At Savatthi. Seated to the side, a certain bhikkhu asked the

Blessed One: Is there, Venerable Sir, any form, or any feeling,

or any perception, or any construction, or any consciousness,

that is permanent, stable, eternal, not a changing state, that

will remain the same, just like eternity itself ?

 

Then the Blessed One took up a tiny bit of soil on his fingernail

and said to that bhikkhu: Bhikkhu, there is not even this much

form, feeling, perception, construction, nor consciousness, that

is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, that will

remain the same, just like eternity itself...!!!

 

If there was this much form, feeling, perception, construction,

or consciousness, that was permanent, stable, eternal, and not

changing, this living of the Noble Life for the utterly complete

elimination of all suffering, could not be made known...

 

But because there is not even this much form, nor feeling, nor any

perception, nor construction, nor consciousness that is permanent,

stable, eternal, not subject to change, this living of the Noble Life

for the complete elimination of all suffering can be made known...

What is it that Exists & what does Not Exist ?

 

The blessed Buddha said:

 

What is it, bhikkhus, that the wise & clever in the world agree

upon as not existing, of which I too say that it does not exist?

Form that is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change:

This the wise & clever in the world agree upon as not existing,

and I too say, that it does not exist. Feeling ... Perception ...

Mental Constructions ... Consciousness, that is permanent, stable,

eternal, not subject to change: This the wise & clever in the world

agree upon as not existing, and I too say, that it does not exist.

That, bhikkhus, is what the wise & clever in the world agree upon

as not existing, of which I too say, that it does not exist.

 

And what is it, bhikkhus, that the wise & clever in the world agree

upon as existing, of which I too say that it exists? Form that is

impermanent, suffering, and subject to change: this the wise &

clever in the world agree upon as existing, and I too say, that it

exists! Transient Feeling ... Perception ... Mental Constructions ...

Consciousness, that is momentary, suffering, & subject to change:

this the wise & clever in the world agree upon as existing, & I too

say that it exists! That, bhikkhus is what the wise & clever in this

world agree upon as existing, of which I too say that it exists...

 

The Middle Way of Wise Moderate Ontology:

 

The Blessed Buddha on speculation on existence:

This world, Kaccana, is generally chained up by involvement,

clinging & attachment to various views! But one of right view

neither becomes engaged nor cling to such rigid commitment,

clinging, mental standpoint, adherence, nor underlying tendency!

He does not take a stand about ‘My Self’ nor has he any perplexity

or doubt about what arises is only Suffering arising, & what ceases

is only Suffering ceasing! His assurance about this, is independent

of others... In this way, Kaccana, is there advanced right view !!!

‘All exists’: Kaccana, this is the one extreme....


‘All does not exist’;

this is the second extreme !!! Without veering towards either of

these extremes, the Thus-Come-Thus-Gone One teaches Dhamma

from this Middle:

 

Conditioned by ignorance, mental construction comes into being.

Conditioned by construction, consciousness comes into being.

Conditioned by consciousness, name-&-form comes into being.

Conditioned by name-&-form, the-6-senses come into being.

Conditioned by the-6-senses, contact comes into being.

Conditioned by contact, feeling comes into being.

Conditioned by feeling, craving comes into being.

Conditioned by craving, clinging comes into being.

Conditioned by clinging, becoming comes into being.

Conditioned by becoming, birth comes into being.

Conditioned by birth, ageing, decay, & death comes into being.

Such is the arising of this whole mass of suffering ... !!!

 

What are the Seven Links to Awakening ?

 

Awareness is a link to Awakening (sati-sambojjhanga).

Investigation of the states is a link to Awakening (vicaya).

Energy is a link to Awakening (viriya-sambojjhanga).

Joy is a link to Awakening (piti-sambojjhanga).

Tranquillity is a link to Awakening (passaddhi-sambojjhanga).

Concentration is a link to Awakening (samadhi-sambojjhanga).

Equanimity is a link to Awakening (upekkha-sambojjhanga).

These are the seven links leading to final Enlightenment...

Whose minds are well-developed

in the factors of self-awakening,

who delight in non-clinging,

relinquishing all grasping,

radiant, beaming & shining,

fermentations all ended:

they, in this world,

are Unbound here!

 

What are the Causes of Release by Knowledge ?

Association with a Great Man completes hearing this True Dhamma..

Hearing the true Dhamma completes Faith, Confidence & Conviction..

Faith, confidence and conviction completes Rational Attention..

Rational attention completes Mindfulness & Clear Comprehension..

Mindfulness & clear comprehension completes Guarding the Senses..

Guarding the senses completes Good Mental, Verbal & Bodily Actions..

Good modes of action completes the Four Foundations of Awareness..

The 4 foundations of awareness completes the 7 Links to Awakening..

The 7 links to Awakening completes Mental Release by Knowledge...!!!

How does the Noble 8-fold Way makes one Noble ?

 

Having cultivated the Noble 8-fold Way, a being might enter the stream

which leads to Nibbana! The Stream-Enterer (Sotapanna) is entirely freed

from rebirth as Animal, Hungry Ghost, Angry Demon & Burning Hell Being!

Such Noble One (Ariya) will be enlightened within maximally 7 rebirths...

The Stream-Enterer has eliminated all egoism, belief in a ‘person’ or ‘self’,

eradicated all ‘I-making’ & ‘Mine-making’, abolished all sceptical doubt in

the perfect Self-Enlightenment of the Buddha, & removed silly superstitious

belief in any benefit of empowerments and empty rituals. Such Noble have

by direct momentary experience touched and tasted the deathless Nibbana

and is forever hereafter independent of any Dhamma-teacher...

 

Having cultured the Noble 8-fold Way even further, a being might attain the

state of a Once-Returner (Sakadagami), who is reborn only once as human or

lower god and then awakens in that next life! Such Noble have furthermore

reduced sense-desire and aversion...

 

Having yet further refined the Noble 8-fold Way, a being might attain the

state of a Non-Returner (Anagami), who is reborn in the higher fine material

worlds - The Pure Abodes - where they live for many universal cycles & there

attain Nibbana without ever returning to the human or lower divine worlds...

 

Such Noble have furthermore entirely eliminated sense-desire and aversion!

Having fully perfected the Noble 8-fold Way one awakens as an Arahat, who

is enlightened in this very life, by elimination of all remaining mental defects

such as desire for fine form and formlessness, the subtle conceit that ‘I am’,

latent tendency to restlessness and all ignorance. Such Noble One enters at

the moment of death the freedom, bliss & peace of Nibbana without trace of

clinging left...

 

What is this crucial Right View ?

• The Noble Eightfold Way, leading to Nibbana, is simply this:

 

• Right View

• Right Motivation

• Right Speech

• Right Action

• Right Livelihood

• Right Effort

• Right Awareness

• Right Concentration

• But what is Right View ?

>

• Right View Ownership of Kamma:

 

• All beings are owners of their kamma, inherit their kamma,

• are born of their kamma, are created by their kamma, are

• linked to their kamma and any intentional action (=kamma)

• they do, whether good or bad, the effects of that, will be

• theirs, following them like a shadow, that never leaves...

 

• This is Right View!

 

• Right View of the Ten Phenomena

:

• Giving alms has good effects, any self-sacrifice results in

• pleasure, small gifts are also beneficial.. There is resulting

• fruition thus of any good and bad behaviour!! There is moral

• efficacy of any relation to mother and father.. There is this

• world and there are other worlds! There are beings who are

• spontaneously and instantaneously born. There exist good &

• pure recluses & priests in this world, who having followed the

• right method of practice, themselves by their own supra-human

• abilities, have directly experienced the other worlds, and who

• explain them and thereby make them known here...

 

• This is Right View!

 

• Right View of the Four Noble Truths:

• Right view of such is Suffering...

• Right view of such is the Cause of Suffering...

• Right view of such is the End of Suffering...

• Right view of such is the Way to End Suffering...

This is Right View!

 

What is this Fundamental Right Awareness ?

The Noble Eightfold Way, leading to Nibbana, is simply this:

Right View, Right Motivation, Right Speech, Right Action, Right

Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Awareness, & Right Concentration.

But what is Right Awareness ?

 

The 4-fold Definition of Right Awareness:

 

1: The Awareness of the Body merely as a transient & compounded Form..

2: The Awareness of Feelings just as assigned & passing emotional Responses..

3: The Awareness of Mind only as a group of habituated & temporary Moods..

4: The Awareness of Phenomena simply as momentary & constructed Mental States..

 

Right awareness is of these 4, while being alert, clearly comprehending & mindful,

thereby putting away longing towards & aversion against anything in this world...!!!

 

The Characterization of Right Awareness:

 

Awareness of presence of wrong view & right view, is Right Awareness!

Awareness of presence of wrong motivation & right motivation, is Right Awareness!

Awareness of presence of wrong speech & right speech, is Right Awareness!

Awareness of presence of wrong action & right action, is Right Awareness!

Awareness of presence of wrong livelihood & right livelihood, is Right Awareness!

Awareness of presence of wrong effort & right effort, is Right Awareness!

Awareness of presence of wrong awareness & right awareness, is Right Awareness!

Awareness of presence of wrong concentration & right concentration, is Right Awareness!

 

The Explanation of Acute Awareness & Clear Comprehension:

 

When inhaling & exhaling long, one notices this & is fully aware of just that..

When inhaling & exhaling short, one notices this & is fully aware of just that..

One trains thus: ‘I will breathe in & out clearly comprehending the entire body.’

One trains thus: ‘I will breathe in & out calming the breath & any bodily activity.’

When walking, one notices, is aware of & clearly comprehends, that one is walking.

When standing, one notices, is aware of & clearly comprehends, that one is standing.

When sitting, one notices, is aware of & clearly comprehends, that one is sitting down.

When lying down, one notices, is aware of & clearly comprehends, that one is lying down.

Going forward one notices, is aware of & clearly comprehends, that one is going forward.

When returning one notices, is aware of & clearly comprehends, that one is returning.

When looking in front or back, one is notices, & is clearly aware of, what one is doing.

When bending and stretching one notices, & clearly comprehends, what one is doing.

When lifting or carrying a thing one knows, & is fully aware of, that this is one doing.

When eating, drinking, chewing and savouring, one is aware of & comprehends just that.

When passing excrement or urine one notes, is aware of & clearly comprehends exactly that.

When falling asleep and waking up, when speaking or keeping silence, one notices, is aware of,

knows & understands exactly that & clearly comprehends, that this is, what one is doing now...

 

Continuous awareness of purpose, suitability, domain and nature of one’s current behaviour!

Whether mental, verbal or bodily: Such is right awareness & clear comprehension...

 

The Function of Right Awareness & it’s associates:

 

Thus knowing right & wrong awareness as right & wrong awareness, is right view.

Exchanging wrong awareness with right awareness is right effort.

 

Right awareness has the function of observing, noticing, remembering & knowing

the reality that neither any body, nor any form, nor any feeling, nor any mentality,

nor any phenomena, nor any mental state is truly attractive, lasting, satisfying or

even personal... All phenomena are momentary: They pass away at the moment of their

occurrence! Nothing is permanent, everything is in a state of flux: Arising & ceasing,

emerging & vanishing, coming and going, again & again & again & again & ever again...!!!

 

The Blessed Buddha once said:

 

Friends, this is the only direct way to the mental purification of beings,

to the overcoming of sorrow & frustration, to the elimination of pain & misery,

to the acquisition of the right method, to the realization of Nibbana, that is:

this establishing of these Four Foundations of Awareness...!!!

Awareness is a Mountain of Advantage...!!!

 

What is this vital Right Effort ?

 

The Noble Eightfold Way, leading to Nibbana, is simply this:

Right View, Right Motivation, Right Speech, Right Action, Right

Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Awareness, & Right Concentration.

But what is Right Effort ?

 

The 4-fold Definition of Right Effort:

 

The effort to overcome already present detrimental mental states..

The effort to prevent future detrimental mental states from arising..

The effort to begin developing yet unarisen advantageous mental states..

The effort to maintain & perfect already arisen advantageous mental states..

That is Right Effort!

 

The Characterization of Right Effort:

 

Striving for replacing wrong view with right view is Right Effort!

Striving for replacing wrong motivation with right motivation is Right Effort!

Striving for replacing wrong speech with right speech is Right Effort!

Striving for replacing wrong action with right action is Right Effort!

Striving for replacing wrong livelihood with right livelihood is Right Effort!

Striving for replacing wrong effort with right effort is Right Effort!

Striving for replacing wrong awareness with right awareness is Right Effort!

Striving for replacing wrong concentration w. right concentration is Right Effort!

 

The Explanation of the 4 Right Efforts:

The 4 right efforts are 1: Control 2: Overcoming 3: Development 4: Maintenance!

 

What is the effort of Control? When seeing an object with the eye, one neither

grasps after the whole object, nor any of it’s details, thereby one strives to

prevent bad, detrimental states, such as longing & misery, to flood in on one!

One guards & controls the sense of sight and do similarly with the other senses...

What is the effort of Overcoming? One does not accept any lust, hate or anger

that has arisen, but leaves it instantly, dispels it, destroys it, & makes it vanish...

 

What is the effort of Development? One develops the enlightenment-factor of

awareness, of investigation, of energy, of joy, of tranquillity, of concentration,

and the enlightenment-factor of equanimity based on solitude, detachment, and

ceasing, which is leading to maturity & culmination of spiritual self-surrender...

 

What is the effort of Maintenance? One dominated by desire maintains firmly

in his mind a favourable object of concentration, such as a skeleton, or a corpse

that is full of worms, bluish-black, full of holes, bloated, while one dominated

by anger maintains firmly in his mind a favourable object of concentration, such

as infinite friendliness, universal pity, mutual joy or well balanced equanimity...

Thus knowing right & wrong Effort to be right & wrong Effort, is Right View.

Awareness of presence of right & wrong Effort, is Right Awareness.

Right Effort has the function of striving, exertion and endurance...

Keep on keeping on! Never give up! Come again!

 

What is this critical Right Livelihood ?

The Noble Eightfold Way, leading to Nibbana, is simply this:

Right View, Right Motivation, Right Speech, Right Action, Right

Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Awareness, & Right Concentration.

But what is Right Livelihood ?

 

The 5-fold Definition of Right Livelihood:

 

Earning a living Not by trading with any Living Beings.

Earning a living Not by selling any Meat or Flesh.

Earning a living Not by making nor selling any Weapons.

Earning a living Not by dealing any Alcohol or Drugs .

Earning a living Not by making nor selling any Poison.

That is Right Livelihood!

 

The Characterization of Right Livelihood:

Any livelihood that neither involves any killing, injuring, wounding

nor imprisoning of any living being, nor stealing, taking what is not

given, nor cheating, any bribery nor corruption, nor lying, nor deceiving

tricks nor use of false measures & weights, neither any sensual nor sexual

abuse, neither use nor selling of alcohol nor intoxicating illegal drugs, that

causes carelessness, neither by oneself, nor by getting others to do so,

such is Right Livelihood for all lay people!

 

The Explanation of Right Livelihood for Buddhist Monks & Nuns:

Neither living nor receiving food by astrology, soothsaying, prediction of

future events, nor by palmistry, geomancy, dream-reading, charms & spells,

nor divinations, nor by any rituals, running errands nor messages, flattering,

arranging marriages, funerals nor divorces, medical praxis, nor by producing

art nor poetry, neither by disputation nor debate, this is Right Livelihood!

Knowing right & wrong Livelihood as right & wrong Livelihood, is Right View.

Awareness of presence of right & wrong Livelihood, is Right Awareness.

Exchanging wrong Livelihood with right Livelihood, is Right Effort...

What is this imperative Right Speech ?

 

The Noble Eightfold Way, leading to Nibbana, is simply this:

 

Right View, Right Motivation, Right Speech, Right Action, Right

Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Awareness & Right Concentration!

But what is Right Speech ?

 

The 4-fold Definition of Right Speech:

 

1: Avoiding Lying and any False Speech...

2: Abstaining from every Divisive Talk...

3: Refraining from all Angry Scolding...

4: Stilling of any Idle & Empty Gossiping...

That is Right Speech!

