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Home , Assaji, Nagasena

May 2006 Issue No: 11

Voice Of Wisdom Monthly Newsletter of The Triple Gem Of The North Weekly Meditation I Me Mine About 250 B.C.E., a Greek king called Milinda Monday Evening skillfully debated with eastern philosophers about religion. 7.00 PM to 8.30 PM Being tired of this, the Buddhist monks went search- Unitarian Universality Fellow- ing for someone to defeat the king in a debate. They dis- ship covered a child with worthwhile potential, took him un- der their wing, and provided education to master the skills 937 Charles Ave. needed to defeat the king. At age seven, he was ordained Mankato, MN 56001 as a Buddhist monk and named . Because of his Call Tricia 507-524 -3245 talent, he was able to master the enriched teachings and became enlightened. Soon Nagasena’s name became popular around the region for his ability to understand Tuesday Evening and debate. 7.00 PM to 8.00 PM The king heard of Nagasena, and sought to chal- Gustavus Adolphus College lenge this young monk, who was now 18 years old. Know- 800 West College Avenue ing the somewhat, but not quite un- derstanding the teachings, Milinda had a clever idea. He believed he could trick St. Peter MN 56082 this young boy by confusing him in a philosophical debate about his identity. He Call Raj@ 507- 933 7444 would ask who he was and wait for him to say, "I am Nagasena.", then he planned

to argue back the concept of “non-self” as a response, and by that, defeat Nage- sena. So Milinda paid Nagasena a visit. Upon entering the room he said, "I came Friday Evening to meet Nagasena." Nagasena said, "I am known as Nagasena. People call me by First Unitarian Society this name. But though I was given this name, it is just a designation, a label, a concept, an expression, because there is no person as such to be found.” The 7.00 PM to 8.30 PM king replied, “ If there is no Nagesena, then who uses the robes, food, lodging, 900 Mount Curve Ave and medicine people offer?” Minneapolis, MN 55403 Nagasena asked Milinda how he traveled here. The king replied, “By char- iot.” Nagesena replied, “Please tell me, King, which part do you call the char- Call Ray@ 612-760-3996 iot. Is it the roof or the wheel or the whole thing?” The king replied, “It is a

combination.” Nagasena said, "That is why people call me Nagasena. The com- Saturday Morning bination of my experiences is what people call Nagasena." 10.00 AM to 12.00 PM This is enlightened exchange depicts the concept of “me?” First of all, we Chanhassen Library create who we are with our attachments. For example, “This is my favorite cup.” “ 7711 Kerber Drive This is my cancer pill.” Connecting the inanimate object, or cancer pill, to our Chanhassen, MN state of health, personifies it as if it were attached to our body. The word “mine” or “my” can be stronger than cement. Call Ralph@ 952-934-9727 Small children create strong but two distinct parts to attachment, me or mine, and second, that which is outside of me. "Me" is what we go after, such as All are Welcome “that toy is mine.” "Outside" of me may be, “ I live with my mom and dad.”

Continue to - page 2 Page 2 Triple Gem Housing Project: Ready for Stage Two Thanks to the generosity of a family that shares our vision, Triple Gem will have ownership of two acres of land in a peaceful location in the countryside near Mankato, Minnesota. The east side is lined with a row of large evergreen trees and bushes to the north and west to provide a backdrop of peaceful beauty. To the south is a beautiful walking garden filled with colorful blossoms, providing a sanctuary for both birds and walking meditators. In the middle of all this is a parcel reserved to build the meditation hall. Triple Gem is now ready to begin stage two, with your generosity. The new center will provide the resource for retreats ranging from one day to two weeks, medita- tive nature walks , and classrooms to study , the , and how to chant . Most will be taught by monks and nuns from different traditions. Triple Gem will also offer spiritual guidance to all who seek wisdom. Just as valuable, it will be a home for Sathi and other monks and nuns for those living the monastic life as it is difficult make ends meet without your sup- port. A retreat center would allow our teachers to be supported by the entire com- munity while the members benefit from the facilities provided. Please join us in whatever way possible: with time, expertise, labor, or monetary donations. Any person with any ability or means, can contribute. Not only are we practicing dana, but we are receiving the teachings through all the effort and pa- tience required by a project of this undertaking. If this project is to become a reality, we need the full strength of the community behind it. Bhante’s vision is to make it a meditation center owned and operated by the . The true benefits we will reap will not only be a building, it will be a community and an ex- perience for all.

