BP Vesak Issue 2015 by Buddhist Poetry

Sabbadanam dhammadanam jinati ! The Dhamma is the noblest of all gifts ! Dhammapada

Foreword Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma Sambuddhassa ! Honour to the Blessed One, the Exalted One, the fully Enlightened One !

It is with much joy and fervour that we present to you all our very first edition of the Buddhist Poetry Magazine on this auspicious occasion of Vesak 2015. We are motivated and inspired to come out with this endeavor for the first time on account of the sheer confidence and faith we have in the words of the Tathagata. Put together by the members of the Buddhist Poetry Community of Google Plus , a community with participants from all the four corners of the world with “One Purpose” as our motto and that have come together irrespective of different streams, to spread the light of Dhamma and also to help elevate the practice towards Enlightenment. We would also like to thank our Special Guests who had with immense metta accepted our invitation and contributed very valuable articles and poems. We are very honoured and grateful to have their noble words in our very first magazine. We sincerely hope you find our very first edition of Buddhist Poetry Magazine immensely inspiring , useful and enjoyable

With Much Metta and Gratitude !

The Buddhist Poetry Community of G+

All rights remain with the authors and the poets. No part of this publication including all original photos may be reproduced without the author’s/poet’s consent.

Contents Vesak Message ............................... Suranganie Dayaratne

Poem : Rest in Natural Great

Saskia Jonker

Peace....... Poem .......................................... Michael Cannon Special Guest : Poem - Scott Free... Bhikkhu Samahita

8 9

Book Review : Eye of Reality............... Stefan Thiesen

10-11

Poem : Linked Verse......................... Nandu Menon, Lucian Dan-

12-13

tes and Suranganie Dayaratne Poem........................................... Krishna Mohan Quotes......................................... Vakindra Laranya Book Review : "The Foundations of Bud-

14 15 16

dhism" by Rupert Gethin.................... Shantha Hulme Poems from the Dhammapada............. Mary Balfanz-Thomas and Lak-

shman Kodagoda Poem........................................... graeme russell ellis Haiku .......................................... Stephanie Mohan HaiInzan Gartland, Malintha Pere-

18 19 20

ku........................................... ra and Krishna Mohan Poem : Centred Sight ....................... m F Zenpoet

Poem : Calling Buddha...................... Suresh Gundappa

22-23

Poem : The Knife as a Discernment....... Denis Wallez

24-25

Special Guest : Meditation -Walking

Most Venerable Uda Eriyagama

Meditation..........................

Dhammajiva Maha Thero 4

Special Guest : Meditation - Mindfulness In

Most Venerable Uda Eriyagama

Your Day-to-Day Activities....................

Dhammajiva Maha Thero

Poem..............................................

Nandu Menon

Poem..............................................

Inzan Gartland

Poem : Just A Tiny Drop Of EmptinessWatch-

ing Itself In A Mirror ....................

Lucian Dantes

A Poem from Ajahn Sumedo ..................

Adamay 58

Special Guest : Sharing Merit.................

Bhikkhu Subhuti

32-33

Poem : In Praise of Buddha....................

Abhay B.

Special Guest : Book Review - Cutting

Through Spiritual Materialism................

Ratanayano Bhikkhu

Poem.............................................

Ratanayano Bhikkhu

Poem and Haiku................................

Timothy Fagan

The Way of the Truth..........................

purvaa i

38-41

From the Three Baskets : Kama Sutta.......

graeme russell ellis

Focus : Vesak Baby..............................

C Shakya

43-44

Poem..............................................

Stefan Thiesen

Poem : Siddhartha Arrives.....................

Shantha Hulme

46-47

Tribute for Yanty Tjiam........................

Yanty Tjiam

Shantha Hulme

Fabien Todescato

50 51

Poem : Mindfulness..............................

Fabien Todescato Malintha Perera

Poem : The Kiss of Solitude.....................

Malintha Perera

Book Review : ―Satipatthana, The Direct Path to Realization‖ by Bhikku Analayo............. Special Guest : Poem—The Noble Truth............................................... Poem : Vast Emptiness and The Owl................................................

Vesak Message

Message was given by the Buddha. We repeat, share as a reminder. Not right to keep for ourselves, as gift of Dhamma is the highest blessing. This is a season where sharing is important, as we all feel the greatness and service, sacrifice done for the sake of sentient beings. how one could forget, that strong message. Develop awareness, thus the actions will be wholesome. Curiosity will help to investigate. Ask, why can't I, if 7 ys. were able, work hard, practice, have courage, fulfill the task, before next Vesak arrives. Stepping stones are easy to find, if the need arise, listen to Dhamma, understand the reality, have a kalyanamitta, who can direct you. Develop morality, while faith is nurtured. Embrace the Triple Gem, you are protected. Don't waste time for meaningless rituals. Take the oath, to follow the Buddha,

Suranganie Dayaratne

but not the mirage, I, Me or Mine.

Rest in Natural Great Peace Walking along the shore Rays of sun raining down my lavished, silky skin Washing away the leftover fragments of unmirrored wholeness that, for so long, I lived within You gave me your eyes and made me see You gave me your touch and made me feel You gave me your View and now I know you gave me You And in doing so you showed me Me!

