|
|
Wrong views can be a useful tool – Asubha Bhavana and seeing things as Anatta can be useful to reduce clinging but must also ultimately be let go of if we are to attain Enlightenment
The Buddha is said to have stated that the viewpoint of Atta and conditioned thought (sangkhara), although being wrong view, is still useful as a tool for realisation whilst still on the path which leads to Enlightenment, having not yet been released from Samsara. What he meant by this was that although they are wrong thoughts, they can be used as catalysts to attain realisation of truths which release us from some of the cruder forms of wrong view. There are refined and crude thoughts, both being wrong view, but we can step up from a negative and inauspicious or less beneficial way of seeing things to attain a more refined or auspicious way of seeing things which brings us closer to the attainment of right view, if perhaps till not reaching that point.
The process of Enlightenment happens in stages not in a lightning flash. Full Enlightenment of course is a split second change – but the steps which led to the hair breadth that lies between 99 percent attained and 100 percent attained is a long and gradual process of steps and stages/phases. But when the final cord is cut, it happens in a flash
I shall use the topics of Asubha Bhavana practise and that of the concepts of Atta and Anatta to demonstrate this point;
The tudong masters as well as Vipassana practitioners would sit in cemeteries in the woods and contemplate corpses in 9 different states of decomposition, in order to see that ones own body is in principle no different.
A swollen corpse, a discolored, a bluish, corpse, a festering corpse, a fissured corpse, a partially eaten corpse, a dismembered corpse, or a corpse that has been hacked and into pieces, a corpse that is still bleeding, a worm-eaten corpse, and a skeleton.
This practise, was performed in order to stop clinging to one’s body, to stop being under the influence of attraction when we see the beauty in the outer skin – to see that even a beautiful or handsome person (according to our personal conditioning of what beauty is) , is no more than a bag of body parts and fluids. To see that in the end we are all going to be corpses.
In addition, the contemplation of these 9 states of corpse will trigger certain advances in realisations, and sometimes even psychic powers. We shall overcome fear by confronting all the panic and paranoias which will occur whilst sitting alone in the dark forest with those corpses. To see that a corpse is only dead matter. To see impermanence and let go of all clinging to impermanent matters. All of these things are tools of the practise of Asubha bhavana. One should not forget however, that to learn to see the beautiful as unattractive is also a conditioned opinion just as much as to see something unattractive as beautiful. In the end both perspectives must be let go of
Links .40 kammathana Practises
Asubha Bhavana is also conditoned thought – a way of using wrong view to destroy wrong view.
To see a handsome or beautiful person as a bag of blood, faeces and guts will reduce our attraction and subsequent desire towards that person or object of interest. This is called Asubha Bhavana.
Many practitioners ,especially monks maintain that all things are not beautiful, rather disgusting.
This is wrong view, because in just the same sense that such an object is not attractive, or desirable, neither is it dirty and undesriable/disgusting.
The goal of asubha bhavana is to reduce and eliminate desire and clinging.
Desire and clinging is one of the vedhanas (feelings) we swim around in , drowned in them and under their influence. This is seen as dhukka (suffering) in Buddhism.
In the same sense, the disgust which arises from the practise of Asubha Bhavana is also a vedhana (feeling) in which we become drowned in and under the influence of.
In order to attain Arahantship and liberation from Dhukka, we must also release ourself from the view that things are undesirable, as well as the notion that something is desirable.
Both viewpoints are forms of clinging
Both may be considered wrong views
This is what we call Avicca (Awichaa in Thai).
It is the same as the Buddhist notion that all things are Anatta (Non Self/ Not mine)
Atta is the notion of a permanent inherent self/soul which transmigrates (john in this life is always john in every life – preposterous!)
Asubha Bhavana – using wrong view as a tool to destroy wrong views – letting go of sangkhara
Anatta is the notion that John in this life is perhaps Sally in the next, and that the two are different people, but that the pure mind which carries no individual trademarks manages to transmigrate (Anatta does not mean that we cease to exist – reincarnation would not be part of the Buddhist philosophy if this was thought to be true, and the Buddha could not have remembered previous lives if so).
It is quite simple to realise the gist and true goal of the practise if you realise these points/truths.
The thing we have to do is not to see things as anatta and asubha (non self and undesirable)
Rather to use the viewpoints of Anatta to destroy out deeply rooted clinging to the notion of a self
and to use the viewpoint of Asubha, to eliminate our clinging to the notion of things beinig desirable and thus eliminate clinging to those objects of desire.
Once we have attained this, then we have to apply the real part of the practise, which is the real goal;
We have to let go (stop clinging) to any notions – be they that of self or non self, beauty or ugliness, desirable or undesirable.
And just let go. Ajarn Cha maintained this as the core of his teaching – letting go!
Avicca is the cause of Sangkhara (wrong view is the cause of conditioned thoughts and assumed concepts) – these are the first two in the chain of interdependent origination, which leads us to be trapped in the endless cycle of rebirth into Samsara. Arahantship and Enlightenment (Wichaa/Vicca) is simply having let go of all clinging to any notions or presuppositions. This will result in the letting go of desire and the causes and effects which follow. This means that we must not even cling to beliefs, even if they are true.
The Buddha is reputed to have been asked once;
“So Lord, does the Arahant maintain the notion of Atta (permanent self) as that which is true?
No said the Buddha – the Arahant does not cling to such a notion.
“So then my Lord, then the Arahant must maintain the belief in the notion that all things are Anatta, is this so?”
