400 LESSON 10 10 2011 Dvejana Sutta Two People
1 and 2
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AN 3.51
PTS: A i 155
Thai III.52; BJT III.52
Dvejana Sutta: Two People
(1)
translated from the Pali
by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
On one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi in Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindika’s
monastery. Then two brahmans β feeble old men, aged, advanced in years, having
come to the last stage of life, 120 years old β went to the Blessed One. On
arrival, they exchanged courteous greetings with him and, after an exchange of
friendly greetings & courtesies, sat to one side. As they were sitting
there, they said to him: “Master Gotama, we are brahmans β feeble old men,
aged, advanced in years, having come to the last stage of life, 120 years old.
And we have done no admirable deeds, no skillful deeds, no deeds that allay our
fears. Teach us, Master Gotama. Instruct us, Master Gotama, for our long-term
benefit & happiness.”
“Indeed, brahmans, you are feeble old men, aged, advanced
in years, having come to the last stage of life, 120 years old. And you have
done no admirable deeds, no skillful deeds, no deeds that allay your fears.
This world is swept away by aging, by illness, by death. With the world thus
swept away by aging, illness, & death, any restraint of body, speech, &
intellect practiced here will be one’s shelter, cave, island, & refuge
after death in the world beyond.”
It’s swept along: life,
its next-to-nothing span. For one swept on by aging no shelters exist. Keeping
sight of this danger in death, do meritorious deeds that bring bliss. Whoever
here is restrained in body, speech, & awareness, who makes merit while he’s
alive: that will be for his bliss after death.
AN 3.52
PTS: A i 156
Thai III.53; BJT III.53
Dvejana Sutta: Two People
(2)
translated from the Pali
by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
On one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi in
Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindika’s monastery. Then two brahmans β feeble old men,
aged, advanced in years, having come to the last stage of life, 120 years old β
went to the Blessed One. On arrival, they exchanged courteous greetings with
him and, after an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies, sat to one
side. As they were sitting there, they said to him: “Master Gotama, we are
brahmans β feeble old men, aged, advanced in years, having come to the last
stage of life, 120 years old. And we have done no admirable deeds, no skillful
deeds, no deeds that allay our fears. Teach us, Master Gotama. Instruct us,
Master Gotama, for our long-term benefit & happiness.”
“Indeed, brahmans, you are feeble old men, aged, advanced
in years, having come to the last stage of life, 120 years old. And you have
done no admirable deeds, no skillful deeds, no deeds that allay your fears.
This world is on fire with aging, illness, & death. With the world thus on
fire with aging, illness, & death, any restraint of body, speech, &
intellect practiced here will be one’s shelter, cave, island, & refuge
after death in the world beyond.”
When a house is on fire,
the vessel salvaged is the one that will be of use, not the one left there to
burn. So when the world is on fire with aging & death, one should salvage
[one’s wealth] by giving: what’s given is well salvaged. Whoever here is
restrained in body, speech, & awareness; who makes merit while he’s alive:
that will be for his bliss after death.
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DOB 592 Valid Cognition Review -
non-credit
Delivery Mode: Online
Course Description:
This self-paced online review
course provides an opportunity to go over the first section
of Classifications of Mind root
text that presents a systematic overview of the Buddhist
epistemological tradition founded
by DignΔga (ca. 5-6th century) and DharmakΔ«rti
(ca. 7th
century). We will review
definitions and classifications of the possible types of mind,
specifically the types of valid and
non-valid cognition.
Prerequisite: DOB 501
Full moon of the seventh month of the lunar year in October is
significant for :
1)
Buddha taught his ignorant mother Abhidhamma.
2)
Baba saheb Dr BR Ambedkar brought back to their own homes, Buddhism,
lakhs of ignorant people.
3)
Manyawar KanshiramJi who said βPeople say that I am a great
thinker is not so. I am a limited thinker. The only task which I have taken is
to move the Caravan to its logical end and to me logical end means to make the
Bahujan Samaj a Ruling Samajβ attained eternal Bliss.
4)
Apple founder Steve Jobs an Icon of Computer Age, a great meditative
and kind Buddhist Innovator attained Ultimate Bliss.
5)
Ms. Maha Mayawati Ji Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and future
Prime Minister of PraBuddha Bharath inaugurates Park in Gautham Buddh Nagar.
