Sasana Dayaka

Sāsana Dāyaka, the inheritance of the Buddha’s teaching

Sāsana Dāyaka is pure traditional Buddhist Pāli Phrase . Sāsana means the teaching or teaching of the Buddha or the life time of the teaching of the Buddha, and likewise. Dāyaka means a donor, helper, supporter or a sponsor. In Feminine form the words become Dāyika. At once, Sāsana Dāyaka means a person who supports, helps or sponsors the teaching of the Buddha, His Dhamma, and Sańgha. In general belief one who offers one’s son or daughter to the Buddha’s teaching or in the name of the Buddha can only be called the Sāsana Dāyaka or Sāsana Dāyika.

Heart of Buddhist Tradition

This is also the tradition, that if a male child is born into a Buddhist family, it is the family’s moral and social responsibility to let him be ordained as a monk at least one time in his life. There are some families that can be found in the society who have no sons or even no children. Or all of them are grown up, or they don’t want to become a monk and live in a temple. In this situation, if some one wants to become a Sāsana Dāyaka, they can sponsor someone else’s son who wants to be ordained as a monk.

There are some families that can be found in the society who are poor and economically unstable, whose sons want to become a monk, but the family can’t afford the expenditures of the ceremonies. In this case everyone can sponsor the boy-to-be-ordained and both can earn a lot of merits.

Among the Theravada Buddhist countries in this world, Myanmar is the country where Sāsana Dāyaka phrase are used in many occasions. In their native tongue they pronounce it as “Thādana Dāyaka”.

About 4 years of my present life, I lived in Myanmar, had uncountable opportunities to attend different kinds of ceremonies. “Shin Pyu” is one of the remarkable ones. Every year in almost every temple and village, they celebrate the Shin Pyu ceremonies. Shin Pyu is a kind of ceremony where a boy (or a girl) is initiated to monk or novice monk. Another ceremony is called Dullāva, Dullāva means rare. According to the Buddha, to become a monk, and to live as a monk, is a rare opportunity among humans. So, the men in the families always take the opportunity to become a monk for at least a week (or more). They live in the temple, practice meditation, and all kinds of social and moral conducts. There are even many government holidays available for this occasion.

In Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, I think they have the same social and religious systems and traditions. The country of Sri Lanka, is a bit different, maybe because of the different cultures and traditions.

So, yes, this kind of ordination is very important for the Buddhist families, for every Buddhist. This can be called the heart of Buddhist culture.

Without the presence of monks, the Buddha’s Sāsana would not survive. So the world needs monks, good monks, to protect the Sāsana in this world.


Historical Background


Having attained enlightenment the Buddha paid a visit to Kapilāvatthu the capital city of King Soddhodhana. That year, (His) son Rāhula was 7 years. Yosodhārā , the mother of Rāhula, saw the Buddha was coming to the palace. Then she told Rāhula,“ go to your father and ask for your inheritance.” (The purpose was to have the Buddha back in the family as father and husband). Then the Buddha said to Rāhula there is only one way to inherit the Buddha, (me), and that is taking the vow of the triple gem (The Buddha-Dhamma-Sańgha), and receiving ordination’.

After the great passing away of the Buddha, one name is always at the top of the list, who restored, re-established, and reformed the Buddha Sāsana, that is Emperor Asoka in India. He built 84,000 temples and pillars around India and its subcontinent, reformed the Sańgha community in a pure way, restored the Tipitaka, and sent royal missionaries to propagate the Sāsana, exchanged monks and Tipitak in diplomatic purposes. He even sponsored the third great Buddhist council.

Once he asked an audience of monks whether he truly inherited the Buddha’s Sāsana. Then the monks said to him that he would not truly inherit the Sāsana until he himself or his children are initiated to the Sańgha. Then Emperor Asoka’s son Mahinda and daughter Sańghamittā were initiated to Sańgha, the monastic order.


