Today is Vap Pasalosvaka Poya

Katina - the greatest meritorious act for a Buddhist

BY WALTER Wijenayaka

TODAY signifies the conclusion of the Vas Season/Vassana Kalo or the rainy season which commenced three months ago and the commencement of Katina season which is known as 'Cheevara Masaya' - the month for offering new robes to the Bhikkhus who observed Vas on the rainy retreat from the month of Esala to that of Vap.

It is compulsory for the Theravada Bhikkhus who have received Higher Ordination (Upasampada) in any country of the world to observe the Vas and they are entitled to receive the Katina.

During the Vas season, the Bhikkhus who have observed Vas do not walk on Pindapatha rounds in the forenoon. They are offered with alms by the Dayakas who invite them for the observances of Vas.

The usual custom of the Buddhist Monks in India was to go from door to door daily in the forenoon collecting alms (Pindapatha) and also they lived itinerant lives to spread the message of the Buddha to the people touring all parts of the country at times despite the unfavourable weather conditions, while the recluses of other faiths such as Shramana Brahmins, followers of Jainism etc. retained in their monasteries in the rainy season.

It was the first instance in the Buddhasasana that the Buddha observed Vas retreat at Isipathanaramaya with the five ascetics during the rainy season.

Commencing from the Full Moon Poya Day of Esala, just two months since His attainment to Buddhahood.

This observance of Vas serves a number of purposes such as time to engage in meditation (Bavana) and pave the way for laity to get participated in meritorious activities by listening to the advices of the Buddhist monks during this period of the three months.

There were no fixed abodes for Buddhist monks at the inception of Sangha Sasana during the days of the Buddha, and the observance of Vas retreat was regarded as a time for the abstaining from going out collecting alms (Pindapatha) and going out on missions during the rainy season.

It is on the respectful invitation of the Buddhist laity that the Buddhist monks observe Vas confining themselves to monasteries or special places prepared by the laity for the purpose.

Such devotees provide them alms, robes and whatever the other requirements, thereby acquiring much merits themselves bring furthermore the Vas season blessings to the Buddhist Monks as well as to the devotees who participate in this practice in helping them (Monks) to become Ariya Sangha.

The introduction of observance of Vas retreat by the Buddha on that Full Moon Poya Day of Esala is annually observed by the Maha Sangha continuously to date in the countries such as Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand and Canada where Theravada tradition of Buddhism has been flourished and also in Europe and other Western countries where Theravada Buddhists have established their religious centres.

In accordance with the established practice Vas is divided into two sections - Pera Vas and Pasu Vas - the period before and after the observance and it is between the Full Moon Poya Day of Esala and before the Full Moon Poya Day of Nikini.

The observance should be on the first day of the waning moon in the month of Esala which is known as Pera Vas and in the event of failing to observe on that day, Vas should be observe in the following month Nikini which is known as Pasu Vas. The Katina Cheevara is entitled for those Bhikkus who have observed and conducted themselves in right practice at the right time.

The prescribed place for this purpose is a monastery or a dwelling with a roof and a door.

Unsuitable places are open spaces, cemeteries, under trees on three branches or inside tree trunks.

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

Discover the power within you

BY VEN. SOURABA Nanda

TODAY the world is experiencing enormous technological progress. Unfortunately, inspite of material progress, people are not quite happy. They might feel comfortable, easy and happy; but this feeling of euphoria does not last for long.

They feel some sort of lacunae, an unsatisfaction within and start to pray to God or gods for their needs and wants. This is where they surrender themselves and dishonour human dignity.

Humans are the most marvelous beings who are capable of amazing activities. The Buddha says that man is his own master. He is His own lord. Whatever a man is, he is so by virtue of his own deeds, good or bad or both. In other words, the actions performed by him follow him like a shadow.

Man is what he does and he becomes what he thinks to be. Therefore, man is responsible for his pollution or purification. He is the cause of happiness as he is the cause of suffering.

He is the cause for his own chains to bind himself to the wheel of birth and death and he himself can cut them off and free himself. He does not have to depend upon another for his salvation. As the saying goes happiness is not something to be bought from anybody.

In the same way the self liberation need not to be granted by others and it should be attained by oneself within. Everyman will have to work out for his own salvation. It is therefore necessary that each one of us should become our own refuge.

The Buddha has spoken gloriously of man and his potential. Human beings possess immense potential. He can lead himself to the miserable state of life doing too much evil whereas he also has the potentialities to do good and beneficial activities. It depends upon his wisdom and energy to do good and shun evil.

Yet another aspect of self-dependence is its altruism. Though one is self-dependent, yet one should not just think of himself in a selfish manner. He should have feeling and think for others. Do something beneficial to others.

That was the reason why the Buddha with his sixty Arhant disciples went from place to place in different directions and work for the welfare and happiness of others.

