Que : Is everything in this life predetermined?

Que :  Is everything in this life predetermined?

Guruji :  Well, certainly our past actions will give fruit, good or bad.

They will determine the type of life we have,
the general situation in which we find ourselves.

But that does not mean that whatever happens to us is predestined, or dained by our past actions, and that nothing else can happen.

That is not the case.

Our past actions influence the flow of our life, directing it toward pleasant or unpleasant experiences.

But present actions are equally important.

Nature has given us the ability to become masters of our present actions.

With that mastery, we can change our future.

ANNAPANA

संसार में तीन प्रकार के व्यक्ति होते हैं--

🌹गुरूजी--
संसार में तीन प्रकार के व्यक्ति होते हैं--
1- पत्थर पर खिंची रेखा के समान- ऐसे व्यक्ति प्रायः क्रुद्ध हो जाते हैं, और उनका क्रोध भी चिरकाल तक बना रहता है।
🌷
2-पृथ्वी पर खिंची रेखा के समान- ऐसा व्यक्ति भी प्रायः क्रुद्ध हो जाता है पर उसका क्रोध चिरकाल तक नही बना रहता है।
💐
3--पानी पर खिंची रेखा के सामान- ऐसा व्यक्ति कड़वा, कठोर बोला जाने पर भी अपने आप से जुड़ा रहता है, सदा प्रसन्न रहता है।

बुद्ध

बुद्ध--
जिसे अपना कुशल करना है और परम पद निर्वाण उपलब्ध करना है उसे चाहिये कि वह--
सुयोग्य बने
सरल बने
सुभाषी बने
मृदु स्वभावी बने
निरभिमानी बने
संतुष्ट रहे
थोड़े में अपना पोषण करे
दीर्घ सूत्री योजनाओ में न उलझा रहे
सादगी का जीवन अपनाए
शांत इन्द्रिय बने
दुस्साहसी न हो
दुराचरण न करे
मन में सदैव यही भाव रखे की-
सारे प्राणी सुखी हो, निर्भय हो, आत्म-सुखलाभी हो।
अपमान न करे
क्रोध या वैमनस्य के वशीभूत होकर एक दूसरे के दुःख की कामना न करे।

🍁जिस प्रकार जीवन की भी बाजी लगाकर माँ अपने इकलौते पुत्र की रक्षा करती है, उसी प्रकार वह भी समस्त प्राणियो के प्रति अपने मन में अपरिमित मैत्रीभाव बढाए।

🌻जब तक निद्रा के आधीन नही है, तब तक खड़े, बैठे, या लेटे हर अवस्था में इस अपरिमित मैत्री भावना की जागरूकता को कायम रखे।इसे ही भगवान ने ब्रह्मविहार कहा है।

"महामंगलकारी रोग का दर्शन"

"महामंगलकारी रोग का दर्शन"

🌹गुरूजी--

मेरे प्यारे साधक, साधिकाओं!

स्थान स्थान से विश्व भर के साधक साधिकाओं की मंगल मैत्री मिल रही है।मंगल मैत्री अमित कल्याणी है।

🍁परंतु किसी किसी साधक ने चिंता भी प्रकट की है।

चिंता, भय, आशंका, निराशा, व्याकुलता धर्म विरोधी तरंगे हैं, कल्याण विरोधी तरंगे हैं।

अतः विपश्यी साधको के लिये ऐसी तरंगो का प्रजनन अत्यंत अशोभनीय है, त्याज्य है।

समता भरी मंगल मैत्री ही ग्राह्य है।

🌻यदि रोग आये तो चिंता किस बात की?

रोग तो मंगल का सूचक है।

शरीर में संचित हुए अनेक प्रकार के विष जब अन्य किसी राह से नही निकल पाते तब रोग से ही उनका रेचन होता है।

इसी प्रकार कई अकुशल संस्कार ऐसे होते हैं जो विपश्यना द्वारा दुर्बल तो हो जाते हैं परंतु वह निर्मूल नही हो पाता, तो उनका रेचन(expulsion) भी कभी कभी शारीरिक रोग द्वारा ही होता है।

