Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Amazing UFO Investigations

How much of the world's religious literature is actually celestial (extraterrestrial) in origin made more palatable by anthropomorphizing it?

Indian history is rife with stories of epic battles with both invading and protecting extraterrestrials. Indra is seen here repelling invaders from near orbit space.

Roswell is by far the most famous news report of a recovered craft (possibly shot down). But it is not the only such story.

Triangular-shaped and otherwise configured craft are becoming more numerous than "saucer" sightings.

The famous and widely reported (and some say quickly debunked) Russian halo continues to fascinate and produce UFO evidence.

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What do Dreams do?

(WQ) Dreams allow the mind to decom-press, to unwind, to resist nothing. It is for this reason that premonitions and intuitions may break through. Dreams are met with most frequently in Buddhist texts as a means of unscrambling symbols. Our cultural point of view has a great deal to do with the Greek view, which itself was heavily influenced by ancient Indian thinking on the subject.

Whether it's a vague vision or full REM surround sound technicolor dreaming, what we remember must have as much to do with the significance we place on what we experience. As attention goes, energy flows. This also works in reverse: to get energy to flow to one's meditation practice or insight or object of concentration...give it more attention. And remember not to neglect those eight hours or more of laying in silence with eyes closed and the lights off. It's called actual "sleep."

A Dream Interpretation: Tuneups for the Brain
New York Times (Health/Mind)
What if the primary purpose of dreaming isn’t psychological at all? In a paper published last month in the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience, Dr. J. Allan Hobson, a psychiatrist and longtime sleep researcher at Harvard, argues that the main function of rapid-eye-movement sleep, or REM, when most dreaming occurs, is physiological. The brain is warming its circuits, anticipating the sights and sounds and emotions of waking. More>>
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Kala: The Millionaire's Son

WQ edit from Stories from the Dhammapada Commentary, Part II (Story 26)

Better than sole sovereignty over the Earth...This instruction was given by the Buddha while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to Kala, the son of Anathapindika (who was himself a multi-millionaire, the Buddha's greatest benefactor, and a stream-enterer).

Tradition has it that Kala, although the son of so distinguished a father, a treasurer endowed with confidence [based on his own attainment of the first stage of enlightenment], never showed any desire to visit the Buddha, or to see him when he came to his father's house, or to hear the Dharma, or to benefit the Order (Sangha).

Moreover, whenever his father said to him, "Dear son, do not do this," he paid no attention. Now his father thought to himself, "If this son of mine adopts such an attitude as this and acts accordingly, the Avici hell will be his rebirth destination. But it would not look good if my own son went to perdition before my very eyes. But there is no living being here in the world who may not be broken by gifts. I will therefore break him with gifts." So Anathapindika said to his son, "Dear Kala, take upon yourself the precepts of Uposatha [eight-precept observance] day: Go to the temple complex, listen to the Dharma, then return home. If you do, I will give you a hundred pieces of money."

"Will you really give me money, dear father?" asked Kala repeatedly.

"That I will, dear son" answered Anathapindika.

After his father had promised three times, Kala took upon himself the Eight Precepts of the observance day, undertaking to:

  1. abstain from taking life (both human and non-human)
  2. abstain from taking what is not given (stealing)
  3. abstain from all sexual activity
  4. abstain from telling lies
  5. abstain from using intoxicating drinks and drugs which lead to carelessness
  6. abstain from eating at inappropriate times (the appropriate time is eating once, after sunrise, before noon)
  7. abstain from singing, dancing, playing music, attending entertainment performances, wearing perfume, and using cosmetics and garlands (decorative accessories)
  8. abstain from luxurious places for sitting or sleeping
With these Uposatha day observances in mind, Kala went to the temple to practice all day and night. But not caring to listen to the Dharma, he lay down to sleep in a pleasant place and returned home early the next morning. Thereupon his father exclaimed, "My son, who has undertaken the precepts of the observance day, bring him rice-porridge and other food straightway!" Thus, Anathapindika had food brought and given to Kala.

