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Script 355 for Sunday 14 November 2004CE
2547 Buddhist Era


This script is titled:
The Happiness of Meditation

On the evening of Thursday 11 November 2004CE the Buddhist Foundation (Vic) Australia Inc. presented an Evening Symposium at the Prahran Town Hall in Melbourne.

With the theme 'Cultivating Happiness: The Buddhist Way' the Symposium was opened by Dr. Ranjith Hettiarachi, President of the Buddhist Foundation (Vic) Australia and Symposium Convenor.

The following is from notes taken of the talks by each of the Symposium speakers. Dr Ranjith Hettiarachi, Dr Phillip Greenway, Venerable Ajahn Brahmavamso and Venerable Chi Kwang Sunim. The writers request your foregivness for any errors in interpretation that they may have made in their reporting of the talks.

Following the formal welcome to members of the Sangha and guests Dr Hettiarachi presented the opening address titled Buddhist Perspectives of Happiness and spoke on the various Buddhist methods of cultivating happiness and their effects on the neurological systems of the brain and body.

He noted that in psychological terms, happiness is a pleasant sensation, a kind of emotional fulfillment, arising in the conscious mind.

The Buddhist view of sensory happiness is classified into: 1. Worldly or causal happiness, and 2. Higher or sublime happiness.

The basis of sensory happiness in the Buddhist perspecive is seen as:

eye contact and forms, ear contact and sounds, nose contact and smells, tongue contact with taste, body contact with touch, mind contact with thoughts.

Scientific evidence obtained through MRI scans has shown destinct brain changes when happiness is attained.

Positive emotions are noted by the left side of the brain. Trained Buddhist practitioners have an active left side of the brain.

The Buddha said “The mind is supreme and is the forerunner and all arisings take origin in the mind”.

Whatever is said or done with a happy state of mind follows the doer like a shadow that never leaves him or her. The realisation of all knowledge by a pure mind is the Buddhist ideal for
lasting happiness.

Right effort is the basic premise of freeing one's mind from afflictions (destructive emotions) and in preventing the arising of not yet arisen afflictions.

By cultivating Virtue and restraint, Mindfulness awareness, Concentration and Insight meditation the Four sublime abidings are cultivated. These are: Loving kindness, altruistic joy, compassion and equanimity.

The second speaker was Dr Phillip Greenway who spoke on current findings on the effects of meditation, and the causes of happiness and suffering from a psychological view.

Dr Greenway is a Graduate in psychology at the University of Edinburgh, with a Doctorate in psychology from the University of Louvain in Belgium. Dr Greenway has lectured in psychology at Aberdeen University, Scotland and Monash University at Monash Melbourne. He is co-ordinator of the Masters in Counselling Psychology. He has participated in the Buddhist Summer Schools in Melbourne for several years.

Dr Greenway made the following points:

1. Psychologists have known that most people want to be happy. The National Opinions Research Centre in the USA found that in surveying persons on whether they were happy or not :
3 out of 10 said they were very happy
6 out of 10 said they were reasonably happy
and 1 out of ten said they were not happy.
2. Most people feel they are happier than others .
3. When you look at the mood of a person the set point of the mood is slightly positive; positive emotions lead to goal striving, a healthy immune system and longer life and are conducive to being happy.
4. Age does not matter when speaking about happiness - Happy persons are found at all ages.
5. Gender does not matter - men and women are equally positive and both are prone to unhappiness. Women, however, are more prone to anxiety and depression and men are more prone to aggression. Generally, women end up in mental institutions, and unhappy men end up in prison.
6. Over the last 10 to 15 years science has found that there is a genetic basis for personality. We have found that there are two kinds of persons - extrovert and introvert. Extrovert persons are more likely to be happy. Conduct disorders, particularly males (60.6 %) are caused by genetic factors.
7. The self is a stable mental construction that is in harmony with ones goals and leads to happiness in your life.

What makes a happy person?

A happy person is one who meets their intrinsic and extrinsic goals.

Extrinsic goals are such things as fame, popularity, material wealth, high status and good job, however they do not always make you happy

Intrinsic goals are things such as relatedness, that is, a sense of belonging, relationships, community work and having autonomy in your life.

The right balance of autonomy and relatedness enables you to be psychologically happy.

Autonomy is being able to make our own decisions, to own what happens to us, having confidence to deal with what are problems arise and the ability to find the resources to help you.

The negative side of relatedness is the formation of cults, gangs and cliques.

Today’s psychology says that extrinsic goals are not always satisfying, whereas intrinsic goals enhance our well-being and give us a sense that life has meaning.

The next speaker was Venerable Ajahn Brahmavamso. He was ordained as a Monk in 1973 and trained in the Thai Theravada tradition under renowned Buddhist teacher, Venerable Ajahn Chah.

