the tree of life sangha

UNDERSTANDING THE DHARMA

 

Dharmavidya David Brazier:

 

Buddhism has many scriptures (sutras). These derive from the teachings and conversations of the Buddha Shakyamuni. The texts have been passed down through some eighty five generations and along the way many different interpretations have emerged. With the arrival of Buddhism in the West, we see a further generation of new interpretations. Arguably, some of these take us further away from the original intention of the founder and some closer. I have myself advanced some proposals for how best to understand the Dharma and some of these differ from what is commonly read and taught these days.

 

Four Truths for Noble Ones:

At the heart of Buddhist teachings are what are generally called the Four Noble Truths. Commonly these are presented as a road to the ending of suffering. In my book The Feeling Buddha and elsewhere I suggest that this is a misinterpretation. Dukkha is such situations as  birth, aging, disease and death, separation, confinement and failure and we have to suffer these. What counts is how one does so. The "eightfold path" is not a route toward enlightenment, it is the path that issues from awakening to the real situation. The correct interpretation is that there are basically two ways to respond. One, the path of ego, just goes round in circles, generating more dukkha situations. The other, the way of nirodha - basically faith & practice - opens onto the (eightfold) spiritual path. Noble practitioners meet adversity in ways that are wise and compassionate. Worldly people meet them with selfishness, distraction and bitterness. Practise nirodha and the path opens naturally. This is the meaning.

 

Mindfulness:

The noble option of nirodha involves keeping Buddha & Dharma in mind, which is to say, in one's heart, in all situations. To do so is mindfulness in the true Buddhist sense. This is not a psychological technique of staying in the present moment. It is, rather, protection against what may happen if, in the present moment, one meets corruption, adversity or temptation. In this true sense, mindfulness is faith & practice. In Japanese it is called nembutsu, literally "keeping the Buddha in mind". If, in all situations, one sustains one's refuge in Buddha, one will not go far wrong.

 

Dharma:

It is often taught that the term Dharma has two (or more) meanings and these are often distinguished in translations by using upper or lower case initial letters which do not appear in the original language. It is said that Dharma is the teaching of Buddha and dharma are the manifold things in this world. I suggest that dharma, with or without a capital, has but one meaning and that is "fundamental truth", or, we could say, what is really real. Buddha's "teaching" is him pointing out reality and what we need to know about the phenomenal world is to discern whatever is fundamental. Much Buddhist teaching is concerned with the fact that ordinary experience is often based upon mere appearance that often turns out to be fake news. To live a spiritual life, one needs to address what is actually so, rather than superficial forms.

 

When we take these (and some other) key terms in this way, we receive a Buddhism that is coherent, clear and practical yet profound. It is fundamentally true that life for a sentient being includes many unavoidable dukkha situations and it is also fundamentally true that in this very existential situation a noble life is possible if one meet those situations mindfully in the above sense of the word. Doing so constitutes nirodha and the outcome of doing so is marga, the eightfold path, a truly spiritual life. The great diversity of Buddhist practices and teachings are all designed to assist and contribute to this.

 

Namo Amida Bu.

the five remembrances

Sr Thuận Nghiêm talked about the Upajjhatthana Sutta (Subjects for Contemplation) otherwise known as the Five Remembrances during the Spring Retreat. :: link

1. I am of the nature to grow old, I cannot escape old age.
Plum trees need to be trimmed so that their sap energy does not get dispersed into growing lots of branches and leaves, but instead can be directed to produce more fruits. We are the same, with the practices of mindfulness, we can grow old beautifully, bearing many fruits of happiness and peace. Who are our role models for growing old gracefully? Thầy, Sr Chân Không, Sr Chân Đức can be our source of inspiration for how to age with wisdom and beauty.
2. I am of the nature to get sick, I cannot escape sickness.
The Buddha taught that sickness comes from the way we consume and what we consume through edible food, sense impressions, volition, and collective consciousness. How is your consumption in daily life affecting your body and mind? Depression and loneliness are very prevalent in our society now. Fostering a community connection can alleviate these maladies because it brings the warmth of being in a family. Eating a vegetarian diet, organic food, meditation, exercise, relaxation and friendship are other important factors in the healing process.
3. I am of the nature to die, I cannot escape death.
We can remember the fact that each day that passes we have one day less to live, so we can do and say things to appreciate and cherish our loved one’s presence. When our parents have passed away, instead of regretting and lamenting their loss we can contemplate on what aspirations they had and we can continue to realize it for them. This is one way we continue them. How can we overcome feelings of resentment towards a loved one before they die? Try to look at the positive things they have done, and see the bigger picture, or the conditions that have made them the way they are.
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.
Life can be full of unexpected events, earth quake, tsunami, people we live with can die the next day. Do we take time to recognize the preciousness of our relationships?
5. I inherit the results of my actions of body, speech, and mind. My actions are my continuation. The echo in the mountains is our life. What we give out through the three actions of body, speech and mind comes back to us, even very little things in our thinking. If we have received positive things from a good environment, like a sangha, then we are more inspired to give back positively by sharing our peace and joy to others.

no escape retreat

Here's a moving article from Sr Tam Muoi, recently shared by Plum Village. It is such a beautiful and honest account of taking care of her elderly parents during the pandemic - the difficulties, the joys and the many aspects of our practice that have supported her.

 

https://plumvillage.org/articles/no-escape-retreat/

embracing anger

We can embrace all of our feelings, even difficult ones like anger. Anger is a fire burning inside us, filling our whole being with smoke. When we are angry, we need to calm ourselves: "Breathing in, I calm my anger. Breathing out, I take care of my anger." As soon as a mother takes her crying baby into her arms, the baby already feels some relief. When we embrace our anger with Right Mindfulness, we suffer less right away.

- Thich Nhat Hanh

still water

Breathing in, I see myself as still water.

Breathing out, I reflect things as they are.

 

Near the mountain, there is a lake with clear, still water reflecting the mountain and the sky with pristine clarity. You can do the same. If you are calm and still enough, you can reflect the mountain, the blue sky, and the moon exactly as they are. You reflect whatever you see exactly as it is, without distorting anything.

 

Have you ever seen yourself in a mirror that distorts the image? Your face is long, your eyes are huge, and your legs are really short. Don’t be like that mirror. It is better to be like the still water on the mountain lake.

 

We often do not reflect things clearly, and we suffer because of our wrong perceptions. Suppose you are walking in the twilight and see a snake. You scream and run into the house to get your friends, and all of you run outside with a flashlight. But when you shine your light on the snake, you discover that it isn’t a snake at all, just a piece of rope. This is a distorted perception.

We need to make our water still if we want to receive reality as it is.

 

When we see things or listen to other people, we often don’t see clearly or really listen. We see and hear our projections and our prejudices. We are not clear enough, and we have a wrong perception. Even if our friend is giving us a compliment, we may argue with him because we distort what he says.

 

If we are not calm, if we only listen to our hopes or our anger, we will not be able to receive the truth that is trying to reflect itself on our lake. We need to make our water still if we want to receive reality as it is. If you feel agitated, don’t do or say anything. Just breathe in and out until you are calm enough. Then ask your friend to repeat what he has said. This will avoid a lot of damage. Stillness is the foundation of understanding and insight. Stillness is strength.

 

Thich Nhat Hanh from “Touching Peace: Practicing the Art of Mindful Living"

Teachings on Mindfulness and Gratefulness