THE BUDDHA

The Dhamma Re-

Re-Discovered

A DISCOURSE
by
The (late) Venerable Acara Suvanno
Mahathera [1920-2007]
A Jinavamsa Collection
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Acknowledgement

Grateful Acknowledgement
Acknowledgement is extended to All those who have
helped in their special
special way to make
make this Dhamma Gift available to
those who are seeking the Truth.
Truth.

A Very Special thanks must be rendered to Ms. Carol Law for

painstakingly proof-
proof-read and improving the oft changing
changing draft
presented to her on
on as many occasions. From the myriad times she
has proof-
proof-read this manuscript she would have realised the
inconsistency and impermanence of existence.

Grateful appreciation and thanks to Bros. Oh Teik Bin and KK

Teh of Persetuan Buddhist Hilir Perak for the reprint of the
copper tooling works
works of art around the inner walls of the
Dhammacakka Building,
Building, that
that depict very beautifully the steps
leading to the Enlightenment of the Buddha, for the illustration in
this Dhamma Gift.
Gift.

This is not to forget the effort of all members of the meditation

group who so
so faithfully practised the Buddha’s teaching with great
urgency and which is a great inspiration to the author in his own
practise.
practise.

To those of you who made the request to remain anonymous,

grateful thanks are also rendered and to those whom I have missed
mentioning, no less are your merits.
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Thanks are very much due to you who have made donations to the
printing of this Dhamma literature; without which it will definitely not
see the light of day.

Special thanks for financial support to:

Mooi Seng and Chu
Chu, Doris, Sister Quah and family, Sister Tan
Teck Beng and Family, The Dhamma Family KL, Fong Weng
Meng and Family and Brothers and Sisters of The Gunaratana
Memorial Library,
Library, 2 Kampar Road, Penang (see list at back page).

This Dhamma literature is compiled

compiled so ALL can share the joy in
knowing the greatest Teacher Ever; THE BUDDHA.

May all beings shared in these merits thus acquired.

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

The publisher is much encouraged by the support and

generosity that enabled this Dhamma literature to be printed for
Free Distribution. Balance of funds will be channelled to future
publications.
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FOR FREE DISTRIBUTION

This Dhamma book is for free distribution and have been

donated by those who have appreciated and realised the
Buddha’s teachings through the talks by Bhante Suvanno in
his lifetime of monkhood.

A series of his talks will be printed in book form and your

financial contribution will help to contribute to the successful
publication of these series, financial donations will be helpful.
Please make payment to Law Mi-Lan Carol and can be send to:

Law Mi-Lan Carol

CG-8 Villa Indah
Bukit Tinggi
28750 BENTONG
PAHANG

OR directly credit your donations to Standard Chartered Bank

Malaysia for the account of:
Law Mi-Lan Carol: a/c no. 388194997462

Giving me your name:…………………………………………….

Your address: ………………………………………………………

Person to dedicate to/In Memory of: …………………………

My email: jinavamsa@gmail.com
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THE BUDDHA
The Dhamma Re-
Re-Discovered

CONTENTS
Acknowledgement 2
Contents 5
Dedication 9
Who is the Venerable Bhante Suvanno? 10

Glossary 14
Commentator 14
Scriptural Text 14
Brahma Sahampati 14
Jinavamsa 15
A Bhikkhu 15
Bodhisatta 16
Ambapali 16
Dana 17
Migara’s Mother 17
Four Stages of Emancipation 18
Mi Tor See 19
Buddhist Hermitage 20
Lunas 21
Asankheyya 21
Buddhist Councils 21
Deva 21
Evam me Suttam 22
The Five Precepts 22
Kamma 22
Khandha 22
Kuti 23
Mangala Sutta 23
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Mara 24
Samsara 24
Nikaya 25
Commentaries 25
Jataka Tales 25
Pali Canon 26
The Tipitaka 26
Vasettha 26
Vassa 26

CHAPTER ONE - The Background 27

Our Story Opens 32
Evam Me Sutam 33
Brahma Sahampati Intervenes 34
The Dhamma 37
Tuccha-Potthila 38
Cases of Not Living by the Dhamma 43
Living by the Dhamma 43

CHAPTER TWO - World Systems Explained 45

Re-discovering The Dhamma 46
Future Dangers (an 79, an 80) 51
Evolution of the World System 56
Simile of a World Cycle 65
First Mental Aspiration 66
The First Definite Prophecy 67
Firm Determination and Bold Proclamation 68
Necessary Conditions 70
Kanakacchapa Sutta 71
The Ten Perfections 74

CHAPTER THREE - Who is the Buddha 76

General Characteristics 78
Common Facts 79
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The Daily Routine 80

Noble Glory 81
The Supreme Buddha Gotama 84

CHAPTER FOUR - Pre-Sasana Era 86

The Request 90
Meeting the Five Requirements 90
The Conception 92
The Birth 95
The Lion’s Roar 96
Great Rejoicing 97
About Yasodhara 98
The Prince Reflects 99

CHAPTER FIVE- The Bodhisatta’s Renunciation 101

Signs of Awakening 102
A Prince’s Life of Extreme Pleasure 103
The Four Signs 104
The Unwholesome Quest 104
The Noble Quest: Renunciation 107
Moral Implications 109

CHAPTER SIX- Practising Extreme Austerities 114

Six Years of Intense Suffering 115
Extreme Austerities in the Forest 116
Crushing Mind with Mind 116
Restraining the Breath 117
Extreme Austerity of Fasting 118
Mara’s Persuasion 120
Right Reasoning 120
Absorbed Concentration 121
Resumption of Meals 123
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CHAPTER SEVEN - The Enlightenment 124

Eve of Enlightenment 125
Enlightenment 128
Reflections After 131
Who will Benefit? 136
Meeting with Upaka 138

CHAPTER EIGHT - The First Discourse 142

The Five Ascetics 143
The Wheel of Dhamma 145
The Noble Eight-fold Path 146
The Four Noble Truths 148
The Very First Arahant 150

CHAPTER NINE - Returning Home 152

Dispelling Conceit 154
Consoling Yasodhara 155

CHAPTER TEN –The Final Days 161

The Announcement 163
The Last Meal 166
Clearing of the Waters 168
Pukkusa the Malla 169
At the Kakuttha River 170
Relieving Cunda’s Remorse 171
Final Resting Place 172
Grief of Celestial Beings 174
Four Places of Pilgrimage 175
Ananda’s Grief 176
The Last Convert 179
The Lion’s Roar 180
Parinibbana - Final Exhortation 181
The Buddha’s Assurance of Attainment 184
A Final Word 184
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DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to the memory of

BHANTE SUVANNO
A Teacher of Great Compassion

Who is wise and virtuous, gentle and keen-witted,

Humble and amenable; such a one to honour may attain.
Who is energetic and not indolent, in misfortune unshaken,
Flawless nature, intelligent; such a one to honour may attain.

Who is hospitable, and friendly, liberal and unselfish,

Guide, instructor, leader; such a one to honour may attain.
Generosity, sweet speech, helpfulness to others,
Impartiality to all; as the case demands.

These four winning ways make the world go round,

As the lynchpin in a moving car. If these in the world exist not,
Neither mother nor father will receive,
Respect and honour from their children.

Since these four winning ways the wise appraise in every way;
To eminence they attain, and praise they rightly gain.

Sigalovada Sutta (Dialogues III, no. 311)

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Who is the Venerable Acara Suvanno

Mahathera?

THE VENERABLE BHANTE ACARA

SUVANNO MAHATHERA
1920-2007
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Striving to be a Nobody

Everybody wants to be a somebody,

somebody,
Nobody knows how to be a nobody.
nobody.
If there is a ‘somebody’
‘somebody’
Who knows how to be a nobody
Then that nobody is a real somebody!

If you ever want to be a nobody

Then follow that somebody
somebody
Who really is a ‘nobody’
(Later) let go of everybody,
Even that somebody who really is a nobody.
Eventually,
Eventually, you will be a real nobody.
Venerable Suvanno, 1981
(somebody who wants to be
a nobody for the benefit of everybody)

“Everybody wants to be a somebody, nobody knows how to be

a nobody”, the aged Theravadan monk said. Theravadan monks
practise the Buddha’s Original Teachings: the Teachings of the
Elders, Thera Vada; as it was since His First Discourse on
attaining Enlightenment more than two thousand five hundred
years ago.

The aged monk continued: “It is difficult to comprehend the

Teachings in the beginning, for the truth of the Teachings is not
only to be understood and comprehended intellectually but
essentially to be experienced and realised and seen with clear
insight by oneself. It is difficult, because human beings have eyes
 12

that are ‘blurred by dust’. The ever growing haze of defilement

clouding their minds’ eyes has become many layered and
cataracted as the greed for the acquisition of material
possessions to enhance the supposedly ‘quality’ of their lives
becomes more intense and destructive. The competition to
achieve greater and greater material gains and the need for self-
glorification is the key to their very existence and ever
accelerating in perceived importance.

This heady quest for elusive material possessions has so

consumed all of humanities’ mental and physical energies that
they are deluded to believe that such pursuits are of paramount
importance and are all that are necessary in their lives; such
believes do not allow them to realise the necessity to expand
further efforts to delve into the recesses of their minds. Thus,
many have lost their pristine ability to understand the Truth of
existence in this present life.

Rare are the human beings contented with their basic needs and
possessions. Whatever joys these possessions bring is
momentary, short-lived and unsatisfactory, so the craving to
possess goes on even through many lives ad infinitum. They are
beset with greed, anger and delusion as the true goal of existence
eludes these seekers of the sensuous material possessions”.

The monk spoke not to impress. He believed and lived in the

essence of those words and that very essence disciplines his life.
Every morning, in simple robes, barefooted, broom in hand,
bending low, slowly and mindfully he will be sweeping the
fallen leaves around the compound of the Hermitage. Slowly
and mindfully he sweeps so as not to injure any minute living
beings under the weight of the sweeping broom.
Sweep…sweep…sweep. “Sweeping is a meditative deed; you
must do it intentionally and mindfully”; softly and gently
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murmuring the words as he continues sweeping. The years of

sweeping have given his posture a definite stoop. Past eighty
years of age and as clear of mind and bright of eyes as a much
younger man; just as strong bodily and mentally. Utter
simplicity of life is depicted in the motions of the monk! “A
simple monk am I”, the picture seems to say.

In the midst of these sombre mind pictures, the solitary, frail-

looking monk stands out as an icon to the way of release from …
the morass of human defilement!

Such is the Venerable Acara Suvanno Mahathera, respectfully

known as Bhante Suvanno by his devotees. The Monk of
Beautiful Disciplne who practises the Noble Path of the Elders
and who has found the true meaning of existence in the purity of
the Buddha’s Dhamma.

This Dhamma Literature is prepared with

Gratitude and in Loving Memory of a Beloved
Teacher and Friend, Bhante Suvanno.

yk leong (jinavamsa)
Reproduced at Villa Indah
Bukit Tinggi, Bentong, Pahang
April of 2009
jinavamsa@gmail.com
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Glossary

Many have written propounding, in various forms, the Buddha’s

Dhamma. This book is prepared from many dialogues between
two people, both firm adherents to the the Buddha’s Teachings
as institutionalised within the Theravada texts; one, chiefly, the
Venerable Acara Suvanno Mahathera and the other, his lay
pupil YK Leong, also known as Jinavamsa. This Glossary is
intended to help readers grasp the story without too much
reference.

COMMENTATOR serves to introduce the subject and render

explanatory notes.

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: These are texts from the Nikayas in its

original Pali form translated to the English language. These
represent the authentic Dhamma of the Buddha in the Theravada
tradition.

BRAHMA SAHAMPATI: Scriptural texts inform us that he was

born into one of the Pure Heavenly Abodes (Sudassa Heaven),
there to await his final Nibbana as he was already well
progressed into the stream of Nibbana and was in fact an
anagami, a non-returner to the human plane (a final state before
attaining arahantship). Beings in this realm have lifespans that
could be as long as 16,000 mahakappas or as low as 500
mahakappas; Brahma Sahampati had, in fact, a lifespan of 4,000
mahakappas. Thus, he would have seen quite a few Buddhas in
his lifetime and with the great mental powers that he was
imbued with, he would definitely have been aware of the
Buddha’s inclination not to teach the Dhamma.
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JINAVAMSA: A disciple of Bhante Suvanno, who showed up at

The Buddhist Hermitage in late 1998 at age 60 and continued his
Dhamma studies and meditation practice with Bhante Suvanno
till 2002; he was the attendant person to Bhante Suvanno on his
Dhamma visits to various places in Malaysia and Singapore. He
studied and was ordained at the Yangon Theravada University.
After a short course of study, he disrobed, returned to Malaysia
and later embarked on a pilgrimage to India. On the way he
made various stops, one of which was Kathmandu in Nepal,
where he taught the English language to a group of young
monks and nuns at a Theravada Monastery.

After returning from his

pilgrimage to the holy sites, he
continued his practice with
Bhante Suvanno in the Buddhist
Hermitage at Lunas and also at
the Mi Tor See temple in Ayer
Hitam in Penang.

Later, he ordained a second time at the newly founded

meditation centre in Kuala Kuba Bharu, Selangor. He was three
years a bhikkhu and subsequently returned to lay life. He has
authored a few books of the late Bhante Suvanno’s discourses and
also on Vipassana Meditation. He now guides meditation
practices when the occasion presents itself.

BHIKKHU: An ordained renunciate in the

Theravada tradition; a monk, one who has given
up the house-holder’s life to live a life of
heightened virtue in accordance with the
Buddha’s Rules. He has to undergo training
according to 227 rules for members of the
monkhood.
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BODHISATTA (Pali Tradition): A Bodhisatta is one who aspires

to be a Buddha and makes an aspiration about it before a living
Buddha whom he meets in his rebirths. In the case of Gotama
Buddha, his proclamation was made before Dipankara Buddha
when he was the ascetic Sumedha. Further, the then existing
Buddha, i.e., Dipankara in the above case approved of his
aspiration by declaring that “the Bodhisatta shall become a
Buddha” [owing to his suitability].

AMBAPALI: She was one of the Buddha’s great devotees. She

owned a mango grove and was a courtesan in
the time of the Buddha. Here is her story…..

At one time, the Buddha with a great number of

bhikkhus stayed at the mango grove of Ambapali.
When she knew that, she was very happy and
went in her carriage to her mango grove to meet
the Buddha. Arriving, she sat respectfully at His feet on one side.
The Buddha gave her a discourse. She was much delighted.
Then she invited the Buddha: "Will the Blessed One, together
with the assembly of bhikkhus, do me the honour of taking the
morning meal at my house tomorrow"? The Buddha gave His
consent.

The next day, the Buddha went with the assembly of bhikkhus to
Ambapali’s house. There they were offered sweet rice and cakes
by Ambapali, who waited upon them till they had finished their
meal. When the Buddha had finished His meal, Ambapali said to
Him: "Lord, I present this mansion to the order of bhikkhus". The
Buddha accepted the gift, and after instructing, arousing, and
gladdening her with a discourse, He rose from His seat and
departed.
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DANA: Offering of requisites to monks. There are only four

major allowable requisites; accommodation, food, robes and
medicine.

MIGARA’S MOTHER (Visakha): The rich merchant, Migara of

Savatthi was looking for a wife for his son, Punnavaddhana. The
messengers sent by Migara were impressed by Visakha’s beauty
and personality. This resulted in the marriage between Visakha
and Punnavaddhana.

Migara, her father-in-law was a follower

of naked ascetics. One day, Visakha was
instructed to worship these ‘sanctified
ones’. On seeing the naked ascetics, she
reviled them as being without any sense
of shame. Migara was displeased with
her behaviour but unable to send her
out of his household as she had
powerful family background.
One day, while Migara was having his meal from his golden
bowl, a monk came for alms. Migara ignored the monk and
continued eating. Visakha, who was fanning her father-in-law
told the monk, “Pass on Venerable Sir, my father-in-law is eating
stale food”. At this, Migara was furious and threatened to expel
Visakha. She then requested for an interview before the elders to
state her case. During the interview, she explained, among other
things, that by not giving alms to the monk, Migara was just
consuming merits of past good deeds; and thus, eating stale
food. Migara on realising his mistaken concept, asked for
Visakha’s forgiveness. She agreed on condition that she could
invite the Buddha and his monks to the house. Migara consented.

