Monkhood vs. Lay Life

For many years I had this vague vision of what my future would look like: high education, successful career, a partner, big house, nice car, two or three dogs, and a get-away home somewhere in the mountains of Colorado. Then I was awakened and all those future plans changed. Lately I’ve been really contemplating Monkhood. I have very strong feelings of wanting to ordain as a monk. Then someone asked me, “But you can be a very good Buddhist and not be a monk.” This is true, but obviously it’s more than that. Monks have certain higher advantages than lay practitioners do. Maybe even better and quicker means to finding liberation.

Lately I’ve been practicing to learn to love myself and others around me. But it’s so easy to hate. Could you give me any advice on the subject

“Question: Lately I’ve been practicing to learn to love myself and others around me. But it’s so easy to hate. Could you give me any advice on the subject?”

It’s habitual to hate people and things that annoy us, frustrate us, and cause us suffering (dissatisfaction). But ask yourself this: Why? Why do these things bother you? Why do you let these things bother you? It’s so much easier to hate than to love. It’s so easy to hate and curse at the driver that cuts you off, it’s easy to hate the person walking infront of you who doesn’t hold the door open for you, it’s easy to get frustrated with your friends, siblings, and parents – but what is this doing for you? Absolutely nothing!

Happy Vesak!

Today my Temple celebrated Vesak (Phật Đản); the birth, Enlightenment, and death of Sakyamuni Buddha. Though the ceremony was mostly in Vietnamese, regardless, it was a beautiful and Enlightening celebration. And being able to bathe baby Buddha was such an uplifting and joyous experience.

Smile and be well!

Dealing with Difficult People

In the mundane world, we deal with difficult people almost of a daily basis. Whether they’re classmates, co-workers, bosses, neighbors, or random people – difficult people are everywhere! As Buddhist, we should know how to deal with such people and how to control ourselves. Yes, dealing with difficult people can be difficult, but just like our spiritual practice needs practice and development, so does our patience and compassion. Which just happens to be the solution to the problem!

Quang Trí

Quang Trí, meaning “Clear Mind” is the name I received during my taking of the Three Refuges and Five Precepts ceremony tonight. After years of study and actually practicing for a year, I’m so glad I found a Sangha and a Teacher to “settle down” with and ask for the ceremony.

I accepted and vowed to all five precepts – because you don’t have to take all five. Out of the three of us in the ceremony, I was the only one to vow to abstain from intoxicants! Of course that doesn’t make me better, but because I don’t really drink much or “want” to drink, I feel like it’s “no big deal” to abstain from something I rarely do anyway.

Next Sunday the temple is celebrating Vesak, Prince Siddhartha’s birthday! This will be my first official Buddhist celebration! We’ll be having the traditional ceremonial chanting, followed by a talk by our head monk, and ending with a vegetarian lunch. So it should be real exciting! Though it’s going to be hot outside, but since it’s at 9:30am I’m hoping it won’t be too bad.

 

Smile and be well!

Do’s and Don’ts when visiting a Temple

No one’s perfect. So sometimes when visiting temples some no-no’s might happen. Not often by Buddhists, but by curious observers and tourists. Many temples will have a “Temple Etiquette” guide; sometimes in a form of a brochure or small handbook. Read them! The following are some general rules when visiting a Buddhist Temple:

DO’s
Take off your shores before entering the Temple.
Bow when entering the Temple.
Bow when monks walk into the room.
Wear respectable clothing (ladies cover your tatas and your hooha) – wearing pants or shorts below the knee is ideal.
If taking pictures with a statue, keep your head below the statue’s head – be on one knee is respectable.
Keep quiet.
When getting up during meditation or service, stand up while bowing and walk backwards until you’re somewhat distant from the center of everything/everyone.
Address the monk(s) as “Venerable” or “Teacher,” unless you know exactly what the Sangha addresses them/him.

DON’Ts
Point at Buddha statues, monks, or nuns, especially with your feet.
Wear “beach clothes,” including tank tops and revealing clothing.
ABSOLUTELY no touching of the monks, nuns, or the heads of statues.
Be loud.
Show any public displays of affection.
Bring kids if they don’t know how to zip it.
Wear heavy perfume or cologne.
Be chatty with monks.
Disrupt, including taking pictures, of ceremonies, events, or meditation sessions.
Spit.
Litter.
Place texts or prayer sheets directly on the floor.

Smile and be well!

Rebirth and Karma

Question: Would our next rebirth be influenced by Buddhist changes we have made in this life? For example, if we did not achieve enlightenment but we began the journey, would this be eraised from our conciousness in our next life, until we begin all over again? Sorry if this sounds ignorant, I am a beginner. Thank you!

A simple answer: No! We are where we are today because of the Karma of our past lives. And it’s our Karma in this life that determines how good or bad our next life will be. Until we become Enlightened, our and all our past and future lives will share, use, gain, and lose the same good or bad Karma.

