LESSON 87 Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion 13 11 2010 FREE ONLINE eNālandā Research and Practice UNIVERSITY
Awakeness Practices As Found in the Pali Suttas
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Traditionally the are 84,000 Dharma Doors - 84,000 ways to get Awakeness. Maybe so; certainly the Buddha taught a large number of practices that lead to Awakeness. This web page attempts to catalogue those found in the Pali Suttas (DN, MN, SN, AN, Ud & Sn 1). There are 3 sections: |
The discourses of Buddha are divided into 84,000, as to separate addresses. The division includes all that was spoken by Buddha.”I received from Buddha,” said Ananda, “82,000 Khandas, and from the priests 2000; these are 84,000 Khandas maintained by me.” They are divided into 275,250, as to the stanzas of the original text, and into 361,550, as to the stanzas of the commentary. All the discourses including both those of Buddha and those of the commentator, are divided into 2,547 banawaras, containing 737,000 stanzas, and 29,368,000 separate letters.
BUDDHA (EDUCATE)! DHAMMA (MEDITATE)! SANGHA (ORGANISE)!
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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.
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ARHAT
TWELVEFOLD CONDITIONED ARISING
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FOUR APPLICATIONS OF MINDFULNESS
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MAHAYANA AND HINAYANA COMPARED
VI.
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Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta:Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion
translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Alternate translations: Ñanamoli | Harvey | Piyadassi
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Varanasi in the Game Refuge at Isipatana. There he addressed the group of five monks:
“There are these two extremes that are not to be indulged in by one who has gone forth. Which two? That which is devoted to sensual pleasure with reference to sensual objects: base, vulgar, common, ignoble, unprofitable; and that which is devoted to self-affliction: painful, ignoble, unprofitable. Avoiding both of these extremes, the middle way realized by the Tathagata — producing vision, producing knowledge — leads to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding.
“And what is the middle way realized by the Tathagata that — producing vision, producing knowledge — leads to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding? Precisely this Noble Eightfold Path: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This is the middle way realized by the Tathagata that — producing vision, producing knowledge — leads to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding.
“Now this, monks, is the noble truth of stress:[1] 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 this, monks, is the noble truth of the origination of stress: the craving that makes for further becoming — accompanied by passion & delight, relishing now here & now there — i.e., craving for sensual pleasure, craving for becoming, craving for non-becoming.
“And this, monks, is the noble truth of the cessation of stress: the remainderless fading & cessation, renunciation, relinquishment, release, & letting go of that very craving.
“And this, monks, is the noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress: precisely this Noble Eightfold Path — right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
“Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: ‘This is the noble truth of stress.’ Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: ‘This noble truth of stress is to be comprehended.’ Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before:’ This noble truth of stress has been comprehended.’
“Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: ‘This is the noble truth of the origination of stress’… ‘This noble truth of the origination of stress is to be abandoned’ [2] … ‘This noble truth of the origination of stress has been abandoned.’
“Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: ‘This is the noble truth of the cessation of stress’… ‘This noble truth of the cessation of stress is to be directly experienced’… ‘This noble truth of the cessation of stress has been directly experienced.’
“Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: ‘This is the noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress’… ‘This noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress is to be developed’… ‘This noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress has been developed.’ [3]
“And, monks, as long as this — my three-round, twelve-permutation knowledge & vision concerning these four noble truths as they have come to be — was not pure, I did not claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its deities, Maras, & Brahmas, with its contemplatives & priests, its royalty & commonfolk. But as soon as this — my three-round, twelve-permutation knowledge & vision concerning these four noble truths as they have come to be — was truly pure, then I did claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its deities, Maras & Brahmas, with its contemplatives & priests, its royalty & commonfolk. Knowledge & vision arose in me: ‘Unprovoked is my release. This is the last birth. There is now no further becoming.’”
That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the group of five monks delighted at his words. And while this explanation was being given, there arose to Ven. Kondañña the dustless, stainless Dhamma eye: Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.
And when the Blessed One had set the Wheel of Dhamma in motion, the earth devas cried out: “At Varanasi, in the Game Refuge at Isipatana, the Blessed One has set in motion the unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by priest or contemplative, deva, Maraor God or anyone in the cosmos.” On hearing the earth devas’ cry, the devas of the Four Kings’ Heaven took up the cry… the devas of the Thirty-three… the Yama devas… theTusita devas… the Nimmanarati devas… the Paranimmita-vasavatti devas… the devas ofBrahma’s retinue took up the cry: “At Varanasi, in the Game Refuge at Isipatana, the Blessed One has set in motion the unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by priest or contemplative, deva, Mara, or God or anyone at all in the cosmos.”
So in that moment, that instant, the cry shot right up to the Brahma worlds. And this ten-thousand fold cosmos shivered & quivered & quaked, while a great, measureless radiance appeared in the cosmos, surpassing the effulgence of the devas.
Then the Blessed One exclaimed: “So you really know, Kondañña? So you really know?” And that is how Ven. Kondañña acquired the name Añña-Kondañña — Kondañña who knows.
1.
