Ajahn Khemavaro | The Path Of Practice.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltbemxcEtdM
Great talk on practice. Too often do we find ourselves craving for attainments, not realizing that such thoughts are Bhava-tanha (craving for being) and will only impede our practice. Better it is to simply be content.
In Ancient Egyptian cultureI had the pleasure of hearing a Mahayana story on the 5 precepts and why each holds the other in place.
Once, in a small village lived a devout layperson of the Buddha. He maintained the 5 precepts with a diligence that inspired others to do the same. Well, there was a Yakka (Demon) who didn't like this and wanted to test this mans faith.
When the man was out on a walk, the Yakka grabbed him and threatened to kill him....unless he'd break a precept, then the demon would let him go.
The man thought to himself, "Which would be the lesser precept to break?" and decided to have a drink of alcohol, which breaks the fifth precept of not taking mental intoxicants.
With a snap of it's fingers, the demon provided wine for the man and watched him drink it all while laughing, thinking to itself, "Ha! Some follower of the Buddha! Had he refused my demand, I'd have respected him more. Nor was I going to kill the fool!"
Afterwards, the now tipsy man walked into the village, saw the bar and decided: "Well, I already drank a little. Might as well drink a lot!" and got very drunk.
Now, as he was in his home, he realized he had nothing to eat. He looked outside his window and saw the neighbors chicken. As fast as a drunken fox the man jumped from his window, picked up the chicken and jumped back into his home, thus breaking the second precept of taking what is not given. Or, in other words, stealing.
Hungry, the man began to kill the chicken - breaking it's neck, pulling it's feathers off and chopping up it's limbs, breaking the first precept of not harming living beings.
Then, there was a knock at the door. It was his neighbors wife. She was looking for the chicken and had wondered if it went into the mans yard. He smiled and said "Oh no, I have no idea where your chicken has gone," breaking the forth precept of telling no lies and refraining from harsh speech.
He then offered the wife dinner (the stolen, murdered chicken) and wine, which lead to breaking the third precept of sexual misconduct as he seduced the wife that night, bedding her.
Unskillful actions share their domino effects with skillful ones, yet, the destination of those dominos land in different states. A good reminder to walk the path of virtue.
I don't put too much stock into dreams anymore as the Buddha rightfully said, "There are different types of dreams - Dreams of the future, dreams of the past, dreams where Devas (the Gods, Angels, call them what you will) visit one and dreams that are air in the belly. Most dreams are air in the belly."
Yet, last week I had one with a Deva that was named Diti. The Deva covered her body with an all black and gold robe, claiming to be too beautiful for human eyes. In the dream, Diti praised an encouraged my practices and joyful, harmless approach to life.
It was a quick dream that has stayed vivid in my mind since.
Maat being a Goddess (so, a Deva) is an interesting connection there.
I don't put too much stock into dreams anymore as the Buddha rightfully said, "There are different types of dreams - Dreams of the future, dreams of the past, dreams where Devas (the Gods, Angels, call them what you will) visit one and dreams that are air in the belly. Most dreams are air in the belly."
Yet, last week I had one with a Deva that was named Diti. The Deva covered her body with an all black and gold robe, claiming to be too beautiful for human eyes. In the dream, Diti praised an encouraged my practices and joyful, harmless approach to life.
It was a quick dream that has stayed vivid in my mind since.
Maat being a Goddess (so, a Deva) is an interesting connection there.
I don't put too much stock into dreams anymore as the Buddha rightfully said, "There are different types of dreams - Dreams of the future, dreams of the past, dreams where Devas (the Gods, Angels, call them what you will) visit one and dreams that are air in the belly. Most dreams are air in the belly."
Yet, last week I had one with a Deva that was named Diti. The Deva covered her body with an all black and gold robe, claiming to be too beautiful for human eyes. In the dream, Diti praised an encouraged my practices and joyful, harmless approach to life.
It was a quick dream that has stayed vivid in my mind since.
Maat being a Goddess (so, a Deva) is an interesting connection there.
As Einstein said, "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a persistent one."
So, merrily merrily merrily, and all that!