House of Inward Journey

Buddhism Sets You Free

2012-01-21T08:21:00.000-08:00

A HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR 2012!

I N W A R D P A T H

wishing all Dhamma Farers and Fellow Yogis

A Happy Chinese New Year 2012!

May All Free from Mental and
Physical Suffering!

May All be Well and Happy Always!

May Our Journey in this Samsara

be Short and Sweet!

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

FREE POSTER!

The Buddha's Way posters (above) are

now available for FREE DISTRIBUTION at

DHAMMIKARAMA BURMESE BUDDHIST TEMPLE,

Lorong Burma, Penang.

This Poster is sponsor for

free distribution by Aunty Jo Ewe.

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

BUDDHA'S WAY

DO NOT GO

upon what has been acquired by repeated hearings;

nor upon traditions;

nor upon rumours;

nor upon what are in the scriptures;

nor upon mere logical reasonings;

nor upon mere philosophical reasonings;

nor upon mere outward appearances;

nor upon a bias towards a notion
that has been pondered over;

nor upon another's seeming ability;

nor upon the consideration and thought,

“This monk (contemplative) is our teacher.”

But whatever, after due examination and analysis,

you yourselves directly know,

“These qualities are unskillful;

these qualities are blameworthy;

these qualities are criticized by the wise;

these qualities, when adopted and

carried out, lead to harm and to suffering”

— then you should abandon them.

By the same token, when you know for yourselves that,

“These qualities are skillful;

these qualities are blameless;

these qualities are praised by the wise;

these qualities, when adopted and

carried out, lead to welfare and to happiness”

— then you should accept and practise them.

By gently asking them questions, the Buddha

guided the Kālāmas (the people of Kesaputta in

Kosala country) to understand that teachings

based in greed, hate and delusion are unskillful.

Teachings devoid of greed, hate and delusion

are skillful. By applying these criteria,

we can understand truth from falsehood.

~ T H E B U D D H A

[ Kesamuttisuttaṁ, the fifth sutta in

the Book of Threes (Tika Nipāta)

in the Gradual Sayings (Aṅguttara Nikāya) of Tipiṭaka. ]

***

Buddhism Sets You Free

by PIYA TAN

Season Greetings and Happy Lunar New Year!

Religion imprisons our minds with beliefs, dogmas, rituals and guilt. There are also religions that do not or dare not call themselves religion, understandably. But the demand for unquestioning faith is there all the same.

Call Buddhism what you like, but there is something about Buddhism that is truly rewarding if we keep an open mind. No, there is nothing to believe here. Many find this to be one of the hardest things to do. All right, we can say that Buddhism does begin with some kind of beliefs, such as keeping the moral precepts so that our body and speech are in order for the sake of a harmonious family and society. But these are not beliefs: they are universal truths that make human communion harmonious and fruitful.

Then there is Buddhist mind-training or meditation, which even other religions are now adopting. This is because it brings inner peace and clarity. Ultimately mental stillness has no label. In fact, this is what the Buddha of early Buddhism is trying to tell us: truth does not belong to any religion, nor to anyone. It is liberating like the fresh air and space around us.

There are also Buddhisms that call for mere faith, or some ritual. If these work for you, use them. At any time, you find that there is something simpler or better, have the courage to rise to it. Buddhism is about change, and change is occurring all the time if we carefully observe ourselves and things around us.

The Buddha’s Buddhism teaches us to keep on letting go of beliefs once we understand them. It is like learning ABC: we first master them, and then learn to spell words and make sentences. Then we read interesting books, and even tell stories to others, and share with them the great wonders of learning.

Early Buddhism is about self-learning. It is like learning to walk: no one can walk for us. As toddlers, we crawled and tried to stand, we fell, stood again, and now we are walking effortlessly (until age catches up, that is).

Wisdom comes in a similar way. Our sufferings arose from various conditions we were not sure about, or we could not prevent them for some reason. But there is a lot to learn from our sufferings. First, we must accept that there is really no one to blame, except conditions: no sin, no fate, no demon, no God, no others. Study the conditions, and understand them, then we will be able to prevent such sufferings, or at least lessen their effects.

Religions that demand all kinds of beliefs and rituals are trying to own us. But such religions are nothing but cunning and desperate people who are trying to control our minds and use our bodies. If any beliefs do not benefit us (they usually don’t), we should let them go. If we are not sure what the beliefs are about, it is not benefitting us. The same with rituals: they should help bring some peace and wisdom to us. If not, we do not need to do them.

Beliefs and rituals are often nothing more than public relations and advertisements that money-priests use to hold their clientele and con the gullible. A belief often means something we are not sure about, and are not really helpful. If we care to recall our own past: it is a record of our abandoning belief after belief. That is how we grow, by shedding the onion-skins of beliefs when the sting of truth opens our eyes.

The rituals that religious professionals charge us for – such as funerals – can all be even more meaningfully done by us, our relatives and friends together. If we truly love the dearly departed, we should give him or her a truly loving friends’ funeral. True and good rituals are not public show-offs of guilt or wealth, but a powerful gesture of the heart that feels for others and a good feeling for ourselves.

When Edward Bernays, the “father of public relations,” made a great fortune selling his ideas to corporations and politicians, it really benefitted no one except the corporations and politicians, and Bernays. People in the US were throwing their hard-earned cash into investments, making a lot of money, and living like intoxicated hamsters in the cage of pleasure and plenty. They were all heading for the Great Crash of 1929, the beginning of the 12-year Great Depression. They started blaming everyone else, except themselves.

Now, the religions are using Bernays’ tricks in making us to feel guilty and sinful about ourselves as if we are not already suffering enough, and to desire for things (like heaven) that we do not need. Of course, these religions claim they have all the answers. But these are answers to problems that these religions themselves have conjured up.

Religions work best where ignorance and the class system prevail. Yet more evil had been done in the name of religion than much of the rest of history put together. Religion burdens us with the greatest of sufferings when they try to define good and evil for us, even against our better judgement and common sense. The more powerful the religion the greater the damage.*

Better than any religion is an open curiosity for the healing truth and liberating insight; a relentless questioning that only brings joy and peace of helpful answers that fruit in self-understanding. And the best person to examine and ask such questions is we ourselves. For, if we do not think for ourselves, we will lose our minds; if we stop feeling, then we are dead. The chains are mind-made, only the mind can break them.

