The Heart Sutra

When Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva was engaged in the practice of the deep prajnaparamita, he perceived that there are the five aggregates; and these he saw in their true nature to be empty.

"O Sariputra, form is emptiness, emptiness is form; form is no other than emptiness, emptiness is no other than form; that which is form is emptiness, that which is emptiness is form. The same can be said of sensation, perception, thought, and consciousness.

"O Sariputra, all things here are characterized with emptiness: they are not born, they are not annihilated; they are not tainted, they are not immaculate; they do not increase, they do not decrease. Therefore, O Sariputra, in emptiness there is no form, no sensation, no perception, no thought, no consciousness; no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind; no form, sound, colour, taste, touch, objects; no element of vision, till we come to no element of consciousness; there is no knowledge, no ignorance, till we come to there is no old age and death, no extinction of old age and death; there is no suffering, no accumulation, no annihilation, no path; there is no knowledge, no attainment, and no realization, because there is no attainment. In the mind of the bodhisattva who dwells depending on the prajnaparamita there are no obstacles; and, going beyond the perverted views, he reaches final nirvana. All the buddhas of the past, present, and future, depending on the prajnaparamita, attain to the highest perfect enlightenment.

"Therefore, one ought to know that the prajnaparamita is the great mantra, the mantra of great wisdom, the highest mantra, the peerless mantra, which is capable of allaying all pain; it is truth because it is not falsehood: this is the mantra proclaimed in the prajnaparamita. It runs: 'Gate, gate, paragate, parasamgate, bodhi svaha!' (Gone, gone, gone beyond, gone utterly beyond, hail enlightenment!)"

*Notes. A few points in the above text may need clarifying. Bodhisattva is the highest form of practice in Mahayana Buddhism, which is prevalent in such places as China, Japan, & Tibet. Avalokitesvara is the bodhisattva of compassion, popular all over the far east. Sariputra was one of the Buddha's foremost disciples, renowned for his insight, which is revealing here as he is the recipient of wisdom. Prajnaparamita means roughly 'transcendent wisdom,' and is the highest wisdom recognized in Mahayana Buddhism. The aggregates are the Buddha's fivefold classification of human experience: form, sensation, perception, thought, and consciousness. Emptiness is not mere materialist nihilism, and isn't to be understood intellectually, but directly experienced through meditative practice & insight. The final mantra is in praise of enlightenment, the ultimate goal of Buddhist practice. The Heart Sutra is chanted by Buddhists every day all over the world, and is used as a focus of reflection to realize nirvana. Bodhi svaha!

Buddha, Beethoven & Beatles

Buddhism can sometimes appear as am austere tradition. Indeed, in the earliest known monastic rules monks & nuns are forbidden to listen to listen to music as it might distract them from their mindfulness practices. These rules are still found in the monks' rules in Thailand, along with a few other countries, but monks do often appear to enjoy music in the land of smiles, as observed by this author. There are some monastics that do not indulges in music, but music is played in public a lot in Thailand, even in festivals and other activities within Buddhist temples, so it's difficult for many monks to avoid, really. 

In other Buddhist traditions, as found in Tibet and China, for example, music is not only listened to by monastics, but actually performed by them, especially during Buddhist services. Chinese Buddhist chanting is often accompanied by music, and is itself most melodious, and the image of Tibetan monks blowing on long horns and clanging cymbals is an enduring image. Thai Buddhist chanting, on the other hand, is normally performed a cappella, and is pretty monotone in style. It is done this way to avoid any indulging in music or melody, thereby avoiding getting caught up in the beauty of music. (Many Buddhists will tell you, however, that it is possible to get entranced by the hypnotic qualities of such plain chant - this author included!)

Buddhist laity, whatever the tradition, are not proscribed from listening to - and enjoying - music. Only when staying in certain meditation temples are they discouraged from listening to or performing music. This author knows from personal experience that music can have all kinds of effects on the mind, sometimes calming, other times agitating. As these words are being written, Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D major is emerging from the same computer that these words are being typed into. Such music can complement mindfulness practice if attenuated to correctly - and it can help to avoid the boredom that so often drives us away from being heedful of this present moment.

