Cattāri Brahmavihārā

Posted by: Michael | 07/11/2015

Sangham saranam gacchami

Sitting here on the Staten Island Ferry waiting to return to Manhattan I am feeling tremendous gratitude forthe bhikkhuscan only reflect on my good fortune to have been able to have spent the day with a bhikkhus and upasakas worth whom I spent the day. Frankly, I don’t quite know how to organize my thoughts nor do I know how to articulate then at present. Suffice it to say that I feel like I have finally found the kind of spiritual home for which I have been longing for years now.

Bhante Saddhasara reached out to me a few days ago in reply to a question I had about Mahamevnawa starting a center in NYC which resulted in my meeting with him and the other monks at the center. I also happened to meet a number of upasakas and upasikas who are local supporters and felt like I finally had access to a vihara that operated according to the Vinaya. In other words, a place where my children could learn the Dhamma and see it as the Lord Buddha had established it over 2500 years ago. Sadhu. Sadhu. Sadhu.

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Dhamma, Sangha, Theravada | Tags: bhikkhu, mahamevnawa, monks, Sangha, vihara

Posted by: Michael | 07/10/2015

Supporting the Bhikkhunis

Last night I was fortunate enough to be able to virtually attend a chanting service for the benefit of my recently deceased uncle that was organized by the bhikkhunis (Buddhist nuns) at Saranaloka in Santa Rosa. I don’t think I need to say just how grateful I am for their kindness, compassion and responsiveness throughout this time but I will say that the service they are providing to the world through their practice is both rare and beautiful.

All of which brings me to my point: the bhikkhunis need our support if they are to continue to practice the Teachings of the Lord Buddha for the benefit of the many and, perhaps even more importantly, in order to provide an opportunity for women to live a life in accord with the Vinaya. For those who may not know it, the bhikkhuni order in the Theravadin tradition has only recently been reestablished and as a result of old biases, new controversies and general lack of knowledge they are fighting an uphill battle to live lives committed to the Dhamma of the Lord Buddha. This in a country where it is hard enough being a monastic in the first place.

If you have been thinking of making an offering to a vihara or group I beg you to consider doing so to the Saranaloka Foundation http://http://saranaloka.org/support/donate/ or to the Ven. Dhammadipa Bhikkhuni at her hermitage in Sri Lanka. Having a place for female monastics is an absolute necessity for the Buddha sasana to survive in today’s world and, when you think about it, it’s only fair and right. I hope you forgive my shameless plugs but I do hope you will consist adding the bhikkhunis to your list of charities. Sukhita hontu!

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Dana, Dhamma, Sangha, Theravada | Tags: bhikkhunis, buddismo, budismo, feminismo, monache Buddhiste, nuns, Saranaloka, women in Buddhism

Posted by: Michael | 07/08/2015

Making Fire

I have been fortunate enough lately to be working on design projects that allow me to listen to Dhamma talks throughout the course of the day. Mainly I have been listening to Ven. Ajahn Achalo so I believe it may have been him who brought up the analogy of a meditator being like a person who wants to make fire by rubbing two sticks together. The parable goes something like this:

A person comes along who had heard there is fire in two sticks of wood and they one need only to rub them together to produce it. So, the fire seeker begins rubbing them together, keeping at it until they begin to smoke. But, because it is such hard work, they decide to take a break to rest their hands. Once they have rested they return to it but now even less time passes before they decide to take another break-this time before any smoke appears. And so it goes like this, with the meditator ribbing the sticks together in fits and starts, getting more and more discouraged until finally throwing the sticks away in disgust, giving “there’s no fire here anyway, what’s the use? ”

In so many ways this parable is an apt description of my practice and I wouldn’t be surprised is it weren’t so for many of us. As a result of reflecting on this I propose a challenge to meditate for 30 hours in 30 days which is a modest goal but one which should generate enough friction to at least cause some smoke to arise. I think I’ll post this challenge to Dhamma Wheel and PAD and see if anyone else is interested. Sukhi hotu!

