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Testing Elementor Header
Michael Clark TEST POST TO TEST THE HEADER (USERS PLEASE IGNORE) EmailViews: 13
Wat Buddha Manodham – an oasis of Metta
https://m.facebook.com/watbuddhamanodham Last Thursday I once again had the privilege of visiting Wat Buddha Manodham in Chickamauga, GA. Over the years I have known Bhante Prasasouk, there is always the glow on his face of genuine Metta and Contentment that can’t be hidden. Not only have I been allowed to practice and take refuge on the grounds of the Wat, but I have been welcomed in to give Dana and assist in any way possible. I have seen others who sought refuge at the Wat treated with the same warmth, acceptance, and generosity. This week the monks were preparing for an upcoming event (as well as the upcoming Laotion New Year) and I was allowed to assist in some of the construction inside the Wat, and found that Metta transcends language barriers as I was treated with kindness even though my excitement for the Dhamma can overwealm my speech at times. Bhante has always showed incredible Patience and a recognition that my Desire to practice Lord Buddha’s Dhamma and train the mind in the laylife is Sincere. He has always been extremely direct in correcting my delusion based misconceptions whenever he has caught me speaking them out loud, yet he has done so with a gentle grace and skill i have rarely encountered outside ordained Sangha. Every one of my handful of visits so far to the Wat has been an inspiration to the practice, and i will visit whenever it is within my means to do so and Bhante or Ajahn say that i am welcome. The fact that there are monks practicing the Buddha’s Noble 8-fold is undenyable in every encounter with Bhante Joseph Prasasouk. He has not only had time to accept Dana and listen to me pour out my emotions in times of grief when I was having difficulties. He responded with loving kindness and nurturing and was more than willing to listen without judgment, even when I was caught in restlessness and worry. This is generosity of the highest nature, and it stuck with me for years. What i continue to be grateful and amazed about, is the fact that Bhante can be so calm and strong, yet without the slightest shred of superiority in his tone, face or delivery. He never places himself in a position of power over, he is there to empower others, and there is no doubt. This is the kind of Good Friend that the Lord Buddha told Ananda was the Whole of the Holy life. A good friend supports you, not your Delusion. Whenever I do give Dana, Bhante allows me to hit the gong myself, and the experience of taking refuge and chanting the Vandana at the Wat is a source of Viriya and Saddha (energy and faith) for the practice here. It’s always worth visiting ordained Sangha who are pracing under the protection of dhamma vinaya. The reason why is because the Virtue they have developed is impossible to miss as it shows in everything they do, say, and in their very face. It’s impossible to hide the kindness that radiates from every direction. If you catch yourself wondering what the fruit of good practice looks like, just go hang out with those who have been living Dhamma Vinaya for years. It will be a benefit to your Practice in ways you can’t imagine. It was truly refreshing to hear Bhante say that in the Laos tradition, taking care of family and our elderly was part of the practice of virtue. On more than one occasion other laypeople have stopped by the Wat for advice while i was visiting, often on their first encounter with any Buddhist tradition. They were treated with warmth and acceptance by the monks. Wat Buddha Manodham, in my experience is an oasis of sanity, generosity and loving kindness in the deep south. Views: 141
Thailand Travel Info & Traveling to Koh Pha ngan
David MatteGreetings dhamma pals! If you’re planning a trip to come to the land of smiles (Thailand), I wrote a brief guide containing information and tips on your travels here. See you here soon! 🙂 EmailURLViews: 28
Silent Poetry
dhammadasaWhen we are walking in nature all things disappear, when we practice Silence of the heart the Dhamma is revealed within us, the wind on our face in the graveyard, the grass on our skin, all is well right here n now, what more could one ask for?, when we walk in the warm sun beams, Where do questions & answers go? When we smell the sweet flowers fragrance, where does politics & religions go? When we Laugh gently & with Wholesomnes, Where does buddhism & meditation practice go? All is Mara Save Satisfaction, all is dukkha Save Silence & remaining calm❤️🌱🌲🌄 EmailViews: 41
Thank you Dhammarato and Friends.
