A GRADUAL TRAINING

27 July 2012

In This Issue

1.A Gradual Training

2.Special: Stupa / Chethiya Sponsorship

3.Special Events this Weekend

4.Upcoming Events for this Week

1. A Gradual Training

New! At each stage of this "gradual training" (anupubbi-sikkha), the practitioner discovers a new and important dimension of the law of cause-and-effect — kamma, the cornerstone of Right View. It is thus a very useful organizing framework with which to view the entirety of the Buddha's teachings.

The gradual training begins with the practice of generosity, which helps begin the long process of weakening the unawakened practitioner's habitual tendencies to cling — to views, to sensuality, and to unskillful modes of thought and behavior. This is followed by the development of virtue, the basic level of sense-restraint that helps the practitioner develop a healthy and trustworthy sense of self. The peace of mind born from this level of self-respect provides the foundation for all further progress along the path. The practitioner now understands that some kinds of happiness are deeper and more dependable than anything that sense-gratification can ever provide; the happiness born of generosity and virtue can even lead to rebirth in heaven— either literal or metaphorical. But eventually the practitioner begins to recognize the intrinsic drawbacks of even this kind of happiness: as good as rebirth in wholesome states may be, the happiness it brings is not a true and lasting one, for it relies on conditions over which he or she ultimately has no control. This marks a crucial turning point in the training, when the practitioner begins to grasp that true happiness will never be found in the realm of the physical and sensual world. The only possible route to an unconditioned happiness lies in renunciation, in turning away from the sensual realm, by trading the familiar, lower forms of happiness for something far more rewarding and noble. Now, at last, the practitioner is ripe to receive the teachings on the Four Noble Truths, which spell out the course of mental training required to realize the highest happiness: nibbana.

Many Westerners first encounter the Buddha's teachings on meditation retreats, which typically begin with instructions in how to develop the skillful qualities of right mindfulness and right concentration. It is worth noting that, as important as these qualities are, the Buddha placed them towards the very end of his gradual course of training. The meaning is clear: to reap the most benefit from meditation practice, to bring to full maturity all the qualities needed for Awakening, the fundamental groundwork must not be overlooked. There is no short-cutting this process.

Source: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/index.html

2. Special: Stupa / Chethiya Sponsorship

You are able to sponsor items of the Stupa /Chethiya that will be built at Sakyamuni Sambuddha Vihara. Plese contact the Vihara (temple) for more information 03 9702 6275. Please see the below document for available items and the sponsorship cost of each section.

See: http://www.vihara.org.au/pub/atts/2012/07/Items_of_Chetiya_Sponsoring.pdf

3. Special Events this Weekend

New!
1. The mid-term test is this Sunday the 29th of July for Sunday School kids at 2pm.
2.The rains invitation is this Sunday the 29th of July at 7pm.

For more information on any of these events please call the Vihara (temple) on 9702 6275.

4. Upcoming Events for this Week

New!
Saturday, 28 July @ 4:30 PM, Weekly Guided Meditation in English (Held on Confirmation Only): More info

Saturday, 28 July @ 7:00 PM, Osupan Pujava (Medicinal Drinks Offering): More info

Sunday, 29 July @ 2:00 PM, SPECIAL - Mid-Term Test for Sunday School (Dahampasala): More info

Sunday, 29 July @ 7:00 PM, SPECIAL - Rains Invitation: More info

View more Sakyamuni Sambuddha Vihara upcoming events here http://www.vihara.org.au/events.aspx

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Dhamma (Buddhism) Articles

A Buddhist Approach to Disenchantment - A Buddhist approach to becoming disenchanted with all that gives rise to stress, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=disench

A Buddhist Approach to Disillusionment - A Buddhist approach to seeing past the trickery and into reality, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=disill

A Buddhist Approach to Mental Health - A Buddhist perspective and approach to mental health, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=mentalhealth

A Buddhist Approach to Problem Solving - A Buddhist approach to problem solving through the development of wisdom (panna), see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=probsolv

A Buddhist Approach to Revulsion - Asubha - A Buddhist approach to bodily revulsion (asubha), see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=revul

A Buddhist Approach to Subduing & Overcoming Addictions - A Buddhist approach to Subduing subduing & overcoming addictions, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=addict

A Buddhist Approach to the Awareness of In-and-Out Breath Meditation - Anapanasati - A Buddhist approach to the awareness of breath meditation (anapanasati), see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=anapanasati

A Buddhist Approach to the Contemplation on Body Parts - Asubha - A Buddhist approach to bodily revulsion (asubha) through the detailed contemplation of the body parts, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=asubhaparts

A Buddhist Approach to the Mastery over the Mind through Skilful Mental Attention - A Buddhist approach to the mastery over the mind through skilful mental attention, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=mentatt

A Buddhist Approach to the Meaning of Life - A Buddhist approach to the meaning of life, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=life

A Buddhist Approach to True Happiness through Renunciation - A Buddhist approach to true happiness through renunciation, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=renun

A Buddhist Approach to Time Management - A Buddhist approach to effective time management, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=timeman

An Introduction to Buddhist Meditation - Basic instructions for doing the mediations of loving kindness (metta), awareness of breath (ana-pana-sati) and foulness of the body (asubha), see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=intromed

Arahants and Suicide - An analysis on whether Arahants (Worthy Ones) can commit suicide, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=arahsuic

Attachment - An analysis of how attachment leads to unsatisfactoriness, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=attachment

Buddhist Positive Thinking - Positive thinking from a Buddhist perspective, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=posthink

Consequences - About being responsible for our actions (kamma) and their consequences (vipaka), see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=conseq

Daily Dana - On giving and generosity, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=dailydana

Equanimity - Dealing with the eight characteristics of life, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=equanimity

Fault Finding & Resentment - Dealing with fault finding and resentment, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=faultfind

Five Precepts - Developing virtue through the five precepts, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=pansil

Four Noble Truths - The essence of Buddhism, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=fourtruths

Make Haste - About the dangers of samsara (endless round of birth and death) and a call to attain Nibbana (release) at the earliest opportunity, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=urgency

Mental Purity - Five ways prescribed by the Buddha for subduing mental defilements, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=vitakkasantana

Metta Meditation - Easy to follow instructions for doing the meditation on loving-kindness, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=mettamed

Noble Eightfold Path - The path for ending unsatisfactoriness, stress and suffering, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=noblepath

Offerings - On making offering to the Lord Buddha's supreme qualities, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=offerings

One Hour of Unsatisfactoriness - The unsatisfactoriness that can be felt within the space of an hour, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=onehour

Reverence - On revering those worthy of reverence, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=reverence

Sensual Pleasure & Pain - An analysis of sensual pleasure and pain, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=plespain

Work Stress - An analysis of stress in the work-place, see http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=workstress

See these articles here http://sites.google.com/site/dhammagroupweb/pubs and here http://sites.google.com/site/dhammagroupweb/pubs/youth