Grey hair alone makes not a Thera

“He is not thereby an elder merely because his head is grey. Ripe is he in age”. Old-in vain is he called. Dhammiththa Vagga - The Dhammapada

The Venerable Balangoda Anandamaitreya :

A Dhamma friend to Western Buddhists
 

by Barbara Jackson (Upasika Subhdra)

'The Venerable Anandamaitreya is here! The Venerable Anandamaitreya is here!', called the voice of Mr David at the government Rest House near Balangoda as he ran along the veranda with the news of Bhante's arrival. For my husband Peter, and I, it was the end of a long search for this Buddhist monk.

At Maharargama Temple, he was not there - just left. At Ratnapura - not there - gone to Balangoda. At Balangoda - not there - gone to his friend's monastery 20 miles away in the jungle.

But now he was here at the Rest House at 9.0' clock at night together with his attendent monk, the Venerable Anandamangala, who had informed him of our visit. We had found the monk we came to know as 'Bhante', for despite his many honours, university degrees, formal titles etc., the Venerable Balangoda Anandamaitreya asked to be called simple Bhante.

Our meeting with Bhante was in 1980 when Buddhism in the West was beginning to be more established and western bhikkhus of the Thai Forest tradition were residing in England at Chithurst Forest Monastery near a town called Petersfield.

This was our monastery and whilst on a visit there we had mentioned to a Swedish monk called Venerable Lakkhana that we proposed visiting Sri Lanka, whereupon he told us to go on a Dhamma visit' rather than a tourist beach holiday, and that he would give us a Dhamma map. How sensible he was to make that suggestion - Sri Lanka - the home of Theravada Buddhism where the teaching of the Buddha had been available for many hundreds of years.

At this time I was also doing some voluntary work at the Buddhist Society in London and a fellow worker, Pat Wilkinson, told me that a dhamma visit to Sri Lanka had to include paying respects to the Venerable Balangoda Anandamaitreya, a very important monk and world renowned Pali scholar.

After having had two eye operations for the removal of cataracts and well into his eightieth year Bhante came to Britain. We were his dayakas and I arranged a dhamma programme of teaching invitations for him.

Wherever he went people wanted to hear his teaching of Buddha Dhamma. First came Cambridge University Buddhist Society, followed by Oxford University and Lancaster, Chiswick Vihara, Buddhist groups of lay-people throughout Britain, Samatha Association, newly formed monasteries and hermitages, isolated monks of other traditions all welcomed him.

Everyone who knew that Bhante was in Britain wanted to see him. We were like bees round a honey-pot wanting the sweet nectar of the Buddha's teachings from him, and his pot of dhamma honey flowed without ceasing as an endless supply freely offered to all who came into his presence.

Bhante's energy was similarly without ceasing at all hours of the day and night. Bhante said, 'I will go wherever I am invited to teach dhamma,' and so he went everywhere to help us further the needs of Buddhism in the West. His seniority and religious authority gave authenticity and an impeccability to Buddhism, about which people in the West wanted to hear more. We were amazed by this extraordinary Buddhist monk who had come to be in our midst.

Perhaps the most important thing Bhante did on one of his subsequent visits was to establish the first Buddhist ordination Sima in the West Chithurst Buddhist monastery, and to preside over the first Bhikkhu ordination there with the Venerable Sumedho as the Uppajjaya. I well remember Bhante saying, 'now we can truly say that Buddhism has come to Britain because we can ordain monks here properly'.

Chithurst monks were close to his heart because they were mostly westerners at that time, and his guidance was welcomed on various monastic matters including learning Pali for which purpose he went to the monastery regularly for many weeks whilst staying at Chiswick Vihara in London. The journey to Chithurst took Bhante about one hour or more and the Pali lessons began at 9.0' clock at night after the evening Puja had finished, often lasting until almost mid-night. Such was Bhante's remarkable energy output.

