24 March 2024
Now in this March,
in the summer time, we have one month children and youth education. I teach the
youth computer and English. And my senior Sayagyi Aggavati takes care of young
ones and teaches Buddhist culture and
English. This is our paññādāna, offering of knowledge to the needy children and
youths. It is good to share our knowledge, good to cultivate bodhi seeds in
their young minds. We have few young ones staying here, from age 7 to 14.
It is a headache
dealing with some youths or teenagers here! At one moment, they look like angel or deva/devi, having nice manner and
cute like children, with the innocence and eagerness to learn. The next moment,
they are like Māra: disobedient, do whatever they want to do, hide their bad characteristic
and pretend to be a good one! One teenager came with her grandmother and stayed here. Her Grandmother said, before as
a child, she was very obedient. After moving on to teenagerhood, she became naughty
and disobedient.
At one moment, when
I talked to them, they seemed to be an adult, understand things and be able to
help tasks like sweeping and taking care of small kids. The next moment, they
forget everything, just talking endlessly, forget their duties, and even get
into arguments with the small kids! They become lazy, stubborn and difficult to talk to. This is because they are emotionally not stable
yet, not wise in nature!
But yet, some
teenager are born mature wise. This is called born with three roots which are non-greed,
non-hatred and non-delusion in Abhidhamma. From young, they like to contemplate
the meaning of life, seek to do good, wanting to help others, willing to
practise meditation and like chanting. When they see their relatives past away,
they understand the impermanence in life and the important of spirituality.
I think, some
of youths sent to our Buddhist centre are
lacking of wisdom, that is why their parents are willing to send to them here. This is for them to acquire more
discipline and morality, to learn Dhamma and learn to chant and do
meditation.
That is why, in
the Buddhist culture course, the children and youths chant every day and do
sitting meditation. Sayagyi Aggavati also teaches them some Dhamma like
Maṅgala sutta, 10 wholesome deeds and 10 unwholesome deeds. Today is a public holiday
-Full moon of Tabaung, one of the important full moon day. She brought the young
ones for pilgrimage, sight-seeing so that their minds are happy with religious
event.
At first, it
was very difficult to tame the monkey mind of those youths, which are jumping here
and there, doing whatever they like. I have to give Sayagyi Aggavati credit-she
spent many hours talking to them nicely, imparting knowledge, making friends to
them, made them understand the importance of discipline, obedience, hardworking,
education, and also believing in the Triple Gem and the working of kamma.
I think, not
all parents have this teenage rebellion problem. Some are so lucky as their
children are so good and sweet. In my home town, there was a devotee with 5 children.
She gave birth to them without much problem. Her husband had passed away when
her children was quite young. When she was tired, the children also kept quiet
and not disturbing her. They did not give her any problems at all. After she
suffered from a disease, they took turn to take care of her in their house. And
she passed away surrounded by children.
Her life was very
smooth and less obstacle. Her demeanor was always calm and quiet. Her children’s
manners are like her too. She was a serious Vipassanā practitioner and she
practised till her last moment. This kind of people like her have good
wholesome vipāka (result), so she enjoyed good human rebirth, had good
companion, good family and good Dhamma teacher and friends.
In conclusion,
if a child is born to parents who are wise like her, then the child will grow up to be wise.
Being born in a good family is the result of past kamma. Even if no such
good kamma, if they have the opportunity to learn Dhamma in a Buddhist center,
they can learn the ways to be wise, to avoid problems, to cultivate more good
minds. This is acquiring wholesome kamma in this life, thus creating good
kammic result in this life and future lives.
What is our
future destination? It is past results + present result. Our destiny is still
within our control, we can change it for it be a better result. That is why
Buddhism is a practical religion. It is not just a depressing religion talking
about suffering in life and impermanence of good things.
Now in our
centre, we are transforming those part-time māra youth into full time deva
youth. The process is still going on with four Brahmavihāra (mettā, karuṇā,
muditā, upekkhā) and require lots of equanimity in mind.
