Quiz: Will Online Book Marketing Help Sales
MZC: So you train and become a monk. What was your experience as you began to meditate regularly and to follow the precepts? What was it like to become so close to your teacher, U Silananda?
When we talk about worship in Buddhism, inevitably we have to talk about the Mahayana school. The Mahayana is a reform movement that emerged in India around the beginning of the A.D. era. It changes the style, the tone and the content of Buddhist practice in profound ways.
theravada MZC: As you know, Vedanta teaches that if you go deeply into that awareness, that consciousness, you may spontaneously fall into the Self and that's all that is. All is arising as a modification of this Consciousness.
Meditation practice is a rich journey best approached with patience, persistence, curiosity and no expectations! Over time, meditating with a group on occasion and seeking guidance from a skilled teacher can greatly support your practice.
Close your eyes and first bring your awareness to the sensation of sitting. Feel your seat and your legs. Feel the support beneath you. Don't try to visualize anything. Just notice what is there. Do this for a few minutes, until a feeling of physical and mental steadiness and presence arise.
BN: I changed my life. Before I had only read, but when you meet with a teacher and stay close to a teacher, well that is the great change. I turned around. I felt a transformation by practicing and learning from my teacher. I discovered an inner happiness and peace. I felt I found an opportunity to know what the Buddha taught. I stayed with my teacher until he died; even after I came to Mexico, I used to accompany my teacher when he traveled. I stayed with him for almost 20 years.
BN: The amazing thing for me in Burma was the people's devotion to Theravadan Buddhism; the monks are very serious about studying the Pali Canon. They monks are very orthodox; they study Pali grammar according to the ancient method. Though it's a poor country, the people are very nice. And they live under very difficult conditions. I think Buddhism has helped a lot, but on the other hand, I wonder if the people are too patient, if they put up with too much. I ask myself whether the people should tolerate so much.
Siddhartha Gautama believed that he had attained a state of being, where he fully understood all of the ins and outs of the human condition. He referred to this level as 'nirvana,' which meant that the termination of his desires ended all of his suffering. He began to spread the word, claiming that through his teachings, this state of bliss could be achieved.
