Word of the Buddha (part 12) | Ajahn Brahm | 13 May 2018

Part 12: Ajahn Brahm takes the 12th sutta class, working from the book "Word of the Buddha" by Venerable Nyanatiloka.
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Copyright Buddhist Society of Western Australia

The Irreverent. Hey! we are on the
same page

literally (laughs)

OK we got a couple of minutes

so what we have done here;

they are some of the teachings
from the Anguttara Nikaya

and I lumped them all together
a long time ago because they show

from one thing it causes another thing

from that thing it causes another thing

it just shows how the path works as
a sequence

and if the previous factor is not there;
then the next factor is not there.

So it shows that one thing is necessary
before you can experience the next thing

Something which is very common
throughout the Buddhist teachings

like cause and effect.

And the effect becomes the cause
for the next thing and so on.

Anyway I shouldn't run-off
or run-forward too much because

there are still some people coming in

Maybe because of the road-works of
Morley Drive and Constance Street

some people get a bit lost.

so we'll give them an extra couple of minutes
before we start today's Sutta Class.

And of course in two weeks time it's
our Vesak Day

So because it's Vesak Day
we won't be having a Sutta Class that day

There's many more activities
which we shall be busy with

(Ajahn giving time for people
to come in)

(Ajahn giving time for people
to come in)

(Ajahn giving time for people
to come in)

OK I think maybe...

let's see....people are coming in here now

So I can begin now.

Usually when I give a talk straight
from the Suttas

usually I do 'Namo Thassa" first of all
just as a mark of respect

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa

Buddham, Dhammam, Sangham namassami.

Very Good

So at the end of the new translation
which I did of the Word of the Buddha

there were more suttas; small ones
from the Anguttara Nikaya

which I also translated

again different than what you
have seen before

And these are The Anguttara Nikaya
if you have a look through it

it is a group of suttas -
Word of the Buddha

but they are arranged according
to some numerical order

so the first one I have here 5.21
Irreverent

This means the 21st sutta in the;
what we call the fives, the group of fives

where they have maybe
the five hindrances, the five powers

the five indriyas; anything to do with
five is usually put in that group.

but also those Suttas are very short;

because they are very short, it is
wonderful to study them by yourself

but if it comes to a session like this
one sutta is not enough

to make a one hour 15 minute class
all that meaningful.

so because of that we try and get
a group of discourses

from the Anguttara Nikaya
as to make it more interesting.

and these particular ones were
put together

because you always notice that these
show this idea of conditionality

of cause and effect; of one thing
being the cause of another

and if that first thing is not there then
the second thing cannot arise.

and it is almost as if it's
beyond your will-power

if those causes aren't there

doesn't matter how much you strive and
will and wiggle

you cannot get that next part of the
causal chain

but later on, one of the last
in this group here

the very well known sutta

that even if you don't will
if you don't make this effort

still when one cause is there
the effect will have to happen

So it's cause and effect.

Not somebody intervening with;

similar to laws of science,
laws of physics.

Divine intervention or your intervention
will not affect the outcome.

So first of all this is 'Irreverent'

"Meditators; when a meditator is irreverent
and undeferential,

and their behavior is uncongenial
to the fellow meditators

it is impossible for them to fulfill the
factor of proper conduct.

and the idea of irreverent is like
unrespectful and not giving

weight or 'gaurava'
it means like respect to others

It doesn't always mean respect
according to their position,

how long they have been in the Sangha

whether they are
male or female or whatever

what it really means is
you respect one another

so if you come into a hall and if
somebody is meditating

doesn't matter who you are
you don't try and make a noise

you respect that they are here
peacefully, calmly and you just try and

come in without them knowing
that you have come in

so you respect and you revere
the fact that they are doing something

which is very very good.

An un-deferential obviously is
just to defer to those people

who are already here;
don't encroach on their space.

This idea of sensitivity to the other
is what is really meant here

to be reverent and deferential.

Giving up your seat; if you happen
to be healthy and somebody else

needs a seat more than you do.

So little things like that;
just basic etiquette.

And then you find if you are
irreverent and un-deferential

then your behaviour is uncongenial
to your fellow meditators.

Congeniality, like friendliness
not harming one another

by body, speech or mind.

and of course if you don't have that
reverence and deference

then you find it impossible for them
to fulfill the factor of proper conduct;

which is quite obvious.

Without fulfilling that factor of
proper conduct

it is impossible for them to fulfill the
factor of a trainee.

This is what they call for the monks,
it's called the Sekha Dhammas

It is the training

again just the proper respect,
eating properly, walking properly

not encroaching on others.

Being sort of good conduct of
yourself.

Not shouting, not interrupting

This is called
proper conduct.

And it's, proper conduct is
pretty easy to understand

sometimes one just needs to stand
back and see other peoples' conduct

and then you think 'oh my goodness; I've
done the same and it doesn't look good'.

And it's not sort of helpful.

It is not something which I like to see
in others

and I don't want to see it on myself.

So without fulfilling the factor of
proper conduct

it's impossible for them to fulfill
the factor of a trainee.

Without fulfilling the factor of a trainee

it is impossible to fulfill
virtuous behaviour.

So virtuous behaviour to be fulfilled,
obviously you have to learn and train.

Without fulfilling virtuous behaviour

it is impossible for them to
fulfill Right View.

That is the Right View of things like
no permanent essence, no self,

that suffering in the world of the
five senses and delusion

to see actually what's really going on
in this world.

Without fulfilling Right View

It is impossible for them to fulfill
the Jhanas, Samma Samadhi.

Now it doesn't mean that someone
can't get Jhana

until they have got Right view.

This means to fulfill Samma Samadhi

To really fulfill the Jhanas. So that
one can achieve or enter or disappear

into those Jhanas whichever way
you wish to describe it.

It is dependent upon having
some Right View

And if you don't have the Right View
then you find the Jhanas, Samma Samadhi

that stillness become quite hit and miss
mostly miss, very rarely hit

sometimes hit only by a bit of chance.

so the Right View is important for the
Factors of Jhanas

And how do you get the Right View?

by fulfilling the virtuous behaviour
first of all.

So this is sometimes where the virtuous
behaviour, the sīla, your precepts

that is an important fact, a factor,
important cause for seeing things

according to truth and also for
fulfilling the deep meditations.

So when a meditator is reverential
and deferential

and the behaviour is congenial to their
fellow meditators

it is possible for them to fulfill the
duty of proper conduct

Having fulfilled the duty of
proper conduct

it is possible for them to fulfill the
duty of a Trainee.

Having fulfilled the duty of a trainee
it is possible for them to fulfill

virtuous behaviour.

Having fulfilled the virtuous behaviour

it is possible for them to fulfill
Right View

and having fulfilled Right View, it is
possible for them to fulfill the Jhanas

The Samma Samadhi.