Send your donations and comments to: P.O. Box 4236 Mankato, MN 56001 Or Contact us: 612-799-6895 [email protected]

From 1st page …….. There is nothing wrong with the word “my” until we attach it to the word “mine.” A good example of this is the exchange of our breath. We all breathe but we are not attached to it. When we exhale we don't get sad because the breath has been exhaled, never to return. We just use it. It is just there. If we are attached to all aspects of life in the same way as our breath we won't experience the pain of loss. It helps to just live and help each other and be present in the moment, just as our breath is. When we become attached to an idea, especially when we want it to be permanent, then suffering, or “dukkha” arises. When a loved one dies, sadness follows. However, being sad will not change the outcome. It is better to observe your sadness mindfully. This is helpful to cope and move on. Buddha explains that we are trying to find who we are. If others see us as we really are then there is no longer a “me.” We are a non-self. Just as in the story of King Milinda, “I am known as Nagasena.” —Bhante Sathi’s A dhamma talk from Monday night meditation class by sarah Tarbox— Page 3 Why We Should Meditate He was a fountain of water that will never dry up, an eternal light that shows the path to wisdom. Even after his death he continues to guide us through this path of wisdom towards enlightenment with great compassion. Mr. Godwin Samararathna was a well known teacher in Sri Lanka. He lived most of his life in the Nilambe Meditation Center, Galaha, Sri Lanka. He traveled all around the world teaching and guiding people of every background in Buddhist meditation. I'm very happy to see some old faces, some old friends and I'm also very happy to see so many new faces. So what I propose to do now is to give a talk on why we should meditate and what is the importance of meditation? Why is it emphasized so much in the Buddha's teaching? These are some of the questions that I'm going to explore in my talk. The word meditation comes from the Pali word which means cultivating the mind, developing the mind, and mental culture. Therefore, the whole emphasis is on the mind. When one reads the Buddhist text, one is amazed about the Buddha's profound and deep statement about the human mind. It is amazing that he should have made this statement 2,600 years ago. In fact, many modern psychologists and psychotherapists are also deeply inspired by the Buddha's statement on the human mind. Meditation: Knowing the Mind, Shaping the Mind and Freeing the Mind. I once read an article that defined meditation as knowing the mind, shaping the mind, and freeing the mind. Knowing the mind means understanding how the mind is working. When we don’t understand our mind, then we are like a machine. Once we know how it works, then we can shape it. To shape it is to master it, to master it means we are not enslaved by our thoughts and emotions. To be enslaved by our thoughts and emotions means we are creating more suffering in our lives. Therefore, it is very important to learn to shape the mind so it can be free. The importance of meditation is learning to achieve a mind that is free, a mind that is happy, a mind that is peaceful and a mind that experiences loving-kindness. Achieving a Completely Healthy Mind It is interesting the things we do to keep our body healthy. We feed it, bathe it, and when it is sick, we visit the doctor for a prescription. However, what do we do to keep our mind healthy? We have to be clear about what makes our mind sick, what makes our mind unhealthy. What are the symptoms? Meditation is about achieving a mind that is completely healthy. Some emotions contribute to the illnesses of the human mind such as anxiety, stress, fear, insecurity and sadness. Sometimes we don't realize that they make our mind sick. If we do not know that they can create our sickness, we can continue to experience that sickness with- out finding a cure Taste & Experience Meditation helps us to experience things that arise. There are some who know very well what the Buddha taught, so they are very knowledgeable about Buddhism but they have not experienced anything from Buddhism because they have not meditated. It is like knowing all about meals, but never actually tasted food. So meditation helps us to taste it and when you have tasted it, you achieve a kind of taste for the freedom of the mind. And when you taste it, you really see for yourself how we can free ourselves. Become Completely Self-Reliant Related to this is another point- that meditation helps us to become completely self-reliant. When one meditates, one realizes the responsibility of what happens inside our mind. Sometimes I define meditation as finding the medicine for the sickness we have created ourselves. If you are sick, you can’t ask someone else to take your medi- cine for you. Buddha emphasized this point repeatedly: be self-reliant, rely on your own efforts. He also said: self- effort is the best effort. And when we develop self effort, when we become self-reliant, then what happens is we learn to become completely self confident about ourselves. When we have this self- confidence then we know the medicine is working. It also helps us to develop faith, and confidence in the person who discovered the medicine. When I try to teach meditation to children, I tell them sometimes that meditation is asking questions and finding the answers ourselves. Asking questions like: "Why do we get angry?” and “How is stress created?" Seeking an- swers gives meditation a trial and error quality. — Summrized by Richard Price from a dhamma talk by Godwin Samararatne — Page 4 11th Issue