 

The Characterization of Noble Speech:

 

Eliminating any false speech the Noble Friend dwells avoiding

all lies, a truth-speaker, one to be relied on, trustworthy, loyal,

not a deceiver of the world. Not speaking divisively or splitting,

he does not tell them there, what he has heard about those here,

or repeat here, what he heard there, harming those there. Thus is

he a reconciler of those in conflict & a diplomat ending quarrels.

The Noble Friend is rejoicing in peace, loving it, delighting in it,

one who defends peace. Abandoning all harsh & aggressive speech

he does not scold. He speaks whatever is blameless and pleasing

to the ear, agreeable, touching the heart, elegant, gratifying and

appealing to the many. Discarding idle & empty chatter, he speaks

at the right time & only about what is correct, advantageous and to

the point, of Dhamma and Self-Control. He is a speaker, whose words

are to be treasured, timely, reasoned, well-defined, well-formulated,

beneficial and leading to the goal... This is Noble Right Speech!

 

The Ten Advantageous Subjects:

 

Talk on the Modesty of having few wants,

Talk on the Bliss of Contentment,

Talk on the Joy of Seclusion,

Talk on the Ease of Disentanglement,

Talk on the Energy of Enthusiasm,

Talk on the Advantage of Morality,

Talk on the Calm of Concentration,

Talk on the Insight of Understanding,

Talk on the Freedom of Release,

Talk on the Direct Experience & Vision of Release ...

Such is Advantageous Right Speech!

 

The many kinds of Pointless Talk:

Such as talk on kings, robbers, ministers, armies, dangers, wars,

foods, drinks, clothing, furniture, jewellery, cosmetics, relatives,

vehicles, villages, towns, cities, countries, women, heroes, places,

amusements, the dead, trifles, the origin of the world, the origin

of the sea, whether metaphysical things are so or are not so...

Such talk is useless, irrelevant, detrimental, empty of any good...

How to be a Real True Buddhist on a Full-moon Day ?

 

Today 2533 years ago, The Buddha spoke his first speech and thereby

set rolling the wheel of Dhamma, which cannot be stopped by anyone,

ascetic or priest or god or mara or brahma or by anyone at all in this

world! Thereby was the Four Noble Truths made to be known & stand!

Tomorrow starts the rains-retreat of 3 months study & deep meditation!

 

Any Lay Buddhist simply joins the Three Refuges and undertakes

the Five Precepts like this: Newly bathed, shaved, white-clothed,

with clean bare feet, one kneels at a shrine with a Buddha-statue,

and bows first three times, so that feet, hands, elbows, knees and

head touch the floor. Then, with joined palms in front of the heart,

one recite these memorized lines in a loud, calm & steady voice:

 

As long as this life lasts:

 

I hereby take refuge in the Buddha.

I hereby take refuge in the Dhamma.

I hereby take refuge in the Sangha.

 

I seek shelter in the Buddha for the 2nd time.

I seek shelter in the Dhamma for the 2nd time.

I seek shelter in the Sangha for the 2nd time.

 

I request protection from the Buddha for the 3rd time.

I request protection from the Dhamma for the 3rd time.

I request protection from the Sangha for the 3rd time.

 

I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Killing.

I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Stealing.

I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Sexual Abuse.

I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Dishonesty.

I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Alcohol & Drugs.

As long as this life lasts...

 

Then one keeps and protects these sacred vows better than one’s own

eyes & children, since they protects you & all other beings much better

than any army! They are the highest offer one can give in & to this world!

This is the very start on the path towards Nibbana -the Deathless Element-

This is the Noble Way to Peace, to Freedom, to Bliss, initiated by Morality,

developed further by Dhamma-Study and fulfilled by training Meditation...

Today though is full-moon pooya day, uposatha day, observance day, where

lay Buddhist normally keeps the Eight Precepts from sunrise until next dawn.

If any wish an official recognition by the Bhikkhu-Sangha, they may simply

forward the lines starting with “I..” signed with name, date, town & country

to me. I will then out up a public list of this newly born Saddhamma Sangha.

May your journey hereby be eased, light, swift and sweet. Never give up !!!

 

What is this vital Right Motivation ?

The Noble Eightfold Way, leading to Nibbana, is simply this:

 

Right View

Right Motivation

Right Speech

Right Action

Right Livelihood

Right Effort

Right Awareness

Right Concentration

But what is Right Motivation ?

 

The Motivation for Withdrawal:

 

Being motivated by a general absence of greed, craving, & desire!

Being motivated to generous giving by relinquishing possessiveness.

Being motivated to detach from the five sense-desires of urge for

alluring and tempting sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches...

Being motivated to cut attachment to the five clusters of Clinging

to forms, feelings, perceptions, constructions and consciousness...

 

Such radical renunciation is Right Motivation!

The Motivation for Non-Ill-Will:

Being motivated by universal friendliness, infinite goodwill, care,

non-anger, hatelessness & a sympathy wishing and working for all

sentient being’s happiness, content, comfort, benefit & welfare...

 

Such gentle kindness is Right Motivation!

The Motivation for Harmlessness:

 

Being motivated by absolute non-violence, absence of cruelty, & by

compassionate pity, thereby offering all sentient beings guaranteed

safety & protection from any evil, painful, bad or wrong treatment...

Such giving of fearlessness is Right Motivation!

 

What is this crucial Right View ?

The Noble Eightfold Way, leading to Nibbana, is simply this:

 

Right View

Right Motivation

Right Speech

Right Action

Right Livelihood

Right Effort

Right Awareness

Right Concentration

But what is Right View ?

 

Right View Ownership of Kamma:

All beings are owners of their kamma, inherit their kamma,

are born of their kamma, are created by their kamma, are

linked to their kamma and any intentional action (=kamma)

they do, whether good or bad, the effects of that, will be

theirs, following them like a shadow, that never leaves...

 

This is Right View!

Right View of the Ten Phenomena:

 

Giving alms has good effects, any self-sacrifice results in

pleasure, small gifts are also beneficial.. There is resulting

fruition thus of any good and bad behaviour!! There is moral

efficacy of any relation to mother and father.. There is this

world and there are other worlds! There are beings who are

spontaneously and instantaneously born. There exist good &

pure recluses & priests in this world, who having followed the

right method of practice, themselves by their own supra-human

abilities, have directly experienced the other worlds, and who

explain them and thereby make them known here...

 

This is Right View!

Right View of the Four Noble Truths:

Right view of such is Suffering...

Right view of such is the Cause of Suffering...

Right view of such is the End of Suffering...

Right view of such is the Way to End Suffering...

This is Right View!

 

What is this Supreme Noble Eightfold Way ?

These eight things, friends, when developed and cultivated

lead to Nibbana, have Nibbana as their ultimate destination,

have Nibbana as their final goal! What eight?

 

Right View

Right Motivation

Right Speech

Right Action

Right Livelihood

Right Effort

Right Awareness

Right Concentration

 

Friends, true knowledge is initiating all advantageous states,

with a sense of shame and fear of wrongdoing coming after!

For a clever person, who has arrived at such true knowledge,

right view emerges. For one of right view, right motivation

improves. For one of right motivation, right speech evolves.

For one of right speech, right action springs up. For one of

right action, right livelihood comes into being. For one of right

livelihood, right effort arises. For one of right effort, right

awareness appears. For one of right awareness & mindfulness,

right concentration develops & gradually achieves perfection!

Friends, this is the sign and precursor for arising of the sun: dawn!

So too, friends, for a person, this is the sign and precursor for the

arising of the Noble 8-fold Way, that is, Good & Noble Friendship...!

When a person has a Good Noble Friend, it is to be expected that he

will develop, cultivate and complete this sublime Noble 8-fold Way...!

And how does a person, who has a good friend develop & cultivate

this Noble 8-fold Way? Here, friends, a person develops right view,

right motivation, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right

effort, right awareness, and right concentration, which has as their

final goal the complete elimination of greed, the eradication of hate,

and the luminous ceasing of all ignorance...

 

The Divine Eye of an Awakened One (DibbaCakkhu):

At Savatthi, the Blessed Buddha said this:

 

Bhikkhus, imagine there were two houses and a man with good eyes

was standing there between them, and he saw people going in and

coming out and passing back and forth between them.

Exactly so, do I with the purified divine eye surpassing the human,

see beings passing away and reappearing, high or low, fine or ugly,

fortunate and unfortunate! Therefore do I understand how beings

pass on according to their actions thus: These worthy beings, who

were well-behaved in body, speech, and mind, not revilers of Noble

Ones, right in their views, acting according to these right views, at

the breakup of the body, after death, have reappeared in a blissful

and pleasurable destination, even in one of the heavenly worlds...

Or they have reappeared here again among good human beings...

But these worthy beings, who were ill-behaved in body, speech, and

mind, revilers of Noble Ones, wrong in their views, acting according

to these wrong views, at the breakup of the body, right after death,

have reemerged in the realm of ghosts or among animals or in a state

of deprivation, or lost in a painful destination, even in the many hells….

 

The three Stages of Mental Perfection:

 

The 10 Mental Perfections (paramis = paramitas) are:

 

1: Generosity (Dana)

2: Morality (Sila)

3: Withdrawal (Nekkhamma)

4: Understanding (Panna)

5: Enthusiastic Energy (Viriya)

6: Patient Forbearance (Khanti)

7: Honesty & Truthfulness (Sacca)

8: Resolute Determination (Adhitthana)

9: Kind Friendliness (Metta)

10: Balanced Equanimity (Upekkha)

 

The Buddha said:

‘So few as these only, are these supreme mental qualities, which matures Awakening.
There is nothing elsewhere beyond them! Be thorough, firm & complete in them...’

 

These 10 mental perfections are developed to these three levels:

 

I: Those who awakens as disciples = Savaka-Bodhis (basic level)

give all possessions away including wife and kids...

 

II: Those who awakens as Solitary Buddhas = Pacekkha-Buddhas

give an organ, limb or eye away... (intermediate level)

 

III: Those who awakens as Perfect Buddhas = SammasamBuddhas

give even their own life away. (ultimate level)

 

The basic perfection of generosity is the relinquishing of one’s children,

wives, and belongings, such as wealth; the intermediate perfection of

giving, the relinquishing of one’s own limbs; and the ultimate perfection

of giving, the relinquishing of one’s own life. The three stages in the

perfection of morality should be understood as the non-transgression

of morality on account of the three: children and wife, limbs, and life;

the three stages in the perfection of withdrawal, as the withdrawal of

those three bases after cutting off attachment to them; the three stages

in the perfection of understanding, as the discrimination between what

is beneficial and harmful to beings after rooting out craving for one’s

belongings, limbs, and life; the three stages in the perfection of energy,

as striving for the relinquishing of the aforementioned things; the three

stages in the perfection of patience, as the endurance of obstacles to

one’s belongings, limbs, and life; the three stages in the perfection of

Honesty, as the non-abandoning of honesty on account of one’s belongings,

limbs, & life; the three stages of perfection of determination, as unshakeable

determination despite the destruction of one’s belongings, limbs, & life,

bearing in mind that perfections ultimately succeed through a unflinching

determination; the three stages in the perfection of friendliness, as the

maintaining of friendliness towards any who destroy one’s belongings; the

three stages in the perfection of equanimity, as maintaining an attitude of

impartial neutrality towards beings & constructions, whether they are helpful

or harmful in regard to the aforementioned three: belongings, limbs, and life.

In this way the analysis of the mental perfections should be understood.

 

Balanced Equanimity is the Tenth Mental Perfection:

 

Equanimity characteristically induces & promotes impartial neutrality...

It’s function is to look upon things with an even unreactive indifference!

It’s manifestation is the gradual stilling of both attraction & repulsion..

It’s proximate cause is seeing, that all inherit the results of their actions.

It’s effect is utter purification & perfection of all other mental qualities,

by ending both discontent & delight, thereby providing the necessary

equal calm required for their complete assessment & accomplishment.

 

Equanimity means Unaffectable..

Equanimity means Unprovokable..

Equanimity means Undisturbable..

Equanimity means Unexcitable..

Equanimity means Imperturbable..

Equanimity means Disengaged..

Equanimity means Disentangled..

Equanimity means Detached..

Equanimity means Immovable..

Equanimity means Unbeatable..

Equanimity means Untemptable..

Equanimity means Wholly Immune..

Equanimity means Indifferent..

Equanimity means Impartial..

Equanimity means Unbiased..

Equanimity means Disinterested..

Equanimity means Balanced..

Even like a smiling mountain!

 

Cool Calm is the ultimate Balm!

 

The Threefold Equanimity (Upekkha):

If Indifferent towards both:

Internal states & external phenomena,

Living beings & lifeless things,

Past, present & future events,

How can one be hurt, upset,

disturbed or distressed ?

 

Calm is his mind.

Calm is his speech.

Calm is his action.

So is the Tranquillity;

So is the Equanimity;

of one freed by the Insight

of right Knowledge.

Dhammapada 96

 

Although a man is richly dressed and adorned,

if he is in peace, at ease, in equanimity, calmed,

composed, controlled, celibate and harmless

towards all beings, then verily he is a Holy One,

a recluse, a sage ...

Dhammapada 142

 

Equanimity towards one’s own internal states -

that is indeed a link to Enlightenment.

Equanimity regarding external phenomena & conditions -

that is indeed also a link to Enlightenment.

Samyutta Nikaya V Bojjhanga-samyutta.

 

 

Such noble friend finally develops

the link to awakening that is Equanimity

during awareness of in-&-out breathing,

which protect against damaging mental states,

tends to detachment, to ceasing, tends to release

& culminates in complete self-surrender...

If, friends, awareness of in-&-out breathing,

is so cultivated and so made much of, it is

indeed of great fruit, of great advantage!

One whose awareness of breathing in-&-out

is perfected, well developed, and gradually

brought to refined growth thus, according to the

teaching of the Buddha, such one illuminates the

entire world, just like the full moon freed from clouds.

Samyutta Nikaya V Anapana-samyutta.

 

 

The Blessed One said:

 

Now how, Ananda, in the discipline of a Noble One is there

the unsurpassable development of the senses?

There is the case where, when seeing a form with the eye,

there arises in a monk what is agreeable, or what is disagreeable,

or what is both agreeable & disagreeable. He recognizes that:

This agreeable thing has arisen in me, or this disagreeable thing...

or this both agreeable & disagreeable thing, has arisen in me:

And that is constructed, conditioned, coarse & dependently co-arisen!

But this is peaceful, this is exquisite, namely even & equal equanimity!

Instantly, that arisen agreeable or disagreeable thing ceases,

and equanimity takes it’s calm stance!

Just as a man with good eyes, having closed them, might open them;

or when open, might close them, that is how quickly, how rapidly,

how easily, no matter what it refers to, equanimity make

whatever arisen agreeable thing... or disagreeable thing...

or both agreeable & disagreeable thing cease right there,

and equanimity takes it’s even stance!

In the discipline of The Noble One, this is called the unsurpassable

development of the senses with regard to visible forms cognizable

by the eye. Similar is the supreme development of the other senses.

MN 152

With the fading of rapturous joy, he remains in equanimity,

aware & alert, still physically sensitive to bodily pleasure.

He enters & remains in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones

declare: ‘In aware Equanimity, one abides in pleasure...’

With the stilling of pleasure & pain as with the earlier disappearance

of elation & frustration, he enters & remains in the fourth jhana:

sole awareness purified by equanimity, - neither pleasure nor pain -

This is called right concentration...

The elimination of both sensual desires & of discontent,

the ejection of laziness, the calming of all regrets,

just this pure equanimity being aware of all mental

properties exactly at the moment they appear:

That I call the direct knowledge of release

the breakthrough from ignorance.

Sutta Nipata V 13: Udaya’s Questions

 

Equanimity is ‘Tatra-majjhattata’, which designates the evenly balanced

keeping to the moderate middle of all things. It has as characteristic, that

it effects the balance of consciousness and mental properties as a single

function of single taste, which prevents both overt excessiveness and any

lack or insufficiency. Equanimity thereby puts an end to biased partiality by

manifesting moderation well within range of the properly reasoned midway.

