by Ariya Nani
Peace is more than the absence of war. This statement runs through my mind as I think about peace and the ways to bring peace about. Wars and conflicts arise out of anger, aversion, and ill-will. If we want the violence to stop, we must abandon these thoughts of anger, aversion, and ill-will. But we are not yet able to completely abandon these unwholesome states of mind. To create peace and mutual understanding, we have to replace these unwholesome states of mind by actively generating harmonious, peaceful states of mind.
In the Buddhist scriptures, the state of mind opposite of anger and aversion is called loving kindness or metta. Other translations for metta are friendliness, goodwill, benevolence, amity, and universal love. Metta or loving kindness is wishing others well. It is not only an absence of aversion or ill will towards others; it is a state of mind that actively wishes for other beings’ welfare.
Metta is completely different from ordinary love, which is sensual, emotional, or sentimental, since these types of love are always accompanied by attachment. Metta is love without the desire to possess. It is detached love. If our minds are completely infused with metta, then unwholesome thoughts like anger and ill-will no longer have a chance to arise. If we maintain thoughts of loving kindness, there will be harmony and understanding in our communities. In this way, metta can serve as a strong and powerful means of achieving peace in the world.
Achieving peace involves peace within and peace without. “Peace within” means coming to peace with oneself, creating peace within oneself, breathing peacefully, and living peacefully. “Peace without” means to be at peace with whatever situation we encounter and with whatever type of people we encounter.
How can we train in loving kindness and develop these wholesome states of mind? The Buddhist scriptures call it metta bhavana, training in loving kindness meditation. This is one of the four brahmaviharas, or sublime states of living. Metta is called “sublime,” because to have a mind completely free from all anger and aversion is not so easy, as we know from our own experience.
The scriptures teach us to develop thoughts of good will first toward ourselves, because the genuine wish for other beings’ welfare can only arise when we are able to wish it for ourselves. A mind that is poisoned and aching cannot radiate wholesome thoughts of loving kindness to others. This means we first have to come to peace with ourselves. We have to give up all unwholesome attitudes towards ourselves and develop wholesome thoughts of loving kindness toward ourselves instead.
This can be done by internally saying, “May I be happy, healthy, and well. May I be at ease and in peace.” We practice this as long as it takes to establish the thought firmly in our minds. We continue until our whole body and mind are infused with a feeling of goodwill. After that, we develop this feeling of metta towards other people, other groups, and all living beings.
In the systematic practice of metta bhavana, there is a clearly defined way to direct loving kindness toward other people. When we switch from generating metta toward ourselves and begin to generate it toward other persons, we may say, “Just as I want to be happy, healthy, and well, may other people also be happy, healthy and well.” This acknowledges the very basic wish of every thoughtful being to be happy and well. Nobody wants to live in misery and unhappiness. With this understanding, we build bridges to other beings.
From our own experience, we know that we are constantly trying to create favorable conditions to live peacefully and happily. Other beings are just the same. They, too, want to live in conditions that are favorable for peace and happiness. With this in mind, we generate the wish that others also be happy and well. Later we may say, “May these people be happy, healthy, and well. May they live at ease and in peace.”
Loving kindness and goodwill have to be firmly established in our minds. Through intensive and repeated practice, it is possible to strengthen this wholesome state of mind and, at the same time, to weaken the unwholesome states of anger, aversion and ill-will. Of course, the best thing is to completely eradicate all states of anger and ill-will, and to have a mind that is suffused with thoughts of loving kindness and benevolence towards ourselves and all sentient beings at all times.
Metta is a state that encompasses all living beings without discrimination. It breaks through all the barriers that separate beings from one another. There need to make room in our hearts for every single living being, without exception. When loving kindness is developed to its fullest potential, there are no longer categories such as loved ones and enemies. These divisions fall away and we develop the same benevolent attitude towards all beings. To the extent that we are able to maintain a mind filled with metta, to that extent there be peace within and around us.
When we look around us, however, we see and hear about quarrels, dissension, jealousy, violence, fighting, and war. Most people’s hearts are not at peace. The different wars that are going on throughout the world are just the outward manifestations of the wars that are going on within our hearts. For this reason, we first have to stop the war within ourselves and come to peace.
After establishing a firm sense of loving kindness in our hearts, this metta will also manifest in our actions. When we speak with other people, our words will be a manifestations of loving kindness – soft, gentle, and sweet to the ear. We will speak words that contribute to other people's well-being and will not insult or harm others in any way. In the same way, metta will be the basis for all our physical actions. We refrain from any actions that may injure others or contribute to their harm. Instead, our actions will be manifestations of our intention to help others and contribute to their welfare.
