THE BUDDHA AND THE SCIENTIST

The physical reality is changing constantly every moment. This is what the Buddha realized by examining himself. With his strongly concentrated mind, he penetrated deeply into his own nature and found that the entire material structure is composed of minute subatomic particles which are continuously arising and vanishing. In the snapping of a finger of the blinking of an eye, he said, each one of these particles arises and passes away many trillions of times.

" Unbelievable, " anyone will think who observes only the apparent reality of the body, which seems so solid, so permanent, I used to suppose that the phrase "many trillions of times" might be an idiomatic expression not to be taken literally. However, modern science has confirmed this statement.

Several years ago, an American scientist received the Nobel Prize in physics. For a long time he had studied and conducted experiments to learn about the subatomic particles of which the physical universe is composed. It was already known that these particles arise and pass away with great rapidity, over and over again. Now this scientist decided to develop an instrument that would be able to count how many times a particle arises and passes away in one second. He very rightly called the instrument that he invented a bubble chamber, and he found that in one second a sub-atomic particle arises and vanishes 10 (22) times.

The truth that this scientist discovered is the same as that which the Buddha found, but what a great difference between them! Some of my American students who had taken courses in India later returned to their country, and they visited this scientist. They reported to me that despite the fact that he has discovered this reality, he is still an ordinary person with the usual stock of misery that all ordinary people have! He is not totally liberated from suffering.

No, that scientist has not become an enlightened person, not been freed from all suffering, because he has not experienced truth directly. What he has learned is still only intellectual wisdom. He believes this truth because he has faith in the instrument which be has invented, but he has not experienced the truth himself.

I have nothing against this man nor against modern science. However, one must not be a scientist only of the world outside. Like the Buddha, one should also be a scientist of the world within, in order to experience truth directly. Personal realization of truth will automatically change the habit pattern of the mind so that one starts to live according to the truth. Every action becomes directed towards one's own good and the good of others. If this inner experience is missing. science is liable to be misused for destructive ends. But if we become scientists of the reality within, we shall make proper use of science for the happiness of all

Past life causes makes effects in the present life!

In the previous life there was doubt, confusion and delusion, which is ignorance.
There was kammic accumulation of many intentions, which is mental construction.
There was attachment to the past life body, food, and pleasures, which is craving.
There was embracing this and that, delighting in this and that object, which is clinging.
There was volitions, favourite choices, and firm determinations, which is becoming...
These 5 things accumulated in the previous kamma-process of becoming therefore
became the conditions for rebirth-linking at birth, here in the present life process...
Here in the present life process, there was rebirth-linking, which is consciousness.
There was descent into the womb, which is mentality-&-materiality; name-&-form.
There is sensitivity of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind, which is the 6 senses.
There is what is seen, heard, smelt, tasted, touched and thought, which is contact.
There is what is felt as pleasure, pain or neither pleasure nor pain, which is feeling...
These five things here in the present rebirth-process of becoming all have their
conditions in kamma done in the past. Since feeling causes clinging. And since this
clinging, then causes new becoming resulting in future birth, these 5 things causes
the conditions for a future life to be deposited... The rebirth round is thus closed..    
Any present intentional conscious moment, thus creates a future conscious moment! 
Ps I 52, Vism 601

Contentment is the highest Treasure!

The Blessed Buddha often noted contentment as the highest treasure:
There is the case where a Bhikkhu is quite content with whatever old robe,
quite content with whatever old alms-food, quite content with whatever hut,
and quite content with whatever bitter medicine for curing sickness.
This Dhamma is for one, who is content, not for one who is discontent!
Thus was it said. And with reference to exactly this salient contentment with whatever little one has, was this simple, serene modesty well spoken...
AN VIII 30

Contentment with whatever little one has!

How is a Bhikkhu content? 
Just as a bird, wherever it goes, flies with its wings as its only burden,
even so is he content with a single set of robes to protect his body and
begged alms-food to pacify his hunger. Wherever he goes, he takes only
these few simple necessities as robes, belt, bowl, and razor along with him.
This is how a Bhikkhu is content...  
DN 2

There is the case where a Bhikkhu is content with whatever old robe at all,
with whatever old alms-food at all, with whatever old hut at all. He speaks in
praise of being content with any old requisite at all. He does not, for the sake
of any requisite, do anything unsuitable or inappropriate. When not getting any
requisites, he is not troubled. When getting requisites, he just uses it without
being attached to it. He is not obsessed, but blameless, and seeing the drawbacks
and dangers of possessions, he realizes the escape from them. He does not, on
account of his contentment with any old requisite at all, exalt himself or disparage
others. Thus is he modest, clever, energetic, alert, and always acutely aware!
This, Bhikkhus, is called a Bhikkhu standing quite firm in the ancient,
original lineage of the Noble Ones (Ariyavamsa)... AN IV 28
See also: About Forest Monks:
http://what-buddha-said.net/library/Wheels/wh083.pdf
 

