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(104) LESSON 2760 Sun 30 Sep 2018 (104) 2759 & Sat 29 Sep 2018 K (100) Vipassanā Fellowship 10 week ourses begin:Sat 29 Sep 2007 Do Good Be Mindful - Awakened One with Awareness (AOA) Always be Calm, Quiet, Alert and Attentive and have an Equanimity Mind with a Clear Understanding that Everything is Changing - that is Vipassana (Insight) Meditation that brings Eternal Bliss as a Final Goal. As we begin our journey togetherSangha-The Quest for Awakening-MAHA BODHI SOCIETY-Questionnaire No 4 and Answers of First Year Diploma Course conducted by Mahabodhi Academy for Pali and Buddhist Studies
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(104) LESSON 

2760 Sun 30 Sep 2018

(104) 2759 & Sat 29 Sep 2018
K (100) Vipassanā Fellowship

10 week ourses begin:Sat 29 Sep 2007 Do Good Be Mindful - Awakened One with Awareness (AOA)

Always be Calm, Quiet, Alert and Attentive and have an Equanimity
Mind with a Clear Understanding that Everything is Changing - that is
Vipassana (Insight) Meditation that brings Eternal Bliss as a Final
Goal.

As we begin our journey together

Dear Jagatheesan

Welcome to the September 2018 session and the first day of our meditation
course. It is good to have you with us and I hope you will enjoy the experience.

There’s new material every day on the course site so it is best if you can visit
each day. The most important thing is to begin a daily practice and I hope
that the daily material will provide clear guidance and some encouragement as
we work together through these 10 weeks. You can contact me by e-mail at any
time if there are issues that arise from your sittings or if you have questions
about the practices. There’s also a searchable database called “In Practice” that
has questions and replies from some earlier courses. The most frequent basic
questions are probably already featured there.

My advice for the course is to work steadily but gently. Don’t feel that everything
has to be mastered immediately; much of this is the foundation for a lifetime of
developing practice rather than a quick fix. It is hoped that the course will stretch
everyone a little whether you are new to meditation or a seasoned veteran. We
work in different ways, over the weeks, and some methods will come easier to
some people than others. You may well be surprised by the approaches that suit
you best. Try to work in an open-minded and inquisitive way - and just see what
happens. This is a process of exploration rather than a submission to particular
dogmas. We do provide enough of the doctrinal context to help you begin to see
how the various elements form part of a consistent path but there is certainly no
need to swap one cherished belief for another. Gentle but regular engagement
with your meditation practice will produce positive results and useful challenges,
over time. It is the practice that matters.

We sent the access details for the course by e-mail, earlier, and I hope they
arrived. If you don’t seem to have received them please check your spam folder
(particularly if you use one of the web mail services) and contact us if you need it
to be re-sent. We can send it to an alternative address if you prefer.

I hope the course will be of great benefit to you. I look forward to getting to know
you in the coming weeks.

(Please note that all course support requests must be sent to csupport@vipassana.com
rather than any of our other addresses. This is a priority address that ensures your
message will be seen in a timely way.)

With metta,

Andrew

Sangha



The Quest for Awakening



Before my Awakening, when I was still an unawakened Bodhisatta, being subject myself to birth, aging, illness, death, sorrow, and defilement, I sought [happiness in] what was subject to birth, aging, illness, death, sorrow, and defilement. The thought occurred to me: “Why am I, being subject myself to birth… defilement, seeking what is subject to birth… defilement? What if I… were to seek the unborn, unaging, unailing, undying, sorrowless, undefiled, unsurpassed security from bondage: Unbinding.”

So at a later time, when I was still young, black-haired, endowed with the blessings of youth in the first stage of life, I shaved off my hair and beard — though my parents wished otherwise and were grieving with tears on their faces — and I put on the ochre robe and went forth from the home life into homelessness.

Having gone forth in search of what might be skillful, seeking the unexcelled state of sublime peace, I went to where Alara Kalama was staying and, on arrival, said to him: “I want to practice in this doctrine and discipline.”

When this was said, he replied to me, “You may stay here. This doctrine is such that a wise person can soon enter and dwell in his own teacher’s knowledge, having realized it for himself through direct knowledge.”

I quickly learned the doctrine. As far as mere lip-reciting and repetition, I could speak the words of knowledge, the words of the elders, and I could affirm that I knew and saw — I, along with others.

I thought: “It isn’t through mere conviction alone that Alara Kalama declares, ‘I have entered and dwell in this Dhamma, having realized it directly for myself.’ Certainly he dwells knowing and seeing this Dhamma.” So I went to him and said, “To what extent do you declare that you have entered and dwell in this Dhamma?” When this was said, he declared the dimension of nothingness.

I thought: “Not only does Alara Kalama have conviction, persistence, mindfulness, concentration, and discernment. I, too, have conviction, persistence, mindfulness, concentration, and discernment. Suppose I were to endeavor to realize for myself the Dhamma that Alara Kalama declares he has entered and dwells in…” So it was not long before I entered and dwelled in that Dhamma, having realized it for myself through direct knowledge. I went to him and said, “Friend Kalama, is this the extent to which you have entered and dwell in this Dhamma, having realized it for yourself through direct knowledge?”

“Yes…”

“This is the extent to which I, too, have entered and dwell in this Dhamma, having realized it for myself through direct knowledge.”

“It is a gain for us, a great gain for us, that we have such a companion in the holy life… As I am, so are you; as you are, so am I. Come friend, let us now lead this community together.”

In this way did Alara Kalama, my teacher, place me, his pupil, on the same level with himself and pay me great honor. But the thought occurred to me, “This Dhamma leads not to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to stilling, to direct knowledge, to Awakening, nor to Unbinding, but only to reappearance in the dimension of nothingness.” So, dissatisfied with that Dhamma, I left.

 



“Now, Aggivessana, these three similes — spontaneous, never before heard — appeared to me. Suppose there were a wet, sappy piece of timber lying in the water, and a man were to come along with an upper fire-stick, thinking, ‘I’ll light a fire. I’ll produce heat.’ Now what do you think? Would he be able to light a fire and produce heat by rubbing the upper fire-stick in the wet, sappy timber lying in the water?”

“No, Master Gotama…”

“So it is with any priest or contemplative who does not live withdrawn from sensuality in body and mind, and whose desire, infatuation, urge, thirst, and fever for sensuality is not relinquished and stilled within him: Whether or not he feels painful, racking, piercing feelings due to his striving [for Awakening], he is incapable of knowledge, vision, and unexcelled self-awakening…

“Then a second simile — spontaneous, never before heard — appeared to me. Suppose there were a wet, sappy piece of timber lying on land far from water, and a man were to come along with an upper fire-stick, thinking, ‘I’ll light a fire. I’ll produce heat.’ Now what do you think? Would he be able to light a fire and produce heat by rubbing the upper fire-stick in the wet, sappy timber lying on land?”

“No, Master Gotama…”

“So it is with any priest or contemplative who lives withdrawn from sensuality in body only, but whose desire, infatuation, urge, thirst, and fever for sensuality is not relinquished and stilled within him: Whether or not he feels painful, racking, piercing feelings due to his striving, he is incapable of knowledge, vision, and unexcelled self-awakening…

“Then a third simile — spontaneous, never before heard — appeared to me. Suppose there were a dry, sapless piece of timber lying on land far from water, and a man were to come along with an upper fire-stick, thinking, ‘I’ll light a fire. I’ll produce heat.’ Now what do you think? Would he be able to light a fire and produce heat by rubbing the upper fire-stick in the dry, sapless timber lying on land?”

“Yes, Master Gotama…”

“So it is with any priest or contemplative who lives withdrawn from sensuality in body and mind, and whose desire, infatuation, urge, thirst, and fever for sensuality is relinquished and stilled within him: Whether or not he feels painful, racking, piercing feelings due to his striving, he is capable of knowledge, vision, and unexcelled self-awakening…

“I thought: ‘Suppose that I, clenching my teeth and pressing my tongue against the roof of my mouth, were to beat down, constrain, and crush my mind with my awareness’… So, just as if a strong man, seizing a weaker man by the head or the throat or the shoulders would beat him down, constrain and crush him, in the same way I beat down, constrained, and crushed my mind with my awareness. As I did so, sweat poured from my armpits. But although tireless persistence was aroused in me, and unmuddled mindfulness established, my body was aroused and uncalm because of the painful exertion. But the painful feeling that arose in this way did not invade my mind or remain.

“I thought: ‘Suppose I were to become absorbed in the trance of non-breathing.’ So I stopped the in-breaths and out-breaths in my nose and mouth. As I did so, there was a loud roaring of winds coming out my earholes, just like the loud roar of winds coming out of a smith’s bellows… So I stopped the in-breaths and out-breaths in my nose and mouth and ears. As I did so, extreme forces sliced through my head, just as if a strong man were slicing my head open with a sharp sword… Extreme pains arose in my head, just as if a strong man were tightening a turban made of tough leather straps around my head… Extreme forces carved up my stomach cavity, just as if a butcher or his apprentice were to carve up the stomach cavity of an ox… There was an extreme burning in my body, just as if two strong men, grabbing a weaker man by the arms, were to roast and broil him over a pit of hot embers. But although tireless persistence was aroused in me, and unmuddled mindfulness established, my body was aroused and uncalm because of the painful exertion. But the painful feeling that arose in this way did not invade my mind or remain.

“Devas, on seeing me, said, ‘Gotama the contemplative is dead.’ Other devas said, ‘He isn’t dead, he’s dying.’ Others said, ‘He’s neither dead nor dying, he’s an arahant, for this is the way arahants live.’

“I thought: ‘Suppose I were to practice going altogether without food.’ Then devas came to me and said, ‘Dear sir, please don’t practice going altogether without food. If you go altogether without food, we’ll infuse divine nourishment in through your pores, and you will survive on that.’ I thought, ‘If I were to claim to be completely fasting while these devas are infusing divine nourishment in through my pores, I would be lying.’ So I dismissed them, saying, ‘Enough.’

“I thought: ‘Suppose I were to take only a little food at a time, only a handful at a time of bean soup, lentil soup, vetch soup, or pea soup.’ So I took only a little food at a time, only handful at a time of bean soup, lentil soup, vetch soup, or pea soup. My body became extremely emaciated. Simply from my eating so little, my limbs became like the jointed segments of vine stems or bamboo stems… My backside became like a camel’s hoof… My spine stood out like a string of beads… My ribs jutted out like the jutting rafters of an old, run-down barn… The gleam of my eyes appeared to be sunk deep in my eye sockets like the gleam of water deep in a well… My scalp shriveled and withered like a green bitter gourd, shriveled and withered in the heat and the wind… The skin of my belly became so stuck to my spine that when I thought of touching my belly, I grabbed hold of my spine as well; and when I thought of touching my spine, I grabbed hold of the skin of my belly as well… If I urinated or defecated, I fell over on my face right there… Simply from my eating so little, if I tried to ease my body by rubbing my limbs with my hands, the hair — rotted at its roots — fell from my body as I rubbed…

“I thought: ‘Whatever priests or contemplatives in the past have felt painful, racking, piercing feelings due to their striving, this is the utmost. None have been greater than this. Whatever priests or contemplatives in the future… in the present are feeling painful, racking, piercing feelings due to their striving, this is the utmost. None is greater than this. But with this racking practice of austerities I have not attained any superior human state, any distinction in knowledge or vision worthy of the noble ones. Could there be another path to Awakening?’

