Recording - Dharma Talks by Bro. Mui Han

Brief Introduction of Brother Mui Han

1. Dharma Talk 3: Managing Emotions and Resolving Conflicts

Interested in finding solutions for the following questions?
- How to eradicate anger, impatience, selfishness, jealousy, greed etc
- How to cultivate humility, patience, compassion etc. towards everyone
- To what extent do we treat other people with loving-kindness?
- How do we love ourselves?

Let's listen to the recordings for the answers.
Dharma Talk 3 Part 1
Dharma Talk 3 Part 2
Dharma Talk 3 Part 3
Dharma Talk 3 Part 4
Dharma Talk 3 Part 5

2. Dharma Talk 4: How to Resolve Conflicts

Interested in learning how to resolve conflicts between family, friends and companion?
- How to deal with difficult people, especially the ones who’re close to you
- How to deal with anger when conflict arises
- How to manage the conflicts in the best way possible
- How to forgive when wronged by our close ones

It's okay if you missed the talk. Let's listen to the recording at the following links.
Dharma Talk 4 Part 1
Dharma Talk 4 Part 2
Dharma Talk 4 Part 3

Hope that these links are useful.

May you be well and happy always! =)

weekly dharma quote 26

Focus,
not on the rudeness of the others,
not on what they've done
or left undone,
but on what you
have and have not done
yourself.

Chapter 8: Vegetarianism

Q1 Buddhist should be vegetarians, shouldn't they?
Not necessary. The Buddha himself was not a vegetarian. He did not teach his desciples to be vegetarian and even today there are many good Buddhists who are not vegetarians. In the Buddhist scriptures it says;

"Being rough, pitiless, back-biting, harming one's friends,
being heartless, arrrogant and greedy -
this makes one impure, not the eating of meat.

Being of immoral conduct, refusing to repay dept,
cheating in business, causing divisions amongst people -
this makes one impure, not the eating of meat." Sn. 246-7

Q2 But if you eat meat you are responsible for animals being killed. Isn't that breaking the First Precept?
It is true that when you eat meat you are indirectly or partially responsible for killing a creature but the same is true when you eat vegetables. The farmer has to spray his crop with insectisides and poisons so that the vegetables arrive on your dinner plates without hosts in them. And once again, animals have been killed to provide the leather for your belt or handbag, the oil for the soup you use and a thousand other products as well. It is impossible to live without, in some where, being indirectly responsible for the death of some other beings. This is yet another example of the Frist Noble Truth, ordinary existence is suffering and unsatisfactory. When you take the First Precept, you try to avoid being directly responsible for killing any living beings.

Q3 Mahayana Buddhist don't eat meat.
That is not correct. Mahayana Buddhism in China laid great stress on being vegetarian but both the monks and lay people of the Mahayana tradition in Japan, Mongolia and Tibet usually eat meat.

Purification of the mind is the most important thing in Buddhism.

Q4 But I still think that a Buddhist should be vegetarian.
If there was a person who was a very strict vegetarian but who was selfish, dishonest and mean, and another person who was thoughtful to others, honest, generous and kind, which of these two
people would be the better Buddhist?

Q5 The person who was honest and kind. Why?
Because such a person obviously has a good heart.
Exactly. One who eats meat can have a pure heart just as one who does not eat meat can have an impure heart. In the Buddhist's teachings, the important thing is the quality of your heart, not the contents of your diet. Many people take great care never to eat meat but they may not be too concerned about being selfish, dishonest, cruel or jealous. They change their diet which is easy to do while neglecting to change their hearts which is a difficult thing to do. So whether you are a vegetarian or not, remember that the purification of the mind is the most important thing in Buddhism.



Q6 But from the Buddhist point of view, would the person who had a good heart and was vegetarian be better than the person who had a good heart but was a meat eater?
If a good-hearted vegetarian's motive in avoiding meat was concern for animals and not wanting to be involved in the cruelty of modern industrial farming, then he or she would definitely have developed their compassion and their concern for others to a higher degree than the meat eater would have. Many people find that as they develope in the Dhamma, they have a natural tendency to move towards vegetarianism.

Q7 Someone told me that the Buddha died from eating spoiled pork. Is that true?
No it is not. The scriptures mention that the Buddha's last meal consisted of a dish called sukara maddava. The meaning of this term is no longer understood but the word sukara means a pig so it may refer to preparation of pork although it might just as easily refer to a type of vegetable, a pastry or something else. Whatever it was, the mention of this food has led some people to think that eating it caused the Buddha's death. The Buddha was 80 at the time he passed away and he has been ailing for some time. The reality is that he died of old age.

Chapter 7: Compassion and Wisdom

Q1 I often hear Buddhists talk about wisdom and compassion. What do these two terms mean?
Some religions believe that compassion or love (the two are very similar) is the most important spiritual quality, but they fail to give any attention to wisdom. The result is that you can end up being a good-hearted fool, a very kind person but with little or no understanding. Other systems of thought like science, believe that wisdom can best be developed when all emotions, including compassion, are kept out of the way. The outcome of this is that science has tended to become preoccupied with results we have forgotten that science is to serve humans, not to control and dominate them. How, otherwise, could scientists have lent their skills to develop the nuclear bomb, germ warfare and the like? Buddhism teaches that to be atruly balanced and complete individual, you must develop both wisdom and compassion.

Q2 So what, according to Buddhism, is wisdom?
The highest wisdom is seeing that in reality all phenomena are incomplete, impermanent, and not itself. This understanding totally frees us and leads us to the great security and happiness which is called Nirvana. However, the Buddha did not speak too much about this level of wisdom. It is not wisdom if we simply believe what we are told. True wisdom is to directly see and understand for ourselves. At this level then, wisdom is to keep an open mind rather than being closed-minded; to carefully examine facts that contradict our beliefs, rather than burying our heads in the sand; to be objective rather than prejudiced; to take time about forming opinions and beliefs rather than just accepting the first or most emotional thing that is offered ti us. To always be ready to change our beliefs when facts that contradict them are presented to us, that is wisdom. A person who does this is certainly wise and is certain to eventually arrive at true understanding. The path of just believing what you are told is easy. The Buddhist path requires courage, patient, flexibility and intelligence.