Migara heard the Buddha’s discourse and attained the first stage
of arahanthood. He was so grateful to Visakha that he adopted her
 18

as his mother. From that time onwards, Visakha was referred to

as Migaramata (Mother of Migara). On another occasion, her
mother-in-law also attained the first stage of arahanthood after
listening to a discourse from the Buddha, organised by Visakha.
Thus, Visakha, by her tact, wisdom and patience, gradually
succeeded in bringing her husband’s household to take refuge in
the Buddha.

THE FOUR STAGES TO EMANCIPATION (Arahant):

Through Vipassana meditation, the state of an arahant is attained.
The first stage of realisation, a Sotapanna, has uprooted three
forms of wrong view but still has other defilement. These three
forms of wrong views are;

• once having doubts and uncertainties about the Buddha, he

has now eradicated this view;
• secondly, once involved and having faith in rites and rituals,
he has now eradicated this view;
• thirdly, once believing in the concept of a permanent all
power self or soul, he has now eradicated this view.

Once the first stage of an arahant has been attained, the person is
assured of being reborn as an intelligent human. Furthermore,
he or she will find rebirth for a maximum of seven more lives in
the human realm before achieving nibbana. This is the promise of
the Buddha.

The Sakadagami has attained the second stage of an arahant and

is also known as a once-returner; that is returning once to the
human world, and will attain Nibbana in that very life.

An Anagami, a non-returner to human existence, or any lower

world after death, is at the third stage of an arahant. Instead, he
will be reborn into the Suddhavasa worlds, or "Pure Abodes",
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where he will attain Nibbana. He has eradicated the five lower

fetters that bind the mind to the cycle of rebirth, and is thus
partially enlightened, and on the way to perfect and complete
Enlightenment.

The Arahant (the fourth stage of realisation) is a fully

Enlightened being, having extinguished all defilement. All four
are called Ariyas, that is, Noble Ones.

MI TOR SEE, AYER HITAM,

PENANG: In his biography, Striving
to be a Nobody, Bhante Suvanno
had recalled his early years as a
newly ordained bhikkhu. His first
place of practice after returning from
the forest where he continued
meditation after his ordination, was
in front of a traditional Chinese
temple. He had asked to be housed
there for a time until he could find a
place of refuge. The temple authorities wanted to ascertain his
diet as they were strict vegetarians. Bhante Suvanno informed
them that he was not a vegetarian as Theravada bhikkhus take
offerings from devotees without seeking to pick their food. They
had to refuse Bhante Suvanno a place of refuge as they were not
prepared to accommodate his way of practise.

Coincidentally, there was a rambutan tree in front of the temple

and having no where else to go, Bhante Suvanno had to take
refuge under the tree, with just an old umbrella over his head
when it rained. This continued for a few weeks.

In the mornings, he would go to the market place in nearby Ayer

Hitam village to seek alms of the villagers. This was a rare sight
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as very few people in that village had seen a bhikkhu awaiting

alms. Later, Bhante Suvanno often recalled his experiences
where he was chased away, sometimes with brooms and
broomsticks as the householders did not want to see him there.
He was unable to get even a decent breakfast for about a week.
Soon, news of an old bhikkhu collecting alms spread and those of
his Dhamma students during his lay life who were seeking him
came to offer alms and others too came to offer allowed
requisites.

On such occasions, he took the opportunity to conduct Dhamma

talks, discussions and answering questions under the tree to
teach the householders the merits of alms giving. Very soon the
generous householders offered regular meals to him and even
began looking for a decent place for him to stay. Very quickly,
they found an old temple nearby, renovated it and invited
Bhante Suvanno to stay in his first abode, now known as Mi Tor
See. His stay in Mi Tor See covered a span of 20 odd years. With
the demise of Bhante Suvanno, Mi Tor See has been neglected
and fallen into disrepair.

BUDDHIST HERMITAGE LUNAS: A Theravada Monastery

founded in 1990 and offered
to Bhante Suvanno, who
shared his time between Mi
Tor See and the Hermitage.
It is here that his ashes were
brought back after
cremation after he passed
away in a hospital and
where his memorabilia is
now housed. The Hermitage sits on the banks of a small,
meandering river at the edge of the village of Lunas. The river
tends to flood the surrounding area during the rainy seasons.
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LUNAS is a small village just 25 minutes away from the city of

Penang. It consists of a central street with old brick shop houses
lining either side. It is a sleepy rural town where life is slow and
easy, where nothing much happens. It is an unknown little town
of not much importance.

ASANKHEYYA: An asankheyya is a mind-boggling span of time

so immense that it is called an incalculable number of world
periods. The Buddha gave a simile. There is a rock, one yojana
high, one yojana wide and one yojana deep (a yojana is between 7-
13 miles in length); once in a hundred years, a deity comes down
from heaven and with a piece of fine cloth, wipes the rock. He
wipes it until the rock disappears; this is the period of one
asankheyya.

BUDDHIST COUNCILS: Throughout the 2600 years of the

Buddha’s Dispensation, there were six congregations of
venerable monks from the pristine Theravada stream who
initiated, collated and authenticated the words of the Buddha
into a whole system of teachings, recognised as uniquely the
Buddha’s original Discourses. In the Theravada tradition these
teachings, authenticated at each of the Six Buddhist Councils
were then enshrined into a set text known as the Tipitaka,
originally spoken and then very much later, written in the Pali
language.

DEVA: Includes devata, and devaputta referred to in the Suttas, as

all three terms are almost synonymous. Although deva is often
used in the Pali texts to refer to all super-human beings, deva and
brahma can generally be distinguished. Deva in its more limited
sense refers to beings in the six planes immediately above the
human realm.
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EVAM ME SUTAM: Literally meaning “thus have I heard”.

This phrase is credited to Ananda, the Buddha’s attendant
disciple who looked after His needs for many years until the
Buddha passed away. Ananda was the arahant bhikkhu who
recited ALL the Buddha’s Discourses at the First Buddhist
Council held 100 days after the Buddha’s Parinibbana.

THE FIVE PRECEPTS: (In Pali)

1 Panatipata veramanisikkhapadam samadiyami.
2 Adinnadana veramanisikkhapadam samadiyami.
3 Kamesumicchacara veramanisikkhapadam samadiyami.
4 Musavada veramanisikkhapadam samadiyami.
5 Suramerayamajja pamadatthana veramanisikkhapadam
samadiyami.

1. Abstaining from killing living beings.

2. Abstaining from taking what is not given.
3. Abstaining from committing sexual misconduct.
4. Abstaining from telling lies.
5. Abstaining from taking intoxicants or harmful drugs.

KAMMA: Each and every time a person thinks, speaks and acts
with volition, there are differing moral qualities of intention and
it is those qualities rather than the outward appearance of the
actions that determine the effects. The Buddha spoke of
wholesome actions (kusala-kamma) that result in happiness, and
unwholesome actions (akusala-kamma) that result in suffering.

KHANDHA: The Pali word khandha could be said to mean a

pile, a bundle, a heap, a mass. It could also be the trunk of a tree.
Being aggregates or groups, they are not entities in themselves,
they are merely individual units grouped together. None of
them are “self”, “of self”, “in self”, or “my self”; they have
nothing to do with “selfhood”. Khandha, thus is a grouping of
 23

five into one, namely; material quality, feeling, perception,

mental formation and consciousness. When a “khandha” is
viewed, there is a tendency of the viewer to have certain feelings
regarding the viewed khandha. This could give rise to attachment
or aversion of the khandha. When such attachments arise, they
are known as the aggregates of attachment (upadana-khandha).

KUTI: Meditation huts. Meditators or yogis in the Theravada

tradition practising Vipassana meditation, does so and sleeps
usually in a simple wooden hut. The hut is small, plain and bare
of householders’ comforts. Inside the hut is usually placed a thin
straw mat and a thin cover cloth to be used as a blanket at night.
Usually kutis are built far away from the household noises to
maintain an atmosphere of quietness and solitude.

MANGALA SUTTA: The commentary explains that at that time

in India, people held many superstitious beliefs regarding
portents and omens that foretold success or failure.
Controversial points regarding what were meritorious
wholeome things and what were not, were raised and
expounded and yet still no decision could be agreed upon as to
what were the things that merit great blessings.

News of this controversy spread far and wide, however, no

satisfactory answer could be obtained. This debate was even
carried to the Brahma realms. After debating for about twelve
years, the devas at the Tavatimsa Heaven assembled one day and
laid the matter before King Sakka. King Sakka advised that in
order to obtain the correct answer to this controversy, they
should consult with the Buddha. “For”, he said, “if you wish to
have a light, you must approach a fire to get it, you cannot get
light from a firefly”.
 24

So, a certain Deva was given the task of approaching the Exalted
One. Thus, the Sutta recorded: So, far into the dead of night, this
Deva of wondrous beauty with the radiance of rays emanating
from his body illuminating the whole of the temple premises
approached the Exalted One.

Having paid due respect and homage, the Deva stood to one side
and so standing, laid before Him the question: “Many gods and
men pondering on the question of blessings could not come to a
decision. Therefore, O Lord, may you please tell us what is the
greatest Blessing”? Thus, was the Mangala Sutta spoken.

MARA: In the Buddha’s teachings, Mara can be best equated

with Satan, who usually tries to dissuade the Buddha or anyone
from the righteous path. Among other names, he is also known
as ‘Namuchi’ and ‘Vasavatti’.

Mara’s ten-fold army is lust, aversion, hunger, thirst, craving,

sloth and torpor, cowardice, doubt, hypocrisy and stupidity,
false glory and conceit. He has three daughters, Tanha (craving),
Arati (discontent), and Raga (greed) representing the three out of
the ten forces of Mara’s army. These daughters (they could assume
numerous forms of varying age and charm), were employed by Mara
to tempt the Buddha during His quest for Enlightenment.

SAMSARA: It is a Pali word, which means the cycles of

existence. Life, death and rebirth and the chain of causes and
effects are the ingredients of samsara. The tenacity to cling to life
due to unsatisfied desires, aversion and confusion, propels us
into a new existence according to the quality of our minds at the
time of death. This death moment determines the nature of the
next existence and so we may be reborn into a pleasant or
unpleasant existence. We are reborn with a pre-existing
 25

disposition or inclination which explains why we (including

indentical twins) all have individual characters right from birth.

NIKAYA: In the Theravada canon, the meaning of nikaya is

equivalent to the English word collection, and is used to describe
groupings of discourses according to theme, length, or numerical
categories. It is broken up into Five Nikayas:

1. the Digha Nikaya, the collection of long (Pali: digha)

discourses consisting of 34 discourses.
2. the Majjhima Nikaya, the collection of middle-length
(majjhima) discourses consisting of 152 discourses.
3. the Samyutta Nikaya, the collection of thematically linked
(samyutta) discourses consisting of 7762 discourses.
4. the Anguttara Nikaya, the "gradual collection" (discourses
grouped by content enumerations consisting of 9,557 Suttas.
5. the Khuddaka Nikaya, or "Collection of Little Texts" (Pali
khudda or "smaller; lesser"), is a wide-ranging collection of
eighteen books that contain complete suttas, verses, and
smaller fragments of Dhamma teachings.

THE COMMENTARIES: These are voluminous amount of

literary works by later day bhikkhus and scholars to further
expand and elucidate the discourses of the Buddha. These
Commentaries are not the Tipitaka and they stand on their own
authority. They go as far back as 300 years after the Buddha’s
Parinibbana. There are also commentaries on the commentaries.

THE JATAKA TALES: Refer to a voluminous body of stories

concerning the previous births of the Buddha retold by himself
in the course of discourses to illustrate some important facets of
the Dhamma. This canonical book itself comprises 547 stories.
 26

THE PALI CANON: It is a vast body of the Buddha’s teachings

in the Pali language; in English translation the texts add up to
many thousands of printed pages. Over the years, most (but not
all) of the Canon has already been published in English.

THE TIPITAKA: (Pali ti, "three," + pitaka, "baskets"), or Pali

Canon, is the collection of primary Pali language texts which
form the doctrinal foundation of Theravada Buddhism. The
Tipitaka and some specific Pali texts (commentaries, chronicles,
etc.) together constitute the complete body of classical Theravada
texts that are believed to be the Buddha’s original teachings.

VASETTHA: A brahmin in the Buddha’s time learning the

Dhamma from the Buddha.

VASSA (Rains Retreat): The Vassa, a three-month rains retreat,

was instituted by the Buddha and made obligatory for all fully
ordained bhikkhus. The retreat extends over a period
corresponding to the North Indian rainy season, from the day
following the full moon of July until the full-moon day of
October; those who cannot observe the regular Vassa are
permitted to do so for three months beginning with the day
following the August full moon. If unavoidable circumstances
necessitate travelling, they are allowed to leave their residences
on the obligation that they will return within a week. On the first
day of the retreat, the monks have to formally declare that they
will dwell in that manner in the selected monastery or dwelling.

The rains residence was instituted to prevent bhikkhus travelling

during the rainy season in India, and so damaging crops, and
unintentionally killing living creatures which are abundant then.
No doubt the Buddha considered their health as well when He
laid down that bhikkhus must spend the rains with four walls
around them and a roof over their heads.
 27

THE BUDDHA

The Dhamma Re-

Re-Discover
Discovered

CHAPTER ONE
The Background

Bhante Suvanno, as he is known by his devotees, friends and

students, started life as an unwanted waif, motherless and
practically homeless, with stray cats and dogs as his playmates.
Striving diligently against such odds, he became a legend in his
own time.
 28

Background…
THE SCENE: Buddhist Hermitage Lunas
Bhante Suvanno is spending vassa here.

JINAVAMSA: In a life largely devoted to the practice of the

Buddha’s Teachings, Khoo Eng Kim had done well scholarly;
married and raised a family, saw his daughters grow up and
start their own families and have grandchildren, only then did
he finally renounce at the age of 60 to take up the holy life,
which was his first love. His faith and trust in the Buddha and
His Teachings, culminating in the practice of Satipatthana
Vipassana meditation was what he lived for.

He had great desires to renounce at the tender age of twelve, but

try as he might, no monastery was about to take in a novice
younger than twenty years of age without parental consent. He
would never have been able to get that consent. [For the story,
read Striving To Be A Nobody].
 29

When he grew up, passed his Cambridge examinations, got a job

in the local hospital and was able
to look after himself, he fell in love,
got married and raised a family.
That set his plans back half a
century. But he was able to stay in
focus with the Dhamma in the
interim period and continued with
his study and propagation of the
Buddha’s Teachings.

In his eagerness to dispense the

Dhamma, even during his lay life,
he gave Dhamma lessons regularly.
He was well respected and loved
for his skillful ways in explaining the Buddha’s Dhamma.

The Venerable Acara Suvanno Mahathera was 87 years of age in

2007 when he passed away. From the age of 12 to the day he
passed away, he had been practising the Buddha’s Teachings,
progressing gradually and surely
to where he finds himself totally
immersed in the nitty-gritty of
teaching the Dhamma to one and
sundry as and when the demand
falls upon him.

[Eng Kim “lo-kun” dishing out the Dhamma medicine in a cave]

These constant and sometimes urgent demands on his time

(sometimes as early as 2am, as when there is a knock on his door and he
is called to the bedside of a dying devotee to console the dying and the
family) means that his time is not his own.
 30

Such has been the case with

Bhante Suvanno for the better
part of his life as a practising
bhikkhu. It has always been
“devotees come first” no matter
that he has no time to practise
as he would wish. It is rare
indeed that a call from a
devotee is ignored; even the
whimpering of a stray dog
has his ears or the mewing of
a hungry cat has his immediate attention. A dying fish in an
artificial lotus pond brings immediate action on his part to
immediately return all the fishes to the river and do away with
the pond; all by himself! (Picture shows Bhante visiting the old and
infirm).

The plight of a fellow bhikkhu in Yangon struck down with a

stroke takes him immediately to that city to arrange for
hospitalisation, up-to-date medical care and nursing; on arriving
home, organising medical funds for repatriation to the sick
bhikkhu.

