43. Advice for the Rains Retreat Day
By Luang Pu Thate Desaraṅsī
July 21, 1976
Paying respect — people paying respect to one another — is a fine and noble custom. Abhivādanasīlissa niccaṃ vuḍḍhāpacāyino — being humble and respectful toward one another, bowing and paying homage to one another. Elders and superiors who are leaders and worthy of respect from their juniors, or parents and elders who are heads of families and worthy of respect from their children and grandchildren — it is good to preserve this custom. Do not let it disappear. But do it genuinely, not as a pretense. Respect genuinely, honor genuinely — then abhivādanasīlissa niccaṃ vuḍḍhāpacāyino leads to long life, beauty, happiness, and strength. Because of mutual respect, not just bowing to the face while deceiving behind the back.
Abhivādanasīla means to honor, bow to, and venerate one another. But if people quarrel and fight, disrespecting and looking down on each other, that is inauspicious. Being auspicious means living in peace — that is called auspiciousness. Quarrelling is not auspicious. Develop patience and forbearance during the Rains Retreat. Even if we cannot do much, it is still good. Being able to endure and be patient for those three months is best. Not for the benefit of others, but for your own benefit. Whoever is patient, striving to restrain themselves so that greed and anger do not arise, and not looking down on others — that is good.
Now, regarding the monks who will observe the Rains Retreat: When entering the retreat, they must have a limited boundary. They have huts and dwellings as their living places, lodgings as their shelters. Then a boundary is established — our monastery already has a boundary, such as a fence or wall surrounding it, which is our territory. Once the retreat boundary is set, they are not to go outside it. The phrase "not to go outside" means not to be outside the boundary at dawn. Wherever you observe the retreat, you must stay within. Even if you go outside the fence or outside the monastery grounds, you must return inside the monastery boundary by dawn. Aruṇa refers to the light — in the early morning we see the light, the clear sky. The dawn light means the first appearance of light. As soon as it becomes silvery-golden light, that marks the new day. If the sky is dark, an easy sign is birds — when they start chirping, that is the new day. Or when geckos call, that is the new day as well, and it can be observed. If the sun does not appear, if the dawn light is not visible, use those signs — birds or geckos — as your measure.
Aruṇa means the new day. It is used as a measure for many things: when the aruṇa rises, that is the new day — then you may eat, as it is no longer the wrong time; you may keep your robes — the triple robe should not be far from your person. If you are without your robes, the Vinaya imposes an offense. If you take them with you, that is fine. Only when dawn arrives do you become separated from your robes.
For eating, we use aruṇa as the measure. For the Rains Retreat, we use aruṇa. For keeping the triple robe, we use aruṇa. Aruṇa is important. Even for undergoing parivāsa (probationary period), aruṇa is used. This is called observing the Rains Retreat — staying within the retreat boundary, not leaving that boundary, not allowing the dawn light to find you outside. That is, you stay within the retreat boundary and do not let dawn break outside the monastery. Use aruṇa as the criterion and boundary. If you go outside, do not let the dawn light find you there. Return inside — then there is no offense. Apart from the matter of aruṇa, there is nothing else. That is the method of observing the Rains Retreat.
Furthermore, when the Rains Retreat has begun, it means that monks are not allowed to go traveling far outside the boundaries of their retreat residence. And the Buddha established rules and regulations for them to study, learn, and practice various duties. All duties and routines should be done diligently in the middle of the retreat. Since we are staying in the retreat and not going anywhere else, it means we should study pariyatti (theoretical learning) and practice paṭipatti (practical application). Both of these go together as a pair.
Pariyatti is the study of texts and scriptures. Paṭipatti is the practice — training in kammaṭṭhāna (meditation). They must go together like that. If you study but do not practice, you will not understand. If you practice alone without any study, you will not know the teachings regarding rules and offenses — you won't know right from wrong; you will grope in ignorance. Therefore, studying and then practicing alongside each other leads to clarity, skill, and fluency. At our monastery, we have practiced every year since we came to stay here. With study and practice going together, we have found that the results in the naktham (Dhamma) exams are better than elsewhere. Because practice together with study gradually brings skill. For those who have come to ordain in the Buddha's dispensation, study to understand, and practice simultaneously — only then will you not waste the time and opportunity of your ordination.
Ordain with genuine intention, as the ancients said: "Ordain to study, to read and write." In the past, there were no schools. So people ordained and then studied until they could read and write, training themselves to be capable and useful. That was "ordain to study, to read and write" as the ancients put it. Nowadays, we have already studied, but we still do not understand the Dhamma and Vinaya. We should apply ourselves to study Dhamma and Vinaya again. For a long time we have neglected it, not paying much attention to Dhamma and Vinaya, and so we have all become careless. Nowadays, the government has become more rigorous, requiring increased study of Dhamma and Vinaya, so we are gradually opening our eyes a little. We have ordained — so let us study diligently while we are ordained.
Understand the religion. Study and practice together, then you will gradually understand. Outsiders can only study but not practice, so they understand superficially; they do not understand the religion deeply. The religion is very deep, very refined. The more you study, the more you practice, the deeper it goes. The study of the religion has no end — it deepens progressively. Therefore, for those who have ordained, we teach them the basics first: learn the daily chanting and prayers, learn the minor training rules, chant, recite blessings, ask for forgiveness as appropriate — then ordain. This is very beneficial.
Nowadays, people ordain without having studied anything, so they come to ordain. Some have not even learned the candidate's responses. Once ordained, there is further study, like naktham, but they have no chance to learn. By the end of the Rains Retreat, some have not even taken the naktham exam. Then they disrobe — and it becomes useless. Ordaining to study leads to deep and subtle understanding, but when they disrobe, they discard it all. Ordination has benefits, but once they leave, they forget everything. They get caught up in and intoxicated with various worldly affairs and duties; there is no further study or learning, so what little they had all deteriorates and disappears.
Thus, it is a pity for those who have ordained. Nevertheless, it is still good — at least they have some ideas, some ability to read, some vague memories. That is still good.