3. แสงธรรม 1 Saeng Dhamma
The Buddha’s Words
พุทธสุภาษิต
อปฺปสฺสุตายํ ปุริโส พลิวทฺโท ว ชีรติ
มํสานิ ตสฺส วฑฺฒนฺติ ปญฺญา ตสฺส น วฑฺฒติ ฯ (๑๕๒)
คนโง่แก่เปล่า เหมือนโคถึก มากแต่เนื้อหนังมังสา แต่ปัญญาหาเพิ่มขึ้นไม่
Just as the ox grows old, so ages he of little learning his flesh increases,
his wisdom is waning.
4. แสงธรรม 2 Saeng Dhamma
THREE UNIVERSAL
CHARACTERISTICS
by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu
http://www.viet.net/~anson/ebud/budasa-handbook/budasa03.htm
...Continued from last issue...
THE TRUE NATURE OF THINGS carry right on desiring. The reason we are obliged
W e have seen that suffering has its origins
in desire, which is just what the Buddha
set out in the Second Noble Truth. Now there
to continue experiencing distress is that we are not
yet free from desire, but are still slaves to it. Thus
it can be said that an evil man does evil because
are three kinds of desire. The first kind is sensual he desires to do evil, and experiences the kind of
desire, desiring and finding pleasure in things: in suffering appropriate to the nature of an evil man;
shapes and colors, sounds, scents, tastes, or tactile and that a good man desires to do good, and so
objects. The second kind is desire for becoming, is bound to experience another kind of suffering,
desire to be this or that according to what one a kind appropriate to the nature of a good man.
wants. The third kind is desire not to become, de- But don’t understand this as teaching us to give
sire not to be this or that. That there are just these up doing good. It is simply teaching us to realize
three kinds of desire is an absolute rule. Anyone that there exist degrees of suffering so fine that
is defied to challenge this rule and demonstrate the average man cannot detect them. We have
the existence of a kind of desire other than these to act on the Buddha’s advice: if we are to break
three. free from suffering completely, simply doing good
Anyone can observe that wherever there is de- is not sufficient. It is necessary to do things beyond
sire, there distress is too; and when we are forced and above the doing of good, things that will serve
to act on a desire, we are bound to suffer again in to free the mind from the condition of serfdom
accordance with the action. Having got the result, and slavery to desire of any kind. This is the quin-
we are unable to put an end to our desire, so we tessence of the Buddha’s teaching. It cannot be
5. แสงธรรม 3 Saeng Dhamma
bettered or equalled by any other religion in the tics of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and non
world, so ought to be carefully remembered. To selfhood. Having got something, we have to see
succeed in overcoming these three forms of desire to it that it stays with us, is as we wish it to be, or
is to attain complete liberation from suffering. is of benefit to us. But that thing is by nature im-
How can we eliminate desire, extinguish it, cut it permanent unsatisfactory and nobody’s property.
out at its roots and put an end to it for good? The It cannot conform to the aims and objectives of
answer to this is simply: observe and take note of anyone. It will only change as is its nature. All our
impermanence, unsatisfactoriness (suffering) and efforts, then, are an attempt to oppose and with-
non-selfhood until we come to see that there is stand the law of change; and life, as an attempt to
nothing worth desiring. What is there worth get- make things conform to our wishes, is fraught with
ting or being? What is there such that when a per- difficulty suffering.
son has got it or becomes it, it fails to give rise to There exists a technique for coming to real-
some kind of suffering? Ask yourself this question: ize that nothing at all is worth getting or being.
What is there that you can get or be that will not It consists in examining things deeply enough to
bring distress and anxiety? Think it over. Does hav- discover that in the presence of craving one has
ing a wife and children lead to lightheartedness feelings of a certain kind towards getting and be-
and freedom or does it bring all sorts of responsi- ing; that when desire has given way completely
bilities? Is the gaining of high position and title the to insight into the true nature of things, one’s at-
gaining of peace and calm or the gaining of heavy titude towards getting and being is rather different.
obligations? Looking at things in this way, we read- As an easy example let us consider eating. One
ily see that these things always bring only burden man’s eating accompanied by craving and desire
and responsibility. And why? Everything whatso- for delicious tastes must have certain features that
ever is a burden simply by virtue of its characteris- distinguish it from another man’s eating, which is
ขอเชิญท่านผูสนใจเรียนภาษาไทย ฟรี ทีวดไทยฯ ดี.ซี. ทุกวันจันทร์, พุธ เวลา 7.30 - 9.00 p.m.
