[Buddhist spectrum]

Happiness can be grown

Dr Senarath Tennakoon

Punya/punna means merit or meritorious action or virtue. Sometimes it is used to refer to the results or the potential results of good volition (karma). Punya is necessary to overcome defilements (klesha), and knowledge or awareness (jnana) to overcome ignorance (avidya). A field of merit (punya-ksetra/punnakhetta) is an individual or a group that is a worthy recipient of a gift. After a Buddha, the greatest field of merit is said to be the monastic order (Sanga) and gifts or donations made to monks are believed to produce greater merit than gifts to other recipients.

According to Mahayana teachings a being needs to accumulate sufficient stores of merit and awareness to progress along the path (Kewon, 2003). There are several noble observations of the Buddha on merit. One who performs deeds of merit is happy in this world as well as in the next world. One should not think small of the effects of merit. When the merit doer, goes to the next world the results of his merits receive him as a dear kinsman who has returned from afar (Siri Seevali, 1958).

The Buddha has very clearly considered the brevity and vicissitudes of human life and advised all to do good and live a pure life for none who is born can escape death (Nanaponika & Bodhi, 2007).

The ten meritorious deeds are 1. Charity or Generosity (dana) is a key Buddhist virtue and a source of great merit (punya) which is instrumental in overcoming selfishness and sensual attachment.

Through the practice of dana the defilements such as greed, hate and delusion are eradicated. These defilements obstruct the path that leads to liberation from samsara. As indicated in the Dhammapada generosity leads to happiness in the present life and the next of the donor. In Theravadian context, dana refers to the giving of alms by the lay people to the monks, while in Mahayana it refers to the Perfection of Generosity (dana-paramita).

Happiness and strength

The Buddha explained to the noble woman disciple Suppavasa that the benefits of giving food are long life, beauty, happiness and strength (Nanaponika & Bodhi 2007). The motive of the donor should be to clean the mind from greed and selfishness and not with expectation for benefits or to enjoy the effects of donations in the next birth. The recipients are the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha in the case of Buddhists. Those who are in need of donations such as the beggars, the poor and the destitute too are among the other recipients. Dana can be offered even to animals but the merit reward is less than that offered to a poor human being. The merit acquired by a poor person sharing his food with another poor person is more than a rich person giving away packets of food to the poor in a ceremonial manner.

Virtue of Morality (sila) is guided behaviour and virtue through right conduct, right speech and right livelihood. Codes of conduct have been prescribed to the followers of the Buddha, as for the Bhikkus (Bhikku Sila), Bhikkhunis (Bhikkuni Sila), Novices (Samanara Sila) and householders (Gahatta Sila). The lay people are expected to take the three refuges and observe the five precepts or ajiva attangika sila (niyata sila) always and extend it to eight or ten precepts on full moon days or any other convenient day. These precepts are not commandments and they are not enforced by any religious authority as the Buddhists on their own accord prescribe to follow these when for instance they venerate the triple gem and observe religious practices.

The Silas are derived from the conduct of the Buddha, and are essentially a condensation of the moral behaviour of the enlightened (Keown, 2003). In Mahayana Buddhism it is the second of the perfections.

Practical attention

Medition/Mental Culture/Cultivation (bhavana) refers to mental culture or mental development.

It is essentially any type of meditational practice involving continuous attention by the mind to any suitable object. Meditation aims at producing a state of perfect mental health, equilibrium and tranquility (Rahula, 1959). Contemplating on either the forty exercises for attainment of mental tranquility (samatha) or the three salient marks of tilakkana – impermanence, misery and absence of substantial entity (vipassana).

There are other forms of meditation like anapanasati (mindfulness of the breath) asubainusati (meditational practice on the ten stages of decay which a corpse passes through), Buddhanusati (meditation on the salient qualities of the Buddha) and marananssati (mindfulness of death).

There are two types of meditation in Buddhism calming meditation (samantha) and insight meditation (vipassana).