दोनों ही अवस्था में महामंगलदायक है रोग का आगमन।

🌸हां यदि रोग को भोगने लगे तो अवश्य चिंता की बात शुरू हो जाती है।

जब कोई व्यक्ति रोग का दुःख भोगता है तो कराहता है, तड़पता है, व्याकुल होता है, दुर्मन होता है और परिणामतः रोग-निवारण की उपचार अवधि को लंबा बनाता है।

दूसरी और जितनी देर भोगता है, उतनी देर नये-नये दूषित कर्म संस्कारो का ढेर प्रजनन किये जाता है। यानि अपने ही दुःखो का संवर्धन किये जाता है।

🌷परंतु कोई व्यक्ति जब जब अपने रोग को देखता है, उसका साक्षिकरण करता है तो समता भरे शांत चित्त से दुःख दर्शन करता हुआ रोग निवारण की उपचार अवधि को छोटा करता है।

जीवनधारा पर उदीर्ण हुए पूर्व कर्म संसकारों के कर्म विपाको का साक्षी बनकर नए संस्कारो के प्रजनन का संवर करता है, और इस प्रकार पुरानों के विघटन और क्षय होने का कारण बनता है।

रोग का दर्शन दुःख का दर्शन है।

रोग इस परिवर्तनशील शरीर का स्वभाविक धर्म है।अतः रोग का दर्शन धर्म का दर्शन है।रोग से जरा-जीर्ण होना जीवन जगत की सच्चाई है।

अतः रोग का दर्शन सत्य का दर्शन है।

रोग दर्शन यानी सत्य दर्शन यानी प्रथम आर्य सत्य-दर्शन, ऐसी सच्चाई का दर्शन जो हमे आर्य बना देता है, मुक्त बना देता है।

इसलिये रोग का दर्शन महामंगलकारी है।

🌺परंतु दुर्बल मन कभी कभी रोग दर्शन से यानी सत्य दर्शन से मुह मोड़ लेता है। अपने पुराने कर्म संस्कारो का ऋण हँसते हँसते नही चुकाना चाहता तो कुछ देर के लिये रोग में लोट- पलोट लगाने लगता है, रोग भोगने लगता है।यानि दुःख भोगने लगता है।

🍁ऐसे समय किसी के द्वारा प्रजनन की गयी चिंता की तरंगे मन को और अधिक दुर्बल बनाने में सहायक होती हैं।

परंतु ऐसे समय किसी साधक द्वारा समता भरे चित्त से अनित्य बोध की प्रज्ञा से प्रजनन की मंगल मैत्री की तरंगे रोगी के मन को सबल बनाने में सहायक होती हैं।

भोक्ता से दृष्टा बनाने में सहायक होती हैं। दोनों और कल्याण का कारण बनती है।

🌻अतः साधक भूलकर भी चिंता की तरंगो का प्रजनन न करे।

प्रज्ञाभरी मंगल मैत्री का ही प्रजनन करे। असीम कल्याणी है मंगल मैत्री।

GUIDELINES FOR PRACTISING VIPASSANA MEDITATION

GUIDELINES FOR PRACTISING VIPASSANA MEDITATION

(The following  information  is for the benefit of  those  who  have completed a 10-day course with  S. N.  Goenka or one of  his authorised  assistant  teachers.  Others wishing to  learn the technique of  Vipassana are advised to  join  such a course.  )

A Vipassana course is  truly valuable  if  it  makes  a  change  in your  life,  and  a change will  come only if  you keep practising the  technique  daily. The following outline of what  you have learned is offered  with  best  wishes for your continued success in  meditation.

OUTLINE OF THE PRACTICE SILA

In daily life this is practised by following the Five Precepts:
1. to  abstain  from killing  any  living  being;
2.  to abstain from stealing;
3.  to  abstain from sexual  misconduct;
4.  to abstain from wrong speech; 
5.  to abstain from all intoxicants.

Meditation The minimum needed to  maintain  the practice:

∗  one hour in  the morning and one hour in  the evening;
∗  five minutes while  lying in  bed before  you  fall  asleep and after you wake up;
∗  if  possible,  sitting  once a week for one hour with other meditators  practising this  technique of Vipassana;
∗  a 10-day course or self-course once a year;
∗ and other free time for meditation.

