WEBVTT 02:00.856 --> 02:08.044 Good evening everyone and welcome to our live broadcast. 02:08.064 --> 02:18.455 Today we're looking at Anguttara Nikaya Book of Fives, Sutta 101, the Saraja Sutta. 02:22.479 --> 02:28.405 It's another classic Anguttara Nikaya Sutta, short, sweet, to the point. 02:29.006 --> 02:29.867 It's just a list. 02:31.265 --> 02:33.847 It's not much more than a list. 02:37.450 --> 02:59.550 So saraja or vesaraja as it's called in the sutta, vesaraja, vesarada, vesarada means confidence, self-confidence. 03:02.095 --> 03:06.067 It's another one of those Dhammas that we learn in Thai Dhamma school. 03:10.801 --> 03:16.257 These are the Dhammas that give self-confidence, that give true self-confidence. 03:19.932 --> 03:22.997 that give an unshakable confidence. 03:23.057 --> 03:43.071 So there are people out there who can be confident without these, but they are using bravado, or a type of confidence that is limited, that is shakable, that can be shaken, can be shook. 03:46.780 --> 03:55.450 So if you're looking for true confidence, a way to be truly sure of yourself, there's nothing worse than a person who is falsely sure of themselves. 03:56.351 --> 03:57.812 Someone who goes by bravado. 03:57.832 --> 04:10.427 It's quite unpleasant to hear them say and do things with such confidence when you know that they have no reason to be confident about such things. 04:11.328 --> 04:12.749 They will kill with confidence. 04:12.829 --> 04:14.391 They will steal with confidence. 04:16.058 --> 04:28.057 And they're very sure of themselves, but it's not a type of confidence that is solid and sure. 04:28.178 --> 04:30.662 It's fickle. 04:30.682 --> 04:33.686 It can change, it can break, it can fade away. 04:38.514 --> 04:39.636 But these five 04:41.759 --> 04:42.961 are the true way to confidence. 04:43.001 --> 04:47.406 I remember as a young monk going over these and reminding myself of these. 04:47.646 --> 04:48.067 Okay. 04:49.108 --> 04:50.690 I was highly unconfident. 04:51.531 --> 04:56.458 I had a strong lack of confidence in myself. 04:58.520 --> 05:09.454 Five things lead to self-assurance of being confident but comfortable about yourself. 05:16.387 --> 05:18.270 Let's see, saraja. 05:20.373 --> 05:23.197 Saraja means timidity. 05:24.580 --> 05:33.794 Right, so way saraja means free from timidity, having no timidity, no fear. 05:34.475 --> 05:35.476 Let's say fearless. 05:40.204 --> 05:45.111 And so the Buddha said these are the five things that make 05:46.880 --> 05:54.832 A trainee, someone who is training in Buddhism, free from fear. 05:57.697 --> 06:06.350 So what are these five? 06:07.132 --> 06:11.318 Here, a bhikkhu, say a meditator. 06:12.715 --> 06:14.438 is confident. 06:15.259 --> 06:17.903 The first one is confidence, but it's going to be a little bit different. 06:18.103 --> 06:19.685 Faithful might be a better word. 06:19.705 --> 06:20.486 It's a believer. 06:21.508 --> 06:25.874 So here we have to separate the types of sada, the types of confidence. 06:27.377 --> 06:33.045 Number two, siddhava, is moral or ethical. 06:34.948 --> 06:40.596 Number three, bahusuto, is of much learning. 06:42.550 --> 06:59.638 Number four, Aradha Viriyam, has firm, strong effort, great energy, unshaking, unwavering energy. 07:01.582 --> 07:07.191 And number five, Panyava Hoti, Panyava has wisdom. 07:11.221 --> 07:14.405 These five dhammas free one from fear. 07:14.746 --> 07:31.189 So the Buddha says, Whatever trembling or fear there is, meekness, timidity, let's just say insecurity. 07:32.010 --> 07:34.213 Insecurity is a good word. 07:34.233 --> 07:39.861 Whatever insecurity there is for one who has no faith, no confidence, 07:41.900 --> 07:59.647 That insecurity does not exist for one who has faith, confidence. 07:59.667 --> 08:10.303 It's a hard word, saddha, because if we say faith, well then it's like believing without any reason, right? 08:11.954 --> 08:21.426 But in Buddhism, confidence in the Buddha is what is meant here, but it's confidence with reason, not without reason. 08:21.606 --> 08:28.875 When you have confidence because you listen to the Buddha talk or you've read the Buddha's teachings and you have confidence in his teachings. 08:34.502 --> 08:39.008 Maybe you've just seen or you've practiced 08:40.405 --> 08:44.751 You've gained this unshakable confidence in the Buddha's teaching. 08:49.318 --> 08:54.546 In essence, put your faith in the Buddha. 08:54.606 --> 09:02.097 It's not worth saying it like that, but the idea being that your faith in the Buddha protects you. 09:04.741 --> 09:08.948 You're not afraid of anything because you know that the Dhamma will protect you. 09:08.968 --> 09:09.889 That's your confidence. 09:11.422 --> 09:23.515 And this is the kind of thing that comes from, it's great about meditation practice, when you learn the technique of how to cultivate this clarity of mind. 09:24.777 --> 09:26.439 When you see something, you notice seeing. 09:26.459 --> 09:28.120 When you hear something, you notice hearing. 09:28.160 --> 09:29.242 When you feel, it's feeling. 09:30.042 --> 09:31.324 When you think, it's just thinking. 