Buddha Dharma exchange
Some weeks ago, after Vesak day, in the
City of Seattle, Washington State, United States of America, Ms. Singer Beth led
and accompanied about 25 junior high school students to Cổ Lâm Temple in order
to exchange thoughts and to learn more about the Buddha Dharma. Among those
students, there were several students accompanied by their parents. Singer Beth,
a co-senior Rabbi of Temple Beth Am, is a teacher of high school and college in
Seattle. Although she is the Rabbi, she very much enjoys learning and
consulting the Buddha Dharma. She said, “Those who have enough good opportunity to
approach, learn about, practice, and to apply the Buddha Dharma in their daily
lives have the ability to bring flowers and fruits of joy and happiness to
themselves and to others right in the present life.”
Dear teachers, parents, and students!
Today, with the sufficiency of good opportunity, we are present at Cổ Lâm Temple to learn about and to exchange the Buddha’s teachings.
During this exchange, on behalf of Dharma Brothers and Sisters at the Temple, I,
Dharma name is Venerable Thích Trừng Sỹ, a monk at this Temple, will teach and instruct
you students how to greet each other in
the Buddha Dharma, how to read the three
refuges[1] in
Pāli and
in English, how to understand and to practice the five awakening things.
Finally, I will briefly instruct you how to sing a happiness song in
meditation practice.
A. How to greet in the Buddha Dharma
First, I would like to instruct you
how to join your palms to bow together. The meanings of joining one’s palms
mean “A lotus for you, a
Buddha-to-be.” When both persons join their palms and bow together, the
join of palms means that both persons have the same wishes to water the seeds
of the Buddha Dharma, joy, and happiness to sprout and to rise up freshly in everyone’s
mind.
B. How to read three Refuges
B. 1. Buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi
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Buddha is a noun; in
Vietnamese, we say “Phật” – the Awakened One or the Enlightened One. Sarana, which is a noun, means refuge or
return. Gaccha(ti), which is a verb,
means go or go to. In Pāli, both Buddha(m) and Sarana(m) that
are the accusative or the second accusative make objects of the verb Gacchati. “I” (Aham) is a pronoun of the first person singular which is tacitly
understood to be the subject of the sentence Buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi. Mi in the verb gacchāmi is divided according to the pronoun Aham.[2]
Thus, Buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi means that I take refuge in the Buddha, who has shown the path of peace, joyfulness, and happiness to living things and living beings all over the planet. Or, taking refuge in the Buddha in my heart, I am on the path of going mindfully, firmly, and brightly for me in life.
The Buddha means the
Awakened and Enlightenmend One, who lives His life of mindfulness and
awareness, steadiness and freedom, peace and happiness for the many. In the
Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga),[3] the Buddha
has the ten noble titles written as follows:
“The Buddha, who is the leading Teacher of our peaceful and noble spirituality,
“The Buddha, who is the leading Teacher of our peaceful and noble spirituality,
is the most worthy One to be made offerings,
is the One of understanding and love,
is the One having enough virtue of conduct and insight,
is the One attaining perfectly peaceful joyfulness and freedom,
is the One comprehending the world,
is the One having the ability to subdue people,
is the spiritual Master of both gods and humans,
is the fully-enlightened and awakened One,
and is the One to be revered and respected by the world.”
A verse of praising the
Buddha as follows:
“The Buddha, the Teacher,
showing the peaceful way,
Being the
Fully-Awakened One,
With good,
noble, respectable signs,
B. 2. Dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi
Dhamma,
which
is a noun, means the Buddha’s teachings. Sarana,
which is a noun, means refuge or return. Gaccha(ti), which is a verb, means go or go to. In Pāli, both Dhamma(m) and Sarana(m) that are the accusative or the
second accusative make objects of the verb Gacchati.
“I” (Aham) is a pronoun of the first
person singular which is tacitly understood to be the subject of the sentence Dhammaṃ
saraṇaṃ
gacchāmi. Mi in the verb gacchāmi is divided according to the pronoun Aham.[5]
Thus, Dhammaṃ
saraṇaṃ
gacchāmi means
that I take refuge in the Dhamma, the path of peace, joyfulness, and happiness for
the many right in the present life. Or, taking refuge in the Dhamma in my
heart, I am on the path of going mindfully, firmly, and brightly for me in
life.
The Dhamma has many meanings such as the law of the
universe, that of nature, that of cause and effect, that of phenomenon, etc. In
this writing, the Dhamma discussed here is understood as the path of Three Passionless
Studies (Virute, Concentration, and Wisdom) or the noble path with the eight
factors including: “Right view, right
thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right
mindfulness, and right concentration.”
