The Enlightenment Sutra by Kwan Inn Teng Foundation (complete) (FD19072020-4)
The Enlightenment Sutra
Translated into Chinese from Sanskrit by Lokottama
Translated into English from chinese version with Annotations by
Dr.Liao Tet Cheng
page 1 to 24
all is mandarin words
page 25
The Enlightenment Sutra
with Annotations.
This sutra or scripture has been dedicated to laymen by our Master Gotama Buddha before his attainment of nirvana. As a matter of fact, it is a resume of his fundamental doctrine preached during his life time. So it may be considered as his last will.It has the same character as the sutra of forty-two sections and the sutra of buddha's bequethed teaching which the Buddha has particularly consecrated to monks.
The written form of the Enlightenment Sutra differs somewhat from other sutras. Usually in other sutras, we may find such wordings as "thus have i heard" used at the very beginning and "all were happy and retired with pleasure". But all this expressions are not found in this sutra.
THE ENLIGHTENMENT SUTRA PREACHED BY GOTAMA BUDDHA
In so far as the Buddha's disciples, they sould read day and night piously and earnestly
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THE ENLIGHTENMENT SUTRA PREACHED BY GOTAMA BUDDHA
In so far as the Buddha disciples , they should read day and night piously and earnestly the following eight precepts leading the follower of Mahayana Buddhism (1) to attain the state of enlightenment:
(1) In China, all buddhist texts are divided into two groups of "maha" and "Hina". The ENlightenment sutra belonga to the Mahayana School of Buddhism which mean the greater or the northern vehicle, performed by China, Tibet, Bhutan, Sikkim, Nepal, Mangolia, Japan, Korea, while the southern Buddhism is "Hina" which mean the small or the southern vehicle, practised by Ceylon, Burma, Thailand and Cambodia.
The historical records of Fa-Hsien and Hsuan Chuang, two famous chinese monks reported, in their books of travel to India from 399 to 414 A.D. and from 629 to 645 A.D. respectively, that there existed two kinds of doctrines called Maha and Hina, and that there were temples where monks learning either or both of them. However different the tenets of various sects may be, we can easily discover the beliefs common to all of them, if we profess true Buddhism. These beliefs are:
1. Body is impure;
2. Sensation and feeling are painful;
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3. Mind is impermanent;
4. Things are being dependent and without nature of their own;
5. Ever rotating cycle of birth and death;
6. Cause-effect law;
7. Nirvana the ultimate state of happiness.
Now, let us look into the differences between Mahayana School and that of Hinayana.
1. Arahatship is the highest ideal to be attained by Buddhists. Mahayanists do not strive for Arahatship, they want to beceome, if not Buddhas, at least Bodhisattvas.
2. An Arahat wants to save himself in a hurry, but a Bodhisattva who has the patience to wait, always try to seek wisdom so to bring salvation to all beings in this miserable worlds.
3. In Therevada, tehre are no prayers, no rites and ceremonies. In Mahayana, those rites exist. The former consider prayers, rites and ceremonies a great obstacle to perfection, while the later strives to attain the Bodhisattvaship by dependence upon the Buddha's power.
FIRST ENLIGHTENMENT
Impermanence (1) charaterize everything in the universe. Both dangerous and frail is the whole world, subject to disintegration. The human body analyzed into four chief elements (2) in here in sorrow and emptiness. The combination of the lie impulses (3) possesses no real ego. It is a law that all conditioned thing arise and dissapear. All is found to be in the state of change and decay.There is no control at all over body and worldly objects.Consequently the mind is the root of evil, while the attachment to worldly object, the refuge of crime and sins. Observing all phenomena from this angle, we shall bit by bit free ourselves from the suffering of birth and death. (4)
(1) There is all movability in the universe from the tiny election to the most colossal sun. All is motion from form to form, like the bubbles on a river, sparkling, bursting and being borne away.There is nothing constant in the universe.Constancy is an illusion. Many things appear constant because our life are too short to witness the changes taking place, or because the changes are too subtle for undeveloped intelligence.
This is the true in material world as well as psychic life. In the spiritual life, there is an ever changing consciousness never the same for two consecutive moments. This can be ascertained experimentally in the various exercise of meditation. When we try, according to certain rules of meditation to stop the stream of our thoughts and obtain an absolute
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stillness, we shall notice how the day's impressions and old reminiscences disturb and prevent concentration.
This is equally true even in our very lives; the change from the womb to childhood, from childhood to manhood and thence to dotage, death and decay.
The doctrine of impermanence shows us how to control our selfish cravings and passions. Thus we shall destroy the chain of fear and anxiety, grief and despair, It is vital importance to enjoy bodily and mental bliss.
(2) The four chief elements are earth or body, water or liquid, fire or heat, wind or air.
The body elements are twenty kinds, namely; 1.hair of the head 2. hair of the body 3.nails 4. teeth 5.skin 6.flesh 7.tendons 8.bones 9.marrow 10.kidneys 11.heart 12.liver 13.pleura 14.spleen 15.lungs 16.lower intestine 17.upper intestine 18.stomach 19.feces 20.brain.
The water element is of twelve kinds : 1.bile 2.phlegm 3.blood 4.pus 5.sweat 6.fat 7.tears 8.grease 9.saliva 10.snot 11.synovia fluid 12.urine.
The fire element means heat which is greater when digestion is going on.
The air element which we breath, is always going in and out. All these chief elements constitute the human bodies. If the four elements are in harmony, we are strong enough to walk and to work. Otherwise we are sick.