Q3 I think a few people could do this. So what is the point of Buddhism if only a few can practice it?
It is true that not everyone is ready for truths of Buddhism yet. But if someone was not able to understand the teachings of the Buddha at present then they may be mature enough in the next life. However, there are many who, with just the right words or encouragement, are able to increase their understanding. And it is for tthis reason that Buddhists gently and quitely strive to share the insights of Buddhism with others. The Buddha taught us out of compassion and we should teach others out of compassion too.

Q4 What, according to Buddhism, is compassion?
Just as wisdom covers the intellectual or comprehending side of our nature, compassion covers the emotional or feeling side. Like wisdom, compassion is a uniquely human quality. Compassion is made up of two words, co meaning 'together' and passion meaning 'a strong feeling.' And this is what compassion is. When we see someone in destress and we feel their pain as if it were our own, and strive to eliminate or lessen their pain, then that is compassion. All the best in human beings, all the Buddha-like qualities like sharing, readiness to give comfort, sympathy, concern and caring - all these things are manifestations of compassion. You will notice also that in the compassionate person, care and love towards others has its origins in care and love for oneself. We can best understand others when we really understand ourselves. We will know what's the best for others when we know what's the best for ourselves. We can feel for others when we feel for ourselves. So in Buddhism, one's spiritual development blossoms quite naturally into concern for the welfare of others. The Buddha's life illustrates this principle very well. He spent six years struggling for his own welfare after which he was able to be of benefit tothe whole humankind.

Q5 So you are saying that we are best able to help others after we have helped ourselves. Isn't that a bit selfish?
We usually see altruism, concern for others before oneself, as being the opposite of selfishness, concern for oneself before others. Buddhism does not see it as either one or the other but rather as a blending of two. Genuine self-concern will gradually mature into concern for others as one sees that others are really the same as oneself. This is genuine compassion. Compassion is the most beautiful jewel in the crown of the Buddha's teachings.

weekly dharma quote 25

You yourself,
as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.

Chapter 6: Meditation

Q1 What is meditation?
Meditation is a conscious effort to change how the mind works. The Pali word for meditation is bhavana which means 'to make grow' or 'to develop'.

Q2 Is meditation important?
Yes, it is. No matter how much we may wish to be good, if we cannot change the desires that make us act the way we do, change will be difficult. For example, a person may realise that he is impatient with his wife and he may promise himself: 'From now on I am not going to be so impatient.' But an hour later, he may be shouting at his wife simply because, not being aware of himself, impatience has arisen without him knowing. Meditation helps develop the awareness and the energy needed to transform ingrained mental habit patterns.

Q3 I have heard that meditation can be dangerous. Is this true?
To live we need salt. But if you were to eat a kilo of salt it would probably kill you. To function in the modern world you need a car but if you don't follow the traffic rules or if you drive while you are drunk, a car would become a dangerous machine. Meditation is like this, it is essential for our mental health and well-being but if you practice in the wrong way, it could cause problems. Some people have problems like depression, irrational fears or schizophrenia, and they think meditation is an instant cure for their problem, they start meditating and sometimes their problem gets worse. If you have such a problem, you should seek professional help first and then take up meditation after you are better. Other people over-reach themselves. They take up meditation and instead of going gradually, step by step, they meditate with too much energy or for long periods and soon they are exhausted. But perhaps most problems in meditation are caused by 'kangaroo meditation'. Some people go to one teacher and do his meditation technique for a while. Then they read something in a book and decide to try that technique. A week later a famous meditation teacher visits their town and so they decide to incorporate some of his ideas into their practice and before long they are hopelessly confused. Jumping like a kangaroo from one teacher to another or from one meditation technique to another is a mistake. But if you don't have any severe mental problem and you take up meditation and practice sensibly, it is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

Q4 How many types of meditation are there?
The Buddha taught many different types of meditation, each designed to overcome a particular problem or to develop a particular psychological state. But the two most common and useful types of meditation are Mindfulness of Breathing (Anapana sati) and Loving Kindness Meditation (Metta bhavana).




Q5 If I wanted to practice Mindfulness of Breathing, how would I do it?
You would follow these easy steps; the four Ps - place, posture, practice and problems. First, find a suitable place, perhaps a room that is not too noisy and where you are unlikely to be disturbed. Second, sit in a comfortable posture. A good way to sit is with your legs folded, a pillow under your buttocks, your back straight, your hands nestled in the lap and the eyes closed. Alternatively, you can sit on a chair as long as you keep your back straight. Next comes the actual practice itself. As you sit quietly with your eyes closed, you focus your attention on the in and out movement of the breath. This can be done by counting the breaths or by watching the rise and fall of the abdomen. When you are doing this, certain problems and difficulties will arise. You might experience irritating itches on the body or discomfort in the knees. If this happens, try to keep your body relaxed without moving and keep focusing on the breath. You will probably have many intruding thoughts coming into your mind and distracting your attention from the breath. The only way you can deal with this is to patiently keep gently returning your attention to the breath. If you keep doing this, eventually thoughts will weaken, your concentration will become stronger and you will have moments of deep mental calm and inner peace.



Q6 How long should I meditate for?
It is good to do meditation for 15 minutes every day for a week and then extend the time by 5 minutes each week until you are meditating for 45 minutes. After a few weeks of regular daily meditation you will start to notice that your concentration gets better.

Q7 What about Loving-Kindness Meditation? How is that practiced?
Once you are familiar with Mindfulness of Breathing and are practicing it regularly, you can start practicing Loving Kindness Meditation. It should be done two or three times each week after you have done Mindfulness of Breathing. First, you turn your attention to yourself and say to yourself words like 'May I be well and happy. May I be peaceful and calm. May I be protected from dangers. May my mind be free from hatred. May my heart be filled with love. May I be well and happy.' Then one by one you think of a loved person, a neutral person, that is someone you neither like nor dislike, and finally a disliked person, wishing each of them well as you do so.