Actually, two these paths are only one path, namely the
path of authentic peace, joyfulness, and happiness for the many. This path has
many interdependent relations with other tenets of Buddhism, those of other
theories and philosophies in the world. This path, which is understood
according to the figurative sense, means that as we apply and practice the
Buddha Dhamma in our daily lives, we have the ability to contribute to bringing
peacefulness and happiness to the family, to the homeland, to the nation, and
to the world.
In the Path of
Purification (Visuddhimagga),[6] the
Sangha has the ten noble titles defined as follows:
“The Dharma that is well preached by the
World-Honored One
is very practical in the present,
has value beyond time,
has the ability to transform one’s body and mind,
has the ability to extinguish the defilements of desire, anger,
delusion, pride, doubt, wrong view, etc.
Taking refuge in the Buddha Dhamma, a wise person, who can also
cultivate oneself through practice
comprehends the Dhamma, comes and sees, comes and hears, comes and
understands, comes and practices,
comes and enjoys flowers and fruits of peacefulness and liberation
right here and right now in the present life.”
A verse of praising the Dhamma as follows:
“The
Dhamma that is the bright path,
Leads people
to escape from a realm of delusion,
Takes
me back to my pure mind,
B. 3. Saṅghaṃ
saraṇaṃ
gacchāmi
Sangha,
that
is a common noun, means the Buddha’s disciples, that is, the Sangha body,
Sangha eye, the Community, the Congregation consisting of four people or more. Sarana, which is a noun, means refuge or
return. Gaccha(ti), which is a verb,
means go or go to. In Pāli, both Sangha(m) and Sarana(m) that
are the accusative or the second accusative make objects of the verb Gacchati. “I” (Aham) is a pronoun of the first person singular which is tacitly
understood to be the subject of the sentence Saṅghaṃ
saraṇaṃ
gacchāmi. Mi in the verb gacchāmi is divided according to the pronoun Aham.[8]
Thus, Saṅghaṃ
saraṇaṃ
gacchāmi means
that I take refuge in the Sangha, the Congregation of peaceful people, who vow
to live their awakening lives for themselves and for others right in the present
life. Or, taking refuge in the Sangha in my heart, I am taking the direction of
cultivation, peacefulness and happiness for myself and for others right in this
life.
Sangha as discussed here relates to the Community of
cultivation, peacefulness, harmony, and solidarity of monastics or the
Community of lay Buddhists. Both of these Communities complement and support one
another as image and its shadow, as water and its wave, and together bring Buddhism
to the future brightly and steadily.
In the Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga),[9] the Dhamma has the ten noble titles defined as follows:
“Sangha/kaya of the World-Honored One
That are the Congregation in whom we have turned back to take refuge
Are the Congregation having traveled on the good way
Are the Congregation having traveled on the straight way
Are the Congregation having traveled on the true way
Are the Congregation having traveled on the proper way
Are the Congregation having traveled on the holy way
Are the Congregation having consisted of the four pairs and the eight fruitions of holy persons”[10]
Are the worthy Congregation having been made
offerings
Are the worthy Congregation having been
respected
Are the worthy Congregation having been revered
Are the worthy Congregation having been admired
Are the most precious virtue field in the world.”[11]
A verse of praising the Sangha as follows:
“The
Sangha that are the beautiful Community
Together
travel on the happy path
Cultivate
and liberate afflictions
In
order to make life peaceful.”[12]
Through what is discussed above, we see the Three Jewels (the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha) exemplified as the lamps of insight illuminating our travel on the path of spiritual enlightenment and deliverance. If someone has enough good opportunity to cultivate, to learn, to practice, and to apply the Triple Gem in the daily life practically, then presently they live very peacefully, and prospectively they live very joyously.
“Disciples who take refuge in the Triple Gem
On the way of learning the Dharma
Know the Triple Gem of their own hearts
Vow to cultivate and practice diligently
Side by side with the Dharma of the
Buddha, we understand more the Five Awakening Things, whose contents comprise
the Five Precepts or the Five Virtuous Things below as follows:
C. The five
awakening trainings
The five awakening trainings written here are understood as
the five precepts, the Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha, and the direction
of going clearly and stably to humankind and society today. In fact, the
above-mentioned Dharma comprises the Five Precepts and other teachings. However,
in order that viewers, readers, and learners may easily understand, easily
grasp, easily apply, and easily practice the Five Awakening Trainings, the
writer presents the following summary:
C. 1. The first awakening training
“The first awakening training is that we
respect all living beings’ lives, including humans, animals, even plants,
trees, flowers, leaves, soils, rocks, etc. We do not kill, chop, burn, and
destroy forests, mountains, rivers, streams, ponds, lakes, the open sea, etc.
