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Councils
A DISCOURSE
by
Venerable Acara Suvanno Mahathera
[1920-2007]
An Investigative Dhamma
Collated by Jinavamsa
3
Email: jinavamsa@gmail.com
Copyright @2010 by Leong Yok Kee
CONTENTS
The Six Councils of the Thera Elders
Prologue 7
H.G.Wells: The Outline of History 8
H.G.Wells: The Corruption of Buddhism 16
Foreword 17
Introduction: The Six Theravada Councils 25
Ageless Words 42
Chronological Order of the Six Councils 48
1st Council 53
2nd Council 64
3rd Council 69
Buddhism’s Disappearance from India 76
4th Council 80
5th Council 82
6th Council 83
Study Notes 85
The Story of Nigrodha 85
Appamada Vagga 86
Vassa 87
Maha Kassapa 88
Four Stages of Arahant 92
Vinaya Rules 93
Relinguishing the Will to Live 95
Maha Papajati Gotami 102
Cause of Pollution of the True Dhamma 104
The Tipitaka - Original Words 110
5
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
G
rateful Thanks are extended to All those who have helped
in their special way to make this Dhamma Gift available
to those who are seeking the Truth.
Grateful thanks are very much due to you who have made
donations to the printing of this Dhamma literature; without
which it will definitely not see the light of day. Sadhu! Sadhu!
Sadhu!
A series of his talks will be printed in book form and if you have a
desire to contribute to the successful completion of these series,
financial donations will be helpful and can be sent to:
My email: jinavamsa@gmail.com
7
P
ROLOGUE
The reality of the Dhamma of the Self-Enlightened One, The
Buddha, is a progressively evolving journey, an investigative
journey; a very long journey that has no parallel; for it is a
journey as if one is on a raft that oft times sails through calm
waters, sweet and pleasant; it can of a sudden enter stretches of
turbulent malodorous sewage pools, clutching and overpowering;
it can squeeze through tiny crevices storming into vast deep
rapids of icy cold snow fields; it goes on and on; until when one
hits upon the tiny outlet stream that runs into the ancient sea of
knowledge that allows one to gently be absorbed into the cool
waters of Nibbana.
The Sole Being that pried open the doorway to The Path gave
specific directions to the key. It was not his intention to keep the
secret to himself; once he had discovered the key, it was his
earnest desire to share the secret with those who were sufficiently
well disposed meritoriously and wise and who desired the secret
too. He spent quite a number of years to pass the key to those
who saw the benefit of it; alas, few realise the wonder of the
secret. To those who do, let us begin the Dhamma journey from
the outside. Let us begin by studying the view of one of the
greatest historian of our times; H.G. Wells, as he wrote about the
beginning of the journey we have been favoured with.
8
The little state was ruled by a family, the Sakya clan, of which this
man, Siddhattha Gautama, was a member. Siddhattha was his
personal name, like Caius or John; Gautama, or Gotama, his
family name, like Caesar or Smith; Sakya his clan name, like
Julius. The institution of caste was not yet fully established in
India, and the Brahmins, though they were privileged and
influential, had not yet struggled to the head of the system; but
there were already strongly marked class distinctions and a
practically impermeable partition between the noble Aryans and
the darker common people. Gautama belonged to the former
race. His teaching, we may note, was called the Aryan Path, the
Aryan Truth.
Benares, which had a king, was about a hundred miles away. The
chief amusements were hunting and lovemaking. All the good
that life seemed to offer, Gautama enjoyed. He was married at
nineteen to a beautiful cousin. For some years they remained
childless. He hunted and played and went about in his sunny
world of gardens and groves and irrigated rice-fields.
And it was amidst this life that a great discontent fell upon him. It
was the unhappiness of a fine brain that seeks employment. He
lived amidst plenty and beauty, he passed from gratification to
gratification, and his soul was not satisfied. It was as if he heard
the destinies of the race calling to him. He felt that the existence
he was leading was not the reality of life, but a holiday; a holiday
that had gone on too long.
He was contemplating upon this project says the story, when the
news was brought to him that his wife had been delivered of his
first-born son. ‘This is another tie to break’, said Gautama.
Very far they rode that night, and in the morning he stopped,
outside the lands of his clan, and dismounted beside a sandy
river. There he cut off his flowing locks with his sword, removed
all his ornaments, and sent them and his horse and sword back to
his house by Channa.
This instruction must have been very much in the style of the
Socratic discussions that were going on in Athens a couple of
centuries later. Gautama became versed in all the metaphysics of
his age. But his acute intelligence was dissatisfied with the
solutions offered him.
The Indian mind has always been disposed to believe that power
and knowledge may be obtained by extreme asceticism, by
fasting, sleeplessness, and self-torment, and these ideas Gautama
now put to the test. He betook himself with five disciple
companions to the jungle in a gorge in the Vindhya Mountains,
and there he gave himself up to fasting and terrible penances. His
fame spread, ‘like the sound of a great bell hung in the canopy of
the skies’, but it brought him no sense of truth achieved.
had realised that whatever truth a man may reach is reached best
by a nourished brain in a healthy body. Such a conception was
absolutely foreign to the ideas of the land and age. His disciples
deserted him, and went off in a melancholy state to Benares. The
boom of the great bell ceased. Gautama the wonderful had
fallen.
‘When the conflict began between the Saviour of the World and
the Prince of Evil a thousand appalling meteors fell. . . . Rivers
flowed back towards their sources; peaks and lofty mountains
where countless trees had grown for ages rolled crumbling to the
earth . . . the sun enveloped itself in awful darkness, and a host of
headless spirits filled the air’.
13
At Benares, Gautama sought out his five pupils, who were still
leading the ascetic life. There is an account of their hesitation to
receive him when they saw him approaching. He was a
backslider. But there was some power of personality in him that
prevailed over their coldness, and he made them listen to his new
convictions. For five days the discussion was carried on. When he
had at last convinced them that he was now enlightened, they
hailed him as the Buddha. There was, already in those days a
belief in India that at long intervals Wisdom returned to the earth
and was revealed to mankind through a chosen person known as
the Buddha.
Until a man has overcome every sort of personal craving his life is
trouble and his end sorrow. There are three principal forms the
craving of life takes, and all are evil.
15
H. G. WELLS:
WELLS: The
The Corruptions of Buddhism (excerpt)
F
OREWORD
An Excerp
Excerpt
cerpt from
from The Sixteen Dreams of
of King Pasenadi
Bhante
Bhante Suvanno, published in 2001
From their greed, hatred and delusion, human kind have been
responsible for creating suffering and hardships for themselves
and others of their kind, begetting endless, deep rooted
defilement in their minds. The negative energies of these
defilement are affecting the natural environment of the universe,
and natural phenomena such as the temperature and the quality
of nutriments for humanity in their struggle for life.
All these happenings have their root cause in men's greed, hatred
and delusion. Greed, hatred and delusion create unwholesome
energies which are powerfully destructive to the laws of nature.
