BINARA POYA

Initiating Bhikkhuni Order

Premasara EPASINGHE

The sister of Queen Mahamaya, the aunt of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, who was later the foster-mother of the Buddha was the first Bhiksuni-Buddhist Nun in Buddhism. On three occasions, the Blessed One, turned down her request. In her fourth attempt she was successful. It was Ven Ananda - the Secretary of the Blessed One - The "Dhammabandagarika" was the negotiator in her attempts.

Considering her appeals, Buddha gave the green light for the establishment of the Bhikkhuni Sasanaya or Bhikkuni Order, under Eight (8) strict disciplinary code of conduct called Garudamma.

They are as follows:

* (1) A Nun who has completed even 100 years of Higher Ordination should respectfully worship a Monk who received His Higher Ordination the very same day.

* (2) A Nun should not live in an area where there are no monks for her to receive advice.

* (3) A nun should receive doctrinal advice from monks once a fortnight.

* (4) A Nun who spent her Rainy Retreat (Vas season) should receive the appropriate completing Precepts and absolve herself before Nuns and Monks of the Order.

* (5) A Nun, who has transgressed a Precept (committed a fault) should own up and declare her error before the Monks and Nuns of the Order, and follow their advice to make up for it, for fourteen day (14) respectively, according to their orders.

* (6) Before receiving Higher Ordination, the Novice should observe the necessary six precepts well for two years, and receive Higher Ordination in the presence of the two-fold Sangha, namely, the Nuns and Monks with Higher Ordination.

* (7) On no account should a Nun scold or call out rough words with the idea of causing pain or insult to monks.

* (8) A Nun should respect the advice given by a Monk. On no account should she advice a Monk.

"Ananda, if Prajapati Gotami accepts, these Eightfold Noble Rules (Garudhamma) this will be her admission and Higher Ordination as well."

The above quote in from "The Enlightened Nuns of the Buddha Era" - written by the Sri Lankan Nun the Great Vajira Silmatha - BA (London) pious scholarly Nun - a Great writer, who contributed immensely for the uplift of Sri Lanka's Bhikkuni Sasanaya. We, Buddhists are indebted to her. Every Buddhist should read this book written after a lot of Research study. Gracious Silmatha, I humbly worship you.

The story of Great Enlightened Nun Maha Prajapathi Gotami - the Foremost Nun of the Order is like a Fairy Tale.

In her Samsaric Journey, about hundred Thousand Kalpas - Aeons - (A period of time so long that it cannot be measured), during the Buddha Padumuttara - she was born as the daughter of a Royal Minister. After Buddha Padumuttara's sermon, he elevated her foster mother to the rank of the Foremost Nun. While accompanying his Minister father, Gotami witnessed this event. Seeing this, she made a sincere earnest resolve "May I become the Foremost Nun for a Future Buddha."

During the Siddhartha Gauthama Buddha Era, Gotami was born as a charming, pretty princess in the city of Devadaha. Her father was Suprabuddha - King of Koliya clan. Her elder sister was Princess Mahamaya - mother of Gauthama Buddha. This baby princess who possessed auspicious birth marks was named Prajapati - leader of many.

As her elder sister Mahamaya died, Prajapati became the foster-mother to Buddha. Her own son - Nanda was also born during the same period and she fed both Prince Siddhartha and Prince Nanda.

There was a war later between the two Royal clans - Sakya-Koliya clans. Gautama Buddha, preached the parties the virtue of peace and the war ended. The war hero's 500 wives, under the leadership of Prajapati sought permission from Buddha to establish a Bhikkhuni Sasana. On the fourth attempt she was successful.

The Blessed One Gautama Buddha, gave Prajapati Gotami advise on Meditation. She followed it. As a result, she attained Noble Enlightenment, Three Higher Knowledges and six great psychic powers. Monk Nanda, delivered a special sermon for 500 nuns, titled Nandakovada Sermon, as directed by the Buddha. Hearing the news, many ladies reached the city of Visala to become nuns. Among them were Princes Yasodhara and Nanda.

On this significant moment, Gautama Buddha informed the August Assembly, that Prajapati Gothami achieved her wish after 100,000 "Kalpas" - aeons to gain the Rank of the Foremost nun. Many miracles occurred at that time.

After Gothami delivered the vote of thanks to the Buddha and Sangha, the Blessed one stated "Oh, Monks, the Mother of Buddha is worthy of respect. Let us go behind her." Prajapati Gothami paid her last honour and respect to Buddha. This was the only occasion in Buddha's life, when the Blessed one walked behind a person as the Mother of Buddha.