“I thought: ‘I recall once, when my father the Sakyan was working, and I was sitting in the cool shade of a rose-apple tree, then — quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful mental qualities — I entered and remained in the first jhana: rapture and pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought and evaluation. Could that be the path to Awakening?’ Then, following on that memory, came the realization: ‘That is the path to Awakening… So why am I afraid of that pleasure that has nothing to do with sensuality, nothing to do with unskillful mental qualities?’ I thought: ‘I am no longer afraid of that pleasure… but it is not easy to achieve that pleasure with a body so extremely emaciated…’ So I took some solid food: some rice and porridge. Now five monks had been attending on me, thinking, ‘If Gotama, our contemplative, achieves some higher state, he will tell us.’ But when they saw me taking some solid food — some rice and porridge — they were disgusted and left me, thinking, ‘Gotama the contemplative is living luxuriously. He has abandoned his exertion and is backsliding into abundance.’

“So when I had taken solid food and regained strength, then — quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful mental qualities, I entered and remained in the first jhana: rapture and pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought and evaluation. But the pleasant feeling that arose in this way did not invade my mind or remain. With the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, I entered and remained in the second jhana: rapture and pleasure born of composure, unification of awareness free from directed thought and evaluation — internal assurance… With the fading of rapture I remained in equanimity, mindful and alert, and physically sensitive of pleasure. I entered and remained in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare, ‘Equanimous and mindful, he has a pleasurable abiding.’… With the abandoning of pleasure and pain — as with the earlier disappearance of elation and distress — I entered and remained in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity and mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain. But the pleasant feeling that arose in this way did not invade my mind or remain.

“When the mind was thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilement, pliant, malleable, steady, and 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 and 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 and 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 and 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 and 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 — as happens in one who is heedful, ardent, and resolute. But the pleasant feeling that arose in this way did not invade my mind or remain.

“When the mind was thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilement, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, I directed it to the knowledge of the passing away and reappearance of beings. I saw — by means of the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human — beings passing away and re-appearing, and I discerned how they are inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate in accordance with their kamma: ‘These beings — who were endowed with bad conduct of body, speech, and mind, who reviled the noble ones, held wrong views and undertook actions under the influence of wrong views — 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 — who were endowed with good conduct of body, speech and mind, who did not revile the noble ones, who held right views and undertook actions under the influence of right views — with the break-up of the body, after death, have re-appeared in the good destinations, in the heavenly world.’ Thus — by means of the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human — I saw beings passing away and re-appearing, and I discerned how they are inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and 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 — as happens in one who is heedful, ardent, and resolute. But the pleasant feeling that arose in this way did not invade my mind or remain.

“When the mind was thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilement, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, I directed it to the knowledge of the ending of the mental effluents (asava). 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 effluents… This is the origination of effluents… This is the cessation of effluents… This is the way leading to the cessation of effluents.’ My heart, thus knowing, thus seeing, was released from the effluent of sensuality, released from the effluent of becoming, released from the effluent 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 — as happens in one who is heedful, ardent, and resolute. But the pleasant feeling that arose in this way did not invade my mind or remain.”

 



Through the round of many births
without reward,
without rest,
seeking the house builder.
Painful is birth again
and again.
	
House builder, you’re seen!
You will not build a house again.
All your rafters broken,
the ridge pole destroyed,
gone to the Unformed, the mind
has attained the end of craving.

MAHA BODHI SOCIETY-Questionnaire No 4 and Answers of First Year Diploma Course conducted by Mahabodhi Academy for Pali and Buddhist Studies

1.Write clearly in Pali and English the Dhamma Vandana Gatha. Explain the meaning as you understand it.



Svaakkhato Bhagavataa Dhamma, sandditthiko, akaaliko,



ehipassiko, opanayiko, paccattam veditabbo vinnuhiti.



Namo tassa niyyaanikassa Dhammassa!



Ya ca Dhammaa atitaaca,



Ya ca Dhammaa anaagataa



Paccuppannaa ca ye Dhammaa,



Aham Vandaami sabbadaa



Natthi me saranam annam



Dhammo me saranam varam



Etena Saccavajjene,



Hoto me jayamangalam



Uttamangena Vandeham



Dhammanca tividham varam



Dhamme yo Khalito doso,



Dhammo khamatu tam mamam



Dhamam yaava nibbaanapariyantam



Saranam gacchaami

The Teaching is perfectly enunciated by the Blessed One; it is verifiable here and now, and bears immediate fruit; it invites all the test for themselves, leads one onward to Nibbana and is to be experienced by the wise for himself.



Reverential salutation to the Noble Teaching, leading



onwards to deliverance.



The Noble Teachings of the past (Buddhas),



The Noble Teachings of the future (Buddhas),



The Noble Teachings of the Buddhas of present (aeon),



Humbly do I ever worship.



There is no other refuge for me.



The Noble Teaching is my Supreme Refuge,



By this avowal of Truth,



May joyous victory be mine!



With my brow do I worship the most exce;;ent threefold



Teaching



If the Teaching I have transgressed in any way,



May my error the mighty Dhamma deign forgive.



I go to sacred Teaching for refuge,



Till deliverance is attained.

Kindly visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlQtxa0KHnA






Buddhism - Pali Chantings {Salutations to Doctrine}



 

http://www.buddhanet.net/audio-chant.htm



Mp3 06-chant-06.mp3
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Dhamma Vandana - Homage to the Doctrine.

http://www.geocities.com/ssdahampasala/


Dhamma: the characteristics of purity, radiance and peace which arise from morality, concentration and wisdom

Svakkhato bhagavata dhammo
Dhammam namassami.

The Dhamma well-expounded by the Exalted One
I bow low before the Dhamma.

To the Way to Awakenment I go for refuge

The Three Refuges

When people ask, “Who is really a Buddhist?” the answer will be, “One who has accepted the Three Refuges” — Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, as his shelter and guiding ideal.”

So now that we have paid our respects to the Teacher, it is usual for Buddhists to continue by affirming their Refuge in Awakenment (bodhi) in three aspects: the Buddha, the rediscoverer of Awakenment; the Dhamma, the way to that Awakenment; and the Sangha, those who are practicing that way have discovered Awakenment for themselves. That which has the nature of the Unsurpassed Perfect Awakenment, unconfused and brilliant with the qualities of Great Compassion, Purity and Wisdom, that is a secure refuge. So we recite this sure refuge as a reminder every day:

To the Awakened One I go for refuge.
To the Way to Awakenment I go for refuge,
To the Awakened Community I go for refuge.

For the second time to the Awakened One I go for refuge.
For the second time to the Way Awakenment I go for refuge.
For the second time to the Awakened Community I go for refuge.

For the third time to the Awakened One I go for refuge.
For the third time to the Way to Awakenment I go for refuge.
For the third tome to the Awakened Community I go for refuge.

There is a reason for repeating each refuge three times. The mind is often distracted and if words are spoken or chanted at that time then it is as though they have not been spoken at all. There is no strong intention behind them and one’s Going for Refuge will be like that of a parrot. Repeating words three times is common in many Buddhist ceremonies (such as ordination) and ensures that the mind is concentrated during at least one repetition.

When one has gone for refuge and so affirmed that one is following the way taught by the Buddha, then it is time to remind oneself of the basic moral precepts for daily conduct.



Dhamma sadhu, kiyam cu dhamme ti?
Apasinave, bahu kayane, daya, dane, sace, socaye.

Dhamma is good, but what constitutes Dhamma?
(It includes) little evil, much good, kindness,
generosity, truthfulness and purity.

King Asoka

2. Enumerate the qualities of the Dhamma and write the significance of each quality.

Dhammam saranam gacchami:
I go to the Dhamma for refuge.

There are three levels to the Dhamma, the teachings of the Buddha —



A. Pariyatti: studying the words of the Buddha as recorded in the Canon — the Discipline, the Discourses, and the Abhidhamma.

B. Patipatti: following the practice of moral virtue, concentration, and discernment as derived from one’s study of the Canon.

C. Pativedha: Liberation.

A. The study of the Dhamma can be done in any of three ways —



1 Alagaddupama-pariyatti: studying like a water viper.

2 Nissaranattha-pariyatti: studying for the sake of emancipation.

3 Bhandagarika-pariyatti: studying to be a storehouse keeper.

Studying like a water viper means to study the words of the Buddha without then putting them into practice, having no sense of shame at doing evil, disobeying the monastic code, making oneself like a poisonous snake-head, full of the fires of greed, anger, and delusion.

Studying for the sake of emancipation means to study the Buddha’s teachings out of a desire for merit and wisdom, with a sense of conviction and high regard for their worth — and then, once we have reached an understanding, bringing our thoughts, words, and deeds into line with those teachings with a high sense of reverence and respect. To try to bring the Buddha’s teachings into line with ourselves is the wrong approach — because, for the most part, we are full of defilements, cravings, views, and conceits. If we act in this way we are bound to be more at fault than those who try to bring themselves into line with the teachings: Such people are very hard to find fault with.

Studying to be a storehouse keeper refers to the education of people who no longer have to be trained, i.e., of arahants, the highest level of the Noble Ones. Some arahants, when they were still ordinary, run-of-the-mill people, heard the Dhamma directly from the Buddha once or twice and were able immediately to reach the highest attainment. This being the case, they lacked a wide-ranging knowledge of worldly conventions and traditions; and so, with an eye to the benefit of other Buddhists, they were willing to undergo a certain amount of further education. This way of studying the Dhamma is called ’sikkha-garavata’: respect for the training.

B. The practice of the Dhamma means to conduct oneself in line with the words of the Buddha as gathered under three headings:



— Virtue: proper behavior, free from vice and harm, in terms of one’s words and deeds.

— Concentration: intentness of mind, centered on one of the themes of meditation, such as the breath.

— Discernment: insight and circumspection with regard to all fashioned things, i.e., physical properties, aggregates, and sense media.

To conduct oneself in this manner is termed practicing the Dhamma. By and large, though, Buddhists tend to practice the Dhamma in a variety of ways that aren’t in line with the true path of practice. If we were to classify their ways of practice, there would be three:



1 Lokadhipateyya — putting the world first.
2 Attadhipateyya — putting the self first.
3 Dhammadhipateyya — putting the Dhamma first.

