THE GIFT OF THE BUDDHADHARMA

1. Buddha

     In Introduction (Chapter 1) of The King of Samadhis Sutra (Samadhirajasutra), we read that the Buddha Sakyamuni wass on the Vulture Peak Mountain outside Rajagrha with a large gathering of 100,000 monks and 80 quintillion bodhisattvas. Also present was a young layman, Candraprabha, seeking Dharma instruction and elucidation on the aggregate of correct conduct.

 A profound teaching, it’s primarily about various aspects of conduct and understanding the nature of emptiness.  

     The Bhagavan teaches that evenness of mind is the one quality that will bring enlightenment and the attainment of the supreme samadhi called the revealed equality of the nature of all phenomena (1).

     “Young man, I am omniscient,” the Buddha said to Candraprabha. (2)

     “I am all-seeing. I have attained preeminence because of my strengths and fearlessness concerning all Dharmas. I possess the unobscured wisdom of liberation.

“Young man, there is nothing in the endless, infinite worlds that the Tathagata does not know, has not seen, has not heard, has not understood, has not directly perceived, and about which he has not become completely enlightened…”

     As narrated in Chapter 10, the Bhagavan placed on Candraprabha’s head (in response to the young man’s request) his right hand adorned with the many characteristics and signs of a great being after a very, very long period of cultivation.

     As soon as the Bhagavan placed his right hand upon Candraprabha’s head, in that very instant, more indescribable than indescribably many hundred thousand quintillions of samadhi entranceways that arise from the perfection of wisdom were revealed to Candraprabha… (3)

     Chapter 29 records that the treasure of the buddha is in  attaining the five higher cognitions: divine sight, diving hearing, the knowledge of others’ minds, remembering past lives (remembering many quintillions of previous lives 39.15), and possessing miraculous powers. (4)

      Through the blessing of the Guide

      The ultimate truth is known.

      When the ultimate is known

      There is nothing to be taught. (5)

      Through one thing (the ultimate truth), everything is known.

      Through one thing (universal oneness), everything is seen… (6)

      Buddha’s omniscience is wisdom to know “in one

instant of wisdom accurately know, hear, see, and understand

everything that is to be known, to be heard, to be seen, to be

realized, and to be manifested…”

       Within a single instant

       They know all lifetimes.

       They know correctly every single

       Phenomenon that can be known. (7)

       What is a Buddha’s lifespan? Candranana Buddha’s was one day (17.39), so was Buddha Acintyapranidhanavisesanandgataraja’s who established countless beings in arhathood (35.10); Ratnapadma Buddha’s was 99 quintillion eons (36.9). In recorded history, Sakyamuni Buddha lived for 80 years (563-483 BC ) in India/Nepal.

2. Dharma

        Always relying on the Dharma of emptiness,

        Maintaining fearlessly the power of correct conduct,

        And applying equality through remaining in samadhi:

        That is the nature of the Jina’s teaching. (8)

        It brings the attainment of omniscient wisdom,

        It is the conduct of those established in enlightenment,

        And it also terrifies the army of the maras. (9)

        This knowledge is the protection that is based in the Dharma.

        It is the supreme protection in the midst of enemies.

        It is the subjugation of adversaries through the Dharma:

        This is the samadhi of peace taught by the Jina. (10)

        When they (the bodhisattvas) see sick beings

        Afflicted by many illnesses,

        They give them the medicine of the Dharma

        And they heal them through the Dharma. (11)

       

       The jinas, the lamps of the world,

       Taught whatever Dharma would be beneficial.

       They defeated the armies of the maras

       And attained the supreme, highest enlightenment. (12)

3. Correct Conduct

   “It (the supreme samadhi) the profound realization of the mind is the natural result of correct conduct,” Buddha said to Candraprabha. (13)

   “… It is the patience that accords with the emptiness of all phenomena. It is the aspiration to omniscient wisdom…” (14)

That which is accomplished by the word buddha

Is also accomplished by the words correct conduct.

The words buddha and correct conduct

Have the same characteristic. (15)

The bodhisattvas who maintain the aggregate of

correct conduct

Make the greatest, most special offering to me.

Those who maintain the aspiration to enlightenment

    in the time of degeneration

Are continuously making an offering to

all the buddhas.  (16)

4. Diligent Practice

     Enlightenment is not attained by mere words.

     For one who is dedicated to practice, enlightenment

               will not be difficult to attain. (17)

     I practiced whatever I taught.

     I always valued practice above all else.

     As I valued practice above all else,

     Devas and nagas believed in me and honored me. (18)

        “They (the bodhisattvas who diligently practice with

the power and the strength of patience) should apply

themselves to three points,” the Bhagavan said to the youth

Candraprabha.

         “What are the three points? They are ending the

klesas (the three basic mental defilements of desire, anger, and

ignorance), mastering merit (the fruit of correct conduct), and

 generating the roots of goodness out of longing for the

 wisdom of the buddhas and not out of desire for reaching

 worldly happiness. Apply yourself to those three points.” (19)

        While they are practicing the Dharma,

        Their diligence does not waver for an instant.

        They are highly praised by

        The buddhas in the ten directions. (20)

        I have taught the good qualities that are there

        And described hundreds of faults.

