Buddhist Spectrum

Dhajagga Sutta: A journey from Vedic theology to Buddhist psycology

Dr. Keerthi Jayasekera

Every morning at 5.30 a.m. a TV Channel broadcasts the Dhajagga Sutta (Banner Protection discourse of the Buddha) as a part of the Seth Pirith for the day. How many of us know what the contents of this Sutta and its social significance are?

Dhajagga Sutta is yet another instance where the Buddha displays his masterly knowledge of the Vedic Theology, by placing the powerful Vedic Gods like Sakka, Pajapati, Varuna and Isana in a battle field and viewing their actions in the light of his new found wisdom.

In a battle the warrior looks up to the crest of his commander’s banner to see if it is still flying high and if so it helps to build up his confidence about his own protection and gives him the courage to fight on till victory.

However, if the crest of the banner has fallen or not within sight, then he begins to worry about his own protection and ways of survival. Flight with fright is common. If however he sees the crest of a friendly commander then he would derive some inspiration by joining the fight under that new command and goes on till victory or defeat.

Hence in this discourse the Buddha says that by looking to the banner of these Vedic Gods any fear, terror, or hair standing on end may or may not pass away. The reason is Sakka, the lord of gods is not free from lust, not free from hate, not free from delusion, and is therefore liable to fear, terror, fright and flight.

However, addressing the monks the Buddha says if they were to experience fear, terror, or hair standing on end should arise when they go to a forest, to a foot of a tree, to an empty house (lonely place), them to think of the Buddha, such will pass away similarly on the Dhamma and the Sangha too would make such pass away.

This Order of disciples eight kinds of individuals as described above are worthy of offerings, hospitality, gifts, is worthy of reverential salutations, is an incomparable field of merit for the world. The Tathagata, O monks, who is an Arhant, supremely enlightened, is free from lust, hate, and delusion, and is not liable to fear, terror, fright or flight.

Who are these Vedic gods? Sakka: The ‘King of Gods’ is the lord over the celestial beings in the heaven of the ‘Thirty Three’. Prajapathi: “Father-god”, whose name implies that all created beings are his children. Varuna: Who is essentially a god of righteousness and is the guardian of all that is worthy and good. He is omniscient. Isana: Who lives as the “inner guide” in all objects in the universe.

Ancient Indian wisdom of the Vedas was accessible to the Brahmin and Kshyathriya castes only. When there was no war the Kshtriyas could devote more time for the study of the Vedic Texts.

Royalty had the services of Brahmins to attend to matters of a spiritual nature, especially on auspicious occasions, to carry out rites and rituals in keeping with the teachings of the Vedas.

That is how King Suddhodana summoned the seven Brahmins, when Prince Siddhartha was born to examine the new born’s physical signs which reflects certain characteristics thus making it possible to predict the future.

Closer perusal of the 32 great marks and 80 lesser marks in the body of the new born made them to conclude that in due course the Prince will be a Universal Monarch or a Buddha.

King Suddhodana naturally wanted the prince to be a Universal Monarch in keeping with the Kshtriya aspirations to rule and govern. Hence he exposed his son to master the Art of Warfare. The result was at the age of 16 years, Prince Siddhartha displayed his military skills before a Royal audience, and won over the hand of Princess Yasodhara.

Upon enlightenment the Buddha uses a large number of similes of a military nature in his discourses to his disciples to illustrates the points of Dhamma. The Buddha displays his mastery of Archery when he describes the poisonous arrow to Malunkyaputta. He discussed training of horses with the horse trainer Kesi. Various aspects of the chariot, which is used in war.

In the Rahulovada Sutta, the Buddha describes in detail the behaviour of the Elephant in the theatre of war. Perhaps it was done to educate his son Rahula (by then a novice monk) to the secular aspect of the Kshthriya society. Incidently Novice Rahula who was ordained at the age of Seven took 13 years to attain Arhanthood at the age of 20.