*See eg this documentary on church abuse of children: http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/sex-crimes-and-the-vatican/ and its transcript http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/panorama/5402928.stm .

Meditation courses and therapy with Piya Tan @ Singapore: http://themindingcentre.org
Sutta translation: http://dharmafarer.org

Joan Halifax: Compassion and the true meaning of empathy

2012-01-16T06:51:00.000-08:00

Monk Radio: Personal Interpretations Vs. Orthodox Buddhism

2012-01-10T22:01:00.001-08:00

The Demise of Sayadaw U Kundala

2012-01-10T08:51:00.000-08:00

Dana, Offering to

Sayadaw U Kundala

at Saddhammaramsi Yeiktha,

Myanmar

on 14 Jan 2010

The Demise of

Sayadaw U Kundala

on
19 December 2011

(Age: 90 years)

Anicca vata sankhara
Uppada vaya dhammmino
Uppajjitva nirujjhan'ti
Tesam vupasamo sukho

Impermanent, alas, are all conditions
Arising and passing away
Having been born they all must cease
The calming of conditions is true happiness

Sayadaw U Kundala was born in Waw Township, Bago District, Myanmar in 1921 to U Tha Phyo and Daw Pu. He became a novice monk (samanera) at the age of nine at the Waw Monastery. He studied at various learning monasteries, amongst which are the two well-known Shwehintha Forest Monastery and the Maydhini Forest Monastey.

He received the title of Dhamma Lectureship (Dhammacariya) in 1956, and another title of Dhamma Lectureship in 1958. On 4th January 1998, the 7th Waxing of Pyatho, 1359 M.E. (the Golden Jubilee Independence Day of Myanmar) he received the higher title of Meditation teacher, Agga Maha Kammatthanacariya vide Union of Myanmar State Peace and Development Council Notification No. 2/98.

The Sayadaw taught Buddhist Scriptures to about 200 monks daily at the Maydhini Forest Monastery for 20 years. After having meditated under the tutelage of the late Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw for a year, the Sayadaw decided to teach vipassana meditation. Had conducted meditation retreats and given Dhamma talks in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, United Kingdom, France, United States, Australia, and Japan.

Sayadaw founded the Saddharammaransi Meditation Centre in 1978. The centre now cares for an average of 200 yogis daily. The Centre has four branches:
• Sukhapatipada Saddharammaransi, Kyaukkon, Yangon, 1993
• Viveka-Tawya Saddharammaransi, Nyaunglebin, 1994
• Khippdabhinna Saddharammaransi, Indyne, 1995
• Dhammadayada Saddharammaransi

The Sayadaw is also a prolific writer and has published several Dhamma books, mostly in Burmese. He is a member of the Sangha Supreme Council of Advisors at the main Mahasi Meditation Centre in Yangon.

Below are some of the English books

published by

Inward Path Publisher:

Discovering Buddhism - How to Meditate

2012-01-06T11:33:00.000-08:00

One Who Lives By The Dhamma

2012-01-03T20:24:00.000-08:00

Talk Broadcast
by Venerable Yuttadhammo on
The Buddhist television channel
in Sri Lanka

( http://www.thebuddhist.tv )

on
The sort of person who truly lives
by the Dhamma.

Gnosis "Seven Wonders of the Buddhist World"

2011-12-28T09:03:00.000-08:00

In this fascinating documentary, historian Bettany Hughes travels to the seven wonders of the Buddhist world and offers a unique insight into one of the most ancient belief systems still practised today. Buddhism began 2,500 years ago when one man had an amazing internal revelation underneath a peepul tree (Bodhi Tree) in India. Today it is practised by over 350 million people worldwide, with numbers continuing to grow year on year. In an attempt to gain a better understanding of the different beliefs and practices that form the core of the Buddhist philosophy and investigate how Buddhism started and where it travelled to, Hughes visits some of the most spectacular monuments built by Buddhists across the globe. Her journey begins at the Mahabodhi Temple in India, where Buddhism was born; here Hughes examines the foundations of the belief system — the three jewels. At Nepal's Boudhanath Stupa, she looks deeper into the concept of Dharma (Dhamma) — the teaching of Buddha, and at the Temple of the Tooth in Sri Lanka, Bettany explores Karma (Kamma), the idea that our intentional acts will be mirrored in the future. At Wat Pho Temple in Thailand, Hughes explores Samsara, the endless cycle of birth and death that Buddhists seek to end by achieving enlightenment, before travelling to Angkor Wat in Cambodia to learn more about the practice of meditation. In Hong Kong, Hughes visits the Giant Buddha and looks more closely at Zen, before arriving at the final wonder, the Hsi Lai temple in Los Angeles, to discover more about the ultimate goal for all Buddhists - nirvana.

GOODWILL MOVE THE WORLD

2011-12-27T08:48:00.000-08:00

Watch this.... You will definitely share this......mp4

Bhikkhu Bodhi introduces Buddhist Global Relief

2011-12-25T11:17:00.000-08:00

Introduction by Bhikkhu Bodhi

to Buddhist Global Relief,

an organization devoted to

alleviating hunger in the world.

Buddhism in Action

www.buddhistglobalrelief.org

Books by Bhikkhu Bodhi

MEDITATION CLASS EVERY THURSDAY EVENING

2011-12-22T07:35:00.000-08:00

A N N O U N C E M E N T

Dear Dhammaseekers & Fellow Yogis,

The Meditation Class

with Bro. Visu

on Every Thursday,

the time had been
changed from

7:30 evening

8:00 evening.

A L L A R E W E L C O M E!

Ask A Monk: Difficulty for Women Monastics

2011-12-18T06:16:00.000-08:00

Venerable Phalañānī Bhikkhuni

interviewing on

Monk Radio in Sri Lanka.

Venerable Phalañānī Bhikkhuni born in Duesseldorf, Germany, grow up in Kaarst, Germay, went to school there, went to study in Paris, was actrice and comedian, was married (for very short) was divorced, traveled around parts of the world, lived in Spain, Mallorca, and became a buddhist nun, first Mae Chii, then Samaneri and finally a Bhikkhuni.

