Chùa Bửu Môn - Buu Mon Buddhist Association

On this occasion, we recognize the life of our Lord Shakyamuni Buddha, as you offer the robes this Kathina season remember the compassion that has been shown to you and allows each of us to offer towards each other the loving kindness and compassion modeled by Lord Buddha.

The Buddha set forth a path that is built upon wisdom, compassion and loving-kindness. It is a path that stresses the importance of charity, non-violence, community, and learning and understanding.  Kathina is one our most important ceremonies of the year, and is an opportunity for all of us to remember the patience, truthfulness, equanimity, and determination of the Buddha.  The Kathina ceremony is the only traditional ceremony placed into practice by the Buddha himself.

This day, also, is a celebration of the spirit of community as we open the temple to you and to the many visitors who come to join us in our Kathina celebration. This ceremony that marks the end of the 3 months rains retreat which is so important to the Sangha. At this point the monks acknowledge another year of service and knowledge of the Dharma.

There are many aspects of life.  In the past year and 1/2 we have seen many changes around the world.  We need to call to mind the constant struggle of the people of Vietnam living under communist rule. People’s lives will be forever changed because of a lack of freedom and the daily restrictions that are the hallmark of an aggressive communist government.

We need to call to mind the people of Tibet and the constant threat of the Chinese communist government.  The Chinese military dressed in monk’s clothing to be filmed starting riots, carrying sticks and causing damage to shops.

It came out later that a British journalist had taken pictures of military supervisors handing out imitation robes causing the world to suspect Buddhist monks of aggressive behavior and inciting riots.

In recent months the government of Korea removed the Buddhist faith, landmarks and references from the official government statement and public announcement and implanted Christianity.  The monks and nuns of Korea filed into the streets in protest.  The government has apologized and has begun to rectify the error.

All of us have seen the photos of thousands of monks lining the streets of Burma protesting on behalf of the people.  These monks can no longer tolerate the injustices carried out by the ruling military junta.  As citizens of the world we must do everything peaceful in our power to curtail the inhumane practices the government forces upon the citizens of Burma.

It is not that monks and nuns have suddenly become political.  It is the overwhelming power of Buddhist compassion that is at work.  These monks and nuns who have lived peacefully for two and a-half centuries have begun to engage their peoples, governments and military regimes in a struggle of good over evil.  We ask everyone to be mindful of the struggles facing the peoples around the world.  It is difficult to feel and show compassion towards aggressors.  The problem arises when we try to separate people from regimes or people from the actions of aggressive governments.  Feeling helpless; it is easier to point fingers and place blame than it is to act with compassion thinking of those who become the victims of aggression.

Begin with the practice of equanimity in all our dealings with people.  Because a country may act aggressively towards its people or other nation does not mean the citizens of that country are in support.  We need to practice a strong Buddhist economy.  What is good for us and good for others is good.

When given a chance to enlighten ourselves through charity of thought ,spirit and action we must try our best.  When given a chance to make this world a better place, we must take action.  We must be able to say; this place is better now, for us having been here.

When injustices rise we must also rise.  Our voices must be heard.  We can and should sow the seeds of compassion.  This world is filled with violence and terror.  We must act with non-violence.  We must practice loving-kindness.  We need to go to temple, we need to support the efforts of the monks, and raise our voices against every kind of injustice, act of violence, acts of terror, and hatred in the world.

This is why the Kathina celebration is so important.  It is the time of charity.  It is the time for doing good works, and prayer.  It is a time to offer and receive blessings and forgiveness.  It is now that we can engage the world and the problems facing it.  This is the moment for us to practice our Buddhist faith.  With the Kathina robe being offered you are offering yourselves as well.

All people from all lands around the world need the kindness, caring and compassionate act of kindness you share today.  This is the time when inequality and exploitation dominate parts of the world’s societies. There are new signs however across the world calling for peace, social justice and the rights of human beings and this planets ecology.

In Thailand, Buddhist monks are helping to preserve forests by ordaining individual trees into the priesthood. In Thai culture, ordained priests cannot be killed, thereby; the trees and forests are protected. These acts of caring are full of compassion, and need to be better integrated with similar acts happening all over the world.

The common agenda for all mankind must be firmly placed on a non-violent and spiritual path. This is the only way we will overcome violence and the threat of violence.

It is the only way to end the destructiveness of dominant nations east and west from exercising their violent agendas over those who are not able to protect themselves.  Those sovereign nations with views of their own, must develop a mindfulness for a fragile earth.   All the nations, religious factions, governments, political organizations and peoples must share a common mindset. A mindset that allows for nations to exist side by side. A mindset that allows people to practice freedom of speech and freedom of religion without fear or reprisal.  As we open ourselves to the possibility of trust and shared compassion we will begin to recognize the connections we share and continue to celebrate our diversity.  We must become a people that develop a Buddhist mindset.

We can also develop self awareness and as we develop personal awareness we will also develop awareness of the social problems that plague our society.  In order for us to find our true potential as individual and collectively we be face the suffering both mentally and socially.

We must begin to liberate ourselves and our mindset.  We need to respond with compassion.  From the Buddhist standpoint we could overcome the sufferings in the world through the Noble Eightfold Path.  It is a non-violent means.

Through non-violence and non-attachment we can achieve the cessation of suffering and practice the way to achieve happiness and peace.

We must begin to liberate ourselves and our mindset. We need to respond with freedom.