Once, the Buddha says “Worriers, worriers, why are we call warriors, because we wage war against all that is evil”. This statement shows how the Buddha changed the meaning of war from secular to that of ethical conduct within one self.

The concept of victory at wars was transformed from a war of conquering land and Kingdoms to a victory from the struggle within one self, from a war within one self through the powers of reasoning with in the human mind to achieve moral perfection.

To a Kshathriya Art of war is what they have to learn and the battle field is where they put the theory and their skills in to practice.

The protection that the crest of a banner provide to a worrier at war, would have been well known to the Buddha from the experience he would have obtained for 29 years as Prince Siddhartha, for the Buddha never spoke of anything of which he has had no experience with and always viewed reality as it is.

Life of the Buddha does not reveal much about the secular or spiritual activities of Prince Siddhartha. However we do know that the royal households had Brahmins in their company and in order to rule the king has to be a master of state craft for which not only the military skills but wisdom of the Vedas would have been mandatory.

The fact that Prince Siddhartha on renunciation went to Alara Kalama the great meditation master of Vesali, and was able to master his teachings, and develop the meditative absorptions, and then to Uddakaramaputta and master his teachings and meditative techniques and develop still higher absorptions would not have been possible if he did not have the knowledge of the Vedas, since their teachings went beyond the Vedas to Sankhya Philosophy.

Being not contended with what he has mastered thus for, he went on his way, experimented with himself as described in detail on the “Arya Pariyesana Sutta” discovered middle path to moral perfection. There was no external agency, divine or otherwise that supported him in his struggle, but only by him self with his own powers of reasoning he acquired the power to view reality as it is, thus achieving Buddhahood.

It is interesting to note that the majority of early disciples were of Brahminic in origin. Among them Maha Kashyapa, Sariputta, Moggallana, Maha Kacchayana (who was the one time Purohitha Brahmin to the King of Avanthi). Many were the Brahmins who came to the Buddha in search of answers to their questions on epistemology.

Among them Esukari, Ambatta, Bharadjvada, to name a few outstanding. The fact that the Buddha was able to defeat Secchaka the Brahmin of great debating skills, and was able to win over a large number of Brahmins who came to display their knowledge of the Vedas, was ample testimony to the fact that the Buddha possessed absolute knowledge of the Vedas.

If the Buddha did not have such a sound epistemological and ontological base, how could he have criticised the sixty two prevalent views of the day as described in the Brahmajala Sutta (The all-embracing net of views) placed as the first Sutta (Discourse) in the entire collection of the Buddha’s discourses contained in the Pali Tripitaka.

The Sutta exposes all possible speculative views on the two central concerns of speculative thought, the nature of the self and of the world. This is a preliminary measure necessary to clear the ground for the establishment of right view, the first factor of the Noble Eightfold Path, which is the way leading to the cessation of suffering, the objective of all what the Buddha preached.

What is the relevance of the Dhajagga Sutta to the present day society? In this Discourse the Buddha tells about the futility of seeking protection from the Vedic Gods, since they are themselves imperfect, are not free from lust, not free from hate, not free rom delusion, since they are themselves liable to fear, terror, fright and flight.

However, it is the Buddha Dhamma which leads one to be free of lust, hatred and delusion which in turn will help one to transform ones powers of reasoning to an Ethical way. The result will be a person who will be free of fear, terror, hair standing on end begin to see reality as it is.

What happens in the Buddhist society to day, when they are struck with fear, terror, air standing on end, people resort to seek the protection of the Vedic Gods in the Hindu Kovils or in the Devales found within the Buddhist Temple compounds.

The logical thing to do when one is placed in such situations is seek the answers within the Buddha Dhamma. In this respect the Sangha and the eight types of disciples, who have themselves develop varying degree of understanding and realisation of being free of Lust, Hatred and Delusion will be of immense value to the confused.

