CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER FIVE
Nibbana means extinction of sufferings
or the end of sufferings.
"This, 0 Bhikkhus, truly is
the peace, this is the highest, namely the end of all formations, the forsaking
of every substratum of rebirth, the fading away of craving, detachment,
extinction - Nibbana".
The nature of Nibbana is described
in various ways. However, the essence of Nibbana is very much the same.
In general, Nibbana means extinction: extinction of sufferings; extinction
of defilement; extinction of the five aggregates.
"Extinction of attachment,
extinction of hate, extinction of delusion: this is called Nibbana".
In brief, all kinds of sufferings
and painful sensations arise based on physical and mental phenomena (nama-rupa).
Dependent on desire, attachment and clinging to existences (bhava), birth
arises. Dependent on birth, decay, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief
and despair arise. Thus, the whole mass of suffering arises. If there is
no attachment or desire, having realised the truth of suffering completely,
there will not be rebirth. As a result, there will be no more sufferings.
"Nibbana is Deathless and
Birthless. Since there are no primary elements and no Nama-Rupa (mental
physical phenomena), everything ceases, and this cessation gives rise to
eternal peace. All suffering ends".
All arahants who have already
eliminated all defilement (kilesas); who have already attained enlightenment
through supramundane wisdom, will enter Nibbana after their death. And
also they will eradicate all kinds of sufferings of samsara (circle of
existence).
Arahants, when alive, can enter a state of Nibbana called Nirodhasamapatti for a maximum of seven days and seven nights. Nothing can disturb them when they are in this state. It is too difficult to explain or talk about because Nibbana is the experience of meditation that has to be realised within oneself.
When a person has attained Enlightenment, he or she has realised all the nature of dhamma (phenomena). Thus, arahants when touched or attacked by worldly conditions (lokadhamma), remain unshaken, sorrowless, undefiled and serene.
There are no reactions for them.
EIGHT WORLDLY
CONDITIONS (LOKADHAMMAS)
Gain (labha) and Loss (alabha)
Honour (yasa) and Dishonour (ayasa)
Praise (pasamsa) and Blame (ninda)
Happiness (sukha) and Suffering
or Misery (dukha)
"Touched by worldly conditions,
the mind is not shaken, sorrowless, stainless and safe. This is the Supreme
Blessing".
The final goal of a Buddhist is to attain Nibbana, or enlightenment. We should aspire for enlightenment whenever we practise dana, sila and bhavana i.e. generosity, morality and mental development instead of wishing for worldly possessions.
There is a threefold classification of Enlightenment:
1 Savaka-bodhi - a noble disciple
(arahant)
2 Pacceka-bodhi
- an Independently Enlightened One (private Buddha)
3 Samma-sambodhi - a perfectly
Enlightened One (Buddha)
Of the three, the last one is higher
than others because of the different status of fulfilment of perfection
(parami). Whoever wishes to become a Buddha, needs to fulfil ten kinds
of perfection. Fulfilling the perfection for the other two enlightenments
are not as difficult as that for Buddhahood. The period of time to fulfil
the ten perfections is also shorter. For the Bodhisatta (Buddha-to-be),
it will take him at least four aeons and one hundred thousand world-cycles
to fulfil the perfections.
1 Dana - Generosity
2 Sila - Morality
3 Nekkhamma - Renunciation
4 Panna - Wisdom
5 Viriya - Effort
6 Khanti - Patience
7 Sacca - Truth
8 Additthana - Determination
9 Metta - Loving-kindness
10 Upekkha - Equanimity
Of the ten, Dana Parami is the easiest
one to be done. That is why the Buddha put it first in order. However,
to fulfil Dana Parami of Bodhisattas, Buddha to be, is not an easy task
because Bodhisattas have to do great sacrifices for the sake of all beings
to be a Buddha. Therefore, we should thank them and appreciate their compassion.
"Give thanks to them, for
what has been given to you, however little.
One who is displeased with
gifts cannot attain happiness and peace".