No, said the Buddha – the Arahant does not cling to that, or any notion”
The point is that it is clinging which is the obstacle which prevents us from Arahantship.
Whether the concepts of Anatta or Atta are true or not, will not change regardless of which of those beliefe we cling to. The use of the viewpoint of Anatta is useful to destroy the clingiing to the self. But to then cling to the notion that all thigs are non self is once again the process of clinging to assumptions, which prevents us froom awakening the light which arises when all forms of clinging inclinations have disappeared from our mind.
Its as simple as that. (well in theory anyway) 
More Links for expanded study on this matter.
Kilesas – What is attachment and desire
Letting go (a short musing)
The Four Sathipatanas (audio teaching by Ajarn Maha Bua in English)
Transcript in English of the meeting between Ajahn Brahm and the Sangha of Wat Nong Pha Pong prior to his excommunication.
Here is a translation of the minutes of the meeting at WPP where Ajahn Brahm was kicked out of the lineage of Ajahn Chah and afilliation with Wat Nong Pha Pong temple
taken from Sujato’s blog http://sujato.wordpress.com/
Minutes of the WPP Meeting Regarding Ajahn Brahmavamso, Bodhinyana Monastery & Bhikkhuni Ordination
From the Thai transcription at http://www.alittlebuddha.com
English translation: Supatra Chowchuvech
Title: Summery of the Meeting of the Sangha Committee of Wat Nong Pah Pong and its Branches Regarding Bhikkhunis – Nov 1, 2552 BE (2009 CE)
Chairman (Loung Por Liem):
“Everyone, this is the 1st of November, the 14th night of the 12th month full moon Festival of Kalatthana. We are gathered here at Wat Nong Pah Pong related to this activity and this culture and these traditions that have been practiced for a long, long time. However today we also have a meeting about the Sangha Committee in order to increase and improve our understanding of our duty and conduct. We will be speaking about the conduct of a monk, our monk. On this occassion it is the responsibility of the Secretary to propose this issue into the Meeting, in order to clarify our responsibilities and duties. I am taking the role of the Chairman of the Meeting, and the Meeting is now open.”
 Secretary:
“May i have the opportunity, Chairman. The issue that we are Meeting over today is related to Ven Chaokhun (Bishop) Brahm giving bhikkhuni ordination at Bodhinyana Forest Monastery in Perth. All of you Ajahns have the document in front of you, so i would like to invite the Ven Chaokhun [Brahm] to explain the ordination, so that the other Ajahns can ask questions, item by item.”
Ven Brahmavamso:
“I was not the Upajjhaya (Preceptor). There was a bhikkhu[ni] who was the Upajjhaya of the bhikkhunis; it was not me. The ritual was done at the forest monastery in Perth. It was an ordination for bhikkhunis. There was no Upajjhaya; the Pavattini was a bhikkhuni. A bhikkhuni was Pavattini (Upajjhaya). Tathaaloka has been to Thailand long ago. She has 12 Pansa (Vassas/Years since full ordination). She was ordained in the Mahayana in a sect in the United States. In the meeting there were eight bhikkhunis, and we ordained four samaneris into bhikkhunis. In the Bhikkhuni Sangha who gave the ordination there was Tathaaloka Bhikkhuni – Tathaaloka was the Pavattini. After that it was the duty of the Venerable Bhikkhu Sangha to give a joint action [to complete the dual ordination]; to receive the Sanghakamma that was done before (that of the Bhikkhuni Sangha) in the second Sanghakamma (by the Bhikkhu Sangha). For the Bhikkhu Sangha, I was one of the Kammavacaryas… [Explaining the principle behind the ordination] (@ 10:38 on the recording) …It is the strict law of that country (Australia), if we are going to have inequality for women and men, it is against the law… Some people want it in Australia; it doesn’t impact Thailand. But in Australia, we do it per Australian law. If we can have bhikkhunis, then it is a way to keep the faith of Buddhists abroad…”
Rebuttal of the Elder Theras of Wat Pah Pong (@ 44.35 min)
The Great Master Ajahn Chah
Thera:
“The Australian law, as far as i know, and i have studied this – it does not interfere with religion. Each religious has its rules and proceedures; it is controlled by the power of the law; they (religions) are exempted.”
Thera:
“You claim that you have the support of the Buddhist Society of Western Australian and that over a thousand people agree with the ordination of bhikkhunis. This is not true. You did not ask them. You did not study from them. You kept this as a secret from the Buddhist Society. I have checked on the internet already. Even the vote of the meeting was still a secret. When you kept things secret from our monks, how could it be possible that we could be discussing it? When you kept things secret from your own Society, except for a few individuals on the Board/Committee, only about 14 people knew about this, and then you went ahead and made the decision on your own…”
3rd Thera:
“All of the branches abroad are in communication. We all felt that you made this decision unilaterally. You did not consult anyone. We we learned that we were about to go to your monastery, as those that will go to discuss at the WAM in December, then you became anxious. I have asked the monks at your monastery why you have kept this as a secret. That monk who is a caretaker of the monastery, Ven Brahmali, said that he (Ajahn Brahmavamso) is afraid that the Meeting that Loung Por Liem is going to be having is going to end of forbidding giving ordination to bhikkhunis, therefore he hastily moved ahead, and got it done in secret…”
Monks Kuti (hut) inside the forest enclave of Nong Pha Pong
Thera (@ 60.00 min)
“Ajahn Brahm is the force behind spearheading the ordination of bhikkhunis. He was the supporter of them ordaining at his monastery, even inside the sacred sima of his monastery. The other monks that joined [in the ordination] where also monks of his monastery, and when there were monks who felt uncomfortable and did not want to join he asked them to leave the sima so that they would not object. This is according to what a monk told me. I have communication with monks over there and this is what they said.”
