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Bodhisattva
and Śūnyatā in the Early and Developed Bhikkhuni
Gioi-Huong Vietnamese translation: Bồ tát và Tánh không trong kinh tạng Pāli và Đại thừa |
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Bodhisattva
and Śūnyatā in the Early and Developed Bhikkhuni
Gioi-Huong Vietnamese translation: Bồ tát và Tánh không trong kinh tạng Pāli và Đại thừa |
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Please note: VU-Times font (for English and Pali texts) and Arial Unicode MS font (for Chinese texts) are used in this document. |
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CHAPTER THREE THE BODHISATTA PRACTICE AS DEPICTED IN PĀLI SOURCES Awakening the Nature of Life On the full moon day of Vesākha (May) in the year 623 B.C,126 there was born in the Lumbini park, on the Indian borders of present Nepal, a noble prince Siddhartha Gotama (Pāli: Siddhattha Gotama, 士 達 多) of the Sakya tribe and the son of King Suddhodhana (淨 梵) and Queen Mahāmāya (摩 耶) of the Kapilavatthu Kingdom. He grew up and got education under extremely amiable circumstances and environment, both psychological and material. At first he enjoyed sensual pleasures to the full, but his attitude to such self-indulgence was quite different from that of the ordinary man. Even while enjoying pleasure, he intuitively felt that true and lasting happiness could never be found by giving in to each and every sensual attraction. That would lead to moral and intellectual ruin, resulting in becoming subject to more and more suffering. He was sure of this fact. He married the princess Bhadda-kaccana (Yasodharā, 耶 瑜 陀 羅) and begot a son-prince Rāhula (羅 侯 羅) and still he felt that that was not the ultimate fulfillment of human life. His inner urge could not stop at anything short of full and complete self-realization, not only for his own private release, but also for the good of humanity as a whole. This made him think: "What is laughter, what is joy when the world is ever burning? Shrouded by darkness, would you not seek a light?" (Ko nu hāso kimānando? niccaṁ pajjālite sati One glorious day as Siddhattha made four fateful trips to outside world, to the pleasure park to see the world outside. On the first trip he met an old man; on the second, a sick man; on the third, a corpse being carried away to be ere mated on the burning ghat; and on the fourth, a wandering holy monk. He did receive a vital shock on the above trips when he came in direct contact with the stark realities of life. Within the narrow confines of the palace he saw only the rosy side of life, but the dark side, the common lot of mankind, was purposely veiled from him. The first three sights convincingly proved to him the inexorable nature of life and the universal ailment of humanity. The prince Siddattha realized the worthlessness of sensual pleasures, so highly prized by worldliness that all things in the universe are transitory, painful and of changing nature. How could something pure, subtle and eternal associate itself with something as impure, gross and impermanent like me body?... Why every one and I are subjected to birth, decay, disease, death and impurities? Thus, there is a need for search after things of like nature? How can I, who is subjected to things of such nature, realize their disadvantages and seek after the unattained, unsurpassed, perfect security which is Nibbāna? And it might have a way that was the fourth of a dignified hermit who signified the means to overcome the ills of life and to attain calm, peace and unconditioned, permanent state... These awakening thoughts flashed across his mind and increased the urge in him to loathe and renounce the world, so that in the end at the midnight, he decided to leave the palace in search of truth and eternal peace when he was twenty-ninth years old. He journeyed far and crossing the river Anomā, rested on its banks. Here he shaved his hair and beard and handing over his garments and ornaments to Channa (沙 匿) with instruction to return to the palace, assumed the simple tawny garb of an ascetic and led a life of voluntary poverty, became a penniless wandering Bodhisatta. Seeking for the Truth Thus as a wanderer, a seeker after what is good, searching for the unsurpassed peace, Bodhisatta wandered from one place to another, met a number of contemporary famous religious leaders, practiced their doctrines, and attained whatever goal they aimed at. During his historical spiritual journey, the three notable periods may be mentioned here: The first time was that Bodhisatta Gotama approached Ālāra Kālāma (尉 陀 迦 羅 羅),128 one of the most distinguished religious masters at that time. After a short time having accepted him as a master and trained under his guidance, the young ascetic was not satisfied with a discipline and a doctrine which led only to the realm of nothingness (ākiñcaññāyatana, 無 所 有 處 定) and a high degree of concentration, but did not lead to ‘disgust, detachment, cessation of suffering, tranquility, intuition, enlightenment, and Nibbāna’. Bodhisatta felt as if a blind man leads another blind man or men and hence he politely took leave from Master Ālāra Kālāma. During the second period, the intelligent ascetic Gotama approached Uddaka Rāmaputta (尉 陀 迦 羅 摩)129 whose reputation and prestige were better and higher than that of Ālāra Kālāma, and who