Solitude

Solitude should be cultivated, bodily solitude as well as mental solitude.   Bodily solitude means to be alone.   I don’t mean to say that we should avoid meeting with people.  Rather I mean we should spend time by ourselves.  Mental solitude men are not thinking about anything about being alert and aware.  Some people believe that when we are not thinking about anything, then we must be deeply asleep, or dull and sleepy.   People don’t understand the importance of solitude.  They want to be with somebody who can give them some fun or stimulate the somehow.  Craving for stimulation.  When there is nothing to stimulate them they become bored.  Even when they are alone bodily, they read or with TV, listen to the radio or cassette, or they think about things they’ve done or about the things they will do.  Being alone not reading or watching TV, listening to the radio or cassette, and not thinking are things never thought of as productive.

Wisdom is the fruit of solitude.

Solitude is recharging.  

Life flowing out of deep stillness of my heart

underfinable

Everything else is incident. 

Sayadaw U Jotika.

MIND, MINFULNESS AND MDITATION

I have read a book of shayadaw U Jotika of Myanmar.  He is a great meditation teacher.  Here I am giving some important points to you to practice in everyday life.

In the body every part is related to every other part so it is in life.  Every aspect of life: Every aspect of your life is related to every other aspect of life.

The economic, sexual emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual aspects of your life are all related.  You can’t keep them separate.  If you try to keep them separate your life will be unfulfilling and inharmonious.  There will be conflict, a schism, paralysis. 

Have you ever read the Buddha wasted his feet, hands, and bowl very carefully? Everything he did was spiritualized.  That is true spirituality.

It is related to every aspect of your life.  So the way you talk, dress, relate to other people, eat, sleep, laugh – everything you do reflects your mind.

How think profoundly? You need a quiet mindful mind; a mind which is not tired or agitated can see clearly. It is the seeing clearly which is important. 

Conflicts will have, both internal and external. Only clear awareness and wisdom can help being-less (nissatta), lifeless (nijjiva).

some photos:

At ancient alms bowl 

wish happy birth day to Venerable Oothamathara

At Katina Dana

      The teachings of the Buddha is not only shows the path for spiritual practice, but also to lead the material life very happily, peacefully and successfully.

The THABARWA CENTER in Thanlyin, Yangon, Myanmar is an important and very peaceful place for the clergy to observe rainy retreat for three months.  In this center there are meditation center, free medial camp, old age home, Nunnery, shelter for mentally and physically challenged people etc.  The motive of the center is to share, care, and help and protect the people.

Sayadaw U Othamathara

The chief abbot Shayadaw U Otthamathara is not only very learned but also very kind to many poor and needy.  He has given me opportunity to stay in his center to learn and practice meditation.

U thien thin soe volunteer to master

Mr. U Thein thin Soe one of the disciple of master volunteering the center with his management skills affectionately.  He is a good meditator.  We both practiced Meditation with pasting under the Shayadaw U Thiha who is 86 years old. 

The center is not only taking care of the basic needs of the clergy, patients, poor and needy, they also teach how to lead the life mindfully by practicing morality (sila).

The master Sayadaw U Othamathara is happy to work with Dhamma soldier’s Association to uproot social, political, economical injustice& suffering in India.

Myanmar is undergoing change politically, economically of course in all the matters. The Buddha may bless to fulfill their wishes.

in the meditation hall

Rainy retreat

During Vassa Thervada Buddhist monks remain in residence within their temples and leave its grounds only when necessary.

 Lay people show their devotion and appreciation by supporting the monks with food and necessities.

                Laypeople sometimes give up things like eating meat, drinking alcohol, or smoking during Vassa.

                I traveled by air from India to Myanmar to practice rainy retreat.  This is the practice helps the sangha to practice Buddha Dhamma deeply. 

I want to share my experiences with you while traveling from India to Myanmar.  It is a thrilling experience to me to view the Dhaka from the air.  The culture and way of behavior customs I understand while I waited for the Yangon flight at Dhaka (Bangladesh). I was received at Yangon airport warmly.   Some of the photographs posted here to share my experiences with you by air from India to Myanmar through Bangladesh.

  

  I may not be in a position to send October post to you.

Pushkar is an Indian festival dedicated to worshiping of rivers,  Pushkara or Pushkar is a Sanskrit word derived from the element of push (Pushti) meaning nourishment and Kara means one who does it.  Pushkara is the energy that nourishes

Teaching moral based Art of living with flex

.  With reference to the sacred rivers, Pushakara means the one who energize the rivers and provide spiritual purification.  Pushkara also means Lotus sanctified water, Swan, Sword, Lake etc.

This happens in once in 144 years.  So the four crore people took holy bath to purify the sin at Rajahmundry, Andhr praesh. Actually Lord Buddha taught nobody can purify one's mind by taking bath in Ganges or Godavari.  One must cleanse the defilement to attain nirvana.

                                                                                                    

                                                            At the Bathing Ghat
 
       Speaking at the Hindu religious puja

I have opened a Education stall to teach the devotees the moral way of life based on the principles of the teachings of the Lord Buddha.  The campaign is very successful. I also met ministers of the Provincial Government and the Government of India.