Saskia Jonker

When one lets go of affliction, Zen is no-Zen. When one clings tightly to affliction, The practice is non practice. Zen is affliction, When clung to as a raft. Practice is Bodhi, The raft relinquished.

Michael Cannon

Special Guest

Scott Free There is a place that has no location, not even time goes there eitherâ&#x20AC;Ś, no coming or going, arising or ceasing, its deathless, timeless, and stresslessâ&#x20AC;Ś This pure peace only is absolute freedom! Highest is this Happiness of Nibbana _/\_ So say all the ancient awakened Seers. May all beings become thus Happy hereby.

Buddhist Monk in Sri Lanka, Kandy What-Buddha-Said.net

bhikkhu samahita

Book Review Eye of Reality Year after year when I look around I see more empty spaces and more of the heroes of my childhood and youth-time pass away – a clear reminder of the time I myself have already spent as a living, breathing and feeling manifestation of cosmic dust on this miraculous little ―pale blue dot‖ drifting through space and time. I had the great luck of meeting many of the scientists, scholars and writers I so admired as a teenager, but one of them, who was a main force sending me off on the science track, I missed by a slim margin of time. As a Ph.D. student I was invited to the Bioastronomy 1996 conference on the Italian Island of Capri, organized by Carl Sagan, Arthur C. Clarke, Freeman Dyson et al for the International Astronomical Union. Sagan himself was about to lose his final fight against cancer and unable to attend, although we all felt the spirit of his work throughout the entire event. He passed away a few month later in that same year.

People like him drew me to science, and it was science, that made me turn to Buddhism. It is simplistic to say that science and Buddhism have much in common, as they also differ in many respects, and sometimes quite fundamentally so. Yet there is one basic outlook, one core concept both world views share: Reality. Neither science nor Buddhism shy away from looking reality straight in the eye. Life is suffering. We have no special place in time and space and the big, universal scheme of things. Our lifetime is limited and in the end we will return to the state of cosmic dust that we originally came from. But what about spirituality? Does it have a place in this seemingly cold and seemingly materialistic reality? Somewhere squeezed in between Physics and the modern Neuro-Sciences? I think it all begins with facing death and making peace with our own evanescent existence.

On his deathbed Carl Sagan, one of the few people I personally view as a teacher of all mankind, wrote in October 1996: “Six times now have I looked death in the face. And six times Death has averted his gaze and let me pass. Eventually, of course, Death will claim me—as he does each of us. It’s only a question of when. And how. I’ve learned much from our confrontations—especially about the beauty and sweet poignancy of life, about the preciousness of friends and family, and about the transforming power of love. 10

In fact almost dying is such a positive, character building experience that I’d recommend it to everybody—except, of course, for the irreducible and essential element of risk. I would love to believe that when I die I will live again, that some thinking, feeling, remembering part of me will continue. But as much as I want to believe that, and despite the ancient and worldwide cultural traditions that assert an afterlife, I know of nothing to suggest that it is more than wishful thinking. I want to grow really old with my wife, Annie, whom I dearly love. I want to see my younger children grow up and to play a role in their character and intellectual development. I want to meet still unconceived Grandchildren. There are scientific problems whose outcomes I long to witness(…). The world is so exquisite, with so much love and moral depth, that there is no reason to deceive ourselves with pretty stories for which there is little evidence. Far better, it seems to me, in our vulnerability, is to look death in the eye and to be grateful every day for the brief but magnificent opportunity that life provides. For years, near my shaving mirror—so I see it every morning—I I have kept a framed postcard. On the back is a penciled message to a Mr. James Day in Swansea Valley, Wales. It reads: Dear Friend, Just a line to show you I am alive and kicking and going grand. It’s a treat. Yours, WJR (…)

“On the front is a color photo of a sleek, four funneled steamer captioned “White Star Line Titanic”. The postmark was imprinted the day before the great ship went down, losing more than 1,500 lives, including Mr. Rogers’s. Annie and I display the postcard for a reason. We know that “going grand” can be the most temporary and illusory state. (…)” From Carl Sagan, “Billions and Billions” © The Estate of Carl Sagan, 1997

Stefan Thiesen

Linked Verse

yad rupam sa sunyata ya sunyata tad rupam

Sariputra, form is not other than emptiness and emptiness is not other than form form is precisely emptiness and emptiness is precisely form.

Verse 1 : Water

The sea exists in our consciousness as the waves The waves are real Till we can behold the sea Without its attributes

Nandu Menon

Ripples and waves are real But the mind can grasp only waves and ripples (shapes, forms, and names) and not the depth (which is form-less) But either as wave Or as the entire sea Water is real.

Lucian Dantes

Verse 2

Linked Verse

How will we all meet each other If we walk the same path ? We need to choose paths So that we come across each other And that is a learning

Nandu Menon

This path can lead to the place Where we all meet Because, ultimately There is no "we" There is only One Life.