A Gift from Gustavus On the full moon of May, an auspicious day arises. As flowers open and fill the air with sweet fragrance and all things that grow spread their leaves and reach for the sun, our minds open to the as we are reminded of the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and passing away. It is as though all of life is celebrating the teach- ings, not only the human race. We all like to think of the dharma in such pleasant terms. Yet on the day we chose to come together from various traditions and across the state of Minnesota to celebrate the Buddha and his teachings, we were greeted by a gray, windy, rainy day. Such is the nature of the world, which is what the teachings are really meant to convey. The hall at Gustavus College filled slowly with the dedicated who braved the weather in order to share a mean- ingful celebration. From different nations: Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Tibet, and the US joined in the traditions of , , and , to celebrate the different practices, and to emphasize what we all share; a desire to live and share the teachings of the Bud- dha and be liberated from suffering. In this context, we could easily see that, as Bhante Sathi mentioned, the different traditions are only vessels that hold the same teaching. Early in the morning, we gathered in the chapel for meditation prac- tice. Delicate paper lanterns and leaves of the graced the chapel. Upon the altar a white Buddha statue sat on top of a pink lotus flower. The monks and nuns sitting up on the stage leant their presence of quiet introspection. Bhante Sathi led us through loving kindness meditation in a very deliberate way: by first observing it with ourselves, then our parents, followed by close friends and then finally expanding that energy to our enemies and all living be- ings. This was followed by taking in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha and taking precepts. In his talk titled "American Dharma," Doug McGill brought up the question of what type of vessel for the dharma will be molded in the context of American culture. Perhaps it will look something like what we saw in the chapel as the monks and nuns from across cultures and traditions gathered on the stage. It may be a coming together of the different traditions. During his speech, Doug demonstrated by stopping and striking a bell and sitting quietly while its vibrations faded. This was a reminder to stop and be present; simply watching the breath, watching what is happening, is instrumental in awakening to the dharma. For me, the most special part of the day was the chanting by the monks and nuns. The chanting included honoring the ancestors and especially the women who have been instrumental in keeping the teachings alive.This was followed by the Tibetan chanting, which was dramati- cally different because of its ancient language.

Page 5 The closing ceremony began with the string ceremony which is simple spool of twine which starts with the monks, and is slowly unwound as it is passed around the hall till everyone is holding a part of one long strand while the Sri Lankan and Cambodian monks chanted in a round. At the end, everyone was given a piece of the blessing string tied around the wrist as a reminder of the blessings and our connection to all. The program ended with the lighting of candles which symbolizes bringing light into the darkness, as the Buddha has done for us. It is my hope that we have many more opportunities to meet, to practice, and to celebrate. The students at Gus- tavus worked hard to make this celebration possible. Their right efforts have set the tone to build a lasting com- munity, which benefits all.

— Reported by Melissa Lorentz —

Ryonen's Clear Realization The Buddhist nun known as Ryonen was born in 1797. She was a grand daughter of the famous Japanese warrior Shingen. Her poetical genius and alluring beauty were such that at seventeen she was serving the empress as one of the ladies of the court. Even at such a youthful age fame awaited her.

