sign in sign up
<<
Home , Buddhism in Italy, Citta (disciple), Shakya, Sunita

LumbiniLumbiniLumbini J OURNAL O F T HE L UMBINI N EPALESE B UDDHA D HARMA S OCIETY (UK) Volume 16 B. E. 2557 May 2013

The vajra is used symbolically in often to represent firmness of spiritual power. Nepalese Society (UK)

uddha was born more than 2600 years ago at Lumbini in . His teachings of existence of suffering and Lumbini the way out of the suffering are applicable today as they were B Journal of The Lumbini Nepalese Buddha Dharma Society (UK) applicable then. The he preached is more appropriate now than ever before. Lumbini is the journal of LNBDS (UK) and published annually For centuries Buddhism remained the religion of the East. Recently, depending upon funds and written material; and distributed free more and more Westerners are learning about it and practising Dharma of charge as Dharma Dana. It is our hope that the journal will serve for the spiritual and physical well-being and happiness. As a result of as a medium for: this interest many monasteries and Buddhist organisations have been established in the West, including in the UK. Most have Asian 1.Communication between the society, the members and other connections but others are unique to the West e.g. Friends of Western interested groups. Buddhist Order. 2.Publication of news and activities about Buddhism in the United Nepalese, residing in the UK, wishing to practice the Dharma for their Kingdom, Nepal and other countries. spiritual development, turned to them as there were no such Nepalese organisations. Therefore, a group of Nepalese met in February 1997 3.Explaining various aspects of Dharma in simple and easily and founded Lumbini Nepalese Buddha Dharma Society (UK) to fill understood language for all age groups. this gap. The society is non-political, non-racial, non-profit making voluntary organisation and open to all, both Nepalese and non-Nepalese, 4.Discussion on Dharma through a readers column. whatever their faith and tradition. Advisers Lumbini is run purely on donation. Therefore, any donations are Sugandha (Thailand), Lodro Thaye, Bhikkhu Sujankirti, welcome and greatly appreciated. Cheques/Postal orders should be Dr. Ratna Bahadur made payable to Lumbini Nepalese Buddha Dharma Society (UK) Executive Committee Members (UK) or LNBDS (UK) and forwarded to the society. Bhikkhu Sumana (President), Mr. Amrit Ratna Sthapit (Vice-President), Mr. Dinesh Sthapit (Treasurer), Dr Dharma B. Shakya (Secretary), Lumbini for you... Mr. Ram Babu Thapaliya (Joint Secretary) Members For the forthcoming issues of Lumbini, we welcome your Mrs. Nani Shova Shakya, Mr. Gyalsang Tamang, Mr. Sukman , articles, anecdotes, short stories or news features, which are Dr. Dinesh Bajracharya, Dr. Swayambhu Tuladhar and Mr. Sujan Shakya linked to Nepal and/or Buddhism. Send your contributions Organising Committee and comments to:- All Executive Committee Members, Mrs. Pramila Shakya, Dr. Rasana The Editor, Journal of LNBDS (UK), 11 Mulberry Drive, Bajracharya, Mrs. Anu Sthapit, Mr. Subha Ratna Shakya, Mrs. Menika The Editor, Journal of LNBDS (UK), 11 Mulberry Drive, Slough Berkshire, SL3 7JU, UK, Tel : 01753-549370, Sthapit, Mrs. Padma Sakya, Mrs. Reema Shakya, Mrs. Suchita Slough Berkshire, SL3 7JU, UK, Tel : 01753-549370, e-mail: [email protected] Tuladhar, Mrs. Durga Thapaliya e-mail: [email protected] Life Members Please include your full name, address and telephone Mr. Amrit Ratna Sthapit, Dr. Dharma B. Shakya, Dr. Lochan number. We regret we cannot acknowledge or return Manandhar, Mrs. Nani Shova Shakya, Mrs Sakuna Lama, Miss Hima items we do not publish. Gurung, Mrs Anita Rai, Mr. Lil Gurung, Mr. Bajra Yonjan, Dr. Bhadra Dhoj Karki, Mr. Redwood MA, Mr. Shashi Manandhar, Mr. Rambabu Thapaliya, Mr. Uttam Nepal, Mr. Dinesh Sthapit, Dr. Dinesh Editor: Amrit Ratna Sthapit Bajracharya, Miss Sophia Somerville, Mrs. Vibeke Dahl, Mrs. Asha Editorial Panel: Dr Dharma B. Shakya, Ram Babu Thapaliya, Sharma, Dr. David Gellener, Mrs. Shanta Gurung, Mrs. Geeta Shrestha, Menika Sthapit Ms Jasmin Lama, Mrs Hind Maiya Vaidya Front Cover Design: Udaya Shakya Objectives Layout: Amrit Ratna Sthapit 1. To make Buddhism known to the wider public and to help them understand the benefits of the Budha's profound teachings, LNBDS OfficeOffice: Lumbini Nepalese Buddha Dharma Society (UK) 11 Mulberry Drive, Slough, 2. To have a forum for the meeting of Nepalese residents in the UK Berkshire, SL3 7JU, UK. and others with an interest in Buddha Dharma as a spiritual Web: www.lumbini.org.uk practice for discussion, exchange of ideas, constructive dialogue Tel: 01753-549 370 and to build Nepalese Buddhist community in the UK etc., [email protected]

3. To establish links with similar organisations in the UK, Nepal and Printed by: Jeddo Print other countries, Unit 32, 63 Jeddo Road, London, W12 9ED 4. To organise voluntary work to help reduce human suffering in Nepal and other countries, and Articles and opinions expressed in the journal are not necessarily the opinions of the society. 5. To promote and publish religious and cultural heritage of Nepal.

May 2013 Lumbini 2 Lumbini Contents Journal of The Lumbini Nepalese Buddha Dharma Society (UK) LNBDS Executive Committee and Objectives 2 Volume 16 B.E. 2557 May 2013 Editorial 3 Significance of Vajra in Buddhism (front cover) 4 Editorial Cultivating Mindful Awareness in Daily Life 5 - Martin Goodson Happy 2557th Buddha Day (Buddha Jayanti, Day, Swanyapunhi) and warm wishes from LNBDS! This year The Important Role of Joyous Feeling in Meditation 7 is 2557 Buddha Era since the Buddha passed away. ‘One - Venerable Dhammasami who sees the teaching sees me’, said The Buddha. The Who Is Who In 9 greatest way to pay our respect and homage to the great (Venerable Bhikkhu Maitri Mahathera) master is to follow his Noble teaching. - Ratna Dhakhwa Year 2012 was announced as “Visit Lumbini Year (VLY) Tribute to late Mr. Min Bahadur Shakya 10 2012” by Government of Nepal. Purpose of this VLY Bhava Cakra (The Wheel of life) 11 2012 was to attract more visitors particularly Buddhist - Acchaya Bajracharya from around the world. This was also an opportunity to present that Prince Siddhartha, the Buddha to be, was Positive thinking in Buddhism 14 born in Lumbini, Nepal. Majestically standing historical - Kishor B. Bajracharya Asokan pillar and archaeological evidences are confirming :j:Yf hLjg / a4' lzIff 16 that there should be no doubt on the Buddha’s birth place. - ze/Tg' zfSo VLY 2012 was good time for Government of Nepal to develop and highlight rest of Buddhist sites in Nepal LNBDS Activities and News 19 relating to the Buddha. Kapilavastu (King Suddhodana’s News about Buddhism 21 palace, Buddha’s childhood place), Devdaha (Queen Mahamayadevi’s metarnal home), Ramgram ( made at the Buddha’s time). According to Mr. Madhav Acharya Mindful Awareness in Daily Life’ by Martin Gordon is an of Lumbini Development Trust, none of these sites were enlightening article which is a must read. The writer with given attentions. On this auspicious occasion of Buddha many years of practice in meditation and in teaching Day, we appeal to the government of Nepal to focus on Buddhism explains this profound teaching of the Buddha these heritage sites to preserve and maintain. in simple terms. It is 16 years ago that LNBDS (UK) was established. This Executive team of the society plays vital role in the smooth small society grew from strength to strength with your running of our activities. The team gets together quarterly support, encouragement and guidance. To continue and to discuss business matters along with Dana to expand the society’s activities in the future for the benefit monk/s, meditation practice, discussion on Dhamma of many, your continued support is essential and will be topics and practising the teachings. ‘Bhava Cakra - The greatly appreciated. wheel of life’ was a talk given by Acchaya Bajracharya in our October 2012 meeting. We hope that you will enjoy We can’t talk about Buddhism in Nepal without reading this article. We are also grateful to Kishor B. mentioning . Although Newar Bajracharya for his article on ‘’Positive thinking in Buddhism is off shoot of Buddhism, it is unique Buddhism.’ Kishor explains how positive thinking helped in its practice and rituals. In this issue we briefly tried to his organisation’s work. touch on significance of Vajra in Buddhism (front cover) with brief explanation inside. In who is who in Buddhism in Nepal, Vinaya Dhakhwa writes a brief biography of Venerable Maitri Mahasthavir The society organises many activities to propagate the of Nepal. We have included Shubha Ratna Shakya’s noble teaching. Two monthly one day meditation is one winning article from essay competition 2012 conducted of them for which we invite prominent teachers, by the Society in collaboration with Buddhist Youth whenever possible, to give guidance. Here we are please to Group, , on topic ‘Buddha’s teaching for healthy include one of the talks ‘The Important Role of Joyous life’. The society organises alternatively Essay competition Feeling in Meditation’ given by Venerable Dhammasami one year and Art Competition another year in Nepal to in one of our meditation sessions. We hope that you will promote the Buddha’s teaching. equally benefit by reading this transcribed article. We hope all our readers will enjoy reading this journal, as Living life without ‘’ is like wondering much as we have enjoyed presenting it to you. May peace blindfolded, not knowing where one is heading. Clear and contentment be with you. vision will help one to reach destination by being able to follow right path while avoiding wrong path. ‘Cultivating ‘Bhavatu Sabba Mangalam’’’

3 Lumbini May 2013 Significance of Vajra in Buddhism (Front Cover)

(Vajra at the front of the Swayambhu Maha Chaitya, Kathmandu) Vajra in (Dorje in Tibetan) is used by Vajrayana the vajra in one hand and the bell in other hand - practitioners of both Nepal and during their rituals. symbolizing the union of the forces of compassion and Vajrayana is one of the three major branches of Buddhism. wisdom, respectively. The vajra is made up of several parts. Other two are and . In the centre is a sphere which represents Sunyata (emptiness) the primordial nature of the universe, the The vajra is used symbolically in Buddhism often to underlying unity of all things. The five pronged vajra (with represent firmness of spirit and spiritual power. The use four makaras, plus a central prong) is the most commonly of the vajra as a symbolic and ritual tool spread from seen vajra. along with Indian religion and culture to other parts of East and Southeast Asia. One important correspondence is between the five “poisons” with the five wisdoms. The five poisons are the mental In Tantric Buddhism (Vajrayana) the vajra states that obscure the original purity of a being’s mind and ghanta (bell) are used in many rites by a lama or any which are – desire, anger and hatred; delusion, greed and Vajrayana practitioner of sadhanas. The dorje is a pride and envy, while the five wisdoms are the five most male symbol that represents many things for the tantrika. important aspects of the enlightened mind. Each of the The vajra is representative of upaya whereas its companion five wisdoms is associated with virtues of Dhyani Buddha- tool, the bell which is a female symbol, denotes prajna. Amitabha, Akshobhya, Vairocana, Ratnasambhava and Some deities, for example Vajrasattva, are seen holding Amoghasiddhi.

”Not by birth is one an outcaste; not by birth is one a high caste (Brahmin). By deed one becomes an outcaste, by deed one becomes a high caste.” ~ Vasala Sutta, 1.7: Sutta Nipata

BUDDHA VIHARA FUND APPEAL With aim of having our own Vihara for the benefits of all we have established a Vihara Fund. Vihara in , the language used by the Buddha himself, means a dwelling place where Buddhist monks and nuns dwell. In the Buddhist text it is written that to build or participate in any form in building a Vihara is considered highly meritorious act. This is the spiritual place where the nobleness is practised by many for the harmonious life and salvation of all. We would like to appeal to all our well-wishers to help the society to fulfil its aim by donating whatever you can. Please forward your donations to LNBDS (UK), 11 Mulberry Drive, Slough, Berkshire SL3 7JU. Cheque should be made payable to Lumbini Buddha Vihara FundFund.

