Happiness and Peace
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Venerable Chanmyay Sayadaw THE BUDDHA’S WAYS TO PEACE AND HAPPINESS Chanmyay Sayadaw Chanmyay Yeiktha Meditation Centre Yangon Myanmar Sabbadānaṃ dhammadānaṃ jinati The gift of Dhamma excels all gifts. Published for free distribution by: Ariya B. Baumann, Winterthur, Switzerland First Edition (5000 copies) sponsored by Ariya B. Baumann With the publication of this book, I express my deep gratitude to my teacher, the Venerable Chanmyay Sayadaw, and all the meditators who have generously supported me throughout the many years of sharing the Dhamma all around the world. The costs of sending this book to many different Buddhist centres within Malaysia and all around the world has been sponsored by devout Malaysian devotees. © Copyright All commercial rights reserved. Any reproduction in whole or part, in any form, for sale, profit, or material gain is strictly prohibited. The reprinting of this book in its entirety, for free distribution as a gift of Dhamma, is allowed after prior notification to the author. Cover photo by: Fred von Allmen, www.fredvonallmen.ch Layout by: Ven. Virañāṇī Cover design by: Susanne Früh, www.islandart.ch Printed by: Wira Printer &Stationer 32, Jalan Pandan Indah 1/14 Pandan Indah 55100 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Phone: 603 9226 7398 Email: [email protected] i TABLE OF CONTENTS About this translation / ix INTRODUCTION / 1 CHAPTER 1 THE DEVOTIONAL ASPECT OF BUDDHISM What Is the Object of Devotion? / 5 Why Should We Have Faith in the Buddha? / 6 Seeing Things as They Really Are / 10 How the Buddha Realized the True Nature of Phenomena / 13 The Four Truths as Known by the Buddha / 16 The Buddha Is Worthy of Refuge and Veneration / 20 The Dhamma Is Worthy of Refuge and Veneration / 20 The Saṅgha Is Worthy of Refuge and Veneration / 21 Does Philosophical Thought Lead to Right Understanding? / 22 Faith / 27 The Benefits of Serene Faith / 28 The Characteristic of Faith / 32 The Function of Faith / 32 The Manifestation of Faith / 33 The Proximate Cause of Faith / 33 Four Kinds of Faith / 34 - Serene Faith / 34 - Firm Faith through Understanding the Dhamma / 39 - Unshakable Faith through Experiential Knowledge of the Dhamma / 40 - The Faith That Comes with the Declaration of Buddhahood / 41 Refuge and Going for Refuge / 41 - The Triple Gem Is the Refuge / 41 - One Goes for Refuge in the Mind / 43 - Breaches of the Act of Going for Refuge / 44 - Going for Refuge: Four Kinds of Corruption / 46 Restraint and Individuals Worthy of Respect / 50 Paying Homage Not Identical to Going For Refuge / 53 Dedication and Sharing of Merit / 55 ii CHAPTER 2 THE ETHICAL ASPECT OF BUDDHISM A Summary of the Buddha’s Teaching / 56 Two Ways to Purify the Mind / 57 - Wise Attention / 57 - Insight Meditation / 59 - The Ultimate Meaning of Wise Attention / 59 Other Methods of Purifying the Mind / 61 - Avoidance / 61 - Determination / 61 - Changing the Object / 62 - Performing Wholesome Actions / 62 - Loving-Kindness Meditation / 63 - Concentration Meditation / 64 The Mind Is the Origin / 64 - “Check Yourself” / 65 The Mirror of Dhamma / 67 Many Teachings on Wealth and Success / 67 - Advice for the Novice Rāhula / 67 - Reflect before You Act, Speak, and Think / 70 Four Factors for Welfare and Happiness / 75 Four Factors for Loss of Welfare and Happiness / 77 Four Factors for Welfare and Happiness in Future Lives / 78 Six Factors Causing Loss of Wealth / 78 A Pointer to the Gold Pot / 79 Like a Blind Buffalo / 80 Learn from a Good Teacher / 80 Dedication and Sharing of Merit / 81 CHAPTER 3 THE MORAL ASPECT OF BUDDHISM Morality / 83 Benefits of Morality / 85 Keeping the Mind Pure / 86 The Five Mundane Benefits of Morality / 87 iii The Supramundane Benefits of Morality / 89 The Cause of Pure Morality / 91 Pure Morality as a Basis for Enlightenment / 93 Pure Morality Is the Basis / 96 CHAPTER 4 THE PRACTICAL ASPECT OF BUDDHISM Realize – Abandon – Experience – Develop / 98 The Dhamma that Must Be Thoroughly Realized / 98 The Dhamma that Must Be Completely Abandoned / 103 The Dhamma that Must Be Experienced / 104 The Dhamma that Must Be Fully Developed / 105 The Development of the Noble Eightfold Path / 106 - The Preliminary Path and the Noble Path / 106 - Development of the Path Factors During Practice / 107 - The Mundane Noble Truths During the Practice of Insight Meditation / 108 Wrong View of Personality and Wrong View of Self / 110 - The Hidden Link / 110 - Craving Abandoned Only When Personality-Belief is Eliminated / 111 The Practice of Meditation / 111 - Morality Is the Basis / 111 - What Is Mental Development? / 113 - The Purpose of Mental Development / 113 - Two Types of Mental Development / 114 - Concentration Meditation / 114 - Kammaṭṭhāna: The Working Ground for Meditation / 115 - The Benefits of Concentration Meditation / 116 - Two Kinds of Insight Meditation / 117 - Insight Meditation Preceded by Concentration / 117 - Pure Insight Meditation / 118 - The Momentary Concentration of Insight Meditation / 118 - Preliminaries to Meditation / 122 - How to Sit / 123 - The Four Protective Meditations / 124 iv The Four Foundations of Mindfulness / 125 - How to Note / 127 - Lack of Concentration When Beginning Practice / 127 - Exceptional Individuals and Noble Ones / 130 Mindfulness of the Body: Some Explanations / 130 - The Basic Practice / 131 - Note the Primary Object at the Beginning / 131 - The Air Element in the Abdomen / 132 - The Aggregates of Clinging / 133 - Be Mindful of Realities, Not Words / 134 - Do Not Only Note ‘Rising’ and ‘Falling’ / 136 - Do Not Modify the Breath / 136 - ‘Sitting’ and ‘Touching’ as the Primary Object / 137 Mindfulness of Thoughts: Some Explanations / 138 - Do Not Control the Noting Mind / 138 - Note the Presence of Continuity / 138 - Do Not Pull the Mind Back / 140 - Do Not Struggle with the Mind / 141 - If the Thinking Mind Is Not Observed / 141 - Failure to Note Wandering Mind / 143 - Benefits of Observing the Mind / 143 - Ill Effects of Failing to Observe the Mind / 144 Mindfulness of Feelings: Some Explanations / 145 - The Key to Nibbāna / 146 - When Unable to Bear Feeling Patiently / 147 Walking Meditation: Some Explanations / 147 - Pay Attention to Walking Meditation / 147 - The Five Benefits of Walking Meditation / 147 - Enlightenment During Walking Meditation / 148 - The Purpose of Walking Meditation / 149 Daily Activities: Some Explanations / 150 - Clear Comprehension / 150 - Being Mindful of Every Activity / 150 Practical Instructions for Insight Meditation / 152 - Walking Meditation / 152 - How to Note During Walking / 154 - The End of the Walking Path / 155 v - Increase Your Notings / 156 - Walk Slowly, Taking Short Steps / 157 - Sitting Meditation / 158 - Keep the Body Upright / 159 - When Unable to Note the Rising and Falling / 160 - Note Wandering Mind / 160 - Good or Bad, Everything Must Be Noted / 161 - Know the Three Characteristics / 163 - How to Observe Feelings / 163 - Three Ways of Observing Unpleasant Feelings / 167 - Take Care / 169 - Becoming Enlightened by Observing Pain / 170 - Nowadays, Too, Diseases Get Cured / 171 - Do Not Change Your Posture - Get Up and Walk / 172 - Unawareness of Pleasant Feelings / 172 - Awareness of Other Objects / 173 - Awareness in Daily Activities / 173 - The Sure Practice / 175 The Progress of Insight-Knowledge / 176 - Understanding Is Insight / 176 - The Insight-Knowledge Discerning Mental and Physical Phenomena / 177 - The Insight-Knowledge of Cause and Effect / 177 - The Insight-Knowledge of Clear Comprehension / 178 - The Insight-Knowledge of Arising and Passing Away / 179 - The Corruptions of Insight / 179 - The Insight-Knowledge of Dissolution / 181 - The Insight-Knowledge of Fear / 182 - The Insight-Knowledge of Misery / 182 - The Insight-Knowledge of Disenchantment / 182 - The Insight-Knowledge of Desire for Deliverance / 183 - The Insight-Knowledge of Re-observation / 183 - The Insight-Knowledge of Equanimity Regarding Formations / 184 - The Insight-Knowledge of Adaptation / 185 - The Simile of the Bird / 185 - The Insight-Knowledges of Change-of-Lineage, Path- vi Knowledge, Fruition-Knowledge, and Reviewing / 186 Realization of The Four Noble Truths by Path-Knowledge / 186 - The Principal Meaning / 189 - The Simile of the Oil-Lamp / 190 How to Attain the Higher Path-Knowledges / 190 - The Path-Knowledge of Once-returning / 190 - The Path-Knowledge of Non-Returning and Arahantship / 191 Comparisons with the Scriptures / 192 - The Ten Stages of Insight-Knowledge/ 192 - The Thirteen Stages of Insight-Knowledge / 192 - The Stages of Insight-Knowledge Taught by the Buddha / 193 The Seven Purifications / 195 The Great Reviewing Knowledges / 197 The Seven Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation / 200 - The First Benefit: Purification of Defilements / 201 - The Second Benefit: Overcoming Sorrow and Worry / 202 - The Third Benefit: Overcoming Lamentation / 202 - The Fourth Benefit: the Cessation of Physical Suffering / 203 - The Fifth Benefit: the Cessation of Mental Suffering / 205 - The Sixth Benefit: the Attainment of Path-Knowledge / 206 - The Seventh Benefit: the Attainment of Nibbāna / 207 Epilogue / 208 GLOSSARY / 210 ENDNOTES / 221 vii About This Translation This translation of “The Buddha's Ways to Peace and Happiness” was started by Daw Aggañāṇī (Dr. Lay Lay Khin), a devoted student of the Venerable Chanmyay Sayadaw since her youth. For many years she had the idea of translating this book, but was unable to find the time until 2004. That summer, the Venerable Chanmyay Sayadaw was on a Dhamma tour of the U.S.A., teaching a three-week meditation