Thera:
“Even those nuns, they foresaw that there might be a problem between the Sangha and Ajahn Brahm, so they discussed this problem and came to the decision that they did not want him to be the Kammavacacarya. So then they travelled to his temple, while Ajahn Brahm was still abroad. The nun asked him not to be Kammavacacarya, but he refused and insisted he had to be. I have talked to the nun. She said that she foresaw a crack, a problem and a division in the monk’s community at Wat Pah Pong…”
Chairman (Loung Por Liem) (@ min 77.00):
“In honor of all the Venerable Theras in this meeting about ordination: I have been living at Wat Nong Pah Pong; i have devoted my body and my high respect to Loung Por Chah since the year 2512 BE. When i came here i did my duty and i respected the Rule of Conduct of Wat Nong Pah Pong, which is not that difficult. When Loung Por Chah ordered me to go stay here and there, i followed his order. When i went to the branch in Laos — that time it was not a branch yet, it was just a jackfruit orchard — then i came back and stayed here; i didn’t get to go anywhere. He didn’t send me anywhere, therefore i got the chance to take my responsibility in helping with practice. I didn’t think there there is so much of a big deal – he (Loung Por Chah) was given the position of Upajjhaya, but he never talked about the ordination of bhikkhunis – only maechees. Maechees were like the giver of his life, so he had given the ordination to maechees, and had them come to live at Wat Nong Pah Pong. Even myself – i did the same. In 2519 BE, my mother who has borne me, came to ordain at Wat Nong Pah Pong; all the way to my younger sister who has come and ordained here. Noone said that they have to be bhikkhunis, because it would create an intimacy in a way that is not good. It is about feelings. If there is a close relationship then there is an opportunity for innapropriate emotions. When Ven Ajahn [Brahm] went to do his duty over there, where this action occured, i did not have any reaction at the time, because it did not happen in the principle of conduct in Thailand. In Thailand, i have been given the position of Upajjhaya. When i went to training, noone told me about this type of ordination, only about the ordination of men. If there are women it is called the ordination of maechee. The issue of being enlightened is not related to this title [of bhikkhuni], it is about the practice. Therefore, when we bring such senstitive issues to discussion like this, it is as if we create a problem in the field, resulting in a reaction which is judgementally critical, creating a feeling of distrust in the behavior. I don’t have much reaction, because on the Thai Theravada side, there is no such thing [as bhikkhuni ordination], therefore i am not in agreement with this action. That is all.”
The Shrine at Wat Nong Pha Pong
Another Thera (@83.30 min)
“…Is it possible for you, Ven Chaokhun Brahm, for you to stop everything? Stop everything, and stop ordaining bhikkhunis ever again. I want to hear from you: can you stop? If you can stop, they we may ask for loving kindness from our teachers. We can go forwards with the anusavana chanting. If you have made a mistake for the first time, can you understand the consequences? If not, still we will not cut you off. We can have a second Kammavaca, and chant the samanupassana. Or whatever. Which is to bring up that conduct, to say that it is unbeneficial. This second time is for the changing or dispelling of ditthi (views). If that still does not work then we can give another punishment from dukkhata to thullacaya. This third time, will you, Venerable, be able to accept abandoning this conduct? Then all of the Sangha will rejoice and bless you…”
Thera:
“Can you say yourself, can you promise in front of the Sangha Committe that you will stop? That you will accept the decision of the Sangha Committee before you do something which has such wide impact, such enormous impact? Sometimes we look at things from only one aspect. I would like to ask you, Venerable Chaokhun Brahm, if you would admit that what you have done is wrong and that you are willing to change? Our group will accept your words. Please give the opportunity to Ven Ajahn Brahm to say something to those Sangha members assembled here.”
Ajahn Brahmavamso (@91.15 min)
“I would like to thank you, Venerable Ajahn, for your kindness. I do not want the Sangha to divide. I have lived here for nine years, although i was born in a foreign country. I still see the monks here as my brothers, and i really love them; therefore, as in a family, we have to listen to our brothers. Therefore, i accept. I am not looking for followers. I will not chant in the bhikkhunis affairs, unless the Venerable Sangha of Wat Pah Pong allows me to. In the future, if the Sangha at Wat Pah Pong changes, ten years from now, a 100 years from now, a 1000 years from now — in the future i will ask for the Sangha decision of Wat Nong Pah Pong? Is that right?”
Elder Thera (@93.18 min)
(After Ven Brahmavamso answered the question about bhikkhunis and his role in it and explained the ordination) “May I, a listener, have a chance to say this: This is like you are saying ‘I am not stealing; i only carry the rope, but the buffulo somehow got trapped in the rope and followed it.’ Do you understand this? This is his meaning. This is no small matter. This is a matter of all the Sangha all over the Kingdom of Thailand. If we make a decision that is unclear, we can be criticised by Sangha all over the Kingdom. Our Monastic Committee must consider this carefully.”
Elder Thera:
“May the power of the Monastic Committee consider another point: is this action appropriate or not? The Sanghakamma needs to be discussed. Those who have been ordained are another story. But our teachers have told us: Is it possible? May i say again, is it possible that the ordination of a Sangha member may be nullified?”
