Old repository of Thai language Dhamma lectures by Sathien Bodhinanda

While conducting search on Sunjata สุญญตา, I found some informational treasure trove in Thai language about it. (This post might benefit some people who know Thai language)

The website of Young Buddhist Association of Thailand (YBAT) has a download page for old recorded lectures in Thai by a prominent Thai expert on both Mahayana and Theravada (Hinayana) Buddhism, Mr. Sathien Bodhinanda เสถียร โพธินันทะ (1929-1966). There are 59 mp3 files there. I just downloaded them to keep in my notebook for future listening.  The relevant recorded voice file on Sunjata (in Thai language) is file no. 7 and 8.
If you want to know more of him, there is a Thai language wiki of his biography, and a copy of Thai language obituary for Sathien Bodhinanda by another prominent Thai Buddhist Tipitaka scholar, Sujeep Punyanuparb.

I also found old pictures of the speaker, who died at the young age of 38 in B.E. 2509 (1966)
A portrait picture of Sathien Bodhinanda, apparently scanned from his commemorative book freely distributed as gift to well-wishers during his cremation, is respectfully put here for future reference purpose only, which I obtained from this website with thanks. I don't claim ownership of this picture.

Good free ebook: Samadhi in Buddhism

I just found a small free ebook entitled "Samadhi in Buddhism" by Bhikku P.A. Payutto.  The venerable Payutto, also known by Thai in his recent royal monastic title "Phra Bromgunaborn", is the most well-regarded expert on Tipitaka and Buddhist Dhamma in Thailand.  The content was based on one of  his old talk in Chicago in 1996, perhaps just translated recently by Janet Chan, and edited by Susan Kirschoff.  The small book (of 41 pages) is very informative and I highly recommend it. I just finished it in less than an hour.  There are a few Pali words in there, but for beginners, you can initially skip those jargons without any problem, although I would think if you can manage to learn those Pali terms, the knowledge will prevent your misunderstanding or confusion over generic English terms used in various other faiths in the future. I think he covered all the areas of Samadhi in Buddhism well.

It is available from the author's website linked here.

By the way, if you look around at that site, there are other ebooks there as well, in English or Thai. Make your choices.

Look back a year before

I agree to the sentence "Time flies". Yes, time proceeds at its usual pace but when we forgot about it and went back to see what happened in the past, one can realize that the time passed so quickly.

This is a group picture of the monks at my temple, Wat Prasatdin, in Phakdeechumphol district, Chaiyaphum province. I was one of them. During the previous rainy season, the Buddhist lent, there were around 14 monks there, including our master. (I had to say around because sometimes people came in to be ordained for a short period, say 2 weeks or 1 month, and they left.)  I was a monk for around 7 months and I have got what I deserved. I personally believe that my progress in Dhamma was better than winning a multimillion Baht jackpot.

Of the 9 monks in the picture, as far as I know, 5 remained  monks so far, although 2 moved to study in other temples.

Notice the color of our Civara (clothings) ?  That was unusual for Theravada monks in Thailand, looks almost like the color of Tibetan monk's. According to Buddhist Scriptures, this color might be a color most similar to the color of Buddha's Civara.

I earlier took a picture of our temple, with prominent 'castle' at the center, from a a nearby hill but higher above so that one can appreciate our serene surrounding.

A recommended reading

Anyone who has a slightest interest in Buddhism would be well advised to read a small book entitled "The Pali Canon: What a Buddhist Must Know", by venerable P.A. Payutto. It was finely translated into English by Dr. Somseen Chanawangsa. The book, among hundred others (mostly in Thai) is available at Wat Nyanaveskawan's website.

http://www.watnyanaves.net/uploads/File/books/pdf/the_pali_canon_what_a_buddhist_must_know.pdf

I have read the Thai version first, then quickly browsed through the English translation quickly. It is a very good introduction to the Buddhist scriptures for the Theravada branch of Buddhism.

I started writing a Dhamma book

I have exited from monkhood and came out from the forest. Back to civilization again.

I thought if I would remain as a monk in the forest, I would be of little use for Thai farmers. They invited monks for chanting, and they donated stuff to us to make merits. We were the recipients so that they could make merits. I did not have a chance to give a discourse to anyone. (Yeah. I know I still know too little to give a discourse. But I have given advises to someones already.) It would be a waste to have a Ph.D monk to teach nobody. Also I have my original family living in town as well.

