Buddhism Meditation: Bringing Up And Clearing Up

Janna Order Monastery

PREFACE We are living in a busy and turbulent world, where stress and anxiety easily invade the mind. Meditation, a concept that is no longer strange, has been mentioned in many schools of thought and religions around the world. From the quiet prayer in Christianity, the meditation of Taoism, the Sufism of Islam, to Dhyana in Hinduism, each tradition has its own approach. However, meditation is still considered a characteristic forte of Buddhism, with countless highly enlightened Zen masters culminating in the Arhats who have attained complete non-self (Anatman).

Episodes

  1. 6D AGO

    QUESTION 03: WHY IS IT SAID THAT SEEING TRUTHS WILL LEAD TO HAPPINESS?

    QUESTION 03: WHY IS IT SAID THAT SEEING TRUTHS WILL LEAD TO HAPPINESS?ANSWER: Happiness is an elusive concept, impossible to define with precision. At times, it manifests as a fleeting and shallow sense of joy and excitement. Other times, happiness is a state of peace, a refuge from the struggles of managing or coping with life's challenges. It may arise as a deep sense of self¬satisfaction after making the right choices amidst the chaotic interplay of right and wrong. For some, happiness is the profound stillness experienced during meditation or, ultimately, the absolute state of Nirvana (Nibbãna).Happiness is inherently a consequence of morality; where there is morality, happiness follows. When we live with kindness and compassion, helping others along the way, we accumulate good karma that rewards us with lasting peace and contentment.Happiness also stems from a wise, insightful, and thorough understanding of life. When favorable circumstances arise, happiness is the ability to remain humble, avoiding complacency or conceit. When facing adversity, happiness lies in reasoning our way out of sorrow and despair. When we see others excel, happiness emerges through genuine admiration rather than envy. When encountering someone less capable, happiness is the impulse to guide and support rather than judge or despise.We carry many debts of gratitude in life, obligations we may never fully repay, yet happiness is found in the resolve to never forget them. Similarly, when confronted with enmity, choosing not to seek revenge is a powerful source of happiness. By observing the phenomena of society and nature and understanding their underlying causes, we attain a profound sense of happiness through wisdom and clarity.While most people cling to their egos, leading to endless troubles and suffering, we take a different approach: learning to restrain the ego and embrace the principle of non-self (anattã)—that is happiness.While many pursue high-paying jobs, we prioritize a career that serves the community most effectively—that is happiness. While others find joy in receiving, we find joy in giving. While many delight in being respected, we find true joy in respecting others. While some seek pleasure in fleeting thoughts, we discover happiness in the stillness of meditation. While many feel lost amidst life's complexities and chaos, we find clarity and peace by letting the Law of Karma guide our path.#Religions, #Buddhism, #Meditation, #Question #Answers, #DialogueBuddhismReligions, #Religious, #Buddhist, #Truedharma, #Enlightement, #Buddhatemple, #TheLawofKarma, #BuddhismforBeginners, #Janna #Monastery, #JannaOrderMonastery

    3 min
  2. 6D AGO

    QUESTION 02: WHY IS IT SAID THAT SEEING TRUTHS WILL LEAD TO MORALITY?

