Happy wayfarer

Ven. Prof. Dhammavihari

The
word wayfarer or magganuga is used in Buddhist texts to denote the
disciple who is intent on treading the path to release from suffering
as announced and indicated by the Master. As the venerable Ananda puts
it to the Brahmin Gopaka-Moggallana, in reply to a question about the
relationship between the Master and his disciples, the Buddha is the
propounder of the hitherto unknown way (anakkhàtassa maggassa akkhàtà),
the knower of the way ( maggannå maggavidå) and the one who is skilled
in the way (maggakovido) .

The
disciples thereafter (pacchà-samannà gatà) tread the way (maggànugà ca
pana etarahi sàvakà viharanti pacchà samannàgatà ti. M.111.8).

Let
us now talk about the life of the true Buddhist disciple who with a
deep conviction accepts the teaching of the Buddha as the only way to
release from dukkha or the sufferings of life.

We
are thus immediately brought face to face with the two concepts of
dukkha and nirodha in Buddhism, nirodha being the total cessation or
the ceasing to be of the unsatisfactory continuation of the process of
living which is called bhava. It is this cessation and none other that
we refer to as nibbàna (bhava-nirodho nibbànaü. S. II. 117). By
whatever other name one calls it, the net result in Nibbàna is this and
no other.

This is also the final
goal of our religious striving, our endeavour to achieve concentration
of mind and beyond it perfect development of wisdom.

The message
of Buddhism primarily focuses attention on this predicament (or the
unpleasant situation) in which man finds himself. At this stage, it is
good for us to be immediately reminded of the vocabulary which the
Bodhisattva himself uses as he reflects on this problem: Kicchau vatà ‘
yam loko àpanno jàyati ca jãyati ca mãyati ca cavati ca uppajjati ca. (
S.I1.104 ). His observation is that ‘ the world indeed is plunged in a
very distressing situation.’

It is distressing because of the
concomitants of life such as the painful changes in the process of
growth and maturity called jarà which also brings in its wake vyàdhi or
disease, terminating in death or maraõa.

It is the reality of
these which invariably led many among the mortals to speculate on the
absence of these failings like decay, disease and death, in their
unpleasantly manifest gross form, in the life in the heavenly worlds.
(In the heavenly worlds known to the Buddhists, none of those failings
of decay, disease and death are grossly manifest.) It is for this same
reason that in more recent times, well-motivated men were driven to
look for their solution in such remedial measures like organ transplant.

It is an adventure as thoroughly visualised as the plan to grow vegetables on the moon to meet world shortages on this planet.

This,
we know, was announced in the western world, in a credibly serious
mood, in the sixties and seventies of this century. But this is not to
see the problem in its totality.

In the Buddhist texts we are reliably informed that this plight of man stretches infinitely through time and space.

But we note with regret the hyper-intellectual slant today to view the human
problem as presented in Buddhism to be a matter of one life time, contained within a single frame of birth to death.

It
is here that our saddhà or reliance (or trusting in, of course, in the
Buddha and his teaching) comes in, for without it we would reject both
concepts of dukkha and nirodha which are the basics (numbers one and
three) of the four noble truths (i.e. cattàri ariya-saccàni) which
deliver to the world the message of Buddhism. ( See Dhammacakkappavatta
na Sutta at S. V. 421f. and Vin. I. 10 ). It is this third dimension of
life, namely the saüsàric one, which we have to seriously bear in mind.

While
Buddhist texts repeatedly speak of it as ‘ anamataggà ‘yaü bhikkhave
saüsàro pubbà koñi na pannàyati ( at S. 11. 178 and S.V. 226 ) which
means ‘Infinite is this life process of man and its first beginning is
not discernible,’ yet there are people even within the Buddhist fold
who would have us believe that both the problem of man and its solution
are matters only of one life time.

This
life process of man which we come to take note of from his present
conceivable existence, it must remembered, descends into our midst from
the past and stretches across into the incalculable future, again
beyond our ken.

If this were not true, the Bodhisattva during his
observations quoted above ( S. 11.104 ), would not go on to continue
his remarks as mãyati ca cavati ca uppajjati ca: dies, passes away from
one existence to another, and is born (again).

And also talking
of final release, the Buddha speaks of it as the absence of a
regeneration of all this in a new life beyond the present.

This
result is equated to the absence of all that which were described as
the ills of life (Yattha natthi àyatiü punabbhavàbhinibbatt i tattha
natthi àyaiü jàti-jarà-maraõ aü. S.11.65f. ∧ 103f.). It is the
totality of this process, found to be here as well as hereafter (idha
loke patiññhitaü paraloke patiññhitaü) which is referred to in Buddhism
as sansàra.

As
we give further thought to what has been discussed so far and consider
from the Buddhist angle the contributory factors which sustain this
saüsàric process, we discover ignorance or avijjà and craving or tanhà
as what underlie this (avijjà-nãvaraõànaü sattànaü taõhàsaüyojanànaü
sandhàvataü saüsarataü. op.cit.178 ). On further investigation we
discover that saüsàra also implies existence both in the human plane
and in several others above and below it. This is what we discover as
we proceed from the known and the seen, i.e. life here and now, in the
direction of the unknown and the unseen, i.e. of what is beyond this
life, beyond death.

