45. How should I develop purification of mind?
A:
1. Establish in virtue as well as possible.
2. Develop the Recollection of Virtue.
Develop the Mindfulness of Breathing.
Develop the Recollection of Peace.
Develop the 4 Divine Abidings & the 4 Immaterial States.
3. Attribute the 3 characteristics to 5 aggregates.
2012年11月19日 星期一
2010年8月22日 星期日
A Sketch of the Buddha's Life
36. Would you make a sketch of the Buddha's life?
A: OK. He lived from approximately 563 to 483 BC. He was the eldest son of King Suddhodana. The family to which King Suddhodana of the Sakyas belonged was called the Gotama family, so that his full name was King Suddhodana Gotama; and the name of the chief city in his kingdom where he had his chief palace, was Kapilavatthu. The name of the Buddha's mother was Mahamaya. It was the custom to pay a visit to her own parents before giving birth. And when she was half way between Kapilavatthu and the town of Devadaha, where her father's house was situated, there was a very fine forest garden called Lumbini where the people of both places used to go in the hot weather to enjoy the cool shade of the great Sal trees of which there were many in the grove. There in the Lumbini Grove, under the Sal trees, among the birds and bees and flowers, she brought forth the Buddha.
37. I would like to make a pilgrimage to the Lumbini Grove.
A: Yes. Lumbini is located in the south-central Terai of Nepal, situated in the foothills of the Himalayas. The site (Lumbini Grove) was described as a beautiful garden in the Buddha's time and still retains its legendary charm and beauty. In the words of the famous Chinese pilgrim of the 7th century, Huian Tsang, 'Lumbini -where the Lord was born - is a piece of Heaven on Earth, where one could see the snowy mountains amidst a splendid garden, embedded with stupas and monasteries!' However, the exact location remained uncertain and obscure until 1 December 1886 when a wandering German archaeologist Dr. Alois A. Fuhrer came across a stone pillar and ascertained beyond doubt it was indeed the birthplace of Lord Buddha. Since that day it has become a focal point for hundreds of thousands of pilgrims.
38. How was the Buddha's childhood? Was he well-raised?
A: Siddhartha's mother died only seven days after the birth. After that Siddhartha was raised by his mother’s kind sister, Mahaprajapati. His father consulted Asita, a well-known sooth-sayer, concerning the future of his son. Asita proclaimed that he would be one of two things: He could become a great king, even an emperor. Or he could become a great sage and savior of humanity. The king, eager that his son should become a king like himself, was determined to shield the child from anything that might result in him taking up the religious life. And so Siddhartha was kept in one or another of their three palaces, and was prevented from experiencing much of what ordinary folk might consider quite commonplace. He was not permitted to see the elderly, the sickly, the dead, or anyone who had dedicated themselves to spiritual practices. Only beauty and health surrounded Siddhartha. Prince Siddhattha must have received a royal education, although no details are given about it. As a scion of the warrior race he also received special training in the art of warfare.
39. Why did he forsake the amenities of life as a prince and leave the court?
A: In his early childhood, during a ploughing ceremony, Siddhartha made his first unprecedented spiritual experience, where in the course of meditation he developed the first jhana (=meditative absorption) through concentration. Siddhartha was not satisfied with the mere enjoyment of fleeting pleasures due to his inquiring and contemplative nature. One day, he left the palace for an excursion and there he encountered what so far had been purposely veiled from him:
40. What happened to him after leaving home?
A: He led a life of self-mortification and spiritual study, became first a disciple of several then famous Brahman teachers, and later attracted his own disciples.
A: Yes. Bodh Gaya or Bodhgaya (Hindi: बोधगया) is a religious place in Gaya district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is famous for being the place of Gautama Buddha's attainment of Enlightenment. The main monastery of Bodhgaya used to be called the Bodhimanda-vihāra (Pali). Now it is called the Mahabodhi Temple. For Buddhists, Bodh Gaya is the most important of the main four pilgrimage sites related to the life of Gautama Buddha, the other three being Kushinagar, Lumbini, and Sarnath. In 2002, Mahabodhi Temple, located in Bodh Gaya, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Bodhi Tree was a large and very old Sacred Fig tree (Ficus religiosa) located in Bodh Gaya (about 100 km from Patna in the Indian state of Bihar). Bodhi (Sanskrit: बोधि) is both a Pāli and Sanskrit word traditionally translated as "enlightenment", but frequently (and more accurately) translated as "awakening" or "to know".
