The Theravadha Tradition

 Dr.Sayadaw Silananda from Myanmar

Venerable Sayadaw U Silananda (pictured above) was the founding Dhamma adviser and meditation teacher of MLA. He was born in Mandalay, Burma (now known as Myanmar) on Friday, December 16, 1927. He was the chief compiler of the comprehensive Pali-Burmese Dictionary and one of the final editors of the Pali Texts, Commentaries, and Sub-Commentaries at the Sixth Buddhist Council, held in 1954.

He was an outstanding disciple of the world-renowned Mahasi Sayadaw. He was one of the very few Burmese meditation masters capable of teaching Dhamma and VIpassana meditation in fluent, clear, and precise English. He was the author of many books in Burmese and in English. He taught Dhamma and led retreats since he came to the U.S. in 1979 until he passed away in 2005. He was loved by his students as a skillful, patient, knowledgeable, compassionate, and most respected teacher.

EXCERPTS FROM DHAMMA TALKS BY
SAYADAW U SILANANDA

(edited by Jessica Chung)

First, let us look at the meaning of the word “Vipassana.” The word “Vipassana” is translated in English as “insight meditation.” It is probably translated as insight meditation because Vipassana meditation gives insight into the true nature of mind and matter. But the literal meaning of “Vipassana” is a little different. You should know the literal meaning also. The literal meaning of the word “Vipassana” is “seeing in many ways.” The word “Vipassana” is composed of “vi” and “passana,” so two parts. “Vi” is a prefix with many meanings; here it means “in many ways.” “Passana” is a verbal noun meaning “seeing.” “Vipassana” therefore means “seeing in many ways.” Here, “in many ways” means seeing mind and matter, or the five aggregates or conditioned phenomena as impermanent, suffering, and devoid of soul. So, as the name implies, when you practice Vipassana, you must see the impermanent, suffering and non-soul nature of the object you observe. Only when you see these three characteristics can you truly say that you are practicing Vipassana meditation.

Vipassana meditation was discovered by the Buddha and taught by him to all beings. You know he was practicing austerities in the forest for almost six years. Towards the end of those six years, he was still far away from his goal [of complete enlightenment] so he reviewed his practice, and he came to the conclusion that what he had been practicing was wrong. Then, he discovered the Middle Way, which is the practice of Vipassana. He practiced it, and he got the best results from that practice, that is, he became the Buddha. For 45 years after his enlightenment as the Buddha, he taught many things, and he taught Vipassana or Satipatthana meditation many times.

The Story of Matthakundali

While residing at the Jetavana monastery in Savatthi, the Buddha uttered Verse (2) of this book, with reference to Matthakundali, a young Brahmin Matthakundali was a young brahmin, whose father, Adinnapubbaka, was very stingy and never gave anything in charity. Even the gold ornaments for his only son were made by himself to save payment for workmanship. When his son fell ill, no physician was consulted, until it was too late. When he realized that his son was dying, he had the youth carried outside on to the verandah, so that people coming to his house would not see his possessions.

On that morning, the Buddha arising early from his deep meditation of compassion saw, in his Net of Knowledge, Matthakundali lying on the verandah. So when entering Savatthi for alms-food with his disciples, the Buddha stood near the door of the brahmin Adinnapubbaka. The Buddha sent forth a ray of light to attract the attention of the youth, who was facing the interior of the house. The youth saw the Buddha; and as he was very weak he could only profess his faith mentally. But that was enough. When he passed away with his heart in devotion to the Buddha he was reborn in the Tavatimsa celestial world.

From his celestial abode the young Matthakundali, seeing his father mourning over him at the cemetery, appeared to the old man in the likeness of his old self. He told his father about his rebirth in the Tavatimsa world and also urged him to approach and invite the Buddha to a meal. At the house of Adinnapubbaka the question of whether one could or could not be reborn in a celestial world simply by mentally professing profound faith in the Buddha, without giving in charity or observing the moral precepts, was brought up. So the Buddha willed that Matthakundali should appear in person; Matthakundali soon appeared fully decked with celestial ornaments and told them about his rebirth in the Tavatimsa world. Then only, the audience became convinced that the son of the brahmin Adinnapubbaka by simply devoting his mind to the Buddha had attained much glory.