Another problem is that we have become more egoistic. The result is that we do not put a priority on the views of others. We look down upon them. A chain reaction of hatred sets in and we become more and more involved. If we do not learn to control our emotions, we are likely to be doomed.

So in that case we must have Proper View to understand what is good for us and what is not and then we have to use Right Effort to act accordingly. With the expanding material progress our spiritual life has made no progress at all. All of us must agree that we are in a spiritual crisis. Most people today are machine-minded.

Sometimes they have no feeling for others at all. All that mankind achieved in the name of civilization and culture is destined to be destroyed and all that are nice and valuable for mankind will be lost forever.

In this nuclear age, what needs is a slight misunderstanding between the super powers for our planet earth to be destroyed in a blink of an eye.

The real danger, however, is not the bombs themselves but some sick minds behind the scene who are troubled with their inner life.

To destroy the source of troubles we have to pacify our mind as the Buddha taught: See your own real mind - you can realize Buddhahood. Only if we all have a peaceful mind, can lasting peace be achieved. The technological progress does not bring about the real peace and happiness in the world.

The Buddha summarizes his teachings thus: abstaining from evil deeds, doing good and purifying the mind, is the teaching of all the Buddhas.

So the core of Buddhism is to purify the mind and to be alert lest any bad thought like greed, anger, hatred etc. come to our mind. As they appear, we must realize it and try to stop it and, that is what we call Proper Effort (samma vayama) in Buddhism.

Greed, Anger and Hatred are the enemies that everyone must subdue. Most of the ills of the world today have stemmed by giving free play to our emotions of greed, anger and hatred.

With the increase of these qualities people are engaged in crimes and unworthy activities; Even murdering and committing suicide. Such crimes are increasing day after day. So what could be the answer to these problems?

Well, one must understand that a mind with such qualities is in an impure and unhealthy state.

Meditation (bhavana) is the best way to purify our mind. A meditative mind is always calm and serene and with such a mind one develops positive emotions like loving kindness, compassion, equanimity and enthusiastic joy.

The true nature of the world; impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and soullessness becomes very clear to him. He understands the reality as it is and thus leads a very content and a simple life.

Buddhism is the only religion that encourages not just the giving up of evils and accumulating good - it also teaches the purification of one's own mind, which is the root of all evil and good, the cause of both suffering and true happiness.

So it is up to us to discover the potentialities within us or depend on some other external blind faith for our salvation.

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

In praise of the Sangha

ON ONE OCCASION, the Blessed One was dwelling at Savatthi in the Eastern Park, in the mansion of Migara's mother. On that occasion - the Uposatha Day of the fifteenth - the Blessed One was sitting surrounded by the Sangha of Monks. Then, surveying the silent Sangha of Monks, the Blessed One addressed the Monks thus:

"This assembly, O! Monks, is free from prattle, free from chatter. It is pure, established in the essence. This Sangha of Monks is an assembly of a kind that is rarely seen in the world.

"This Sangha of Monks is an assembly of a kind that is worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of reverential salutations, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world.

"This Sangha of monks is an assembly of a kind such that a small gift given to it becomes great and a great gift still greater. This Sangha of monks is an assembly of a kind that would be worth journeying many leagues to see, even with a travel-bag.

There are monks in this Sangha who dwell having attained the status of devas; monks who dwell having attained the status of brahma; monks who dwell having attained the imperturbable; monks who dwell having attained the status of Noble Ones.'

"And how has a monk attained the status of a deva? Here, monks, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a monk enters and dwells in the first jhana..... in the fourth jhana, which is neither painful nor pleasant and includes the purification of mindfulness by equanimity. It is in such a way that a monk has attained the status of a deva.

"And how has a monk attained the status of a Brahma? Here, monks, a monk dwells pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, likewise the second quarter, the third and the fourth.

Thus above, below, across and everywhere, and to all as to himself, he dwells pervading the entire world with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, vast, exalted, measureless, without hostility and without ill will.

He dwells pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with compassion... with altruistic joy... with equanimity.... without ill will. It is in such a way that a monk has attained the status of a Brahma.

"And how has a monk attained the imperturbable? Here, monks, with the complete transcendence of perceptions of forms, with the passing away of perceptions of sensory impingement, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, aware that 'space is infinite', a monk enters and dwells in the base of the infinity of space.

"Then by completely transcending the base of the infinity of space, aware that 'consciousness is infinite', a monk enters and dwells in the base of the infinity of consciousness.

"Then, by completely transcending the base of the infinity of consciousness, aware that 'there is nothing', a monk enters and dwells in the base of nothingness.

Then, by completely transcending the base of nothingness, a monk enters and dwells in the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. It is in such a way that a monk has attained the imperturbable."

"And how has a monk attained the status of a noble one? Here, monks, a monk understands as it really is:

"This is suffering. This is the origin of suffering. This is the cessation of suffering. This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering.' It is in such a way that a monk has attained the status of a nobel one."

- Anguttara Nikaya