Temples of Sri Lanka

AN IMMATURE LOTUS WOULD NEVER BLOOM EVEN IF THE SUN SHINES UPON IT…

Ven Prof Lenagala Siriniwasa Thero

 

At the age of 80, Lord Buddha’s hope was to meet as many people as he could during his last few months before ‘pirinibbāna’ and briefly tell as many facts as possible. During this period, they had to travel from Rajagahanuwara to Kusinara by foot, passing villages and towns. It was a very difficult journey. A long distance had to be travelled between these two cities. At that time, the Buddha was old and sick. Therefore, It is even more crucial. However, soaked in compassion and great kindness he gathered courage and travelled from village to village and city to city. Many Villages belonging to the states of ‘Magadha’ and ‘Kosala’ are mentioned in this sutta. Cities like, ‘Rajagaha’, ‘Chapa’, ‘savaththa’, ‘saketha’, ‘kōsamba’, ‘Bārānāsi’, ‘Wesāli’, ‘kusinārā’ etc. are also mentioned. Thus, throughout this sutta, we find the people, sermons and events associated with the Buddha while he travelled from village to village and city to city.

We can understand the uniqueness and value of Buddhist preaching by analyzing different sections of this ‘sutta’. These preaching have been done in the form of ‘suttas’. That means dhamma in segments. At that moment, there was no time to confer facts persistently. There was no time to scrutinize the mountains of preaching done by the Buddha all over forty-five years of time, therefore, the only option was to go through the topics and remind the facts. In brief, he recalled things like ‘Sīla’, ‘Samādhi’ and ‘Paññā’.

The Buddha preached most of the Dhamma stories when he was residing in ‘Ambalātthika’ in Rajagaha: ‘bahula bhikkhuna dhamma kathā karōthi’. He has preached the same dhamma story many times, in short as ‘ithi sīla…. ithi samādhi… ithi paññā ‘: this is Paññā … this is sīla and this is samādhi. ‘Samādhi’, attained based on ‘Sīla’ is fruitful. ‘Paññā’ generated based on ‘Samādhi’ is too fruitful and gives good results. ‘Paññāya paribhavithaṅ cittaṅ sammadeva āsavehi vimuccathi’: the mind which has generated ‘Paññā’ perfectly stays away from defilements. Those defilements are ‘sensual defilement’, defilement for rebirth’, ‘view defilement’ and ‘ignorant defilement’

There are two ways of the Buddha’s ‘chathurarya sathya desana’, they are ‘samukkaṅsiak desana’ and ‘sāmanya desana’. On many occasions, the Buddha meets people who have the means to immediately attain nirvana. You may recall Pūññāsāthi bhikkhu. He made acquaintance with people like that. First of all, the Buddha preached them about ‘dāna’ and ‘sīla’ in order to activate [‘karmanya’] their minds. Here, activating means making the minds qualified.  This way their minds are trained to concede ‘Chathurarya Sathya’. Then he preaches the ‘Chathurarya Sathya’ dhamma in detail. When listening to this sermon, those who have gathered ‘karmic’ reasons attain ‘sovān’, ‘sakūrdagāmi’, ‘anāgāmi’ and some become ‘arhat’.

Among the Buddha’s sermons, this sermon is considered to be the most superior. This sermon consists of hundreds and thousands of words. No one except a Buddha can express this many words. The Buddha is a miraculous person. He can utter words very quickly like a stream of water falling down a rock. This is why his sermons are very long in nature. At the end of the day, when he decides to extend the preaching to the almsgivers, ‘Dīgha Nikaya’ would definitely be lengthier as ‘Majjhima Nikaya’. In the evening, the sermon given to the people who come to listen to his sermons will be lengthier as ‘Samyutta Nikaya’ and ‘Anguttara Nikaya’. Similarly, some people who are qualified and gathered karmic reasons, immediately attain ‘Nibbāna’ by listening to ‘Samukansiak desana’. No one can recite from memory, just as the same way the Buddha preached. Under those circumstances, ‘Samukansiak desana’ has never been recorded in a book. During the time when an ordinary person utters one word, many words are preached by the Buddha. The perceivers acknowledged dhamma besides the haste. Every word touches the perceiver’s heart.

According to late Ven. Rerukane Chandawimala Thero, listening to ‘Samukansiak desana’ preached by a Buddha is the easiest way to understand the ‘Chathurarya Sathya’ because it is customary to perceive a Buddha and wish to attain ‘Nibbāna’. He has also said that “A Lotus that is premature to bloom does not bloom even if the sun shines upon it, just like that some people cannot attain ‘Nibbāna’ even by listening to Buddha’s preaching. In order to do this, one must have fulfilled the 10 perfections”

When Buddha was residing in Nālandā, he did a brief sermon showing ‘this is Paññā’, ‘this is Sīla’ and ‘this is Samādhi’. Similarly, in Kōti village, Nādika and Ambapali’s mango garden in Vesali, the same sermon has been given in brief. Since he did not have time for long Dhamma discussions, what he wanted to do was to remind the facts briefly under each topic.

Even in his last moments, The Buddha uttered everything that was barely possible to say without missing out on a single word. In the same manner, he perfected his every last responsibility. ‘Mahāparinibbāna Sutta’ evidences many examples to prove it. The story of ‘Subhadda Parivrajaka’ is special out of all these.

