Saturday, 26 March 2011
Monday, 14 March 2011
A welcome return and a new novice.
Welcome back Graham.
Time is getting close.
We've missed that smile Graham
And into the orange.Congratulations Ralf.
Sunday, 13 March 2011
The Parable Of The Poisoned Arrow-Majjhima Nikaya-Cula-Malunkyovada Sutta
The Buddha was staying at Jetas Grove, near Savatthi, at Anathapindikas monastery.
Ven Malunkyaputta, was sitting in seclusion,when he thought, these things are undeclared, set aside, discarded by the Blessed One-The universe is eternal, the universe is not eternal, the universe is finite, the universe is not finite. The soul and the body are the same,the soul is one thing and the body is another thing.After death a Tathagata exists,after death a Tathagata no longer exists, after death a Tathagata, both exists and does not exist,after death a Tathagata neither exists nor does not exist. I am not happy.I do not accept that the Blessed One has not declared these things to me.I will go to the Blessed One and if he declares to me-The universe is eternal, the universe is not eternal, the universe is finate, the universe is not finate..........After death a Tathagata exists, after death a Tathagata no longer exists.......then I will live the holy life under him.
If he does not declare to me that the universe is eternal, that the universe is not eternal,...after death aTathagata exists, after death a Tathagata no longer exists....then I will renounce the training and return to the lower life.
That evening Ven Malunkyaputta got up from his place of seclusion and went to the Blessed One and having bowed down sat down to one side of the Blessed one and said-"Lord, as I sat in seclusion, these thoughts came to me.These things that are left undeclared, set aside, discarded by the Blessed One-The universe is eternal, the universe is not eternal.....I am not happy.I do not accept that the Blessed One has not declared these things to me.I will go to the Blessed One and ask him. If he declares to me, the universe is eternal, the universe is not eternal....then I will live the holy life under him.If he does not declare these things to me, then I will renounce the training and return to the lower life.If the Blessed One knows that the universe is eternal or that the universe is not eternal, this he should declare.If the Blessed One does not know if the universe is eternal or if the universe is not eternal, the right thing to do is say "I do not know this, I do not see this"
"Malunkyaputta, did I say to you, come and live the holy life under me and I shall declare, the universe is eternal, the universe is not eternal, the universe is finate, the universe is not finate.....?"
"No Lord"
"Did you say to me, I will live the holy life under you, and in exchange, you will declare to me, the universe is eternal, the universe is not eternal.....?"
"No Lord"
"In that case, you foolish man, why are you making these demands upon me".
"Malunkyaputta, if any man says I will not live the holy life under the Tathagata if he does not declare to me, the universe is finate, the universe is not finate.....he would die without the Tathagata declaring these things".
"Suppose Malunkyaputta, a man were to be wounded by an arrow thickly smeared with poison, and his friends and family brought a surgeon to treat him.The man would say" I will not let you remove this arrow from me until I know the name of the man who shot me, what is his occupation, what clan is he from, was he tall or short, dark or light skinned, what sort of bow did he use, what was the bow string made from, what type of wood was used to make the arrow, what type of feathers were used for the flights? I tell you Malukyaputta, that man would die before he had his answers.
The same would be true of a man who says- I will not live the holy life under the Blessed One if he does not declare to me if the universe is eternal, or, the universe is not eternal.....he would die before these things were declared by the Tathagata.
Whether the view the universe is eternal, or, the universe is not eternal is held, Malunkyaputta,there is still birth, old age, sickness and death, sorrow and despair and these things can be destroyed in this very life. I have not declared these other things because they are not useful, do not lead to tranquility and nibanna.
What I have explained is, suffering, the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering.This is useful, leading to non attachment,the absense of desire,perfect wisdom.
All too often, I hear people discussing things like"What the name Siddhartha means, what was his skin colour,did he eat hemp seeds.....?
Many people discuss the dhamma, read the dhamma,listen to talks about the dhamma...discuss meditation, read about meditation, listen to talks about meditation.
It is time to practice the dhamma, practice meditation.This is the only way that we will attain nibanna.
Ven Malunkyaputta, was sitting in seclusion,when he thought, these things are undeclared, set aside, discarded by the Blessed One-The universe is eternal, the universe is not eternal, the universe is finite, the universe is not finite. The soul and the body are the same,the soul is one thing and the body is another thing.After death a Tathagata exists,after death a Tathagata no longer exists, after death a Tathagata, both exists and does not exist,after death a Tathagata neither exists nor does not exist. I am not happy.I do not accept that the Blessed One has not declared these things to me.I will go to the Blessed One and if he declares to me-The universe is eternal, the universe is not eternal, the universe is finate, the universe is not finate..........After death a Tathagata exists, after death a Tathagata no longer exists.......then I will live the holy life under him.
If he does not declare to me that the universe is eternal, that the universe is not eternal,...after death aTathagata exists, after death a Tathagata no longer exists....then I will renounce the training and return to the lower life.
That evening Ven Malunkyaputta got up from his place of seclusion and went to the Blessed One and having bowed down sat down to one side of the Blessed one and said-"Lord, as I sat in seclusion, these thoughts came to me.These things that are left undeclared, set aside, discarded by the Blessed One-The universe is eternal, the universe is not eternal.....I am not happy.I do not accept that the Blessed One has not declared these things to me.I will go to the Blessed One and ask him. If he declares to me, the universe is eternal, the universe is not eternal....then I will live the holy life under him.If he does not declare these things to me, then I will renounce the training and return to the lower life.If the Blessed One knows that the universe is eternal or that the universe is not eternal, this he should declare.If the Blessed One does not know if the universe is eternal or if the universe is not eternal, the right thing to do is say "I do not know this, I do not see this"
"Malunkyaputta, did I say to you, come and live the holy life under me and I shall declare, the universe is eternal, the universe is not eternal, the universe is finate, the universe is not finate.....?"
"No Lord"
"Did you say to me, I will live the holy life under you, and in exchange, you will declare to me, the universe is eternal, the universe is not eternal.....?"