This journeying into a life beyond or gati is
said to be fivefold: Pacca kho imà Sàriputta gatayo. Katamà pacca.
Nirayo tiracchàna-yoni pitti-visayo manussà devà. ( M.I. 73 ). In a
superior state above man stands deva, and immediately below devas is
the human. There are three inferior states below the human, viz. hells
of torture ( niraya ), animal world (tiracchàna-yoni) and the realm of
famishing ghosts (preta = pitti-visaya) .

Here
it is well to remember that true humility with regard to limitations of
our knowledge and our ability to know can be extremely rewarding.

Let
us profit by knowing that there are limits to our cocksureness even in
this space age of high-class scientific achievement and that failures
are possible even with the surest of calculations.

This did
happen even with very sophisticated space-ships (fired through the
NASA) like the Mars Observer (unmanned) which ended up in disaster
after eleven months of very successful travel in outer space, and the
German sponsored research-shuttle Discovery (with a team of scientists
within) which generated repeated engine trouble before its final
take-off.

Timsa Sutta

Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Now
on that occasion the Blessed One was dwelling in Rajagaha, in the
Bamboo Grove. Then thirty monks from Pava all wilderness dwellers, all
alms-goers, all triple-robe wearers, all still with fetters went to the
Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side.

Then the thought occurred to the Blessed One,
“These thirty monks from Pava… are all still with fetters. What if I
were to teach them the Dhamma in such a way that in this very sitting
their minds, through lack of clinging, would be released from
fermentations?”

So he addressed the monks: “Monks.”

“Yes, lord,” the monks responded.

The
Blessed One said, “From an inconceivable beginning comes
transmigration. A beginning point is not evident, though beings
hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving are transmigrating and
wandering on. What do you think, monks? Which is greater, the blood you
have shed from having your heads cut off while transmigrating and
wandering this long, long time, or the water in the four great oceans?”

“As
we understand the Dhamma taught to us by the Blessed One, this is the
greater: the blood we have shed from having our heads cut off while
transmigrating and wandering this long, long time, not the water in the
four great oceans.”

“Excellent, monks. Excellent. It is excellent that you thus understand the Dhamma taught by me.

“This
is the greater: the blood you have shed from having your heads cut off
while transmigrating and wandering this long, long time, not the water
in the four great oceans.

“The blood you have shed when, being
cows, you had your cow-heads cut off: Long has this been greater than
the water in the four great oceans.

“The blood you have shed
when, being water buffaloes, you had your water buffalo-heads cut
off… when, being rams, you had your ram-heads cut off… when, being
goats, you had your goat-heads cut off… when, being deer, you had
your deer-heads cut off… when, being chickens, you had your
chicken-heads cut off… when, being pigs, you had your pig-heads cut
off: Long has this been greater than the water in the four great oceans.

“The

blood you have shed when, arrested as thieves plundering villages, you
had your heads cut off… when, arrested as highway thieves, you had
your heads cut off… when, arrested as adulterers, you had your heads
cut off: Long has this been greater than the water in the four great
oceans.

“Why
is that? From an inconceivable beginning comes transmigration. A
beginning point is not evident, though beings hindered by ignorance and
fettered by craving are transmigrating and wandering on. Long have you
thus experienced stress, experienced pain, experienced loss, swelling
the cemeteries enough to become disenchanted with all fabrications,
enough to become dispassionate, enough to be released.”

That is
what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the monks delighted in the
Blessed One’s words. And while this explanation was being given, the
minds of the thirty monks from Pava through lack of clinging were
released from fermentations.

Dreaming

Lotus Heart

The
great Taoist master Chuang Tzu once dreamt that he was a butterfly
fluttering here and there. In the dream he had no awareness of his
individuality as a person. He was only a butterfly. Suddenly, he awoke
and found himself laying there, a person once again. But then he
thought to himself, “Was I before a man who dreamt about being a
butterfly, or am I now a butterfly who dreams about being a man?”

I
can identify reality with this story. Many times I have awakened from a
dream and didn’t know, for a moment, what was real and what was the
dream. Dreams are weird. Are they trying to tell us something? If so,
how are we to know what they mean?

You are who you perceive
yourself to be. I’ve sometimes dreamed that I could fly. It’s such a
wonderful, free feeling. It seemed so real. This Zen master had an
out-of-body experience, and now isn’t sure about his identity.

When
you’re a butterfly, there are no worries. You can flutter around
without a care in the world. Perhaps this monk is wishing there were
not so many responsibilities and barriers in his life.

I think
this Zen master wants some peace and quiet in his life. He wishes he
were a normal person and not a Zen master with so many demands put on
him by others. I think it’s important for us to have dreams, but always
remember that reality is much more important.