However, it is the cumulative effects of countless existences and
the passing away of multitudes of humanity that create what is
known as kamma. Kamma is very profound and generally it is of
two types.
Scences of such disasters can be seen all over the world. In this
period, the year 2009, much of world is going through the throes
of mosquito borne diseases. All over the world people are
affected by this new disease and various other diseases as well.
One disease - AIDS - has claimed millions of lives and is still
spreading disastrously in Southern Africa, India, Eastern Europe
and elsewhere.
The present trends dictating human activities and life styles are
the diving boards for morality to spiral down towards lower
realms of existence in future rebirths. The resulting damages are
deeply rooted and of so vast a magnitude, through such a lengthy
span of time, that to reverse and stop them would be almost
impossible. However as individuals we can do so by bearing in
mind the basic teachings of the Buddha: Do not do evil, do good
and purify the mind.
The Buddha saw the difficulty in teaching the Dhamma due its
profound nature; even so, he decided that for the good of the
few, he would endeavour to enlighten them. His Enlightenment
enabled him to recognise and teach those who were ready to
accept the Dhamma.
The Buddha has taught us three ways of living away from the
defiled state we are caught in, these three ways are:
Do Not do Evil
Evil
Do Good
Good
Purify the Mind
That is to say:
Keep the Precepts
Live according to the Dhamma
Practise Vipassana Meditation
The five precepts are mostly recited in Pali. In the following the
original Pali text is given in italics, and the corresponding English
translation is given side by side:
The refrain "I undertake the precept of abstaining from ..." which
begins every precept clearly shows that these are not
commandments. They are, indeed, moral codes of conduct that
one willingly undertakes out of clear understanding and
conviction that they are good for oneself and for society.
22
These are the basic truths that one should be well-versed and
practised in, that will be essential in wiping away the ignorance
from one's mind and enable one to avoid evil and do good, thus
23
3 Practising
Practising Vipassana Meditation
Meditation which will develop
concentration grad
gradually and finally leading to ultimate bliss.
The Buddha said: “Bhikkhus; there is only one way to the
purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and
lamentation, for the disappearance of pain and distress, for the
attainment of the right method and for the realisation of freedom
from suffering; that is; the four foundations of mindfulness".
(The Mahasatipatthana Sutta).
Thus, the Lord Buddha exhorted that we should spend real time
to learn and practise Vipassana Meditation; that is mindfulness of
our bodily actions, our feelings, our minds and the mental objects
arising due to workings of the mind.
In the Anguttara Nikaya, the Book of the Ones the Buddha said:
“Monks, those monks who point out what is not Dhamma as
Dhamma, who point out what is not the Discipline as the
Discipline, and what is the Discipline as not the Discipline, who
point out what is not uttered by the Tathagata as uttered by the
Tathagata and what is uttered by the Tathagata as not uttered by
the Tathagata…, the conduct of such monks causes loss to many
folk, misery to many folk, loss and injury and misery to deva and
24
Unfortunately, how ever much we wish that was not so, what
the Buddha has said is coming to pass and the Dhamma is at
death’s doors; this is not to say we must give up all hopes of
achieving the Dhamma, but that we should strive strenuously at
least to seek the true Dhamma, practise it diligently and strive to
enter the stream of Nibbana, lest we find ourselves unable even
to find a footing to its shore.
I
NTRODUCTION
T
HE SIX THERAVADA COUNCILS
Thus spoke the Venerable Ananda, but the Blessed One answered
him, saying: "What more does the community of bhikkhus expect
from me, Ananda? I have set forth the Dhamma without making
any distinction of esoteric and exoteric doctrine; there is nothing,
Ananda, with regard to the teachings that the Tathagata holds to
the last with the closed fist of a teacher who keeps some things
back.
Therefore, Ananda,
Be Islands unto Yourselves,
Yourselves,
Refuges unto Yourselves, Seeking No External Refuge;
Refuge;
With the Dhamma as Your Island,
Island,
The Dhamma as Your Refuge,
Refuge,
Seeking No Other Ref
Refuge.
efuge.
His final words were that all should look towards His Teachings
as the teacher and not to any human leadership. In the final
analysis it is the teachings that He had left behind that will serve
as the teacher.
27
Those arahants who were left behind at the Lord’s passing away
into Nibbana, knowing the intent of the Lord decided to ratify
His Teachings for posterity and thus they gathered at the town of
Rajagaha for this sole purpose.
Rajagaha.
Rajagaha.
In the time of the Buddha, it was the capital city of Magadha, and
is closely associated with the Buddha's life. He visited it soon after
His renunciation, journeying there on foot from the River Anoma,
a distance of a hundred and fifty kilometres.
The Buddha spent His first vassa in Rajagaha and continued on till
winter and the following summer. According to Scriptural Texts,
He also spent the third, fourth, seventeenth and twentieth vassa
in Rajagaha. It thus became the scene of several important suttas
and many of the Vinaya rules were formulated here. It was one
of the six chief cities of the Buddha's time, and it was also a much
frequented trading city where popular trade routes passed
through; routes that carry goods all over Hellenistic countries and
to the furthest shores in Asia and China. Just before His
Parinibbana, the Buddha paid a last visit there.
From Kapilavatthu to
Rajagaha was a distance of
three hundred kilometres.
From Rajagaha to Kusinara
was a distance of one hundred
and twenty five kilometres
and the Maha Parinibbana
Sutta gives a list of the places
at which the Buddha stopped during his last journey along that
road.
Three months before this, both His chief disciples, Sariputta and
Moggallana had passed away and the later chief disciple was
Maha Kassapa.
They had stopped for a while to rest and coming from the
opposite direction to them was an ascetic who had with him a
Mandarava flower, which is said to be found only in the celestial
worlds. When Maha Kassapa saw this, he knew that something
unusual must have happened for the flower to be found on earth.
He stopped and asked the ascetic whether he had any news from
where he was coming, and the ascetic replied that he had, saying:
‘The recluse Gotama passed into Nibbana a week ago. This
Mandarava flower I picked up from the place where He is to be
cremated’.
Among the bhikkhus who heard that message, only the arahants
like Maha Kassapa, remain composed and calm; while the others
who were still unliberated from the passions, lamented and wept:
‘Too soon has the Blessed One passed into Nibbana! Too soon
has the Eye of the World vanished from our sight’!
Until then it had not been possible to set the funeral pyre alight,
for unseen by those present, the deities present prevented the
pyre from being lit as they planned to wait until the Venerable
Maha Kassapa had arrived and paid his homage to the remains of
the Master.
"Truly”, said the King, when his repeated offers had all been
refused, "you are sure to attain your goal, and when that happens
honour us with your return and teach us the way”.