Because you’re on a Buddhist path now, you’re already gaining good Karma. You’re earning “points” for a better life in your next life, and several lives after that. Karma works on a cause-and-effect basis and typically has three classifications: 1) immediate effective Karma, karma that affects you in this life; 2) Subsequently effective Karma, karma that affects your next life; and 3) Indefinitely effective Karma, karma that affects the lives after your next life.

Because we don’t know when we’ll be become Enlightened; this life, the next, or in another hundred or thousand lives, as long as we live an ethical, compassionate, and moral life, we’re closer to Enlightenment!

Read this post about Karma. It has a more detailed explanation of Karma and its effects. Hope this helps!

 

Smile and be well!

How we view the Buddha

Question: I’m curious, how do you view The Buddha? What I mean is what do you consider him? A friend? A guide? A teacher? All of them, or none of them?

The amazing thing about Buddha is that he never claimed to be a God or some kind of deity. So yes, I, and the majority of all Buddhist, see Buddha as a guide, a Teacher. That was his life’s mission; to be a teacher, to guide us out of a life of suffering and Samsara.

Sometimes I get asked the question of why Buddhist bow when entering temples or at images or statues of Buddha. When we bow, we’re not bowing for Buddha – He isn’t here! He’s no longer in our world, or present with us, or living a life in Samsara. So we don’t bow to him. We bow to ourselves. To our own Buddha Nature. We bow to remind us that our Buddha Nature is there, it exist in all of us, in everyone, in every sentient being. We bow to be mindful of the Buddha’s Path that we live and practice in order to find liberation!

 

Smile and be well!

Taking Refuge and Precepts Ceremony

Though I’ve already taken Refuge (on my own), I haven’t officially taken the Five Precepts. When taking Refuge and the Precepts, it’s traditionally done at a temple by the head monk. So that’s what I’m doing this weekend. I’ve waited until I found a Sangha before taking the precepts, because it’s important to find and be apart of a Sangha before asking for such a commitment ceremony.

My temple holds one Precepts ceremony a year, usually on Vesak, or a week before or after Vesak. Since they’re going to be really busy this year for Vesak because we invited the Japanese temple to celebrate with us, I chose this weekend (the week before Vesak) for the ceremony.

I’ve been waiting for this ceremony for a while now and I’m truly excited and happy about it! Some are asking why I waited so long, after have been studying Buddhism for years, to take refuge and the precepts. Or that I should of taken my Bodhisattva vows by now. Maybe I waited long, and maybe I should have taken my Bodhisattva vows by now. But what is taking refuge and the vows? Nothing more than a self-commitment to be a better person, to be compassionate, and to practice loving-kindness – things that I’m already developing and practicing. So I don’t mind waiting long. I don’t mind prolonging “official” ceremonies or commitments. I waited until the time was right, and the time for my precepts is now, and the time for the Bodhisattva vows will come when the Universe sees it fit for me to realize it.

Smile and be well!

The Bodhisattva Path

Question: “I hope you don’t mind if I ask you about the Bodhisattva path. I want to understand it. Isn’t it scary to think that you might stay in samsara for a really long time, maybe forever? And also, how does a person that is not enlightened help others become enlightened? And what exactly does a Bodhisattva do? Thank you.”

First, what is a Bodhisattva? It is a person who delays their own Enlightenment (depending on the tradition) and entrance into Nirvana in order to help all sentient beings become Enlightenment first. In Vajrayana (TIbetan Buddhism), there are three kinds of Bodhisattvas: King-like Bodhisattvas, those who become Enlightened first then help others find Enlightenment; Captain-like Bodhisattvas, those who become Enlightened with the sentient beings/people the Bodhisattva has been teaching; and Shepard-like Bodhisattvas, those who become Enlightened after all sentient beings have become Enlightened first.

And yes, at first it might be a scary thought to think about being stuck in Samsara for what could be forever, but eventually when you realize Emptiness, that thought will never occur again. At least think of it this way: Because you’re a practicing Buddhist, an aspiring Bodhisattva, at least your future lives will be much better (depending on your past and present Karma). But from a mundane point-of-view, your body isn’t going to be here forever – it’ll only be alive for as long as that life will be breathing, so there’s not any of that “Oh I’m going to live forever!” thoughts. You, in this body, will not be living forever, nor will you even know of any of your future lives, so there’s really shouldn’t be any worry about living in Samsara forever. Instead of worry about that, know and feel the great realization of all those you can help find Enlightenment. Know that you can end the suffering and cycle of Samsara for so many others! That should be a great feeling, not a scary one!

