The Fast Way to Enlightenment: Bahiya Sutra

John D. Ireland translation, Bahiya Sutra: "About Bahiya" (Verses of Uplift, Udana 1.10, PTS: Ud 6); G.P. Malalasekera; Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Samsara is long and wearisome. Wake up.

Thus have I heard. At one time the Blessed One (the Buddha) was staying near Savatthi in the Jeta Wood at Anathapindika's monastery.

At that time Bahiya of the Barkcloth (Bahiya Daruciriya) was living by the seashore at Supparaka. He was respected, revered, honored, venerated, given homage, and provided with the requisites of a wandering ascetic.

Now while he was in seclusion, this reflection arose in the mind of Bahiya of the Barkcloth: "Am I one of those in the world who are arhats (full enlightenment) or who have entered the path to arhatship?"

Then a deva who was a former blood relative of Bahiya of the Barkcloth understood that reflection in Bahiya's mind. Being compassionate and wishing to benefit him, he approached and said:

"Bahiya, you are neither an arhat nor have you entered the path to arhatship. You do not follow that practice whereby you could be an arhat or enter the path to arhatship."

"Then who in the world, including the devas, are arhats or have entered the path to arhatship?"

"There is, Bahiya, in a far country a town called Savatthi. There the Blessed One now lives who is the Arhat, the Fully Enlightened One. That venerable, Bahiya, is indeed an arhat and teaches Dharma for the realization of arhatship."

Bahiya of the Barkcloth, profoundly stirred by the words of that deva, then and there departed from Supparaka. Stopping only for one night everywhere (along the way), he made it to Savatthi where the Blessed One was staying in the Jeta Wood.

At that time a number of wandering ascetics were walking up and down in the open air. Bahiya of the Barkcloth approached them and said: "Where, reverend sirs, is the Blessed One now living, the Arhat, the Fully Enlightened One? We wish to see that venerable who is the Arhat, the Fully Enlightened One."

"The Blessed One, Bahiya, has gone for almsfood among the houses."

The Buddha had golden skin and a bright aura

Then Bahiya hurriedly left Jeta Wood. Entering Savatthi, he saw the Blessed One on alms round [with a company of monks] in Savatthi — pleasing, lovely to see, with serene senses and tranquil mind, attained to perfect poise and calm, controlled, a perfected one, watchful with restrained senses.

On seeing the Blessed One, Bahiya approached, fell down with his head at the Blessed One's feet, and said:

"Teach me Dharma, venerable sir! Teach me Dharma, Sugata, for my good and happiness for a long time."

Upon being spoken to in this way, the Buddha responded: "It is an unsuitable time, Bahiya. We have entered among the houses for almsfood."

But a second time Bahiya said: "It is difficult to know for certain, revered sir, how long the Blessed One will live or how long I will live. Teach me Dharma, venerable sir! Teach me Dharma, Sugata, so that it will be for my good and happiness for a long time!"

A second time the Buddha responded: "It is an unsuitable time, Bahiya. We have entered among the houses for almsfood."

But a third time Bahiya insisted: "It is difficult to know for certain... Teach me Dharma, Sugata, so that it will be for my good and happiness for a long time!"

[The Buddha relented and for the only time in his 45 year teaching career deviated from his schedule to instruct someone on alms round:] "Herein [here within this Teaching], Bahiya, train yourself thus:

• 'In the seen will be merely what is seen;
• in the heard will be merely what is heard;
• in the sensed will be merely what is sensed;
• in the cognized will be merely what is cognized.'

In the seen, Bahiya, let there be only the seen.

"In this way train yourself. When, Bahiya, for you in the seen is merely what is seen, in the heard merely what is heard, in the sensed merely what is sensed, in the cognized is merely what is cognized then, Bahiya, you will not be 'with that.'

"When, Bahiya, you are not 'with that' then you will not be 'in that.' When, Bahiya, you are not 'in that' then you will be neither here nor there (beyond) nor in between the two. Just this is the end of all suffering."

Now through this brief teaching of the Dharma of the Blessed One, the mind of Bahiya of the Barkcloth was immediately freed from the taints without grasping. Then the Buddha, having taught Bahiya with this brief instruction, went on his way.

Not long after the Blessed One's departure, a mother cow with a young calf mauled Bahiya of the Barkcloth and killed him. When the Blessed One, having walked in Savatthi, was departing the town and returning from alms round with a number of monastics, he saw Bahiya of the Barkcloth dead on the road.

