A negligent queen gets reborn as a worm, and is made by the Bodhisatta to speak to her grieving King, who when he hears about her love for her new husband abandons his grief.
Bhante Guttasīla remembers Ven. Ñāṇavimala (Transcript)
A re-edtied transcript of an interview with Bhante Guttasīla, in which he gives his recollections of Ven. Ñāṇavimala.
BWV 046: A Name is Just a Name
In the story a man called Wicked hates his name so he is advised to search for a new one. He comes across Life who had just died, Wealthy who was poor, and Guide who was lost in a forest. Then he realised a name is just a name, nothing more.
BWV 045: Suitability
Through a strategem a sneeze wins a bride and a kingdom for a prince, but a brahmin who sneezes loses his nose.
BWV 044: Craving brings Suffering
The story is of Suppavāsā who carried her child for seven years and took seven days to bear him. Still she desired more children.
Video of the Second Chapter from Buddhist Wisdom Verses
A video made from a reading of the second chapter of my Buddhist Wisdom Verses, with pan and zoom effects of photographs of characters from the wall-murals at Borobudur as a backdrop and subtitles synchronised with the reading.
BWV 043: When Faculties Wane
A vulture who had been stealing things in the city is captured and brought before the King, and the following dialogue takes place.
Rights of Mother Earth
In 2010 Bolivia organised a People’s Summit with 35,000 participants from 140 countries. One of the outcomes of the Summit was a Universal Declaration on the Rights of Mother Earth, which is reproduced here.
BWV 042: The Necessity for Effort
The Bodhisatta is nearly lost at sea, but through his courageous and determined effort makes it to land again. Later he reflects on his success.
BWV 041: A Limit to One’s Duties
A queen is neglected by the King who lets her starve. To chastise the King the Bodhisatta spoke these verses, which led to the King repenting.
BWV 040: More than Gentle Persuasion is Sometimes Necessary
A goat tries with kind words to persuade a panther not to attack and eat her; the panther however didn’t listen and got his prey.
Chief’s Last Dhamma Talk
The last Dhamma Talk by the late Most Ven K. Sri Dhammananda, Chief Priest of the Buddhist Temple in Brickfields, on the 7th July 2006 at the Buddhist Maha Vihara, Kuala Lumpur entitled Human Life.
Video of the First Chapter from Buddhist Wisdom Verses
A video made from a reading of the first chapter of my Buddhist Wisdom Verses, with pan and zoom effects of photographs of characters from the wall-murals at Borobudur as a backdrop and subtitles synchronised with the reading.
BWV 039: Keeping Quiet
A merchant used to dress his donkey up like a lion to scare away the villagers while it was eating, until one time the donkey gave the game away.
King Asoka sees the Buddha
King Asoka has the Nāga King Mahākāla brought and asks him to create an image of the Buddha for him to see
BWV 038: A Cheat is Cheated in Return
Someone stole some ploughshares and when questioned said that mice had taken them away; in return his accusor carried off the thief’s son and said a hawk had done it. This is the Bodhisatta’s comment and solution to the problem.
BWV 037: Not all Growth is Advantageous
A goose warns a tree-god that a banyan sapling that was taking hold in its home would eventually destroy it. The warning was ignored and the tree succumbed.
BWV 036: Seizing the Advantage
A crocodile, wishing to get a monkey’s heart for his wife, entices a monkey onto his back, but at the critical time, the monkey persuades him that he left his heart in a tree and escapes when land is approached.
Ven. Hiriko: Spending time with Ven. Nyanavimala
Recollections of the German monk, Ven. Ñāṇavimala, by a Serbian monk who served as his attendant in the late 90s.
BWV 035: Profiting in Neither Way
A wealthy youth takes to drink and squanders both his own and his wife’s money and ends up a beggar. The Buddha explains that if he had applied himself as a layman he would have been amongst the chief treasurers; and if he had become a monk he would have attained the paths and fruits.