Then, Chief Nun Maha Prajapati Gotami followed the Four Meditations and rose up to the four Immaterial states.

They are as follows:

(a) Space (Akasanchcayatana) (b) Consciousness (Vinnanancayatana) (c) Nothingness (Akinnayatana) (d) Neither Percpetion nor Non-Perception (Nevasannanasannayatana). Then she arose to the fourth Meditative Absorption (Chatuttahadyana) and attained great bliss of Deathlessness - Nibbana.

The Mother of Buddhism Maha Prajapati Gotami passed away including the 500 nuns. She and nuns were accorded a great state funeral. Licchavi kings, princes erected five hundred pyres. This was the first occasion Gautama Buddha attended a funeral. The Blessed one followed the Funeral Procession along with Sariputta and Moggallana and Eighty (80) Chief Disciples. Royalty followed them. Up above people witnessed many miracles.

After the bodies were burnt completely, Prajapati Gotami's, few bones remained like tiny pearls. They were collected into the old bowl of her were presented to Buddha.

"Buddha stated "Oh Monks, strong huge tree fell, broken. While the Big branch broken and fell, main tree (order of nuns) remained. Monks, she was a role model for all women folk she was.

Oh monks! Realise the Impermanence of life. Strive hard. Meditate. Gain the seven factors of Enlightenment and attain your goal." The Licchavi kings received the Relics from the Buddha and erected a shrine in honour of her.

May the Triple Gem Bless You

Significance of Binara poya:

Mothering a sage

Sachitra Mahendra

The Buddha’s initial rejection for a Bhikkhuni Sasana is scoffed at by feminists from some quarters. They question if the woman cannot achieve the nibbana. This shows their lack of common sense as well as ignorance of teachings. The Buddha was only reluctant to install the bhikkhuni order, but he preached to women such as his mothers and wife: Maya, Pajapathi and Yasodhara.

Pajapathi had the support of 500 wives of princes. They all shaved their heads, wore yellow robes, and met monk Ananda. Only following monk Ananda’s continuous request did the Buddha accept the Bhikkhuni Sasana on a Binara Poya. Pajapathi became the first nun in the Buddhist order, but on eight conditions:

The monk shall be given priority in respect and deference over the nun.
The nun shall spend rain retreat away from the monks.
The nun shall seek consent from monks about Uposatha and teaching of Dhamma.

Upon violating a rule, the nun shall be punished before the community of both nuns and monks.

The nun shall confess any wrongdoing before the community of nuns and monks.
The nun shall be ordained before a gathering of nuns and monks.
The nun shall not treat a monk badly.
The nun shall not teach a monk.

Maha Pajapathi Gothami – the name goes on to mean that she would have a large retinue - played an instrumental role in the Buddha’s lay life, by bringing him up following Queen Maya’s death. She was Maya’s younger sister. Dandapani and Suppabuddha were her brothers. She had Nanda and Sundari Nanda from King Suddhodana, hence they became the Buddha’s step siblings.

The Buddha always stressed the fact the woman can always achieve nibbana being a laity. Women entering the monk establishment will lead to more complications. If the monk order has the life span of 10,000 years, the Buddha went on to say, it will go down to 5000 years when women join it.

He likened the Bhikkhuni participation as a house full of women being vulnerable for smugglers. It will disturb the peace of monk mind and make path for misuse, mostly.

Suddhodana’s death left no reason for Pajapathi to remain laity, since she was already a Sotapanna. She was looking out for a chance to approach the Buddha on initiating the nun order. The Blessed One visited Kapilavatthu to settle the row between Sakyans and Kolyans on obtaining water from River Rohini. The Buddha preached the Kalahavivada Sutta, and 500 princes became monks leaving their wives alone. Gothami had the support of these wives. The validity of Gothami’s ordination became an issue, because some nuns did not like to become nuns under her. The Buddha interfered and declared the validity of Gothami’s bhikkhuni status.

Gothami once made an elegant looking robe for the Buddha with a distinctive material. The Buddha refused to accept it alone and suggested it should be given to the whole order. Gothami was feeling down, but then she realised it was to her own benefit – to accrue more merits.

No more re-becoming

Andrew Olendzki translates a stanza from Theri Gatha which is uttered by Pajapathi Gotami. The stanza is reproduced along with the translator’s introduction.

