PART IV

(Delivered on the full moon day and 15th, waning of  Kason, 1329 M.E.)

My last lecture relates to the subject of meditation on the five aggregates of clinging with reference to the three marks of anicca, etc., to be applied to it in the eleven ways suggested by Buddha. In the present lecture I propose to say something about Jhæna Sutta of Nava Nipæta in A³guttara Nikæya wherein it has been shown that, when a Bhikkhu arises from his first jhænic trance, it is usual for him to look back in retrospect the five khandhas operating at the time of the trance from the point of view of impermanence in the eleven aspects that have just been mentioned.

JHÆNA SUTTA

An extract from Jhæna Sutta runs thus:

            A Bhikkhu who abides in the first jhæna dissociates himself from sensuality and immorality with due reflection and investigation (of the mind and matter) and establishes himself in joy or pøti. After rising from the trance, he contemplates also matter, feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness which operated during his trance with the realization that they are impermanent and conducive to suffering, very much like a disease, a festering sore, or a thorn in the side, tending to produce unwholesome actions, as ungovernable as an utter stranger, as troublesome as ague, catastrophic, egoless and void. He therefore reviles from them and brings himself together to the element of Nibbæna where all mental formations cease to operate, where all substrata of existence come to an end, where all cravings are abandoned and where all sensual desires are exterminated. His mind now dwells upon the reality, peace and transcendentality of Nibbæna. As he thus meditates he reaches the final stage of Fruition (Arahatta-phala) where all æsavas, moral depravities are uprooted.

In substance this passage means that a Bhikkhu who has arisen from the jhænic trance reflects on the five aggregates of clinging that persisted even in his jhænic mood with an awareness of the eleven aspects of anicca. The Bhikkhu meditated with jhana citta or the mind bent on jhæna while he was in his jhænic state. When he rose from it to revert to the state of an ordinary individual, he meditated with mindfulness bent on vipassanæ citta or insight which can be acquired through kæma kusala, wholesome actions appertaining to a man of the sensual world, It means that the jhænic Bhikkhu exercises jhæna citta and the ordinary Bhikkhu exercises kæma citta.

The Commentaries give an explanation to the passage, “to bring oneself to the element of Nibbæna,” that occurs in Jhæna Sutta as follows:

            A yogø may get inclined to Nibbæna through hearsay, or through a proper study of the scriptures or through the acquisition of Paññatti or conventional knowledge without being able to appreciate the fact that Nibbæna is peace par excellence. But intuitively he may have come to know the characteristic of Nibbæna. A bhikkhu established in the knowledge of Nibbæna means that bhikkhu who has established himself in insight through insight-meditation keeping the Three Marks of Anicca, etc., as his mind-object. Arahatta Magga, the Noble Path fructifies when the four Ariya maggas are accomplished in their correct order.

Here the mind becomes bent on Nibbæna when the yogø gets truly convinced of the unwholesomeness of all Sa³khæras or mental formations and when he tries to get away from them and embrace Nibbæna, encouraged by the knowledge of the Path. It must also be noted here that one cannot gain the knowledge of the Path without the practice of insight-meditation.

ANICCA SUTTA

I shall now tell you what Anicca Sutta of Khandhavagga Saµyutta has to say about meditation that leads to the enlightenment of Nibbæna ñæ¼a, knowledge of the khandhas as being disgusting:

            O bhikkhus! Matter is impermanent; feeling is impermanent; perception is impermanent; mental formations are impermanent; and consciousness is impermanent. When one gains conviction in the impermanent nature of these aggregates of mind and matter, one develops revulsion in them, getting bored and disgusted with matter, feeling, perceptions, mental formations and consciousness. Disgust generates desire to get liberated from human passions. In the absence of passions a yogø comes to the realization that he has become emancipated. So he now says: “There will be no new becoming for me; I have become accomplished in the noble con-duct of the Ariyas, Worthy Ones; all there is to be done has been done and nothing remains undone.”

These are the words of Buddha when he was explaining the dhamma relating to Paccavekkha¼æ ñæ¼a, knowledge of self-appreciation.

