Professional Documents
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Vol 5 Issue 1 Final
Vol 5 Issue 1 Final
Vol 5 Issue 1 Final
newsletter
Volume 5, Issue 1
January-March 2009 To avoid all evil, to cultivate good, and to cleanse one's mind —
this is the teaching of the Buddhas.
Dhammapada, 183
Over the years, I’ve come to realize Is there more? Of course there’s more. But this process is a good starting practice to
that most people will never know true understand our own nature, as well as the nature of the phenomena that we observe.
peace or harmony. I’ve also come to
see that in many religious groups,
peace has many different meanings.
In Memoriam: Robert Saunders
Peace, to me, is being happy, joyful,
in harmony with nature and being bal-
anced in all aspects of your life. If Robert Saunders, a mentor in the BCC, died on January 25, 2009. at the age of 82.
you are not balanced in your life, Robert's devotion to his BCC students reflected his own deep practice of Buddhism and
chaos will seep into your life, and confidence in the potential of the practice to bring relief from suffering. Robert served in
slow down your progress to en- World War II and subsequently earned a doctorate in art education. He worked as a
lightenment. You need to be at peace teacher and then as an art consultant to the Connecticut Department of Education. A
with yourself first, and then go into try- poet and an active volunteer for the Wadsworth Athenaeum art museum in Hartford,
ing to be at peace with those per- Robert maintained his vital interest in the arts after his retirement in 1992. He was an
sons, animals, plants, energies, and
early member and graduate of Ven. Thich Tri Hoang's Dharma training class and was an
divine forces around you.
ordained Dharma teacher. He shared the Dharma in local prisons and as a member of
You should meditate, at least to me, the Connecticut Council for Interreligious Understanding. On January 31, over 120
to see what you feel you need to friends gathered at Hai An Pagoda in New Britain, CT, where he was a member of the
change about yourself, and those English-speaking sangha, to remember Robert. He is survived by his son. His wife, Jean,
things you need to improve on or fo-
died in 1992.
cus on more directly.
T
while grudges and vengeance bring the
What is so hypnotic about this notion of o me, only Dharma practice defeats
world one step closer to destruction.
personal freedom that we're not noticing dukkha. The Eightfold path. This is the
To choose well, you must live well. We any objective indicators of how things are only way. I have tried just about
must respect our minds, bodies, and spirit. or are not working? We have obligations everything and found the only way to de-
Self-discipline and tolerance are essential and responsibilities to our family, our com- feat dukkha is the Dharma. Although I do
to good will. We create our own reality munity, our country, our world, and the fail at times to be happy, I know the an-
when we create our attitudes through re- journey we take to stabilize our true swer lies near. The answer lies within. If I
sponsibility and dedication to spiritual nature. True self-esteem is like a smile: it search myself, then usually I am humbled
laws. Self-respect requires self-discipline. arises naturally in a life lived well. by my imperfections. When I see my
Decency requires conscience and cour- wrongs, I can change.
age. Kindness requires forgiveness and pa- We worship individuality, as though we
each exist in our own separate universe, I have found lately my generosity is
tience.
which of course is untrue. And because it viewed as a sign of weakness by some
If my heart believes it's wrong to steal, is untrue, what may have once been indi- people in my environment. I see this as I
then in order to let myself steal something, viduality has now mutated into alienation. have been used for nothing more than
I may close off a little part of the way I re- Community esteem has been sacrificed to what I have. I have been ripped off and
ceive messages from my heart. If I believe self-esteem. Our society is terribly un- looked down upon as a result of being so
in kindness, then in order to be cruel, I happy precisely because our true nature is generous. It’s not just me. Others who are
may close off another little part of my divine and generous and merciful, and generous are treated this way, too. “What
heart. If I believe in courage, then cow- we're not acting like it. The Kingdom of evil lurks to find kind men weak?” It is
ardice may close off another little part of Heaven is a way of life, a path of kind- much easier not to sacrifice and to indulge
my heart. Where will you be when you ness and service and unselfishness. Such a in material pleasures without caring.
close everything off? Maybe it is a pit of lifestyle enables us to feel our true nature
self-hatred. now, even while the larger problems exist. (continued on p. 4)
When people expect, depend, and take community, so he can’t do what he did to
for granted your giving and your generos- me to anyone else. This isn’t about person-
ity, you have to ask yourself: Am I helping al gain.
this person? Am I creating a dependent?