Sounds
like this guy conforms to what others think of him and allows them to
govern his life. In my opinion, this is the kind of question asked by
people who are struggling with their sense of individuality and self
esteem.

Only you know who you are - and sometimes it takes some
soul-searching to find that identity. We should be content with who we
are. If we try to be someone or something else, we will lose our sense
of identity.

I sometimes wonder whether we really exist as
people, or whether we are only dreaming our lives. And if we are
dreaming, when and how will we wake up?

It would be strange if
our life were really part of someone else’s dream. Our lives might seem
long and tedious, but it would pass in the blink of an eye for that
dreaming person.

Are we really just living out someone else’s dream or fantasy? I think that everyone at one time
or another feels this kind of detachment from their lives.

It’s
funny how we sometimes have to pinch ourselves to make sure we’re
really ourselves, to make sure we really exist. It’s just like watching
a movie, except in real life you don’t follow a script.

This
reminds me of a philosophy course I once took. We discussed reality and
how we know that we really exist. All I can remember from the course is
‘I think there fore I am’.

Is this really reality? Or are we all dreaming this?

Thinking about this kind of thing for too long can drive you crazy. Because it may seem philosophical babble…

This
story has to do with being close to nature, and not forgetting that
humans are as much a part of nature as a butterfly. Ultimately, we are
all equal and should treat each other as equals.

This story reminds me of Kafka’s Metamorphosis too. What would it be like if I woke up one morning and found that I had been
completed transformed? Could I make a smooth transition into my new existence, or would I be really screwed up?

This
story is a wake-up call for all those preoccupied with materialism and
the mundane. Someone may see this Zen master as schizophrenic who is
having trouble distinguishing reality. Actually how can he not know
whether he is a butterfly or not!?

Do butterflies really dream
like humans, or is this monk just anthropomorphizing, it’s up to you to
wonder! I can’t think about this too long, because it will control my
mind for the rest of the week.

It’s not important if what I
perceive is a dream or if I’m someone else’s reality or not. What
matters is the principle of doing the right thing with the situations,
real or not, I am confronted with. Why would a man want to be a
butterfly, or a butterfly a man?

Reality is one’s perception of reality, nothing more.

Buddhism as a philosophy

Buddhist philosophy deals extensively with problems in metaphysics, phenomenology, ethics, and epistemology.

The
Buddha’s general outlook has been described as neither ontological nor
metaphysical, but empirical. He assumed an unsympathetic attitude
toward speculative and religious thought in general. A basic idea of
the Buddha is that the world must be thought of in procedural terms,
not in terms of things or substances. The Buddha advised viewing
reality as comprised of dependently originated phenomena; Buddhists
view this approach to experience as avoiding the two extremes of
ratification and nihilism.

Particular points of Buddhist philosophy have often
been the subject of disputes between different schools of Buddhism.
While theory for its own sake is not valued in Buddhism, theory pursued
in the interest of enlightenment is consistent with Buddhist values and
ethics.

Early Buddhism displays a strong streak of skepticism;
the Buddha cautioned his followers to stay aloof from intellectual
disputation for its own sake, saying that this is fruitless and
distracts from the practices leading to enlightenment. However, the
Buddha’s doctrine did have an important philosophical component: it
negated the major claims of rival positions while building upon them at
a new philosophical and religious level.

In a skeptical vein, he
asserted the insubstantiality of the ego, and in doing so countered
those Upanishadic sages who sought knowledge of an unchanging ultimate
self. The Buddha created a new position in opposition to their
theories, and held that attachment to a permanent self in this world of
change is the cause of suffering and the main obstacle to liberation.
The same skeptical approach negates the existence of any high god or
spiritual substance, and undercuts both traditional and iconoclastic
spiritual goals. He broke new ground by going on to explain the source
for the apparent ego: it is merely the result of the aggregates
(skandhas) which make up experience.

In
this breaking down into constituent elements, the Buddha was heir to
earlier element philosophies which had sought to characterize existing
things as made up of a set of basic elements. The Buddha, however,
eliminated mythological rhetoric, systematized world components into
five groups, and used this approach not to characterize a substantial
object, but to explain a delusion. He coordinated material components
with psychological ones. The Buddha criticized the religious sages’
theories of an Absolute as yet another reification, instead giving a
path to self-perfection as a means of transcending the world of name
and form.

Decisive
in distinguishing Buddhism from what is commonly called Hinduism is the
issue of epistemological justification. All schools of Indian logic
recognize various sets of valid justifications for knowledge, or
pramana – Buddhism recognizes a set that is smaller than the others’.
All accept perception and inference, for example, but for some schools
of Hinduism and Buddhism the received textual tradition is an
epistemological category equal to perception and inference (although
this is not necessarily true for some other schools).

Thus, in
the Hindu schools, if a claim was made that could not be substantiated
by appeal to the textual canon, it would be considered as ridiculous as
a claim that the sky was green and, conversely, a claim which could not
be substantiated via conventional means might still be justified
through textual reference, differentiating this from the epistemology
of hard science.

