Today is Unduvap Pasalosvaka Poya 

Unduvap Poya its significance to Sri Lankans
 

by S.B. Karaliyadda

Unduvap is the last poya of the year. It is a very important and historic day for Sri Lanka, as it was on this Poya day that Princess Sangamitta Theri arrived in Dambakolapatuna port in Jaffna with a right branch of the Sri Maha Bodhi in India accompanied by a retinue of several others who joined her in this voyage.

This voyage laid the foundation for a unitary Sri Lanka and brought all the Sinhalese together. It was a day of special significance to the ruling monarch king Devanampiyatissa too, for he received a special gift on this day from his unseen but life-long friend king Dharmashoka of India.

This historic event occurred about two thousand four hundred years ago. Sangamitta Theri was the sister of Rev. Mahinda Maha Thera who brought the teachings of the Buddha - the Dhamma to Sri Lanka.

They were the two children of king Dharmashoka born to queen Videesa' a "Murunda" clan wife of the king who lived in a place close to Sanchi. After one "vas" season Devanampiyatissa ordered his nephew's chief minister Aritta to go to India to meet king Dharmashoka and bring to Sri Lanka the Bo-sapling.

Minister Aritta agreed to undertake his voyage provided he was permitted to enter the order on his return. Accordingly the minister set sail to Dambakolapatuna sea port and returned to Sri Lanka with the Bo-sapling accompanied by Sangamitta Theri and the retinue. By now queen Anula and another five hundred would be nuns were waiting to be ordained by Sangamitta Maha Theri. Sangamitta Maha Theri was able to ordain her husband prince Aggi Brahma and son prince Sumana before she left India on this Royal diplomatic assignment.

Rites, rituals and customs

Page 72 of the Mahavansa gives a description of how Dharmashoka staged a "Satiyakriya" or fast to obtain a branch of Sri Maha Bodhi to be sent to our country. By this time king Dharmashoka has offered the land of India thrice to the Sri Maha Bodhi as an offering.

The branch of the Bo-tree was placed in a golden bowl and brought to Sri Lanka amidst all pomp and glory accompanied by members of the Royal family of India and other categories of people to attend to the rites, rituals and customs associated with the Bodhi worship.

The tree which was planted in the Mahameuna garden in Anuradhapura is the oldest tree recorded up-to-date. Professor W.I.S. Suraweera and Dr. H.S.S. Nissanka claim that this is the oldest and historic tree of the land venerated all over the world.

It may be so because the original Sri Maha Bodhi in Budha Gaya was killed with using poison by the second queen of Devanampiyatissa. Queen Nissa Rakka who was made chief queen after the death of Queen Asandi Mitra. Nissa Rakka was jealous that the king paid more attention to the Bo-tree than to her.

The retinue that accompanied the Bo-tree

Four queens with Sangamitta accompanied by Chief Minister Maharitta, Gods, Ministers, Brahmins and others of eight castes, eight of each to comprise 24 castes were included in this group. Security for this long sea voyage was provided by a group of Deva caste, eight brothers of Videesa Devi the uncles of Mahinda Thera and Sangamitta Theri, Princes Bodhigupta, Chandragupta, Devagupta, Dharmagupta, Suriyagupta, Sumitta, Gotama and Jutindra included in this royal diplomatic mission.

King Devanampiyatissa entrusted the responsibility of the custody of this sacred object to prince Bodhigupta, eldest of all. According to the tradition no other castes were allowed to climb the Bo-tree.

Visitors to our country

It could be imagined what social, cultural, religious and economic influence the Sri Lanka society would have had with the arrival of these visitors to our country. The religious customs, practices, offerings and associated rituals were preformed by the people of 8 villages settled in Anuradhapura, whose names begin with Vihara, such as Vihara Bulankulama, Vihara Halmilawa etc.

They have performed these duties up-to-date and protected the sacred tree from devastation by foreign intruders as well as wild animals. Historians believe that King Vasaba (BC 65-100) who inaugurated the Lamba karana dynasty from Dumbara Minipe Valley is a descendent of Prince Sumitta.

