Category: Library English
Library English
Social Guides of Buddhism

To have sense of trust and everlasting relation.
Nobody is stupid, Nobody is wise.
But craving drives us crazy.
Sympathy must be developed;
Selfishness should be abandoned.
To happily and harmoniously live with everyone in the same planet.
Actually, many people know that Buddhism teaches meditation and teaches Dhamma for spiritual life but a few people know that of social guides and philosophy for worldly life instructed by the Buddha. Of course, we have to learn a lot and as much as we can if we want to be skillful in the particular subject and obtain sufficient knowledge from it. We will need much more attention and awareness to learn Buddhism because it is spiritual subject, practical and deep enough in its meaning. Without practice as we were instructed in the theoretical knowledge, hardly will we understand the essence of Buddhism.
When I was guiding the two tutors from Mandalay University for their master research, I wanted to write on social guides of Buddhism for worldly life because the Buddha gave a lot of advices to social affairs of ordinary people as social guides. I feel many Buddhist people are missing such advices in their Buddhist background. They pay much attention to ritual Buddhist life and practice devotional prayer in their life. I feel so sad to see such people and the way they practice in Buddhism. This is the first reason why I want to write social guides of Buddhism for worldly life. I hope you will get benefit from what I have written.
Actually, I write this article with very deep wishes to all the Buddhist people around the world to learn good understanding of Buddhism. My interest in Buddhism is Vipassana meditation and to practice it when I became a monk because it helped me a lot. And I have met many westerners who are interested in Vipassana meditation like me. And I guide them how they should practice Vipassana meditation as I do. I love those who are interested in Vipassana meditation because it brings harmony to everyone among different people. Talking makes you bored and no satisfactory in end but practice makes perfect. In my meditation forest, there is a motto, “Speak need, eat need, sleep need and practice as much as possible” because I believe practice makes perfect. I hope you will get some knowledge on Buddhism by reading social guides and I wish you would be happy, healthy and peaceful forever in your life.
Buddhism as a Remedy

If we are not able to let go of things impermanent, we will be just suffered. Vipassana meditation can help us develop the wisdom we need so that we can wisely and happily live and face the nature of old age, sickness and death.
In the west, I had lovely and very warm experiences with them, particularly in Italy and Spain. I wanted to keep all the experiences as historic records in my heart. However, when we get older and busier, our memory will not be as healthy and strong as we are young. Therefore, I made my lovely, warm and wonderful experiences and relation with western, Italian and Spanish people as a book so that I can share this truth with everyone who has taken wrong notion on western and European people. I felt so warm with them when I was there.
At the same time, the reader can learn some cultural differences between the eastern and the western. We should learn these differences as lessons so that we can handle respective culture together living in the same species and the same planet. I believe that Buddhism should exist with a with European culture when it is loved and respected in the west particular culture. I mean Buddhism should exist. If it does so, this Buddhism will be genuine.
Actually, Buddhism is directly linked to those who believe in it but Dhamma is quite universal and linked to the entire living structure. Therefore, I have very often said that though Dhamma is included in Buddhism, Dhamma should not be restricted withing the frame of Buddhism because Dhamma is acceptable, practicable, experiential and understandable to all walks of life. When practiced, it will make everyone equally happy and beneficial. Dhamma has no bias towards anything and anyone.
Buddhist Philosophy on married life

Desire is negative; love is positive.
Desire is a devil; love is an angel.
Desire is toxic; love is tonic.
Desire is fire; love is water.
Desire is a friend of corruption; love is a friend of loyalty.
Corruption is blamed; love is praised.
Desire is blind; love is wise.
Desire is dirty; love is pure.
Desire is tricky; love is honest.
Desire is valueless; love is valuable.
Desire makes you burn; love makes you warm.
Desire is completely opposite to the meaning of love.
May you all understand true meaning of love.
When I write this small book about ‘Buddhist philosophy on married life’, there are two reasons for this book. First of all, I love the Buddha’s philosophy on married life. Second, many people who are interested in Buddhism and who are far away from Buddhist society know that Buddhism is a kind of meditation or may be a deep philosophy. It was not wrong but also not entirely correct because there are a number of discourses that were particularly instructed for married life or family life not in religious way to perform but in philosophical way to practice in life.
Actually I try to share my knowledge on Buddhism with those who would like to learn Buddhism as a way of life or as a kind of philosophy. I explained most of discourses that focused on the family life given by the Buddha in his time. In my opinion, Buddhism is much easier to practice as a lay person if you understand it correctly and properly because there are not many rules and regulations for Buddhist people to practice Buddhism. Nowadays you can also learn meditation technique anywhere in the world if you are willing and prepared to do so.
However, in this small book I quoted the discourses that focused on married life to share with those who want to live in family life and love Buddhist philosophy and who want to practice it in daily life. This book is not intended for meditation technique but I explained a bit of meditation technique that you can start at home if you really want to try. I hope you will get it. If you get it as you learn, I would be happy. May all of you who touch this book be touched with my heart and my love.
Buddhist Thought in World Situations Today

