‌ Center for Inner Peace

Newsletter 2021 February 

NEW ENGLAND BUDDHIST VIHARA & MEDITATION CENTER [BOSTON BUDDHIST VIHARA]

In this issue Temple activities Equanimity States of mind Benefits of Practicing Buddhism as a Student New Publication Children's corner Sammaditti Meditation session

"uṭṭhānavato satīmato, sucikammassa nisammakārino saññatassa ca dhammajīvino, appamattassa yasobhivaḍḍhati If a person is persevering, attention focused within, if his physical and spiritual actions are unblemished, if he is restrained and if he is living in accordance with the Teaching and is sane, his glory will grow.

Temple Activities As you are anxiously waiting for this very uncertain and difficult times resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic to pass, we wish to offer our support, concern and the blessings of the Triple Gem for everyone affected by it. We believe that you all remain safe indoors and follow guidelines set up by the relevant health authorities to ensure your safety, that of loved ones and the community as a whole. we would like to remind you of the NEBV&MC resources, activities, and programs available online. Guided meditation sessions for teenagers and young adults via Zoom from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM (Every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month) Guided mindfulness meditation is conducted via Zoom every Wednesday from 7:00 pm to 8:15 pm. Guided meditation sessions for adults via Zoom from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. ( Every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month) Sunday Dhamma discussion is conducted via Zoom from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. (Medium: Sinhala) Poya day program The “Dhamma Blog” page on our website has new posts. Keep checking for new Dhamma discussion topics. Please read and direct any question via email or call the temple during weekdays 9 am – 9 pm. The temple Facebook page has updated new Dhamma topics. Dhamma School classes are continuing online.

Equanimity With equanimity, we are no longer troubled by the ups and downs of pleasure and pain. Mind and body are in balance. We are free of restlessness, agitation, and worry. Confusion has ended and we rest in harmony with reality. Even the subtle desire for a beautiful experience to continue has disappeared. Instead,we feel immeasurable loving-friendliness and boundless compassion. Having completely let go of what the Buddha calls "low-quality" pleasant feelings -- the pleasure of family, friends, good health, prosperity -- we experience "high quality" pleasant feelings -- the profound joys of higher states of meditative concentration. With each higher state, our enjoyment increases until we attain what the Buddha calls "the cessation of feeling and perception." Fro there we can move to the highest quality pleasure of all , nibbana, total liberation from suffering.  From : The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana

NEW YEAR BLESSINGS CEREMONY - January 1, 2021

New Publication - 3rd Edition Dhamma studies The third edition of the Dhamma curriculum for children has been published. This set of books are designed and developed specifically with the school-age child ( ages 4 through 18 ) in mind with activities and lessons focused on learning styles and environment. They cover material from the life of the Buddha, to more deeper philosophy of Buddhism. We hope these books will be a great resource in guiding the study of Dhamma in the young reader. These books are currently used in our Dhamma School. If you would like to know more about these books or would like to take a closer look at them please let us know.

