Teacher claims to receive teachings from Brahma god

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Dhammanando
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Re: Teacher claims to receive teachings from Brahma god

Post by Dhammanando »

Kumara1 wrote:Dear Sati1,

The first question you need to ask yourself is whether you have read the Tripitaka enough to make a judgement?
Good advice, Kumara.
Kumara1 wrote:Have you questioned, why monks are commenting on this forum? Doesn’t the Buddhist Vinaya lay down rules for monastic discipline? Monks aren’t allowed to possess even a pinch of salt,
You are presumably referring to the discussion at the Council of Vesālī on whether it is permitted for bhikkhus to carry a horn (not a "pinch") of salt for the purpose of flavouring their food. The orthodox theras were of the opinion that it wasn't. Salt for flavouring food can be used only if it is offered to the bhikkhu in the morning and such salt cannot be retained by him after midday.

On the other hand, the Vinaya does permit bhikkhus to possess sea-salt, black-salt, rock-salt, kitchen-salt, red-salt or any other kind of salt, provided that it is intended by them for use as a medicine and not as a flavouring for food. If the salt is possessed for this purpose then there is no limit to the quantity of it that a bhikkhu may own, nor to the length of time he may keep it.
Kumara1 wrote:let along own a mobile phone, have FB accounts, or other accounts on forums.
As these things didn't exist in the Buddha's day, naturally there are no explicit pronouncements about them one way or the other. Their appropriateness or otherwise is a matter on which each bhikkhu must make up his own mind by applying the four Mahāpadesas.
Kumara1 wrote:but here we find monks with all sorts of profile pictures, some taken with cats/kittens on their shoulders (Especially when the Buddhist scriptures mention that monks aren’t allowed to keep animals as pets).
There isn't any such rule. Presumably you are referring to the Sāmaññaphala Sutta's disapproval of samaṇas' accepting agricultural livestock (i.e. goats, sheep, poultry, pigs, cattle, etc.) — which acceptance is reckoned in Buddhaghosa's Vinaya commentary to be a dukkaṭa offence. But this has nothing to do with pets. In fact since in the Vinaya one of the ways that a gift of food can be reckoned as being officially "offered" is if it has been presented to a bhikkhu by a monkey, elephant, dog or some other intelligent animal, it's a reasonable surmise that such creatures were often to be found living in close proximity to the sangha.
Kumara1 wrote:For guidance please read the Vinaya Pitaka.
Physician, heal thyself!
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.


In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
Kumara1
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Re: Teacher claims to receive teachings from Brahma god

Post by Kumara1 »

Dear Sati1

So for obvious reasons I'm not going to reply to this thread again. Would you kindly remove your post from this website as it could be both harmful to you and others in this Dhamma path. I would urge you to read the Tripitaka yourself and also seek other fruit bearers (Especially Monks, who cannot be found online posting/ replying to threads) to clarify your doubts. If not please drop me a personal message and I will be more than happy to guide/direct you to someone who can be more helpful.

Theruwan Saranai
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Bhikkhu Pesala
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Re: Teacher claims to receive teachings from Brahma god

Post by Bhikkhu Pesala »