Sometimes people meditate just
through force

and they get frustrated

So instead of using will-power
to fulfill Jhanas

it comes from Right View.

Where does Right View come from?
virtuous behaviour,

Where does virtuous behaviour
come from?

doing the duty of a trainee,
proper conduct

and right from the beginning here
being reverential and deferential

and being congenial
to your fellow meditators

One thing leading to another.

Any questions on that short Sutta?

Yes,

Question: Does it refer to just meditators
or all people?

It is just the Fellow Meditators,
people on the path.

In other words your congeniality
to everybody

is a task which is almost impossible

This is one thing I can remember
Roosevelt saying

you can please all the people
some of the time

Some of the people
all the time

you can't please all the people
all the time.

So the congeniality here

There is 'meditators' here

because this Sutta was originally
given to a community of Bhikkhus, monks

So that's why...
it was said especially to monks

So instead of just having monks;
then you say 'what about the Bhikkhunis?'

What about those others who are
pursuing the Path appropriately, diligently

So that's why I call it Meditators.

That would say include all of you here

but may be it wouldn't sort of include...
because these are not people who are

trying to get to Jhanas

Say, I don't know people of
different religions, different faiths

who are really trying to do something
totally different.

Yes... OK

Question: Ajahn, I believe I've heard it said that

Right View depends on words of an Aryan
and also the work of the mind......

response: That is coming in one of the
other sequences

Question: I was just wondering how
that fits into this lineage?

OK this comes in because being
congenial to others

especially other teachers means that
you tend to hang out with them much more.

Because you hang out with them much more
because of your congeniality

because you are deferential and
reverent or whatever

and kind to them, that usually you just
hear them more, be around with them more.

So that's actually how it would work.

but those are the causes that come up in
one of the other

conditional sequences coming up soon

Yeah

Question: Ajahn what is the duty of a trainee?

The duties of a trainee are many
They call it Sekha Dhamma

which is specially for monastics
there are many duties which we do:

the etiquette of eating,
the duties towards teachers

the teachers duties towards
their disciples

The duty to be devoted to solitude; to
spend as much time as possible

There are many many duties which we have

and it is not just for our own practice

The duties to serve others

There was a case...
this was from the Vinaya

where obviously many of the duties are
expounded at length

Where the monks of one temple at the
time of the Buddha made a vow

to have silence for the whole
three months

Three months of vow of silence

and the people who came to offer dana
listen and ask questions

they were faced with these monks
just being quite all the time

in absolute silence
not even giving a blessing

So they complained to the Buddha
said 'that's not your duty to be silent'

'you have to serve others as well as
having times for quietness for yourself'

So it's understanding the duties
which we have as monks and nuns

and the duties which you have as
lay meditators.

So we serve one another.

but there are many but I think you
can usually understand

the purpose is try and not to be
self-centered, what's in it for me,

to let go by doing kind beautiful
things for others including yourself.

OK the next one
OK for Mindfulness in the Eights

Meditators when there is no
mindfulness and wisdom

this is the sati sampajañña

and in Ajahn Chah's; the forest tradition:
it was always called sati paññā

Mindfulness and wisdom

We never saw or heard those forest
teachers

where I grew up and learnt my
practice of Buddhist monasticism

I never heard them use of mindfulness
just by itself

It was always mindfulness and wisdom.

Those two words were so twinned
it was impossible in my memory

to hear one without the other.

So this was always like
Mindfulness and Wisdom.

When there is no mindfulness
and wisdom

the sense of moral shame
and moral dread

lack their main cause.

Moral shame and moral dread is the
fact that if one does something

which was inappropriate, harms
or hurts another person

the person often feels regret

'what did I do that for;
why did I do that?'

that type of remorse.

Later on in your development

when the sense of self diminishes
more and more and more,

that lack of shame tends to change
into something more

it's not that you are ashamed
of your own deeds

ashamed that you are representing
the Dhamma

representing the Buddha

and you've almost let the team down
rather than something by yourself.

And the moral dread; dread is
bit of a harsh word

but it is just the understanding that

the bad actions of body, speech
do have consequences.

Oh crikey 'I don't want those
consequences to cause further problems

either for myself or for others.

So that's the idea of moral shame and
dread otherwise known as hiri ottappa

So when there is no mindful of wisdom

then hiri ottappa, this moral
shame and dread lack their main cause.

When there is no sense of moral
shame and moral dread

restraint of the senses

sense faculties lacks its main cause

in other words 'anything goes'

And it's not the case of

ok I can do anything because
no one is watching me

now you know that Facebook
is watching you,

Google is tracking you.

Without Facebook or Google at least
you are tracking you,

you know what you are doing.

This is the restraint of the
sense faculties

lack their main cause

when there is no sense of
'what you are doing this for'

'are you shaming yourself'

or are you really aware of the
consequences of your actions

and if you have a sense of that shame,
and consequences,

then you find that the sense faculties restraint
do have a cause.

and of course once you have restrained
the sense faculties

when you have no restraint of the
sense faculties (sorry)

then virtuous behaviour
lacks it main cause

So sometimes without that
sense restraint

sometimes... that sense restraint means

I should explain that in more depth

it is like when you see
something in the shops

thinks 'Oh that looks really nice' and seeing
all of its wonderful features and

how wonderful that would be, one
tends to want to buy it

In other words the restraint is overtaken
by the greed, wanting and ownership

And I can never forget the time...
think that person is not here, thank goodness

when somebody turned up on a
Friday afternoon

with a TV, a big new LCD? plasma screen TV...

I've never bought one of these, I'm not
quite sure what the right terminology is

but it is a big TV and he said
'Do you want this? for the temple?'

I said 'we don't want a TV;
he said 'but it's new!"

he said 'I just bought it'

But how can you buy something
when you don't want it?

Because it was on sale, he said

And that was the first time,
I couldn't believe

that somebody would buy something
just because it was a bargain,

when they didn't need it.

Sorry to me I cannot understand that
may be I was born in the wrong century.

But nevertheless when you do
have a sense of restraint

then all your behaviour can be a
bit more virtuous, kind, simple, frugal

just non destructive
because we have a sense of restraint.

Then virtue can actually
not harming oneself or others

by body, speech or mind.

When there is no virtuous behaviour

again the Jhana Samma Samādhi,
the meditation lacks its main cause.

This is emphasizing once again the
importance of sīla the virtuous behaviour

to get to deep meditation.

Sometimes people would say just
go on retreats; as many as you can

what they do outside the retreats

is not really by any standard all that
virtuous

which means you are not going to have
all that much success during the retreat.

When there is no Jhāna,

the knowledge and vision of things
as they really are lacks its' main cause.

It's one of the reasons why I put
these things down

this is straight (you can check it out for
yourself) from the Suttas

This is just showing that you do need
the Jhānas to get the real deep insights.

