The New Generation Monks
I've always enjoyed Ajahn Mun's Teachings. I always find it highly inspiring and motivating. It cuts through the core and really peppers you up - that is if you can take the spice of it.
Truly an Arahant - a pure, worthy and Fully Awakened/Enlightened One.
A Proud and Noble disciple of The Buddha - The Perfectly Enlightened One.
Below is one of those Teachings which I find/feel is most relevant in this time and age.
As such, I'm reproducing it here to share with all.
Hopefully it can inspire those of you who are to be inspired, and give you the additional punch to walk in the footsteps of The Buddha - The Greatest Man/Being Alive, The Supreme Teacher, The Supreme One.
Enjoy!
"If you want The Truth, but refuse to investigate it because you are afraid of pain, how will you ever discover where the Truth lies?
The Lord Buddha succeeded in realizing the Truth by thoroughly investigating everything, NOT by whining about everything like this useless monk now disgracing himself.
Where did the Buddha ever state that reaching a true understanding requires moaning and groaning?
I didn't study many books, so perhaps I missed it.
Where in the suttas does it refer to moaning and groaning?
If any of you who are well versed in the scriptures comes across a passage where it states that the Buddha extolled the merits of moaning and groaning, please point it out to me.
Then I won't have to teach monks to trouble themselves about investigating pain and putting up with difficulties.
You can all just moan and groan until the Truth arises to fill the whole universe.
We can then witness the appearance of wise, sagacious individuals who have succeeded in reaching magga and phala by the power of their loud moans and groans.
They will be in a position to question the legitimacy, and the current relevance, of the Dhamma that Lord Buddha proclaimed over 2,500 years ago.
"The Dhamma of these latter-day sages will be a new, modern Dhamma whose attainment requires no troublesome investigations.
All that's required to attain magga and phala is a chorus of moaning and groaning, a method suited to an age when people prefer to seek righteous results from unrighteous causes – a pernicious attitude consuming the whole world today.
Before long there won't be enough room on the planet to hold all these modern-day sages.
I myself have an old-fashioned mentality.
I trust what the Lord Buddha taught and dare not take any shortcuts.
I am afraid that, as soon as I put a foot forward, I would fall flat on my face – and die there in disgrace.
That would be immensely heartbreaking for me.” - Venerable Ajahn Mun
( The Spiritual Biography of the Venerable Phra Acharn Mun Bhuridatta Thera, page 347 - 348, written by Venerable Ajahn Maha Boowa Nanasampanno )
- http://www.forestdhammabooks.com/book/1/BioMun/6.pdf
"And how is striving fruitful, how is exertion fruitful?
There is the case where a monk, when not loaded down, does not load himself down with pain, nor does he reject pleasure that accords with the Dhamma, although he is not fixated/infatuated with that pleasure.
He discerns that 'When I live according to my pleasure, unskillful mental qualities increase in me & skillful qualities decline.
When I exert myself with stress & pain, though, unskillful qualities decline in me & skillful qualities increase.
Why don't I exert myself with stress & pain?'
So he exerts himself with stress & pain, and while he is exerting himself with stress & pain, unskillful qualities decline in him, & skillful qualities increase.
Then at a later time he would no longer exert himself with stress & pain.
Why is that?
Because he has attained the goal for which he was exerting himself with stress & pain.
That is why, at a later time, he would no longer exert himself with stress & pain."
- The Buddha, MN 101: Devadaha Sutta — To Devadaha - The Buddha, Majjhima Nikaya 101
"For a disciple who has conviction in the Master's message & lives to penetrate it, it is a principle that,
'The Blessed One is the Master, I am a disciple.
He is the one who knows, NOT I.'
For a disciple who has conviction in the Master's message & lives to penetrate it,
The Master's message is healing & nourishing.
For a disciple who has conviction in the Master's message & lives to penetrate it, it is a principle that,
'Gladly would I let the flesh & blood in my body dry up, leaving just the skin, tendons, & bones,
BUT if I have NOT attained what can be reached through human firmness, human persistence, human striving,
There will be NO relaxing my persistence.
'For a disciple who has Conviction in the Master's message & lives to penetrate it,
One of two fruits can be expected :
Either gnosis here & now,
Or — if there be any remnant of clinging/sustenance — Non-Return.
— The Buddha, Majjhima Nikaya 70
"Though much he recites the sacred text,
But acts NOT accordingly.
That heedless man is like a cowherd that counts others' kine.
He has NO share in the fruits of The Holy life."
- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 20
"Many men who wears the yellow robe up to their neck
But has an evil disposition and is unrestrained in thought, word and deed
Ends up in a woeful state on account of their evil deed."
- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 307
** Read
1) "The Future - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2008/11/future.html
2) "Why Can't They" - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2009/07/why-cant-they.html
3) "You Say Monkey Or Not Lah?!" - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2010/01/you-say-monkey-or-not-lah.html
Monday, October 11, 2010
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