The Canon noted that the Venerable Sariputta, the Buddha's chief
disciples, had asked the Buddha at an early date to formulate a
code of rules, to ensure that the holy life the Buddha had
founded would last long. The Buddha replied that the time for
such a code had not yet come, for even the most backward of the
men in the Community at that time had already had their first
glimpse of the goal (the state of an arahant). Only when mental
effluents (unwholesome mental states) appear in the Community
would there be a need for rules. As time passed, the conditions
that provided an opening for the effluents within the Community
eventually began to appear.
33
“The Teacher does not lay down a training rule for his
disciples as long as there are no cases where the conditions
that offer a foothold for the unwholesome mental states have
arisen in the Community and as long
long as the Community has
not become large.
But when the Community has become large, then there are
cases where the conditions that offer a foothold for the
unwholesome mental states arise in the Community, and the
Teacher then lays down a training rule for
for his disciples so as
to counteract those very conditions.
During the early years of the Buddha's life there were fewer
ordained bhikkhus as all were ordained by the Buddha himself
and they attained arahantship straightaway, and others had
reached high levels of practice quickly. One could say that these
were handpicked pioneers and the Buddha knew them in
previous lives during His training in the acquisition of perfections
to be a Buddha, and were positioned to accept the Dhamma as
soon as they hear His Words. Their time was ripe as it were, and
ready and awaiting the call. Hence there was no unruly
behaviour among these bhikkhus.
But as time went by, the Words of the Buddha spread far and
wide and many were attracted by the fame of the Buddha and
the erroneously perceived view of the easy life of the Sangha
members; also at a later stage the Buddha was not personally
involved in the ordination of the bhikkhus and thus people of
different dispositions and different objectives found entry into the
34
Sangha. There were also bhikkhus who were not disposed to the
proper training once they ordained.
It can be seen that when the first rule was made it was the
beginning of the
the eroding of the pure Dhamma;
Dhamma; beginning
beginning of
the end as it were. Though this process will take many more
years to come
come to a complete
complete rot; this unwholesome situation
had been seen by the Buddha.
A Recent Report: Th
The Buddhism..
e sorry state of Thai Buddhism
There are better ways of ensuring the relevance of our national
religion than mass ceremonies or big temples.
temples.
But Phra Lek is just a small fry among all the wayward bhikkhus
who have sullied the good name of Buddhism in the Kingdom.
The scope of what is ailing the religion is far greater than most of
Thailand's Buddhists are prepared to admit. Many observant
Buddhists have become so cynical that nothing; not even the
most outrageous and despicable act imaginable committed by
such morally challenged bhikkhus, would surprise them any more.
Precious little has been done by monastic authorities to reverse
what many see as a precipitous decline of Buddhism.
All too many bhikkhus in this country do not observe even the
most rudimentary precepts required of lay Buddhists; let alone
the 227 precepts that saffron-robed bhikkhus, who are supposed
to propagate and teach the religion, must observe.
Thailand: Soccer-
Soccer-mad bhikkhus too tired to take alms
Reuters, June 22, 2006
**********
Unfortunately, the above are only tips of the icebergs, for hidden
behind all the gloss and glitter of ornate temples and flowing
saffron robes are insidious germs of corruptions that are rarely
being understood or recognised by the laity as unwholesome.
Thus, the laity themselves are condoning the rot; not
understanding the real essence and intent of the Dhamma, and
even if they do know, they may choose to close an eye rather
than to go against peer pressure. Not only do the laity and the
majority of the members of the Sangha NOT be “alert to these
corruptions and, being alert, work to get rid of them”, but are in
actuality working to increase the corruption and the rot that have
already found entrenchment in the Sangha! Individual bhikkhus
are owners of temples; not of one temple but of many; such
ownership goes against the Buddha’s teaching.
Sadly, these faulty practices are being aided and supported by the
ignorant laity who, not realising the true goals of renunciation,
collect funds to build the temples and extensions to existing
temples.
Meals are around a nice big table where the food is stacked dishes
high and wide so that the member of the Sangha can have his
choice of good and nutritious food. Even his plate is being piled
up with food for him. And on top of all these opulences, the
bhikkhu will be offered subsistence money in the form of
allowable requisites properly intoned by the laity during the offer
so the bhikkhu does not break his precept. The bhikkhus advise
the laity how this is to be done so no one breaks the rules.
An Ordination -
Renouncing comforts of household life
T
HE AGELESS WORD
The Word,
Word, taught by
countless Buddhas aeons
ago without any definable
beginnings, and after a great
lengthy period in oblivion,
was again rekindled on the
Buddha’s Enlightenment 2600
years ago and thus, a New
Sasana began.
This is the sole difference that transcends the Blessed One’s Words
over and beyond the beliefs and doctrines of other religious
cultures. To be able to understand and practise the Blessed One’s
teachings is to realise the pinnacle of universal truth...the only
way to purity of mind and eradication of defilement leading to
total eradication of suffering - Nibbana.
A Gradual Training
One’s training in the teachings or Dhamma begins with one’s
basic introduction to the Buddha’s Words in various ways, then
one goes onto an investigation of the Words;
Words finally finding basic
truth, one is guided to a graduated practice that develops insight
knowledge and wisdom; with such development, faith is further
developed and enhanced. Such practice enhanced by
44
Those who truly seek the truth must personally investigate within
the literature of the Thera Elders and not depend on others,
written or spoken, or this book for that matter, for the truth. This
has been the Buddha’s own advice to certain people in His time
who were uncertain as to which of the many teachings
abounding in India at that time were genuine and lead to
freedom and Nibbana. Bhante Suvanno constantly reminded his
devotees of the Kalama Sutta.
46
On the other hand, one can rightly accept anything which, when
accepted and practised lead to declining of cravings, aversion and
delusion. These things are beneficial and are to be further
explored and acted on.
There were in all a total of Six Great Councils and at each Council,
the teachings of the Buddha were repeated and confirmed as
according to the rules set up in the First Council. No addition, no
retraction and no change in format were allowed. Up to the
Fourth Great Council all the proceedings were verbal and
committed to memory, till at this Fourth Council held in Ceylon
the teachings were first written down on palm leaves. Thus was
the original teachings of the Buddha kept strictly to its pristine
purity by the Theras of the Theravada bhikkhus to the present
time, a span of more than 2600 years. These sets of authentic
Words are now known as The Tipitaka (refer study notes).
48
C
HRONOLOGICAL ORDER OF THE SIX COUNCILS
Venerable Dr. Rewata Dhamma
the monastic rules, from the Venerable Upali; in the first instance
about the ruling on the first offence (parajika), with regard to the
subject, the occasion, the individual introduced, the
proclamation, the repetition of the proclamation, the offence and
the case of non-offence. Upali was well qualified for the task as
the Buddha had personally taught him the Vinaya.
In the first twenty years after his Enlightenment the Buddha had
no permanent attendant, but he eventually decided to appoint
one person to the post. During the discussion to select a
permanent attendant some bhikkhus were named but was not
accepted for one reason or another; Ananda had kept silent.