  1. The first question I asked myself was, “Why does this guy who claims to have read the Tipiṭaka not even know how to spell the word?”
  2. The second question was, “Why is this lay Buddhist slandering monks?”
  3. The third question was, “Why is this arrogant fellow assuming that no one on this forum has any knowledge or experience in meditation practice?” Everyone who is not a Noble One is blinded by ignorance and driven by craving — just like Kumara1. There is a wide range of knowledge and understanding among Sri Lankan Buddhists. Many know the Paritta Suttas by heart, but only a few know the meaning of the Pāli. Learning the words of the Buddha by heart is a good start, but we should always explain the meaning too.
  4. I have met some individuals whom I believed to be Noble Ones, (sotāpanna, sakadāgāmi, anāgāmi, and arahants), but lacking any psychic powers that know the minds of others I can only make an educated guess about their probable attainments. Five hundred fools may say that such and such a person is a Non-returner, but I would only listen if a wise man said that such and such a person is reputed to be a Noble One, without making categorical statements.
  5. I have only stayed at meditation centres in Burma, Thailand, India, and the UK. While in Sri Lanka I stayed for one Vassa with Venerable Balangoda Ānanda Maitreyya, to work on computerisation of the Pāli texts. None of the teachers that I met were naive enough to talk about communing with devas and brahmas. They taught the Dhamma in accordance with the Suttanta Piṭaka, its commentaries, or the Visuddhimagga. What if Dr Ranatunga is not a Noble One as he claims? Aren't you doing yourself great harm by promoting his teachings.
  6. Glad to hear that. Dhamma teachers should not charge for teaching the Dhamma.
  7. If your quest in life is to promote the teachings of Dr Ranatunga it would be wise to avoid slandering learned monks and lay Buddhists on Buddhist forums
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Subharo
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Re: Teacher claims to receive teachings from Brahma god

Post by Subharo »

Dhammanando wrote:
Kumara1 wrote: but here we find monks with all sorts of profile pictures, some taken with cats/kittens on their shoulders (Especially when the Buddhist scriptures mention that monks aren’t allowed to keep animals as pets).
There isn't any such rule. Presumably you are referring to the Sāmaññaphala Sutta's disapproval of samaṇas' accepting agricultural livestock (i.e. goats, sheep, poultry, pigs, cattle, etc.) — which acceptance is reckoned in Buddhaghosa's Vinaya commentary to be a dukkaṭa offence. But this has nothing to do with pets. In fact since in the Vinaya one of the ways that a gift of food can be reckoned as being officially "offered" is if it has been presented to a bhikkhu by a monkey, elephant, dog or some other intelligent animal, it's a reasonable surmise that such creatures were often to be found living in close proximity to the sangha.
Respectful Greetings, Bhante Dhammanando,

I, for one, like your cat-on-the-shoulder photo. Cats generally love me, but they never climb up onto my shoulder, much less can anyone opportunistically snap a photo of such a rare moment. :)

Seriously though, I think this Ranatunga character sounds like a charlatan, and his charlatanry is much more reprehensible than respectable Bhikkhus carefully defending Right View on this forum (which I think can be a highly valuable service to the wider Buddhist world, when practised in moderation). Bhikkhus can't just shoot their mouths off like so many lay people can. They are by definition accountable to the Dhamma and Vinaya, and are obliged to try to set an example of Right Speech.
Subharo Bhikkhu
"There is but one taste on this path, the taste of freedom" -The Buddha :buddha1:
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Sati1
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Re: Teacher claims to receive teachings from Brahma god

Post by Sati1 »

Kumara1 wrote:Dear Sati1

So for obvious reasons I'm not going to reply to this thread again. Would you kindly remove your post from this website as it could be both harmful to you and others in this Dhamma path. I would urge you to read the Tripitaka yourself and also seek other fruit bearers (Especially Monks, who cannot be found online posting/ replying to threads) to clarify your doubts. If not please drop me a personal message and I will be more than happy to guide/direct you to someone who can be more helpful.

Theruwan Saranai
Kumara
Dear Kumara1,

I am sorry to read that you are upset by my post. But since I could not discover any slander or false speech in what I wrote, I don't see any reason to remove it. I simply described what I observed at the retreat. And since we were not asked to keep silent about the teacher's teachings, which are so different from what most other teachers teach, I don't see anything wrong with sharing them here to hear the opinion of learned Dhamma friends.

This is also not the first time that a Dhamma teacher is discussed here on Dhamma Wheel:

http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.ph ... &start=120" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?t=19787" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?t=7043" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?t=18229" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have not read the entire Tipitaka, but I also don't see that as a prerequisite to describing a retreat experience on this forum. If the teacher's claims are genuine, then there is nothing for you or for his followers to worry about. Just keep practicing and rejoice in the quality of your teacher. And if his teachings are not genuine, then there surely can be no harm in exposing them for the benefit of those faithful believers who would be better off looking for a different teacher.