Venerable Brahmavamso is resident at Bodhinyana Monastery in Serpentine, Perth where he has been Abbot since 1984. He is a Cambridge scholar with a Bachelor's degree in Theoretical Physics.

Venerable Ajahn Brahmavamso related the statement by his Teacher, Ajahn Chah as follows “Joy at last to know that there is no happiness in the world”.

Ajahn Brahmavamso said that he called himself the rebellious monk, because he goes against the stream.

He said that medical science has found in many cases that consciousness still exists when there is no brain activity. He said that he believed that the brain has nothing to do with the mind.

He said that he is happy - yet it is a difficult thing to measure happiness as it is such a personal thing and internal activity.

Why is it that people with faith, any faith, are happier?

Buddhist faith is to challenge and to question. He said that we are very weak, We believe everything we hear. There are too many sheep these days.

Faith is to question.

He said “look at me. I am a Buddhist Monk and I claim to be very happy. I have no money, no control, no hugs and no family”.

Ajahn said that the Buddha taught to let go of control. We cannot really control our body - it grows sick, it grows old and it dies. We cannot control our thoughts - they come and go. He said that it is only by letting go and stopping ourselves from trying to control our world that we can gain freedom and happiness. All suffering comes from controlling.

True happiness is freedom. Control is opposite to freedom. When we stop controlling ourselves, we let go and can start to see the truth about our human condition. We gain wisdom to see clearly, and by this overcome delusion about how we think the world is.

Delusion must be overcome. The Buddha provided mental training to overcome delusion, so we could see clearly with wisdom.

The underlying desire is to have control. We give up control to come to truth.

Develop concentration practice to feel joy and equanimity. Next develop focus and concentration, and then, using insight meditation one can look at the truth.

Venerable Brahmavamso talked about the need for letting go of control if one is to truly achieve happiness. If one is to get to ultimate happiness it is a process involving not unquestioning faith, but of asking questions, to come to understand what is what about the mind and what is true happiness.

He explains this letting go in his book “The Basic Method of Meditation” in the following way... “Meditation is the way to achieve letting go. In meditation one lets go of the complex world outside in order to reach the serene world inside. In all types of mysticism, in many traditions, this is known as the path to the pure and powerful mind. The experience of this pure mind, released from the world is very wonderful and blissful.

The Venerable noted: “Often with meditation there will be some hard work at the beginning, but be willing to bear that hard work knowing that it will lead you to experience some very beautiful and meaningful states. They will be well worth the effort! It is the law of nature that without effort one does not make progress.” He advises... “whether one is a lay person or a monk, with out effort one gets nowhere, in meditation or in anything (else).”

But he warns... “Effort alone, though, is not sufficient. The effort needs to be skilful.

In order to know where your effort should be directed, you must have a clear understanding of the goal of meditation.”

The concluding speaker for the evening was Venerable Chi Kwang Sunim. Ordained in South Korea in the Korean Zen tradition in 1979, the Venerable trained under Master Kusan Sunim and practised for 19 years in Korea. Returning to Australia in recent years, she is Founder of Wat Buddha Dhamma, Sydney and is currently resident in Kinglake Victoria.

The Venerable spoke on some of her experiences as a Nun in Korea and on the topic of Compassion and Compassion in Action.

Venerable Sunim talked about a very old Nun who she saw rolling a set of white and black beads. The Nun said that she had been given those beads 75 years ago. One set was from her teacher in Korea and and one set from India. The old Nun said that she meditated with the white beads saying that these are like the positive events in our lives that touch you and roll on and the black beads are like the negative events in our life that touch you and move on.

“I have hidden myself away from many things in life and now returning to Australia I am faced with the ordinariness of life.

Compassion and compassionate actions arise when the sense of self has collapsed. In embracing natural responses, loving kindness arises with intrinsic relinquishing of self.

Like the love that a mother has for her child, we love what is given to us in this moment with expectations of no reward.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama wrote in “The Art of Living” that “By bringing about a certain inner discipline, we can undergo a transformation of our attitude, our entire outlook and approach to living.”

He noted “When we speak on this inner discipline, it can of course involve many things, many methods. Generally speaking, one begins by identifying those factors that lead to happiness and those factors that lead to suffering. Having done this, one then sets about gradually eliminating those factors which lead to suffering and cultivating those which lead to happiness.

If you desire happiness, you should seek the causes that give rise to it, and if you don't desire suffering, then what you should do is to ensure that the causes and conditions that would give rise to it no longer arise.

An appreciation of this causal principle is very important. And it is clear that feelings of love, affection, closeness and compassion bring happiness. It is my fundamental belief that not only do we inherently possess the potential for Compassion, but I believe that the basic or underlying nature of human beings is gentleness.”

