Mettavalokanaya_Buddhist_Magazine_February_2018

Most Venerable Mandawala
Pannawansa Thera
The Consultant & Mediation Master
of Washington Buddhist Vihara,
Washington DC, United State of
America (USA)
In the Western world of today
there is a famous expression: “Living in
the present moment” They also says:
“Here and now!” Most of the people
who use these expressions do not
know their origin. They come from the
‘Satipatthana Sutta’. In Sanskrit there is
the word: Kshana, the shortest possible
moment. Life is a sum of Kshanas. Past is
gone and future has not yet come. The
only moment that exists is the Present.
Therefore we should live in the
present moment. Sages like Buddha
who live in the present moment are not
swayed by past worries and unending
future projects. Meditation is living in
the present moment. A Brahmin comes
to Buddha and asks about his spiritual
practice. In response to his question
Buddha says: we eat, we sleep, we walk
etc.
Then Brahmin replies: we also do
the same thing. At the Brahmin’s answer
Buddha says: But there is a difference;
when we eat we know that we eat, when
we sleep we know that we sleep, when
we walk we know that we walk. This is
meditation. In Buddhism there are three
words which are very important: Smruti;
Samadhi; Prajna
01. Smruti is Mindful awareness
02. Samadhi is Concentration
03. Prajna is Transcendental
wisdom
In meditation we should be
mindful of our every action. In our
daily life mindful awareness offers
Meditation and Medicine….
us tranquillity and inner peace. For
instance, a housewife can chop her
vegetables by being aware of chopping
vegetables without being mentally
vagabond. If she continues this way she
practises meditation without thinking
that she is in meditation! Some people
are of the opinion that one has to be
older to sit in meditation. This concept
is utterly false and baseless. We have to
meditate because we need it. We need
silence.
Otherwise everyone becomes
mad. If a surgeon who is cutting open a
skull of a patient happens to think of his
home while the operation is being done
the patient’s life would be in danger. He
has to be absorbed in his action. He has
to be mindful of what he is doing. That
is meditation. This is being in Smruti or
Sati. While in meditation one can come
to a point where he or she understands
that there is no separation between him
or her and the rest of the world.
He or she thus understands nonduality
through which automatically
arises compassion. That is why in
Buddhism Prajna and Karuna are
complementary. (Transcendental
wisdom and Compassion) It is
noteworthy to mention that the word
charity is derived from Karuna (Karunacaritas-charity)
While you continue
to be in Smruti (mindfully aware)
automatically Samadhi (concentration)
comes about. While you are in perfect
Samadhi, one day Prajna (transcendental
wisdom) arises.
This is the realisation of truth and
then you are not shaken by ups and
downs of the life. You are safe from all
the vicissitudes of fortune. The face
of the Buddha is always wreathed in a
slight smile! He is not shaken by outside
ups and downs. Analysis and reasoning
are not connected to meditation. In
Meditation you become an observer
who does not judge! Just be an observer,
as if you are standing by the side of the
road watching the traffic-no judgment,
no evaluation, no condemnation, no
appreciation-just pure observation.
The meditator surpasses death and he
experiences the eternity in the Kshana.
Please read the following poem of
William Blake:
“To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour”
The Austrian scientist Erwin Schrodinger
writes thus:
“Eternally and forever, there is
only Now; this one and immutable Now;
the Present is the only thing which has
no end.”
It is interesting to know that
Meditation and Medicine are from the
same language root. In Sanskrit too
Vyadhi and Samadhi are of the same
root. Our ancestors had understood the
fact that the meditation is a therapy.
Today in many hospitals in the USA
meditation is practised as a means of
treatment. At present, Neurotheology
(a new science discipline) studies the
changes that take place in the brain while
in meditation. Scientists have found that
simple change of thought process would
bring about radical changes inside brain.
In other words, the effects of meditation
are scientifically proved.
Enlightenment can be studied
and is scientifically proved. One easy
meditation method is Anapanasati.
You become aware of your breath. You
can meditate on your in-breath and
out-breath. While you continue this
awareness your mind calms down.
Especially, we are not sufficiently
attentive to our breathing. It is this
breath that makes us grow, makes our
bones solid, but we are not paying due
attention to it. We are not grateful to
our life-giver. We just let it happen. If
you start to breathe mindfully then your
mental and physical health ameliorates.
Meditation relieves karma.
In many languages the word for the
soul and mind is the same as breathing.
01. Anima, Spiritus (Latin)
02. Pneuma, Psyche (Greek)
03. Ruah (Hebrew)
Atman is the German verb for
breathing! (Atman is soul in Sanskrit!)
Buddha: In this fathom long body I
see the world, its birth and its extinction.
Socrates: Know yourself then you
will know gods and the world.
Jesus: The Kingdom of God is in
you.
Mohamed: One who knows
himself will know the God.
Jalal Uddin Rumy: I looked around
me to see the God, but He was not there,
then I looked into me and He was there:
Nietzsche: The Kingdom of God is
a state which forms itself inside heart.
Most Venerable Wathogala
Dhammika Nayaka Thero
The Chief High Priest Judiciary
of Italy and Chief Incumbent of
Brescia Buddhist Temple in Italy,
Royal Pandith
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