Last Saturday’s talk was by Sister Jolene. The points were taken down by Sister Soo Lan. In this talk, “Tide” refers to greed, hatred and delusion.
- GREED (in Pali is called Lohba)
| Definition of Lobha | Attraction to an object and unable to let go of it due to attachments or clinging to the idea that it will bring us gratification. |
| Analogy | The Monkey Trap
There was once a hunter who decided to catch a monkey. He hollowed a coconut such that the hole can only fit the arm of a regular size monkey and put some pleasant food into the coconut hole. Then he tied this coconut onto a coconut tree. Attracted by the fragrance of the food, a monkey came and put his arm into the hole. He grabbed a fistful of food; however he could not get his fist out because the trap was designed such that the hole is only big enough for a arm but not a fist. So the monkey is trapped by its greed by refusing to uncurl its fingers and let go of the food. However if it lets go of the food (represents greed), he will be freed of the trap (represents attachment) which brings him suffering.
“Truly dangerous are gains, honours and fame. Concerning this, I have known a man, reading his mind, who even for the sake of a golden bowl filled with silver nuggets would not deliberately tell a lie.
That same man have I seen at another time telling lies because his heart was obsessed by gains, honours and fame. Truly dangerous are gains, honours and fame.”
- Samyutta Nikaya
|
- HATRED (in Pali is called Dosa)
| Definition of Dosa | Hatred, anger, ill will, animosity, aversion, annoyance, irritation, resentment. |
| Analogy | Every one of us experience dosa in big and small ways for example, it could be simple things like having irritation when the lift or MRT does not arrive immediately as we hoped or even things like aversion towards bitter gourd. |
- Delusion (in Pali is called Moha)
| Definition of Moha | Delusion or ignorance. It has the characteristics of mental blindness or non-knowing as Moha conceals the true nature of an object. |
| Analogy | “’Delusion’ (moha) has the characteristic of blindness or opposition to knowledge; the essence of non-penetration or the function of covering the intrinsic nature of the object; the manifestation of being opposed to right conduct or causing blindness; the proximate cause of unwise attention; and it should be regarded as the root of all akusala”- The ‘Atthasālinī’ ( Book II, Part IX, Ch.1, 249) |
So now that we have understood what is the “Tide”, we can learn how to swim against it in order to achieve non-greed, non-hatred and non-delusion.
- NON-GREED (in Pali is called Alohba)
| Definition of Alobha | Lack of desire or non-adherence or non-attachments to worldly things or worldly existence. |
| How to practise | This can be done through practising generosity and renunciation. This kind of charity is characterised by giving freely good things that give rise to wholesome results with reverence, thoughtfulness and good will. |
- NON-HATRED (in Pali is called adosa)
| Definition of Adosa | Characterised by kindness, friendliness, sympathy and the absence of ill-will. |
| How to practise | This can be done through practising loving kindness and forgiveness. True loving kindness is unconditionally and sincerely wishing our self and others to be happy. |
- NON-Delusion (in Pali is called Amoha)
| Definition of Amoha | Non-delusion |
| How to practise | Amoha can be achieved through gaining penetrating wisdom of perceiving things as they are. Thus wisdom can arise via these 3 ways:- One’s reflection.
- Listening or studying the dhamma.
- Mental development through meditation. Meditation helps in calming the mind, improving clarity and hence concentration. Discomfort during meditation also helps us to understand the nature of impermanence.
“Though we are born into this world we fail to see the world. We are entranced by it. We become addicted to the world, that is to say, addicted to forms, sounds, smells, flavors and tactile sensations.
But these things of the world don’t last. Arising and ceasing, they undergo change and transformation over time. For this reason the Buddha cautioned his disciples: Look at this world, beautiful and enticing, like a royal chariot. Hose without wisdom are bound by the world. But those who now are not bound.”
- Ajahn Anan
“To whatever extent humans seek for happiness outside themselves, the farther they are away from the happiness within. But those who make the effort to seek the happiness of the heart can find a happiness that doesn’t fade. It’s for his reason that all of you should seek the Dhamma.”
- Ajahn Anan
“Though we are born into this world, we fail to see the world.To whatever extent humans seek happiness outside themselves, the further away they are from happiness inside themselves”
- Ajahn Anan
|
No comments:
Post a Comment