Children were equally fascinated by Bhante and the Buddha's teachings. One of the most memorable moments of my life was seeing a large group of children aged from three to sixteen years listening to Bhante telling Jataka Stories. They were enthraled and sat in concentrated stillness from the beginning to the end of each story, living every moment of it with Bhante.

At the Samatha Manchester Centre Western parents invited Bhante to give Buddhist Pali names to their children. It was considered a great honour to receive a Buddhist name from Bhante. As for us - he came in November 1994 to our home and blessed it and its Shrine Room, as a hermitage and place of Buddhist practice. He then gave me my Pali name.

When Bhante moved into his nineties he acquired fresh vigour as he accepted teaching invitations around the world. He was a 'global' Buddhist monk from Sri Lanka visiting New York, Canada, the west coast of America, Sweden, Russia, Singapore, Malaysia, Burma and Taiwan, to name but a few.

Throughout these visits he was giving dhamma talks, teaching meditation, Abhidhamma, Sutta study, offering guidance and answering questions. Wherever Bhante went, he was greeted and respected with much affection. At the age of ninety-five he learnt to use the computer because it was helpful in his translation of the Buddhist scriptures, writing books and replaying to his dhamma correspondence - stories of Bhante's life can be told for hours, but this must suffice for now.

As a Buddhist monk of the Theravada tradition in Sri Lanka, the Venerable Balangoda Anandamaitreya gave to all who had the good fortune to meet him an outstanding example of a radiantly happy, peaceful and kindly human being, willing to be of service to others.

He developed these qualities by practising the teachings of the Buddha. At a time when the world continues to be troubled with human suffering, may we renew and invigorate our practise path of walking the way of The Buddha and do as Bhante did - cultivate and realise the Buddha's inner peace of heart and mind as an offering to mankind.

Buddha-Dhamma is the Buddha's legacy to us all and the Venerable Anandamaitreya expounded it well. On the anniversary of his passing away let us honour this legacy which Sri Lanka has preserved and protected, by joining together in honouring Bhante as a great being, and aspire to practise with diligence the Buddhist way of life.

Buddhism and the Brahma concept
 

by Ven. Bellanwila Wimalaratana Thera

The term Brahma occurs fairly frequently in Buddhist literature. There are many terms that are prefixed with the word Brahma. Some of the well-known are Brahma-cariya, Brahma-vihara, Brahma-kaya, Brahma-danda, Brahma-jala, Brahma-cakka and Brahma-sara.Even the Brahma world as well as denizens of such worlds known as Maha-brahma, Brahma-sahampati, Brahma-sanankumara are also mentioned.

In phrases such as 'Brahmati matapitaro', the term Brahma is used to give it a special ethical connotation. What we propose here is to examine how this pre-Buddhist word came to be used in Buddhist literature and to discuss the changes it has undergone in this process of adaptation.

The 6th century B. C., the period to which the Buddha belongs is a period in which Indian religious and philosophical scene underwent a radical change. By this time the Brahmanic religious tradition had reached a very high stage of development. It began with the Vedas and developed through the Brahmanas, Aranyakas and reached its climax in the Upanishads.

It was at such a time that the Buddha appeared on the religious scene of India. During this period there were two distinct groups of religious thinkers; one group advocating the belief that salvation had to be attained through Karma marga or Yajan marga, i. e. through the path of sacrifice and the other holding that salvation is possible only through the path of wisdom or jnana-marga.

Besides these two religious paths, both put forward by the Brahmins, there was the path to salvation through ascetic practices put forward mainly by such groups as Ajivakas, Paribbajakas, and Niganthas. The latter group belonged mainly to the Sramana tradition which was opposed to the Brahmana tradition. Even the Buddha belongs to this Sramana tradition.

The Buddha who had mastered all the religious traditions of the time not only rejected the prevalent views on salvation, but presented a novel philosophy of emancipation. He discarded such views as divine creation, belief in a permanent self, determinism and annihilationism, and presented his teaching basing it on the fundamental doctrine of paticcasamuppada or dependent co-origination.

