1 CHAPTER - I Buddhist Literature and PÈramÊs 1.A.0. Buddhist literature The moral, practical and ethical systems expounded by the Buddha, who was the founder of Buddhism, known as Gotama (Gautama) Buddha, are called the Dhamma, and are more popularly known as Buddhism. Buddhism is a course or a way that guides a disciple through pure living and pure thinking, to gain supreme wisdom and deliverance from all evils and defilements. Although the Buddha had passed away 2550 years ago, the lamp of the Dhamma was never extinguished. It is still lightening and this is the benefit which we have received today from the right endeavor through successive teaching and learning (VÈda) of the great elder disciples (Thera) of the Buddha. Those learned, very orthodox enlightened great elder disciples never changed the Teachings of the Buddha (Dhamma) into another style. They never removed anything from the original Dhamma, nor inserted or substituted new and modern words or ideas. Those pious learned orthodox great elder disciples of the Buddha maintained well
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CHAPTER - I
Buddhist Literature and PÈramÊs
1.A.0. Buddhist literature
The moral, practical and ethical systems expounded by the
Buddha, who was the founder of Buddhism, known as Gotama
(Gautama) Buddha, are called the Dhamma, and are more popularly
known as Buddhism. Buddhism is a course or a way that guides a
disciple through pure living and pure thinking, to gain supreme
wisdom and deliverance from all evils and defilements.
Although the Buddha had passed away 2550 years ago, the
lamp of the Dhamma was never extinguished. It is still lightening and
this is the benefit which we have received today from the right
endeavor through successive teaching and learning (VÈda) of the
great elder disciples (Thera) of the Buddha.
Those learned, very orthodox enlightened great elder disciples
never changed the Teachings of the Buddha (Dhamma) into another
style. They never removed anything from the original Dhamma, nor
inserted or substituted new and modern words or ideas. Those pious
learned orthodox great elder disciples of the Buddha maintained well
2
and guarded properly the Dhamma in its pristine purity. That was
why, it is called ‗TheravÈda‘ (The Original Teachings of the Buddha
carried by the Elders). 1 The original Teachings of the Buddha
handed down generation to generation (from the beginning of the
lineage of great elders) are divided into three divisions. These three
(Ti) divisions (PiÔaka) are called ‗TipiÔaka‘ which literally means
‗three baskets‘.
(1)Vinaya PiÔaka (The Basket of Discipline),
(2) Suttanta PiÔaka (The Basket of Discourses) and,
(3) Abhidhamma PiÔaka (The Basket of Higher Discourses).
These TipiÔakas can be categorized as NikÈyas or
Collections.
1. DÊgha-NikÈya (The Collection of Long Discourses),
(SÊlakkhandhavagga, MahÈvagga and PÈthikavagga.)
2. Majjhima-NikÈya (The Collection of Middle Length Discourses),
(M|lapaÓÓÈsa, MajjhimapaÓÓÈsa and UparipaÓÓÈsa)
3. SaÑyutta-NikÈya (The Collection of Kindred Discourses),
(I. SagÈthÈvagga, NidÈnavagga. II. Khandhavagga,
SaÄÈyatanavagga. III. MahÈvagga.)
4. A~guttara-NikÈya (The Collection of Gradual Discourses),
(I. Ekaka, Duka, Tika and Catukka NipÈta. II. PaÒcaka, Chakka, Sattaka
1 Vin.IV.480
3
and AÔÔhaka NipÈta. III. Navaka, Dasaka and EkÈdasaka NipÈta.) and
5. Khuddaka-NikÈya (The Collection of Short Discourses)
wooded upland or, open space or heap of straw; and under tree
(tree-root) or empty hut, he should sits cross-legged, with body erect,
seting mindfulness in front of him. Putting away all hankering, he
abides with heart free therefrom; he cleanses his mind of hankering:
putting away ill-will and hatred, he abides with heart free therefrom;
kindly and compassionate to all creatures, he cleaness his mind of
ill-will and hatred: putting away sloth and torpor, he abides free
therefrom; conscious of light, mindful and self-possessed, he
cleanses his mind of sloth and torpor: putting away flurry and worry,
he abides poised; with heart serene within, he cleanses his mind of
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Buddhism in Global Perspective, page-29, Edited by (Mrs) Kalpakam Sankarnarayan, Ravindra Panth, Ichijo Ogawa), Publsihed by G.D. Awashi for Somaiya Publications, Mumbai-400014, 2003, India 25
Bodhisattva and S|nyatÈ, page-316, Bhikkuni Gioi Huong, Published by Eastern Book Linker, Delhi, 110007, India, 2005.
