Bhavana Armations to Facilitate Your Wisdom Development

Wat Phramahajanaka
Ban Plung-Pian (Home of Perseverance) Grin, Georgia, USA
Urgent News for Those Who Want to Live the Happiest life on
This Planet Earth. Learn These Essential Bhavana Armations!
WAT PHRAMAHAJANAKA 498 Steele Rd. Griffin, GA 30223 USA. Phone. 678-692-8384, 404-717-5104
Website : www.watphramahajanaka.org E-mail : watphramaha@hotmail.com
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B havan a
Use the North star to find your way
out of the jungle in stead of trying
to reach the star.
Phramaha Pasan Piyadhammo
A drawing without a drawer.
Pe Seenam
Published by Dhammaintrend
This Bhavana Affirmations booklet is
dedicated to those who strive to practice moral discipline (sila),
meditation (samadhi), and wisdom (panna) in order to follow
the Noble Eightfold Path (magga)
to attain enlightenment (Nibbana).
Practitioners will gain skills to put an end to suffering.
Hetu-paccaya
contributing to the completion of booklet.
Translated from the Thai by Tavorn K. Strassburger, Ed.S, LPC
Edited by Du Wayne Engelhart
Enlightened Lotus Bhavana
Artist : Pe Seenam
Dhamachart Ban Rim Nam School
31/4 Moo. 10, Bang-ra-gam, Bang-lane, Nakorn Pathom 73130 THAILAND
E-mail: pe@peseenam.com
Production, Management and Support Staff
Pramuan Witthayabamrungkul, Wanittha Thirapong, Panisa Tisso,
Supuckchai Srihabruth, Suratsak Noikerdmee
Book Design Anuchit kamsongmueang, Tosaporn Thumkul
First Edition Publishing
Liang Chiang Liang Chiang Pian Pue Buddhism Publishing
223 Bamrungmuang Rd., Samranraj, 105/75 Pracha-Utit Rd., Soi 45,
Phranakorn, Bangkok 10200, THAILAND Bang-Mod, Thung-Kru, Bangkok 10140 THAILAND
Telephone. (+66)02-221-1050, (+66)02-223-8979 Telephone. 02-872-9191, 02-872-8181, 02-872-7227,
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WWW.LC2U.COM
bibliography
PHRAMAHA PASAN PIYADHAMMO
Bhavana Afrmation--Bangkok : Liang Chiang, 2554.
96 Pages
1. Bhuddism -- Matins. 2. Name.
I. Name
ISBN 978-616-7047-71-3
The objective of every lesson in this Bhavana Affirmations
booklet is to help you develop your mindfulness and wisdom
capacity to be the happiest resident of this planet Earth. Use the
booklet to remind, guide, discipline, and train your mind in order
to gain mindfulness, knowledge, and deep understanding of the
natural law, which describes the true nature of all things just as
they are. In the affirmations you are talking to yourself, you are
directing yourself along the path to Enlightenment.

Use this booklet to build your foundation to gain knowledge
and to understand the instruction on bhavana (affirmations),
vipassana (insight), and kammatthana (the basis of practice, the
working-basis for meditation).

Please read the affirmations mindfully and give your
concerted effort to paying strict attention to the details of each
lesson. Try to make sense of the lessons based on your own
experience. Try to scrutinize but be careful when using your
logical mind to compare, contrast, analyze, and synthesize the
information. Try to grasp both the stated and the implied
meaning in each lesson.

In order to thoroughly understand the lessons, please be
mindful and concentrate while you read. Do not skip and skim
but rather carefully study and allow the information to penetrate
into and be absorbed by your heart and mind. Without vigilance,
you will miss the point.
Preface
8
Bhavana
Affirmations
Realize that the language of the Dhamma (the Buddhas
instruction) is used in every lesson. It is the language that leads to
bhavana practice.

If you are among those who never attend a Buddhist temple
or never have the opportunity to practice the Dhamma or study
insight kammatthana, this booklet may be rather difficult to
understand.

Therefore, you should read often and read daily to simplify and
digest the Dhamma words in order to help your heart and mind
absorb the meaning. Repeated reading will help you become more
mindful, gain knowledge, and be able to follow along and see the
absolute truth.