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Posted in Aditthana, Buddha, Buddhism, Dana, Formal Meditation, Parisa Abhaya Dana, Theravada | Tags: challenge, making fire, meditation

Posted by: Michael | 07/07/2015

A Death in the Family

My uncle died last week and, although we hadn’t talked in more than twenty years and we were never close, he keeps returning to my mind. Since learning of his death I have dedicated the merit of every souring to him, given dana in his name but I wish there were more I could do. I know once that I had offered a donation to a Kagyu monastery (Tibetan tradition) with a request that they chant for the benefit of all beings but I do not know if one can sponsor such a dana for the departed in a similar way with a vihara remotely. In other words, I’m not sure if you can send in a donation and request paritta chanting although I doubt it due to the fact that the money would need to go through a steward.

And, this, my friends is one of the problems with being a lay follower in the so-called West. Without belonging to a parisa that is truly grounded in both the Dhamma and the daily life of a living community I am a foreigner to the customs and traditions which take the tradition or of the books and ingrain then into the heart. I hope to find some answers to this conundrum and will be sure to bring it up in the PAD forum as well. Be well!

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Dana, Dhamma, Parisa Abhaya Dana, Theravada, Tibetan Buddhism | Tags: death, funerary rites

Posted by: Michael | 07/06/2015

An End to Suffering

Six o’clock in the morning is a beautiful time of day in the city; no cats, no teaming masses and the coolness of the night yet lingers. But, even now it is impossible not to be aware of the suffering and instability of the human condition. In doorways and alcoves sleep the disenfranchised and mentally ill, on the corners and bus stops panhandle beg for change and down the sidewalks and through the corridors of Union Square station last night’s drinks hobble onward towards their destination. Seeing this and breathing in and out buddho is hard not to feel anything but love for the Lord Buddha who comprehended our suffering and taught a way out of it if we would only just listen and put the Teachings into practice.

May we put down our foolish pride and not think ourselves too clever for the Dhamma. May we do all we can to make am end to suffering.

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Dhamma, Dukkha, Theravada | Tags: clever, homelessness, humanity, prose, suffering

Posted by: Michael | 07/03/2015

A Mind Filled with Love

184. And how does one dwell pervading one direction with a mind filled with love? Just as one would feel love for a loving, pleasant person, like this one pervades all beings with love. And concerning this, what is love? That which in beings is love, the act of love, the state of love, love that is free from ill-will.
And how does one dwell pervading one direction with a mind filled with compassion? Just as one would feel compassion for a miserable or evil person, like this one pervades all beings with compassion. And concerning this, what is compassion? That which in beings is compassion, the act of being compassionate, the state of being compassionate, compassion that is free from cruelty.
And how does one dwell pervading one direction with a mind filled with sympathetic joy? Just as one would feel joyful for a lovely, pleasant person, like this one pervades all beings with sympathetic joy. And concerning this, what is sympathetic joy? That which in beings is sympathetic joy, the act of sympathetic joy, the state of sympathetic joy, sympathetic joy that is free from envy.
And how does one dwell pervading one direction with a mind filled with equanimity? Just as one would feel equanimity for a person neither pleasant nor unpleasant, like this one pervades all beings with equanimity. And concerning this, what is equanimity? That which in beings is equanimity, the act of equanimity, the state of equanimity, equanimity that is free from distress.

Vibhanga 272

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Posted in Buddha, Buddha Vacana, Buddhism, Dhamma, Karuna, Metta, Mudita, Theravada, Upekkha | Tags: metta radiation, pervading with live

Posted by: Michael | 07/01/2015

Happy Uposatha However You Observe It

Today is the Uposatha day according to the Thai Dhammayut order whose calendar I follow. For years I have observed whenever I could find the strength and wherewithal to do so but, I have to admit, that the last few years have seen me observing less consistently than I would like. Partially this had to do with work and familial obligations but, even more so, i believe it has to do with my own all or nothing approach and a misordering of priorities.

