Category: Q&A

Q: Shall we be afraid of death, Ashin? Could you please kindly advise us from Buddhist point of view?

Q: Shall we be afraid of death, Ashin? Could you please kindly advise us from Buddhist point of view?

A: Well, I have very often said, “Death is not something to be afraid of, but to accept it With wisdom” according to the Buddha’s Teaching because it is just a pause to go on while one’s volitional actions one has done for life long are looking for an abode to exist in another form created by one’s own volitional actions.

One’s own good volitional actions will create a nice, beautiful, rich, wealthy educated person to exist in a nice abode that is also created by one’s own volitional actions.

Therefore, good volitional actions are really important for a Buddhist because all of those good volitional actions will create everything nice and beautiful, auspicious and fortunate here and now and here after.

In my opinion, good volitional actions can create happiness, peace and harmony even in the society here and now. They are not only important for a Buddhist but also important for everyone. They will also take care of us to be happy and to wisely live in dignity in the society.

At the last moment when we approach death, of course, all of these good volitional actions we have done for life long will make us happy to leave this life and to happily continue to the next. Therefore, death is not something to be afraid of, but to accept it wisely according to the Buddha’s Teaching. I hope you get it.

Q: Do we need a particular faith to be a good human being and to keep the world safe and secure?

Q: Do we need a particular faith to be a good human being and to keep the world safe and secure?

A: No matter wherever you are in this planet, Lovely people are always lovely from Cambodia to United States, all over Europe and across the world. They have no religious belief or faith but they have a good heart that is developed by human capacity of understanding and that is fine with everyone regardless of religion, race, faith, skin color, nationality and male and female. This is also the practice of wise and well-educated people across the world and the entire universe.

Wise and well-educated people need no religion, no particular faith and even no God but they need good moral quality, the quality of concentration and the quality of wisdom that must seriously and happily be developed in their hearts because they want peace, security and harmony that can be created by those kinds of qualities very practically. In my experience, religiously serious people are really aggressive and violent instead of being patient, tolerant, wise and nice because of their attachment to their own particular religion and belief.

The Buddha, the wisest Indian sage, who has been very well-known as “The Enlightened One” to all over the world, is always teaching us to be patient and tolerant by practicing good morality, concentration and wisdom so that we can achieve happiness, peace, and harmony within ourselves. Of course, when we achieve such qualities of happiness, peace and harmony within ourselves, you can imagine how the entire society will achieve those kinds of spiritual qualities. Only then will the society and the entire world live securely, peacefully, happily and harmoniously.

This is the Buddha’s Teaching I love so much and I have happily practiced for more than two decades and been teaching people the same way to do. No matter which religion you believe in, this practice doesn’t require a particular faith or belief but you just need moral quality, wisdom and knowledge to be a good human being and to keep the entire world safe and secure. I hope you get it.
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Could you please kindly explain the difference between “Rebirth and Reincarnation”?

Q: Ven. Ashin Kelasa, we know that you have traveled to different countries for teaching Dhamma and meditation. we also know that Burma or Myanmar is a strong country of Buddhism like Indonesia in which majority of population is Muslim in Southeast Asia. We respect Burma in which all the Buddha’s Teaching has powerfully been preserved and purely practiced by monks and laypeople. We have read your books that were bought from your monastery, Mahagandhayon when we visited there.

You explained Dhamma very clearly by different means and the way you explained is very simple. We feel great by reading your books. All of sudden, I have a question regarding reincarnation. Could you please kindly explain the difference between “Rebirth and Reincarnation”?This is the question from Germany by email.

A: Well, you are very welcome. I know such a question you asked is usually very popular in the west. When I was there in the west, I was asked to answer the question regarding “reincarnation and rebirth”. Actually, reincarnation is totally different from rebirth in the Buddhism. Reincarnation is Hindu religious belief. There is nothing to do with Buddhist philosophy of rebirth. There is nothing to do with belief or blind faith in the idea of rebirth taught by the Buddha.

Nobody needs to believe in reincarnation or rebirth to become a Buddhist but many people get concerned about whether they have to believe in reincarnation or not when they want to become a Buddhist, particularly in the west. The idea of rebirth is like being reborn every moment.

For example, when you are angry, you are angry person at the moment. You should mindfully observe such an anger in you at moment. When this anger passes away, angry person passes away too. Angry person dies; another person is reborn. It is called “rebirth” taught by the Buddha and accepted in Buddhist philosophy.

