Asides

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.

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.