You can't just think OK I am going
to get real insight without the Jhānas

when there is no Jhāna the knowledge
and vision of things as they really are

lacks its' main cause.

Jhāna paccayā yathābhūta nyanadassanam

When there is no knowledge and vision
of things as they really are

you don't see things,
the truth of nature.

Then Nibbida fading away
lack their main cause

This word Nibbida--I never translated it
here because there are some words

also the word Jhāna

I don't think that has an adequate
translation into English

Many people try and it ends
up confusing the matter.

So why do we need to change a word
which many people who are meditators

have heard so often

At least they have an understanding
what it refers to.

It's a technical term.

So the Jhāna is necessary to see
things as they really are

and when you see things as they really are

then this word Nibbida.

Nibbida is like turning away
it's a repulsion

It is what I call samsara's
ejector seat.

So if you can imagine samsara

the wheel of samsara going round and
round and round and round and round

just being equanimous
'Oh it's all OK,

just means you stay on that wheel
as it goes round and round and round

you are not really attached to the wheel

but you are not pushed off
from the wheel

It's like you still keep going
round and round with that wheel

You need to press the little button
the ejector seat

to push you off the wheel of samsara.

That injector seat is Nibbida.

It is a negative word

It means this isn't good enough

I don't want to stay around here
this is just more suffering

So the Nibbida button

From the NIbbida
'I am not interested in it any more'

It's not a case of aversion

but a case of
'this doesn't make any sense any more'

So that's why you don't get involved in
you move away from it.

And from there the fading away.

The word 'fading away' is called
'virāga'

It can be translated in two ways

dispassion is one way

but the fading away is certainly
a valid translation of virāga

Many Pali scholars agree on that.

And in this context it seems to be the
most appropriate

Things fade away.

For example sometimes people get
Nibbida towards the world

is really sort of hard to survive

there is always new taxes, new politics
new difficulties, just surviving

and you just want to turn away.

to turn away in such a way that things
just vanish, you just move away

so your attachments to that
part of life fade.

And when there is no nibbida and
fading away

liberation lacks its main cause

And the simile, there is another simile
in this sutta.

When a tree is deficient in branches
and foliage its' new shoots

barks, softwood and heartwood
do not grow to fullness

So you do need branches and foliage

for new shoots, barks and softwood
and heartwood to grow to fullness

and it is interesting that,
that simile of a tree, branches and foliage

shoots, barks, softwood and heartwood

it has actually been used in
other contexts

where the heartwood is the liberation
the softwood is the Jhānas

and the bark is the virtue

You have to go through virtue
the sīla, samādhi of the softwood

to get to the heartwood.

Meditators, now we have the opposite

When there is mindfulness and wisdom
sati paññā

The sense of moral shame and moral dread

possess the main cause.

you are aware and you are wise.

You think why do I want to do this for?

If there is no sense of self
It's not right for the tradition, the path

that you act in such a way,
you speak in such a way

and you know there are consequences

your mindfulness and wisdom

one thing with mindfulness;

mindfulness will also have within
its' ability to remember

So even in neuroscience if you
are mindful of a particular act or speech

it makes a connection.

A neuro-link.

So the mindfulness is also a way
of training and memory as well.

You may not be a memory
in the sense of...

memory of what you had for
breakfast this morning.

But you remember the training
you remember what to do in the same way

that your memory of how to drive a car.

it's not sort of verbal,
it's just automatic now

but you know what to do, when to do it.

because of the training with
mindfulness and wisdom

And there you get the sense of shame and
understand the moral consequences of these

because you have been there, done that
you understood it.

When there is that moral shame and
moral dread then it was said;

that restraint to the sense faculties
possess their main cause

'I don't want to get into this anymore,
I have done it so many times,

I've been burnt

So that restraint has its' cause.

When there is restraint of the
sense faculties

then the virtuous behaviour
has it's main cause.

With the virtuous behaviour
as its' main cause

then the great Jhānas
possess their main cause

When there is Jhāna the knowledge
and vision of things as they really are

possess their main cause

When there is knowledge and vision
of things as they really are

nibbāna or fading away
possess their main cause

When there is nibbāna or fading away
liberation possess its main cause.

So when a tree is sufficient in
branches and foliage

its new shoots barks, softwood
and hardwood grow to fullness.

So too when there is
mindfulness and wisdom ...

the liberation possess its main cause.

Questions on that one?

You can see in this one, I will go back
again to the positive one here

When you have one thing, then sooner
or later when there are sufficient

branches and foliage, of course
the shoots and barks will actually grow.

They don't have to desire to grow
it's cause and effect

When there is virtuous behaviour, then
these other things happen in due course

Not straight away;
but as the tree develops

it will come to fullness.

Question - when they sustained
over time.. these things;

then they becomes the cause
for the next thing

you just do it once or twice or
then you fall off; then you do

once or twice more.

Ajahn-Indeed. The simile which they used
of a tree is a very good one.

Once you have the foliage,
there are lots of branches

of course that takes a while

but it's going to happen.
The tree is going to grow.

The next one here-
The Delusion

Meditators, some say that a first
beginning of delusion cannot be seen

such that; before then
it was only wisdom

and after that delusion came to exist.

I know that sometimes people say
that people are born innocent

and saintly like a young child.

Sometimes no.. they do carry on
carry their past experiences

So first beginning of delusion

cannot be seen that

before then it was only wisdom
after that delusion came to exist.

This is the idea like beginning of things.

And it makes a point that instead of
focusing on the beginning of things

beginning of worlds, planets and stuff

This is more like talking about the
beginning of the

streams of consciousnesses of beings

which inhabits this stuff.

So I did always rail against that
in science

where they say the beginning
of worlds...

what do you mean the world;
not just the stuff

its not just
'who made the car'

but where did the drivers come from?

You know the people sitting
in the driving seat, instead of stuff

So in Buddhism they were
much more concerned

with the beginning of the streams of
consciusnesses

which can take rebirth in so many
different forms of existence

one of those forms being this
planet Earth.

So some say that first beginning of
delusion can not be seen..

such that before then was only wisdom

after that delusion came to exist

I say that delusion has
a nutriment

The idea of a nutriment

not like which cause with
a flip of a switch

but a nutriment, food, sustenance

which again reinforces the idea of
a general slow continuous growth

So just like a tree has its' nutriments

which would be like a good soil
and water and sun

and nothing to disturb it

that delusion or the five hindrances

delusion is avijjā
seeing which in the wrong way

has its nutriments and that's the
five hindrances

Many of you know the five hindrances,

the nīvarana, the wanting in terms
of the realm five senses

aversion, sloth and torpor
restlessness and remorse

and skeptical doubt.