้ ่ั
6. แสงธรรม 4 Saeng Dhamma
accompanied not by desire, but by clear compre- from bad, and verify that studying is the very best
hension, or insight into the true nature of things. thing for you to be doing. If you have a job of
Their eating manners must differ, their feelings some kind, then learn how to distinguish right from
while eating must differ, and so must the results wrong, good from bad, and satisfy yourself that
arising from their eating. that job is the best thing for you to be doing, and
Now what we have to realize is that one can of benefit to all concerned. Then do it well, and
still eat food even though one lacks all craving for with all the coolness and equanimity your insight
delicious tastes. The Buddha and Arahants, individ- provides. If, in doing something, we are motivated
uals devoid of craving, were still able to do things by desire, then we worry while doing it and we
and be things. They were still able to do work, far worry when we have finished; but if we do it with
more in fact than any of us can with all our desires. the guiding power of discrimination, we shall not
What was the power by virtue of which they did be worried at all. This is the difference it makes.
it? What corresponded to the power of craving, of It is essential, then, that we be always aware
desiring to be this or that, by virtue of which we do that, in reality all things are impermanent, unsat-
things? The answer is that they did it by the power isfactory and not selves, that is, that they are not
of insight, clear and thorough knowledge of what worth getting or being. If we are to become in-
is what or the true nature of things. We by contrast volved in them, then let us do so with discrimina-
are motivated by desire, with the result that we tion and our actions will not be contaminated with
are, unlike them, continually subject to suffering. desire. If we act wisely, we shall be free of suffer-
They did not desire to get or possess anything, and ing right from beginning to end. The mind will not
as a result others were benefited thanks to their blindly grasp at and cling to things as worth get-
benevolence. Their wisdom told them to make it ting and being. We shall be sure to act with wake-
known rather than remain indifferent, and so they fulness, and be able to proceed in accordance
were able to pass the teaching on to us. with tradition and custom, or in accordance with
Freedom from craving brings many incidental the law. For example, though we may own land
benefits. A body and mind freed from craving can and property, we need not necessarily have any
look for and partake of food motivated by intelli- greedy feelings about them. We need not cling to
gent discrimination and not, as before, by desire. If things to the extent that they become a burden,
we wish to break free from suffering, following the weighing down and tormenting the mind. The law
footsteps of the Buddha and the arahants, then is bound to see to it that our piece of land remains
we must train ourselves to act with discrimination in our possession. We don’t need to suffer worry
rather than with craving. If you are a student, then and anxiety about it. It isn’t going to slip through
learn how to distinguish right from wrong, good our fingers and disappear. Even if someone comes
7. แสงธรรม 5 Saeng Dhamma
along and snatches it from us, we can surely still limb by getting and being blindly, always acting on
resist and protect it intelligently. We can resist desire? It behoves us to understand things and live
without becoming angry, without letting ourselves wisely, involving ourselves in things in such a way
become heated with the flame of hatred. We can that they cause a minimum of suffering, or ideally,
depend on the law and do our resisting without none at all.
any need to experience suffering. Certainly we Here is another point: we must bring to our fel-
ought to watch over our property; but if it should low men, our friends, and particularly our relatives
in fact slip out of our grip, then becoming emo- and those close to us, the understanding that this
tional about it won’t help matters at all. All things is how things are, so that they may have the same
are impermanent, perpetually changing. Realizing right view as we have. There will then be no up-
this, we need not become upset about anything. sets in the family, the town, the country, and ul-
“Being” is the same. There is no need to cling timately in the whole world. Each individual mind
to one’s state of being this or that, because in will be immune to desire, neither grasping at nor
reality there is no satisfactory condition at all. All becoming wrapped up in anything or anyone. In-
conditions bring about suffering of one kind or stead everyone’s life will be guided by insight, by
another. There is a very simple technique, which the ever-present, unobscured vision that there is
we must have a look at later, known as vipassana, in reality nothing that we can grasp at and cling to.