To put the world first means to practice for the sake of such worldly rewards as prestige, material gains, praise, and sensual pleasures. When we practice this way, we are actually torturing ourselves, because undesirable things are bound to occur: Having attained prestige, we can lose it. Having acquired material gains, we can lose them. Having received praise, we can receive censure. Having experienced pleasure, we can see it disintegrate. Far from the paths, fruitions, and nibbana, we torture ourselves by clinging to these things as our own.

To put the self first means to practice in accordance with our own opinions, acting in line with whatever those opinions may be. Most of us tend to side with ourselves, getting stuck on our own views and conceits because our study of the Dhamma hasn’t reached the truth of the Dhamma, and so we take as our standard our own notions, composed of four forms of personal bias —



a Chandagati: doing whatever we feel like doing.

b Bhayagati: fearing certain forms of power or authority, and thus not daring to practice the Dhamma as we truly should. (We put certain individuals first.)

c Dosagati: acting under the power of anger, defilement, craving, conceits, and views.

d Mohagati: practicing misguidedly, not studying or searching for what is truly good; assuming that we’re already smart enough, or else that we’re too stupid to learn; staying buried in our habits with no thought of extracting ourselves from our sensual pleasures.

All of these ways of practice are called ‘putting the self first.’

To put the Dhamma first means to follow the Noble Eightfold Path —



a. Right View: seeing that there really is good, there really is evil, there really is stress, that stress has a cause, that it disbands, and that there is a cause for its disbanding.

b. Right Resolve: thinking of how to rid ourselves of whatever qualities we know to be wrong and immoral, i.e., seeing the harm in sensual desires in that they bring on suffering and stress.

c. Right Speech: speaking the truth; not saying anything divisive or inciteful; not saying anything coarse or vulgar in situations where such words would not be proper; not saying anything useless. Even though what we say may be worthwhile, if our listener isn’t interested then our words would still count as useless.

d. Right Action: being true to our duties, not acting in ways that would be corrupt or bring harm to ourselves or others.

e. Right Livelihood: obtaining wealth in ways that are honest, searching for it in a moral way and using it in a moral way.

f. Right Effort: persisting in ridding ourselves of all that is wrong and harmful in our thoughts, words, and deeds; persisting in giving rise to what would be good and useful to ourselves and others in our thoughts, words, and deeds, without a thought for the difficulty or weariness involved; acting persistently so as to be a mainstay to others (except in cases that are beyond our control).

g. Right Mindfulness: being mindful and deliberate, making sure not to act or speak through the power of inattention or forgetfulness, making sure to be constantly mindful in our thoughts (being mindful of the four frames of reference).

h. Right Concentration: keeping the mind centered and resilient. No matter what we do or say, no matter what moods may strike the heart, the heart keeps its poise, firm and unflinching in the four levels of jhana.

These eight factors can be reduced to three — virtue, concentration, and discernment — called the middle way, the heart of the Buddha’s teachings. The ‘middleness’ of virtue means to be pure in thought, word, and deed, acting out of compassion, seeing that the life of others is like your own, that their possessions are like your own, feeling benevolence, loving others as much as yourself. When ‘you’ and ‘they’ are equal in this way, you are bound to be upright in your behavior, like a well-balanced burden that, when placed on your shoulders, doesn’t cause you to tip to one side or the other. But even then you are still in a position of having to shoulder a burden. So you are taught to focus the mind on a single preoccupation: This can be called ‘holding in your hands’ — i.e., holding the mind in the middle — or concentration.

The middleness of concentration means focusing on the present, not sending your thoughts into the past or future, holding fast to a single preoccupation (anapanaka-jhana, absorption in the breath).

As for the middleness of discernment: No matter what preoccupations may come passing by, you are able to rid yourself of all feelings of liking or disliking, approval or rejection. You don’t cling, even to the one preoccupation that has arisen as a result of your own actions. You put down what you have been holding in your hands; you don’t fasten onto the past, present or future. This is release.

When our virtue, concentration, and discernment are all in the middle this way, we’re safe. Just as a boat going down the middle of a channel, or a car that doesn’t run off the side of the road, can reach its destination without beaching or running into a tree; so too, people who practice in this way are bound to reach the qualities they aspire to, culminating in the paths and fruitions leading to nibbana, which is the main point of the Buddha’s teachings.

So in short, putting the Dhamma first means to search solely for purity of mind.

C. The attainment of the Dhamma refers to the attainment of the highest quality, nibbana. If we refer to the people who reach this attainment, there are four sorts —



1 Sukha-vipassako: those who develop just enough tranquillity and discernment to act as a basis for advancing to liberating insight and who thus attain nibbana having mastered only asavakkhaya-ñana, the knowledge that does away with the fermentation of defilement.

2 Tevijjo: those who attain the three skills.

3 Chalabhiñño: those who attain the six intuitive powers.

4 Catuppatisambhidappatto: those who attain the four forms of acumen.

To explain sukha-vipassako (those who develop insight more than tranquillity): Vipassana (liberating insight) and asavakkhaya-ñana (the awareness that does away with the fermentation of defilement) differ only in name. In actuality they refer to the same thing, the only difference being that vipassana refers to the beginning stage of insight, and asavakkhaya-ñana to the final stage: clear and true comprehension of the four Noble Truths.

To explain tevijjo: The three skills are —



a Pubbenivasanussati-ñana: the ability to remember past lives — one, two, three, four, five, ten, one hundred, one thousand, depending on one’s powers of intuition. (This is a basis for proving whether death is followed by rebirth or annihilation.)

b Cutupapata-ñana: knowledge of where living beings are reborn — on refined levels or base — after they die.

c Asavakkhaya-ñana: the awareness that enables one to do away with the fermentations in one’s character (sensuality, states of being, ignorance).

To explain chalabhiñño: The six intuitive powers are —



a Iddhividhi: the ability to display miracles — becoming invisible, walking on a dry path through a body of water, levitating, going through rain without getting wet, going through fire without getting hot, making a crowd of people appear to be only a few, making a few to appear many, making oneself appear young or old as one likes, being able to use the power of the mind to influence events in various ways.

b Dibbasota: clairaudience; the ability to hear far distant sounds, beyond ordinary human powers.

c Cetopariya-ñana: the ability to know the thoughts of others.

d Pubbenivasanussati-ñana: the ability to remember previous lives.

e Dibba-cakkhu: clairvoyance; the ability to see far distant objects, beyond ordinary human powers. Some people can even see other levels of being with their clairvoyant powers (one way of proving whether death is followed by rebirth or annihilation, and whether or not there really are other levels of being).

f Asavakkhaya-ñana: the awareness that does away with the fermentation of defilement.

To explain catuppatisambhidappatto: The four forms of acumen are —



a Attha-patisambhida: acumen with regard to the sense of the Doctrine and of matters in general, knowing how to explain various points in line with their proper meaning.

b Dhamma-patisambhida: acumen with regard to all mental qualities.

c Nirutti-patisambhida: acumen with regard to linguistic conventions. (This can include the ability to know the languages of living beings in general.)

d Patibhana-patisambhida: acumen in speaking on the spur of the moment, knowing how to answer any question so as to clear up the doubts of the person asking (like the Venerable Nagasena).

This ends the discussion of the virtues of the four classes of people — called arahants — who have reached the ultimate quality, nibbana. As for the essence of what it means to be an arahant, though, there is only one point — freedom from defilement: This is what it means to attain the Dhamma, the other virtues being simply adornment.

The three levels of Dhamma we have discussed are, like the Buddha, compared to jewels: There are many kinds of jewels to choose from, depending on how much wealth — discernment — we have.

All of the qualities we have mentioned so far, to put them briefly so as to be of use, come down to this: Practice so as to give rise to virtue, concentration, and discernment within yourself. Otherwise, you won’t have a refuge or shelter. A person without the qualities that provide refuge and shelter is like a person without a home — a delinquent or a vagrant — who is bound to wander shiftlessly about. Such people are hollow inside, like a clock without any workings: Even though it has a face and hands, it can’t tell anyone where it is, what time it is, or whether it’s morning, noon, or night (i.e., such people forget that they are going to die).

People who aren’t acquainted with the Dhamma within themselves are like people blind from birth: Even though they are born in the world of human beings, they don’t know the light of the sun and moon that enables human beings to see. They get no benefit from the light of the sun and moon or the light of fire; and being blind, they then go about proclaiming to those who can see, that there is no sun, no moon, and no brightness to the world. As a result, they mislead those whose eyes are already a little bleary. In other words, some groups say that the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha don’t exist, that they were invented to fool the gullible.

Now, the Dhamma is something subtle and fine, like the fire-potential (tejas) that exists in the air or in various elements and that, if we have enough common sense, can be drawn out and put to use. But if we’re fools, we can sit staring at a bamboo tube [a device for starting fire that works on the same principle as the diesel engine] from dawn to dusk without ever seeing fire at all. Anyone who believes that there is no Buddha, Dhamma, or Sangha, no series of paths or fruitions leading to nibbana, no consciousness that experiences death and rebirth, is like the fool sitting and staring at the bamboo tube.

Here I would like to tell a story as an allegory of those who aren’t acquainted with the Dhamma. There once was a man living in the woods who, with his five sons, started growing crops in a clearing about a mile from their home village. He built a small shack at the clearing and would often take his sons to stay there. One morning he started a fire in the shack and told his sons to look after the fire, for he was going out to hunt for food in the forest. ‘If the fire goes out,’ he told them, ‘get some fire from my bamboo tube and start it up again.’ Then he set out to search for food for his sons.

After he had left, his sons got so wrapped up in their play that when they finally took a look at the fire, they found that it was completely out. So they had the first son go get some fire to start it up again. The first son walked over and tried knocking on the bamboo tube but didn’t see any fire. So they had the second son get some fire from the tube: He opened it up but didn’t see any fire inside. All he saw were two bamboo chips but he didn’t know what to do with them. So the third son came over for a look and, since he didn’t see any fire, he took a knife to cut the tube in half but still didn’t see any fire. The fourth son went over and, seeing the two halves lying there, shaved them down into thin strips to find the fire in them but didn’t see any fire at all.

Finally the fifth son went over to look for fire, but before he went he said to his brothers, ‘What’s the matter with you guys that you can’t get any fire from the bamboo tube? What a bunch of fools you are! I’ll go get it myself.’ With that, he went to look at the bamboo tube and found it split into strips lying in pile. Realizing what his brothers had done, and thinking, ‘What a bunch of hare-brains,’ he reached for a mortar and pestle and ground up the bamboo strips to find the fire in them. By the time he ran out of strength, he had ground them into a powder, but he still hadn’t found any fire. So he snuck off to play by himself.

Eventually, toward noon, the father returned from the forest and found that the fire had gone out. So he asked his sons about it, and they told him how they had looked for fire in the bamboo tube without finding any. ‘Idiots,’ he thought, ‘they’ve taken my fire-starter and pounded it to bits. For that, I won’t fix them any food. Let ‘em starve!’ As a result, the boys didn’t get anything to eat the entire day.