Secretary of the Meeting:
“Those that have gone to pay homage to Venerable Somdet Phra Buddhajahn (the Acting Sangharaja) at Wat Saket [will know]: he said that this is a Mahayana practice, not Theravadan.”
Thera:
“…I asked the Most Venerable Somdet Buddhajahn: ‘What about the fact that Ven Ajahn Brahmavamso has ordained bhikkhunis? If we look from that point of view, what happens to those bhikkhunis?’ The Somdet answered: ‘They are upasikas (lay women) who hold precepts. It (the ordination) must be considered nullified.’
Thera:
“About nullification: what do all of the Elders sitting here together think about this? And Ven Ajahn Brahm, how do you feel that you have given the ordination, if they do not accept it? If they (those women ordained) come to Wat Nong Pah Pong, they will not be considered bhikkhunis who have gone through the natthi (ordination rite) chanting. [Their ordination] will be considered null and void. The documents and certification that you can give as an Upajjhaya relating to this entire ordination – you will not be able to issue. You will not be able to issue any of these. Can you accept this?
Ven Brahmavamso:
“After the ordination was completed, Ayya Tathaaloka, who was the Upajjhaya asked me to sign [the certificate] as a Chanting Acarya. I had to sign as the chanting Acarya. But i did not certify [the ordination as Upajjhaya]. I only signed as the Chanting Acarya. As for certifying, then who is going to certify it? Maybe the bhikkhunis in America… maybe their Upajjhayas. I did not issue the certification.”
Thera:
“Venerable Ajahn, if you regard this whole thing (the ordinations) as nullified, will you take this as you being pressured by the Sangha Committee?”
Ven Brahmavamso:
“I admit that the Thai Sangha cannot except this. But, for the United States Sangha – I am not able to come up against them.”
Thera:
“…in ordination, these are not considered full bhikkhunis, because the Theravada sect does not accept it, the Thai Sangha and the teachers and monks at Wat Pah Pong do not accept it. Therefore these cannot be regarded as full bhikkhunis. All they can be accepted as is laywomen with eight precepts, being maechees. So now, we want you to know that from now on, the Monastic Committee wants to grant you kindness. But you should not continue this, and you will stop. But in regards to them, you should not pressure them to resign [from monastic life]. They can stay and practice as maechees. That is not a problem. The Monastic Committee just wants to hear from you that you will not do this again; that you will not continue. Or, if you will continue, and want to stay with us, then this Committee cannot agree with you. If you want to stay with us, to honor your debt of gratitude to your Upajjhaya, then you must repent of your mistake and ask forgiveness from your Upajjhaya, and he will grant this to you when you ask for forgiveness. I want to hear from you – what do you have to say?”
Ven Brahmavamso:
“…I have said this for the second time now, that i will stop unless i have permission from the Committee of Wat Nong Pah Pong. In the future I will follow the decision of the Sangha of Wat Nong Pah Pong. Whatever is the decision of the Sangha at Wat Nong Pah Pong; i will always follow that. I am saying that i will stop; I will not give ordination to bhikkhunis again, unless the Committee of Wat Nong Pah Pong changes their mind. If the Mahathera Samakhom in the future –10 years from now or 20 years from now — considers that they want to allow bhikkhunis in the Thai Theravada sect, then the Monastic Committee of Wat Nong Pah Pong will then follow, then I will ask for permission to do it again. Apart from that, i will not do it.”
Another Thera:
“May i bring this to the main point? The Sangha Committee is asking you, Venerable Ajahn, whether you see the ordination that you have done as nullified, which means that those nuns are not bhikkhunis? Can you accept and can you admit that or not? This is what we are asking. We are not asking whether you will do it again or not.”
Ven Brahmavamso:
“This is very difficult because this is an issue of Vinaya. Because…”
A Thera:
“Now, now. We must take the decision of the Monastic Community, which is about unity, and which is about a united mind. If you still want to be one of our branch monasteries, you do not need to go so far as to speak about Vinaya. All of us here are senior monks and we all know the Vinaya well. So, just stay with this point.” 
Ajahn Chas relics – they have become crystallized
(@ 107.30 mins)
Ven Brahmavamso:
“If what has been done is vipatti, then it was wrong. But if it is not vipatti, then the bhikkhunis are not vipatti. I acknowledge that the Thai Monastic Committee does not accept bhikkhunis. But if i go to the United States, or if i speak to my disciples in Australia or to my disciples in Singapore, i cannot force them. If they want to regard them as bhikkhunis or maechees, then i can do nothing about that.”
