With my utmost humble respect to Lord Buddha. I’m hundred percent Thai Buddhist. I’ve taught Dhamma for 11 years. When my Vipassana meditation teaching has spread out to over hundred thousands of people who read the Thai Dhamma books that I wrote,
they’ve always asked, “Will you have a book in English?” They want their friends and family to read the way I explain Dhamma from my own experience which they
never read from anywhere before. I refused with the reason that I’m not ready and my English is not perfect. Somehow, I started to have foreign students come learn Vipassana meditation, making me have to ask help from my students to translate the Dhamma discourses to record for students to listen to during the course. Often times my foreign students have questions on some points after listening to the discourse. Some felt upset and some felt depressed. They said it’s as if Dhamma or Buddha will turn them into non-human with no love, no feelings, no excitement, no desire and have to let go of everything. “How can I live my life now? I don’t want to be a monk.” This is a sample of a complaint I received. After I explained to clear the doubt of each teaching directly from my own words, his doubt vanished away and he became more happy to continue practice. I came From the author to realize that there must be something missing in the delivery of the message, some missing translation or misuse of words that made the teaching unclear or give wrong meaning. Because I don’t have such problems with teaching in Thai. Later on I started to explain the core teachings of the Buddha from my words to a foreigner,he said “That’s it. I understand clearly, more clear than any explanation I’ve heard before. Please fix the translation of the Dhamma discourse because after listening I felt so sad.” He said, “What a relief! I thought Dhamma will take life away from me.”His relief has become my awakening over the lost in translation. Later, I brought this issue to discuss with my students who have the ability in English translation. I said, “We must improve or adjust the way we translate and the use of vocabulary, it’s clear that there is a lot of misconception of Buddha’s teaching happening from the translation. ”During the meeting I explained the most important teaching of Buddha “Detachment” to them in English. I spoke slowly with no worry about grammatical mistakes. I explained from my heart, direct from my wisdom. The meeting room of 14 people were in silence, letting the message float into their hearts. In summary, I said Dhamma doesn’t mean it would steal life away from you, you will still have feelings, you will still have joy, you will find meaning in life, and more importantly Dhamma will show you the way to end misery in life. After finishing, some students were almost in tears and one of the students said to me, “Master, I think you should write in English by yourself even though the grammar is not perfect. The reader should read your message directly, it’s more pure, more touching than trying to let the corrections of grammar come in between the message.” I took that comment to my consideration. I always feel that there is a thin line that blocks the true meaning of the Buddha’s teachings from foreigners, that thin line was separating a normal human being way too far from the Enlightened One. In the afternoon while I was contemplating about this matter, I received a holy stream of energy pouring into my mind and body with the message: “We were taught to be far away from the truth. English learning in the university level is to learn how to cook up english words to make them sound beautiful and to use complex sentence structures. It emphasizes the eloquence of the words rather than their true meaning.”I felt even more alert and decided to write in English rather than write in Thai and send to an English expert to translate my writing. Because if anyone does not practice Vipassana meditation seriously, it will be very
difficult to understand the true and in-depth meaning of the Buddha’s teachings. Buddha also taught that reaching the Ultimate Truth must come from the experience level, the same way one would know if a well-decorated dish of food is delicious or uneatable by eating it, and not by just admiring how it looks. My original plan is to write the book “Awaken from madness – A message from the Buddha”. It is a book about my meditation experience which leads to enlightenment. The technique to purify the mind is called Techo Vipassana, which is based on the Four Fundamentals of Mindfulness. Techo Vipassana is a specific technique in using the fire element in the body to purify the mind. The technique has helped me reach the Ultimate Truth at the energy level. I have received the holy stream in energy form from the Buddha to reveal my journey to others in order to awaken their mind from illusion. The book has required so much energy to write and is not yet complete. Since I have already explained the teaching’s of the Buddha in many occasions, so I have decided to publish this book first as an introduction.I have to thank my students to encourage me that day and also thanks for all the effort they put in to help make this book. The Top Idea’s part is direct writings from me which most of it I wrote in English. The part of Famous stories in the Buddha’s time I received help from my students, where the stories were gathered from Buddhist scriptures; Tripitaka (The Pali Canon). The Acharavadee Wongsakon stories come from many sources. I’d like to thank everyone who helped preserve, and deliver the teachings of the Buddha for us to have guidance to learn and practice.
Happiness or unhappiness is not limited for a certain religion. Buddha never chose to teach only those who vow to be Buddhist. He taught everyone who wished to
find true happiness and wish to end the cycle of misery. To truly understand the Buddha’s teaching, it cannot be reached at the intellectual level, only at the practicing level that can make you reach the Ultimate Truth, especially about oneself. Also I hope this book will help you find what you are looking for. I wish this book can be a candle to light up true wisdom that awaits to shine upon you and help you find true inner peace which is missing in humans’ life.

WHO IS BUDDHA?
Buddha is the Enlightened One and the father of Buddhism. His teachings liberate us human beings from a life in misery. His compassion has brought peace and harmony to the world. Buddha was born as a prince named Siddhartha. He grew up to excel in all the 18 fields of traditional arts and sciences ranging from politics to philosophy.
When he reached the age of 16, his father arranged his marriage to Princess Yasodhara. They had a son together. The Turning Point One day, the prince wondered what life was like outside the palace so he made a trip. There, he saw an old man with a gloomy face, a diseased man laying with a moan, and a dead person surrounded by his
tearful family. He then said, “How can I live a life of pleasure when there’s so much suffering in the world”? Later, when he saw an ascetic in peacefulness, the prince
thought this would be the path to end the cycle of the sufferings of birth, aging, sickness, and death. Realizing his beloved father and family too would face the same ending, the prince ran away from the palace to end the cycle of those sufferings. The Middle Path Siddhartha began his monastic life under the guidance of two famous masters, but they could not find the path to end the suffering either. He began searching for a way on his own and starved himself until he was left with only skin and bones. One evening the angels, disguised as musicians, played a lute in front of him while he was sitting in meditation. Hearing the music, he realized a loose string did not carry sound and a very tight string would break. The music was perfect only when the strings were neither too loose nor too tight. He then found the answer was to take the middle path: Siddhartha began eating normally again after six years. The Reach of Enlightenment On a full moon day in May, he sat under the Bodhi tree and vowed, “Even if my flesh and blood were to dry up, leaving only skin and bones, I will not leave this place until I find a way to end all sufferings.” Through a meditation technique now known as Vipassana, he discovered the Ultimate Truth about himself, life, and the universe. Siddhartha was finally enlightened and became Gautama Buddha at the age of 35. Buddha taught human to be free from misery and life cycle for 45 years. He reached Nirvana (died) at age 80. The enlightenment of Buddha is the state of mind that maintains the absolute equanimity or neutrality, not clinging to positive or negative energy, free from impurity. Buddha discovered the Ultimate Truth that everything is merely an assembly of energy. With this neutrality, he made his mind free from gravity, ending the cycle of rebirth.

The Fundamental Teachings of Buddha
1) Refrain from all kind of sins.
2) Do good deeds.
3) Purify your mind.
The 5 Major Sins in Buddhism are killing,
stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, taking alcohol or
drugs.

The Core Teaching of Buddha: Equanimity
(Neutrality)
It means the mind is not shaken by or attached to happiness, unhappiness, and illusion. Whatever comes to the mind, it knows without seasoning the feeling into craving and aversion.

THE IMPORTANT TEACHINGS
Cause of Misery
Craving and Aversion is the cause of misery because it will develop into Anger and Hatred, Greed, and Illusion which in Buddhism are called “Kilesa” or impurity. The impurity causes attachment to emotions such as obsession, depression, and anxiety. The attachment also causes misery and the cycle of rebirth. The ultimate goal of Buddhism is to end the cycle of rebirth, in another word, to reach enlightenment. The Middle Path  is a life in morality, not extremely addicted to happiness and unhappiness as the addiction eventually leads to depression. When we’re happy or sad, we know it without letting our mind sink into those feelings as we realize things are impermanent. We do not season our feelings into emotions since this will develop into addiction or obsession, leading to attachment.

The Four Noble Truths

1. Suffering – To suffer from being born, being
   old, being sick and dying. These sufferings are
   common to us all.
2. Cause of suffering – We are the cause of our
   own suffering.
3. End of suffering
4. Path to end suffering – The way to end it.
   The Truth of the Universe
5. Nothing is lost in the universe – Matters turn
   into energy, energy turns into matter.
6. Things are impermanent
7. Law of Cause and Effect – This law is known as
   karma. Nothing ever happens to us unless we deserve it.

TOP IDEAS
IN BUDDHISM
“Dhamma has a meaning
associated to goodness,
righteousness, and
appropriateness.”

Dhamma is directly translated as nature or normality. All things have their own distinctive
characters or qualities. For example, water has a cooling quality while fire has a heating quality. Good deeds have the quality that brings happiness and brightness. Bad deeds have the quality that bring miseries and trouble. In Buddhism, Dhamma has a meaning associated to goodness, righteousness, and appropriateness. It is timeless. All three factors must be met. A person practicing Dhamma is said to practice on the path of
virtue.

1. “The original mind is called the Knowing Mind or the Soul. The human’s original mind has the characteristics of cleanliness and purity.”The soul is the most powerful energy. The mental energy is so refined that no scientific equipment is capable of detecting its energy. Human beings, live their lives under the mind’s command. Matters in the world consist of earth, water, wind and fire elements. The Buddha added the soul as another type of energy. All beings in the world comprise the four elements, with three-fourth of the world being water and one-fourth the land. Similarly, a human body is about 70% water and the rest of earth element. This means human is a part of nature. A body without a soul is a corpse. When a soul lives in a body, that lifeless body becomes a human. A human has thoughts that drive all life activities. The soul is therefore the most powerful energy. The Western world overlooks the importance of the soul and mostly focuses on studying the brain. The original mind is called the Knowing Mind or the Soul. The human’s original mind has the characteristics of cleanliness and purity. As a type of energy, it has a particular quality; fire being hot, earth being solid, for example. The original mind is free from contamination. The specific characteristics of the original mind are clean, pure,
peaceful, gentle yet strong and powerful. It is free from greed, aversion, and ignorance. It also contains the qualities of gratefulness and consciousness. When the original mind is infiltrated or contaminated by impurities (Greed, Anger, Hatred and Illusion), in Pali called Kilesa (impurities), its quality becomes the opposite. It gets dirty and is driven by the impurities to do bad things, resulting in problems and distress. As said earlier, the mind is a form of energy, therefore it falls under the same rule of physics. Negative emotions are negative energies and have an ability to weigh down the mind energy. When the weight of the mind becomes heavier, it is trapped in the gravity, unable to get out of the world’s magnetic field. In Buddhist term, we call it Samsara or the Cycle of Rebirth — endless cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death. Death is just a transition of the energy. The mindcannot stay inside a dead body. It transforms into a new form where the mind’s past deeds (karma), good and bad, will determine the new form of life, carrying with them the responsibilities of its own past actions. The soul continues to wander in the cycle of rebirth indefinitely. Therefore, those who have not purified theirmind to the level of enlightenment are like two persons living in one body. In short, there are two minds, both good and evil in one person. When goodness takes over, the person will do good things. When the dark side is in control, he will do bad things, bringing grievances to himself and others.
“Those who attain enlightenment, their consciousness is always clear and stable”

CONSCIOUSNESS
Consciousness is clear awareness of something for what it is and of an action being done. It is wholesome. The ill-will actions lack consciousness on what is being done. As such, the defilements can take control of the action to commit a sin. Consciousness is an important
quality of the original mind. For those who still have impurities (Greed, Anger, Hatred and Illusion) in the mind, it means their Knowing Mind is dominated by impurities. Those who attain enlightenment, the mind is pure from impurities. Their consciousness is always
clear and stable. They can distinctively differentiate wholesome and unwholesome deeds. They will then choose to merely do decent deeds.Drunken people lose their mindfulness and consciousness. They behave inappropriately as well as act on impulses. They cannot control themselves. That is the state of lacking the Right Mindfulness and consciousness. Practicing consciousness is very important in Buddhism. It is an essential characteristic
leading to spiritual liberation.

“The karmic effect works immediately or subsequently. Sometimes we do not understand
why miseries in life happen.”