Visuddhimagga XIV

 

The Buddha once explained:

 

I would make my bed in a charnel ground, with a skeleton for my pillow..

And cowherd boys came up and spat on me, urinated on me, threw dirt at me,

and poked sticks into my ears! While others, exultant & thrilled brought me

offerings of food, caskets of perfume & incense and garlands of flowers!

Yet I do not recall, that I ever showed any partiality towards any of them...

I was the same to them all! Neither arousing any fondness nor any aversion!

This was my ultimate perfection of equanimity...

MN 12 Lomahamsanapariyaya

The Hair-raising Presentation

Cariyapitaka III 15

 

 

Friendliness & Goodwill is the Ninth Mental Perfection:

 

Friendliness means Goodwill

Friendliness means Kindness

Friendliness means Helpfulness

Friendliness means Assistance

Friendliness means Support

Friendliness means Benevolence

Friendliness means Concern

Friendliness means Care

Friendliness means Compassion

Friendliness means Cooperation

Friendliness means Mutual Aid

Friendliness means Mutual Advantage

Friendliness means Sympathy

Friendliness means Symbiosis

 

Only friendliness can completely relinquish the poison of hate and anger!

It’s characteristic is promoting other being’s welfare, it’s function is to

do only good, and it’s manifestation is kindness, sympathy, & gentleness...

The proximate cause of friendliness is seeing the good aspects of things!

The proximate cause of understanding compassion is this very friendliness!

Bhikkhus, whatever kinds of worldly merit there are, all are not worth

one sixteenth part of the release of mind by universal friendliness;

in shining, glowing and beaming radiance, this release of mind by

universal friendliness far excels & surpasses them all...

What are the 11 Advantages of cultivating such Universal Friendliness?

 

The four Brahma Viharas; The four Divine States:

The four Supreme States; The four Infinite States:

 

‘Friends, eleven advantages are to be expected as effect from the release

of mind into friendliness by the practice of Goodwill, by cultivating amity,

by making much of it frequently, by making friendliness the vehicle, the tool,

the basis, by persisting on it, by being well established in it as a sublime habit.

What are these eleven advantages ?

 

One sleeps Happy ! One wakes up Happy !

One dreams No Evil dreams !

One is Liked & Loved by all human beings!

One is Liked & Loved by all non-human beings too!

One is Guarded & Protected by the divine Devas !

One cannot be Harmed by Fire, Poison, nor Weapons !

One easily Attains the Concentration of Absorption !

Ones appearance becomes Serene, Calm, & Composed !

One dies without Confusion, Bewilderment, nor Panic !

One reappears after death on the Brahma level, if one

has penetrated to no higher level in this very life !

 

When the mind is released into friendliness by the practice of Goodwill,

by manifesting Friendliness, by cultivating Amity, by frequently making

much of it, by making Friendliness the vehicle, the tool, the basis, the medium,

the foundation, by persisting in it, by insisting on it, by properly consolidating it,

by thoroughly undertaking it, by making it a familiar supreme habit, by so being

well established in it, these eleven blessings can be expected.’

Anguttara Nikaya V 342

 

There, Oohh friends, the Bhikkhu with a mind full of friendly loving-kindness

pervading first one direction, then a second one, then a third one then the fourth

one, as below so above, across & all around, everywhere identifying himself with

all sentient beings, he is encompassing the whole world with a mind full of friendly

loving-kindness, with a mind wide, developed, unbounded, cleared, exalted, pure &

bright, free from hate and ill will ...

 

There, Oohh friends, the Bhikkhu with a mind full of understanding compassion

pervading first the front, then the right side, then the back, then the left side, as

below so above, across & all around, all over, far & wide; identifying himself with

all sentient beings, he is perfusing the whole universe with a mind imbued with pity,

with a spacious mind, a refined mind, infinite, cleared, pure & brilliant, freed from

all anger and any trace of enmity ...

 

There, Oohh friends, the Bhikkhu with a mind full of altruistic & sympathetic joy

pervading the North, then the East, then the South, then the West, as below so

above, across & all around, universally, infinitely; identifying himself with all

sentient beings, he is suffusing all galaxies with a mind full of genuine mutual &

altruistic sympathetic joy, with an open mind, vast, limitless, purified, cleared,

pure & shining, free from aversion and bitterness ...

 

There, Oohh friends, the Bhikkhu with a mind full of balanced equanimity pervading

first the frontal quadrant, then the right, then the rear & then the left quadrant, as

below so above, across & all around; and everywhere identifying himself with all

sentient beings, he is permeating the whole world with a mind satiated of balanced

equanimity, calmed, with a mountain-like mind, cultivated, endless, cleared, pure &

dazzling, freed from any irritation & resentment ...’

 

So too, bhikkhus, others may speak to you timely or untimely, true or untrue,

gentle or harsh, beneficial or for harmful, based on kindness or on bitter hate!

If they abuse you verbally, you should train yourselves in this way:

“Our minds will remain unaffected, we shall speak no angry words, we will dwell

friendly and understanding, with thoughts of kindness and no inward anger.

We shall remain friendly and beam goodwill towards that very person, and we

shall dwell extending it to the entire universe, mentally overflowing, exalted,

measureless & infinite in amiability, without any trace hostility nor ill-will.”

 

That is how you should train yourselves. Even if bandits were savagely to cut

you up, limb by limb, with a two-handled saw, one who harbours hate from that

account, would not be one who carried out my teaching. Bhikkhus, you should

keep this instruction on that Simile of the Saw constantly in mind.

Majjhima Nikaya, Sutta 21

Thus he who both day and night

takes delight in harmlessness

sharing love with all that live,

finds enmity with none.

Samyutta Nikaya. I 208

 

When one with a mind of love

feels compassion for the entire world—

above, below and across,

unlimited everywhere.

Jataka 37

 

The Bodhisatta once was born as the righteous king Ekaraja. His kingdom was

taken by force and he & his son was buried in a pit to the neck...

King Ekaraja, however neither resisted nor bore even slight ill will against the

invaders. Later he remembered this as his ultimate perfection of friendliness.

Ekaraja Jataka 303

 

Resolute Determination is the Eighth Mental Perfection:

Only determination can completely fulfill the other mental perfections!

It’s characteristic is an unwavering decision, it’s function is to overcome

it’s opposites, & it’s manifestation is unfaltering persistence in this task...

The proximate cause of determination is strong willpower to succeed!

Only the vigour of resolute determination lifts any praxis to perfection...

When the Future Buddha turned his back to the trunk of the Bodhi tree,

then he right there made this mighty decision:

‘Let just the blood & flesh of this body dry up & let the skin & sinews

fall from the bones. I will not leave this seat before having attained the

absolute supreme Enlightenment!’ So determined did he invincibly seat

himself, which not even 100 earthquakes could make him waver from.

 

Jataka Nidana

A female lay follower (Upasika) at the time of the Buddha kept the

precepts, comprehended the nature of impermanence, the consequent

fragility of the body and thereby won stream-entry (Sotapanna).

After passing away, she re-arised as the favourite attendant of Sakka,

the king of Gods. Reviewing her own merit, she remembered her prior

admonition to herself:

‘Let this body break up as it may,

herein will not be any excuse or

relaxation of the effort...!!!’

 

Whose mind is like a rock, unwavering, immovable,

without a trace of lust of urging towards the attractions,

without a trace of aversion of pushing away the repulsive,

from what, can such a refined mind ever suffer ?

Udana IV - 4

 

Using the tools of Faith, Morality, Effort, Determination,

Meditation and true Understanding of this Dhamma,

one gradually perfect first knowledge & then behavior.

So equipped & aware, one may eliminate all of this great

heap of suffering once and for all ...

Dhammapada 144

 

My mind is firm like a rock,

unattached to sensual things,

no shaking in the midst of a

world, where all is decaying.

My mind has been thus well developed,

so how can suffering ever touch me?

Theragatha 194

 

The four determinations:

One should not neglect the Dhamma,

One should guard well the Truth,

One should be devoted to Withdrawal,

and one should train only for Peace.

Majjhima Nikaya 140

 

What is being determined for right Motivation ?

The decision for being motivated by withdrawal,

The decision for being motivated by good-will,

The decision for being motivated by harmlessness:

This is being determined for right Motivation.

Samyutta Nikaya XLV 8

 

Fearing being predestined for Hell if he became a King, who had to

punish criminals violently, the Bodhisatta determined not to show any

intelligence, and play dump, deaf and cripple for sixteen years, only

showing his abilities, when he was on the verge of being buried alive!

This was his ultimate perfection of resolute determination...

The Basket of Conduct: Cariyapitaka

 

Truthful Honesty is the Sixth Mental Perfection:

 

Honesty is Trust

Honesty is Truthful

Honesty is Guarantee

Honesty is Confidence

Honesty is Consistence

Honesty is Convincing

Honesty is Certainty

Honesty is Credibility

Honesty is Reliability

Honesty is Authenticity

Honesty is Integrity

Honesty is Accuracy

Honesty is Commitment

Honesty is Sincerity

Honesty is Security

Honesty is Reality

Honesty is a Must.

 

Honesty characteristically never deceives, it’s function is to

verify the actual & factual, it’s manifestation is excellence...

Sincere exact truthfulness is the proximate cause of honesty!

All evil states & crimes converge upon transgression of Truth...

Devotion to Truth is the only reliable foundation of Nobility!

Like The Buddha demand of your own mind:

You have to give me an honest answer, understand?!

I won’t accept anything phoney. And once you’ve answered,

you have to stick to that very answer & not slide around.

Don’t be a traitor to yourself. Be sober & straight. Therefore:

Undertake this 4th training rule of avoiding all false speech...

If one is not true to the Buddha’s teachings, the Buddha’s

teachings will not be true to oneself, either...

 

That Dhamma, which is used only as a costume, a uniform

or alibi, does not bear fruit, as it’s intention is not true!

Honesty, however, makes you quite worthy of respect.

If one is painstakingly honest towards oneself,

one is also meticulously honest towards others.

If one however deceives oneself, believing own lies,

one automatically also deceives others, betraying them.

Honesty, however, makes you quite worthy of respect.

 

Make an island of yourself,

be your own light & illumination,

make yourself your only safe haven;

there is no other protection.

Make Truth your only island,

make Truth your sole refuge;

make Truth your lone lamp;

there is no other luminosity.

Digha Nikaya, 16

 

The straight person, self-controlled, keeping precepts,

open & honest, is both worthy & fit for the yellow robe.

The hiding person, uncontrolled, immoral, keeping secrets,

not honest, is neither worthy nor fit for the yellow robe.

Dhammapada 9+10

 

Overcome the furious by friendship;

overcome the evil one by goodness;

overcome the stasher by generosity;

overcome the liar by truth.

Dhammapada 223

 

The one who destroys life;

The one who speaks false;

The one who takes what is not given;

The one who mates with another’s partner;

The one who is addicted to drugs and alcohol;

Such one - even in this world - digs up his own root !!!

Dhammapada 246-47

 

They who falsely declare: “That happened”

about what did not happen, or: “I did not do that”

about what they actually did, they earn themselves

a ticket to grilling in Hell.

Dhammapada 306

 

When the Blessed One heard about the king’s spies,

who for money stole information from others, he explained:

One should not take just any job.

One should not be another’s man.

One should not live dependent upon another.

One should not sell the truth for money.

Udana VI - 2

The Bodhisatta was once caught by a man-eater,

which sat him free on the condition that he returned

the next day. He kept his word & did so & much later

remembered: Protecting this way of truth, having given

up my life & kingdom, I thereby set free 100 captured

nobles, as the man-eater lost his nerve. In honesty

I had thereby reached ultimate perfection.

Mahasutasoma-Jataka no. 537

 

 

Patient Tolerance is the Fifth Mental Perfection:

The characteristic of patience is acceptance, it’s function is to

endure, and it’s manifestation is non-opposing tolerance!

The cause of patience is understanding how things really are..

The effect of patience is calm tranquillity despite provocation..

Patience of the Will produce forgiving forbearance!

Patience of the Intellect produce faithful confidence!

Internal Tolerance of states within oneself is patient endurance.

External Tolerance of other beings is forbearance & forgiveness.

He who patiently protects himself, protects also others.

He who patiently protects others, protects also himself.

 

Not from speaking much is one called clever.

The patient one, free from anger, free from fear,

only such one is rightly called clever.

Dhammapada 258

 

Patient tolerance is the highest praxis...

Nibbana is the supreme state!!!

So say all the Buddhas.

Dhammapada 184

 

The innocent one, who has done nothing wrong,

who patiently endures abuse, flogging & even

imprisonment, such one, armed with endurance,

the great force of tolerance, such one,

I call a Holy One.

Dhammapada 399

 

One should follow those who are determined,

tolerant, enduring, intelligent, wise, diligent,

clever, good-willed and Noble. One shall stick to

them as the moon remains in it’s regular orbit.

Dhammapada 208

 

Friends, even if bandits were to cut you up, savagely, limb by limb,

with a two-handled saw, you should not get angry, but do my bidding:

Remain pervading them & all others with a friendly awareness imbued

with an all-embracing good will, kind, rich, expansive, & immeasurable!

Free from hostility, free from any ill will. Always remembering this very

Simile of the Saw is indeed how you should train yourselves.

 

Majjhima Nikaya 21

Bhikkhus, there are these five ways of removing annoyance, by which any

irritation can be entirely removed by a bhikkhu, when it arises in him.

What are the five?

 

1: Friendliness can be maintained towards an irritating person or state..

2: Understanding can be maintained towards an irritating person or state..

3: On-looking equanimity can be maintained towards an irritating person or

state.. 4: The forgetting and ignoring of an irritating person or state can be

practiced.. 5: Ownership of Kamma in an irritating person can be reflected

upon thus: This good person is owner of his actions, inherit the result his

actions, is born of his actions & only he is responsible for his actions be

they good or bad. This too is how annoyance with the irksome can be

instantly removed. These are the five ways of removing annoyance, by

which irritation can be entirely removed in a friend just when it arises...

 

Anguttara Nikaya V 161

Rahula, develop a mind like earth, then contacts of arisen like and dislike

do not obsess your mind! Rahula, on the earth is dumped both pure & impure,

excreta, urine, saliva, pus, blood, but the earth does not disgust any of those...

 

Even & exactly so make your mind like earth! Rahula, develop a mind like water,

then contacts of arisen pleasure and pain do not seize your mind. Rahula with

water both the pure and the impure are cleaned... Washed away with water are

excreta, urine, saliva, pus, and blood, yet water does not despise any of that!

Even so craft the mind like water. Rahula, develop a mind like fire, then contacts

of arisen attraction & aversion do not consume nor hang on your mind! Rahula,

fire burns both the pure and the impure, burns excreta, urine, saliva, pus, and

blood yet fire does not loathe any of that.. In the same manner refine the mind

like fire! Rahula, develop a mind similar to space, then contacts of arisen delight

and frustration do not take hold of nor remain in your mind. Rahula, space does

not settle anywhere! Similarly make the mind unsettled & unestablished like open

space. When you expand a mind like space, contacts of delight & frustration will

neither dominate nor obsess your mind.

 

Majjhima Nikaya 62

Energy is the Fifth Mental Perfection:

Energy means enthusiasm

Energy means effort

Energy means exertion

Energy means interest

Energy means endeavour

Energy means eagerness

Energy means initiative

Energy means intensity

Energy means action

Energy means force

Energy means power

Energy means keenness

Energy means devotion

Energy means dedication

Energy means determination

Energy means commitment

Energy means enjoyment

 

Energy pave the way for success in all & any project ...

Energy is thereby instrumental for all the perfections.

Without energy can no achievement ever be accomplished.

The proximate cause for energy is a sense of urgency !!!

The characteristic of energy is striving, it’s function is

effort, and the manifestation of energy is endurance.

 

Get up! Sit up!

Of what use are your dreams ?

How can you sleep, when sick,

stabbed by the arrow of craving.

Sutta Nipata 331

 

Get up! Sit up!

Push on your training, until reaching sole peace!

Do not let the king of death see you sloppy and

thus delude & dominate you like a toy doll...

