| Forest Sangha Newsletter | July 2002 |
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EDITORIAL When we look around us and see the troubles of the world; when we feel the pain that can seem an inevitable part of our own lives, it becomes important to stop and remember that the Buddha said rebirth in this human realm is precious*. This is a fortunate birth because, unlike other creatures, we have the ability to attune to wisdom and compassion and we can aspire to awakening. Since we can get discouraged, we need to affirm our goodness; we do have the skilful roots of non-greed, non-hatred and non-delusion. With our aspiration to harmlessness -- to free ourselves from the causes of suffering, and to not say or do anything that causes suffering for others -- we need to take refuge, have faith, in our goodness, in the power of the Dhamma, in the efficacy of the Path. * (Samyuttta 48(8)) At times we act in unfortunate ways -- speaking harshly or failing to do something -- and 'suffering follows like a wheel follows the hoof of a draught-ox'. So what support is there for connecting to and cultivating the pure mind, and the 'happiness that follows like a shadow that never leaves'? What helps us to understand our experience of mind and so free it from unwholesomeness? The citta (the affective/effective mind) is essentially pure and radiant. Freedom from suffering is referred to as the unshakable deliverance of the mind/heart. The aptness of this is apparent as we attune to the way the unawakened heart trembles, is affected by what it comes into contact with through the sense-doors. This tremor of desire, aversion or fear is an uncontradictable sign to awaken to; it becomes a place to be attending to, as it can provide a way of knowing directly the deeper causes and results of speech and action. It is the place where intention, kamma, can be purified: we can connect to the energy of frustration we were about to speak from, and release it. It is also where we receive the results of what we do or say: our harsh word leaves a tremor of regret that we can connect to, and therefore learn from. | ||||||
'Mind is the forerunner of all things. Mind is chief; they are mind created. When speech or action is from a pure mind Then happiness follows like a shadow that never leaves.' Dhammapada v.2
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As Ajahn Pasanno makes clear, the foundations of virtue and Right
View are the essential requisites for this cultivation of purifying the
citta, and then freeing it. Keeping the precepts and acting from an
understanding of kamma gives us a stable ground from which to reflect on what
is happening internally. We do need a sense of our own virtue -- that
basically we are okay, that we are living in a way where our intentions, at
least, are to cultivate goodness -- so that we can hold, handle, feel into
the textures of our experience. This is what we call the upright mind, the
steadiness it takes to offer the 'deep attention' that is a requisite of
letting go.
As the different articles point out, 'we need to be able to return to the heart of the matter and see what is actually going on…to let the awareness of all experience take us to the still heart.' When we sit quietly with ourselves, when we feel this agitated shaking, is it not simply a fearful, defended, wanting pleasant feelings/not wanting pain? Does it not all come down to this? All the rest are strategies, misguided attempts to protect our experience of vulnerability. The frustration we spoke out of was simply that things were not happening in the way we felt we needed them to be in order for us to feel okay. The miracle of the Buddha's teaching, 'There is suffering' this sublime medicine for the heart, is that it opens us to the relief of being with the way things are. We find that when we carefully come into the presence of this trembling we can bring the arms of the heart around it and hold it all. This allays the agitation, freeing us from the compulsions that might otherwise arise. Then we can manifest from the pure mind, and taste the freedom and happiness possible with this human birth. Sister Thaniya
A Buddha-rupa will be created at Cittaviveka throughout July and most of August of this year. This Buddha will be the presiding image for the new Dhamma Hall. We believe this to be a unique occasion; the first time that a sizeable Buddha-rupa has been crafted in this country. The image will be sculpted by Ajahn Nonti, who is a celebrated artist in Thailand and who has offered his services free of charge as a contribution to the development of Buddhism in Britain. He will create the image in clay and then make a mould into which liquid stone can be injected under pressure to bring a white stone Buddha into being. As this Buddha will be the spiritual focus for the Dhamma Hall.
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