What
Buddhism Is
'Thray
Sithu' U Ba Khin
(This is the second of three lectures given by Thray Sithu U Ba Khin,
President of the Vipassana Association which founded the International
Meditation Centre. He was then the Accountant-General of Burma and the lectures
were given in the premises of the Methodist Church, Signal Pagoda Pond,
Rangoon, at the request of a religious study Group headed by Messrser Gerald F.
Winfield, Information Officer and Roger C. Thorpe, Economic & Finance
Officer of the Special Technical and Economic Division of the United States of
America; Editor: Nibbana.com)
-oOo-
Last Sunday I gave you a brief outline
- a very brief one too - of the life of our Lord Buddha, up to the moment of
his attainment of Buddhahood. I am going to tell you today what his teachings
are. Buddhist teachings are preserved in what we call the Tipitakas, consisting
of the Suttas (Discourses), the Vinaya (Laws of discipline for Sanghas,
or monks ) and the Abhidhamma ( Philosophical Teachings). We have
the Tipitakas in Pali in several volumes which will require an
intelligent Pali scholar some months just to read through. I propose,
therefore, to confine myself today only to essentials, that is to say, the
fundamental Truths of Buddhism. Before Lord Buddha took upon himself the task
of spreading his Dhamma (Teachings), he remained in silent meditation
for a continuous period of 49 days, viz;, seven days under the Bo tree and
seven days each in six other spots nearby, enjoying at times the peace of
Supreme Nibbana and at another going deeper in investigation into the
most delicate problems of Paramattha-Dhamma (Ultimate Realities). On his
complete mastery of the law of Patthana (the Law of Relations), in which
the infinite modes of relations between thought moments are also dealt with,
there emerged from his body brilliant rays of six colours, which eventually
settled down as a halo of six-coloured rays around his head. He passed through
this seven times seven days meditation without food. It is all beyond us to be without
food for 49 days. The fact remains that he was throughout the period on a
mental plane as distinct from a physical plane, in which mankind normally is.
It is not material food that maintains the fine-material existence and
life-continuum of beings in the Fine-material Worlds of the Brahmas, but the Jhanic
Piti, which in itself is a nutriment. So also was the case with the Buddha,
whose existence during this long period was on a mental rather than physical
plane. Our experiments in this line of research have firmly convinced us that
for a man of such high intellectual and mental development as the Buddha, this
is a possibility.
It was the day break of the 50th day of his Buddhahood when he arose from
this long spell of meditation. Not that he was tired or exhausted, but, as he
was no longer in the mental plane, he felt a longing for food. At that time,
two traders of a foreign land were travelling in several carts loaded with
merchandise through the Uruvela forest. A Deva of the forest who was
their relative in one of their previous existences advised them to take the
opportunity of paying homage to the All-Enlightened Buddha who had just arisen
from his meditation. They accordingly went to the place where the Buddha was
seated, illumined by the halo of six coloured rays. They could not resist their
feelings. They lay prostrate in worship and adoration before the Buddha and
later offered preserved rice cakes with honey for the first meal of the Buddha.
They were accepted as His lay disciples. On their request that they might be
given some tokens for their worship, the Buddha presented them with eight
strands of hair from His head. You will be surprised to know that these two
traders were Taphussa and Bhallika of Okkalapa, which today is
known as Rangoon,
where you are at this moment. And the renowned Shwedagon, which you all
probably have visited, is the Pagoda in which were enshrined all the eight
hair-relics of the Buddha under the personal direction of the then ruler of Okkalapa,
2540 years ago. It has been preserved and renovated till now by successive
Buddhist kings and devout laymen. Unfortunately, however, these two traders of Okkalapa,
who had the privilege of becoming the first lay disciples of the Buddha,
were disciples only by faith, without a taste of the Buddha-Dhamma in
actual practice, which alone would give them deliverance from suffering and
death. Faith is, no doubt, a preliminary requisite, but it is the practice of
the Teachings which really counts. The Buddha therefore said, "The Path must be trodden by each individual;
Buddhas do but point the Way."
