Ringkasan dibuat dengan bantuan AI • Belum diverifikasi
Ceramah ini dibuka dengan candaan tentang 'alien tak dikenal' yang mengaitkan topik tersebut dengan meditasi dalam dan cerita hantu dari Ajahn Brahm, serta spekulasi tentang alien yang hidup di dimensi waktu berbeda. Ajahn Mudito kemudian menjelaskan bahwa alien pun tunduk pada hukum Dhamma yang sama, yaitu ketidak-kekalan, penderitaan, dan tanpa-diri, serta bagaimana kemelekatan menentukan alam tujuan kelahiran kembali. Ia menceritakan sutta tentang tujuh matahari yang memusnahkan bumi dan kisah seorang bhikkhu yang mencari akhir dunia, yang akhirnya dijawab oleh Buddha bahwa akhir dunia ada di dalam tubuh dan pikiran ini sendiri. Setelah menyampaikan lelucon tentang alien dan polisi, ia memandu meditasi singkat dengan fokus pada tubuh, napas, dan kebaikan hati. Dalam sesi tanya jawab, ia membahas cara memilih praktik meditasi yang tepat, menekankan bahwa praktik harus disesuaikan dengan kondisi batin saat itu, misalnya menggunakan kontemplasi kematian saat malas atau cinta kasih saat marah. Ia juga memberikan nasihat tentang tidak larut dalam masalah orang lain, pentingnya menjaga diri sendiri agar bisa membantu, dan menggunakan perhatian pada tubuh sebagai cara melepas beban pikiran. Selanjutnya, ia menjelaskan bahwa hanya ada satu Buddha pada satu waktu dan Dhamma akan memudar ketika tidak dihormati, sehingga Buddha baru muncul setelah Dhamma hilang. Terkait etika dalam kehidupan monastik, ia menjawab pertanyaan tentang situasi rumit seperti rayap di vihara, menjelaskan bagaimana monastik menghindari pembunuhan langsung dan menggunakan keputusan kelompok atau isyarat halus. Ceramah ditutup dengan penegasan bahwa masa depan dikondisikan oleh masa kini, dan diakhiri dengan perpisahan hangat.
This is what should be done by one who is skilled in goodness, and who knows the path of peace.
Let them be able and upright, straightforward and gentle in speech,
humble and not conceited, contented and easily satisfied,
unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways,
peaceful and calm and wise and skillful,
not proud and demanding in nature.
Let them not do the slightest thing that the wise would later reprove,
wishing in gladness and in safety,
may all beings be happy, whatever living beings there may be,
whether they are weak or strong, omitting none, the great or the mighty,
medium, short or small, the seen and the unseen,
those living near and far away, those born and to be,
may all beings be happy.
Let none deceive another, or despise any being in any state,
let none through anger or ill will, wish harm upon another,
even as a mother protects with her life, her child, her only child,
soul.
Oh, with a boundless heart, should one cherish all living beings,
radiating kindness over the entire world,
spreading upwards to the skies and downwards to the death,
outwards unbounded, freed from hatred and ill will,
whether standing or walking,
seated or lying down,
free from drowsiness.
One should sustain this recollection,
this is said to be the sublime abiding,
by not holding to fixed views,
the pure-hearted one having clarity of vision,
being freed from all sense desiring,
is not born again into this world sadhu sadhu sadhu
hey hey okay so good night for somebody in Melbourne going to sleep and I good
evening everybody who's not going to sleep yet or has just woken up I'm nice
to be here again this is my again last time was supposed to be last last time
but now it's really is the last time for quite a long time because I'm going for
a tour to Europe going for Europe for a long tour and then and I'll be back and
then the Vasa starts already when I come back in two months time and then Vasa
we don't usually teach so there will be not so much teach
in happening anymore so long busy busy tour in in Europe so I will be fun when
I'm there so I was just upstairs with Ajahn Brahm and Ajahn Brahm said just
before I left is that what are you gonna teach I said I don't know as you know
coming from the forest tradition as monks we don't prepare for things we are
told not to prepare for talks now I just said okay talk about
you know about this and this and this and this and this and this and this and this
unknown things I said okay great then he said talk about unknown aliens I said
okay I can talk about unknown aliens so sure no problem I said at least you
didn't ask me to talk about pizza he said oh that's a good idea talk about
pizza I said okay no let's talk about about
unknown aliens so that's today's topic is unknown aliens so aliens
what should we talk about aliens they're fun yeah interesting thing about aliens
is sometimes when you get really deep meditation you might be able to see
aliens the thing with aliens is that sometimes they live in a different time
scale so you you think we're supposed to see them but what if they live in it
like this different kind of like
time the time is different for them as well as anybody knows if you study a
little bit of like what Einstein was trying to teach us with about the
gravity and all those like that the time changes the faster you go and the time
is not same for everybody so what if these aliens are here but there's just
the time is different for them and there's like they're moving in different
wavelength those like they move
wiggling or even really fast and we won't be able to see them or like if the
time scale is really short that they sort of appear for them it's like really
yeah they live in a different dimension so to speak but it just means that the
time is different for them and us we won't be able to see them normally
humans we have this kind of sort of like wave way of seeing we perceive things at
the certain time scale
but what if you can get into a deep meditation and you would be able to see
the aliens completely possible so only thing you maybe when you go to a deep
meditation you said hmm what's different
Ajahn Brahm always tells this cool story this is not aliens but he sort of goes
with the same thing he said when he had a good meditation when he lived in Wat
Pa Nanacha
Cha when he was still in Thailand about 45ish years ago. And he said he had a good meditation
and he went outside of his kuti. And Nanachat is famous, the monastery there where he comes from,
they founded this international monastery for the monks. Ajahn Chah got it. They got this cheap land
and why it was cheap because it was cremation ground before they founded the monastery there.
And in Thailand you never, nobody wants to buy a cremation ground. So it was like
nobody would buy it. So perfect place for a monastery. First of it's cheap and then nobody
wants to hang out there because there's ghosts there at night time. At least that's what the
locals believed. But so it was well known for being a haunted place. And so Ajahn Brahm said
he's got these stories. He said one night he had a good meditation and he said
that he thought to himself like, oh, I want to see if there's ghosts here. So he goes outside
and he sees the ghost. And the ghost is just sort of like, the ghost comes there and he says,
how are you? And the ghost gets really scared. We're like, ah, you can see me? And Ajahn Brahm
was like, yeah, yeah, I can see you. And he said, oh. So and then Ajahn Brahm, he's got this idea
that he tells the story that ghosts are not scary because ghosts are.
