Buddhasavika Foundation

Yasodhara newsletter on international buddhist woman's activities
Vol.18 no.1 (no.73) October-December,B.E. 2545 (2002)

        A true follower of the Buddha should have few desires. He should be content with what he has and try to reduce his defilements. He should have little desire for material possessions or followers. He should not want to speak of his accomplishments or in the practice of meditation and keep the depth of his spritual attainments to himself.
       Contentment and a life of simplicity is highly essential to spiritual development. One should be satisfied with what one has, good or bad. Equally essental is the effort to reduce one's defilements.
        She is a friend of the poorest and the loneliest ad the lost. He is a devotee to peace and non-violence. He makes humility and simple truth more powerful than the forces of globalization, leading a life of truth, kindness, self-effacement, humilty, service and non-violence. One must fight with loving-kindness ad unremittingly against one's adversaries, but even more important is to fight with full force against the evil in one's one mind. One must keep one's hands clean in the midst of battle. You must fight without malice or falsehood or hate. Be a lover of truth and generosity. Expect nothing, and have no wish to be reciprocated.
        One must learn the essential things, not only by studying-but by doing. A buddhist is a doer and can only gain knowledge through action-ie, the practice. It is not only scriptual studies, but one must get down to practicing those principles.
         A Buddhist acts without attachment. Being even-minded in success or failure. Those who renounces reaps a thousand fold. He who is ever brooding over results ofter loses nerve in the performance of duty. He becomes impatient and then gives vent to anger and begins to do unworthy things, he jumps from action to action, never remaining faithful to any. Renunciation gives one the inner peace, the spiritual poise, to achieve results. One must renounce all fruits and keep perfect observance of non-violence in every shape and form. Shed all longing, and move without concern, free from the sense of "I" and "Mine", and he attains inner peace.
        A Buddhist is a private man without wealth or property, without official title or official post. He is without egotism and is selfless. He is free from pride and pretentiousness. There is absence of conceit and selfishness. One must place truth and service to mankind in the first place and rewards or compensations for one's efforts in the subordinate role.
       One must take heed to the principle of non-possession. One must first curb one's passions and geed, then anger and vanity will end. We are provided with food, water, clothing, and medication for the body in order to live. We live in order to work for the service of humanity. Material things are only means to a spiritual end. When they become the end, the sole end, as they usually are, life losses substance and discontent afficts all mankind. The body must be kept alive and not pampered.
       A Buddhist should have the single-minded purpose to be in service to humanity. You must have the courage and inner strength to be free, even in physical isolation. One must live a life of true simplicity and humilty. One must care nothing for sensual pleasures, nothing for comfort or praise or promotion,but simply be determined to do what you believe to be for the betterment of humanity, without malice or hate-but through lovingkindness.