This fundamental doctrine formed the foundation for his other basic teachings such as karma, rebirth and freedom. Even the theory and practice of Buddhist ethics is founded on this doctrine of paticcasamuppada, which is the central philosophy of Buddhism.

The oldest scriptures that record the teachings of the Buddha are referred to as the Tripitaka (Three Baskets) written in the Pali language. When one examines the Tripitaka, it becomes quite clear that the Buddha's teaching is basically different from Vedic and Brahmanic teachings.

Yet, it becomes also clear that in spite of this difference, the Buddha himself had to adapt and use certain cherished beliefs, concepts and terms that were in vogue among the Brahmins, in order to put across his own teachings. Among such pre-Buddhistic concepts the Buddha adopted the concept of Brahma occupies an important place. As mentioned before, the word Brahmaoccurs frequently in pre-Buddhist as well as in Buddhist literature indicating a wide variety of senses and context.

(1) The technical terms used in Buddhist literature can be classified into three groups.

(2) The terms that are common in form as well as in meaning in both Brahmanic and Buddhist literature.

(3) The terms that are common in form, but different in meaning.

Terms that denote completely a Buddhist meaning.

According to this classification the term Brahma falls into the second group. In Buddhism it is used in a sense quite different from the sense in which it is used in Brahmanism. Both Brahma and Brahman connote the idea of the Highest. In the earliest stages the term Brahmanmeant the universe. Hence the first beginning of the Brahma ideal could be traced to the Purusa Sukta which occurs in the Xth Mandala of the Rgveda.

It alludes to some kind of primordial universal matter. Gradually this idea developed and finally it came to be accepted that the Brahman or Brahma is the source of the whole universe. In the early Brahmana period Prajapati is considered more important and he is considered the primordial being and Brahma occupies a secondary place.

In the Satapatha Brahman it is clearly mentioned that Prajapati created the Brahma. But in later Brahmana texts their positions were reversed, Brahma superseding prajapati, with Brahma being considered as the foundation as well as the source of the universe.

This idea reached its culmination in the Upanishad literature, where reference is made to the undifferentiated unity of Brahman and Atman, that is the Universal Soul and the Individual Soul, in other words, the macrocosm and the microcosm.

Brahman as the Cosmic Soul is universal, permanent, indestructible, unique; it is the primordial essence, the ultimate ground of existence. The final goal came to be considered as the realization of the unity between Brahman and Atman; the realization of "oneness" between the universal soul and the individual soul.

The attainment of this undifferentiated unity is considered in the Upanishads as the goal and ideal of all Brahmins. It was said that there are two paths open to this goal. One is the path of Sacrifice (Yajna or Karma-marga) and the other the Path of Knowledge (Jnana-marga). The latter was followed by the Upanishad sages, the munis who practised severe ascetic practices.

The Buddha's attitude towards this long-cherished concept of Brahmais two-fold.

Complete rejection of the Brahma concept.

Giving new meanings to certain ideas connected with the Brahma concept.

Both as religion and philosophy, Buddhism is based on the "no soul" view. Therefore, the Buddhist attitude to the Upanishadic view of reality needs no examination. In the Vasettha-sutta of the Dighanikaya, the attempt to reach the Brahma that no one has seen is compared to the effort of a line of blind men. The Buddhist teaching that everything is impermanent rejects the belief in a permanent substance that underlines everything in the universe.

The Buddhist theory of causality shows that if there is a Brahma, he cannot be uncaused and similarly cannot be eternal. According to the Buddhist doctrine of paticasamuppada the universe is not the creation of a personal God or impersonal Godhead, but the outcome of causes and conditions.

Though the Buddha rejected this Brahma concept which was prevalent in pre-Buddhistc times, it is clearly seen that he used some aspects of this concept to put across his own philosophy.

Buddhism does not deny the existence of Brahma. It speaks of Brahma-lokas, refers to Maha Brahama as the Lord of the Brahama-lokas. In many suttas this supreme Brahma is referred to as Sahampati. He is represented as one who has cultivated his mind and as one who honours and pays reverence to the Buddha.

