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Buddhist Spectrum

Buddhism on foreign shores

Saying goes that ‘this generation’s religion is next generation’s myth’. As man’s intellectual scope widens with the evolution of science and technology, he is bound to look for more pragmatic, realistic and believable ways of perceiving the world.

Venerable Kongaspitiye Shantha Rakkitha Thera

Most are attracted towards Buddhism, simply for the realistic and pragmatic path which it shows.For this very reason, the wisdom of Buddha is no longer restricted to Asian countries.

It has crushed social and cultural barriers and has even been able to touch the intellectual scope of European foreigners.

Daily News spoke to Venerable Kongaspitiye Shantha Rakkitha Thera who was in Sri Lanka for a brief visit after successfully carrying out his Buddhist missionary programmes in Germany. His campaign is centered on Das Buddhistische haus Berlin (Berlin Buddhist Viharaya). His missionary campaign was organized by German Dharma Dutha Society Sri Lanka. He has been conducting missionary works in Germany for past nineteen months.

Q: Most foreigners are not born Buddhists, how hard it is to reach out to them?

A: Most people who visit us are are not born Buddhists, therefore it is essential that we have a vast understanding of the other religions as well. Knowledge of Buddhism alone is not enough. Since they have not been exposed to Buddhist literature, when doing sermons, we have to take examples from other philosophers that are familiar to them. For instance sometimes we take examples from philosophers such as Freud or even Einstein. We have to convince them that Buddhism goes way beyond those philosophies.

Q: The ethics and culture of European community is vastly different to ours. How do you cope with that cultural difference?

A: It is a huge challenge. The cultural gap is vast. They don’t follow the same ethics as us.

They at times greet us with hand-shakes, which was bit awkward for us at first. But we had to go along with that and we had to greet them pleasantly, otherwise if we ignore them, they won’t come back again. The mutual respect has to be there for us to build a good relationship. As the time goes on, we teach them to greet us saying ‘Ayubovan’.

Q: How is the interest towards Buddhism among Germans, how do they cope with the concentration levels that Buddhism demands?

A: There is a great demand for Theravada Buddhism. They do have the mental strength and the capacity to engage themselves in meditation for long hours. Some have even developed the capacity to meditate for four or five hours on the trot.

Q: Is there any specific reason that they are attracted towards Buddhism?

A: Most of them come to us to achieve inner peace. They have experienced life and at a certain point they begin to feel the futility of their way of life.

Therefore more often than not they come because they want to get away from that life style by achieving peace and solace.

Q: How is the interest of German youth towards Buddhism?

A: German schools do have a separate subject called Religion. And those students come to our Viharaya with their teachers to learn more about Buddhism.

Q: What are meditation forms that are most popular among Germans?

A: We mainly train them with Anapanasathi bhavanava. But there are those who practice Samatha Bhavanava as well.

They feel that Samatha Bhavanava provides them with necessary mental strength that is needed to succeed in worldly life

Q: Do you conduct programs for Sri Lankan Buddhists that are living in Germany as well?

A: Second week of every Sunday we do conduct programs for Sinhalese Buddhists. But our main purpose is to spread the religion to foreign Germans. If we focus only on Sri Lankan Buddhists, we are not serving our purpose.

We stay there for missionary purposes; we want to reach out to their minds.

Q: Being a monk in a foreign country, do you find it challenging?

A: It is a demanding task. They have read Buddhist books and those books have drawn a certain mental image in their minds about how the decorum of a Buddhist monk should be.

Therefore we have to make sure that we live up to their expectations and behave accordingly.


Blessed are they who honour those worthy of honour

For one who is in the habit of constantly honouring and respecting the elders, four blessings increase. They are Age, Beauty, Bliss (Joy) and Streghth. The Blessed One uttered the above words, when He was residing in a village monastery near Dighalanghika.

You may have heard this popular verse, but sometimes you may be not aware, why Buddha recited this stanza?

Abhivadanasilissa

Niccam Vaddhapacayino

Cattaro Dhamma Vaddhanti

Ayu Vanno Sukham Balam

He who reveres the elders constantly will be blessed with long life, beauty, happiness and strength.

While residing in a village monastery in a place, known as Dighalanghika, the Awakened One, recited the above stanza referring to Ayuvaddhanakumara. Two hermits lived together, preaching religious austerities for 48 (Forty eight) years. One left and got married. After a birth of a son, the couple went to the hermitage with their son, to pay obeisance to his friend Hermit.

The Hermit welcomed them warmly and “wished the couple a long life.” As the Hermit did not wish the child , they inquired why he did not wish the boy “Long Life”. The Hermit replied.

“This child will live only for another seven days. He will die. I do not know how to save him. I heard there is Buddha in town. Why don't you meet him and see whether the child can be saved”, stated the hermit.

The couple met Buddha. After meeting the Buddha, He advised the monks to recite “Pirith” to this child.

On the seventh day, Buddha himself visited the house. As Buddha was present many Devas too visited the place. The Evil spirit Avaruddhaka, who was targetting the child were not able to approach the child due to the power of chanting of the pirith. Thus the life of this child was saved.This child lived for one hundred and twenty years. One day when this fortunate individual visited to pay homage for Buddha, the monks questions from Buddha, the secret of his long life. Buddha answered – when you honour and respect elders and those who are wise and virtuous, they gain not only Longevity but also Beauty, Happiness and Strength.