KARMA… CREATION OF ONE’S FATE
The Buddha said, “All beings are the owners of their karma, heirs of their karma, born of their karma, related to their karma and supported by their karma.” Karma means actions with intention that is also reflected through words and thoughts. It is the law of Cause and Effect and accords with the law of physics which states that energy with the same characteristics is grouped together by magnetic wave. So good karma brings good results and bad karma brings bad results. Bad deeds cause one’s rebirth in hell through 3 actions; killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct, 4 verbal acts; lying, malicious, harsh, and useless words, and 3 mental acts; greed, ill will, and wrong view. In Buddha’s time, there was a story about a woman being thrown into the sea by her own husband who was also the captain. Earlier, the ship they and other seamen boarded stopped without a reason so they believed someone brought bad luck with them and must be gone. Unfortunately, the wife picked the same lot from all three drawing lots. And so she had to be killed. Also on board was a group of monks. When they met with the Buddha, the monks asked the Buddha about the incident. His reply was that it was the karmic force. In a past life, the captain’s wife had a pet dog that loved her very much and followed her everywhere. The sight of them always together brought laughter and teasing from everyone. Feeling embarrassed, she tied the dog’s neck with sandbag and killed it by dumping the bag into a river. After her death, she was punished for a long time in hell, then reborn and died in the water the same way for another 100 births. The karmic effect works immediately or subsequently. Sometimes we do not understand why so many hardships happen to us. But through direct effect of karma it is the result of what we did in the past. The present is no doubt the offspring of your past and sets the direction of your future. Bad karma can diminish positive results from good karma.  Likewise, good karma can thwart the consequences of bad karma. Doing “right” can lessen the karmic effect. When we mindfully act, speak, and think, we can abstain from wrongdoing and understand a difficulty at hand as a lesson learned. Create good karma in the present moment, a blessed future will eventually blossom. “Buddha taught us not to be afraid of our own past since we cannot change it. But we can change the course of our current life”When misfortune happens, most Buddhists think it is because of their bad deeds in past lives. They struggle to overcome it it by seeking help through supernatural means. This is a total misconception of “Reciprocal Deeds” in Buddha’s teachings. We reap what we sow. The word “karma” means action or deed. It covers both good and bad actions. Different karmic actions result in different life conditions. For example, some people were born poor because they rarely gave. Buddha taught us not to be afraid of our own past since we cannot change it. But we can change the course of our current life by sorting out our mind, and start saying and doing the right things. Some may argue why swindlers continue to be rich and get away with it. They seem to have a perfect life but their minds are not at peace, full of worries not knowing when consequences will come. Moreover, we should not expect something in return when we do a good thing. That is greed. The joy of doing good is already a reward in itself. Do not let money run your

life. It is hard work, honesty, and living within your means that offer true happiness and inner peace.There are many times we do not understand why a certain incident happened to us. We never hurt anyone but why someone keeps attacking and trying to destroy us. Why were we robbed? Why did the burglar just rob us, not others? Why did this person who looked so good and so capable fail to succeed or did not receive an opportunity like another person who seemed inferior in all aspects? The principle of Cause and Effect is not limited to only the present time. It can be affected from the past because the mind is the energy current which has accumulated both good and bad karma. Sometimes, good karma takes effect while bad karma is waiting to yield. This is why we see some newborn babies born to a wealthy family and some abandoned by their parents at birth. They are pure and innocent babies. They have not done anything wrong at all. It is the result of their bad karma accumulated and coded as negative energy in the subconscious part of their mind which takes effect at an appropriate time. The principle of Cause and Effect can be explained through the nature of trees. If we plant a mango seed, it will take some time to grow and bear fruits. And since mango trees are long-lived, they give fruits for a long time. On the contrary, seasonal plants are short lived, yielding in a short period of time and dying soon after. As humans are part of nature, any incident happening to us is also caused by the seed that we sowed. Some seeds take effect for a long time, the others for a short time. Humans live their life in separation from nature, so they view the law of Cause and Effect wrongly. They tend to fix the blame on others, not looking at themselves. The same incident also happened to the Buddha. Before he reached enlightenment, he was mistaken in the practice. He spent six years in self-torture through extreme fasting. That was because of his bad karma in one of his past lives. In that lifetime, he was born as a man called Chotipatila. He insulted Kassapa Buddha by saying that, “Will you become enlightened by just sitting still under the Bodhi tree?”. His words were an insult at the Dhamma practice of the former Buddha. Most ordinary people would think that great enlightenment should be attained from exciting, supernatural techniques, chanting in mumbo jumbo, wielding a stick like in Hollywood movie scenes. In fact, enlightenment is attained at the mind level, not physical. Focusing on the mind according to the Four Foundations of Mindfulness taught by the Buddha is therefore the path to enlightenment. Without watching his thoughts, words and actions, Gautama Buddha paid back for one careless remark with self torture as he believed it was the right path. This is an example of Cause and Effect that was carried on from past lives. Although we cannot change our past or do not know what kind of karma we had done, we can do good in this present life. By living life in virtue, the good karma will finally bring good results to our life because Dhamma never betrays humans. Only humans betray nature.

“The attachment causes the
cycle of rebirth because the
mind energy becomes impure,
hindering its ability to be free”

CAUSE OF MISERY AND IMPURITY
Craving and aversion is what cause misery. It drives to Greed, Anger, Hatred, and Illusion which are considered as impurities in the mind. It is hard to let go those impurities as they sink into subconsciousness causing unhappiness, anxiety, and depression. The attachment in emotions and ego is also the cause of misery. Misery in life is sorrow, despair, lamentation and separation. To attach yourself or sink into these emotions is to make the mind energy stuck in the whirlpool of the energy current called the cycle of rebirth or

Samsara. The attachment then causes the cycle of rebirth because the mind energy becomes impure, hindering its ability to be free from gravity. This is what Buddha taught a 50-year-old ascetic named Upaka who was very sad because his 17-year old wife had been treating him badly for the past two years “Upaka, the root of all suffering comes from lust, attachment, insatiable desires and ambitions, and the feeling that this is me and that is mine. This includes an addiction to emotional pleasures. All the things you hold fast, thinking they are yours and will not harm or hurt you, never exist and cannot be found in this world.”

“There are two types of mindfulness:

right mindfulness and
wrong mindfulness.”

MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness is a mental quality of being aware of what you are doing. It is the practice to be in a present moment. Your mind is really focusing on the activity. in front of you, not wandering away. The firm mind has a willpower to perform any activities effectively
and efficiently. There are three ways to practice mindfulness.

1. By focusing on the breathing to use the breath as a training tool to train the mind to be firm, no minwandering.
2. By doing one thing at a time, always staying withevery single moment of the action.
3. By walking meditation, learning how to focuswith the movement without thinking of anything else.The practice of mindfulness involves concentratinon one single activity at a time, not doing things concurrently. For instance, while you are walking, your mind has to concentrate only on the movement of the walk. Do not think while walking. You need to be mindful of how your soles are touching the ground. You look downward 45 degrees to clearly see the footpath in a short distance. Thinking while walking is considered a lack of mindfulness. Instead of focusing on walking, the mind becomes distracted, allowing mpurities to enter the mind. 
4. There are two types of mindfulness: right mindfulness and wrong mindfulness. Right mindfulness is a wholesome mind, being aware of right actions, not causing trouble to others for
   one’s own livelihood. Wrong mindfulness is an unwholesome mind, being aware of bad actions, causing trouble to others such as a well-planned robbery.
   Therefore, practicing mindfulness alone does not
   ultimately lead us to inner peace and harmony. It
   requires consciousness and mind purification (also
   known as Vipassana Meditation or Insight Meditation).
   Mental impurities arising from wrong mindfulness
   lead our life to the cycle of illusion. They deceive us
   into thinking we live in happiness that we feel never
   get enough. This results in the neverending feeling of
   craving and aversion.
   Benefits of mindfulness practice
   Practicing mindfulness helps the mind gain
   concentration power. Your mind can be more focused
   Top ideas in Buddhism & Famous Stories in Buddha’s time 4
   on every single thing you do or what is coming to your
   mind. It helps you think clearly and get out of brain
   fog easily. Mindfulness also helps boost your memory
   because while studying, your mind will not be distracted
   by other things easily and can have a complete focus.
   With the trained mind, you will also be safe from
   danger, for example, when you are behind the wheels,
   your mind can concentrate on the driving clearly.
   Mindfulness helps organize your life with more
   effectiveness and efficiency. Your mind will have more
   room for peace and harmony in life.
   Once the world has entered the Internet era via
   social media, the way people live is against mindfulness.
   It leads to lack of peaceful mind because they continuously
   receive data in the form of messages or news feed that
   keep pouring into their mind. It results in lack of
   concentration and patience, with little time for serious
   contemplation because the overwhelming digital data
   constantly pushes those people’s mind to move forward
   all the time, minute by minute. Humans are pushed away
   from nature when they live their lives in the opposite
   direction from peace. We live our life unnaturally, relying
   on the Internet which comes in a pack of heat and
   magnetic wave.
   Anything against the nature is considered unnatural.
   It brings damage of all levels to those with that kind of
   48 Top ideas in Buddhism & Famous Stories in Buddha’s time
   lifestyle. People living in this unbalanced life will face
   so many problems. For example, they lose control of
   themselves; unable to stop themselves from doing
   wrong or hurt themselves. They feel gloomy, sad, or
   have mental disorder. They do not understand what
   they are fighting with, so they live their life without a
   purpose.
   You can train your mind with mindfulness practice
   by doing things at a slower pace, one thing at a time,
   not staying online for too long, and spending more
   time with nature. All these behaviors will bring the
   mind to a more peaceful state. These activities are the
   next step leading to the discovery of true happiness.
   
   “The conduct aims at harming no
   one including self. It is a universal
   rule, not limited to a particular
   culture or religion.”
   
   FIVE CODES OF CONDUCT
   The Five Codes of Conduct or The BuddhiFive Precepts is a moral guideline that Buddha has
   left behind for people who are not monks. It is the
   fundamental life principles which, when adhered
   to, bring about peace and harmony to the society.
   The conduct aims at harming no one including
   yourself. It is a universal rule, not limited to a
   particular culture or religion.
   Buddhism treated the precepts as the prerequisite to become a complete, truly happy person.
   The codes include:
5. No killing – Those who often take lives will
   either be born unhealthy or die young.
6. No stealing – It means not taking tangible and
   intangible assets such as intellectual property rights.
   Soon the violator or the stealer will lose not only
   newly-acquired possessions, but also existing ones.
7. No adultery – True love is hard to find or does
   not even exist for unfaithful people because not
   8
   52 Top ideas in Buddhism & Famous Stories in Buddha’s time
   only do they fail to cherish their partner’s love, but
   also ruin it.
8. No lying – Constant liars find it hard to receive
   respect and trust from others. This is because they
   often broke their promises or betrayed other
   people’s trust.
9. No consumption of intoxicating substances –
   Alcohols and drugs rob consciousness and numb
   the brain. Heavy drinkers’ brains fail prematurely
   and sometimes they do not even have to wait until
   the next life to be mentally retarded or suffer mental
   diseases.
   The precepts effectively create a line between
   right and wrong. Those violating the conduct are
   simply heading for trouble, in line with the law of
   Cause and Effect.
   
   “Those who want to be
   free from the cycle of
   rebirth will need to go
   through the process of
   mind purification taught
   by the Buddha.”
   
   MIND PURIFICATION
   The mind that is contaminated with impurities
   (Kilesa) is considered impure. The impurities are
   emotions of Greed, Anger, Hatred, and Illusion which
   are caused by craving and aversion.
   Those who want to be free from the cycle of rebirth
   will need to go through the process of mind purification
   taught by the Buddha in ‘The Threefold Training’,
   which is the way to the enlightenment and be free from
   the cycle of birth and death. The Threefold Training
   comprises the precepts, meditation, and wisdom. For
   laypeople, the precepts are five codes of conduct as
   explained in Chapter 8.
   Holding the precepts will keep the mind at peace
   to a certain extent and not discouraged by retributions
   from the past karma. To improve further, a person
   needs to be trained through focus meditation practice
   to sharpen the mind. Then with Vipassana meditation,
   the advanced meditation technique, the person will
   
   
   discover the Ultimate Truth about himself. It is the
   truth that cannot be perceived by thinking or seeing
   with an eye. At this point, the mind will be free from
   temptations and impurities (Kilesa). It will reach the
   neutral state, not bound by any positive or negative
   energy as it is free from magnetic induction in the
   universe. Reaching this stage, the person attains
   enlightenment.
   Apart from cleansing the mind from Kilesa, mind
   purification also makes amends of sin and impure
   thoughts, words, and actions which are imbedded in
   the sub-conscious memory. This belief in “expiation
   of sin” has been around for thousands of years, for
   example, there is a belief in India that bathing in the
   Ganges River three times a day can expiate their sins
   because they believe it is the holy river from Hindu
   God Shiva.
   Once, the Buddha went to the river to teach a
   Brahmin named Sangkawara who faithfully bathed
   in the river three times a day because he believed that
   bathing in the river would wash away his sins
   although he was very old and frail.
   “Brahmin, I say that malevolent acts, malevolent
   speech, and malevolent thoughts dirty our mind and they
   can be cleansed by Dhamma, which is benevolence,
   not from taking regular baths. The water drank by
   people with benevolent acts, benevolent words, and
   
   benevolent thoughts is sacred in itself. Brahmin, come
   and bathe in my teaching which is profound, clean, not
   turbid. It has the precepts as the dock that leads you
   into the river, and praised by wise men. Wise people
   should take these baths and afterwards they can cross
   the cycle of misery without even getting wet.”
   “The Buddha taught that
   knowing the truth comes in
   three levels; thought level,
   contemplation level, and
   the experience level.”
   
