Tag: Theravada

Discipline the Body, Discipline the Mind

The Buddha told Ananda, “You constantly hear me explain in the Vinaya that there are three unalterable aspects to cultivation. That is, collecting one’s thoughts constitutes the precepts; from the precepts comes Samadhi; and out of Samadhi arises wisdom. Samadhi arises from precepts, and wisdom is revealed out of Samadhi….”

The Shurangama Sutra, translation by the Buddhist Text Translation Society USA

Recently, I was watching another video by the Nichiren-Buddhist priest about weird ghost stories and experiences, and he told another story about a man who used to hit his wife regularly which I linked here. The closed captions are available in multiple languages.

The thing that really stood out to me about this video, was when the abusive husband, realizing he should change, begged the priest to recite some sutras for him, believing that this would cure him. The priest pointed out that the man’s problem wasn’t going to be solved by reciting sutras (even the venerated Lotus Sutra), but self-discipline and a genuine change of heart. The priest also says that he gets this kind of request often.

In the much older text, the Dhammapada, there is a related passage too:

19. Much though he recites the sacred texts, but acts not accordingly, that heedless man is like a cowherd who only counts the cows of others — he does not partake of the blessings of the holy life.

20. Little though he recites the sacred texts, but puts the Teaching into practice, forsaking lust, hatred, and delusion, with true wisdom and emancipated mind, clinging to nothing of this or any other world — he indeed partakes of the blessings of a holy life.

Translation by Acharya Buddharakkhita

The quote from the Shurangama Sutra, an influential Mahayana-Buddhist text, shows that there is a causal relationship in Buddhist practice starting with personal conduct first, such as taking up the Five Precepts, leading to samadhi, samadhi to wisdom and so on. This is not even a Mahayana-only concept, you can find similar teachings in Theravada Buddhism as well.

In my own head, I sometimes recite to myself “discipline the body, discipline the mind”. By this, I mean that by controlling my conduct in a basic, mundane sense: the five precepts, living a life of moderation,1 etc., I can then provide a firm foundation for deeper wisdom. In another sense, you have to get your personal house in order before you take on a big venture.

It’s counterintuitive, and people often want to jump into things like meditation and chanting, but as the Buddha taught, if you don’t prioritize conduct, the rest won’t amount to a hill of beans.

Namu Shakamuni Buddha

P.S. Previous post and this one too.

1 Not snacking too much, eating less junk food, not spending too much money on coffee, etc.

Uposatha For Modern Times

The Buddhist religion has a very old tradition originally called Uposatha1 or Upavasatha,2 that is vaguely similar to the Jewish sabbath.

In traditional Theravada-Buddhist countries (e.g. Myanmar, Thailand, etc), monks and nuns recite the old monastic code on the full and new moons. Devout lay Buddhists will undertake the Eight Precepts (more detailed explanation here) and in essence live like a monk for a day.

In Mahayana-Buddhism much of the same traditions are observed depending on the country. In China, the tradition is called bù sà (布薩) for monastics, and liù zhāi rì (六齋日) for the lay community. The latter means “six days of fasting [or abstinence]”. These terms became fusatsu (布薩) and rokusainichi (六齋日) respectively in Japanese. I did some digging and I learned that these traditions are also upheld in Vietnamese and Korean Buddhism too. Much like the Theravada tradition, the 8th, 14th, 15th, 23rd, 29th, and 30th days of the lunar calendar are used to undertake the Eight Precepts, while monastic communities recite the monastic code.

However, I am unclear how many lay Buddhists in traditional countries actually uphold this tradition. It’s not something people really talk about it in daily conversation, and of course everyone’s situation is different.

Over the years, I have tried to observe the Uposatha tradition. I even put calendar reminders too:

A reminder on my phone. Also, trying to listen to the Hyakunin Isshu as well in my spare time to improve my listening skills when playing karuta. Photo was taken at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in 2024. We go every year, and take lots of photos.

My reminder is set for the 8th, 14th, 15th days, etc. for each calendar month. I just substituted the Western calendar for the lunar calendar, and for the month of February I simply moved the 29th and 30th to March 1st and 2nd. It’s not perfect, but it is predictable and easy to manage.