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flurry and worry: putting away doubt, he abides with doubt passed by;
no more he questions Why? of right things; he cleanses his mind of
doubt26.
He, by getting rid of these five hindrances-defilements of the
mind and weakening to intuitive wisdom-aloof from pleasures of the
senses, aloof from unsilled states of mind, enters and abides in the
first meditation, which is accompanied by initial thought and
discursive thought, is born of aloofness and is rapturous and joyfull.
By allaying initial and discursive thought, the mind subjectively
tranquillised and fixed on one point, he enters and abides in the
Bodhisattva and S|nyatÈ, page-324, Bhikkuni Gioi Huong, Published by Eastern Book Linker,
Delhi, 110007, India, 2005.
31
those who develop confidence in them, who show respect to them,
who have occasion to see Bodhisatta or recollect their virtues.
To explain further: out of compassion and wisdom, it is through
wisdom that a Boddhisatta attains omniscience; it is through
compassion, that he performs the duties of a Buddha. Through
wisdom, he is able to cross the ocean of SaÑsÈra; through
compassion, he goes to the rescue of beings. Through wisdom, he
understands thoroughly suffering of others; through compassion, he
endeavours to alleviate their suffering; through wisdom he becomes
wearied of suffering; through compassion, he accepts the same
disgusting suffering as happiness in order to work for the liberation of
beings. Through wisdom he aspires after NibbÈna; through
compassion, he continues to go round and round in SaÑsÈra.
Thus, compassion and wisdom are beneficial in many ways.
These two kinds not only form the foundation of the PÈramÊ; they
are the basic condition of the aspiration after Buddhahood as well.
But these two kinds were not accepted as perfections according to
TheravÈda31.
1.A.13. PraÓidhÈna PÈramitÈ (Perfection of
Compassion and Prayer)
This perfection is known as DayÈ in the Tamil Buddhist poems. 31
The Great Chronicle of Buddhas, page-27, Baddanta VicittasÈrÈbhivaÑsa (MingonSayadaw) trans, U Kolay and U Tin Lwin, Ti Ni Publication Series, Yangon Myanmar, 1992.
32
However, the specialists translated praÓidhÈna to mean prayer,
compassion, entreaty and supplication. It also denotes the prayers
and vows. It also means solemn aspiration. In the Dharma-
Samhraha (section 112), three features of praÓidhÈna are described:
(1) The aspiration to happy births, (2) the aspiration to the welfare of
all and (3) the aspiration for the purification of Buddha-fields.
According to the MahÈyÈna texts, PraÓidhÈna denotes the wishful
thinking of a liberated Bodhisattva for the deliverance of other beings.
The cultivation of this pÈramitÈ is associated with the devotion to the
Buddhist pantheon. In the Tamil Buddhist tradition, DayÈ pÈramitÈ
takes the place of PraÓidhÈna. DayÈ denotes the consummation of
compassion. This perfection has been elucidated through the
narration of many JÈtaka stories such as the avadÈna of drstivisa,
sacrifice of the hare, the avadÈnas of monkey and matsya etc.
According to Mahatma Gandhi's won words, PraÓidhÈna is: "the key
of the morning and the belt of the evening". That is, if we start the
day with it, prayer can become the spring of hope and courage to
deal with routine activities. Also, closing the day with a prayer would
enable us to cease worrying about what has been done or left
undone. Thus, on the one hand PraÓidhÈna helps us in sanctifying
our daily work as an offering to the Buddha and on the other in
perfecting our observance of the vows. PraÓidhÈna, thus is a
'necessary spiritual disciplines.'
It is so not merely because it is indispensable for the practice
of truth and ahiÑsÈ but because it helps in the observance of the
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other vows too.
The essence of PraÓidhÈna is its conduciveness to peace and
order in the individual and social life. This is born out by the following
words of his: "without prayer there is no inward peace", "the man of
prayer will be at peace with himself and with the whole world...
