
                       BHAVANA SOCIETY NEWSLETTER
                                          
                                          
                             Vol. 10, No. 3
                          July-September, 1994
                            Kathina Edition
                                          
                     Copyright 1994 Bhavana Society
                                          
                            Bhavana Society
                            Rt. 1 Box 218-3
                          High View, WV 26808
                          Tel: (304) 856-3241
                          Fax: (304) 856-2111
                                          
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        This electronic edition is offered for free distribution
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                                CONTENTS
                                          
  {1}   Impact of Buddhism on America -- Dr. Ananda W.P. Guruge
  {2}   Meditation and Creativity -- Ven. Sister Sucinta
  {3}   Book Review -- Douglas Durham ["Heartwood from the Bodhi Tree"]
  {4}   Notes and News -- Travel; Vassa; New Meditation Hall
  {5}   Bhavana Tape Collection -- New releases]
                                          
                                          
                                          
                                          
                                          
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                                  {1}
  
                     IMPACT OF BUDDHISM ON AMERICA
                           Vesak Speech, 1994
  
                       by Dr. Ananda W. P. Guruge
  
  
  Significance of Vesak
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  The Vesak is the most important Buddhist holiday to all of us because 
  it signifies the three main events of the life of the Buddha and, at 
  the same time, the three main events that should be part and parcel of 
  the life of each one of us. We all got born and we know that one day 
  we shall all die. We still have to attain an accomplishment which this 
  day signifies: namely, enlightenment. The faster we can reach towards 
  the goal of enlightenment, the faster we will end the cycle of birth 
  and death to which we all are subjected.
    
    The Buddha came to this world as a great teacher with this lofty 
  message: namely, that with our own effort, with our own dedication, 
  without the interference, the helping hand or the instrumentality of 
  any supernatural power or superior being, a human being can reach the 
  highest level of development. That highest state is enlightenment 
  which, when we reach it, will end all suffering.
    
    So every time we celebrate these three events of the Buddha's life, 
  let us remember that there still remains one event that we have not 
  been able to experience, internalize, personalize, and make a part of 
  our own life. That is enlightenment and that is what we are all 
  searching for. Vesak, thus, is a reminder of the ultimate goal for 
  which we should strive.
    
    We Sri Lankans are, indeed, very proud custodians of this religious 
  tradition which we would like to preserve for all times and share with 
  humanity because Buddhism's greatest appeal to the humankind is: 
  "Share the benign doctrine of loving kindness and help to make all 
  humanity attain that summum bonum which we call Nibbana, the end of 
  all suffering".
  