Practicing the first awakening thing means we are aware to take care to nurture
our love toward all living beings, we contribute to protecting the environment
and the lives of living things and living beings, and contribute to building the
green, clean and beautiful planet.
C. 2. The second awakening training
The second awakening training is that we respect private and public assets, heritages, minerals, and forest products, including gold, silver, gems, sewing needles, blades of grass, bells, wooden bells, timbers, etc. We do not steal and do not appropriate others’ belongings. Practicing the second awakening training means we are aware to spread our hearts of alms-giving toward the poor, the lonely, and the needy. We exploit the sources of the natural resources in moderation so that generations of our descendants can continue to depend on them, and we contribute to conserving, maintaining, and developing virtue, wealth and prosperity for our family, for society, and for the country.
C. 3. The third awakening training
The third
awakening training is that we respect the integrity of the family, including
spouses and children. We do not sexually abuse children, do not violate other
people’s chastity, and only have sexual relations with our lawful spouse.
Practicing the third awakening training means that we are aware to protect the
happiness of our parents, spouses and children; we contribute to bringing
peacefulness, feelings of joy and good repute to our family, relatives, village
and society.
In order to connect the lineage
of the clan temple, lay Buddhists should marry and have children and
grandchildren. In order to continue the lineage of the sages and to inherit,
descend, light up the torch of the Dharma and light up that of love, monastic
Buddhists must spare much time to take care of cultivation, study, meditation,
the spread of the Dharma and the help of many people. Those who take up the
monastic life in order to live a calm and pure life must not be bound by ties
to family and children.
C. 4. The
fourth awakening training
The fourth awakening training is
that we respect the truth and have estimable respect for everyone, including
our grandparents, parents, teachers, friends, etc. We do not tell a lie do not
speak an embellishing word,[14]do
not speak a piercing word,[15]do
not speak a rough word, do not speak vague and unclear information, do not
speak aspiring and avaricious words, do not speak words of creating dissension,
discord and disharmony,[16]etc.
Practicing the fourth awakening training
means we are awake to say words of the truth, the right, those of confidence,
harmony, reconciliation and gentleness, those of affection, softness,
sweetness, easiness of hearing, and easiness of love, words of the useful value
of building and bringing faith, prestige, harmony, solidarity, and love of
authentic brotherhood and sisterhood to ourselves, to the others, to family, to
relatives, and to the larger community of the world.
C. 5. The fifth awakening training
The fifth awakening training is
that we respect peacefulness, tranquility, quietness, steadiness, and
carefreeness for the many, including us, our relatives, beloved ones, and
neighbors. We do not drink alcoholic drinks, do not smoke, do not watch depraved
films, pornographic internet content, pictures, and photographs; especially we
absolutely do not use opium and drugs.
Practicing the fifth awakening
thing means that we do not violate the above awakening things. We who cultivate
the awakening things mindfully are careful to protect our healthy and wholesome
bodies, our perspicacious and lucid minds for ourselves and for others. We contribute
to building and bringing prestige and confidence of peacefulness and happiness to
our native land and homeland.
By consistently practicing the
five above awakening things, we not only help ourselves, but also help
innumerable living things and living beings on this planet. We contribute to
protecting the environment and habitat for this earth. Through our practice, we
can bring flowers and fruits of authentic peacefulness, happiness, and peace to
the world of humankind today.”[17]
In the
Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga),[18] the
awakening things or the Dharma Precepts have the noble titles defined as
follows:
“The World-Honored One's Dharma Precepts,
the Disciplince (Vinaya) - right mindfulness we have been practicing
Are the perfect precepts body
Are the never torn precepts body
Are the never polluted precepts body
Are the never blotched precepts body
Are the never mottled precepts body
Are the precepts body
praised and admired by the wise
Are the precepts body with
the ability to protect freedom
Are the precepts body
leading us to fearlessness
Are the precepts body
leading us to right concentration
Are the precepts body
leading us to insight
are the precepts body
leading us to deliverance and happiness forever.”[19]
D. Song of happiness in meditation practice
D. Song of happiness in meditation practice
While applying meditation
practice, we can practice sitting meditation, breathing meditation, walking
meditation, etc. In order that a period of activity today increases vividly, I sing
a song of happiness first, you sing it after, and then we sing it together.