the direct practice of Dhamma. It consists of close Everyone will come to realize that all things are
introspection, which reveals that there is nothing impermanent, unsatisfactory and devoid of any
worth being, or that there is really no satisfactory self-entity, that none of them are worth becoming
state of being at all. Have a look at this question infatuated with. It is up to us to have the sense to
yourself; see if you can discover any satisfactory give them up, to have right views, in keeping with
condition or state of being. Being a son? a parent? the Buddha’s teaching. A person who has done
husband? wife? master? servant? Is any of these this is fit to be called a true Buddhist. Though he
agreeable? Even being the man with the advan- may never have been ordained nor even taken the
tage, the one with the upper hand, the winner--is precepts, he will have truly penetrated to Bud-
that agreeable? Is the condition of a human being dha, Dhamma and Sangha. His mind will be iden-
agreeable? Even the condition of a celestial be- tical with that of Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha.
ing or a god--would that be agreeable? When you It will be uncontaminated, enlightened and tran-
have really come to know the what is what, you quil, simply by virtue of not grasping at anything
find that nothing whatsoever is in any way agree- as worth getting or worth being. So a person can
able. We are making do with mindlessly getting readily become a genuine, full-fledged Buddhist
and being. But why should we go risking life and simply by means of this technique of being ob-
8. แสงธรรม 6 Saeng Dhamma
servant, perceiving impermanence, unsatisfactori- not yet want it; some day we are bound to want
ness selfhood until he comes to realize that there it. When we have completely given up evil and
is nothing worth getting or being. have done good to our utmost, the mind will still
The lowest forms of evil originate in and are be weighed down with various kinds of attenuated
powered by desire to get and to be; milder forms desire, and there is no known way of getting rid
of evil consist of actions less strongly motivated by of them other than by striving to go beyond the
desire; and all goodness consists of action based power of desire, to go beyond the desire to get or
on the finest, most tenuous sort of desire, the be anything, bad or good. If there is to be Nirvana,
desire to get or to be, on a good level. Even in freedom from suffering of every kind, there has to
its highest forms, good is based on desire which, be absolute and complete absence of desire.
however, is so fine and tenuous that people don’t In short, to know what is what in the ultimate
consider it in any way a bad thing. The fact is, how- sense is to see everything as impermanent, unsat-
ever, that good action can never bring complete isfactory and devoid of selfhood. When we really
freedom from suffering. A person who has become know this, the mind comes to see things in such a
free from desire, that is to say an Arahant, is one way that it does not cling to get or to be anything.
who has ceased acting on desire and has become But if we have to become involved in things in
incapable of doing evil. His actions lie outside the the ways known as “having” and “being,” then
categories of good and evil. His mind is free and we become involved intelligently, motivated by
has transcended the limitations of good and evil. insight, and not by desire. Acting thus, we remain
Thus he is completely free of suffering. This is a free from suffering.
fundamental principle of Buddhism. Whether or
not we are able to do it or wish to do it, this is the
way to liberation from suffering. Today we may
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9. แสงธรรม 7 Saeng Dhamma
Helping Yourself
To Help Others
by Ven. Prayudh Payutto
[This talk was delivered to a group of Thai laypeople on an occasion of alms-giving in
memory of a deceased relative.]
http://www.what-buddha-taught.net/
Making merit in the name of a deceased clear our own minds, and then consciously dedi-
T he ceremony of making merit in the name
of a deceased is one way of showing
appreciation for our benefactors. Even many years
cate the fruits of our good actions. When the mind
is so established, our dedication of merit is most
thorough and fruitful. Merit or goodness must first
after they have passed away, their children and arise within our own heart before it can be dedi-
relatives still take their goodness to heart and cated to another.
express their appreciation with an annual act of
almsgiving, dedicating any merits arising from the By helping oneself one helps others
occasion in their memory. This is one way
of acknowledging their goodness, enabling their
memory and worthiness to live on in the hearts of
T herefore, in the practice of Dhamma, even
if one specifically looks to the benefit of
other beings, the results that are most assured are
their children and relatives. It is also an opportu- those that arise within oneself. Thus it is said that
nity for the sponsors to develop skillful qualities. by helping oneself one helps others, and by help-
In the Buddhist religion it is said that when ing others one helps oneself.