Some
schools of Buddhism, on the other hand, rejected an inflexible
reverence of accepted doctrine. As the Buddha said, according to the
canonical scriptures.

Do not accept anything by mere tradition
… Do not accept anything just because it accords with your scriptures
… Do not accept anything merely because it agrees with your
pre-conceived notions … But when you know for yourselves – these
things are moral, these things are blameless, these things are praised
by the wise, these things, when performed and undertaken, conduce to
well-being and happiness – then do you live acting accordingly.

Early
Buddhist philosophers and exegetes of one particular early school (as
opposed to Mahayana), the Sarvastivadins, created a pluralist
metaphysical and phenomenological system, in which all experiences of
people, things and events can be broken down into smaller and smaller
perceptual or perceptual-ontologi cal units called dharmas.

Falling in love with Myanmar: Hidden beauty of the world

Story and Pictures Ganga ILLEPERUMA Recent visit to Myanmar

Myanmar,
formerly known as Burma, is the Land of Human Origin. It is also
recognised as the Golden Land. Compared with other countries Myanmar is
not a tourists destination per se but has many magnificent and exciting
excursions in all part of the country.

People with a basic
knowledge of the culture and custom of Myanmar will find it easy to
live with its citizens and leave in the same fashion. Though Myanmar
social customs are quite flexible, the ground rules are important for
convivial inter change.

The country is a union of 135 ethnic
groups with their own languages and dialects. The major races are the
Kachin, the Kayah, the Kayin, the Chin, the Mon, the Bamar, the
Rakhine, and the Shan. The name Myanmar embraces all the ethnic groups.

Architecture and arts

It
is the architecture that one sees as the strongest evidence of Burmese
artistic skills and craftsmanship. Burmese buildings take two basic
forms - pagodas and temples. Traditionally only the latter have been
made of permanent materials; monasteries and all secular buildings
were, until recently, constructed of wood, and thus, only few
non-religious buildings of former times remain to be visited.

Shwedagon Pagoda

Shwedagon
Pagoda is the most popular and well-known pagoda in Yangon and is the
most notable building in this city. This pagoda is one of the main
tourist destinations in Myanmar. The Shwedagon Pagoda is a great
cone-shaped Buddhist monument that crowns a hill about one mile north
of the Cantonmen Pagodas are found almost everywhere in the country in
big numbers. All pagodas, however, have in common a bell-shaped
structure, which in later centuries was erected on top of a foundation.
Temples are constructed mainly to house images of the Buddha. The walls
are often decorated with beautiful paintings depicting episodes from
the lives of the Buddha.

Maha Wizaya Pagoda

The
pagoda itself is a solid brick stupa (Buddhist reliquary) that is
completely covered with gold. It rises 326 feet (99 m) on a hill 168
feet (51 m) above the city. There are 4 entrances leading into the base
of this Shwedagon Pagoda and we entered from the Southern entrance.

Sule Pagoda

Sule
Pagoda is located in Yangon, at the junction of Sule Pagoda Road and
Mahabandoola Road, Kyauktada Township, Yangon, Myanmar. The Sule Pagoda
is an excellent landmark. It is said to be over 2,000 years old. The
pagoda is said to enshrine a hair of the Buddha: its Mon name, Kyaik
Athok translates as the pagoda where a Sacred Hair Relic is enshrined.

Mandalay the second capital city of Myanmar still
retains its old cultural traditions and is the centre of attractions
for its historical heritage. It is well-known and for the presence of
significant monastries, pagosdas, temples and religious edifices.

Pahtodawgyi

It
is one of the famous buildings in the world which was built by King
Bodawpaya. The building of Mingun Pahtodawgyi started in 1790. Had it
been completed it would have reached a height of some 500 feet but it
was stopped at 162 feet height. Its girth is about 450 square feet.
When he was building this temple astrologies told him ˜If you finish
build this temple you will miss the crown. So the king stopped that
construction. The pagoda was left unfinished.

Two enormous
prominent statues of lions in Mingun, one of the tourist attractions is
at the eastern stairway of Pahtodawgyi which faces the Ayeyawaddy
river. You can climb the top and from there, you can also enjoy the
natural beauty of the Ayeyawady river. If this pagoda had been
completed, then it would have been the largest monument. This
unfinished structure was damaged with cracks left by the earthquake of
1838 but it is still the largest brick base in the world.

Mingun Bell

King
Bodawpaya dedicated a big bronze bell near the Pahtodawgyi but it is
said that Buddhist devotees inserted gold, silver ornaments and
jewellery into the bronze. The Bell measures eleven cubits and four
thits (fingers) in diameter at its mouth; 33 cubits, one mit (6 inches)
and four thits in circumference and 13 cubits, one mit and four thits
in height. It weighs 55555 viss.

Kyauk Taw Gyi Pagoda

The
Kuthodaw Pagoda is often called the world’s largest book which has 729
pages on stone scripts. It is a large walled complex situated at the
base of the southeast stairway to Mandalay Hill and it was built by
King Mindon in 1872. It is in this place that the king held sangayanawa
and there were 2,400 monks came from throughout the country and they
completed the pages during six months.