This shows that Buddhahood is higher than Brahmahood. The Buddhist texts also refer to many instances when Brahma came to meet the Buddha. Among these Brahmas are Sanamkumara, Ghatikara, Narada.

Reference is also made to the path leading to the Brahma World. The Tevijja Sutta says that the path to the Brahma World is through the development of jhanas pertaining to the five material spheres. The Brahma Worlds are known as Suddhavasas, the Pure Abodes.

It is said that the attainment of the First jhana leads to the Brahma Worlds called "Brahama-parisajja", "Brahma-purohita" and "Maha Brahma"; the Second jhana to Parittabha, Appamanabha and Abhassara; the Third Jhana to Parittasubha, Appamanasubha and Subhakinna.

The Fourth Jhana is said to lead the non-Anagamins to Vehapphala and Asannasatta Brahma-lokas and the Anagamns to Aviha, Atappa, Sudassi and Akanittha Brahma-loka. This shows that Buddhism too has a parallel concept of the attainment of companionship with Brahma. But this, however, does not mean that Buddhism, like Brahmanism, admits the possibility of eternal companionship with Brahma.

What is meant by this jhanic attainment is the experiencing of a very high level of mental development through the jhanic process.

The teaching on the four Brahma-Viharas (four Sublimes States) is another instance which shows how the Buddha adopted another important aspect of the pre-Buddhist Brahma concept. Many scholars are of the opinion that the teaching on Brahma-Vihara is purely Buddhist. Perhaps this is more likely to be an adaptation of a pre-Buddhist concept to suit the Buddhist point of view. This becomes clear from Buddhaghosa's definition of Brahma-vihara:

"Why are these called Brahma-viharas? It is because they are Supreme and faultless. These states constitute the best mode of conduct towards others. The Brahmas live with their minds freed of the five hindrances. The Yogins who are endowed with these states also live with faultless minds like the Brahmas".

As the parents have these mental attitudes towards their children, they too can be called Brahmas. In fact in comparing the parents to the Brahmas the Buddha appears to have added a new dimension to the Brahma concept.

The Buddhist path leading to nibbana is called the "Brahma-faring" (Brahmacariya). The Buddha addressing the first disciples who grasped his teaching said, "Come O! monk, the doctrine is well taught. Practise this Brahma faring for the perfect ending of suffering".

The five ascetics who were the first disciples of the Buddha were already following some kind of a restrained noble life. By inviting them to lead "Brahmacariya" a new Buddha seems to have made clear that his interpretation of the Brahma faring meant something different from what they were already engaged in. The Varnasrama dharma followed by the Brahmins divides the life into four stages.

These four stages are studentship (brahamacriya), householder, (grhastha), forest entry (vanaprastha) and renunciation (sannyasi), Here, brahmacariya meant merely the studentship, limited to the student days of one's life. But Brahmacariya in Buddhism is not limited to any particular period of life. It is valid for all stages of life and can be commenced by renunciation of the worldly life.

It is somewhat parallel to the sannyasi stage in the "varnasrama dharma" of the Brahmins. From this it becomes clear that the Brahmacariya in Buddhism, which developed from a pre-Buddhist idea, was identified as the path leading to the ending of defilement resulting in the destruction of suffering.

In general the term Brahma is used in the sense of Supreme, Noble, Highest, Holy and so on. This shows how important the idea of Brahma had been to the Brahmins and how much influence it exerted on Buddhism. It is also seen that in the canonical texts, the two terms Brahma and Dhamma are at time used co-terminously.

Terms such as Brahma-cakka, Dhamma-cakka, Brahma-bhuta, Dhamma-bhuta, Brahma-kaya, Dhamma-kaya, illustrate such synonymity of the two terms. This clearly shows that the Buddha used the pre-Buddhistic Brahma concept to give a new dimension to certain important Buddhist concepts.

From: Essays in Honour of Professor Y. Karunadasa.