Each person has the responsibility to develop her own mind. We cannot do this for others and others cannot do it for us. When a person’s mind is strongly developed in loving kindness, then the mind is vibrant with thoughts of metta and this will have an influence on others around them. Being in the presence of a person with a loving, calm and peaceful mind helps us to become calm and peaceful ourselves.
To create peace in the world, we must first create peace within and then express it in our actions of body, speech and mind. It is difficult to change the world, but we can begin to change ourselves. This is within our reach. Just like when a stone is thrown into a still pond and the ripples spread out ing concentric circles, so, too, the radiance of our minds filled with loving kindness will shine brilliantly, encompassing more and more beings.
There is a story that illustrates the power of the mind to develop loving kindness and how individuals with metta are loved and respected by both human and non-human beings. Once upon a time, a rich Indian man named Visaka arrived at the great monastry of Anuradapura in ancient and asked to be ordained as a monk. For the first five years, he stayed in that monastery and studied hard. After that, he started to practice meditation.
Visaka used to stay for four months in one monastery and then proceed to another one. Once when he was on his way to a monastery on
After four months had passed, he got up one morning and began to think about where to go next. As he was reflecting, he heard someone crying and saw a deva sitting on the stairs of the veranda. The monk asked, “Who are you and why are you weeping?” The deva replied, “I am the deva of that tree and I am weeping because you will leave this place.” The monk asked what benefits the deva would get if he stayed. The deva replied, “Your presence, Venerable Sir, has brought a feeling of loving kindness among us devas. If you leave, then quarrels and dissension will break out again. That is why I request you to stay.” So Venerable Visaka said, “If my presence helps you live in peace, then I will stay on.” So he stayed for another four months, and another four months, and another four months, because each time he wanted to leave, the deva again requested him to stay on. He stayed in that monastery until the end of his life, when he entered parinibbana and passed away.
We should follow in Venerable Visaka’s footsteps and always strive to have a heart full of loving kindness wherever we go and toward everyone we meet. In this way, we can create peace both within and around us.
http://www.sakyadhita.org/NewsLetters/12-1.htm
Today in the world we find many different forms or cults of Buddhism. It is not true that all of them are authentic and represent what Buddhism actually is.
To state what Buddhism is, we have to trace back to the person who found Buddhism more than 2,500 years ago in India: Gotama.
The words Buddha, Tathagata, Blessed One, etc., are called by the world towards Gotama to admire and appreciate his various qualities. In the most ancient and authentic canon of Buddhism (Pali Canon), there is description of what he actually looks like. Generally speaking, he has golden hair, blue eyes, his hands can reach his knees without bending, etc. There are 32 distinct marks on him that distinguish him from the rest of human beings. And there is a lot of historic proof of his existence in history. Therefore the Buddha (Gotama) is a real existing person in human history. (more of his life stories can be read from the Buddha's Life section)
After he has reached the ultimate Enlightenment - Nibanna (the state that is beyond life and death or suffering), he preached in India for 45+ years till the end of his life. Right after his passing, his most disciplined disciples gathered together and compiled the Pali Canon, which was the most ancient and authentic teachings of the Buddha. The compilation session is known as The First Great Council. Throughout human history, there has been 6 Great Councils, and each was held for different purposes. (for more information, please see Councils and Schism section)
The truth is, ever since the Second Great Council, schism began to arise. The cause was that some monks refused to observe the Patimoka (rules that were laid down by the Buddha to be practiced and observed by monks; it also governs the monks) and began to practice impure ways, such as taking money from lay people (worldly people) directly (the Buddha forbids this, and if a person wishes to donate money to a monk, another lay person has to keep the money for the monk).
It was documented in history that between the Second Great Council and the Third Great Council the group of monks who refused to observe the Patimoka gathered together by themselves and formed a new Council, which was known as the Mahayana Council. The word Mahayana literally means the Great Beacon or the Greater Path. Tha name arose from the group of monks' self-conceited minds. And in order to distinguish between the Original Buddhism and the newly arosed sect, the name Theravada was established for the group of monks who upheld the Patimoka and the original teachings of the Buddha. The word Theravada literally means the Elders.