Now it happened that ‘Subhadda’ was staying near Kushinagar and, hearing that the Buddha was about to pass away, he resolved to go and see him. ‘Subhadda’ had a question he could not resolve and was sure that the Buddha could answer his question and clear his doubts. So ‘Subhadda’ went to the ‘sāla’ tree grove, and asked Venerable Ananda whether he could see the Buddha. But Venerable Ananda said, “Enough, friend ‘Subhadda’, the Buddha is very weary. Do not trouble him. “For a second and third time ‘Subhadda’ made his request and for the second and third time, venerable Ananda replied in the same manner.

However, the Buddha caught a word or two of the conversation between venerable Ananda and ‘Subhadda’, and called venerable Ananda to him, saying, “Come, Ananda. Do not keep ‘Subhadda’ from seeing me. Let him come. Whatever ‘Subhadda’ may ask of me, he will ask from a desire for knowledge and not to annoy me. And whatever I may say in answer to his questions, that he will quickly understand.”

Permission granted, ‘Subhadda’ approached the Buddha, and after greeting him, said, “Oh! Gotama, I have a problem to be solved.There are many ‘Sramanas’ and ‘Brahmanas’ such as ‘Makkhali Gosala’ and ‘Nigantanātha Putta’ who teach other teachings, different from yours. Do they all really know what they preach or aren’t they aware of what they teach?… or some of them aware of their teachings and some are not? This is my question.

 

“Subaddha, keep your question aside. Listen to me and pay close attention to what I say, and I will make known to you the truth”.

“Yes Sir” said ‘Subaddha’.

“In whatever the doctrine or teaching if the Noble Eightfold Path is not found, there will neither be found those who have attained ‘sotapanna’. As well there will be no on who have attained ‘sakadagami’, ‘anagami’ or ‘arahant’ (four levels of sainthood). But in those teachings where the Noble Eightfold Path is found, there also you will find ones who have attained ‘sotapanna’, ‘sakadagami’, ‘anagami’ and ‘arahant’. In this teaching of mine, is to be found the Noble Eightfold Path, and in it alone the ‘sotapanna’, ‘sakadagami’, ‘anagami’, and ‘arahant’ are found. Absence of any such ‘ārya’ in any of the Dhamma cannot be fruitful. As long as the Bhikkhus live according to the ‘Noble Eightfold Path’ this world will never be free of ‘arahath’.

The Buddha further said, “Subaddha, I ordained myself when I was twenty-nine, searching for the perfect knowledge. I have spent fifty-one years in my ordination. Until now I have never met any ascetic who at least follow a part of this ‘Noble Eightfold Path’. Therefore, Subaddha, the teachings which do not have at least a part of this ‘Noble Eightfold Path’ and Sramana at least who have attained ‘Sotapanna’ are futile. Subaddha I again insist you that as long as Bhikkhus follow the ‘Noble Eightfold Path’ the ‘sasana’ will not be in lack of ‘arahath’.

Now see, the Buddha only preached a few words to Subaddha. He accepted the teachings at full tilt and admitted to the order of monks. Here, the Buddha’s infinite and incomparable qualities are highlighted. The Buddha understood Subaddha’s thirst for knowledge. Therefore, he didn’t answer all of his questions in detail. He briefly taught his dhamma and its importance. The Buddha was collapsing at this time. But still, he allowed Subaddha to meet him. This is an example of great compassion. It is eternal. Always memorable.

Then Subhadda asked to be admitted to the order of monks and the Buddha granted his request. In this way Subhadda became the very last convert and disciple of the Buddha, just as Kondanna in the deer park at Benares was the first convert and disciple forty-five years earlier.

After listening to the Buddha’s Preaching, Subaddha said to Buddha, “Dear Venerable, this is perfect. It’s like turning an upside-down empty vessel upright, it’s like opening something that’s been closed, it’s like lighting oil lamps that can be seen even by the blind. Just like that, you preached dhamma in many ways. I take refuge of the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha. I will obtain higher ordination under the Buddha”.

Subaddha was an acetic. When ordaining an acetic, it is a usual practice for them to connect and work with the Bhikkhu Sangha for a period of 4 months before the ordination. After the aforementioned period of time, according to the ascetic’s behaviour, the other bhikkhus decide if he should be ordained. Even though that’s the case, Buddha also acknowledged Subaddha’s human qualities. Subaddha was ready to spend not only 4 months but even 4 years with the Bhikkhu Sangha in order to become a Bhikkhu. He said even said that to the Buddha. Therefore, without considering that Subaddha is an acetic, the Buddha said to Venerable Ananda, “Hence, Ananda you may ordain Subaddha”. Subaddha was ordained after that. Subaddha obtained higher ordination from the Buddha. Later, Subaddha became Buddha’s closest disciple.

Now see, the Buddha preached just a few words to Subaddha. Subaddha accepted it at full tilt. The Buddha understood Subaddha’s thirst for knowledge. Buddha understood subaddha’s honest nature. Therefore, Buddha didn’t go further with answering Subaddha’s questions. He briefly taught the difference of his Dhamma.  He taught the importance. Subaddha was satisfied by this. The Buddha was collapsing at this time. The Buddha could’ve simply asked the venerable Ananda to stop subaddha. But he did not do that. He let Subaddha come to him. This is a great resemblance to the Buddha’s great compassion. It is everlasting.

 

© Satipatthana Magazine

 

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