Those of us who aren’t acquainted with the brightness of the Dhamma — ‘Dhammo padipo’ — lying within us, who don’t believe that the Dhamma has value for ourselves and others, are lacking in discernment, like the boys looking for fire in the bamboo tube. Thus we bring about our own ruin in various ways, wasting our lives: born in darkness, living in darkness, dying in darkness, and then reborn in more darkness all over again. Even though the Dhamma lies within us, we can’t get any use from it and thus will suffer for a long time to come, like the boys who ruined their father’s fire-starter and so had to go without food.

The Dhamma lies within us, but we don’t look for it. If we hope for goodness, whether on a low or a high level, we’ll have to look here, inside, if we are to find what is truly good. But before we can know ourselves in this way, we first have to know — through study and practice — the principles taught by the Buddha.

Recorded Dhamma (pariyatti dhamma) is simply one of the symbols of the Buddha’s teachings. The important point is to actualize the Dhamma through the complete practice of virtue, concentration, and discernment. This is an essential part of the religion, the part that forms the inner symbol of all those who practice rightly and well. Whether the religion will be good or bad, whether it will prosper or decline, depends on our practice, not on the recorded doctrine, because the recorded doctrine is merely a symbol. So if we aim at goodness, we should focus on developing our inner quality through the Dhamma of practice (patipatti dhamma). As for the main point of Buddhism, that’s the Dhamma of attainment (pativedha dhamma), the transcendent quality: nibbana.

3. Can the Dhamma as proclaimed by the Buddha be called a religious doctrine, or a philosophy, or is it a spiritual path i.e., a way of life that each seeker should adhere to at all times? If you think it is a way of life to be lead every day, how have you tried doing it yourself? It would be good to share your experience with others.
Is Buddhism a religion or a philosophy?

The Buddha referred to his teachings simply as Dhamma-vinaya — “the doctrine and discipline” — but for centuries people have tried to categorize the teachings in various ways, trying to fit them into the prevailing molds of cultural, philosophical, and religious thought. Buddhism is an ethical system — a way of life — that leads to a very specific goal and that possesses some aspects of both religion and philosophy:

It is a philosophy.
Like most philosophies, Buddhism attempts to frame the complexities of human existence in a way that reassures us that there is, in fact, some underlying order to the Universe. In the Four Noble Truths the Buddha crisply summarizes our predicament: there is suffering, it has a cause, it has an end, and there is a way to reach the end. The teachings on kamma provide a thorough and logically self-consistent description of the nature of cause-and-effect. And even the Buddhist view of cosmology, which some may at first find farfetched, is a logical extension of the law of kamma. According to the Dhamma, a deep and unshakable logic pervades the world.
It is not a philosophy.
Unlike most philosophical systems, which rely on speculation and the power of reason to arrive at logical truths, Buddhism relies on the direct observation of one’s personal experience and on honing certain skills in order to gain true understanding and wisdom. Idle speculation has no place in Buddhist practice. Although studying in the classroom, reading books, and engaging in spirited debate can play a vital part in developing a cognitive understanding of basic Buddhist concepts, the heart of Buddhism can never be realized this way. The Dhamma is not an abstract system of thought designed to delight the intellect; it is a roadmap to be used, one whose essential purpose is to lead the practitioner to the ultimate goal, nibbana.
It is a religion.
At the heart of each of the world’s great religions lies a transcendent ideal around which its doctrinal principles orbit. In Buddhism this truth is nibbana, the hallmark of the cessation of suffering and stress, a truth of utter transcendence that stands in singular distinction from anything we might encounter in our ordinary sensory experience. Nibbana is the sine qua non of Buddhism, the guiding star and ultimate goal towards which all the Buddha’s teachings point. Because it aims at such a lofty transcendent ideal, we might fairly call Buddhism a religion.
It is not a religion.
In stark contrast to the world’s other major religions, however, Buddhism invokes no divinity, no supreme Creator or supreme Self, no Holy Spirit or omniscient loving God to whom we might appeal for salvation.1 Instead, Buddhism calls for us to hoist ourselves up by our own bootstraps: to develop the discernment we need to distinguish between those qualities within us that are unwholesome and those that are truly noble and good, and to learn how to nourish the good ones and expunge the bad. This is the path to Buddhism’s highest perfection, nibbana. Not even the Buddha can take you to that goal; you alone must do the work necessary to complete the journey:

“Therefore, Ananda, be islands unto yourselves, refuges unto yourselves, seeking no external refuge; with the Dhamma as your island, the Dhamma as your refuge, seeking no other refuge.”

Daily training myself to practice of the Dhamma  to conduct myself in line with the words of the Buddha to be Virtuous with proper behavior, free from vice and harm, in terms of my words and deeds.



To train my mind for Concentration: intentness of mind, centered on one of the themes of meditation, such as the breath.

To train my mind for Discernment: insight and circumspection with regard to all fashioned things, i.e., physical properties, aggregates, and sense media.

To conduct myself in this manner I feel is termed practicing the Dhamma by putting the Dhamma first.


To put the Dhamma first means to follow the Noble Eightfold Path —



a. Right View: seeing that there really is good, there really is evil, there really is stress, that stress has a cause, that it disbands, and that there is a cause for its disbanding.

b. Right Resolve: thinking of how to rid ourselves of whatever qualities we know to be wrong and immoral, i.e., seeing the harm in sensual desires in that they bring on suffering and stress.

c. Right Speech: speaking the truth; not saying anything divisive or inciteful; not saying anything coarse or vulgar in situations where such words would not be proper; not saying anything useless. Even though what we say may be worthwhile, if our listener isn’t interested then our words would still count as useless.

d. Right Action: being true to our duties, not acting in ways that would be corrupt or bring harm to ourselves or others.

e. Right Livelihood: obtaining wealth in ways that are honest, searching for it in a moral way and using it in a moral way.

f. Right Effort: persisting in ridding ourselves of all that is wrong and harmful in our thoughts, words, and deeds; persisting in giving rise to what would be good and useful to ourselves and others in our thoughts, words, and deeds, without a thought for the difficulty or weariness involved; acting persistently so as to be a mainstay to others (except in cases that are beyond our control).

g. Right Mindfulness: being mindful and deliberate, making sure not to act or speak through the power of inattention or forgetfulness, making sure to be constantly mindful in our thoughts (being mindful of the four frames of reference).

h. Right Concentration: keeping the mind centered and resilient. No matter what we do or say, no matter what moods may strike the heart, the heart keeps its poise, firm and unflinching in the four levels of jhana.

These eight factors can be reduced to three — virtue, concentration, and discernment — called the middle way, the heart of the Buddha’s teachings. The ‘middleness’ of virtue means to be pure in thought, word, and deed, acting out of compassion, seeing that the life of others is like your own, that their possessions are like your own, feeling benevolence, loving others as much as yourself. When ‘you’ and ‘they’ are equal in this way, you are bound to be upright in your behavior, like a well-balanced burden that, when placed on your shoulders, doesn’t cause you to tip to one side or the other. But even then you are still in a position of having to shoulder a burden. So you are taught to focus the mind on a single preoccupation: This can be called ‘holding in your hands’ — i.e., holding the mind in the middle — or concentration.

The middleness of concentration means focusing on the present, not sending your thoughts into the past or future, holding fast to a single preoccupation (anapanaka-jhana, absorption in the breath).

As for the middleness of discernment: No matter what preoccupations may come passing by, you are able to rid yourself of all feelings of liking or disliking, approval or rejection. You don’t cling, even to the one preoccupation that has arisen as a result of your own actions. You put down what you have been holding in your hands; you don’t fasten onto the past, present or future. This is release.

When our virtue, concentration, and discernment are all in the middle this way, we’re safe. Just as a boat going down the middle of a channel, or a car that doesn’t run off the side of the road, can reach its destination without beaching or running into a tree; so too, people who practice in this way are bound to reach the qualities they aspire to, culminating in the paths and fruitions leading to nibbana, which is the main point of the Buddha’s teachings.

So in short, putting the Dhamma first means to search solely for purity of mind.

4. What do you think of the five Buddhist precepts (Panca Sila) ? If you are parcticing what are the benefits you derive? Please elaborate.

 



Panca Sila

Pãnãti-pãtã
veramani sikkhã padam samãdiyãmi
Adinnã-dãnã
veramani sikkhã padam samãdiyãmi
Kãmesu micchã-cãrã
veramani sikkhã padam samãdiyãmi
Musãvãdã
veramani sikkhã padam samãdiyãmi
Surã meraya-majja-pamã-datthãnã
veramani sikkhã padam samãdiyãmi

I take the precept to
abstain from destroying living beings.
I take the precept to
abstain from taking things not given.
I take the precept to
abstain from sexual misconduct.
I take the precept to
abstain from false speech.
I take the precept to
abstain from taking anything that causes
intoxication or heedlessness.

By my daily training of my mind to practice Panca Sila I have realised that they are

Five faultless gifts

“There are these five gifts, five great gifts — original, long-standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated, unadulterated from the beginning — that are not open to suspicion, will never be open to suspicion, and are unfaulted by knowledgeable contemplatives & priests. Which five?

 

As a disciple of the noble ones, abandoning the taking of life, abstains from taking life. In doing so, I have dervived freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings. In giving freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings,I gain a share in limitless freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, and freedom from oppression. This is the first gift, the first great gift — original, long-standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated, unadulterated from the beginning — that is not open to suspicion, will never be open to suspicion, and is unfaulted by knowledgeable contemplatives & priests…

“Furthermore, abandoning taking what is not given (stealing), as a true disciple of the noble ones I train my mind to abstain from taking what is not given. In doing so, it gives freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings. In giving freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings, I gain a share in limitless freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, and freedom from oppression. This is the second gift…

“Furthermore, abandoning illicit sex, as a true disciple of the noble ones I train my my mind to abstain from illicit sex. In doing so, it gives freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings. In giving freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings, I gain a share in limitless freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, and freedom from oppression. This is the third gift…

“Furthermore, abandoning lying, as a true disciple of the noble ones I train my mind to abstain from lying. In doing so, it gives freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings. In giving freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings,I gain a share in limitless freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, and freedom from oppression. This is the fourth gift…

“Furthermore, abandoning the use of intoxicants, as a true disciple of the noble ones I train my mind to abstain from taking intoxicants. In doing so, it gives freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings. In giving freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings, he gains a share in limitless freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, and freedom from oppression. This is the fifth gift, the fifth great gift — original, long-standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated, unadulterated from the beginning — that is not open to suspicion, will never be open to suspicion, and is unfaulted by knowledgeable contemplatives & priests. And this is the eighth reward of merit, reward of skillfulness, nourishment of happiness, celestial, resulting in happiness, leading to heaven, leading to what is desirable, pleasurable, & appealing; to welfare & to happiness.”