Prayer is the only means of bringing about orderliness and peace
and repose in our daily acts".32
1.A.14. Bala PÈramitÈ (Perfection of
Strength)
In the MahÈyÈna texts, the Bodhisattva is accorded an equal
position with the Buddha who was known by the epithet Dasabala.
Different lists of balas are found in the Buddhist scriptures. Among
the thirty seven principles and practices that mould the personality of
a Bodhisattva to attain enlightenment, five balas are treated very
important. They are: faith (sraddhÈ, saddhÈ pÈÄi), energy (vÊrya),
mindfulness (smrti, sati pÈÄi), concentration (samÈdhi) and wisdom
(prajÒÈ). In some texts, merit (puÓya), wisdom (prajÒÈ) knowledge
(jÒÈna), ksÈnti (mental peace) and vÊrya (energy) are projected. All
these balas constitute the moral, mental and physical power of the
32
Bodhisattva and S|nyatÈ, page-326, Bhikkuni Gioi Huong, Published by Eastern Book Linker,
Delhi, 110007, India, 2005
34
super human being, that is, Bodhisattva. The balas are essential for
him to discharge the social obligations and missionary activities.
Tiruppatikam described this pÈramitÈ, by praising the Bodhisattva
possessing full vigour and strength and bereft of any blame. Next in
the series comes the last perfection known as JÒÈna pÈramitÈ.
1.A.15. JÒÈna PÈramitÈ (Perfection of
Knowledge)
This perfection is the last perfection known as JÒÈna pÈramitÈ.
JÒÈna means spiritual knowledge. According to the Buddhist
tradition, preserved in the commentary of the Jain Tamil epic
NÊlakesi (A.D 850), this pÈramitÈ denotes the perfection in the
study and realization of the contents of AbhidharmapiÔaka. It is to
be understood that the Abhidhamma (PÈÄi) denotes the piÔaka of
TheravÈda while the Abhidharma (Sanskrit) indicates the piÔaka of
MahÈyÈna Buddhism. According to W. M. Mcgovern, the
Abhidharma piÔaka of the YogÈcÈra Buddhist consisted twelve
texts including Maitreya's Yoga VihÈga SÈstra, Asang's S|trÈla~kara
SÈstra, Vasubandhu's Dasabh|mike SÈstra and DignÈga's
PramÈÓa Samuccaya SÈstra. It seems that YogÈcÈra teachers
named the piÔaka as sÈstra. Hence, JÒÈna pÈramitÈ is a special
perfection in the sÈstras of the YogÈcÈra philosophy. It is different
from PrajÒÈ PÈramitÈ in the sense that the latter emphasized the
study of all texts including the TipiÔakas. The Tamil poem of
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Tiruppatikam, quoted already to illustrate the PrajÒÈ PÈramitÈ is
again presented to elucidate JÒÈna pÈramitÈ also in the
commentaries of Nilakesi and SivajÒÈna SiddhiyÈr Parapakkam. 33
According to the book of Boddhisattva and S|nyatÈ, it is
difficult to draw any definite distinction between PrajÒÈ PÈramitÈ
and JÒÈna PÈramitÈ. It is evident that non-dualistic knowledge is
inseparable from the Boddhisattva's experience in all its aspects. It is
this experience, in both its conceptual and perceptual aspects.
JÒÈna is the essential clarity and unerring sensibility of a mind that
no longer clings to reified concepts of any kind. It is direct and
sustained awareness of the truth, for a Boddhisattva, that meaning
and existence are found only in the interface between the
components of an unstable and constantly shifting web of
relationships, which is everyday life, while PrajÒÈ is the strength of
intellectual discrimination elevated to the status of a liberating power,
a precision tool capable of slicing through obstructions that take the
form of afflictions and attachments to deeply engrained hereditary
patterns of thought and action. PrajÒÈ has an analysis quality which
does not seem to figure as a specific characteristic of non-dualistic
knowledge developed by the Boddhisattva of JÒÈna PÈramitÈ. In
other words, JÒÈna PÈramitÈ is similar to PrajÒÈ PÈramitÈ, but
JÒÈna refers more to intellectual knowledge and PrajÒÈ to
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Buddhism in Global Perspective, page-32, Edited by (Mrs) Kalpakam Sankarnarayan, Ravindra Panth, Ichijo Ogawa), Publsihed by G.D. Awashi for Somaiya Publications, Mumbai-400014, 2003, India