51
The First Council also took the important step to confirm that all
rules of the Vinaya were to be adhered to regardless of the
degree of importance seen. It officially approved the observance
of all rules whether considered as minor or lesser rules.
T
HE FIRST COUNCIL
The Council of Rajagaha
(Ref: Eleventh Khandhaka of the Cullavagga)
Time: Three months after the demise of the Buddha: 544BC.
Place: The Sattapanni Cave Pavilion at Mount Vebhara near the
city of Rajagaha.
Duration: Seven months.
“Then, Venerable Sirs, of those of the bhikkhus who were not yet
free from their passions, some stretched out their arms and wept;
and some fell headlong on the ground; and some reeled to and
fro in anguish at the thought: ‘Too soon has the Blessed One
died! Too soon has the Happy One passed away! Too soon has
the Light gone out in the world!’”
54
“But those of the bhikkhus who were free from the passions, the
arahants, bore their grief, collected and composed at the thought:
‘Impermanent are all component things. How is it possible that
they should not be dissolved?’
Then at that time, Venerable Sirs, one Subhadda, who had gone
forth from the world in his old age, was seated there in the
company of bhikkhus. And Subhadda, the late-received one, said
to the bhikkhus: ‘Enough, Venerable Sirs! Weep not, neither
lament! We are well rid of the great Samana. We used to be
annoyed by being told, 'This beseems you, this beseems you not;'
but now we shall be able to do whatever we like; and what we
do not like, that we shall not have to do.’”
When all rites due to the body of the Master were completed and
the relics had been distributed, Maha Kassapa, recalled to
memory the evil words of the aged Subhadda. He further recalled
that the Master had commanded that the Holy Truth be
established after His death; thus desiring that the doctrine of the
Master might long endure, and also reflecting that the Master had
exchanged His garment with himself, and had thereby signify
their equality, Maha Kassapa decided to make a verification of
the Holy Dhamma.
55
Then the Venerable Maha Kassapa laid the resolution before the
Sangha: “Let the Venerable Sangha hear me. If the time seems
opportune to the Sangha, let the Sangha appoint that these five
hundred bhikkhus take up their residence during the rainy season
at Rajagaha, to chant over together the Dhamma and the Vinaya,
and that no other bhikkhus go up to Rajagaha for the rainy
season. This is the resolution. Let the Venerable Sangha hear. The
Sangha appoints accordingly. Whosoever of the Venerable Ones
56
When the repair of the vihara was finished they said to the King:
“Now we will hold the council”. To the question of the King,
“What should be done”? they answered: “A place should be
provided for the meetings”. When the King had asked: “Where
these viharas were to be”? and the place had been pointed out by
the Thera Bhikkhus, the King, with all speed had a splendid hall
built by the side of the Vebhara Rock by the entrance of the
Sattapanni Grotto, and it was like to the assembly-hall of the
gods. When it was adorned in every way he caused precious mats
to be spread according to the number of the Thera Bhikkhus.
Placed on the south side and facing the north a lofty and noble
seat was prepared for the Thera, and in the middle of the hall a
high seat was prepared for the preacher, facing the east and
worthy of the Blessed One Himself.
Together the Thera Bhikkhus chose the Thera Upali to speak for
the Vinaya, for the rest of the Dhamma they chose Ananda. The
Great Thera, Maha Kassapa, laid on himself the task of asking
questions touching the Vinaya and the Thera Upali was ready to
explain it.
'Let the Venerable Sangha hear me. These things being so, the
Sangha takes upon itself the precepts according as they have been
laid down. Whosoever of the Venerable ones approves thereof,
let him keep silence. Whosoever approves not thereof, let him
speak. (The Sangha remains silent.) The Sangha has taken upon
itself the precepts according as they were laid down. Therefore
does it keep silence. Thus do I understand.'
Now the Thera Bhikkhus said to the Venerable Ananda: 'That was
ill done by you, friend Ananda, in that you did not ask the
Blessed One which were the lesser and minor precepts. Confess
your fault.'
'Through forgetfulness was it, Venerable Sirs, that I did not ask
that of the Blessed One. I see no fault therein. Nevertheless, out
of my faith in you, I confess that as a fault.'
'This also, friend Ananda, was ill done by you, in that you
stepped upon the Blessed One's rainy-season garment to sew it.
Confess your fault.'
'It was not, Venerable Sirs, through any want of respect to the
Blessed One that I did so. I see no fault therein. Nevertheless, out
of my faith in you, I confess that as a fault.'
'This also, friend Ananda, was ill done by you, in that you caused
the body of the Blessed One to be saluted by women first, so that
by their weeping the body of the Blessed One was defiled by
tears. Confess that fault.'
'I did so, Venerable Sirs, with the intention that they should not
be kept beyond due time. I see no fault therein. Nevertheless, out
of my faith in you, I confess that as a fault.'
'This too, friend Ananda, was ill done by you, in that even when
a suggestion so evident and a hint so clear were given you by the
Blessed One, you did not plead with him, saying, "Let the Blessed
One remain on for a kalpa! Let the Happy One remain on for a
kalpa for the good and happiness of the great multitudes, out of
62
pity for the world, for the good and the gain and the weal of
gods and men!" Confess that fault.'
'I was possessed by the Evil One, friends, when I refrained from
so pleading with him. I see no fault therein. Nevertheless, out of
my faith in you, I confess that as a fault.' (see glossary)
'This also, friend Ananda, was ill done by you, in that you exerted
yourself to procure admission for women into the Dhamma and
Vinaya proclaimed by the Tathagata. Confess that fault.'
'That did I do, friends, thinking of Maha Pajapati the Gotami, the
sister of the Blessed One's mother; his nurse and comforter, who
gave him milk; how she, when she who had borne him was dead,
herself suckled him as with mother's milk. I see no fault therein.
Nevertheless, out of my faith in you, I confess that as a fault.' (see
glossary)
Now since the canon was compiled by the Thera Bhikkhus, it was
called the Thera tradition.' The Theras who had held the First
Council and had thereby brought great blessing to the world,
having lived their allotted span of life, all attained nibbana.
Until...
64
T
HE SECOND COUNCIL
Time: 100 Buddhist Era (443 B.C).
Duration: Eight months.
Place: Valukarama Monastery, near the City of Vesali.
Vada in Pali means teachings, law or doctrine; thus was then the
bhikkhus known as: Theravada bhikkhus. On them rested the
responsibility of preserving the Words of the Buddha. The
bhikkhus were assigned different texts for their recitation and they
taught these texts, verbatim to their own disciples who further
passed it on to their own disciples and so on. During this period,
many took refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha,
till some bhikkhus of the Vajji clan from Vesali preached and
practised ten unlawful deviations in the rules of the Order,
specifically not approved by the Buddha. These illegal practices
were:
65
The Elder Yasa however, was able to reconcile himself with the
lay devotees, and at the same time, by quoting the Buddha's
pronouncement on the prohibition against accepting or soliciting
for gold and silver convinced them that the Vajjian bhikkhus had
in fact done wrong. The laity immediately expressed their support
for the Elder Yasa and declared that the Vajjian bhikkhus were the
66
wrong-doers saying: "The bhikkhus here are not Sakyan sons, only
the Elder Yasa is the real bhikkhu and a Sakyan son.