42. Where are Kushinagar and Sarnath? Why are these two places important?
A: First things first. Sarnath or Sarnātha is the deer park where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, and where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence. Sarnath is located 13 kilometres north-east of Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, India.
After attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya the Buddha went to Sarnath; and it was here that he preached his first discourse in the deer park to set in motion the 'Wheel of the Dharma'. It is one of the most holy sites as in this place the stream of the Buddha's teaching first flowed.
Sarnath is important because it is the place where the Buddha initiated the order of the disciples of the Lord Buddha, the Bhikkhus, as Sangha Ratana as one of the triple gems. It is from Sarnath, the Dhamma began its journey to spread around the world.
43. What is the Triple Gem?
A: The core of Buddhism is made up of the three pillars of the Buddha, the Dharma (his teachings) and the Sangha (monks and nuns). Simply explained, one could say that without the historical Buddha Shakyamuni there would have been no Buddhist Dharma, nor Sangha. Without his teachings, the Buddha would not have made much of a difference, and also the spiritual community would not have existed. Without the Sangha, the tradition would never have been transmitted through the ages. The Buddha would have been 'just' a historical figure and his teachings would have been 'just' books.
By taking refuge in the Triple Gem, one escapes from rebirth in states of suffering. In forsaking such a refuge as this, you have certainly erred. In the past, too, men who foolishly mistook what was no refuge for a real refuge, met disaster.
44. What is meant by "taking refuge"?
A: Buddhists are said to "take refuge" in, or to "go for refuge" to, the Triple Gem (aka the "Three Refuges"). This is often done formally in lay and monastic ordination ceremonies. Often, one who takes refuge will make vows as well, typically vows to adhere to the Five Precepts (pañca-sila).
A: OK. He lived from approximately 563 to 483 BC. He was the eldest son of King Suddhodana. The family to which King Suddhodana of the Sakyas belonged was called the Gotama family, so that his full name was King Suddhodana Gotama; and the name of the chief city in his kingdom where he had his chief palace, was Kapilavatthu. The name of the Buddha's mother was Mahamaya. It was the custom to pay a visit to her own parents before giving birth. And when she was half way between Kapilavatthu and the town of Devadaha, where her father's house was situated, there was a very fine forest garden called Lumbini where the people of both places used to go in the hot weather to enjoy the cool shade of the great Sal trees of which there were many in the grove. There in the Lumbini Grove, under the Sal trees, among the birds and bees and flowers, she brought forth the Buddha.
37. I would like to make a pilgrimage to the Lumbini Grove.
A: Yes. Lumbini is located in the south-central Terai of Nepal, situated in the foothills of the Himalayas. The site (Lumbini Grove) was described as a beautiful garden in the Buddha's time and still retains its legendary charm and beauty. In the words of the famous Chinese pilgrim of the 7th century, Huian Tsang, 'Lumbini -where the Lord was born - is a piece of Heaven on Earth, where one could see the snowy mountains amidst a splendid garden, embedded with stupas and monasteries!' However, the exact location remained uncertain and obscure until 1 December 1886 when a wandering German archaeologist Dr. Alois A. Fuhrer came across a stone pillar and ascertained beyond doubt it was indeed the birthplace of Lord Buddha. Since that day it has become a focal point for hundreds of thousands of pilgrims.
38. How was the Buddha's childhood? Was he well-raised?
A: Siddhartha's mother died only seven days after the birth. After that Siddhartha was raised by his mother’s kind sister, Mahaprajapati. His father consulted Asita, a well-known sooth-sayer, concerning the future of his son. Asita proclaimed that he would be one of two things: He could become a great king, even an emperor. Or he could become a great sage and savior of humanity. The king, eager that his son should become a king like himself, was determined to shield the child from anything that might result in him taking up the religious life. And so Siddhartha was kept in one or another of their three palaces, and was prevented from experiencing much of what ordinary folk might consider quite commonplace. He was not permitted to see the elderly, the sickly, the dead, or anyone who had dedicated themselves to spiritual practices. Only beauty and health surrounded Siddhartha. Prince Siddhattha must have received a royal education, although no details are given about it. As a scion of the warrior race he also received special training in the art of warfare.
