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 Buddhist meditation 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 Middle Way, 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 Buddhism we have the expression nirvana 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 skandhas — 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 sangha 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 Vesak. 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.