Archives

Let both laymen and monks think, “by myself was this done; in every work, great or small, let them refer to me.” Such is the ambition of the pool, his desires and pride increase. Dhammapada (Bala Vagga)

This world has no beginning, no end

by A.G.S.Kariyawasam

Once a deity named Rohitassa went to the Buddha and told him that in a previous existence he was born as a sage with great psychic powers and had tried with all the prowess at his command to escape from this world burdened with pains and sorrow involving birth, decay, disease, death etc. by physically walking out of it. After travelling non-stop for one-hundred years and still failing to come to the world's end, he felt dead on the way.

The Buddha agreed that it should be so and said that it is in no way possible for anyone to get out of this world by travelling out of it physically. He further explained that in this very fathom-long body is found the world, its origin, its making and the end (Samyutta Nikaya i, 617 and Anguttara Nikaya ii, 476: PTS), as well as the practice that paves the way for such ending. The practice intended here is a spiritual and not a physical journey, leading the practises out of this world of many forms of human suffering.

What the Buddha meant here was that this world exists for a person only as long as he remains a living being with his sense-organs bringing about his relationships and other dealings with the objective world. Once he realises the freedom of Nibbana he ceases to become embodied as an individual any further.

It is in this backdrop of psycho-ethical philosophy that the Buddhist teachings on cosmology and cosmography have to be understood. Here, a single solar-system is designated as loka-dhaatu of which the numbers are innumerable as they are spread across the endless and beginningless cosmos, which has been presented as an ordered whole in a systematic triple division.

According to this systematisation a thousand such solar systems (lokadhaatu = cakkavaala) comprise what is technically called "the thousand-fold lesser world-system" (sahassi-culanikasa-lokadhaatu). The second grade comprises a thousand times of this and is designated as "the twice-thousand middling world-system" (dvisahassi-majjhimakaa-lokadhaatu) followed by "the thrice-a-thousand mighty-world-system' (thisahassi mahaasahassi lokadhaatu): Anguttara Nikaya, i 227 PTS).

As lokadhaatus are innumerable this system continues ad infinitum. This is a simple and a systematic way of presenting this highly complex cosmographic classification in Buddhism, regarding which the Buddha says "there is no beginning to be seen in this endless world process" (anamataggo ayam samsara pubbakoti na pannayati: Samyutta N.ii, 178 PTS).

Accordingly, His advice is to understand the world as such and stop at that as far as cosmography is concerned. He wants His followers therefore not to brood over on further problems such as whether the world is eternal or not, finite or not, limited or not etc. Such studies and researches are senseless . because they are not relevant to the problem at hand which is that of human suffering and its eradication. As far as Buddhism is concerned, further research regarding these endless world-systems would be futile exercises as just explained.

As per these endless cosmographic details with their details of world-systems, galaxies etc. the ancient Indians, while knowing that endless researches were not of much benefit to man, possessed a systematic knowledge about this details as well. Accordingly they have conceded the availability of other inhabited solar systems in different stages of advancement in some of which even Buddhas are present.

They seem to have had an intimate knowledge regarding the details of the other planets in our own solar system. For instance, the planet Mars they have designated as angaaraka meaning "the planet comprising burning embers" which agrees with the modern view which calls it the "red planet" owing to the same reason.

In this same sense the ancient Indians named it also as lohitaanga and raktavarna. They also have called it 'son of earth' (maheeputra) regarding it as a breakaway part of the earth itself. This fact may not be known to the modern scientist, but the ancients were certain about it.

In like manner they have called Mercury a breakaway from the moon (Candra-putra or soma-putra) while Saturn is described as a similar issue from the sun (surya-putra). Venus is described as whitish in colour and cooling in its nature," cooling like snow and whitish like the jasmine flower" (himaabha, kundadhavala).

After discovering these secrets through the development of their intuition and not by visiting them physically, what these ancient seers did was to take the next step for the benefit of man in a way different from the modern scientist. As they knew that, just as the sun and the moon quite manifestly affected the life on earth, these other heavenly bodies also affected man, both for good and bad. For the salutary effects they praised them and to counteract the evil effects they supplicated them, both by composing stanzas and reciting them ritualistically.

As against this classical background from the Eastern sages the Western scientists adopt a different attitude and approach towards these cosmographic phenomena. They have discovered many secrets about them but their approach is quite 'materialistic' in the sense that they try to understand these not in the Eastern way of becoming content with a knowledge of their collective influence on man and his environment but by searching for their individual details one by one and studying them continuously.

This process can never come to an end as in the case of the Eastern sages but will go on ad infinitum as material for such research will never become exhausted in this infinite cosmos. But the big question is whether this Western search for knowledge about them is worth the sacrifices in resources and limb and life of man that have to be made for their sake.

The challenger tragedy in 1986 when that space shuttle exploded minutes after take-off with its crew and the recent Columbia tragedy when it disintegrated into flaming debris moments before landing are grim reminders of the dangers involved. But the scientists will never give up. Such being the case was not Rudyard Kipling more than correct when he senses this situation and said:

The East is East

The West is West,

The twain shall never meet?