09:33.546 --> 09:36.590 Nothing can possibly phase you. 09:37.531 --> 09:40.534 If you really understand that, if you become comfortable in that truth, 09:44.210 --> 09:48.033 There's something that can shake that confidence. 09:49.935 --> 09:51.136 Because what could come? 09:51.156 --> 09:52.077 Maybe you feel pain. 09:52.177 --> 09:53.018 Well, then it's pain. 09:55.820 --> 09:58.623 Maybe someone attacks you or is shouting at you. 09:58.783 --> 09:59.804 Well, it's just sound. 10:03.167 --> 10:07.791 Maybe you see something you don't like or hear something you don't like. 10:07.851 --> 10:08.712 Maybe you get sick. 10:09.052 --> 10:11.955 Well, it's all just experience and you know how to deal with it. 10:13.977 --> 10:17.322 Someone who is truly on the path of training has nothing to fear. 10:18.563 --> 10:20.286 Sanda. 10:20.306 --> 10:21.407 First one is confidence. 10:21.447 --> 10:25.032 Putting your confidence in the practice. 10:25.052 --> 10:32.403 Usually through having practiced. 10:32.423 --> 10:33.144 But it's a good one. 10:33.184 --> 10:40.474 If you're doubting about your practice, if you're doubting about your path, that's a good reason for insecurity. 10:41.635 --> 10:52.068 So you better find a path that you can be confident about, or find the confidence in the path that gives you the security, the sense of security. 10:52.989 --> 10:53.690 That's the first one. 10:53.710 --> 11:08.368 The second one, whatever insecurity there is for someone who is unethical, immoral, 11:10.559 --> 11:16.649 That insecurity does not exist in one who is ethical, who is moral. 11:17.992 --> 11:18.312 Simple. 11:20.576 --> 11:22.519 One person who is unethical has a lot to fear. 11:23.260 --> 11:24.422 There's a lot to be worried about. 11:25.124 --> 11:28.469 Most especially the question, am I a bad person? 11:31.034 --> 11:33.117 They can't rightly say they're a good person. 11:34.119 --> 11:36.583 They can't rightly be proud of the things that they do. 11:37.897 --> 11:41.502 They will always live with this cloud over them of the bad deeds that they've done. 11:41.522 --> 11:52.476 A lot of people remark that evil people don't seem to be remorseful or don't seem to have a sense of suffering because of what they've done. 11:52.516 --> 11:58.044 And it's a whole different way of living that way. 11:58.084 --> 11:58.504 It's true. 11:58.564 --> 12:01.969 Some people are like that, but they have to run. 12:02.630 --> 12:04.692 They have to constantly run from themselves. 12:05.153 --> 12:06.655 Such people cannot meditate. 12:07.917 --> 12:37.452 would go crazy if they tried to sit still and actually taste all the things that were in their mind actually experience their own minds and so they have to divert themselves constantly and for a while they might be able to do that but no one can escape their karma it's a law of nature it's an orderliness of the world bad is bad and good is good 12:39.254 --> 12:40.295 It's a part of the system. 12:42.478 --> 12:52.310 So such people may be very confident, but again, it's a tenuous confidence, and at any moment it could shatter when they're forced to face reality. 12:53.071 --> 13:01.742 If you look at, I did this compilation video from the Thai version of Angulimala, and it's a really good example. 13:02.202 --> 13:07.489 Oh, that movie, they really did a good job, and it's a shame because very few people know about that movie. 13:08.667 --> 13:18.764 Most of it's blood and gore and killing, but when they get to the part where Angulimala meets the Buddha, it's just, from there on, the movie is just spot on. 13:19.846 --> 13:20.507 Until the ending. 13:20.527 --> 13:21.749 The ending is kind of weird. 13:23.071 --> 13:24.293 They have some weird theories. 13:24.393 --> 13:27.619 It's not bad, but it's not ideal. 13:27.679 --> 13:32.447 But the part where he meets the Buddha, he's so confident, he's just got to kill the Buddha and then he'll become enlightened, right? 13:34.165 --> 13:44.183 And the Buddha just sits him down and has him actually look and examine this unshakable confidence because he's so confident. 13:44.204 --> 13:45.546 He says, what are you going to teach me? 13:46.708 --> 13:52.599 And he shows him impermanent suffering and non-self, which is just, it's incredible that they show that in the movie. 13:55.043 --> 13:56.967 And he just falls to pieces. 13:59.512 --> 14:06.539 It's a really good representation of this false confidence that can potentially exist in evil people. 14:09.302 --> 14:10.203 It's not unshakeable. 14:11.744 --> 14:20.473 Much better to be ethical and moral and build your confidence on that because then no matter what anyone says about you, you have no reason to get upset. 14:20.573 --> 14:22.175 Someone says you're a bad person. 14:24.057 --> 14:25.538 In point of fact, you're not. 14:26.379 --> 14:29.282 Whereas a person who does unethical things is never sure 14:30.933 --> 14:33.499 Because they have some good, maybe, and they have some bad. 14:34.421 --> 14:37.568 And you can never say with confidence, I am a good person. 14:41.477 --> 14:46.849 So best be ethical. 14:46.869 --> 14:48.773 Be of spotless behavior. 14:50.727 --> 15:12.304 And number three, whatever insecurity there is for someone who has little learning, little knowledge, that insecurity does not exist for one who is of great learning. 