The Buddha

The Buddha was born about 2500 years ago, 500 years before Jesus, as Siddhartha Gotama, as a prince of a small kingdom
of the Sakyan clan in the city Kapilavattu, at the foot of the Himalayas, at that time part of India, now Nepal. His father was
King Suddhodana his mother Mahamaya, a princess of the neighboring country Kolia. Both are said to have been very noble,
respected and wise. There is no historical doubt that the Buddha really existed. He became also known as Buddha
Shakyamuni which means “sage of the Sakyan’s” and Gotama.

The Buddha was not a God, the son of a god nor a prophet send by a god, he was a man who went from home to
homelessness to find answers about life. He found the answers and became enlightened. The name Buddha has its root in the
word bodhi, which means awakening.

It is said in the legends about his birth that his mother Mahamaya had a dream: she was carried by devas to a lake in the
Himalayas. After bathing her in the lake, the devas clothed her in heavenly cloths, anointed her with perfumes, and covered
her with divine flowers. Soon after a white elephant, holding a white lotus flower in its trunk, appeared and went around her
three times, entering her womb through her right side.

A wise man was consulted by the king, who wanted to know the meaning of this dream, he was told that the couple will have
a child and it will become a great being.

10 months after her dream Queen Mahamaya departed from Kapilavattu to give birth to her child in her parent’s house, as it
was custom at that time. The king arranged everything, cleared the road, send soldiers and messengers ahead and soon a
procession with the pregnant queen left for Kolia. Along the way they came to a beautiful garden which is known as
Lumbini park. The queen needed to rest and the park was inviting. In this very park, under the sal trees queen Mahamaya
gave birth to her son.

A legend tells, the baby began to walk seven steps forward and at every step a lotus flower appeared on the ground. Then he
stopped and said: “I am chief of the world. Eldest am I in the world. Foremost am I in the world. This is the last birth. There
is now no more coming to be.”

The procession went back home immediately.

King Suddhodana’s old spiritual teacher Asita heard of the child’s birth (by a deva as the legend says) and went to see the
king who showed his one day old son to the seer. After examining the baby Asita confirmed that this baby will be a great
teacher of the world, saluted to him and started crying because he knew he is too old to be alive at the time of enlightenment
of the prince.

After 5 days 5 fortunetellers examined the prince. Four of them said he will be either a great ruler, a great worrier or, if he
leaves home, he will be a great spiritual teacher, will become a Buddha. The 5 th, Kondañña, who was later one of Buddha’s
fellow ascetics and the first who understood the Buddha’s teaching and became an Arahant, said that the prince will become
a Buddha and nothing else. The child received the name Siddhartha, ‘the one whose wishes will be fulfilled’. 

His mother Mahamaya died on the seventh day after Siddhartha’s birth and her younger sister Maha Pajapati cared for the
baby as if it were her own.

The child received a board education in martial arts, horse taming and riding, mathematics, astronomy, geography,
languages, writing and reading and all sciences available at the time. It is said that Siddhartha was the foremost among all
pupils, learned very fast and easy, was the best in everything, was loved by everyone and had friendliness and compassion
for all others, human or animal.

It was foretold that on seeing an old man, a sick person, a dead corpse and a recluse he would leave home to become an
ascetic. His father wanted his son to become a great king, hence his father did all he could to keep away old and sick people,
as well as all signs of dead and all kinds of renunciates. The prince grew up with everything he needed and wanted, was
surrounded by young, healthy people who served, loved and protected him. He had 3 palaces, one for the winter one for
summer, one for the rainy season and parks and hunting grounds. But he did not enjoy all this. His father asked the seers
what to do to make his son happy as he was looking depressed all the time. Siddhartha was 16 years old which was
considered a good age for a marriage and so it was decided it would be the best if he would marry.

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There are different legends, one telling, he choose her out of all the most beautiful girls of the country, another story tells,
she choose him after he won a contest of horse taming which was held to find a husband for her and in which he tamed a
horse by talking to it softly which led to the princess's decision “He or no one else”. However, the marriage with his cousin,
the princess Yasodhara, who is said to have been very beautiful and intelligent, having the same star constellation at birth as
Siddhartha, was arranged.

It was Suddhodana’s wish that the both would live happily ever after but it seems that the prince was not happy to be kind of
imprisoned in the palace, he wanted to know what was going on outside of the palace, how people live …

He asked his father to go out and received allowance after the king had made some arrangements. The people were told to
clean and beautify the city, to salute the prince where he goes and to keep away the old and sick. On his first trip to the city it
happened that an old beggar, almost blind, trembling and stumbling, with wrinkles and white hair, begging for food crossed
the prince’s way. The latter asked his accompanying servant Channa, about what he just had seen and the servant explained
that this is an old man, that everybody will grow old, even the prettiest and the strongest.

Siddhartha asked for allowance to go out again, this time no preparations had been made beforehand and the prince walked
with his servant through the city. He saw people at work, just ordinary people of all age doing their ordinary jobs. It
happened that in a sideway they came across a person winding in pain on the ground, lamenting. Siddhartha went to hold the
man’s head to give him ease. Channa explained that he should let go of this man because he is sick, that he could be the next
one to get sick, that everybody could get sick at any time and that there are many different kinds of sicknesses.

For a third time the prince wanted to go and explore the world outside, and it so happened that he and Channa came across a
funeral procession, moaning and crying on its way to the cremation place, with a dead corpse on a stretcher. Channa told
Siddhartha that this is a dead body and that everyone, without exception, will have to die.

On their forth tour out of the palace the two met a recluse, wearing ocher robes, looking peaceful and happy in a different
way. Siddhartha was fascinated and asked who this is. Channa said that this is a recluse, someone who left home to go into
homelessness to find the ultimate truth, the freedom from suffering.

The wish to become one like this, a recluse in search for the end of suffering, arose in Siddhartha. He was sitting down and
resting before going back to the palace, when the notice that his wife had just delivered a healthy baby boy, reached him. He
thought that this is an obstacle, a fetter to his quest and so the baby was named Rahula, fetter.

His wish to renounce the world became so strong that at one night he left the palace, his wife and new born son, without
waking up anybody, just accompanied by his servant Channa. He promised himself to come back as soon as he had found the
freedom from suffering and left with Channa and his horse Kanthaka.

When they came out of town to the banks of the river Amona they stopped, the prince took off all his jewellery, his fine
clothes, cut off his hair with his sword, put on some simple robes of a recluse and sent Channa back with Kanthaka to bring
back the prince’s belongings to his father.

