Part Two: The Robe-cloth Chapter ![[go up]](http://www.accesstoinsight.org/icon/scrollup.gif)
11. When a bhikkhunī is asking
for a heavy cloth, one worth four “bronzes” at most may be asked for.
If she asks for more than that, it is to be forfeited and confessed.
(§•)
12. When a bhikkhunī is asking
for a light cloth, one worth two and a half “bronzes” at most may be
asked for. If she asks for more than that, it is to be forfeited and
confessed. (§•)
13 [1].
When a bhikkhunī has finished her robe and the frame is destroyed (her
kathina privileges are in abeyance), she is to keep extra robe-cloth
ten days at most. Beyond that, it is to be forfeited and confessed.
14 [2].
When a bhikkhunī has finished her robe and the frame is destroyed (her
kathina privileges are in abeyance): If she dwells apart from (any of)
her five robes even for one night — unless authorized by the bhikkhunīs
— it is to be forfeited and confessed.
15 [3].
When a bhikkhunī has finished her robe and the frame is destroyed (her
kathina privileges are in abeyance): Should out-of-season robe-cloth
accrue to her, she may accept it if she so desires. Having accepted it,
she is to make it up immediately (into a cloth requisite). But should
it not be enough, she may lay it aside for a month at most if she has
an expectation for filling the lack. If she should keep it beyond that,
even when she has an expectation (for further cloth), it is to be
forfeited and confessed.
16 [6].
Should any bhikkhunī ask for robe-cloth from a man or woman householder
unrelated to her, except at the proper occasion, it is to be forfeited
and confessed. Here the proper occasion is this: The bhikkhunī’s robe
has been snatched away or destroyed. This is the proper occasion here.
17 [7].
If that unrelated man or woman householder presents the bhikkhunī with
many robes (pieces of robe-cloth), she is to accept at most (enough
for) an upper and a lower robe. If she accepts more than that, it is to
be forfeited and confessed.
18 [8].
In case a man or woman householder unrelated (to the bhikkhunī)
prepares a robe fund for the sake of a bhikkhunī, thinking. “Having
purchased a robe with this robe fund, I will clothe the bhikkhunī named
so-and-so with a robe:” If the bhikkhunī, not previously invited,
approaching (the householder) should make a stipulation with regard to
the robe, saying, “It would be good indeed, sir, if you clothed me
(with a robe), having purchased a robe of such-and-such a sort with
this robe fund” — out of a desire for something fine — it is to be
forfeited and confessed.
19 [9].
In case two householders — men or women — unrelated (to the bhikkhunī)
prepare separate robe funds for the sake of a bhikkhunī, thinking,
“Having purchased separate robes with these separate robe funds of
ours, we will clothe the bhikkhunī named so-and-so with robes”: If the
bhikkhunī, not previously invited, approaching (them) should make a
stipulation with regard to the robe, saying, “It would be good indeed,
sirs, if you clothed me (with a robe), having purchased a robe of
such-and-such a sort with these separate robe funds, the two (funds)
together for one (robe)” — out of a desire for something fine — it is
to be forfeited and confessed.
20 [10].
In case a king, a royal official, a brahman, or a householder sends a
robe fund for the sake of a bhikkhunī via a messenger, (saying,)
“Having purchased a robe with this robe fund, clothe the bhikkhunī
named so-and-so with a robe”: If the messenger, approaching the
bhikkhunī, should say, “This is a robe fund being delivered for the
sake of the lady. May the lady accept this robe fund,” then the
bhikkhunī is to tell the messenger: “We do not accept robe funds, my
friend. We accept robes (robe-cloth) as are proper according to season.”
If the messenger should say to the bhikkhunī, “Does the lady have a
steward?” then, bhikkhunīs, if the bhikkhunī desires a robe, she may
indicate a steward — either a monastery attendant or a lay follower —
(saying,) “That, sir, is the bhikkhunīs’ steward.”
If the messenger, having instructed the steward and going to the
bhikkhunī, should say, “I have instructed the steward the lady
indicated. May the lady go (to her) and she will clothe you with a robe
in season,” then the bhikkhunī, desiring a robe and approaching the
steward, may prompt and remind her two or three times, “I have need of
a robe.” Should (the steward) produce the robe after being prompted and
reminded two or three times, that is good.