Finding True Friendship through the Generosity of Dhammarato and friends has been a repeated experience of joy and a rememberance of what Metta and True Generosity feels like in the Heart. It is worth waking up in spite of the big mess we see when we do. The practice here has changed more in the last year than in the previous 9. Not only experiencing for the first time in nearly half a century of life, a practice which can be based in taking an honest look at what’s happening right now, arriving at non-reactivity at the senses, then making a change. Not only has Ardency in personal practice and Devotion has intensified, but the entire experience of Life and Reality is normalized to joy as default. I don’t mean that to sound stuffy and intellectualized. What’s true is that everything has softened and the fictional sense of intractability has vanished, such that even family members and friends are more receptive to listening and working harder to love and contribute. Maybe getting off my own butt in some ways (I used to think weren’t possible for me) has helped, but it is seen to be profound how taking up the attitude of a lion (even on mornings where we feel more like a kitten) helps those around us. Every time I have come to a member of Dhammarato’s Sangha, with a question about the Dhamma, I am Satisfied and calmed by the words of these skillful practitioners. It is amazing how skillful the facilitation can be, in many cases coming from those who have practiced a relatively short amount of time. If Doubt arises, someone is available to talk briefly, or sometimes for a while, until we return to remembrance and appreciation – of this very breath. The only thing needed to recall the refreshment waiting for us when we live with the 4 Noble Truths and the Buddha’s 8-fold Path as a guide to our Intentions, Speech, and Actions. I am only just beginning on my Journey to appreciate and contribute to a Sangha and teacher who has made such a difference that leads directly to happiness. What I was seeking when I joined OSF was a place where I could meet friends who would not only serve as comfort and calmraderie along the way, but also hold me accountable for nonsense in my thinking and speech. This is something I never had from friends outside the Dhamma. It helps. Thank you. D.J. Over at Dischord has especially been patient, as it literally took me two years to understand how to log on and know what was going on, and regardless of my foibles and social network naivate, he was always patient and unwavering in representing the nurturing side of Dhammarato’s style/message while retaining a strong practice anchored in Samma Ditti (Right View) and Anapanasati (Mindfulness of breathing). Buddham Saranam Ghachami (I go to The Buddha for Refuge) Dhammam Saranam Ghachami (I go to The Dhamma for Refuge) Sangham Saranam Ghachami (I go to The Sangha for Reguge) Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma Sambudassa! (Honor to him the Beloved Teacher, the Arahant, The fully Enlightened Buddha) Views: 56
Remaining calm
dhammadasaThere’s a Quote by Sri Ramana Maharshi that is used & taught often by His student Robert Adams, it basically goes like this, ” Whatever occurs, don’t react, good or bad, remain calm in all situations, this is the only practice one needs , is not react” , I Love this Wholesome Thought so much, especially for it’s straightforward message & brilliant simplicity, often it remains in the forefront of my mind as a Mantra, it has become a very important cure all Wholesome thought that transforms any dissatisfaction into pure joy & peace, also i enjoy meditating on Silence of the heart, an Actual Title of one of Robert Adams Books, we don’t necessarily have to be quite in outward speech, but it does help, when not only our speech but especially our heart is Silent, all negativity, all dissatisfaction seems to be burnt up in the beautiful flame of pure unborn awareness, gladening the mind here n now, questions don’t even arise, answers don’t mean anything, self, not self, soul no soul doesn’t even appear anywhere in the clear waters of the Mind , all is well 💙 EmailViews: 50
The Saturday Night Sangha
David James Bennison Hosting the Saturday sangha call on Discord has been beneficial beyond measure. The mind comes back again and again to Dhamma, and enthusiasm honing the skills of the Noble Eightfold Path. Not only for myself but for others as well. Being able to share this wisdom is a blessing in itself. It’s wonderful to talk to people who understand this wisdom and share it. We cultivate and grow together with noble friendship. If you are interested in joining the meetings it’s at 7 pm EST on Discord. Link below https://discord.gg/VzczkNX63v EmailURLViews: 53
Be here Last Tuesday
Dhamma DasaThe ego aka character we develop can only appear to exists in the past or future, this false idol is the Dukkha creator, remembering to look for dog dookie on our island 🏝 walk is great Sati as we walk around the dookie staying shining & clean, but I have experienced a deeper level, as Buddhadasa Bhikkhu spoke of, the head of the snake, the Dukkha creator, the ego self character, the ” I, my, me mind” , in the island 🏝 dookie analogy, this would be a dirty dog on our island shitting everywhere, avoiding the Dukkha is great, but I have found also sending the ego false self dog on a boat 🐕 to another island is also a great solution because sure other animals may leave some droppings around, but once the main culprit is gone, avoiding the dookie is much easier with no dookie creator insight, & for this I use the wholesome thought of remembering there is no ego character of me, it exsist only in a false ghostly past and future biological thought pattern, a story that builds momentum & strength only if we allow it, only if we forget to remember to look lol😂, our true nature is not a self really, it’s like emptiness, Silence of the heart, peace, pure unborn ever present awareness, unattached to cognitive biological functions, the the Dhamma, Truth, nature shines bright right here, right now, in one sense it can be described as just this, here, like this now, very plain , unexciting, yet on the other yinyang hand it is completely mind blowing, Magikal & miraculous, yet also none of these things ☯️☺️ EmailViews: 43
