Dec 9, 2010

Global Pagoda - The Monument of Truth

Dhamma is the truth.
Vipassana is the univeral, practical path to experience the truth of nature, the reality within.
The Global Pagoda is a messenger of Vipassana, to inform and enable thousands of truth warriors to practice Vipassana together, in the courageous, constant, determined battle to destroy the impurities-enemies within. And most necessarily, to share the infinite benefits of Vipassana with all beings.
With Vipassana, one undertands what really happens in the universe within oneself, within the constantly changing mind-matter phenomenon we call 'I'. Delusions and mis-understandings gradually fade away, along with ignorance of the reality within fading away.

Excerpt from 'Sampajañña: The Fullness of Understanding - by Sayagyi U S. N. Goenka':
" So long as one sees from only one angle, one has only a partial truth. Without a general understanding, this partial truth is bound to be misleading, bound to create misconceptions. When one observes a phenomenon in different ways from different viewpoints, the full truth is revealed.
This is real wisdom: to see things from different angles-in Pāli, Pakārena jānātīti paññā. As one proceeds from a narrow, partial view to an understanding of truth in all aspects, automatically illusions and confusions disappear.
By remaining extroverted we see only one aspect of reality, and inevitably are misled by partial truths. Through the practice of introspection, however, we begin to see from another perspective. Thus we emerge from illusions and start awakening to the entire truth.
How does the process of introspection actually awaken in us a comprehensive grasp of truth?
To understand this we must recall that every sensory phenomenon-whether a person, a thing, or an event-exists for us only when it comes into contact with our sense organs. Without this contact, the sensory object in fact is nothing for us. If we remain extroverted, we attach importance to external objects and ignore the essential internal base of their existence for us, because we never examine ourselves. Thus deluded by a partial truth, we are led into folly.
But if we remain aware of external reality and also observe ourselves, the entire situation changes. Now external objects help to throw light on our inner experiences, and inner experiences help us to understand the whole truth. And with this all embracing view we come out of the habit of wallowing in sensory experiences and start instead to observe them objectively.
As the meditator begins moving from a partial and fragmentary vision to an understanding of truth in its totality, he sees more clearly how the phenomenon of mind and matter actually works. As soon as a sensory object comes into contact with one of the sense doors, instantaneously the mental faculty of cognition, recognition and evaluation, sensation and reaction all follow. For this process to occur there must first be a contact between a sensory object and the mental-physical structure; otherwise the object has no reality for us. And this law applies not only to the five physical senses, but also to the mind. As much as eyes or ears, the mind exists within the structure of the body.

Therefore mental objects, just as much as sights or sounds, have their real existence for us within this physical structure, not outside. If we forget this important fact we can never attain an understanding of the entire truth.By observing sensations throughout the body dispassionately, the meditator experiences sensory objects, both external and internal, as they actually affect the mental-physical structure within. In this way he advances towards a comprehensive view of reality. He realizes by experience that whether gross or subtle, whether pleasant or unpleasant, every sensation is ephemeral, having the nature of arising and passing away; this is the fundamental fact of impermanence-anicca.
Whatever is ephemeral is liable to be a source of misery if we become attached to it; this is the fundamental fact of suffering-dukkha.
Over an ephemeral phenomenon we can have no control, no mastery. If we seek to change its nature from transitory to permanent, we are bound to fail. If we seek to make it productive of happiness instead of sorrow, we are bound to fail. This is the fundamental fact of egolessness-anattā.
Thus the wisdom of anicca, dukhha, and anattā arises in the meditator as he continues observing sensations objectively. And the more this wisdom grows, the more the mirage of "I, mine" fades. Now the meditator will give primary importance not to the sensory object, but to its manifestation as bodily sensations within the mental-physical structure. By doing so he achieves a fuller understanding of the reality of this mental-physical phenomenon, and so emerges from illusions and from suffering.
This is the real purpose of Vipassana meditation: to awaken an understanding of truth in all its aspects, and to maintain this understanding in every situation. Whether sitting, standing, lying down, or walking, whether eating or drinking, whether bathing or washing, whether speaking or remaining silent, whether listening, seeing, tasting or touching - in every action, the meditator must maintain sampajañña, and understanding of the entire truth."

for full article : Sampajañña: The Fullness of Understanding - by Sayagyi U S. N. Goenka
* Vipassana meditation courses worldwide, course venues, online application for Vipassana courses
* Directions to reach Global Pagoda, Gorai / Borivili, Mumbai
* Earning boundless merits through Dhamma dana for Global Pagoda

Dec 3, 2010

The Vehicle of Liberation

Dhammam Saranam Gachchami.
One's actual surrender is to Dhamma, and only Dhamma - the truth, the universal law of nature.
Dhamma is the Law of Cause and Effect.
Vipassana practice enables living with Dhamma, with the truth, every moment.

The Global Pagoda is a vehicle for sharing the infinite benefits of Vipassana, for the happiness and liberation of all beings, from all suffering and misery:
" The law of Patticca Samuppāda (Dependent Origination) is the universal law of cause and effect: As the action is, so the result will be. Mental volition is the driving force for action at the vocal or physical level. If this driving force is unwholesome, the resultant vocal and physical actions will also be unwholesome. If the seeds are unwholesome, the fruits are bound to be unwholesome. But if this driving force is wholesome, the resultant actions are bound to be wholesome.
For a Vipassana meditator who develops the ability to observe this law at the level of direct experience, the answer to the question “Who am I?” becomes very clear. You are nothing but the sum total of your kamma, your sankhārā (mental conditionings). All your accumulated actions together equal “I” at the conventional level." 

(for full article http://www.vridhamma.org/en2007-07)

* Vipassana meditation courses worldwide, course venues, online application for Vipassana courses
* Directions to reach Global Pagoda, Gorai / Borivili, Mumbai
* Earning boundless merits through Dhamma dana for Global Pagoda