Best,
Sati1

----
"I do not perceive even one other thing, o monks, that when developed and cultivated entails such great happiness as the mind" (AN 1.30, transl. Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi)
"So this spiritual life, monks, does not have gain, honor, and renown for its benefit, or the attainment of moral discipline for its benefit, or the attainment of concentration for its benefit, or knowledge and vision for its benefit. But it is this unshakable liberation of mind that is the goal of this spiritual life, its heartwood, and its end," (MN 29, transl. Ven Bhikkhu Bodhi)
Kamala Perera
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Re: Teacher claims to receive teachings from Brahma god

Post by Kamala Perera »

Hello Dhamma Friends, I’m a lay Buddhist in Sri Lanka. It’s unfortunate that the teacher’s methods had not appealed to the initiator of this thread. I have been to some retreats of Dr.Ranatunga although he's not the only teacher I'm following, his teachings are nothing outside the Buddhas teachings, all his talks are based on Suttas recorded in the Pali Canon (which were carried down in Oral form until the 1st century BC). The teacher has a large following around the world, especially in Sri Lanka; a country where pure Theravada Buddhism is still practiced and many followers have attained higher understanding and faith through meditation. Having practiced meditation for some years, Dr. Ranatunga’s teachings do agree with my understanding. There are also close Dhamma friends (Doctors like myself) who have practiced meditation for decades and live a noble livelihood that also agree with Dr. Ranatunga’s teachings. I don’t think that many Buddhists in Sri Lanka would submit to blind faith.

I believe this thread has done Dr.Ranatunga injustice, especially as the contributors have not properly investigated his teachings prior to making such comments or coming into conclusions. I think it was completely fair by Sati to get confused about what he/she was told by Dr. Ranatunga and post it in an open forum with the aim of clarifying any doubts. Dr. Ranatunga is widely known to be a non-returner although he doesn’t openly claim so. Even if he did I don’t think it’s against the Dhamma to do so.

Ref: Samyutta Nikāya 5, Mahāvagga 11, Sotāpatti Saṁyutta 1, Veḷudvāra Vagga 7
“When, houselords, the noble disciple has these seven virtuous qualities and these four desirable states, if he wishes he could by himself declare of himself: ‗Destroyed is hell for me! Destroyed is the animal birth! Destroyed is the realm of the departed! Destroyed is the plane of misery, the bad bourn [destination], the lower realm! A streamwinner am I, not bound for the lower world,sure of liberation, bound for awakening!‘ “


If a stream enterer can make such claims about his attainments, why cannot a non-returner make any claim about his attainments let along any meditative abilities? A non returner does have conceit (māna) among five of the ten fetters after all.

I am not making this statement with any bias; but having myself followed meditation for over a 15 years, I have found Dr. Ranatunga to be an exceptional teacher and someone who lives according to the Dhamma (or someone who practices what he preaches). Of course, as laypersons we sometimes cannot grasp certain things that are beyond our understanding (which is probably due to our lack of development in the Dhamma) and I’ve noticed that some followers tend to hold on to/ criticise his statements about other realms rather than concentrate on his Dhamma teachings. Unfortunately I think although there may be many wise and learned monks that have such experiences, they are not allowed to make such claims as per the Vinaya (think it’s a Parajika?)

