Newsletter
Center for Inner Peace
2020
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NEW ENGLAND BUDDHIST VIHARA & MEDITATION CENTER
[Boston Buddhist Vihara]
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Loving-kindness (mettā) is the universal wish for the welfare and happiness of all living beings. Loving-kindness meditation is a powerful practice that dissolves fear and opens the heart to a genuine connection with life. Mettā, and the happiness associated with it, may arise naturally, it may be cultivated during daily social encounters, or it may be embraced in a formal meditation practice. It is a clear intention that weakens ill will, fear, and blame; it is an attitude of non contention, a quality of heart that embraces life without conflict. The Pali term, mettā, is derived from a word for friendship, and therefore can be understood as a deep friendship with life. This should not imply that mettā is necessarily easy. Deep friendship implies being present, connected, and caring even through difficult times. |
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2020 - Temple Programs - online |
As we faced very uncertain and difficult times from the COVID-19 pandemic, NEBV&MC offered various resources, activities, and programs through virtual media to our community. Some of these programs were special programming while others were frequent or ongoing.
Special programming for 2020 were:
Vesak Celebration
Summer children's program
Vassana special programs
Kathina Ceremony
Ongoing programs for 2020:
Monthly sila program
Weekly mediation program
Dhamma School
We wish to offer our continued support, concern, and the blessings of the Triple Gem for everyone in these times. 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.
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Why I chose Buddhism
By James Gray
I decided to write this because I’ve been asked a number of times why I came to meditation and Buddhism. I’ve tried to respond briefly when I am asked, but I’ve never been happy with the answers I’ve given.
I first became interested in Buddhism around 2005. I was interested in Taoism, but found limited resources online and often they also talked about Buddhism. I started to look into Buddhism and quickly found much to like about it.
Perhaps the thing I like most about Buddhism is that that Buddha layed out a path for becoming a spiritual person. Other faiths enumerate the characteristics of a spiritual person, but often don’t have detailed instructions. Having the 8 fold path, precepts and other specific guidance is really valuable.
Further, the Buddha also offers explanations for his advice. He isn’t just saying “trust me on this”, but rather there is explanation for each teaching and we are encouraged to understand for ourselves.
Buddhism also doesn’t require us to have specific beliefs. Instead, it understands that exploration can come first and faith can grow out of that. Finally, one of the things I really like, specific to Theravada, is that the Buddha’s teachings are so often down to earth, not intellectual or abstract. Simple analogies are most often used rather than grand theories.
All of these characteristics I really like about Buddhism as well as the rich and prolific teachings. They are what keep me coming back again and again to meditate and listen to the Dhamma.
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New Year Blessings Ceremony January 1st 2020
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We celebrated the 72nd Independence Day of Sri Lanka on Saturday 02/01/2020. The celebration started with a brief religious observance and singing of the national anthem. This was followed by honoring the people who lost their lives in the service to the nation. We had the pleasure of hearing from several children, songs and speeches as well as getting to know more about Sri Lanka. The ceremonies concluded by everyone singing "rathna deepa |
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The gift of wise and virtuous speech
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“And what, friends, is right speech? Abstaining from false speech, abstaining from malicious speech, abstaining from harsh speech, and abstaining from idle chatter—this is called right speech.”
“And what friends is right intention? Intention of renunciation, intention of non-ill will, and non-cruelty is called right intention”
Sachcha vibhanga Sutta, Majjima Nikaya
Wise and virtuous speech is one of the five precepts and one of the steps on the Eightfold Noble Path taught to us by the Buddha. It is guided by four principles:
1. Speaking the truth
2. Not speaking harshly or cruelly
3. Not indulging in useless speech
4. Not gossiping
The Buddha gave us these four principles to guide ourselves in everyday speech - to look within ourselves and not judge others. Only through constant practice of self-examination is skillful speech acquired.
If we follow these four simple rules, it will reduce conflict, misunderstanding, and hurt feelings that result from careless speech.
Our intention and purpose in speaking is all important. When we are aware of our intention and express our thoughts and feelings truthfully and kindly, we increase compassionate understanding. When we are unaware of our intention, we forget the principles of right speech and resort to lying, exaggeration, angry hurtful and unnecessary words, and talking behind each other’s backs.