Sutta Nipata 332

 

Possessed of Energy & Endurance

be always earnest in your training.

The clever One is not satisfied before the

goal of ending all misery, is wholly achieved.

Theragatha 585

 

It is too cold, it is too hot...,

It is too early, it is too late!

Such bad excuses, make one

give up the training & miss one

more precious opportunity...

DN 31

This straight Way has now been clearly shown:

Don’t hesitate, walk forward & do not turn around.

Urge yourself to advance further by your own Energy,

only thus will you obviously approach & attain Nibbana!

Theragatha 637

 

The effort to prevent & to eliminate evil,

to develop & to maintain good: These are

the 4 right efforts, taught by the Buddha.

AN II 17

And what, friends, is feeding the Energy Link to Enlightenment,

not yet arisen, & food too for boosting of the present Energy ?

The element of initiative,

The element of exertion,

The element of endurance.

Systematic attention to these, is feeding the yet unarisen Energy

Link to Awakening, & food too for boosting any present Energy.

Samyutta Nikaya XLVI 51 Bojjhanga-samyutta

 

At such times, friends,

when the mind is Slow, Sluggish, and Heavy:

Then it is the Right Occasion: for cultivating the

Investigation-by-curiosity enlightenment-factor,

for cultivating the Energy-of-Enthusiasm enlightenment-factor,

for cultivating the Rapture-of-Joy enlightenment-factor...

Why is it so ? When the mind is slow, sluggish, and heavy,

it is Easily Raised Up by exactly these mental qualities.

Suppose, friends, that a man wants a fire to blaze up,

and he put on dry grass, dry wood sticks and blow it

with dry hot air and do not cover it with any dust,

would that man then see his fire blaze up ?

Certainly So, Lord...

SN V, 46. Bojjhanga-samyutta

 

Well then, Moggallana, whatever experience you had in mind when

drowsiness demoralized you down, don’t attend to that experience,

don’t follow it. Remember instead the Dhamma, as you have heard &

memorized it, reflect on & examine it! Then raise up & repeat aloud

the details of Dhamma, as you have learnt it! Then pull both your

earlobes and rub your limbs with both your hands.! Then get up from

your seat, and after washing your eyes with cold water, look around

& upward in all directions and identify the major stars & planets!

Then attend to the experience of inner light, resolve on the clear

perception of daytime, by night as by day, and by day as by night!

By means of an awareness thus open, unhindered & vivid, develop the

bright mind. It’s possible, that by doing this, you will shake off your

lethargy... But if by doing this you don’t shake off your laziness, then

continually noting what is both in front & behind set of a distance to

meditate walking back & forth, your senses inwardly settled, while

your mind is not getting lost outwards. It is possible that by doing this

you will finally shake off your sluggishness.

Anguttara Nikaya VII 58

 

Born as the Brahmin Mahajanaka, the Bodhisatta was once,

aboard a ship sinking far from shore. All the crew were

in great panic...!!! The Bodhisatta though ate his belly full

of sugar & ghee, oiled his clothes and swam continuously

for 7 days towards the shore, until he was rescued by an

ocean guarding female devote devata. Later he remembered:

“Even far out at sea, where many men were lost,

yet still unruffled by worry was my mind.

This enthusiasm was my perfection of Energy.”

Mahajanaka-Jataka no. 539

 

Understanding is the Fourth Mental Perfection:

 

Understanding penetrates, illuminates and guides right.

Concentration is the proximate cause of Understanding.

Understanding is the proximate cause of Equanimity.

Understanding is the manifestation of Concentration.

Only understanding comprehends the meaning & essence.

 

Understanding purifies the other mental perfections:

 

Energy acquires purpose only, when guided by Understanding.

Only fortified by Understanding, is determination unshakeable.

Only Understanding can patiently tolerate other beings abuse.

Only Understanding induce indifference towards gain & loss.

Only Understanding can secure both own and others welfare.

Just as red sandalwood is reckoned as the best of all scented woods,

even & exactly so is the ability to understand reckoned the supreme

among all the mental qualities, that are the links to self-awakening,

leading to enlightenment.

SN V 48-55 Indriya-samyutta

 

And of what kind, friends, is this evaluating ability of Understanding ?

In this, friends, the Noble learner is possessed of direct knowledge

about the arising and ceasing of all phenomena, which is a Noble insight,

a penetrating & ultimate understanding, that gradually realizes and leads

to the utter elimination of all Misery.

 

The Noble learner comprehends, as it really is: Thus is Misery.

The Noble learner comprehends, as it really is: Thus is the Cause of Misery.

The Noble learner comprehends, as it really is: Thus is the End of Misery.

The Noble learner comprehends, as it really is: Thus is the Way to end Misery.

This, friends, is the discriminating ability of Understanding ...

 

SN V 48-10 Indriya-samyutta

Of minor importance, is the loss of family and wealth...

Catastrophic among losses is the loss of Understanding.

Of minor consequence, is the increase of family and wealth.

Supreme among gains is the increase of comprehension...

Therefore, friends, you must train yourself to win that.

AN I 14-5

 

When the Noble friend avoids ignorant persons, but instead

cultivates, frequents and honors persons who comprehend,

teach and review the effects of profound knowledge, then

is the ability to understand refined in these three aspects...

When the Noble friend is thus leaving ignorance all behind,

there is development of the ability to Understand.

When the Noble friend is developing the ability to understand,

then ignorance is left all behind. Mutual is this enhancement.

Path of Discrimination

A learned man who due to his great understanding,

despises those of little learning, is like a blind man

walking around with a lamp in his high hand...

Theragatha 1026

 

Happy indeed are those possessing nothing...

Those who have won Understanding, cling to nothing.

While those attached to family, friends & property

both possessed & obsessed - are as tied to torture...

Udana II 6

 

What sort of person is released by Understanding? (Panna-Vimutti)

Here a person without experiencing all the 8 stages of absorption,

anyway eliminates all mental fermentations completely, after having

perceived them through insight. Such person is said to be released

by Understanding.

Designation of Human Types 31

Just as the great Ocean slopes down gradually, deepens gradually,

inclines gradually, and not abruptly like an abyss,

even so Paharada, is this teaching and discipline:

a gradual training (anupubbasikkha),

a gradual practice (anupubbakiriya),

a gradual progress (anupubbapatipada);

One do not suddenly penetrate to the highest Understanding...

Anguttara Nikaya II 47

 

Asking Questions logically leads to Understanding:

As a bhikkhu walking for alms beg from both low, middle and high folks,

if one search & ask both slightly, moderately and highly wise teachers,

then the insight of the Buddhas shall be yours.

The Basket of Conduct, Cariyapitaka

 

Withdrawal is the Third Mental Perfection:

Withdrawal is Removal of Misery

Withdrawal is Extraction of Disease.

Withdrawal is Pulling out the splinter of Pain.

Withdrawal is Retraction from Danger.

Withdrawal is Renunciation of Ill.

Withdrawal is Letting Go of what is Burning.

Withdrawal is Turning Away from what is Sorrow.

Withdrawal is Seclusion from what is Grief.

Withdrawal is Clearing of Captivating Illusions.

Withdrawal is Waking Up from Enthralling Trance.

Withdrawal is Freedom from Enslaving Addiction.

Withdrawal is Protection of what is Entrapping.

Withdrawal is Giving Up what is Detrimental.

Withdrawal is Discharge of what is Infested.

Withdrawal is Breaking out of the Prison.

Withdrawal is Release from all Suffering...

 

Withdraw, as the man newly freed from prison

does not at all wish himself back in prison!

The Basket of Conduct, Cariyapitaka

 

Infatuated with lust, impassioned & obsessed,

they are caught in their own self-created net,

like a spider, which spins it’s own web!

Cutting through the Noble Friend withdraw & go free,

Without longing, without greed, leaving all misery behind.

Dhammapada 347

 

Blissful is solitude for the contented, learned & knowing True Dhamma.

Blissful is harmlessness towards all breathing beings without exception.

Blissful is freedom from all urge of sensual slavery whatsoever.

Yet, supreme bliss, is the withdrawal from the abysmal conceit “I am”!’

Udana - Inspiration: II - 1

 

The Bodhisatta once as the King Culasutasoma gave up his whole kingdom.

Knowing this withdrawal to be an advantageous victory, he remembered:

A mighty kingdom I possessed, as if it was dropped into my hands...

Yet all this tantalizing luxury, I let fall without any even slight trace

of longing nor clinging. This was my perfection of Withdrawal.

Jataka no. 525

Lust, I say, is a great flood; a whirlpool sucking one down,

a constant yearning, seeking a hold, continually active;

difficult to cross is such morass of sensual desire...

A sage does not deviate from good, but remains steady!

A recluse stands on firm ground, when secluded;

withdrawn from all, truly he is calmed & silenced!

 

Having directly touched the Dhamma, he is independent.

He behaves right & does not envy anyone anywhere...

He who has left behind all pleasure arised from sensing,

an attachment difficult to cut, is freed of both depression &

longing, since he has cut across the flood, and is released.

Sutta Nipata IV.15

 

Any being, that cools down all desires & greedy lusts,

by being alert & ever aware of the inherent danger,

by directing attention only to these disgusting aspects

of all phenomena, such one withdraw from craving and

thereby wears down & breaks the chains of this prison.

Dhammapada 350

 

If one gains an infinite ease by leaving a minor pleasure,

the clever one should swap the luminous for that trifling

sensual pleasure, by withdrawing from this trivial boredom.

Dhammapada 290

The one who has reached the sublime end all perfected,

is fearless, freed of craving, desireless and unclinging...

Such one has broken the chains of being and is certainly

withdrawing into the final phase, wearing his last frame.

 

Dhammapada 351

The household life is a cramped way, choked with dust.

To leave it, is like coming out into the free space of open air!

It is not easy for one who lives at home, to live the Noble life

completely perfect and pure, bright as mother-of-pearl. Surely

I will now shave off my hair & go forth into homelessness.

Only Misery Arises.

Only Misery Ceases.

Nothing good is thus lost

by withdrawing from it all...!!!

 

The Speech of the Buddha on Friendliness:

What should the clever one advantageously do

To attain This State called Peace, is this:

He should be intelligent, straight, honest,

Humble, gentle and never proud,

Contented, and easy to support,

Not busy, careful, and silenced.

In abilities & senses, cautious, & modest,

Not flattering families nor be demanding.

He should do no even minor thing at all,

That other wise men might criticize.

 

Then he should think:

May all beings be joyous and safe!

Let every creature’s mind rejoice.

Whatever breathing beings there are,

No matter whether feeble or firm,

With none excepted, whether long;

Tall, big, medium, short or small;

Whether seen or unseen, visible or not;

Whether living far or near, here or there;

Whether existing or just about to become;

Let every living being’s mind be jubilant!!!

Let none kill or another one undo,

Nor harm anyone anywhere at all ...

Let none wish another any ill, neither

From provocation nor by evil revenge.

Thus, as a mother with her own life

Might guard her son, her only child, thus

Should he maintain an infinite friendliness;

for every living being, in sympathy for this

entire universe, unlimited, endless & vast!

Above, below, and all around, unimpeded,

without any hatred, without any enemies!

Whether standing, walking, seated or

lying down while slumbering, he should always

maintain such awareness of gentle kindness...

This is the Divine Dwelling here, they say.

He that do not traffic with the various views,

Perfected in seeing what is right & wrong,

Purged of lust for sense-pleasures, he will

surely not come back here to any womb...

 

Morality is the Second Mental Perfection:

Avoiding all Harm;

Doing only Good;

Purifying the Mind;

This is the Dhamma

of all the Buddhas!

Dhammapada 183

 

Morality is the foundation,

the initiator & the origin of all

that is fine, good & beautiful...

One Must therefore purify morality.

Theragatha 612

 

Clean cultivated morality brings all success!

Theragatha 608

 

Morality is a mighty Power!

Morality is a forceful Weapon!

Morality is a supreme Jewel!

Morality is a marvellous Protection!

Theragatha 614

 

Harmless towards all living beings,

Speaking only kind & wise truths,

Taking nothing not given,

Enjoying only one’s own partner,

Never abusing drinks or drugs.

Having given up & left all behind

These five harmful actions, such

One truly possess right moral...

AN III 205-6

 

What, Venerable Sir, is the rewarding advantage of morality?

Freedom from regret, Ananda.

And what is the advantage of freedom from regret?

Joy that produces bliss, Ananda.

Bliss then generate happiness.

Happiness enables concentration.

Concentration facilitates vision and knowledge.

Vision and knowledge brings dispassion & detachment

Dispassion & detachment induces direct knowledge of

Certain & Complete Mental Release, Ananda.

AN X.1

 

Intention always comes first.

Intention is of all states the primer.

By intention are all things initiated.

By construction of mind are all phenomena formed.

So - if with good intention one thinks, speak or act:

Joy surely follows one like the never-leaving shadow However !!! -


if with evil intention one thinks, speak or act:

 

Pain certainly follows one, like the wheel follows the car.

Dhammapada 1+2

 

Both the moral & immoral doings;

Both the good & the Bad actions;

That human beings do here;

These are truly their own possession.

These they take along with them when they go,

These are what follows them like a shadow,

that never ever leaves...

So do only what is admirable & advantageous,

as an accumulating investment for the future life.

Good prior doings are the only support & help for

any being, when they rearise in the next world.

SN III 4

 

Here and now the good-doer rejoices... Even so

after passing away and re-emerging, the doer of

good reaps only joy and satisfaction ...

So both here and there, the wise with merit well

done & stored, enjoys the purity of prior actions.

Dhammapada 15

 

Here and now the bad-doer suffers... Even so

after passing away and re-emerging, the doer of

wrong reaps only pain and regret ...

So both here and there, the fool with wrong view

& bad behavior, suffers agony as the inevitable

effect of prior evil action.

Dhammapada 16

 

 

As the yak-ox watch her tail even onto death,

without breaking through, when caught in thorns,

guard your doings as your own life, by avoiding all

overstepping this fine line limiting right from wrong.

The Basket of Behaviour, Cariyapitaka

 

 

The Bodhisatta once as the Naga serpent King Sankhapala

guarded his precepts of moral habit, even when tortured:

‘Though pierced with sharp bamboo stakes and hacked with

hunting knives. I raged no anger against these hunters, as this

was my perfection of Morality!’

Sankhapala Jataka no. 524

 

The 5 precious precepts (pañca-sila):

I accept the training rule to avoid killing breathing beings.

I accept the training rule not to take anything, that is not given.

I accept the training rule to abstain from sexual misconduct.

I accept the training rule to desist from incorrect speech.

I accept the training rule to shun drinks & drugs causing carelessness.

These are timeless laws of only Good,

which all the mighty Seers of the past

have fully followed & made their Way!

 

The Virtue of Morality is like Rock...

A Solid Foundation for all Good States!

Immorality creates regret, and thus destroys any Joy...

Purity creates calm, and thus the subtle concentration,

which is necessary for gaining all higher understanding!

Only higher Understanding sets completely Free...

 

Generosity: The first mental Perfection:

And what is the treasure of generosity?

When a disciple of the Noble Ones whose

mentality is all cleared of disgracing miserliness,

living at home, is freely generous & open-handed,

delighting in being magnanimous,

responsive to every request &,

enjoying the giving of alms.

Such is this treasure called generosity.

 

AN VII 6

Just as a filled pot, which is overturned

pours out all its water, leaving nothing back,

even & exactly so should one give to those in need.

whether low, middle or high, like the overturned pot,

holding nothing back.

Jataka Nidana [128-129]

 

The Generosity of Giving,

The Kindness in Speech,

The Benefit of Service,

The Impartiality treating all Alike,

These 4 threads of sympathy

upholds this world like the axle do the cart.

 

AN II 32

Giving food, one gives & gets strength

Giving clothes, one gives & gets beauty

Giving light, one gives & gets vision

Giving transportation, one gives & gets ease.

Giving shelter one gives all,

Yet one who instructs in the True Dhamma

• The supreme Teaching of the Buddhas -

Such one gives the quite divine ambrosia!