Many too, are the Theravada meditation centres in Malaysia and

Myanmar that has benefited from his advice and financial
assistance in raising funds when such centres were in the
beginning stages of development. These circles of grateful
devotees have grown through the years. In the period of his
monkhood of 27 years, the Venerable Bhante had given his time
for the welfare of those seeking help and advice in the many
facets of human suffering, from depression to sadness, ill health
and the dying, simple problems to problems of more serious
natures. Needless to say this list of beneficiaries is long.
 31

Amongst his many memorabilia throughout the years of his

monkhood that he will leave to posterity are cassette tapes of his
Dhamma discourses in the Hokkien dialect. Into these tapes are
recorded many and varied topics of Dhamma as expounded by
the Buddha in his 45 years of ministry. This very book is collated
founded on those discourses delivered from the tapes.

Since 1990, when he was 70 years of age, Bhante Suvanno had

desired to retire into seclusion. The conditions had never been
appropriate enough for the event to happen; however, as the
time passes by, he fully realises the urgency to concentrate on
the true reason for his renunciation. For his whole life has been
guided by the Buddha’s words, especially:

“Mere acts of reverence cannot be deemed to honour, esteem,

venerate and worship the Tathagatha rightly. Only the
bhikkhus and lay disciples who practise diligently and
earnestly according to the Teachings, who are endowed with
correctness in the practice of the Teachings and who live with
righteousness and truth, can be deemed to honour, esteem,
venerate, revere and worship the Tathagatha in the highest
degree”.

In the eyes of Bhante Suvanno, the highest degree of veneration

of the Buddha is to do away with all forms of rites and rituals
and live mindfully in the practice of Vipassana meditation.
 32

Our Story Opens…

SCENE: Buddhist Hermitage,
Lunas, Kedah.
Date: Early 1999

“This Dhamma is not easily realised

by those overcome with aversion and passion;
they delighting in passion,
cloaked in the mass of darkness,
will not be able to see the truth
truth”
ruth”.
THE BUDDHA

COMMENTATOR: It was a bright moonlight night and two

figures sitting under the hanging eaves of a dimly lighted kuti
were silhouetted against the contrasting full moon brightness as
they sat in conversation.

Against the backdrop of the full moon, you could see that both
were completely clean shaven and both were in earnest
discussion. One who appeared the elder of the two was earnestly
speaking and very quite often gesturing with both hands.
Among the trees and shrubs of the Hermitage in this full moon
night, the Abbot and the lay disciple were deep in Dhamma
discussion as was often the case; these Dhamma lessons went into
the early hours of the next day.
 33

Here in front of a small kuti is the background for the Dhamma of

the Buddha that will unfold in these pages as retold by the
Venerable Suvanno to the lay disciple, Jinavamsa in the course of
so many discussions and years of training and passing on the
Dhamma by teacher to pupil. The teacher was the late Ven. Acara
Suvanno Mahathera and the lay disciple is the compiler of these
Discourses, Jinavamsa.

Evam Me Sutam…
BHANTE SUVANNO (gentle of mien and smiling as was his usual
manner): In your search for the
Truth, Jinavamsa you have
strayed into our midst and been
struggling along with us for the
past 18 months, and I am
pleased that you are earnestly
investigating and living a
Dhamma life. It is timely that
you should delve deeper into
the Teachings so that you can
progress independently. No one
can be with you for a very long time and there will come a time
when you will have to go out alone and practise. I shall do my
very best to arm you with the necessary tools; but remember, all
the Dhamma you know intellectually will only serve you as a tool
to further your own practice. Your only recourse to the Lord’s
Teachings is to practise what He has taught us.

Let us begin; for a start, we should always be grateful to the

Brahma Sahampati that we are able to practise the Dhamma today;
for while the Lord was alone and in seclusion [after His
Enlightenment], this line of thinking arose in His awareness:
 34

THE BUDDHA: This Dhamma that I have attained is deep,

hard to see, hard to realise, peaceful, refined, beyond the
scope of conjecture, subtle, to be experienced only by the
wise.
wise.

But this generation delights in, is excited by and enjoys

attachment. For such a generation, conditionalities and
depended origination
origination of things are difficult for them to see.
The resolution of all mentality, the relinquishment of all
acquisitions, the ending of craving, dispassion, cessation and
the attainment of Nibbana;
Nibbana; these states, too, are difficult to
realise.
realise.

BHANTE SUVANNO: The Buddha said that the Dhamma He

had discovered was abstruse, subtle, deep, difficult to see and is
not to be reasoned with logic. He further added that the Dhamma
will not be easily realised as people tend to delight in aversion
and passion and are cloaked amidst masses of darkness. They
will not willingly see the truth. And it would be difficult for Him
to teach the Dhamma as they would not understand. This would
be tiresome and troublesome for Him. Reflecting thus; the Lord’s
mind was inclined to dwelling at ease, not to teaching the
Dhamma.

Brahma Sahampati Intervenes

Intervenes
BRAHMA SAHAMPATI: (Aware of the line of thinking of the Blessed
One, thought): The world is lost! The world is destroyed! The
mind of the Tathagata, the Arahant, the Supremely Self-
Enlightened One inclines to dwelling at ease, not to teaching
the Dhamma"!
 35

COMMENTATOR: Instantly, Brahma Sahampati disappeared

from the Brahma-world and reappeared in front of the Blessed
One.

BHANTE SUVANNO (explains): It was quite early in the

morning, at the third watch of the night (2am to 6am). This is the
time when devas and brahmas usually visited the Blessed One;
this being the period of the day which is the most quiet and
peaceful and when humans are not around. Devas and brahmas
have great abhorrence for human odour as they can smell the rot
of decaying human bodies, just as we humans can smell the dirt
of the bodies of animals and other non humans.

BRAHMA SAHAMPATI: [Arranging his upper robe over one shoulder,

he knelt down with his right knee on the ground, respectfully greeted the
Blessed One with his hands before his heart, and said]: Lord, let the
Blessed One teach the Dhamma! Let the One-Well-Gone teach
the Dhamma! There are beings with little dust in their eyes
who are falling away because they do not hear the Dhamma.
There will be those who will understand the Dhamma.

Lord, in the past there appeared among the Magadhans an

impure Dhamma devised by the stained. Throw open the door
to the Deathless! Let them hear the Dhamma realised by the
Stainless One! Just as one standing on a rocky crag might see
people all around below, so, O Wise One, with all-around
vision, ascend the palace fashioned of the Dhamma. Free from
sorrow; behold the people submerged in sorrow, oppressed by
birth and ageing.

Rise up, Hero, Victor in battle! O Teacher, wander without

debt in the world. Teach the Dhamma, O Blessed One. There
will be those who will understand.
 36

BHANTE SUVANNO: After Brahma Sahampati entreated the

third time, the Buddha surveyed the world with His Buddha
Vision. He perceived beings with little as well as much dust in
their eyes, with keen and dull intellect, with good and bad
characteristics, who are easy and difficult to be taught, and a few
others who live perceiving the dangers of evil and of a future
life. Just as in a pond of blue or red or white lotuses, some
lotuses born and growing in the water might flourish while
immersed in the water, without rising up from the water; some
might stand at an even level with the water; while some might
rise up from the water and stand without being smeared by the
water. Realising all these, the Buddha accepted the invitation.

THE BUDDHA: Opened to them are the Doors to the

Deathless. Let those who have ears repose confidence.
Being aware of the weariness of it, O Brahma, I did not wish
to teach this
this glorious and excellent Dhamma.

BHANTE SUVANNO: The delighted Brahma, thinking; "I made

myself the occasion for the Blessed One to expound the
Dhamma", respectfully venerated Him and immediately
departed.

Some explanation is needed here, Jinavamsa, for it may appear

that the Blessed One was actually reluctant to teach the Dhamma
He had practised for so many aeons in time and that a Brahma
was responsible for His changing His mind. Because of this
view, there are those who will assume that the Brahma had
greater wisdom.

JINAVAMSA: Yes Bhante, it was going through my mind about

that; why would the Buddha have to be entreated to teach the
Dhamma? He had trained for such a long time to do so.
 37

BHANTE SUVANNO: Ah Jinavamsa, so discerning… Here is a

truth that we should always remember; all Buddhas teach
exactly the same Dhamma with no deviation; thus when
formulating certain actions he would ascertain that these actions
were consistent with what other Buddhas did before Him. So in
this particular instance, He was following a course set by other
Buddhas in being invited to teach the Dhamma. It is not possible
that the Buddha teach the Dhamma uninvited. Thus, the episode
by the Brahma Sahampati was essentially a recourse to ensure
consistency with a path trodden by previous Buddhas.

The Dhamma …
BHANTE SUVANNO: Jinavamsa, let us discuss a bit more of
the Dhamma. You see, in the Mangala Sutta, it is said that
listening to the Buddha’s Dhamma is one of the highest blessings,
so to be able to share the Buddha’s Dhamma with you has made
me extremely happy. It is good that you are keen to listen to the
Dhamma; better still if you were to practise the Dhamma as a way
of life. From my experience, most people prefer to listen to
Dhamma discourses rather than to practise it. But, to live and
practise the Dhamma especially Vipassana meditation is much
more beneficial and is the only way to the purification of the
mind, eradicating suffering and setting us onto the correct path
to emancipation and Nibbana.

The Buddha has already said that there is only one way to the
purification of beings and that is through the practice of
mindfulness, therefore listening to the Dhamma is valuable
only as a guide to the practice of the Dhamma.

Here is what the Buddha said:

 38

Ekayano ayam bhikkhave, maggo sattanam visuddhiya.

Soka-
Soka-pariddavanam samatikkamaya dukkha-
dukkha-domanassanam
atthangamaya nayassa adhigamaya Nibbanassa
sacchikiriyaya,
sacchikiriyaya, yadidam cattaro Satipatthana
Satipatthana.
hana.

This is the Only Way,

Way, bhikkhus, for the purification of
beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the
disappearance of pain and grief, for reaching the Noble Path,
for the realisation of Nibbana,
Nibbana, namely: The Four
Foundations of Mindfulness
Mindfulness.
ulness.

BHANTE SUVANNO: The essence of the Dhamma is the

practice based on knowledge obtained through investigation and
not by hearsay or superstitious practices. Knowledge is the
bridge to the practice. Hearing it and questioning it are the
beginning of the training to the practice; you should not spend
valuable time in memorising it and knowing it by rote as this is
like taking the bridge along with you after you have crossed it.

Let the Dhamma serve as the bridge and after you have crossed
it, you need not take it along with you. Leave it behind. The
knowledge is not for keeping, it is to be utilised for our entry to
the way of practice. The Buddha has constantly exhorted his
bhikkhus to practise. A good case in point is this story of Tuccha-
Potthila.

Tuccha-
Tuccha-Potthila…
Potthila…
BHANTE SUVANNO: There was a bhikkhu known as Tuccha-
Potthila [tuccha meaning vain, empty]. He was very astute,
thoroughly learned in the scriptures and texts. He taught a large
number of bhikkhus. When people hear "Tuccha-Potthila" they
 39

were awe-struck, so much were they in respect of his command

of the Teachings, and nobody would dare question anything he
taught.

One day he visited the Buddha. "Ah, so you've come, Venerable

Empty Scripture"! They spoke for a while and when the
Venerable was preparing to go to; "Ah, returning to your
monastery, Venerable Empty Scripture”? Buddha asked.

As he walked to his monastery, he reflected: "Now…, why did

the Lord say that? What did he mean"? He contemplated over
everything he had learnt, until wisdom dawned on him: "Oh,
what the Lord said is true; 'Venerable Empty Scripture'; I am a
bhikkhu who only studies but has never practised".

He then looked into his own mind and saw that he was no
different from lay people. There was no real "samana" [a
renunciate - literally, "peaceful one"] within him. There was no true
profound quality within his mind which could firmly establish
him in the Way and provide true peace. So he decided to practise
then and there. Having settled all his affairs, he went seeking a
teacher... but there was no one who would accept him as a
student. All those he went to see were his former students; but
they, in deference to him declined to teach him. He travelled to a
forest hermitage where a large number of bhikkhus lived. He paid
respect to the chief bhikkhu and asked for his help; the chief
referred him to a certain young novice [who was already an
arahant], and told to practise with him.

The novice seeing that he was of an advanced age and in order

to test him said, "Yes Venerable, you can practise with me, if you
are serious in wanting to practise. But if you are not, then I will
not waste my time with you". Tuccha-Potthila pledged his life as
a student of the novice.
 40

The novice told him to walk towards a muddy pond with his
robes and to stop only when told to do so. Thus, Tuccha-Potthila
neatly robed began to walk towards the pond. As he neared the
pond the young novice still kept quiet. He kept on walking till
he entered the muddy pond and was immersed to the waist in
the mud. Finally the novice, satisfied with his sincerity said;
“stop"; and he was told to come out of the pond. This clearly
showed that he had given up personal pride. He was ready to be
taught. The young novice, seeing this, knew that Tuccha-Potthila
was determined to practise. [Dhammapadatthakatha iii.417-21;
Theragatha vs.1174-5]

BHANTE SUVANNO: The Lord often uses similes to put across

a point. Here, He used the simile of the raft:

THE BUDDHA: Bhikkhus,

Bhikkhus, I will teach you the Dhamma
compared to a raft, for the purpose of crossing over, not for
the purpose of holding onto. Listen and pay close attention. I
will speak.
BHIKKHUS: As you say, Lord.
THE BUDDHA: Suppose a man was travelling along a path.
He would see a great expanse of water, with the near sshore
hore
dubious and risky, the further shore secure and free from risk,
but with neither a ferryboat nor a bridge going from this shore
to the other. The thought would occur to him, 'Here is this
great expanse of water, with the near shore dubious and risky,
the further shore secure and free from
from risk, but with neither a
boat nor a bridge going from this shore to the other. What if I
were to gather grass, twigs, branches, and leaves and, having
bound them together to make a raft, were to cross over to
 41

safety on
on the other shore in dependence on the raft, making
an effort with my hands and feet'
feet'?

Then the man, having gathered grass, twigs, branches, and

leaves, having bound them together to make a raft, would cross
over to safety on the other shore in dependence
dependence on the raft,
making an effort with his hands and feet. Having crossed over
to the further shore, he might think, 'How useful this raft has
been to me! For it was in dependence on this raft that, making
an effort with my hands and feet, I have crossed over
over to safety
on the further shore. Why don't I, having hoisted it on my head
or carrying on my back, go wherever I like'
like'? What do you think,
bhikkhus:
bhikkhus: Would the man, in doing that, be doing what
what should
be done with the raft?
BHIKKHUS: No, Lord.
THE BUDDHA: And what should the man do in order to be
doing what should be done with the raft?

There is the case where the man, having crossed over, would
think, 'How useful this raft has been to me! For it was in
dependence on this raft that, making an effort with my hands
and feet, I have crossed over to safety on the further shore.
Why don't I, having dragged it on dry land or sinking it in the
water, go wherever I like’?

In doing this, he would be doing what should be done with the

raft. In the same way, bhikkhus
bhikkhus,
hus, I have taught the Dhamma
 42

compared to a raft, for the purpose of crossing over, not for

the purpose of holding onto. Understanding the Dhamma as
taught compared to a raft, you
you should let go even of
Dhammas,
Dhammas, to say nothing of non-
non-dhammas.

BHANTE SUVANNO (continues): Thus, the Buddha has said

very clearly that the Dhamma is for us to gain knowledge and
wisdom in order to be free from defilement and suffering…not
to keep it with us through eternity; thus Jinavamsa, having
learnt and practised, we should then leave it behind and
concentrate on living the Dhamma.

JINAVAMSA: Bhante, is it not a fact that many have kept on

investigating and questioning the Dhamma in vain attempts to
understand the Dhamma by intellectual means, not realising that
the Dhamma needs practise to grasp the truth within?

Many have wrongly conceived the Dhamma and thus have

applied the Dhamma as a crutch. They have great desire and love
listening and talking about the Dhamma, but have made no
attempt to glean from the Dhamma what is reality and to live the
Dhamma. Would my assumption be correct, Bhante?