But Kala refused and said, "Unless I receive the money I was promised, I will not eat!" So saying, he steadfastly refused whatever delicious food was brought to him. His father, unable to endure seeing him not eat, ordered the money be presented to his son. Kala took the money purse into his hands and ate all of the food that was brought to him.

On the following day, Anathapindika who was the City Treasurer of Savatthi, sent Kala forth, saying to him: "Dear son, I will give you a thousand pieces of money if you will stand before the Buddha, learn a single verse of the Dharma, and then return to explain it to me." Kala was glad to oblige. He went to the monastery and took his stand before the Buddha. But as soon as he had mastered a single verse, he desired to run away. Discerning this, out of great compassion, the Buddha caused him to misunderstand the meaning of the verse.



Failing to understand the verse, Kala said to himself, "I will master the following verse." So he remained and continued to listen. (Those who listen to the Dharma with a firm resolution to learn listen attentively. And to those who listen attentively, the Dharma gives the fruit of stream-entry and the remaining fruits). Kala listened to the Dharma with a firm resolution to learn. But as before the unexcelled Teacher caused him to misunderstand its meaning.

"I will master the following verse," said Kala. And so he remained and listened until he was established in the fruit of stream-entry -- the initial stage of enlightenment, the momentous turning point at which there is no falling back, the first time during all of Samsara (the ceaseless wandering on through countless aeons of repeated birth and death and immeasurable) at which point one has finally limited the remainder of "suffering" to no more than seven lives.

On the following day, Kala accompanied the Order presided over by the Buddha through the City of Savatthi. When the City Treasurer saw his son, he said to himself, "Today the demeanor of my son pleases me!" Immediately the following thought occurred to Kala: "I hope my father will not give me the money I was promised in the presence of the Buddha. I hope he will conceal the fact that it was for the sake of money that I took upon myself the precepts of the observance day." (Of course, the Buddha knew all the same that it was for the sake of money that Kala had taken upon himself the Eight Precepts on the preceding day).

Anathapindika presented rice-porridge to the Order presided over by the Buddha and then presented the same to his son. Kala sat down in silence, drank the porridge, ate the hard food, and then ate the boiled rice. When the Buddha had finished his meal, Anathapindika placed the purse containing a thousand pieces of money before his son and said, "Dear son, you will remember that I persuaded you to take upon yourself the observance day precepts and to go to the temple by promising to give you a thousand pieces of money. Here is your money!" When Kala saw the thousand pieces of money presented to him in the very presence of the Buddha, he was greatly embarrassed and said, "I do not care for the money."

"Take the money, dear son" urged the father. But the son refused to touch it.

Then Anathapindika saluted the Buddha and said, "Venerable sir, today the demeanor of my son pleases me."

"How is that, great treasurer?" asked the Buddha.

"The day before yesterday I sent him to the temple, saying to him, 'I will give you a hundred pieces of money.' Yesterday he refused to eat until I paid him the money. But today he eats and when I give him the money, he refuses to touch it."

The Buddha replied, "It is even so, great treasurer. Today, in attaining the fruit of stream-entry your son has attained that which surpasses the attainment of a World Ruler, the attainment of the world of the devas [deities in the heavens], the attainment of the world of Brahma [divinities in higher heavens]." So saying, he pronounced the following stanza:

Better than sole sovereignty over the Earth,
Better than going to heaven,
Better than rulership over all worlds
Is the fruit of entering the stream.
— Dhp 178

Buddhist Stories from the Dhammapada Commentary, Part II translated from Pali by E.W. Burlingame, selected and revised by Bhikkhu Khantipalo (accesstoinsight.org).
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"Quantum Activist" (film): Spiritual Science

(QuantumActivist.com) Prepare to take a dis-continuous leap. There is a revolution going on in science, a genuine paradigm shift. While the mainstream remains materialist, a substantial number of scientists are supporting and developing a new paradigm based on the primacy of consciousness.

