Wise Awareness (​Kumāra Bhikkhu's Blog)

As a meditation teacher, I’ve met thousands of meditators. I’ve learnt that many have started meditation years ago yet remain stuck in their suffering. Meditation may have given them some relief (which may be why they still persist), but only temporarily. Why so? I see three basic reasons for this: 1. Mistaken Ideas about Meditation For them, meditation is about following a method. By persisting in that method, they believe they will one day somehow suffer less. In reality, however, ending suffering doesn’t happen that way. Although the Buddha did teach meditation methods—such as breathing mindfulness, cultivating loving-kindness, cultivating the perception of unattractiveness, etc.—they are not meant as complete ways to end suffering. They are only meant to fulfil certain principles of ending suffering. These methods are used to settle the mind if there is a need for them. The mind needs to be fairly settled to do the work of ending suffering. That’s the principle here. Here’s another...

It’s amazing how traditions tend to obscure the very teachings they claim to uphold. This phenomenon is seen in all long-established faiths or religions. A faith or religion that is “generally accepted or approved” is said to be “orthodox”. This word is usually viewed by religious people in a commendatory way, because it also means “following the older, more traditional practices strictly”. However, they forget that orthodoxy too is impermanent. What is orthodox now isn’t the same as what was orthodox in the past. Moreover, what is orthodox here isn’t the same as what is orthodox elsewhere. So, ultimately, orthodoxy is merely a state of being generally accepted or approved within a certain group at a certain time. It is said that the Buddha did not teach Buddhism. He taught the Dhamma. Then as his teaching got transmitted through the generations and to different places, various Buddhisms emerged. Some have died and some flourished, which then led to newer Buddhisms. To those who cal...

Around Kuala Lumpur, many Sunday Dhamma schools (SDSs) have become packed and some even have a waiting list. I believe most parents send their kids there because they believe that it will make their kids become better people (and some because it’s free daycare). Yet, again and again, I don’t see that happening. In fact, some kids even become averse to Buddhism because they were forced to attend. So, why are SDSs not producing the result that most parents want? More often than not, the teachers aren’t capable enough to teach Dhamma. They themselves may be still in need of learning Dhamma. Many of them are simply pushed into the role because there aren’t enough teachers. They may even be relatively new to Buddhism. The time spent in SDSs is very short compared to the time spent at home and in school. So, even if they provide good influence, it is weak compared to the influence elsewhere. So what can parents do to help their children become better people? Be the good person you want your ...