As a concerned people we hear the cries of those being oppressed. We must if nothing else pray for them. Develop metta in our everyday chores. Think good and loving thoughts for those who are oppressed. We may not be able to care for them directly,

but we can care about them. We can wish them Peace. The fire of tyranny, oppression and hatred is never quenched with more fire.

Prayer is an act of peace.

We must begin to liberate ourselves and our mindset. We need to respond with peace. Prayer is an act of Peace.

When one person passes, it is as if a single candle flame is hushed until rebirth, and we can be saddened. When thousands perish in acts of violence, the darkness in undeniable. Gathered here we can transcend the distance and open our hearts of compassion. We breathe into this world a hope and prayer of great peace.

We may be able to do nothing more than this. But we can pray. We are able to speak. Our voices can be like a thousand shining candles, doing our part to dispel the darkness. When those who have fallen strain to hear the outcry from the world, we pray they hear our voices.

Because prayer is an act of peace we continue to pray.

So on this day of celebration we call to mind the reasons of Kathina, and the sufferings, torture and deaths of monks, and our brothers and sisters in all lands. We give them our compassion. We work for their freedom.

We pray for Peace throughout the world; because prayer is an act of peace.

I wish you Peace.

Bhante Kassapa

Bhante Kassapa Bhikkhu                                                                                                                    kassapa.org                                                                                                             bhante_kassapa@yahoo.com

Dharma Speech delivered to the 10^th Annual Oklahoma Buddhist Conference Held at the Oklahoma City University on October 4^th. 2008

Living in a gulf coast community has its ups and downs.  Just like every community anywhere.  A 650 mile wide hurricane affects an enormous area.  Wherever you travel your senses are overwhelmed by the damage and debris quite evident everywhere.  Had the same storm made its landfall on the east coast of US or Florida or southern Texas or Mexico would the effect be any less?  I do not think so.  Basically the differences would be locality and people.

Storms and hurricanes are not sent to destroy a people or land for any reason other than they are a natural phenomenon that occurs throughout our eco-system with a certain irregularity.  We do not know the strength of next season’s storms nor the shape, size direction or number of storms for certain.  Modern atmospheric, geological, oceanographic and meteorological sciences can help predict patterns and probabilities, but what can we know for sure.  Storms come.

Now more than ever we need to realize the message of the Lord Buddha.  Storm clouds form on all our horizons, we all suffer.  It is so easy to ask; Why me?  Why did this happen to me and my family?  Why my house?  Look around, is it just you and your family and your possessions? When bad things happen to us we struggle with the question of why me.  But is it the right question?  When the sun shines on us it shines on all around us. When the spring rains come and shower our gardens and home it showers all around us.

Rarely do we ask why I am blessed with such a beautiful day.  Do we think of our neighbors? It is so much easier to share misery than blessings. This is our nature.

With this realization we may apply Lord Buddha’s principle of equanimity. It is one of the most misunderstood ‘emotions’ of Buddhist teachings.  Many people regard the practice of equanimity as being aloof, stand-offish or dry and completely neutral. The Buddha described the mind filled with equanimity as being “abundant, exalted, without measure of hostility and with out ill-will.”

What a stark contrast to aloofness and dry neutrality.  The Pali word uppekkha, meaning to look over, comes from the ability to observe and not attach to the objects of our observation.

The second pali word or words is actually a compound set of words, tatramajjhattata. Tatra a Pali word meaning “all these things” Majjha meaning “middle” and tata meaning “to stand”.  All of these simple words linked together form tatramajjhattata meaning to “to stand in the middle of all these things.” In this teaching he equates Majjha as a reference to balance, remaining in the center reminding us of the inner strength we need to practice. The person who practices confidence, non-attachment and calmness will grow in stability remaining centered and thereby develop equanimity.

To develop equanimity we must cultivate the qualities of the mind that support its growth. There are seven mental qualities, or virtues that support this development.

We are all connected to each other like the underground roots of large southern oak trees.  We share the same earth, the same water, the same air. No one needs to tell you that there is suffering.  It is universal.  But in the same breath remember something else is universal, compassion and equanimity.  We need to find a way to practice it.  We need to develop for us and others the value of compassion and the great healings and joy that come from human understanding and care for life.

The teachings of Lord Buddha are like rain. They fall on everyone equally. Truth is universal.  The truth of the Dharma is for everyone equally.

It is up to each of us and our own capacity to learn, live and grow in grace that flows from the Dharma. We need not to take what happens to us personally.  These hurricanes do not single us out individually.

We all suffer regardless of our goodness or lack of goodness.  We all hurt regardless of color, status, education, living conditions, poverty, wealth or faith.  We all have moments of happiness as well as sadness, security as well as fearfulness, pleasure and pain.  We are alive.  As long as we breathe we are subject to the conditions of life.

It is through the development of wisdom that supports equanimity.  We understand that people are responsible for their own actions and the decisions that led up to their actions. We must examine ourselves and our own sufferings which will help us find equanimity in the suffering of other people. We can care for them, for an entire lifetime and never understand the true nature of compassion.  What we need to learn is how to care about them.  This is the key. We avoid a false sense of responsibility for their well-being.

See the connections we all share. See the opportunity to care for and serve the family and friends we have.  Realize the suffering will pass like the breath we exhale.  All the conditions of life are temporary.  Each will pass like the outgoing tide. Even strangers and peoples from all lands share these things with us.  It is a universal truth.