was the second spiritual master among the wanderers. Then so on, he grasped this doctrine of Uddaka Rāmaputta and attained the final stage of concentration, the realm of neither perception nor non-perception (n’eva saññā n’āsaññāyatana, 非 想 非 非 想 處) (the fourth arupa jhāna), but still his ultimate goal was far ahead and this method did not response to the question of dealing with sufferings in life. Dissatisfied with this too, he departed thence, contented therewith no longer he also realized that the highest truth is to be found within oneself and thus he ceased to seek external aid. During the third period, the ascetic Gotama went into the jungle near Uruvelā and practised the forms of asceticism with five sages: Anna Kondanna (Skt: Ajnata Kaundinya, 阿 惹 橋 陳 如), Assaji (Skt Asvajit, 馬 勝 / 圠 坒), Bhaddiya (Skt Bhadhrika, 帗 提 / 婆 提), Dasabala Kassapa (Skt. Dasabala Kasyapa, 十 力 迦 葉) and Mahānāma-kuliya, 摩 訶 南 拘 厘). He spent six years in hard penances in forests, slept on beds of thorns, burnt in the heat of midday sun, and suffered cold at night, ate one bean per day... until the day he starved himself into a state of extreme emasculation. He earnestly and seriously trained himself in this way until he remained a body of skeleton. One day, nevertheless, he realized that his fasts and penances had been useless, and failed to bring him to any further knowledge and vision for an absolute emancipation as it has been described in the Middle Length of Sayings as cited below: "It occurred to me, Aggivessana: suppose now that I were to take food little by little, drop by drop, such as bean-soup or vetch-soup or chick-pea-soup or pea-soup? So, I, Aggivessana, took food little by little, drop by drop, such as bean-soup or vetch-soup or chick-pea-soup. While I, Aggivessana, was taking food little by little, drop by drop, such as bea-soup or vetch-soup or chick-pea-soup or pea-soup, my body became exceedingly emaciated. Because I ate so little, all my limbs became like the joints of withered creepers; because I ate so little, my buttocks became like a bullock’s hoof; because I ate so little, my protruding backbone became like a string of balls; because I ate so little, my gaunt ribs became like the crazy rafters of a tumble-down shed; because I ate so little, the pupils of my eyes appeared lying low and deep; because I ate so little, my scalp became shriveled and shrunk by hot wind. If I thought, Aggivessana: ‘I will touch the skin of my belly’, it was my backbone that I took hold of. If I thought: ‘I will touch my backbone’. It was the skin of my belly that I took hold of. For because I ate so little, the skin of my belly, Aggivessana, came to be cleaving to my backbone. If I thought, Aggivessana: ‘I will obey the calls of nature’. I fell down on my face then and there, because I ate so little. If I, Aggivessana, soothing my body, stroked my limbs with my hand, the hairs, rotted at the roots, fell away from my body as I stroked my limbs with my hand, because I ate so little..."130 (Tassa mayhaṁ Aggivessana etad - ahosi: Yan - nūnāhaṁ thokaṁ thokaṁ āhāraṁ āhāreyyṁ pasataṁ pasataṁ, yadi vā muggayūsaṁ yadi vā kulatthayūsaṁ yadi vā kaḷāyayūsaṁ yadi vā hareṇukayūsan - ti. So kho ahaṁ Aggivessana thokaṁ thokaṁ āhāraṁ āhāresiṁ pasataṁ pasataṁ, yadi vā muggayūsaṁ yadi vā kulatthayūsaṁ yadi vā kalayayūsaṁ yadi vā hareṇukayūsaṁ, Tassa mayhaṁ Aggivessana thokaṁ thokaṁ āhāraṁ āhārayato pasataṁ pasataṁ, yadi vā muggayūsaṁ yadi vā kulattayūsaṁ yadi vā kalayayūsaṁ yadi vā hareṇukayūsaṁ, adhimattakasimānaṁ patto kāyo hoti. Sey-yathā pi nāma āsītikapabbāni vā kalapabbāni vā evaṁ-eva-ssu me aṇgapaccaṇgāni bhavanti tāy' ev' appāhāratāya, sey-yathā pi nāma oṭṭhapadaṁ evam - eva - ssu me ānisadaṁ hoti tay' ev' appāhāratāya, seyyathā pi nāma vaṭṭanāvaḷī evam eva-ssu me piṭṭhikaṇṭako unnatāvanato hoti tay' ev' appāhārutāya, seyyathā pi nāma jurasālāya gopānasiyo olugga-viluggā bhavanti evam- eva - ssu me phāsuḷiyo oluggaviluggā bliavanti tāy' ev' appāhāratāya, seyyathā pi nāma gambhīre udapāne udakatārakā gambhīragatā okkhāyikā dissanti evam-eva-ssu me akkhikūpesu akkhitārakā gambhīragatā okkhāyikā dissanti tāy' ev' appāhāratāya, seyyathā pi nāma titta- kālābu āmakacchinno vātātapena sampuṭito hoti sammilāto evam-eva-ssu me sīsacchavi sampuṭitā hoti sammilātā tay'ev' appāhāratāya. So kho ahaṁ Aggivessana: udaracchaviṁ parimasissāmīti piṭṭhikaṇṭakaṁ yeva parigaṇhāmi, piṭṭhi-kaṇṭakaṁ parimasissāmīti udaracchaviṁ yeva parigaṇhāmi. Yāva - ssu me Aggivessana udaracchavi piṭṭhikaṇṭakaṁ allīnā hoti tay' ev' appāhāratāya. So kho ahaṁ Aggivessana: vaccaṁ vā muttaṁ vā karissāmīti tatth' eva avakujjo papatāmi tāy' ev' appāhāratāya. So kho ahaṁ Aggivessana imam - eva kāyaṁ assāsento pāṇinā gattāni anomajjāmi. Tassa mayhaṁ Aggivessana pāṇina gattāni anomaijato pūtimūlāni lomāni kāyasmā papatanti tāy' ev' appāhāratāya. Api - ssu maṁ Aggivessana manussā disvā evam-āhaṁsu: kāḷo samaṇo Gotamo ti. Ekacce manussā evam - āhaṁsu: na kāḷo samaṇo Gotamo, sāmo samaṇo Gotamo ti. Ekacce manussā evam-āhaṁsu: na kāḷo samaṇo Gotamo na pi sāmo, maṅguracchavi samaṇo Gotamo ti. Yava-ssu me Aggivessana tāva parisuddho chavivaṇṇo pariyodāto upahato hoti tāy' ev' appāhāratāya.)131 Then the following thought occurred to ascetic Gotama: "This, Aggivessana, occurred to me: Some recluses or brahmans in the past have experienced feelings that were acute, painful, sharp