“Happiness is here and now
I have dropped my worries
Nothing to do, nowhere to go
There is no need for hurry
Happiness is here and now
I have dropped my worries
Something to go, somewhere to go
As we complete the period of our Buddha Dharma
exchange today, we hope that you - students, your parents, and your teachers,
are very glad to have learnt and exchanged the Buddha Dharma, and are eager to
put it into their daily practice for yourselves, for other people, for society,
and for life today and tomorrow.
Indeed, through the period of this Buddha Dharma
exchange, although we have spent only about one and half hour of watch
exchanging the Buddha Dharma, the period of Dharma talk today has had the
ability to nurture and to water the seeds of peacefulness and freshness into
your minds and others’ minds.
Finally, on behafl of Dharma Brothers and Sisters
at the Cổ Lâm Temple, I would like to wish you, your parents, and your teachers
who are present at this Dharma Center peace and happiness right here and right
now in the present life.
May you dwell peacefully in and permeate the
World-Honored One’s Dharma!
By Thích Trừng Sỹ
_______________________
[1] The three Refuges are found in the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (Setting the Dharma Wheel in motion) of Samyutta Nikaya (the Connected Discourses of the Buddha), 56: 11. In the Deer Park (Sarnath, Migadāya), the five brothers of Elder Kondanna and other disciples had good opportunity to see the Buddha, to hear, and to instill His Dharma, they would like to invite Him to make their Teacher by reading up the three refuges of Triple Gem: The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. After that, they became His disciples.
[2] See http://www.urbandharma.org/pdf/paligram.pdf pp. 68 or 86-7
[3] See http://www.aimwell.org/assets/PathofPurification2011.pdf Part II, Chapter VII, pp. 188 - 209.
[4] Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh’s ceremonial Verse. See http://langmai.org/phat-duong/thien-mon-nhat-tung/cong-phu-sang-thu-hai
[5] See http://www.urbandharma.org/pdf/paligram.pdf pp. 68 or 86-7.
[6] See http://www.aimwell.org/assets/PathofPurification2011.pdf Part II, Chapter VII, pp. 209 - 215.
[7] Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh’s ceremonial verse, or See http://langmai.org/phat-duong/thien-mon-nhat-tung/cong-phu-sang-thu-hai
[8] See http://www.urbandharma.org/pdf/paligram.pdf pp. 68 or 86-7.
[9] See http://www.aimwell.org/assets/PathofPurification2011.pdf Part II, Chapter VII, pp. 215 - 218.
[10] Sotāpanna means the noble person who enters the first holy stream is called the stream-entry (Sotāpatti phala), the stream-winner, or the stream-enterer (Sotāpanna). This person has attained the Path (Magga) (i) and the fruition (Phala) (ii) of Sotāpanna. Sakadāāmī means the noble person who enters the second holy stream is called the once-returner (Sakadāāmī phala). This person has attained the Path (Magga) (iii) and the fruition (Phala) (iv) of Sakadāāmī. Anāgāmī means the noble person who enters the third holy stream is called the non-returner (Anāgāmī phala). This person has attained the Path (Magga) (v) and the fruition (Phala) (vi) of Anāgāmī. S. Arahanta = or P. Arahant means the noble person who enters the fourth holy stream is called the one who has been deserved to be offered (1), who has killed the enemies of afflictions (2), who has broken the evil things completely (3), who has made maras of defilements terrified (4), who has ended the samsara of birth and death (5). This person has attained the Path (Magga) (vii) and the fruition (Phala) (viii) of Arahanta.(i) and (ii) as one pair, (iii) and (iv) as one pair, (v) and (vi) as one pair, (vii) and (viii) as one pair, all consist of four pairs. Calculating from the Path (Magga) and the fruition (Phala) of (i) to the Path (Magga) and the fruition (Phala) of (viii), we totally have the four pairs and the eight fruitions of holy persons (Cattāri purisayugāni aṭṭha purisapuggalā).
[11] See http://www.aimwell.org/assets/
[12] Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh’s ceremonial verse
[13] As above.
[14] Speaking embellishing word means going to person A we say person B is good and going to person B we say person A is good, and vice versa. Not speaking embellishing word means we should say the peaceful and helpful matters to everybody.
[15] Speaking piercing word means going to this person we say that person is not good, going to that person we say this person is not good. Not speaking piercing word means we should say the Dharma things to bring happiness to ourselves and to the others right in the world.
[16] See Samyuktāgama Sūtra, N. 785.
[17] See Thich Trung Sy. The Path of Buddhist Education. Ha Noi: Religious Publishing House, 2009, p. 118-134 in Vietnamese.