Ignorance is blind to see truth;
Self-esteem is easy to look down the others;
Sect-esteem is rejecting everything.
Therefore, we should let go ignorance, self-esteem and sect-esteem through special observation (Vipassanã) because they are useless.
The old are leaving the world.
And the young are leading the world.
Buddhism teaches how to leave and how to lead the world.
People are afraid of people and the world in which they live. They don’t trust the world and friends around them. It shows me how terrible the physical development is.
Our physical world has become developed unbelievably but spiritual world has remained undeveloped for centuries. Distrust, doubt, uncertainty, worry, fear, anxiety and so on slowly become apparent. Therefore, people become more closed and find a very narrow way to walk. This is exactly the result of physical development of the world.
People become knowledgeable, of course but not wise generally. The knowledgeable will belittle the unknowledgeable. The unknowledgeable will feel awkward to be with the knowledgeable. We need more wisdom and wiser people to lead our future world peacefully and happily.
In this book I try to share my wisdom with those who love it. If you receive it, I will be happy.
How Meditation can help

Ideas make people wonder; emotions make people suffer.
When one is skillful in letting go, both ideas and emotions will make you happy and peaceful.
The knowledgeable are so proud; the wise are so humble.
Pride makes people fear; humbleness makes people friendly.
Fear makes hate; friendliness makes love. So be the wise.
Actually, I want to help suffering people who are even rich but lonely, bored, tense, stressful and depressed and so forth. And I have already felt this way and I have already met those who get suffered from such psychological problems. I’m hopeful that the book I’m going to publish will help people in some way. I’m happy to contribute my heart to humanity and to serve the world the best I can.
I thank all, from my chief abbot to the listeners and foreign students and my special thanks to the donors from South Korea and from California, United States. Without those generous donors, this book would not such soon be published.
I wish you would get spiritual benefit from this book. May all the beings be happy and peaceful forever.
Buddhism and Democracy

Future is also nothing other than dreaming best;
It will be good if learning the past as lessons helps our present activities;
It will also be good if dreaming best for the future helps our present activities;
Learn the past; do not miss it for maturity of wisdom;
Dream best for the future but not be influenced by the dream;
Present is the most important and practical;
‘There is no time like the present’.
Do right now. It will make you the best.
I have met so many westerners who are interested in Buddhist philosophy in my Mahagandhayon monastery for over 18 years as I was appointed to be in charge of foreigners who want to learn Buddhist philosophy and meditation. I have also guided some foreigners who want to learn Buddhist philosophy and meditation. I have also guided some foreigners who want to practice mediation in my monastery so far.
Then, I think you will be interested in the book, ‘Buddhism and Democracy’ I wrote. The reason why I wrote this book is that I found Buddhism is like democracy in the way it instructed. I have said a number of times that Buddhism is not like a religion that guides people how to believe in a certain God but Buddhism is more like philosophy that guides how to understand real life and how to live in real world. It is also a kind of lesson to learn how to apply in daily life. It can also go with democratic system harmoniously and peacefully. This is the reason why I wrote this book.
Why does Buddhism come with democracy? I strongly believe that Buddhism embraces democratic values and scientific philosophy after I have studied and practiced for many years. Buddhism is even like a sort of medicine that can kill stresses and strains of public life. This is the reason why I love Buddhism so much and practice it as good as possible. I also try to share my understanding and knowledge on Buddhism with people. I even try to share rich Buddhist philosophy with world by writing books, including this one ‘Buddhism and Democracy’.
THEY AND I IN MY DHAMMA TRIP TO EUROPE

2014 is, for me, a year of special experience because I was invited by Ricardo and Carlos who has worked with Sadhana Yoga in Italy and Spain.
When they came to Burma in 2013, they visited my monastery, Mahagandhayon in which I have studied and been taught and taught for more than two decades. They did Vipassana mediation just for a few days in my room. However, they loved it so much. This is the reason why they wanted to invite me and how my trip to the west began.
Actually, Buddhism is directly linked to those who believe in it but Dhamma is quite universal and linked to the entire living structure. Therefore, I have very often said that though Dhamma is included in Buddhism, Dhamma should not be restricted within the frame of Buddhism because Dhamma is acceptable, practicable, experiential and understandable to all walks of life. When practiced, it will make everyone equally happy and beneficial. Dhamma has no bias towards anything and anyone.