I'll just go a little bit further
into that... why not

that when there is a wanting
you see what you want to see

if you see what you want to see
it distorts sort of perception

which is covered by delusion,
it is wish full thinking

And the next hindrance, aversion
becomes like denial.

You do not want to see

it really upsets you, which is scary

And of course sloth and torpor

that's when the mind is too dull
to see clearly

And the next one is restlessness-

you are not focused enough
you are just falling all over the place

you only see fragments of reality

rather than staying long enough to
penetrate into it

and skeptical doubt

is again part of... I would call it a part of
restlessness

because this can't be right,
that can't be right

you are interfering, you are restless
with things rather than leaving it alone

and letting the information just
come up to you.

So the five hindrances, you can
see how the human psychology

they become the nutriment for
delusion.

And the five hindrances have
a nutriment

That's the three kinds of
misconduct

by body, speech and mind.

They tend to reinforce those hindrances.

Three kinds of misconduct has a
nutriment

the lack of sense restraint.

The lack of sense restraint
has a nutriment

lack of mindfulness and wisdom

And it comes a little bit more

Before mindfulness and wisdom

Lack of mindfulness and wisdom has a
nutriment careless attention

So sometimes when people say
mindfulness is really important

Wisdom is Important
yes but how do you become mindful

so you have to have
Careful Attention

But why do you have careless attention
it's the lack of faith, lack of like trust

Lack of faith has a nutriment
not hearing the true Dhamma

Not hearing the true Dhamma
has a nutriment

not associating with
good persons

This is sathpurisha which usually
refers to people who've seen the Dhamma

Thus not associating with..
it's basically Aryans becomes full

fills up not hearing the good dhamma,

not hearing the good dhamma
becomes full

fills up the lack of faith

Lack of faith becomes full
fills up careless attention.

Careless attention becomes full

fills up the lack of
mindfulness and wisdom

Lack of mindfulness and
wisdom becomes full

fills up none restraint of the sense faculties

none restraint of the sense faculties
becoming full

fills up the three kinds of
misconduct

The three kinds of misconduct
becoming full

fill up the five hindrances

The five hindrances becoming full

fill up delusion

Thus there is nutriment for delusion,
and in this way it keeps full.

Just as, when rain pours down

in thick droplets on a mountaintop
the water flows down along the slope

and fills the clefts, gullies, and creeks;

these, becoming full, fill up the pools;

these, becoming full,
fill up the lakes;

these, becoming full, fill up the streams;

these, becoming full,
fill up the rivers;

and these, becoming full,
fill up the great ocean

thus there is nutriment for the
great ocean and in this way it keeps full.

So too, not associating with
good persons, becoming full,

fulfills not hearing the good Dhamma….
(so on, so on)

The five hindrances, becoming full,
fill up delusion

Thus there is nutriment for delusion,
and in this way keeps full.

And on the opposite

Meditators; true knowledge and liberation
(Enlightenment) has its nutriment

the seven factors of enlightenment

And for those of you... OK quickly run
through the seven factors of enlightenment

It's Mindfulness, Exploring the Dhamma

it's energy, it's joy, it's tranquility

it's stillness and it is equanimity

Sometimes I don't know about
equanimity, sometimes I feels like

translating it as contentment
instead of equanimity.

Sometimes equanimity people call
as indifference.

So obviously the equanimity
the Upekkhā

literally means just 'looking on'

Contentment may be.. but not quiite
a good word but it's getting

much closer than equanimity

which sometimes people think
is indifference

So those are the Seven Factors
of Enlightenment

They have a nutriment and
that is the satipaṭṭhāna

Four focuses of mindfulness

The four focuses of mindfulness
have a nutriment

The three kinds of good conduct

You have to do the good conduct
first of all.

The three kinds of good conduct
have a nutriment

restraint of the sense faculties

Restraint of the sense faculties
have a nutriment

Mindfulness and wisdom

Mindfulness and wisdom have a nutriment
Careful Attention

Careful attention have a nutriment
faith

Faith has a nutriment
hearing the true Dhamma

Hearing the true Dhamma has
a nutriment

the association with
good persons (with Aryans)

and association with good persons
being full

fills up hearing the true Dhamma

Hearing the good Dhamma becomes full
fills up faith

Faith becomes full
fills up careful attention

Careful attention becomes full
for mindfulness and wisdom

I read faith also as
inspiration as well

Mindfulness and wisdom becoming full
fill up restraint of the sense faculties

restraint of the sense faculties
becoming full

fills up the three kinds of good conduct
body, speech and mind

Three kinds of good conduct becoming full

fill up the four focuses of mindfulness
the satipaṭṭhāna

the four focuses of mindfulness
becoming full

fill up the seven enlightenment factors

the seven factors of enlightenment
becoming full

fill up the true knowledge and liberation

Thus there is nutriment
for true knowledge and liberation

and in this way they become full.

And again similarly

When rain pours down in thick droplets
on a mountain top

the water flows down along the slope

and fills the clefts,
the gullies, and creeks;

these becoming full,
fill up the pools;

these, becoming full, fill up the lakes

these, becoming full,
fill up the streams;

these becoming full, fill up the rivers;

these becoming full,
fill up the great ocean;

thus there is nutriment for the great ocean
and in this way it becomes full.

Causes and effect

So too, associating with good persons
becoming full,

fills up hearing the good Dhamma..

to the seven Enlightenment Factors

to true knowledge and
liberation.

So questions on that one; comments?

OK did you get their on time?

It was Bonny first of all

Not audible

It's one of the most famous
of the cause and effect sequences

You have one?

Not audible

Because these Seven Enlightenment Factors
includes the Jhānas

These are fulfilling these things.

Further below; this is
just one example

there is some of the other examples
are coming as well.

These are not contradictory

if you put them all together

you can see this is quite a very
simple consistent practice.

which comes up I think at the
end of these

and it's the Eight-fold Path.

So first of all--

Craving ; meditators
(Ajahn inquiring which sutta)

Incapable
Are you on 10.76 now

Where is the ....
10.76 is it now?

OK then this is the same thing.

OK this is pretty much
the same thing.

So let's go to 10.76

OK now this shows the path
in the sense of the

Stream-winning, Non Returning
and Arahants

way of looking at the path to freedom.

Meditators if these three things
are not found in the world.

The Buddha, the Arahant
the perfectly enlightened one

would not arise in the world.

And the Dhamma, the discipline
proclaimed by them

would not shine in the world

What three?

By them 'plural'

Because it is not just one Buddha
there were many Buddhas

What three? Birth, old age and death.

But because these things are
found in the world

the Buddha, the Arahants
the perfectly enlightened ones

arise in the world and the Dhamma
and discipline proclaimed by them

shines in the world.

Without having abandoned
these three things

one is incapable of abandoning
birth, old age and death.