   THE FOUR
   NOBLE TRUTHS
   Reaching the truth from practicing mind
   purification is to realize the Four Noble Truths,
   namely suffering, the cause of suffering, the end of
   suffering, and the path to end suffering (In Pali
   language, they are called Dukkha, Samudaya,
   Nirodha, Magga).
   Reading about the Four Noble Truths cannot
   make anyone reach the Ultimate Truth at the level
   of Knowing Mind because he has no direct spiritual
   experience. For example, we see the suffering in
   injuries, death, and loss of possessions from seeing
   or reading about people displaced by war. We also
   see the cause of suffering; the conflicts that lead to
   the war. The end of suffering is normalcy. The path
   to the end of suffering is the end of war. All of these
   are an intellectual comprehension, not a perception
   through direct experience of the incident. Unless the
   person is in the middle of the war, he will never
   
   realize how miserable it is and how the end of those
   grievances can bring happiness to the war victims.
   The Buddha taught that knowing the truth comes
   in three levels; thought level, contemplation level,
   and the experience level. Enlightenment is the state
   of reaching the truth in the experience level. It is to
   reach the Four Noble Truths in oneself not in others.
   When the truth in oneself is discovered, that person
   will also reach the truth in all things in the nature
   because Dhamma is nature.
   The Buddha clearly explained that sufferings are
   birth, old age, sickness, and death. When a person
   has experienced them by himself, he will truly
   understand this teaching. Those who never get sick
   do not realize how uncomfortable it is to be sick.
   Some patients even beg for death because they
   cannot bear the pain. The Buddha therefore called
   this cycle ‘the cycle of misery’.
   
   “The Noble Path is the way
   to the Middle Path, which
   is about a balanced life”
   
   THE NOBLE PATH,
   THE MIDDLE PATH
   To reach the Noble Truths, a person will have to
   follow the map that leads to the truth. The Buddha
   then taught about the Noble Eightfold Path, the
   path of the wise that will bring a noble man to be
   liberated from the cycle of misery. It consists of:
   The Morality:
   The Right Speech: to abstain from lying, inciting,
   talking nonsense, and speaking rude words.
   The Right Action: to abstain from killing, stealing
   and sexual misconduct
   The Right Livelihood: to have an occupation
   which does not exploit or bring harm to others or
   society, and is not illegal or immoral such as
   abstaining from selling weapons, drugs, and alcohol.
   The Concentration:
   The Right Effort: to make an effort not to commit
   any sinful or evil act, to do good deeds and purify
   the mind.
   
   The Right Mindfulness: to be mindful, to act with
   mindfulness, not let the mind wander
   The Right Concentration: to be concentrated, to
   adhere to good things
   The Wisdom:
   The Right View: to have correct view with belief
   in goodness and badness
   The Right Thought: to think and act with morality
   The Noble Path is the way to the Middle Path,
   which is about a balanced life; not being obsessed
   with one’s own happiness without contributing to
   the society or being too harsh with oneself. This can
   be clearly seen from a yogi’s self-torture such as lying
   on a bed of nails or walking like a dog in a belief that
   these practices could free them from suffering.
   However, vigorously practicing mindfulness and
   Vipassana meditation correctly is not self-torture but
   a session of mind training. It’s not different from
   athletes or soldiers constantly training themselves
   in order to acquire skills required for their duties.
   
   The thought that meditation practice is self torture comes from the Kilesa (impurities) which exist
   in out minds deceives those who have uncertain and
   weak minds. Therefore, be aware that self-torture is
   different from self-training.
   
   “The Buddha never taught us to
   have blind faith. We should not
   believe anyone or anything just
   because it has been said, heard,
   or done for a long time. ”
   
   THE SEVEN
   NOBLE TREASURES
   The Seven Noble Treasures are unlike any other
   treasures in this world that everyone has to leave
   behind when they die. The Treasures accompany the
   soul to the next life. They consist of Faith, Morality,
   Moral Shame, Fear of Karmic Retribution, Dhamma
   Study or Contemplation, Generosity, and Wisdom.
   Faith is the first noble treasure and very important.
   Without faith, it is impossible to conduct life on the
   Noble Path. However, the Buddha never taught us to
   have blind faith. We should not believe anyone or
   anything just because it has been said, heard, or done
   for a long time. We should develop faith after
   reaching a reasonable conclusion or learning from
   an experience.
   Wisdom as the Noble Treasure is the wisdom to
   reach the Ultimate Truth about oneself and the
   truth of existence. The truth that all beings are living
   in a world made up of illusion. It is not the intellectual
   
   wisdom. Without spiritual wisdom, a person cannot
   see the Ultimate Truth, resulting in his attachment
   to emotions. The Wisdom is the opposite to
   Ignorance which is the main cause of cycle of
   rebirth. That is why Buddhism is considered the
   religion of wisdom.
   In Buddha’s era, there was a leper named Suppabuddhakutthi. He was orphaned, lived as a miserable
   wretch, and was the poorest man in Rajagaha city. One
   day he saw a large gathering of people in Venuvan
   Temple and thought he might get some food if he went
   over to the crowd. After entering the temple, he saw
   the Buddha was giving a sermon and thought, “Great.
   I will listen to Dhamma.” There he was sitting among
   the others with the intention to hear the Buddha’s
   words.
   The Buddha was preaching about generosity,
   virtues, heaven, corruption of sensuality, sorrows
   from Kilesa (impurities), and the benefits of mind
   training. The Dhamma opened Suppabuddhakutthi’s
   eyes. He reached the first stage of enlightenment
   right there and bowed his head in front of the
   Enlightened One, vowing to take a lifelong refuge in
   the Triple Gem (Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha).
   An angel saw the incident and wanted to test him.
   The angel insulted Suppabuddhakutthi, calling him
   Top ideas in Buddhism & Famous Stories in Buddha’s time 69
   a poor man. His reply was, “You said I’m a poor
   destitute but I’m not. I’m happy and I possess a large
   amount of treasures. They are faith, morality, moral
   shame, moral fear, learning, generosity, and wisdom.
   If men, women, or any wise ones possess these
   treasures, they are not poor. Their lives will not be
   without Buddha if they have the Noble Treasures.”
   “That is the concentration
   practice for spiritual liberation
   from all sufferings, not for
   seeking supernatural power”
   
   MEDITATION
   Concentration is when the mind focuses on one
   static emotion. In other words, we must pay full
   attention to a given thing in order for the mind to
   become sharp and still. Previously, the mind was
   filled with a lot of impurities with characteristics of
   a monkey; always jumping from one place to another.
   As a result, the mind loses the unity and became
   vulnerable and unstable. It is very hard to succeed in
   anything when we have a vulnerable and unstable
   mind. Such a state of mind makes us easily give up
   on any obstacles and lack inner peace.
   The Outcome of the Practice
   Therefore, the practice of concentration will help
   our mind to be stronger and more stable. Also, its
   result can also help us to be smarter and have a
   sharper memory. During the practice, we can feel
   the peace of mind because there is no distraction.
   More importantly, concentration also plays an
   important role in Vipassana meditation which leads
   to the freedom from the cycle of rebirth.
   
   Concentration practice exists not only in
   Buddhism, but also in other religions. Each religion
   has its own concentration technique, but the
   concentration technique of the Buddha is mindfulness
   on breathing called “Anapanasati Meditation”. In this
   technique, we focus our attention on our own
   breathing by fixing the mind to the nostrils without
   chanting any Mantras. The breath will become a tool
   for creating the peace of mind, not for analyzing and
   following any thoughts floating up during the
   meditation. We simply train our mind to remain on
   one static point like the breath. It seems difficult to
   practice at the beginning but in the end it gives a lot
   of benefits.
   However, if we want to have a good and right way
   of practice, we need to have a teacher who can guide
   us to the right direction. That is the concentration
   practice for spiritual liberation from all sufferings,
   not for seeking supernatural powers. Some people
   practice meditation to gain supernatural powers, to
   have celestial vision or to see other existence in
   different dimensions. But that kind of power has both
   advantages and disadvantages.
   In Buddhism, there is no commercial charge for
   students who want to learn about concentration
   practice as it will bring greed, anger and delusion to
   
   See the meditation technique taught by
   Vipassana Meditation Master Acharavadee
   Wongsakon at Youtube: Knowing Buddha,
   ‘Discover the Spiritual Life’
   To join a meditation retreat
   and learn the way of Buddha,
   visit www.techovipassana.org
   (free of charge)
   the teacher’s mind. Teachers are usually willing to
   teach because they consider the teaching as a form
   of giving and eventually, it will help their students
   find happiness and peace of mind.
   “It is about seeing things
   as they are, not the way
   we want them to be.”
   
   VIPASSANA MEDITATION
   (INSIGHT MEDITATION)
   Vipassana meditation is the supreme meditation
   technique for mind purification in Chapter 4
   “The Soul” or “The Knowing Mind”. However,
   before starting Vipassana, you must undergo
   focus meditation first in order to cultivate a strong
   foundation for mindfulness.
   There is this principle of meditation called
   Mahasatipatthana Sutta (the Four-point Foundation
   of Mindfulness). The principle is about being mindful
   of the body (movement, action), the feelings, the
   mind (thoughts, state of mind), and the Dhamma
   (the nature of things, beings). It is about seeing things
   as they are, not the way we want them to be, seeing
   them with intent and firmness without reacting to
   what arises in the mind.
   This is also the basis of equanimity practice; to
   be unwavering with emotions, pleasant or unpleasant,
   and keep the mind neutral. Equanimity is the core
   Dhamma the Buddha discovered. The aim of the
   
   practice is to purify the mind from Kilesa (impurities)
   which cause Craving and Aversion, leading to cycle
   of rebirth.
   Vipassana meditation trains the mind through
   continuously and persistently observing the mind
   and staying equanimous the whole time by not
   reacting to whatever comes to the mind. To practice
   equanimity is to not be swayed by emotions pleasure or pain. It helps free the mind from the cycle
   of becoming as the mind is in a neutral state, not
   attached to negative or positive energies.
   Vipassana meditation allows true purification of
   the mind, bringing wisdom, and revealing the truth
   within the practitioner’s mind depending on the
   person’s level of spiritual progress. The mind will
   be free from deceptions and temptations as the
   impurities are weakened and destroyed through
   different techniques. Each Vipassana technique yields
   the same outcome but is different in terms of speed of
   progress. However, all techniques can purify the mind.
   The difference of Vipassana meditation and normal
   meditation is that Vipassana meditation focuses on
   mindfulness, with clear consciousness of the surrounding
   environment and the reality within the mind and body
   without thoughts to it. But the normal meditation’s focus
   is on the calmness and stillness of the mind.
   
   The Result of the Practice
   The practice of Vipassana meditation results in
   mind purity, free from impurities; Craving and
   Aversion at the sub-consciousness (Sangkara in Pali
   language) level. They are the true causes of grievances
   in life. While other meditation techniques suppress
   those feelings, giving the meditator a sense of
   peacefulness that only lasts during the session, Vipassana
   calms the meditators’ mind even after the session ends
   because what they feel is the peace from within.
   Eventually, it liberates the soul from suffering
   as the soul attains enlightenment, ending rounds
   of rebirth in this world. And even if one is not
   enlightened, one will see clear changes with oneself
   in everyday life. A Vipassana practitioner will get
   less upset about things, let go of disappointments
   easier, feel at peace, become more mindful, and
   have clarity in life both spiritually and worldly. The
   mind develops a profound understanding of
   ‘Impermanence’. These are called ‘True Wisdom’ that
   shows through the person. One will also be inclined
   to live in goodness without feeling pressured or
   forced. That is the characteristic of spiritually refined
   mind; full of genuine compassion and gratitude.
   “Through Vipassana meditation,
   the practitioner will find that
   letting go becomes increasingly
   easier.”
   