Dr. Amit Goswami is a pioneer of this revolutionary new perspective within science. He shares his vision of the unlimited potential of consciousness as the ground of all being -- and how this revelation helps us live better. Recognized as one of the world's brilliant minds, Amit has recently appeared in the movies "What the Bleep Do We Know?" as well as "The Dalai Lama Renaissance" and authored over a dozen books from textbooks on quantum mechanics to consciousness and the New Science.

We trace Goswami from his early years in India. Away from the religious teachings of his childhood, he sought his path through nuclear physics. He has now come full circle through quantum insight to the very religious axioms of his youth. With daring style, the "Quantum Activist" presents wisdom with humor, recounting Amit's journey, the message, and what it means to us all.
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News of the Day

CC Liu (WQ)

More turning to Buddhist Free Clinic for help
The wait to see an acupuncturist at the Geylang Lorong 23 branch of the Singapore Buddhist Free Clinic on a Saturday can stretch to... (AsiaOne). American Tzu Chi free clinics
What online photos reveal about you
Posed and candid shots on your social networking pages can reveal nuances of your personality. Social network manners

10 surprising truths about allergies
Your birth order and your childhood weight may determine if you suffer from allergies. More little-known facts


Companies that are hiring workers now
From medicine to manufacturing, hiring managers tell who they're looking for and why. Job-search mistakes

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Crop circle pattern sparks fresh debate

Neil Leighton (BBC News Online)


(BBC) An elaborate pattern in flattened crops in a Wiltshire field has sparked fresh debate over one of rural Britain's most perplexing mysteries -- crop circles. The circle appeared over two nights at the start of August.

The formation, thought to be as long as a football [field], appeared in a field near Silbury Hill over two nights at the beginning of August. Some say the pattern is made by mysterious forces and features symbols from the ancient Mayan civilization which mark the beginning of a new world order.

Others believe it is made by commercially-minded "landscape artists." The only "new order," these sceptics say, will be from publishers wanting photographs of the design. So who is right? Is it possible that someone or thing is trying to communicate with us using imagery from a culture more than 1,000 years old. More>>

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Destination Truth: Yeti Hairs

BHUTAN, Himalayas -- The Destination Truth team may have stumbled upon a very promising find. If you follow the show, then you’ll remember when the team discovered the infamous “Yeti footprint” about two years ago and made some headlines. Now on their third season, DT reveals another possible important find. Hair from an unknown primate from the Bhutan nation. This season’s finale offered the world the possibility that maybe there is more than just legend when it comes to Bigfoot, Yeti, Yowie, and the rest. Josh Gates sent the hairs to a forensics lab in Texas to be examined by Dr. Melba Ketchum. She ran a few tests and ran the findings against a database. The hairs seems to score high on the Human panels. Dr. Ketchum concluded that the hairs recovered from Bhutan were from a primate. An unknown primate. More>>

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NASA crusade to debunk 2012 myths

NASA on crusade to debunk 2012 apocalypse myths
(theyear2012.blogspot.com)

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The world is not coming to an end on December 21, 2012, the US space agency insisted Monday in a rare campaign to dispel widespread rumors fueled by the Internet and a new Hollywood movie.

The latest big screen offering from Sony Picture, "2012," arrives in theaters on Friday, with a 200-million-dollar production about the end of the world supposedly based on myths backed by the Mayan calendar. The doomsday scenario revolves around claims that the end of time will come as an obscure Planet X -- or Nibiru -- heads toward or collides with Earth.

The mysterious planet was supposedly discovered by the Sumerians, according to claims by pseudo-scientists, paranormal activity enthusiasts and Internet theorists. Some websites accuse NASA of concealing the truth on the wayward planet's existence, but the US space agency denounced such stories as an "Internet hoax."