Let us hear from the Scriptural Text how the 2nd Council became
necessary.
of Sakya, all the others are neither ascetics nor Sons of Sakyans.”
The Elder Yasa was not satisfied with the situation and went in
search of support of his stand from bhikkhus elsewhere.
T
HE THIRD COUNCIL
Patron: King Asoka Bindusara Maurya
Time: 235 B.E (308 B.C).
Duration: Nine months.
Place: The Asokarama Monastery in the city of Pataliputta
In session: The Venerable Moggaliputta and 1000 bhikkhus.
Thus, we begin the Third Council with the Mauryan Empire given
life by King Chandragupta, further expanded by his son, King
Bindusara and finally inherited by King Asoka. The impact of
Chandragupta Maurya was tremendous. Due to Chandragupta’s
strong military tradition and excellent government structure the
Mauryan Empire was able to expand to cover the entire Indian
subcontinent under the reign of his son and his grandson, the
legendary Emperor Asoka. We quote from The Outline of History
by the great historian and novelist, H.G. Wells:
70
After his father passed away, Asoka had all his brothers killed and
ascended the throne. He expanded his empire over the next eight
years, from the present-day boundaries and regions of Burma–
Bangladesh and the state of Assam in India in the east to the
territory of present-day Iran / Persia and Afghanistan in the west;
from the Pamir Knots in the north almost to the peninsular of
southern India (i.e. Tamilnadu / Andhra Pradesh).
Conquest of Kalinga
While the early part of Asoka's reign was apparently quite
bloodthirsty, he became a follower of the Buddha's teaching after
his conquest of Kalinga on the east coast of India in the present-
day state of Orissa. Kalinga was a state that prided itself on its
sovereignty and democracy. With its monarchical parliamentary
democracy it was quite an exception in ancient India.
The pretext for the start of the Kalinga War (265 BC or 263 BC)
is uncertain. One of Susima's brothers might have fled to Kalinga
and found official refuge there. This enraged Asoka immensely.
He was advised by his ministers to attack Kalinga for this act of
treachery. Asoka then asked Kalinga's royalty to submit before his
supremacy. When they defied his request, Asoka sent one of his
generals to Kalinga to make them submit.
As the legend goes, one day after the war was over, Asoka
ventured out to roam the city and all he could see were burnt
houses and scattered corpses. This sight made him sick and he
cried the famous monologue:
He seems to have ruled his vast empire in peace and with great
ability. He organized a great digging of wells in India, and the
planting of trees for shade. He appointed officers for the
supervision of charitable works. He founded hospitals and public
gardens. He had gardens made for the growing of medicinal
herbs. Had he had an Aristotle to inspire him, he would no doubt
have endowed scientific research upon a great scale.
Asoka was crowned in the two hundred and eighteenth year after
the Buddha's Parinibbana. At first he paid only token homage to
the Dhamma and the Sangha and supported members of other
religious sects as well, as his father had done before him.
However, all this changed when he met the pious novice-bhikkhu
Nigrodha who preached to him the Appamada-vagga (Refer to
Study Notes).
Decline of Buddhism
After King Asoka, Buddhism started its initial decline. Given
herewith are some causes advanced for the decline of Buddhism
in India, the home of its birth (see Study Note).
76
D
ISAPPEARANCE OF BUDDHISM
BUDDHISM FROM INDIA
Vinay Lal (An Excerpt)
T
HE FOURTH COUNCIL
COUNCIL
Time: 450 B.E (29 B.C)
Place: The
The Aloka Cave in Matale District,
District, Sri Lanka
Duration: One Year
T
HE FIFTH COUNCIL
Time: 2415 B.E (November, 1871)
Place: Mandalay in Myanmar
Duration: Five months
Their joint recitation lasted five months and after its completion
and unanimous approval as matching the original recitation of
the four previous Councils.
T
HE SIXTH COUNCIL
Time: 2498 B.E (May, 1954);
1954); Duration: Two years.
years.
Place: The Mahapasana
Mahapasana Great Cave, Kaba-
Kaba-Aye, Yangon,
Myanmar.
He authorised the
construction of an
artificial cave; the
Maha Passana Guha,
'the great cave', similar
to the original
Sattapanni Cave of the
(pic. shows entrance/interior of cave)
First Council. It measured 455 feet long and 370 feet broad. The
interior dimensions of the cave are 220 feet x 140 feet. The
assembly hall of the cave has the capacity to accommodate
around 10,000 people. Upon its completion the Council met on
the 17th of May, 1954, with the primary objective of affirming
and preserving the genuine Dhamma-Vinaya.
Finally, after the Council had officially approved them, all of the
books of the Tipitaka and their Commentaries were prepared for
printing on modern presses and published in the Myanmar
(Burmese) script. This notable achievement was made possible
through the dedicated efforts of the two thousand five hundred
bhikkhus and numerous lay people. Their work came to an end in
May, 1956, two and a half millennia after the Lord Buddha's
Parinibbana. This Council's work was a unique achievement of
representatives from the entire Buddhist world. The version of
the Tipitaka which it undertook to produce has been recognised
as being true to the pristine teachings of the Buddha Gotama and
the most authoritative rendering of them to date.
S
TUDY NOTES
In a world where man has no saviour but himself, and where the
means to his deliverance lies in mental purification, heedfulness
becomes the crucial factor for ensuring that the aspirant keeps to
the straight path of training without deviating due to the
seductive allurements of sense pleasures or the stagnating
influences of laziness and complacency.
Then, as the thera Mahavaruna saw that the boy bore the signs of
his destiny, the arahant questioned his mother and ordained him,
and even in the room where they shaved him, he (Nigrodha)
attained to the state of arahant.
87
The king summoned him in all haste into his presence; but he
came staidly and calmly thither. And the king said to him: 'Sit, my
dear, upon a fitting seat.'
And when the lord of the earth had heard the Venerable
Nigrodha, he was won to the doctrine of the Conqueror.
Vassa begins on the first day of the waning moon of the eighth
lunar month. The end of vassa is marked by joyous celebration.
The following month, the Kathina ceremony is held, during which
the laity gather to make formal offerings of robe cloth and other
requisites to the Sangha.
MAHA KASSAPA:
KASSAPA: Among those of the Buddha's disciples who
were closest to him, there were two friends, Sariputta and Maha
Moggallana, who were the chief disciples of the Buddha, an
exemplary pair of disciples. There were also two brothers,
Ananda and Anuruddha, who were likewise eminent "Fathers of
the Order." In between these two pairs stands a great solitary
figure, Pipphali Kassapa, who later was called Maha Kassapa,
Kassapa the Great, to distinguish him from the others of the
Kassapa clan, such as Kumara Kassapa and Uruvela Kassapa.