However, reality tends to catch up with me. My ability to undertake, let alone uphold the Eight Precepts is very inconsistent, and most of the time I am so busy as a working parent that I forget Uposatha entirely. Alternatively, I have to pare it down to something very simple that I can fit into my schedule, such reading a sutra out loud, reciting the nembutsu, etc.

But even when I fail, I think there’s still value in setting aside certain dates like this for Uposatha. You could just pick a certain day every weekend, or a certain day of the week,3 or stick with the lunar calendar. You can choose to follow the “gold standard” and undertake the Eight Precepts, or find another sustainable practice, or some combination. Planning ahead like this also helps work it into your schedule.

You can also just start small, do something sustainable, and then intensify practice after a few weeks or months (or even years). Once it becomes habit you have established a good foundation.

1 This is the Pāli language term.

2 The Sanskrit language term. If you’re looking for pronunciation help, check out my other post. Also, for reasons that are unclear, there appear to be two different Sanskrit words: Uposadha or Upavasatha. I am unclear which one is correct, but what little I could find suggests that Upavasatha is the more commonly used term. 🤷🏼‍♂️

3 I used to set aside Tuesday nights every week to “live like a monk”. Like a “half-Uposatha” or something.

A Pinch of Austerity

Anyone who’s ever followed a religious path, regardless of religion, will know that there’s usually some kind of rules, restrictions or prohibition about how to live one’s life. Some people approach this as “Eager Beavers” and dive head-first, others hate the idea of rules imposed on their own life and rebel. Others find some kind of middle-ground.

For Buddhism though, The Buddha treated the entire Buddhist path, from mundane newbie to fully-awakened buddha as nothing more than self-training. It’s something you have to take on yourself, following the Buddha’s advice (like a doctor telling you to eat more vegetables), and you’re responsible for your own efforts, pace, self-discipline, and so on.

Further, no matter what tradition, Buddhism is at heart a path of austerity. Because monks and nuns explicitly give up all worldly attachments to focus on the Buddhist path exclusively, this is seen as the ideal form of practice. However, even for lay followers, Buddhism encourages moderation and austerity as one can reasonably practice.

Another way of looking at it: anyone who pursues the Buddhist path is “living like a monk” to some degree.

But how does a lay person find the right balance?

In an old sutra of the Pali Canon, the Buddha used the example of a vīna (a kind of lute), but we can use modern examples such as a guitar, cello, and so on. If the strings are too tight, they will soon snap. If they are too loose, the music sounds terrible. Tuned just right, the instrument plays well.

I like to think of it as adding spice to a soup. If you add no spice, the soup is kind of bland, unremarkable. If you add too much, the flavor is ruined. A pinch of spice though really enhances the flavor.

In the same way, adding a pinch of austerity to one’s life is a safe, sustainable approach. The Five Precepts are a great start, but you can also add a small amount of Buddhist practice like meditation or chanting. Remember though, if you add too much at first, it will “ruin the soup”, so start small. If it’s not enough, add a bit more. If you can’t follow all Five Precepts, start with four, three, two or even one. Do not be taken in by self-doubt; start small, experiment, try something, evaluate later.

Just a pinch of austerity in one’s life can help a person gain self-respect, dignity, and a sense of stability. It’s not obvious at first, but speaking from almost 20 years of trial-and-error experience, it does pay off.

P.S. This is another draft I started writing before I had my medical emergency.

P.P.S. Featured image is some home-cooked nabé (鍋) soup my wife made. It’s basically just fish broth (dashi), vegetables, tofu and/or some sliced meat. Easy to make, flexible, and very hearty. I make a good vegetarian lentil soup too, and will probably share the recipe someday.

Pure Land Buddhism: Just As I Am

Something I was thinking about lately while pondering this famous tale between 12th century Japanese monk, Honen, and a woman of the night. Honen’s advice to the woman was non-judgmental but a genuine concern for her well-being, and at the same time, it also acknowledged her circumstances.