The Lamba Karana dynasty ruled Sri Lanka for nearly 350 years up to King Jattagahaka (BC. 432), a total of 26 Kings. The writer was told by a grand son of the first Prime Minister of Ceylon Hon. D.S. Senanayaka too descended from this dynasty.

Prince Bodhigupta was given a palace near Sri Maha Bodhi and entrusted the task of looking after the Bodhi. He was also conferred the title of "Lakdiva Jayamaha Lena". Prince Sumitta was conferred the title of "Jaya Maha Lena and Diya Maha Le alias Jagathi Maha Lena" and entrusted with the task of looking after all the families that came with the Bo-tree.

The eight princes were given charge of the following areas by King Devanampiyatissa according to Sulu Bodhi Vansa. Pihiti Rata, Maya Rata, Ruhunu Rata, Magam Nuwara, Meda Mahanuwara, Gajana Bhomiya, Panduwas Nuwara and Kalugal Pediyen Mepita Rata.

The Situ clans (Barons) were settled in Situkulam Pattu in Vavuniya. Dr. H.S.S. Nissanka in his article in the Daily News of 12/06/99 mentions that Prince Devagupta was given the title of "Lakmaha Retina and Chaturciya Danuwwa" now identified as Hasrispattuwa. Jaya Maha Lena's descendent settled in the bank of Kibulwana oya in Hiriyala, Manankattiya, Hinguruwelpitiya, Undurawa etc. in Anuradhapura and today they appear as Lenewa. Nuwarawewa and Bulankulama families also descend from Sumitta clan.

There are descendensts of other clans that came with the Bo-tree settled in various other parts of the country. Dr. Nissnaka mentions of Jeevan Naide in Matale Nilagama who descends from the craftsmen who came with the Bo-tree. In Rusigama also there are people settled who arrived here with the Bo-tree. These descendents may be the families having a long history of nearly three thousand years and it would be an interesting etymological study for those interested etymologists.

The sacred tree was first brought to Paschimaramaya in Nagadeepa by King Devanampiyatissa. The king's chief Queen Ramadatta along with Ministers and large crowds that gathered here worshipped the tree and paid homage and offered the Sri Lanka land to the Bodhi.

Can the divisive forces and our rulers forget this sacred historic event and agree to give a part of this land to separatists. The king or the ruler was bound to protect the land and Buddhist religion from this day nearly three thousands years now. The sacred object was brought to Anuradhapura in a large procession and planted in Mahameuna garden. The religious procession started with this sacred event has become a ritual associated with all religious ceremonies.

The planting of this tree was a national event where people of all walks of life from all over Sri Lanka gathered to the capital and thus got united under a ruler. This led to the religious foundation and unity of our country.

Unity of the nation

The thirty-two Bo-saplings that sprang from Bo-tree on this occasion was planted in various parts of the Island thus paving the way to the spread of Buddhist culture and civilization and unity of the nation. The sacred Siriwardhna Bodiya of Killiveddi is now destroyed by vandals and no more.

With the arrival of Sangamitta Theri the women of Sri Lanka got ordained and it was after her visit that Sri Lanka women could come to the open and join in the affairs of State and other socio-cultural activities.

This led to a cultural renaissance in this country. History shows that after this historic event on the Unduvap full moon poya day there was a economic revival in our society. The craftsmen who accompanied the Bo-tree introduced various arts, crafts and other technology to improve our agrarian society. We learnt weaving, pottery, painting, new skills and agricultural technique etc. from the castes that accompanied the Bo-tree. For instance "Osanda watu" clan taught us the indigenous systems of medication by introducing such medicinal plants.

"Uyan Palu" introduced the art of landscaping and horticulture, flower growing etc., while wadu clan gave us the skills in wood craft. In short the event laid the foundation for a new civilization in the country. Unduwap Poya also marks the beginning of Sri Pada Pilgrimage season which ends with Poson Poya.