Disgust is developed when one meditates on the khandhas and gains intuition that they are all void and useless. Yet some would like to belittle insight-meditation by maintaining that since one has understood impermanency, it is all superfluity to meditate upon it. Such a way of thinking cannot lead one to Nibbæna ñæ¼a which eradicates passions and paves the way to the Path.

In the Khandhavagga, Dukkha Sutta and Anatta Sutta follow Anicca Sutta, and the same observations apply.

IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT DISGUST MUST BE DEVELOPED

            Disgust can be truly developed only when the faults and foibles of the khandhas are fully realized. Those living in the dry zone are oblivious to the unfavourable conditions under which they live. Only when thirst and hunger assault them as a result of drought, they realize their shortcomings and leave the place in disgust. All sentient beings are usually pleased with their bodies of the khandhas that they cling to them without giving any thought to the three marks of Anicca, Dukkha and Anatta. They lack conviction and faith in the teaching. For them the road to Nibbæna is closed.

IGNORANCE OF UPÆDÆNAKKHANDHæS

Everyday we are seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting or touching sense-objects. But we rarely meditate on them mindful of the law of Anicca, etc. We read in the scriptures about them, no doubt; but we hardly know that seeing, hearing, etc., make up Upædænakkhandhæs.

So we take permanence for impermanence, pain for pleasure and substantiality for unsubtantiality. We think that this is a world of Nicca, sukha and Atta. Belabouring under such notions we fail to arrive at Nibbidæ ñæ¼a and Magga ñæ¼a, knowledge of the Path.

SENSE OF DISGUST MOTIVATED BY INSIGHT KNOWLEDGE

When insight knowledge is gained, one becomes weary of the burden of the khandhas. When one’s power of concentration gets stronger and stronger through the practice of insight meditation, one becomes fully aware of the fact that the Rþpa, the object, that is known arises and passes away along with Næma, the subject, that knows, and that the former is the cause while the latter is the effect. This phenomenon of continual arising and passing away is transience and spells misery or ill. As no agency can control or govern it, what we consider as the self is after all unsubstantial and void. This knowledge indicates the dawn of reason or the birth of the investigative tendency called Sammæsana ñæ¼a.

As the yogø continues to practice meditation, he will personally experience the reality of the existence of fleeting moments during which the rise and fall of the Khandhas take place with singular speed, revealed by lights and colours that thrill him with a sense of Pøti, joy. But both his body and mind are at peace while remaining alert all the time. Memories and perceptions arise in him at break-neck speed. This condition is apparent when he gets to the stage of Udayabbaya ñæ¼a, knowledge of the rise and fall of the aggregates of mind and matter.

Having mastered this knowledge, the yogø leaves aside Pøti and goes on with his meditation till he clearly sees in his mind’s eye the phenomenon of origination and dissolution of the aggregates, especially the speedy dissolution of the noting mind and the noted object together in pairs. At this stage he may be noting the rise and fall of his belly without being aware of the belly. In the same manner when he meditates upon the act of walking, extending or stretching his limbs, he is unaware of the shape of his limbs or the manner of his movements. Now he has gained Bha³ga ñæ¼a, knowledge of dissolution of the aggregates, here represented by his noting mind and the noted object, Æramma¼aka and Æramma¼a respectively. This stage of knowledge is described in Visuddhi magga as follows:

            Nane tikkhe vahante sa³khæresu lahum upatthahantesu uppædam væ thitim væ pavattam væ nimittam væ nasampæpunæti, khayavayabheda nirodheyeva sati santitthati.

            (When Bha³ga ñæ¼a arises) the intellect is rendered so sharp that its performance appears to be almost automatic in setting volitional activities in motion in all clarity, under which circumstance the mind skips over the Uppada stage of origination, the Pavatta stage of establishment and the Nimitta stage of imprinting imagery of the phenomenal world and assimilates only its destruction, decay and disintegration.

When Udayabbaya ñæ¼a arises, Uppada, origination of Næma and Rþpa becomes clear and evident. When Sammanasana ñæ¼a arises, Thiti, static stage of the thought-process, presents itself clearly as a result of the law of continuity, notwithstanding its recognition of the nature of impermanence of mind and matter. But in the beginning, just before coming to this stage of investigating knowledge only Pavatta or establishment of the phenomenon is rendered obvious as the rise and fall of the aggregates are yet to be experienced. Here, however, even Nimitta, imagery of the phenomenon, can be seen. But when Bha³ga ñæ¼a arises, neither the origination nor the establishment nor the imagery are clear. What is clear now is only dissolution every time the phenomenon is noted. This agrees with the personal experience gained by the yogøs. This shows that Visuddhi Magga, written 1,500 years before has stood the test of time.