BHANTE SUVANNO: Quite so, Jinavamsa. Having heard the

Dhamma, they should investigate sufficiently to practise the
Dhamma. Having practised the Dhamma, wisdom and correct
insight will arise and this is the Correct View in relation to the
Dhamma. We should live by the Dhamma. How do we live by the
Dhamma? Let us first see some…
 43

Cases of not Living By the

the Dhamma…
BHANTE SUVANNO: There are those who study all about the
Dhamma, they spend the day in Dhamma-study.

There are those who take the Dhamma as they have heard it,
studied it and teach it in full detail to others. They spend the day
in Dhamma teaching.

There are those who take the Dhamma as they have heard it,
study it and recite it in full detail. They spend the day in
Dhamma recitation

Then there are those, who take the Dhamma as they have heard
it, study it, think about it, evaluate it, and examine it with their
intellect. They spend the day in Dhamma thinking.

However, they neglect seclusion [in meditation]. They do not

commit themselves to internal tranquillity of awareness
[Vipassana]. These are those who do not live by the Dhamma.

A Case of Living By the

the Dhamma..[AN V.73]
BHANTE SUVANNO: Then the Buddha added that those who
spend moderate time in performing the above but have more
time in seclusion and commit to Vipassana meditation. These are
those who live by the Dhamma. He further added that whatever a
teacher should do in looking after the welfare of his disciples,
out of sympathy for them, that He had done. Thus He advised:

THE BUDDHA: Over there are the roots of trees and empty
dwellings; practise
practise meditation, bhikkhus. Do not be heedless.
Do not later fall into regret. This is our message to you.
 44

BHANTE SUVANNO (continues): Thus, Jinavamsa, please be

guided that the person who practises the Dhamma is the one who
lives by the Dhamma, and the one who lives by the Dhamma is the
one who reside in solitude and practises Vipassana diligently.
This is the Only Way. No others will do.

JINAVAMSA: Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu, Bhante.

 45

THE BUDDHA

The Dhamma Re-

Re-Discovered

CHAPTER TWO
The World System Explained

The Buddha knows and teaches that the universe is without any
discoverable beginning in time: there is no first point, no initial
moment of creation. Through beginning-less time, world systems
arise, evolve, and then disintegrate, followed by new world
systems subject to the same laws of growth and decline.
 46

Re-
Re-Discovering The Dhamma
THE SCENE: Mi Tor See

JINAVAMSA: Bhante Suvanno shares his duties between Mi

Tor See and Buddhist Hermitage Lunas. At this time devotees
had been requesting that he returns to Mi Tor See and render
them Dhamma discourses.

It is late in the evening, the day had been very hot and humid
and Bhante has just gotten up from his rest after the usual crowd
of devotees had offered lunch dana, after which Bhante had
given a lengthy discourse on the planes of existence. This
discourse had always been very well received by the devotees
because Bhante has the knack of describing results in those who
are reborn in hell after doing evil deeds in their lives. The elderly
population would usually ask many questions and Bhante
always takes pains to explain kamma and rebirth to them. They
would usually leave at about three o’clock in the afternoon and
Bhante would then take his bath and have a rest in his simple
room. He would wake at late afternoon and proceed to sweeping
and cleaning up of the compound as a form of exercise. He
would sweep and collect the fallen leaves and heap it aside to be
collected later. Jinavamsa is just behind him, sweeping too.

JINAVAMSA: Bhante, you mentioned just now while giving the

discourse that there are many world systems out there; how did
the Buddha know this?

BHANTE SUVANNO: Ah, Jinavamsa, you must know that the

Buddha was an Enlightened Being and being Enlightened, His
powers are unimaginably expansively encompassing and far, far
reaching. His powers cover anything He wishes to know. Those
are awesome powers. Firstly, let’s see what history has to say.
 47

The Moment, the Man and the Tree

COMMENTATOR: At some ancient point far, far back into the

labyrinth of time, just under 2600 years ago, a man sat under a
huge tree. It was not an ordinary tree and the man was no
ordinary man.

The Moment, the Tree and the Man had been conditionally
staged to be at this exact pivotal point through a humongous
web upon web of events that were conditioned at another point
in yet a more ancient time in unimaginable aeons into the past.

The vast expanse of time where these points evolved is like

boiling an ocean and watching the bubbles of steam arise; each
bubble equating to one split moment in time; these moments are
but bubbles in that ocean. Imagine each bubble is the beginning
of an aeon in time and you will still be far off from imagining the
time and the events that propelled the Moment, the Tree and the
 48

Man coming together at this exact point in the inexorable march

of time. It was the Moment that the Man, taking refuge under the
Tree, looked within himself and discovered that all life forms are
but what the life forms ignorantly conditioned themselves to be;
nothing more, nothing less; not realising that the more desires
they have the less will be their merits for a better rebecoming.

BHANTE SUVANNO (takes over): You must realise that there is

no “man” per se, Jinavamsa, there is only a conglomeration of
different parts coming together and being labelled as “man”; just
as all the different parts make up a car. “Man”; “Car”, are but
the label put on them to identify the different objects for purpose
of identification and labelling. Just as a car is made up of the
chassis, the engine, the seats, etc. so man is a causal object of
mind and body. To distinguish a specific ‘mind and body’ from
other types of ‘minds and bodies’, the unifying word “man” is
used; just so all other ‘mind and body’ objects like dogs, cats,
elephants etc., in the world are so named.

So a dictionary is but a book; and this book we label as a

dictionary tells us we “see” or “perceive” things by what names
they have been identified and labelled. Otherwise, Jinavamsa,
there will be chaos. So names are hinged to objects; this “hinged
togetherness” have been for such a long time that we have
forgotten what were the intrinsic nature of the things we have
“hinged together” and so named “group-wise” as in a group or
an assemblage. Thus, in the unmindful, constant use of the word
man, we have forgotten that “man” is but a conglomeration of
different parts “hinged together”, starting with mind and body;
but we do realise that a “car” is an assemblage of myriad parts,
because we can “see” the parts involved! Whereas we cannot
“see” mind hinged to the body!
 49

At the moment of sitting under the tree, he was known as

Siddhattha Gotama; after a great mind transformation, a great
“enlightenment” of the mind; he became a being possessed of
unfathomable wisdom and far encompassing insights; he
became a Unique Being; a Buddha. He also became a Teacher to
Gods (Devas and Brahmas) and men (manussanam).

JINAVAMSA: Bhante, what length of time did all these events

take place and what does a being have to do to become a
Buddha?

BHANTE SUVANNO: To appreciate the immense universality

in the name “Buddha”, we need to study the world system as
seen directly and known by the Buddha.

We first need to appreciate the length of time that the Buddha

Gotama went through to attain His Self-enlightenment.
Hopefully with this clear perspective you will appreciate the
true nature of Enlightenment of a Buddha.

Most times when we talk about the Buddha and we say: “The
Buddha did this and that…if we try hard enough we can also do
it, too”; not realising what a difficult and formidable task it is to
become a Buddha.

No man or God can be compared to a Supreme Buddha in any

mode of application. He is a unique human, an incomparable
teacher of gods and men. It is extremely difficult and it takes a
truly long and incalculable period of time to become a Supreme
Buddha. An aspiring human being must have superb confidence
and great determination to make the aspiration voluntarily and
willingly to be a Buddha.
 50

THE BUDDHA: Rare is birth as a human being

Hard is the life of mortals
Hard is the hearing of the sublime Truth
Rare is the
the appearance of the
the Buddha.
Buddha.

BHANTE SUVANNO: Siddhattha Gotama, having met living

Buddhas in many previous existences, and realising the
tremendous glory and responsibility in one, profoundly knows
the monumental task ahead of him from the moment he aspires
to be a Buddha. He must be imbued with unusual qualities and
supreme confidence. Truly rare is such a being to be found in
any period of time, anywhere.

If we realise that, we should then be gratified to know how

fortunate we are, to be born when the Teachings of the Buddha
are still with us; for there is no guarantee that the Buddha’s
Dhamma will always be with us. Remember that at the beginning
of His Sasana, just under 2600 years ago, there was no Buddha’s
Dhamma in any universe at all. We are in an era where the
Teaching of the Buddha (Dhamma) is still reasonably well and
alive.

You note, Jinavamsa, I say reasonably well…because at this

juncture in the Buddha’s Dispensation…we are facing much
dangers in the continued performance of the Dhamma; but here
we have been warned by the Buddha that these dangers will
surely come about. We are at a very precarious juncture of the
Dhamma Path; the point of no return as it were. In this respect let
us digress a little and hear what the Buddha has to say regarding
these dangers.
 51

Future Dangers… (An. v 79)

THE BUDDHA: Monks,
there
there are five dangers,
unarisen at present, will arise
in the
the future. Be alert to
them and being alert, work to
get rid of them. What are the
five?

There will be, in the course of the future, monks undeveloped

in bodily conduct, virtue, mind and discernment.
discernment.

1. Being undeveloped, they will give full ordination to others

and will not
not be able to discipline them in heightened
heightened virtue,
mind and discernment.
2. Being undeveloped,
undeveloped, they will take on others as students
and will not be able to discipline them in heightened virtue,
mind and discernment.
3. Being undeveloped, when giving a talk on higher Dhamma
or a talk composed of questions and answers, they will fall
into dark mental states without being aware of it.
4. Being undeveloped, they will not listen when discourses
that
that are words of the Tathagata; deep, profound,
transcendent,
transcendent, are being recited.
recited. They will not lend ear, will
not set their hearts on knowing them, they will not regard
these teachings as worth grasping or mastering. But they
 52

will listen when discourses

discourses that are literary works; the
works of poets, elegant in sound, elegant in rhetoric,
rhetoric, the
work of outsiders,
outsiders, words of disciples are recited. They will
lend ear and set their hearts on knowing them. They will
regard these teachings as worth grasping and mastering.
5. Being undeveloped, they will become elders living in
luxury, lethargic,
lethargic, foremost in falling back, shirking the
duties of
of solitude. They will not make efforts
efforts for the
attaining of the as-
as-yet-
yet-unattained, the reaching of the as-
as-
yet-
yet-unreached; the realisation
realisation of the as-
as-yet-
yet-unrealised
unrealised.
realised.
They will become an example for later generations,
generations, who
will become luxurious in their living, lethargic, foremost in
falling back, shirking the duties of solitude and who will not
make an effort for the attaining of the as-
as-yet-
yet-unattained,
the reaching of the as-
as-yet-
yet-unreached, the realisation of
the
the as-
as-yet-
yet-unrealised
unrealised.
realised.

Thus from corrupt Dhamma comes corrupt discipline; from

corrupt discipline, corrupt Dhamma.

These, monks, are the five future dangers,

dangers, unarisen at
present, will arise in the
the future. Be alert to them and being
alert, work to get rid of them.
 53

More Future Dangers… (An v80)

THE BUDDHA: Monks, there
there are five more future dangers,
unarisen at present, will arise in the
the future. Be alert to them
and being alert, work to get rid of them. What are these
these other
fives
fives?

1. Monks desirous of fine robes,

robes, will neglect the practice of
wearing cast-
cast-off cloth; will neglect isolated forest and
wilderness dwellings;
dwellings; will move to towns, cities and royal
capitals, taking up residence there. For the sake of a robe
they will do many kinds of unseemly, inappropriate
inappropriate things.
2. Monks desirous of fine food, will neglect the practice of
going for alms; will neglect isolated forest and wilderness
dwellings;
dwellings; will move to towns, cities and royal capitals,
taking up residence there and searching out the tip-
tip-top
tastes with
with the tip of the tongue. For the sake of food
they will do many kinds of unseemly, inappropriate things.
3. Monks desirous of fine lodgings, will neglect the practice
of living in the wilds; will neglect isolated forest and
wilderness dwellings; will move to
to towns,
towns, cities and royal
capitals, taking up residence there. For the sake of
lodgings they will do many kinds of unseemly,
inappropriate things.
4. Furthermore, in the course of the future there will be
monks who will live in close association with nuns, female
female
probationers and female novices. As they interact with
nuns, female probationers and female novices, they can be
 54

expected either to lead the holy life dissatisfied or to fall

into one of the grosser offences, leaving the training,
returning to a lower
lower way of life.
5. Furthermore, in the course of the future there will be
monks who will live in close association with monastery
attendants and novices. As they interact with monastery
attendants and novices, they can be expected to live
intent on storing up all kinds of possessions and to stake
out crops and fields.

These, monks, are the five other future dangers,

dangers, unarisen at
present, will arise in the
the future. Be alert to them and being
alert, work to get rid of them.

BHANTE SUVANNO: I digressed, Jinavamsa, let us continue.

Many of us who have read the life story of the Buddha may
think that it took the Ascetic Gotama six years to become the
Buddha. In fact it took the Buddha Gotama a period of three
hundred thousand world cycles interspersed with twenty
asankheyyas to reach enlightenment and become a Buddha!

JINAVAMSA: Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu Bhante, how is an

asankheyya measured and who or what then is a Buddha?

BHANTE SUVANNO: The Buddha knows and teaches that the

universe is without any discoverable beginning: there is no first
point, no initial moment of creation. Through beginning-less
time, world systems arise, evolve and then disintegrate, followed
by new world systems subject to the same laws of growth and
decline. Let us read what Scriptural Texts recorded regarding the
Buddha’s words on this universal event …
 55

SCRIPTURAL TEXTS: Each world system consists of numerous

planes of existence inhabited by sentient beings similar in most
respects to those found in this present universe. Besides human
and animal realms, it contains heavenly planes, realms of
celestial bliss and infernal planes, realms of pain and misery. The
beings dwelling in these realms pass from lives to lives in
unbroken processes of rebirth in the shoreless ocean of Samsara.
This aimless wandering from birth to birth is driven by
ignorance and craving, and the particular form any rebirth takes
is determined by kamma; the results of wholesome and
unwholesome deeds conditioned by thought, speech and
volitional actions of the body. An impersonal moral law governs
this process, ensuring that good deeds bring a pleasant rebirth,
and evil deeds a painful one.

In all planes of existence, life is impermanent, subject to birth,

ageing, decay and death. Even life in the heavens, where celestial
beings, devas and brahmas are reborn, though long and blissful,
does not last forever. Every existence eventually comes to an
end, to be followed by a rebirth elsewhere among any of the 31
Planes in the vast inter-woven borders of myriad universes.
Therefore, when closely examined, all modes of existence within
Samsara reveal themselves as illusionary, stamped with the mark
of imperfection. They are unable to offer a stable, secure
happiness and peace, and thus cannot deliver a final solution to
the problem of suffering. However, beyond the conditioned
spheres of rebirths, there is also a realm or state of perfect bliss
and peace, of complete unconditioned freedom, Nibbana!

JINAVAMSA: Bhante, did the Lord give any indication of how

the world system begins.
 56

Evolution of
of World Systems…
Systems…
BHANTE SUVANNO: Yes, Jinavamsa, He did; in fact He was
very detailed and graphic in that Discourse. He explained a
world cycle as follows; let us refer to some scriptural texts
through Ananda, the Buddha’s cousin and attendant.

ANANDA: Evam me sutam, thus have I heard: At one season the

Blessed One was staying at Vesali, in Ambapali's grove. And the
Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying:

THE BUDDHA: Bhikkhus!

BHIKKHUS: Lord!
THE BUDDHA: Impermanent, O bhikkhus,
bhikkhus, are the
constituents of existence, unstable, non-
non-eternal: so much so,
that this alone is enough to weary and disgust one with all
constituent things, and emancipate there-
there-from.

Now there comes, O bhikkhus,

bhikkhus, a season when, after many
years, many hundreds and thousands
thousands and hundreds of
thousands of years, it does not rain; and while it rains not, all
seedlings and vegetation,
vegetation, all plants, grasses and trees dry up,
wither away and cease to be.

And, bhikkhus,
bhikkhus, there comes a season, at vast intervals in the
lapse of time,
time, when a second sun appears. After the
appearance of the second sun, bhikkhus,
bhikkhus, the brooks and
ponds dry up, vanish away and cease to be. So impermanent
are constituent things!
 57

And then, bhikkhus,

bhikkhus, there comes a season, at vast intervals in
the lapse of time,
time, when a third sun appears; and thereupon the
great rivers, vanish away and cease to be.