FULFILMENT
OF PERFECTION OF BODHISATTAS
Buddhists commonly use the word, Parami. Parami literally means perfection. These qualities are developed and brought up to maturity by the Bodhisattas, or Buddhas to be, in their past existences. The different ways of fulfilling perfection by Bodhisattas are illustrated in many Jataka stories.
Their performance for the welfare of beings are excellent and admirable. They can do so many extraordinary things for the sake of all other beings while others cannot. However, whenever they do something for other beings, Bodhisattas carefully examine whether the actions will be beneficial for others or not. If the action is not beneficial, they won’t do it.
If the action is beneficial for
others, and even if it will get them into trouble, they will still do it
out of great compassion (mahakaruna). For example, Bodhisatta King Sivi
donated his eyes to an old brahman, though he knew he would be blind after
this act. If the action is not beneficial for others and there is a possibility
that they will be born in hell because of it, they will never carry out
that action. To understand clearly how Bodhisattas fulfil their perfection,
here is a Jataka story (No. 538) to illustrate renunciation (Nekkhamma
Parami).
PRINCE TEMIYA
WHO NEVER SPEAKS
Once upon a time, King Kasi ruled justly in Benares. He had many queens, but none of them had children. The citizens assembled, saying, “Our king has no son to keep up his line” and they begged the king to pray for a son. The king commanded the queens to pray for sons. He also asked his chief queen, Candadevi, to pray for a son.
So, on the day of the full moon, she took upon herself the Uposatha vows, and while lying on a little bed, she reflected on her virtuous life. She then made a statement on the ’Act of Truth’ in these terms, “If I have never broken the precepts, by the Truth in this my protestation, may a son be born to me.”
By the power of her piety, Sakka’s dwelling became hot. Sakka (the king of Devas) having considered the cause, said, “Candadevi asks for a son, I will give her one.” He then saw the Bodhisatta, who had been born in the Ussada Hell where he had suffered for eighty thousand years, after having reigned twenty years in Benares, but right now was a Deva (a heavenly being) in the Deva-world. Sakka went up to him and said, “Oh Friend, if you are born in the human world, you will fully exercise the perfections and the mass of mankind will be advantaged. Now the queen is praying for a son, do you wish to be born in her womb?”
He consented and was conceived in her womb, while the other deities were conceived in the wombs of the wives of the king’s ministers. At last, she brought forth a son endowed with auspicious marks. On the same day five hundred sons were born in the ministers’ houses. The king was very happy with the good news. He gave sixty-four nurses for the Bodhisatta and five hundred nurses for the other five hundred sons as honour.
After paying the Bodhisatta great honour, the king also gave the queen a boon. She accepted it and kept it in her mind. On the day of naming the child, they paid great honour to the brahmans who read the different marks, and inquired if there was any threatening danger.
They, beholding the excellence of his marks, replied, “Oh king, the prince has every mark of future good fortune, he will be able to rule not one continent but all the four, - there is no danger visible.” The king pleased, named his son “Temiya-kumara”, because it had rained all over the kingdom of Kasi on the day of his birth. Temiya means wet.
When Prince Temiya was one month old, he was adorned and brought to the king. The king having looked at his dear child, embraced and placed him on his hip and then sat playing with him.
At that time four robbers were brought before the king. The king sentenced one of the robbers to receive a thousand strokes with a barbed whip (whips barbed with thorns), another to be imprisoned in chains, the third to be smitten with a spear, and the fourth to be impaled. The Bodhisatta, on hearing his father’s words, was terrified and thought to himself, “Ah! My father through his being king, is becoming guilty of a grievous action which brings men to hell.”
The next day, the baby prince was laid on a sumptuous bed under a white umbrella. He woke after a short sleep and on opening his eyes beheld the white umbrella and the royal pomp, and he was horrified. He then pondered, “From where have I come into this palace?”
By recollecting his former births, he remembered that he had once come from the world of the Devas and before that had suffered in hell, after having been a king in that very city. He pondered to himself, “I was a king for twenty years and then I suffered eighty thousand years in the Ussada Hell. Now, again I am born in this ‘house of robbers, and my father when four robbers were brought before him, uttered such a cruel speech as must lead him to hell; if I became a king, I shall be born again in hell and suffer great pain there.”
He became greatly alarmed. His golden body became pale and faded like a lotus crushed by the hand, and he thought of how he could escape from that situation. Then a goddess who dwelt in the umbrella, and who in a certain previous birth had been his mother, comforted him, “Fear not, my child Temiya. If you really desire to escape, then, pretend to be a cripple, although you are not really one; though not deaf, pretend to be deaf and though not dumb, pretend to be dumb. Putting on these characteristics, show no signs of intelligence. If so, how will you become a king?”
The Bodhisatta then practised these three characteristics. The king, in order that his son might lose his melancholy, had the five hundred children brought near him. When the children began crying for their milk, the Prince Bodhisatta, being afraid of hell, did not cry. He reflected thus, “To die of thirst will be better than to reign.”
The nurses told this situation to Queen Candadevi and the queen told the king. The king sent for some brahmans who were skilled in signs and omens and consulted them.
They replied, “Your majesty, you must give the prince his milk after the proper time has passed. He will then cry and seize the breast eagerly and drink of his own accord.”
The king asked the nurses to follow
the advice: But the prince, was stung by the fear of hell, would not cry
for milk, even though he was hungry. Then the mother gave him milk, though
he did not cry for it, saying thus, “My little son must be hungry” Then
his nurses reflected, "There must be some reason for all this. Let’s examine
it.”
i
They were determined to try, for
one whole day they did not give him milk. But though the prince was hungry,
he still did not cry for milk.
Finally his mother said, “My little
child must be famished, give him milk".
Thus, giving him milk at intervals, they spent a year trying to find the reason but could not discover his weak point.
Then they said, “The other children are fond of cakes and dainties. We will try him with them.”
They set the five hundred children near him and brought various dainties and cakes and placed them close by him, telling them to take what they liked. Some of the children hid themselves but some seized the cakes and dainties and ate them while others quarelled and struck one another.
But the prince said to himself,
“Oh Temiya, eat the cakes and dainties
if you wish for hell.
“
And in his fear for hell he didn’t
look at them. Thus, even though they tried him with cakes and dainties
for a whole year, they discovered not his weak point.
Then they said, “Children are fond
of different kinds of fruits.”
And they brought all sorts of fruits
and tried him again. While the other children fought for them and ate them,
the prince did not look at them.
And thus a whole year passed. Then they said, “Children are fond of play-things.” So they set golden and other figures of elephants near him. The rest of the children seized them and played with them, but the prince did not look at them.
And thus, for a whole year they tried him with play things. Then they said, “There is a special food for four year old children, we will try him with that.”
So they brought all sorts of food. The other children broke them in pieces and ate them, the prince did not look at them for fear of hell, until at last his mother, with her heart-nigh, fed him with her own hand. They then determined to try him with frightful things. At the age of five, they tried to frighten him with fire; at the age of six, with a wild elephant; at the age of seven, with big snakes. But their attempts were in vain.
Then they said, “Eight-year old boys are fond of social gatherings.” So, having set him in the palace-court with the five hundred boys, they caused an assembly of mimes to be gathered together. The other boys, seeing the mimes, shouted and laughed loudly but the prince said to himself, “If I were born in hell, there would never be a moment’s laughter or joy” He then remained motionless as he pondered on hell, and never looked at the dancing.
They then said, “We will try him with the sword.”
They then placed him with the other boys in the palace-court. While they were playing, a giant-sized man rushed upon them, brandishing a sword and jumping and shouting,
“Where is this devil’s-child
of King of Kasi? I will cut off his head.
“
The others fled, shrieking in terror,
but the prince still remained there though the man threatened to cut off
his head. The man could not frighten him at all and at last went away.
When the prince was ten years old, in order to find out whether he was
really deaf, they hung a curtain round a bed and made holes in the four
sides and placed the conch-blowers underneath it without letting him see
them. All at once they blew the conchs - there was one burst of sound.
However, it was also in vain.
The prince was still motionless. Then they tried him in many other ways. However, their attempts were in vain. When the prince was fourteen years old, they said, “A youth who is grown up loves what is clean and abhors what is unclean. We will try him with what is unclean.”
From that time they did not let him bathe or perform any bodily ablutions, until he was reduced to a miserable plight. Though they tried to make him look like a released prisoner, they discovered no weak point in him.
Then they put pans of fire under the bed, saying, “When he is distressed by the heat, he will perhaps be unable to bear the pain and will show some signs of writhin.”
Boils seemed to break out on his body, but the prince said to himself, “The fire of Avici Hell flames up a hundred miles. This heat is a hundred or a thousand times preferable to that.” So he remained motionless.
His parents, with breaking hearts,
made the men come back and take him out of the fire. And they implored
him, saying, “Oh Prince Temiya, we know that you are not in any way crippled
by birth, for cripples have not such feet, face, or ears as you have. We
gained you as our child after many prayers. Do not now destroy us, but
deliver us from the blame of all the Kings of Jambudipa.”
Though thus entreated by them,
the prince still lay motionless as if he heard them not. Then his parents
went away weeping. Sometimes, his father or his mother came back alone
and implored him, but he seemed to hear them not.
When the prince was sixteen years old, they considered thus, “A sixteen-year old boy whether he is a cripple or deaf or dumb delights in enjoyable things alike. This is all natural in the proper time like the opening of flowers. We will have dramas acted before him and will thus try him.”
So they summoned many beautiful girls, full of graces. And the king promised them that whoever could make the prince laugh or could entangle him would become his principal queen. Then they had the prince bathed in perfumed water and adorned him like the son of a Deva. And they put him on a royal bed.
Meanwhile, the girls surrounded him and tried hard to delight him with dancing and singing and all sorts of pleasant words. He looked at them in his perfect wisdom and stopped his inhalations and exhalations in fear, lest they should touch his body. So his body became quite rigid.
When the girls were unable to touch him, they told his parents, “His body is all rigid. He is not a man, but must be a goblin.” Thus, though they tried him for sixteen years with the sixteen great tests and many smaller ones, they were not able to detect any weak point in him.
The king, full of vexation, called
for the fortune-tellers and said,
“Oh wise men, when the prince was
born, you said that he had fortunate and auspicious marks; he was no threatening
obstacle. But he is born a cripple and deaf and dumb. Your words do not
answer to the facts.”
“Oh great king,” they replied, “nothing is unseen by your teachers; but we knew how grieved you would be if we told you that the child of so many royal prayers would be all ill-luck. So we did not utter it.” “What must be done now?”
“Oh king, if the prince remains in this house, three dangers are threatened, your life or your royal power, or the queen. Therefore, it will be best to have some unlucky horses yoked to an unlucky chariot, and placing him therein, convey him by the western gate and bury him in the charnel-ground.”
The king, frightened by the threatened dangers, agreed with their words.
When the queen heard the news, she came to the king, “My lord, a long time ago, you gave me a boon and I have kept it unclaimed, give it to me today"
“What things do you want, my dear?”
“Give the kingdom to my son.”
“I cannot, my dear; your son is
all ill-luck.”
“If you will not give it for this
life, give it to him for seven years.
“
“I cannot, my dear.”
“Then give it to him for six years
- for five, four, three, two, one ear; give it to him for seven months,
for six, five, four, three, two, one, half a month.”
“I cannot, my dear.”
“Then give it to him for seven
days.”
“Well,” said the king, “take your
boon now.”
So she had her son adorned and
a proclamation was made to the beat of a drum, “This is the reign of Prince
Temiya.”
He was seated upon an elephant and led round the city, with a white umbrella held over his head.
When he returned, and was laid on his royal bed, the queen implored him all night, “Oh my son, Temiya, for sixteen years I have wept and taken no sleep on your account. My eyes are parched up and my heart is pierced with sorrow. I know that you are not really a cripple, or deaf and dumb. Do not make me utterly destitute.”
In this way she implored him day after day for six days. That sixth night she told the prince,
“Oh, my child, the king has given orders that you are to be buried tomorrow in the charnel-ground. Please talk to me, and tell me what you want. Tomorrow you will certainly die, my son.”