If a teacher could communicate with higher beings as Dr.Ranatunga claims, I don’t see any harm in he/she making such claims, and I don’t think there is any text in the Pali canon against it – especially against a lay person. (based on my limited knowledge of the Pali Canon). On occasion I have heard certain monks in Sri Lanka openly (but indirectly) talking about higher beings, and although I must admit that I haven’t experienced such things myself, I do have friends in the Dhamma who claim to have connected with the world of the Pretas, when their meditation takes them to higher mental states. This, I do believe, as they are close and trusted friends in the Dhamma. So if with the Preta world, why not with higher beings? The world is full of possibilities.
I would like to kindly request you to investigate his Dhamma further (only should you wish) before criticizing his teachings. Thanks. With Metta, Kamala
WorldTraveller
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Re: Teacher claims to receive teachings from Brahma god

Post by WorldTraveller »

Sati1 wrote:What makes this whole approach most unusual is that he claims to receive all his teachings from the brahma god Sahampati, the same deity who urged Buddha to teach the Dhamma 2500 years ago.
Again! Is this a Sri Lankan thing? I previously knew two Sri Lankan anagami teachers--one was a lady--who claimed the same. Fortunately, that was quite a long time ago, so had time to observe them. The male teacher went mad and committed suicide. The lady, whom were more famous with a large following--including monks--also mysteriously passed away midst of a lot of controversy like secret affairs.

You should be careful when a so-called realized teacher making such larger than life claims. Almost always (as per my experience) they resonate ego and a desire for attention & recognition. IMHO, really realized beings are kind of 'invisible' to the majority.
Sati1 wrote:Dr. Ranatunga also claims to read other people's past lives, a skill that I decided to tap into when I asked him about my own past lives.
It's easy to debunk such claims. They are similar to fortune tellers! :D
Sati1 wrote:When I asked him about his opinion of monkhood, he said that Brahma Sahampati had told him that 66% of monks in Sri Lanka were placed there by Mara to destroy Buddhism, and that the path can be practiced better as a lay person than as a monk, due to the corruption of the Sangha.
'Monks destroying Buddhism' were already said by Lord Buddha. And, it's obvious. Unfortunately, the corruption of the Sangha making things difficult for sincere monks, is something I repeatedly hear from my monk friends too.
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Re: Teacher claims to receive teachings from Brahma god

Post by cobwith »

WorldTraveller wrote: 'Monks destroying Buddhism' were already said by Lord Buddha. And, it's obvious. Unfortunately, the corruption of the Sangha making things difficult for sincere monks, is something I repeatedly hear from my monk friends too.
Corruption of the Sangha is so widely spread everywhere, that as a lay follower, you always wonder where you are going to fall if ever you decide to ordinate, or simply to go on a retreat.

It is all about who's going to have the poshest temple or swishest retreat center. Even the forest sangha has gone through the race towards the classiest monastery.
It is all about influent and boastful pseudo-monks, proudly refering to their (most often wrongly used) psychic powers, (like the low-life local esoteric mob guy;) and making a point of being respected for that matter.
It is all about rituals, recitation of mantras, practice of magic (such as the ludicrous protective lustration of expensive motorcars, if not worst;) and healing.

Everything Buddha revolted and commanded against.

It is also all about our imperialistic western world spirit, making its way into this old eastern misdirected philosophy.
Because it has been vitiated through time, we pretend to straighten it up with our dubious moral principles; pervading it insidiously with a value-system based on a so called "free spirit," which, on a Buddhistic point of view, is but the worst craving and clinging scenario, leading to a complete bondage. Just making things worst.


Hopefully, there are still genuine monks and lay followers, applying the Buddha's teaching and precepts, and living the recluse life. But those aren't found in opulence or vanity; nor are they looking for it.
Hopefully, there are still genuine monks and lay followers that are not going for that led astray Buddhism; and that are trying to embrace (before anything else,) the genuine message of the Buddha in the suttas.

As far as coping with the modern world, MN 25-Nivapa is a pretty good way to see it.


Charlatans will always be there to make a buck or fame out of this kind of message.
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samseva
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Re: Teacher claims to receive teachings from Brahma god

Post by samseva »

cob with wrote:Corruption of the Sangha is so widely spread everywhere, that as a lay follower, you always wonder where you are going to fall if ever you decide to ordinate, or simply to go on a retreat.