From the banks of the river the ascetic Siddhartha started wandering and came to Rajagaya, ruled by King Bimbisara. One
day, when the recluse Siddhartha was on alms round King Bimbisara watched him from afar and was touch by the
appearance of the recluse. The king send messengers after him to find out, where he was staying. Soon after King Bimbisara
went to visit Siddhartha on the mountain where he meditated. The king offered him to stay at Rajagaya and half of his
kingdom but the ascetic refused as he had just relinquished an entire kingdom because he wanted to find how to overcome
old age, sickness and death.

The recluse Siddhartha went to study with the most famous spiritual teacher of his time, Alara Kalama. From him he learned
meditation. But he soon knew everything his teacher knew and although the master asked him to stay and teach together with
him, Siddhartha preferred to continue on his quest. He met another great teacher, Uddaka Ramaputta and studied with him
for some time but left him as well because he could not teach him how to end old age, sickness and dead. Siddhartha went on
and met some men, Kondañña, Bhaddiya, Vappa, Mahanama and Assaji. They, too, had left home to find the answers of
life’s questions. Together they went to Uruvela and started to do ascetic practices like fasting to the extreme, sitting on nails,
standing on one leg, hanging from a tree. This was common practice at that time in India and said to lead to enlightenment or
at least to a rebirth in heavenly realms. The ascetic Gotama tried everything diligently until, after years of striving and
torturing his body he realized that he would soon die without having found the answer to his question on how to end
suffering. After short consideration he decided to eat some stable food, rice and porridge. His fellow ascetics were angry and
displeased, thinking he would go back to luxurious life, forgetting the quest, so they left the place.

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But the ascetic Siddhartha was by no means about to give up. He just had found out that ascetism was not the way to
enlightenment. He strengthened his body with food and went to the village Senani to meditate at the foot of a tree near
Nerañjana river.

A young woman, Sujata, who, some time before the Buddha-to-be was meditating under this tree, asked the deva of this
particular tree to help her find an equal husband and to get a healthy son. She had her wishes fulfilled, found a good, wealthy
husband and gave birth to a healthy son. Out of gratitude she wanted to thank the deva of the tree and prepared a delicious
milk-rice-soup to offer it. This happened to be at the same day when Siddhartha Gotama came to the tree. When she met the
recluse sitting there she thought he were the deva in person, offered the milk-rice and said: “may your wishes be fulfilled as
were mine”.

Thus strengthened with food and a good wish Siddhartha went to Gaya, found a banyan tree to sit under, today know as
bodhi tree, at the river Nerañjara, was offered a bundle of straw of which he prepared a seat, sat down and made the firm
resolve not to get up from this seat until he attained enlightenment.

In the Padhana Sutta the soon-to-be-Buddha talks about his thoughts, how he was tempted by Mara ( the evil-doer, synonym
for a weak, greedy, evil mind state that goes for any kind of sensual pleasures), to give in, to rest, to enjoy a peaceful life
doing merit. But Siddhartha had very clear in mind that he would rather die than give up or fail. After striving for many
hours through the night, fighting with fears and desires he finally could calm and purify his mind, find equanimity and in the
second watch of the night he understood the law of Kamma and the arising and ceasing of beings according to their actions
in mind, speech or deed. In the third watch of the night, hence the early morning, he came to understand what is now known
as the 4 noble truths. He had become the Buddha.

The first thought after his enlightenment was: “Through the round of many births I roamed without reward, without rest,
seeking the house-builder. Painful is birth again & again. House-builder, you're seen! You will not build a house again. All
your rafters broken, the ridge pole destroyed, gone to the Unformed, the mind has come to the end of craving.”

The Buddha remained where he was and reflected on what he had experienced. He was not sure at first if he should teach
what he had found out because it is so difficult to understand. He came to the conclusion – by being invited to teach by the
Brahma Sahampati – that there are beings with little dust in their eyes, those he would teach. He thought of seeing his old
teachers but they were dead already, so he went to see the five ascetics. They were staying at Varanasi, Isipatana, in the deer
park at that time and so he went there to teach them the Dhamma.

He Buddha’s former friends saw him coming from far and agreed not to greet, pay respect, prepare a seat or wash his feet.
They would just leave one mat under one of the trees empty for him to sit on, if he so wanted.

As the Buddha came closer they noticed that he had changed and soon the first forgot their agreement, ran off to greet the
Buddha, another prepared a seat, the third washed his feet. Although they noticed how the Buddha had changed they didn’t
trust him at first, after he told them for three times that he found the cause of suffering and its end they agreed to listen to
him. He gave his first sermon. The Dhamma-chakka-pavaṭṭna sutta and thus the wheel of the Dhamma was set in motion.

By hearing the first of the Buddha’s sermons Kondañña understood and became enlightened. After his second sermon, the
Annatta-lakkhana sutta, where Buddha explains the doctrine of anatta, non-self the other four of his companions achieved
Arahatship, as well.

Soon after that his later chief disciples Sariputta and Mogallana met the Buddha and not long after hearing his Dhamma both
became Arahants. It didn’t take long, only two month after his own enlightenment, the Buddha was surrounded by a group of
60 Arahants. They separated and went throughout the country to spread the Buddha’s teaching. 

The Buddha taught for 45 years. Many of his family members became his followers and achieved enlightenment, among
them his son, Rahula, his foster mother Maha Pajapati, his wife Yasodhara, the half-brother Nanda, his cousins Ananda and
Anaruddha and many more. He had followers of all casts and even converted a mass killer, a cannibal, a prostitute, he taught
kings, Brahmins and outcasts and led thousands of people to enlightenment - and the story goes on, even today his teaching
is wide spread, well known in many counties.

The Buddha died in the age of 80. The circumstances around his dead are not 100% clear. He had eaten a last meal in the
house of the blacksmith Chunda and left a message for him that he should not worry, it was not the meal that killed him, he,
Chunda, should be happy because it is a great honor to have offered the last meal to the Buddha. In Theravada Buddhism it is
the belief that the Buddha died from food poisoning, of Chunda’s last meal which contained pig ears, while Mahayana
Buddhism teaches the Buddha received a mushroom dish from Chunda and died thereof. Certain is, he knew that he would
die and started to give last instructions. With Ananda, who had been his attendant for 30 years, he went on their last tour to

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the forest of Kusinara, near the city of Malla. He died surrounded by thousands of people, Arahants, monks, nuns and lay
followers. His last words have been: "All composite things pass away. Strive for your own liberation with diligence."

