Readers may wonder why the term (shraddha) is given such a significance in this blog, when most Buddhist literature starts off either with four Nobel truth(s) or Hethu pala Vada (rationale behind the existence of substance/ life and its expiration with the cessation of the cause of existence).
To answer the question, author would like to remind the reason why you’d be reading this blog or why somebody would be interested in Lord Buddha’s teachings. If the answer is to understand what life is all about or to take at least a step towards attaining Nibbana, then you need to be well aware of the term before you go any further. It is extremely important that you listen to the teachings of Lord Buddha with utmost shraddha if you are to comprehend the true meaning of the teaching. This doesn’t mean that it is expected of you to embrace all the teachings of Lord Buddha blindly without questioning it. What is expected here is to follow the guidance given by the teacher and see whether you can obtain the result, if not then the teachings are to be challenged.
Let’s assume that person A is standing in front of a wall through which he cannot see the other side, and there is person B, sitting on a tall post whose in a better position to see the other side of the wall. And B tells A that there is another person C on the other side of the wall whom A can see if he climbs on to the post. Now if he A rejects B’s claim without doing what he was asked to do, how rational would that be? Sharddha is exactly that, Like A have to believe in what B says in order to find C on the other side of the wall, somebody whose following Buddhist philosophy needs to have utmost faith in Lord Buddha and his teachings to obtain the results.
Now the reader may wonder then what the difference would be between Buddhism and all the other religions of the world [All religions are based on faith], which author see as an argument with complete sense. The difference is that all these states or achievements (Margapala) can be obtained within this life itself, if followed what was taught by Lord Buddha. So the simple answer to that is follow the steps laid down and see whether you can reach first, second, third and fourth dyana(s), if not then question the teachings. Once you reach 4th Dyana do as mentioned in dhamma and see whether you can reach Sowan (1st Margapala). Likewise the path has been properly and very clearly laid down towards the ultimate state 'Arhath' which u can attain within this life time.
Whatever said and done when someone comes across certain sutra Like Agganya Sutta (which talks about how the world was formed) or Chakkawatti seehanada (which talks about the cycles of human existance) the reader may find the teachings abit hard to believe and may tend to lose faith or shraddha towards dhamma. The Authors advice here is that these sutta’s were delivered targeting different audience who were better equipped to grasp the meaning of it and you may not be in the best position to absorb the true meaning of them. Therefore the author feels that it would be best to start with sutra that is simple and pretty obvious like Dhamsak pewathum, sheka sutta etc.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Swarnamali
Author expects to kick things off by explaining the name chosen for this blog [Swarnamali].
After Lord Buddha attained Nibbana, it was said that the sacred ashes were put into eight drona(s), smaller pot like containers, and was distributed among the kings of ancient India to build stupa(s) for all life forms to worship; as that is one way of building shraddha (faithfullness towards trilple Gem Buddha, Dhamma, Sanga). The word shradda will be discussed at length in a future post as it is not merely faithfullness or loyalty; but the Author thinks that the term attained nibbana needs to be clarified a little as it is not just a synonym for the word death.
According to the word of Lord Buddha death stands for leaving this (human) form of existence to accept the same or another form of existence which continues till an end is put to forming of Bhawa [will be discussed in a future post]. But a human being who reached the Arhath status [will be discussed in a future post] as Lord Buddha does not fall into this universal process of death as the existence of the being who has reached Arhath status ends with death. Therefore Attained nibbana would be the correct term to be used when refering to the passing away of anyone who has achieved the Arhath status.
If we get back to the topic again, it is said that before Lord buddha attained nibbana it was wished that one of these drona(s) to remain in Sri Lanka as this is the island where the essence of dhamma would remain to the end, before Dhamma (teachings) is lost and forgotton. And it is believed by the Sri Lankan buddhists that a one drona full of ashes resides inside this massive stupa (Swarnamali) Ruwanweliseya and is the place with the biggest portion of Dhathu (remains) of Gautam buddha.
And it is said that before the Dhamma reaches its end (This is not by any means the end of world or apocalypse, just the end of Teachings of Gautama Buddha. According to the Lord buddha, the human race can and will remain without Dhamma for ages till the next samma sambuddha is born) all remains those resides in human and none human worlds will come together to form a living image of Lord buddha where the one final sermon is delivered by Lord buddha's living image for the benefit of those with the wisdom to comprehend the 4 nobel truth and attain nibbana within the Gautama Buddha sasana. And it is believed by the Sri Lankan buddhists that the much anticipated the final sermon would be delivered here at Swarnamali Stupa.
After Lord Buddha attained Nibbana, it was said that the sacred ashes were put into eight drona(s), smaller pot like containers, and was distributed among the kings of ancient India to build stupa(s) for all life forms to worship; as that is one way of building shraddha (faithfullness towards trilple Gem Buddha, Dhamma, Sanga). The word shradda will be discussed at length in a future post as it is not merely faithfullness or loyalty; but the Author thinks that the term attained nibbana needs to be clarified a little as it is not just a synonym for the word death.
According to the word of Lord Buddha death stands for leaving this (human) form of existence to accept the same or another form of existence which continues till an end is put to forming of Bhawa [will be discussed in a future post]. But a human being who reached the Arhath status [will be discussed in a future post] as Lord Buddha does not fall into this universal process of death as the existence of the being who has reached Arhath status ends with death. Therefore Attained nibbana would be the correct term to be used when refering to the passing away of anyone who has achieved the Arhath status.
If we get back to the topic again, it is said that before Lord buddha attained nibbana it was wished that one of these drona(s) to remain in Sri Lanka as this is the island where the essence of dhamma would remain to the end, before Dhamma (teachings) is lost and forgotton. And it is believed by the Sri Lankan buddhists that a one drona full of ashes resides inside this massive stupa (Swarnamali) Ruwanweliseya and is the place with the biggest portion of Dhathu (remains) of Gautam buddha.
And it is said that before the Dhamma reaches its end (This is not by any means the end of world or apocalypse, just the end of Teachings of Gautama Buddha. According to the Lord buddha, the human race can and will remain without Dhamma for ages till the next samma sambuddha is born) all remains those resides in human and none human worlds will come together to form a living image of Lord buddha where the one final sermon is delivered by Lord buddha's living image for the benefit of those with the wisdom to comprehend the 4 nobel truth and attain nibbana within the Gautama Buddha sasana. And it is believed by the Sri Lankan buddhists that the much anticipated the final sermon would be delivered here at Swarnamali Stupa.
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