love changes everything

The Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta The Sermon That Led to the Birth of Buddhism ^5C www.kalyanamitra.org

# The Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta is the Buddha's most important discourse as it led to the birth of Buddhism. The debut sutta covers all the core teachings of the Buddha, namely: the Four Noble Truths, the Middle Way and the Noble Eightfold Path. Together, they represent the backbone of the Dhamma upon which all the 84,000 units of the Buddha's teachings are based. It is the one and only sermon that all Buddhas delivered in common. For some Buddhas, it is the only sermon they ever gave, while it is true that disciple monks can also give sermons, only Buddhas have the capacity to give the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, www.kalyanamitra.org

the first teaching that laid the foundation for all the subsequentBuddhistteachings.Because ofits paramount importance, all Buddhists should commit this sutta to memory through regฟar chanting. The debut sermon was given this Pali name, meaning \"The Discourse That Sets Turning the wheel of Truth\". Notice that the last word is \"Truth\" rather than teachings. The reason is that the Buddha teaches truth. For example, he did not invent the Law of Karma. He merely discovered that there is such a thing in nature as the Law of Karma which has always been with the world whether or not the Buddha discovered it. Due to ignorance, people act against the Law of Karma and later suffer what they call \"bad luck,\" which in fact is the consequence of their own n^ative karma. There are many truths in nature but the Buddha chose to teach only those truths that are superior to all other truths because they pertain to www.kalyanamitra.org

1) ending suffering of all kinds permanently and 2) leading to eternal and unconditional happiness. All other truths and branches of knowledge such as occupational knowledge and sciences are secondary because they are mere supportive elements. Ultimately, what everyone wants is happiness and freedom from pain. In that light, studying and practicing the Dhamma is a necessity - not a luxury. While he was a young prince, the Buddha studied 18 branches of knowledge and became an expert in all. Yet, he chose not to teach any of them. Considering the brevity and fragility of a human life, the Buddha cut right to the chase and taught only what matters the most. The Buddha's first discourse was given this name also because it marks the start of Buddhist promul gation - hence, the simile of turning the wheel of Truth. In the case of Gautama Buddha, the promul gation began when he gave his first sermon to an www.kalyanamitra.org

audience of five ascetics. These ascetics used to accompany him while he was experimenting with self-mortification. As a result, one of the ascetics, Kondhanna, achieved the first level of Enlightenment and was subsequently ordained as the first monk disciple. Now that the Buddha, the Dhamma (his teachings) and the Sangha(community of Enlightened monk disciples) were present. Buddhism was born. That historic fullmoon day came to be known as the \"Asalha Puja Day\". One might wonder at which point ascetic Kondhanna became a Buddhist monk since he was dressed as an ascetic while listening to the Buddha's first sermon. As an ascetic, Kondhanna was already an ordained man, one who has left the life of a householder to pursue spiritual goals. Thus, the moment he achieved the first level of Enlightenment (being a sotapanna or an enterer of the Noble Eightfold Path stream), he became a Buddhist monk from inside. Then,shortly afterwards when the Buddha www.kalyanamitra.org

granted him the permission to be properly ordained as a Buddhist monk, he became a Buddhist monk from outside. As the first Enlightened monk disciple, he was given the name Anna Kondhanna or Kondanna the Knower. During the four days that followed, the four other ascetics achieved the first stage ofEnlightenment one by one. Then, on the fifth day when the Buddha gave his second discourse known as \"Anattalakkhana Sutta,\" all five of them achieved complete Enlighten ment. Thus, they became the first five arahant disciples of Gautama Buddha. As more and more people achieved Enlighten ment, they helped the Buddha spread the Dhamma. Thus, the wheel of Truth was kept rolling, wherever it goes, this wheel of Truth brings wisdom, peace, hope and happiness to people regardless of their socioeconomic status, race, faith, age, gender and nationality. Transcending geographical boundaries and www.kalyanamitra.org