Monk Radio

by Venerable Yuttadhammo

Weekly "radio" broadcast, actually a live video stream, is a chance for Buddhists to renew their determination by formally retaking refuge and precepts, and a chance for meditators to ask questions and receive answers about meditation, Buddhism, and the monastic life. After the formal (optional) recitation and Q&A period, there will be a brief group meditation.

Ask questions at live radio session every Sunday:

http://radio.sirimangalo.org/

or via Question and Answer Forum:

http://ask.sirimangalo.org/

The Revival of BHIKKHUNI ORDINATION in the THERAVADA TRADITION

2011-12-12T06:55:00.000-08:00

This is a wonderful slideshow of photographs from the recent Bhikkhuni ordination ceremony at Spirit Rock in California in which Ayyas Anandabodhi, Santacitta and Nimmala received their higher ordination.

This ordination constitutes the cutting edge of Buddhism as is challenges the patriarchal attitudes and history present in many Buddhist lineages. There have always been places for women in the monastic community, but rarely are women given the same monastic ordination as men. This is a topic of great discussion in the greater Buddhist community and is met with a variety of opinions and ideas. This ceremony, which took place on October 17, 2011 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre CA, had the support of venerable monastics from all the major branches of Buddhism, as well as the support of Bhikkhu Bodhi.

The slideshow by Ed Ritger.

The chanting is of Aggasāvikā Bhikkhunī
by Melanie Zeiki,

click link for the text and translation:

www.snfwrenms.wordpress.com

THE REVIVAL OF

BHIKKHUNI ORDINATION

IN THE

THERAVADA TRADITION

by Bhikkhu Bodhi

GET A FREE COPY!

NEWLY REVISED EDITION 2011

CAN AN EXTINCT

BHIKKHUNI SANGHA

BE REVIVED?

by Mingun Jetawan Sayadaw

A translation from Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi of part of a text by The Original Mingun Jetavan Sayādaw of Burma (Myanmar), one of the most respected scholars and meditation teachers in modern times.

The writing comes from his edition of the Milindapañha Aṭṭhakathā which was published by the Haṃsāvatī Piṭaka Press, Rangoon, Burmese year 1311 (=1949), pp. 228-238.

It is included in Bhikkhu Bodhi’s book: The Revival of Bhikkhunī Ordination in the Theravāda Tradition.

The work sounds a little technical at the beginning because of the repetition, but it is well worth trying to understand, as the Sayādaw’s separation of two phrases in the Vinaya is cruical to understanding the correct position on this matter.

M I S C O N C E P T I O N S

about the Bhikkhuni Order

by Barbara Yen

(Malaysia, 17 September, 2011)

Introduction

September 17 is designated as International Bhikkhuni Day. On this day, let us remember and honour the courage of the five hundred women, led by Mahā Pajapati Gotamī who were so determined to renounce that they shaved their heads, donned the robes and walked about 350 miles barefoot, from Kapilavastu to Vesali to seek permission from the Buddha for ordination.

The Buddha believed that women were capable of being enlightened but is reported as being initially reluctant, if this was so he may have felt that the social and cultural climate of India at that time and the constraints in his young ministry were challenging factors for their going forth.

Ultimately, did the Buddha regret making this decision? From the facts of the case, it does not appear to be so. From these bhikkhunis, the Buddha singled out thirteen outstanding ones, all of whom were Arahats, to be foremost in various aspects in Buddhism.

M I S C O N C E P T I O N S

about the Bhikkhuni Order

Through the ages, some misconceptions or myths have crept in over the Bhikkhuni Order in various countries and cultures, particularly in Asia. Many genuinely believe them to be true. Some of these myths are:

MYTH 1:

The Bhikkhuni Sangha

had gone extinct after

the Buddha’s parinibbana as

no bhikkhuni was mentioned

in any of the Buddhist Councils.

We do not have to look very far. Even in our daily speech or in written word, there is gender bias in that the masculine gender is often used (he, his, mankind, man-power) to depict both genders. Our descendents could also be mistaken and believe that there are no women existing in this century!

King Asoka's Edicts

Yet bhikkhunis and lay women found in King Asoka’s Edicts; they were often mentioned to be donors of viharas and stupas; and the Chinese pilgrim, Fa Hsien, noted that there were thousands of monks and nuns in Sankasya, India in the fourth century CE.

A Portrait of Fa-hsien

In Amaravati, India, which is considered a centre for Theravada Buddhism, the word ‘bhikkhuni’ was mentioned in about 18 sites and dates back to the 11th century CE which shows that both sanghas survived till then and were probably wiped out by the Muslim invasion in that period.

MYTH 2:

Ven. Sanghamitta,

daughter of King Asoka,

is the last of the bhikkhunis.

Sanghamitta Theri

In fact there was even doubt that she brought enough bhikkhunis for the ordination of Princess Anula, King Tissa’s sister-in-law in the third century BCE. However, the Sri Lankan Chronicle, Mahavamsa 17.1 recorded Sanghamitta Theri came with ten other bhikkhunis to ordain her. Recent archaeological findings discovered an area between Anuradhapura and Mahintale, where Ven. Anula and her five hundred followers had their nunneries. The royal families also built aramas for the bhikkhunis.

In 433 CE, Ven Devasara of Sri Lanka led a group of bhikkhunis in a ship called Nandi and gave ordination to three hundred Chinese women in the Southern Forest Monastery in Nanking, China. (see Edward Conze: Buddhist Texts Through the Ages).

Dr Hua Chee Min, a Chinese professor, in his book written in Sinhala, Theravada Buddhism in China, cited 40,000 Theravada Buddhists from 5,000 temples, many of which were in Yunnan. The lineage therefore has not been broken and it later spread to Korea, Japan and Taiwan. In the Mahavamsa bhikkhunis are still mentioned up and till the 10th century.

In 1988, Fo Guang Shan of Taiwan organized the First International Ordination for women at Hsi Lai Temple, LA, USA and helped give the bhikkhuni lineage back to Sri Lanka, which was the country they got it from.

MYTH 3:

Women cannot come into

contact with the robe.

Her menstruation will soil it.