In our daily life, interpreting experiences is a necessary skill. But, we can also interpret things and come to a wrong conclusion resulting in faulty views. So, all our mind states are created by ourselves. Continued article from previous Newsletter States of Minds There is a word in the Buddha’s teaching known as Raga. This word means clinging and attachment. We become attached to our experiences created by the signals we receive through our sense organs. These are the thoughts or mind states that make up our mind. We learn facts and figures relevant to the subject we are focused on, or information we need for everyday living. We can continue to increase this knowledge without it being a problem. What we are referring to here are mind states that exhaust us, make us tired and sick of life, those mind states that are not peaceful that lead us astray and to lose our way. Why do we meditate? We meditate to cultivate a peaceful mind. A mind that is not peaceful is very stressful. The world we experience is therefore one that is created by the sense organs. The mind is a fast-moving energy. The mind is one that moves from one mind state to another mind state, constantly creating various mind states. This is the nature of the mind. Because of this fast-moving nature, we have the impression that the externally generated mind states are stable. Our experiences last a brief time. But all things are subject to change and are changing from moment to moment. For example, the reason why a person’s life is divided in to periods such as childhood and youth to describe such change. One other reason why we associate thoughts with time and feel as though they dwell for periods of time, is because in life we attend to a variety of tasks and activities and time is taken up by these. What we want to accomplish through this Dhamma investigation, or research is that while we are attending all our tasks and activities, we can observe and understand the speed with which our mind works and the nature of the changes. This understanding helps us achieve a peaceful state of mind. Raga means the attachment of the mind. If the mind gets attached to something that is Raga. These states of mind due to attachment generates feelings. Those states of minds and feelings that we desire have consequences. What really is the result of minds that are attached? Minds that indulge in feelings of enjoyment are prone to change. These situations don’t stay the same, or the way we want them to. They stay that way only for a short time. These feelings do not last and are not permanent. When they do not stay the way we want them to, then we feel sad, disappointed. If things don’t stay the way we want them to, then the result of the attachment is not productive, or useless. If things stay the way we want, that is pleasurable, but it does not, then what is the point of being attached to something that is unproductive? If there is no attachment, there is no disappointment, sadness and grief. Where there is no attachment, there is nothing to lose. Dosha is the turbulence and anger that occurs in the mind when we don’t get what we want. This is when it is helpful to understand that the states of mind and thoughts we are holding on to and grasping and attached to are transient and temporary, impermanent. If we understand that these attachments are not permanent, then the mind will not have the same expectations. When we realize that attachment is without results, then there is no turbulence in the mind, no grief and disappointment. This is a very important realization. We are liberated from a mind that has lost its way and is imprisoned. The mind that is imprisoned can break all bonds and fetters and come to this ultimate realization. You are now liberated and free. In the midst of life’s challenges and obstacles, this realization of the nature of life, you can be truly happy and peaceful. You will be invigorated by your liberated mind. By Bhante Pannasiri

Benefits of Practicing Buddhism as a Student Buddhism is a religion beyond commonly practiced rituals. From a narrow perspective, it can be defined as a science of the mind. In a broader perspective, it is the science of freeing oneself from the human dissatisfactions which lead to many kinds of suffering. Ask any parent their greatest wish for their children. They all have one common answer. They want their children to be happy. That is true, but you can’t be happy without doing what you ought to do in class, and without being a person who upholds shared values of social behavior. Students of Buddhism can learn a great deal to nurture this kind of behavior. Students are familiar with the words usually uttered by teachers when taking a class. Those words are “pay attention.” This is important. Upholding shared values means children won’t be happy unless they are doing what they should in class. It is clear that if you don’t pay attention to the teacher leading the class, you can’t learn what you ought to learn. The problem is how do you “pay attention” to your teacher? Students have to actually learn the art, or science, of paying attention. In Buddhism, paying attention is properly known as being mindful, or practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness is by definition the mental quality or state of being conscious or aware of something. While mindfulness can be practiced to a certain level without Buddhism, no one can practice Buddhism without mindfulness. This implies that each student can practice mindfulness to pay attention properly. The beginning is the knowledge of your own mindset.  Buddha explained that the mind is hard to control and goes anywhere it wishes. Students know how true this is. When you listen to the teacher, you may frequently find that your mind has unknowingly drifted somewhere else. This is how everyone’s mind works, so you should not be frightened by it. You should simply know that the mind can be tamed. Buddha further explained that one can tame the mind and the disciplined mind brings happiness. You will realize this once you are able to practice mindfulness. As mentioned above, you can’t be happy without upholding shared values of social behavior. Buddhism helps any student to cultivate such behavior. Have you ever become angry? Ask any teenager or even an adult, and the obvious answer would be “yes”. Those with responsible behavior handle their anger appropriately. Buddhism teaches us how to actually be free from anger. The first thing in managing anger is to create awareness. Just by being aware of the anger, it would begin to fade. You enjoy the feeling of anger dissipating. Then you will have started on the path to being free from anger. Again, this is accomplished simply by being mindful about your emotions. Students who are trained to be mindful about their emotions cannot get angry, be bullied, or even become stressed about anything. Such a student would be able to uphold shared values of social behavior. They would be happy and successful. Buddhism helps students develop a balanced and strong personality.  By Hemaka Senanayake

