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To all or none,

Text by Banthe Sri-Lanka.

Friends:

The Seven Stages of Purification!

Following the Noble 8-fold Way the mind is purified in 7 stages:
1: Purification of Morality (sīla-visuddhii).
2: Purification of Mind (citta-visuddhi).
3: Purification of View (ditthi-visuddhi).
4: Purification by Overcoming Doubt (kankhā-vitarana-visuddhi).
5: Purification by knowledge & vision of what is Path and Not-Path.
6: Purification by knowledge and vision of Progress on the Path.
7: Purification of Knowledge and Vision (ñānadassana-visuddhi).
buddha Gautama

To all or none,

From Thich. Nhat Hanh

TheBuddha taught his followers to recite the Five Remembrances
Every day:
1)I am of the nature to growing old.
2)I am of the nature to have ill health.There is no way to escape having I'll health.
3)I am of the nature to die.There is no way to escape Death.
4)All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature to
change.There is no way to escape being separated from them.
5)My actions are my only true belongings.I cannot escape the consequences of my actions.My actions are the ground on which I stand.

As I wrote this ,I was smiling all the time.For those not
Accustomed to Buddhism,the text might sound harsh.

The first time I read Old Age in the Dhammapada ,is where I learned of impermanence ,of aging ,and ridding myself of the fear of Death.

This is Reality in it's purest form..

Loong
Smiling

To all or none,
Text sent by Banthe,a devoted Bhikkhu from Sri-Lanka,that has created avirtual Sangha ,called Saddhamma Sangha,which I have been member for a few years.If someone wants the url of that Sangha,send me a message.Also he includes the détails of the ceremony to TAKE REFUGE IN THE TRIPLE JEWEL.
Once you are a member you receive every day quotes and articles.
He is of the Theravadin lineage.Here what sent today.


The Blessed Buddha once said:
In the seen is merely the process of seeing, and what is seen.
In the heard is merely the process of hearing, and what is heard.
In the sensed is merely the process of sensing, and what is sensed.
In the thought is merely the process of thinking, and what is thought of.
So knowing, you will not be connected with that…
So disconnected, you will not be absorbed in that...
So neither ‘with that’ nor ‘in that’ you -are!- not -by that- sensation!
When there is no -you- inferred or conjectured by that very sensation,
then -you- are neither -here-, -there-, -both-, -beyond- nor -in between-…
Only this - is the End of Suffering!
Source: Udana – Inspiration: I – 10
Buddha Shakyamuni

To all or none
The text is by Banthe.



Friends:

Which 7 Knowledges makes a Person Ideal?




1: Knower of the Dhamma, Principles, and Causes (Dhammaññūtā):
The ideal monastic person knows the speeches, the sayings, the stories, & the poems of the Buddha.
He furthermore knows all the inspirations, question/answer sessions & commentarial explanations.
The ideal lay person knows the right principles of lay life, & what is rational & advantageous to do.
He knows and understands the duties & responsibilities of his own & other posts & occupations.

2: Knower of the Goals, Objectives, and Meanings (Atthaññūtā):
The ideal monastic person fully knows the complete meaning of this and that speech and text.
The ideal lay person knows the aim of his duty, or occupation & the real purpose of life: Happiness!

3: Knower of Oneself (Mattaññūtā):
The ideal monastic person knows how far he remembers the texts, & how deep he reaches in meditation.
He is aware of how far his moral purity, his faith, energy, awareness, concentration, & understanding is.
The ideal lay person knows his exact status, level, strength, knowledge, ability, & degree of morality.
He then acts accordingly and does what is needed to improve and reach greater & higher maturity.

4: Knower of Moderation (Attaññūtā):
The ideal monastic person knows moderation in using any alms food, robes, lodgings, and medicines.
The ideal lay person knows moderation in consumption, spending, speech, work, rest, & recreation.

5: Knower of Right Occasion (Kalaññūtā):
The ideal monastic person knows the right time for study, meditation, practical work, & solitude.
The ideal lay person knows the proper and punctual occasion for any dealing with other people.

