#sangha

NIBBANA IN THERAVADA BUDDHISM - 01

Introduction

Gautama Buddha is described as a Samma Sambuddha meaning the ‘Perfectly Enlightened One’, samma = perfectly; sam = by himself without a teacher; buddha = Enlightened or Awakened One, by realisation of the four Noble Truths. In his very first sermon titled “Dhamma cakkappavattana Sutta” or “Turning the Wheel of the Truth” delivered to the five ascetic companions at the deer park at Isipathana (now called Sarnath) near Varanasi in India, the Buddha expounded on the four Noble Truths and the Noble Eight-fold Path (ariya atthangika magga) also known as the Middle Way (majjhima patipada).

The four Noble Truths

1. Truth of universal suffering (dukkha sacca)

2. Truth of the origin of suffering (samudaya sacca)

3. Truth of the cessation of suffering (nirodha sacca)

4. Truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering (magga sacca)

The first Noble Truth is the fact that all forms of existence are subject to unavoidable and inevitable suffering, both physical and mental, due mainly to the following:

Birth

Ageing

Illness

Death

Sorrow, lamentation, grief, pain and despair

Association with what one dislikes

Separation from what one likes

Not getting what one desires

The Buddha then summarised all suffering by stating concisely that it is our clinging to the five aggregates that constitutes suffering. The five aggregates of clinging are material form (rupa), feeling (vedana), perception (sanna), mental formation (sankhara) and consciousness (vinnana) which, according to the Buddha, are the constituent parts of the psycho-physical unit of name and matter (nama-rupa) that is known as an individual, a person or a personality.

The second Noble Truth is the cause of suffering which is craving or tanha. Gautama Buddha, during His first sermon, described three types of craving:

Craving for sense pleasures (kama tanha)

Craving for becoming or existence (bhava tanha)

Craving for non-becoming or non-existence (vibhava tanha)

The third Noble Truth is the cessation of suffering by attaining Nibbana through total abandonment and elimination of all forms of craving (tanha) - Attaining Nibbana.

PRAISE TO BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI

O Blessed One, Shakyamuni Buddha,

Precious treasury of compassion,

Bestower of supreme inner peace,

You, who love all beings without exception,

Are the source of happiness and goodness;

And you guide us to the liberating path.

Your body is a wishfulfilling jewel,

Your speech is supreme, purifying nectar

And your mind is refuge for all living beings.

With folded hands I turn to you,

Supreme unchanging friend,

I request from the depths of my heart:

Please give me the light of your wisdom

To dispel the darkness of my mind

And to heal my mental continuum.

Please nourish me with your goodness,

That I in turn may nourish all beings

With an unceasing banquet of delight.

Through your compassionate intention,

Your blessings and virtuous deeds,

And my strong wish to rely upon you,

May all suffering quickly cease

And all happiness and joy be fulfilled;

And may holy Dharma flourish for evermore.

How to Solve our Human Problems

There is no end, because

every end will be death.

And life knows no death; it goes on and on and on.

So this is simply a preparation

it is always a preparation for a new journey.

You can have a little rest, but remember

It is just an overnight stay in a caravanserai.

In the morning we have to go, so rest well, be ready.

As the sun rises, our journey starts again.

Life is from eternity to eternity"

“ These five are a person of integrity’s gifts. Which five? A person of integrity gives a gift with a sense of conviction. A person of integrity gives a gift attentively. A person of integrity gives a gift in season. A person of integrity gives a gift with an empathetic heart. A person of integrity gives a gift without adversely affecting himself or others.

"Having given a gift with a sense of conviction, he — wherever the result of that gift ripens — is rich, with much wealth, with many possessions. And he is well-built, handsome, extremely inspiring, endowed with a lotus-like complexion.

"Having given a gift attentively, he — wherever the result of that gift ripens — is rich, with much wealth, with many possessions. And his children, wives, slaves, servants, and workers listen carefully to him, lend him their ears, and serve him with understanding hearts.

"Having given a gift in season, he — wherever the result of that gift ripens — is rich, with much wealth, with many possessions. And his goals are fulfilled in season.

"Having given a gift with an empathetic heart, he — wherever the result of that gift ripens — is rich, with much wealth, with many possessions. And his mind inclines to the enjoyment of the five strings of lavish sensuality.

"Having given a gift without adversely affecting himself or others, he — wherever the result of that gift ripens — is rich, with much wealth, with many possessions. And not from anywhere does destruction come to his property — whether from fire, from water, from kings, from thieves, or from hateful heirs.

"These five are a person of integrity’s gifts.” “ ( AN 5.148, Sappurisadana Sutta: A Person of Integrity’s Gifts )

“Generosity brings happiness at every stage of its expression. We experience joy in forming the intention to be generous. We experience joy in the actual act of giving something. And we experience joy in remembering the fact that we have given.” ☸

“Should a person do good, let him do it again and again. Let him find pleasure therein, for blissful is the accumulation of good.” -

Again the guru said: Beings with inferior karma aim at the grandeur and vanity of this world and act with no thought of karmic ripening.