The following brief passage occurs in Patisambhidæ Magga:

            Ærammanañca patisa³khæ, bha³ganca anupassati; sunato ca upatthænam, adhipaññævipassanæ.

            Having got enlightened on the dissolution with regard to the mind-object, a yogø continues meditating on the dissolution of mind that takes note of the object. He then comes to the realization that all Sa³khæras, mental formations are empty and void. This realization is the highest form of insight-knowledge.

Here the idea of self is totally wiped out by the knowledge of dissolution. When all dhammas are known to decay at any time, fear sets in. The knowledge of that fear is Bhæya ñæ¼a. This prompts one to arrive at the knowledge of the five aggregates of clinging as evil, and this knowledge is called Ædinava ñæ¼a. When one looks at them in disgust, Nibbidæ ñæ¼a operates. When this sense of revulsion is developed one abandons all desire to keep them as one’s own possession One looks forward to dispensing with them altogether. This knowledge as regards the wish to escape from the shackles of the khandhas is called Muncitukamyatæ ñæ¼a.

If you really want to escape from the burden of the khandhas you must make further endevours in the practice of meditation. In fact you must make a special effort to reflect on the contemplation of the five aggregates of clinging as subject to the law of Anicca, Dukkha and Anatta; and this knowledge of reflection is called Patisa³khæ ñæ¼a. When this knowledge becomes strengthened, a sense of equanimity towards all conditioned-things will be developed; and it is called Sa³kharupekkhæ ñæ¼a. Visuddhi Magga comments on this with the parable of fisherman.

THE FISHERMAN AND HIS CATCH

While fishing a fisherman caught something big in his trap. Much delighted with the catch, he put his hand in the trap and grappled it. When he withdrew his hand, he discovered that he had caught a big snake by the neck which had three marks by which its poisonous nature is to be known. Much alarmed, he attempted at throwing away the poisonous snake; but it would be dangerous to throw it away under the conditions obtaining. So he waved it three times over his head and flung it away. As it was flying in the air he ran for his life.

A yogø, unaware of the Three Marks of Anicca, etc., as he meditates on his seeing, hearing, etc., considers the phenomenal world as pleasant and delightful. He is very much like that fisherman who was pleased with his catch which he thought was a fish. Then the yogø discovers that what he thinks as pleasurable are subject to the Three Marks of impermanence, suffering and unsubstantiality, he gets much frightened as the fisherman grappling the snake by the neck which has tell-tale marks of poison. Suddenly he sees the light of reason. Firstly he realizes his mistake. Then he becomes disgusted with his body of the aggregates of mind and matter. He wants to fling it away, if that be possible.

If you want to escape from evil recognizing it as evil, it is imperative that you must practise insight meditation with reference to the Three Marks of Anicca etc. If you are misled into the belief that contemplation of the Three Marks are superfluous since you have understood already, you can never reach the stage of Muncitukamyata ñæ¼a without which emancipation is not possible.

The kinds of insight that I have enumerated are in accordance with what has been expounded in Patisambhidæ Magga.

MEDITATION LEADING TO THE STATE OF A SOTÆPANNA

Meditation on the five aggregates of clinging, keeping an eye on the eleven aspects of the characteristics of impermanence, as pointed out throughout this discourse, leads the yogø to the path and fruition pertaining to a stream-winner. When insight grows into sa³khærupekkhæ ñæ¼a, equanimity of the mind is established which looks at all volitional activities with indifference -- unaffected by either pleasant or unpleasant objects. On reaching this stage of knowledge the arising and passing away of objects just come up naturally to the meditator who needs no special effort to make to note them. They may be good or bad, but that does not matter to him. He can note them at a stretch of an hour or two just as every phenomenon occurs. The mind, mellowed by equanimity, is quick to assimilate all phenomena and aligns himself with the peace-element of Nibbæna to abide in the path of a stream-winner which, in course of time, fructifies. Both magga and phala are now duly accomplished and the yogø becomes a fully-fledged sotæpanna.