6: Knower of Groups (Parisaññūtā):
The ideal monastic person knows any group of Nobles, priests, recluses, and householders and how
one ideally should approach, sit, speak, & behave in any such group for the greatest mutual advantage.
The ideal lay person knows individual differences, temperaments, abilities, & virtues of other people.
He knows this community have these rules & regulations; culture & tradition; they have these needs.

7: Knower of Persons (Puggalaññūtā):
The ideal monastic person knows those who wish to see Nobles, hear true Dhamma, & pay attention.
He knows those who are aware, testing, learning, & who acts accordingly. He knows those who do not.
The ideal lay person knows whether particular other people should be associated with, what can be
learned from them, & how they should be related to, employed, praised, criticized, advised, & taught.

Source: AN IV 113

loong
Messenger and learner

To all or none

Friends:

The 8 stages of Mental Mastery:




The Blessed Buddha explained the gradual way to mental mastery:
1: Experiencing forms on one's own body, one visualizes small forms,
as if they were external, (e.g. a tooth, a scar) both beautiful and ugly.
When mastering these, one understands: Now I know, now I see...
This is the first stage of mastery. (Beginning with familiar objects)
2: Experiencing forms on one's own body, one visualizes large forms,
as if external, (e.g. a leg, a bone) beautiful or ugly. When mastering
these, one understands: Now I know, now I see...
This is the second stage of mastery. (Mastering form perception!)
3: Not experiencing any internal form, one visualizes small external
forms. (e.g. a glass, a chair) beautiful or ugly. When mastering these,
one understands: Now I know, now I see...
This is the third stage of mastery. (Expanding object complexity!)
4: Not experiencing internal forms, one visualizes infinite external
forms. (e.g. a galaxy, a universe) beautiful or ugly. When mastering
these, one understands: Now I know, now I see...
This is the fourth stage of mastery. (Mastering size perception!)
5: Not experiencing internal forms, one visualizes external forms.
blue forms, forms of blue radiance, blue appearance, blue lustre.
When mastering these, one understands: Now I know, now I see...
This is the fifth stage of mastery. (Mastering colour perception!)
6: Not experiencing internal forms, one visualizes external forms.
yellow forms, of yellow radiance, yellow appearance, yellow lustre.
When mastering these, one understands: Now I know, now I see...
This is the sixth stage of mastery. (First consolidating repeat!)
7: Not experiencing internal forms, one visualizes external forms.
red forms, forms of red radiance, red appearance, and red lustre.
When mastering these, one understands: Now I know, now I see...
This is the seventh stage of mastery. (Second consolidating repeat)
8: Not experiencing internal forms, one visualizes external forms.
white forms, white radiance, white appearance, white lustre.
When mastering these, one understands: Now I know, now I see...
This is the eighth stage of mastery. (3rd consolidating repeat!)

Buddha Shakyamuni

To all or none
Text by Banthe

Friends:

What are the 3 kinds of Buddhist Gifts?



Three kinds of gift are mentioned in Buddhism, namely:
1: Amisa dāna: The gift of material things,
2: Abhaya dāna: The fearless gift of life,
3: Dhamma dāna: The gift of real Truth...

Amisa dāna: – or the gift of material things is practiced by people
of all religions and is very common. Food, clothes and houses are
given to people of little means or to refugees through various
religious and social organizations. It is, no doubt, a good thing to
satisfy the hunger of the starving & the yearning of the thirsty.
This type of donation is highly recommended in Buddhism and
is called the Amisa dāna. (The donation of material things).

Next comes the Abhaya dāna: - or giving life to those whose lives
are in danger caused by fire, water or enemies. Sometimes we
hear of people, who are about to die due to lack of blood.
To donate blood and save another human's life is indeed a great
thing. Donation of eyes and kidneys is also highly appreciated
and comes under Abhaya dāna – fearless donation of life.
When one leads a life according to the five precepts based on
harmlessness, loving-kindness and compassion we also give
fearlessness Abhaya dāna: to the rest of society.

