Buddhist Spectrum

Message of the Buddha :

Path to Nibbana

Rupa Banduwardena

Sakyamuni Siddhartha Gautama the universal intellectual, the all wise, all compassionate, world teacher appeared in this world for the good of the mankind. He gifted to humanity a unique teaching that revolutionised the human thought. The knowledge and wisdom he had gained and the doctrine he had declared over 2,560 years ago are still relevant to the present day world with its astonishing progress in science, technology and what not. His Dhamma needs no re-assessment and it is valid and suits all time. He as Prince Siddhartha gave up his throne with immense power and glory, regal splendour, all the worldly comforts in his blooming youth, to embark in the journey of eternal truth.

Renunciation unparalleled

King Suddhodana did his best to keep him away from the truth in life - decay, disease and death. Despite his precautions, with the emergence of the four portends, his search for the truth (kim kusala gavesi) leading to enlightenment commenced. To get rid of detachment, was his aim.

He indulged in all forms of self mortification. Seeing no way he sat under the Bodhi tree hoping never to get up until he was endowed with the absolute truth. Through deep meditation enlightenment dawned upon him.

He traced back his existence to the previous Buddhas as far back as Buddha Deepankara who blessed him with ‘Niyatha Vivarana’. He saw his own existence as well as those of others in sansara through countless years. With supreme enlightenment the four noble truths was revealed. He was now a Buddha - The Thathagatha the Perfect one. Samma Sambuddha the fully enlightened one. His sansaric tour came to an end.

The message of the Buddha

Samma Sambuddha then journeyed to Isipathana and preached to the five ascetics, His one time companions, the outcome of his struggle the first sermon Dharmachkkapavaththana Sutta said to contain the four noble truths the Gist of Buddhism, briefly summed up as - that life is sorrow. Sorrow is due to craving and it can only be annihilated by following the eight fold path illustrated in the four noble truths.

Dukkha-sorrow means suffering which every living being has to experience the cardinal problem of life of impermanence, the unsatisfactory nature of life common to everybody. In fact Sansaric existence is Dukkha. The cause of Dukkha is craving - a powerful mental force possessed by every living being which make us wonder about in sansara. Craving is excessive greed and delight in pleasures leading to repeated births in never ending sansara. It is this process of suffering that the great Master had made the target of His teaching. The goal of his doctrine was to terminate the sansaric journey with no further birth - ie Nibbana, the cessation of existence.

The noble eightfold path (Ariya Attangika Maggo) was advocated by Thathagatha for the salvation and liberation of living beings from sansara. This path of virtue, concentration and wisdom consists of eight factors - namely, Right understanding, thought, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and concentration. The first factor depicts the correct understanding of the entire teachings of the Buddha and it covers the full scope of the Dhamma.

These sacred expressions convey the message of the Buddha which is Dhamma meant to the entire mankind. His doctrine the Akalika Dhamma thus proclaimed spread across India and Asia before and after his parinibbana.

Akalika Dhamma

Dhamma, as explicitly made clean in the above eightfold path, guides the devotee to attain the ultimate goal without much trouble. It touches life at all points and covers the entire process of moral conduct keeping you away from evil - the basis of Dhamma. This is summed up in Thathagatha’s own words in one statement.

Sabba Papassa Akaranam - Kusalassa Upasampada

Sachitta Pariyodapanam - Etan Buddhanusasanam

“The giving up of all evils, the cultivation of the good the cleansing of one’s mined, this is the Buddha’s teaching. This intellectual statement indicates the path of deliverance. Dhamma when carefully observed leads man to spiritual development keeping him away from evil. That which harms others and obstructs ones progress is evil and sin. This is very clearly stated in Pancha Sila (five precepts) which every Buddhist is expected to known, which guides him in correct living.

It is however left for each person to follow the correct path indicated by Dhamma. At this juncture there is another thing to be trained and purified - it is the most vital to which Buddhism attaches much importance - ie The mind.

