Refleksi Waisak yang indah dari brother Piya...
--- On Wed, 5/6/09, Piya Tan wrote:
From: Piya Tan
Dear Dharma Friends,
WHAT VESAK MEANS TO ME
Vesak Day is when my family and I would visit some obscure and uncrowded
Buddhist temple (usually one we have not been to before), where we could enjoy
the peace as we remind ourselves of this most sacred day.
In 1950, the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) declared Vesak Day to fall on
the first full moon day of May. In other words, it is an uposatha or precept
day. It is a day when we put more effort to keep at least the five precepts, by
spending quiet time with the family, or keeping in touch with the Dharma, or
alone meditating.
It is a day to keep in touch with our own self, away from the madding crowd.
Those who share the same ideal can gather together to do this, too, and have
Sutta Study and other retreat-like activities. In this way we will taste the
true spirit of Vesak.
Vesak celebrates the Buddha's birthday. He was born a human being like any of
us. This means that any of us can become Buddha if we want to, which is
effectively becoming the most evolved of beings within a certain world-cycle.
Or, it is like being the captain of a huge ship. If we cannot be the captain,
it is good enough to be a good crew all journeying towards true liberation.
Vesak Day secondly marks "Buddha Day," that is the awakening of Gotama to true
reality and becoming the Buddha. What does awakening (bodhi) mean? Biological
evolution brings us to the highest level of growth as a species or group. Then
we have to develop as individuals, that is, go through the spiritual evolution.
While biological evolution brings us beyond the animal and subhuman levels,
spiritual evolution brings us beyond the human and the divine so that we are
truly liberated from all suffering, human or divine.
On the Buddha's parinirvana (final passing away), which is the third
significance of Vesak, he reminds us to be "an island unto yourself; make the
Dharma as an island" (D 16). This means that we have the potential to be truly
happy, and to be liberated from suffering. The answer to life's problems lies
within our minds. The answer is not "out there," but in here (in our minds).
The Buddha's message is very simple: if we do not help ourselves, who can?
Religion is mostly based on stories and our idea of imaginary things in which
we are told to have faith. But the stillness of mind is something we can all
experience, if we spend some quiet moments alone meditating, say, watching the
breath.
When our mind is calm, it becomes clear. In that clarity, we will notice there
are destructive as well as wholesome patterns of behaviour. Often getting angry
is a destructive pattern of behaviour; so is being constantly sad or
depressive. We should spend some quiet time, and question such mental patterns.
Ask WHY, then some answer will appear in your mind; ask WHY again, and so on,
until we come to understand what is really going on. This final part, we have
to find out for ourselves.
Then there is the wholesome pattern that we should notice in ourselves. It
makes us feel really peaceful and happy. And it is not dependent on anything
outside of ourselves; for, such a state would be dependent on something else.
We should seek for the non-dependent peaceful happiness within ourselves. Where
does it come from? Seek and you will find itin your heart.
Be at peace with your breath. It has always been there, trying to keep up with
you. Just let your breathing be this time; joyfully observe it like you would
watch a sleeping baby or a happy kitten or a colourful sunset.
The secret of Vesak is this: We can be truly happy by being emotionally
independent: our happiness is not dependent on others or outside things or
other people's ideas.
Buddhism, above all else, is about spiritual evolution. It is the transmission
of stillness from the Buddha to us. Life's storm may rage around us, but there
is always this eye of stillness where we are. This is the true meaning of Vesak.
May the spirit of Vesak be always be with you in the calm and clarity of your
heart.
(As this is a reflection, you are invited to read it again so that you can
relate to it. You might like to highlight sentences that you like, and reflect
further on them.)
A very happy Vesak:
may all good wishes be fulfilled and true happiness be yours!
Piya Tan
Please forward this email for the benefit of others.
With metta & mudita,
The Minding Centre
