Vesak Message 2016
VESAK MESSAGE 2016 – Venerable Mahinda – On the occasion of Vesak, celebrating the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and passing away, we should recall that the Buddha’s appearance in this world, his activities, and dispensation of the Dhamma represent the culmination of countless lifetimes of practice, to perfect the virtues, knowledge and skills necessary to become a fully-enlightened being with the ability to enlighten others. In particular, there are ten virtues, or perfections (dasa-parami), which the Buddha perfected from life to life: Generosity – DĀNA ...
Read MoreAwakening With Metta
Awakening with Metta by Venerable Mahinda This booklet serves to provide information and instructions that will help to bring about the awakening of hearts. It includes a clear explanation of the theory and practice of metta, or loving-kindness, and how it should be applied in our daily lives, as well as when reaching out to serve others. It also explains how the practice of metta together with mindfulness leads to true freedom – freedom from all the manifestations of suffering that accompany the cycle of birth, old age, sickness and death. *To read Awakening with Metta, please...
Read MoreDeveloping a Forgiving Heart
Developing a Forgiving Heart By Venerable Mahinda As we develop our practice of loving-kindness, we may start to feel that although we are trying to practise love and compassion, we somehow seem to be more angry. In fact, this may be a sign not that our anger is increasing, but that we are becoming more aware of our strong habitual tendency to get angry. We will also start to become more aware how our unskilful thoughts, speech and body actions cause harm and suffering to others, as well as to ourselves. The fact that we have so much anger inside shows that we need to learn patience: the...
Read MoreFrom Selfish to Selfless Love
From Selfish to Selfless Love By Venerable Mahinda Often we find that the people who make us most angry are the people we love most – our spouse, our parents or children. Although we know that we love them, they also make us very upset. Why? Because consciously or unconsciously, we expect something from them in return for our love. When we do not get it, our love can turn to hate. This can be seen in the case of many broken marriages. This kind of love is not refined, it is based on attachment and desire. While we may genuinely care for the other person, there is always a...
Read MoreThe Purpose and Meaning of Life
The Purpose and Meaning of Life By Venerable Mahinda Part I We have all come to this world with some purpose. Some of us may be aware of this purpose, but many of us are not really aware of our true purpose in this life. Some of us have come to this world to do something, to be of service to a certain group of people. For parents who have one or two children, they spend a good part of their lives looking after those children. That would appear to be their purpose in life. But others have come to this world with a greater sense of purpose, to help more sentient beings. But there are also some...
Read MoreMetta in Difficult Situations
Metta in Difficult Situations By Venerable Mahinda Every time we encounter unfriendly people, we are presented with an opportunity to develop our metta practice further. It is quite easy to cultivate thoughts of loving-kindness in an environment where everyone around us is friendly and responds positively towards us. But unless we are challenged by people who are unfriendly or disturb us, how will we know if our practice is progressing? When practising metta towards people whom we find difficult, we need to use our wisdom. With wisdom, we can change our perception. Firstly, we...
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