THE DISCOURSE ON THE MIDDLE WAY (p. 84)

SUTRA ON MEASURING AND REFLECTING

Thus have I heard. At one time the Venerable Mahamoggallana was staying with the Bhagga people in Sumsumaragira, in the Deer Park in the Bhesakala grove. The Venerable Mahamoggallana addressed the bhikkhus: "Dharma friends." "Yes friend", they replied to the Venerable Mahamoggallana. The Venerable Mahamoggallana spoke as follows:

"It is possible that a monk should make the following request: "Speak to me, Reverend Monks." If he is difficult to speak to, endowed with qualities which make him difficult to deal with, intolerant, not good at grasping what is taught, then those who practice the path of sublime conduct with him will think he is not one to be spoken to, he is not one to be instructed, he is not someone we can have confidence in. What are the qualities which make someone difficult to approach? He has wrong desires and is controlled by his wrong desires. A bhikkhu who has wrong desires and is controlled by his wrong desires is difficult to approach. Further, a bhikkhu who praises himself and despises others is difficult to approach. A bhikkhu who is angry and mastered by his anger is difficult to approach. A bhikkhu who is angry and because of his anger bears a grudge is difficult to approach. A bhikkhu who is angry and out of anger utters abuse is difficult to approach. A bhikkhu who is angry and talks out of anger is difficult to approach. A bhikkhu who when corrected corrects in turn the one who has corrected him is difficult to approach. A bhikkhu, who when corrected, disparages the one who corrected him, is difficult to approach. A bhikkhu who when corrected, retorts is difficult to approach. A bhikkhu who when corrected evades the question by asking another, changes the subject, manifests ill-temper, hatred and sulkiness is difficult to approach. A bhikkhu who when corrected does not succeed in explaining his movements is difficult to approach. A bhikkhu who is hypocritical and spiteful is difficult to approach. A bhikkhu who is rigid and conceited is difficult to approach. Finally, a bhikkhu who obstinately clings to things which belong to this world and finds it difficult to let go is difficult to approach. These my friends are the qualities which are said to make a bhikkhu hard to approach.

"But if a bhikkhu requests: "Speak to me, Reverend Monks, let me be spoken to by the Reverend Monks", and he is easy to speak to, endowed with qualities which make him easy to approach, tolerant, and skilful in grasping what is taught; then those who practice the path of sublime conduct with him will think, "He is someone we can talk to, someone we can instruct, someone we can have confidence in". What are the qualities which make someone easy to approach? He does not have wrong desires and he is not controlled by wrong desires. He does not praise himself and despise others. He is not angry or mastered by his anger. He is not angry, bearing a grudge as a result of his anger. He is not angry and does not utter abuse because of his anger. He is not angry and does not talk in an angry way. When he is corrected, he does not correct in turn the one who has corrected him. When he is corrected, he does not disparage the one who has corrected him. When he is corrected, he does not retort. When he is corrected, he does not evade the question he is asked by asking another, or change the subject or manifest ill-temper, hatred and sulkiness. When corrected, he manages to explain his movements. He is not hypocritical and spiteful. He is not jealous or grudging. He does not deceive others or hide his own faults. He is not rigid and conceited. He is not obstinately attached to things of this world and he does not find it difficult to let go.

"My friends, one should infer one’s own state by considering the state of others in the following way: "A person who has wrong desires and is controlled by his wrong desires I do not find it easy to like. If I had wrong desires and were controlled by those wrong desires others would not find me easy to like." A monk who knows this decides: "May I not have wrong desires and be controlled by those wrong desires."

"May I not exalt myself and despise others."

"May I not be angry or mastered by my anger."

"May I not be angry and bear a grudge out of anger."

"May I not be angry and utter abuse in anger."

"May I not be angry and talk in an angry way."

"When corrected, may I not correct the one who corrects me."

"When corrected, may I not disparage the one who corrects me."

"When corrected may I not retort."

"When corrected, may I not evade the question by asking another or change the subject or manifest ill-temper, hatred and sulkiness."

"When corrected may I explain my movements."

"May I not be hypocritical and spiteful."

"May I not be jealous or grudging."

"May I not deceive others or hide my own faults."

"May I not be rigid or conceited."

"May I not cling obstinately to things of this world and find it difficult to let go."

"My friends, this is how a bhikkhu should reflect on himself:

"Do I have wrong desires and am I in the control of wrong desires?" If when he reflects like this he knows: "I do have wrong desires and I am controlled by wrong desires," he should try to abandon these unbeneficial objects of mind. If, on the other hand, when he reflects, he knows: "I do not have wrong desires and I am not controlled by wrong desires", then joyfully he lets go and day and night he trains in what is beneficial.

"Do I exalt myself and despise others?"

"Am I angry and controlled by my anger?"

"Am I angry and do I bear a grudge?"

"Am I angry and do I utter abuse in anger?"

"Am I angry and do I talk in an angry way?"

"When corrected, do I correct the one who corrects me?"

"When corrected, do I disparage the one who corrects me?"

"When corrected, do I retort?"

"When corrected, do I evade the question by asking another or change the subject or manifest ill temper hatred and sulkiness?"

"Am I hypocritical or spiteful?"

"Am I jealous or grudging?"

"Do I deceive others and hide my own faults?"

"Am I rigid or conceited?"

"Do I cling obstinately to things of this world and find it difficult to let go?"

"If, my friends, while reflecting a bhikkhu sees that he has not yet given up these unbeneficial qualities, he makes an effort to give up all these unbeneficial qualities. If when reflecting, he sees he has given up all these unbeneficial qualities, then he lets go joyfully and day and night he trains in the beneficial qualities.

