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A five day Bhavana course was held at The Buddhist Discussion (Upwey) Ltd from 21 April until 25 April 2000.

Recognising our Centre is a suitable location

One of the highest blessings (Mangala blessings) is to live in a suitable location.

Sometimes doubt arises in some students and visitors concerning whether our Centre, which is of modest size and construction, is a suitable location.

In Buddha's day, when he announced he was about to pass away, some of his Monks described the place where it was to happen as " this mean place, this uncivilised township in the midst of the jungle, a mere outpost of the province!"

They thought the Buddha should go to a large rich city to pass away so there would be expensive arrangements made for the funeral.

The Buddha rebuked them:

'In times long past, Ananda, there was a king by the name of Maha Sudassana, who was a universal monarch, king of righteousness, a conqueror of the four quarters of the earth, whose realm was established in security, and who was endowed with the Seven Jewels. And that King Maha Sudassana, Ananda, had his royal residents here at Kusinara, which was then called Kusavati, and it extended twelve yojanas from east to west, and from north to south, seven.

'And mighty, Ananda, was Kusavati, the capital; prosperous and well populated, much frequented by people, and abundantly provided by food. Just, Ananda, as the Royal residents of the Deities, Alakamanda, is mighty, prosperous and well populated, much frequented by Deities and abundantly provided by food, so was the Royal capital of Kusavati.

'Kusavati, Ananda, resounded unceasingly day and night, with the ten sounds - the trumpeting of elephants, neighing of horses, rattling of chariots, beating of drums, and tabours, music and song, cheers, clapping of hands and cries of "Eat, drink and be merry!"'(Ref: 1)

The Buddha explained that persons should avoid a monastery unfavourable to the development of concentration and laid a map of the 18 faults of a monastery.

Our Teacher has built a suitable location in accord with the map laid down by Buddha for persons to develop concentration and practice Buddha Dhamma.

The 18 faults of a monastery are:

"Herein, one that is unfavourable has any one of eighteen faults. These are largeness, newness, dilapidatedness, a nearby road, a pond, (edible leaves), flowers, fruits, famousness, a nearby city, nearby timber trees, nearby arable fields, presence of incompatible persons, a nearby port of entry, nearness to the border countries, nearness to the frontier of a kingdom, unsuitability, lack of good friends. One with any of these faults is not favourable. He should not live there. Why?

1. Firstly people with varying aims collect in a large monastery. They conflict with each other and so neglect the duties. The Enlightenment-tree terrace, etc., remain unswept, the water for drinking and washing is not set out. So if he thinks 'I shall go to the alms-resort village for alms' and takes his bowl and robe and sets out, perhaps he sees that the duties have not been done or that a drinking-water pot is empty, and so the duty has to be done by him unexpectedly. Drinking water must be maintained. By not doing it he would commit a wrongdoing in the breach of a duty. But if he does it, he loses time. He arrives too late at the village and gets nothing because the almsgiving is finished. Also when he goes into retreat, he is distracted by the loud noises of novices and young bhikkhus, and by acts of the Community (being carried out). However, he can live in a large monastery where all the duties are done and where there are none of the other disturbances.

2. In a new monastery there is much new building activity. People criticize someone who takes no part in it. But he can live in such a monastery where the bhikkhus say 'Let the venerable one do the ascetic's duties as much as he likes. We shall see to the building work'.

3. In a dilapidated monastery there is much that needs repair. People criticize someone who does not see about the repairing of at least his own lodging. When he sees to the repairs, his meditation subject suffers.

4. In a monastery with a nearby road, by a main street, visitors keep arriving night and day. He has to give up his own lodging to those who come late, and he has to go and live at the root of a tree or on top of a rock. And next day it is the same. So there is no opportunity (to practice) his meditation subject. But he can live in one where there is no such disturbance by visitors.

5. A pond is a rock pool . Numbers of people come there for drinking water. Pupils of city-dwelling elders supported by the royal family come to do dyeing work. When they ask for vessels, wood, tubs, etc., (120) they must be shown where these things are. So he is kept all the time on the alert.

