BODHI BULLETIN DHARMA NEWS

FROM BODHI MONASTERY

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006

Bathing the Buddha

and Purifying the Mind
By Venerable Xin-xing

T he Buddha is the bringer of light to all beings. The suttas say that on the occasion of all the major
events in the Buddha's life, there appeared a surpassing light radiating all over the world, which even
beings living in the darkest part of the world could witness. This light is said to have been so brilliant and
so wonderful that in comparison the sun and the moon lost their splendor. The Buddha
The task of purification
brings light to beings and dispels the eternal darkness of the world with this brilliant,
of the mind begins with
marvelous, radiant light.
faith. Faith is not blind We may wonder: when the sun and the moon shine day and night in the world, why is
belief. Rather, it is the it said that beings are living in darkness? This darkness is not the darkness that comes from
trust or confidence that the absence of the sun or moon or some other illuminating object. Rather, beings are said
arises by applying the to be living in darkness because greed, hatred, and delusion cover the basic luminous
knowing and seeing nature of the mind. On Vesak day we bathe an image of the Buddha. This ceremony
symbolizes the purification of the mind, cleansing the mind of greed, hatred, and delusion.
nature of the faculty
However, it is not merely through this ceremony that beings are purified. Rather, it is
of wisdom. through practice in accordance with the Dharma that beings are purified. How does one
practice so that one purifies the mind?
The opening verse of the Dhammapada says that the mind is the forerunner of all activities. When the
mind is tainted, suffering will follow one just as the wheel of a cart follows the foot-step of the ox which
pulls the cart. Likewise, when the mind is pure, then happiness will follow one just as one's shadow follows
one without departing.
Just before the Buddha passed away, he told his disciples: Formations are bound to vanish. Strive to
attain the goal by appamada (SN 6:15) The Pali word appamada is usually translated as earnestness" or
diligence," which conveys the idea of sustained, determined effort. However, the Buddha himself, on another
occasion, expressed the nuance of appamada as carefully guarding the mind against defiling mental states,
while at the same time strengthening it in terms of the five faculties: faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration,
and wisdom (SN 48:56). This passage points out that appamada is not simply holding onto the practice
untiringly and diligently. Rather, appamada means the purification of the mind by developing the five faculties
of faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom.
The task of purification of the mind begins with faith. Faith is not blind belief. Rather, it is the trust or
confidence that arises by applying the knowing and seeing nature of the faculty of wisdom. Knowing and seeing
that the mind, if connected with the three roots of the unwholesome greed, hatred, and delusion will
bring affliction to oneself, to others, and to both oneself and others. On the contrary, the mind connected with
the three roots of the wholesome will bring happiness to oneself, to others, and to both oneself and others.
When one has this firm confidence, one mindfully guards ones mind against greed, hatred, and delusion.

(continued on page 2)

PLEASE NOTE: Monastery will be closed to the public on October 28th and 29th for the Meditation Retreat.
 2 BODHI BULLETIN, SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006

Bathing the Buddha (continued from page 1)

There are three steps in the purification of the mind. First, one knows the mind; second, one shapes the
mind; and third, one frees the mind. The mind is invisible. How does one know it? One knows the mind in
these three periods of time: before one is going to do an action, while one is doing an action, and after one
has done an action. One reflects on the mind in these three periods of time to see whether it is wholesome
or unwholesome. Then one shapes the mind. If the mind is connected with any one of the three unwholesome
roots, one has to stop doing the action by abandoning the unwholesome root. If the mind
There are three steps
is connected with any one of the three wholesome roots, one may do the action.
in the purification of
The Dhammapada sums up the practice of the Buddhas teaching in three simple guidelines
the mind. First, one for training: to abstain from all evil, to cultivate good, and to purify one's mind. However,
knows the mind; one might think that this teaching on purifying the mind is shallow and not profound. The
second, one shapes difficult part of this practice is not so much that one has to understand a deep teaching
the mind; and third, but that one has to train a mind tainted with a cunning and deceitful tendency. When
one frees the mind. others see through our minds crooked character, we feel embarrassed. To avoid such
embarrassment, the tainted mind may fabricate all kinds of excuses, telling itself that a
certain unwholesome action is a necessary evil. Rationalized in this way, the mind wishing to deceive others
feels it is righteous in acting upon the unwholesome intention.
Yet, the point is that while others may be deceived, we should know the mind as it is by mindfulness. In
this way, the cunning and deceitful tendency will be restrained. Some people know that the mind is tainted
and the action is motivated by the tainted mind; yet the craving tendency will urge them to cover it up, to
hide the tainted mind so it cannot be known by others. Therefore, the defilements are suppressed and
pushed deep down to the bottom of the mind. However, the point of departure in mental purification lies
in knowing the mind as it is. If one day, when we believe in the excuses that the mind invents, it will take
a long time to disentangle the fabrication, to straighten out the crooked inclination of the mind, to unveil
its true illuminating nature. It is by the piercing nature of mindfulness that one knows the deeply suppressed
and distorted mind as it is. Just as it is only when he knows that he is sick that a sick person will visit a
doctor and take medicine, so it is when one knows that one's mind is defiled that one will purify and shape
one's own mind.
The third step in purification of the mind is to free the mind. One guards ones five senses, so that the
mind does not cling to sense objects. One applies wise attention, so that the mind does not attend to sense
objects by way of the four distortions of perception. One does not hold that in the impermanent there is
permanence; that in suffering there is happiness; that in what is non-self there is self; that in the foul there is
beauty. In this way, one guards the mind from delusion by preventing its condition and cause from arising.
The mind is the lord of the five sense faculties: These five faculties have different domains, different
resorts, not experiencing each others resort and domain they take recourse in the mind, and the mind
experiences their resort and domain.... The mind takes recourse in mindfulness. Mindfulness takes recourse
in liberation. Liberation takes recourse in Nibbana" (SN 48:42).
Many people ask why Buddhism lays so much emphasis on curing the dark side of the mind. It sometimes
makes one feel that the positive side is left uncultivated. The reason is that one must begin the practice by
first clearing away the evil forces, just as one clears away the troublesome weeds from a garden before one
plants the pretty flowers. Even so, as one practices morality to purify both ones bodily activities and speech,
one also practices concentration to purify ones thoughts. While the bodily, verbal, and mental activities are
being purified, do not think that the defilements are completely eradicated from the mind. There is one other
level of defilement that one has to purify, namely, the underlying tendencies of the defilements. It is with