All for the ignorant people to come out of darkness to light and
for symbolising the win of truth over falsehood to attain Eternal
Bliss.
Namo Buddhay, Jai
bheem,
Dear All,
My Heartfelt Homage to
Manywar Kanshiram ji, true successor of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar !
On the occasion of 5th
Death Anniversary of Manywar Kanshiram ji, BSP Supporters United Kingdom,
Paying Homage on Sunday, 16th October 2011 at London !
Please find the attached
invitation.
Bahan Mayawatiji Paying
tribute Manyawar Kanshiram ji !
With Immense Metta,
In Mission
Sachin Gholap
(London)
[The
Buddhist Circle] Bahujan Samaj remembers Sahab Kanshiram on his death
anniversary on 9th Oct
The best way to remember and pay respect to all our Social
Revolutionary Mahapurush is to understand and assimilate their thoughts and
deeds and to take a vow to walk on the path shown by them.
Transcript of an interview with Sahab Kanshiram -
QUESTION: Why are you so hostile to
all the national parties, especially the communists?
KANSHI RAM: To my mind, all parties represent the forces of status quo.
For us, politics is the politics of transformation. The existing parties are
the reason for the status quo. That is why there has been no upward mobility
for the backward communities. The communist parties have become the biggest
stumbling block in this regard. They keep talking about change, but work for
status quo. The BJP is better, they never talk about change. So people never
feel duped. Parties like the Congress and communists talk about abolishing
poverty, but work towards keeping people poor. If the poor are not kept poor,
these people cannot remain in their seats.
QUESTION: At the Congress centenary, Arun Singh said your emergence was
not healthy for the national ethos.
KANSHI RAM: He is the grandson of a maharaja who never kept the
interests of the nation in mind. Nationalism to him is feudalism. NATIONALISM
TO ME IS THE MASSES OF INDIA. I BELIEVE IN THE TWO NATION THEORY: THOSE WHO
OPPRESS AND THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED .What does the grandson of a wretched
maharaja know about nationalism? What can we expect from Arun Singh than such
things?
QUESTION: Why is your cadre so hostile to Mahatma Gandhi?
KANSHI RAM: Gandhi is the root of every thing. I want change. Dr.
Ambedkar wanted change. But Gandhi was the custodian of the status quo. He
wanted Shudras to remain Shudras .Gandhi worked to keep the nation divided .We are
working to unite the nation and erase all artificial divisions.
QUESTION: Why has your movement taken so much time to become a
reality?
KANSHI RAM: Upto 1971, I was not so much interested. I was working with
RPI .Then I found I was marching towards a ship that others were deserting .It
took a long time to prepare myself and others . We had to collect a lot of
information, so that we could know how to prepare society and build a cadre.
Preparing society initially took a long time. Now we are moving at a tremendous
speed. Next year when you meet me, you will ask me how we have acquired such a
speed.
QUESTION: How can you abolish caste by floating a casteist party?
KANSHI RAM: The BSP is not a casteist party. If we are uniting 6000
castes, how can you call us casteist?
QUESTION: I believe your party is off-limits to the upper castes.
KANSHI RAM: The upper castes say why not include us. I say you are
leading all the parties. If you join our party, you will blick change here also
.THE UPPER CASTES CAN JOIN THE PARTY, BUT THEY CANNOT BE ITS LEADERS
.LEADERSHIP WILL REMAIN IN THE HANDS OF THE BACKWARD COMMUNITY. My fear is that
these upper caste people will come into our party and block the process of
change .When this fear goes, they can join our party.
QUESTION: What is your constituency?
KANSHI RAM: I REPRESENT THE CONSTITUENCIES OF BABU JAGJIVAN RAM AND
CHAUDHARY CHARAN SINGH. AND MAY BE TO SOME EXTENT, SAYED SHAHABUDDIN.
QUESTION: Politicians we spoke to in Delhi say that if the BSP gets too
belligerent they will finish you politically.
