Uploaded May 2020 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
My Dear Dhamma Sons & Dhamma Daughters.
On this auspicious day let us understand what is the Buddha's teaching. To live the life of morality is the teaching of every religion. It is the quintessence, the inner core of every spiritual teaching. However, the Buddha was not interested in merely giving sermons to live a moral life. He taught us to take the next important step of samādhi-mastery over the mind. For this one needs an object of concentration. There are many objects by which one can train the mind. The Buddha himself gave many objects, and of these, one of the most popular was one's own respiration. He called this Ānāpānassati-developing the faculty of awareness of inhalation and exhalation. Respiration is common to all human beings belonging to any community.
Ānāpānassati requires us to remain aware of the breath on the area below the nostrils and above the upper lip. It is the one-pointed concentration in the middle of the upper lip. As the mind gets concentrated on this small area, it becomes sharper and sharper, more and more sensitive. After just three days of practice, one starts feeling physical sensations on this part of the body. And then, one turns to the next training of paññā, that is, wisdom or insight.
As one continues to walk on the path and goes through the words of the Buddha, it becomes clearer and clearer that the teaching is not intended to convert people from one organized religion to another. The teaching itself is not an organized religion. It can be practiced by one and all.
When the entire forest is withered, each tree has to be nurtured, its roots cleared of disease, and then watered. Then, the entire forest will bloom again. Similarly, for the betterment of society, each individual has to improve. For society to become peaceful, each individual has to become peaceful. The individual is the key.
For the world to become peaceful, each country or society has to become peaceful. Here, I would again like to quote a very important exhortation from the Buddha to the Vajjian republic of Licchavis. The Buddha gave the following practical instructions, which would make the Licchavis unassailable:
• As long as they maintain their unity and meet regularly, they will remain invincible.
• As long as they meet together in unity, rise in unity, and perform their duties in unity, they will remain invincible.
• As long as they do not transgress their ancient principles of good governance and their system of justice, they will remain invincible.
• As long as they revere, respect, venerate, and honor their elders and pay regard to their words, they will remain invincible.
• As long as they protect their women and children, they will remain invincible.
• As long as they venerate the objects of worship inside and outside their republic, and maintain monetary support for them, they will remain invincible.
In the Buddha's teaching, we will find a bridge that can connect various sects. The three fundamental divisions of the Buddha's teachings-morality, the concentration of mind, and purification of mind-are the essence of every religion and spiritual path. Sīla, samādhi, and paññā are the common denominators of all religions. There can be no conflict over these three basic factors necessary for living a beneficial life. The whole emphasis of the Buddha's teaching is on the practice of these three in order to apply Dhamma in real life. This is the inner core of every religion. Instead of giving importance to this core, we keep on quarreling about the outer shell, which may be different in different religions.
We all know how much the sweetness of peace and tranquillity is needed in the bitter world today. May the teaching of the Enlightened One bring peace and happiness to more and more individuals, thus making more and more societies around the world peaceful and happy.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be peaceful.
May all beings be liberated.
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Anapana Meditation for All: An effective tool to deal with Stress, Fear and Anxiety.
Anapana Meditation in Hindi - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMfMd...
Anapana Meditation in English - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYJmF...
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These videos are bought to you by Vipassana Research Institute (VRI) a non-profit-making body with the principal aim of conducting scientific research into the Vipassana Meditation Technique. The financing for running VRI comes mainly from donations. If you wish to make a contribution to this effort (100% tax exemption for Indians), please visit vridhamma.org/donate-online or through the mobile app mentioned above.
© Vipassana Research Institute
My Dear Dhamma Sons & Dhamma Daughters.
On this auspicious day let us understand what is the Buddha's teaching. To live the life of morality is the teaching of every religion. It is the quintessence, the inner core of every spiritual teaching. However, the Buddha was not interested in merely giving sermons to live a moral life. He taught us to take the next important step of samādhi-mastery over the mind. For this one needs an object of concentration. There are many objects by which one can train the mind. The Buddha himself gave many objects, and of these, one of the most popular was one's own respiration. He called this Ānāpānassati-developing the faculty of awareness of inhalation and exhalation. Respiration is common to all human beings belonging to any community.
Ānāpānassati requires us to remain aware of the breath on the area below the nostrils and above the upper lip. It is the one-pointed concentration in the middle of the upper lip. As the mind gets concentrated on this small area, it becomes sharper and sharper, more and more sensitive. After just three days of practice, one starts feeling physical sensations on this part of the body. And then, one turns to the next training of paññā, that is, wisdom or insight.
As one continues to walk on the path and goes through the words of the Buddha, it becomes clearer and clearer that the teaching is not intended to convert people from one organized religion to another. The teaching itself is not an organized religion. It can be practiced by one and all.
When the entire forest is withered, each tree has to be nurtured, its roots cleared of disease, and then watered. Then, the entire forest will bloom again. Similarly, for the betterment of society, each individual has to improve. For society to become peaceful, each individual has to become peaceful. The individual is the key.
For the world to become peaceful, each country or society has to become peaceful. Here, I would again like to quote a very important exhortation from the Buddha to the Vajjian republic of Licchavis. The Buddha gave the following practical instructions, which would make the Licchavis unassailable:
• As long as they maintain their unity and meet regularly, they will remain invincible.
• As long as they meet together in unity, rise in unity, and perform their duties in unity, they will remain invincible.
• As long as they do not transgress their ancient principles of good governance and their system of justice, they will remain invincible.
• As long as they revere, respect, venerate, and honor their elders and pay regard to their words, they will remain invincible.
• As long as they protect their women and children, they will remain invincible.
• As long as they venerate the objects of worship inside and outside their republic, and maintain monetary support for them, they will remain invincible.
In the Buddha's teaching, we will find a bridge that can connect various sects. The three fundamental divisions of the Buddha's teachings-morality, the concentration of mind, and purification of mind-are the essence of every religion and spiritual path. Sīla, samādhi, and paññā are the common denominators of all religions. There can be no conflict over these three basic factors necessary for living a beneficial life. The whole emphasis of the Buddha's teaching is on the practice of these three in order to apply Dhamma in real life. This is the inner core of every religion. Instead of giving importance to this core, we keep on quarreling about the outer shell, which may be different in different religions.
We all know how much the sweetness of peace and tranquillity is needed in the bitter world today. May the teaching of the Enlightened One bring peace and happiness to more and more individuals, thus making more and more societies around the world peaceful and happy.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be peaceful.
May all beings be liberated.
Download Vipassana Meditation App
Mobile App Link: vridhamma.org/applink.html
Anapana Meditation for All: An effective tool to deal with Stress, Fear and Anxiety.
Anapana Meditation in Hindi - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMfMd...
Anapana Meditation in English - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYJmF...
Join Telegram Channel: https://t.me/vipassanaorg
Also you can connect with us on:
Official Social Profiles of Vipassana Meditation
https://www.facebook.com/Vipassanaorg...
instagram.com/vipassanaorg
twitter.com/VipassanaOrg
These videos are bought to you by Vipassana Research Institute (VRI) a non-profit-making body with the principal aim of conducting scientific research into the Vipassana Meditation Technique. The financing for running VRI comes mainly from donations. If you wish to make a contribution to this effort (100% tax exemption for Indians), please visit vridhamma.org/donate-online or through the mobile app mentioned above.
© Vipassana Research Institute