May 2013 Lumbini 4 Cultivating Mindful Awareness in Daily Life Martin Goodson “This is the sole way, monks, for the purification of beings, We can become familiar with this process when it goes for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the wrong. In our relationships with each other there are times destroying of pain and grief for reaching the right path, for when we misunderstand. We say “I got the wrong end of the realization of Nibbana namely the four Foundations of the stick” or “but I thought you said/meant…” We might Mindfulness.” (DighaNikaya – The Heart of Buddhist not think anymore of it but in fact such situations arise Meditation by NyanaponikaThera; pub; Weiser 1988) because instead of actually hearing what was said I half- heard and then one of my expectations crept in and I The sutta dedicated to the formula known as the Four ‘assumed’ the rest. So in this case an expectation can actually Foundations of Mindfulness is, like most suttas, quite alter what we hear. Another example of how the heart/ short. Within a few pages which can be read in less than mind can create what we experience as ‘reality’ is when an hour lies the whole of the Buddha’s teaching when it the passions are aroused. A charismatic speaker knows this comes to practice. This fact is made quite clear at the end and uses his words to affect the emotions of the audience of the sutta with a bold statement from the Buddha that to make them susceptible to whatever message he wants practice of these Four Foundations will deliver the sincere them to hear and believe. This suggestibility is a quality practitioner either in this life or at the very least in the of the passions which encourage us to see things in a certain next! way. To give an example which might sound rather silly – “Suffering I teach, and the way out of suffering.” With say that I have a real terror of spiders. Even though we live this statement the Buddha summed up his teaching, the in the U.K. and have no poisonous spiders here I cannot reason why Buddhas appear on this earth and why they bear to have one near me! One day I go into the bathroom teach humanity. So before we can start looking at this and shout in horror because there in the bath is a tiny practice formulation perhaps we had better be clear what house spider. Another member of the household comes the link is between the cultivation of what is called in rushing in to see what the commotion is about and wide- English ‘mindfulness’ and the end of suffering. eyed and white-faced I point a shaking finger at the culprit. Now, I live in Finchley in North London and about six There is a Japanese poem that describes an incident in the miles away is Regents Park Zoo. The other public gardens in the city of Nara. These gardens are does not think very highly of me being so frightened of frequented by tourists because they are very beautiful. such a tiny thing and so decides to play a trick on me. He Visitors can see the blooms or watch the wild birds; look tells me “H’mm you know it might be a black widow into the pools where the koi carp swim or rest and take spider escaped from Regents Park Zoo!” Suddenly, gripped refreshment in the tea-houses. Suddenly, there is the sound by a new wave of terror I turn to him and say “Do you of clapping hands; at this signal the koi carp rise up to the think so?” surface of the pond, the heron fly away and the waitress brings out a tea tray. Now the possibility of a spider escaping from Regents Park Zoo and making its way across six miles of London In Japan, koi carp are often kept in pools to adorn and traffic and in a cold climate and just finding its way into beautify the gardens and they are looked after and fed my bath in Finchley. What is the likelihood? Of course regularly. There is a custom of clapping and then sprinkling with fear there is always a tiny possibility but the fear fish food onto the ponds so the carp associate the sound amplifies it and makes the impossible, possible. This is of clapping hands with feeding time. Heron are wild birds, precisely what the passions do – they blow things out of on the other hand, and the sound of clapping hands is proportion. It may not be fear, it can be anger or it can be likely to signal alarm – the possibility of danger and so love or enthusiasm. Any passion can do this if it carries fear drives them away. In the tea house the waitress is me away. In such a deluded state all sorts of things can notified of a new guest by the clapping of hands so she happen from small misdemeanours which I later regret knows to bring out the tray with the tea things on it. In and have to apologise for to heinous crimes. "It is this this poem we do not know why someone is just now suffering which is caused by heedlessness, by moments of being clapping his or her hands – it is not important. What is to deluded that the Buddha talked about as being the cause of be realised is that the heart and mind of the carp, heron suffering." and waitress creates how that sound is to be experienced. It is the realisation that it is the heart/mind which, far "His medicine for this condition is what is called in the from being a passive organ taking in sense data to create a sutta – ‘’ which is often translated into English as picture of the world, actually manufactures our experience. ‘mindfulness’." Now, personally I’m not keen on that

5 Lumbini May 2013 translation because it has a connotation which is not notice the pressure of the feet on the floor or your bottom reflected in the original Pali word. The mind, in English, on the chair. If you really open up then you can also notice has an association with thought. In English we think with the feel of clothes on your body; in some areas they are our minds and feel with our hearts. The Pali word ‘’ is loose in others tight. Now that information is coming in also often translated as ‘Mind’ but in the texts clearly it all the time but awareness only notices it when directed or has a wider meaning than that. ‘Sati’ has the sense of when strong enough to force its way to attention. Now attention or awareness – which is much more immanent; the act of noticing is not something that ‘I’ do; it happens something which happens in and through the body and to awareness. Going out of the gate for the first time has little or no connotation of thinking about something. awareness sees the spring blooms on the tree in the garden To use an example - just now stop reading this article and across the road. The sounds of the chattering starling on just pinch yourself in the arm… the rooftops are just now noticed. All these things happen quite outside of my intention. I do not decide what I will Now, do I have to think about it in order to feel it? No! see or hear rather it just ‘comes in’. So awareness has to be The pinch jumps up into awareness. Please do this exercise continually attentive, open reaching out to the objects of and actually experience it – Do not skip it thinking I can awareness and those objects appear. This noticing has a imagine it happening! quality of surprise about it! Until it happens I do not know So there is a difference between awareness of an actual then suddenly it happens, it is fresh and vital. This noticing pinch and thinking “Oh, I’m pinching my arm.” This may in fact produces a sense of being really alive - this aliveness seem a small point but it is a very important point. is a quality of practicing awareness. Awareness (sati), of the body is the First of the Four Now we have been focussing on the physical body and Foundations and is perhaps the simplest to work with for the physical senses and practicing awareness through them. a clear understanding of the nature of awareness. What about the mental processes? After all, the other three foundations relate to them. What we find is that as we Again, as you are reading this article just stop for a moment continue to cultivate awareness through the body we and become aware of your own body – is it sitting, standing discover an intimate link between all four foundations. or lying down? Is the skin sensing warm, hot or cold? Our bodies flash what is going on in the mental realm Now open up to the sounds – actually lean into them. through our faces and body postures. These days Imagine if you were at a party and the room is quite noisy. psychologists call it ‘body language’ and it is an art and Someone is talking to you and at one point you hear science all of its own but in truth we all read body language someone nearby mention your name. You want to hear and use it every day. In going about our business begin to what they are saying about you but you cannot turn away open up to the body language of others, the tone of a that would be impolite! So you just turn your attention voice as well as what they say. If we practice this awareness to the other conversation and strain to hear the words! then a lot more information comes in and that information Now just lean into listening around you like that for a relates to the mental processes of others. few moments! One of the major obstacles to practicing awareness either All this awareness of sights and sound and tactile feelings to oneself or towards others is the mental faculty of are in and through the body. A useful exercise is to take a judgement; in particular ‘my judgements’. We know the short walk about half-an-hour and just really open up to Buddha said that this ‘I’ and this ‘me’ and this ‘mine’ is a the sights and sounds around. Walk a bit more slowly deluded way of seeing ourselves. But again if we really than usual, be in no rush and give yourself into seeing and look at what this ‘I’ is, what we quickly see is an almost hearing and feeling. endless stream of ‘my’ judgments – what suits me, what I In one of the courses I run on this subject we do this and don’t like, how that will affect me etc. When these the students all report how when they begin to look they thoughts come up then awareness recedes into the distance. see much more and when they give themselves into So in order to continue practicing awareness we have to listening they hear so much more. Of course it seems also become aware of when ‘I’ get carried away in this obvious when we read it like this but this is cultivating type of thinking.'ssssssssss!' awareness of the body and the senses that operate through So starting with the body, awareness gradually~ D.widens II. 156 out it. to cover all areas inner and outer. Not being caught in the As we continue with this particular foundation another judgements of ‘I’ there is not only vitality to it but also a thing is realised. Awareness is a matter of noticing what clarity which brings us closer to seeing things as they really just now is arising in consciousness. Just notice again if are – this is the Wisdom spoken of by the Buddha through you are sitting or standing, if your feet touch the floor which the causes of suffering can be left behind.

May 2013 Lumbini 6 The Important Role of Joyous Feeling in Meditation (This talk was given at the one-day meditation retreat at the SSIBC, Kingsbury, London, organised by LNBDS, on Sunday, 2-9-2012 by Venerable Dhammasami of the Oxford Buddha Vihara, Oxford, UK) Venerable Dhammasami We have one more hour before conclusion of today’s what Buddha taught: detachment!” meditation. I would like to briefly discuss about the role of joyous feeling in meditation practice. Because of this misunderstanding, my purpose here is therefore to convince you that joyous feeling is very Especially in meditation practices dominated and led by important for meditation. Without the joyous feeling it monastics, monks and nuns, if you look at the faces of is very hard to develop concentration; even if developed, meditation teachers they are very stiff and very serious; that it will be very hard to sustain it. is because the monastics have to restrain their senses. In 1999 during the retreat I was leading in Sri Lankaramaya We can say without joyous feeling there is no in Singapore, one Chinese lady asked me ‘How come you enlightenment. Enlightenment, Bodhi in Pali, means being teach meditation and you smile a lot.’ It was a very unusual fully awakened; you are fully awakened to the experience question. It seems as if one of the requirements of so that nothing can fool your mind. Awakening to the meditation teachers is to have stiff and serious face. If you way things really are means you know jack fruit is jack smile too much you are considered as not being serious. fruit, mango is mango, and mango is not jack fruit; jack fruit is not mango. Something is not yours, you should In addition, in the teaching very often we talk about not see it as yours. Usually anger is not ours; indeed, anger detachment, we have to let go of everything, both pleasant does not belong to any one. It comes and goes. When the and unpleasant feelings, you have to be equanimous. That conditions are right for anger to arise it arises, when the is the usual explanation. You have to develop strong conditions are right for it to go, it goes away. Anger is not concentration so that you can stand unpleasant sensation, Burmese, Nepalese, Sri Lankan, English, Thai or Chinese. disappointment and so on. And, you also have to develop It is neither masculine nor feminine. No such thing. Anger strong concentration so that you do not get carried away is just anger, just an emotion; nothing else. We think it is by pleasant sensation, joyous feeling, wonderful memory ours. If I think it is mine, then anger is masculine and etc. monastic. When I claim like that, when I see like that it is Some Vipassana meditation practitioners become very difficult for the anger to go away. The mind is mechanical and get caught up in a meditation technique, deluding itself and the mind is fooled. so they do not learn to develop positive feeling. You are However, usually for an unenlightened mind, when pain supposed to see that whatever arises passes away. Before arises, we identify with it and personalise it. When we do you see that, you have to label every thing, if you use a that it is difficult to let go of it and keep distance from it. labelling technique. For example if you have joyous feeling When the mind can not distant from pain, the mind will just label it as joyous feeling, register it and let it go and shake and be shaken by pain. The mind becomes restless then return to breathing. You are not allowed to actually and agitated. When we have headache see how easy it is to enjoy it. If you have too much pain, just observe it; it is become restless. Look at the people who are not well. just pain and then let it go and return to breathing. Do How moody they can be, this is because the mind is shaken not complain. So, if the meditator does not employ by the pain. Meditation teaches us to distant mind from skillfulness and flexibility, sometimes one may become the pain. To do that first we need to develop concentration mechanical with this technique. One may take meditation and so that mind is strong enough to pull back a little bit as a mechanism and tries to approach meditation in a fixed and to look at pain as the third person not as me, not as way. mine, not as you or not as yours, some thing impersonal. It is almost a taboo to feel joyous during meditation, for This is pain; not this is my pain. This is the way we instance, to enjoy walking during the walking meditation, approach pain in order not to get fooled by the discomfort to enjoy sitting during the sitting, during the exercise of it brings. breathing awareness to enjoy breathing. To use the word In dealing with pain, another thing we need to take care ‘enjoy’ is itself almost a forbidden in some meditation of is attitude toward pain. If there is right attitude towards practice. One day in Sri Lanka when I mentioned the word pain, accepting it as something natural, as part of life, as enjoyment with regard to meditation, I was at once told being conditioned by four physical elements, then there is that I should not even use the word enjoyment, let alone less problem. It is the elements of earth when you sit and feel it; , I was told, “you have to let go of it and you know when you feel tight. Your muscles are very tight and hard.

