Uncategorized
LIVE HERE AND NOW
LIVE HERE AND NOW
Blessings to Dhamma Practitioners, Right Practice
For the Dhamma today, whether it is meant to be a lecture or a sermon, the topic assigned is “LIVE HERE AND NOW” which is the heart of all actions. The essence of Buddhism is how people live at the present moment. It is the moment in reality, neither in the past nor the future. The Buddha focuses on the teaching of being at the present moment as in His words saying:
Atitam nanvagameyya Nappatikankhe anagatam
Yadatimpahinantam Appaattanca anagatm
Paccuppannanca yo dhammam Tattha tattha vipassati
Asammiram asankuppam Tam viddha manubruhaye.
Do not be wistfully looking at the past. Do not fantasize the future. For what is passed, it is the past. For what is not yet arrived, it is the future. For what is so clear to the eyes, whether it is the present, the certainty, and the unshakeable, may him understand thoroughly and practice on such way with heedfulness.
Atitam nanusocanti Nappajappanti nagatam
Paccuppannena yapenti Tena vanno pasidati
The ones who access to Dhamma do not sorrow for the past, not worry for the not yet coming future. However, they will live here and now so as their skin is luminous.
Before we can live at the present moment, we have to train our mind to contemplate on characteristics of the state of mind at the present moment. The entire practice is the scope of having techniques on how to concentrate at the present moment, the present feeling that appears to the mind, then the dhamma will appear to the eyes. There are various methods or techniques to do it but above all these are just the stratagem on how to attain the present moment. If one can live his life at the present moment, then he will have a happy life without any suffering. This is the principle in practice to end the suffering.
Live Here and Now is the Cause of Enlightenment
When a yogi can maintain his mind at the present moment, in different states of practice, he is capable of attaining the highest outcome which is Vimutti (Deliverance of Mind). In the Pali Canon Anguttara-Nikaya (AN 5.26), Vimuttayatana Sutta, the Buddha speaks of the Liberation which is called Vimutti meaning the Deliverance of Mind. Vimutti means liberation. Ayatana means sense sphere or sense medium. Liberation of Ayatana means the place where subjects dwell whereby the mind can be cultivated to reach the cause of liberation. There are 5 grounds for liberation.
1. While listening to the Dhamma.
2. While teaching the Dhamma
3. While reciting the Dhamma.
4. While pondering or examining on the Dhamma.
5. While reflecting on the Dhamma.
(1) Here, the Buddha spoke of the liberation while listening to the Dhamma. With attention, the speaker in the position of a teacher teaches the Dhamma to the listener, in just the way he experiences inspiration in the meaning and inspiration in the Dhamma, although both have not yet had access to the Dhamma. As he does so with the well-trained mind, his unliberated mind is liberated. It is the liberation while listening to the Dhamma and this is the basis of liberation, by means of which, he is enlightened as it is called “Dhammassavanamaya” (Merit accomplished by listening to the Dhamma). Neither the speaker liberates nor unliberates, if he teaches or exhibits the principle of enlightenment and the listener is attentive to, it is the cause for liberation.
(2) Again, while teaching the Dhamma, conversing or speaking of the Dhamma, the liberation happens. This is reached because during the conversation, he himself teaches the Dhamma in detail. In just the way, he experiences and ponders upon the principle and condition of the Dhamma. As in one of the stories of Nagasena Thera, he had a Dhamma conversation with one laywoman about ayatana-khandha (sense-spheres and aggregates), the highest principle of Dhamma practice. Not yet he has liberated his mind, but while teaching the Dhamma in detail as he had heard it and learned it, he experienced inspiration in the meaning and his mind became liberated so as the laywoman. They became the Sotapanna (Stream-Enterer). By means of which, the unliberated mind is liberated if a person is well-trained and dwells heedful. This reveals the truth in the position while teaching the Dhamma as he gains an insight in different angles of the Dhamma. The Dhamma arises. The Dhamma arises to the one who teaches such truth as it is called “Dhammadesanamaya” (Merit accomplished by teaching the Dhamma) which listed in the Ten Bases for Accomplishing Merits.
(3) Again, the Buddha said the liberation happens while reciting the Dhamma. While yogi or yoga ascetic are practicing perseverance, reciting, chanting or praising the Virtues of Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha. Virtues of the Buddha are realized, virtue of the Dhamma are realized, virtues of the Sangha are realized. Modes of progress to deliverance of the Realized Sangha are recited. The Dhamma leading to grief and misery, causing the sympathy with the body, and arising consciousness comes in the Buddhist scripture about corporeality, feeling, perception, mental formations, consciousness or that Dhamma is impermanence, suffering, non-self; we are still reciting on such Dhamma. If one follows and realizes the Dhamma, in relation to that Dhamma, the liberation happens while reciting or being heard with perseverance in focusing, contemplating the Dhamma. This third base happens to the reciter of Dhamma.
(4) Again, the liberation happens while pondering or examining on the Dhamma. There are 2 ways in examining on the Dhamma, whether the word “examine” or “contemplate” is used, they have the same meaning as mentally inspect the Dhamma.
can divide into either tranquility or insight. Both examinations require the mindfulness which are Arammanupanijjhana, object-scrutinizing Jhana to develop the tranquility absorption, and Lakkhanupanijjhana, characteristic-examining Jhana to develop the insight.
This method examines the characteristics of conditional mind and matter while focusing on the rising-falling, walking, examining physically or mentally. This way of examination is how the characteristics of matter and mind are being pondered at that moment; happening, existing, being, without any prediction or assumption that things should be like this or like that. While examining, contemplating on the Dhamma, the liberation and awakening can happen which is called the insight of things as they usually, as they naturally are. The principle in attaining the liberation by holding to the present moment can happen directly if the practitioner solely works hard with perseverance in focusing on the nature the same way as many are doing, practicing. The Dhamma will happen, the liberation will happen, the light will happen, the eyes of wisdom will happen, the Dhamma sphere will happen.
(5) The last ground said by the Buddha is that the liberation happens to the one who has concentrated the Dhamma, attended to it well, and reflected upon it. The person reexamines what has happened is really true or not, which is the result of the concentration to the Dhamma; the reflection on the Dhamma is the Dhammavicaya (truth investigation) whether it is true or false. This is the process continuing from the Dhamma examination, the Dhamma concentration which is called the Dhamma contemplation with the stratagem of wisdom. By doing this, it is said to be the reflection on Dhamma and the Dhamma will happen. These conducts if ones are able to practice will be fruitful at all times. The Dhamma will happen, regardless of postures; standing, walking, sitting, lying down, bending, stretching, listening to the Dhamma, teaching the Dhamma, reciting the Dhamma, reflecting on the Dhamma with the present moment and present feeling that happens until the person gains knowledge and insight, then cheerfulness happens. As he does so, joy arises in him. When he is joyful, rapture arises. For one with a rapturous mind, the body becomes tranquil. One tranquil in body feels pleasure. For one feeling pleasure, the mind becomes concentrated. His mind gains wisdom by the truth of nature.
——————————–