Actually scared of us. The interesting thing is that most of the time we are not,
we aren't able to see ghosts, but the ghosts can see us. They're in this kind of realm,
which is right in Buddhism. We have these different realms and you could say like, okay,
maybe aliens live in the different realms. And so I don't know which the Buddha didn't say
which realms the ghosts live. We have the Brahma Loka and the Deva Loka and the human
realm. And we're like, where did the aliens belong into those different realms? And then
we have the ghost realm with you sort of, you could say that they're just below human realm,
but they're like really close to us. That's why they can interact with us. So anyways,
going back to a little bit into the ghost story, then Ajahn Brahm asked like,
you know, like, can I do something for you? We're just being friendly with them.
And the alien said, oh, can we have some food? So, and Ajahn Brahm asked what, what kind of
food? And then he said, can we have this, there is this very spicy chili sauce from that
Northeast Thailand. And I said, oh, we really like to have that. So next time he, next day,
he went to the alms round and he got this chili sauce, this, and that, or I'm not sure it's like,
it's not, it's sort of, it's almost like a food. You eat it. It's like a bounded with other,
other things. I'm not sure what it's called and like, how is it really actually made? But it's,
and they, he then gave it to the, the ghost next day to offer it them. And,
and the story goes that their ghost are happy because of that. There's actually another story
reminds me of, there is one Thai monk, quite famous Thai monk went to United States and he,
he said, he said he, that monk said that he saw a lot of ghosts, that he's never seen so many ghosts
except what he saw in Thailand, in United States. And then somebody asked why, and he, I think he
said something like there's a lot of greed. People have a lot of greed, so they cannot let go when
they die. So even there's like, it continues, like you, you cannot even when you die, you, the pull
of that kind of, the world is so strong that you, you never, you, even when you die,
you weren't able to let go. And the other thing he said that because people don't offer in,
in them sort of, in their merit, they don't do enough merit for them, which means that, yeah,
Thailand in a traditional way has a lot of good intentions in doing so-and-so, and they said,
way of doing it is that you go to a cemetery, you go to a graveyard, and you offer for your
dead relatives or the ghosts.
He suspected that maybe they don't do enough of this kind of offer for the ghost so they
don't get what they need, and that's why they cannot disappear because there's not enough
kindness from people towards them.
There are a lot of people who have a lot of greed and they hang around, but I think that's
the reason why you become a ghost.
Buddhism may have this idea of rebirth, that you die in this world as a human, but then
the attachments are so strong there that you're not able to sort of move on.
Ghost realm is almost a ghost realm.
It's almost like it's this kind of realm where you're suspended in this kind of not being
able to move on.
There's not really happiness being a ghost, but you are attached to something, perhaps
attached to your family or the place you live, or something mistreated you and you are just
not able to let it go, so you're not able to move on.
But why would you get reborn as an alien, as a UFO?
Going back to the topic of today, what propels us to get reborn as an alien?
Because every time you get the rebirth process starts from craving, so we establish that.
But what would take anybody to be an alien?
I think as a human, it would be really, really difficult for us.
Unless we start making a contact with them or they make contact with us, then the craving
can arise for us to get born as an alien.
Ghost is very easy because they're so close to this realm we live, but to get reborn as
an alien, I think if you would make a contact with them and then you would see that the
craving would rise.
They have certain kind of qualities.
You would desire for them, there's something.
And that's what takes us, for example, why you would get born into a deva loka.
In Buddhism, we have this, the idea of deva loka is that you're almost like a heaven,
you are heavenly beings, and then the heavenly being, and then there's different levels.
And then we have brahma loka, which is above that.
And then we just chant it, metta sutta.
And metta is actually Brahmavidya.
Vihara, which is a realm, vihara means like you dwell somewhere.
And then, so why would you ever get born into a loving kindness realm?
It's because you would have a lot of those qualities.
You get born into place towards what kind of qualities you have.
And that's why for us, most of us, I don't know how many aliens we have there.
I'm listening now or later on this talk, but we are propelled to be human.
We have this kind of like craving.
We associate with humans all the time.
We have a human qualities and we always go towards that realm very easily.
It's very difficult to get born into high realm, like realm of loving kindness.
Metta realm, because we might not have enough of that, but it is doable that you can get
born into a heavenly realm where there's, which is called realm of loving kindness.
But even those realms are, they're not infinite.
They come to an end.
And that's the thing about even with aliens, we have to remember.
They are bound by these same rules, which the Pali word, these rules, we could say,
it's Dhamma.
So, even aliens have to abide on, or it's natural that they are under the same rules,
same Dhammas.
And these Dhammas are everything is impermanent, so even if you get born as an alien, and all
these aliens.
even their realms are impermanent. You would think like okay well they live in this kind of spheres
that and they have obviously very very advanced societies or they're behind us who knows but
there's like as the times are so vast but even then their societies, their lifespan is not
infinite. It has to come to an end. It has to, it's constantly changing. Nothing is permanent
even in the alien realms. Even these alien realms which we don't know, we know that they have to be,
they are constantly changing. Even them, they suffer from, they have suffering because everything
is for them constantly changing.
So even aliens would be like sort of saying like well our society is changing this way and when I
was a young AI, AT, it used to be different so they always come to us like oh things are different now
so they are suffering. Again it's the same thing. It's just only natural. They belong to Dhamma under
the same umbrella.
So they even their realms are impermanent, ever changing, unreliable, even their realms are suffering because of that.
And even the aliens. For us what we would say aliens, for them it would be, they would call us aliens, they would be like
I'm normal, but for them even there they would be, they couldn't find that there is a self anywhere in their kind of way of where they operate.
They couldn't find that they is a self anywhere in their kind of way of way they operate.
we don't know how they operate because they are known to us,
but they would come under the same category.
And it's an interesting thing is like with the aliens,
could the Buddha maybe arise there?
We don't know.
Again, I mean, the only thing we can know
that we can only have one Buddha at a time,
but could it be that there is a different kind of time scale
and then they could appear there?
I don't know.
It's unknown to us.
And, well, interesting thing.
So there's a few things mentioned in the suttas about,
which are a little bit into the future and a little bit into the space.
