..续本文上一页otions rather than the intellect. ”How much do I gain from bowing
”– you can try to figure out its advantages or disadvantages, whether it”s the real Dhamma, or it”s necessary or unnecessary. But any opinion and view that you have about it is just another opinion and view.
Bowing is something that is done or not done - giving or not giving – but heedlessness is always this rationalisation, this wanting to criticise or analyse or find reasons for doing or not doing something. If we live our lives in wisdom, then we do or not do. With awareness, we know what to do – the generous, the beautiful, the kind, the spontaneous; good actions are done through awareness, through a seeing and understanding of time and place. Or there is awareness of not doing, of wrong impulses, selfish impulses – these we do not act upon.
Chanting – what is this
Is this a valuable thing, or is it useless
If you ever doubt about it – to do it or not to do it - what goes on, do you know
Do you have to find reasons and justifications, do you have to be convinced
Or do you take some stand, saying ”I am not going to do it” or ”I am going to do it”
Some people are always saying, ”Oh, chanting reminds me of all those awful things Roman Catholics used to do to me - blind devotion and rituals, rites and ceremonies.” This is taking a stand. Can you mindfully participate in ceremony or are you going to reject it because of a stand against it
Can you give yourself to a tradition, or are you going to say, ”I”ll only go so far, and then stop”
Like in the monastic life – can you give yourself to the monastic life, or are there going to be reservations
”I”ll go so far, then I don”t know. In meditation, I”ll go so far then maybe.... I want life on my terms, and always with the bridges there so I can run back across them if I don”t like what”s ahead of me.” This is of course samsara, heedless wandering.
In the practice of awareness, it is always the present moment, complete involvement, complete surrender, acceptance – and that is liberation. With the other - with the doubt, the rationalisations, justifications and reservations – then there is always a myriad of complexities that are going to pull us this way and that, and confuse us. So I offer this for your reflection.
THE MONASTER AS TEACHER:AN ANAGARIKA ORDINATION
”ANAGARIKA” means one who is leaving the home life for the homeless life. It implies relinquishment and renunciation, as the homeless life is the life of the religious seeker, dedicating himself or herself solely to realising the Truth.A renunciant is someone who can take on the Precepts that limit and contain their energies, so that they”re not finding themselves being pulled out this way and that, and they can concentrate their minds on the Truth – which we call inclining to nibbana, the Unconditioned.
First of all, you did the traditional salutation in Pali: ”Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammasambuddhassa.”[See Note 1] This is a way of reminding ourselves to be with that which is perfect, the purified, the truly compassionate, the enlightened. Then the taking of the Three Refuges – Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha. What do you really mean by taking refuge in Buddha
[See Note 2] Recollect that a refuge is a place that you go to for safety; and that refuge of a Buddha means the refuge of wisdom. It”s pointing to something very real, not something idealistic, or far and remote, but that which is wise within us, that which is wise in the universe, awake and clear. So, when you take refuge in Buddha,. it”s not just an empty recitation, but a way for you to recollect, because we do forget and get caught u, p in our feelings and thoughts.
Then “Dhammam Saranam Gaccahmi”. Dhamma is the Pali word for the Ultimate Reality, that which is ultimately true. We”re …
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