At length, after another vast period, a fourth sun appears,

and thereupon the great lakes, vanish away, and cease to be.

Again, bhikkhus,
bhikkhus, when, after another long
long lapse, a fifth sun
appears, the waters in the great ocean go down for a hundred
leagues; then for two hundred, three hundred, and even unto
seven hundred leagues, until the water stands only ankle-
ankle-deep.
Even, O bhikkhus,
bhikkhus, as in the fall season, when it rains
rains in large
drops, the waters in some places are standing around the feet
of the kine (cattle);
(cattle); even so, bhikkhus,
bhikkhus, the waters in the great
ocean in some places are standing to the depth of kine-
kine-feet.

After the appearance of the fifth sun, bhikkhus,

bhikkhus, the water in
the great ocean is not the measure of a finger-
finger-joint.

Then at last, after another lapse of time, a sixth sun appears;

whereupon this great earth reeks
eeks and fumes
fumes and send forth
clouds of smoke.

After a last vast interval, a seventh sun appears,

appears, and then,
bhikkhus, this great earth, flare and blaze, and become one
mass of flame.
 58

And now, from earth and mountains burning and consuming, a

spark is carried by the wind and goes as far as the worlds of
God; and the peaks of Mount Sineru, burning, consuming,
perishing, go down in one vast mass of fire and crumble for a
hundred, even, five hundred leagues.

And of this great earth, bhikkhus,

bhikkhus, and Sineru, the monarch of
mountains, when consumed and burnt, neither ashes nor soot
remains. Just as when ghee or oil is consumed and burnt,
bhikkhus,
bhikkhus, neither ashes nor soot remains, so it is with the great
earth and Mount Sineru.

Therefore, bhikkhus,
bhikkhus, do those who deliberate and believe say
this: 'This earth and Sineru, the monarch of mountains, will be
burnt
burnt and perish and exist no more,' excepting those who have
seen the path
path.
th. [Anguttara Nikaya; vii. 62].
 59

Continuing Evolution
[Excerpt from: Aganna Sutta: Digha Nikaya 27]
THE BUDDHA (in Savatthi Migara’s mansion): There comes a
time, Vasettha, when, sooner or later,
later, after
the lapse of a long period, this world passes
away. And when this happens, beings have
mostly been reborn in the World of
Radiance; and there they dwell, made of
mind, feeding on rapture, self-
self-luminous, traversing the air,
continuing in glory; and
and thus they remain for a long period of
time.

There also come a time, Vasettha, when sooner or later this

world began to re-
re-evolve. When this happens, beings who had
deceased from the World of Radiance
Radiance,
iance, come to life as humans.

self--
And they become made of mind, feeding on rapture, self
luminous, traversing the air, continuing in glory
glory and remain thus
for a long period of time.

Now at that time, all had become one world of water, dark and
of darkness that maketh blind. Neither moon nor sun
appeared, no stars were seen, neither was the constellations,
constellations,
nor was night and day; neither years nor seasons, neither
female nor male. Beings were reckoned just as beings only.
 60

And to those beings, Vasettha, sooner

sooner or later after a long
time, earth with its savour was
was spread out in the waters; like
scum forms on the surface of boiled milky rice that is cooling.
cooling. It
became endowed with colour, odour and taste. Even as well-
well-
made ghee or pure butter, so was its colour;
colour; even as the
flawless honey of the bee, so sweet was it.

Then, Vasettha, some being of greedy

greedy disposition, said:
What will this be? They tasted the savoury earth with their
fingers. After tasting, they craved for them.
them. Other beings
beings
following their examples
examples and craving entered into them. Then
those beings began to feast on the savoury earth, breaking off
lumps of it with their hands.

And from the doing thereof the self-

self-luminance faded away,
the moon and the sun became manifest. Thereupon star-
star-
shapes and constellations became manifest. Thereupon night
and day became manifest
manifest,
fest, seasons and the years. Thus far
then, Vasettha, did the world evolve again.

Now those beings, Vasettha, feasting on the

the savoury earth,
nourished by it, continued
continued thus for a very long
long while. And as
they thus fed, their bodies become solid and variety in their
comeliness become manifest.

Some beings were well favoured,

favoured, some were ill-
ill-favoured.
favoured. And
the well favoured despised the ill favoured, thinking: We are
 61

more comely than they are.

are. And while they through pride in
their beauty thus became vain and conceited, the savoury
earth disappeared. At the disappearance
disappearance of the savoury
earth, they bewailed
bewailed: Alas for the savour!
savour!

Then, Vasettha, when the savoury earth

earth had vanished,
vanished,
outgrowths appe
appeared
ppeared in the soil, like the springing up of
mushrooms
mushrooms, it had colour, odour and taste; even as well-
well-formed
ghee or fine butter so was the colour thereof, and even as
flawless honeycomb so was the sweetness thereof.

Then,
Then, those beings feasted
feasted on these outgrowths
outgrowths of the soil.
soil.
And they, finding food and nourishment
nourishment in them, continued for
a long while. And as they fed and were nourished, their bodies
grow ever more solid and the difference in their comeliness
became more
more manifest.
manifest. Thus the well favoured despised
despised thos
those
ose
that were ill favoured. And as they took pride in their beauty,
they became vain and conceited, these outgrowths of the soil
disappeared.

Thereupon creeping plants and bamboo appeared which had

colour, odour and were as sweet as honeycomb
honeycomb.
omb.

Then, creepers.
Then, Vasettha, those beings began to feast on the creepers.
And they feasting and nourished by them, continued so for a
long while; and as they thus fed and were nourished, their
bodies bacame more solid, and the divergence in their
 62

comeliness increase, so that,

that, as before, the better favoured
despised the worst favoured. And while those, through pride
in their beauty, became vain and conceited, the creepers
disappeared.

At the disappearance thereof they bewailed and lamented.

Then, Vasettha, when the creepers
creepers had vanished, rice
appeared ripening in open spaces. No powder had it and no
husk;
husk; pure, fragrant and clean grained.

While in the evening they gathered and carried away for

supper, the next morning
morning the rice grew again. Where in the
morning they gathered and carried away for breakfast, in the
evening the rice grew again.

Then,
Then, those beings feasting
feasting on this rice, feeding on it,
nourished by it, so continued for a long while. And thus
feeding, they went on existing and their bodies become even
more solid and
and the divergence in their comeliness more
pronounced.

In the female appeared the distinctive features of the female,

in the male those of the male. Then truly did woman
contemplate man too closely, and man, woman. In them
contemplating
contemplating over each other much
much,
ch, passion arose and
desires entered their
their bodies. They thereof followed their
lusts. And beings seeing them so doing, some threw sand,
 63

some ashes, some cow-

cow-dung, crying: Perish,
Perish, foul one! How can
a being treat another being so?

That which was reckoned immoral at that time, Vasettha, is

now reckoned to be moral. Those beings who at that time
followed their lusts, were not allowed to enter village or town
for a whole month or even two months. And inasmuch as those
beings at that time quickly incurred blame
blame for immorality, they
set to work to make huts, to conceal just that immorality.

Then Vasettha, this occurred to some being

being of a lazy
disposition: Now!
Now! Why do I wear myself out fetching rice for
supper in the evening, and in the morning for breakfast? What
What
if I were to fetch enough rice for supper and breakfast
together? So he gathered at one journey enough rice for the
two meals together.

Then some other being came to this one and said: Come,
good being, let us go rice gathering. And he said:
said: Never mind,
mind,
good being, I have fetched rice enough for two days. [And so,
in like manner, they stored up rice enough for
for four, and then
for eight days]
days].

Now from the time, Vasettha, that those beings began to feed
on hoarded rice, powder enveloped the clean grain,
grain, and husk
enveloped the grain, and the reaped or cut stems did not grow
 64

again; a break became manifest [where the reaper had cut]; the
rice stubble stood in clumps.

Then those beings, Vasettha, gathered themselves and

bewailed this, saying: Evil customs, sirs, have appeared among
men. Come now, let us divide off the rice fields and set
boundaries thereto! And so they divided off the rice and set
boundaries round it.

Now some being of greedy disposition, stole another plot and

made use of it. They caught him and, said: Truly, thou hast
wrought evil in that, thou
thou hast stolen another plot.
plot. See that
thou do not do such a thing again! Aye, sirs he replied.
replied. And a
second time he did so.; and
and yet a third. And again they caught
and admonished him. He was punished. With such a beginning,
Vasettha,
Vasettha, did stealing, censure, lying and punishment became
known.

Now those beings bewailed these things:

things: From our evil deeds,
sirs, punishment have become known, what if we were to select
a certain being, who should censure that which should rightly
be censured, and who should banish him who deserves to be
banished? But we will give him in return a proportion of the
rice.

Then, Vasettha, those beings went to the being among them

who was the most capable and said to him: Come now,
now, good
 65

being, censure that which should rightly be censured, banish

him who deserves to be banished. And we will contribute thee
a proportion of our rice. And he consented, and did so, and
they gave him a proportion of their rice…….
rice…….

BHANTE SUVANNO: That, in a nutshell, Jinavamsa was how

the world evolved naturally to a social system we find it today.
And it will always happen as it is without fail!

JINAVAMSA: Bhante; sadhu, sadhu sadhu, but how can one

fathom or visualise the time span of one world cycle?

Simile of a World Cycle…

Cycle…
BHANTE SUVANNO: Ah yes; a world cycle is a very, very long
period and we with our limited wisdom and knowledge cannot
begin to envisage the vastness or length of time constituting that
world cycle. Let us hear what the Lord, using a simile says on
this:

THE BUDDHA: Suppose, O bhikkhus,

bhikkhus, that there was a huge
solid mass of rock with no cracks or crevices, that was one
yojana (7-
(7-14 miles) long, one yojana wide and one yojana high,
and suppose that every once in a hundred years,
years, a deva
deva from
the heavens were to come and polish this rock with a silken
cloth until that huge rock wears off. The period that it took to
wear the rock away is the time span of one world cycle. Of
such world cycles many have passed away; many hundreds,
many thousa
thousands,
ousands, many hundreds of thousands.
 66

BHANTE SUVANNO: The Buddha was using this simile so as

to give us an idea the length of a world cycle or Mahakappa. If we
consider only the period after the Definite Proclamation by the
Dipankara Buddha, the period in which the Bodhisatta completed
the ten perfections, it was only a mere 100,000 world cycles. In
fact, it took the Bodhisatta a period of 300,000 world cycles
interspersed with 20 incalculable periods to attain Buddhahood.
When you can visualise this time span you will marvel not only
at the magnitude of the task but also at the fortitude and courage
a Bodhisatta has to have to attain Supreme Buddhahood. Thus is
a Buddha a Supreme Being.

JINAVAMSA: When was it then, Bhante, that the present

Buddha made his first aspiration?

First Mental Aspiration …

BHANTE SUVANNO: The Bodhisatta had been reborn into
countless lives in his training to be a Buddha, even before the
time when he was Sumedha. The Jataka Stories tell of two
incidents both set in a time over 300,000 world cycles and 20
asankheyya when he was inspired to make mental aspirations to
be a Buddha.

The first story tells of the time when the Bodhisatta was the son of
the King of Benares. On his father's death, He was crowned king.

The new king had a beautiful, trained elephant. While out one
day, his elephant caught the scent of a female elephant. It broke
loose and, leaving the mahout, ran into the jungle after the
female elephant. The mahout explained to the king that his
normally obedient elephant left because of the lust it felt for the
female elephant. The king reflected on this information and,
feeling disgust at the effect of lust on his calm, mild, trained
 67

elephant, decided to give up sensual pleasures and become an

ascetic. He gave up his worldly possessions and kingdom and
took the life of a holy man.

In another story our present Bodhisatta then was King Atideva,

who met the Buddha Brahma-Deva and presented a monastery to
the Buddha, providing him and his bhikkhus with all that they
required. At this time he made the mental aspiration to
Buddhahood.

From the time of the Buddha Brahma-Deva, our Bodhisatta had

found rebirth and met 125,000 Buddhas, and made the mental
aspiration to Buddhahood in the presence of each Buddha after
performing various meritorious acts, however, he had not
achieved the requirements necessary to receive the Definite
Proclamation.

The First Definite Prophecy

BHANTE SUVANNO: Time in relation to present - 100,000
world cycles and four incalculable periods ago. Bodhisatta Gotama
then was Sumedha the ascetic and the Buddha at that time; the
Buddha Dipankara. At that time our Bodhisatta was born into the
family of a priest and was named Sumedha. After his father’s
death, he had distributed all of his wealth among the poor and
taken the life of an ascetic.

We will now cover the period that is well known in most books
regarding Sumedha; this is Four Asankheyya and 100,000 world
cycles ago; Jinavamsa we will continue with:
 68

Firm Determination and

and Bold Proclamation
It was the occasion of welcoming the Buddha Dipankara to the
great city of Rammavati. The citizens were repairing the road,
eagerly preparing a grand welcome for the Dipankara Buddha.

While travelling in the air, the ascetic Sumedha saw the citizens
being engaged cheerfully in road reconstruction and city
decoration. Wondering what was going on, he came down and
questioned them. They answered that they were repairing the
road as the Buddha and his disciples were coming to visit and
they would pass that stretch of bad road. The ascetic Sumedha
felt greatly delighted and thought:

SUMEDHA (musing to himself): Oh! it's very hard to hear the word
'Buddha', and it is, indeed, harder to become a Buddha.

BHANTE SUVANNO: Thus thinking, he asked to help in the

road repairs and the citizens being aware of his super normal
powers allowed him a difficult section of the road to repair.

Although he could finish the road repair by his super normal

power, he decided to apply his own labour as he would gain
more merit this way; but before he could finish repairing his
portion of the road,
the Buddha and his
disciples arrived.
[To prevent the feet of
the Buddha and his
disciples from getting
soiled, he prostrated
himself on the mud to
form a bridge].
 69

Among the crowd, there was a young woman named Sumitta

who was very impressed with the way the ascetic venerated the
Buddha. So, from the eight stalks of lotus flowers in her hand,
she kept three and gave five to him. He immediately offered the
flowers to the Buddha while lying on the muddy road.

BHANTE SUVANNO (continues): On seeing the Buddha's noble

glory, the young Sumedha thought:

SUMEDHA: If I wish, I can now become an arahant. However, I

will forsake that goal and aspire to be a Buddha like the Buddha
Dipankara. So, he immediately made the firm resolution to
become a Buddha. The Buddha Dipankara, standing in front of
Sumedha proclaimed as follows:

BUDDHA DIPANKARA: This young ascetic, lying down as a

bridge at the risk of his life, will become a Buddha like me in
the future.

BHANTE SUVANNO: On hearing this, the audience cheered

and honoured Sumedha. The Buddha did not tread on him, but
passed by him. The disciples of the Buddha followed suit.

The future Buddha, having gained the proclamation by the

Dipankara Buddha, got up with great joy. From this point on, the
Bodhisatta started in earnest to fulfill the ten virtues.
 70

Necessary Conditions…
SCRIPTURAL TEXT: Eight conditions must be met in order to
receive the definite prophecy (proclamation).

1. If one so wished one could at this point attain Arahantship

and obtain one's liberation from Samsara.
2. One must be a human being.
3. One must be a male.
4. One must come face to face with a living Buddha.
5. One must be an ascetic.
6. One must possess psychic powers.
7. One must be prepared to lay down one's life for the Buddha.
8. One must have the strong determination to be a Buddha
even though one knows that one might have to suffer as an
animal, demon, etc., in an unhappy world.

BHANTE SUVANNO (takes over): At the time of the Buddha

Dipankara, He saw that the Bodhisatta met the eight requirements
as at that moment in time and thus made the definite
proclamation. During this period the Bodhisatta perfected himself
and retained the determination and aspiration to Buddhahood.
The ten perfections: Generosity, morality, renunciation,
wisdom, effort, patience, truth, determination, universal love
and equanimity, the prerequisites to Buddhahood, were to be
fulfilled in this stage.

JINAVAMSA: Bhante, if a Buddha rarely appears, then what are

the conditions existing when there is no Buddha Sasana in the
world?