39. Why did he forsake the amenities of life as a prince and leave the court?
A: In his early childhood, during a ploughing ceremony, Siddhartha made his first unprecedented spiritual experience, where in the course of meditation he developed the first jhana (=meditative absorption) through concentration. Siddhartha was not satisfied with the mere enjoyment of fleeting pleasures due to his inquiring and contemplative nature. One day, he left the palace for an excursion and there he encountered what so far had been purposely veiled from him:
He saw a decrepit old man, a diseased person, a corpse being cremated, and a sadhu (=holy man, hermit). Siddhartha realised that there is old age, sickness, and death, and that people ultimately had little control over their lives. The fourth sight provided the inspiration that led to a dramatic change in his life. He was now thinking of the one only thing that seemed worth thinking about at all — how old age and sickness and death might be escaped by him and by all men, for ever. In the night of his 29th birthday, Siddhartha gave up his life as a prince and secretly left the court while everyone was asleep. He traveled far and crossed the river Anoma, where he shaved his hair and handed over his princely garments to his groom Channa, with instructions to return them to the palace. The Bodhisattva (=future Buddha), who once lived in luxury, became a penniless and homeless wanderer.
40. What happened to him after leaving home?
A: He led a life of self-mortification and spiritual study, became first a disciple of several then famous Brahman teachers, and later attracted his own disciples.
After a long and exhausting period of searching and self-mortification, he finally became disillusioned with the Indian caste system, Hindu asceticism, and the religious doctrines of his time. He gave up the ascetic life and lost all of his disciples as a result. Nevertheless, he continued his search for truth through the practice of meditation. While meditating under a Bodhi tree in Bodh-Gaya, south of Gaya in the state of Bihar, India, the Bodhisattva experienced the Great Enlightenment, which revealed to him the way of salvation from suffering. He spent seven weeks meditating in the vicinity of the site of the Bodhi tree and attained the status of a fully realised Buddha at the age of 35.
A: Yes. Bodh Gaya or Bodhgaya (Hindi: बोधगया) is a religious place in Gaya district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is famous for being the place of Gautama Buddha's attainment of Enlightenment. The main monastery of Bodhgaya used to be called the Bodhimanda-vihāra (Pali). Now it is called the Mahabodhi Temple. For Buddhists, Bodh Gaya is the most important of the main four pilgrimage sites related to the life of Gautama Buddha, the other three being Kushinagar, Lumbini, and Sarnath. In 2002, Mahabodhi Temple, located in Bodh Gaya, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Bodhi Tree was a large and very old Sacred Fig tree (Ficus religiosa) located in Bodh Gaya (about 100 km from Patna in the Indian state of Bihar). Bodhi (Sanskrit: बोधि) is both a Pāli and Sanskrit word traditionally translated as "enlightenment", but frequently (and more accurately) translated as "awakening" or "to know".
42. Where are Kushinagar and Sarnath? Why are these two places important?
A: First things first. Sarnath or Sarnātha is the deer park where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, and where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence. Sarnath is located 13 kilometres north-east of Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, India.
After attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya the Buddha went to Sarnath; and it was here that he preached his first discourse in the deer park to set in motion the 'Wheel of the Dharma'. It is one of the most holy sites as in this place the stream of the Buddha's teaching first flowed.
Sarnath is important because it is the place where the Buddha initiated the order of the disciples of the Lord Buddha, the Bhikkhus, as Sangha Ratana as one of the triple gems. It is from Sarnath, the Dhamma began its journey to spread around the world.
43. What is the Triple Gem?
A: The core of Buddhism is made up of the three pillars of the Buddha, the Dharma (his teachings) and the Sangha (monks and nuns). Simply explained, one could say that without the historical Buddha Shakyamuni there would have been no Buddhist Dharma, nor Sangha. Without his teachings, the Buddha would not have made much of a difference, and also the spiritual community would not have existed. Without the Sangha, the tradition would never have been transmitted through the ages. The Buddha would have been 'just' a historical figure and his teachings would have been 'just' books.
By taking refuge in the Triple Gem, one escapes from rebirth in states of suffering. In forsaking such a refuge as this, you have certainly erred. In the past, too, men who foolishly mistook what was no refuge for a real refuge, met disaster.
44. What is meant by "taking refuge"?
A: Buddhists are said to "take refuge" in, or to "go for refuge" to, the Triple Gem (aka the "Three Refuges"). This is often done formally in lay and monastic ordination ceremonies. Often, one who takes refuge will make vows as well, typically vows to adhere to the Five Precepts (pañca-sila).