"No Lord"
"In that case, you foolish man, why are you making these demands upon me".
"Malunkyaputta, if any man says I will not live the holy life under the Tathagata if he does not declare to me, the universe is finate, the universe is not finate.....he would die without the Tathagata declaring these things".
"Suppose Malunkyaputta, a man were to be wounded by an arrow thickly smeared with poison, and his friends and family brought a surgeon to treat him.The man would say" I will not let you remove this arrow from me until I know the name of the man who shot me, what is his occupation, what clan is he from, was he tall or short, dark or light skinned, what sort of bow did he use, what was the bow string made from, what type of wood was used to make the arrow, what type of feathers were used for the flights? I tell you Malukyaputta, that man would die before he had his answers.
The same would be true of a man who says- I will not live the holy life under the Blessed One if he does not declare to me if the universe is eternal, or, the universe is not eternal.....he would die before these things were declared by the Tathagata.
Whether the view the universe is eternal, or, the universe is not eternal is held, Malunkyaputta,there is still birth, old age, sickness and death, sorrow and despair and these things can be destroyed in this very life. I have not declared these other things because they are not useful, do not lead to tranquility and nibanna.
What I have explained is, suffering, the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering.This is useful, leading to non attachment,the absense of desire,perfect wisdom.
All too often, I hear people discussing things like"What the name Siddhartha means, what was his skin colour,did he eat hemp seeds.....?
Many people discuss the dhamma, read the dhamma,listen to talks about the dhamma...discuss meditation, read about meditation, listen to talks about meditation.
It is time to practice the dhamma, practice meditation.This is the only way that we will attain nibanna.
Friday, 11 March 2011
Buddhism- What does Modernisation Mean ?
Disclaimer-The ideas and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Abbot and the other bhikkhus at this temple.
Something that I constantly hear people saying is that they really like Buddhism but it needs to be modernised. This is a term that has me a little confused. What the heck does this mean?
People say that some of the rules(Vinaya) that the monks live by should be scrapped as times have changed since Buddha laid them down.
They say we should get rid of some of the minor rules.
When the Buddha was dying he said that if the Sangha felt some of the lesser rules should be lifted then that was alright, however the Arahats who were left to make this decision could not decide on what was a minor rule and what wasn't and therefore all 227 rules for monks and all 311 rules for nuns were left in place.
The problem is-where do we stop?
Sure, if we did away with some of the rules it would make the life of monks a lot easier, but we did not sign up to an easy life. We signed up to the life of a mendicant, an alms man.
There are times, of course, we we find ourselves living by the spirit of the rules, as opposed to the letter of the rule.
In my own case, when I left my temple in Malaysia to take up my new position here in Thailand, I had to handle money.
As we know a monk should not be handling money and in fact the vinaya sets out how a steward can take responsibility for gifts offered to a monk. My problem was, how do I get a lay person to travel from one country to another, just so they can give my bus fare to the conductor? This would have been a ridiculous thing to do and would most certainly have been unfair on the lay devotee.
As a foreign monk living in Thailand, I need to pay for my visa, so again the need for money comes about.
The problem with living by the spirit of the rule is that some people can then begin to abuse this, and the Sangha finds itself being brought into disrepute.
This then give people the ammunition to bad mouth Buddhism in general.
It is interesting to note that some of the people who I have heard state that Buddhism needs to be modernized are the same people who often find fault when a bhikkhu does not live according to the letter of the law.
One contentious issue in the Theravada tradition today is the ordination of Bhikkhunis-or nuns.
This is an issue I feel needs to be addressed and sooner, rather than later, preferably.
The problem is one of lineage.The Bhikkhuni lineage was broken a long time ago(due to war in Sri Lanka) and the Bhikkhunis disrobed and scattered (for safety reasons)
Unfortunately with the breaking of the lineage, there was no one to ordain women into the Sangha and so we have a problem.
There are of course Bhikkhunis here in Thailand, but they are not legally recognized and therefore can not get the same visa as a foreign monk or mae chi( some one between a lay person and a nun, living on 8 or 10 precepts).
These Bhikkhunis receive a lot of respect from monks and lay people alike, but they are just not officially recognized, so we need to address this situation.
In my opinion the way to do this does not lie with monasteries outside of Thailand or Myanmar that are sattelite monasteries of these countries,ordaining women as they wish. This merely causes disharmonony which does no one any good, and again these Bhikkhunis would have no legal rights if they wished to travel to places like Thailand.
The other problem with some of these ordinations are due to the way the new lineage of Theravada Bhikkhunis was set up. As there were no Theravada Bhikkhunis to preside over the origanal ordination proceedure as set down by the vinaya, Mahayana Bhikkhunis were used.This poses a dilema. These new Bhikkhunis have ordained into the Mahayana tradition, not the Theravada tradition, and therefore cannot be considered Theravada nuns.
Can this issue be resolved?
Yes it can, and I believe it must, but how?
I have the confidence that as this issue is discussed at conferences here in Thailand( a frequent occurence) that more and more monks will speak out on this issue. More and more monks will come to see that this disparity has to change.
It will of course be argued that we have no Bhikkhunis to perform this ordination ceremony and that, I agree with. If the argument is that those already ordained have not ordained into the Theravada lineage then we don't have any Bhikkhunis to perform the ordination, however there is an answer to this problem.
The Suttas make it clear that Bhikkhus can ordain Bhikkhunis.
First off we know that the Buddha established the four fold types of Buddhists.
Namely Bhikkhus(monks) , Bhikkhunis ( female monks) laymen and laywomen.
These people would study and practice the teachings of Lord Buddha.
The next thing to look at is that in the spirit of Theravada Buddhism it goes against the teachings of Lord Buddha when he says "Oh monks, I allow you to give ordination to Bhikkhunis."(Cullavagga, Vinaya Pitaka)
This, in my opinion solves the problem of beginning an entirely new lineage of Bhikkhunis in the Theravada tradition. The Sangha can ordain the first group of Bhikkhunis and after this we could start to have ordinations done in the more traditional fashion.