generational differences, it has the power transform the ignorant into the awaken,self-hatred into self-love, fury into forgiveness, condemnation into compassion, commotion into calm, and hurt into happiness. Located in the northern Indian city of Sarnath, the Dhamek Stupa marks the spot where the Buddha gave his first sermon. Throughoutthe sutta,Gautama Buddha addressed all the five ascetics as \"Bhikkhave,\" which is a plural www.kalyanamitra.org

vocative, meaning Bhikkhus. These days, the term \"Bhikkhu\" is used to address an ordained male person in Buddhism only i.e. a Buddhist monk. In those days, no specific term was available to address a Buddhist monk because there wasn't any yet. Thus, it was academically assumed that in those days \"Bhikkhu\" was used as an umbrella term to address an ordained person (as opposed to a lay person) in any religious system. The Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta is the recitation of the historic event as recounted by Ananda Bhikkhu, the chief attendant of Gautama Buddha. Thus, the name of this Enlightened monk appears at the beginning of the sutta. Its prologue describes the Dhamma (the Buddha's teachings) as being \"nobler and superior to all other branches of knowledge in the world\" because it teaches people how to cure emotional illnesses, end their suffering permanently, and achieve unconditional happiness. www.kalyanamitra.org

Although more than 2,600 years have passed since the Buddha gave his first sermon in the Isipatana Deer Park near the northern Indian city of Banares, his teachings remain as relevant and as valuable as ever because human afflictions remain the same across the world. The Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta stands out among all other chanting verses because it represents the Buddha's greatest victory post-Enlightenment. The Buddha pursued Buddhahood instead of ordinary arahantship(being a fully Enlightened disciple)because he aspired to be a teacher of the world. what he had long been waiting for came true the moment ascetic Kondhanna became Enlightened. Finally, here came his first Enlightened disciple, and the Sangha emerged. The Sangha - community of monks - passes on the Dhamma for the benefit of humankind. That is why we have been able to keep www.kalyanamitra.org

Buddhism alive and benefit from the Buddha's teachings till today. The rhythm and repetitive pattern that accom pany the sutta were meant to make it easy to remem ber. In those days when there were no typewriters or recorded device, monks traditionally passed on the Buddha's discourses by reciting Dhamma verses com posed by learned monks. 1^4 www.kalyanamitra.org

The Four Noble Truths (Cattari Ariyasaccani): Four Truths about บทhappiness www.kalyanamitra.org

$ Suffering is part of life. No matter how much time has passed, human problems remain fundamen tally the same. We need to know these truths if we want to do something about our suffering instead of living like a helpless victim of circumstances. And, if we are to take a permanent exit from suffering, we need to know where it comes from and what we can do to stop it. All suffering in this world is rooted in ignorance (or avijja in Pali), which in turn gives roots to an array of defilements such as greed, anger, jealousy, delusion, craving, infatuation, arrogance, conceit, etc. whenever one of these poisonous feelings arises, it serves as evidence that that person's mind has at the www.kalyanamitra.org

time lost clarity, brightness and happiness.Unnecessary and unhealthy thinking is usually the cause as it literally stirs the otherwise peaceful mind.That is why meditation is the answer for all kinds of emotional ailment whether it is grief, anger, despair, depression, disappointment, infatuation, hatred or heartaches. The moment the mind comes to a complete standstill, all kinds of emotional wounds - past and present - disappear in an instant. Even if you still face the same problem in the physical world such as being unemployed, betrayed, cheated on or emotionally neglected, you will feel as though it does not matter. You can literally separate your mind from the problem, external circumstances,and feel happy no matter what. Now that the mind has rested, refreshed and clarified, it becomes fully energized and able to take on any problem with calmness and confidence. With that super-healthy state of mind, you can make a much better use of your mental capacity and knowledge to solve the problem little by little. www.kalyanamitra.org

i Some problems don't need solving at all because they disappear the moment you decide to emotiondly let go of them. Letting go takes practice. It is a skill worth developing and sharpening throughout your life because you will always come across events that require you to let go and get over fast. It pays to build your letting go muscle before you need it. Lack of this skill equates emotional ailment - the kind of illness that you can avoid and that only you can heal yourself. Then, there are problems that are outside your control such as a political situation, a natural disaster or legal changes. There are solutions to almost all problems in the world or at least ways to bypass them. Since most problems can be solved, there is no point worrying. Likewise, you should not waste energy worrying about what cannot be solved. From the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, we learned that the Buddha told the five ascetics four www.kalyanamitra.org

