Day-7 QA - Online 10-day Retreat (Nov-17) with Delson Armstrong

Okay. Thank you. Hello everyone. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I was wondering if I could start with a question in regards to precepts and how they could the mind. What I'm wondering is if these sort of things are up for interpretation? So if someone is in a very unfortunate situation and they steal out of necessity to keep the body alive or to feed the family or whatever it is, then they might not see this as doing any wrong, you know? Or if someone is raised within a certain tradition, and for example

they've always been told it's bad to eat a certain type of meat. And someone else has a completely different experience where they're not told that it's bad to eat this sort of meat or whatnot. So how does this affect one's practice? Is there a universal set of laws in place, or is it really up to a given situation?

As far as I understand, the five precepts, at the minimum, are non-negotiable. So you always want to maintain the five precepts for yourself. The more you do so, it creates a foundational practice so that you don't have hindrances coming up in the mind. In relation to eating a certain type of meat or not eating a certain type of meat, there's no restrictions like that, I believe, at least in Theravada Buddhism, where you need to eat vegetarian or you need to follow a certain dietary restriction or anything like that.

I believe one of the reasons was because, and I think there's a story about it, where Devadat, who is the Buddha's cousin, actually recommends to the Sangha a change where that they should all go vegetarian. And I think the Buddha says to Devadat that that would be unfair on the people upon which the Sangha depends for their sustenance, because there are people who might be eating meat and so when they provide alms they might provide meat to them. So I believe to that extent there's no real restrictions, at least for the Sangha, to eat meat or not to eat meat, and by extension lay people are free to follow whatever dietary restrictions that they want. In terms of stealing, the whole point of that is to create in oneself a mindset that does not cause restlessness, because the moment you start to take what is not given, and that extends beyond just the requisites of, you know, physical food or money and so on, it's also the mental aspect of that, which is if you're looking for credit when credit is not due and you steal credit

and so on and so forth, that's another form of taking what is not given freely, and so that can cause disturbances in the mind as well. Thank you. The other thing I would add to that about stealing is, for example, you mentioned someone has to steal for food or whatever it might be. It presupposes the idea that there is no longer any generosity in this world, so there will always be beings who will be generous. It's a matter of having that faith and generosity and being able to depend upon the world for your sustenance based on that generosity. I had a question about kamma, in terms of if there's only kamma in the individual form, form, or there's also kamma in it, like more collective form? Kamma is a very intricate element of existence. In the talk that's there for day 7, for kamma I also mentioned that kamma is interwoven with societal climate changes, biology, genetics, and environmental, and so on and so forth.

So the idea that there's a collective kamma, as far as I know, in the Buddhist context, I don't believe it's there. This is something you might find in possibly Hindu philosophy, and so on and so forth. But kamma is so intricate that there is a sense of creating situations or being born in situations and circumstances through one's karma, which can affect not only one's own karma but affect other individuals' karma, so there can be a point where it's an exchange of karma, if you will, a give and take depending upon what was done in a previous life or a previous set of choices in this life

Good morning. Good morning, friends. Dust, and I'm aware that obviously the retreat is progressing towards its conclusion, and I wonder if you or Bhante Ananda would like to talk about sangha, just briefly, because we take refuge in the sangha, and once the retreat has concluded my understanding of sangha is that that is where we manage to maintain the support of our fellow meditators. So I wonder if both in the concept of sangha and also in the context of our retreat, what your sense of sangha is? Yeah, in my understanding of sangha beyond the community of monastics who have gone forth and dedicate their lives towards

reaching nirvana and helping the lay people with their wisdom, is also a community of like-minded individuals who want to maintain the practice with each other and amongst each other. So I see to that extent that the Sangha also includes a collective of lay people who have similar practices or similar understanding of the Dhamma and celebrate the Dhamma together through their practice and through their efforts.