--------------------------------------

Vedananupassana - the science of sensations (feelings)

Ven. Bhikhu Vinayar Vinayarakkhita

What I sense (feel) that is, what I don’t sense (feel) that is not. This is the common sense (feeling) of all. Sensations (feelings) form an important part of life. The body exists because one senses (feels) the body, pain exists because one senses (feels) the pain, and pleasure exists because one senses (feels) pleasure, and hence the general understanding that I sense (feel) therefore ‘I am’ looks as if it is absolutely right. This in turn leads to all other negativities like ego, pride, selfishness, hatred, jealousy and false view of Soul or Atman.

To sense is to feel and to feel is to sense. Thus one senses through sensations and to observe feelings is to observe sensations. Therefore one can say that Vedana or feeling is synonimous to sensation which are constantly arising and passing at the body level. The body sensation is sensor of mind and matter.

The Buddha taking these very subject of sensations (feelings) as the basis for his teaching, taught his followers the science of sensations called Vedananupassana also known as the observation of sensations and thus leading them on to the path of Sila, Samadhi, and Panya he finally made them realise the ultimate truth of Impermanence, Suffering and No-Self.

The Buddha in Dighanaka Sutta of Majjima Nikaya, while explaining the doctrine to Aggivessana says: “Pleasant sensations Aggivessana is impermanent, conditioned, dependently arisen, subject to destruction, vanishing, fading away and ceasing. Painful sensations too are impermanent, conditioned, dependently arisen, subject to destruction, vanishing, fading away and ceasing.

Neither-painful-nor-pleasant sensations too is impermanent, conditioned, dependently arisen, subject to destruction, vanishing, fading away and ceasing.” “Seeing thus, a well taught noble disciple becomes disenchanted with pleasant sensations, disenchanted with painful sensations, disenchanted with neither-painful-nor-pleasant sensations.

Being disenchanted he becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion his mind is liberated. When it is liberated there comes the knowledge: “It is liberated”. He understands birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done; there is no more coming to any state of being.

“He whose mind is liberated thus, Aggivessana, sides with none and disputes with none; he employs the speech currently used in the world without adhering to it.”

The modern humanity too is suffering from three feelings namely feeling of excitement, feeling of entertainment and feeling of exhaustion. This triangle of triple E’s i.e. excitement, entertainment and exhaustion can be equated to the mystical Bermuda triangle, which pulls anything down to the seabed, by its strange gravitational power.

Same is the case with this triple E’s triangle. Firstly one by feeling various things gets excited and runs after it and having entertained himself/herself with it, sooner or later he/she gets exhausted and distorted. With an interval this process of excitement, entertainment and exhaustion starts again. This process is repeated again and again throughout one’s life till death.

The Buddha with his own effort and wisdom discovered the anti-dotes for these three evil E’s. He taught Sila, Samadhi and Panya. The anti-dote for excitement is sila because it teaches restraint in body and speech and this restraint is the direct and immediate way to counter excitement.

The anti-dote for entertainment is samadhi because when compared to the worldly entertainment with its evil consequences Samadhi is the real happiness with no evil consequences at all.

The anti-dote for exhaustion and distortion is Panya, which gives the right understanding, and bliss sought by the suffering and exhausted humans and is born out of through understanding of Impermanence, Suffering and No-Self.(Anitya, Dukkha, Anatta).

Now the question is how to observe the impermanence of sensations (feelings)?

Vedana (Sensations) in paticcasamupaada is explained as follows: Vedana paccaya tanha; -Sensations (feelings) as the base, craving arises;

Tanha paccaya upadanam; - craving as the base, attachment (clinging) arises;

Upadana paccaya bhava; - attachment as the base, the process of becoming arises;

Bhava paccaya jati; - process of becoming as the base, birth arises; Jati paccya jara-maranam; - birth as the base, ageing and death arise; Soka-parideva - together with sorrow, lamentation, Dukkha-domanassupayasa sambhavanti. - physical & mental sufferings & tribulations.

Evame-tassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti. - thus arises this entire mass of suffering.

According to Paticcasamuppada as mentioned above sensatioons as condition, craving arises. The Buddha by exploring the truths of mind and body realised that between the external objects and mental reflex of craving, is a link called Vedana - The sensations of the body.