When the prince heard this, he thought to himself, “Oh Temiya, your sixteen years’ labour has reached its end,” and he was glad.
Next day, the charioteer came to the palace and said to the queen, “Oh queen, do not be angry, it is the king’s command.” So saying, as the queen lay embracing her son, he pushed her away with the back of his hand and lifted up the prince like a bundle of flowers and came down from the palace. The queen was left in the chamber smiting her breast and lamenting with a loud cry. Then the prince looked at her. He was very sorry for his mother.
Though he desired to speak, he reflected,
“If I speak, my efforts for sixteen
years will be rendered fruitless. But if I do not speak, I shall be safe
for myself and my parents.” Then the charioteer lifted him into the chariot
and drove to the chamel-ground.
There he began to dig a hole with a spade.
The prince thought, “This is my time for effort; for sixteen years I have never moved hand nor feet. Are they in power or not?” He rose and rubbed his right hand with his left and his left hand with his right and his feet with both his hands. He then resolved to alight from the chariot. When he had alighted, he walked backwards and forwards for several times to regain his strength. He then went to the charioteer who was digging and said to him, standing at the edge, “Oh charioteer, why are you digging that pit? What do you want to do with it?”
The charioteer went on digging the hole without looking up and spoke to the prince, “Our king has found his only son crippled and deaf and dumb; and I am sent to dig this hole and to bury him here.”
The prince replied, “I am not deaf nor dumb, my friend, nor crippled. If you bury me in this wood, you will incur great guilt.”
Then the charioteer said, “Who is this?” and looked up. ‘ Recognising him as the prince, the charioteer fell at his feet and folding his hands spoke to the prince, “Oh prince, pardon me. Please come, I will take you back; sit on the throne and act the king.”
The prince replied, “I do not want the throne nor wealth. I want not friends nor relatives. I just want to become an ascetic in a forest.” The charioteer thought, “What have I to do with this miserable life? I too will become an ascetic with him.”
He then requested the prince to take him along.
The prince reflected,
“If I at once admit him to the ascetic life, seeing him not, people will say that he is a goblin; that he has devoured the charioteer. Then my father and mother will suffer a lot.”
So, wishing to save himself from blame and to provide for his parents’ welfare, he said, “Restore the chariot first; you are also not a free man now. First pay your debts, then take the ascetic’s vow.”
The charioteer thought to himself, “If he departed elsewhere, while I went to the city, the king would punish me if he does not get to see him.” And he asked the prince to keep his promise to remain there and went to the palace.
Hearing the news, the king with
the ministers and his royal men immediately went to his son. At that same
time, the Queen Candadevi, surrounded by the royal ladies, came up. After
clasping her dear son’s feet and saluting him, she sat on one side with
her eyes full of tears.
Then the king said,
“Oh my dear son, this appears wonderful to me. Accept my palace, my elephants, my chariots, horsemen and infantry. I give you all my property” The prince replied, ”No, I don t want them. Let me leave the world. I will embrace the hermit’s life. I need no pomp nor throne.” “Oh king, I watch the boy with childish lips, crying for father and mother. Very soon he himself becomes a father of sons and then he too grows old and die.
All men and women, whether young or old, soon perish as the river sweeps away trees from its banks. In good sooth, who would put his trust in mortal life? While death smite this world; while old age watches us at our gate, why do you talk of crown or throne?” “Oh king, we are getting older and older every second; very soon we are chased by dreadful and deadly diseases; why do we waste our lives away? We must hurry up to leave the world; for very soon we will be conquered by death.”
The king, as he listened to the prince’s discourse, became disgusted at life spent in a house and longed to leave the world. And then he exclaimed, “I will not go back to the city; I will become an ascetic here. If my son will go to the city, I will give him the white umbrella.” So, he once more invites his son to take his kingdom. The prince replied, showing how little he wanted a kingdom, “Why seek for wealth, it will not last; Why woo a wife, she soon will die; Why think of youth, it will soon be past; and threatening age stands very high.”