The beloved empress died suddenly and Ryonen's hopeful dreams vanished. She became acutely aware of the impermanency of life in this world. It was then that she desired to study Zen. Her relatives disagreed, however, and practically forced her into marriage. With a promise that she might become a nun after she had borne three children, Ryonen assented. Before she was twenty-five she had accomplished this condition. Then her husband and relatives could no longer dissuade her from her desire. She shaved her head, took the name of Ryonen, which means to realize clearly, and started on her pilgrimage.

She came to the city of Edo and asked Tetsugya to accept her as a disciple. At one glance the master rejected her because she was too beautiful.

Ryonen went to another master, Hakuo. Hakuo refused her for the same reason, saying that her beauty would only make trouble.

Ryonen obtained a hot iron and placed it against her face. In a few moments her beauty had vanished forever.

Hakuo then accepted her as a disciple.

Commemorating this occasion, Ryonen wrote a poem on the back of a little mirror: In the service of my Empress I burned incense to perfume my exquisite clothes, Now as a homeless mendicant I burn my face to enter a Zen temple.

When Ryonen was about to pass from this world, she wrote another poem:

Sixty-six times have these eyes beheld the changing scene of au- tumn. I have said enough about moonlight, Ask no more… Only listen to the voice of pines and cedars when no wind stirs. Page 6 A Drop From the Golden Voice 11th Issue

Upatissa's (Sariputta's) Question The wanderer Sañjaya was residing in Rajagaha with a large company of wanderers. And at that time Sariputta and Moggallana were practicing the holy life under Sañjaya. They had made this agreement: Whoever attains the point of no longer attaching oneself to all mortal conditions first will inform the other. Then Venerable , arising early in the morning, taking his robe and bowl, entered Rajagaha for alms his eyes downcast, his every movement consummate. Sariputta the wanderer saw Ven- erable Assaji going for alms in Rajagaha: Gracious in the way he approached and departed, looked forward and behind, drew in and stretched out his arm, his eyes downcast, his every movement consummate. On seeing him, the thought occurred to him: "Surely, of those in this world who are arahants or have entered the path to arahantship, this is one. What if I was to approach him and ask him: Who is your teacher? Whose Dhamma lessons have enriched you? Then Venerable Assaji, having gone for alms in Rajagaha, left, taking the alms he had received. Sariputta the wanderer approached him and, on arrival, having exchanged friendly greetings and engaged in polite conversation, stood to one side. As he stood there he said, "Your facul- ties are bright, my friend, your complexion pure and clear. Who is your teacher? Whose Dhamma lessons have enriched you?" "There is, my friend, the Great Contemplative, a son of the Sakyans, gone forth from a Sakyan family. I have gone forth on account of that Blessed One. That Blessed One is my teacher.” "But what is your teacher's teaching? What does he proclaim?'' "I am new, my friend, not long gone forth, only recently come to this doctrine and discipline. I cannot explain the doctrine in detail, but I can give you the gist in brief." Then Sariputta the wanderer spoke thus to the Venerable Assaji: Speak a little or a lot, but tell me just the gist. The gist is what I want. What use is a lot of rhetoric? Then Venerable Assaji gave this Dhamma exposition to Sariputta the Wanderer: Whatever phenomena arise from cause, their cause and their cessation. Such is the teaching of the Tathagata, the Great Contemplative. Then to Sariputta the Wanderer, as he heard this Dhamma exposition, he saw the purity of the message without distortion: Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation. Even if just this is the Dhamma, you have penetrated to the Sorrow less (asoka) State unseen, overlooked (by us) for many myriads of aeons. —Edited By Richard Price — 1 Arahants are 'saints' or sages who have fully realized for themselves the Buddhist Doctrine, and have at tained freedom from the cycle of suffering and