When the four elements separate and leave our bodies, then we die. Therefore all these four elements in our bodies, are painful and empty. This is just like a dream of the various illusions shown by magician, comparable to the shadows of men under lighted lamps, or the images of the men in a big glass, or like bubbles of water. We have no control over our bodies. It is in a state of flux.
(3) Man is a a combination of five factors which come from craving rooted in ignorance. The five actors are body, feeling, perception, tendencies and consciousness. It is nothing but a mixing of five aggregrates. Nowhwere an eternal self is to be found in physical organism. As a house is nothing but a joint name given to the tiles of the roof and its different parts, the beam, clay, wall door, window and so on, when taken together. But when these different parts of the house are separated, nothing but an abstract house remains.
While the mind is infiltrated by selfish ideas, we can have only distorted views of things; we think of my body, your body, whereas they do not really belong to you and me at all. They belong to the Universe. It is this idea of personal possessions or attachment which is at the root of all illusion and suffering,
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and while it occupies our minds, we can never hope to see the things as they really are.
There is no real I or mine. It is like a flame produced by a combination of gases. For what is a flame but a phenomenon by rapid oxidation. If we are to live a perfect life, we should break the prejudice of sleifh pettty ego which creates a barrier between ourselves and others.
Impermanence, unreality of ego, suffering and emptiness are the essential features of Buddhism.
(4) Why should rebirth not desirable? Because it is the entrance gate of all forms of suffering, namely; old age disease, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain grief and despair.Birth is preceded by death and death is preceded by birth. Death according to Buddhism is the cessation of the psycho-physical life of any individual existence. But it is not the complete annihilation of a being. So the mental fore remains undisturbed by the disintegration of physical body, and passing away of the present consciousness leads to the arising of a flesh one in another birth. Just as an electric light is the outward manisfestation of invisible energy, the bulb may break and the light may extinguished, but the current remains and the light may be reproduced in another bulb. Here the bulb may be compared to parental cell and the electric energy to the mental force. (This illustra
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tion is extracted from the publication of "Buddhism" by R.V.Narada).
What happens when a man dies? The dying man craving force remains just as electricity persists as a force. Whether it is mental force or physical force, a force is always a force. The craving force is the most potent force in the universe in the universe and that force at the time of death must follow the law of conversation of energy, like all other forces. According to physics, a force once it is liberated will always go on as a force until it meets an opposite and equal force to neutralize. The same thing applies to the craving force. It is only when a human beings by means of morality , concentration and insight can develop an equal and opposite no-craving force to neutralize his craving force, then and then alone will there be no rebirth for him. (this explanation was given by Rev. Lokanatha in a talk at the Rangoon University, 1951.)
Another example given by Jinananda , Nayaka Thera. In his article entitled " The Doctrine of Reason" and published in the "Buddhist World," Ceylon, 14 April 1954, said:
"The process of Rebirth may be compared to the succession of one wave form in the ocean by another, where, though the substance of one does not pass into the other, yet is wholly dependent on the nature of the former, each wave form representing a life as we
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commonly termed it" .
Second Enlightenment
Excessive desire begets suffering. The suffering of birth and death as well as the leading of a weary life are all caused by greed. (1) Few desires along with no craving make our mind and body comfortable.
(1) The buddha emphaticaally recommended the abstinence from greed, because greed is the curse of the age. Abstention from greed is awareness of the fact that both worldly pleasures (such as wealth, possessions, reputations, over indulgence in food and possessions, reputation, over indulgence in food and sleep) and worldly objects (such as experienced by the perception of form, sound, odour, taste or touch) are all unreal,transitory and impure. So it means to have no craving for any of them.
Greed which blinds the eyes arises through thinking that the body is lovely. When we realise that the body is excrementitious, greed dies forever.
Third Enlightenment
The insatiable ambitions seek only for acquisitions, thus increasing sins. Those who practise the Bodhisatvaship will never do such things. They should bear contentment in mind and endure poverty in following the buddha doctrine. (1) They are looking for nothing but wisdom.
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(1) What is the Buddha doctrine? In a nutshell, it consist of the Four Noble Truths which lead to weed out craving and ignorance, to overcome rebirth, old age, disease, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain grief and despair, to make an end of this whole mass of misery and to attain eternal peace, salvation and liberation from the round of existences.
Our Great Master survey the world and found only suffering. He analysed the cause of suffering and has given us the prescription for eliminating the root cause of suffering by following the Eight Steps or Eightfold Path.
Then what is the Eightfold path? It consist of :-
1. Right knowledge. It can be distinguished in three degrees:
1. General right knowledge. It consist of compassion, loving kindness and equyality, the cause effect law by which we can determine our own future by our deeds, and tehre is a doctrine of Rebirth.
2. Right knowledge in the buddhist sense. It consist of:-
a. the understanding of what merit is and the root of merit, what demerit is and the root of demerit;
b. the combination of five factors of form, feeling, perception, tendencies and consciousness as impermanent, miserable and not self;
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c. the law of conditional arising and cessation of all phenomena;
d. the suffering and its cause, the cesation of the suffering and the Eightfold path that leads to cessation of suffering.
3. Sublime Right knowledge. That is wisdom or penetration which can be obtained by meditation.
2. Right thoughts. That is to give up all thoughts of greed, hatred and ignorance, for these lead us to increase sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair.
3. Right Speech- That is to say, abstaining from lying , talebearing, harsh language and vain talk.
4. Right action - That is abstinencve from killing, stealing, misconduct in speech and sex relationship and also abstinence from drinking intoxicating beverage.