   DETACHMENT
   Non-attachment is a core Dhamma that the
   Buddha taught. It is the abandonment of clinging to
   emotions including greed, hatred, and delusion. It also
   includes detachment from ego. The mind overcomes
   addiction to pleasures and suffering. It has no craving
   and aversion for worldly successes, lust, and obsessions.
   To truly reach the state of detachment is very
   difficult. Most people are successful at the intellectual
   level. Their minds get carried away with the flow of
   different emotions. Therefore, the mind must undergo
   purification process in order to be totally free.
   Impurities in the mind are the culprit for deep
   emotional attachment.
   Through Vipassana meditation, the practitioner
   will find that letting go becomes increasingly easier as
   they gain spiritual progress. Once he or she reaches the
   stage of enlightenment, the person will become an
   Arahant, or a liberated one.
   That being said, the ‘freedom’ from emotional
   attachment does not mean that person will turn into a
   cold, lifeless robot. A liberated person can still feel
   
   everything just like others. They can feel love,
   contentment, disappointment, excitement, delight, and
   regrets. But these feelings are not seasoned into
   emotions. Feelings define human beings. But a person
   with pure mind does not season his feelings into
   emotions. His level of emotional involvement does not
   go up to the degree of obsession or deep passion. He
   just accepts when feelings arise but does not mourn
   when the happiness is gone. For example, when he
   tastes delicious food, he enjoys it but is not compelled
   to have more. When he hears praises, he accepts it and
   feels proud but his ego does not get inflated. When
   faced with disappointment, he does not feel sad for
   long and quickly gets himself together.
   There was an ascetic named Upaka. His heart was
   badly broken by insulting words from his own wife
   Suchawadee, a 17-year-old girl who was forced by her
   father to marry the 50-year-old Upaka.
   Even though Upaka was determined to live a
   monastic life to cleanse his mind from impurities or
   Kilesa, he did not receive correct teaching nor had the
   right teacher. So when he saw the beautiful teenager,
   the lust that had been suppressed surged immediately,
   overwhelming him with crazy passion. He abandoned
   his ascetic life to marry her but the marriage was
   nothing but bitterness. Suchawadee felt only hatred
   
   towards him. She never appreciated whatever he had
   done to please and take care of her and constantly put
   him down with humiliating remarks about his poverty
   and old age. Unable to tolerate it, Upaka went to see
   the Buddha to ask for help out of his miserable life.
   Buddha taught Upaka to see the harm in Craving
   and Aversion. He said, “Behold, Upaka, you should see
   this world as emptiness. Keep mindfulness at all times.
   Remove your ego and detach from the self. You will
   feel light, less sad, less worried. There is no other
   happiness comparable to the ultimate happiness from
   letting go and establishing yourself in Dhamma.”
   Supreme Dhamma practice does not turn a person
   into a log but rather pulls him out of the emotional
   pitfall, transforming him from a victim of his own
   reactions to a reasonable and compassionate human
   being.
   Emotions are high-density energies with very
   strong pulling force. If your mind is deeply stuck in an
   emotion, you are strengthening your addiction to
   clinginess energy, imbedding your soul in the magnetic
   field and gravity current. But if you can let go of those
   emotions, they will be released before dissipating
   eventually, allowing equanimity to rise. That is the
   enlightened mind.
   “What one gains from
   enlightenment is a
   completely neutral
   mind and freedom from
   craving and aversion.
   No more falling victim
   to emotional pitfalls.”
   
   ENLIGHTENMENT
   Enlightenment is the state of mind that achieves
   ultimate spiritual insight, enlightened with the
   Ultimate Truth about oneself and about the illusion
   of this world. This is the state of liberation or the final
   stage of enlightenment. The enlightened mind
   destroys all the impurities that had hidden the truth
   about the mind.
   What one gains from enlightenment is a
   completely neutral mind and freedom from craving
   and aversion. No more falling victim to emotional
   pitfalls. The mind is no longer stirred by happiness
   and sadness, full of appreciation for all things the
   way an ordinary mind cannot understand. It is
   because an enlightened mind is the purest energy as
   it bears no harmful thoughts and only feels
   compassion for all beings. The compassion stems
   from a true understanding that all creatures are
   trapped in the cycle of rebirth and that they all face
   the same suffering namely separation, frustration,
   and agony for innumerable lifetimes.
   
   Buddha reached enlightenment after rigorous
   mind training through countless reincarnations to
   seek the liberation. His mind was full of loving
   kindness and compassion. That was what drove him
   to start his journey to teach the Dhamma he had
   discovered to as many people as possible until his
   final day.
   
   “Nirvana is the state of pure
   mind and pure energy, no
   impurities, no grievances,
   no more birth and death”
   
   NIRVANA
   Nirvana is the condition of death in an enlightened
   soul. When the Buddha or an enlightened soul
   passes away, their souls will not return to the cycle
   of rebirth anymore. We do not use Nirvana in the
   case of an ordinary person’s death.
   Another definition of Nirvana is the place of
   supreme happiness where enlightened souls reside.
   It is for those with an entirely pure mind and thus
   out of the cycle of rebirth and the gravitational force
   of the universe.
   Nowadays the definition of Nirvana has been
   distorted way beyond its original meaning. In
   Tipitaka (The Pali Canon), the word was only used
   when the Buddha passed away, signifying that the
   enlightened mind will go to the another dimentional
   realm where peace is longlasting. It is the land of
   pure mind and pure energy, no impurities, no
   grievances, and no more birth and death.
   The word Nirvana is now widely used with a
   reference to the state or the land of ultimate
   happiness. But in Buddhism, this word is regarded
   very highly. It can never be used without respect.
   
   “The soul is a form of energy
   and energy never disappears.
   It merely changes form.”
   
   CYCLE OF REBIRTH
   Death does not mean the end in Buddhism. It
   simply means the end of physical existence. However,
   the soul or spirit is still in the loop of the cycle of
   rebirth to face the cycle of suffering (birth, old age,
   sickness, death) because it is a form of energy and
   energy never disappears. It merely changes form.
   Therefore, how a human’s soul will change its form
   after death depends on the merit and bad karma
   (actions) each person has done over the past lives.
   The soul has accumulated with it several energy
   currents categorized by good and bad (loosely
   translated as positive and negative energy). If we do
   a good deed, it will be fine energy. If the deed was
   bad, the energy will be coarse. These energies classify
   themselves naturally, creating the cycle of rebirth
   because the soul energy cannot get away from the
   loop of gravity and the magnetic field. I have already
   explained the whole mechanism in scientific terms
   in the book, “Awaken from Madness”, including how
   heaven and hell are formed in the different
   dimension.
   
   When we die, the mind will go to different states
   of existence such as heaven, hell, human, or animal.
   The transition is part of the Three Characteristics of
   Existence stated by the Buddha. It includes
   Impermanence (Anicca), Suffering (Dukkha), and
   Non-self (Anatta). It means that all beings, with no
   exception, have a beginning and an end. Where they
   go next and which existence depend on the type and
   amount of merit, sin, or neutrality that they have
   accumulated.
   Before the Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha
   who strived through his practice until he reached
   enlightenment, he had been born in various states
   of existence for uncountable lifetimes. In some lives,
   he was born with high status as king. In some other
   lives, he was an ascetic or an animal. These were
   caused by karma he had done in former lives. It was
   the reason why he was born in different status,
   sometimes high and sometimes low. Eventually, he
   attained enlightenment by uprooting all karmic
   codes and letting go of attachment through Vipassana
   meditation.
   The karmic code is the energy current or wave
   which is formed as a result of our words, thoughts,
   and actions to ourselves, others, and to the world.
   The codes can be both positive (good) and negative
   (bad) depending on our intentions.
   
   As a Buddhist, I have a proof that reincarnation
   is real through rigorous Vipassana meditation
   practice. I have uprooted the major cause of my illtempered nature and finally have it eliminated from
   my mind. Before the practice, I was quick-tempered
   and got angry easily and violently. I even threw things
   to vent my anger. Each time after the anger was
   released, I felt sorry and wondered why I was this
   kind of person. Why did other people look so calm
   and I was always restless? Any treatment to help solve
   this problem did not work for me as it could not
   correct from the root cause in my mind. It was just
   like trimming a tree to make it beautiful for a short
   while without digging down to the roots of the
   problem. After practicing Vipassana meditation, I
   have found the truth that was hidden in my
   subconscious memory.
   In the previous life, I was born in the ancient
   Thonburi Kingdom and related to the king at that
   time. Under the transition to a new dynasty, those
   who were potential threats to the new monarchy must
   be terminated. I was one of them. Although I tried
   to escape, I was caught and brought to be executed.
   While waiting for death at the execution ground, my
   mind was full of anger and overwhelmed with fear.
   The two emotions kept alternating in my mind all
   the time. During that previous life recollection, my
   
   mind expressed the deep anguish by lamenting and
   crying for help. It had explained the cause of this
   personality, deep down to the subconscious level. As
   tears of desperation was streaming down my face
   during the meditation, the mental complex had been
   burned down into energy current, leaving my mind
   in peace and calmness just like the heaviest thing was
   removed from my chest.
   This is the sample of the countless rebirths that
   I have found out by myself. For each birth, I was
   inevitably stuck in the wheel of birth, old age,
   sickness, and death. Only after following the Buddha’s
   teaching and practice, I have finally found the way
   to end this suffering and be truly happy.
   
   “Equanimity is the highest
   achievement for practitioners
   of the Noble Path.”
   
   EQUANIMITY
   OF THE MIND
   Equanimity is the core teaching of Buddha.
   Lord Buddha discovered the way to end the cycle
   of rebirth. His ultimate discovery is equanimity or
   the attainment of the neutral state by the mind,
   making the soul free from positive and negative
   energy. His guidance to end the cycle of rebirth can
   be separated into 3 levels: initial, intermediate, and
   superlative. The initial stage is to omit bad deeds
   while the intermediate stage is to do good deeds.
   Finally, the superlative stage is about the mind
   purification until it can detach itself from craving
   and aversion which cause Greed, Anger, Hatred, and
   Illusion. The soul can maintain the perfect neutral
   state of mind (equanimity) not shaken or attached to
   happiness or unhappiness. This is the highest
   achievement for practitioners of the Noble Path.
   
   COMPASSION
   Compassion is the basic morality of human,
   the purer a person’s mind is (from Anger, Hatred,
   Greed, and Illusion), the more compassionate they
   will be. Regardless of their religious belief, people
   wish for generosity and patronage in general. In
   Buddhism, compassion is the wish to see others in
   happiness; one of the Four Sublime States of Mind
   stated in the Pali Canon. The word “others” is not
   subjective; it does not prefer any individual but all.
   This makes compassion greater than love. Love is
   still tainted with emotional bonds: favor and disfavor,
   pleased and displeased while true compassion can
   sacrifice and extend indiscriminately even to
   enemies.
   This world is an entity of problems. If we lack
   compassion, when catastrophes strike, who would
   offer a helping hand to the affected people? The
   
   earthquake in Haiti and even the 2004 Asia tsunami
   have brought people across the world to unite and
   help. Everyone worked together regardless of their
   nationalities, beliefs, and origins. Compassion
   became a vital trait in supporting the affected people
   to get back on their feet.
   One would reach true power of compassion
   only when he has trained and purified his mind to
   clear the hatred within. Buddha has the purest and
   the most divine mind. His kindness extends across
   all beings. He certainly is the ultimate model of
   compassion.
   Top ideas in Buddhism & Famous Stories in Buddha’s time 99
   “In Buddhism, inner peace
   is the state of firm mind,
   which is free from craving
   and aversion of objects
   and people. This is not the
   kind of calmness commonly
   known.”
   
   INNER PEACE
   In Buddhism, inner peace is the state of firm
   mind, which is free from craving and aversion of
   objects and people. This is not the kind of calmness
   commonly known because a calm mind does not
   always mean serenity. When you have inner peace,
   you are contented and fulfilled without the need for
   external stimulation.
   Disappointments and uncertainties are neither
   good nor bad to you because they are part of the law
   of the universe on impermanence. This insight also
   leads to the cultivation of mercy in your heart. Those
   with inner peace do not blame others and the
   surroundings for unexpected circumstances and will
   understand the law of nature and law of Cause and
   Effect.
   
   “Experiencing changes in
   life is the blessing because
   it awakens us from being
   obsessed with only happiness.”
   
   IMPERMANENCE
   “Truly impermanent are all formations, by nature
   arising and passing away”— It is the truth of nature that
   things are made from a combination of other things.
   Likewise, human body is temporarily formed by
   elements of earth, water, fire, and air. Therefore it is
   instable, subject to change, and dissolves at last.
   The state of change is called “Impermanence” in
   Buddhism, the true nature of all things. Impermanence
   in life appears all around us through aging, illness, and
   death. However, the Ultimate Truth brings frustrations
   and is difficult to accept because of illusion that binds
   us with beloved ones and belongings.
   It is easiest to see the impermanence in the era of
   One World as we have seen the rise and fall of world
   leaders, such as the former U.S. president Barack
   Obama. There were times we often saw stories about
   him, looking very powerful. Now he no longer holds
   
   that power and has become a person in the past.
   Similarly, we often see news of celebrities and stars
   who were in the news everyday. Eventually, time
   revealed the truth. They have disappeared from the
   media. When we see them again, their young and
   beautiful looks have startlingly changed so much you
   just could not help wondering, “Why is time so cruel
   to our body?”
   What happened to other people, no matter how
   much it reflected the law of impermanence, still cannot
   awaken an individual to accept the truth. This is because
   the changes occurring to the individual is taking place
   gradually, making the person cling to his identity
   stubbornly. To realize the truth about impermanence
   to the point that spiritual wisdom takes place requires
   a firsthand experience. The person’s mind would then
   awaken to truly realize the meaning of impermanence.
   The Buddha teaches us at the Ultimate Truth level, that
   all beings in this world are truly formless. They are
   impermanent, miserable, and non-self.
   Any obsession or passion to things and people only
   brings about huge grievances as they will eventually
   wither, decay, and turn into ashes some day. But if that
   person understands the principle and braces for
   uncertainty and separation which inevitably happens,
   his mind will not sink into those negative emotions.
   This is the essence of impermanence.
   