6. If he goes with his meditation subject to sit by day where there are many sorts of edible leaves, then women vegetable-gatherers, singing as they pick leaves nearby, endanger his meditation subject by disturbing it with sounds of the opposite sex.

7. An where there are many sorts of flowering shrubs in bloom there is the same danger too.

8. Where there are many sorts of fruits such as mangoes, rose-apples and jack-fruits people who want fruits come and ask for them, and they get angry if he does not give them any, or they take them by force. When walking in the monastery in the evening he sees them and asks "Why do you do so, lay followers?", they abuse him as they please and even try to evict him.

9. When he lives in a monastery that is famous and renowned in the world, like Dakkhimagire, (1) Hatthikucchi, Cetiyagiri or Cittalapabbata, there are always people coming who want to pay homage to him, supposing that he is an Arahant, which inconveniences him. But if it suits him, he can live there at night and go elsewhere by day.

10. In one with a nearby city objects of the opposite sex come into focus. Women water-pot carriers go by bumping into him with their jars and giving no room to pass. Also important people spread out carpets in the middle of the monastery and sit down.

11. One with nearby timber trees where there are timber trees and osiers useful for making framework is inconvenient because of the wood-gatherers there, like the gatherers of branches and fruits already mentioned. If there are trees in a monastery, people come and cut them down to build houses with. When he has come out of his meditation room in the evening and is walking up and down in the monastery, if he sees them and asks "Why do you do so, lay followers?", they abuse him as they please and even try to evict him.

12. People make use of one with nearby arable fields, quite surrounded by fields. They make a threshing floor in the middle of the monastery itself. They thresh corn there, dry it in the forecourts, (2) and cause great inconvenience. And where there is extensive property belonging to the Community, the monastery attendants impound cattle belonging to families and deny the water supply (to their crops). (121)

Then people bring an ear of paddy and show it to the Community saying "Look at your monastery attendants work". For one reason or another he has to go to the portals of the king or the king's ministers. This (matter of property belonging to the Community) is included by (a monastery that is) near arable fields.

13. Presence of incompatible persons: where there are bhikkhus living who are incompatible and mutually hostile, when they clash and it is protested "Venerable sirs, do not do so" they exclaim "We no longer count now that this refuse-rag wearer has come".

14. One with a nearby water port of entry or land port of entry (3) is made inconvenient by people constantly arriving respectively by ship or by caravan and crowding round, asking for space or drinking water or salt.

15. In the case of one near the border countries, people have no trust in the Buddha, etc., there.

16. In one near the frontier of a kingdom there is fear of kings. For perhaps one king attacks that place, thinking "It does not submit to my rule", and the other does likewise,thinking "It does not submit to my rule". A bhikkhu lives there when it is conquered by one king and when it is conquered by the other. Then they suspect him of spying, and they bring about his undoing.

17. Unsuitability is that due to the risk of encountering visible data, etc., of the opposite sex as objects or to haunting by non-human beings. Here is a story. An elder lived in a forest, it seems. Then an ogress stood in the door of his leaf hut and sang. The elder came out and stood in the door. She went to the end of the walk and sang. The elder went to the end of the walk. She stood in a chasm a hundred fathoms deep and sang. The elder recoiled. Then she suddenly grabbed him saying "Venerable sir, it is not just one or two of the likes of you I have eaten".

18. Lack of good friends: where it is not possible to find a good friend as a teacher or the equivalent of a teacher or a preceptor or the equivalent of a preceptor, the lack of good friends there is a serious fault.

One that has any of these eighteen faults should be understood as unfavourable. And this is said in the commentaries:

'A Large abode, a new abode,
'One tumbling down, one near a road,
'One with a pond, or leaves or flowers,
'Or fruits, or one that people seek: (122)
'In cities, among timber, fields,
'Where people quarrel, in a port,
'In border lands, on frontiers,
'Unsuitableness, and no good friend -
'These are the eighteen instances
'A wise man needs to recognize
'And give them full as wide a berth
'As any footpad-hunted road,

Ref: 2

The 10 essential conditions for learning Dhamma

Having established a suitable location, 10 fortunate conditions for Dhamma practice to occur are also required, which are:

Internal - 5 Personal Assets

1. To be born human
2. To be born in a central place
3. To have one's faculties complete
4. Not to have directed into the worst possible actions (eg; heinous)
5. To trust in the appropriate means - the Buddha Dhamma

5 Assets outside oneself

1. The Buddha has come to one's world
2. The noble Dhamma has been taught
3. The teachings of noble Dhamma still exist
4. There are those that maintain those existent teachings
5. There exists others who inspire love and compassion
(Ref 3)

It became possible for the Teacher to instruct the students on expediently resolving and harmonising the practice of the Mind Only School and the No Mind Schools and develop the Supreme Buddha Dhamma Path.

Five types of Dhamma Families

Four family teams were formed: Padma, Ratna, Vajra and Karma.

The ratio of students in each family was 5 : 7 : 7: 1: 1:

The fifth family was Chakka (representing the turning of the Wheel of Dhamma) and appeared in the form of the Teacher's transformation for the duration of the Teachings.

Persons wore protection shirts with the appropriate Bodhisattva for their nature and worked in groups on different projects.

On this course, persons without great faith were in the Vajra teams and who rely on learning with the intellect.

Persons with faith, but without trust in the intellect were in the Padma team.

Persons without faith, trust or intellect were in the Ratna team.

A single member team belongs to a fourth type of family called Karma.

Karma family persons need to practice alone as a "solitary hippopotamus" as the ancient texts say.

Who decided to attend to the Teacher's needs?

The Padma family did not start with a goal of putting the Chakka family needs first.

How did the Teacher guide?

The Teacher was on retreat and not speaking, except on the last day (Tuesday).

However, it soon became obvious that the students had forgotten the Teacher's simple needs.

Although on retreat, he taught by writing and example.

This forgetfulness of heritage family duties extends to parents in Australia.

The finest writing of Teachers is our heritage.

Without the Teacher persons have no strong Shower of the Way.

He or she cannot access the Right Path. He or she may lose access to the Dhamma. The Teacher brings the Dhamma from his or her world and builds a Temple and stocks it with written texts. The care of these texts is of highest importance in a Dhamma ending age.

We access The Root Text under the Teachers direction to hear true Dhamma. The Root Text gives a strong warning to us. All Teachers start with a problem that exists today.

The practice of View, Meditation and Action.

A Discourse Virtuous in the Beginning, Middle, and End. Namo Lokeshvaraya

1. If but a single drop of the nectar of your name were to fall upon my ears,
They would be filled with the sound of Dhamma for countless lives
Wondrous Three Jewels, may the brilliance of your renown
Bring perfect happiness everywhere!

2. Like some persimmons in the autumn
Which, though inside still unripe, look ripe outside,
I myself am just the semblance of a Dhamma practitioner,
And since my mind and the Dhamma haven't mixed, my Dhamma Teaching won't be up to much.

3. But since you, worthy friend, entreat me insistently,
I cannot refuse - I will speak out frankly.
Unusual though it is in this decadent age,
I offer you these words without treachery, so listen well.

4. The True Rishi, the Munindra, god of gods,
Attained the true level through the true path,
And truly showed this true and excellent path to others.
Isn't that why he's known as the True Rishi?
Ref.4.

We now have confidence in the texts.

Has our Teacher ever encouraged you to limit your thinking in such a way that your mind cannot grasp the 400 things we do and the new 200 things we will do in the next 3 years? What do we do and how we do it has a half life.

So, that means you are becoming less useful to us every year.

"What does this mean?"

Model #1- Moving Water Analogy

As a working model, we can think of our practice-capacity like a body of flowing water which can be of different capacities. The first type person's practice capacity is like a little creek - just a single fallen log may clog the creek. The second type of person's capacity is like a river. The "400 things we do and the new 200 things..." can jam the river over - so that it no longer flows well - and becomes less useful. The third is like the ocean - plenty of space for the logs.

In a Dhamma ending age time for practice and effectiveness of practice are very important. It is better to be like the ocean...

"got it...?"

Model #2 - Freeing Up the Log Jam Analogy - Options

What are some of the options to free the log jam?

