The importance of understanding and believing in kamma as a foundation for spiritual practice.

"In conventional truth through consciousness-seeing, isn't it taught that we must believe in two things - wholesome and unwholesome kamma (kammassakatā sammādiṭṭhi)?

From killing to intoxicants, from killing to wrong view - when transgressing, is it wholesome or unwholesome? Isn't it taught that due to unwholesome kamma, the result is hell, animal realm, peta realm, asura realm after death? Is this happiness or suffering? #This_is_due_to_unwholesome_kamma. Isn't it frightening?

When avoiding these, is it unwholesome or wholesome? Due to wholesome kamma, isn't the result human realm and six deva realms? Suffering or happiness? #Must_believe_in_kamma.

Doesn't the Mogok Sayadaw teach five types of right view:
1. Right view of ownership of kamma (Kammassakatā)
2. Right view of jhāna
3. Right view of insight
4. Right view of the path
5. Right view of fruition

One who believes in kamma, will they still consult astrology? Fortune tellers? Mediums? #No_more_consulting. Consulting these shows lack of faith in kamma.

When hearing harmful speech or false accusations, #one_who_believes_in_kamma_creates_no_new_unwholesome_kamma. They understand causality.

When faced with accusations, they understand #when_time_comes_past_kamma_ripens. Understanding cause and effect (kammaṃ vipākassa), don't old kammic debts get cleared? #Are_new_debts_created?

Without belief in kamma, doesn't anger surge? If it does, is that wholesome or unwholesome? Old debts aren't cleared and new ones are made. This is #due_to_not_believing_in_kamma.

When one understands, knowing cause brings effects, do they still get angry? Aren't old debts cleared? Are new ones created? See how perfectly this fits..."


Sadhu! Together let us keep the Dharma wheel rolling.

Kamma-saddhā, Ñāṇa-nissaya

"In this world, if you believe in kamma, aren't there issues with livelihood, money, rice, and unpaid loans? Whether you're owed one basket or a thousand baskets of rice, ask three times for what you're owed.

When asking, you should ask sweetly, with a pleasant face. Shouldn't you ask politely? If after three times you don't receive it, remember what the venerable teachers say: 'All beings are owners of their kamma.'

'You too have deceived others before,' understand this? Because we've deceived others in past lives, can we escape our turn? This is the result of kamma. Isn't this worth believing? Ask once or twice, but if after three times you don't receive it, understand it's due to cause and effect from your past actions. Isn't this worth examining? Did it happen by itself, or is it the result of causes and conditions?

Now, don't people experience theft of their possessions? Did this happen by itself or through cause and effect? In ancient times, wasn't there the wealthy merchant Jotika in Jambudipa? And his wife Atulakari? Throughout their many lives, no one could steal from them or deceive them. Why? Because throughout their past lives, they were perfect in moral virtue (sīla). Isn't this worth examining?

I heard a story in Mandalay: A son won seven hundred thousand in the lottery. When he gave his father money, he gave it in ten thousand notes. The father said he couldn't exchange it for a five kyat note. The father said, 'Take your money back. I can't exchange it for this five kyat note. This five kyat was earned through pure moral virtue.'

'Your money isn't legal,' he said. Does the government approve of lottery? If not, isn't it illegal? Isn't it wrong? 'Your money isn't pure,' he said. 'I can't exchange it.' Isn't this worth considering?

So purity is important. Look at Jotika and Atulakari - throughout their lives, no one could successfully deceive them. Though some tried to steal, they couldn't. Though some tried to deceive, they couldn't. Because they were perfect in moral virtue."

"Don't Jotika and Atulakari stand as witnesses? Now, we dharma listeners and I experience these things because we too have deceived others in past lives. Can we escape our turn? No, we cannot.

When your possessions are stolen or lost, don't tell anyone. Just keep quiet about it. Don't go around saying 'I had this much stolen last night.' A person of dharma understands that this person (the thief) is now realizing their past actions.

When someone says 'This person cheated me,' or 'They deceived me of three hundred thousand,' they're actually seeing the results of their own past actions coming to fruition.

