Monday, September 26, 2016

The Eighteen Impossible States of Bodhisatta


The Eighteen Impossible States of Bodhisatta

The Bodhisatta is one who seeks awakening (bodhi) or an individual on the path to becoming a buddha. The stories of the Gautama Buddha portray the efforts of the bodhisattva to cultivate the qualities, including morality, self-sacrifice, and wisdom, etc, with the wish to attain buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings.

When a Bodhisatta makes a vow or resolve (panidhāna) to fulfil the ten perfections (pāramīs), the Bodhisatta is said not to be born in any of the 18 ‘impossible states’ (abhabbaṭṭhāna). The list contains the following:

(1) Blind (jaccandha)
(2) Deaf (jaccabadhira)
(3) Insane (ummataka)
(4) Deaf and dumb (elamuga)
(5) Crippled (pithasappi)
(6) Among babarians (milakkhesu)
(7) Born of a woman (itthibhāva )
(8) One with confirmed wrong views (niyatamicchaditthika)
(9) Of changeable sex (hermaphrodite) (lingam parivattati)
(10) Among those guilty of committing the five heinous actions (pancanantariyakamma)
(11) A lepper (kutthi)
(12) Smaller than a quail, or larger than an elephant in size, if born an animal
(13) Among the khuppipasikanijjhamatanhika petas
(14) Among the kalakanjakas Asuras or in Avici or lokantarika nirayas (eight great hells)
(15) In sense sphere ( kamavacara) world as Mara
(16) In the material sphere (rupavacara) world, among those lacking in consciousness (asannibhava),  or in the pure abode (suddhavasa)
(17) In the immaterial sphere ( arupa) world
(18) In another world-system (anna-cakkavala).

Some of the items such as (8), (14), (15), (16), (17), and (18) mentioned in the list are significant and are all within the doctrinal framework of Theravāda Buddhism. Moreover the theoretical background on which the list is based could be the Jātakas which show different places of Gotama Bodhisatta’s rebirths.

May all beings be well and happy & attain the fruits of Nibbana.

Suranda Weediyage
BA, Tripitakachariya, Dip in Pali/ Buddhism (Pali & Buddhist University of Sri Lanka), HNDBF,
surandalk@gmail.com
http://www.thebuddhadhamma.wordpress.com

Are Buddhists Idol Worshippers?


Are Buddhists Idol Worshippers?

It is customary amongst Buddhists to keep Buddha images and to pay their respects to the Buddha, Buddhists are not idol worshippers. Idolatry generally means erecting images of unknown gods and goddesses in various shapes and sizes and to pray directly to these images. The prayers are a request to the gods for guidance and protection. The gods and goddesses are asked to bestow health, wealth, property and to provide for various needs; they are asked to forgive transgressions.

The 'worshipping' at the Buddha image is quite a different matter. Buddhists revere the image of the Buddha as a gesture to the greatest, wisest, most benevolent, compassionate and holy man who has ever lived in this world. It is a historical fact that this great man actually lived in this world and has done a great service to mankind. The worship of the Buddha really means paying homage, veneration and devotion to Him and what He represents, and not to the stone or metal figure.

The image is a visual aid that helps one to recall the Buddha in the mind and to remember His great qualities which inspired millions of people from generation to generation throughout the civilized world. Buddhists use the statue as a symbol and as an object of concentration to gain a peace of mind. When Buddhists look upon the image of the Buddha, they put aside thoughts of strife and think only of peace, serenity, calmness and tranquility. The statue enables the mind to recall this great man and inspires devotees to follow His example and instructions. In their mind, the devout Buddhists feel the living presence of the Master. This feeling makes their act of worship become vivid and significant. The serenity of the Buddha image influences and inspires them to observe the right path of conduct and thought.

