FIFTH MEETING
                       Thursday, 13th June, 1974


                            Talk on Dhamma

  The extent of our interest in Buddhism is because of our interest in
  ourselves, in those who are associated with us in our surrounding
  environment and because it shows how we should act towards ourselves
  and towards those people and things. As for the Sasana (The Buddhist
  religion), it is neutral, for if we remain silent and disinterested it
  remains "unclaimed wealth," because the Lord Buddha bestowed the
  Sasana impartially on human beings and on Buddhists which includes us
  here.

  The Sasana can become the wealth of people at each and every level
  depending on the interest taken, the taking up and doing of the
  practice, disciplining the body and using these as food for the heart
  in the way which accords with the teaching of the Lord.

  The results of this will be a calm and cool heart, the extent of which
  will accord with our standing [*] and level of development. So the
  Sasana cannot be separated from ourselves, for it is like a path which
  goes to various locations. For us the path is the thing that is
  necessary, for whichever point we intend to go to we must study and
  learn how this path leads us on and what is its destination, for if it
  does not go to the right way it will waste a lot of time.

        [*] "Standing" means the type of life one has taken up, the
            extent of one's commitment, the practice one does, and the
            goal which one wishes to attain.


  The way of Buddhism is the way of calm. It is "Niyyanika Dhamma" --
  "leading on" those who practise so that they can get free from Dukkha
  in accordance with the level of their Dhamma basis (Bhumi) and Citta
  basis. When people, who are living in a state of confusion, who are
  discontented, who do not know what to do, and who do not know how to
  get rid of those things which are unsatisfactory, have taken the
  Sasana as their guide, their behaviour and practice becomes correct
  and dignified. Therefore the Sasana is necessary for us who want what
  is correct and dignified.

  The problems which concern ourselves and the Sasana are our own
  problems. In other words, we are bound to be born, to meet with Dukkha
  and hardship, and to die.

  Our problem is: having been born, how should we act so as to be
  trouble-free and contented without accumulating Dukkha and trouble for
  ourselves -- or making trouble for others and for society generally?
  Because our knowledge of how things work is not sufficient for this.

  Death is a thing that nobody wants because of the fear that one will
  be completely destroyed and that one will get Dukkha and hardship
  which may come to one after one is dead. If one is still alive one
  knows the meaning of being destroyed so people in the world do not
  want to die. But if it was known that after death one would experience
  ease and contentment everyone would want to die now because there are
  things that we hope to get, having greater value than what exists
  here, waiting for us if we get rid of the container -- which is this
  body -- and this life may be a barrier to the wealth which one will
  get when one is dead. But if people are still not sure whether after
  death they will come to destruction, or to happiness and contentment,
  they do not want to die.

  The principles of Dhamma stand unshakably on their own. [*] They are
  certain and can be accepted on faith. The speech of the Lord Buddha is
  correct and accurately spoken and comes from his purity of heart.
  Every aspect of Dhamma the Lord Buddha knew for himself before he gave
  it as a teaching to other people. He had practised and attained the
  fruits of it which satisfied his heart and he taught with purity of
  heart filled with Metta for all beings. Therefore the Dhamma is a
  Dhamma which gives hope to those who practise it willingly. When we
  have practised it wholeheartedly, hope will become clearly apparent to
  ourselves. //One who practises Dhamma -- that is, practising in his
  own heart rightly following the principles of Dhamma,// can see the
  results appear in himself with certainty.

        [*] i.e., they do not rely on any other thing for their
            affirmation.


  Having come up against the principles of Dhamma which one has put into
  practice, one's former knowledge which was uneven and inconsistent is
  all overthrown -- or so it seems to the heart. However long one's life
  will be one will then never be afraid or timid because one knows how
  one has practised and how it gave results step by step. When this life
  ends, wherever one is born again, whether one receives Dukkha or Sukha
  in whatever way, it is already clear to oneself and there is no room
  for doubt. Therefore one who practises following the way of the Lord
  Buddha can cut off all fear and doubt and there remains only the
  entire truth and a life of happiness and contentment without trouble.
  Therefore one should learn about one's own problems so as to bring
  them to an end and the Sasana will help to arouse hope for oneself.

                                 * * *


                          Questions and Answers


  Q1 M1:
  I would like to know about the practice of Dhamma so that when one
  grows older one will not get troubled and agitated.

  A:
  We see things on the road along which we are going. Wherever we are
  going to, and wherever we have reached, we thus know that we are going
  the right way or the wrong way. We cannot correct the way we are going
  at the moment -- it would be a waste of time. If we have decided what
  destination we are going to, we first of all learn the way and then we
  go that way -- and we go the right way and there are no problems.

  Buddhism teaches us to avoid things which are dangerous, and it
  teaches that the Citta should have its own basis (foundation), and
  then it will not waver or be afraid, nor doubtful about death and how
  it will go afterwards. Nor will it be interested in thinking about
  anything outside oneself -- which would be like "grasping at shadows."

  If you are going to a place and you are not sure that you are going to
  find everything convenient there, you will probably prepare yourself
  and take all sorts of things that you might need so that you will have
  everything. Then you may be certain that everything will be convenient
  and that you will lack nothing.

  When you are sure that you will find food there, and you have also
  taken food along with you, you do not feel any apprehension. Virtue is
  comparable to food, for food is food of the body and virtue is food of
  the Citta. The practice of Dhamma will be food of the Citta which you
  carry along with you and the heart will be at ease so that whenever
  you die there will not be Dukkha.

