Khun Por

Khun Por Boonyod

Last week my father-in-law, Boonyod Prakarnkaew, passed away after a long illness caused by severe diabetes. He was sixty years old. He was also respected by all who knew him as an extremely honorable and knowledgeable man, despite no formal education at tertiary level. As a tribute to this wonderful man, I have started a blog entitled Khun Por (which roughly means 'Father'). Please pay a visit to Khun Por and find out about this muched loved gentleman: Khun Por

A Fond Farewell

The final walk on the Forest Path

The past year of blogging Forest Wisdom has been a fascinating and fulfilling journey for me. It began quite tentatively as an experiment in writing, aimed at sharing the teachings of Ajahn Chah and the Western Forest Sangha – albeit from my own limited viewpoint! As stated in the disclaimer on the right bar of the blog, I can take no credit for any actual wisdom that’s appeared in these articles, for it is the insights of Ajahns Chah, Sumedho, Brahm et al that have manifested through me, not from me. I thank them for their inspirational teachings and practice of the Way of the Buddha.

Much to my surprise, Forest Wisdom has attracted a small but wonderful band of readers, many of them bloggers themselves writing on the Buddhadharma, but many not. All that have written comments on this blog have my gratitude for your participation and encouragement. To those that have never had the inclination to comment, I am also thankful for your attention and hope that you’ve found some stimulation in your Buddhist practice, or if not this, at least an enjoyable read. To all Forest Wisdom readers I extend my heartfelt thanks.

Over the twelve months of the blog, the Theravada Buddhist stance has become a little diluted, especially with the experiments of Douglas Harding. Mahayana Buddhism has infiltrated Forest Wisdom on more than one occasion as well. These influences have been long-standing with me, going back over twenty years, but when starting the blog last year they’d taken a back seat to a focus on the teachings & practices from the lineage of Ajahn Chah. Over the past few months they have reasserted themselves, so it seemed appropriate to give them a fuller part in my blogging efforts; Forest Wisdom didn’t seem the right place for this broader effort to take place. Hence the birth (rebirth!) of Buddha Space.

I hope that readers of this blog will find Buddha Space of equal interest, and that it will follow on successfully with the reflective aspect begun on these pages. With a broader scope of influences, this will include Ajahn Chah & his spiritual descendants along side the Chinese Zen Master Xu Yun & his followers. The aforementioned experiments of the late, great British philosopher Douglas Harding will continue to be shared with anyone that wishes to explore the nature of knowing. In fact, any source of wisdom and spiritual growth may make an appearance on Buddha Space if it complements the Path towards Awakening and the ending of suffering. For, ultimately, this is the purpose of the Buddhadharma; to help us to free ourselves from the grip of those desires that cause suffering.

So, this is a fond farewell. Yet, over at Buddha Space, a sort of rebirth has taken place, and a new and exciting (?) part of the journey to enlightenment has come into being. Let us hope that we are up to the journey, and that we will be able to explore the Buddhadharma with the humility required to reach the final goal. In the meantime, I will wish you well on your travels and repeat my appreciation for everyone and anyone that’s ever spent their precious time perusing the pages of Forest Wisdom:

Thank you!

Investigating the Buddha

“The Buddha’s perfection is complete;
In him there is no craving
That could drag him down.
No measure is there for his wisdom;
No limits are there to be found.
In what way could he be distracted from truth?”
(Verse 180, ‘The Dhammapada’, rendered by Ajahn Munindo)

One thing Buddhists have in common is that we trace our spiritual practices back to the Buddha. No matter whether we are Theravada Buddhists, Zen Buddhists, Tibetan Buddhists, Pure Land Buddhists, Nichiren Buddhists, Western Buddhists or any other, we view the Buddha as our Teacher. We owe everything as Buddhists to the Blessed One, and a day like ‘Buddha Day’, which occurred last week, is a wonderful expression of our gratitude to the Awakened One. But just who is it we pay our respects to when we take refuge in, and pay homage to, the Buddha?

Frequently on the pages of Forest Wisdom, I have tried to convey this sense of indebtedness that Buddhists feel towards the Blessed One. It’s not that he’s some kind of god to be worshipped, nor is he a guru as such to submit to, yet he forms the central axis around which the Buddhadharma is built; no Buddha, no Buddhism - and no Buddhists. Sure, the world often gives rise to those who look deeper into the nature of things (the Dharma) than most, a few of whom realize the Truth for themselves. In Buddhism, such ones are called ‘Solitary Buddhas’, since they don’t have the means to teach others the Path to Awakening. The Buddha, in contrast, is a ‘Fully Self-Awakened One’, or Sammasambuddha, and shares the Buddhadharma with whoever will listen. He is a wonder to the world, and not to be taken lightly.