The simile of the ocean

On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Veranja, at the foot of Naleru's nimba tree. "There Paharada, a chief of the asuras, approached the Blessed One, and having paid homage to him, he stood to one side. The Blessed One then spoke to Paharada thus:

"I suppose, Paharada, the asuras find delight in the great ocean." "They do, Lord."

"Now, Paharada, how many wonderful and marvellous qualities do the asuras again and again perceive in the great ocean so that they take delight in it?"

"There are, Lord, eight wonderful and marvellous qualities which the asuras again and again perceive in the great ocean by reason of which they take delight in it. These are the eight:

The great ocean, Lord, slopes away gradually, falls gradually, inclines gradually, not in an abrupt way like a precipice. This is the first wonderful and marvellous quality that the asuras perceive in the great ocean by reason of which they take delight in it.

"The great ocean is stable and does not overflow its boundaries. This is the second wonderful and marvellous quality.

"The great ocean does not tolerate a dead body, a corpse; if there is a dead body in it, the great ocean will quickly carry it to the shore and cast it on to the land. This is the third wonderful and marvellous quality.

"When those mighty rivers - the Ganges, the Yamuna, the Aciravati, the Sarabhu and the Mahi - reach the great ocean, they lose their former names and designations and are reckoned just as the great ocean. This is the fourth wonderful and marvellous quality.

"Though all the streams of the world flow into the great ocean and rain falls into it from the sky, yet three appears neither a decrease nor an increase in the great ocean. This is the fifth wonderful and marvellous quality.

"In the great ocean, there are many and variegated precious substances: pearls, gems, lapis lazuli, shells, quartz, corals, silver, gold, rubies and cats-eye. This is the seventh wonderful and marvellous quality.

"The great ocean is the abode of vast creatures: the timi, the Timingala, the Timirapingala, asuras, nagas and gandhabbas. There are in the great ocean beings one hundred yojanas long, or two, three, four and five hundred yojanas long. This is the eighth wonderful and marvellous quality that the asuras perceive in the great ocean by reason of which they take delight in it.

"These, Lord, are the eight wonderful and marvellous qualities which the asuras again and again perceive in the great ocean by reason of which they take delight in it. I suppose, Lord, the monks take delight in this Dhamma and Discipline".

"They do, Paharada."

"But, Lord, how many wonderful and marvellous qualities do the monks again and again perceive in this Dhamma and Discipline by reason of which they take delight in it?"

"There are, Paharada, eight wonderful and marvellous qualities in this Dhama and Discipline, which the monks again and again perceive by reason of which they take delight in it. These are the eight:

"Just as the great ocean slopes away gradually, falls gradually, inclines gradually, not in an abrupt way like a precipice; even so, Paharada, is this Dhamma and Discipline: there is a gradual training, gradual practice, gradual progress; there is no penetration to final knowledge in an abrupt way. This is the first wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline, which the monks perceive by reason of which they take delight in it.

"Just as the great ocean is stable and does not overflow its boundaries; even so when I have made known a rule of training to my disciples, they will not transgress it even for life's sake. This is the second wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline.

"Just as the great ocean will not tolerate a dead body a corpse, but quickly carries it to the shore and casts it on to the land; even so the Sangha will not tolerate within its ranks a person who is immoral, of bad character, of impure and suspicious conduct, secretive in his actions, not a true ascetic but rather a sham-ascetic, not chaste but pretending to be chaste, rotten to the core, lustful and of vile behaviour.

In such a case, the Sangha quickly assembles and expels such a person. Even if seated in the midst of the monks' assembly, yet he is far from the Sangha and the Sangha is far from him. This is the third wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline.

Just as the mighty rivers on reaching the great ocean lose their former names and designations and are just reckoned as the great ocean; even so, when members of the four castes - nobles, brahmins, commoners and menials - go forth from home into the homeless life in this Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathagata, they lose their former names and lineage and are reckoned only as ascetics following the Son of the Sakyans. This is the fourth wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline.