HOW TO MEDITATE DAILY

ANAPANA :
Practise  this  if the mind  is dull or  agitated,  if it is difficult to feel sensations or not to react to them. You can begin  with Anapana  and then switch to  Vipassana, or if  needed, continue observing  the  breath for the entire hour. To practise Anapana, keep  the  attention  in  the  area below the nostrils  and above the upper lip. Remain aware of  each  breath as it enters or leaves. If the mind is  very dull  or agitated, breathe deliberately  and slightly  harder for some time. Otherwise the  breathing  should be natural.

VIPASSANA :
Move your attention systematically  from head to  feet  and  feet to  head, observing in order each and every part of the body by feeling all  the sensations that  you come across.  Observe objectively;  that  is, remain  equanimous with  all  the  sensations that  you experience, whether pleasant,  unpleasant  or neutral, by appreciating their impermanent  nature.  Keep  your  attention moving. Never stay more than  a few minutes at any one  place. Do  not  allow  the  practice  to  become mechanical. Work in different ways according to  the  type of sensations you experience. Areas of the body  having  different  gross sensations should be  observed separately  by moving the attention  part  by part. Symmetrical  parts, such as both arms or both legs, having similar subtle  sensations, may be  observed together  simultaneously.  If you experience subtle  sensations throughout  the physical  structure, you may  at  times  sweep  the entire body and then again work part  by part.

METTA :
At the end of the hour relax,  letting any mental or physical agitation subside. Then focus your attention for  a  few  minutes on subtle sensations in  the body, and fill your mind and body with thoughts and feelings  of goodwill for all beings.

OUTSIDE OF MEDITATION PERIODS :
Give your full  and undivided attention to  any important  tasks before you, but  check from time to  time  whether  you  are maintaining your awareness and  equanimity.  Whenever  a problem arises, if  possible be aware of your  breath  or sensations,  even  for a few seconds. This  will  help  you to maintain  balance of mind in  various situations.

DANA :
Share  whatever good you have acquired with  others. Doing so helps to  eradicate the old habit  of self-centredness.  Meditators realise that the most  valuable  thing they have to  share is Dhamma, so they do what they  can to  help  others learn the technique  of  Vipassana. With  this  pure volition they donate toward the expenses of other students. This  dana  is  the sole  source of funding for courses and centres around the world.

SELFLESS SERVICE :
A still greater  dana  is  to  give one's time and effort  by helping to  organise or run courses  or by doing other Dhamma work. All who help (including  the  Teachers and assistant teachers) give their service as  dana  without receiving anything in  return. This  service not  only benefits  others, but  also helps  those  who offer  it to eradicate egotism,  to understand the teaching more deeply, and thus to  advance on the path.

ONE PATH ONLY :
Do not  mix anything else with  this  technique. If you have been practising  something  else,  then  as soon as possible choose the one you find most  suitable  and beneficial, and  devote  yourself to it.

TELLING OTHERS ABOUT VIPASSANA :
You may describe the technique  to others, but do not teach them. Otherwise you might  confuse  rather  than  help  them. Encourage  people  who  want  to  meditate  to  join  a course, where there is a properly trained guide.

IN GENERAL :
∗  Progress comes gradually. Mistakes are bound to  be made—learn from them. When you realise you have made a mistake, smile and start again!
∗  It  is  common to  experience drowsiness,  agitation, mind-wandering and other difficulties in  meditation, but if you persevere you will be successful.
∗  You are welcome to contact the Teacher or  assistant teachers for guidance.
∗  Make use of the support  of  your  fellow  meditators. Sitting with  them will  give you strength.
∗  Make  use  of the meditative atmosphere at  Vipassana centres  by  going there to  sit  whenever you can, even for  a  few  hours  or  days. As an old student  you are also welcome to  come for part  of  a  10-day  course, depending on the availability of space.
∗  Real wisdom is recognising  and accepting that every experience  is  impermanent.  With  this  insight  you will not  be overwhelmed by the ups and downs of  life. And  when you are able  to  maintain  an inner balance, you can choose to  act  in  ways  that  will  create happiness for you and for  others. Living each moment  happily  with  an equanimous mind,  you  will surely  progress toward the ultimate  goal  of  liberation from all suffering.

Apply Dhamma in Life.

Apply Dhamma in Life.
- by S. N. Goenka.