Option A: You could stop cutting down the logs and close the mill

But if you stop cutting down the logs and close the mill - your merit accumulation will cease. To mix a metaphor - "how would you then build a raft to get to the other shore?"

Option B: You could widen the creek and the river until they become oceanic

"got it..."

8. "Of course what we wanted is our own good, so we have to be honest with our own selves: If we don't accomplish the essence of the Dhamma for our own sake, won't we be ruining our own life.?" Ref.4.

Does your Teacher wish you to do this?

Now we have the confidence to ask the key question.

There are two members, one works only in one specialised area, be it computing, editing BDDR, writing radio scripts, indexing the library and another member (like our Teacher) works for decades in all those areas. Which of these two types of developments of mind is the more widespread?

If your Teacher insists on no sloth and torpor and you only partially remove it, when you make offerings to the Centre's main altar, your mind is tarnished with sloth and torpor therefore making the offering weak.

If the Teacher insists on no sloth and no torpor, the protector of our Temple is the Devata of Boundless Light.

Our Centre's altars are developed with Boundless Light Devata. If you continue to make tarnished offerings, you will start to become fearful of the Boundless Light and will eventually leave the Centre.

"Well then, reverend Kaccana, I will make a simile for you. For it is by a simile that some intelligent man here understands the meaning of what is said. It is as though, reverend Kaccana, the oil of a burning oil-lamp is foul and the wick is foul. Because of the foulness of the oil and the foulness of the wick, (the lamp) burns but tarnished light, abides suffusing and pervading (it in meditation); his bodily unchastity is not properly suppressed, his sloth and torpor are not properly removed, and his restlessness and worry are not properly disciplined. Because his bodily unchastity is not properly suppressed, and because his sloth and torpor are not properly removed, and because his restlessness and worry are not properly disciplined, he burns but dimly. At the breaking up of the body after dying he arises in companionship with the Devas of tarnished Light."

Can you not see how you leave us to inflict your narrow mind on the world?

By this method and means, it is you bringing the Dhamma-ending age here.

If you refuse to remove the tarnish from your mind, the consequences of this are that you will leave this Centre to join a Centre which allows such conduct, thus becoming a protector for that Temple.

When the Teacher insists on no sloth and no torpor, and persons follow the instructions;

"It is as though, reverend Kaccana, the oil of a burning oil lamp is pure and the wick is pure. Because of the purity of the oil and the purity of the wick, (the lamp) does not burn but dimly. Even so, reverend Kaccana, some monk here, thinking of pure light, abides suffusing and pervading (it in meditation); his bodily unchastity is properly suppressed, and his sloth and torpor are properly removed, and his restlessness and worry are properly disciplined. Because his bodily unchastity is properly suppressed, and because his sloth and torpor are properly removed, and because his restlessness and worry are properly disciplined, he does not burn but dimly. At the breaking up of the body after dying he arises in companionship with the Devas of Pure Light. This, reverend Kaccana, is the cause, this the reason that, although these devatas have uprisen into a single class of devatas, there are some devatas there of tarnished Light, and other devatas there of pure Light." Ref.5.

To leave the tarnished light and approach the boundless light we need widespread thinking to increase our stream of actions into an ocean of actions. The 'logs' of defilements will then float easily away.

Persons should be aware of the cause and consequence when making an offering on our altars.
The Buddha gave a Discourse of the Analysis of offerings for persons to learn and practice.

The Buddha advised:

Whoever, moral in habit, gives to the poor in moral habit
A gift rightfully acquired, the mind well pleased, firmly believing in the rich fruit of kamma-
This is an offering purified by the giver.

Whoever, poor in moral habit gives to those of moral habit
A gift unrightfully acquired, the mind not pleased
Not believing in the rich fruit of kamma-
This is an offering purified by the recipient.

Whoever, poor in moral habit, gives to the poor in moral habit
A gift unrightfully acquired, the mind not pleased,
Not believing in the rich fruit of kamma-
This is an offering purified by neither.

Whoever, moral in habit, gives to those of moral habit,
A gift rightfully acquired, the mind well pleased,
firmly believing in the rich fruit of kamma-
I assert this gift to be of abundant fruit.