The next issue to look at then, is what to do about the Bhikkhunis who have been ordained by temples outside of Thailand where the lineage can be said not to be Theravadan.
This may get a little tricky. If one of these Bhikkhunis wishes to obtain the full visa that a Bhikkhu or Mae Chi can receive then proof of ordination will be required. It would be possible that ordination outside of a newly begun official lineage would invalidate the chances of a visa.
The only solution to this would be re-ordaining, and this would mean loss of seniority for any Bhikkhuni who took this path.
I hope that some day soon we will see this issue resolved.
As a newly ordained Bhikkhu I do not see that I will have a lot of sway over things, but I can express my opinion.
With metta, Phra Greg
Something that I constantly hear people saying is that they really like Buddhism but it needs to be modernised. This is a term that has me a little confused. What the heck does this mean?
People say that some of the rules(Vinaya) that the monks live by should be scrapped as times have changed since Buddha laid them down.
They say we should get rid of some of the minor rules.
When the Buddha was dying he said that if the Sangha felt some of the lesser rules should be lifted then that was alright, however the Arahats who were left to make this decision could not decide on what was a minor rule and what wasn't and therefore all 227 rules for monks and all 311 rules for nuns were left in place.
The problem is-where do we stop?
Sure, if we did away with some of the rules it would make the life of monks a lot easier, but we did not sign up to an easy life. We signed up to the life of a mendicant, an alms man.
There are times, of course, we we find ourselves living by the spirit of the rules, as opposed to the letter of the rule.
In my own case, when I left my temple in Malaysia to take up my new position here in Thailand, I had to handle money.
As we know a monk should not be handling money and in fact the vinaya sets out how a steward can take responsibility for gifts offered to a monk. My problem was, how do I get a lay person to travel from one country to another, just so they can give my bus fare to the conductor? This would have been a ridiculous thing to do and would most certainly have been unfair on the lay devotee.
As a foreign monk living in Thailand, I need to pay for my visa, so again the need for money comes about.
The problem with living by the spirit of the rule is that some people can then begin to abuse this, and the Sangha finds itself being brought into disrepute.
This then give people the ammunition to bad mouth Buddhism in general.
It is interesting to note that some of the people who I have heard state that Buddhism needs to be modernized are the same people who often find fault when a bhikkhu does not live according to the letter of the law.
One contentious issue in the Theravada tradition today is the ordination of Bhikkhunis-or nuns.
This is an issue I feel needs to be addressed and sooner, rather than later, preferably.
The problem is one of lineage.The Bhikkhuni lineage was broken a long time ago(due to war in Sri Lanka) and the Bhikkhunis disrobed and scattered (for safety reasons)
Unfortunately with the breaking of the lineage, there was no one to ordain women into the Sangha and so we have a problem.
There are of course Bhikkhunis here in Thailand, but they are not legally recognized and therefore can not get the same visa as a foreign monk or mae chi( some one between a lay person and a nun, living on 8 or 10 precepts).
These Bhikkhunis receive a lot of respect from monks and lay people alike, but they are just not officially recognized, so we need to address this situation.
In my opinion the way to do this does not lie with monasteries outside of Thailand or Myanmar that are sattelite monasteries of these countries,ordaining women as they wish. This merely causes disharmonony which does no one any good, and again these Bhikkhunis would have no legal rights if they wished to travel to places like Thailand.
The other problem with some of these ordinations are due to the way the new lineage of Theravada Bhikkhunis was set up. As there were no Theravada Bhikkhunis to preside over the origanal ordination proceedure as set down by the vinaya, Mahayana Bhikkhunis were used.This poses a dilema. These new Bhikkhunis have ordained into the Mahayana tradition, not the Theravada tradition, and therefore cannot be considered Theravada nuns.
Can this issue be resolved?
Yes it can, and I believe it must, but how?
I have the confidence that as this issue is discussed at conferences here in Thailand( a frequent occurence) that more and more monks will speak out on this issue. More and more monks will come to see that this disparity has to change.
It will of course be argued that we have no Bhikkhunis to perform this ordination ceremony and that, I agree with. If the argument is that those already ordained have not ordained into the Theravada lineage then we don't have any Bhikkhunis to perform the ordination, however there is an answer to this problem.
The Suttas make it clear that Bhikkhus can ordain Bhikkhunis.
First off we know that the Buddha established the four fold types of Buddhists.
Namely Bhikkhus(monks) , Bhikkhunis ( female monks) laymen and laywomen.
These people would study and practice the teachings of Lord Buddha.
The next thing to look at is that in the spirit of Theravada Buddhism it goes against the teachings of Lord Buddha when he says "Oh monks, I allow you to give ordination to Bhikkhunis."(Cullavagga, Vinaya Pitaka)
This, in my opinion solves the problem of beginning an entirely new lineage of Bhikkhunis in the Theravada tradition. The Sangha can ordain the first group of Bhikkhunis and after this we could start to have ordinations done in the more traditional fashion.
The next issue to look at then, is what to do about the Bhikkhunis who have been ordained by temples outside of Thailand where the lineage can be said not to be Theravadan.
This may get a little tricky. If one of these Bhikkhunis wishes to obtain the full visa that a Bhikkhu or Mae Chi can receive then proof of ordination will be required. It would be possible that ordination outside of a newly begun official lineage would invalidate the chances of a visa.
The only solution to this would be re-ordaining, and this would mean loss of seniority for any Bhikkhuni who took this path.
I hope that some day soon we will see this issue resolved.
As a newly ordained Bhikkhu I do not see that I will have a lot of sway over things, but I can express my opinion.
With metta, Phra Greg
No Internet- Dhamma in Action
Sometime yesterday, we lost the internet connection here at the temple.
I had finished a meditation session and went to check something on the internet and found myself unable to get online.
I wandered over to the office where the router is and tried to reboot it, checked my connection and of course, I had none.