Furthermore, as Buddhism became the mainstream religion in India, most Kings and countries favor Buddhst monks, and as a result, many "priests" and "monks" from other religions converted to Buddhism. However, most of them did not convert their believes and practices. This polluted the teaching of the Buddha and divided the original Buddhism into 18 sects or cults in the Third Great Council, which then became the sole purpose of the Third Great Council - to clear out these wrong views and practices in Buddhism. However, in the end many sects or cults still persisted in their ways and misrepresent Buddhism in human history till today.
The Pali Canon has always been the most well-preserved original teachings of the Buddha because it is maintained by disciples who have faith and reached Arahantship (meaning the person has realized Nibanna and this being the last round of birth).
New comers of Buddhism are highly recommended to steer into the Pali Canon before stepping into any other forms or cults of Buddhism.
Here is a compiled list of what Buddhism is and is not in general:
What Buddhism IS NOT:
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A religion specializes in making rituals or ceremonies
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A religion specializes in magick
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A religion only to reach superhuman state
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A religion that supports the view of One God
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A religion that promotes material gains and supports material views
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A religion that promotes music and songs (including singing and acting)
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A religion that relies on unique artifacts (such as magical necklace, beads, etc)
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A religion that supports mass advertising, mindless preaching, and making businesses.
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A religion that relies on a "Savior" to save us all from the mass of suffering.
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A religion that condemns non-believers or non-followers to Hell.
- A religion that assigns chief authority to a single person or group (e.g. Pope, Vantican, etc.) after the Buddha had passed away. (since doing so gives rise to potential status quo problem, false claims of the Buddha status, and various other reasons)
- A religion that believes chanting mantras (sacred words), performing ceremonial rites, practising self-motification (such as walking on fire, going naked, fasting, etc.), practicing singleness of mind (Samadhi meditation), etc., can achieve enlightenment.
What Buddhism IS:
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A religion, as a set of practices, to achieve peace
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A religion, as a set of practices, to achieve bliss
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A religion, as a set of practices, to conquer the mind
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A religion, as a set of practices, to achieve right concentration
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A religion, as a set of practices, to attain Nibbana
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A religion, as a set of practices, to achieve right mindfulness
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A religion, as a set of practices, to achieve perfect morality
Source : http://www.yellowrobe.com/
Dhamma’s friends.
For some, Buddha’s Teachings can seem to be far from the present. For some, it can appear that it is not compatible for the non-Asian cultures.
Nothing of all that is true. Because what Buddha taught is nothing else but the truth of pain, and the end of the suffering.
Whatever the pain or the sorrow that touches people, it is not limited to a culture, a race, or on a social standing. The suffering touches everyone in the same way, and the pain that each person feels reflects around it, among his family and its close relations.
Buddha’s Teachings aims at putting a final term at the suffering.
In reality, like it treats a universal disease, this is a universal teaching.
It was 2500 years ago, it is today and it will tomorrow. From our birth, the conscience took root in ignorance. The word of Buddha is the single means of freeing from our ignorance. Buddha said we can live one year, or ten years, or maybe more, without physical disease. But never in our life of human, we are free from mental diseases (except arahant).
These mental diseases are impurities, they are called defilements of the mind. Which are they? Buddha’s answer in Vatthupama-Sutta :
"And what, monks, are the defilements of the mind? Covetousness and unrighteous greed are a defilement of the mind ; ill will is a defilement of the mind ; anger is a defilement of the mind ; hostility is a defilement of the mind ; denigration is a defilement of the mind ; domineering is a defilement of the mind ; envy is a defilement of the mind ; jealousy is a defilement of the mind ; hypocrisy is a defilement of the mind ; fraud is a defilement of the mind ; obstinacy is a defilement of the mind ; presumption is a defilement of the mind ; conceit is a defilement of the mind ; arrogance is a defilement of the mind ; vanity is a defilement of the mind ; negligence is a defilement of the mind. ”
Buddha’s Teaching is Dhamma. Dhamma means truth, reality, law of the nature, things …It concerns everyone.
Whoever recognizes in him the truth of the dhamma, understand what Buddha taught. Everything that he taught is related to the total and perfect liberation. He told people the way, he said to people that only themselves can go on this path.
By virtue, by concentration and attention, and by wisdom, anybody that follows the natural discipline can know peace and harmony, can plant seeds of the good deeds, and get complete freedom from the conditioning, and freedom from anger, desire, and illusion.
May all beings be free from sorrow, may all have happiness, may all know dhamma.
One link:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/index.html