  
  The Theme
  ~~~~~~~~~
  When I was asked to speak on "The Impact of Buddhism on America", I 
  thought I should deal with the subject from two or three different 
  angles. 
    
    First of all, there is the historical dimension. We really do not 
  know at what time in the history of the U.S.A. the knowledge of 
  Buddhism first came here. With regard to Buddhism of Sri Lanka, it was 
  somewhat unfortunate that the circumstances under which we had our 
  initial contact with America did not enable the early visitors to 
  serve as instruments of bringing the message of Buddhism to this 
  continent. There was a very special reason.
  
  
  A Missed Opportunity
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  In 1796 the territories of Sri Lanka were transferred to the British 
  as a result of the wars in Europe. By 1801 that transfer was confirmed 
  by the Treaty of Amiens. After this treaty, Sri Lanka (then known as 
  Ceylon)became a British Colony. 
    
    The Dutch had a well-established system of schools which was run by 
  the government, but the British had never had a system of state 
  schools. Even in England the school system had been independent. 
  Accordingly, they decided that the schools in Sri Lanka should be 
  handed over to Christian missionaries from any part of the world who 
  were prepared to come. Of course, the invitation was immediately 
  accepted by many missionaries from the U.S.A. But the British, 
  naturally, were a little suspicious of anyone from America being 
  brought into a British Colony because 1776 was not too far away. 
    
    In around 1810 when the American missionaries came to Sri Lanka 
  they said, "You are most welcome but you should go far away from 
  Colombo and serve in the northern province." Accordingly, they served 
  in areas where Tamil was the language and Hinduism was the predominant 
  religion. While Buddhists of Sri Lanka had one of the greatest of 
  spiritual treasures that we could have shared with the world, this 
  first batch of American missionaries who came to Sri Lanka had access 
  only to Tamil language and Hinduism. They introduced literary works of 
  the Tamil language and the Hindu philosophy to the U.S.A., because 
  they were very intelligent people who wanted to share the new 
  knowledge and culture with the people who stayed behind at home. But 
  unfortunately Buddhism did not find a conduit to U.S.A. during that 
  period.
  
  
  Buddhism Transplanted in the Nursery of Western Academia
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  So it took a long time. During this period a couple of interesting 
  things happened in Sri Lanka itself. One was the introduction of 
  Sinhala, Pali, Buddhism, Sri Lankan History and similar subjects into 
  the efficiency bar examinations of the British Civil Service. The 
  officers of this Service came from England and were totally unfamiliar 
  with the culture of the Island. Immediately after the Rebellion of 
  1848, the British realized that they could rule a country like Sri 
  Lanka only if they knew and appreciated its multi-faceted culture. So 
  the British civil servants who were brought to the country were made 
  to learn all these subjects not just superficially but in great depth.
    
    The other was the main result of the exposure of an intelligent 
  young generation to a new and challenging culture. It was something 
  entirely unexpected. These young people became deeply interested and 
  committed to Sri Lankan culture, including Buddhism. This was manifest 
  in their magnificent contributions. One of them, Robert Childers 
  compiled the first Pali Dictionary in 1875. Another civil servant, T. 
  W. Rhys Davids formed the Pali Text Society of London in 1891 and 
  introduced Pali as a subject to this part of the world. This band of 
  young devoted scholars who made Buddhism their special field of study 
  were planting the seeds of Buddhism in the fertile nurseries of 
  academia, namely, colleges and the universities. 
    
    Several outstanding missionaries who came to Sri Lanka for 
  evangelical purposes were also caught up in this intellectual 
  appreciation of Buddhism and their writings too made a significant 
  contribution to the development of Buddhism as an academic discipline. 
  Once the universities in the West started developing these subjects as 
  disciplines in which degrees could be earned and research done, the 
  U.S.A., too, sought immediate access to this vast literature.
    
    T. W. Rhys Davids' most interesting series of lectures on Buddhism 
  and Pali literature was really called "American Lectures" because they 
  were delivered to academic assemblies in U.S.A. With this kind of 
  impact many universities started teaching Buddhism as well as Pali 
  language and literature and did research into various aspects of 
  Buddhist history. This is the time when most Americans first took an 
  interest in Buddhism. 
    
    But Buddhism in practice as a professed religion had meanwhile come 
  to the Western shores of this country from East Asia with early waves 
  of Chinese and Japanese migrants. Honolulu became a place where 
  Buddhism found entry as far back as the 1830's, even though the first 
  known monastery was established by Rev. Soryu Kubahi in 1887. The 
  Chinatown of San Francisco became a Buddhist center because several  
  prominent Chinese Buddhist monks brought their message to this part of 
  the world.
    
    Thus the last quarter of the 19th century saw some very interesting 
  developments which brought Buddhism from every possible angle into the 
  U.S.A. The Chinese and the Japanese introduced into the U.S.A. their 
  different versions of Mahayana Buddhism. Zen in particular gained 
  popularity. The academic circles in Europe had mainly concentrated on 
  Pali or Theravada Buddhism, the kind of Buddhism our Venerable Theras 
  from Sri Lanka preach. But still Buddhism was like a beautiful plant 
  grown in the nursery; rather well protected, not very widely seen, and 
  hence still not fully understood and appreciated. It had not begun to 
  infiltrate into the lives of the people. 
  
  
  Colonel Henry Steele Olcott 
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Then came the Civil War of 1861-1865. Whenever a country has gone 
  through the kind of cataclysmic experience that a war can bring about, 
  many changes do take place in the hearts of people. After a war, no 
  nation is the same again. One of the major things that happens to a 
  nation after a war is that the people begin to question their own 
  value systems, beliefs, and moral and ethical foundations which made 
  it possible for them to have had a war, to have committed atrocities, 
  not to have found a solution other than through war and to have let 
  enmity and lasting dissension to come into existence. This was a 
  rather fertile period when several of the people who were themselves 
  in the war became the searchers for the truth. One of them happened to 
  be a colonel in the Civil War who came from the town of Orange in New 
  Jersey. His name was Colonel Henry Steele Olcott. 
    
    He, along with Madame H. P. Blavatsky, the Russian lady who was 
  reputed to be a seer or clairvoyant with some kind of powers, had 
  started looking into various religions to find out whether a new 
  religion comprising all good elements of human thinking in the field 
  of spirituality could be formed. What they formulated was called 
  Theosophy. Theosophy, by 1875, was a fairly well spread movement in 
  this country. The spiritual atmosphere of Theosophy helped to bring 
  Buddhism here in a very direct manner and Sri Lanka comes into the 
  picture. 
    
    In Sri Lanka, in the meantime, the Buddhist monks had been 
  struggling to withstand the onslaught that colonial powers had 
  launched against our way of thinking and against our way of life. When 
  an imperial power rules a country as a colony, it is a distinct 
  political advantage to ensure that the country's intellectual, 
  religious and cultural norms and patterns are made as far as possible 
  subservient to the ruler's whims. 
    
    The Buddhist monks felt the biggest arm that was used by the 
  colonial powers against them was the evangelical fervor of the 
  Christian missionary. So they started to question the Christian 
  missionaries on the veracity and relevance of their teachings. These 
  questions, first raised in tracts and publications, led eventually to 
  formal controversies and public debates very much like the ones that 
  you have in the presidential or vice presidential elections. 
  Unfortunately we did not have radio or the television then. But two to 
  three thousand people would gather at such a public debate. Usually a 
  Buddhist monk and a Christian padre would argue in favor of each one's 
  religion, ask questions, attack each other's arguments and display 
  their oratorical skills. It was a very fascinating experience.
    
    An American gentleman by the name of Dr. S. M. Peebles happened to 
  be in Sri Lanka in 1873 when one of these controversies took place in 
  Panadure, a small town to the south of Colombo. He was so impressed 
  with what he heard in that debate that he wrote eight articles which 
  were issued in the form of a pamphlet under the title "Buddhism and 
  Christianity Face to Face". One of the people who read it was Colonel 
  Henry Steele Olcott who had already made his contacts with Sri Lankan 
  Buddhists. He wrote to a Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka, who had been 
  corresponding with him for some time, that his letter came as "the 
  voice of a brother speaking comfort and encouragement to those who 
  need them sadly -- being surrounded by enemies who wish them ill and 
  have done and would do them all possible harm". 
    
    In the 1870's this American representing the new intelligentsia 
  recoiling from the havoc which they had seen with their own eyes from 
  the war was looking for alternative ways of directing their spiritual 
  life. Dr. Peeble's eight articles relating to how the Buddhists 
  approached each one of his own questions, particularly those relating 
  to the Christian dogma, impressed Colonel Olcott. He decided to go to 
  Sri Lanka. He went in 1880 with Madam Blavatsky. He became the 
  pioneering leader of the Buddhist and nationalist revival movement in 
  Sri Lanka and set up a large number of Buddhist schools which have 
  produced a large number of leaders for our nation with a new or 
  special orientation to the country's culture and Buddhism. 
    
    He wrote a book after four years of study of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. 
  It was called Buddhist Catechism. This book in about ten years went to 
  sixty-four editions and was widely read in the U.S.A. and Europe, 
  along with The Light of Asia, a poem written by the English poet Sir 
  Edwin Arnold in 1879. These became the two main works by which the 
  American general public gained a measure of acquaintance with the 
  message and the principles of Buddhism.
  
  
  Paul Carus and Henry Clarke Warren
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  The American people were very impressed. Scholarly interest was 
  further developed and immediately other kinds of activities began. At 
  two different places there were two exceptionally able and devoted 
  persons who took a tremendous interest. Paul Carus had contacts with 
  scholar monks of Sri Lanka and was publishing several important works 
  on Buddhism. Among them, The Gospel of Buddhism, published in 1894, 
  was an outstanding contribution. In this he tried to reflect the 
  wisdom of Buddhism from not only what came via Europe from Southeast 
  Asia or from Sri Lanka (in particular Theravada Buddhism), but also 
  Buddhism that had already come into this country from China and Japan. 
  He presented a beautiful anthology of the wise sayings of the Buddha 
  and the beautiful parables in Buddhist literature with which the finer 
  aspects of Buddhist philosophy and the fundamental doctrines of 
  Buddhism were made clearer to the people. With Paul Carus' efforts, 
  all that became a part of the intellectual property of the people of 
  the U.S.A. That was Paul Carus's main contribution. 
    
    Then there was another gentleman who was working close to Harvard. 
  His name was Henry Clarke Warren. He started translating Pali works 
  into English. As the culmination of over a decade of intense work, he 
  produced a book called Buddhism in Translations, published in 1896. 
  You cannot imagine how much of an impact that work had on the American 
  intelligentsia. It was a very fine anthology of carefully selected 
  Pali Canonical and Commentarial passages, translated accurately into 
  elegant English. When Harvard University decided to compile its Five 
  Foot Library of World Classics, consisting of the world's best books, 
  one of the volumes was devoted to Henry Clarke Warren's Buddhism in 
  Translations. In other words, by the 1890's Buddhism had reached the 
  very high level of prestige in the intellectual life of this country.
  
  
  Anagarika Dharmapala of Sri Lanka in the U.S.A.
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Thus Buddhism had already begun to have a very significant impact on 
