Vipassana in prisons

http://www.prison.dhamma.org/

smiling towards the suffering within

“It is easy enough to be pleasant when life flows along like a sweet song; but the man worthwhile is a man with a smile when everything goes dead wrong!” – S.N. Goenka

How many times don’t things go totally wrong in our lives?! So many ups and downs. We have the ups. We like them. We endulge in them. We start craving them. Clining to them. And suddenly, everything changes. No more up, just down. And so because of the craving, the clining, we start sobing, crying, whining. “Oh, I wanted things to last. I want this back, that back.” Hours lost roling in misery, days, weeks, at times years. Surely this is not the proper way of life. If only there was a way to get out of this wheel of suffering.

Well, there is. I am walking the path myself so I can tell you from my own experience. There is a way out of all of the misery. Not only the misery of craving and clinging.  The misery of aversion, hatred. The misery of things happening that you don’t want to happen and the misery of things you want to happen not happening. Oh, what great suffering there is in the life of a human being. Better come out of it! For the benefit of the whole world.

I have realized something important about how to live my life. Since I came here to the Vipassana center I have been thinking from time to time that I would eventually become some sort of monk. My plan was to work hard to establish Dhamma within myself, to have the strenght to leave the worldly pleasures and spend most of my time serving at Vipassana centers. Even if I was not to take the robes, I would still leave society and focus all my energy on the spread of Dhamma. Now I’m seeing things differently.

Which is the best way of spreading Dhamma during these times? How are my teachers living their lives? How can I best help others?

I realized after reading about my revered Vipassana teacher, S.N. Goenka, that I want to become a householder. A householder living a Dhammic life, fully commited to the path of the Buddhas. Striving to be an ideal householder. Full of gratitude, love, compassion and good-will for others.

Look around the world! It does indeed consist of householders for the most part. I am realizing how essential it is to live in society. To be in touch with the people of this world. To help them. To help myself.

Goenkaji is such a perfect example of a householder! So skilled in his mundane work thanks to not losing touch with reality, with Dhamma, the law of nature. Embracing Dhamma as much as anyone ever could. Bathing in the Ganges of Dhamma. Showing countless of miserable people the path out of suffering. Goenkaji is a treassure to this world. A true guardian of the Dhamma. An ispiration to us all.

Now is the time to establish Dhamma in society. And how can we do this if we are not out there, inspiring others by our Dhammic efforts of gratitude? To me, this is the only way for now. Once Dhamma is established there will naturaly be monks and nuns comming out of society. But the society needs to be healthy to produce good monks and nuns. There are such strong anti-Dhamma vibrations in society today. So much of craving and aversion, it is everywhere!

Students of Vipassana tell me how hard it is to sit the minimum of two hours every day. There are so many distractions, things to do and other obstacles! I say “Sadu, sadu, sadu!”. Such hard work it is to sit every day in a world which has no support for it. Still we have to keep on sitting.

What I can recommend is to go to the Vipassana centers and build strenght. You don’t necessarily have to come for a long time. But come as often as you can! Don’t lose yourself in the ignorance of this world! Keep practicing Dhamma! Come out of the madness! Be happy!

This is what I am doing now. I am gaining so much strenght living at the center as I’m learning to apply Dhamma in day-to-day life. My plan is to continue serving for some time. But soon I need to start working seriously on my lay-life. I want to be a householder, a husband, a father and continue to serve in Dhamma. Taking responsibility of myself and of those that will depend on me. I also want to give back to society by working as a professional within it. When I feel strong enough in Dhamma I plan to start studying in a city close to the center.

With Vipassana meditation we learn at the experiential level, which is the deepest level, that all things are impermanent. With this experiential wisdom we can smile from the depts of our hearts when times are bad. When times are good we can enjoy them without attachment and so protect ourselves from suffering when they end. Dhamma is scientific, logical and pragmatic. However, intellectualizing about it will not help unless it inspires you to try the technique for yourself.

May all beings be happy, peaceful and liberated.

a story of a small dog

I came upon this story just when I had started to serve long term here at Dhamma Sobhana in Sweden. It had such a powerful impact on me as I realized the absolute truth that we are all dominated by the laws of nature.

If we know the laws of nature and follow them we will live in bliss. If we do not we will experience the hellfire within ourselves (our agitated minds) as nature punishes us for going against it. It certainly humbled me and made me feel even more happy that I am on this path of liberation. Since then I have understood – “If I live a life of virtue, purifying the mind by means of Vipassana meditation, abstaining from immoral behavior – nature will take care of me. This is all I have to do. Nature (Dhamma) will take care of the rest.”

