Consequences
Here’s
another video from Venerable Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu, part of his ‘Buddhism 101’ teachings.
He is adding to this series regularly. In this teaching, Honorable Geshe speaks
about immediate and long-term consequences of actions. These are great teachings
for anyone, wherever they may be in their meditation practice.
Buddhism
warns against attachment, which is the source of all suffering. Much hedges on
our attitudes, particularly at the moment of our deaths. Buddhists of most
traditions recognize the existence of ghosts. In Buddhist practice, when the body
has ceased to live, the mind begins its next journey. Right or wrong thought at
death will determine the next step of our journeys.
A
right mind, full of compassion and patience, moral and schooled in the Dhamma, will
have a good rebirth. A grasping mind, immoral, fraught with fear, regret,
anger, greed, and so on, will fall into a ghostly state, still clinging to
things of this world. Ghosts hang around, hungry, wanting something, refusing
to release their attachments to people, places, and things.
What
are you attached to? Worldly pleasure? Money and possessions? Drugs or alcohol?
What are you clinging to? Anger? Thoughts of revenge? Don’t you know that clinging
to anger is immoral? Don’t you know that these attachments are keeping you
trapped? Don’t you want to be free?
☮
Dhyana