The Buddha wasn’t teaching a path to happiness in the conventional sense which we talk about when we say we are happy or not happy. The Buddha taught peace as being true happiness.

The difficulty with worldly happiness is that we can’t control it, it doesn’t come just because we want it. Most people in the world would agree they want happiness but that is not causing them to be happy.

When the happiness does come it can’t be relied on to stay. Any number of things can remove it from our minds and we can’t hold on to it. It is like tissue paper which can easily be torn.

Fleeting happiness like this is not true happiness. This is why the Buddha did not direct us to make happiness our goal. The peace that arises from wisdom is not happiness, but knowing the truth about happiness and unhappiness.

To get or be happy one must give out, this being the basic principle of the law of cause and effect.

One method is to generate blessings by doing virtuous action and then sharing these merits with all beings. The Buddha gave many parittas or protection verses that generate good will towards all beings. In doing this the person can make the causes for hapiness and well-being for self and others.

Buddhist practitioners follow the advice given by the Buddha in the Mangala Sutta as a method of cultivating happiness.

Mangala Sutta- the Discourse on Blessings

Thus I have heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at the Monastery of Anathapindika in Jeta Grove near Savatthi. When the night was far spent, a certain deity whose surpassing splendour illuminated the entire Jeta Grove, came to the presence of the Blessed One, and drawing near respectfully saluted and stood at one side. Standing thus, He addressed the Blessed One in verse:

Many deities and men, yearning after good, have pondered on Blessings. Pray, tell me the Highest Blessing.

“Not to associate with fools, to associate with the wise, and honour those who are worthy of honour. This is the Highest Blessing.

To reside in a suitable locality, to have done meritorious actions in the past, and to set oneself in the right course. This is the Highest Blessing.

Much wisdom and much science, the discipline of a well trained mind, skilled in crafts and pleasing speech. This is the Highest Blessing.

The support of Father and Mother, the cherishing of wife and children, and peaceful occupations. This is the Highest Blessing.

Liberality, Righteous conduct, the helping of relatives, and blameless actions. This is the Highest Blessing

To cease unwholesomeness, to abstain from intoxicants, perseverance in Right conduct. This is the Highest Blessing

Reverence, humility, contentment, gratitude and opportune hearing of the Dharma. This is the Highest Blessing.

Patience and obedience, association with Samanas (Holy men), timely discussions on the Dharma. This is the Highest Blessing.

Self control, chastity, perception of the Noble Truth and the realisation of Nirvana. This is the Highest Blessing.

A mind unshaken by the vicissitudes of life, sorrowless, stainless, and secure. This is the Highest Blessing.

Those who have fulfilled the conditions (for such Blessings) are victorious everywhere and attain happiness everywhere, to them these are the Highest Blessings.

The heavenly being or deva who had asked the Buddha to explain these blessings then said, “Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammasambuddhasa”, the first time that those words had been spoken this the Buddha Sasana.

What is the likely view of the mind of a worldly being (Pali - puggala) before beginning Meditation Practice this life?

Worldly beings have a view with the misconception that material
conditions and other actions determine their happiness and their sadness: "He did this to me", "she makes me angry", "it's your fault",

"you don't care", are typical statements arising from their view.

Furthermore, such beings put much of their time and energy into cultivating for themselves conditions for their own wealth, their own success, their own praise, their own winning as the basis of their mental and their physical pleasures. Their need to control and manipulate immediate events and circumstances comes from their attempt to satisfy momentary sense desires as they arise. Their successive attempts to achieve happiness are by attempting to perpetuate something that is essentially transitory.

For some beings, belief in God exists as an idea of certainty – a reliable base to be found in samsara. For these beings, their way to permanent happiness is believed to be through having faith in God, who is regarded as a permanent reliable "SAVIOUR" of their "SOUL".

Meditation begins with Awareness of "self" as the base of all Dhamma
Practice.

Initially, we are directed in Meditation to examine our objective world by keeping the mind inside the body and observing the physical and mental events in the present. Through this observation we see that mental states (Pali- passana) are transitory (anicca).

The mind begins to see that if it grabs and holds either pleasant or unpleasant states then the result is suffering (dukkha). The mind may discover that by reducing the grasping it becomes (automatically) happier.
A sense of well-being arises without reference to the external world for sense gratification demonstrating that mental happiness is not entirely dependent on worldly conditions.

Buddha Dhamma teaches that there are six realms of beings, all experiencing the results of negative and virtuous karmas. They include: Lower Realm Beings, Animals, Hungry Ghosts, Hell Beings and Heavenly Beings. The Cyclic existence of Samsara is the condition upon which beings experience misery and happiness to greater or lesser degrees dependent on their own (1)Klesa or afflicted conditions as a result of their past actions.

What then is the starting point?

According to Buddhist Teachings of life in the six realms, human life is the most powerful for it has the most potential if used properly.