It is all about who's going to have the poshest temple or swishest retreat center. Even the forest sangha has gone through the race towards the classiest monastery.
It is all about influent and boastful pseudo-monks, proudly refering to their (most often wrongly used) psychic powers, (like the low-life local esoteric mob guy;) and making a point of being respected for that matter.
It is all about rituals, recitation of mantras, practice of magic (such as the ludicrous protective lustration of expensive motorcars, if not worst;) and healing.

Everything Buddha revolted and commanded against.

It is also all about our imperialistic western world spirit, making its way into this old eastern misdirected philosophy.
Because it has been vitiated through time, we pretend to straighten it up with our dubious moral principles; pervading it insidiously with a value-system based on a so called "free spirit," which, on a Buddhistic point of view, is but the worst craving and clinging scenario, leading to a complete bondage. Just making things worst.


Hopefully, there are still genuine monks and lay followers, applying the Buddha's teaching and precepts, and living the recluse life. But those aren't found in opulence or vanity; nor are they looking for it.
Hopefully, there are still genuine monks and lay followers that are not going for that led astray Buddhism; and that are trying to embrace (before anything else,) the genuine message of the Buddha in the suttas.

As far as coping with the modern world, MN 25-Nivapa is a pretty good way to see it.


Charlatans will always be there to make a buck or fame out of this kind of message.
That is a pretty bleak view of the sangha. I am sure there are some who fit some of your descriptions, but I wouldn't generalize to the point of repeating "it is all about" multiple times and wondering if there are still monks or lay people applying the Buddha's teaching, the precepts and living the recluse life.

There are rotten apples, maybe even a lot, but it isn't just a big basket of rotten apples.
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Re: Teacher claims to receive teachings from Brahma god

Post by Dhammanando »

[email protected] wrote:Hi sati1,

Just have a look into the following link where you'll find useful information to clarify your doubts.
https://margapalameditation.wordpress.c ... %E0%B6%AB/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The page, and indeed the entire site, appears to be in Sinhalese – a language familiar to only a few of our regular posters. Have you anything relevant in English?
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.


In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
J Perera
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Re: Teacher claims to receive teachings from Brahma god

Post by J Perera »

Bhikkhu Pesala wrote:
retrofuturist wrote:What is superfluous is "directing" what is already being experienced towards a "me". (Consider from an Abhidhammic perspective what this entails))
Don't mix up conventional truth with absolute truth. The Buddha advised “Take oneself as one's own refuge, take no other refuge,” (attadīpā viharatha attasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā) etc., he did not advise us to take refuge in the five aggregates.

To practice loving-kindness one must have a concept of a being or person, a man or a woman. It is tranquillity meditation (samatha).
  • Ahaṃ avero homi: may I be free from ill-will.
  • Abyāpajjo homi: may I be free from enmity.
  • Anīgho homi: may I be free from affliction.
  • Sukhī attānaṃ pariharāmi: may I be happy.
  • Dukkhā muccāmi: may I be free from suffering.
  • Yathā-laddha-sampattito mā vigacchāmi: may I not be parted from the good fortune I have attained.
  • Kammassako: I am the owner of my kamma and must inherit its results.
Without a concept of a being loving-kindness will be ineffective. In preparation for practising metta towards an enemy, one can defuse the anger by contemplating that person as the five aggregates: “With what am I angry? Those harsh words that he spoke have already ceased long ago, so why am I still angry with him now?” etc. When broken down into elements, anger finds no foothold. Likewise, if we break a person down into elements, loving-kindness will find no foothold.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Above advices are given by ven buddhagosa. Not Loard Buddha. My advice is one, who wan't to end suffering must have faith upon Load Buddha, not Buddhagosa who had not even attained sovan pala. If one spread metta to himself, he cant go to a measureless state. Measureless state is a door to nibbana. Because, he has a measure oneself spreading to metta to own.
J Perera
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Re: Teacher claims to receive teachings from Brahma god

