BUDDHISM IN KERALA: Bhikkhu Samāhita's MESSAGES (Daily Updating)

Friendship is the Greatest!

Bhikkhu Samāhita _/\_ Sri Lanka ]
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Friends:

How to eliminate & leave behind Wrong View?

The Blessed Buddha once explained how right view induces release:
Friends, when one regards this eye, visibility, and all that can be seen,
which actually indeed is impermanent, as transient: That is a right view.
When one regards this ear, hearing and all sounds, which really are just
passing things, as fleeting: Then that indeed is a quite right view.
When one regards this nose, smelling and all odours, which are temporary,
as transient: That is right view. When one regards this tongue, tasting, &
all tastes, which also are non-lasting, as transient: That is also right view.
When one regards this body, the tactile sense and all that can be touched,
which is inconstant, as a impermanent: Then that is surely a right view.
When one regards this mind, thinking, and all ideas, which actually also are
quite ephemeral, as just momentary: Then that too is a quite accurate view.
Seeing these fading phenomena rightly, one develops dispassion & disgust!
Disillusion, dispassion and disgust gradually destructs delight and desire..
With the gradual destruction of delight, comes the full elimination of lust.
With the gradual destruction of lust, comes the full elimination of delight.
With the complete elimination of both delight and lust, the mind is said to
be well released from the addictive obsession of sense-desire...

Comments: The real prison is not physical & outside, but mental & inside!
The released mind does not want anything, need anything, seek anything..
The released mind does not yearn, hunt, crave, or hanker after anything..
Being thus without urge, thirst or hunger, such mind is entirely stilled...
This serene tranquillity is a bliss, freedom and peace not of this world!!!
Final Freedom... Yeah!

More on this addictive Sense-Desire (Kāma-rāga) and Hedonism:
The_Fire_of_Sense-Desire, Colourful_but_Muddy, Craving_is_Pain,
AN.I.1-2, AN.I.3-4, The_Charcoal_Pit, AN.I.3-4c, Craving_is_Catastrophic,
Joys_of_the_Flesch_and_Beyond, Happiness_of_the_Flesh_and_Beyond,
Why_Not, Just_a_Flash, Mistaken_Reference, Obstructing Corruption,
The_Ocean_of_Stimuli, What_is_Disadvantageous, The_Fisherman's_Hook

Source:
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikāya. Book IV 142
Section 35: On The 6 senses. The Destruction of Delight!: 156-7.
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html

Friends:

What are the Causes of Ignorance?

First: Ignorance is not seeing and not knowing the 4 Noble Truths fully!

The near and proximate cause is:
Ignorance comes into being caused by the 5 mental hindrances!
That is right here and now:
Ignorance grows up caused by desire and lust...
Ignorance arises caused by aversion and ill-will...
Ignorance emerges caused by lethargy and laziness...
Ignorance appears caused by restlessness and regret...
Ignorance comes into being caused by doubt and uncertainty...
All these 5 factors will obscure, obstruct and distort the 4 truths!

The remote and subtle cause is fermentation ~ assuming and supposing:
Conditioned by mental fermentation (āsava) does ignorance emerge:
That is multi-factorially, on the long-term, as a hidden latent tendency:
Ignorance is caused by the mental fermentation linked with sense-desire.
Ignorance is caused by the mental fermentation associated with views.
Ignorance is caused by the mental fermentation coupled with becoming.
Ignorance is caused by the mental fermentation joined with ignorance itself!

The emotional component is:
Ignorance is caused by a feeling of neutral indifference since this absence
of both pleasure and pain promotes neglect leading to no examination, which
then results in not knowing the specifics of the object = ignorance...

Ignorance thus grows in a fatal positively self-enhancing feedback-loop!

The Blessed Buddha said:
Bhikkhus, a beginning of ignorance cannot be pointed out in this way:
Before this point in time, there was no ignorance, afterward it came.
But, Bhikkhus, it can be pointed out in this way:
Caused by this, ignorance comes to be. Bhikkhus, I tell you, ignorance too
has a causing condition! What is the causing condition of ignorance?
The five mental hindrances is the reply...
Source: AN X 61, AN X 62

What is ignorance, what is the origin of ignorance, what is the ceasing of
ignorance, and what is the way leading to the ceasing of ignorance?
Not knowing about suffering, not knowing about the origin of suffering,
not knowing about the ceasing of suffering, not knowing about the way
leading to the ceasing of suffering, this is called ignorance!
With the arising of the mental fermentations, ignorance also arises.
With the ceasing of the mental fermentations, ignorance also ceases!
The way leading to the ceasing of ignorance is just this Noble 8-fold Way:
That is; Right view, right motivation, right speech, right action,
right livelihood, right effort and right concentration.
Source: MN 9

More on Ignorance (avijjā):
Ignorance, What_is_Ignorance, Whenever_and_Wherever,
The_Causes_of_Ignorance, Indifference_Creates_Ignorance,
What_is_the_Cause_of_Ignorance, Because_of_Not_Knowing,
Because_of_Not_Examining, Indifference_Creates_Ignorance

For Details on the Mental Fermentations (āsava) please see:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/a/aasava.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Proximate_Cause.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Cause_of_Ignorance.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Three_Fermentations.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Freed_from_Fermentation.htm

Friends:

Rational Attention Breaks Mental Hindrances:

The Blessed Buddha once said:
When attending rationally sense-desire does neither arise, nor expand.
When attending rationally evil-will does neither arise, nor later expand.
When attending rationally lethargy & laziness does not emerge or grow.
When attending rationally restlessness & regret cannot arise or amplify.
When attending rationally doubt & uncertainty does not begin or blow up.
Furthermore, when attending carefully & rationally to cause and effect:
The awareness link to awakening arises, and is gradually completed.
The investigation link to awakening arises, and is gradually completed.
The energy link to awakening arises, and is gradually completed.
The joy link to awakening arises, and is gradually completed.
The tranquillity link to awakening arises, and is gradually completed.
The concentration link to awakening arises, and is gradually completed.
The equanimity link to awakening arises, and is gradually completed!

More on Attention: (Manasikāra):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Careful_Attention.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/g_m/manasikaara.htm

Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikāya.
Book [V:93-4] section 46: The Links. 35: Careful Attention...

Friends:

The Buddha on Kamma (Intentional Action):

I am the owner of my actions (kamma), inheritor of my actions, born of
my actions, created by my actions, and have my own actions as my judge!
Whatever I do, good or evil, I will feel the resulting effects of that ...
Source: AN V 57

Intention, Bhikkhus, is what I call action, for through intention one
initiates these actions through the door of the body, speech or mind.
There is kamma (intentional action), Bhikkhus, that ripens in hell....
There is kamma that ripens in the animal world..
There is kamma that ripens in the world of humans....
There is kamma that ripens in the divine world....
Threefold, however, is this ripening fruit of kamma:
ripening during here in this life, or
ripening in the next rebirth life,
or ripening in even later rebirths ...
Source: AN VI 63

The 10 advantageous courses of action (=Good Kamma):
The 3 bodily actions: Avoidance of killing, stealing, and abusive sexuality.
The 4 verbal actions: Avoidance of lying, slandering, angry & empty speech.
The 3 mental actions: Doing Withdrawal, Good-will, and Right Views.
Source: MN 9

Greed, Bhikkhus, is a condition for the arising of kamma.
Hate is a condition for the arising of kamma.
Confusion is a condition for the arising of kamma.
Source: AN III 109

One who kills & harms goes either to hell or will be short-lived elsewhere.
One who torments others will be afflicted with disease or disability.
The angry one will look ugly, the envious one will be without influence.
The stingy one will be poor, the stubborn will be placed low and stupid.
The lazy will be without knowledge, understanding and certainty.
In the contrary case, one will be reborn in heaven or reborn as man.
One will be long-lived, beautiful, influential, highborn and intelligent!
Source: MN 135

There are 10 meritorious actions leading to human or divine rebirth:
1: Giving.
2: Morality.
3: Meditation.
4: Reverence by paying respect to monks and elders.
5: Performing services to others.
6: Transference of merits to others.
7: Rejoicing in others' merit.
8: Learning this true Dhamma.
9: Teaching this true Dhamma.
10: Correcting one's wrong views.