"Just as in the great ocean neither a decrease nor an increase will appear though all the streams of the world flow into it and rain falls into it from the sky; even so, even if many monks attain final Nibbana in the Nibbana element that is without risdue left, there is no decrease or increase in the Nibbana element that is without residue left. This is the fifth wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline.

"Just as the great ocean has but one taste, the taste of salt; even so this Dhamma and Discipline has but one taste, the taste of liberation. This is the sixth wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline. "Just as in the great ocean there are many and variegated precious substances such as pearls, gems, etc.; even so in this Dhamma and Discipline there is much that is precious.

These are the precious things in it: the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of success, the five spiritual faculties, the five spiritual powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, the Noble Eightfold Parth. This is the seventh wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline.

"Just as the great ocean is the abode of vast creatures; even so is this Dhamma and Discipline the domain of great beings: the streamenterer and one practising for the realization of the fruit of stream-entry; the once-returner and one practising for the realization of the fruit of once-returning; the non-returner and one practising for the realization of the fruit of non-returning; the arahant and one practising for arahantship.

This is the eighth wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline, which the monks perceive again and again by reason of which they take delight in it.

"These, Paharada, are the eight wonderful and marvellous qualities in this Dhamma and Discipline, which the monks perceive again and again by reason of which they take delight in it."

Anguttara Nikaya

Early Buddhism and environment
 

by D. J. Kalupahana

Environmental issues have attracted the attention of people all over the world only during the past decade or so. Prior to that, almost every one was watching with amazement the rapid development of science and technology in the Western world.

Science was interested in demonstrating the orderliness of phenomena when it ventured out to discover laws after laws. Technology utilized the scientific discoveries to produce things that the human beings craved for.

Mass production of consumer goods followed by a discovery of the means of mass communication and mass transportation have certainly improved the physical well-being of those who are living in the industrial countries. When physical well-being is made to be synonymous with human welfare, there is nothing in human history to match the present state of affairs, especially in the case of those who are living in the affluent parts of the world.

Thinkers of the Western world

However, some of the more enlightened thinkers of the Western world, like E. F. Schumacher, have raised question about the long-term consequences of such scientific and technological development. Science has nursed a nuclear child that has threatened the very survival of the earth that we inhabit, and technology is consuming incredible amounts of natural resources and dumping toxic waste into the environment endangering all forms of life on earth.

More recently some scientists like Paul Davies have maintained that modern science is part of the Judeo-Christian tradition and proves to a great extent the religious doctrines of that tradition, such as the concept of God which they re-define in a way different from the popular understanding of it.

It is assumed that soon the scientists will discover all the laws operative in the universe resulting in an understanding of the absolute rationality prevailing in it which reflected the mind of God. Concluding the work entitled The mind of God. Science and the Search for Meaning, Davies says: "Through conscious beings the universe has generated self-awareness.

Aristotle

This can be no trivial detail, no minor by product of mindless purposeless forces. We are truly meant to be here."

This, no doubt, elevates the human being to a level of superiority. Aristotle, one of the ancient philosophers whose ideas have determined the course of Western thinking for the last two thousand years, maintained that: "For and that which can foresee by the exercise of mind is by nature intended to be lord and master, and that which can with its body give effect to such foresight is subject, and by nature a slave,..." Between Aristotle and Davies is the Judeo-Christian perspective that everything in nature, animal and plant life as well as the resources of the earth, is for the benefit of the special creation of God, namely, humans.

Scientific enterprise

Could this have served as a foundation of the science and technology that provided for the immediate satisfaction of human needs as well greed regardless of the eventual destruction of the earth itself? Science need not have taken this route but could have helped human beings to be happy in this world, while preserving everything else in it.

It was demonstrated by the science that developed in China and some other smaller countries in the world long before the West knew of any scientific enterprise.

For China to be the custodian of a scientific enterprise, there should have been studies in casual theory. Joseph Needham, a specialist Chinese history, once remarked in connection with his studies in casual theory and law in China: "The concept of casual karma."