Memorizing the affirmations will be the best way to learn and
apply the knowledge without having to depend on the booklet. You
will have tools ready instantly to use whenever you are so inclined or
in need.

Realize also that the affirmations are not wisdom in themselves.
They are neither food nor medicine but recipes or prescriptions from
many suttas, or discourses. Let the teaching be like the sharp end of
a thorn that pokes open an abscess on the skin in order to help get
9
Bhavana
Affirmations
rid of pus so healing can take place. It is important to continue
to train yourself to reach your goal. Most people are not able to
use their already existing knowledge and wisdom because of some
internal hindrances. Therefore, vigilance and steadfast practice are
keys to success in letting our wisdom appear.

Therefore, it is our intention and hope that every section of
this booklet will serve as the cause and condition (hetu and
paccaya) to bring forth the Dhamma light to show the path that
leads to the spiritual goal. It is also possible that no gain will
result because all results occur only when there are sufficient
causes. So it is important to be diligent.

In order for you to derive the full benefits from every section,
please read mindfully and meditatively. Make sure to use
appropriate consideration and reflection (yonisomanasikara) to help
you think wisely and productively. Concentrate on each section
with a thorough understanding. Use each section as a building
block or a stepping stone until you finish the booklet.

The results are up to YOU!

PERSEVERANCE LEADS TO SUCCESS.
Wat Phramahajanaka
Plung-Pian Home (Home of Perseverance)
Preface
Bhavana Afrmation at home before leaving for the wat (temple)
Bhavana Afrmation on the way to the wat
Bhavana Afrmation upon arrival at the wat
Bhavana Afrmation while feeling too lazy to chant or meditate
Bhavana Afrmation prior to mindfulness and meditation practice
Bhavana Afrmation before making merit and cultivating virtues
Bhavana Afrmation while having a meal
Bhavana Afrmation when taking a bath, when taking a walk,
while engaging in other daily activities, or before going to bed
Bhavana Afrmation when suffering from lifes problems
Bhavana Afrmation during illness
Bhavana Afrmation to prepare for death
Glossary of Words and Terms Used in
the Bhavana Afrmations Booklet
5
11
17
25
31
37
45
51
57
65
71
79
87
Table of Contents
13
Bhavana
Affirmations
Recite at home before leaving
for the wat (temple).
Bhavana Affirmation
This Bhavana Affirmation is aimed at
cultivating mindfulness and wisdom to bring
forth an awareness and an understanding of
the purpose and the benefits of what will
happen at the wat.
14
Bhavana
Affirmations
15
Bhavana
Affirmations
16
Bhavana
Affirmations
Know the body; know the mind.
Use this life for self-development and Dhamma study.
Practice Dhamma; drill in the basic kammattana chant.
Know that the Noble Path and Enlightenment are waiting.
Lets go to the wat for self-evaluation of body and mind.
Lets not waste this precious birth.
Lets seek the supreme Buddhas teachings.
17
Bhavana
Affirmations
Lets go to the wat for
self evaluation of body and mind.
Lets search for wisdom.
Lets use our lives and limbs to cultivate
the paramita (perfect virtues).
Lets go to the wat for
self evaluation of body and mind.
Lets go seek goodness.
Our lives are our valuable treasures.
Dont go crazy giving in to cravings.
Its a pity to let mental defilements bind your legs,
cover your ears, and close your eyes.
Dont be deceived and become
powerless both in body and mind.
Dont let idleness get in your way.
18
Bhavana
Affirmations
Lets go to the wat for
self evaluation of body and mind
Dont get deluded by external material gains,
by sons and daughters,
grandchildren, pleasure, and youth.
Unexpected death, while we are deluded,
can bring much grief and sadness.
Lets go to the wat for self-evaluation.
Lets put an end to mental defilements.
We will achieve true happiness this time for sure.
19
Bhavana
Affirmations
This Bhavana Affirmation is aimed
at cultivating mindfulness and wisdom.
This affirmation will help you be mindful of
your surrounding environment and concentrate
your thoughts on all living beings on
this planet Earth, especially on yourself.
Realize the true nature of life just as it is.
Recite while on the way
to the wat.
Bhavana Affirmation
20
Bhavana
Affirmations
21
Bhavana
Affirmations
22
Bhavana
Affirmations
Know the body; know the mind.
People go separate ways for various goals.
Seeking instant worldly happiness,
they burden themselves while on their voyages.
23
Bhavana
Affirmations
Burning their hearts with fake happiness,
fostering more cravings and more longings,
deluding themselves by lifes mirages and craziness,
controlled by unquenchable thirsts and doing bad deeds,
deluded into selfishness that causes impure minds,
they endure suffering from
their long search until life ends.
Big egos and excessive belongings, for what?
Why all those struggles just to get worldly things?
Why seek temporary happiness that soon departs?
Why prolong your daily
troubles balancing between life and death?