To the extent that there are beings, past, and future, dying & re-arising,
all beings are the owners of their actions, inheritor to their actions, are
born of their actions, created by their action, conditioned by their actions,
related to their actions, and are dependent on the effect of past actions.
Whatever they do, for good or for evil, from that will they feel the result...
Source: AN V 57

The Blessed Buddha once said: Bhikkhus, the uninstructed ordinary person
feels pleasant feelings, painful feelings, and neither-painful-nor-pleasant
feelings... Such does the instructed Noble Disciple also feel. What then is
the difference, the variation, and the distinction between the instructed
Noble Disciple and the uninstructed ordinary person? Bhikkhus, when the
uninstructed ordinary person is being touched by a painful feeling, then he
cries, grieves, moans, weeps, beats his breast and becomes bewildered!
He feels actually two feelings: A bodily pain and a mental sadness...!!!
Imagine they hit a man with a dart, and then they pricked him immediately
after with another dart, then that man would indeed feel two feelings
caused by both the two darts. Similarly is it in this case where this poor
uninstructed ordinary person touched by a painful feeling, actually feels
two feelings: A bodily pain and another mental frustration over that pain.
Whenever touched by pain, he responds with aversion towards that painful
feeling, then the latent tendency to aversion towards painful feeling grows
even deeper. When touched by painful feeling, he seeks for sense pleasure!
Why? Because the uninstructed ordinary person does not know any other
escape from painful feeling than seeking to relief by new sense pleasure.
When he seeks towards delight by sensual pleasure, the latent tendency
to lust for pleasant feeling grows even deeper. He does not at all really
understand as it really is neither the cause, nor the fading away, nor the
satisfaction, nor the danger, nor the escape regarding these feelings!
Not understanding any of these things, then when touched by a neutral
neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling the latent tendency to ignorance also
grows deeper. When feeling a pleasant feeling, he feels it as if attached
to it, and as the owner ("my feeling") being involved in it. When feeling a
painful feeling, he also feels this as if attached to it and involved in it. If
he feels a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, he feels it as if attached
to it and involved in it... This, bhikkhus, is called an uninstructed ordinary
person, who is attached & clings desperately to birth, aging, death, sorrow,
pain, discontent, and despair. I tell you: What he clings to is Suffering ...!
Bhikkhus, when the instructed Noble Disciple is being touched by a painful
feeling, he neither cries, nor grieves, nor moans, nor weeps, nor beats his
breast, nor does he become bewildered! He feels actually only one feeling:
Bodily pain, yet no mental sadness or frustration! Imagine they hit a man
with only one single dart, and not any other dart, then that man would feel
a single feeling caused by only one single dart. So too, when the instructed
Noble Disciple is contacted by a painful feeling, then he feels one feeling:
A bodily pain, but not any mental sadness or frustration. Touched by that
painful feeling, he neither develops nor reinforces any aversion towards it!
Because he develops no aversion towards this painful feeling, the latent
tendency to aversion towards painful feeling does not grow deeper!
When touched by painful feeling, he does not wish for sense pleasure.
For what reason? Because the instructed Noble Disciple knows another
escape from painful feeling other than sensual pleasure! Since he does not
seek delight in sensual pleasure, the latent tendency to lust for pleasant
feeling does not grow deeper in him. He indeed understands as it really is,
the cause, the fading away, the satisfaction, the danger, and the escape
in the case of feelings. Since he understands all these things, the latent
tendency to ignorance, when touched by a neither-painful-nor-pleasant
feeling, does not grow deeper in him. When feeling a pleasant feeling, he
feels it as if detached from it, as something remote, irrelevant and alien.
When feeling a painful feeling, he also feels this as if detached from it,
as if remote and alien. If he feels a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling,
he feels even that neutrality as if disconnected from it, remote and alien.
This, Bhikkhus, is called a Noble Disciple, who is released from birth, aging,
and death! Who is separated from sorrow, lamentation, pain, discontent,
and desperate despair... I tell you, such one is separated from Suffering.
This, is the difference, variation, and distinction, between the learned
Noble Disciple and an uninstructed ordinary person! The wise, clever and
learned one does not feel the adjoined pleasant & painful mental feeling!
This is the great difference between the wise and learned one and the
ordinary person. For the learned one, who has comprehended the Dhamma,
who clearly sees this world and the next, the desirable things do neither
incite, nor stir up, nor stimulate his mind...Towards whatever disgusting,
he has no aversion. All mental attraction and repulsion has ceased in him...
Both have been extinguished, brought to silence. Having known this stain
and sorrow-less state, such transcender of existence rightly understands:

Pleasant feeling induces greed...
Painful feeling produces hate...
Neither-painful-nor-pleasant neutral feeling
causes neglect and therefore generates ignorance...

Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikāya. Book IV [208-10]
section 36: Feeling. Vedanā. The Dart. Sallatena. 6.
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html

Friends:

Luminous is the Mind released by Friendliness!

The Blessed Buddha once explained:
Whatever meritorious action one performs, all these together are not worth
1/16th part of a mind released into friendliness, since the mind released into
friendliness blazes forth, & outshines all with an unsurpassable brilliance...
Just as the radiance from all the stars and planets does not match even a
1/16th part of the radiance from the moon, which thus outshines all the stars
and planets, similarly; whatever intention making one do meritorious actions,
all these together are not worth one-sixteenth fraction, of the mind released
by infinite friendliness!!! Since a mind released into friendliness - all alone -
friends!! blazes forth, outshine all these with an incomparable radiance...
Just as the mighty sun rising at autumn dawn, by making any fog evaporate,
scattering any dark thundercloud, makes the sky all blue & clear, so it alone
freely shines, blazes in a blue brilliance, - exactly so - whatever thoughts
there may be for gaining merit, all together these are not worth one 16th
fraction, of a mind released into friendliness!!! Since the mind released into
friendliness - all alone - outshines all these with inestimable luminosity!
So did the Lord Buddha state this matter, and he further added:
For the Noble friend, who by will, who fully aware and deliberately bring
infinite, boundless and endless friendliness into being, this mountain like
limitless goodwill makes all evil substrate evaporate, & the chains of mind,
these mental fetters become thin, slender and slack. If a friend without
ill will cares for even one single living being, such friend, through that,
becomes quite skilled and clever, so far more for the Noble Friend, who
by possessing a caring heart for all sentient beings, without even a single
exception, accumulates great, massive, and immense amounts of merit!!!
Those gurus and priests who sacrifices life, objects or fire, who baths
ceremoniously, devoted to mere forms and empty ritual, blindly attached
to and obsessed by culture, tradition of primeval & often unknown origin,
do never experience even a 16th of this release of mind by friendliness
fully brought into being, just like the vagueness of even all the stars cannot
either ever outshine the moon! Since there cannot exist any evil animosity
whatsoever, nor enmity at all, neither even an atomic trace of hate in a
Nobly Released One, who by caring indiscriminately and infinitely for all
living beings, who by possessing such treasure of a mind relinquished by
friendliness, simply cannot ever suppress, dominate, harm, or kill even the
smallest sentient breathing being! Luminous is a perfectly released mind!

