9. Potthapada
Sutta
The Buddha was staying at the Monastery
of Anathapindika in the Jeta Grove at Savatthi. At that time Potthapada, the
wandering philosopher, was staying in the Ekasala Hall built by Queen Mallika.
He had gathered three thousand wandering ascetics around him, who were moisily
discussing worldly topics of little value.
The Buddha went to Potthapada and was
told by him that the wanderers were speaking of these trivial worldly subjects.
But he informed the Buddha that he had been once in another gathering and heard
the subject of the cessation of consciousness being debated. Some said that our
consciousness itself is our soul. Some said that all these are the play of
those who have spiritual powers. Nothing was definitely proved. Hence he asked
this same question of the Buddha. The Buddha answered: “These theories are all
merely blind-faith.” Then the Buddha began to speak of how one would practise
and attain the Cessation of Consciousness (Nirodha-samapatti). Then in
such a state the yogin or yogavacara would think thus :
“It is extremely improper for me to
think; it is proper for me not to think. Hence he would not think, nor try to
create anything mentally. Thus finally he would reach the cessation of consciousness.”
Leaving this serious talk aside,
Potthapada began to mention the metaphysical questions not explicated by the
Buddha. “Is the universe imperishable or perishable; is it terminable, or
interminable; are the Life Principle (Jiva) and the body the same, or
different; after his demise does the Tathagata exist, and so on ?”
The Buddha had, however, pronounced
these questions Avyakrita, that is, not to be defined. For the Buddha
explicated said : “This is neither purposeful, nor useful for any religious
point, nor useful for the primordial ascetic life, nor conducine to
indifference, nor leading to renunciation desirelessness, nor to cessation of
psychic process, nor for being calm, nor for supernormal power, nor to the
perfect enlightenment, nor of any purpose in attaining Nibbana. The Buddha had,
rather, fully explicated the four noble truths : ‘This is suffering, this is
the cause of suffering, this is the cessation of suffering, this is the path
leading to the cessation of suffering.” read more
Then afterward, along with Citta, the
son of an elephant trainer, Potthapada, the wandering ascetic, went again to
the Buddha. The Buddha reminded the wandering ascetic of his preaching the
Doctrines Dhammas in both ways, one-sided and many-sided that are
many-sided, non-definable metaphysical questions. He had also preached the
Doctrines Dhammas that are one-sided, the four noble truths.
The Buddha took up a serious subject. He
said, “There are some who hold the view, that after death, the soul is without
any disease, and absolutely happy; such a view is entirely pointless.” He
displayed the pointlessness of such a doctrine on the grounds that no one has
ever experienced such a state, nor can it be substantiated with any valid
proof. “Such a doctrine might be compared to the quest for the most beautiful
women in this land, whom none has ever seen, or to the building of the highest
stair-case, the height of which none has ever estimated. This would be
certainly ridiculous and absurd.”
He further preached : “There are three
kinds of bodily possessions, namely, the gross, the mental, and the formless.
The best of the objectives is to be freed and liberated from any one of the
bodily possessions.” Citta, the son of the elephant trainer, asked him about
the unification of two bodies when one of them is transmigrating to the other.
The Buddha explained this matter by means of the simile of milk. The cow gives
milk; the milk is turned into curd; from the curd we get butter; and from
butter we make frozen pieces of milk, from frozen pieces of milk clarified
butter (ghee) is obtained. While it is milk, it will not be called curd; or
butter, and so on. Thus, the Buddha explained the doctrine of universal
impermanence. The identity that is inherent in them can be thought of only as a
habit of speech and not as a fundamental one.
Citta, received admission to the Order
(Sangha) from the Buddha. Through earnest practice, this Bhikkhud soon became
one of the liberated ones (arhants).
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