WHAT MILINDA PAÑÑÆ SAYS

The following is what Milinda Paññæ has to say about the matter.

            The mind of a yogø who cultivates attentiveness progressively functions beyond the continuum of repeated occurrences to enter into a state where such occurrences are absent. When this state of non-arising is achieved, the yogø sees Nibbæna.

When sa³khærupekkhæ ñæ¼a gets strengthened, the yogø gets to the next stage of anuloma ñæ¼a, knowledge of adaptation to Nibbæna, in its vigorous form. After that he gains the knowledge of the Path and its Fruition when he becomes a sotæpanna, the fundamental stage which Særiputtaræ explained to Ko¥¥hika Thera.

TO SMASH THE CORE OF KILESÆ

Visuddhi Magga says that once the mind adverts to the element of Nibbænic peace, defilements, kilesæ, disintegrate, although ordinarily such defilements as greed, anger and ignorance are unbreakable like iron or steel. When a worldling comes face to face with pleasant things, he wants to possess them, and thereby greed arises. But when he comes into contact with unpleasantness, he develops revulsion accompanied by resentment. Ignorance, on the other hand, deludes him into thinking that what is wholesome is not wholesome and vice versa. Here in passing, let me point the impropriety of giving charity publicized by entertainments of music and dancing. The donor may feel gratified with this manner of alms-giving; but it leads to unwholesome actions like developing greed and covetousness. It must be borne in mind also that when greed arises, anger accompanies it. When desire develops, the greedy person becomes highly possessive and if he fails to get what he wants he becomes angry. Greed usually gives him the impression that everything is permanent, nicca, delightful, sukkha, and substantial, atta.

Observance of morals can do away with defilements caused by words and deeds; but it cannot wipe out greed, anger and ignorance inherent in one’s mind. It is only through meditation that a yogø can dispel them. Even then it is hard to get rid of atta di¥¥hi, view of self. Nøvara¼as, obstructions, like lust, ill-will, etc., may also be conquered by a meditating yogø but this conquest can be achieved only when he has attained jhæna and remains in the state of jhæna. Attachment to wrong views and desire for existence can be very persistent. They cannot be easily shaken off and so they dwell even in the minds of those achieving jhæna or attaining the status of a Bræhma. Samatha, concentration, cannot extinguish anger, greed and ignorance; only Vipassanæ can.

VIRTUES OF SATIPA¿¿ÆNA MAGGA

Meditation on the aggregates with due regard to the Three Marks of anicca, etc can eradicate all tendencies to defilements called anusayas. But even then it can hardly can do away with that kind of disposition inherent in the concept of continuity called santænænusaya. Only Ariya Magga (Noble Path) can wipe it out. Hence the saying that Sotæpatti Magga (Stream-winning Path) can break the rocks of defilements. But here defilements refer to sakkæya di¥¥hi, view of individuality, vicikiccæ, doubt, and sølabbataparæmæsa, false religious practices, that pave the way to the world of miserable existence.

If a yogø continue practising insight meditation, he will always be mindful of all compound things as being made up of næma and rþpa and nothing else. This means that there is no living substance called atta. But if he neglects to meditate, the view of self will recur leading him to the wrong belief in the existence a spiritual being. Perhaps, this belief may be absent in the present existence, but it may re-assert itself later in the next existence. This cannot happen when he attains the Path of sotæpanna.

A sotæpanna is firmly established in the faith. Since he has acquired wisdom through personal practice and experience, he recognizes rþpa and næma as the cause and effect respectively of the phenomenal world, always subjected to the law of anicca, etc. The more he realizes the nature of conditioned things the more his faith in the Enlightened One grows, and when ultimately he visualizes Nibbæna, his faith in Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha becomes unshakable.

When all doubts about the three gems are dispelled, he develops confidence in the practice of søla, morality, samædhi, concentration, and paññæ, knowledge.

Now he has become established in right conduct, doing away with all false religious practices which negate søla, samædhi and paññæ as well as the Noble Eightfold Path. He now disdains the teaching that agelessness and deathlessness can be achieved when he goes to heaven without the advantage of the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path.

