The holidays are over now, and it's back to reality here and now. How
are your resolutions holding up? At least half of the true spiritual
journey is about failure and what you do about it, LOL! But don't
worry, there's still hope…the Lunar New Year is just a month
away!!! LOL :-)
This year, I would like to encourage all of us to deeply re-connect to
our Roots spiritually. I want all of us to purchase the book "OLD
PATH, WHITE CLOUDS" (by Thich Nhat Hanh, available in the Dallas
Meditation Center bookstore or at www.parallax.org) and begin reading a little bit
of it every day. This is our "Bible" of enlightenment. I would also
like to encourage all of us to listen to Dharma Talks online by Thich
Nhat Hanh at least once a month, and to recite the Five or Fourteen
Mindfulness Trainings (pick your version) at least once a month as
well, individually or with others. If you have never gone on a
retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh or one of his monastics or lay Dharma
Teachers, I want you to do so this year, at Plum Village (France), or
Deer Park Monastery (California), or some other retreat center.
I want to encourage all of us to re-commit to daily meditation, weekly
Sangha community, monthly day retreats, and quarterly/yearly
weekend/weeklong retreats.
And also, please don't forget to practice "Dana" (generosity), which
is one of the six primary practices of bodhisattvas (beings on the
path of enlightenment). If you would like to make a $108 or $1000 (or
more) donation to "Awakening Heart / Dallas Meditation Center" to help
us get started well in 2011, your gift would be greatly appreciated.
We are looking for 20 supportive persons to make a pledge of $100 or
$108 (or more) per month just for the 12 months of this new year of
2011. So far, we have about 3 persons who give regularly in this way.
We need 17 more persons to make the commitment to support this
important work of mindfulness in the Dallas area. Could you please
consider being one of the 20 pledging supporters? Thank you so
much. (Would you like to give online? You may do so by clicking here-> www.AwakeningHeart.org/support.htm)
During the past couple of holiday months (November and December 2010),
giving has been at an all-time low, with sometimes just an average of
$3 per person at Sunday Sangha. Because of this situation, I have
donated over $2,000 of the money I would normally receive from my
workshops and given it completely over to the Dallas Meditation
Center. I believe in this work, and so I show it in many ways,
including financially. If you believe in this work too, I encourage
you to show it in as many tangible ways as possible as well.
Together, we can be a strong and enduring Light in the Dallas area.
There are so many persons who need us, who need us to support
mindfulness, who need us to support the Dallas Meditation Center and
what we are doing here at Awakening Heart.
I am so grateful to all of you for supporting this work in the past
year with flowers, candles, volunteering, cleaning, refreshments,
attendance, and financial support. Without you, we would not exist.
The Buddha / Dharma / Sangha take refuge in you, just as much as you
take refuge in the Buddha / Dharma / Sangha. We "inter-are." We need
each other's support.
Please enjoy the Sutra Reading below (don't read it too literally, but
with an open mind to the essential message beyond the words), and the
link to "Thay" Thich Nhat Hanh's website. This is a year of
Reconnecting to our Roots. Let us take refuge in the Buddha, the
Dharma and the Sangha… that is, the Enlightened Teachers, the
Enlightened Practices, and the Enlightened Communities of Wisdom, Love
and Harmony. AMITABHA!
From the
PLUM VILLAGE (Thich Nhat Hanh) website
(
www.PlumVillage.org)
Discourse on the White-Clad Disciple
I heard these words of the Buddha one time when he was staying at the
monastery in the Jeta Grove near Shravasti that had been donated by
the layman Anathapindika.
On that day, Anathapindika came with five hundred other lay students
of the Buddha to the hut where Shariputra resided. They bowed their
heads in reverence to Shariputra and sat down respectfully to one
side. Venerable Shariputra offered them skillful teachings, bringing
them joy and confidence in the Three Jewels and the practice of the
true Dharma.
Then, Shariputra and the five hundred laymen and women went together
to the hut of the Buddha, where Shariputra, Anathapindika, and the
other five hundred laymen and women prostrated at the Buddha's feet
and sat down to one side.
When he observed that everyone was seated, the Buddha addressed
Shariputra, saying, "Shariputra, if lay students of the Buddha,
those who wear white robes, study and practice the Five Mindfulness
Trainings and the Four Contemplations, they will realize without
hardship the capacity to abide happily in the present moment. They
know they will not fall into the realms of hell, hungry ghosts,
animals, and other suffering paths.
"Such men and women will have attained the fruit of stream-enterer,
and they will have no fear of descending into dark paths. They are on
the way of right awakening. They will only need to return to the
worlds of gods or men seven more times before attaining perfect
liberation and the end of suffering.
"Shariputra, how do lay students of the Buddha, those who wear white
robes, study and practice the Five Mindfulness Trainings and the Four
Contemplations?
"Lay students of the Buddha refrain from killing, put an end to
killing, rid themselves of all weapons, learn humility before others,
learn humility in themselves, practice love and compassion, and
protect all living beings, even the smallest insects. They uproot from
within themselves any intention to kill. In this way, lay students of
the Buddha study and practice the first of the Five Mindfulness
Trainings.