KANSHI RAM: WE WILL FINISH THEM .BECAUSE IF INDIRA CAN BE FINISHED BY A
CHAMAR, ARE THESE FELLOWS GOING TO BE SAVED? WHEN WE ARE 90 PERCENT IN THE
ARMED FORCES, 70 PER CENT IN THE BSF, 50 PER CENT IN THE CRPF AND THE POLICE,
WHO CAN DO INJUSTICE TO US? A GENERAL NEEDS LESS BULLETS COMPARED TO JAWANS
.THEY MAY HAVE GENERALS BUT NO JAWANS.
QUESTION: Are you advocating an eye for an eye?
KANSHI RAM: TWO EYES .I tell my followers Ek Eet Ka Jawab, Do Pathron Se
( you must retaliate for one brick with two stones ) , otherwise you are not my
followers .
QUESTION: So you are propagating
violence.
KANSHI RAM: I am propagating
strength. To curb violence, I must have strength .Other than me, for instance
nobody can crush the Shiv Sena. Any time I come to Maharashtra, I will finish
them .The violence of Shiv Sena will end.
QUESTION: - How will you do
that?
KANSHI RAM: - Who are the members of
the Shiv Sena who burn and destroy? They are four castes: 1. Agari 2. Bhandari
3. Koli 4. Chamar. They are Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and most
backward communities. As soon as I touch the Maharashtra, these people will
instantly come with me.
QUESTION: - What makes you think
that the BSP will not end up like the RPI? Bargaining for power with the ruling
party.
KANSHI RAM: - The RPI never
bargained. It was begging. It never reached the status of bargaining .I
remember in 1971, the party struck an electoral alliance with the Congress to
contest 521 seats .The Congress contested 520 seats, the RPI contested one
seat. I love the RPI, but I hate being compared to it. It is like a cheap
prostitute available at a pittance. As long as I am alive, this will not happen
to the BSP. We want change .We donβt want alliances with the forces of status
quo. If a government cannot be formed without our co-operation, then we
will have our own conditions, for change. We want fundamental and
structural changes, not cosmetic ones.
QUESTION: - There are rumours
that you met Hazi Mastan Mirza at Gonda last November to solicit funds.
KANSHI RAM: - I have never met him
anywhere. I have only seen his photograph .He may be paying other people, but
not us. In fact he is being used against us. If anybody can prove that I have
ever met him, I am prepared to face the highest punishment .Moreover, how much
money Hazi Mastan can have? He is a very small man compared to me, as far as
funds are concerned. If I only have funds like Hazi Mastan, how can I beat the
Congress and other parties? How many crores can he give us?
QUESTION: - THERE IS SOME MYSTREY
ABOUT THE SOURCES OF YOUR FUNDS.
KANSHI RAM: - My funds come from
various sources which will not dry up. My funds come from those people who
produce wealth. The Bahujan Samaj produces wealth. I get my money from them.
Lakhs of my people spend crores going to festivals like the Kumbh Mela to
improve their next birth. I tell them that Kanshi Ram does not know anything
about the next life. But he is an expert in the present life.
Those interested in improving their next life , I tell them ,
must go to the Brahmins on the banks of the Ganga .Those interested in
improving their present life must come to me . So they throng to my meetings.
QUESTION: - There is talk of your
being sponsored by the CIA.
KANSHI RAM: - For so many years this
government has been clapping about it. It distributed lakhs of pamphlets about
this in Bijnore. But the result was that people became furious and could not be
purchased. Babu Ji tried to purchase votes at Rs. 1000 each .But even
those who used to be purchased at Rs.10 turned him down. And if I am a CIA man,
why hasnβt this government taken any action against me? That shows it is a
hijra (eunuch) government.
QUESTION: - They say you spent a
lot of money on the Lucknow rally.
KANSHI RAM: -Rs. 22 lakhs were
spent on hiring the buses alone .But I am angry. It should have been Rs. 22
crores .A time will come when people should spend Rs. 22 crores on my call .I
donβt feel any dearth of money. If money is coming from a treasury, it will be
extinguished. I am getting money from a perennial source of funds. I need only
one crore rupees to win all the 542 parliamentary seats. One day, voters will
queue up to pay money to Kanshi Ram. The next day, they will que up to vote for
Kanshi Ram.
QUESTION: - Some of your party
men have broken away from you.
KANSHI RAM: - You cannot keep all
the people together. Some people may get tired. Some people may be purchased.