More on the Mind:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/In_Control.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Non-Control.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/Luminous_is_Mind.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/Canon/Sutta/AN/AN.I.8-10.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Magnificent_Mind.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Highway_to_Nibbana.htm

Source:
The Itivuttaka 27: Thus was it Said:
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=404214
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/khuddaka/iti/index.html

Friends:

Simple Satisfaction, Mental Liberation, and the Ultimate Release!

The Blessed Buddha once said:
There is the satisfaction of the flesh.
There is a mental liberation not of this world.
There is an ultimate release far beyond even subtle unworldly liberation!
And what, Bhikkhus, is carnal satisfaction?
Satisfaction with whatever form, or sensation is carnal satisfaction.
And what is the mental liberation, which is not of this world?
Liberation from any formless state is liberation, which is not of this world.
Finally, friends, what is the ultimate release beyond unworldly liberation?
When a Bhikkhu, whose mental fermentations are eliminated, reviews his
stilled mind released from all lust, freed from any hatred, and entirely
cleared from all confusion, then there occurs a transcendental deliverance.
This is called the release beyond that release, which is not of this world...

More on Mental Release (Vimokkha, Vimutti): The_8_Deliverances,
Freed by Knowing, Fulfilling_Release_by_Wisdom, Self-Control_Releases

Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikāya. Book IV [235-7]
Section 36:11 On Feeling: Vedanā. Joys beyond this world ...
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html

Friends:

Morality is not a Prison, but the only Effective Protection!

What is Morality?
Morality is the root cause of all success and all what is good.
Morality is the intention behind avoidance of all wrongdoing.
Morality is the mental combination of non-envy, goodwill and right view.
Morality is the self-control enabled by awareness, tolerance & restraint.
Morality is the non-breaking of the rules one have accepted and respects.

What is the Meaning of Morality?
Morality means consistency between all mental, verbal & bodily actions.
Morality means upholding the foundation of all advantageous states.

What is the Function of Morality?
To STOP bad and evil behaviour and it’s painful future effects.
To ATTAIN blameless mental purity and the blissful joy of innocence.

What is the Manifestation of Morality?
The virtuous blameless innocence of mental, verbal and behavioural purity.

What is the Proximate Cause of Morality?
The scrupulous shame within conscience is the cause of any moral ethics.
The fear of the results of wrongdoing is the Cause of any moral ethics.
Shame and fear of wrongdoing are therefore 2 protectors of the world!

Ultra-Cut:
Doing Good creates Pleasure!
Doing Bad creates Pain!

More on this basic first cause of all Good: Morality (Sīla)!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Sila_1_to_5.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Happy_Habbit.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/What_is_Virtue.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Best_Protection.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Five_Basics.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Best_Buddhist_Praxis.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Sila_Contemplation.htm

Source: The Path of Purification: Visuddhimagga.
Written by 'the great explainer' Ven. Buddhaghosa in 5th century AC.
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=771100

Friends:

Not Examining causes Assumption to arise:
The wanderer Vacchagotta approached the Blessed One and greeted him.
Concluding their compliments, he sat down aside and asked the Buddha:
Master Gotama, what is the cause, condition and reason, why these various
speculative views arise in the world: This Universe is eternal, or the universe
is not eternal. This universe is finite, or infinite. Vitality and the body are
the same, or biological life, metabolism is one thing, the body is another.
The Tathagata exists after death, or he does not exist after death.
The Tathagata both exists and does not exist after death. Or finally:
The Tathagata neither exists, nor does not exist after death?
The Blessed Buddha replied:
It is, Vaccha, because of neither knowing form, nor feeling, nor perception,
nor mental construction, nor consciousness, nor the cause of origin of form,
feeling, perception, mental construction, and consciousness, nor the cause
of ceasing of form, feeling, perception, construction, and consciousness,
nor the way to cease form, feeling, perception, construction, & consciousness
that these various speculative views, such as: "This Universe is eternal,
finite etc. " arise in the world! This ignorance, this not seeing, blindness,
this not understanding, this not fully knowing, this not breaking through,
this not comprehending, this not penetrating, this not discerning, this not
discriminating, this not differentiating, this not closely investigating, this
not directly experiencing and realizing, friend Vaccha, is the cause, and
is the reason, why those various speculative views arise in this world!

More on Ignorance (Avijjā), which is the deepest cause of all Suffering:
Ignorance, What_is_Ignorance, Whenever_and_Wherever,
The_Causes_of_Ignorance, Cause_of_Ignorance, Because_of_Not_Knowing,
Indifference_Creates_Ignorance, What_is_the_Cause_of_Ignorance.

Source:
The Grouped Sayings by the Buddha. Samyutta Nikāya. Book III 257-263
The Vacchagotta section 33. Thread on Not Knowing: Aññānā Sutta (1-55)
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html

Friends:

How is constant Awareness Established only by Breathing?
Sitting cross-legged, with straight back, elevated chin, in a silent place, the
yogi remains focusing all attention on the touch point of air in his nostrils:

Fully aware one inhales and fully aware one exhales...
When inhaling a long breath, one notices that...
When exhaling a long breath, one notices that...
When inhaling a short breath, one notices that...
When exhaling a short breath, one notices that...
Experiencing the whole body, one inhales...
Experiencing the whole body, one exhales...
Calming all bodily activity, one inhales...
Calming all bodily activity, one exhales...

One trains thus: Experiencing joyous rapture, I will inhale...
One trains thus: Experiencing joyous rapture, I will exhale...
One trains thus: Experiencing a happy pleasure, I will inhale...
One trains thus: Experiencing a happy pleasure, I will exhale...
One trains thus: Experiencing all mental activity, I will inhale...
One trains thus: Experiencing all mental activity, I will exhale...
One trains thus: Calming all mental activity, I will inhale...
One trains thus: Calming all mental activity, I will exhale...

One trains thus: Experiencing all mentality as mood, I will inhale...
One trains thus: Experiencing all mentality as mood, I will exhale...
One trains thus: Satisfying and gladdening the mind, I will inhale...
One trains thus: Satisfying and gladdening the mind, I will exhale...
One trains thus: Focusing the mind by concentration, I will inhale...
One trains thus: Focusing the mind by concentration, I will exhale...
One trains thus: Releasing the mind from hindrance, I will inhale...
One trains thus: Releasing the mind from hindrance, I will exhale...

One trains thus: Considering the impermanence of change, I will inhale...
One trains thus: Considering the impermanence of change, I will exhale...
One trains thus: Considering the detachment in disillusion, I will inhale...
One trains thus: Considering the detachment in disillusion, I will exhale...
One trains thus: Considering the stilling within cessation, I will inhale...
One trains thus: Considering the stilling within cessation, I will exhale...
One trains thus: Considering open and freed relinquishing, I will inhale...
One trains thus: Considering open and freed relinquishing, I will exhale...

This is how continuous Awareness is established just by breathing!!!
Breathing meditation can bring the yogi into 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Jhāna...
It is a unique praxis used by all Buddhas at their very Enlightenment!!!