Thera:
“That is your business, but if you don’t have the ability to control them, can you consider yourself their Ajahn, or not? As we are [part of the] administrative hierarchy [of this] lineage, we must excercise the chain of command…”
Ven Brahmavamso:
“If you are in doubt then you have to consult your Upajjhaya, Somdet Phra Buddhajahn. What i can promise about the ordination of bhikkhunis, is that I won’t do it again, unless…”
Thera:
“Yes, but what is vipatti? I want to point out here that the vipatti is ditthi vipatti. We do not agree with you. But are we holding the Vinaya vipatti or not? Or opinion is that your ditthi is vipatti. Can you accept this or not? This is about ditthi vipatti. Since the majority of the Sangha in our lineage do not…”
—
[Part II of translation]
Another Thera:
“Please, please – we are quarrelling here. Right now, Venerable Ajahn [former speaker] or Venerable Chaokhun [Brahm], you are both Thai [tradition] monks and you are in Thailand. All the hierarchical governing chain of command is entirely within Thailand, and Thailand cannot except this situation. Neither can the Monastic Administrative Committee of Wat Nong Pah Pong. They are currently being scritinized as ‘What are they doing there at Wat Nong Pah Pong? What about 150 Patimokkha? What about that bhikkhuni ordination?’ If each goes off on their own like this, then what will happen to the Monastic Administrative Committee at Wat Nong Pah Pong? Ven Ajahn, if you want to do it, go ahead; we won’t say anything; but you have to leave the network of Wat Nong Pah Pong. You have to leave Thailand. Or, in other words, you do not have to be a Thai [tradition] monk. You can be any kind of monk you want to be. We can avoid all problems by cutting off each other. But if you still want to be part of Wat Nong Pah Pong, then you have to humble yourself. You have to stop. You have to quit doing this. If you agree to quit doing this, then the Monastic Committee at Wat Nong Pah Pong will accept you entirely. But if you continue to do as before, you will have no benefits from Wat Pah Pong, and the Thai Monastic Committee cannot accept that either. I say this sincerely, from my heart. We, in our Committee that have gone through thick and think with the Most Venerable Loung Por Chah – we have enough knowledge and ability to do good for the Buddha Sasana. This time you did this unilaterally, without consulting the Elder Theras. Once you did that, it harmed the entire Sangha Committee. Here, in the Thai Monastic Committee, for so many hundreds of years, when we gave ordination, we had to have the Monastic Committee’s [approval]. Say, how many Sangharajas have we had so far? Whatever we do, we have to consult them. Wat Nong Pah Pong is just a small part [of the greater Sangha]. If i go and do this, and you go and do that, and everybody does what they want, then what will happen? This plot [of yours] was a ten year plan; a plan to destroy the Buddhist religion. I have been to many spots and I can tell one from another. And i can tell tell what you are doing fits right into the plot. You have been roused through many different methods to destroy Buddhism. You actually have good principles, but you have applied them in a way that is, (excuse me for saying this), corrupted by gain and corrupted by fame, or corrupted by whatever. Being in the world, if it turns out this way, i’m telling you that the Thai Monastic Committee cannot accept it. Neither can Wat Nong Pah Pong. If you think you can do whatever you were planning by yourself, then you can do it alone. Even the Ajahns in other countries will not accept it. Therefore, please understand that you must go by the majority, that is, the majority of the views of the Thai monks, which right now also includes [the majority of the] Sri Lankan, Burmese and Thais. And we will not mention China and Japan. This is the principle to uphold. If we do not uphold this principle there will be nothing left. Loung Por Chah will have no meaning. Please consider this for the sake of our Loung Pu Chah and all of our Elder monastic teachers sitting here, discussing something you did which shouldn’t have happened. Can you make a commitment that you will not do it every again? Then the Monastic Committee will bless you with their ‘Anumodana Sadhu’ again…”
Thera:
“May i speak, Ajahn? Right now, the gist of this discussion is that all of the teachers and monks in Thailand, and all of the monastic disciples of Loung Por Chah will not accept the bhikkhunis who have been ordained. Meanwhile, Ajahn Brahm says if they are accepted in other places, then it is their business. And the fact that the Sangha here does not accept, does not matter, because you will not accept in any case. Our Thai Monastic Committee and WNPP’s Committee in our Theravadan sect do not accept bhikkhunis because we understand that bhikkhunis have gone extinct from Thailand from 300 years after the Lord Buddha has reached his Parinibbana [that is, that the Bhikkhuni Sangha ended with Sanghamitta]. All of these recent supposed ordinations are fake (made up). It is not that difficult. You can get any four people together and give them [the candidates] ordination; but it is wrong. So here i want to ask Venerable Chaokhun Brahmavamso, are you going to give any more ordinations? Or are you going to quit doing this per the wish of your teachers? “
Ven Brahmavamso:
“Well, i guess i can quit… OK, i can (with a firmer voice).”
Another Thera:
“May I speak, Teachers? Here is how it went. It started from you formulating a plan to give ordination to bhikkhunis quite a while ago. And then, Sujato, your right hand man, has used very aggressive language to protest the Thai Monastic Committee including the Elders at Wat Nong Pah Pong. This is very serious. It [has come] through an email. And then you want to complete this project successfully. But you know that the international Abbots were coming to the Western [or World] Abbots’ Meeting on the 8th of December. So you went ahead and completed this project before the meeting, because you were afraid that the Community abroad will not accept this. You have gone to consult Ajahn Sumedho, and Ajahn Sumedho did not agree. Since he did not agree, you decided to go ahead and do it discreetly, so that word does not get around. The Buddhist Society [of Western Australia] was suspicious, so some of them did not attend. They were suspicious about why you did it this way, discreetly. But you went ahead and plowed through it until it was successful. Although you received documents from the Elders of Wat Nong Pah Pong warning you that if you went ahead you would be disaffiliated as a branch. This was very clear. Even Chaokhun Sumedho sent you a very clear letter, but you did not consider and obey it or the Rule of Wat Nong Pah Pong or anything. You just gave the ordination. So here it is. You are successful. You have given ordination to bhikkhunis in the Theravada sect. Bhikkhunis have been born in the Theravada sect. It is done. In addition, they were ordained in a branch of Wat Nong Pah Pong abroad in Australia. You have acheived your goal. Now that you have acheived your goal, then you soften your position and you say that you will stop doing this. But what you have done has been done, that is, the ordination of bhikkhunis complete and full. So here is the problem: now there are bhikkhunis. And so if we do not implement any measures to punish you or excommunicate you, then this is going to create future problems in the foreign branches, because people will say: ‘How is that he can give ordination and there is not consequence?’ So in other branches they will say, ‘I will do it too! And after i do it i will repent and promise not to do it again.’ This is how the problem will expand and grow larger. This is very dangerous for other foreign countries. Why is that? Because the siladharas in England or anywhere else have now evolved into an unequal situation, such that now that there are bhikkhunis, even when she [a siladhara] has been ordained for 20 years, when she comes to meet a bhikkhuni, then she is lower in the heirarchy than a bhikkhuni who has just been ordained. This is going to create a problem in our hierarchical governance in our branches in other countries, which will be damaged by this in their efforts to propogate [Buddhism].
