September 2008 Issue No: 32

Voice of Wisdom Monthly Newsletter of Triple Gem of the North Test Of the Dhamma — Bhante Sathi— It is better to take a moment and think “What is the meaning of my life? Why do I do all of the things that I do?” Most of us can’t answer this question right away. After thinking about it for a little while, we can find answers, one by one, for all our actions because we don’t want to think that our lives are with- out purpose. We try to convince ourselves that we are important and what we are doing is important. Not only that, we think that what we are doing is im- portant to others. We need to observe why we are we really doing all these things? That is the question we really need to understand.

A few years ago I led a meditation class at my friend’s home and he was planning to give me a ride back to my temple along with my houseguest, Bhikku Bodhi. While in the car, my friend asked me a question about a character from Buddha’s time. Bhikku Bodhi gently replied, “How is it going to help your mind to know about someone else?” That answer was a shock for me. I thought, “Yes he is right. How can this help me find peace?”

Really what is the world looking for; what are we looking for? We are feeding the body and mind. We collect things to make us happy: a big house, TV, radio, all the things that make our bodies com- fortable. According to Buddha, all ordinary beings (potujjanaka) are striving to feed desire through body or mind. So what is life? Life is the struggle to have and hold on to these activities.

Buddha encourages us to observe three elements: thoughts, actions, and words (citta, kaya, vacana). If we really look closely at these without judgment we will discover their true nature. We feed the mind (mano) with them.

This is the activity of an ordinary mind. Once we realize it’s nature, we can go beyond it. That helps us to take the right actions with out any attachments to what we are doing. The person who does this will have a very happy life and become a much more alive person. This person will find the answer for a meaningful life through meaningful thoughts, actions and words. These meaningful actions bring inner joy. One we experience this, we are firmly on the path. That is called the test of Dhamma (Sabba rasam Dhamma rasam jinati)