###################

Visionary vistas - Voices of Buddhist leaders

by Loka Ng

How to initiate effective development programs through empowerment Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - The lifeblood of any Buddhist society is dependent on how their human resources respond to the activities and training opportunities made available to them. An "active" society can be said to be one which continuously provide a variety of programs to cater for the different segments or groups within their set-up.

Catering to different segments of a community not only assist their leaders to initiate programs to meet specific group needs, but more importantly, how such individuals within the group derived ownership of the activities. The "take up" factor is a critical gauge whether such activities are useful for the group or not, as they could be eventually be extended to reach out to more new members.

In effect, this is what it means by establishing sound programs so that the society leaders are not required to lead perpetually, but to allow trained recipients take over the baton and institute their own leadership.

There is a maxim which says that it is easier to lead than to establish leadership. Many committee members fail to distinguish these two roles. The opportunity "to lead" denotes the privilege of being in a relatively higher position than others, while leadership connotes having the mental and physical ability to motivate and ignite the latent potential of another.

In many instances, those who have held senior positions in major Buddhist organisations for many years fail to demonstrate such leadership. While many hang on to the exalted positions as being leaders in their respective communities, they do not realise the long term damage they can do by not blooding new talents to take over the helm.

And so essentially, one comes to this point: What does one need to do to pass on the baton? The following is a list of pointers which have been proved to be effective over time (as far as my experience has shown).

Empowerment provides opportunities to any youth who are prepared to share the responsibilities in propagating the Buddha Dhamma. Give them not only access to decision making networks, but more importantly imbue in their spirit that such empowerment comes with responsibilities. This means giving them opportunities to take up challenges that they may not have gone through before.

Training and exposure provides basic training for those who wants to expand their personal horizon. Programs can be specifically arranged so that participants can experience some form of decision-making process. More importantly, ensure that there is effective follow-ups. More often than not, training programs fail to achieve its objectives because they do not have appropriate feedback systems.

Guidance

Existing leaders must not only provide guidance and supervision, but also spend time to help them find solutions to problems. Giving personal attention is a great way to forge a friendly mentor-mentee relationship.

Giving respect and avoid patronizing

Treat the youth with respect at all times. Although a basic advice, this point is often violated by senior members of Buddhist organisations. In this time and age where information access is greatly democratised (i.e., thru the Internet), it is not prudent (and not smart as well) to talk down to the youth.

Always take heart that these youngsters could potentially be the seeds of future Buddhist missioneries who may carry with them important tasks in the future. Giving respect means to learn how to listen to them. Who knows, they may have another way of looking at things. Space ought to be given to them to develop thoughts of their own.

Try to avoid patronizing them by constantly reminding them of your previous experiences when you were at their age. Treating them the right manner gives ample opportunities for them to treat you as a spiritual friend, an important Buddhist value in the search of the Enlightened Path.

Trust is an integral quality for any relationship to hold in the long term. In the absence of contractual bonds, most Buddhist workers are basically volunteers whose motive and motivations to serve are purely self driven. As such, the only value they bring forward in any relationship is basically trust and confidence in the people around them and the system which they operate in.

If leaders can instill confidence in their underlings and make them believe in themselves, that they have the intrinsic capability to improve, then these subordinates will have personal drive to undertake any tasks given to them.

Never underestimate the skill of confidence-building. Great leadership of past (and present) have proven that it is a critical quality in boosting self esteem. If applied astutely, the energy emanating from "one driven personality" will naturally rub off into the group, swelling their determination and ambition, and thereby creating a synergy that makes them a force to be reckoned with.

Providing support

Leaders must be ever ready to stand by whenever any youth member requires their presence.

It is no longer valid to issue edicts from the pulpit and expect the youngters to be motivated. Leaders need to keep their ears on the ground, and this means doing a lot of "management by walking around" .

This is what precisely "providing support to help the youth realize their capabilities" means. Providing support also means providing them a conducive environment to foster personal grow and development, and not just standing there howling instructions telling them what to do and pointing them where to go.

Letting them go

Not surprisingly, this is one of the most common failures of leadership. After the youth are properly groomed, leaders must face the fact that someday, their prodigies will move on to set their own horizons. The word of wisdom is, just let them go. Leaders must learn to be magnanimous and cultivate altruistic joy (mudita) when they see their understudies become independent and be able to stand on their own two feet.

If the youth goes a stage higher and progresses better than their predecessors, then it should be considered that their mentors have indeed demonstrated true leadership.

It is not enough to have youth development programs just for the sake of having them.

The key to a successful human resource development system is to have committed leaders extending the values of leadership in their day-to-day life. By setting personal example and keeping their eyes and ears on the ground, leaders will be able to gauge what their members' need.

More importantly, this way they could feel the pulse of exuberance that comes with the youth, a critical ingredient that drives and instills motivation for any organisation's self-renewal.

