The Buddha's Words on Meditation

"For the sake of other's welfare, however great, let not one neglect one's own welfare. Let one be intent on one's own goal." The Buddha


Taking time each day to meditate is the first and biggest step we can take towards our path of inner peace and personal spiritual unfoldment. Dear Friends, it so valuable and important that it can be summed up by this occurrence at the time of the Buddha's dying:


When the Buddha declared that he would attain parinibbana (the exalted state of a Buddha after passing away) in four month's time, many bhikkhus (i.e. monks who had not yet gained Arahanthood*) were sad and did not know what to do. So they kept close to Him. A monk named Attadatta, however, did not go to see Him, and, having resolved to attain Arahanthood during the lifetime of the Buddha, was striving hard in the meditation practice. Other bhikkhus, not understanding him, took him to the Enlightened One and said, "Venerable Sir! This bhikkhu does not love and revere you as we do. He is egoistic and keeps to himself." The monk (Attadatta) then respectfully explained that the greatest homage he could pay the Buddha was to attain Arahanthood before his (the Buddha's) parinibbana.


In applauding the monk, the Buddha told the bhikkhus, "Those who love and revere me should act like Attadatta. You are not paying me homage by coming to see me; you pay me homage only by practicing the Dhamma (the Buddha's teachings = Pali or Dharma - Sanskrit) I have taught you."
Dhammapada Verse 166


*Arahanthood ~ simply put, is the state of enlightenment, free from striving, free from suffering, free from the rounds of birth, old age, sickness and death, by following The Right View**. Whereas attaining Buddhahood or Nirvana (=Sanskrit or Nibbana - Pali)) is, as the Buddha referred to Himself, as the first Arahant, the one who has come during this Buddhist eon (much longer than an eon as we understand it) to teach others the path to Nirvana.

**The Right View is denoted as the first guideline of The Eightfold Noble Path***, the Buddha's teaching on how to reach enlightenment. But many use the term The Right View as the connotation for all eight guidelines.


***The Eightfold Noble Path

1] Right View or Understanding
2] Right Intentions
3] Right Speech
4] Right Action
5] Right Livelihood
6] Right Effort
7] Right Concentration
8] Right Mindfulness


So dear Friends,

"Do not even consider going to sleep until you have meditated." Venerable Luang Phaw Dattajeevo