24
Bhavana
Affirmations
Know the body, know the mind,
know your dwelling and material possessions.
Know how you have been deluded
by the world for so long.
Know how the mind lures you
into competition for external things,
into craving, into possession,
and into the insatiable need for sensual stimulation.
Know how the mind buckles
you down and gets you stuck
in the worldly cycle.
Know how you become the slave of
your own cravings from birth to death.
25
Bhavana
Affirmations
Isnt it ridiculous to hold on so tight,
blinded by ignorance, not knowing wrong from right,
leading yourself to much uncontrollable chaos?
Know that your own mental defilements are
the true root causes for your suffering.
Isnt it equally ridiculous to show off your virtues,
your prowess, your righteousness, your wealth,
your beauty, and your good looks?
Arent you ridiculously mad to
continue fooling yourselves?
26
Bhavana
Affirmations
Know the body; know the mind.
Study the components of your body and mind.
Know your possessions but do not become
attached or go astray.
Immediately give up greed, anger, and delusion;
forsake them and let them go.
Come right now to seek the Noble Path.
Liberate your mind and extinguish all chaos.
Leave behind your greed, anger, and delusion
before your death occurs.
Make this life your last reincarnation and resolve
not to be born again!
27
Bhavana
Affirmations
This Bhavana Affirmation is aimed at
mindfulness and wisdom cultivation to help
guide your conduct, words, and thoughts
upon your arrival at the wat. You will know
the appropriate ways to behave, speak, and
think in order to achieve the perfect virtues
and merits.
Recite upon arrival at the wat.
Bhavana Affirmation
28
Bhavana
Affirmations
29
Bhavana
Affirmations
30
Bhavana
Affirmations
Know the body; know the mind
Calm you are heart,
watch you are words,
cut off you are worries,
close your eyes, turn off you are ears, tune in yourself
Focus on the present moment
and observe you are breathing.
Say Thats the way it is.
while you are inhaling and exhaling.
If you continue to observe your body and mind,
merits and wisdom you can surely find.
31
Bhavana
Affirmations
If you keep on striving with a firm heart,
Enlightenment is the end of your path.
No boredom, no complaint,
no mistake, no restlessness
until you reach the point of
egolessness.
32
Bhavana
Affirmations
Check the body and check the mind;
check them inside out.
Focus on goodness
and dont go astray.
Understand the world and its miseries.
Gratifying your ego wont make you happy
so do not fall victim to your own fantasy.
Stop being your own worst enemy.
Train your body; train your mind.
Get rid of your worldly desires
and enter Enlightenment.
Rid your body and mind of all suffering.
33
Bhavana
Affirmations
Recite while feeling too lazy
to chant or meditate.
Bhavana Affirmation
This Bhavana Affirmation is aimed at
cultivating mindfulness and wisdom to uplift
your spirits and strengthen your faith and
wisdom. You will persevere and be able to
continue chanting the Bhavana Affirmation
in spite of the feeling of laziness.
34
Bhavana
Affirmations
35
Bhavana
Affirmations
36
Bhavana
Affirmations
Know the body; know the mind.
Muster all the courage your can find.
Observe your mental highs and lows.
Bad thoughts can lead to mind destruction
so keep on reciting your affirmation.
Do not let laziness survive.
Hurry up! Keep going before death arrives.
37
Bhavana
Affirmations
Watch out when your mind is deteriorating.
Watch out when your body is wilting.
Take quick action to improve them now.
Have enough wisdom to stand your ground.
Get rid of bad desires (tanha) by using the Dhamma.
38
Bhavana
Affirmations
Strict self-discipline is in order.
Be mindful of your dreamlike stupor.
Life is short, and death is near.
Lifes painful sufferings should induce your fear.
Pull yourself together to muster diligence.
Teach, drill, and guide your mind.
Time is running out so you must persevere.
Resist your lazy urges and recite your affirmation.
You must have faith in your incantation.
Soften your heart and harden your faith,
and soon you will reach the Enlightenment gate.
39
Bhavana
Affirmations
Recite prior to mindfulness
and meditation practice.
Bhavana Affirmation
This Bhavana Affirmation is aimed at
cultivating mindfulness and wisdom to help
prepare the body and mind to gain
knowledge and understanding and to
develop the capacity to practice
kammatthana vipassana.
40
Bhavana
Affirmations
41
Bhavana
Affirmations
42
Bhavana
Affirmations
Know the body; know the mind.
You are so lucky to have this life,
so blessed to know Bhavana Affirmation,
so fortunate to get Dhamma education.
Use this knowledge to guide your body and mind,
to avoid trouble, chaos, and endless strife.
43
Bhavana
Affirmations
Know the body; know the mind.
Keep reciting the Bhavana Affirmation
and persevere with great attention.
Dedicate your life till you succeed
and give it your utmost for this great deed.
44
Bhavana
Affirmations
Know the body; know the mind.
Know the three characteristics of all things.
Do not be fooled by ignorance and mental cravings,