Our future is our own.  Our karma reflects the life we lead.  Learning to have compassion is a basic respect for whatever path a person may have taken regardless of the present circumstance.  Each person’s karma is their own. When we develop a respect for another path without judgment we practice equanimity.

On our journey through life we need to maintain a zeal for the middle path.  One of the most difficult parts of Buddhist practice is recognizing the need for equanimity.  It is the balance we seek for ourselves and for all people.

But how do we achieve this balance?  Constantly we are asked to make comparisons and judgments of individuals as they wander in and out of our lives.

With us as with everyone the phenomenon of condition is temporary. Our lives are filled with the actions of all our yesterdays.  Our karma while not written in stone is the reflection of our past, both near and distant.

If we apply this concept to self and know it to be true, than the same application used to gage others is just as valid.  In this way, people are not more or less deserving of your scorn or affections.  They are the recipient of their own karma.  Because of this we do not stand in judgment of others we offer by example of our actions the truth we believe.  There is no need to judge others by their beliefs or actions.  All we need to do is be the example, and acknowledge the influence of karma.

The precepts found in Buddhism are not passive. They are an active expression of a compassionate heart. No killing develops into a respect and reverence for living sentient beings.  In the same way no stealing can show respect for another’s ideas, possessions, time and resources.   From learning to live simply we maintain a spirit that can lead a life of less wanting and craving for useless possessions. When we practice no lying we become a voice of purity, truth, and compassion. Adopting the value of no harming sexuality in our lives, we live in such a way that our intimate relations become mutual expressions of caring and generosity, and can truly become teaching tools for love, peace and equanimity for a world that is hungry for these gifts.  We must commit to a “Buddhism of engagement”.

By not abusing intoxicants that lead to heedlessness, we respect ourselves and remain aware of the space we occupy.  Our awareness can lead to a greater sense of mindfulness and bring about an awareness of self and our own Buddha nature.

If we take our teachings from nature and realize that we are apart of nature, we can experience life in all its conditions and know when to let go.  The attachment to possessions and the past will construct us as prisoners in the present.  All our yesterdays are the parent of today.  We can change the mistakes we make.  Our karma is not set in stone; we can change our lives to reflect a better tomorrow.  Share your compassion as you share your life. Free yourself from your miseries like the moon escaping from behind the clouds and shining brightly. After every storm the birds come to sing. Why shouldn’t we.

“May You be Aware Your Blessings are More Numerous

Than the Stars in the Nights Sky.”

I wish you Peace,

Bhante Kassapa

Bhante Kassapa Bhikkhu
kassapa.org
bhante_kassapa@yahoo.com

As with any of Bhante Kassapa’s Dharma talks; these are the notes and framework from which the address was constructed.  The actual speech was one hour fifteen minutes with a question and answer period that followed.  Please contact Bhante Kassapa for speaking dates and availabilities.

Evacuation again; Why me?

Living in a gulf coast community has its ups and downs.  Just like every community anywhere.  A 650 mile wide hurricane affects a large area.  The damage and debris is quite evident everywhere you venture.  If the same storm had made its landfall on the east coast of US or Florida or southern Texas or Mexico would the effect be any less?  I do not think so.  The only difference would be locality and people.

Storms and hurricanes are not sent to destroy a people or land for any reason.  They are a natural phenomenon that occurs throughout our eco-system with a certain irregularity.  We do not know the strength of next season’s storms nor the shape, size, direction or number of storms.  Modern atmospheric, geological, oceanographic and meteorological sciences can help predict patterns and probabilities but what can we know for sure.  Storms come.

Powerful hurricanes like Katrina and Rita and most recently Ike hitting the Gulf coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, caused huge amounts of damage, loss of life and property to those in the affected areas.  Many people will carry the physical and mental scars for years to come.

Now more than ever we need to realize the message of the Lord Buddha.  Storm clouds form on all our horizons, we all suffer.  It is so easy to ask; Why me?  Why did this happen to me and my family?  Why my house?  Look around, is it just you and your family and your possessions? When bad things happen to us we struggle with the question of why me.  But is it the right question?  When the sun shines on us it shines on all around us. When the spring rains come and shower our gardens and home it showers all around us.  Rarely do we ask why I am blessed with such a beautiful day.  Do we think of our family, friends and neighbors? It is so much easier to share misery than blessings.

We are all connected to each other like the underground roots of large southern oak trees.  We share the same earth, the same water, the same air.  How can anyone ask why me?  Is there me, or is it us?  Hurricanes do not destroy because we have been bad.  Hurricanes destroy because it is the nature of hurricanes to destroy.  It is a fact that if you live you suffer the torments of life and all it offers.  No one needs to tell you that there is suffering.  It is universal.  But in the same breath remember something else is universal, compassion and equanimity.  We need to find a way to practice it.  We need to develop for us and others the value of compassion and the great healing and joy that come from human understanding and care for life.

The teachings of Lord Buddha are like rain. They fall on everyone equally. Truth is universal.  The truth of the Dharma is for everyone equally.  It is up to each of us in our own capacity to learn, live and grow in grace that flows from the Dharma. We need not to take what happens to us personally.  These hurricanes do not single us out individually.  We all suffer regardless of our goodness or lack of goodness.  We all hurt regardless of color, status, education, living conditions, poverty, wealth or faith.  We all have moments of happiness as well as sadness, security as well as fearfulness, pleasure and pain.  We are alive.  As long as we breathe we are subject to the conditions of life.