What three?
Wanting, ill-will and delusion.

lobha, dvesha and moha

Without having abandoned
these three things

one is incapable of abandoning
wanting, ill-will and delusion.

What three?
The view of a permanent essence

doubt and wrong grasp
of rituals and duties

Those are the first three
samyojanas or fetters

Without having abandoned
these three things

one is incapable of abandoning
a view of a permanent essence

doubt and wrong grasp of
rituals and duties

in other words achieving
Stream-winning

What three?

Careless attention, following a
wrong path and mental sluggishness

Without having abandoned these
three things

one is incapable of abandoning
careless attention, following a wrong path

and mental sluggishness.

What three?

muddled mindedness which is
weak mindfulness

lack of wisdom and
mental distraction.

Without having abandoned these three
things

one is incapable of abandoning
muddled mindedness,

lack of wisdom and mental distraction.

What three?

Lack of desire to see Noble Ones

Lack of desire to hear the
Noble Dhamma

and a mind bent on criticism

That's where I got the
fault finding mind from

Without having abandoned
these three things

one is incapable of abandoning the

Lack of desire to see
Noble ones

Lack of desire to hear the Noble Dhamma

and a mind bent on criticism

What three?

Restlessness, none restraint
and immorality.

Without having abandoned these
three things

one is incapable of abandoning

restlessness, none restraint
and immorality

what three?

Lack of faith, stinginess and
laziness

Without having abandoning
these three things one is incapable

of abandoning lack of faith
stinginess and laziness

What three?

Disrespect, being difficult to correct
and bad friendship

Without having abandoned
these three things

one is incapable of abandoning
disrespect, being difficult to correct

and bad friendship

What three?

Moral shamelessness,
moral recklessness and heedlessness.

Meditators, one who is morally shameless
and morally reckless

instead of morally dread I put reckless
instead

This is Hiri-ottappa

One has Hiri-ottappa
is heedless

One who is heedless is incapable of
abandoning disrespect

being difficult to correct
and bad friendship

One who has bad friends is incapable of
abandoning lack of faith

stinginess and laziness.

You are influenced by you friends
like in that simile

of the elephant which lost his happiness.

One who is lazy is incapable of
abandoning restlessness

none restraint and immorality.

The lazy are restless

You think the lazy sleeps all day

but actually it causes more
restlessness

One who is immoral is incapable
of abandoning

lack of desire to see the noble ones

lack of desire to hear the Noble Dhamma
and a mind bent on criticism

it's one blames other people
for ones' immorality.

The one who has a mind bent on criticism
is incapable of abandoning

muddle mindfulness, lack of wisdom and
mental distraction

One who is mentally distracted is
incapable of abandoning

careless attention, following the wrong
path and mental sluggishness

One who is mentally sluggish is
incapable of abandoning the

view of a permanent essence
that's a soul self,

doubt and
the wrong grasp of ritual and duties

Those are the first three fetters.

With not being abandoned means
that one hasn't penetrated the dhamma

One hasn't become a stream winner.

One who has doubt is incapable of
abandoning wanting, ill-will and delusion

Without abandoning those
first three things

you can't abandon the wanting,
the ill-will, delusion to become a

first of all the first two things to
become a non returner

and the last one to become an Arahant

Without having abandoned wanting
ill will and delusion

one is incapable of abandoning
birth, old age and death.

So now the positive one here

said to reinforce what has already
being said

Meditators having abandoned
these three things

one is capable of abandoning
birth, old age and death.

What three?

Having abandoned wanting,
ill-will and delusion

Having abandoned these three things

one is capable of abandoning
wanting, ill-will and delusion

What three?

The view of a permanent essence
doubt and

wrong grasp of rituals and duties.

Having abandoned these three things
one is capable of abandoning

the view of a permanent essence

doubt and wrong grasp of
rituals and duties, what three?

careless attention, following a
wrong path and mental sluggishness

Having abandoning these three things

one is capable of abandoning
careless attention,

following the wrong path
and mental sluggishness

What three?

you have to abandon to abandon
a more refined three

muddle mindfulness, lack of
wisdom and mental distraction

Having abandoned these three things

one is capable of abandoning
muddle mindfulness

lack of wisdom and distraction

What three?

Lack of desire to see noble ones
lack of desire to hear the noble dhamma

and a mind bent on criticism

It is in places like this that
I emphasis that the idea of transmission

being influenced by others

you can see here that you do need
to be around

to see and to hear those who have
also penetrated the Dhamma, the Aryans

for a person to progress.

you do need a sense of a transmission

Having abandoned these three things
one is capable of abandoning

lack of desire to see the Noble Ones,
lack of desire to hear the Noble Dhamma

and the mind bent on criticism.

What three?

Restlessness, non restraint and immorality

Restless people, non restraint,
immoral people

They tend not even want to come close.

Having abandoned these three things
one is capable of abandoning

restlessness, non restraint and immorality

What three?

Lack of faith, stinginess and laziness.

When some inspiration arises,
when you are generous and

not lazy then you will find that

ones morality, ones' restraint
start to improve.

Having abandoned these three
things one is capable of abandoning

lack of faith, stinginess and laziness

What three?

Disrespect, being difficult to correct
and bad friendships

Having abandoned these three things

one is capable of abandoning disrespect,
being difficult to correct

and bad friendships.
What three?

Moral shamelessness
recklessness and heedlessness.

Meditators, one who has a sense of
moral shame, moral dread is heedful

One who is heedful is capable of

abandoning disrespect, being difficult to
teach and bad friendship

One who has good friends is
capable of abandoning

lack of faith, stinginess and laziness

One who is energetic is
capable of abandoning restlessness

non restraint in morality.

One who is virtuous is capable of
abandoning lack of desire to see noble ones

to hear the noble dhamma and mind
bent on criticism

One whose mind is not bent on criticism

is capable of abandoning muddle
mind, lack of wisdom and distraction

One who has an un-distracted mind

is capable of abandoning careless
attention, following a wrong path

and mental sluggishness.

One who has an un-sluggish mind

is capable of abandoning the
view of a permanent essence

doubt and wrong grasp of rituals
and duties

One without a view of a
permanent essence

doubt and wrong grasp of rituals

and duties are capable of
abandoning

wanting, ill-will and delusion.

Having abandoned wanting
ill-will and delusion

one is capable of avoiding
birth, old age and death.

Questions?

Yes

Q. Ajahn can you please expand on wrong
grasp of rituals and duties?

OK. This is the Sīlabbata-parāmāsa

Sometimes people say attachments
to rights and rituals

by which they want to abandon
all rights and all rituals

even things like
paying respect to the Buddha

doing some bowing

even to offering food at the
right time to the monks

'it's just all rituals; all rights'

But of course rights and rituals
they do have a meaning to them.