(The following has been adapted from Goenkaji's discourse on Day 30 of the 30-day course.)

The most important thing is to apply Dhamma in life.

If you merely take courses after courses—ten-day courses or long courses—and do not apply it in life, Dhamma will become a lifeless rite or ritual.

Different religions and sects have their own rites, rituals, and ceremonies. It would be very unfortunate if Vipassana courses also become a rite or ritual for a meditator.

Whenever you join a ten-day course or a longer course, you are eradicating your weaknesses and developing your strength.

You have to use this strength in your day-to-day life.

In a course, you work at the deeper level of your mind, eradicating layer after layer of complexes.

After the course, if you again start accumulating the same complexes, the same impurities, the same defilements, then the purpose is not served.

One has not understood what one is doing.

The entire life pattern must change.

Dhamma must manifest itself in day-to-day life.

One has to keep trying to apply Dhamma in life.

"Whatever strength I have gained in a course like this, I will use it to ensure that my life becomes a Dhamma life. I will perfect my sīla, gain mastery over my mind and purify my mind. While facing different situations in life, I will practice Dhamma instead of generating unwholesome sankhāras (mental reactions)."

In this way, you must keep watch over yourself.

You have a human life and have come in contact with the wonderful Dhamma.

You have developed confidence in Vipassana.

Now you must make best use of it.

Gaining a human life, coming in contact with Dhamma, and learning how to practise Dhamma—this is a rare opportunity indeed.

The goal is clear: to come out of all misery. This is possible only when one eradicates all the defilements.

The aim: at least to reach the goal to become an ariya, a sotāpanna. Then Dhamma will take care because one is liberated from the four lower fields.Before one becomes sotāpanna, one has to develop oneself to becomes a cūla-sotāpanna, a minorsotāpanna.

A sotāpanna starts flowing in the stream of liberation, and is bound to reach the final goal of full liberation.

A cūla-sotāpanna starts flowing in the stream of Dhamma and is bound to become a sotāpanna.

There are three important qualities in the life of a sotāpanna:

1) Total liberation from all doubts and scepticism about Dhamma (vicikicchā).

How can there be any doubt about Dhamma, about the path after one has directly experienced Dhamma, directly experienced the path, has walked on the path, and experienced the benefits. If one has doubts about Dhamma, about the path, about the technique, and feels that one has become a sotāpanna, it is a big delusion.

2) Total liberation from attachment to all rites and rituals (sīla-vata parāmasa).

Every sect, every organized religion has some rites, rituals, and ceremonies.

Some people develop tremendous attachment towards these rites, rituals and ceremonies, and feel that they will get liberated by practising them.

A sotāpanna is liberated from this kind of delusion and understands that attachment to these rites and rituals cannot take one to the final goal. If one still has attachment towards them and feels that "I am a sotāpanna," it is a big illusion, a big delusion.

3) Total liberation from the belief of some essence in this mind-matter phenomena (sakkāyaditthi).

For conventional purposes, to deal with people, one has to use these words—"I" and "mine".

However in reality neither the physical structure nor the mental structure nor the combination of the two is "I" or "mine" or "my soul".

That becomes clear to a sotāpanna not by listening to discourses or by reading scriptures but by direct personal experience.

Having divided, dissected, disintegrated, and dissolved the entire physical and mental structure, it becomes clear how the mind and matter interaction is going on constantly, how the illusion of "I" and "mine" is being created.

These 3 qualities become established in a sotāpanna.

A cūla-sotāpanna develops these very qualities, because unless these qualities are developed, the goal of sotāpanna is far away.

A rare and wonderful opportunity has come in your life.

Make full use of this opportunity for your own liberation.

A) Buddhuppādo dullabho lokasmiṃ.

One is fortunate to be born in an aeon in which twenty-five centuries back someone became fully enlightened.

It is so rare for someone to become fully enlightened, a sammāsambuddha.

One has to accumulate and perfect pāramīs forcountless kappas (aeons); it takes a very long time. So manykappas are empty; there is no Buddha at all. We are fortunate that in this present kappa, Gotama became sammāsambuddha and even after twenty-five centuries, his sāsana, his teaching, the Dhamma, Vipassana, is still alive.

B ) Manussa-bhāvo dullabho.

