How did the Buddha teach him?

He taught:  "How do you meditate like earth? The earth does not bother about anything that falls on it. So, if you practice meditation just like the soil, you will not have the pleasure or pleasure of anything. Practice meditation as water, like fire, like the wind, and like space: All are not bothered by feelings of pleasure or pleasure. Practice like water, like fire, like the wind, like space, your mind will not be busy at all.

Today, almost all Buddhists know that Prince Siddhartha, then the Buddha, had left his home to find a way to liberate himself on Rahula - the son ( only) of him - born. Many people find it difficult to understand, even indignant, before such a seemingly "irresponsible" act. 

Nevertheless, few knew that after attaining Righteousness, the Buddha became the principal teacher of his son during most of his son's childhood, since Rahula was seven years old, and He was a very learned father: Rahula gained enlightenment when he was only 20 years old. Well, let's ask ourselves, what is Buddha's father? How to teach his children? How does an enlightened being transmit his or her spiritual values ​​to children?

The scriptures do not mention the father-son relationship between Lord Buddha and Rahula, but there are some interesting signs of Buddha's leadership in the path. mature. Although before these scriptures there were stories about how Rahula became a disciple of the Buddha, but most of these details are in the three disciplines that if we gather together , it is a continuous process of path to enlightenment: At 7 years old Rahula, Buddha taught children about morality; At 10 years old Rahula, the Buddha taught the child to meditate; At the age of 20, he taught the wisdom of liberation. The process of maturity of Rahula, therefore, goes hand in hand with the enlightened process of the Buddha.

When my son was 7 years old, I started thinking about how to lead him and his brother on the spiritual path. At the very least, I want them to learn and practice Buddhism enough to grow up later and they can return to those potentialities if they like or need it. I also think that if my children can take refuge in the Dharma, then they can return to that place wherever they are. Especially, for me, the greatest inheritance I have gained through the practice of Buddhism is peace, liberty and compassion, I wonder how I can transfer that spiritual heritage. xxxx Fluxear Flooded.Sear & 

It is known that Rahula was taught by the Buddha at the age of seven, in search of Pali texts to learn the methods used by the Buddha to teach his children.

How do I find a way to leave a "spiritual inheritance" through the good stories in the scriptures about how Rahula studied with his father? Six years after the Buddha left his family, and one year after his enlightenment, the Buddha returned to his city. Rahula, at the age of seven, at his mother's discourse, ran to his father to claim his inheritance. If Prince Siddhartha did not leave the capital in the past, now Rahula was given the throne. But as one who has let go of everything, living austerity, what can the Buddha give to his son? In answer to La Rahula, the Buddha turned to Sariputta, a disciple of the Buddha: "Receive it." So instead of ruling, Rahula inherited the path of his father - the path to liberation.

It may have been a long time since my son shaved his head and put on a robe, but I still wanted to give him access to the basics of the dharma that deeply transformed my life. When I read the passages on how the Buddha taught Rahula, I was surprised to find that these are not only new but also very suitable for teaching children in America in modern times. Indeed, these teachings have become my guide for teaching children.

Morality

The first story tells of Rahula as taught by the Buddha about integrity. At the age of eight, Rahula once lied. The Rasa Sutra (The Sutra of the Sutra, 61) states that after the meditation was completed, the Buddha came to find his son. Rahula took his father's chair and brought a bowl of water to his father's feet, according to the custom of the time. After washing his feet, the Buddha asked:

"Rahula, do you see the water remaining in this bowl?"

"Yes, I see" - La Rahula.

"The life of a cultivator is just a little bit of water, if that person deliberately lies."

I imagined Rahula blushing. 

Then the Buddha threw the water out of his throat and said, "The life of a cultivator is worth dropping if he tries to lie." 

Finished, the Buddha turned the brass face down and said: "A person's life will become so upset if he or she deliberately lies." 
And, to further emphasize, the Buddha turned over the brass back and said, "A monk's life has become as empty as this one if he deliberately lies."

Then he taught me: " For a man who deliberately lies, there is no evil sin that he can not do. So Rahula, do not practice lying, even if it's a joke. "

The story reminds me that the screams of anger at the children are really only power without internal force. Buddha was very calm, choose the right time to teach children without punishment or angry with children. After the brief, rigorous, clear statement of that lie, I imagined Rahula listening to my father. 

Later, the Buddha instructed him to consider all his actions.

"What is the mirror for?" He asked.

"White Buddha, mirror used to mirror" - Rahula replied. 

The Buddha taught:  "While preparing to do anything by body, speech, and mind, you must contemplate: This action is harmful to yourself or to others. If you think that the action will be harmful, then do not do it. But if you find that it is good for you and for others, then do it. "

I realized that instead of teaching your child the absolute difference between "right" and "wrong", the Buddha taught him to ponder on "benefits" and "harmful". This requires both self-awareness and compassion. Laying the foundation of virtue based on "good" or "harmful" frees our moral life from abstract concepts and ideas that do not interfere with the consequences of our actions. "Good" and "harmful" also help people recognize their goals. The things we do will become either contradictory, or favorable on the way we go.

