THE FOLLOWING THREE ARE THE MAJOR CONSTITUENTS OF DHAMMA:
The first constituent of Dhamma is morality, i.e.
righteousness. Nearly all followers of various sects and doctrines prevailing
during that time accepted the importance of morality.
when the Dhamma ambassadors of the Buddha set out on
their journeys to spread his teachings and they first asked people to observe
precepts of morality, there was no opposition to it from any quarter. These
Dhamma ambassadors must have taught them that the thought of doing wholesome or
unwholesome actions first arises in the mind. Then it gets manifested as deeds
of speech and body. None of the wise men might have had any difficulty in
accepting this truth also. For living a virtuous life, one has to certainly
avoid committing misdeeds of body and speech. Although it is very necessary, it
is very hard to free the mind from misdeeds.
It might not have been difficult for a common man of that
time to understand that mind precedes all phenomena. All phenomena spring from
mind. Mind matters most which is chief, and therefore everything is mind-made
– Mano-pubbangama dhamma, mano-settha,
manomaya. It is necessary to purify the mind for purifying oneself. An action
of speech or body performed with an impure mind is a misdeed, which harms one
and also others. Similarly, an action performed with a pure mind is virtuous
action beneficial to one and also to others. When the mind gets defiled the
actions of body and speech also get defiled and their consequences cause
suffering. As it is said –
“Manasa ce padutthena, bhasati va karoti va; Tato nam
dukkhamanveti, cakkam'va vahato padam.”
-- If with an impure mind one performs any action of
speech or body, then suffering follows that person as the cartwheel follows the
foot of the draught animal. Similarly – When the mind is pure the actions of
body and speech also become naturally pure and their results lead to happiness.
“Manasa ce pasannena, bhasati va karoti va; Tato nam
sukhamanveti, chaya'va anapayini.”
-- If with a pure mind one performs any action of speech
or body, then happiness follows that person as a shadow that never departs.
When these ambassadors of the Buddha taught people the
way to become righteous by attaining control over their minds, then their
actions of speech and body naturally became virtuous. Shadow that never
departs.
2. Concentration of mind (Samadhi) –
It is necessary to attain control over mind for purifying
one's actions of body and speech. When the mind is under control then only one
can avoid committing misdeeds and tend to perform virtuous actions. For
achieving concentration of mind observation of sila is a necessary condition.
Most of the Indians of those days gave importance to the
attainment of control over mind and for this adopted several measures, some of
which are still prevalent. For example-everyone has his own deity or god or
goddess whom he reveres. He recites his or her name repeatedly so that he/she
is pleased and makes his mind concentrated. However, this way of attaining
concentration is not universal but sectarian because his/her god or goddess is
not universally accepted by all.
The Dhamma sons of the Buddha did not seem to have
created any controversy by contradicting such beliefs of the people. But,
gradually this truth was established in their minds that one's liberation is in
one's own hands. Instead of concentrating the mind and purifying it by taking
support of anyone else, they must have realized that an individual is one's own
master, who else can be his master? Atta hi attano natho, ko hi natho paro
siya. They also must have realized that one's attaining good state or bad state
is in one's own hands. -- Atta hi attano gati. Therefore, for improving one's
condition, one has to make efforts at one's own level.
For attaining control over mind, the Dhamma ambassadors
showed them the universal way. 'Keep on observing the flow of the normal breath
coming in and going out naturally. As soon as the mind wanders away, bring it
back to the awareness of the breath. No word should be repeated with the
breath; no imaginary belief is to be combined with it. As the breath is coming
in and going out naturally, just keep observing it as it is.'
Some people might have accepted this technique of self
-reliance, while many might have given importance to the traditional way of
achieving concentration. Those who took recourse to self -reliance in place of
the traditional way might have turned to wisdom (Pañña).
3. Wisdom (Pañña) –
As one gets strengthened in the right concentration
(samma samadhi) on the basis of normal, natural breath, one starts experiencing
some sensation near the entrance of the nostrils. Then it starts spreading in
the whole body. The truth which one thus realizes is due to one's own efforts.
Therefore, it is not indirect knowledge. It is a knowledge gained through one's
direct experience. Thus, it is called Prajña (wisdom – direct experiential
knowledge).
As one worked more and more to develop concentration, one
came to realize the three kinds of wisdom.
First is the 'heard wisdom' (srutmayi Pañña), which is
the knowledge acquired by hearing from someone and accepting it with reverence.
Second is intellectual wisdom (Cintanamayi Pañña) which
is gained by reflecting over what one has heard from others. When he finds it
logical he accepts it. This is called intellectual knowledge gained at the
intellectual level by reflection. But both of these are not wisdom in the right
sense.
Third is 'experiential wisdom' (Bhavanamayi Pañña). This
is right wisdom, which is the knowledge gained through one's own experience.
Accepting something as true after hearing from others is not real knowledge.
Nor reflecting over something found in a book as logical also is wisdom. The
right wisdom is that knowledge which arises through one's own direct
experience. It is not indirect knowledge, but it is one's own direct knowledge.
Therefore, this is wisdom in the right sense.
*
To hear the Dhamma at the right time.
Everyone who has experienced a word of teaching that
touched the heart at just the right moment knows what a precious gift this can
be.
May all beings develop pure metta. May dhamma and metta
vibrations grow and extend all over the universe. 🌷
Sadhu sadhu sadhu
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