Lucien Dantes

There is no We or I There is no Me or Mine Why worry? Whether meet or not As there is no one in the end

Suranganie Dayaratne

Mere cherry-blossoms Without past and future Let's burn utterly all thoughts In the awareness of here and now Leaving no trace.

Lucian Dantes

'Leaving no trace' No one knows Puzzle for Mara No clues Yet, gone Like a flame With no support.

Suranganie Dayaratne

Where ? spirit stays: me, you or in our interaction? love lives: me, you or in our kiss? faith flourishes: me, you or in our sacrifice? devotion dwells me, you or in our service? equanimity endures me, you or in our action? nirvana nestles: me, you or in our void?

Krishna Mohan 14

Quotes

Here it is--right now. Start thinking about it and you miss it Ch'an Master Huang Po

If you say the music comes from the lute, Why doesn't it play when it's put in its case? If you say the music comes from the fingers, Why don't you listen to the finger tips? By Upasaka Su Shi (Translated by M.Y.Fung)

Vakindra Laranya

Book Review

"The Foundations of Buddhism" by Rupert Gethin

This is my â&#x20AC;&#x2022;go-to-bookâ&#x20AC;&#x2013; on Buddha's teaching. In a way the title might be misleading, it is not an introduction to Buddhism, it is a solid foundation on Buddhism. Grasp of this author, dazzles me, I have not read anything else so comprehensive in one paperback. Clarity of prose is impressive. Gethin demonstrates a vision unsurpassable while explaining even the most difficult to grasp teachings. Things are brilliantly exposited and the comprehension of these is delightful as you read through these few pages. It takes a real grasp of the field to pull this off, and Prof. Gethin does it repeatedly. You can mine for years his topical bibliography. What more can one wish for? If you are looking for that one book that will leave you with a solid understanding of the core, this is the right book. The time you spent on reading fluffy semi-New Age ransacking of this greatest tradition, to pamper Western assumptions about the self and the cosmos, you will regret. Prof. Gethin has presented the different traditions in an honest way. without being disparaging about any one of them. It is indeed the fairest, most even-handed and factual account of the different traditions that I have come across. To this day it is the one book to which I refer regularly. His writing is wonderfully engaging. At times I pick it up to look up a fact, and find myself spending the next half hour absorbed in Gethin's vision. If only we had more scholars like this.

Shantha Hulme

Dhammapada

Live in joy, In love, Even among those who hate. Live in joy, In health, Even among the afflicted. Live in joy, In peace, Even among the troubled. Look within.

Mary Balfanz-Thomas

Be still. Free from fear and attachment, Know the sweet joy of the way. (Dhammapada, translated by Thomas Byrom)

â&#x20AC;&#x2022;Those who are slaves to passions, Run down with the stream (of desires), As a spider runs down the web which he has made himself; When they have cut this, at last, Wise people leave the world free from cares, Leaving all affection behindâ&#x20AC;&#x2013; Dhammapada # 347

Lakshman Kodagoda

War.... what is it good for ? Genocide ....why canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we calmly abide ? Culture, culture why do others act like vultures as the dying carcass of minority groups rot in the open field of western consumeristic sameness ? Roots have you lost your way ? When did you stop to smell the flowers in the forest ? Are you in contact with your higher self ? Gone gone gone it will be !! Act !!

graeme russell ellis

Haiku

Stephanie Mohan

Haiku inside of eyelids same as the shadow on the wall now don't cut them off !

Inzan Gartland

Malintha Perera

reflection seeking ego blindness

Krishna Mohan

make mirror disappear

Centred Sight >â&#x20AC;˘< >< As an hour glass of crystal blue spins crested with peacock feathers Midnight black meets the spaces between light And time falls descriptively on vision felt thought Presence is there within a translucent spinning top On an ice sheet lake with dashes of pirouetting energy spread about Where the company of the watcher meets for tea Stirring the blend with wooden peace If light could mesh with wings and mist In a synthesis of warm elevations of solitude There may be held a sight by-witch all essences converge From all reaches as you are one... And here you may dance in formless love

m F Zenpoet

Calling Buddha Years back I was visiting a Japanese temple dedicated to Buddha. Incidentally there is no statue of Buddha anywhere in the temple. Head priest who was in-charge of the temple was softly telling puzzled tourists that ;

"This awareness This empty space This silence is Buddha! ... Come and meet him!... If you have met him before, say hello to him again!".

This poem is all about meeting Buddha...... Calling Buddha.....again and again!...... In early days of every seeker, momentary separation from awareness is painful. While one tries to be as much as in awareness as possible, There will be moments where mind will separate you from consciousness., This poem is a reflection of pain, ecstasy, celebration and love of the awareness for you can call it Buddha !....."

We remain alienated from one another.. After such extended togetherness

..............Calling Buddha

We again depart again to meet again in the hope… This time our hearts would meet. Will these eyes ever witness a green and spotless spring Will the rains from heaven cleanse the garden of the stains of blood I recall that the eve of separation from our last lives… When I stood on this bank and saw you cross the river… Ruthless were the moments that followed the pangs of end of love Lightness were the morns that followed those generous sights of union I call for you…. I sing your name in this forest… The birds respond to my wail and return with a heavy heart….as the song stops I recall these moments… Though much was and much was said….