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 List of suttas about Buddhas life

Nalaka Sutta - About the seer who foretells that The Buddha will become a Buddha

Sukhamala Sutta – about his youth in the palace

Maha Saccaka Sutta – about his leaving the palace, his teachers, his ascetic practices,, leaving the extreme practices, his
enlightenment,

Pabbaja Sutta – about his statement of going-forth and meeting king Bimbisara

Bhaya Bherava Sutta – about forest dwelling and fears

Kumma Sutta – about Mara and guarding the senses

Padhana Sutta – about his strong resolve to become enlightened

Dhammapada vers 153 – his words after being enlightened

Bodhi Sutta – about dependent origination

Ayacana Sutta – about his being invited to teach

Ariapariyesana Sutta – about his first contact with a “normal” person and going to find his former companions

Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta – his first discourse, the middle way and enlightenment of his first companion

Anatta lakkhana Sutta – the doctrine of not-self and enlightenment of the four other companions

The Dhamma
 

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4 noble truths

The Buddha himself said, when he was asked to tell in short what he is teaching:

I teach that there is suffering and that there is an end of suffering.

This is referring to the 4 noble truths.

1rst noble truth: There is suffering. Old age, sickness and death are suffering, to be separated from which is beloved is
suffering, to be with which is unloved is suffering. In short all mental formations (sankhāra) are suffering.

The examples Buddha gives in the beginning are easy to understand. But sankhāra? This word has different meanings, as it
does not have an equivalent in our western thinking-and-speaking-system. Sometimes the meaning is: Volition and in other
times: mental formations. How that?

Sankhāra as a mental formation is, when anything, whatever it may be, comes to your mind through one of the sense doors,
which are eyes, ears, nose, tongue, tactile sense and the mind itself. Let’s say there’s an apple, this apple is not a sankhāra in
and of itself, it is just ‘apple’. When one sees it, recognizes it as apple and starts to reflect on it, then it becomes a sankhāra.
With our defiled minds the reflection on an apple might turn into wanting to eat it and the intention, volition to get this apple
arises.

We have the tendency to relate to all the things we are surrounded with and we make up our minds about them immediately
after receiving the information through the sense doors. We either want, don’t want or are indifferent. In case of an apple we
rarely see just the apple and understand it as it truly is. Rather reflect on it, we check do I want it? In case of a man seeing a
woman, he checks do I want her? (and vice versa) in case of a good taste we check is more of it available? In case of bad
taste we check if we can spit out. This seeing, recognizing and making up our minds happens in less than a second and
mostly without us noticing it.

At this melting point of reflection and reaction a thing or a fact becomes a sankhāra, a mental formation, a volition. And this
is where suffering starts.

2nd noble truth: There is a cause for suffering and that is the craving for desires, wanting. The desire to have, the desire
to be and the desire not to be.

There are 3 kinds of wanting (craving, clinging, attachment).

1. The wanting of, the desire for, the attachment to sensual pleasures, (kāma tanhā): For example wanting tasty food; liking a
certain smell; desire for touching, hoping to see something beautiful; daydreaming of meeting a beloved one, loving a certain
music …

Sure, one needs food, without it one gets weak and dies, but any healthy food will do, it mustn’t be tasty. Although - the tasty
food is not the problem, nor is the wanting to eat to maintain the body, even to eat tasty food does not necessarily create
suffering. But wanting the tasty food and craving for the tasty food, going for it, – this is where suffering comes into the
play. 

Liking a smell of a flower which is growing somewhere is not yet suffering but it may become suffering, when one goes for
the smell, chases after it, picks the flower, buys similar perfumes, buys such flowers to be with the smell, then it turns into
suffering. A last example: One meets a beloved friend after a long time, everybody is very happy, the time flies by, pictures
are taken … What for? To try to make this moment last, to remember later, in other words out of attachment, wanting. The
stronger the wanting and attachment, the more happiness one might experience, the deeper will the suffering be when the
situation changes.

Everything that occurs at one of our sense doors, eyes, ears, nose, tongue, tactile sense is firstly just what it is but might turn
into an object of craving, wanting and hence may cause suffering.

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2. There is bhāva tanhā, bhāva is translated with becoming, being, the German translation is Daseinsprozess which seems to
be a rather logical translation, it means: ‘being in the process of being’ or just being, if one understands it as process and not
as a fixum.

Then bhāva tanhā means: wanting ‘it’ to be ... ‘it’ can be replaced by anything. Wanting to be happy, wishing to be rich,
wanting it to be warmer, or colder, wanting to be beautiful, wanting to be a strong meditator. Any wanting to be and wanting
it to be can be grouped here. LIKING!

3. Vibhava tanhā is the opposite of it: wanting it not to be … Not wanting the pain meditation can cause, not liking to hear
disturbing sounds, not wanting the mosquitoes to bite, etc. etc. DISLIKING!

One is busy with one of the three kinds of craving, attachment (tanhā) all day long. It’s either one or the other, they are
linked and can change quickly. They are not completely different mind states, more different shades of craving, an attached
mind state. Only when the mind calms down from meditation, when mind states become clearer and purer arising of
‘wanting’ is slowing down and finally eventually ceasing.

3rd noble truth: There is a way out of suffering, that is the noble 8 fold path. This is unique in Buddhism. Other religions
teach about suffering but only Buddhism offers a way out of it. The Buddha teaches that, who follows the Dhamma,
investigates and practices it, can become free from suffering in this very life.

All four of the truth a divided in 3 steps, the truth itself, the understanding of it and finally the mastering it, giving up
wanting, by realizing the truth. This important part of the noble truth is mostly left out in translations.

Weird as it seems, many people actually tend not to see the fact that there is a way out of suffering. We easily give in to it,
lament, get angry or sad about it and somehow get used to it. We have the tendency to being attached to what we know, even
if it is painful, unwanted and making us suffering. Instead of letting go of which is hurtful, painful, suffering and go for
something new, which we don’t know but is said to end suffering, we cling to the known. As simple as the third noble truth
sounds, as difficult it is to go to its far edges.

4th noble truth: The way out of suffering is the noble 8 fold path. That is: right understanding (view), right thought, right
speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right awareness, right focusing (concentration, stillness).

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Noble 8 fold path

Right view (understanding) referrers, before all, to the understanding of the 4 noble truths, the teaching of not-self (anattā)
and of Kamma (karma). It has nothing to do with the intelligence or education of a person.

Right thought (intention, resolve) develops and grows with right understanding. When we start to understand we can - with
effort, awareness and concentration - direct our thoughts into a wholesome direction. By cultivating thoughts of generosity,
friendliness, love and compassion to all other beings we avoid unwholesome thoughts, of greed and stinginess, anger, fear,
frustration and practicing thus our deluded mind slowly becomes clearer. Thinking the Dhamma, the Buddha’s teaching,
becomes our nature.

Right speech has various aspects, not lying is one. It means as well to refrain from harsh and vulgar speech, from idle
chatter, tale baring, useless or unfriendly speech etc., in the end any kind of speaking which is not beneficial for reaching the
goal: enlightenment.