and severe, but this is paramount, nor is there worse than this. And some recluses and brahmans are now experiencing feelings that are acute, painful, sharp, severe, but this is paramount, nor is there worse than this. But I, by this severe austerity, do not reach stages of further-men, the excellent knowledge and vision befitting the ariyans. Could there be another way to awakening?"132 (Tassa mayhaṁ Aggivessana etad-ahosi: Ye kho keci atītaṁ - addhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā opakkamikā dukkhā tippā kaṭukā vedanā vedayiṁsu, etāvaparamaṁ na - y - ito bhiyyo; ye pi hi keci anāgatam - addhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā opakkamikā dukkhā tippā kaṭukā vedanā vedayissanti, etāvaparamaṁ ra-y-ito bhiyyo; ye pi hi keci etarahi samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā opakkamikā dukkhā tippā kaṭukā vedanā vediyanti, etāvaparamaṁ na-y-ito bhiyyo. Na kho panāhaṁ imāya kaṭukāya dukkarakārikāya adhigacchāmi uttariā manussadhammā, alamariyariañaṇadassana- visesaṁ, siyā nu kho añño maggo bodhāyāti.)133 From this experience, he realized that he would die before he could find the answer. Therefore he should find another way and the dawn of truth was discovered step by step by him. The Middle Way Owing to experiences accumulated by his own knowledge and learnt from different religious masters, both in the earthly life as well as spiritual one, and by strongly patronizing his potentially intellectual power he was awakened that one should avoid the fixed or extreme position of self mortification that weakens one’s intellect as he spent six yeas of austerities and the fixed or extreme position of self-indulgence that restarts one’s moral progress as he spent his years in all luxuries and pleasant things of life at Kapilavathu kingdom. Both of them are useless for the spiritual progress. Just like a person playing guitar, if he lets the strings too straight (as austerity) or loose (as enjoying pleasure), the sound will be unsatisfactory and bad. In the contrast, the good player makes the sound excellent because he knows how to adjust the string fit and proper (as in the case of the Middle Way). Following this, he gave up the path of austerities and began to beg for food to regain his health to make a new start of practice. His five fellow ascetics witnessed the change in him and declared, "Gotama has taken the easy course of life!" and kept themselves far away from him. Siddhattha was then lonely in the midst of the immense ocean of sufferings of birth and death. He started thinking again and again of a Middle Way between the luxurious ways and the austerity-based one that he had practiced. He recalled an incident during a ‘ploughing Festival’ when, as a child of six or seven years, he sat under a rose-apple tree and entered meditative absorption (the first jhāna). He pondered over and said to himself, ‘Might that be the way to Enlightenment?’ Siddhattha went on to Uruvela and stopped at a place nowadays called Bodh Gaya in the modern Indian state of Bihar, He determined to sit under an Assattha-tree134 on the bank of Nairanjana river and practiced his own way of meditation until he could find the exact answer to the question of dealing with sufferings in life. The excerpt from the Discourse of Ariyapariyesana may be reproduced below: "Then I, monks, a quested for whatever is good, searching for the incomparable, matchless path to peace, walking on tour through Magadha in due course arrived at Uruvela, the camp township. There I saw a delightful stretch of land and a lovely woodland grove, and a clear flowing river with a delightful ford, and a village for support nearby. It occurred to me, monks, "Indeed it is a delightful stretch of land... Indeed this does well for striving of a young man set on striving". So I, monks, set down just there, thinking, "Indeed, this does well for striving".135 (So kho aham, bhikkhave, kim kusalagavesī anuttaram santiuarapadam pariyesamāno Magadhesu anupubbena-cārikam caramāno yena Uruvelā senānigamo tadavasarim Tatth'addasam ramañīyam bhumibhāgam pāsādikañ ca vanasandam, nadiñ-ca sandantim setakam supatittham ramanīyam samantā ca gocaragāmam. Tassa mayham, bhikkhave, etadahosi: Ramaniīyo vata bhūmibhāgo pāsādiko ca vanasando, nadī ca sandati setakā supatitthā ramanāyā, samantā ca gocaragāmo, alam vat'idam kulaputtassa padhānatthikassa padhānāyati. So kho aham, bhikkhave, tatth'eva nisīdim, alam-idam padhānāyati.)136 Meditation There is a saying in the Dhammapada that teaches the following lesson: "Easy to do are things that are bad and not beneficial to