7 Lumbini May 2013 The earth element is working in the body. That tight when you are 17/18 years. But once you have got them muscle produces pain. This is the nature here. When you you start worrying about getting a place in university. When personalise it as my pain, this pain is killing me, I can not you get a place in a university, instead of being feeling meditate then it becomes a problem. That problem is joyous about it, you will worry about getting a degree largely attitude problem which makes the pain worse. with a good grade, otherwise you cannot get a good job, you can not become somebody. Once you have a degree We are talking about joy here, the importance of feeling you worry about finding a suitable job. That also you joyous. Instead of going into detailed meditation practice managed to get it. Now you have achieved many things, of joy, I would like to spend the rest of the time this A/Level, a university degree and a good job, conditions evening talking about joy in our daily life. You have good are all there for you to be happy but you still can not feel health, you can get up in the morning, you can cook, you happy. can enjoy your meal, you can go to work, you can go for a walk, you can do some reading, you can sit and relax Sometimes you go to work and a small insignificant thing and watch television, do some exercise, you can meet irritates you at work, you come home feeling irritated and friends and families, you have all the conditions to make unhappy, remain unhappy throughout the evening and you feel joyous and to make you feel happy. Yet, despite the night; and go back to work next day with a hangover all these people can not access the resources of joy, the of bad feeling and agitated mind. You forget to access the resources of enormous conditions to make them feel resources that are available there to make you happy. Why happy. As a result they need some thing exciting, something the mind behaves like this is because it is obsessed with expensive in their lives to make them feel happy. The heart negative aspects of life. That is why newspapers, television simply has very little ability to feel joyous and happy. The reports always concentrate on negative things; they are what feeling joyous should not be taken for granted. This is ordinary people want to read or see. That is why the Buddha some thing we need to develop. said joy is important. I have mentioned this everywhere I go. I will mention it Unless your heart is able to feel joyous you can forget here as well. There is group theory called ““Eighty-twenty about enlightenment! There are seven factors of theory.” What is going on well in your life is eighty enlightenment mentioned in the text. One of them is piti percents; something wrong or something problematic is in Pali which means feeling joyous. Another word is called twenty percents. However, your mind spends only 20% in Pali which means feeling calm and pleasant. on the 80% positive things that is going well, the source These are the ultimate components of an enlightened of joyous feeling in your life, and instead you spend eighty mind. Along the way in the process of development the percents of your time, 4 out of 5 hours, worrying about Buddha used the word pamujja in Pali, that is joyous the 20% percent negative things in life. As a result of this feeling; without that it is not possible to maintain imbalance in time-investment, the mind comes to perceive concentration; concentration simply does not become the 80% percents as going wrong in your life and that natural. It is very hard to maintain concentration. You sit only 20% percents are there to celebrate. down and the mind is just running all the time why, because you do not have access to your own heart where That is why when you have solved one problem at work, you can feel joyous. instead of enjoying it, you start looking for another problem to solve. In your house you feel you need to So for the next 15 minutes I will introduce you to positive change the painting. Once you have painted the house, thinking meditation in other to help you with your instead of enjoying it you start to think of the carpet vipassana mindfulness meditation. In Pali it is called needing a change. As soon as you have changed the carpet to reflect again and again, here to reflect on some you start thinking of some thing else, for example, a plant positive actions, for example, generous act which makes in the corner is not quite right, forgetting about the nice you feel joyous. Or you can think about your ethical action, painting and brand new carpets. sila (silanussati) to make you feel joyous. Any action that makes you feel truly joyous will do. I do not want to In your wardrobe you may have many beautiful clothes quote too many things and burden you with text. I only but you hardly think about them. You are more attracted want you to access your own heart. by beautiful clothes displayed in the high street. The mind is always obsessed by things you do not have. The mind Joy is a positive emotion, some thing that we should forgets what you have already got. This is the habit of the develop. People think perhaps wrongly you should not trouble-making mind. have emotions. As a human being, as a living being how can you not have emotions? Positive emotions are part of Before you have A/Level you think once you have A/Level enlightenment – loving kindness (metta), compassion the world will be perfect. That is the only thing you want Continued on Page 10 ... May 2013 Lumbini 8 WHO IS WHO IN BUDDHISM IN NEPAL Venerable Bhikkhu Maitri Mahathera Vinaya Ratna Dhakhwa Venerable Bhikkhu Maitri Mahathera is one of the senior He was the Founder Chairman of International Buddhist and prominent teachers of Buddhism in Nepal. He comes Society established with the goal of providing free health from Shakya clan and his householder name is Kiran care and literacy program to serve the populace of 12 Chandra Kumar Shakya. He was born on the full moon adjoining village development committees of Lumbini and day of 28th December 1954 in Kapilvastu of Nepal. He is also the Nuwakot district of Nepal. He is the Managing Director of International only son of Mr. Ravi Ratna Shakya Buddhist Bhikkhu Training Centre and Mrs. Shanti Shakya. He passed which ordains Nepalese youth every school leaving certificate examination year. They are given basic training on from Tribhuban Trishuli High School, Buddhism in Nepal and later sent to Nuwakot. After high school Sri Lanka for advanced studies. He is graduation he was awarded a the editor of Lumbini, a biannual “Diploma in ” from journal published from Nepal. His Sri Lanka Vidyalaya and University of valuable contribution also includes Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. production of a documentary in 1990 on the life and deeds of the Most Ven. He has been ordained both as novice Bhikkhu Amritananda Mahanayaka Buddhist monk in November 1968 Mahathera. and fully ordained monk in June 1976 in Sri Lanka. The Most Venerable He has travelled extensively and has Baddegama Wimalawansa Anunayaka participated in various conferences, Mahathera of Sri Lanka and the Most seminars and workshop in countries Venerable Amritananda Mahanayaka around the world. He has been made Mahathera of Nepal were two of his main teachers. an “Ambassador for Peace” by International Religious Foundation based in USA. Also Lumbini Development He is currently a Council Member of International Trust has honoured him in a special function for his Lumbini Buddhist University; Spiritual Advisor of contribution in promoting peace through Buddha’s Lumbini Development Trust; President of Anandakuti teachings. He is loved and liked by the Buddhist Vihara Trust and the Chief Abbot of Ananda Kuti Vihara, communities in Nepal and abroad alike for his generosity, Swayambhu, Kathmandu, Nepal. hard work and above all compassion to all living beings.

"He who has cut off the thong (of hatred), the band (of craving), and the rope (of false views), together with the appendages (latent unwholesome tendencies), he who has removed the crossbar (of ignorance) and is enlightened — him do I call a holy man." ~ No 398,

"As a solid rock is not shaken by the wind, even so the wise are not ruffled by praise or blame." ~ No 81, Dhammapada

We wish all our supporters a happy and a prosporous Buddha Jayanti 2557 May konwledge of Wisdom prevail the world. ~ LNBDS

9 Lumbini May 2013 Continue from Page 8 ... Tribute to late Mr. Min Bahadur Shakya, (karuna), sympathetic joy () and equanimity a prominent Buddhist scholar of Nepal. (upekhha) are positive emotions. Without these four there (Sabbe Sankhara Anicca) is no enlightenment. The Buddha is well renowned for his great compassion. Compassion is a positive emotion. It is very important to remember some thing in your life that makes you feel joyous; that will help you access your own heart. You can call this exercise by different names but I call it positive meditation. Once I told one 11 year old girl about this positive thinking and asked her to practice it with myself and others. She said she was thinking about her mother who was ill and she massaged her mother’s legs. That was the only thing she has ever done for any one in her young life. When she thought about that she felt very happy and proud of herself. Another time a young man told me that, on the day he Mr. Min Bahadur Shakya, one of the prominent got A/Level results he got a lot of pocket money from his Buddhist scholars of contemporary Nepal who had contributed considerably to Buddhism passed away on parents, uncles and aunts. Instead of going out and September 18, 2012 around 3:00 AM in the morning celebrating with his friends drinking and having fun, he at his own residence in Chakupat, Lalitpur, Nepal. He gave all his pocket money to an old people’s home. Not was sixty one. only that, he also persuaded his friends to do the same. He was the director of Nagarjun Institute of Exact Now he is a young professional; whenever he looks back Methods and visiting lecturer in the department of in his life that is something he has done and always is Buddhist studies, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. He was proud of it; he feels joyous about his own action and also members of many prestigious Buddhist institutions like Lumbini Development Council and himself. Lumbini University. I would like to spend about ten minute’s time allowing As a prominent Buddhist scholar he had participated you to develop this joyous feeling within you. This is very in many national and international conferences and important. It is going to help you to stay positive whatever meetings and had presented papers on Buddhism happens in your life as long as you can access the resources particularly on Buddhism in Nepal like Lumbini and of joy in your life. its environment, Namobuddha, Boudhanath, and Swayambhu Maha Chaitya etc. He had authored many books and had also written numerous articles on Buddhism for its propagation. “Whatever living beings there He had also helped and guided several young Buddhist scholars in their research works. In recognition of his may be — feeble or strong (or substantive contribution to Buddhism he had been the seekers and the attained) awarded with: - 1. Research Associate Award by Fokuangshan Chinese long, stout, or of medium size, Buddhist Research Academy, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 1989; short, small, large, those seen 2. SAARC Buddhist Fellowship by Ministry of Foreign or those unseen, those dwelling Affairs, Bhutan 1990; 3. Dhanavajra Talent Awards by Ministry of Culture, far or near, those who are born HMG 2001 and as well as those yet to be born 4. Dharmabahadur Dhakhwa Award, Patan -2010. — may all beings have happy In his death Nepal has lost a unique scholar and one of the champions of Buddhism. His absence will be felt minds. considerably in the Buddhist literary world. May he attain . ~ Karaniya Metta Sutta, Khuddaka Nikaya Lumbini Nepalese Buddha Dharma Society (UK)

May 2013 Lumbini 10 Bhava Cakra (The Wheel of life)

Acchaya Bajracharya Introduction Second level: karma Bhavachakra in Sanskrit and ‘The Wheel of Life’ in English Karma represents the universal law of cause and effect- held up by Yama –the god of death to depict good action resulting positive results and bad action and to show to the ordinary people the resulting negative results. The second level of the wheel endless cycle of birth and death (Samsara). It represents shows two-half circles relating to karma. the conditions of samsara as well as the moral and mental factors that cause an individual to remain within samsara. The light half-circle, indicates people experiencing the Bhava cakra are usually painted in the doorways of Tibetan results of positive actions, shows contented people moving temples known as Thaka. The earliest surviving example upwards to higher states, possibly to the higher realms. is a 6th-century wall painting The dark half-circle, indicates at Ajanta. In the Mahayana people experiencing the Buddhist tradition, it is results of negative actions, believed that the drawing was shows people in a miserable designed by the Buddha state being led downwards to himself in order to help lower states, possibly to the ordinary people understand lower realms. the Buddhist teaching especially the dependent Driven by their karma, beings origination. take in the six realms of samsara, as shown in the In Theravada Buddhism next level of the circle. Dependent Arising is explained in many different Samsara ways but the simile of the Samsara, or cyclic existence, wheel is found only in the refers to the process of cycling Visuddhimagga (“The Path through one rebirth after of Purification”) and in the another. The third level of the other commentarial literature wheel is divided into six The three poisons: sections that represent the six In the centre of the wheel are realms of samsara that beings three animals: a pig, a snake, can take rebirth. These six and a bird (cockerel) realms are divided into three representing three poisons of higher realms and three lower ignorance, attachment and realms. aversion. The pig stands for ignorance; being the most The three higher realms are stupid of the animals, since it sleeps in the dirtiest of places shown in the top half of the circle consisting of the god and eats whatever comes to its mouth. The snake represents (Dev) realm, the demi-god () realm and the human anger; this is because it will be aroused and strike at the (Manusya) realm. The god realm is shown in the top slightest incitement. The cockerel represents attachment middle and the human realm and demi-god realms are on i.e. desire or clinging. either side of the god realm.

In many drawings of the wheel, the snake and the bird are The three lower realms are shown in the bottom half of revealed as coming out of the mouth of the pig, indicating the circle consisting of the hell () realm, the animal that hatred and attachment evolve from ignorance. The (Tiryagoni) realm and the hungry ghost () realm. The snake and the bird are also shown grasping the tail of the hell realm is shown in the bottom middle of the circle, pig, indicating that they in turn support greater ignorance. with the animal realm and hungry ghost realm on either Beneath the impact of the three poisons, beings generate side of the hell realm. karma, as shown in the next level of the circle.

