Dhamma Reflection on Learning and Practice

It will take me about 12 years from diploma to get Ph.D. (diploma 1 year, bachelor 2 years, master 4 years, one year waiting for preliminary Ph.D., Ph.D. 4 years) Not that I am crazy about getting a doctorate, or put a 'Dr. ' in my name, but I enjoy learning more Dhamma especially Pali and Abhidhamma. The process of learning is fun and interesting. and of course, 'back to school' and stay as a student receiving knowledge from the teachers keep the mind humble, and eager to learn more. If I continue to stay in a meditation in Malaysia or Myanmar, I do not have a chance to learn in a systematically way. I did spend 6 years in Lunas. Of course, I can pick up some knowledge regarding meditation. Once, I encountered an elderly Malaysian lady, she said 'No need to learn in university. You should just spend one month or two weeks learning under this famous sayadaw monk. This will be enough!' But how can this short time learning allow us to pick up consistent knowledge. Later, when we are doing a Dhamma translation and transcription project, she realized that we could do this because we have learned enough Dhamma to handle this project. Then her manners become nicer and more respectfully. Sometimes, we have to be very patient when meeting 'sarcastic-type' person, or 'off middle-path' type. Learning is helpful if it leads us to understand the Dhamma that we are supposed to penetrate and understand. So also, practice will be more interesting if it can explain the books/texts that we studied before. In brief, pariyatti (learning) and patipatti (practice) should go hand in hand. When practice becomes mature, one gets pativedha (realisation). However, if we do not know what to practice, then how to practice?? We are groping in the dark, searching for direction. If we know something regarding mind and matter, six sense bases, 12 bases, 18 elements , cause and effect, arising and passing away, or 89 minds, 52 mental factors, 28 matters, mind process, then we can try to see them in meditation. But the problem is when I go to visit meditation centres, the teachers always ask "When are you coming here to meditate?" or they give good advice - "Do not just focus on study! Do more practice!" Of course, they mean well. So also some people, renunciates or not, will say " Just meditate!" no need to learn a lot." At a certain stage of life, we just want to let go everything and plunge in to deep meditation. At other times, we just want to know the book dhamma, especially when we are do chanting, then the mind feels, "I got to know what is this, what is the grammar, what is the meaning of each words, and the relationship with others. I want to to study Pali, I want to study Abhidhamma." The mind is curious to explore the wide field of book dhamma. Then it is time to plunge in to deep study. After some time, the mind feels tired of study. "Tired already! Stressed already! I want to meditate." Packing up one's bag, one and off to meditation centre. That is what some students, after studying three years in my university, pack up everything, and stay in a meditation centre to meditate. This is a change of mind. Whatever it is, as a monk or nun,or a real Buddhist, if we can keep the mind in learning, or in meditation, or in chanting, our mind is pure and good. This is really world peace, we are peaceful internally, and do not give trouble to others! Others can give well-meaning advice, but one should listen to their ideas respectfully and patiently, and then choose the path that the heart really desires. As long as the heart is peaceful, the mind is bright and eager to learn and practice, then one makes own self useful to others and own self, then it is good. then we make enough merits for oneself and others. If someone asks, what is this merit? I will say ' the state of goodness'. A teacher says, we should have Ubayattha (benefits to both). I will clarify as: Attattha + Parattha = Ubayattha. (benefit to oneself) (benefit to others) = (benefits to both) If our life is filled with goodness and ends with goodness, living beneficially for own self and others, then good mind brings happiness and peacefulness right at the present moment. I think, that is what everyone wants, "Peaceful and Beneficial Life".