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Legacies I Would Leave With You

For his 80^th "Age Teasing Day" (birthday), Tan Ajarn prepared a souvenir book of Dhamma photos, proverbs, sayings, riddles, and legacies for his students. 

One of the six sections was about the legacies he wished to leave behind. They comprise a concise summary of the main points of his teaching, beginning with some practical matters.

PART I: LEGACIES MATERIAL AND CEREMONIAL

Legacy 1:

Everyone can be a Buddhadasa (Servant of the Buddha), if one wants to with a pure heart; just serve in the propagation of Buddhism by setting an example in practice and happy living that others may see and follow.

Legacy 2:

Three Vows suitable for all Servants of the Buddha to take as their standard in performing their duty for the world's benefit:

1. Strive to realize the heart of one’s own religion;
2. Strive to help each other pull ourselves out from under the power of materialism;
3. Strive to create mutual understanding among all religions.

Legacy 3:

The first vow , helping everyone to realize the heart of Buddhism , is to bring about practice that is good, direct, just, and fit for liberation, in order to directly and genuinely fulfill the Buddha's purpose.

Legacy 4:

The second vow , freeing the world from the power of materialism, from the flavors that arise from sensuous matter , should be a cooperative endeavor of all people and all religions in the world, so that the world will be cleansed, cleared, and calmed of its current state.

Legacy 5:

The third vow , creating mutual understanding among religions , is necessary because the world must have many religions, as many as the types of people in the world, in order for all to be able to live together in peace. Every religion teaches unselfishness, the differences are merely in methodologies.

Legacy 6:

Gardens of Liberation (Suan Mokkh) , places that make intimacy with nature mentally and physically convenient , should be set up everywhere for the direct study of nature, for understanding the law of nature, and for sampling the taste of nature, until everyone knows how to love nature, which will help us to understand Dhamma easily.

Legacy 7:

The Suan Mokkh of the Theater of Spiritual Entertainments is necessary for these beings which instinctually need entertainment, which is a spiritual support, a fifth support in addition to the four physical supports.1 Please help to manage them for the use and above mentioned benefit of everyone.

Legacy 8:

Suan Mokkh International, especially for the spiritual light of our fellow human beings from other countries and languages, is an idea that arose when we saw them struggling and searching in order to find themselves. Please help to establish it, then maintain and continue it.

Legacy 9:

Spiritual Theaters for spiritual entertainment with the flavor of Dhamma are needed in place of the sensual theaters which always turn human beings into some sort of demon. Humans need entertainment as the fifth requisite of life, but it must be arranged carefully.

Legacy 10:

The five pillars on our roofs are symbolic of the five hindrances (nivarana), the five groups of clinging (upadanakkhandha), the five powers (bala), the five sovereigns (indriya), the five Dhamma essentials (dhammasara), the five paths & fruits & nibbana (magga-phala-nibbna). Even the five fingers on your own hand are just reminders of the matter of eliminating dukkha for us all.

Legacy 11:

The slogan of Suan Mokkh is "eat from a cat's plate, bathe in a stream, sleep in a pen, and listen to the mosquitoes sing." This is a practical standard for eliminating the problems of material life and supports mental development because it follows that natural principle which says, "simple living, high thinking."

Legacy 12:

The Diploma from Suan Mokkh is "die before dying." In other words, the mind is finished with feelings of "I" and "mine" before the physical body dies. There remains only pure sati-pañña (mindfulness and wisdom) regarding life. This is something that can happen even now. So, the sooner one "dies," the more profitable life is.

Legacy 13:

We use the principle of people language & Dhamma language to distinguish between material and spiritual matters so that we will speak about them correctly, because we will understand them correctly, deeply, and advantageously. Don't mix them up, or reverse them, that will just lead to dizziness.

Legacy 14:

The system of using people language & Dhamma language is most certainly needed in the study and teaching of Buddhism, because the Lord Buddha taught the Dhamma both in the Dhamma language of ordinary people (personal, individual terms) and in the Dhamma Language of those who have seen the Dhamma for themselves (in terms of natural truth). Thus, we must observe this distinction carefully in our study, teaching, and conversation; otherwise dizziness will ensue.

Legacy 15:

"Age Teasing" and giving the Age Teasing gift, as we do at Suan Mokkh, results in a heedfulness and self-knowledge that improves each year. May I leave this to be maintained and continued for the sake of everyone's spiritual development.

Legacy 16:

True Buddhists shouldn't be bothered even by headaches, let alone nervous disorders and mental illness. This is possible through reliance upon the Dhamma principle at the heart of Buddhism that says "tathatä" or "just like that." This is the natural fact that all things must happen according to their causes and conditions, and must be dealt with right there, without there being anything strange or surprising about it. Thus, may we leave it behind as a legacy.

Legacy 17:

The Three Cs of Cleanness, Clarity, & Calmness are qualities of the Noble Ones and are in the position of being the essence of Buddhism's Triple Gem. May we leave them as a legacy for everyone to use as a daily mantra.

Legacy 18:

The Buddhist Charter that we develop together remains correct and in line with the principles of Buddhism. Buddhists may take it as a standard for right practice, for good results, and for convenience in being ones who know, are awakened, & have blossomed, and who will never again fall into the swamps of superstition and materialism. May we leave it as a long lasting legacy.

Legacy 19:

The Literary Works making up The Dhamma Proclamation Series, From His Own Lips Series, Floating Lotus Series, and Turning of the Dhamma Wheel Series: may we leave them as a memorial of a poetic mind that has released them with the greatest care into the Dhamma Sea , that is the hearts of all True People throughout the land , for them to thrive in the reservoir of that Dhamma Sea for unending time.

Legacy 20:

The Suan Mokkh style of chanting uses chants that we have translated into our own language, trying to make them graceful and melodious. The passages chosen are concise and powerful, suitable for use as the objects of samädhi and vipassanä, also. May we leave these to be chanted for a long, long time.

Footnotes

1 Clothing, food, shelter, and medicine.

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