So we have, for example, we have the sutta,
quite a famous sutta about seven sons.
And the Buddha said, you know,
they will appear.
There will be a time, well, when all the water,
all the, like the sun starts to get bigger in this sutta.
And the sun will start getting so hot
that it will start boiling all the waters,
all the rivers, all the lakes will start boiling.
Even the great mighty ocean will boil in one point.
The sun gets hotter and hotter.
And the Buddha said,
everything in this earth we live in turns into dust.
And there's nothing left in this earth when the sun gets bigger and bigger.
And then the sun apparently gets to the, he calls that the seven suns.
It depends how you translate that.
But it could be that the sun gets times of a seven or there are seven suns.
But I think most plausible thing is that the sun gets a size of a seven.
And then the sun,
it bakes everything in this earth we live in,
in a vast time in the future.
And then everything will disappear from this.
And then even the, whatever is the rock is left here.
Everything turns into dust.
And even that disappears into the dust of the, into the space.
And that's what the Buddha said.
So even for us, even it's, and that he was talking about there about the impermanence of everything.
We think where we live, this, you know, beautiful planet of ours, it's all, well, that's permanent.
It's not, even the Buddha said, well, and we know it's from the science,
but the Buddha said that even the, our earth will disappear.
So even this earth is not permanent.
So if you want to look, it's interesting, Sutta, it's sometimes translated that Sutta was of seven suns.
And so, and we know that that is true.
And so there, there is few mentions like that.
And then there is a one mention about one monk, he wanted to know where every, where everything ends.
Where, where do we find the end of things?
So what he did, he was meditating.
He had a good meditation or, and he said, well, I want to find the end.
Like, where is the beginning of all things, where everything sort of ends.
Beginning and ending is, you know, the same saying, it's not, not really different.
So what he did.
He, in this Sutta, this other Sutta, he starts traveling to the end, end degree.
He goes to the, all the way to the space and he goes further and further and further away.
And he was trying to find the end of all things.
And so, and then he goes all to these different realms and he keeps asking.
Um, interest, the cool thing about that Sutta actually, he goes to, he goes to these different realms, to this heavenly realm, so to speak.
And he says, oh, do you, you know, he finds this heavenly beings.
That is like, do you, do you guys knows like, where's the end of these things?
And the, the, the heavenly realms, they always says like, no, well, not really just go up.
There's one above us.
So keep, they keep going further and further.
So he goes to the next, then the next step around, like, well, I was down there below what's below you guys.
And there's like, they asked me to come here.
Do you know where, where's the end of all these things?
It's like, no, no, it's keep going up.
So he, he keeps going further and further.
It's sort of traveling.
And it's this, in this realms, and then he goes to the end and he finds the almighty Brahma.
There was, he was the creator of all of these things.
And he goes like, ah, do you know where everything ends?
And he said, oh, I'm the mighty Brahma.
I'm the first one.
I'm the beginning and the air of, and the end I'm have created all.
And the monk said, no, yeah, but I didn't ask that.
It's like, do you know where everything ends ends?
You know?
Like, is there an end to this?
And he said, ah, yeah, I'm the almighty Brahma.
I created all of these and I'm the, uh, and this, and, and he said, I didn't ask that.
Do you know where everything ends?
And the Brahma said, oh, listen, come with me.
So they go behind the corner and said, like, look, I tell you how it is.
I'm sort of, I was here first, but I don't really know what come came before me, but I was the first one.
And everybody, you know, all those other, the Brahma's there, like the, all the other gods, they think I know everything because I was here first, but I don't really, I don't have the answer to this question, but I just don't want them to know that I don't know, because it wouldn't look good, you know, I'm the, I'm the almighty, but so it doesn't really look good if I don't know.
So it goes to the monks, like, like, look, I don't know, but you know what I know?
I know.
I know somebody who knows, and the, and the monk says, like, oh, well, okay, great.
Where should I go?
He said, oh, go back to the, go back to the earth and ask the Buddha.
So the monks is like, well, I just, that's where I just came from.
So he goes back to the earth and it's like, he goes to the Buddha and that he says, hey, it goes to the Buddha and being respectful, he's like, do you know where everything ends?
And the Buddha says, it's in this body and mind where you find the ending.
You don't need to go looking.
You don't need to go going into the alien realm, you don't need to go to the end realm and this and that, it ends here, right here, and, you know, in this body and in this mind, this is where you find the end.
I like that it's a cool idea that it's like, it's not like we need to find that answers somewhere outside of ourselves.
And that's, that's the idea of like really an insight, even for us, the insights are inside of ourselves.
We have the answers.
To end all of this, and why the Buddha says it's in this body and mind, because we can't really separate body and mind when you are in the, we, in Buddhism, we have this idea of like mind, but it's really so intertwined when you are alive with this body, it's really difficult to even know what the separation is.
So we always like, consider them almost like one, your body and mind are almost like one.
It's almost like the mind needs a vessel.
And then you say like, what's the content without the vessel?
It's sort of like artificial separation.
So you, you can consider the body and mind in that way in Buddhism, but the end of all of these things, you don't need to ask the aliens.
The aliens would ask you actually that question.
It's like, we came from the outer space.
Do you know where everything ends?
And you said it's in your body, in your mind and body.
So when you have a deep meditation and then you want to see the aliens, you don't need to ask these kind of questions.
You can ask sort of like, why do you come from?
And you know, what kind of food you eat?
And you know, do you have a girlfriend or do you, I don't know, do you, are there different sexes or how do you propagate?
It's like, what's fun for you?
You can ask those kind of questions.
But don't ask things like, you know, what's the, what's the meaning of all, they don't know.
It's, that's why it's unknown aliens because the aliens don't know either.
They don't have these answers.
It's the same answer.
They are bound by the same laws for them as the way as well.
You, so you, you as like you tell as a Buddhist, well, you look, I find these things.
It's in your body and mind where you find the end of all things.
So if you see the aliens, you can teach them.
It's good.
Good idea.
So the answer is like the ending of all things in this body and mind, even for the aliens.
Okay.
I don't know if I should tell this joke, but before we go into the meditation, it's about the time for the meditation.
Is it really a joke?
Well, one time we were watching this YouTube video, somebody sent a link to Ajahn Brahm and it was this old English humor.
And it was, uh, uh, there was this, uh, I think it was a Scottish and we, uh, we, I was in Nullamira with him and it was pretty funny, but it's, it's, it's really a little bit difficult to explain, but this is like a bit of a slapstick comedy.