Right action is influenced by right understanding and right thought. The Buddhist precepts help to avoid committing
incorrect, false, evil action. Killing a being, who or whatever it may be, taking what is not given and sexual misconduct are
actions which are better left undone. Generally it can be said one should not do anything that may harm oneself, another or
both. That, which is beneficial in regard of the Dhamma, which helps to spiritually grow on the path to enlightenment - for
oneself, another or both – can be regarded as right action.

Right livelihood for laypeople means: not to do business with weapons, human beings (includes prostitution, slavery, selling
or buying children or adults for whatever purpose), business with meat (includes the slaughtering), intoxicants (alcohol, or
drugs to delude the mind and their making) and poison (every poison that is designed to kill). The Buddha did not forbid any
jobs but recommended not to do those above mentioned. Doing a job which does not harm oneself, another or both certainly
leads to a good, happy life and to peaceful meditation and easy wholesome cultivation of the mind.

Right effort is of four kinds: one develops the intention, the desire, the persistence, one strives diligently

to prevent the arising of unwholesome that has not yet arisen in oneself,

to let go of the unwholesome that has arisen in oneself,

to bring up the wholesome that has not yet arisen in oneself,

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 to maintain the wholesome that has arisen in oneself.

Right awareness (mindfulness) here I quote Bhikkhu Bodhi who writes: >> The mind is deliberately kept at the level of
bare attention, a detached observation of what is happening within us and around us in the present moment. In the practice of
right mindfulness the mind is trained to remain in the present, open, quiet, and alert, contemplating the present event. All
judgments and interpretations have to be suspended, or if they occur, just registered and dropped. <<

Right concentration (meditation, stillness, one-pointedness, focus) is to be seen in the context of the noble 8 fold path,
hence the one-pointedness has to be focused with a wholesome mind state for a wholesome outcome. Even a thief or a killer
can have strong concentration, but as it is not focused on wholesome, this is not right concentration although it might be
strong, they will not be able to become enlightened by it. The attitude and the intentions one has are important factors to get
right concentration.

The Buddha talked about different kinds of concentration. In samatha meditation the concentration or one-pointedness is
turned towards exclusively one object, everything else that comes to mind would be a distraction. In vipassanā meditation,
which we practice here, right one-pointedness means to focus, with a flexible, ardent and alert mind on every object that
appears at any of our sense doors at every single present moment. If compared with a laser beam, samatha concentration
would be like the laser beam at the lens, where the light comes out, we see this one point of laser light, nothing else. In terms
of vipassanā meditation we can compare the concentration with the end of the laser beam that points at different objects, one
object at a time, one after the other, without interruption.

According to the Buddha following this 8 fold noble path leads to enlightenment when practiced wholeheartedly, entirely.
The texts describe different levels of living according to this path. No beginner is supposed to follow the path perfectly from
beginning on, one can grow into it.

The 8 fold noble path can be divided in three parts:

Moral, ethics (sīla) – right speech, right action, right livelihood

Wisdom (pañña) - right view and right thought

Meditation (samādhi) – right effort, right awareness, right concentration

All steps of the path are interrelated, interacting, all have to be practiced diligently and all will develop together. It won’t
work if we try to develop right view first and then the rest one after another. How they develop depends on each individual’s
practice.

Developing Buddhist ethics, the precepts

By studying the texts one will notice that the Buddha described the progress from being a householder, a lay person to an
enlightened being almost always in the same way, starting from hearing of the Dhamma, having a certain understanding of
the benefit of it, leaving home into homelessness. A meditator who comes to a meditation center has done these steps, even if
the staying away from home is only temporarily. The yogi will then be confronted with the next step on the way to

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enlightenment, namely the precepts, the sīla. There are different amounts of precepts in life of a Buddhist. Commonly lay
people take the 5 training rules,

To refrain from killing any living being,

To refrain from taking what is not given,

To refrain from sexual misconduct,

To refrain from wrong speech, 

To refrain from taking intoxicants.

A meditator who comes to a meditation center or monastery usually observes the above 5 plus three more, hence 8 precepts.
Many Buddhist take 8 precepts twice per month, on full and new moon and Buddhist holidays.

The rule about sexual misconduct is modified for a person with 8 precepts into:

To refrain from sexual activity, this includes masturbation, flirting going for sensual pleasures.

The additional 3 rules are:

To refrain from eating at the wrong time, which would be after noon or before dawn.

To refrain from singing, dancing, watching shows, wearing garlands, jewellery, using perfumes, cosmetics and all kinds
of beautification.

To refrain from sitting/lying on/in high and luxurious seats/beds.

What for shall I do that??? The yogi asks.

For many reasons: To regulate the community life and protect those people who wish to practice well, to prevent the yogi
from doing things which would distract the mind and disturb the meditation, to become mindful, to live a simple life for the
time being as much as possible under conditions as if the yogi would lead the holy life same as the monks and nuns, to purify
one’s mind, as a challenge on the path of spiritual grow, and because it leads to happiness (which the author can grant and
hopes the reader just trusts). The stricter these rules are kept, the deeper will meditation practice be.

Instead of killing mosquitoes or ants (they come anyway and are a good proof the yogis virtue and patience) one could just
note the anger which arises, the disliking, the wanting to kill, the understanding that there is more work to do on the path to
enlightenment, to note the bite, to note the itch, to note the wanting to scratch … One really can learn to be at peace with
other beings, compassion grows, understanding grows. Ants can be swept out of the room gently and when the room is kept
clean they won’t come back. (Not keeping the room clean will always take revenge in from of ants creeping about one’s
body while meditating and thus you can get a first glimpse on how the law of kamma works.)

Yogis are welcome to help sweeping, everywhere are brooms, taking one, using it and returning it would not be breaking a
precept, although it would be better to ask somebody before moving an item from its original place. Taking a broom and, out
of laziness or carelessness, putting it somewhere else, instead of bringing it back where it came from, is breaking a rule,
strictly speaking. So, before taking anything just ask.

As much as it seems difficult in the beginning to let go of any sexual activity, inclusive masturbating and flirting, after a
while it is a great relief, enormously relaxing not to have to attract others, it helps to “just be”, natural. Not a man, not a
woman, just a being striving for enlightenment.

For that reason, and to really be able to let go of everything, including the persistent ego, it is quite helpful to take off
everything that beautifies, everything that defines ones character or taste, like rings, necklaces, perfumes, etc.. All these
things are hindrances and “dust in the eyes” of the meditating yogi. 

The Buddha did not recommend fasting to the extreme, like eating nothing, but he said that having one meal per day, or two,
is good, helpful for the practice. The body might need some days to get accustomed to only two meals per day, but the mind
is more at ease when the body is not constantly demanding to be fed and can sit still on the cushion instead. The digesting
body often causes a sleepy mind and that’s what the yogi does not need at all.