Now I started a project to write a Dhamma book, in English, based on all sort of experiences, including meditations, and various paranormal things I have encountered, and accurate Buddhist metaphysical texts as well. It 's going to be a while before I can finish. It might be in a novel form.

Farewell message

I have wished to be ordained as a forest Buddhist monk for several years. My wife support my decision. However, I had been hesitating. By 2009, my holding of the 5 precepts was alreday perfect. (I no longer kill ants, not taking things which are not mine, including unattended snacks left in the office kitchen, not telling a lie, no profanity, no night-life entertainment with ladies, no alcohol.) By early 2010, I could meditate deeply to the fourth level Jhana. The mind was much developed, both Samatha and Vipassana. The mind was getting closer to be that of a monk.

Last year, "my" feeling was that I did not need to be a monk, just to be one internally (mentally) would be sufficient. I have made much progress, to a safe level. I have experienced the utmost serenity, freedom, wisdom in Nirvana. I have no doubt on the eternal existence of Nivana.

Then I started to feel bored with internal Kilases, the taints in the mind. As a layperson living in a city, one would need to face various stresses and experience mental stimuli, which I want to avoid. I saw that getting into a forest is inevitable if I want to develope the mind further.

I have consulted some monks and I then saw logical reasons why I should come this way. After making final decision, I feel quite satisfied. Sometimes I felt eager, like a young soldier about to enter a war, but this is going to be my internal war with various internal desires. I want to put out those burning flames. Sometimes I felt worry about my family a bit. However, I felt my life was running out of time.

In a few days, I 'd become a forest monk. I would not have time to update this blog again, unless I come out from the forest later, and live somewhere with electricity and network access.

However, I do not think that I 'd be able to continue writing on this blog, unless I come out of monkhood and become a layperson again. Regulations of Buddhst monks (Vinaya) laid down by Lord Buddha forbid monks from discussing their personal experience with non-monk laypersons, to prevent solicitation of foods or wealth. Although my intention for blogging is to provide insight information to those who seek the know-how, continue doing so later would be risky and my judgement tells me it is improper. So if I would ever blog again, it will be in a less-personal format and in another blog.

In the near future, there will be drastic changes on this earth, so called Tiamat: people, animals, and plants will all be affected. Anything that has a start also has an end. I intend to not worry about anything. Any remaining stuff, including unfinished jobs, will be left as is. I aim that once a life ends, everying tying to it in this dimension should end as well. Not to worry about them anymore.

I hope this blog is informative to international community. Whoever wish to develop his or her mind, regardless of their faith and religion, can practice this way. However, you need perseverance. Imagine yourself an athlete training for a future international competition, you need to train the body and the mind for years, perhaps a decade. This is the same kind of training. I wish you the best in your mental development and I hope you reach your eternal happiness and can start accessing to Nirvana as soon as possible. May Dhamma be with you.

I thus end my blog posting for now.

How to develop the mind beyond Sotāpanna step ?

Well, just keep on meditating, both Samatha (peaceful way), and Vipassana (contemplative). The first way is to strengthen the mind: it 's like to give it a deep sleep. The latter is to let it work after it got its full rest by inspecting carefully the Tri-Luksana (the 3 characters) I mentioned in earlier post.

When the mind is fully developed in its stage, it would move itself to the next level, like a chick breaking out from the egg's shell after it's fully matured enough. In the process of enlightment for each level, the mind would enter a deep Jhana state, would experience Nirvana briefly, and light might be noticed.

A first enlightment moved the state of mind stream of a person from layman to that of a Sotāpanna.

The second enlightment moved the state further to be that of a Sakadagami. At this stage, he or she would have less attachment to wealth, fame, less sexual desire (but prefer more serene hapiness state of the mind under meditation), less negative emotions (angers, envy, selfishness, arrogance, etc.).

The third enlightment moved the mind stream further to that of a Anagami. He or she would no longer want sex, and would no longer have anger and other negative feeling. He would treat other people offending him with kindness, or in the worst case, with neutrality feeling. He would put his most attention to meditation and serenity and happiness associated with it, being able to do other life's activity like talking to other people, concurrently with meditational activity inside in mind in his day-to-day activities.

The fourth enlightment would move the mind stream to that of an Arahant. He or she would be able to feel the utmost serenity of Nirvana any time he wishes.