  One knows that the body wants food and whatever type of food is
  lacking it eats. The Citta wants virtue and Dhamma and if it lacks
  this food the factors of confusion arise and the heart is uneasy and
  troubled. One should therefore know where one is deficient and hurry
  to correct it and accumulate virtue from now on.


  Tan Acharn explained Dhamma further:

  "Merit" is happiness. "Kusala" is skill in finding things which bring
  happiness to oneself.

  You who have come here to search for what is good, which is food for
  the heart, such as the practice of Samadhi meditation, if your hearts
  constantly do virtuous things, your Citta will have skill, courage,
  good natures, and certainty about the future. This is like someone
  going on a journey who has arranged everything that will be necessary
  for his use on the way. We are going on a journey, coming from which
  state of existence we do not know, //but we are human// -- which means
  we are people living now whether men or women. People are more clever
  than animals in this world, and we find that we have been born as
  human beings. Since birth we have had Dukkha and Sukha, difficulty and
  confusion, and we have gradually come to know this. We have learnt
  about the events of our own past and one day in the future we are
  bound to die. After death how will it be? If we act so as to develop
  our Cittas to attain complete clarity this problem can answer itself
  and we will have certainty, ease of heart, and a feeling of confidence
  in ourselves.


  Q2 M2:
  That method of doing Samadhi [*] -- does Tan Acharn teach it for all
  people or are there different methods?

        [*] It is not stated which method is referred to but probably
            Anapanasati as discussed in one of the  previous talks.


  A:
  This teaching is a general method which whoever wants to can start
  with. But when it has been really and truly practised, the results
  which each person gets will differ according to the level of the basic
  state of each Citta. After that a method will be suggested which is
  suitable to each person's disposition (Carita) because there are many
  methods of doing Samadhi to suit the dispositions and characteristics
  of people. Like medicines in which one must apply the right medicine
  to suit the disease in order to cure it.


  Q3 M3:
  In doing Samadhi is it important to have a teacher to advise one?

  A:
  When the Citta becomes more and more subtle one increasingly needs a
  teacher to  explain whether any particular way is right or wrong.
  Because in doing Samadhi one will come to know new things which one
  has never known or seen before and if one lets go and indulges in them
  it will increase delusion. Therefore a teacher becomes increasingly
  necessary.


  Q4 W1:
  Yesterday Tan Acharn spoke about training for Samadhi and that one
  must then contemplate (investigate). How does one do this
  contemplating?

  A:
  Contemplation analyses things into the various components that make
  them up. For example, one's body is composed of various parts which
  make it up and one must use wisdom to analyse them.


  Q5 W1:
  Apart from contemplating the body can one also contemplate other
  things?

  A:
  Yes one can -- by contemplating from outside going inwards, or
  contemplating from inside going outwards -- if one has understood the
  food of the body and of the heart.


  Q6 M4:
  Are the methods of doing Samadhi of Jesus Christ and the Lord Buddha
  the same or different and how?

  A:
  Every true religion teaches people to be good people. I (Acharn) do
  not dare to set up Jesus and the Lord Buddha to have a boxing match in
  the ring to see who is champion, because the religions do not have
  anything to argue and fight about. But we people who are variously
  Christians and Buddhists like to quarrel and fight with words, because
  being stubborn we do not practise the way of either religion. The
  manner of teaching of the Founder of each religion was as if He gave a
  path for us to walk rightly with Metta and we ought to contemplate the
  virtue of the Founder. It is as if we are going to walk along a path
  to a particular point and we have decided to go along the path that we
  know. Then we go on until we reach a point where we do not know the
  way, so we ask someone who knows and they tell us the way to go on
  further. As soon as we again reach a point and we go on like this
  until we reach the goal at the end of the path. The one who points out
  the way to all of us is a benefactor to us and we ought to recall and
  think about his gift to us.

  The Lord Buddha saw clearly into Dhamma and he also saw clearly into
  the method by which he had trained himself. Therefore it was never in
  vain that Buddhists turned to him, and he was ready to help the world
  to enable it to get free from various dangers with methods which were
  full of Metta. Summarising this: in both religions the Founders taught
  people to be good with Metta in the same way. They are different in
  their degrees of subtlety following the abilities of the founders of
  each religion.


  Q7 M5:
  Doing the repetition of "Buddho" must one do it just on its own or
  together with the in and out breaths?

  A:
  It is up to each person to do it as he likes. It can be done in three
  ways:

    1) One meditates -- "Buddho, Buddho..." etc., until the Citta
       remains still with Buddho.
    2) One repeats "Buddho...", in time with the in and out breaths.
    3) One meditates -- "Bud" with the in breaths and "dho" with the out
       breaths.

  It is important to depend on mindfulness (Sati) to know and attend to
  the work which one has set one's Citta to do and to avoid anticipating
  the result which one will get while one is doing the practice. When
  mindfulness and the work are going along together, the result will
  come of itself steadily from the practice of meditation.


  Q8 W2:
  Please would you explain about mindfulness (Sati) in one's daily life?

  A:
  Mindfulness is a "Dhamma" which is essential everywhere so as to
  recollect and know oneself all the time whatever one is doing wherever
  one is and in all actions and behaviour.

  To what extent can we practice it? The Lord Buddha intended that we
  should have untold wealth, but the extent to which we ourselves can
  have it depends upon the ability of each person. When you have
  mindfulness always with you and working all the time, then you can sit
  in Samadhi in whatever way you like. But it is important that
  mindfulness keeps your attention on just that work that you are doing.


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