5. How many types of Badhisattas are there ? Eloborate on each of them.

6.What differentiates one type from the other?

The names of 28 Buddhas
Sanskrit name Pāli name
1 Tṛṣṇaṃkara Tanhankara
2 Medhaṃkara Medhankara
3 Śaraṇaṃkara Saranankara
4 Dīpankara Dīpankara  Life span 1,00,000 years

Dipankara (Sanskrit and Pali Dīpaṃkara, “Lamp bearer”; Chinese 燃燈佛 (pinyin Rándēng Fo); Tibetan mi slob; Mongolian Jula-yin Jokiyaγči, Dibangkara, Nepal Bhasa: दिपंखा Dipankha) one of the Buddhas of the past, said to have lived on Earth one hundred thousand years.

Theoretically, the number of Buddhas having existed is enormous and they are often collectively known under the name of “Thousand Buddhas”. Each was responsible for a life cycle. According to some Buddhist traditions, Dipankara (also Dipamkara) was a Buddha who reached enlightenment eons prior to Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha. Generally, Buddhists believe that there has been a succession of many Buddhas in the distant past and that many more will appear in the future; Dipankara, then, would be one of numerous previous Buddhas, while Shakyamuni was the most recent, and Maitreya will be the next Buddha in the future.
5 Kauṇḍinya Kondañña Life span 1,00,000 years
6 Maṃgala Mangala Life span 90,000 years
7 Sumanas Sumana Life span 90,000 years
8 Raivata Revata Life span 60,000 years
9 Śobhita Sobhita Life span 90,000 years
10 Anavamadarśin Anomadassi Life span 1,00,000 years
11 Padma Paduma Life span 1,00,000 years
12 Nārada Nārada Life span 90,000 years
13 Padmottara Padumuttara Life span 1,00,000 years
14 Sumedha Sumedha Life span 90,000 years
15 Sujāta Sujāta Life span 90,000 years
16 Priyadarśin Piyadassi Life span 90,000 years
17 Arthadarśin Atthadassi Life span 1,00,000 years
18 Dharmadarśin Dhammadassi Life span 1,00,000 years
19 Siddhārtha Siddhattha Life span 1,00,000 years
20 Tiṣya Tissa Life span 1,00,000 years
21 Puṣya Phussa Life span 90,000 years
22 Vipaśyin Vipassi Life span 80,000 years
23 Śikhin Sikhi Life span 70,000 years
24 Viśvabhū Vessabhū Life span 60,000 years
25 Krakucchanda

Kakusandha Life span 40,000 years In Buddhist tradition, Kakusandha (Pāli, 拘留孙佛 Ch.) is the name of the twenty-fifth Buddha, the first of the five Buddhas of the present era, and the fourth of the seven ancient Buddhas. In the Buddhist texts in Sanskrit, this Buddha is known as Krakucchanda. In Tibetan, he is known as Khorvadjig.
26 Kanakamuni Konāgamana Life span 30,000 years
27 Kāśyapa Kassapa Life span 20,000 years

In Buddhist tradition, Kassapa (Pāli) is the name of a Buddha, the third of the five Buddhas of the present aeon (the Bhaddakappa or ‘Fortunate Aeon’), and the sixth of the six Buddhas prior to the historical Buddha mentioned in the earlier parts of the Pali Canon(D.ii.7). In the Buddhist texts in Sanskrit, this Buddha is known as Kāśyapa.
28 Gautama Gotama Life Span 80/100

Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from Ancient India and the founder of Buddhism.[1] He is generally recognized by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddha (Sammāsambuddha) of our age. The time of his birth and death are uncertain: most early 20th-century historians date his lifetime from circa 563 BCE to 483 BCE; more recently, however, at a specialist symposium on this question,[2] the majority of those scholars who presented definite opinions gave dates within 20 years either side of 400 BCE for the Buddha’s death, with minorities supporting earlier or later dates.

Gautama, also known as Sakyamuni or Shakyamuni (“sage of the Shakyas”), is the key figure in Buddhism, and accounts of his life, discourses, and monastic rules were summarized after his death and memorized by the sangha. Passed down by oral tradition, the Tripitaka, the collection of discourses attributed to Gautama, was committed to writing about 400 years later.

7. Write an essay on the life of the Bodhisatta Sumeda Pandita.

8. How many perfections a Bodhisatta must fulfil to become a Buddha?

9. Write an essay on ten Paaramis.

10. Explain the difference between an ordinary act of daanaa (giving) and an act of daanpaarami (perfection of giving)

Dasaparamita( The ten perfections)

Introduction

Here Parama means the noblest, highest, or most excel-lent. Therefore Paramitas are the most excellent virtues, or the noblest qualities of the Bodhisattas. In other words Paramitas are the line of conduct or the Pre-requisites for Awakenment.

These ten virtues should be practised by every Buddhist who wishes to attain Nibbana - the final Emancipation, through any Yana or vehicle. Nibbana can be reached through one of the following three Yanas:

l. Samma Sam Buddhahood 2. Pacceka Buddhahood 3. Arahantship

SAMMA SAM BUDDHA

Every Buddhist has a freedom to choose one for himself from the above mentioned three Yanas which is suitable for him according to his temperaments and intellectual capacity in order to attain Nibbana. Here Samma Sam Buddha means fully Awakenment One, the Perfert One, the Holy One, the Omnisrient.

In this world, the appearance of a Samma Sam Buddha is a very rare chance. In comparison with the other Yanas, it is an extremely difficult one. A person who aspires to become a Buddha, at first, should make a firm mental resolution and verbal expression for his object in the presence of the Buddhas. Then he must receive the proclamation or nomination from a Buddha who will publicly declare him to become a Samma Sam Buddha in the future.

Our Buddha, when he was born as Sumedha Pandit, four Asankheyyas and one hundred thousand, 1 Kalpas-aeons ago, received the assurance from the Buddha Dipankara that he would undoubtedly become a Buddha in future.

Thus becoming a fully entitled Bodhisatta, he renounced his personal salvation, began to practise the ten perfertions, with the self-sacrificing spirit to serve the suffering humanity and finally became Samma Sam Buddha.

PACCEKA BUDDHA

The second Yana, to reach Nibbana is Parceka Buddha-hood. Pacceka Buddha is one who attains Awakenment without any spiritual assistance from outside sources. He does not possess the faculty to enlighten others. During the dispensation of a Samma Sam Buddha, Pacceka Buddhas do not appear. Only one Samma Sam Buddha arises at a time but several Pacceka Buddhas can appear at the same time. To become a Pacceka Buddha, one should practise ten perfections for a number of Kalpas.

ARAHANT

The third Yana to reach Nibbana is the Arahantship. This path is comparatively an easy one, and it is open to both men and women. Arahant is the one who has completely eradicated all the defilement including the ten fetters and the one who is worthy of offerings and reverence. As he has attained the ultimate realization, he is also capable to render the spiritual assistance to others for their liberation. Therefore the attainment of Nibbana through even this Yana cannot be regarded as selfish ideal.

To become an Arahant, one should have to fulfil the ten perfection for many series of births.

Dana-charity (First paramita-First perfection)

‘Dana’ literally means giving or offering one’s possessions with pure mind for the welfare of others. The one of the main objects of ‘Dana’ is to subdue the immoral thought of selfishness, miserliness or excessive craving which creates suffering in Samsara.

Another object is to develop the meritorious thoughts of selflessness, doing service to others. A real donor does not expect anything - name, reputation or even the word of ‘Thank’, in return from the recipient. He does not look down on the recipient as his debtor for the service he has rendered. He does not give through fear or shame and never repents for his charity. He gives voluntarily, realizing the Kamma and Vipaka - the cause and effect.

Naturally, as the result of his noble deeds of charity, he will enjoy a happy, fortunate and prosperous life, wherever he will be reborn in Samsara and this perfection of generosity leads him towards the final Emancipation.

Illustration from VESSANTARA JATAKA
THE STORY OF KING VESSANTARA

Once, our Bodhisatta (Sakyamuni Gotama Buddha when he was a Bodhisatta) was conceived in the womb of Queen Phusati, the Chief Consort of King Sanjaya. During her pregnancy, Queen Phusati had a strong desire to do charity. Accordingly, the King ordered six alms-halls (Dana Sala) to be built and everyday the Queen gave alms to Monks, the poor and beggars, spending six hundred thousand Kahapanas.

After ten months, the Queen gave birth to a son and he was named Vessantara and wonderful things happened on that day. When the infant Prince asked for gifts to practise charity the Queen handed over to him a purse containing one thousand Kahapanas. At the same time, a female elephant brought a white baby elephant to the Palace and left it in the Royal stable. This was considered a good omen.

The King appointed sixty nurses to look after the Prince and he made a necklace worth a thousand Kahapanas for the Prince who was then only five years old. The Prince who had a strong desire to practise charity, gave his valuable necklace to a nurse. In this way the King made nine necklaces and each time the Prince gave it away.

At the age of sixteen, Prince Vessantara having mastered all sciences, married a beautiful Princess Maddi Devi. When he was proclaimed King of Sivi, he practised charity to the highest state of perfection. He also built six alms-halls and spent six hundred thousand Kahapanas as charity a day. They led a happy married life and later had a son - Jali and a daughter - Kanhajina.

In the Kingdom of Kalinga, there was a great famine and severe drought. The citizens requested that the white elephant of King Vessantara, considered of good omen, be brought to Kalinga. Vessantara readily agreed and presented the elephant to the citizens of Kalinga when they approached. Vessantara requested his father’s permission to perform ‘Satta Satika Dana’ (i.e. offerings of material things each to a limit of 700).

After the grand celebrations, King Vessantara together with his Consort and two children left the city for Mount Vamka in the Himalayas where the Sakka Deva Raja built a hermitage for them to stay. Before reaching their destination, he willingly dispensed with his four horses and a chariot to Brahmins who asked for them. So they had to walk for the rest of their journey to the hermitage.

They reached the place and lived on wild fruits and roots gathered by Queen Maddi, for seven months. Eventually, King Vessantara whose whole intention was to do charity, had to give away his two children to an old Brahmin - Jujaka who wanted them to assist his wife at the house chores. Sakka finally tested his degree of charity in Vessantara. by disguising himself as a Brahmin and asked for his wife.

The Queen accordingly replied, “From maidenhood I was your wife and you my master still. Let you to whom so you desire give or sell or kill.” Vessantara was perforced to depart his wife to the Brahmin, but the latter gracefully returned the Queen to King Vessantara.
In this way, our Bodhisatta practised Dana Paramita to the highest degree of perfection.

Sila (morality) - (Second paramita-Second perfection)

Sila is morality, good conduct or the observance of precepts. Sila is the foundation of all the meritorious deeds because good behavior is the beginning of the life of purity. Of all the schemes of Buddhist trainings, Sila is the most important preliminary step towards the progress of spiritual life.