Good are friends, when a need arises.
Good is contentment with just what one has.
Good is merit done well, when life is at the end.
Good is the elimination of all Suffering!
Dhammapada 331

Solitude is happiness for one who is content,
Who has heard, and clearly understands The Dhamma.
Harmlessness is happiness in all worlds!
Harmlessness held towards all breathing beings.
Udana 10

Therefore be capable, upright, and straight,
easy to instruct, gentle, and not proud,
content and easy to support with little,
with few duties, living simply and lightly,
with peaceful abilities, mastering all,
modest, and with no greed for support.
Do not do even a minor thing that the
wise and noble would later criticize.
Sutta Nipāta I, 8

Kamma is the Intention behind a mental, verbal or bodily action:

Kamma is intention to push and act and not the later resulting effects! 
Buddha emphasized the Law of Kamma: The Moral Efficacy of any Action!


He said: Kamma should be known and understood:
The cause by which kamma comes into play should be known.
The diversity in kamma should be known.
The result of kamma should be known.
The ending of kamma should be known.
The way of practice for the ending of kamma should be known.
Thus it has been said. In reference to what was it said?
Intention, I tell you, is kamma.
Intending, one makes kamma by way of body, speech, and mind.
And what is the cause by which kamma comes into play?
Contact is the cause by which kamma comes into play.
Having had sense contact one generates a kammic intention.
And what is the diversity in kamma?
There is kamma to be experienced as a future in hell,
kamma to be experienced in the realm of the various animals,
kamma to be experienced in the realm of the hungry ghosts,
kamma to be experienced as a future in this human world,
kamma to be experienced in the world of the divine devas.
This is called the diversity in kamma.

By intending something one plants an egg of future hatching resultants!

And what is the result of kamma?
The result of kamma is of three sorts, I tell you:
that which arises right here and now, or later in this very lifetime,
and that which arises in later lives. This is called the result of kamma.
And what is the ending of kamma?
The ending of contact thereby also ends the accumulation of kamma.
And what is the way of practice for the ending of kamma?
Just this Noble eightfold path:
right view,
right motivation,
right speech,
right action,
right livelihood,
right effort,
right mindfulness, &
right concentration.
This is the way of praxis leading to the end of kamma.

Now when a disciple of the Noble Ones comprehends kamma in this way,
the cause, the diversity, the result, the end, and the way of practice
leading to the ending of kamma in this way, then he sees the fulfillment
of the Noble life as the end of kamma.

Kamma should be fully understood:
The cause by which kamma comes into play...
The diversity in kamma...
The result of kamma...
The ending of kamma...
The way of practice for the ending of kamma should be known.
Thus it has been said, and in reference to this was it said.
Reference: AN VI.63

The 5 Impurities block the Lucidity of Mind

The 5 Impurities block the Lucidity of Mind:

The Blessed Buddha once said:
There are five impurities of gold impaired by which it becomes neither pliant,
nor wieldy, it lacks radiance, is weak and easily broken and cannot be formed...
What are these five impurities? They are: Iron, copper, tin, lead and silver.
But if the gold has been purified from these five impurities, then it will indeed
be pliant and wieldy, radiant and firm, and can be formed well. Whatever kind
of jewellery one wishes to make from it, be it a diadem, earrings, a necklace or
a golden chain, it will easily serve that purpose well.
Similarly, there are five impurities of the mind impaired by which the mind is
neither pliant, nor wieldy, it lacks radiant lucidity and stability, and cannot
concentrate well upon the eradication of the mental fermentations (āsava). 
What are these five impurities? They are:

1: Sense-Desire,
2: Evil-Will,
3: Lethargy and Laziness,
4: Restlessness and Regret,
5: Doubt and Uncertainty...

But if the mind is freed of these five mental hindrances, then it will be plastic,
flexible, and wieldy, will be of radiant lucidity and firm, calm stability, and will
concentrate well upon the elimination of the mental fermentations. Whatever
supra-human state realizable by these higher mental abilities one may pursue,
one will in each case be able to directly experience it, as an eye-witness...

Buddha said: The mind is naturally radiant, but veiled by mental hindrances!