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The beds should be simple and not too comfortable because with too much sleep a good meditation practice is not possible,
if beds are so cozy that one does not to get out of it or seats are so comfortable that one sleeps easily on it, then it is an
obstacle for the meditation. A meditator should not sleep more than 6 hours, less might be recommendable but more than that
deludes the mind and hinders insights from arising. The more ones defilements melt away through meditation, the less sleep
one may need.

Developing wisdom

Wisdom is nothing one can learn from books, what is found there might help to understand the Dhamma (teaching of the
Buddha), may broaden the knowledge in general, but true wisdom comes from meditation, from many hours on the cushion,
many hours of walking in meditation. It may happen one never read a book about Buddhism before practicing but by doing
walking and sitting meditation one gains deep understanding of the Dhamma and wisdom, just by following the teachers
advises. Reading during a retreat would hinder one’s own wisdom to develop naturally by itself. 

Developing meditation

As mentioned earlier the Buddha taught various kinds of meditation because there are various kinds of people. All different
kinds may be grouped in two, samatha meditation and vipassanā meditation.

Samatha meditation is all kind of concentration on a fixed object, like the point underneath the nose, reciting the word
‘Buddho’ or the mantras ‘namami tofu’, or ‘om mani padme hum’, the yoga meditation on breath, focusing on a flame or
color disc etc. This leads to strong concentration and that to tranquility. It may lead to joy and happiness, a strong mind and
eventually the ability to control the mind more than others can. It may lead to states of mind called jhana. As we do not
practice this technique here at this monastery, there is no need to go further into detail. 

Vipassana meditation means to see clearly, passana ‘to see’, vi ‘clear’. But to see clearly what? The 3 characteristics of
everything (explanation of the term further down). This is done focusing the mind on the present moment instead of one
thing or point. The breath is going in and out as long as one is alive, this makes it a perfect meditation object, one can always
bring the focus back to it, if nothing else occurs. If a pain arises, the focus goes to the pain, if an itch occurs the focus goes to
the itch, if anger arises, or the wanting the pain to go away or wanting to scratch where it is itching, then the focus goes to
that wanting. The mind is just alert and aware, always ready to see things arise at the sense doors and cease. This means the
mind is fully concentrated, completely mindful all the time, but the focus changes – sometimes very fast, sometimes slower.
When one has learned to keep the mind in a peaceful state of mere observation, insights about the nature of things start to
arise. One needs to practice for quite some time, trying to be mindful without interruption.

It might happen that insights are arising while one is sweeping or sitting on toilet and one comes to the conclusion it is not
necessary to meditate because ones insights do not come sitting on the cushion, but later on. Certainly those insights would
not arise while sweeping, if not a lot of hours of deep and fully aware meditation had been practiced beforehand.

Vipassana is taught in different ways by different teachers. Here it is done by noticing, naming everything that occurs in the
awareness of the present moment. If one is thinking, one says in mind “thinking, thinking, thinking, …” until the thought
goes away. When seeing something, we say “seeing, seeing, seeing, …” until there is no more seeing. During eating we note,
“scooping, scooping”, “chewing, chewing”, “swallowing”, “tasting”, etc. This is very helpful in the beginning to establish
mindfulness on the present moment. Doing so we can be sure nothing remains unnoticed.

The three characteristics

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Impermanence - anicca

Suffering, stress, - dukkha

Non-self, uncontrollability – anattā

To see the 3 characteristics of everything means to see the impermanence (anicca) in everything; as a result one may come to
see how this leads in the end to suffering (dukkha). Human mind desires stability, one does not want everything to be
impermanent - but one is not able to control things or to manipulate them according to ones wishes. There is no entity inside
or outside of oneself able to control things. That’s not-self, uncontrollability (anattā) and as a result there is more suffering
… and so it goes on.

We grow up thinking we have control over ourselves and our environment but after a brief check one comes to understand
that this is a mere illusion. Focus on your fingernail and tell it to grow faster, make your hair not becoming gray and fall out,
your breath to stop or your body not to get sick anymore, your cells of the body not to age and die. No way! One has a
certain, very limited influence over those processes but by no means real control. It can be assumed that everyone wants to
be happy. If we ourselves or some being from outside could control the mind, one would just decide to stop suffering and be
happy all the time, but we can’t control it.

When one starts to see these 3 characteristics clearly through the observation of every single present moment, without
judging, then one may see eventually the way out of this circle of suffering as described by the Buddha. One learns slowly to
detach, to accept things as they are and let go of liking, disliking and delusion fades away. The view one holds about ones
personality, of having an ego, being a self that is able to control and to rule weakens and the mind finds more and more
peace. This is a normally a long process with many obstacles.

4 foundations of mindfulness

A short scrabble:

Body (kāyānupassanā, the word kāya refers to the body of a person) – in and out breath, major postures like walking,
standing, sitting, lying and minor postures like , bending stretching, turning, pains and itches or all physical sensations before
they become a feeling.

Feelings (vedanānupassanā) – all kinds of feelings like happiness, sadness, anger, greed, joy, jealousy, fear, etc.

Mind (cittānupassanā) – thoughts, cognition, perception, remembrance, awareness, consciousness, intention.

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Mind objects (dhammānupassanā) – everything that comes to our mind at one of the sense doors, like daydreams, endless
loops of thinking, discussion in mind etc. and in case of vipassanā meditation practice – the 5 hindrances.

Body

In the Satipaṭṭhāna sutta the Buddha explained how mindfulness should be trained with help of the four foundations of
mindfulness, that is: mindfulness on body, feelings, mind and mind objects. The easiest and therefore best to start with, is the
mindfulness on the body, the breathing in and out, sitting, the touching (sensations of touch anywhere on the body) while
sitting in meditation or on the movement of the feet during walking meditation and with focus on the hands during mindful
prostration. After some training one is able to extend the mindfulness and observe the body from the moment of waking up
until the moment of falling asleep. It becomes a habit to be mindful on the postures, one knows if one is walking, standing,
sitting, or lying. When this is possible without great effort, one can extant and be mindful on minor postures in addition, like
the bending or stretching of limbs, the turning of the column etc.

While sitting in meditation and observing the rising and falling of the breath, pains, aches or itches will most likely occur.
This is very normal and nothing to worry about. When there is pain one observes it, trying not to judge and not to react on it
– mere observation. If the wish to change the position comes to mind, it has to be acknowledged without reacting on it, when
anger arises because of the pain: acknowledge. When the pain becomes really unbearable and the position has to be changed,
the procedure of changing position has to be acknowledged in detail, from the intention of moving to every step of
rearranging the legs. Afterwards the feeling of happiness and relief can be acknowledged; then again it’s fading away
because the new position becomes painful as well.