It is compared to a golden ship by which one can cross the ocean of Samsara. Without Sila, there is no Samadhi - concentration or meditation. Through lack of Samadhi, Panna or spiritual advancement cannot be achieved. In other words, one must have a solid foundation of Sila, practising at least Five Precepts before starting meditation. Then only can one cultivate Samadhi - one pointedness of the mind which leads one to higher wisdom, the third stage, on the way to Nibbana.

Sila can be divided into two categories namely : Caritta Sila and Varitta Sila.

CARITTA SILA is morality consisting of performances. All those moral instructions which the Blessed One introduced ‘should be done or followed’. In other words all the ethical rules which are in the positive form should be included in Caritta Sila. Fulfilling one’s duty towards one’s parents, wife and children, respecting the elders, ministering of patients, helping the poor and the needy and observing good manners, etiquette, etc., such form of ethical teachings given by the Buddha can be regarded as Caritta Sila.

VARITTA SILA is morality in avoidance. The avoidance of those evils, killing, stealing etc. which the Buddha stated ‘should not be done’. All the precepts which are in negative forms can be included in Varitta Sila. In Buddhism, there are various precepts such as Five, Eight and Ten, out of which the Five Precepts should be practised in one’s daily life and the Eight Precepts on Uposatha days or Sabbath days. Although the Buddhist precepts are not commandments, they should be observed at one’s own free will for the peace, happiness and welfare of the individual and society at large.

Illustration from SAMKHAPALA JATAKA
THE STORY OF THE DRAGON

The Bodhisattva (Sakyamuni Gotama Buddha when he was a Bodhisattva) was once born as a dragon - Samkhapala. He lived in the Realm of Dragons (Nagaloka). As he was not satisfied with his state of life, he used to come to this world to observe the Precepts. On New Moon and Full Moon days, he regularly observed the Eight Precepts and went back to his realm on the following day.

One Holy Day, transforming into a large snake he coiled round an ant-hill at the wayside with the thought: Let those who wish, make use of my skin, flesh, or bones.

On that day, sixteen hunters with stakes in hands were returning without any game. Seeing the serpent king, they went up to him to kill and eat his flesh. At first they weakened the snake by beating it with their stakes and weapons. The serpent did not get angry. He could have killed them all easily, but he did not want to break his precepts even at the risk of his life. He gladly bore all that suffering, without any ill-will towards them. Placing his head inside his coils he lay still, allowing them to do any harm they liked.

Having weakened the reptile, they tied it with ropes and carried it on their shoulders. As the head was dropping down, they pierced the nostril and passing a string through it, hung the head up and carried him, causing much pain. The suffering creature did not even look at them with an angry face.

A rich merchant named Alara, who was passing by with about 500 carts, saw the pitiful state of the poor reptile. Moved by compassion, he gave various presents and money to the hunters, and saved the good serpent-king.

After his Enlightenment the Buddha said: “Though I was pierced by stakes and hacked by weapons, I did not get angry with the hunters. This is my Perfection of Morality.”

‘Nekkhamma’ (renounce worldly pleasures) - (Third paramita-Third perfection)

Nekkhamma’ means to give up or to renounce the worldly pleasures. In other words, it means retirement into solitary life, in search of the highest truth and peace. It is not easy for a worldly man to give up his possessions and the sensual enjoyments at once unless he realizes the real nature of life through his own bitter experience.

The Bodhisattas find that the household life is full of responsibilities and burdens. They regard the homeless life like the open sky free from worldly ties. Naturally, they lead a solitary life and easily realize that all the sensual pleasures in this world are transient, profitless, ignoble, fleeting like a flash of lightning or like a tiny dew-drop on a blade of grass.

Thirst for sensual enjoyment is insatiable and unquenchable. The more one enjoys the thirstier for mundane pleasure one will become. It is like drinking salt water that will never quench the thirst. It also can be compared to the act of licking a honey-drop on the edge of a sharp sword.
That is why Bodhisattas realize the vanity of material pleasures and seek delight in `Nekkhamma’ to get rid of the worldly fetters on their way to Enlightenment.

Illustration from MAKHADEVA JATAKA
THE STORY OF THE KING MAKHADEVA

Long, long ago the Bodhisatta was born as the eldest son of a great king and was named Makhadeva. After his father’s death, he ascended the throne and ruled the kingdom righteously.
With the march of time, he became wiser and wiser. He had no liking for his royal pleasures for he realized their vanity. His desire was to leave the world and retire to the forest to meditate.
One day he asked his barber to tell him if ever he would see a gray hair on his head. The king grew old and his black hair changed. The barber noticing a grey hair on the head told the king. When he was asked to show it, he rotted it with a pair of golden pincers and placed it on the king’s hand. The wise king seeing it, thought that it was time for him to renounce the world as he was overcome by age.

He ordered all his ministers and the people to assemble and said:
“Oh dear people, I see a gray hair on my head. As I am now getting old, please understand that I will leave the world and go to the forest to meditate.” Nobody was able to prevent him from renouncing the world. Whilst his Queens, children and people were all weeping, he left the palace, and went alone to the Himalayas with no attachment to anything.
After His Enlightenment the Buddha said: “Like a drop of saliva did I renounce the Kingdom which I posses. In renouncing there was no attachment. This is my Perfection of Renunciation.”

‘Pañña’ (wisdom)-Fourth paramita-Fourth perfection”

‘Panna’ is wisdom, right understanding or insight. It is not mere wisdom or knowledge, but it is the wisdom which leads to the complete realization nf truths. Panna is the light of truth that brightly illuminates the knowledge, destroying the darkness of ignorance. Panna is the most excellent eye with which one can visualize the objects or possibilities that cannot be seen with the naked eye.

Bodhisattas who practise Panna Paramita, endeavour to develop their wisdom in every possible source. They do not feel ashamed to ask questions to clear out their doubts or to gain knowledge from anyone wiser than them, regardless of his social status, caste, creed or colour. They do not wish to exhibit their knowledge, or to hide their ignorance in public with ulterior motives. Panna can be divided into two classes namely: Lokiya Panna and Lokuttara Panna.

LOKIYA PANNA - Mundane wisdom.

All those ‘Puthujjanas’ - worldly people who have no attained the fair stages of sainthood can acquire the mundane wisdom. Mundane wisdom which also gradually leads one to the supra mundane state can be developed in the various ways, such as learning the different Arts and Sciences, listening to the Dhamma, associating with the wise, engaging in profitable conversation, discussion and debates, reading widely and traveling far and wide.

LOKUTTARA PANNA - Supra-mundane wisdom.

All those who have attained the four stages of sainthood can achieve the supra-mundane states of wisdom. This state of wisdom can be developed with the realization of the Four Noble Truths and the Law of Dependent Origination through the attainment of the Four Paths and Fruitions.
To achieve this super-normal state of wisdom, one should have a wider experience in the highest stage of meditation, particularly on the Three Characteristics of life or on any other suitable meditative subjects, according to one’s temperaments. Bodhisattvas go through the most severe course of mental culture to fulfill the perfection of Pañña, for the attainment of Enlightenment.

Illustration from SENAKA JATAKA
THE STORY OF PANDIT SENAKA

In the course of his wanderings in SAMSARA, the Bodhisattva was born as Senaka in a Brahmin family. He was very wise and advised people constantly with regard to their material and spiritual welfare. At that time there was an old Brahmin who had earned a thousand gold coins. He gave this money to a certain family for safe custody.

Unfortunately, as the members of the family spent the whole amount for their own needs, they gave a young maiden in marriage to him. The old Brahmin was pleased with this exchange. The couple lived happily for some time. Later, the wicked woman, wishing to live as she liked, forced her old husband to go fetch a servant girl. She prepared and gave him some fried rice and flour as provisions for the journey.

The poor old man, putting them inside a bag, left his house and wandered from place to place to collect some money. One day as he was hungry, he rested at the foot of a tree and opened his bag to eat some food. He ate a little and, leaving the bag open, went to a stream close by to drink some water. Just then a snake, sensing the smell of flour, crept into the bag. The Brahmin returned, and unaware of the poisonous snake, closed the bag and carried it.

A certain tree deity, in order to make known the wisdom of the Bodhisatta, said: “O Brahmin, if you go home, your wife will die; if on the way you remain, you will die.”

The frightened Brahmin did not know what to do. He could not understand the meaning of those words. Luckily it happened to be a full-moon day. People had gathered in large numbers to listen to the teachings of Pandit Senaka. The worried Brahmin went to the hall and sat crying in a corner.

Pandit Senaka saw him crying and made inquiries. As if he saw everything with his Divine Eye, he understood what actually had happened. He ordered a person to bring a long stick and open the bag. Just then the hiding snake slowly crept out. People drove the snake out without harming it, and the poor Brahmin was saved by the wisdom of the Bodhisatta.

After His Awakenment the Buddha said : “Investigating by wisdom, I then saved the Brahmin, In wisdom there is no equal to me. This is my Perfection of Wisdom.”

`Viriya’ (Perseverance) (fifth paramita-fifth perfection)

`Viriya’ literally means virility, perseverance, effort or energy. It does Iiot mean the physical energy but mental vigor which is one of the most prominent characteristics of Bodhisattvas,
`Viriya’ is also one of the `Indriyas’ - Spiritual faculties, `Balas’ - Mental powers and `Bojjhangas’ - the factors of Enlightenment, out of the thirty-seven principles leading to the Buddhahood.

The person who has `Viriya’ does not withhold his undertaking half-way on account of the obstacles, disappointments or laziness. He does not postpone his work that is to be done today until the next day. He does not waste his precious time. He begins his work straightaway without waiting for opportunity to crop up, looking for auspicious time or gazing at the stars. He never tries to escape from his day-to-day activities by giving his numerous reasons such as cold, hot or rain.

The energetic person considers that it is a sign of sure success when he fails in his undertaking. He redoubles his effort when he meets oppositions. He increases his courage when he faces obstacles. He works hard day and night looking forward to his goal until he succeeds.
Our energetic Bodhisattva exercised his `Viriya’ up to the highest degree when he was fulfilling the ten perfection. Even during his last birth while he was struggling for the Awakenment, the Monk Gotama told the Mara who advised him to give up his effort, “Death in battle (with passions) is more honorable to me than a life of defeat.”

The Monk Gotama, even for the last moment, just before the attainment of Buddhahood, while sitting down beneath the Bodhi Tree, practiced `Viriya’ by making a firm resolution. “Though only my skin, sinews and bones remain, and my blood and flesh dry up and wither away, yet never from this seat will I stir, until I have attained full Awakenment.”

Illustration from MAHA JANAKA JATAKA
THE STORY OF JANAKA

Long ago the Bodhisattva, born as an adventurous merchant named Janaka, journeyed the high seas in search of wealth. Unfortunately in mid-ocean the ship was wrecked. Some who attempted to swim perished, and a few implored gods for help. But the energetic Bodhisattva, relying on himself, besmeared the body with oil and climbing the mast jumped far out into the sea beyond the reach of the fish that had collected near the wrecked boat to eat the flesh of drowning men.