11 Lumbini May 2013 A brief description of the six realms to be eighteen different types of hells, some are hot and Six realms of existence, as identified in the Buddhist others are cold realms suffering accordingly. teachings, can be understood on a psychological level, or as aspects of . They are: These are six realms of Samsara into which beings are reborn into according to their past karma. God realm: God realm is populated by godlike beings. The gods lead long and enjoyable lives full of pleasure In some representations of the wheel, there is and abundance, but they spend their lives pursuing a Buddha or depicted within each realm, meaningless distractions and never think to practice the trying to help sentient beings find their way to nirvana. dharma. When death comes to them, they are completely Twelve Nidanas unprepared; without realizing it, they have completely The outer level of the wheel is divided into twelve sections exhausted their good karma (which was the cause for being that represent the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination. reborn in the god realm) and they suffer through being As previously stated, the three inner levels of the wheel reborn in the lower realms. show that the three poisons lead to karma, which leads to Demi-god realm: Demi-gods are strong and powerful the suffering of the six realms. The twelve links of the beings who are sometimes depicted as enemies of the Gods. outer level show how this happens—by presenting the Demi-gods are marked by their fierce envy. The karma of process of cause and effect in detail. hate and jealousy causes rebirth in the Demi-god Realm. These twelve links can be understood to operate on an The Demi-gods have pleasure and abundance almost as outer or inner level. much as the gods, but they spend their time fighting among themselves or making war on the gods which they On the outer level, the twelve links can be seen to operate always loose. over several lifetimes; in this case, these links show how our past lives influence our present life, and how our actions Human realm: The Human Realm is the only realm from in this lifetime influence our future life. which beings may escape samsara through enlightenment, yet only a few open their eyes and sees it. Rebirth into the On the inner level, the twelve links can be understood to Human Realm is conditioned by passion, doubt and desire. operate in every moment of existence in an interdependent Humans suffer from hunger, thirst, heat, cold, separation manner. On this level, the twelve links can be applied to from friends, being attacked by enemies, not getting what show the effects of one particular action. they want, and getting what they don’t want. They also suffer from the general sufferings of birth, old age, sickness By contemplating on the twelve links, one gains greater and death. Yet the human realm is considered to be the insight into the workings of karma; this insight enables us most suitable realm for practicing the dharma, because to begin to unravel our habitual way of thinking and humans are not completely distracted by pleasure (like reacting. the gods or demi-gods) or by pain and suffering (like the The outer level represents the 12 links of dependent beings in the lower realms). origination. These twelve causal links, paired with their Animal realm: Wild animals suffer from being attacked corresponding symbols, moving clockwise, are: and eaten by other animals; they generally lead lives of Avidyà: lack of knowledge - a blind person, often walk- constant fear. Domestic animals suffer from being exploited ing, or a person peering out. Ignorance (Avidya) - not by humans; for example, they are slaughtered for food, knowing the as taught by the Buddha. overworked, and so on. Rebirth in the Animal Realm is conditioned by ignorance. Samskàra: constructive volitional activity – (a potter shaping Hungry ghost realm: They suffer from extreme hunger a vessel or vessels). A potter moulding a pot symbolizes and thirst. They have huge bellies and long thin necks that we shape our own destiny with our actions through making it difficult to swallow food. They are characterized the workings of karma. by insatiable hunger and craving and associated with Vijñàna: consciousness – (a man or a monkey grasping a addiction, obsession and compulsion. fruit). The monkey climbing a tree represents consciousness Hell realm: As the name suggests, the Hell Realm is the or the mind, which wanders aimlessly and out of control. most terrible of the Six Realms. Hell beings have a short Nàmarûpa: name and form – (two men afloat in a boat). fuse; everything makes them angry. Hell beings endure Consciousness gives rise to name and form which are unimaginable suffering for eons of time. There are believed essential elements of mental and physical existence. It is

May 2013 Lumbini 12 symbolized by people travelling in a boat on the river of Thubten Chodron states: life. So the Buddha’s gesture is like the path to enlightenment. It’s not that the Buddha is the cause of nirvana. The Sadàyatana: six senses – (a dwelling with six windows). The Buddha is a cooperative condition of our nirvana. He next link is an empty house, the doors and windows of points out to us what to practice and what to abandon in which symbolize the developing sense organs. Buddha order to be liberated. When we follow the path, we get noted six senses: sight, smell, taste, hearing, touch and the result, which is nirvana. thought (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind) Chögyam Trungpa states: SparsaSparsa: contact – (lovers consorting, kissing, or entwined). The nature of the path is more like an exploration or an The six senses allow us to have contact with the world, expedition than following a path that has already been which is symbolized by lovers embracing. built. When people hear that they should follow the path, they might think that a ready-make system exists, and Vedanà: pain – (an arrow to the eye). From contact arise that individual expressions are not required. They may feelings - pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. Feelings are think that one does not have to surrender or give or open. represented on the wheel as an arrow piercing the eye. But when you actually begin to tread on the path, you realize that you have to clear out the jungle and all the Tanhà: thirst – (a drinker receiving drink). From feelings trees, underbrush, and obstacles growing in front of you. arise desires or attachment to pleasant feelings and You have to bypass tigers and elephants and poisonous experiences, symbolized by a couple falling in love or a snakes. man drinking alcohol. Summary and Conclusion Upàdànana: grasping – (a man or a monkey picking fruit). Symbolically, the three inner circles (levels), moving from Desire or attachment leads to grasping for an object of the centre outward, show that the three poisons of desire, symbolized by a monkey picking fruit. ignorance, attachment, and aversion give rise to positive and negative actions; these actions and their results are Bhava: coming to be – (a couple engaged in intercourse, a standing, leaping, or reflective person). From grasping arises called karma. Karma in turn gives rise to the six realms, existence, represented by a man and a woman making love. which represent the different types of suffering within samsara. Jàti: being born – (woman giving birth). Existence The fourth and outer level of the wheel symbolizes the culminates in birth (entry into the human realm), which twelve links of dependent origination; these links is symbolized by a woman in childbirth. indicate the sources of suffering. The three poisons and Jaràmarana: (old age and death - corpse being carried). karma produce lives within cyclic existence. Birth naturally leads to aging and death, which is The demon being holding the wheel represents symbolized by an old man carrying a burden. impermanence; this symbolizes that the entire process of samsara or cyclic existence is impermanent, momentary, Yàma: constantly changing. The moon above the wheel indicates Yama is the figure holding the Wheel of Life. Yama is a liberation. The Buddha is pointing to the moon, furious deity who is the lord of death. It symbolises indicating that liberation from samsara is possible. impermanence and the inevitability of death – ‘nothing lasts forever’. The entire Bhavachakra, Wheel of Life, is a depiction of the possibility of transforming suffering by changing the This figure is most commonly depicted as Yama, the lord way we relate to it. Liberation from the Wheel of Life of death. Regardless of the figure depicted, the inner does not mean escape. It means clear perception of oneself, meaning remains the same–that the entire process of cyclic of the entire range of the human experience. existence (samsara) is momentary; everything within this wheel is constantly changing. According to the Buddhist tradition, the Buddha told his followers: I have shown you the path that leads to The Buddha pointing to the moon: the path to liberation but you should know that liberation depends liberation upon yourself. As the Buddha taught in his final saying, it The upper part of the drawing also shows an image of is only through becoming a “lamp unto yourself” that the Buddha pointing toward the moon; this represents liberation can be won. ‘Atta Dipa Bhaba.’ Tathagata can the path to liberation. only show the path, you yourself have to tread the path for your own liberation.

13 Lumbini May 2013 Positive thinking in Buddhism

Kishor B. Bajracharya, Patan, Nepal Buddhism states that if one speaks or acts with pure mind beings to do better for his own family, for the society he happiness and success will follow and if one speaks or acts or she lives in and as well as for an organization. with impure mind suffering and sorrow will follow. Hence success in his or her work depends on whether it is An organization will be successful if it follows this into carried out with good intention and positive attitude or practice. We need to develop compassion to the juniors, not. Positive thinking is the main cause for good result. loving kindness to the friends and sympathetic joy to the When we think of a successful person and a successful one who gets success in his or her work, and equanimity organization, there are always positive thinking and hard to those who don’t listen to us though it is true. In this work of a person and good leaders of the organizations manner one has to develop equanimity rather than anger. behind it. I would like to share my experience of working in an Shakyamuni Buddha preached his teaching- the Dhamma organisation called Right Livelihood Learning Center and for about 45 years travelling from door to door, village to SCOPE Cooperative Ltd established on the principle of village, city to city and so on. All his Dhamma talk is Samma Ajiva (Right Livelihood) based in Patan, Nepal. I based on compassion and loving kindness for the well am the founder chairman of this organisation and the most being of all sentient beings. Compassion and cherishing of our members come from Patan. We have been applying for others’ happiness is at the very heart of the Buddhism. these four sublimes states in our youth organizations and If you remove compassion from teachings of Buddha we found it works. These four sublime states have always you remove the heart of the Buddhism supported us to develop positive thinking in every aspects of our work. Buddha’s central teaching is four noble truths – suffering, cause of suffering, cessation of suffering and path leading We have been undertaking different activities to share the to cessation of suffering which is noble eight fold path. principle of art of living based on path of right livelihood. They are: - In addition we have also been sharing this teaching among the youths along with conducting some of the training 1. Right understanding programs to help youths to follow the path of right 2. Right thought livelihood. At one time we decided to conduct training programs for sharing our experiences of working together 3. Right speech and how to build up a group work for both social and 4. Right action economic activities which benefit all. We chose several 5. Right livelihood nearby villages around Patan for this training program. The villages were Khokana, Bungamati, Sunakothi and 6. Right effort Thecho. 7. Right Mindfulness Initially some of our friends were doubtful and they 8. Right concentration thought that these ideas of training program might not work as most of the villagers in Nepal were dominated by Right thought is the outcome of Right Understanding. political parties and their leaders. Some of our friends Thoughts are all important as man’s words and acts have thought negatively that our group would be considered as thought as their source. Hence Right thought is necessary a political group belonging to one of the political parties. to develop human positive thinking and positive attitude Our friends were hesitant and doubtful for the success of for a successful endeavour. our training program. Personally I am very grateful to Buddha’s teaching on four But majority of our young friends thought that the training sublime states - in Pali language. They are would bring a very good positive result. The force of i. Loving kindness, ii. Compassion, iii. Sympathetic or positive spirit was strong. They felt that training would Appreciative joy and iv. equanimity. (Pali is believed to motivate groups and would lead them to carry out various be the language used by Buddha in his teachings). If one beneficial activities which would benefit the villagers can cultivate these four sublime states in his or her financially and will help them to carry out social services. daily life he or she can live in peace and happiness. Everybody was convinced with it. The programs were That type of person is a virtue to himself or herself conducted applying four sublime states - Loving kindness, as well as to others. It is very practical teaching for human Compassion, Sympathetic joy and Equanimity. The