(All of the Elders discussed what to do until 122.05 mins)
Representative From Europe:
“May I speak? I want to add that the Sangha Committee in Europe, that is, those of Loung Por Sumedho, have given the opinion that, if you will not yield or will not agree with the Monastic Committee, then we must disaffiliate you. But if you still love and miss being a disciple of this lineage, then we ask you to start your branch again from the beginning, from Level One. These are the options that you have. Whether you want to consider these options or not, it is up to you, Venerable Chaokhun [Brahmavamso].”
Thera:
“May I speak? I think we should let Venerable Ajahn Brahm make his own decision whether he wants to stay with us and stop doing all those things or whether he wants to continue to do it. Let him make that decision, and the Monastic Committee will hear you out.”
Another Thera:
“According to the Vinaya, when a bhikkhu has ditthi or is stubbornly attached to a wrong view, then the Monastic Committee should summon him. And then, the first sentence to tell him is that he will be cut off and not allowed to stay together. But then he [Ajahn Brahm] replies, ‘If I no longer wanted to be Loung Por Chah’s disciple, or if I didn’t want to be a branch of this lineage, then I wouldn’t have come all the way here.’ He came here for the purpose of explaining himself and hearing the opinion of the other monks. When the other monks asked him to stop, he said that he would stop and not do it again. And as far as the ordination that has occurred, it is not correct per Dhamma-Vinaya, therefore it is to be nullified. We have told him that. And the bhikkhunis that have been ordained, since they are not accepted by the monks, their ordination is nullified. They are simply upasikas [devoted lay women], just like they were before. Ven Chaokhun [Brahm] promised to stop. We should ask him again whether he is really going to stop for real. This is per the Vinaya. Not to just cut him off like that, and say come back in 5 years or 10 years. That is not right. We have to follow the Dhamma-vinaya.” Another Thera:
“Wait a minute! The Monastic Committee has originally notified him fully, but he would not back down. He continued to give the ordination. We notified him; we told him in all possible ways many, many times. But he was not afraid. He just went ahead and continued with the ordination until it was completed, until he produced a Theravada bhikkhuni. How are we going to solve this problem? This is going to spread all over the world. The Most Venerable Somdet Phra Buddhajahn has said that, ‘If he wants to give ordination, then alright. Let him be Mahayana.’ Then he [Ajahn Brahmavamso] replied, ‘We are not splitting from you, but you are splitting from us into Mahayana.’ This is what he said.”
(@ 126.17 min – The Elders Explain About the Request to Phra Ajahn Brahmavamso to Wait Until the Meeting in December to Give Ordination)
(@ 130.55 min ) Another Thera:
“May I speak? So far as I have heard, I think that this is a deliberate wrongdoing, in defiance of the Monastic Committee. We have heard about the issue of bhikkhunis many times. Many of us have heard about it. Yet he stubbornly took action as he wished. This means that he has won; he was successful. The best thing to do is to let him win. Let him go to another sect. But in our Theravada sect, counting from [the Acting Sangharaja] Chao Phrakhun Somdet [Buddhajahn] all the way down [through the monastic rankings and hierarchy], I am sure that no one will accept; no one in this entire country. He knows that these are bhikkhunis, and he had a part in it. It is not an accidental, momentary mistake. It has been know for many years that there is a movement to want to give ordination to bhikkhunis. Thus, he willfully committed wrongdoing. In my opinion, the best thing to do is to ask him to leave the Theravadan sect. This is my opinon.”
Another Thera:
“We invite you, Venerable Chaokhun [Brahmavamso], to make your decision now. It is up to you. There is no one who can control you.”
Another Thera:
“I request that Venerable Chaokhun [Brahamavamso] sign a concession and the Secretary will make a document to notify Somdet [Phra Buddhajahn] and send it to all – that says that what you have done is to be nullified. Can you accept that – that what you have done is to be nullified? Will you be willing to sign that document which will be prepared by the Secretary? If it has not been signed, then it hasn’t been corrected. Can you do that? I mean signing the document which is a notification to Chaokhun Somdet [Phra Buddhajahn]. Do you agree to it, that what you have done is to be nullified? This action is important. It is easy to say with words that you agree, but we must have documentation with your signature on it. I will be brief. Is there anyone else who has any other opinion? Please express your opinion. Or Loung Por [Liem], will you please summerize?
Another Thera:
“But if we have already excommunicated him, whether he agrees to sign or not is his business now. We shouldn’t have anything more to do with it now.”
