Meditation" /> " /> " /> " /> " /> " /> " /> " />Meditation for Beginners" />Overview #1The inaugural teaching which the Lord Buddha preached to the‘Group of Five’ was the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta.IntroductionAfter the Enlightenment which transformed Siddhattha Gotama into the Lord Buddha beneath the Bodhi tree on the banks of the River Neranjara, Bodhgaya on the full moon night of the month of Visakha (May), the Buddha sat further to absorb the bliss of his enlightenment and further to consider the dhamma which he had learned, for a period of another seven days before finishing his meditation. The Buddha then moved to continue his consideration of the Dhamma under the Ajapalanigrodha Tree for another seven days. The Buddha then spent another seven days doing the same underneath a Jik Tree. From there he spent another seven days underneath a ketaka Tree. Thus it was only twenty-eight days after his Enlightenment that he returned to sit beneath the Ajapalanigrodha Tree again. As the Lord Buddha was considering the Dhamma there the Brahma Sahampati and a retinue of 10,000 bade the Buddha to have compassion and to teach what he had known for the benefit of the be ings of the world. The Buddha surveyed the potential of the beings of the world to profit from what he had learned.He agreed to teach the Dhamma, but remained undecided as to exactly who he should teach first. Eventually, the Buddha decided to make the journey to teach the ‘Group of Five’ [pancavaggiya] who were residing at the Isipatana Deer Park close to Benares.The inaugural teaching which the Lord Buddha preached to the ‘Group of Five’ was the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta. The reason why the sutta was thus named, was because it was compared to a ‘royal chariot of Dhamma’ which the lord Buddha would use to transport the beings of the world out of the Cycle of Existence [uadda samsara] to the e3ternal safety of Nirvana with the Buddha himself at the reins.One indespensible component of such a chariot, necessary for it to reach its destination, would be its wheel [cakka]. Thus as the chariot was a ‘Dhamma chariot’ then the wheels would-be Dhamma wheel [dhammacakka].Any wheel has three important components: hub, spokes and rim. The Dhammacakka was also composed of these three cpmponents: the Lord Buddha compared the hub to the Thirty – seven Factors of Enlightenment;the spokes were compared to the Links of Dependent Origination, and the rim was compared to the Four Noble Truths.For as long as the components were separated, they could not be called a wheel. Just as, a skilled wheelwright can as semble the components to make a strong wheel ready to be put to work, the Buddha, through his preaching of the three groupings of Dhamma to the ‘Group of Five’, nd relating them, gave rise to a ‘Dhammacakka’ which would bear the practitioner towards benefit and ultimately liberation. There is no other spiritual teacher apart from the Buddha who could expound the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta to fulfil the same function.We find that after the Buddha had expounded the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta to the ‘Group of Five’ on this occasion, he never taught it again throughout the forty-five years of his dispensation – however, all the teaching which the Buddha gave during this time were simply expansions upon the details of the Sutta. Furthermore, it is well known to scholars, that the expounding of the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta is the traditional first sermon which is given not only by Gotama Buddha, but every Buddha down the ages.The Main Issues of the Dhammacakkapavattana SuttaThe Recording of the Dhammacakkapavattana SuttaThe Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta which is recorded for us in the Buddhist Scriptures, is preserved for us by Ananda who when he accepted the post of personal attendant to the Buddha, did so on the condition that if the Buddha should give any teachings in his absence, then those teachings should be repeated to him at a later date.The Main Issues of the Dhammacakkapavattana SuttaAfter the Buddha had developed the wish to transport the beings of the world out of the cycle of existence to the shores of Nirvana, each of his teachings, whether shout or long, is given with the intention of leading the listener to the attainment of Nirvana. In the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta, further to the clarification of the profitable path of practice, the Buddha stipulates paths of practice that are unprofitable and might even be harmful. The Buddha is able to exp;ain the dangers of these other paths because, He himself had practiced all three paths of practice, namely: sensual-indulgence [kamasukhallikanuyoga]; 2. Self-mortification [attakilamathanuyoga], and; 3. The Middle Way be tween these two extremes [majjhima patipada].1. The Path of Sensual IndulgenceThe path of sensual pleasure [kamasukhallikanuyoga], is to seek for pleasures through the channels of the five outer senses: eyes, ears, nose, mouth and physical contact. Such pleasures reduce the seeker to worldly mundaneness. The more you let your mind be influenced by sense pleasures the more defilements will accrus in the mind, in just the same way that the brightness of the sun can be covered up by clouds, defilements will cover up the innate brightness of the mind, and cripple its ability to perceive [magganana] the fetters that hold the mind back from Enlightenment or the wisdom to know the Sadhamma to the appoint of attaining transcendental [lokuttara] attainments.The path of sense pleasure fools the beings of the world into being contented with delusion, making them have to endure endless suffering in the Cycle of Existence. The Buddha taught us that the path of sense pleasure is sordid, worldly (i.e. for those still defiled), without benefit, ignoble, inappropriate for monks (because it is no path to release from defilements). These conclusions came from the supreme wisdom of the Lord Buddha.2. The Path of Self-MortificationAccording to the Buddha, the practice of self-mortification [attakilamathanuyoga] is fruitless. He said that it is not a practice in keeping with the tenets of Buddhism because the way in which defilements are purportedly removed are by practices of physical self-denial such as lying on a heap of thorns, burning oneself in the sun, burning oneself in front of a fire, beating one’s shins with a piece of wood, walking around under the weight of a burden of sand or severe fasting. Some eat only fruit or pickled vegetables, or the tips of rice grains, rice alone or rice husks. Lying on a heap of thorns produces such pain that all thoughts of sexual pleasure dis-appear temporarily. However, such practitioners, misunderstand that they have rid themselves of their defilements. Roasting oneself in the sun or in front of the fire, certainly burns the practitioner making them forget temporarily about the pleasures of the senses, and making them misunderstand that they have overcome their defilements. Some beat their shins each time they have a sensual thought and the shock makes them forget their desires temporarily. Some carry sand until they have built a huge sand heap and their tiredness seems to keep their desires in check. Eating insufficient food weakens the body to a pint where there doesn’t seem to be any further sensual desire.Because only temporary respite from craving can be found by such practices, the Buddha taught that such practices are fruitless the practice of fools who claim wisdom the practice of those with False View. Such practices are of no benefit, and they are certainly not the practice of the Noble Ones. Therefore they are not practices suitable for monks because they do not lead to liberation from defilements. These conclusions came from the supreme wisdom of the Lord Buddha." /> " />
Overview #1
[ 14 ม.ค. 2555 ] - [ 18259 ]
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