Future misery will endure much longer than that of the present, so feel motherly love and compassion for the beings of the three realms.

Keep constant company with the awakened mind of bodhichitta.

Forsake the ten nonvirtues and adopt the ten virtues.

Don’t regard any sentient being as your enemy: to do so is only your mind’s delusion. Don’t seek food and drink through lies and deceit. Though your belly will be full in this life, it will weigh heavy in the following.

Don’t get involved in business and making profits: in general, it is distracting for both yourself and others.

Attach no importance to wealth, because it is the enemy of meditation and Dharma practice.

Dwelling only on food is a cause of distraction: keep your meditation provisions sufficient merely to sustain yourself.

Don’t live in villages or areas which promote attachment and aversion. When your body is in seclusion your mind will be also.

Give up idle gossip and speak less. If you hurt another’s feelings, both of you create negative karma.

In general, all sentient beings without exception have been your parents, so don’t allow yourself to feel attached or hostile. Maintain a peaceful frame of mind.

Give up angry and harsh words; instead speak with a smiling face.

Your parents’ kindness cannot be repaid even if you sacrifice your life, so be respectful in thought, word, and deed.

Virtue and evil both come from perceived objects and companions, so don’t keep company with evildoers.

Don’t remain in a place where people are hostile towards you and which futhers anger and desire. If you do, it only increases disturbing emotions in yourself and others.

Stay where your state of mind is at ease and your Dharma practice will automatically progress. To remain in places of extreme attachment and aversion is only distracting. Stay where your Dharma practice develops.

If you become conceited, your virtues diminish, so give up being arrogant and haughty. If you become disappointed and disheartened, console yourself and be your own counsel. Re-embark on the path.

Padmasambhava - Advice From the Lotus Born

Precious Dakini,

When you understand the faults of samsara, there is no teacher to seek apart from that. When you have taken impermanence to heart, there is no encouragement to depend upon apart from that. When you realize all that appears and exists to be your mind, there is no path of enlightenment apart from that.⁠

When you have firm devotion to your master, there is no buddha to find apart from that. When you delight all sentient beings, there are no Three Jewels to worship apart from that. When you cut the basis and root of thought, there is no innate nature to meditate upon apart from that. When samsaric existence is freed in itself, there is no awakened state to accomplish apart from that. Once you realize this, samsara and nirvana are not two.⁠

- Advice from the Lotus-Born Padmasambhava to the Dakini Yeshe Tsogyal

“ The native spirit Āḷavaka: “I will ask you a question, ascetic. If you don’t answer me, I’ll drive you insane, or explode your heart, or grab you by the feet and throw you to the far shore of the Ganges!”

Buddha: “I don’t see anyone in this world with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans who could do that to me. But anyway, ask what you wish.”

“What’s a person’s best wealth?

What brings happiness when practiced well?

What’s the sweetest taste of all?

The one who they say has the best life: how do they live?”

“Faith here is a person’s best wealth.

The teaching brings happiness when practiced well.

Truth is the sweetest taste of all.

The one who they say has the best life lives by wisdom.”

“How do you cross the flood?

How do you cross the deluge?

How do you get over suffering?

How do you get purified?”

“By faith you cross the flood,

and by diligence the deluge.

By energy you get past suffering,

and you’re purified by wisdom.”

“How do you get wisdom?

How do you earn wealth?

How do you get a good reputation?

How do you hold on to friends?

How do the departed not grieve

when passing from this world to the next?”

"One who is diligent and discerning

gains wisdom by wanting to learn,

having faith in the perfected ones,

and the teaching for becoming extinguished.

Being responsible, acting appropriately,

and working hard you earn wealth.

Truthfulness wins you a good reputation.

You hold on to friends by giving.

That’s how the departed do not grieve

when passing from this world to the next.

A faithful householder

who has these four qualities

does not grieve after passing away:

truth, principle, steadfastness, and generosity.

Go ahead, ask others as well,

there are many ascetics and brahmins.

See whether anything better is found

than truth, self-control, generosity, and patience.”

“Why now would I question

the many ascetics and brahmins?

Today I understand

what’s good for the next life.

It was truly for my benefit

that the Buddha came to stay at Āḷavī.

Today I understand

where a gift is very fruitful.

I myself will journey village to village, town to town, paying homage to the Buddha, and the natural excellence of the teaching!”

“ At Sāvatthī.

There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!”

“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“Once upon a time, mendicants, a battle was fought between the gods and the demons. Then Sakka, lord of gods, addressed the gods of the Thirty-Three:

‘Good sirs, when the gods are fighting, if you get scared or terrified, just look up at my banner’s crest. Then your fear and terror will go away.