Q8 What is the benefit of doing this type of meditation?
If you do Loving Kindness Meditation regularly and with the right attitude, you may notice every positive changes taking place within yourself. You will find that you are able to be more accepting and forgiving towards yourself. You will find that the feelings you have towards your loved ones increases. You will find yourself making friends with people you used to be indifferent and uncaring towards, and you will find the ill-will or resentment you have towards some people will lessen and eventually dissolving. Sometimes if you know of someone who is sick, unhappy or encountering difficulties, you can include them in your meditation and very often you will find their situation improving.




Q9 How is that possible?
The mind, when properly developed, is a very powerful instrument. If we can learn to focus our mental energy and project it towards others, it can have an effect upon them. You may have had an experience like this. Perhaps you are in a crowded room and you get this feeling that someone is watching you. You turn around and, sure enough, someone is staring at you. What has happened is that you have picked up that other person's mental energy. Loving Kindness Meditation is like that. We project positive mental energy towards others and it may gradually transforms them.

Q10 Are there any other types of meditation?
Yes. The last and perhaps most important type of meditation is called Vispassana. This word means 'to see in' or 'to see deep' and is usually translated as insight meditation.

Q11 Explain what insight meditation is.
During insight meditation a person tries just to be aware of whatever happens to them without thinking about it or reacting to it.

Q12 What is the purpose of that?
Usually we react our experience by liking or disliking it or by letting it trigger thoughts, daydreams or memories. All these reactions distort or obscure our experience so that we fail to understand it properly. By developing a non-reactive awareness we begin to see why we think, speak and act the way we do. And of course more self knowledge can have a very positive effect on our lives. The other advantage of practicing insight meditation is that after a while, it creates a gap between our experience and ourselves. Then rather than automatically and unconsciously reacting to every temptation or provocation we find that we are able to step back a little, thereby allowing us to decide whether we should act or not and if so how. Thus we begin to have more control of our life, not because we have developed an iron will but simply because we see more clearly.

Q13 So am I right in saying that insight meditation is to help to make us better, happier individuals?
Well that is a start, a very important start. But meditation has a much loftier aim than that. As our practice matures and our awareness deepens, we start to notice that our experience is rather impersonal, that it is actually happening without a 'me' making it happen and that there is not even a 'me' experiencing it . In the beginning the meditator might just have occasional glimpses of this but in time it will become more pronounced.




Q14 That sounds rather frightening.
Yes it does doesn't it. And in fact when some people first have this experience, they may be a little frightened. But soon the fear is replaced by a profound realisation - the realisation that they are not what they have always taken themselves to be. Gradually the ego begins to weaken and in time it dissolves completely as does the sense of 'I', 'Me' and 'Mine'. It is at this point that the Buddhist's life and indeed their whole outlook really begins to change. Just consider how many personal, social and even international conflicts have their origins in the ego, in racial or national pride, in the sense of being wronged, humiliated or threatened and in the shrill cry 'This is mine!' 'That belongs to us!' According to Buddhism real peace and happiness can only be found when we discover our true identity. This is what is called enlightenment.

Q15 That's a very attractive idea but at the same time it's a rather alarming one too. How does an enlightened person function without a sense of self or without a sense of ownership?
Well, an enlightened person may well ask us, 'How can you function with a sense of self? How are you able endure all the unpleasantness of fear, jealousy, grief and pride, your own and other peoples? Don't you ever get sick of the endless scramble to accumulate more and more, of the need to always be better than or ahead of the next person, of the nagging feeling that you might just lose it all?' It seems that enlightened people get along quite alright in life. It's the unenlightened ones, you and I, who have all the problems and cause all the problems.

Q16 I see your point. But how long do you have to meditate for before you become enlightened?
It is impossible to say and perhaps it doesn't matter. Why not start meditating and see where it takes you? If you practice with sincerity and intelligence, you might find that it improves the quality of your life considerably. In time you may wish to explore meditation and the Dhamma more deeply. Later, it might become the most important thing in your life. Don't start speculating about or worrying over the higher steps on the path before you have even begun the journey. Take it one step at a time.

Q17 Do I need a teacher to teach me meditation?
A teacher is not absolutely necessary but personal guidance from someone who is familiar with meditation is certainly helpful. Unfortunately, some monks and lay people set themselves up as meditation teachers when they simply don't know what they are doing. Try to pick a teacher who has a good reputation, a balanced personality and who adheres closely to the Buddha's teachings.


Q18 I have heard that meditation is widely used today by psychiatrists and psychologists. Is this true?
Yes, it is. Meditation is now accepted as having a highly therapeutic effect upon the mind and is used by many professional mental health workers to help induce relaxation, overcome phobias and bring out self-awareness. The Buddha's insights into the human mind are helping people as much today as they did in ancient times.

weekly dharma quote 24

He is able
who thinks
he is able.

Chapter 5: Rebirth

Q1 Where do we humans come from and where are we going?

There are three possible answers to this question. Those who believe in god or gods usually claims that before individuals are created, they do not exist. They then come into being through the will of god. They live their lives and then, according to what they believe or do during their life, they go either to eternal heaven or eternal hell. There are others, humanists and scientists, who claims that the individual comes into being at conception due to natural causes, lives and then at death, ceases to exist. The first gives rise to many ethical problems. If a benevolent god really creates each of us, it is difficult to explain why so many people are born with the most dreadful deformities, or why so many babies are miscarried just before birth or are still-born. Another problem withthe theistic explanation is that it seems very unjust that a person should suffer eternal pain in hell for what they did in just 60 to 70 years on earth. Sixty or 70 years of non-beliefs or immoral living does not seem to deserve eternal torture. Likewise, 60 or 70 years of virtuous living seems a very small outlay for eternal bliss in heaven. The second explanation is better than the first and has more scientific evidence to support it but still leaves important questions unanswered. How can a phenomenon so amazingly complex as human consciousness develop from the simple meeting the sperm and the egg and in just nine months? And now that parapyschology is a recognised branch of science, phenomena like telepathy are increasingly difficult to fit into the materialistic model of the mind.

