|
|
|
|
It has been found by many students that the best way to really get to know and comprehend the Dhamma is by FULL IMMERSION and that using one consistent practice and one guiding teacher for a period of at least one year to see where this goes is most effective. Often when one begins, there are lots of legitimate questions. Over the years one finds that the Buddha did leave us a lot of answers about these questions to guide us along our path. Some questions might be, for instance, who should the teacher be? What should the teacher teach? How should the student apply themselves? How should Dependent Origination be taught and how should it not be taught according to the Buddha? How should we specifically investigate various aspects of the Dhamma? Were there any instructions about this? Should there be pain when we practice or not? What is good progress and what is poor progress? Did the Buddha tell us? The Buddha left us ALL these answers and lots more and this is what we study at the center and learn well enough to teach others in good time. This is how we work on the preservation of the Buddha Dhamma. Each Summer, students gather to study the suttas. In particular those pertaining to the meditation are studied in depth and often articles are developed about them during the Rains Retreat from July- October Full Moon each year. Often times scholar monks from various traditions are visiting at the center and assist us to find the supporting texts for this very precise approach of Tranquil Wisdom Meditation. The texts are followed carefully to practice the Samatha/Vipassana jhana (aware jhana) to our best advantage as found in the suttas. Sometimes we will take a single aspect of the teaching and spend more time to chase it through the Majjhima Nikaya and the Samyutta Nikaya confirming or denying an opinion on the meaning of a particular word in relationship to the meditation practice becoming more successful. This is great fun, very revealing and it pays off well for our practice and building confidence. Students have a chance to ask questions and to talk with each other openly about the Dhamma which helps everyone improve their practice, just as described in the texts. Teachers are brought in and consulted on various subjects. Also at the center, while studying the meditation on personal retreat, one listens to evening Dhamma talks and learns the names of the characters and the parts they played in the Buddha's time. One learns how exactly meditation skills were taught, what specific drills the Buddha put the monks through, and how he advised the monks to do proper investigation during their practice. This is the best way to really get to know and comprehend the Dhamma: Immersion in the Buddha's words. It's all in English. Its fun. It personalizes the teaching in a very nice way that you won't forget and uses a very long overdue way of frank American style of learning the Dhamma around a campfire during fireside talks.
Many of the scholar monks who come to the center have memorized large portions of the texts from various traditions. They come to visit us and help us to verify the approach we are using for training the meditation or not! This is usually a very exciting time for us as we uncover pali words that, sometimes have been found, with very slight shifts in meaning, to pull the texts completely together into alignment and make them much more consistent and easy to understand. This helps us comprehend things in direct correlation with our practice of meditation! Anyone can join in these classes which usually run about 1-2PM during the week and sometimes longer if the subject is a good one or we study on a weekends. Let us know if you would like to join in for this kind of adventure this summer. Contact Sister Khema.
|
[ Home ] [ Longterm Support Options ] [ Onsite Report 2008 ]Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center and
Anathapindika's Park Complex
|
![[Under Construction]](images/undercon.gif)