truths about suffering that he discovered from his Enlightenment. It's worth learning about these truths because they affect everyone everywhere every day. l) Dukkha - This Pali word means the arising and staying of suffering. Dukkha is the nature of life on Earth, meaning everyone experiences physical and emotional suffering of varying degrees throughout their lives from mild displeasure to gravely unbearable pain. Dukkha can keep arising as long as one remains subject to rebirth. Thus,those who cease to be subject to rebirth (i.e. arahants) also cease to be subject to dukkha. Arahants or fully Enlightened individuals live in a continuous state of unconditional happiness because they have totally destroyed their sources of suffering for good. After passing, they live in perma nent bliss in Nibbana. www.kalyanamitra.org

2) Samudaya - This Pali word means the cause of suffering. All suffering is rooted in ignorance, which gives rise to unwise wanting, craving and clinging to impermanent states, people and things. Because of ignorance, people nurture their sources of suffering such as depression, worry, fear, greed, anger, attachment, delusional hope, infatuation, etc. Because of ignorance, people inflict emotional and/or physical pain upon themselves or others. Because of ignorance, people keep looking outside for happiness and do the very thing that brings them misery. Because of ignorance, people either cover up or temporarily escape from their problems and depression with alcohol, drugs, food, movies, shopping, gambling, sex, clubbing or some kind of worldly entertainment. Using fleeting pleasures to numb their pain, they mistake the temporary easing of the pain for happi ness. when the numbing effects wear off, they suffer again because the cause of suffering still remains. www.kalyanamitra.org

3) Nirodha - This Pali word means the absolute and irreversible cessation ofsuffering. In practice, it means cultivating mental stillness to douse emotional flames that torture the mind. Nirodha is the opposite of dukkha. The original nature of the mind is pure, peaceful and radiant, when suffering ceases, happiness is in place. When one renounces all unwise wanting, craving and clinging until there is none left, suffering ceases. It is the complete and permanent purging of craving and attachment. This, of course, takes time and practice. Thus, Nirodha is both the goal and the journey. The goal is total removal of one's causes of suffering. Intellectual understanding of the truths about life can help one let go of unwholesome things but only partially and temporarily. Nirodha is both 'knowing' and 'seeing' the truths about life - both of which can only be achieved through the practice of meditation that has all the qualities of the Noble Eightfold Path. www.kalyanamitra.org

4) Magga - This Pali word means the Path. It is short for Ariyo Atthangiko Magga or the Noble Eightfold Path which leads to Nibbana. It is the how-to of put ting a permanent end to one's suffering. By following the Path, people can rid themselves of suffering. The Noble Eightfold Path is the antidote for the three mind poisons (called \"Kilesa\" in Pali or \"Kleshas\" in Sanskrit): \"Lobha''(greed, craving, unwise wanting, attachment or addiction to sense pleasures); \"Dosa\"(anger, hatred, ill will, resentment, malice, revengefiilness), and \"Moha\"(delusion, confusion, state of being misguided, false convictions, attachment to imwhole- some beliefs). Like slabs of mud, they debase the mind, con ceal its radiance, and limit one's ability to grow in wisdom and virtue. Once removed, the mind restores its innate power, purity and radiance. www.kalyanamitra.org

The Middle Path (Majjhima Patipada): The Exit from Suffering and the Entry to Happiness www.kalyanamitra.org