Buddhism offters the most satisfactory explanation of where humans come from and where they are going. When we die, the mind with all the tendencies, preferences, abilities and characteristics that have been developed and conditioned in this life, re-establishes itself in a fertilised egg. Thus the individual grows, is reborn and develops a personality conditioned both by the mental characteristics that have been carried over from the last life and by the new environment. The personality will change and be modified by conscious effort and conditioning factors like education, parental influence and society. At death, it will once again re-establish itself in a new fertilised egg. This process of dying and reborn will continue until the conditions that cause it, craving and ignorance, cease. When they do, instead of being reborn, the mind attains a state called Nirvana and this is the ultimate goal of Buddhism and the purpose of life.
Q2 How does the mind go from one body to another?
Think of being like radio waves. The radio waves, which are not made up of words and music but energy at different frequencies, are transmitted, move through space, are attracted to and picked by the receiver from where they are broadcast as word and music. It is similar with the mind. At death, mental energy moves through space, is attracted and picked up by the fertilised egg. As the embryo grows, it centers itself in the brain from where it later 'broadcast' itself as the new personality.

Q3 Is one always reborn as a human being?
No, there are several realms in which one can be reborn. Some people are reborn in heaven, some are reborn in hell, some are reborn as hungry spirits and so on. Heaven is not so much a place as a state of existence where one has a subtle body and where the mind experiences mainly pleasure. Like all conditioned states, heaven is impermanent and when one's life span there is finished, one could well be reborn again as a human. Hell, likewise, is not a place but a state of existence where mainly anxiety and distress. Being reborn as a hungry ghost, again, is a state of being where the body is subtle and where the mind is continually plagued by longing and dissatisfaction.

So heavenly things experience mainly pleasure, hell beings and hungry spirits experience mainly pain and human beings experience usually a mixture of both. The main difference between the human realm and the other realms is the body type and the quality of experience.

Q4 What decides where a person will be reborn?
The most important factor, but not the only one, influencing where we will be reborn and what sort of life we shall have, is kamma. The word kamma means 'action' and refers to our intentional mental actions. In other words, what we are is determined very much by how we have thought and acted in the past. Likewise, how we think and act now will influence how we will be in the future. The gently, loving type of person tends to be reborn in a heaven realm or as a human being who has a predominance of pleasant experiences. The anxious, worried or extremely cruel type of person tends to be reborn in a hell realm or as a human being who has a predominance of unpleasant experiences. The person who develops obsessive craving, fierce longings and burning ambitions that can never be satisfied tends to be reborn as a hungry spirit or as a human being frustrated by longing and wanting. Whatever mental habits are strongly developed in this life will simply continue to the next life. Most people, however, are reborn as human being.
Q5 So we are not determined by our kamma, we can change it.
Of course we can. This is why one of the steps on the Noble Eightfold Path is Perfect Effort. It depends on our sincerity, how much evergy we exert and how strong the habit is. But it is true that some people simply go through life under the influence of their past habits, without making an effort to change them and falling victim to their unpleasant results. Such people will continue to suffer unless they change their negative habits. The longer the negative habits remain, the more difficult they are to change. The Buddhist understands this and take advantage of each and every opportunity to break mental habits that have unpleasant results and to develop ones that have a pleasant result. Meditation is one of the techniques used to modify the habit patterns of the mind, as is speaking or refraining from speaking, actiing or refraining from acting in certain ways. The whole of the Buddhist life is a training to purify and free the mind. For example, if being patient and kind were a pronounced part of your character in your last life, such tendencies would re-emerge in the present life. If they are encouraged and developed in the present life they will re-emerge even stronger and more pronounced in the future life. This is based upon the simple and observable fact that long establised habits tend to be difficult to break.

Now, when you are patient and kind, it tends to happen that you are not easily ruffled by others. You don't hold grudges, people like you and thus your experiences tends to be happier. Take another example. Let us say that you came into life with tendency to be patient and kind due to your mental habits in the past life. But in the present life you neglect to strengthen and develop such tendencies. They would gradually weaken and die out and perhaps be completely absent in the future life. Patience and kindness being weak in this case, there is a possibility that in either this life or in the next life, a short temper, anger and cruelty could grow and develop, bring with them all the unpleasant experiences such attitudes create.

We will take one last example. Let us say that due to your mental habits in the last life, you came into the present life with the tendency to be short-tempered and angry and you realise that such habits only cause unpleasantness. If you are only able to weaken such tendencies, they would re-emerge in the next life where with a bit more effort, they could be eliminated completely and you could be free from their unpleasant effects.
Q6 You have talked a lot about rebirth but is there any proof that we are reborn when we die?
Not only is there scientific evidence to support the Buddhist belief in rebirth, it is the only after-life theory that has any evidence to support it. There is no scrap of evidence to prove the existence of heaven and of course the evidence of annihilation at death must be lacking. But during last 30 years, parapsychologists have been studying reports that some people have vivid memories if their former lives. For example, in England, a 5 year old girl said she could remember her 'other mother and father' and she talked vividly about what sounded like the events in the life of another person. Parapsychologists were called in and they asked hundreds of questions to which the girl gave answers. She spoke of living in a particular village in what appeared to be Spain, she have the name of the village, the name of the street she lived in, her neighbours' names and details about her everyday life there. She also tearfully spoke of how she had been struck by a car and died of her injuries two days later. When these details were checked, they we found to be accurate. There was a village in Spain with the name the girl had given. There was a house of the type she had described in the street she named. What is more, it was found that a 23-year old woman living in the house had been killed in a car accident 5 years before. Now how is it possible for a 5 year old girl living in England and who had never been to Spain to know all these details? And of course, this is not the only case of this type. Professor Ian Stevenson of the University of Virginia's Department of Psychology has described dozens of cases of this type in his book (Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation and Cases of Reincarnation Type, University Press of Virgina, Charlotteville, 1975). He is an accredited scientist whose 25 year study of people who remember formoer lives is very strong evidence for the Buddhist teaching of rebirth.

Q7 Some people might say that the supposed ability to remember former lives is the work of devils.
You simply cannot dismiss everything that doesn't fit your belief as being the work of devils. When cold hard facts are produced to support an idea, you must use retional and logical arguments if you wish to counter them - not irrational and superstitious talk about devils.

