Aloka
JOURNAL - Page 5
VESAK 2000
ARTICLES INDEX - PAGE 5
- To Love and be Loved - Buddhism's theme for the new millennium
- Buddha's Way to happiness - The aims of men vary but in the search for happiness the aim of all mankind is one
- Remembering previous lives under hypnosis - It is often asked why do we not remember our previous lives...
- Just before the demise of the Master - The Master Gotama, the Buddha crossed the river Hiranyavati...
- Universal characteristics in Buddhism - There are universal characteristics of existence...
To Love and be Loved
Buddhism's theme for the new millennium
by Bhikkhu Professor Dhammavihari
To us as Buddhists of the world, this is a very special occasion. Let us begin by thanking the entire membership of the UN who helped to declare the full moon day of the month of May as a holiday for the United Nations, i.e. to the whole world. We Buddhists have an unbeaten record of more than twenty-five centuries of having served diverse sorts of people in the world in their weal and woe, be it in the east or in the west. The world over, Buddhism has been a source of comfort to mankind.
Today we are extremely appreciative of the fact that the United Nations have thought it fit to recognize this and declare the full moon day of the month of May on which the birth and the enlightenment of Gotama the Buddha took place as a holiday for the United Nations. The world of sense and sanity would indeed applaud the UN for this, with a very deep sense of gratitude. This declaration in itself would go down in history as a major event of the new millennium.
As the teacher of one of the major religions of the world today, Gotama the Buddha of India or Shakyamuni, as he is more popularly known currently, stands eminently unique. He achieved this historical position which he has legitimately come to hold for the last twenty-five centuries, mainly on account of the unbounded love which he proclaimed towards all life, not only human, that exists in the universe. This magnanimity and this philanthropy of the Buddha is beautifully enshrined in the words of the Metta Sutta (Suttanipata vv. 43-52) where the theme runs as 'May all beings be safe and secure. May the whole world of living things enjoy comfort and happiness': sukhino va khemino hontu sabbe satta bhavantu sukhitatta.
In Buddhism, the invitation is thrown open to everyone to come and investigate the message of the Buddha, prior to acceptance, and the text of the invitation reads as 'Come and behold' or Ehi passiko. The only pre-requisite for admission is the capacity and the willingness to listen: Ye sotavanto pamuncantu saddham. Judged by world standards of today, any philosophy or religious creed which possesses such qualities would be deemed generous and magnanimous and free from dogmatism and sectarianism.
Buddhism of more than twenty-five centuries ago undoubtedly possessed all these virtues. It led the way as to what world religions should be. This is what facilitated Buddhism, within the few centuries of its early history, even before the advent of Christianity, to reach many areas of western Asia like Afghanistan and Iran, reaching almost up to the Caspian Sea. By 50 AD, during the reign of Emperor Ming Ti, it had already reached China. It is worth refreshing our memory here on what a Muslim historian like al-Biruni (Abu'l-Rayban Mohammad al-Biruni) wrote on this subject more than a thousand years ago.
"Abu'l-Rayban Mohammad al-Biruni was the first to trace the history of Buddhism in Central Asia and the Near East. Approximately a thousand years ago, he said: In former times Khorasan, Persia, Iraq, Mosul, the country up to the frontier of Syria, was Buddhistic. But then Zarathustra went forth from Adharbayjan and preached Magism in Balkh (Baktra). ...In consequence, the Buddhists were banished from those countries, and had to emigrate to the countries east of Balkh."
B. A. Litinsky (Encyclopedia of Buddhism [Sri Lanka] Vol.IV.Fasc.1.p.21)
Buddha Gotama, in one of the lovely sermons recorded in Buddhist history, admonishes his young son Rahula of eighteen years of age at the time, whom he had already ordained as a monk, about the benefits of magnanimous development of love [Maharahulovada Sutta M.I.424 f.]. What is amazing here is the vast range through which the Buddha takes us as he visualizes for us what love can be. Incidentally it covers the entire range of what is elsewhere referred to as divine modes of living or brahma-vihara.
Love which is equated here to one's wholesome relationships with the entire world around is phased out through four stages of gradual development of human attitude [sankappa]. 1. The first is metta which is equivalent to acceptance of universal friendship with all sentient beings, in order to eliminate feelings of enmity and conflict [vyapada]. 2. The next is karuna or compassion. It is the feeling of sympathy and concern for those in distress and pain. It eliminates the desire to hurt and cause pain to others [vihesa]. 3. The third in the list is mudita or appreciative joy or the ability to rejoice in the success of others. This is recommended as an antidote against apathy and indifference [referred to as arati or lack of delight in], and is to be used to combat against an unproductive and stagnant state of mind. Finally in the list of brahma-vihara we have 4. what is called upekkha, generally translated into English as equanimity. This is a very high state of mental development where likes and dislikes are held equal in the scales, without any leanings in either direction. It is said to eradicate feelings of ingrained and deep-seated hostilities or patigha. It is obviously a perfected state of non-partisan neutrality, born of wisdom and judgement.
The common sense view on which this brief for universal love is presented is the one which admits that all living things, both big and small, love their lives, i.e. love to live and do not wish to have their lives terminated [jivtukama amaritukama]. It should be the living beings who should have a right over their lives. Taking that as the norm, let no one kill nor cause others to kill, for whatever reason. The Buddha told this to King Pasenadi of Kosala in the following: Life is dear to everyone. Therefore let no one who loves his own life [attakamo]cause injury to another. Love is clearly a two way process. One has to love others if one wishes equally to be loved by others.
Evam piyo puthu atta paresam tasma na himse param attakamo. S.I. 75
Respect for life is a recurrent theme in the teachings of the Buddha. The first injunction of the pancasila which runs as panatipata veramani requirews that one not only desists from killing living things but also positively prevents destruction of life and extends one's love to all living things: sabba-pana-bhuta-hitanukampi viharati. We make bold to say that this is a dharma which we shared in India along with the Jains. Compassion is the ultimate ethic: Ahimsa paramo dharmah was a common theme jointly sponsored both by the Buddhists and the Jains.
This, one does on that ground of universal awareness that every living thing dreads being beaten or being put to death. If one knows this about oneself, one should neither by oneself kill nor cause another to kill. The Dhammapada devotes two verses to this subject in its Danda Vagga [Ch.X.vv.129 & 130]. This is the basis of the Buddhist self-stand or attupanayika ethic.
Sabbe tasanti dandassa sabbe bhayanti maccuno
attanam upamam katva na kaneyya na ghataye.
The totality of the concept of respect for life is best embodied in the lines of the Dhammika Sutta [Suttanipata v.394] where it specifically mentions three aspects which are directly or indirectly involved in the process of destruction of life. They are 1. Either one does the killing or destruction of life oneself [panam na hane]. 2. Gets another to do the killing [na ca ghatayeyya]. 3. Approves and endorses the killing done by another [na canujanna hanatam paresam]. As an aid to developing a correct and wholesome attitude to life, of respecting and safeguarding it, one is also called upon to acquire positive habits of rejecting and keeping out of one's reach weapons of destruction, weapons that destroy any form of life [sabbesu bhutesu niddhaya dandam. ibid.].
It is very important to note that in the formulation of regulative precepts called sila which are intended to upgrade the quality of human life in society, this particular one relating to respect for life has points of emphasis which are both positive and negative. In the first instance, one resolves not to destroy life and to desist from causing injury to any living thing. This is stated as panatipata veramani. This is the negative restraining injunction, which all the same, is taken upon oneself by one's own choice. The spirit of this first precept if further reinforced with one's resolve to reject weapons of destruction. [nihita-sattho nihita-dando]. The positive aspect of this is stated as 'full of love and compassion for all living things': sabba-pana-bhuta-hitanukampi.
In the world today, we can utilize this Buddhist attitude of respect for life in our attempt to eliminate war and establish peace at world level. A close scrutiny of world history, particularly an analysis of events of the second half of the last century, instils in us a legitimate sense of dread and horror as we move in to the territory of conquest. Throughout history, the sting of conquest has been venomous. In this sense of conquest there are a few other associated English words like overthrow, defeat, vanquish, subjugate etc. It also means to eliminate, to take away the right of existence and to destroy identity. At least the process of conquest is seen to end up with these results.
Closely tied up with this process of thought and action are aggression and destruction. It also moves in the direction of acquisition and appropriation which are invariable results of the conquest motive. The most manifest aspect of this in history has been territorial conquest, expressed under various guises as territorial expansion, political aggrandizement and invasion, the obvious motivation being the need for more land for one group of people as against another, for the exploitation of the valuable resources there of, more people by way of converts to one's political or religious creeds and more agricultural and industrial produce for the sustenance of the conquering people and above all, the resulting economic gains which rank high in today's political vision.
But this mode of crushing another country and its people physically under the heel of power, whether it be political, religious or military, leaves behind tell-tale gaping wounds which take shorter or longer periods of time to heal. War-torn Europe after the World War II in the west and the epitome of tragedy in Hiroshima in the east are very clear examples. Since then, many other regions of the world have been invaded, subjugated and overrun likewise, leaving behind trails of bloodshed and massacre, economic disaster and socio-cultural denudation, even up to a total geophysical devastation as in the case of the war in Vietnam.
This kind of move to swings round the two basic principles of the desire to acquire, own and possess, and the other equally vicious desire to eliminate or exterminate: the instinctive moves of likes and dislikes or attraction and repulsion. Spoken in terms of a religious idiom, as is known to Buddhism, they are greed and hatred. Greed is what over-rides needs, a position which human society, with any degree of sanity, could not concede. To concede it would be to make room for social maladies like imbalances, poverty and haves and have-nots. Hatred or ill-will, by whatever name one calls it, is the inability of man to love and tolerate another. Self-righteousness and egoism or an over-inflated notion of selfhood of I and mine is the only perch from which one could attempt to defend any move in this direction.
This form of self-expansion and self-extension at the expense of others, whether it be by individuals or by more organized collective groups, merely out of material bread and butter interests, would be reckoned as being at savage level. Primitive man at the rudimentary stages of human development, at the stage of food-gatherers, without an awareness of the possibilities of cultivation and production, had no alternative other than grabbing the stores of those nearby. These are true records of human history, not to be ashamed of when it happened then, so far, far away. Here is a beautiful report of such an incident extracted from an early Buddhist text.
At an early stage in the history of man when food-gatherers, regardless of their daily needs, tended to hoard grain, thus creating inevitable imbalances and maldistribution, the wiser ones then are said to have thought out a solution in equitably dividing the grain (salim vibhajeyyama) and fixing a limit on possession and consumption (mariyadam thapeyyama). Both these statements are incorrectly translated at Dialogues of the Buddha III. p.37.
A more recent translation of the same in 'Thus Have I Heard by Maurice Walshe (published in 1987, sixty-six years after the former), blunders on the same, making the mistakes even worse. Even this arrangement of food control and regulation was disrupted by a greedy man who, safe-guarding his own allocation, stole another's portion for this consumption (incorrectly translated again). The others seized him, chastised him and beat him up. (The original Pali text of this occurs in the Agganna Sutta at Digha Nikaya III.p.92 PTS).
But it is totally shameless and despicable when such things are being done stealthily in the world today, in a world believed to be more civilized than that of our ancestors. Ingeniously thought out theories and explanations may be advanced in justification of these malpractices which are no less than crimes committed by man against man. This manner of plunder and misappropriation continues to be indulged in all the world over, within nations and at international levels. They evade detection, no doubt, and the world is sadder and poorer thereby.
At a time like this when ideological, religious and ethnic crises have arisen in many parts of the world, particularly in areas where philosophical maturity, for whatever reason, is at a low ebb, and humanitarian considerations have virtually evaporated, threatening a process of dehumanization and desertification, there is much meaning in one's returning to one's native genius: to a pattern of thinking and a system of values which have grown out of one's own soil which would certainly be comparable to herbal therapy as against a drug cure, with less side effects and less liable to be toxic.
The late Dr. Raphaelo M. Salas, one time United Nations expert on population, in a Convocation Address of the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, delivered in 1979 referred to the Buddha as a wise old master who lived in India over 2500 years ago and quoting the verse No. 336 of the Dhammapada said that those words of the Buddha should be Sri Lanka's contribution to the world for the 21st century.
"Who so in the world overcomes this base unruly craving, from him sorrows fall away like water drops from a lotus leaf." Today, more than two decades later, we need to appreciate the wisdom of what he said and realise the necessity to delve deeper into the teachings of that wise old master - the Buddha. To quote the Dhammapada once more, it is said in verse No. 80 that self-conquest is the role of the wise: attanam damayanti pandita. This is the conquest supreme: the conquest without conflict, wherein all conflicts are resolved. This is truly established in our respect for all life without discrimination, of man and bird and beast.
Hence we return to our theme with which we began 'To Love and Be Loved as Buddhism's message for the new millennium.
May all beings be well and happy. May there be peace on earth and goodwill among men.
Daily News - 17 May 2000
Buddha's Way to happiness
by Deshabandu Alec Robertson
The aims of men vary but in the search for happiness the aim of all mankind is one.
Look around and see where you are. See what sort of a world you are living in. It is a world in which you will find men who just like yourself in most ways. Like yourself they want to get through life with as little unhappiness as they can. How are you and how are they going to secure this?
For all of them, as for yourself, the world contains a great deal of what you do not like. You cannot always avoid all of it. But there is some of it which you can avoid, if you wish and are willing to make the necessary effort.
The average man places his happiness in things external in property, rank, wife, children, friends and the like. The moment he loses them or finds them disappointing, the foundation of his happiness is lost. There is no denying the fact that these external objects add to one's happiness in a small measure; but impermanence being their very nature, they ultimately lead to unhappiness.
What then should be our attitude to this changing world? Weeping is in vain. That will make matters worse. Nor is resignation the best way. Understanding the true nature of the world, let us face life bravely. Let us remember the advice given by the Buddha to Nakulapita. Nakulapita in his old age, broken down and sick, visits the Buddha, and the Buddha tells him, "Though sick of body, my mind shall be healthy. Thus should you train yourself."
Happiness is a state of mind. It is not what happens that determines our degree of happiness or misery. Circumstances have power to disrupt our peace of mind only as we let them. Events and things are of the external world. It is not what happens without, but the reaction within that counts.
The secret of happy, successful living lies in doing what needs to be done now and not worrying about the past and the future. There is but one moment of time over which we have some conscious control and that is the present.
This truth has been recognised not only by the Buddha but also by all the great thinkers of the world. They say that it is futile to live in memories of the past and in dreams of the future, neglecting the present moment and its opportunities. Times move on. Let us not stand idly by, and see our hopes, for success turn into memories of failure.
It lies in our power to build today, something that will endure through many tomorrow, something more solid than castles in the air. The Buddha has shown us the way. The time is now and the choice is ours.
Many people just worry by thinking about their future but if they have learned to adjust themselves according to the circumstances of their daily life, there is no reason for them to be worried. Whatever castles they may build in the air, whatever dreams they may have in their mind, they must always remember that they are living in this world of constant changes.
Confidence
Therefore, this precious quality of happiness does not come spontaneously. It has to be developed and cultivated. There are certain salient and sterling qualities of the heart and mind which are indispensable for happiness. They could succinctly be crystallised in the seven Cs. Confidence, charity, contentment, compassion, courage, calm and clarity.
If these noble qualities are woven into the texture of our lives then happiness and joy will be our lot. The cultivation of even some of these virtues will go a long way in making our lives happy, contented and cheerful.
I have given pride of place to confidence as it is the forerunner of all the other virtues. Unless one has confidence and faith in oneself it is not possible to achieve anything worthwhile in his life. In the highest sense confidence denotes faith in moral and spiritual values and the ability and capacity to achieve ideals and goals that one aspires to. This quality of confidence is expressed in the Buddhist virtue of Saddha which the great philosopher Asanga has given three nuances of meaning. In fact the three meanings given to this term contain the ingredients of happy living. The three meanings are:
(i). full and firm conviction that a thing is
(ii). serene joy at good qualities and
(iii). aspiration or wish to achieve an object in view
Charity is also an invaluable virtue which promotes happiness, joy and contentment in our lives. It is not the mere giving of material gifts to the needy and the poor that constitutes this previous virtue. It is indeed the bigness of heart and mind, the charitable and liberal disposition displayed towards others.
The motive underlying this quality has been poignantly and picturesquely expressed by Saint Paul in the following words of wisdom. "If not for charity, I will be life sounding brass or tinkling symbols".
Buddhism which regards self-restraint as a high virtue and covetousness as an abominable vice, and which absolutely denies the idea of self should recognise a high ethical in contentment.
A dissatisfied man will find dissatisfaction even in the midst of riches. No less miserable is the condition of a rich man who craves for riches after riches which even though he may accumulate, heap upon heap, he does not wish to use for himself or for others and which give him no satisfaction.
So long as we seek our happiness in the satisfaction of our desires for material gains, so long as we pander to our sense desires, we shall never find contentment. In the first place, we cannot obtain everything we wish for. This is quite clear from our daily experience. What one obtains is limited by certain conditions which may be different according to different individuals and societies and under different circumstances some of us many have more, others less. And, some may have the most, still there is a certain limited to what one may obtain. Therefore, the first thing we ought to bear in mind is that we cannot expect to have everything which we desire to possess.
Compassion
Compassion is also a sterling quality that contributes in no mean measure to happiness. Buddhism teaches us not only to abstain from killing beings, but also to love and protect them.
If every person in our society is benevolent and grateful or ready to help in a small way, and reciprocate the kind feelings shown to him, then, our society will be very pleasant to live in. If in our private and public lives mutual love predominates, then, there will be no friction whatsoever among us.
Very often we thoughtlessly and sometimes deliberately add to the discomfort and sufferings of others. If we do not like being hurt ourselves, what right have we to inflict pain on others? Treat others as you would like them to treat you, is a safe rule which has been advocated by the Buddha and teachers of old.
Courage is also an indispensable factor for the attainment of happiness and peace of mind. The Buddha Dhamma is a virile teaching. It has no use for sickly sentimentality. It appeals to the practical minded, those who face facts and are prepared to exert themselves.
The facts are greed, hatred and ignorance. Everywhere we see them, in the palaces of the rich and the hovels of the poor, in hospitals, at holiday resorts, and in the courts of law. Wherever we see them, we must recognise them, because one cannot fight an enemy that one does not recognise.
The Buddha says that we must be spiritual warriors, so that we could wage war against the inveterate enemies of the mind - greed, hatred and ignorance. We must valiantly use the powerful weapons of dana - generosity, sila - virtue and bhavana - meditation, to conquer the enemies which harass and torment us so frequently in our lives. Then only will we emerge triumphant and victorious.
Calmness or tranquillity of mind is an essential ingredient for happiness. The mind of man in the modern world is in a state of turmoil, agitation and confusion as he is constantly and severely bombarded by sense stimuli through the mass media.
Peace of mind, contentment and happiness are rare commodities these days. On the other hand modern man is dominated and overpowered by negative thoughts of fear, anxiety and worry. Thus the modern age is aptly described as an age of anxiety and neurosis.
The development and cultivation of calm, tranquillity and serenity are of paramount importance if we are to lead happy, serene and meaningful lives. An essential prerequisite for the attainment of calm and tranquillity is a diminishing of one's desires and wants. It is a fact of common experience that our desires are insatiable and can never be satisfied and as a result frustration, disillusionment and anxiety torment our minds.
The cultivation and development of a splendid indifference to the eight vicissitudes of life, gain and loss, praise and blame, fame and ill-fame, sorrow and happiness contribute in no mean measure to calmness and serenity.
Clarity, right vision or right understanding is the last but not the least quality for the achievement of happiness. If one does not possess this invaluable and essential virtue one will not be in a position to cultivate, develop and perfect the other aforementioned qualities.
Right understanding clarity or vision in simple terms means seeing things in their true perspective in the light of transience (Anicca) the unsatisfactory nature of life (Dukkha) and the Agelessness of all phenomenal and conditioned things which are the basic facts of life.
It is because we do not understand and realise the impermanent and transitory nature of all the cherished objects, for which we cling and desire so passionately wealth, wife, children, property, rank and position, power and glory that we undergo so much pain and anguish, and are denied the precious and invaluable quality of happiness.
Daily News - 17 May 2000
Remembering previous lives under hypnosis
by D. Amarasiri Weeraratne
It is often asked why do we not remember our previous lives if it is a fact that we have lived before? And often we reply that the loss of memory of a particular thing is no proof for it not having occurred. For instance we do not remember the details of our infancy, nor do we remember the day of our birth. That does not prove that we did not live during the periods in question.
I cannot remember for instance, what I did on 1st January 1999, and where I was on that day unless I refer to my diary. This only shows that our minds are constituted in such a way that we do not remember many past things and incidents. The further the time lapse the less are we likely to remember details.
The mind and its workings are not generally understood by most of us. But those who have studied the mind tell us that man uses only one fourth of it from the day of his birth to the day of his death. They compare the mind to an iceberg where only one fourth is visible above the water, while three fourths lie submerged. The subconscious is a part of the mind that we do not usually utilise. In that part of the mind are latent the memories of all our past experiences, including those of our previous lives.
Hypnosis
It is said that yogis can attain psychic powers by practising concentration of mind in meditation. These powers include the ability to recall past lives. This ability is gained by having access to memories that are available to the subsconcious mind. But most of us are not yogis and generally do not exert ourselves to achieve these powers. How then can we obtain memories available to our subconscious mind? Here hypnosis comes to our rescue.
When a person is hypnotised and attains the somnambulistic stage or the third stage of deep-trance, his subconscious mind starts functioning. The subconscious mental state is sharp and has the ability to recall memories that are not available to the normal mind. Psychologists and psychiatrists have long realised that a person's memory can be remarkably improved while under hypnosis.
"Often, long-forgotten and trivial information can be clearly remembered, such memories being inaccessible to the subject during normal consciousness. Even experiences of early childhood can be vividly relived. Depending in part on the hypnotist's technique, many subjects will assume childish speech and mannerism appropriate to the age, to which they are regressed." (Hypnotism Today by C. M. Lecron and J. Borduex).
Regression
Under hypnosis a subject can recall his past experiences even up to the embryonic stage. Thus a person can be regressed to the age of six, and his voice, handwriting and mannerisms will correspond to those he had at the corresponding period. These experiences can be checked up with those of his actual life. Such experiences have convinced psychologists and psychiatrists today that authentic buried memories of one's childhood experiences which cannot be recalled to mind under normal consciousness can be recalled under hypnosis. When the hypnotic age regression is extended to an ante-natal period we observe a recall of memories of a previous life.
This is a dramatic turning point. Sometimes the subject during this wakeful state is not a reincarnationist or even has never heard of such an idea, or belongs to a creed which denies it emphatically. 'One very intelligent man, a Protestant, asked the hypnotist in a deep booming voice, whey do you ask such a question?' The question was repeated 'Were you or were you not born for the first time?' He hesitated as if to conquer an inner opposition, and began to describe his life a couple of centuries ago in a monastery somewhere in Spain.
When awoke slowly and by reversing the age-regression process the tape was played back to him. He was amazed because he did not know about reincarnation and never thought it possible. A bright beautiful mature woman talked freely about reincarnation and other related subjects. When she listened to the play-back she said, 'I have been crazy to say such things.' She is a die-hard Roman Catholic (Can reincarnation be proved by hypnotism - by H. C. Miranda, a Brazilian writer in "Two Worlds" magazine May 1964).
Dr. Alexander Canon, a British psychiatrist used to think that rebirth was a nonsensical belief. But after hundreds of his subjects who never had any belief in rebirth gave accounts of their previous lives when regressed to periods prior to birth in this life, he changed his opinion and came to believe in rebirth. He makes this clear in his book, 'Power Within'.
The Daily Express challenged Mr. Henry Blythe, a professional hypnotist, to prove if possible, a case of reincarnation in Britain. In reply he hypnotised an English lady, Mrs. Naomi Henry and obtained details of not one but three previous lives and published a book The Three Lives of Naomi Henry to prove his contention.
Arnol Bloxham, president of the Society of British Hypnotherapists hypnotised an English school teacher, Anne Okendan and obtained details of seven of her previous lives. These ranged from the caveman days to the Victorian era. Her life as a soldier in Oliver Cromwell's army is most interesting. She had been an eyewitness to the trial and execution of Charles I. A wealth of information about Cromwell's private life, his friends, enemies etc are found in this account.
In 1976 Jeffrey Iverson published a book called "The Bloxham Tapes" (Pan Books, London 1976). Iverson had selected 14 cases from 400 tapes containing the record of the past lives of Arnol Bloxham's subjects under hypnotism. Selecting the 14 best cases that have been verified and found correct, the above mentioned book has been published by the author.
The BBC has also produced a film entitled 'The Bloxham Tapes' in which are reproduced memories of some of Bloxham's subjects under hypnosis. The case histories dealt within the film have been historically checked up with the authorities on the various subjects concerned and presented with a wealth of detail that are of absorbing interest. I would earnestly recommend Jeffrey Iverson's book to all interested in memories of previous lives taped under hypnosis.
Swiss girl
Further, Prof. Theodore Fluwney of the Geneva University hypnotised a young Swiss girl working in a business house and obtained details of her previous life 500 as an Arab chief's daughter, Simanda-ni by name. She became the wife of a Hindu Raja, Sivuruka of Kanara, who built the fortress of Chandragiri in 1401. These facts have been verified by delving deep into obscure Indian historical sources. Her use of the Hindi language under hypnosis was also astounding. The ability to speak a foreign language while reliving a previous life under hypnosis is termed zenoglossy. This is a mystery which cannot be solved rejecting the truth of rebirth.
Dr. Johnathan Rodney has published a book called 'The Explorations of a Hypnotist'. In this he gives details of tape records where a number of his subjects gave their experiences of former lives. Mrs. Anne Baker who never studied French, and has never been to France. Under hypnosis she spoke fluent French and had lived at the time of the execution of Marie Antoinette. The details of Paris she knew in 1794, the people, the streets etc have been found correct. The streets she mentioned are no longer there know.
Bridey Murphy
The most famous of the cases of previous lives remembered under hypnosis is that of Mrs. Ruth Simmons. She was hypnotised is that of Mrs. Ruth Simmons. She was hypnotised by Morey Berenstein on six different occasions between November 1952 and August 1953. This American housewife who has not been abroad recalled her previous life as Bridey Murphy who lived in Ireland.
The earliest event that she could remember was that at the age of seven as Bridey Murphy she scratched off the paint from her newly painted bed. For this mischievous act she was punished by her parents. Her father was Duncan Murphy, a lawyer of Belfast. Her mother was Kathleen and she had an elder brother named Duncan. The memories of her early childhood and school days are remembered in detail.
At the age of twenty she was married to a lawyer, Brian McCarthy, afterwards, she travelled from Cork to Belfast for her husband's home. Details of the journey and the places passed on the way are mentioned by her, including such minor items as railway crossings which could be checked only with much difficulty. The house was near St. Lucia's Cathedral, Belfast.
A Catholic Priest Father John was in charge. Her husband was a Catholic, while she remained a Protestant. Her husband had written a series of articles in the Belfast Newsletter regarding law. He was a part-time lecturer in the local university. She had no children in that life. She had bought foodstuffs from John Carrigan and Farr and company, two Belfast grocers. Bridey died at the age of 66.
The details given in this account were handed over to an independent firm of Irish lawyers for verification and report. The report of the firm indicated that 18 items were verified as correct. Seven items were doubted or challenged but subsequently verified as true. Three items were doubted or denied but found to be not impossible. Four items were doubted or unverified, but not shown to be conclusively false.
The Bridey Murphy case took the western world by surprise. The book by Morey Berenstein 'The Search for Bridey Murphy' became a best seller within two weeks in America. Fifty two newspapers and magazines serialised the story. In five months the book went through 205,000 copies. Paramount Pictures bought the movie rights for a documentary. Translations were arranged for it in Holland, France, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Spain and England.
Of Berenstein's book 'The Search for Bridey Murphy' Gina Ceraminara, says in her classic work on rebirth "The World within", "It caused a sudden sharp explosion, as sudden, unexpected, and devastating as the attack on Pearl Harbour or the bomb over Hiroshima. As in the Pearl Harbour is the Hiroshima affair, there have been extraordinary and irreversible consequences, and probably, there will be more."
Illusion Theory
Some American psychologists, psycho-analysts, and psychiatrists, however came out with the illusion theory as the 'scientific explanation' of the Bridey Murphy case. They assumed without proof that Mrs. Simmons must have obtained information about her life in Ireland in a normal manner, even though a careful study of the items verified would have shown that this was virtually impossible.
At the same time Rev. Wally White and his team of investigators published a series of newspaper articles concerning the alleged memories of Mrs. Simmons, which if true would have shown.
However Dr. Ducasse Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, Brown University has shown in his book (A Critical Examination of Life After Death - Illinois, USA, 1961) that Rev. White's exposure contained a tissue of falsehoods inspired by religious prejudice, and that the so-called scientific explanation was most unsatisfactory since it did not account for the verified facts. Dr. Ian Stevenson Head of the Department of Neurology, University of Virginia agrees that the case calls for a paranormal explanation. So did Dr. Rhine when his opinion was consulted by a newspaper. Sydney Petrie
Sydney Petrie is a modern authority on hypnotism. In his book 'What Modern Hypnotism Can Do For You,' he devotes chapter 10 to Hypnosis and the Paranormal. This includes memories of former lives that come up in the deep trance states. He cites the case of a 26 year-old American school teacher, Janet, who recalled a former life in Elizabethan England as an illiterate farm hand. Ten pages are devoted to this case history which has been recorded and thoroughly researched.
Some have tried to explain the memories of previous lives tapped under hypnosis as illusions. They assert that the hypnotic subject is highly suggestible and has heightened powers of dramatisation, and would live up to the role required of him by the hypnotist.
But there are cases where details of previous lives given have been independently checked and found to be correct. It has also been established that the subject could not have obtained the information by normal means during the course of this present life. Here we have to look for another explanation in these cases.
Decisive Test
Dr. Johnathan Rodney has carried out various experiments to distinguish between hallucination and normal recall under hypnosis. (Page 94 - Explorations of a Hypnotist - Dr. Johnathan Rodney.) He has established that hypnotic subjects do not hallucinate without specifically being told so by the hypnotist. Thus it has been established beyond reasonable doubt that the memories of previous lives recalled during hypnosis are not the result of any hallucination or illusion, any more than the memories of this life when regressed to childhood, in fancy and so on.
Hypnotists working in widely separate countries with subjects of widely different cultures and traditions have come across what appears to be memories of a previous life coming from subjects under deep trance hypnosis. How is this possible? How then are we to regard this appearance in many places of what appears to be previous lives? Are they promptings of the devil to bewilder and confuse the faithful. Or is it an epoch making step forward towards answering the all-important question on Karma - and Rebirth?
Consistency without collusion is evidence in a court of law.' It is also evidence in the realm of science. If a great many serious and professionally trained people are independently finding the same sort of thing, surely there must be behind all the smoke some fire." Gina Ceraminara - 'The World Within.'
There are three steps in the history of a great discovery. First its' opponents say the discoverer is crazy: later that he is sane, but his discovery is of no real importance, and last the discovery is important, but everybody had known it right along." - Sigmund Freud.
Daily News - 17 May 00
Dhamma Pada
Yo ca buddhan ca dhamman ca &emdash; Sanghan ca saranam gato
Cattari ariya saccani &emdash; sammappannaya passati. &emdash; 190
Dukkham dukkha samuppadam &emdash; dukkhassa ca atikkamam
Ariyancatthangikam maggam &emdash; dukkhupasama gaminam. &emdash; 191
Etam kho saranam khemam &emdash; etam saranam uttamam
Etam saranam agamma &emdash; sabba dukkha pamuccati. &emdash; 192
He who has gone for refuge to the Buddha,
the Dhamma, and the Sangha, sees with
right knowledge the four Noble Truths:
Sorrow, the Cause of Sorrow, the
Transcending of Sorrow and the Noble
Eightfold Path which leads to the
Cessation of Sorrow.
This, indeed, is refuge, secure. This,
indeed, is refuge supreme. By seeking such
refuge one is released from all sorrow. 190-191-192
Just before the demise of the Master
by Bhikkhu T. Seelananda
Paramita International Buddhist Centre, Kadugannawa.
The Master Gotama, the Buddha crossed the river Hiranyavati together with a large company of monks and went to the Sala-grove of Mallas in the vicinity of Kusinara (India). There addressing his faithful attendant the Ven. Ananda he said "Ananda prepare me a bed between these twin Sala-trees with my head to the North. I am tired and want to lie down" "very good, Sire" said the Ven. Ananda and did so. Then the Buddha lay down on his right side in the lion-posture (simhaseyya), placing one feet on the other, with mindful and clearly aware.
The Sala-trees burst forth into an abundance of untimely blossoms, which fell upon the Buddha’s body-sprinkling it and covering it in homage. The divine coral-tree flowers fell from the sky and sprinkling and covering the Buddha’s body in homage. Divine music and song sounded from the sky in homage to the Buddha. The Buddha said "Ananda never before has the Tathagata been so honoured, revered, esteemed, worshipped and adored. And yet, Ananda whatever monk, nun, male or female, lay follower dwells practising the Dhamma properly and perfectly fulfils the Dhamma - way, he or she honours the Tathagata revers and esteems him and pays him the supreme homage. Therefore Ananda "we will dwell practising the Dhamma properly and perfectly fulfil the Dhamma way"&emdash; this must be your watchword".
At this moment, the Ven. Upavana was standing in front of the Buddha, fanning him. The Devas from ten world -spheres gathered to see the Buddha saying " We have come a long way to see the Tathagata. It is rare for a Tathagata, a fully- enlightened Buddha, to arise in the world, and to night in the last watch the Tathagata will attain final Nibbana and all too soon the Blessed One is passing away, all too soon the well-farer is passing away, all too soon the Eye of the world is disappearing".
By this time, the Ven Ananda who was lamenting leaning on the door post, went into his lodging and started weeping "Alas, I am still a learner with much to do! and the Teacher is passing away, who was so compassionate to me". Then the Budd a inquired about him and knew that he was weeping there. So the Buddha asked a certain monk to summon him. When he came to the presence of the Buddha the Buddha said "Enough, Ananda, do not weep and wail!. Have I not already told you that all things that are pleasant and delightful are changeable, subject to separation and becoming other? So how could it be, Ananda &emdash; since whatever is born, become compounded is subject to decay ,how could it be that it should not pass away? For a long time, Ananda you have been in the Tathagata’s presence, showing loving kindness in act of body speech and mind, beneficially, blessedly, wholeheartedly and unstintingly. You have achieved much merit, Ananda. Make the effort, and in a short time you will be free from cankers."Thousands of Mallas from the city of Kusinara, together with their sons, daughters-in-law and wives and all were struck with anguish and sorrow and their minds were overcome with grief, on hearing the Buddha’s passing away to night at their city and came to see the Buddha. They were all weeping and tearing their hair.
In a short while, a Wanderer called Subhadda went to the Ven. Ananda and asked " Reverend Ananda, may I be permitted to see the Ascetic Gotama?. But the Ven. Ananda said " Enough ,friend Subhadda, do not disturb the Buddha, he is weary" Subhadda made his request a second time and a third time, but still the Ven. Ananada refused it. But the Buddha overheard this conversation between them and called to Ananda and asked to permit Subhadda to come in. Approaching the Buddha and exchanging courtesies with him he sat down and asked "Venerable Gotama, all those ascetics and Brahmins who have orders and followings, who are teachers, well-known and famous as founders of schools, and popularly regarded as saints, like Purana Kassapa, Makkhali Gosala.... have they all realized the truth as they all make out, or have none of them realized it, or have some of them realized it and some not?" "Enough Subhadda never mind whether all, or none, or some of them have realized the truth. I will teach you Dhamma, Subhadda. Listen, pay close attention, and I will speak". Thus the Buddha admonishing him said.
"In whatever Dhamma and discipline the Noble Eight-fold Path is not found, no ascetic is found of the first, the second, the third or the fourth grade. But such ascetics can be found, of the first, second, third, and fourth grade in a Dhamma and discipline (Dhammavinaya) where the Noble Eightfold Path is found. Now Subhadda, in this Dhamma and discipline (Dhammavinaya) the Noble Eight-fold path is found and in it are to be found ascetics of the first, second, third and fourth grade. Those other schools are devoid of true ascetics; but if in this one the monks were to live the life to perfection, the world would not lack for Arahants."
In the end of the admonition of the Buddha, the wanderer Subhadda went for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha. Then he received the going forth in the presence of the Buddha and finally he became one of the Arahants in the dispensation.
The Buddha then addressing the monks said " It may be monks, that some monks have doubts or uncertainty about the path or the practice. Ask, monks!. Do not afterwards feel remorse, thinking ‘ The teacher was there before us, and we failed to ask the Buddha face to face’. At these words the monks were silent. The Buddha repeated his words a second and a third time and still the monks were silent. Then he said perhaps, monks, you do not ask out of respect for the teacher. Then monks let one friend tell it to another. But still they were silent. And then the Ven. Ananda said " It is wonderful, Lord, it is marvelous! I clearly perceive that in this assembly there is not one monk who has doubts or uncertainty". The Buddha said "You Ananda ,speak from faith. But the Tathagata knows that in this assembly there is not one monk who has doubts or uncertainty about the Buddha ,the Dhamma or the Sangha or about the Path or the practice.
Again in his last utterance, the Buddha addressed the monks and said " Now monks, I declare to you; all conditioned things are of a nature to decay. Strive on untiringly (Handa’dani bhikkhave amantayami vo vayadhamma sankhara appamadena sampadetha). With these last words of the Buddha, he entered the first Jhana. And leaving that he entered the second, the third, the fourth Jhana. Then leaving the fourth Jhana he entered the sphere of infinite space, then the sphere of infinite consciousness, then the sphere of Nothingness, then the sphere of Neither-perception-Nor non-perception, and leaving that he attained the cessation of Feeling and perception. Then the Ven. Ananda said to the Ven. Anuruddha: Ven. Anuruddha the Buddha has passed away. "No" friend Ananda, the Buddha has not passed away, he has attained the cessation of Feeling and perception. Then the Buddha, leaving the attainment of the cessation of Feeling and perception, entered the sphere of Neither-perception - Nor non-perception, from that he entered the sphere of nothingness, the sphere of infinite consciousness the sphere of infinite space. From the sphere of infinite space he entered the fourth Jhana, from there the third, the second and the first Jhana. Leaving the first Jhana he entered the second, the third, the fourth Jhana. And leaving the fourth Jhana, the Buddha, the Exalted One passed away into Parinibbana.
Let us all try to understand the last words of the Buddha.
The Island - 17 May 2000
Universal characteristics in Buddhism
by J. P. Pathirana
There are universal characteristics of existence which you and I and everyone of us are subject to and there is no way of escape. This is an important aspect of the teachings of the Buddha. Like the Four Noble Truths, Kamma, Dependent Origination and the five aggregates; the three characteristics of the teachings of the Buddha is the part of what we might call the doctrinal contents of wisdom. In other words, when we talk about the knowledge and the understanding that is implied by wisdom, we have this teaching in mind.
Before we examine the characteristics individually, let us come to an understanding of what they mean and what way they are useful. First of all, what is a characteristic and what is not. A characteristic is something which is necessarily connected with something else. Because the characteristic is necessarily connected with something, it can tell us about the nature of that thing. Let us take an example. Heat for instance is a characteristic of fire but not a characteristic of water. Heat is the characteristic of fire, heat of the fire, is always and invariably connected with fire. On the other hand, the heat of water depends on external factors &emdash; an electric stove, the heat of the sun and so forth. But the heat of fire is natural to fire. It is in this sense that the Buddha uses the term characteristic to refer to facts of nature of existence, that are always connected with existence and that are always found in existence. The characteristic heat is always connected with fire. So we can understand something about the nature of fire from heat. We can understand that fire is hot. We can understand that we can use fire to cook our food, to warm ourselves and so forth. The characteristic of heat tells us something about fire, how to use it and what to do with it. If we were to think of the characteristic of heat as connected with water; it would not help us to use water because heat is not always connected with water. We cannot cook our food with water. We cannot warm ourselves with water. So when the Buddha said there are THREE characteristics of existence, He meant that these characteristics are always present in existence and that they help to understand what to do with existence.
The three characteristics of existence that we have in mind are the characteristics of Impermanence (Anitya), suffering (Dukkha) and no-self (Anatma). These three characteristics are always present in or are connected with existence. They help us to know what to do with existence and also tell us the nature of existence. What we learn to develop as a result of understanding the three characteristics is renunciation. Once we understand that existence is universally characterised by impermanence, suffering and no-self, we eliminate our attachment to existence. Once we eliminate our existence, we gain the threshold of Nibbana. This is the purpose that understanding the three characteristics serves. It removes attachment by removing delusions, the misunderstanding that existence is permanent, is pleasant and has something to do with self. This is why understanding the three characteristics is part of the contents of wisdom.
Let us look at the First of the three characteristics of existence, the characteristic of impermanence. The fact of impermanence has been recognised not only in Buddhist thought but also elsewhere in the history of philosophy. It was the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus who remarked that one could not step into the same river twice. This remark, which implies the everchanging and transcient nature of things is a very Buddhistic remark. In the Buddhist scriptures, it is said that the three worlds (Dhatus) are impermanent like autumn clouds, that birth and death are like a dance; and that human life is like a flash of lightning or a waterfall. All these are compelling images of impermanence and they help us to understand that all things are marked or characterised by impermanence.
If we look at our own personality, we will find that our bodies are impermanent. They are subject to constant change. We grow thin. We grow old and gray &emdash; our teeth fall out, our hair falls out. If one needs any proof of the impermanence of the physical form, one need only to look at one’s own photograph on one’s own driving licence or passport over the years. Similarly, our mental states are impermanent. At one moment we are happy and at another moment we are sad. As infants, we hardly understand anything. As adults, in the prime of life we understand a great deal more. And again in old age we lose the power of our mental facilities and become like infants. Our minds are also characterised by impermanence. This is also true of the things that we see around us. Everything we see around us are impermanent. Not one thing will last forever &emdash; not the office-blocks, nor the temples, nor the rivers and islands, nor the mountain-chains, nor the oceans. We know for a fact that all these natural phenomena, even those appear to be most durable, even the solar system itself will one day decline and become extinct. Finally understanding impermanence is an aid to the understanding of the ultimate nature of things. Seeing that all things are perishable and change every moment, we also begin to see things have no substantial existence of their own. Understanding impermanence is a key to understanding of no-self.
Let us now go to the second of the three characterics, the characteristic of suffering. The Buddha has said that whatever is impermanent is suffering &emdash; because impermanence is an occasion for suffering. It is an occasion for suffering and a cause of suffering because impermanence is an occasion for suffering so long as ignorance of the real nature of things, we crave and cling to objects in the forlorn hope that they may be permanent, that they may yield permanent happiness. Failing to understnad that youth, health and life itself are impermanent, we crave for them, we cling to them. We long to hold on to our youth and for prolonging our life and yet because they are impermanent by nature, they slip through our fingers like sand.
When this occurs, impermanence is an occasion for suffering. The impermanence of all situations in samsara is a particular occasion for suffering when it occurs even in the so-called fortunate realms. It is said that suffering of the gods is even greater than the suffering of living beings dwelling in the lower realms of existence when they see that they are about to fall from the heavens to the lower realms of existence. Even the gods trembled when the Buddha reminded them of impermance. Even those pleasant experiences which we crave and cling to are impermanent and whatever is impermanent is also suffering.
Now, let us go to the third universal characteristic of suffering, the characteristic of no-self, or impersonality, orinsubstantiality. This is in a sense, one of the really distinctive features of Buddhist thought and of the teachings of the Buddha. Sometimes, this teaching of no-self is an occasion for confusion because often we wonder how can one deny the self. After all, we do say "I am speaking" or "I am walking" or "I am called so and so" or "I am the father or the son of such and such person". So how can we deny the reality of that "I". In order to clarify this, I think it is important to remember that the Buddhist rejection of "I" is not a rejection of this convenient designation, the name "I". Rather, it is rejection of the idea that this name "I" stand for a substantial, permanent and changeless reality. When the Buddha said that the five factors of personal experience were not the self and that the self was not found within them; He meant that on analysis, this name "I" did not correspond to any essence or entity. The Buddha has used the example of the chariot and the forest to explain the relation between the term "I" and the components of personal experience. The Buddha has explained that the term chariot, is simply a convenient name for a collection of parts that is assembled in a particular way. The wheels are not the chariot. Neither is the axle and neither is the carriage and so forth.
Similarly, an individual tree is not a forest. Neither is a number of individual trees a forest. There is no forest apart from the individual trees. The term forest is just a convenient name for an assembly of individual trees. This is the thrust of the Buddha’s rejection of the belief in a real, independent, permanent entity that is represented by the term "I". Such a permanent entity would have to be independent, would have to be sovereign in the way that a King is master of those around him. It would have to be permanent, immutable and impervious to change and such a permanent entity, such a self is nowhere to be found.
The Buddha has applied the following analysis to the body and mind to indicate that the self is nowhere to be found either in the body or mind. The body is not the self. For if the body were the self, the self would be impermanent, would be subject to change, decay, destruction and death. So the body cannot be the self. The self does not possess the body, in the sense that I possess a cart or a television, because the self cannot control the body. The body falls ill, gets tired and old against our wishes.The body has a shape which often does not agree with our wishes. So in no way does the self possess the body. The self is not in the body. If we search our body from the top of our head to the tip of our toes, we can nowhere locate the self. The self is not in the bone, nor in the blood, nor in the marrow, nor in the hair, nor in the spittle. The self is nowhere to be found in the body. Similarly, the mind is not the self. The mind is subject to constant change. The mind is forever jumping like a monkey.
The mind is happy at one moment and unhappy at the next. So the mind cannot be the self for the mind is constantly changing. The self does not posssess the mind because the mind becomes excited and depressed against our wishes. Although we know certain thoughts are wholesome, and certain thoughts are unwholesome, the mind pursues unwholesome thoughts and is indifferent towards wholesome thoughts. So the self does not possess the mind because the mind acts independently of the self. The self is not in the mind. No matter how carefully we search the contents of our mind, no matter how carefully we search our thoughts, our feelings and ideas, we can nowhere find the self. There is a very simple exercise anyone of us can perform. We can all sit quietly for a brief period of time and look within our body and mind and without exception we will find that we cannot locate the self anywhere within the body nor the mind. The conclusion remains that the self is just a convenient name for a collection of factors. There is no self, no soul, no essence, no core of personal experience apart from the ever-changing, interdependent, impermanent physical and mental factors of personal experience such as our feelings, ideas, thoughts, habits and attitudes.
Why should we care to reject the idea of self? How can we benefit by rejecting the idea of self? Here too, we can benefit in two important ways. First of all in our everyday life, on a mundane level we can benefit in that we will become more creative, more comfortable and more open people. So long as we cling to the self, we will always have to defend ourselves, to defend our possessions, property, prestige, opinions and even our words. But once we give up this belief in an independent and permanent self, we will be able to relate to other people and situations without paronia. We will be able to relate freely, spontaneously and creatively. Understanding no-self is therefore an aid to living. Through the understanding of impermanence, suffering and no-self, we will have freed ourselves of the fundamental errors that imprison us within the cycle of birth and death &emdash; the error of seeing things as pleasant and the error of seeing things as self. When these delusious are removed, wisdom arises. Just as when darkness is removed, wisdom arises. And when wisdom arises, one experiences the peace and freedom of Nibbana or Nirvana.
The Island - 17 May 00