0 The Buddha began his first sermon by pointing out to the five ascetics that there are two paths that one who seeks Enlightenment and to end all kinds of suffering should stay away from. He did so because in those days, there were two prominent schools of thought that drew huge numbers of followers: one believed in sensual indulgence and the other believed in self-mortification. In ancient times, self-mortification took the forms of whipping oneself, near-starvation fasting, holding one's breath until one cannot stand dizziness, wearing rags, sleeping on beds of thorns, and the like. It was committed out of the false belief that the physical body is the source of sins such as greed, anger, narcissism, self-deception and sexual urges. Self-mortification practitioners believed that by deny- www.kalyanamitra.org

ing the needs and wants of the physical body, one would achieve sanctification by putting to death their sinful nature. In today's civilized societies, people sometimes unknowingly practice modem forms of self-mortifica tion that are less physically obvious but emotionally painful. They include,for example,replaying a painful memory in their heads, repeatedly talking about a person who made them angry, choosing to stay with a physically abusive partner, begging for love from someone who has no interest in them and who treats them like carpets, being attached to the negative past, people, feelings and things instead of letting go, etc. Physical forms of modern-day self-mortification include undertaking a near-starvation diet, over- exercising, consuming addictive drugs and alcohol. While similar to what was in the past, sensual indulgence becomes more accessible and affordable in today's world with the advent of credit cards, Wi-fi www.kalyanamitra.org

Internet and social media. Sensual indulgence goes way beyond sexual matters and includes things like overeating, overspending, living beyond one's means, addiction to worldly entertainment and other sense pleasures. Believers of this school seek happiness through pleasuring the five physical senses. But such \"happiness\" is short-lived and comes with unwanted side effects such as debt, disease, tiredness and extra pounds. Despite more technology and convenience that today's civilized society has to offer, people continu ally make themselves unhappy by focusing on what they don't have rather than enjoying and appreciating what they do have. Thus, they have a constant feeling of discontent. They keep postponing happiness by telling themselves \"I'll be happy when I have such and such\". Sadly, after getting what they want, they come up with new conditions for happiness. www.kalyanamitra.org

The Buddha compared sensual indulgence to a loose string of a lute which naturally fails to produce a melodious sound and self-mortification to a lute string that is too tight and risks being broken at any moment. He then compared the Middle Path (or its synonym the Middle Way) to a lute string that is neither too loose nor too tight. The Blessed One spelt clear that the right way and the only way towards total spiritual liberation, freedom from suffering and eternal happiness is the Middle Way. We Buddhists might be familiar with this term but the concept was considered new and revolutionary in the Buddha's times. His Enlightenment asides, Gautama Buddha was fully qualified to confirm from his firsthand experience that the two extreme paths do not work. Born to the shakyamuni dynasty. Prince Siddhartha Gautama lived in extreme luxury and supreme comfort. Thus, he knew full well that the most that sensual indulgence could give is fleeting pleasure but not sustainable, lasting happiness. Soon www.kalyanamitra.org

the same pleasure breeds familiarity, boredom and discontent. New physical sense pleasures are needed repeatedly.Every time that happens,happiness is tossed forward but never reached. That is why the crown prince left his palaces at 29. He spent the next six years practicing extreme asceticism to the point that he was close to death. The two extreme methods require looking out wards with the mind being attached to someone or something external. And both require thinking. Having done a lot of thinking over the years, Siddhartha Gautama decided to try an entirely different approach, one that requires no thinking at all. He then sat down under a Bodhi tree on the bank of the Neranjara River and made a solemn promise to himself that he would remain seated and keep meditating until he achieved complete Enlightenment - even if this meant he would die. Notice that it is the instinctive nature of an advanced bodhisattva to stake his life for a greater good. www.kalyanamitra.org

Bodhisattva Siddhartha sat still in complete silence - verbally and mentally. Having let go of everything including his life, his mind quickly came to a complete standstill - solidly free from thoughts. Then, he found that there were myriads of layers of complete stillness. Each succeeding layer was more still than the preceding one. At each deeper level of mental stillness, he experienced more freedom, peace www.kalyanamitra.org