Loung Por Liem:
“Our meeting has been going on for two hours now, and we are still unclear in this matter. As for myself, I do not agree with this action, [that is, the ordination]. This is because we have notified you [Ajahn Brahm] ahead of time, in writing. This is my feeling. If there are any other monks here who agree to that, I bless them with my ‘Anumodana’. I do not agree with the ordination of bhikkhunis, which means that I do not accept it. Is there anyone in this group who agrees or disagrees? If he asks, I am asking him to say if he is going to stop doing this anymore? That is all. Do you understand.” Another Thera:
“Ven Chaokhun Brahm, do you understand? Please express yourself which direction you want to go.”
Venerable Brahmavamso:
“I don’t understand. I already explained myself. I don’t understand what the problem is. I already said that I will stop.”
Thera:
“Will you follow the resolution of the Monastic Committee?”
Venerable Brahmavamso:
“I will follow the resolution of the Monastic Committee.”
Thera:
“OK. So you will follow the Committee of Wat Nong Pah Pong as before, but from now on you will also follow the Monastic Committee [of the Mahathera Samakhom]?”
Another Thera:
“But wait a minute! When you said you follow the Monastic Committee, it means that you must issue a document that the ordination of bhikkhunis transgressed the Dhamma-vinaya, that is, the Vinaya that Loung Por Chah and the branches of his lineage have practiced with for long. You must admit that you have committed a wrongdoing, and then this document will be distributed all over the world. Alright?”
Ven Brahmavamso:
“But I cannot issue this letter.”
Thera:
“If you cannot do it, then it means that you still hold that your conduct is correct. You only admit guilt after you have completed the [Sangha]kamma. This is really up to the Committee now. I think it doesn’t hold at all. It really shows that he does not truly admit that what he has done is wrong.”
Another Thera:
“Yes, if he does not accept Dhamma-Vinaya, because he thinks that it is merely an opinion of the majority of the monks, this is a case of ditthi (holding a view). This is the ditthi: he regards himself as knowing everything about Dhamma-Vinaya, therefore he will not yield. He said that it is not doable. He said, this is the ditthi of the majority of the monks who do not agree with him. But since the majority does not agree — he is the only person that agrees — thus it is he who has ditthi, [that is, he who is clingling to his own view].
Another Thera:
“This is similar to the case of [ex-monk and Prime Minister] Phra Kugrit Pramot who said that he wanted to chant 150 as opposed to the 227 [precepts of the Bhikkhu Patimokkha]. He insisted on 150. Therefore we excommunicated him.
Another Thera:
“But ditthi is the view of the majority of the Monastic Committee. This is for the purpose of unity and harmony. I think we should call a halt to it, that is, not allowing it [bhikkhuni ordination] to happen, not allowing it to be born. We must halt it by nullifying the ordination, by recognizing that they are not bhikkhunis. And you, Ven Chaokhun [Brahm] must admit everything. And the Sangha will consider to have you start again, per the opinion of the European Sangha, that is, to start as a new brach, starting from one. Ven Chaokhun, can you accept this or not?
Ven Brahmavamso:
“I still do not understand why. What evidence do you have that this is transgressing the Vinaya?”
Thera:
“[To Ajahn Brahm]: So, that is it. You do not accept. So as of now you do not accept that you are wrong and that you will change. [To the Committee:] I ask the Committee what judgement will you have?”
(The Committee discussed until 143.32 min)
Thera:
“OK, you will not be in the Theravada sect. Are you going to go to the Mahayana sect?”
Ven Brahmavamso:
“I am not Mahayana. But as far as I know, as you all have explained – what is the reason for saying that this is not a real ordination? If Somdet Buddhajahn who is my Upajjhaya is able to me that it is really wrong, then I will admit it. But it has to have reason. I have not heard a reason. I don’t understand. And also…
(monks explain the reason and there is debate up till 145.32 mins)
Ven Brahmavamso:
“I am speaking the truth. In brief, I do not want to step on the toes of other monks. If i have to say that the ordination is not real, then I cannot say that. But if the Monastic Committee thinks that I have to disaffiliate from being a branch, then I will accept that, because this is the truth. The truth is the truth. [This next sentence is broken Thai and difficult to translate so may be incorrect]: I see many disciples, and those that will be my disciples can be either monastics or lay people, and there are those amongst them that are experts in the monastic Vinaya… Then let’s make it simple. Cut Bodhinyana off as a branch; I accept that.
Thera:
“So are you still a branch of Wat Nong Pah Pong at this time?”
Ven Brahmavamso:
“I can accept disaffiliation, so that this will not be a problem for the monks. It is a very heavy decision, because I still love all of my teachers, but I don’t want to be a problem anymore. So if there are monks, even 2 or 3 who are unhappy, then I accept that. And then being a little distant, I want you to reconsider that. But what has been done has been done, and was done according to the monastic Vinaya. And from what I have heard from the Venerable Somdet [Phra Buddhajahn] of Wat Saket, it [such ordination] is according to Vinaya but it is not accepted in Thailand, but it is accepted in Australia.”
(some commotion)
Thera:
“This is the situation, in the Theravada sect, in the Thai sect, wherever Thai Theravada Buddhism is over the entire world: we do not accept the ordination of bhikkhunis is accordance with Dhamma-Vinaya. Before coming to this meeting, I had a telephone conversation with Ven Chaokhun Panna who is the Secretary of Somdet [Phra Buddhajahn], who said that Chaokhun Somdet [Phra Buddhajahn] gave you this policy [that was just stated prior]. So whatever the decision is of the Monastic Committee today, we will follow that.”