5. Right occupation or livelihood - That means 1 not to be a butcher, hunter, fisherman,soldier, executioner, fortune teller and astrologer, 2.not to fabricate and sell arms, poison and intoxicating drinks. In other words, we must take up a right occupation so that we will not cause suffering to any living being and earn a livelihood by right and honest means.
6. Right Effort - This is fourfold, namely;
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1. Overcoming evil and demeritorious states of mind that have already arisen, as thoug one strove to destroy a poisonous snake;
2. Avoiding the arising of evil and demeritoroius states of mind that have not yet arisen as though one strove to prevent the epidermic disease;
3. Maintaining meritorious states of mind that have already arisen as though one sprayed one's fruit tree;
4. Developing meritorious states of mind that have not yet arisen as though one sowed good seeds.
7. Right attentiveness - There is fourfold, namely;
1. Contemplation of body as impure,
2. COntemplation of sensation as sorrowful,
3. Contemplation of various states of mind as impermanent,
4. Contemplation of phenomena as not self.
8. Right concentration - The one and only object of concentration of mind is stillness which leads to celar, deep, true vision. Confucius has pointed out, in the "Great learning" that "contemplation" can be attained when we concentrate. Stillness comes after the concentration of the mind. To that stillness, there maybe a tranquil repose. In taht repose, we can consider things thoughtfully. Success will certainly be
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attained when we consider things thoughtfully."
That is all the fundamental parts of the whole Buddha's doctrine.
Fourth Enlightenment
Laziness degrades a man. One Should always go ahead with all one's energy to acquire wisdom. Only by this means, one will destroy all evil of worries (1) and overcome the four devils (2) and put them under one's control, in order to get out of the prison from the five aggregrates of life impulses and this suffering world.
(1) There are six fundamental evils of worries, ten minor ones, two major ones and eight chief ones.Altogether there are twenty six subdiary evils of worries. Let us now first enumerate the six fundamentals evils such as: lust, hatred,ignorance, pride, doubt and erronous views. They are fundamental ones, because they are the roots of trees.
Secondly, ten minor evils of worries are: 1.anger 2.enmity 3.vexation 4.hypocricy 5.dishonesty 6.deceit 7.arrogance 8.harmfulness 9.envy 10.selfishness. They are called the minor ones, because they always take place individually or separately and are obvious and flagrant.
Thirdly, two major evils of worries are: 1.shamelessness 2. impudence. They are called major ones,
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because they have greater influence than the minor ones mentioned above.
Fourthly, eight chief evils of worries are : 1.lack of faith 2.idleness 3.carelessness 4.indolence 5. recklessness 6. forgetfulness 7. wrong judgement 8.confusion. They are called chief ones, because they are not only the sources of demerit, but also a state of mind which is neither meritorious nor demeritorious.
(2) The four deviles are : 1.devil from the five aggregrates of form, feeling, perception, tendencies and consciousness 2.devil of death 3.devil of suffering 4. devil of the samsara world, or the round of existence.
Fifth Enlightenment
Ignorance (1) constitues the suffering of birth and death. Followers of Bodhisattvaship must remember to store up knowledge by learning and prepare their eloquence for the spread of Buddhist scriptures to all beings, conferring upon them great happiness.
(1) Pondering on the origin of birth and death, our great Master Gotama Buddha recognised that ignorance was the root of all evil. Consequently, he particularly insisted upon those who practise the Bodhisattvaship should endeavour to acquire sufficient knowledge and eloquence before being able to lead
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the sentient being to the Path of Liberation and confer upon them the great happiness.
Sixth Enlightenment
The poor often foster hatred that keeps up everywhere bad terms with others. In practising charity, (1) followers of Bodhisattvaship should treat friend and foe alike, wit the same degree of love, without malice whatsoever nor repugnant feeling towards the wicked person . (2)
(1) The act of charity is renunciation and by charity, we destroy greed. Greed cannot be quenched.The more we grap, the more we want to grap.A miller with one mill tries to have two and one with two strive to have for fourand the process goes on without an end.The same applies to owners of mine, forests and oilwells. They strive have more possessions since greed can never be satisfied. But there is satisfaction in performing the opposite experiment renunciation. If greed is estinguished, we enjoy the peace of mind. One thing weshould remember is that when we practise alms-giving, we should not make any discrimination between friends and foes. By magnanimity, we should treat them on equal footing.
There are three kinds of charity, namely;
1. Alms-giving - Alms-giving is again divided into two types:
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1. The offerings of limb or life to confer benefit on others.
2. The offerings of belongings such as money,clothing,food,lodging,etc.
2. The offerings of knowledge is again divided into two types:
a. worldly knowledge such as to teach people to read, to write, to sew, to repair bridges and roads, etc.
b. Inconceivable and inexplicable knowledge to this world such as preach the Buddha doctrine, in order to guide all sentient beings to do meritorious deeds as well as to avoid harmful deeds.
3. The offerings of help and assistance with great sacrifice and without fear such as to relieve people who are persecuted by enemies, tortured by war, robbed by robbers, chase by fierce animals, drowning by flood or burning by fire etc.
(2) At the Buddha's time, there were other religious leaders in India which were most embarassed when many of their disciples left them and entered the Order of the Buddha. They try to kill him with the help of the Buddha's cousin Devadatto. In this connection, we admire the magnaminity of the Buddha toward the animonisity of Devadatto and the hostilities of other sects. In fact, the loving kindness he radiated to those enemies and to his favourite disciple
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Ananda was the same profound intensity, not one bit too much or too little.
