Dhammananda_Noble_Living.pdf

NOBLE LIVING

BUDDHISM

BY VEN. K. DHAMMANANDA THERA

Buddhism is the religion of the majority of the inhabitants of Asia. There are over

550,000,000 Buddhists in the world which is nearly one quarter of the world’s total

population.

Many Buddhists are not aware of all the good teachings of their Master, the Omniscient

Buddha. If one is to follow Buddhism properly and wishes to be called a good Buddhist,

one must study the life and teachings of the Buddha.

All the difficult problems of life will be understood more easily if one learns Buddhism.

The Buddha’s approach to this subject was straight forward and scientific – hence easy

to understand.

The Buddha did not keep his knowledge to himself and order his followers simply to

listen to his teachings. He did not promise to take any one to heaven simply because

they were his followers. If he had done so it would have been a false promise because

no one can take another to heaven or hell. One can gain admission into heaven or

avoid hells by one’s own actions. An outsider can only help by giving guidance as to the

path to follow.

Therefore the Buddha advised his disciples to follow his teachings and his pure

examples. He proved to them what he preached was true, for they will be able to

actually enjoy the good results of their meritorious deeds. This fact which was proved

then holds good even today and will hold good in the future too.

The Buddha practiced loving-kindness towards all beings – gods, men, animals and

ghosts and this is called Universal Love. If the Buddha wanted to find happiness for

himself alone, he could have done so long before the time he actually attained the

eternal happiness of Nibbana. He could have attained that with much less difficulty also.

What he thought was that entering into that eternal happiness alone while so many were

suffering would be like an unkind mother enjoying a delicacy alone while her hungry

children were looking on. So, the Buddha, out of compassion for all living beings,

plunged himself into the suffering Samsara (round of birth and death) and took the

longer and more hazardous route to reach the farther shore. He had to live many lives

and the number of lives that he spent in his self imposed “training course” is incalculable.

The Buddha’s compassion and love towards all living beings was so great that he

undertook the sufferings of Samsara without the least hesitation. When we read the

Buddhist scriptures, we learn many of these facts. It is only with firm determination, a

great deal of energy and high wisdom that one could continue practicing good thought,

words and deeds for so long. By such diligent practice any one may become a Buddha

for it is not the monopoly of a particular person or being.

You could become a Buddha, I could become a Buddha too. Buddhas encourage that

spirit in others who would aspire to become Buddhas similarly. Although a myriad

Buddhas may come into being there still will be unfortunate beings who have not taken

the path to reach the eternal bliss of “Nibbana” because their shroud of ignorance is too

strong for them to tear off.

Every one of us has a grain of the Buddha-spirit within us. It will not come into full bloom

if we forget all about it. We should take the necessary steps to cultivate that spirit until

that is brought to perfection and crowned with Buddhahood.

Now how are we going to make this seed of Buddhahood grow into a big and strong tree

and bear the fruit of Buddhahood? Just as any other plant needs to be well looked after,

watered and fertilized with more and more good deeds in this life and the lives hereafter.

Then there will be a day that we will succeed gloriously in our efforts.

However, it is not an easy task to become a Buddha. A Buddha is one who possesses

the greatest wisdom and loving kindness. He is free from all passions and defilements.

He is one who is able to understand fully all the aspects of life’s various problems and

also matters relating to before and after life. He is able to preach and convince others of

the way to find the solution to their problems.

Due to the difficulties of attaining Buddhahood, there is a Buddha in the world but once

in a long while. Hence the teachings of One Buddha are invariably forgotten in the world

by the time the next Buddha appears. Therefore, it always becomes a mighty task for a

Buddha to attain Enlightenment unaided through his own efforts. There is none from

whom he could receive instruction in the right system of thought that leads to perfect

knowledge. It is only after his heard-earned Enlightenment or attainment of perfect

knowledge that one becomes known as a Buddha and is able to go forth to proclaim the

truth to the world.

People live in the darkness of ignorance by not knowing what is right and what is wrong.