Whoever without attachment, gives to those without attachment
A gift rightfully acquired, the mind well pleased,
firmly believing in the rich fruit of kamma-
I assert this gift to be a gift abundant in gain.(Ref: 6)

When persons practising Dana follow the Buddha's advice, the mind becomes clear and cognates the process of cause and effect made by the offering. If at any stage in the process the mind falters, doubt can arise and the mind goes to error.

The Lord said to Anuruddha, "Doubt has arisen in me; and because there was doubt, concentration fell away from me; when concentration falls away, the light-manifestation vanishes as well as the appearance of material shapes. So, I will act in such a way that doubt will not arise in me again." So I, Anuruddhas, living diligent, ardent, self resolute, perceived the light-manifestation as well as the appearance of material shapes.

When, Anuruddhas, there was developed in me the concentration that has initial and discursive thought, when there was developed the concentration that is without initial thought and has only discursive thought, when there was developed the concentration that is without initial thought and without discursive thought, and when there was developed the concentration that has rapture, and when there was developed the concentration that is without rapture, and there was developed the concentration that is accompanied by delight, and when there was developed the concentration that is accompanied by equanimity, then the knowledge and vision arose in me.

Doubt is the nature of shifting the mind from object to object finding out what is true and getting fatigued in the attempt".

Doubt refers to a mental state in respect of eight things, the Buddha, The Teachings, The Order, The Precepts, The Before, The After, The Before and After and the law of Dependent Origination. It does not mean that the spirit of skepticism is a bad thing. For in the Suttas the Buddha says "You have raised a doubt where you should" or "you have raised a doubt where you should not". Dogmatism is not encouraged in Buddhism; for to hold " that one's view alone is right" (Idam Saccabhinivesa) until the person has obtained the supramundane states is a tie that binds one to samsara.

But doubt which can only exist with restlessness (Uddhacca) Ref.7

The Buddha said that things never arise from one (eka) cause, they are multi-stranded.

To date, persons cannot see that there are five or seven elements of the Cetasika Saddha as described in the Abidhamma. So, our Kusala Cetasikas are not one "mind-stuff", but multi-stranded.

Until persons know for themselves the building blocks of Confidence and how to generate them, he or she does not know, in the sense of Bhumi, what is needed for certainty that their Confidence never fails them, because he or she neglected to assemble some of the five or seven elements to build Saddha.

Then, if he or she has success in what they are trying to do and achieve it, slowly, over many instances, he or she gains confidence in the Teacher's methods because of their experiences.

If persons can understand the complex process of five or seven elements of the Cetasika of Confidence and the building blocks of cause and effect that generates the Cetasika Saddha then he or she can see very clearly how beings are building their worlds the wrong way.
Like a spectrum analysis of white light, white light is not one (eka).

The way in which each person develops confidence (saddha) depends upon their personality type. Each person will develop confidence differently from the next person. Some persons are more inclined to develop confidence through faith while other persons develop confidence through analysis. It is not uncommon for some persons to learn through a combination of both, though with a strong natural bias toward one.

Those persons who learn to develop confidence through faith, do not understand the means involved but follow the process due to their faithful nature. This method of developing confidence is slower and weaker than by analysis and takes many lifetimes. This method of learning has fewer risks than by the way of analysis.

The higher risk nature of developing confidence by analysis is offset by speed and strength when success is a result.

The analysis path is unsuitable for persons with weak discursive minds. The analysis path is unsuitable for persons with strong minds who deny faith. One of our former members had a strong mind and kept many precepts (sila). This person was unable to develop confidence by analysis because of a strong disposition towards the denial of faith. Such a person, is not able to develop confidence by analysis or faith and misses their opportunity to practice Buddha Dhamma this life.

Such persons are characterised by their minds beginning to seek denial of pain in their body and practicing not to keep their minds within the volume of their body. Such a person denies that they will get sickness, become old and die one day. Without this knowledge, a person is not able to develop confidence.