There are those who believe there are no
Am I feeding his greedy desires? Greed is
coincidences in life, all things happen for
a burden based on desire. We all know
a reason or by our own actions. Instant
that mixing these two things is not good. It
Karma. I believe that we can realize the
all depends on the relationship you have
fruits of our karma in this same lifetime. Sri Lankan Buddha, by Val Clark
with the person you’re giving to and what
type of attitude they have. I am not saying Even though I have been what they call a Buddhism in Sri Lanka is pri-
not to give and be generous. I am saying model prisoner for 23 years, the actions of marily of the Theravada school. Accord-
not to let people use and take advantage my hands in the past are what they are. I ing to traditional Sri Lankan chron-
of you. took four human lives in my life. Now my icles, Buddhism was introduced there
vision has been destroyed. Could this be in the 2nd century BCE. The Pali Can-
Examples I can give: Anything from
instant karma or just incompetent surgery? on, having previously been preserved
canteen is a luxury because half the popu-
I accept the burden either way and per- as an oral tradition, was first commit-
lation or more doesn’t have it. So when I
severe. I have no choice but to continue ted to writing in Sri Lanka around 30
give someone a soup, I am giving them a
on my path to enlightenment and a final BCE. Sri Lanka has the longest con-
luxury. Now, I have given to people who
end to suffering in this human condition. tinuous history of Buddhism of any
take the soup and say, “Thank you,” and
have done with it what they will. And I Buddhist nation, with the Sangha hav-
Thank you, Rev. Adrienne for “coaxing”
have given to some people who have only ing existed in a largely unbroken lin-
me to write something for the BCCN. You
asked for more and more right away. It’s eage since its introduction in the 2nd
knew, huh? That it would feel good to ex-
as if they were not happy with what I gave century.
press these pent up emotions to an ear
them or they were just greedy. Monks from Sri Lanka had an
that hears and understands where I’m com-
important role in spreading both
ing from. It truly is a personal catharsis.
When one becomes dependent on you Theravada and Mahayana throughout
Peace to you. In the Dharma.
they expect you to give them something Southeast Asia. It was in Sri Lanka, in
every time you have something. When the 1st century AD, that Buddhist
you don’t, they treat you differently. monks assembled in Aloka-Vihara and
wrote down the Tripitaka, the three
I am not saying it is bad to be generous
or to give wholeheartedly, but I am saying Four Obstructions to Letting Go basket of the Teachings known as the
Christopher Brainerd (Eloy, AZ) Pali scriptures, for the first time. It was
that it doesn’t really help everybody we
Sri Lankan nuns who introduced the
give to all the time. If I am feeding Deprivation: Letting Go is not self-depriva- Sangha of nuns into China in 433AD.
someone’s greed or someone’s lust, what tion or martyrdom. Those are extremes, at- During periods of decline, the
am I feeding them? If people are viewing tachments to letting go. Follow the Middle Sri Lankan monastic lineage was re-
me as weak for being generous or kind, Way. Let go of positive or negative intent. vived through contact with Myanmar
then they obviously aren’t receiving the gift Go with the flow, the true intention of and Thailand. Periods of Mahayana in-
that I’m giving. Again, I am not saying not Buddha nature. fluence, as well as official neglect un-
to be generous; I am just sharing an
der colonial rule, created great
awareness I have reached. Passive: Letting Go is not being passive, un-
challenges for Theravada Buddhist in-
caring, indifferent, or ignorant. Be mindful.
I find myself going without the luxuries of Be aware of the surroundings. Just don’t re-
stitutions in Sri Lanka, but repeated re-
canteen 90% of the time. I go without cof- act. Instead, act with compassion, always.
vivals and resurgences—most recently
fee, but when I get some, everybody asks in the 19th century CE—have kept the
me for some. I usually give to them and to Passive-Aggressive: Letting Go is not being Theravada tradition alive for over 2000
some people who don’t ask. But I find passive-aggressive, disdainful, contemptu- years.
only a few give back when the table’s ous, selfish, or suppressing anger. Motiva- From the 16th century on-
turned. That’s okay because I never give tion for acts of humility and kindness is ward, Christian missionaries and Por-
expecting anything in return, maybe a selfless, not selfish. tuguese, Dutch and English colonizers
“thank you.” I like to see people happy, of Sri Lanka attempted to convert the
Careless: Letting Go is not being careless,
but some people need the Dharma more local population to Christianity. When
negligent, aloof, or unvigilant. We must cul-
than coffee or soup. the British won control at the
tivate good and discourage evil. Choices beginning of the 19th century
are made. Are they selfless and rooted in Buddhism was well into decline, a
compassion? I do not leave myself to my situation that encouraged the English
unskillful and allegedly good intentions! missionaries that then began to flood
Letting Go is removing the cloud of delu- the island. But against all expectations
sion and self-judgment to see things are the monastic and lay community
they really are, without intent. Notice. Act. brought about a major revival from
Non-React. about 1860 onwards, a movement that
went hand in hand with growing
nationalism, inspired in part by the
American Buddhist Henry Steel Olcott.