To even to say Namo Thassa before
I started this presentation

it is to get an atmosphere
of respect

It's not that rights and rituals are wrong

It's just we want to make sure
we understand why we have those rituals

why we have those rights.

It is the word Sīlabbata
and parāmāsa

Sīla is precepts, it's virtue

So does it mean that we have to
abandon all our precepts, all our virtue?

We understand just how it works,

what actually is virtue.

Sometimes the people say
'ah you know you should never ever lie'

If you lie a bad person

But then a lot of times ..
we know that little story of

that wife who told her husband

that the man in the next bed
having the same operation

he was going to have

that his wife,

the wife told her husband

Oh Jack is fine, no problem
he survived the operation

because she didn't want her husband
to be afraid.

He was going to have the heart by-pass

and he came so close to dying
Don, you remember Don

he mostly go over to the Armadale group

But anyway he was on the edge of
life and death

probably if his wife had told him
the truth

it would have probably killed him.

So was it a good thing?

His wife asked me afterwards
'I lied to my husband'

she was so upset, she called me
directly after she said that

to Bodhinyana Monastery

I picked up. Of course
she was so distraught

I lied to my husband
first time in 37 years

Then I sort of said afterwards 'Well once
every 37 years but no more than that'

That wasn't like a car blush

But what it really was saying
that the sila is the red traffic lights

You are not supposed to go
through the red traffic lights.

But if I had a heart attack and
you were driving me

please go through the red traffic lights
to save; the seconds count.

So all precepts sīla

If you understand why they are there for

was even more powerful than
the preceppts

then you can actually understand
why if you break a precept

it doesn't mean that we don't want
to see you in this

Buddhist Society of Western Australia
ever again

you are not excommunicated.

Something much more important.

That's why even for monks, if a monk
breaks a precept,

we have ways of just

you should just acknowledge
to another monk

'I am sorry I shouldn't
have done that, but I did it'.

And be restraint in the future.
And that's it.

So that's the right grasp of virtue.

We don't abandon it and throw it out
and just do whatever we want,

in fact we use it for the purposes of
restraint.

Question-not Audible

OK time what rituals are to be avoided;

sometimes I get into trouble with this

But thinking that by just chanting chanting
chanting, chanting, chanting

hour after hour; that's going to
get you enlightened.

or excess bowing, 10,000 bows
100,000 bows or whatever

or what other rituals are there?

There are so many other rituals
that people have

but are they really part of the path?

Sometimes you say no.

Yes .. has a question
on some sort of a ritual

Is that some ritual?

or even just some of the ways
we have our funeral rituals

sometimes you have to just
praise again Judy, Judy Rushworth

who just had such a simple
funeral service, that's wonderful

just her coffin was a cardboard box.

and he just did it so beautifully
really Buddhist

you don't show your love of a person
by having an expensive mahogany coffin

with silk and goodness know what else.

And you show them by just
by your respect.

Question-Venerable Sir that's why we
appreciate the precepts;

in Buddhism it's to refrain from,
rather than thou shall not.

because everything is more
realistic

and it gives us the opportunity to
appreciate the way

we are only human and we are not all
enlightened, but we are still on the path.

yes very good.
Thank you.

Question--inaudible

You get told-off

and then
Thank you very much for that demeanor

and then just carry on.

Don't do it next time.

Silly thing;
but I won't tell you off for that

So The Wrong Cause 10-103

This I flagged this
This is the Eight-fold Path

Meditators depending upon the
wrong cause you fail, not success

For one of wrong view,
wrong motivation originates.

You know motivation is my translation,
suggested translation, for Sankappa

usually people call 'wrong intention'

but I think it is motivation.

For one of wrong view
wrong motivation originates

For one of
wrong motivation wrong speech originate.

For one of wrong speech
wrong action originates

From wrong action wrong livelihood
originates

From wrong livelihood
wrong endeavour originates.

Endeavour is more like restraining

One of wrong endeavour
wrong mindfulness originates

It is because you are not restraining
anything.

Just the mindfulness doesn't really
have the

power of restraining the five hindrances
so it is very weak.

Remember in the Satipaṭṭhāna

it's one of the pre-requisites of every
Satipaṭṭhāna practice,

having restrained the five hindrances.

That's 'vineyya loke abhijjhā domanassaṃ';

usually translated and I don't know why

because it is such an indefensible,
I would say, translation

'having abandoned grief and
courteousness for the world'

that's indefensible in my opinion.

And having

for one of wrong mindfulness
wrong stillness originates

samādhi, meditation.

For one of wrong stillness
wrong knowledge originates

for one of wrong knowledge
wrong liberation originates.

In this way dependence on
this wrong causes failure

In dependence on the right
causes, success not failure

When you have right view

the right motivation originates

when you have the right view
you have the motivation of

'Make peace, be kind, be gentle'

or to be more accurate the first
one should be 'letting go' renunciation,

kindness and gentleness.
that comes from right view.

that means you get right motivation

From right motivation
right speech

If you are letting go, being kind
being gentle

the speech will be pretty harmless.

From one of right speech
right action originates

One of right action
right livelihood originates

from one of right livelihood
right endeavour originates

Because it all comes from
the right motivation

of letting go, being kind, being gentle.

For one of right endeavour
(renunciation, kindness gentleness )

the mindfulness gets very strong.

For one of right mindfulness
the Jhāna Samma Samādhi originates

From the Jhāna right knowledge originates

For one of right knowledge
right liberation originates

In this way, in dependence of this
right causes success.

And this was important to me

because when I first got hold of the
Aṅguttara Nikāya

reading it in Pali I was looking

where the heck is the
Eight-fold Path?

I looked in the eights
that's where I thought it would be.

And you can see this is in the tens

Because they have the Path
which is view, motivation, speech

action, livelihood, endeavour
mindfulness and stillness samādhi

That was the path

And where that path leads to
the destination if you wish

Which is the knowledge ñāṇa
this is the real deep understanding of

what's happening

and the liberation which comes from
that insight.

Now this is one of my favourites

For an immoral person
non regret lacks its main cause

when there is regret
happiness lacks its main cause

when there is no happiness
Joy lacks its main cause

When there is no joy
tranquility lacks its main cause

When there is no tranquility
pleasure suka lacks it main cause

When there is no pleasure
Jhāna lacks its main cause

When there is no Jhāna
Seeing things as they really are

lacks it main cause

And when there is no
seeing things as they really are

Nibbidā lacks its main cause.

When there is no Nibbidā
fading away lacks it main cause

And when there is no fading away
liberation lacks its main cause

And again the simile of the tree

Now meditation of a virtuous person

then non regret possess its main cause.

When you are virtuous, you have
no regret at all.

When there is no regret
a sense of happiness arises.

When there is happiness
joy possesses its main cause

When there is joy
tranquility possesses its main cause

See from joy there is a
sense of tranquility

that's bodily and mental tranquility.