Suresh Gundappa but…what I went prepared from deep within my soul to say was left unsaid…. 23

The Knife as a Discernment

The knife as an object controls the mind of who intends to use it; the True Person cuts defilements with sharp compassion.

Illustration: Vajrayogini statue (lost wax method, hand-painted copper, Nepal — www.dharmasculpture.com/statue/5n1-vajrayogini-seated-copper-statue.html with the usual curved knife, kartri, ཆོས་ཆས། and skull cup.

Facing the urgency of suffering, lust, hatred and ignorance, I spend time on the web reading pointless posts, time I never had, time I will never recover, and I blame others for wasting my time; but who had the intention of reading ? Close my eyes, here! now!

Denis Wallez

Buddhist teacher, philosopher and priest (www.koan.mu)

Meditation

Special Guest Walking Meditation

Since sitting meditation was not so easy, Lord Buddha introduced walking meditation to compensate with sitting meditation. Each religion has their own meditation methods. But in no religion have I ever seen walking meditation other than in Buddhism. Waking meditation is like a predecessor,

In walking meditation you are either in standing or

a warm-up session before a jog or a run

walking postures with eyes open. Eyes downcast with sight two meters ahead of you. You keep at-

tention on the left leg and notice how it touches the ground, and the right leg and notice how it touches the ground. Your attention switches from right to left and left to right. In sitting meditation your upper part is working and lower part is idling and in walking itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vice versa. You will get very energetic in walking meditation and will not feel sleepy. You will also get less distortive thoughts or pain. This is why it is better to commence sitting meditation with at least 10 minutes of walking meditation. Many do not consider walking as a meditation and straightway commence with sitting meditation. This is like eating sour mangoes. You can only enjoy the ripe ones if you compensate walking and then switching to sitting meditation. Nowadays people are very involved in multi-tasking and have this notion that mindfulness is for closed-up people.

Mindfulness

Meditation

In Your Day-to-Day Activities

You can even be mindful in your day to day activities. Select certain tasks which you perform by yourself. Personal rituals such as brushing your teeth, things you perform without any disturbance from any one is ideal to practice mindfulness. First, perform them little slowly. Secondly, Determine mindfulness. You are not only brushing your teeth slowly, you are also doing it mindfully. Thirdly, listen to your own sounds. The amount of sound you cause really shows how mindful you are. The greater the noise the more unmindful you are. Perform your tasks Slowly, Mindfully and Silently If you do not contribute silence in your day to day activities, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect silence to come during your sitting meditation.

DHAMMAJIVA VEN.

Most Venerable Uda Eriyagama Dhammajiva Maha Thero is the Chief Preceptor at Meetirigala Nissarana Vanaya, Sri Lanka's most respected meditation monasteries. http://nissarana.lk/

I see the shimmering radiance Of a mirage in spate. Embracing the horizon, in an Enchanting grip. No wind can stir it. Nor could the dust, the grit - taint it I move towards the allure -it retreats. Headlong do I rush, Not Aware, That like the wind churns up the dust Only to leave it So should I fail ....fall, To become everything, that springs from nothing , ....The womb of the mirage.

Nandu Menon

(Not-Titled) Sit down, shut up, and listen to this, that and the other dharmas to not-this, not-that, and no-dharmas, Other or otherwise. So many voices, so many words Everyone has everything to say about everything Every minute, every day, every continent, every ocean. The spaces between the words, the rests between the notes, the not-tick, the not-tock That's what I need to hear What I need to listen to Shhh, the keys click too loud This field was empty before the typing.

Inzan Gartland

Guiding teacher, One Mind Zen Sangha 하나의 마음 http://onemindzen.org/

Just A Tiny Drop Of Emptiness Watching Itself In A Mirror

I startled. I thought it was the branches hitting, sporadically, my window. But I was wrong, that was me, too ... It was me, no longer dressed in either my body, or in my thought but just wanting to turn the seeing inward. I was just a tiny drop of emptiness watching itself in the mirror. And then I saw : After the stars will be extinguished I will linger as a lonely, naked, tear projected unto the burned retina of the sky.

Lucian Dantes

Awareness is your refuge: Awareness of the changingness of feelings, of attitudes, of moods, of material change and emotional change: Stay with that, because it's a refuge that is indestructible. It's not something that changes. It's a refuge you can trust in. This refuge is not something that you create. It's not a creation. It's not an ideal. It's very practical and very simple, but easily overlooked or not noticed. When you're mindful, you're beginning to notice, it's like this.

Adamay 58

Form Ajahn Sumedo's book "The Sound of Silence"

Special Guest

Sharing Merit A person asked me about sharing merit related to two posts I had. In short, I had organized a wireless translation system for Venerable Pa-Auk Sayadaw's Dhamma Talk. It went well. Since the listeners were receiving the translation over the FM Radio, we did not know how many yogis were listening in. I remarked, Uncountable listeners, uncountable merit.