15:15.049 --> 15:15.570 I mean, this is, 15:17.542 --> 15:21.770 somewhat conditional, of course, right? 15:21.790 --> 15:31.627 An enlightened being with little learning is probably pretty confident, but it's because what they lack in learning, they make up in confidence, ethics, and all the other ones. 15:33.150 --> 15:40.343 But all other things being equal, even in, say, an Arahant, an Arahant who has little learning, 15:41.504 --> 15:48.031 will speak little, will not be confident giving talks, will not be inclined to give talks. 15:51.415 --> 15:52.616 They won't be worried about it. 15:52.816 --> 15:54.478 They won't have insecurity, per se. 15:55.499 --> 16:05.330 But for a seka, this sutta is about seka, which is anyone from a sotapanna onto a sakadagami, or anagami. 16:05.350 --> 16:07.512 Sotapanna, sakadagami, or anagami. 16:08.774 --> 16:11.878 So they still have worry, potentially. 16:13.619 --> 16:18.245 And so they can still be unsure of themselves. 16:19.406 --> 16:20.848 Especially if they have little learning. 16:22.710 --> 16:24.171 Because they themselves don't know it. 16:26.875 --> 16:37.026 And haven't realized the thing, whatever it is that they are confronted with. 16:38.693 --> 17:02.895 and they don't have the Buddha's knowledge of many things, meaning they can come across situations that they're not able to elucidate or to solve, situations they're not able to find a solution for, both because they haven't learned it experientially, they aren't fully enlightened, 17:04.647 --> 17:06.851 And because they don't have the Buddha's teaching to back them up. 17:06.871 --> 17:14.964 But someone who has vast learning, even if they haven't become enlightened yet themselves, well, they have the confidence of the Buddha behind them. 17:16.908 --> 17:21.435 It's easy to get overconfident through learning in this way. 17:21.656 --> 17:24.360 So it's certainly not something to be relied upon entirely. 17:25.403 --> 17:38.803 But certainly a monk who has a vast store of learning all other things being equal is going to be far more confident in, not just in teaching, but in just living their lives. 17:39.784 --> 17:42.788 They have so much wisdom to fall back on. 17:43.129 --> 17:54.786 Of course, it's the Buddha's wisdom, not their wisdom, but they can tap into it and find answers, find support and advice and solutions to their problems. 17:57.415 --> 17:58.776 So learning is a good thing. 17:59.337 --> 18:00.678 Don't let anyone tell you it's not. 18:03.301 --> 18:13.870 Learning alone is a problem, but learning accompanied with training, with the support, gives you confidence. 18:13.890 --> 18:17.174 Just make sure you're also training, also meditating, practicing. 18:19.135 --> 18:27.203 Number four, whatever insecurity there is in someone who is lazy, 18:28.533 --> 18:45.630 For one who is of unshaking, unwavering effort, unwavering energy, that insecurity does not exist. 18:52.057 --> 18:56.022 So for someone who is lazy, well, they're not sure how far they're going to go. 18:56.062 --> 18:58.745 Laziness is what stops you in the practice. 18:58.925 --> 19:01.889 Am I going to become enlightened? 19:01.909 --> 19:03.992 What does my future have in store for me? 19:04.052 --> 19:07.736 For a lazy person, it's unsure, uncertain. 19:10.079 --> 19:13.423 And for a person who is energetic, it's a great confidence. 19:15.226 --> 19:18.818 Like you see a person running down the highway, you know they're gonna get somewhere. 19:20.063 --> 19:24.257 You see a person sleeping under a tree by the side of the road, you're not sure where they're going to go. 19:27.241 --> 19:28.822 Our energy gives us confidence. 19:28.943 --> 19:29.603 I can do this. 19:30.344 --> 19:33.447 We see results through effort. 19:34.388 --> 19:36.830 When you put out effort, confidence goes through the roof. 19:37.931 --> 19:43.536 Confidence increases because you see the results. 19:44.157 --> 19:45.098 You see progress. 19:45.678 --> 19:46.679 You see how it works. 19:46.960 --> 19:50.423 You do the work. 19:50.443 --> 19:51.284 You get the reward. 19:54.587 --> 19:56.809 A lazy person doesn't have such reassurance. 20:00.063 --> 20:26.661 And number five, for one who is of weak wisdom, whatever insecurity there is for one who is of weak wisdom, that insecurity does not exist for one who is wise. 20:29.408 --> 20:31.230 This is the most important one, of course. 20:31.250 --> 20:33.232 This is about speaking of enlightenment. 20:35.034 --> 20:42.243 So for even a Sotapanna, the wisdom of a Sotapanna that they've gained through seeing Nibbana, I mean, that's what wisdom means. 20:42.283 --> 20:44.285 Wisdom is about experience in Buddhism. 20:45.066 --> 20:50.993 So just a brief experience of Nibbana, well, just to get there requires quite a bit of wisdom and understanding. 20:53.195 --> 20:56.479 But the understanding of the nature of Nibbana is such a 20:58.214 --> 21:26.314 confidence boost because you no longer have to worry about the world you've seen you've seen something beyond the world so you don't have to concern yourself with how do I look how do I appear where am I going to go none of that's really of consequence the only thing of consequence is whether you're going to attain nibbana whether you're going to find peace 21:28.606 --> 21:32.130 Because samsara is just going around and around in circles. 