Two Kinds of Language ❖ ภาษาคนภาษาธรรม
The talk recorded in this booklet deals in particular with the special language which the Buddha, Gotama, used in teaching. The author has called this the Language of Dhamma. But since the Higher Truth or Dhamma is constant, independent of time, place, and teacher, the language in which it is discussed is to a large extent international. The language which the Buddha used in expounding the Dhamma has a lot in common with that which Jesus Christ used in teaching that same Dhamma. So, though this talk was intended specifically for a Buddhist audience, much of it is equally relevant and to the point in the context of Christianity or any other religion.
Dhamma Q&A with Students from Puget Sound University
“There seems often to be a conflict between the beliefs of popular Buddhism and what the Buddha actually taught. Are these popular forms of belief a form of upaya (skillful means), or how are they justified in light of what the Buddha actually taught?”
Some Key Traits of the Buddha
Upāli was one of the most intelligent and renowned followers of the Jains. He was so confident of his faith in the Jain teachings that he decided to debate the Buddha. He was determined to prove, once and for all, that the Buddha’s teachings on Kamma were incorrect.
Food for Thought #50
In Summary, the study of the principles of the Dhamma helps us to know that we should practice the Dhamma for the good of our Dhamma-body, otherwise one-half of our being will be dead. Once we know these principles well enough, we nourish the mind with knowledge, and this becomes a foundation for spiritual practice; these principles constitute proper views, the light of the dawn in the initial stages of our practice.
Dhamma - The World Saviour ❖ ธรรมะคุ้มครองโลก
Our discourse today deals with the subject which you all know, which is : Dhamma — The World Saviour. Now we must realize that we have made the supposition that Dhamma is the world saviour. Therefore, by logic, it must be tenable that the world has to have Dhamma, so that Dhamma may protect or save the world. And what makes it possible for Dhamma to exist in the world ?.
Dhamma Q&A with Students from Puget Sound University
“Can Ajahn Buddhadasa explain his concept of insight worker or laborer, vipassana samrap kammakon, and where in the scriptures he finds justification for that?”
The Refuge Is in the Knowing
Since childhood I have been fascinated by time-lapse photography. I have loved to watch natural processes unobservable by the naked eye unfolding on a screen – gracefully, magically – over the course of a few minutes. These short films encouraged me to question the apparent solidity of the world I lived in.
Food for Thought #49
As children, our melancholy hardly ever surfaced because we had people looking after us and we were not yet fully grown and able to experience the full force of all our senses. As soon as we are fully developed, melancholia arises more frequently because we are out of balance - the body has developed, but the development of our Dhamma-body has not kept pace with it.
Christianity and Buddhism ❖ คริสตธรรม พุทธธรรม
I am pleased to deliver the SINCLAIRE THOMPSON MEMORIAL LECTURES, FIFTH SERIES, for it will help create an atmosphere of mutual understanding among the followers of both Christianity and Buddhism, and also make people understand their respective religions at the same time, for the audience here is both Buddhist and Christian.
Dhamma Q&A with Students from Puget Sound University
“As of this moment there more than likely is fighting going on in the Persian Gulf. Had you had the opportunity to offer advice to prevent this atrocity, what would you have said? Or is there ever a chance for leaders who are so deluded by power to awaken and see what is really going on in order to avert an action such as war?”
The Three Characteristics of Existence
To investigate an apple, we might look at it in terms of its taste, its colour and its smell. In the apple itself, however, these qualities are inseparable. Similarly, we can distinguish three characteristics of existence.
Food for Thought #48
Studying the principles of Dhamma helps us to gradually come to realization that if we nourish only our physical being, we are fattening up only one aspect of our lives. While the other aspect - the mind - remains malnourished. The end result is that the body is the picture of health, while the mind is foggy, melancholic, and thin.
Another Kind of Birth ❖ ความเกิดที่คนยังไม่รู้จัก
The subject we shall discuss today is one which I feel everyone ought to recognize as pressing, namely the following two statements made by the Buddha: “Birth is perpetual suffering.” (Dukkha jati punap-punam) and “True happiness consists in eliminating the false idea of ‘I’.”
The Prey of Desire and Fear
Some time ago I was discussing the design of a building with its architect. He explained the choices he had made in the design using such words as ‘honest’ and ‘sincere’. For me, as a monk, it was interesting to hear ethical terms used to justify the number of windows in a wall, or the placing of pipes.
Food for Thought #47
Studying the principles of the Dhamma help us to first realize that we have two facts to our body; the bodily form and the Dhamma body. Our body develops due to our parents care-we grow due to a number of factors, such as vegetables, proteins, and other nourishment - but the Dhamma-body concern the overall health of our physical form, our speech, and our mind. Both of these aspects of our being are the foundations of freedom; they sustain and nourish all kinds of growth.
Buddhism in 15 Minutes ❖ เรียนพุทธศาสนาใน 15 นาที
[PREFACE] The writer of this remarkable essay firmly believes that the gist of Buddhism can be presented in a brief compass: one does not need a long and complicated statement that few can understand. Here he presents the heart of the Buddhist message in its philosophical and psychological aspects.
Two Sides to a Human Life
There are two sides to a human life: the ‘somebody’ side and ‘nobody’ side.
The somebody side includes things like physical appearance, personality, image in the eyes of others, likes and dislikes, virtues and vices. Our somebody side has a lot of issues to deal with.
Food for Thought #46
Mere babes cannot think for themselves about these matters. Only the study of Dhamma can help us initially. The study of the Dhamma as a discipline of knowledge is one of the basic foods for the mind; the second step involves digesting this knowledge for yourself; and then the attainment of joy and tranquillity follows.
A Buddhist Charter ❖ กฎบัตรพุทธบริษัท
This book, A Buddhist Charter, which consists of 136 proposed items, results from the 50 anniversary commemoration of Suan Mokkh on the Visakhapuja Day of 1982. The Venerable Than Achan Buddhadasa of Suan Mokkh drafted and presented motions to the Buddhist assembly there so that they would consider them and reach a common agreement which would become a practical guideline for Buddhists in general. The assembly consisted of two committees, one scripture or theory-oriented and the other proper social practice-oriented. The two committees joined forces in considering and refining the motions until they reached mutual satisfaction. Then, they declared the motions as a Buddhist charter.
The Buddha’s Path to Liberation
The world of the senses seems very real. It demands our attention. It is intoxicating and addictive. It leads us to believe that the only alternative to sensory stimulation is deprivation and death.