 

SN I 32

These are these five rewards of generosity:

One is liked and charming to people at large,

One is admired & respected by wise people,

one’s good reputation is spread wide about,

One does not neglect a householder’s true duties,

and with the break-up of the body - at the moment

of death - one reappears in a happy destination,

in the plane of the divine worlds.

 

AN V.35

There are these two kinds of gifts:

material gifts & gifts of Dhamma.

The supreme gift is that of Dhamma.

There are these two kinds of sharing:

material sharing & sharing of Dhamma.

The supreme sharing is that of Dhamma.

There are these two kinds of help:

Material help & help with the Dhamma.

This is the supreme of the two:

help with the Dhamma .

It 98

 

The gift of Dhamma exceeds all other gifts.

Dhammapada 354

 

The Bodhisatta once as king Sivi gave

both his eyes to a beggar who was Sakka the

king deity in disguise, who desired to test him.

He remembered “While I was wishing to give,

while I was giving and after this giving there

was neither contrariety nor opposition in mind as

it was for the purpose of awakening itself!

Neither were these eyes nor the rest of myself

disagreeable to me. Omniscience was dear to me,

therefore I gave the eyes.

The Basket of Conduct

Cariyapitaka I-8

Full story: Sivi Jataka no. 499.

 

The Bodhisatta once as the Wise Hare gave

his roasted body as alms by jumping into a fire:

He remembered: “There came a beggar and asked

for food. Myself I gave so that he might eat. In alms

there was none equal to me. In alms I had thereby

reached ultimate perfection.”

From then & the rest of this world-cycle the moon

will display a characteristic ‘hare-in-the-moon’ sign.

Sasa-Jataka no. 316

 

Giving of things, treasures, external possessions, job,

position, wife, & child is the first perfection of giving.

Giving the offer of one’s organs, limbs, & senses is

the second higher perfection of giving.

Giving the sacrifice of one’s life is the ultimate

perfection of giving.

The clarifier of sweet meaning 89

(Commentary on Buddhavamsa)

Madhuratthavilasini [59]

Venerable Buddhadatta: 5th century.

 

Generosity is the first mental perfection (parami):

Clinging creates internal panic and social tension.

Giving creates internal elation and social harmony...

What is gladly given returns more than thousandfold.

 

The Seven Good Mental Qualities:

 

What are they?

 

The Faith of conviction.

The Shame of conscience.

The Fear of wrongdoing.

The Learning of intelligence.

The Awareness of mindfulness.

The Understanding of wisdom.

 

The Pros and Cons of Hedonism: Change!!!:

If, friends, one is not freed of lust, desire, attraction, thirst,

passion and craving for the manifold various forms, feelings,

experiences, constructions and types of consciousness, then

with the inevitable change in & alteration of these forms,

feelings, experiences, constructions & types of consciousness,

one invariably experiences disappointment, dissatisfaction,

discontent, frustration, sorrow, pain and despair... !!! One who

lives immersed in these derivatives of greed, therefore suffers

in this very life from the continual fever of wanting, needing,

hankering, vexation and urge... Moreover, when dying and this

body is breaking up, the greedy can expect a bad destination!!!

 

This is the immanent danger & side-effect of desire & craving...

If, however, one is freed of all lust, desire, attraction, thirst,

passion and craving for the manifold various forms, feelings,

experiences, constructions and types of consciousness, then

with the inevitable change in & alteration of these, one does not

experience any disappointment, dissatisfaction, discontent, pain,

frustration, sorrow, nor despair... Not living immersed in these

derivatives of greed, one does therefore not suffer from any

fever of neither wanting, nor vexation nor urge. Moreover, when

dying & this body is breaking up, such cooled & calmed one can

expect a good destination!!! This is the quite blissful advantage

and assured benefit of removal desire and craving here & now...

Hunting pleasure produces delayed & hidden pain...

Relinquishing pleasure gives ease now & bliss later...

 

Essentially Luminous but veiled by defilement is this Mind:

The exalted Buddha said:

 

Friends, I know of no other single thing, so quickly changing as the mind,

insofar as it is not easy to find just one other phenomena changing equally

fast. Shining bright, friends, is this mind, yet it is indeed obstructed by

external defilements. Luminous absolutely, is that pure mind, when it is safely

released and freed from these alien impurities. Radiant is this mind, though

it is soiled by foreign obscurations. This, the ordinary unlearned persons

not understand as it really is! I tell you, that is why uneducated ordinary

persons neither meditate nor develop mentally. Luminous is that mind, friends,

when it is purified & released from these fermented pollutions. This does the

learned Noble Disciple understand as it really is. I tell you, that is why that

educated Noble Disciple develops & improve mentally by training meditation..

 

The Three Undeniable Global Properties:

 

Is the body & external form, lasting or transient? Transient!

Is feeling, pleasant or not, lasting or transient? Transient!

Is experienced perceptions lasting or transient? Transient!

Is the mental constructions lasting or transient? Transient!

Is the bare aware consciousness lasting or transient? Transient!

Is the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind, lasting or transient?

Is form, sound, smell, taste, touch & thought, lasting or transient?

Is solidity, fluidity, heat, motion, and space, lasting or transient?

All these are Transient!, Impermanent!, Temporary!, Fleeting!

 

Is what is transient, happiness or suffering? Decay is Suffering!

Is what is transient, ever changing & therefore frustrating pain

suitable to be regarded as:

 

‘This is Mine, This I Am, This is Me’

‘This I can Keep’, ‘This I Posses’, ‘This is my Self’ ... ???

No certainly Not ... !!!, since what is self must be keepable, same,

constant, controllable, under one’s power, and thus pleasant...

As all these phenomena are none of this, they cannot ever be self!

Seeing this, understanding this, comprehending this, the Noble

Learner is disgusted by all form, by all sensing, by all physical,

by all mental. Being thus disgusted, one experiences disillusion...

Without illusions, the mind is released & one immediately knows:

This mental liberation is final & irreversible. This - exactly this -

is the state called Nibbana, experienced is this very life ...

 

Sliced by Gains, Praise, Respect, Honour and Fame:

 

At Savatthi the blessed Buddha said: Friends, horrible are gains

honour, fame, name and praise! It is as they cut through the outer

skin, then through the inner skin, then through the flesh, then

through the sinews, then right through to the bone! Having cut

through the bone, they slice the marrow itself... So terrible indeed

friends, are gains, honour, fame, name and praise...

 

They are as if splattering pig bile over a mad dogs nose, bitter, vile,

wicked, tricky, obstructive to achieving this incomparable security

from domination...!!! Friends, I have known of a certain person here

whose mind I penetrated with my own mind and thereby realized:

 

This venerable one would not tell a deliberate lie, even for the sake

of his own life! Yet, sometime later, I see him telling a deliberate lie,

because his mind was overwhelmed & obsessed by gains, honour, fame,

name & praise... So destructive, friends, are gains, honour, fame, name

and praise, so bitter, so vile & blocking any achievement of matchless

security from bondage!!! Therefore, friends, you should train yourselves

thus: ‘We will leave behind any arisen gain, honour, fame, name & praise

and we will not let any arisen gain, honour, fame, name and praise remain

obsessing & consuming our minds Thus should you train yourselves... !!!

 

Wise Company gives good Advantage:

 

The blessed Buddha on Noble Friendship:

I am a friend and helper to all,

I am sympathetic to all living beings.

I develop a mind full of love & one

who always delight in harmlessness.

I gladden my mind, fill it with joy,

and make it immovable and unshakable.

I develop these divine states of mind

not cultivated by simple men.

 

I am a friend of the footless,

I am a friend of the bipeds;

I am a friend of those with four feet,

I am a friend of the many-footed.

May not the footless harm me,

may not the bipeds harm me,

may not those with four feet harm me,

and may not those with many feet harm me.

 

AN II 72

 

A friend who always lends a hand,

a friend both in sorrow and joy,

a friend who offers good counsel,

a friend who sympathizes too.

These are the four kinds of true friends:

one who is wise, having understood,

will always cherish and serve such friends

just as a mother tends her only child.

 

DN III, 188

 

Among tigers, lions, leopards & bears I lived on the wood.

No one was frightened of me, nor did I fear anyone.

Uplifted by such universal friendliness, I enjoyed the forest.

Finding great solace in such silent solitude.

Suvanna-sama Jataka 540

 

And how does a bhikkhu abide with his mind imbued with friendliness

extending over one direction? Just as he would feel friendliness on

seeing a dearly favourite person! Even so do he extend loving-kindness

to all beings in all directions, as above so below.

Abhidhamma Pitaka: Appamañña-vibhanga

 

Bhikkhus, whatever kinds of worldly merit there are, all are not worth

one sixteenth part of the release of mind by universal friendliness;

in shining, glowing and beaming radiance such release of mind by

universal friendliness far excels & surpasses them all...

Itivuttaka 27

 

Diversity of Contacts gives many Urges & Searches:

 

There is eye-sensitivity, visual forms, & visual consciousness.

The coincidence of these three elements, is eye Contact...

There is ear-sensitivity, audible sounds, & auditory consciousness.

The coincidence of these three elements, is ear Contact...

There is nose-sensitivity, smellable odours, & olfactory consciousness.

The coincidence of these three elements, is nose Contact...

There is tongue-sensitivity, tastable flavors, & gustatory consciousness.

The coincidence of these three elements, is tongue Contact...

There is body-sensitivity, sensible touches, & tactile consciousness.

The coincidence of these three elements, is body Contact...

There is mental-sensitivity, mental states, & mental consciousness.

The coincidence of these three elements, is mental Contact...

 

Friends, it is in dependence on the diversity of these elements, that there

arises the diversity of perceptions; & in dependence on the diversity of

perceptions, that there arises the diversity of intentions; & in dependence

on the diversity of intentions, that there arises the diversity of contacts; &

in dependence on the diversity of contacts, that there arises the diversity

of feelings; & in dependence on the diversity of feelings, that there arises

the diversity of desires; & in dependence on the diversity of desires, that

there arises the diversity of fevers; & in dependence on the diversity of

fevers, that there arises the diversity of searches; & in dependence on the

diversity of searches, that there arises the diversity of enthralling needs...

 

How so? Regarding e.g. form; in dependence on intention for form, there

arises contact with form; in dependence on contact with form, there arises

feeling born of contact with form; in dependence on feeling born of contact

with form, there arises desire for form; in dependence on desire for form,

there arises fever for form; in dependence on fever for form, there arises

the search for form; in dependence on the search for form, there arises the

need of form... Such is the emergence of this manifold hunt, urge & wanting!

Every second of our lives this bombardment of sensuality creates suffering!

 

From external Element to internal Urge to silly Search:

 

There is the element of eye-sensitivity, the element of visual form,

the element of visual consciousness. The coincidence of these three

is eye Contact...

 

In dependence on the element of eye-sensitivity, there arises eye-contact.

In dependence on eye-contact, there arises feeling born of eye-contact.

In dependence on feeling born of eye-contact, there arises this craving...

In dependence on the element of visual form, there arises perception.

In dependence on this visual experience, inclination towards form arises.

In dependence on this inclination, desire for particular forms arises.

In dependence on this specific desire, a fever for various forms arises.

In dependence on this fever for form, search after certain forms arises.

In dependence on this search for form, reaching & acquisition of form,

comes into being... Such is the arising of this entire mass of suffering...

 

Similarly with the pairs of ear & sound, nose & smell, tongue & taste, body

& touch, mind & mental states and their respective kinds of consciousness.

This search, this urge, this compulsive drive, is caused by that craving.

Craving that was born from feeling, which was arised from contact.

Any Craving causes Suffering...

Right here and now, later and much later...

Right there at Contact, is this suffering thus born...

Right there at Contact, is this suffering thus left...

Expectation inevitably creates Disappointment:

How does one create future frustration for oneself ?

 

By expecting:

 

Ooh May I enjoy such & such form in the future.

Ooh May I enjoy this & that feeling in the future.

Ooh May I enjoy exactly these perceptions in the future.

Ooh May I enjoy my beloved favourite experiences in the future.

Ooh May I enjoy only those ideal mental constructions in the future.

Ooh May I enjoy solely preferred types of consciousness in the future.

 

On the contrary: One is always content if without any expectations:

Let the past be past, passed & forgotten for never return to it again.

Let forms, feelings, perceptions, constructions & consciousness here

and now in the present be as they may. Let whatever arise & cease...

May I relinquish any hope, wish & craving for whatever future forms,

feelings, perceptions, constructions & future types of consciousness...

May I thus remain just aware, calm, clear, content & unagitated!!!

 

Revulsion Frees since Disillusion Releases:

 

Any kind of form whatsoever;

Any kind of feeling whatsoever;

Any kind of perception whatsoever;

Any kind of construction whatsoever;

Any kind of consciousness whatsoever;

Whether past, present or future;

Whether internal or external;

Whether fair or foul;

Whether high or low;

Whether far or near;

 

Should be seen & understood as it really is:

 

This is transient, impermanent, uncertain & unsafe!

This is thus disappointing, frustrating, and painful!

This is thus ‘Not Me’, ‘Not Mine’, ‘Not My Self’...

 

Seeing this, the noble learner is disgusted by all kinds

of forms, feelings, perceptions, constructions and types

of consciousness. Being disgusted such one experiences

disillusion, disenchantment, and dispassion. By this very

disillusion craving is extinguished and the mind is released!

Thus liberated one understands: Birth is ended, the Noble

Life is completed, done is what should be done, there is no

higher state beyond this...

 

Unselfish Joy: How to rejoice in others Success:

 

By seeing that:

 

If only happy at one’s own success, such joy is rare & limited!

If happy also at other’s success, the joy is frequent & infinite!

By observing that:

It starts with basic sympathy,

develops & grows into approval & appreciation,

culminates in rejoicing mutual joy by directing to,

initiating, frequent cultivation & boundless expansion..

 

By knowing that:

Mutual Joy is the cause of satisfied contentment!

Mutual Joy eliminates all acidic jealousy and envy!

Mutual Joy is an infinite, divine and sublime state!

 

Buddha:

If it were impossible to cultivate this Good,

I would not tell you to do so!

 

Buddhaghosa:

See this good being is happy!

How fine! How excellent!

 

Thus: Let there be Happiness! Let there be Freedom!

Thus: Let there be Peace! Let there be Bliss!

Thus: Let there be Understanding of this...

 

Secluded Completion in Ideal Solitude:

 

The once asked a Bhikkhu just named ‘Elder’:

How, Elder, is one living completely alone ?

 

Regarding this, Elder:

 

All that is past, this one has left all behind!

All that is future, this one has all relinquished!

All that is present individuality, this one has

completely removed any desire and lust for...

 

The intelligent, having conquered all, knowing all,

From all states detached, disengaged, & unsoiled,

Having given up all, released by removal of craving,

Such One, I call: ‘Living Alone’...

 

Continuation and Prolongation of Misery:

Friends, whoever recluse or priest now, in the past, or in the

future regard whatever pleasant and attractive, there is in this

world as permanent, as lasting, as happiness, as self, as healthy,

as secure, they thereby all stimulate craving! Stimulating craving

they long, thirsts and hankers, thereby inducing acquisition of

sense desires, acquisition of mental defilements, acquisition of

intentions, hopes, wishes and planning, and acquisition of the 5

clusters of clinging! By nurturing uptake of these acquisitions of

fuel for becoming, fuel for existence, they provoking continuation!

 

Thus provoking prolongation, they are not freed from birth, ageing,

and death! They are not released from sorrow, depression, despair,

misery, pain, frustration, discontent & hopelessness. I tell you:

They are not freed from neither present nor future suffering...!!!

But friends, whoever recluse or priest now, in the past, or in the

future regard whatever pleasant and attractive, there is in this

world as impermanent, as transient, as suffering, as no-self, as a

disease, as danger, as fearful, as an empty terror, they thereby

all reduce craving. When thus having gradually wholly eliminated

all craving, I tell you: They are thereby freed from all Suffering...

 

Ownerless & Transient Effects of prior Conditions:

 

This body is neither yours, nor anybody else’s.

These feelings are neither yours, nor anybody else’s.

These perceptions are neither yours, nor anybody else’s.