2010年8月19日 星期四
About the Buddha
31. Was the Buddha a God?
A: No. The Buddha was not a God. He lived from approximately 563 to 483 BC; his given name was Siddhattha (Skt: Siddhartha) and his family name Gotama (Gautama). Gotama, also known as Śākyamuni or Shakyamuni ("sage of the Shakyas") as he was born into the Sakyan clan in a small republic nestled in the Himalayan foothills. A Buddha is a human being who has woken up and can see the true way the world works.
32. Why do they call him Buddha? What does 'Buddha' mean?
A: Buddha simply means ONE who is fully enlightened. They wanted to call him the Buddha because it means "One who is Awakened". A Buddha is a very holy person in Buddhism. The word Buddha means "He woke up" in Sanskrit. Since Buddhism tradition thinks Buddha is an ideal person, tradition reached a notion of 36 ideal features of Buddhas. Some of those features include: he knew all about how to live a peaceful life and how to not to suffer in an afterlife. He can help others become enlightened too in a proper way.
33. Have there been other Buddhas?
A: According to Theravada tradition, many Buddhas have come and gone over countless eons. Every once in a great while, after a long period of spiritual darkness blankets the world, an individual is eventually born who, through his own efforts, rediscovers the long-forgotten path to Awakening and liberates himself once and for all from the long round of rebirth, thereby becoming an arahant ("worthy one," one who has fully realized Awakening). If, then, his paramis are fully developed, he is able to deliver his message (sasana) to the world and is called a Buddha. The most recent Buddha was born Siddhattha Gotama in India in the sixth century BCE. He is the one we usually mean when we refer to "The Buddha." A Theravada commentary says that Buddhas arise one at a time in this world element, and not at all in others. However, Mahayana Buddhists believe there are innumerable other Buddhas in other universes. The fundamental teaching in Mahayana Buddhism is that everybody has the opportunity and possibility to become a Buddha. Every human being has this potential. The Buddha did not keep his discovery to himself but, out of his love and compassion, he wished that all sentient beings might discover this inherent potential within themselves. This realisation, this recognition of our Buddha nature, is very important for all of us.
34. Is Tathāgata the Buddha, Śākyamuni, or someone else? (see also Q.28)
A: Literally, the word means both one who has thus gone (Tathā-gata) and one who has thus come (Tathā-āgata). Hence, the Tathagata is beyond all coming and going. The Buddha of the scriptures is always reported as referring to himself as the Tathagata instead of using the pronouns me, I or myself. This serves to emphasize by implication that the words are uttered by one who has transcended the human condition, who is beyond the otherwise endless cycle of rebirth, beyond all death and dying, beyond all suffering.
35. Who is Amitābha?
A: Amitābha is the principal buddha in the Pure Land sect, a branch of Buddhism practiced mainly in East Asia. "Amitābha" is translatable as "Infinite Light," hence Amitābha is often called "The Buddha of Infinite Light."
A: No. The Buddha was not a God. He lived from approximately 563 to 483 BC; his given name was Siddhattha (Skt: Siddhartha) and his family name Gotama (Gautama). Gotama, also known as Śākyamuni or Shakyamuni ("sage of the Shakyas") as he was born into the Sakyan clan in a small republic nestled in the Himalayan foothills. A Buddha is a human being who has woken up and can see the true way the world works.
32. Why do they call him Buddha? What does 'Buddha' mean?
A: Buddha simply means ONE who is fully enlightened. They wanted to call him the Buddha because it means "One who is Awakened". A Buddha is a very holy person in Buddhism. The word Buddha means "He woke up" in Sanskrit. Since Buddhism tradition thinks Buddha is an ideal person, tradition reached a notion of 36 ideal features of Buddhas. Some of those features include: he knew all about how to live a peaceful life and how to not to suffer in an afterlife. He can help others become enlightened too in a proper way.