When you are happy, you are a happy person at the moment but happy state of mind cannot exist permanently in you. When happy state of mind passes away, happy person passes away too. Happy person dies; perhaps, thinking person is reborn. It is called ‘Rebirth’ according to Buddhism. Rebirth is going on and on in the flux of arising and passing away of physical and mental phenomena almost every moment.

When I say this, I have to explain about “Mindfulness-Based Vipassanā” because it is the only technique that can keep us awake, alert and vigilant to see how often true rebirth is happening within us almost every moment. Therefore, there is a very close connection between rebirth and meditation according to Buddhism. Now, you can see that rebirth has nothing to do with belief but to see rebirth, you have to practice “Mindfulness-Based Vipassanā“ meditation guided by an experienced spiritual friend so that you can see rebirth practically and clearly.

Therefore, reincarnation is totally different from the idea of rebirth taught by the Buddha and accepted in Buddhist philosophy. I hope you get it.

Ashin, Can you tell us how much believing in a certain religion is important in your opinion?

Q: Ashin, Can you tell us how much believing in a certain religion is important in your opinion?

A: Well, it is a very good question. You know, in my opinion, I have nothing to blame one’s own religious faith and nothing to disparage their belief because it is their own choice. In my experience, I was born in traditional Buddhist family. Whether, I have completely understood the meaning of Buddhism or not, I accidentally became a Buddhist because of the society around me. I believe that you were exactly the same as I did. Likewise, there are so many people growing up and brought up in the same way regarding a religion they have believed so far.

Q: Definitely, Sir. How do you know about that?

A: Well, I’m one of human beings in the world. I must be the same as the other fellow beings having a mind and a matter living in the same planet. I’m sure that I can say being Buddhist was not my choice but deeply concerned in my parents and grandparents’ traditional belief. However, when I started taking retreat to find a way how to cope with my sadness and sorrow connected with missing mind of my late mother, I started noticing how meditation practice is practical and scientific and there is nothing to do with any sort of faith and belief in the practice of that meditation.

I got more and more interested in the Buddha’s Teaching while practicing meditation and listening to Dhamma talk of teacher monks so I decided to become a monk for studying and practicing it as deeply as possible after my university. As you know, “Mindfulness-Based Vipassanā” meditation technique is the most popular teaching of Buddhism; it has recently become most popular in the scientific and educated background across the world.

Q: Absolutely, Sir.

A: In my objective and positive opinion, when you are human, what your religion is doesn’t matter too much but you are socially, morally, ethically responsible and necessary to restrain from harming, abusing and disparaging others intentionally. There are so many people who disturb and annoy others believing in a certain religion very faithfully and abusing the essence of original Teaching of their religion. Sometimes, I cannot really understand why they do like that. I believe that religion doesn’t arise to divide people into groups fighting against each other but it instructed us how we should practice common values of humanity among all the living beings. However, you can imagine “Do they really do it or not?”

Therefore, I do not want to criticize any religious faith or belief. I believe that nothing good will happen even if I criticize them or blame them. In my simple and sincere opinion, “Just Being human is not enough but we must try to be truly human in dignity by refraining from harming, abusing and disparaging others intentionally. If we can do so, believing in a certain religion doesn’t matter too much. Whether we believe it or not, everything will be fine when we are refraining from harming, abusing and disparaging others intentionally. Human being enjoys doing mistakes whether they believe in a certain God or not. They will continue to do their mistakes. God can do nothing.

Therefore, in my sincere and simple opinion, “Just being human is not enough but I believe that trying to be truly human in dignity without harming, abusing and disparaging others intentionally would be much more important than believing a certain religion”. I hope you got it.

Q: Thank you so much indeed, Sir for your kind, enlightening and remarkable answer.

A: Well, it is a very good question. You know, in my opinion, I have nothing to blame one’s own religious faith and nothing to disparage their belief because it is their own choice. In my experience, I was born in traditional Buddhist family. Whether, I have completely understood the meaning of Buddhism or not, I accidentally became a Buddhist because of the society around me. I believe that you were exactly the same as I did. Likewise, there are so many people growing up and brought up in the same way regarding a religion they have believed so far.

Q: Definitely, Sir. How do you know about that?

A: Well, I’m one of human beings in the world. I must be the same as the other fellow beings having a mind and a matter living in the same planet. I’m sure that I can say being Buddhist was not my choice but deeply concerned in my parents and grandparents’ traditional belief. However, when I started taking retreat to find a way how to cope with my sadness and sorrow connected with missing mind of my late mother, I started noticing how meditation practice is practical and scientific and there is nothing to do with any sort of faith and belief in the practice of that meditation.