  the American life. Although, as it always is in a large country, the 
  people who came into direct contact with Buddhism had been in small 
  groups, they were quite influential. 
    
    In 1892 the U.S.A. had a major exhibition to mark the 400th 
  anniversary of the arrival of Columbus. This exhibition was in 
  Chicago. The first year of the exhibition was devoted entirely to 
  science, technology and industry. But in the second year the 
  organizers decided to celebrate the spiritual aspect of human 
  achievements. The Parliament of World's Religions was convened in 
  1893. To this came from Sri Lanka a gentleman by the name of Anagarika 
  Dharmapala, one who had given up his householder's life from a very 
  rich family so that he could propagate Buddhism. 
    
    Anagarika Dharmapala would not have been there for us to send if 
  not for the intervention of that American of revered memory whom I 
  mentioned a while ago: namely, Colonel Henry Steele Olcott. It is a 
  very interesting story. Colonel Olcott, in the course of his campaign 
  to revitalize Buddhism in Sri Lanka, concluded that the Island needed 
  a good Buddhist educational system, which would help young children to 
  gain exposure to a decent English education with a Buddhist 
  background. Its product, he felt, was the kind of person who could 
  interpret Buddhism for Sri Lanka, for the world  and for humanity. 
  That was Olcott's strategy. So he went around the country collecting 
  pennies and handfuls of rice from every single person as a way of 
  establishing a Buddhist educational fund. He went around to every nook 
  and corner of the Island for two or three years. To his utter dismay, 
  not a single Sri Lankan joined him in his effort. Of course, people 
  came to meet him, spoke to him, went with him from one village to the 
  next. But as he proceeded to other villages beyond, they quietly 
  withdrew to whatever jobs they were doing in their paddy fields or 
  carpentry shops. There was nobody who accompanied Colonel Olcott on a 
  regular basis. So in disgust he wrote in an article in one of the 
  newspapers that he was thinking of abandoning his Buddhist educational 
  activities and leaving Sri Lanka. 
    
    Don David Hewavitharana, who was barely seventeen years old, read 
  this article. That particular week he had joined the civil service of 
  the British administration of Sri Lanka. He had a very good job as a 
  clerk in the education department. He decided that he would volunteer 
  if Colonel Olcott was planning to give up his educational activities 
  in Sri Lanka and leave, because there were no Sri Lankans to help him. 
  He went and asked Colonel Olcott, "Could it be that I am the person 
  you are looking for?" Of course, Colonel Olcott was very pleased in 
  view of the young man's background. He became Anagarika Dharmapala. 
    
    So in 1893 Anagarika Dharmapala came to Chicago and delivered a 
  speech which made headlines from the east coast to the west coast, 
  from the Canadian border to the Mexican border. It was a magnificent 
  speech. The newspaper reports of that week, by themselves, indicate 
  the tremendous impact that his one speech on the "World's Debt to the 
  Buddha" had on the people of the U.S.A. 
    
    Paul Carus invited Anagarika Dharmapala to his home for several 
  days and arranged speaking engagements in several parts of the 
  country. He went to Hawaii. There, Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Foster was so 
  taken up with the contribution he made in bringing Buddhism to U.S.A. 
  that she offered to be the financier for his activities connected with 
  the propagation of Buddhism in the world. That was another impact 
  which Buddhism had on this country and this country in turn had on 
  Buddhism. Her financial assistance was vital to the establishment of 
  many Buddhist missions in various parts of the world by Anagarika 
  Dharmapala.
  
  
  An Eclectic Approach to Buddhist Traditions
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Paul Carus, who was already conversant with the Chinese language, had 
  an eclectic bend of mind. He knew that the U.S.A. could never be 
  satisfied with just showing partiality to one or the other form of 
  Buddhism. He found that Anagarika Dharmapala could make a very big 
  impact with Theravada Buddhism. He found that Olcott's book, Buddhist 
  Catechism, had made a tremendous impact, again with Theravada 
  Buddhism. His own book, The Gospel of Buddha, the anthology of 
  different versions of Buddhism, had also made an equally significant 
  impact. He thought of inviting a great Buddhist scholar from another 
  part of the world to come here and work. Whom did he invite in 1897? 
  
  
  Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  It was D. T. Suzuki, the Japanese scholar who came to New York and 
  became the translator of the Japanese and Sanskrit books on Zen 
  Buddhism and Mahayana doctrines. He proved to be one of the most 
  lucid, direct and convincing writers of the message of Buddhism in 
  every possible way. He was a great Zen practitioner himself. So he was 
  not speaking of something he did not know. He was not simply pointing 
  out a path to the people saying, "This is the way to go". He had 
  already gone and therefore he knew the road and the people appreciated 
  the practical clarity and applicability of what he wrote. With his 
  work alone, over the next forty years Zen Buddhism made a tremendous 
  impact all over this country.
  
  
  Continuing Duality in the American Involvement in Buddhism
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  By the time the 20th century dawned, the entry of Buddhism in all its 
  diverse schools and traditions was complete as far as the whole of the 
  U.S.A. was concerned. But still there existed neither a very large 
  population nor the organizations and temples adequately devoted to the 
  practice of Buddhism. The numerical paucity of Buddhists and Buddhist 
  organizations in keeping with the popularity that Buddhism has gained 
  in the U.S.A., was due to two reasons and these same reasons continue 
  even today.
  
  
  The Growing popularity of Buddhist Studies 
  in American Universities and Colleges
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  To many Americans Buddhism is only a very interesting, and certainly 
  rewarding, intellectual pursuit. If one is intellectually curious, 
  Buddhism can provide an enormous number of areas for fascinating 
  intellectual quest. 
    
    If it is philosophy, Abhidhamma can keep one busy a whole life 
  time. If it is literature, the Buddhist narrative literature in prose 
  as well as Canonical and post-Canonical poetry in Pali and Sanskrit, 
  besides many other Asian languages, can keep one profitably engaged 
  for an enormous length of time. 
    
    If one studies the way a competent and innovative teacher teaches 
  another person, the very methodology of convincing and winning over, 
  which the Buddha himself called "the miracle of instruction", the 
  greatest of all miracles, bears in-depth research. There is much to be 
  unraveled by psychologists and educationalists as regards the 
  catalytic role of the teacher in bringing about behavioral change 
  through subtle instructional methodology. 
    
    If, on the one hand, someone wants to go into the intricacies of 
  human history, Buddhist history, namely, the history of events, 
  institutions and personalities in the Buddhist countries, provides 
  endless data for study and analysis. Let one start, for example, with 
  the Maurya Emperor Asoka of India of the third century before Christ. 
  He wins a war, sees the havoc created by the war, says, "No more war," 
  and lives the rest of the 37 years of his reign in non-violence, 
  spreading the message of the Buddha and conquering more people through 
  his "Conquest by Righteousness" or Dharmavijaya. Available for 
  analysis is an enormous range of such lives and examples of human 
  beings who demonstrated the vibrant impact of virtue, self-sacrifice, 
  tolerance and dedication under the influence of Buddhism. 
    
    If, on the other hand, one is a lover of art, one will be impressed 
  that the world's greatest and oldest of works of art, created for a 
  multiplicity of educational, spiritual and aesthetic purposes, had 
  been inspired by Buddhism and executed by Buddhists of a whole 
  Continent. Their objective was to convey through artistic creativity 
  the noble message of Buddha to the people. Here, art was used as a way 
  by which a visitor to a temple was made to recall what he had learned 
  or given an introduction to what he was going to learn. Whether it be 
  painting, statuary, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts or any other 
  form of artistic expression, the scope for investigation and 
  appreciation, which Buddhist Art provides is incomparable. 
    
    So Buddhism has become a tremendous source of disciplines in which 
  each person according to his or her likes and preferences, could carry 
  on research. Today, there may be about 700 professors of Buddhist 
  studies in various universities in the world . They work on the 
  many-faceted discipline of Buddhist Studies with ever-increasing 
  sophistication and diligence. Of them over 500 have formed themselves 
  into an international organization called the International 
  Association of Buddhist Studies, founded in the U. S. A. Eighty to 
  ninety percent of its members live and teach or do research in this 
  country. In other words, around 500 professors and lecturers 
  specializing in Buddhist studies or some aspect of Buddhist studies 
  work here in the American universities and colleges. That is the 
  intellectual impact which Buddhism has had and continues to have in 
  this country.
  
  
  Buddhism in Practice as a Solution
  to Social and Personal Problems of the American Youth
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  As a result of the various ways in which Buddhism has come to this 
  country, many people from diverse walks of life have begun to look 
  upon Buddhism as an alternative way of life. These are in addition to 
  those from traditionally Buddhist countries of Asia who brought their 
  traditions and forms of worship, their scriptures and spiritual 
  leaders as they came to the U. S. A. under different conditions. Those 
  who look to Buddhism for new inspiration have their special reasons 
  for doing so.
    
    The U.S.A. has tremendous social problems due to its size, wealth, 
  political advancement, and the complexities of life. These social 
  problems are of enormous proportions and affect everybody. The country 
  has to cope with and find solutions for ever-increasing rates of 
  divorce, teen-age mothers, single parents and incidents of domestic 
  violence and child abuse. Equally disturbing is its homicidal rate of 
  nearly 13 per 100,000 (of which Washington D. C. records a phenomenal 
  80 per 100,000) as compared, for example with Japan's 0.9 per 100,000. 
  Confronted by these,  the youth in particular  have been looking for 
  other ways by which the problems that they personally encounter and 
  experience could be overcome. 
    
    The young people in any culture are the keenest searchers for 
  alternatives and innovations. But they do not always find the safest 
  or the most efficacious. I have in mind especially the young people 
  who end up with narcotic drugs which deaden them to the problems they 
  have to grapple with and hence create the impression that they had 
  found a solution to their social and personal problems. I will 
  illustrate this with a real case.
  
  
  A Mini-case study of an American Youth
  in Search of Spiritual Guidance
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  I have a very close friend in Chicago who thirty years ago found 
  himself (a young man of early twenties) dying in a New York hospital 
  as a result of drug overdose . He was a student at a University in 
  Chicago and did not even recall how he found himself in a hospital in 
  New York. When he was released from the hospital, he realized that an 
  incredibly great tragedy had overtaken him. He decided to find a way 
  to get out of his drug problem. Where did he look for answers? 
  Curiously, this intelligent young man looked for answers in the 
  religions of the East. He wanted to find anybody who could give him 
  some guidance so that the causes that led him to experiment with drugs 
  could be eliminated from his life. 
    
    What are the causes he identified by himself? Simple things, 
  indeed; such as frustration, boredom, tension, stress, inability to 
  cope with the daily traffic and pressures on his time. It could be the 
  amount of required reading that had been prescribed in the classroom. 
  It could be the competitive aggressiveness that was considered 
  necessary to ensure a slight gain in his grade point average. It was 
  this type of tension or stress that he thought he could solve very 
  easily with a little something injected with a little syringe right 
  into his system. He found that as long as he returned to a life in 
  which the same things were going to be confronting him, he was never 