21:35.012 --> 21:46.744 And so the wisdom that sees through that, that's the wisdom that frees you, frees you from craving, frees you from aversion, frees you from delusion. 21:46.764 --> 21:55.693 And that gives you confidence, gives you security, a sense of self-assurance. 21:58.255 --> 21:59.737 So these are good to keep in mind. 21:59.757 --> 22:08.766 I think, as I said, there's something that I thought about a lot as far as building up my own self-confidence and my own meditation practice. 22:09.867 --> 22:15.172 It's good to think of these so we can work on them because these are generally things you can work on in various ways. 22:17.434 --> 22:18.476 Have a little bit of faith. 22:19.216 --> 22:20.958 It can be a good thing, a little bit anyway. 22:21.358 --> 22:25.883 Just be careful you're not consumed by your doubts and insecurities. 22:27.095 --> 22:28.457 Certainly tweak your ethics. 22:28.577 --> 22:34.724 Try to be as ethic and moral as possible so you don't have fear and worry of feeling like a bad person. 22:36.425 --> 22:37.367 Learn, study. 22:37.407 --> 22:39.569 Don't be lazy. 22:41.111 --> 22:48.059 And most of all, practice insight meditation to gain wisdom, because that's where certainty lies. 22:50.361 --> 22:51.342 So there you go. 22:52.483 --> 22:53.845 That's the Dhamma for tonight. 22:57.537 --> 22:59.180 Looks like we have a few questions. 23:08.956 --> 23:13.022 I have a friend whose son has epilepsy caused by stress, she believes. 23:13.603 --> 23:17.249 She has asked me to ask you if you have worked with such people before. 23:17.309 --> 23:20.254 No, I never have. 23:21.854 --> 23:25.759 I can't remember that I've ever worked, well, I mean, someone could have had it and not told me, right? 23:25.799 --> 23:32.949 Epilepsy is not something that is constant, but I can't recall working with someone who was actively epileptic. 23:34.090 --> 23:35.432 Not that I think it's a big deal. 23:35.472 --> 23:42.321 I mean, I don't see why that would be a problem for a meditator as long as they were not in any danger of physical harm. 23:46.086 --> 23:49.330 Certainly, if stress is a trigger for an epileptic seizure, 23:50.592 --> 23:51.994 Meditation can't but help. 23:53.997 --> 23:54.358 It might. 23:54.458 --> 24:01.468 I mean, you could argue, hey, maybe, and I don't know if this is the case, but it may very well be that it could trigger an epileptic fit. 24:01.729 --> 24:12.625 But that would be a process because meditation can force you to go through some physical stress in the beginning. 24:13.106 --> 24:14.227 It's stressful in the beginning. 24:14.287 --> 24:15.048 It can be. 24:15.890 --> 24:19.435 As you deal with your stress and you learn about it, you have to face it. 24:20.326 --> 24:26.615 So I wouldn't use that as a deterrent for such a person to practice meditation. 24:26.635 --> 24:34.788 I would just caution a little bit of patience and not expect miracles to suddenly go away. 24:34.808 --> 24:46.485 I would expect that such a person might very well have epileptic seizures during their meditation practice, but that overall, over time, meditation would certainly 24:46.465 --> 24:53.872 help with any mental aspects, like mental triggers, stress-based triggers, that kind of thing. 24:53.892 --> 24:59.398 And just dealing with the seizure itself, not freaking out, not getting upset, not feeling depressed, and so on. 25:03.202 --> 25:03.863 Can't but help. 25:06.385 --> 25:11.791 It would be interesting to hear of such a person, what would happen if they were to practice, how it would go. 25:12.351 --> 25:13.232 I wouldn't be worried about it. 25:19.017 --> 25:24.986 Dear Bhante, did the wife of the Bodhisatta, Yasodhara, have other children than Rahula? 25:25.767 --> 25:31.897 I read some texts where she is given the name Badakatchana and had ten children. 25:32.478 --> 25:33.479 Is this the same person? 25:36.965 --> 25:39.709 No, I can't think of who Badakatchana was. 25:42.119 --> 25:52.069 But there's a dictionary, the Dictionary of Polyproper Names, if you want to look up anything about people, Google the Dictionary of Polyproper Names. 25:52.749 --> 25:58.855 It's one of the most incredible works of scholarship that exists. 25:58.936 --> 26:00.417 I mean, it's just mind-blowing. 26:01.178 --> 26:08.565 You won't get that if you look at the internet version, but if you ever see the text version, it's about this big, two volumes. 26:08.545 --> 26:13.310 And it's just immense, the detail and the accuracy. 26:13.450 --> 26:16.593 It's written by a Sri Lankan scholar many years ago. 26:17.514 --> 26:21.178 And it's just mind-blowing how impressive that work is. 26:21.258 --> 26:23.881 But you can look up Yasodhara in there. 26:23.941 --> 26:25.603 She had another name. 26:25.623 --> 26:28.205 I can't remember it right now. 26:29.086 --> 26:31.329 I think she was called Rahulamata at some time. 26:31.669 --> 26:35.593 But there's, I think, another name for her that might be something like Badakachana. 