It occured to me that the server must be down and I would not be able to check my messages. What to do? Actually, some more meditation was the obvious answer, but I got to thinking. The internet is supposed to make our lives easier, but if the server goes down, how do we react?
I remember being in Laos one year and had gone to check my email, and you guessed it, the server was down. In Laos this can mean up to 24 hours without internet connection.
Having been informed of this, I headed back to the guest house to chill out on the balcony and watch the world go by.
While sitting there quietly doing nothing, except for a little people watching, I noticed some people going from one internet cafe, to the next, to the next, to the next.....well you get the picture.
Although they had been told that the server was down, they were determined to find an internet cafe that had a connection.
This thing that is supposed to make our lives easier was causing suffering.
When we have internet we are happy, content, but how fast can our happiness change to misery.What made us happy, now makes us angry.
This is due to clinging. We want to get on the internet, when it suits us, but if we can't then we get annoyed.
We don't want to be without internet connection, we have an aversion to this, but as has been demonstrated, sometimes non connection happens.
Those things we like, that we always want, that we are attached to, cause suffering.
Why? Because they are impermanent, and not self. They are conditioned phenomenon, that arise and cease, based upon other conditions.
This is dhamma.
I had finished a meditation session and went to check something on the internet and found myself unable to get online.
I wandered over to the office where the router is and tried to reboot it, checked my connection and of course, I had none.
It occured to me that the server must be down and I would not be able to check my messages. What to do? Actually, some more meditation was the obvious answer, but I got to thinking. The internet is supposed to make our lives easier, but if the server goes down, how do we react?
I remember being in Laos one year and had gone to check my email, and you guessed it, the server was down. In Laos this can mean up to 24 hours without internet connection.
Having been informed of this, I headed back to the guest house to chill out on the balcony and watch the world go by.
While sitting there quietly doing nothing, except for a little people watching, I noticed some people going from one internet cafe, to the next, to the next, to the next.....well you get the picture.
Although they had been told that the server was down, they were determined to find an internet cafe that had a connection.
This thing that is supposed to make our lives easier was causing suffering.
When we have internet we are happy, content, but how fast can our happiness change to misery.What made us happy, now makes us angry.
This is due to clinging. We want to get on the internet, when it suits us, but if we can't then we get annoyed.
We don't want to be without internet connection, we have an aversion to this, but as has been demonstrated, sometimes non connection happens.
Those things we like, that we always want, that we are attached to, cause suffering.
Why? Because they are impermanent, and not self. They are conditioned phenomenon, that arise and cease, based upon other conditions.
This is dhamma.
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
Angulimala Sutta: About Angulimala-Majjhima Nikaya-MN 86
by Phra Chuntawongso on Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 9:17pm
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi at Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery. And at that time in King Pasenadi's realm there was a bandit named Angulimala: brutal, bloody-handed, devoted to killing & slaying, showing no mercy to living beings. He turned villages into non-villages, towns into non-towns, settled countryside into unsettled countryside. Having repeatedly killed human beings, he wore a garland (mala) made of fingers (anguli).
Then the Blessed One, early in the morning, having put on his robes and carrying his outer robe & bowl, went into Savatthi for alms. Having wandered for alms in Savatthi and returning from his alms round after his meal, set his lodging in order. Carrying his robes & bowl, he went along the road to where Angulimala was staying. Cowherds, shepherds, & farmers saw him going along the road to where Angulimala was staying, and on seeing him said to him, "Don't go along that road, contemplative, for on that road is Angulimala: brutal, bloody-handed, devoted to killing & slaying, showing no mercy to living beings. He has turned villages into non-villages, towns into non-towns, settled countryside into unsettled countryside. Having repeatedly killed human beings, he wears a garland made of fingers. Groups of ten, twenty, thirty, & forty men have gone along that road, and even they have fallen into Angulimala's hands." When this was said, the Blessed One kept going in silence.
A second time... A third time, cowherds, shepherds, & farmers said to the Blessed One, "Don't go along that road, contemplative... Groups of ten, twenty, thirty, & forty men have gone along that road, and even they have fallen into Angulimala's hands." When this was said, the Blessed One kept going in silence.
Then Angulimala saw the Blessed One coming from afar and on seeing him, this thought occurred to him: "Isn't it amazing! Isn't it astounding! Groups of ten, twenty, thirty, & forty men have gone along this road, and even they have fallen into my hands, and yet now this contemplative comes attacking, as it were, alone and without a companion. Why don't I kill him?" So Angulimala, taking up his sword & shield, buckling on his bow & quiver, followed right behind the Blessed One.
Then the Blessed One willed a feat of psychic power such that Angulimala, though running with all his might, could not catch up with the Blessed One walking at normal pace. Then the thought occurred to Angulimala: "Isn't it amazing! Isn't it astounding! In the past I've chased & seized even a swift-running elephant, a swift-running horse, a swift-running chariot, a swift-running deer. But now, even though I'm running with all my might, I can't catch up with this contemplative walking at normal pace." So he stopped and called out to the Blessed One, "Stop, contemplative! Stop!"
"I have stopped, Angulimala. You stop."
Then the thought occurred to Angulimala, "These Sakyan contemplatives are speakers of the truth, asserters of the truths, and yet this contemplative, even while walking, says, 'I have stopped, Angulimala. You stop.' Why don't I question him?"
So Angulimala the bandit addressed this verse to the Blessed One:
"While walking, contemplative, you say, 'I have stopped.' But when I have stopped you say I haven't. I ask you the meaning of this: How have you stopped? How haven't I?"
[The Buddha:]
"I have stopped, Angulimala, once & for all, having cast off violence toward all living beings. You, though, are unrestrained toward beings. That's how I've stopped and you haven't."
[Angulimala:]
"At long last a greatly revered great seer for my sake has come to the great forest. Having heard your verse in line with the Dhamma, I will go about having abandoned evil." So saying, the bandit hurled his sword & weapons over a cliff into a chasm, a pit. Then the bandit paid homage to the feet of the One Well-gone, and right there requested the Going-forth. The Awakened One, the compassionate great seer, the teacher of the world, along with its devas, said to him then: "Come, bhikkhu." That in itself was bhikkhuhood for him.