"It is like when a young man or woman, who is fond of adorning himself contemplates his face in a clear mirror or a bowl of limpid water. If he sees dirt or a blemish there he tries to clean that dirt or blemish. If he sees no dirt or blemish he thinks to himself, "It is good, I am clean."

"So, my friends, if a bhikkhu reflects and sees that all these unwholesome qualities have not yet been given up then he makes an effort to give them all up. If he sees that he has given them all up, he lets go with joy and day and night trains in the beneficial qualities."

The Venerable Mahamoggallana had spoken. The Venerable bhikkhus were delighted with his words.

Majjhima Nikaya Sutta 15

Translated from the Pali

MAY THE DAY BE WELL

May the day be well and the night be well,

May the midday hour bring happiness too.

May the day and night always be well

By the blessing of the Triple Gem

May all things be protected and safe.

May all beings born in the four ways live in a pure land.

May the three worlds become lotus thrones.

May countless pretas realise the three goodnesses.

May the one hundred thousand species ascend the bodhisattva levels.

The countenance of the blessed one is like the bright moon

or like the orb of the sun sending out the light of clarity.

The halo of wisdom shines in ten thousand directions

impregnating all with love, compassion, joy and equanimity.

Namo Sakyamunaye Buddhaya

(stand up and practise circumambulation while recollecting the Buddha)

PROSTRATIONS

Teaching and living the way of awareness in the very midst of suffering and confusion, Sakyamuni Buddha the Awakened One, to whom we bow in gratitude. (B)

The Buddha Amitabha, to whom we bow in gratitude. (B)

The bodhisattva of Great Compassion, Avalokitesvara, to whom we bow in gratitude. (B)

The bodhisattva of Great Strength, Mahasthamaprapta, to whom we bow in gratitude. (B)

The bodhisattva of the Great Vow, Ksitigarbha, to whom we bow in gratitude. (B)

Showing the way fearlessly and compassionately, the stream of all our ancestral teachers, to whom we bow in gratitude. (B)

JOYFULLY SHARING THE MERIT

All you blessed ones

who dwell in the world,

Show your compassion to us.

Because in this very life

and in many past lives,

from beginningless time,

we have made mistakes

which have caused suffering

to ourselves and to others.

We have done wrong ourselves

or bidden others to do wrong

or we have given our consent

to killing, stealing,

deception, sexual misconduct

and other harmful actions

among the ten unwholesome deeds.

Whether our faults have been known to others

or have been hidden from others,

they have brought us to the hell realms,

the hungry ghost realms

and the animal realms

causing us to be born in uncivilised places

or with impaired sense organs,

so that we have not had the opportunity

to realise our full human potential.

These obstacles of wrongdoing

I am determined with one pointed concentration

to repent today.

Blessed Ones,

be our witness,

think compassionately of us.

We surrender ourselves before you

and make this aspiration:

If in numberless past lives

or in this very life

we have practised giving,

even if only a handful of food

or a simple coat,

if we have ever spoken kindly,

even if only a few words,

if we have ever looked with the eyes of compassion,

even if only for a moment,

if we have ever done anything to comfort or console,

even if only a couple of times,

if we have ever listened carefully to wonderful teachings,

even if it was only one talk,

if we have ever offered a meal to monks and nuns,

even if only once,

if we have ever saved lives,

even if only that of ants or worms,

if we have recited sutras,

even if only one or two lines,

if we have ever been a monk or a nun,

even if only for one life,

if we have ever supported others on the path of practice,

even if only two or three people,

if we have observed the precepts,

even if not perfectly,

all this merit

has made wholesome roots which we have put down.

Today gathering all this merit together

respectfully we offer it to the Buddhas

like a fragrant wreath of flowers

and we offer it all to contribute

to the fruit of highest awakening.

Opening our heart wide

we turn to the perfect highest awakening.

We are resolved to attain understanding,

to realise deep love and compassion,

to practise diligently,

transforming our own suffering

and that of all species.

All the merits of body, speech and mind

I want to direct

to be part of the happiness of all people and all species,

that is my deepest desire.

Apart from the bodhicitta,

apart from the thirst for great understanding,

apart from the vow to love deeply,

I have no more desires.

All Buddhas in the ten directions

and in the three times

have offered up their merit like this.

Today we wish to offer up our merit also.

We repent of all our faults.

All our merit we joyfully contribute

to the ocean of immeasurable merit

and to the towering mountain of highest understanding.

The Buddhas and patriarchal teachers

are the light which shows the way.

In this solemn moment

with all my life's force

I come back to myself and bow with respect.

GATHA ON IMPERMANENCE

The day is now ended.

Our lives are shorter.

Let us look carefully

at how we have acted.

Sisters, with all our heart

let us diligently

engage in the practice.

Let us live deeply, as free people

always aware of impermanence

so life does not drift away meaninglessly.

TAKING REFUGE.

I take refuge in the Buddha, the one who shows me the way in this life.

I take refuge in the Dharma, the way of understanding and love.

I take refuge in the Sangha, the community which lives in harmony and awareness. (B)

Since I have taken refuge in Buddha,

I see clearly a path of beauty in the world.

Since I have taken refuge in Dharma,

I am learning and practising ways of transformation.

Since I have taken refuge in Sangha

I have the Sangha to shine light on my practice

And support me on the path of practice.(B)

Taking refuge in the Buddha in myself,

I aspire that all people

May recognise the awakened nature

And quickly realise bodhicitta

Taking refuge in the Dharma in myself,

I aspire that all people

Can grasp firmly the ways of practice

and together go on the path of transformation.

Taking refuge in the Sangha in myself

I aspire that all people

May build four-part sanghas to transform