   I have seen a woman whose son was a soldier and
   died prematurely. She could not accept the loss because
   she did not realize the nature’s law. She vowed to wear
   black for the rest of her life to tie her heart with her
   son. This is an extreme way of grieving and plunges
   her into the abyss of agony. She did not know how to
   let go. No one can escape death and separation. What
   we can do is remember their virtues. It is not clinginess
   but the character of the refined mind who always
   appreciates someone’s contributions and goodness.
   Likewise, Buddhists remember the Buddha by
   paying respect to him. The Chinese also have gratitude
   towards their ancestors. These actions are not attachment.
   An attachment is to tie oneself with emotional sufferings
   or indulgences so deeply one could not detach from
   those emotions. Part of the reasons is that people do not
   realize the law of nature in which the Buddha taught
   that, “Things arise naturally, things fall naturally.”
   When life is going up high and filled with happiness
   from gains, fame, or praise, we should be prepared for
   change any time. And when faced with hardships, we
   should be careful with our actions and lives. Happiness
   and unhappiness both fall under the law of
   impermanence, not everlasting. Experiencing changes
   is instead the blessing because it awakens us from being
   obsessed with only happiness and pleasures.
   106 Top ideas in Buddhism & Famous Stories in Buddha’s time
   This essential fact can only be understood with
   Vipassana meditation practice, neither from reading
   nor imagination. We have to investigate the real nature
   of the everchanging state that occur within our body
   and mind to fully understand that everything is rising
   and falling. This way, we will be able to accept the truth
   and let go of things we attach to, grieve over, and keep
   training our mind until we are liberated.
   “Better it is to live one day, seeing the rise and fall
   of things, than to live a hundred years, without ever
   seeing the rise and fall of things,” said Buddha.
   
   “The right faith should
   consist of wisdom,
   otherwise it would be
   a blind faith leading to
   wrong view”
   
   FAITH
   “Faith” is a belief and the most important Dhamma
   that encourages our mind to stay focused, strongly
   determined and persevere in order to achieve a goal.
   This is what Buddha replied when asked what faith was.
   “The characteristics of one, a layperson or a monk
   with faith, strictly observes the precepts, is widely
   learned, has a good companion, is suave and patiently
   accepts advice, is deft and diligent in work that needs
   to be done by his fellow bhikkhus (monks), is fond of
   the teachings, dwells exerting effort in meritorious
   things, attains the four higher states of the mind at will,
   recollects the manifold previous births, is one with
   divine eyes seeing all beings passing away and rearising in accordance with their karma, and has
   destroyed the mental influxes through his great
   wisdom.” – Buddha
   Faith must consist of wisdom to take things into
   consideration which brings forth the right view
   according to the Noble Eightfold Path, leading to
   liberation from suffering. At first, one needs to have
   
   faith in the path or in a master. Then, the person will
   cultivate such teachings to his mind to consider and
   practice mind purification. This does not rely solely on
   faith as the Buddha taught us to think thoroughly
   before believing in something.
   At present, there are many beliefs that do not
   conform to Buddha’s teachings such as keeping lucky
   dolls and seeking lucky telephone numbers believed
   to give positive energy that brings wealth and success.
   While the Buddha taught us that it is our executed
   actions and our intention that lead to good or bad
   results in our life, such beliefs do not fix problems at
   the root cause.
   The right faith should consist of wisdom, otherwise
   it would be blind faith leading to the wrong view.
   Visakha was one of the important followers of
   Gautama Buddha. Her faith and practice in Buddha’s
   teaching was so strong she gained the first stage of
   enlightenment. However, she was married to a man
   whose family had no faith in Buddhism but in naked
   ascetics whom her father-in-law believed were
   Aranhants (a term referred to those already attained
   the final stage of enlightenment).
   One day, he invited 500 naked ascetics to eat at his
   place as he believed this would bring his family good luck.
   He also called Visakha to pay respect to “the Arahants”.
   Top ideas in Buddhism & Famous Stories in Buddha’s time 111
   But the wise Visakha said, “These shameless people (not
   wearing clothes). How can they be Arahants?” and left.
   Her father-in-law and the ascetics became very angry
   at her comments.
   Later, a Buddhist monk stopped in front of her
   house on his alms round. Visakha was taking care
   of her father-in-law who pretended to not see the
   monk and continued having his meal. Seeing her
   father-in-law like that, she told the monk, “Please move
   ahead. My father-in-law is eating rotten food.”
   Hearing that, he was very angry and demanded
   her explanation. Visakha said what she meant was
   that he was born rich, living a wealthy life with
   sumptuous meals because he was now reaping the
   benefits of his old merit. Therefore, the food he was
   eating could be considered as rotten food because
   it was the result of his good karma from the past.
   When the man fully understood the Dhamma in her
   words, his faith in Buddhism grew. Eventually he
   converted to Buddhism.
   “Buddha once said that of all
   gifts, the gift of Dhamma is
   the highest as it can put an
   end to all sufferings in the
   cycle of rebirth.”
   Image: Suphakrit Pakdeepathapee
   
   “GIVING”
   IS THE BEST WAY TO LOSE
   “Alms” means giving. It is the first step to train
   your mind to reduce greed and attachment through
   generosity. Luangpu Mun Bhuridatta, one of
   Thailand’s most respected Buddhist monks and
   Vipassana masters, taught about the importance of
   almsgiving that it represents the kindness of human
   being and the compassion toward all beings. Alms
   are not limited to objects but also include the gift of
   the Dhamma and forgiveness. Buddha once said that
   of all gifts, the gift of Dhamma is the highest as it can
   put an end to all sufferings in the cycle of rebirth.
   Therefore, it is the greatest gift.
   There is a misunderstanding that poor people
   cannot afford to give. However, everyone can be a
   giver. Buddha described the Five Precepts as the great
   gifts because abandoning the taking of life is equal
   to giving life, abandoning the taking of what is not
   given is equal to giving protection to other people’s
   
   wealth, abandoning sexual misconduct is equal to
   helping others stay faithful, abandoning false speech
   is equal to giving truth, and abandoning intoxicating
   substances which causes recklessness is equal to
   preventing all of the above from happening through
   mindfulness.
   Therefore, the benefits of giving do not depend
   on the value of the thing but the intention to cast off
   an attachment. This will eventually strengthen the
   mind to be strong enough to lose ego or Self.
   
   “Nowadays many Buddhists
   misunderstand that merit
   making is all about almsgiving…
   Some even make merit by
   “buying merit” to ensure their
   wish is fulfilled, not for the
   sake of giving.”
   
   TEN
   MERITORIOUS ACTIONS
   Many Buddhists misunderstand that merit
   making is all about almsgiving and even expect
   results in return. Some make merit by “buying merit”
   to ensure their wish is fulfilled, not for the sake of
   giving.
   The Buddha taught ten meritorious deeds for us
   to perform in order to gain a happy and peaceful life.
   The deeds include almsgiving, observing the
   precepts, practicing meditation, paying reverence to
   elders, helping others, devoting merits to others,
   rejoicing in other’s merits, listening to Dhamma
   discourses, teaching Dhamma, and correcting one’s
   wrong view.
   Among those actions, paying respect to elders or
   benefactors is very important, especially paying
   respect toward parents, relatives, venerable teachers,
   and those deserving it.
   
   The Buddha shared the story of a bird, a monkey,
   and an elephant which lived by a large tree. They
   decided to give a priority to the elder ones, by
   measuring their age with the tree. The elephant
   remembered it to be as big as a bush when he was a
   baby. The monkey remembered that he ate its leaves
   on the top when he was little. The bird said there was
   a great tree nearby, whose seeds he ate and pooped
   where the tree now was. They decided that he was
   the eldest, followed by the monkey and the elephant.
   Apart from almsgiving, nine out of the 10
   meritorious actions do not require money to see
   great benefits. Therefore, Buddhists should follow
   all of the deeds, instead of focusing on almsgiving
   only, to cultivate merits that lead to the freedom
   from selfishness and ego.
   “Those, who have wisdom in Dhamma, will
   respect their seniors. Such people will be respected
   in this life, and be happy in the next life”, said the
   Enlightened One.
   

“He was asked how one should go
through insults from a worse
person since there was nothing
special about enduring putdowns
from those with superior or equal
status.”

TOLERENCE
In the age of multitasking, we suddenly find
ourselves unable to focus on something long enough
to even complete a simple work. We are less patient,
get angry easier, and more ready to pick a fight.
And what can incite hurt and anger more than
harsh words? It cuts like a knife because it hits directly
at ourselves or our ego.
In one of Buddha’s lifetimes, he was a hermit
named Soraphaka, renowned for his exemplary
tolerance. Once he was asked how one should go
through insults from a worse person since there was
nothing special about enduring putdowns from those
with superior or equal status.
His answer was that anyone who could endure a
worse person has the highest tolerance of all. That
was because the patience in the other two could be
from fear and a wish to avoid an unnecessary
competition.

Buddha is the best example of this virtue. When
He went for almsgiving in Sāvatthī city, he was called
a bad and vile man by a Brahmin. Instead of being
upset, Buddha asked the ascetic what was qualified
as vile. Seeing him without an answer, Buddha
explained the true meaning of the word bad and vile
person in summary is a person who does not live in
virtue, speaks rudely, talks bad or harms other
people.
Buddha said, “ A person will not be judged to be
bad and vile because of the caste, not being brahmin
(or noble) by caste but because he does bad things. A
person is a noble one because he does good things.”
The Brahmin, astonished at the Enlightened
One’s wisdom, converted to Buddhism and vowed
to follow the Five Precepts for the rest of his life.
The outcome of this encounter would have been
different had it been someone else. It would have
gone disastrous as our patience is so low these days.
But when you look at the incident objectively, there
is no reason to be mad or violent at all because the
accusation was untrue.
We get mad because we fail to look past the
Brahmin’s words. Our reactions were based on the
holier-than-thou attitude and so the other person
had no right to criticize us.

The Buddha, on the other hand, managed it
beautifully because he used compassion as a moral
compass. The compassion granted him endless
tolerance for he understood different backgrounds,
upbringings, and experiences result in different
viewpoints and beliefs.
For this reason, a tolerance for a worse person is
the highest tolerance of all because It takes a great
mind with genuine compassion.
“Gratitude is a true indicator of
goodness, the great virtue as
well as the most important step
to Nirvana. A grateful mind will
always find a way to return
favors whenever possible.”
Image: Ponkrid Boonsnong

THE MAGIC ONLY
THE GRATEFUL DESERVES
The Buddha said there are two rare types of
people. First is a giver, who does favors for others,
such as parents and teachers. Second is the one with
gratitude.
Among the disciples the Buddha ordained was
Devadatta, who was Buddha’s foe from several
lifetimes. Yet he lied that Buddha was not his
master.
Devadatta also used to lie in the previous life
about the same thing. When he was a Brahmin, he
learnt a magic spell to create mangoes in an instant
from an outcaste master, on the condition that the
spell would only work if the student spoke the truth.
Because of this magic, the Brahmin accumulated
a lot of wealth. One day the King of Varanasi had tried
the mango and was very pleased with its taste, so he

asked the Brahmin who his teacher was. Feeling
ashamed, he replied that he studied it from a highcasted master in Taxila. The magic immediately
disappeared.
When the king asked him to cast the spell again
and in front of the crowd this time, nothing happened
because of his lie and ungratefulness to his teacher.
Confused, the king asked, “Why isn’t there any mango
like before?” The man then made a confession about
the lie.
The king was very upset and took away the rewards
and everything he had given to the man earlier. “You’re
ungrateful. Whatever caste your teacher is, your teacher
is still your teacher. You must go apologize to him and
ask to study the magic. Otherwise, don’t show your face
to me ever again.”
His master was very angry when he learned about
it. “I taught you the magic with mercy but you look
down on your own teacher. I don’t want to see your
face anymore,” said the master.
Hearing his master’s rejection, the man
disappointedly walked away into the forest and never
came back.
Gratitude can provide enormous merits, but
those who are ungrateful will receive an opposite

outcome. Gratitude is a true indicator of goodness,
the great virtue as well as the most important step to
Nirvana. A grateful mind will always find a way to
return favors whenever possible.
“The Buddha, however,
remained peaceful and happy,
unruffled by his insults.”

THE GIFT OF ANGER
There was a Brahmin who dismissed the
Buddha’s teachings as he had faith in different
practice. When his seven sons and daughters- in-law
converted to Buddhism and practiced meditation,
he became very mad and believed the Buddha was
the reason why they changed from the old belief.
The Brahim then stormed into the temple where
the Buddha was staying at that time and lashed out
at him, calling him with offensive names. The
Buddha, however, remained peaceful and happy,
unruffled by his insults. When he saw the Brahmin
began to get tired, the Buddha asked him a question.
“Brahmin, what’s your purpose of the visit?”
The Brahmin repeated his cursing at the Buddha
until he was tired again.
“Well, Brahmin, let me ask you a question. Have
you ever had a visitor at your house?” the Buddha
asked.