May 2013 Lumbini 14 training was for one week. After the training program, as dhamma on the way. Lord Buddha accepted and preached it was predicted earlier, the farmers of all the villages him with four things. In Pali language they are called: expressed happiness. They heartily honoured all our friends with great respects, offering delicious food and token of 1. Uthàna Sampadà: It means to say that one should be love. The villagers promised to apply the learning from honest and hard working, enthusiastic to carry out ones the trainings into practice. As a result of these training day to day business operation. programmes they have been actively running their group’s businesses benefiting more poor villagers offering them 2. Aarakhha Sampadà: It means to save some money both financial and social services. for future from one’s earning and to spend on necessary things only. One village formally registered a cooperative society later on. The cooperative is successfully running its activities to 3. Kalyàna Mittatà: It means to say that one has to meet date. The other villages also are doing group activities in spiritual teachers, intellectuals, superiors and seniors who their areas successfully. This really changed the negative are positive and who can guide us to go on the right path. thinking of some of our young friends and they were 4. Samajivatà: It means to say that one has to follow convinced the benefits of the positive thinking and positive right livelihood. To follow such occupation which makes attitude. one to earn happily and which is not harmful to anyone. With this success the young people started several Moreover one has to spend money honestly in the needy successful training programs on forming cooperative areas only. societies to semi urban areas applying Buddha’s teaching These teachings are still valuable even in the present world. to develop positive attitude based mainly on the four It all supports one to develop positive thinking. sublime states. We relate to friendly people with loving kindness, to those in distress with compassion, to the It is interesting to find some modern books written on successful with appreciative joy and to unpleasant with positive thinking such as i. “Success through a Positive equanimity. Mental Attitude” by Nepleon Hill, ii. “Awaken the Giant Within” by Antony Robins, iii. “Real Magic” by Dr. Wayne At one time two of our friends had misunderstanding W. Dyer and iv. Unconditional life discovering the power while carrying out some social activities but because they to fulfill your dreams” by Dr. Deepak Chopara practised four sublime states in their daily lives they did not get into fight rather they practice loving kindness and It is clearly written in these books that positive thinking compassion for each other and overcame their makes one’s life successful and it will lead one to make a misunderstanding. At present their friendship are stronger right decision and develop self confidence. than before. Such is the virtue of practising four sublime states in our daily lives. In this way we can see how the Buddha’s teaching is useful in this world to live life happily and successfully. As present most of the youths think of easy money which leads them to negative actions. Initially they felt they were May all living beings be happy ! doing the right thing as they earned some easy money and Reference: were able to enjoy life for short while but later they realised 1. What Buddhist believes by K Sri Dhamananda the mistakes of following the wrong path as they got into 2. Buddha Jayanti Golden Jubilee Souvenir, published from big troubles. There were many examples where young Rudra Barna Mahabihar, Buddha Shambat 2548 people got into trouble and had suffered because of the 3. Boudha Darpan by Prakash Bajracharya different type of negative activities. 4. What the Buddha taught by Walpola Rahula 5. A Guide to Buddhism A to Z by S. Dhammika In this context I personally like to share a very important teaching of the Buddha given to a businessman called Dighjaanu. I believe this teaching emphasises the value of “Just as a mother would practising ethics and good manner so that one can enjoy protect her only child with her life positively. Dighajaanu met the Buddha one morning when the Buddha was on his alms round (Vicchatan in life even so let one cultivate a Pali language). boundless love towards all As Dighjaanu was busy he did not have time to go to the beings. monastery so he prayed to the Buddha to teach him ~ Karaniya Metta Sutta

15 Lumbini May 2013 :j:Yf hLjg / a4''''' lzIff ze/Tg' zfSo, cdt[ af4} kl/olQ lzIff Kathmandu, Nepal ljZjJofkL ¿kdf hLjg:t/sf ] Ps cTofjZs cj:yf xf ] æ:j:y ;q' sf ] pkbz] lbgeof' ] . To; pkbzsf] ] >j0fn ] ttsfn\ To; hLjgÆ, kTo| s] dflg;x¿ :j:y hLjg ¿rfp5gF \ . dflg;x¿ /fu] lgjf/0f eof.] ;fy } tyfut :jod \ lj/fdL kg {' ePsf ] anfdf] hlt;s' } wgf9o\ / zlQmzfnL lsg gxf;] \ :jf:y cdNo' lglw xf.] dxfrGb' :ylj/n ] afHemË] ;q' sf ] :d/0f u/fpg ' ePsf ] cj:yfdf ljZj :jf:Yo ;ªu7g\ (The World Health Organization, /fu] zfGt eP/ uPsf ] lyof ] . afHemË] ;qdf' pNnv] eP cg;f/' WHO) n ] :jf:YfnfO { Jofks ¿kdf kl/eflift ub {} egsf] 5g\ ;ftksf/sf| afHemËx¿] :dtL[ ;DafHemË,] wdljro{ ;DafHemË,] “ A state of complete physical, mental and social well- ljo { ;DafHemË,] kLlt| ;DafHemË,] kzlAw| ;DafHemË,] ;dflw being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. ;DafHemË,] pkIff] ;DafHemË] xg' \ . o; kl/efiff cg;f/' /fuaf6] dQm' xg' sf' ;fy ;fy } dfgl;s / To:t } u/L cfoidfg' \ lul/dfgGb lj/fdL ePsf ] anfdf] tyfutn] ;fdflhs ¿kdf klg ;xL;nfdt xg' kb' 5{ eGg ] s/f' yksf] cfoidfg' \ cfgGb bz ;1f+ pkbz] l;sfpg ' eO { To;s/f' hxfF 5g.\ ^)) O=k{ =' df ljZjs } zflGt gfossf ¿kdf dxfdfgj cfoidfg' \ lul/dfgGb xg' x' G5' Toxf F uP/ ;gfpgsf' ] nfuL eGgeof' .] uftd} a4' hGdg ' eof ] . pxfnF ] kltkfbg| ug ‘{ ePsf ] wdbz{ gnfO{ { cfoidfg' \ cfgGbn ] klg a4sf' ] cf1f adflhd] cfoidfg' \ lul/ g } a4' wd { elgG5 . pxfnF ] lbgePsf' ] :j:y hLjgsf ] kl/efiff dfgGbnfO { bz ;1fsf+ ] pkbz] ;gfpg' ' xbf' F t¿Gt' } /fusf] ] kL8f o:tf ] 5 – “ To keep the body in good health is our duty zfGt eP/ uPsf ] lyof ] . lt bz j6f ;1fx¿+ qmdz M !_clgTo otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong ;1f,+ @_cgfTd ;1f,+ #_cze' ;1f,+ $_cflbgj;1f,+ %_kxf0f;| 1f,+ and clear .” pxfsfF cg;f/' ha;Dd tkfOF sf{ ] hLjg :j:y / ^_lj/fu;+1f, &_lg/f]w;+1f, *_cgle/t;+1f, (_;j{;+:sf/ xG5, tkfOF sf{ ] eflts} z/L/ cfˆgf ] dn' pbZonfO] { k/f' ugsf{ clgTo;1f,+ !)_cfgfkfg :dlt;[ 1f+ xg' \ . oL bz ;1f+ dWodf nfuL sfo/t{ /xG5 . cfˆgf ] z/L/sf ] x/larf/sf] ] ;DaGwdf rfyf} ] cfbLgj;1fdf+ /fusf] ljleGg ksf/x¿nfO| { tyfutn] c¿nfO{ bf]if lbg ldNb}g, cfˆgf] z/L/sf] x]/ljrf/ cfkm}n] o;/L k:t| t' ug {' eof ] M– cfvfsfF ] /fu,] dvsf' ] /fu,] bftsfF ] ugk5{' { . To;n} ] of ] sfd JolQm :jodn\ ] ugkg{' {] JolQmut sfo{ /fu,] vflsnfUg] ] /fu,] :jf F :jf F cfpg ] /fu,] lkgf;, 8fx, Hj/f,] k6] xf ] . bVg' ] /fu,] d5f' { xg' ] /fu,] /Qmlg;f/, zn,' xhf,} si7,' uf8f+ ,] bfu ;lgsx¿nfO} { k/fz} 6sf' ] tflnd lbg ] qmddf qmdzM krf; lkm6, xg' ] /fu,] 5fnf ;s' /] hfg ] /fu,] duL,[ bfu 3f6L,] ;–;fgf w/] } ;o lkm6sf] 6fj/ km]/L xhf/f}+ lkm6 dfly xjfO{ hxfhaf6 vl6/f cfpg ] /fu,] gËdf xg' ] /fu,] ;lGgP/' cfpg ] /fu,] Ifo /fu,] xfdkmfNg nufOG5 . To;anf] sf/0fjz k/fz} 6' vn' g] eg] dwd' x,] hflg] ,{ hflg] { uf7fF ] cfpg ] /fu,] 8l08kmf/,] eu08/ /fu,] pgsf ] Hofgklg hfg ;S5 . t/ To; k/fz} 6' gvn' sf] df] c¿nfO{ lkQ /fu,] skm, lkQ, skm jfo ' lkQ ltgj6faf6} xg' ] /fu,] df;d} bfiflbg] ldNbg} pm :jod \ To; b3' 6gfsf{ ] lhDdjf/] xG5' . of] kml/] bfF xg' ] /fu,] cxf/ clh0f { eP/ xg' ] /fu,] c¿sf ] sf/0fn ] xg' ] pbfx/0f cln crDd nfUg ;S5 t/ :jf:y hLjgsf ] ;DaGwdf /fu,] sd { ljkfsn ] xg' ] /fu,] ¿3f, uldn{ ] xg' ] /fu,] efsKof;,] xfdf| ] lrQ To; ;lgs} h:tf ] / z/L/ k/fz} 6' h:tf ] xf ] . obL emf8fkvfnf, lk;fa gxg' ] /fu,] cflb . o;/L xbf] { a4nfO' { ;Dk0f' { /fux¿sf] 1ftf Ps 8S6/sf ¿kdf lrGg ;S5f +} . dfgl;s k/fz} 6' vn' g] eg ] b3' 6gf{ xg' ;S5 clg ckfË / 3fon eP/ /fusf] ] pkrf/sf tl/sfx¿, lrQ / :jf:Yo larsf ] ;DaGw g} hLjgdf :jf:y udfof' F} eg ] lrQnfO { hLjgsf clUg kl/Iffaf6 :j:y hLjg / a4' wd { sf ] cWoog Ifq] xf.] a4n' ] cu+ nLdfn,' uh' g| ' kg {] xG5' . ;fgfeGbf] ;fgf ] sfd bvL] 7n7" nf" szn' sfo{ h:tf ] 8/nfUbf ] / k6frf/f, sLzfuftdL} h:tf laifd dfgl;s jf lgjf0f{ kflKt| ;Ddsf x/s] Ifqdf] :j:y hLjgsf ] cfjZostf lk8f ePsf dflg;x¿sf ] dg :j:y / zfGt kfg { eof ] . To;n} ] / dxTjk0f' { eldsf' /xsf] ] xG5' . a4' Ps dgflrlsT;s] klg xf ] . af}}4}}} bz{{g{{{ cg'';f/''' lrQ, sd{{,{{{ Ct'' ''' / cfxf/ ;DaGwL $ :jf:Yo egsf] ] /fu] gePsf ] cj:yf dfq } xfO] g{ . :jf:Yo egsf] ] j6f lgodx¿n]]] ]] dfgj :j:Yodf ;FFFwFF }}} }} k|||efj|| kfl//fv]]]sf]] ]]]]] Ps lg/Gt/ rgf' lt} xf ] . kTo| s] If0f ;hgzLn[ :dlt[ ;khGotf| xG5''''' . oL rf/ lgodsf ] c;Gtngn' ] h;/L lsNnf 3:gfn] af6 dgfljsf/x¿] x6fpg ] dqL} s¿0ffsf ] efj a4L[ ug ]{ h:tf 6fo/ kGr/ xG5' To;/L g } z/L/nfO { plrt cf/fd, kfif0f] , x/] cEof;af6 g } k0f' { lg/flutf] kfKt| ug { ;lsG5 . a4sf' /fu] ljrf/ / dgdf tgfj dQm' cj:yf gePdf lj/fdL xG5' . lgjf/0f lalwnfO { cufNbF } hfbfF hfkfgdf /sL] pkrf/ kBltsf] a4sf' ] kd| v' bzg{ rt/fo' { ;Todf /funfO] { Joflwlk bMSvfsf' ] ljsf; eof ] . o; k4ltdf dqL} efjgfsf ] dfWodaf6 xLnLË ¿kdf JoQm ug {' ePsf ] 5 . ;If+ kdf] hGdg,'' a4fj:yf,[ /fu] / u/L lj/fdLsf ] /fu] zfGt kfl/G5 . sg' } JoQmL la/fdL xbf'F cfˆgf] dTo[ ' g } bMv' xf ] / To;af6 dQm' xg' ' g } cfifwL} xf ] / lgjf0f { kfKtL| 3/df leIfx¿' afnfP/] kl/qf0f kf7 u/fpg ] rng eujfg\ g } :j:y hLjg kfKtL| xf ] eGf/] a4' wdn{ ] l;sfp5F . a4sf' ] kfnfbvL] /lxcfPsf ] 5 . w/] } rsf {] /fu] nfUbf pkrf/ a4sflng' ;dodf dxfsfZok :ylj/ / dxfdfbuNofog} :yla/ sfnflu ljk:;gf Wofgefjgfsf ] cEof; ug,{] cfˆgf ] dgnfO{ lj/fdL eP/ /fun] ] lkl8t xg' ePsf' ] anf] eujfg \ a4n' ] afHemË]