This misinterpretation of the Buddhist position was the work of Arthur Berridale Keith. It is interesting that Needham conceived the possibility of the Stoic conception of law but dismissed the idea due to his mistaken belief that the Buddhist conception of law "was never applied to the non-moral, non-human phenomena." My own research in Buddhist though is based not only upon the discourses of the Buddha in Pali but also those translated into Chinese during the second and third centures C.E. It clearly indicates the recognition of a casual principle that was applied in every sphere, physical, biological, psychological, behavioural (individual and social) and moral.

What Needham and others failed

What Needham and others failed to realize was that there were well-developed scientific and technological traditions in China but that they did not leave the unfortunate legacies which the Western science and technology has left.

The reason for the absence of such unfortunate consequences was the China and Buddhist perspective of human life and nature. These traditions did not assume that everything in nature is for the benefit and enjoyment of the humans. For them, humans were as much part of nature as are all other living beings and natural phenomena.

The Chinese and Buddhist conceptions of mutual interdependence eliminated any enterprise that would lead to the disruption of the natural processes themselves. In this paper, we are concerned with the Buddhist philosophical thought and how it contributed to respecting and preserving the environment in which we live. It would be very similar to the classical Confucian philosophy but is much more psychological in its approach.

Need for solutions

There is no textual evidence from the time of the Buddha that there were problems relating to the environment, that there was a need for solutions to any such problems. But this does not mean that at least the Buddha was not concerned with a human being's relationship to the environment in which it lives. The principle of dependent arising, if faithfully followed by the human beings when they live a moral life, could not lead to a total neglect of the environment.

Contrary to the prevailing view that the Buddha left the household life looking for what is true and real, we emphasize the fact that he went in search of the good (kusala) and the peaceful (santa). This is based upon the Buddha's own statements about his renunciation recorded in one of the most important discourses, namely, the "Discourse on the Noble Quest" (Ariyapariyesana-sutta)" wherein he spoke of the renunciation, his striving and the attainment of enlightenment and freedom.

This difference in the ultimate goal of the pursuit actually creates an enormous difference to the world-view in early Buddhism.

It is totally different from the world-view presented in the Western world as well in some of the Asian traditions like Hinduism and Taoism. The Buddha did not start with the discovery of dichotomous truths involving paired opposite as in the traditions mentioned above, paired opposites such as negative and positive, light and darkness, male and female, yang and yin or life and death.

The best form of the good

He refused to formulate a philosophy on the basis of such truths. Instead, after long years of trial and error, he discovered the best form of the good, namely, the peaceful.

First, as result of deep contemplations, he realized the absence within himself of a permanent and eternal self (atta) which some of his contemporaries claimed as the reality within every living thing. Whereas such a discovery would have created anxiety in the minds of the ordinary people, the Buddha attained peace as a result of such a realization.

This is because the realization of the absence of a permanent self within himself was coupled with the knowledge of impermanence and non-substantiality of all experienced phenomena. This was the result of the development of wisdom (panna) through the cessation of defiling tendencies (asavakkhaya).

The discourses often speak of five obstructions (nivarana) to freedom and peace. They are Yearning for sense-pleasure (kamacchanda) or covetousness (abhijjha)

III-will or malevolence (vyapada)

Sloth and torpor (thina-middha)

Conceit and worry (uddhacca-kukkucca)

Doubt (vicikiccha).

It may be noted that when the Buddha-to-be renounced the household life, he was leaving behind a royal inheritance and his beloved family.

Sloth and torpor

Needless to say that he had already overcome the first two obstructions. In the light of the manner in which he practised the most severe austerities for nearly six years, it is possible to argue that sloth and torpor were not part of him. Leaving aside conceit, it is possible to assume that worry as well as doubt assailed him and he did not have peace of mind.

His final enlightenment under the bodhi-tree was thus the result of overcoming doubt about the nature of the world, which also eliminated worry. How he overcame doubts is beautifully summarized in the verses he is said to have uttered after his enlightenment.

