I don’t fall sick often nowadays, but when I do, it’s a great experience. Not that I enjoy being sick, but I learnt a lot from those sick experiences.
The most recent one is two days ago. I was down with a sore throat, flu and fever. Being unmindful, I let the disease overcome me. And it felt as if my whole being was unwell. I wanted to take MC for the next day but couldn’t without seeing a doctor. So I went to see one, unwillingly. The doctor gave me, to my surprise and shock, 5 types of medicine, all of which were cast aside on my return home. I’m not taking any of those!
The Buddha said that there’re three types of sickness (for a full version read http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/anguttara/an03-022.html ):
1. Those that can be cured, whether or not one takes medicine
2. Those that can’t be cured, whether or not one takes medicine
3. Those that can only be cured if one takes medicine
For the first and second, why bother taking any medicine?
For my case, it is the first type. So I decided not to take any of those medicines, and instead use the Dhamma medicine – prescribed by the Buddha. What I did was: keep the mind in shape and make use of the healing power of the breath to cure the disease. Keep the mind in shape means inducing the mind with wholesome qualities: good-will (Metta) and generosity (dana). Making use of the healing power of the breath is done through meditating. The result? I was happy the whole day and the sickness and inconveniences brought about by a sick body didn’t trouble me at all. When I took care of the mind, the well-being of body followed.
What I noticed was: when the body falls sick, only a certain part of it is sick, not the whole body. And in fact, when that certain part is sick, the body has its own mechanism to heal itself. I need not bother with it. I need not wish it to go away. I need not do anything in particular to cure myself. I can just let the sickness be, and let the body do its job. The body falls sick following its nature, and by its nature, it will either get better or get worse. Either way, I need not bother. One can still enjoy a great sense of well being by focusing away from that sick part of the body.
This is the third experience of falling sick that I keenly observe within the last half-year or so (there were other small occurrences, but they come and go so swiftly without me taking any particular notice).
Friday, November 05, 2004
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Reverence
Imaya Dhammanu Dhammapatipattiya Buddham Pujemi
Imaya Dhammanu Dhammapatipattiya Dhammam Pujemi
Imaya Dhammanu Dhammapatipattiya Sangham Pujemi
Imaya Dhammanu Dhammapatipattiya Mata pitunam Pujemi
Imaya Dhammanu Dhammapatipattiya Acariyaca Pujemi
Meaning:
With the practice that is in accordance to the Dhamma, I revere the Buddha
With the practice that is in accordance to the Dhamma, I revere the Dhamma
With the practice that is in accordance to the Dhamma, I revere the Sangha
With the practice that is in accordance to the Dhamma, I revere my parents
With the practice that is in accordance to the Dhamma, I revere my teachers
*******
These verses reveberated in my mind the last few days, and it brought with it the memory of my retreat last year with Kaizhao shifu. During the retreat, at the end of each day, shifu led us to chant the verses, but I had no idea what it meant. Only on the last day, the 10th, the booklet was available and I got to see what it meant. When I found out, I was moved to tears. It's because what was said/ chanted was in accordance to what has been practiced for the last 10 days. It was the most sincere offering -- the offering of one's practice as a form of reverence to those who are worthy of reverence. Even now, chanting it at the end of each day feels very meaningful. It's not just an empty chant, simply chanted for the sake of chanting, but a sincere offering that comes from one's practice throughout the day.
~ Santi ~
Imaya Dhammanu Dhammapatipattiya Dhammam Pujemi
Imaya Dhammanu Dhammapatipattiya Sangham Pujemi
Imaya Dhammanu Dhammapatipattiya Mata pitunam Pujemi
Imaya Dhammanu Dhammapatipattiya Acariyaca Pujemi
Meaning:
With the practice that is in accordance to the Dhamma, I revere the Buddha
With the practice that is in accordance to the Dhamma, I revere the Dhamma
With the practice that is in accordance to the Dhamma, I revere the Sangha
With the practice that is in accordance to the Dhamma, I revere my parents
With the practice that is in accordance to the Dhamma, I revere my teachers
*******
These verses reveberated in my mind the last few days, and it brought with it the memory of my retreat last year with Kaizhao shifu. During the retreat, at the end of each day, shifu led us to chant the verses, but I had no idea what it meant. Only on the last day, the 10th, the booklet was available and I got to see what it meant. When I found out, I was moved to tears. It's because what was said/ chanted was in accordance to what has been practiced for the last 10 days. It was the most sincere offering -- the offering of one's practice as a form of reverence to those who are worthy of reverence. Even now, chanting it at the end of each day feels very meaningful. It's not just an empty chant, simply chanted for the sake of chanting, but a sincere offering that comes from one's practice throughout the day.