May 2013 Lumbini 16 :j:y /fVg ;sdf] zf/Ll/s /funfO] { klg zfGt kfg { ;Sg ] af4} pkrf/ lawLx¿ klg pNnv] ugePsf‘{ ] 5 . pxfnF ] kl;gf lgsfNg] ljZjf; /lxcfPsf ] 5 . lrlsT;f, /ut lgsfNg ] lrlsT;f, v§fdf' dfln; ug {] lrlsT;f, lr/kmf/ ug ‘{ kg {] lrlsT;f, dndk§L ug,{] ;k { lrlsT;f, ljif ljk:ogf Wofgsf ] nfe ;DaGwdf af4} /fi6 « Dofgdf/df Wofg lrlsT;f, et' lrlsT;f, kf08 ' /fu] clb !! ksf/sf| lrlsT;fsf a:g ] ofuLx¿sf] ] 36gfx¿ lgs } rfv nfUbf 5g \ . o;kfnLsf] af/df] leIfx¿nfO' { cgdlt' lbgx' G5' . af:tadf leIfx¿' a4sf' ] a4' hoGtL :dfl/sfdf æ3f6LsfF ] 6o\ d/;' uF ;3if+ { ug {] Ps / glhs /xg] xF'bf w]/} h;f] pkb]zx¿ leIf'x¿nfO{ lbg'ePsf] adLof{ uL] sf ] ;To 36gfÆ eGg ] zLifsdf{ leIf ' ljz4frf/sf' ] h:tf ] nfu ] klg oL pkfox¿ :jf:y nfe ug { rfxgx¿] ;asfnflu} nv] 5fkLPsf ] lyof ] . h;df pNnv] ePcg;f/' #& alifof{ g;{ k7g ofUo] laifox¿ xg' \ . Nxf ldG6nfO { 3fl6sfF ] 6o\ d/' xG5' . 8fS6/x¿n ] pQ 6o\ d/nfO' { SofG;/sf ] zsf+ u/L jfofK;L] ug ]{ lg0fo{ uof {] . To;af6 /fu] wDdkbdf ælh3R5f k/df/fufÆ] cyft{ efs] g } ;a } eGbf 7nf" ] lgsf ] xg' eGbf' klg ;fO8Pkm{ S6] / emg \ /fu] rlsg{ ] ;Defjgf /fu] ePsf ] s/f' atfOPsf{ ] 5 . æcf/fuf] k/dfnfefÆ eGg ' eP/ bv] k5L] Nxf ldG6 n ] ljk:;gf Wofg efjgf ug {] lg0fo{ u5Lg{ .\ wDdkbs } csf {] ufyfdf lg/fuL] xg' ' g } ;aeGbf} 7nf" ] nfe ePsf] pgs } zAbdf æo;sf nflu dn} ] ;lhnf ] pkfo /fh] sf] ] 5 ' . olb s/f' atfpg ' ePsf ] 5 . o; ufyfdf æ:j:y hLjg s;/L lhpgÆ] d pkrf/df nfusL] eP , d lgsf ] xg' klg ;Sy ]+ gxg' klg eGg ] laifonfO { ki6| ofpg\ vfh] sf] ] 5 . hLjgdf lhpgsf nflu ;Sy +] . t/ dn} ] uDeL/ ;fO8{ PkmS6x¿nfO] { emNg] } kYof {] . olb ;fRg] a] nfdf] :jf:Yosf ] af/df] klg ;fRg] kg' {] xG5' . dflg; Ps dn} ] Wofg u/sf] ] v08df klg d/f] ] /fu] lgsf ] xg' klg ;SYof] cfWoflTds kf0fL| ePsfn] ] pgsf ] dlitsdf cWoflTds kefj| gxg' klg ;SYof,] t/ ;Dk0f' { bMvaf6' 56sf/f' lbnfpg ] lgjf0f¿kL{ klg /lxg} /xG5 . k|To]s JoQmLnfO{ gsf/fTds cfWoflTds ;fO8{ PkmS6] kfpg ;Sy.+] Nff } , lgjf0f { g } kfKt| ug { g;stfklg] kefj| h:t–} w/] } lbg;Dd gvfO { a:g,' bis/' rofnfO{ { dQmL' dfu{ d To:sf ] glhs t cjZo kUg' 5] ' . lsgsL ljk:;gf Wofgdf 7fGg ' o:tf gsf/fTds cfWoflTds kefjnfO| { aflx/ lgsfln Ps d/f] ] cuf9 >4f lyof ] .Æ o:tf ] cuf9 >4fn ] Wofg a:g ] Nxf dVo' laifo ;To / ;dy ljk:;gf Wofgsf ] cEof; ug ‘{ g } :j:y ldG6n ] # aifsf{ ] cys ljk:;gf sf ] cEof;n ] 8S6/L pkrf/ hLjg nfesf ] kefjsf/L| t/Lsf xf ] . obL tkfOF sf{ ] dg tkfOF sf{ ] af6 lgsf ] gxg' ] /fu] lgsf ] eof ] . clxn ] pgL :j:y l5g.\ Tot} j;df 5g} eg ] cGo gsf/fTds s/fx¿n' ] gsf/fTds kefj| Wofg sGb] df| :jf:y pkrfl/sf eO { cGo ofuLx¿sf] ] ;jf] kf/L tkfOF { sf ] hLjg unt lbzfdf nlulbg ;S5 . To;n] ul5g{ .\ tkfOF sf{ ] :jf:Yo l:ylt g } vt/fdf kfg { ;S5 . To;n} ] ¿l9jfbL k/Dk/f, cGwlj:jf; nfO{ j]jf:tf ub}{ cfˆgf] z/L/sf ;fy} Efujfg \ a4' kfoM| leIfx¿nfO' { ækm; ' laxf/fo Æ cyft{ ;vk' j' s{ dgnfO { ;kmf /fVgkg' {] s/fdf' a4' wdn{ ] hf8] lbPsf ] blvG5] . hf] a:gk5' { eg/] :j:y hLjg Hogsf' ] WenfuL k /0ff]| Wish lbgx' GYof' All.] pxfF Our Suppoters dflg; :jf:y xG5' To;n ] hLjgdf lht xf;Ln ug { Ps sbd eGgx' GYof' –] ærtf/fA ]Happyk~r cfnfk] ] ceandTjf' pbsA + Prosporouslkj ] cn + kmf;' Buddha Jayanti 2555 cl3 ;f/]sf] x'G5 . To;}n}} ] ]] elgG5 k};f}} u'dfof'' }F}} FF eg} }} vf;}}} ljxf/foÆ cyft{ \ k6] egsf{ ] nfuL rf/ kfrF uf;F aflsF xbfF' To;}n} ] ] elgG5 k};f} u'dfof' }F }F eg} } vf;}} slx]]] ud''' sf]]] ]]] xbF'F'F' g}}} lsgls k;f}}} egsf]]] ]]] km/L]]] sdfpg ;lsG5, kfgL lkpgkb' 5{ To;n ] ubfMay { :jf:Yo Knowledge nfe xG5' . Ps of ;do Wisdomslx]] u prevaild'' sf]] ]] xbF'F' g}} lsglsthe world.k;f}} egsf]] ]] km/L]] sdfpg ;lsG5, :jf:y u''Dof' ]] ] eg]] ] s]]xL] a9L u''d' ]]sf] ]] ] x''G5' t/~ LNBDScfr/0f g}}} sfzn] /fhf w/] } vfgf vfg ] uy {] . o;/L w/] } vfgf vfg ] xbfF' :jf:y u'Dof' ] ] eg] ] s]xL] a9L u'd' ]sf] ] ] x'G5' t/ cfr/0f g}} lau||of| ]] ] eg]] ] ;Dk''0f' {{ { s''/fx¿' u''Dg' k''U5' . To;}}n} ]] ] eujfg\\\ pxfnfOF { a4' bzg{ ugsf{ nfuL klg bO' hgf{ dflg;x¿n ] xft lau|of| ] ] eg] ] ;Dk'0f' { { s'/fx¿' u'Dg' k'U5' . To;}n} ] ] eujfg\\ a''4n' ]] ] :j:y hLjgsfnflu :j:y afgL Joaxf/ ckgfpg''' ;dfP/ Nofpg ' kYof {] . To;anfdf] eujfg \ a4n' ] efhgdf] a'4n' ] ] :j:y hLjgsfnflu :j:y afgL Joaxf/ ckgfpg'' k5{{ { eGg''ePsf' ]] ] 5 . ;od+ \ ugkg{' {] s/fnfO' { ufyf agfO { atfpg ' eof ] . To; ufyf k5{ { eGg'ePsf' ] ] 5 . cfˆgf ] efGhfnfO { s07 kfg { nufO { efhg] ug {] ;dodf jfrg a4sfnLg' ;do ;fl/kq' eGtnfO] { k6] bVof' ] . dfbuNofog} eGtn] ] ug { nufof ] . To;/L lbg kltlbg| Ps Ps uf;F sd ub {} NofO{ ;fl/kq' eGtsf] ] pkrf/sf nfuL leIff6g hfgeO' { dx / cfk/;F cfkmnfO' { kUg' ] u/Ldfq } vfg ] ug { yfn ] . o;/L g } xfdLx¿n ] klg lnP/ cfpg ' eof ] . t/ ;fl/kq' eGtn] ] cfˆgf ] k1f| 1fgn ] larf/ vfgfdf ;odtf+ ckgfpg ' k5 { . To:tf ] ;odtf+ ckgfpgfn] u/L xbf] { zqmn ] 5n u//] leIffbfg u/sf] ] s/f' yfxf xgcfPkl5' 8folal6h,\ k;/,]| sfn] :6f] /f] n,] emf8fkvfnf h:tf /fux¿af6] pxfnF ] To; kfqdf ePsf ] cfksfF /; lkpg cofUo] ePsfn] ] aRg ;lsG5 . :jf:Yo ;DaGwL ;hu xgnfO' { g } a4n' ] ljsfn kmfNgnufPsf lyP . To;/L kmfNg ] laQLs } pxfsfF ] /fu] zfGt eP/ efhg] ug ‘{ xb'F g} eg/] pkbz] lbgePsf' ] 5 . uPsf ] lyof ] . To;n} ] :j:ysf ] ;jfndf /fd/L| kfngf ul/Psf] zLn u0f' wdn{ ] nfvf +} kg ]{ cfifwL} eGbf a9L nfe bfos xG5' . ljgolk6s dxfjUuleqsf ] eifHo} v08df a4n' ] leIfx¿nfO' { :j:Yf hLjg nfesf nflu / /fu] kltsf/sf| nflu cfifwL} a4wd' { Ps lsl;dsf ] ;/n cfWoflTds bzg{ jf l;4fGt dfq ;DaGwL ljwfg agfpg ' eof ] . pxfnF ] lj/fdL ePsf ] anfdf] xfOg] . af4x¿n} ] ;lbofbF} lv] zf/Ll/s / dfgl;s /fusf] af/df] l3p, dvg, tn,] dx ldnfP/ agfOg ] rtdw' ' vfg xg' cgdlt' lrGtg u//] /fuaf6] dQm' ug {] pkfox¿sf ] vfhL] u/sf] 5g \ . lbgeof' ] . o:t } t/Lsfn ] raL,{ dn,' gLd sf ] afs] fsf| ] cfifwL,} h:nubf] { af4} / cfifwL} pkrf/ Ps } ;fy cWoog ug {] ul/G5 . kft sf ] cfifwL,} kmn, xLu,+ gg' nj0f sf ] cfifwL} Pjd \ ksf/n| ] af4} wddf{ dg jf lrQsf ] eldsf;' uF glhssf} ] ;DaGw /fVb5. !# ksf/sf| cfifwL} agfpg ] t/Lsfx¿sf tfnLsfa4 ¿knfO{ eljiodf hlt w/] } dfgl;s tgfj;uF ;DaGwLt lj/fdLx¿ xG5g' \ ljgo lk6sdf ;uflnPsf+ ] 5 eg ] 3fprf6] nfUbf ug {' kg{] Toltg } dg / :jf:Yosf ] ;DaGw cem a9L /xg ] lglZrt 5 .