26:36.454 --> 26:37.455 But I don't think that was it. 26:39.629 --> 26:44.094 I don't know why it doesn't come to my mind, but... 26:44.114 --> 26:45.035 Okay, let's look it up. 26:46.156 --> 26:49.620 And the digital polyreader has the DPPN in it. 26:58.870 --> 26:59.931 Yesodara. 26:59.951 --> 27:02.053 Yeah, she's also called Rahulamata. 27:04.696 --> 27:08.540 Oh, she's also called, yeah, she's also called Badakata. 27:08.560 --> 27:08.640 Hmm. 27:10.308 --> 27:12.952 Yeah, that is the other name. 27:13.553 --> 27:15.316 Oh no, I was thinking Bimba Devi. 27:15.336 --> 27:20.765 Alright, so let's see. 27:24.411 --> 27:26.595 Maybe there is a version where she has more children. 27:33.258 --> 27:34.639 Anyway, it's not really worth it. 27:34.820 --> 27:37.022 In our tradition, no, she only had one child. 27:37.542 --> 27:38.463 So we'll leave it at that. 27:39.524 --> 27:40.906 I don't know that I've heard of any story. 27:41.266 --> 27:46.211 But there is someone else of that similar name that strikes me. 27:46.231 --> 27:51.737 So let's look up Bada. 27:51.757 --> 27:53.679 I think you're probably confusing. 27:53.699 --> 27:59.164 But... 28:10.214 --> 28:11.916 Hmm, there's another name. 28:12.617 --> 28:14.479 Ah, here, Bhadakacana had ten children. 28:14.499 --> 28:15.620 Yeah, this is what you're looking at. 28:16.220 --> 28:17.742 This is a different Bhadakacana. 28:21.166 --> 28:21.987 That's interesting. 28:25.971 --> 28:31.216 This is a story from the Mahavangsa Nadeepa Vangsa. 28:33.439 --> 28:34.560 So she went to Sri Lanka. 28:34.580 --> 28:37.583 It's, I think, a much later affair. 28:37.944 --> 28:39.225 It's nothing to do with the Buddha. 28:40.302 --> 28:43.005 She was probably maybe named after Yasoda. 28:44.647 --> 28:45.889 Sounds like she was a Sakyan. 28:46.770 --> 28:48.712 So she was of the Buddhist family. 28:53.158 --> 28:56.181 But there's a lot of these people from later times. 28:57.283 --> 29:02.989 Names that you hear about. 29:03.009 --> 29:03.690 So there you go. 29:04.011 --> 29:05.112 Same name, different person. 29:08.433 --> 29:27.252 much freedom does a monk have in terms of the daily schedule i'm aware that activities like eating are done at a certain time but i'm curious to know how stringent the rest of the daily schedule is are all monks like yourself allowed to leave the monastery monastic community and travel well the the 29:29.459 --> 29:34.607 The monastic discipline doesn't specify. 29:34.647 --> 29:42.158 The only rule is that a monk must live with a senior monk for five years. 29:42.879 --> 29:52.092 The first five years of your monk could have to be spent with a monk who has at least ten years as a monk and has other qualities that make them a teacher. 29:53.725 --> 29:54.346 five years. 29:54.486 --> 29:55.887 Now, that could be whoever you choose. 29:55.927 --> 29:59.530 You could decide, hey, I don't like this jerk who is my preceptor. 29:59.550 --> 30:02.974 I'm going to go find a real teacher. 30:03.014 --> 30:16.667 Or you could say, hmm, you know, maybe I've learned enough from this monk, my preceptor, or maybe your preceptor says, hey, you've learned all I can teach you, or you're bothering me, go find someone else. 30:17.507 --> 30:18.929 Whatever the case, you can leave. 30:19.829 --> 30:21.471 There's no... 30:21.451 --> 30:23.335 No one can tell you no, don't leave. 30:24.497 --> 30:27.925 If your preceptor says I forbid you, you just walk out the door. 30:29.287 --> 30:36.763 So in that sense there's no requirement, but if you then don't go and find another teacher, you're breaking a rule. 30:37.745 --> 30:40.050 So you have to live with that teacher. 30:41.178 --> 30:54.238 Now, okay, you might argue that, I'm not sure how the actual rules for this go, but if you don't follow your teacher, there might be ramifications. 30:54.318 --> 31:00.908 Like, there's a sense that when you take someone as your teacher, proper behavior is to follow and do what they say. 31:00.888 --> 31:05.993 So if the teacher then says, don't go here, don't go there, but it's entirely up to him. 31:06.053 --> 31:14.081 He might say, you know, I want you to go off in the forest and meditate and don't come back until you become enlightened. 31:14.101 --> 31:17.384 You might say, go ahead, travel, do what you want. 31:18.184 --> 31:18.805 That's not true. 31:18.825 --> 31:27.994 He can't tell you that because as long as you go and stay with a monk who is senior, wherever you go, you have to take a monk as your teacher. 31:28.114 --> 31:29.275 You can't just live 31:29.255 --> 31:33.502 Live on your own without a teacher. 31:34.323 --> 31:35.284 That's the first five years. 31:35.505 --> 31:37.127 After those five years, you do whatever you want. 31:37.588 --> 31:40.092 But that's sort of a roundabout way of answering your question. 31:40.733 --> 31:47.704 Specifically, it depends very much on the community and on your teacher and many different things. 31:47.784 --> 31:50.588 If the community decides they want to do things a certain way, 31:50.568 --> 32:01.065 It may not be breaking a rule, but it would be generally considered wrong to not follow the way of the community, and that varies greatly from community to community. 