people perform meritorious actions in the name There is an analogy regarding this related by the
of a deceased, they should make their minds calm Buddha in the story of the two acrobats. One form
and clear. When the mind is so cleared and com- of acrobatics performed in the Buddha’s time in-
posed, that act of dedicating merit is said to be volved the use of a long bamboo pole, which was
most efficacious. Looking at it in one way, the act balanced on the head and shoulders of one ac-
of merit-making seems to be done simply for the robat, while another acrobat balanced himself on
sake of the deceased, but if we look more closely top of the pole. They would perform various tricks
we will see that really the results arise within our- and balancing acts in this way. Two of these acro-
selves. When we are performing an act of merit to bats, master and apprentice, were traveling around
be dedicated to another, we must first calm and the country performing their art.
10. แสงธรรม 8 Saeng Dhamma
One day the master said, “Now you keep your the proclaimer of the Dhamma, is like a skillful
eye on me, and I’ll keep my eye on you and so doctor who prescribed particular medicines for
keep you from falling off.” particular illnesses. If a doctor is not skillful, even
The apprentice replied, “Oh, no, master. You though he may have good medicine he may pre-
should look after yourself while I look after myself. scribe it wrongly. His treatment will then not be
In this way we can perform our act and earn a liv- very effective. A skillful doctor will be very ef-
ing in safety.” fective in treating his patients, because he thor-
The meaning of the story is: in looking after your- oughly understands the properties of the various
self you also look after others, and by looking after medicines.
others you also look after yourself. In practicing Sometimes we hear it said, “Buddhism has been
the Dhamma we are cultivating virtue, which first with us for thousands of years, and yet we still see
arises in ourselves. That virtue can then extend to people fighting and in conflict. Evil still abounds.
others, even without our knowing about it. Specifi- Buddhism seems incapable of dealing with it, it’s
cally, when practicing Dhamma we are cultivating useless. We may as well dispense with it.” Some
morality (sila), concentration (samadhi) and wis- people see it like this.
dom (pañña). When our moral conduct is pure we Do you think this is true? They say that even
don’t harm others. This is one result of Dhamma though we’ve had this Buddhist religion for so
practice. Although we have developed that virtue many years, people are still corrupt, they still live
within ourselves, its good effects extend to others in conflict. Religion seems powerless to stop these
in that we no longer present any danger to them. things. We can see no concrete results from reli-
Again, if we help others, for example by exercising gion at all. Better to do away with it.
forbearance (khanti), not harming others through To these people I say, “Well, the science of
anger, but exercising metta, goodwill, and karuna, medicine has been with us for many thousands of
compassion, we are practicing Dhamma, the fruit years. Medicine is plentiful and there have been
of which also arises within ourselves. Thus it is said doctors curing illnesses throughout the ages, for
that looking after ourselves we look after others, thousands, even tens of thousands, of years. And
and when looking after others we look after our- yet we see disease and illness still abound. If what
selves. The practice of Dhamma is co-productive in you say is true then we must also say that the sci-
that its effects extend to all beings. ence of medicine is redundant, we may as well
throw that out, too.”
A medicine for treating the ills of life This leads us to consider that this body of ours is
D hamma, when well practiced, is like a by nature a breeding ground for illness, and is sub-
medicine for treating the ills of life, ena- ject to pain and aging. We have to procure medi-
bling us to live our lives well. The Buddha, as cines and exercise the body in order to maintain
11. แสงธรรม 9 Saeng Dhamma
our strength and live as free of illness and pain as In our lives we have both body and mind. As
we can. for the body, the doctors usually deal with its ill-
Therefore the science of medicine, and the nesses. It is the Dhamma, however, that we must
profession of doctor, are still very valuable use for dealing with our lives as a whole, particu-
things. As long as there are people in the world larly the mind. What is the disease that incessantly
there will be pain and disease, so there must hounds the mind? It is the disease of defilements
also be treatment for them. Similarly, in regard (kilesa). Whenever greed, hatred or delusion arise
to religion, as long as there are people in the within the mind they cause discontent and suffer-
world there is also “mind”. Like the body, the ing to arise. Such a mind can be called an ill or
mind can be weakened and damaged. Prob- diseased mind. When diseases such as greed arise,
lems arise in the mind and cause discontent. they stifle and oppress the mind, causing it to be-
The quality that disturbs the mind is what we come obsessed with some object or other. The
call in Buddhism dukkha (suffering). As long as mind is not spacious or clear. When hatred arises,
there are people living in this world there will it heats and agitates the mind. This is another dis-
be suffering, so we must also have a treatment ease that unsettles the mind, as do all other kinds
for it. When one person is cured there are still of defilements.