Other persons have faith in the Buddha Dhamma Teachings but do not understand that we are in a Dhamma ending age and that a sense of urgency is needed to become established in the Buddha Dhamma. Some persons believe that faith alone is enough to get out of the suffering and that they do not need a Teacher to show them the way.

There are two errors that persons using faith can fall into.

One is to have faith with the mind inside and seek a soul or a God within.

Persons can fall into the delusion that they are a God or are an eternal soul, that is not subject to old age, sickness and death.

This is wrong view.

The other error is to have faith with the mind outside seeking an external God to worship. This is also error.

Of the elements that are common, first, we can look at the elements of confidence, mindfulness and equanimity. Confidence, Saddha, is that nature in which there is self clarification in the spiritual object that should be believed. These objects are; the Teacher, the Teaching, the Order, Action (kamma), and its fruit (kamma vipaka). Confidence has four forms;

1, as Agama Saddha it exists in those whose destiny has been declared by a Buddha (Niyata Vivarana),

2, as Adhigama S. it is the state of confidence in those who have realised the four Noble Truths i.e. in the Supramundane thoughts,

3, as Okappana S. it is that which cannot be shaken by anything said to the contrary,

4. as Pasada S. it is the clarity of the thought in that object. This confidence may exist with a weak wisdom when it is called Muddhappasanna Saddha. Confidence is a state not easy to come by. It is an extremely important attainment in be getting higher lives. Ref 7.

What is the faith power?

It is not shaken by non-faith, thus it is the faith power. It is the faith power in the sense of stiffening conascent ideas. It is the faith power in the sense of terminating defilements. It is the faith power in the sense of purifying the beginning of penetration. It is the faith power in the sense of steadying of cognizance. It is the faith power in the sense of cleansing of cogizance. It is the faith power in the sense of arrival at distinction. It is the faith power in the sense of penetration higher. It is the faith power in the sense of convergence upon actuality. It is the faith power in the sense of establishing in cessation. This is the faith power. Ref.8.

In the "Surangama Sutra" we find "The Ten Stages of Bodhisattva Faith"

1. '(After realising the dry wisdom, if) they use their (progressive) mind to look into the innermost depth, the perfect and profound (essence of mind) will manifest. This state of absolute perfection leads to that of true absoluteness, resulting in the permanence of absolute faith and the total eradication of all false thinking. This is the Mean in its true purity and is called the stage of Bodhisattva faith.'

2. 'Their faith, thus genuinely achieved, ensures their complete understanding which is no more hindered by the (five) aggregates, (twelve) entrances (ayatana) and (eighteen) fields of senses (dhatu) and thereby embraces the past, present and future. Thus are exposed the vicious habits which led to their countless incarnations in the past, the smallest details of which they can now remember. This is called the stage of remembrance (or unforgetfulness).'

3. 'This absolute perfection in its purity causes the essential (wisdom) to turn all vicious habits contracted since the time without beginning into one bright essence which continues to advance towards the real and the pure. This is called the stage of zealous progress.'

4. 'The essence of mind which now manifests is the wisdom (that destroys the darkness of ignorance). This is called the stage of wisdom.'

5. 'This bright wisdom now shines upon its own substance in stillness and profundity, thus ensuring the permanent union (of function and substance). This is called the stage of dhyana.'

6. 'The light of dhyana becomes brighter; it is now more penetrating and prevents all back-sliding. This is called the stage of non-retrogression.'

7. 'The mind now advancing smoothly preserves all previous achievements and is aware of all Tathagatas in the ten directions. This is the stage of protection of the Dhamma.'

8. 'The brightness of wisdom, thus preserved and strengthened, can now, by means of it transcendental power, reflect the light of the Buddha's compassion and thereby abide within His (body), like two bright mirrors facing and reflection each other to infinity. This is the stage of reflective powers.'

9. 'The light of the mind then turns inwards and unites for ever with the unsurpassed absolute purity of the (inner) Buddha, thereby resting in the non-retrogressive state of transcendental non-activity (wu wei). This is called the stage of (unshaken) discipline (sila).'

10. 'A great comfort derives from this rest in discipline which enables the mind to roam at will anywhere in the ten directions. This is called the state of the mind (of high) resolve.' Ref.9.