for all things are impermanent,
troublesome, and non-self.
Be cautious and see things as compositions;
watch out for the minds deceptions tricks.
Ignorance and craving can be quite slick.
Yielding to them can cause spiritual death.
45
Bhavana
Affirmations
Know the body; know the mind.
Be conscious of all physical activities,
feelings, and thoughts.
Recognize all bodily and mental activities by saying,
Thats the way it is.
Saying this quietly to yourself while simply observing.
When you are fully aware of all that happens,
you soon will reach perfect wisdom.
46
Bhavana
Affirmations
47
Bhavana
Affirmations
Recite before making merit and
cultivating virtues.
Bhavana Affirmation
This Bhavana Affirmation is aimed at
cultivating mindfulness and wisdom to
understand the meaning of, purpose for,
and correct methods of making merit.
48
Bhavana
Affirmations
49
Bhavana
Affirmations
50
Bhavana
Affirmations
Know the body; know the mind.
This merit is made with a pure heart
to offer as homage to the Triple Gem:
the Lord Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha.
It is made to help clear the path to Nibbana,
to put an end to all selfishness and craving,
both inherited at birth and cultivated afterwards.
51
Bhavana
Affirmations
Know the body; know the mind.
The purpose of making merit is solely
the cultivation of virtue,
not the gaining of honor or prestige,
not outdoing others and showing off your wealth.
Merit-making is not done
because of pressure from friends,
out of convenience,
out of infatuation with the recipients,
or because of a need for ego gratification.
52
Bhavana
Affirmations
Know the body; know the mind.
Today you make merit wisely.
You walk the noble path to attain Nibbana.
You make merit to liberate yourself.
You make merit with a pure heart,
a clean body, and a calm mind.
You make merit in order to achieve peace of mind.
53
Bhavana
Affirmations
Recite while having a meal.
Bhavana Affirmation
This Bhavana Affirmation is aimed at
cultivating mindfulness and wisdom
regarding food consumption.
This affirmation will create a happy frame
of mind resulting from a deep
understanding of the purpose of eating as
the preservation of the body.
54
Bhavana
Affirmations
55
Bhavana
Affirmations
56
Bhavana
Affirmations
Know the body; know the mind.
As you chew, be conscious of your mouth and tongue.
Observe your thoughts as the tongue experiences the tastes.
Know that food and body are made of
exactly the same exact four elements:
earth, water, wind, and fire.
Dont let the look, the smell, and the tastes preoccupy you.
Eat to maintain your health and gain energy
to recite the affirmation and be spiritually ready.
One who eats with an enormous
desire for food is an instant hungry ghost!
One who eats with an insatiable
craving for food is in hell while still alive!
57
Bhavana
Affirmations
Be conscious while you chew and swallow.
Be conscious of the tastes:
spicy, bland, salty, sweet, or sour.
Notice how the tastes are always changing.
Be conscious of your feelings
and the conceptions of the mind.
Notice how the feelings of like or dislike are impermanent.
Observe how cravings and desire can bring suffering.
Observe how crazy food cravings
can waste money, time, and energy,
and how people are driven to
indulge continuously in eating.
58
Bhavana
Affirmations
Make this meal a miraculous meal.
Eat for survival so you can learn the affirmation.
Do not eat because of the desire for tastes;
rather, eat to attain wisdom.
Eat to walk the noble path towards Nibbana.
59
Bhavana
Affirmations
Recite when taking a bath,
when taking a walk,
while engaging in other
daily activities,
or before going to bed.
Bhavana Affirmation
This Bhavana Affirmation is aimed at
cultivating mindfulness and wisdom to help
you relax, let go, and stop being obsessed
with the body and mind in order to realize
the true nature of existence.
60
Bhavana
Affirmations
61
Bhavana
Affirmations
62
Bhavana
Affirmations
Know the body; know the mind.
Know that they are here just for a while
and use them as temporary shelters.
Know they come with cravings and defilements.
Both the body and mind are impermanent.
Dont be enamored of the body and mind.
Both are compounded,
so know their nature as one of a kind.
The body is made of the four elements:
earth, water, wind and fire.
The mind is made of feelings, perceptions,
volitional activities, and consciousness.
Both body and mind will soon disintegrate:
they are not here to forever stay.
63
Bhavana
Affirmations
See each part of the body as the four elements.
Earth, water, wind, and fire are its contents.
The body wont be forever beautiful with sweet scents
because body cells are decaying and dying every moment.
As the final blow of death approaches,
the body will deteriorate
and ultimately become useless.
64
Bhavana
Affirmations
Take a close look at the flesh and skin.
Know how they are diseases twin.
Know how they can cause suffering.
Know how they require constant care,
how their impermanent nature is difficult to bear.
Arent you tired of shouldering these burdens?
See through the facade of physical strength;
deceptions can be misleading.