[18] See http://www.aimwell.org/assets/PathofPurification2011.pdf Part II, Chapter VII, pp. 218-9.
[19] As above or see Vietnamese http://langmai.org/phat-duong/thien-mon-nhat-tung/cong-phu-chieu-chu-nhat
[20] See http://www.aimwell.org/assets/PathofPurification2011.pdf Part II, Chapter VII, pp. 218-9.
[21] See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2Te53Vvzn0&feature=related
_______________________
[1] The three Refuges are found in the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (Setting the Dharma Wheel in motion) of Samyutta Nikaya (the Connected Discourses of the Buddha), 56: 11. In the Deer Park (Sarnath, Migadāya), the five brothers of Elder Kondanna and other disciples had good opportunity to see the Buddha, to hear, and to instill His Dharma, they would like to invite Him to make their Teacher by reading up the three refuges of Triple Gem: The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. After that, they became His disciples.
[2] See http://www.urbandharma.org/pdf/paligram.pdf pp. 68 or 86-7
[3] See http://www.aimwell.org/assets/PathofPurification2011.pdf Part II, Chapter VII, pp. 188 - 209.
[4] Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh’s ceremonial Verse. See http://langmai.org/phat-duong/thien-mon-nhat-tung/cong-phu-sang-thu-hai
[5] See http://www.urbandharma.org/pdf/paligram.pdf pp. 68 or 86-7.
[6] See http://www.aimwell.org/assets/PathofPurification2011.pdf Part II, Chapter VII, pp. 209 - 215.
[7] Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh’s ceremonial verse, or See http://langmai.org/phat-duong/thien-mon-nhat-tung/cong-phu-sang-thu-hai
[8] See http://www.urbandharma.org/pdf/paligram.pdf pp. 68 or 86-7.
[9] See http://www.aimwell.org/assets/PathofPurification2011.pdf Part II, Chapter VII, pp. 215 - 218.
[10] Sotāpanna means the noble person who enters the first holy stream is called the stream-entry (Sotāpatti phala), the stream-winner, or the stream-enterer (Sotāpanna). This person has attained the Path (Magga) (i) and the fruition (Phala) (ii) of Sotāpanna. Sakadāāmī means the noble person who enters the second holy stream is called the once-returner (Sakadāāmī phala). This person has attained the Path (Magga) (iii) and the fruition (Phala) (iv) of Sakadāāmī. Anāgāmī means the noble person who enters the third holy stream is called the non-returner (Anāgāmī phala). This person has attained the Path (Magga) (v) and the fruition (Phala) (vi) of Anāgāmī. S. Arahanta = or P. Arahant means the noble person who enters the fourth holy stream is called the one who has been deserved to be offered (1), who has killed the enemies of afflictions (2), who has broken the evil things completely (3), who has made maras of defilements terrified (4), who has ended the samsara of birth and death (5). This person has attained the Path (Magga) (vii) and the fruition (Phala) (viii) of Arahanta.(i) and (ii) as one pair, (iii) and (iv) as one pair, (v) and (vi) as one pair, (vii) and (viii) as one pair, all consist of four pairs. Calculating from the Path (Magga) and the fruition (Phala) of (i) to the Path (Magga) and the fruition (Phala) of (viii), we totally have the four pairs and the eight fruitions of holy persons (Cattāri purisayugāni aṭṭha purisapuggalā).
[11] See http://www.aimwell.org/assets/
[12] Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh’s ceremonial verse
[13] As above.
[14] Speaking embellishing word means going to person A we say person B is good and going to person B we say person A is good, and vice versa. Not speaking embellishing word means we should say the peaceful and helpful matters to everybody.
[15] Speaking piercing word means going to this person we say that person is not good, going to that person we say this person is not good. Not speaking piercing word means we should say the Dharma things to bring happiness to ourselves and to the others right in the world.
[16] See Samyuktāgama Sūtra, N. 785.
[17] See Thich Trung Sy. The Path of Buddhist Education. Ha Noi: Religious Publishing House, 2009, p. 118-134 in Vietnamese.
[18] See http://www.aimwell.org/assets/PathofPurification2011.pdf Part II, Chapter VII, pp. 218-9.
[19] As above or see Vietnamese http://langmai.org/phat-duong/thien-mon-nhat-tung/cong-phu-chieu-chu-nhat
[20] See http://www.aimwell.org/assets/PathofPurification2011.pdf Part II, Chapter VII, pp. 218-9.
[21] See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2Te53Vvzn0&feature=related
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