Causes of stain

Non-recitation is the rust of incantations, non-exertion is the rust of homes, sloth is the taint of beauty; carelessness is the flaw of a watcher. Mala Vagga - The Dhammapada

'Be lamps to yourselves'

BY M. B. Werapitiya

BUDDHISM takes one on a voyage of discovery, a fact-finding mission. Unlike religions in which scriptures are deemed sacred and questioning their authority would amount to sacrilege, the Buddha was the only teacher who invited His followers to test every statement of His as a goldsmith does an item of jewellery to determine whether it is made of genuine gold.

So large was His compassion for you and me that we do not fall into error and lose our way in this maze of life.

Laws of nature

The Buddha discovered as Einstein did, laws of nature which are there and will be there till the end of time. We marvel at modern science with Einstein's theory of quantum physics which reveals that the unseen world is the real world and not what our five senses report to us.

"Einstein realized that time and space are also products of our five senses. We see and touch things that occupy three dimensions and we experience events as happening in sequential order.

Yet Einstein and his colleagues were able to remove the mask of appearances. They reassembled time and space into a new geometry that had no beginning or end, no edges, no solidity. Every solid particle in the universe turned out to be a ghostly bundle of energy vibrating in immense void."

In this connection what had the Buddha stated? It is relevant to draw one's attention to the stanza a Buddhist chants and reflects upon seeing a corpse, coming to terms with the reality of life, thus -

Aniccavata sankhara
Uppada vaya dhammino
Upajjitva nirujjanti
Tesavupa samo sukho.

It means -

All conditioned things are indeed transient. They are of the nature of arising and passing away.

Having come to be they pass away. The cessation of this process is bliss.

In truth, the Buddha saw far more than Einstein did when He stated - "The cessation of this process is bliss."

The whole of the Buddha's teaching and practice is contained in "cessation". Cessation in relation to man is the ending of rebirth. It is that gives rise to disease, decay and death and the whole mass of human suffering.

"Bliss" referred to is nirvana attainable here and now if one could completely eradicate the hindrances of sensual desires, illwill, sloth and torpor, restlessness and worry and doubt.

The Bodhisattva (the Buddha in the making) practised the three essentials of mind-training such as ethical conduct, mental discipline and insight to fully awaken His mind to see things in their true nature.

He tapped the resources of energy within Himself to accomplish His amazing feat proving convincingly that a person born into this world is endowed with the essentials to pursue life to its end.

There is not the slightest doubt that one has to develop an iron will, an unflagging determination and relentless perseverance to attain distinction in any sphere of human activity.

For the reason that attaining nirvana requires a super-human effort, no amount of performing rituals, offering prayers, winning favour of Gods with food, drink, fruits, flowers, incense and bloody sacrifices is a valid alternative.

Rather, getting started in the right direction with mindfulness, a step at a time, will help one reach one's destination, sometime. Rebirth offers the opportunity to renew one's effort. The advice of the Buddha to His Order of Monks ran thus -

"Therefore, Oh, Ananda, be ye lamps unto yourselves. Be ye a refuge unto yourselves. Betake yourself to no external refuge. Hold fast to the Truth as a lamp.

Hold fast as a refuge to the Truth.
Look not for refuge
to anyone besides yourselves."

The Buddha attained Enlightenment at the age of 35, practised His doctrine for 45 years and passed away at 80. When the question was posed to him as to who would lead the Order of Monks after His demise, He answered-

"Who sees the Law sees me.
Who sees Me sees the Law."

The Law, the doctrine, the dhamma is a colossal collection of the Buddha's formulations of vinaya (monastic discipline), sutta (discourses) and abhidamma (higher doctrine which deals with Buddhist philosophy).

It covers the essentials for one to progress into wisdom bringing about an awakening as experienced by the Buddha. Buddhism gives the highest place to the mind for all thoughts evil and good are mind-made. Life is but a thought moment and lasts only as long as consciousness lasts.

The Buddhist training is to cleanse the mind of its defilements caused by greed, hatred and ignorance which are like parasites. A cleansed mind runs its course to a finish carrying in its wake reproductive kamma that brings about rebirth. Thus with the ending of rebirth one is Enlightened, experiencing which the Buddha extolled-

"As something never experienced before,
vision arose in Me, intuition arose
in Me, wisdom arose in Me, light arose
in Me. This is True Excellence".