The woman who is said to have composed this poem was Pajapati, the Buddha’s stepmother and a Queen of the Sakyas. Her younger sister was Maya, married to King Suddhodana only after Pajapati herself was unable to conceive an heir. Queen Maya died in childbirth, and it was Pajapati who raised Gotama as her own son. After his enlightenment, Pajapati also left the palace and became the first of the bhikkhunis, the order of nuns.

The third stanza suggests that her attainments included the recollection of past lives, by which she was able to verify empirically the truth of continual rebirth —the ‘flowing on’ (samsara) from one life to another. This process, as she mentions in her poem, is fueled by craving and by ‘not understanding’. In the second and fourth stanzas Pajapati declares her attainment of nibbana, of final and complete liberation in this very life.

It is remarkable to think that when Maya is remembered in the last stanza, the author has in mind not the icon of motherhood and sacrifice that Maya became in the Buddhist tradition, but a dearly-loved younger sister who died tragically young —without ever seeing what her son had become.

Buddha! Hero! Praise be to you!
You foremost among all beings!
You who have released me from pain,
And so many other beings too.
All suffering has been understood.
The source of craving has withered.
Cessation has been touched by me
On the noble eight-fold path.
I’ve been mother and son before;

And father, brother — grandmother too.
Not understanding what was real,

I flowed-on without finding [peace].

But now I’ve seen the Blessed One!
This is my last compounded form.
The on-flowing of birth has expired.
There’s no more re-becoming now.

The Buddha proved his gratitude by attending to Gothami when she was ill. He preached to her consolation. When it comes to discipline, however, the Buddha seems to have been stricter for the Bhikkhuni by making 311 rules for Bhikkhunis, whereas 227 for Bhikkhus.

Life and its purpose

M B Werapitiya

“...Nothing comes from nothing,
Nothing ever could.
But somewhere in my youth or childhood,
I must have done something good.”

The above words are taken from a song in the motion film, ‘The Sound of Music’ a musical extravaganza. The composer of the song has given credence to the Buddhist theory of cause and effect which in the realm of ethics is known as Kamma. Kamma means action and Vipaka its effect, result or return. An explanation of Kamma taken from ‘The Path to Purity’, a commentary on the teaching of the Buddha runs as follows -

“According to the seed that is sown,
So is the fruit you reap therefrom.
Doer of good will gather good,
Doer of evil, evil reaps.
Sown is the seed and planted well,
Thou shalt enjoy the fruit thereof.”

Kamma is a law in itself which operates in its own field without the intervention of any external agency. Taking as a fact that nothing comes from nothing, let us go into the origination of man and man’s purpose.

Christianity admitting the possibility of an ultimate origin attributes everything to the fiat of the Almighty God. Should that be the case, then man’s consciousness and life-force are endowments from the same source. It then follows that the whole of mankind should think alike, act alike, experience alike, grow alike, decay and die alike. However, the reality is that no two persons are identically alike physically and mentally, with each one working out one’s own destiny.

According to the science of physics nothing is created. Things arise out of causes and conditions. Consciousness and life-force being energies they cannot be created.

Matter, consciousness and life-force are the three distinct factors that go to constitute man. With their combination a powerful force known as man comes into being. He becomes his own creator or destroyer.

According to the Buddha’s ‘Law of Dependent/Origination’ ignorance (avijja) of the truth of sorrow, its cause, its ending and the path to its elimination is the chief cause that sets man’s wheel of life in motion. In other words it is not knowing of things as they truly are or of oneself as one realizes. It clouds real understanding.

Ignorance brings forth craving and grasping which bind one to existence. Craving and grasping lead to actions which generate kammic energy that conditions consciousness which becomes the re-linking consciousness for rebirth to take place. When mother and father get together at a time when it is the mother’s fertile period, and the being-to-be-born is present, then by the conjunction of these three factors, the germ of life is planted in the mother’s womb.

The being-to-be-born is the re-linking consciousness of a dying person. This re-linking consciousness has the entire history of its past.

According to science, man is absolutely parent-born. As such life precedes life. With regard to the first protoplasm of life scientists plead ignorance.

However, when a patient is hypnotized for diagnostic purposes it has been the experience of the hypnotist that the patient could speak of his previous births which when investigated into were found to be unbelievably accurate. That is proof that consciousness does not cease with death but continues to manifest itself.

To nullify the theory that chemical changes in the brain produce consciousness, philosopher David H Lund raises the question, “How can the brain a material substance produce something as radically different from it as consciousness? How can the brain create out of its own substance a reality that has no mass, no shape, no size and is not seen in space?”

