“One who sees the Dhamma sees me. One who sees
me sees the Dhamma.” Buddha
Budh is Wisdom
Buddha
is a Title Like a President or Prime Minister of a Country-meaning- Any
One with an Exalted, Blessed, Noble and an Awakened Mighty Great Mind
with full Awareness
Dhamma is the Practice of His Teachings
There are five nikayas (collections) of suttas:
The Vinaya Pitaka, the first division of the Tipitaka,
is the textual framework upon which the monastic community (Sangha) is
built. It includes not only the rules governing the life of every
Theravada bhikkhu (monk) and bhikkhuni (nun), but also a
host of procedures and conventions of etiquette that support harmonious
relations, both among the monastics themselves, and between the
monastics and their lay supporters, upon whom they depend for all their
material needs.
When the Buddha first established the Sangha, the community
initially lived in harmony without any codified rules of conduct. As
the Sangha gradually grew in number and evolved into a more complex
society, occasions inevitably arose when a member would act in an
unskillful way. Whenever one of these cases was brought to the Buddha’s
attention, he would lay down a rule establishing a suitable punishment
for the offense, as a deterrent to future misconduct. The Buddha’s
standard reprimand was itself a powerful corrective:
It is not fit, foolish man, it is not becoming, it is not proper, it
is unworthy of a recluse, it is not lawful, it ought not to be done.
How could you, foolish man, having gone forth under this Dhamma and
Discipline which are well-taught, [commit such and such offense]?… It
is not, foolish man, for the benefit of un-believers, nor for the
increase in the number of believers, but, foolish man, it is to the
detriment of both unbelievers and believers, and it causes wavering in
some.
— The Book of the Discipline, Part I, by I.B. Horner (London: Pali Text Society, 1982), pp. 36-37.
The monastic tradition and the rules upon which it is built are
sometimes naïvely criticized — particularly here in the West — as
irrelevant to the “modern” practice of Buddhism. Some see the Vinaya as
a throwback to an archaic patriarchy, based on a hodge-podge of ancient
rules and customs — quaint cultural relics that only obscure the
essence of “true” Buddhist practice. This misguided view overlooks one
crucial fact: it is thanks to the unbroken lineage of monastics who
have consistently upheld and protected the rules of the Vinaya for
almost 2,600 years that we find ourselves today with the luxury of
receiving the priceless teachings of Dhamma. Were it not for the
Vinaya, and for those who continue to keep it alive to this day, there
would be no Buddhism.
It helps to keep in mind that the name the Buddha gave to the spiritual path he taught was “Dhamma-vinaya” — the Doctrine (Dhamma) and Discipline (Vinaya)
— suggesting an integrated body of wisdom and ethical training. The
Vinaya is thus an indispensable facet and foundation of all the
Buddha’s teachings, inseparable from the Dhamma, and worthy of study by
all followers — lay and ordained, alike. Lay practitioners will find in
the Vinaya Pitaka many valuable lessons concerning human nature,
guidance on how to establish and maintain a harmonious community or
organization, and many profound teachings of the Dhamma itself. But its
greatest value, perhaps, lies in its power to inspire the layperson to
consider the extraordinary possibilities presented by a life of true
renunciation, a life lived fully in tune with the Dhamma.
Contents ![[go up]](http://www.accesstoinsight.org/icon/scrollup.gif)
- I. Suttavibhanga — the basic rules of conduct (Patimokkha) for bhikkhus and bhikkhunis, along with the “origin story” for each one.
- II. Khandhaka
- A. Mahavagga
— in addition to rules of conduct and etiquette for the Sangha, this
section contains several important sutta-like texts, including an
account of the period immediately following the Buddha’s Awakening, his
first sermons to the group of five monks, and stories of how some of
his great disciples joined the Sangha and themselves attained Awakening. - B. Cullavagga
— an elaboration of the bhikkhus’ etiquette and duties, as well as the
rules and procedures for addressing offences that may be committed
within the Sangha.
- A. Mahavagga
- III. Parivara — A
recapitulation of the previous sections, with summaries of the rules
classified and re-classified in various ways for instructional purposes.