A stupa for the Buddha, Topdara, Afghanistan

Seeing this he said to them: "Monastics, take Bahiya's body, put it on a litter, carry it away, cremate it, and make a sacred mound (stupa) for it. Your companion in the supreme life has passed away."

"Very well, revered sir," they replied to the Blessed One. And taking Bahiya's body, they put it on a litter, carried it away, cremated it, and made a sacred mound for it.

Then they returned to the Blessed One, bowed, sat respectfully to one side, and said: "Bahiya's body has been cremated, revered sir, and a sacred mound has been made for it. What is his destiny, what is his future birth?"

"Monastics, Bahiya of the Barkcloth was wise. He practiced according to Dharma and did not trouble me by disputing about Dharma. Monastics, Bahiya of the Barkcloth has attained final nirvana [final liberation following full enlightenment]."

Then, on realizing its significance, the Buddha pronounced this inspired utterance:

Where neither water nor earth

Nor fire nor air can gain a foothold,

There gleam no stars, no sun sheds light,

There shines no moon, yet there no darkness reigns.

When one, a sage, has come to know this

With certainty through one's own wisdom, one is

Freed from [worlds of] form and formlessness and is

Freed from pleasure and from pain.

This inspired utterance was spoken by the Blessed One, so I did hear.

Overcoming DEPRESSION (sutra)

Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson (editors), Wisdom Quarterly; Helmuth Hecker, Sister Khema (trans.), Kosala Sutra: (What Cannot Be Got) The Kosalan (AN 5.49); Marshall Rosenberg (NVC)

From Buddhist Women at the Time of the Buddha (BPS, Wheel #292, 1982) translated from Pali by Helmuth Hecker and Sister Khema (accesstoinsight.org) edited by Wisdom Quarterly.
 

Future king (Dboo/Nick Dewolf)

At one time the Blessed One (the Buddha) was staying near Savatthi at Jeta Grove, in the monastery donated by Anathapindika.
 
Then King Pasenadi of Kosala approached, paid his respects, and sat down nearby. Because at that time Queen Mallika died, a certain man approached the king and whispered in his ear: "Your majesty, Queen Mallika has died."

At those words King Pasenadi was filled with grief and depression.

I'll be back for your wife (countryfried).

And with shoulders drooping, head down, he sat glum with nothing to say. The [Buddha] saw the king sitting there in that way and spoke to him in this way:
 
"Great king, there are these five circumstances not to be obtained by ascetic (shramana), Brahmin priest (brahmana), deva (fairy, light being), mara (obstructive spirit), brahma (divinity), or anyone in the world. What are the five?
 

A sweet, innocent child loves Death.

1. "That what by its very nature is to decay will not decay is a circumstance not to be obtained by an ascetic...or anyone in the world.

2. "That what by its very nature will fall ill (be diseased) will not fall ill is a circumstance not to be obtained by an ascetic...or anyone in the world.
 
3. "That what by its very nature will die will not die is a circumstance not to be obtained by an ascetic...or anyone in the world.

4. "That what by its very nature will be exhausted will not be exhausted is a circumstance not to be obtained by an ascetic...or anyone in the world.
 
5. "That what by its very nature will be destroyed (fall apart) will not come to destruction is a circumstance not to be obtained by an ascetic...or anyone in the world.
 

What about great queens? (MO)

"Great king, for an uninstructed ordinary person (worldling) what is of a nature to decay does decay, what is of a nature to fall ill does fall ill, what is of a nature to die does die, what is of a nature to be exhausted is exhausted, and what is of a nature to fall apart does fall apart.

"And when these things happen, one does not reflect, "It is not only for me that what is of a nature to decay does decay...that what is of a nature to fall apart does fall apart. But wherever there are beings coming and going, dying and being reborn [according to their karma] -- for all of those beings, what is of a nature to decay does decay...what is of a nature to fall apart does fall apart.

"And if I, when there is decay in what is of a nature to decay...when there is falling apart in what is of a nature to fall apart should grieve, pine, and lament, and crying beat the breast and so fall into delusion, food would not be enjoyed, my body would become haggard, work would not be done, and enemies (adversaries) would be pleased, while friends (fans) would be depressed.

Even "great kings," maharajas, suffer.

"Then when there is decay in what is of a nature to decay, disease in what is of a nature to become diseased, death in what is of a nature to die, exhaustion in what is of a nature to be exhausted, destruction in what is of a nature to be destroyed, one grieves, pines, and laments, and crying beats breast and so falls into delusion.
 