Edgar Cayce the great American physicist who in a hypnotic trance gave thousands of readings to those who appeared before him or sent names and addresses spoke of Kamma as a debit and credit ledger of life that carries over from one life to the next and must be dealt with if the individual is to develop.

In one of Cayce’s readings he revealed that the identity was in the fair country of Alta or Poseida in that force that brought the highest civilization and knowledge that has been known in the earth’s plain.

This we find was about 10,000 BC when Ra Ta fled Atlantis to build new cultures in Egypt, Middle East etc. Cayce fixes Amilius’ reign in Atlantis to around 103,000 BC.

Materialists attribute everything to the natural order of things making them believe life’s purpose is to - “Eat, drink and be merry for death comes to all as an end to life. Virtue is a delusion and enjoyment is the only reality. Religion is a foolish abberation, a mental disease.

There is no need to control passion and instinct since they are nature’s legacy to man.” According to Buddhism, the chief cause that set man’s wheel of life in motion is ignorance. Hence ignorance has to be overcome with wisdom.

The path one has to follow is very clear, i.e. Developing mental discipline, concentration of mind, wisdom and intuition. What then takes place is that the mind is cleansed of all the defilements arising from greed, hatred and delusion awakens to see things in their true nature.

Ouspensky reminds us that instead of speculating about the purpose of life, if we simply look within ourselves, then we would see that in reality the meaning of life is not after all so obscure but it consists in knowledge.

What have the scientists to offer? Their view is expressed thus -
“Has life a purpose? What or where or when?
Out of space came universe, came sun,
Came earth, came life, came man and more must come,
But as to purpose, whose or whence? Why? None.”

The Bodhisattva (Buddha-to-be) summoning all his courage, will and determination at his command sat under the Bo tree at Gaya, never to rise therefrom until he discovered the cause of sorrow and its elimination.

His approach was through meditation which brings about self-discipline, self-control, self-purification and self-enlightenment. Thus developing wisdom and insight he flushed the defilements of his mind arising from craving, hatred and delusion.

Then the kammic energy that flowed for one, runs its course to a finish, ending re-birth producing consciousness. His search was complete knowing that re-birth it is that causes sorrow, grief and lamentation. The rapture he experienced made him say, “Of things unheard before there arose in me the vision, the knowledge, the wisdom, the insight and the light.” Reaching that unconditioned state of mind he became an Awakened Buddha. The Buddha’s ministry lasted forty five years. His teaching which brought an intellectual awakening is based on self-experience and is open for verification. Those who followed His Eightfold Path of right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration reached their goal of Nibbana as Arahants.

Planes of existence, a Buddhist perspective

Dr Senerath Tennakoon

We live in an age in which science enjoys remarkable success. We have mapped out a grand scheme of how the physical universe works on scales from quirks to galactic clusters, and of the living world from the molecular machinery of cells to the biosphere. But there are limits to science, knowledge and understanding.

Perhaps the most fundamental limitation on knowledge is the cosmic horizon beyond which we will never see as nothing can travel faster than light (Brooks, 2011). Buddhism inherited much of its traditional cosmology from common Indian lore, and in certain basic respects is consistent with the concepts of modern science particularly in conceiving the universe to be vastly greater in space and time that it was envisaged to be in the West.

The world “lo:ka” includes the whole cosmos which is believed to be infinite in space and time passing through immense cycles of evolution and decline. But within it are smaller.... units known as world systems (lokadhatu/chakravala) which correspond roughly to solar systems. Such a unit consists of the sun and the moon, Mt Meru, four continents, four oceans, the four great Kings (chaturmaharaja/lokapala), and the seven fold heavenly spheres.

One thousand of these small units form a small world system, and the medium and the large systems are each one thousand times greater than the one below. These larger world systems correspond roughly to the modern concept of a galaxy.

(Keown, 2003)

According to Abhidhamma there are thirty one planes of existence which constitute the samsa:ra (the cycle of repeated birth and death that individuals undergo until they attain nirvana). This cycle is like the universe, has no beginning and individuals transmigrate from one existence to the next in accordance to their karma or moral conduct/volition. These thirty one planes have been classified under three main spheres namely:

The main sphere of sense desire (kamaloka) which has eleven planes of existence. These are the four planes of misery (hell or niraya, demons or asurayoni, those with deformed bodies in perpetual hunger and thirst names peta yoni and the plane of animals or tiracchana yoni respectively).

Beings are born into these planes because of their previous unwholesome karma and while they suffer in these planes they are unable to generate wholesome karma but when the effects of their bad kamma extinguish if they have some good kamma in storage they may be born in another plane of existence.