If you wish to learn Buddha Dhamma, you can hear it on our Buddhist Hour Broadcasts every Sunday from 11.00 am until 12.00 noon.

You can also read about Buddha Dhamma on our web site.....www.bdcu.org.au

You can find on our website an English translation done by our Teacher John D. Hughes from a Laotian text. This text is called "The Way You Are Looking For". There are 15 screen pages of introduction, 18 screen pages of text Part I and 14 screen pages for Part II.

You will traverse different levels of understanding over time.

But if you have little faith or little trust in logic, you are unlikely to follow these instructions.

Some persons have trouble in remembering what they read.

It is as if their minds were jammed full of trivia and had no space to remember new knowledge presented to them.

There is not just one factor to be added to be capable of reading and learning well.

You can draw an analogy to providing extra storage space in your home.

You decide you are sick of the clutter and desire to do something about it to reduce it. This is will-to-do (in Pali: cetana).

You can give some cluttering things to the op-shop.

This is Dana - merit making by generosity. You can re-adjust your shelf spacing to stop losing space above objects.

This is like sila - morality.

You then work to find the available space you need to have for what it is you want to store and so on.

Designing just for extra storage space is indicative of persons possessing narrow view. Plans must incorporate strategic thinking that encompasses the broader perspective or the total mandala of storage.

The broader view or functional mandala must be adopted as part of our strategic planning. This can not be achieved by the method of transactional processing which involves only data collection.

The sub mandala of storage can be inspected to assess whether it has reached its capacity. If so, there can be no further increase in storage efficiency and further improvements would not be possible.

If an analysis performed on a sub mandala reveals that it is full or complete, persons should not waste time thinking or dwelling upon it. If no gain is possible one must move to review the mandala of the next area.

John D. Hughes is aware that the storage system of the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd can be improved because the storage mandala is not full.

May you develop the cetasika of confidence (saddha).

May you come to Buddha Dhamma practice this life.

May you be well and happy.

This script was written and edited by Nick Prescott, Anita Svensson, Julie O'Donnell, Maria Pannozzo, Lisa Nelson, Lenore Hamilton and Leanne Eames.

References

1. To be found - JDH

2. Nanamoli, Bhikkhu, (the Path of Purification - Vissuddhi Magga) Buddhist Publication Society, Sri Lanka, 1979 - P.122 - 125

3. Gampopa, Je, Gems of Dhamma, Jewels of Freedom - The Classic Handbook of Buddhism, K & K Holans, Altier Publishing, Scotland 1995

4. Rinpoche, Patrul (1808 - 1887), The Heart Treasure of the Enlightened One with Commentary by Dilgo Khyentse - USA, 1992.

5. Horner, I.B. M.A, (translator), The Collection of The Middle Length Sayings (Majjhima - Nikaya) - Vol.III - the Final Fifty Discourses (Uparipannasa)- Discourse with Anuruddha, Pali Text Society, 1989.

6. Horner, I.B.M.A., (translator) The Collection of Middle Length Sayings (Majjhima - Nikaya) - Vol III - The Final 50 Discourses - Discourse on the Analysis of Offerings (Dakkinavi Bhangasutta), Pali Text Society - Oxford 1990

7. Horner,I.B. M.A, (translator), The collection of The Middle Length Sayings (Majjhima - Nikaya) - Vol.III - the Final Fifty Discourses (Uparipannasa)-Discourse on Defilements (Upakkilesasutta)-, Pali Text Society, 1989.

8. Jayasuriya, Dr. W. F. The Psychology and Philosophy of Buddhism, An Introduction to the Abhidhamma, Buddhist Missionary Society, Malaysia 1976, Chapter VI, The Mental Factors p. 75.

9. Nanamoli, Bhikkhu, (translator), The Path of Discrimination (Patisambhidamagga) - Treatise X1X-On Powers, Pali Text Society, 1991, ISBN 0-86013-074-6. p.349.

10. Luk, Charles (Lu K'uan Yu), The Surangama Sutra, Translated by Rider & Company, London 1966, p.166-167.

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