So, with all this gratitude and wonder, it’s surely a worthwhile endeavor to find out exactly who (or what) the Buddha is? Theravada Buddhism, with its emphasis on its scripture is somewhat orthodox or literal in its definitions of the nature of the Buddha, whereas Mahayana Buddhism has a more nebulous understanding of what it calls ‘Buddha Nature’. It is not within the remit of Forest Wisdom to explore this issue in full, as it is a Theravada Buddhist blog, so it seems appropriate to refer this investigation across to my new blog Buddha Space, whose subtitle reads ‘A space for exploring the Buddha’. Here’s the url for Buddha Space:

http://buddhaspace.blogspot.com

This isn’t merely a cheap advertising ploy to promote my new blog – although there’s certainly an element of that here if the truth be known! – It’s also indicative of a genuine limitation of this current blog, which is its Theravadan focus. And, as thankful to the Theravada Buddhist tradition as I am, it has never been the be all and end all of my practice; Mahayana Buddhism has always played a part, although less so in recent years, hence the somewhat narrow focus of Forest Wisdom. But, these things appear to move in cycles independently of the will, and often come full circle, eventually. Zen Buddhism was a very early influence upon me, helping me to see beyond ‘me’ at quite a young age. Other teachings and practices have helped too, but it is the Buddhadharma that has always been the heart of this chap’s practice.

So, over at Buddha Space, there will be a broader Buddhist perspective than has been the case here at Forest Wisdom. And, investigating a question like “Who is the Buddha?” will be much better served on a blog that’s able to take in a wide variety of viewpoints, whether Theravadan, Mahayanist, or whatever. So, with this in mind, Buddha Space has been published simultaneously featuring the above question, attempting to point to answers whatever their source. Just remember, just as Zen tells us not to look at the finger that’s pointing to the Moon, please don’t get caught up in my words pointing to the Buddha!

The Dalai Lama & the 'Stew of Views'

The Terminator & the Pacifist?

“The Twentieth Century was one of war and bloodshed. Let us make the Twenty-first Century the century of dialogue. Then there will be a real possibility of peace.”
(The Dalai Lama, 22^nd May 2008)

The above quote is typical of the public pronouncements of the present Dalai Lama. As has been witnessed on his current trip to the United Kingdom, the head of the Tibetan government-in-exile is keen to promote world peace and the development of wisdom, both on individual and global levels. As is also typical of his travels around the globe, the Dalai Lama was greeted by adoring fans that hang on his every word, whether he talks of Buddhism, Tibet, the environment, or anything else for that matter. What also greeted him on his current visit to the UK, however, were protests.

Whilst inside the Royal Albert Hall the Dalai Lama gave an uplifting talk on various issues to an appreciative audience, outside two groups with placards shouted their disapproval of His Holiness. The first group, not unsurprisingly, were Chinese protesting against the Dalai Lama’s criticisms of their motherland. As with the recent protests involving the Olympic flame’s tour around the world, pro-Chinese protesters have gathered to support the cause of the Chinese government. What is interesting about these protesters are their views on the Dalai Lama’s views on Tibet and China. They don’t quite tally with what His Holiness has actually been reported as saying about his homeland.

The Dalai Lama has consistently insisted that he is not asking for an independent Tibet. He is calling for the Tibetan Autonomous Region to have real, meaningful autonomy within the People’s Republic, rather than the status of an occupied and repressed territory that it has at present. Despite being consistent on this point, protesters outside the Royal Albert Hall expressed the view that His Holiness was calling for full independence from China. They sound like they don’t actually listen to what the man says, rather listening to the propaganda issued by the authorities in China that continually accuses the Dalai Lama of demanding Tibetan independence and fostering hate towards the Chinese people.

An anti-Dalai Lama protestor stated that instead of touring the world and talking about Tibet, he should be praying for the victims of the recent earthquake in China. (Interestingly, she didn’t mention the cyclone victims in Burma, or those still suffering in Darfur, Sudan.) In fact, the Dalai Lama has expressed his condolences to the victims in the Chinese earthquake, as has been widely reported in the international press. If he is the man he presents himself to be in public, then he has probably being praying for the earthquake victims privately as well. But this is my view, and from the Buddhist perspective not something to cling to, of course.

The second group of anti-Dalai Lama protesters in London were calling for His Holiness to be more religiously tolerant. They were mainly made up of Buddhist monks in the Tibetan tradition that worship a deity called Dorje Shugden, a practice that the Dalai Lama has disapproved of. Their view is that this deity is worthy of devotion , whereas His Holiness states that it is inappropriate to worship him, and that there are other deities in the Tibetan Buddhist pantheon more worthy of devotion. One nun complained that the group had sent faxes, emails, and letters asking for dialogue, but that the Dalai Lama hasn’t replied to them. Sound familiar?