  going to find a solution. Someone suggested that he should try 
  meditation.
    
    He went to various reputed meditation masters. Apparently there are 
  a lot of people who come to the U.S.A. to "sell meditation" like the 
  proverbial vendor of "snake oil". Every one of the meditation masters 
  whom this young man met had a beard as he himself had and wanted an 
  exorbitant fee that he could not afford. They told him, "I can give 
  you exactly the little mantra, the magic word or expression, that will 
  rescue you, but at a fee".
    
    Given his circumstances, this young man had to go about looking for 
  help until he found a very different kind of meditation master -- one 
  who believed that meditation was the key to world peace and played a 
  major role in inculcating this message to international diplomats in 
  the United Nations. The doctrinal underpinnings of his form of 
  meditation, which combined physical activity, art, music and poetry, 
  was as much Hindu as it was Buddhist or, for that matter, universal.
    
    To the young seeker, there were several surprises: The first was 
  that this meditation master did not have a beard or long hair. So, at 
  least in this external detail, there was a distinction between him and 
  his chosen guru. The second thing was he did not ask him for a fee. 
  The third surprise was that he had no secret formula to meditate on. 
  All he said was, "Young man, all nature, all actions begin in the 
  mind. Train it. Control it. Purify it". 
    
    The first discussion, as was narrated to me, was nothing but a 
  lucid explanation of the contents of first stanza of the Dhammapada, 
  even though the text was at no point mentioned. By the time the 
  discussion was over the young man said to himself, "Now I understand. 
  It is my mind that is really causing all these problems." He became a 
  devout disciple of this meditation master, who is none other than Sri 
  Chinmoy whose reputation for saving the lives of thousands of such 
  young men and women remains unparalleled. This young man was truly 
  "reborn" and now pursues a very successful career in computers while 
  devoting his entire leisure for the promotion of the spiritual mission 
  that saved him. We are in frequent contact as his guru is my most 
  revered friend.
    
    I described this case in detail as this young man appears to be a 
  typical representative of the American youth of today. Having gone 
  through some critical experiences and come to the discovery that all 
  problems begin in the mind, they look for practical guidance to live a 
  more satisfying spiritual life. 
    
    Buddhism, which begins with the statement that keeping the mind 
  pure, controlling the mind, taming the mind is the fundamental 
  spiritual practice, has proved to have all the ingredients of the 
  solution they seek. Being a monastic tradition where every seeker is 
  received with the highest possible hospitality, Buddhist institutions 
  -- whatever be the school or sect -- have an openness which is 
  particularly important to those in need of this kind of help. Many a 
  person going through crisis situations have found solace and fortitude 
  in the serene atmosphere of the Buddhist temple. 
  
  
  The Relevance of Buddhism to Modern American Life
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Therefore, it is amply evident that Buddhism is beginning to have an 
  impact on American society in the most practical way. 
    
    Buddhism comes to the aid of those in distress who find that 
  neither their social and personal problems nor their stressful 
  day-to-day situations can be solved with drugs or with medicines, 
  whether prescribed or bought on the street corner. They have realized 
  that the only way that one can realign one's life is through the 
  purity of one's own mind. By experience, they have also come to the 
  conclusion that it is easier to begin in the manner the Buddha had 
  preached.
  
  
  //Dana// or Liberality,
  the initial step in the elimination of the three roots of evil
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  That is, start with the simplest of all practices, namely, DANA: 
  giving, or the exercise of liberality. Though it is simple it is also 
  very important because to give is something much more than a mere 
  manifestation of generosity. For Buddhism generosity has a far greater 
  meaning as a step in the purification of the mind. When a Buddhist 
  gives, it is not the hand of the giver held up aloft, very proudly 
  handing some largesse to a recipient cringingly holding his hands 
  below. 
    
    In short, giving is not a form of exercising power or demonstrating 
  domination, because the act of giving in Buddhism is, in itself, a 
  process of meditation to purify one's own mind. As our venerable 
  Theras have often told us, we cannot give anything to anybody unless 
  we control and suppress at least two of the forces of evil that are 
  within us. If there is greed and craving and one clings on to that 
  little substance that one has in one's hand selfishly -- that is, as 
  long as that //lobha// is within him or her -- one cannot part with 
  anything. Hence one cannot give and thus exercise liberality. Nor can 
  one give anything to another person if one has hatred, malice, or any 
  kind of ill-will towards the other person. That is, we can give only 
  up to the point we have no //dosa// or hatred or malice towards the 
  recipient. 
    
    So the very act of giving is a spiritual process in which we train 
  ourselves to suppress at least our greed for that one little object 
  even for that moment. Similarly, at least for that one moment we 
  remove from our mind malice and hatred that we could have towards the 
  other person. But that is not all. Even for a moment we also develop a 
  positive thought that by giving we do something beneficial for our 
  spiritual development. Such positive thinking is a veritable antidote 
  to //moha// or delusion pertaining to our moral responsibility as 
  human beings. 
    
    So, when we begin with dana as the first step we have commenced our 
  spiritual training by identifying and even momentarily suppressing the 
  root causes of all evil, namely, lobha -- greed or craving, dosa 
  -hatred or malice and moha -- delusion or ignorance. 
  
  
  //Sila// or Moral or Virtuous Conduct, the second step
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  The second step in spiritual training is sila, which consists of 
  virtuous practices and good moral conduct. This stage comprises (i) 
  avoiding what would make life impossible or injurious to others and 
  (ii) doing what makes life fruitful to you as well as rewarding to 
  others. In Buddhism, sila or moral conduct is a very simple concept. 
  It is defined as: "Avoid evil. Do good. Keep the mind pure."
    
    What is evil and what is good is empirically explained by the 
  Buddha. He does not go on to complex theoretical philosophical 
  examination of how people decide upon morality or value systems with 
  regard to ethical function. He simply says,
    
       "Make yourself the standard: what you like for yourself is what 
       the other person will like for himself or herself.
    
       What you do and later repent is an act that you should avoid. 
       What you do and rejoice or you do not repent is a good thing.
       
       There are things that people who are knowledgeable would say is 
       wrong, particularly when done by somebody else. These are the bad 
       things which you should avoid.
       
       What conduces to the good, the benefit and the happiness of the 
       many is good".
    
  
    We have thus very empirical standards given in Buddhism for anybody 
  to practice. This important aspect of practice in daily life and the 
  constant development of virtuous standards of living or moral living; 
  determined by our own free will through conviction rather than 
  submission to the command of a supernatural being or entity, is what 
  we call sila.
  
  
  //Bhavana// or Meditation, the Final Phase of Training 
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Then comes the third stage, //bhavana// or meditation. Etymologically, 
  it means training and, in this context, the training of the mind. By 
  training the mind to concentrate on a specific subject we make it an 
  efficient instrument, which works for us rather than the other way 
  around. It is with well-directed intense training that we are able to 
  concentrate our thoughts and proceed to understand the reality of 
  life, the reality of existence. A controlled, purified mind is 
  indispensable for the realization of the true character of life, and 
  thus we begin to guide ourselves in the Path of Virtue or 
  Righteousness. 
    
    It is such a path towards purification of the mind that spiritually 
  motivated Americans in general and the American youth in particular 
  are searching for. So, with its diverse traditions and techniques of 
  mental culture ranging from the Mindfulness Training (Satipatthana) of 
  Theravada to Ch'an and Zen traditions respectively of the Chinese and 
  Japanese Mahayana, to Tibetan Meditation and Ritual of Vajrayana,
  Buddhism  has begun to make a tremendous and visible impact on the 
  people of the U.S.A. The only thing we as practicing and devoted 
  Buddhists need to do is to be in readiness to make ourselves available 
  to those who want to learn more. 
    
    When I say "to learn more", I think of all the facilities that are 
  needed to gain knowledge. But there is a very important concept about 
  learning and practicing as far as Buddhism is concerned. Although we 
  write books and, as a writer, I would like people to read all that I 
  write, one does not have to read an enormous number of books and amass 
  theoretical knowledge to be a good Buddhist. Do you know what the 
  Buddha said about the people who studied a lot of books and tried to 
  master all the intricacies of the doctrine without ever practicing 
  what was intended by such doctrines? He said, "You are good cowherds. 
  You are only protecting the cows so other people will take the milk 
  and the ghee."
    
    There are cowherds like me but our service is only incidental. 
  Really to take advantage of the impact which Buddhism has on the U. S. 
  A., you must be the consumers of the milk, the butter, and the cheese, 
  as so aptly explained in the Buddha's picturesque imagery. That is 
  what Buddhism wants all of us to be. If we can come to that level in 
  this country, we shall see all the serious social and personal 
  problems and struggles minimized, if not eliminated.
  
  
  Truths to be Realized
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  The threefold Path of Virtue or Righteousness, whose relevance to this 
  country we have so far highlighted, will lead us to realize three 
  simple truths about us and our physical and social environment. As we 
  look around us with care and perspicacity, we do realize that life is 
  impermanent. We see for ourselves that nothing is the same for two 
  moments. All of us started together this exercise of talking or 
  listening an hour ago; but we are not the same any more. Every moment 
  we have changed physically, biologically and psychologically, to such 
  an extent that we are different persons by the time I sit down. Each 
  person, thing and situation is in state of flux, evanescence and 
  transition. Nothing is dependable. All is impermanent or anicca.
    
    Are such things or such a situation conducive to our happiness? An 
  unpredictable tomorrow or an unpredictable next moment is not 
  something that makes us happy. Impermanence is undesirable and 
  unsatisfactory and all it causes is suffering because we all like to 
  have things without change and within our control. We do not like to 
  grow old and decrepit, to become sick or die. We do not like to 
  associate with unpleasant things; say for instance, we do not like our 
  cars to be defective or to break down. We want everything to go very 
  smoothly. But nothing happens that way. We, from our day to day 
  experiences, do realize, therefore, that our existence in every 
  dimension is ultimately unsatisfactory. It is suffering or dukkha. 
    
    With these two conclusions already reached, can anyone of us keep 
  on going about claiming that what is so impermanent and so full of 
  suffering, unpleasantness and unsatisfactoriness is "Mine". I am the 
  one who is in charge and doing all this. The more we realize the 
  fallacy of "I-ness" and "my-ness", the more we are convinced that 
  there could be no entity like self to which we can be attached. This 
  is the third characteristic called anatta or selflessness.
  
  
  Conclusion
  ~~~~~~~~~~
  Once this realization of anicca, dukkha and anatta is gained through 
  meditation, it certainly changes our attitude towards life, our 
  interpersonal relations and our values and judgment. Selfless 
  compassion and loving kindness with deep commitment to equanimity 
  begin to dominate our lives. What impact will it have on a great 
  civilization like that of U.S.A., where the stresses are far more than 
  elsewhere in the world, because of the very great leadership role it 
  is called upon to play in the world?
    