Due to his longevity, this boy was later known as Ayuvaddhanakumara.


Essence of Buddhism

The Western term Buddhism became established in popular usage in the 1830s, to refer to the teachings of the Buddha. There is no direct equivalent for this term in Sanskrit or Pali.

Instead, indigenous sources use terms like “Dharma” (the Law), Buddha Dharma” (Buddhist doctrine), “Buddha sasana” (teachings of the Buddha) and “Buddhavacana” (the word of the Buddha). Buddha is not a personal name but an epithet of those who have achieved enlightenment (bodhi), the goal of the Buddhist religious life.

Buddha is derived from the Sanskrit root budh, which means to awaken. Doctrinally, the Buddhas are those who have attained Nirvana by destroying the defilements known as asravas. According to Theravada Buddhism, a Buddha is simply a human being who has undergone a profound spiritual transformation. In Mahayana thought by contrast, the concept of the Buddha developed in various ways, notably in the doctrine of the Buddha’s “three bodies” (trikaya).

True nature

In terms of this teaching the Buddha is seen a cosmic being who from time to time manifests in human form. An important function of a Buddha is to act as a teacher leading others to salvation by expounding the “Dharma” (Keown, 2003). The Buddhas are those who have awakened to the true nature of things as taught in the Four Noble Truths (cattari ariya sacca).

The First Noble Truth states that existence is suffering/ill/unsatisfactory/insecure/misary, sorrowful/painful/(dukka ariya sacca). The Second Noble Truth declares the cause of the First Noble Truth offering the answer to the question of suffering (dukka smaudaya ariya sacca). It enunciates that craving (tanha) is the cause of suffering (dukka). The Pali word tanha connotes the ideas of thirst, desire, craving, wanting for more and more, attachment and greed etc. The Third Noble Truth is the cessation of suffering (dukka nirodha ariya sacca). It advocates the complete annihilation of the cause of dukka so that the effects of dukka are not allowed to arise. In brief it offers a strategy to eliminate tanha from arising.

The Fourth Noble Truth is the greatest discovery of the Buddha and that is the way or the Noble Eightfold Path (ariya attangika magga) for overcoming the First Noble Truth, eliminating the Second Noble Truth and achieving the Third Noble Truth. The Noble Eightfold Path consists of Right Understanding (sammaditti), Right Taught (samma sankappa). Right Speech (sammavaca), Right Action (samma kammantha), Right Livelihood (samma ajeeva), Right Effort (samma vayayama), Right Mindfulness (samma sathi) and Right Concentration (samma samadhi).

Sense indulgence

The Noble Eightfold Path is commonly designated as the Middle Way (majjima patipada) as it avoids the extremes of sense indulgence and self mortification. It is the middle path and is the Gold Standard in Buddhism. While the First and the Second Noble Truths depict Samsara (the cycle of repeated births and deaths that individuals undergo until they attain Nirvana), the Third and the Fourth Noble Truths depict Nirvana (the summum bonum of Buddhism and the goal of the Noble Eightfold Path). The attainment of Nirvana marks the end of cyclic existence in samsara.

All component things are impermanent, sorrowful and soulless. If one realizes these truths through insight one becomes purified. All things are impermanent. It is natural for things to arise and pass away, all things disappear or vanish. If we can avoid this, and it is bliss (Anicca vatta sankhara, Uppada vaya Dhammino. Up-paj-jithva Nirudjanthi, Te san upa samo suko). In death announcements and funeral notices of Buddhists, Annica vatta Sankara (All things are impermanent) line is prominently displayed. This stanza is uttered by the Buddhist priests when the close relatives of the deceased take part in the water pouring ritual phase of the funeral rights.

In the Dhammapada Buddha Wagga there is a verse which in a nutshell defines the essence of Buddhist thaught:

The Giving up of all evil (sabba papassa akaranan)

The cultivation of the good (kualassa upasampada)

The cleansing of one’s mind (sachitta pariodapanan)

This is the Buddha’s teaching (etan buddanusasanan).

The Buddha has summarized the essence of His teaching when He declared “One thing only do I teach, Woe and how its end to reach” (Dukkhaanc’ eva pannapemi dukkahassa ca nirodhan) in the Majjima Nikaya.

The cornerstones of Buddhist morality for the laity is a set of moral rules called the Five Precepts (pancha sila). They are (1) not to kill or injure living creatures, (2) not to take what has not been given, (3) to avoid misconduct in sexual matters, (4) to abstain from false speech and (5) not to take intoxicants. For Monks and Nuns there are additional rules to follow (Pratimoksha Vinaya).

The Buddha rejected the concept of “I”. All material states are impermanent (anicca) and continually rising and vanishing with no rest at all, thus restless (dukka) and lacking any unchanging substance (anatta).