From mind radiates love and compassion (Meththa and Karuna) one has to lead a life of generosity (dana) virtue and morality (seela) and mental ease (Bhavana). It is the mind that plays a significant role. For the Buddhist meditation, is the best way for training the mind to give up all evils. This is the foundation of Buddhist way of life. A person following this way of Dhamma continues his upward journey to non-existence - Nibbana.

“Nibbana Paramam Sukham” - the highest happiness and the highest achievement. According to the Dhamma of the great Master one has to work out his own salvation. One is one’s own saviour. “Attahi Attano Natho.”

The Jathaka Book and the Buddhist society

The elders of the good old days had been well trained by the Buddhist culture to relate the stories of the Jathaka Book in an attractive manner:

Sajendra Kumara

From time immemorial the Jathaka Story Book (JSB) or as fondly called the Jathakapotha has been part and parcel of the Sri Lankan Buddhist culture. The typical villager speaks with awe when he calls it the Jatakapothwahanse. The word wahanse is a term usually used to address a revered person. So the personification of the Jathkapotha as a revered person is an indication of the awe inspiring respect the Buddhist has for this classic book. Hence the JSB is not a mere a compilation of a story book but one which transcends beyond what it literally means. The JSB is entwined with the Buddhist society, culture and its thinking.

A rather comprehensive analysis of the JSB on its influence on our society, then and now, is the theme of this essay which I presume will be an eye-opener for those who love this beautiful work of art which has served the Sri Lankan Buddhist society for thousands of years.

The JSB has played a unique role in inculcating Buddhist moral values with a psychological and spiritual approach. The bond between the JSB and the traditional Buddhist society remained strong beyond imagination. The creation of a true Buddhist is the ultimate objective of the JSB.

However, the rapid modernization of the Sri Lankan Buddhist society - it is sad to note - has distanced these stories from the heart and mind of our people.

The seeds for this gradual distancing of the JSB were actually sown with the European invasions of the island; whose motive among many was the dissemination of their religion.

The beautiful stories of the JSB, woven around the Bodhisattva, often emerged in the common parlance of the Buddhist. It was inevitable for the typical Buddhist to quote from the JSB in explaining matters of life; to be more precise, social problems. By doing so the learned Buddhist could enlighten the ordinary layman and provide him a life long lesson.

On the other hand a fair knowledge on the JSB was a sign of versatility. This paved the way for the eloquent speaker to cut a figure in the society. Hence it was the common practice to decorate one’s speech with stories from the JSB. Also it added beauty to the speech.

The elders of the good old days had been well trained by the Buddhist culture to relate the stories of the JSB in an attractive manner. The stories of the JSB were the popular bedtime stories of the yore. The audience, often the little ones at home, listened to them with gaped mouth; with humour followed by an out burst of laughter and tragedy followed by a long audible sigh.

Stories related to horrific demons, ogres and other blood thirsty predators of the Himalayan fame escaped between the betel tainted lips in an equal chilling tone which often caused the young listener to shudder in fear with hair bristled up: the story of prince Panchayuda is one such story.

Stories of love, affection and great sacrifices spontaneously brought tears into the young eye. Meanwhile one or two weaker hearts would wipe off on the sly a tear that trickled down the cheeks.

The wisdom an the presence of mind of the Bodhisattva broadened the horizons of our young children: the Bilala Jathaka Story and the Wanarinda Story are just two to mention. There was an air of happiness when their heroic Bodhisattva emerged victorious defeating the evil.

The tongue often seasoned with the constant chewing of betel; a typical habit of the rural Sri Lanka, gave interesting twists to the Jathaka story. The gifted aged story teller related them with unique eloquence. The hard terminology of the original JSB split and cracked into simpler terms at the hands of the story teller like the arecanut caught between the jaws of the nut cracker. The ease with which they were related was unimaginable.