Q8 You could say that talk about devils is superstitious but isn't talk about rebirth a bit superstitious also?
The dictionary defines superstitious as 'a belief which is not based on reason or fact but on an association of ideas, as in magic.' If you can show me a careful study of the existence of devils written by a scientist I will concede that belief in devils is not superstitious. But I have never heard of any research into devils; scientists simply wouldn't bother to study such things, so I say there is no evidence for the existence of devils. But as we have just seen, there is evidence which seems to suggest that rebirth does take place. If belief in rebirth is based on at least some facts, it cannot be a superstition.

Q9 Well, have there been any scientist who believe in rebirth?
Yes. Thomas Huxley, who was responsible for having science introduced into the British school systemin the 19th century and who was the first scientist to defend Darwin's theories, believed that reincarnation was a very plausible idea. In his famous book 'Evolution and Ethics and other Essays', he says:

'In the doctrine of transmigration, whatever its origin Brahmanical and Buddhist speculation found, ready to hand, the means of constructing a plausible vindication of the ways of the Cosmos to man... Yet this plea of justification is not less plausible than others; and none but very hasty thinkers will reject it on the ground of inherent absurdity. Like the doctrine of evolution itself, that of transmigration has its roots in the world of reality; and it may claim such support as the great argument from analogy is capable of supplying.'

Professor Gustaf Stromberg, the famous Swedish astronomer, physicist and friend to Einstein also found the idea of rebirth appealing.

'Opinions differ whether human souls can be reincarnated on the earth of not. In 1936 a very interesting case was thoroughly investigated and reproted by the government authorities in India. A girl (Shanti Devi from Delhi) could accurately describe her previous life (at Muttra, five hundred miles from Delhi) which ended about a year before her "second birth". She gave the name of her husband and child and described her home and life history. The investigating commission brought her to her former relatives, who verified all her statement. Among the people of India reincarnations are regarded as commonplace; the astonishing thing for them is this case was the great number of facts the girl remembered. This and similar cases can be regarded as additional evidence for the theory of the indestructibility of memory.'

Professor Julian Huxley, the distinguished British scientist who was Director General of UNESCO believed that rebirth was quite in harmony with scientific thinking.

'There is nothing against a permanently surviving spirit-individuality being in some way given off at death, as a difinite wireless message is given off by a sending apparatus working in a particular way. But it must be rememberred that the wireless message only becomes a message again when it comes in contact with a new, material structure - the receiver. It.. would never think or feel unless again 'embodied' in some way. Our personalities are so based on body that it is really impossible to htink of survival which would be in any true sense personal without a body of sorts.. I can thnk of something being given off which would bear the same relation to men and women as a wireless message to the transmitting apparatus; but in that case 'the dead' would, so far as one can see, be nothing but disturbances of different patterns wandering throug the universe until.. they... came back to actuality of consciousness by making contact with something which could work as a receiving apparatus for mind.'

Even very practical and down-to-earth people like the American industrialist Henry Ford found the idea or rebirth acceptable. Ford was attracted to the idea because it gives one a second chance to develop oneself. Henry Ford said:

'I adopted the theory of Reincarnation when I was twenty-six... Religion offered nothing to the point... Even work could not give me complete satisfaction. Work is futile if we cannot utilise the experience we collect in one life in the next. When I discovered Reincarnation it was as if I had found a universal plan. I realised that there was a chance to work out my ideas. Time was no longer limited. I was no longer a slave to the hands of the clock... Genius is experience. Some seem to thnk that it is a gift or talent, but it is the fruit of long experience in many lives. Some are older souls than others, and so they know more... The discovery of Reincarnation put my mind at ease... If you preserve a record of this conversation, write it so that it puts men's minds at ease. I would like to communicate to others the calmness that the long view of life gives to us.'

So the Buddhist teachings of rebirth does have some scientific basis. It is logically consistent and it goes a long way to answering some important questions about human destiny. But it is also very comforting. According to Buddha, if you failed to attain Nirvana in this life, you will have the opportunity to try again next time. If you have made mistakes in this life, you will be able to correct yourself in the next life. You will truly be able to learn from your mistakes. Things youwere unable to do or achieve in this life may well become possible in the next life. What a wonderful teaching!

Q10 All this is very intellectually satisfying but I must admit that I am still a bit skeptical.
That's okay. Buddhism does not demand absolute belief in all its concepts when it goes against your own understanding. What is the point of forcing yourself to believe things you just can't belive? You can still practice those things thatyou find helpful, accept those ideas that you understand and benefit from them without believing in rebirth. Who knows! In time you may come to see the truth of rebirth.

weekly dharma quote 23

Develop the quiet,
even state of mind.

When praised by some
and condemned by others,
free the mind from
hate and pride, and
gently go your way in peace.

Chapter 4: The Five Precepts

Q1 Other religions derive their ideas of right and wrong from the commandments of their god or gods. You Buddhist don't believe in god, so how do you know what is right and wrong?

Any thoughts, speech or actions that are rooted in greed, hatred and delusion and thus lead us away from Nirvana are bad and any thoughts, speech or actions that are rooted in giving, love and wisdom and thus help clear the way to Nirvana are good.

To know what is right and wrong in god-centered religions, all that is needed is to do as you are told. In human-centered religion like Buddhism, to know what is right and wrong, you have to develop a deep self-awareness and self-understanding. And ethics based on understanding are always stronger than those that are a response to a command.

So to know what is right and wrong, the Buddhist looks at three things - the intention behind the act, the effect the act will have upon oneself and the effect it will have upon others. If the intention is good (rooted in generosity, love and wisdom), if it helps myself (helps me to be more giving, more loving and wiser) and help others (helps them to be more giving, more loving and wiser), then my deeds and actions are wholesome, good and moral. Of course, there are many variations of this. Sometimes, I act with the best of intentions but it may not benefit either myself or others. Sometimes my intentions are far from good, but my action helps others nonetheless. Sometimes I act out of the good intentions and my acts help me but perhaps cause some distress to others. In such cases, my actions are mixed - a mixture of good and not-so-good. When intentions are bad and the action helps neither myself nor others, such an action is bad. And when my intention is good and my action benefits both myself and others, then the deed is wholly good.