BHANTE SUVANNO: It is normal to desire and prefer

unwholesome practices when born at a time when the Dhamma
is not around to give guidance and value to life and humans will
have no conception of what is immoral or moral. Whatever it is,
 71

the law of kamma operates despite man’s ignorance. Destroying

the life of a living being, human or animal, is an unwholesome
act and when accompanied by intention, will set in motion the
law of kamma. Those among us who have heavenly birth as their
long-term goal should understand that even the extremely long
and happy life spans in the heavens are impermanent.

As I have mentioned before, brahmas, devas and all heavenly

beings are also traversing Samsara with humans, animals, ghosts.
All are subjected to the same impermanence of existence. All
beings will die and find rebirth according to the thoughts,
speech and deeds in this present existence and those they have
inherited from their passed existences.

Rebirth could occur in any of the 31 planes of existence, perhaps

in a human world devoid of the Dhamma. Then the chances of
wrongdoing and subsequent birth in an unhappy plane are very
high because we may not have the Dhamma of a Supreme
Buddha to guide us.

The Buddha explained how difficult it is to obtain birth as a

human once you are born in an unhappy plane. He applied the
following simile to illustrate this great chasm to cross to find
rebirth in a human existence.

Kanakacchapa-
Kanakacchapa-Sutta:
THE BUDDHA: There is, O bhikkhus,
bhikkhus, in the ocean a turtle,
both of whose eyes are blind. He plunges into the water of
the unfathomable ocean and swims about incessantly in any
direction wherever his head may lead.
 72

There is also in the ocean the yoke of a cart, which is

ceaselessly floating about on the surface of the water, and is
carried away in all directions by tide, current and wind.

These two go on throughout an incalculable space of time:

perchance it happens that in the course of time the yoke
arrives at the precise place and time where and when the turtle
puts up his head, and yokes on to it. Now, O bhikkhus,
bhikkhus, is it
possible that such a time might come
come as is said?

BHIKKHUS: Ordinarily, O Lord, it is impossible; but time

being so spacious, and an aeon lasting so long, it may be
admitted that perhaps at some time or other it might be possible
for the two to yoke together, as said; if the blind tortoise lives
long enough, and the yoke does not tend to rot and break up.

THE BUDDHA: O bhikkhus,

bhikkhus, the
occurrence of such a strange
strange thing is not
to be considered a difficult one; for there
is still a greater, a harder, a hundred times,
a thousand times more difficult than this
lying hidden from your knowledge.

And what is this?

this? It is, O bhikkhus,
bhikkhus, the obtaining of the
opportunity of becoming a human
human again by a human
human who has
expired and is reborn once in any of the four realms of misery.
 73

The occurrence of the yoking of the blind tortoise is not

worth thinking of as a difficult occurrence in comparison
therewith. Only those who perform good deeds and abstain
from doing evil alone can obtain the existence of men and
Devas.

The beings in the four miserable worlds cannot discern what is

virtuous and what vicious, what good and what
what bad, what moral
and what immoral, what meritorious and what de-
de-meritorious,
and consequently they live a life of immorality and demerit.
Those creatures of the Niraya and Peta abode in particular,
live a very miserable life on account of unwholesome kammic
kammic
results, which they experience with sorrow, pain and distress.

Therefore, O bhikkhus,
bhikkhus, the opportunity of being reborn in
the abode of men is a hundred times, a thousand times harder
to obtain than the encountering of the blind turtle with the
yoke.
yoke.

BHANTE SUVANNO (takes over): According to this Sutta, those

beings who are born in the miserable planes will find great
difficulty in being reborn into human existence because they are
ignorant of the true Dhamma. Their ignorance becomes more
entrenched from existence to existence; and as the water of a
river always flows down to the lower plains, so also they are
always tending towards the lower existences; for the ways
towards the higher existences are closed to them, while those
towards the lower existences are freely open.
 74

Hence, from this story of the blind turtle, the wise apprehend
how great, how fearful, how terribly perilous are the evils of
being reborn; "the dispersion of life” after death is a fear that the
wise will surely take note of, for the four realms of misery down
to the most horrifying hell, stand wide open without any
obstruction to one who departs from the human realm. As soon
as the term of life expires, he may fall into any of the realms of
misery. Whether far or near, there is no intervening period of
time. He may be reborn as an animal; as a hungry ghost or a
wretched shade in the blink of an eyelid.

The fear of death is not as great as the fear of the dispersion of

life at death. Except those who have already gained the path of
entering the stream of Nibbana, none can ever say where they
will find rebirth!

The Ten Perfections

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: During the period of 100,000 world cycles
interspersed with four asankheyya, the Bodhisatta Gotama worked
at completing the ten perfections (paramita), namely [a consecutive
order is not necessary]:

1. Dana (Generosity) 6. Khanti (Patience)

2. Sila (Morality) 7. Sacca (Truth)
3. Nekhamma (Renunciation) 8. Adhitthana (Determination)
4. Panna (Wisdom) 9. Metta (Universal Love)
5. Viriya (Effort) 10. Upekkha (Equanimity)

The Buddha’s past life stories [The Jataka Tales] demonstrate how
the Bodhisatta Gotama attained perfection in each of the ten
virtues. The Bodhisatta practised each of these in countless births
to a degree that is incomprehensible to most mortals. Generosity
was not just the giving away of his wealth and kingdom for the
good of the world. It was the giving of his limbs, his life, and,
 75

ultimately, his beloved children and wife to reach perfection in

generosity. Over myriad aeons of time the Bodhisatta worked
tirelessly, with determination and perseverance, to attain
perfection in each of these ten areas.

JINAVAMSA: Who or What then is a Buddha?

 76

THE BUDDHA

The Dhamma Re-

Re-Discovered

Who Is
The Buddha?
Buddha ?

CHAPTER THREE
Who Is The Buddha?

A Buddha is a unique Being who became fully Enlightened in a

time when the teachings of the Four Noble Truths, the Noble
Eightfold Path and the Buddha’s Dhamma do not exist anymore
in the world.
 77

Who Is The Buddha?

THE SCENE: Mi Tor See

BHANTE SUVANNO: Jinavamsa, the word ‘Buddha’ is not a

proper name but an honorific title meaning ‘the Enlightened
One’. “Buddha, Tathagata, Blessed One”, etc., are appellations in
appreciation and admiration of His various qualities. The word
denotes, not just a single religious teacher who lived in a
particular epoch, but a type of person; an exemplar; of which
there have been many in the course of countless world cycles;
just as the title ‘President’ refers not just to an individual person,
but to everyone who has ever held the office of presidency, so
the title ‘Buddha’ is in a sense a ‘spiritual office’, applying to all
who have attained the state of Buddhahood.

A Buddha is a unique Being who attain Self-Enlightenment in a

time when the teachings of the Four Noble Truths and the Noble
Eightfold Path do not exist anymore in the world. After His
Enlightenment, the Buddha taught for 45 years till the end of His
life. The Buddha Gotama, then, is simply the latest in the lineage
of Buddhas, which stretches back into the dim recesses of the
past and forward into the distant horizons of the future.

In the most ancient and authentic Pali Canon, there is description

of what He looks like. Generally speaking, He has golden hair,
blue eyes, His hands reached to His knees without bending, etc.
There are 32 distinct marks that distinguish Him. Historically,
there is proof of His existence that He is in fact a real existing
person.

A Buddha is not merely an Enlightened One, but is also an

Enlightener, a World Teacher of gods and man. His function is to
rediscover the path to Nibbana, to total freedom, and teach this
path to the world at large; thereby others can follow in His foot-
 78

steps and arrive at the same emancipation that He Himself

achieved. A Buddha is not unique in attaining Nibbana. All those
who follow the path to its end realise the same goal. Such people
are called arahants; they have destroyed all ignorance and
defilement and are totally free in all aspects.

General Characteristics
SCRIPTURAL TEXT: The Buddha had a lengthy body and long
arms with a span equal to body length, long fingers, long hands,
elongated face, protruding and well-formed nose. His hair was
fine, dark and with soft, long curls. His eyes were wide, and
strongly blue or bluish. His body was light-coloured and golden,
with a pinkish colour under the nails.

Overall there are 32 main characteristic signs and additional 80

secondary characteristics that define the wholesomeness of one
with such unique attainments.

There are two categories of Buddhas. The first, being the

Sammasambuddha or Sabbannu Buddha (Omniscient Buddha). A
Sabbannu Buddha develops His paramis (moral perfection) through
four, eight or sixteen asankheyyas and one hundred thousand
world cycles and, due to this, is endowed with special powers
(bala). He has the unique ability to proclaim and teach the
Dhamma. He is superior to all other beings; human or divine; due
to having this unique role of a discoverer, keeper and dispenser
of the Dhamma that had been lost for aeons of time.

The second category of the Buddha is that of the Pacceka-

Buddha, who are enlightened but is not able to teach or proclaim
the Dhamma. Pacceka-Buddhas develop their paramis through two
asankheyyas and one hundred thousand world cycles.
 79

Common Facts
SCRIPTURAL TEXT: Thirty facts are common to all the
Buddhas. Some of which are:

• A Buddha is conscious of His conception in His last birth as

a Bodhisatta;
• He is seated cross-legged in the womb of His mother;
• His mother delivers Him in a standing position;
• the birth takes place in a forest;
• when born, He immediately takes seven steps and proclaims
His own unique excellence;
• His body bears the thirty-two marks in addition to other
features common to all the Buddhas.

There are, however, eight particular characteristics, which

differentiate one Buddha from the other. These are the height of
His body, His social rank, the area of His aura, the conveyance
used to renounce the worldly life, the tree under which He
attains Enlightenment, the size of His seat under the Bodhi tree
(pallanka), the length of His austerities and His longevity.

A Buddha is born only in our cosmic system (Cakkavala) out of

the ten thousand similar systems and also only in Jambudipa
(the Indian subcontinent). Furthermore, one Buddha appears at
one period of time only. Sometimes, more than one Buddha may
be born in one aeon (kappa). Further, no new Buddha is born
until the order or the teaching of the previous Buddha
completely disappears from the world.

COMMENTATOR: At this time, both teacher and student walks

to the rest area and Jinavamsa pours a glass of water for Bhante
and they both prepare to rest; teacher seated on a bench and
student on the floor, a sign of deference to the teacher.
 80

The Daily Routine

JINAVAMSA (continuing the talk): Bhante, does the Buddha have
any definite tasks to perform? What would His duties be?

BHANTE SUVANNO (mindfully sipping water): Jinavamsa, you

must know that the Buddha had a very disciplined and mindful
nature. You should also note that He teaches by repetition and
habitual ways. Even when He decides to perform some action or
deeds, it was His habit to find out what other Buddhas had done
before Him so that He stays consistent with the teachings of the
Dhamma by all Buddhas.

Jinavamsa, habits are of two kinds, the profitable, and the

unprofitable. The unprofitable habits of The Buddha had been
eradicated by His attainment of Enlightenment. Profitable habits,
however, remained in Him. These habits were five-fold: His
before-breakfast habits; His after-breakfast habits; His habits of
the first watch of the night; His habits of the middle watch of the
night; and His habits of the last watch of the night.

BHANTE SUVANNO (continues): The Indian tradition divides

the night into three equal parts; first watch of the night; that is
between 6pm to 10pm; then we have the second watch; that is
10pm to 2am and then the third watch which is 2am to 6am. The
Buddha's day was well organised and carefully structured. Let
us start with the evening (6pm-10pm). Remember too, that the
Buddha ate once a day only and that was just breakfast.

After bathing in the evening, the Buddha would go and sit down
on a seat prepared by His attendant, and for a while remain in
meditation. Bhikkhus would show up punctually at the first
watch. The Buddha begins His first session of the night,
attending to those bhikkhus who came to seek advice for their
practice and giving them discourses and meditation instructions;
 81

and in granting their desires, the Buddha would have completed

the first watch of the night. These were His habits of the first
watch of the night.

The middle watch was an opportunity for brahmas, devas of the

heavenly planes and other beings from all over the ten thousand
world systems to seek His audience and advice. They would
silently appear and stand quietly in solemn respect, till the
Buddha acknowledged those who ask questions. Others would
just stand by and listen intently with heads bowed in respectful
humility. Often, kings, princes, or ministers, who had no time
during the day, would avail themselves of this opportunity.
These were His habits of the middle watch of the night.

He would divide the third watch of the night into three parts;
the first part of the third watch He spent in walking meditation,
the second in sleep. In the third part, He would sit in another
session of meditation, during which time He would survey the
world with His divine eye in order to see if there were beings
who would benefit from a visit that day. These were His habits
of the third watch of the night.

The Blessed One would rise early in the morning and after
caring for His own person, He would sit retired until it was time
to go on His alms round. At which time, He would put on His
robe and taking His bowl, He would enter the village or the
town for alms. Sometimes He went alone, sometimes ahead of a
group of bhikkhus.

The Noble Glory

BHANTE SUVANNO: While the Lord of the World is entering
for alms, gentle breeze clear the ground before Him; the clouds
let fall drops of water to settle the dust in His pathway, and then
 82

become a canopy over Him; other winds bring flowers and

scatter them in His path; elevations of ground depress
themselves, and depressions elevate themselves; wherever He
places His foot, the ground is even and pleasant to walk upon, or
lotus-flowers receive His tread.

No sooner has He set His right foot within the city-gate then the
rays of six different colours which issue from His body race
hither and thither over palaces and pagodas, and deck them, as
it were, with the yellow sheen of gold, or with the colours of a
painting. The elephants, the horses, the birds and other animals
give forth melodious sounds; likewise the tom-toms, lutes, and
other musical instruments, and the ornaments worn by the
people.

By these tokens the people would know: "The Blessed One has
now entered for alms"; and in their best robes, with perfumes,
flowers and other offerings, they issue forth from their houses
into the streets. Then, having zealously paid homage to The
Blessed One with the perfumes, flowers and other offerings, and
done Him obeisance, some would implore Him:

CITIZENS: Venerable Sir, give us ten bhikkhus to feed; give us

twenty to feed.
OTHER CITIZENS: Give us a hundred bhikkhus to feed.

BHANTE SUVANNO: And they would take the bowl of The

Blessed One, and prepare a seat for Him, and zealously show
their reverence for Him by placing food in the bowl.

When He had finished His meal, The Blessed One, with due
consideration for the different dispositions of the peoples’
minds, would so teach them the Doctrine so that some would
become established in the refuges, some in the five precepts,
 83

some would become converted, some would attain to the fruit of

either once returning (sakadagami), or of never returning
(anagami), while some would become established in the highest
fruit, that of arahant, and would retire from the world. Having
shown this kindness to the multitude, He would rise from His
seat, and return to the monastery.

On His arrival there, He would

take His seat in a pavilion
where He would wait for the
bhikkhus to finish their meal.
When they had finished their
meal, the bhikkhu attendant
would announce the fact to The
Blessed One, who would then
enter the perfumed chamber.

The next function was giving advice to bhikkhus. Those who

wished to receive instruction in meditation could do so at this
time. The Buddha also answered questions brought up by His
bhikkhus and delivered discourses appropriate to the occasion.

BHANTE SUVANNO (continues): Having done that, He retired

to His cell and, if He wished, spent some time in restful solitude.
Then He would again survey the world with His clairvoyance to
see if anyone needed His presence and instruction. Those who
were spiritually mature enough to benefit from His instruction
would appear before His divine vision and He would take
appropriate steps to fulfill their spiritual needs.

A little later the people who had given Him breakfast would
again assemble at the monastery. Thereupon the Blessed One,
when His audience had assembled, would approach in such
miraculous manner as was fitting; and taking His seat in the
 84

lecture-hall, on the excellent Buddha-mat which had been spread

for Him, would teach the Doctrine, as suited the time and
occasion until when He perceived it was time, He would dismiss
the audience, and the people would do obeisance to The Blessed
One, and depart. These were His after-breakfast habits.

Except during Vassa (Rains Retreat), the Blessed One was always
on the move, delivering discourses and giving advice to the
masses. Even when traveling, He would keep up this usual
routine, working hard to fulfill His duties as 'the teacher of gods
and man’.