Then the Blessed One set out wandering toward Savatthi with Ven. Angulimala as his attendant monk. After wandering by stages he reached Savatthi, and there he lived, near Savatthi, in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery.
Now at that time a large crowd of people, loud & noisy, had gathered at the gates to King Pasenadi Kosala's inner palace, [calling out,] "There is a bandit in your realm, sire, named Angulimala: brutal, bloody-handed, devoted to killing & slaying, showing no mercy to living beings. He has turned villages into non-villages, towns into non-towns, settled countryside into unsettled countryside. Having repeatedly killed human beings, he wears a garland made of fingers. The king must stamp him out!"
Then King Pasenadi Kosala, with a cavalry of roughly 500 horsemen, drove out of Savatthi and entered the monastery. Driving as far as the ground was passable for chariots, he got down from his chariot and went on foot to the Blessed One. On arrival, having bowed down, he sat to one side. As he was sitting there, the Blessed One said to him, "What is it, great king? Has King Seniya Bimbisara of Magadha provoked you, or have the Licchavis of Vesali or some other hostile king?"
"No, lord. King Seniya Bimbisara of Magadha hasn't provoked me, nor have the Licchavis of Vesali, nor has some other hostile king. There is a bandit in my realm, lord, named Angulimala: brutal, bloody-handed, devoted to killing & slaying, showing no mercy to living beings. He has turned villages into non-villages, towns into non-towns, settled countryside into unsettled countryside. Having repeatedly killed human beings, he wears a garland made of fingers. I am going to stamp him out."
"Great king, suppose you were to see Angulimala with his hair & beard shaved off, wearing the ochre robe, having gone forth from the home life into homelessness, refraining from killing living beings, refraining from taking what is not given, refraining from telling lies, living the holy life on one meal a day, virtuous & of fine character: what would you do to him?"
"We would bow down to him, lord, or rise up to greet him, or offer him a seat, or offer him robes, almsfood, lodgings, or medicinal requisites for curing illness; or we would arrange a lawful guard, protection, & defense. But how could there be such virtue & restraint in an unvirtuous, evil character?"
Now at that time Ven. Angulimala was sitting not far from the Blessed One. So the Blessed One, pointing with his right arm, said to King Pasenadi Kosala, "That, great king, is Angulimala." Then King Pasenadi Kosala was frightened, terrified, his hair standing on end. So the Blessed One, sensing the king's fear & hair-raising awe, said to him, "Don't be afraid, great king. Don't be afraid. He poses no danger to you."
Then the king's fear, his terror, his hair-standing-on-end subsided. He went over to Ven. Angulimala and said, "Are you really Angulimala, lord?"
"Yes, great king."
"What is your father's clan? What is your mother's clan?"
"My father is a Gagga, great king, and my mother a Mantani."
"Then may Master Gagga Mantaniputta delight [in staying here]. I will be responsible for your robes, almsfood, lodgings, & medicinal requisites for curing illness."
Now it so happened that at that time Ven. Angulimala was a wilderness-dweller, an alms-goer, wearing one set of the triple robe made of cast-off cloth. So he said to King Pasenadi Kosala, "Enough, great king. My triple robe is complete."
So King Pasenadi Kosala went to the Blessed One and on arrival, having bowed down, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One, "It's amazing, lord. It's astounding, how the Blessed One has tamed the untamed, pacified the unpeaceful, and brought to Unbinding those who were not unbound. For what we could not tame even with blunt or bladed weapons, the Blessed One has tamed without blunt or bladed weapons. Now, lord, we must go. Many are our duties, many our responsibilities."
"Then do, great king, what you think it is now time to do."
Then King Pasenadi Kosala got up from his seat, bowed down to the Blessed One and — keeping him to his right — departed.
Then Ven. Angulimala, early in the morning, having put on his robes and carrying his outer robe & bowl, went into Savatthi for alms. As he was going from house to house for alms, he saw a woman suffering a breech birth. On seeing her, the thought occurred to him: "How tormented are living beings! How tormented are living beings!" Then, having wandered for alms in Savatthi and returning from his alms round after his meal, he went to the Blessed One. On arrival, having bowed down to him, he sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One, "Just now, lord, early in the morning, having put on my robes and carrying my outer robe & bowl, I went into Savatthi for alms. As I was going from house to house for alms, I saw a woman suffering a breech birth. On seeing her, the thought occurred to me: 'How tormented are living beings! How tormented are living beings!'"
"In that case, Angulimala, go to that woman and on arrival say to her, 'Sister, since I was born I do not recall intentionally killing a living being. Through this truth may there be wellbeing for you, wellbeing for your fetus.'"
"But, lord, wouldn't that be a lie for me? For I have intentionally killed many living beings."
"Then in that case, Angulimala, go to that woman and on arrival say to her, 'Sister, since I was born in the noble birth, I do not recall intentionally killing a living being. Through this truth may there be wellbeing for you, wellbeing for your fetus.'"
Responding, "As you say, lord," to the Blessed One, Angulimala went to that woman and on arrival said to her, "Sister, since I was born in the noble birth, I do not recall intentionally killing a living being. Through this may there be wellbeing for you, wellbeing for your fetus." And there was wellbeing for the woman, wellbeing for her fetus.
Then Ven. Angulimala, dwelling alone, secluded, heedful, ardent, & resolute, in no long time reached & remained in the supreme goal of the holy life for which clansmen rightly go forth from home into homelessness, knowing & realizing it for himself in the here & now. He knew: "Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for the sake of this world." And thus Ven. Angulimala became another one of the arahants.
