Dharma Talk in New Zealand
Joining a Monastery.
Before discussing this topic, I would like to call on the power of our Lord Buddha to give me wisdom. After a person has joined a monastery and becomes a Buddhist monk, regardless of the duration of his monkhood, he should try to do his duties by serving and promoting Buddhism to the best of his ability. The thing he should try to avoid is not to take advantage of his monkhood for personal interests. This does not mean that I am accusing all Buddhist monks, but I have seen some whose behaviour is questionable. For example, some Buddhist monks proclaimed themselves to attain realisation while many others said that 'I have built this temple'. Here, I would like to ask some simple questions 'Where did they obtain the money to build their temple? Did they have regular wages or salaries? Did they have jobs or business of their own or simply accepting donations from Buddhamamaka?. Regardless of where they are, if they have no business of their own, if they have no job, it is impossible to escape from what we say 'They live on donations'. In Pali, it is called Sanga Dhana, that is, donations to the Sanga by Buddhamamaka.
Therefore, it is not proper to say that these monks have built their temple as they have no personal income to do so. All the Paccaya (donations of all kinds) belong to all the Sanga. They belong to Buddhism. They do not belong to anyone either a monk or a lay person. While joining a monkhood, to do good deed for the Buddhist world, it is not necessary to live in a temple. For example, we have seen lots of monks travelled all over the world promoting the Teachings of Lord Buddha to those interested so that they clearly understand the Teaching of Lord Buddha and to tell them what do they gain by professing Buddhism or what are the benefits for practising Buddhism.
During the Buddha era, we have witnessed that disciples of Lord Buddha travelled to every corner of the country promoting and proclaiming the Teachings of Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha did not send his disciples to go out and built temples. He sent them out to teach people Dharma practice to understand and attain true happiness, and how to get results.
I would like you to think back 2540 years ago, Prince Siddhartha was born in a forest, Lumbini near the frontiers between Kabinlapat City and Devataha City, and not in his Palace. During his Dharma practice and attain his Enlightenment, it was not in his Palace, or in a temple, but in the forest under the Maha Bodhi Tree. When he passed away, he did not passed away in his Palace, but near the edge of a forest next to Kushinaga City. All the good deeds we have been practising are not in a temple, a home or an institutions, but in the Citta. A home or a temple is a place to stay temporarily only. Therefore, it would be unreasonable to said that such a monk has no temple to live in.
I would like to ask some more questions. Did our Lord Buddha have any temple? Lord Buddha accepted 5 temples from his father, Buddhamamaka and female monks. After accepting these temples, Lord Buddha donated them to the Sanga. This means all the five temples belong to every monk and to Buddhism. Lord Buddha had no temple of his own. Lord Buddha did not live in any temple. He spent the remaining of his life teaching Dharma to all beings all over the places until his very last days.
Therefore, I would like to stress that we should correctly understand the truth about building a temple. We should not have said that 'I (a Buddhist monk) have built this temple. A monk only plays a leading role in the construction of a temple. This misunderstanding has been going on for a very long time. We should correct ourselves and start to understand correctly. In addition, some executive committee members of a temple always said that 'I build this temple or so and so build the temple'. If this is the case, I would like to ask some simple questions as well 'Where did they obtain finance to build the temple? Did they build the temple by himself or with the assistance from other Buddhamamaka and Buddhist monks as well? Again, those people should not misunderstand their role in the construction of a temple. This misunderstanding seems to be happening all the time and has been going on for some time. It is about time we start correcting ourselves by understanding correctly the truth. Some of these people even have a false believe that they know more than any Buddhist monk. We should possess Hiriodhappa (shameful of any wrong doing).
When Lord Buddha was in a forest he had nothing. Did he have a piece of paper or a pencil? Did he have a school or a teacher? Lord Buddha while practising Dharma meditation he had nothing, but the knowledge he attained, which had been classified is more up to 84,000 Phra Dhammakhana. Where did our Lord Buddha obtain these knowledge? He obtained them from Anapanasati which is Understanding from the breathing in and the breathing out, which is feeling.
The word 'Arrom' (in Lao / Thai language) 'Ar' means 'Air' whereas 'Rom or Lom' means 'Wind' - all this means the breathing in and the breathing out. It is the breathing that helps our Lord Buddha to know everything and to attain his Enlightenment. In his Teachings, Lord Buddha has told us to look for Anapanasati which means to look for this breathing in and breathing out. When we breathe in we say 'BUD' and while breathe out we say 'DHO'. These are from anapanasati which simply means to understand and to know what we are doing and where we are at present. Also to understand how much good deed have we done for Buddhism, as well as to know exactly whether we are in temple or in a home. Actually, it is to know where are the Indriya (sense-door) of Vinyana (perception) and Sankhara (body). They are actually in our physical body. They are not in a temple or at home or somewhere else. These Indriya sustain Vinyana, Sankhara, Rupa-Nama of our physical body.
What I have discussed here is the experience obtained from my personal Dharma practice during my Dharma tours in New Zealand where I was accommodated at the residence of my donor Mrs Samaiporn and her family on 11/7/97. May all of you be Happy and Free from Sufferings. Sadhu.
LuongTa Chanhphy Panyano Manivong
19 Heather Groves
Fairfield, Lower Hutt - Wellington - New Zealand