This is a Brahministic cultural and social belief. The Buddha was trying to discourage this kind of thinking. It is a biological process without which humans will go extinct. Not only are nuns ordained during the Buddha’s time but there was a nun who was pregnant. The Buddha called a royal commission to investigate the case with Ven Upali and a lay woman Visakha in the committee. When it was found that she was pregnant before she was ordained, not only was she not required to disrobe, she was allowed to go through with the pregnancy and breast feed her baby, whom she named Abhaya (Fearless) until he was one year old. The bhikkhuni’s is known as Abhayamata (the mother of Abhaya). The other nuns shared their alms food with her. Such was the compassion and deep understanding of the Buddha. Abhaya who was adopted by a prince, was later ordained as Ven. Kumāra and became an Arahat. His mother also had a similar attainment.

Uppalavaṇṇā, a beautiful woman was raped by her cousin who was one of her many suitors. She did not need to disrobe as the Buddha disclosed that she was already an Arahat and was beyond sensual pleasures. She is the most prominent bhikkhuni in psychic powers and one of the two Great Female Disciples.

This incident reminds me of an unfortunate case of a Tibetan nun who was raped by Chinese soldiers. She disrobed, thinking that she was defiled and not worthy of wearing the robes.

The recent case of the Nepali nun who was raped by a bus driver and his companions is another example of ignorance about the Order and its rules. She was apparently disowned by a Nepali Buddhist organisation for similar reasons which caused an international outcry.

MYTH 4:

A Burmese woman once told me that

women are of lower birth, and

have to be born as men to be

able to achieve Buddhahood.

There is a seed of Buddhahood in everyone one of us. It depends on whether we want to nurture it and how we nurture it. According to Ven. Anandajoti, “in the early sangha anyone who attained Arahatship was also called a Buddha, only later was the term restricted to a Sammāsambuddha. In line with the original interpretation of the word, therefore, males and females could be Buddhas.

But according to tradition only males become Sammāsambuddhas, this is based on mythological thinking, which says that what happened in the exemplary case is the way it always happens. We don't really think in this way anymore, and I personally can't see any reason why women couldn't become a Sammāsambuddha.”

MYTH 5:

With the ordination of women,

the life of the Dhamma will be

shortened by 500 years.

If it is true, the Dhamma would have disappeared around 1st CE. If the Buddha had foreseen this with his divine vision, He would certainly not have agreed or have given in to Ven. Ānanda’s pleas.

In fact, the Buddha said,

“The good Dhamma declines

when Four-Fold Assembly

(Bhikkhus, Bhikkhunis, laymen and laywomen)

dwells without respect for

the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha,

the Training, Samādhi & Mindfulness”.

(Aṅguttara Nikāya)

MYTH 6:

Ordination of women needs
the Dual Sangha.

The Dual Sangha Ordination was first introduced when the bhikkhus in a single Sangha Ordination, asked a nun to answer the questions about the obstructions to ordination which are areas related to a monastic’s sexuality which might be obstacles to ordained life. She was embarrassed to answer and upon consultation with the Buddha, senior nuns were requested to ask these questions. This really reflects the Buddha’s sensitivity, compassion and flexibility in difficult situations. Nevertheless, the Single Sangha Ordination by Bhikkhus was never abolished.

MYTH 7:

Ordination of women done in
the Mahāyana tradition is
not valid.

The ordination for both Sanghas is based on Vinaya rules which are similar in all three traditions. The difference is in the Dhamma, not the Vinaya, which is what the lineage is all about. Even in this, the difference is in the letter, not in spirit.

MYTH 8:

Ordination is a sign of failure
especially for in social life women
whose countries prohibit full ordination.

Their status as eight or ten preceptors is
low and they often serve as
helpers in temples.

This perception is slowly changing especially in Thailand where some of the maechees have doctorates in Buddhism and teach in universities or nuns' colleges. Some live as nuns in the forest tradition and one of them literally brought the forest back by planting about ten thousand trees to the amazement of the community and the state. After the 12th Sakyadhita Conference in Bangkok in June, 2011, a few of us had the opportunity to visit this peaceful hermitage.

Ven. Dhammananda Bhikkhuni

AL JAZEERA: EVERYWOMAN

Buddhist Nun (first part)

— interview with Dhammananda Bhikkhuni

and second part on Hijab Fashion

Dhammananda Bhikkhuni, a former professor in Buddhism in Thammasat University, received full ordination in Sri Lanka in 2003 and is now Abbess of Songdhammakalyani Bhikkhuni Arama, willed to her by her mother. She teaches Dhamma and conducts samaneri and temporary novitiate ordinations each year. On 24 June, 2011, she has five fully ordained bhikkhunis with her.

Ven. Tenzin Palmo

In 2005, she was among four Buddhist nuns to be selected for the 1,000 Peace Women nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. The others are Ven. Tenzin Palmo (UK), Ven. Rurui Shih (China) and Maeji Pratin Kwan-On (Thailand).

Perhaps the person who inspired her most is her mother, Ven. Voramai Kabilsingh who braved all odds to be the first woman in Thailand to be fully ordained in 1971, which she obtained in Taiwan after being a Maeji for 15 years, and afterwards she built her own monastery.

On this day, we also salute bhikkhunis for their strong perseverance and courage like Ven. Santini and Ven. Susilvati of Indonesia who braved strong opposition, and to Sara Narin (Thailand) and Saccavadi (Myanmar) who faced imprisonment. The former was kidnapped in 1928 and the latter disrobed in 2005 and is now married and resides in the USA.

MYTH 9:

Women can only disrobe once.

For a detailed discussion of this belief, please refer to Ven. Sujato’s chapter: Can a Bhikkhuni Ordain Again? in his book on Bhikkhuni Vinaya Studies.

MYTH 10:

Women are obstacles to

the purity of the bhikkhus.

Evidence from other traditions in Taiwan, Vietnam, France, USA, Australia and others shows an ever expanding and healthy dual sangha, both joyfully working side by side to serve the community and spread the Dhamma.

Conclusion

These myths, if allowed to perpetuate from century to century, will not only be a great hindrance to the progress of Buddhism but they reflect very negatively on the religion which claims to enable us to achieve wisdom and liberation. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we can use all this energy instead to spread the Buddha Sasana?

We need to deconstruct these myths and the tools for it are facts, information and wisdom. It is the responsibility of all Dhamma protectors and propagators to help disentangle this web of delusion and remove this shroud so that the light of Truth can shine through and illuminate the world.