The Buddha's teachings make me even more convinced that we need to sow the seeds of compassion in the hearts of children, the seeds of the consciousness of every action that will affect how else? The power of contemplation and compassion will not be fulfilled if the child obeys only the adult's words: "Be mindful, and be compassionate!" These values ​​are only possible. By example of other people, especially the parents of the child.

The Buddha also teaches Rahula to consider after doing something, is it harming? If there is, then come to see a person with wisdom and repentance to avoid repeating mistakes in the future. I have learned to guide children to develop integrity by recognizing their mistakes. And that kind of integrity depends on how parents look at their children's mistakes. Parental behavior is very influential in the development of the child's morality: If parents show the child that they can trust themselves, they want to help their children grow up more than they want. Children will become more honest with their parents.

Meditation

The second story is about how the Buddha taught meditation to Rahula, in order to develop the foundation of the inner (62). Rahula was 10 years old at that time. The story begins when the father and son are walking meditation. As he left, Rah Ha was proud of his beauty, and the Buddha read the idea. He said to me, " With the eye of insight, this body is not mine, not mine, not myself . "
 

Then the Buddha went on to say, " I must remove all my thoughts, my actions, my consciousness as well as any thoughts about me, mine, and my self ." After hearing these words, Rahula felt ashamed, returned to the monastery, and did not have anything to eat during that day. I think this is the basic teaching for children. 

I can not imagine myself at 10 years old can understand the Buddha's teachings like that. I recall, very clearly, that at that age, my mind was all about my appearance. I often hear that this is very important for their developmental process of "me" and the process of looking for myself. Should I blame a 14-year-old boy for such ephemeral ideas? Did the Buddha intervene in the normal development of the child, rather than letting himself discover? Without knowing the "I", how can a teen develop into an adult with a balanced mind? 

The answer lies in what the Buddha taught his son in the following paragraph: "That night, after being rebuked by the Buddha, Rahula asked his father to teach him the method of breathing meditation. First of all, the Buddha uses parables to illustrate how to let go during meditation. 

He taught:  "How do you meditate like earth? The earth does not bother about anything that falls on it. So, if you practice meditation just like the soil, you will not have the pleasure or pleasure of anything. Practice meditation as water, like fire, like the wind, and like space: All are not bothered by feelings of pleasure or pleasure. Practice like water, like fire, like the wind, like space, your mind will not be busy at all.

Then, before you teach Rahula allows Mindfulness of Breathing, the Buddha told his son to shop  kindness  as an antidote rid of malevolence, the  compassion  to overcome the cruelty, of  sympathetic joy  to masturbation, and  mental exhaustion  to stop the insecurity, love and hate.

He then began to teach his mindfulness of breathing through the 16 stages. These stages are divided into 3 parts: a) tranquility and body; b) centering to recognize mind and body and develop insight; and c) let go. Finally, the Buddha left a profound mark on his doctrine to Rahula by emphasizing that through his practice of one's consciousness, one will be able to recognize the last breath of I was at the moment of death close completely calm.

When reading about how the Buddha taught his breathing to recognize his mind and body, I realized that it was also a way to build a solid concept of "self." I think to myself, are teenagers in today's age who accept their "me" and have many differentiating ideas from others, because they do not feel comfortable with themselves? and with others? And I believe that grasping and discrimination will be gone if you feel happy about yourself as well as being comfortable with the people around you.

When teaching meditation to teens, I noticed that their meditation ability ranged from 13 to 14 years old. There are many children who can enter very deep meditation, although they can not maintain this state for very long. I know a lot of young people use meditation to calm their minds and find a peaceful escape between the challenges of adolescence.

However, meditating on the breath is not only beneficial for teenagers, but it is also a lifelong journey. The Buddha ended his sermon by showing Rahula the value of practicing mindfulness of breathing for the last moments of his life.

Wisdom
In the third and final Dharma, Lord Buddha instructed Rahula to answer a series of questions about the insight of liberation. Rahula has dedicated his entire childhood to the path of enlightenment; In a passage, he is considered an exemplary and sophisticated. 

When Rahula was 20 years old, the Buddha knew that his son was near to liberation. He did a very moving thing: He walked with me deep into the forest. Sitting under an old tree, he led Rahula a very thorough talk about selflessness. For a person who has attained such high level of training as Rahula, the deep thoughts of  the self are the ultimate obstacle of liberation . Listening to the Buddha preaching, Rahula has attained the selfless nature of all things, and that is the last step that helps Rahula to attain complete liberation.

The Buddha's selflessness can be difficult to understand. It is easy to mistakenly assume it is an abstract philosophy, but it is not actually realized that it is a very practical teaching on how to find happiness by letting go of it all. For me, the Buddha taught me about selflessness in the jungle is very necessary. I find myself having a different perspective in the midst of the natural landscape than in the middle of the city. I find the sense of peace and leisure that nature brings to help ease the idea of ​​falling over. 

Consumption of letting go while reading a book of Buddhism while sitting in the house is very different from when I sit under a tree. While reading this third dharma, I contemplated the importance of knowing myself in the natural setting. Once upon a time, when Rahula was seven years old, he asked for his father's inheritance. He never imagined that 13 years later, he inherited the most valuable inheritance that a parent can leave their children.END=NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=THICH CHAN TANH.THE MIND OF ENLIGHTENMENT.VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=GOLDEN LOTUS MONASTERY=AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.19/11/2017.