LESSON 30- DHAMMA -NIBBANA -PART I-DHUKKHA -14 -09-2010 FREE ONLINE eNālandā Research and Practice UNIVERSITY
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The teachings of Buddha are eternal, but even then Buddha did not proclaim them to be infallible. The religion of Buddha has the capacity to change according to times, a quality which no other religion can claim to have…Now what is the basis of Buddhism? If you study carefully, you will see that Buddhism is based on reason. There is an element of flexibility inherent in it, which is not found in any other religion.
§ Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar , Indian scholar, philosopher and architect of Constitution of India, in his writing and speeches
I.
KAMMA
REBIRTH
AWAKEN-NESS
BUDDHA
THUS COME ONE
DHAMMA
II.
ARHAT
FOUR HOLY TRUTHS
EIGHTFOLD PATH
TWELVEFOLD CONDITIONED ARISING
BODHISATTVA
PARAMITA
SIX PARAMITAS
III.
SIX SPIRITUAL POWERS
SIX PATHS OF REBIRTH
TEN DHARMA REALMS
FIVE SKANDHAS
EIGHTEEN REALMS
FIVE MORAL PRECEPTS
IV.
MEDITATION
MINDFULNESS
FOUR APPLICATIONS OF MINDFULNESS
LOTUS POSTURE
SAMADHI
CHAN SCHOOL
FOUR JHANAS
FOUR FORMLESS REALMS
V.
FIVE TYPES OF BUDDHIST STUDY AND PRACTICE
MAHAYANA AND HINAYANA COMPARED
PURE LAND
BUDDHA RECITATION
EIGHT CONSCIOUSNESSES
ONE HUNDRED DHARMAS
EMPTINESS
VI.
DEMON
LINEAGE
with
Level I: Introduction to Buddhism
Level II: Buddhist Studies
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Level IV: Once - Returner
Level V: Non-Returner
Level VI: Arhat
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DHAMMA
NIBBANA PART I–Dukkha
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca3/nibbana.html
Nibbana names the transcendent and singularly ineffable freedom that stands as the final goal of all the Buddha’s teachings.
Defined in terms of what it is…
“This is peace, this is exquisite — the resolution of all fabrications, the relinquishment of all acquisitions, the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation; Nibbana.”— AN 3.32
There’s no fire like passion,
no loss like anger,
no pain like the aggregates,
no ease other than peace.
Hunger: the foremost illness.
Fabrications: the foremost pain.
For one knowing this truth
as it actually is,
Unbinding
is the foremost ease.
Freedom from illness: the foremost good fortune.
Contentment: the foremost wealth.
Trust: the foremost kinship.
Unbinding: the foremost ease.
The awakened, constantly
absorbed in jhana,
persevering,
firm in their effort:
they touch Unbinding,
the unexcelled safety
from bondage.
— Dhp 23
…and in terms of what it is not
“There is that dimension where there is neither earth, nor water, nor fire, nor wind; neither dimension of the infinitude of space, nor dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, nor dimension of nothingness, nor dimension of neither perception nor non-perception; neither this world, nor the next world, nor sun, nor moon. And there, I say, there is neither coming, nor going, nor stasis; neither passing away nor arising: without stance, without foundation, without support [mental object]. This, just this, is the end of stress.”
“There is, monks, an unborn — unbecome — unmade — unfabricated. If there were not that unborn — unbecome — unmade — unfabricated, there would not be the case that emancipation from the born — become — made — fabricated would be discerned. But precisely because there is an unborn — unbecome — unmade — unfabricated, emancipation from the born — become — made — fabricated is discerned.”
— Ud 8.3
Where water, earth, fire, & wind have no footing:
There the stars do not shine,
the sun is not visible,
the moon does not appear,
darkness is not found.
And when a sage,
a brahman through sagacity,
has known [this] for himself,
then from form & formless,
from bliss & pain,
he is freed.
