Student Of The Path

Discussion of ordination, the Vinaya and monastic life. How and where to ordain? Bhikkhuni ordination etc.
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SarathW
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Re: Student Of The Path

Post by SarathW »

Jayantha-NJ wrote:
SarathW wrote:Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu

You have selected a very appropriate topic for the occasion.
It appears you try to cramp lot of information in a very short time.
It is very informative and very interesting.

You handle the Q&A very well.
I invite you to participate more in our Dhamma Wheel discussions.
haha, the more into becoming a monastic I' am the more I feel like avoiding Buddhist forums! so much of it is the same thing over and over and people enjoy debating and disputing too much.

I do feel it is important for some monastics to have an online presence though, in fact I am doing teachings at the Buddha Center twice a month, returning to my old sangha on second life to give back to a place that was so instrumental in my own Buddhist journey.

http://www.thebuddhacenter.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Great teachers know. that student ask the same question over and over again.
Buddha answer the same questions many thousands ways until such time the student understand it.
The way some students ask question is by the style of debating. (eg. Malinda Pannha)
Great thing about teaching is, you learn about your own mistakes as well.
:reading:
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
jagodage
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Re: Student Of The Path

Post by jagodage »

Samanera Jayantha

It is a with great pleasure(A Neramisa Prithi -a pleasure in mind not derive from sense objects)that I read the ritual of becoming Pabbagee. I remember reading a book by Yogavachara Rahula - one night shelter.A vivid depiction of ordination describe in finer detail along with reasons arriving arriving a such a noble decision.

It is a precedent for any novice. Let's offer gratitude for Samanera.Wish to offer bless of Triple Gems.So that you will have gradully build the 05 Indriya Bala in search of Final Goal.

With Metta
:candle: :candle: :candle:
jagodage
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Re: Student Of The Path

Post by jagodage »

Samanera Jayantha

I would like to have some news from you.Such as any new Dhamma topics discuss with finer points.If time is available kindly let us know.

With Metta

Jagodage
Thisperson
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Re: Student Of The Path

Post by Thisperson »

jagodage wrote:Samanera Jayantha

I would like to have some news from you.Such as any new Dhamma topics discuss with finer points.If time is available kindly let us know.

With Metta

Jagodage
If you are unaware, Samanera Jayantha is in seclusion until March 3rd.

You can read about it here if you're interested.
http://jayantha.tumblr.com/post/1384212 ... ice-ladies

:anjali:
jagodage
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Re: Student Of The Path

Post by jagodage »

Thanks ! -thisperson- for the message .

With Metta
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Bhikkhu_Jayasara
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Re: Student Of The Path

Post by Bhikkhu_Jayasara »

I'm glad I decided on a whim to check this thread, it's been a while!

I'm going to be doing a video soon encapsulating my first 6 months in robes. it has been quite a learning experience all round from convincing myself mentally that I'm a monk and therefore need to behave differently then I did as a lay person, to learning how to keep my robes on for more then 2 minutes without them falling apart.

if you have any specific questions on anything you'd like me to answer I'll gladly do so.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Bhikkhu Jayasāra -http://www.youtube.com/studentofthepath and https://maggasekha.org/
jagodage
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Re: Student Of The Path

Post by jagodage »

Dear Samanera

I would like to know how and what way the practical side of a monk differ from Brahmachari life. (not in respect of vinaya rules). Like how do you overcome barrier to meditation as a monk.How far is the effect of seclusion being helpful for meditation.How is did you overcome unexpected situations.

With Blessing of Triple Gems
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Bhikkhu_Jayasara
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Re: Student Of The Path

Post by Bhikkhu_Jayasara »

jagodage wrote:Dear Samanera

I would like to know how and what way the practical side of a monk differ from Brahmachari life. (not in respect of vinaya rules). Like how do you overcome barrier to meditation as a monk.How far is the effect of seclusion being helpful for meditation.How is did you overcome unexpected situations.

With Blessing of Triple Gems
for the first part I'm not sure what you mean, a monk lives the brahmacariya life. Do you mean living the same life as a lay person? essentially it would be the same in some aspects however a lay person would still have to support themselves and be inherently tied into that lay cycle, inhibiting the full living of brahmacariya

barriers to meditation are overcome the same way whether you are a lay person or a monk, you examine, observe, contemplate, study the suttas, and continue to practice regardless of the existence of these "barriers" or not. any "barrier" that comes up is going to teach you something and help you progress in the practice, so take it as a learning experience.