“Yes, but what’s your business?” was his reply.
The Buddha continued, “Have your guests
brought you snacks, foods, or gifts?”
“Yes, certainly.”
“But if you don’t want those gifts, who will have
them?”
“Obviously, the person who brought them.”
The Venerable One said, “Now then, you’re my
guest and you’re bringing me the gift of anger. I won’t
take it. Therefore those rude words now belong to
you.”
The Brahmin was intrigued at the Buddha’s
words and wisdom. “Buddha, where have you learn
to not accept the gift of anger?”
With compassion, the Perfected One began
teaching him about Dhamma. The Brahmin then
accepted the Buddha as his teacher and eventually
became a Buddhist.

“The ultimate benevolence
consists of wisdom without
prejudice. The Buddha’s
kindness for his own son
Rahula, and for his enemy
Devadatta, was all the same.”

WHERE DOES
BENEVOLENCE BEGIN?
“Generosity during life is a very different thing
from generosity in the hour of death; one proceeds
from genuine liberality and benevolence, the other
from pride or fear.”
The statement above was made by 18th century
American educational reformer Horace Mann, who
promoted education to be universal, free, and nonsectarian. While he believed that education was the
best solution to tame unruly American kids, he
strongly advocated the cultivation of morality as the
true sign of human growth.
In Buddhism, benevolence is the ninth of Ten
Perfections and one of the four Sublime States of
Mind (Brahmaviharas) necessary for every Buddhist
practitioner in order to attain enlightenment. Unlike
compassion, the second virtue in the Brahmavihara,
benevolence is the act and thought of kindness
towards all others without discrimination.

It is loving kindness without expecting anything in
return. It aims at supporting and not harming others
on the belief that others have feelings like us. Therefore,
we should love others the same way we love ourselves.
We should cultivate the seed of benevolence in our
mind before sharing it to the world.
Parents are the first example of benevolence for
everything they do for their child is motivated by pure
love. No matter how bad their child is, the love remains.
A good, dedicated teacher is also another good model.
Nothing makes a teacher happier than seeing their
student go on to have a happy, fulfilling life.
The ultimate benevolence consists of wisdom
without prejudice. The one who has possessed all the
perfections is Buddha. His kindness for his own son
Rahula, and for his self-proclaimed enemy Devadatta,
was all the same. Though we are nowhere near him,
we still should cultivate benevolence. When the
society is full of benevolent people, the world will
become a Utopia we human have strived for centuries.

“Nowadays the number of
people born in the darkness
and leaving in the darkness
is much larger and the most
common type.”

WHERE ARE YOU GOING?
Being born as a human counts as a great fortune.
The Buddha made it clear that a soul needs to
possess good characteristics enough to have a human
existence. By following the five moral precepts or
practicing good virtue, the soul can progress in its
spiritual development and maintain enough virtues to
be born as human.
According to the Buddha, humans have to confront
the endless cycle of rebirth to redeem themselves from
mistakes before reaching enlightenment. There are
four types of humans that Buddha has categorized by
birth and death;

1. Those coming from darkness and going to
   darkness
2. Those coming from darkness and going to
   brightness
3. Those coming from brightness and going to
   brightness
4. Those coming from brightness and going to
   darkness
   30
   140 Top ideas in Buddhism & Famous Stories in Buddha’s time
   The categorization covers both material and
   spiritual wealth. Where we come from is not as
   important as where we are going. A human existence
   or otherwise is the result of our deeds in previous lives;
   we cannot go back to change them. What matters is
   now. The obvious difference of characteristic between
   human and other creatures is that humans have virtues
   and live their lives based on morality while animals
   rely on their instincts to survive. When humans
   ignore the basic morality within themselves, their
   humanness then decreases.
   In Buddha’s time before he reached enlightenment,
   there were various creeds in India. Each creed fervently
   seek believers and followers. Once the Buddha attained
   enlightenment and started to teach people, many
   scholars had faith in his teaching. They recognized
   Buddhism as a religion of wisdom by not teaching
   people to blindly believe in things such as killing
   another person’s life as a sacrifice to save one’s own life.
   When the leaders of those creeds began to lose their
   followers, they tried to discredit the Buddha. Thus, he
   faced strong resistance from those people.
   There was this cult called Paripachok which believed
   in debate. Whoever lost his argument must join the cult.
   Seeing the Buddha gained more and more followers,
   with jealousy, they hired a heretical priestess named
   
   Jinjamalavika who has a seductive appearance to act as
   if she went to listen to the teaching of Buddha at
   Jettavana Temple in the evening. When people came to
   offer foods to the Buddha in the early morning, she
   pretended to drowsily walk out from the temple. She
   had continued to do so for two months before spreading
   the rumor that she was the Buddha’s concubine.
   In the temple, the situation was normal yet the
   monks were very worried that the Buddha was slandered.
   Later, Jinjamalavika hit herself to make her body swell
   as if she was pregnant and concealed clothes and
   bamboo weaving piece around her belly. One day she
   walked with her fake pregnant belly into the temple.
   While the Buddha was preaching, she pointed a finger
   at him scolding that he was a father of her baby. The
   Buddha calmly replied, “Only two of us know whether
   it is true or not.”
   With the power of Buddha’s virtue in uttering the
   truth, she trembled in fear yet trying to continue
   accusing him. Suddenly, a rope that was tied to her
   clothes to fake the pregnancy loosened. The truth
   revealed itself. People were stunned and started
   condemning her. With such a grave sin, the earth split
   apart and swallowed her up immediately the moment
   she was outside the temple.
   People with intelligence and good appearances are
   
   born with a good starting point. But if they spend their
   lives exploiting and hurting others, they are people that
   come from brightness and goes to darkness.
   What type of human do you want to be? Ask
   yourself honestly where you are going because the
   ending is completely different.
   
   “Young man, you know
   so much about the law
   of nature. Why don’t you
   understand that the
   nature of all beings are
   the same?”
   Image: Suphakrit Pakdeepathapee
   
   TWO EARTHEN POTS
   AND THE KEY TO HEAVEN
   Beliefs and faiths in the vast and ancient kingdom
   of India at that time was diverse and full of
   extremities, many being blind faith and ignorance.
   One of them was this belief that after a parent
   died, the eldest son must crack open the deceased’s
   skull when the cremation was half way in order to
   open the gateway of heaven for the dead.
   One day a young man came to the Buddha crying
   for help. With grievances, he asked the Blessed One
   to perform a ritual to bring his dead father to heaven
   because he could not make it as the funeral was
   finished the day before.
   Knowing he was too grief-stricken and emotional
   to listen, the Buddha told the man to find two earthen
   pots, then asked him to fill one pot with ghee, the
   other with pebbles; and told him to place the pots in
   a nearby pond. The man obliged with delight,
   thinking he could finally save his father’s soul.
   
   When everything was ready, the Buddha asked
   him to strike the pots. At once the butter in the
   cracked pot came up and started floating on the
   surface of water. The pebbles in the other pot spilled
   out and settled at the bottom.
   The Buddha then asked the man to find any sage
   to perform the ritual so that the pebbles would float,
   and the butter would sink into the water. Astonished,
   the man replied.
   “Is that a joke, Your Holiness? How can that be
   possible? It’s against the law of nature. The pebbles
   are heavier than water; they will sink to the bottom.
   The butter is lighter than water; it is bound to remain
   on the surface.”
   “Young man, you know so much about the law
   of nature. Why don’t you understand that the nature
   of all beings are the same? If all his life your father
   did bad deeds which were heavy like pebbles, he is
   bound to go down; who can pull him up? And if his
   actions were good, he is bound to go up; just like the
   butter, who can push him down?”
   We often expect an invisible power will always
   help us without ever trying to change our own
   behavior and actions. Only when we understand the
   Top ideas in Buddhism & Famous Stories in Buddha’s time 147
   law of nature that we reap what we sow, we will be
   more careful in creating our future.
   The Enlightened One turned and
   replied calmly, “I have stopped.
   It is you who has not stopped.”
   Image: Pisit Yanen
   
   I HAVE STOPPED…
   One of the most famous stories in BuddhistScriptures was the story of Angulimala, an ex-murderer who later became one of Buddha’s most
   important disciples. This was the man whose goal was
   to kill 1,000 people and collect their fingers in order
   to complete his studies at Taxila, the ancient and most
   prestigious university of India in the ancient time.
   Born as Ahimsaka to a Grand Chaplain in the court
   of King Pasenadi of Kosala. the boy’s astrological
   readings showed his great tendency to become a big
   criminal. Hence, the name Ahimsaka which means
   ‘harmless’. At school he was his teacher’s favorite
   because of his intelligence and humbleness. This
   made other students very jealous of him and
   accused Ahimsaka of plotting against his teacher.
   After several attempts, they succeeded.
   The teacher’s suspicion grew to the point he
   wanted to get rid of Ahimsaka. So he made up a story
   that Ahimsaka must find 1,000 human fingers for his
   exit lesson and as an homage to his teacher. Although
   
   Ahimsaka refused at first, he finally gave in as he was
   very obedient by nature.
   As his reputation spread, people started calling
   him Angulimala or ‘finger necklace/garland’ as he
   would thread each victim’s finger and made a garland
   out of them to keep track of the number.
   On the day he was trying to find any last person
   to kill, his mother was also looking for him. The
   Buddha, knowing that he would have killed his own
   mother had he not intervene, appeared before him.
   Angulimala immediately set out after the Blessed
   One. But he could not overtake him although he ran
   with all the strength and speed he had and the
   Buddha was only walking leisurely. The Buddha was
   performing a miracle to teach him.
   Eventually he yelled at the Buddha to stop.
   The Enlightened One turned and replied calmly,
   “I have stopped. It is you who has not stopped”, and
   further said, “Angulimala, I have stopped forever. I have
   given up killing all living beings, for I am merciful to
   all living beings as I abstain from causing harm to them.
   But you have not given up killing or ill-treating others,
   and therefore, have not stopped.”
   Angulimala was struck by those words he stopped
   there and then, repented, and followed the Buddha
   back to the monastery where he was ordained.
   However, the holy saffron robes failed to quell people’s
   
   fears from his criminal past. Wherever he set foot on,
   people would run away and lock themselves in their
   homes.
   Concerned about Angulimala’s health, the Buddha
   instructed him to make an “asseveration of truth” to a
   woman who was having a difficult childbirth. And so
   he did, uttering the following words with compassion,
   “Sister, since I was born (as an ascetic), I do not recall
   that I have ever intentionally deprived a living being.
   By this truth may you be well and may your infant be
   safe.”
   The baby came out immediately. Both the
   mother and the baby were safe. Since then the monk
   was always welcome when he was on alms round.
   Still, the consequence of his karma haunted him
   through frequent accidents whenever he was outside
   and his inability to focus his mind as pictures of the
   slain victims kept appearing before him while in
   meditation.
   But The Great Master knew the solution. He
   guided his disciple by reminding him about his
   monkhood and told him to abandon his past as it
   was no use clinging to it. Angulimala’s changed view
   finally renewed his resoluteness and later brought
   him success in attainment of Arahanthood, the fourth
   and final stage of spiritual liberation.
   “It was this realization that
   nothing is permanent and
   therefore not worth holding
   onto that freed his mind
   enough to gain the first
   stage of enlightenment.”
   Image: Apanee Wongsakon (photograph of painting in V&A museum)
   T
   ANNA KONDANNA,
   HE WHO KNOWS
   Anna Kondanna, the first Buddhist monk, was
   the first one of the five ascetics who reached the first
   stage (Sotapanna) of insight toward absolute wisdom
   (Arahanthood) upon hearing Buddha’s first teaching
   called the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta.
   Kondanna was a young Brahmin who mastered
   the three Vedas and excelled in the science of
   physiognomy. He was among eight scholars invited
   to predict the destiny of Prince Siddhartha and the
   only one who predicted that the prince would
   become a Buddha while the other scholars offered a
   twofold prediction that Siddhartha would either
   become a great king or a supreme religious leader.
   After Prince Siddhartha had begun his ascetic
   life, Kondanna along with Bhaddiya, Vappa,
   Mahanama and Assaji, who were sons of those
   scholars followed him. “The Group of Five” had
   attended to the prince throughout his six years of
   
   self-mortification. But when the prince realized it
   was not the path, he immediately stopped. This upset
   Kondanna and his peers and they left him to reside
   in Deer Park.
   After the prince had become enlightened, he
   sought to find his former teachers. Realizing that they
   had died, the Buddha decided to find Kondanna and
   the others and gave them the first sermon.
   It was at the end of the sermon that Kondanna
   reached the insight… “All that is subject to arising is
   subject to ceasing… Don’t look for your refuges, in
   which you want to abide and trust, in anything that
   arises – because those things will cease.”
   The Buddha acknowledged this by uttering
   “annasivatabho Kondanno”, meaning “you have
   realized, Kondanna”. Due to this, “Anna Kondanna”
   (Kondanna-who-knows) has become his name since.
   At that time, Anna Kondanna was the only one
   with perfect understanding of what the Buddha was
   saying. Through this insight, he immediately grasped
   what the whole world is all about. It was this
   realization that nothing is permanent and therefore
   not worth holding onto that freed his mind enough
   to gain the first stage of enlightenment.
   
