DAILY READINGS 1st May 2008

One who is serious is a believer, not an unbeliever. One who is serious is energetic, not lazy. One who is serious has firm mindfulness, not distracted. One who is serious has clear comprehension, not confused comprehension. One who is serious has strong wisdom, not weak.

When you have established these five things in yourself, you should also make six things grow within you. You should recollect the Tathagata like this: "Such indeed is the Lord, a Noble One, a fully enlightened Buddha, with perfect knowledge and conduct, happily attained, a knower of the worlds, guide unsurpassed of men to be trained, a teacher of gods and men, a Buddha, the Lord."

You should recollect the Dhamma like this: "Beautifully taught is the Lord's Dhamma, immediately apparent, timeless, of the nature of a personal invitation, progressive, to be attained by the wise, each for himself."

You should recollect the Sangha like this: "Happily faring are the Lord's disciples, straightforwardly faring are the Lord's disciples, correctly faring are the Lord's disciples, methodically faring are the Lord's disciples, namely, the four pairs of individuals, the eight types of persons. These disciples of the Lord are worthy of offerings, hospitality, gifts, salutation with folded hands; they are an incomparable source of goodness in the world."

You should recollect your own virtues as being complete, whole, unspotted, untarnished, freedom-giving, as being praised by the wise, pure and leading to concentration.

You should recollect your own generosity like this: "It is a gain for me. Indeed, it is a great gain that amidst those overcome by meanness, I live at home with the mind cleaned of meanness; I am open handed, pure-handed, delighting in sharing, one to ask a favour of, one who rejoices in giving things."

Again, you should recollect the gods in this way: "There are the gods of the Four Great Kings, the Thirty-three Gods, the gods of Yama, the gods of delight, the gods who delight in creation, those who have power over the creations of others, those in the company of Brahma and those beyond that. I, too, have the faith, the virtue, the learning, the generosity, and the wisdom by which these gods, on dying here, were reborn there in heaven."

At a time when a noble disciple recollects all these things, his mind is freed from greed, hatred and delusion. At that time, his mind is straight and fixed upon those things, and with a straight mind he ­expresses the gladness of the good, the gladness of the Dhamma, and the gladness that goes with Dhamma. In one who is glad, joy arises; because of joy, the body is tranquil; with tranquil body one is happy, and the mind of one who is happy is concentrated. About a person like this, it is said: "The noble disciple who recollects the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha, who recollects virtue, generosity and the gods - that disciple dwells evenly among folk who dwell unevenly."


DAILY ENLIGHTENMENT - EFFORT

About the Perfection of Effort in practice in the Noble Eightfold Path. Effort-Have you put in enough? If you are asking this question, then you have most likely not put in enough effort. One who has put in enough effort is ever at ease. If you are not asking this question, you are either Enlightened or is plain lazy to some extent! Put in more effort!