— Ud 1.10
One’s first breakthrough to Nibbana puts an end to so much suffering
Then the Blessed One, picking up a little bit of dust with the tip of his fingernail, said to the monks, “What do you think, monks? Which is greater: the little bit of dust I have picked up with the tip of my fingernail, or the great earth?”
“The great earth is far greater, lord. The little bit of dust the Blessed One has picked up with the tip of his fingernail is next to nothing. It’s not a hundredth, a thousandth, a one hundred-thousandth — this little bit of dust the Blessed One has picked up with the tip of his fingernail — when compared with the great earth.”
“In the same way, monks, for a disciple of the noble ones who is consummate in view, an individual who has broken through [to stream-entry], the suffering & stress that is totally ended & extinguished is far greater. That which remains in the state of having at most seven remaining lifetimes is next to nothing: it’s not a hundredth, a thousandth, a one hundred-thousandth, when compared with the previous mass of suffering. That’s how great the benefit is of breaking through to the Dhamma, monks. That’s how great the benefit is of obtaining the Dhamma eye.”< ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” />
— SN 13.1
What happens to one who has fully realized Nibbana?
[Aggivessana Vacchagotta:] “But, Master Gotama, the monk whose mind is thus released: Where does he reappear?”
[The Buddha:] “‘Reappear,’ Vaccha, doesn’t apply.”
“In that case, Master Gotama, he does not reappear.”
“‘Does not reappear,’ Vaccha, doesn’t apply.”
“…both does & does not reappear.”
“…doesn’t apply.”
“…neither does nor does not reappear.”
“…doesn’t apply.”
“How is it, Master Gotama, when Master Gotama is asked if the monk reappears… does not reappear… both does & does not reappear… neither does nor does not reappear, he says, ‘…doesn’t apply’ in each case. At this point, Master Gotama, I am befuddled; at this point, confused. The modicum of clarity coming to me from your earlier conversation is now obscured.”
“Of course you’re befuddled, Vaccha. Of course you’re confused. Deep, Vaccha, is this phenomenon, hard to see, hard to realize, tranquil, refined, beyond the scope of conjecture, subtle, to-be-experienced by the wise. For those with other views, other practices, other satisfactions, other aims, other teachers, it is difficult to know. That being the case, I will now put some questions to you. Answer as you see fit. What do you think, Vaccha: If a fire were burning in front of you, would you know that, ‘This fire is burning in front of me’?”
“…yes…”
“And suppose someone were to ask you, Vaccha, ‘This fire burning in front of you, dependent on what is it burning?’ Thus asked, how would you reply?”
“…I would reply, ‘This fire burning in front of me is burning dependent on grass & timber as its sustenance.’”
“If the fire burning in front of you were to go out, would you know that, ‘This fire burning in front of me has gone out’?”
“…yes…”
“And suppose someone were to ask you, ‘This fire that has gone out in front of you, in which direction from here has it gone? East? West? North? Or south?’ Thus asked, how would you reply?”
“That doesn’t apply, Master Gotama. Any fire burning dependent on a sustenance of grass and timber, being unnourished — from having consumed that sustenance and not being offered any other — is classified simply as ‘out’ (unbound).”
“Even so, Vaccha, any physical form by which one describing the Tathagata would describe him: That the Tathagata has abandoned, its root destroyed, made like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for future arising. Freed from the classification of form, Vaccha, the Tathagata is deep, boundless, hard to fathom, like the sea. ‘Reappears’ doesn’t apply. ‘Does not reappear’ doesn’t apply. ‘Both does & does not reappear’ doesn’t apply. ‘Neither reappears nor does not reappear’ doesn’t apply.
“Any feeling… Any perception… Any mental fabrication…
“Any consciousness by which one describing the Tathagata would describe him: That the Tathagata has abandoned, its root destroyed, made like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for future arising. Freed from the classification of consciousness, Vaccha, the Tathagata is deep, boundless, hard to fathom, like the sea.”
— MN 72
The victory cry of the arahants
“Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world.”
— SN 22.59
The end of samsara
Some are born in the human womb,
evildoers in hell,
those on the good course go
to heaven,
while those without effluent:
totally unbound.