He asked: May I ask what the merit is (which is uncountable)? This has always perplexed me; the idea of merit. Perhaps it just means passing on of spiritual energy? My Reply: Kamma is energy caused by any of the three doors. But they are also seeds that can grow and expand that can create new seeds too. So giving the Dhamma is the highest because it can expand into better futures for people and less bad kamma for them and others if they listen and put into action. Likewise, Dhamma leads to Nibbana! We could say all kamma is immeasurable because we do not know all of the effects. But I was using a little bit of word play, since we did not know the number of listeners. Sharing merit, is a simple rejoicing. By appreciating what I have done, you are experiencing a positive mind. This is also kamma, but small in comparison. I lose nothing when you appreciate. However, it can implant some seeds. You might want to do something good in a similar way through this inspiration. This is what sharing merit is all about. All action is preceded by thought. Sharing merit is also related to a group of people chipping in to donate something or perhaps you have done something like this with buying a birthday gift for someone. 32

I helped along with with my donors of the equipment to help people to get the Dhamma. So, we chipped in with this Dhamma gift. This is a more direct approach that does not need much explaining.

As far a rejoicing is concerned. It might be easier to see the opposite. Suppose I am a racist living with racists and I kill someone from <XRace> and I do not get punished because the government agrees with racism. When word gets out, or I share bad merit, this will cause more hate to grow and further bad action. More killing, more sharing, more killing, etc. In the same way, good be begets good, bad begets bad. So share in good merit! Rejoice!

Bhikkhu Subhuti

Buddhist Monk, Pa-Auk Meditation Center, Myanmar (Burma) http://www.withmetta.net/

In Praise of Buddha A Prince of Magadha, my friend; A Prince of Magadha, The future king. Choose to become a Buddha, my friend; Choose to become a Buddha, life of wandering. A path he discovered, my friend; A path he discovered, The dhamma. And said intentions do matter, my friend; And said intentions do matter, The kamma. Only doing of good he taught, my friend; Only doing of good he taught, The kusala. And said develop it diligently, my friend; And said develop it diligently, The sila. Develop the focus he said, my friend; Develop the focus he said, The Jhana. Leading the highest bliss, my friend; Leading the highest bliss, The Nibbana.

Abhay B.

Special Guest

Book Review

Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism

Walking the spiritual path properly is a very subtle process; it is not something to jump into naively. There are numerous sidetracks which lead to a distorted, ego-centered version of spirituality; we can deceive ourselves into thinking we are developing spiritually when instead we are strengthening our egocentricity through spiritual techniques. This fundamental distortion may be referred to as spiritual materialism. "The problem is that ego can convert anything to its own use, even spirituality. Ego is constantly attempting to acquire and apply the teachings of spirituality for its own benefit. The teachings are treated as an external thing, external to "me," a philosophy which we try to imitate. We do not actually want to identify with or become the teachings. So if our teacher speaks of renunciation of ego, we attempt to mimic renunciation of ego. We go through the motions, make the appropriate gestures, but we really do not want to sacrifice any part of our way of life. We become skillful actors, and while playing deaf and dumb to the real meaning of the teachings, we find some comfort in pretending to follow the path." "It is important to see that the main point of any spiritual practice is to step out of the bureaucracy of ego. This means stepping out of ego's constant desire for a higher, more spiritual, more transcendental version of knowledge, religion, virtue, judgment, comfort or whatever it is that a particular ego is seeking.

One must step out of spiritual materialism. If we do not step out of spiritual materialism, if we in fact practice it, then we may eventually find ourselves possessed of a huge collection of spiritual paths. We may feel these spiritual collections to be very precious. We have studied so much. We may have studied Western philosophy or Oriental philosophy, practiced yoga or perhaps studied under dozens of

Our vast collections of knowledge and experience are just part of ego's display, part of the grandiose quality of ego. We display them to the world and, in so doing, reassure ourselves that we exist, safe and

great masters.

secure, as "spiritual" people. We have achieved and we have earned. We believe that we have accumulated a hoard of knowledge. And yet, having gone through all this, there is still something to give up. It is extremely mysterious! How could this happen? Impossible! But unfortunately it is so. Excerpts from Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism by Chรถgyam Trungpa Rinpoche, 1973

Honey, even now, is flower, nectar, beehive, till the sapient bee cognizes flower, nectar, beehive, even now, are honey.

Heaven, even now, is faith, hope, and charity, till forgiveness recognizes

Ratanayano Bhikkhu

faith, hope, and charity, even now, are heaven.

