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Recently the case of Christa Pike's "botched execution" in Tennessee went viral, as she is apparently the first person ever in the US to survive an "execution" after the poison (pentobarbital) was administered. In fact, after the first "lethal" dose failed to kill her, a second "lethal" dose was given to her. When she was still alive an hour after that second injection, an ambulance was called to get her into intensive care at a nearby hospital.
Christa remained unconscious and intubated on a ventilator for several days. Apparently, she was considered "brain dead" by October 5, and it was planned to disconnect Christa's life support on October 6.
However, to everyone's surprise and consternation, on the day of the planned termination of life support, Christa suddenly regained consiousness and started speaking. Although still very ill, she made progress in her recovery, and was transferred back from hospital to the prison on October 10.
What's rarely mentioned in the media reports is the fact that
CHRISTA PRACTISED LOVING KINDNESS (METTĀ) DURING THE "EXECUTION"!
Her Buddhist spiritual advisor explained in an interview that Christa has been practising Mettā for more than two years. She went into the execution chamber radiating unconditional Loving Kindness to everyone, including herself, the persons who were "executing" her, and even those behind the viewing window who wanted her dead and specially came to personally watch her being killed - she even included those in her Mettā!
Ajahn Dhammasīha points out that the Buddha mentioned 'Protection from Poison' as one of the benefits of Loving Kindness.
Anguttara Nikāya / Numerical Discourses of the Buddha, Book of Elevens No 15 'Mettānīsamsa Sutta / Benefits-of-Loving-Kindness Sutta:
https://suttafriends.org/sutta/an11-15/
Ajahn Dhammasīha considers it highly likely that Christa's diligent practice of Mettā is a crucial factor in her unprecedented survival of two lethal doses of pentobarbital.
Christa's case also highlights the cruel and degrading nature of "capital punishment", which will hopefully contribute to increasing awareness of the unacceptable ethical, moral, spiritual, social and practical implications of the "death panelty", and ultimately lead to the global abandonment of all executions.
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#capitalpunishment #metta #mettameditation #lovingkindnessmeditation #poisoning #buddhism #buddhistmeditation
Ajahn Moneyyo recites the first chapters of the Vinaya Piṭaka, Mahāvagga 1. 1. to 1.6. in the original Pali language.
These passages are the oldest and most authentic record of the events from the Buddha's supreme awakening (Sammā-sambodhi) under the Bodhi Tree at Uruvela (now Bodh Gaya) near the river Nerañjana, until the Buddha reunites with his first five disciples (Pañca-vaggiyā Bhikkhū) at the Deerpark near Vārānasī.
Nowadays, these passages are rarely memorised and recited by monks; and even less known in the lay community, due to their inclusion in the Vinaya Pitaka, the part of the Tipitaka concerned with monastic discipline. However, they are truly inspiring, as they are providing the earliest record of the events directly following the Buddha's supreme enlightenment, in his own words.
Fortunately, Ajahn Moneyyo has committed these passages to heart as part of his Dhamma practice in this year's vassa, and shared them with the other residents at Dhammagiri one morning, when we also did this recording.
You can read an English translation, that also provides the original Pāli side-by-side here:
https://www.dhammatalks.org/vinaya/Mv/MvI.html#burmese1
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#buddhistchanting #palichanting #palirecitation #buddha #awakening #buddhastory #lifeofbuddha #vinaya
Ajahn Dhammasīha talks about the power of Good Karma (Puñña) to to weaken and dilute even extremely bad old karma.
The Buddha explained the process with the simile of drinking salty water:
🚰💧 The good, healthy spring water is the good karma we create.
🧂 Loads of salt mixed into the water is the bad karma we create.
🫗 Drinking the mix is experiencing the results of the karma we've created.
🤮 If there's lots of salt in the water (lots of bad karma), the experience is very unpleasant.
Naturally, we can't take the salt out of the water. So what to do?
This way, we can weaken the bad karma so much that even the results of very evil actions may be experienced and exhausted with just a few days of headache. The story of Angulimāla, who killed 999 humans but later completely reformed on meeting the Buddha, became a monk, and experienced enlightenment, can be found here:
https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/MN/MN86.html
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#karma #kamma #badkarma #transformation #redemption #goodkarma #buddhism #buddhistwisdom
Ajahn Dhammasiha reads Luang Por Liem's little booklet on Walking Meditation (Jongrom / Cankama / Sakman Bhāvanā), translated by late Ajahn Thaniyo.
You can read and download the booklet here:
https://www.abhayagiri.org/media/books/liem_walking_with_awareness.pdf
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#meditation #buddhistmeditation #walking #walkingmeditation #awareness #dhamma #buddhistmonk
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Ajahn Dhammasiha suggests to use the same instructions the Buddha has given us for Breath Meditation in our Walking Meditation.