“What are the joys that life can bring? Beauty, sport, wealth or royal fare? What is a wife or child to me? I am set free from every snare.” “Do what you haste to do today, who can ensure the tomorrow’s sun?
Death is the Master-General, who gives his guarantee to none.” The prince’s discourse with its application came to an end. When they heard it, not only the king and the queen but also the sixteen thousand royal men and women all desired to lead the asetic life. The king ordered a proclamation to be made in the city by beat of drum that all who wished to become asetics with his son should do so.
Then the king ordered them to open his palace, saying, “Whoever wishes to get my treasures or my property may take them all.”
The citizens also left their houses
with the doors opened as if it were an open market and flocked round the
king. The king and the multitude took the asetic vow together before Prince
Temiya. Then all the ascetics went into a forest to practise meditation.
They strove very hard under the instruction of the Bodhisatta, Temiya,
so that they all speedily developed the Faculties and the Attainments of
absorption concentration.
"The effort should be made
today. One may die tomorrow, who knows?
We have no covenant with
the king of Death and his many warriors".
Indeed, to fulfil the perfection
or parami to be a Buddha is not an easy task. For those who wish to fulfil
Bodhisatta’s parami energetically, I highly respect them for their perfection.
For me, it is really very hard to fulfil the perfection of Bodhisattas.
So far, I do not think I have ever wished to fulfil the perfection of the
Bodhisattas. Once when I donated a bottle of blood to a Sayadaw, I was
very scared to see my own blood. I know that blood donation is an easy
task for Bodhisattas. However, it is not so easy for me to do such Dana.
Though I cannot perform the ten perfections bravely to be a Bodhisatta,
I am still trying my best to perform a kind of perfection done by Savakas
(noble disciples). Here is one of my favourite stories, as told by my teacher,
Panditarama Sayadaw. This story is to illustrate Savaka Paramis.
Once the Lord Buddha was staying at Jetavana monastery near Savatthi. One evening, the Venerable Punna, rising from his solitary meditation, approached the Buddha, made obeisance and sat at a suitable place.
He said these words to the Buddha, “Venerable Sir, I beg of you. May Lord Buddha favour me with a brief teaching. After listening to the teaching, I would seek a solitary place and remain directing my mind (towards Nibbana) with mindfulness and diligence.” “Punna, if so, listen and pay good attention.”
Then the Buddha preached to him the six categories of objects (Arammana). After preaching to him, the Buddha asked him,
“Punna, after hearing the instruction
of meditation, where will you
"Venerable Sir, I will go to Sunaparanta.”
“Punna, the people of Sunaparanta are rough and brutal. Punna, suppose the people of Sunaparanta were to abuse you and threaten you, in that case, how would you feel?”
“Venerable Sir, if they do so to me, I will feel thus, ‘the people of Sunaparanta are very nice to me, they just threaten me; but do not stone me yet.”
“Punna, if the people of Sunaparanta
stone you, how would you feel?
“
“Venerable Sir, I will feel thus,
‘the people of Sunaparanta are very nice to me. They just stone me; they
do not beat me yet with a stick or clubs.”’ “Punna, if they beat you with
a stick, how would you feel?” “Venerable Sir, I will feel thus, ‘the people
of Sunaparanta are very nice to me. They just beat me; they do not cut
me yet with a sharp knife.”’ “Punna, if they cut you with a sharp knife,
how would you feel?” “Venerable Sir, I will feel thus, ‘the people of Sunaparanta
are very nice to me.
They just cut me with a sharp knife;
they do not kill me yet.”’ “Punna, if they try to kill you, how would you
feel?” “Venerable Sir, I will feel thus, ‘the people of Sunaparanta are
very nice to me. Because once there were disciples of Lord Buddha who,
being disgusted with the body and with life, were looking for a lethal
weapon to kill themselves but I have got the lethal weapon without having
to look for it. Oh Lord Buddha, this is how I would feel about them.”’
“Sadhu! Sadhu! Punna, being endowed with such complete forbearance, you
will be able to live in the Sunaparanta countryside. Punna, you may
go, when you wish.”