Details are found in this Meditation Manual:
http://what-buddha-said.net/library/pdfs/anapanasati.pdf

More on Awareness by Breathing (Ānāpāna-sati):
Breathing_Calm_and_Insight, The_LAMP_I, The_LAMP_II,
The_LAMP_III, The_LAMP_IV, Peaceful_&_Sublime_on_the_Spot,
Unique_Thing_Awareness_by_Breathing, Magnificent_Meditation,
Experiencing_the_Breath, 1_Producing_4, Four_Fulfilling_Seven.

Source:
Middle Length Sayings of the Buddha. Majjhima Nikāya 118 Ānāpānasati:
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=25072X
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/majjhima/mn118.html

Friends:

Anger, Irritation, and Stubborn Contrariety!

Evil and ill-will is the mental hindrance, which is resisting against and
opposing phenomena. It can be quite violent when manifesting as quarrels,
conflict, hate, hostility and war. Aversion instantly destroys all harmony
and peace and thus any potential for happiness. It can only be cured by
meditation on the four infinitely divine states (Brahma-viharas).

First priority: Noticing evil Ill-Will arise -in itself- makes it fade away:
The Buddha said: When ill-will is present in him then he understands:
"There is ill-will in me now" and when ill-will is absent, he also notices:
"There is no ill-will in me now". He understands how unarisen ill-will arises.
He understands how to leave behind any arisen ill-will, and he understands
how left ill-will will not ever arise again in the future. MN 10

What is the feeding cause that makes ill-will arise?
There are displeasing and repulsive features and aspects of any object,
frequently giving irrational & unwise attention to them, this is the feeding
cause of the arising of unarisen ill-will, and the feeding cause of the very
increase and expansion of ill-will that already has arisen. SN 46:51

The 3 paranoid thoughts that induces resentment:
1: He or she has done, is doing or will in the future do me some wrong!
2: He or she has done, is doing or will do those I like some wrong!
3: He or she has done, is doing or will do those I dislike some good!

What is the starving cause that makes ill-will cease?
There is the release of mind through Universal Good-Will and Friendliness,
frequently giving rational and wise attention to this is the starving cause
of the non-arising of unarisen ill-will, and the starving cause of decrease
and shrinking of ill-will that already has arisen. SN 46:51

Which medicine cures ill-will, so that it does not re-arise ever again?
One should cultivate the meditation on Universal Friendliness (Mettā)!
For the meditation on universal friendliness gradually evaporates ill-will.
One should cultivate the meditation on All-embracing Pity (Karunā)!
Meditation on embracing pity, makes cruel harming violence fade away.
One should cultivate the meditation on Sympathetic Mutual Joy (Muditā)!
Meditation on mutual joy eliminates discontent, green envy and jealousy.
One should cultivate the meditation on composed Equanimity (Upekkhā)!
Meditation on imperturbable equanimity can make anger & aversion cease.
MN 62

Some advantageous reflections to return to:
Remember the Simile of the Saw... The Blessed Buddha once said:
Friends, even if bandits were to cut you up, savagely, limb by limb, with a
two-handled saw, you should not be angry with them but do my bidding:
Remain pervading them with a friendly mentality imbued only with an all
embracing good will, kind, rich, expansive, and immeasurable. Free from
hostility, free from ill will. Always remembering this Simile of the Saw
is indeed how you should train yourselves... MN 21

Being OWNER of ANGER is Pain: Know that everyone is the owner of the
consequences of all their actions (Kamma), whether good or bad...

The 11 advantages won by cultivating Universal Friendliness (Mettā):
1: One sleeps happy!
2: One wakes happy!
3: One dreams no evil dreams!
4: One is liked and loved by all human beings!
5: One is liked and loved by all non-human beings too!
6: One is guarded and protected by the divine devas!
7: One cannot be harmed by fire, poison or weapons!
8: One swiftly attains the concentration of absorption!
9: Ones appearance becomes serene, calm and composed!
10: One dies without confusion, bewilderment or panic!
11: One reappears after death on the Brahma level if gone no higher!
AN V342

More on Anger, Irritation & Stubbornness as dilutions of Hate (Dosa):
Slaying Anger, The Elimination of Anger, Anger_and_Irritation,
How_to_Cure_Cruelty_and_Revengefulness, No_Revenge, Break_Anger
How_to_Cure_Anger_and_Irritation, Appeasing_Anger,
Subduing_Irritation, How_to_Cure_Ill_Will

Friends:

Why not indulge in Hedonism? Change!

Venerable Sariputta once pointed out the danger of delight:
If, friends, one is not freed of lust, desire, attraction, thirst,
passion and craving for the manifold various forms, feelings,
experiences, constructions and types of consciousness, then
with the inevitable change in and alteration of these forms,
feelings, experiences, constructions and types of consciousness,
one invariably experiences disappointment, dissatisfaction,
discontent, frustration, sorrow, pain and despair...!!! One who
lives immersed in these derivatives of greed, therefore suffers
in this very life from the continual fever of wanting, needing,
longing, frustration and urge... Moreover, when dying and this
body is breaking up, the greedy one can expect a bad destination!!!
This is the immanent danger and side-effect of desire and craving...

If, however, one is freed of all lust, desire, attraction, thirst,
passion and craving for the manifold various forms, feelings,
experiences, constructions and types of consciousness, then
with the inevitable change in and alteration of these, one does not
experience any disappointment, dissatisfaction, discontent, pain,
frustration, sorrow, nor any despair... Not living immersed in these
derivatives of greed, one does therefore not suffer from any hot
fever of neither wanting, nor longing, nor any urge. Moreover, when
dying and this body is breaking up, such cooled and calmed one can
expect a good destination!!! This is the quite blissful advantage
and assured benefit of removal of desire and craving here and now...

Hunting pleasure produces delayed and therefore hidden pain...
Relinquishing desire for pleasure gives ease now and bliss later...

Source: Venerable Sariputta, General of the Dhamma.
The Grouped Sayings by the Buddha. Samyutta Nikāya III 7-9
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html

Friends:
What is this Sublime Right Concentration?

That Noble Eightfold Way, leading to Nibbāna, is simply this:
Right View, Right Motivation, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood,
Right Effort, Right Awareness and Right Concentration…
But what is Right concentration?