I particularly like the story of Ajahn mosquito to illustrate this. Ajahn Brahm tells the story of being a monk and having dozens of mosquitoes always on him at any one time, he went to complain to Ajahn Chah who said from now on you call them Ajahn mosquito (Ajahn roughly meaning teacher).

so what is needed is faith(in yourself and the Buddha) that you can get through any barrier, determination to continue your practice, compassion for yourself(not to push yourself too hard or become negative towards yourself), and finally an open and inquisitive mind that is always exploring and observing the phenomenon that arise.

seclusion was overall pretty tough, a mix of "good" and "bad" experiences, lots of silence and seclusion with occasional bouts of boredom and desire for social contact. I had my first ever experience of doing nothing from the time I woke up to the time I went to bed(excluding eating, chores etc) but meditating. I had never been able to do this before and I had no real plans to do it, i woke up one day and my gut said " lets do this" so I followed my intuition and did it, then took one day a week to do the same for the rest of seclusion.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Bhikkhu Jayasāra -http://www.youtube.com/studentofthepath and https://maggasekha.org/
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Bhikkhu_Jayasara
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Re: Student Of The Path

Post by Bhikkhu_Jayasara »

2016 February Seclusion: Insights and Experiences from a month of living alone in (mostly) silence - http://jayantha.tumblr.com/post/1408805 ... xperiences" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Bhikkhu Jayasāra -http://www.youtube.com/studentofthepath and https://maggasekha.org/
DC2R
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Re: Student Of The Path

Post by DC2R »

Jayantha-NJ wrote: haha, the more into becoming a monastic I' am the more I feel like avoiding Buddhist forums! so much of it is the same thing over and over and people enjoy debating and disputing too much.

I do feel it is important for some monastics to have an online presence though, in fact I am doing teachings at the Buddha Center twice a month, returning to my old sangha on second life to give back to a place that was so instrumental in my own Buddhist journey.
I felt the same way after browsing r/Buddhism and r/Theravada for a few months, but then I remembered the Buddha's journey. After he attained nibbāna, he decided to teach what he discovered, and this undoubtedly involved "the same thing over and over" as well as "people...debating and disputing too much". In fact, the rules of the monastic life were formed not on the Buddha's whim, but from specific events in which debate and dispute occurred.

I am sure you already know this, Jayantha; this post might help other people that want (out of aversion) to abandon Buddhism on the Internet completely.
jagodage
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Re: Student Of The Path

Post by jagodage »

Dear Samanera Jayantha

I am delighted to read your Seclusion.Thanks for Ajhan Bram's Ajhan mosquitoes.It emphasis how to face a barrier as a teacher of Dhamma(importance of Patience,Dana and Metta).

I see that planning and practice are two different concepts. The gradual stepping down from digital environment to seclusion try to achieve Noble Silence.

Now you ask what do I mean by life of brahamachari and samanera's. I mean that what are the Vinaya rules in samanera's life that differ from a brahamachari's. Being a brahamachari at first how do you look up the samanera life. It is very educating as well as good experience to read your experience of seclusion.


With Metta
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Bhikkhu_Jayasara
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Re: Student Of The Path

Post by Bhikkhu_Jayasara »

This weekend was an amazing experience for me. I had done a Dhamma talk before but this was my first direct meditation teaching experience. It felt a lot like a coming full circle. All the years of me going to retreats and learning meditation from monastics and here I was guiding new practitioners in how to do walking meditation and metta meditation.

Not only the experience, but the response from people who said how these two favorite practices of mine really effected them, was extremely rewarding and fulfilling to me. Probably more fulfilling then anything else I've ever done, because I helped introduce them the tools they can use to create happier and more content lives for themselves, and that makes it all worth it.

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Bhikkhu Jayasāra -http://www.youtube.com/studentofthepath and https://maggasekha.org/
SarathW
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Re: Student Of The Path

Post by SarathW »

Good instructions.
The video effect would have increased if you could show the closer look at how lifting, moving, lowering and placing the foot is carried out and the importance of keeping both feet on the ground before proceed to next step.
I understand that you do not have a professional video man to all those things.
As a side note, I keep my hands in Anjali :anjali: position when I do walking meditation.
This help me to make sure that I do not move my hands when walk.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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Bhikkhu_Jayasara
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Re: Student Of The Path

Post by Bhikkhu_Jayasara »

SarathW wrote:Good instructions.
The video effect would have increased if you could show the closer look at how lifting, moving, lowering and placing the foot is carried out and the importance of keeping both feet on the ground before proceed to next step.
I understand that you do not have a professional video man to all those things.
As a side note, I keep my hands in Anjali :anjali: position when I do walking meditation.
This help me to make sure that I do not move my hands when walk.

I will actually be making a walking meditation video with exactly how you describe, closer views of the feet etc.

With this I recorded it more to analyze and see what I did right and wrong so I learn from my experience and do better in the future. if it's good enough I make it public. I posted this here specifically because it was the first time I really had the chance to teach at a retreat so I think it fit within the framework of my journey.
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Re: Student Of The Path

Post by Bhikkhu_Jayasara »

A talk I gave to college students and beginner meditators entitled "Right Effort and Right Attitude: what it takes to be a successful meditator."




and Q&A

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Bhikkhu Jayasāra -http://www.youtube.com/studentofthepath and https://maggasekha.org/
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