“ HOW TO SEARCH FOR A NOBLE FRIEND ”

BY NAYAKA MYITTHA SAYADAW, VEN.U VASAVA

MAHASI MEDITATION CENTRE, YANGON, MYANMAR

The title of today’s Dhamma talk is “How to search for a noble or good friend. Kalyana-mitta in Pali, meaning a good virtuous person wishing for one’s welfare and prosperity.A good friend is highly essential for the worldly and spiritual progress.  If one is devoid of a good friend and associated with feign and treacherous persons, one’s life is not only unprofitable, but will meet with disaster.

To cite as evidence, during the Lord Buddha’s lifetime, there lived at Benares in India, a wealthy multi-millionaire named Mahadhana.  Instead of studying and learning education, professional or business management for his livelihood, he squandered all his riches in pursuit of sense pleasures with a group of evil and treacherous companions.  As the time passed on, his wealth became exhausted and he had to lead a life of destitute beggar.  In connection with this episode, the Lord Buddha commented as follows:

(1)  If he had exerted in his first youthful age in association with good friends on business and trade, he could become a top grade rich man in Benares.  If he had joined the Sangha Order in my teaching and strived, he could have attained arahathood free from mental defilements.

(2)  If he had made an effort in his middle age of social life, he could become a second grade rich man and in my teaching, he could achieve three stages of Path and Fruition and became a noble Anagami person.

(3)  If he could only repent in his third final stage and strive, hi could become a third grade rich man in worldly life and he could attain Sakadagami-hood in my religious Order, attaining two stages of Path and Fruition.

Now let us continue to make a note of the conversation between the Lord Buddha and Ven. Ananda.  At one time, while Ven. Ananda was contemplating in seclusion, it occurred to his mind that ” to associate with a noble friend can result in half accomplishment.”  He then expressed his thought to the Lord Buddha to get the right answer.  The Lord Buddha rejected saying ” Ananda, do not say so , ” and continued “Ananda, in this world, by associating with a noble friend one can achieve full accomplishment. ” Indeed, by approaching the Noblest of the noble friends like me, beings attain liberation from afflictions of old age, sickness and death and also freedom from rebirth in woeful states.

Further, let us take a lesson from the Lord Buddha’s discourse on four kinds of friends recorded in Samyutta Nikaya, mitta sutta; While the Lord Buddha was residing in Jetavana monastery in Savatthi, a celestial deva approached the Lord Buddha in the middle of the night and put forth the questions as follows:

Oh! Lord Buddha-

Who could be a good friend for a traveler?

Who could be a good friend in one’s home?

Who could be a good friend in social or business dealings?

Who could be a good friend for the future rebirth?

The Lord Buddha answered the deva’s questions thus.

Oh! Deva one who accompanies the traveler on the journey offers both physical and moral support which may alleviate tiresomeness on the way.

In a home, parents are noble friends because the mother has to bear the foetus in her womb and the father has to provide all the requisites.  From the time of delivery parents have to nurture the newborn through all the milestones of age, breast feeding, teaching all the worldly education for proper and moral behavior, providing all necessary requisites of life to their utmost.

Good social friend or business associate is one who is helpful in times of need both materially and psychologically or who reciprocates in good deeds and work for mutual benefit.  Selfish and one-sided exploiter cannot be taken as a true friend.  Then, a noble friend is not only needed for this single life, but essential also in future rebirths until one attain Nibbana.  Hence, the wise use to say ” Always be prudent. ”

Let us continue to study the Lord Buddha’s exposition with regard to this fact about a noble friend for the future rebirth,  practicing personally with noble intention of generous offering of givers and requisites (Dana), observance of moral virtue (Sila), repeated contemplation (Bhavana), etc.  the ten skilful practices, abandoning the unwholesome deeds (Puññakiriyavatthu).  One can only be at peace when one has these (10) noble friends for future rebirths as companions.

So, may all you meditators be able to search and associate in worldly life as well as noble friends of dana, sila,bhavana for the future rebirths and attain perpetual bliss of Nibbana freedom from suffering.

Sadhu!…    Sadhu!…    Sadhu!

“ HOW TO LIVE WITHOUT ANXIETY ”

BY NAYAKA MYITTHA SAYADAW, VEN.U VASAVA

MAHASI MEDITATION CENTRE, YANGON, MYANMAR

Today, I will deliver a Dhamma talk on living a life free from anxiety or grief.  This troubled state of mind in the pali language is known as Soka.  According to the Abhidhamma,it is Domanassa Cetasika-dukkha-vedana, a mentally painful or disagreeable feeling.  Grief or anxiety is always associated with antipathy and grudge, and is therefore karmically unwholesome.

Everyone wishes to live peacefully and happily, free from anxiety or grief.  Yet, they are inevitably afflicted with grief somehow or other in their lifetime.  When we scrutinize the root cause, it is found that people are immersed in a woeful state due to one of five forms of loss:

When one encounters any of these five forms of loss, one is overwhelmed by anxiety or grief.  Other causes of anxiety or grief include the four Asavas or corruptions:  1. delusion  2. craving        3. wrong view and         4. ignorance.