The Suttavibhanga contains the basic training rules for bhikkhus and
bhikkhunis, along with the “origin story” for each one. These rules are
summarized in the Patimokkha, and amount to 227 rules for the bhikkhus, 311 for the bhikkhunis. The Patimokkkha rules are grouped as follows:
- Parajika: rules entailing expulsion from the Sangha (Defeat) (4 for bhikkhus, 8 for bhikkhunis)
- Sanghadisesa: rules entailing an initial and subsequent meeting of the Sangha (13, 17)
- Aniyata (indefinite) rules (2, 0)
- Nissaggiya pacittiya: rules entailing forfeiture and confession (30, 30)
- Pacittiya: rules entailing confession (92, 166)
- Patidesaniya: rules entailing acknowledgement (4, 8)
- Sekhiya: rules of training (75, 75)
- Adhikarana samatha: rules for settling disputes (7, 7)
Summaries and anthologies based on the Suttavibhanga:
- The Bhikkhus’ Rules — A Guide for Laypeople: The Theravadin Buddhist Monk’s Rules Compiled and Explained, by Bhikkhu Ariyesako.
- The Bhikkhuni Patimokkha: The Bhikkhunis’ Code of Discipline, Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans. A concise summary of the bhikkhuni Patimokkha rules.
- The Buddhist Monastic Code, Volume I: The Patimokkha Training Rules Translated and Explained, by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. This book provides an in-depth examination of each of the rules.
- Introduction to the Patimokkha Training Rules, by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
- The Patimokkha: The Bhikkhus’ Code of Discipline, Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans. A concise summary of the bhikkhu Patimokkha rules.
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Sunday, November 04, 2008
Americans White!
DIXVILLE NOTCH, New Hampshire (AP):
Obama defeated Republican John McCain 15-6. Independent Ralph Nader was also on the ballot, but received no votes.
The first voter, following a tradition
Town Clerk Rick Erwin says the northern President George W. Bush won the vote in Dixville Notch in 2004 on the way to his re-election.
AP – Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks at a rally Obama, promise change on election eveBarack Obama radiated confidence. Monday as the presidential rivals reached for the finish line of atwo-year marathon with a burst of campaigning across battlegrounds from the Atlantic Coast to Arizona. “We are one day away from change in America,” said Obama, a Democrat Obama led in virtually all the pre-election polls in a race where economic concerns dominated. While the overall number of early votes was unknown, statistics showed Democrats also anticipated gains in the House and in the Senate. Obama and McCain acknowledged the Democrats’ advantage in the presidential race. The two rivals both began their days in Florida, a traditionally Republican state with 27 electoral votes where polls make it close. Obama The “She died peacefully in her sleep with my sister at her side,” he McCain and his wife issued a statement of condolence. One day before the election, no battleground state was left unattended. But Virginia, where no Democrat has won in 40 years, and Ohio, Democratic volunteers in Unwilling to concede anything, McCain’s campaign filed a lawsuit in Richmond seeking to force election officials to count late-arriving ballots from members of the armed forces overseas. No hearing was immediately scheduled. Several Lori Huffman, 38, a supervisor at UPS Inc., took the day off to “This is happening all over the state, from Cleveland to Dayton,” said Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat trying to deliver his state to Obama. Obama hoped so, after more than a year building an elaborate The Democrat flew from Florida to North Carolina to Virginia, Twenty-one months after he launched his campaign, he allowed, “You know. I feel pretty peaceful … I gotta say.”
