and everything is dependent on everything else.

Hidden or manifest, happiness 

is a matter of perspective.

Each individual in this world has a different way of life.

Some people have abundant material assets, with fine food and the best clothing, while others are dirt-poor. However, no matter how rich a person is, if he does not have a profound insight into immediate reality, his happiness may be incomplete. Conversely, a person may go through economic hardships, but, with a serene and clear mind, is still able to enjoy the wonders of life. Therefore, happiness or suffering depends upon each individual’s perspective.

Who in the world does not long for prosperity and happiness? Clearly, many people pursue this goal, for themselves and their loved ones, and expend all their resources and capabilities working in the hopes of a brighter, more prosperous future. But perhaps this way of thinking is really unsatisfactory, because if we keep searching for happiness in the future, we unwittingly overlook the beauty and the joy of the present moment. For example, family members as well as other positive factors contribute to our happiness, but we do not appreciate and enjoy their presence until they are gone, when it will be too late for regrets. This unfeeling attitude toward our loved ones and obliviousness to current reality can be a great shortcoming and disadvantage for whomever lives without dwelling in the present moment.

Usually, we worry about the next task before even completing the first one. We cannot keep a peaceful mind during dinnertime because we only want to finish the meal soon enough to solve our various problems. With such a busy mind and apprehensive attitude, many people are unable to fully enjoy a happy life.

Certainly, everybody has to work for a living. However, those who have insight into many problems can feel happy while working. This requires each person to look inward and contact his own experiences. And then there is the person who might expect great happiness if he can live with his loved one. However, once his wish comes true, new affliction and suffering will arise. Their dream is fabricated by the self that dwells in delusion, while the truth is quite different. Therefore, happiness depends on each individual’s perception, rather than on external circumstances or objective conditions.

A happy individual is, basically, one who has a clear and free mind. His mind is not bound by what happened in the past, nor bothered by expectation of something in the future. If our mind is trapped by these two unreal tendencies, our life will be insecure and miserable.

For this reason, the Buddha taught:

“Do not go after the past,

Nor lose yourself in the future.

For the past no longer exists,

And the future is not yet here.

By looking deeply at things just as they are, 

In this moment, here and now,

The seeker lives calmly and freely.

You should be attentive today,

For waiting until tomorrow is too late.

Death can come and take us by surprise” 

(MN: Bhaddekaratta Sutra, Page 442)

This sutra affirms happiness is composed of the elements in the present moment. We only need to be fully present to immediate reality, without looking for anything else. On the other hand, human life is very fragile and temporary, nobody can predict how long we will live; therefore, to look for a better future is an erroneous and time-wasting expectation that causes numerous obstacles over the course of a lifetime.

In daily life, we have to look back at ourselves to discover our inheritance. For example, our eyes are a great source of happiness, but we do not pay attention to and treasure them, until dust gets into them or they have injuries. 

Some individuals, due to the lack of blessings, are born blind, they cannot see their loved ones nor their surroundings. Their biggest dream is to simply be able to see. Meanwhile, we can see and enjoy everything with our own two eyes – the blue sky, the floating white clouds, the green trees on the roadside, the yellow apricot blossoms, the winding rivers with an abundance of water-hyacinth flowers, and many other beauties of nature; but we ignore such privileges and keep complaining or feeling sorry for ourselves. This is really a waste.

To gain insight into all the problems in life, we need to simply observe our body and mind, and related conditions, in a clear, honest, objective way. In any place and at any time, we should hold that same view when relating with others. Whatever the reality may be, just recognize it as it is, without doing anything else to it. This kind of insight helps keep our mind undisturbed, without striving to attain any particular supreme goal. Indeed, sometimes such effort is only the fabrication of the “wanting self” to satisfy a subtle “self”, rather than helping us overcome pain and suffering, and go beyond the cycle of birth and death. The simplest way is, when we walk, we are aware that we are walking; when we sit, we are aware that our entire body is sitting down; when we drink tea, we recognize the good taste of the tea; and nothing else.

This process is quite simple, spontaneous, and does not follow any rules or doctrine. When your mind is not bound to anything, then right in that moment, you are living in freedom and peace. Your perspective toward this world will not reflect any resentment or blame; instead, you will treasure life with appreciation and loving-kindness.

Thich Vien Ngo

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Suffering is an obvious truth; no one can deny it. This is the first of the four Noble Truths in Buddhism. Anywhere in this world, even when we have money, education, prestige, or power, we are still dominated by suffering. So long as we do not recognize and transform the seeds of anger, greed, sadness, anxiety, fear, jealousy, and blame in our body and mind, it is easy for us to be bound and chained by these afflictions. However, the possibility of happiness, or the absence of suffering, is the second Noble Truth. If, right in this moment, we see clearly each event happening in our mind and our surrounding circumstances with an honest, clear, objective, state of mind, then suffering does not have the opportunity to manifest. In the Satipatthana Sutra, the Buddha taught:

“Here, Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu dwells perceiving again and again the body as just the body, with diligence, clear understanding and mindfulness, thus keeping away the covetousness and mental pain in the world; he dwells perceiving again and again the feelings as just the feelings, with diligence, clear understanding and mindfulness, thus keeping away the covetousness and mental pain in the world; he dwells perceiving again and again the mind as just the mind, with diligence, clear understanding and mindfulness, thus keeping away the covetousness and mental pain in the world; he dwells perceiving again and again the Dharmas as just the Dharmas, with diligence, clear understanding (awareness) and mindfulness, thus keeping away the covetousness and mental pain in the world.”

(MN: Vol. I).

The diligence mentioned in the above sutra is not the effort of a greedy ego. It only requires us to invest our attention in closely observing objective reality. Mindfulness means we do not forget reality or else we will be swayed by outside circumstances. Instead, we must always return to ourselves. Awareness means a clear, honest, objective view, unclouded by the maneuvers of consciousness or subjective thought.

Therefore, having diligence, awareness, and mindfulness to keep away worldly covetousness means that we only need to understand what is happening in our body and mind in the present situation and be fully present with it. We must recognize the present situation as it is and not add or subtract from it. Thus, we will not be bound by the Three Poisons, as identified by Buddha: greed, anger and ignorance.

Suffering begins with a mind that is either clinging to or averse to its object. On the contrary, when we get in touch with any situation and merely recognize it without covetousness or aversion, suffering will not have the basis for arising. Our true illness is coveting pleasant objects for the satisfaction of our senses and opposing or running away from we do not like. There is the cause of affliction and suffering. When we expect to attain anything, the greedy mind arises. When we dream of achieving something but fail, we will surely suffer (not getting what one desires is suffering); when we try to exclude what is unpleasant to us, the angry mind arises (coming into contact with the undesired is suffering), and if we want to but we are unable to abolish what is unpleasant, the suffering is even more intense. When we encounter unpleasant circumstances in daily life in this way, we will thus be immersed in suffering and instability.

Human beings are bound by suffering because we do not recognize how consciousness arises and operates. In fact, when sorrow emerges in our mind, we only need to see it clearly; calling it by its true name is enough: Hello, my friend Sadness, how are you? Please sit down and drink tea with me. Or when anger arises, we also call it by its true name: Hi, my dear friend Anger, are you trying to find me? Just like that, if we welcome our suffering joyfully, we have nothing to worry about. And when we co-exist peacefully and cheerfully with our suffering, and interact appropriately with it, there will be nothing unpleasant for us to fear or run away from. 

A good example of this realization can be found in the story about a soldier returning to his village after the war. During the war, the soldier had spent days and nights climbing mountains, wading streams, and crossing forests, encountering numerous, great hardships. He ate uncooked meals, drank untreated river water, slept in the wilderness, spent days in rain and bad weather, never knowing when he might die by gunfire or bombs. After the war was over, he could return home to live peacefully in his village. Even if he occasionally encountered economic difficulty, it was nothing compared to the times when he was still in the battlefield facing immeasurable suffering. So suffering is not always the terrible thing that we must avoid, but it may rather be a teacher for us to realize the true value of our life. It is just like the lotus flower: it becomes beautiful and fragrant because it co-exists with the dirty, foul-smelling mud; without mud, how can there be lotus flowers? Therefore, mud is essential for lotus plants to produce fresh, lovely flowers as gifts to the world.

Reacting to and resisting objects of mind are due to the intervention of our ego. Such phenomena, also called dharmas, always operate according to the law of cause and effect. Something which is formed now depends on multiple causes from the past. For example, when someone suddenly scolds or slanders someone else for no apparent reason, people tend to react with self-justification, arguing to their heart’s content. But such a reaction cannot bring reconciliation and harmony for both parties, and often only creates more hatred. In such a situation, the better way is for us to just remain calm, and to recognize the feelings in our body and mind. That is enough. When our body and mind actually settle down, we will see the roots of the problem. We see that person had spoken falsely and used unkind words because he or she is suffering. One who is happy will never say anything negative to create suffering in others. Next, we see that a person who uses unkind speech lacks understanding and a clear mind because he or she follows the trail of the ego. Furthermore, we realize how much is actually due to our own weakness, as people may often say some unkind words to us for a few minutes, but we embrace our anger the whole day long. We are swayed by our emotions and dictated to by external circumstances, all from allowing our happiness to depend on each situation, so that when everything goes well, we are happy and things going badly triggers our suffering.

We must realize that sorrow, love, anger, intelligence, and virtue are universal characteristics, not reserved or prioritized for anyone. Why then do not we accept other people’s anger as well? We cannot expect others to behave only pleasantly to us when, in fact, sometimes we also have anger towards them. In reality there are always both negative and positive qualities in every individual. People with calm and clear minds know how to treat others with courtesy; people who live with delusion and are not mindful of reality usually experience sadness or happiness depending only on their external circumstances.

To transform suffering into happiness, we must constantly recognize what is happening in our body and mind, and see the present situation in a clear, objective, and honest way. We must not distort and impose upon reality based on our subjective perceptions. We need only to quietly observe the nature of birth and death, and the changing nature of all phenomena, which we see comes and goes just as when we observe a flowing river; in so doing, true peace and happiness will fully come into being within us.

Thich Vien Ngo

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DAILY ACTIVITY

Schedule:

• Sitting Meditation/Sutra Reading/Chanting/Tea Meditation and Consultation: 6:00 – 8:00 (weekdays)/ 6:30 – 8:30 (weekends)
• Sitting Meditation/Sutra Reading/Chanting/Dharma Talk: 19:30 – 21:30 (Tuesday)/ 14:00 – 17:00 (Sunday)
• Rituals and Ceremonies for the sick and dying/ Home funeral consultations and services/ Family or personal consultations: 14:00 – 16:00 (weekdays)/18:00 – 20:00 (weekends)
• Meditation Classes in English: 19:30 – 21:30 (Monday/Thursday)

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Practicing Mindfulness Meditation in Our Daily Living with Venerable Thich Thien Tri

Saturday, June 9 th • 8am – 5pm

Dao Vien Meditation Center

1810 Nuttal Ave, Edgewood, MD 21040

Call or text (703) 597-2967 or (410) 612 0863

Email | daovientemple@gmail.com   Website | http://daovientemple.com

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On March 23, 2018, we had about 30 minutes meditation session and had a great discussion  on reincarnation, mindfulness meditation, attachment in Buddhism and cancer with our master teacher, Bhante Maithree.  In summary, we talked about 

Reincarnation

In Buddhism there is a belief in rebirth, (even as an animal in the next life). Your soul will reborn again into a different body.

Mindfulness meditation Mindfulness meditation is pay attention to the breath, when your attention wanders, aware of it and return. Allow thoughts to come and go without any judgment and return to your focus on breath. You will have many thoughts, and it’s ok. Bhante Maithree gave us an example of a thief coming to your house. 

Attachment , Accepting and letting go In your daily life, you will have some difficult attachment arise, then see the suffering, aware of it, expand your mind beyond it, you are bigger than the attachment. Let it lightly float away. Bhante Maithree gave us an example of a baby growing and letting go and accept the nature.

Cancer and meditation Meditation can improve the lives of cancer patients; mindfulness has helped bring a sense of peace and emotionally balanced to many people living with cancer.

We will continue with the teaching, meditation and discussion, Please join us. See you on March 30, 2018 at 7:30pm.

With Metta,
Honeyhline Heidemann

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Dear Friends,
On March 16, 2018, we had about 15 minutes meditation session and had
a great discourse  on The Four Noble Truths (the first Dharma talk of
the Buddha after his enlightenment).  Our master teacher, Bhante
Maithree explained the first noble truth during this meeting.

-Truth of Suffering, the below events, items are suffering.–

1> Birth is suffering
2> Aging is suffering
3> Illness/Sickness is suffering
4> Death is suffering
5> Dealing with unpleasant people, things, events/displeasing is suffering
6> Departing from pleasant people, things, events/separation from what
is pleasing is suffering
7> Wishes don’t come true, not full filling wishes, not to get what
one wants is suffering
8> Five Sensory (eyes, nose, ear, mouth, skin – Touch), five
aggregates subject to clinging are suffering

What are the four Noble Truths?

They are the Buddha’s basic teaching, and umbrella to all other
teachings. The four Noble Truths liberate us from suffering.
1> There is a Suffering (Dukkha): Life always involves suffering even
when things seem good.
2> There is a cause of Suffering
3> There is a end of Suffering
4> There is path out of Suffering

We will continue with the teaching, meditation and discussion, Please
join us. See you on March 23, 2018 at 7:30pm.

With Metta,
Honeyhline Heidemann

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Tea meditation is a time to be with the Sangha in a joyful and serene atmosphere. Just to enjoy our tea together is enough. It is like a “good news” occasion, when we share our joy and happiness in being together.

At times, when we are drinking tea with a friend, we are not aware of the tea or even of our friend sitting there. Practicing tea meditation is to be truly present with our tea and our friends. We recognize that we can dwell happily in the present moment despite all of our sorrows and worries. We sit there relaxed without having to say anything. If we like, we may also share a song, a story or a dance.

You may like to bring a musical instrument or prepare something ahead of time. It is an opportunity for us to water the seeds of happiness and joy, of understanding and love in each one of us.

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Building a sangha is like planting a sunflower. We need to be aware of which conditions will support the flower’s growth and which conditions will obstruct its growth. We need healthy seeds, skilled gardeners, and plenty of sunshine and room to grow. When we engage in sangha building, the most important thing to remember is that we are doing it together. The more we embrace the sangha, the more we can let go of the feeling of a separate self. We can relax into the collective wisdom and insights of the sangha. We can see clearly that the sangha eyes and hands and heart are greater than those of any individual member of the sangha.

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Wherever we walk, we can practice meditation. This means that we know that we are walking. We walk just for walking. We walk with freedom and solidity, no longer in a hurry. We are present with each step. And when we wish to talk we stop our movement and give our full attention to the other person, to our words and to listening.

Walking in this way should not be a privilege. We should be able to do it in every moment. Look around and see how vast life is, the trees, the white clouds, the limitless sky. Listen to the birds. Feel the fresh breeze. Life is all around and we are alive and healthy and capable of walking in peace.

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