    No country in the world needs to be ready for a war or massive 
  military intervention in the way U.S.A. has to. Tomorrow there may be 
  a war in Haiti or Bosnia, in which the young in this country may be 
  engaged. The young in this country have been called upon to fight 
  devastating wars in Korea, Vietnam and Iraq, and participate in many 
  humanitarian operations elsewhere in the world. All these obligations 
  call for the preparation psychologically, emotionally and spiritually 
  of people who have to meet the challenges of the nation. The tensions 
  and stresses, uncertainties and the other social problems that are 
  created in this country on account of these obligations can be 
  grappled with and can be solved only to the extent that we provide 
  every possible help, particularly to those youth who are seeking 
  answers. Our gift to them is the Buddha's noble path of peace, 
  especially inner peace.
    
    At the end of all our efforts to control the environment, we have 
  to accept that what we have no other option than to recognize the 
  veracity of the Buddhist view of life as impermanent, unsatisfactory 
  and selfless. The more we are convinced of this fact the more will we 
  be committed to make our long voyage, through recurring birth and 
  death, to the ultimate goal of full enlightenment, as soon as 
  possible.
    
    I implore all of you in every possible way to engage yourself in 
  this great effort of making the recurring cycle of birth and death 
  shorter and see in Buddhism the wonderful message that has been 
  provided for this progress.
    
  [Dr. Ananda Guruge is the Ambassador to the U.S.A. from Sri Lanka]
  
                            * * * * * * * *
                                          
                                          
                                          
                                  {2}
                                          
                       MEDITATION AND CREATIVITY
                                          
                         by Ven. Sister Sucinta
                                          
  
  There is an increased interest in meditation all over the world. 
  People experience benefits from their practice. Their health improves, 
  as they learn to reduce stress and to relax. They may develop their 
  faculties more fully and find more joy in their lives. Another highly 
  appreciated quality in social life is creativity. And meditation seems 
  to be very promising.
    
    If meditation has such good effects, there is reason to be happy 
  with those who experience one or another of these improvements . 
  However, there is much more to meditation. This essay won't be a 
  lesson in "How to increase my creativity (and maybe become famous or 
  rich)", or "How to get more good ideas or beautiful images" or "How to 
  have more fun with them". If these are our intentions, it's like using 
  an airplane to roll from one end of the runway to the other without 
  getting into the sky. We can do it, we will even progress, but we 
  remain mundane, "worldlings". 
    
    It seems that Buddhism, especially Theravada Buddhism, does not 
  cherish creativity. Theravada Buddhism has the image of being sterile. 
  There is little decoration, no music, and nothing is exciting or 
  really exotic. We try to keep everything simple. The Buddha's teaching 
  does not change. We repeat it, remember it and gradually penetrate 
  into its true meaning. When we practice Vipassana meditation we are 
  advised just to sit and watch the breath; getting interested in what 
  seems to be ordinary. We learn to see things as they are: perceptions 
  are just perceptions; thoughts simply thoughts; feelings, 
  feelings....We are taught that birth is suffering, so we head towards 
  becoming "no-thing".
    
    Do we necessarily increase suffering by our creations? Do we always 
  create monsters as Frankenstein did? Will our creation always lead to 
  alienation, since we'll never be able to control our creatures? There 
  are famous examples of what may happen, when technical possibilities 
  invented by creative human minds are manifested. Many people may 
  associate this issue with nuclear power stations, for example.
    
    Even if we should come to the conclusion that candle light is 
  better than neon tubes, or a pen is more handy for writing than a 
  computer, it's simply the nature of our mind: that it creates. It 
  creates all the time. We can't stop it easily. Vipassana meditators 
  see and scrutinize every state of mind. They take interest in boredom 
  and dullness as well as in the excited mind. We investigate the highly 
  energetic and sometimes chaotic mental states, when fantasy goes all 
  over the place. Referring to creativity: if it happens deliberately, 
  it's often called "brainstorming".
    
    We can watch the process of creating as it happens; be it a 
  drawing, building construction, organizing a meeting or writing an 
  article. Let us look closely into the creativity workshop and find 
  out, if there is a creator at work. Which feelings arise in this 
  process? We experience different stages; often starting with initial 
  enthusiasm. Indeed, there are so many possibilities in the air, and it 
  seems we could grab them all. In this state we imagine we are running 
  the world. This nourishes our sense of being somebody. We feel great. 
  Then we listen to our critical, doubting mind, which has at least some 
  clue that we are chasing balloons that contain only air and will 
  inevitably deflate. Then we tend to throw all our crazy thoughts and 
  intentions into the trash, noticing our exhaustion after all. We get 
  stuck and tend to blame ourselves for being a hopeless case. It's a 
  good time to take a break and a good opportunity to see how our ego is 
  involved. We get in our own way with our ambition, separation from 
  others, comparing, judging.
    
    Later we might find that at least some ideas make sense and that 
  maybe others could benefit from expressing them. There is no reason to 
  envy very creative people. If we read biographies of famous artists, 
  we often find times of crisis in their lives, some of them even spent 
  months or years in mental hospitals.
  
    Heinrich Boll, a novelist in post-war Germany, wrote a story called 
  "Dr. Murke's gesammeltes Schweigen" (Dr. Murke's collected silence). 
  There he tells about Dr. Murke, who was employed at a broadcasting 
  corporation. This peculiar man used to collect empty space on tapes, 
  tape cuttings from the breaks taken by speakers, as other people 
  collect stamps. (Dr. Murke would have been delighted about Guided 
  Meditation tapes, which he certainly did not know about).
    
    Similarly it is possible to use creativity to create space or to 
  create time. We don't have to follow all our ideas, not even all those 
  we consider to be "good" ones. Maybe we manage to leave a cigarette in 
  the packet or our favorite cookies untouched or not watch another 
  movie on TV. However, not to follow a scintillating thought or a dark 
  thought with its quality of glue, or even to stop it as it arises, 
  seems to be much more difficult. We need meditation to learn to 
  refrain from thoughts. One morning I woke up suddenly realizing that I 
  was very late for morning meditation. In this sudden awakening I could 
  only remember that I was just dreaming vividly, but though I was 
  trying hard, I could not remember any tiny hint about the content of 
  my dream. I was very curious and started to feel a bit grumpy about 
  this rush. Then I realized: It was silly to blame morning meditation 
  for having lost... just an ego-bubble! 
    
    We need creativity for the Path of Liberation, to develop skillful 
  attitudes, qualities and means. It takes creativity to figure out how 
  to apply the Buddha's teaching in our daily life. This includes Right 
  Livelihood as well as ways to live in peace with different people in 
  all kinds of situations. We need to find out how to get the dirt out 
  of our mind, how to trick our mind out of delusion and -- finally -- 
  how to dive into the ocean and stop existing as a drop of water. The 
  Sufi Mystic Farid ud-Din'Attar (12th century AD) used in this context 
  the word "creation" in a very uncommon sense: "The drop that becomes 
  part of this great ocean abides there for ever and in peace. In this 
  calm sea, a man, at first, experiences only humiliation and overthrow; 
  but when he emerges from this state he will understand it as creation, 
  and many secrets will be revealed to him." (Quotation from Christopher 
  Fremantle's summary of Attar's parable "The Conference of the Birds" 
  in: Sulzberger, Jean; Search -- Journey on the Inner Path; 1979; page 
  141). "Creation" here is result of total self-surrender and means 
  complete deliverance from delusion.
    