One craves to gain and prolong the pleasant sensations on one hand and on the other hand to remove and get rid of the unpleasant sensations at the earliest.

Pleasant sensations are thrilling
Unpleasant sensations are chilling
In these sensations one is rolling
And experiencing much Suffering.

To get out of this paining
One has to work towards gaining
The Vedananupassana training
To experience happiness that’s liberating.

Vedana is felt on the body but it is part of the mind and thus its observation means the observation of mind and matter phenomenon. In vedananupassana training one learns to observe all sensations with equanimity and understanding of Anicca (impermanence) at the level of body sensations.

Now that which is impermanent is suffering and that which is suffering is not self. So when these very vedana (sensations) are understood properly and one develops detachment and equanimity towards them it leads to the cessation of entire mass of suffering.

In samyutta nikaya Buddha Says: Eradicate the latent tendency of craving towards pleasant sensations. Eradicate the latent tendency of aversion towards unpleasant sensations. Eradicate the latent tendency of Ignorance towards neutral sensations.

The Buddha has very well explained through anicca the fact of anatta and how delusive are the feelings of I, Self, Ego etc. These feelings when misapprehended develops false view thereby leading human beings to greed, hatred and delusion.

Here naturally a question arises if there is no I or self, who gets the results of kamma. The Buddha in answer said: “I have taught you, O bhikkhus, to see conditionality everywhere in all things i.e.

Imasmim sati idam hoti;
- when this is, that is;

Imassupada idam uppajjati;
- this arising, that arises;

Imasmim asati idam na hoti;
- when this is not, that is not;

Imassa nirodha idam nirujjhati.
- this ceasing, that ceases.

In addition to the paticcasamupaada and the conditioned genesis as explained above the Buddha throughout his teaching has stressed to see the reality as it is and experience the ultimate true nature of all things i.e.

Underlying Impermanence in permanence,

Underlying Suffering in pleasures and

Underlying No self in ourselves.

Albert Einstein the father of modern science as rightly said: “The religion in the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend a personal God and avoid dogma and theology covering both the natural and the spiritual; it should be based on a religious sense arising from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity. BUDDHISM answers this description.”

Thus should be further understood that though Vedana is part of Nama (mind) it is felt and firmly rooted in Kaya (body).

This is the reason why brahmas from Arupa brahma loka cannot practise Vedananupassana and that is why Buddha could not teach dhamma to his past teachers Alara kalama who had mastered over seventh Jhana and Udakka Ramaputta who had mastered eight Jhana. Both these past teachers after death were born in the Arupa brahma loka.

In the fifth to eight Jhanas, the mind is set free from body and thus there is no experience of Vedana (bodily sensations). Since these brahmas of Arupa loka lack rupa and cannot experience body sensations, the practice of the awarness of Vedana (Sensations) is not possible for them and they cannot walk on the path of Nibbana.

Moreover the terms somanassa and domanassa are used for pleasant and unpleasant mental feelings respectively. Sukkha and Dukkha is used in the specific sense of bodily pleasant and unpleasant feelings called sensations.

It is noteworthy that in the practicing samadhi, somanassa and domanassa mental feeings disappear in the third Jhana but Sukkha and Dukkha bodily feelings called sensations disappear only in the fourth Jhana. Adukkhamasukkha (neither pleasant nor unpleasant) sensations remains even in the fourth Jhana.

From this one may logically conclude that bodily sensations give us a stronger and more continues hold on reality and thus on the root cause of Tanha (craving).

Through gradual training one can clearly comprehend sensations as they are always readily accessible and thereby offer a tangible tool to attain one’s own liberation. Giving up the extremes of over-standing and under-standing vedananupassana establishes one in proper-standing which results in a calm and balanced mind in the midst of all the ups and downs of life.

This path is true art of living which one should start living. Due to its non-sectarian nature people from all class and castes, regions and religions are able to get much benefit from its universal application.