I got more and more interested in the Buddha’s Teaching while practicing meditation and listening to Dhamma talk of teacher monks so I decided to become a monk for studying and practicing it as deeply as possible after my university. As you know, “Mindfulness-Based Vipassanā” meditation technique is the most popular teaching of Buddhism; it has recently become most popular in the scientific and educated background across the world.

Q: Absolutely, Sir.

A: In my objective and positive opinion, when you are human, what your religion is doesn’t matter too much but you are socially, morally, ethically responsible and necessary to restrain from harming, abusing and disparaging others intentionally. There are so many people who disturb and annoy others believing in a certain religion very faithfully and abusing the essence of original Teaching of their religion. Sometimes, I cannot really understand why they do like that. I believe that religion doesn’t arise to divide people into groups fighting against each other but it instructed us how we should practice common values of humanity among all the living beings. However, you can imagine “Do they really do it or not?”

Therefore, I do not want to criticize any religious faith or belief. I believe that nothing good will happen even if I criticize them or blame them. In my simple and sincere opinion, “Just Being human is not enough but we must try to be truly human in dignity by refraining from harming, abusing and disparaging others intentionally. If we can do so, believing in a certain religion doesn’t matter too much. Whether we believe it or not, everything will be fine when we are refraining from harming, abusing and disparaging others intentionally. Human being enjoys doing mistakes whether they believe in a certain God or not. They will continue to do their mistakes. God can do nothing.

Therefore, in my sincere and simple opinion, “Just being human is not enough but I believe that trying to be truly human in dignity without harming, abusing and disparaging others intentionally would be much more important than believing a certain religion”. I hope you got it.

Q: Thank you so much indeed, Sir for your kind, enlightening and remarkable answer.

Ashin, could you please kindly tell us what the term, Dukkha is?

Q: Ashin, could you please kindly tell us what the term, Dukkha is?

A: Of course,actually, we’ve embraced the term, “Dukkha” that includes very well-known vocabularies: stress, depression, anxiety, loneliness, boredom hopelessness and so on in mind and diabetes, hypertension, stroke, finally cancer and death in body since we were born. How can we run away from the Dukkha? So we just need to learn how we should wisely and skillfully live and cope with them in everyday life.

Actually, Dukkha is not Buddhist term but it is ancient Indian language. Dukkha is not the word to believe in because you are Buddhist but it is the word to understand by observing whatever arises and passes away within us and around us. Of course, if we classify the term, Dukkha in a scholarly approach, we will find there are three types of Dukkha: (1). Dukkhadukkha, (2). Sankhāradukkha and (3). Viparināmadukkha taught by the Buddha.

(1). Dukkhadukkha means the pain or suffering when you are cut, wounded, injured, headache, toothache, stomachache, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heartache and so on. Diseases that can be cured by certain medications are called dukkhadukkha.

(2). Sankhāradukkha means your body and mind themselves because these physical and mental phenomena called ourselves are making us trouble every moment by telling us that they are not permanent and they can sometimes be pleasant, sometimes be unpleasant, sometimes be happy, sometimes be unhappy, sometimes be angry, sometimes be pleased, sometimes be disappointed, sometimes be disliked and so on. These type impermanent states of mind and body are called Sankhāradukkha. For Sankhāradukkha to understand all the conditioned things, we must learn “Mindfulness-Based Vipassanā” meditation and practice it properly.

(3). Viparināmadukkha means neutral feeling that doesn’t make you feel pleasant or unpleasant and happy or unhappy. Whenever you feel neutral, it is called Viparināmadukkha. These things are very closely connected with us; there is nothing to to do with Buddhism to understand the term, Dukkha because Dukkha can be discovered and experienced within us every moment. Of course, the Buddha taught us to see them clearly how we should wisely and skillfully live and cope with them in everyday life. I hope you you get.

A: Well, definitely, Sir. Thank you so much indeed.

Q: You’re welcome.

Q1: How can we become a Buddhist? 

Q1: How can we become a Buddhist?
Q2: Can we do here or is it possible to do it in other countries like in Europe to become a Buddhist?
Q3: What do we have to do particularly when we are Buddhist?

Q1: How can we become a Buddhist?

A1: Well, to become a Buddhist, there are two things that a Buddhist must do: 1. Taking refuge in the Buddha, who is a physician and who is skillful in the knowledge on the cause of the disease and how to cure it, in the Dhamma that is a very scientific prescription by taught the Buddha and in the Sangha that is nursing staff to help suffering humanity.
2: Seriously taking the five precepts: not to kill any sentient beings, not to take what is not given, not to take sexual misconduct, not to tell lie, not to take intoxicating drinks and drugs as much as you can.
This is the way how to become a Buddhist.