They are struggling in the mire of worldly evils. They think that the few fleeting moments

of pleasure that they may enjoy in this world are permanent; though in reality, they are

impermanent. By not understanding this glaring fact people become engrossed in

pleasures of short duration and get themselves entangled in them more and more,

becoming enslaved to them and thereby totally blind to reality.

Even when this is explained to them they turn a deaf ear to the truth. In short they

become so callous in not knowing what is right that many are emboldened to say: “I do

what I think is right.” If everybody followed that rule then what would become of the

world? In no time virtue would disappear from the world and vice and evil would prevail

instead and there would be confusion and untold misery.

It is at the beginning of such a state of affairs that a Buddha is born into the world and he

puts it right for the time being. After some time again evil predominates and should it go

beyond correction, even a Buddha would not appear because an evil world is not

prepared to listen to good advice. The evil-ridden world would have to face devastation

before a better world could appear.

To be wise among the ignorant, to be strong of heart among the weak-hearted, to be

patient among the impatient, to be sober among the passion-intoxicated, to be kind

among the haters, are some of the almost unattainable achievements in the world. Yet,

there have been such unique personalities as the Buddhas who attained all these and

many more qualities which are beyond description. There will also be Buddhas in times

to come and when conditions are suitable with their messages of truth.

We should start cultivating good qualities in us from now on, so that we may be reborn

into the world when such an all-compassionate and all-awakened Buddha appears. To

be reborn in such favourable conditions is not easy and we must exert ourselves from

this very moment with a firm determination and all the energy at our command.

For our guidance in the upward journey, we should make use of the knowledge that has

been given to us by Gotama Buddha who lived only twenty-five centuries ago and which

has come down to us through the several generations of his faithful and devoted

disciples. The path shown by the Buddha is quite free from danger and is beneficial to

all who tread in it as well as to those who stand by it.

The upward journey in the spiritual life may be regarded by the beginner as difficult but if

one makes the first step forward, employing one’s energy with the little knowledge one

has, then half the difficulty is overcome. We should remember that the top of Mount

Everest was not reached with one step but with continued steps, surmounting greater

hardships in each one of them. Similarly for the attainment of Nibbana, one has to work

hard, step after step until the goal is reached.

No one can hope to reach the goal in one life, however long that life may be. So it is

necessary that one should accumulate merits in early life in order to reach final

perfection. Great oceans are only drops of water which have collected together.

Buddhahood is a great collection of everything that is good. In other words it is the

absence of everything evil.

While one is going in the quest of this highest goal, spending more lives over a very long

period, there may come to pass a time that one can meet a Buddha face to face. By this

time, that person would be full of merits that he had accumulated. And, if he so chooses

he could become a disciple of that Buddha and attain Enlightenment as a disciple under

him. That would of course be overlooking the great mass of suffering worldlings, but one

who desires liberation from the turmoil of Samsara (round of birth and death) would have

gained the desired goal which is NIBBANA – the eternal Blissful State.

HOW TO PRACTISE BUDDHISM

BY VEN. M. PANNASIRI THERA

Buddhism is not a religion of faith; it is a religion based on knowledge. It commands

respect from the world because it allows reasoning for wider knowledge while it dispels

blind faith.

Some Buddhists may think going to the temple and offering flowers at the feet of the

image of the Buddha, lighting a few oil lamps and burning some joss-sticks or incense in

the temple means everything. They may rest satisfied that their religious duties have

thus been fulfilled. But according to the teachings of the Buddha, one should not be

satisfied with such simple acts or imagine that they are sufficient for one to be called a

Buddhist.

By proclaiming and propagating his noble teachings, the Buddha did not wish to have

vast numbers of followers who would simply be venerating a dignified image of him.

What he wanted was to see a civilized, cultured and peaceful society of intelligent

people striving for the attainment of Nibbana – the cessation of Universal Suffering.

Unfortunately, some of us forget these fundamental principles of our great heritage. It is

very sad indeed that we thus fall into the group of those who merely follow rites and

rituals. It should be clearly understood and remembered that we pay homage to the

Buddha only as a mark of respect and gratitude to our path-finder and teacher, whom we

regard as the true “Model of Perfection.” It is he who thought out and preached the way

of a noble and happy life here ( in this world ) and the attainment of eternal happiness in

this life as well as hereafter. It is he who also found the way to the final and noble goal

of Nibbana, which is the state of complete cessation of suffering – the only eternal form

of deliverance.