These mental constructions are neither yours, nor anybody else’s.

These verbal constructions are neither yours, nor anybody else’s.

These bodily constructions are neither yours, nor anybody else’s.

This consciousness is neither yours, nor anybody else’s.

 

They are results of old kamma, prior actions, something to be seen

as generated and shaped by accumulations of past intention, emerging

to be sensed now... When this exists, that comes to be! With the arising

of this, that arises! When this does not exist, that does not come to be!

 

When this ceases, that ceases too! That is:

 

The fading away of Ignorance causes Mental Construction to cease.

The fading away of Mental Construction causes Consciousness to cease.

The fading away of Consciousness causes Name-&-Form to cease.

The fading away of Name-&-Form causes The 6 Senses to cease.

The fading away of The 6 Senses causes Contact to cease.

The fading away of Contact causes Feeling to cease.

The fading away of Feeling causes Craving to cease.

The fading away of Craving causes Clinging to cease.

The fading away of Clinging causes Becoming to cease.

The fading away of Becoming causes Birth to cease.

The fading away of Birth causes Ageing, Decay & Death to cease.

The fading away of Ageing, Decay & Death causes Pain to cease...

Such is the ceasing of this entire immense mass of Suffering!!!

 

Enthusiastic Energetic Effort produces every Success:

 

Buddha once said:

 

Friends, the lazy person dwells in misery, soiled by evil detrimental states.

Great is the personal advantage, that one thus neglects. But the energetic &

enthusiastic person lives happily, secluded from evil detrimental states, and

great is the personal advantage, that one thereby wins.

 

It is not by the inferior that the supreme is attained. Rather, it is only by the

supreme effort, that the supreme state is attained. Friends, this Noble Life is

a sublime juice! Therefore, friends, while this Teaching is present, arouse your

energy for the attainment of the yet unattained, for the achievement of the

yet unachieved, for the realization of the yet unrealized... Considering your

own future, friends, is enough to make every effort for reaching this goal;

considering the good future of others, is enough to do your best; considering

the best of both, it is enough to strive for the supreme goal with thoroughness!

Thus, friends, should you train yourselves.

 

Repeatedly Lost Opportunity:

 

Having laid it out three ripe bananas to the monkeys,

I was quite a baffled after seeing an adult macaque

pass by them unnoticed, even though they were within

reach and less than ½m away ... !!!

 

Then it appeared to me:

 

Oohh so is it indeed also with sentient beings in this

world: They pass by the Buddha-Dhamma again and

again, life after life, never picking it up, even though

it is perfectly formulated, completely releasing, and

safely saving one from all that is suffering...

Even though this Dhamma leads to the Deathless state,

beings miss the opportunity & flutter on in Samsara...

Obsessed with empty and decaying constructions...

 

It is said that teaching the Dhamma in these ages where

the average human life length is less than 100 years, is

like drawing in water with a stick...

Highly impermanent if not impossible ...

Therefore: Thanks to that monkey for telling it to me

so clearly: No more ‘bananas’, neither here nor there

nor evermore.... It is time to let go of all the ‘bananas’!

It is time to go ....

 

Let there be Peace ...

Let there be Happiness ...

Let there be Freedom ...

 

The Three Kinds of Sublime Quintessence:

The cream of Teachings:

The 4 Noble Truths & the 37 producers of Enlightenment.

The cream of Recipients:

The disciples capable of understanding & practicing these.

The cream of Holy Lives:

That lived while developing the Noble 8-fold Path.

 

The Five Obstructing Obstacles:

There are 5 kinds of mental barrenness, that obstruct any

mental growth and any spiritual progress. What are they ?

 

1: Skeptical doubt about the perfect Awakening of the Buddha

is the first mental barrenness.

2: Skeptical doubt about the absolute Truth of the Dhamma

is the second mental barrenness.

3: Skeptical doubt about the purity of the Noble Sangha

is the third mental barrenness.

4: Skeptical doubt about the efficacy of the mental Training

is the fourth mental barrenness.

5: Anger towards one’s friends & fellows on the Noble Path

is the fifth mental barrenness.

 

These 5 kinds of mental barrenness disable all initiative,

enthusiasm, energy, effort, exertion, and endurance and

thus do they eliminate any effective training and thereby

also all the advantageous effects of such mental training!

Review the mind regularly recognizing these obstructions

and cure them with faith, investigation, and friendliness.

 

Any Cause produce an Effect:

 

Therefore: Never do any even minor Evil!

Neither openly here, nor in secret there...

If having done bad or is doing wrong now,

pain surely returns, even though one flee

by flying away... The effect of any action,

good as bad, follows the doer like a shadow

that never leaves... Consequence is Certain...

Why so ? Because one cannot hide anything

for one’s own mind! It knows & remembers!

Mind is thus forerunner of all phenomena...

 

Friendship is the Greatest !

and the entire Noble Life...

 

What Causes the Conditioned End of All Suffering ?

Or what is Dependent Co-Cessation ?

 

Condensed:

When this is absent, that too is nonexistent...

When this ceases, that too fades away...

 

In Detail:

 

The fading away of Ignorance causes Mental Construction to cease.

The fading away of Mental Construction causes Consciousness to cease.

The fading away of Consciousness causes Name-&-Form to cease.

The fading away of Name-&-Form causes The 6 Senses to cease.

The fading away of The 6 Senses causes Contact to cease.

The fading away of Contact causes Feeling to cease.

The fading away of Feeling causes Craving to cease.

The fading away of Craving causes Clinging to cease.

The fading away of Clinging causes Becoming to cease.

The fading away of Becoming causes Birth to cease.

The fading away of Birth causes Ageing, Decay & Death to cease.

The fading away of Ageing, Decay & Death causes Pain to cease...

Such is the ceasing of this entire immense mass of Suffering!!!

This is called the Right Way ...

This is Dependent Co-Cessation !

What Causes this Conditioned Chain of Emergence ?

What is Dependent Co-Origination ?

 

Condensed:

When this is present, that too is in existence.

When this arises, that too emerges.

 

In Detail:

 

The condition of Ignorance causes Mental Construction to arise.

The condition of Mental Construction causes Consciousness to arise.

The condition of Consciousness causes Name-&-Form to arise.

The condition of Name-&-Form causes The 6 Senses to arise.

The condition of The 6 Senses causes Contact to arise.

The condition of Contact causes Feeling to arise.

The condition of Feeling causes Craving to arise.

The condition of Craving causes Clinging to arise.

The condition of Clinging causes Becoming to arise.

The condition of Becoming causes Birth to arise.

The condition of Birth causes Ageing, Decay & Death to arise.

The condition of Ageing, Decay & Death causes Pain to arise...

Such is the arising of this entire immense mass of Suffering!!!

This is called the Wrong Way ...

This is Dependent Co-Origination !

 

What has to be Understood ?

 

The nature of Ageing, & death has to be Understood.

The Cause of Ageing, & death has to be Understood.

The End of Ageing, & death has to be Understood.

The Way to End Ageing, & death has to be Understood.

 

The nature of Birth has to be Understood.

The Cause of Birth has to be Understood.

The End of Birth has to be Understood.

The Way to End Birth has to be Understood.

 

The nature of Clinging has to be Understood.

The Cause of Clinging has to be Understood.

The End of Clinging has to be Understood.

The Way to End Clinging has to be Understood.

 

The nature of Craving has to be Understood.

The Cause of Craving has to be Understood.

The End of Craving has to be Understood.

The Way to End Craving has to be Understood.

 

The nature of Feeling has to be Understood.

The Cause of Feeling has to be Understood.

The End of Feeling has to be Understood.

The Way to End Feeling has to be Understood.

 

The nature of Contact has to be Understood.

The Cause of Contact has to be Understood.

The End of Contact has to be Understood.

The Way to End Contact has to be Understood.

 

The nature of the 6 Senses has to be Understood.

The Cause of the 6 Senses has to be Understood.

The End of the 6 Senses has to be Understood.

The Way to End the 6 Senses has to be Understood.

 

The nature of Name-&-Form has to be Understood.

The Cause of Name-&-Form has to be Understood.

The End of Name-&-Form has to be Understood.

The Way to End Name-&-Form has to be Understood.

 

The nature of Consciousness has to be Understood.

The Cause of Consciousness has to be Understood.

The End of Consciousness has to be Understood.

The Way to End Consciousness has to be Understood.

 

The nature of Mental Construction has to be Understood.

The Cause of Mental Construction has to be Understood.

The End of Mental Construction has to be Understood.

The Way to End Mental Construction has to be Understood.

The nature of Ignorance has to be Understood.

The Cause of Ignorance has to be Understood.

The End of Ignorance has to be Understood.

The Way to End Ignorance has to be Understood.

 

These have to be Understood...

 

This World is Messed Up!

The Buddha once told a deity:

This world is suffering from Death,

Troubled by ageing, decay & sickness,

Wounded by the Dart of constant Craving!

Always is it burning with Desire & Lust...

This world is addicted to Delight & Pleasure,

Since dragged around by this urge, Craving

must be cut, to break free from bondage and

reach Nibbana...

 

How to be a Real and True Buddhist ?

 

Simply & easily by joining the Three Refuges and undertaking

the Five Precepts like this: Newly bathed, shaved, white-clothed,

with clean bare feet, one kneels at a shrine with a Buddha-statue,

and bows first three times so that feet, hands, elbows, knees and

head touch the floor. Then, with joined palms in front of the heart,

one recite these memorized lines in a loud, calm & steady voice:

 

As long as this life lasts:

 

I hereby take refuge in the Buddha.

I hereby take refuge in the Dhamma.

I hereby take refuge in the Sangha.

 

I seek shelter in the Buddha for the 2nd time.

I seek shelter in the Dhamma for the 2nd time.

I seek shelter in the Sangha for the 2nd time.

 

I request protection from the Buddha for the 3rd time.

I request protection from the Dhamma for the 3rd time.

I request protection from the Sangha for the 3rd time.

 

I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Killing.

I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Stealing.

I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Sexual Abuse.

I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Dishonesty.

I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Alcohol & Drugs.

As long as this life lasts...

 

Then one keeps and protects these sacred vows better than one’s own

eyes & children, since they protects you & all other beings much better

than any army! They are the highest offer one can give in & to this world!

This is the very start on the path towards Nibbana -the Deathless Element-

This is the Noble Way to Peace, to Freedom, to Bliss, initiated by Morality,

developed further by Dhamma-Study and fulfilled by training Meditation...

If any wish an official recognition by the Bhikkhu-Sangha, they may simply

forward the lines starting with “I..” signed with name, date, town & country

to me. I will then out up a public list of this newly born Saddhamma Sangha.

May your journey hereby be eased, light, swift and sweet. Never give up !!!

Friendship is the Greatest !

and the entire Noble Life...

 

Dear and Delightful is Dangerous..!:

 

Whatsoever dear things, delighted in, gratified, that are pleasant to us,

all these will undergo change and alteration... We will thereby loose them

as they were before and be separated from them, since now they have

become otherwise and are thus not anymore the same. They have become

something different! Whatsoever is born, become, arisen, emerged, and

come into being as a compounded and constructed phenomenon, is liable

to decay, is prone to fade away, and is bound to vanish...

That a thing dependent on supporting conditions should not disintegrate,

break up, fall apart, die, and cease to exist, that is indeed impossible...

Thus renouncing, letting go, leaving behind, forsaking, abandoning and

rejecting all these transient fabrications, is therefore the only true and

safe escape from the sure suffering, misery, frustration and deprivation

inherent in all this repeated & ever recurring loss, decay, demise, deficit,

ageing, sickness and Death...

 

This unconditional & eternal release from all Pain, Misery & Death is

called Awakening into Enlightenment... The Noble 8-fold Way is the

only real way thereto. There is no other certain, safe & sound exit...

Now is the time to realize that fact ...

Now is the time to initiate that path ...

Now is the time to complete that task ...

May your journey be swift and sweet !!!

 

Friendship is the Greatest !

and the entire Noble Life...

 

Transcendence from Ignorance to Nibbâna!!!:

Ignorance is the proximate cause of mental construction.

Mental construction is the proximate cause of consciousness.

Consciousness is the proximate cause of name-&-form.

Name-&-form is the proximate cause of the 6 senses.

The 6 senses is the proximate cause of contact.

Contact is the proximate cause of feeling.

Feeling is the proximate cause of craving.

Craving is the proximate cause of clinging.

Clinging is the proximate cause of becoming.

Becoming is the proximate cause of birth.

Birth is the proximate cause of ageing, decay & death.

Ageing, decay & death is the proximate cause suffering.

Suffering is the proximate cause of faith.

Faith is the proximate cause of elation.

Elation is the proximate cause of joy.

Joy is the proximate cause of calmness.

Calmness is the proximate cause of happiness.

Happiness is the proximate cause of concentration.

Concentration is the proximate cause of seeing & knowing reality.

Seeing & knowing reality is the proximate cause of disgust.

Disgust is the proximate cause of disillusion.

Disillusion is the proximate cause of mental release.

 

Mental release is the proximate cause of ending all mental

fermentation linked with ignorance, with becoming, & with sensing.

 

Ending all mental fermentation is the proximate cause of Freedom..

Ending all mental fermentation is the proximate cause of Peace..

Ending all mental fermentation is the proximate cause of Bliss..

 

This - only this - is Nibbana ...

Who or What creates the Pain ?

 

They asked the blessed Buddha:

 

Is suffering created by oneself ? He answered: Not so!

Is suffering created by another ? He answered: Not so!

Is suffering created both by oneself & another? Not so!

Is suffering created neither by oneself nor another? Not so!

 

Suffering arise in Dependence... ! Dependent on what... ?

Dependent on Contact..., do all suffering arise...

Without contact it is impossible to experience any suffering!

 

Dependent on Contact do Feeling arise.

Dependent on Feeling do Craving arise.

Dependent on Craving do Clinging arise.

Dependent on Clinging do Becoming arise.

Dependent on Becoming do Birth arise.

Dependent on Birth do Decay & Death arise.

Dependent on Decay & Death do Suffering arise.

 

Note: Death here is both death of the moment & death at life’s end.

There is no agent nor ‘doer’ nor ‘observer neither inside nor outside...

There is this passing sequence of momentary causally dependent states.

The prior mental moment conditioning the next and this the next etc...

Quite impersonal is this flux. Not anything worth clinging to !!!

 

The Five Grades of Mental Purity:

 

Initially the Noble Learner temporarily disables the mental hindrances

and bindings by ‘Substitution by the Opposite’ using insight: Lust is

temporarily substituted by disgust, anger by friendliness, restlessness

by calm, laziness by energy and doubt is substituted by certainty.

Later the Noble Learner temporarily overcomes the mental hindrances

and bindings by ‘Suppression’ by entering one-pointed absorption of

concentration, which is unmixed, unpolluted & untainted by hindrances.

 

Later the Noble Learner permanently eliminates a partial fraction of the

hindrances & bindings by ‘Cutting Off’ at reaching path-moment of the

Stream-entry, Once-Returner, Non-Returner and Arahat (Magga) state.

Later the Noble Learne®d permanently eliminates the remaining fraction

of hindrances by effortless ‘Calming’ at reaching the fruition-moment of

the Stream-entry, Once-Returner, Non-Returner and Arahat (Phala) state.

 

Finally the Noble Learned irreversibly leaves behind all mental hindrances

and bindings by ‘Escape’ into the unconditioned & unconditional element of

Nibbana, without remaining traces of neither clinging nor other fuels left...

 

The Seven Latent Tendencies (anusaya):

 

1: The Latent Tendency to Sense-Desire.

2: The Latent Tendency to Aversion & Anger.

3: The Latent Tendency to Sceptical Doubt.

4: The Latent Tendency to Speculative Views.

5: The Latent Tendency to the Conceit ‘I am’.

6: The Latent Tendency to Craving for Becoming.

7: The Latent Tendency to plain Blind Ignorance.

 

These are inherently deeply imbedded, hidden in the

corners of the mind, where these subtle mentalities

ever again exert their detrimental influence over our

thoughts, speech & behaviour.