"This is called an 'uninstructed ordinary person (worldling).' Pierced by the poisoned dart of grief, one just torments oneself.

"Great king, for the instructed noble disciple what is of a nature to decay does decay...and what is of a nature to fall apart does fall apart...and when these things happen, one reflects, "It is not only for me that what is of a nature to decay does decay...that what is of a nature to fall apart does fall apart.

"But wherever there are beings coming and going, dying and being reborn -- for all of those beings, what is of a nature to decay does decay...what is of a nature to fall apart does fall apart.

Great African kings, pharaohs, still died.

"And if I -- when there is decay in what is of a nature to decay...when there is destruction in what is of a nature to come to destruction -- should grieve, pine, and lament, and crying beat the breast and so fall into delusion, food would not be enjoyed, my body would become haggard, work would not be done, and enemies would be pleased, while friends would be depressed.

"Then when there is decay in what is of a nature to decay, disease in what is of a nature to be diseased, death in what is of a nature to die, exhaustion in what is of a nature to be exhausted, destruction in what is of a nature to be destroyed, one does not grieve or pine or lament, one does not beat one's breast or fall into delusion.
 

Noble disciples like Sariputra

"This is called an instructed noble disciple. Drawn out is the poisoned dart of grief with which the uninstructed ordinary person brings about self torment. Freed of grief, freed from the dart, the noble disciple has been quenched completely."
 
"Great king, these are the five circumstances not to be obtained by an ascetic, Brahmin priest, deva, mara, brahma, or by anyone in the world."
 

"Do not grieve, nor lament.

Herein, what good is gained?

None at all, indeed,

And adversaries rejoice to see

One writhe in pain and grief.
 
But when misfortune shakes not the wise --

That one who knows well how to seek the good,
Then adversaries -- because of that -- are pained,

Seeing one's face as formerly, unstrained.
 
"Wherever and whatever good may be gotten, 

Be there, and just there try for that by study (suta),

Wisdom, and well-spoken words,

Unpracticed so far, and tradition, too.

 

But if one knows, "This good can be obtained
Neither by me nor any other too"
Then ungrieving one bears it all (and thinks),

"Now how to use my strength for present work*?"

*Work: (kammatthānā) this term, as a designation for meditation (self-development) exercises or bhāvanā, is found only in the Commentaries (tika). In the discourses (sutras), the word is only used in a concrete sense for "field of work, activity (action=kamma, karma), or occupation," as agriculture, trade, and so on.

Buddhist multi-millionaire: poor then rich again

Dhr. Seven and Amber Larson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly; Hellmuth Hecker, Anathapindika: The Great Benefactor, Part II, "As A Wealthy Patron" (Lives of the Great Disciples Series)

The noble disciples with the Buddha at their head (Thai-on/flickr.com)

 

PROLOGUE

"Thus have I heard. One time the Blessed One was staying in the city of Savatthi at Jeta's Grove, in Anathapindika's Monastery..."

Many of the Buddha's sutras begin with these words, so the name of that great lay devotee and multimillionaire, Anathapindika, is well known. His name was Sudatta, a stream enterer, whose honorific nickname means: "One who gives alms (pinda) to the unprotected (a-natha)."

 

Who was he? How did he meet the Buddha? What was his relationship to the Dharma? The answers to these questions may be found in the many references to him in the traditional discourses.

SUTRA

Buying land with gold to gift to the Buddha

Even the wealth of the Buddhist multimillionaire Anathapindika (the merchant, trader, banker, or "best," see setthi*) was not inexhaustible.

One day treasures worth 18 million gold pieces were swept away by a flash flood and washed into the sea. Moreover, Anathapindika had loaned nearly the same amount of money to business friends, who had failed to repay him. He was reluctant, however, to ask for the money.

Because his fortune amounted to about five times 18 million, and he had already spent three-fifths of it for the famous forest monastery he donated to the Buddha and Buddha's wandering ascetics, his money had now nearly run out. Anathapindika had become poor.

Nevertheless, he continued to provide food for the mendicants nuns and monks as well as the needy and defenseless, although it was only a modest serving of thin rice gruel.

At that time a spirit lived in his seven-storied mansion, above the gate-tower. Whenever the Buddha or a noble (enlightened) disciple entered the house, the spirit, following the laws of its realm, was obliged to step down from its place in order to honor the Great Ones. However, this was very inconvenient for the spirit. Annoyed, he tried to think of a way to keep noble ones out away from the house.

