Namo Buddahassa: Honour to the Fully Enlightened One. Homage to him, the Great Omniscient Sage Who spread the net of rays of his Good Law-His message true. Long may they shed their radiance over the world.

FOREWORD

            This book is the translation by U On Pe, a well-known Burmese writer, of the Venerable (Aggamahæpa¼ðita) Mahæsi Sayædaw’s discourse on Hemavata sutta. According to tradition, Hemavata Sutta belongs to a place between Dhammacakka Sutta and Anattalakkha¼a Sutta in chronological order. Although it is   not as famous as these two suttas, it is no less valuable to those who seek truth and wish to gain knowledge about Lord Buddha and his teachings.

            It will not be out of place to mention briefly the circumstances under which the preparation of the original book started. At one time the Venerable Mahæsi Sayædaw delivered a series of sermons on Dhammacakka Sutta at the request of his disciples. The sermons contained a lot of information about the sutta and its practical application and left a deep impression on the listeners. As one of the fortunate person who had heard the talks, I had them tape-recorded and finally with the approval of the Sayædaw the discourse was published. Now the book is being translated into English for the benefit of non-Burmese reading public.

            At the instance of the Venerable Ashin Vannita who helped me in preparing the book on Dhammacakka Sutta, I requested the Venerable Mahæsø Sayædaw for a discourse on Hemavata sutta. The Venerable Sayædaw kindly consented and gave a series of talks at the beginning of the Burmese new year in 1963 at the Mahæsi meditation centre when it was crowded with practising yogøs, including a host high of school and college students. Six sermons were tape recorded, transcribed, then submitted to the venerable Sayædaw and came out in print in 1973.

            As the work of the learned Venerable Mahæsø Sayædaw, the discourse on Hemavata sutta is a highly informative and illuminating talk on Buddha-Dhamma in a language so clear and simple that it can understood by Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. The discourse contains interesting stories and remarkable maxims in stanzas that can be easily memorized by the reader. Above all, the erudition and wisdom underlying the whole discourse will undoubtedly help the reader to understand Dhamma and its taste which excels all other tastes. As the Buddha repeatedly says in Vinaya, A³guttaranikæya and Udæna, “As the great ocean has but one taste, that of salt, so has this Dhamma and Discipline but one taste, the taste of Freedom.”

            In conclusion, as the saying goes, “the proof of the pudding is in the eating of it”, and the reader will judge for himself and enjoy the taste of the Dhamma in the present work. The discourse provides practical lessons that will be immensely beneficial to all spiritual aspirants regardless of sex, race, nationality, status or occupation. We wish this book, the first of its kind on the subject in English language a thorough success. May all beings attain the ariyan path and insight as pointed out in this work and achieve liberation and peace in Nibbæna, the abode of the arahantas and the Buddhas.

U Thein Han, B.A,. B.L.
(Mahæsø Yogø)
Buddha Sæsana Nuggaha Organization
Yangon.