But I'd like to revert to Bhante Ananda and see what his thoughts are on it as well, that one part I didn't cover yesterday. So there's a few ways of seeing this, because the word sangha simply means community, in this dispensation's context. It is, since the early days, it's been referred to as the robed people, but that doesn't... there's other ways that the Buddha explained it. Like the four pillars of the sasana, for example, are the monks, the nuns, the lay practitioners, and the female lay practitioners also, and these work together. The reason why the monks can't do much is because we, in fact, that's perhaps not the best way of putting it, but we undertake very high virtue, and that is extending this protection to even

vegetal life and seed life, and very intricate little, you know, covering a glass of water if we're not going to use it, so little beings can't fall in it and die, and so there's many, many things like that that we have to maintain a very high level of virtue, because the mind also, it is conducive to meditation. That is what the 227 rules of the patimoka, which are the main rules, they're not all of them, but these are the rules that are recited every two weeks with the moon

observe and stay, and this is what patimoka means, it's the head, it's the leading conduct. These are the main aspects of conduct that will really open the doors to the practice and attaining liberation. Although now, when there is taking refuge in the sangha, one thing that happened with the time is that the robed sangha, and there is such a thing as the ariya sangha also, and ariya means anybody that's entered any of the levels of awakening: stream entry, once-returner, non-returner or arahant. And so it doesn't mean that this ariya sangha is solely in the robed sangha, and one thing that is happening now is that this is not always very true

and depending on the situation depending on where but with with what has happened to the teaching over time and usually that this sangha when when we recite the qualities of it it's um Uju patipanno bhagavato sāvaka-sango, nyaya patipanno bhagavato sāvaka-sango, samichi patipanno bhagavato sāvaka-sango, yadirang chatari purisa yugani yatta purisa bhukhada. So that means these are the eight kind of individuals, the four kinds of individuals, the eight pairs of people. That means any level of awakening with path and fruition.

So usually at the time of the Buddha, it's a bit unclear, but that was mainly the Sangha. But there were thousands awakened to a certain level, but, and that also is not clear. But there was, the Buddha said, there were thousands and thousands of lay people having reached stream entry, having reached once-return, non-return.

and arahant is a little bit tricky it's uh not very clear in the suit does but um not impossible just uh not very usual either they would that being an arahant and uh putting on the robes is so close technically the reason why we the monks take on all these rules is to kind of follow that bring bring people right there uh mingled with the practice also the buddha said when when uh he was passing um the monks were asking recommendations for the future and it was like or uh they were asking who who was going to take the lead and he said nobody nobody's going to take the lead of the sangha uh i left you the dharma and the vinya the the teaching and the conduct the rule of conduct that is your legacy that is the leading uh thing you must follow and so here we are 2600 years after and um well when we experience the dharma to a profound level when we experience the fruits of the practice profound level we understand

for example there's a certain place where there's a turnover we understand this is the path like i don't have to tell you you can tell me in fact that's the point that's the pivotal point when someone has understood the teaching enough that they're locked in like in stream entry for example then there is automatically what happens is these four factors of stream entry arise there's unwavering faith in the buddha because the dhamma is experienced now we know through direct experience the buddha's awakening is real and we don't have we don't need somebody else to tell us and then unwavering

confidence and understanding in the Dhamma and in the sangha and in the virtue. These are the four factors of stream entry, and someone that has entered the stream is known that even if they broke a virtue they couldn't conceal it, they couldn't hide it, it would be too apparent in their mind. So when there's going for refuge in the sangha, there's going for refuge in these qualities and in these aspects, and hopefully whatever it is, if it's robed sangha or not robed sangha, what matters is wisdom, what matters is compassion and behavior, and wherever these qualities are found the depth of the Dhamma is found. That is the right sangha, and especially nowadays, when people are following

the suttas, what the Buddha actually said, and understand what they're saying and practice in accordance with that. I would say that this is the sangha there, and when you take refuge in that it is also... I usually like to conclude a retreat with a little bit of talking, a little bit about kalyana, a beautiful friendship, because the Buddha said this is the whole of the path, also because when we have virtuous friendship around us we can be expected to practice properly, and so associating with the wise is very important, and that's, I think, I'll stop here.

I hope that was helpful. I have a question. For someone that I know, for the sake of non-confusion, I don't want to name what the practice was, but the person is no longer practicing that, for whatever reason, and recently a person told me that she's practicing all different things, like vipassana, samatha and the other teachings, along with Mahasi.