So when you experience theft or deception, keep it to yourself. It's embarrassing if others hear about it. When you understand this cause and effect relationship, is there still room for anger?

When you look in a mirror, don't you see your own reflection? Similarly, when causes exist, effects appear. We listen to dharma to understand these relationships between actions and their results. Remember: Trust in kamma and rely on wisdom. Isn't this worth contemplating?"

A Beautiful Buddha Image Made by Monk Sanghavarman

When archaeologists excavated an ancient site called Govindnagar, near Mathura, they discovered this beautiful Buddha image lying face down. It was carved from red sandstone. After cleaning, it was revealed to be a work of Gupta-period Buddhist art, dated around B.E. 1100 (c. 557 CE). The Buddha’s face is serene and radiant. Without the inscription at the base, we would not have known who created it.

The inscription on the base is quite clear. It is written in Sanskrit using Brāhmī script from the Gupta period, arranged in three lines:

Line 1: Saṃ(vatsare) 100 10 5 Śrāvaṇa di(vasē) 10 3 asyam divasapurvayam bhagavataḥ daśabalabalinaḥ śākyamunēḥ

Line 2: pratimā pratiṣṭhāpitā bhikṣuṇā saṅghavarmanā yat atra puṇyaṃ tat mātāpitari pūrvavaṅgama kṛtvā sarvasattvānām

Line 3: sarvaduḥkhapahānāyānuttara jñānāvāptayē ghaṭitā dinē

Translation of the inscription:

"Success. In the year 115, on the 13th day of the month of Śrāvaṇa, this image of the Bhagavat (Blessed One), the Śākyamuni possessing the Ten Powers, was installed by the monk Sanghavarman (Saṅghavarman संघवर्मन). Whatever merit has been gained from this creation, may it be dedicated to his mother and father who came before him, and may it also benefit all beings—so that they may be freed from all suffering and attain supreme wisdom."

The sculpture was carved by an artisan named Dina (or Dinna).

Summary:

This standing Buddha image in the gesture of granting blessings (abhaya-mudrā) was created by Venerable Sanghavarman, a learned monk, and dedicated as an offering to his parents. He also extended the merit of this act to all sentient beings. The sculptor was Dinna.

Interestingly, at Kushinagar, another Buddha image in the Parinirvāṇa posture also bears an inscription mentioning an artisan named Dinna. It is possible that the same sculptor created both images, although further study is required to confirm this. What is certain is that the Kushinagar Buddha image also comes from the same Mathura school of sculpture.

Today, this Buddha image is housed in the Mathura Museum, in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Dhammanupassana

How proper analysis of experience in terms of the five aggregates leads to the elimination of wrong view and doubt.

"#To_know_khandhas_we_must_analyze_khandhas_and_truths, understand? How do we analyze khandhas?

When seeing something improper through the eye, doesn't anger arise? Sometimes thinking 'seeing them must be due to past connections' - #that's_greed_defilement. 'I hate seeing them' - #that's_hatred_defilement. Is this known or unknown? Not knowing is #delusion_defilement.

When there's defilement cycle (kilesavaṭṭa), doesn't kamma cycle come? When kamma cycle comes, doesn't resultant cycle follow? Birth, aging, death... Isn't this worth examining? #The_key_is_cessation_of_defilement_cycle.

Therefore mindfulness when seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, thinking - isn't mindfulness-wisdom taught as like a fortress and spear?

With mindfulness, what's seen - #person_or_visible_form? Man or woman, or visible form? Devas and brahmas, or visible form?

Isn't seeing consciousness taught as cakkhu-viññāṇa? Does consciousness arise alone? Aren't feeling, perception, volition present? Is the experience of form a person or feeling? Deva or feeling? Brahma or feeling?

When feeling is seen, are people, devas, brahmas still found? Why not? (Because they don't exist, Lord).

Is perception of form a person or perception? Deva or perception? Brahma or perception? Only perception is found.

What urges experiencing and perceiving - person or volition? Deva or volition? Brahma or volition?

When feeling, perception, volition combine, don't we have four mental aggregates? Only with these four does seeing consciousness arise.