Listening to music can be a mindfulness practice in itself. Like mantra recitation, or shamanic drumming, it can be used to keep the mind in this current moment. This assists in cultivating present-moment awareness so important in Buddhist practice. Something I've enjoyed since a teenager is listening to music on headphones or earphones, giving the impression that music is coming from within rather than without. This enables one to focus even more clearly on the music, being able to follow a particular instrument through a song from beginning to end. Attaching attention to Paul McCarney's often very creative bass lines in those great old Beatles' records is an enjoyable example of this. Just listen to his bass guitar work on Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds and you'll see what I mean. 

When listening to music attentively, something wonderful can happen; awareness moves from the sound of the music to the sound of the silence in which it arises. This silence is amazing in that it is capacity not only for Beethoven, the Beatles and other great composers' music, but for any sounds that occur. It doesn't judge them or discriminate between them, bit rather gives them all the space they need to exist. Moreover, this silence isn't something separate from the listener, but is in fact his or her core nature. Sounds (along with all other phenomena, both mental as well as physical) arise, exist and end in this silent awareness. Both in meditation and in general mindful living, this spaciousness is the impartial host to all that is. To awaken to it is to begin the real Buddhist journey towards realization of the Buddha within; this 'Buddha Space.'

Making our everyday life our Buddhist practice is a crucial aspect of walking the Buddhist path. Monastics do this by adapting their environment so that many ordinary occurrences simply do not arise for them, enabling them to focus their attention more easily on their subject of awareness, whether it be their mind or body. We laypeople can do the same to some extent, but then as most of us do not live in a monastery or a cave, we can't cut out all of the distractions and pleases that monastics can. But what we can do is to adapt what we do experience to fit into a meditative regime. Beethoven and the Beatles can be used this way - as can most, if not all, music - moreover, our enjoyment of their music can help us to stick to the mindful path, not slipping off so often into the dream worlds of past and future. So, if you enjoy music, whether making it or listening to it, why not use as a focus for mindfulness practice - and you can hear your way to enlightenment!

Buddha on 'A Thicket of Views'

Not knowing what is worthy of consideration, and what is unworthy of consideration, the ignorant worldling considers the unworthy, and not the worthy.

And unwisely he considers thus: ‘Have I been in the past? Or, have I not been in the past? What have I been in the past? How have I been in the past? From what state into what state did I change in the past?

Shall I be in the future? Or, shall I not be in the future? What shall I be in the future? How shall I be in the future? From what state into what state shall I change in the future?’

And the present also fills him with doubt; ‘Am I? Or, am I not? What am I? How am I? This being, whence has it come? Whither will it go?’

And with such unwise considerations, he adopts one or other of the six views, and it becomes his conviction and firm belief: ‘I have a Self’, or: ‘I have no Self’, or: ‘With the Self I perceive the Self’, or: ‘With that which is no Self, I perceive the Self’; or: ‘With the Self I perceive that which is no Self’. Or, he adopts the following view: ‘This my Self, which can think and feel, and which, now here, now there, experiences the fruit of good and evil deeds: this my Self is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, and will thus eternally remain the same’.

If there really existed the Self, there would also exist something which belonged to the Self. As, however, in truth and reality neither the Self, nor anything belonging to the Self, can be found, is it not therefore really an utter fools’ doctrine to say: ‘This is the world, this am I; after death I shall be permanent, persisting, and eternal’?

These are called mere views, a thicket of views, a puppet- show of views, a toil of views, a snare of views; and ensnared in the fetter of views the ignorant worldling will not be freed from rebirth, from decay, and from death, from sorrow, pain, grief and despair; he will not be freed, I say, from suffering.

(Buddha, taken from Majjhima Nikaya 2 & Majjhima Nikaya 22)

The Way It Is

Ajahn Sumedho observing the way it is.

The Buddhist monk Ajahn Sumedho has often emphasized seeing the true nature of things and being able to say, “This is the way it is.” This can be done by simply observing the body, with all its myriad sensations and movements. This is done without thinking, "My body is doing this," or "My body is feeling this," but with an impersonal attitude towards its current condition: "This body is doing this," and "This body is feeling this." Without adopting a personality viewpoint, we can observe ‘the way it is’ by witnessing the body’s breathing, its posture, and just noticing how it is now, in this moment. This is the path of mindfulness, of being awake to the reality of the human form.

