Why choose Buddhism?---6

Why choose Buddhism?---6

Bhikkhu Dhammavaro


Applying the Buddha’s dhamma

There are two factors of our spiritual practice which complement each other; they are intellect (pañña) and faith (saddha). If intellect is too strong, without the devotion of faith, one will just have a mere intellectual understanding of Lord Buddha’s teachings; without the conviction and courage to cross over. Similarly, if the faith is too strong, without the analytical power of intellect, one will just have a blind faith of Lord Buddha’s teachings; without the calm and concentration to cross over.

Human beings in this world are adrift in the ocean of samsara: they are adrift in the flood of sensuality, in the flood of becoming, in the flood of views, and in the flood of ignorance. That’s why faith and intellect must be developed equally.

The Buddha taught us that mindfulness is the only way for the purification of beings. The clear and lucid mind can observe the arising and passing away of all phenomena including our body and mind; they are constantly changing as the world aroud us does. Unless we observe constantly, we will not see the impermanence of body and mind, and we will not know the Dhamma.

We can chant the Pali verses, read the scriptures, discuss or listen to dhamma teachings, but unless we watch carefully the world around us, we will not know the Dhamma. We need to learn this through our own mind. It is a personal experience which comes about through constant observation of oneself. Meditation helps us to inquire into our own reactions and knows why we want one thing and rejects another, if we don’t learn to meditate we would not known the Dhamma. The mind will not have a Right view of impermanence (anicca) because our likes and dislikes are constantly blocking our Right view. We will not understand that they are suffering (dukkha) either. When the mind is not focusd, with a transcending awareness, it creates suffering (dukkha). Only a measureless, illumined mind is free from suffering. The body certainly produces dukkha such as sickness, old age and death, and in other ways such as its inability to remain still. Seeing this clearly will give us a strong determination to know Dhamma by ourselves.

Wisdom arises within and comes from an understood experience and inner knowledge, listening to Dhamma teaching can bring it about sometimes. Wisdom has nothing to do with age. Wisdom is an inner knowledge based on self experience. We therefore don’t need to look for somebody else to confirm this. We know it ourself with certainty.

Meditation is the most important aspect of our daily practice, the Blessed One said: “Suppose, monks, a large crowd gathers together crying: ‘Oh, the fairest girl, a country beauty!’ Then, monks, that most beautiful girl, expert in dancing and singing, displays all her charms, and still a large crowd flocks together crying, 'Oh, the fairest girl is dancing, she is singing. Then comes a man fond of his life, not fond of death, in love with pleasure and not with pain, and they say unto him: ‘Look here, my man! Here is a bowl brimful of oil. You should carry it between the multitude and the fairest girl. Right on your heels comes a man with uplifted sword. If you were to spill a drop, your head will be chopped off!’

“Now what do you think, monks? Would that man, not paying serious attention to that bowl of oil, give his mind to things outside and become careless?”

“Surely not, Venerable Sir.”

“Well, monks, this is a parable I have made to make clear the meaning (what I have to say). This is the meaning of it: The bowl brimful of oil, monks, is a term for mindfulness relating to the body. Wherefore, monks, thus must you train yourselves: 'Mindfulness relating to the body shall be cultivated by us, shall be made much of, made a vehicle (of expression), established, and made effective. It shall be increased and well applied.”

“Thus, monks, must you train yourselves.”

There was a test conducted by a doctor Dr. Buddhadasa Bodhinayake (Consultant Psychiatrist, Harley Hospital Essex, UK) and it produced startlingly result; “It has now been proved that high blood pressure and other diseases connected with the heart could easily be cured by Buddhist meditation.” He said that the British Cardiac Society had recently accepted the curative effects of Buddhist meditation. He stated that over 68,000 British patients were now practising Anapanasati meditation. They had found that this meditation treatment did more for them than drugs. He said that all religions had meditation practices, but the Anapanasati (breathing meditation) was exclusive to Buddhism. Unlike other meditation practices, this had an effect on both sides of the brain. Thus it was capable of bringing the marvellous results on patients. He said that 30 minutes of meditation -- 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening gave the patients the body relaxation equal to 6 to 7 hours of sleep.

"It had been scientifically proved through electro-encepholograph (EEG) readings that the Anapanasati meditation was capable of synchronising the working of the two sides of the brain. This reduced the patient's oxygen needs, reduced the heartbeat, blood pressure, and the breathing rate. Fifteen minutes of Anapanasati meditation had the effect of three Aldomat tablets (250 mg) on a high blood pressure patient. Dr. Bodhinayake said that it had also been proved that this meditation could be used to get people out of drug addiction. It also greatly helped brain development, thinking capacity and retentive power. And in the USA a large number of students of Harvard University were practising Anapanasati bhavana for them to get through their exams.