When phenomena appear before a Brahman who is ardent and contemplating, his doubts disappear, as he perceives a phenomenon with its cause.

When phenomena appear before a Brahman who is ardent and contemplating, his doubts disappear, as he perceives the cessation of conditions.

When phenomena appear before a Brahman who is ardent and contemplating, his doubts disappear, as he remains scattering the forces of Mara (death) like the sun that remains illuminating the sky."

Having attained peace for himself by overcoming the last of the hindrances and while enjoying the bliss of freedom, the Buddha continued to occupy the seat of enlightenment (bodhimanda) at the root of the tree of enlightenment (bodhi-rukkha-mula).

He sat there for one whole week reflecting on the manner in which he could express his enlightenment and freedom. This was the greatest challenge he encountered after destroying the forces of Mara.

This is because he had to explain the nature of human life, of the physical and social environments, of the moral life and its conclusion, namely, freedom (nibbana), without leaving any room for conflicts to arise among living beings as well as their environment. The Enlightened One was equal to this task.

First he needed to coin some new terms to express his understanding of the ideas relating to impermanence (anicca) which was the corner-stone of his philosophy. This is because the prevailing terminology for change and causation were full of substantialist and eternalist (sassata) or essentialist and nihilist (uccheda) implications. The most important among a dozen such newly coined terms are paticcasamuppanna, paticcasamuppada and idappaccayata. The term paticcasamuppanna is a combination of two independent terms, paticca and samuppanna.

The former is a gerund meaning "having moved toward," and the second is a past participle implying "arisen or co-arisen." Generally the phrase is translated as "dependently arisen" and refers to an event, object or state of affairs that has "arisen, having moved toward (a condition or a set of conditions)." In other words it refers to an experienced effect that is seen as being related to a condition or set of conditions.

Cause and effect

Thus, cause and effect are not two distinct and separate entities but bound together in a perceived relationship. It is a perception placed in a continued present, not a momentary one. The use of the past participle is significant in that it explains a process which has run its course in the immediate past and reached its conclusion in the present. Stretching this experience into the obvious past and the unknown future, the Buddha formulated a universal principle and called it "dependent arising" (paticca-samuppada) which, unlike the former, is a pure nominal form.

To make sure that this principle based upon human experience is not made into an absolute law or reality, the Buddha utilized another new term, idappaccayata, derived from ida and paccayata, 'conditionness.' It expresses conditionality as well as mutuality.

The Buddha then proceeded to apply these concepts to explain every aspect of human experience, whether it be physical events like earthquakes, biological phenomena like a human body, psychological events like greed, hatred, etc. as well as social, political and moral phenomena. Our present interest is in the Buddha's application of this principle in relation to the environment.

The physical body as environment

It would be appropriate to begin a discussion of the Buddha's conception of the environment with a quotation from him which is of enormous significance for epistemology, ontology as well as ethics and which also represents the smallest unit of the world (loka). It reads as follows:

Monks, within this fathom-long body (kalebara), associated with awareness (sasannimhi) and mind (samanake), I declare the world (loka), its arising, its ceasing and the path leading to its ceasing.

Without speaking of two independent entities or substances as body and mind, the Buddha is here speaking of a psychosomatic personality as the world. If the psychosomatic personality is the world, it should consist of not only the individual but also an environment.

Now, the physical body (kalebara) is not a complete person unless it is associated with awareness (sanna) and mind (mano).

This physical body, is "made up of the four material elements (catummahabhutika), born of mother and father (matapettikasambhava), dependent on rice and gruel (odanakummasapaccaya)." Along with this body arise the six sense organs the last of which is the mind (mano). However, the awareness (sanna) that is associated with this psychosomatic personality is not completely dependent upon the mother and father.

Omplete human person

If that were the case, then the newly conceived person will be a totally new creation. For the Buddha who recognized past lives and the possibility of rebirth, awareness of a previous life in the form of memory is an important condition that needs to be reorganized when speaking of a complete human person. Thus the innermost person is the stream of consciousness (vinnanasota).