It was like, I don't know, from seventies.
And there's this, uh, this two guys, you know how it is in this like cheap comedy series.
And this, there's like the other guy was a police officer and he comes to this alley and there's this alien there.
Yeah.
Was like, you know, he had a tin hat and all that.
And it's like, and there's like, so he asked all these questions and then he said, um, so like, what's your name?
And he's like, you can't park here.
Oh, that was the, that was the, you know, the thing he said, you can't park here.
I said, well, I came from outer space.
I need, I just, I crashed here.
I was like, no, no, you cannot park here.
You, you need better take you off your, your, your, your saucer from here.
You cannot just, this is, uh.
This is a private property.
And he said, and then he said, well, where did you come from and where you're going?
And he goes, I, uh, I'm, I came from, uh, Mars and I'm going to Uranus.
And he said, oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Yeah.
Anyways, that was the joke.
Whether you get it or not, but Adam Brown and I, we thought it was really funny.
Anyways, if you're going to, um, meditate and you're going to Mars or.
Uranus, it's up to you.
Good.
Okay.
Let's meditate.
That's a slapstick joke for the, for the night.
So everybody, you can relax now for awhile.
So take a comfortable sit and, uh, make sure you smile a little bit.
Happiness is, is the key to, it's the fast path, not the, the cringy ones.
So now that the, um, you feel that you want.
To sit for awhile, because it's a good idea to sit in silence for awhile.
So feel how your body feels like.
And when you feel how your body feels like, you know what your mind is like.
So what do you think your mind is like when you feel your body?
Is your mind agitated?
Is your mind calm?
Is your body agitated or calm?
Can you somehow make your body more calm?
Can you make it calmer?
Can you make it softer?
What could you do to soften up your body?
Be kind towards your body.
And when you are kind towards your body, you're kind towards your mind.
So really be interested about your body.
It's telling you something.
You need to listen to it.
This body is good enough.
It's not perfect.
It's a human body.
There's only so much you can expect from this body.
This body doesn't belong to you.
This body belongs to the nature.
Keep up with that interest of your body.
Allow the body to relax.
Really be kind towards your body.
Keep going back to your body with kind attitude.
Once in a while you might see a movement there, which is the breathing.
And then there's some pain somewhere.
Don't fight the pain.
Understand it.
What is the pain trying to tell you?
If you keep sitting there with kind attitudes, with softness,
you might start seeing that the body is breathing.
The breath just comes and goes on its own pace.
You don't need to control the breath.
The breath changes according to how much oxygen the body needs.
So again, be interested about the body's needs.
How much breath goes in and out of your body.
And same thing.
Be kind towards that attention.
Be interested about the body breathing.
It is not your body.
It is just the body breathing.
In and out.
Just relax.
Re- la- ck.
Can you see how soft and gentle the breath is going to your body?
How calm it is.
Enjoy the breath.
Be kind towards the breath.
It's your body breathing.
Give more and more kindness towards that movement of the breath in your body.
Give it more and more softness.
See the breath.
It's more and more beautiful.
But it depends on your mind how you look at it.
Allow the body to relax.
Re- la- ck.
And the breath is just flowing beautifully.
In and out.
Just worry about the world.
The world is within your body and mind.
Please come back to the breath.
When wandering too far in the world, come back to the breath again.
We don't have that much time left on the meditation.
Enjoy the breath.
Breathe through the happiness of your mind.
Now feel your body again as a whole.
What does your body feel like now?
After a short sit, what about your mind?
Now that you took care of your body by allowing it to be soft.
How is your mind now?
I will ring the bell three times now to end the meditation.
That is the end of the meditation.
Okay.
Anybody has anything to say, please do so.
I want to say I think aliens feel like they can be good monks because
when I saw that people draw them, they are always in bold head.
Aliens could be good monks?
Yeah.
And I will go to listen to their Dharma talk if they come and learn the Dharma.
Yeah.
I feel like it's a good idea.
And I feel like if you have very strong desires to go to Mars, you may be reborn as an alien
to fulfill that sort of desire.
I think so.
I think if we are as a humanity, we start expanding into the space as they are going
want to go into the Mars.
I think they get drawn to that and they just get reborn there and over and over again.
And whenever, if we keep spreading up as a humanity, as a race, I'm sure it will start
happening that they get drawn into those kind of places.
They get reborn there.
In that sense, interesting thing.
And they'll probably come back from the Mars.
They will attack there.
We think the aliens attacking from Mars.
But they're actually humans having lived there for a couple hundred years.
And then they think they know better than then they attack Earth.
But they're actually humans being there for a few generations.
Yeah.
Who knows?
I need someone to write about the story of this.
Yeah.
It could be a movie.
Do you want to read the questions, Gloria, from the chat?
Because I don't have my glasses on.
I don't see.
Is that a question?
I think there is a question sent like before the meditation started.
Do aliens have solid form?
I don't know.
Yeah, I guess they do.
Do they have solid form?
I don't know.
I'm sure they have and they don't have.
I mean, what does it mean?
They have to have certain kind of if you take a Buddhist sort of philosophy,
they would have to have a certain kind of attributes and they would.
Would they have to have some solidity?
Not necessary, depending on what realm they live.
So they could be just mind made beings.
Yep.
I think.
Yep.
Kalian, did you have a question?
Yeah.
I have several questions, but I think I'm going to ask the one I'm most curious about.
Or more so the one that I'm just really need an answer to.
So there seem to be many practices in Buddhism, you know, loving kindness, contemplating one's death or the impermanence of things or thinking about
the nature of the world as not self and so on.
How do we sort of decide which one from all of these do we practice?
It's wild and it's just basically seeing what seems appropriate at the time.
And I just do that.
But I'm not very sure that's the way to go.
Yeah.
I don't think there's a really.
Exactly.
Yeah.
I don't have an answer for that.
And I don't remember ever in the suttas the Buddha said that this is they sort of like loving kindness, for example.
It could be like antidote if you have hatred.
So then you should practice loving kindness, for example.
And then like same with death contemplation is sort of like you're trying to sort of stir up.
And like energy that I was like I should be practicing.
I will die.
And so like like I should be keep doing this practices meditation and being kind because I know the death will come.
And also you take care of others because, you know, there is a finite things.
Nothing is going to last.
So these kind of like you find that meaning of like, OK, what am I lacking now?