17 Lumbini May 2013 lsgsL /fuaf6] cgkl:ylt' dfq :j:y xfOg] . :jf:ysf ] cy { xf] /fu;] usfF ] ;3if+ n{ ] dfgj hLjgnfO { k0f' ?kdf{ a‰g' d2t k¥ofp' 5.F lg/Gt/ kl/jtg,{ lg/Gt/ ;hgf[ xbF } hfg,' Ps ;hs hLjg ;wF } k1f,| :jf:Yo, bL3hLjg{ / ;vsf' ] lglDt cwf/et' u0f' xg' \ . cufl8 a9L/xG5, hLjgsf gof F cfofdx?tkm { cfufl8 a9g\ ' lj/fdLkgn ] dTo[ lt/' g } nfG5 eGg ] 5g} . lgrl/g] () af:tljs :jf:Yo hLjg xf ] . ;3+ if{ /t{ :jefjn ] ;wF } cufl8 nVg] x' G5–' ælj/fdLkgn ] xfdLnfO { :j–k/LIf0f ug { klg an k¥ofp' 5F a9g\ k/0ff]| jf zflGt lbO { /fVb5 . / cfˆgf ] cl:tTj / cfˆgf ] hLjgsf ] af/klg] of ] Pp6f cToGt dxTjk0f' { / cdNo' dgfefjgf] xf ] .Æ s;n} ] o:tf ] klg egsf] af4wd} { sf/0ffsf/0f tsdf{ cfwfl/t eP/ cfifwL} pkrf/ ug‘{ 5g–\ æslxNo } lj/fdL gePsf ] dfG5n] ] dfgj hLjgnfO { cfwfdfq} :jefljs xf ] . To;n} ] la/fdL slxNo } xb'F g]} eGg ] wf/0ff unt 5 a‰b5' .Æ Ps adL { ofuLn] ] cfˆgf] Wofg efjgf cEof; ;lsPsf] lsgeg ] To:tf ljrf/ ug ‘{ g } xfdf| ] 3d08kgf xf ] . ha xfdLnfO{ anf] Ps ;fKtflxs klqsf;uF cGtjftfdf{ :j:y hLjg / a4' sg' } ksf/sf| ] bMvsf' ] ;s+ t] bvfk5] ,{ Toltanf] 8fS6/sf ] ;dLkdf lzIff ;DaGwdf o:tf ] egsf] 5g \ æd ;fg } 5bfF s8f /fusf] ] hfg ' san] ;xLdfq geO { :jfefljs s/f' klg xf ] . jf:tjdf lzsf/ lyP F . d Ifo/fusf] ] /fuL] lyP,F To;sf/0f dn} ] san] tL; xfdLx? cf:yf jf lj:jf;sf ] klg cEof; ub5f{ ,+} lgrl/g] nV5g] –\ aif { afRgF ] cfzf u/sf] ] lyP F . t/ d/f] ] lj/fdLsf ] cgejn' ] ubf{ æolb ltdL Ps lbg nfdf ] afRgF ;kmn eP ltdLn ] k0o;' ro+ ug{ c? lj/fdLx? Aff/ ] hfgsf/L kfpg w/} } dbt\ kfP F . To;sf/0f ;S5f,} hg' hLjgsf ] ;fefUo} / dxTjk0f' { kIf xf ] .Æ o; egfOaf6{ dnfO { x/s] knknsf ] dxTj dnfO { yfxf 5 . dn} ] s ] s:tf xfdLn ] xfdf| ] dgnfO { :jf:y hLjg kfpgsf nflu tof/ kfg{' ;kmntfx? xfl;n ugk5‘{ ,{ ha;Dd d hLljt /xG5,' d Ps kg {] blvG5] . If0f klg v/] kmfNbLg / dn} ] ljk:;gf Wofg cEof;df w/] } ;do Ps dxTjk0f' { cWoog hg' ;fsf] ufsfOsf] (soka Gakkai) latfP/ oL aifx?df{ d k0f' { hLjg lhpg nfusf] ] 5 ' .Æ o;/L cg;f/' bf>f] ] cWoogdf hfzL] tfbfn ] Ps k6s eGg ' ePsf ] 5, :j:y hLjg Hogsfnflu' a4' lzIffdf abf ] dxTjk0f' ,{ crs' ls cfhsf ] dfG5x?df] bO' { dflns} ;d:ofx? ljBdfg 5g,\ bfzlgs{ k0f' tof{ Jojxfl/s 1fgnfO { phfu/ ug ‘{ ePsf a4' Pp6f xf ] k1f| / 1fgdf ed| xg' ' / csf {] xf ] c:j:ytf / dTo[ df' cfkm } klg Ps szn' 8fS6/ / dgflrlsT;s xf ] eGg ] lgisifdf{ ed| kg {' . 1fg / k1f| Pp6 } lrh xfOg] . tL bO' sf{ ] lardf ePsf] kU5f' +} . pxfsfF ] wd { g } hLjg lhg ] snf xf ] . To;n} ] h:tf ] a4' ;DaGwaf/ ] w/] } eGg ;lsG5 . af4wd} { / cfifwL} la1fgsf] eGgx' G5' To:t } xfdL klg sg' } kfksd { gu/f,+} szn' sd { u/f +} / ;DaGwdf eGg ;lsG5 . cfifwL} lj1fgn ] /ful;t] a1flgs} lrQ z4' kfl/ :j:y hLjg HfLcf +} . 1fgaf6 ;fdgf ub5{ eg,] af4} wdn{ ] csftkm{] { dfgljo k1fsf| ] ljsf; ub5{ h:n ] ubf { xfdLn ] cfˆg } ult kQf nufpg ;Sb5f+} This is one of the prize winning articles from Essay / xfdf| ] hLjg zQmLnfO { dhat' agfp5fF +} . o;n ] ubf { xfdf| ] Competition held in Nepal organized by Lumbini Nepalese cfifwL} pkrf/sf ] Ifdtf a9fp5F / xfdf| ] cfˆg } kfs| lts[ pkrf/ Buddha Dharma Society (UK) in collabaration with k4ltaf6 klg /fu] lgsf ] kfg { ;xofu] kU5' . t/ obL cfjZos} Buddhist Youth Group, Kathmandu, in 2012. Such Essay kbf{ klg cf}ifwL pkrf/ u/]gf}+ eg] Tof] d'v{tfk'0f{ / competition has been held since 2007 as a small step taken cGwlj:jf;oQm' sfd xG5.' eujfg \ a4nfO' { klg Ps ;do by us to encorage among the youth and to promote The b]jbQn] 9'Ëfn] lxsf{P/ 3fp kfl/lbFbf cf}ifwL pkrf/sf] Buddha's teaching in Nepal. LNBDS would like to express cfjZostf k/sf] ] xbfF' hLjs aBn} ] cfifwL} pkrf/ ul/lbPsf our gratitude to all our well wishers in making such noble lyP . To;}n] cf}ifwL / ;fwgx? a'4LdQfk'j{s k|of]u u/]/ task successful. /fu;] uF hLTgk5' { .

Lumbini Dana Fund The LNBDS has launched the Lumbini Dana Fund in May 1998 on the auspicious day of Buddha jayanti. The purpose of the fund is to put the Buddha’s teachings to practice. Karuna (compassion) is to extend our kindness to others in need. The fund intends to help poor and orphans in Nepal. Up to now the society has sponsored six orphans from Ramechhap village regularly since 1998, five destitute Cancer patients from Nepal in 2003 and regular donation to Dallu orphanage in Patan from January 2009. LNBDS hopes to expand such noble work. The LNBDS’s aim is to concentrate on education, health and religion. The LNBDS depends on your generosity to make this task a success. Please make cheque payable to the Lumbini Dana Fund

May 2013 Lumbini 18 LNBDS (UK) Activities and News 2012/2013

2556th Buddha Jayanti Celebration in UK (13th May Association of Nepal was released and distributed as a 2012): Lumbini Nepalese Buddha Dharma Society (UK) Dharma Dana for the benefit of all. celebrated 2556th Buddha Jayanti in the afternoon of th Art work from the above competition on Mahasattva Raja Sunday, 13 May 2012 at Harrow Borough Football also was displayed. Club. Buddhist monks from both Theravada and Mahayana traditions graced the occasion. The programme Mrs. Suchita Tuladhar conducted the celebration started with Buddha Puja, administration of professionally. (Panca Sila) and chanting according to Mahayana tradition. Private view of Ancient treasurers of and contemporary art (May 2012): Dharma attended this exhibition at the invitation of at ‘The Spring’, Vauxhall Walk, London on 29-5-2012. Venerable Lama Thaye welcomed the guests and explained the purpose of the exhibition. LNBDS (UK) meeting (July 2012): Society’s executive committee meeting was held at the residence of Dharma and Pramila on Sunday, 22-7-2012. As a part of Dharma discussion the importance of ‘The Wheel of Life’ was discussed. Family Picnic (August 2012): The family picnic was organised to promote team building on 19 August 2012 at Ruislip Lido. Nepalese ambassador His Excellency Dr. Suresh Chandra Chalise emphasised the need for peace not only One day meditation and Dana offering for venerable in Nepal but also in the world and said who is better than monks at Kingsbury Vihara, London (September the Buddha himself for promotion of this. He hoped 2012): Our society has been organising this events since that peace will prevail in the world. January 2012 regularly once every 2-3 months. We invited Visiting Buddhist monk of Mahayana tradition Venerable Bhikkhu Dhammasami, abbot of Oxford Buddha Vihara, Oxford, UK to lead the meditation on Venerable Khempo Bagindasil of Triyana Dharma I offer Thee, The Buddha, these flowers, May this, 2-9-2012. virtue aid in my emancipation. Shangha, Kathmandu informed the audience that Nepalese Sunday, 2-9-2012. Every one appreciated his practical are veryOur proud bodies that Buddha undergo was born decay, in Nepal even but asmost theseapproach to Dhamma practice. flowers must Nepalese pay little attention to his teachings. Hisfade. Afternoon session with organisation is trying to rectify this situation by providing relaxing meditation, talk opportunity to learn Buddhism. and meditation on Venerable Bhikkhu Sumana, President of our society gave Joyous Feeling in Life a talk on Panca Sila and founder president Mr. Amrit was really good. His Ratna Sthapit spoke on ‘How to be happy’. Venerable question and answer Bhikkhu Sujan led the audience to a brief guided session was excellent. His meditation to calm the mind which every one appreciated. answers to questions raised during the day with Talks were followed by lively question and answer session. illustration from daily Unfortunately venerable monks were unable to answer lives were not only all the questions raised because of the lack of time. excellent but some thing 2012 is ‘Visit Lumbini Year..’ To emphasise this short we can all use in our daily film on Lumbini was shown. This was followed by life. So also his advice to reflect on at least one ‘Joyous blessing from both traditions, distribution of Paritran feeling’ from time to time was very helpful. He reminded thread and light refreshments. us most of us most of the time dwell on negative aspects of our life and become miserable. So if you can spend at To mark the occasion, the society’s journal LUMBINI least some time contemplating on at least one event in 2012 with one of the art work from art competition held your life that make you feel happy it will act as an antidote last year in collaboration with Young Men’s Buddhist to our usual habitual pattern of feeling sorry for yourself.

