Any Westerners Looking to Learn About Buddhism
At Wat Dallas we have a Buddhist Discussion Group for Western Students in English Every Wednesday at 7:00 PM in the Main Building after Chanting and Meditation. If you are interested in Buddhism or are a practicing Buddhist.Please join us on for an open discussion on Dhamma. Please question everything and come with all your questions. If you are needing assistance in becoming a monk and wish to learn more please contact Jack Boling. Kent and Jack Boling will be leading the discussion on Buddhism. If you need personal instruction you can contact Jack Boling at 940-594-7794 or Kent at 214-690-7797
Touching on this subject, we may get the anser from the chanting in praise of the Buddha which says as follows:-
"Showing the way to alleviate suffering as well as to gain happiness, to Nibbana which is free from all sufferings: And for what ?
"For eliminating unkind heart and sinful mind of men and women. World beings can rely on him, the Buddha, and give pu their sins and turn to do good :
Also from the chanting in praise of the Dhamma, we may get the following answer:-
The Dhamma is the course of virtues the right and the helpful. It is like bright light from the Great Teacher. "And the benefit we will get from that bright light of the Dhamma is the fact that "it brightens and clears the mind of men."
Thus, the Dhamma serves as the pointer to the way of life both "useful and useless", so that those having studiedthe Dhamma are able to apply the Dhamma to benefit their careers and responsibilities and are rewarded with happiness. The Buddha had pointed out three levels of benefits to be gained from the religion for the present life on various occasions to come up later,
What should be understood in the first places is that what Buddhism gives tothe followers is within the bounds of Buddhism. That comprises all actions which benefit and providehappiness to the general public- an assistance to people of the world through advices and teachings, As Sasana or religion means teachings, what were given by the Buddha are the teachings whic serve as principles of life in bringing about benefit and happiness to persons, families, societies, nation, including the world in common. Such benefits are summed up by the Buddha as of three levels shich must be studied and practised by those wanting benefits from Buddhism. The three levels are:-
"Knowing what is what in the natural phenomenon, knowing penalties of all vices and try to alleviate, suppress, overcome, abandon, and fix the target of reaching any level before practising in accordance with principles and rules concerned in order to achieve results as stated by the Buddha".
From: What Buddhism gives us by The Venerable Phra Rajadhammaniddesa (Rabaeb Thitayano), Borvaranivesvihara Monastery Bangkok, Thailand.