References

Dhammananda Bhikkhuni (Dr. Chatsumarn Kabilsingh), Women Strengthening Buddhism, Buddhasavika Foundation. Published by Thai Buddhist Centre, Bangkok, 2010
Dhammananda Bhikkhuni, A Different Voice, Buddhasavika Foundation. Published by Thai Buddhist Centre, Bangkok, 2010
Dhammananda Bhikkhuni, Bhikkhunis In Thailand, Buddhasavika Foundation, 2009. www.thaibhikkhunis.org.
Edward Conze: Buddhist Texts Through the Ages, Harper & Rows
Dr Hua Chee Min, Theravada Buddhism in China, Colombo
Sujato Bhikkhu, Bhikkhuni Vinaya Studies: Can a Bhikkhuni Ordain Again?

Other titles by Bikkhu Bodhi

What is the Method?

2011-12-10T07:37:00.000-08:00

I remember a short conversation between

the Buddha and a philosopher

of his time.

"I have heard that Buddhism is

a doctrine of enlightenment.

What is your method?

What do you practice everyday?"

"We walk, we eat,

we wash ourselves,
we sit down."

"What is so special about that?

Everyone walks,
eats, washes, sits down..."

"Sir, when we walk,

we are aware that
we are walking;

when we eat,

we are aware that
we are eating...

When others walk, eat,
wash, or sit down,

they are generally not aware of

what they are doing."

~ Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Keys

MEDITATION CLASS DEC 2011 — MAY 2012 with VISU

2011-12-07T08:51:00.000-08:00

@ House of Inward Journey

14 Phuah Hin Leong Road

off Burma Road

10050 Georgetown

Penang, Malaysia

Contact:

Sunanda Lim 012 4302893

Inward Path 04 2262893

Meditation May Help Brain Tune Out Distractions

2011-12-06T05:30:00.000-08:00

Study Helps Explain

Why Meditation

Improves Concentration

by Jennifer Warner

WebMD Health News

Reviewed by

Laura J. Martin, MD

source: www.webmd.com

Nov. 21, 2011

People who meditate may be able to use their brain in ways others can't to tune out distractions and focus on the task at hand.

A new study shows that experienced meditators may have less activity in parts of the brain associated with daydreaming and distraction while meditating and in their day-to-day lives.

Researchers say this brain network, known as the "default mode network," has also been linked to anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and Alzheimer's disease.

ANXIETY is a normal human emotion that we all experience. But when panic and anxiety symptoms escalate into anxiety attacks and panic attacks, it may be an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, and panic disorder. There is excellent treatment for anxiety attacks, as well as panic attack symptoms, including medication and psychotherapy.

ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD) and ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER (ADD) have symptoms that may begin in childhood and continue into adulthood. ADHD and ADD symptoms can cause problems at home, school, work, and in relationships.

ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE is the most common type of dementia. Symptoms of Alzheimer's, including early-onset Alzheimer's, include problems with memory, judgment, and thinking, which makes it hard to work or take part in day-to-day life. As the stages of Alzheimer's progress, memory loss and other signs of Alzheimer's become more apparent. Many people find help with Alzheimer's drugs, but there is no cure for this form of dementia.

"The default mode is when you ruminate, think about yourself, or daydream," says study researcher Judson Brewer, MD, PhD, medical director of the Yale Therapeutic Neuroscience Clinic.

"Everybody has it, but experienced

meditators have a different type."

Brewer found that people who meditate are able to link up other parts of their brains to monitor activity in the default mode network that tell them to get back on task when distractions arise and be present in the moment.

The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Experts say the results help explain the benefits of meditation on concentration and open the door to future research using meditation to treat and potentially prevent a variety of psychiatric and neurological disorders.

Meditation Modifies
Brain Networks

In the study, researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to analyze brain activity in 12 experienced meditators (more than 10 years of experience practicing mindfulness meditation) and 12 novice meditators. The scans were done as they practiced three different types of mindfulness meditation as well as at rest.

The results showed that experienced meditators
had less activity in the default mode network,
regardless of the type of meditation they practiced.

In addition, the scans showed that when the default mode network was active, other brain regions responsible for self-monitoring and thought control were also activated in experienced, but not novice meditators.

"This new default mode in meditators

has these other components

that are monitoring and telling you

to get back on task and be present,"

Brewer tells WebMD.

More Benefits of Meditation

Experts say the findings build on previous studies that have shown meditation can alter brain structure by increasing gray matter density and brain activity to improve concentration.

"The finding sheds light not just on meditation's effect on the brain but on some basic brain operations that may have implications beyond meditation," says Catherine Kerr, PhD, director of translational neuroscience, contemplative studies initiative, Brown University. She has studied the effects of meditation on brain wave activity.

Kerr says the brain has two networks, the attentional network and the default network. The attentional network is usually focused on something external, such as a manual task. The default network is involved in internal chatter and daydreaming.

Usually these networks work exclusively of each other. When one is on, the other shuts down, Kerr says.

"But meditators are using this default network
in unusual and novel ways,"

Kerr tells WebMD.

"People who meditate don't get lost

in mindless negative chatter.

Meditation protects you from

repetitive negative thinking,

which puts you at risk for depression."

Kerr says meditation may work like a spotlight to bring the mind's attention away from internal distractions and back to the task at hand.

Sara Lazar, PhD, associate scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital, says the study is also interesting because it distinguishes meditation from rest.

Lazar, who has studied meditation's effect on brain structure, says the increased brain connectivity found in experienced meditators in this study is consistent with the structural changes she has documented.

Lazar and Kerr say more research is needed to determine if meditation may be beneficial for those at risk for mental illnesses or with early signs of Alzheimer's disease.

Books on mindful meditation brings therapeutic benefits

24 Hour Metta

2011-12-02T22:39:00.000-08:00

Did u know? http://24hrmetta.alokafoundation.org/ - Have u signed up? Join me, on 31 Dec 2011, to welcome 2012 in a whole new way and dimension. For world peace, stability, and harmony. Vickey with metta.

Meditation May Reduce Pain

2011-12-01T04:36:00.000-08:00

Brain Imaging Shows Impact of

Brief Mindfulness Meditation Training

by Salynn Boyles

WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

Source: www.webmd.com

April 6, 2011

Even very brief instruction in meditation appears to help people cope with pain, and a newly published brain imaging study may explain why.

After just four, 20-minute instructional sessions in mindfulness meditation, most participants in the small study experienced big reductions in pain intensity and unpleasantness when subjected to painful stimuli.

