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Luang Pu Dune reminded us that we don't practice for the sake of seeing heavenly mansions or nibbana. Instead, he said we should "just keep on practicing calmly without wanting to see anything at all."
(from "Gifts He Left Behind: The Dhamma Legacy of Phra Ajaan Dune Atulo")
"...the Lord Buddha taught us that having respect for parents and teachers is the basic foundation of a good human being."
-Ajahn Maha Boowa ("Death Is Always Watching Us")
"Fascination, whatever its object, and by its very nature, impedes the practice of Dhamma..."
-Ajahn Jayasaro ("Stillness Flowing")
"Monastics are to be as light a burden as possible on lay supporters, and they should model of life which proves that happiness does not have to depend on the enjoyment of sense pleasures."
In speaking of Luang Por Chah, Ajahn Jayasaro added that "he received whatever robes were sewn for him without comment. He was never known to express desires for any particular kind of food. He showed no interest in beautiful things."
-From "Stillness Flowing: The Life and Teachings of Ajahn Chah" by Ajahn Jayasaro
"A wise person makes merit through acts of charity, a moral life and the cultivation of peace and wisdom."
-Ajahn Jayasaro ("Stillness Flowing")
"It's not your mind that is suffering; it's the defilements that are agitated. Be patient."
-Luang Por Chah (from "Stillness Flowing: The Life and Teachings of Ajahn Chah" by Ajahn Jayasaro)
"The Buddha taught that Dhamma should be taught in a way that clarified, convinced, roused and gladdened the mind of the listener."
-Ajahn Jayasaro ("Stillness Flowing")
"Now, this is the noble truth of suffering: birth is suffering, decay is suffering, disease is suffering, death is suffering, association with things one dislikes is suffering, separation from things one likes is suffering, not to get what one wants is suffering. In short, the five clinging-aggregates are suffering."
Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
"A popular maxim at Wat Pah Pong [Luang Por Chah's monastery in Thailand] said, 'If you've got little, use little. If you've got a lot, use little.'"
-Ajahn Jayasaro ("Stillness Flowing")
"It's the nature of light to be bright. It's the nature of noise to be loud. That's what their functions are. If you don't focus on listening, that's the end of the matter. Act in a way that's not in opposition to your surroundings, for that's just the way they are. Simply reach a genuine understanding with them using deep discernment, that's all."
-Luang Pu Dune ("Gifts He Left Behind: The Dhamma Legacy of Phra Ajaan Dune Atulo")
"No God, no Brahma, can be called
The maker of this wheel of life:
Empty phenomena roll on,
Dependent on conditions all."
Visuddimagga
Whoever destroys living beings, speaks false words, who in the world takes that which is not given to him, or goes too with another's wife, or takes distilled, fermented drinks--whatever man indulges thus extirpates the roots of himself even here in this very world.
-The Buddha (Dhammapada)
"The past is like a dream,
The present as clouds appears,
Mirage-like is the future."
Quoted in "With Robes and Bowl: Glimpses of the Thudong Bhikkhu Life" by Bhikkhu Khantipalo
"Ceremonies and merit-making activities can be regarded as skillful means, but from a meditator's point of view they lead to only a small amount of skill, that's all."
-Luang Pu Dune ("Gifts He Left Behind: The Dhamma Legacy of Phra Ajaan Dune Atulo")
"Try to clearly understand events as events: that they arise, change, and then dissolve away. Don't suffer or be sad because of them."
-Luang Pu Dune ("Gifts He Left Behind: The Dhamma Legacy of Phra Ajaan Dune Atulo")
"Whatever you want to know, you can look for it in the mind."
-Luang Pu Dune ("Gifts He Left Behind: The Dhamma Legacy of Phra Ajaan Dune Atulo")
"Don't let the mind run out after external preoccupations. If your mindfulness lapses, then as soon as you're aware of it, immediately pull it back. Don't let it go looking into preoccupations that are good or bad, pleasant or painful. Don't fall in line with them, but don't use force to cut them off."
-Luang Pu Dune ("Gifts He Left Behind: The Dhamma Legacy of Phra Ajaan Dune Atulo")
"Whenever you have time, use that time to practice."
-Luang Pu Dune ("Gifts He Left Behind: The Dhamma Legacy of Phra Ajaan Dune Atulo")
"Studying the Dhamma by reading and listening results in perceptions and concepts. Studying the Dhamma by practicing it results in actual levels of Dhamma in the heart."
-Luang Pu Dune ("Gifts He Left Behind: The Dhamma Legacy of Phra Ajaan Dune Atulo")
In addition to our ongoing Saturday afternoon meditation programs, ABMT would like to invite everyone to join us on June 3 for Visakha Puja, which commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha.
Here is the day's schedule:
-10-12 PM: Visakha Puja ceremony (Thai language)
-12-1:30 PM: community lunch
-2-4 PM: chanting, meditation, and Dhamma talk (English)
All events are free and will be held at American Buddhist Meditation Temple (1251 Orchid Drive, Santa Barbara, CA).
1251 Orchid Dr.,Santa Barbara,CA 93111