Perhaps maybe you could think of that way.
That like, OK, my practice is not really going well.
I'm having practice.
Well, OK, then you should sort of stir up energy.
It's sort of like, look, I should do death contemplation because it should come up with this kind of like, well, I should practice because then that brings up that death contemplation.
That idea is like instead of like, oh, I was meditating.
But you didn't.
Then you drift off and you stop meditating.
Well, maybe it doesn't interest you enough or you just don't have the reason to practice.
And then, for example, death contemplation would bring you that.
Or if you feel like like I'm really agitated.
I'm I don't have enough.
Yeah.
Agitated.
You're restless or something like that.
Calming.
Different things would calm your mind.
So it really depends on like what your mind needs that.
So you you'd sort of like once in a while there's like a you could call most call it almost like an inside.
It was like, oh, I was, you know, practice is not going well.
And then you just sort of like, what can I do about it?
Maybe I'm not doing it enough.
Maybe I'm not.
So it's almost like a tool.
And you need to learn how to what what tool to use at that.
Because just loving kind itself, it's almost like a tool which becomes plant.
If you keep using a saw, it becomes plant because you it's just sort of like it.
It's lacking this kind of inspiration at some point.
So you you change these kind of like tools or practices you do.
So look, it's it's a little bit like you said, you just like feel, you know, like, oh, I just do this now.
But more you keep doing it, more you keep practicing.
It's sort of like your mindfulness.
Mindfulness meaning memory, your sati, like memory, like, oh.
I'm realizing that my mind is like this at the moment, so I should have more more compassion, for example, in my day to day life.
I feel down.
OK, well, meditation is not going to really work if if I just like feel really a lot of doubt or.
Really.
Almost like depressed.
I need to then antidote for that.
Like what?
What could take away doubt, for example, is.
Studying the suttas or listening a teacher find the inspiration.
Inspiration takes away the doubt.
So it really.
So you that's why we call it mindfulness practice.
It's sort of like you.
You start understanding what your mind is.
Sometimes it's a lot of times it's difficult, but.
You get better at it over over time.
And then you know whether you should do really like death contemplation and if it's really working.
But you can just keep trying different things.
There is no.
Exact.
But.
Yeah, sure.
Nim, did you want to ask them?
Thank you for teaching today.
When Vivian said that you were coming today, it was like made my day.
OK.
Good.
Thank you.
My question was about I think similar to the last one about how.
Yeah, I find that.
Like, I mean, this is probably normal, but like depending on the like.
Situations around me like, you know.
Like sometimes.
Like when I think during the meditation, you said, like, don't think about.
The world outside.
Like, think about the world inside you.
And like if external things are a bit chaotic, let's say with your family or like.
Studies or something.
I find that like.
My mind like goes into this like spirals and.
And gets like very.
Exciting.
Fixing something.
You know, like.
Yeah.
And even absorbing.
I feel like.
Like energies of like.
People that I'm close to.
Especially if they're like.
You know, going through.
Like.
Hard times.
And then I feel like.
My mind is like.
Really restless and like.
Even my body.
So.
Yeah.
How do I.
I guess like.
Be there for them, but then.
Yeah.
Not.
I guess.
Like.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Like I'm so.
Yeah.
Okay.
Yeah.
I know what you're asking them.
And.
It's.
I'm sure we can all relate to that.
Every.
Single one.
And.
We get sucked into that.
Whether it's the.
Our thing.
Or.
Other people have problems.
And.
We sort of like.
Empathetic.
That kind of.
Thing happening for us.
But.
So.
One.
One thing.
We always.
Try to tell people.
Like.
If you're in a bog.
If you're in a.
Swamp.
Stuck yourself.
You cannot help others.
So.
You need to.
Not to be there.
With them.
You need to be sort of like.
Standing.
Standing outside of that.
That hole.
And then you can lift them out.
So make sure you don't get sucked into that too much.
Because.
We.
We.
Have to realize that.
It's endless.
It's like.
These things.
Always keep up.
Coming up.
There's.
Problems.
Coming.
You solve one.
But there's.
There's.
Other ones.
Coming.
As.
Like.
I know.
Like.
I just call my mom.
For example.
The.
My mom's birthday.
Was a couple days ago.
And I called.
And.
And.
You know.
She was sort of happy.
I called.
But then.
She was saying.
Because she's.
The care.
For my dad.
That.
How it's.
Bogging her down.
And.
And she.
And he.
Was.
Saying.
Bad things.
He's.
He's lost his memory.
So.
I don't know.
Whether he means it that.
But.
But he was just sort of like.
He.
She cannot help him.
Too much.
And then.
He got.
Agitated.
Just by.
Him.
Her.
My mom.
Trying to.
Take him.
To the wheelchair.
And pushing him out.
And this and that.
And then.
He was saying.
How bad.
Person.
She is.
And all that.
Just by.
You know.
How it is.
When you.
In that kind of situation.
So.
She was really upset about it.
Obviously.
She was just trying to do her best.
But.
You know.
Then.
And.
That.
Person.
With an Alzheimer's.
Takes it.
As a.
Like.
Oh.
You're just.
Disturbing.
My.
Life.
Always remember that.
Like.
Try not to get sucked into.
These things.
And then.
With this.
Like.
Again.
This is why.
It's called.
Like.
Mindfulness.
Practice.
Practices.
That.
And.
Mindfulness.
Really.
The sati.
Is a memory.
You have to remember.
Part of.
Like.
This is.
What.
Human life.
Is.
So.
That's.
Part of.
The memory.
Don't.
Expect.
Too.
Much.
From.
Others.
Or.
Yourself.
Like.
Lower.
Your.
Expectations.
Of.
The.
World.
And.
Then.
That.
Is.
A.
Practice.
Even.
There's.
Like.
Again.
It's.
Like.
Mindfulness.
Practices.
Like.
You.
Go.
There.
All.
The.
Time.
Are.
Trying.
To.
Think.
About.
Like.
I.
Wish.
It.
Wasn't.
Like.
This.
I.
Wish.
It.
Wasn't.
Like.
Problems.
And.
Because.
They.
Not.
Really.
Problems.
Which.
Are.
Solvable.
There.
Is.
No.
Answer.
To.
A.
Lot.
Of.
These.
Things.
So.
One.
Thing.
It's.
Sort.
Of.
Like.
You.
Have.
To.
