Dhamma Articles

Dhamma Articles
1. What Buddhist Believe by Sayadaw Dr. Nandamala
2. Kaccanagottasutta by Sayadaw Dr. Nandamala.
    Discussion on what is right view.
3. Dhammanupassana from Philology points and Cause-Effect, by Sayalay Cala Theri
4. Quick guide to Buddhism for beginners [4 pages only] by Sayalay Cala Theri.

Dhamma Reflection

1. Loving-kindness and Forgiveness
2. Volunteering work
3. Learning and meditation

4. Taking Refuge and Modern Issues
5. End of Stress (dukkha) for everyone
6. Loving-kindness and forgiveness

Poems

Anger

Sometimes people get angry with us,

Sometimes we get angry with people,
We are boiling mad!
They are boiling mad!

Because of anger,
We lost all concentration,
We have no mindfulness,
We only get anger.



Why do they angry?
Because they do not obtain their wishes,
Because we do not follow their ways,
So they get angry with us.

Why do we get angry?
Because we do not obtain our wishes,
So we get angry with ourselves and them.
So anger burns ourselves exhaustively.

How to cure anger?
Realizing anger is hatred-root,
Realizing anger is due to attachment,
When we desire it, but cannot get it,
So desire leads to hatred.

To stop anger is easy,
Just stop the attachment,
Just stop the desire,
Just aware things are impermanent.

Why cling to impermanent things,
Since this body is also impermanent,
Since this life is also impermanent,
We can take nothing from this life, except own good deeds.

Anger spoils good deeds,
It weakens good intention,
It causes one look like 'selfish old girl/boy'
It makes one very egoistic.

Beware of anger!
It is an evil one!
It pretends that we are right,
But actually we are wrong.

It spoils our good reputation,
It spoils our good nature,
It leaves nothing but rotten nature.
It leaves nothing except guilt.

When the dream doesn’t come true!



I had a big dream of going overseas, 
To further my studies, to improve my knowledge
Days and night, I planned with my sister,
We discussed and thinking many times.
We had big dreams and high hopes,

Happily we lived in our dream, 
My dream was her dream,
And her dream was my dream
Then I received the news,
I was not selected at all,

The dream was burst,
All plannings come to naught.
We were in surprise,
and couldn’t believe at first.
How we cherished the dream!
How we loved that dream!

But then this bad news was good news.
Now, we have finished that dream,
And realized the emptiness of that dream.
It was daydreaming and night-planning.

If the kamma is there, it will be fulfilled,
If the kamma is not there, it will not be fulfilled.
Though we do things with diligence and effort,
But maybe ‘fate’ prefers us to stay in Myanmar.

Now, we get on with our lives in Myanmar,
We move to next planning in charity works,
Maybe we continue to dream more,
But dreaming makes us happy.

Whatever fulfilled or unfulfilled dreams,
We have many hopes for the future,
Even though some hopes left unfulfilled,

But least we have beautiful hopes!        

Dhamma reflection: Dialogue between a boy with a mother on the topic of impermanence and appreciating life.

[Boy said:]
Mum,mum, Come here and look.
The cup is broken by me.
I am so sorry about it.
I really apologize for it.

[Mum said:]
It is alright, boy.
No problem, boy.
The cup is made of glass,
So, it will be broken easily.

[Boy said:]
Why are you not angry with me?
Why do you not scold me?
Normally, you always get angry,
When I break any things, mum.

[Mum said:]
Today I realize the nature of things,
Things are impermanent,
Transient in nature.
Things get broken, sooner and later.

As long as we treasured it before,
Have used it before,
Really appreciated it before,
So it fulfilled its purpose.

We see things in positive way, son,
We see things in useful way, son,
We have used the cup to hold the water.
We have used the cup to drink from it.
It lets our body be cool and without thirst.

The cup has finished its function.
So, we are happy with it.
Now, the cup is broken.
Never mind, the cup has done its duty.

Let's us buy another cup.
Let's us appreciate another cup.
So too, we live in this moment, appreciating what we have.
So also, we live in this life, appreciating each other.

Impurity of the body

Beauty is only skin deep.

This is the truth, but who wants to know?

We spend money on clothes, decoration,

To beautiful this body.

It looks beautiful on outside,

It is really ugly inside.

Full of impure things,

urine, feces, sweat, snot.

We need to take care of it,

Bath it, feed it, groom it.

Taking care of it every day,

Day and night.

Yet it lets us down

By aging, sickness and death.

Not so say we should ignore it,

Because we still need it.

Just as the boat carrying passengers to other shore,

So also the body carrying us to the truth.

From the body, we learn the truth:

Impurity, impermanence, suffering and non-self.

Though it shows us this truth,

We choose to ignore it.

Welcome to the truth,

If you really like the truth.


Dhamma Reflection on Forgiveness

This time is a smooth time, after going up and down,
In the peacefulness, I learn to be gratitude.
In the turmoil time, I learn to be patience.

When making mistakes in life, I check my own motivation.
When people making mistakes, I learn to forgive them.
For my own mistake, I learn to forgive myself, and to improve further.


As the Buddha says, 
There is only mind and matter, 
There is no 'I' or self.
Due to the defilement in this 'I', 
so this 'I' are making mistakes, 
small or big,

So regrets float up in mind, 
once in a while,
Thoughts come and go,
Happy thoughts make me happy,
Sad thoughts make me sad.

By understand meditation
or mental cultivation, or mental development,
means seeing the truth, removing the false view,
So this 'I' understand this 'my mistakes' 
Is due to defilements in this mind.

It is good to forgive others,
It is good to forgive myself,
Why I choose to live in regrets?
When I can choose to live in wisdom.

If this life is a biggest lesson in the world,
Let me cultivate good, develop wisdom,
Let me a true disciple of the Buddha,
Let me be someone who is wise and good.

Sharing to you, from me, at this time, at this moment.