. Protection 10. Children 11. Humanity
Source: Lion’s Roar, www.lionsroar.com EH
NEWS | EASTERN HORIZON
How Did Majority Buddhist Countries Achieve COVID Success? By Rod Meade Sperry| June 10, 2020
Vietnam, a country of 97 million people, and Cambodia, at 16.25 million, have reported zero COVID-19 fatalities. Thailand, with a population of 70 million people, has had only 58 deaths. Myanmar, at 53 million, only six. What’s going on? This week the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) asked if Buddhism has something to do with it. In an interview for the ABC’s Religion and Ethics Report, Jill Jameson, who serves on the executive committee of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists, said that Buddhism’s emphasis on interconnectedness—and the popular belief in some of its apotropaic rituals—may have helped stem the spread. There are other factors: Thailand and Vietnam have mostly agrarian economies, meaning more time is spent outdoors, and authoritarian leadership, which may account for the relatively easy enforcement of COVID
restrictions. But Jameson thinks that something else is going on. “It’s not just authoritarian rule,” she said. “[The people in these regions] know when they’re asked to obey rules very strictly that they’re doing it for the benefit of each other, not just for themselves. So it’s that commitment to the other that has helped a lot in reducing the numbers.” There are also many religious practices in Southeast Asian Buddhism that are meant to prevent illness, which Jameson thinks “give people some sense of doing something. Some help, some hope.” In addition, social distancing measures are embedded in the culture itself, the New York Times pointed out last week. In Thai culture, for example, there is a habit of greeting others with one’s palms together, as if in prayer, rather than a handshake or an embrace. There is also speculation that some kind of genetic component has proven advantageous to the immune systems of people in the Mekong River region.
At this point, it’s hard to say if these countries are completely in the clear—even if it may be true that Buddhist culture is working for, and not against, the fight against the pandemic. “With the disease still looming, we have to keep our guard up,” Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin, COVID-19 spokesman for Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health, told the Times. EH
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Dharma Thoughts Vijaya Samarawickrama is an accomplished Dharma educator, teacher, and author. He retired after 60 years of teaching in schools, colleges and universities. However, he continues to give Dharma talks throughout the country, participates in inter-faith dialogues, speaks at various international seminars, and writes for Buddhist books and journals.
Transcending Human Suffering By Vijaya Samarawickrama
A brief glance at the world’s literature seems to indicate that through the ages each generation considered itself worse off than its predecessors, giving voice to various prophets of doom who confidently predicted that the end of the world was nigh and that the human race would be annihilated. Thankfully there were also saner voices which assured that while there were horrible calamites which assailed humanity there were also many positive developments which brought great benefits all around. The wise course of action they said would be to acknowledge that human existence has been characterised by both positive as well as negative experiences in a yin yang equation. This balanced view was probably best described by Charles Dickens in the opening paragraph of his novel A Tale of Two Cities. Describing the period during the French Revolution he writes “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going to heaven, we were all going directly the other way --- in short, the period was so far like the present period”.
160 years since the novel was written we still seem to be caught in the same dilemma of paradoxes. We would expect things to be different. Given the mind boggling advances in almost every aspect of human development, particularly in information, in technology, in communication and medicine, we would expect to be enjoying the benefits of civilisation, but more than at any other time in history we humans are living in despair and fear on scales which would have been unimaginable barely a century ago. especially when we look at the character and behaviour of the world’s leaders today we have to admit that there is little room for hope. Despite this bleak picture, however there is so much happening around us that we can be justified in believing that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Everyday we hear awe inspiring stories of brave and foresighted individuals who are doing so much to foster our shared humanity, people like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, just to name two. As part of the good news recently we have made initiatives to be more compassionate and accepting of marginalised communities like the LBGT besides increasing our concern for animal welfare. Can we dare to hope that some day in the future we will be able to rise above our base savage tendencies to live rich noble lives characterised by fraternal love, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity?