#Are_they_beings_or_five_aggregates? When beings aren't found, are improper thoughts still found? Is 'past connection' still found? Is hatred still found? Why not? (Because they don't exist, Lord).

#What's_found_is_five_aggregates - #the_object_of_observation. When aggregates are analyzed and only five aggregates are found, not beings, #doesn't_wrong_view_fall_away? #Don't_doubts_cease?

This is how to analyze aggregates. #Knowledge_enables_abandoning. Isn't this worth considering?"

Sadhu! Together let us keep the Dharma wheel rolling.

Clinging

As we continue to unravel the Wheel of Life, we find ourselves entangled in the web of clinging, a fundamental aspect of dependent origination. Clinging, or Upādāna in Pali, represents the tendency to hold on to things that bring us pleasure, comfort, and a sense of security. This grasping nature is rooted in our deep-seated desire for permanence and stability in a world that is inherently impermanent and ephemeral. Clinging manifests in various forms, from the obvious attachment to material possessions and wealth, to the more subtle attachment to ideas, beliefs, and even our own identities. We cling to relationships, hoping they will last forever, and to memories, fearing that they will fade away. We cling to our senses, indulging in pleasures that bring us temporary happiness, and to our thoughts, becoming enslaved by our own mental constructs. This tenacious grasping creates a sense of self that is fragile and precariously perched on the edge of existence. It breeds fear, anxiety, and a perpetual sense of dissatisfaction, as we are never fully content with what we have, always craving more. The Buddha taught that this clinging is the root of suffering, for it creates a sense of separation and disconnection from the world around us. As we delve deeper into the Wheel of Life, it becomes clear that clinging is not only a personal affliction but also a collective one, perpetuating cycles of craving, aversion, and ignorance. By recognizing and understanding the nature of clinging, we can begin to loosen its grip, cultivating a sense of detachment, and ultimately, freedom from the wheel of suffering. The Author Bhikkhu Indasoma Siridantamahāpālaka From the Book of Patịccasamuppāda (Law of Dependent Origination)

Craving

In the intricate web of dependent origination, craving (tanha) emerges as a pivotal force that perpetuates our suffering. It is the intense longing or desire for pleasurable experiences, sensory delights, and ego-affirming events that drives us to seek fulfillment in the external world. Like a nagging itch that refuses to subside, craving propels us to grasp and cling to things that ultimately bring us pain and dissatisfaction. This insatiable hunger for more Salāyatana more pleasure, more possessions, more recognition Salāyatana is rooted in our fundamental misunderstanding of the world and ourselves. We believe that happiness lies in the acquisition of external objects, relationships, or status, and that these things will bring us lasting fulfillment. But this is a delusion, a mirage on the horizon of our minds. Craving is the spark that sets the wheel of suffering in motion. It fuels our ignorance, propels our karma, and sustains the cycle of birth and death. It is the craving for existence, the craving for non-existence, and the craving for sensual pleasures that binds us to the cycle of samsara. By understanding the mechanisms of craving, we can begin to unravel the complex web of dependent origination and move towards the liberation from suffering. The Author Bhikkhu Indasoma Siridantamahāpālaka From the Book of Patịccasamuppāda (Law of Dependent Origination)

The Cycle of Birth and Death

In the cycle of dependent origination, becoming (bhava) is the tenth link, and it marks a critical turning point in the perpetual wheel of suffering. Becoming refers to the process of taking rebirth in a new existence, fueled by the accumulated karma from our previous actions. This link is often misunderstood as simply meaning "being" or "existence," but it's more nuanced than that. Becoming is the act of creating a new persona, a new identity, and a new set of circumstances, all rooted in our deep-seated ignorance and craving. Imagine a rolling wheel, where each rotation represents a new birth, and with each turn, we're reborn into a new reality, shaped by our past deeds. This cycle of birth and death is not just physical, but also psychological and emotional. We're reborn into new patterns of thought, new emotions, and new experiences, all of which are influenced by our previous actions. The cycle is relentless, and it's driven by our inability to see things as they truly are. Becoming is the manifestation of our ignorance, where we mistake the impermanent and ephemeral for the permanent and real. We cling to things that are inherently transient, and in doing so, we create a new reality that's bound to bring suffering. This cycle is not just individual, but also collective, as we're all interconnected and influencing each other's becoming. The cycle of becoming is the engine that drives the wheel of life, and it's only by understanding and breaking free from this cycle that we can find true liberation. The Author Bhikkhu Indasoma Siridantamahāpālaka From the Book of Patịccasamuppāda (Law of Dependent Origination)

How transforming our approach to difficult situations like debt collection can lead to merit rather than unwholesome states.