His father owned sixteen villages over which he ruled like a little
king, so Pipphali grew up in the midst of wealth and luxury. Yet
already in his young years there was in him the wish to leave the
worldly life behind, and hence he did not want to marry. When
his parents repeatedly urged him to take a wife, he told them that
he would look after them as long as they live, but that after their
deaths he wanted to become an ascetic. Yet they insisted again
and again that he take a wife, so to comfort his mother he finally
agreed to marry; on the condition that a girl could be found who
conformed to his idea of perfection.
Bhadda Kapilani too did not wish to marry, as it was her singular
wish to live a religious life as a female ascetic. Such identity
between her aspiration and Pipphali Kassapa's may well point to
a kammic bond and affinity between them in the past, maturing
in their present life and leading to a decisive meeting between
them and a still more decisive separation later on.
When Pipphali heard that what he had thought most unlikely had
actually occurred, he was unhappy and sent the following letter
to the girl: "Bhadda, please marry someone else of equal status
and live a happy home life with him. As for myself, I shall
become an ascetic. Please do not have regrets." Bhadda Kapilani,
like-minded as she was, independently sent him a similar letter.
But their parents, suspecting such an exchange would take place,
had both letters intercepted on the way and replaced by letters of
welcome.
This young wealthy couple lived thus happily and in comfort for
many years. As long as Pipphali's parents lived, they did not even
have to look after the estate's farms. But when his parents died,
they took charge of the large property.
But at home, at about the same time, his wife had a similar
experience. She too saw afresh with a deeper understanding what
she had very often seen before. Sesamum seeds had been spread
out in the open to dry, and crows and other birds ate the insects
that had been attracted by the seeds. When Bhadda asked her
servants who it was that had to account morally for the violent
death of so many creatures, she was told that the kammic
responsibility was hers. Then she thought: "If even by that much I
commit a wrong, I won't be able to lift my head above the ocean
of rebirths, even in a thousand lives. As soon as Pipphali returns, I
shall hand over everything to him and leave to take up the ascetic
life."
Slinging their almsbowls over their shoulders, they left the estate's
manor, unnoticed by the house servants. But when they reached
the next village, which belonged to the estate, the laborers and
their families saw them. Crying and lamenting, they fell to the
feet of the two ascetics and exclaimed: "Oh, dear and noble ones!
Why do you want to make us helpless orphans?"
Each went their different ways and both attained to the stage of
arahant in due time.
T
HE FOUR STAGES OF ARAHANTHOOD:
ARAHANTHOOD A person on the
road to being an arahant passes through four stages.
Sakadagami
Sakadagami: A Once-
Once-Returner
The second stage is that of the Sakadagami literally meaning "one
who return once” or a once returner. The once-returner will
return to the human world only one more time, and will attain
nibbana in that life.
An gami
Anag mi or a Non-
Non-returner
The third stage is that of the Anagami, literally meaning "one who
does not come again” or a non-returner. The non-returner does
not come back into human existence, or any lower world, after
death. Instead, he is reborn in one of the Suddhavasa worlds, or
"Pure Abodes", where he will attain Nibbana; some of them are
reborn a second time in a higher world of the Pure Abodes, but
in no case are born into a lower state. An Anagami has
abandoned the five lower fetters that bind the mind to the cycle
of rebirth. An Anagami is thus partially enlightened, and on the
way to perfect and complete Enlightenment.
An Arahant
The fourth stage is that of Arahant, a fully enlightened human
being who has abandoned all fetters, and who upon decease, he
enters Nibbana and will not be reborn in any world, having
wholly eradicated all defilement.
T
HE VINAYA RULES:
RULES The first division of the Tipitaka, is the
textual framework upon which the monastic community
(Sangha) is built. It includes not only the rules governing the
life of every Theravada bhikkhu (monk) and bhikkhuni (nun), but
also a host of procedures and conventions of etiquette that
support harmonious relations, both among the monastics
themselves, and between the monastics and their lay supporters,
upon whom they depend for all their material needs.
94
Parajika
The four parajikas are rules entailing expulsion from the sangha
for life. If a monk breaks any one of the rules he is automatically
'defeated' in the holy life and falls from monkhood immediately.
He is not allowed to become a monk again in his lifetime.
Intention is necessary in all these four cases to constitute an
offence. The four parajikas for bhikkus are:
Sanghadisesa
The thirteen sanghadisesas are rules requiring an initial and
subsequent meeting of the sangha (communal meetings). If the
monk breaks any rule here he has to undergo a period of
probation or discipline after which, if he shows himself to be
repentant, he may be reinstated by a sangha of not less than
twenty monks. Like the parajikas, the sanghadisesas can only
come about through the monk's own intention and cannot be
accidentally invoked.
Aniyata
The aniyata are two indefinite rules where a monk is accused of
having committed an offence with a woman in a screened
(enclosed) or private place by a lay person. It is indefinite because
the final outcome depends on whether the monk acknowledges
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Nissaggiya Pacittiya
Pacittiya
The nissaggiya pacittiya are thirty rules entailing "confession with
forfeiture." They are mostly concerned with the possessing of
items which are disallowed or obtained in disallowable ways. The
monk has to forfeit the item and then confess his offence to
another monk.
Patidesaniya
Patidesaniya are violations which must be verbally
acknowledged.
R
ELINQUISHING THE WILL TO LIVE
The Blessed One's Prompting
Then the Blessed One, getting ready in the forenoon, took
bowl and robe and went into Vesali for alms. After the alms
round and meal, on his return, he spoke to the Venerable
Ananda, saying: "Take up a mat, Ananda, and let us spend the
day at the Capala shrine."
"So be it, Lord." And the Venerable Ananda took up a mat and
followed behind the Blessed One, step by step.
And the Blessed One went to the Capala shrine and sat down on
the seat prepared for him. And when the Venerable Ananda had
seated himself at one side after he had respectfully saluted the
Blessed One, the Lord said to him: "Pleasant, Ananda, is Vesali;
pleasant are the shrines of Udena, Gotamaka, Sattambaka,
Bahuputta, Sarandada, and Capala."
"Then, Ananda, I answered Mara, the Evil One, saying: 'I shall not
come to my final passing away, Evil One, until my bhikkhus and
bhikkhunis, laymen and laywomen, have come to be true
disciples; wise, well disciplined, apt and learned, preservers of the
Dhamma, living according to the Dhamma, abiding by
appropriate conduct and, having learned the Master's word, are
able to expound it, preach it, proclaim it, establish it, reveal it,
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"'I shall not come to my final passing away, Evil One, until this
holy life taught by me has become successful, prosperous, far-
renowned, popular, and widespread, until it is well proclaimed
among gods and men.'