If you can’t see my banner’s crest, then look up at the banner’s crest of Pajāpati, king of gods. Then your fear and terror will go away.

If you can’t see his banner’s crest, then look up at the banner’s crest of Varuṇa, king of gods. Then your fear and terror will go away.

If you can’t see his banner’s crest, then look up at the banner’s crest of Īsāna, king of gods. Then your fear and terror will go away.’

However, when they look up at those banner’s crests their fear and terror might go away or it might not.

Why is that? Because Sakka is not free of greed, hate, and delusion. He is fearful, scared, nervous, quick to flee.

But, mendicants, I say this: If you’ve gone to a wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut and you get scared or terrified, just recollect me: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those who wish to train, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’ Then your fear and terror will go away.

If you can’t recollect me, then recollect the teaching: ‘The teaching is well explained by the Buddha—visible in this very life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.’ Then your fear and terror will go away.

If you can’t recollect the teaching, then recollect the Sangha: ‘The Sangha of the Buddha’s disciples is practicing the way that’s good, direct, methodical, and proper. It consists of the four pairs, the eight individuals. This is the Sangha of the Buddha’s disciples that is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of greeting with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world.’ Then your fear and terror will go away.

Why is that? Because the realized One brave, bold, and stands his ground.”

That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy

One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“In the wilderness, at a tree’s root,

or an empty hut, O mendicants,

recollect the Buddha, and no fear will come to you. If you can’t recollect the Buddha

the eldest in the world, the bull of a man

then recollect the teaching, emancipating, well taught.

If you can’t recollect the teaching,

emancipating, well taught then recollect the Sangha, the supreme field of merit.

Thus recollecting the Buddha, the teaching, and the Sangha, mendicants, fear and terror

and goosebumps will be no more.”“

If we have the wish to liberate ourself from the sufferings of future lives, we will definitely use our present human life for the freedom and happiness of our countless future lives. There is no greater meaning than this.

Sakyamuni Buddha

To bless with the nature of arising awakening mind .

“ So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Then King Pasenadi of Kosala went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha, “Does Master Gotama claim to have awakened to the supreme perfect awakening?”

“If anyone should rightly be said to have awakened to the supreme perfect awakening, it’s me. For, great king, I have awakened to the supreme perfect awakening.”

“Well, there are those ascetics and brahmins who lead an order and a community, and teach a community. They’re well-known and famous religious founders, regarded as holy by many people. That is, Pūraṇa Kassapa, Makkhali Gosāla, Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta, Sañjaya Belaṭṭhiputta, Pakudha Kaccāyana, and Ajita Kesakambala. I also asked them whether they claimed to have awakened to the supreme perfect awakening, but they made no such claim. So why do you, given that you’re so young in age and newly gone forth?”

“Great king, these four things should not be looked down upon or disparaged because they are young. What four? An aristocrat, a snake, a fire, and a mendicant. These four things should not be looked down upon or disparaged because they are young.”

That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“A man should not despise

an aristocrat of impeccable lineage,

high-born and famous,

just because they’re young.

For it’s possible that that lord of men,

as aristocrat, will gain the throne.

And in his anger he’ll execute a royal punishment,

and have you violently beaten.

Hence you should avoid him

for the sake of your own life.

Whether in village or wilderness,

wherever a serpent is seen,

a man should not look down on it

or despise it for its youth.

With its rainbow of colors,

the snake of fiery breath glides along.

It lashes out and bites the fool,

both men and women alike.

Hence you should avoid it

for the sake of your own life.

A fire devours a huge amount

a conflagration with a blackened trail.

A man should not look down on it

just because it’s young.

For once it gets fuel

it’ll become a huge conflagration.

It’ll lash out and burn the fool,

both men and women alike.

Hence you should avoid it

for the sake of your own life.

When a forest is burned by fire,

a conflagration with a blackened trail,

the shoots will spring up there again,

with the passing of the days and nights.

But if a mendicant endowed with ethics

burns you with their power,

you’ll have no sons or cattle,

nor will your heirs find wealth.

Childless and heirless you become,

like a palm-tree stump.

That’s why an astute person,

seeing what’s good for themselves,

would always treat these properly:

a snake, a conflagration,

a famous aristocrat,

and a mendicant endowed with ethics.”

When this was said, King Pasenadi of Kosala

said to the Buddha, “Excellent, sir! Excellent!

As if he were righting the overturned, or

revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path

to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so

people with good eyes can see what’s there,

the Buddha has made the teaching clear in

many ways.

I go for refuge to the Buddha, to

the teaching, and to the mendicant Sangha.

From this day forth, may the Buddha

remember me as a lay follower who has gone

for refuge for life.