Children's corner

By Rayani Weerasinghe Level 02 Dhamma School

‌ By Hasandi Bandara Level 02 Dhamma School

By Ruhane Weeraratne  Level 2 Dhamma School

Kindness By Oneli Weeraratne Level 3 Dhamma School

Kindness isn’t an object but a feeling that comes from the heart Kindness is a universal language that never has to be taught Though some people chose not to use what has been with them from the start Kindness shouldn’t have to be bought but should be given from the heart Kindness is spreading sunshine through other people’s lives regardless of the weather Be kind to everyone not because of who they are or what they do in return but because of who you are

Noble Eight Fold Path

Samma Ditti              Samma Sankappa     Samma Vacha            Samma Kammanta   Samma Ajiva              Samma Vayama       Samma Sati                Samma Samadhi

Right Understanding Right Thought Right Speech Right Action Right Livelihood Right Effort Right Mindfulness Right Concentration

Four foundations of mindfulness Kayanupassana Vedananupassana Cittanupassana Dhammanupassana By Methru Bandara  Level 5 - Dhamma School

Sammādiṭṭhi – The right view “When, friends, a noble disciple understands clinging, the origin of clinging, the cessation of clinging, and the way leading to the cessation of clinging, in that way he is one of right view, whose view is straight, who has confirmed confidence in the Dhamma and has arrived at this true Dhamma. And what is clinging, what is the origin of clinging, what is the cessation of clinging, what is the way leading to the cessation of clinging? There are these four kinds of clinging: clinging to sensual pleasures, clinging to views, clinging to rules and observances, and clinging to a doctrine of self. With the arising of craving there is the arising of clinging. With the cessation of craving there is the cessation of clinging. The way leading to the cessation of clinging is just this Noble Eightfold Path; that is right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.” DISCOURSES FROM THE PALI CANNON,

Wednesday Meditation Session By Joyce Schauer The benefits of meditation are well documented, and when we are meditating together our focus is strengthened.  Not only are we able to release stress, but our minds become calm, more positive, and we are able to deal with our daily life mindfully and with greater clarity.    Every Wednesday night between 7:00 and 8:10 at the Grafton Temple, Bhante Pannasiri leads a meditation class.  Before Covid-19 restrictions, we met in person, but after gatherings were restricted there were still many members who wanted to continue the weekly practice, and, graciously, Bhante opened up the opportunity for us to continue our practice through Zoom.     All meditation sessions begin with the Buddha Vandana, and Metta Meditation.  Next, we focus together on breathing mindfully.  For the last 20 to 25 minutes, there is a dhamma lesson. The topics of these lessons have included The Maha-Rahulovada Sutta:  The Greater Exhortation to Rahula, The Ten Fetters, and The Defilements. Questions and discussion are greatly encouraged.    If you are interested in joining this group, please contact Bhante Pannasiri and ask to be placed on the google email.  Every week, you will be sent a reminder about the meeting and a Zoom link to use for joining. Please arrive five minutes early, take a deep breath, and relax. Everyone is welcome to join us in this beneficial practice that will deepen both your insight and dhamma knowledge.

Newsletter Contributors: Bhante Pannasiri - Advisor Committee Members Udaya De Silva Joyce Schauer Gayani Weeraratne Lasitha Yahampath Asanya Wawlagala Sanath Wijeratne Lakmini Prematillake Nigel Karunarathne  NEW ENGLAND BUDDHIST VIHARA & MEDITATION CENTER 162 OLD UPTON ROAD GRAFTON MA 01519 Web: www.nebvmc.org Email: information@nebvmc.org bostonbuddhistvihara@gmail.com Phone: (508) 8395038 Copyright © 2021 NEBVMC, All rights reserved.

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