For Members, supporters and well wishers of Metta Hermitage.

Issue No. 1, 2008

 

Saturday 05.04.08

 

Welcome to our Forest Hermitage for another session of meditation.

Thank you for your faith in Buddha Dharma and in our hermitage.

Hope for those who are Truly interested in putting an end to suffering and to the cycle of birth and death.

Buddham Saranam gacchami

Dhammam Saranam gacchami

Sangham Saranam gacchami

I go to the Buddha as my Refuge

I go to the Dhamma as my Refuge

I go to the Dhamma as my Refuge.

The Theravada Buddhists of the world begin their respect to the Lord Buddha with these words.

What do they mean? Why do we say these words. Do we understand them thoroughly? Do we ever reflect on them? Well, we should if we are serious. Too many of us just repeat them without thinking of the meaning. It has become a tradition and a custom to say them. It would be more useful to us if we can sit quietly even once in a while and think of the Noble One who attained the almost impossible Nirvana with great sacrifice and liberated himself from the wheel of birth and death. After attaining he did not keep it to himself as in some religions where the masses are considered not fit to learn.

He detached himself from all cravings, attachments to the objects of the senses and mind, freed himself from customs and traditions, freed himself   from pride, arrogance, conceit, hate, greed, egoism etc. It is a very practical Teaching, a self help Teaching. By oneself one practises by oneself one rejoices.

This is why we call Him a holy person. He had no more selfish intentions, He did not seek power over human beings: he did not compete with human beings for power and importance. He understood the miseries of life and sorrows of life, he understood the weaknesses of human beings and so on.

He became a pure person. Even after attaining the near impossible Nirvana he remained humble and simple. He became compassionate to all  beings- humans, non-humans and animals.

He freed himself from racial arrogance, religious arrogance and professional arrogance. He walked about among the ordinary people of 2600 years ago where there was no modernization or modern facilities and taught the Noble Truth for forty five years- the Truth about suffering and how to get out of it. How to get out of physical suffering and physical defects and weaknesses like blindness,  speech defects, deafness, and all sorts of physical defects, too many to enumerate them here but a day at the General Hospital in Kuala Lumpur or University hospital in Petaling Jaya, or at the orphanages, old folds home, decrepit wards, intensive care units, operation theatres and incurable diseases wards would be a good lesson. We can learn more from this holiday than going on a foreign holiday to a new country or a trip on a luxury liner.

Then there is the psychiatry wards, psychological cases wards, mental hospitals, drug rehabilitation centres, alcohol related centres etc. What about the miseries of police lock-ups, miseries of prisons where people dread to go in even for a few days…What about the miseries of unemployment, the sorrows of people below poverty line, bankruptcies, divorce cases, fears of failures in family life, academic and professional failures, failures in business and again the list is unending.

 So how correct the Buddha is when He asked us to get out of suffering and we say I take refuge in the Buddha  Dhamma meaning I shall follow or live in accordance to the Teachings.  But let us do it sensibly and meaningfully and practically.

The Lord’s Teaching is a practical teaching not a mumbo jumbo or a senseless belief system. Something which is very practical and real available to one and all, rich and poor. Even the poorest of the poor can attempt. This is a blessing from Mother nature. It is not possible for the poor to become members of rich clubs or enjoy the luxuries of  material comfort of this world. But Mother nature is kind to the poorest of the poor as well for even the poorest of the poor can practice renunciation and detachment and simplicity and control the craving etc. Many monks, sages and yogis were also from poor homes not from the home of wealthy families.

Just repeating that I take refuge in the Buddha Dhamma Sanga is not going to save anyone. We must study the ways outlined by the Buddha to reduce suffering, to prevent ourselves falling into despair and misery- spiritual misery in this life and in lives to come.

So it is self help, self restrain, restrain from craving for indulgenses etc; reduce our greed for material comforts and luxuries, stop pampering our ego and so on.

A great master once said ‘no man can serve two masters’ - meaning has been misunderstood by people all over the world for centuries.; the line refers to indulgence and non indulgence. We have to decide once and for all whether we want to ignore the life style required for overcoming our passion and craving, greed and hatred etc or get stuck to it and face the consequences of ignoring it. We have to decide – either follow His Life style and benefit or ignore it and face the music.

If we follow a little the gain is little, if we follow more strictly we benefit more. ‘We are heirs to our own deeds’ says the Dhammapada. We reap what we sow.

This is the infallible law of nature.

So let us not busy ourselves putting up expensive architectural buildings, decorate them with images and colourful electric lights  and exhibit our wealth  and delude ourselves. A true yogi and a true renunciate knows the pit falls of these immature activities.

It is practice that will eventually lead us to liberation and spiritual development, inner peace, inner harmony, reduce our bad karma and bring about good birth.

Seek out His Teaching and seek a place to practice the Teachings and receive good counsel and guidance. The Lord Buddha has said, ‘ He who sees the Teachings sees me.’ Not who builds palatial buildings and develops arrogance. Those who can follow the Teachings are truly fortunate.

Self purification is more difficult than dishing out a little help to the poor. (though it has some value and merit)

Study how the Buddha practiced before He attained His freedom from the cycle of Birth and Death and put an end once the miseries of life and rebirth.

It requires great courage to live out the disciplines but the rewards are great and immeasurable.

Sincere seekers are most welcome for a private talk. ’The Truth is only whispered to the seeker.’

Guru,

Metta Forest Hermitage.

48100 Batu Arang

April, 2008

Email: lingamroshi@yahoo.com

Website: http://www.freewebs.com/mettahermitage

Tel: 019-23 78 244