Some may become frightened. This will be a permanent feature. It will not
demoralise us. I have created a method where in a given time if 10 people go
away , we will produce 110 people of the same caliber .Whom we dropped as
deadwood , others are trying to pick up and burn a fire .They are trying to use
them against us.
QUESTION: - You reiterate that you
have never taken funds from a foreign source.
KANSHI RAM: - When I went to England
two years ago, some people - there are seven lakh Chamars there - offered me
funds. I decided not to take the money, though Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and
Buta Singh had taken money from the same source - the Guru Ravidass Gurdwara in
Birmingham. They had given to Babu Ji also .I was the only person who didnβt
accept.
QUESTION: - What Kind of change are
you looking for?
KANSHI RAM: - I donβt want
temporary changes. I am not prepared to attain what I cannot sustain .Let us
attain whatever we can, but it must be retained and retained only by permanent
change.
QUESTION: - And when do you intend
to contest elections?
KANSHI RAM: - I will stand when
there are 100 constituencies in India where I can get a walk over.
QUESTION: - How long will that
take?
KANSHI RAM: - Two years at the most.
Help and Self Respect Movement cannot be
built without Self Helpβ.
System Backward and Minority Communities appear to be the victims of the
system. Therefore, the victims of the system must organize themselves to
ameliorate their condition and undo the injustice done to them.
System Backward and Minority Communities appear to be the victims of the
system. Therefore, the victims of the system must organize themselves to
ameliorate their condition and undo the injustice done to them.
itself recognizes the fact that an injustice has been done to the Backward and
Minority Communities over the centuries. Keeping this fact in mind the
provisions have been kept in our Constitution to safeguard the rights and interests
of these communities. The Government may or may not protect the rights and
interests of these communities in spite of the provisions of the Constitution.
It is, therefore, essential for these communities to organize themselves to
protect their own rights and interests. And the educated employees of these
oppressed and exploited sections.
Kanshi Ram
engineering and organisational skills succeeded in uniting India’s Untouchable
(SC/ST)community into a formidable political force in several states.
constituency for himself and his Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
including those who suffered from the emergence of the BSP - acknowledge that
politics in substantial parts of northern India can never been the same again.
politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh (UP).
Congress party in UP can largely be traced back to the Kanshi Ram phenomenon.
Until
the mid-1980s, SC/STs formed the mainstay of the
Congress party’s electoral base in UP, which sends the largest number of MPs to
the national parliament.
This
solid support allowed the party to rule India almost uninterrupted until 1989,
when the BSP of Kanshi Ram prompted many SC/STs to desert the Congress party.
Of course there are other reasons for the
Congress party’s debacle in UP, but the loss of SC/ST support has been a crucial
factor.
The party was not just relegated to the fourth
place in UP, but its strength in the national parliament was also eroded.
was the eldest of eight siblings.
studied up to graduation, and there was nothing in his early years to suggest
that there was a silent political and social revolutionary lurking within.
government job in the western Indian state of Maharashtra that he began to be
influenced by the writings and political philosophy of BR Ambedkar, a social
reformer and architect of free India’s constitution.
India’s Untouchable
(SC/ST)community - particularly
SC/STs- in the run up to the country’s independence.
to organise Dalit SC/ST
government employees to fight against what he saw as the deeply entrenched
prejudice of higher caste people.
decided that he would not marry but dedicate his life to the cause of SC/ST
improvement.
|
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the plunge into active politics.
BSP (the Common Man’s Party) in 1984.
attract national attention even though he was not renowned for his oratorical
skills or for his personal charisma.
strategist and organiser, and used these strengths to carve out a niche for SC.STs
Please SMS the Following:
of the poor who completely changed the rules of Indian politics is remembered
on his Nibbana Day on 9 Oct @11AM@ BSP HO.Pl come with friends
brand of organisational skills succeeded in uniting Bahujan Samaj.Pl attend
with friends on his Nibbana Day on 9Oct@3PM@Binnamangala.
Manyawar
KanshiramJi’s Mahaparinibbana day was celebrated in a grand manner at
Binnamangala at 9AM and at 11AM at BSP Head Quarters.Karnataka BSP
Office Secretary Mr.Chikkana welcomed the gathering, Treasurer
Koramangala Muniappa and President Marasandra Muniappa rendered wonder
speach on Kanshiram Ji.