C
James Davie (Brent, AL) baritone vocal cords and emotional tears.
onsider the dream during the night. Be-
Seventeen of them walked into a cage
Daily I reverently enter the sanctuary fore falling into the sleeping state, you
with multiple purposes. A plastic trough
of silence and am fulfilled there, sometimes concentrate your mind on
since it is my source of strength. The about three feet high and four feet wide
something, like thoughts of your woman,
effective action that arises from my was filled with water. Two men dressed in
friend or job. Then when finally you fall
silence gives me a clear sense of be- street clothes (buttoned-up dress shirts and
asleep, you sometimes dream about the
ing. The quality of my silence con- pressed slacks), raised their arms high and
thoughts you previously concentrated your
veys more than a long speech. In sung above the rest. These two men, one
order to know my inner wisdom, I mind on prior to falling asleep. The thought
tall and dark, the other stocky and
have to be still. Silently still I em- was planted in your mind, and by its crav-
Caucasian, guided each man, one by
brace the peaceful stillness of my si- ing force to exist, took root in the dream
one, into the blue tub of water. Each of the
lent mind. state. The seed was planted through
seventeen men crossed their brazas (uno
thought-action, and when the conditions
My mind used to be like a monkey por uno) at their corazon, closed their
were ripe—you fell asleep, ready to
swinging from tree to tree. The mon- ojos, and with radillas scrunched up close
dream—the seed grew to fruition, the
key still shows up from time to time, to their torso, the two ministers guided the
thoughts concentrated upon while in the
but now I am able to tame him. Be- men’s cabeza y cuerpo under aqua fria. A
ing mindful of the monkey enables state immediately prior to falling asleep.
moment of peace and silence for them.
me to catch and skillfully embrace When they emerged from the water, the
him in order to wisely use my know-
Karma works like this. Karma is a created
energy which exists within another energy mass clapped loudly with smiles and tears.
ledge and abilities to make my life
worthwhile and to benefit others. and has a craving energy to exist in order This went on for a half hour, beneath a
to perpetuate its volition. Prana energy, the dark peaceful sky. Never had “Amazing
With silence knowledge subtle wind element, directs the karmic en- Grace” been sung with more passion.
And a clear sense of being ergy to its desired destination through the
My moments are filled. As I sung from outside the caged area,
sense of smell. This is how karma comes to
observing as I did, I felt interconnected to
fruition.
this peace movement. It was something
The Buddha said everything is conditional. special for sure. Wet, dark, serene.
It’s a mixture of subtle energies working in Another two songs entered my mind, the
unison to bring this phenomenon into exist- first by Aaron Neville: So I’m walking
ence. If you create the karma to be assaul- through this desert/and I’m not scared
ted, then these energies, present within though it’s so hot./I have everything that I
yourself, work together to place you in a ever requested/and I do not want what I
condition where the karmic debt is paid. have not got.
This is similar to gravity. Due to the collab-
The second is a soulful 50s song, “Stand
oration of cosmic energies, gravity exists
by Me”: When the night has come/and
and functions to push matter in a specific
the land is dark/and the moon is the only
direction. Karma, likewise, works like this.
light I see./No, I won’t be afraid. No, I
won’t be afraid./Just as long as you
stand,/Stand by me.
Another Night in Prison
Bobby Thiem (Florence, AZ) With harmony and flowing peace
surrounding this prison environment, I trust
Gathas
Please feel free to cut out this sheet along the solid lines and
for
Your
Practice
The textbooks of history come into our hands bound in decorative covers and set in crisp clear types. To the discerning reader, however,
their glossy pages are stained with blood and wet with streams of tears. The story of man's sojourn on this planet has generally not been
a very pretty one. For sure, deeds of virtue and flashes of the sublime light up the tale like meteorites shooting across the night time sky.
But the pageant of events that the records spell out for us unfolds according to a repeated pattern in which the dominant motifs are greed
and ambition, deceit and distrust, aggression, destruction and revenge.