As long as the body is strong and healthy,
it moves, stands, walks, sits, and looks steady.
But hidden problems and sufferings can appear in a hurry.
See the bodys true nature and be aware.
Do not get fooled by this dangerous snare.
65
Bhavana
Affirmations
Constantly remind yourself
not to be attached to the body.
Train your mind to use the body right.
Doing good or bad is in your might.
The body is impermanent.
and it can go from beauty to ugliness at any moment.
Death soon will come, and you will see
that that body wont stay the way it used to be.
It will decompose and soon decay.
It will be buried, cremated, or thrown away.
Do not die empty-handed the way you were born.
Accumulate merits so you wont be forlorn.
66
Bhavana
Affirmations
67
Bhavana
Affirmations
Recite when suffering
from lifes problems.
Bhavana Affirmation
This Bhavana Affirmation is aimed at cultivating
mindfulness and wisdom to understand the truth
of life, that having problems is normal.
The Lord Buddhas Dhamma can be used to find
the root causes of problems, solve these
problems, and let go of suffering.
68
Bhavana
Affirmations
69
Bhavana
Affirmations
70
Bhavana
Affirmations
Know the body; know the mind.
Watch your feelings and thoughts
when problems arise.
Watch how pain and stress affect the mind.
Understand your life with its daily grind.
Know that problems are
consequences of previous deeds.
This is the truth that you must heed.
71
Bhavana
Affirmations
Know the body; know the mind.
Be conscious of thoughts,
feelings, and emotions.
Recognize when they arise and when they cease.
Recognize them for what they are:
confusion, fear, agitation, oppression,
condemnation, hopelessness, distress,
rage, gloom, brokenheartedness, and hurt.
72
Bhavana
Affirmations
Be watchful of your feelings and thoughts.
Do not judge them,
argue with them,
or talk back to them.
Simply observe them and let them go.
Continue reciting and persevere.
Know the problems as they are but dont get attached.
Soon you will gain insight and find solutions,
will solve the problems and attain happiness.
73
Bhavana
Affirmations
Recite during illness.
Bhavana Affirmation
This Bhavana Affirmation is aimed at cultivating
mindfulness and wisdom to understand the natural
law, which states that illness is a normal part of
our physical being. The knowledge of this truth
will help a person accept illness and be free from
mental misery and stress. By gaining this wisdom,
such a person will be able to maintain a happy
state of mind in spite of the physical condition.
74
Bhavana
Affirmations
75
Bhavana
Affirmations
76
Bhavana
Affirmations
Know the body; know the mind.
It is normal for the body to be sick from illness.
All people without exception get sick.
Some get sicker than others,
and some get sick more often than others.
Some illnesses can be cured,
while others are terminal.
Some people die from illness,
and some people survive.
An illness has causes based on ones deeds
and the bodys condition.
This is in accordance with the law of causes
and consequences.
77
Bhavana
Affirmations
Know the body; know the mind.
When the body gets sick,
confine the illness to the body only.
Let the mind become aware of the illness
but not be sick with the body.
Do not to worry, do not become frustrated,
do not whine or cry.
Dont blame the body or anybody else for the illness.
Face up to the illness and accept it calmly.
Let it be.
Know that its normal for the body to get sick.
Let it go.
Nothing is permanent.
78
Bhavana
Affirmations
Know the natural law.
Sickness, aging,
and death happen naturally.
Understand and accept this process as
being normal.
Everything will eventually change
from wellness to illness,
from youth to old age,
and from birth to death.
Nothing is permanent.
Do not get attached to being sick.
79
Bhavana
Affirmations
Know the body; know the mind.
Be aware when the body gets sick.
Let the mind observe the body but not be depressed.
Observe how the body suffers but dont get stressed.
Know the nature of the illness and persevere.
Do not identify with the low energy and fear.
Do not make it a big deal.
Know that illness and wellness go hand in hand.
Let them go; let them be.
Dont become attached to the illness.
The less you worry, the quicker you will get well
Dont be fooled by the illness,
for soon it will be over and happiness will return.
80
Bhavana
Affirmations
81
Bhavana
Affirmations
Recite to prepare for death.
Bhavana Affirmation
This Bhavana Affirmation is aimed at cultivating
mindfulness and wisdom to contemplate death
before it actually occurs. Prior preparation and
practice will get the body and mind ready and
will enable you to accept death wholeheartedly,
mindfully, peacefully, and happily when the final
curtain falls.
82
Bhavana
Affirmations
83
Bhavana
Affirmations
84
Bhavana
Affirmations
Know the body; know the mind.
Realize the truth that neither body
nor mind belongs to you.
Close your eyes and say good-bye
and have no regret, no sorrow, and no attachment.
Body and mind go through the cycle of birth and death.
Watch how the body and the mind dissipate.
Not one person can avoid death.
85
Bhavana
Affirmations