It continues depending upon various conditions. Together with dispositions (sankhara), it becomes a process of becoming (bhavasota). It is this continued flow of the stream of consciousness or becoming that is arrested at the moment of death of a person who has attained freedom. Such a person, while living, has appeased the dispositions.

Appeasing the dispositions (sankhara upasama), without allowing them to grow from their simplest or harmless form, that is, interest, to their grossest and harmful form, namely, greed, is a synonym for freedom (nibbana). In other words, the moral or immoral character of a person depends upon the nature of that person's dispositions.

This means that the awareness, together with the faculty of mind, is an important constituent of personhood. However, the Buddha did not recognize the possibility of this psychic personality surviving without a physical body. The conception of a disembodied existence is not part of His doctrine. Thus, the body becomes the immediate environment for a human person.

According to the Buddha, the physical body as the immediate environment needs to be kept in good health. As in other context, He recommended the adoption of a middle path. The Buddha realized the damage done to His own physical frame by the extreme forms of asceticism involving excessive fasting that He practiced before His enlightenment. That damage showed up more prominently during old age when He constantly complained of back-pain, etc. Thus mortification of the body is one extreme. moderation in eating

The other is the indulgence in excessive eating and also eating the wrong kind of food. The Buddha recognized the fact that some forms of food pollute the body. He refers to the time when human beings suffered from only three diseases.

They are desire (iccha), a psychological disease, hunger (anasana), a physical one, and decay (jara), a natural one. However, as a result of meat eating, humans have developed ninety-eight forms of diseases. He recommends the avoidance of these two extreme forms and the adoption of the path of moderation in eating. In an oft-recurring passage in the discourses, it is said:

A noble disciple knows of moderation in eating (bhojane mattann u). (...) He eats food after reflecting according to genesis (yoniso manasikara). It is not for fun or pleasure or adornment or beautification but just enough for this body's maintenance and up keep, for keeping if from harm, for furthering the moral life (brahmacariya).

He does so with the thought: "I am destroying old feeling, and I must not allow new feeling to arise, so that there will be blamelessness for me and living in comfort."

It is interesting that the Buddha is here providing a moral reason for maintaining a healthy body. Physical well-being is a foundation for mental health. One of the factors of enlightenment (bojjhanga) is the development of serenity or calm, and this involves the serenity of the body (kaya-passaddhi) as well as serenity of thought (citta-passaddhi).

The Physical environment

Moving on to the environment surrounding the human person, it would be pertinent to start with the physical surrounding for several important reason. First is the Buddha's compassion for the environment even before His enlightenment; second is His appreciation of a beautiful surrounding, and third is the respect and gratefulness He expressed towards it.

First, during the time He was practicing severe austerities, He is said to have developed compassion (daya) even for a drop of water (udabindu) and was determined not to destroy even a minute creature.

Secondly, the "Discourse on the Noble Quest" (Ariyapariyesana-sutta), wherein the Buddha describes His renunciation, striving and His enlightenment and freedom, refers to His search for a suitable place for His strivings. In a delightful piece of land (ramaniyam bhumibhagam), a soothing forest grove (pasadikam vanasandam), a river flowing besides with clear water and fords and a village close by where he could collect alms.

For human consumption

The third is even more important, for here the Buddha, immediately after enlightenment, is said to have remained standing before the set where he sat and the tree that provided him with shade and gazing at them for one whole week without even blinking his eyes. This is of course in stark contrast with some of the Western tradition that looked upon the environment as something primarily for human consumption.

With such a beginning, it is not surprising that the Buddha and His disciples continued to encourage respecting, nurturing, and preserving the natural environment.

The Buddha was aware of the Vedic conception of gods inhabiting natural phenomena such as fire, wind, rain, and even herbs and trees.

As if to encourage the people to respect natural vegetation, the Buddha spoke of gods (devata) residing in pleasances (arama), in groves (vana), in trees (rukkha), in medicinal herbs (osadhi), grass (tina) and large trees (vanaspati) only, but not in other physical phenomena such as fire or wind.