32:02.968 --> 32:15.208 At my teacher's monastery, the program is to do chanting at 4.30 a.m. and then 6 o'clock or 6.30 p.m. 32:17.078 --> 32:18.440 and that's it. 32:19.182 --> 32:23.149 Breakfast and lunch, if you want to go, or if you want to go on alms round, it's up to you. 32:24.150 --> 32:25.493 But there's only two times a day. 32:25.513 --> 32:35.290 There's something else about being on a course, so generally you have to be doing something, or else be meeting with a teacher once a day, so you could argue that should be added, but 32:37.531 --> 32:41.676 In practice, very few monks actually go for chanting in the morning or in the evening. 32:42.357 --> 32:44.840 That's unfortunate, but it's kind of fallen apart. 32:44.860 --> 32:48.724 But that is really sort of the structure. 32:48.784 --> 33:02.760 Now, if you go to a place like Wat Pa Nanachat, I'm pretty sure the vast majority of your waking hours and the hours you wish you were sleeping are devoted to a very strict schedule, from what I understand. 33:03.361 --> 33:05.884 So it very much depends on the monastery. 33:08.176 --> 33:14.484 Do some monasteries require the monks to go for formal education, formal Buddhist education? 33:14.684 --> 33:15.525 Yeah. 33:15.545 --> 33:15.825 Oh, yeah. 33:16.326 --> 33:17.728 A lot of monasteries, actually. 33:18.008 --> 33:19.370 They do it more than meditation. 33:19.410 --> 33:20.671 They push it more than meditation. 33:22.393 --> 33:23.635 But it depends on the monastery. 33:23.895 --> 33:31.885 Those are the monasteries that are study monasteries. 33:31.905 --> 33:35.449 Does Buddhism teach that the universe is one interdependent system? 33:37.741 --> 33:44.691 The key word is system. 33:44.752 --> 33:45.773 It's not one thing. 33:46.755 --> 33:52.483 But if you want to call it a system, by definition, that's what universe means, right? 33:52.503 --> 33:57.290 As for being interdependent, that's a... 33:57.310 --> 33:59.313 Yes, yes, interdependent. 33:59.393 --> 34:01.276 Yes, yes, interdependent. 34:01.657 --> 34:02.739 Forget it. 34:02.759 --> 34:02.999 It is. 34:03.720 --> 34:05.082 I'm not going to go any deeper. 34:06.918 --> 34:14.645 But I just, it's interdependent, yes, but it doesn't mean we are all one, I guess. 34:15.105 --> 34:17.468 It's easy for that to then become we are one. 34:19.669 --> 34:24.033 Interdependent is just a fancy way of saying things affect other things. 34:24.294 --> 34:26.836 So yeah, different. 34:28.958 --> 34:34.663 In fact, it's just about experiences affecting other experiences, as we were learning today in Paticca Samuppada. 34:35.791 --> 34:40.080 But yeah, interdependent system, that's a fine way of explaining it. 34:47.890 --> 34:49.532 Hello Bhante, this is Srikanth. 34:50.153 --> 34:58.346 Not sure whether you remember, but I've been your follower for the past several years and participated in Google Hangouts and Second Life sometimes a few years back. 34:59.287 --> 35:01.470 I have utmost respect for you and your teachings. 35:02.191 --> 35:11.485 I'm coming to Toronto for a business trip next week and wanted to check if I can have an opportunity to visit our meditation center and pay respect to you. 35:11.465 --> 35:20.336 This Tuesday, October 4th, in the evening, is it possible to schedule a session with you from 7 to 8 and meditate along with you from 8 to 9? 35:20.376 --> 35:23.540 And then I can head back. 35:24.441 --> 35:27.765 Even if you can't spend an hour, even 5 to 10 minutes is appreciated. 35:32.571 --> 35:33.692 Sure, yeah. 35:33.712 --> 35:34.833 Tuesday evenings are good. 35:37.497 --> 35:38.738 Of course, yes, I remember you. 35:40.186 --> 36:09.349 Tuesday evenings I'm back I teach meditation at the university 3.30 to 4.30 so I'm back here 5 anytime after 5 I'll be here and then I have no meditators right now 6 to 7 I'm actually potentially I can't remember I think Tuesday nights I still have 6 to 7 6 o'clock and 6.30 potentially interviews 36:11.270 --> 36:12.612 But by 7 I'm finished. 36:15.675 --> 36:18.018 And the address of the center I put in chat. 36:19.060 --> 36:22.244 So if you go to the chat feature, it should have the address. 36:27.230 --> 36:31.976 Can I practice meditation in the hope of having a better, less suffering afterlife in heaven? 36:32.757 --> 36:40.146 As I've read that there is less suffering in heaven than in this world, but in a lower stage than nirvana. 36:40.868 --> 36:41.829 Yeah, absolutely. 36:41.869 --> 36:48.936 I don't think we should be afraid of talking about the pleasures of heaven, because heaven is a good place to meditate. 36:49.336 --> 36:53.660 If you're devoted to meditation, don't be afraid to wish to be born in heaven. 36:53.681 --> 36:56.083 It's a good place to aspire to. 36:57.004 --> 37:02.910 How many countless Buddhists are up in heaven from practicing meditation? 37:03.070 --> 37:07.534 So if you cultivate meditation, chances of being born in heaven are actually 37:09.134 --> 37:13.640 greater than being born again as a human, as your mind becomes pure. 37:15.823 --> 37:16.845 So go for it. 37:17.686 --> 37:21.411 Go up to heaven, you'll get to meet people like Yasodhara. 