Prior to learning the meditation technique, brain imaging showed significant activity in a key area of the brain when the participants were subjected to intense heat, but this activity was reduced when they were meditating.

“This is the first study to show that

only a little over an hour of

meditation training can

dramatically reduce both

the experience of pain and

pain-related brain activation,”

said researcher Fadel Zeidan, PhD,

who is a postdoctoral fellow at

Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

Meditation Helped Block Pain

The researchers recruited 18 healthy young adults who had never meditated prior to joining the study.

Over the four, 20-minute training sessions, the study participants were taught a meditation technique known as focused attention, which involves paying close attention to breathing patterns while acknowledging and letting go of thoughts that distract from this practice, Zeidan says.

Before and after mindfulness meditation training, brain activity was measured using a special type of magnetic resonance imaging that captures longer-duration brain processes, such as meditation, better than standard MRI.

While the MRIs were being performed, a device was placed on each participant’s right calf that delivered 120 degrees of heat — a temperature that most people find painful. The heat was kept on the skin for 12 seconds and then taken off the skin for the same amount of time over a total of 5 minutes.

Even though the MRI was very loud, most of the participants were able to successfully block out the noise and the pain from the heat source and focus on their breathing.

Pain intensity ratings were reduced after meditation by an average of 40%, and pain unpleasantness rating were reduced by 57%.

Meditation was shown to reduce activity in key pain-processing regions of the brain.

The study appears in the April 6 issue of the The Journal of Neuroscience.

Meditation 101:

Accept the Distractions

The study confirms that mindfulness meditation can have a real and measurable impact on the experience of acute pain, even in people with very little formal training, Wake Forest associate professor of neurobiology and anatomy Robert C. Coghill, PhD, tells WebMD.

He says meditation could prove useful for the management of postoperative pain and in other acute pain settings.

It remains to be seen if the brief instruction can help people with chronic pain.

“Meditation has been used to

treat chronic pain for a long time,

but patients tend to

have a lot more training,”

he says.

“It is not clear if the brief

training sessions like

the ones used in this study

would be useful for these patients.”

Zeidan says meditation distracts the mind and reduces the emotional response to pain.

In the training phase of the study, the participants were instructed to close their eyes and focus on the changing sensations of their breath and they were told to bring their consciousness back to their breathing each time their minds wandered.

“Usually this happens within the first minute when people first start meditating,” he says. “It is perfectly normal.”

He says the goal is to acknowledge these distractions, accept them for what they are and simply let them go by gently bringing the attention back to the breath without any judgment.

“Many people think they are doing something wrong at first because their minds keep wandering,” he says. “But becoming aware of how busy the mind is is part of the process.”

Books on mindful meditation brings therapeutic benefits

Vote for a Good Cause : Nalanda Free School Project

2011-11-27T15:03:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

Nalanda is a Buddhist Society in Sri Kembangan, Selangor (Malaysia) and one of their projects is the "Free School Project", which offers free academic tuition classes (in subjects such as English, Science and Mathematics) to needy Malaysian children, e.g. those who are from low-income or single-parent families.

There is now an opportunity to raise additional funding and sponsorship for this project - please see e-mail below, and there's also a really good video (~2 mins) on www.nalanda.org.my, which I highly recommend to watch, and be inspired.

It will only take 5 minutes to register and vote, but it will be for a really good cause :)

Appreciate your time and if possible, please vote!

Thanks,

PY, a friend on the Dhamma path

2011-11-27T08:44:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

We are pleased to inform that our meditation teacher Visu Teoh will resume his weekly meditation class at our Inward Path premises at

14 Phuah Hin Leong Road

from the Thursday of Dec 15,

starting at 7:30pm

We hope to see you and continue with our practice of sitting an hour and discussing the Dhamma for another hour — considering how we may live beautiful and meaningful lives while aspiring for our final goal of Nibbana, the Cessation of all Strife and Dukkha.

If you have any friends or family members who would like to learn meditation or come along please do bring them. Visu will be happy to instruct beginners.

If you are coming we will appreciate if you can let us know so we can have an idea of how many people to expect. You can phone, sms or email me, Sunanda Lim Hock Eng,

mobile phone: 012-430 2893;

email: sunandahelim@gmail.com.

Visu will be guiding us in both Vipassana (Insight) and Metta (Lovingkindness) Meditation. He will also be teaching the Meditations on Compassion, Appreciative Joy, Equanimity, and Death.

Visu has been practising and teaching meditation for some 28 years, 17 of which as a monk. He returned recently with his wife Barbara from their five months teaching tour in Europe. Attached are pix of some of the retreats he led in Germany, Ireland, Holland and Czech Republic.

Visu leading retreat in Rotterdam, Holland

Retreat in Czech Republic

Retreat in Ireland

Retreat in Groningen, Holland

Visu and Barbara in Germany

We hope to see you every Thursday evening from Dec 15 and look forward to spending a meaningful and beneficial time meditating together and discussing the Dhamma. Please note that Visu will be with us only until June when he and Barbara will leave again for Europe. The classes will be on-going till end of May. There may also be a few Thursdays when Visu will be away and the class will be informed accordingly.

May all beings be happy.

May the Dhamma last long for

the welfare and happiness

of all beings.

Yours in the Dhamma,

With Metta,
Sunanda Lim
Inward Path Publisher

Sala Appeal

2011-11-25T18:09:00.000-08:00

Growing nuns in Australia. Allowing the heartwood (Dhammasara) to grow taller and spread wider!

Dhammasara Buddhist Nun's Monastery provides a unique and rare opportunity for women in the Buddhist Theravada tradition to train, ordain and practice in a secluded forest setting ……… to live the simple life of a samana (renuncient)…… to walk the path laid by the Buddha………

Currently we have eight kutis (individual meditation huts) and a small cottage for communal activities. With the growing demand of women seeking the monastic path, we are planning to expand the facilities at Dhammasara allowing more women to join our community and take up the monastic path.

For more information, please visit the following website

http://www.dhammasara.org.au/sala-appeal.html

JESUS of NAZARETH

2011-11-24T23:45:00.000-08:00

BBC Documentary:

Jesus was a Buddhist Monk

This BBC 4 documentary examines the question "Did Jesus Die?". It looks at a bunch of ideas around this question until minute 25, where this examination of ideas takes a very logical and grounded turn with surprising conclusions that demonstrate...

