met ven. Pa Auk's S. & S. U Revata

[Sekha]

There has been a lot happening in Nandaka Vihara, Bukit Mertajam, Malaysia this week. Ven. Pa Auk's Sayadaw visited the place on sunday and monday. I was fortunate enough to have a private interview with him. He confirmed that for someone who wishes to become a monk, it is better to go step by step, stayingat each stage long enough to become stable, starting by 8 precepts, '9 precepts' (I seriously don't know what he was referring to here), 10 precepts etc.

This morning I had the chance to meet at Nandaka Sayadaw U Revata, who is the instructor for foreigners at Pa Auk (the monastery in Burma). I asked him if I would be allowed to keep using my computer to continue my websites (see my signature below) in case I would stay there, and he answered that it wouldn't be allowed, but showed great interest in buddha-vacana.org. He asked me to write down the address on a piece of paper for him.

[David N. Snyder]

I asked him if I would be allowed to keep using my computer to continue my websites (see my signature below), and he answered that it wouldn't be, but showed great interest in buddha-vacana.org. He asked me to write down the address on a piece of paper for him.

Good to hear you have the opportunity to be around these famous monks. By "wouldn't be" do you mean he said it wouldn't be a problem? Or do you mean it wouldn't be allowed?

I would think that maintaining Dhamma sites would be allowed since it is Dhamma related and the wholesome activity of teaching / propagating Dhamma. But different monasteries and abbots may have different rules for various times.

[Sekha]

It wouldn't be allowed.

I understood his standpoint, which I actually know is in line with the Buddha's words.

see
http://www.buddha-vacana.org/sutta/angu ... 6-118.html

Cha, bhikkhave, dhamme appahāya abhabbo ajjhattaṃ kāye kāy'anupassī viharituṃ.
There are, bhikkhus, six dhammas, without abandoning which it is not possible to remain observing kāya in kāya internally.

Katame cha? Kamm'ārāmataṃ, bhass'ārāmataṃ, nidd'ārāmataṃ, saṅgaṇik'ārāmataṃ, indriyesu aguttadvārataṃ, bhojane amattaññutaṃ.
Which six? Delight in activities, delight in conversations, delight in sleep, delight in socialization, lack of indriyesu guttadvāratā and lack of bhojane mattaññutā.

and the Buddha repeats it 11 more times for each of the satipatthanas, internally, externally and both.

Any activity has the potential of obsessing our mind, and I know very well that I do sometimes get obsessed with this particular activity during meditation time. So I will do whatever can be done during these next few months, then I will set this work aside for a while, as long as I will stay in Pa Auk.

This was at Nibbinda hermitage in Balik Pulau on Penang Island, Malaysia on Tuesday:


Malaysia is a wonderful Dhamma destination : )

[mikenz66]

Sadhu!


Mike