An understanding Buddhist never asks favors from the image nor does he request forgiveness for evil deeds committed. An understanding Buddhist tries to control his mind, to follow the Buddha's advice, to get rid of worldly miseries and to find his salvation. Those who criticize Buddhists for practising idol worship are really misinterpreting what Buddhists do. If people can keep the photographs of their parents and grandparents to cherish in their memory, if people can keep the photographs of kings, queens, prime ministers, great heroes, philosophers, and poets, there is certainly no reason why Buddhists cannot keep their beloved Master's picture or image to remember and respect Him. What harm is there if people recite some verses praising the great qualities of their Master? If people can lay wreaths on the graves of beloved ones to express their gratitude, what harm is there is Buddhists too offer some flowers, joss-sticks, incense, etc., to their beloved Teacher who devoted His life to help suffering humanity? People make statues of certain conquering heroes who were in fact murderers and who were responsible for the death of millions of innocent people. For the sake of power, these conquerors committed murder with hatred, cruelty and greed. They invaded poor countries and created untold suffering by taking away lands and properties of others, and causing much destruction. Many of these conquerors are regarded as national heroes; memorial services are conducted for them and flowers are offered on their graves and tombs. What is wrong then, if Buddhists pay their respects to their world honored Teacher who sacrificed His worldly pleasures for the sake of Enlightenment to show others the Path of Salvation?

Images are the language of the subconscious. Therefore, the image of the Enlightened One is often created within one's mind as the embodiment of perfection, the image will deeply penetrate into the subconscious mind and (if it is sufficiently strong enough) can act as an automatic brake against impulses. The recollection of the Buddha produces joy, invigorates the mind and elevates man from states of restlessness, tension and frustration. Thus the worship of the Buddha is not a prayer in its usual sense but a meditation. Therefore, it is not idol worship, but 'ideal' worship.

The Buddha images are nothing more than symbolic representations of His great qualities. It is not unnatural that the deep respect for the Buddha should be expressed in some of the finest and most beautiful forms of art and sculpture the world has ever known. It is difficult to understand why some people look down on those who pay respect to images which represent holy religious teachers.
The calm and serene image of the Buddha has been a common concept of ideal beauty. The Buddha's image is the most precious, common asset of Asian cultures. Without the image of the Buddha, where can we find a serene, radiant and spiritually emancipated personality?

But the image of the Buddha is appreciated not only by Asian or Buddhists. Anatole France in his autobiography writes, 'On the first of May, 1890, chance led me to visit the Museum in Paris. There standing in the silence and simplicity of the gods of Asia, my eyes fell on the statue of the Buddha who beckoned to suffering humanity to develop understanding and compassion. If ever a god walked on this earth, I felt here was He. I felt like kneeling down to Him and praying to Him as to a God. Once a general left an image of the Buddha as a legacy to Winston Churchill. The general said, 'if ever your mind gets perturbed and perplexed, I want you to see this image and be comforted.' What is it that makes the message of the Buddha so attractive to people who have cultivated their intellect? Perhaps the answer can be seen in the serenity of the image of the Buddha.

A life so beautiful, a heart so pure and kind, a mind so deep and enlightened, a personality so inspiring and selfless -- such a perfect life, such a compassionate heart, such a calm mind, such a serene personality is really worthy of respect, worthy of honors and worthy of offering. The Buddha is the highest perfection of mankind. The Buddha image is the symbol, not of a person, but of Buddhahood -- that to which all men can attain though few do. For Buddhahood is not for one but for many: 'The Buddhas of the past ages, the Buddhas that are yet to come, the Buddha of the present age; humbly I each day adore.'

However, it is not compulsory for every Buddhist to have a Buddha image to practise Buddhism. Those who can control their mind and the senses can certainly do so without an image as an object. If Buddhists truly wish to behold the Buddha in all the majestic splendor and beauty of His ideal presence, they must translate His Teachings into practice in their daily lives. It is in the practice of His Teachings that they can come closer to Him and feel the wonderful radiance of His undying wisdom and compassion. Simply respecting the images without following His Sublime Teachings is not the way to find salvation.

We must also endeavor to understand the spirit of the Buddha. His Teaching is the only way to save this troubled world. In spite of the tremendous advantages of science and technology, people in the world today are filled with fear, anxiety and despair. The answer to our troubled world is found in the teaching of the Buddha.