The Buddha explained The 4-fold definition of Right Concentration:
Having eliminated the 5 mental hindrances, mental defects that obstruct
understanding, quite secluded from sensual desires, protected from any
detrimental mental state, one enters and dwells in the 1st jhāna; full of joy
and pleasure born of solitude, joined with directed and sustained thought.
One makes this joy and pleasure born of seclusion drench, saturate, soak,
and suffuse the body, so that no part of the entire body is unperfused by
this intense joy and pleasure! Just as a skilled bath-man puts soap powder
in a copper basin and sprinkling it gradually with water, whips it until the
water soaks and pervades all the soap powder, yet without dripping, so too,
does the noble friend make the joy and pleasure born of solitude permeate
and pervade the entire body! Again, friends, with the stilling of directed
and sustained thought, one enters and dwells in the 2nd jhāna: a calmed
assurance of unification of mind with even deeper joy and pleasure now
born of concentration, devoid of any thought! One makes this exquisite
joy and pleasure born of concentration drench, saturate, soak, & suffuse
the body, so no part of the whole body is unperfused by this profound joy
and pleasure: Just as a lake whose waters welled up from below within it
itself, & it had no other sources neither by showers of rain, then this cool
fount of water welling up from deep within would immerse, fill, & pervade
the entire lake, even and exactly so does one make this joy & pleasure born
of concentration infuse this entire body! Furthermore, friends, with the
fading away of the joy, the friend dwells in even equanimity, just aware &
clearly comprehending, still feeling pleasure in the body, one enters upon
and remains in the 3rd jhāna, regarding which the Noble Ones declare:
"In aware equanimity one dwells in pleasure!" One makes the pleasure apart
from of joy flood, saturate, soak, and suffuse the body, so that there is no
part of one's whole body unperfused by this pleasure divested of joy...
Just as in a lotus pond some lotuses are born, grow and thrive immersed
under the water & the cool water soaks them from their roots to their tips,
so too, do the noble friend make the pleasure divested of joy drench, fill,
flood and pervade this entire body. Finally, friends, with the leaving behind
of both pleasure and pain, and with the prior disappearance of both joy and
sorrow, one enters and dwells in the 4th jhāna; a completely stilled mental
state of awareness, purified by an equanimity of neither-pain-nor-pleasure.
One sits illuminating the body internally with this pure bright mind, so that
there is no part of one's whole body not illuminated by this pure bright mind!
Just as a man were sitting covered from the head down with a white cloth,
so that no part of his whole body was uncovered by this white textile; even
so does one sit encompassing this entire body with a pure bright & radiant
mind, so that there is no part of one's whole body not illuminated by this
pure, bright, and luminous mind...

Comment: No trivial worldly pleasure can ever surpass such sublime bliss!

The Function of Right concentration and its associates is:
Seeing right/wrong concentration as right/wrong concentration, is right view.
Exchanging wrong concentration with right concentration is right effort.
Right concentration functions as a drill: Focusing, unifying, & penetrating!

The 4-fold Definition of Right Awareness:
1: Awareness of the Body merely as a transient and compounded Form..
2: Awareness of Feelings just as conditioned emotional Responses..
3: Awareness of Mind only as habituated and temporary Moods..
4: Awareness of Phenomena only as constructed Mental States..
Right Awareness is of these 4, while being alert, & clearly comprehending,
will put away longing towards and aversion against anything in this world!

The Characterization of Right Awareness:
Awareness of wrong view or right view present now, is Right Awareness!
Awareness of wrong motivation or right motivation, is Right Awareness!
Awareness of wrong speech or right speech now, is Right Awareness!
Awareness of wrong action or right action, is Right Awareness!
Awareness of wrong livelihood or right livelihood, is Right Awareness!
Awareness of wrong effort or right effort, is Right Awareness!
Awareness of wrong awareness or right awareness, is Right Awareness!
Awareness of wrong or right concentration now, is Right Awareness!

The Explanation of Acute Awareness and Clear Comprehension:
When inhaling & exhaling long, one notices and is fully aware of just that..
When inhaling & exhaling short, one notices & is fully aware of just that..
One trains: I will breathe in-&-out clearly comprehending the entire body.
One trains: I will breathe in-&-out calming the breath & all bodily activity.
When walking, one notices and clearly comprehends, that one is walking.
When standing, one notices and clearly comprehends, that one is standing.
When sitting, one notices & clearly comprehends, that one is sitting down.
When lying down, one notices & clearly comprehends, that one is lying.
Going forward one notices & clearly comprehends, this going forward.
When returning one notices and clearly comprehends, this returning.
When looking in front or back, one is notices, & is clearly aware of that.
When bending or stretching, when lifting or carrying, when eating or
drinking, chewing or tasting, one is aware of and comprehends just that.
When passing excrement or urine one clearly comprehends exactly that.
While falling asleep and waking up, when speaking or keeping silence,
one notices, knows and understands exactly that & clearly comprehends,
that this is, what one is doing just right here and exactly now...
Continuous awareness of purpose, suitability, domain and nature of one's
current behaviour, whether mental, verbal or bodily is Right Awareness
and clear comprehension...

The Function of Right Awareness and its associates:
Knowing right/wrong awareness as right/wrong awareness, is right view.
Exchanging wrong awareness with right awareness is right effort.
Right awareness has the function of observing, noticing, remembering &
knowing the reality that neither any body, nor any form, nor any feeling,
nor any mentality, nor any phenomena, nor any mental state is happiness,
truly attractive, lasting, satisfying or even personal, something keepable...
All phenomena are momentary: They pass away right after the moment of
their arising and occurrence! Nothing is permanent, everything is in a state
of flux: Arising and ceasing, emerging and vanishing, coming and going,
again and again and again and again and ever again...!!! Anicca = Change...

What is this vital Right Effort?

That Noble Eightfold Way, leading to Nibbāna, is simply this:
Right View, Right Motivation, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood,
Right Effort, Right Awareness and Right Concentration.
But what is Right Effort?

The 4-fold Definition of Right Effort:
1: The effort to overcome already present disadvantageous mental states..
2: The effort to prevent future disadvantageous mental states from arising..
3: The effort to begin developing so far absent advantageous mental states..
4: The effort to maintain and perfect already arisen advantageous mental states..
This is Right Effort!

The Characterization of Right Effort:
Striving for replacing wrong view with right view, is Right Effort!
Striving for replacing wrong motivation with right motivation, is Right Effort!
Striving for replacing wrong speech with right speech, is Right Effort!
Striving for replacing wrong action with right action, is Right Effort!
Striving for replacing wrong livelihood with right livelihood, is Right Effort!
Striving for replacing wrong effort with right effort, is Right Effort!
Striving for replacing wrong awareness with right awareness, is Right Effort!
Striving for replacing wrong concentration w. right concentration, is Right Effort!

The Explanation of the 4 Right Efforts:
The 4 right efforts are 1: Control 2: Overcoming 3: Development 4: Maintenance!
What is the effort of control? When seeing an object with the eye, one neither
grasps after the whole object, nor any of its details, thereby one strives well to
prevent bad, detrimental states, such as longing and misery, to flood in on one!
One guards and controls the sense of sight and do similarly with the other senses.
What is the effort of overcoming? One does not accept any lust, hate or anger,
that has arisen, but leaves it instantly, dispels it, destroys it, and makes it vanish.
What is the effort of development? One develops the enlightenment-factor of
awareness, of investigation, of energy, of joy, of tranquillity, of concentration,
and the enlightenment-factor of equanimity based on solitude, seclusion, and
ceasing, which is leading to maturity and culmination of spiritual self-surrender.
What is the effort of maintenance? One dominated by desire maintains firmly
in his mind a favourable object of concentration, such as a skeleton, or a corpse
that is full of worms, bluish-black, full of holes, and bloated, while one dominated
by anger maintains firmly in his mind a favourable object of concentration, such
as infinite friendliness, universal pity, mutual joy or well balanced equanimity...

Thus knowing right and wrong effort as right and wrong effort, is Right View.
Awareness of presence of right and wrong effort, is Right Awareness.
Right effort has the function of striving, exertion and endurance...
Keep on keeping on! Never give up! Always Come again!

Further study of Buddhist Right Effort (Sammā-Padhāna):
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/samma-vayamo.html
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Avoiding_Effort.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Avoiding_Effort2.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_River_of_Energetic_Effort.htm

Friends:

What is this critical Right Livelihood?

The Noble Eightfold Way, leading to Nibbāna, is simply this:
Right View, Right Motivation, Right Speech, Right Action,
Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Awareness and
Right Concentration. But what is Right Livelihood?

The 5-fold Definition of Right Livelihood:
1: Earning a living not by trading with Living Beings.
2: Earning a living not by selling Meat, Fish or Flesh.
3: Earning a living not by selling Weapons.
4: Earning a living not by dealing in Alcohol or Drugs .
5: Earning a living not by selling any form of Poison.
That is Right Livelihood!

The Characterization of Right Livelihood:
Any livelihood that neither involves any killing, injuring, harming nor any
imprisoning of any living being, nor stealing, taking what is not given,
cheating, any bribery or corruption, or lying, or false deceiving, tricks, or
use of false measures and weights, neither sensual nor sexual abuse,
neither use or selling of alcohol, nor intoxicating illegal drugs, that causes
carelessness, neither by oneself, nor by getting other employees to do so,
such is Right Livelihood!

The Explanation of Right Livelihood for Buddhist Monks and Nuns:
Neither living nor receiving food by astrology, soothsaying, prediction of future
events, nor by palmistry, geomancy, dream-reading, charms and spells, or fake
divination, nor by any rituals, running errands, or messages, flattering, arranging
marriages, funerals or divorces, medical praxis, or by producing art or poetry, or
by disputation or debate, this is Right Livelihood!

Knowing right and wrong Livelihood as right and wrong Livelihood, is Right View.
Awareness of presence of right and wrong Livelihood, is Right Awareness.
Exchanging wrong Livelihood with right Livelihood, is Right Effort...

Further study of Buddhist Right Livelihood (Samma-Ajiva):
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/samma-ajivo.html

Friends:

What is this essential Right Action ?

The 3-fold Definition of Right Action:
1: Avoiding all killing and harming of any living being...
2: Abstaining from taking and thus stealing what is not given...
3: Stopping all adultery and all abuse of any sense-pleasure...
That is Right Action!

The Characterization of Right Action. The blessed Buddha said:
Friends, it is caused by behaviour in conflict with the Dhamma,
by reason of immoral behaviour, that some beings here, right at
the breakup of the body, after death, reappear lost in states of
pain, in an unhappy destination, in the downfall, even in the hells...
It is caused by behaviour in harmony with the Dhamma, by reason
of moral behaviour, that some beings here, on the breakup of the
body, right after death, reappear in a happy destination, even in
the divine worlds!!! And which, friends, are the 3 kinds of bodily
moral behaviour in harmony with the Dhamma?
Here someone, stop all killing of living beings, abstains from injuring
living beings; with rod & weapon laid aside, gentle and kind, such one
dwells sympathetic towards all living beings.
Avoiding the taking of what is not given, one refrains from stealing,
what is not freely give. One does not take by way of theft the wealth
and property of others, neither in the village nor in the forest.
Abandoning abuse of sensual pleasures, such one gives up misuse in
sensual pleasures. One does not have intercourse with partners, who
are protected by their mother, or father, or mother and father, or
brother, or sister, or relatives, who is married, betrothed to another,
who are protected by law, in prison, or who are engaged to other side.
That is how there are three kinds of bodily moral behaviour in harmony
with the Dhamma... Such is Right Action!

Explanation:
Primary of these is the ending of intentional killing or destroying of
other beings either by physical action or by verbal incitement, ranging
from killing eggs of lice and bugs, or causing abortion, to any slaughter
of living creatures, including human beings.
Restraint from taking, what is not given, means abstaining from taking,
with intention to steal, living beings or non-living articles, which have
an owner. Removing or appropriating them, without owner's consent,
either by physical effort or by inciting another to do so.
Restraint from wrong behaviour in sensual pleasures means abstention
from any kind of sex, which will cause pain and suffering to others.
Examples will be adultery, since this causes the disruption of marriage,
rape, intercourse with minors protected by parents, and perversion of
others. Included here also are abstention from use of booze, drugs
and any kinds of intoxicants, which causes carelessness, and gambling
with cards, dices, on horses, teams etc.

Knowing right and wrong action as right and wrong action, is right view.
Awareness of presence of right and wrong action, is right awareness.
Exchanging wrong action with right action, is right effort...
The factors of the Noble 8-fold way mutually enhance each other!
Any intentional action - good as bad - determines whether the future
will be pleasant or painful...

Further study of Buddhist Right Action (Sammā-Kammanta):
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/samma-kammanto.html
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/V/Action_Determines.htm

Friends:

What is this vital Right Motivation?

The Noble 8-fold Way, leading to Nibbāna, is simply this:
                           Right View
                           Right Motivation
                           Right Speech
                           Right Action
                           Right Livelihood
                           Right Effort
                           Right Awareness
                           Right Concentration
                           But what is Right Motivation?

Right Motivation is Triple:

1: The Motivation for Withdrawal:
Being motivated by a general absence of greed, craving, and desire!
Being motivated by generous giving relinquishing all possessiveness.
Being motivated by detachment from the five sense-desires of urge
for alluring and tempting sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches...
Being motivated by cutting attachment to the 5 clusters of clinging
to forms, feelings, perceptions, constructions and consciousness...
Such radical renunciation is Right Motivation!

2: The Motivation for Non-Ill-Will = Friendly Goodwill:
Being motivated by universal friendliness, infinite goodwill, care,
non-anger, hatelessness and a sympathy wishing and working for all
sentient being's happiness, content, comfort, benefit and welfare...
Such gentle kindness is Right Motivation!

3: The Motivation for Non-Violence = Harmlessness:
Being motivated by absolute non-violence, absence of cruelty, and by
compassionate pity, thereby offering all sentient beings guaranteed
safety and protection from any evil, painful, bad or wrong treatment...
Such giving of protective fearlessness to all is Right Motivation!

The opposites of these advantageous intentions are Wrong Motivation...

More on Right Motivation (Sammā-Sankappa):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Sincere_Motivation.htm

Further study:
Majjhima Nikāya 117. Maha-cattarisaka Sutta: The Discourse on The Great Forty:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/majjhima/mn117.html

Friends:
What is this crucial Right View?

The Noble Eightfold Way, leading to Nibbāna, is simply this:
                           Right View
                           Right Motivation
                           Right Speech
                           Right Action
                           Right Livelihood
                           Right Effort
                           Right Awareness
                           Right Concentration
                        But what is Right View?

Right View of Ownership of Kamma:
All beings are owners of their kamma, inherit their kamma,
are born of their kamma, are created by their kamma, are
linked to their kamma and any intentional action (=kamma)
they do, whether good or bad, the effects of that will be
theirs only, following them like a shadow, that never leaves...
This is Right View!

Right View of the Ten Phenomena:
Giving alms has good effects, any self-sacrifice results in pleasure,
small gifts are also beneficial. There is resulting fruition thus of any
good and any bad behaviour. There is moral efficacy of any relation
to mother and father. There is this world and there are other worlds.
There are beings who are spontaneously and instantaneously born.
There exist good and pure recluses and priests in this world, who
having followed the right method of practice, themselves by their
own supra-human abilities, have directly experienced the other worlds
and who explain them and thereby make them known here...
This is Right View!

     Right View of the Four Noble Truths:
     Right view of this is Suffering...
     Right view of Craving is the Cause of Suffering...
     Right view of No Craving is the End of Suffering...
     Right view of the Noble 8-fold Way leads to the end of Suffering...
     This is Right View!