        Reject the faults and practice the qualities.

        Then, young man, in this life you will become

                 a buddha. (21)

 

            “This, bhiksus, is discipline. This is meditative concentration. This is wisdom,” the Buddha Sakyamuni taught while travelling to Kusinagara in the last year before his parinirvana, a large assembly of fully ordained monks in a grove to the north of Kutigramaka, a village in the ancient Indian country of Vrji, bordering current southern Nepal. (22)

            “Bhiksus, training in discipline will lead one to abide for a long time in meditative concentration.

            “Training in meditative concentration will lead one to wisdom.

            “By training in wisdom, one’s mind will be completely liberated from desire, anger, and ignorance.

            “In this way, having a completely liberated mind, a noble sravaka (disciple) will perfectly know: ‘My defilements have ceased. I have lived the sublime life. What was to be done has been done. From here onward, I will not know any future existence.”

             Recalling his own experience when he first taught the original handful of monks at the Deer Park in Rsivada, Varanasi, nearly half a century back, he told them he had “fully awakened to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood”. (23)

             NAMO SAKYAMUNI BUDDHA

            NAMO AMITABHA BUDDHA

                     

Notes.

1. Translated by Peter Alan Roberts under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha 84000.co 2018

2. The King of Samadhis Sutra 1.7

3. Ibid., 10.7

4. Ibid., 29.103

   One can develop the higher cognitions and miraculous powers after gaining the fifth and last jhana of ecstatic meditative concentration with the purity of mindfulness and consciousness of mental onepointedness and equanimity.

   In Theravada Buddhism, the five supernatural powers (abhinna) are:

(1) Divine Eye (dibbacakkha), also called clairvoyance, to see heavenly or earthly things, far or near, imperceptible to the physical eye

(2) Divine Ear (dibbasota), also called clairaudience, to hear subtle (of extremely low frequencies) or coarse (of extremely high frequencies) sounds far or near

(3) Remembrance of past births (pubbe nivasanussatinana) of oneself and others, in which the Buddha’s power is limitless

(4) Thought-reading power (paracittavijanana) to discern the thoughts of others, and

(5) Various psychic powers (iddhividha) to fly through the air, walk on water, dive into the earth, create new forms, etc.

Notes from Narada Maha Thera, THE BUDDHA AND HIS TEACHINGS 1988 (Fourth Edition) pp. 537-538.

5. The King of Samadhis Sutra 11.28

6. Ibid., 11.29

7. Ibid., 39.89

8. Ibid., 17.129

9. Ibid., 17.145

10. Ibid., 17.146

11. Ibid., 37.60

   A medicine for the sick, the Dharma brings desire, anger, and ignorance to an end. (40.16) And, the Buddhas praise it as a medicine with infinite good qualities. (40.120)

12. Ibid., 38.107

13. Ibid., 4.6

14. Ibid., 4.8

15. Ibid., 33.11

   The progress of the numerous millions of beings who hear these words buddha and correct conduct becomes irreversible. (33.269, 33.270, 33.276)

   “… Buddho is a special asset of the Lord Buddha -- a gleaming aggregate of knowledge, not a material thing. The Lord Buddha bequeathed to us many years ago, but since then it’s gone missing and we no longer know how to find it. But it’s location is not so important. If you’re trying to find it, what’s important is to sit and walk thinking ‘buddho, buddho, buddho’ exclusively within your heart. Keep your attention focused within your body, not letting it wander outside. Fix your awareness firmly on the repetition of “buddho,buddho”. If you can manage to do this, you may even come across buddho before I do,” Acariya Mun (1870-1949) taught a villager in Thailand’s northern province of Chiang Mai where he lived many years as a wandering forest monk seeking realization of the Supreme Dharma and succeeded in becoming a modern-day 20^th century arhat. (Venerable Acariya Mun Bhuridatta Thera A Spiritual Biography by Acariya Maha Boowa Nanasampanno Translated from the Thai by Bhikkhu Dick Silaratano, published by Forest Dhamma 2003, pp. 201-202)

buddho: Supremely enlightened. A traditional epithet for the Buddha, buddho is a preparatory meditation-word (parikamma) that is repeated mentally while reflecting on the Buddha’s special qualities.

In its simplest form, one focuses attention exclusively on the repetition of “buddho”, continuously thinking the word “buddho” while in meditation. One should simply be aware of each repetition of “buddho,buddho,buddho” to the exclusion of all else. Once it becomes continuous, this simple repetition will produce results of peace and calm in the heart. Ibid., Glossary p. 488

16. The King of Samadhis Sutra 33.295

   Making offerings to a buddha or buddhas is an enlightenment practice for attaining buddhahood. (34.1)

17. Ibid., 16.35

18. Ibid., 17.186

19. Ibid., 38.3-4

20. Ibid., 38.108

21. Ibid., 12.21

22. The Sutra on the Threefold Training (Siksatrayasutra)

Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha 84000.co 2018

23. The Sutra of the Wheel of Dharma (Dharmacakrasutra) 1.14 84000.co 2018

9 pages 1757 words 05.09.2018 23:41 06.09.2018 19:02 09.09.2018 18:03