The Pali phrases for the four noble truths are grammatical anomalies. From these anomalies, some scholars have argued that the expression “noble truth” is a later addition to the texts. Others have argued even further that the content of the four truths is also a later addition. Both of these arguments are based on the unproven assumption that the language the Buddha spoke was grammatically regular, and that any irregularities were later corruptions of the language. This assumption forgets that the languages of the Buddha’s time were oral dialects, and that the nature of such dialects is to contain many grammatical irregularities. Languages tend to become regular only when being used to govern a large nation state or to produce a large body of literature: events that happened in India only after the Buddha’s time. (A European example: Italian was a group of irregular oral dialects until Dante fashioned it into a regular language for the sake of his poetry.) Thus the irregularity of the Pali here is no proof either for the earliness or lateness of this particular teaching.
2.
Another argument for the lateness of the expression “noble truth” is that a truth — meaning an accurate statement about a body of facts — is not something that should be abandoned. In this case, only the craving is to be abandoned, not the truth about craving. However, in Vedic Sanskrit — as in modern English — a “truth” can mean both a fact and an accurate statement about a fact. Thus in this case, the “truth” is the fact, not the statement about the fact, and the argument for the lateness of the expression does not hold.
3.
The discussion in the four paragraphs beginning with the phrase, “Vision arose…,” takes two sets of variables — the four noble truths and the three levels of knowledge appropriate to each — and lists their twelve permutations. In ancient Indian philosophical and legal traditions, this sort of discussion is called a wheel. Thus, this passage is the Wheel of Dhamma from which the discourse takes its name.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/06/michelle-obama-india_n_779883.html#s176521
GOOD GOVERNANCE
Press Information Bureau
(C.M. Information Campus)
Information & Public Relations Department, U.P.
Interests of cane farmers most important for State Government
—Hon’ble Chief Minister jiFRP announced by Central Government inadequate
Stern action to be taken against sugar mills not starting crushing on fixed time
Lucknow: 12 November 2010
The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Ms. Mayawati ji has
said that the interests of cane farmers were most important for her
government. She said that her government was of the opinion that the
matters related with the farmers should be decided with their consent
so that there was no dissatisfaction among them and their financial
interests were not affected adversely. She said that her government
was sensitive towards the interests of 40 lakh cane growers of the
State and it was committed to safeguard their interests at all costs.
Hon’ble Chief Minister ji said that keeping the increasing input
costs of sugar cane in mind and also the interests of cane growers, the
cane prices had been revised upwards by Rs. 40 per quintal this year
which was an unprecedented hike. She said that the State Government
had fixed Rs. 210 per quintal price for early variety of sugar cane, Rs.
205 per quintal for general variety and for delayed variety Rs. 200 per
quintal price had been fixed. She said that such a hike for a single
crushing season had never been done either by any other State
Government or by any previous State Government.
Hon’ble Chief Minister ji said that her government was of the
opinion that any dispute involving the sugar cane farmers should be
settled with their consent. She said that the DMs of the cane growing
districts had been directed that they should interact with the Cane
Development Societies of their respective districts and also with the
representatives of the Sugar Mills to ensure that the farmers got some
more encouragement and facilities in addition to the State advisory
price with the consent of societies and mills.
Hon’ble Chief Minister ji said that the State Government, after
announcing the cane prices, had directed all the sugar mills to begin
cane crushing immediately. She said that several sugar mills had
started crushing. She said that the Divisional Commissioners and DMs
had been directed to ensure that crushing work started at the mills
which had not begun the same so far. Owing to this effort, most sugar
mills of western U.P. had issued indent of cane purchase and they
would begin crushing in next 2-3 days. She said that the officers had
been strictly directed to take stringent action against the erring sugar
mills if they do not begin crushing in time. She said that if the sugar
mills begin cane crushing in a timely manner then the farmers would
be able to go for Rabi sowing immediately and their income would
increase.
The Hon’ble Chief Minister ji said that a high level committee had
been set up before deciding the SAP of sugar cane. The committee,
headed by the State Chief Secretary, held discussions with the
representatives of the cane farmers and representatives of the sugar
industry, agriculture economists and various State and Central
institutions related with sugar cane and sugar, to fix the SAP for sugar
cane. She said that the State Government, keeping in mind the
recommendations of the committee for remunerative prices for various
varieties of sugar cane, decided in the favour of cane farmers. She
said that the FRP announced by the Central Government was
inadequate. She said that the Central Government had been requested
time and again that the State Government should also be consulted
while fixing the cane prices. She said that owing to the negative
approach adopted by the Centre, her government decided to fix
adequate SAP in favour of cane growers of the State.
The Hon’ble Chief Minister ji said that considering the availability
of limited resources at its end, her government had made
extraordinary increase of Rs. 25 per quintal in the prices of sugar cane
during the last crushing season. Besides, she said that the
transportation of imported sugar through railway racks all over the
State had been banned. Besides, its processing had also been banned.
The Hon’ble Chief Minister ji said that the cane crop played a
significant role in the prosperity and development of the cane growers.
The sugar industry affected the lives of the people of the State from
various angles. She said that her government would not allow the
sugar mills to play with the interests of the cane farmers and if
anybody showed indifference, then strict action would be initiated
against them.
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