   “Astonished and impressed with
   the rich man’s unwavering faith
   and determination, Prince Jeta
   decided to join him and donated
   the remaining patch.”
   
   THE GREAT BENEFACTOR
   ANATHAPINDIKA
   Anathapindika, whose real name was known as
   Sudatta, was a very wealthy merchant from Savatthi
   city, known for his generosity toward poor people.
   Therefore he was called Anathapindika (one who
   gives alms to the poor). By today’s definition, he
   would be called a billionaire.
   One day he was on a business trip to Rajagaha
   and saw his brother-in-law busy preparing a meal for
   the Buddha and his disciples. Hearing that, he was
   so eager to visit the Buddha. On the next morning,
   he went out before dawn to the monastery where the
   Buddha resided.
   The Buddha called out to him, “Come forth
   Sudatta” and talked to him on various aspects of his
   teachings. There, he immediately gained the insight,
   thereby attaining the first stage of enlightenment. So
   he invited the Buddha to spend the rainy retreat in
   Savatthi.
   
   Once he returned, he searched for a suitable
   place for the retreat and found an ideal park which
   was owned by Prince Jeta. However, Prince Jeta did
   not want to sell his property so he told Anathapindika
   to completely cover the grounds of the park with
   gold coins. Anathapindika agreed, ordered his
   servants to bring the money, and started to spread
   them out with no intention to stop.
   Astonished and impressed with the rich man’s
   unwavering faith and determination, Prince Jeta
   decided to join him and donated the remaining
   patch. The construction of monastery then began
   and was completed beautifully in time. It was named
   Jetavana in honor of the prince.
   In recognition of the services he rendered to
   Buddhism, and the construction of Jetavana, the
   Buddha later said that Anathapindika was a great
   benefactor, one whose generosity was notable and
   worth the high praise.
   
   “The desperate woman ran
   from house to house, but
   there was not a single
   household where death
   had not happened.”
   
   A HOUSE
   THAT ESCAPES DEATH
   Here’s the story about a woman whose grief had
   awakened her soul. It was one of the most touching
   stories in Buddha’s time.
   There was a young woman who was so lean that
   people called her Gotami the Lean (Kisa). Kisa
   Gotami married a rich man and they had a son
   together. But he died when he was a toddler. His
   death was too much for Kisa Gotami to accept.
   Carrying his dead body, she went everywhere asking
   for medicine to bring him back to life. People thought
   she lost her mind. But a wise man, seeing her pathetic
   condition, advised her to see the Buddha.
   After hearing her story, the Buddha told Kisa
   Gotami to get some mustard seeds from a home
   where there had been no death. The desperate
   woman ran from house to house, begging for
   mustard seeds. Everyone was willing to help but there
   was not a single household where death had not
   happened.
   
   As the day dragged on, she realized she was not
   the only one. Her attitude changed; she was no longer
   attached to her son. Kisa Gotami finally buried him
   and came back to Buddha.
   With mercy, he told her the following words,
   “Care-stricken, with his thoughts of sons and herds,
   attached to life, death comes and seizes that man –
   just like the torrent that sweeps away a slumbering
   village.” When the verse ended, Gotami attained the
   first stage of enlightenment and asked to be ordained
   as a Buddhist nun.
   One night, she lighted some oil lamps and
   noticed that while some flames flared up, others
   flickered out. With her mind concentrating on the
   flames, she meditated and pondered the wisdom. “All
   living beings are like the flame; flaring up and
   flickering out again and again to no end. Until a
   Nirvana is attained can the cycle of birth and death
   be stopped.”
   This insight later led to her abandonment of all
   attachments and reached the state of Nirvana or the
   fourth stage of enlightenment.
   Kita Gotami was one of the more famous disciples
   whose life reflected humbleness and simplicity. She
   also played a crucial role in the growth of Buddhism
   at that time.
   
   Some people wonder why people in several tales
   attained the first stage of enlightenment immediately
   after they listened to the Buddha’s sermon. That was
   because of two factors; the power of the preacher
   and the readiness of the listeners’ mind.
   Many people used to cultivate the Noble
   Treasures and perfections in their past lives but they
   did not have a teacher to guide them toward the path
   to spiritual liberation. Most of them only practiced
   focus meditation, not insight or Vipassana meditation
   which could lead them to the truth about themselves
   at the Ultimate Truth level. It was not the level that
   seemed real or could be visualized.
   When people with perfections listened to Dhamma
   teaching from the Buddha whose power has a
   characteristic of highest purity, the pure vibration
   was transferred through his speech and struck the
   darkness in their mind, lighting it up. As a result, those
   people gained the wisdom and were freed from
   ignorance with their mind elevated to the first stage of
   enlightenment. The Buddha categorized the teaching
   of this powerful level as the miracle of Dhamma
   teaching.
   
   “Why would he be attracted to
   Magandiya’s body that was filled
   with impurities — urine and filth?
   In fact, he would not touch her
   even with his foot.”
   
   THE WOMAN
   WHO SPAT INTO THE SKY
   Once the Buddha entered Punjab city, he was
   reviled and abused by people hired by Magandiya, a
   woman who had a feud with the Buddha as he refused
   the marriage with her. The venerable Ananda, a
   Buddha’s disciple, asked him to go elsewhere but
   Buddha denied and said the problem should be
   ended where it began, not left unsolved.
   Magandiya was a daughter of Brahmin parents.
   Her father offered to give her in marriage to the
   Buddha because of his beauty and noble demeanor
   despite seeing signs that he was no longer under the
   influence of worldly pleasures.
   Unsurprisingly, the Buddha turned down the
   offer, telling him, his wife, and their daughter that
   even three Daughters of Mara (Demon); Tanha
   (Craving), Raga (Lust/Passion) and Arati (Aversion/
   Discontent) had failed to thwart him despite their
   beautiful astral bodies because he no longer had
   
   craving for sensual pleasures. Why would he be
   attracted to Magandiya’s body that was filled with
   impurities — urine and filth? In fact, he would not
   touch her, even with his foot.
   The husband and wife immediately understood
   its underlying meaning. Unfortunately, proud
   Magandiya was not spiritually developed enough.
   She became angry and vowed to take revenge when
   she had an opportunity.
   Her beauty later led her to become one of King
   Udene’s queens. Maganiya still tried to take revenge
   on the Buddha but failed. So she redirected her
   hatred to King Udena’s first queen Samawati, who
   had been a follower of Buddha and ardent devotee
   to Buddhism.
   Magandiya continued trying to incite the king
   with her made-up story that Queen Samawati was
   not faithful to him and tried to kill him. The king
   believed and ordered an execution to Queen
   Samawati. Fortunately, he realized that Samawati was
   innocent and punished Magandiya to agonizing
   death instead.
   Her ill fate proved Buddha’s words about the
   consequences of destroying innocent people out of
   hatred. Sooner or later that person will be destroyed
   Top ideas in Buddhism & Famous Stories in Buddha’s time 167
   instead. What Magandiya did was no difference from
   spitting into the sky or throwing dust into the coming
   wind.
   “Although he held a highe status than all other monks,
   he always remembered the
   person who changed his life.”
   Top ideas in Buddhism & Famous Stories in Buddha’s time 169
   THE GRATITUDE
   OF SARIPUTTA
   Gratitude is one of the virtues highly revered by
   the world over, regardless of culture, race, and
   religion. In Buddha’s era, there was one man whose
   gratitude was so extraordinary that the Buddha gave
   him high praise for it.
   Assaji was a son of Brahmin in Kapilavastu city.
   His father was one of eight Brahmins invited to give
   an astrological reading for Prince Siddhartha, who
   later became Buddha.
   After Prince Siddhartha ordained, only the
   Brahmin named Kondanna was alive. Therefore,
   Kondanna went to meet the sons of other Brahmins
   and invited them to follow Prince Siddhartha’s
   footsteps. Bhaddiya, Vappa, Mahanama, and Assaji
   agreed. After the ordination, they were called The
   Five Ascetics.
   
   The Five Ascetics were the first disciples of the
   Buddha, and took care of the Bodhisattva (Buddha)
   for six years during which he starved himself in
   mortification. When Buddha reached enlightenment,
   he searched for his Five Disciples and gave them
   the first sermon, Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta.
   Kondanna was the first who reached enlightenment.
   Assaji was among 60 Arahant Buddhist monks
   sent to spread Buddhism. His polite and calm
   demeanor while on an almsgiving walk caught the
   attention of Sariputta who followed him and asked
   him questions about Buddhism.
   After listening to Assaji’s short sermon about the
   law of Impermanence, Sariputta went to share his
   encounter to Moggallāna, his best friend. Both men
   later entered monk hood and became Buddha’s
   principle disciples.
   As Assaji was Sariputta’s first master, he would
   take great care of him when they stayed in the
   same temple. Even when he was staying elsewhere,
   Sariputta always paid respect to him before going to
   sleep. He also slept with his head to the direction
   where Assaji was.
   Such was among the acts of gratitude he did for
   his teacher whenever possible. Although he held a
   
   higher status than all other monks, he always
   remembered the person who changed his life and
   saved his soul. The Buddha later said that Sariputta
   was the role model of perfect gratitude.
   “Even if you give him
   the whole kingdom, an
   ungrateful person will
   never be satisfied as he
   is an opportunist.”
   
   THE UNGRATEFUL HUNTER
   In one of the Buddha’s numerous incarnations,
   he was born as a white elephant named Srilavanakara,
   dwelling in the Himalayas with 80,000-member
   herd. But when he became aware of conflicts in the
   herd, he decided to leave and lived alone in the forest.
   While foraging, the elephant heard a man crying.
   It was from a hunter who was lost in the forest so
   Srilavanakara brought him home and told him to
   keep the encounter a secret.
   But the hunter, overwhelmed with greed, had no
   intention to keep his word. He aimed to come back
   for the animal’s beautiful, majestic tusks so he noted
   the route on the way out as he was on the Srilavanakara’s
   back.
   The hunter went to the bazaar and learned that
   a living elephant’s tusk was more valued than that of
   a dead elephant. The following day, he went to the
   Srilavanakara’s dwelling with a saw.
   
   The man said he was so poor and asked for the
   tusks to trade for money. The elephant knelt down
   to let him cut one-third of the tusks with no regret.
   The hunter sold the tusks. When he spent all the
   money, he returned to the elephant and asked for
   half of the tusks. Then he came back for the third
   time for the remaining tusks. This time he stepped
   on the tusks before tearing the flesh up and cut them.
   The wounds were so severe Srilavanakara almost
   died.
   The man’s karma was so heavy the moment he
   was out of sight from the elephant, he was sucked
   immediately into the abyss and sent straight to hell.
   Unbeknown to them, an angel dwelling nearby
   saw everything from the beginning. After seeing the
   tragic end, he exclaimed, “Even if you give him the
   whole kingdom, an ungrateful person will never be
   satisfied as he is an opportunist.”
   And those words are still true today.
   
   “Sirima rushed to the kitchen,
   scooped boiling water and
   splashed it onto Uttra’s head.”
   
   THE POWER OF MERCY
   In Rajagahar city, there was a beautiful courtesan
   named Sirima. Her beauty made her very famous
   and the object of desires by all men.
   There was Uttra, a wife of rich merchant and
   devout Buddhist, unlike her husband and his
   father. Unfortunately, the marriage and family
   responsibilities left little time for her other activities
   including charitable activities.
   After learning about his daughter’s problem,
   Uttra’s father gave her some money. In order to
   ensure her duties were fulfilled, she hired Sirima, a
   high-class courtesan to take her place to which her
   husband agreed. So Uttra invited Buddha and his
   disciples to take food offerings from her at their
   house for 15 days.
   Seeing her exhausting face after 14 days, Uttra’s
   husband asked her why she burdened herself with
   this. Uttra just laughed as she knew her husband did
   not understand the virtue of giving. But Sirima
   
   mistakenly thought that Uttra laughed at her and
   became angry and jealous.
   Sirima rushed to the kitchen, scooped boiling
   water and splashed it onto Uttra’s head. Uttra realized
   Sirima’s intention immediately the moment Sirima
   was charging at her. But the joy from the past two
   weeks was so overwhelming she felt nothing but
   compassion to Sirima. She then said loudly how
   thankful she was to Sirima for helping her fulfill her
   wish to make merit and listen to Buddha’s sermon.
   Miraculously the water turned into cool, soothing
   liquid. Sirima knew right away she had just insulted
   a highly virtuous person and asked for forgiveness.
   Uttra agreed to forgive her only after Sirima went to
   see the Buddha and confessed her wrongdoing. They
   went to see him and told the story. The Buddha then
   taught them about forgiveness and mercy.
   His teachings on ending hatred and anger with
   compassion touched Sirima’s heart so much she
   converted to Buddhism and vowed to observe the
   Five Precepts for the rest of her life. Sirima also left
   prostitution for good and completely changed her
   life after that.
   