For seven days he courageously swam though no shores on both sides were visible to him. On the eighth day, as usual, even in mid-ocean he resolved to observe the Eight Precepts.
A goddess, seeing him thus struggling for life, appeared before him and offered him a dish of food. As it was after mid-day, and he was fasting, he thanked the goddess and declined the offer though he was fasting for more than seven days. To test him, the goddess spoke discouraging words to him and said that he was only making a foolish attempt in thus swimming with no shore in sight.

‘The Bodhisattva replied that there was no disgrace in making an attempt though he would fail; disgrace lay in making no effort at all through laziness. The goddess was pleased with his lofty principles and perseverance. She saved him from a watery grave and safely led him home.
He was rewarded for his self-reliance and indomitable energy; whilst those who merely prayed perished miserably. After His Enlightenment the Buddha said:
“In mid-ocean was I, not seeing both shores. All the people, too, perished. Still my mind wavered not. This is my Perfection of Energy.”

`Khanti’ (patience) - Sixth paramita-Sixth perfection

`Khanti’ literally means patience, endurance or forbearance. It is the endurance of suffering caused by others, or the forbearance of other’s wrong.
If anyone scolds, insults or even assaults the Bodhisattva, he will not become angry. He will not allow a thought of revenge or retaliation to enter into his mind. By his virtue, he tries to put the wrong doer on the path of Righteousness and extends to him thoughts of love and compassion.
Whenever a Bodhisattva is harmed by someone, he exercises his `Khanti’ to such an extent by putting the blame on himself and thinks that, “This provocation is the outcome of my own action in previous birth. Therefore, it is not proper to cherish ill will towards him who is also a fellow-being.

Secondly, the offender may be my brother or sister in former birth. “Thus the Buddha advised us how to practice `Khanti’ in the following stanzas:
“He abused me, beat me, overcame me, robbed me - in those who harbor such thoughts, hatred does not cease.”

He abused me, beat me, overcame me, robbed me - in those who do not harbor such thoughts, hatred does cease.”
“In this world hatred is never appeased by hatred. Hatred is appeased by love alone. This is the ancient law.”

To practice `Khanti’, one should be able to control one’s temper through the right understanding of the real nature of life. In this world, some people habitually let lose their temper easily even over a trifle matter. They are under the misconception that losing temper is a mark of authority for the subjugation of others.

But one should not forget that losing temper means not only losing of one’s peace, happiness, health, beauty, friendship and popularity, but also the losing of right understanding which enables one to distinguish the good from the bad and the right from the wrong.
Therefore, our Bodhisattva practiced `Khanti’ to such an extent as not to get angry even when his hands and feet were severed.

Illustration from KHANTIVADI JATAKA.
THE STORY OF THE KHANTIVADI ASCETIC

Once upon a time the Bodhisatta, leading the life of an ascetic, was meditating at the foot of a tree in the king’s royal park. He was living there at the invitation of the king’s general.
One day the king went to the park with the ladies of the court. In a drunken state, he slept keeping his head on the lap of a favourite lady. As he was asleep the other went up to the ascetic to listen to his teaching.

On waking up he found the ladies missing. Hearing that they had gone to the ascetic to hear him preaching, the king became annoyed. Burning with anger he went up to the innocent ascetic and questioned him in a harsh tone: “What do you preach, you ascetic?”
`I preach patience your Majesty,” replied the ascetic calmly.

“What is patience?”
“Patience is not getting angry when you are abused or beaten.
“Well, I will then test your patience,” said the king and summoning the executioner, ordered him to throw the ascetic on the ground and beat him with a thorny whip. The innocent ascetic was whipped mercilessly. The ascetic’s skin burst. The whole body was smeared with blood. But the ascetic true to his teaching endured the pain patiently.
“Do you still practise patience, ascetic?”
“Yes, still I do, your Majesty!”
The king then orderd his hands and feet to be cut off and questioned him again. The same calm reply issued from his lips.
Full of wrath the king ordered his nose and ears to be cut off. Mercilessly the executioner chopped off his nose and ears. With mutilated limbs, the good ascetic lay on a pool of blood, the king asked him again:
“Do you still practise patience, ascetic?”
“Your Majesty, please do not think that my patience lies in my skin, or in my hands and feet, or in my nose and ears. My patience lies within my heart. With your superior strength you can over-power my weak body. But, your Majesty, my mind can never be changed,” calmly replied the ascetic.

He harboured no ill-will towards the king. Nor did he look at him with any anger. The king’s anger knew no bounds. Deeply enraged he raised his foot and stamped the chest of the ascetic with his heel. Immediately blood gushed out of his mouth. The General who had invited him heard of his pitiful state, and at once he hurried to his presence.
Quickly he applied some ointment and begged him not to curse the kingdom. The merciful ascetic, instead of cursing the king blessed him, saying:

“He who caused my hands and feet, nose and ears, to be cut off, may that king live long! Men like us never get angry.”
After His Enlightenment the Buddha said: “Though hacked by a sharp axe as if I was inanimate, I did not get angry with King Kasi. This is my Perfection of Patience.”

‘Sacca’ (truthfulness)-Seventh paramita-seventh perfection

‘Sacca’ is truthfulness or keeping one’s promise. Here Sacca does not mean simply telling the truth but fulfilling one’s engagement or keeping one’s word, assurance or promise even at the point of death. Bodhisattas who follow this pre-requisite for the Enlightenment observe ‘Sacca’ as their guiding principle.

Not only do they refrain from speaking untruth, but they also avoid the other evil speeches such as slandering, harsh words and frivolous talk. They never speak slandering words which are harmful and liable to break the friendship, unity and harmony of others. They use words which are polite, gentle, kind, sincere and pleasant to all beings. They never engage in profitless frivolous talk.

Bodhisattas never break their promise under any circumstances. They would not make a promise if they are not able to keep it. Before they make a promise, they consider care-fully whether they can keep it or not. They do not come into hasty decision to make a promise under the influence of others or to show favour or disfavour to others.
Unlike ordinary people, the Bodhisattas never speak against their consciousness. As they speak, they act accordingly; as they act, they speak accordingly. Therefore there is complete harmony in their words and actions.

Our Bodhisatta, when he was Sumedha Pandit, decided to practise this perfection, advising himself in this way: “O, Sumedha, from now onwards, you must fulfil the Perfection cf Truth as well. Even though the thunderbolt may descend upon your head, you must not utter a conscious lie for the sake of wealth and so forth, being actuated by desire.”
Illustration from MAHA SUTASOMA JATAKA

THE STORY OF THE KING MAHA SUTASOMA

Born as King Sutasoma, the Bodhisatta was once ruling his kingdom righteously. At that time there was a man-eater named Porisada. He was formerly a king, but as he fell into the bad habit of eating human flesh, he was forced to leave his kingdom. Under a banyan tree in a forest he lived feasting on human flesh as he liked.
One day a thorn pricked his foot and he suffered long, acute pain from the wound. Thus, in this state of agony, he made a vow to the tree-deity that, if his wound would heal, he would pay back by making a grand sacrifice of a hundred Kings. Due to his fasting and resting, the wound healed in a very short time. Foolishly, he thought that his cure was due to the kindness of the tree-nymph.

In accordance with his vow, he succeeded in seizing a hundred and one kings and made all arrangements for the great sacrifice. The deity resented this human sacrifice and in order to prevent it, he appeared before Porisada and asked him to get King Sutasoma also as a sacrifice.
Porisada lost no time in capturing the wanted king. He went to the pond where the king bathed and hid himself. As the king had finished his bath, Porisada rushed forth whirling a sword above his head and proclaiming his name. At once he carried away the king on his shoulders.

At this moment, the king was not frightened at all but he felt sorry indeed for not being able to keep his appointment with a Brahmin who desired to recite him four advisory verses. As the king was going to have his bath in the park, he sent the learned Brahmin to the city and promised that he would come and hear him after his bath.

So King Sutasoma told Porisada of his promise made to the Brahmin and begged him for a short leave. Porisada allowed him to go on condition that he would return ready for the sacrifice. Porisada had no desire to kill him because they both had been fellow-students in their childhood and he had every reason to be grateful to him. He allowed him to go without expecting his return.

King Sutasoma returned to the palace, heard the words of counsel from the Brahmin and gave him presents. Then the noble king summoned all his courtiers and mentioned about his promise to Porisada. They advised him not to go as he would surely be killed. But the Bodhisatta was a man of principles. He handed over his kingdom and left the palace to keep his promise in spite of the weeping and lamentation of his relatives and subjects.

As Porisada was preparing a fire to offer his human sacrifice, King Sutasoma arrived on the scene and stood before him. Porisada was surprised to see him. He told him: “How foolish are you? I released you, thinking that you would not come. You know well that you would be killed. Why did you come back?”

“O Porisada, in your opinion I may have done a foolish act. But I value my word. I promised to come and I have come now. I prize my promise even more than my life. You may sacrifice me.” Porisada was very much pleased on hearing the speech of his old friend. He yearned to hear more from him and he sat at his feet listening to the advice of the Bodhisatta.

The Bodhisatta preached to him. His innate goodness eame to the surface and he became a changed person after the preaching. Porisada gave up his proposed sacrifice and released all the hundred and one kings and sent them to their respective kingdoms. He himself returned to his kingdom as a reformed king to lead a righteous life.

After His  Awakenment the Buddha said: “Fulfilling my truthful word, I sacrificed my life and saved one hundred and one warrior kings. This is my Perfection of Truthfulness.”

‘Adhitthana’ (Determination)-Eighth paramita-eight perfection

‘Adhitthana’ literally means determination, resolution or fixedness of purpose. ‘Adhitthana’ can be regarded as a foundation for all the perfection, because without a firm determination one cannot fulfill the other Paramitas. Although one’s detention can be extended to either desirable or undesirable way; it should be clearly understood that the determination for the line of unwholesome deeds cannot be regarded as a perfection.

A person with a wavering mind or who sits on the fence cannot succeed in any undertaking. One must have an iron-will, an unshakable determination to overcome any difficulties of hardship in order to achieve success. He who has no determinative mind would easily give up his work before it is successful. Such a person with weak and unsteady mind should get disappointed easily and disheartened quickly. Even a word of criticism would be adequate to put an end to hl his projects.

A Bodhisatta, who has an unshakable resolution and who is a man of principles, will never give up his noble effort even at the point of death. He is capable of setting aside any obstacles in his way and going forward, turning his eyes to-wards his goal.

Our Bodhisatta, when he was Sumedha Pandit, made a firm determination at the feet of the Buddha Dipankara in this way: “O Sumedha, from now onwards you must fulfil the perfect of resolution as well. Be steadfast in whatever solution you make. As a rock, even while the wind beats upon it on every side, does not tremble nor quake but re-mains in its own place, you must likewise be unshaken in your resolution until you become a Buddha.”