When a woman came to the Buddha and told him she had prayed and done all the things the priests and ministers of the temples had asked her to do.  She prayed fervently that her sick husband might get well and live.  Even after her prayers and tidings he died.  She asked why did this happen she had done everything that was asked of her.  The Buddha told her to go into the village and find a single family that had seen no death.  She found none.

Why she found none is because part of our living is our dying.  It is a truth universal.  Just the same that each of us suffers.  When we realize these simple truths we can change our thoughts from why me to thinking about all of us.  Start with your self and family, think good thoughts.  Extend those thoughts to friends, neighbors and people in your community.  See the connections we all share. See the opportunity to care for and serve the family and friends we have.  Realize the suffering will pass like the breath we exhale.  All the conditions of life are temporary.  Each will pass like the outgoing tide. Even strangers and peoples from all lands share these things with us.

If we take our teachings from nature and realize that we are apart of nature we can experience life in all its conditions and know when to let go.  The attachment to possessions and the past will construct us as prisoners in the present.  All our yesterdays are the parent of today.  We can change the mistakes we make.  Our karma is not set in stone; we can change our lives to reflect a better tomorrow.  The question we should ask is not; “Why Me?” The question is; “How can I be a Better me?” Share your compassion as you share your life. Free yourself from your miseries like the moon escaping from behind the clouds and shining brightly. After every storm the birds come to sing.  Why shouldn’t we.  When the time comes for us to pass we might look back and see the world we leave behind, better for us having been here.

I offer this prayer for you as I pray for everyone;

I wish you Peace.

Bhante Kassapa
Bhante Kassapa Bhikkhu                                                                                kassapa.org                                                                       
bhante_kassapa@yahoo.com

“Growing in the mud, yet not smelling of the Mire”

The lotus flower holds a special place for all of us, East and West as  it symbolizes our struggle in this world. A pure and beautiful flower is born in the still waters of the pond underneath the mud, and, when the time comes, it emerges. It grows out of the water and straight toward the sky, opening its petals in the rays of warm sunlight, revealing its natural beauty.  In sharing its fragrance with the world, it leaves the mud far behind.  The large rounded leaves are water-resistant, as the flower reaches toward the sky, they form a dark green barrier separating the newly formed flower from the mud and water below. The flower exists as a part of its environment, and separate from it at the same time.

The Vietnamese have a saying, “Growing in the mud, yet not smelling of the mire”, refers to this idea almost as though the plants and flowers have separate natures.  We as humans are aware of our duel natures. The struggle of rising from our backgrounds and experiences towards doing good and not doing good is very real.

In Asian countries, people keep ponds of lotus at their homes. The farmers eat the seeds and roots of the plant, and use its leaves to wrap food. The dried stalks are later used to start fires.

Taking lessons from the lotus, we learn that it was the very mud that the lotus was nurtured in that provided the energy to propel it to this high state. Applied to human life, we can say that our society-our world, though it is not always pure and clear, has in it all the nutrients required to produce an upstanding, fragrant flower of a person, worthy of admiration.

We are wise to take our clues from nature.  The Buddha often sited nature, and the elements found there as examples for his teachings.  In the case of the noble lotus flower the example is pure.  We can come from many backgrounds  and many circumstances.  The idea of rising above our past and reaching for a higher purpose is a most noble effort.  Using the principles found in Buddhism such as Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Intention and Right Speech we are creating an atmosphere and environment suitable for real personal growth.  Remembering where we come from, where we are, and where we are going is practicing mindfulness in a very positive way.  Our past and where we come from is the parent of our present.  Our today will be the future tomorrow and what we will become.

I wish you Peace,

Bhante Kassapa Bhikkhu

Breathe, you are alive! Actually do we need to tell each other to breathe? The breath is automatic. Under most normal situations the breath is just a function of the living breathing person. We do not create or give thought to the fact that we are breathing. If you exert yourself or suffer lung disease you may be more aware of your breath. In meditation we take a look at the ordinary breath as a tool to calm our minds. Under normal condition we do not concentrate our minds upon our breath. It is a function of living. One very important point to remember is; because the breath is always present, we can return to that present moment by being mindful of the breath. We need so special skills to return to the moment of the breath. We merely need to watch the movement or ebb and flow of the breath, the inhalation and exhalation action of beathing.

Nature is a series of cycles and rhythms. The rhythm of our normal breathing coincides with nature. We are neither drawn to push or pull our breath. The rhythm of the breath gives us our clue. We do not need to be caught up in the flow of breathe; we merely need to watch it happen. This action of quietly sitting and watching breathing is called Anapasati. The action itself is the tool to tranquility. With anapasati we watch the flow of breathing without attaching any feelings of judgment to it. We simply watch the inhalation and exhalation. More specifically we watch the beginning, middle and end of the in-breath, and the beginning, middle and end of the out-breath paying particular notice to the small space in-between. Without thought of good or bad, pleasurable or non-pleasurable we quietly observe. Most of the time we find our minds are racing. The actions of the mind and the racing thoughts drag us from place to place, thought to thought. We will notice this when we loose the focus on the breath. We need to be patient with ourselves as the process of training the mind takes some time. We simply return to the breath. The deliberate action of breathing is so much slower than the actions of the mind that by focusing our attentions on the breath we find ourselves calming and resting in a quiet more relaxed state. The mind is calmed and we sit quietly expecting nothing.