So for us non-Enlightened beings, we can take the Bodhisattva Vows. The vows are “don’t” rules, but they also tell you how you can help others. By being a Bodhisattva, you’re essentially a teacher of the Dharma. Some live the monkhood life as Bodhisattvas (total dedication). For laypeople, many laypeople that I’ve met or know of teach Dharma sessions as part of their Bodhisattva duties, others teach meditation or are members of a temple or monastery (teaching, learning, or doing other duties and activities). Your overall job duty as a Bodhisattva is to help liberate others and lead them to Nirvana. This happens over the course of many, many lifetimes obviously. You might not Enlighten anyone in this lifetime or the next, but just by showing them the way to liberation might bring them to Enlightenment in their next life – and the same goes for you, because whenever you’re teaching others, you’re also teaching yourself! The Bodhisattva path is a beautiful and fulfilling path, and should be everyone’s aspiration if practicing Mahayana.

Smile and be well!

Daily Mindfulness

I often stress mindfulness and meditation, whether when I’m blogging or talking to people. But truly, they’re both very important. By no means am I a meditation or mindfulness master, but I know I’m on my way to perfecting my practice. For beginners of Buddhism or the practice of mindfulness, it’s easier to start with it during meditation. Practicing Anapanasati or Vipassana meditation is encouraged, even if you’re experienced. When meditating, especially with Vipassana, or if you’re just doing walking meditation, be aware of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.

It’s understandable that it’s extremely difficult to be mindful of everything we do in our daily, busy, hectic lives. The trick is to at least be aware of mindfulness. You probably won’t be noting every little thing you do like lifting, pushing, writing, pouring coffee, drinking, talking, sighing, opening/closing doors, or even breathing! You’d have to be extremely skilled to be able to be mindful and note of every movement, action, thought, and breath. It’s almost impossible. However, what you can do is at least be mindful of the basic; walking, drinking, eating, moving, and when you can, breathing. You’ll get plenty of distractions throughout the day, but whenever you can remind yourself to be mindful, be mindful. Eventually with practice, you’ll be able to be more mindful with more things.

Mindfulness in meditation is extremely important. Vipassana meditation can lead you to liberation! Like everyday mindfulness, mindfulness in meditation takes time, effort, and lots of practice. Even when we’re trying to be very attentive to mindfulness of breathing, or the rise and fall of the abdomen, thoughts emerge and cause distractions, and it’s so easy to not even notice them, but it’s important that we do and note them! I’ve been practicing meditation for over a decade, and it takes me about 5-10 minutes of mindfulness to find a calm mind. It’s easy to be noting “rising, falling, rising, falling” or counting “1, 1. 2, 2. 3, 3,” or however you practice mindfulness of breath. But then all of a sudden a thought arises but you’re unaware of it, it takes a few seconds before you realize it, but when you do it’s important to note it “thinking, thinking” and not just let it go. Because if you don’t note it, it’ll keep coming back and you’ll realize it even less more and more. The same applies to mental/emotional feelings (anger, jealousy, etc.) and bodily feelings (pain, discomfort, soreness, etc.). Note and be mindful of as much as you can!

 

Smile and be well!

 

The Dalai Lama’s 18 Rules for Living

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three Rs: 1. Respect for self 2. Respect for others 3. Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

What is Buddhism?

On occasion Buddhists get asked the question, “What exactly is Buddhism?” There are literally a plethora of ways to answer this question, because there’s no one real answer or way of answering it. As long as you’re a practicing Buddhist and have knowledge of your path and practice, there’s no wrong way of answering this question.

The Buddhadarma

“In one Sutra, Buddha Shakyamuni asks his disciples,
‘Suppose there existed a vast and deep ocean the size of this world, and on its surface there floated a golden yoke, and at the bottom of the ocean there lived a blind turtle who surfaced only once in every 100 Thousand Years. How often would that turtle raise its head through the middle of the yoke?’

Ananda answers that, ‘indeed, it would be extremely rare.’

“We are just like this blind turtle, for although our physical eyes are not blind, our wisdom eyes are. The vast and deep ocean is the ocean of samsara. The blind turtle remaining at the bottom of the ocean is like our remaining in the lower realms of samsara, to surface into the fortunate realms only once in every 100 Thousand Years.

The golden yoke is like Buddhadharma, which does not stay in one place but moves from one country to another. Just as gold is precious and rare, so Buddhadharma is PRECIOUS and very hard to find. For most of our previous lives we have remained at the bottom of the vast and deep ocean of samsara, the lower realms. Only very occasionally have we been born as a human being, and even with a human life it is extremely RARE to meet Buddhadharma.”

~Venerable Geshe~la in “Joyful Path of Good Fortune.”

Vipassana Meditation

Vipassana meditation is insight meditation. A meditation of complete awareness and mindfulness of every movement of the body and thought of the mind. By observing one’s moment-to-moment mind/body processes from a place of investigative attention, insight arises into the true nature of life and experiences. Through the wisdom acquired by using insight meditation one is able to live more freely and relate to the world around with less clinging, fear and confusion. Thus one’s life becomes increasingly directed by consideration, compassion and clarity.