Post by J Perera »

Loving kindness should be spread towards without a measure. According to Patipada Sutta in sanutta nikaya, spreading metta to without a measure was taught as a door to attend Nibbana. Fout measureless states were mentioned. Karaneeya Metta Sutta is the fine example for that. It has mentioned that, prior to spreading metta, the meditator should have attained good qualities such as upright, extremely upright, obedient, gentle and humble, control in senses, prudent, courteous, not hanker associates with families and so many other things. Meditating these qualities related to a deep Vipassana meditation. Only after such meditation, one is most suitable to spread metta to whole world. Anything cant be taken as My or Mine according to Great Dhamma and spreading Metta to oneself without above mentioned qualities is a Joke according to Load Buddha's teaching. See Metta meditation guide - http://visuddhimagga.info/download.php? ... 7_2015.mp3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

J Perera
with metta
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_anicca_
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Re: Teacher claims to receive teachings from Brahma god

Post by _anicca_ »

Bhikkhu Pesala wrote:
retrofuturist wrote:What is superfluous is "directing" what is already being experienced towards a "me". (Consider from an Abhidhammic perspective what this entails))
Don't mix up conventional truth with absolute truth. The Buddha advised “Take oneself as one's own refuge, take no other refuge,” (attadīpā viharatha attasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā) etc., he did not advise us to take refuge in the five aggregates.

To practice loving-kindness one must have a concept of a being or person, a man or a woman. It is tranquillity meditation (samatha).
  • Ahaṃ avero homi: may I be free from ill-will.
  • Abyāpajjo homi: may I be free from enmity.
  • Anīgho homi: may I be free from affliction.
  • Sukhī attānaṃ pariharāmi: may I be happy.
  • Dukkhā muccāmi: may I be free from suffering.
  • Yathā-laddha-sampattito mā vigacchāmi: may I not be parted from the good fortune I have attained.
  • Kammassako: I am the owner of my kamma and must inherit its results.
Without a concept of a being loving-kindness will be ineffective. In preparation for practising metta towards an enemy, one can defuse the anger by contemplating that person as the five aggregates: “With what am I angry? Those harsh words that he spoke have already ceased long ago, so why am I still angry with him now?” etc. When broken down into elements, anger finds no foothold. Likewise, if we break a person down into elements, loving-kindness will find no foothold.
:goodpost:

:anjali:
"A virtuous monk, Kotthita my friend, should attend in an appropriate way to the five clinging-aggregates as inconstant, stressful, a disease, a cancer, an arrow, painful, an affliction, alien, a dissolution, an emptiness, not-self."

:buddha1:

http://vipassanameditation.asia
Taavi
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Re: Teacher claims to receive teachings from Brahma god

Post by Taavi »

Hi all, I am posting this anonymously as I don’t want to be known. I was born in Thailand but my parents moved to Europe when I was a child, I was touched by Buddhism from a very young age and my parents being devout Buddhists visited Thailand quite frequently. I was lucky to meet world renowned priests during these visits, it was like I was destined to meet them. I was also lucky to meet Ven Ajahn Chah in the mid 70s.

From a young age, I think I had a keenness to learn and practice Buddhism and had a Samsaric habit to meditate. When I was 9-10 years old, I remember waking up in the early hours in the morning to meditate , often using reflections on death to penetrate to the true meaning of life. I developed a habit of meditating for long hours and on one night had a strange experience, I was floating around my bedroom, looking at my own body sitting in a meditative posture my bed, it was a petrifying experience at first, however with time, I understood that in a higher meditative state, I was in fact floating around with a mind made body. It was easier to reach such states with time and practice. However I started questioning the things that I saw, I saw different things & beings that seemed different to humans during my meditation, and also started hearing voices in my head, which was quite extraordinary, I couldn’t understand if these were just things I had imagined or really existed.