Bahiya Daruchiriya was a seeker, who approached Buddha and asked him to explain the Dhamma in simple terms. Buddha said, “In reference to the seen, there will be only the seen; in reference to the heard, only the heard; in reference to the sensed, only the sensed; In reference to the cognized, only the cognized.” Isn’t that true realty? Page 2 A Beautiful Continuation By Thich Nhat Hanh When this body disintegrates we cannot bring along anything like diplomas or fame or wealth. We have to give up everything. The only thing that follows us is our ac- tions, the fruit of our thinking, of our speech, and of our acts during our lifetime. Of course we can assure a beautiful continuation. If we have manifested one time it means that we have manifested several times already. This can be described as past lives. And if we have manifested in the past and in the present moment we shall be manifested in the future in one way or another. To think that after the disintegration of this body there will be nothing left is a naïve way of thinking. With deep observation we know that nothing is really born and nothing can die. Our true nature is the nature of no birth and no death. Those of us who have tried have seen that. Before the cloud manifested as a cloud she was something else — the water in the ocean, the heat produced by the sun, water vapor. The cloud has not come from nothing. The cloud has come from something, from many things. The moment of the so-called birth of the cloud is only a moment of continuation. Many of us have learned from the Buddha about the , a path that transcends pairs of opposites like birth and death, being and nonbeing. Reality is free from these notions. When we say that God is the ground of being, you may ask, who is the ground of nonbeing? Theologians like Paul Tillich say that God is the ground of being. But looking deeply we see that the notions of being and nonbe- ing cannot be applied to reality. The truth is that reality transcends both the notions of being and nonbeing. To be or not to be, that is not the question [laughter]. God cannot be described in terms of being and nonbeing. In we have the expression or such- ness, which means reality-in-itself. That kind of reality-in-itself cannot be described in terms of birth and death, being and nonbeing. If your beloved has abandoned the form in which you used to see him or her, follow the advice of the Buddha and look deeply. Your beloved is still there, maybe much closer than you had thought. —————————————————————————————- Double Retribution Our karma, our actions, continue us. And they will manifest in two aspects. That manifestation has already started. In Buddhism the term “retribution” refers to the fruit of your actions in the future. Retribution has two meanings: the first is our five — form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations and consciousness; the other side of retribution is the environment. Retribution should be seen in its double nature. You are your environment; your environment is what you have created personally and collectively. That is why there is another step for us to take — to transcend the duality between our five skandhas and our environment. When you look at the stars, the moon, you know that you are the stars, the moon. And when you look at the mountain, the forest, you know that you are the mountain, the forest. There is always interaction between the two forms of retribution. In fact elements like air, water, earth, fire are always going in and going out. When we breathe out, something goes out to the environment. When we breathe in, something goes into our body. So you are not only here but there. Cognitive science and neuroscience ask about the relationship between the “in here” and the “out there.” We perceive reality subjectively and we ask the question whether the external reality is exactly the same as the subjective reality. If you pursue meditation deeply you will be able to transcend the duality of in here and out there. You may believe that this flower is out there, but I am not sure of that at all. Whether the flower that you see there is something in your consciousness or outside of your consciousness, that is not an easy question to answer. In quantum physics or neuroscience or cognitive science it is a very hard question. But the Buddha has given us all kinds of hints so that we can touch reality as it is. Page 3 Dear Noble Friends, WeeklyWeekly MeditationMeditation As many of you know, the Mankato Meditation Mankato — Monday Night Center has been looking for a more permanent home. Fortunately one of our members, Bob Coughlan, 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM has given us a house on Sumner Hills to help us expand Monks’ Residence our services to the community. This new space is a bless- Mankato — Wednesday Night ing for all of us. We want to give a big thanks to Bob and invite everyone to enjoy this new space and help build our 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM future there! Monks’ Residence Sumner Hills is located on a quiet hilltop in Mankato — Thursdays Night West Mankato and has a beautiful view of the town. The house is on a cul-de-sac at the end of the only road that 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm goes up Sumner Hill. Large trees shade the backyard. The Meditation for experienced Yogis house is beautiful and spacious, with large rooms upstairs and downstairs that can function as meditation halls. The large windows let in natural sunlight and provide a peace- New Address for Monk’s Residence ful view. There is even room for the tiny Bodhi tree that was donated by a Sri Lankan family. This tree is a cutting 26 Sumner Hills from the famous Sri Maha Bodhiya of Sri Lanka, a branch Mankato, MN 56001 from the tree Buddha was sitting under when he became Call Center 1(866)-735-3103 enlightened. This house will be ideal for small retreats. There are two bedrooms available that will be used as men's St Peter — Tuesday Night sleeping quarters and women's sleeping quarters. The 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM first retreat at the house will be held on October 4th and Gustavus Adolphus College 5th with a visiting monk, Bhante Gunaratana. Our new home will also make it easier to accommodate visiting in Linner Lounge monks, especially for large events such as . Call Asitha 641-420-7708 With this new space, your support is needed more than ever to help cover the cost of utilities and to Northfield — Thursdays Night help the Center grow. This is a great opportunity to prac- 8:15 PM to 9:00 PM tice dana, selfless giving. It is good to remember that the At Carleton– Collage purpose of dana is to help us move beyond the ego. Giv- ing for the benefit of others is one of the most important Chapel Main Sanctuary components of the practice. By giving to the sangha you

will help keep the light of the dhamma burning for the Chanhassen -Saturday Morning benefit of countless seekers. 10:10 AM to 11:30 AM Please stop in and visit! The address is: Chanhassen Library 26 Sumner Hills 11 Kerber Drive Chanhassen, MN Mankato, MN 56001 Call Ralph 952-934-9727 May the Dhamma continue to touch your lives and bring you happiness and peace, All Are Welcome TGN Our New Home Shrine Room — Great for chant-

Out Side — Good space for walking

Meditation Room

A Mind Made from Little Peaces Peace is a natural mind-state in every one of us. Peace has been there since the day we were born and it is going to be there till the day we die. It is our greatest gift; so why do we think we have no peace of mind? Ex- periencing peace is like looking at our hands. Usually, we see only the fingers – not the spaces in between. In a similar manner, when we look at the mind, we are aware of the active states, such as our running thoughts and the one-thousand-and-one feelings that are associated with them, but we tend to overlook the intervals of peace between them. If one were to be unhappy or sad every minute of the twenty-four-hour day, what would happen to us? I guess we would all be in the mad house!