He appeared to a servant and suggested the residence stop offering alms. But the servant paid no attention to these urgings. Then the spirit tried to turn the son of the house against the monastics, but this also failed.

Finally, the spirit appeared in the supernatural aura to the householder himself and tried to persuade Anathapindika to stop the giving of alms given that he was now impoverished. However, Anathapindika, who was a stream enterer, explained that he recognized only three treasures: the Buddha, the Enlightened Teacher, the Dharma, the Teaching that leads to Enlightenment, and the Sangha, the Community of Noble Disciples [that runs the gamut from lay disciples who are stream enterers or those destined for stream entry to ordained arhats].
 

Sculpture of his donation (British Library)

Anathapindika was looking after these treasures and told the spirit to leave his house as there was no place in it for adversaries of the noble ones with the Buddha as their head.

Thereupon, the spirit, following the laws of his realm, had to abandon that place. He betook himself to the deity who was the divine protector of the city of Savatthi and requested an assignment to a new shelter. But it was instead referred to a higher court, that of the Four Great Sky Kings (corresponding to the Four Cardinal Directions).

However, these four also did not feel qualified to make judge where the noble ones were concerned and sent the homeless spirit [up one plane of existence] to Sakka, King of the Devas.

In the meantime, the spirit had become aware of its grave misconduct and asked Sakka to seek forgiveness on his behalf. The king of the devas required that as a penance the spirit help Anathapindika regain his fortune.
 
First of all, the spirit had to retrieve the sunken gold that had washed into the sea; moreover, he had to procure unclaimed buried treasure, and finally he had to persuade Anathapindika's ungrateful debtors to repay their debts.

With a great deal of effort, the spirit fulfilled these tasks. In doing so, he appeared to the debtors in dreams to demand repayment. Soon after Anathapindika regained 54 million and was again able to be as generous as before.
 

The Buddha -- noble, awakened, and free -- helped all who came in contact with him, whether human, deva, or spirit. Such was his loving-kindness and wisdom (Hanuman/flickr.com).

 
The spirit appeared before the Enlightened One and asked his pardon for his malevolent misbehavior, motivated by its annoyance. He was forgiven, and after the Buddha explained the Dharma to him, he became a disciple.

The Enlightened One taught him, moreover, that a person who strives for perfection in giving could not be kept from it by anything in the world, neither by bad nor good fairies, not devas, not yakkhas, nor threat of death (Jataka 140; Jataka 340).

After Anathapindika regain his wealthy and status, a Brahmin became jealous of his good fortune and decided to steal from him what, in his opinion, had made him so wealthy. He wanted to abduct the manifestation of Sirī (Sri), the Goddess of Fortune, because he thought that then fortune would leave Anathapindika and come to him.

He could then force her to do his bidding. This strange perception was based on the idea that so called favors of fate, while a [karmic] reward for earlier meritorious deeds, are nevertheless dispensed by devas/deities), who force them to dwell in the beneficiary's house.

So the Brahmin went to Anathapindika's house and looked around to see where the Spirit of Fortune -- the one Americans today refer to, often quite literally, as Lady Luck -- might be found. Like many ancient Indians of his day, he had clairvoyant powers (dibba cakkhu, the "divine eye"), and he saw "Fortune" living in a white cock which was kept in a golden cage in the palace.

He asked the master of the house to give him the cock to awaken his students in the morning. Without hesitation, generous Anathapindika granted the Brahmin his wish. However, just at that moment, "Fortune" wandered into a jewel.

Therefore, the Brahmin also requested the jewel as a present and received it. Then the spirit hid in a staff, a self-defense weapon. After the Brahmin had successfully begged this, the manifestation of Siri settled down on the head of the lady Puññalakkhana-devi, the first wife of Anathapindika, who was truly the good spirit of the house and therefore had the protection of the devas.
 

Anathapindika visits the Buddha (MBDD)

When the Brahmin saw this, he recoiled in fright: "His wife I cannot request from him!" He confessed his greedy unskillful intentions, returned the gifts and, deeply ashamed, he left the house.