37:21.711 --> 37:23.313 No, did she become an Arahant? 37:23.394 --> 37:23.994 So she's gone. 37:25.056 --> 37:26.978 And Rahula, they all became Arahants, they're gone. 37:28.180 --> 37:34.489 You'll meet Wisaka, the chief female lay disciple of the Buddha. 37:34.509 --> 37:36.171 You'll meet Anattapindika, 37:37.298 --> 37:52.852 They made many, many ex-monks and nuns and laymen and laywomen from the countless, from the centuries since the time of the Buddha who have been practicing and going to heaven. 37:53.955 --> 37:55.999 Probably have communities of Buddhists up in heaven. 37:58.207 --> 38:01.971 Can you become enlightened in heaven, or must you be reborn? 38:02.432 --> 38:05.235 No, heaven is a great place to become enlightened. 38:05.255 --> 38:20.351 What we don't hear about, if you read the suttas, the understanding of the commentaries and of the people who wrote the suttas is that every time the Buddha talked, countless or hundreds of thousands of angels would become enlightened, which is probably a bit of an extra. 38:20.411 --> 38:21.632 You'd think, well, maybe that's 38:21.612 --> 38:46.658 what do you call exaggerated but there is definitely a sense that wherever the Buddha went to teach angels would come and listen and they'd always become enlightened Saka is a good example the king of the angels of the 33 he became a Sotapanna by coming down and listening to the Buddha but that would be a common thing for angels 38:50.182 --> 38:53.628 Now, the Brahma realms, a person in the Brahma realms, I think, cannot. 38:55.170 --> 38:57.634 So don't do that. 38:57.654 --> 39:01.661 I mean, functionally, that's similar to the belief in the Pure Land. 39:01.881 --> 39:06.889 When you go to the Pure Land, it's very easy to become enlightened because you can listen to the Buddha teaching directly. 39:06.909 --> 39:08.952 That's the difference, is there are no Buddhas in heaven. 39:10.315 --> 39:13.620 Ah, OK. Yeah. 39:13.640 --> 39:17.286 So it's probably something got lost in translation. 39:17.873 --> 39:22.159 Yeah, it's a little similar in intent, though. 39:22.179 --> 39:24.502 I want to go to this place where it's going to be easier. 39:24.702 --> 39:25.684 It's a very good point. 39:25.944 --> 39:40.444 But the objectionable thing is that the idea that a Buddha sits up in the pure land, it really detracts from the nature of the Buddha as having gone to his parinibbana, which is really the point. 39:40.484 --> 39:42.667 Like, if he's still up in heaven, well, why am I leaving again? 39:42.988 --> 39:43.088 Yeah. 39:45.650 --> 40:13.969 because I think the idea is they want to make sure that everyone is enlightened before anyone as a result nobody becomes enlightened yeah waiting for that last one but it would be impossible the point is that it would be impossible for a Buddha to stay and that's an important point because anyone who would stay is still clinging to something of course they would disagree but whatever 40:20.142 --> 40:20.963 Hello, Bhante. 40:21.243 --> 40:25.927 Was any recording made of the 10-minute meditation you spoke of teaching to the public? 40:26.868 --> 40:30.151 I'm interested to see how you went about explaining it. 40:30.191 --> 40:30.732 Thank you. 40:31.552 --> 40:34.375 I think it was actually the five-minute meditation at the university. 40:36.797 --> 40:37.398 When was that? 40:40.240 --> 40:44.725 Well, the person's wondering if there was a recording made of your five-minute meditation. 40:44.765 --> 40:48.428 The ones that I was giving again and again, because I have given, have I? 40:49.775 --> 40:50.256 I don't know. 40:50.276 --> 40:55.207 This week I'm actually going to talk to somebody who works in one of the residences. 40:55.267 --> 40:56.569 It's like the wellness residence. 40:56.630 --> 40:59.997 And he wants me to teach meditation there, which would be awesome. 41:00.017 --> 41:02.161 So I'm going to go have a meeting with him this week. 41:03.685 --> 41:04.627 Tuesday or something. 41:04.687 --> 41:05.809 Tuesday, Wednesday maybe. 41:07.645 --> 41:14.532 And I've got a meeting with the inter-religious panel or something. 41:14.552 --> 41:18.776 They've got an ecumenical chaplain at McMaster. 41:18.796 --> 41:19.596 There's a new chaplain. 41:19.657 --> 41:27.364 It's quite exciting because the chaplaincy at McMaster has been entirely Christian-based and totally archaic and useless. 41:28.665 --> 41:33.670 And so it looks like things are finally, finally moving forward as the old guard leaves. 41:33.650 --> 41:41.117 And they've invited Buddhists and Hindus, so we'll see if they're actually serious about that. 41:42.218 --> 41:51.027 The point is I've actually got quite many things going on, which unfortunately does detract from the energy I put into my online presence. 41:51.047 --> 42:02.037 But honestly, the most important thing for me is to keep the residential courses going, because we all know how useful and valuable those are. 42:03.856 --> 42:04.577 That's going well. 42:04.617 --> 42:08.923 We've got lots of people signing up to come, more than I would have thought. 42:08.963 --> 42:14.670 There's really interest in coming here to do courses, which is great. 42:16.253 --> 42:18.155 And people come with good results. 