—-Thynn Thynn, Living Meditation, Living Insight— The Practice of Metta by Francis Story excerpt The classic formulation of metta as an attitude of mind to be developed by meditation is found in the Karaniya Metta Sutta (, Khuddaka-patha) [See appendix]. It is recommended that this sutta be recited before beginning meditation, and again at its close, a practice which is invariably followed in the Buddhist countries. The verses of the sutta embody the highest concept to which the thought of lov- ing-kindness can reach, and it serves both as a means of self-protection against unwholesome mental states and as a subject of contemplation (kammatthana). It is taught in Buddhism that the cultivation of benevolence must begin with oneself. There is a profound psychological truth in this, for no one who hates or despises himself consciously or unconsciously can feel true loving-kindness for others. To each of us the self is the nearest object; if one's attitude towards oneself is not a wholesome one, the spring of love is poisoned at its source. This does not mean that we should build up an idealized picture of ourselves as an object of admiration, but that, while being fully aware of our faults and deficiencies, we should not condemn but resolve to improve ourselves and cher- ish confidence in our ability to do so. Metta bhavana, therefore, begins with the thought: 'May I be free from enmity; may I be free from ill-will; may I be rid of suffering; may I be happy.' This thought having been developed, the next stage is to apply it in exactly the same form and to the same degree, to someone for whom one has naturally a feeling of friendship. In so doing, two points must be observed: the object should be a living person, and should not be one of the opposite sex. The second prohibition is to guard against the feeling of metta turning into its 'near en- emy,' sensuality. Those whose sensual leanings have a different orientation must vary the rule to suit their own needs. When the thought of metta has been developed towards a friend, the next object should be someone to- wards whom one has no marked feelings of like or dislike. Lastly, the though of metta is to be turned to- wards someone who is hostile. It is here that difficulties arise. They are to be expected, and the meditator must be prepared to meet and wrestle with them. To this end, several techniques are described in the Visuddhimagga and elsewhere. The first is to think of the hostile personality in terms of - imper- sonality. The meditator is advised to analyze the hostile personality into its impersonal components - the body, the feelings, the perceptions, the volitional formations and the consciousness. The body, to begin with, consists of purely material items: hair of the head, hair of the body, skin, nails, teeth and so on. There can be no basis for enmity against these. The feelings, perceptions, volitional formations and con- sciousness are all transitory phenomena, interdependent, conditioned and bound up with suffering. They are anicca, dukkha and anatta, impermanent, fraught with suffering and void of selfhood. There is no more individual personality in them than there is in the physical body itself. So towards them, likewise, there can be no real ground for enmity. Identity There’s an old about a monk who went to his master and said, “I’m a very angry person, and I want you to help me.” The master said, “Show me your anger.” The monk said, “Well, right now I’m not angry. I can’t show it to you.” And the master said, “then obviously it’s not you, since sometimes it’s not even there.” Who we are has many faces, but these faces are not who we are. —Charlotte Joko Beck, Everyday — A Drop From The Golden Voice The Thousands verses 100-115

Better than a thousand utterances, comprising For one who is in the habit of constantly hon- useless words, is one single beneficial word, oring and respecting the elders, four blessings by hearing which, one attains peace. increase - age, beauty, bliss, and strength. ———————————–————————————————- ——————————— Better than a thousand verses, comprising use- less words is one beneficial single line, by Though one should live a thousand years, im- moral and uncontrolled, yet better, indeed, is a hearing, which one is pacified. ———————————–————————————————- single day's life of one who is moral and medi- tative. One sentence of the Doctrine, which brings happiness to a person who understands, is bet- ——————————— ter than one hundred stanzas consisting of Though one should live a hundred years with- meaningless words. out wisdom and control, yet better, indeed, is a ———————————–————————————————- single day's life of one who is wise and medi- Though one should conquer a thousand times tative. a thousand men in battle, he who conquers his ——————————— own self, is the greatest of all conquerors. ———————————–————————————————- Though one should live a hundred years idle Self-conquest is, indeed, far greater than the and inactive, yet better, indeed, is a single conquest of all other folks. day's life of one who makes an intense effort. ———————————–————————————————- ——————————— Neither a god nor a Gandhabba, nor with Though one should live a hundred years with- Brahma, can win back the victory of such a out comprehending how all things rise and person who is self-subdued and ever lives in pass away, yet better, indeed, is a single day's restraint. life of one who comprehends how all things ———————————–————————————————- rise and pass away. Though month after month with a thousand ——————————— coins, one should make an for a hun- dred years, yet, if, only for a moment, one Though one should live a hundred years with- should honor (a Saint) who has perfected him- out seeing the Deathless State, yet better, in- self, - that honor is, indeed, better than a cen- deed, is a single day's life of one who sees the tury of sacrifice. Deathless State. ———————————–————————————————- ——————————— Though, for a century, a man should tend the Though one should live a hundred years not (sacred) fire in the forest, yet, if, only for a seeing the Truth Sublime, yet better, indeed, is moment, he should In this world whatever gift a single day's life of one who sees the Truth or alms a person seeking should offer for Sublime. a year, all that is not worth a single quarter of the reverence towards the Upright that is ex- cellent. —Edited by Richard Price—