The Supreme Buddha Gotama

Setaketu [also known as Santusita] Deva
BHANTE SUVANNO: What motivates the Bodhisatta to
cultivate the paramis to such extraordinary heights is the
compassionate wish to bestow upon the world the teaching that
leads to the Deathless; Nibbana. This aspiration, nurtured by
boundless love and compassion for all living beings caught in
the net of suffering, is the force that sustains the Bodhisatta in His
many lives of striving to perfect the paramis. And it is only when
all the paramis have reached the peak of perfection that He is
qualified to attain Supreme Enlightenment as a Buddha.

Thus the personality of the Buddha is the culmination of the ten

qualities represented by the ten paramis. Like a well-cut gem, His
personality exhibits all excellent qualities in perfect balance. In
Him, these ten qualities have reached their consummation,
blended into a harmonious whole. In completing the virtue of
generosity (in the Vessantara Jataka), the Bodhisatta completed the
ten perfections. At death, He was reborn in the Tusita Heaven as
a Deva by the name of Setaketu. And there He remained until the
opportune time for His last birth as the Buddha Gotama.
 85

BHANTE SUVANNO (continues): From the above description of

the Buddha, Jinavamsa, you would have gathered that the
Buddha is a mortal and not an immortal person. The present
Buddha has died and passed into Nibbana. He is therefore not
able to come back and give us further help and advice. What can
help us is the Dhamma that He had left behind and that He says
will be our teacher when He is gone. Further, He teaches that all
things are impermanent and must pass away, which means that
He too will pass away.

But all hopes are not dashed, for in the very far, far distant
future, another Buddha will again appear to re-discover and
teach the Dhamma. The question is, will we be around to be
benefitted by this re-discovered Dhamma? If perchance we are so
endowed with merits that maybe we are here again, the next
question is: what form will we be? Will we be humans to be able
to understand His teachings when the time comes? No one can
really say.

Remember what the Lord said; if we do not practise the Dhamma

diligently, it is extremely unlikely that we will gain human form
again as life after life, more and more defilement accumulate in
kammic energy we label as ours; but He promises and all
Buddhas then and in the future will give the same promise:
There is only One Way to the Purification of beings and that is
through the practise of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness in
other words; Vipassana… and I must add…in the correct manner.

BHANTE SUVANNO: Ah, Jinavamsa, it is now getting onto

quite early in the morning and I will let you go and rest. We
shall continue at the next most opportune time.

JINAVAMSA: Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu, Bhante. May Bhante rest

well, too.
 86

THE BUDDHA

The Dhamma Re-

Re-Discovered

CHAPTER FOUR
Pre-
Pre-Sasana Era

The world was blessed with the birth of the greatest human ever.
One who became the Buddha and who re-discovered the Four
Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, the only way to
Liberation from Samsara and the end of all sufferings!
 87

Pre Sasana Era

SCENE: Buddhist Hermitage Lunas, evening time.
JINAVAMSA (reports): Many weeks have passed since the last
discourse. Bhante Suvanno had been on various house visits for
quite a few weeks. At
these house visits, food
and other requisites are
offered. After the dana
and offerings had been
made, Bhante would
deliver a discourse
(fluently in the Chinese
Hokkien dialect, for which
he is well known) and
answer questions from the devotees. His down to earth way of
giving a discourse and answering their questions have through
the years endeared him to the devotees. ((Bhante’s kuti pic. above)

After a house visit, Bhante would be quite tired and when he

returns to the Hermitage he would take his rest earlier in the
evening, at which time he prefers to be left alone to meditate in
his kuti. Jinavamsa had also been cloistered in solitary
meditation for nearly thirty days. This evening, Bhante has
asked that Jinavamsa meet him for another session of Dhamma
discussion. Message had been left in a tray in front of
Jinavamsa’s kuti, which is a walking distance away.

Back in the kuti, Jinavamsa had just risen from meditation. It is

quite late and dark in the evening and the sun had already set.
Not having a time piece he does not know what time of the day
it is. He sees the note on the tray and gets ready to visit Bhante
Suvanno. He walks the distance to Bhante Suvanno’s kuti,
knocks on the door and waits for acknowledgement.
 88

BHANTE SUVANNO: Come in! Jinavamsa, the door is open.

JINAVAMSA: [Opens door and walks in, prostrates in front of Bhante
Suvanno in respectful homage]. May Bhante be well and happy.

COMMENTATOR: Teacher and pupil exchanged courteous

greetings and then their often Dhamma sessions would begin. It
has become a regular meeting between teacher and pupil at such
quiet and unusual hours. A strong bond of togetherness had
sprung up between the two.

BHANTE SUVANNO: Ah Jinavamsa, you are looking calm and

well, tell me about your experiences in your full month of
meditation in solitary retreat.

COMMENTATOR: Here, Jinavamsa reports to Bhante his

experiences during his full month in meditative retreat.

BHANTE SUVANNO [continues after the interview]: Jinavamsa, for

you to truly appreciate the Dhamma, we need to start you
from the beginning, so let me recall the scenes before the
Buddha’s birth and we shall discuss about this matter in great
detail.

JINAVAMSA: It would be a great blessing for me to hear from

you the details of the Buddha’s birth.

BHANTE SUVANNO: The Buddha was born in the year 623BC.

There are some controversies as to the exact date of His birth,
but that is not our worry, except to say that He was actually a
true human person and there are many findings by many great
people that prove so.

After his final birth in the human plane as King Vessantara where
he perfected in full all his Moral and Spiritual Perfections (in
 89

Pali; paramis), the Bodhisatta was born in the deva world known as
Tusita, where he received the name of Setaketu and lived in the
possession of every enjoyment for the space of 57 kotis and 60
lacs of years (one lac is the equivalent of 100 thousand and one
koti is the equivalent of 100 lacs). At the end of this period, as it
had been announced that a supreme Buddha was about to
appear, the devas and brahmas of the various worlds enquired
who it was to be; and when they discovered that it was Setaketu,
they went in a vast multitude to that deva and requested him to
assume that high office.

Deva Setaketu, also known as Santusita, the Future Buddha,

enjoyed the supreme divine bliss in the abode of Tusita for
four thousand years according to deva reckoning, which is
equivalent to five hundred and seventy-six million years in the
human world. Then one thousand years by human
calculations before the end of the Bodhisatta’s life-span in
Tusita, Suddhavasa Brahmas proclaimed:

"Friends, In a thousand years from today, There will appear in

the human abode, An Omniscient Buddha"!

"An Omniscient “An Omniscient

Buddha Buddha
will be appearing”! will be appearing”!

The Heavenly Announcement caused Joyous Cries

that Reverberated
across the Entire Human World
One Thousand Years ahead of the Event.
 90

The Request
BHANTE SUVANNO: On hearing the joyous cries announcing
the advent of a Buddha, all Deva kings
and Maha-Brahmas of the ten thousand
world-systems, congregated in a
certain universe to hold a discussion
with the Future Buddha whose
approaching birth in the human realm
had become manifest through Five
Signs. Then they requested him:

DEVA KINGS: Oh! Bodhisatta Deva,

you had completely fulfilled The Ten
Perfections, aspiring to be an Omniscient Buddha in order to
acquire freedom from sufferings as well as to liberate the
multitudes of humans, Devas and Brahmas. O Bodhisatta Deva,
this is truly the right moment to become an Omniscient Buddha!

Meeting the
the Five Requirements
BHANTE SUVANNO: The wise Deva Setaketu however, did not
hastily consent to the supplication of the Devas and Brahmas; he
had to ascertain that the five predicted conditions were in
position in accordance with traditions of the Bodhisattas. These
were:
• The character of the period in which Buddhas are born.
• The continent.
• The country.
• The family.
• The day.
 91

• As to the first condition, he saw the age of man being about

a hundred years, being neither too long nor too short was an
auspicious period for the Buddha to be born.
• As to the second, he saw that Buddhas are born in
Jambudipa (India).
• As to the third, he saw that they are born in Magadha.
• As to the fourth, he ascertained whether the royal caste or
the Brahmin was then the superior, and when he saw that it
was the royal caste, he looked to see which of the 63,000
kings of Jambudipa possessed the requisite merit to become
the father of a Buddha; he perceived that Suddhodana, King
of Kapilavatthu, of the Sakyan race was alone worthy of the
honour.
• As to the fifth perception, when he looked to see on what the
days the Buddhas are born, as he saw that the Queen of
Suddhodana would be timely to be his mother and that as the
mother of a Buddha dies on the seventh day after her
confinement, he saw that he must be conceived in the womb
of Mahamaya, 307 days previous to the time at which it was
foreknown that her death would take place.

The Bodhisatta observed that the five requirements necessary

for His final birth - the right time, the right continent, the right
country, the right family and the right mother, had been met.
Thus he agreed to their request.

It was also timely as signs of his coming demise were already

apparent. When a deva is about to leave the celestial regions,
there are evidences of the fact:
• His garments lose their appearance of purity.
• The garlands and ornaments on his person begin to fade.
• The body emits a kind of perspiration.
• The mansion in which he has resided loses its beauty.
 92

The devas having perceived these signs relative to Setaketu,

gathered around him and offered him their congratulations. On
the arrival of the proper period, he passed away from Tusita and
was conceived in the womb of Mahamaya. The womb that bears a
Buddha is like a casket in which a relic is placed; no other being
can be conceived in the same receptacle; the usual secretions are
not formed; and from the time of conception, Mahamaya was free
from passion and lived in the strictest continence.

The Conception
BHANTE SUVANNO: Now Jinavamsa, around this time of the
year in Kapilavatthu, the people were accustomed to holding a
festival from the 7th day of the Moon to the 14th, during which
period they spent their time in dancing and all other kinds of
pleasure. On the last day of the festival, Mahamaya bathed in
fragrant water and arrayed herself with flowers and ornaments;
after which she gave generous amounts of alms and took the five
precepts. She then retired to her royal couch and whilst reposing
upon it, had a dream.

In her dream she saw the guardian devas of the four quarters
take up the couch upon which she lay, and convey it to the great
forest of Himalaya. There they placed it upon a rock, under the
shade of a sal tree and afterwards remained respectfully at a
distance. After that, four deva Queens brought water with which
they washed her body and afterwards arrayed her in the most
exquisite garments and anointed her with divine scents.

The four devas then took her to a palace of gold placed on top of
a rock of silver, and having made a divine couch within the
palace, they placed her upon it, with her head towards the east.
 93

Whilst there reposing, the Bodhisatta appeared in the form of a

small white elephant in the moonlight, his tiny trunk holding a
lotus. Approaching near, he thrice circled the Queen's couch.

BHANTE SUVANNO: At
this point Setaketu, who saw
the process of the dream,
passed away from the devaloka
(deva world) and was
conceived in the world of
man; and Mahamaya
discovered the Bodhisatta
within her body, as an infant
lies in the womb of its
mother.

In the morning, when the Queen awoke, she told the King about
her dream. Anxious about the meaning of the dream King
Suddhodana called together sixty-four Brahmans, learned in the
four Vedas to seek their advice. He feasted them in golden dishes,
which he presented to them as gifts at the close of the session.

From these Brahmans, Suddhodana learned that the Queen had

become pregnant of a son. They further declared that the child
would be vested with the dignity of a Universal Ruler; but if he
renounced the world, they foretold that he would become a
supreme Buddha. They then recommended the king to appoint a
festival in honour of the event.

During the whole period of the pregnancy, the devas of the four
quarters remained with Mahamaya; and 40,000 devas from the
10,000 other world systems with weapons in their hands also
remained on guard; some round the palace, whilst others
guarded the city, Jambudipa and the cakkavala (world system).
 94

The mother and the child were completely comfortable and at

ease. The Queen was calm and not excited by these
circumstances; and for the better preservation of her infant she
moved about with care, like one who carries a vessel full of oil
that one is afraid to spill; she did not eat any hot, bitter or highly
seasoned food, neither did she over-eat; she did not lie upon her
face, nor upon her left side; she neither exercised, nor did she
use violent exertion, but maintain her calmness.

At the conclusion of the ten months, Mahamaya informed the

King that she wished to go to her home town of Koli to pay a
visit to her parents. He commanded that the whole of the road
between Kapilavatthu and Koli should be made level, strewed
with clean sand and have trees planted on each side, with water
vessels at regular intervals. A golden litter comfortably laid out
with soft cushions and warm beddings was brought in carried
by a thousand nobles in their richest costumes. The Queen
putting on her best robes began her journey home accompanied
by thousands of elephants drawing myriad chariots like a cloud
formation; all her attending retinue were waving banners and
musicians were playing music continuously and loudly.

Between the two cities was the garden of Lumbini, to which the
inhabitants of both cities were accustomed to resort to for
recreation. At this time the sal trees were in full bloom and
flowers were everywhere; swarms of bees sported among the
blossoms and culled the sweet nectar from the flowers; and there
were coveys of peacocks, birds of paradise and flocks of other
birds with beautiful plumages, welcoming the Queen with
pleasant songs, happy tweetings and chirpings. Graciously
fragrant heavenly scents gently wafted about the garden at the
approach of the Queen, softly touching and caressing the Queen
and her bevy of attendants.
 95

The Birth
BHANTE SUVANNO (continues on): She decided to spend a bit
more time in the garden to enjoy the
beautiful sights. She stepped out of
her golden litter and attended by
thousands of her royal maidens
entered the garden, admiring all
things around her, until she came to
a sal tree. She put forth her hand to
catch hold of one of its branches; but
it bent towards her of its own
accord, and as she held it, the birth
of the Bodhisatta commenced. The
nobles placed a curtain around her
and retired to a little distance. Hosts
of heavenly devas and brahmas of the 10,000 cakkavalas came in
attendance and as guards. Entirely clean and pure at birth, the
Bodhisatta was born, and the child was received by the Maha
Brahma in a golden net, who on presenting him to Mahamaya
said:

MAHA BRAHMA: Rejoice, O Queen, for the son you have

brought forth will be the support of the world!

BHANTE SUVANNO (continues on): Though the infant was free

from impurity, yet to render him and Mahamaya perfectly clean,
two streams of crystal clear water; one of warm and one of cold
was sent by the devas, to bathe the Bodhisatta. After cleansing, the
two streams of water immediately dried up and were no more.

The guardian devas of the four quarters then took the child from
the hands of the Queen, wrapped him in warm clothing and
handed him to the nobles, who, in turn wrapped him in folds of
the finest and softest cloth; but at once the Bodhisatta descended
 96

from their hands to the ground, and on the spot first touched by
his feet, there arose lotuses. The infant Bodhisatta then looked
towards the east and in an instant, he beheld the whole of the
limitless cakkavalas in that direction; and all the devas and men in
the same direction presenting flowers and other offerings,
exclaiming: “You are the greatest of beings; there is no one like
you; no one greater then you; you are supreme”!

In their joy, Maha Brahmas of the 10,000 cakkavalas brought

umbrellas to be held over his head as a canopy; celestial devas
brought and played musical instruments; and the rest of the
devas presented many other gifts.

The Lion’
Lion’s
ion’s Roar
Roar
BHANTE SUVANNO: Surrounded by hosts of brahmas, Deva
Kings, devas and other celestial beings, the infant Bodhisatta stood
firmly on the ground and took seven strides to the north. Having
walked seven steps, he stopped to look around and gave out a
proclamation known as the 'lion's roar' (sihanada):

"Supreme am I in the
world;
"Greatest am I in the
world;
"Noblest am I in the
world.
"This is my last birth,
birth,
"Never shall I be
reborn"
reborn".
 97

It was at these words, which were spoken as with the voice of a

fearless lion, and rolled like thunder to the highest of the brahma
worlds, that the Maha-brahmas, brahmas, Deva Kings, devas and all
other celestial beings assembled to do homage to the new-born
Prince. The Queen did not proceed to Koli, but returned to
Kapilavatthu.

The world was blessed with the birth of the greatest human ever;
One who became the Buddha and who re-discovered the Four
Noble Truths and the Middle Path, the only way to end all
sufferings. No words can describe or ever hope to fathom the
power of such a Being!