It is so rare to get a human life—such a valuable life. Nature has given such wonderful capability to human beings—to observe the truth within themselves. One observes the mind-matter interaction: how due to this reason, this happens; how if this is not there, this does not happen.

The Dhamma becomes so clear to a human being because of the capability to objectively observe the reality within oneself.People say that someone is fortunate if he or she dies as a human being and is born in the celestial world.
But the Buddha says somebody in the celestial world who dies and is born as a human being is really fortunate.

A human life is a wonderful life. The faculty of a human being to be able to look within is so wonderful. This is the life when one can observe the reality as it is, go beyond the apparent truth and move towards the ultimate truth. We are fortunate, we have got this rare opportunity now; we are human beings.

C) Dullabhaṃ saddhammasavanaṃ.

However if a human being does not come across the truth, the law, the Dhamma; if he or she does not even get an opportunity to hear the Dhamma, one does not make any use of human life. One spends the whole life like any other being—an animal, a bird or a reptile. Just to listen to the truth about the Dhamma—this itself is so rare.

D ) Dullabhā saddhā sampattiṃ.

Even if one has heard about Dhamma, listened to the words of Dhamma, it is so rare to develop confidence, devotion, faith in Dhamma.

E ) Pabbajita bhāvo dullabho.

Even if one develops faith in Dhamma, it is so difficult to leave all the multifarious responsibilities of the householder's life and live like a monk or a nun,.

All these rare things have been attained. Now what remains is—establish yourself in Dhamma, strengthen yourself in Dhamma.

Handadāni, bhikkhave, āmantayāmi vo,

The Buddha invites his disciples, just before he passes away to heed his last words.

All his words are so wonderful.

But his last words are like an invaluable heritage, an invaluable gift:

Vaya-dhammā sankhārā, appamādena sampādetha.

All sankhārās are vaya-dhammā, anicca.

Whatever gets composed is bound to get decomposed, whatever arises is bound to pass away. This is the truth; this is the reality; this is the law; this is the nature; this is the Dhamma.

Keep on realizing this reality diligently, appamādena—remaining alert, remaining attentive.

It is a wonderful opportunity to be a human being; to come in contact with the Buddha's teaching; to hear the beautiful truth of the Dhamma; to develop faith in the Dhamma; and to practise Vipassana, living the life of a monk or a nun.

Make use of all these in your day-to-day life. Dhamma is not just for ten days; Dhamma is not just for thirty days; Dhamma is for the whole life.

Every moment is so precious.

Every moment for a human being who knows about Dhamma, who has realized the truth of Dhamma even a little, who knows how to practise Dhamma, becomes so precious.
You can't afford to lose this opportunity.

Make use of it for your own good, for your own benefit, for your own liberation and for the good and benefit of so many others. There is so much suffering all around. There is no other way to come out of suffering.

ART OF LIVING

Message

We have learned the art of living.

Negativities will keep occurring throughout our lives, for this reason or that.

We have a very effective weapon in the sensations.
No enemy will be able to overpower us; we are the masters.

Vipassana is the technique to make us our own masters.

Understand that
you have received an invaluable jewel.

Now you must meditate regularly to be happy and peaceful for the whole life.

असीम उपकार है माता-पिता का।

असीम उपकार है माता-पिता का।

माता-पिता जननी है, जनक है।

कहने को तो कहते है की कोई ब्रह्मा हमारा सृजन करता है। परंतु प्रत्यक्ष सच्चाई तो यह है की माता-पिता ही हमारे ब्रह्मा है।वे ही हमारा सृजन करते है।

जिन अद्रश्य देवताओ को हम पूजते है, उनके मुकाबले माता-पिता प्रत्यक्ष देवता है और पूज्य है।

किसी को हाथ जोड़कर पूरब दिशा को पूजते हुऐ देखकर भगवान् बुद्ध ने कहा की माता-पिता ही पूरब दिशा है।उन्हें हाथ जोड़कर पूजो।यही सही पूजा हैं।

माता-पिता का उपकार असीम है,इस कारण संतान द्वारा उनका पूजन-अर्चन, उनकी सेवा सत्कार करना यही सही दिशा वंदन है,यही उत्तम मंगल भी है।

माता-पिता को दुःख देना जघन्य पाप-कर्म है।