Being alert to this body is a basic mindfulness practice taught by the Buddha back in India over 2, 500 years ago, remaining conscious of its every move whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down. Ajahn Sumedho promotes an understanding of ‘the way it is’ through mindfulness as a means to liberate ourselves from the negative thoughts and habits that condition our lives. A practical upshot of such alertness is that we’re less likely to make mistakes as we won’t be so distracted or absent minded. How many times have you stubbed your toe on a doorway, chair or table leg due to thinking about something else and not being conscious of where you were placing your feet? I’ve done it innumerable times – a painful reminder of the dangers of heedlessness!

Avoiding throbbing toes is but one advantage of a more aware mind: a much more profound benefit is the insight that can develop from being cognizant of our bodily movements and feelings. This insight involves the realization that the body is truly not ours; it is of nature, and is the result of natural processes, most of which are out of our control. Whilst we can direct the body to do this or that action, within natural limits of course, we cannot prevent it from ever being ill, from aging, and ultimately from dying. Watching our physical condition can open a door onto the true nature of the body, that it is impermanent, unsatisfactory, and not self (the three characteristics of existence).

As well as the body, Ajahn Sumedho advises us to be heedful of the state of our minds, and this too was a frequent subject for reflection in the sermons of the Buddha. The mind’s moods, whether it is dull or bright, happy or sad, are conditions that we can know; the empty mind, also, free of the myriad thoughts and feelings about the self and others can be known. It can be seen to be both intelligent and compassionate. If we are willing to go through boredom, miserable feelings, and other forms of suffering, the mind will become clearer, bearing with negative mind states rather than suppressing them. Ajahn Sumedho sees this as an opportunity to recognize that this is the way that it is at this time, at this place, and by doing so, wisdom will grow.

Knowing the mind as it is now means that we’re less likely to drift off into unhelpful reveries that take us away from the natural ability of the mind to find solutions to the every day problems that arise in all our lives. As Ajahn Sumedho has often reminded us, this doesn’t mean that we’re taking the easy option by becoming more mindful, for in doing so we will undoubtedly discover the negative states of our minds as well as the positive. But becoming more aware of such mental conditions will enable us to deal with them better, allowing an understanding to arise that can encourage us to let go of them and cultivate more beneficial psychological attitudes. And we might stub our toes less often too!

Buddha on Right Speech

"What now, is Right Speech?

Herein someone avoids lying and abstains from it. He speaks the truth, is devoted to the truth, reliable, worthy of confidence, not a deceiver of men. Being at a meeting, or amongst people, or in the midst of his relatives, or in a society, or in the king’s court, and called upon and asked as witness to tell what he knows, he answers, if he knows nothing: ‘I know nothing’, and if he knows, he answers: ‘I know’; if he has seen nothing, he answers: ‘I have seen nothing’, and if he has seen, he answers: ‘I have seen’. Thus he never knowingly speaks a lie, either for the sake of his own advantage, or for the sake of another person’s advantage, or for the sake of any advantage whatsoever.

He avoids tale-bearing, and abstains from it. What he has heard here, he does not repeat there, so as to cause dissension there; and what he has heard there, he does not repeat here, so as to cause dissension here. Thus he unites those that are divided; and those that are united, he encourages. Concord gladdens him, he delights and rejoices in concord; and it is concord that he spreads by his words.

He avoids harsh language, and abstains from it. He speaks such words as are gentle, soothing to the ear, loving, such words as go to the heart, and are courteous, friendly, and agreeable to many.

He avoids vain talk, and abstains from it. He speaks at the right time, in accordance with facts, speaks what is useful, speaks of the law and the discipline: his speech is like a treasure, uttered at the right moment, accompanied by arguments, moderate and full of sense.

This is called Right Speech."

(Buddha, Anguttara Nikaya 10.176)

Thai Buddhism in Crisis

The fast track to nirvana with Wirapol, the flying monk!