The
Teachings of the Buddha
"Buddhism is not a religion according to its dictionary meaning because
it has no centre in God, as is the case in all other religions. Strictly
speaking, Buddhism is a system of philosophy coordinated with a code of
morality, physical and mental. The goal in view is the extinction of suffering
and death."
The Four Noble Truths taught by the Buddha in his first sermon, known as the
Dhamma Cakka Pavattana Sutta (viz. the Discourse to set in motion the
Wheel of Dhamma) form the basis on which is founded this system of
philosophy. In fact, the first three of the Four Noble Truths expound the
philosophy of the Buddha, while the fourth (the Eightfold Noble Path which is a
code of morality-cum-philosophy) serves as a means for the end. This first
sermon was given to the five ascetics led by Kondanna, who were his
early companions in search of the Truth. Kondanna was the first disciple
of the Buddha in practice to become an Arahat (i.e Holy One who got
beyond the limitations of all fetters).
Now we come to the Four Noble Truths. They are:
- (i) Dukkha Sacca : The
Truth of Suffering
- (ii) Samudaya Sacca:
The Truth of the Origin of Suffering
- (iii) Nirodha Sacca:
The Truth of the Extinction of Suffering
- (iv) Magga Sacca : The
Truth of the Path leading to the Extinction of Suffering
To come to a complete understanding of the fundamental concepts in the
philosophy of the Buddha, emphasis is laid on the need for the realisation of
the Truth of Suffering. To bring home this point, Lord Buddha tackled the
problem from two different angles.
Firstly, by a process of reasoning. He made his disciples feel that
life is a struggle, life is suffering; birth is suffering; old age is suffering;
illness is suffering; death is suffering. The influence of sensuality is,
however, so strong in mankind that they are normally apt to forget this
themselves, to forget what they have to pay therefor. Just think for a moment
how life exists in the pre-natal period; how from the moment of birth the child
has to struggle for existence; what preparations he has to make to face life;
what, as a man , he has to be struggling till he breathes his last. You can
very well imagine what life is. Life is indeed suffering. The more one is
attached to self, the greater is the suffering. In fact, what pains and
sufferings a man has to undergo are suppressed in favour of momentary sensual
pleasures which are but occasional spotlights in the darkness. But for the Moha
(delusion) which keeps him away from the Truth, he would surely have worked
out his way to emancipation from the rounds of "Life, Suffering and
Death."
Secondly, the Buddha made it known to his disciples that the human
body is composed of Kalapas (atomic units), each dying out
simultaneously as it becomes. Each Kalapa is a mass formed of the
following nature elements:
- (i) Pathavi :
Extension (literally, earth)
- (ii) Apo : Cohesion
(lit., water)
- (iii Tejo : Radiation
(lit., heat and cold)
- (iv) Vayo : Motion
(lit., air)
- (v) Vanna : Colour
- (vi) Gandha : Smell
- (vii) Rasa : Taste
- (viii) Oja : Nutritive
essence
The first four are called Maha-Bhutas, i.e., essential material
qualities which are predominant in a Kalapa. The other four are merely
subsidiaries which are dependent upon and born out of the former. A Kalapa is
the minutest particle noticeable in the physical plane. It is only when the
eight nature elements (which have merely the characteristic of behaviour) are
together that the entity of a Kalapa is formed. In other words, the
coexistence of these eight nature elements of behaviour makes a mass which, in
Buddhism, is known as a Kalapa. These Kalapas, according to the
Buddha, are in a state of perpetual change or flux. They are nothing but a
stream of energies, just like the light of a candle or an electric bulb. The
body, as we call it, is not an entity as it seems to be, but a continuum of
matter with life force coexisting.
To a casual observer, a piece of iron is motionless. The scientist knows
that it is composed of electrons, etc., all in a state of perpetual change or
flux. If it is so with a piece of iron, what will be the case for a living
organism, say a human being? The changes that are taking place inside the human
body must be more violent. Does man feel the rocking vibrations within himself?