Speaking the truth: Most of us know we should speak the truth. Truth is based on assumptions. One person’s truth is not necessarily the other person’s truth. Many disagreements result from not being aware of the other person’s assumptions and often our own as well. Prefacing our speech with our assumptions clarifies each person’s truth, allowing them to separate fact from assumption.
Not speaking harshly: When people disagree, they express their anger by making broad accusations or trading insults. Learning to express yourself clearly and firmly, and helping others do the same, will help resolve situations of conflict quickly.
If we were subject to someone displaying angry behavior when we were growing up, we may imitate such behavior. Changing this behavior requires self-awareness. It is important to pause and ask ourselves, will expressing this thought be useful? Will it help achieve the outcome I want?
Not indulging in Useless speech: When we are mindful of our intentions, we are less likely to engage in useless speech. Sometimes we blurt out our anger when we are upset. Later, we may see the situation differently and regret what we said.
Not gossiping: Gossip is untrue, cruel, and useless speech. If we follow the first three principles, we automatically will not gossip. Questioning our intention is useful in this regard. When we repeat negative information about others, is our intention to discredit them or make them appear foolish? Do we want to make ourselves look good and them bad?
Lastly, skillful and right speech goes hand in hand with good listening. Staying open to others’ thoughts and feelings improves understanding and harmony. The more skillfully we speak and listen, the more skillfully we live our lives. This way, we can bring the teachings of the Buddha into the world through our words.
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World Vesak Celebration 2020 |
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"To keep away from all evil, cultivate good, and purify one's mind is the advice of all Buddhas"
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World Vesak Celebration
We commemorated the birth, enlightenment, and passing away of Gautama The Buddha with a full-day adult Sil program on 05/10/20 culminating with a special Buddha Puja as well as on 05/16/2020 with a children/youth Sila program.
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Kathina Ceremony - 2020
The Kathina Ceremony took a new look in 2020. Even though COVID-19 prevented us from gathering for the ceremony as usual, we meticulously observed all rituals of a traditional Kathina ceremony, like we have done in previous years with the help of the families that sponsored the ceremony
The ceremony took place on 10/03/2020 with the participation of fourteen Maha Sangha at the temple. In addition, Maha Sanga from several Buddhist institutions in the US and Canada kindly obliged to deliver Dhamma sermons on-line as part of the Saturday Vassana season observances over the three months period.
The Temple also offered regular Sunday meditation sessions on the community’s behalf.
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Framingham Interfaith Thanksgiving Service November 24 2020
Hosted by Framingham Interfaith Community Association
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States of Mind
by Bhante Pannasiri
The mind moves here and there in the company of many thoughts. This swirling mass of thoughts or internal mind states are constantly added to by new thoughts generated by external events. These new thoughts are generated by how we grasp an external event through our sensory organs such as the eye, ear, nose, tongue and body. We experience an external form by seeing with the eye and becoming eye-conscious. Similarly, for each of the other senses – we experience sounds with the ear, smells with the nose, tastes with the tongue, and touch with the body and become conscious of each of these sensations.
These internal states of mind – what are they? From birth through early childhood and adolescence as we are able to comprehend, we gradually absorb impressions, knowledge and concepts from parents, teachers, books and newspapers, the internet. We deposit these in our mind as a database or reference library of our internal states of mind. These mind states are generated by the signals dispatched from our sensory organs such as the eye, ear, nose, tongue and body experiencing and grasping an external event. When we experience something new, the mind files it away. Then when we experience it again, the mind is aware that this has been experienced before and is familiar. Or we are able to determine something we don’t know, by comparing with the information we have and concluding that it is something new.
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.
To be continued
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Newsletter Contributors:
Bhante Pannasiri - Advisor
Committee Members
Udaya De Silva
Joyce Schauer
Gayani Weeraratne
Lasitha Yahampath
Asanya Wawlagala
Sanath Wijeratne
Lakmini Prematillake
Nigel Karunarathne
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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 © 2020 NEBVMC,
All rights reserved.
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