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Verse 2: All mental phenomena have mind as their forerunner; they have mind as their chief; they are mind-made. If one speaks or acts with a pure mind, happiness (sukha) follows him like a shadow that never leaves him.

At the end of the discourse Matthakundali and his father Adinnapubbaka attained Sotapatti Magga and Sotapatti Phala. Adinnapubbaka also donated almost all his wealth to the cause of the Buddha's Teaching.

The Story of Thera Cakkhupala

While residing at the Jetavana monastery in Savatthi, the Buddha uttered Verse (1) of this book, with reference to Cakkhupala, a blind thera.

On one occasion, Thera Cakkhupala came to pay homage to the Buddha at the Jetavana monastery. One night, while pacing up and down in meditation, the thera accidentally stepped on some insects. In the morning, some bhikkhus visiting the thera found the dead insects. They thought ill of the thera and reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha asked them whether they had seen the thera killing the insects. When they answered in the negative, the Buddha said, "Just as you had not seen him killing, so also he had not seen those living insects. Besides, as the thera had already attained arahatship he could have no intention of killing and so was quite innocent." On being asked why Cakkhupala was blind although he was an arahat, the Buddha told the following story:

The Story of Thera Sariputta

While residing at Veluvana, the Bamboo Grove monastery in Rajagaha, the Buddha uttered Verses (11) and (12) of this book, with reference to Sanjaya, a former teacher of the Chief Disciples, the Venerable Sariputta and the Venerable Moggallana (formerly Upatissa and Kolita).

Upatissa and Kolita were two youths from Upatissa and Kolita, two villages near Rajagaha. While looking at a show they realized the insubstantiality of things and they decided to search for the way to liberation. First, they approached Sanjaya. The wandering ascetic at Rajagaha, but they were not satisfied with his teachings. So they went all over Jarnbudipa and came back to their native place, after searching for, but not finding the true dhamma. At this point they came to an understanding that one who found the true dhamma should inform the other.

One day, Upatissa came across Thera Assaji and learned from him the substance of the dhamma. The thera uttered the verse beginning with "Ye dhamma hetuppabhava", meaning, "those phenomena which proceed from a cause". Listening to the verse, Upatissa became established in the Sotapatti Magga and Phala. Then, as promised, he went to his friend Kolita, explained to him that he, Upatissa, had attained the state of Deathlessness and repeated the verse to his friend. Kolita also become established in Sotapatti Fruition at the end of the verse. They both remembered their former teacher and so went to Sanjaya and said to him, "We have found one who could point out the Path to Deathlesseness; the Buddha has appeared in the world; the Dhamma has appeared; the Sangha has appeared...Come, let us go to the Teacher." They had hoped that their former teacher would go along with them to the Buddha and by listening to the discourses he, too, would come to realize Magga and Phala. But Sanjaya refused.

An Incomparable Field of Merit for the World

Anuttaram puññakkhettam lokassa

Increasingly over the past thirty years in America, information about Buddhist teachings has become more accessible to the public. There has been a veritable explosion of books on the subject. Buddhism has even taken on a bit of a chic air as Hollywood celebrities and popular musicians have gone public with their profession of adherence to Buddhist teachings. While this information is much welcomed by those interested in learning more about Buddhism, it often leads them quickly into confusion and frustration if they attempt to sort out the many different views and emphases of the various schools and sects.

By and large, the Mahayana has enjoyed the lion's share of the exposure of their teachings in this country thus far, particularly with the increase in public interest in the Tibetan people's plight and the magnanimous, philanthropic presence of the Dalai Lama. While information about the teachings and practices of the Theravada have not been absent, those interested still often find their curiosity about this subject never fully satisfied with the offerings generally available today. Even when suitable materials are found on the subject, those who read them with an eye to developing their practice of meditation are rightly admonished by the materials themselves to seek out the guidance of a competent meditation teacher, one fully instructed in the Dhamma and Vipassana Bhavana. For the vast majority of Americans, finding such a teacher trained in the practices of the Theravada remains a seemingly unattainable dream. Happily, several centers for instruction in Vippassana have been founded in this country in recent years: S. N. Goenka has now founded several meditation centers throughout the country, the closest being in Dallas; the Bhavana Society's center in West Virginia also comes to mind as another major center for learning about Theravadan meditation practices.