 

Tainted by these impure inclinations, any intention & action will remain having disadvantageous
& painful future after-effects...

 

The only tool capable of overcoming & extracting them is the quite Noble Eightfold Way: 

 

The Ariya Magga:

 

1. Right View (samma-ditthi)

 

2. Right Motivation (samma-sankappa)

3. Right Speech (samma-vaca)

4. Right Action (samma-kammanta)

5. Right Livelihood (samma-ajiva)

6. Right Effort (samma-vayama)

7. Right Awareness (samma-sati)

8. Right Concentration (samma-samadhi)

 

 

 

The Seven Qualities of an Arahat:

 

1: The impermanence of all constructions is perfectly seen & comprehended..

2: The torture & addiction of all sense-desire is perfectly perceived & known..

3: His mind is only inclined towards solitude, seclusion and detached ease..

4: The Four Foundations of Awareness are continually & perfectly established..

5: The Five Mental Abilities & Powers are perfectly developed & consummated..

6: The Seven Links to Awakening are perfectly refined and fully completed..

7: The Noble Eightfold Way is perfectly realized, accomplished & concluded..

 

By these 7 criteria, he clearly & invariably recognizes that for him have the

mental fermentations associated with Sense-Desire, with Becoming, and with

Ignorance been completely & irreversibly eliminated! Cut of at the root and

like a palm tree stump never to grow again...

 

The Catastrophic Conceit ‘I Am’ :

 

All the egoism is born right when assuming impersonal and transient

phenomena, such as body, feeling, perception, mental construction, &

consciousness to be ‘I-Me-Mine, thereby conceiving the idea: ‘I am’!

At once hereafter one falls desperately in love with this hypothetical

ego, exalts and gratifies & even worships it, as the dearest possession

of all !!! Pride is born right here. By comparing this non-existent entity:

My Personal Identity’ with external equally conceived perceptions, one

erroneously concludes: ‘I Am! Better than ...’... Arrogance is born there!

Or one concludes equally erroneously: ‘I Am! Worse than or Equal to...’

When there is pride, there is bound to be wounded pride! Because of

that I-construing, ego-love & self-overestimation, one cannot respect

what should be respected. Feeling threatened by any realistic evaluation

of this adored ‘ego’, all potential ‘critics’ or ‘competitors’ are violently

repressed... By clinging to this cherished idea of ‘Myself’, harming, hate,

ill-will, and violence thereby come into being. Even wars are initiated by

immature & infantile imagination of ‘Own Greatness’ or ‘National Lead’!

 

Thus more than fatal is verily this cramped conceit that ‘I Am this & that’!

Serene joy is however connected with open, free & detached impersonality.

If there is no ‘I’, no ‘Me’, what then to be proud of, & violently defend ?

 

As the blessed Buddha said:

 

Blissful is the overcoming of all sense-desire.

Blissful is dwelling in complete harmlessness.

Blissful is solitude for one content & learned.

But best is the bliss of uprooting the conceit ‘I am’!

 

Udana - Inspiration: II - 1

 

Frequent reflection on the impermanent & transient flux of all internal

and external phenomena, leads towards this counter-intuitive yet crucial

comprehension of the fact of ‘No-Self’... Quite Freeing that indeed is...

Sabbe Dhamma Anatta ...

All States are Selfless !!!

 

 

The Twin Truths won by keen Dual Consideration:

 

The blessed Buddha once said:

 

Friends, the first consideration is:

 

Whatever Misery arises, all Pain does so caused by Feeling !

Another consequent consideration is:

By ending all Feeling, there cannot ever arise any Misery !

 

Repeatedly seeing both pleasant, painful & neutral feeling all fade away,

and instantly vanish in each moment, one is freed for passion for feeling!

By quenching craving for feeling one becomes all cool & quite calmed...

Considering these twin truths cautiously, resolutely & enthusiastically,

one may either enter the state of Nibbana right here & now in this life,

or if there is lasting traces of clinging left, the state of a non-returner...

Those who neglect understanding Feeling, the origin of Feeling, the End

of Feeling, & how Feeling is completely eliminated, are thus incapable of

release by understanding, are thus incapable of mental release, are thus

incapable of direct knowledge, and are thus incapable of making an end...

They repeat birth, ageing, decay, sickness & death ever again...

While those who undertake understanding of Feeling, Origin, End & Way,

are quite capable of mental release by understanding, & capable of making

an end... They are near the deathless dimension!

 

The Twin Truths won by keen Dual Consideration:

 

The blessed Buddha once said:

 

Friends, the first consideration is:

Whatever Misery arises, all does so caused by Contact !

Another consequent consideration is:

By stopping Contact, there cannot ever arise any Misery !

 

The fool immerses himself in Contact & suffers thereby, when it fades.

The wise by comprehending this inherent danger in any Contact withdraw,

by quenching his urge for contacting ever changing imprints of sensation...

Considering these twin truths cautiously, resolutely & enthusiastically,

one may either enter the state of Nibbana right here & now in this life,

or if there is lasting traces of clinging left, the state of a non-returner...

 

Those who neglect understanding Contact, the origin of Contact, the End

of Contact, & how Contact is completely eliminated, are thus incapable of

release by understanding, are thus incapable of mental release, are thus

incapable of direct knowledge, and are thus incapable of making an end...

They repeat birth, ageing, decay, sickness & death ever again...

While those who undertake understanding of Contact, Origin, End & Way,

are quite capable of mental release by understanding, & capable of making

an end... They are near the deathless dimension!

The Twin Truths won by keen Dual Consideration:

 

The blessed Buddha once said:

 

Friends, the first consideration is:

Whatever Misery arises, it does so caused by Consciousness !

Another consequent consideration is:

By ending Consciousness , there cannot ever arise any Misery !

Knowing this danger: -

All Suffering emerges due to Consciousness, by

stopping consciousness, there cannot ever be any arising of any Pain! -,

the intelligent one quench his craving, and urge for being conscious...

Considering these twin truths cautiously, resolutely & enthusiastically,

one may either enter the state of Nibbana right here & now in this life,

or if there is lasting traces of clinging left, the state of a non-returner...

 

Those who neglect understanding Consciousness, cause of Consciousness,

the End of Consciousness, & how Consciousness is completely eliminated,

are incapable of release by understanding, are thus incapable of mental

release, are incapable of direct knowledge, and are thereby incapable

of making an end...They repeat birth, ageing, decay, sickness & death

ever again... While those who undertake understanding of Consciousness,

Origin, End & Way, are quite capable of mental release by understanding,

and capable of making an end...
They are near the deathless dimension!

 

Short-Cuts to Happiness:

 

Know that Helping Others helps Yourself!

Know that Harmlessness is the prime Protection!

Know that Meditation is the Way to Calmed Bliss!

Know that Dhamma Study is the Way to Certainty!

Know that the Noble 8-fold Way makes Deathless!

 

Remember:

Buddha awakened by perfect Enlightenment

 

The Great Enlightenment of the Buddha:

 

On this full moon night of May, 2533 years ago the Buddha Awakened...!!!

May all beings gain advantage & bliss by Celebrating this very Wesak Day!

So indeed it happened as later told by the blessed lord Buddha Himself...

Source: The Story of The Sakyamuni Gotama Buddha. Well translated by

Professor N.A. Jayawickrama.
HYPERLINK "http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=132935" http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=132935

 

At that time a girl named Sujata Senani lived in Uruvela. When adult,

she prayed before a certain Banyan tree, that she might get a husband

equal to herself in caste and that her firstborn may be a son. If so, she

promised to offer the perceived tree deity the value of 100.000 yearly.

Her prayer was successful since so indeed did it happen.

 

Six years after the Buddha-to-be had started his severe asceticism, she

desired to pay back the perceived tree deity on the full moon day of the

month of Vesak. First she put 1000 cows on good grass in the forest.

The milk from them she fed to 500 cows and the milk from these 500 cows

she gave to 250 and so on down to feeding such ultra pure milk from

16 cows to 8 cows. This process called “Working the milk in & in” made

the milk more sweet, thick, protein rich & nutritious.

 

At the full moon day of Vesak month she rose at early dawn & made the

cows to be milked. As soon as new buckets were placed under the cows,

their milk poured forth in streams spontaneously all by itself. Seeing this

miracle Sujata collected the milk herself in a new pot and began to cook

milk-rice (Kiribath). Seeing the milk boil immediately while rotating right

with large bubbles yet not spilling over & the fire burn without trace of

smoke, she knew something special was going on.

 

When Sujata saw so many miracles appear, she said to her servant girl

Punna: “Punna, dear girl, the tree deity is very well disposed

towards us today. Never have I seen so many wonders.
Run quickly to the Holy tree and get everything clean, neat & ready.
“Yes, my lady,” answered the girl and ran in hot haste to the foot of the tree.

Now at that very night the Future Buddha had 5 specific dreams

that made him conclude after thorough consideration: “Certainly,

without doubt, today is the very day, I will reach Enlightenment!”

 

When the night had passed, he cleaned himself and came early

before down to that very tree and sat down facing east, to await

the suitable time for going the begging round. His 5 colored radiance

illuminated the whole tree.

 

Then Punna came. When she saw the streaming radiance from his

body lighten up the whole tree in a golden color, she became highly

excited and said to herself: “Our deity, methinks, have come down

from the tree and has seated himself in order to receive our offering

with his own hands!”. So she ran in great speed back to Sujata & told

all about it.

 

When Sujata heard this news, she became both thrilled & jubilant! So

elated, she rewarded the slave Punna by saying: “From this very day

you may be here as my eldest daughter,” and gave Punna all such

jewellery appropriate for that position.

 

Since all Buddhas on the day of Buddhahood receive their food on a

golden dish, the idea occurred to Sujata to put the milk-rice & a golden

plate worth 100.000. The milk-rice poured out from the pot as water

from a lotus leaf & filled exactly the golden dish. Covering it with

another golden dish and wrapping it in a white cloth, she adorned herself

with all her ornaments and proceeded with the dish on her head to

the foot of the Banyan tree. As soon as she caught sight of the

Future Buddha, she became exceedingly overjoyed & ecstatic.

Expecting him to be the tree deity, she approached while constantly

bowing. She took down the golden dish from her head & uncovered

it. Advancing close to the Buddha-to-be she put down a golden vase

with flower scented water.

 

Sujata then placed the golden plate in the hands of the Great Being.

He gazed at her & she perceived that he was a Holy Man. Doing a

reverential obeisance she said: “Lord, please accept my donation &

take it wherever you see fit.” Adding “May your wishes come through

like mine.” she raised and departed as disinterested in her golden plate

as had it been a withered leaf.

 

The Future Buddha then raised and circulating the tree right-wise he

proceeded down to the Neranjara river and descended into its waters

just as many thousands of Future Buddhas before him had here bathed

on the day of their complete enlightenment. This place is even today a

pilgrimage called Suppatitthita. Coming out of the water he dressed

in the simple hempen dress of Saint-ship also common to all the Noble

Bodhisattvas before him. Sitting down on the bank he then rolled the

entire dish of thick sweet milk-rice into 49 small pellets and ate them.

 

Thereafter he took no further food in the 49 days of the 7 weeks he

spent enraptured in the bliss of Awakening. During all that time the

Buddha neither bathed, rinsed his mouth nor eased himself but was

fully absorbed into the ecstasy of the trance of Arahatship.

When he had consumed the milk-rice he took the golden dish and said:

“If I am to become a Buddha today, let this golden dish go up-stream.”

He then threw it into the water, and cleaving the stream as a fleet

horse it went up-stream in the middle of the river for 160 meters.

 

Then it dived into a whirlpool & sank into the submerged palace of

the black Snake King where it hit “Click! Clack!” against the top of the

stack of golden dishes, used by the 3 prior Buddhas of this Eon.

When the black Snake King heard this particular sound he exclaimed:

“Yesterday another Buddha lived.

 

Today a new One has been born!”

Repeating several hundred admiring verses. As the time from yesterday

did this immense time lapse between two Buddhas appear to him.

At these rare occasions his body raised up into the air to several km.

 

Then the Future Buddha rested at the riverbank between Sal trees

in full bloom. At nightfall when the flowers closed, he raised like a lion

& went towards the Bo tree along a path prepared by the deities.

Just then a grass-cutter came going with his harvest from the other side.

He offered the Great Being 8 handfuls of Kusa grass, when he saw that

this Sage was a Holy Man.
 

The Future Buddha accepted the grass and proceeded to the foot of the Bo-tree.
There, the Expert of worlds surveyed the site standing on the Southern side.
This instantly sank down while the opposite side raised up. 

 

“This cannot be the site for the attainment of supreme wisdom”.
So he went around the tree to the Western & Northern sides,
but also there did the ground sink down.

 

Reaching the imperturbable Eastern side, where all Buddhas take

their seat, he sat down saying to himself:

“This is indeed the immovable spot where all the Buddhas have
planted themselves! This is the very place for destroying the net of passion!”
Shaking out the grass it spontaneously arranged itself into a suitable & symmetric seat.

 

Then the Future Buddha turned his back to the trunk and faced East.

Right there he then made this mighty decision:

 

“Let blood & flesh of this body dry up & let skin &

the sinews fall from the bones. I will not leave this seat

before having attained the absolute supreme Wisdom!”

 

So determined did he seat himself in this unconquerable seat, which not

a 100 strikes of lightning could make him waver from.

 

At this very moment the rebel deity Mara -the Evil One- raised exclaiming:

 

“Prince Siddhattha will pass beyond my power, but I will never allow it!”

And sounding the Mara’s war shout, he prepared his army & went out for

battle. The sound of it was like the rumbling roar of an earthquake.

 

Mara mounted his enormous Elephant carrying many different weapons.

Not two in his army carried the same weapon & this immense mass of

warriors swept forward as a flood to overwhelm the Blessed Bhagava.

There Deities of the 10 thousands worlds of this galaxy were singing the

praises of the Great Being. Maha-Brahma was holding a white umbrella.

 

But when Mara’s army came close, no one dared stay put. They all fled

trembling like a caught rabbit. The black Naga King dived into the earth &

reaching his hidden home, he covered his face with both hands & lay down.

Sakka threw the conch right over his shoulder & took up a safe position

at the rim of the world. Maha-Brahma left the white umbrella at the end

of this world & fled into his fine-material plane. Not a single deity was

able to stand his ground, so they all left the Great Being sitting calmly

all alone only protected by the consummation of his perfections.

 

Then Mara said to his militia: “This Siddhattha, son of king Suddhodana,

is far greater than any other man, so we will never succeed to fight him

up front. We will therefore attack him from behind.”

 

Looking towards the North the Kinsman of the sun perceived that Mara’s
Army was approaching like a great flood and noted:

 

“Here come this mighty gang putting up all their forceful power against

me alone. Neither my parents, family nor friends are here. But I have

these great accumulated perfections at my side. These will be my

shield and the force that will crush this mighty evil & armed gathering.

 

And so he remained all still inwardly focusing on the 10 great perfections.

Wanting to drive away the Future Buddha Mara then whirled up a great

storm, which could tear away mountain peaks, uproot trees and pulverize

entire cities into scattered powder. Yet when this immense energy reached

the Future Buddha it could not even make the corner of his robe flutter.

 

Such was the power of the Great Being’s long accumulated merit.

Intending then to drown this Bull among Seers Mara caused a great rain to

pour down until the wild torrents of water flooded even the treetops.

But on reaching the Future Buddha this immense flood could not even wet

his robe to the extent of a dewdrop.

 

Infuriated, Mara, yielding power over even the creation of others, then

caused a showering bombardment of flaming rocks & smoking boulders.

Yet these turned into celestial flowers reaching the Great Being. So also

did a veritable assault by a cascade of burning spears, swords, arrows

& axes hurling through the air.

 

Enraged, Mara then whirled forth an attack of burning red coals.