countless others to follow. The healthy mind should have the qualities
Thus religion can be compared to the science of of lightness, radiance, clarity and calm. Whenever
medicine, and the Buddha to a great doctor. Hav- defilements arise, these qualities disappear. Clarity
ing cured many people in his own time, he also becomes murkiness, calm changes to excitement
left us his teaching so that we who follow after him and agitation, the quality of lightness gives way to
can treat our own illnesses. oppression and conflict. These are the symptoms
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12. แสงธรรม 10 Saeng Dhamma
of the diseases of the mind, which are all caused which is even more extensive. Just now I spoke of
by defilements. So we say that defilements are a the troubled and disturbed mind. Now this very
disease which must be treated. mind, as well as the body, which together we call
In this regard the Buddha’s teaching is like a a “life,” being compounded of the five khandhas,
handbook of medicines. Some of the medicines are all sankhara, conditioned things. All sankhara
are for specific illnesses. The cultivation of good- have certain characteristics. They are unstable,
will, for example, is for treating the disease of unenduring or suffering, and not self, they do
anger. Apart from goodwill, which acts like a re- not come under anybody’s power other than the
freshing, cool shower on the mind when it is op- natural process of cause and effect. All sankhara
pressed and disturbed, there is also patient en- conform to these Three Characteristics, known
durance to aid in driving annoyance and irritation in Pali as the tilakkhana. That all conditions are
from the mind, or karuna, compassion, for coun- unstable, suffering and not self is another kind
teracting destructive thoughts, or pañña, wisdom, of disease, one that is inherent in all sankhara,
for brightening the mind and making it clear and khandhas, body and mind. It is the disease of
light. their imperfection, of their deprivation. Being im-
There are many different types of Dhamma perfect they are naturally hounded by conflict,
medicine, and they must be used appropriately. struggle and change.
One who aspires to skillfulness in using these This imperfection also causes problems in the
medicines should follow the example of the Bud- mind, so people suffer not only as a result of
dha, whom we revere as the greatest “Dhamma the workings of the grosser defilements, which
Doctor,” in that he prescribed medicines with the we can clearly see arising from time to time in
greatest proficiency. If a teacher is unable to use the mind, but also from the more subtle defile-
these medicines skillfully, his teaching may be- ment of not knowing the true nature of life. Suf-
come so much hot air. Anybody listening to it fering arises because of the very imperfection of
would have to rely on his own wisdom to choose conditions, of their being subject to the Three
the teachings appropriate to his needs, and if he Characteristics. This is a more profound kind of
wasn’t skillful he might not obtain much benefit disease, one which we must cure in order to real-
from the teaching. ly transcend suffering. It is not enough to simply
try to cure the greed, hatred and delusion that
The primal disease are constantly arising in the mind, we must also
A ll of the above refers to Dhamma as a
collection of specific medicines for use
with specific illnesses, the diseases of the de-
clearly know the nature of life, that it is bounded
by these Three Characteristics.
If we don’t understand this, we will cling to
filements. Now there is another kind of disease the five khandhas as being a self or belonging to
13. แสงธรรม 11 Saeng Dhamma
self, demanding of them not to change, but no Becoming aware of sense contact
matter how much we cling to them they won’t
conform to our wishes, they simply follow causal
conditions. Clinging to them only causes disap-
W e must find a way to treat these diseas-
es by not allowing the defilements to
arise. But how do we prevent the defilements from
pointment and suffering. arising? First we must look on a broader scale. Just
Thus, on the deeper level, we could say that now we looked at things in terms of ourselves, see-
beneath the greed, hatred and delusion, the ing the disease as something that arises in our own
real cause of suffering is the imperfect nature of minds, in our own lives. We saw defilements aris-
conditions, ignorance of which causes the defile- ing in our own minds, while conditions, which are
ments of greed, hatred and delusion to arise in impermanent and imperfect, we saw as ourselves.