19 Lumbini May 2013 It was encouraging to learn that every one who attended ingly an essay competition on “'Buddha's Teaching for meditation showed keen interest in continuing this type Healthy Life” was held on 2012. People of different age of Dhamma practice. Every one felt that we should invite groups from Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur took part in the competition. Prizes were given to Ms Sunita Manandhar, Mr. Juju Man Maharjan and Mr. Shubha Ratna Shakya who came first, second and third respec- tively. A consolation prize was given to Ms. Rasana Bajracharya. We hope to continue the essay competitions in future as well for the promotion of Buddha Dharma among the youth of Nepal. One day meditation, Dana offering and LNBDS meeting (January 2013): Another one day meditation and Dana offering followed by a brief meeting of executive committee took place at Kingsbury Vihara on 27-1-2013. Invitation to Advisory Meeting and Dinner by Kalyana Mitra BCSG (February 2013): Venerable Bhikkhu Sumana and Dharma attended this meeting at Dhammasami Bhante and other well known meditation CHAK 89, 105 Bond Road, Mitcham Surrey CR4 3HG teachers from time to time to lead the meditation. on 22nd February 2013 at the invitation of The Buddhist Chaplaincy Support Group - Kalyana Mitra. We have been continuing this practice of one day meditation and Dana offering and will be continuing in The spirit of Kalyana Mitra is to offer friendship, kindness 2013 as well. Please check our website: and compassion to those struggling with their lives or www.lumbini.org.uk for further information. work, in one way or another LNBDS meeting (October 2012): Society’s executive Trialogue on Ethics, Belonging and Understanding committee meeting was held at Dinesh and Rasana (March, 2013): Dharma attended this unique trialogue Bajracharya’s residence in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. among Hindu, Buddhist and Christian scholars held at The Buddhist Society, London on 27th March 2013 at Acchaya Bajracharya made an excellent power point the invitation of Inter Religious Affairs to the Archbishop presentation on ‘The wheel of Life’ as a follow on to earlier of Canterbury, Lambeth Palace, London, SE1 7JU. discussion in July 2012. A similar meeting-a dialogue between Buddhists and Essay Competition Prize giving ceremony, Nepal Christians was held last year on 5th March 2012 at the (November 2012): Prize giving ceremony of The Essay same venue which was attended among others by Competition of 2012 took place on 24 Nov 2012 at Jagat Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams, Venerable Sundar Bwonekuthi, Kathmandu, Nepal. Lumbini Nepa- Bhikkhu Seelawimala, the head of the London Buddhist lese Buddha Dharma Society (UK) in collaboration with Vihara, Amaro, Abbot of the Amaravati Buddhist Yuba Baudha Samuha (Young Men’s Buddhist Associa- Monastery, Ven. Cheuh Ru Shih of London Fo Guang tion) of Kathmandu has been holding Essay Competi- Temple and Prof Kemmyo Taro Sato of Three Wheels tions every other year on Buddhism since 2007. Accord- Temple, London. The purpose of these meetings is to encourage dialogue and understanding among various faith groups. Hence the future meetings will be organised by Inter Religious Affairs to the Archbishop of Canterbury in collaboration with the Buddhist Society. One day meditation and Dana offering (March 2013): Another one day meditation and Dana offering was held on 17th March 2013 at Kingsbury Vihara, London. LNBDS Meeting (April 2013): Society’s executive committee meeting was held at Dinesh and Menika Sthapit’s residence in Manor Park, London on 28th April 2013 to finalise the 2557th Buddha Jayanti programme.

May 2013 Lumbini 20 News about Buddhism gives £1.1m Templeton Prize money to charity, discourse delivered by Buddha towards the end of his life. UK (May 14, 2012): The Gilgit Lotus is kept at the National Archives of India in the capital, Delhi in the section ‘Important find’ The book - a facsimile edition which is the exact replica of the manuscripts - will be launched by the National Archives jointly with the Institute of Oriental Philosophy and Soka Gakkai, Japan-based UN-recognised non- governmental organisation. “This will help greatly to preserve the rare documents for posterity and make them available for future research,” Prof Mushir-ul Hasan, Director General of National Archives of India, said. The manuscripts were discovered in a wooden box in a A special service was held for the Dalai Lama at St Paul’s circular chamber inside a Buddhist by cattle grazers Cathedral in London who brought the box to the Wazir of Gilgit. The Dalai Lama has said he is giving away to charity £1.1m The Wazir of Gilgit sent it to the Maharaja of Kashmir in in prize money that has been awarded to him. Srinagar. The Tibetan spiritual leader received the annual Templeton The document was studied by Hungarian-British Prize in London for exceptional contributions to “affirming archaeologist Sir Aurel Stein who announced the important life’s spiritual dimension”. find to the world. About £900,000 is going to Save the Children in India, Officials at the National Archives say the ancient with £125,000 set aside for The Minds and Life Institute. manuscripts managed to survive for centuries because they were written on the bark of bhoj (birch) tree which does Money is also going towards a fund to educate Tibetan not decay and the freezing sub-zero temperatures of the monks about science. Gilgit region. The Lotus Sutra is one of the most sacred The 76-year-old was awarded the prize for encouraging scriptures of Mahayana Buddhism which is strongest in “serious scientific investigative reviews of the power of Tibet, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Mongolia. compassion”, and its potential to address world problems. (BBC 3, May 2012 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17935041) The John Templeton Foundation said he was chosen for The First Constitutional Affairs Committee of the exploring these issues - which are key themes of his Chamber of Deputies has approved the Agreement/ teachings - with people beyond his own religious traditions. Treaty signed by the Government with the Italian A service was held at St Paul’s Cathedral in London to Buddhist Union, Italy (December 11, 2012): mark the occasion. This act ends the long process for the institutional Other people to have received the Templeton Prize include recognition of Buddhism in Italy. fellow Nobel laureate Mother Teresa, the first recipient of On this occasion the Executive Council of the UBI wants the prize in 1973. to single out the pivotal role played by Vincenzo Piga in Speaking at St Paul’s Cathedral ahead of Monday’s service, promoting the Italian Buddhist Union, for his vision and the Dalai Lama warned British people against feeling his work, and all those who have worked to achieve this “hopeless” and “helpless” in the face of economic troubles. outstanding result (BBC News 14 May 2012) There are an estimated 160,000 Buddhists in Italy out of India: Rare Buddhist manuscript Lotus Sutra to be a population approaching 60M. released (May 2012): The first effect of the signing of the Treaty that comes to A rare Buddhist manuscript, discovered by cattle grazers mind is the following: in 1931, is set to be released in a book form in India on “The law in which Italian taxpayers allocate 0.8% (‘eight Thursday. The Lotus Sutra was found in Gilgit, now in per thousand’) of their income taxes to selected religions or Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The document, which the State.” dates back to 5th century, is perhaps the only Buddhist manuscript discovered in India. Believed to be one of the For further details visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ most revered Buddhist scriptures, it represents the Freedom_of_religion_in_Italy (Network of Buddhism, UK, http://www.nbo.org.uk) 21 Lumbini May 2013 Lumbini Year fails to connect Buddhist circuit, Nepal 34 and Pramaha Kringkai aged 34 who has been to the (December, 2012): UK only for four days were being driven from BUTWAL, Nepal — The Visit Lumbini Year (VLY-2012) Buddhapadipa, London to Wat Buddharam in Aberdeen has failed to connect well known Buddhist Circuits around and were about ten miles from Edinburgh when the crash Lumbini though the government had announced 2012 as happened. The three monks were sitting in the back seat a national campaign with an aim to attracting a million and were killed instantly. The front passenger suffered neck tourists and collecting the funds for the development of injuries but the driver managed to get out herself. May Lumbini. they attain Nirvana. th Around a dozen of Buddhist circuits in Kapilvastu, 16 Annual General Meeting of Women’s Buddhist Rupandehi, and Nawalparasi districts related to Buddha’s Association of Nepal (January 2013): life have fallen under shadow when the Lumbini Bhrikutimandapa, Kathmandu: 16th annual general Development Trust could not bring any program for the meeting of Women’s Buddhist Association of Nepal was dissemination and development of these places. The VLY held on 26th January 2013 under the chairmanship of could not even touch the Tilaurakot of Kapilvastu, where Bhikkhu Dharmamurti Mahasthavira, general secretary Siddhartha Gautam was born and spent his childhood and of All Nepal Bhikkhu Mahasangha in Kathmandu. early adult life until he was 29years. Besides these, Devdaha, Nayaka Venerable Bhikkhu Ashwogosh Ramgram, Ashok Pillar among others have been ignored. Mahasthavira was the guest of honour. Budget was not allocated for the implementation of VLY- Senior vice president of Dharmodaya Sabba and others 2012 from the centre and district level programmes were attended the meeting. Successful Pariyati students from not set up for the promotion of the Buddhists centres, Paropkar High school were give prizes. said Madhav Acharya, Chief of Branch Office of the Mahaparitran Chanting at Hanuman Dhokha, Lumbini Development Trust. Kathmandu, Nepal (March 2, 2013): However, an entry to border of Nepal-India, Historic Mahaparitran Chanting was inaugurated by then Chakarchauraha, has been built at the initiative of District minister of Science and Technology Dr. Keshab Man Development Committee, he added. (My Republica, Dec 11, Shakya on Saturday, 2 March, 2013 at Hanuman 2012 courtesy: http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?nepal) Dhokaha, Kathmandu amidst the colourful surrounding. Death of Three Dharmadutta Monks remembered, This was the first time in the that such a UK (December 2012): chanting had taken place. Samye Ling Buddhist Monastery, Amaravati Buddhist This event was organised by All Nepal Buddhist Monastery and other Buddhist Centres in the UK Mahasangha and sponsored by Mahadev Makhan Club, remembered in their prayers the untimely deaths of the Sri Sweta Bhairab Bhajan Khala and Women’s Buddhist Three Dharmadutta Buddhist monks from Thailand in Association. the early hours of Christmas Eve 2012 in Scotland in a car Sangha Nayak Venerable Bhikkhu Ashwoghosh crash. Mahasthabir administered the five precepts (panca sila) Phramaha Pranam Thongphaiboon aged 44, abbot of Wat and Bhikkhu Ananda explained the purpose of the Buddharam in Aberdeen, Phramaha Chai Utamedhi, aged Paritrana chanting.

Membership of the Society Members whose valued memberships are due for renewal and new members who would like to support the society by becoming a member are requested to complete the section below and return it to the society’s address 11 Mulberry Drive, Slough, Berkshire, SL3 7JU, UK with your cheque made out to Lumbini Nepalese Buddha Dharma Society (UK) or LNBDS (UK). We very much hope you will support the society by renewing your membership or by becoming a member. Membership for 1 year: Individual -£ 10.00, Family - £ 25.00, Life Membership - £ 150.00 I/We would like to support the LNBDS’s work and would like to renew my membership/join the society. Name:…………………………………………………… Address:…………………………………...... …… …………………………………………………………………………… Tel:………………………………..... Email:………………………………………………………. I/We enclose the membership fee for the year of £ ...... to renew my membership/join the society. In addition, I/We wish to donate £...... Total amount enclosed £ ...... Signature:...... Date: ......

May 2013 Lumbini 22 ” in Pali, “paritrana” in Sanskrit and “pirit” 2013. All together 3474 students took part in this year’s (pronounced pirith) in Sinhala mean principally examination. A resident of Sinchahiti, Patan, Miss protection. Paritta suttas describe certain suttas or discourses Puspanjali Shakya from Shakya Singha Boudha Pariyatti delivered by the Buddha and regarded as affording and Adult Education came first. Presently she is working protection in order to avert illness or danger, to ward off in Dhulikhel Hospital, Nepal as nurse educator. the influence of malignant beings, to obtain protection Pariyatti Baoudha Dhamma cup Question and and deliverance from evil, and to promote health, answer competition held, Nepal (April 2013): prosperity, welfare, and well-being . This protection is to be obtained by reciting or listening to the paritta suttas. The practice of reciting or listening to the paritta suttas began very early in the . (Source: The Book of Protection Paritta translated from the original Pali, with introductory essay and explanatory notes by Piyadassi Thera) Ambassadors of Sri Lanka and Thailand along with large numbers of Buddhist monks, nuns and general public took part in the ceremony. Government of Myanmar’s awards to Bhikkhu Jnanapurnik and Bhikkhuni Dr. Dhamma Bijaya (March 2013): The government of Myanmar, ministry of religion has been awarding prominent Buddhist teachers for many years With the aim of promoting Buddha’s teaching among the in recognition of their service to the mankind. This year youth of Nepal a nation wide Pariyatti Dhamma cup Bhikkhu Jnanapurnik Mahasthavira president of All question and answer competition was organised jointly Nepal Bhikkhu Maha Sangha and abbot of Vishwa Shanti by Amrit Dhamma Boudha Pariyatti School and Vihara, Kathmandu and Bhikkhuni Dr. Dhamma Matatirtha Boudha Pariyatti Education from 6 – 10 April Bijaya, abbess of Kindol Vihara were awarded with 2013. Previously similar competitions were organised by prestigious awards of Aggamahapandita and Sukhihotu Nepal for three years from the year 2005. All Ganthakvachak Pandit respectively on 26th March 2013. students of Pariyatti classes were eligible to take part in this competition. Pariyatti Examination results published, Kathmandu, Nepal (March 2013): Lumbini Pariyatti Kendra, Lumbini was declared the winner of the Pariyatti dhamma cup 2556 on 10th April Examination results of Pariyatti classes conducted by All 2013. Nepal Bhikkhu Maha Sangha were published in March

Good are friends when need arises; good is contentment with just what one has; good is when life is at an end, and good is the abandoning of all suffering (through Arahantship). ~ 331 Dhammapada

We wish all readers Happy 2557th Buddha Jayanti!

Greenwich London College

Spinnaker House, 142 Greenwich High Road, Greenwich, London SE10 8NN Tel: 020 8293 9374 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.greenwichlondoncollege.co.uk

23 Lumbini May 2013 May 2013 Lumbini 24