Does the scientist who knows that all is in a state of change or flux ever feel
that his own body is but energy and vibration? What will be the repercussion on
the mental attitude of the man who introspectively sees that his own body is
mere energy and vibration? To quench thirst one may just easily drink a glass
of water from a village well. Supposing his eyes are as powerful as
microscopes, he would surely hesitate to drink the very same water in which he
must see the magnified microbes. So also, when one comes to a realization of
the perpetual change within himself (i.e., Anicca or Impermanence), he
must necessarily come to the understanding as a sequel thereto of the Truth of
Suffering in consequence of the sharp sense of feeling of the radiation,
vibration and friction of the atomic units within. Indeed, Life is Suffering,
both within and without, to all appearances and in ultimate reality.
When I say, Life is Suffering, as the Buddha taught, please be so good as
not to run away with the idea that, if that is so, life is miserable, life is
not worth living, and that the Buddhist concept of suffering is a terrible
concept which will give you no chance of a reasonably happy life. What is
happiness? For all that science has achieved in the field of materialism, are
the peoples of the world happy? They may find sensual pleasure off and on, but
in their heart of hearts they are not happy concerning what has happened, what
is happening and what may happen next. Why? This is because, while man has
mastery over matter, he is still lacking in mastery over his mind.
Pleasure born of sensuality is nothing compared with the Piti (or
rapture) born of the inner peace of mind which can be secured through a process
of Buddhist meditation. Sense pleasures are preceded and followed by troubles
and pains, as in the case of a rustic who finds pleasure in cautiously
scratching the itches over his body, whereas Piti is free from such
troubles and pains either way. It will be difficult for you, looking from a
sensuous field, to appreciate what that Piti is like. But I know you can
enjoy it and have a taste of it for comparative evaluation. There is therefore
nothing to the supposition that Buddhism teaches something that will make you
feel miserable with the nightmare of suffering. But please take it from me that
it will give you an escape from the normal conditions of life, a lotus as it
were in a pond of crystal water immune from its fiery surroundings. It will
give you that "Peace Within" which will satisfy you that you are
getting not only beyond the day-to-day troubles of life, but slowly and surely
beyond the limitation of "Life, Suffering and Death."
What then is the Origin of Suffering? The origin of it, the Buddha said, is
Tanha or Craving. Once the seed of desire is sown, it grows into greed and
multiplies into craving or lust, either for power or for material gains. The
man in whom this seed is sown becomes a slave to these cravings and he is
automatically driven to strenuous labours of mind and body to keep pace with
them till the end comes. The final result must surely be the accumulation of
the evil mental forces generated by his own actions, words and thoughts which
are motivated by Loba (desire) and Dosa (anger) inherent in him.
Philosophically again, it is the mental forces of actions (Sankhara) which
react in the course of time on the person originating them, and which are
responsible for this stream of mind and matter, the origin of suffering within.
The Path
Leading to the Extinction of Suffering
What then is the Path leading to the Extinction of Suffering? The Path is
none other than the Noble Eightfold Path taught by the Buddha in his first
sermon. This Eightfold Path is divided into three main stages, namely, Sila,
Samadhi and Panna.
Sila (The
Precept)
1. Right Speech
2. Right Action
3. Right Livelihood
Samadhi (Tranquillity
of Mind)
4. Right Exertion
5. Right Attentiveness
6. Right Concentration
Panna (Wisdom,
Insight)
7. Right Aspiration
8. Right Understanding
(1) Sila. The three characteristic
aspects of Sila are:
1. Samma Vaca; Right Speech
2. Samma Kammanta: Right Action
3. Samma Ajiva: Right Livelihood
By Right Speech is meant: Speech which must be true, beneficial and neither
foul nor malicious.
By Right Action is meant: The fundamentals of morality, which are opposed to
killing, stealing, sexual misconduct and drunkenness.
By Right Livelihood is meant: A way of living by trades other than those
which increase the suffering of all beings - such as slave trading, the
manufacture of weapons and traffic in intoxicating drugs.
These represent generally the Code of Morality as initially pronounced by
the Buddha in his very first sermon. Later, however, he amplified it and introduced
separate Codes for the Monks and Lay disciples.