33. Have there been other Buddhas?
A: According to Theravada tradition, many Buddhas have come and gone over countless eons. Every once in a great while, after a long period of spiritual darkness blankets the world, an individual is eventually born who, through his own efforts, rediscovers the long-forgotten path to Awakening and liberates himself once and for all from the long round of rebirth, thereby becoming an arahant ("worthy one," one who has fully realized Awakening). If, then, his paramis are fully developed, he is able to deliver his message (sasana) to the world and is called a Buddha. The most recent Buddha was born Siddhattha Gotama in India in the sixth century BCE. He is the one we usually mean when we refer to "The Buddha." A Theravada commentary says that Buddhas arise one at a time in this world element, and not at all in others. However, Mahayana Buddhists believe there are innumerable other Buddhas in other universes. The fundamental teaching in Mahayana Buddhism is that everybody has the opportunity and possibility to become a Buddha. Every human being has this potential. The Buddha did not keep his discovery to himself but, out of his love and compassion, he wished that all sentient beings might discover this inherent potential within themselves. This realisation, this recognition of our Buddha nature, is very important for all of us.
34. Is Tathāgata the Buddha, Śākyamuni, or someone else? (see also Q.28)
A: Literally, the word means both one who has thus gone (Tathā-gata) and one who has thus come (Tathā-āgata). Hence, the Tathagata is beyond all coming and going. The Buddha of the scriptures is always reported as referring to himself as the Tathagata instead of using the pronouns me, I or myself. This serves to emphasize by implication that the words are uttered by one who has transcended the human condition, who is beyond the otherwise endless cycle of rebirth, beyond all death and dying, beyond all suffering.
35. Who is Amitābha?
A: Amitābha is the principal buddha in the Pure Land sect, a branch of Buddhism practiced mainly in East Asia. "Amitābha" is translatable as "Infinite Light," hence Amitābha is often called "The Buddha of Infinite Light."
2010年8月18日 星期三
The Parayana Vagga - Pingiya's Question
30. I am old and feeble, the comeliness of youth has vanished. My sight is weak and I am hard of hearing. I do not wish to perish whilst still confused. Teach me the Dhamma by understanding which I may abandon birth and decay.
A: Seeing heedless people afflicted and suffering through their bodies, you should be heedful and renounce body so as to not come again to birth. Seeing men caught in craving, tormented and afflicted by old age, you should be heedful and renounce craving so as to not come again to birth.
translated from the Pali by
A: Seeing heedless people afflicted and suffering through their bodies, you should be heedful and renounce body so as to not come again to birth. Seeing men caught in craving, tormented and afflicted by old age, you should be heedful and renounce craving so as to not come again to birth.
translated from the Pali by
John D. Ireland
The Parayana Vagga - Mogharaja's Question
The Parayana Vagga - Posala's Question
28. One devoid of perception of forms, who has abandoned all the body, every body, who sees, within & without, 'There is nothing': How is he to be led further on?
A: The Tathagata, knowing directly all stations of consciousness, knows for one stationed in them release & the steps leading there. Knowing directly the origin of nothingness to be the fetter of delight, one then sees there clearly. That's his genuine knowledge — the brahman who has lived to fulfillment.
A: The Tathagata, knowing directly all stations of consciousness, knows for one stationed in them release & the steps leading there. Knowing directly the origin of nothingness to be the fetter of delight, one then sees there clearly. That's his genuine knowledge — the brahman who has lived to fulfillment.
translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
The Parayana Vagga - Udaya's Questions
25. Tell me the gnosis of emancipation, the breaking open of ignorance.
A: The abandoning both of sensual desires, & of unhappiness, the dispelling of sloth, the warding off of anxieties, equanimity-&-mindfulness purified, with inspection of mental qualities swift in the forefront: That is the gnosis of emancipation, the breaking open of ignorance.
26. With what is the world fettered? With what is it examined? Through the abandoning of what is there said to be Unbinding?
A: With delight the world's fettered. With directed thought it's examined. Through the abandoning of craving is there said to be Unbinding.
27. Living mindful in what way does one bring consciousness to a halt?
A: Not relishing feeling, inside or out: One living mindful in this way brings consciousness to a halt.
A: The abandoning both of sensual desires, & of unhappiness, the dispelling of sloth, the warding off of anxieties, equanimity-&-mindfulness purified, with inspection of mental qualities swift in the forefront: That is the gnosis of emancipation, the breaking open of ignorance.
26. With what is the world fettered? With what is it examined? Through the abandoning of what is there said to be Unbinding?
A: With delight the world's fettered. With directed thought it's examined. Through the abandoning of craving is there said to be Unbinding.
27. Living mindful in what way does one bring consciousness to a halt?
A: Not relishing feeling, inside or out: One living mindful in this way brings consciousness to a halt.
translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
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