— Dhp 126
See also:
· The Thirty-one Planes of Existence
· (STRESS=Dukkha
· No single English word adequately captures the full depth, range, and subtlety of the crucial Pali term dukkha. Over the years, many translations of the word have been used (”stress,” “unsatisfactoriness,” “suffering,” etc.). Each has its own merits in a given context. There is value in not letting oneself get too comfortable with any one particular translation of the word, since the entire thrust of Buddhist practice is the broadening and deepening of one’s understanding of dukkha until its roots are finally exposed and eradicated once and for all. One helpful rule of thumb: as soon as you think you’ve found the single best translation for the word, think again: for no matter how you describe dukkha, it’s always deeper, subtler, and more unsatisfactory than that.
· The definition
· “Birth is dukkha, aging is dukkha, death is dukkha; sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, & despair are dukkha; association with the unbeloved is dukkha; separation from the loved is dukkha; not getting what is wanted is dukkha. In short, the five clinging-aggregates are dukkha.”
· — SN 56.11
· Sariputta’s elaboration
· [Ven. Sariputta:] “Now what, friends, is the noble truth of stress? Birth is stressful, aging is stressful, death is stressful; sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair are stressful; association with the unbeloved is stressful; separation from the loved is stressful; not getting what is wanted is stressful. In short, the five clinging-aggregates are stressful.
· “And what is birth? Whatever birth, taking birth, descent, coming-to-be, coming-forth, appearance of aggregates, & acquisition of [sense] spheres of the various beings in this or that group of beings, that is called birth.
· “And what is aging? Whatever aging, decrepitude, brokenness, graying, wrinkling, decline of life-force, weakening of the faculties of the various beings in this or that group of beings, that is called aging.
· “And what is death? Whatever deceasing, passing away, breaking up, disappearance, dying, death, completion of time, break up of the aggregates, casting off of the body, interruption in the life faculty of the various beings in this or that group of beings, that is called death.
· “And what is sorrow? Whatever sorrow, sorrowing, sadness, inward sorrow, inward sadness of anyone suffering from misfortune, touched by a painful thing, that is called sorrow.
· “And what is lamentation? Whatever crying, grieving, lamenting, weeping, wailing, lamentation of anyone suffering from misfortune, touched by a painful thing, that is called lamentation.
· “And what is pain? Whatever is experienced as bodily pain, bodily discomfort, pain or discomfort born of bodily contact, that is called pain.
· “And what is distress? Whatever is experienced as mental pain, mental discomfort, pain or discomfort born of mental contact, that is called distress.
· “And what is despair? Whatever despair, despondency, desperation of anyone suffering from misfortune, touched by a painful thing, that is called despair.
· “And what is the stress of association with the unbeloved? There is the case where undesirable, unpleasing, unattractive sights, sounds, aromas, flavors, or tactile sensations occur to one; or one has connection, contact, relationship, interaction with those who wish one ill, who wish for one’s harm, who wish for one’s discomfort, who wish one no security from the yoke. This is called the stress of association with the unbeloved.
· “And what is the stress of separation from the loved? There is the case where desirable, pleasing, attractive sights, sounds, aromas, flavors, or tactile sensations do not occur to one; or one has no connection, no contact, no relationship, no interaction with those who wish one well, who wish for one’s benefit, who wish for one’s comfort, who wish one security from the yoke, nor with one’s mother, father, brother, sister, friends, companions, or relatives. This is called the stress of separation from the loved.
· “And what is the stress of not getting what is wanted? In beings subject to birth, the wish arises, ‘O, may we not be subject to birth, and may birth not come to us.’ But this is not to be achieved by wanting. This is the stress of not getting what is wanted. In beings subject to aging… illness… death… sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair, the wish arises, ‘O, may we not be subject to aging… illness… death… sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair, and may aging… illness… death… sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair not come to us.’ But this is not to be achieved by wanting. This is the stress of not getting what is wanted.