Feelings

It can be differentiated between feelings which arise as a reaction on a bodily sensation like pain, as the example shows, and
emotions, feelings which arise in mind, like happiness and sadness, etc. However a feeling or emotion arises, one tries to
catch it’s arising with the awareness and acknowledge it as long as it lasts, not longer, not shorter. We all have the tendency
to dwell in feelings for longer than they really exist.

Mind

Human minds have certain abilities, like perception, cognition, remembrance, consciousness, thinking. It is able to have
intentions and send impulses through the body to react on those impulses. Observing the mind, one can see how an intention
arises, how the impulse is sent into the body i.e. to lift the foot. It is very difficult and needs long practice but it is possible to
differentiate between an arising perception, a remembrance or a thought. One should be open to be aware on what is going
on in the mind, but not be upset if one is not able to catch anything with the awareness in the beginning.

Mind objects, 5 hindrances

Desire, wanting, greed, attachment

Disliking, aversion, hatred, anger

Distraction, restlessness (of mind), thinking too much, remorse

Drowsiness, sloth and torpor, weak effort 

Doubt, any kind of doubt

As explained earlier, anything that comes to our mind through one of the sense doors, namely eyes, ears, tongue, nose,
bodily sense of touch and mind, in other words every seen object, sound, taste, smell, sensation of touch, thought that gets
hooked in our mind can be a mind object. Imagine a clear lake in the mountains, the pure clear water would be the mind, the
water plants, plankton, and other things that form the lake would be our abilities of consciousness, perception etc. and the

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fish (sometimes even sea monsters) which are borne and die in the lake are the mind objects. A single small fish in the lake
would not stir up the water so much but a big swarm of fish or a huge monsterfish can make the water seem to boil.

There are 5 kinds of fish which can grow into monsters – or, to leave the simile - 5 hindrances which can spoil the meditation
because they make one’s mind agitated, unclear, not able to have right awareness and right concentration.

In the Sangaravo Sutta which in the German translation is found in the Anguttara Nikaya, V. 193, in english translation it is
in the Samyutta Nikaya, SN 46 the Buddha gives some wonderful similes for the better understanding of the nature of the
hindrances (nīvaraṇa) he says: the craving for sensual pleasures is like water in which different colors are mixed; aversion,
hatred is like boiling water; drowsiness is like water covered with moss; distraction is like water agitated and whipped by the
wind; doubt is compared with muddy water. In those waters it is not possible to see ones reflection.

Desire

The hindrances have a large scale, from a tiny little almost unnoticeable sensation in mind they can go into the extreme. In
case of desire: there might be a slight hope for something, a little wish on one end of the scale, sensations one would not
really consider as a desire, then there are the omnipresent wantings we all have, like some good food, respect from others,
being loved, being right, to know, etc. whatever one may want. At the other end of the scale are the obsessions, the
addictions. It is not so that only the latter are the hindrances, in fact all desires, even the tiny ones can be a hindrance for the
meditation.

Disliking

The same almost open scale is valid for disliking. From a little inconvenience, a sensation of being bothered, over common
anger maybe about what was said, because of not getting what one wants or having to do what one does not want, strong
aversions to irrational and blind hatred – all this is hindrance for ones meditation practice. Often anger manifests itself as
sadness or fear.

Distraction

Everybody knows this, someone said something i.e. blamed us, rightfully or not, or we have an important meeting where we
want to say something and for hours or even days we keep repeating an inner dialogue about what we would say and do. We
did something that was not correct, or left something undone which would have been correct. Or one keeps daydreaming and
phantasising about whatever, or is thinking about future or past. Or one is agitated by remorse over things one has done or
not done in past. Any restlessness of the mind, which usually has restlessness of the body as a result, all this is grouped under
Distraction.

Drowsiness

Often we find the words sloth and torpor which is not easy to understand for not native English speakers, no dictionary (the
author knows) translate these words. Drowsiness fits quite well as translation, the actual hindrance is to be too sleepy, too
drowsy, too lazy to start meditation or if it occurs during meditation one dozes off while sitting. Obviously this is a great
hindrance for meditation. The reason for the drowsiness can be physical like after eating too much or mental like having a
hidden aversion for practice.

Doubt

With doubt first of all the doubt about the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha is meant. If one sits on the cushion,
doubting if the Buddha really was enlightened, if this meditation practice really leads to some good, if the Sangha and its
representatives, the teachers one learns from are really able to guide correctly, this are the doubts one should be concerned
about. These doubts can make a meditator quit meditation. All other doubts are only hindrances when they arise too often,
when one cannot let go of.

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If, during the retreat, one of the 5 hindrances will occur – and be sure they will – talk to the teacher to get back on the right
track again.

5 aggregates (khandhas)

Matter (rūpa) the word rūpa refers to form in general, to any kind of body, to any physical appearance, so, an insect or a
cubic are also rūpa, same as the human body in its entirety or just any part of it like an eye or any organ/part of it segregated.

Matter group (rūpa khandha)

Mind (nāma)

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Feeling group (vedanā khandha)

Perception group (sañña khandha)

Consciousness group (viññana khandha)

Mental formation, volition group (sankhāra khandha)

The word khandha means pile, mass, heap, groups, branches. Often the translation aggregates is chosen. Usually one thinks
of oneself as “I am” and relates to every experience or everything around as “me” and “mine”. The Buddha offered a new
perspective, he found out that there is no entity or soul which can be called “I”, what one perceives to be “I” is in reality a
conglomerate of mind and matter (body, form) (nāma – rūpa). To be able to describe mind and body in more detail the
components of mind and body are listed in groups, the “aggregates”.

Bhikkhuni Vajira, one of the female Arahant in time of the Buddha described it in the following simile:

Just like a pile of pieces

is called ‘a chariot’,
One calls the pile of aggregates
Conveniently ‘a human being’.

Samyutta Nikaya, book 5, vers 10

So, what are the pieces we call being? The Buddha’s explains it as follows:

"Whatever matter (body, form) is - past, future, or present; internal or external; gross or subtle; ordinary or sublime; far or
near - is called the aggregate of matter (form, body).

"Whatever feeling is - past, future, or present; internal or external; gross or subtle; ordinary or sublime; far or near - is called
the aggregate of feeling.

"Whatever perception is - past, future, or present; internal or external; gross or subtle; ordinary or sublime; far or near - is
called the aggregate of perception. 

“Whatever mental formations (volitions, intentions) are - past, future, or present; internal or external; gross or subtle;
ordinary or sublime; far or near - are called the aggregate of mental formations.”

“Whatever consciousness is - past, future or present; internal or external; gross or subtle; ordinary or sublime; far or near -
that is called the aggregate of consciousness.”

