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THE PHILOSOPHY & PRACTICE OF BODHISATTVA SOURCES OF BODHISATTVA Lecture by- Prof. UdhithaGarusinghe Ven.Vinayasami& Ven. Jagariya 2.6.2012 DVEDHVITAKKA SUTTA In this sutta, it is explained that the Boddhisatta when engaged in various religious practices to fine out the way out of this suffering of Samsara. He practiced a kind of mental exercises. He divided the thoughts into two ( Dvedha). 1. Divided unwholesome( Akusala ) thoughts into one part. Those are. iii-

Kama vitakka Vyapdavitakka Vihimsavitakka

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2. Divided the wholesome( Kusala ) thoughts into another part. Those are..
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Nekkhamma Avyapada Avihimsa

According to this sutta, he tried to develop wholesome thoughts while trying to eliminate unwholesome thoughts. Then he was doing that in the first watch ( Pathamayna ) of the night. He attained to the knowledge of recollecting his past lives(pubbenivsanussati). In the middle watch ( Majjhimayana ), he attained to knowledge of the passing away & reappearance of beings by means of the divine eye.Then he realized the Four-Noble Truth in the last watch of the night.(pacchimaimayma). ACCARIYA ABBUTADHAMMA SUTTA (strange & wonderful thing) In this sutta, all the mental incidence of the life of the Boddhisatta, i explained to strange and wonderful incidences. There are fifteen incidences from his departure, from the Tusita heaven to take conception in Mayas womb up to the Great utterance I am the Lord of this world. I am the most senior of this world, This is my final birth, no next birth will be there. (aggohamasminlokassa, jeohamasmilokassa, ayamantimjti, nattidnipunabbvo) MAHPADHNA SUTTA Here,informations can be gathered with regard to the major incidents of the life of the Bodhisatta which are same as in accariyaabbthadhammasutta. But further, one can also read about the life stories of the seven Boddhisattas; Vipassi, Sikh, Vessabu, Kakusanda, Kongamana, Kassapa, Gotama. But the full life story of VipassiBodhisatta is given in this sutta explaining that these incidents of the Bodhisattais a rule ( Dhammat ) for every bodhisatta. In this sutta, we are able to read about the four signs by which the BodhisattaVipassi was disgusted about the life and finally he wanted to become mendicant (ascetic). CAKKAVATTISHANDA SUTTA

This sutta is very important for us to read and find out the information of king Cakkavatti in Buddhism. Any Bodhisatta has a potential to become a king Cakkavatti if he wishes. It is say in various other suttas in this manner. BUDDHAVAMSA PALI It is where we can read about 24 Buddhas or Bodhhisattas. It is mentioned here about SiddhrthaBodhisatta in his various life. First rooted is aspiration to a Buddhabefore Dipankara Buddha as an ascetic called Sumadha. He deceived the first declaration ( Vykarana ) from the Dipankara Buddha to say that he will in his future birth become a Buddha. CHARIYAPITAKA PALI We can read all about the conduct offered Bodhisatta in order to become a Buddha. Paramitas( Perfections ) are explained here. JTAKA KATHA Jtaka stories are the previous life stories of the Bodhisatta to show how he tried to complete Pramitas (Perfections). There are ten Pramitas and some Jtaka stories are confined to each Pramita. Every Jtaka stories has a present incident and the previous story by the Buddha in relation to the present incident. In every Jtaka story, the main character is the Bodhisatta. ATTHAKATH LITERATURE There are many commentaries where we can find the Buddhist information concerning the concept of Boddhisatta in the Theravda Tradition. Atthakaths( commentaries ) are more important to find out the development of the Bodhisatta in the Theravda tradition. According to the commentaries, we can find etymology of the Boddhisatta, how the career of the Boddhisatta has been divided into various categories such as: MahBhdhisatta, PacchekaBodhisatta and SvakaBodhisatta, the length of the career of the Bodhisatta, in respect of the very important practices that the Bodhisatta has to follow etc. SA PINDITAMAHNIDNA Here, we can find the mental explanation of the Bodhisatta to become the Buddha even much early thanthe Sumedhaascetic.This showed the gradual development of the concept of the Bodhisatta in different periods. MAHVASTU Mahvastu is the only volume that is remains ofMahsaghika sects. It encloses the broader explanation of the career of the Bodhisatta. This is the Sanskrit texts. According to the last sentence of the every chapter of this text, this text is Vinaya Book of Mahsaghika. ryamahsaghikanamadhyadesikna lokottaravdinavinayapiakasyaMahvastuye. Mahsaghikavinaya texts can be seen only Chinese version.The only original words of the Mahsaghikatexts available to us is Mahvastu named as Mahvastu + avadna (Biography ). It is the first book of Vinayapiaka of thelokottaravdinasof Mahsaghika school. According to it, the Buddhas are Lokuttaro or Super-mundane and are connected only externally with the worldly life. This conception of the Bodhisatta contributed much to the growth of the Mahyna Philosophy as well as the doctrine of the Bodhisatta. The biography of the Buddha was the central theme of the Mahvastu.

