How I
became a practicing Buddhist
Binh Anson
"(...) Right View in Buddhism is the first step of the Eightfold Path.
This is why we say it's a Path of Wisdom, not just doctrine or belief. It's a
noticing and observing of ourselves, our lives. The Buddha taught what is
obvious, what is there to be seen. Although it's there to be seen, it doesn't
mean we see it; it may be obvious but it doesn't mean we understand or notice
it. Maybe we miss it all the time because it is so obvious. The Buddha pointed
things out which we need to consider. He taught nothing outside of what can be
seen and realised within this body, with this mind. The whole path is to be
developed through this body and mind.
"We have all that we need. All we have to do is to start noticing what
is around us. That's when the spark of Right View begins to arise. The result
of Right View is that Right Aspiration or Right Thought arises. This happens to
us in various ways. I'm sure it has happened to everyone here, especially when
we have a traumatic experience, or something helps us to stop and think and
observe.
"One very nice story is of a man I know here in Perth.
He was brought up as a Buddhist actually, and considered himself one, but never
really took an interest or practised anything beyond just the superficial. On
one occasion, he decided to go on a trip, with his wife, around Australia,
camping and driving. While they were travelling from Perth
to Adelaide, they camped out in the
desert. One night, camping in the middle of nowhere, just open space, he
couldn't sleep. So, he got up, went out to the emptiness of the desert. He
found himself completely alone. In this emptiness, he noticed himself, this
human being, and he became very aware of the emptiness in this life. What am I
doing? What's it all about anyway? All this study and accumulation of degrees
and knowledge and money, so what? What do I want out of life? A spark of Right
View there, a stopping and considering. The mechanical, the habitual existence
comes to a stop for a moment. All thought comes to a stop for a moment and this
reflection arises: a consideration and appreciation of one's present existence.
Right View arises.(...)"
-oOo-
The above paragraphs are taken from a booklet by Ajahn Jagaro (1988), "Calm
and Insight", published by the Buddhist Society of Western Australia.
I would like to continue telling that story which happened in 1979:
- After that long four-week journey driving around Australia
with his wife, the young man went back to Perth
and resumed his postgraduate research study. Not long after, he was informed by
one of his wife's friends that a Western Buddhist monk of the Thai Theravadin
tradition was visiting Perth, and
the monk, Phra Khantipalo, gave a series of talks about Buddhism and Buddhist
meditation. He went along with his wife to attend one of these talks. Somehow,
he felt very much "at home" with what the monk said about the
Buddhadhamma (the Buddha's Teaching). It was simple, but practical and straight
to the heart. It did make sense to him. It seemed that at last, he found those
missing pieces of the jigsaw puzzle he had in his mind since that trip through
the desert. He decided to join the local Buddhist Society, and has been
practicing the Theravadin Buddhist tradition ever since.
Binh Anson,
Perth, Western
Australia, October 1999
From: http://www.budsas.org/ebud/ebdha129.htm