Buddhist Monk in Myanmar (Burma) ratanayano.blogspot.com

Bamboo stems glisten The mountain wears misted robes Beneath the Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s moon Clouds curl and twist above me As pipe-smoke in a still room On the Lotusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; petals rest Droplets of beaded mercury As rolling sheets fall upon the valley The old pine tree bristles A drenched sparrow finds shelter beneath its ancient boughs I climb the hills in driving rain My frame is bent double with toil

Cicada shell Little did I know It was my life - A death poem by Shuho

Timothy Fagan

The Way of the Truth

Focus

The Buddha has said “Sabbe kamma jahassa bhikkhuno Dhunamānassa pure katam rajam” “A meditator who gives up making new kamma (action) Combs out the old defilements as they arise” Dhunamānassa, like a cotton carder who cards out all the impurities from the cotton , so a meditator combs out, card out all the defilements from oneself. This is very important to understand, old kamma have to be eradicated and in order to do so the process of making new kamma must stop or lessen at the least. When new kamma are not formed, old kammic defilements get a chance to come up on the surface and from there they can be destroyed completely. Just like in a glass of still water , the impurities settle on the surface so that they can be removed , in the same way old kamma settles on the surface of our minds so that they can be rid off. But how exactly do these Kammic Defilements come up on the surface? Upekkhā (Equanimity) is the key , an Important constituent of the Seven Factors of Enlightenment. Upekkhā is holy indifference , it is the ongoing process of non – reaction , whether pleasant or unpleasant sensations , a good meditator will not react to them when they arise. Sati (Awareness or Mindfulness) is the other key. An extensive establishment of Sati i.e _Satipatthāna_ is essential for realizing the Four Noble truths. Sati too is one of the seven Factors of Enlightenment along with Upekkhā. Sati and Upekkhā are like two wheels of an Ox Cart which help one realize the final goal .They have to be there in the beginning of the practice , in the middle of the practice and stay till the end of the practice.. 38

They are like the two wings of a bird without which the bird cannot fly , let alone leave its nest for its first flight. Therefore for liberation one needs to develop Sati and Upekkhā .Unless all old action is destroyed , eradicated , there is no liberation from suffering.. Just like darkness disappears when light is present , all ignorance disappears when wisdom is present. Suffering can not be eradicated by means of reading scriptures or intellectualizing alone. No matter how Lofty the teaching or philosophy. Even reading and comprehending the word of the Buddha , memorizing , taking notes and even understanding at the intellectual level all the sacred scriptures that exist on his Terra Firma may do nothing to help one come out of suffering in a complete sense. Though One may feel that by reading the all the various scriptures , all the Vedas , the Tipitaka , all the philosophies of the world , all the ancient knowledge , chanting suttas etc may inspire one , may help one achieve some peace of mind but this so called peace of mind is only at the apparent , superficial level. This ―peace‖ doesn’t extend to our innermost subconscious mind. The outer conscious mind doesn’t know what is happening at the innermost subconscious level. At the conscious level most people know the difference between wholesome and unwholesome action but the subconscious mind doesn’t understand that and it continues to indulge in unwholesome action for aeons to come. So even after learning such philosophies of different variants one is not liberated. This is such great Danger indeed!

For Ultimate Liberation , our innermost defilements , the Anusaya Kilesa , i.e the sleeping volcanoes of defilements ,must be eradicated. One may never know when this sleeping volcano might burst and scald sentient beings with its burning magma. For this, development of Bhāvanā mayā Paññā i.e Experiential wisdom is very important. This Bhāvanā mayā Paññā is the bridge connecting our outer conscious mind to our inner subconsciousness bringing us ultimate awakening.

The Buddha gave much importance to Bhāvanā mayā Paññā (experiential wisdom) and not to Sutamayā Paññā (Wisdom through reading or listening) Or Cintā mayā Paññā (Wisdom through mental reflection). One may argue that experience is not always necessary. That may be true to some extent. One need not drink poison just to know if one is capable of dying ! The Experience of others is enough in that case. In worldly matters we can rely on the wisdom of others , our teachers , our friends and comrades , our elders , but one cannot rely on the wisdom of others in the profound field of Spirituality , One has to realize the truth for oneself. No one can do it for you. One alone has to walk the path. The Buddhas can only show the way. The Buddha Exhorts us to develop this Bhāvanā mayā Paññā , the experiential wisdom which helps one realize the final goal. A weak translation of Bhāvanā means Mental Culture or Meditation.

But it is not just any meditation , it is a meditative practice specifically directed at realizing the truths of Anicca (Impermanence) , Dukkha ( Suffering) and Anatta ( Egolessness).

These three together comprise the final stage of realizing the Four Noble Truths. Knowledge of these three alone is Paññā (wisdom). These three alone can give final deliverance… Such a practice of Mental Culture is Vipassanā. Vipassanā gives insight “Visesena passati’ ti Vipassanā”

knowledge into Anicca , Dukkha And Anatta. The-

“Passanā” means to see , “Visesena” means in a special way , the correct way.

se three comprise the entire field of suffering.

That which sees in a special way , the correct way is Vipassanā. When one transcends , Anicca , Dukkha and Anatta , one transcends the entire field of suffering into complete release from suffering. One thus realises the ultimate Truth where there is no mind and no matter to grasp anymore. One doesn't have to blindly accept the above statement, one can actually exercise the opportunity to realise it in this very life , "Akāliko" , Here and now , and see for oneself and become a Viññūhi , a wise person. The Dhamma is for all to see "Ehi passiko" Come and see Why does one have to realise the truth is a greater question whose answer lies in realising the truth itself. The Path is not mystical in any aspect ,and much far away from it , this is the Middle way far away from dogma and sectarianism.

There is no magical way out of misery. Unwholesome actions cause misery and wholesome actions cause happiness and this is a truth experienced by all. Dhamma is thus a field beyond all sectarianism. The Way of the Truth is long path but every journey begins with the first step.