and joy - the best feeling he had ever had. His mind never felt more pure and more refined. The source of infinite unconditional happiness, he found, is inside each and every human being. People don't need to fight or struggle for it because as human beings they are already endowed with this innate attribute. Every one is born with the Body of Enlightenment whether they realize it or not. They just need to follow the Middle Way and meditate the right way to discover and live their purest and happiest self. This point bears stressing. The Buddha did not achieve complete Enlightenment by reading Dhamma books, analyzing other people's teachings, undertaking a scholarly study, or engaging in philosophical discus sions. In other words, he did not think his way to Nibbana. This means, anyone who wants to achieve Enlightenment needs to meditate. This doesn't mean that any kind of meditation will do. The right kind of meditation - of which there are several techniques to choose from - is one that brings the mind back to www.kalyanamitra.org

the center of the body. The center of the body is the natural home of the human mind where it feels most blissful. Located at the middle of one's body horizon tally and vertically (around the middle of one's stomach or two fingers-width above the navel). It is that central point in your abdomen that you feel when taking a long, deep breath. In the words of the late Meditation Master Phra Mongkolthepmuni(Sodh Candasaro), who rediscovered and brought back to the world the Buddha's long lost knowledge about the Dhammakaya or Body of Enlightenment, the center of the body is the point at which one's Middle Wayjourney begins. To experience the Middle Way firsthand, you must first bring your mind to a complete standstill. At which point, you will experience the infinite ocean of joy that lies within you. It is all right to use the brain to study and reflect upon the Buddha's teachings. However, when it comes to training and purifying the mind, you need to meditate and to do so the right way. www.kalyanamitra.org

THE SEVEN BASES OF THE MIND Based)4 MNost.riili / Left nostril fojr;w;o;me™n Two fingers' width above navel Base(2)Bridge of nose{ \\Right for men Base(3)Middle part of head Base(4) Roof of mouth Base (5) Throat Base(7)Centre of gravity Base(6) Navel www.kalyanamitra.org

The Noble Eightfold Path (Ariyo Atthangiko Magga): The Principles for Doing the Right Thing www.kalyanamitra.org

f The Middle Way is made up of eight inseparable components called \"The Noble Eightfold Path\" or Ariyo Atthangiko Magga in Pali. They are fundamental principles for doing the right thing. Because they are linked together, the cultivation in one area will aid your cultivation in other areas. However, it is best to practice them simultaneously as far as your ability at the time permits. The more you practice, the more you will grow in these eight areas and the closer you are to Nibbana. The first seven components in and ofthemselves do not lead to the eternal end of suffering but they aid the cultivation of the last component i.e. Right Samadhi or the right practice of Buddhist meditation. Practicing the first seven components will produce www.kalyanamitra.org

good karmic fruits for your current and future exis tences. But if you want to be Enlightened, to unchain yourself from the Cycle of Suffering, you have to meditate. Meditation is like exercise: no one can do this for you. The Buddha and the monks can only show you the way but you have to do the walking yourself. Likewise, you cannot successfully practice Buddhist meditation without practicing all the other seven components. They support each other. Meditation, for example, helps you quit a bad habit because you work directly on your mind instead of stopping a physical behavior through forced willpower. You reorient your belief and your thinking, and replace a bad habit with a good one. Here's another example to demonstrate how these components are inseparable. A person cannot cheat on his/her spouse,steal from a business partner, stab a colleague in the back, torture an animal. www.kalyanamitra.org

wheei of Dhamma and deer sculptures at the Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Moastery in Nepal rudely yell at someone, sell weapons, take cocaine or get drunk in da3d:ime, and then hope to keep his mind still and pristine at nighttime. The mind continuous ly records images of ever3^hing a person does - good, bad and neutral. It has the tendency to replay images of unwholesome acts that one did, thus preventing the mind from being still during meditation. That's because one major function of meditation is purifying the mind - digging deep to clean up psychological garbage. Some English translations refer to the eighth component(Samma Samadhi)as \"Right Concentration,\" www.kalyanamitra.org

which is close in meaning but only in the sense that meditation requires absolute focus. This means that when it's time to meditate, you drop ever5d:hing else and focus entirely on meditation. You turn off your cellphone, relax your muscles, forget all your plans and problems for a while, and detach your mind from everyone and everything. However, the word \"concentration\" fails to give a flill, accurate picture ofSamma Samadhi as it implies force and exertion of strenuous efforts, which are counterproductive to meditation. Because the nature of the mind is such that it resists coercion, you cannot force your mind to be still. Any attempt to do so will only leave you stressed, discouraged and bored with meditation. Meditation and relaxation go hand in hand whereas forced concentration induces tension and stress. Deep meditation makes you forget about time because you are so happy inside that you lose the www.kalyanamitra.org