the mind. But if we look on a broader scale we will see clear-
We must therefore study the diseases of our ly that the disease (roga) is based on contact with
lives on two levels. The disease which is most ap- the world (loka).
parent is the disease of the various defilements: To be continued
greed, aversion, delusion, conceit, stubbornness,
jealousy, stinginess and so on, which we see all
around us. However, looking more deeply, we
find that all disease is caused by the nature of
conditions, which are bound by impermanence,
stressfulness and insubstantiality (anicca, dukkha
and anatta).
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14. แสงธรรม 12 Saeng Dhamma
Understanding Dukkha
By Ajahn Chah
http://www.what-buddha-taught.net/
...Continued from last issue... for one meal we might eat two plates, and that's
enough for us. If we know moderation, then we
T o really penetrate the Dharma purely is thus
very difficult. We need to rely on serious in-
vestigation.
will be happy and comfortable, but this is not very
common.
The Buddha taught the Santitigatha, the Instruc-
Such thinking is an entirely different way from tions for the Rich. It means being content with what
what the Buddha teaches. That way is heavy. The we have. That is a rich person. This is the instruc-
Buddha said to let go of it and cast it away. But tion for the rich.
we think, I can't let go. So we keep carrying it, and I think this kind of knowledge is really worth
it keeps getting heavier. This is birth creating the studying. The knowledge taught in the Buddha's
cause for heaviness way is something worth learning, worth reflecting
Going a little further, do you know if craving on. First, it teaches the way of ethical living. If we
has its limits? At what point will it be satisfied? Is have enough material sustenance to support our
there such a thing? If you consider it, you will see lives, then we can use this to block the way to the
that tanha, blind craving, can't be satisfied. It keeps lower realms.
on desiring more and more; even if this brings such Then, the pure Dharma of practice goes be-
suffering that we are nearly dead, tanha will keep yond that. It's a lot deeper. Some of you may not
on wanting things, because satisfaction is not pos- be able to understand it. Just take the Buddha's
sible for it. words that there is no more birth for him, that birth
This is something important. If we people could and becoming are finished. Hearing this makes you
think in a balanced and moderate way--well, let's uncomfortable. To state it directly, the Buddha said
talk about clothes. How many sets do we need? that we should not be born, because that is suffer-
And food--how much do we eat? At the most, ing. Just this one thing, birth, the Buddha focused
15. แสงธรรม 13 Saeng Dhamma
on, contemplating it and realizing its gravity. Being suffering ceases. That's all there is. We pounce on
born, all dukkha comes along with that. It happens and grab at it again and again, pouncing on arising,
simultaneously with birth. When we come into this pouncing on cessation, never really understanding it.
world, we get eyes, a mouth, a nose--it all comes When dukkha arises, we call that suffering.
along, only because of birth. But if we hear about When it ceases, we call that happiness. It's all old
dying and not being born again, we feel it would be stuff, arising and ceasing. We are taught to watch
utter ruination. We don't want to go there. But the body and mind arising and ceasing. There's nothing
deepest teaching of the Buddha is like this. else outside of this. To sum it up, there is no hap-
Why are we suffering now? Because we were piness-- there's only dukkha. We recognize suffering
born. So we are taught to put an end to birth. This as suffering when it arises. Then when it ceases, we
is not just talking about the body being born and consider that to be happiness. We see it and des-
the body dying. That much is easy to see--a child ignate it as such, but it isn't. It's just dukkha ceas-
can understand it. The breath comes to an end, ing. Dukkha arises and ceases, arises and ceases,
the body dies, and then it just lies there. This is and we pounce on it and catch hold of it. Hap-
what we usually mean when we talk about death. piness appears and we are pleased. Unhappiness
But a breathing dead person--that's something we appears and we are distraught. It's really all the
don't know about. A dead person who can walk same, mere arising and ceasing. When there is aris-
and talk and smile is something we haven't thought ing, there's something, and when there is ceasing,
about. We only know about the corpse that's no it's gone. This is where we doubt. Thus it's taught
longer breathing. That's what we call death. that dukkha arises and ceases, and outside of that,
It's the same with birth. When we say someone there is nothing. When you come down to it, there
has been born, we mean that a woman went to is only suffering. But we don't see clearly.
