Dhammawitz

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Dear Dhamma Friends,
You are invited to a Zoom webinar.

When: Mar 17, 2023 02:30 PM Colombo
Topic: International Special Dhamma Programme -
The Emperor's 3 Questions Meditation Method

Most Ven Ajahn Brahm Mahathera

Friday 17th March 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm Sri Lanka time (5.00 pm to 7.00 pm Perth Aus)

Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_llqXYzQWSIyYTEYqShXY7Q

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

With Metta
Prof Lakshman R Watawala

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Ajahn Chandako Retires

After 18 years of service to Vimutti Buddhist Monastery and the Auckland Theravada Buddhist Association, Ajahn Chandako has retired as abbot. He will be looking towards simplifying his life, moving in the direction of peace, reducing burdens, and a period of sustained Dhamma practice in solitude. We wish him well in his new endeavours and will remember his years of hard work with gratitude.

Ajahn Chandako was the first monk to live at Vimutti and was invited to be abbot in 2004. He gave the monastery its name, and through his teachings the monastery thrived. Ajahn regularly led retreats, meditation workshops, and he gave teachings nearly every day after the meal. During the time Ajahn was at the Vimutti, the mailing list increased from a few dozen to over 2500.

Ajahn Chandako designed and developed most of the infrastructure for the monastery, including a stunning stupa, enshrined with Relics of the Buddha and Arahants that had been offered to him. Ajahn also organised building 15 kutis, a major upgrade to the sala, a meditation hall, a large workshop and shower room, a garage and a library. He designed the landscaping, including 10 large ponds and planted over 10,000 trees. Ajahn also personally designed the Vimutti website, a beautiful and useful Dhamma resource and source of information. Ajahn put all his heart and physical energy into creating Vimutti Monastery, working 7 days a week, and we all owe him a great debt of gratitude.

A long-time supporter writes:
“It is under Ajahn's skillful spiritual and practical guidance that Vimutti has evolved into a preeminent place for meditation and deep practice of the Dhamma. I can speak of Ajahn's leadership as someone who has known him across the last ten years. Those experiences and others have given me the good fortune of regular communication with Ajahn. I hold him in particularly high esteem.

Ajahn is someone who can give clear guidance even to advanced practitioners. Thai colleagues inform me that his guidance when given in Thai is similarly effective. He communicates the Dhamma in plain terms and is patient with questions from both beginners and veteran meditators.

I have found Ajahn's approach consistently helpful to my practice and understanding. His guidance, spirit of inquiry, and the high standards he holds himself to, all create an excellent context. The combination and relative proximity of the monastery and Auckland Vihara creates a wonderful opportunity for New Zealanders. He has done much to develop the monastery, as well as to maintain teachings at both venues, and continues to do that very well.

In the time I have known him, Ajahn has always shown warmth and wisdom. We are very fortunate to have Ajahn Chandako as Abbot at the calm, well-established practice environment of Vimutti Buddhist Monastery.”

A CUP OF DIRTY WATER

Lots of people come here with a high position in society and views about things: about themselves, about the practice of meditation, about the Buddha's teachings. Some of them are wealthy merchants, some have degrees, some are teachers or government officials. Their brains are full of views about all kinds of things. They're too clever to listen to other people.
It's like water in a cup. If the cup is full of dirty water, it can't be used for anything. Only when you pour out the water can the cup be put to use. You have to empty your mind of views before you can learn.
Our practice steps beyond both cleverness and stupidity. If you think, `I'm smart. I'm rich. I'm important. I understand all the Buddha's teachings clearly,' you'll never see the truth of anatta, or not-self. You'll have nothing but self - me and mine. But the Buddha's teachings are the abandoning of self. Emptiness. Freedom from suffering. Total disbanding. That's nibbana.

Ajahn Chah
~ In Simple Terms

Five areas in which to practice mindfulness of the speech of ourselves and others:

The suitability of time and place for the conversation
The truthfulness of the words spoken
The value/benefit of the conversation
The motivations of those involved
The quality/style of speech

For our own part, practising Right Speech in light of these considerations, we try to speak only true and useful words at appropriate times and places. We speak politely, our hearts established in loving-kindness.

Some observations on mindfulness in others' speech:
The person in front of us is usually either telling the truth, deliberately telling an untruth or telling an untruth believing it to be true. As the latter is always a possibility, we should not jump to conclusions if we detect an untruth.

The value or benefit meant here is not restricted to content. Someone may, for example, be speaking to us on a relatively trivial matter but it is calming them down, allowing them to come to terms with some pain. If so, we might consider that to be beneficial speech. Benefit may be intellectual, emotional or spiritual.

People's motivations are often mixed. We should remind ourselves that we can't read minds. All we can know are our own fallible assessments of their mental states.

Coarse speech tends to upset and alienate. Polite speech does not. Hearing views expressed politely, we are more inclined to listen. Politeness is intelligent.

- Ajahn Jayasāro

*Luang Por Viradhammo will lead a Residential and On-Line Meditation Retreat (Hybrid Model)*

*Date*
Friday September 23 until Friday September 30, 2022 (Canadian time)

*For more information*
https://ottawabuddhistsociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Ajahn-Viradhammo-residential-and-on-line-retreat-2022-rev2.pdf

*Online Retreat Register here*
https://ottawabuddhistsociety.com/activities/latest-updates/retreats/non-residential-retreat-registration-form/

Gems of Wisdom is back with Season 2!

Reconnect with Ven K Sri Dhammananda in a once-a month online session
* listening to his audio and video recordings; or
* learning from excerpts of his writings; and
* discussions and reflections for greater understanding of the Dhamma

First session of Gems of Wisdom Season 2 starts on 27 July
8.00 pm (GMT+8)

Every last Wednesday of the month thereafter

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/91757270313
Meeting ID: 917 5727 0313
Passcode: bmsm

Telegram Group to receive updates and selected words of wisdom
https://t.me/BMSMchiefconnect
Gems of wisdom from Ven K Sri Dhammananda (BMSM Founder)

A good practice in daily life is to train ourselves to be aware of virtues shown by the people around us and to learn how to genuinely appreciate those qualities. One skilful means that we might use is to repeat a short phrase internally when we see something inspiring: 'That's good. That's really good! That's so good!' Virtues that we can observe and celebrate include acts of generosity, kindness, compassion, honesty, hard work, patience, humility, calmness, intelligence employed for the common good. The more importance we give to this practice the more sensitive we will become to human virtue, and the more joyful. With wisdom, we can see people as vessels of virtue rather than their owners, and by doing so jealously fades away. Opening our eyes to the ordinary everyday goodness all around us can transform our world.

- Ajahn Jayasāro

Dhamma Sharing by Ajahn Kalyano, Buddha Bodhivana Monastery

Date: Sunday, 3 July 2022
Time: 8pm MEL / 6pm SG/MY

Join Zoom: https://bit.ly/kalyano
Meeting ID: 860 5638 9151
Passcode: 5precepts