Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Seasonal children program with help from the volunteers.
Here is an interesting question.
in Christianity, the God controls the people life and destiny.
in Buddhism, the kamma plays an important role to determine destiny, future life and good and bad. So, can we say God =Kamma?

let us continue to go in this direction of thought.
let us assume Kamma =God. what is the role of the Buddha then? is the Buddha less powerful than Kamma?

Answer:
In Christianity, the God controls the people life and destiny.
In Buddhism, the kamma plays an important role to determine destiny, future life and good and bad.
so, can we say God =Kamma?"

In Buddhism, there is no almighty, all controller God. so, this God does not exist, but kamma does exist. so God does not equal to Kamma.

Kamma is considered as non material, so it is a kind of power or condition according to the 24 conditions (patthana).

Kamma happens to all sentient beings, including the Buddha.

Once someone become a Buddha and also arahant, because of no defilements, the actions he done is no longer called kamma, it is called kiriya or functional.

After he passes away, he has no rebirth,  he escapes from the round of rebirths and deaths, in this way, he escape from the working of kamma.
Thus, the Buddha is more powerful than the working of kamma.

Sunday, July 2, 2017

What to do when the mind is very boring?
1. Observe the state of boredom
2. Observe the mind is looking for external stimulation
3. Observe it makes this 'I' or self crazy with boredom, and trying desperately to escape from it.
What kind of knowledge can we get from these observations?

Because of tanha and upadana,  craving and clinging one cannot stay quiet,  but crave for sensual objects.

When one contemplates the boring mind, one can see it is a kind of thought,  or a kind of mental feeling. This arises and passes away, and follows by another thought/feeling. By Vipassana practice, one can get wearied of this boredom, and get to know the impermanent nature of this boredom.

What other knowledge can we get when seeing the mind bored with boredom? One can see suffering, the boring mind is a suffering by itself.

One can see anatta or non-self, the boring mind comes even when this self or i does not want it, this proves that this I or self does not exist at all.

Yes, one can see anicca, dukkha and anatta,
In fact, bad experience like boring, sadness etc. is the best teacher in our life.

Vipassana is the best practice,  because one can practice the four foundation of mindfulness at any time and any place. Like the contemplation of mind can be done even when you read Facebook.


This is the Dhamma lesson on the contemplation of boring mind. When you feel bored, do take it as meditation object.

With noting, when you are able to breakthrough the boredom, you will feel the 'renouncement' from defilements, and freedom.

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