(continued on page 3)
 BODHI BULLETIN, SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006 3

the practice of wisdom that one roots out all the underlying tendencies. In this way, the defilements will
never arise again and the mind is completely purified.
When the mind is pure, one will be the master of one's mind and one can then use the mind as a useful
tool according to one's needs and to benefit others. Just as gold, when freed from the entrapping stone in
the goldmine and refined by a goldsmith, can be used for all kinds of ornaments or useful vessels, so the
refined mind will be malleable enough to practice deeds motivated by such positive virtues such as loving-
kindness and compassion.

(Text of a talk given at Bodhi Monastery on Vesak, May 27th, 2006.)

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER NEWS BRIEFS

Upcoming Programs: since January 2003. On September 5th, meditation on loving-kindness. There
2006, we will be starting a new sub- will be periods of sitting meditation
section Penetrative Insight within the alternating with walking meditation, as
Fall Session of Sutta Study Cultivation of Wisdom section from well as guided instruction throughout
Course with Bhante Begins the course syllabus. The first lecture will the day. There will be an evening
September 5th be on the Chachaka Sutta (MN 148). Dharma talk. We will offer optional
We welcome all newcomers to yoga during breaks as well.
Newcomers Welcome attend a class or two to see if it is right More details and registration informa-
Course: Study of The Middle Length for you. You can also access the tion will be provided in mid-September
Discourses of the Buddha (Majjhima archived classes as MP3 files on our by e-mail and on our website.
Nikaya) website, www.bodhimonastery.net, to We also hope that some people will
Teacher: Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi get a sense of the study that we are offer to help do tasks to support this
Fall Session: Sep. 5th until late undertaking. You do not need to pur- meditation retreat. The required tasks
December chase the book immediately if you are a will be posted in a future e-mail. Please
Time: Tuesdays, 7:00 to 8:15 pm newcomer; we can provide you with a consider taking your turn and help-
Cost: The purchase of the book, The photocopy of the sutta we are studying. ing in some way with this retreat so
Middle Length Discourses, translated by that we can keep the Bodhi Monastery
Bhikkhu Nanamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi. Weekend Silent Meditation meditation program going.

The Majjhima Nikaya, or Middle- Retreat October 27th-29th

length Discourses" of the Buddha, is the Introductory Course
Registration: Friday, Oct. 27th, 6:00 pm
second of the five nikayas, or collec-
to 8:00 pm
to Buddhism and Meditation
tions, in the Sutta Pitaka of the Pali Sep. 9th-Oct. 14th
Program: Begins Sat., Oct 28th, 8:30 am
Tipitaka. This nikaya consists of 152
and ends Sun. Oct. 29th at 5:30 pm We will be conducting a six-week
discourses by the Buddha and his chief
Dana: There is no fee, but donations to course entitled An Introduction to
disciples, which together constitute a
support the Sangha are appreciated. Buddhism and Meditation, on six con-
comprehensive body of teaching con-
cerning all aspects of the Buddha The retreat will be led by Ven. Bhikkhu secutive Saturday mornings, September
Dharma. Bodhi assisted by other members of 9th through October 14th, from 9:00
This is a class for practitioners who the Bodhi Monastery Sangha. All 11:00 am. This course is designed for
want to advance in their study of the retreatants must arrive on Friday those relatively unfamiliar with
Buddhas teaching. Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi evening, October 27th and attend the Buddhism who wish to know more
gives a lecture at each class followed by entire retreat from start to finish. The about it. Phone 973.940.0473 or e-mail
a brief question and answer period. The main subject of practice will be mind- [email protected]
group has met on Tuesday evenings fulness of breathing with sessions of (continued on page 4)
4 BODHI BULLETIN, SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER NEWS BRIEFS (continued from page 3)