"And again today, Ananda, at the Capala shrine, Mara, the Evil
One, approached me, saying: 'Now, O Lord, bhikkhus and
bhikkhunis, laymen and laywomen, have come to be true
disciples of the Blessed One; wise, well disciplined, apt and
learned, preservers of the Dhamma, living according to the
Dhamma, abiding in the appropriate conduct, and having learned
the Master's word, are able to expound it, preach it, proclaim it,
establish it, reveal it, explain it in detail, and make it clear; and
when adverse opinions arise, they are now able to refute them
thoroughly and well, and to preach this convincing and liberating
Dhamma.
"'And now, O Lord, this holy life taught by the Blessed One has
become successful, prosperous, far-renowned, popular and
widespread, and it is well proclaimed among gods and men.
Therefore, O Lord, let the Blessed One come to His final passing
away! Let the Happy One utterly pass away! The time has come
for the Parinibbana of the Lord.'
"And then, Ananda, I answered Mara, the Evil One, saying: 'Do
not trouble yourself, Evil One. Before long the Parinibbana of the
Tathagata will come about. Three months hence the Tathagata
will utterly pass away.'
Ananda's Appeal
At these words, the Venerable Ananda spoke to the Blessed One:
"May the Blessed One remain, O Lord! May the Happy One
remain, O Lord, throughout the world-period, for the welfare
and happiness of the multitude, out of compassion for the world,
for the benefit, well being, and happiness of gods and men!"
But for a second and a third time, the Venerable Ananda said to
the Blessed One: "May the Blessed One remain, O Lord! May the
Happy One remain, O Lord, throughout the world-period, for
the welfare and happiness of the multitude, out of compassion
for the world, for the benefit, well being, and happiness of gods
and men!"
Then the Blessed One said: "Do you have faith, Ananda, in the
Enlightenment of the Tathagata?" And the Venerable Ananda
replied: "Yes, O Lord, I do."
"Then how, Ananda, can you persist against the Tathagata even
up to the third time?"
Then the Venerable Ananda said: "This, O Lord, I have heard and
learned from the Blessed One Himself when the Blessed One said
to me: 'Whosoever, Ananda, has developed, practised,
employed, strengthened, maintained, scrutinised, and brought to
perfection the four constituents of psychic power could, if he so
desired, remain throughout a world-period or until the end of it.
The Tathagata, Ananda, has done so. Therefore the Tathagata
could, if He so desired, remain throughout a world-period or
until the end of it.'"
"And did you believe it, Ananda?"
"Yes, O Lord, I did."
"Then, Ananda, the fault is yours. Herein have you failed,
inasmuch as you were unable to grasp the plain suggestion, the
significant prompting given by the Tathagata, and you did not
then entreat the Tathagata to remain. For if you had done so,
Ananda, twice the Tathagata might have declined, but the third
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"Yet, Ananda, have I not taught from the very beginning that
with all that is dear and beloved there must be change,
separation, and severance? Of that which is born, come into
being, is compounded and subject to decay, how can one say:
'May it not come to dissolution!' There can be no such state of
things. And of that, Ananda, which the Tathagata has finished
with, that which He has relinquished, given up, abandoned, and
rejected; His will to live on; the Tathagata's word has been
spoken once for all: 'Before long the Parinibbana of the Tathagata
will come about. Three months hence the Tathagata will utterly
pass away.' And that the Tathagata should withdraw His words
for the sake of living on; this is an impossibility.
100
"So be it, Lord." And the Venerable Ananda gathered all the
bhikkhus who dwelt in the neighborhood of Vesali, and
assembled them in the hall of audience. And then, respectfully
saluting the Blessed One, and standing at one side, he said: "The
community of bhikkhus is assembled, Lord. Now let the Blessed
One do as he wishes."
"And what, bhikkhus, are these teachings? They are the four
foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four
constituents of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers,
the seven factors of enlightenment, and the Noble Eightfold Path.
M
AHA PAJAPATI GOTAMI
Pajapati Gotami was the younger sister of Queen Maha
Maya and the second consort of King Suddhodana. She
was called Maha (great) Pajapati as sages had predicted that she
would be the leader of a large following. When her beloved sister
passed away seven days after giving birth to Prince Siddhattha,
she brought up her sister's baby as her own. Delegating the care
of her own son, Nanda, to nurses, Maha Pajapati nursed the
new-born child.
The Buddha did not give the reason for His initial refusal to Maha
Pajapati. initial refusal was to strengthen the determination and
resolve of the noble ladies and to prepare them better for the
hardships they would have to face.
C
AUSES OF POLLUTION TO THE TRUE DHAMMA
Introduction
The region separating China from Europe and Western Asia
is not the most hospitable in the world. Much of it is taken up by
the Taklimakan desert, one of the most hostile environments on
our planet. There is very little vegetation, and almost no rainfall;
sandstorms are very common, and have claimed the lives of
countless people. The land surrounding the Taklimakan is equally
hostile.
Close on the heels of the Parthians came the Yuezhi people from
the Northern borders of the Taklimakan. They had been driven
from their traditional homeland by the Xiongnu tribe (who later
became the Huns and transferred their attentions towards
Europe), and settled in Northern India. Their descendents became
the Kushan people, and in the first century A.D. they moved into
this crossroads area, bringing their adopted Buddhist religion with
them.
Like the other tribes before them, they adopted much of the
Greek system that existed in the region. The product of this
marriage of cultures was the Gandhara culture, based in what is
now the Peshawar region of northwest Pakistan. This fused Greek
and Buddhist art into a unique form, many of the sculptures of
Buddhist deities bearing strong resemblances to the Greek
mythological figure Heracles. The Kushan people were the first to
show Buddha in human form, as before this time artists had
preferred symbols such as the footprint, stupa or tree of
enlightenment, either out of a sense of sacrilege or simply to
avoid persecution.
Secondly, the Silk Road was not a trade route that existed solely
for the purpose of trading in silk; many other commodities were
also traded, from gold and ivory to exotic animals and plants. Of
all the precious goods crossing this area, silk was perhaps the most
remarkable for the people of the West.
105
The Han dynasty set up the local government at Wulei, not far
from Kuqa on the northern border of the Taklimakan, in order to
`protect' the states in this area, which numbered about 50 at the
time. At about the same period the city of Gaochang was
constructed in the Turfan basin. This developed into the centre of
the Huihe kingdom; these peoples later became the Uygur
minority who now make up a large proportion of the local
population. Many settlements were set up along the way, mostly
in the oasis areas, and profited from the passing trade. They also
absorbed a lot of the local culture, and the cultures that passed
them by along the route. Very few merchants traversed the full
length of the road; most simply covered part of the journey,
selling their wares a little further from home, and then returning
with the proceeds. Goods therefore tended to moved slowly
across Asia, changing hands many times. Local people no doubt
acted as guides for the caravans over the most dangerous sections
of the journey.
The most significant commodity carried along this route was not
silk, but religion. Buddhism came to China from India this way,
along the northern branch of the route.
106
The first influences came as the passes over the Karakorum were
first explored. The Eastern Han emperor Mingdi is thought to
have sent a representative to India to discover more about this
strange faith, and further missions returned bearing scriptures, and
bringing with them India priests.