Q2 So does Buddhism have a code of morality?
Yes it does. The Five Precepts are the basis of Buddhist morality. The First Precept is to avoid killing or harming living beings, the second is to avoid stealing, third is to avoid sexual misconduct, the fourth is to avoid lying and the fifth is to avoid alcohol and other intoxicating drugs.



Q3 But surely it is good to kill sometimes, to kill disease-spreading insects or someone who is going to kill you?
It might be good for you but what about the insect or the person who is killed? They wish to live just as you do. When you decide to kill a disease-spreading insect, your intention is perhaps a mixture of self-concern (good) and revulsion (bad). The act will benefit yourself (good) but obviously it will not benefit the creature (bad). So at times it may be necessary to kill but it is never wholly good.

Q4 You Buddhist are too concerned about ants and bugs.
Buddhist try to develop a compassion that is undiscriminating and all-embracing. We see the world as a unified whole where each thing and creature has its place and function. We believe that before we destroy or upset nature's delicate balance, we should be very careful. When emphasis has been on exploiting nature to the full, conquering and subduing it, nature has revolted. The air is becoming poisoned, the rivers polluted and dead, so many animal and plants are heading for extinction, the slopes of the mountains are barren and eroded. Even the climate is changing. If people were a little less anxious to crush, destroy and kill, this terrible situation may not have arisen. We should strive to develop a little more respect for all life. And this is what the First Precept is about.

Q5 What does Buddhism say about abortion?
According to the Buddha life begins at conception or very soon after and so to abort a fetus would be to take a life.

Q6 But if a woman is raped or if she knows that her child is going to be deformed, wouldn't it be better to stop the pregnancy?
A child conceived as the result of a rape is entitled to live and be loved as any other child. He or she should not be killed simply because their biological father committed a crime. Giving birth to a deformed or mentally retarded child would be a terrible shock for the parents but if its okay to abort a fetus like this then why not kill children or adults who are deformed or handicapped? There might be situation where abortion was the most humane alternative, for example, to save the life of a mother. But let's be honest, most abortions are performed simply because the pregnancy is inconvenient, an embarrassment or because the parents want to have the child later. To Buddhists, these seem a very poor reasons to destroy a life.

Q7 If someone committed suicide would they be breaking the First Precept?
When one person murders another they might do it out of fear, anger, fury, greed or some other negative emotions. When a person commits suicide they might do it for very similar reasons or because of other negative emotions like despair or frustration. So whereas murder is the result of negative emotions directed towards another, suicide is negative emotions directed towards oneself and therefore would be breaking the Precept. However, someone who is contemplating suicide or had attempted suicide does not need being told that what they are doing is wrong. They need our support and our understanding. We have to help them understand that killing themselves is perpetuating their problem, not solving it.



Q8 Tell me about the Second Precept.
When we take this Precept we undertake to take nothing that does not belong to us. The Second Precept is about restraining our greed and respecting the property of others.




Q9 The Third Precept says we should avoid sexual misconduct. What is sexual misconduct?
If we use trickery, emotional blackmail or force to compel someone to have sex with us, then that can be said to be sexual misconduct. Adultery is also a form of sexual misconduct because when we marry we promised our spouse we will be loyal to them. When we commit adultery, we break that promise and betray their trust. Sex should be an expression of love intimacy between two people and when it is, it contributes to our mental and emotional well-being.

Q10 Is sex before marriage a type of sexual misconduct?
No if there is love and mutual agreement between the two people concerned. However, it should never be forgotten that the biological function of sex is reproduction and if an unmarried woman becomes pregnant, it can cause a great deal of problems. Many mature and thoughtful people think that it is far better to leave sex until after marriage.

Q11 What does Buddhism say about birth control?
Some religions teach that having sex for any reason other than procreation is immoral and thus they consider all forms of birth control to be wrong. Buddhism recognizes that sex has several purpose - procreation, recreation, as an expression of love and affection between two people, etc. This being that case, it considers all forms of birth control, apart from abortion to be acceptable. In fact, Buddhism would say that in a world where the population explosion has become a major problem, birth control is a real blessing.



Q12 But what about Forth Precept? Is it possible to live without telling lies?
If it is really impossible to get by in society or do business without lying, such a shocking and corrupt state of affairs should be changed. The Buddhist is someone who resolves to do something practical about the problem by trying to be more truthful and honest.

Q13 If you were sitting in the park and a terrified man ran past you and then a few minutes later another man carrying a knife ran up to you and asked if you had seen which way the first man had gone, would you tell him the truth or would you lie to him?
If I had good reason to suspect that the second man was going to to serious harm to the first I would, as an intelligent caring Buddhist, have no hesitation in lying. We said before that one of the factors determining whether a deed is good or bad is intention. The intention to save a life is many times more positive than telling a lie is negative, in circumstances such as these. If lying, drinking or even stealing mean that I saved a life I should do it. I can always make amends for breaking these Precepts but I can never bring back a life once it is gone. However, as said before, please do not take this as a license to break the Precepts whenever it is convenient. The Precepts should be practiced with great care and only infringed in extreme cases.



Q14 The Fifth Precept says we should not drink alcohol or take other drugs. Why not?
People don't drink for the taste. When they drink alone, it is in order to seek release from tension and when they drink socially, it is usually to conform. Even a small amount of alcohol distorts consciousness and disrupts self-awareness. Taken in large quantities, its effect can be devastating. Buddhists say that when you break the Fifth Precept you can break all the other Precepts.

Q15 But drinking just a small amount wouldn't be really breaking the precept, would it? It's only a small thing.
Yes, it is only a small thing and if you can't practice even a small thing, your commitment and resolution isn't very strong, is it?

Q16 Would smoking be against the Fifth Precept?
Smoking certainly has a negative effect on the body but its effect on the mind is very minor. One is able to smoke and still be alert, mindful and self-possessed so while smoking might be inadvisable, it would not be against the Precepts.

