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Meditate
on the Buddha Vinnana and cyclic existence: An overviewThe term vinnana appearing in the Buddhist texts is usually translated as consciousness. But we shall see from the following analysis that the term consciousness does not convey the real meaning of vinnana which has a far deeper meaning. The fact that the Buddha has acknowledged the biological and social evolution of beings is evident from the Agganna Sutra in the Digha Nikaya.
Accordingly we shall proceed on those lines. We know through the science of biology that every being starting from the lowest in the evolutionary scale has some kind of sense awareness of its surroundings and an instinctive behavioral system for its survival and the propagation of the species which is genetically transmitted. Human beings too have this sense awareness but at a higher level through the six sense faculties, namely, the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and the mind and also an instinctive behavioral system for their survival and propagation of the species which is genetically transmitted. However, it must be added that human beings in addition have a psychological behavioral system they themselves have created with the instinctive behavioral system as its basis. For example the sex instinct meant for the propagation of the species has been converted by man to a world of fantasies leading to many psychological outcomes. According to the teaching of the Buddha this psychological behavioral system which is productive of karma is personal to individuals and is not genetically transmitted. In order to understand the Buddha's definition of vinnana and the role it plays in the cyclic existence of beings we have to first understand the combination called vinnana and nama rupa which is translated as consciousness and mentality materiality where materiality is the body of a being, as appearing in the Dependent Origination of the Mahanidana Sutra in the Digha Nikaya. Starting from the lowest level in the evolutionary scale every being has mental aspects which is called mentality and material aspects which is called materiality where mentality at the lower levels consists of only the instinctive behavioral system built in to materiality, namely, the body. Now as we come up higher in the evolutionary ladder, needless to say, the mentality and materiality together become more and more complex and at some stage in this evolutionary process when mentality and materiality become appropriately complex the actions of beings which so far were governed by the instinctive behavioral system tend to become intentional due to the arising of greed and hatred in them. This is the point of origin of vinnana in mentality materiality in the evolutionary process which forms the first causal link in the Dependent Origination of the Mahanidana Sutra, namely 'with mentality materiality as condition there is consciousness'. Thus the definition of vinnana is sense awareness accompanying intentional activities. In fact this is the Buddha's definition of vinnana. So if we use consciousness to represent vinnana it should be understood as sense awareness accompanying intentional activities arising from greed and hatred disregarding its antonym unconsciousness. Arising of vinnana in mentality materiality is also the point at which beings enter the stream of sansara involving a cyclic process of existence with repeated births and deaths. This is clear from the following dialogue between the Buddha and venerable Ananda as given in the Mahanidana Sutra. "It was said. 'With mentality materiality as condition there is consciousness'. How that is so, Ananda, should be understood in this way. If consciousness were not to gain a footing in mentality materiality, would an origination of the mass of suffering, of future birth, ageing and death be discerned?". "Certainly not, venerable Sir". "Therefore, Ananda, this is the cause, source, origin and condition for consciousness, namely, mentality materiality". From the above analysis we see that there are beings with vinnana and without vinnana. For example we know that beings at the upper end of the evolutionary ladder such as elephants harbour anger towards those who harass them and attack whenever opportunity arises. These attacks are intentional activities arising through anger and we have reason to believe that elephants possess vinnana that bind them to a cyclic existence. On the other hand mosquito bites are not intentional actions through anger but actions arising from their instinctive behavioral system for survival. Therefore we have reason to believe that mosquitoes do not possess vinnana and therefore are not bound to a cyclic existence. Once consciousness has arisen in mentality materiality in the way described above it cannot be separated from mentality materiality and further it keeps on growing and lengthening the tenure in sansara due to continued intentional activities arising from greed and hatred caused by ignorance. The inseparability of vinnana and mentality materiality is illustrated by venerable Sariputta as two sheaves of reeds leaning one against the other where if one is taken out the other would fall (SN Nidana Vagga). From this we see that once vinnana has arisen and taken hold of mentality materiality that being cannot escape the round of birth and death in sansara unless something is done about it. This something of course is to start reversing the process that created vinnana in the first place or in other words, start eliminating greed and hatred. The Buddha has shown the way to do so. ########################## Queen Maya holding a Sala branch: Vedic ritualVedic ritual: Queen Maya Devi of King Suddhodana, as the traditions demand, was on her way to her parents for the birth of the first child. Having ridden in the coaches with her retinue, reaching Lumbini Park (Nepal Terai now) from Kapilavastu palace, 26 kms to the north of Lumbini Park (not Kapilavastu at Piphrawa in India, but Tilauracot in Nepal Terai) while on her way to Videha, labour pains arose and she rested at Lumbini Park.