the hospital and gave birth. But the moment of We don't recognize clearly that there is only
the mind taking birth--have you noticed that, such suffering because when it stops, we see happiness
as when you get upset over something at home? there. We seize on it and get stuck there. We don't
Sometimes love is born. Sometimes aversion is really know what's going on, which is just arising
born. Being pleased, being displeased--all sorts of and ceasing.
states. This is all nothing but birth. The Buddha summed things up by saying that
We suffer just because of this. When the eyes there are only arising and ceasing, and there's noth-
see something displeasing, dukkha is born. The ears ing outside of that. This is difficult to listen to. But
hear something that you really like, and dukkha is one who truly has a feel for the Dharma doesn't
also born. There is only suffering. need to take hold of anything and dwells in ease.
The Buddha summed it up by saying that there That's the truth.
is only a mass of suffering. Suffering is born and The truth is that in this world of ours, there is
16. แสงธรรม 14 Saeng Dhamma
nothing that does anything to anybody. There is The Buddha's teaching is that first we should
nothing to be anxious about. There's nothing worth give up evil, and then we practice what is good.
crying over, nothing to laugh at. Nothing is inher- Second, he said that we should give up evil and
ently tragic or delightful. But such is what's ordinary give up the good as well, not having attachment to
for people. it, because that is also one kind of fuel. When there
Our speech can be ordinary, relating to oth- is something that is fuel, it will eventually burst
ers according to the ordinary way of seeing things. into flame. Good is fuel. Bad is fuel.
That's OK. But if we are thinking in the ordinary way, Speaking on this level kills people. People
that leads to tears. aren't able to follow it. So we have to turn back to
In truth, if we really know the Dharma and see the beginning and teach morality. Don't harm each
it continuously, nothing is anything at all; there other. Be responsible in your work, and don't harm
are only arising and passing away. There's no real or exploit others. The Buddha taught this, but just
happiness or suffering. The heart is at peace then, this much isn't enough to stop.
when there is no happiness or suffering. When Why do we find ourselves here, in this condi-
there is happiness and suffering, there is becoming tion? It's because of birth. As the Buddha said in his
and birth. first teaching, the Discourse on Turning the Wheel
We usually create one kind of karma, which is of Dharma, "Birth is ended. This is my final exist-
trying to stop suffering to give rise to happiness. ence. There is no further birth for the Tathagata."
That's what we want. But what we want is not real So what does it mean to be really practicing Dhar-
peace; it's happiness and suffering. The aim of the ma? We should practice correctly. There are so
Buddha's teaching is to practice to create a type of many methods of meditation you can practice, but
karma that is beyond happiness and suffering and the point is that it should be leading you to letting
that will bring peace. But we aren't able to think go, to cessation, to making an end of grasping at-
like that. We can only think that having happiness tachment. It's just like people in the world earning
will bring us peace. If we have happiness, we think their livelihoods in various ways. There are farmers,
that's good enough. businesspeople, civil servants, engineers, factory
Thus we humans wish for things in abundance. workers producing all sorts of goods; and it is all
If we get a lot, that's good. Generally that's how we summarized as earning a living. Here it's the same
think. Doing good is supposed to bring good results, for us; we call it practicing Dharma.
and if we get that, we're happy. We think that's all we So, where is the Dharma? The entire Dharma is
need to do, and we stop there. But where does good sitting here with us. When you've gotten old, don't
come to conclusion? It doesn't remain. We keep go- think that's something wrong. When your back is
ing back and forth, experiencing good and bad, trying aching, don't think that's some kind of mistake. If
day and night to seize on what we feel is good. your stomach hurts, don't think that's something
17. แสงธรรม 15 Saeng Dhamma
wrong. If you are suffering, don't think that's wrong. their nature of impermanence. If we don't struggle
If you're happy, don't think that's wrong. All of this with this reality, then wherever we are, we will be
is Dharma. Suffering is merely suffering. Happiness happy. Wherever we sit, we are happy. Wherever
is merely happiness. Hot is merely hot. Cold is we sleep, we are happy. Even when we get old, we
merely cold. It's not that "I am happy, I am suf- won't make a big deal out of it. You stand up and
fering, I am good, I am your back hurts, and you
bad, I gained something, think, "Yeah, that's about
I lost something." What is right." It's right, so don't
there that can be lost by fight it. When the pain
a person? There's nothing stops, you might think,
at all. Gaining something "Ah, that's better." But it's
is Dharma. Losing it is not better. You're not yet
Dharma. Being happy and dead, so it will hurt again.