More on Right View (Sammā-ditthī):
Advanced Right View, The_Sun, Certain_Rightness

Further study:
Majjhima Nikāya 9. Sammā-ditthī Sutta: The Discourse on Right View:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/majjhima/mn009.html

Friends:
What are the 10 Advantageous Anti-Actions?
1: No killing or harming is Advantageous.
2: No stealing or cheating is Advantageous.
3: No adultery or abuse is Advantageous.
4: No false speech is Advantageous.
5: No divisive speech is Advantageous.
6: No angry speech is Advantageous.
7: No empty gossip is Advantageous.
8: No jealousy or envy is Advantageous.
9: No angry ill will is Advantageous.
10: No wrong view is Advantageous!

Comments:
Resisting and abstaining from, and avoiding doing something wrong, is
actually actively doing something very good! Such good action is quite
advantageous, since it results in the sweet fruit of a pleasant future!
More on what is Advantageous (Kusala):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/What_is_Advantageous2.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/g_m/kusala.htm
Have a nice, noble and advantageous day!
Friends:
Honest Truth is the 7th Mental Perfection:

Honesty is Trust
Honesty is Truthful
Honesty is Guarantee
Honesty is Confidence
Honesty is Consistence
Honesty is Convincing
Honesty is Certainty
Honesty is Credibility
Honesty is Reliability
Honesty is Authenticity
Honesty is Integrity
Honesty is Accuracy
Honesty is Commitment
Honesty is Sincerity
Honesty is Security
Honesty is Reality
Honesty is a Must!

Honesty characteristically never deceives, it's function is to verify what
is actual and factual. Honesty's manifestation is sheer excellence...
Sincere and exact truthfulness is the proximate cause of honesty!
All evil states and crimes converge upon transgression of Truth...
Devotion to Truth is the only reliable foundation of all Nobility!

Like The Buddha demand of your own mind:
You have to give me an honest answer, understand! I won't accept anything
phony. And once you've answered, you have to stick to that very answer and
not slide or glide around. Don't be a traitor to yourself! Be sober & straight!
Therefore: Accept now this 4th training rule of avoiding all false speech!

If one is not true to the Buddha's teachings, the Buddha's teachings will
not be true to oneself, either! That Dhamma, which is used as a costume,
surface, uniform or alibi, does not bear fruit, as it's intention is not true!
True Honesty, however, makes you quite worthy of respect!

If one is painstakingly honest towards oneself, one thereby also becomes
meticulously honest towards others. If one on the contrary deceives oneself,
believing own lies, one automatically also deceives others, betraying them.
Honesty, however, always makes you quite worthy of respect...

Make an island of yourself, be your own light and illumination,
make yourself your only safe haven; there is no other protection.
Make Truth your only island, make Truth your sole refuge;
Make Truth your only lamp; there is no other luminosity.
Digha Nikāya, 16

The straight person, self-controlled, keeping precepts,
open and honest, is both worthy and fit for the yellow robe.
The hiding person, imposting, immoral, keeping secrets,
not honest, is neither worthy, nor fit for the yellow robe.
Dhammapada 9+10

Overcome the furious by friendship.
Overcome the evil one by goodness.
Overcome the miser by generosity;
Overcome the liar by truth.
Dhammapada 223

The one who destroys life;
The one who speaks false;
The one who takes what is not given;
The one who mates with another's partner;
The one who is addicted to drugs or alcohol;
Such one - even in this world - digs up his own root!
Dhammapada 246-47

They who falsely declare: "That happened" about what did not happen, or:
"I did not do that" about what they actually did, they earn themselves a
ticket to grilling in Hell.
Dhammapada 306

When the Blessed One heard about the king’s spies, who for money stole
information from others, he explained: One should not take just any job.
One should not be another’s man. One should not depend on any other.
One should not sell the truth for money…
Udana VI - 2

The Bodhisatta was once caught by a man-eater, which sat him free on the
condition that he returned the next day. He kept his word and did so...
Much later remembered: Protecting this way of truth, having given up my
life and kingdom, I thereby set free 100 captured nobles, as the man-eater
lost his nerve. In honesty I thereby reached the ultimate perfection!
Mahasutasoma-Jataka no. 537

More of the 10 mental perfections (paramis):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Ten_Perfections.htm

Friends:

The Twin Truths won by Dual Consideration:

The blessed Buddha once said:
Friends, the first consideration is:
Whatever Suffering arises, all that is caused by Mental Construction!
The consequent second consideration is:
Stilling of all Mental Construction thereby ceases all Suffering completely!

Knowing this danger: - All Suffering is caused by Mental Construction -,
by silencing all experience, sensation and feeling, the wise escape all Pain!
Considering these twin truths cautiously, resolutely and enthusiastically,
one may either enter the state of Nibbāna right here and now in this life,
or if there is remaining traces of clinging left, the state of a non-returner.
Those who neglect understanding of mental construction, the origin of
mental construction, the end of mental construction, and how mental
construction is eliminated, are incapable of release by understanding,
are incapable of mental release, are incapable of direct knowledge, and
are thereby incapable of making an end...They repeat birth, ageing, decay,
sickness and death ever again... While those who undertake understanding
of mental construction, Origin, End and Way, indeed are capable of mental
release by understanding, sure certainty, and capable of making an end...
They are near the deathless dimension!

More on Mental Construction (Sankhāra):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/s_t/sankhaara.htm

Source: The Bundle of Threads. The Sutta-Nipāta 724-765
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/khuddaka/suttaNipāta/index.html
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=201818

Friends:

Like a simple Dog chained to a strong Post!

The Blessed Buddha once explained mental imprisonment like this:
Imagine, friends, a dog tied with a strap bound to a strong post: It would
remain running and circling around that very same post... So indeed too, the
unlearned ordinary person, who regards form as self, who regards feeling
as self, who regards perception as self, who regards constructions as self,
who regards consciousness as self... He keeps whirling and spinning around
those 5 clusters of clinging!!! Furthermore: If that dog walks, or stands,
or sits down, or lies down, it does all that always quite close to that very
same post... Exactly so too does an untrained ordinary person, who regards
form thus: "This is mine, this I am, this is my self". And who regards feeling,
perception, constructions, and consciousness thus: "This is mine, this I am,
this is my self." If he walks, he walks quite close to those very same five
clusters of clinging! If he stands, or if he sits down, or lies down, he always
does that, as if locked and chained to those same five clusters of clinging!
As bound, he keeps running and circling around form, around feeling, and
around perception, around constructions, and around consciousness...
Since he keeps on rotating and spiralling around them, he is neither freed
from form, nor from feeling, nor from perception, nor from constructions,
nor is he freed from consciousness. I tell you, it is therefore, that neither
is he freed from birth, aging, decay, nor death! Neither is he freed from
sorrow, pain, lamentation, frustration, not all forms of desperate despair!
Neither is he freed from this entire mass of Suffering ...!!!

Mental chains - invisible - are much stronger than steel!
Commentary:
The foolish ordinary person is like the dog, his view is like the leash, his
artificial and imagined "I"-dentity (egoism) is like the post. Like the dog's
running around the post, is the ordinary person's running around his dearly
yet assumed personal identity, bound to it by craving, clinging and views!

The prison is not "out there", but "in here" within mind!

Reference: http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Friends:

Transcendence from Ignorance to Nibbâna!