Let us all take the first step , then the second and then complete all the steps to reach the final goal. May all Beings be happy !

purvaa i

Kama Sutta

From the Three Baskets

If one, longing for sensual pleasure, achieves it, yes, he's enraptured at heart. The mortal gets what he wants. But if for that person — longing, desiring — the pleasures diminish, he's shattered, as if shot with an arrow. Whoever avoids sensual desires — as he would, with his foot, the head of a snake — goes beyond, mindful, this attachment in the world. A man who is greedy for fields, land, gold, cattle, horses, servants, employees, women, relatives, many sensual pleasures, is overpowered with weakness and trampled by trouble, for pain invades him as water, a cracked boat. So one, always mindful, should avoid sensual desires. Letting them go, he'd cross over the flood like one who, having bailed out the boat, has reached the far shore. Samuytta Nikaya 4.1 Translated from pali by Thanissaro Bhikku

graeme russell ellis

Focus

Vesak Baby

A popular public ritual during Vesak Day is the ―lustration of the child Siddhartha,‖ sometimes called the bathing of the Buddha, which is not historically correct, as he is still the Bodhisattva then. The ritual is mainly based on such texts as the Acchariya Abbhūta Sutta (M 123) and the Commentaries, especially the Introduction of the Jātaka Commentary (J 53).The Acchariya Abbhūta Sutta (M 123) says that the child Siddhartha is born totally pure, like a gem on a piece of exquisite Kasī cloth: neither he soils the cloth, nor the cloth soils him. Then, it is said: ―When the Bodhisattva came forth from his mother’s womb, two jets of water, one cool and one warm, seemed to issue forth from the skies, washing the Bodhisattva and his mother.‖ (M 123.19/3:123). It is in this connection that we today mindfully ―bathe‖ the child Bodhisattva Siddhartha, that is, recollecting the most fortunate appearance of the Buddha-to-be in our world for the benefit of all beings. There are other legends that say that he is able to walk and talk as soon as he is born, and when he walks, his feet do not touch the ground, but are supported by seven lotuses. This is the ancient Indian way of saying that this is no ordinary child. He is born into the world, but is untouched by the world, like a lotus, although rooted in the mud, blooms beautifully in the bright sun. This also reminds us that, despite our defilements of greed, hate and delusion, we can rise free from them by practising the Buddha’s teachings of inner peace The baby Bodhisattva or child Siddhartha reminds us that we are still a baby or at least a child in our spiritual development. We still need a role model, that is, the Buddha. We need a method of personal development and mental cultivation, that is, the Dharma. But we must never despair as there are many others who have gone ahead of us: they are the true individuals of the holy Sangha, the great awakened saints.

May I study, practise and realize the true Dharma. May I not be distracted from the path of the true light by its colourful reflections, so enticing yet hollow and misleading. May I keep on moving, even if slowly or even if I have stopped for a moment. May I have the energies of the Bodhisattva to never lag in my striving for spiritual awakening. Source : http://www.owlsdaughter.com/2010/05/blessings-of-the-full-moon-in-sagittarius-3/

May I have the wisdom of the Buddha to see things as they truly are, and his compassion to show others the right way, too. When I am alone in my struggle for good and happiness, without my loved ones, my friends, or those I respect, may I recall the lone light of the awakened Buddha under the Bodhi tree. He sits alone in joy and light, and soon the bright dawn warms upon him. He never gives up. As time flies by, may I put my best into life, and give my best to those around me, that the world may be a better place. When it is my turn to return to a new life, may I see with joy a new and better world, ever closer to the Buddha. Bathing the baby Bodhisattva Traditionally, we mindfully pour three ladles full of water over the image of the child Bodhisattva. As we pour the first ladleful, we should reflect: ―May my bodily actions be free from greed and other unwholesome roots.‖ As we pour the second ladleful, we should reflect: ―May my speech and communication be free from hate and other unwholesome roots.‖ As we pour the third ladleful, we should reflect: ―May my thoughts be calm and clear, free from delusion and other unwholesome roots.‖ The three bows of joy As we bow before the child Bodhisattva image or the Buddha image, let us exult in the three wonderful joys: With the first bow, rejoice thus: ―The Buddha has arisen in this world and we still remember him as the world teacher. I aspire to be like the Buddha in his wisdom and compassion. With the second bow, rejoice thus: ―The Buddha Dharma is still with us, and lives in us as long as we practise it. I aspire to taste the peace of its beauty and the clarity of its truth, and to share it with others. As I learn I will teach; as I teach I will learn.‖ With the third bow, rejoice thus: ―The Noble Sangha of Saints is my true refuge. The acts and awakening of the great saints – monks, nuns, laymen and lay women – inspire me to seek liberation in this life itself, at least as a streamwinner. For those who aspire to become Buddhas, I rejoice in their courage and sacri-fice.‖ Revisioning Buddhism 52 [an occasional re-look at the Buddha’s Example and Teachings] Copyright by Piya Tan ©2012