Anathapindika went to the Enlightened One and recounted this strange encounter which he had not understood. The Buddha explained the connection to him -- how the world is changed through skillful works and how, for those with right insight through the purification of virtue, everything is attainable, even nirvana (Jataka 284). More

• *Ivo Fiser, "The Problem of the Setthi in Buddhist Jatakas," in Trade in Early India, edited by Ranabir Chakravarti (New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2001)
• America's two newest multi-millionaires: Will they make merit or regret it? (March 2014)

The nun Khema, Foremost in Wisdom (sutra)

Dhr. Seven and Amber Larson, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly translation based on Ven. Thanissaro (aka Geoffrey DeGraff, Abbot of Wat Metta), Khema Sutta (SN 44.1)

Venerable Khema, the Buddha's chief female disciple (-William/flickr.com)

 

First Buddhist Women (Susan Murcott)

On one occasion the Blessed One was residing near the city of Savatthi at Jeta's Grove in the millionaire's monastery. At that time the nun Khema [the Buddha's chief female disciple, "foremost in wisdom"], wandering on tour among the Kosalan peopple, had taken up her residence between Savatthi and Saketa at Toranavatthu. 

Then King Pasenadi Kosala, while traveling from Saketa to Savatthi, took up a one-night residence between Savatthi and Saketa at Toranavatthu. He addressed a certain man, "Come, now, my good man. Find out if in Toranavatthu there is any Brahmin [priest] or wandering ascetic (shraman) I might visit today."

 

"As you wish, sire," the man replied. Having roamed all over Toranavatthu, he did not see any. However, he did see the nun Khema. And seeing her he went to King Pasenadi Kosala and reported: "Sire, in Toranavatthu there is no Brahmin or wandering ascetic of the sort your majesty might visit. But there is a [Buddhist] nun named Khema, a disciple of the Blessed One, worthy and rightly self-awakened.

Khema "foremost in wisdom"

"And of this lady this commendable report has spread: 'She is wise, competent, intelligent, learned, a fluent speaker, admirable in her ingenuity.' Let your majesty visit her."

 

King Pasenadi Kosala went to the nun Khema. When he arrived, he bowed and sat respectfully to one side. Sitting there he said: "Now then, lady, does the Tathagata [the "Wayfarer," the Buddha] exist after death?"

 

"This, great king, has not been declared by the Blessed One: 'The Tathagata exists after death.'"

 

"Well then, lady, does the Tathagata not exist after death?"

 

"Great king, this too has not been declared by the Blessed One: 'The Tathagata does not exist after death.'"

 

"Then does the Tathagata both exist and not exist after death?"

"This also has not been declared by the Blessed One: 'The Tathagata both exists and does not exist after death.'"

 

"Well then, does the Tathagata neither exist nor not exist after death?"

 

"This, too, has not been declared by the Blessed One: 'The Tathagata neither exists nor does not exist after death.'"

 

"Now, lady, when asked if the Tathagata exists after death, you [answer no to each of the four exhaustive options]. Now, what is the cause, what is the reason, why that has not been declared by the Blessed One?"

 

Khema, Buddha, and Uppalavanna? (BreenJones)

"Very well, then, great king, I will question you in return about this very same matter. Answer as you see fit. What do you think, great king: Do you have an accountant or actuary or mathematician who can count the grains of sand in the river Ganges as 'so many grains of sand,' or 'so many hundreds of grains of sand,' or 'so many thousands of grains of sand,' or 'so many hundreds of thousands of grains of sand'?"

 

"No, lady."

 

"Then do you have an accountant or calculator or mathematician who can count the water in the great ocean as 'so many buckets of water,' or 'so many hundreds of buckets of water,' or 'so many thousands of buckets of water,' or 'so many hundreds of thousands of buckets of water'?"

 

"No, lady. But why is that? The great ocean is deep, boundless, hard to fathom!"

 

"Even so, great king, any physical form by which one describing the Tathagata would describe him -- that the Tathagata has abandoned, its root destroyed, made like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for future rearising. Freed from the classification of form, great king, the Tathagata is deep, boundless, hard to fathom, like the ocean. 

Modern Theravada "ten precept nun" dressed in white in Burma (As1974/flickr.com)

 

"'The Tathagata exists after death' does not apply. 'The Tathagata does not exist after death does not apply. 'The Tathagata both exists and does not exist after death' does not apply. 'The Tathagata neither exists nor does not exist after death' does not apply.

 

"Any feeling... Any perception... Any mental formation...

"Any consciousness [form, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness are the Five Aggregates of Clinging unenlightened beings cling to and regard as self] by which one describing the Tathagata would describe him -- that the Tathagata has abandoned, its root destroyed, made like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for future rearising. 