Than Buddha Pagoda

This
temple is very similar to the Borobudur temple in Indonesia. The famous
monk who lived in this area called Monyin Sayadaw built this temple in
1939- 1952. Inside this temple we could see 580,000 Buddha statues and
we could buy new statues and replaced them. There are 7000 relics and
many other precious materials enshrined here said Nway U Khine, our
guide of Travelonthat accompanied us.

Mahamuni

The
Maha Muni Pagoda was built to enshrine the Maha Muni image, nearly 13
ft(4m) high. It is covered with so much gold leaf that its body has
lost all proportion. Only the face, washed during the ceremony each
dawn, is not allowed to be gilded. Women are not allowed to go near the
Buddha image.

U Pein bridge

The
teakwood bridge spans 1.2 km across the shallow Taungthaman Lake some
10km south of Mandalay. It was built by U Pein in the mid-19th century
when the capital of Innwa (Ava) Kingdom moved to the nearby Amarapura.

Today,
even though a few of the 1,000 teakwood posts have been replaced by
concrete, the bridge remains intact and serves as the main passage
indispensable to the daily life of the local people.

Mandalay Palace

Mandalay
Palace was the first palace to be built in Mandalay, by King Mindon
when he shifted his capital from Amarapura in 1861. All ancillary
buildings for the court, the fortified high walls with ramparts, the
moat, water systems, roads, gardens with shady tamarind trees,
recreational playgrounds, swimming pools, security ports with infantry
and audience halls etc. The palace was burnt down during World War II
by the British and today only the city walls are original. They are 2km
on each side. The present palace is rebuilt by the military government
taking after the model of the old one. Now the palace site is occupied
by the military.

Gold Leaf

The
square gold leaf tissues used for centuries and fragile enough that a
breath of the softest wind could crumble them are all hand made in the
lovely ancient capital of Mandalay. Only 24 carat gold is used. The
gold leaf is so thin and light that to smooth out wrinkles, the girls
just blow gently on it. The gold leaf is a sacred thing and can be
offered to religious buildings, and shrines or for Royal use in the
days of monarchy.

Pindaya Caves

The
Pindaya caves are a limestone ridge overlooking the Pindaya Lake
housing nine thousand Buddha images made from alabaster, teak, marble,
brick, lacquer and cement which have been put there centuries ago and
arranged in such a way as to form a labyrinth through the various cave
chambers.

The cave is million years old and Pindaya means spider.
The legend says seven princesses bathed in the lake and they took a
rest in this cave. At that time the cave was blocked by a huge spider
and the princesses shouted for help. Then the prince who came to the
forest for hunting heard the crying and killed the spider by his arrow.

Later
the prince got married to the youngest princess and lived happily ever
after. Entering the cave we could see the images according to the
legends of the spider and the prince with an arrow. There are two
ancient stupas in this cave. One is from the 3rd century and the second
from the12th century.

Inle Lake

Myanmar
has its share of magical destinations and among them Inle Lake is one
of the most captivating. It is frequently cited by visitors to Myanmar
as the highlight of their entire trip.

The people of Inle Lake
(called Intha), some 70,000 of them, live in four cities bordering the
lake, in numerous small villages along the lake’s shores, and on the
lake itself. The population consists predominantly of Intha, with a mix
of other Shan, Taungyo, Pa-O (Taungthu), Danu, Kayah, Danaw and Bamar
ethnicities. Most are devout Buddhists, and live in simple houses of
wood and woven bamboo on stilts; they are largely self-sufficient
farmers.

Most
transportation on the lake is traditionally by small boats, or by
somewhat larger boats fitted with outboard motors. Local fishermen are
known for practising a distinctive rowing style which involves standing
at the stern on one leg and wrapping the other leg around the oar.

This
unique style was evolved for the reason that the lake is covered with
reeds and floating plants making it difficult to see above them while
sitting. Standing provides the rower with a view beyond the reeds.
However, the leg rowing style is practised only by men. Women row in
the customary style, using the oar with their hands, sitting cross
legged at the stern.

Floating farm Inle Lake is a major tourist attraction, and this has led to
some development of tourist infrastructure.

They
have floating gardens and tomato industry is their main income. Apart
from these industries we could also see weaving centres and cigar
manufacture also.

Kyaikhtiyo pagoda

Kyaikhtiyo
pagoda is located in the small town called Kyaikhto, in the Mon State.
The pagoda is also known as the golden rock. The meaning of Kyaik Hti
Yo : According to Mon tradition, the name is a corruption of
Kyaiki-thi-yo being derived as follows.

Since we couldn’t reach
there by coach we went by truck to the villages and on the final part
to the top of the mountain we had to go by palanquin. The strong boys
in this village make palanquins and they carry all foreigners to the
top and it is their main income also.

