Awaken, Oh World! – what are humans doing? and other talks is a collection of transcribed talk by Bhikkhu Revata from the Pa-Auk Forest Monastery in Burma. They deal with the large questions and Bhikkhu Revata does a great job explaining his answers in plain English and with wisdom rooted in the old traditions as they are carried out at Pa-Auk. From the book:
Human beings are born with craving, live with craving and most of us die with craving. That is why our Buddha said: “Craving leads the world.” We plan our activities and pursuits around craving. We promote and defend craving. And, many of us try our best to dissuade others who desire to put an end to craving from even trying to do so. Craving is a prescription for suffering. It begs the question: What are humans doing? What are we really doing? Because I wanted to know the answer to this question, I gave it a great deal of thought.
The right answer, however, isn’t obvious and it didn’t come easily. Clearly, we have more to do in life than simply make a living. As important as food, clothing, shelter and money are for human security and well being, by themselves they don’t give real meaning or purpose to our lives. I realized that the purpose of human existence was not the accumulation of wealth or fame. Nor do we live only for the mere acquisition of public praise, admiration, worldly position or advanced academic degrees after our names. Reason dictates that there is more to life than this, much, much more. Although I thought I understood this, when I first thought about it I did not truthfully know what to do or what needed to be done. Eventually I learned that when we finally know what we are doing, we begin to know what we need to do.
Download the free ebook here: (115 pages, 2006) :
Awaken oh World!
Who is Bhikkhu Revata?
Bhikkhu Revata is a Theravāda Buddhist monk from Myanmar, born in 1971 in Mawlamyine. He initially pursued an education in computer technology and taught the subject independently for five years after obtaining his bachelor’s degree from Yangon University in 1994. His life took a spiritual turn when he was ordained as a Theravāda bhikkhu at Pa-Auk Tawya in 1999, under the guidance of the Most Venerable U Āciṇṇa, the Pa-Auk Sayadaw.
Bhikkhu Revata is noted for his teachings and several written works that focus on Buddhist philosophy and meditation. Among his notable publications are “Awaken, Oh World!” and “The Truth Taught by All the Buddhas”. He has been active in spreading the Dhamma through both his writings and teachings, making significant contributions to contemporary Buddhist discourse and practice .