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The Dhammapada: The Chapter on the Monk, Chapter 6
Cutting off sensual desire to transcend birth and death through self-power
Cutting off attachment and having no longing means letting go of all entanglements—anger, craving, ignorance, jealousy, and despair. It is not the gentle, loving-kindness of compassion, but the severing of binding emotions. The image of the lotus flower, untouched like the lotus, suggests the bhikshu crossing the flood of birth and death by inner strength, self-nature ceasing the stream, not relying on external powers. The vow to renounce desire is the determination to let go of sensual craving, to overcome desires—especially sexual desire—in order to see clearly the path one walks, without mistaking false happiness for true.
Diligence, self-mastery, not being negligent
“Vi chi vi chi” (do it, do it) calls forth the energy of bodhi, self-restraint and self-mastery, not laziness or procrastination (those who delay in practice and understanding), otherwise consciousness remains caught in the dust of worldly life. The purple bamboo forest symbolizes a place of purity, in contrast to the dusty world; “tranchê” means cutting off the binding ropes to enter the purple forest. Walking meditation (step by step, mindfully), mindful alms round, cooking, carrying water—all are practices of slow living, mindfulness, each step like a sword cutting through attachments. Rewriting the practice with breath—steps—skin and bones helps us recognize freedom and happiness right in the present moment.
Sharing the joy of practice in many places
- Từ Hiếu
- Diệu Trạm
- Mộc Lan
- Bích Nham
- Lộc Uyển
- Land of No Sorrow