Seventh Enlightenment
The five passions fall into sins and woe. Though laymen should not taint with worldly pleasures, (1) yet they have always to think of the three kinds of robes (2) and tiled bowls (3) as well as other instruments used by monks or Bhikkhus. In case of the desire manifested by laymen to be bhikkhus, they must scrupulously observe the buddhist scriptures and keep themselves pure from evil. Thus their perfect life may be known for a long time and far and wide.Besides, they will impart a deep compassion with every creature that suffers.
(1) The five passions embrace excessive desire for wealth, women, reputation and over-indulgence in food and sleep. It is the passion which blinds the eyes. It is also the passion which leads us to go astray. Therefore all evil is engendered by passion. When the eyes are opened, the absence of lust makes us see things as tehy really are. As the matter of fact, worldly pleasures are the bait, and the result is pain.
(2) Robes wearing according to circumstanbces, by Buddhist monks, are of three kinds, namely;
1. Overcoat with 9 stripes wearing only for great occasions.
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2. Clothes with 7 stripes wearing for monks meetings or classes.
3. Clothes with 5 stripes wearing for daily work.
(3) In olden time monks did not prepare themselves meals. They went around with their tiled bowls, begging alms for their meals. This custom is still maintained in the Southeast Asian Nations. Why have laymen to think of three kind of robes, tiled bowls and instruments used by Monks? the reason is quite simple. Mentally they have to think how the monks observe the Buddhist doctrine and follow them strictly in order to be always on the alert not to commit sins.
Eight Enlightenment
The wheel of birth and death are like the flame burning in the house
. There are innumerable suffering. (1) First we have to make vows to dedicate ourselves to the service of mankind, then to suffer for their sake, and finally to let them to attain Nibanna, (2) the ultimate state of supreme bliss.
(1)Our Great Master Gotama Buddha surveyed the world and found only suffering. He analysed the eight great sufferings , as follows:
1. The suffering of birth. - A child cries bitterly when it is born, because it cannot stand the cold
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air.It feel worst of all when the nurse washes its tender body with hot water.
2. The suffering of old age such as grey hair, bad eyesight, dull ears, tooth decay, weakness of the limbs and various kinds of suffering come one after another.
3. The suffering of sickness. - Our bodies are formed of solid, liquid, heat and air. If the four elements are quite balanced, then we are strong enough to do everything. On the contrary, we are getting sick for some time or for years.
4. The suffering of death.- No matter how carefully we protect ourselves from being hungry, cold, hot or ill, we cannot escape the inevitable state of death. The suffering, at the point of death, is like a crab which is thrown into a frying pan.
5. The suffering of separation from beloved ones. - Everybody loves the natural happiness, when husbands and wives, parents and children are assembled together joyfully. Unfortunately, when unexpected things happen, we are forced to separate. Worse still when a sick person cannot be cured by any doctor or medicine, he has to die.
6. The suffering of craving - The suffering which hurts us greatly can easily be ssen, when we are unsucessful in our expectation of money, reputation,benefit, children, clothing, food or lodging.
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7. The suffering of being in the company of our enemies.- It is very sad to meet our enemies who have harmed us, or have put us to shame unreasonably.It is unspeakable suffering both physically and mentally when children are disobedient, brothers or sister are unfriendly, husband and wives are disagreeable, mothers-in-law, daughters-in-law and sisters-in-law are quarrelsome.
8. The suffering from the five aggregates of form,feeling,perception,tendencies and consciousness- When the light our wisdom is obscured or enveloped by a combination of these five factors, we feel as if a fire is raging furiously in our hearts.
(2) Nibanna, in Pali; or Nirvana, in Sanskrit; has different significations:
1. It may mean the extinction of the fires of greed, hatred and illusion and other element of depravity and defilement.
2. It may imply the extinction of the rebirth, thus suppresing all suffering.
3. It may be interpreted as the attainment of an absolute realm of permanence, easiness, true self and purity.
4. It may also signify abstention from covering the fire of lust with more fagots in order to let it burn out by itself.
5. It may also be regarded as a state of
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supreme bliss of Enligtenment, beyond the conception of the intellect.
These eight precepts are the way leading to the Enlightenment for BUddhas, Bodhisattvas and followers of Mahayana school. When one puresues the Buddhist scriptures with energy and preservance, one can grow, for his own sake, in compassion and wisdom at the same time. Hence, one can get to the other side of the shore by taking the Buddha's ferryboat. Out of compassion, one may come down again and revolve, as one likes, in the wheel of birth and death with one aim and object, the liberation of all beings.
These eight precepts gives us the general idea to grasp the suffering of birth and death and abandon the five passions in order to cultivate our mind in attaining the Buddhist sainthood.
Should the Buddha's disciples read unremittingly the eigt precepts mentioned above, they could get rid of countless sins so as to acquire transcendental wisdom and would soon achieve enlightenment. Consequently, they would exempt from the suffering of rebirth and could stay always in the state of happiness.
This is the conclusion of the eight precepts. It emphasizes, by putting them into practice, on e can get the benefit of Enlightenment. Only reading by
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heart is just like a parrot that imitates a man's speaking, without knowing the real meaning.
When a man is sick, he has to go to see a doctor. For curing the disease, he has to take medicine, accoring to the prescirption given by the doctor. Only by taking medicine, can the sick be healed. It is the same way for the practice of Buddhism. It is said by the ancients:"Without biting cold, how can one get fragrant plum blossoms?"
