Mettavalokanaya_Buddhist_Magazine_March_2019

The
Techniques
of Buddhism…
“The Buddha
is the Teacher
of Gods and
Men”….
should look around in in all directions and
upwards to the stars and constellations.
Then by doing so, it is possible that your
drowsiness will vanish.
If your drowsiness still persists,
you should attend to the perception
of light, resolve upon the preception
of the day light as by day so at night as
at night so by day. Thus with an open
and unencumbered heart, you should
develop a luminous mind. Then it is
possible your drowsiness will vanish.
If your drowsiness still continue to
excites, then your senses turned inward
and your mind not straying outward, you
should take to walking up and down,
being aware of going up and down,
To achieve the second factor
of distancing from anger and
hatred is by the development
of thoughts of loving kindness.
“So metta pubbabhagato pattaya yava
patamajjhnm”. This loving kindness can
be separated in to three types, loving
kindness in deeds, loving kindness in
words and loving kindness in thoughts.
When we meditate, thoughts of loving
kindness are generated. The thoughts
such as may I be free from suffering or un
satisfactoriness, may I be healthy, may I
be happy, may I be free from cravings,
hatred and delusion, may I have a happy
life will extend loving kindness right
through our entire body.
“Many benefits
of real Loving
Kindness”....
sleep well and wake up well; also will
not have bed dreams. “Manussanam
piyo hoti” - meditators will be well liked
by others. “Amanussanam piyo hoti”
they will be liked by non humans too.
“Devata rakkati” - will be protected by
deities. Also, they will not be harmed
by poison or weapons. They will be
easily saved from such incidents. Their
faces will be pleasant and they will
not need various applications to look
good. “Muka vanno vipasseedati” - A
person will be very pleasant due to the
strength of this.
Also, the Buddha has stated
that the mind of such a person can be
brought to focus and concentration
The Buddha changed his technique
of instructions in consideration
of the problem confronting the
individual student concerned.
For example, in the case of Venerable
Sona Kolivisa, the method adopted was
just only the reminding of his former
skill he had in producing music from
the lute. The Venerable Sona Kolivisa,
in solitude apart, thought; “The exalted
one’s disciples live in active energy and
I am also one of them. Yet my heart is
not detached and free from the cankers.
My family is rich and I can enjoy riches
and do good. What if I were to give up
the training and revert to lay life, enjoy
riches and do good”
The Buddha coming to know what
he thought, appeared before him and
questioned him and revealed what he
thought. Venerable Sona Kolivisa, replied
in assent. Then the Buddha questioned
him further;
“Sona, were you not, in the old
days at home, clever at playing lute?”
Now Sona, when your lute’s strings were
over strung was your lute then tuneful
and playable? When your lute’s strings
were over lax was your lute then tuneful
and playable? But, when Sona your lute’s
strings were neither over strung nor
over lax but, keyed to the middle pitch
was your lute then tuneful and playable?
Even so Sona, if energy is applied too
forcefully it will lead to restlesssness; if
energy is too lax, it will lead to idleness.
Therefore, Sona keep your energy in
balance keep your spiritual faculties in
balance and seize your object”
Venerable Sona Kolivisa, who
benefited from the instrcution given to
him, attained Arahanthood and visited
the Buddha to declare his achievement.
It is interesting to see how the
Buddha gave a graded sequence of
instruction to overcome drowsiness
of Venerable Mahamoggallana. The
Buddha having seen with his divine eye
that Venerable Mahamoggallana was
nodding while meditating, appeared
there and asked him, “Moggallana are you
nodding?” Venerable Mahamoggallana
said, “Yes lord”. Then Buddha continued,
“Well then, Moggallana you should
not give attention to that throught
or dwell on it. Then by doing so, it is
possible that your drowsiness will vanish.
But, if by doing so, your drowsiness
does not vanish, you must ponder over
the Dhamma as you have learnt and
mastered it, you should examine it and
investigate it closely in your mind. Then
by doing so, it is possible that your
drowsiness will vanish.”
But, if by doing so, your drowsiness
does not vanish, then you should recite
in detail the Dhamma as you have learnt
and mastered it. Then by doing so, it is
possible that your drowsiness will vanish.
But, if by doing so, your drowsiness does
not vanish, then you should pull your two
ear lobes and rub your limbs with your
hands. Then by doing so, it is possible
that your drowsiness will vanish.
If your drowsiness still does not
vanish, you should get up from your seat.
After washing your eyes with water, you
being aware of going to and fro. Then it
is possible by doing so, your drowsiness
will vanish.
But, if still you are overcome by
drowsiness, being mindful and clearly
comprebending, you may lie down, in
the posture of lion, on your right side
placing one foot on the other, keeping
in the mind the thought of rising and
on awakening I must not indulge in the
pleasure of resting and reclining in the
pleasure of sleep.
Then the Buddha before departing,
continued to instruct him as to how a
monk should should keep company with
the laity and the personal conduct of
monk.
The Principal of Buddhist
and Pali College of Singapore
and Chief Abbot of Ti-Sarana
Buddhist Association in
Singapore
Most Venerable Dr.
Pathegama Ganarama Thero
Singapore
Meaningful
Metta
- Loving
Kindness….
Such established loving kindness
may be extended to our loved ones,
parents, children, spouse and teachers.
Then we must have sufficient strength to
extend the loving kindness to beingsthat
are not in good terms with us due to
our own mistake or theirs. We come
across beings that do not fall into those
extreme categories and we have no
association with any of them. We must
extend loving kindness to all of them
right across the universe. Such deeds
and practices are called “metta mano
kamma”. When metta or mano kamma
become strong such a person will never
harm anyone will always speak with
loving kindness. The Buddha never used
any words without loving kindness; he
had no words without compassion. In
Buddha’s words and deeds there was
always compassion and loving kindness.
That is metta vaci kamma.
In metta kaya kamma there will be
no harm done or ill effects of such deeds.
It will be immensely fortunate to live in
an environment where there are people
who practice such thoughts, words and
deeds of loving kindness. There will never
be any differences or misunderstandings
in such environments. The Buddha has
said that there is a lot of merit if a person
practices throughts of loving kindness or
meditation on loving kindness.
There are many benefits here. First
is “ukan supati”- one will be able to sleep
comfortably which is a great blessing.
We know that there are many people
in our society who suffer from sleeping
disorders. They are unable to have a
good sleep at night. Also there are a lot of
people who suffer due to a lack of sleep.
The Buddha has said that a person should
meditate “yava tassa viggaha middho”
until the time to sleep. That person will
sleep well.
A person who practices loving
kindness meditation will not have any
sleeping disoders. He will not need any
medication for a good night’s sleep.
According to the Buddha, such a person will
(samadi) quite easily. “Tuwatam cittam
samadhiyati”. In case one is not able to
achieve Nibbana during this life time,
one will be able to attain a higher state
in the next life.
Therefore, all of us must try to live
with loving kindness. It will then keep
us away from evil the consequences
of hatred and will be able to reap the
benefits of metta.
The Chief Prelate of the
Malwatta Chapter of the
Siamese Sect in Australia,
Chief Incumbent of Sri Lanka
Buddhist Vihara, Lankarama,
Schofield, Sydney, NSW,
Australia.
Most Venerable Royal
Pundit Meegahakumbure
Dhammagavesi Thero
Australia.
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