LALITAVISTARA It is one of the nine Dhammas of main Mahyna discourse called nine Vaipulya sutra. Vaipulya means Great. They are;
1- Astasaharikaprayparamita sutra

2- Ganavyha sutra 3- Dasaghumika sutra 4- Samdhirja sutra

5- Lakvatara sutra 6- Saddharmapudarika sutra

7- Tathagataguyhaka sutra 8- Svarnapraghasa sutra

9- Lalitavistra sutra

The text of Lalitavistra is divided into 27 chapters called Parivarta or Adhyya of unepual extent. The first of these chapters is called Nidna( Origin ) and states how the Buddha himself narrated the contents of the words.The second chapter narrated how gods encourage the Bodhisattato born from the Tusit Heaven to the earth for the benefit of humanity.The Third chapter, the Bodhisatta after a review of the world is countries, cities, Royal House etc, selected the Sakyacaln and the capital Kapilavattu as more suitable for his descent. In the Fourth, the Bodhisatta takes a review of his past life in which he prepared himself for Buddhahood in his last world. The Fifth state how he then prepares for the descent. The Sixth describes his behavior in his mothers womb.The Seventh narrates the birth and numerous miracles attending it with an interlude by way of a conversation between The Buddha and nand regarding the miracles followed by Asitas visit and prophecy and visit numerous gods. The Eighth narrates how the young Bodhisattva was taken to the temple, and how images of deities stood up at his entry into temple to pay homage to the future Buddha. In the ninth, we get information regarding ornaments made for Bohdisattva.In the tenth, bodhisattva is taken to the school even though he knew all scripts, letters of alphabet and their implications.In eleventh, he inspects his land property. In the twelfth, there is mention of a suitable bride, tests of his strength and skill in archery, and of his marriage. In the 13th , gods implore him to leave the worldly life and pleasures. The fourteenth describes the four great sights of old age, disease and death, and also of a recluse. The fifteenth describes the scene of Mahbhinishkramaa or renunciation. The sixteenth mentions Bodhisattvas quest for the highest truth, offer by kingBimbisra of his Kingdom,etc. The seventeenth describes the hard penance, 18th his penance at Nerajar and the offer of Pyasa by Sujt. The 19th and 20thparivartas describe his visit to Bodhimadala, 21th his encounter with Mra and temptation by his daughters, and 22th his enlightenment and realization of the highest truth, In the 23th gods praise him on his enlightenment,and request him to preach his new faith to the world. It also records his hesitation to reveal the new faith for fear of its not being properly appreciated by the world, and the visit of Trapusa&Bhallika. The 25th records his introspection and decision to preach his doctrine to the world. The 26th

contains his first sermon to a group of five monks, known as Dharmacakra-pravartana. The last parivarta records a conclusion. This Lalitavistara provides a bulk of material with regard to the life of the Bodhisattva from the birth of Tusita heaven up to the deliverance of first cermon-Dharma cakra. ASTASHASRIK PRAJPRAMITA This is one of the earliest Mahayana texts among other volumes of prajnaparamita Literature. There are more than one hundred texts dealing with the Bodhisattva practice, Extinction of self, The Meaning of Bodhisattva, the meaning of Mahyna Six Pramitas. Training in prajpramit.The Doctrine of Suntya, Upayakaualya.The value ofprajpramit. There are 32 chapters only. BODHISATTVA BUHUMI The volume on the Bodhisattva stages(Bodhisattva Bhumi) belongs to the 4th Century A.D. some of the scholars think that this is a work of Maitreyantha, a famous Mahyna teacher. In this some of the new concepts of the Mahyna tradition such as Gotrabhu has been introduced and the Bodhisattva Yana has been explained in the sense of superior than that of being ravkaYna or PratyekabuddhaYna. There are only seven chapters. DASBHUMIKA SUTRA This book is earlier than the Bodhisattva Bhumi. This is the best source of MahynaDasabhsi. This has been written in 1-2 century AD. Though there are some early sources of Dassabhmi in the Lankvatrasttara and PancabhimasatiShsrikprajpramit, only DassabhmikaSttraprevides the explantion of Dassabhmi. This volume has 11 chapters explaining each Bhmi in each Chapter Parmudit, Wimal, Prabhkari, Archismati, Sudurgay, Abhimukh, Dragham, Asal, Sahumat, Dhammamigh and the last chapter has been named as Parindana which includesdes the summary of Daabhmi. BODHICARYVATRA This is one of the main sourseof Bodhisattva career. This poetry book was written by ShantidevaPada in the 7 century A. D. in India. He was belonged to the Mdyamaka tradition and he has written another book on the Bodhisattva practice with the name of SikraSamuccaya. This Bodhicaryvatra has 9 chapters and the last chapter deals with the Sunyatadoctrine.
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SIKS-SAMUCCAYA As this is a work of ShantidevaPada it deals with the Bodhisattva practice which in same as the Bodhicaryvatra. The difference is the Bodhicaryvatra was written as poetry and the ikSamuccaya is mainly a prose book but rather mixed with poems. This provides the righteous code of conduct for a Bodhisattva. Here mainly instructions are given for the fulfillment of six Pramitas; Dna, Sla, Ksanti, Virya, Dhyna andPraj. This book is divided into 19 chapters the first eight chapters emphasize the avoidance of evil and self purification. 9- 15 chapter deal with Kanti, Vrya,Dhyna and Religious actions. 16 19 chapters deal with the increase of good conduct, the praise of worship, (Recollection of theThere Jewels) increase of Holiness and specially deals with a section for Not to Eat Flesh and mentioned to avoid flesh, onions, intoxicants of different kinds and garlic of all sorts.

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