C Shakya 44

Cybermonk sits on the mountain top, in a world that ceases to exist. In a golden moment his Buddhadog hopes that the trajectory of compassion will finally cross the path of reality. But Cybermonk knows, the crossing point is just an instance in time, a speck of nowhere in the nothingness. He quietly cites the mantra of merging, and the universe waits... Attribution- ShareAlike 2.5 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.5) Stefan Thiesen, Honolulu, 1994

Stefan Thiesen

Siddhartha Arrives thus it is revealed, the story of his birth surveying this world from heaven above, Buddha to be, sees that those in the middle country of Jambudvipa, would be receptive to the word of one such as he; Siddhartha is conceived on the full moon night of Asadha (July) A queen dreams, a white elephant carrying, white lotus at the door of her womb. for ten lunar months, Maya carries the sakya son in her womb, longs to see her parents; on way to her father's kingdom on the full moon of Vaisakha (May) passing by the Lumbini grove; her entourage;

hand maidens wait upon her, queen is glowing beauty of the spreading sala trees of Lumbini beguiles her, She steps down from her palanquin to enjoy the trees in the grove, as she reached for a branch of a sala tree, it bent itself down to meet her, even as it bent, it shot forth new blooms pangs of birth visit queen; baby Buddha once he was born, takes seven steps, Lotus blooms to meet his steps. Siddhartha so called because his purpose is accomplished, looks in the four directions, one hand to the sky and one to the earth below, pointing, says he; "In the sky above and the sky below, i am the holiest.'' "I am chief in the world, i am the best in the world, i am first in the world this is my last birth, there will be no further birth" he dispelled the sorrows of the world; for him there was no more coming to be; this was his last birth: streams sparkling cooling warming dropped from the skies washed the baby as he was born;

Shantha Hulme

Tribute

even Arhats express differently reflection

Buddhas who have arrived on land troubled sea

A Special tribute to Yanty Tjiam who passed away on 3 April 2015. May she attain Nibbana !

Yanty Tjiam

Book Review "Satipatthana, The Direct Path to Realization" by

Bhikku Analayo This is the most in depth commentary available in the English language on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. Once I read it, the Buddha's words sank in as if they were meant to. I reached an understating on how to conduct myself in a wholesome way. I read it many times, and find new insights every time I read it anew.

The message is conveyed in the kindest and gentlest spirit, it is methodical and brings color and life to the Satipatthana Sutta. I have made profound strides in my practice, thanks to Ven Analayo. This book never ceases to bring me eagerly and gently down the path. It inspires me to write this poem, this is how I felt as I understood the sections of this book in stages and put these to practice. like waves of the ocean rolling kissed by beams of a lighthouse flashing each wave at its peak is mind's liberation, step at a time; my gratitude flows, endlessly, relentlessly to the ones who make the timeless dhamma, immediate, easy to see; a vehicle for deliverance, brings it home to me. Christopher titmus has said that he believes this commentary witten by Ven. Analayo surpasses all previous commentaries written in the Theravada in tradition in the past 2000 years. You will agree once you read it.

Shantha Hulme 49

Special Guest

"Birth is suffering, Ageing is suffering, Death is suffering, Being parted from one's beloved is suffering." And yet there's no place of deliverance other that in the heart of suffering.

The Noble Truth As the shadows dance in the twilight of my heart The echoes of her absence, though we are worlds apart, Come to the lonely shores, across ocean of pains, Where long ago I bore that ancient burden. Now, naked in the swell, amidst golden foam and bubbles, I laugh as I dwell in that kingdom of struggles, Like the prince of the eight wordly winds, swirling in the storm, Who dances, haughty and serene, beyond name and form.

Fabien Todescato

Vast Emptiness Emperor Wu of Liang asked the great master Bodhidharma, "What is the first principle of the holy teaching?" To which Bodhidharma replied sternly, "Vast emptiness, nothing holy." The Blue Cliff Records, Case

Fabien Todescato

The Owl Sitting alone by the campfire, Chilled to the bones, by the dying embers, I watch a rim of stones in the dancing shadows, Hatched in the grim tones of the fading glow, Like a circle of emptiness devoid of form, The eye of the deathless, the unborn, And I feel my soul gently sway and dissolve in the vast night, As if carried away by the owl in its smooth flight.

Mindfulness On these grounds I unfasten my self the names with their sticky posts stuck on my thumb already sore from a lifelong of sucking now the taste of blood

On these grounds I zip my mouth for silence is the womb and words are a miscarriage disturbing the flux from taking shape cause and effect

On these grounds I see a non-self an eye of the ripple of a gushing spring where movements are born where blades of weeds are the only onlookers arching dispersing their seeds ......form

Malintha Perera

The Kiss of Solitude I scraped off my lipstick a strawberry pink meshed with your lips got

lost

in the contours shut off the traffic running blood cells

I was a child again playing with a rubber band stretching silence to its zenith adjusted it this way and that, till I made an emboss from your saliva ........an aftertaste that still lingers with the zest of bliss bursting out of a lemon rind.

Malintha Perera

Sadhu ! Sadhu ! Sadhu ! May all beings be

For Reading ..... Free from suffering !