"#One_needs_much_wisdom regarding matters of kamma. In the world, whether in random encounters, trade, or employment, aren't there always exchanges between people?

When dealing with those who owe us or those we owe, #unwholesome_states_often_arise. When someone borrows money or buys on credit, don't we have to collect when the time comes?

When repeatedly asking, they get angry - wholesome or unwholesome? When we don't receive payment and get angry - wholesome or unwholesome? #These_are_unwholesome_states.

#The_method_of_collecting_debt needs wisdom too. In our region, about 30 miles from Gangaw town, in a small village of 700-800 houses, U Ba San and Daw Kwe Aye... After about six months or a year, they went to collect...

'Are you all in trouble now?' When asked about their situation, 'Uncle, we've been trying to find money to pay. We just can't find it.' 'Well, if you can't pay, that's alright. Just stay peaceful, stay peaceful.'

Doesn't the creditor find peace this way? Could #today's_Dhamma_listeners do this? No, even I (the monk) couldn't. I think about going to collect ten thousand kyats owed, for example.

After a year, if interest was charged at 1.5%, the interest alone would be over five thousand. 'What's wrong with you all? Have some empathy' - shouldn't we say this? But then does this bring peace or suffering? Is our tone wholesome or unwholesome? #When_debt_isn't_paid_unwholesome_states_arise.

When they say they can't pay and ask to stay peaceful, #though_money_isn't_received_doesn't_merit_arise? Now people make merit offering ten or twenty thousand in alms.

#Making_others_peaceful_is_meritorious. That's why learning and wisdom are like paint creating patterns. Merit arises. Looking at the year's accounts in business, don't some make five or ten hundred thousand profit? Though that debt wasn't collected, #looking_at_the_year's_end_there's_even_more.

#Intention_brings_corresponding_results. Isn't it taught 'Cetanāhaṃ bhikkhave kammaṃ vadāmi' - I declare intention is kamma? Notice it's taught as intention..."


Sadhu! Together let us keep the Dharma wheel rolling.

Right View( Please Answer All Questions)

The nature of aggregates (khandhas) and how this understanding leads to liberation through the cessation of craving, clinging, and kamma.

"Looking at the Three Baskets collectively, aren't five aggregates taught? Didn't the Buddha have sakkāya (personality-belief)? Did he have wrong view? Didn't the Buddha have five aggregates? Did he have attachment? #Having_aggregates_but_attachment_ceased. Isn't this worth examining?

Consider stream-enterers like Visākhā and Anāthapiṇḍika - didn't they live happily with spouses, enjoying children and grandchildren?

Is this enjoyment beings or feeling (vedanā)? #It's_vedanā. Is it Visākhā or vedanā? #Don't_we_need_to_know_it_as_vedanā? When that vedanā is pleasant, doesn't craving arise? Is it Visākhā or craving? Isn't this worth considering?

When vedanā is clearly understood, perception, formations, and consciousness can also be understood, along with material form. Consider this.

When they eat, dress, or engage in activities, doesn't craving for enjoyment arise? This liking, wanting - #is_it_person_or_craving? Self or craving? Isn't craving taught as personality-belief? Then #doesn't_wrong_view_fall_away?

When craving arises, doesn't it cease? Do you find craving or its absence? #Isn't_seeing_impermanence_as_non-existence_taught_as_path? Does craving arise again? Without craving, can clinging arise?

Without clinging, can kamma arise? #Don't_three_types_of_dependent_origination_cease? Dependent origination of craving, clinging, and kamma - all three cease.