Then Ven. Angulimala, early in the morning, having put on his robes and carrying his outer robe & bowl, went into Savatthi for alms. Now at that time a clod thrown by one person hit Ven. Angulimala on the body, a stone thrown by another person hit him on the body, and a potsherd thrown by still another person hit him on the body. So Ven. Angulimala — his head broken open and dripping with blood, his bowl broken, and his outer robe ripped to shreds — went to the Blessed One. The Blessed One saw him coming from afar and on seeing him said to him: "Bear with it, brahman! Bear with it! The fruit of the kamma that would have burned you in hell for many years, many hundreds of years, many thousands of years, you are now experiencing in the here-&-now!"
Then Ven. Angulimala, having gone alone into seclusion, experienced the bliss of release. At that time he exclaimed:
Who once was heedless, but later is not, brightens the world like the moon set free from a cloud. His evil-done deed is replaced with skillfulness: he brightens the world like the moon set free from a cloud. Whatever young monk devotes himself to the Buddha's bidding: he brightens the world like the moon set free from a cloud. May even my enemies hear talk of the Dhamma. May even my enemies devote themselves to the Buddha's bidding. May even my enemies associate with those people who — peaceful, good — get others to accept the Dhamma. May even my enemies hear the Dhamma time & again from those who advise endurance, forbearance, who praise non-opposition, and may they follow it. For surely he wouldn't harm me, or anyone else; he would attain the foremost peace, would protect the feeble & firm. Irrigators guide the water. Fletchers shape the arrow shaft. Carpenters shape the wood. The wise control themselves. Some tame with a blunt stick, with hooks, & with whips But without blunt or bladed weapons I was tamed by the one who is Such. "Doer of No Harm" is my name, but I used to be a doer of harm. Today I am true to my name, for I harm no one at all. A bandit I used to be, renowned as Angulimala. Swept along by a great flood, I went to the Buddha as refuge. Bloody-handed I used to be, renowned as Angulimala. See my going for refuge! Uprooted is [craving], the guide to becoming. Having done the type of kamma that would lead to many bad destinations, touched by the fruit of [that] kamma, unindebted, I eat my food. They're addicted to heedlessness — dullards, fools — while one who is wise cherishes heedfulness as his highest wealth. Don't give way to heedlessnes or to intimacy with sensual delight — for a heedful person, absorbed in jhana, attains an abundant bliss. This has come well & not gone away, it was not badly thought through for me. From among well-analyzed qualities, I have obtained the best. This has come well & not gone away, it was not badly thought through for me. The three knowledges have been attained; the Buddha's bidding, done
"Angulimala Sutta: About Angulimala" (MN 86), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight, 14 June 2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.086.than.html.
My reflections on this sutta:
I sometimes hear people say that it is not our responsibility to try and change the way people are, or the way people think or act.
As we see in this sutta, the truth is that we do have a responsibility to try and help others.
When I used to spend a lot of time in India, I would hear people say not to give anything to the beggars, and that it wasn't our place to try and help them as it was their kamma to be born this way.
It may be true, that due to non virtuous acts committed in previous lives, these people have been unfortunate in this present life, but that does not mean we should not have compassion for them, nor does it mean that we do not have to practice generosity.
As we see in the sutta, Angulimala was going to kill his own mother to obtain the last finger for his collection, but that would have guaranteed rebirth in the hell realms.
Buddha, knowing this, interfered and we see the end result.
It may to correct to say that as buddhists we don't run around trying to convert people, but to say we should leave everyone to their own fate, in my opinion is incorrect.
If I see a young person on a way street, heading towards drug addiction, stealing, lying and cheating, where at the best he/she may be looking at a spell inside, I would certainly say something.
Whether they listen or not is up to them.
Phra Greg
Then the Blessed One, early in the morning, having put on his robes and carrying his outer robe & bowl, went into Savatthi for alms. Having wandered for alms in Savatthi and returning from his alms round after his meal, set his lodging in order. Carrying his robes & bowl, he went along the road to where Angulimala was staying. Cowherds, shepherds, & farmers saw him going along the road to where Angulimala was staying, and on seeing him said to him, "Don't go along that road, contemplative, for on that road is Angulimala: brutal, bloody-handed, devoted to killing & slaying, showing no mercy to living beings. He has turned villages into non-villages, towns into non-towns, settled countryside into unsettled countryside. Having repeatedly killed human beings, he wears a garland made of fingers. Groups of ten, twenty, thirty, & forty men have gone along that road, and even they have fallen into Angulimala's hands." When this was said, the Blessed One kept going in silence.
A second time... A third time, cowherds, shepherds, & farmers said to the Blessed One, "Don't go along that road, contemplative... Groups of ten, twenty, thirty, & forty men have gone along that road, and even they have fallen into Angulimala's hands." When this was said, the Blessed One kept going in silence.
Then Angulimala saw the Blessed One coming from afar and on seeing him, this thought occurred to him: "Isn't it amazing! Isn't it astounding! Groups of ten, twenty, thirty, & forty men have gone along this road, and even they have fallen into my hands, and yet now this contemplative comes attacking, as it were, alone and without a companion. Why don't I kill him?" So Angulimala, taking up his sword & shield, buckling on his bow & quiver, followed right behind the Blessed One.
Then the Blessed One willed a feat of psychic power such that Angulimala, though running with all his might, could not catch up with the Blessed One walking at normal pace. Then the thought occurred to Angulimala: "Isn't it amazing! Isn't it astounding! In the past I've chased & seized even a swift-running elephant, a swift-running horse, a swift-running chariot, a swift-running deer. But now, even though I'm running with all my might, I can't catch up with this contemplative walking at normal pace." So he stopped and called out to the Blessed One, "Stop, contemplative! Stop!"
"I have stopped, Angulimala. You stop."
Then the thought occurred to Angulimala, "These Sakyan contemplatives are speakers of the truth, asserters of the truths, and yet this contemplative, even while walking, says, 'I have stopped, Angulimala. You stop.' Why don't I question him?"
So Angulimala the bandit addressed this verse to the Blessed One:
"While walking, contemplative, you say, 'I have stopped.' But when I have stopped you say I haven't. I ask you the meaning of this: How have you stopped? How haven't I?"