"There is no factual basis for these claims," NASA said in a question-and-answer posting on its website. If such a collision were real "astronomers would have been tracking it for at least the past decade, and it would be visible by now to the naked eye," it added. "Obviously, it does not exist." "Credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012," it insisted. More>>

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Women's Place in Buddhism

Reflections on J. Abeygunawardhana's letter (The Island Online, Sri Lanka)


(WQ) It's an unfortunate truth that Buddhism has sexist elements. It was certainly progressive in its day. According to the Buddha, as a dispensation (sasana), Buddhism would not be complete or perfect without -- four kinds of followers: male and female ordained and lay followers.

However, at some point sexism asserted itself. The India of that time pushed back progressive gains, and the texts were interpreted more according to custom and habit. Commentators had one view of women in spite of the histories of many enlightened nuns in the sutras. and things added. The subtraction (of discourses originally memorized and preserved by nuns) were not then memorized by monks when the Order of Nuns declined and disappeared. Indeed, they had their own sutras addressed to them to keep track of. (The Therigatha, "Psalms of the Sisters" or "Enlightened Verses of the Nuns," and the Vinaya rules for nuns are two examples of scriptures specifically aimed at nuns that survive).

One should not doubt that the sexism that pervades the world outside of shamanistic and Pagan traditions also touched Buddhism. The social reality is that sexism is still very much alive. Even as this lay Buddhist writer sending in a letter to the editor in defense of women at The Island reveals, a great deal of ignorance still surrounds women. Moreover, Sri Lanka, which is where The Island is based, was a British colony and took on a great deal of the bias inherent in the English educational system.

Nevertheless, the letter brings up some good points. There is indeed a text that claims that women -- who are fully capable of becoming enlightened, seeing nirvana, being liberated in this very life, and even teaching the Dharma -- cannot become buddhas unless they were to first be reborn as men. Is this true? It would seem not. Is it true that it is written and believed? There can be no doubt about that. Assuming it is true, one must always bear in mind that living beings are neither male nor female. Rebirth from one sex to the other is common. And beyond the level of brahmas (divinities), there is no sexual dimorphism, no male and female, no sexual distinction. Therefore, men cannot claim to be "men" except that they temporarily manifest a type of body which is predominantly masculine and less feminine.

G.A.D. Sirimal’s letter on "Tragic discrimination against women" in the columns of The Island (11/07/09) prompts me to reply to correct his misinterpretation of buddhahood and womanhood. These are his words:

"What about Buddhism? Can any woman become a Buddha? From what I have heard in [sermon] preaching by Buddhist monks, a woman could become a buddha, if during her journey through Samsara, she accrues sufficient merit [for buddhahood], be born as a man, and then attain buddhahood."



A buddha-aspirant has to be born as a male in his last birth, not because man is superior to woman. A bodhisattva’s journey to buddhahood or enlightenment in his last birth, is a trying experience, a woman is not equal to. [This is where the writer falls off a cliff trying to defend equality]. For instance, the [superfluous] six year period of austerity Prince Siddhartha practiced, prior to attaining buddhahood or [perfect] enlightenment, is not something that a woman, tender and physically weaker than a man, could withstand. According to the Buddha’s Teachings, gender is not considered a [disqualifier] to attain nirvana (deathlessness/bliss).

The Buddha’s retinue (parivara) consists of four divisions -- monks and nuns as well as male and female lay disciples. Anyone who belongs to one of these divisions can attain the supreme bliss of nirvana in this very life, if one follows the Teachings (Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path) diligently. There is no discrimination whatsoever against a female. (Except apparently in the imagination or social conception of the writer).

All beings are equal. One is not superior to another by birth, race, caste, creed, or gender. That is the Buddha’s Teaching. Of the three compendiums (Tripitaka, the three divisions of the Teaching), the Book of Discipline was recited by the enlightened monk Upali, a great elder (maha thera) of the Buddha who was born to a so-called low caste (scavenger) family. There was no discrimination in the Buddha's dispensation (Sasana).