self; (Sukarāṇi asādhūni attano ahitāni ca That is perfectly true. As a matter of fact, to gain the way of liberation, Boddhisatta Gotama uninterruptedly struggled for enlightenment for forty-nine days meditating under the bodhi tree. There occurred very naturally and psychologically the human instinctive desires which are humanized in the names of Māra such as sensual pleasure (kāma, 快 樂), aversion of the holy life (arati, 不 如 意), thirst and hunger (khuppipāsā, 餓 渴), craving (tanhā, 渴 愛), sloth and torpor (thīna-middha, 睡 眠), fear (bhī, 驚 駭), doubt (vicikiccha, 疑 問), detraction and obstinacy (makkha-thambha, 匪 謗 , 固 執), gain (lābha, 成 達), praise (siloka, 讚 歎), honour (sakkāra, 名 譽), fame (yasa, 有 名)... and which started to rise and disturb his mind. But with his extraordinary, immovable vow (pranidhāna), and determined great mind, Boddhisatta Gotama concentrated profoundly on all ways gone through by him for the sake of finding a way leading to complete liberation. Boddhisatta Gotama was awakened that link of karma and the link of becoming as referring to rebirth, both rebirth and karma came from mind. This is the main reply for the question of resolving the suffering of life. Therefore, if five hindrances (restlessness, torpor and sloth, sensuous, desire, ill-will and skeptical doubt), desire, envy and ignorance... are transformed, bad kamma by doing evil actions will be born in suffering stages must be far away, then we are liberated. This is the truth of existence of men and things which is very subtle, deep and difficult to see as it has been explained in the Discourse of Ariyapariyesana and has been confirmed as follows: "This too was a matter difficult to see, that is to say, the tranquilizing of all the activities, the renunciation of all attachment, the destruction of craving, dispassion, stopping, nibbāna".138 (Alayarāmāya kho pana pajāya ālayaratāya ālayasammuditāya duddasam idam thānam yadidam idappaccayatā paticcasamuppādo, idam-pi kho thānam duddasam yadidam sabbasankhārasamatho sabbupadhipatinissaggo tanhakkhayo virāgo nirodho nibbānam.)139 To calm down desire and trouble, Boddhisatta began to practice meditation under the Bodh-tree on the bank of Niranjana river. After entering deep into concentration (Samadhi, 禪 定), Boddhisatta Gotama cultivated insight meditation (vipassanā, 明 察 慧) and easily developed the first jhāna which he gained in his youth. Degrees by degrees, he attained the second, the third... the nine jhāna as well. Nine stages of jhānas are illustrated as below: Table II - THE PROCESS OF NINE JHĀNAS IN PĀLI NIKĀYAS 140
And the Discourse of Anupada stated the degrees of spiritual maturity from one level to another or the process of salvation (transcending) the world in full of formation as follows: "This monks, is due to Sāriputta’s uninterrupted insight into things: as to this, monks, Sāriputta, aloof from lures of the senses, aloof from unskilled states of mind, may enter on and abide in the first meditation which is accompanied by initial thought and discursive thought, is born of aloofness, and is rapturous and joyful. And those things which belong to the first meditation: initial thought and sustained thought and rapture and joy and one-pointedness of mind, impingement, feeling, perception, will, thought, desire, determination, energy, mindfulness, equanimity, attention are uninterrupted set up by him; know to him these things arise, know him persist, know they disappear. He comprehends thus: "Thus indeed things that have not been in me come to be; have been they pass away". He, not feeling attracted by these things, not feeling repelled, independent, not infatuated, freed, released, dwells with a mind that is unconfined. He comprehends ‘There is a further escape’. There is zealous practice for him concerning that. (Tatr' idaṁ, bhikkhave, Sāriputtassa anupadadhammavipassanāya hod. Idha, bhikkhave, Sāriputto vivice' eva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhanunehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ pathamajjhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. Ye ca paṭhamajjhāne dhamma vitakko ca vicāro ca pīti ca sukhañ ca citte-kaggatā ca phasso vedanā sañña cetanā cittaṁ chando adhimokkho viriyaṁ sati upekhā manasikāro, tyāssa dhammā anupadavavatthitā honti, tyāssa dhamma viditā uppajyanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. So evaṁ pajānāti: Evaṁ kira me dhammā, ahutvā sambhonti, hutvā pativedentīti. So tesu dhammesu anupāyo anapāyo amssito apaṭibaddho vippamutto visaṁyutto vimariyādikatena cetasā viharati; So: Atthi uttariṁ nissaraṇan ti pajānāti. Tabhahulikārā atthi t' ev' assa hoti.) And again, monks, Sāriputta, by allaying initial and discursive thought, with his mind subjectively tranquilized and fixed on one point, enters on and abides in the second meditation which is devoid of initial thought and discursive thought, is born of concentration, and is rapturous and joyful. And those things which belong to the second meditation: inward tranquillity and rapture and joy and one-pointedness of mind, impingement, feeling... equanimity, attention, are uninterruptedly set up by him, know to him these things... disappeared. He comprehends... ‘There is a further escape’. There is zealous practice for him concerning that. (Puna ca paraṁ, bhikkhave, Sāriputto vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā ajjhattaṁ sampasādanaṁ cetaso ekodibhāvaṁ avitakkaṁ avicāraṁ samadhijaṁ pītisukhaṁ dutiyajjhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. Ye ca dutiyajjhāne dhammā ajjhatta-sampasādo ca pīti ca sukhañ ca citte-kaggatā ca phasso vedanā sañña cetanā cittaṁ chando adbimokkho viriyaṁ sati upekhā manasikāro, tyāssa dhammā anupāṭṭavavatthitā honti, tyāssa dhammā viditā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. So evaṁ pajānāti: Evaṁ kira 'me dhammā ahutvā sambhonti, hutvā pativedentīti. So tesu dhammesu anupāyo anapāyo anissito appaṭibaddho Vippamutto visaṁyutto vimariyādikatena cetasā viharati. So: Atthi uttariṁ nissaraṇan ti pajānāti. Tabbahulikārā atthi t' ev' assa hoti.) And again, monks, Sāriputta, by the fading out of rapture, dwells with