Excerpt from the Buddhist Hour Radio Broadcast Script for Sunday 20 April 2003:
"Practicality in Buddha Dhamma Practice"
A Five Day Bhavana Course is being
held from Friday 18 April 2003 (Good Friday) to Tuesday 22 April 2003
at the Chan Academy Australia, 33 Brooking Street, Upwey, Victoria
3158.
These courses are run four times through the year.
The
theme of this April Course is "Practicality in Buddha Dhamma
Practice".
On the first day of the five day course The
Hevajra Puja was guided by visiting teacher Master Francisco So. The
Hevajra Puja Part two will be held on 21 April 2003 (Easter Monday).
You are welcome to attend.
Venerable Dhammavihari, a Sri
Lankan Monk visited our Temple and gave a Buddha Dhamma Discourse on
the topic "Buddhism - an Historical Perspective - Beliefs and
Practices" at 3:30pm on the Friday 18 April 2003. The Venerable
has been a lecturer in Buddha Dhamma at Universities in Sri Lanka
since the 1940's.
Members and Friends welcomed Venerable
Dhammavihari and gathered to pay respect.
Our Members
welcomed two Sri Lankan families who had come to hear the Dhamma
talk.
The Dhamma talk was given in Pali, English and
Singhala.
Today we will share a summary of our recollections
of this Teaching. We apologise for any error in understanding.
He
spoke of the importance of interpersonal relationships and the
importance of family and children being respectful to their
parents.
In schools for many years the three Rs were taught.
These are reading, writing and arthimetic.
Venerable
Dhammavihari suggested the three Rs could also be Respect,
Responsibility and Readiness to Learn.
Each one not by prayer
but by practice will know a better Buddhism.
For each person,
how much control… how much discipline… how much
restraint.
Do they have in this part of the world this thing
called sila?
You do not need any government to do that.
Sila
is nothing but grounding in good morality.
What is good
morality: relationship of humans to humans in a proper and decent
way.
The Venerable addressed the young boys in the audience.
He said, “In school learn to behave like good boys” and
“Back home learn to behave towards your mum and dad.”
In
English that is inter-personal relationship.
With stress here
and stress there today in the world we need 'responsibility'.
We
have pancasila the Universal Ethics of Good Living.
Those five
[precepts] are so good, about fifty years ago, the United Nations
brought in the Declaration of Human Rights. The first right is that
every human has the right to live. The second one is: they have the
right of people to possess what they have earned.
Panatipata
is respect for life.
Adinnadana is respect for property.
You
Australians are good people. You have Neighbourhood Watch, that is
safeguarding property.
This is inter-personal
relationships.
The third rule concerns gender relations: women
have the right to be free.
The fourth rule is honesty. Not
engaging in dishonesty or fraud this is our fourth precept.
Drugs
are very difficult to control they are against all governments.
If
we don't have the five precepts to refrain from these things we are a
menace.
These are the basic things.
Honour with
flowers, music, water, rice, food is fine if you also remember the
five things.
The real way to honour the Buddha is to keep the
precepts and live what he said.
The five precepts are one
gear.
There are many gears in Buddhism.
The eight
precepts better go to a lower gear.
Everyone needs to now and
again know when to change your gear.
Buddhism has a very good
system of changing gears.
Five plus three… Do you know
what the next three precepts are?
Next full moon is Versak.
Why is Versak a very important full moon day?
A young student
said, "Buddha was born on that day".
Venerable said,
"Very good. What more."
The boy said, "He died
on that day".
"Oh", said Venerable
Dhammavihari.
Venerable Dhammavihari replied, "He became
the Buddha on that day."
The Buddha was enlightened on
that day and this makes it a great day.
Do you think you will
survive if you take eight precepts on this day?
Five precepts
are for everyday living. Eight precepts are better. So on the full
moon day take eight precepts… for how many hours… 12...
no... for no less than 24 hours.
Say, ‘I do not take my
dinner on that day’. That is the test, can you control your
eating habits.
You like to watch dancing. On this day do not
watch entertainments.