sense of time. Successful meditation practice requires your total presence as well as light but continued efforts to empty your mind. How light? As light as a feather slowly and gently dropping onto the surface of a still body of water. Meditation thus requires that you relax physical muscles and put yourself in a relaxed state of mind. It helps,for example,to take a shower before nighttime meditation or to wear loose clothes. It's worth taking the time to chant before meditation because chanting helps slow down your mind towards stillness. For many people,the best time to meditate is right after they wake up in the morning (when their thinking brains are not fully active yet) and before they go to bed (when they tend to switch to a restful mode). www.kalyanamitra.org

1) The Right View (samma diRhi) The right view takes the lead in the Noble Eightfold Path because all voluntary mental, verbal and physical behawor - both conscious and unconscious - is belief-driven. A person's beliefs govern his attitudes, opinions, decisions and resulting actions, which in turn determine his destiny. It thus follows that if one has wholesome beliefs, one will think, speak and act in a wholesome manner. If a person believes that giving makes life meaningful, he will look for opportunities to give. But if he believes that charity is a waste of time and money, he will avoid giving. If a man believes that infidelity is acceptable as long as one doesn't get caught and has yet to tie the knot, he will not hesitate to cheat on his girlfriend or fiance. Regardless of a person's actual intelligence, if he believes he is not smart enough, he will not do well in school and at work. Here are some of the right views that Buddhists should have: that life is a chain of births, that one www.kalyanamitra.org

remains subject to rebirth until one attains Nibbana, that everyone lives under the Law of Karma, that everyone is the heir of his/her karma, that everyone is born different because everyone carries into this world a different set of past karma,that everyone has the power to redesign his/her destiny, that giving attracts receiving, that honoring virtuous people is a virtue in itself, that the afterworld exists, that heavens and celestial beings exist, that hell realms and hell denizens exist, that one should care for one's parents, that there are such people who are completely free from defilements (arahants), and that except for Nibbana, everything else is subject to impermanence. 2) The Right Intention (samma sankappa) when people have the right view, they naturally have the right intention. The right intention is one that yields inner peace, happiness and social harmony such as intentions to rid oneself of suffering by practicing the Middle Way, to mediate daily, to practice letting go, to stop lying, to observe the Five www.kalyanamitra.org

Precepts for life, or to create a positive sociฟ impact. For monks and nuns, it is the resolve to adhere to the moral discipline and monastic code of conduct as well as renunciation of worldly behaviors such as sensual indulgence. In generฟ, if you act from a place of giving, you are more likely to win support from people than if you act from a place of getting. This is true both in spiritual and secular worlds. 3) The Right Speech (samma vaca) The right speech is one that brings out the best in you and others. The first category of the right' speech is what you say or write to others. This involves speaking or writing that which is factual, polite, timely, appropriate, and beneficial to both sides such as giving emotional support to a friend who has lost his father, sincerely congratulating a colleague on her promotion, sharing a Dhamma lesson, expressing a heartfelt gratitude to your teacher, praising your mother's cooking skill, and thanking people who have supported you. www.kalyanamitra.org

Written and verbal speeches to be avoided are those that could hurt someone's feeling, career or reputation, and those that could provoke anger, cause disunity or discourage people's attempts to do good. The second category ofthe right speech is what you say to yourself. If your brain is a living super- supercomputer, your self-talk is the program that runs it. Whatever you repeatedly say to yourself will become your belief, and your belief determines your action or lack thereof. Positive self-talk is thus critical to your success in spiritual and secular worlds. Always speak kindly and positively to yourself. Speak your dreams - not your worries or your fears - into existence. Never insult yourself or imderestimate your abilities to be, do or have that which you set your heart on. Another form of the right speech to oneself is asking yourselfthe right questions everyday.For monks and nuns, the right question could be \"Have I done my best today to practice what I preach?\" For eveiy www.kalyanamitra.org