Tale for example today’s observance: I am observing the fast of Ramadhan all month long out respect for the family’s tradition which would normally mean I would forgo the Uposatha. And even though it wouldn’t be a “perfect” observado I have lately come to the conclusion that even if I try to follow the other seven precepts and make the day one of deepened and sustained practice it would be for the better.

So, I wish all of you a happy and fruitful Uposatha regardless of how you choose to observe it or not. Sukhita hontu!

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Dhamma, Fasting, Islam, Theravada, Uposatha | Tags: fasting, imperfect, Ramadhan, uposatha observance

Posted by: Michael | 06/30/2015

Repaying One’s Parents

181. There are two people you can never repay. What two? Your father and your mother.
Even if you were to carry them on your back and live a hundred years, supporting them, anointing them with medicines, bathing and massaging their limbs and wiping up their excrement after them, even this would not repay them. Even if you were to give them absolute rule over the whole world, this would not repay them. And why? Because parents do much for their children – they bring them up, nourish them, they introduce them to the world.
But whoever encourages his unbelieving parents to believe, his immoral parents to be virtuous, his stingy parents to be generous, his foolish parents to be wise, such a one by so doing does repay, does more than repay his parents.

Anguttara Nikaya I.61

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Posted in Buddha, Buddha Vacana, Buddhism, Dhamma, Parenting, Theravada | Tags: father, filial piety, gratitude, mother

Posted by: Michael | 06/29/2015

Monday Morning

It’s an early Monday morning and it makes the first weekday of my kids’ summer vacation which is why I’m standing on a more or less abandoned platform at 6:30pm waiting for a Brooklyn bound train. I don’t know if it’s simply too little sleep, the cumulative effect of fasting for Ramadhan or something else entirely but I am feeling confused and uninspired this morning, not sure of how to practice with it.

This, however, is a familiar enough theme and from long acquaintance I can intuit that what is really called for its acceptance and openness. So, bear with it I will until things settle and I can see a little more clearly what is happening. Until then equanimity for the experience, loving-kindness to all, compassion for the suffering and appreciation of the good fortunes of others. In this way I should be in good stead to work with whatever arises.

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Daily Practice, Dhamma, Fasting, Karuna, Metta, Mudita, Theravada, Upekkha | Tags: blah, Monday morning, sleep deprived, summer vacation

Posted by: Michael | 06/28/2015

Buddhist Business Ethics

I have spent most of the night working on the private forum for Parisa Abhaya Dana (PAD) and one of the sub-fora (yes, I am that pedantic to use the correct nominative plural form) is entitle Dhamma in the Workplace. One of the last things I worked on before turning to walking mediation was to scour the net looking for various professional organizations which describe themselves as Buddhist. This must have been on mind because, as I paced back and forth, the thought occurred to me that I have very often wished my competitors less than well. In other words, I have allowed myself to indulge in lines of thinking that could be described as un-Buddhist at best and completely reprehensible at worst.

I have toyed with the idea of trying to cultivate mudita for rival businesses and have had some success but it seems that I have never put the requisite effort into it to change my habitual view. As a result I have unwisely rejoiced in their failures and heedlessly sought to steal away their market-share, thereby depriving men and women no different from myself of a livelihood. Now, I ask you, how is this any different than outright theft? How is this samma ajiva? Clearly it’s not but the most surprising part is that I had somehow managed to wall this part of my life off from the rest of my practice and proceed as if the laws of kamma were somehow suspended when I set foot in the office or opened my computer to start work.

So it is that I am thankful for the encouragement to continue with the PAD project because, whether or not others decide it is of use to them, it has helped to throw more light on all aspects of my life as an upasaka whether they be at home with my wife and kids, at work or in society at large (which in my case is decidedly un-Buddhist). May I seek to cultivate mudita for the success of my competitors by reflecting on the fact that they too want only happiness and do not want to suffer. Sabbe satta yatha laddha sampattito maviggacchantu!

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Dhamma, Parisa Abhaya Dana, Theravada | Tags: Buddha, Buddhism, Buddhist Business, Dhamma, Parisa Abhhaya Dana, Right Livelihood, Samma Ajiva, Thervada