    In the Buddha's words there is "ajatam, abhutam, akatam, 
  asamkhatam" (the not-born, not brought-to-being, not-made, 
  not-formed), which is our real refuge. Only by the existence of the 
  "unborn" and "uncreated" is there the possibility of escaping from all 
  suffering. As fish only know the water, we creatures, born and formed 
  beings, usually have no image of that which is not created. Though it 
  is beyond words, we have the potential to realize it, as the Buddha 
  did. "There is, bhikkhus, a not-born, a not brought-to-being, a 
  not-made, a not-formed. If, bhikkhus, there were no not-born, 
  not-brought-to-being, not-made, not-formed, no escape would be 
  discerned from what is born, brought-to-being, made, formed. But since 
  there is a not-born, a not-brought-to-being, a not-made, a not-formed, 
  therefore an escape is discerned from what is born, brought-to being, 
  made, formed." (Udana 8.3, Transl.: John Ireland, BPS, Kandy 1990)
  
  
                            * * * * * * * *
  
  
  
  
                                  {3}
                                          
                              BOOK REVIEW
                                          
                           by Douglas Durham
  
  
       //Heartwood of the Bodhi Tree// 
       by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu
       Wisdom Publications, Boston. 1994
       $12.50; 150 pages
       
  
  Ludwig Wittgenstein once said: "The aspects of things that are most 
  important for us are hidden because of their simplicity and
  familiarity."
    
    I recently observed a Theravadan monk skillfully apply this obvious 
  truth in a seminar for 20 people interested in forming a weekly 
  vipassana (mindfulness) meditation group. On the way there, I asked 
  him how he proposed to explain such a complex subject as Buddhism in 
  just two hours. He commented with a grin: "I'm not going to discuss 
  Buddhism with them. To learn about Buddhism, they should go to a 
  university. I only talk about Dhamma -- the natural law."
    
    Like the Buddha, the monk focused on the fundamental principle of 
  quenching of dukkha (dis-ease, unsatisfactoriness). In part because of 
  the simple message, in part because of the personality of the monk, 
  the seminar succeeded -- we formed a weekly vipassana meditation 
  group.
    
    I tell this story to make explicit my bias, that "Buddhism" has 
  developed some excessively complicated concepts. These concepts can 
  obscure the basic and familiar teachings of the Buddha -- the arising 
  of dukkha, the quenching of dukkha through avoiding upadana (clinging 
  or grasping). 
    
    Because of my inclination (one might even say attachment) to the 
  fundamental, I found The Heartwood of the Bodhi Tree an invigorating 
  tonic, entirely lacking any taste of medicine -- a taste found all too 
  often in books with lists of 10 thises, 57 thats and 89 theses, which 
  if swallowed and digested, would somehow make me a "better Buddhist".
    
    There is a German proverb which asks an interesting and skillful 
  question: Was hilft Laufen, wenn man nicht auf dem rechten Weg ist? 
  (What is the use of running, when we are not on the right way?)
    
    When I am trying to understand the many "Buddhist" concepts, I 
  sometimes feel like I'm running on a treadmill -- working hard, but 
  not going anywhere. When I concentrate on the Buddha's basic message 
  -- how to quench dukkha through non-clinging -- I taste the fruits of 
  the Path to Nibbana.
    
    Buddhadasa goes right to this essential teaching on page 15:
    
       "I would like to suggest that the heart of Buddhism is the short 
       saying, 'Nothing whatsoever should be clung to.' There is a 
       passage in the Majjhima-nikaya where someone approached the 
       Buddha and asked him whether he could summarize his teachings in 
       one phrase and, if he could, what it would be. The Buddha replied 
       that he could, and he said, '//Sabbe dhamma nalam 
       abhinivesaya//.' '//Sabbe dhamma//' means 'all things,' 
       '//nalam//' means 'should not be', '//abhinivesaya//' means 'to 
       be clung to.' Nothing whatsoever should be clung to. Then, the 
       Buddha emphasized this point by saying that whoever had heard 
       this core phrase had heard all of Buddhism; whoever had put it 
       into practice had practiced all of Buddhism; and whoever had 
       received the fruits of practicing it had received all the fruits 
       of Buddhism."
    
    As we all know, giving up clinging is easier said than done, but it 
  is what must be done. Buddhadasa, with this book, can help us do it. 
  In the first two parts of the book, he explains what he believes to be 
  the Buddha's key concept -- //sunnata// (voidness of self), with self 
  being defined as "merely a condition that arises when there is 
  grasping and clinging in the mind." (Page 61) In the third part, he 
  provides specific, practical instructions for lay people to cultivate 
  a mind devoid of self and, therefore, of clinging.
    
    How does Buddhadasa define this essential idea? On page 27, he 
  says:
    
       "One can, if one wants, describe sunnata in many ways: being void 
       of self, or void of having anything as self or as belonging to 
       self. The word 'voidness' has a whole host of applications. 
       Although the characteristic of voidness remains constant, its 
       expressions are innumerable. That being so, we aim to examine 
       voidness only as absence of dukkha and the defilements that cause 
       dukkha, and as the absence of the feeling that there is a self or 
       that there are things which are the possessions of a self. This 
       is voidness as it relates to our practice of Dhamma."
    
    Another view of sunnata -- its traditional Theravadan definition -- 
  can be found in the Buddhist Dictionary by Nyanatiloka (3rd edition), 
  page 175:
    
       "As a doctrinal term it refers, in Theravada, exclusively to the 
       Anatta doctrine, i.e., the unsubstantiality of all phenomena: 
       'Void is the world... because it is void of a self and anything 
       belonging to a self' (//sunnam attena va attaniyena va//; 
       Samyutta Nikaya XXXV, 85)."
    
    What is the anatta doctrine? It is the intuitive recognition of the 
  profound truth that in this world there is only the arising and 
  passing of physical and mental phenomena. As Nyanatiloka says on pages 
  12-13 of the Buddhist Dictionary:
    
       "This is the central doctrine of Buddhism, without understanding 
       of which a real knowledge of Buddhism is altogether impossible. 
       It is the only really specific Buddhist doctrine, with which the 
       entire structure of the Buddhist teachings stands or falls. All 
       the remaining Buddhist doctrines may, more or less, be found in 
       other philosophic systems and religions, but the Anatta-Doctrine 
       has been clearly and unreservedly taught only by the Buddha, 
       wherefore the Buddha is known as the Anatta-vadi, or teacher of 
       impersonality. Whosoever has not penetrated this impersonality of 
       all existence, and does not comprehend that in reality there 
       exists only this continually self-consuming process of arising 
       and passing bodily and mental phenomena, and that there is no 
       separate Ego-entity within or without this process, he will not 
       be able to understand Buddhism, i.e. the teaching of the 4 Noble 
       Truths (sacca, q.v.), in the right light."
  
    If reading that makes you want to "penetrate the impersonality of 
  all existence," the third part of this book can help you to develop 
  your practice in order to achieve that very insight.
  
    Buddhadasa's suggestions are simple:
  
       "We can contemplate dependent co-origination, we can observe 
       impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and not-self in all things; and 
       we can see the illusoriness of feelings. We apply our practice in 
       'ordinary times' during moments of sense contact, and at the 
       moment of death." (page 110) 
  
    The specific instructions are for laypeople during their daily 
  lives. Experienced vipassana (insight) meditators can follow them 
  easily. Those who are just beginning would benefit from discussion 
  with a monk on how to incorporate these ideas into their practice. 
  Beginners might also read (or re-read) What the Buddha Taught by W. 
  Rahula, Grove Weidenfeld, New York, 1974, especially chapter six on 
  anatta, which also covers dependent co-origination, and the 
  translation (pages 99-105) of the Sabbasava Sutta (Getting Rid of all 
  Cares and Troubles).
    
    If you would be interested in a detailed review of the original 
  sunnata doctrine, you should read pages 82-109, in Concept and Reality 
  in Early Buddhist Thought, by Nanananda, Buddhist Publication Society, 
  Kandy, 1986. You might also read the Cula Sunnata Sutta of the 
  Majjhima Nikaya. 
    
    In making these suggestions for further reading, I do not mean to 
  burden you. This book is very useful for attaining the ultimate goal 
  of freedom from dukkha. My intent is solely to encourage you to look 
  at these basic concepts of sunnata and anatta and dependent 
  co-origination from two other perspectives and in the Buddha's words 
  (as translated) in order to deepen one's understanding of them.
    