Dharma Thoughts Human suffering has its origins in two sources --- those that are cosmic and beyond our control and those that we ourselves have created. Many people who do not have a clear understanding of the working of karma tend to blame all our misfortunes on whatever mistakes we have made in the past. The Buddha clearly states that this claim is not entirely correct. According to him, the universe operates according to five natural laws, namely Utu niyama --- climate Bija niyama --- genetic Kamma niyama --- moral Citta niyama --- psychological Dhamma --- cosmic
These laws are closely linked in a complex web but
manifest themselves and predominate when the right conditions come together. Because of the influence of these other laws the working of karma does not always follow rigid predictable sets of rules. If there is a tsunami or earthquake for example, not everyone who is affected can be said to be playing out his or her karmic past. It could even be simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Geologists tell us that this is not the first time that the world has faced natural calamities. Millions of years before humans even appeared the planet was completely frozen over like a giant snowball while at another time it was struck by an asteroid which wiped out ninety percent of the life forms. Clearly these events had little to do with karma. Buddhists believe that we are not entirely at the mercy of external cosmic forces. Humans have the power to develop their minds to such an extent that they can exercise control over the other laws. For example weather or other natural occurrences can be controlled to a certain extent at least through the power of the mind. Many so called ‘miracles’ can be attributed to the power of the mind over matter. What was deemed miraculous a few years ago can be achieved through the advances in modern technology. Easily the problem of greatest concern for the entire world which affects every inhabitant on the planet is climate change. Everyday we are bombarded with news of the imminent dangers posed by rising temperatures,
severe weather conditions, rising sea levels, forest fires, carbon emissions, extinction of animal species and so on. People all over the world, especially the young are beginning to take the matter seriously and we can only hope that world leaders will be able to muster enough political will and demonstrate the intelligence to change the course of impending disaster. According to Buddhism, this can be done if we collectively focus our minds on it.
The second kind of human suffering is partly of our own making. The Buddha teaches that we can transcend the first kind of suffering with understanding and patience, by not succumbing to self pity and despair in the face body of the inevitable: ‘when body is sick, do not allow the mind to be sick as well’. The second type of suffering results from the actions of humans themselves. Since it is caused by humans, it follows that humans can end it. The entire teaching of the Buddha rests on the primary truth that since all actions originate in the mind, naturally they can be ended by controlling the mind: Mind is the forerunner of all states Mind created are they If one thinks with a wicked mind Wicked actions will follow Just as the wheels of a cart Follow the hooves of the ox (Dhp 1)
It is interesting to note that this profound truth is enshrined in the preamble to the UNESCO charter:
“Since it is in the minds of men that wars are created It is in the minds of men that the fortresses of peace Can be built” The Buddha states that all our suffering originates from three mental states namely, Lobha, Dosa, Moha (Greed, Hatred, Ignorance). Rather than blame suffering on a divine law giver, Buddhism declares that Ignorance --- not knowing things as they really are --- is the root cause of all our problems. Obviously each individual’s actions contributes to the behaviour of a community which means that if we want to solve the problems of the world we must begin with the individual. Problems
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BOOK IN BRIEF arise when the individual sees him or herself as a ‘person’ separate from all other beings. In reality this is an illusion because what we see as a ‘person’ is a constantly changing set of psycho-physical processes (mind and matter). This false sense of an ‘I’ gives rise to self-ishness which in turn is the cause of craving, grasping, greed or lust. As craving can never be satisfied one suffers a constant state of frustration, of dis-ease. Obviously to eradicate frustration one must eradicate craving which is caused by ignorance.
It is easy to see that at the core of all our problems is excessive greed and selfishness. Ever since the Industrial Revolution humanity has glorified the acquisition of material wealth by exploiting our natural resources no matter what the cost. And we have already begun to see how we have disturbed the way nature operates. We are already beginning to pay the price. The solution is simple --- to reverse the trend by replacing greed, hatred and delusion with their opposites. It will certainly not be an easy task but we have no other choice. EH
Rowing in the Dharma Sea by Ang Choo Hong. Price: RM 30.00 (postage RM 5.00) To order: https://bit.ly/2yd8j6H Telephone: 04-2287146 / 019-4187146 Email: ybbmhq@gmail.com
Rowing in the Dharma Sea is a Chinese Dharma book written by Ang Choo Hong, published in July 2019. The book deals with the practical issues of learning the Dharma, as well how to apply the Dharma to the many challenging issues of the world today. Divided into three parts, the first part of the book deals with how a lay Buddhist may apply the Dharma to his daily life. It comprises short articles of 2 to 6 pages, making it highly readable for beginners of Buddhism. The topics covered include: What Changed Steve Jobs, Meditation in Modern Life, How to Create Happiness in Business Enterprise, How to Deal with Changes within a Religion, Can a Person Believe in More than One Religion, How to deal with Depression, Dealing with Deviant Sects, and more. This section also investigates social and national issues from the perspective of the Dharma, such as Buddhist Contribution to Nation Building, Buddhist Expectation on the General Election, Post -505 Analysis, Internal Security Act, Buddhist View on Crimes, Peace in Myanmar and so on.
Section two of this book focuses mainly on recent development of Malaysian Buddhism. Herein, Choo Hong gives good accounts of , based on his personal experience , the momentous Puzhou Si Episode , the Contribution of the Malaysian Youth Foundation to the Development of Malaysian Buddhism, and the emergence of Lay Buddhist movement. These reports serve as a good memory for the future generation. The last section of the book deals with issues, challenges and trends confronting Buddhist movement worldwide. It is mainly a collection of the seminar papers presented by Choo Hong in numerous national and international seminars. It discusses the changes, transformation, revival and future of Buddhism. EH
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