The first time you place a collar and leash on a puppy he rebels and fights. Training the mind to be calm is at first like a puppy. We are not accustomed to reining in our thoughts, mental associations and judgments. We need to be gentle with ourselves and return over and over again to the starting point of the breath. Our willingness and commitment to begin over and over will bring about the tranquility we are looking for. It is in the attitude we foster that brings about an ability to be patient. Letting go of everything for those few moments, you can always go back to them if you choose. But during the meditation we have only to watch the breath, as we relax anapasati resumes and the conditions are there to allow insight to the self.

In meditation we have no goals other than to be present. Allowing the mind to notice itself and the small thoughts that arise and fall away. Thoughts like the breath arise and fall away. We take our clue from nature in that all things arise and fall away.

We cannot expect to be able to sit quietly practice anapasati and gain a tranquil state in the first 15 minutes of meditation. Small steps and a willingness to return to the beginning again and again will help to ensure tranquility. The process of reigning in the mind takes practice. You crawl before you walk. You walk before you run.

Mindfulness, insight and wisdom are the jewels of a good meditation practice. Mindfulness is the noticing the entire ordinary phenomenon around us. Pointing us toward watching helping us to become observers of ourselves and space we occupy. In this way we extend our mental awareness. From awareness comes insight, insight of the self through meditation is wisdom. Through self knowledge and wisdom we can become the authentic person. It is through the knowledge and acceptance of self that compassion becomes a value.

When your actions are performed, with the thought of loving the self, and without delusion, we can more readily see the cycle of life. Namely, that nothing is permanent, that all that arises will also fall away. An understanding of the impermanence of physical and mental conditions give rise to the fact we are able to see the perpetual action of samsara in our lives.

Our bodies breathe at their own paces. Luckily we do not have to tell ourselves to breathe. We can not control the breath for long periods of time. Our influences are short lived. The breath itself and the conditions of the body dictate the breath. The in-breath predicates the out-breath as likewise the out-breath shapes and forms the in-breath. Realizing this, we are watching the breath as it exists naturally. Breathing is part of our nature and part of nature itself. Being aware of this we are practicing Vipassana meditation.

Nature is the great teacher. The generating of compassion is by mindfulness, insight to ourselves and self wisdom. Wisdom does not come from books or classrooms or listening to teachers. It comes from the knowledge of self and mindful observation of the ordinary.

Breathe! You are alive!

“May All Beings Have Happy Minds”

“I wish you Peace’,

Bhante Kassapa Bhikkhu Bhante-kassapa@yahoo.com

The Holiest of All Buddhist Holy Days
Vesak is the holiest day in Buddhism and a season of special holy significance to all Buddhists around the world. Vesak Full Moon is the holiest of all the full moon days. On this day we celebrate the birth, the Enlightenment, and the death of the Buddha.

The significance of Vesak lies with the Buddha and his universal peace message to mankind.

Birth:

Temples will display a small image of the baby Buddha in front of the altar in a basin filled with water and decorated with flowers, allowing devotees to pour water over the statue; it is symbolic of the events following the Buddha’s birth.  We honor the significance of the birth by the ritual of bathing the baby Buddha. It is  a symbol of the events that led to and came from his birth when the devas paid homage to the Buddha by the  heavenly offerings given to him.

Enlightenment;

As we recall the Buddha and his Enlightenment, we are immediately reminded of the unique and most profound knowledge and insight which arose in him on the night of his Enlightenment. His message of compassion is paramount.

We honor the enlightenment of the Buddha by making special efforts to bring happiness to the unfortunate like the aged, the handicapped and the sick. On this day, many Buddhists will distribute gifts of monies and foods and offer kindness to various charitable homes throughout the country. Vesak is also a time for great joy and happiness.  Enlightenment is the end of suffering. Many Buddhist will use this opportunity to bring joy and happiness to others.
Devotees are expected to listen to talks given by monks. The monks will recite the Pali chants which were spoken and taught by the Buddha twenty-five centuries ago. They are meant to invoke peace and happiness for the Government and the people. Buddhists peoples are reminded to live in harmony with people of other faiths and to respect the beliefs of other people as the Buddha himself had taught.

Parinibbana;

Knowing that the time of his death was close, the Buddha summoned his disciples and spoke to them calmly:–”Ripe is my age, short is my life, leaving you I shall go. I have made myself my refuge. Be diligent, mindful and extremely virtuous. With thoughts collected guard your mind. In this doctrine and discipline by living strenuously, you will escape the cycle of rebirth and put an end to suffering.”

“Think not that you have no teacher after my death.

Regard the Dhamma and Vinaya I have taught you as your teacher.”

“He who practises my teaching best serves me most.”

“He who sees the Dhamma sees me.”

‘Transient are all component things, strive on with diligence.”

Then having felt his mission was accomplished the he passed away at eighty years of age,on a couch between two sala trees. He was born, as an extraordinary man he lived, and as a Buddha he passed away. Buddha was not a God nor a God’s prophet. He was a man with the message that offered the end of suffering. His message, the Dharma, is as needed today as it was 2552 years ago.

The Buddha left us a simple but great message. “Study together, learn together, practice the teachings together. Do not waste your mind and time in idleness and bickering. Enjoy the blossoms of enlightenment in their season and harvest the fruit of benevolence. “The teachings which I have given you, I gained by following the path myself.