    In fact, my only criticism of this book would be to suggest to the 
  publishers that, if it is not too costly, they should print in the 
  next edition, translations of the suttas referred to by the author to 
  support his position. Many readers, myself included, would find it 
  valuable to be able to read these key lessons from the Buddha in full. 
  From the discourses, as from Buddhadasa's Heartwood of the Bodhi Tree, 
  we can learn how to quench dukkha by relinquishing clinging and 
  achieve nibbana here and now.
  
    I'd like to close with a poem by Basho (1644-1694 CE), a Japanese 
  Zen poet. The images strongly evoke impermanence. I find that 
  concentrating on impermanence, leads to lessened clinging.
  
       Summer grasses, 
       all that remains
       of soldiers' dreams. 
  
                            * * * * * * * *
                                          
                                          
                                          
                                          
                                  {4}
                                          
                             NOTES AND NEWS
  
  
  TRAVEL
  ~~~~~~
  At the invitation of the Buddhist society of Western Australia and 
  Buddhist Society of Victoria Bhante Gunaratana went to Australia for 
  25 days. He left The Bhavana Society on the 29th of June and returned 
  on the 25th of July. His first stop was Melbourne where he stayed from 
  the first to eighth of July giving Dhamma talks and participating in 
  meditation at the Buddhist Temple. He left Melbourne on the eighth and 
  went to Perth. There were almost three hundred people at the Wat 
  Buddhayana Temple to listen to Bhante's Dhamma talk on the eighth 
  evening. After another Dhamma talk there he went to the forest 
  monastery in Serpantine. He enjoyed the hospitality of the monks at 
  that center and gave a couple of Dhamma talks there. He conducted a 
  retreat between 15 and 24 of July at a center in the north an hour 
  away from Perth. The next day he returned from Australia. 
  
  
  NEW MEDITATION GROUP IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  On July 16, 1994, Bhante Rahula led an introductory seminar in 
  Herndon, Virginia for over 20 people interested in joining a weekly 
  mindfulness meditation group. (See the 2 page announcement of this 
  group in the last newsletter.)
  
    As a result of success of the seminar, we have decided to conduct 
  regular meetings from 7-9 PM every Monday, starting on October 10, 
  1994. Either Bhante Gunaratana or Bhante Rahula will lead the group 
  once a month. The new meeting place is yet to be decided. We will 
  inform in early October those of you who came to the July meeting 
  where the new meetings will be held. If you weren't there please 
  contact Douglas Durham at 703-391-6884 between 9 AM and 4 PM., Monday 
  to Friday.
    
    The first purpose of the group is to deepen our understanding of 
  Dhamma, as taught in the Theravada tradition. Our second purpose is to 
  deepen our Vipassana meditation practice by joining with other 
  like-minded individuals. Our third purpose is to learn to use 
  Vipassana to achieve clear comprehension of our daily behavior, then 
  to alter that behavior to achieve significant change towards greater 
  patience, joy, compassion and wisdom.
  
  
  YOUTH RETREAT
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  The third Youth retreat organized by Dr. Arvoranee Pinit was held at 
  the Bhavana Society meditation center between 18 and 21 of August. It 
  was attended by 29 young people between the ages of 12 and 20. The 
  last two retreats were held only from Friday evening till the lunch 
  time on the following Sunday. This year, however, because of the 
  participants' favorable response in the past, we decided to hold it 
  from Thursday evening till lunch time on the following Sunday. 
  Everybody seemed to enjoy the retreat. 
  
    Everyone at the Bhavana Society in High View, West Virginia would 
  like to thank Dr. Arvoranee Pinit, Dr. Boonrak (Ben) Tantisira, Mrs. 
  Ratana Tantisira, Mrs. Pornthip Achalabun, Mrs. Suwanna Phoo, Dr. 
  Aurapin Sukanich, Mr. Jerry Parr, and Dr. James Cook for making this 
  wonderful Youth Retreat a great success. 
    
    Dear participants! We hope that all of you received enough 
  information and teaching of meditation and Buddhism to continue 
  practicing on your own. You may find that this practice can help you 
  find peace and tranquillity in your every day struggle to carry on.
  
    You will start receiving our quarterly newsletter if you are 
  currently not getting it. You may find many articles answering some 
  questions you may have thought of after you left the retreat. If you 
  live with your parents who receive the newsletter, please read it. If 
  you are away from your parents staying in school/college dormitories 
  and like to have the newsletter for yourself, please let us know. We 
  would be glad to see to it so you will get one.
    
    The receipt for donations to Bhavana Society will be mailed out at 
  tax time next year. Please inform us of any change of address. Once 
  again, thank you for helping our retreat be as successful as we had 
  hoped. We hope to see many of you next year.
  
       With Metta,
  
       The Bhavana Society Meditation Center.
  
  
  VASSA OBSERVATION
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  The resident monks and nuns at the Bhavana Society meditation started 
  their annual rainy retreat observation on the full moon day of July. 
  It will be ended on the full moon day of October. People who invited 
  monks to observe vassana rain retreat and their friends will make the 
  Kathina robe offering on Saturday, October 29, 1994.
  
    This also is the day many people bring numerous other requisites to 
  monks and nuns. Some times it is very difficult for them to decide 
  what items they should bring to offer to the center. To make this 
  difficult decision easy for them, we would like to make the following 
  list of some of the items that the center would appreciate.
    FOOD: Raisins, nuts (low in salt) sugarless or law sugar cereals, 
  jam and jelly, granola, bananas, brown rice, fruits, herb tea, 
  Horlicks, hot chocolate, and vegetables (fresh or canned). Please 
  note: The WV. Health department has informed us that, according to the 
  FDA regulations, we should not serve imported canned food. All canned 
  foods should be canned in the United States.
    
    General household items: Toilet paper, paper towels and napkins, 
  laundry detergent, dish washing liquid, double-edge shaving blades, 
  large sponges, disinfectant, garbage bags, meditation cushions, tents, 
  stamps.
    
    Also, Our used clothes washing machine donated by a friend of the 
  Bhavana Society some years ago, does not work now at all. The 
  residents and visitors of the Bhavana Society would very much 
  appreciate it if someone would kindly donate another washing machine.
  
  
  NEW MEDITATION HALL
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  After clearing and leveling the land, we have dug the foundation for 
  the new meditation hall. Now we are waiting for our beloved Mother 
  Nature's co-operation! As soon as she starts her support we will 
  resume the building. 
  
    We trust everyone who has benefited from the serene and peaceful 
  atmosphere would continue to support this wonderful project. We plan 
  to build as donations come in. Whenever we run out of funds we will 
  stop the work and wait till sufficient funds build up again to resume 
  the work. In other words we plan to build this hall in stages. The 
  sooner we receive funds the sooner the building will be complete. (See 
  drawing on inside back cover)
  
  
  EAST WEST DIALOGUE
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  East-West dialogue will be held on Friday, October 21, 1994 at Lord 
  Fairfax Community College. Bhavana Society will be represented by 
  Bhante Yogavacara Rahula and Ven. Sister Sucinta. This conference is 
  open to the public. However, advance reservation is necessary to 
  attend the conference. For further information please call (703) 
  869-1120.
  
  
  REGULAR DONOR PROGRAM
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  We wish to thank all those who joined our Regular Donor Program. If 
  you wish to join, please fill the DONATION FORM near the last page. 
  This program is for those who wish to donate on a regular basis and 
  would like to be reminded. We will send you a stamped and addressed 
  return envelope on a regular basis (decided by you). You simply have 
  to put your donation check in the envelope and put it into a mailbox. 
  
  
  INTRODUCTORY CASSETTE COURSE ON THE BUDDHIST PATH
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  We are pleased to offer a ten tape course narrated by Bhikkhu Bodhi 
  (editor, Buddhist Publication Society). It covers: The Buddha, Four 
  Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, Dependent arising, Rebirth, 
  Kamma, Nibbana, and the Sangha. For more details see Tape Collection 
  in this issue.
  
  
  WANTED: BOOKS ON MEDITATION AND BUDDHISM
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Do you have any used (or new) books you would like to donate to 
  libraries? We had requests for books from public libraries, meditation 
  groups and even a prison library.
  
                                 * * *
                                          
  In the past year we began to offer you several things in addition to 
  our meditation retreats. They, like our retreats, are all available 
  for FREE; donations are of course welcome to cover cost of disks, 
  packaging, postage, etc. Here is a brief summary of what we have:
  
    SUGGESTED READING LIST describes books on meditation and the 
    Buddhist path and where to get them.
    
    TAPE LIST has audio and video tapes on meditation and the Buddhist 
    path. It is updated regularly since we often release new tapes.
    
    BUDDHIST DICTIONARY has clear explanations of all key Theravada 
    terms and doctrines accompanied by textual references. It is an 
    indispensable aid for the serious student of Buddhism.
    
    DHAMMADISK is a set of four floppy disks (3.5 inch) for your IBM or 
    Mac (tell us which one you have). Its contents include Dhamma 
    discourses, meditation instructions, previous Bhavana newsletters, 
    directory of vipassana sitting groups, dozens of articles, and 