Just.
Like.
I.
Just.
Drop.
It.
I.
Just.
Have.
To.
Do.
Something.
Else.
And.
Very.
Simple.
Techniques.
I.
Just.
Just.
Think.
Of.
Feel.
About.
Your.
Body.
When.
You're.
Walking.
On.
The.
Street.
And.
You.
Think.
About.
A.
Thing.
About.
It.
Stop.
It.
Just.
Walk.
Just.
Bring.
Your.
Attention.
To.
Your.
Feet.
Just.
Walk.
For.
A.
While.
And.
Then.
Just.
That.
Is.
Just.
Even.
If.
It's.
One.
One.
Two.
Three.
Seconds.
You're.
Able.
To.
Drop.
It.
You've.
Realized.
That.
What.
A.
What.
A.
Heavy.
Burden.
It.
Is.
You.
Carrying.
It.
Everywhere.
And.
Then.
It.
Gives.
You.
This.
Little.
Bit.
Of.
Like.
I.
Don't.
Want.
To.
Do.
That.
And.
Then.
You.
Again.
You.
Start.
Thinking.
Your.
Own.
Practice.
And.
And.
There.
Is.
Things.
Like.
If.
You.
If.
Do.
Walking.
Meditation.
For.
Example.
If.
You.
Find.
A.
Good.
Spot.
Where.
You.
Can.
Just.
Contemplate.
You.
Just.
Sort.
Of.
Like.
You.
Keep.
Doing.
It.
And.
You.
Just.
And.
You.
Realize.
That.
The.
Mind.
When.
You.
With.
That.
Me.
Too.
I.
Will.
Die.
Me.
Too.
And.
Then.
You.
Keep.
Doing.
It.
And.
Then.
You.
Just.
Sort.
Of.
Like.
Why.
I.
So.
Why.
Do.
I.
Keep.
You.
Know.
That.
You.
Not.
Going.
To.
Solve.
These.
Problems.
You.
Know.
They're.
Endless.
But.
You.
Sometimes.
You.
Just.
Have.
To.
Do.
This.
Kind.
Of.
Practices.
Like.
That.
Death.
Contemplation.
And.
Walking.
Meditation.
Where.
You.
Actively.
Sort.
The.
Buddha.
Really.
Said.
That.
To.
Really.
We.
Talked.
About.
Different.
Kind.
Of.
Like.
Practices.
And.
The.
Buddha.
Said.
To.
How.
To.
The.
Antitope.
For.
Thinking.
Is.
Breathe.
Breath.
Meditation.
Think.
About.
You.
Look.
At.
Your.
Thoughts.
And.
Say.
Like.
How.
Useless.
They.
Are.
Like.
Don't.
Don't.
Appreciate.
Your.
Thinking.
Too.
Much.
Thinking.
Is.
Really.
If.
You.
Start.
Looking.
Your.
Mind.
Your.
Thinking.
Mind.
And.
Is.
Like.
Just.
A.
Garbage.
Bit.
I.
Don't.
Know.
Mine.
Is.
Maybe.
Everybody.
Else.
Is.
Like.
A.
Of.
You.
Know.
Very.
Useful.
Thoughts.
But.
My.
My.
Thinking.
Is.
Just.
Like.
Is.
Just.
Absolute.
Waste.
Of.
Time.
So.
You.
Know.
That.
So.
These.
Are.
Just.
These.
Are.
Just.
Ways.
Of.
Like.
To.
Try.
To.
Alleviate.
A.
Little.
Bit.
Of.
Your.
Problems.
You.
Have.
Problems.
And.
We.
Every.
One.
Of.
Us.
We.
Have.
That.
And.
Then.
That's.
Why.
These.
Practices.
Are.
Useful.
And.
They're.
Helpful.
For.
All.
Of.
Us.
That's.
Why.
We.
Keep.
Doing.
It.
Yeah.
So.
Keep.
Adding.
In.
Your.
You.
Get.
New.
Problems.
Don't.
Worry.
You.
Solve.
What.
One.
Said.
And.
Then.
New.
Will.
Come.
New.
New.
Problems.
Will.
Come.
So.
I.
Wish.
I.
Wish.
I.
Can.
Say.
This.
To.
My.
Boss.
Okay.
Chris.
Crystal.
Did.
You.
Want.
To.
Something.
I.
Wanted.
To.
Say.
Hello.
And.
Thank.
You.
Very.
Much.
And.
I.
Really.
Appreciate.
Your.
Teachings.
And.
The.
Way.
You.
Answer.
Questions.
Today.
Yesterday.
I.
Had.
Planned.
To.
Go.
For.
Lunch.
But.
Then.
When.
I.
Realized.
It.
Was.
You.
That.
Was.
Teaching.
Today.
I.
Decided.
To.
Start.
Oh.
How.
Kind.
Oh.
You.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
I.
Just.
Often.
You.
Say.
That.
You.
Have.
Doubt.
And.
I'm.
Thinking.
I'm.
Bit.
Like.
I.
Want.
To.
Fix.
People.
I.
Want.
To.
Give.
Them.
Like.
A. Joy.
No.
Realizing.
That.
I'm.
Trying.
To.
Do.
With.
You.
Oh.
Thank.
You.
Yep.
Yep.
Yep.
Okay.
Thank.
Thank.
You.
Okay.
I.
Less.
Doubt.
At.
This.
Moment.
Let's.
See.
What.
Happens.
Tonight.
I'm.
Going.
To.
Up.
Crying.
Again.
Two.
O'Clock.
In.
The.
Morning.
And.
Like.
Yeah.
Okay.
Whatever.
No.
I.
Don't.
Cry.
Two.
O'Clock.
In.
The.
Morning.
But.
You.
Know.
How.
It.
Is.
Like.
You.
Wake.
Up.
Two.
O'Clock.
In.
Morning.
And.
You.
Just.
Have.
That.
Kind.
Endless.
Loop.
About.
Being.
A. Monkey.
The.
Pay.
Is.
Bit.
Low.
I.
Would.
Say.
But.
You.
Know.
Benefits.
Are.
Tremendous.
We.
Don't.
Get.
Paid.
At.
All.
So.
That's.
Yeah.
I.
Think.
That's.
The.
Part.
That's.
A. Nice.
Thing.
That.
We.
Don't.
Paid.
This.
Would.
Be.
I.
Really.
Wouldn't.
Like.
This.