The Digha-Nikaya states fourfold blessings of developing samadhi bhavana vizpresent happiness through the four absorptions knowledge and vision (gnana-dassana) – probably identical with the Divine Eye (abhinna) – through perception of light mindfulness and clear conception through perception and thoughts and extinction of all cankers (asavakkhaya) through the understanding of the arising and passing away of the five groups forming the objects of clinging (skandha). Concentration (samadhi) is one of the seven factors of enlightenment (bojjhanga) and one of the five spiritual faculties and powers (bala), and the last link of the Noble Eightfold Path (Pemaloka, 2002).

Reverence (apacayana) is paying the due respect and reverence to the Buddha, Dhamma and the Sangha (triratna), the parents teachers and others who are respectable and virtuous individuals. The Maha Mangala Sutta declares this reverence and respect those who should be respected (puja ca pujatya nan). In the Dhammapada the thousands section (sahassa vagga) verse number ten states thus

Abhivadana silassa-niccan vajjapachino chattaro dhamman vaddanthi ayu vanna sukan balan, which means that those who always respect the virtuous and minister the elders will develop four states – longevity, beauty, bliss and power. (Siri Seevali 1958).

Social institutions

Service (veyyacca) is offering help or assistance to those who are virtuous and worthy of being looked after and helped as well as offering service to social institutions and to those in distress. Even keeping the house, school, temple and any other institution clean and tidy comes under this area of service.

Usually the female devotees use to sweep the temple grounds whenever it deems necessary and generally the young Buddhist monks sweep the temple premises in the mornings every day. Serving the aged, the sick and the weak is a great service.

How the Buddha served the sick monk Putigattatissa whose body was covered with putrid smelling boils is quite exemplary to all human beings. The Buddha personally attended Tissa while other monks followed suit. In Sri Lanka there are several voluntary organizations dedicated to the service of distressed and poverty stricken human groups. Funeral Assistance Societies are observed in almost all the villages in Sri Lanka.

Transference of merit (pattidana) is the practice of requesting another to share the benefits of merit deeds performed by one by another.

The Buddhists often take part in performing meritorious deeds in the name of their dead relations or in the name of their sick relatives. Some donate lands, buildings and many costly religious equipment to the Buddhist temples. Most common is the offering of alms to the Sanga. When one of our relatives passes away we offer alms to the Sanga at prescribed intervals of time. There are several holy stanzas in Pali that are recited while offerings are made of a religious nature which indicate the transference of merit to others for instance to the dead relatives and the gods (devas) and to all beings including the devas. Viz

Idan ho gnatinan hotu-sukita honthu gnatayo
Yata varivahapura-paripurinetu sagaran-evameva itodinnan-petanan upakappatu.
Uttama udakan vattayanyata ninan pavattati

Evameva itofinnan petanan upakappatu which means that let our relatives receive this merit and become well. Like the full rivers fill the ocean let the merit offered from this world be received by those in the other world. Like the rain water flowing from a high elevation downwards, let the merit from this world reach those in the other world.

Usually at the end of a sermon by a Buddhist monk the following Pali stanza is recited.

Akasattacha bhummatta – devanaga mahidika

Punnatan anumodittva chiran rakkantu loka sasanan which means let the devas and nagas with great magical powers dwelling in the sky and earth, share the merits and protect the world and the doctrine (sasana).

Offering alms

Rejoicing over other's merits (pattanimodana) is sharing the merits of others with a sense of humane delight. It is said in the Buddhist texts that a woman who rejoiced when Purvarama was offered to the Buddha by Visaka, this poor woman too acquired merit equal to that of Visaka. Apart from the active participants in a religious function such as offering alms to the Sanga there are others who are passive participants who join hands with the active participants.

They take part in the proceedings and join in listening to the sermon by the Buddhist monk and derive the merit through mere participation. When some one rejoices at the good deeds done by his friend one gets the merit of pattanumodana.

