How can a person just by meditating HELP all Beings?

[kiranraj]

I have heard a talk by ajahn brahm where he gives this talk just after 6 months of solitary retreat and this talk is given in 2002 called "Six months of Bliss"

Where he says of All that Good he could have done by giving Dhamma talks on friday nights and all other BSWA related activities ..this is by far the best thing he could have done for All Beings! Don't quote me on that..but something similar!

http://bassflava.com/mp3/Ajahn+Brahm+-+ ... Bliss.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I think it could be by inspiring other people to follow the path on to nirvana which could be of huge merit if done so...but other than that ....how is it more valuable than other Dhamma Work?

How is it not only beneficial to the being doing it but also to other beings? My MIND needs more explanation

Metta

[ancientbuddhism]

I’m not sure about the ‘all’ part, but I would like to think that if I meditate that it will have a positive effect with my relations to those around me.

[Dan74]

Well for what it's worth it is quite a common teaching in Mahayana (the folks here who have condemned AB as schismatic and a heretic will sagely nod their heads )

Personally I am not quite sure how to take this teaching. I guess ultimately we are not exactly separate, so purifying my mind I purify all minds to some extent. Why then is there suffering after all these wonderful enlightened beings have come and gone? I don't know. Probably because we choose it (based on our kamma).

But best to ask Ajahn Brahm what he meant.

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

Perhaps the following might be of interest...

SN 47.19: Sedaka Sutta
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .olen.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Translator's note...

The practice of mindfulness requires the focused attention of an acrobat balancing on a bamboo pole. One lapse, one moment of distraction or carelessness, and he tumbles to the ground. The picture is one of intensive inner awareness and concentration — almost a matter of life and death.

But the Buddha's parable goes even further, for the safety and well being of the bamboo acrobat's beloved assistant also hangs upon the master's successful practice of mindfulness.

The story is telling us that ultimately we are responsible for our own balance, and would be foolish to direct our attention to others while neglecting our own inner focus. And yet others are directly affected by how well we do this. Insight meditation is not a selfish undertaking, because the quality of our interaction with all those around us depends on the degree of our own self-understanding and self-control.

Metta,
Retro.

[Dan74]

Yes of course. The hypothetical question comes of whether it would still be so beneficial for all if he (AB) had died right after the retreat.

[Virgo]

I have heard a talk by ajahn brahm where he gives this talk just after 6 months of solitary retreat and this talk is given in 2002 called "Six months of Bliss"

Where he says of All that Good he could have done by giving Dhamma talks on friday nights and all other BSWA related activities ..this is by far the best thing he could have done for All Beings! Don't quote me on that..but something similar!

http://bassflava.com/mp3/Ajahn+Brahm+-+ ... Bliss.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I think it could be by inspiring other people to follow the path on to nirvana which could be of huge merit if done so...but other than that ....how is it more valuable than other Dhamma Work?

How is it not only beneficial to the being doing it but also to other beings? My MIND needs more explanation

Metta

When you do a good deed for someone people generally tend to appreciate it. Sometimes people will return that act of kindness and be nice to someone else, appreciating that. They in turn someone else, and they in turn someone else, etc. It really does work like that. Since peoples tendencies accumulate life after life, they may start becoming nice more often. Then, even if reborn in another plane, they may have an affinity for doing good deeds, which will effect other people. In this way, one deed, really does, in time, in a way, effect everybody. Even if you only effect someone in a small way, their mindstream will be in a way "permanently altered" from that experience. Then the beings they deal with are dealing with someone slightly different than they would have before.

Likewise, the Buddha talks about non-harming and says that something along the lines of "When one refrains from killing, one gives protection to all beings one comes across". This is really true. So if you really refrain from killing, or stealing, etc., you give protection from those crimes to countless beings.

If you become enlightened, all your defilements are then gone, so all beings are protected from the otherwise negative potential of your mind-stream forever, as well as you having peace. This is very important.

Does that help?

Kevin

[kiranraj]

Thanks Guys ...retro i think the sutta provides more insight

[*]it will have a positive effect with my relations to those around me.
[*]Ripple...Chain Effect
[*]quality of our interaction with all those around us depends on the degree of our own self-understanding and self-control.
[*]Inspiration for others to walk on the path and attain Nirvana

[christopher:::]

Thanks Guys ...retro i think the sutta provides more insight

[*]it will have a positive effect with my relations to those around me.
[*]Ripple...Chain Effect
[*]quality of our interaction with all those around us depends on the degree of our own self-understanding and self-control.
[*]Inspiration for others to walk on the path and attain Nirvana

[Kaktus]

http://bassflava.com/mp3/Ajahn+Brahm+-+ ... Bliss.html

This link first provides me some *.exe for download and then an broken link.

I think the best way is to load the file directly from the Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre, the place where Ajahn Brahm give his weekly talks.

http://media.bswa.org/mp3/Brahmavamso_2002_06_28.mp3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Nibbida]

One study actually showed that the clients of psychotherapists who do mindfulness meditation get better than the clients of psychotherapists who don't. So this isn't just a theoretical argument.

[Laurens]

I don't see how sitting still in meditation is actively helping anyone.

However you could argue that meditation transforms one's mind in such a way that they are more inclined to help people once off the cushion (but I'm not sure that is applicable to all meditators).

One thing you can say though is that when you're meditating you're not doing anyone any harm

[icyteru]

maybe like buddha boy just by meditating, he proves the truth of Buddhism to the world, so many people learn Buddhism?

[Cittasanto]

depends on what you mean by meditating?

if you mean by a continuous practice 24/7 then by living as an example of an actual human being, rather than an animal, you can possitively affect some people, and they can possitively affect others, think pyramid scheme!

being an authentic human being is hard, and everyone likes a trustworthy person, rather than an animal that bites the hand trying to feed it!

[fabianfred]

There are ten different ways to make merit (create positive karma). The more difficult which requires more effort and energy makes more merit. Meditation being the hardest (Vipassana being harder than Samatha) so earns the most merit. At the end of each session of meditation, or act of merit making such as chanting or giving alms, one should share the merits with all beings.
This is of benefit to all beings. Also meditation helps us to perfect ourselves. We cannot make the world perfect, but we are a tiny part of the world and we can at least make our tiny part as perfect as we can, thus helping to perfect the whole.

[kiranraj]

Here's a Quote By Buddha

"To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring peace to ALL, one must first discipline and control one's own MIND If a man can control his MIND he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him."-Buddha