MISCONCEPTION
IN BUDDHISM

Did the Buddha Really
Abandon his Family?
Many foreigners are interested in the Buddha’s
teaching: what he had taught and why his symbols
can give them peacefulness. However, there is this
unresolved question left on their minds. It is the
disappointment from learning that he left his wife
and his newborn son in search of the way out of
suffering. It makes them doubt his teaching and can’t
help thinking that Buddhism teaches people to
abandon their family and loved ones with the word
‘detachment’.
Did Buddha really abandon his family?
Before he reached enlightenment, the Buddha
was born as a prince named Siddhartha. His father,
King Suddhodana, expected him to be a great king
in the future. During the celebration of his birth,
many Brahmin scholars predicted that the child
would either become a great king or a supreme
religious leader. But there was one Brahmin,
40
184 Top ideas in Buddhism & Famous Stories in Buddha’s time
Kondanna, who decisively predicted that Siddhartha
would become a Buddha. This prophecy worried the
king so much that he tried to do everything to
surround the prince with only young, beautiful
people in the pleasant environment. As the young
prince grew up, he completely mastered all the 18
fields of traditional arts and sciences including
military, politics, and religious study. When he
reached the age of 16, his father arranged his
marriage to Princess Yasodhara.
The prince requested the king for a permission
to travel outside the palace, but the king was afraid
that his son would witness the truth of life and human
hardship. He tried to prevent the young prince from
seeing the real world but to no avail. Once outside,
the prince saw an old man with gloomy face, a
diseased man laying with moan, and a dead person
surrounded by his family in grief.
Feeling depressed and deep sympathy for them,
Prince Siddhartha asked his charioteer, Channa,
whether his father would also have to experience
these states. Later, when he saw an ascetic looking
peaceful, the prince therefore determined that this
would be the path to end the cycle of sufferings of
birth, aging, sickness, and death. He made a decision
to search for the path to end them forever. This

decision was not only for his own sake, but also for
his beloved ones and all beings.
Prince Siddhartha was only 29 when he was
determined to leave the palace and to lead an ascetic
life. As the prince entered the chamber to bid farewell
to his wife and newborn son, Rahula, he saw that they
were sleeping. He looked at them with love and
longing but did not wake them up, knowing that she
would ask him to stay. The prince then left the palace
with Channa that night.
Siddhartha spent six years in rigorous practices.
Before becoming enlightened, he had practiced
severe asceticism in the form of fasting until his body
was extremely skinny. After realizing that this
approach did not work, he took a Middle Path; no
more self-mortification and self-harm nor to let
himself in sensual indulgences and addicted to them.
He started to eat and practiced the four foundations
of mindfulness (Satipatthana): observing the body,
feelings or sensations (Vedana), mind (Citta), and
Dhamma (wisdom). He observed mindfulness
without seasoning his feelings, expecting, or
analyzing. At the state of equanimous mind, he
eventually attained enlightenment and became
Buddha at the age of 35.

After his awakening, the Buddha visited his father
and gave him a sermon until he attained the final
stage of enlightenment. As for his wife Princess
Yasodhara, when she first saw the Buddha, she tearfully
collapsed right in front of him and held his ankles,
lamenting over his departure. His disciples were trying
to stop her as monks were prohibited from having
physical contact with women, but he told them to not
interrupt her as doing that would throw her into a
deadly grief right there. The Buddha let Princess
Yasodhara bemoan until she calmed down, and gave
her a sermon about the sorrow of losing loved ones.
Seeing his point with her own experiences, she was
spiritually awakened and reached the first stage of
enlightenment.
After Princess Yasodhara had lived in palace for
three years, King Suddhodana passed away. The
princess, together with 1,100 women, ordained as a
Buddhist nun at the fifth Buddhist Lent. She followed
the eight chief rules to be observed by the Buddhist
nuns throughout her life when she was 40 years old.
She had practiced Vipassana meditation with the
Buddha for 15 days and reached enlightenment.
Before she died, she asked for forgiveness from the
Buddha if she had done anything offensive to him
when they were together as a couple and then entered
Nirvana at the age of 78.

Their son, Rahula, also became a monk and
attained spiritual liberation.
Those who were the closest family members also
attained enlightenment. All of these was because of
the Buddha’s compassion. His love for his wife, son,
and father had never ceased. The day he left, he only
left physically to find the way to escape the pathetic
cycle of birth and death. He perfectly closed the door
of separation forever. When he found it, he returned
to show the way to everyone he loved to walk on this
path.
Those who don’t thoroughly understand about
his escape from the palace that night cannot judge
that the Buddha had no heart and no love. His love
is beyond an ordinary person’s love which is defined
by being together forever then leaving the world
when the time comes. What remains is deep pain
and a scar from the loss of loved ones. Some people
even pray that they die before their spouse because
they cannot even bear the thought of living without
their significant other.
Love that is full of emotions, no matter how
much happiness it brings, always ends with pain
again and again. It never becomes otherwise. The
love of the Wise One, the world’s Great Prophet, is
however full of sacrifices he had made so that
188 Top ideas in Buddhism & Famous Stories in Buddha’s time
nobody would experience the pain again. And he
finally made it.
So you see now that Buddha’s love and sacrifice
are enormous and boundless. He had never destroyed
or hurt anyone’s heart. What he had destroyed was
the darkness inside the minds of his beloved ones
and all beings so that they would find the greatest
happiness; an escape from the cycle of birth and
death, and from making mistakes which bring pain,
anguish, and grievances again and again. They were
what everyone experience no matter who you are
and where you come from.
True love should come with compassion; a wish
for the happiness of our beloved ones to be happy.
The compassion and the benevolence will lead to
proper action and decision. It does not stop at
passionate love. The Buddha’s love thus cannot be
judged the same way as romantic love. A romantic
love does not bring a sacrifice while his love is all
about endless sacrifices for others.
Top ideas in Buddhism & Famous Stories in Buddha’s time 189
If you’d like to know what his love is like, parental
love is the closest example. However, not every
parent is ready to sacrifice everything for a child. For
the Buddha, if it means an end to sufferings for good,
he is ready and willing to sacrifice everything for his
beloved ones and all beings.
“An untrained mind is
not adequate in terms
of effectiveness…
Meditation calms and
empowers our mind
to live wisely. ”

IS MEDITATION
A WASTE OF TIME?
Meditation is training of the mind in order to
make it stable, peaceful and able to overcome a
distraction. One can practice meditation in any
movement: walking, standing, and sitting. One aspect
of meditation is your mind must be still otherwise the
meditative state will not happen while also being fully
aware of any emotions that occur within. A powerful
mind increases performance in everyday activities
including work, study, and all others. So meditation
is beneficial to everyone not only to Buddhist monks
and novices.
An untrained mind is not adequate in terms of
effectiveness. We encounter different things, pleasant
and unpleasant, all the time and take them all in
through our senses. Meditation calms and empowers
our mind to live wisely. These days, humans spend
so much time and effort to learn and comprehend
everything except their own mind.

“Buddhism is the
religion of wisdom”

DOS
Once you enter the land of Buddhism, you will
see many temples and Buddha statues both inside
and outside the temples or even in residences.
Buddhists have the images of Buddha to pay respect
to and remind themselves of his teachings. To know
what is appropriate and to whom one should pay
respect is a common sense and basic morality.
The world has gone too far in using Buddha
images wrongly, without consideration. Please let us
provide this summary to help explain how to treat
the Buddha image appropriately. Simple respect will
bring good vibration and harmony for us all.

1. Respect
   To pay respect to Buddha doesn’t mean you must
   be a Buddhist. If you act with respect to a prophet of
   other religions, you should treat the Buddha the same
   way because he is worshipped as the spiritual Father
   of Buddhism.
   Respect can be shown through humbleness and
   respectful body language. If you don’t want to pay
   respect at all at least do not look down on the Buddha.
   194 Top ideas in Buddhism & Famous Stories in Buddha’s time
2. Correctness
   If you see a picture, an amulet, or a statue of
   Buddha in inappropriate places such as on the floor,
   in a toilet, or on a chair, please help to place it
   somewhere up high.
3. Knowledge
   If you are a Buddhist, inform those who have the
   wish to know about the Buddha. If you are not a
   Buddhist, and someone asks, “Who is Buddha?”, the
   simple answer can be that Buddha is the enlightened
   one who taught Buddhists to do good deeds the same
   way other prophets do.
   Top ideas in Buddhism & Famous Stories in Buddha’s time 195
   DON’TS
4. Please do not treat Buddha’s symbols, statues or
   images badly.
   If you cannot pay respect to Buddha at least do
   not treat the image of Buddha badly. Buddhists
   respect Buddha as the spiritual father. All leaders of
   religions are regarded with respect. This should also
   be applied to Buddha.
5. Please do not use Buddha
   images as objects or place them
   at inappropriate spots.
   True Buddhists who see a
   Buddha image placed as objects
   in inappropriate places will feel
   very unhappy. This could lead to
   an anger and conflict.
   196 Top ideas in Buddhism & Famous Stories in Buddha’s time
6. Please do not use the name “Buddha” for
   commercialization or without respect.
   Naming your pet dog “Buddha” or a bar “Buddha
   Bar” is wrong.
   Top ideas in Buddhism & Famous Stories in Buddha’s time 197
7. Please do not place images or statues of
   Buddha as furniture or decorative items.
   Buddha symbols and images are not furniture
   nor decoration. They are to be revered. But many
   people aware of their own disrespectful acts. We must
   improve awareness of what is right and wrong.
   You might wonder why there are merchants even
   in some Buddhist countries who treat Buddha statues
   or images without respect and sell them as decorative
   items. That is the reflection of human nature. In
   every society there are good and bad people. Bad
   people don’t care about anything except their own
   benefits but true Buddhists will feel ashamed of that;
   seeing an amulet, a statue of Buddha on the floor, in
   the toilet, or on a chair. When you see it, please help
   place it in a proper place up high such as on a shelf
   or higher.

WHY IS BUDDHA
NOT FOR TATTOO ?
Our body is considered dirty
Buddha was a person who was clean from the
inside out. His mind was free from illusion and
impurities. He is respected by all Buddhists around
the world. Our body and mind still need to be
cleaned. If we don’t wash our body even for a day, it
stinks badly. Some people have said that they had
the Buddha tattoos on their bodies out of love and
respect and that they wanted to stay close to him.
This idea is not correct and a misunderstanding. The
best way to stay close to him is to follow his teaching.
These are the appropriate ways to show your love
and respect to Buddha.
We don’t practice sexual abstinence.

Acharavadee Wongsakon,
Vipassana Meditation Master
Master Acharavadee has taught Techo Vipassana meditation
since 2011. Unlike other Vipassana techniques, the technique uses
the fire element within the body to cleanse impurities in the
mind. For the past seven years, around 7,000 people have
participated in Techo Vipassana and Anapanasati courses, all of
them being free of charge.
Through this new technique, which she had learned from
a highly revered Buddhist monk, and rigorous practice for
more than 20,000 hours, Master Acharavadee has gained a
spiritual insight of all things and beings at the Ultimate Truth
level or at the energy level in terms of science. The wisdom
allows her to explain in detail how the universe works and the
truth behind the relationship between the world, the magnetic
field, and the gravity force with the souls in the way that
nobody has ever done this clearly before. Most importantly,
her discovery also reveals the true purpose of life.
Her students come from all walks of life ranging from
scientists, medical doctors, nurses, and high-ranking military
officers to actors, architects, and artists. Master Acharavadee has
also written several books on Buddhism based on experiences
of her Vipassana practice and those subjects in relation to
Buddhism in plain language. “Top Ideas and Famous Stories in
Buddha’s Time” is her first book in English language, with the
second book “Awaken from Madness” scheduled to be released
soon.
Earlier, Master Acharavadee was a hugely successful designer
and owner of jewelry firm with several awards, and had been
a serious meditator who devoted much of her life to Buddhism
before turning to Buddhism fulltime. She started “The School of
Life Foundation” in 2004, with an aim to strengthen morality in
children and young adults through Dhamma principles laid out
by the Buddha. The school is still running alongside her other
work as Vipassana teacher and president of Knowing Buddha
Organization, a nonprofit working on ending commercialization
of Buddhist artifacts and images around the world.
Through her works, Master Acharavadee is determined
to bring back the core of Buddha’s teachings with the
intention of reviving the religion’s status as the “Religion of
Awakening” as the name “Buddhism” suggests.
If you are interested in Vipassana meditation, please Techo Vipassana.