A believer in a living God prays for succour to overcome a difficult situation. To a Buddhist, it would be a waste of time and effort to pray to the Buddha for help for the reason of His having passed away a long time ago.

Besides, one has to save oneself that being the order of things. Should one, not knowing to swim, fall into the deep end of a swimming pool one drowns oneself dying of asphyxiation and not according to the determination of an outside power that sits in judgement.

According to the Buddha, one is one's own saviour as stated by Him thus-

"Oneself, indeed, is one's saviour,
For what other saviour would there be?
With oneself well controlled, one
obtains a saviour difficult to find".

Know then for certain you are your own maker, the architect of your destiny, the discoverer of your freedom. Get your motivation from men who by their steadfastness of purpose earned a place in the Halls of Fame. I have the following to lend you inspiration-

In 1985, Dr. Thomas Sundt, Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at the Mayo Clinic and one of the world's leading neurosurgeons was diagnosed with multiple mycloma an incurable cancer of the blood cells and bone. The expert's prognosis was that he had six months to live.

The remarkable man decided he had too much to do and that six months was insufficient time to do it in. Not comfortable with the facts about his life he chose not to accept them.

Six and a half years later, in September 1991, Dr. Sundt was featured on the television news magazine "60 Minutes".

Although he was in constant pain at the time and needed special equipment to help him stand, as well as a brace to protect his ribs from breaking under his own weight when he slept, he worked a full schedule which included operating each Monday, Wednesday and Friday .

Dr. Sundt chose to live with the disease as long as he could. He achieved his goal and continued to perform delicate neurosurgery thus helping hundreds of people to live healthy lives.

Dr. Sundt, eventually succumbed to the disease but his remarkable achievements stand as a testament to the power of rewriting the "facts" of life. Of strenuousness so displayed, the Buddha has stated-

"Strenuousness is the path
to immortality,
Sloth the path to death.
Those who are
Strenuous do not die,
those who are slothful are
as if dead already".

The Buddha is a reliable object of refuge and veneration. Let us then take him as our esteemed friend, our guide and mentor and live up to His expectations that we work our way to enlightenment paying heed to his last words-

"Vaya dhamma sankhara
Appamadena sampadeta",

Which means-

Subject to change are
all conditioned things.
Strive on with
diligence.

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Let us join and usher an era of peace

BY H. M. NEMSIRI Mutukumara

THE Vesak Pasalosvaka Poya season which begins with the first full moon day in the month of May (this year on Monday 23) comes to the climax of the six month season of continuous pilgrimage which started six months before in December.

There are two routes to climb the 7,360-foot peak. One is the road along Maskeliya and the other is the way through Ratnapura. The latter though rugged and strenuous terrain to the pilgrim, still it has not lost its popularity.

Interesting indeed, is the plethora of rites and rituals, customs and traditions, manners and patterns, behaviour of individual pilgrims and groups and group leaders woven round the pilgrimage to the Samanola Kanda.

To the Buddhist, the Samanola Kanda is the most sacred mountain in the country where the Sakyamuni Gautama Buddha placed His sacred foot-print on its summit. For greater protection from all elements the area surrounding the sacred foot-print is covered.

A Vihara is constructed for the Viharadhipati Maha Thera and other bhikkhus and for visiting Buddhist prelates.

Wholesome is the keynote of all thoughts, words and deeds. Every pilgrim is encouraged to engaged and perform meritorious deeds. They, themselves willingly share their food and beverages and even warm clothing to those in need.

The devout start the ascent after a brief dinner at the foot of the Samanola Kanda. However, a series of voluntary organisations offer wholesome food, snacks, soft-drinks, hot tea, coffee, ranavara, iramusu, kottamalli and such other health drinks.

Every pilgrim possesses his or her haversack. In this bag made of very strong material contains a small can or a small bottle of oil, wicks, handun-kuru, camphor and coins and currency note for offering for the welfare of the Sri Padasthanaya. In this bag, one finds another set of coins.

Those are brought all the way from home, cleaned with fresh water and tied with a clean piece of white cloth, making a vow.

The vow is made in such a way either to be redeemed at the next pilgrimage to Samanola Kanda or to be redeemed at another sacred place with all the promises assured at the time of making the vow.

