Written by : Dr Jerome
In the depths of the samsaric ocean, Ven. Phra Mana shared that we can find lots of unknown challenges, problems and uncertainties in life. And life after life, we had lived with ignorance of the truth that all conditioned things are impermanent (anicca), unsatisfactory (dukkha) and anatta (non-self). And through attachment and craving, we conditioned our next existence. We should see that our attachment to material and thoughts brings us suffering. To be relieved from our unhappiness in life, we need to learn to let go of our craving and attachments to material and thoughts. We need to live in the present moment.
The Buddha is compassionate and kind enough to provide us with solutions to cross this ocean of samsara to the other shore. These solutions are “floats” to help us cross the ocean. These floats can come in form of loving kindness (metta) meditation, chanting, concentration (jhana) meditation, insight (vipassana) meditation, etc.
In Buddhism, there are many different schools teaching many different techniques with the sole purpose of teaching us ways to tame the untrained mind. There is the Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana and each of these have their different lineages. Some people start to compare these “floats”, claiming that some floats are more colourful, some are not, some are easier, some are more difficult. These people fail to see the purpose of learning the Dhamma. The purpose of learning of Dhamma is to learn to reduce our aversion and attachment with the help of these “floats”. The existence of different kinds of “floats” serve the purpose of helping people with different temperament and habits. Hence, when we compare different type of Dhamma practice and meditation techniques, the emphasis is wrong! Instead of learning to reduce our attachment and aversion, they increase their attachment and aversion on different types of lineages. And in doing so, they are not learning the Dhamma and in fact they have not started learning the Dhamma! We need to have the right understanding that different floats serve different purposes but the main aim of cultivation is to tame the untrained mind.
On the other hand, some practitioners loved to study scriptures and research Buddhist texts. This by itself is not a bad thing. But without practice and realisation, this only translate to pure knowledge. Using an analogy, smokers know that smoking is bad but they still continue smoking. Why? Because they are unable to liberate themselves of the bad habit even after knowing that it is harmful to the body! In a similar way, we can spend our lives learning and researching the entire Tipitaka but we may not be able to let go of our attachment and aversion in our daily lives! Knowledge should come with wisdom and it is this wisdom that helps us liberate from attachment and aversion which lead us to suffering. Practitioners should not only study scriptures but also meditate and apply mindfulness in their daily lives.
In one of the temples of Japan, there is no statue of Gautama Buddha in the temple. Instead of a statue, there is a finger pointing to a far away moon. We cannot grab the finger and say that it is the moon. Don′t go on worshiping the finger - that will not help. Look at the moon where the finger is pointing. In a similar way, we cannot grab the scriptures or a Buddha image and claim that it is the truth, it is the Buddha, it is the Dhamma. Look at where the Buddha and scriptures are pointing to! Understand the truth behind the words by applying them in meditation and mindfulness. You will be surprised to find that thousands of fingers are pointing at the same moon.
Teachings from Sam Roi Yot meditation retreat (17 to 25 November 2018)
I am blessed to attend a meditation retreat organised by Brother Richard Chia teaching the meditation techniques of concentration (Samadhi) and vipassana (insight) in the lineage of late Ven. Amatha Gavesi Thera. Participants of retreat were even more fortunate to have visiting forest monks led by Abbot Ven. Phra Mana from Sunnataram Forest Monastery during the last 3 days of the retreat.
- Dr Jerome
Buddhism and Meditation courses by Brother Richard Chia: http://www.basicbuddhism.org/
Sunnataram Forest Monastery: https://www.sunnataram.org/