DHAMMA SOLDIER AS POLICE

“Hate the sin not the sinner”

‘No body is a born criminal. Every person is good still the society makes him sick.  Society prepares the crime and man commits it’.

If one is conscious at least of this fundamental responsibility one is considered to be doing the utmost service to the society the greatest contribution more than positive service.

I am in the role of ‘Dharma Soldier’ protect tradition and culture. This is like a duty of a police man.  So everybody in the world is a police.  For example one will protect his own properties and his own self etc, and then he acts as police. 

The responsibility of a Buddhist monk is upholding the moral standards in the society.  Bringing moral change in the individual with my ‘JYOTHI’ project through the “education for freedom through change” slogan and work for the welfare of the aspirants, which is the duty of members of the Dharma soldier’s Association in the world.

So we work together to protect our spiritual security and social security as a police i.e. ‘Dharma soldier’.  Then only we can become real followers of the Buddha who protected the Universe through his teachings.

Ven.Sumedha Bodhi

DHAMMA SOLDIER

VISION

To practice teachings of the Buddha for your life and your mission to get success one should prepare vision.  Only, those who practice precepts in the life will have a purpose in the life.  Those who don’t have a moral base will have a technical life.  They experience life of confusion, worry and fear and the mind wanders all the time, it won’t get concentration.

I always had a list of do’s and don’ts.  When I was in Sri Lanka, I thought this is not enough.  I started reading books related to personality development.   Finally I have drawn my vision to practice Buddha Dharma and to lead my Dharma soldier’s Association to serve the humanity. 

 

I assume that you already dedicated your life to practice righteousness.  Then your vision is clear.  Now you have to draw a map to get spiritual attainment. 

I advocate that the structure will be like this.

1.VISION                  2.Objective                  3.Goal               4.  Action plan

The goals should be well defined.  It must be communicable, achievable, tangible, and measurable.  If the goals are well designed you can get like minded people co-operation.  So now you are in a group.  Then it is for you to realize your dreams.

After setting the goals you should have an action plan.   A plan must be time bounded you should have mentors to execute the plan.  If you start in this way you can get financial, social and other support to achieve your vision successfully.

One can choose desired method to develop one’s own personality.  But without a vision life is like a ship without reader.   I wish that you all will get success in achieving your goals comfortably.

GREETINGS

Ven. Sumedha bodhi with Honorable Minister

             My contribution to all sentient beings on the eve of Buddha jayanthi is ‘Dhamma soldier’ book. This was launched by Honorable Central Cabinet minister Mr.M.Venkiah Naidu garu Government of India, New Delhi.

Ven.Sumedha Bodhi

Email:dham.sol@gmail.com

DHAMMA ACTIVISM

       Dhamma activism of Dhamma soldier’s Association is to find suitable social, political, economic elements to practice Buddha Dhamma as Buddha asked to practice to eliminate suffering in order to attain Nirvana.  At the same time, we Dhamma soldiers are also working to remove challenges facing present day humanity and nature. 

        At this moment, we are finding teachings of the Buddha out of craving (i.e. Kama tanaha, Bhava tanaha, vibhava tanaha,) just to become a traditional Bhkkhu (Monk).   It doesn’t mean that we are deviating from actual traditional path, which coming from thousands of years.  It is really preparing oneself to go to secluded place after learning scriptures and meditation techniques to practice.

     To achieve this goal we have to educate and organize ourselves and agitate against injustice, it may arise from social, political, economic essentials, corruption, human rights violation, class war, caste war, religious fundamentalists, etc.

       The purpose of my writing blog is to bring all aspirants under the one umbrella to work together, I mean unity brings strength.  So the socially engaged Buddhism now transforming into applied Buddhism to reach traditional Buddhism.

   

        On 31st January and 1st February  Youth Buddhist Society of India organized His Holiness the Dalai Lama's lecture at sankassa a Buddhist Heritage site in India.  In his lecture his Holiness stressed the importance of the practicing Sila (five percepts).  Few important verses are given below

Mind agitated, wavering,
hard to guard and hard to check,
one of wisdom renders straight
as arrow-maker a shaft.

Explanation: In the Dhammapada there are several references to the craftsmanship of the Fletcher. The Buddha seems to have observed the process through which a Fletcher transforms an ordinary stick into an efficient arrow-shaft. The disciplining of the mind is seen as being a parallel process. In this stanza the Buddha says that the wise one straightens and steadies the vacillating mind that is difficult to guard, like a Fletcher straightening an arrow-shaft. 

Truly to his detriment
skill is born to the fool;
ruined is his better nature
and scattered are his wits.

Explanation: Whatever is learned by the ignorant is conducive to harm. It brings about his own downfall. Misplaced learning destroys whatever potential the learner possesses and renders him useless in terms of real knowledge.

If one some evil does
then do it not again and again.
Do not wish for it anew
for evil grows to dukkha.

Explanation: A person may do some evil things. But he should not keep on doing it over and over, repeatedly. He should not take delight in it. Accumulation of evil is painful.