Announcements Mankato Monks residence will move to new location by September 22nd where all future events will be held ———————————— Monthly Retreat: First Saturday of every month there will be an all day silent re- treat at Monks residence beginning at 9AM. This includes a one hour dhamma talk from 4.00 pm to 5.00 pm Please bring own food. ———————————— Dhamma For Dally Life 1. The 4 foundations of 5. The 5 Mental Powers

•of Body (kayanupassana) •Faith , confidence (Saddha) •of Mindfulness of sensations •Energy, determination (Viriya) (Vedananupassana) •Mindfulness, attention () •of thoughts (Cittanupassana) •Concentration () •of mind-objects (Dhammanupassana) •Wisdom (Panna)

2. The 4 right efforts 6. The 7 factors of Enlightenment

•The effort to avoid unwholesome states •Mindfulness (sati) •The effort to over come unwholesome states •Investigation of the Dhamma •The effort to develop wholesome states (Dhammavicaya) •The effort to maintain the wholesome sates •Energy, Determination (Viriya) •Rapture (Piti) 3. The 4 roads to power •Tranquility () •Concentration (Samadhi) •Concentration of Intention (Chanda) •Equanimity (Upekkha) •Concentration of Consciousness(Citta) •Concentration of Energy(Viriya) •Concentration of Investigation(Vimansa) 7.The Eight-fold Path

4. The 5 Spiritual Faculties •Harmonious Understanding (Samma Ditthi) •Harmonious Thought (Samma Sankappa) •Faith , confidence (Saddha) •Harmonious Speech (Samma Vaca) •Energy(Viriya) •Harmonious Action (Samma Kammantha) •Mindfulness(Sati) •Harmonious Livelihood (Samma Ajiva) •Concentration(Samadhi) •Harmonious Effort (Samma Vayama ) •Wisdom (Panna) •Harmonious Mindfulness (Samma Sati) •Harmonious Concentration (Samma Samadhi)

Voice of Wisdom In the Spirit of Noble Friends, Triple Triple Gem of the North Gem of the North invites you to sub- PO Box 323 mit your writings and comments St Peter, MN 56082 to us at [email protected] Email: [email protected]. Phone: 612-216-4854 Fax: 952-314-4863 Web: www.triplegem.org Handwriting analysis Class with expert To join our mailing list send your Rashmi information via E-mail or feel free to call us. Learn how your handwriting reveals about your true self. Where: Monks Residence Weekend Retreat When: September 27th, October 11th and 18th. Teather: Bhante G Time: 10AM to 11:30AM (Henepola Gunaratane) Fee: $5.00 Date: Oct 4th &5th More info: [email protected] Bring writing samples and a pen and notebook. Where: Mankato, MN Monks Residence 26 Sumner Hills Thank You Lunch Mankato, MN 56001 Sunday September 21st Space: Limited for 25 attendance Thank You Lunch: This is our 2nd annual gathering Registration: Registration Is open Via at Mankato Center. Come and meet the Noble TGN website or Phone. community who practices meditation with TGN Bhante Gunaratana is the author of two around the state. Hope to see you ALL. classic meditation books, “Mindfulness in

11.00 am Gathering Plain English” and “Eight Mindful Steps to 11.15 am Offering food for Buddha Happiness.” He is also the founding abbot 11.30 am Offering food for Monks and Lunch of the Bhavana Society 12.30 pm Blessing chanting 1.00 pm Thank you speech and exchange of ideas in West Virginia. 1.30 pm End See You All

Triple Gem of the North Is a 501 (C) 3 approved tax-deductible non–profit organization 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 assistance 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.