Samyutta Nikaya 22.48

‘Whatever matter’ (form, body) requires some further information. In the ‘matter’ group are 28 components listed, among
them the 4 elements earth, water, fire and wind; also in the list the 5 sense organs (body, internal), the objects (body,
external) which one experiences with the sense organs. Interestingly here are listed masculinity and femininity, which
indicates that the Buddha made no difference between men and women, except in their physical appearance.

Feeling can be either bodily pleasant, unpleasant or indifferent or mentally pleasant, unpleasant or indifferent, hence it is of 6
kinds.

Perception, mental formation (volition, intention) and consciousness can be kammically wholesome, unwholesome or
neutral.

The aggregates in and of themselves are neither good nor bad, just mind and matter, there is so far no suffering. Only when
we start to relate to them, when we are attached and cling to them, make them “me” and “mine” we will experience
suffering. The Buddha recommends to detatch, to let go of which is not me nor mine, nor our self. In the second sermon, the
anattā-lakkhana sutta the Buddha says:

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"Monks, matter is not-self. Were matter self, then it would not lead to suffering, and one could say: 'Let my body be like this,
let my body be not like that.' Since matter is not-self, it leads to suffering, and no one can say: 'Let my body be like this, let
my body be not like that.”

"Monks, feeling is not-self... let my feelings be not like that.”

"Monks, perception is not-self... let my perception be not like that.”

"Monks, mental formations are not-self... let my thoughts be not like that.”

"Monks, consciousness is not self. Were consciousness self, then it would not lead to suffering, and one could say of
consciousness: 'Let my consciousness be thus, let my consciousness be not thus.' But since consciousness is not-self, so it
leads to suffering, and no one can say of consciousness: 'Let my consciousness be like this, let my consciousness be not like
that.”

"Monks, what do you think, is matter permanent or impermanent?" — "Impermanent, venerable Sir." — "Now is what is
impermanent pleasant or unpleasant?" — "Unpleasant, venerable Sir." — "Now is what is impermanent, unpleasant and
subject to change, fit to be considered thus: 'This is mine, this is I, this is my self'"? — "No, venerable sir."

"Monks, what do you think, is feeling permanent or impermanent? ...

“Monks, what do you think, is perception permanent or impermanent? ...

“Monks, what do you think, are mental formations, intentions permanent or impermanent? ... 

“Monks, what do you think, is consciousness permanent or impermanent?"

"Impermanent, venerable sir."

"Is what is impermanent pleasant or unpleasant?"

"Unpleasant, venerable sir."

"Is what is impermanent, unpleasant and subject to change, fit to be considered thus: 'This is mine, this is I, this is my self'"?

"No, venerable sir." 

The logic conclusion of the Buddha is to let go and he explains to some monks in the Alagaddupama sutta:

"What do you think, monks: If a person were to gather or burn or do as he likes with the grass, twigs, branches & leaves here
in Jeta's Grove, would the thought occur to you, 'It's us that this person is gathering, burning, or doing with as he likes'?"

"No, lord. Why is that? Because those things are not our self, nor do they belong to our self."

"Even so, monks, whatever isn't yours: Let go of it. Your letting go of it will be for your long-term welfare & happiness. And
what isn't yours? Form isn't yours… Feeling isn't yours… Perception… Fabrications… Consciousness isn't yours: Let go of
it. Your letting go of it will be for your long-term welfare & happiness."

Majjima Nikaya 22 (translation by Thannisaro Bhikkhu) 

The Buddha describes our attachment to the view “I am” in the simile of the dog:

"It's just as when a dog is tied by a leash to a post or stake: If it walks, it walks right around that post or stake. If it stands, it
stands right next to that post or stake. If it sits, it sits right next to that post or stake. If it lies down, it lies down right next to
that post or stake.

"In the same way, an uninstructed run-of-the-mill person regards form as: 'This is mine, this is my self, this is what I am.' He
regards feeling… perception… fabrications… consciousness as: 'This is mine, this is my self, this is what I am.' If he walks,
he walks right around these five clinging-aggregates. If he stands, he stands right next to these five clinging-aggregates. If he
sits, he sits right next to these five clinging-aggregates. If he lies down, he lies down right next to these five clinging-
aggregates. Thus one should reflect on one's mind with every moment: 'For a long time has this mind been defiled by
passion, aversion, & delusion.' From the defilement of the mind are beings defiled. From the purification of the mind are
beings purified.

"Monks, have you ever seen a moving-picture show?"

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"Yes, lord."

"That moving-picture show was created by the mind. And this mind is even more variegated than a moving-picture show.
Thus one should reflect on one's mind with every moment: 'For a long time this mind has been defiled by passion, aversion,
& delusion.' From the defilement of the mind are beings defiled. From the purification of the mind are beings purified.

Samyutta Nikaya 22.100 (translation by Thannisaro Bhikkhu)

An alternative reading of “this mind has been defiled by passion, aversion, & delusion”, easier to understand for not-native-
english-speakers could be: this mind has been corrupted by desire, disliking and delusion. 

Dependent arising (Paṭiccasamuppāda)

Another fundamental teaching of the Buddha is the “dependent origination”. Understanding this one will get access to the
understanding of the law of Kamma much easier.

Asaji, one of Buddha’s fellow ascetics who just had become an Arahant explained, asked to describe the Buddha’s teaching
in brief to a young man, who later became known as Sariputta, the right hand of Buddha:

All things are produced by causation. The Buddha has explained the causes and the way to eradicate them. This is
His Teaching.

The Buddha’s short version of it:

When this is, that is. From the arising of this comes the arising of that. When this isn't, that isn't. From the cessation of this
comes the cessation of that.

One will note that this short formula will hold true for everything one applies it to, may it be material or mental.

In detail and in the case of the arising of suffering the Buddha teaches the following:

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With delusion (avijjā, not-knowing) as condition arise mental formations. With mental formations (sankhāra) as condition
arises consciousness. With consciousness (viññāṇa) as condition arises mind-and-matter. With mind-and-matter (nāma-rūpa)
as condition arise the six senses. With the six senses (saḷ-āyatana) as condition arises contact. With contact (phassa) as
condition arises feeling. With feeling (vedanā) as condition arises craving. With craving (taṇhā) as condition arises clinging.
With clinging (upādana) as condition arises becoming. With becoming (bhāva) as condition arises birth. With birth (jāti) as
condition, then old age and death (jarā-maraṇa), sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair come into play. Such is the
origination of this entire mass of stress and suffering.