Limited space here does not permit me to further elucidate my point that there is no discrimination against women in the Teachings of Gautama Buddha. The nuns Patachara and Kisagotami are two famous women who were ordained by the Buddha before attaining enlightenment. The nuns Sujata and Visakha are great names associated with Gautama Buddha’s lifetime. One should not rush to hasty conclusions and pass judgment on anything without knowing the facts. Source

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Monday, November 9, 2009

The Five Aggregates of BEING

Seven Dharmachari translation of SN XXII.79 (purifymind.com)


What are the Five Aggregates that constitute the psycho-physical being, which act as the ultimate objects of clinging, that are mistakenly taken to be an enduring self, soul, ego, or identity?

"What do you call 'form' (rupa)? It is because it is afflicted (ruppati) that it is called 'form.' Afflicted with what? With cold, heat, hunger, thirst, with the touch of gadflies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and snakes. Because it is afflicted, it is called form.

"What do you call 'feeling' [sensation, vedana]? It is because it feels that it is called 'feeling.' What does it feel? It feels pleasure, pain, and neither-pleasure-nor-pain [neutral]. And because it feels, it is called feeling.

"What do you call 'perception' [sañña]? It is because it perceives that it is called 'perception.' What does it perceive? It perceives blue, yellow, red, white. And because it perceives, it is called perception.

"What do you call 'mental-formations' [sankhara]? It is because they compound compounded things [form formations, compose composites, fabricate fabrications] that they are called 'formations.' What do they compound into a compounded thing?

"From form-ness, they compound form [body, derived and underived materiality, the four great elements] into a compounded thing. From sensing, they compound feeling into a compounded thing. From perceiving... From compounding... From consciousness, they compound consciousness into a compounded [composite, fabricated] thing. And it is because they compound compounded things that they are called formations.

"What do you call 'consciousness' [viññāṇa]? It is because it cognizes that it is called 'consciousness.' What does it cognize? It cognizes what is sour, bitter, pungent, sweet, astringent, non-astringent, salty, and bland. And because it cognizes, it is called consciousness."


DISCUSSION
These, then, in brief are the Five Aggregates. And when it is said -- most famously in the Heart Sutra (the Discourse on the Heart of Perfect Wisdom, Prajnaparamita) -- that "form is emptiness" and the very emptiness form, and that the same is true of feelings, perceptions, formations, and consciousness, what is meant is that they do not constitute a "being." There is no identity in the process, nothing to identify with. There is merely a process, and every part of it is accounted for, including the unseen or psychological components and the seen or physical elements.

An individual is therefore composed of eight heaps or groups of things, four physical and four nonphysical. The first four groups are together simply called "form." They are the Four Elements (mahabhuta) or characteristics of matter: hardness (earth), liquidity (water), heat (fire), and motion (wind). These are fundamental. They should not be confused with the tangible items seen in the world, which are simply examples of them. All material objects contain these four qualities or characteristics of matter in varying degrees. Moreover, there are 24 derived or secondary phenomena also called form or corporeality; they account for body-sensitivity and the life process.

The second four groups are called "name" (nama) or mentality: sensation (five kinds, i.e., agreeable, disagreeable, bodily, mental, and indifferent), perception (six classes, i.e., the five senses and mental impression), mental-formations (50 phenomena), and consciousness (six classes, i.e., the five senses plus mind).

Through successful meditation rooted in absorption (jhana) and escalating up through progressive insight (vipassana) exercises, it is possible in this very life to literally see and understand these phenomena or things. They are not as they appear -- mere philosophical and psychological designations handed down by the Buddha. Not only can they be seen, knowing and seeing them gives way to liberating insight into the nature of all phenomena. One discerns their impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and impersonal or "empty" nature. One is thereby freed from clinging to them and the objects of sensory experience found in the world.

It is only through this understanding that one may be said to undergo the process of "going beyond."

Gate, gate, paragate, parasamgate, bodhi swaha!

"Gone, gone, gone beyond, gone altogether beyond, [to] awakening, so it is!"