Sølabbataparæmæsa relates to cattle-practice and dog-practice and other practices that imitate animal behaviour. It also includes the worship of nats and devas, the king of the devas, and those who are believed to be creators like Brahmæs in the fond hope that they can liberate mankind from sorrows and miseries and give it happiness. These religious practices teach that the mind should be kept at rest without over-burdening it with insight-meditation which enlightens one with the Four Noble Truths. The mind at “rest” they maintain, gains peace. Not discovering the right conduct, worldlings go after false teachers and accept their teachings. The term for a worldling is puthujana which means many teachers. Not exactly, knowing who a true teacher is, a worldling goes in search of one among many whom he encounters. But a sotæpanna knows the true Teacher and his Teaching and rejects all false religious practices which negate Vipassanæ and merely looks askance at sølabbataparæmæsa.

At the time of Buddha there was a devotee by the name of Visækha. Her father-in-law worshipped naked heretics. Once he threw a feast for his pseudo-saints and invited his daughter-in-law also to the feast. When she discovered that they were all false, she left them in disgust, saying, “Fie upon you!”

Sotæpanna are free from the bonds of false views, doubts and false religious practices. This is according to the Pæ¹i canon. The commentaries go further than that and say that they are free from the bond of macchariya, envy.

THE PATH DRIES UP THE OCEAN OF SAºSÆRA

Visuddhi magga says that the Path, Sotæpatti magga, dries up the ocean of saµsæra, the endless round of suffering, beside bringing down the stone-wall of greed asunder. The word “endless” denotes that the rounds have no beginning. This means that saµsæra has a long, long last; and so far we have not yet been able to alienate ourselves from it. That we cannot help. But we must try to cut it off so that it cannot arise in future. If we fail to do so, it will create endless suffering for times to come. It can only be arrested with the practice of the Noble Path. The volume of water on the ocean can be measured, but the magnitude of saµsæra is immeasurable. If, therefore, the Path is not realized now, the saµsæra will flow on!

Unwholesome actions pave the way to Apæya, abode of miseries. Of all sufferings, suffering in that abode is the worst. The commentaries say that it is the hearth and home of evil-doers who are always negligent of the dhamma. They may leave their hearth and home for a time, as if going out for a brief visit elsewhere; but eventually they return to their original hovel. A sotæpanna has nothing to worry about such miserable habitat for he has only seven existences to go, after which he will arrive at Nibbæna.

There is a saying that for an Ariya accomplished in the Path, all gates to apæya are closed. No doubt a sotæpanna cannot be held to have discarded greed, anger and ignorance altogether, but still he has closed all doors to unwholesome actions. Hence the following points are given as a gist of what has been said.

1. A sotæpanna realizes that there is no atta but næma and rþpa.

2. He never doubts about the three gems of Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha.

3. With him the ocean of the rounds of suffering has been rendered dry.

4. All doors to the four apæyas are closed to him.

THE WEALTH OF THE NOBLE ONES

            The Noble Path brings wealth to the Noble Ones, and there are seven kinds of them. But their wealth is unlike the material wealth of mankind. A gardener’s wealth is his vegetables, and a jeweller’s his gold and precious stones. They are very useful to them throughout their lives and for that matter, they are very pleased with them. But when they die they cannot carry them away to their next existences. Their usefulness ends with their demise. Such material wealth pales into insignificance when compared to the spiritual or moral wealth of the Noble Ones which proves beneficial to them throughout their rounds of existence. Possessing it, they know not suffering; and this absence of suffering constitutes the highest form of happiness for those who have become sotæpannas.

The seven kinds of wealth of the Ariyas are enumerated below:

            Saddhædhænam søladhænam, høri otappiyam dhæ-nam; sutadhanamca cagoca, paññæ ve sattænam dhæ-nam; iassa ete dhana atthi, I¥¥hiyæ purisassa væ. adalid-doti tam æhu, amogham tassa jøvitam.

            Faith, morality, sense of shame (to do evil), fear (of doing evil), knowledgeableness, good conduct, and wisdom are the seven categories of wealth possessed by the Noble Ones. Those possessing such wealth, whether men or women, are to be considered as rich. Their lives are worth living.