equanimity, is mindful and clearly conscious, and he experiences in his person that joy of which the ariyans say: ‘Joyful lives he who has equanimity and is mindful’ and he enters on and abides in the third meditation. And those things which belong to the third meditation: equanimity and joy and mindfulness and clear consciousness... equanimity, attention, are uninterrupted set up by him, know to him these things... disappear. He comprehends... ‘There is a further escape’. There is zealous practice for him concerning that. (Puna ca paraṁ, bhikkhave, Sāriputto pītiyā ca virāgā upekhako ca viharati sato ca sampajāno sukhañ ca kāyena paṭisaṁvedeti, yan taṁ ariyā ācikkhanti: Upekhako satimā sukhavihārī ti, tatiyajjhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. Ye ca tatiyajjhāne dhammā upekhā ca sukhañ ca sati ca sam-pajaññan ca citte-kaggatā ca phasso vedanā sañña cetanā cittaṁ chando adhimokkho viriyaṁ upekhā manasikāro, tyāssa dhammā anupadavavatthitā honti, tyāssa dhammā viditā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. So evaṁ pajānāti: Evaṁ kira 'me dhammā ahutvā sambhonti hutvā pativedentīti. So tesu dhammesu anupāyo anapāyo anissito appaṭibaddho vippamutto visaṁ-yutto vimariyādikatena cetasā viharati. So: Atthi uttariṁ nissaraṇan ti pajānāti. Tabbahulikārā atthi t' ev' assa hoti.) And again, monks, Sāriputta, by getting rid of joy, by getting rid of anguish, by the going down of his former pleasures and sorrows, enters on and abides in the fourth meditation which has neither anguish nor joy, and which is entirely purified by equanimity and mindfulness. And those things which belong to the fourth meditation: equanimity, feeling that neither painful nor pleasant ... impassivity of mind, purification by mindfulness, one-pointedness of mind, and impingement, feeling, perception, will, thought, desire, determination, energy, mindfulness, equanimity, attention, are uninterruptedly, energy, mindfulness, equanimity, attention, are uninterruptedly set up by him; know to him these things arise, know they persist, know they disappear. He comprehends ... ‘There is a further escape’. There is zealous practice for him concerning that. (Puna ca paraṁ, bhikkhave, Sāriputto sukhassa ca pahānā dukkhassa ca pahānā pubbe va somanassadomanassānaṁ atthagamā adukkhamasukhaṁ upekhāsatipārisuddhaṁ catutthājjhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. Ye ca catutthajjhāne dhammā upekhā adukkhamasukhā vedanā passi vedanā cetaso anābhogo sati pārisuddbi citte-kaggatā ca phasso vedanā sañña cetanā cittaṁ chando adhimokkho viriyaṁ sati upekhā manasikāro, tyāssa dhammā anupadavavatthitā honti, tyāssa dhammā viditā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. So evaṁ pajānāti: Evaṁ kira 'me dhammā ahutvā sambhonti hutvā pativedentīti. So tesu dhammesu anupāyo anapāyo anissito appaṭibaddho vippamutto visaṁyutto vimariyādikatena cetasā viharati. So: Atthi uttariṁ nissaraṇan ti pajānāti. Tabbahulikārā atthi t' ev' assa hoti.) And again, monks, Sāriputta, by passing quite beyond perceptions of material shapes, by going down of perceptions of sensory reactions, by no attending to perceptions of variety, thinking: ‘Ether is unending’, enters on and abides in the plane of infinite ether. And those things which belong to the plane of infinite ether. And those things which belong to the plane of infinite ether: perception in the plane of infinite ether and one-pointedness of mind and impingement, feeling... equanimity, attention, are uninterruptedly set up by him; know to him these things... disappear. He comprehends... ‘There is a further escape’. There is zealous practice for him concerning that. (Puna ca paraṁ, bhikkhave, Sāriputto sabbaso rūpa-saññānaṁ samatikkamā, paṭighasaññanaṁ tthagamā nānattasaññanaṁ amanasikārā: Ananto ākāso ti ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. Ye ca ākāsanañcayatane 'dhammā ākāsanañcayatanasañña ca citte- kaggatā ca phasso ca vedanā sañña cetanā cittaṁ chando adhi-mokkho viriyaṁ sati upekhā manasikāro, tyāssa dhammā anupadavavatthitā honti, tyāssa dhammā viditā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. So evaṁ pajānāti: Evaṁ kira 'me dhammā ahutvā sambhonti, hutvā pativedentīti. So tesu dhammesu anupāyo anapāyo anissito appaṭibaddho vippamutto visamyutto vimariyādikatena cetasā viharati. So: Atthi uttariṁ nissaraṇan ti pajānāti. Tabbahulikārā atthi t' ev' assa hoti.) And again, monks, Sāriputa, by passing quite beyond the plane of infinite ether, thinking ‘Consciousness is unending’ enters on and abides in the planes of infinite consciousness. And those things which belong to the plane of infinite consciousness: perception in the plane of infinite consciousness and one-pointedness of mind and impingement, feeling... equanimity, attention, are uninterruptedly set up by him; know to him these things... disappear. He comprehends ... ‘There is a further escape’. There is zealous practice for him concerning that. (Puna ca paraṁ, bhikkhave, Sāriputto sabbaso ākāsānañcayatanaṁ samatikkamā: Anantaṁ viññaṇan ti viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. Ye ca viññāṇañcāyatane dhammā viññāṇañcāyatanasaññā ca citte-kaggatā phasso vedanā saññā cetanā cittaṁ chando adhimokkho viriyaṁ sati upekhā manasikāro, tyāssa dhammā anupadavavatthitā honti, tyāssa dhammā viditā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. So evaṁ pajānāti: Evaṁ kira 'me dhammā ahutvā sambhonti hutvā pativedentīti. So tesu dhammesu anupāyo anapāyo anissito appaṭibaddho vippamutto visaṁyutto vimariyādikatena cetasā viharati. So: Atthi uttariṁ nissaraṇan ti pajānāti. Tabbahulikārā atthi t' ev' assa hoti.) And again, monks, Sāriputta, by passing quite beyond the plane of infinite consciousness, thinking: ‘There is not anything’ enters on and abides in the plane of nothing. And those things which belong to the plane of no-thing: perception in the plane of nothing and one-pointedness of mind and impingement, feeling... equanimity, attention, are uninterruptedly set up by him; know to him these things... disappear. He comprehends... ‘There is a further escape’. There is a zealous practice for him concerning that. (Puna ca paraṁ, bhikkhave, Sāriputto sabbaso viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamā: Na 'tthi kiñcīti ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. Ye ca ākiñcaññayatane dhammā ākiñcaññayatanasañña ca citte-kaggatā ca phasso vedanā Sañña cetanā cittaṁ chando adhimokkho viriyaṁ sati upekhā manasikāro, tyāssa dhammā anupadavavatthitā honti, tyāssa dhammā viditā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. So evaṁ pajānāti: 'Evaṁ kira 'me dhammā ahutvā sambhonti hutvā pativedentīti. So tesu dhammesu anupāyo anapāyo anissito appaṭibaddho vippamutto visaṁyutto vimariyādikatena cetasā viharati. So: Atthi uttariṁ nissaraṇan ti pajānāti. Tabbahulikārā atthi t' ev' assa hoti.) And again, monks, Sāriputta, by passing quite beyond the plane of no-thing, enters on and abides in the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. Mindful, he emerged from that attainment. When he has emerged, mindful, from that attainment he regards those things that are past, stopped, changed as: "Thus indeed things that have not been in me come to be; have been they pass away". He, not feeling attracted by these things, not feeling repelled, independent, not infatuated, freed, released, dwells with a mind that is unconfined. He comprehends ‘There is a further escape’. There is zealous practice for him concerning that. (Puna ca paraṁ, bhikkhave, Sāriputto sabbaso ākiñcāññayatanaṁ samatikkamā nevasaññānasaññāyatana upasampajja viharati. So tāya samāpattiyā sato vuṭṭhahati. So tāya samāpattiyā sato vuṭṭhahitva ye dhammā atīta mruddhā vipariṇatā te dhamme samanupassati; Evaṁ kira 'me dhammā ahutvā sambhonti hutvā pativedentīti. So tesu dhammesu anupāyo anapāyo anissito appaṭibaddho vippamutto visaṁyutto vimnriyādikateha cetasā viharati. So: Atthi uttariṁ nissaraṇan ti pajānāti. Tabbahulikārā atthi t' ev' assa hoti.) And again, monks, Sāriputta, by passing quite beyond the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, enters on and abides in the stopping of perception and feeling. And having seen by means of intuitive wisdom, his cankers are utterly destroyed. Mindful, he emerges from that attainment. When he has emerged, mindful, from that attainment, he regards those thing that are past, stopped, changed as: ‘Thus indeed things that have not been in me come to be; having been they pass away’. He, not feeling attracted by these things, not feeling repelled, independent, not infatuated, freed, released, dwells with a mind that is unconfined. He comprehends: ‘There is no further escape’. There is no zealous practice for him concerning that.141 (Puna ca paraṁ, bhikkhave, Sāriputto sabbaso nevasaññānasaññayatanaṁ sapatikkamā saññavedayitanirodhaṁ upasampajja viharati. Paññaya c' assa disvā asava parikkhīṇā honti. So tāya samāpattiyā sato vuṭṭhahati. So tāya samāpattiyā sato vuṭṭhahitvā ye te dhammā atīta niruddha vipariṇatā te dhamme samanupassad: Evaṁ kira 'me dhammā ahutvā sambhonti hutvā pativedentīti. So tesu dhammesu anupāyo anapāyo anissito appaṭibaddho vippamutto visaṁyutto vimariyādikatena cetasā viharati. So: Na 'tthi uttariṁ nissaraṇan ti pajānāti. Tabbahulikārā na 'tthi t' ev' assa hoti.)142 These are the nine states of jhānas which Bodhisatta practised to transform all defilements into joy, equanimity, happiness...This is the way of seeing, developing and cultivating mind. Without it, a person cannot understand what really is, and cannot resolve his psychological problems for peace and happiness in the here and now as well as for ending the sufferings of life and become the Buddha – The Enlightened One. That is the reason, the Buddha praised the merits of nine stages of Jhānas as under: "And so long, Ānanda, as I attained not to, emerged not from these nine attainments of gradual abidings, both forwards and backwards, I releazed not completely, as one wholly awakened, the full perfect awakening, unsurpassed in the world with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, on earth with its recluses, godly men, devas and men; but when I attained to and emerged from these abidings such wise, then, wholly awakened, I realized completely the full-perfect awakening unsurpassed. Then knowledge and vision rose up within me: mind’s release for me is unshakeable, this birth is final, there is now no becoming again".143 (Yānakivañ cāhaṁ Ānanda imā nava anupubbavihārasamāpattiyo na evam anulomapaṭilomaṁ samāpajjim pi vuṭṭhahim pi, neva tāvāhaṁ Ānanda sadevake loke samā rake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāmaṇayā pajāya sadevamanussāya anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho paccaññāsiṁ. Yato