With the thrice-blessed day of Vesak approaching, it is a good time to bring to mind Bhante Mahinda’s recent exhortations to cultivate wisdom and merits. In his Dhamma talks just before he returned to Sydney, Bhante Mahinda repeatedly underlined the importance of developing wisdom and cultivating our merit field especially in such times of dramatic change.
“Cultivating wisdom will help us to be able to cope and confront change at all levels,” he said, adding that the wisdom to cultivate revolves around the core teachings of the Buddha – the Four Noble Truths.
Bhante advised that we contemplate, understand and have greater realisation of the Four Noble Truths and realise what dukkha is about. See and recognise the cause of dukkha. Have an understanding that there is an end to suffering. Even though you may not realise it, you must have faith that there is an end. And practise the eight path factors (Noble Eightfold Path)."
Elaborating on this, Bhante said when we hear of, read of, or see calamities, we need to bring to mind that this is dukkha. And then contemplate that there is a cause. What is the cause? It is our grasping of desires, our attachment.
The suffering outside is reflected in the manifestation of suffering internally. "There's a time bomb inside waiting to explode. The sooner we identify this, the better. We must take steps every moment of life to overcome our attachments and cravings."
Now is the time to step up our commitment to the Dhamma's path. Now is the time to be vigilant in the practice of the eight path factors and cleanse our minds of the 'junk' that has clouded our minds."
In his emphasis on cultivating merits, he said that merits are needed to support our wisdom to grow. Cultivate our merit field. Make good use of your life to perform merits," he said, reminding those who have participated in Aloka Foundation's Novitiate Programmes in the four Buddhist holy sites from 2007 to 2010 that they have acquired much merits and it was of great importance that they do not waste the opportunity to build on these merits.
How to cultivate our merit field? Contemplate and commit yourself more and more to the Dhamma. Bhante then prescribed the four contemplations, namely:
- contemplation on the virtues of the Buddha – to develop one’s faith and devotion and strengthen one’s mind
- contemplation on metta – to reduce anger and aversion
- contemplation on loathsomeness of the body – to reduce excessive attachment to body or form
- conntemplation on death – to generate the urgency to purify our minds
Train the mind to be more and more in the present. Contemplate and commit yourself to be more and more in the Dhamma.
Dhammo have rakkathi dhamma cari
One who lives by Dhamma, the Dhamma protects