Then I spoke to a Buddhist priest, a meditation teacher whom I shared my experiences with , he said that they were different realms that I had been “experiencing” with a mind made body. But this didn’t let me clarify all my doubts. However I kept practicing meditation until I retired from my teaching career in Bergen two years ago. Then my wife and I decided to dedicate our lives to travelling to places like Taiwan, Thailand, and Burma seeking and learning more about Buddhism and also seeking more on truth of life.

During one of our family visits to California in 2015, I took part in a English program conducted by Lalith Ranatunga, it was a great eye opener to me, he was such a modest person and not only did his teachings were profound, but I came to understand my own abilities. His techniques were simply astonishing and soon I came to the understanding that I had attained the 6th and 7th Jhana Samapaththi at a very early age, which had allowed me in my childhood to reach higher states instantaneously, travel with a mind made body, and also recall previous lives ( I have only recalled one previous life). Lalith’s methods sharpened my ability to control my mind, and seek out beyond the human realm to see what was really out there. It’s an amazing experience, and really opened my eyes and made me understand that what the Buddha discoursed was certainly true and that this is a world that only we have created and is indeed a valueless volitional formation. Lalith’s teachings have really cleared things up for me. One should be very lucky to meet someone like him.

To the fellow Dhamma friends here, I can only say that it’s not only Lalith who can communicate with other “beings” in other realms, there are others, and some are gifted to have these abilities (Iddi) from a young age (being passed on from previous births) or some develop these by meditating as per correct methods and also by living a noble lifestyle. I have commented here only because I have seen a respected teacher’s image tarnished, especially by people who have not even met him. (Also I should state that he has never mentioned that hell is “behind a large mountain”. It’s easy to get fixated on things that cannot easily (or immediately) be understood or justified, and not the actual Dhamma content. As the Buddha once said with a fistful of Simsapa leaves, the things that he had known with direct knowledge but have not taught are far more numerous, than what he had taught.

Also I have noted that some have commented on priests characters. Yes we have to accept the fact that many priest are indeed corrupt, obviously there have been reports of sexual assault, extravagant lifestyles and even embezzlement all around the world. Not surprising considering the yearly donations in millions, mostly untraceable cash. Gone are the days of the great Ajahn Chah , or Ajahn Mun when priests went on their daily alms rounds, taking what was only given to them, gone are the days that priests set a good example of noble deed, noble speech and noble thoughts to lay people and fellow priests. It is a very unfortunate situation, like one other Dhamma friend had mentioned, gone are the days where priests live in seclusion and away from extravagant lifestyles..(not all though)….even if you think about it wisely, even to show an online presence, imagine the things a priest should possess, starting from a monastery (which can and is allowed to be donated),but then a phone line, internet connection, mobile phone etc. Have these been given by lay persons to the priests, without been asked for? Sadly this what the state of Buddhist priesthood is, and in my honest opinion there are lay buddhists who try to live according to the Buddha’s teachnings and lead a humble life. I have been married 42 years, and had only one child, 36 years of our married life has been a non-sexual relationship and we have both lived (and still live) a quiet humble life, like friends in the Dhamma under one roof, practising and learning the Buddha’s teachings whenever we could and it has given us great fortune and happiness. We never chased after fame or wealth. Righteousness has great power. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not criticising the entire Sanga, but only the corrupt priests who are ruining the image of the Sanga. Whether it comes from a lay person or a priest, anyone, regardless of being in a robe or not, should be humble enough to accept criticism and correct his/her ways. At least then we can leave this great philosophy for our younger generations to follow. It’s not a “mislead” philosophy like another friend pointed out, it’s the people who are taking the reins without direct knowledge or moral conduct that are “misleading” others.
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Sprouticus
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Re: Teacher claims to receive teachings from Brahma god

Post by Sprouticus »

Thank you for sharing your experience, Taavi.
Namo buddhaya
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