If she should not produce the robe, (the bhikkhunī) should stand in
silence four times, five times, six times at most for that purpose.
Should (the steward) produce the robe after (the bhikkhunī) has stood
in silence for the purpose four, five, six times at most, that is good.
If she should not produce the robe (at that point), should she then
produce the robe after (the bhikkhunī) has endeavored further than
that, it is to be forfeited and confessed.
If she should not produce (the robe), then the bhikkhunī herself
should go to the place from which the robe fund was brought, or a
messenger should be sent (to say), “The robe fund that you, venerable
sirs, sent for the sake of the bhikkhunī has given no benefit to the
bhikkhunī at all. May the you be united with what is yours. May what is
yours not be lost.” This is the proper course here.
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi in Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindika’s
monastery. Then a certain devata, in the far extreme of the night, her
extreme radiance lighting up the entirety of Jeta’s Grove, went to the
Blessed One. On arrival, having bowed down to him, she stood to one
side. As she was standing there, she said to him, “Tell me, dear sir,
how you crossed over the flood.”
“I crossed over the flood without pushing forward, without staying in place.”1
“But how, dear sir, did you cross over the flood without pushing forward, without staying in place?”
“When I pushed forward, I was whirled about. When I stayed in place,
I sank. And so I crossed over the flood without pushing forward,
without staying in place.”
[The devata:]
At long last I see
a brahman, totally unbound,
who without pushing forward,
without staying in place,
has crossed over
the entanglements
of the world.
That is what the devata said. The Teacher approved. Realizing that
“The Teacher has approved of me,” she bowed down to him,
circumambulated him — keeping him to her right — and then vanished
right there.
Food for the Heart
Introduction
One of the most notable features of Venerable Ajahn Chah’s teaching
was the emphasis he gave to the Sangha, the monastic order, and its use
as a vehicle for Dhamma practice. This is not to deny his unique gift
for teaching lay people, which enabled him to communicate brilliantly
with people from all walks of life, be they simple farmers or
University professors. But the results he obtained with teaching and
creating solid Sangha communities are plainly visible in the many
monasteries which grew up around him, both within Thailand and, later,
in England, Australia, Europe and elsewhere. Ajahn Chah foresaw the
necessity of establishing the Sangha in the West if long-term results
were to be realized.
This book is a collection of talks he gave to the monastic
communities in Thailand. They are exhortations given to the communities
of bhikkhus, or Buddhist monks, at his own monastery, Wat Ba
Pong, and some of its branches. This fact should be born in mind by the
lay reader. These talks are not intended to, and indeed cannot, serve
as an introduction to Buddhism and meditation practice. They are
monastic teachings, addressed primarily to the lifestyle and problems
particular to that situation. A knowledge of the basics of Buddhism on
the part of the listener was assumed. Many of the talks will thus seem
strange and even daunting to the lay reader, with their emphasis on
conformity and renunciation.
For the lay reader, then, it is essential to bear in mind the
environment within which these talks were given — the rugged, austere,
poverty-stricken North-East corner of Thailand, birth place of most of
Thailand’s great meditation teachers and almost its entire forest
monastic tradition. The people of the North-East are honed by this
environment to a rugged simplicity and gentle patience which make them
ideal candidates for the forest monk’s lifestyle. Within this
environment, in small halls dimly lit by paraffin lamps, surrounded by
the assembly of monks, Ajahn Chah gave his teachings.
Exhortations by the master occurred typically at the end of the
fortnightly recitation of the Patimokkha, the monks’ code of
discipline. Their content would be decided by the current situation —
slackness in the practice, confusion about the rules, or just plain
“unawakenment.” In a lifestyle characterized by simplicity and
contentment with little, complacency is an ongoing tendency, so that
talks for arousing diligent effort were a regular occurrence.
The talks themselves are spontaneous reflections and exhortations
rather than systematic teachings as most Westerners would know them.
