Thoughts today...
Today i happened to be walking by a Peace Walk going through our front gates here at CTTB. I took an impromptu video with my cell phone. The quality is not that great but i thought it was nice.
I have been thinking about what i would like to put on this blog and i came to the conclusion that i would write a little about what i learn in my classes. Whether its a personal reflection and introspective idea, or some technical information that i have enjoyed, i will post on this blog to give readers an idea of what its like being a student here.
That being said...Dhyana Paramita Treatise started to today. I forgot how much i enjoyed this class. One of the key things i took away from this class today was in relationship to the Paramita of Giving. For a definition of "Paramita" please goto this link http://www.drba.org/dharma/btts/9xxEntryDetail.asp?wid=181
Giving does not not refer to only material objects. Giving in terms of the Paramita on a deeper level also refers to "giving up". Very importantly, giving up our afflictions. I have come to the understanding that I (and maybe you too) am addicted to my own suffering. I knowingly and unknowingly recreate what causes me pain and suffering time and time again. Therefore (for myself at least) my objective is to come to know myself deeper and deeper and as I do, then practice "giving away" my faults, afflictions, bad habits, and most importantly wrong views. Practice makes perfect, and perfection is the essence of Paramita.
Giving also does refer to material goods, and i think it is a wonderful way to bring happiness upon people. For me, as a resident at CTTB i enjoy serving chinese tea to new volunteers and friends that have been here much longer than myself. I enjoy wonderful enlightening conversations with people from all over the world over a nice hot cup of (really good) chinese tea. I think maybe I receive more than i give on these occasions.
Well thats it for now---Do some good.
-kenny
posted by Kenny @ 4:38 PM
1 Comments:
Hey Kenny,
I like these two posts very much! :)
I was thinking about giving lately as well. I like the viewpoint of what you wrote about it on here. I learn something new every day! Yay!
I was thinking how giving to others is actually also helping yourself. By giving away something/some work, you are actually helping those around you as well as yourself. You are giving away the things/aid while you gain happiness and lose a bit of selfishness.
There was a lady that I met at CTTB that told our sutra study group how volunteering helped her understanding of the sutras as well. She said that she could not understand the concepts for a long time and she was very frustrated, so she went to do some community work. After a while, she realized how helping others really helped solidify the concepts in her mind and she could easily understand the sutras better. She told us that by helping/giving aid to the community, you are really helping yourself, perhaps more, than you are helping others.
Hehe, just my two cents.
Take care,
Peggy
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