On a syndicated radio program, If wanting it were all that mattered, the race would be a toss-up. McCain, behind in the polls, set out on a grueling run through
The surrogate campaigners included Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democrats and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney Not so, President Bush. Deeply unpopular, the man who won the White House twice was out of public view, an effort to help McCain. Palin was racing through five Bush states Monday — Ohio, Joe Biden, Obama’s running mate, campaigned in Missouri, Ohio and Pennsylvania. “We are on the cusp of a new brand of leadership,” he assured supporters. Biden didn’t say so, but he was as close to guaranteed a victory
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati said her aim is to make Uttar Pradesh an Uttam and Khushhal Pradesh. Make me PM Mayawati Can do a Barack Obama since Obama is doing a Kanshiram by asking for a Vote and a Note
 AIMING HIGH: Mayawati has been building a coalition that can break the ceiling. By late evening today, the world will know that next President of In about six months, the Jambudvipa, that is the Great Prabuddha Bharath electorate will be asked to give its Mr. Obama has faced a series of challenges over the last two years. Mr. Obama assiduously built his image as a politician who has a grip When Mr. Obama was engaged in a bruising battle for candidacy with Countering, the Illinois Senator and his campaign managers brought In Jambudvipa, that is the Great Prabuddha Bharath, besides the caste issue, Ms Mayawati has been trying to BSP supremo does not brook any And, if one looks back at the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, the BSP Ms Mayawati has begun articulating the party’s standpoint Second phase that
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New Delhi (PTI): With security during
the upcoming Assembly polls to six states becoming a major worry, Chief
Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami on Sunday said muscle and money
power were becoming a hindrance for free and fair electoral process.
Referring to the huge number of
security forces being deployed in poll-bound states ahead of voting,
Gopalaswami said that India, being a large and an old democracy, should
be in a position to hold elections in a peaceful manner without the
need for any security arrangements.
“Today muscle and money power are a big
concern for free and fair elections. To deal with the muscle, we have
to deploy more police and security forces, so that voters can use their
(right to) franchise in peaceful manner,” the CEC said, while speaking
at a function organised by International Goodwill Society of India
here.
Recalling Uttar Pradesh assembly polls
last year, Gopalaswami said the election commission had to mobilise a
whopping 4.55 lakh security personnel to ensure peaceful and fair
polls.
The CEC, however, noted that compulsion
of holding elections under excessive security arrangements was not a
good sign for a democratic country like India.
“Conducting an election at gun point
does not really give credit to our democracy, but it has happened,” he
said, adding that things were improving gradually.
He, meanwhile, said that the elaborate
force deployment has also helped in controlling the election-related
crimes and infused a sense of security among the voters.
For instance, in Uttar Pradesh 180
election-related murders were reported in 1991. The figure came down to
18 during the 2004 Lok Sabha elections in the State, while no such
crime was reported during the run up to the assembly elections last
year, Gopalaswami said.
Expressing anguish over the declining
polling percentages, which weakened people’s authority to choose a
representative in a constituency, he suggested that 50 per cent of
votes should be compulsory for a candidate to be declared the winner in
an election to the legislatures.
“The voting percentage in several
states is as low as 50 per cent. That too is being divided among the
candidates leading to a situation, where only 15 to 20 per cent of
votes are needed by a candidate to win the election,” he pointed out.
“How does one claim to represent the
voters, after bagging only 15 per cent of votes to win in a
constituency,” the CEC quipped.
He also underlined the growing
disinterest of the urban voters in using their right to franchise. “The
statistics have indicated a trend that the more educated you are, the
less you are tend to vote…more and more urbanites, who talk much
about democracy, are staying away from polling booths,” Gopalaswami
said.
Citing the example of urban voter
turn-out in Lucknow during 2007 assembly polls, he said, “Only 47 per
cent polling was recorded in Lucknow, of which four constituencies
witnessed less than 30 per cent polling.”
Besides, the CEC said, the increasing
use of money power to influence voters was posing a greater challenge
before the Election Commission in its objective to conduct a free and
fair elections.
In Karnataka, which went into polls
this year, Rs 45 crore was spent on various campaigning means to woo
the voters. The poll spending involved distributing liquor, freebies,
and even cash to the voters, he added.
The CEC said the commission was
determined to organise a peaceful and fair elections in the Madhya
Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Mizoram.
“To check bogus voting, the commission
has decided to issue electors photo identity cards, which are being
distributed in all these states and will be distributed to all voters
of the country before 2009 Lok Shabha elections,” he said.
Three Baskets Study Circle suggests the following:
As
per the Constitution of India all the citizens above 18 years must have
voting rights. As on today more than 40% voters names are not included
in the voter’s list. Till such time all eligible voters’ names find
their names in the voter’s list, the CEC must postpone all the
elections. In other words before any election are conducted all the
citizens must and should have voting rights. The statics of number of
eligible voters must be published in the media and the CEC’s portal.