I need not worry you with what has been prescribed for monks. I will just
let you know what the code of morality, or the precepts, for a Buddhist Lay
Disciple is. This is called Panca Sila, or the Five Precepts, which are:
(i) Panatipata: Abstaining from killing any sentient being. (Life is
the most precious thing for all beings and in prescribing this precept the
Buddha's compassion extends to all beings.)
(ii) Adinnadana: Abstaining from taking what is not given. (This
serves as a check against improper desires for possessions.)
(iii) Kamesu-micchacara: Abstaining from sexual misconduct. (Sexual
desire is latent in man. This is irresistible to almost all. Unlawful sexual
indulgence is therefore something which the Buddha prohibited.)
(iv) Musavada: Abstaining from telling lies. (This precept is
included to fulfil by way of speech the essence of Truth.)
(v) Surameraya: Abstaining from intoxication. (Intoxication causes a
man to lose his steadfastness of mind and the reasoning power so essential for
the realization of Truth.)
The Panca Sila therefore is intended to control actions and words and
to serve as a foundation for Samadhi (Equanimity of Mind).
(2) Samadhi. Ladies and gentlemen, we
now come to the mental aspect of Buddhism, which I am sure will greatly
interest you. In the second stage of the Eightfold Noble Path, viz., (Samadhi)
are included:
1. Samma Vayama: Right Exertion
2. Samma Sati: Right Attentiveness
3. Samma Samadhi: Right Concentration
Right Exertion is, of course, a prerequisite for Right Attentiveness. Unless
one makes a determined effort to narrow down the range of thoughts of one's
wavering and unsteady mind, one cannot expect to secure that attentiveness of
mind which in turn helps one to bring the mind by Right Concentration to a
state of One-pointedness and Tranquillity (or Samadhi). It is here that
the mind becomes freed from hindrances - pure and tranquil, illumined within
and without. The mind in such a state becomes powerful and bright. Outside, it
is represented by light which is just a mental reflex, with the light varying
in degrees from that of a star to that of the sun. To be plain, this light
which is reflected before the mind's eye in complete darkness is a manifestation
of the purity, tranquillity and serenity of the mind.
The Hindus work for it. To go from light into the void and to come back to
light is truly Brahmanic. The New Testament, in Matthew, speaks of
"a body full of light." We hear also of Roman Catholic priests
meditating regularly for this very miraculous light. The Koran, too, gives
prominence to the "Manifestation of Divine Light."
This mental reflex of light denotes the purity of mind within, and the
purity of mind forms the essence of a religious life, whether he be Buddhist,
Hindu, Christian or Muslim. Indeed, Purity of Mind is the greatest common
denominator of all religions. Love, which alone is a means for the unity of
mankind, must be supreme, and it cannot be so unless the mind is transcendentally
pure. A balanced mind is necessary to balance the unbalanced minds of others.
"As a fletcher makes straight his arrow, a wise man makes straight his
trembling and unsteady thought, which is difficult to guard, difficult to hold
back."
So said the Buddha. Exercise of the mind is just as necessary as exercise of
the physical body. Why not, then, give exercise to the mind and make it pure
and strong so that you may enjoy the "Jhanic Peace Within."
When Inner Peace begins to permeate the mind, you will surely progress in
the knowledge of Truth.
Believe it or not, it is our experience that under a proper guide, this
Inner Peace and Purity of Mind with light can be secured by one and all
irrespective of their religion or creed, provided they have sincerity of purpose
and are prepared to submit to the guide for the period of trial.
When by continued practice one has complete mastery over one's mind, one can
enter into Jhanic states (trances) and gradually develop himself to
acquire the attainments (Samapattis) which will give one supernormal
powers like those exercised by Kala-Devila, the hermit teacher of King Suddhodana.
This, of course, must be tried in penance and away from human habitations,
but it is rather dangerous for those who still have traces of passion in them.
Anyway, such a practice, which gives supernormal powers in this mundane field,
was not encouraged by the Buddha, whose sole object of developing Samadhi was
to have the purity and strength of mind essential for the realization of Truth.
