Those of us who have had the precious
opportunity for training and practising in Thailand in accordance with the
teachings of the Lord Buddha, feel an enormous gratitude to the wise monks and
generous lay people of that country.
Mrs.
Green's book 'A Handful of Leaves' is excellently presented and well
thought-out. It is, no doubt, the skilful result of Ms. Green's many years of
practice and reflection on life, the meaning of life and the practical means
for the realisation of the Ultimate Truth. Her vision and
hope for humanity
are most uplifting. Her recognition of the superb opportunity we all share to find the inner peace which lies at the heart
of all religions and indeed all human beings is both practical and inspiring.
Even though Ms. Green says herself that we
may accuse her of 'naivety and foolishness'; in fact, the vision she presents
offers hope as well as some clear directions for realising Truth.
The Buddha's teaching is simply about
'awakening' - it is not about becoming a Buddhist. Therefore, all the teachings
are for encouraging and directing our attention, investigating and examining
experience in the present moment. To do this, you need to be fully awake. You
have to pay attention to life as it happens.
'A Handful of Leaves' is a guide. Mrs. Green is writing from her insights, therefore it is
not just another rehash of Buddhist teaching by someone who has not practised
it. It has a freshness and a
confidence that can only come from direct insight knowledge.
I was fortunate enough to have lived for
ten years in North East Thailand,
training and practising as a bhikkhu.[1] So I was able to immerse myself in the
changing and fading Buddhist culture - The Enlightened Culture - in its
relatively classic and traditional form. I can't help but agree with Mrs. Green's respect and appreciation for that culture.
All conventions, however, are subject to
change and there is no way back to the past. Our faith is in the timeless
reality. In Europe, the awakening is taking place. In spite of the usual
depressing news on the mass-media, I still have only confidence in the goodness
of humanity and rejoice in the "inconceivably vast oceans of good actions
performed by conscious beings since beginningless time". Mrs. Green’s reflection helps us to establish a positive relationship with one another and encourage in us the energy to cultivate an open and responsive attitude to our daily life experiences, our habits and emotions which otherwise might intimidate us and lead to cynicism and negativity.
Mrs.
Green's 'A Handful of Leaves' is a most
welcome addition to the library of Buddhist literature.
Ven. Ajahn Sumedho
September 1999
Amaravati Buddhist Monastery,
Great Gaddesden,
Hemel Hemstead,
Hertfordshire.
HP1 3BZ
UK