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This is another one book the author happen to get for free and also has english translation.
Translated into Chinese from Sanskrit by Lokottama
Translated into English from chinese version with Annotations by
Dr.Liao Tet Cheng
page 1 to 24
all is mandarin words
page 25
The Enlightenment Sutra
with Annotations.
This sutra or scripture has been dedicated to laymen by our Master Gotama Buddha before his attainment of nirvana. As a matter of fact, it is a resume of his fundamental doctrine preached during his life time. So it may be considered as his last will.It has the same character as the sutra of forty-two sections and the sutra of buddha's bequethed teaching which the Buddha has particularly consecrated to monks.
The written form of the Enlightenment Sutra differs somewhat from other sutras. Usually in other sutras, we may find such wordings as "thus have i heard" used at the very beginning and "all were happy and retired with pleasure". But all this expressions are not found in this sutra.
THE ENLIGHTENMENT SUTRA PREACHED BY GOTAMA BUDDHA
In so far as the Buddha's disciples, they sould read day and night piously and earnestly
page 26
THE ENLIGHTENMENT SUTRA PREACHED BY GOTAMA BUDDHA
In so far as the Buddha disciples , they should read day and night piously and earnestly the following eight precepts leading the follower of Mahayana Buddhism (1) to attain the state of enlightenment:
(1) In China, all buddhist texts are divided into two groups of "maha" and "Hina". The ENlightenment sutra belonga to the Mahayana School of Buddhism which mean the greater or the northern vehicle, performed by China, Tibet, Bhutan, Sikkim, Nepal, Mangolia, Japan, Korea, while the southern Buddhism is "Hina" which mean the small or the southern vehicle, practised by Ceylon, Burma, Thailand and Cambodia.
The historical records of Fa-Hsien and Hsuan Chuang, two famous chinese monks reported, in their books of travel to India from 399 to 414 A.D. and from 629 to 645 A.D. respectively, that there existed two kinds of doctrines called Maha and Hina, and that there were temples where monks learning either or both of them. However different the tenets of various sects may be, we can easily discover the beliefs common to all of them, if we profess true Buddhism. These beliefs are:
1. Body is impure;
2. Sensation and feeling are painful;
Page 27
3. Mind is impermanent;
4. Things are being dependent and without nature of their own;
5. Ever rotating cycle of birth and death;
6. Cause-effect law;
7. Nirvana the ultimate state of happiness.
Now, let us look into the differences between Mahayana School and that of Hinayana.
1. Arahatship is the highest ideal to be attained by Buddhists. Mahayanists do not strive for Arahatship, they want to beceome, if not Buddhas, at least Bodhisattvas.
2. An Arahat wants to save himself in a hurry, but a Bodhisattva who has the patience to wait, always try to seek wisdom so to bring salvation to all beings in this miserable worlds.
3. In Therevada, tehre are no prayers, no rites and ceremonies. In Mahayana, those rites exist. The former consider prayers, rites and ceremonies a great obstacle to perfection, while the later strives to attain the Bodhisattvaship by dependence upon the Buddha's power.
FIRST ENLIGHTENMENT
Impermanence (1) charaterize everything in the universe. Both dangerous and frail is the whole world, subject to disintegration. The human body analyzed into four chief elements (2) in here in sorrow and emptiness. The combination of the lie impulses (3) possesses no real ego. It is a law that all conditioned thing arise and dissapear. All is found to be in the state of change and decay.There is no control at all over body and worldly objects.Consequently the mind is the root of evil, while the attachment to worldly object, the refuge of crime and sins. Observing all phenomena from this angle, we shall bit by bit free ourselves from the suffering of birth and death. (4)
(1) There is all movability in the universe from the tiny election to the most colossal sun. All is motion from form to form, like the bubbles on a river, sparkling, bursting and being borne away.There is nothing constant in the universe.Constancy is an illusion. Many things appear constant because our life are too short to witness the changes taking place, or because the changes are too subtle for undeveloped intelligence.
This is the true in material world as well as psychic life. In the spiritual life, there is an ever changing consciousness never the same for two consecutive moments. This can be ascertained experimentally in the various exercise of meditation. When we try, according to certain rules of meditation to stop the stream of our thoughts and obtain an absolute
page 29
stillness, we shall notice how the day's impressions and old reminiscences disturb and prevent concentration.
This is equally true even in our very lives; the change from the womb to childhood, from childhood to manhood and thence to dotage, death and decay.
The doctrine of impermanence shows us how to control our selfish cravings and passions. Thus we shall destroy the chain of fear and anxiety, grief and despair, It is vital importance to enjoy bodily and mental bliss.
(2) The four chief elements are earth or body, water or liquid, fire or heat, wind or air.
The body elements are twenty kinds, namely; 1.hair of the head 2. hair of the body 3.nails 4. teeth 5.skin 6.flesh 7.tendons 8.bones 9.marrow 10.kidneys 11.heart 12.liver 13.pleura 14.spleen 15.lungs 16.lower intestine 17.upper intestine 18.stomach 19.feces 20.brain.
The water element is of twelve kinds : 1.bile 2.phlegm 3.blood 4.pus 5.sweat 6.fat 7.tears 8.grease 9.saliva 10.snot 11.synovia fluid 12.urine.
The fire element means heat which is greater when digestion is going on.
The air element which we breath, is always going in and out. All these chief elements constitute the human bodies. If the four elements are in harmony, we are strong enough to walk and to work. Otherwise we are sick.