The three wise men were Buddhist monks who found Jesus and came back for him around puberty. After being trained in a Buddhist Monastery he spread the Buddhist philosophy, survived the crucifixion, and escaped to Kashmir, Afghanistan where he died an old man at the age of 80.

National Geographic:

Secret Lives of Jesus

Amazon.COM:

Jesus Lived in India

"It is simply of vital importance to find again the path to the sources, to theeternal and central truths of Christ's message, which has been shaken almost beyond recognition by the profane ambitions of more or less secular institutions arrogating to themselves a religious authority. This is an attempt to open a way to a new future, firmly founded in the true spiritual and religious sources of the past." ~ Holger Kersten

Thus begins Holger Kersten's book "Jesus Lived in India". This German book is a thorough, methodical and authoritative examination of the evidence of Christ's life beyond the Middle East before the Crucifixion and in India and elsewhere after it.

This article is a summary of Kersten's exhaustive research into Christ's travels after the Crucifixion, his arrival in India with the Mother Mary and finally his death and entombment in Kashmir. Kersten notes the many parallels of Christ's teachings with other religious and cultural traditions and suggests that at least some of these figures may have been one and the same personality. It is not possible, Kersten asserts, to disprove that Christ went to India. The current information documenting Christ's life is restricted to the gospels and the work of Church theologians. One can hardly trust these sources to be objective considering their obvious interest in maintaining the authority of their Church and its grip on the masses.

The Russian scholar, Nicolai Notovich, was the first to suggest that Christ may have gone to India. In 1887, Notovich, a Russian scholar and Orientalist, arrived in Kashmir during one of several journeys to the Orient. At the Zoji-la pass Notovich was a guest in a Buddhist monastery, where a monk told him of the bhodisattva saint called "Issa". Notovich was stunned by the remarkable parallels of Issa's teachings and martyrdom with that of Christ's life, teachings and crucifixion.

For about sixteen years, Christ travelled through Turkey, Persia, Western Europe and possibly England. He finally arrived with Mary to a place near Kashmir, where she died. After many years in Kashmir, teaching to an appreciative population, who venerated him as a great prophet, reformer and saint, he died and was buried in a tomb in Kashmir itself.

Buddha - A Documentary About Buddhism

2011-11-23T00:46:00.000-08:00

This documentary is made by filmmaker David Grubin and narrated by Richard Gere. It tells the story of the Buddha's life, a journey especially relevant to our own bewildering times of violent change and spiritual confusion. It features the work of some of the world's greatest artists and sculptors, who across two millennia, have depicted the Buddha's life in art rich in beauty and complexity. Hear insights into the ancient narrative by contemporary Buddhists, including Pulitzer Prize winning poet W.S. Merwin and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

REACHING OUT

2011-11-18T05:25:00.000-08:00

TRIP TO CAMERON HIGHLAND

Donating Old Clothing & Stationary to Indigenous People

THE PATH TO FREEDOM

2011-11-11T03:04:00.000-08:00

It is like us wanting to drive somewhere;

we first need to know how to drive.

We need not actually need to know about the car’s
mechanism and how it runs.

In the same way if we want to end suffering
we must first know at least how to

walk the path as taught by the Buddha.

Problems in life start with birth. Otherwise, if we hadn’t been born, would we be subject to aging, sickness and death? Instead of seeing life’s unsatisfactoriness, many of us see its problems as something good: even desirable.

Ignorance is the problem that is the starting point of the problem of existence itself. For those of us who realise problems arising as problems, some are deluded enough to search for external solutions — by praying, propitiating gods and deities, or consulting astrologers. That is why right understanding is crucial as a start; otherwise, we would not be able to proceed further in uncovering what the Buddha taught.

The author Ashin Dr. Nandamālābhivaṁsa will show us in this booklet how to overcome life’s problems through the cultivation of right vision and learning the Dhamma.

This transcription is from one of his many Dhamma lectures at the Centre for Buddhist Studies, and the Sitagu International Buddhist Academy in Sagaing between 2004 and 2005.

SAYADAW DR NANDAMALABHIVAMSA, born in Myanmar (Burma) in 1940, was educated in Mandalay and with 16 years of age he already passed Dhammacariya (Dhamma teacher) and then most difficult Bhivamsa-examination. He also studied in Sri Lanka at the Kelaniya University in Colombo (M.A.) and got his Ph.D. in India. Because of his excellent knowledge of the Buddhist scriptures and his his teaching experience he was rewarded many high distinctions and titles.

In Myanmar together with his elder brother he is leading the traditional, well-reputed study-monastery “Mahasubhodayon” in Sagaing Hills. He is rector of the “International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University” in Yangon and of “Sitagu International Buddhist Academy” in Sagaing. In Myanmar and aboard, since some years in Europe too, he is giving courses mainly on Abhidhamma for Western Vipassana-teachers, -students and meditators.

He is the founder and leader of Dhammvijjalaya, Centre for Buddhist Studies (CBS) in Sagaing, which is connected to Mahasubhodayon Monastery and serves foreigners for further studies and practice.

The Sayadaw’s teaching method is very individual, lively, practical and practicable with many examples and references from daily life, from the Suttas, Abhidhamma books and commentaries. Sayadaw is teaching in English and with a lot of humour and Metta.

Self-study is necessary within all his Abhidhamma courses, to become familiar with the structure and logic of Abhidhamma and the most important Pali-terms. Formal meditation-periods are included too.

Get Free Copy

This Gift of Dhamma is sponsored

in Loving Memory of

Yeap Hong Pin (28th May 2010)

Lee Beng Seng (29th July 2010)

AND

See Lay Choo & Family, Yeap Soo Lian,
Yeap Saw Luan, Yeoh Bee Hoon, Yeoh Bee Bee,
Yeoh Bee Lee, Yeoh Bee Tuan,Yeoh Bee Suan.