Q17 The Five Precepts are negative. They tell you what not to do. They don't tell you what to do.
The Five Precepts are the basis of Buddhist morality. They are not all of it. We start by recognizing our negative behavior and then striving to stop it. That is what the Five Precepts are for. After we have stopped doing wrong, we then commence to try doing good. Take for example of the Forth Precept. The Buddha said we should start by refraining from telling lies. After that, we should speak the truth, speck gently, politely and at the right time. He says:

'Giving up false speech he becomes a speaker of truth, reliable, trustworthy, dependable, he does not deceive the world. Giving up malicious speech he does not repeat there what he has heard here nor does he repeat here what he has heard there in order to cause variance between people. He reconciles those who are divided and brings closer together those who are already friends. Harmony is his joy, harmony is his delight, harmony is his love; it is the motive of his speech. Giving up harsh speech his speech is blameless, pleasing to the ear, agreeable, going to the heart, urbane, liked by most. Giving up idle chatter he speaks at the right time, what is correct, to the point, about Dhamma and about discipline. He speaks words being treasured up, seasonable, reasonable, well defined and to the point.' M.I, 179

weekly dharma quote 22

We already have
perfect compassion,
perfect wisdom,
perfect joy.

We only need
to settle our minds
so they can arise
from deep within us.

Chapter 3: Buddhism and the God-idea

Q1: Do you Buddhists believe in god?

No, we do not. There are several reasons for this. Like modern sociologists and psychologists, the Buddha saw that many religious ideas and especially the god-idea have their origin in anxiety and fear. The Buddha says:
'Gripped by fear people go the the sacred mountains, scared groves, sacred trees and shrines.' Dhp.188

Primitive humans found themselves in a dangerous and hostile world. The fear of wild animals, of not being able to find enough food, of injury or disease, and of natural phenomena like thunder, lightning and volcanoes was constantly with them. Finding no security, they created the idea of gods in order to give them comfort in good times, courage in times of danger and consolation when things went wrong. To this day you will notice that people often become more religious at times of crises. you will hear them say that the belief in their god or gods gives them the strength they need to deal with life. Often they explain that they believe in a particular god because they prayed in time of need and their prayer was answered, All this seems to support the Buddha's teaching that the god-idea is a response to fear and frustration. The Buddha taught us to try to understand our fears, to lessen our desires and to calmly and courageously accept the things we cannot change. He replaced fear with rational understanding not with irrational belief.

The second reason the Buddha did not believe in a god is because there does not seem to be very much evidence to support this idea. There are numerous religions, all claiming that they alone have god's words preserved in their holy book, that they alone understand god's nature, that their god exists and that the gods of other religions do not. Some claim that god is masculine, some that she is feminine and others that it is neuter. They are all satisfied that there is ample evidence to prove the existence of the god they worship but they scoff at the evidence other religions use to prove the existence of other gods. It is surprising that despite so many religions using so much ingenuity over so many centuries to prove the existence of god that there is still no real, concrete , substantial or irrefutable evidence for such a being. Buddhists suspend judgement until such evidence is forthcoming.

The third reason the Buddha did not believe in a god is because he felt that the belief was not necessary. Some claim that the belief in a god is necessary in order to explain the origin on the universe. But science has very convincingly explained how the universe came into being without having to introduce the god-idea. Some claim that belief in god is necessary to have a happy meaningful life. But again we can see that this is not so. There are millions of atheists and free-thinkers, not to mention many Buddhists, who live useful, happy and meaningful lives without belief in god. Some claim that belief in god's power is necessary because humans, being weak, do not have the strength to help themselves. Once again, the evidence indicates the opposite. One often hears of people who have overcome great disabilities and handicaps, enormous odds and difficulties, through their own inner resources, their own efforts and without belief in god. Some claim that god is necessary in order to give salvation. This concept only holds good if you accept the theological concept of salvation and Buddhists do not accept such a concept. Based on his own experience the Buddha saw that each human being has the capacity to purify the mind, develop infinite love and compassion and perfect understanding. He shifted attention from the heavens to the heart and encouraged us to find solutions to our problems through self-understanding.

Q2: But if there are no gods how did the universe get here?
All religions have myths and stories which attempt to answer this question. In ancient times such myths were adequate but in the 21st century, in the age of physics, astronomy and geology, such myths have been superseded by scientific fact. Science has explained the origin of the universe without recourse to the god-idea.

Q3: What does the Buddha say about the origin of the universe?
It is interesting that the Buddha's explanation of the origin of the universe corresponds very closely to the scientific view. In the Aganna Sutta, the Buddha described the universe being destroyed and then re-evolving into its present form over a period of countless millions of years. The first life formed on the surface of the water and again, over countless millions of years, evolved from simple to complex organisms. All these processes were, he said, without beginning or end, and are set in motion by natural causes.

Q4: You say there is no evidence for the existence of god but what about miracles?
There are many people who believe that miracles are proof of god's existence. We hear wild claims that a healing has taken place but we never seem to get independent testimony of this from any medical offices or doctors We hear second-hand reports that someone was miraculously saved from disaster but we never seem to get eye-witness accounts of what was supposed to have happened. We hear rumors that prayer straightened a diseased body or strengthened a withered limb, but we never see X-rays or get comments from doctors or nurses to prove these rumors. Wild claims, second-hand reports and hearsay are no substitute for solid evidence and solid evidence of miracles is very rare. However, unusual and unexplained things sometimes do happen. But our inability to explain such things does not prove the existence of gods. It only proves that our knowledge is as yet incomplete. Before the development of modern medicine, when people didn't know what caused sickness, they believed that god or the gods sent diseases as a punishment. Now we know what causes such things and when we get sick, we take medicine. In time when our knowledge of the world is more complete we may find out what causes unexplained phenomena, just as we can now understand what causes disease.

Q5: But so many people believe in some form of god, it must be true.
Not so. There was a time when everyone believed that the world was flat, but they were all wrong. The number of people who believe in an idea is no measure of the truth or falsehood of that idea. The only way we can tell whether as idea is true or not is by looking at the facts and examining the evidence.

