"The Hunger for Suffering" by Bro Wen Jie - 25 October

All teachings have the 4 Noble Truths and Eightfold Path as their backbone. Trying to acquire more knowledge is good, but if one is acquiring for one's ego there is little wisdom acquired.

People are influenced by culture eg Japanese, Korean; they unconsciously take it on. The Buddhist practice is a culture as well.

When taking on a culture, doubts arise eg why do guys perm hair? Question the use of metal chopsticks, if they'll be scalding if the food is hot?

Similarly, in the Buddhist practice we may start questioning a lot. The Buddha encourages us to investigate the teachings for ourselves, but if there are too much doubts, they become hindrances such that we end up not taking on the culture, and not learning. An issue is that we carry our baggages and past opinions and as a result we may not be receptive. Eg we may question: why bother making a room extra clean for a monk when we find it clean enough? This is because it is a way to repay the kindness of the monk, who teaches us and can't receive money for his service. In fact, doing these things train the mind. Staying with monks we see how mindful they are even with little things; they have 227 precepts and need to have a high level of mindfulness to keep them.

After immersing in the culture for some time then we start to understand.

When deciding whether to clean or not, defilements, excuses of laziness kick in. Realize that confusion all boils down to wanting to know. We will know when we arrive at the state of mind where there is no confusion. Confusion affects meditation; the mind will always run and never be still when the meditator is not sharp enough.

The hard part is immersing oneself in the culture. The biggest issue is ego; having own ideas and being unwilling to submit oneself to the culture. For example, one may not see the point of bowing, or the Thai male and female ways of kneeling.

Question ourselves: what is the practice? It transforms us and we can do what we already do better. It is submitting oneself to the routine in a monastery with no questions.

Like going to the gym, the first time we just ache. Keep going and develop muscles. Keep going in the practice. It's about the  Noble Eightfold Path but our issue is submitting ourselves to it.

3 aspects of each Noble Truth.

1st Noble Truth

Statement: there is suffering.

Prescription: suffering should be understood.

What is suffering? What is there to be understood?

Buddha never explained suffering because we all know what it is. The problem with us is that we don't know what causes it. Clinging to 5 Aggregates; things that are impermanent brings it about. We think that other things cause suffering. We watch tv, eat good food etc because we think not having those is suffering.

Result: suffering has been understood.

2nd Noble Truth

Statement: the cause of suffering is desire.

Prescription: desire has to be let go of.

We don't see birth, aging, sickness, death, especially when we are young and think our youth and energy is permanent. We cling to it.

When we have pain eg during meditation, we don't realise that when we are about to die, the pain will be a lot more severe. About all of the dying patients in hospitals are prescribed antidepressants; we have the delusion that we won't be like them.

Result: desire has been let go of.

3rd Noble Truth

Statement: there is a way out of suffering.

Prescription: the way out of suffering should be realised.

Result: the way out of suffering has been realised.

4th Noble Truth

Statement: the way out of suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path.

Prescription: the Noble Eightfold Path should be cultivated.

Result: the Noble Eightfold Path has been cultivated.

It sounds simplistic but can only be internalized by immersing ourselves in the practice.

None of us are lacking in effort and energy. The problem is that we put these  into the wrong things. Eg IPPT used to be effortless for Bro Wen Jie, but as he aged he trained hard but barely passed. Other egs are knowledge, money, girlfriend etc. These things are acquired but they will go one day. Hence we are wasting our time in a way. The practice is what will go up and not come down in the present and future lives as long as we are consistent. Therefore putting energy to it is important. Hence the need for Right View.

Chanki Sutta

The Buddha was having a conversation with a group of older Brahmins when a young Brahmin interjected. The Buddha told him off for doing so but the older Brahmins wanted to let him speak as he was very smart. The young Brahmin asked the Buddha questions.

Wise position: if you are not awakened, when asked a question you should say "as far as I know this is true but for the rest, I don't know."

To decide on whether to follow a teacher, observe him and see if he does not have greed, hatred and delusion. If he passes then visit him and listen to what he has to say and remember it. Then penetrate the meaning. If it makes sense to you, come into agreement with the Dhamma. Upon having the desire to listen to it more, contemplate the teachings even more ie do in your practice. Then exert yourself by putting in energy into the practice. Then you will penetrate the truth even more. Repeat the cycle until you arrive at a truth. This is where the greatest safeguard is.

One has to be discerning, and most importantly exert it to have right view.