"Lay students of the Buddha refrain from taking what has not been
given, put an end to taking what has not been given. They find joy in
being generous without expecting anything in return. Their minds are
not obscured by greed or craving. They constantly guard their own
honesty and uproot from within themselves any intention to take what
has not been given. In this way, lay students of the Buddha study and
practice the second of the Five Mindfulness Trainings.
"Lay students of the Buddha refrain from sexual misconduct, put an end
to sexual misconduct, and protect everyone — those under the care
of their father, mother, or both father and mother; their elder sister
or elder brother; their parents-in-law or other in-laws; those of the
same sex; the wife, daughter, husband or son of another; and those who
have been raped, assaulted, or sexually abused, or who have been
prostitutes. Lay students of the Buddha uproot from within themselves
any intention to commit sexual misconduct. In this way, lay students
of the Buddha study and practice the third of the Five Mindfulness
Trainings.
"Lay students of the Buddha refrain from saying what are not true, put
an end to saying what is not true.They say only what is true, and they
find great joy in saying what is true. They always abide in truth and
are completely reliable, never deceiving others. They have uprooted
from within themselves any intention to say what is not true. In this
way, lay students of the Buddha study and practice the fourth of the
Five Mindfulness Trainings.
"Lay students of the Buddha refrain from drinking alcohol, put an end
to drinking alcohol. They uproot from within themselves the habit of
drinking alcohol. In this way, lay students of the Buddha study and
practice the fifth of the Five Mindfulness Trainings.
"Shariputra, how do lay students of the Buddha attain the Four
Contemplations and abide happily in the present moment with ease and
without hardship? They practice being aware of the Buddha, meditating
on the one who has come from Suchness and returns to Suchness; as one
who is truly and fully awakened, without any attachments; as one whose
understanding and practice are perfect; as the Well-Gone One; as one
who knows and fully understands the world; as one who has attained the
very highest; as one who has tamed what needs to be tamed; as a
teacher of humans and gods; as an Awakened One; and as a World-Honored
One. When they meditate in this way, all unwholesome desires come to
an end, and impure, sorrowful, or anxious elements no longer arise in
their hearts. As a result of contemplating the Buddha, their thoughts
are clear, they feel joy, and they arrive at the first of the Four
Contemplations, abiding happily in the present moment, with ease and
without any hardships.
"Shariputra, the lay students of the Buddha practice being aware of
the Dharma, meditating as follows: the Dharma is taught by the Lord
Buddha with great skill; it can lead to complete liberation; it can
lead to a state of no afflictions; it is cool and refreshing; its
value is timeless. When lay students of the Buddha meditate on and
observe the Dharma in this way, all unwholesome desires come to an
end, and impure, sorrowful, or anxious elements no longer arise in
their hearts. As a result of contemplating the Dharma, their thoughts
are clear, they feel joy, and they arrive at the second of the Four
Contemplations, abiding happily in the present moment, with ease and
without any hardship.
"Shariputra, the lay students of the Buddha practice being aware of
the Sangha, meditating as follows: the noble community of the
Tathagata is advancing in a good direction; it is on an upright path;
it is oriented toward the Dharma; it lives the teachings in the way
they are meant to be lived. In that community, there are the Four
Pairs and the Eight Grades — realized arhats and those who are
realizing the fruit of arhatship, non-returners and those who are
realizing the fruit of non-returning, once-returners and those who are
realizing the fruit of once-returning, and stream-enterers and those
who are realizing the fruit of stream-entry. The noble community of
the Tathagata has successfully realized the practice of the
mindfulness trainings (shila), the practice of concentration
(samadhi), and the practice of insight (prajna). It has liberation and
liberated vision. It is worthy of respect, honor, service, and
offerings. It is a beautiful field of merit for everyone. As a result
of contemplating the Sangha, their thoughts are clear, they feel joy,
and they arrive at the third of the Four Contemplations, abiding
happily in the present moment, with ease and without any hardship.
"Shariputra, the lay students of the Buddha practice being mindful of
the mindfulness trainings, meditating as follows: the mindfulness
trainings have no drawbacks, flaws, impurities, or unsound points; and
they help us abide in the land of the Tathagata. The Mindfulness
Trainings are not of the nature to deceive. They are always praised,
accepted, practiced, and guarded by the holy ones. As a result of
contemplating these Trainings, the students' thoughts are clear,
they feel joy, and they arrive at the fourth of the Four
Contemplations, abiding happily in the present moment, with ease and
without any hardship.
"Shariputra, remember that white-clad disciples of the Buddha who
practice in this way will not descend into hell realms, hungry ghost
realms, animal realms, or any other realms of suffering. They have
experienced the fruit of stream-entry, which means not falling into
paths of hardship or wrongdoing. Having entered the stream, they
cannot help but go in the direction of right awakening. They will only
need to return to the world of gods or humans seven more times before
they arrive at complete liberation and the end of sorrow."
Thus spoke the Buddha. The Venerable Shariputra, the other monks and
nuns, the layman Anathapindika, and the other five hundred laymen and
laywomen heard these words and were delighted to put them into
practice.
Upasaka Sutra, Madhyama Agama 128
Dear mindful friends,