Know the body; know the mind.
Close your eyes and say good-bye.
Face up to death.
Dont be afraid,
and dont get frustrated.
Everything has three characteristics:
impermanence, suffering, and non-self.
Keep on watching,
and it will be clear that
no-one dies!
86
Bhavana
Affirmations

Know the body; know the mind.
Promptly let everything go, and be at peace.
Dont be longing for worldly pleasures:
no more wanting and needing,
no more seeking and accumulating,
no more coming and going,
and no more loving and attaching.
Throw all desires out.
Lead the mind to Nibbana.

Know the body; know the mind.
No more volitional activities:
the last breath has extinguished long-existing suffering.
87
Bhavana
Affirmations

The time has come for all to end.
It just is the way it is.
Let go of everything and know
that everything is void.
Good-bye to all obsessions,
good bye to all suppositions.
Now you know that nothing is yours,
that even the you does not exist.
All returns to the original.
88
Bhavana
Affirmations
89
Bhavana
Affirmations
Glossary Words and Terms Used in the Bhavana Afrmations Booklet
(From the Buddhist Dictionary by the Venerable P.A. Payutto and from further research by Mrs. Tavorn K. Strassburger)
Affirmations
Poems or statements used to guide
the mental-development practice to help
calm the mind and stabilize the body.

Ban
Thai word for home or house. It is
also believed that the physical body is the
home for the mind.