[The Buddha:]
"I have stopped, Angulimala, once & for all, having cast off violence toward all living beings. You, though, are unrestrained toward beings. That's how I've stopped and you haven't."
[Angulimala:]
"At long last a greatly revered great seer for my sake has come to the great forest. Having heard your verse in line with the Dhamma, I will go about having abandoned evil." So saying, the bandit hurled his sword & weapons over a cliff into a chasm, a pit. Then the bandit paid homage to the feet of the One Well-gone, and right there requested the Going-forth. The Awakened One, the compassionate great seer, the teacher of the world, along with its devas, said to him then: "Come, bhikkhu." That in itself was bhikkhuhood for him.
Then the Blessed One set out wandering toward Savatthi with Ven. Angulimala as his attendant monk. After wandering by stages he reached Savatthi, and there he lived, near Savatthi, in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery.
Now at that time a large crowd of people, loud & noisy, had gathered at the gates to King Pasenadi Kosala's inner palace, [calling out,] "There is a bandit in your realm, sire, named Angulimala: brutal, bloody-handed, devoted to killing & slaying, showing no mercy to living beings. He has turned villages into non-villages, towns into non-towns, settled countryside into unsettled countryside. Having repeatedly killed human beings, he wears a garland made of fingers. The king must stamp him out!"
Then King Pasenadi Kosala, with a cavalry of roughly 500 horsemen, drove out of Savatthi and entered the monastery. Driving as far as the ground was passable for chariots, he got down from his chariot and went on foot to the Blessed One. On arrival, having bowed down, he sat to one side. As he was sitting there, the Blessed One said to him, "What is it, great king? Has King Seniya Bimbisara of Magadha provoked you, or have the Licchavis of Vesali or some other hostile king?"
"No, lord. King Seniya Bimbisara of Magadha hasn't provoked me, nor have the Licchavis of Vesali, nor has some other hostile king. There is a bandit in my realm, lord, named Angulimala: brutal, bloody-handed, devoted to killing & slaying, showing no mercy to living beings. He has turned villages into non-villages, towns into non-towns, settled countryside into unsettled countryside. Having repeatedly killed human beings, he wears a garland made of fingers. I am going to stamp him out."
"Great king, suppose you were to see Angulimala with his hair & beard shaved off, wearing the ochre robe, having gone forth from the home life into homelessness, refraining from killing living beings, refraining from taking what is not given, refraining from telling lies, living the holy life on one meal a day, virtuous & of fine character: what would you do to him?"
"We would bow down to him, lord, or rise up to greet him, or offer him a seat, or offer him robes, almsfood, lodgings, or medicinal requisites for curing illness; or we would arrange a lawful guard, protection, & defense. But how could there be such virtue & restraint in an unvirtuous, evil character?"
Now at that time Ven. Angulimala was sitting not far from the Blessed One. So the Blessed One, pointing with his right arm, said to King Pasenadi Kosala, "That, great king, is Angulimala." Then King Pasenadi Kosala was frightened, terrified, his hair standing on end. So the Blessed One, sensing the king's fear & hair-raising awe, said to him, "Don't be afraid, great king. Don't be afraid. He poses no danger to you."
Then the king's fear, his terror, his hair-standing-on-end subsided. He went over to Ven. Angulimala and said, "Are you really Angulimala, lord?"
"Yes, great king."
"What is your father's clan? What is your mother's clan?"
"My father is a Gagga, great king, and my mother a Mantani."
"Then may Master Gagga Mantaniputta delight [in staying here]. I will be responsible for your robes, almsfood, lodgings, & medicinal requisites for curing illness."
Now it so happened that at that time Ven. Angulimala was a wilderness-dweller, an alms-goer, wearing one set of the triple robe made of cast-off cloth. So he said to King Pasenadi Kosala, "Enough, great king. My triple robe is complete."
So King Pasenadi Kosala went to the Blessed One and on arrival, having bowed down, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One, "It's amazing, lord. It's astounding, how the Blessed One has tamed the untamed, pacified the unpeaceful, and brought to Unbinding those who were not unbound. For what we could not tame even with blunt or bladed weapons, the Blessed One has tamed without blunt or bladed weapons. Now, lord, we must go. Many are our duties, many our responsibilities."
"Then do, great king, what you think it is now time to do."
Then King Pasenadi Kosala got up from his seat, bowed down to the Blessed One and — keeping him to his right — departed.
Then Ven. Angulimala, early in the morning, having put on his robes and carrying his outer robe & bowl, went into Savatthi for alms. As he was going from house to house for alms, he saw a woman suffering a breech birth. On seeing her, the thought occurred to him: "How tormented are living beings! How tormented are living beings!" Then, having wandered for alms in Savatthi and returning from his alms round after his meal, he went to the Blessed One. On arrival, having bowed down to him, he sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One, "Just now, lord, early in the morning, having put on my robes and carrying my outer robe & bowl, I went into Savatthi for alms. As I was going from house to house for alms, I saw a woman suffering a breech birth. On seeing her, the thought occurred to me: 'How tormented are living beings! How tormented are living beings!'"
"In that case, Angulimala, go to that woman and on arrival say to her, 'Sister, since I was born I do not recall intentionally killing a living being. Through this truth may there be wellbeing for you, wellbeing for your fetus.'"
"But, lord, wouldn't that be a lie for me? For I have intentionally killed many living beings."
"Then in that case, Angulimala, go to that woman and on arrival say to her, 'Sister, since I was born in the noble birth, I do not recall intentionally killing a living being. Through this truth may there be wellbeing for you, wellbeing for your fetus.'"
Responding, "As you say, lord," to the Blessed One, Angulimala went to that woman and on arrival said to her, "Sister, since I was born in the noble birth, I do not recall intentionally killing a living being. Through this may there be wellbeing for you, wellbeing for your fetus." And there was wellbeing for the woman, wellbeing for her fetus.