It is located on top of mount Kyaiktiyo at 1102 meters above sea level is recognized as one of the wonders of South East Asia.

It
can also be qualified as one of the wonders of the world by virtue of
its unique position atop a gilded boulder which is delicately balanced
on the edge of the sloping surface of a separate rock table, the slope
dropping perpendicularly into the valley below.

Message from President Sri Lanka Myanmar Friendship Assoc.

As
the President of Sri Lanka Myanmar Friendship Association, I am happy
and honoured to send a congratulatory message on His Excellency Senior
General Than Shew the Head of Stateof Myanmar visit to Sri Lanka.
Myanmar and Sri Lanka have maintained close religious and cultural ties
for nearly a thousand years since the 11thcentury when Sinhala monks
began to playa key role in disseminating the Theravada form of Buddhism
in Myanmar.

When
in the 18thand 19thcenturies with the decline of Buddhism after the
devastation caused by the Portuguese, sections of the Sri Lankan Sangha
expressed interest in receiving Higher Ordination independent of Siam
Nikaya, Myanmar Sangha and the royalty readily came to our help.

The Amarapura Nikaya and Ramanna Nikaya were thus formed in Sri Lanka.

These
two monastic lineages contributed immensely to the enrichment of
educational, cultural and religious conditions in Sri Lanka and later
to the world-wide international Buddhist movement.

The Myanmar
President’s visit will herald a new era of bringing the already
existing ties of the two countries to a new height, especially in
religious and cultural sectors. Religious and cultural tourism is an
area that should be promoted in order to create a better people to
people understanding between our two countries. Our Association will be
happy to give our utmost support to such aninitiative.

- Kumara Semage

Revisiting Sri Lanka-Myanmar historical links

Dr. Hema GOONATILAKE

The
intense relationship between Sri Lanka and Myanmar spans over a period
of 1,000 years beginning with the emergence of Bagan as the cradle of
Burmese culture and civilization in the 11th Century.

Shwezigon Temple

This
ancient capital of Myanmar epitomizes one of the world’s greatest feats
of building construction - greater than all of Europe’s cathedrals, the
construction of which spread over nearly seven centuries whereas Bagan
is home to 4,446 monuments, built within a period of less than two and
a half centuries, mostly within a period of 150 years. Bagan is a
unique city encompassing approximately 40 square km. with a wide
variety of religious buildings, some standing higher than 70 metres.

Twelfth
Century murals depicting scenes from the chronicle Mahavamsa, four
abodes of Sinhala monks and 260 large monuments influenced by Sinhalese
are some of the re-discoveries that I have been able to make during my
study visits to Bagan in the recent years.

Bagan
to the Myanmar people is what Anuradhapura is to Sri Lankans -
especially Sinhala Buddhists. Sri Lanka’s contribution towards the
consolidation of the Bagan Empire in terms of religion, culture and
civilization is attested to in the Myanmar historical chronicles,
inscriptions, art and architecture, as well as in Sinhalese records.
What Sri Lanka later gained from Myanmar is equally significant.
Myanmar’s religious gifts to Sri Lanka - the Amarapura and the Ramanna
sects contributed a great deal to the religious, cultural and
educational renaissance in the 18th and 19th Centuries, the influence
of which continues to this day.

Famous relics

Sri
Lanka being not only the foremost centre of Buddhism, but also the
country that possessed two of the most famous relics of the Buddha, the
sacred Tooth Relic and the Alms Bowl, attracted the rulers of Southeast
Asia. It appears from Myanmar historical chronicles that the highest
ambition of Bagan kings was to possess the sacred Tooth relic of the
Buddha. King Anawrahta sent a mission to Sri Lanka along with a gift of
a white elephant to obtain the sacred Tooth Relic from his friend
Vijayabahu I (1055-1110 A.C.). (This event is not mentioned in Sri
Lankan sources).

Anawrahta received only a replica of the Tooth
Relic. The King made a vow for it to replicate and there emerged four
other replicas. He enshrined the first in the Shwezigon Stupa which he
built in 1059 A.C. The other four were enshrined in four other Stupas,
the most famous among them being Lawkananda. Situated on the riverbank,
Lawkananda is an ancient landmark near the old harbour where vessels
from Sri Lanka, Arakan (Rakhine) and the Mon Ramannadesa anchored.

Mahavamsa paintings

Among
the most interesting sights in Bagan for Sri Lankans is the Mahavamsa
episodes painted in the Myinkaba Kubyauk-gyi Temple in Bagan. This
Temple has pictorial illustrations of a large number of episodes
covering the history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka up to the reign of our
King Vijayabahu, the contemporary of King Anawrahta and Kyanzittha. The
murals relate events from Asoka’s life including his paying homage to
Moggaliputta Tissa Thera. There is also a sequence of panels depicting
the first three Buddhist Councils.