When there is tranquility

this beautiful pleasure, the sukha
possesses its main cause.

And from the pleasure the Jhāna
possesses its main cause.

This is where you often hear;
the monks know this

because I quote this so often

sukhino cittam samadhiyati

From Sukha, from happiness the
mind attains samādhi, stillness

and pleasure; this beautiful pleasure
this beautiful contentment

the joy you feel even earlier on
in meditation

When there is Jhāna

seeing things as they really are
possesses its main cause

When there is seeing things as
they really are

nibbidā possesses its main cause.

When there is nibbidā fading away
possesses its main cause

When there is fading away liberation
possesses its main cause.

I am just going to do the
last one straight away

because this is one of the

once I am sure you know by now

Ajahn Brahmali has told this and
i teach this a lot

It's the whole idea of
stopping your will

and just allowing the process to happen

This is the famous Upanisa Sutta

meditators when one is virtuous

one does not need to will
let me be free from regret

it is natural that one who is virtuous
becomes free from regret.

It's a natural progression
without will

When one is free from regret

one does not need to will
'let me be happy'

it is natural that one who is free
from regret becomes happy.

When one is happy one

does not need to will 'let me
be joyful' have this pīti

It is natural that one who is
virtuous becomes joyful

When one is joyful one does
not need to will

'Let me be tranquil'

It is natural that one who is joyful
becomes tranquil

You are so content, fulfilled,
you are hapy

you don't need to do very much.

When one is tranquil one does
not need to will

'Let me feel the mental pleasure
of sukha '

I made the point here
'mental pleasure of sukha'

It is natural that one who is
tranquil experiences that

mental pleasure of sukha

Going out and seeing all
the flowers as if they've been shinned up

And seeing the sky, so incredibly
beautiful

and this beautiful smells
of whatever you managed to

comes across your eyes.

Because your tranquility and the energy
which comes from that

you have mental pleasure.

And when one experiences
mental pleasure

One does not need to will
let me enter Jhāna

It is natural that one who

experience the mental pleasure
enters the Jhāna

From the happiness, the mental pleasure
the joy.

One of the reasons why some
people say

'ah you get attached to that Jhāna'

please don't listen to that
gomayung

Buddha said again and again

that mental pleasure is the
path into the deep meditations

And when one is experiencing Jhāna

one does not need to will

'Let me see things as they really are'

You don't have to do vipassana
vipassana does you

it does you in; literally.

So when the Jhāna happens

you don't need to will
let me see things as they really are

It is natural that one who has
experienced Jhāna would

see things as they truly are.

When one sees things
as they really are

one does not need to will
Let me experience nibbidā, fading away

It is natural that the one who is virtuous
experience nibbidā, the fading away

And I'll do one little simile here

It was a similes of the
one of the similes of a blind man

who was.. somebody went to the village

and was setting this wonderful
you might call it...

no I don't know enough of the fashion

They call it Banaris Cloth

which was the most
fashionable and expensive cloth

you can get in India at the time

and everyone was buying some

so this blind fellow said
'ah yeah I'll take some too'

And the sales person being
very doggy and immoral

got out a dirty old rag and said

'ah this is the best of all the
cloth which I have

because he couldn't see
it was all stained

He got tricked by the salesman
and bought it for lot of money

And a week later a doctor came
through the village

and just like the Fred Hollaws Foundation

And they restored his sight.

And as soon as he got his
sight back

he saw he had been sold a dirty
old rag

for what he thought was an
expensive cloth

And of course you get nibbidā
towards that cloth

throw it away.

Because once you see things
as they truly are

your eyes are opened

these things which you thought
were really wonderful

good fun

since you were mentally blind

you throw them away
and they'll fade away

So when one experiences
nibbidā fading away

one does not need to will
let me realise liberation

it is natural that one who is
experiencing nibbidā, fading away

will realize liberation.

That is Enlightenment being
a natural process

you don't do it, it does you; it happens

So, any questions or comments?

Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu

May be there are some comments or
questions from overseas

because these things are live streamed.

And we will see what we have from
overseas

Here we go

OK from USA, from Poland
and from nowhere; it got a question mark

What is your best advise for the sort of
practitioner unable to get to the Sangha

to develop mindfulness
and wisdom simultaneously?

If you cannot get to a Sangh physically

at least you can get to the Sangha
just on YouTube or on talks

or on Podcast

So it's wonderful that you can
actually do that these days.

When it came to in the
commentaries

when they said 'well does it really
mean to be associate with Noble Ones

and they said at the very minimum

to associate with the suttas,
be able to read them.

Because those are like words of the
Noble Ones, Words of the Buddha.

To really get into those and
that's one of the best things.

So if you a sort of practitioner unable
to get to a Sangha physically

at least you can get almost like the echo

of the Aryans in the Suttas and
may be later on

you can go and find a Sangha

who sometimes people say...

who was it?

years a go when I went to
Singapore

I think Michael Jackson was performing
in Singapore and

people were flying all the way
from Japan and Hong Kong

and certainly all over from Indonesia
to see Michael Jackson in Singapore

and paying a lot of money for that.

In other words they would travel
a long distance to see

a someone who was certainly
not an enlightened one

but they would do that because
they thought it was important.

So sometimes if it is really really
is important

sometimes you can make the effort.

actually to go and visit
people who you have

confidence and faith in.

because you can't always
hang out with them

but at least you can visit them
and just get a bit of inspiration.

And the next one is from Poland

If mindfulness head's narration
saying to do good things

how does it relate to
consciousness?

Is it a means of thinking
things too thoroughly?

If mindfulness is head's narration
saying to do good things

I can't quite
understand this one

What was that first thing on mindfulness
(Ajahn looking at the computer)

Just going through my...

I am not quite sure.. but there was
a one which I called mindfulness 8.81

When there is no mindfulness and wisdom
the sense of moral shame and

moral dread lack their main cause.

If mindfulness is the head's narration
saying to do good things

OK how does it relate
to consciousness

Is it a means of thinking things
through thoroughly?

No if it's mindfulness

Mindfulness is just the

basically it's an awareness

has to be with some
wisdom

but the mindfulness gathers
the information

sometimes I look at the idea
of a experiment in science

you are aware,
you gather that information

you find out just how the

needles in the measurements
apparatus moves this way and that way

you keep taking recordings

but as much as possible

now without trying to
second guess the results

So you try and gather the information

as objectively as you possibly can

and then
once you got that mindfulness

not thinking things through
thoroughly

because thinking things through thoroughly

is not really thorough

thinking usually goes round
in circles

It's getting the information

So that you can just
see things deeper than you saw before

thinking things too thoroughly
using logic and reason

sometimes goes against

just against what's really
out there.