comfortable is Dharma. This is the way it is, so
Being ill at ease is Dharma. you have to keep turning
It means not grasping onto your mind to this con-
all these conditions, but recognizing what they are. templation and not let it back away from the prac-
If you have happiness, you realize, "Oh! Happiness tice. Keep steadily at it, and don't trust in things too
is not permanent." If you are suffering, you realize, much; trust the Dhamma instead, that life is like
"Oh! Suffering is not permanent." "Oh, this is really this. Don't believe in happiness. Don't believe in
good!"--that's not permanent. "That is bad, really suffering. Don't get stuck in following after anything.
bad!"--not permanent. They are all just that much. With this kind of foundation, then whatever oc-
So don't hold so firmly onto them. curs, never mind-- it is not anything permanent, it
The Buddha taught about impermanence. What is not anything certain. The world is like this. Then
is permanent? Only that this is the way things are; there is a path for us, a path to manage our lives
they don't follow anyone's wishes. That is noble and protect ourselves. With mindfulness and clear
truth. Impermanence rules the world, and that is comprehension, with all-encompassing wisdom, that
something permanent. This is the point we are de- is the path in harmony. Nobody can deceive us, be-
luded at, so this is where you should be looking. cause we have entered the path. Constantly looking
Whatever occurs, recognize it as right. Everything is here, we are meeting the Dharma at all times.
right in its own nature, which is ceaseless motion
To be continued
and change. Our bodies exist thus. All sankhara,
conditioned phenomena, exist thus. We can't stop
them; they can't be stilled. Not being stilled means
23. แสงธรรม 21 Saeng Dhamma
อนุโมทนาพิเศษ
คุณแทน ด�ว คุณสิทธิศักดิ์ ปร�งขำ� คุณวิโรจน์ บ�ลี และคุณสมบูรณ์ จรรย�ทรัพย์กิจ
ได้ช่วยกันทำ�พื้นเวทีใช้เป็นกองอำ�นวยก�ร ที่สรงน้ำ�หลวงพ่อดำ� ตักบ�ตรพระประจำ�วันเกิด ในวันสงกร�นต์ 11 เมษ�ยน 2553 ศกนี้
คุณพัชร� ตวงเศรษฐวุฒิ เหรัญญิกวัดไทยฯ ดี.ซี. Mr. DuWayne Engelhart and Mr.Edward Gresser who teach
Mr. Gary Henderson ช่วยซ่อมฮีท the English langauge to monks and students at Wat Thai DC.
คุณกษิม� ปรุงธัญญพฤกษ์ พร้อมครอบครัว คุณสุก�นด� เจตบุตร ช่วยพิมพ์ง�นเอกส�รให้วัด และคุณพวงทอง-
ทำ�บุญวันสงกร�นต์ ถว�ยไก่ 6 ลัง 72 ตัว คุณแหม่ม มะลิกุล เป็นเจ้�ภ�พและจัดดอกไม้ในวันม�ฆบูช�
24. แสงธรรม 22 Saeng Dhamma
ขอเชิญทุกท่านร่วมนมัสการพระสารีรกธาตุ ณ อุโบสถ วัดไทยฯ ดี.ซี.
ิ
Those who are interested in Thai Theravada Buddhism and mem-
bers of the general public are cordially invited to Wat Thai, D.C.,
Temple to pay their respect to or simply view the Buddha relics on
display in the chanting hall.
ปฏิบัติธรรมเดือนเมษายน
ณ วัดไทยกรุงวอชิงตัน,ดี.ซี.
วันเสาร์ที่ 24 เมษายน 2553
นำาปฏิบัติโดย...หลวงตาชี
พระมหาถนัด อตฺถจารี และคณะ
All are welcome to participate in the
next retreat which will be held on
April 24th, 2010.