This story is quoted from the book “For the Benefit of Many” by S.N. Goenka. It was told by Goenkaji at Dhamma Mahi in France, August of 1988, on the topic of “How to strengthen a Dhamma center”.

“Here is a little story: A bullock cart owner used to transport goods from one place to the other. This man had a small dog. When he traveled from one village to another, he trained the dog to walk under the bullock cart to avoid the sun’s heat. Wherever they traveled, the farmer sat on the bullock cart but the dog walked below in the shade of the cart.

In time the small dog came to feel that he was carrying the entire burden of the cart, and he wondered why the farmer gave so much attention to the bullocks. He thought, ‘I am carrying the burden of this cart! Wherever we travel, it is over my back. More importance should be given to me!’

Actually, nobody is carrying the cart; the Dhamma is carrying the cart. Nobody should feel, ‘I am the most important person, it is only because of me that the center functions properly. It is only because of me that the teaching is given, that Dhamma spreads.’ Come out of this madness!

Understand that you are simply a vehicle, a tool, and Dhamma is doing its job. If you had not been given this responsibility, somebody else would have taken it and the work would go on. Dhamma is bound to spread now; the clock of Vipassana has struck. You have been given the opportunity to serve in one way or another, and this should not become a cause of inflating your ego.” – S.N. Goenka

This story made me very happy. All we have to do is to train ourselves (in virtue and meditation) to walk in the shade that Dhamma (the cart pulled by nature) provides. Then we are protected from the misery (the sun) of the world. No need to think like the small dog and generate ego. Be happy and grateful nature provides for us when we live in harmony with it!

Walk in the shade – there is no need to burn yourself in the sun anymore!

May you be inspired and happy!
walkthepath

introverted, here and now

“Dhamma is so simple and yet people have made it so complicated. There cannot be anything simpler than Dhamma. It has been made complicated by adding this or that philosophy, this or that belief. Just practise; don’t make it complicated.” – SN Goenka

Life is changing quickly now. Much have happened the last few weeks. I have entered an introverted period as I have sat another 10-day course. I am realizing the limitations of communicating without actually being face to face with people. I have stopped using my cell phone and gotten rid of my digital camera and computer. I don’t do much e-mailing anymore either. This kind of communication has its uses, but it will never be as good as a face to face conversation. Of course, this blog is still important to me.

I am adapting more and more the lifestyle of a monk. Now I know I will be practicing Vipassana Meditation for the rest of my life. Simply because, there is no way I could go back to living the life I lived before. It is like a vail has been lifted from my eyes and finally I am seeing the true world in which we live. My life would be meningless without the dhamma. I want to face this challenge head on, in the present, within myself. Therefore I have decided to stay at the center at least through August.

Day by day, drop by drop, the defilments fade away. After this last course I know I want to eradicate my passions – my sexual desires. Finally I understand. I have been down that road so many times but now I know – it does not lead to happiness. Thanks to daily practice, Vipassana courses and serving I have realized the truth. What a relief it is!!

Thus I have made an adhitthana (a decision of strong determination) – that I will not enter a physical relation with anyone unless there is a great chance that the relationship will last for life. Of course with the natural eradication of passion as a mutual goal. My chances of ever meeting anyone who would want such a relationship are slim. But it does not matter. I am happy on my own.

This adhitthana has created such a calm for me. My mind is so balanced. Not jumping into fantasies about flirting or passionate dreams. When I look at a woman now, she is just another being in this world. And thus the possibility of loving all beings selflessly increases many times over. Passion is such a trap that holds us back from being the saints we could be.

I am becoming so comfortable here at the Vipassana center. The path is very long and I have just taken the first step. I feel so grateful that I am so well prepared for facing this challenge of a spiritual and devoted life. This path is not an easy one, but surely it leads to happiness.

I would never have been here unless so many noble people of the world would have contributed to my life. To all of you I am so grateful. And I would never have been here unless the saints of the past, the Buddha, his disciples and all that followed after, made this path available. The only way to pay back these debts of gratitude is to continue spreading the dhamma around the world so that you and all others also may find the happiness I know.

My metta is with you all,
walkthepath

living a life of dhamma – Vipassana Meditation

These videos have been removed.

Anicca.