Now from the remainderless fading and cessation of that very delusion comes the cessation of mental formations. From the
cessation of mental formations comes the cessation of consciousness. From the cessation of consciousness comes the
cessation of mind-and-matter. From the cessation of mind-and-matter comes the cessation of the six senses. From the
cessation of the six senses comes the cessation of contact. From the cessation of contact comes the cessation of feeling. From
the cessation of feeling comes the cessation of craving. From the cessation of craving comes the cessation of clinging. From
the cessation of clinging comes the cessation of becoming. From the cessation of becoming comes the cessation of birth.
From the cessation of birth, then old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress and despair all cease. Such is the
cessation of this entire mass of stress and suffering. 

Ananda, the Buddha’s attendant once said to the Buddha that this dependent origination is easy to understand, the Buddha
answered: “Do not say so, Ananda, do not say so.” Indeed, when one becomes more familiar with the words and their
meaning it’s easy on the first sight, but even the short statement “When this is that is” is much more profound in meaning
than it sounds.

The above formula of dependent origination stretches over three lives. Let’s construct a case: a being ‘A’ did not come in
contact with the Buddha’s teaching, did not know it, (avijja – not knowing), throughout the lifetime A makes experiences, is
perceiving, has intentions and acts according to volition (sankhāra), not knowing the Dhamma A created kamma
(unwholesome and wholesome) which keeps the wheel of saṁsāra turning. Then A dies.

Now consciousness (viññāṇa) with the former delusion (not knowing) and the unwholesome kamma as burden comes into
the next existence as ‘B’. From the moment of conception there is consciousness, and day by day the matter-mind (nāma-
rūpa) conglomerate grows into a being, in our case the human being B. The senses develop (saḷ-āyatana) and B is ready to be
borne, to create wholesome and unwholesome kamma, in short to live the life. B, born with all the functioning senses, comes
in contact (phassa) with the surrounding by seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, sensing touch and thinking. Those contacts
leave a feeling in B, liking. When there is liking B starts wanting (taṇhā) and this leads to attachment (upādana).
Attachment, the craving, keeps the creating of kamma going (bhāva) and after the B’s dead there will be another birth (jāti)
and again goes through all the stages and old age sickness and death (jarā-maraṇa) are coming again and again.

Only knowing, understanding the Dhamma can break through and make an end of the otherwise endless rounds of rebirth.
Dhamma here means truth, one must not have heard the Buddha’s word to understand the truth, although it makes it much
easier to see the truth after hearing the Buddha’s Dhamma, than realizing it by oneself. Not knowing is often translated with
delusion which sounds a bit negative. Beings may not know the Dhamma, because they are borne in a country where it is not
taught or they are born as animal or for many other reasons they may not have heard the Dhamma, but not all are therefore
deluded.

A last short reflection: all wholesome and unwholesome kamma (in mind, speech or deed) arises depending on not-knowing
and creates kamma and that keeps the rounds of re-birth going.

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Re-birth (jāti)

It is important to understand that not a person or a soul will be reborn; this is belief of Hindu- and other religions. As Buddha
stated there is no self, so what will be re-born then?

Try to let go of your views and imagine an apple seed. Now this seed falls onto the ground, on some earth, it gets enough sun
and enough water, and an apple tree grows. In spring the tree is full of blossoms and in autumn suddenly an apple appears.
Was this particular apple in the seed only waiting to pop out? Or in the trunk or branches? Was it put there at night by some
magical forces? No, it grew when the conditions made it possible. With a frost in spring it would not have grown, without
the seed or without sun or water it would not have grown.

This example shows that things come in to being, whatever it is, when the conditions are ripe.

We have now an apple on a young tree, imagine someone comes an picks it, eats it and spits the seeds out somewhere, some
seeds may fall on earth, some on stony ground, again one falls into conditions where growth is possible and the next apple
tree grows and later an apple comes into being.

It cannot be said that the second apple on the second tree is the re-birth or reincarnation of the first apple of the first tree, nor
will any apple on any trees will ever be reborn as incarnation of the first apple. They are not the same, although the second
was dependent on the first.

Someone gave a wonderful simile of modern times: imagine billard balls lined up on the board, now somone gives one ball
on one end of the line a push aginst the other balls, the balls will remain in their position except the last which will roll away.
The first ball gave the energy for the last one to roll on, nothing visible or touchable has gone from the first ball to the last.

A simile of the Buddha’s time: the oil lamp of the second watch is lit by the flame of the oil lamp of the first watch. There is
a flame but it can’t be said that the flames are the same, it is a different flame that came into being when the conditions were
given.

With everything else it is the same, including humans, they are born, when conditions for their birth a given.  

In the context of the question “What is it that is reborn?” we have to remember the present moment and the mind. We have
consciousness (viññāṇa) and subconsciousness (bhavanga citta) often translated as life continuum which is explaining the
situation as much as it is complicating it. The life from birth to death flows as a life stream (bhavanga sota). Imagine the life
stream as a string, beginning is not seen, every present moment that happens is like a knot on this string. Death is a knot, and
birth is just another knot, just another present moment on the stream of sub consciousness. One thinks, sais and does things,
a lot of it happens subconscious and so kamma is created. Bringing those subconscious present moments to consciousness,
we are able to influence kamma by volition.

Kamma (karma)

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Kamma is not fate. The word kamma means action and it can be understood as “law of action and reaction” or “law of cause
and effect”. Kamma is of 3 kinds, Wholesome, unwholesome and neutral. Normal people can create wholesome and
unwholesome, while the neutral kamma is mainly only done by Arahants, holy, fully enlightened people.

Let’s reckon conditions allowed that a person sits peacefully in meditation in the garden of a monastery in Thailand. Now the
time comes and the conditions are, that mosquitoes need some blood. And so it happens that both, person and mosquito,
come in contact. Until this point all that happens is due to past kamma, kamma that was created earlier. The bzzzz - sound
comes to the ear of the meditator. Aversion arises and a thought of anger, this is creating new kamma by thought,
unwholesome kamma. The sound is making the person nervous, meditation is interrupted, the mosquito seen and the person
says: ”ha, I'll kill you, beast.” Unwholesome kamma by speech has just been created. Touching sensation arises, it is itching,
feeling of disliking, the person, without further consideration kills the mosquito and is happy, one “less to bite me”. This is
creating unwholesome kamma by deed.

Person, mosquito, contact – past kamma, situation happens when conditions are ripe. Disliking, anger, killing – future
kamma. In the moment of contact we have the choice. We can kill the mosquito or we can refrain from killing.

In every present moment there is a choice on how to react. The result of the reaction is future kamma which one day, when
conditions are ripe we will meet as old kamma. The more the mind learns to automatically react friendly, loving, patient,
peaceful intending not to harm oneself, another or both, the more will the whirl of having to face old unwholesome kamma
and creating new kamma calm down and life will become more peaceful.

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May all beings be happy and living in peace

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