What is going on right now
Corey LupoWhat is going on around you right now? I will tell you what is going on around me right now. I am sitting at home, it’s late at night. It’s a bit cold, but the heater will kick on soon enough. And I can always grab a blanket. There is a light next to me, and a wood wall behind the computer. I feel good. Now that we have a little bit of raw data to examine. Let’s consider why it’s important to be here now. Our memory is fallible, but what you are aware of and can sense around you right now is freely available. It’s a direct experience. No need to remember anything, no need to rely on memory. Not until we really want to or feel like it at least. If you try and hold on to a single thought… lets try and do a little peter pan exercise, think of a single happy thought. and try to hold on to it. Of course you’ll probably want to close your eyes, since it’s easier that way. But even with eyes closed, it’s quickly obvious just how difficult and slippery memory is. How rapidly a thought can fade into memory, and how hard we have to focus in order for it not to. But when you open your eyes, and you just look around. When you are just aware of what is here now, you can feel there is no strain. And there is no fallibility like with memory… lol, well if you are the philosopher type you might draw swords with me there on the “no fallibility” statement. But let me have it, and I will concede that the sense are…pretty much infallible 🙂 And if you are skilled, you should also be able to feel peace. Memory is where most of our pain comes from. Books have been written about pain, so I won’t go much into it. But just try to analyze pain while you are practicing these things we talked about. Try to see, in real time and direct experience, how your ability to be here now is directly related to the pain felt from memory. The more skilled you are at being here now, the less pain you feel from memory. -Corey Lupo EmailViews: 49
Reminder
Nour MeddebBe thankful for the things you have. Be thankful for being alive today. So be responsible and make the most out of it by living an ethical life. EmailViews: 42
Dana
Dhamma DasaDana, this means generosity, Giving freely & wisely to all beings, in this modern age many teachers & groups have been consumed by greed & power, this is ok, if they want this type of lifestyle let them enjoy it & all that comes with it, but for the individuals realizing some balance and wisdom, it’s good to donate, food, money to organizations that are truly deserving of such blessings because of one fact, they are earnestly attempting to help end suffering not only for themselves but also for the world, Charity is a giant pillar of Buddhism often forgotten, generosity seems to be most apparent in peoples lives when they have an audience seeing just how generous they are lol, it’s better to give and not make a big show of it, it’s better to realize full enlightenment and be humble not arrogant or judgmental of others beliefs or attempts at freedom, if we are truly noble ones we are the cream that rises, but if we remain ignorant, greedy, judging, thinking we are somehow special, more important, surely we will fall like Lucifer to the icy colds of Hell, so in closing dear friends, don’t be a door Matt, God gave us a brain for a reason, use it wisely, give freely, be compassionate, have a kind heart, be generous, help support Sanghas, churches. Temples, people, animals, Generosity, Humility, open mindedness, & Loving kindness are sure fire ways to Sukka here & now, it’s like this moment here EmailViews: 44
Keep practicing
Corey WaterreusThe dhamma is simple we just need to keep doing it, over and over! EmailURLViews: 61
The Highest Protection
Nour Meddeb “Not consorting with fools, consorting with the wise, paying homage to those worthy of homage: This is the highest protection. Living in a civilized land, having made merit in the past, directing oneself rightly: This is the highest protection. Broad knowledge, skill, well-mastered discipline, well-spoken words: This is the highest protection. Support for one’s mother & father, assistance to one’s wife and children, consistency in one’s work: This is the highest protection. Generosity, living in rectitude, assistance to one’s relatives, deeds that are blameless: This is the highest protection. Avoiding, abstaining from evil; refraining from intoxicants, being heedful of mental qualities: This is the highest protection. Respect, humility, contentment, gratitude, hearing the Dhamma on timely occasions: This is the highest protection. Patience, being easy to instruct, seeing contemplatives, discussing the Dhamma on timely occasions: This is the highest protection. Austerity, celibacy, seeing the noble truths, realizing unbinding: This is the highest protection. A mind that, when touched by the ways of the world, is unshaken, sorrowless, dustless, at rest: This is the highest protection. When acting in this way, everywhere undefeated, people go everywhere in well-being: This is their highest protection.” EmailViews: 46
Best thing iv ever done
Dean gardinerMeeting Dhammarato and practicing the real teachings of the buddha is one of the greatest things I have ever done 🤜🤛 EmailViews: 52
A Little summary of the teachings: Dissatisfaction and its end.