Buddhist, the right questions could be \"Have I done my best today to practice mindfulness and stay centered?\" \"Have I done my best today to practice compassion?\" \"Have I done my best today to practice letting go?\"\"Have I done my best today to be a good Buddhist?\" Speech propriety is also about knowing when to speak and when to be silent. There are times when verbal silence - absence of spoken and written speech - is golden. And, there are times when, mental silence - absence of thoughts - is necessary such as during meditation. 4) The Right Action (samma kammanta) It means refraining from self-destructive acts such as lying, drinking, gambling, cheating, worrying, thinking negatively, holding grudges, committing physicd and/or verbal abuses against oneself or others, etc. At the same time, it means doing good deeds such as chanting, forgiving, meditating, spreading loving-kindness, observing the Five Precepts every day and observing the Eight Precepts on every full-moon www.kalyanamitra.org

day, lei±ing go of toxic feelings, associating with the morally wise,developing a habit ofkeeping one's word, quitting procrastination, disassociating oneself from habitual liars, gossipers, gamblers and gangsters, etc. ร) The Right LiveUhood (samma ajiva) The right livelihood is one that does not harm anyone, including oneself. The Buddha forbids trading of human beings, weapons, poisons, alcohol and addictive substances. He also forbids engaging in occupations that involve human slavery, physical coercion, use of violence, killing people, killing or torturing animals. Having the right livelihood also means earning a living in an honest manner,refraining from cheating, colluding and corruption. The word \"livelihood\" here means not only earning a living but also opportunities to be Enlightened. These opportxmities are earned by making time for practicing the right kind of medita tion daily. www.kalyanamitra.org

6) The Right Effort (samma vayama) Exerting efforts for what is worth doing such as meditation, observing the Five Precepts every day, observing the Eight Precepts on full-moon days, quit ting a bad habit, forming a good habit, resisting temptations, living by example, etc. Another meaning of the right effort is exerting the right kind and the right amount of effort. For example, you can push yourself to meditate every day. But once you sit down and close your eyes, you have to be lovingly patient with yourself and use very gentle efforts to slow down your mind to stillness. Anything worth achieving requires continued and repeated efforts - whether strenuous or gentle. This means that if you don't put in the right kind and the right amount of efforts regularly over a long enough period, you won't get what you want even though you have the capacity to achieve it. This applies to career building, self-transformation. www.kalyanamitra.org

relationship success, and spiritual growth. 7) The Right Mindfulness (samma sat!) Having a heightened awareness of what is going on in your mind so that when an imwholesome thought or feeling arises, you can quickly snap out of it. It is guarding your mind against anything that can poten tially evoke unwholesome thoughts and feelings. This can be achieved by, for example, anchoring the mind to the center of the body all the time or as much as you can while you are meditating, eating, cooking, typing, talking, walking, taking a shower, etc. The center of the body is where the mind feels most \"at home\" - safe, relaxed, happy and peaceful. It is also where the mind's awareness capacity is at its highest. 8) The Right Kind of Samadhi (samma samadhi) This refers to absolute stillness of the mind that results from doing the right kind of meditation. It is in stillness that the mind is most powerful. To achieve www.kalyanamitra.org

such stillness, you have to be willing to let go of all that taints the mind such as doubt, worry, resentment, hatred, envy, attachment, complaint, self-criticism, self-pity, unwise wanting, etc. During meditation, you even have to let go of the effort to keep the mind still as well as all kinds of wanting and control because they agitate the mind. Instead, be a silent observer - simply observing what ever you see inside (even if it's plain darkness) with out any thought,judgment or emotional reaction. And, instead of trying to direct and control your inner experience (which will prove to be a futile attempt and stressful experience), you should let go of all expectations and silently surrender to the present moment. In so doing, your mind will gradually lose rigidity and grow increasingly relaxed and still. It will gravitate towards the center of the body by itself www.kalyanamitra.org