Humans can understand directly happiness, misery, suffering and impermanence.

We directly experience what is to be vanquished.

A Great Being takes responsibility for the happiness of others and transfers their own happiness of practice for the happiness of others and so turns the wheel of the Dharma.

Bodhicitta practice, the practice of Universal Compassion and Love, is undertaken. They change their goal to seek happiness for others. A Great Being's practice leads to Buddhahood.

The names of the twenty one conventional Taras indicate many of
their attributes.

The "Titles of the Twenty One Taras” are as follows.
.
l. Tara, the supremely valiant (Prasura Tara ).
2. Tara of white moon brightness (Candrojasa Sita Tara).
3. Tara, the golden coloured (Gauri Tara).
4. Tara, the victorious hair-crowned (Ushnishahjaya Tara).
5. Tara, the 'Hun'-shouter (Humda Tara).
6. Tara, the three-world best worker.
7. Tara,the suppressor of strife.
8. Tara, the bestower of supreme power.
9. Tara, the best providence.
10. Tara, the dispeller of grief.
11. Tara, the cherisher of the poor.
12. Tara, the brightly glorious.
13. Tara, the universal mature worker.
14. Tara with the frowning brows (Bhpikui Tara).
15. Tara, the giver of prosperity.
16. Tara, the subduer of passion.
17. Tara, the supplier of happiness (Sarsiddhi Tara).
18. Tara, the excessively vast.
19. Tara, the dispeller of distress.
20. Tara, the advent of the realisation of spiritual power (Siddharta Tara )
21. Tara the completely perfect.

Since our futures are always uncertain, and our conditions change,
one would be wise to make for one's future happiness causes now

Mind is the fore-runner of (all good) conditions,

Mind is chief; and they are mind-made.

If, with a pure mind, one speaks or acts, then happiness follows one even
as the shadow that never leaves.

Mind is the fore-runner of (all evil) conditions.

Mind is chief; and they are mind-made.

If, with an impure mind, one speaks or acts, then pain follows one even as
the wheel or the hoof of the ox.

Buddha Dhamma dispenses with the concept of a Supreme God, as does science, and explains the origin and the workings of the universe using natural laws. All this certainly exhibits a scientific spirit.

So if the Buddha's Way leads to true happiness, then follow that Way.

So we could say that although Buddha Dhamma is not entirely scientific it
certainly has a strong scientific overtone.

It is significant that Albert Einstein, one of the greatest scientists of the Twentieth Century, once said of Buddha Dhamma: the religion of the future will be a cosmic religion, it should transcend a personable God and a void and theology covering both the natural and the spiritual, should it be based on a religious sense arising from an experience that all things natural and spiritual have a meaningful unity?

Buddha Dhamma answers this description. If there is any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddha Dhamma.

Lord Buddha has emphasised in the Four Noble Truths the ideas of good or bad karma - good karma (wholesome actions) is happiness whereas bad karma (unwholesome actions) is unhappiness.

Tillyard wrote in Spiritual Exercises: “Those who would enter from the outer court, where flowers are offered to the figure of Gotama, into the inner sanctuary, where the heart of the teacher is understood, can only do so by the discipline of meditation.”

Christmas Humphreys commented in his conclusion to 'Concentration and Meditation – A Manual of Mind Development', that “Meditation is a positive, dynamic process, a vital self renewing and not a negative escape from life. As the translator of The Secret of The Golden Flower points out: Much has been taught that modern man in recent years about the hitherto unsuspected elements in his psyche, but the emphasis is all too often on the static side alone, so that he finds himself possessed of little more than an inventory of contents, the nature of which serves to burden him with a sense of weariness rather to spur him on to master the problems that confront. Yet it is precisely the need of understanding himself in terms of change and renewal which most grips the imagination of modern man”.

Humphreys notes “Morality is equally revitalised. The smug complacency on negative goodness is replaced by a living sense of eternal values, in which the will to do right outweighs the fear of doing what others may hold to be wrong.”

May you come to know true happiness this life.

May you be well and happy.

May all beings be well and happy.

Thank you very much.


This script was written and edited by Helen Costas, Julian Bamford, Frank Carter, Evelin Halls, Anita Hughes, Leila Igracki, Julie O'Donnell, Andrew Pilskalns, Amber Svensson, Pennie White and Leanne Eames.


Bibliography:

Brahmavamso, Ajahn. The Basic Method of Meditation. The Buddhist Society of Western Australia. 2003.

Humphreys, Christmas. Concentration and Meditation – A Manual of Mind Development. Element Books Ltd. UK 1986.
Culitvating Happiness – The Buddhist Way. Official Brochure of The Buddhist Foundation of (Vic) Australia Inc. Presents an Evening Symposium. 11 November 2004 Prahran City Hall.Prahran Victoria.

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