These also however feel gently as flowers at the

feet of the Foremost of all humans. Seething mad, Mara then tried white

ashes & sand glowing like fire but this fell as sandal wood powder at

the feet of the Caravan leader. A shower of boiling mud became a

delighting balm. Feverishly attempting to frighten the Great Seer,

 

Mara then caused a dense fourfold darkness to spread out, but reaching

the Dispeller of darkness it disappeared like darkness is lighted up in

the radiance of the sun. Frustrated, being unable even to touch the Wielder

of power with these nine mighty hurricanes of wind, rain, rocks, weapons,

red coals, hot ashes, sand, mud, & darkness Mara somewhat in panic

commanded his army:

 

“Why do you stand still? Seize, kill & drive away this prince”. Armed

with a discus he drew near the Future Buddha on his elephant &

yelled: “Siddhattha, leave this seat. It is not yours but mine!”

Hearing this the Well-gone One replied:

 

“Mara, neither have you fulfilled the 10 perfections to the third degree

nor have you given the 5 great donations*. Neither has you striven

for insight, for the welfare of the world, nor for enlightenment!

 

Therefore does this seat not belong to you, but indeed to me.”

Unable to control his fury the enraged Mara hurled his discus which

could cut stone pillars like bamboo shoots. But as the Great Being

reflected on the perfections, it changed into a canopy of flowers,

which remained suspended over his head.

 

Mara’s army then threw enormous mountain like boulders saying:
“This will make him get up & flee!” but they also fell to the ground as flowers.

 

Meanwhile the gods were standing on the rim of the world &

craning their necks to see, they mumbled: “Oohh what a day.

This handsome prince will certainly be smashed! What will he do

to save himself?”

 

The Conqueror then confidently continued:

 

“Mara, who is your witness to have given the great donations ?”

Mara responded: “As many as you see here!” and instantly all in

his army roared “I am his witness, I am his witness” as with one

voice. Mara then asked the Great Being:

 

“Siddhattha, who is your witness to have given the great donations ?”

The Future Buddha answered: “You have alive witnesses at your side

while I have none. However the great seven-hundred-fold donation,

which I gave at my existence as Vessantara, shall now be testified

by this great earth how inanimate she may be. And at the exact moment

he touched the earth with his hand, it erupted into a tremulous earthquake.

When he gladdened remembered his prior great donation, Mara’s elephant

crouched down before him on its knees. Suddenly overpowered by fear

Mara’s followers fled helter-skelter in all directions. Not two went the

same way, but leaving their weapons in a chaos all behind, they fled

terrified by panic. Seeing them flee, the great assembly of deities

triumphantly shouted: “Mara is defeated. Prince Siddhattha has Won!

Let us celebrate the Victory!”

 

The snakes then urged the snakes, the birds urged the birds,

the deities urged the deities, the Brahmas urged the brahmas and

they all approached the great wisdom seat of the Supreme Teacher

carrying perfumes, flowers, garlands, and offerings, while they sang:

 

“The Victory has this illustrious Buddha Won.

The Evil One, The End-maker is defeated & done.

Thus they jubilantly circled the wisdom throne,

the band of snakes singing their praises of the Seer,

the flocks of birds singing their praises of the Sage,

the assembly of Deities singing their praises of the Conqueror,

the group of Brahmas singing their praises of the Worthy One.”

 

It was before the sun had set that the Tathagata thus

conquered Mara & defeated his army. Then at the same night,

while the Bo tree rained red sprigs on his robe, the Consummate One

acquired knowledge of previous existences in the first watch of the night:

 

“With the mind thus concentrated, purified, bright, fixed, unified, focused,

tractable, compliant, steady & imperturbable, I directed it to remembrance

of my past lives. I recollected numerous past lives, i.e., one birth,

two...five, ten...fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand,

many eons of cosmic contraction, many eons of cosmic expansion,

many eons of cosmic contraction & expansion:

There I had such a name, belonged to such a clan & species, had such

a body. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure & pain,

such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose there.

 

There I had such name, belonged to such a sort & family, had such a form.

Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure & pain, such the

end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose here. Thus I

remembered my various past lives in all their various modes & details.

 

This was the first knowledge I attained in the first watch of the night.

Ignorance was destroyed; knowledge arose; darkness was destroyed;

light arose—as happens in one who is mindful, keen, & determined.

 

But the pleasant feeling that arose in this way did not invade my mind

nor remain. With the mind thus still concentrated, purified, bright, intact,

pliant, malleable, steady, & imperturbable, I directed it to the knowledge

of the passing away & reappearance of beings.

 

I saw by means of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the human eye
I saw beings passing away & re-appearing, and I realized how & why they
are high & low, beautiful & ugly, fortunate & unfortunate all in accordance
with the kamma of their prior actions: 

 

‘These beings—who were endowed with bad behavior of

body, speech, & mind, who reviled the Noble Ones, held wrong views and

acted under the influence of wrong views, with the break-up of the body,

after death, have re-appeared in the plane of misery, the bad destination,

the lower realms, even in hell.

 

But these beings who were gifted with good behavior of body, speech &

mind, who did not revile the Noble Ones, who held right views and acted

under the influence of right views—with the break-up of the body, after

death, have re-appeared in happy destinations, even in a divine world.’

Thus—by means of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the human—

I saw beings passing away & re-appearing, and I differentiated why they

are high & low, beautiful & ugly, fortunate & unfortunate all in accordance

with their particular mixture of good & bad kamma.

 

“This was the second knowledge I attained in the second watch of the night.

Ignorance was destroyed; knowledge arose; darkness was destroyed;

light arose—as happens in one who is mindful, keen, & determined.

But the satisfaction that arose in this way did not invade my mind nor

remain.

 

With the mind thus concentrated, absorbed, bright, purified,

pliant, malleable, steady, & attained to imperturbability, I directed it

to the knowledge of the ending of the mental fermentations. I realized

how it actually comes to be, that:

 

Caused by Ignorance, Mental Construction emerges.

Ceasing of Ignorance therefore ceases Mental Construction.

Caused by Mental Construction, Consciousness emerges.

Ceasing of Mental Construction therefore ceases Consciousness.

Caused by Consciousness, Name-&-Form emerge.

Ceasing of Consciousness therefore ceases Name-&-Form.

Caused by Name-&-Form, the Six Senses emerge.

Ceasing of Name-&-Form therefore ceases the Six Senses.

Caused by The six Senses, Contact emerges.

Ceasing of The six Senses therefore ceases Contact.

Caused by Contact, Feeling emerges.

Ceasing of Contact therefore ceases Feeling.

Caused by Feeling, Craving emerges.

Ceasing of Feeling therefore ceases Craving.

Caused by Craving, Clinging emerges.

Ceasing of Craving therefore ceases Clinging.

Caused by Clinging, Becoming emerges.

Ceasing of Clinging therefore ceases Becoming.

Caused by Becoming, Birth emerges.

Ceasing of Becoming therefore ceases Birth.

Caused by Birth, Ageing, Sickness & Death emerge.

Ceasing of Birth therefore ceases Ageing, Sickness & Death.

Caused by Ageing, Sickness & Death, Misery emerges.

Ceasing of Ageing, Sickness & Death therefore ceases all Misery!

 

So seeing:

 

Such is Misery...

Such is the cause of Misery...

Such is the end of Misery...

Such is the way leading to the end of Misery...

 

Such was the mental fermentations...

Such is the cause of fermentation...

Such is the end of fermentation...

Such is the way leading to the end of fermentation.’

 

When my mind saw that, realized that, it was freed of the fermentation of

sensuality, released from the fermentation of becoming, unobstructed by

the fermentation of ignorance. With release, there was the knowledge,

‘Released.’ I realized that ‘Birth is ended, this Holy life is fulfilled,

the mission is completed. There is no further state in this world.’

“This was the third knowledge I attained in the third watch of the night.

Ignorance was destroyed; certainty arose; darkness was destroyed;

light arose—as it happens to one who is mindful, keen, & determined.

But the satisfaction that so arose, did not obsess my mind nor remain.”

At this very moment of attainment of Omniscience, the 10 thousand worlds

quaked 12 times & became gloriously adorned. Throughout this galaxy

flowering trees bloomed, lotuses blossomed, and wines & trees bore fruit,

the dark spaces of the hells and between the worlds became illuminated

by a flood of radiance surpassing even that of 7 suns.

 

Fully & perfectly Enlightened - The Buddha - perceiving this immense glory

spoke these solemn 2 verses, which never has been omitted by any of

countless thousands of prior Buddhas:

 

Through this round of countless existences have I searched

yet failed to find the Creator who framed this formation:

What Misery! - Endless Birth, Death & Pain !

Now I see that ‘the Constructor’ of this structure is Craving.

Never shall this construction be build again as all the rafters

are shattered and the main beam is busted & broken.

At the elimination of Craving this mind has reached rest.

 

Then, friends, I myself a subject birth, ageing, sickness, death, pain,

sorrow & mental degradation, having fully comprehended the danger

in all what is subject to birth, ageing, sickness, death, pain, sorrow &

mental degradation, searching the unborn, unageing, immune, deathless,

unburning, happy, pleasant & pure supreme security from the oppressing

bondage of craving, of becoming, of views, and of ignorance, entered this

unbecome, unborn, uncreated, unconstructed, undiverse, unformed,

unchangeable, unconditional, unimaginable, undecaying, unageing, unending,

undeceiving, universal unity, this supremely safe, immune, death & painless

state called Nibbana. This vision of certainty arose in me: “This release

is irreversible, this is the last birth, this endless reappearance is finally

ended...”

 

The Twin Truths won by keen Dual Consideration:

 

The blessed Buddha once said:

Friends, the first consideration is:

Whatever Misery arises, this Misery is caused by Ignorance!

 

Another consequent consideration is:

Clearing all Ignorance by Understanding, ends arising of Misery!

This immensely long round of rebirth with transition from now this, then to

that form, is caused by this dreadfully deep Ignorance alone...!!! Those who

really understand this, do not renew coming back into any form of being...!!!

Considering these twin truths cautiously, resolutely & enthusiastically, one

may either enter this state of Nibbana right here & now in this very life,

or if there is remaining traces of clinging left, the state of a non-returner...

 

Those who neglect understanding of Ignorance, the origin of Ignorance,

the End of Ignorance, and how Ignorance is completely eliminated, are

incapable of release by understanding, are incapable of mental release,

are incapable of direct knowledge, and are thereby incapable of making

an end... They repeat birth, ageing, decay, sickness & death ever again...

While those who undertake understanding of Ignorance, Origin, End & Way,

are indeed capable of mental release by understanding, direct knowledge,

and thus capable of making an end...

 

They are headed towards the deathless!

 

Generosity is the First Mental Perfection (Parami):

 

RIGHT PRAISING

The miser cannot go divine.

The fool cannot praise giving.

The clever though rejoice in giving,

thereby winning bliss in the next world.

 

Dhammapada 177

 

TOOLS

One can only overcome anger with kindness.

One can only conquer evil with good.

One can only win the miser by giving gifts.

One can only convince the liar with truth.

 

Dhammapada 223

 

WEEDS

Weeds ruin a field.

Greed ruins a human.

Therefore, alms given to beings

who are freed from greed, yield

great fruit ...

Dhammapada 356

 

 

 

WELL PLACED

Weeds ruin a field.

Greed ruins a human.

Therefore, alms given to beings

who are freed from anger, yield

great fruit ...

Dhammapada 357

 

 

NOT MISTY

Weeds ruin a field.

Greed ruins a human.

Therefore, alms given to beings

who are freed from confusion, yield

great fruit ...

Dhammapada 358

 

 

 

COOLED

Weeds ruin a field.

Greed ruins a human.

Therefore, alms given to beings

who are freed from the pull of attraction,

yield great fruit ...

Dhammapada 359

 

CONSEQUENCE:

So have I heard:

On a certain occasion the Blessed One smiled and exclaimed:

‘Merit grows for one who gives.’

Anger cannot grow for one in control.

The clever One avoids detrimental action.

With attraction, aversion & confusion exhausted,

such One is released, finally freed from ill.’

 

Udana - Inspiration: VIII - 5

 

GENEROSITY:

And what is the treasure of generosity?

When a disciple of the Noble Ones whose

mentality is all cleared of disgracing miserliness,

living at home, is freely generous & open-handed,

delighting in being magnanimous,

responsive to every request &,

enjoying the giving of alms.

Such is this treasure called generosity.”

 

AN VII 6

 

 

Just as a filled pot, which is overturned

pours out all its water, leaving nothing back,

even & exactly so should one give to those in need.

whether low, middle or high, like the overturned pot,

holding nothing back.

 

Jataka Nidana [128-129]

 

 

The Generosity of Giving,

The Kindness in Speech,

The Benefit of Service,

The Impartiality treating all Alike,

These 4 threads of sympathy

upholds this world like the axle do the cart.

 

AN II 32

 

 

Giving food, one gives & gets strength

Giving clothes, one gives & gets beauty

Giving light, one gives & gets vision

Giving transportation, one gives & gets ease.

Giving shelter one gives all,

Yet one who instructs in the True Dhamma

• The supreme Teaching of the Buddhas -

Such one gives the quite divine ambrosia!

SN I 32

 

 

These are these five rewards of generosity:

One is liked and charming to people at large,

One is admired & respected by wise people,

one’s good reputation is spread wide about,

One does not neglect a householder’s true duties,

and with the break-up of the body - at the moment

of death - one reappears in a happy destination,

in the plane of the divine worlds.

 

AN V.35

 

 

There are these two kinds of gifts:

material gifts & gifts of Dhamma.

The supreme gift is that of Dhamma.

There are these two kinds of sharing:

material sharing & sharing of Dhamma.

The supreme sharing is that of Dhamma.

There are these two kinds of help:

Material help & help with the Dhamma.

This is the supreme of the two:

help with the Dhamma .

It 98

 

 

The gift of Dhamma exceeds all other gifts.

Dhammapada 354

 

 

The Bodhisatta once as king Sivi gave

both his eyes to a beggar who was Sakka the

king deity in disguise, who desired to test him.

He remembered “While I was wishing to give,

while I was giving and after this giving there

was neither contrariety nor opposition in mind as

it was for the purpose of awakening itself!

Neither were these eyes nor the rest of myself

disagreeable to me. Omniscience was dear to me,

therefore I gave the eyes.”

 

The Basket of Conduct

Cariyapitaka I-8

Full story: Sivi Jataka no. 499.

 

 

The Bodhisatta once as the Wise Hare gave

his roasted body as alms by jumping into a fire:

He remembered: “There came a beggar and asked

for food. Myself I gave so that he might eat. In alms

there was none equal to me. In alms I had thereby

reached ultimate perfection.”

From then & the rest of this world-cycle the moon

will display a characteristic ‘hare-in-the-moon’ sign.

 

Sasa-Jataka no. 316

 

 

Giving of things, treasures, external possessions, job,

position, wife, & child is the first perfection of giving.

Giving the offer of one’s organs, limbs, & senses is

the second higher perfection of giving.

Giving the sacrifice of one’s life is the ultimate

perfection of giving.

 

The clarifier of sweet meaning 89

(Commentary on Buddhavamsa)

Madhuratthavilasini [59]

Buddhadatta: 5th century.

 

 

Generosity is the first perfection (parami)

Come On Now !

This One is the first one to adopt, practice,

develop, refine, & perfect resolutely:

Acquire Perfection in your Giving then

you can attain to the absolute of Wisdom.

 

Origination & Ceasing of the Four Objects of Reference:

Buddha once said:

Arising of Nutriment induces emergence of Body.

Ceasing of Nutriment induces passing away of Body.

 

Arising of Contact induces emergence of Feeling.

Ceasing of Contact induces passing away of Feeling.

 

Arising of Naming-&-forming induces emergence of Mind.

Ceasing of Naming-&-forming induces passing away of Mind.

Arising of Attention induces emergence of Phenomena.

Ceasing of Attention induces passing away of Phenomena.

 

 

Therefore is considering, contemplating, analyzing, and recollecting:

Body merely as transient forms, grown on food;

Feeling only as passing emotions, arised from contact;

Mind just as changing moods, emerged from name-&-form;

Phenomena as momentary mental states, created by attention...

 

repeatedly, thoroughly, and completely, called initiating & developing the

four foundations of Awareness, which - in itself - is the mental treasure

par excellence, leading steadily straight to the Deathless Element...

 

© Bhikkhu Samahita