without you trying. All those taints that previously robbed your mind of peace and happiness will then lose their grip and start falling away. NOTE on Pali: Due to grammatical requirements of the Pali language, the last syllable of the word ariyo atthangiko ma^a is read \"maggo\" in the sutta. For the same reason, the last 'a* in the words samma sankappa, samma kammanta,samma ajlva and samma vayama is changed to 'o* in the sutta. www.kalyanamitra.org

ij How To Meditate www.kalyanamitra.org

Here's one simple way you can meditate. Sit with your back upright and your legs crossed. Put your right leg over your left leg, and your right hand over your left hand. Let your right index touch your left thumb. Feel free to adjust your sitting position until you feel comfortable. You can sit with or without a cushion on the floor. The tip for remaining seated in the meditation position comfortably for an extended period is to let your body weight falls to the center. This way, your buttocks, your left and right legs will bear roughly the same amount of your body weight. That's why it helps to sit with your back straight. If you bend even slightly backwards, your but tocks will bear too much weight, causing a muscular www.kalyanamitra.org

pain. If you bend forwards, most of your body weight will fall onto your legs, which will cause numbness. To create balance, use a small pillow to support your buttocks so that they are a couple of inches higher than your legs. Then, close your eyes softly as if you are about to fall asleep. Relax every muscle in your body ~ from your forehead, to your eyelids, your face, your shoul ders, your legs and your arms, down to the tips of your fingers. Your mind has been carrying too much for too long; let's give it a rest. Forget all your plans, problems and responsibilities. Focus solely on relaxing your whole body and mind. Imagine that you are sitting happily alone in the universe. Indulge in peace ful solitude. Also, imagine that your body is hollow, clear and transparent — with no internal organs. Breathe in deeply and exhde slowly 3-5 times, wherever your inhalation ends, assume that this is the center of your www.kalyanamitra.org

body and rest your attention there. Also known as the seventh base of the mind,the center of your body is two fingers width above your navel. Don't worry that you cannot pinpoint the exact location of the center of your body. As long as you rest your attention around the middle of your abdo men, you are doing fine. There is no need to push your attention towards your center. If you find it difficult to bring your attention there, rest it anywhere as close to the center of your body as you comfortably can. The key is to meditate in a relaxed, conscious and consistent manner, when your mind becomes still, it will naturally gravitate towards the center of your body by itself because that's where its natural home is. To keep your mind from wandering,imagine at your center a Buddha image, a luminous crystal ball, a full moon, a rising sun or a round dewdrop. choose www.kalyanamitra.org

one that you can visualize easily. The object of visualization can be of any size - smaller than an orange or bigger than you. Make sure not to strain your eyes. In meditation, you see with your mind, not with your physical eyes. Visualization is useful for people who are disturbed by images of their distracting thoughts. A visualized object is there only to help you focus on your center and keep your mind from wandering. So, don't worry about being unable to visualize clearly because that's not the goal of meditation. The goal is stillness of the mind. Visudize only as much as you comfortably can. No need to make it clearer or brighter. Forcing an image will bring on stress, which defeats the purpose ofmeditation.Alternatively,you can choose not to visualize at all if doing so makes you stressed. For those who are disturbed by the sounds of their distracting thoughts or memories,reciting a holy mantra can help ease your mind into a state of still- www.kalyanamitra.org

ness. Slowly and softly recite the mantra \"summa arahung, summa arahung\". Read \"sum-ma ar-ra-hung, sum-ma ar-ra-hung,\" it means the virtuous path towards absolute purity of the mind. Recite the words as if you're humming a song while quietly observing whatever you see at the center of your body. Continue to recite the mantra softly and silently as long as you wish. The sound of the mantra should come from the center ofyour abdomen rather than your throat, when your mind enters the realm of stillness and you want to stop reciting the mantra, follow your heart. Enjoy the sweet silence of a still mind. In any case, simply observe whatever you see at your center without making any mental judgment or emotional response to it. whether you see plain darkness or bright light or anything else,just accept it without any thought. Be a silent observer. Be com pletely still. Be like a mountain observing a sunrise. www.kalyanamitra.org