~ Santi ~
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Attachment
Attachment is sometimes so subtle that we fail to see that it is there. It’s only when one’s attachment to something/ someone is challenged that one realizes one is attached to that something.
Today, I was pained when he didn’t respond to me the way I perceived he used to. Before any thoughts came, the feeling of ‘pain’ seeped in. This is how dangerous attachment is. When one is having a good time getting oneself attached to things, one is not even aware that the attachment is there. But when things turn bad, one started to see how one’s attachment to something causes one to suffer.
This pain is a good thing. It awakens me to the fact that I’m attached to someone, and that attachment causes me suffering. Just as physical pain is a bodily protection mechanism to signal to the body that it is endangered, this mental pain is the same. When the pain arises, I know that it’s the thing that I mentally hold on to – in other words, cling to – that has caused the pain. Consequently, I let him go, the way one who holds fire let it go immediately on realizing that fire is harmful.
We can learn a lot from people or things we are attached to. We can learn a lot about attachment. For me, because I am attached to him, I get to learn many valuable lessons. Even when he doesn’t do anything to hurt or harm me, I’d hurt myself by thinking in this or that way, that he is this or that way, or that this or that is what he intends. For this reason, he’s been a great teacher for me.
Today, I was pained when he didn’t respond to me the way I perceived he used to. Before any thoughts came, the feeling of ‘pain’ seeped in. This is how dangerous attachment is. When one is having a good time getting oneself attached to things, one is not even aware that the attachment is there. But when things turn bad, one started to see how one’s attachment to something causes one to suffer.
This pain is a good thing. It awakens me to the fact that I’m attached to someone, and that attachment causes me suffering. Just as physical pain is a bodily protection mechanism to signal to the body that it is endangered, this mental pain is the same. When the pain arises, I know that it’s the thing that I mentally hold on to – in other words, cling to – that has caused the pain. Consequently, I let him go, the way one who holds fire let it go immediately on realizing that fire is harmful.
We can learn a lot from people or things we are attached to. We can learn a lot about attachment. For me, because I am attached to him, I get to learn many valuable lessons. Even when he doesn’t do anything to hurt or harm me, I’d hurt myself by thinking in this or that way, that he is this or that way, or that this or that is what he intends. For this reason, he’s been a great teacher for me.
Saturday, July 03, 2004
In Line with The Dhamma
I do not seek to change other people or external conditions, I seek to be the Dhamma myself. I do not plant the seed by confronting, But waiting in alert to act when apportunity strikes. In that manner I shall live the Dhamma. In that manner I plant the seed of peace. All external conditions shall be my teachers, From whom and which I humbly learn, To understand the defilements deeper and deeper, And understand them so well that I can eventually let go of them.
Peace
When the heart is at peace,
everything is peace,
every moment is peace,
everywhere there is peace.
No matter what one does,
No matter where one goes,
No matter whom one is with,
Even when there's noone to accompany one,
Even when there's nothing one can do,
Even when one has nothing to do,
when the heart is at peace,
one is at peace.
There's no more need for company
There's no more need to look for distraction
There's no more going after external things
There's only stopping.
When the heart stops clinging,
the heart is at peace.
Clinging is the source of ALL suffering.
everything is peace,
every moment is peace,
everywhere there is peace.
No matter what one does,
No matter where one goes,
No matter whom one is with,
Even when there's noone to accompany one,
Even when there's nothing one can do,
Even when one has nothing to do,
when the heart is at peace,
one is at peace.
There's no more need for company
There's no more need to look for distraction
There's no more going after external things
There's only stopping.
When the heart stops clinging,
the heart is at peace.
Clinging is the source of ALL suffering.
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