The listener was required to give full attention in the present moment
and to reflect back on his own practice accordingly, rather than to
memorize the teachings by rote or analyze them in terms of logic. In
this way he could become aware of his own shortcomings and learn how to
best put into effect the skillful means offered by the teacher.
Although meant primarily for a monastic resident — be one a monk,
nun or novice — the interested lay reader will no doubt obtain many
insights into Buddhist practice from this book. At the very least there
are the numerous anecdotes of the Venerable Ajahn’s own practice which
abound throughout the book; these can be read simply as biographical
material or as instruction for mind training.
From the contents of this book, it will be seen that the training of
the mind is not, as many believe, simply a matter of sitting with the
eyes closed or perfecting a meditation technique, but is, as Ajahn Chah
would say, a great renunciation.
Teacher of the Devas
I.
Introduction
In the canonical formula for contemplation of the Buddha, nine
epithets of the Awakened One are mentioned. One of these, likely to be
overlooked, is sattha devamanussanam, “teacher of gods and
humans.” The present essay focuses on one aspect of this epithet: the
Buddha’s role as teacher of the devas or gods. In the pages to follow
we will carefully consider the instructions and techniques he used when
teaching beings of divine stature. If we study these teachings we will
gain deeper understanding of how we should purify our own minds, and by
studying the responses of the gods we can find models for our own
behavior in relation to the Master and his teaching.
Many religious leaders consider themselves prophets whose authority
stems from an Almighty God, but as our epithet implies, the Buddha’s
relationship to divinity was very different. He instructed deities, as
well as humans, on how to end all suffering (dukkha) by
eradicating ignorance and other unwholesome states. The gods came to
the Buddha to request instruction and clarification, to support his
Sasana or Dispensation, to praise his incomparable qualities, and to
pay homage at his feet. Devas and brahmas are often mentioned
throughout the Pali canon. They regularly manifest themselves on the
human plane and participate in many episodes of the Buddha’s career.
Some of these higher beings are foolish, some exceedingly wise; some
are barely distinguishable from well-off people, others are extremely
powerful, long-lived, and magnificent. The multiple connections between
the Buddha and beings of the higher planes can inspire meditators to
develop the Noble Eightfold Path that leads to the end of suffering.
This essay will explore: (1) the Buddha’s direct instructions to
devas and how they can help human meditators practice the Dhamma; (2)
how devas, out of gratitude and faith, honor the Buddha and support his
Dispensation; and (3) the process of attaining liberation for devas,
brahmas, and humans.
The Buddhist universe consists of thirty-one planes of existence
(see chart below). Every being lives on one or another of these planes.
After death all beings, except the arahants, will be reborn in a realm
and under circumstances that accords with their kamma — their
volitional actions of body, speech, and mind made in that existence or
in any previous one. We will often refer to this chart to indicate
where, in the cosmic hierarchy, the deities we meet come from.
Mayawati’s magic Will work in M.P.
GWALIOR: Now in the outgoing
230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly, the Bahujan Samaj Party hopes to
make a comeback by recreating the Uttar Pradesh magic of reaching out
to all sections ahead of the November 27 elections.
Keen on testing the efficacy of its social engineering outside U.P.,
the BSP has fielded candidates across the State, distributing ticket to
both the upper castes and other caste and communities.
The Gwalior-Chambal region, which runs along Uttar Pradesh, is being
seen one of the testing grounds in the Hindi-speaking belt. There, the
BSP fielded nine Brahmins and six Thakurs. Among them is veteran
Balendu Shukla, who served as Minister in the previous Congress
governments.
Congress, BJP flayed
Speakers at Ms. Mayawati’s rally here on Saturday did not hide their
disappointment with the ruling BJP and the Congress. Leading the charge
was Mr. Shukla and he was supported by U.P. Minister Fateh Bahadur
Singh, son of the former Congress Chief Minister, Bir Bahadur Singh.
On her part, the BSP supremo said she had written to the Centre on
several occasions suggesting that reservation be provided on economic
criteria and promised the gathering that she would implement it when
the party came to power in New Delhi.
As Surendra Singh Tomar, candidate in Gwalior, sees it, the BSP is emerging as the most potent force in the region.