Bhavana
Mental devel opment i n order to
develop tranquility and insight. It consists
of mental exercises including the recitation
of affirmations, phrases, or words. The
purposes of bhavana practice are to calm
the mind and to gain wisdom in order to
understand the true nature of body and
mind.
Buddha
The Awakened One, the one who has
r eached t he ut most per f ect i on of
Enlightenment.

Component of the Body and Mind,
or Khandha (Five)

The person is composed of five
aggregates. One, which is the physical
phenomenon, is for the body. The mind
consists of four aggregates:

Vedana-khandha, the aggregate of
feelings (happy, neutral, sad) Sanna-
khandha, the aggregate of perceptions
Sankhara-khandha, the aggregate of mental
formations Vinnana-khandha, the aggregate
of consciousness
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Dhamma
The teaching of the Lord Buddha;
a specific element of psycho-physical
existence; a law, rule, or method.

Hell
A place in which people who commit
bad deeds dwell after leaving Earth. It is
a place of suffering, void of happiness and
progress. It also refers to the state of
mind that is full of guilt, shame, and
profound sadness.

Hetu
A cause, causal condition, or root
cause.

Hungry Ghost
A hungry ghost, or peta, is a kind of
being that lives in an unwholesome place.
It suffers greatly from the insatiable desire
for food. It has great difficulty eating.

Insight
See vipassana.

Kama
Kama i s desi res, whi ch i ncl ude
ambition, longing for sensual pleasures,
and desire for material objects. There are
two types of kama: subjective sensuality
and objective sensuality.

Kamma
Volitional actions, or deeds, carried
out by t he body, by wor ds, or by
thoughts. They can be either wholesome
or unwholesome.
Wholesome actions, or good deeds,
stem from the use of wisdom to help
guide them and therefore add quality to
life and mind. Good deeds are void of
greed, anger and ignorance.
Unwholesome actions refer to evil
deeds carried out by the body, words, or
t hought s. These act i ons, based on
ignorance, can destroy the quality of life
and mind. Bad deeds are rooted in greed,
anger, and ignorance.

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Kammatthana
This is the combination of two
words: kamma (action) and thana (a base).
The literal meaning of kammatthana is
the basis of practice, which covers
a burden, a task, and a responsibility for
putting an end to ignorance and desire.
The two tasks usually performed by
Buddhist practitioners are academic study
and the meditation that leads to calmness
and insight.

Magga (Four)
A path that leads one to become
a holy person who achieves a level of
perf ecti on i n overcomi ng f etters or
hindrances.
There are four paths:

The path of Stream-Entry
The path of Once-Returning
The path of Non-Returning
The path of Arahantship



Magga (Eightfold)
The Noble Eightfold Path that leads
to the extinction of cravings, desires, and
suffering:

Right View, or Right Understanding
Right Thoughts
Right Speech
Right Action
Right Livelihood
Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right Concentration, or Right Meditation

Mental Defilements
Impurities and impairments in the
heart and mind, e.g., lust, desire, endless
ambi t i on, and hat r ed t hat cause
restlessness, anger, greed, and ignorance
and thus cause unhappiness and bad
actions.





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Metta
Loving-kindness, or unconditional love
and acceptance of others as they are.
It helps release a person from hatred and
anger and helps the mind to gain the
capacity for spiritual growth.

Mindfulness
One stage of the magga of the Noble
Eightfold Path. Mindfulness is the full
awareness of the present moment and
present action.

Nibbana, or Nirvana
The state of ultimate peace of mind
resulting from the complete extinction of
cravings, desires, and suffering.
There are two levels of the state of
Nibbana:
Nibbana with the substratum of life
remaining
Nibbana without the substratum of
life remaining

Paccaya
Condition, aiding condition
Paccaya (Four)
The four requisites: food, clothing,
shelter, and medicine.

Panna
See wisdom.