It is a message of peace, commitment, self responsibility and compassion.  In this Vesak season renew the commitment, compassion and responsibility to your practice.  Extend yourself to the suffering around the world.  Remember the Maha Sangha in our efforts to bring about a lasting peace and compassionate efforts for the peoples of Burma and China. They are after all just like us.  Hope and pray for the governments of oppressive nations to allow the freedoms inherent to all people.  As we pray for peace throughout the world, may we ourselves have happy minds.

I wish you Peace.
Kassapa Bhikkhu

The military government in Burma is receiving an outpouring of emergency aid offers from the international community. The death toll from Saturday’s cyclone continues to rise. Foreign aid workers were told they could enter the country to assess needs and distribute supplies but now a full week after the devastating cyclone, the humanitarian aid workers are still waiting for visas. We must ask ourselves where is the effort by the government itself in helping the people of Burma. The delay in allowing foreign aid workers damages the already tarnished reputation of the Burmese government and its supporters the Chinese government

The government of Burma by its action of concealing the country and its dealing with the monks and people, has added more proof to the world, that the mountain of criticism is justified. With Burma’s tightly controlled state media offered very little to allay any fears as the the conditions of the people after the cyclone. The news coming out of Burma is so tightly controlled , that details are little and many people fear the government has no effective plan to help the citizens offering scant details, it was unclear how the government was directing its emergency response.

The Burmese Army, which mobilized quickly and harshly to suppress the monks and the democratic protests last September, has been slow to respond to the needs of the people. We must ask what are they hiding. The disaster is compelling one of the world’s most secretive and isolated regimes to swing open its doors to the international community.

The monks of Burma have gone on video and news this week to ask for help. The people of Burma trust them. A country that is so quick to suppress the move towards a fair and just society for the monks and citizens now has a golden opportunity. They can use the ample police and military resources to help restore food, shelter and basic human needs to a country now twice devastated.

This is the time when inequality and exploitation dominate parts of the worlds societies. There are new signs however across the world calling for peace, social justice and the rights of human beings and the planets ecology. In Thailand, Buddhist monks are helping to preserve forests by ordaining individual trees into the priesthood. In Thai culture, ordained priests cannot be killed, thereby, the trees and forests are protected. These acts of caring are full of passion, and need to be better integrated with similar acts happening all over the world. The common agenda for all mankind must be firmly placed on a non-violent and spiritual path. This is the only way we can overcome the violence and destructiveness of dominant nations east and west from exercising their violent agendas over those who can not protect themselves, those with opposing views, and a fragile earth we must all share. We must become a people that develops a Buddhist mindset.

In Buddhism the breath is very important to us. Mindfulness in meditation leads to mindfulness in everyday life. We breathe in for the first time as we enter the world from our mother’s womb, and we breathe out the last time when we expire from life. Yet we do not take care of our daily breathing, we breathe in suffering, anxiety, hatred and greed. But we can have a personal transformation, become less selfish and care more for others. We can also develop self awareness and as we develop personal awareness we will also develop awareness of the social problems that plague our society. In order for us to find our true potential as individual and collectively we be face the suffering both mentally and socially.

We must begin to liberate ourself and our mindset. We need to respond with compassion.From the Buddhist standpoint we could overcome the sufferings in the world through the Noble Eightfold Path. It is a non-violent means. Through non-violence we can really achieve the cessation of suffering and the way to achieve the cessation of suffering.

We must begin to liberate ourselves and our mindset. We need to respond with freedom.

As a concerned people we hear the cries of those being oppressed. We must if nothing else pray for them. Develop metta in out everyday chores. Think good and loving thoughts for those who are oppressed. We may not be able to care for them directly, but we can care about them. We can wish them Peace. The fire of tyranny, oppression and hatred is never quenched with more fire. Prayer is an act of peace.

We must begin to liberate ourselves and our mindset. We need to respond with peace.

When one person passes, it is as if a single candle flame is hushed until rebirth, and we can be saddened. When thousands perish the darkness in undeniable. Gathered here we can transcend the distance and open our hearts of compassion. We breathe into this world a hope and prayer of great peace. We may be able to do nothing more than this. But we can pray. We are able to speak. Our voices can be like a thousand shining candles, doing our part to dispel the darkness. When those who have fallen strain to hear the outcry from the world, we pray they hear our voices. We give them our compassion. We work for their freedom. We pray for Peace throughout the world.

I wish all of you Peace.

BK

Bhante n. Kassapa Bhikkhu

kassapa.org

bhante_kassapa@yahoo.com

Human Rights March, and Torch Run

Houston TX. April 25, 2008

All of us can feel anger. Likewise all of us can feel fear. We fear death. But death is inevitable. What is not inevitable is anger. Anger is the single most definable detriment to living beings everywhere. Anger and violence are branches of the same tree. They are like fire. Engage the anger and violence and you yourself are consumed.

The Buddha spoke of compassion and forgiveness, and how even words can be hurtful. We must ask ourselves what path we take. What are we to do with the emotions, fears, and anger we feel with regards to the people and monks of Tibet and Burma alike?

Many times you hear the word compassion. How do we love every person with equanimity? When doing evil the evil doer is obvious. It is the same by those who would do good. They are also seen. We are seen. We are heard. Compassion does not mean we sit idly by while evil is exercised all around us, but rather to not become engaged in it. Whenever an oppressor by any force harasses, gives pain, devastation, broken body, grave illness, mental anguish, government harassment, violence, slander, loss of loved ones and death, these persons will reappear with no discernment in hell. Compassion is not cowardice.