Q2: Can we do here or is it possible to do it in other countries like in Europe to become a Buddhist?

A2: To become a Buddhist, you can do everywhere all over the world. You just need a Buddhist monk Senior master at the presence of whom you become a Buddhist.

Q3: What do we have to do particularly when we are Buddhist?

A3: When you are a Buddhist, you have to do four things everyday. 1. You have to take a refuge in the Buddha, in the Dhamma and in the Sangha. 2. You have to observe the five precepts everyday by reciting in Pāli with their meanings. 3. You have to do Mindfulness-Based Vipassanā meditation, at least for half an hour everyday. I always recommend that you should do these three in early morning before you go to work.

4. You should do Dāna, generosity particularly to the monastic Sangha because they are honestly trying to preserve the Dhamma by seriously learning and practicing every moment to keep the Dhamma alive in their hearts so that they can help Suffering humanity. However, you can do Dāna, generosity to the poor, to homeless, to the sick and to the orphanages and finally even to your parents everyday the best you can.

These are what you have to do when you are Buddhist. To know more, you should learn with a well-versed and learned monk by sometimes staying in a certain monastery as taking a 7 retreat. I hope you get it.

Q: How can you deal with a person who is not appreciating your love?

Q: How can you deal with a person who is not appreciating your love?

A: Well, it is a good question you should learn to be clear. Sometimes, we can experience with those who do not appreciate our love and loving activities. You can even meet some people who do not acknowledge your love. However, we must be clear with why we practice love and loving actions towards people and all the beings.

Actually, we must practice love and loving actions not because we want to receive the returns of love or the loving responses from someone else but it must be because we know and we fully understand the value of love and the quality of love towards all the beings. I believe that there will be no matter whether the others appreciate our love or not when we practice love by fully understanding the value and the quality of love.

The practice of love with such an understanding will bring you spiritual benefits even though the others do not bring anything for you. The most important thing you have to do in practicing true love fully understanding the value and the quality of love is that you must keep practicing it without thinking or feeling whether they appreciate or acknowledge your love or not.

That’s not really important but you have to be aware of your thinking or feeling that they do not appreciate your love and loving actions towards them and observe your thinking and feeling arisen concerning them at the moment and let those thinkings and feelings go.

I’m sure that we must not stop our pure and noble hearts of love towards all the beings including those who do not appreciate our love and loving actions towards them because we are fully confident of your love and we fully understand the value and the quality of love developed in our hearts. I hope you get it.

Q: Well, thanks a lot, Sir. I will try to practice “The attention, the observing such thoughts and feelings and letting go of them”. It is really a great lesson I have learnt from you today.

If there is no God, how could this universe be made?

If there is no God, how could this universe be made?

This is a very religious question that makes me, many scientists and quite many well-educated people feel useless and unnecessary. Such a question can be asked by those who have not been spiritually developed yet and by those who are not quite serious with their life here and now. However, the Buddha is not really interested in whether there is a God or not because it is useless as to how to live happily.

Whether there exist God or not, you have to make your life happy, healthy, wealthy, prosperous, peaceful, calm and so on by yourself. God can do nothing for your happiness and your wealthiness. You know that you have to do for your own happiness by yourself. Do not think that I’m rejecting your opinion on the existence of God. I mean that it is useless to argue whether God exist or not.

Even if you believe in the existence of God that can be proven or not, leave God at that. Do not just sit down and mope around for your happiness by praying to God you believe in. Nothing will happen by a prayer but stand up and work actively and practically. Then, the results will be brought to your presence by your practical work.

According to the Buddha’s Teaching, there is nothing to do with God, its creation and its messenger. Do not rush to conclude my talk by misunderstanding as I reject your opinion on the existence of God. The mind of a true Buddhist can do nothing with the idea of god. Even if you do not believe in the Buddha and His Teaching, it will not matter too much but you have to understand “Practice makes you perfect”. It means that you should practice as the Buddha taught. It will prove you how it is.

I’m a mathematician. I love to be practical. I want to work out a problem; I do not love enjoying just problem reading. Religion teaches us just problem reading as making a prayer with an unquestioning faith on it. The Buddha is not like this. He taught us to investigate a particular cause to a problem and encouraged us to wisely remove the cause to the problem if we really want to heal the suffering caused by the particular problem. So you can see how scientific the Buddha’s Teaching is if you are quite well-educated.

