Today was a pleasant sort of day. Carolyn and I ate at the Pepper Tree for lunch, farted around Harwin area of town (where I bought a suitcase for my trip to Florida and a new fall skirt), to the TATS meeting, to Academy (where I got a pair of SIZE 10 Levis jeans) and then to a Dharma talk at our Temple. 

The Dharma talk was on the Buddhist concept of atthi suka… or, in other words, the happiness of possessing wealth. I suppose it would surprise most non-Buddhists to find out that Buddhists are encouraged to be as wealthy and prosperous as they can possibly be. So many religions tells their followers that a god had deemed it necessary that they be poor and that wealth is bad – unless you give a bunch to the religious leaders… then it is good. LOL

The Buddha said: “A certain person accumulates great wealth and prosperity through fair means and right effort and thinks, ‘Now I have wealth; now I have property gathered through fair means.’ In thinking so, that person experiences happiness and satisfaction.” He instructed his followers to, “… gradually increase wealth without squeezing others just as bees collect for honey without harming the flowers.” As with all things, The Buddha instructed His followers to be sensible, wise and rational when it came to business, saving and having wealth. Basically, He instructed his followers to gain wealth fairly – without cheating others – and use money to better your own life, your family’s life and the life of those within your community. 

Anyway, here is a pic of my Dharma teacher, Bhante Rahula Basnagoda:

This was taken in the main Temple as he was giving the Dharma talk.