Buddhist Spectrum

Bamiyan Buddhas

We are the Buddhas of the Bamiyan,
for twenty-three centuries
we have stood tall in the sun,
gigantic, gazing benevolently
from our home in the mountainous terrain
as wars raged during the centuries
across the Afghanistan plains,
but then we were not harassed
and were left alone.
And now the Islamic Taliban leader
Mullah Mohammed Omar says
we should be blown up and destroyed.
And we are aware the Buddhists
around the world are shocked and annoyed.
But, why, why, why? We tend to ask

Praise! Our eyes were carved
and we saw the busy stream
of weary travellers
and mostly merchants often tired,
pitching their tents and wired
at the end of a camel caravan
when the nights set in on Bamiyan valley
with a sky of an indigo parchment really
for the stars to be pasted and twinkle.
In the mornings
we would see caravans parade
criss-crossing to trade
along the Silk Route,
some with silks from China
others with glassware from
Alexandria,
bronze statues from Rome
and carved ivory from India.
Accompanying the caravans
Buddhists monks came and went.
Carved into the cliffs were
monasteries
where yellow-robed monks spent
their time in meditation.
The valley was devoid of lush trees.
When Buddhism was thriving,
there were festive rituals. The silk canopies
were decorated with pennants
striving
to add colour to the occasion.
Today, the Bamiyan valley
is an austere place.
the monks and pilgrims
went away many centuries ago
without leaving a trace
after Islam took over the valley.
The rock carvers draped us
in Hellenistic togas with deep folds
and ridges that were straight
inspired by the invading soldiers
of Alexander the Great.
Our faces were painted gold
and our robes with bold
colours of red and blue.
The reason for the two colours
we just don't have a clue.
But we looked impressive
yet so despondent and vulnerable,
but still we were able
to survive the hostile onslaughts
of factions that fought.
We were alright for twenty-three centuries
having been sculpted, inspired
by the invaders
but now faced death and destruction
by the Taliban marauders.
In early March
in the year two-thousand-and-one
we were attacked and hit by
an anti-aircraft weapon.
We were inanimate to defy
so lost part of our legs
and then part of our faces.
Later on March ninth
our lower bodies and the soles
of our feet were drilled with holes.
The Taliban soldiers stuffed
them with sticks of dynamite,
and about an hour afternoon
they blew us to dust
and out of their sight.

By then the civilized world was in shock
by this dastardly act, a knock
on the belief that religions can
co-exist.

The Buddhists are revulsed at the thought
that the Talibans think the act was fine
but they stand condemned
in the eyes of mine
and that of the civilized world.

Body is a future phenomen

Ven. Dr. Bhikkhu Bodhipala, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

As far as the body is concerned it is a future phenomenon, even though it seems that mind and body work together in an action at the same time apparently. All volitional actions according to Buddhism originate first from the mind and the same is repeated or so-called executed later in physical level.

This is clearly expounded by the Buddha by his own words in the first verse of Dhammapada. Mind proceeds or precedes always in an action then the material physical body follows the mind after making an intervening time gap at least 1/17 of the duration of mind's action.

That means body acts or repeats the action of mind Later on otherwise or in other words the gross material body has to take at least 1/17 of the time what mind takes for a volitional mental action.

In day to day affairs this intervening gap is widened or increasing due lack of presence of mind. Presence of mind means not making more time gap between mind and body that means not making more time gap than 1/17th time of mind's action. For doing a wholesome action "kusala kamma" mind's action should be followed immediately.

If the action does not make more intervening gap that means body and mind go together or dwell in eternal present. In such cases the term action disappears then concept of perception arises.

For example when seeing an object it is both action and perception as mind and body go together. Perceiving the reality or actually performing an action.

If this state of affairs continues then only 'vipassana gnana arises' technically called "nama rupa pariccheda gnana" which means differentiating material phenomena and mental phenomena in a living being. When "nama rupa pariccheda gnana" arises, the faculty of 'Yata bhutha darsana' arises that means perception becomes perfect.