It was really a dramatic presentation performed often slumped into an easy chair. Appropriate hand to mouth combination brought the characters alive often enchanting the young listener.

There was an ideal setting at home for the drama to roll out: dim kerosene - lit surrounding devoid of the hustle and bustle of the modern suburb with the orchestra of cicadas being played in the background. An occasional hooting of an owl, a caterwauling at a distance, a squeaking of a hungry flying fox fighting for a mellow jack fruit or the howling of a pack of jackals in the hedge bordering the paddy field provided a more live environment.

The JSB was the bridge between the aged and the young generation at home. It contributed on its own way to narrow the generation gap. The JSB built a sound relationship between the two generations. It never allowed the aged to suffer loneliness. The aged smoothly and gradually transmitted their experience to the young through the JSB. The young, in turn, gathered moral values which helped them grow up to be a well cultured Buddhist. Creative stories like the Thiththira Jathakaya taught them how elders should be treated with due respect.

Why should you read a Zen story?

John Suler

Once there was an old man who lived at the top of a very high and dangerous precipice. Every morning he would sit at the edge of the cliff and view the surrounding mountains and forest. One day, after he set himself down for his usual meditation, he noticed something shiny at the very bottom of the precipice.

Now even though it was very far below him, the old man had keen eyes and could just barely make out what it was. It looked like a rather large, black chest with gold trimmings - just sitting there atop a rock. “Where did it come from? What could be inside it?” the old man thought to himself...

Nothing captures our attention quite like a good story. Long before there was television, movies, radio, and even books, people told stories as a way to entertain and educate. Storytelling was as important to prehistoric cave-dwellers eating antelope around a fire as it is to corporate executives doing lunch. It’s in our human blood. We love the development of plot and character, the climax, the resolution, the vicarious thrill of living and learning through tales of others sufferings and triumphs.

All of literature and media is but an extension of the more basic urge to tell a good story. The advantage of storytelling, though, is that you do it in person - right there, right in front of people, so you get to see, hear, and feel their reactions. Unlike books and television, storytelling is much more interactive and personal. You don’t do it alone, unless you’re quite psychotic.... but that’s another story.

We are used to hear Zen and Taoist tales. Why am I suggesting that you tell these stories to your neighbors? Is it because these are among the oldest stories in human history and have withstood the test of time? Is it because Zen and Taoism are ancient religions offering profound insights into human nature, the cosmos, and spirituality?... Maybe. Or maybe it’s just because they are fun to tell. Without a doubt, these stories capture all sorts of truths about life and death. But they are also witty, entertaining, humorous, and at times puzzling, even mind-bending.

And they are not just the secret lessons of monks sequestered away in mountain monasteries. The ancient teachers intended these stories to be used by everyone, everywhere. On the train to work, during dinner at a restaurant, leaning over the backyard fence as you talk to your neighbor - all of these situations and more lend themselves to these stories. Once you read and learn a few of them, you will see opportunities to tell them popping up everywhere with your family, friends, and coworkers.

Think of these tales as conversation pieces, as handy tools that you can lift out of your pocket to help you and others talk, think, and laugh about the wondrous and mysterious details of this thing we call Life.

For your storytelling, you need background homework. You need others’ homework. These people may include students from varying walks of life, your friends and relatives. As you will see, people interpret each story in very different ways. That’s what makes them so interesting.

You may have heard some of the tales before and believe you know what they ‘mean’. But if you read these people’s reactions - or tell the stories to your neighbors and hear their reactions - I think you’ll be amazed at how these tales strike a different chord in everyone. The stories have many meanings.Talking about those meanings with your friends and family can be a truly educational experience.

So read on. Pick out the stories that sound interesting. Read Zen story books from ‘cover’ to ‘cover’, or at random, or use the links at the bottom of each story to connect to other stories with similar themes. There’s no right or wrong way to do this. Pick the method that works best for you. And perhaps, like the old man at the top of the precipice, you will see something surprising.