The last one: Dhamma dāna: - or the gift of Truth of the Doctrine
is said to be the highest of all donations on earth. Why so?
Because it opens the Door to the Deathless Dimension!
There is no other giving, which is even remotely comparable.


Openhanded Giving is the 1st Mental Perfection...

Sabba dānam Dhamma dānam jināti
Sabbam rasam Dhamma raso jināti
Sabbam ratim Dhamma ratī jināti
Tanhakkayo sabba dukkham jināti

The gift of Dhamma surpasses all other Gifts.
The flavour of Dhamma surpasses all other flavours.
The delight in Dhamma surpasses all other delights.
He who has destroyed craving overcomes all sorrow.
Dhammapada 354

Buddha Gautama

to all or none
Text by banthe

Right after death during transmigration the Yāma deva asks one this:
"Did you never see in this world a man or a woman, eighty, ninety, or a 100
years old, frail, crooked as a gable-roof, bent down, resting on crutches,
with tottering steps, shaking, far from young, with broken teeth, grey &
scanty hair or bald, wrinkled, with black blotched limbs? Did that sight
never make you think, that you also will become old, and cannot escape it?
Did you never in this world see a man or a woman who, being sick, ailing,
and grievously ill, fumbling in own filth and excrement, lifted up by some
and put to bed by others? And did that sight never make you think that
you also inevitably will become sick, and that you cannot ever escape it?
Did you never in this world see the corpse of a man or a woman, 1, 2 or
three days dead, swollen up, pale bluish-black, smelling and half-rotten?
Did that repulsive sight never make you realize, that you indeed also
inevitably will meet death, disintegrate and that you cannot escape it?"
Source: (edited excerpt) Anguttara Nikaya 3:35

To all or none
Text by THICH NHAT HANH.

It is very clear in the Buddhist teachings that a Buddha is a living being.If the living being is not there ,the Bhuddha cannot be there.In order to be a Buddha,you need to be a living being.
And in order to be a living being,you need to be a Buddha,because the two are one.If the Buddha nature were not in you ,you would not be a living being.Every living being has the Buddha nature.
The practice of Mindfulness helps us to become the Buddha in the here and the Now.
This text is of the Mahayana lineage

Loong
Buddhist,Buddha in becoming.

To all or none
Text by Banthe


Friends:

What is the Chief Ability inducing Awakening?


The Blessed Buddha once said:
Bhikkhus, red sandalwood is known as the best among fragrant and
sweet-scented heartwoods. It is declared to be their chief...
Similarly, among the various states conducive to enlightenment the
Ability of Understanding is declared to be the best and their chief,
that is, for the swift attainment of this sublime Enlightenment...!
And what, Bhikkhus, are the states conducive to Enlightenment?
The Ability of Faith is a state leading to Awakening!
The Ability of Energy is a state leading to Awakening!
The Ability of Awareness is a state leading to Awakening!
The Ability of Concentration is a state leading to Awakening!
The Ability of Understanding is a state leading to Awakening!
Bhikkhus, these five abilities, developed and cultivated, if not present,
do not arise except after the arrival of a Perfectly Enlightened One,
a Tathāgata, an Arahat! These 5 abilities, which are advanced and refined,
do not arise except from the Discipline and Teaching of a Well Gone One!

Gautama Buddha

to all or none,

Text by Banthe

The Blessed Buddha once said:
How, Cunda, is purity of bodily action 3-fold?
1: Harmlessness!
Herein, someone avoids the destruction of all life, he does never kill any living being.
Without stick or weapon, careful, kind, gentle, and full of sympathy, he protects the
welfare of all living, sentient and breathing beings!
2: Honesty!
One avoids all stealing, abstains from taking what is not freely given, what another
possesses of goods and property in the village or in the woods, one does not take
any of that away with thievish intent!
3: Decency!
One avoids any illicit and abusive sexual contact, and abstains from all adultery:
One has no intercourse with children, who are under the protection of father,
mother, brother, relatives, nor with any married persons, nor with any convicts,
nor with betrothed persons, nor with those engaged to another partner!
This 3-fold purity of bodily action is obviously advantageous for all beings!

Buddha Shakyamuni