We have in Buddhism forty methods of concentration, of which the most
outstanding is Anapana, that is, concentration on the incoming and
outgoing breath, the method followed by all the Buddhas.
(3) Panna. Ladies and gentlemen, I
will now take up the philosophical aspect of Buddhism in the third stage of the
Noble Eightfold Path, - viz.,Panna or Insight. The two characteristic
aspects of Panna are:
1. Samma-sankappa: Right Aspiration
2. Samma-ditthi: Right Understanding
Right Understanding of the Truth is the aim and object of Buddhism, and
Right Aspiration (or Right Thought) is the analytical study of mind and matter,
both within and without, in order to come to a realization of Truth.
You have heard of Nama and Rupa (mind and matter) so many
times. I owe you a further explanation.
Nama is so called because of its tendency to incline towards an
object of sense. Rupa is so called because of its impermanence due to
perpetual change. The nearest terms in English to Nama and Rupa therefore
are mind and matter. I say "nearest" because the meaning is not
exact.
Nama, strictly speaking, is the term applied to the following:
(i) Consciousness : (Vinnana)
(ii) Feeling : (Vedana)
(iii) Perception : (Sanna)
(iv) Volitional Energies : (Sankhara)
These, together with Rupa in the material state, make what we call
the Panca-kkhanda or Five Aggregates. It is in these five aggregates
that the Buddha has summed up all the mental and physical phenomena of
existence, which in reality is a continuum of mind and matter coexisting, but which
to a layman is his personality or ego.
In Samma-sankappa (Right Aspiration), the disciple, who by then has
developed the powerful lens of Samadhi, focuses his attention into his
own self and by introspective meditation makes an analytical study of the
nature, first of Rupa (Matter) and then of Nama (mind and the
mental properties). He feels - and at times he also sees - the Kalapas in
their true state. He begins to realize that both Rupa and Nama are
in constant change - impermanent and fleeting. As his power of concentration
increases, the nature of the forces in him becomes more and more vivid. He can
no longer get out of the impression that the Panca-kkhandha, or Five
Aggregates, are suffering, within the law of Cause and Effect. He is now
convinced that, in reality, all is suffering within and without and there is no
such thing as an ego. He longs for a state beyond suffering. So eventually
going beyond the bounds of suffering, he moves from the mundane to the
supramundane state and enters the stream of Sotapanna, the first of the
four stages of the Ariyas (Noble Ones). Then he becomes free from (i)
ego, (ii) doubts and (iii) attachment to rules and rituals.
The second stage is Sakadagami (Once-Returner), on coming to which
sensuous craving and ill-will become attenuated. He ceases to have any passion
or anger when he attains the third stage of Anagami (Non-Returner). Arahatship
is the final goal. Each of the Ariyas can feel what Nibbana is
like, even as a man, as often as he may choose by going into the fruition stage
of Sotapanna, etc., which gives him the Nibbanic Peace Within.
This "Peace Within", which is identified with Nibbana, has
no parallel because it is supramundane. Compared to this, the Jhanic Peace
Within , which I mentioned earlier in dealing with Samadhi, is
negligible because while the Nibbanic Peace Within takes one beyond the
limits of the thirty-one planes of existence, the Jhanic Peace Within
will still keep one within these planes - that is to say, in the fine-material
world of the Brahmas.
Ladies and gentlemen, just a word more. What I have said includes only some
of the fundamental aspects of Buddhism. With the time at my disposal, I hope I
have given you my best:
To come to a state of Purity of Mind with a light before you;
To go into a Jhanic state at will;
To experience for yourselves Nibbanic Peace Within.
These are all within your reach.
Why not, then, try for the first two at least, which are within the confines
of your own religion? I am prepared to give you any help that you may require.
May I again express my gratitude to you all for your patient listening.
My thanks are also due to the Clergy of the Church for their kind permission.
U
Ba Khin,
30th September 1951
Source: Nibbana.Com, http://web.ukonline.co.uk/buddhism/