    QUESTION 02: WHY IS IT SAID THAT SEEING TRUTHS WILL LEAD TO MORALITY? ANSWER: The pursuit of truth offers four profound benefits: Talent, Morality, Happiness, and Enlightenment.From a Talent perspective, truths provide the scientific principles, technical knowledge, and academic insights needed to innovate and create. These truths empower humanity to develop technologies and tools that enhance our quality of life. Evidence of this can be seen in the marvels of modern civilization—towering skyscrapers, bridges spanning vast rivers, spacecraft venturing into the cosmos, and, on a more sobering note, ballistic missiles capable of mass destruction.However, if we focus solely on the Talent aspect of truth while neglecting morality, happiness, and enlightenment, we risk building a magnificent world only to unravel it through our own destructive tendencies. A sustainable and meaningful civilization requires a holistic approach to truth, embracing all four aspects of truth.Today's world prioritizes science and technology, driven largely by economic, military, and political agendas. This overemphasis on one dimension of truth leads to an imbalanced and perilous trajectory for humanity. Those with a deep sense of conscience and responsibility for the future must advocate for exploring the remaining three aspects of truth: Morality, Happiness, and Enlightenment.So, what kind of truth nurtures morality? The answer lies in truths that leads to the discovery of reincarnation (samsara), the Law of Karma (kamma), and the value of a non-self mind (anatta).Many well-documented cases of individuals recalling past lives have been verified but dismissed by established scientific institutions for being "unscientific." These authorities often act as gatekeepers, monopolizing scientific discourse and selectively determining which phenomena to acknowledge and which to reject. However, true science must remain objective, acknowledging reality regardless of prevailing biases held by even its most esteemed ‘scientists'. Recognizing the truth of reincarnation could shift humanity's understanding of life and death, prompting greater accountability for one's actions, knowing that existence does not cease with physical death. After death, existence still does not cease yet; humans continue to "live" in another form and confront the consequences of their actions in the previous life.The Law of Karma (karma-vipaka) embodies an intricate and profound universal principle. It posits that those who engage in good and virtuous deeds will ultimately experience good fortune and success—though not always immediately—while those who act with cruelty and malice will eventually face suffering, albeit not necessarily right away. This is the natural justice of the universe. To deny this fairness is to exhibit a profound lack of conscience, wisdom, and objectivity.Unlike physical phenomena, the Law of Karma is invisible and cannot be detected by any scientific instrument. It requires exceptional reasoning and deep wisdom to perceive and believe in its existence. If humanity collectively recognized this invisible law, a profound transformation could unfold, leading to a more moral and conscientious world. Those who are fortunate enough to firmly believe in the Law of Karma carry a responsibility to inspire and educate others about this truth. By doing so, they contribute to a global shift in consciousness that could save humanity and the world.Many profound truths have been deliberately withheld from humanity by those who claim to act in the name of science. This obstruction has led to an imbalance in human progress: advancements in science and technology have far outpaced growth in morality and ethics. #Religions, #Buddhism, #DialogueBuddhismReligions, #Religious, #Buddhist, #Truedharma, #Meditation, #Enlightement, #Buddhatemple, #TheLawofKarma, #BuddhismforBeginners, #Buddhism #Question #Answers, #Janna, #JannaOrderMonastery.

    5 min
  3. FEB 4

    QUESTION 01: WHY DO WE HAVE TO PRACTICE MEDITATION?