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Dalai Lama defies Beijing on A.P. visit

Mark Magnier (theage.com.au)


ARUNACHAL PRADESH, India -- Ignoring Chinese protests, the Dalai Lama travelled to a disputed part of India near China's Tibetan border delighting thousands of pilgrims who braved cold weather to catch a glimpse of their spiritual leader.

Thousands of Buddhists gave the Dalai Lama a rousing welcome as he arrived at the Tawang monastery, 3500 meters high in Arunachal Pradesh state. The Dalai Lama, who was sharply criticized by Beijing before the visit, was to spend five days praying and instructing Buddhist followers. His last visit there was in 2003.

''We are very pleased and blessed to have His Holiness here,'' said Sarwang Lama, a monk attired in a new maroon robe, as Tibetan prayer flags fluttered in the air and posters of the Dalai Lama adorned streets and rooftops. China has accused the spiritual leader of making the trip to further the movement for an independent Tibet, which accounts for about one-sixth of Chinese territory. More>>

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The Greatest Gift



A beautiful young bride expected a tremendous gift from her loving fiance. He had pledged his love and promised her the greatest gift that could be bestowed. She had been admiring a diamond ring, and she repeatedly hinted at exactly the one she wanted.

As her wedding day approached, she waited anxiously, hoping her husband loved her enough to get the right ring. Finally her fiance arrived with a gift in hand. He told her how much he loved her and how proud he was to be marrying such a wonderful person as he handed her a large and awkwardly wrapped gift.

It seemed too big to be a ring. She slowly pulled open the wrapping in search of a ring only to find a copy of the Dhammapada instead.

She looked old and ugly as she angrily raised her voice: "You say you love me and you give me a book?!"

"Look inside, look inside!" the man pleaded. But it was no use.

"You want me to read...you've got the wrong girl!" she screeched as she broke off the engagement, leaving him for good. Instead she ran off and married a man with whom she had little in common. He had the sense to buy her with a big, flashy ring.

As she grew older and everyday less attractive, after she had begun a family with her unkind and often stingy new husband, she wondered about her former fiance. She was curious if he had ever married, given how poorly he chose gifts. She decided to pay him a visit.

When she returned home, she was sad to find his half opened gift, the wrapping, and the remnants of her life. It was too difficult to call him. But she remembered him pleading to look inside. She pulled out the copy of the Dhammapada.

With tears, she opened the book and began to turn the pages. Her fiance had carefully highlighted a single verse.

"The gift of the Dharma excels all gifts; the taste of the Dharma excels all tastes; delight in the Dharma excels all delights; the eradication of craving overcomes all ills."

As she read those words, she noticed a receipt from the jeweller's to pick up her diamond ring when the engraving, "LOVE YOU," was completed.

Moral of the Story
How many times do we miss a blessing because it is not packaged as we expect? The moral is simple: Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you do not have. After all, what you now have was once among the things you hoped for. The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be worn for everyone to see. The greatest gift comes through understanding.

This Dhammapada palm leaf manuscript written in Sinhalese characters (first and last pages shown) is believed to be the oldest extant copy of the text. (Image courtesy of K. D. Paranavitana, Assistant Archivist, Department of National Archives, Sri Lanka).
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Travel, Sasquatch, Tantrums, Mood, and Jobs


Breakfast around the Buddha's Eyes Stupa
KATHMANDU, Nepal -- Visiting Boudhanath at dawn is an opportunity to witness a surreal view of Buddhists and Tibetans clad in maroon robes, walking clockwise, spinning prayer wheels, repeating mantras, and counting prayer beads. Om Mani Padme


Most original places in the world to vacation
Travelers are trading beach vacations for unforgettable experiences in faraway lands. How to get to Tiger's Lair, a Buddhist monastery

Sasquatch in the news; cat catches swine flu
A cat who contracted swine flu from its owner and new alleged Bigfoot evidence stir up the Web. What else this week? - Bigfoot evidence