So, we have the views of the Dalai Lama, of anti-Dalai Lama Chinese, of pro-Dorje Shugden monks, and of those that revere His Holiness. But these are not the only views present, of course. There are also my views mixed up in this ‘stew of views’. It’s easy to get caught up in issues like these, as they stimulate the mind, they’re exciting. Compared to more ordinary stuff such as what to eat for breakfast, what to watch on TV, and which shirt to wear, religion, politics and natural disasters are a feast for the mind. We all like to have views on such issues, and we like to cling vociferously to them, taking up our respective positions and digging in for a good old-fashioned verbal battle. But is this Buddhist?

At the top of this article, the Dalai Lama is quoted as saying that humanity should make this century the century of dialogue, pointing to dialogue as the road to world peace. He is right, of course. If the Chinese government and the Tibetan government-in-exile engage in real talks aimed at a peaceful resolution of Tibetan status, and if the Sudanese government were to genuinely seek dialogue with the people of Darfur, the conflicts in those places could be ended. But clinging to views is not the same as being involved in dialogue. How many of us when confronted with the situation in Tibet react by attaching to our own viewpoint and opposing those who hold different views?

Real dialogue comes from a peaceful heart. For such dialogue is based in the realization that we are all one, that your suffering is my suffering, and that until we learn to act form our central nature we will always be in conflict at one level or another. This is a different view of the world to all our personality-based viewpoints: it comes from an open heart. But to let go of our personal biases and elf-centered positions, we need to cultivate this different view through mindfulness, meditation and compassion. Settling our view-ridden minds in genuine peace lays the foundation for insight to arise, an insight based on a wider view of the world than our egos can see. And out of such an open mind can grow real compassion for the world. Not only compassion for Tibetans, or for Chinese, or for Americans, or for whomever one happens to identify with, but the limitless compassion that comes form a truly opened mind and heart. I’ll leave the final word on the origins of real dialogue and world peace to His Holiness the Dalai Lama:

“Really, inner peace ultimately depends
on your own mental attitude.”
(The Dalai Lama, the Royal Albert Hall, 22nd May 2008)

A Reflection on Buddha Day

As Monday was a bank holiday here in Thailand it meant that I had a day off work that coincided with my friends (unlike them, I teach at the weekends). This enabled us to have my birthday party yesterday rather than on Saturday, which was actually my (umpteenth) birthday. Yesterday was also Visakha Puja or ‘Buddha Day’, a day on which most Buddhists visit a local temple to pay respects to the Enlightened One and the monkhood.

Due to a late start to the day (I’d been ill in the night), party preparations, and then the party itself, my wife and I didn’t make it to the temple. There was a pang of guilt, as usually on such a special day we’d make the effort to visit a monastery and pay our respects. This sense of regret led to further reflections, however, which allowed this negative feeling to dissipate somewhat.

Thinking of all the people that visit Buddhist temples here in Thailand, whether on special days or on the Uposathas (the equivalent of Buddhist sabbaths), but then don’t really exhibit much signs of being Buddhist otherwise, it struck me that maybe we weren’t so bad after all. So many people think it’s okay to make a bit of merit by giving monks food or circumambulating a temple whilst being unconcerned with Buddhist precepts and practices the rest of the time. This reminded me of all those ‘Christians’ that I encountered as a child that went to church on a Sunday, dressed in their best clothes, put some coins in a donation tray, and sang some hymns to God, but then were pretty unchristian the rest of the time.

If we wish to consider ourselves Buddhist, what does this actually entail? Giving the requisites to the monks and nuns? Attending services in the monasteries? Meditating? Being compassionate and friendly? All of the above are obviously good from the Buddhist perspective. However, living the teachings – or at least doing our best to do so – was extolled by the Buddha above all else. The merit gained from being heedful of both the teachings and of this moment are said to be infinitely more beneficial than making public shows of one’s faith.

Is all this an effort to exorcise those guilty feelings for not visiting a temple yesterday? There is certainly an element of this present. And yet the more that the above points are reflected on, the more sense they make. The heart of being a Buddhist is surely to live according to the teachings of the Buddha. This means practicing meditation, mindfulness, kindness, compassion, and adhering to at least the five precepts. The other activities are not to be scoffed at however, and definitely have their fruitful results.

We all can try to live up to being good Buddhists, good Christians, or just good human beings to the best of our ability. Some people meditate regularly whilst others offer food on a daily basis to the monks: some do both. None of this is bad and should be lauded appropriately. In the end, we can only do our best. May we all benefit from the practice of the Way – whichever one we may choose to follow.

Buddha Day

*Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammasambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammasambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammasambuddhassa

Tomorrow is Visakha Puja, or ‘Buddha Day’, when millions of Buddhists around the globe commemorate the birth, enlightenment and death of the Lord Buddha over two thousand years ago. Also widely known as Wesak, it is an occasion to visit a temple, make offerings to the statue of the Buddha and to the resident monks. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of ‘Buddha Day’.