Candidate’s
Income tax returns and their source of income must be published before
filing their names and during the scrutinity of papers, concerned area
IT officers included in the Election Committee.
Tehsildars
and Social Welfare officers must be include in the Election Committee
during scrutiny to ensure that bougus caste certificates are not
produced in Resered Constituencies for .SC/STs
There
must be total transparency with respect to the Electronic Voting
Machines and the source code of the Chips used in them. Only polling
agents with such knowledge must be permitted inside the polling booths
during elections.
U.P. countdown for RS polls begins
Atiq Khan
BSP meet on Tuesday may finalise candidates
LUCKNOW: The countdown for the biennial polls to the 10 Rajya Sabha
seats from Uttar Pradesh began on Monday, with the Election Commission
of India issuing a notification. The polls will be held on November 25.
The State’s ruling Bahujan Samaj Party is set to win the highest
number of seats considering that it has 200-plus MLAs in the Assembly.
As 36-37 first preference votes are required for a candidate to be
declared winner, the ruling party is likely to win five seats.
Chief Minister and BSP president Mayawati convened a meeting of the
party MLAs for Tuesday to finalise the strategy for the elections. The
names of the candidates are expected to be finalised at the meeting.
Those whose six-year term in the Rajya Sabha expires on November 25,
2008 are: BJP president Rajnath Singh; BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas
Naqvi; Samajwadi Party national general secretary Amar Singh; Shahid
Siddiqui, who has joined the BSP; Abu Aasim Azmi (SP); Uday Pratap
Singh (SP); Isam Singh, Gandhi Azad and Vir Singh (all BSP); and the
former Union Minister, Akhilesh Chandra Das, who was elected on the
Congress ticket in 2002. Dr. Das, who now calls himself Akhilesh Das
Gupta, joined the BSP in May this year and has been declared the
party’s candidate from Lucknow for the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.
Mr. Siddiqui, who was elected on the SP ticket in 2002, has been
declared the BSP candidate from Bijnor for the 2009 Lok Sabha poll
http://ghulammuhammed.wordpress.com/
GhulamMuhammed.Mumbai
COORDINATION COMMITTEE OF INDIAN MUSLIMS, representing all major
Indian Muslim organizations organized a PEOPLES’ CONVENTION today,
Monday, 3rd November, 2008 on “Restore the Constitution; Make a
communalism- and terror-free India at Delhi
COORDINATION COMMITTEE OF INDIAN MUSLIMS,
representing all major Indian Muslim organizations organized a PEOPLES’
CONVENTION today, Monday, 3rd November, 2008 on “Restore the Constitution; Make a communalism- and terror-free India at Delhi.
Speakers included Shri Deve Gowda,
former Prime Minister of India, Shri AB Bardhan, General Secretary,
Communist Party of India, Shri D Raja and Shri Atul Anjan, secretaries
of the Communist Party of India, Shri Sita Ram Yachuri,
MP and leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Shri Shahid
Siddiqui, MP and General Secretary, Bahujan Samaj Party, Ms Seema
Mustafa, senior journalist, Shri Tej Singh, President, Ambedkar Samaj
Party, Shri Arshad Azmi, President, National Loktantrik Party, Shri
Muhammad Sulaiman, President, Indian National League, Maulana Abdul
Hameed Nomani, Secretary, Jamiat Ulama-e Hind and Shri BishiruddinSharqi,
President, Students Islamic Organisation. The conference was presided
over by Maulana Jalaluddin Ansar Umari, President, Jamaat-e Islami Hind
and started with a keynote address by Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, President,
All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat.
Following are the resolutions passed by the conference:
PEOPLES’ CONVENTION
On “Restore the Constitution;
Make a communalism- and terror-free India
Monday, 3rd November, 2008
Held by the
COORDINATION COMMITTEE OF INDIAN MUSLIMS
At Aiwan-e Ghalib, Mata Sundri Lane, Near ITO, New Delhi
RESOLUTIONS
1. This People’s Convention, representing all
major Indian Muslim organizations and secular forces in the country,
resolves to work for the restoration of the rule of law in our country
and to make it free from the scourge of terrorism and communalism which
threaten our secular and constitutional framework.