May all beings be well and happy & attain the fruits of Nibbana.

Suranda Weediyage
BA, Tripitakachariya, Dip in Pali/ Buddhism (Pali & Buddhist University of Sri Lanka), HNDBF,
surandalk@gmail.com
http://www.thebuddhadhamma.wordpress.com

The Buddhist view on Killing for Self Protection & Mercy Killing


The Buddhist view on Killing for Self Protection & Mercy Killing 

The Buddha has advised everyone to abstain from killing. If everybody accepts this advice, human beings would not kill each other. In the case where a person's life is threatened, the Buddha says even then it is not advisable to kill out of self-protection. The weapon for self-protection is loving-kindness. One who practises this kindness very seldom comes across such misfortune. However, man loves his life so much that he is not prepared to surrender himself to others; in actual practice, most people would struggle for self-protection. It is natural and every living being struggles and kills others for self-protection but kammic effect depends on their mental attitude. During the struggle to protect himself, if he happens to kill his opponent although he has no intention to kill, then he is not responsible for that action. On the other hand, if he kills another person under any circumstances with the intention to kill, then he is not free from the kammic reaction; he has to face the consequences. We must remember that killing is killing; when we disapprove of it, we call it 'murder'. When we punish man for murdering, we call it 'capital punishment'. If our own soldiers are killed by an 'enemy' we call it 'slaughter'. However, if we approve a killing, we call it 'war'. But if we remove the emotional content from these words, we can understand that killing is killing.

According to Buddhism mercy killing too cannot be justified. Mercy and killing can never go together. Some people kill their pets on the grounds that they do not like to see the pets suffer. However, if mercy killing is the correct method to be practised on pets and other animals, then why are people so reluctant to do the same to their beloved ones?

When some people see their dogs or cats suffer from some skin disease, they arrange to kill those poor animals. They call this action, mercy killing. Actually it is not that they have mercy towards those animals, but they kill them for their own precaution and to get rid of an awful sight. And even if they do have real mercy towards a suffering animal, they still have no right to take away its life. No matter how sincere one may be, mercy killing, is not the correct approach. The consequences of this killing, however, are different from killing with hatred towards the animal. Buddhists have no grounds to say that any kind of killing is justified.

Some people try to justify mercy killing with the misconception that if the motive or reason is good, then the act itself is good. They then claim that by killing their pet, they have the intention to relieve the unhappy animal from its suffering and so the action is good. No doubt their original intention or motive is good. But the evil act of killing will certainly bring about unwholesome results. The Buddhist religion cannot justify mercy killing as completely free from bad reaction. However, to kill out of necessity and without any anger or hatred has less bad reaction than to kill out of intense anger or jealousy.

On the other hand, a being (man or animal) may suffer owing to his bad kamma. If By mercy killing, we prevent the working out of one's bad kamma, the debt will have to be paid in another existence. As Buddhists, all that we can do is to help to reduce the pain of suffering in others.  Buddhism can never accept these arguments because it is not how the killing occurs that is important, but the fact that a life of one being is terminated by another. No one has any right to do that for whatever reason.


May all beings be well and happy & attain the fruits of Nibbana.

Suranda Weediyage
BA, Tripitakachariya, Dip in Pali/ Buddhism (Pali & Buddhist University of Sri Lanka), HNDBF,
surandalk@gmail.com
http://www.thebuddhadhamma.wordpress.com

Why we take Refuge in the Buddha



 Why we take Refuge in the Buddha

The Buddhists take refuge in the Buddha not out of fear of Him, but to gain inspiration and right understanding for their self-purification. Buddhists do not take refuge in the Buddha with the belief that He is a god or son of god. The Buddha never claimed any divinity. He was the Enlightened One, the most Compassionate, Wise, and Holy One who ever lived in this world. Therefore, people take refuge in the Buddha as a Teacher or Master who has shown the real path of emancipation. Buddhists pay homage to Him to show their gratitude and respect, but they do not ask for material favors. Buddhists do not pray to the Buddha thinking that He is a god who will reward them or punish or curse them. They recite verses or some sutras not in the sense of supplication but as a means of recalling His great virtues and good qualities to get more inspiration and guidance for themselves and to develop the confidence to follow His Teachings.