When the four elements separate and leave our bodies, then we die. Therefore all these four elements in our bodies, are painful and empty. This is just like a dream of the various illusions shown by magician, comparable to the shadows of men under lighted lamps, or the images of the men in a big glass, or like bubbles of water. We have no control over our bodies. It is in a state of flux.
(3) Man is a a combination of five factors which come from craving rooted in ignorance. The five actors are body, feeling, perception, tendencies and consciousness. It is nothing but a mixing of five aggregrates. Nowhwere an eternal self is to be found in physical organism. As a house is nothing but a joint name given to the tiles of the roof and its different parts, the beam, clay, wall door, window and so on, when taken together. But when these different parts of the house are separated, nothing but an abstract house remains.
While the mind is infiltrated by selfish ideas, we can have only distorted views of things; we think of my body, your body, whereas they do not really belong to you and me at all. They belong to the Universe. It is this idea of personal possessions or attachment which is at the root of all illusion and suffering,
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and while it occupies our minds, we can never hope to see the things as they really are.
There is no real I or mine. It is like a flame produced by a combination of gases. For what is a flame but a phenomenon by rapid oxidation. If we are to live a perfect life, we should break the prejudice of sleifh pettty ego which creates a barrier between ourselves and others.
Impermanence, unreality of ego, suffering and emptiness are the essential features of Buddhism.
(4) Why should rebirth not desirable? Because it is the entrance gate of all forms of suffering, namely; old age disease, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain grief and despair.Birth is preceded by death and death is preceded by birth. Death according to Buddhism is the cessation of the psycho-physical life of any individual existence. But it is not the complete annihilation of a being. So the mental fore remains undisturbed by the disintegration of physical body, and passing away of the present consciousness leads to the arising of a flesh one in another birth. Just as an electric light is the outward manisfestation of invisible energy, the bulb may break and the light may extinguished, but the current remains and the light may be reproduced in another bulb. Here the bulb may be compared to parental cell and the electric energy to the mental force. (This illustra
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tion is extracted from the publication of "Buddhism" by R.V.Narada).
What happens when a man dies? The dying man craving force remains just as electricity persists as a force. Whether it is mental force or physical force, a force is always a force. The craving force is the most potent force in the universe in the universe and that force at the time of death must follow the law of conversation of energy, like all other forces. According to physics, a force once it is liberated will always go on as a force until it meets an opposite and equal force to neutralize. The same thing applies to the craving force. It is only when a human beings by means of morality , concentration and insight can develop an equal and opposite no-craving force to neutralize his craving force, then and then alone will there be no rebirth for him. (this explanation was given by Rev. Lokanatha in a talk at the Rangoon University, 1951.)
Another example given by Jinananda , Nayaka Thera. In his article entitled " The Doctrine of Reason" and published in the "Buddhist World," Ceylon, 14 April 1954, said:
"The process of Rebirth may be compared to the succession of one wave form in the ocean by another, where, though the substance of one does not pass into the other, yet is wholly dependent on the nature of the former, each wave form representing a life as we
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commonly termed it" .
Second Enlightenment
Excessive desire begets suffering. The suffering of birth and death as well as the leading of a weary life are all caused by greed. (1) Few desires along with no craving make our mind and body comfortable.
(1) The buddha emphaticaally recommended the abstinence from greed, because greed is the curse of the age. Abstention from greed is awareness of the fact that both worldly pleasures (such as wealth, possessions, reputations, over indulgence in food and possessions, reputation, over indulgence in food and sleep) and worldly objects (such as experienced by the perception of form, sound, odour, taste or touch) are all unreal,transitory and impure. So it means to have no craving for any of them.
Greed which blinds the eyes arises through thinking that the body is lovely. When we realise that the body is excrementitious, greed dies forever.
Third Enlightenment
The insatiable ambitions seek only for acquisitions, thus increasing sins. Those who practise the Bodhisatvaship will never do such things. They should bear contentment in mind and endure poverty in following the buddha doctrine. (1) They are looking for nothing but wisdom.
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(1) What is the Buddha doctrine? In a nutshell, it consist of the Four Noble Truths which lead to weed out craving and ignorance, to overcome rebirth, old age, disease, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain grief and despair, to make an end of this whole mass of misery and to attain eternal peace, salvation and liberation from the round of existences.
Our Great Master survey the world and found only suffering. He analysed the cause of suffering and has given us the prescription for eliminating the root cause of suffering by following the Eight Steps or Eightfold Path.
Then what is the Eightfold path? It consist of :-
1. Right knowledge. It can be distinguished in three degrees:
1. General right knowledge. It consist of compassion, loving kindness and equyality, the cause effect law by which we can determine our own future by our deeds, and tehre is a doctrine of Rebirth.
2. Right knowledge in the buddhist sense. It consist of:-
a. the understanding of what merit is and the root of merit, what demerit is and the root of demerit;
b. the combination of five factors of form, feeling, perception, tendencies and consciousness as impermanent, miserable and not self;
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c. the law of conditional arising and cessation of all phenomena;
d. the suffering and its cause, the cesation of the suffering and the Eightfold path that leads to cessation of suffering.
3. Sublime Right knowledge. That is wisdom or penetration which can be obtained by meditation.
2. Right thoughts. That is to give up all thoughts of greed, hatred and ignorance, for these lead us to increase sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair.
3. Right Speech- That is to say, abstaining from lying , talebearing, harsh language and vain talk.
4. Right action - That is abstinencve from killing, stealing, misconduct in speech and sex relationship and also abstinence from drinking intoxicating beverage.