So what I think is important here

is to do good things,

mindfulness sees what is happening

and it can soon feel

doesn't matter what other people say

that if you do this

You take alcohol or drugs

people say 'ah whats wrong with that?'

you can feel it causing a lot of
problems and difficulties

even though all your friends say

'oh no jut take it, it's find
no problem at all'

you feel from your own
awareness

that this is something
which doesn't feel right

And that's not through thinking it through

One of the examples of that
I think I got a few minutes here

was that somebody told me
that there was a TV program

about 50 years after the massacre
during the Vietnam war of My Lai

when a group of American Soldiers
were ordered to go into that village

and shoot and kill every man, woman
and child indiscriminately

No matter who they were.

And a journalist saw that

it became big news and it
became a scandal.

But 50 years after that a TV Program

its only anecdotes I never saw
that program myself

They said one of the people
in that military contingent

who was supposed to

who was ordered into that village

to indiscriminately kill men
women and children

one of them was a black African Soldier

Sorry an African American Soldier

and he refused to go in

even though he knew refusing an order
during a war will end up in military jail

for 3 or 4 years.

He was willing to take that
unfair punishment in my opinion

because he felt it was wrong

And when he was interviewed

He was not an intellectual

his education was
minimal.

He joined the Army just to get out of
the ghetto to get a career, to get a life.

And that was the only possibility
prospect for him

But even though he wasn't highly educated

he wasn't religious apparently.

But he said I just could not do that
it was wrong, I felt it was wrong

he did not think it through thoroughly

Because sometimes those thoughts
can deceive us.

Instead he felt it.

Mindfulness and wisdom
far more powerful than thoughts

So anyway the last question here

How does the Sangha avoid social
rigidity or legalistic behavior norms;

the mind itself impinge on
Enlightenment.

That's an interesting question.

How does the Sangha avoid
social rigidity

Not quite sure in what form
social rigidity you mean

but there are times when the
social; I don't know whether

you can can it hierarchies.

The hierarchies, the who is a senior,
who is a junior?

There are times when that is irrelevant

when monks sit together and
we don't know who is senior, who is junior

We are just good friends.

I learned that when I went to visit

the fiercest-est of all the monks in
Thailand Ajahn Maha Boowa.

And just after work all the monks
novices whoever was there

sit around in the dying shed
having a cup of tea

And Ajahn Maha Boowa would come

and he would take sometimes
the lowest seat

and just chat as if he was just,
you know just a old friend

rather than such a senior teacher.

Ajahn Chah would sometimes be the same.

So social rigidity, legalistic behaviour

The legalistic behaviour of
monastics

If you have a look at it has
so many loop holes

So many ways of you can
interpret it this way

interpret it that way

And because of those legalistic
loop holes

sometimes it is not sort of
hard;

in fact it is not so much legalistic
as common sense.

For example of that

As a monk you may know this
you hang around monks

such a long time.

the equivalent is for Bhikkhunis
as well, for nuns

we can't have an interview in private
with a member of the opposite gender.

So you may really say 'I need to
talk to you Ajahn Brahm in private about this'

So imagine if I went into a close
office with you

and taught you for 30 minutes and
an hour

And after that you came out
with a nice smile on your face

totally innocent

but because some people have
malice in them unfortunately

they say 'Ah we know what you got up
to in, you two were in that room

And there is no way that you can
defend yourself

So that's one of the reasons
why the Buddha

set up these legal procedures

Monks you have to be careful

Not everybody has your best
will at heart

So defend yourself just by
making sure

you are never alone in
uncompromising situations

That means these days
there is a huge problem

with sexual harassment

people given opportunities

and their defilements take them
over and they do terrible things.

So the legalistic separation in
our Vinaya, Theravada

is acutely turned out to
protect us.

Protect us in ways which
now the time I could never imagine

So sometimes its being restrained

and being cautious.

And that's actually a lot of
what we see

not rigidity or legalistic but
after a while

if you live in a celibate community
those are really required

Doesn't impinge upon Enlightenment
at all; it just helps by

allowing a person to be apart from
things which could give temptations

some of the other things

which I remember learning
from Ajahn Maha Boowa,

he said
never have expensive things

if there are expensive things
in a monastery

just don't allow people to
be tempted

So we do have things like
donation boxes

but make sure they are
emptied out

or they are locked

If you leave money lying around

it would tempt someone
sooner or later.

And he was saying; if you leave
money lying around

you also make bad kamma

in the sense that you are
making it available and tempting

sort of other people
to break their precepts.

I thought that was
an interesting take

that you close your windows so
burglars won't get tempted to come in.

We try to do that; we are not
always all that good at it

because I do remember once

we were, I was being driven into
I forget what we were doing

but there wasn't enough time

to get back to Bodhinyana
monastery

so a certain person parked the car
parked our monastery vehicle

It was somewhere in Northbridge

just to go to lunch by the
side of the road

I have been in that place for Lunch
opposite side of the road

about half an hour when the
driver said I can't find the keys

I don't know where the keys are
in the car

So he looked in his pockets
thought must have dropped them

So went across the road we
found the keys were in the car

with the engine running, doors
all open for half an hour in Northbridge

(audience laugh)

We got away with it
I don't know why

Such a stupid thing to do.

You shouldn't do that

because that is putting temptation
in peoples' way

So anyway

Hopefully that answers
some of those questions

May not be adequate because

sometimes when you send a message
over the internet

sometimes it is nice if we can
just ask back again and

have a bit of a discussion

so we really understand
exactly where you are coming from

on that question.

How does the Sangha avoid
social rigidity or legalistic behavious

norms of mind
does it impinge upon Englightenment

Its a good question but
I don't know exactly

if I answered it to your
satisfaction.

Is there any other questions here

Yes John

Ajahn just the thought about
kamma

Its always being said that you
have to be fully knolwdge

of what you are doing.

before you can make bad kamma

then you just said that

if leaving money around someone
took it

you are also responsible for it

so there are actually two
types of ways of making a bad kamma

isn't it?

It's almost like the bad kamma
of omission

you had no intention to hurt or harm

but you know your intention just
should be to care

it's not just to hurt or harm

it's your duty of care which
is very important these days.

So you had no intention to hurt somebody

but you had a duty to look after
them.

In other words I may leave a piece
of toast in the toaster

and it wasn't turned off

I never intend to burn down
the tempu

but my carelessness could do that

So that's why for Kamma it's
also the heedlessness

yes intention but intention
is also the stupidity that

you should have looked after
somebody

I should have been careful
enough to make sure the

toaster was turned off.

I didn't burn down
you can see the evidence is out there

you can see the evidence out there.

OK it is 4.30 now so its time
we should pack up

and Thank you everybody from
overseas for

joining this teaching today

and also for all the mothers
Happy Mothers Day Everybody!

Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu