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Bearing the Torch of Dhamma

My dear Dhamma sons and Dhamma daughters:

It is a wonderful opportunity that once again in this life we have come together to walk on the path of Dhamma, moving towards the final goal of full liberation. In so many previous lives we have been working together to develop our pāramīs, and due to these past associations again we are working together to liberate ourselves and help others to get liberated from the bondages of defilements.

Throughout the world there is so much misery, but the time has ripened for many to practise pure Dhamma and come out of misery. We are fortunate that we have become instruments to serve these people in the correct way, and by helping them come out of their misery certainly we help ourselves. There are many wholesome practical ways to help the starving, the poor, the sick and the illiterate, but the service that is given in Dhamma is incomparable. Dhamma service helps the sufferer gain the strength to go to, and eradicate, the deep-rooted cause of all the sufferings accumulated in countless lives.

How one cooperates in this movement of service to humanity is of utmost importance. Whether one is sitting on the Dhamma seat explaining Dhamma, or one is cooking or cleaning, no job is higher or lower. Service is service. Certainly there is a difference between one service and another, but the true measure of the quality of service is one’s volition. If one’s ego is inflated by sitting on the Dhamma seat because so many people bow down before it then one knows nothing of Dhamma. Instead, this type of service is harmful because the vibration that such a person creates will pollute the entire atmosphere. People cannot learn Dhamma in these conditions.

In contrast, someone may be just cleaning the toilets or sweeping the floor and yet the mind is suffused with love, compassion and goodwill to provide a clean and healthy environment in which to meditate. Such volition makes that service so wonderful. What is important is the quality of volition of one who is giving the service.

As every organ in the human body is essential, so it is in a Dhamma organization. Everyone who gives service is equally important, but such service is no service unless one is practising Dhamma. Only then can one reap the wonderful fruits of Dhamma as a result of this service.

Those who serve must bear in mind that they exemplify to newcomers the efficacy of the Dhamma. If they are devoid of good qualities they will discourage others from practising Dhamma. They have a great responsibility to see that their behaviour inspires confidence in Dhamma in those who are doubtful, and greater faith where it already exists.

Whoever serves must become strongly established in Dhamma, and as one does so all attachments to sects, philosophical beliefs and rituals are left behind. This is the yardstick to measure one’s development in Dhamma. Once these bondages are no more, one then sees that Dhamma is a way of life, living in peace with oneself and all others. Every action—physical, vocal or mental—should be such that it helps other beings, but these actions cannot be wholesome unless the mind is freed of defilements such as craving, aversion, anger, hatred and ill will. When these are eliminated, good qualities of love, compassion and goodwill naturally arise in the mind. This is Dhamma—a universal path free from all sectarianism.

The aim of Dhamma is to remove the roots of defilements from the deepest level of the mind. Through practice one soon realizes what the root is, where suffering actually begins: in blind reactions of craving and aversion towards sensations within the body. If one learns to maintain equanimity with the understanding of impermanence, one emerges from the unhealthy habit of reacting and the entire mass of the mind is purified. If one forgets the root level one cannot get liberated. So the student of Vipassana should be clear whether or not one’s actions and meditation practice are purifying at the root level. If this understanding is clear the bondages of sectarianism naturally get shattered. Also, the habit of discriminating between one meditator and another will stop, as one realizes that each is a miserable person. One’s service is to help people strengthen themselves in the technique and come out of all defilements. If one is serving selflessly in this way, this is a pure Dhamma attitude and the results are bound to be good.

No one serving Dhamma should feel superior or inferior to others. Whatever the task assigned, one should accept it happily as an opportunity to serve for the benefit of many, to bring a smile to faces that were melancholic and help people to grow in Dhamma through continued practice. As one has benefited through one’s own practice, one wishes that others who have come on the path may start experiencing peace and harmony.

In this way, serve merely for the sake of serving without expecting anything in return. If people start giving service for any personal gain, be it material or any other kind of gain such as praise, honour or respect, then the entire atmosphere will get charged with unwholesome vibrations. Everyone who gives service has a great responsibility to see that the atmosphere of a Dhamma centre always remains charged with pure Dhamma vibrations for today and future generations. Similarly, those who meditate at a centre, working with the pure technique without mixing it with anything else, will help the Dhamma vibrations of that area.

These vibrations of an area may last for centuries, and generation after generation will come to this Dhamma land and come out of their misery. By one’s good service and meditation one has contributed to this wholesome atmosphere, which has such long-range effects.

Therefore Dhamma service is an extraordinary opportunity. Perform it to liberate yourselves and to help others be liberated from defilements, from bondages, from misery. Be the torchbearers of the Dhamma to dispel the surrounding darkness of ignorance and suffering.

May you be strong to serve suffering beings everywhere. May all miserable people come into contact with Dhamma and be liberated. May you all keep practising Dhamma for your own good and for the good of many.

May all beings be happy. May all beings be peaceful.

Bhavatu sabba maṅgalaṃ

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