At the Head Office Dr.Ashok Siddharth and Mr. Marasandra Muniappa spoke.
399 LESSON 09 10 2011
Dvedhavitakka Sutta Two
Sorts of Thinking
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MN 19
PTS: M i 114
Dvedhavitakka Sutta: Two
Sorts of Thinking
translated from the Pali
by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
I have
heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Savatthi,
in Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindika’s monastery. There he
addressed the monks: “Monks!”
“Yes,
lord,” the monks replied.
The
Blessed One said, “Monks, before my self-awakening, when I was still just
an unawakened Bodhisatta, the thought occurred to me: ‘Why don’t I keep
dividing my thinking into two sorts?’ So I made thinking imbued with sensuality,
thinking imbued with ill will, & thinking imbued with harmfulness one sort,
and thinking imbued with renunciation, thinking imbued with non-ill will, &
thinking imbued with harmlessness another sort.
“And
as I remained thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, thinking imbued with
sensuality arose. I discerned that ‘Thinking imbued with sensuality has arisen
in me; and that leads to my own affliction or to the affliction of others or to
the affliction of both. It obstructs discernment, promotes vexation, & does
not lead to Unbinding.’
“As
I noticed that it leads to my own affliction, it subsided. As I noticed that it
leads to the affliction of others… to the affliction of both… it obstructs
discernment, promotes vexation, & does not lead to Unbinding, it subsided.
Whenever thinking imbued with sensuality had arisen, I simply abandoned it,
destroyed it, dispelled it, wiped it out of existence.
“And
as I remained thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, thinking imbued with ill
will arose. I discerned that ‘Thinking imbued with ill will has arisen in me;
and that leads to my own affliction or to the affliction of others or to the
affliction of both. It obstructs discernment, promotes vexation, & does not
lead to Unbinding.’
“As
I noticed that it leads to my own affliction, it subsided. As I noticed that it
leads to the affliction of others… to the affliction of both… it obstructs
discernment, promotes vexation, & does not lead to Unbinding, it subsided.
Whenever thinking imbued with ill will had arisen, I simply abandoned it,
destroyed it, dispelled it, wiped it out of existence.
“And
as I remained thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, thinking imbued with
harmfulness arose. I discerned that ‘Thinking imbued with harmfulness has
arisen in me; and that leads to my own affliction or to the affliction of
others or to the affliction of both. It obstructs discernment, promotes
vexation, & does not lead to Unbinding.’
“As
I noticed that it leads to my own affliction, it subsided. As I noticed that it
leads to the affliction of others… to the affliction of both… it obstructs
discernment, promotes vexation, & does not lead to Unbinding, it subsided.
Whenever thinking imbued with harmfulness had arisen, I simply abandoned it,
destroyed it, dispelled it, wiped it out of existence.
“Whatever a monk keeps pursuing with his thinking &
pondering, that becomes the inclination of his awareness. If a monk keeps
pursuing thinking imbued with sensuality, abandoning thinking imbued with
renunciation, his mind is bent by that thinking imbued with sensuality. If a
monk keeps pursuing thinking imbued with ill will, abandoning thinking imbued
with non-ill will, his mind is bent by that thinking imbued with ill will. If a
monk keeps pursuing thinking imbued with harmfulness, abandoning thinking
imbued with harmlessness, his mind is bent by that thinking imbued with
harmfulness.
“Just as in the last month of the Rains, in the autumn season
when the crops are ripening, a cowherd would look after his cows: He would tap
& poke & check & curb them with a stick on this side & that.
Why is that? Because he foresees flogging or imprisonment or a fine or public
censure arising from that [if he let his cows wander into the crops]. In the
same way I foresaw in unskillful qualities drawbacks, degradation, &
defilement, and I foresaw in skillful qualities rewards related to renunciation
& promoting cleansing.
“And
as I remained thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, thinking imbued with
renunciation arose. I discerned that ‘Thinking imbued with renunciation has arisen
in me; and that leads neither to my own affliction, nor to the affliction of
others, nor to the affliction of both. It fosters discernment, promotes lack of
vexation, & leads to Unbinding. If I were to think & ponder in line
with that even for a night… even for a day… even for a day & night, I
do not envision any danger that would come from it, except that thinking &
pondering a long time would tire the body. When the body is tired, the mind is
disturbed; and a disturbed mind is far from concentration.’ So I steadied my
mind right within, settled, unified, & concentrated it. Why is that? So
that my mind would not be disturbed.