2. The Convention reiterates that Islam and
Muslims are fundamentally opposed to terrorism as Islam and its holy
book, The Qur’an, categorically forbid killing anyone unjustly and by
unjust means. The Indian Muslim community through umpteen conferences
and religious scholars and institutions has issued clear fatwas denouncing
terrorism as an act totally forbidden in Islam. The Muslim community is
opposed to terrorism whatever its source and shape.
3. We declare that the Indian Muslim community
and all secular forces are contributing to usher in a terror-free India
where all communities and segments of society may flourish and
contribute to the progress and welfare of the country. We believe that
existing laws are sufficient to deal with the scourge of terrorism.
4. We clearly reject giving unlimited authority
to the police. We, in particular, reject the legal sanctity to
“confessions” given to the police and making bail applications more
difficult for those accused of terrorism. No other law in India makes
“confessions” to the police admissible in courts and the anti-terror
law too must not be an exception. The Indian police is highly
discredited in the eyes of the public because it normally resorts to
third degree torture which along with fake encounters, kidnappings and
illegal detention amounts to State Terrorism. In all terrorism cases,
where the police fails to file charge-sheets within a reasonable
time-frame like six months, the accused should automatically get an
automatic bail.
5. We make it clear that the style of provocative
searches and encounters is unacceptable in a democratic society. It
always smacks of a preplanned conspiracy and betrays the police’s
inability or unwillingness to face courts of law. More specifically, we
reject the Batla-house style of encounter killings. Since
there is widespread skepticism about the police story we demand a
high-level judicial enquiry into the Batla House encounter so that all
facts may come out.
6. This convention registers its displeasure at
the print and electronic media which blindly reproduces leaks
attributed to unknown security agencies and starts media trial by
blaming the Muslim community minutes after any terrorist incident. This
leads to instability in the country and ill-will towards the whole
Muslim community.
7. This convention is relieved to note that at
last our fears have been vindicated that a large number of terrorist
blasts were conducted by Hindutva terrorist organizations like VHP,
Bajrang Dal, Shri Ram Sena, Hindu Munnani, Hindu Jagran Manch, Yuva
Hindu Vahini, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, ABVP and
Durga Vahini etc, which are targeting Muslim and Christian communities
in a number of states. There should not be double standards when
dealing with terrorists.
8. Registering our strong displeasure at the
utter disinterest shown by the security agencies towards umpteen cases
of Hindutva terrorism unearthed during the last few years at places
like Nanded, Tenkasi, Kanpur, Thane, Panvel etc., we demand that no
partiality should be shown in the investigations to uncover the tip of
the iceberg which has come out as a result recent investigations and
blasts in which these criminal elements were involved. Any laxity or
politicization of this issue will only prolong the agony of the country
and make the fight against terrorism that much more difficult.
9. This convention registers its deep concern
that senior retired as well as serving army officers are involved in
Hindutva terrorism. The Union Government should take serious note of
this issue and form a committee to purge the army of such dangerous
elements who are a threat to national security.
10. This convention realizes that Hindutva
elements through their acts of terrorism and communal riots aim at
polarizing the Indian society on communal lines in order to reap
political benefit which is reprehensible and condemnable. We ask all
sections of society to oppose this threat to our communal harmony.
11. This convention appeals to the people of all
faiths and beliefs to unite and strengthen the secular and
constitutional framework of the country.