And I was just wondering, I mean, is it okay for someone to practice all different methods and still get a good understanding, good grip, or what is your opinion about it? It could lead to a lot of confusion if you do various different practices, and one needs to be aware of where, again as I mentioned yesterday, these practices are coming from. Are they coming essentially from the suttas? Is it rooted in the Eightfold Path? Is it rooted in the Four Noble Truths? Is there an understanding of letting go? Is there an understanding of keeping the precepts, and so on, and in terms of meditative practices

The Buddha himself prescribed different kinds of meditation objects, so we can't comment on whether one is better or not, or whatever it might be. It's dependent upon the person's inclination. So, having said that, I would suggest that if you were to maintain one practice, that would be better than maintaining multiple practices. See one practice through to the end, and let that be the guide for you, but if you feel like the mind inclines towards another practice, there's nothing wrong with it. It's just a matter of not multitasking

through different meditative practices, just stay with one. Thank you so much. And just adding to that, I'm just concerned for the person. Should I... Just a personal question, can't help it, is it? It's up to them, right? Because they are practicing different methods from different, even they do add six are also along with that.

You could always, if you feel out of meta and concern for them, provide suggestions and say, try one practice, and to that extent you can help them, but of course the choice is theirs. You can at least provide them some friendly and wise advice and say, this is just my opinion on it, what do you think about it, and let them make the decision for themselves. Okay. Thank you. Uh, just one more question. Once the Buddha was enlightened he was talking about his, he said something about a creator, that he has destroyed all the defilements, and I just would like to know who is that creator he was referring to, or is it only the conditions, in terms of the context? Yeah, I think you're talking about... It's probably from the Dhammapada, and I may be mistaken, but I believe it's relating to the building blocks of the mind, because mind, first of all, is what creates your reality depending upon how you see it.

So it's the destruction of the constructing abilities of the mind to create a projected reality rather than seeing reality for what it is. So in essence, yes, it is the destruction of the defilements, the destruction of the taint, of sensual craving, of being, and of ignorance. Because this is what carries forth the karma to take rebirth over and over and over again. So he basically destroyed that building ability of the mind by destroying the defilements.

Thank you. Thank you so much. I have a small question about the different levels of attainment. I have read here and there that the first level, we'll say, has associated with it seven more rebirths, and the subsequent levels have a lower number associated with them. So is it always so that someone, let's say, who has attained a higher level has always logically attained a lower level in a previous life, or is that not really how it works?

Yeah, so what you're talking about is when you become a sotapanna, traditionally it's said that you would take rebirth up to seven lifetimes. But within that same lifetime, you can still awaken to sakadagami, which takes up to one more rebirth. But in that same lifetime, you can still become an anagami, which then takes rebirth spontaneously in the Pure Abodes, from where they will be completely extinguished as an arahant. And then of course in the very same lifetime you can become an arahant. Now let's say you become a sotapanna in this life and the body dissolves and your karma takes rebirth in a different life, so to speak, just so you have an understanding. Then over there, in that new life, let's say you then awaken towards sakadagami.

So it's not like, if the body dissolves in this lifetime after having awakened into sotapanna, that you need to restart the whole process again. So it's quite possible that in this lifetime many of you have already become sotapannas. It's quite possible. And so when you do have an awakening, you might just become a sakadagami. But that's dependent upon your reviewing and seeing for yourself if the fetters are still present or not.

Right, right. Thank you. Something to think about. Thank you. Do you believe there are any living arahants in human form presently? It is quite possible. That's good. Earlier I saw Win raise her hand. I don't know if she had a question. It looks like she's trying to connect to audio, so Win, if you can indicate whether you had a question or not... Oh, she can't even hear us. I guess we'll have to just send her a chat message. Thank you. I think maybe she doesn't have a question. If she does, she can always send a message.

I'd like to request Bhante Ananda, if he would do the honor of sharing merit. Please may suffering ones be suffering free, and the fear-struck fearless be. May the grieving shed all grief, and may all beings find relief. May all beings share this merit that we have thus acquired for the acquisition of all kinds of happiness. May beings inhabiting space and earth, devas and nagas of mighty powers, share this merit of ours. May they long protect the Buddha's dispensation. Thank you, Delson. Thank you. Thank you.