Sri Lanka Monastery	Elephant Kandula

The
scenes in these pictorial illustrations include: the Buddha’s visits to
Sri Lanka, Emperor Asoka and King Devanampiyatissa, Asoka’s message and
the gifts for Devanampiyatissa’s coronation, Devanampiyatissa’s meeting
with Thera Mahinda and Theri Sanghamitta’s arrival in Sri Lanka
carrying the Bodhi tree. On another wall are the scenes from the life
of the Mahavamsa hero, Dutthagamini, namely: his elephant Kandula, he
being given the name Abhaya (fearless), Abhaya wanting to go out and
fight the enemy, when his father forbids him, he sends his father a
woman’s dress making the father angry, King Elara and the number of
villages he administers and his justice bell which is rung by a cow
when his son drives his chariot over a calf.

Another Mahavamsa
inspired set of paintings are found in the Sakyamuni Temple where
scenes from Sanghamitta’s arrival in Sri Lanka are depicted. Sakyamuni
Temple, also built in the 12th Century has scenes of Theri Sanghamitta
bringing the Bo sapling to Sri Lanka and the Bo plant becoming one
thousand times bigger after pouring of water on it.

These
stories are known to every child in Sri Lanka. It seems to be the same
in Myanmar too. The late historian Dr. Godakumbura mentions that on a
visit to Myanmar in the 1960s, he found to his amazement that the
Myanmar people considered Sri Lanka history to be their history and
Dutthagamini, the national of Sri Lanka, specially of Sinhala Buddhists
as their national hero. The Bhikkuni Suwimalee who as child stayed in
Myanmar in the 1950s as her father was the Sri Lanka ambassador to then
Myanmar confirms this. She remembers that the maid who looked after her
in Yangon used to say that Dutu Gamunu was their hero. A somewhat
similar view is held in the whole of South-East Asia. (I have seen
during several years’ stay in Cambodia similar recollections among the
Cambodian people of Sri Lanka history, especially the Dutu Gemunu
episode.) One of the explanations given by Western historians of the
mural depictions of wars in that region as occurring between kings
fighting on elephants is that the original model was the Dutu
Gemunu-Elara battle on elephants It should be remembered that Myanmar
historical writings themselves began under the guidance of Sinhala
Bhikkhus. The Myanmar chronicles such as the Mahasammatavamsa,
Rajavamsa and Sasanavamsa were directly modeled after the Mahavamsa.

Sri Lankan Monks’ Monastery Complexes

Illustrating
the general prestige of Sinhalese monks, a Myanmar inscription dated
1268 A.C, claimed that the deeds of merit by the donor were witnessed
by all the Sri Lankan monks. An inscription near the Sinhalese style
Stupa (No. 1113) in the vicinity of the Tamani complex of monasteries
dated 1271 A.C recorded by Tissa Maha Thera is indicative. It describes
the mission undertaken by a Bagan monk to Sri Lanka carrying a message
from the King of Bagan to the Sri Lankan King requesting for more Sri
Lankan monk teachers to go to Myanmar to propagate the Buddha’s message.

During
the reign of King Narapatisithu and the period immediately thereafter,
several large monastery complexes that were built in Bagan were
dedicated to Sinhalese monks. Inscriptions and ruins of several
monasteries belonging to this period demonstrate that a large number of
influential Sri Lankan monks taught Myanmar monks and Samaneras.

The
monasteries where the Sri Lankan monks resided are located South of the
old city. The monks from Sri Lanka came to be known also as the Tamani
group or sect and the monasteries that they resided in were known as
Tamani monasteries. The largest monastery complex identified as Tamani
comprises three large monasteries, located near each other. I have
visited them a few times and let me give a brief description.

Sanghamitta carrying Bo Sapling	King Elara’s Bell and Cow

One
large monastery has two floors while a broken Buddha image still lies
among the ruins of the monastery which accommodated around 100 monks.

An
inscription dated 1277 A.C. inside this monastery refers to Venerable
Tamalin (a Sinhalese monk), the head of a large monastery who was
supported by Queen Summula’s daughter Princess Acau and her uncle
Singasu. Tamalin was one of the most popular monks during the reign of
King Tarukpliy of the 13th Century, also known as Narathihapate.

One of the three monasteries was specially allocated to the Samaneras.

Numerous
were the Stupas built according to the Sinhalese bell-shaped style.
There were at least 260 such Sri Lankan style Stupas. The inflow of
Sinhala Buddhist culture was facilitated by Myanmar monks going to Sri
Lanka and Sri Lankan monks coming to Bagan.

The
Stupa built by Chapata who received Upasampada and studied in Sri Lanka
for ten years is one of these Stupas built according to the Sri Lanka
style.

Marriage alliances

There
have been also marriage alliances between our two countries. According
to Myanmar historical chronicles, King Alaungsithu of the 12th Century,
King of Myanmar (who was a contemporary of Parakramabahu the Great)
visited Sri Lanka.