Those fortunate pilgrims visiting Samanola Kanda before the Vesak Poya day on May 23 may witness lines of lines of coins tied to white pieces of cloth hung around the summit.

Strangely, none touches those. Everyone attaches a strong devotion to those objects.

Like the coin that is carried all the way from home another item that goes in the haversack is the home prepared 'aggala' made of fried Sinhala sahal flour, jaggery, coconut treacle or kitul treacle and made into balls. Included among other ingredients are cardamoms, karabu-neti and vasa-vasi. This delicacy called 'Aggala' keeps the pilgrim absolutely fine and healthy in the cold clime.

Those trying to seek warmth from different foods and beverages should be shown the correct path so that, they too would follow groups and group leaders from their meet pilgrimage to Samanala Kanda.

Now, who is this group leader?

He is called the "Nade Gura". He is a respectable village older. Invariably, he has paid homage to the Sacred Footprint of the Buddha many times than anybody else in the group.

From the Foot of the Samanola Kanda to the summit one word that rents the air is "Karunavayi", "Karunavayi", "Karunavayi" - "Saman Devindu Krunavayi", "Muni Siripa Karunavayi".

One anecdote that has crept into common parlance is the "Ira Sevaya". It is debated that the phenomenon is "Ira Sevaya" or "Ira Seyava"; whether the rising sun in the eastern sky performs a service offering or is it the reflection of the rising sun through the eastern range of mountains.

Whichever way, the situation materialises, every pilgrim awaits with tremendous anxiety to witness the grandeur of this scintillating experience which comes once in a lifetime.

Another word like the "Nade Gura' which has gained currency in the Siripa Vandanava is the "Kodu Karaya", the novice or the juvenile if one could describe the newcomer likewise.

And the "Kodu Karaya", remains a "Kodu Karaya" until he returns home to his village beeming with full of accomplishments borne out of a novelty of refreshingly happy thoughts, words and deeds.

Bubbling with exceeding happiness, now that they are on the summit of the Samanola Kanda pilgrims sing the four-lined sonorous Pali stanza paying their utmost homage to all the four places hallowed by the visit of the Sakyamuni. The Buddha placed His Footprint in all these places:

They are:

On the Banks of river Narmada
On the Summit of Saccabadda Hill
On the Summit of the Abode of Sumana Saman Deviyo

In the Land of the Yonaka people where Persians, Greeks and Romans and Afghans are living harmoniously enjoying the glory of Buddhist Sunshine....

Yam Nammadaya Nadiya
Puline Ca Tire
Yam Saccabadda Girike
Sumana Ca Lagge
Yam Tatta Yonakapure
Muni No Ca Padan
Tam Pada
Lamcana Maham
Sirasa Namami"

of all these four places, Sri Lanka is the only country where Sri Pada is protected, maintained and worshipped by all religious denominations with equal interest and devotion.

The history of Buddhist worship of Samanala goes back to the time of the Sakyamuni Buddha.

The Buddha, one morning foresaw that a fearful battle between an uncle and nephew - Mahodara and Culodara - will take place in the North.

The Buddha donned the robes and took the alms-bowl and appeared before the two groups. Buddha's admonition on what is wholesome and what is fruitless made them put down their arms and befriend themselves again.

At this occasion Nagaraja Maniakkhika invited the Buddha to visit his area. The Buddha accepted Nagaraja's invitation. The Buddha consecrated Nagaraja's domain as well.

Saman Deviyo who was also there at the occasion invited the Buddha to place His Sacred Footprint on the Summit of the Samanola - the domain of Saman Deviyo.

That was Sakyamuni Buddha's first visit to the Sihaladeepa made in the fist year after His attained Supreme Enlightenment. To be exact it will be 2,593 years ago.

From that time onwards, the Buddhists have protected, maintained and worshipped as one of the sixteen Most Sacred Centres of reverence.

The Hindus - Sivaists worship the Sacred Shrine as Sivanoli Padamalai - the Footprint of God Siva.

So are the Moslems, when Prophet Adam was sent to earth on punishment for defying the Almighty, Prophet Adam landed here in this country and set his foot on Samanola Kanda. From that day, Samanola Kanda became Adam's Peak of the Moslems.

In this season of the culmination of the six-month long pilgrimage to Samanola where all faithful patronise with steadfast devotion, let us all dedicate ourselves to usher in an era of progress and peace and plenty.