"Conquer the angry one by
not getting angry (Metta); conquer the wicked by goodness; conquer the
stingy by generosity, and the liar by speaking the truth".
It is indeed not easy to attain
enlightenment even as a Noble Disciple i.e. an arahant, because we are
so heedless in doing good deeds, so egoistic and selfish, and we have lots
of conceit (mana). Mana is one of the ten fetters binding us to the existence
and also one of the ten defilements. Mana has full power to destroy
our good attitude and keep us away from the entrance to Arahantship. Though
we do not know the right path, especially the right teachings, we may think
that we know everything, but in actual fact, we do not know very much.
It is very dangerous to overestimate one’s abilities.
"The fool who knows that he
is a fool can, for that reason, be a wise man; but the fool who thinks
that he is wise is, indeed, called a fool".
We also have strong attachment
(lobha) and desire (chanda) to enjoy worldly sensual pleasures (kama sukha).
If we cannot reduce our defilement through sila, samadhi and panna, we
will be far away from Nibbana. Sometimes we are not satisfied with others.
As a result, we hate them. Sometimes
we are brave enough to commit wrong doings because of delusion (moha) or
ignorance (avijja). That is why samsaric sufferings are so long for us.
We will have to go round and round endlessly unless we attain enlightenment.
So, we should practise meditation harder until we realise the ultimate
truth.
"Better than a hundred years
in the life of a person who does not realise the arising and passing away
of Ihe five aggregates, is a day in the life of one who realises the arising
and passing away of the five aggregates".
To attain enlightenment, we must have strong determination (adhitthana) and a well-directed mind (panihita) towards Nibbana.
Otherwise we will easily lose our
determination when we encounter hindrances (nivaranas), defilements (kilesas)
and some obstacles (palibodhas) during our intensive practice.
"Blind is this world. Few
are those who clearly see (with Insight). Just as only a few birds escape
from the net, so, also, a few go to the Blissful State (Nibbana)".
1 Kamachanda - sensual desire
(sensual pleasure)
2 Byapada - ill will
3 Thina-middha - sloth and
torpor (laziness & sleepiness)
4 Uddhacca-kukkucca - restlessness
and worry
5 Vicikiccha - sceptical
doubt
These five are powerful obstacles
to the mind and blind our mental vision. In the presence of them we cannot
reach access-concentration (upacara samadhi) and full concentration (appana-samadhi)
or momentary-concentration (khanika-samadhi). And we are unable to clearly
discern the truth.
"Pleasures flow everywhere.
You are floating upon them
with craving.
Thus, you are carried from
life to life".
1 Lobha - Greed (attachment)
2 Dosa - Hate
3 Moha - Delusion
4 Mana - Conceit
5 Ditthi - Wrong view
6 Vicikiccha - Sceptical doubt
7 Thina - Mental torpor
8 Uddhacca - Restlessness
9 Ahirika - Shamelessness to do
evil deeds
10 Anotappa - Fearlessness to do
evil deeds
These ten are called ‘defilement’
because they defile the mental factors associated with them.
"Free yourself from attachment
and hatred.
You are like the yellow leaf,
The messengers of death are
near you,
You are about to travel a
long journey,
Yet, you have no provisions
(for the journey)".
1 Avasa - A crowded monastery
2 Kula - Association with families
3 Labha - Gain or gifts
4 Gana - Class or pupils
5 Kamma - Repairs in the monastery
6 Addhana - Travelling
7 IVati - Relatives
8 Abadha - Sickness
9 Gantha - Study
10 Iddhi - Magical power or supernormal
power
These ten can obstruct the monk
in the strict intensive practice of a subject of meditation. That is why
these are named obstacles (palibodhas).
Some factors are relevant to yogis
also. To understand more about these obstacles, we need to illustrate a
story here. In the Visuddhi Nagga, there is a story of a young bhikkhu
(monk) who overcome the attachment to family and relatives. Even mother
and father are not an impediment for him. He was an admirable bhikkhu indeed.