The first of the three events in the Blessed One’s life that Wesak celebrates is his birth. According to Buddhist teachings, the birth if a buddha is not something to be taken lightly: they are not like buses, in that you wait for one for ages and then two turn up at the same time. Buddhas are born into the world thousands of years apart. Therefore, just as human birth itself is said to be rare in this universe, so the birth of a buddha is something to be cherished and taken advantage of. Every Buddhist should take heed of the Buddha’s teachings and live this life as wisely and compassionately as possible.

The second of the three life events of the Buddha’s life that is marked by Buddha Day is his enlightenment or awakening (bodhi). What is special about the Buddha’s awakening compared to anyone else’s is that he had no teacher, yet still managed to develop the Buddhist teachings in all their complexity. Hence, the Blessed One’s full title is Sammasambuddha – ‘the Fully Self-Awakened One’. Buddhism does teach that there is another kind of buddha that becomes independently enlightened, called a ‘Solitary Buddha’ (paccekabuddha), but that these awakened ones do not share their enlightenment with others. The Buddha’s dispensing of his wisdom with the world is something to celebrate with heartfelt thanks.

The third event in the Buddha’s life that is noted on Wesak is his ‘death’. I put the word death in inverted commas because as with any enlightened being, the Buddha didn’t actually die, for he had realized ‘the deathless’ (Amata). Sure, as conditioned things his body ceased as did his mental processes, but what was left – the unconditioned – that is beyond the reach of death. So, in reflecting on the Buddha’s ‘death’, we are actually led to contemplate ‘the deathless’.

The life of the Buddha is a precious gift that all Buddhists ultimately have as the origin of their practice. No him, no us. In a spirit of gratitude, let’s give thanks and praise to the Fully Self-Awakened One that taught out of compassion for the suffering of all beings. His wisdom shines on in the various kinds of Buddhism found in the world today, leading his followers away from suffering towards the light of Nirvana. Thank you Buddha!

*Homage to the blessed, noble, and perfectly self-awakened one

Patience on the Forest Path

Ajahn Chah always emphasized the importance of patient endurance (khanti), and his disciples have continued to highlight this part of his teachings. Once, I asked Ajahn Vajiro, a senior incumbent at Amaravati Temple in England, what he considered to be the most important thing he had learned from Ajahn Chah, he answered “Patience”. And after my wife and I married, we visited the International Forest Monastery here in Ubon, and asked the then abbot Ajahn Jayasaro for some advice for our future together. He explained how patience was an important aspect of any relationship, especially a close one such as in a marriage.

Ajahn Sumedho has related that when he was training under Ajahn Chah, the latter would give extremely long talks in his monastery that lasted up to three hours. The position that the monks were expected to sit in was painful for the Westerner, but he wasn’t permitted to move about. After about five minutes he would be pain, and he’d still have two hours and fifty-five minutes left! As he couldn’t understand the language at that time, Ajahn Sumedho requested that he might go to his hut and meditate, which he thought would be much more productive. Ajahn Chah said no. His master wanted Ajahn Sumedho to learn patient endurance, which he duly did. This was the way Ajahn Chah trained the American bhikkhu.

On another occasion, Ajahn Sumedho was festering in his own resentment at how everyone else seemed to be enjoying Ajahn Chah’s talks, whilst he was left in both mental and physical discomfort. He got to the point where he was thinking that he’d had enough and was going to leave the monastery. Ajahn Chah suddenly stopped talking and turned to Ajahn Sumedho and asked him in a very loving way how he was doing. The anger that Ajahn Sumedho had been cultivating over several hours dissipated and he saw just how fleeting emotions could be.

In our relations with those around us it is extremely useful to contemplate whether we always act in the most patient way or not. When our partner or friends are doing annoying things are we tolerant of their shortcomings, or do we react with aversion towards them? Reflecting on such matters can reveal how much patient endurance we have, which is in direct contrast to the level of egoism that can occupy our relationships. If we are not patient with the people we know and love, just how much wisdom and compassion have we really developed in our Buddhist practice? This question isn’t meant as a challenge, but as an encouragement to reflect.

Ajahn Jayasaro’s advice has been of great value to my wife and me, being something we have aimed to develop and sustain over the years. Neither of us has perfected patient endurance with each other as yet, but we have certainly benefited from keeping it in mind when tempers have been strained. We certainly don’t disagree or argue with each other as much as we used to: we’ve learned to tolerate one another. Viewing Paew (my wife) as my teacher - a kind of beautiful and sometimes fiery equivalent of Ajahn Chah - has helped patience to replace irritation on many an occasion. Thank you, ‘Ajahn Paew’!