Listening to the Dhamma (Dhamma Savana) is the practice of listening to the Dhamma preached by a learned person (usually a learned Buddhist monk) by the devotees with sustained interest and devotion and with pure minds. The aim or the object of listening is to improve and strengthen their morality (sila), concentration (samadhi) and insight (panna) Patience, obedience, seeing the Samanas (holy ones) and taking part in religious discussions at proper times have been mentioned as highest blessings in the Mangala Sutta.

Preaching the Dhamma (dhamma desana) is regarded as a meritorious deed if the act is performed with a pure thought without breeding the intention of receiving financial or other benefits. Ill thoughts about fame, position, honour, praise and money should not mire the mind of the preacher.

Dhamma is preached through compassion to the listeners with a pure mind. The Dhamma is the supreme out of all virtues or gifts. (sabbe danan dhamma danna jinati).

Forming correct views (ditthijju kamma) involves the right understanding and confidence of the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path the three ratana and Nibbana leaving out wrong views and the ten erroneous opinions (miccaditti).

The ten virtuous deeds are directed at eliminating the vices or defilements (klesha) like greed (raga), hatred (dvesha) and delusion (moha) ignorance (avijja), arrogance (mana, doubt (vicikicca) and and false views (ditti) inherent in the human mind.

The mother who gifted a noble teacher

The full moon on this Vesak Day, so serene
Shone brightly, casting its mellowed golden beams.
Over the sylvan garden at Lumbini
The ideal place for solace and peace.
To the melodious songs of birds and dancing trees
The fragrance of flowers scenting the breeze
Beautiful Mahamaya Devi King
Suddodhana's queen
With her retinue rested here, enjoying peace.
This day we should revereredly remember
Mahamaya Devi the Queen Mother
To whom a prince was born, named Siddhartha
Who enunciated the Eightfold Path to attain
Nibbana.
His knowledge of life was boundlessly vast
None could equal nor ever surpass
Ending suffering in Sansara, He found at last
And attained Buddhahood and showed us the path
Let us on this eventful day, remember
With gratitude and bow in prayer
To that Mother who gifted a noble teacher
To the world, He preached the Dhamma.
As done in our homes, worship and adore
Our mothers who bore hardships untold,
Let us say every morn the same prayer
Worship Mother Mahamaya Devi as
a living mother.

‘Dassa mase urekathwa,
Posethi uddhi karanan
Ayu deegan vassa sathan
Mathu padan nama mahan’

G A D Sirimal

In praise of motherhood…

Madduma Bandara Navarathne

Two books authored by Ven Dr Bokanoruwe Devananda Thera in English and Sinhala: ‘My Life is My Mother’ and ‘Mage Diviya Obai Amme’ were launched recently at the Samaloka International Buddhist Centre. Ven Devananda Thera has also composed lyrics for a CD. The books and the CD were launched at the Mahaweli Centre.

Attanayaka M Herath from Peradeniya University delivered a speech on the significance of these books and the CD with reference to the modern world. A souvenir had also been compiled in this regard, which includes messages from Mahanayakas and eminent Buddhist scholars.

In his message, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has appreciated Ven Devananda Thera’s contributions to the literary arena. Cultural Affairs Minister T B Ekanayake states the Ven Devananda had taken pains to portray the value of motherhood, with extensive quotes from Buddhist scripture. The venerable scholar, adds Minister Ekanayake, encourages the young generation to love, respect and look after parents, mother in particular. Ven Devananda Thera’s CD is an innovative artistic contribution to the society. Senior singers such as Amarasiri Peiries, Navarathne Gamage and Amita Wedisingha have breathed life to Ven Devananda’s valuable lyrics. Music direction is by Navaratne Gamage.

Ven Dr Bokanoruwe Devananda Thera now resides in Florida, USA. He was the Dharma Nikethana Pirivena Principal earlier. A humble and an active Buddhist monk, Ven Devananda Thera is not fond of publicity. But he deserves publicity. This short note, therefore, is written to suit that purpose.