Once there lived a young bhikkhu (monk) whose uncle was the chief monk of Korandaka Monastery. The young bhikkhu went to Rohana for studies. His mother, a lay devotee, was the chief monk’s sister and she was always asking the chief monk how her son was getting on. Hence, one day the elder the chief monk) set out for Rohana to fetch him back. The young bhikkhu thought too, “I have lived here for a long time. Now I might go and visit my Preceptor (Upajjhaya) and find out how the lay devotee is.”
And then he left Rohana.
The two met on the bank of Ganga River. He did the duties to the Elder at the foot of a tree.
“Where are you going?" asked the Elder.
The young bhikkhu told the Elder
his purpose. The elder said.
“You have done well. Your mother
is always asking me about you. That was why I came. You may go, but I shall
stay here for the rains (vassa).
“
And the Elder dismissed him.
The young bhikkhu arrived at the monastery on the actual day for taking residence for the Rains known as Rain Retreat. At that time, his father had undertaken all responsibilities for the monastery. His father came on the following day and asked the bhikkhus: “To whom was our lodging allotted, Venerable Sir?”
When he heard that it had fallen to a young visitor, he went to the young bhikkhu. After paying homage to him, he said: “Venerable Sir, there is an obligation for him who has taken up residence for the Rains in our monastery” “What is it, Upasaka (lay follower)?”
“It is to take alms food only in our house for the three months, and to let us know the time of departure after the pavarana (the invitation to one another between the Sangha) ceremony”.
The young bhikkhu consented in silence. The Upasaka went home and told his wife: “There is a visiting monk who has taken up residence for the Rains in our monastery. We will carefully look after him.” The wife agreed. She prepared good food of various kinds for him. Though the young monk went to his mother’s home daily at the time of the meal, no one recognised him. He had eaten alms food for three months ‘ in his mother’s house. When he had completed the residence for the Rains, he announced his departure. So his parents said to him,
“Venerable Sir, let it be tomorrow.”
On the following day, when they had fed him in their house and filled his oil tube, and given him a lump of sugar and a nine-cubit length of cloth, they said: “Now you may leave, Venerable Sir.”
He gave his blessing and set out for Rohana. His preceptor (the uncle) too had completed the pavarana ceremony and was on his way back. They met at the same place as before. He did again the duties to the Elder at the foot of a tree. The Elder asked him: “How was it, my dear, did you see your mother?”
He replied: “Yes, Venerable Sir.”
And he told him all that had happened. He then anointed the Elder’s feet with the oil, made a drink with the sugar for the Elder and presented him with the length of cloth. Then he paid homage to the Elder and departed.
The Elder arrived back at the monastery. Next day he went into the village of Korandaka. The lay devotee, his sister, had always kept looking down the road, thinking: “My brother is now coming with my son.”
However, when she saw him alone, she thought: “My son must be dead; that is why my brother is alone.” And she fell at the Elder’s feet, lamenting and weeping. The Elder comforted her and told her all that had happened. And then he took the length of cloth out of his bag and showed it to her.
She was appeased. She prostrated herself in the direction taken by her son, and she said: “Oh, admirable son! You are really a noble one. You ate in your mother s house for three months, and yet you never said ‘I am your son, you are my mother.”
“Oh, Noble son! I heartily pay homage
to you.“
"Give up Evil.
Cultivate Good.
Seek happiness in solitude,
The non-attached are peaceful".
In conclusion, the Buddha’s
teachings consist of three baskets (Tipitaka) that contain forty volumes.
The Buddha preaches the Dhamma in various ways to understand how to attain
the happiness of the Dhamma and how to eradicate sufferings of samsara.
Though the teachings are broad, seep and delicate, the way of the teachings
are simple and easy to understand. The following verse is a summary
of all Buddha's teaching.
Sabba-papassa akaranam
Avoid evil,
Kusalassa upasampada Do
good deeds.
Sacitta pariyodapanam
Purify the mind.
Etam Buddhana-sasanam
These are the teachings of all Buddha.
The Buddha's teaching are the teachings
that bring happiness and peace into all beings. By this truth, may all
beings be well, happy and peaceful.