We can not judge the Chinese government or their motives. We can only speak to the actions they have carried out. They have their own karma. It is the same for us. We must understand that the actions of yesterday are responsible for the reality of today. What we do today will affect our lives tomorrow.

When we are shaken from our peaceful lives by the beliefs, statements, and actions, of any one person or government we must in solidarity with the oppressed make a commitment of support. Through your commitment to non violence, mindful conduct, and virtue, you become the voice and energy that causes change. Violence is never quenched by violence.

This action we are engaged in today is not about who they are and our response to hated, violence and death. It is about whom we are and our ability to effect change through forgiveness and compassion. The actions of the Chinese government against the peoples and monks of Tibet and Burma are their own. Our response to that aggression is our own. It is incumbent on a people seeking peace to act peacefully, to speak out against aggression without becoming the aggressor. We can not condemn the people of China. In the same way we ask them to understand that we are simply people of our country. There is a difference between the thoughts and minds of a people of every land and the government that rules them. We are not governments. We are people.

We must stand in solidarity with those who are everywhere oppressed. We must become the light that shines into the darkness of tyranny, evil and oppression. If the governments and beings of the world need a model for compassion and peace, let us be that model.

Heal your minds of anger. Sign petitions, walk in solidarity. Voice your concerns, and open your hearts.

“When one person passes, his life force dies like a candle hushed until rebirth, when hundreds perish the darkness is undeniable. Standing here our thoughts transcend the distance as we open our hearts of compassion. We breathe into this world a hope of great peace. We may be able to do nothing more. But we are able to speak. Our voices like thousands candles shine. We, each of us, will join our single voice in a chorus of compassion and sing the songs of peace. So when the last leaf falls from this tree of life, it may rest until reborn, as all this anguish comes to completion. When those who have fallen strain to hear the outcry of the world, we pray they hear our songs of peace.”

I wish you Peace.

Rev. K.

Bhante n. Kassapa Bhikkhu
Buu Mon Buddhist Temple
kassapa.org
bhante_kassapa@yahoo.com

What is the purpose of life? All religions attempt to answer this question. Buddhism is no different. The only difference is the answer that Buddhism offers.

“One thing I teach: suffering & the end of suffering. It is just Ill and the ceasing of Ill that I proclaim.”

–The Buddha

The primary goal of most humans is to find a way to happiness. For the Buddhist faith the answer to the question, “What is the purpose of life?” is “To end suffering.” The Buddha teaches us is that human suffering is the result of attachment. We have been in a cycle of repeatedly seeking those objects of desire that are shallow and offer no lasting or permanent happiness. We cling to ideas, objects, material forms, and mental images. When these things are lost or unobtainable we suffer. Sorrow always follows a loss. And loss is inevitable.

There are things in life that bring us joy. So often the Buddhist doctrine of loss and attachment seems fatalistic and pessimistic. Buddhism does not teach that there is no happiness. The Buddha did not deny that there are happenings or things in life that will bring joy. What he did point out is that everything is impermanent; and none of the things, possessions, mental images or ideas that we cling to is able to bring a lasting joy. His teaching of suffering and the alleviation of suffering were his focus. He based his teaching not only on identifying the problem, but also on presenting the solution.

Once we have recognized that all things are impermanent, we have begun the journey to end suffering. Freeing oneself from the attachments we have garnered throughout our lifetime is not an easy task. But it is the lessening ourselves of the attachments that provides the freedoms from our sufferings.

Ending the cycle of suffering means the eventual end of Samsara. Buddhism teaches that Samsara is the endless birth, life, suffering and death cycle we are trapped in due to the greed, grasping and endless attachments with which we fill our lives. The Four Noble Truths are the blueprints for understanding the Buddha’s position and description of Samsara and the causes of and solutions to the problems of attachment and suffering.

After attaining enlightenment, the Buddha delivered his first Dharma Talk. In this Dharma Talk he taught the “Four Noble Truths,” from which formed the foundations of belief for Buddhism:

The Four Noble Truths:

1. In all life there is Suffering.

2. Suffering is caused by desire and attachment.

3. Suffering can be stopped.

4. The way to end suffering is to follow the Noble Eightfold Path.

According to the fourth Noble Truth, we can permanently escape the suffering caused by attachment in following the Noble Eightfold Path. The word “right” in these following instructions can be understood by using “Good and Appropriate.” Right Intention may be viewed as Good and Appropriate Intention. The word “Right” is the traditional translation from the Buddhist teachings.

To reinforce the reason for the modifier “Right” it must be understood that it is not enough to have the intention to do something. Intention, like speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and concentration, can also be bad or detrimental. “Right” refers to the goodness and appropriateness of the individual elements of the Eightfold Path.

The Noble Eightfold Path:

1. Right knowledge

2. Right intention

3. Right speech

4. Right action

5. Right livelihood

6. Right effort

7. Right mindfulness

8. Right concentration

We need to be like a scientist peering through a microscope. We are there to observe. It is when we place a judgment on the experience that experience is changed. By attaching a want or need to change the experience of living we give in to the patterns of suffering. Waiting for something to happen is not being mindful to the present. It is easy to become attached to an idea, person, and possession or desired outcome. Attachment, of course, is the core of suffering. Your mindfulness is the key.

I acknowledge that it may be very natural for us to categorize and label or define all of our experiences as they happen. However, our goal is to allow the experience the freedom to exist and then allow it to pass without an attachment or comment. It can be as natural as the rising and falling of the breath. It is a skill that can be learned.