5. Right occupation or livelihood - That means 1 not to be a butcher, hunter, fisherman,soldier, executioner, fortune teller and astrologer, 2.not to fabricate and sell arms, poison and intoxicating drinks. In other words, we must take up a right occupation so that we will not cause suffering to any living being and earn a livelihood by right and honest means.
6. Right Effort - This is fourfold, namely;
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1. Overcoming evil and demeritorious states of mind that have already arisen, as thoug one strove to destroy a poisonous snake;
2. Avoiding the arising of evil and demeritoroius states of mind that have not yet arisen as though one strove to prevent the epidermic disease;
3. Maintaining meritorious states of mind that have already arisen as though one sprayed one's fruit tree;
4. Developing meritorious states of mind that have not yet arisen as though one sowed good seeds.
7. Right attentiveness - There is fourfold, namely;
1. Contemplation of body as impure,
2. COntemplation of sensation as sorrowful,
3. Contemplation of various states of mind as impermanent,
4. Contemplation of phenomena as not self.
8. Right concentration - The one and only object of concentration of mind is stillness which leads to celar, deep, true vision. Confucius has pointed out, in the "Great learning" that "contemplation" can be attained when we concentrate. Stillness comes after the concentration of the mind. To that stillness, there maybe a tranquil repose. In taht repose, we can consider things thoughtfully. Success will certainly be
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attained when we consider things thoughtfully."
That is all the fundamental parts of the whole Buddha's doctrine.
Fourth Enlightenment
Laziness degrades a man. One Should always go ahead with all one's energy to acquire wisdom. Only by this means, one will destroy all evil of worries (1) and overcome the four devils (2) and put them under one's control, in order to get out of the prison from the five aggregrates of life impulses and this suffering world.
(1) There are six fundamental evils of worries, ten minor ones, two major ones and eight chief ones.Altogether there are twenty six subdiary evils of worries. Let us now first enumerate the six fundamentals evils such as: lust, hatred,ignorance, pride, doubt and erronous views. They are fundamental ones, because they are the roots of trees.
Secondly, ten minor evils of worries are: 1.anger 2.enmity 3.vexation 4.hypocricy 5.dishonesty 6.deceit 7.arrogance 8.harmfulness 9.envy 10.selfishness. They are called the minor ones, because they always take place individually or separately and are obvious and flagrant.
Thirdly, two major evils of worries are: 1.shamelessness 2. impudence. They are called major ones,
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because they have greater influence than the minor ones mentioned above.
Fourthly, eight chief evils of worries are : 1.lack of faith 2.idleness 3.carelessness 4.indolence 5. recklessness 6. forgetfulness 7. wrong judgement 8.confusion. They are called chief ones, because they are not only the sources of demerit, but also a state of mind which is neither meritorious nor demeritorious.
(2) The four deviles are : 1.devil from the five aggregrates of form, feeling, perception, tendencies and consciousness 2.devil of death 3.devil of suffering 4. devil of the samsara world, or the round of existence.
Fifth Enlightenment
Ignorance (1) constitues the suffering of birth and death. Followers of Bodhisattvaship must remember to store up knowledge by learning and prepare their eloquence for the spread of Buddhist scriptures to all beings, conferring upon them great happiness.
(1) Pondering on the origin of birth and death, our great Master Gotama Buddha recognised that ignorance was the root of all evil. Consequently, he particularly insisted upon those who practise the Bodhisattvaship should endeavour to acquire sufficient knowledge and eloquence before being able to lead
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the sentient being to the Path of Liberation and confer upon them the great happiness.
Sixth Enlightenment
The poor often foster hatred that keeps up everywhere bad terms with others. In practising charity, (1) followers of Bodhisattvaship should treat friend and foe alike, wit the same degree of love, without malice whatsoever nor repugnant feeling towards the wicked person . (2)
(1) The act of charity is renunciation and by charity, we destroy greed. Greed cannot be quenched.The more we grap, the more we want to grap.A miller with one mill tries to have two and one with two strive to have for fourand the process goes on without an end.The same applies to owners of mine, forests and oilwells. They strive have more possessions since greed can never be satisfied. But there is satisfaction in performing the opposite experiment renunciation. If greed is estinguished, we enjoy the peace of mind. One thing weshould remember is that when we practise alms-giving, we should not make any discrimination between friends and foes. By magnanimity, we should treat them on equal footing.
There are three kinds of charity, namely;
1. Alms-giving - Alms-giving is again divided into two types:
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1. The offerings of limb or life to confer benefit on others.
2. The offerings of belongings such as money,clothing,food,lodging,etc.
2. The offerings of knowledge is again divided into two types:
a. worldly knowledge such as to teach people to read, to write, to sew, to repair bridges and roads, etc.
b. Inconceivable and inexplicable knowledge to this world such as preach the Buddha doctrine, in order to guide all sentient beings to do meritorious deeds as well as to avoid harmful deeds.
3. The offerings of help and assistance with great sacrifice and without fear such as to relieve people who are persecuted by enemies, tortured by war, robbed by robbers, chase by fierce animals, drowning by flood or burning by fire etc.
(2) At the Buddha's time, there were other religious leaders in India which were most embarassed when many of their disciples left them and entered the Order of the Buddha. They try to kill him with the help of the Buddha's cousin Devadatto. In this connection, we admire the magnaminity of the Buddha toward the animonisity of Devadatto and the hostilities of other sects. In fact, the loving kindness he radiated to those enemies and to his favourite disciple
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Ananda was the same profound intensity, not one bit too much or too little.