Something I’ve always liked about the Pure Land Buddhist path is its openness. The light of Amida Buddha calls to all beings, regardless of their background and circumstances, or their accomplishments as Buddhists (or non-Buddhists) and unconditionally leads them to the Pure Land. How one interprets Amida, the Pure Land and such doesn’t really matter. What’s important is that Amida accepts all beings as they are, and leads them forward.

And so, when I was thinking about this, I realized that if Amida Buddha accepts you for who you are, then it makes sense to do the same.

Thinking about the woman of the night that Honen encountered, it made me realize that Pure Land Buddhism is a great expression of Buddhist metta, or goodwill.

This is not exclusive to Pure Land Buddhism, though. In Theravada Buddhism, there is the practice of metta meditation (separate from mindfulness meditation), and Zen similarly teaches contentment with oneself and the world around you. So, each tradition in Buddhism takes metta as a core teaching and find different ways to express and foster it.

The accessibility, simplicity and portability of Pure Land Buddhism makes it ideally suited for everyday folks. As a foundation, one can then explore other aspects of Buddhism, or be content with the nembutsu.

The Great Buddha of Kamakura statue (depicting Amida Buddha), taken in December 2022. I think my daughter might have snapped this photo, not me. I forget.

What’s important is that even if you are a crappy Buddhist, it’s OK. Obviously, like exercise and eating, Buddhist practice provides many positive benefits, so anything you can do, however often, is always worth the time and effort. However, if circumstances work against you, you do not need to punish yourself for your failings either. Like the woman of the night, sometimes life just gets in the way, but there’s no need to punish yourself for it. Amida Buddha’s light and goodwill extends to you just as it extends to others. Practice what you can, when you can, and Amida will guide you along the Buddhist path (via the Pure Land) somehow or some way.

Namu Amida Butsu

P.S. Featured photo is something I took at the Kyoto train station in summer 2023, part of a promotion to celebrate Honen’s 850th birthday. I always liked this poster, but couldn’t find a post I could work it into. 😅

Cutting Losses

Recently, I was reminded of this old sutra from the Pali Canon, the Gotami Sutta (AN 8.53):

“As for the qualities of which you may know, ‘These qualities lead to dispassion, not to passion; to being unfettered, not to being fettered; to shedding, not to accumulating; to modesty, not to self-aggrandizement; to contentment, not to discontent; to seclusion, not to entanglement; to aroused persistence, not to laziness; to being unburdensome, not to being burdensome’: You may categorically hold, ‘This is the Dhamma, this is the Vinaya, this is the Teacher’s instruction.'”

Translation by Ven. Thanissaro Bhikkhu

I’ve always liked this simple, straightforward benchmark of the Dharma. It reminds me of a quote by a Zen master many centuries later (quoted here originally):

This old man [himself] has spent more than thirty years in the rinka [monasteries], sitting in Zen meditation, quietly withering away my desires, without expectations for the morrow. When hunger comes, I eat. When the time comes, I sleep….The present does not persist. The past and future do not exist

Sōtō Zen in Medieval Japan by William M. Bodiford

One of the advantages of old age is perspective, and (ideally) not getting hung up on the ups and downs of life as much compared to our youth when everything is fresh and raw. Being able to approach life through equanimity and goodwill, not being tossed about by the Eight Winds is a great gift for oneself and others.

Of course, many older people are in fact the opposite: childish, petty, and irrational too. The older one gets, the more social filters break down and their true nature reveals itself. Similarly, I still have plenty of petty and mean days myself, but looking back, I do feel the Buddha-Dharma has helped smooth at least the roughest edges over time.

That’s why, as the Buddha and the Zen teacher both show, training in the Buddha-Dharma is so useful. Setting good habits and healthy perspectives sooner than later will gradually pay off over time, like a good investment.

The more you invest, and the sooner you invest, the better.

Namu Amida Butsu

P.S. I do have certain reservations about Thanissaro Bhikkhu’s rather conservative approach toward women’s ordination in Buddhism, but that’s not to deny his positive contributions as a translator. I’d call it a “professional disagreement”, except of course I am just a layperson and not a bhikkhu. 😅

P.P.S. Unlike the last two posts, this is a new one, not a re-post. 😎