Our lives are running fast pace in fulfilling day to day needs. With the development of new technologies, the life is transforming from simplicity to complexity. The world has become very competitive, as our wants are unlimited and the resources that cater such needs are very limited. In this scenario, gradually unrest built up in the mind without our knowledge. Lust, anger, and delusion are basic thoughts that escalate unrest in the mind.
The Buddhist Teachings guide us to relieve the state of unrest in the mind. The Buddha has taught us to practice and develop three skills in the Three-Fold Path which are Generosity, Morality, and Meditation.
In the poy day sil program, the main focus is to practice the above and acquire physical as well as mental rest during the day. This gives a great opportunity for anyone to observe the characteristics of individual’s good and bad personal qualities and correct them according to the Buddhist Teachings and further develop them in the day to day life. The poya day is the full moon day; traditionally choose to observe the sill or number of precepts depending on individual will and capacity. Every Buddhist is supposed to adhere and practice the five precepts. In the one-day sil program, traditionally observe eight or ten precepts. In this section, it will highlight the most important precepts that we need to adhere and practice.
Generosity is unconditional giving or willingly giving up or scarification of your time, money, energy, and knowledge without any expectations back. In the process of cultivating the skill of generosity, you will develop four personal qualities mentioned below:
1. Lovingkindness – Generation of thoughts against anger
2. Compassion – Generation of thoughts against cruelty
3. Appreciation of others joy - Generation of thoughts against jealousy
4. Equanimity - Generation of thoughts against extremism
Morality is two folds which are discipline in body action and discipline in talking or handling words expressing ideas.
1. Abstain from taking life or doing harm to others
2. Abstain from stealing or not taking what not given
3. Abstain from sexual misconduct or having sex only with the legal partner
4. Abstain from intoxicates or taking alcohol, smoke, drugs
1. Abstain from false speech or telling lie and misleading others or hiding truth
2. Abstain from slandering speech or talking that others reputation and fame get affected
3. Abstain from harsh speech or talking the way that others hurt
4. Abstain from idle speech or involving in useless talking that waste the time and energy
A person with above characteristics generally carries a calm and quiet personality easy to go for next stage which is meditation.
You can participate in guided meditation session during the sil program and observe the mind and listen to the body yourself.
Offering Buddha Puja and Dhamma Talks are taken place in between the course of the day, End of the day, you will feel the state of happiness and the degree of calmness built up in the mind which you cannot value in terms of any physical elements. Participation of this type program is the first stepping stone in the path of purification of your mind and body, in the process to acquire the freedom of mind or Nibbana.
You have accumulated lot of merits by discipline and calm down your body and mind and stay away from emotional thoughts arising from lust, anger and delusion. The merits accumulated benefits yourself during this life and beyond. You can project such purified thoughts to bless loved ones alive and to transfer the merits to departed loved ones in this life and in previous lives in Sansara or in the wheel of life.
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