Some Criticism

There are some criticisms among the societies. For me it is a shame that I have to mention it at this point. It is said that there are some people in the society that think and say now-a-days, peoples families ordain their children as a monk to live in the temples because they can’t support them in the family. In the temple they can get benefits from donations and so on. This kind criticism comes from people who are few in number, but they are the rich and the leaders. Psychologically they see this situation in a different way, because they have money and power. In some cases it is true what they say, but it is not wrong. I would say they are really ignorant and have no education and respect for the Buddha and his teachings. The worse thing that they can do for themselves and for the Buddha’s Sāsana is criticising in this way. As I mentioned earlier, that a monk life is rare to live, everybody doesn’t have that opportunity. They should read Samaňňaphala Sutta, about how the Buddha was explaining the benefits of a monk life and King Ajātasattu responded with humble respect. Living a Monk’s life is a way of living; if anyone wants to live the life of a monk, we should appreciate and support rather that criticize. Any criticism brings great Akusala kamma, the bad karma, remember that, please.


A Rare Opportunity


Now you know what a rare opportunity is it to become a monk or sponsor someone who wants to become a monk. If you want to become a true Sāsana Dāyaka, take a chance. Leave your message, name and phone number, I will contact you as soon as possible. Thank you

Long live the Buddha Sāsana, Buddha Sāsanam dīgham tiţţhatu

An Enlightened Idea!........ Sue says

An Enlightened Idea!

When Nanda first spoke about this project, I was struck by what an enlightened idea it really was. Having spent time in India, I am keenly aware of the insurmountable hardships many families face, with education very often regarded to be an unaffordable luxury.

Now, due to his efforts, a year later, I see a photograph of 22 ordained baby monks in Bangladesh and feel honoured to have played a minor role, knowing that they have been given an opportunity which was otherwise inconceivable.

Anyone who is fortunate enough to know Nanda would agree that there is something very special about him. A wise, compassionate, gentle friend with a free spirit and ready laugh, who gets the job done! If even one of these young monks follow in his footsteps, the world will be a better place. Well done Nanda.

Sue

My Understanding of Buddhism

Just sponsoring one monk and seeing the results have changed me and my understanding of Buddhism

Linda Gann

The first time I heard about the Save the Society Organization, Nanda was talking about it as a project that he wanted to do himself as a moral obligation to help his society. This idea came to him as he travelled around, studied and received help from the Buddha’s teaching and different communities after becoming a monk.

As a donor and sponsor of one monk, I have watched this organization go from an ‘idea’ to reality in less than a year. My fellow classmate and friend, Praggannanda or ‘Nanda’ to his friends, wanted to help the younger generation in his home country, Bangladesh, to be aware of a better way of life and how to help society. Nanda’s constant effort to get support for his organization was an admirable thing to observe. He began by asking his friends to sponsor a monk for one week. I was one of those friends. He asked a temple in Thailand that has a branch in Perth, to donate some robes. They donated 35 sets of robes for this project. This seemed to get the ball rolling. Soon he had many donors from the Thai community in Perth and from different parts of the world that visit his website. Within weeks of receiving these donations the date was set for the ordination. The call went out to all the surrounding villages within 120 kilometres of his home town, Comilla, for anyone interested in being a monk, to live in the temple for one week to experience what this is like and to go to school. Nanda organized every detail of this project and worked tirelessly as did his family and relatives in Comilla, carrying out his instructions.

Despite the robes being held up in customs, where they still are to this day, to having to change the date twice, the day finally arrived. December 25th through the 31^st was the time. Seeing the first pictures come through from the ordination day made me cry with a mixture of joy and sadness that Nanda couldn’t be there to ordain them himself. Even I wanted to be there to be a part of the ceremony and enjoy the fellowship. There were 22 monks in total and they looked so wonderful in their robes that were donated from the surrounding temples. I can’t wait for this coming years’ project. It is a great feeling to be a small part of such a great thing. I feel that in a small way I am helping the younger generation to carry on the Buddhist way of life.

Seeing this project from beginning to completion was a wonderful thing. It made me aware of the needs of this country and many other developing countries in a way that I never would have understood otherwise. Just sponsoring one monk and seeing the results have changed me and my understanding of Buddhism. Thank you Nanda for the opportunity to be of help.

The Foot Steps of the Kulaputtas

I’m a person who believes in work rather than words. The pictures are awesome, they tell the story. I just want to say we did a great job, a great Kusala Kamma. I want to thank and to say that I’m grateful to everyone who supported me and this project. Buddha sasanam digham titthatu, long live the Buddha’s teaching.

Overwhelmed with Joy and Success! Grateful to Every One

The activities of SAVE THE SOCIETY

We are very pleased to inform you that the (Kulaputta Pabbajja) Great Ordination ceremonies will be held on 25th of December, 2009

You can be a Sasana-Dayaka

By sponsoring one candidate ( the monk-to-be) you can be the inheritant of the Buddha's Sasana.

Great opportunity of earning merits!

By donating one or more meals to the newly ordained monks you would have a great opportunity of earning merits, as well the participation to the geart ordination ceremony.

To know more information, please contact us!

I was overwhelmed with joy and success for all the support by all the devotees at Dhammaloka. It was a great day for me, as I said, someone was telling me YOU SHOULD GO TO DHAMMALOKA at fullmoon day!

I'm so grateful to all the Thai-Sri Lanka-Burmese devotees for their support, unconditional love and respect. The names are too many to mention, even I don't know the names. And sorry about that. Please, provide me with your details.

The ordination ceremonies will be held sometime in December, 2009. This is a great success. Please, provide me with your name and address, all those who donated for this project. We will send you the pictures of the novice monks and photos of entire ceremonies.

Please, email me at dhammapsyche@hotmail.com or call me at 0405283731,

We will keep you updated.

Rejoice in Dhamma!


( Special thanks to Upasika Cherry for being there all the time, Mr Mike Davids and Linda Gann for supporting. Mr Prem, Mr Mohan for understanding and support.)

Counselling Session

An Outlook on th e Counselling Session

By- Praggananda Sraman

It was a very meaningful counselling session with Iwona. She came in to the counselling room with her own a cup of tea. I asked her about her situation “What’s going on?” very nicely, and she responded me with a smile, she looked so confident. What I mean to say confident is because she said “you are being a monk, so you might be able to be a good counsellor, and solve out my problems.” I found myself that part of a counselling session in counselling room is important that a client trusts the counsellor. And I myself was so encouraged with this complement and to carry out the session

There is another reason that I said she looked so confident that she knew what the problems she is having. Very firmly, she acclaimed that “I’m suffering from Procrastination.”

I said with a smile “Procrastination!!” is not a big problem that you can suffer so much (?)! This comment I also tried to used as a probe, but, still I myself believe that this is not such a major psychological problem that we need to expend our time and energy for it to discuss. Why so? I will explain shortly in the conclusion of this writing.

But, I did see how she was disturbed by the so called procrastination.

She kept saying “I want to get involve with things like party, seminar, community group, some kind of social gathering. But most of the time I can’t make up in time. Most of the time I make decision at the last moment.”

I asked her whether she is so much organized or having the lac

k of organize. Then she said “I could be so organized person.”..since she was living as a single mother quite a long while with two growing up children, full time works, family priority, so much organized.

She is good with big decision but in some SMALL decision is not that good. She feels that she is so procrastinator.

To keep our conversation in the point and to check it out I asked her again “What is your explanation of procrastination could be?” I was listening very reflectively on her way of expression. My e

mpathy was so touchable that I felt myself. With the scattered smile she was showing me her diary, said “Look this, this is an invitation of the workshop that I like so much. I already noted it on my diary, time is not so much, but I haven’t enrolled yet, but I want to attend this workshop for 99.9% sure. (Wow, in this case, really the procrastination could be a problem).

She said that sometime she is not strong enough to decide but none of them wants to miss.

In summarising, sometimes I asked her whether she is restless or not relaxed. Answer was “I m felling so preoccupied.”

Then I asked her what kind of pers

on she likes to be in this case, and what is her fulfilment. She responded so wisely saying that she has enough fulfilment, now this is the time for her to looking on the self accomplishment and self discovering!

We both were so active in the counselling session and committed ourselves to manage the situation what ever it’s come out. A kind of challenging!

I asked her what she wants now instead of what she doesn’t want. The answer was that she wants to be organized every time but it crowds her mind. The word “WANT” that I took for my further consideration. Her WANTS now so positive and wise, so there was nothing to oppose but appreciation. At that point asked her how much realistic is she or whether she wants to be more realistic. She is realistic, and she wanted to be more realistic. She also confessed that “We can’t have all what we want to.”

In the challenging point, I asked her “What would be the benefits of being non-procrastinated?” she said that she would have lot of benefits from it. Not being so restless, worried, being relaxed, well prepared, and enjoying the moment that where she wants to be, much more i

nvolving with the community. Meanwhile, I asked her whether she is feeling lonely or the lack of family. She is fine with this, and she covers it being with involvements.

She is really looking for the meaning of

her life, and that’s such a wise!

I said her to look the situation in different ways if she has any other options. We both saw there were many other options, which we could work out. Very positive!

I asked her in this situation if there is any body that could be helpful, or to take the person as a model. She only saw me in this case, and we had some fun.

Do you think you are doing enough? I asked her.

O yap, I m doing more than enough, but just being hard with situation. She answered.

She asked me “Is this normal?”

Now, Dear Reader, may I ask you “What do you think? Is this normal?

Yes, it is normal as I have mentioned earlier. But, but, as I have seen how she was being so disturbed by the procrastination. It could be a cause of a major problem, too.

Oh yea, I should mention that she had to extend the submission of the assignment to college. I found it was the effect of procrastination.

She opened for suggestions. I haven’t found any drugs; is there any drug for this?

I suggested her to keep herself sometime quiet and alone only

with her mind-body-feeling. No worries, no works, no planning that time. Yes, this is called meditation, in west. In east we say mind culturing, mind calming, mind developing, mind cultivating, mind purifying.

Yes, the matter is to save the time for that, and the preparation for that. 24 hours a day, save 1 minute from each hour, and it’s become 24 minutes. If u think this is too heavy to carry out red

uce it in to 12 minutes. With relaxed body and mind sit some where which is comfortable for you, and then reflect on the mind, the feeling, the self you find, what and who are you? What are you doing? How much you did? How did you do that? Is it not enough? Why? Why not? Then, if you need help with just write down with a pen on paper. Then you could see your procrastination is there. Then you could negotiate with the procrastination yourself.

It is not only good for daily life happiness, but also for your insight and spirituality.

Now, I would like to tell about procrastination shortly, as I have promised earlier.

Procrastination

The word itself comes from the Latin word PROCRASTINATUS, PRO (forward) and CRASTINUS is (of tomorrow).

Procrastination is a quite complex psychological behaviour that affects almost everyone to some degree or other. According to individual response it can be a minor or major. With some others it is a source of considerable stress and anxiety.

Procrastinator is always optimistic, usually this is accompanied by expression of reassurance that everything is under control.

Some kind of expression can be heard from a procrastin

ator-

· I only work well under pressure

· I’m so preoccupied always

· I’m fine, its just hard a bit for me

Other Characteristics-

· Low Self-Confidence

· I’m too Busy

· Stubbornness

· Manipulation

· Coping with Pressures

· A Frustrated Victim

Four Simple Reasons for Procrastination

· Difficulty

· Time- Consuming

· Lack of Knowledge

§ Fears

Four Complex reasons for Procrastination

· Perfectionism

· Anger/ Aversion

· Low Frustration Tolerance

· Self-Downing

Benefits of Overcoming Procrastination

· Peace of mind

· A feeling of strength and Purpose

· Healthy feeling of being in charge of life

· Experiencing increased personal freedom

The Inner Workings of Procrastination

A- Activating Events

B- Belief System

C- Consequence

Watch up them with you! they are with you!

Step to the Cure

1. Realize you are delaying something unnecessarily

2. Discover the real reasons for your delay. Listen them.

3. Dispute those real reasons and overcome them. Be vigorous.

4. Begin the task

5. Practice what you’ve learned. Take helps from pen -

papers, note them on. I’m delaying on… because, reasons for delay and arguments against delay.

Some Kits that will help

· Make the tasks look small and easy in your mind.

· Small part of the task each time is fine, do little by little.

· Plans, five-minutes, 10 minutes,, so on

· Advertise your plans to accomplish something, and let peer pressure push you forward.

· Use a good friend as a positive role model

· Modify your environment

· Plan tomorrow and establish priority

· Expect some backsliding. Don’t expect to be perfect even when you’re trying to get rid of perfectionism! So occasionally, your plans will not work. Accept setbacks and start again.

An Insight

Procrastination is reinforcing, every time you delay, it reinforces your negative attitude toward the task. Every time you put off something you dislike, so you-

· Strengthen the habit of not doing;

· Practice avoidance instead participation

· Avoid acquiring training and skills, and

· Indoctrinate yourself with fears

Try not to make or have any excuse for any task doing.

Insightful

There is golden chance to enlighten your mind. Practice meditation on this point. See how greatly we can reduce the influences of procrastination in our lives. By this, we experience more self-freedom, the greater personal self satisfactions.

Or may be you can have some fun of being a procrastinator with yourself. This is a life game!

The Moments are in the Pictures