Each age, when the dust of its own battles clears, tends to see itself as standing at the threshold of a new era in which peace and
harmony will at last prevail. This appears to be particularly true of our own time, with its high ideals and great expectations aroused by
dramatic shifts in international relations. It would be ingenuous, however, to think that a package solution to the tensions inherent in
human coexistence can be devised as easily as a solution to a problem in data management. To cherish the dream that we have arrived
at the brink of a new world order in which all conflict, in obedience to our good intentions, will be relegated to the past is to lose sight of
the grim obstinacy of those deep dark drives that stir in the human heart: the defilements of greed, hatred and delusion. It is these drives
that have brought us into this world of strife and suffering, and it is these same drives that keep the wheel of history turning, erupting
periodically in orgies of senseless violence.
Like any other stream, the stream of mundane existence inevitably flows in the direction of least resistance: downwards. The task the
Buddha sets before us is not the impossible one of reversing the direction of the flow, but the feasible one of crossing the stream, of
arriving safely at the far shore where we will be free from the dangers that beset us as we are swept along by the stream. To cross the
stream requires a struggle, not against the current itself, but against the forces that carry us down the current, a struggle against the
defilements lodged in the depths of our own minds.
Though violence, either overt or subtle, may hold sway over the world in which we are afloat, the Buddha's path to freedom requires of us
that we make a total break with prevailing norms. Thus one of the essential steps in our endeavor to reach the abode of safety is to "lay
down the rod," to put away violence, aggression and harmfulness towards all living beings. In the Buddha's teaching the "laying down of
the rod" is not merely an ethical principle, a prescription for right action. It is a comprehensive strategy of self-training that spans all stages
of the Buddhist path, enabling us to subdue our inclinations towards ill will, animosity and cruelty.
The key to developing a mind of harmlessness is found in the ancient maxim stated in the Dhammapada: "Putting oneself in the place of
another, one should not slay or incite others to slay." The reason we should avoid harming others is because all living beings, in their
innermost nature, share the same essential concern for their own well being and happiness When we look into our own minds, we can
immediately see with intuitive certainty that the fundamental desire at the root of our being is the desire to be well and happy, to be free
from all harm, danger and distress. We see at once that we wish to live, not to die; that we wish to be happy, not to suffer; that we wish
to pursue our goals freely, without hindrance and obstruction by others.
When we see that this wish for well being and happiness is the most basic desire at the root of our own being, by a simple imaginative
projection we can then recognize, again with intuitive certainty, that the same fundamental desire animates the minds of all other living
beings as well. Just as we wish to be well, so every other being wishes to be well; just as we wish to be happy, so every other being
wishes to be happy; just as we wish to pursue our goals freely, so all other beings wish to pursue their goals freely, without hindrance and
obstruction.
This fundamental identity of aim that we share with all other beings has implications for each stage of the threefold Buddhist training in
morality, mental purification and wisdom. Since all other beings, like ourselves, are intent on their welfare and happiness, by putting
ourselves in their place we can recognize the need to regulate our conduct by principles of restraint that hold in check all harmful bodily
and verbal deeds. Because afflictive deeds originate from the mind, from thoughts of animosity and cruelty, it becomes necessary for us to
purify our minds of these taints through the practice of concentration, developing as their specific antidotes the "divine abodes" of
lovingkindness and compassion. And because all defiled thoughts tending towards harm for others arise from roots lodged deep in the
recesses of the mind, we need to undertake the development of wisdom, which alone can extricate the hidden roots of evil.
Since the state of the world is a manifestation and reflection of the minds of its inhabitants, the achievement of a permanent universal
peace would require nothing short of a radical and widespread transformation in the minds of these inhabitants -- a beautiful but
unrealistic fantasy. What lies within the scope of real possibility is the attainment of a lasting individual peace within ourselves, a peace
that comes with the fulfillment of the Buddha's threefold training. This internal peace, however, will not remain locked up in our hearts.
Overflowing its source, it will radiate outwards, exercising a gentle and uplifting influence upon the lives of those who come within its
range. As the old Indian adage says, one can never make the earth safe for one's feet by sweeping away all thorns and gravel, but if one
wears a pair of shoes one's feet will be comfortable everywhere. One can never be free from enmity by eliminating all one's foes, but if
one strikes down one thing -- the thought of hate -- one will see no enemies anywhere.
Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi is an American Buddhist scholar-monk. He currently lives part-time at Chuang Yen Monastery. He is the founder of
Buddhist Global Relief, which provides relief to the poor and needy throughout the world regardless of nationality, ethnicity, gender, or
religion.