No matter how much or often we may worship at the feet of the Buddha, it is not the

correct way of following Buddhist life nor is it possible to obtain the highest benefit in this

way. In order to be a true Buddhist, one must follow strictly the basic principles of the

Buddha’s teachings. Those who are acquainted with Buddhist literature vouchsafe to

the fact that Buddhism maintains many noble principles which are not found in other

religious systems, and for this reason, many non-Buddhists so highly praise Buddhism.

If it is asked which religious system leads mankind to peace, to the development of good

morals, reasoning and logical thinking, it may without doubt be said that Buddhism ranks

first. Moreover, Buddhist doctrine is the most authoritative source from which the correct

answers to all questions that arise in a man’s mind can be obtained. It is the only

doctrine in which the realities of the nature of life have been explained in plain and

undisguised manner. Without exaggeration it may be asserted that as far as the spiritual

upliftment of mankind is concerned, Buddhism remains unchallenged.

IMPORTANCE OF RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTIONS

BY VEN. ANANDA MANGALA

Education is an essential pre-requisite towards progress. Education builds up muscles

and sinews of intelligence. Elementary education removes illiteracy. Secondary

education prepares the ground towards economic security in a basic manner. University

education further enhances the stature academically and leads towards professional or

commercial avenues. Great pains are taken to channel the children as constructively as

possible towards success. However, without spirit of restraint the sensual human

personality seeks greater privileges and more amenities rather than channel the talents

towards a sense of obligation and sacrifices. In quest of pleasure one meets with

discontentment. The Vocational Ideal of the human spirit often surrenders at cross-

roads of academic success. Education though assuming giant strides seems to be

slipping towards Materialism rather than attaining contentment through Spiritual

Restraint.

Therefore, Religious Education alone can turn the tide of selfish materialism towards the

goal of selfless dedication towards an ideal of service to the State, Humanity and Home.

The laurels of Religious Instruction belong to the inner spirit of the human personality.

Faith, Charity, Love, Forgiveness, Morality, Restraint, Compassion, Understanding,

Tolerance, Fellowship survive in the climate of religious background. Young children in

their formative stages need to learn reverence, respect, gratitude and charity towards

parents, elders, and possess a sense of fear and shame. The transitional phases of the

Adolescent Age needs the counselling of youth in an environment of Compassionate

Understanding fitting into the temperament of the spirit of Youth.

Buddhist Education holds a unique position in the field of religious instruction. Buddhist

Instruction breathes a greater air of freedom and enjoys also more scope for greater

reason. Parochialism, narrowness born of tradition and custom and fanaticism rarely

find space in the class of a Religious Instructor. There is no exclusion of the wisdom

and goodness of others. There are no prohibitions but friendly persuasion towards

voluntary abstinence. There are no compulsions only pure instructions. The Teachers

point the way – show the way – the pupils go their way – each according to his capacity.

Once the Blessed One, the Buddha, asked his young son Rahula: “What do you think

what is mirror for?”. Rahula promptly replied: “For the purpose of reflecting Lord”. The

Most Enlightened One continued: “In just the same way, Rahula, you must reflect again

and again in doing every act, in speaking every word and in thinking every thought when

you want to do a thing. You must reflect whether it would be to your harm, or to the

harm of others, or to that of both yourself and to others, and so is an act productive of

pain and entailing suffering. If reflection tells you this is the nature of the act

contemplated, assuredly you should not do it. But if reflection assures you, there is no

harm but good, you may do it. If while you are doing that act, reflection tells you it is

harmful to you, to others or to both and is a wrong act productive of pain and entailing

suffering – abandon it. But if reflection assures you there is no harm but good in it –

then you may go forward with it. And the same holds for speech and for thought also.

Train yourself, Rahula, by constant reflection to win purity in thought, word and deed.

Joy and gladness will be yours as you train yourself by day and night in things that are

Right”.

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