Thai Buddhism is in crisis. It isn't remarkable in this, as a glance at the state of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Japan, Burma, China or Korea would lead to the same conclusion. And neither is this sorrowful situation particular to Buddhism of course; institutionalized religion the world over is in varying states of crisis. But, being a Buddhist living in Thailand does give one a unique perspective on this issue. No two religions are exactly the same, and no two sects of Buddhism are identical either. The specific problems that face Thai Buddhism may differ to the difficulties encountered by Japanese Buddhists or American Christians, but the underlying causes are surely the same. We will be looking at these in due course, but first it will be illuminating to look at some examples of the crisis as it appears in Thailand.

Until very recently, Ajarn Pu Nen Kham was a popular monk with thousands of followers in the Thai kingdom. Thai Buddhists would flock to his public sermons to listen to his particular brand of wisdom. And, of course, as is Thai tradition, give generous donations to him & his monastery. This is where things get somewhat, well, murky. The monk was filmed aboard a private jet - allegedly his - wearing designer sunglasses and playing with expensive gadgets. Traditionally-minded Thais, who expect their monks to live more modestly were not pleased with these images. Next, came many more unsavory allegations against the monk.

Firstly, a picture circulated which some claimed showed a close-up image of Ajarn Pu Nen Kham's face next to a woman led on a pillow, apparently asleep. Needless to say, Buddhist monks are expected to be celibate; moreover to avoid any hint of scandal, they are not even supposed to go into a room or any other isolated place alone with a woman. On top of this, a woman came forward claiming that when she was under the age of consent, the monk fathered a child with her! This allegation is being investigated, and it is possible that the monk - also known as Wirapol - could face up up twenty years in jail if found guilty.

Secondly, the  financial scandal around the monk extends to allegations that he has used donations to buy dozens of cars, build palatial homes for himself and his family, and has numerous bank accounts, containing millions and millions of Thai baht. Moreover, a lay devotee who claims she gave Wirapol land to build a temple on never saw the temple built, but instead the monk and his monastic community live there. When she recently asked for the land back, no doubt disappointed at the nonexistent temple, she alleges she received death-threats.

When the outcry erupted, Wirapol, on a trip abroad - apparently a regular pastime of his - first refused to return to Thailand from France. Then, he fled to America, where he has had a big house built in California. In his absence, he has been formally defrocked, and is no longer permitted to call himself a monk in Thailand, losing all the privileges that go with that position. Some of his followers have not only stuck by the disgraced monk, but actually came out in public denying all the accusations made against him, claiming that there is a conspiracy involving both the Thai media and the Thai D.S.I. (Department of Special Investigation). This kind of dogged loyalty is often found around those exposed by the media and largely reviled by the majority of a populace; recall how some aides to Saddam Huissein continued to support him even after his capture & execution. The following questions do arise however: Just how close to Wirapol were these people, and were they directly involved in his misdemeanors? Did they, along with many other benefactors, receive gifts or payment from him?

While the above drama continues to be played out in the Thai media, its outcome still to be decided as this article is being written, something needs to be borne in mind: This is by no means an isolated incident in Thailand. The magnitude of Wirapol's misconduct is astounding, but corruption is nothing new to the Thai monkhood, and neither are sexual scandals, theft, drug abuse, violence and general rudeness! Monks who have been expelled in high-profile cases before include Dharmavadi, Yantra, and Pawana in 1990s. Pawana was particularly horrible, found guilty of raping hill tribe girls that he had given shelter to in his temple. The Thai media is focusing on such issues once more in light of Wirapol's exposure, and questions are being asked of the Thai Buddhist hierarchy's abilities to run its ship effectively. For example, it has been reported that Thais donate over 100 billion baht (over 3 billion US Dollars) to Buddhist monasteries, and yet the is no national audit of what the monks do with all that money!