Yesterday is the parent of today. In the same way that today is the parent of tomorrow. The goal is to be present to today.

Allowing ourselves the freedom to let go of our possessive natures and rid ourselves of the need to label, change, or modify the events of our lives, we break the cycle of suffering. We can be happy and joyful. It is our positive natures that allow us to experience this. Let go and live a freer life. Let go of greed and envy and replace it with compassion. We are the architects of our future.

I wish you Peace.

Bhante K.

Bhante n. Kassapa Bhikkhu

kassapa.org

bhante_kassapa@yahoo.com

There are three important concepts of Buddhism. These are Karma, Samsara, and Nirvana. It is important that we have a basic understanding of what these concepts are.

Karma:

Karma refers to the natural law in Buddhism that deals with cause and effect in a person’s life. The idea is that what you throw out in the waves comes back to you, what you plant you harvest. We as Buddhists believe you go through a cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth. All of life is a process that is guided by the natural law of karma.

If a person asks you what kind of person you were in a previous life you can ask yourself what kind of person you are in this life and that would be the closest answer you could come up with. What you do and what you say and how you do things is based on your experiences in previous lives, as well as your experiences earlier in this life.

Karma is not written in stone. Your karma is rewritten every day. Each day you are presented with an opportunity to go do good, as well as an opportunity not to do good.

So in a sense, Karma is a fluid representation of the good and bad that we perform in our life. Buddhist teachings tell us that those who do good become good. Likewise, those who do bad will become bad.

Karma is a reflection of the essence of being human.

Like a part of one’s own shadow, like the image in a mirror.

Karma affects not only this life, but also subsequent lives. For Buddhists, what you become in the next life depends on what you did in this life just as what you are in this life is a distillation of what you were in previous lives. Karma is a thread woven thru all of our lives.

Samsara:

Samsara is the name we use for the cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth.

The concept of transmigration, or Samsara, is one of the most difficult concepts to understand in Buddhism. The law of Samsara holds everything in the birth and rebirth cycle.

The only thing that is passed on from the current life to the next life is a set of feelings, a set of impressions, a set of present moments, and the Karma that is created in previous lives and the current life.

In this life you have a human personality. And it exists in this life. What is passed on are impressions of your personality so that in the next life your personality may be very similar. The Buddha did not discuss how similar they may be. He never said. But with the refinement process from life to life, we have the ability to become closer to the goal of breaking the cycle of Samsara. A new individual in the next life will not be the same as previous lives. The circumstances of Karma affects the condition of the rebirth. A person born into life is not the same person of previous lives, much like an acorn is not the oak tree of its parent, but becomes its own oak tree. Some similarity exists, but, depending on where the seed falls and grows, it could be larger or smaller, stronger or weaker, straighter or more contorted, but it is still an oak tree.

As Buddhists, we pray, and transfer our merits to those people who are passed in the hopes that the conditions of their rebirth are better than the conditions of their previous life.

You are going to be much like you were in this life, but with another opportunity to do good. Each lifetime presents opportunities to do good, to learn the lessons, and to bring ourselves closer to the goal of nirvana.

Nirvana:

Nirvana is an eternal state of being. It is where the laws of Karma and Samsara cease to be. Nirvana is not the same concept as the Christian concept of heaven. Nirvana is not a place, but rather a state of being. You can be in Nirvana while living the present life. It is the end of suffering and desire. It is the end of individual consciousness. Speaking to his disciples, the Buddha described Nirvana thusly:

“There is Disciples, a condition, where there is neither earth nor water, neither air nor light, neither limitless space nor limitless time, neither any kind of being, neither ideation nor non-ideation, neither this world nor that world. There is neither arising nor passing away nor dying, neither cause nor effect, neither change nor stand still.”

Often people look at the Buddhist concept of Nirvana as annihilation, but rather it is an assimilation of the energy into the pool of energy that is Nirvana.

As Buddhist practitioners we may not understand totally the conditions of Nirvana, but the idea of Nirvana gives us hope.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The idea of rebirth is as natural to us as the rain. It is an idea shunned by Western religious teachings. But how many people privately believe they themselves have lived before? If you are given many opportunities to grow and become good, do you need a salvific figure in your life? As Buddhists, we believe that no one can cleanse you, nor can anyone defile you. No one can rid you of your sins but you. Doing good things and good acts, you become good. Likewise, doing bad things and wrong acts, you become bad. Clearly, the responsibility of Karma, Samsara, and Nirvana is our own. The Buddhist ideation of salvation is then our own responsibility. Buddha taught that he was not a god.

We do however revere him as the Enlightened One. We honor his teaching as the Path. Our duty to ourselves is to engage the natural laws of Buddhism with our own daily living. Buddhism is the acceptance of our selves in the natural law of nature. Buddhism is a description of a path to harmony. It is our goal to bring that harmony to ourselves and the world around us. We do this through the practice of Metta (loving kindness). It is in the accepting of self that we begin the journey to accept others. It is in learning to love ourselves that we begin walking the path that teaches us how to love others. It is through non-violence and compassion that we become enlightened. We can be a people of hope. We can be a people of compassion. It begins inside us, and it begins today.

I wish you Peace,

Bhante Kassapa

Bhante n. Kassapa Bhikkhu
kassapa.org
bhante_kassapa@yahoo.com
Buu Mon Buddhist Temple
Port Arthur, Texas 77640
409.982.9319