Samadhi: Force which opposes outgoing exuberance

Venerable Acariya Nanasampanno

All types of kammatthana-dhammas are for controlling the "outgoing exuberance" of the heart. The heart which is not controlled by a kammatthana is liable to the arising of "outgoing exuberance" throughout life.

This is so from infancy to old age, it is so with the rich and the poor, with the clever and the stupid, with those in high and low position in life, with the blind, deaf, paralysed, maimed, deformed, and so on endlessly.

In Buddhism such people are considered to be still at the age of a "heart with outgoing exuberance".

Their hearts have no greatness, they find no contentment, they are ill-fated as regards happiness of heart, and when they die they lose in all ways - like a tree which may have many branches, flowers, and fruit, but if its main root is damaged it will die and lose its greatness and everything else.

But unlike the body of a human being who has died, the trunk or branches of the tree may still be useful for some other purpose.

The baneful effect of the "outgoing exuberance" of a heart which does not have Dhamma as its guardian, is that it never finds true happiness, and even if happiness does arise due to the "outgoing exuberance" of the heart searching for it and finding it, it will be happiness of the type in which one is (like an actor) playing a part, which increases the "outgoing exuberance", making the heart go increasingly in the wrong direction, and not the type of happiness which is truly satisfying.

Samadhi - which means calm or stability of heart, is that which opposes the "outgoing exuberance". The heart on the other hand, doesn't want to take the "medicine", and the medicine is the kammatthana.

"Outgoing exuberance" of the heart has been the enemy of all beings for countless ages, and a person who wants to subdue the "outgoing exuberance" of his own heart will need to compel his heart to take the medicine - which is the kammatthana.

Taking the medicine means training one's heart in Dhamma and not allowing it to go its own way, for the heart always likes to have "outgoing exuberance" as a companion.

In other words, taking the medicine means that the heart brings Dhamma into itself as its guardian.

The Dhamma which is the guardian of the heart is called the kammatthana.

There are forty types of kammatthana-dhammas which variously accord with the different temperaments of people.

They are:

1. The 10 Kasina Devices for gazing at and concentrating upon.

2. The 10 Asubha Contemplation of the states of the decomposition of a dead body.

3. the 10 Anussati Various objects of contemplation.

4. The 4 Brahmavihara Friendliness, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity.

5. The 1 Aharapatikkulasanna Recollecting the loathsomeness of food.

6. The 1 Catudhatuvavatthana Defining the four elements.

7. The 4 Arupa Developing the four formless Jhanas.

Here we will confine ourselves to the consideration of a few of these methods which are in general use and which are found to give satisfactory results.

They include:

1. Contemplation of the thirty-two parts of the body, including: kesa (hair of the head), loma (hair of the body) nakha (nails), danta (teeth), taco (skin) etc. This first group of parts is called the "Five Kammatthanas".

2. Contemplation of the "Buddha", the "Dhamma", and the "Sangha".

3. Anapanasati Awareness of breathing in and out).

Whichever method is used it should suit one's character, for characters differ, and to teach that everyone should use only one kind of kammatthana may well prove to be a hindrance to some people, thus preventing their attaining the results which they should attain.

When one finds the type of meditation that suits one's character, one should set one's mind to begin doing the practice with a preparatory repetition (parikamma), such as, "kesa" (hair of the head).

One should then repeat it mentally and not out loud, and at the same time one should keep one's attention fixed upon hair of the head.

If however, one finds that thinking, on its own, is not able to capture the heart, one may repeat the preparatory repletion in the manner of a chant so that the sound captivates the heart and it becomes calm and quiet.

One should continue repeating the preparatory repetition until the heart has become calm and then one can stop.

But whichever preporatory repetition is used, one should retain conscious awareness of that kammatthana. Thus in the foregoing example of "kesa", one should retain conscious awareness of the hair on one's head.

If one uses one of the preparatory repetitions - "Buddho", "Dhammo", or "Sangho", one should set up knowledge of it just in the heart alone.

These are not like other types of kammatthanas, for here one should repeat "Buddho" (or "Dhammo", or "Sangho") so that it is in continuous contact with the heart and remains there until the one who repeats the "Buddho" of the preparatory repetition and the one who knows who is the heart, one found to be identical.

To be continued