Ven Brahmavamso:
“I am ready to follow the resolution of the Wat Nong Pah Pong monks. If you want me to disaffilate the branch, I will. If you want me to start the branch over from one; OK, I am ready to do that.
(discussion about disaffiliation/excommunication amongst the monks until 160.25 mins)
Devotees of Wat Nong Pah Pong attend the Ajahn Chah memorial day
Thera:
“I have asked for the resolution, and it keeps going on and on endlessly. Why don’t we do this: I heard that the Loung Por Chairmen [Ajahn Liem] said that if it is so much trouble then just ‘cut it off;’ so then this is the resolution: I ask the Committee, do you agree or disagree? If anyone disagrees please say so.
Another Thera:
“May I speak? I feel confused, but now I am pretty clear. Loung Por Liem said, ‘cut the monastery out.’ Please, all temple Chairmen and Abbots here, what do you think, do you bless this decision or not?”
(Alot of monks said ‘Sadhu’ [after 3 tries].)
Loung Por Liem:
“So our meeting here has reached an agreement of the governance of the group. It has taken almost three hours and we have finally agreed in the form of divorce. You can go ahead and do your job over there, and over here we will continue to not agree with it. Therefore, this resolution is backed by the majority of the monastic community here. This meeting can adjourn and we can all go back to our duties. Let us all close the meeting by paying homage to the Buddha.”
—
As reported by http://www.alittlebuddha.com
Dec 21, 2552 BE [2009 CE]
English translation by Supatra Chowchuvech
Wat Nong Pah Pong Website http://www.watnongpahpong.org/indexe.php
Taken from a Wikipedia article on Prajnaparamitta
At first sight, The Perfection of Wisdom is bewildering, full of paradox and apparent irrationality. Yet once one accepts that trying to unravel these texts without experiencing the intuitions behind them is not satisfactory, it becomes clear that paradox and irrationality are the only means of conveying to the reader those underlying intuitions that would otherwise be impossible to express. Edward Conze succinctly summarized what The Perfection of Wisdom is about, saying, ‘The thousands of lines of the Prajñ?paramit? can be summed up in the following two sentences:
- 1. One should become a bodhisattva (or, Buddha-to-be), i.e. one who is content with nothing less than all-knowledge attained through the perfection of wisdom for the sake of all beings.
- 2. There is no such thing as a bodhisattva, or as all-knowledge, or as a ‘being’, or as the perfection of wisdom, or as an attainment. To accept both of these contradictory facts is to be perfect.’
The central idea of The Perfection of Wisdom is complete release from the world of existence. The Perfection of Wisdom goes beyond earlier Buddhist teaching that focused on the rise and fall of phenomena to state that there is no such rise and fall—because all phenomena have no inherent nature, but arise from projections of the mind. The earlier perception had been that reality is composed of a multiplicity of things.
The Perfection of Wisdom states that there is no multiplicity: all is one. Even existence (samsara) and nirvana are essentially the same, and both have no inherent nature, but arise from the projections of my mind. The view of The Perfection of Wisdom is that words and analysis have a practical application in that they are necessary for us to function in this world but, ultimately, all that we experience is a dream painted on a surface with no inherent nature.
Within this context of lacking inherent nature, The Perfection of Wisdom offers a way to enlightenment. It represents the formal introduction to Buddhist thought of a practical ideal—the ideal of a bodhisattva. Unlike an arhat or pratyekabuddha, beings who achieve enlightenment but cannot pass on the means of enlightenment to others, a bodhisattva should and does teach. A bodhisattva must practice the six perfections: giving, morality, patience, vigour, contemplation and wisdom. Wisdom is the most important of these because it dispels the darkness of sensory delusion and allows things to be seen as they really are.
Source;
R.C. Jamieson : The Perfection of Wisdom (New York : Penguin Viking, 2000. ISBN 0-670-88934-2 pp. 8–9)
An Ordained member of the Sangha (and a good friend of mine)n was questioned and criticized for his act of writing a book based on his life and experiences which led up to him becoming a Buddhist monk, and the things that happened thereafter and where they are leading. The criticism suggested that the Patimokkha forbids a Bhikkhu to write about himself.
There is nothing wrong with being happy or having peace, and Meditation is most certainly a method which can bring both of these things to us.
But the pursuit of peace or happiness through Meditation (Samadhi) should not be the goal.. such would be an obstacle……..
Dhamma Blog – Latest Dhamma Downloads ;
The Dhamma Downloads Page has been Updated wth some new additions. You can see all the downloads there by visiting the page, or download the latest additions by using the links in this post;
Atta, Anatta, and the art of not clinging to either concept;
Once there was a Layman who came to Ajahn Chah and asked him who Ajahn Chah was. Ajahn Chah, seeing …
“Meditation is just about the mind and it’s feelings. It’s not something you have to run after or struggle for. Breathing continues whilst working. Nature takes care of the natural …
Simple and to the point are the famous sayings of Ajarn Chah – here are a few tasters for you to see how the Master Ajarn Chah managed to take some of the Dhamma’s most difficult concepts and make them simple to grasp;
The Eye of the Storm – disentangled thought
A Musing about the letting go process of disentangled thought which I dealt with in the previous Musing “where is the Centre?”
Before …
|
|
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_b.png?x-id=653741c6-5454-42cc-a0bf-12084b1e5088)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_b.png?x-id=b5768d5a-8ee5-4cc5-b107-f290ad24ad53)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_b.png?x-id=bb3428be-6c6d-4cb3-8658-4a3722e2928d)
Popular Posts