The 16 stages of breath meditation have been expounded by the Buddha in great detail, for example in the Ānāpānasati Sutta, Majjhima Nikāya No 118
= Mindfulness of In and Out Breath, Middle Length Discourses No 118:
English Version:
https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/MN/MN118.html
English & Pali Line-by-Line Version:
https://ancient-buddhist-texts.net/Texts-and-Translations/Anapanasati/Anapanasatisuttam.pdf
Divided into four groups of four ('4 Tetrads'), the 16 instructions cover all four Satipatthāna (4 Foundations of Mindfulness), four steps for each of the four foundations:
If we simply transfer the same instructions to the experience of walking, we can apply the same thorough guidance to our walking meditation.
For example:
'Mindfully one breathes in, mindfully one breathes out' becomes 'Mindfully one steps with right leg, mindfully one steps with left leg'.
'Breathing in long/short, one knows "I'm breathing in long/short"' becomes 'Stepping long/short, one knows "I'm taking long/short steps" '.
'One trains oneself "I breathe in/out feeling the whole body" ' becomes 'One trains oneself "I step right/left feeling the whole body" '.
'One trains oneself "I breathe in/out joyfully" ' becomes 'One trains oneself "I step right/left joyfully" ' .
and so on...
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#meditation #buddhistmeditation #walking #walkingmeditation #breathmeditation #mindfulness #mindfulnessmeditation
The Buddha's half-brother Venerable Nanda was the foremost bhikkhu disciple in terms of sense restraint.
He was attractive, handsome, strong and had a natural inclination to intense sensual desire, which caused him major struggles in the beginning of his monk's life.
He overcame his difficulties through:
Anguttara Nikāya / Numerical Discourse, Eights, No 9 'Nanda Sutta'
See also:
Saṃyutta Nikāya / Collected Discourses 21.8 'Nanda Sutta'
Udāna / Inspired Exclamations No 22 'Nanda Sutta'
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#buddhism #senses #mindfulness #dhammatalk #selfcontrol #selfdiscipline
Walking meditation is in no way inferior to sitting meditation. In fact, for many of us in modern society it can be a more suitable posture than sitting crosslegged (or even full lotus). The way we grow up, always sitting on chairs, we're often not flexible enough for sitting crosslegged.
Therefore, walking can help us to continue our meditation for a much longer time.
It's also excellent for excercise, and to keep us fit and healthy.
Ajahn Dhammasiha talks about the many benefits of walking meditation, and also suggests to apply the well known 16 steps of breath meditation to our walking meditation.
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#walking #meditation #buddhistmeditation #walkingmeditation #cankama #mindfulness #sati
Chanting is an essential part of meditative practice in virtually all Buddhist traditions, and also in other religions.
Ajahn Dhammasiha explains the powerful benefits we receive from diligently learning Buddhist chants by heart, from listening to them, and from reciting them regularly.
Chanting the teaching of the Buddha develops samatha (tranquility) and samādhi, due to the calming and uplifting effect on our mind.
If we understand the meaning of what we're chanting, it can also lead to profound insight (vipassana). Monks have attained enlightenment while chanting, teaching or listening to Dhamma.
At the same time, chanting is also beneficial at the basic, beginning stages of our meditative practice. If we're in danger to be overwhelmed by unwholesome emotions like anger, sadness or intense desire, chanting may succeed in overcoming the crises when other other more refined meditative tools don't work.
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#chanting #buddhistchanting #palichanting #buddhism #dhamma #dhammatalk #recitation #samatha #vipassana
Ajahn Dhammasiha talks about Saṃyutta Nikāya / Connected Discourses 12.23 'Upanisā Sutta' / 'Origin Sutta'
In his discourse, the Buddha expands the usual links of Dependent Origination / Paṭicca Samuppāda in a revolutionary way, moving from Suffering to Faith to Joy:
The crucial step here is our response to suffering. It is here where we either descend into more and more misery, or we can use faith to guide us to joy and the way to transcend suffering:
Whenever we experience pain and disappointment, we remember that this is exactly what the Buddha talked about, and we remember that he has also taught us the way how to get out of all this mass of misery. Thus the experience of suffering actually strengthens our confidence in the Buddha.
At that moment we experince joy, just like a very ill person finallly meeting a doctor they are confident in that he can cure them.
Bhikkhu Bodhi has written a helpful article about the Upanisā Sutta:
https://accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/wheel277.html
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#suffering #dukkha #joy #happiness #buddhism #dhamma #dhammatalk
Ajahn Dhammasiha explains how the faultfinding mind can deprive us of happiness, and even drive us into depression.
If we're stuck in the negative feedback loop of complaining and faultfinding, we have to gradually but consistently reeducate our mind to pay attention to good and uplifting events.
What we pay attention to ('yoniso manasikāra') is so important. We have a choice where to direct our attention. However much evil is happening in the world, there's still so much goodness as well.
We can focus on beautiful and inspiring actions, acts of generosity, kindness, virtue and sacrifice, and we will discover an endless source of joy and happiness.
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#depression #faultfinding #joy #happiness #buddhism #dhamma #positivethinking #dhammatalk
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