And tell your wife not to come rolling
your eyes at me.
If your man does not do this at least once a
month he is not worth a pinch of salt.
On Versak make up your
mind to observe I shall observe eight precepts for twenty-four
hours.
A lady said, "Too long".
Venerable
Dhammavihari replied, "What are you taking about. You want to do
for six hours."
Start from morning till next morning one
day per year.
I think about the precept not to have
dinner.
Not to eat after 12 midday.
And also not to
play with the teddy bears and electric blankets. I will not go for
comfortable bedding. Can you sleep on the plank? Test your
strength.
It is not very difficult. For one day.
If
half a dozen people do this when I leave Melbourne this is good. Do
it.
You have got to make up your mind.
You are not
going to do this for twelve hours.
If you think a person
wearing white clothes is sila that is not enough.
Why do you
want to do all these things? That this life is not good enough so you
can get a better life next time. Do not take a risk.
Taking
the eight precepts. You can do this once a year. You can do this once
a month.
Buddhists have taken upon themselves certain
responsibilities.
Yesterday for Easter there were hundreds of
people singing wearing white for their religion. This takes
discipline.
I am not trying to preach a new religion. I am
talking about the basics of this religion Buddha Dhamma.
If
sila is practiced then people will say of the Buddhists, they are
generous, they are not cruel, they lend a helping hand.
No
matter what your nationality, Australian or Sri Lankan or whatever it
be, no matter wherever you live or wherever you are, human nature can
be made good, or better than what it is. Find Buddha as your guide.
Now I want you who have listened to me… did you get some
things out of what I have said?
One Member responded, “Yes,
Buddha is in my heart.”
Venerable replied, “Very
Good. Lovely”.
Buddha is your ego.
You have to
combat this desire to possess.
You can ask any question.
One
person asked if he were to see a broken bottle on the ground would he
receive negative kamma for not picking it up, even though he had not
been the one who had dropped it.
The Venerable replied no you
would not, but it would be better if you picked it up.
Another
asked, what ought a mother to do when keeping the eight precepts once
per month and at the same time looking after their family.
The
Venerable advised that the parent can still look after the family,
including preparing the meal. He then said to the young boy, on this
day you can say to yourself, mum is taking eight precepts, I will
help her and wash the dishes.
This is a very simple thing.
Everybody in the home can do it to a greater or lesser
degree. That would in the first instance make you happy, and the
world will be a safer place for people to live in and it will be much
more fun, because of the observance of sila, good relationships
between people.
The eight precepts (in Pali and English)
observed in the Theravadin tradition while on retreat are:
Panatipata veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami I undertake to observe
the Precept of refraining from killing any living being.
Adinnadana
veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami I undertake to observe the Precept of
refraining from taking what is not given.
Abramacariya veramani
sikkhapadam samadiyami I undertake to observe the Precept of
refraining from any kind of intentional sexual behaviour.
Musavada
veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I undertake the Precept of
refraining from false speech.
Sura-meraya-majja-pamadatthana
veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami I undertake the Precept of refraining
from taking intoxicants causing heedlessness.
Vikala-bhojana
veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami I undertake the Precept of refraining
from eating after midday.
Nacca-gita-vadita-visuka
dassana-mala-gandha-vilepana-dharana-mandana-vibhusanatthana-veramani
sikkhapadam samadiyami I undertake the Precept of refraining from
entertainment, beautification and adornment.
Uchasayana-mahasayana
veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I undertake the Precept of
refraining from sleeping on a high or luxurious bed.
During this
Five-Day Bhavana Course we are building a new bathroom and walk in
wardrobe for our resident practitioners. The new bathroom is one of
our highest priority projects during the Bhavana Course.
On
the 18th of April, two of our Members fitted timber noggins (also
called cleats) and sisalation in the wall frame of the new walk in
wardrobe.
Yesterday, 19 April 2003 tiling of the bathroom
floor commenced.
When the Member doing the tiling was asked
what he had found out, he noted that he had learnt ‘the
importance of continually making merit in many areas’, ‘you
know when your merit is lower in certain areas’. Be always on
the alert for opportunities to make good causes for our future.