Illustration from TEMIYA JATAKA.
THE STORY OF THE PRINCE TEMIYA

Once upon a time our Bodhisatta was born in a royal family. He was named Temiya and was also known as Mugapakkha. While he was only one month old, lying on the lap of his father, he noticed how the king ordered four thieves to ‘be punished. Though he was an infant he thought that his father was acquiring evil Kamma by his kingship.

On the following day as he was sleeping under the royal canopy, he remembered his past life. He recalled how he was suffering in his previous birth owing to his evil Kamma done as a king. He, therefore, resolved to get away from that royal ‘prison’.

A goddess who was guarding the canopy and who had been his mother in a previous birth, advised him thus: “Dear son, if you so wish, behave like a cripple though not a cripple, a dumb though not a dumb, behave like a deaf though not a deaf.”

He accepted the advice of the goddess and made a firm determination to do like-wise. He suffered much, but he did not change his resolution. For sixteen years he acted as advised.
The kind parents then approached him and said: “Dear son Temiya, we know that you are not a cripple, not a deaf or a dumb. Their faces, ears and limbs are not like yours. We longed for you and we got you. Please do not disgrace us Save our good name, son.” But the iron-willed Temiya was silent. He remained as if he did not hear a word. The king could no longer bear this insult. He grew annoyed and mad an order that the prince should be taken in a hearse by the back door and buried alive.

The sorrowful mother queen who received a favour from the king on the birthday of the prince, approached the king, and reminded him of the favour and begged him to ant the kingship for her son for seven days. With difficulty she got the consent of the king and implored the son again and again for seven days to change his attitude but with no success.

On the seventh day the king summoned the charioteer and said: “Tomorrow you should take this wretched child to the cemetery. Dig a grave there; smash his head and bury him. The queen could not bear the fateful order. She came and told her son about it. Prince Temiya was delighted to hear this seemingly news. He was happy because he knew that his determination would be crowned with success after sixteen years.

But the poor mother’s tender heart was about to break through grief. As ordered, the charioteer went to the chamber of the Prince and carried him out of the palace while the mother-queen was weeping and lamenting.

It was a critical moment for the noble Prince. He looked at the mother and thought: “If I do not speak now, my mother will be deeply grieved. If I do speak, then my resolution for sixteen years will be useless. By my silence I will bring happiness to my parents.” In this instance the Bodhisatta cared more for his determination than for the grief of his mother. His adherence to his lofty principle made him firm to follow his perfection.

The charioteer took him in a hearse and stopped it near the cemetery. Leaving the Prince in the hearse, he started digging a grave. Meanwhile the Prince rose up and went to the charioteer. To his great surprise he found out that the Prince was hale and hearty.
As the Prince decided to remain in the forest meditating, the charioteer returned to the palace and reported the whole matter. The Prince lived as an ascetic and later on, others also followed his footstep. After the Enlightenment the Buddha said :
“I did not detest my mother and father, or my great glory: but I preferred `Omniscience’. Therefore did I make that vow.”

‘Metta’ (loving-kindness)-Ninth paramita-Ninth perfection

‘Metta’ - In Pali the word ‘Mitta’ means friend. ‘Mitta’ becomes ‘Metta’ which indicates friendliness, goodwill, ‘benevolence, loving-kindness or the regarding of others as one’s friends.
Although here ‘Metta’ literally explains as loving-kindness, it is not the ordinary love or affection which is the indirect enemy of loving-kindness. While the passionate love leads one to temporary happiness, unrest of the mind and sometimes even to the various sufferings, loving-kindness produces permanent happiness, blessing and peace in the mind. Therefore it should be clearly understood that the ordinary love is entirely different from loving-kindness.

‘Metta’ is one of the Four Brahma Viharas - four sub-lime states of mind, namely:

(i) METTA - loving-kindness (ii) KARUNA - compassion (iii) MUDITA - sympathetic joy (iv) UPEKKHA - impartiality or equanimity

‘Metta’ is also one of the fundamental characteristic features of Bodhisattas. It is this ‘Metta’ that embraces all beings as our own brothers and sisters, without distinction of race, caste, creed or colour. It is this ‘Metta’ that promotes the Bodhisattas to renounce the world for the good and happiness of mankind.

The direct enemy of ‘Metta’ is hatred. As long as enmity, hatred and hostility exist in our mind towards anyone, t is impossible to develop loving-kindness. We should therefore forget enmity and hostility once and for all and concentrate more on practising ‘Metta’ at every possible opportunity. Otherwise, it will continue to exist in us from birth o birth in this Samsara; producing much suffering, misery and unhappiness. At the same time we should remember, that according to the Metta Sutta, various advantages can be obtained in this very life by developing ‘Metta’.

‘Metta’ is also one of the common subjects for meditation. In practising ‘Metta’, at first, one should extend loving-kindness towards oneself. Secondly it should be spread towards one’s parents, husband or wife, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters and the rest of the family. Thirdly one should be able to spread loving-kindness among neighbours, villages or towns, then the whole country and finally to all the beings in this world.

Illustration from CULA DHAMMAPALA JATAKA.
THE STORY OF PRINCE DHAMMAPALA

Long ago there lived a king named Maha Pratapa. His queen was Candra Devi. They had a handsome and lovable son named Dhammapala. This was our Bodhisatta. Great were the rejoicings of the people over the birth of this charming hince. The king also was happy, but he was a proud and jealous father. His wickedness knew no bounds.

One day the happy queen was fondling the Prince, placing him on her lap. At that moment, the king happened to pass by. Seeing the king, the queen did not rise to salute him because the child was on her lap. At once the king was offended by this seemingly disrespectful attitude. Deeply enraged, he returned to the upper storey of the palace and summoned the executioner. He came quickly with an axe in his hand and stood before the king awaiting his orders. “My enemy in this palace is that fellow, Dhammapala! Seize him by his feet, drag him before me,” ordered the king in a rage.

The executioner went up to the queen, begged her pardon; gripping the baby Prince by the feet, he mercilessly dragged the seven month old Prince along the ground. Over-come with grief, the queen came crying and begged the king to punish her for her disrespect instead of the helpless, innocent child. But the heartless king was not moved by such pleading and crying. In fact, he was dominated by anger and jealousy.

So he ordered the executioner to cut off the hands and feet of little Dhammapala. With no mercy the executioner chopped off the limbs of the infant Prince. The affectionate mother clasping those severed limbs of her son said, “Your Majesty, a mother’s love for her children is very deep. Please, Your Majesty, allow me to have even this maimed body of my child.”

The hard-hearted king was not moved by such soft words. “Take this child to a place where four ways meet and behead him. Pierce his heart with a sword. Cut off his flesh and throw to the four directions,” was the cruel order of the fearless father Young Dhammapala was only seven months old. Although he was only a suckling, Dhammapala was a highly advanced being. He was a Buddha-to-be. He harboured no malice in his tender heart, instead, radiated his thoughts of loving-kindness towards all.

He thought to himself, “Dhammapala, here is a golden opportunity for you to practise your loving-kindness. In front of you is your father who has ordered you to be killed ruthlessly. On your side is the executioner who is about to kill you. On the other side is your grieving mother whose heart is about to burst. In the centre is your helpless self.

You must surely love your dear mother. But your love for our father should be greater. Your beloved mother does cry for you. But it is your beloved father that has given you this opportunity to practise patience and loving-kindness equally towards all the four.”
“May no misfortune befall my father. May he not be subject to any suffering! May he be free from all ill! May he ever be well and happy! May I be a Buddha in the future by he might of this great deed.” The noble minded Dhammapala was killed; but his boundless love triumphed.

‘Upekkha’ (equanimity)-Tenth paramita-Tenth perfection

‘Upekkha’ is equanimity, impartiality or keeping a well-balance mind. This is the most difficult one among the ten perfection to be practiced by a worldly being. But the Bodhisattas observe this perfection without a slightest feeling of favour or disfavour, attachment or detachment, towards anyone. Particularly, they keep their mind in balance, without being moved or influenced by the ‘Attha Loka Dhamma’ -the Eight Vicissitudes of Life.
Labho Alabho Ayaso Yasoca
Ninda Pasamsa Ca Sukham Ca Dukkham
Gain and loss, fame and ill-fame, praise and blame, and happiness and sorrow.
All these Eight Worldly Conditions rotate like a wheel on everybody’s life. If we meet the first four conditions of these four pairs of vicissitude, we shall be extremely happy and overjoyed. But it is natural and unavoidable, one day or another, we shall have to face the last four conditions. Then, what will happen?

We shall be extremely sorrowful and disheartened and perhaps some people will become crazy. A worldly person who has no right understanding of thc Dhamma cannot stand on his feet or keep his mind well-balanced when he is faced with the vicissitudes of life. On such occasions ‘Upekkha’ is the only remedy that can assist a man to stand up like a firm rock, unmoved or unshakable by the wind.

Our Bodhisatta - Sumedha Pandit, firmly resolved in ‘Upekkha’ advising himself thus:
“O, Sumedha, from now onward you must fulfil the perfection of equanimity as well. Be unperturbed in both prosperity and adversity. As the earth remains indifferent when both pure and impure matter is thrown upon it, you too must remain unperturbed in both prosperity and adversity until you become a Buddha.”

Illustration from LOMAHAMSA IATAKA.
THE STORY OF LOMAHAMSA

Once the Bodhisatta was born in a rich and noble family. His name was Lomahamsa. Having come of age, ht realized the vanity of worldly pleasure. He thought that if he were to become an ascetic, people who knew him well, would pay him great respect and shower him with various gifts an offerings. He, therefore, decided to leave home and wand from place to place practising equanimity.

With only a cloth to cover his body, he left his home and wandered as an ascetic, seeking opportunities to practise equanimity. He preferred to stay long in those places where he was likely to be ridiculed and abused. His object was maintain a balanced mind amidst gain and loss, praise and blame, honour and dishonour, happiness and pain. He succeeded in his noble effort.
In the course of his wanderings, he came to a place where there were mischievous children who found pleasure in abusing and making fun of others, especially old people. The Bodhisatta thought it was the place for him to practise equanimity.

The children were delighted as they had found a suitable person for their amusement. So they made fun of him and Lomahamsa pretended to be displeased with their mischievous doings. As a result, these naughty children ridiculed him more and more. As if greatly offended, he went to a cemetery and slept there, using some bones for his pillow. Taking full advantage of his indifference, these urchins now surrounded him and subjected him to all kinds of insults. But elderly men and women who appreciated the goodness and holiness of the Bodhisatta, came and paid him great respect.

Under all circumstances the Bodhisatta practised perfect equanimity without any change of mind whatsoever. “Equally balanced was I at all times; amidst pain and happiness, praise and blame. This is my Perfection of Equanimity.”


 

 

 

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