Buddha once explained the entire chain of causes leading to Nibbāna:
Ignorance is the proximate cause of mental construction.
Mental construction is the proximate cause of consciousness.
Consciousness is the proximate cause of name-&-form.
Name-&-form is the proximate cause of the 6 senses.
The 6 senses is the proximate cause of contact.
Contact is the proximate cause of feeling.
Feeling is the proximate cause of craving.
Craving is the proximate cause of clinging.
Clinging is the proximate cause of becoming.
Becoming is the proximate cause of birth.
Birth is the proximate cause of ageing, decay and death.
Ageing, decay and death is the proximate cause suffering.
Suffering is the proximate cause of faith.
Faith is the proximate cause of elation.
Elation is the proximate cause of joy.
Joy is the proximate cause of calmness.
Calmness is the proximate cause of happiness.
Happiness is the proximate cause of concentration.
Concentration is the proximate cause of seeing and knowing reality.
Seeing and knowing reality is the proximate cause of disgust.
Disgust is the proximate cause of disillusion.
Disillusion is the proximate cause of mental release.
Mental release is the proximate cause of ending all mental fermentation
linked with ignorance, associated with becoming, and caused by sensing.
Ending all mental fermentation is the proximate cause of Freedom..
Ending all mental fermentation is the proximate cause of Peace..
Ending all mental fermentation is the proximate cause of Bliss..
This - only this - is Nibbāna ...

Reference: http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Friends:

The Three Undeniable Global Properties:

Q: Is the body and all external form, lasting or transient? A: Transient
Q: Is feeling, pleasant or not, lasting or transient? A: Transient!
Q: Is experienced perceptions lasting or transient? A: Transient!
Q: Is the mental constructions lasting or transient? A: Transient!
Q: Is naked awareness = consciousness lasting or transient? A: Transient!
Q: Is the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind, lasting or transient?
Q: Is form, sound, smell, taste, touch and thought, lasting or transient?
Q: Is solidity, fluidity, heat, motion, and space, lasting or transient?
Answer: All these are Transient!, Impermanent!, Temporary!, Fleeting!

Q: Is what is transient, happiness or suffering? A: Decay is Suffering!
Q: Is what is transient, ever changing and therefore frustrating pain
suitable to be regarded as: "This is Mine, This I Am, This is Me"
"This I can Keep, This I can control, This I Posses, This is my Self" ... ???
Answer: No certainly Not ...!!!, since what is self must be keepable, same,
constant, controllable, under one's own full power, and thus pleasant...
As all these phenomena are none of this, they cannot ever be self!

Seeing this, understanding this, comprehending this, the Noble Learner is
disgusted by all form, disgusted by all sensing, by all physical, by all mental.
Being thus disgusted, one experiences an opening disillusion... The veil is off.
Without illusions, the mind is fully released and one immediately knows:
This mental liberation is final and irreversible. This - exactly this state -
is called Nibbāna, experienced is this very life ...

Life always involves Suffering and is inevitably Sorrowful!

Reference: http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Friends:

Mere Wishing cannot produce Happiness!

May 2010 become more Calm, due to better focus on Tranquillity...
May 2010 become more Modest by renouncing all puffed Pride...
May 2010 become more Peaceful by giving up all Anger and Hate...
May 2010 become less Painful by relinquishing all Craving and Clinging...
May 2010 become less Discontent by cultivation of Rejoicing Mutual Joy...
May 2010 become entirely Happy through the eradication of Ignorance!

Reference: http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Friends:

Without Ego, Friendship can even be Infinite:

The Blessed Buddha said of this beautiful Friendship (Kalyānamittatā):
By this following method, Ananda, it may be understood how the entire
Holy & Noble Life is sole good friendship, good companionship, and good
comradeship: By relying upon me as a good friend, Ananda, beings subject
to birth are freed from birth, ageing beings are freed from their ageing,
beings subject to disease are freed from illness, beings subject to death
are freed from death, beings subject to sorrow, lamentation, pain, and
desperate despair are freed from this grief, pain, frustration and misery!
Therefore, Ananda it may be emphasized, how this entire Noble Life is all
based on good friendship, beautiful amity, and benevolent harmony...

Comments:
Selfless friendship is the most deep, genuine, sincere and sweet!
Why so? It is not limited or tainted by any egoistic self-interest,
which otherwise interferes, as soon as an assumed 'self' suspects
even minor overstepping of it's perceived territorial 'my' domain..
If there is no self present, how can it ever be possessive? ")

The Blessed Buddha often emphasized: Sabbe Dhammā Anattā...
All states are selfless, egoless, ownerless, & void of any core "I"-dentity!

Reference: http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Friends:

Withdrawal is the 3rd Mental Perfection:

Withdrawal is Removal of Misery
Withdrawal is Extraction of Disease.
Withdrawal is Pulling out the splinter of Pain.
Withdrawal is Retraction from Danger.
Withdrawal is Renunciation of Ill.
Withdrawal is Letting Go of what is Burning.
Withdrawal is Turning Away from what is Sorrow.
Withdrawal is Seclusion from what is Grief.
Withdrawal is Clearing of Captivating Illusions.
Withdrawal is Waking Up from Enthralling Trance.
Withdrawal is Freedom from Enslaving Addiction.
Withdrawal is Protection from what is Entrapping.
Withdrawal is Giving Up what is Detrimental.
Withdrawal is Discharge of what is Infested.
Withdrawal is Breaking out of the Prison.
Withdrawal is Release from all Suffering...

Reference: http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Friends:

Seeking Delight inherently Creates Craving!

At Savatthi the Buddha once said: Friends, any who seeks delight in form
seeks delight in suffering. I tell you, anyone seeking delight in suffering,
is not freed from suffering. Anyone who seeks delight in feeling, or seeks
delight in perception, or seeks delight in mental constructions, or seeks
delight in consciousness, indeed thereby also seeks delight in suffering...
One who seeks delight in suffering cannot be liberated from suffering...!
Anyone who does not seek any delight, neither in form, nor in feeling, nor
in perception, nor in mental constructions, nor in consciousness, does not
seek delight in any suffering! Anyone who does not seek any delight in any
form of suffering, is therefore and thereby released from all suffering...!

Reference: http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Hey Friend:

Refine your Mind!

Every friend is an extension of me. Every friend has taught me what I am.
How can I not be thankful to those friends, who cared me, loved me,
and gave me a warm experience of the feeling of love?
How can I not be thankful to those friends, who made me feel that I am
so beautiful, and given me the feeling of being on the top of the world?
How can I not be thankful to those friends, who has given me the knowledge
and helped me to stand in front of the world with the feeling of security.
How can I not be thankful to those friends, who went away from me and
gave me the experience of detachment from loved ones and loneliness?
How can I not be thankful to those friends, who cheated me and thereby
gave me the experience of the feelings of hate and anger?
How can I not be thankful to those friends, who left me and found another
friend and thereby gave me experience of jealousy?
How can I not be thankful to those friends, who put me down and made me
inferior by showing my weakness, giving me the experience of deprivation?
How can I not be thankful to ALL those friends, who just made me think
that my mind is in the control of others and nothing is in my own control?
One day I sat in the corner of my room, thinking and thinking, looking here
and there, and then saw what: A glance at a book of Buddha!

How can I not be thankful towards the Buddha who explained me compassion.
My dear friend, destroy these mental seeds of those feelings that control your mind.
Why don’t you try to destroy these mental seeds of hate?
Why don’t you try to destroy these mental seeds of anger?
Why don’t you try to destroy these mental seeds of jealousy?
Why don’t you try to destroy these mental seeds of greed?
Why don’t you try to destroy these mental seeds of laziness?
Why don’t you try to destroy these mental seeds of clinging?

Have a nice & noble day!

Reference: http://What-Buddha-Said.net

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Monday, March 8, 2010

Bhikkhu Samāhita's MESSAGES (Daily Updating)

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