Then Ven. Angulimala, dwelling alone, secluded, heedful, ardent, & resolute, in no long time reached & remained in the supreme goal of the holy life for which clansmen rightly go forth from home into homelessness, knowing & realizing it for himself in the here & now. He knew: "Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for the sake of this world." And thus Ven. Angulimala became another one of the arahants.
Then Ven. Angulimala, early in the morning, having put on his robes and carrying his outer robe & bowl, went into Savatthi for alms. Now at that time a clod thrown by one person hit Ven. Angulimala on the body, a stone thrown by another person hit him on the body, and a potsherd thrown by still another person hit him on the body. So Ven. Angulimala — his head broken open and dripping with blood, his bowl broken, and his outer robe ripped to shreds — went to the Blessed One. The Blessed One saw him coming from afar and on seeing him said to him: "Bear with it, brahman! Bear with it! The fruit of the kamma that would have burned you in hell for many years, many hundreds of years, many thousands of years, you are now experiencing in the here-&-now!"
Then Ven. Angulimala, having gone alone into seclusion, experienced the bliss of release. At that time he exclaimed:
Who once was heedless, but later is not, brightens the world like the moon set free from a cloud. His evil-done deed is replaced with skillfulness: he brightens the world like the moon set free from a cloud. Whatever young monk devotes himself to the Buddha's bidding: he brightens the world like the moon set free from a cloud. May even my enemies hear talk of the Dhamma. May even my enemies devote themselves to the Buddha's bidding. May even my enemies associate with those people who — peaceful, good — get others to accept the Dhamma. May even my enemies hear the Dhamma time & again from those who advise endurance, forbearance, who praise non-opposition, and may they follow it. For surely he wouldn't harm me, or anyone else; he would attain the foremost peace, would protect the feeble & firm. Irrigators guide the water. Fletchers shape the arrow shaft. Carpenters shape the wood. The wise control themselves. Some tame with a blunt stick, with hooks, & with whips But without blunt or bladed weapons I was tamed by the one who is Such. "Doer of No Harm" is my name, but I used to be a doer of harm. Today I am true to my name, for I harm no one at all. A bandit I used to be, renowned as Angulimala. Swept along by a great flood, I went to the Buddha as refuge. Bloody-handed I used to be, renowned as Angulimala. See my going for refuge! Uprooted is [craving], the guide to becoming. Having done the type of kamma that would lead to many bad destinations, touched by the fruit of [that] kamma, unindebted, I eat my food. They're addicted to heedlessness — dullards, fools — while one who is wise cherishes heedfulness as his highest wealth. Don't give way to heedlessnes or to intimacy with sensual delight — for a heedful person, absorbed in jhana, attains an abundant bliss. This has come well & not gone away, it was not badly thought through for me. From among well-analyzed qualities, I have obtained the best. This has come well & not gone away, it was not badly thought through for me. The three knowledges have been attained; the Buddha's bidding, done
"Angulimala Sutta: About Angulimala" (MN 86), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight, 14 June 2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.086.than.html.
My reflections on this sutta:
I sometimes hear people say that it is not our responsibility to try and change the way people are, or the way people think or act.
As we see in this sutta, the truth is that we do have a responsibility to try and help others.
When I used to spend a lot of time in India, I would hear people say not to give anything to the beggars, and that it wasn't our place to try and help them as it was their kamma to be born this way.
It may be true, that due to non virtuous acts committed in previous lives, these people have been unfortunate in this present life, but that does not mean we should not have compassion for them, nor does it mean that we do not have to practice generosity.
As we see in the sutta, Angulimala was going to kill his own mother to obtain the last finger for his collection, but that would have guaranteed rebirth in the hell realms.
Buddha, knowing this, interfered and we see the end result.
It may to correct to say that as buddhists we don't run around trying to convert people, but to say we should leave everyone to their own fate, in my opinion is incorrect.
If I see a young person on a way street, heading towards drug addiction, stealing, lying and cheating, where at the best he/she may be looking at a spell inside, I would certainly say something.
Whether they listen or not is up to them.
Phra Greg
A Brief Introduction To Vipassana Meditation.
The Lord Buddha had five objectives in mind when He taught.
1.For the purification of all beings.
2.For passing beyond sorrow and lamentation.
3.For release from bodily and mental pain.
4.For seeing the truth of life;what real;true life is.
5.For the end of all suffering.
The method of practice that will lead to these five objectives is called Vipassana Khammatthana(Insight Meditation),in line with the Four Foundations of Mndfulness(Satipatthana)
What is Vipassana?
Vipassana means "to see clearly".Vi meansclearly;passana means "to see".
To see clearly in regards to what?To see clearly in regards to our own body and mind;that,both inside oueselves and in the whole world around us,things are uncertain,unstable,changing all the time(anicca).To see that,both inside ourselves and in the whole world around us,things are stressful,unsatisfying(dukkha)And to see that,both inside ourselves and in the whole world around us,things are not under our control(anatta).
What are the four foundations of mindfulness(Satipatthana)?
Sati means the ability to "remember" or "remind" oneself.It is translated as "Mindfulness.
Patthana means "Foundation" or "Base"
Satipatthana is therefore translated "Foundations of Mindfulness"
The Four Foundarions of Mindfulness are:
1.Body:bowing mindfully,walking mindfully,sitting mindfully.
2.Feelings:Noting pain as pain,happy feelings as "happy" and nuetral feelings as "nuetral".
3.Mind:Noting thoughts about the past or future-both good and bad-as "thinking".
4.Dhammas:Noting hindrances as "liking", "disliking","drowsiness","distraction","doubt".
Why should one be mindful?
The Four Foundations of Mindfulness are a device that stops evil,stops bad deeds,stops defilement."Sati nivaranam settham"-Mindfulness is an exceptional preventer(of evil states).
During the time we are mindful,evil won't enter into our hearts.We will have pure hearts always.
It is like dark and shining light.Mindfulness is a shining light;all defilements,all evil states are like darkness.When the bright light shines,the darkness disappears.For this reason,one should be mindful at all times-our mind will shine,clean and peaceful all of the time.
From the Meditators Handbook-Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.
With thanks
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