“And
as I remained thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, thinking imbued with
non-ill will arose. I discerned that ‘Thinking imbued with non-ill will has
arisen in me; and that leads neither to my own affliction, nor to the
affliction of others, nor to the affliction of both. It fosters discernment,
promotes lack of vexation, & leads to Unbinding. If I were to think &
ponder in line with that even for a night… even for a day… even for a day
& night, I do not envision any danger that would come from it, except that
thinking & pondering a long time would tire the body. When the body is
tired, the mind is disturbed; and a disturbed mind is far from concentration.’
So I steadied my mind right within, settled, unified, & concentrated it.
Why is that? So that my mind would not be disturbed.
“And
as I remained thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, thinking imbued with
harmlessness arose. I discerned that ‘Thinking imbued with harmlessness has
arisen in me; and that leads neither to my own affliction, nor to the
affliction of others, nor to the affliction of both. It fosters discernment,
promotes lack of vexation, & leads to Unbinding. If I were to think &
ponder in line with that even for a night… even for a day… even for a day
& night, I do not envision any danger that would come from it, except that
thinking & pondering a long time would tire the body. When the body is tired,
the mind is disturbed; and a disturbed mind is far from concentration.’ So I
steadied my mind right within, settled, unified, & concentrated it. Why is
that? So that my mind would not be disturbed.
“Whatever
a monk keeps pursuing with his thinking & pondering, that becomes the
inclination of his awareness. If a monk keeps pursuing thinking imbued with
renunciation, abandoning thinking imbued with sensuality, his mind is bent by
that thinking imbued with renunciation. If a monk keeps pursuing thinking
imbued with non-ill will, abandoning thinking imbued with ill will, his mind is
bent by that thinking imbued with non-ill will. If a monk keeps pursuing
thinking imbued with harmlessness, abandoning thinking imbued with harmfulness,
his mind is bent by that thinking imbued with harmlessness.
“Just as in the last month of the hot season, when all the
crops have been gathered into the village, a cowherd would look after his cows:
While resting under the shade of a tree or out in the open, he simply keeps
himself mindful of ‘those cows.’ In the same way, I simply kept myself mindful
of ‘those mental qualities.’
“Unflagging
persistence was aroused in me, and unmuddled mindfulness established. My body
was calm & unaroused, my mind concentrated & single. Quite withdrawn
from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful mental qualities, I entered &
remained in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal,
accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. With the stilling of directed
thoughts & evaluations, I entered & remained in the second jhana:
rapture & pleasure born of composure, unification of awareness free from
directed thought & evaluation β internal assurance. With the fading of
rapture I remained in equanimity, mindful & alert, and physically sensitive
of pleasure. I entered & remained in the third jhana, of which the Noble
Ones declare, ‘Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding.’ With the
abandoning of pleasure & pain β as with the earlier disappearance of
elation & distress β I entered & remained in the fourth jhana: purity
of equanimity & mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain.
“When the mind was thus
concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilement, pliant,
malleable, steady, & attained to imperturbability, I directed it to the knowledge
of recollecting my past lives. I recollected my manifold past lives, i.e.,
one birth, two… five, ten… fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred
thousand, many eons of cosmic contraction, many eons of cosmic expansion, many
eons of cosmic contraction & expansion: ‘There I had such a name, belonged
to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of
pleasure & pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I
re-arose there. There too I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such
an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure & pain,
such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose here.’ Thus I
remembered my manifold past lives in their modes & details.
“This
was the first knowledge I attained in the first watch of the night. Ignorance
was destroyed; knowledge arose; darkness was destroyed; light arose β as
happens in one who is heedful, ardent, & resolute.