ca kho ahaṁ Ānanda imā nava anupubbavihārasamāpattiyo evam anulomapaṭilomaṁ samāpajjim pi vuṭṭhahim pi, athāhaṁ Ānanda sade vake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho paccaññāsiṁ. Ñāṇañ ca pana me dassanaṁ udapādi ‘akuppā me cetovimutti, ayam antimā jāti, natthi dāni punabbhavo’ ti.)144 With this consequence, we can understand the method of meditation is the main task of the Bodhisatta Way (Magga) to liberation in Pāli Nikāyas. Knowledge Bodhisatta had enjoyed in the nine states of spiritual mind and with the thoughts tranquilized, purified, cleansed of nine jhānas, Bodhisatta directed his mind to achieve three special kinds of knowledges (Tisso vijjā, 三 明) in the last night when he got Enlightenment as the Discourse of the Bhayabheravasutta belonging to the Middle Length Sayings145 recounted clearly these three perfect knowledges which appeared in the last night when Bodhisatta Siddhattha attained Enlightenment under the Bodhi-tree on the bank of Niranjana river as follows: "Thus with mind composed, quite purified, quite clarified, without blemish, without defilement grown soft and workable, fixed, immovable, I directed my mind to the knowledge and recollection of former habitations: I remembered a variety of former habitations, thus: one birth, two births, three..., four..., hundred..., a hundred thousand births and many an a eon of integration disintegration; such an one was I by name, having such and such a clan, such and such a colour, so was I nourished, such and such pleasant and painful experiences were mine, so did the span of life end... This brahman, was the first knowledge attained by me in the first watch of the night; ignorance was dispelled, knowledge arose, darkness was dispelled, light arose, even as I abided diligent, ardent, self-solute. (So evam samāhite citte parisuddhe pariyodāte anangane vigatupakkilese mudubhūte kammaniye thite ānejjappatte pubbenivāsā-nussatinānāya cittam abhininnāmesim. So anekavihitam pubbeniudsam anussarāmi, seyyathidam: ekampi jātim dve pijātīyo, ...jātisatasahassampi, anekepi samvattakappe anekepi vivattakappe; amutr' āsim evannāmo evamgotto evam vanno evamahāro evam sukhadukkhapatisamvedī evamāyupariyanto, so tato cuto amutra udapādim, tatrap’ āsim evannāmo evamgotto evamvanno evamahāro evam sukhadukkhapativedii evamāyupariyanto, so tato cuto idhupapanno ti. Iti sākāram sauddesam anekavihitam pubbenivāsam anussarāmi. Ayam kho me, brāhmana rattiyā pathame yāme pathamā vijjā adhigatā. Avijjā vihatā vijjā uppannā. Tamo uihato āloko uppanno. Yāthā tam appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato.) Then with mind composed quite purified, ...I directed my mind to the knowledge of the passing hence and the arising of beings ...I comprehend that beings are mean, excellent, comely, ugly, well-going, ill-going, according to the consequences of their deeds, and I think: Indeed these worthy beings who were possessed of wrong conduct in body, who were possessed of wrong conduct of speech, who were possessed of wrong conduct of thought, scoffers at the ariyans, holding a wrong view, incurring deeds consequent on a wrong view these, at the break up of the body after dying, have arisen in a sorrowful state, a bad bourn, the abyss, Niraya Hell. But those worthy beings who were possessed of good conduct in body, ...of speech, ...in thought, who did not scoff at the ariyans, holding a right view... at the breaking up of the body after dying, have arisen in a good bourn, a heaven world... This, brahman, was the second knowledge attained by me in the middle watch of the night; ignorance was dispelled, knowledge arose... (So evam samāhite citte parisuddhe pariyodāte anangane vigatupakkilese mudubhūte kammaniye thite ānejjappatte sattānam cutuapapatanañāya cittam abhininnāmesim. So dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passāmi cavamāne upapajjamāne...) And: "Then with mind composed, quite purified, ... I directed my mind to the destruction of the cankers. I understood as it really is: this is anguish, this is the arising, this is the stopping of anguish, this is the course leading to the stopping of anguish. I understood as it really is: There are the cankers, this is the arising of the cankers, ... this is the course leading to the stopping of the cankers. Knowing this thus, seeing thus, my mind was freed from the canker of sense pleasures, ... from the canker of becoming, ... from the canker of ignorance... This, brahman, was the third knowledge attained by me in the last watch of the night; ignorance was dispelled, knowledge arose, darkness was dispelled, light arose even as I abided diligent, ardent, self-resolute". (So evam samāhite citte parisuddhe... abhininnāmesim. So,idam dukkhanti yathābhutam abbhannāsim. Ayam dukkhasamudayo ti yathābhūtam abbhaññāsim. Ayam dukkhanirodhoti yathābhutam abbhaññsim. Ayam dukkhanirodhagāmini patipadāti yathābhūtam abbhaññāsim... Ayam kho me, brāhmana, rattiyā pacchime yāme tatiyā vijjā adhigatā, avijjā vihatā vijjā uppannā, tamo vihato āloko uppanno. Yathā tam appamattassa ātāpino pihatattassa viharato.)146 From here Bodhisatta knew that "Delivered am I", and "Rebirth is ended, fulfilled the holy life, done what was to be done: there is no more of this state again". This as ignorance was clear wisdom arose; darkness vanished and light arose. In order to grasp easily the process of three kinds of super-wisdom, we can give a look at the diagram III as under: Table III: THREE SPECIAL KINDS OF KNOWLEDGES (Tisso Vijjā) 147