    QUESTION 01: WHY DO WE HAVE TO PRACTICE MEDITATION?ANSWER: Human beings, driven by an innate intelligence, perpetually seek knowledge. At the heart of this quest lies the hope that through profound understanding, we may find happiness, morality, and the ultimate truth.There are two primary approaches to uncovering the truth. The first approach leverages our brain’s cognitive thinking: gathering information, analyzing data, presenting evidence, applying logic, and methodically proving concepts. Through generations of inquiry, this method has enabled humanity to uncover one truth after another. The second approach involves halting thoughts, cultivating intuition, and developing spiritual insight to directly perceive truths without the need for wordy reasoning or explanation.Modern science predominantly embraces the first approach, relying on intellectual analysis and empirical validation to explore the mysteries of the universe. This method has undoubtedly led to remarkable achievements, as evidenced by our technologically advanced civilization. However, as Sir Isaac Newton once observed, “What we know is a drop; what we don't know is an ocean”. This profound insight underscores the reality that, despite its depth, our scientific knowledge remains but a droplet compared to the vast ocean of the unknown.Furthermore, while the discovery of truth holds the promise of fostering morality and happiness, the truths revealed through scientific exploration have not yet succeeded in uplifting humanity to this ideal. Despite advancements, the world continues to grapple with war, conflict, poverty, deceit, and disease.The information we possess may still be flawed, our logic incomplete, and the truths we believe we understand may be only fragments of a larger reality. The civilization constructed upon the pillars of science and technology, though impressive, remains partial and insufficient. Humanity, therefore, stands in need of a complementary path - one rooted in spiritual intuition and capable of guiding us toward a civilization characterized by perfect wisdom and morality.By stilling the mind and ceasing intellectual deliberation, one can perceive truths directly and fully, free from distortion or ambiguity. The more serene the mind, the clearer the truths become. Enlightened Beings such as the Buddha, who achieved absolute mental stillness, were able to comprehend cosmic truths in their entirety.Truths realized beyond intellectual deliberation are not only fundamentally authentic but also naturally manifest in the form of morality and happiness, as those who attain the truths naturally embody these very virtues. Observing a person’s conduct and inner peace can serve as a measure of their alignment with truth, as morality and happiness are not self-proclaimed or imagined but are organic results of attaining truths.Despite the undeniable conveniences modern science and technology have afforded, they have also contributed to significant suffering, unrest, and moral decay. The persistence of wars, violence, inequality, and self-interest reveals that science and technology alone do not constitute the ultimate truth. If they did, they would have universally fostered morality and happiness.For instance, the concept of reincarnation (saṃsāra) represents a truth that science has largely overlooked or dismissed. By refusing to explore this phenomenon, science has missed vital opportunities to advance human civilization and cultivate a more profound sense of morality. A clear, objective understanding of reincarnation could inspire individuals to lead more moral lives, recognizing the continuity and consequences of their actions.#Buddhism Meditation, #Questions and Answers, #Religions, #Buddhism, #DialogueBuddhismReligions, #Religious, #Buddhist, #Truedharma, #Meditation, #Enlightement, #Buddhatemple, #TheLawofKarma, #BuddhismforBeginners, #Janna, #JannaOrderMonastery, #Buddhism Meditation: Bringing Up And Clearing Up.

    5 min
  4. FEB 4

    Buddhism Meditation: Bringing Up And Clearing Up

    Buddhism Meditation: Bringing Up And Clearing UpPREFACEWe are living in a busy and turbulent world, where stress and anxiety easily invade the mind. Meditation, a concept that is no longer strange, has been mentioned in many schools of thought and religions around the world. From the quiet prayer in Christianity, the meditation of Taoism, the Sufism of Islam, to Dhyana in Hinduism, each tradition has its own approach. However, meditation is still considered a characteristic forte of Buddhism, with countless highly enlightened Zen masters culminating in the Arhats who have attained complete non-self (Anatman). Meditation is not only a method of mental hygiene to relieve stress, but also a beautiful life, especially helping us to eradicate the ego, end ignorance, and attain liberation and enlightenment.In the Noble Eightfold Path, meditation belongs to the last three parts: Right Endeavor, Right Mindfulness, and Right Ecstasy (from the First Jhana to the Fourth Jhana). The meditation taught by the Buddha is not an easy path, but an incredible journey, a comprehensive system of practice, requiring the proper method encompassing both profound Techniques and Dharma; requiring wisdom, morality, merit, and extraordinary willpower from the practitioner.This book was born with the desire to provide a comprehensive and profound view of Buddhist meditation. Through each question and answer, the book leads from basic principles to advanced meditation techniques, helping practitioners step by step understand all aspects of meditation and move towards effective, practical application.Hopefully, this bookwill be a valuable asset for meditation practitioners. May everyone around the world perfect their morality, accumulate much merit, diligently practice, and achieve complete enlightenment on the long path of meditation.#Buddhism Meditation, #Questions and Answers, #Religions, #Buddhism, #DialogueBuddhismReligions, #Religious, #Buddhist, #Truedharma, #Meditation, #Enlightement, #Buddhatemple, #TheLawofKarma, #BuddhismforBeginners, #Janna, #JannaOrderMonastery

    2 min

About

PREFACE We are living in a busy and turbulent world, where stress and anxiety easily invade the mind. Meditation, a concept that is no longer strange, has been mentioned in many schools of thought and religions around the world. From the quiet prayer in Christianity, the meditation of Taoism, the Sufism of Islam, to Dhyana in Hinduism, each tradition has its own approach. However, meditation is still considered a characteristic forte of Buddhism, with countless highly enlightened Zen masters culminating in the Arhats who have attained complete non-self (Anatman).