Reasons why kids have temper tantrums
Knowing these six common triggers is the first step in preventing another meltdown. Threats to self-esteem


Foods that put you in a good mood
These snacks have nutrients that fight stress and increase happy feelings. Mood-boosting ingredients - Depression symptoms


Unemployment is harder than it used to be
People faced fewer financial perils the last time the jobless rate hit 10 percent, a generation ago. Recession of 1982 - Surviving unemployment
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Dhammapada: Verses on Craving

Treasury of Truth: Dhammapada (BuddhaNet.com)

Verse 334: The increase of Craving

As creeping ivy craving grows
in one living carelessly.
Like this, one leaps from life to life
as ape in the forest seeking fruit.

Explanation: Human craving grows like the maluva creeper. In the end, it destroys the tree. And like a restless monkey unhappy with the fruit to be found in any tree, humans possessed by craving keep jumping from one existence to another.

Verse 335: How Craving increases

Whomsoever in this world
this wretched clinging craving routs
for such a one do sorrows grow
as grass well-soaked with rain.

Explanation: If someone is overcome by craving which is low and poisonous, that person's sorrows grow as profusely as birana grass exposed to rain.

Verse 336: Escaping Craving

But whoever in the world
routs wretched craving hard to quell,
from such a one do sorrows fall
like water drops from lotus leaf.

Explanation: Craving is a lowly urge. It is difficult to escape craving. But in this world, if one conquers craving, sorrow slides off like water from a lotus leaf.

Verse 337: Uprooting Craving

Prosperity to you, I say,
to all assembled here!
When needing grass’s fragrant root
so craving extirpate.
Don’t let Mara break you again
and again as a torrent a reed!

Explanation: Those assembled here, may you all be well. This is advice for well being. A person who is keen to get sweet-smelling usira roots must first dig up birana grass roots. In the same way, dig up the roots of craving. If that is done, Mara (death personified) will not torture you over and over like a torrent snapping a reed.

Verse 338: Craving uneradicated brings repeated suffering

As tree though felled shoots up again
if its roots are safe and firm
so this dukkha grows again
so long as latent craving’s unremoved.

Explanation: Even when a tree has been cut down, it will grow again if its roots are left intact. Just so, when traces of craving remain, suffering arises again and again.

Verse 339: Caught in the currents of Craving

For whom the six and thirty streams
forceful flow and sweet seem,
floods of thought that spring from lust
sweep the holder of such wrong views away.

Explanation: If in a person the 36 streams flow strongly towards pleasurable thoughts, that person of depraved views will be carried away on those currents of craving.

Verse 340: The Creeper of Craving

Everywhere these streams are swirling,
up-bursting creepers rooted firm.
Seeing the craving-creeper there,
with wisdom cut it from the root!

Explanation: The streams of craving flow towards objects in all directions. As a result, new creepers spring up and flourish everywhere. The wise, when they see craving spreading in this way, cut its root with wisdom.

Verse 341: Bliss does not come through Craving

To beings there are pleasures streaming
sticky with desire,
steeped in comfort, happiness-seeking,
such ones come to birth and decay.

Explanation: Craving arises in people when attention to pleasurable objects flows outwards. These streams flow towards pleasure with the idea of sensual satisfaction. People who are bent on pleasure experience repeated cycles of birth and decay.

Verse 342: The bonds that entrap humans

Who follow craving are assailed;
they tremble as the hare ensnared
held fast by fetter and bonds
so long they come to dukkha again.

Explanation: Surrounded by craving the masses tremble like rabbits caught in traps. Caught by ten fetters and seven bonds, beings suffer again and again for a long period of time.

Verse 343: Nirvana by shunning Craving

Who follow craving are assailed;
they tremble as the hare ensnared,
so let a recluse craving quell
whose aim is passionlessness.

Explanation: Surrounded by craving, the masses tremble like rabbits caught in traps. Therefore, someone desiring to gain detachment -- nirvana -- should shun craving. More>>
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