After the last watch of the forty-ninth night, the historical event of the marvelous Enlightenment. Siddhattha Boddhisatta was extolled as the Buddha, the Enlightened-One, the Blessed-One, the Tathāgata, the Bhagava and so on... was still in a position of man (not God or saviour), but the Enlightened man or the Perfected man of human history, whose life was beyond all spheres of normal humanly desire, whose work was for the benefit of all living beings through his task of spreading the Enlightened Way, also called the Middle Way, until he passed away. From the time of becoming the Enlightened-One in Bodhgaya at the age of thirty-five years up to the attainment of Mahāparinibbāna at Kusinārā at the age of eighty, the Buddha tirelessly and ceaselessly walked almost the whole of northern and central India to spread the way of practice or his message for the good of many for the welfare of many: bahu jana hitaya ba hujana sukhāya.148 To conclude the chapter, one may say that the Pāli Nikāyas explain the Middle Way and Meditation as the means of Enlightenment and suggest that Gotama Buddha not only sought to help himself – a Boddhisatta and lead a peaceful and happy life during his own lifetime, but also after his Mahāparinibbāna, it became a source of inspiration for the process of spiritual mind wherever the Buddha and disciples could spread the message. Strive on with diligence, were the last words of the Buddha. No emancipation or purification can be without personal striving. As such petitional or intercessory prayers are denounced in Buddhism and in their stead is meditation, which leads to self-control, purification and enlightenment. The object of the Buddha mission was to deliver beings from suffering by eradicating its cause and to teach a way to put an end to both birth and death if one wishes to do so. The Buddha was the absolute purity and perfect holy Bodhisatta. He also was the profoundest of thinkers, the most persuasive of speakers, the most energetic of workers, the most successful of reformers, the most compassionate and tolerant of teachers, the most efficient of administrators. His will, wisdom, compassion, service, renunciation, exemplary personal life, the blameless methods that were employed to propagate the Dhamma and his final success-all these factors have contributed to hail the Buddha as the greatest religious Teacher. That is the reason, Pandit Nehru always referred to the Buddha as the greatest son of India. Or S. Radhakrishnan, another Indian leader and a philosopher, in paying a glowing tribute to the Buddha states: "In Gotama Buddha we have a mastermind from the East second to none as far as the influence on the thought and life of the human race is concerned, and sacred to all as the founder of a religious tradition whose hold is hardly less wide and deep than any other. He belongs to the history of the world’s thought, to the general inheritance of all cultivated men, for judged by intellectual integrity, moral earnestness and spiritual insight, the Buddha is undoubtedly one of the greatest figures in history".149 And also the same ideas, the historian H.G. Wells, in the Three Greatest Men in History wrote, "In the Buddha, you see clearly a man-simple, devout, lonely, battling for light-a vivid human personality, not a myth. He too had a message to mankind universal in character. Many of our best modern ideas are in closest harmony with it. All the miseries and discontents are due. He taught unselfishness. Before a man can become serene he must cease to live for his senses or himself. Then he merges into a great being... In some ways, the Buddha is nearer to us and our needs. He was more lucid upon our individual importance, sacrifice and service than Christ and less ambiguous upon the question of personal immortality." 150 NOTES: 126 Unlike the Christian Era, the Buddha Era is reckoned from the death of the Buddha which occurred in 543 B.C. (in his 80th year) and not from his birth.127 Dha, verse 146, pp. 77-8.128 MLS, Vol. I, London: PTS, 1954, p. 288.129 Ibid, p. 210.130 MLS, I, No. 36 the Mahāsaccakasutta, 300-301.131 M, I, 245-246.132 Ibid. loc.cit.133 M, I, 246.134 Since Bodhisatta Siddhattha has attained Bodhi or Enlightenment under that tree, it is described as Bodhi-tree or Bodhisattva-tree by the faithful disciples of the Buddha. It is still known by the same name. 83135 MLS, I, No. 26, Ariyapariyesana Sutta, 210-211.136 M, I, 166-167.137 Dha, Verse No. 163, pp. 85-6.138 MLS, I, No. 26, Ariyapariyesana Sutta, 211-212.139 M, I, 167.140 MLS, III, No. 111, The Anupada Sutta, 78-80.141 Ibid. loc.cit.142 M, III, 25-28.143 BGS, IV, Chapter Nine Dhammas, x, 295.144 A, IV, 448.145 MLS, I, No. 4, the Bhayabheravasutta, 28-29.146 M, I, 22-23.147 MLS, I, No.4, the Bhayabheravasutta, 28-29.148 P.V. Bapat, 2500 Years of Buddhism, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Government of India, 1919, p. vii. 98149 Ven. Narada Mahathera, The Buddha, in ‘Gems of Buddhist Wisdom’, The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation, Taiwan, 1996, pp.112-3.150 Ibid. loc.cit.-ooOoo- Top of page | Contents | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 |
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