Paramita
A perfection, a stage of spiritual
perfection achieved by a bodhisatta on his
path to Buddhahood.
There are ten perfections:
- Perfection in giving, charity, genero-
sity, or liberality
- Perfection in morality, good conduct
- Perfection in renunciation
- Perfection in wisdom, insight, or
understanding
- Perfection in energy, effort,
endeavor, or perseverance
- Perfection in forbearance, tolerance,
or endurance
- Perfection in truthfulness, sincerity
- Perfection in resolution, self-deter-
mination

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- Per f ect i on i n l ovi ng-ki ndness,
friendliness
- Perfection in equanimity, indif-
ference to prai se and bl ame i n the
performance of duty

Phramahajanaka
Name of the Buddhist temple in
Griffin, Georgia, founded by Phra Pasan,
who wrote this Bhavana Affirmations
booklet in the Thai language. The name is
to honor Prince Phramahajanaka, whose
life was a great example of the perfection
of per sever ance, one of t he t en
perfections.

Plung-Pian Home
The compound word made up of
plung (power) and pian (diligence or
perseverance) is used to designate Wat
Phramahajanaka Buddhist Temple in order
to honor Phramahajanaka, whose life
exemplified the power of perseverance.



Samadhi
Concentration, one-pointedness of
mind, a mental discipline. Samadhi is a
wholesome state of firmly fixing the mind.
It is attained through practice of various
methods of mind concentration.

Sangha
The communi ty of the Buddhas
disciples who have left the worldly life
and received the traditional ordination
under procedures established by the
Buddha. The Sangha observes strict
moral discipline by following 227 precepts,
while lay persons observe only 5.

Sila
Moral discipline or following the
precepts to guide moral conduct. Lay
Buddhi st pr act i t i oner s obser ve f i ve
precepts in order to purify the body and
mind.
The Five Precepts are



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Bhavana
Affirmations
- To abstain from killing
- To abstain from stealing
- To abstain from sexual misconduct
- To abstain from false speech
- To abstain from intoxicants causing
heedlessness
Buddhist monks observe 227 precepts.

Tanha
Craving or desire
More specifically, craving is described
as follows:

- Craving for sensual pleasure,
or sensual craving
- Craving for existence
- Craving for non-existence, or
craving for self-annihilation

Tanha (Six)
There are six types of craving:

- Craving for visible objects
- Craving for sounds
- Craving for odors
- Craving for tastes
- Craving for tangible objects
- Craving for mental objects

Vipassana (Insight)
Insight arises out of samadhi and
provides deep and effective ways of
curing us of the defilements. Vipassana
terminates all ignorance and the root
causes of suffering.

Virtues
Buddhi st pr act i ce consi st s of
developing virtues. The word virtues refers
to wholesome actions and good deeds
that result in happiness and peace of
mind and that add quality to life.
These actions are based on the
following:

- Non-greed, generosity, giving for the
happiness and benefit of others.
- Non-hatred or l ovi ng-ki ndness
(metta), selfless love devoid of lust and
hatred. It is a genuine wish for the well-
being of oneself and others.

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Bhavana
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- Non-del usi on or wi sdom f rom
having insight that frees the mind from
false views.

Wat
Thai word for the temple or place of
worship for Buddhist practitioners and also
for the residence of Buddhist monks and
nuns. The word wat can mean mea-
surement. This fact reminds practitioners
that the temple is the sacred or holy
place to be used to measure ones moral
and spiritual progress.

Wisdom
The ability to know the true reality of
the body and mind. It is a supreme
knowledge and insight into understanding
the absolute truth of life and leads to the
extinction of desires and suffering.

Yonisomanasikara
The method of thinking that enables
one t o sol ve pr obl ems by usi ng
appropriate consideration and reflection.
Systematic and practical thinking.

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Bhavana
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Bhavana
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Bhavana
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Affirmations
Use the North star to find your way
out of the jungle in stead of trying
to reach the star.
Phramaha Pasan Piyadhammo
A drawing without a drawer.
Pe Seenam
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Bhavana
Affirmations
Bhavana Armations to Facilitate Your Wisdom Development
Wat Phramahajanaka
Ban Plung-Pian (Home of Perseverance) Grin, Georgia, USA
Urgent News for Those Who Want to Live the Happiest life on
This Planet Earth. Learn These Essential Bhavana Armations!
WAT PHRAMAHAJANAKA 498 Steele Rd. Griffin, GA 30223 USA. Phone. 678-692-8384, 404-717-5104
Website : www.watphramahajanaka.org E-mail : watphramaha@hotmail.com
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