From Venerable Ajahn Khemadhammo

On the cover of this newsletter is shown the way in which we in the Theravada tradition show our respect by bowing or prostrating. To respect those and that which is worthy of respect is, the Buddha said, a great blessing. It is a blessing to have someone or something to focus on that inspires and leads us up and away from base, unskilful and unwholesome things. And it's a blessing to be able, if only for a moment or two, to put down something of pride and attachment to self and what is supposed to belong to self. It can also, during the bowing, be a moment to stop, to pause and recollect just where you are and what's going on.

Wherever you go, if you're not mindful, you can be led astray by that that you see, hear, touch, taste, smell and think about. There are things that arouse craving and things that arouse aversion; and there are things that reinforce the misunderstanding with which you view the world and relate to experiences. In fact all these things, however imperfect and unsatisfactory, are just as they are, no better, no worse - it's the innate misunderstanding and how you relate to them that's the trouble. Looking out of the window at a freshly ploughed field subtly lit by a pale evening sun, you might feel a certain attraction to what you see, even perhaps a sense of wonder and joy. But if you feel you've seen enough of the English countryside and would rather be lazing in some South Sea Island paradise, your thoughts about that field are likely to be vastly different. So everything really depends on your mind and it remains up to you how you're affected by what is seen and so on. Nevertheless, there are some almost unavoidable things that cause more trouble than others. To be then in the presence of whatever inspires you and encourages generosity, kindness and understanding is a great blessing and deserves your respect. And to give up something of yourself and to stop can also be a tremendous relief.

When you bow you should do it properly and carefully, not a speedy half-hearted little dip. No, you should stop, put down whatever it was you were in the middle of, and bow, fully, mindfully, wholeheartedly and three times. Here, in the Shrine Room of course, and in the two other rooms where there are images and pictures of the Buddha and important, highly thought of monks and where we sit to discuss the Dhamma, we usually bow three times on entering and leaving.

But, although we are taught to respect the Buddha, our elders and our teachers and all that we may learn from them, it doesn't follow that we have to swallow everything they say, hook, line and sinker. Not at all. Unlike systems and sects that demand an abdication of responsibility and an unwavering belief in what they teach, it is recommended that Buddhists follow the Buddha's advice and question and test things out for themselves until they know for themselves; and only then when they know that a thing is all right, wholesome, blameless and profitable is it to be accepted.

The Buddha was once wandering in an area belonging to the Kalamas when some of them came to him complaining bitterly about the various recluses and holy men all with their own ideas and each insisting that only he was right and the others were wrong. Fed up and disillusioned, the Kalamas no longer knew who or what to believe. To their surprise the Buddha agreed that they were right to doubt and insisted that they should not depend on what others said, nor on hearsay, nor tradition, nor scripture, nor logic, nor inference, nor appearances, nor respect for their teacher - nor, in short, on anything other than when they knew for themselves that something was unwholesome, blameable and unprofitable - as when greed hatred or delusion were present - and that then it should be rejected; or when they knew for themselves that something was wholesome, blameless and profitable - as when greed, hatred and delusion were absent - that only then should it be accepted. (Kalama Sutta - Anguttara Nikaya).

And although one should be just as careful when deciding whether some organisation is genuinely Buddhist or not, I think it's fair to say that where there are suspicions of wrongdoing it's better to err on the side of caution. Unfortunately such assessments have to be made, especially when there are sects and groups claiming to be Buddhist, but apparently behaving very questionably. After all, apart from being misleading, their shabby behaviour can reflect badly on all of us. It surely can't be enough just for the word Buddhist to appear in their title or for a group to say they are Buddhist for them automatically to be accepted as Buddhist. Although the Buddha wouldn't appoint a successor and although we have no world-wide Buddhist leader or Head Office, no equivalent of the Pope or the Vatican, we do nevertheless have an authority which the Buddha has left us and a means of determining what is or is not Buddhist. That authority is known as the Dhamma-Vinaya, or the Teaching and the Discipline. It's what is found in the Tipitaka or the collection of basic Buddhist scriptures. There you will find, if you take the trouble to read it, plenty of guidance as to what is Buddhist and what is not, as to what accords with the Buddha's message and what does not. Obviously one of the comparisons you should make is with the Buddha's advice to the Kalamas. And another that is especially relevant when assessing groups and organisations that are rather over-keen on your money is the Buddha's advice to his foster mother, Maha Pajapati, where he says that what is conducive to or is concerned with worldly gains is not the Dhamma, is not the Vinaya, is not the Buddha's message! (Vinaya. Cullavagga 10:5 and Anguttara Nikaya 8:53).

* * * * *

One week recently began for me with tea at Lambeth Palace on the Monday - to discuss a summary of Warwick University's report on the C of E & Other Faiths - and ended on the Sunday with the Buddha Grove celebration in Springhill Prison. In between were prison visits and an Angulimala workshop on the Saturday.

The Lambeth Palace bash turned out to be slightly better than I expected and brought together an interesting mix of people. One young woman who clearly doesn't waste her time with the media, turned to her companion after the Archbishop of Canterbury had shaken her hand and asked, "Who's he?". I made some of my criticisms of the report and there was plenty more said that illustrated the level of discontent felt amongst non-Christians with the current state of publicly funded religious provision.

It gives me great joy to report that this year the annual celebration at the Buddha Grove in Springhill Prison was judged by many to have been the best ever. Good weather is, of course, always a help and this year the sun shone and we enjoyed a beautiful late summer's evening. As in previous years there was a short visit to Grendon, the adjacent closed prison, where we performed the Evening Puja at the Grendon Buddha Grove and then we came back for the main ceremony at Springhill where after dark and after the Thai feast we circumambulated the Buddha Grove with candles, incense and Thai orchids. Once again this was a true festival of Giving and it made an enormous impression. I am truly grateful to all those who made it possible. ANUMODANA!

Thanks to the generosity and expertise of Richard Phillips and David King who manage the new technology for me, I've been able to put the Forest Hermitage Newsletter, and info about Angulimala and this wat on the Internet.

The Rains Retreat ends on October 26th, so I expect there will be some celebration on Sunday, 27th, but the Alms-Giving in lieu of a Kathina will be on Sunday, November 24th.

Take care and be happy.

* * * * *

Return to the top of the page

Return to The Forest Hermitage Title Page