When they cease, doesn't the cycle of aggregates end? #Isn't_this_taught_as_the_truth_of_cessation? This is why we listen to Dhamma, practice meditation, practice walking meditation - #to_understand_the_aggregates..."


Sadhu! Together let us keep the Dharma wheel rolling.

How our responses to difficult situations can transform unwholesome states into opportunities for merit through proper understanding and attitude.

"Now when collecting debts, if one can't collect, doesn't the thought 'I'll report to police' arise? Is this wholesome or unwholesome? #It's_unwholesome, understand?

Look at a thermos - put hot water in, isn't it hot? Put cold water in, doesn't it become cold?

Like the thermos example, when collecting debt: 'You're in trouble now!' 'What's wrong?' 'U Ba San, I've been trying to find money to pay you. I just can't find it.' 'If you can't, that's okay. Just stay peaceful.' 'Don't worry about it, stay peaceful' - isn't that what's said?

Like #pouring_cold_water_on_burning_coals, doesn't it cool down? The heat of 'when will they pay?' When they come to collect, can you pay or not? Doesn't worry arise? #It's_burning. When told 'stay peaceful,' isn't it like pouring cool water?

Even if they don't get their money, looking at the year's end, doesn't it increase? Doesn't merit arise? #Don't_people_even_deliberately_make_donations? Like paint falling creates a pattern, having this learning and wisdom, doing meritorious deeds, doesn't it gradually increase? That's why hearing leads to fulfillment of the ear, fulfillment leads to Dhamma.

Therefore, isn't it taught to have faith in kamma and its results? 'Cetanāhaṃ bhikkhave kammaṃ vadāmi' - intention determines karmic results, isn't that taught? While the mouth speaks of intention, if there's no #faith_in_the_heart, it's empty, understand? Isn't this worth examining? These are the essential points..."

Sadhu! Together let us keep the Dharma wheel rolling.

The Bimaran Stupa Inscription: A Golden Relic of Gandharan Buddhism

Discovery by Charles Masson (1834–1837 CE / 2377–2380 BE)

While excavating Stupa No. 2 at Bimaran, Afghanistan, British explorer Charles Masson uncovered:

1. A gold reliquary depicting the Buddha flanked by Brahma and Indra.

2. A steatite casket with two Kharoṣṭhī inscriptions.

3. Coins of Indo-Scythian king Azes II (r. ~35–12 BCE), dating the relics to ~50 BCE (500 BE).

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The Inscriptions: A Donor’s Devotion

1. Around the Casket:

"This religious gift of Śivarakṣita, son of Muñjavāda, is enshrined in honor of the Blessed One’s relics and for the worship of all Buddhas."

2. On the Lid:

"Relics of the Bhagavān [Buddha], donated by Śivarakṣita, son of Muñjavāda."

Key Details:

• Donor: Śivarakṣita, a layman from the Muñjavāda clan (possibly a merchant or official).

• Language: Hybrid Sanskrit-Prakrit in Kharoṣṭhī script—common in Gandharan Buddhism.

• Purpose: Merit-making for the donor’s family and all beings.

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Why This Matters

1. Earliest Buddha Image?

   • The gold reliquary’s anthropomorphic Buddha (rare before 1st c. CE) suggests Greco-Buddhist art began earlier than thought.

2. Indo-Scythian Context:

   • Azes II’s coins confirm the stupa’s 1st-century BCE date, bridging Scythian and Kushan Buddhist patronage.

3. Tragic Loss:

   • The Taliban destroyed Bimaran Stupa in the 1990s—making Masson’s finds (now in the British Museum) irreplaceable.

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Azes II & the "Forgotten" Buddhist Kings

The Indo-Scythians (Śakas), though nomadic invaders, embraced Buddhism—Azes II’s era saw:

• Construction of Bimaran and Butkara Stupas.

• Fusion of Greek, Persian, and Indian art styles.

Did You Know? The reliquary’s Buddha-Brahma-Indra triad mirrors Hindu iconography—showing early interfaith dialogue.

(Source: Buddhist Art of Gandhara, W. Zwalf, 1996)