The impermanence (anicca), restlessness (dukka) and non ego entity (anatta) features are observed even in the mental phenomena. While the Buddha expounded the Noble Eightfold Path in His First sermon (Dammachakkapavattana Sutta), He delivered the second discourse the Anattalakkana Sutta (Discourse on Soullessness) almost immediately after the first discourse to the first five disciples. It was the theory of Anatta. According to Buddhism nothing exists on its own power in this world.

These are conditioned or conditional (hetu paccayas). Hence an entity cannot be called permanent and stable. The Buddha observed “Yad aniccam tam dukkham-Yam dukkham tad Annatam” (If something is impermanent, then it is suffering/dukka. If something is unsatisfactory then that is not Atta, soul, non-substantiality. The concept of linkage Anicca-dukka and anattama is a revolutionary one as against the concept of A;tma (Antarayamin) in the Upanishads.

Revolutio nary way

The Doctrine of Kamma and Rebirth is a principal tenet in Hinduism. But it is connected with the concept of self or a:tma in Hindu philosophy. The Buddha examined kamma and rebirth in a revolutionary way discarding the concept of soul (a;tma). The Buddha examined karma as a law of moral causation when He declared “Volition, O Monks I declare is kamma.

Having willed, man acts by deed, word or thought “The effect of kamma is called kamma-vipaka. According to Buddhism there is no life after death or life before death independent of karma or volitional actions. Karma is the corollary of rebirth; rebirth, on the other hand, is the corollary of karma (Piyadassi, 1987).

The Buddha expounded the law of Dependent Origination (Patichcha Samupade) to demonstrate the operation of the law of moral causality (kamma and vipaka). It also shows how the process of rebirth occurs and how it can be stopped.

To be continued


Largest Vesak lantern in the West

The opening ceremony of the largest Vesak lantern in the Western world rotating opposite directions with 24 sub lanterns with a 25 ft height and at the Sarathchandra Buddhist Centre situated in Los Angeles, California, USA. This lantern is made to celebrate the 2601 years of the Buddha’s achievements.

Assistant lighting engineer Indika Botheju, Sponsor Ruwan Kotuwella, Lantern creator Niroshan, Ancient Sri Lankan Carvings maker Suriya Kumara Jayalath, Guide Ven Yatirawana Sirinivasa Thera, Ven Panditha Ambalanthota Kolitha Thera, Hector Weerasinghe and Ajith Bentharage look on.

 

 


Meditation for daily life:

Marana Sati (Contemplation on Death) Part II

We will tell you a general method of practicing the Marana Sati. Memorise it and practise. Sit as for normal meditation, establish mindfulness and calm the mind and the body.

Thereafter think of your own life. Do not think of anything else. Now think “I do not know when my death will take place. I might take a false step, fall down and die. The food I eat might turn out to be poisonous and cause my death. The food might choke my throat and cause my death. Defects in the internal organs might cause death. Tumors and cancers can cause death. A thief or an enemy may kill me. Death can occur due to a snake bite. An attack by an animal can cause my death. A nonhuman being can cause my death. My death can occur from any cause like that. My death can take place before I inhale my next breath. If there is Raga, Dosa or Moha in my mind at the time of death it will not be a good thing. It is a big danger. If there is no Raga, Dosa or Moha at the time of death it will be good for me. It will be a big gain for me. Therefore I must live without this Raga, Dosa or Moha”

Think of death in that manner. practise it in the daytime evening and night. If he thinks of death in this manner his mind gets calmed down gradually. It becomes disciplined. The rigidity goes off. The mind gets controlled. Then he lives with a calm mind. The quality of attachment or conflict starts leaving the mind. Endeavour arises in his mind. He becomes a person living with energy. He will not like to commit sin. He likes merit. Marana Sati is something which provides a lot of benefit to an individual. It is a meditation which helps in the development of Samadhi. It also enables the development of Bojjhangas. It specially helps in strengthening the Viriya Sambojjhanga. Therefore think of studying Marana Sati well and practicing well.

If the individuals in a group living together practise the Marana Sati, that group can live very peacefully. One can remain with kindness and friendliness directed at others. Why? Because his mind is calm. If the mind is not calm it is not possible to generate kindness and friendliness towards another individual. When a mind is not calm one sees only the bad side of an individual. That is a characteristic of the mind.

Therefore we must follow procedures that make the mind calm. The mind cannot be disciplined by force. The mind gets disciplined only by following a procedure which causes the mind to get disciplined.

One who wishes to develop merit should use the generation of religious emotion in the mind as the entrance to it. If religious emotion arises in the mind, it is the place from which the door to Nibbana opens. The mind with religious emotion does not get attached. Does not conflict. Is not in a hurry. Does not get excited. Satipatthana gets established. Satipatthana can be established in the mind with religious emotion.

He is calm. One who lives with a mind subjected to religious emotion sees extensively the good qualities of others. Even a small virtue will be noticed. If there is a big bad quality or a big defect sympathy arises. His mind does not conflict due to that short coming. Why? The mind has come to the state of religious emotion after leaving out the conflicting nature. If the conflicting nature has left the mind merit based on sympathy will arise in that mind.

To induce religious emotion in the mind there should be an immense liking for it. For inducing emotion what helps one to a large extent is the contemplation of one’s death.

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