Introduction to the Evolution of Tipitaka with reference to the Three Buddhist Councils

It is known from the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta of Dīghanikāya that the Buddha advised his Noble disciples to ascertain the Buddha’s teachings in four ways in case of the misinterpretation of the doctrine.       The statement made soon after the Great Demise of the Buddha by an immoral monk named Subhadda who joined the Order in his old age and various difficulties faced by the disciples of the Sangha led to the gathering of five hundred Arahant Therās under the leadership of Mahākassapa patronized by king Ajātasatthu. It was held for seven months.

This gathering of Mahā Therās to recite the Buddha’s doctrine in its pristine purity was known as the First Buddhist Council or Pancasatikā. A complete description of this council is found in the Pancastikakkhadaka of Cullavaggapāli. The main objective of the First Buddhist council was to organize and canonize the teachings of the Buddha paving the way for the formation of Pitakas or Baskets. Only Dhamma and Vinaya were recited. Dhamma was classified into four Nikāyas forming Sutta Pitaka. Namely;

                                                   

1. Dīghanikāya            ( long Discourses)
2. Majjhimanikāya       ( Middle length Discourses)
3. Saṃyuttanikāya       ( Kindred sayings)
4. Anguttaranikāya       ( Minor sayings)

How to stop worrying and start a new life

We would like to present a little bit more about the second Ultimate Reality discussed in Abhidhammattha Sańgaha is the analytical and classification of mental factor of worry which means Kukkuca-Cetasika. Kukkacca is synonym for worry or remorse after having done wrong. Its characteristic is subsequent regret. Its function is to sorrow over what has and what has not been done. It is manifested as remorse. Its proximate cause is what has and what has not been done there is wrong of commission and omission. It is the mental state of one who repents on whatever misdeeds performed by him in the past, on the one hand and good meritorious deeds undone on the other hand. It is remorse and repentance. The characteristic is subsequent regret over and over again. To be sorrowful in this manner is a hindrance to the right path. Whenever worry arises you are distracted from leading the Noble Path. This mental factor too is associated with the consciousness rooted in Hatred.

However it exercises when such worry really disturbs the person. As we first introduced in strategy of life once, you are given many opportunities to choose between being kind and being right. You have chances to point out to someone their mistakes or worry, things they could or should have done differently, ways they can improve. You have chances to "correct" people, privately as well as in front of others. What all these opportunities amount to are chances to make someone else feel bad, and yourself feel bad in the process.

Without getting too psychoanalytical about it, the reason we are tempted to put others down, correct them, or show them how we're right and they're wrong is that our ego mistakenly believes that if we point out how someone else is wrong, we must be right, and therefore we will fell better or to stop worrying and start a new life. To a large degree, the measure of our peace of mind is determined by how much we are able to live in the present moment of life. Irrespective of what happened yesterday or last year, and what may or may not happen tomorrow, the present moment is where you are-always!

Without question, many of us have mastered the neurotic art of spending much of our lives worrying about a variety of things--all at once. We allow past problems and future concerns to dominate our present moments, so much so that we end up anxious, frustrated, depressed, worry lamentation and hopeless. On the flip side, we also postpone our gratification, our stated priorities, and our happiness, often convincing ourselves that "someday" will be better than today. Unfortunately, the same mental dynamics that tell us to look toward the future will only repeat themselves so that "someday" never actually arrives. For instance, Society programs us to worry. It’s the reason why we buy unnecessary insurance. How often, as a kid, did you hear something like “you’d better start worrying about your future”? We’ve developed an anxiety culture, partly because it shifts said insurance and the health-and-safety industry. The recession that started in someday is as much as a perception fuelled by media as it is an economic reality.