Seventh Enlightenment
The five passions fall into sins and woe. Though laymen should not taint with worldly pleasures, (1) yet they have always to think of the three kinds of robes (2) and tiled bowls (3) as well as other instruments used by monks or Bhikkhus. In case of the desire manifested by laymen to be bhikkhus, they must scrupulously observe the buddhist scriptures and keep themselves pure from evil. Thus their perfect life may be known for a long time and far and wide.Besides, they will impart a deep compassion with every creature that suffers.
(1) The five passions embrace excessive desire for wealth, women, reputation and over-indulgence in food and sleep. It is the passion which blinds the eyes. It is also the passion which leads us to go astray. Therefore all evil is engendered by passion. When the eyes are opened, the absence of lust makes us see things as tehy really are. As the matter of fact, worldly pleasures are the bait, and the result is pain.
(2) Robes wearing according to circumstanbces, by Buddhist monks, are of three kinds, namely;
1. Overcoat with 9 stripes wearing only for great occasions.
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2. Clothes with 7 stripes wearing for monks meetings or classes.
3. Clothes with 5 stripes wearing for daily work.
(3) In olden time monks did not prepare themselves meals. They went around with their tiled bowls, begging alms for their meals. This custom is still maintained in the Southeast Asian Nations. Why have laymen to think of three kind of robes, tiled bowls and instruments used by Monks? the reason is quite simple. Mentally they have to think how the monks observe the Buddhist doctrine and follow them strictly in order to be always on the alert not to commit sins.
Eight Enlightenment
The wheel of birth and death are like the flame burning in the house
. There are innumerable suffering. (1) First we have to make vows to dedicate ourselves to the service of mankind, then to suffer for their sake, and finally to let them to attain Nibanna, (2) the ultimate state of supreme bliss.
(1)Our Great Master Gotama Buddha surveyed the world and found only suffering. He analysed the eight great sufferings , as follows:
1. The suffering of birth. - A child cries bitterly when it is born, because it cannot stand the cold
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air.It feel worst of all when the nurse washes its tender body with hot water.
2. The suffering of old age such as grey hair, bad eyesight, dull ears, tooth decay, weakness of the limbs and various kinds of suffering come one after another.
3. The suffering of sickness. - Our bodies are formed of solid, liquid, heat and air. If the four elements are quite balanced, then we are strong enough to do everything. On the contrary, we are getting sick for some time or for years.
4. The suffering of death.- No matter how carefully we protect ourselves from being hungry, cold, hot or ill, we cannot escape the inevitable state of death. The suffering, at the point of death, is like a crab which is thrown into a frying pan.
5. The suffering of separation from beloved ones. - Everybody loves the natural happiness, when husbands and wives, parents and children are assembled together joyfully. Unfortunately, when unexpected things happen, we are forced to separate. Worse still when a sick person cannot be cured by any doctor or medicine, he has to die.
6. The suffering of craving - The suffering which hurts us greatly can easily be ssen, when we are unsucessful in our expectation of money, reputation,benefit, children, clothing, food or lodging.
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7. The suffering of being in the company of our enemies.- It is very sad to meet our enemies who have harmed us, or have put us to shame unreasonably.It is unspeakable suffering both physically and mentally when children are disobedient, brothers or sister are unfriendly, husband and wives are disagreeable, mothers-in-law, daughters-in-law and sisters-in-law are quarrelsome.
8. The suffering from the five aggregates of form,feeling,perception,tendencies and consciousness- When the light our wisdom is obscured or enveloped by a combination of these five factors, we feel as if a fire is raging furiously in our hearts.
(2) Nibanna, in Pali; or Nirvana, in Sanskrit; has different significations:
1. It may mean the extinction of the fires of greed, hatred and illusion and other element of depravity and defilement.
2. It may imply the extinction of the rebirth, thus suppresing all suffering.
3. It may be interpreted as the attainment of an absolute realm of permanence, easiness, true self and purity.
4. It may also signify abstention from covering the fire of lust with more fagots in order to let it burn out by itself.
5. It may also be regarded as a state of
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supreme bliss of Enligtenment, beyond the conception of the intellect.
These eight precepts are the way leading to the Enlightenment for BUddhas, Bodhisattvas and followers of Mahayana school. When one puresues the Buddhist scriptures with energy and preservance, one can grow, for his own sake, in compassion and wisdom at the same time. Hence, one can get to the other side of the shore by taking the Buddha's ferryboat. Out of compassion, one may come down again and revolve, as one likes, in the wheel of birth and death with one aim and object, the liberation of all beings.
These eight precepts gives us the general idea to grasp the suffering of birth and death and abandon the five passions in order to cultivate our mind in attaining the Buddhist sainthood.
Should the Buddha's disciples read unremittingly the eigt precepts mentioned above, they could get rid of countless sins so as to acquire transcendental wisdom and would soon achieve enlightenment. Consequently, they would exempt from the suffering of rebirth and could stay always in the state of happiness.
This is the conclusion of the eight precepts. It emphasizes, by putting them into practice, on e can get the benefit of Enlightenment. Only reading by
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heart is just like a parrot that imitates a man's speaking, without knowing the real meaning.
When a man is sick, he has to go to see a doctor. For curing the disease, he has to take medicine, accoring to the prescirption given by the doctor. Only by taking medicine, can the sick be healed. It is the same way for the practice of Buddhism. It is said by the ancients:"Without biting cold, how can one get fragrant plum blossoms?"
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This is another one book the author happen to get for free and also has english translation.
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