42:18.255 --> 42:22.240 It's so heartening to see someone come and change their life. 42:22.481 --> 42:24.584 There's no other word for it than that. 42:26.947 --> 42:27.147 Anyway. 42:27.548 --> 42:29.430 So yeah, five minute meditation. 42:29.470 --> 42:31.193 No, I haven't made a recording. 42:31.213 --> 42:32.314 It's actually quite interesting. 42:32.334 --> 42:34.016 It'd be fun to do a five minute recording. 42:34.837 --> 42:37.821 It would be something to put on YouTube. 42:37.981 --> 42:44.269 Because when I was doing it again and again and again, I got into a rhythm. 42:44.970 --> 42:49.135 And so even now I can recite some of the things I've become accustomed to saying. 42:55.493 --> 43:02.561 Good evening Monday is the maximum capacity at Surrey mongolo for meditators, do you know if there's room left this year. 43:04.670 --> 43:05.031 Robin. 43:07.340 --> 43:09.984 Yes, the maximum capacity is four meditators. 43:10.385 --> 43:18.096 Earlier we thought it might be safe to camp out in the backyard, but I actually had a bad experience with that, with a large raccoon that's out there. 43:19.078 --> 43:19.599 And a skunk as well. 43:20.600 --> 43:21.742 Yeah, skunk as well. 43:22.623 --> 43:25.127 There's quite a lot of wildlife for being a city. 43:25.968 --> 43:28.993 But yes, there are four rooms for meditators. 43:28.973 --> 43:43.126 And as far as room left for this year, go to the website, Saramungla.org, and under one of the main menu tabs, there's schedule, and there's a Google calendar that shows which spots are blocked. 43:43.886 --> 43:48.951 There's some periods of time that are blocked out for Panthe's travel as well. 43:49.512 --> 43:50.553 Next week is one of those. 43:51.313 --> 43:56.618 So right now it looks like October 17th to November 4th. 43:58.724 --> 44:02.067 Just probably, let's see, 1, 14, 15, 16, 17. 44:03.008 --> 44:08.674 Probably just enough time to finish a course if someone wanted to come from the 17th to the 4th. 44:09.895 --> 44:10.976 Am I reading that right? 44:10.996 --> 44:12.938 Yes. 44:12.958 --> 44:15.020 But then on the 5th, we're full. 44:15.100 --> 44:15.941 Are we full? 44:15.981 --> 44:16.441 Wait. 44:16.461 --> 44:20.225 What's going on here? 44:20.245 --> 44:27.752 Definitely after January 1, it's pretty much wide open if you wanted to plan a longer period of time 44:29.858 --> 44:33.882 Looks like we're full again until November 13th. 44:33.902 --> 44:35.844 Oh no, we're full after that. 44:37.906 --> 44:39.027 November 20th. 44:39.908 --> 44:41.210 No, we're full after that as well. 44:43.051 --> 44:43.572 December? 44:48.717 --> 44:50.199 December 1st. 44:53.242 --> 44:56.305 December 1st where then we have one spot. 44:57.533 --> 44:59.715 December 15th, we have two spots. 45:00.756 --> 45:03.559 You leave December 23rd, Bante. 45:03.679 --> 45:09.205 Right, so December 1st would be the... Yeah, you'd have to come and take the spot on December 1st. 45:10.406 --> 45:17.734 So there's mostly, you know, just kind of shorter periods of time now, but definitely after January 1st, it's wide open. 45:18.815 --> 45:21.398 And the part of Canada where the center is... 45:21.817 --> 45:26.908 It's relatively mild weather for Canada, I would think. 45:27.008 --> 45:32.780 I mean, I've been there in the winter, and it's not the sort of place that has 10 feet of snow or anything like that. 45:32.800 --> 45:34.684 It's pretty easy to get around. 45:35.786 --> 45:36.608 January 4th. 45:36.928 --> 45:39.915 I'll be back on the 3rd, I think, right? 45:40.436 --> 45:41.057 Oh, that's right. 45:49.120 --> 45:53.347 Is feeling oneness with God as valuable as feeling an itch on your nose? 45:55.971 --> 45:57.794 Yep. 45:57.814 --> 45:58.935 No, that's not fair to say. 45:58.975 --> 46:08.310 I mean, in a mundane sense, feeling oneness with God will get you to the Brahma realms, will allow you to be reborn in the God realm. 46:11.595 --> 46:13.077 But that's only in a mundane sense. 46:13.718 --> 46:15.381 In terms of ultimate reality, 46:16.424 --> 46:17.445 still impermanent. 46:18.146 --> 46:19.127 It doesn't last forever. 46:22.150 --> 46:27.736 So quantitatively different, qualitatively not. 46:27.756 --> 46:33.982 The itch on your nose lasts relatively shorter. 46:40.129 --> 46:43.292 Feeling an itch on your nose could lead to anger and 46:45.213 --> 46:47.377 or desire, delusion. 46:48.018 --> 46:52.666 Feeling oneness with God might lead to delusion, but not the same sort of desire or aversion. 46:53.467 --> 46:57.554 So it's actually a better sort of mind state. 46:57.574 --> 46:59.377 So in general, it's more valuable. 47:01.742 --> 47:07.812 But there's still delusion, because you still have this view that you are one with God, which is problematic. 47:16.651 --> 47:18.594 You're all caught up on questions, Bhante. 47:19.917 --> 47:20.297 Okay. 47:22.401 --> 47:24.024 Thank you, Robin, for your help. 47:24.365 --> 47:26.669 Thanks, everyone, for your questions and for tuning in. 47:28.552 --> 47:30.416 Let's see, 50 people watching. 47:31.057 --> 47:31.558 Hi, everyone. 47:33.641 --> 47:35.565 Have a good night. 47:35.585 --> 47:36.446 Thank you, Bhante. 47:36.466 --> 47:36.887 Good night.