To.
Be.
If.
We.
Would.
Get.
Paid.
It.
Wouldn't.
Have.
Nearly.
The.
You.
Know.
The.
Happiness.
We.
Get.
If.
We.
Would.
Get.
Paid.
Anything.
Else.
Okay.
Yes.
Please.
Ever.
So.
You.
Just.
Talked.
About.
Earlier.
That.
That.
Can.
Always.
Just.
Be.
One.
Follow.
Right.
Now.
Because.
That's.
Like.
Two.
Thousand.
Years.
Ago.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's.
A.
It's.
A.
Very.
Very.
Very.
We.
Teach.
About.
It.
Or.
It's.
Mentioned.
Few.
Places.
In.
The.
Buddha.
And.
There's.
Been.
Buddhas.
Before.
This.
Buddha.
And.
There.
Will.
Be.
Buddhas.
After.
This.
Somebody.
But.
The.
You.
Have.
You.
Can.
Have.
Fully.
Enlightened.
Ones.
Fully.
Enlightened.
Beings.
Right.
Here.
And.
Now.
They.
Exist.
No.
Problem.
But.
The.
Buddha.
Is.
One.
Who.
Discovered.
The.
Teachings.
To.
Somebody.
People.
Can.
Follow.
After.
Him.
To.
Get.
Into.
The.
Deep.
Meditations.
And.
Actually.
To.
Become.
Fully.
Enlightened.
One.
But.
So.
Somebody.
That's.
Why.
We.
Can.
Only.
Have.
One.
Because.
Somebody.
It.
Really.
Means.
Like.
Somebody.
Who.
Discovers.
The.
Teachings.
So.
You.
Can.
Have.
Like.
Two.
People.
Well.
I.
Guess.
You.
Could.
Say.
That.
Two.
People.
Could.
Discover.
It.
At.
The.
Different.
Parts.
Of.
The.
World.
The.
Thing.
Is.
We.
Can.
Have.
Again.
It's.
It's.
Bit.
Of.
A.
Technical.
Issue.
Thing.
But.
We.
Have.
These.
Things.
What.
We.
Call.
Project.
A.
Buddha's.
Which.
They.
Don't.
Teach.
So.
So.
Our.
Buddha.
What.
We.
What.
We.
Get.
The.
Teachings.
Now.
He.
Was.
One.
Those.
Ones.
Who.
Like.
He.
Was.
Teaching.
But.
There's.
But.
You.
Can.
Even.
Those.
Those.
Buddha's.
Who.
Don't.
Teach.
They.
Can.
Only.
Appear.
When.
There.
Is.
No.
Dhamma.
So.
When.
When.
There.
Is.
No.
When.
There's.
No.
Dhamma.
When.
There's.
No.
These.
These.
Kind.
Of.
Teachings.
That.
They.
Don't.
Exist.
You.
Cannot.
Have.
Buddha's.
You.
Can.
Have.
Enlightened.
Beings.
Like.
On.
This.
Path.
Of.
Being.
Like.
Stream.
Enter.
Once.
Return.
Or.
Non.
Stopped.
People.
Start.
People.
Start.
Monks.
And.
Nones.
They.
Start.
Teaching.
Wrong.
Things.
Sangha.
Disappears.
We.
Don't.
Have.
Monks.
And.
Nones.
That.
That.
Really.
Starts.
Taking.
Down.
The.
Teachings.
And.
You.
Lose.
Respect.
When.
You.
As.
As.
A.
As.
The.
Students.
As.
A.
Meditators.
You.
Lose.
Respect.
For.
These.
Things.
You.
Don't.
Want.
To.
Listen.
To.
These.
Things.
It.
Will.
Also.
It.
Will.
Start.
Declining.
And.
That's.
That's.
It.
Will.
Disappear.
So.
That's.
I.
Would.
Say.
Perhaps.
Even.
With.
This.
A.
I.
Things.
We're.
Getting.
That.
The.
The.
Disappearance.
Will.
Sort.
Of.
Partly.
Come.
Because.
Of.
That.
Because.
It.
Was.
Who.
Becomes.
This.
Kind.
Of.
Mishmash.
Nobody.
Knows.
What.
Real.
Dhamma.
Is.
At.
The.
Moment.
We.
Still.
Know.
It.
Very.
Clearly.
But.
It.
Will.
Become.
Very.
Diluted.
And.
People.
Will.
The.
Buddha.
Said.
People.
Will.
Start.
Appreciating.
More.
About.
Poetry.
Instead.
Of.
The.
Real.
Dhamma.
They.
Just.
Listen.
This.
Kind.
Of.
Poetry.
Teachings.
And.
They.
Didn't.
They.
Think.
Like.
All.
These.
Are.
Very.
High.
Teachings.
Does.
They.
Design.
Sound.
High.
Fluting.
But.
They.
So.
That's.
One.
Thing.
Losing.
Respect.
All.
These.
Things.
Yeah.
So.
It.
Will.
Disappear.
From.
The.
World.
But.
It.
Will.
Disappear.
But.
Then.
That.
Means.
That.
The.
Buddha.
Will.
He.
The.
One.
Yes.
So.
All.
There.
No.
I'm.
Going.
Back.
To.
Duty.
To.
Cry.
And.
Nothing.
Else.
To.
Do.
Tonight.
Yep.
Yeah.
situations which we can fall in so um even monks in my opinion for example you might have a monastery
but you have termites and you can't get them out you know um and I'm guessing most of the
time you have to for example gas the termites so that they don't hit the monastery uh and my
question is how is it possible for them to be such complicated situations in our world but for
our hearts which should be being literally incapable of doing such things exist sort of at
the same time because I've heard of many great teachers of uh not me but for example I heard
the story about Ajahn Chan I think who um in the monastery in Thailand there was a time when there
were termites and I don't know the details but I think the other allowed uh allowed it to happen
or he directly
yeah there's the there are these ethical questions and it's an interesting thing that it's when we
take our ordination it actually mentions termites in that when you're taking ordination and when you
are ordained you shouldn't even uh you shouldn't even kill these uh small ants and it's mentioned
there it's quite an interesting thing
um but um what do we have to do practically in those kind of situations is that
um which you think it we going around this problem but we could tell for example somebody that look
I live in this HUD and then termites are attacking you and attacking it I could tell somebody who's
in a monastery who was not a monastic I said like look you you could you do something about it and
like we put uh you know you know gas the termites we're actually using this poison which you here
in Australia where you can put certain kind of poisons around your house or you um so you can do
that and then if they would do it it's not my offense again it sounds strange but it's it's
allowed that I can just hint and um or what we had done in the past that we really it's a big problem
for us for just waiting 의
West Australia, termites are a really big problem. We call them white ants.