Indeed, by establishing sound human-centred development programs, such a society will flourish as a fountain of youth, thereby replenishing it with the necessary resources and energy to continuously maintain its drive for dynamic growth.

Long live the Buddha Sasana

(Loka Ng is currently an Advisor to the World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth and is also the Special International Advisor to the Young Buddhist Association of Thailand. He is also the President of the Upakara Kalyana Mitta Buddhist Association based in Malaysia and Vice President of the Malaysian Youth Council.)

Buddhist News Network

###################

Group meditates, watches films, hears guest lecturers to understand human suffering

by Peijean Tsai

Raised by a Vietnamese Buddhist mother, Amie McCampbell never felt alienated from Buddhism. An altar with the Buddha's likeness permanently sat in her parents' home, she attended pagodas and wore a necklace with a tiny gold Buddha for years during high school.

But the necklace never carried much significance for her, until she came to UCLA just over a year ago and became interested in the 2,500-year-old philosophy. "I wore (the necklace), but I didn't know what it was about," McCampbell said, adding that she had previously associated the small sculpture with her heritage rather than religion.

As a relatively new follower of Buddhism, McCampbell, a second-year undeclared student, is a typical member of the University Buddhist Association, a relatively new student organization started last fall after a three-year absence of Buddhist groups at UCLA.

Yet Rosa Langley, the club's social chair and meditation coordinator, who has been practicing Buddhist meditation since age 13, is also a typical member of the group.

"Some of us are very experienced meditators; some have only just begun to meditate," said Aaron Lee, UBA president and a second-year linguistics student, describing the organization's varying range of followers.

So far, regular attendance boasts about a dozen members, with a mailing list of 40 and growing. The students of the organization meet regularly for lectures on Buddhist philosophy, history and application to daily life, as well as for group meditation.

They spend their Monday evenings in silence, sitting still for intervals of 25 minutes, led by Reverend Kusala, the Buddhist Chaplain for the University Religious Conference at UCLA and the Association's director. Kusala, an American-born Bhikshu, or monk ordained in the Zen tradition of Vietnam, defines his beliefs behind the Theravada Buddhist doctrine.

Forming a circle with each person resting atop a "zafu" cushion, quiet ensues, eyelids drop, and Rev. Kusala gently strikes the gong three times so that meditation can officially begin.

Sitting still in meditation is just one of the methods members employ to understand human suffering, Buddhism's basic focus. By ceasing all action temporarily, they deny any distracting pleasures to their five physical senses, and to the mind, what Buddhists label as the sixth sense, and according to Kusala, is the "hardest one to control."

In addition to regular meditation, the Association also gathers to hear guest lecturers which include Bhante Walpola Piyananda, the first Sri Lankan monk on the West Coast and the first Buddhist chaplain for UCLA, according to the organization's Web site.

The group's next event includes film screenings tomorrow night on meditation programs that helped inmates at a minimum correctional facility near Seattle, Wa. as well as one at Tihar, the largest prison in India.

For students in the organization, the group offers a unique experience where they can pursue their beliefs and practice Buddhist techniques.

"Out of all religious traditions, (Buddhism) is the one I resonate the most with," said Langley, a first-year world arts and cultures student, who added that her non-religious parents had no religious influence on her. What attracted McCampbell - who serves as UBA secretary - to Buddhism is that its teachings can help people deal with problems they are having at any point in their lives, no matter what age, she said.

The purpose of resurrecting the Buddhist group on campus was to make Buddhism accessible to UCLA, a path previously unavailable after the UCLA Buddhist Club's activities died off three years ago.

"There is a need to be filled," Lee said, citing that Christian, Jewish and Muslim groups dominate the campus religious sphere.

Lee said he worries that in the absence of Buddhist organizations on campus, some might not be able to develop their beliefs in Buddhism at all.

"(The UBA) gives students a chance to explore Buddhism. If they explore it and don't like it, that's fine. But I feel bad if they don't even get the chance to find out what it's about," Lee added.

Buddhism tends to appeal particularly to college students because the nature of Buddhism is to question rather than accept simplistic maxims or rely on a divine authority, said William Chu, a Buddhist studies doctoral student who occasionally leads group talks.

A number of beliefs and practices set Buddhism apart from other religious traditions. Buddhist techniques and mantras all surround the basic idea of achieving spiritual enlightenment by ending suffering with personal discipline, ethics, mental purification and wisdom.

Followers learn about the faith through the teachings of the Buddha known as the Dharma, monks and nuns who have committed themselves to the faith through formal ordination and who have accepted the five precepts of Buddhism - not to kill, steal, engage in sexual misconduct, lie about spiritual attainment and consume intoxicants.

While he has been practicing Buddhist techniques for decades, Rev. Kusala emphasizes that it is not a matter of which religion is the correct path, but rather that people choose a single religion for themselves and then stay with it.

Courtesy: Buddhist News Network (BNN)

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager