YMBA Senior 2001 Dhamma

2. Describe how and where the Buddha spent the 7 weeks after Enlightenment. Or state and explain the 7 conditions of welfare Lord Buddha instructed to His disciples just before Parinibban

Throughout the 1^st week, thre Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree in one posture experiencing the Bliss of Emancipation .

After the 7 days had passed, the Buddha emerged from His state of concentration, and in the 1^st watch of the neight, throughly reflected on the Law of Dependent Origination (Paticca Samuppáda) in direct order. In the middle watch of the night, He reflected on the Law of Dependent Origination in reverse order. In the third watch of the night, He reflected on the Law of Dependent Origination in direct and reverse order.

The 2^nd week was uneventful, but He silently taught a great moral lesson to the world. As a mark of profound gratitude to the inanimate Bodhi tree that sheltered Him during His struggle for Enlightenment, He stood at a certain distance gazing at the Bodhi tree with motionless eyes for one whole week.

As the Buddha had not given up His temporary residence at the Bodhi tree, the Devas doubted His attainment to Buddhahood. The Buddha read their thoughts and in order to clear their doubts, He created by His psychic power a jewelled ambulatory and paced up and down for another week.

He spent His 4^th week in a jewelled chamber contemplating on the intricacies of the Abhidhamma. Books state that His mind and body were so purified when He pondered on the Book of Relations (Patthána), the seven treatise of the Abhidhamma, that six coloured rays emitted from His body.

During the 5^th week, the Buddha, seated in one posture under the famous Ajapála tree in the vicinity of the Bodhi tree, enjoyed the Bliss of Emanacipation. When He arose from that transcendental state, a conceited Brahmin approached Him. After the customary salutations and friendly greetings, he questioned the Buddha thus: "In what respect, O Venerable Gotama, does one become a Brahmana and what are the conditions that make a Brahmana?"

The Buddha replied: "That Brahmin who has discarded evil, without conceit, free from defilements, self-controlled, versed in knowledge and who has led the Holy life rightly, would call himself a Brahmana. For him there is no elation anywhere in this world."

According to the Jataka commentary, it was during this week that the daughters of Mára-Tanhá, Arati and Ragá-made a vain attempt to tempt the Buddha by their charms.

From the Ajapála banyan tree the Buddha proceeded to the Mucalinda tree where He spent the 6^th week enjoying the Bliss of Emancipation. At that time, there arose an unexpected great shower. Rain clouds and gloomy weather with cold winds prevailed for several days.

Thereupon, Mucalinda the serpent king, came out of his abode, and coiling round the body of the Buddha 7 times, kept his large hood over the head of the Buddha so that He might not be affected by the elements.

At the close of 7 days, Mucalinda, seeing the clear, cloudless sky, uncoiled himself from around the body of the Buddha, and leaving his own form, took the guise of a young man, and stood in front of the Buddha with clasped hands.

Thereupon, the Buddha uttered this paean of joy:" Happy is he who is contented; happy is he who hears and sees the Truth; happy is he whose mind in filled with loving kindness forwards all being; happy is he who is not attached to worldly affairs and who is above greed and hatred; the happiest is one who has destroyed conceit."

The Buddha spent the 7^th week peacefully at the Rájáyatana tree, experiencing the Bliss of Emancipation.

1. As long as the Bhikkhus assemble frequently and hold frequent meetings,
2. As long as the Bhickkhus meet together in unity, rise in unity, and perform the duties of the Sangha in unity,
3. As long as the Bhikkhus shall promulgate nothing that has not been promulgated, abrogate not what has been promulgated, and act in accordance with the already prescribed rules;
4. As long as the Bhikkhus support, respect, venerate and honour those long-ordained Theras of experience, the fathers and leaders of the order, and respect their worthy speech;
5. As long as the Bhikkhus fall not under the influence upraise attachment that leads to repeated births;
6. As long as the Bhikkhus shall delight in forest retreats;
7. As long as the Bhikkhus develop mindfulness within themselves so that disciplined co-celibates who have not come yet may do so and those who are already present may live in peace;

So long may the Bhikkhus be expected not to decline, but to prosper. As long as these 7 conditions of welfare shall continue to exist amongst the Bhikkhus, so long as the Bhikkhus are well-instructed in these conditions - so long may they be expected not to decline, but to prosper.

The Buddha's day was divided into 5 parts, namely, (i) the forenoon session, (ii) the afternoon session, (iii) the 1^st watch of the night, (iv) the middle watch of the night, and (v) the last watch of the night.

Usually early in the morning, He would survey the world with His Divine Eye to see whom He could help. If any person need His help, uninvited He would go, often on foot, sometimes by air using His psychic powers, and convert that person to the right path.

If He was not invited to partake of alms at any particular place, He would go in quest of alms through alleys and streets with bowl in hand, either alone or with His disciples.

He would finish His meal by midday. Immediately after His meal, He would deliver a short discourse to the lay people and establish them in the 3 Refuges and 5 precepts. If any person was spiritually advanced, He would show him the Path to Sainthood. At times, He grant them ordination into the Holy Order. He would then retire to His chamber.

He would take a seat in the monastery and the Bhikkhus would assemble before Him to listen to His exposition of the Dhamma. Some would approach Him to receive suitable objects of meditation according to their temperaments; other would pay respect to Him before returning to their cells to spend the afternoon.

After His discourse or exhortation to His disciples, the Buddha would retire to His private perfumed chamber to rest. If He so desired, He would lie on His right side and sleep for a while with mindfulness. On rising, He would attain to the Ecstasy of Great Compassion and survey the world to see if His disciples who were in meditation retreats needed any spiritual advice. Using His psychic powers, He would go to them and admonish them.

Towards evening, the lay followers would flock to him to hear the Dhamma. Perceiving their innate tendencies and their temperaments with the Buddha Eye, he would preach to them for about an hour.

This period of the night was exclusively reserved for instruction to Bhikkhus. During this time, the Bhikkhus were free to approach the Buddha and get their doubts cleared, question Him on the finer points of the Dhamma, obtain suitable objects of meditation, and hear the doctrine.

During this period, celestial beings such as Devas and Brahmas would approach the Buddha to question Him on the Dhamma. Several discourses and answers given to their queries appear in the Samyutta Nikáya.

The small hours of the morning were divided into four parts.

The first part was spent by the Buddha pacing up and down. This served as a mild exercise to Him.

During the second part i.e. from 3 to 4 am, He mindfully slept on His right side.

During the third part i.e. 4 to 5 am, He attained to the state of Arahantship and experienced Nibbanic bliss.

For one full hour from 5 to 6 a.m., He attained the Ecstasy of Great Compassion and radiated thoughts of loving-kindness towards all beings. At this early hour He would survey the whole world with His Buddha Eye to see whether He could be of service to any. Out of compassion for them, He would go of His own accord and render necessary spiritual assistance.

The Buddha could be considered the most energetic and the most active of all religious teachers that ever lived on earth. The whole day He was occupied with His religious activities except when He was attending to His own physical needs.

He was methodical and systematic in the performance of his daily duties. His inner life was one of meditation and was concerned with the experiencing of Nibbanic Bliss, while His other life was one of selfless service for the moral upliftment of the world.

Unlike any other living being He slept only for one hour at night. For two full hours in the morning He pervaded the whole word with thoughts of boundless love.

Leading a life of voluntary poverty, He sought His alms without inconveniencing any and wandered from place to place for 8 months throughout the year preaching His sublime Dhamma. He tirelessly worked for the good and happiness of all till His 80^th years.

Fetters are mental factors which bind being to the round of existence. The 10 fetters are:-

1. self � illusion (sakkaya-ditthi)
2. doubt (vicikiccha)
3. adherence to rites and rituah (silabbataparamasa)
4. sense-desires (kámarága)
5. ill-will (patigha)
6. attachment to Realms of Form (rüparäga)
7. attachment to Formless Realms (a rüparäga)
8. pride (mána)
9. restlessness (uddhacca)
10. ignorance (avijjá)

A person become a Sotapanna when he eliminates the first 3 fetters, namely self-illusion, doubt, and adherence to rites and rituals. He then strives on. As he attenuates or weakens two other fetters -- sense desires and ill-will, he becomes a Sakadagami, second stage of sainthood. As he eliminates sense-desires and ill-will, he becomes on Anagami, the third stage of sainthood. Now the Anagami saint makes his final advance. Destroying the remaining 5 fetters-attachment to Realms of Form, attachment to Formless Realms, pride, restlessness and ignorance, he attains Arahantship, the final stage of sainthood.

Attachment to realms of Form is the desire for the bliss associated with the various stages of concentration pertaining to the Realms of Form (rüpä-jhäna). The first 3 grades of Ariyan are still not capable of giving up attachment to the bliss and tranquility associated with rupa-jhana, but they will succeed in doing so when they move up to the last stage, that of the Arahant.

Attachment to Formless Realms is the desire for the bliss associated with the various stages of con-centration pertaining to the Formless Realms (arupa-jhana). The bliss associated with arupa-jhana is more subtle and pleasant that that of rupa-jhana. As an Arahant is automatically aware of the impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and non-selfhood of every state of feeling, he can never become fascinated by any state of pleasant feeling whatsoever.

Pride, the 8^th fetter binding a man to the world, is awareness of superiority or inferiority. It is the delusion of having this or that status relative to another. The idea that one is better than, or on par with or not as good as the other fellow, comes from attachment. As long as the mind is still involved in good and bad, the awareness of inferiority, superiority, or equality with respect to others remains to disturb it. But when the mind has completely transcended good and bad, such ideas cannot exist.

The 9^th fetter is restlessness, that is mental unrest, distraction, lake of peace and quiet. Restlessness arises in a person when a sense object enters his mind via his eye, ear, nose, tongue or body door. If the object happens to coincide with his desire, he finds it hard to resist it. He is likely to become interested to the point of becoming involved or pleased to the point of forgetting himself. If it is an undesirable object, his mind becomes depressed. This is the nature of restlessness. The first three grades of Ariyan still have inquisitiveness about things, but the Arahant has nothing at all. His mind is free. Nothing can provoke or lure him, and arouse inquisitiveness or curiousity, simply because he has abolished partiality.

The tenth and last fetter is ignorance. The word "ignorance" refers to a condition of lack of knowledge.

In this case, "knowledge" means knowledge of the 4 Noble Truths lie suffering, cause of suffering, cessation of suffering and the path leading to the cessation of suffering. Ignorance of the 4 Noble Truths causes people to undergo repeated births in Samsara. An Arahant eliminates ignorance when he realizes fully suffering, cause of suffering, cessation of suffering and the path leading to the cessation of suffering.

The above Pali stanza is translated as "whosoever through desire, hatred, fear or ignorance does trangress the Norm, all his glory fades away even as the moon during the waning half."

Desire, hatred, fear and ignorance are evil roots. These evil roots cause men to commit evil actions. Because of their evil actions, ruins and suffering come to them. The Buddha gave this advice in the Sigalovada Sutta 2500 years ago but his advice still applies even to present times.

Today, these evil roots cause prime ministers to quarrel with prime ministers, religious teachers to quarrel with religious teachers, householders to quarrel with householders, mother to quarrel with child, father quarrel with child, brother to quarrel with brother, brother to quarrel with sister and friends to quarrel with friends. In their quarrels, brawls and disputes, they attack each other with fists or weapons whereby they incur death or serious injuries. Ruins and suffering come to them as a result.

Again, these evil roots cause men to invade other countries and go to war. In the process, they get themselves killed or seriously wounded. Ruins and suffering come to them as a result.

Again, these evil roots cause men to break in and steal, become robbers and seduce others� wives. When they are caught by the authorities, they are sentenced to death or imprisonment. Ruins and suffering come to them as a result.

Again, these evil roots cause men to indulge in misconduct of body, speech and mind. On the dissolution of the body, after death, they re-appear in states of deprivation, in unhappy destinations, even in hell. Hence, ruins and suffering come to them.

1. By lovable deeds,
2. By loveable words,
3. By loveable thoughts,
4. By not closing the doors to them,
5. By supplying their material needs.

The wise and virtuous men in return, will:-

1. dissuade us from evil,
2. persuade us to do good,
3. love us with a kind heart,
4. make us hear what we have not heard and clarify what we have already heard.
5. Point out the path to heavenly state. Hence by carrying out our deeds, we will experience the 4 results, namely longevity, beauty, happiness and strength.

1. Anatariya kamma, an immediacy deed, is a heinous crime which brings retribution immediately after death. There are 5 crimes that fall into this category, namely matricide, patricide, killing an Arahant, causing a Buddha to bleed and causing schisms in the Sangha. A person guilty of any of the crimes is destined to be reborn in hell. It is not possible to convert the results of an immediacy deed. "He may fill the whole universe with golden stupas of the size of the Maha-Cetiya, he may feed such a number of monks as can fill the whole universe, or he may follow the Buddha himself, clinging to the hem of his robe, yet he would certainly be re-born in hell at the dissolution of his body." Even if he gets an opportunity of hearing the good doctrine, it is impossible for him to enter the right path.
2. Kolitha, also known as Moggallana, was one of the two Chief Disciples of the Buddha. The other Chief Disciple of the Buddha was Sariputta. Moggallana and Sariputta were born on the same day and were associated with each other during many previous lives.

Ven Moggallana was the foremost in the Noble Order for the performance of psychic feats.

In one of his previous lives, to oblige his young and wicked wife, he took his aged parents to a forest where he clubbed them to death.

In the last birth, Moggallana could no escape the relentless force of kamma even though he was an Arahant. He was trapped twice by robbers but he made good his escape. But on the third occasion, he saw with his divine eye the futility of escape. He allowed himself to be beaten into a pulp. He passed away into parinibbana after bidding farewell to the Blessed One.

3. Subhadda was the last personal convert of the Buddha before he passed away into Mahaparinibbana in Kusinara.

Subhadda was a wandering ascetic living in Kussinara. When he heard that the Buddha would attain Mahaparinibbana in the last watch of the right, he went to the Upavattana Sãla Grove to see the Buddha to clear a doubt. He was initially stopped from seeing the Buddha by Ven. Ananda who said the Blessed One was wearied. When the Buddha over heard their converstion, He told Ven Annada not to prevent Subhadda from seeing Him.

Thereupon, Ven. Annada introduced Subhadda to the Buddha.

After paying respect to the Buddha, he asked the Buddha wheter leaders of the other religious, groups had understood thr Truth or not. The Buddha told Subhadda not to worry about leaders of other religious groups having realized the Truth or not as He would teach the doctrine to him.

The Buddha then told him that in whatever Dispensation there existed not the Noble Eightfold Path, the 4 stages of Sainthood were not to be found therein. In whatever Dispensation there existed the Noble Eoghtfold Path, the 4 stages of Sainthood were to be found therein. In the Buddha�s Dispensation, there existed the Noble Eightfold Path. Indeed, in the Buddha�s Dispensation were found the 4 stages of Sainthood. The other foreign schools were empty of the 4 stages of Sainthood. If the Buddha�s disciples lived rightly, the world would not be void of Arahants.

Subhadda�s request to enter the Holy Order was grtanted when Ven. Ananda gave him the lesser and Higher Ordination in the presence of the Buddha.

Ven. Subliadda later lived alone and cultivaled strenuously and energetically. He eventually attained Sainthood.

4. Saddhã is "well-established confidence" or "faith" in the 3 Jewels (Tiratana), namely the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha.

When a Buddhist takes refuge in the 3 Jewels, his faith should be grounded on reason and rooted in understanding, and he is asked to investigate or test the object of his faith. A Buddhist�s faith is not in conflict with the spirit of enquiry; any doubt about doubious things is allowed and inquiry into them is encouraged.

Saddhã is compared to the unique emerald of the universal monarch. This emerald, when placed in warm dirty water, causes all the dint to subside and all the heat to escape, thus leaving a cool and purified water. In the same way when saddhã associates with the citta (consciousness), all the defilement such as lobha, dosa, moha disappear resulting in a cool and clear mind.

As moha is the leader of the immoral mentl states. It is the most precious treasure and also one of the five spiritual faculties (Indriya) as well as one of the five spiritual powers (Bala).

5. Buddhãnusati Bhavana

Anussati, which means repeated reflection or constant mindfulness, is one of the ways of mental cultivation (Bhavana). Buddhãnussati means reflection on the virtues of the Buddha. One may reflect on the 9 virtues of the Buddha one by one as, for example, "such indeed is the Exalted One � worthily, fully enlightened, endowed with wisdom and conduct, wellfarer, knower of the worlds, an incomparable charioteer for the training of individuals, teacher of gods and men, omnicient and holy."

Or one may choose the virtue one likes most and reflect on it again and again as, for example, "araham, araham." In so reflecting one should visualize the virtue as:

"The Buddha is the holiest person as He and thus He is worthy of worship by men and gods."

6. Vicikicchã or sceptical doubt is an immoral mental state. It is sceptical doubt about the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, the training, about things in the past lives and future lives, about the Law of Causal Relations and finally about the 4 Noble Truths.