And just recently, my heart was just like, it's weird. It's like I have a door seal,
which is under the door where there is seals against the door. So you don't have
air coming under the door. The door seal, it was timber. And I was gone for a while. I went to
Melbourne in February, and I came back, and I just stepped on it, and it was like cardboard.
They ate everything underneath. So it was like paper. It turned that whole thing. And
when I opened the door, they had sealed the gap between the door and the seal underneath so
well that you barely open the door, and it's just full of mud. So everything just turns into paper,
all the timber. And if you let them inside of your hut, they absolutely
eat everything. They eat everything. They eat everything. They eat everything. They eat everything.
Like your books, everything they can get into it, they just borrow in, and they create this kind of.
So the best thing for us, we usually scrape them off a little bit, keep doing that. When they have
this kind of mud trails, you keep scraping them off, and eventually they just sort of
decide not to come to your hut. But sometimes it's just too much.
So what we had done in the past that if in those kinds of situations, you can take a group decision,
or you can siad to the tsuka, or the operators, or whatever you want to call it. So you can say,
no, you want to kill the termites, and instead of having you say that we need to exterminate,
we need to kill, so to speak, these termites, it's almost like a group decision. In the whole sangha,
we say that hut is being infested by the termites. We need to do something about it. Should we call
the pest exterminator? We have done that in the past, where we've done that. And then, it's sort of like a
group decision. Again it sounds like we're going around the rule so I can hint somebody or we can
take a group decision. Nonetheless you know you bear the comma so to speak. But then how can we
have somebody who's fully enlightened and they wouldn't hurt anything? So you're going into that
kind of realm where when somebody it's only act out acting out of compassion. So for that kind of
being again they can do those things where they can say that's like oh I kind of live in my heart
and then they could say somebody and if they take that somebody you know a lay person if that that
lay person would get that idea that oh we need to protect these monks
hut they would help him but that person couldn't go any further than that.
He could he would still say like look I need accommodation it's cold here and we just had
a storm and it's it's in and winter time here now it is getting a bit cold. So a lot of people would
naturally help those kind of people because they are just so they have a lot of compassion those
kind of person people want to be around those kind of people. So very naturally
a lot of people would help all the time. It's same like for us we cannot cook food we cannot
ask for things but if we appear with and people know what we're doing they they want to give us
food but we cannot say give me that kind of food or you know like I we don't beg so to speak we
make ourselves available and that's the difference between us
going what alms round we call alms round instead of like you couldn't call us beggars in that sense
that we are just sort of like we. So I'm not sure if I give you am I giving you the right answer
like how do you square up this like idea that how can you have a fully enlightened one who's got just
perfect compassion in this world and yet world is tricky like you give this example of termites.
They wouldn't intentionally hurt them that's why I'm trying to say they would.
Avoid that all that possibility but they could still say a some somebody
that look I'm living in this hut and it's really not usable anymore the termites have like they
could then they would say to the amongst the other monks perhaps and the other monks would get that I
did that all this monk has to move away from the from the hut so then they would try to find a
solution for it so like it's it's like that so I don't know what else to say about that really but
that's again it's sort of like there would be a natural solution for that kind of problem.
Are there any more questions or comments if no I think Vivian would you want to say something.
Yes please say something.
I do have a question but it's already 10 it's already past the time.
Oh I just answered quickly that's right.
It's very convoluted though.
Well keep it short convoluted.
Okay you mentioned in your talk that you think there's a possibility different time scales can
exist at once right you were saying perhaps like aliens well at least that's how I interpret it.
Mm-hmm yes.
Yes.
So does that mean the past the present and the future can all exist at the same time?
That I don't know no what I really meant that it's sort of like
if something moves in in front of you like really quickly like somebody oscillates really really
quickly if it's too fast for you to comprehend it you wouldn't even see that and if they come
if they appear very slowly in front of you like a minute passes and then they disappear again
and then as like another minute passes and they can only appear that quick
in that way you wouldn't see them either these are outside of your realm
it's just sort of like you you're not you're as human we just cannot sort of see certain
things which oscillate in different different wavelengths so so to speak but can the
no the future is hasn't appeared yet so but only thing I can say that the past conditions
this moment and this this moment you're conditioning the the future so you are
everything you do you are conditioned in the future to be the way you want it to be
but um so no they wouldn't exist really at the same time so we're always living in the present
uh which is conditioned by the past yeah yeah so it's it's not present is yeah present itself is
nothing but it's that whatever the past was it's the it it becomes the present yeah so if you if
you are you are making the present um uh now and then that becomes again that the present but so
that's why we can change the future in the sense that there's like it's interesting weird people
sometimes say like well if there's no there's no you really there like everything is uh not that is
no self like what gets reborn but it's the same kind of question or like what is future what
future will be it's your future will be you will be in your future because you're conditioning it
now and then again you that conditioning just continues so it's like you know you will be in
the future tomorrow you wake up as you and not not your sister but it's just uh but it's you
know certain things are conditioned by your family and the society you live in but the
is you have a different kind of stream coming from the all the past condition which comes from
the past lives as well i see i mean i don't really get it but i'll i'll think about it oh great yeah
i i had this the interesting thing is like one time i i remember i was just a young monk maybe
a novice and i was like really excited about all these things and i was like my cousin asked me
this kind of questions she was a bit younger maybe 16 17 and like i said like i explained to her this
was really excited about it and because like really explain it to her like excited and she
was like looking at me and i was like wow she gets it and then she looks at me it's like oh that was
so deep i said wow yeah yeah she really got it and then she said i wish i would understand what
he just said so maybe you're not it's just you're not ready yet vivian to understand that's the
reason that it's no it's really i cannot explain if you don't understand it's not your fault it's
not ready it's just because my explanation is not good enough that's it so never think you don't
you cannot understand it's just a teacher kind of teach all right that's it i'm going to my cold
hut i don't have a heater anymore in my heart i'm freezing there so have warm feelings towards me and
uh we see you all somewhere in the future hopefully very good have a good night bye thank you thank
you
thank you thank you