“When
the mind was thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilement,
pliant, malleable, steady, & attained to imperturbability, I directed it to
the knowledge of the passing away & reappearance of beings. I saw β
by means of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the human β beings
passing away & re-appearing, and I discerned how they are inferior &
superior, beautiful & ugly, fortunate & unfortunate in accordance with
their kamma: ‘These beings β who were endowed with bad conduct of body, speech
& mind, who reviled the Noble Ones, held wrong views and undertook actions
under the influence of wrong views β with the break-up of the body, after
death, have re-appeared in the plane of deprivation, the bad destination, the
lower realms, in hell. But these beings β who were endowed
with good conduct of body, speech, & mind, who did not revile the Noble
Ones, who held right views and undertook actions under the influence of right
views β with the break-up of the body, after death, have re-appeared in the
good destinations, in the heavenly world.’ Thus β by means
of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the human β I saw beings passing
away & re-appearing, and I discerned how they are inferior & superior,
beautiful & ugly, fortunate & unfortunate in accordance with their
kamma.
“This
was the second knowledge I attained in the second watch of the night. Ignorance
was destroyed; knowledge arose; darkness was destroyed; light arose β as
happens in one who is heedful, ardent, & resolute.
“When
the mind was thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of
defilement, pliant, malleable, steady, & attained to imperturbability, I
directed it to the knowledge of the ending of the mental fermentations.
I discerned, as it had come to be, that ‘This is stress… This is the
origination of stress… This is the cessation of stress… This is the way
leading to the cessation of stress… These are fermentations… This is the
origination of fermentations… This is the cessation of fermentations… This
is the way leading to the cessation of fermentations.’ My heart, thus knowing,
thus seeing, was released from the fermentation of sensuality, released from
the fermentation of becoming, released from the fermentation of ignorance. With
release, there was the knowledge, ‘Released.’ I discerned that ‘Birth is ended,
the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this
world.’
“This
was the third knowledge I attained in the third watch of the night. Ignorance
was destroyed; knowledge arose; darkness was destroyed; light arose β as
happens in one who is heedful, ardent, & resolute.
“Suppose, monks, that in a forested wilderness there were a large
low-lying marsh, in dependence on which there lived a large herd of deer; and a
certain man were to appear, not desiring their benefit, not desiring their
welfare, not desiring their rest from bondage. He would close off the safe,
restful path that led to their rapture, and would open up a false path, set out
a male decoy, place a female decoy, and thus the large herd of deer, at a later
time, would fall into ruin & disaster. Then suppose that a certain man were
to appear to that same large herd of deer, desiring their benefit, desiring
their welfare, desiring their rest from bondage. He would open up the safe,
restful path that led to their rapture, would close off the false path, take
away the male decoy, destroy the female decoy, and thus the large herd of deer,
at a later time, would come into growth, increase, & abundance.
“I
have given this simile in order to convey a meaning. The meaning is this: ‘The
large, low-lying marsh’ is a term for sensual pleasures. ‘The large herd of
deer’ is a term for beings. ‘The man not desiring their benefit, not desiring
their welfare, not desiring their rest from bondage’ is a term for Mara, the
Evil One. ‘The false path’ is a term for the eightfold wrong path, i.e., wrong
view, wrong resolve, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong
effort, wrong mindfulness, & wrong concentration. ‘The male decoy’ is a
term for passion & delight. ‘The female decoy’ is a term for ignorance. ‘The
man desiring their benefit, desiring their welfare, desiring their rest from
bondage’ is a term for the Tathagata, the Worthy One, the Rightly Self-awakened
One. ‘The safe, restful path that led to their rapture’ is a term for the noble
eightfold path, i.e., right view, right resolve, right speech, right action,
right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, & right concentration.
“So,
monks, I have opened up the safe, restful path, closed off the false path,
removed the male decoy, destroyed the female. Whatever a teacher should do β
seeking the welfare of his disciples, out of sympathy for them β that have I
done for you. Over there are the roots of trees; over there, empty dwellings.
Practice jhana, monks. Don’t be heedless. Don’t later fall into regret. This is
our message to you.”
That is
what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the monks delighted in the Blessed One’s
words.
See
also: AN 4.259
DOB 591 Clear Thinking Review - non-credit
Delivery Mode: Online
Course Description:
This self-paced online review course
provides an opportunity to go over the first section
of the Collected Topics root text
that gives the definitions and classifications of knowable
objects. We will also review elementary
debate skills, such as asking for definitions,
equivalents and classifications, as
well as the four types of logical relationships between
two phenomena.
Prerequisite: DOB 502