There are critics who condemn this attitude of taking refuge in the Buddha. They do not know the true meaning of the concept of taking refuge in and paying homage to a great religious Teacher. They have learned only about praying which is the only thing that some people do in the name of religion. When Buddhists seek refuge it means they accept the Buddha, Dhamma and the Sangha as the means by which they can eradicate all the causes of their fear and other mental disturbances. Many people, especially those with animistic beliefs, seek protection in certain objects around them which they believe are inhabited by spirits.

The Buddha advised against the futility of taking refuge in hills, woods, groves, trees and shrines when people are fear-stricken: No such refuge is safe, no such refuge is Supreme. Not by resorting to such a refuge is one freed from all ill. He who has gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha sees with right knowledge the Four Noble Truths -Sorrow, the cause of Sorrow, the transcending of Sorrow, and the Noble Eightfold Path which leads to the cessation of Sorrow. This indeed is secure refuge. By seeking such refuge one is released from all Sorrow. -- (Dhammapada 188-192)

In the Dhajagga Sutta, it is mentioned that by taking refuge in Sakra, the king of gods or any god, the followers would not be free from all their worldly problems and fears. The reason is, such gods are themselves not free from lust, hatred, illusion and fear, but the Buddha, Dhamma and the Sangha (i.e. the community who has attained perfection) are free from them. Only those who are free from unsatisfactoriness can show the way to lasting happiness.

Francis Story, a well-known Buddhist scholar, gives his views on seeking refuge in the Buddha:
'I go for refuge to the Buddha. I seek the presence of the Exalted Teacher by whose compassion I may be guided through the torrents of Sansara, by whose serene countenance I may be uplifted from the mire of worldly thoughts and cravings, seeing there in the very assurance of Nibbanic Peace, which He himself attained. In sorrow and pain I turn to Him and in my happiness I seek His tranquil gaze. I lay before His Image not only flowers and incense, but also the burning fires of my restless heart, that they may be quenched and stilled, I lay down the burden of my pride and my selfhood, the heavy burden of my cares and aspirations, the weary load of this incessant birth and death.'

Some people say that since the Buddha was only a man, there is no meaning in taking refuge in Him. But they do not know that although the Buddha very clearly said that He was a man, he was no ordinary man like any of us. He was an extraordinary and incomparably holy person who possessed Supreme Enlightenment and great compassion toward every living being. He was a man freed from all human weaknesses, defilements and even from ordinary human emotions. Of Him it has been said, 'There is none so godless as the Buddha, and yet none so godlike.' In the Buddha is embodied all the great virtues, sacredness, wisdom and enlightenment.

Another question that people very often raise is this: 'If the Buddha is not a god, if He is not living in this world today, how can he bless people?' According to the Buddha, if people follow His advice by leading a religious life, they would certainly receive blessings. Blessing in a Buddhist sense means the joy we experience when we develop confidence and satisfaction. The Buddha once said, 'if anyone wishes to see me, he should look at my Teachings and practise them.' (Samyutta Nikaya) Those who understand His Teachings easily see the real nature of the Buddha reflected in themselves. The image of the Buddha they maintain in their minds is more real than the image they see on the altar, which is merely a symbolic representation. 'Those who live in accordance with the Dhamma (righteous way of life) will be protected by that very Dhamma.'  One who knows the real nature of existence and the fact of life through Dhamma will not have any fear and secure a harmonious way of life.

In other religions, the people worship their god by asking for favours to be granted to them. Buddhists do not worship the Buddha by asking for worldly favours, but they respect Him for His supreme achievement. When Buddhists respect the Buddha, they are indirectly elevating their own minds so that one day they also can get the same enlightenment to serve mankind if they aspire to become a Buddha. Buddhists respect the Buddha as their Master. However, this respect does not imply an attachment to or a dependence on the Teacher.