Special Events: Afternoon Dharma Talks In Appreciation:
Saturdays, 12:40-1:30 pm
Shifu to Lecture at CUNY in On alternate Saturday afternoons, Thank you to Ven. Jian-dao
NYC September 14th Bhante continues his Dharma talks and Ven. Jian-xun
Ven. Jen-chun will be lecturing on based on the Sutta-nipata, while Ven. Jian-dao and Ven. Jian-xun, two
The Path to Being a Bodhisattva at Ven. Xin-xing lectures on topics bhikkhunis from Xiang Guang Si
CUNY Graduate Center in mid- taken from Ven. Yin-shun's The Way Monastery in Taiwan, who were tem-
Manhattan on September 14th from to Buddhahood. porarily residing at Bodhi Monastery
6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The lecture will be Saturdays, 1:45-2:30 pm since June 2005, have relocated to the
given in Mandarin and translated into Ven. Jen-chun gives Dharma talks in U.S. Zen Institute in Germantown,
English. Admission is free. Address: Chinese, with English translation by Maryland. Their main purpose in
Elabash Recital Hall, CUNY Graduate Ven. Xin-xing. coming to Bodhi Monastery was to
Center, 365 5th Avenue (corner of study Pali and Early Buddhism, but
34th Street), New York, NY. Bodhi Youth Program while here they also helped with the
Saturdays, September 23rd and general activities and taught some
Great Compassion Meditation to October 21st, 9:50 - 11:00 am classes. We greatly appreciated their
Support the People of Darfur This class for kids ages 9 - 13 years efforts and wish them all the best.
September 16th old is taught by William Bertolotti.
On Saturday September 16th, we will Thank you to Ven. Dhammadipa
For more information you can contact Ven. Dhammadipa (Xing-kong), while
hold a special meditation on great William at 516.314.0306 or by email,
compassion to express our solidarity visiting Bodhi Monastery for just
[email protected]. under a week in early August, gave
with the people of Darfur, in Sudan,
who have been the victims of a near- Dharma talks on the subjects of wis-
Reviews: dom and the divine abodes (brahma
genocidal campaign for the past three
years. The 30-minute guided medita- viharas). We appreciated his clear and
Summer 2006 Dharma Retreat
tion, led by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, deep understanding of these subjects.
This summer, the annual Dharma
will take place from 12:45 to 1:15 Retreat sponsored by the Yin Shun
pm. Details will follow in a separate Foundation was held at Bodhi SEP/OCT DHARMA SCHEDULE
email posting. After the meditation, Monastery from July 1st through the Saturdays:
Ven. Jen-chun will give a Dharma 7th. The Chinese program ran the entire 9:50 - 10:40 am Study Groups
talk from 1:30 to 2:30 pm." week, while the English program ran (English and Chinese)
through July 4th. Well over 40 students 10:50 - 11:10 pm Devotional Service
Saturday Dharma: participated in the English Program, 11:15 - 12:15 pm Lunch and cleanup
and about 60 students in the Chinese 12:40 - 1:30 pm Dharma Talk
Morning Study Groups (English)
Saturdays, 9:50 - 10:40 am program. Special thanks are due to the
1:45 - 2:30 pm Dharma Talk
English Group: Ven. Xin-xing and teachers (five of whom came even from
(Chinese with
Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi are facilitating a as far as Taiwan), to Retreat Chairman
English translation)
discussion of the Dhammapada, widely Ray Chuang, to Huey-ling Wu for man-
Sundays:
considered the most succinct expres- aging the kitchen so well, and to all the
9:30 - 10:45 am Meditation Group
sion of the Buddhas teaching found in volunteers whose dedicated efforts
First Sunday of each month:
the Pali Canon. made the retreat a big success.
9:00 - 9:30 am Beginners
Chinese Group: Shifu continues with Ullambana Program instruction
the study of the history of Indian The Sangha is grateful for the bounti- in meditation
Buddhism, based on Master Yin-shuns ful offerings and the respectful atten- Tuesdays:
work, Yindu Fojiao Sixiangshi. dance of many practitioners at our first 7:00 - 8:15 pm Sutta Study Class
Ullambana Program on August 12th. Daily:
This celebration emphasized respect, 4:30 - 5:00 pm Chanting Liturgy
gratitude, and love for parents. 5:05 - 6:00 pm Sitting meditation

BODHI MONASTERY 67 Lawrence Rd. Lafayette, NJ 07848 www.bodhimonastery.net

Please contact us for more information on any of our programs: 973 940 0473 or [email protected]