The grottos were mostly started at about the same period, and
coincided with the beginning of the Northern Wei Dynasty. There
are a large cluster in the Kuqa region, the best examples being the
Kyzil grottos; similarly there are clusters close to Gaochang, the
largest being the Bezeklik grottos. Probably the best known ones
are the Mogao grottos at Dunhuang, at the eastern end of the
Taklimakan. It is here that the greatest number, and some of the
best examples, are to be found. More is known about the origins
of these, too, as large quantities of ancient documents have been
found. These are on a wide range of subjects, and include a large
number of Buddhist scriptures in Chinese, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Uygur
and other languages, some still unknown. There are documents
from the other faiths that developed in the area, and also some
official documents and letters that reveal a lot about the system
of government at the time.
108
The height of the importance of the Silk Road was during the
Tang dynasty, with relative internal stability in China after the
divisions of the earlier dynasties since the Han. The individual
states has mostly been assimilated, and the threats from
marauding peoples was rather less.
Thus, the investigator into the Buddha’s trail can appreciate the
influences that Buddhism had on the different cultures in Asia and
now worldwide. It was a case of assimilation and being
assimilated by and into many various cultures, till Buddhism is
almost unrecognised from the early period of the Theras.
110
T
HE TIPITAKA - Original Words
Three months after the demise of the Lord Buddha in 544
B.C., an initial Council was convened to confirm and
preserve the authenticity of His teachings. The members forming
this initial First Council were all arahants who collectively confirm
the authenticity of the Lord Buddha’s teachings. Five other
Councils followed in the course of the next two thousand years.
These teachings were enshrined in a collection known as the
Tipitaka.
Tipitaka [In the Pali language, “ti” means three and “pitaka” means
basket; 'tipitaka', literally means; the three baskets or collections].
In 1954 which marked the 2500 years of the Buddha Sasana, the
Sixth Great Council was convened inside the Mahapasana Cave,
Kaba Aye Hillock, Yangon. Bhikkhus from five Theravada
Buddhist countries; Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and
Cambodia, took two years to recite and verify the Tipitaka texts.
The purified texts were later printed into book form.
111
The Tipitaka texts also known as the Pali Canon was written
down 2,000 years ago, and before that it had been transmitted
strictly by a firm and consistent oral tradition. Qualified monks
would wake up in the early morning and assemble in a hall to
recite the discourses. They would form small groups and recite in
concert to ensure that the discourses were correctly memorised. If
there were any ambiguities or doubts, the Elders would be
consulted for clarification and affirmation.
The Pali Tipitaka and its allied literature exist as a result of the
Buddha's discovery of the noble and liberating path of the
Dhamma. This path leads all those who follow it to a peaceful
and pure existence now and in future existences. Indeed, in this
day and age we are fortunate to have the authentic teachings of
the Buddha preserved for future generations through the
conscientious and concerted efforts of His ordained disciples
down through the ages.
113
The Buddha had said to His disciples that when He was no longer
amongst them, it was essential that the community of monks, the
Sangha, should come together for the purpose of collectively
reciting the Dhamma, precisely as He had taught it.
Constituent of Ti-
Ti-Pitaka (Vinaya
(Vinaya Pitaka)
Pitaka)
The Vinaya Pitaka deals mainly with the rules and regulations of
the Order of Bhikkhus (monks) and Bhikkhunis (nuns).
The monastic tradition and the rules upon which it is built are
sometimes naively criticised as irrelevant to the "modern" practice
of Buddhism. Some see the Vinaya as a throwback to an archaic
patriarchy, based on a hodge-podge of ancient rules and customs;
quaint cultural relics that only obscure the essence of "true"
monastic practice. This misguided view overlooks one crucial fact;
it is thanks to the unbroken lineage of monastics who have
consistently upheld and protected the rules of the Vinaya for
almost 2,600 years that we find ourselves today with the luxury
of receiving the priceless teachings of the Dhamma. Were it not
for the Vinaya, and for those who continue to keep it alive to this
day, there would be no Buddha’s Dhamma.
It helps to keep in mind that the name the Buddha gave to the
spiritual path he taught was "Dhamma-Vinaya"; the Doctrine
(Dhamma) and the Discipline (Vinaya), suggesting an integrated
body of wisdom and ethical training.
Sutta Pitaka
The Sutta (Suttanta) Pitaka consists chiefly of instructive discourses
delivered by the Buddha to both the Sangha and the laity on
various occasions. A few discourses, expounded by disciples such
as the Venerable Sariputta, Moggallana, and Ananda, are
incorporated and are accorded as much veneration as the Word
of the Buddha Himself, since they were approved by Him.
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The suttas in this Nikaya throw much light on the social ideas and
institutions of those days, and also provide general information
on the economic and political life.
units of one till there are eleven items of dhamma in each sutta of
the last nipata. Hence the name Anguttara meaning 'increasing by
one item'.
The first nipata, Ekaka Nipata, provides in each sutta single items
dhamma called the Ones;
the second nipata, Duka Nipata, contains in each sutta two items
of dhamma called the Twos, and
the last nipata, Ekadasaka Nipata, is made up of suttas with
eleven items of dhamma in each, called the Elevens.
Abhidhamma Pitaka
Abhidhamma, the Higher Doctrine of the Buddha, is the third
great division of the Pitaka. It is a huge collection of
systematically arranged, tabulated and classified doctrines of the
Buddha, representing the quintessence of his Teaching. It is a most
profound philosophy in contrast to the simpler discourses in the
Sutta Pitaka. Abhidhamma.
The Buddha Dhamma has only one taste, the taste of liberation;
in the Suttanta discourses, the Buddha takes into consideration the
intellectual level of his audience, and their attainments in parami.
He therefore teaches the Dhamma in conventional terms (vohara
vacana), making references to persons and objects as I, we, he,
she, men, woman, cow, tree, etc.
C
onventional Truth (Sammuti Sacca) and
Ultimate Truth (Paramattha
(Paramattha Sacca).
Two kinds of Truth are recognised in the Abhidhamma
according to which only four categories of things, namely: Mind
(consciousness), Mental Concomitants, Materiality and Nibbana
are classed as the Ultimate Truth; all the rest are regarded as
apparent truth. When we use such expression as 'I', 'you', 'man',
'woman', 'person', 'individual', we are speaking about things
which do not exist in reality. By using such expressions about
things which exist only in designation, we are not telling a lie; we
are merely speaking an apparent truth, making use of
conventional language, without which no communication will be
possible.
It is known, that
whenever the Buddha
gave a discourse to his
ordained disciples or
lay-followers or when
he prescribes a monastic
rule in the course of his
forty-five years, those of
his devoted and learned
bhikkhus, then present
would immediately commit his teachings word for word to
memory. Thus the Buddha's Words were preserved accurately
and were in due course passed down orally from teacher to
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