"Freed from the classification of consciousness, great king, the Tathagata is deep, boundless, hard to fathom, like the ocean. 'The Tathagata exists after death' does not apply. 'The Tathagata does not exist after death' does not apply. 'The Tathagata both exists and does not exist after death' does not apply. 'The Tathagata neither exists nor does not exist after death' does not apply."

• The Commentary and Sub-commentary try to go further than this discourse and to describe the Liberated One's indescribability. To paraphrase: He is freed from the classification of form [and the other aggregates] because for him there will be no rearising [rebirth] of form and so on in the future, after passing into final nirvana. In addition, he is deep in terms of the depth of his character and the depth of his qualities. As for any description in terms of "a being" which might be used in relation to someone with such deep qualities, when one sees the inapplicability of the description "being," owing to the (future) non-rearising of the Five Aggregates of Clinging, one sees that none of the four statements with regard to the Tathagata are invalid after passing into final nirvana. [Wayfarer is an early English translation of the term Tathagata, which means "welcome one" and "well gone one," sometimes translated in Mahayana Buddhism as "Thus Come One." He is gone-and-going, after having arisen and arrived. He is a welcome teacher of freedom destined for complete freedom.] This explanation, which borrows from Sister Vajira's verse in SN 5.10, misses an important point raised in SN 22.36 and SN 23.2. In SN 22.36 the Buddha states that one is measured and classified by what one is obsessed with or clinging to. If one is not obsessed with anything and no longer clinging even unconsciously, then one is not measured or classified by it in the here and now. In SN 23.2 the Buddha points out that the term "being" or "becoming" (bhava) applies only where there is craving and passion [rooted in ignorance/unenlightenment and therefore leading to the future rearising of a rebirth-linking consciousness, which entails rebirth in samsara yet again for the umpteenth time]. The Tathagata, freed from craving and passion, is indescribable in the present, even though he obviously still functions in the present. SN 22.86 elaborates on this point in great detail. Another problem raised by the Commentary's explanation for this brief discourse is how it would define the Tathagata's qualities and character, for what are they composed of aside from the aggregates.

Then King Pasenadi Kosala, delighting in and approving of the nun Khema's words, got up from his seat, bowed, and -- respectfully keeping her to his right -- departed.

 

Asking the Buddha

A great Indian king (maha raja) meets the Buddha.

At another time he went to the Blessed One. When he arrived, he bowed, and sat respectfully to one side. Sitting there [he asked the Buddha the same four questions asked of the nun Khema, and he received precisely the same responses and analogies. Then he exclaimed:]

 

"Amazing, venerable sir! It is astounding how the meaning and phrasing of the teacher and disciple agree, coincide, and do not diverge from one another with regard to the supreme teaching! 

 

Recently, venerable sir, I visited the nun Khema. And when I arrived I asked her regarding this matter, and she answered me with the same words, the very same phrasing as the Blessed One. Amazing, venerable sir! It is astounding how the meaning and phrasing of the teacher and disciple agree, coincide, and do not diverge from one another with regard to the supreme teaching!

 

"Now, venerable sir, we must go. Our duties are many, and many are our responsibilities."

 

"Then do as you see fit, great king."

 

So King Pasenadi Kosala, delighting in and approving of the Blessed One's words, got up from his seat, bowed, -- respectfully keeping the Blessed One to his right -- departed.

Relationships and "Bodhicitta" (video)

Amber Larson, Wisdom Quarterly; Western nun Ven. Thubten Chodron (sravasti.org)

(Sravasti Abbey) Ven. Thubten Chodron interviewed by Asian "Buddhist Television Network"

 

Lay practitioner meditation (la.shambhala.org)

Enlightenment-mind and Relationships are the twin topics of Ven. Thubten Chodron's Dharma talk delivered at the Buddhist Library in Singapore. In another talk in 2010 in Idaho, Sravasti Abbey brought us a talk about Kindness and Forgiveness. How is this ani (Tibetan Buddhist nun or gelongma) able to speak with such authority? She is not, regardless of her name, related to famous Shambhala Buddhist nun Pema Chodron. She ordained in 1977, making her part of the first generation of Western monastic practitioners in America. That length and depth of practice put her in touch with the Dharma, as a Westerner would approach and apprehend it. Her own meditative calm and broad study allows her to pass the teachings on to subsequent generations of Westerners and displaced Tibetans.

(Peaceful1987) A wonderful Dharma talk by American Buddhist nun Thubten Chodron

• Typhoon Haiyan, strongest cyclone of 2013, kills 100+