Satipatthana Meditation Centre (Singapore),
Ms Chui Chui (Medan, Indonesia),
Lim Beng Soon (IMO Lim Hock Teng,
Lim Swee Hun and Ooi Cheng Eam),
Dr Ooi Chee Lean and Family (IMO Ooi Beng Ngoh),
IMO Tan A Han (Medan, Indonesia),

Denny Jiun and Family, Peggy (Melbourne, Australia),
Swee Imn and Family, Swee Seng

Get FREE Copy Here:

www.inwardpath.org

For Penangites, kindly collect your free copy at our centre:

No.14 Phuah Hin Leong Road, off Burma Road

10050 Georgetown, Penang

(click here for the map)

Please give us a call (012-4302893) before coming.

Thank You

YOUR MIND: USE IT OR LOSE IT (Preventing Dementia)

2011-11-08T07:06:00.000-08:00

by Piya Tan

According to early Buddhism, the mind is the most important faculty we have. In fact, it is the most precious thing we have: it is the vehicle to awakening and true liberation. Buddhism has a lot to teach about the mind: Buddhism IS about our mind.

Experts say that if we really want to ward off dementia, we need to start taking care of our brain in your 30s and 40s, or even earlier. More than that, the Buddha teaches us that we need to take care of our mind. This is something no scientific machine can yet measure very accurately, if ever. (How do we really measure love or happiness?)

Various mental health experts have suggested some useful advice in living a full useful and happy life. Here are some tips in the light of Buddhist teachings on mental health, teaching us how to burn our candles right to the last drip of wax.

Eat as you need. If we really feel our body, it will tell us what kinds of food is good for us. The Buddha’s early saints ate frugally, stopping to eat just before they felt full. To prevent taking more food, they would drink some water. In other words, eat to live. Those who live to eat, generally do not live long or healthy lives.
Being vegetarian is great if we are up to it. Experts tell us that the antioxidants in fruits and vegetables clear up some of the damages caused by free radicals, one of the leading killers of brain cells. The point is eat more vegetables and fruits than we do meat as far as we can. Diet alone does not make us a good or happy person.
Commensal eating, to the early Buddhists, is a happy and social event. This is still a common event in Buddhist communities. Try eating at least one meal a day with family and friends. This helps us slow down our eating, and to socialize. Even if we must eat alone, the rule is to really enjoy our meal. Savour the taste and feel of every mouthful. That’s mindful eating.
Join a club or organization that need volunteers. Buddhist centres often need volunteers from doing something as simple as wiping the Buddha image or ushering people during weekly puja to helping in running their activities. Start volunteering right now, and we will have friends and feel needed even after we retire.
Enjoy the great outdoors, especially spacious gardens, the sea-side and hills. When we find such a spot that we like, just sit for a while in complete silence, observing and absorbing the spaciousness and beauty all around. Close our eyes, imagine what we have seen. Repeat this until we can visualize that spaciousness. This is a meditation known as the perception of space.
Enjoy bright spacious nature, especially during the morning hours. You might like to try watching the sun rising, and the horizon brightening up, or simply watch the spacious brightness all round. Observe the brightness, then close our eyes and visualize it. Repeat this until we can visualize the light in our mind’s eye. This is a meditation known as the perception of light.
Walk. The Buddha walked all his life and lived to a ripe 80 years. The early saints too were regular walkers, walking for thousands of kilometres every year all over the Gangetic plain of northern central India, teaching and meeting people, or simply meditating in beautiful nature. Daily walking helps reduce the risk of dementia by making the heart pump blood to the brain. None of the saints ever had dementia.
Travel. When we travel, we work our brains to navigate new and complex environment. Experienced taxi drivers have been found to have larger brains because they have to store much information about locations and how to get there. The ancient wandering forest monks had no maps, and had to memorize their routes. They were regularly wandering, but never lost.
Read and write daily or whenever you can. Reading stimulates many different brain areas that process and store information. Likewise, creative writing, even writing letters, stimulates many areas of the brain as well. What we read and write, too, should be wholesome and have a positive outlook of life.
Use both hands. Using both hands works both sides of our brain. Knitting, for example, demands the dexterity of both hands. So do some computer games, but such games should not be violent or unwholesome. Practise writing with our other hand for a few minutes daily or whenever you like. This will exercise the other side of our brain and fire up those neurons before they die out like unwatered plants.
Have a hobby or a few. Bird-watching, for example, gives us a gentle exercise in nature, while getting to know it better. Hobbies liven up the mind because we are trying something new and complex. The Buddha was born under a tree, awakened as Buddha under another, taught under many different trees, and passed away under two of them. He was truly a man of nature.
Listen to classical music. Good music seems to work on both sides of the brain, linking the two. Listen with both body and mind. Sit comfortably and feel the flow of the music. Learning to play a musical instrument is even better. This might be harder as we age, but still it helps to develop a dormant part of our brain. Music also helps us in the perception of impermanence.
Play board games. Chess, Scrabble, Cluedo and such games not only live up your brain, but also helps us socialize. Even playing solo games, such as solitaire or online computer brain games can be helpful, although the social aspect is missing.
Learn a new language. Whether it's a foreign language or sign language, we are working our brain back and forth between one language and another. One of the easiest languages to learn (other than English) is Pali, the scriptural language of early Buddhism. It has a fixed vocabulary and a simple grammar. It is also a more direct way of learning some of the earliest Buddhist teachings.
Take lifelong classes. Learning apparently helps us live longer because it causes physical and chemical changes in our brain. After all, the true purpose of life is to learn and grow. The body ages, but the mind goes on, life after life, and needs to keep on learning until it is really free.
Silent prayer. Daily prayer with positive words and wishes empowers us. The best prayer is that of lovingkindness, which begins with wishing ourselves well and happy, and then extending this to others, until we boundlessly include everyone, even animals, without any exception. When our joy becomes truly unconditional, or peaceful enough, we simply and silently enjoy the moment.
Meditate. More people, whether religious or not, are discovering the benefits and joy of meditation. Not just any meditation, but especially the Buddha’s early mindfulness methods. Meditation not only helps us deal with stress, but also opens our minds up to greater focus and creativityand a long healthy, useful and peaceful life, heading for awakening. The Buddha declares that those who do breath meditation regularly will have a calm and clear mind right to the end. (Maha Rahulovada Sutta, M 62 / SD 3.11)
Get enough rest. Rest firstly means taking time away from what we do for money or for others. We need to regularly spend some quiet time just being our wholesome selves. Secondly, our body needs rest from its daily toil. If we respect our body, we will know when it needs a break. Our body will tell us how much uninterrupted sleep we need.