2 A term used by the Buddha when He refers to Himself. Page 7 WHEN PAIN IS LIKE FIREFLIES —By Douglas McGill— I gave a talk on Day to a group of Americans who were new to meditation and wanted to hear what had attracted other Americans to the practice. My remarks were a bit scattershot, covering different phases over 20 years of practice plus a smattering of jokes, philosophy, and memories. What caught my attention was that after my 30-minute talk, nearly all of the questions from the crowd focused on only one small segment of my talk- how to meditate while experiencing physical pain. “Did it make the pain go away?” one person asked. Others asked: “How exactly did you meditate on the pain?” “If you don’t respond to physical pain that you have when you meditate, can you hurt yourself?” “Can people meditate on emotional pain in the same way they meditate on physi- cal pain?” I understood instantly, after hearing these questions, how my brief remarks about meditating on pain were the ones that had established a deep connection. They had touched upon something vi- tal, personal, and terribly urgent. In my late 30s, I developed a chronic case of repetitive strain injury in my forearms from overtyp- ing. From elbow to wrist on both sides, my arms felt as if someone had beaten them with a club, stabbed them with knives, and roasted them in fire, all at the same time. The smallest movements -- from opening a carton of milk to turning a key in a door -- caused the most excruciating pain. I saw lots of doctors, physical therapists, and shrinks. The time came when I finally had to quit my job as a journalist. During a six month sabbatical is when I first got deeply into meditation. At first following practice learned out of a book (“The Art of Living” by S.N. Goenka), and then following instructions I learned at a monastery in Sri Lanka, I meditated between one and three hours a day in my Hong Kong apartment. I closed my eyes, followed my breath, and when equanimity was achieved I let my mindfulness roam through my body and my thinking mind. I found in these sits that meditating on pain was like floating upstream in a river, going against the current to a peaceful place. If you have good concentration, you immediately notice there is nowhere in your body where you can exactly locate “pain.” Next, looking deeper, you realize that it’s a lot more complicated than saying any one sensation is “pain.” Looking into my arm with mindfulness, I might find some- thing like “buzzing, burning, itching, heavy, cold, pinpricks, and vibrations.” But nothing I could simply call “pain.” Basically, seeing pain in this way breaks it into a million tiny components that are always coming and going. Sparking on and off, on and off, almost like fireflies. There seems to be a lot of space between these little pixels of pain that allows mindfulness to float in and among them, and finally to move right “upstream” to a place where mindfulness simply notices “no suffering,” or maybe “not pleasant, not unpleasant, not neutral,” just a sense of stillness and peace. Like a meditation bell, physical pain is an urgent call to mindfulness, an invitation to immediately investigate how things really are. What one then finds is that the word “pain” is a misnomer for millions of tiny simultaneous happenings, no single one of which has any more real capacity to in- flict suffering than a firefly. When pain appears as blinking fireflies – almost beautiful – suffering ends. Core Of Buddhism Voice Of Wisdom Buddhist Classes By Bhante Sathi Triple Gem Of The North When: May 25th 7.00 PM 9.00 PM PO Box 323 St Peter, MN 56082 Where: 7719 Vasserman Trail Email: [email protected]. Chanhassen, MN Phone: 612-227-8188 Fax: 952-314-4863 This class will talk about Dependant Origination Web: www.triplegem.org wich is one of main teaching of Buddha. Tell your To add you to our mailing list send your friends or anyone who may be interested. information via E-mail or feel free call us. Help a Child To register: email [email protected] Or call Ralph / Barb @ (952) 934 9727

In the Spirit of Noble Friends, There is still time to contribute money to the Triple Gem of the North invites tsunami Children’s Fund until the end of the you to submit your writings and month of May. Sponsorships of $20 a comments to us at month can help pay for the basic needs of [email protected] one of the children in Sri Lanka who have been orphaned by the tsunami. This money will go directly to the children. If you wish to sponsor a child, please send $240 (12 month sponsorship) or $120 (6 month sponsorship) Insight Editors to:

Bhante Sathi TripleGem of the North Rachard Price P.O. Box 323 Melissa Lorentz St. Peter, MN 56082

Triple Gem of the North Is a 501 (C) 3 approved tax-deductible Non– profit organiza- tion based in state of Minnesota. We operate in Minneapolis, St Paul, Chanhassen , St Peter and Mankato. Your tax-deductible contribution will assist in our endeavor to serve the community through weekly meditation classes, day long retreats and the as- sistance in building a permanent retreat center. Triple Gem is also heavily involved in various disaster relief efforts such as Tsunami relief in Sri Lanka, and Hurricane Katrina. This is done in the spirit of the teachings of the Buddha.