May all beings be well and happy & attain the fruits of Nibbana.

Suranda Weediyage
BA, Tripitakachariya, Dip in Pali/ Buddhism (Pali & Buddhist University of Sri Lanka), HNDBF,
surandalk@gmail.com
http://www.thebuddhadhamma.wordpress.com

Friday, September 2, 2016

Six Caritas (Six Types of Temperament or Nature)



Six Caritas (Six Types of Temperament or Nature)

There are six types of persons according to their temperament or nature.

1 Ràga-carita – the greedy-natured who indulge in sensuous pleasure without shame; The greedy-natured persons should exercise the ten Asubhas (Reflection on the 10 loathsome objects) and kàyagatàsati (Reflection on the 32 impure parts of the body)as these can suppress passion effectively.

2 Dosa-carita – the hate-natured who get angry easily even over trivial things; the hate-natured persons should practise the four Brahmavihàras (4 sublime abodes) and the four colour-kasinas. I.e. nela, peeta, lohita and odàta kasinas. These meditations are pure and serene and can delight persons who exercise them.

3 Moha-carita – the stupid or dull-natured; the stupid and dull-natured persons as well as the ruminating-natured persons should practice ànàpànassati. The minds of these people are restless and distracted because of uddacca, vicikicchà and vitakka. In ànàpànassati the in-breathing and the out-breathing have to be noted rhythmically. So ànàpànassati can control and calm down the restless minds.

4 Saddhà-carita – the faithful-natured who venerate the Triple-Gem piously: The faithful-natured persons should practise Buddhànussati, dhammànussati, sanghànusssati, silànussati, càgànussati and devatànussati. Saddhà (faith) is already strong in these persons and it will be further strengthened to great benefits by practicing these recollection meditative objects.

5 Buddhi-carita – the intelligent-natured who rely on reason and would not believe easily; the intelligent-natured persons should practice maranànussati, upasamànusssati, àhàre-patikula-sannà and catudhàtu- vavatthàna. The subjects of these meditations  are deep and subtle, and thus they can stimulate and strengthen the wisdom of the intelligent-natured persons.

6 Vitakka-carita – the ruminating-natured who think over this and that without accomplishing much. The ruminating-natured persons should practice ànàpànassati like in the Moha Carita.

The kammaññhànas which are suitable to all types of persons are pathavi-kasina, àpo-kasina, tejo-kasina, vàyo kasina, aloka-kasina, àkàsa-kasina and the four àruppas( 4 immaterial spheres).


May all beings be well and happy & attain the fruits of Nibbana.

Suranda Weediyage
BA, Tripitakachariya, Dip in Pali/ Buddhism (Pali & Buddhist University of Sri Lanka), HNDBF,
surandalk@gmail.com
http://www.thebuddhadhamma.wordpress.com

Fourfold Advent of Death (Marana’uppatti-catukka)



Fourfold Advent of Death (Marana’uppatti-catukka)

The fourfold advent of death may be compared to the four ways of extinguishing a lighted oil-lamp.

The flame of the oil-lamp may go out when:

1 the wick burns out,
2 the oil burns out,
3 both the wick and the oil burn out, or
4 the wind blows suddenly or the light is put out purposely even though the wick and the oil still remain.

In the same way, a person may die in one of the following ways:

1 Ayukkhaya-marana
Death due to the expiration of the age-limit,

2 Kammakkhaya-marana
Death due to the expiration of the reproductive kammic force,

3 Ubhayakkhaya-marana
Death due to the expiration of both the age-limit and kamma,

4 Upacchedaka-marana
Death due to the intervention of a destructive kamma. It is sudden death such as the one encountered in car accident or suicide or at a young age sometimes, etc.


May all beings be well and happy & attain the fruits of Nibbana.

Suranda Weediyage
BA, Tripitakachariya, Dip in Pali/ Buddhism (Pali & Buddhist University of Sri Lanka), HNDBF,
surandalk@gmail.com
http://www.thebuddhadhamma.wordpress.com