Faith in the three gems or Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha is made possible by Sotæpatti Magga. This subject has been dealt earlier.

Regarding morality, søla, the scriptures say that a layman observing the five precepts can prosper in life and can never be committed to the four apæyas hereafter. His life would be all the more ennobled if he observes eight or ten precepts. With sotæpannas the five precepts are never broken, and so there is no occasion for him to go down to the world of misery. In the course of his teachings, Buddha has said that one who has established his faith in the three gems of Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, having accomplished himself in morality, may declare himself as a sotæpanna.

Høri, sense of shame, and ottappa, fear, are two wholesome dispositions of mind that guide people towards absolute purity. One possessing these two virtues would hesitate to do evil or commit crimes. Such a one will be regarded as abstaining from evil actions or ducaritas that bring about akusala kammas, unwholesome actions.

Knowledge, suta, is of two kinds, one derived from what one hears at second hand from others and the other at first hand from his own personal observation. A yogø in the habit of practicing dhamma is deemed to have possessed both kinds of knowledge.

Cæga, charitableness or good conduct, is usually practised by all Buddhists either in a humble or a generous way. A sotæpanna practises it freely and without restraint, giving away all that he has to his fellow men endowed with morality. This virtue of a sotæpanna has been explained at length in my discourse entitled “To Nibbæna via the Noble Eightfold Path” and Saranøya Dhamma”.

Wisdom, paññæ, is the seventh attribute of a satæpanna and it is of three kinds, namely, wisdom gained from what one hears from others, wisdom derived from the exercise of one’s intellect, and wisdom derived from bhævanæ, mind-culture.

Lay devotees, whether male or female, who possess the seven noble attributes shown herein, are held to be wealthy although they may be materially poor. Such wealth always proves beneficial to them.

THE STORY OF SUPPABUDDHA

At the time of Buddha there was a leper born with untold suffering. When his mother conceived him, she was afflicted with starvation. When he was born she had to beg both for herself and for her newly-born baby. But when he came of age she abandoned him giving him her begging bowl. So the leper wandered the street a-begging in the day and sleeping at night whimpering because of his disease. This so disturbed his neighbours that they named him Suppabuddha--the man who awakens others at night.

He became miserable in this existence because in one of his previous existences he maligned a Paccekabuddha, non-preaching Buddha, saying, “who is that leper roaming on the streets wearing rags?” This unwholesome action gave him unwholesome result, and he was reborn time and again in the nether worlds to be returned to earth in the present existence as a leprous beggar.

One day he met a gathering listening to the sermon delivered by the Buddha as he made his daily round for alms-food. At first he thought that the crowd had gathered because some one was throwing a feast to passers-by. But discovering that it was an informal religious meeting, he gave a respectful ear to the preaching when Buddha deliberately selected a discourse that suited to the beggar’s intelligence, knowing that he possessed potentialities that would go to make him see the light of the dhamma. As a result of this Suppabuddha attained Sotæpatti magga, the path of a stream-winner.

He thus became a stream-winner for two reasons. Firstly he had reached the stage of perfection that stood him in good stead for the realization of the path and its fruition, and, secondly, he had been moved by saµvega, feelings of fright or repentance for previous misdeeds. People in affluence are seldom so agitated by this sense of fright, and so their faith is weak.

He trailed behind Buddha to go the monastery and left him in the end to go his own way. Meantime the king of devas had come down to earth with intent to test the faith. “Look here, Suppabuddha,” he said, “if only you do what I say I will cure you of your disease and make you rich. Say that Gotama is not really enlightened and that his teachings false, and that his sanghas are spurious. If you just declare that you will have none of them, I will give you all the riches that you want.”

Coming to know the stranger as the King of devas, Suppabuddha was very much mortified and said. “You, the King of devas, are foolish and unabashed. It is not worthy of me to get into conversation with you. You say that I am poor. But possessing the seven kinds of wealth of the Noble One, I am indeed the richest man on earth.

The King of devas left him and went to the monastery and related the incident to the Buddha who told him that he would never be able to shake the faith of Suppabuddha.