Q6: So if you Buddhists don't believe in gods, what do you believe in?
We do not believe in a god because we believe in humanity. We believe that each human being is precious and important, that all have the potential to develop into a Buddha - a perfected human being. We believe that human beings can outgrow ignorance and irrationality and see things as they really are. We believe that hatred, anger, spite and jealousy can be replaced by love, patience, generosity and kindness. We believe that all this is within the grasp of each person if they make the effort, guided and supported by their fellow Buddhists and inspired by the example of the Buddha. As the Buddha says:

'No one saves us but ourselves,
No one can and no one may.
We ourselves must walk the path,
But Buddhas clearly show the way.' Dhp.165

weekly dharma quote 21

Phenomena are preceded by
the heart,
ruled by the heart,
made of the heart.

if you speak or act
with a calm,
bright heart,
then happiness follows you,
like a shadow
that never leaves.

Chapter 2: Basic Buddhist Concepts

Q1: What are the main teachings of the Buddha?

All of the many teachings of the Buddha center on the Four Noble Truths just as the rim and spokes of a wheel center on the hub. They are called ‘Four’ because there are four of them. They are called ‘Noble’ because they ennoble one who understands them and they are called ‘Truths’ because, corresponding with reality, they are true.

Q2: What is the First Noble Truth?

The first Noble Truth is that life is suffering. To live is to suffer. It is impossible to live without experiencing some kind of pain or distress. We have to endure physical suffering like sickness, injury, tiredness, old age and eventually death. We also have to endure psychological suffering like loneliness, frustrations, fear, embarrassment, disappointment, anger, etc.

Q3: Isn’t this a bit pessimistic?

The dictionary defines pessimism as ‘the habit of thinking that whatever will happen will be bad,’ or ‘the belief that evil is more powerful than good.’ Buddhism teaches neither of these ideas. Nor does it deny that happiness exists. It simply says that live is to experience physical and psychological suffering which is a statement so true and so obvious that it cannot be denied. Buddhism is not pessimistic, it teaches us to face the reality of our existence. Buddhism starts with an experience, an irrefutable fact, a thing that all know, that all have experienced and that all are trying to avoid. Thus, Buddhism starts by going straight to the core of every individual human beings’ concern – suffering and how to avoid it.

Q4: What is the Second Noble Truth?

The Second Noble Truth is that craving causes all suffering. When we look at psychological suffering, it is easy to see how it is cause by craving. When we want something but are unable to get it, we feel disappointed or frustrated. When we expect someone to live up to our expectation and they do not, we feel let down and angry. When we want others to like us and they do not, we feel hurt. Even when we want something and ae able to get it, this does not often lead to happiness because it is not long before we feel bored with that thing, lose interest in it and commence to what something else. Put simply, the Second Noble Truth says that getting what you want does not guarantee happiness. Rather than constantly struggling to get what you want, try to modify your wanting. Wanting deprives us of contentment and happiness.

Q5: But how does wanting and craving lead to physical suffering?

A lifetime of wanting and craving for this and that and especially the craving to continue to exist creates a powerful energy that causes the individual to be reborn. When we are reborn, we have a body and as we said before, the body is susceptible to injury and disease; it can be exhausted by work; it ages and eventually dies. Thus, craving leads to physical suffering because it causes us to be reborn.

Q6: That’s all very well. But if we stopped wanting altogether, we would never got anything or achieve anything.

True. But what the Buddha says is that when our desire, our craving, our constant discontent with what we have and our continual longing for more and more does cause us suffering, then we should stop doing it. He asked us to make a difference between what we need and what we want, and to strive for our needs and modify our wants. He taught us that our needs can be fulfilled but what our wants are endless – bottomless pit. There are needs that are essential, fundamental and that can be obtained and we should work towards this, Desires beyond this should be gradually lessened. After all, what is the purpose of life? To get, or to be content and happy.

Q7: You have talked about rebirth, but is there any proof that such a thing happens?

There is ample evidence that such a thing happens bit we will look at this in more detail later on.

Q8: What is the Third Noble Truth?

The Third Noble Truth is that suffering can be overcome and happiness attained. This is perhaps the most important of the Four Noble Truth because in it the Buddha reassured us that true happiness and contentment are possible. When we give up useless craving and learn to live each day at a time, enjoying without restless wanting the experiences that life offers is, patiently enduring the problems that life involves without fear, hatred and anger, then we become happy and free. Then and only then, are we being able to live fully. Because we are no longer obsessed with satisfying our own selfish wants, we find we have so much time to help others fulfill their needs. This state is called Nirvana.

Q9: What or where is Nirvana?

It is a dimension transcending time and space and thus is difficult to talk about or even to think about, words and thoughts being only suited to describe the time-space dimension. But because Nirvana is beyond time, there is no movement, no friction and so no aging or dying. Thus Nirvana is eternal. Because it is beyond space, there is no causation, no boundary, no concept of self and not self and thus Nirvana is infinite. The Buddha also assured us that Nirvana is an experience of great happiness. He said:

“Nirvana is the highest happiness,” – Dhp.204

Q10: But is there any proof that such a dimension exists?

No there is not. But its existence can be inferred. If there is a dimension where time and space do operate and there is such dimension – the world we experience – then we can infer that there is a dimension where time and space do not operate – Nirvana. Again, even though we cannot prove Nirvana exists, we have the Buddha’s word that it does. He told us:

“There is an Unborn, a Not-become, a Not-made, a Not-compounded. If there were not this Unborn, Not-become, Not-made, Not-compounded, there could not be an escape from what is born, become, made, and compounded. But since there is this Unborn, Not-become, Not-made, Not-compounded, there is an escape from what is born, become, made and compounded.” Ud,80

We will know it when we attain it. Until that time, we can still practice.

Q11: What is the Fourth Noble Truth?

The Fourth Noble Truth is the Path leading to the overcoming of suffering. This path is called the Noble Eightfold Path and consists of Perfect Understanding, Perfect Thought, Perfect Speech, Perfect Action, Perfect Livelihood, Perfect Effort, Perfect Mindfulness and Perfect Concentration. The Buddhist life consists of practicing these eight things until they become more complete. You will notice that the steps on the Noble Eightfold Path cover every aspect of life: the intellectual, the ethical, the social and economic and the psychological, and therefore contain everything a person needs to lead a good life and to develop spiritually.