Mujtaba Farooq, Convenor, Coordination Committee & Secretary, Jamaat-e Islami Hind
Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, President, All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat
Ml. Abdul Hameed Nomani, Acting General Secretary, Jamiat Ulama-e Hind
Ml. Abdul Wahab Khilji, Asstt General Secretary, All India Milli Council
Ml. Mahmoodul Hasan, President, Jamiat Ahl-e Hadees, Delhi Pradesh
Dr Taslim Rahmani, President, Muslim Political Council
Ml. Zeeshan Hidayati, Chairman, Majlis-e Fikr-o Amal
Irfanullah Khan, Chairman Jamia Nagar Coordination Committee
Ml. Jalal Haidar Naqvi, Secretary, Majlis-e Ulama-e Islam
Tags: AB Bardhan - General Secretary - Communist Party of Ind, Aiwan-e Ghalib, All India Milli Council, ALL INDIA MUSLIM MAJLIS-E-MUSHAWARAT, Arshad Azmi - President - National Loktantrik Party, Bashiruddin Sharqi - President - Student Islamic Organi, Co-ordination Committee of Indian Muslims, D. Raja - secretary - Communist Party of India, Deve Gowda - Former Prime Minister of India, Dr. Zafarul-Islam Khan - President, Irfanullah Khan - Chairman Jamia Nagar Coordination Com, Make a communalism and terror free India, Maulana Abdul Hameed Nomani - Secretary - Jamiat Ulama-, Maulana Abdul Wahab Khilji - Asstt General Secretary, Maulana Jalal Haider Naqvi - Secretary- Majlis-e Ulama-, Maulana Jalaluddin Ansar Umari - President - Jamate-e I, Maulana Mahmoodul Hasan - President- Jamiat Ahle- Hadee, Mohammed Sulaiman - President - Indian National League, Ms. Seema Mustafa - Senior Journalist, Mujtaba Farooq -Convenor - Coordination Committee and S, People’s Covention, Restore Indian Constitution, Shahid Siddiqui - MP and General Secretary - Bahujan Sa, Sitaram Yachuri -MP and leader of the Communist Pary of, Tej Singh - President - Ambedkar Samaj Party, Zeeshan Hidayati- Chairman - Majlis-e Fikr-o Amal
Basically it is very important to shed fear. To shed fear one has to
practice loving kindness and compassion towards all living beings, learn the
art of giving, be honest and treat all human beings as ones own brothers and
sisters and always be calm, quiet, alert, attentive and have equanimity of mind
with a clear understanding that nothing is permanent and that is wisdom. After
all more than 98 percent of the population are the Original Inhabitants of
Jambudvipa, that is, the Great Prabuddha bharath. 80 percent of the rest 2
percent Central Asian Invaders are living below the poverty line even after 60
years of
This is because the ruling castes did not bother to provide free education as
enshrined in the constitution. Hurdles were put in the name of merit to all
those who with great odds and difficulties wished to pursue higher studies. The
ruling castes believed in first, second, third, fourth and human beings with no
souls. They believe that it is the prerogative of the first rate soul to be
educated and corner all the wealth of the nation. Equal distribution of wealth
was not done. Lands were not distributed to the actual tillers and healthy
seeds were not given. Loans were not distributed to all those who wanted to do
business. The Government Employees are corrupt and did not do their work
properly. They believe that they could do anything with the human beings whom
they declared had no souls. They are the majority of this great land. They call
them the SC/STs, OBCs and Religious Minorities, though they are the Original
Inhabitants. Hence, large number of terrorist blasts were conducted by Hindutva
terrorist organizations like VHP, Bajrang Dal, Shri Ram Sena, Hindu Munnani,
Hindu Jagran Manch, Yuva Hindu Vahini, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti,
ABVP and Durga Vahini etc, which are targeting Muslim and Christian
communities in a number of states. And disinterest shown by the security
agencies towards umpteen cases of Hindutva terrorism unearthed during the last
few years at places like Nanded, Tenkasi, Kanpur, Thane, Panvel etc.,
partiality were shown in the investigations to uncover the tip of the iceberg
which has come out as a result recent investigations and blasts in which these
criminal elements were involved. Any laxity or politicization of this issue is
prolonging the agony of the country.
Hindutva elements through their acts of terrorism and communal riots aim
at polarizing the Indian society on communal lines in order to reap political
benefit which is reprehensible and condemnable. All sections of society must
oppose this threat to our communal harmony.
People of all faiths and beliefs to unite and strengthen
the secular and constitutional framework of the country and strive to bring the
change through ballet in a most peaceful way. Bahujan Samaj Party could be the
answer.