The Buddha has never blamed and never rejected any religion because there is no role of religion in His Teaching. I believe that He is a professional physician who can very skillfully cure the patient’s disease by closely and seriously looking for a particular cause of the disease. This is the reason why he, himself, named as a “Besajjha Guru” a Great Physician.

The closer you learn, the clearer you will understand His Teaching. The more precisely you follow His path, the wiser you will become. The wiser you will become, the more happily you will live life. It depends upon you; it does not depend upon any God, any faith, any belief and any cult. Therefore, be clear that there is nothing to do with question how the universe is made or whether God exist or not according to the Buddha’s Teaching. I hope you get it.

Oh! Yes. It is quite enlightening and practical. Thank you so much. By the way your English is also excellent.

how to achieve peaceful solution to any problem and any conflict even in a family

Q: Bhante Ashin Kelasa, can you advise us how to achieve peaceful solution to any problem and any conflict even in a family?

A: Well, I have a really great advice to you for your question but it totally depends upon you, whether you will do it or not. Without rational and reasonable question, You have to stop thinking about the past whether it is right or wrong or judging who is right or who is wrong.

Of course, you have to take a wise promise not to repeat the same mistake as you all did in the past by learning great lesson from it. It is the only way to achieve peaceful living for the near and far future.

I will seriously repeat it again; To move From wonderful present to the beautiful future, we wisely need to take perfect peace from the past dark conflict without questioning by learning great lesson from the past.

As you know, Nobody and nothing is perfect but we should try our best by understanding and forgiving someone’s mistake once done in the past. This is the only way to achieve perfect peace and a peaceful living and also a very Buddhistic and pragmatic approach to any issue to achieve peaceful solution. This is my only advice to you. Whether you will do it or not is your part. I hope you get it.

Ashin, you say that Buddhism is not religion but if someone like myself wants to become a Buddhist by properly understanding what the Buddha taught, what can I do and how can I become a Buddhist?

Q: Ashin, you say that Buddhism is not religion but if someone like myself wants to become a Buddhist by properly understanding what the Buddha taught, what can I do and how can I become a Buddhist?

A: well, it is an interesting question to me. I totally and perfectly understand that Buddhism is not like a religion which trains its people to develop unquestioning faith in a Creator God, it’s creation and a messenger of such a God. However, in these days, all over the world, there are quite many people who convert themselves to Buddhism even though there is no way to physically convert people to Buddhism.

Therefore, there is a technique how to become a Buddhist for those who want to do so. It was answered by the Buddha, himself. Of curse, the Buddha and His disciples didn’t use the term, “Buddhism and Buddhist” in the time of the Buddha. One of the Buddha’s relatives named Mahānāma asked “ Oh! Buddha, how can I truly become an Upāsakā?”

It was the question to the Buddha. Upāsakā is appropriate term to “Buddhist” in these days. The Buddha answered “Oh! Prince Mahānāma, you can truly become Buddhist by taking a refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha and you must strictly observe the five precepts, Pancasīla in everyday life.

Therefore, it is the way how to truly become Buddhist. Even though Buddhism is not like a religion, we have to accept that the word, “Buddhism” has been existed for centuries. And also there is nothing wrong for someone like you to become Buddhist because you are not going to go a religious war by becoming Buddhist but you want to live peacefully according to the Dhamma being closely instructed by Sangha, who is well-trained in the peace and harmony by practicing moral and spiritual qualities.

Here’s Technique how to become Buddhist;
You have to repeat after a leading Buddhist monk or a Buddhist lay teacher by saying:
1. Buddham saranam gacchami. I go to the Buddha for refuge.
2. Dhammam saranam gacchami. I go to the Dhamma for refuge.
3. Sangham saranam gacchami. I go to the Sangha for refuge. And you have to observe the five precepts, Pacasīla.
1. Pānātipātā veramani Sikkhāpadam samādhiyāmi.
I undertake to refrain from killing any sentient beings.
2. Adinnadānā veramani sikkhāpadam samādhiyāmi.
I undertake to refrain from taking what is not given.
3. Kāmesu micchacārā veramani sikkhāpadam samādhiyāmi.
I undertake to refrain from committing sexual misconduct.
4. Musāvārā veramani sikkhāpadam samādhiyāmi.
I undertake to refrain from telling lie.
5. Surāmerayamajjhappamādatthānā veramani sikkhāpadam samādhiyāmi.
I undertake to refrain from taking intoxicating drinks and drugs.

I hope you know now how to truly become Buddhist as answered by the Buddha.

Q: Thank you very much, Ashin. I feel so meaningful to become Buddhist with you.