David James Bennison Dissatisfaction and its end, this is the core of the truly awake teaching! The cause of dissatisfaction is wanting unwisely. When we stop wanting unwisely dissatisfaction ends. The method to stop wanting unwisely is The Noble eightfold path. This includes the skills to Remember, look, and change. Remember to look at what you are doing and make a wholesome change. These 3 qualities run circles around each other and the rest of the path. Practice remembering in or out breathing. To develop R.L.C (Remember, Look, Change) as well as the whole Noble Eightfold Method. Remembering the in and out breath as an anchor to wake up, look, and direct the mind away from the unwholesome and to the wholesome. Getting into seclusion helps develop these skills, into a spot that is safe. Makes it easy to talk yourself into feeling safe, secure, and satisfied when it’s the reality. It’s very beneficial to develop these skills because the mind can run off into Dissatisfaction Town very quickly, so it’s of great benefit to keep the practice in mind and return home here and now often. One wholesome thought after another leads to A wholesome attitude. Then the mind becomes unified, whole, and Free from dissatisfaction. When the mind is whole we speak, act, and live kindly and skillfully. I have seen this work again and again directly. I have full confidence in the method and the Four Noble Truths. They are just that Noble and True! You can do this! Simply remember to look, make wholesome Change, and Congratulate yourself for doing so! Recognizing that this truly is enough, dissatisfaction ends! Thank you, Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha. EmailURLViews: 86
Experience at Sumedharama in Portugal
Joe StanskiI would like to write about my experience staying at Sumedharama in Portugal for 2.5 weeks. This is a monastery in the Ajahn Chah Thai Forest tradition, usually with about 4-6 lay friends visiting, 8-12 monks, and a lot of people that come for the night meditation. Its a really nice environment to practice in for people that know how to practice already and don’t need a lot of guidance. Ajahn Vajiro and Ajahn Appamado were available for some discussions in the afternoon and I got a lot of benefit talking to them, as well as talking to some of the other monks and lay practitioners during my stay. It really gave me a lot of time to reflect with space from my life at home. Also in terms of personal practice, I noticed a willingness to let go of the physical sensation of the breath and fall more calmin and looking into the other aspects of the 16 steps of anapanasati; the vedana, citta, and dhamma. Opening more to the mind in this way, and really noticing where the thoughts were arising from really brought a lot of clarity and confidence to my practice. I would highly recommend a stay here to people; you can stay for one week on an initial visit, longer on subsequent visits. EmailViews: 115
Avijjā Sutta (AN 10.61)
Alexander Hipple“Bhikkhus, this is said: ‘A first point of ignorance, bhikkhus, is not seen such that before this there was no ignorance and afterward it came into being.’ Still, ignorance is seen to have a specific condition. I say, bhikkhus, that ignorance has a nutriment; it is not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for ignorance? it should be said: the five hindrances. The five hindrances, too, I say, have a nutriment; they are not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for the five hindrances? It should be said: the three kinds of misconduct. The three kinds of misconduct, too, I say, have a nutriment; they are not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for the three kinds of misconduct? It should be said: non-restraint of the sense faculties. Non-restraint of the sense faculties, too, I say, has a nutriment; it is not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for non-restraint of the sense faculties? It should be said: lack of recollection and awareness. Lack of recollection and awareness too, I say, has a nutriment; it is not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for lack of recollection and awareness? It should be said: no concurrent attention. No concurrent attention too, I say, has a nutriment; it is not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for no concurrent attention? It should be said: lack of trust. Lack of trust, too, I say, has a nutriment; it is not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for lack of trust? It should be said: not hearing the good Dhamma. Not hearing the good Dhamma, too, I say, has a nutriment; it is not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment for not hearing the good Dhamma? It should be said: not associating with good people.” —AN 10.61 EmailURLViews: 155
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