So, why do monks such as Wirapol and the others mentioned above do such controversial stuff? Well, because they are human. This is why the rules for monks and nuns exist in the first place, because from the time of the Buddha until now, they have done things unfitting for someone wearing the saffron robes. These monkish rules are precious. If adhered to, they guarantee that monks and nuns live virtuous lives conducive to enlightenment; moreover, they make sure that monks and nuns live in a way that inspires others, rather than disgusts them. Wirapol, and monks like him, flout these rules, and what exasperates the situation is that both laypeople & senior monks ignore their wrongdoings. In this sense, all Thai Buddhists that turn a blind eye to this sort of stuff are to blame for the current crisis they face. Sure, Wirapol should face justice, but he should not become a smokescreen for all the other bad practices going on in this Buddhism today: all Buddhists need to look homewards and see the truth of their own practice.

Another contributing factor to this crisis is the laziness of most Thai Buddhists. Basically, their idea of Buddhist practice is to offer alms to monks (and sometimes nuns), occasionally attend a Buddhist service or festival, and chanting in a language (Pali) that they do not understand. Actually studying the noble eightfold path that the Buddha taught, and putting it into practice would take too much effort for them, so they hope to make merit by giving things to monks. They don't even bother to keep the basic five precepts of Buddhism: to refrain from killing living beings, stealing, casual sex, lying, and taking intoxicants. It seems today that most Thais wouldn't think twice about swatting an insect, taking a stranger's money, having sex outside a stable relationship, telling untruths to save face, and consuming alcohol or other recreational drugs. So, the question arises: In what sense are they Buddhist?!

As Buddhists living in Thailand, we are responsible for keeping the Buddhist precepts and encouraging (not forcing) others to do the same, pointing out their benefits, as well as the potential consequences of breaking them. When we see others doing things against Buddhist principles, especially monks, we should point this out or report it in the case of a monk like Wirapol. He got away with all his controversial actions for so long because he was allowed to, nobody blowing the whistle on him until years had passed. Of course, the authorities in Thailand should be more active in checking and investigating the affairs of monasteries. Both monastic and civil organizations have clear responsibilities in these areas. And, if the civil authorities lack powers to act in such circumstances, it is the duty of government to enact laws that award them such powers. The very future of Thai Buddhism is at stake, and at the moment, it would seem that it is headed in the wrong direction - straight to hell!

Buddhism & This Glassy Essence

“Man, proud man! 

Drest in a little brief authority; 

Most ignorant of what he’s most assur’d, 

His glassy essence, - like an angry ape, 

Plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven, 

As make the angels weep.” 

(From ‘Measure for Measure,’ by William Shakespeare)

Sometimes life can be pretty complicated. Family ties (or Thai families!), friendships, work commitments, and even the needs of our pets can pull our attention in various directions. Having a religious or spiritual discipline can also become another commitment full of demands and complications that seem to clutter up our lives, adding to the mental maelstrom inhabiting mindfulness. Not that this is the point of Buddhism or any other spiritual way of life; such modes of existence are surely for freeing us from our bonds, not strengthening them further with rituals, recitations, dogmas, doctrines and intricate etiquette guidelines on how to behave towards others within or without a particular discipline. 

The first visit to a Buddhist monastery or temple, whether in the Occident or the Orient, can be a minefield of conventions dictating how to talk, walk, eat, bow, chant, and when to do such things. Having written the above, it might seem that the writer is veering towards a very common modern view of religious conventions which rejects them for being as troublesome as living without them, perhaps worse. But no, this isn't the case, for chanting, rituals, hierarchies and dress codes all have their place – without them, people often become libertines, doing anything and everything in the name of ‘spirituality’, however unwholesome those actions might be.

So, where is this leading us? If religious conventions add to our already complicated lives, how can we keep them in perspective? We do so with mindfulness (sati). But even being mindful takes effort and concentration, doesn’t it? It too can be another complication focused on keeping an eye on all the other complications. But it doesn’t have to be. It depends on what form mindfulness takes. An extremely beneficial practice that I’ve used for many years is the simplest of techniques, but can have the profoundest of effects on one’s level of mindfulness, and was called by its founder, Douglas Harding, 'the Headless Way.' This form of mindfulness simply involves reversing one’s attention from the many and varied objects ‘out there’ to that which is doing the observing. Using one’s finger, one can see what is meant by pointing back at where one is looking from and noting what one finds. Doing so now, I see...no thing at all.