Her child (later named Prince Siddhartha and finally Gautama Buddha at the age of 35) was born while she was holding the branch of a sal tree in the park. These Sala trees are not Sal trees found in Sri Lanka but which grow in northern India. They grow up to about thirty metres in height, producing small and very fragrant yellow flowers. (Botanically the tree is named Shorea robusta and in Hindi called Sal. No writer, historian or archaeologist has so far researched why Maya Devi held a branch of a sala tree on the delivery of her baby and why the Buddha chose to attain Mahaparinirvana between two Sala trees at Kusinara (Kushinagar) at the age of 80. Most interestingly this writer, in February this year at Kusinara Park, where the Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana, was intrigued by a pregnant Hindi lady, chaperoned by her husband and mother, worshipping a sala tree there and then gently tapping the trunk of the tree with her left bare foot. This episode set in motion a train of thoughts in me.... Having approached the mother, I very politely introducing myself as a Sri Lankan Buddhist researching on the culture and rituals of India gently asked what denoted this worshipping and tapping the Sala tree gently with the bare left foot. She called me aside, gave me one of their sweets, 'pan-puri' and whispered to me in Hindi and also in English, both of which I understood that the tree was the abode of the goddess Salabhanjika. Venerating and tapping the tree with the bare left foot, the expectant mother is blessed by the goddess Salabhanjika, with courage of heart and physique to withstand labour pains and safe and healthy delivery of the child. She said, 'Babuji' this is custom with all the north Indian Hindu expectant mothers, as Sala trees grow only in higher altitudes in the northern regions of India, Himalayan foot hills, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal. As we fell into a very animated conversation, seated under a Sala tree, with her, her daughter and son-in-law, I was thanked profusely for researching on Indian culture, rituals and cults. To my surprise she told me that she was a professor at a university in Patna. Since then, I have gathered another friendly family from India, my emotional motherland, being of Uttar Pradesh Vaisya-setthi descent, referred to as Sinhala Hettis in my home town of Galle's Kaluwella. In the various motifs found in Indian sculptures, the most exquisite is the form of 'Yakshi' (female form of the soul of the departed female relatives) of Salabhanjika. The etymological explanation given on the word 'Salabhanjika' by Indian etymologist is it means the woman who breaks the Sala tree. In the Indian tradition, trees are the abodes of gods and goddesses and they never haphazardly cut down trees or engage in the rape of the forest. The word 'Salabhanjika' is composed with three components namely Sala (Sala tree), Bhanja (prayers of worship like the Indian Bhajan music) and Nayika (female leaders). Thus Salabhnkika' is the tree goddess abiding in the huge strong Sala tree to impart such rigidity to expectant mothers on venerating her heart through the left leg on which side (left) is the heart to give her a strong and vibrant heart to with labour pains and safe delivery of the baby. In sculptures and carvings like those Sanchi gateway and elsewhere, Salabhanjika just simply holds the branch of a tree, which is generally Sala or where sala is not available the carver and sculptor had been content with Ashoka or Kadamba or Chambaka tree. This is not a Buddhist cult but a Vedic cult from the dawn of civilization in India.
In fact the worship of the Bo-tree prevailed even during the Indian civilization (5000-3000 BC). Thus tree worship in India then and now an essential element as an answer to the plebeian needs of the toiling and moiling masses of Indian peasantry. Thus Salabhanjika as described above arose out of the Yakshi concept. These yakhis of Indian origin have several other names such as Uddlaka-pushpabhanjika and talabhanjikas, abiding in flowers and palm trees respectively, like Salabhanjika of the Sala tree. It is most interesting to trace the history of the Salabhanjika in early Indian art. These yakshis first were carved on the pillars at Bharahut in 2nd century B.C., as simple village girls with tatoo marks all over the body, heavily built and richly ornament with heavy jewellery. This was followed by a more voluptuous and heavily built salabhanjikas on the gateway of Sanchi stupa in the 1st century B.C. These figures too are on the railings at Bhuteswar, Kankali tila, Jamalpur and Govinda Nagar in the Mathura district and also at Sanghol in the Ludhiana district of Punjab (Panchanadiland of five rivers) carved during the Kushana period in the 1st century A.D. Salabhanjika assumed a new dimension with the ivory - carvers by their graceful carving and graceful emotional display. Sanchi sculptures are female figures, absolutely life-like, owing to their variegated coiffure, elaborate ornamentation graceful poses and pleasing expressions. They sometimes stand holding branch of a tree in an erect position. These salabhanjikas by and large are masterpieces of the feminine form and beauty, as attributed in ancient Indian literature. These yakshi or salabhanjika figures are one of the most sensuous sculptures found in India in plastic art. Queen Maya Devi was born a Hindu and died a Hindu. Prince Siddhartha, was taught Hinduism by the Brahmin Visvamitra and led a Vedi-Hindu life till the age of 35, until he attained Enlightenment to Maha Bodhi at Buddha Gaya (in Bihar State). In fact it could be conjured that me Buddha chose to attain the Great Demise (Mahaparinirvana) at Kusinara (Kushinargar) park between two sala trees, as he would have known that he was born under a Sala tree venerated by his departed mother and as a mark of respect to the mother, and also as the Buddha always advocated religious and racial pluralism and also multiplicity of cultures and cults, which he never condemned for his role was to show the world the Four Noble Truths and the Eight - fold Path to gain deliverance from sojourning in the endless wheel of Samsara. ######################### Song of meditationHow boundless the cleared sky of Samadhi! |
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