Alaungsithu, married a daughter of the
Sinhalese king and returned with an image of Maha Kassapa Thera who was
highly venerated at the time in Sri Lanka. (It was Maha Kassapa Thera
who helped reform our Sasana under Parakramabahu). Although not
mentioned in Sri Lankan records, there is evidence from Myanmar
inscriptions that confirms the strong Sinhalese connection with the
Myanmar royalty during that time. The premier historian of Myanmar,
Gordon Luce and local historians have given evidence to show that there
was a strong Sinhalese influence in the Bagan Royal Court during the
reigns of Alaungsithu and Narapatisithu. Wife of King Narapatisithu,
Queen Uchokpan was a Sinhalese princess, possibly the daughter of
Parakramabahu I.

Lankan monks

Uchokpan
had come to Bagan with her brother who was appointed as a Minister of
the King. She was made the favoured, though not the chief Queen of
Narapatisithu, as evident from the title she had. Queen Uchokpan’s two
sons, Rajasura and Gangasura, though precluded from succession,
remained for a long time influential figures at the Court, loyal to
Narapatisithu and his successors.

Queen Uchokpan’s nephew was a strong supporter of Sri Lankan monks who established the ‘Sihala Sangha’ there.

But
the political relations were sometimes antagonistic. The Culavamsa
records that the Myanmar King caught sight of a letter addressed to the
King of Cambodia in the hands of the Sinhalese envoys and suspecting
that they were envoys sent to Cambodia (there was also a Sinhalese
princess among them, possibly sent as a bride to a Cambodian prince),
seized them and punished them.

He also immediately stopped Sri
Lanka’s lucrative elephant trade with foreign countries and captured
the elephants, money and vessels of Sinhalese envoys. Later the
conflict was resolved and warm relations were re-established with the
intervention of monks of the two countries.

The
relationship has been mutually beneficial for both countries on many
fronts. It is a good foundation to strengthen the friendship between
the two countries.

With the rise of Asia as the centre of
economic, political and cultural focus in the world, we can together
make Buddhism again the unifying force in Asia as well as across the
new globalised world at a time when Buddhism is being widely spread in
the Western world.

Why should you read a Zen story?

John Suler

Once
there was an old man who lived at the top of a very high and dangerous
precipice. Every morning he would sit at the edge of the cliff and view
the surrounding mountains and forest. One day, after he set himself
down for his usual meditation, he noticed something shiny at the very
bottom of the precipice.

Now even though it was very far below
him, the old man had keen eyes and could just barely make out what it
was. It looked like a rather large, black chest with gold trimmings -
just sitting there atop a rock. “Where did it come from? What could be
inside it?” the old man thought to himself…

Nothing captures
our attention quite like a good story. Long before there was
television, movies, radio, and even books, people told stories as a way
to entertain and educate. Storytelling was as important to prehistoric
cave-dwellers eating antelope around a fire as it is to corporate
executives doing lunch. It’s in our human blood. We love the
development of plot and character, the climax, the resolution, the
vicarious thrill of living and learning through tales of others
sufferings and triumphs.

All
of literature and media is but an extension of the more basic urge to
tell a good story. The advantage of storytelling, though, is that you
do it in person - right there, right in front of people, so you get to
see, hear, and feel their reactions. Unlike books and television,
storytelling is much more interactive and personal. You don’t do it
alone, unless you’re quite psychotic…. but that’s another story.

We
are used to hear Zen and Taoist tales. Why am I suggesting that you
tell these stories to your neighbors? Is it because these are among the
oldest stories in human history and have withstood the test of time? Is
it because Zen and Taoism are ancient religions offering profound
insights into human nature, the cosmos, and spirituality?… Maybe. Or
maybe it’s just because they are fun to tell. Without a doubt, these
stories capture all sorts of truths about life and death. But they are
also witty, entertaining, humorous, and at times puzzling, even
mind-bending.

And
they are not just the secret lessons of monks sequestered away in
mountain monasteries. The ancient teachers intended these stories to be
used by everyone, everywhere. On the train to work, during dinner at a
restaurant, leaning over the backyard fence as you talk to your
neighbor - all of these situations and more lend themselves to these
stories. Once you read and learn a few of them, you will see
opportunities to tell them popping up everywhere with your family,
friends, and coworkers.

Think
of these tales as conversation pieces, as handy tools that you can lift
out of your pocket to help you and others talk, think, and laugh about
the wondrous and mysterious details of this thing we call Life.

For
your storytelling, you need background homework. You need others’
homework. These people may include students from varying walks of life,
your friends and relatives. As you will see, people interpret each
story in very different ways. That’s what makes them so interesting.

You
may have heard some of the tales before and believe you know what they
‘mean’. But if you read these people’s reactions - or tell the stories
to your neighbors and hear their reactions - I think you’ll be amazed
at how these tales strike a different chord in everyone. The stories
have many meanings.Talking about those meanings with your friends and
family can be a truly educational experience.

So read on. Pick out the stories that
sound interesting. Read Zen story books from ‘cover’ to ‘cover’, or at
random, or use the links at the bottom of each story to connect to
other stories with similar themes. There’s no right or wrong way to do
this. Pick the method that works best for you. And perhaps, like the
old man at the top of the precipice, you will see something surprising.