It is most important to know how to expel grief or anxiety, and it cannot be done through scientific experiments.  It can only be achieved by the Lord Buddha’s Dhamma.  The Lord Buddha has advocated the sure way to eradicate grief in his admonishment of the Satipatthäna Sutta, or The Four Foundations of Mindfulness:  Oh! Dear sons and daughters! “Ekayano.”  There is no other way, Satipatthäna Meditation is the one and only way for you all to attain Nibbana, deliverance from anxiety, grief and suffering.

Now let us study someone who made use of the Lord Buddha’s admonishment to eliminate grief as recorded in the Canonical texts.  The incident took place in the Indian Capital city of Rajagaha over 2500 years ago.  At that time, the Lord Buddha was residing at the King Bimbisara maharaja’s Veluvana garden monastery.  It was the custom of the laity to seek solace from the Buddha, Dahmma and Sangha whenever they were afflicted with calamities.  One day, King Bimbisara’s youthful son, prince Abhaya Rajakumara appeared before the Lord Buddha.  He bowed down in front of Lord Buddha, wailing and imploring to quench his grief stricken heart at the death of his beloved dancing girl.

The accident happened at the height of a party for the youthful prince given to honor his victorious achievements on the battle field. The King father granted his son seven days of sovereign power including all the luxuries and grandeur.  On the last day of festivities, while the young beautiful dancer was charming the youthful prince through her art and craft, she dropped dead at the climax of the garden revelry.

He was so tormented by this harsh catastrophe that he felt as if his heart and soul were burning under a scorching sun.  In the midst of this tragedy, it occurred to him that the Lord Buddha was the only refuge which could alleviate his suffering.  In so thinking, he went to the Lord Buddha immediately after the cremation of the young dancing girl.   On arrival at the Lord Buddha’s monastery, he instantly entreated the Lord Buddha to extinguish his burning heart.  With a sweet compassionate voice, the Lord Buddha consoled him:  “Oh! young prince, bring yourself together, be mindful and not desperate.  Due to your firm attachment to this girl, you have shed an infinite amount of tears at the loss of her in your past existences.”  On hearing the Lord Buddha’s soothing words, the young prince’s grief was alleviated, and he became remorseful at the prospect of continuous rebirths and suffering.

Then, the Lord Buddha continued: “Now be attentive, be cautious and just consider how your body is like a King’s decorated coach which gradually losses it’s grandeur and will finally disintegrate.  Your body, a composite of five aggregates of physical and mental phenomena is impermanent, arises and dissolves moment to moment.  It is unsatifactory, impersonal, and not worthy of attachment.

While listening to the Lord Buddha, the young prince contemplated all physical and mental phenomena.  With clear comprehension, he perceived the impermanence of all meditation objects and their unsatisfactory and egoless nature.  His meditation insight progressed step by step and finally he realized Nibbana by achieving the Sotapatti Magga Ñana.  Thereby, he was delivered from suffering, and was suffused with bliss and tranquility.

So may all you meditators diligently practice the Satipatthäna Meditation, and attain various insights in the shortest possible time.

Sadhu!…    Sadhu!…    Sadhu!

“ FORESTER AND DEFORESTATION ”

BY NAYAKA MYITTHA SAYADAW, VEN.U VASAVA

MAHASI MEDITATION CENTRE, YANGON, MYANMAR

The title of today’s Dhamma talk is “Forester and Deforestation.” Traditionally, people are either categorized as those who live in rural areas or those who live in the city.  In the spiritual sense, however, there is a different perspective.  In the common worldly life, an area of land covered by trees and undergrowth is called a “forest.”  In the spiritual sense, the mental defilements of greed, anger and delusion are regarded as thick forests, and those tainted with these defilements are said to be “Foresters.”  So, even people living in modernized cities are categorized as (Foresters) if they are not yet freed from mental defilements.

Here, we should try to understand the simile of “Forester and Deforestation.”  In the process of deforestation, the forester must:

Let us study an example cited by the Lord Buddha, during his lifetime in the capital city of Savatthi in India.  The five rich men of the city, after consulting with each other, renounced their household lives and entered the Sangha order.  One day, tormented by the death of an ex-wife, laywoman who had been attending to them personally, the five men wailed woefully.  When some nearby bhikkhus learned about their plight, they took them to the Lord Buddha and reported the matter.

The Lord Buddha admonished them in the following way: Oh! Dear son Bhikkhus, clear the thicket from the defilement forest.  The whole mass of suffering arises dependent on the defilement forest of rebirth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair.  So dear sons, clear the symbolized large and small trees and undergrowth of gross, moderate and subtle form of defilements.  Cut them down with the sharp iron sword of insight, Noble Path and Fruition knowledge.

Taking the Lord Buddha’s words into their hearts, the five ex-rich men bhikkhus, by establishing firm effort, a foot hold in the ground of morality, holding the wisdom iron sword in their hands of faith, sharpened on the concentration whet-stone, contemplated or cut down the trees and undergrowth (defilements), completed the deforestation process (eradicated the ego and skeptical doubt) and attained noble Path and Fruition knowledge.

May all you meditators complete the above “deforestation” process, and realize the Nibbana in the shortest possible time.

Sadhu!…          Sadhu!…          Sadhu!

“ DHANAÑJANI SUTTA ”

(BLACK & WHITE TUG-OF-WAR )

BY NAYAKA MYITTHA SAYADAW, VEN.U VASAVA

MAHASI MEDITATION CENTRE, YANGON, MYANMAR

Sadhu!       Sadhu!        Sadhu!