Those who are involved in planting of pleasances (aramaropa) and forest groves (vanaropa) are said to acquire merit (punna) and reach heaven (sagga). Furthermore, to destroy a tree that has contributed much to the cleansing of the air and providing shade for a traveller suffering the heat of the mid day sun is considered a betrayal of a friend (mittadubhi).

To overcome the five hindrances

The Buddha discovered from his own experience, mentioned earlier, that a natural surrounding is the best place for a person to undertake contemplation leading to enlightenment and freedom. A stock passage says: "A person resorts to a remote lodging in a forest, at the root of a tree, on a mountain slope, in a wilderness, in a hill-cave, in a cemetery, in a forest haunt, in the open or on a heap of straw" in order to overcome the five hindrances listed above.

At the end of a discourse, the Buddha would often advise His disciples to resort to the root of a tree (rukkhamula) or an empty place (sunnagara) in order to contemplate. Let us see how these natural surroundings turn out to be ideal places for contemplation. First, they do not contain objects that would generally be either attractive, in the sense of generating desire for sense-pleasure, or repulsive, which are the causes of the first two obstructions. Secondly, a person who has moved into such a surrounding will not find anything else to do other than contemplating.

There are not many distractions, and therefore helpful in breaking through the third of the obstructions. Thirdly, and more importantly, they provide a natural experiential ground for realizing impermanence and dependent arising, a realization that enables a person to overcome conceit, worry and doubt, the last two of the obstructions.

Let's focus on the spiritual message

The 2550th year of the Buddhist era dawns on Vesak Pasalosvaka Poya in 2006, which is only five full moons away.

Maha Bodhi Society of Sri Lanka has made plans to celebrate the event with a series of activities in a bid to have a spiritual awakening all over the world.

As the land where Buddhism has been preserved in all its purity, and as a country which spearheaded spreading the teachings of the Buddha in the Western world, the coming year will be another important landmark in the annals of Buddhist history in Sri Lanka.

The major event of the year will be an international Buddhist conference which will be held in Colombo with the participation of eminent Buddhist scholars from around the world. Religious dignitaries of other faiths too will be invited for the conference where their viewpoints will be accommodated.

The discourses of the conference will be contained in a book running into several volumes. Establishing an international Buddhist library, with the assistance of Buddhist and non-Buddhist donors is another important item in the celebration agenda. The venue of the library may be any Buddhist country in the region.

Training of Buddhist missionaries to suit the needs of modern technology oriented societies is another area which the organizing committee of 2550 in Buddha Jayanthi Committee has looked into. Once started this will be an ongoing training programme.

Veteran media person Edwin Ariyadasa has been appointed President of the 2550 Buddha Jayanthi Committee, with several other members including Head of Chennai Buddhist vihara, Ven. Theeniyawala Palitha, and Head of the Thai-Sri Lanka Buddhist Centre, Ven. Rassagala Seevali. Another programme in the 2006 Buddha Jayanthi agenda is ordaining children in the sasana from various countries, totalling 2550.

The celebrations of the 2500 years of the Buddhist Era (1956 AD) resulted in a great spiritual awakening in this island as well as in several other countries.

It generated an interest among many intellectuals, both in the East and in the West, to learn more about Buddhist teachings, and to follow the path shown by the Buddha. It was an era when the world was divided into two rival camps, and were engaged in a Cold War of conflicting ideologies. Then, with the end of the Cold War, with America becoming the unipolar power of the world, the world has seen many wars fought in isolation. In spite of the great advancements in science and communication technologies, woes of mankind have multiplied many fold.

More hatred, more starvation, deadly illnesses, natural disasters of great magnitude which man cannot even imagine, are some of these.

When the 2550 in Buddhist year dawns against this dismal backdrop, the main focus of the Jayanthi celebrations should be spreading the spiritual message of the Buddha, rather than making it a populist issue with undue fanfare.

(MG)