The human plane (manussa loka). Human beings are born into this plane as a result of their previous wholesome karmic action. Here they can shape out their destiny with conscious wholesome kammic action through thought, word and actions.

There are six heavenly planes. These are the planes of the deities of the four quarters (caturmaharajika), realm of the 33 devas (tavtimsa), yama, realm of delight (tusitha), deities enjoying their creations (nimmanarati) and deities who control the creation of others (paranimmita-vasa-vati).

Birth into these planes is also a result of ones previous wholesome kamma. These deities enjoy aesthetic pleasure, longivity, they are pretty and have unusual powers.

The second main sphere of existence is the fine- material sphere (rupa loka). There are altogether sixteen such planes of existence. Only those beings that have been attaining jha:nas (higher knowledge of understanding the Dhamma through yonisomanasikara thoughts thus getting rid of defilements) are born into this sphere. Their bodies are fine and there are sixteen planes of existence depending upon the level of jhana attained. Those who have reached the first jhana are born in one of the three realms-realm of Brahama’s retinue (brahma purisajja), realm of Brahma’s ministers (brahma purohita) or

realm of great Brahma (maha brahma) respectively.

Those who have reached the second jhana state are born into the plane of minor lusture (paeittabha), realm of infinite lusture (appamanabha) or into the realm of radiant lusture (abhassara) respectively. As a result of attaining the third jhana one could be born into the realm of minor aura (partita suba), realm of infinite aura (appamana subha) or the realm of steady/persistent aura (subha kinha) respectively. There are two realms namely realm of great reward (velapphala) and the realm of mindless beings (asannasatta) allocated for those who have attained the fourth jhana state. Those who have attained the non returning stage (anagamiphala) there are five abodes. These are the durable realm (aviha brahma), the serene realm (atappa brahma), the beautiful realm (suddhassa brahma), the clear sighted realm (suddasi brahma) and the highest realm (akanita brahma) respectively.

These five realms are collectively termed Pure Abodes (sudda vasa) are accessible to those who have done away with the five fetters – self view, skeptical doubt, clinging to rites and ceremonies, sensual pleasure and ill-will. While they remain in these abodes they can do away with the remaining five fetters namely craving for fine material existence, conceit, restlessness and ignorance. The non returnees in these abodes attain nibbana in due course.

Buddhism has no concept of heaven as an eternal realm, but it recognizes a hierarchy of spiritual levels above and beyond this world into which one may be reborn as a god (deva). There are 26 such heavenly worlds. But these heavens are impermanent states and in due course one will be reborn in a lower realm when the good karma which caused the heavenly birth runs out. The ultimate goal of Buddhism is not heaven but nirvana (Keown, 2003).

The third main sphere is the immaterial formless sphere (aru:pa lo:ka). There are four planes of existence in this main sphere.

These are the sphere of infinity of space (a:ka:sanayatana), the sphere of infinity of consciousness (vinnanancayatana), the sphere of nothingness (akinicanna:ya:tana) and the sphere neither perception or non perception (neva sanna-nasannayatana).

It has been stated that the Buddha could see these world systems because of His unlimited power of clairvoyance. His disciple Anuruddha exhibited limited powers of clairvoyance. (Jayatilleke, 1971).

New Buddhist Website launched in Colombo

The German Dharmaduta Society commemorated the 60th Anniversary of its founding on September 21, 1952 by Asoka Weeraratna with a Sanghika Dana offered to 60 Buddhist monks today ( Sept. 23 ) at the B.H. William Hall, All Ceylon Buddhist Congress, 380 Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 07.

The Dana was preceded by a procession comprising both monks and laity walking in single file from the Athula Dassanarama Temple in Bauddhaloka Mawatha to the ACBC premises.

The highlight of the commemorative event was the launch of a new website dedicated to Asoka Weeraratna, the founder of the German Dharmaduta Society and the screening of a Video Documentary on the history and evolution of the Society and its incessant contribution to the spread of Buddhism in Germany and other western countries.

Ven. Waskaduwe Mahindawansa Nayake Thero, Ven.Godauda Ariyadhamma Thera and a senior monk of the Athula Dassanarama Temple delivered Buddhist sermons. D. Ananda de Silva, Assistant Secretary of the German Dharmaduta Society compered the day’s proceedings. A full report of the proceedings will be filed later. The new website was designed and developed by a young soft ware engineer named Iresha Weerasinghe.

The address of the new website is:

http://asokaweeraratna.org/
German Dharmaduta Society