Well, one might well ask, what is the use of nothing – or no thing? Well, focusing on the gap at this end of the pointing finger enables the realization to arise that there’s nobody here. ‘I’ am out to lunch, as it were. Permanently so! Visual objects can be seen to arise and exist and cease in this awareness, which itself remains clear and calm, whatever’s going on ‘in’ it. And, this ‘seeing’ isn’t restricted to what one actually sees – which was Douglas Harding’s main area of focus – it can be extended to all the senses, including hearing and the mind. With eyes closed, it can heard that all sounds occur in a serene silence; as to thoughts, well they arise in an otherwise empty mind. Emotions can be experienced in this context also, allowing a detachment to develop towards them, stripping them of their power to dominate attention.

Strictly speaking, this isn’t a technique taught by the Buddha – at least no one I know has found reference to it in the Tripitaka, or Buddhist scriptures. Nevertheless, the senior Buddhist monk Ajahn Sumedho, himself a bit of an innovator when it comes to developing mindfulness techniques, did once write to me that ‘headlessness’ – which is a somewhat misleading term, by the way – is a valid form of mindful practice. Along with other ways of being alert, it leads to what he called ‘Ultimate Simplicity.' Combining Douglas Harding’s in-seeing technique with a tradition like Buddhism works well. The simplicity of the former blends with the often complicated system of the latter, creating a relaxed yet focused mindfulness as a base for all of the chanting, prostrating and the like. And this mindfulness, as Ajahn Sumedho has so often pointed out, is the “path to the deathless”, leading to the realization of Ultimate Simplicity.

As written above, some consider the term ‘headlessness’ and its variations somewhat misleading, and even Douglas Harding himself admitted in later life that he did have a head. With such a term, however, he and others were essentially pointing out the essential, using the initial impression of being without a head a kind of shock treatment into mindfulness of this moment. What’s really essential is what Shakespeare called our “glassy essence” that lies at the core of every conscious experience. recognizing this “glassy essence” – or naked awareness, consciousness, mindfulness, etc. – can be a liberating experience. It enables the viewing of all our experiences with a certain coolness, preventing us from overheating with our emotions, for instance. It can also help in discouraging identification with the body, as it is seen in relation to awareness rather than blindly taken to be one’s self. All those complications referred to above, along any others that one could mention, can be known in the impartiality of attention. It’s a case of the complicated being known by the uncomplicated.

Now, an important realization of Douglas Harding hasn’t been touched on yet, and it would be seriously amiss of the writer not to mention it. Going back to seeing the void (awareness) that’s here and the things that are there, can any distance or separation be detected between them? Not here. Again, try out this theory with some of the other senses such as hearing and thinking – is there anything between awareness and its contents, or are they one? When you look at someone’s face, in actual experience, is it face-to-face or face-to-no face? (Looking in a mirror can reveal the answer to this one, too.) With nothing to separate us, we become one. Your concerns are mine and so are the world’s. This is where compassion (karuna) and goodwill (metta) come in, for with no self-made barriers between us, I naturally care for you and you naturally care for me. Letting go of self-identification and living form direct awareness instead loosens the ego’s grip on consciousness, allowing it a freer experience of existence, and the suffering beings that inhabit it.

Anything that simplifies our complicated lives yet at the same time deepens our reflective experience of life has got to be a good thing, surely? Sitting at the computer now, it can be seen that there’s no one here typing these words, but that the words, the computer, the fingers, thoughts, sounds, etc. are all arising in awareness. And this awareness has no barrier between itself and the objects that occupy it: they are it and it is they. In this ‘fusion’ selfishness takes a vacation, and selflessness takes residence in the heart, with the experience of being a separate and (inevitably) selfish being let go of.

Related posts:

D.E. Harding

Buddhism & Stress

Buddhism, Stress & No-Stress

The Awkward Fact & Anatta

Note: The above Shakespearean quotation was a favourite of Douglas Harding's. If you are interested in finding out more about ‘headlessness’ or ‘Seeing’, please click here: The Headless Way