He
noted that on this day he needed to ‘get his hands dirty’,
as in practical hands on work. He observed that this type of work was
a way of getting grounded.
While tiling the bathroom he was
very aware of its importance, as an important resource for our
Teacher.
Being in the present he became very aware of making
improvements to how each successive tile was fitted into place.
The
Member had done tiling many years ago, so when preparing to commence
the work of tiling, he gained the input of two Members, the first
suggesting that it would be useful to consult a book on tiling from
the local library.
The second simply said, “when you
tile, you tile”.
The Member then prompted himself to
read the instructions with a mind that wanted to know how.
As
he proceeded to tile he saw the detail of each action in cementing
the tiles onto the floor, so that they are functional for the foot
and aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
He also observed that
during the five hours of tiling other Member would visit the bathroom
and note the progress. But it is only in doing the action, or having
experienced such for oneself in the past that one can know what is
involved. Another Member has planned to assist with the tiling on
Monday so as to develop skills in this area.
This is an
example of practicality.
To be effective our Members need to
develop harmony in real time every time they come to work together on
a project.
Each time our Members meet, they cannot take for
granted that what worked in the past will work again in the new
setting.
Even though the same the same persons meet again to
work together on a project, they have to go through the process of
harmony building, as a set of conditions including the people
themselves have changed because of impermanence (in Pali,
anicca).
In each situation a new set of components come
together that have not arisen before. This process can only be
facilitated by a higher degree of awareness using fifth order
thinking.
Empowered with clear objectives and a shared
vision, the result is increased awareness giving the cutting edge to
your existing skills.
When persons first come to our Temple
they are warmly welcomed as if old friends. We feed into the informal
communication system, our grapevine, the idea that we encourage our
Members to make merit because they cannot stay together unless they
behave towards each other in a friendly manner.
While it is
true that persons may become friends it is the kammic condition of
hundreds of thousands of previous lives that brings a powerful
togetherness feeling. This is the harmony you may be looking for.
The view we introduce on the grapevine (and it certainly
appears to be so) is that our Members learn to enjoy one another’s
company over time through working together in harmony, meeting in
harmony and separating in harmony. There is no external agency or
all-powerful being who distributes the gift of friendship to
different persons in diverse measures.
Training in
Administration is another key project through the course.
Thank
you for joining us for this special Buddhist Hour Broadcast, today
Sunday 20 April 2003 on local radio station Hillside radio
88.0FM.
Today our Members are selling flowers at Swansea Road
Lilydale Sunday 20 April 2003.
The Buddha taught that due to
causes and effects there are ten blessings arising from the offering
of flowers. They are:
Long-life; good health; strength;
beauty; wisdom; ease along the Buddha Dhamma Path; being born in
beautiful environments; born with good skin, hair and beautiful to
look at; always having a sweat smelling body and pleasant
relationship with friends.
You can buy flowers at our stall on
Swansea Road Lilydale today.
Today is the third day of our
Five-Day Bhavana Course. The cost of the course is free. You are most
welcome to attend.
Versak celebrations are being held at our
Chan Academy Australia on the full moon day 16 May 2003.
For
further information please telephone our Secretary Ms. Pennie White
on 9754 3334.
May you find practicality and fun in your Buddha
Dhamma practice.
May you have lightness and your mind, speech
and actions
May you find happiness in your inter-personal
relationships.
May you have the confidence to observe the five
precepts everyday.
May you have the discipline to observe the
eight precepts this Versak.
May all beings be well and
happy.
May you be well and happy.
This script was
written and edited by Julian Bamford, BA (AppRec), Evelin Halls, DipFLC, and Pennie White,
BA DipEd.
References
Buddhist Hour Broadcast, 18
March 2001, How to increase job satisfaction, Buddhist Hour
Broadcast, Melbourne.
Guizot, Francois, cited in Susan Hayward
(1987) Begin It Now, Harper Collins, Australia.
Robbins, Anthony
(1991) Awaken the Giant Within, Fireside, New York