Dhamma talk for Temple Stay:

Today is 2/3/2024, we all will meditate together for about half an hour. Close the eyes gently, relax the whole body and mind. Our head and body should keep straight and forward.

We should be mindful only at the present moment. We should be mindful only of ourselves or our body and mind at every present moment. Mindfulness in our body and mind is helpful to detach from the others. The more we are mindful of ourselves, the more we can detach from others.

Whenever we are practicing meditation or mindfulness we should use the present moment. The past moment has gone, no more. The future moment is not existing now. Only the present moment is to be mindful. If we are not mindful, there will be ignorance or delusions in the mind. The present action of mindfulness is fighting against the present action of ignorance. If there is mindfulness there will be detachment. The more we are mindful at the present moment, the more we can detach.

Close the eyes gently, not forcefully. relax the whole body and mind. Whatever we do, we should try to be gentle as much as possible. If our actions are gentle, our mind will be gentle. If our physical, verbal and mental actions are not gentle, our mind will not be gentle.

Meditation is the mind’s work. Meditation is mostly concerned with the mind. The more we are practicing meditation, the more healthy and wealthy our mind will be. Because of ignorance or delusion or attachment in our mind, we cannot understand cause and effect or actions or reactions cycle of ever new impermanent nature.

Practicing meditation is changing from our own ignorance and attachment to mindfulness and detachment. If there is mindfulness, there will not be ignorance. If there is detachment, there will not be attachment. Whatever we do and whatever happens in our body and mind at the present moment are the object to be mindful.

Try to be mindful of sitting, standing, walking , and lying. Try to be mindful of speaking at every present moment. Try to be mindful listening at every present moment. Try to be mindful thinking at every present moment.

Both doing or not doing at the present moment should be mindful. Present moment knowing or not knowing are also the objects not to be mindful. The present action of mindfulness itself is the object to be mindful. The object of mindfulness should be more and more near the mind. Finally, even the present action of mindfulness itself becomes the object of mindfulness.

Mindfulness practice is to be doing only without grasping or attaching in the mind. We should not stop or give up practicing mindfulness and detachment. We should continue the practice one present moment after another. We should be mindful of doing all kinds of good deeds also.

Helping or giving or donating to others or Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, keeping precepts such as no killing, no stealing, no sexual misconduct, no telling lies, no drinking alcohol, practicing mindfulness and detachment are good deeds we all should do at every present moment.

We should do all kinds of good deeds not only for ourselves but also for others for all for Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, to be doing only without grasping or attaching in the mind. we should be alive with mindfulness and detachment at every present moment. This is the best use of our lives at every present moment.We should start with practicing meditation or mindfulness and detachment, so also, we should end with practicing meditation or mindfulness and detachment. We should continue practicing mindfulness and detachment in our daily activities also.