    entire books. Computer users can also connect to a Dhamma bulletin 
    board, for information on how to do it ask for our pamphlet 
    //Dhamma From Your Computer//.
  
                            * * * * * * * *
                                          
  
  
  
                                  {5}
                                          
                    BHAVANA SOCIETY TAPE COLLECTION
                                          
                    Sounds from the Forest Monastery
  
  Only newly released tapes are listed, for previously released tapes 
  ask us to send you the Tape List. Tapes are not sold but a donation of 
  $4 per tape is suggested unless noted otherwise. Tapes are listed in 
  alphabetical order:-- title, tape number, speaker, date, tape 
  contents.
  
  (BR)- Bhante Rahula        (BS)- Bhante Sukhacitto
  
  
  The Buddha's Teaching As It Is
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  TAPE 181-190
  (10 tapes in set) $35 including shipping.
  An introductory course narrated by Bhikkhu Bodhi (editor, Buddhist 
  Publication Society) covering the fundamentals of the Buddha's 
  teaching. Consists of ten cassettes in an attractive vinyl binder, 
  accompanying written materials, and two books: What the Buddha Taught 
  by Ven. Walpola Rahula and Buddhist Dictionary by Ven. Nyanatiloka. 
  For more details see the NOTES & NEWS section.
  
  
  Causes and States of Mental Conditions
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  TAPE 150    (BS)    7/4/94
  Going beyond the view of "I want to get something from this retreat". 
  Right understanding necessary to develop a practice of mental 
  cultivation. Five aggregates of clinging explained. Using the body as 
  a mindfulness anchor.
  
  
  Dhamma-The Way Things Are
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  TAPE 345    (BR)    7/3/94
  An explicit, detailed explanation of what is meant by The Way Things 
  Are. Options we have and results of choosing. Effectiveness and 
  results of mindfulness training. Establishing and maintaining a safety 
  zone.
  
  
  The First Noble Truth and the Dhamma
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  TAPE 347    (BR)    7/6/94
  Levels and aspects of dukkha explained. Three classifications of 
  dhamma practice which overcome levels of suffering. The necessity and 
  benefits of precepts clarified. Using the peaceful concentrated mind 
  to develop wisdom. The function of insight.
  
  
  The Paramis and Destroying the Kilesas
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  TAPE 151    (BS)    7/8/94
  Investigating the source of defilements. Reflections on believing, 
  disbelieving or keeping an open mind. Paramis as an antidote to the 
  kilesas and leading to the Buddha mind. Characteristics of existence 
  discussed.
  
  
  Reading from Discourses of the Buddha
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  TAPE 348    (BR)    7/7/94
  Discourse on what is to be followed and what is not to be followed. 
  Right effort one of the most critical factors in dhamma practice. 
  Bodily, vocal, mental conduct. Bases of indolence and energy. 
  
  
  The Retreat Experience
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  TAPE 344    (BR)    7/2/94
  Description of what one might experience during a retreat. 
  Expectations compared to reality. Understandings and insights 
  developed during a retreat. Necessary attitude towards body/mind 
  process. Gross to subtle levels in the cultivation of awareness.
  
  
  The Second Noble Truth and Self
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  TAPE 346    (BR)    7/5/94
  Relationship of sense of self and thinking explained. Effect of deep 
  meditation on the "I am". Why desires can never be satisfied. Basis of 
  ignorance described. Three causes of pain and conflict.
  
                                          
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                           TAPE REQUEST FORM

                            BHAVANA SOCIETY
                            Rt. 1 Box 218-3
                        High View, WV 26808 USA
               Tel: (304) 856-3241    Fax: (304) 856-2111
  
  Name_________________________________________________________________
  
  Address:_____________________________________________________________
  
  _____________________________________________________________________
  
  City_____________________State_______Zip.________
  
  
  +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+
  |Qty  |  Tape title (give first two words only) | Tape | Donation |
  |~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~|
  |     |                                         |      |          |
  |~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~|
  |     |                                         |      |          |
  |~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~|
  |     |                                         |      |          |
  |~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~|
  |     |                                         |      |          |
  |~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~|
  |     |                                         |      |          |
  |~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~|
  |     |                                         |      |          |
  ~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~|
                              Packaging and mailing cost |          |
                                                         |~~~~~~~~~~|
            Any (additional) donation to Bhavana Society |          |
                                                         |~~~~~~~~~~|
                                                   Total |          |
                                                         |~~~~~~~~~~|

  Suggested donation: $4 per tape unless noted otherwise.
  
  How to calculate packaging and mailing cost:
       U.S.A. and Canada: 75 cents per tape
       Overseas: $1.00 (surface)  or $2.50 (air) per tape
       
  Any (additional) donation to Bhavana Society is optional and will be 
  used by the Bhavana Society for the offering of meditation retreats, 
  lecture tours, and other ways of spreading the Dhamma.
  
  Please make checks or money orders payable in U.S. dollars to BHAVANA 
  SOCIETY.

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                            * * * * * * * *



  --------------c-u-t----a-l-o-n-g----t-h-i-s-----l-i-n-e------------

                                          
                     BHAVANA SOCIETY DONATION FORM

                            BHAVANA SOCIETY
                            Rt. 1 Box 218-3
                        High View, WV 26808 USA
               Tel: (304) 856-3241    Fax: (304) 856-2111
  
  Yes, I would like to help Bhavana Society's community of 
  enlightenment, and its transmission of the Buddha Dhamma. Enclosed is 
  my contribution:
  
  
  REGULAR DONOR PROGRAM
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    I wish to donate $_______ every_____________weeks/months
    
    send me the first donation reminder on this date___________________
    (we will send you a stamped envelope a few days before each 
    donation due date -- for your convenience)
  
  
  I wish to make a one-time donation of $_________
  
  Please make check or money order payable to the Bhavana Society, Inc..
  Contributions to the Bhavana Society are tax deductible in the United 
  States. Thank you!
  
  Name_________________________________________________________________
  
  Address:_____________________________________________________________
  
  _____________________________________________________________________
  
  City_____________________State_______Zip.________Tel:________________
  
                                          
  Send to: Bhavana Society, Rt. 1 Box 218-3, High View, WV 26808 USA


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                            * * * * * * * *

  
  
  --------------c-u-t----a-l-o-n-g----t-h-i-s-----l-i-n-e------------

                               
                     MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL/APPLICATION

                            BHAVANA SOCIETY
                            Rt. 1 Box 218-3
                        High View, WV 26808 USA
               Tel: (304) 856-3241    Fax: (304) 856-2111
                                          
  
  I wish to enroll/extend as a member of the Bhavana Society, Inc. and 
  have enclosed $________for Standard Membership ($25.00); Life 
  Membership ($500.00); Patron ($1000.00)
  
  Name_________________________________________________________________
  
  Address:_____________________________________________________________
  
  _____________________________________________________________________
  
  City_____________________State_______Zip_________
  
  Home Tel  (_____)_____________________
  Office Tel(_____)_____________________
  
  Date______________________Signature____________________________________
  
  
  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  x                FOR BHAVANA SOCIETY OFFICE USE ONLY       DharmaNet x
  x                                                                    x
  x                                                                    x
  x Kind of Membership (Standard/Life/Patron) _________________________x
  x                                                                    x
  x Date of Membership__________________Date of expiration_____________x
  x                                                                    x
  x Membership No:___________________________________                  x
  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  
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                            * * * * * * * *



                         DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 TITLE OF WORK: Bhavana Society Newsletter, Vol. 10, No. 3 (July-
                September, 1994)
 FILENAME: BHAV10N3.ZIP
 AUTHOR: N/A
 AUTHOR'S ADDRESS:   N/A
 PUBLISHER'S ADDRESS: Bhavana Society
                    Rt. 1 Box 218-3
                    High View, WV 26808
 COPYRIGHT HOLDER: Bhavana Society
 DATE OF PUBLICATION: 1994
 RIGHTS AND RESTRICTIONS: See paragraph below.
 DATE OF DHARMANET DISTRIBUTION: February 1995
 ORIGIN SITE: Access to Insight BBS, Pepperell MA * (508) 433-5847 (96:903/1)


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[end]