· — MN 141
· A contemporary definition:
· Dukkha is:
· Disturbance, irritation, dejection, worry, despair, fear, dread, anguish, anxiety; vulnerability, injury, inability, inferiority; sickness, aging, decay of body and faculties, senility; pain/pleasure; excitement/boredom; deprivation/excess; desire/frustration, suppression; longing/aimlessness; hope/hopelessness; effort, activity, striving/repression; loss, want, insufficiency/satiety; love/lovelessness, friendlessness; dislike, aversion/attraction; parenthood/childlessness; submission/rebellion; decision/indecisiveness, vacillation, uncertainty.
· — Francis Story in Suffering, in Vol. II of The Three Basic Facts of Existence(Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1983)
· Only dukkha
· “Both formerly & now, it is only dukkha that I describe, and the cessation of dukkha.”
· — SN 22.86
· Three kinds of dukkha
· “There are these three forms of stressfulness, my friend: the stressfulness of pain, the stressfulness of fabrication, the stressfulness of change. These are the three forms of stressfulness.”
· …
· [Jambukhadika the wanderer:] “What is the path, what is the practice for the full comprehension of these forms of stressfulness?”
· “Precisely this Noble Eightfold Path, my friend — right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This is the path, this is the practice for the full comprehension of these forms of stressfulness.”
· — SN 38.14
· See also: First Noble Truth)
GOOD GOVERNANCE
[humanrightsactivist] PILs for deferring Babri verdict filed
PILs for deferring Babri verdict filed
Lucknow: Sep 13, DHNS:
Barely 10 days before the pronouncement of verdict in the Babri Masjid-Ram
Janambhoomi title suits, a spate of public interest litigations (PIL) were
filed in the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Monday for
deferring the judgment and settling the issue through mutual negotiations.
Three PILs were filed before Justice Dharam Veer Sharma, one of the three
judges of the special bench which concluded hearing in the matter and has
said that it will pronounce its judgment on September 24.
The PILs contended that the order of the court might not be accepted by the
party if the judgment went against it.
“Besides it (verdict) may also lead to communal violence and riots in the
country at a time when the country is going to host the Commonwealth Games,”
the PILs contended further.
The PILs may come up for hearing after two other judges of the bench, who
were currently in Allahabad, returned to Lucknow, the lawyers said here on
Monday.
Significantly, the court had also kept alive the chances of an out-of-court
settlement of the vexed issue and held closed door discussions with the
lawyers of the concerned parties in this regard soon after reserving its
verdict in July.
DH News Service
Judges’ security beefed up:
Security of the three judges of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High
Court has been enhanced. According to officials here on Monday, security was
beefed up after one of the three judges wrote a letter to the UP government
seeking special security cover owing to security reasons and also extension
of the allotment of his official residence after his retirement on October 1
next. State home department sources said though only Justice Dharam Veer
Sharma had written the letter, the government has decided to beef up the
security cover of all the three judges.
Massive security for Lucknow Bench ahead of Ayodhya verdict
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Six companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), Central forces and around 1,500 policemen will guard the Allahabad High Court and its Bench in Lucknow ahead of the September 24 verdict on the Babri title suit. Adequate security is also being provided at the residences of three judges who will pronounce the judgment in Lucknow.
Additional Director-General (Law and Order) Brij Lal told journalists here on Monday that security at the Lucknow Bench would be taken care of a Superintendent of Police, six Assistant SPs, 22 Deputy SPs, 17 inspectors, 144 sub-inspectors, 104 head constables and 860 constables.
The Allahabad High Court would have two ASPs, 16 Deputy SPs, six inspectors, 30 sub-inspectors and 200 constables on duty.
Four PAC companies would be deployed in the Allahabad High Court, and two companies in its Lucknow Bench. The deployment of Central forces in Lucknow and Allahabad would begin on their arrival.
The residences of the judges on the Special Bench would be guarded by one platoon each of the PAC. Each judge would be provided one personal security officer and five CRPF jawans, apart from a pilot and an escort. One deputy SP would monitor the security at the judges’ residence.
Mr. Lal said water cannon and fire brigades will be kept in readiness and closed circuit television installed in the court building.