After this incident Suppabuddha was gored to death by a stray cow. This was due to his bad Kamma or actions. In one of his previous existences he was the son of a rich man. He and his three companions killed a prostitute for her money after they had had their pleasure. The dying woman swore that she would be avenged in the existences to come. Whenever the four miscreants got reborn as men, she appeared as an ogre eating them up one by one.

Now it so happened that Suppabuddha was reborn a man along with his friends, Pukkusæti, Daruciriya and Tambadæthika, while the ogre was also reborn as a cow. She gored them to death one by one under different circumstances.

I would like to point out in parenthesis that the woman’s vengeance was to her own disadvantage, for Kamma-results would overtake her throughout her future existences. But for the four who were gored to death they are to be considered as fortunate, in ordinary parlance, for Daruciya entered parinibbæna as an Arahat, while Pukkusæti became a Brahma in Suddavæsa, destined to become an Arahat later, whereas Tambadæthika became a deva in Tusitæ. Suppabuddha who died a sotæpanna was reborn in Tavatimsæ, released from suffering as a leprous beggar of this human world. Had he not met this kind of fate, he would have to continue to be miserable throughout his life as a beggar.

WHY SUPPABUDDHA BECAME A DEVA

Udæna Pæ¹i Text gives reasons for Suppabuddha being transported to Tavatimsæ on his death. Having heard Buddha’s teachings, he became established in faith, morality, knowledge, charitableness and wisdom. So after his demise he was reborn in a better and nobler plane of existence. The Commentaries elaborate on this points, mentioning his great faith in the Three Gems and defining Cæga as contributory to the abandonment of defilements and cessation of volitional activities, and Paññæ as wisdom leading to insight knowledge.

Faith, morality, knowledge, charitableness and wisdom are, therefore, the five wholesome actions that lead Suppabuddha to the abode of devas. But my personal view is that insight, Vipassanæ, might have played a larger part in his destiny, for it can bring about cessation of suffering. How is this cessation brought about? When a yogø meditates, mindful of Anicca, Dukkha and Anatta, all attachments to the idea of permanence, pleasure and substantiality subside, as insight eradicates all tendencies to defilements. when defilements are done away with, wholesome or unwholesome actions have no opportunity to arise. In Suppabuddha’s case the wholesome Cetanæ or volition in the exercise of insight meditation determines his destiny for Sugati bhava, a higher and better form of existence.

GOTRABHÞ CETANÆ

Gotrabhþ cetanæ is that kind of volition which inclines towards the Path, its Fruition and Nibbæna. (Gotrabhþ transcends the Sense Sphere lineage to aspire to the sublime lineage.) In Vipassanæ it is the highest stage of knowledge which can bring about the most exalted Kamma-results. Suppabuddha was reborn a deva because of his Gotrabhþ cetanæ.

When he gained his place in Tævatimsæ, he was more powerful than other devas who preceded him by dint of their wholesome actions done outside the domain of Buddhasæsanæ. As envy got the better of them, the veterans made unfavourable remarks about the new arrival saying that he was only a leprous baggar in his former existence. The King of devas restrained them saying that Suppabuddha was superior to them because he was accomplished in morality, knowledge, charitableness and wisdom. I hope the story about him would encourage the yogøs to try to accumulate wholesome actions through the practice of insight-meditation.

A SOTÆPANNA IS NOBLER THAN A BRAHMA

Buddha has said:

Pathabya karajjena,
saggassa gamanena væ.
Sabbalokædhipaccena,
sotæpattiphalam varam.

            The life of a Sotæpanna is far nobler than that of a Universal Monarch, or of a deva or a Brahma, or of the King of all Brahmas.

For fuller details on this subject please refer to my discourse, “On the Nature of Nibbæ³a” I conclude by drawing your attention to the fact that knowledge leading to Sotæpanna magga (1) rends asunder all defilements, (2) dries up the ocean of Saµsæra. (3) closes all doors to Apæya and (4) endows one with the seven kinds of wealth befitting an Ariya, the Noble One.

May you all attain to the state of Nibbana as quickly as possible by virtue of your practice of insight-meditation in accordance with the teachings of the Enlightened One regarding meditation on the five aggregates of clinging in relation to the three marks of Anicca, Dukkha and Anatta.

Sadhu!          Sadhu!          Sadhu!