Great Rejoicings
Rejoicings
BHANTE SUVANNO: Great were the rejoicings over the birth
of the Prince. An ascetic, Asita Kaladevala, tutor of the king, was
particularly pleased to hear this happy news, and visited the
palace to see the Royal Baby. The King brought the child to pay
him due respect, but, to the surprise of all, the child raised his
legs and rested them on the matted locks of the ascetic.

The ascetic rose from his seat and, foreseeing the child's future
greatness, venerated the Prince with clasped hands. The Royal
father did likewise. The ascetic smiled at first, but then his face
turned sad. Questioned regarding his mixed reactions, he replied
that he smiled because the Prince would eventually become a
Buddha, an Enlightened One, and he was sad because he would
not be able to benefit by the superior wisdom of the Enlightened
One owing to his prior death and rebirth in a Formless Plane.

On the fifth day after the Prince's birth he was named Siddhattha
meaning ‘wish fulfilled’. His family name was Gotama. Learned
brahmins were invited to the palace for the naming ceremony.
 98

Amongst them were eight distinguished wise men. Seven of

them predicted that the Prince would either become a Universal
Monarch or a Buddha. But the youngest, Kondanna, declared that
the Prince would definitely retire from the world and become a
Buddha.

About Yasodhara
BHANTE SUVANNO: Yasodhara
was born on the same day as the
Bodhisatta. When the Bodhisatta was
sixteen years old, Suddhodana sent
messengers to the Sakyans asking
that his son be allowed to seek a
wife from among their daughters;
but the Sakyans were reluctant to
send them, for, they say, though the
young man is handsome, he knows
no art; how then, can he support a
wife?

The Prince summoned an assembly of the Sakyans and

performed various feats, chief of these being feats with a bow
which needed the strength of one thousand men. The Sakyans
were so impressed that each sent him a daughter, the total
number so sent being forty thousand.

The Bodhisatta appointed as his chief wife,

Yasodhara, the daughter of Suppabuddha,
who, later came to be called Rahulamata. She
is also known under various names:
Bhaddakacca (or Kaccana), Bimba,
Bimbasundara and Gopa. She was married to
the Prince at sixteen years of age.
 99

The Prince Reflects

BHANTE SUVANNO: In the meantime, the Bodhisatta was
living in the lap of luxury and never was he in want for
anything. His father King Suddhodana saw to it that he was in no
lack for the slightest thing and that Siddhattha was given all the
luxuries that was in the King’s power to give. He was not
allowed to go outside to the world to see the miseries around
him.

Yet as Siddhattha grew to manhood he was unhappy. There must

be more to this life than to be enjoying all the sensual pleasures
around me, he thought. Thus one fine day he ventured outside
the palace walls and there he encountered four sights that made
him reflect on his way of life in general and his own in
particular. Thus:

…..Our
…..Our Lord Buddha, knowing not of woe,
Nor want, nor pain, nor plague, nor age,
age, nor death,
Lulled on the dark breasts of Yasôdhara,
He would start up and cry, My world! Oh, world!
I hear! I know! I come ! And she would ask,
"What ails my Lord?" with large eyes terror-
terror-struck
For at such times the pity in his look
Was awful, and his visage like a god's.

But Prince Siddhattha heard the Devas play,

And to his ears they sang such words as these: --
We are the voices of the wandering wind,
Which moan for rest and rest can never find;
 100

O Maya's son! because we roam the earth

Moan we upon
upon these strings; we make no mirth,
So many woes we see in many lands,
This life they
they cling to is but empty show;
Rise, Maya's child! wake! slumber not again!
We are the voices of the wandering wind:
Wander thou, too, O Prince, thy rest to find;
Even in thine arms and on thy breasts, bright wife,
Sore have I panted, at the sun's decline,

To ride and ride and see the spread of the earth

How would I stretch for topmost Himalay,
Himalay,
And strain my gaze with searching what is round!
Why have I never seen and never
never sought?
Tell me what lies beyond our brazen gates."
The Light of Asia (part)

BHANTE SUVANNO: He began to contemplate on the nature

of his existence. He wanted to be serene and contented. After
much thought and contemplation, he made up his mind to leave
the luxurious living in the palaces and seek the true way to
happiness.

Thus in the year 594BC, at the age of 29 years and just as a son
was born to him, he renounced all worldly pleasures and
possessions and wandered off in search of the Truth.
 101

THE BUDDHA

The Dhamma Re-

Re-Discovered

CHAPTER FIVE
The Bodhisatta’s Renunciation

Day after day, seated amidst all of life’s luxuries the Prince
remains unmoved. Ever in thoughtful mood, he muses on the
fleeting nature of life's so called pleasures and its doubtful
delights.
 102

Signs of
of Awakening
SCENE: Mi Tor See

LIGHT OF ASIA: When from the roadside moaned a

mournful voice:

Sick Man: Help, masters! Lift me to my feet;

oh, help, or I shall die before I reach my house!

THE BODHISATTA (puzzled): Why is it,

Channa, that he pants and moans, and gasps
to speak and sighs so pitiful?
pitiful?
Channa: This is a sick man with the fit upon him.
THE BODHISATTA (wondering): And are there there others, are
there many thus? Or might
might it be to me as now with him?
him?
Channa: Great Lord! This comes in many forms to all men.
THE BODHISATTA (surprised): Then all men live in fear?
Channa: So live they, Prince!
THE BODHISATTA (contemplating): And growing old, grow
older, then what end?
end?
Channa: They die, Prince.
THE BODHISATTA (Greatly surprised): Die!
Die!
Channa: Yea, at the last comes death,
In whatsoever way, whatever hour.
Some few grow old, most suffer and fall sick,
But all must die -- behold, where comes the Dead!
THE BODHISATTA (bewildered disbelieve): Is this the end
end which
comes to
to all who live?
live?
Channa: This is the end that comes to all.
 103

THE BODHISATTA (sadly lamenting): Oh! suffering world,

world,
Since pleasures end in pain, and youth in age,
And love in loss, and life in hateful death,
And death in unknown
unknown lives, which will but yoke
Men to their wheel again to whirl the round
The veil is rent…
rent… Which blinded me! I am as all these men

……….How
……….How can it be that Brahm
Would make a world and keep it miserable,
Since, if all-
all-powerful, he leaves it so,
He is not good, and if not powerful,
He is not God? – Channa! lead home again!
It is enough! mine eyes have seen enough”!

A Prince’s Life of Extreme Pleasures

Pleasures
BHANTE SUVANNO: The Bodhisatta was born in the pleasure-
grove of Sal trees
called the Lumbini
Garden and was
named Siddhattha.
At the age of
sixteen, he was
married to Yaso-
dhara Devi, the
daughter of the
Royal Master of
Devadaha, Suppabuddha. Thereafter, surrounded by forty
thousand attendant princesses, he lived in enjoyment of kingly
pleasures in great magnificence. Manifold was the variety of
sensuous delights within the palace, the music and song that
 104

filled the palace halls by night and day; the beauty and grace of
its dancing girls; the fragrance of subtle perfumes; the finest silks
and priceless gems for jewellery and adornment; and rare
delicacies and foods for the royal table.

And yet, day after day, seated amidst all this luxury the Prince
remains unmoved. Ever in thoughtful mood, he muses on the
fleeting nature of life's so called pleasures and its doubtful
delights.

The Four Signs

BHANTE SUVANNO: While thus wholly given over to
sensuous pleasures amidst pomp and splendour, he came out
one day accompanied by attendants to the royal pleasure grove
for a garden feast and merry-making. On the way to the grove,
the sight of a decrepit, aged person gave him a shock and he
turned back to his palace.

As he went out on a second occasion, he saw a diseased person

and greatly disturbed, returned to his palace. When he went out
for the third time, he was further alarmed and agitated on seeing
a dead man and again hurried home.

The Unwholesome Quest

THE BODHISATTA: When oneself is subjected to old age, to
seek and crave for what is subjected to old age is not befitting.
And what are subjected to old age? Wife and children, slaves,
goats and sheep, fowls and pigs, elephants, horses, cattle,
gold and silver, all objects of pleasures and luxuries, animate
and inanimate, are subject to old age. Being oneself subject
 105

to old age, to crave for these objects of pleasures, to be

enveloped and immersed in them is not proper. Similarly, it
does not befit one, when oneself is subject to disease and
death, to
to crave for sensual objects which are subject to
disease and death. To go after what is subject to old age,
disease and death (what is not befitting and proper) constitutes an
Unwholesome Quest .

THE BODHISATTA (describing his Unwholesome Quests): Now

bhikkhu
hikkhus
kkhus, before my Enlightenment while I was only an un-
un-
Enlightened Bodhisatta, being myself subjected to birth and
old age I sought after what
what was also subjected to birth and old
age.
age.

BHANTE SUVANNO: This was a censure of the life of

pleasures he had lived with Yasodhara amidst the pomp and
pleasures of attendant princesses. Then, having perceived the
wretchedness of such life, he made up his mind to go in search
of the peace of Nibbana which is free from birth, old age, disease
and death. He recalled:

THE BUDDHA: Monks, I lived in the utmost,

utmost, total refinement.
My father even had lotus ponds made in our palaces
palaces: one
where red-
red-lotuses bloomed, one
one where white lotuses bloomed,
and one where blue lotuses bloomed, all for my sake. I used no
sandalwood that was not from Varanasi. My turban was from
Varanasi, as were my tunic, my lower garments, and my outer
cloak. A white sunshade was held over me day and night to
protect me from cold, heat, dust, dirt and dew.
 106

I had three palaces: one for the cold season, one for the hot
season and one for the rainy season. During the four months
of the rainy season I was entertained in the rainy-
rainy-season
palace by minstrels without a single man among them. In
In my
father's
father's home the servants, workers and retainers were fed
wheat, rice
rice and meat.

Even though I was endowed with such fortune, such total

refinement, the thought occurred to me: 'When an untaught,
run-
run-of-
of-the-
the-mill person, himself subject to ageing, not beyond
ageing, sees another who is aged,
aged, he is horrified, humiliated
and disgusted, oblivious to himself that he too is subject to
ageing, not beyond ageing. If I, who am subject to ageing, not
beyond ageing, were
were to be horrified, humiliated and disgusted
on seeing another person who is aged, that would not be
fitting for
for me.'
me.' As I noticed this, the typical
typical young person's
intoxication with youth entirely dropped away.

Even though I was endowed with such fortune, such total

refinement, the thought occurred to me: 'When an untaught,
run-
run-of-
of-the-
the-mill person, himself subject to illness, not beyond
illness, sees another who is ill, he is horrified, humiliated, and
disgusted, oblivious to himself that he too is subject to illness,
not beyond illness.

And if I, who am subject to illness, not beyond illness, were

were to
be horrified, humiliated
humiliated and disgusted on seeing another
 107

person who is ill, that would not be fitting for me.' As I noticed
this, the healthy person's intoxication with health entirely
dropped away.

Even though I was endowed with such fortune, such total

refinement, the
the thought occurred to me: 'When an untaught,
run-
run-of-
of-the-
the-mill person, himself subject to death, not beyond
death, sees another who is dead,
dead, he is horrified, humiliated and
disgusted, oblivious to himself that he too is subject to death,
not beyond death.

And if I, who am subject to death, not beyond death, were

were to
be horrified, humiliated and disgusted on seeing another
person who is dead, that would not be fitting for me.' As I
noticed this, the living person's intoxication with life entirely
dropped away.
away. [An. III.38]

The Noble Quest:

Quest:
Renunciation
BHANTE SUVANNO: On his fourth
excursion to the pleasure-grove, the
Bodhisatta met a holy man. On
learning that he had gone forth from a
worldly life, it occurred to the
Bodhisatta to renounce worldly life,
become a recluse and go in search of what is not subjected to old
age, disease and death. In the Buddha’s own words: (The young
Prince grows disenchanted with his life of luxury).
 108

THE BODHISATTA: Being one-

one-self subjected to old age,
disease and death, to go in search of that which is not
subjected to old age, disease and death constitutes a Noble
Quest.

BHANTE SUVANNO: On that same day, his son was born.

When the news was brought to him:

THE BODHISATTA (murmured): An impediment (rahula) has

been
been born, a fetter has been born.

BHANTE SUVANNO: Later, on learning of this remark of the

Bodhisatta, King Suddhodana named his newborn grandson Prince
Rahula, hoping that the child would indeed prove to be a fetter to
the Bodhisatta and become a hindrance to his plan for
renunciation.

But the Bodhisatta had become

averse to the pleasures of the world.
That night he remained unmoved,
unsolaced by the amusements
provided by the royal entertainers
and retired to bed early. The
discouraged musicians lay down
their instruments and went to sleep
there and then.

On awakening in the middle of the

night, the sight of recumbent,
sleeping dancers repulsed the Bodhisatta and made his palace
seem like a cemetery filled with corpses.
 109

Thus, at midnight the Bodhisatta, taking a last look at his sleeping

wife and child, went forth on the Great Renunciation riding the
royal horse, Khandaka, accompanied by his charioteer, Channa.

When they came to the river Anoma,

he cut off his hair and beard while
standing on the sandy beach. Then
after discarding the royal garments,
he put on the yellow robes offered
by the Brahma God, Ghantikara, and
became a recluse. Note that the
Brahmas and devas in the heavenly
planes were aware of the Bodhisatta’s
impending sojourn on the human
plane in preparation to fulfill his
aspiration of being the Buddha.

The Bodhisatta was then only twenty-nine years of age, an age

most favourable for the pursuit of pleasures. That he renounced
with indifference the pomp and splendour of a sovereign and
abandoned the solace and comfort of his home, wife and son and
retinues, at such a favourable age while still blessed with youth
is a most difficult but noble act.

Moral Implications
JINAVAMSA: There are men who walk out on their families for
selfish reasons; such actions are irresponsible and cannot be
condoned. Bhante, how would you describe Prince Siddhattha’s
renunciation? Was this not a selfish and irresponsible act.

BHANTE SUVANNO: [Sighing with great compassion] …Poor, poor

ignorant human beings. Jinavamsa, know that human beings are
 110

so judgemental and ignorant. Prince Siddhattha was known for

his compassion and kindness. Certainly, he did not leave his
family and everything behind for selfish reasons. He renounced
the life of abundance and pleasure for a life of poverty and
austerity. He gave up a prospective throne with all the attending
ministers and state dignitaries to live in forests among wild birds
and beasts. He sacrificed wealth and power to lead the life of an
ascetic, penniless and alone. No one could accuse Siddhattha
Gotama of having left his family and country for the sake of
pleasure and sensual gratification. His decision was based on
compassionate altruism; it was an act of sacrifice and
farsightedness.

The Prince’s life in the palaces was one of abundant luxury and
constant pleasure. His father, apprehensive that the young
Prince would one day leave home to become an ascetic, had
made preparations that he was well provided for and would
thereby be attached to the worldly life. But the Prince saw
through the delusion of worldly pleasures. Transitory and
unsatisfactory as they were; he knew no sorrow, but he felt
profoundly touched by the pain living beings, especially humans
had to endure.

Still in the prime of his youth, enjoying physical strength and

good health, he perceived the uncertain nature of life and the
delusion of human happiness. Amidst luxury and comfort, he
contemplated the universality of suffering to which all beings
are subjected. His innate compassion would not allow him to
selfishly enjoy the pleasures and privileges of royalty. The world
was full of conflict and confusion, plagued by violence and
oppression, and the Prince had to find a way to do away with
these sufferings.
 111

In the process he had to undergo great hardship and personal

discomfort. But the Dhamma he discovered and taught to the
world has brought peace and happiness to countless people over
the centuries, and is still of great benefit to humanity today. Had
he chosen to lead a household life and ascend the throne
following his father, his services to mankind would have been
much more limited.

Siddhattha's decision to leave home could not have been an easy

one. He had a young son, a loving wife, a concerned father and
foster mother, and a promising future of power and glory. He
also knew all too well that the austere life of an ascetic was one
of great hardship, loneliness and discomfort so completely
different from the life he was enjoying. It must have taken great
courage, determination and selfless sacrifice to arrive at this
crucial decision and not to waver in his resolve.

BHANTE SUVANNO [continues]: Thus, Jinavamsa, the Lord’s

Renunciation was anything but irresponsible; it was a deed as
courageous as a lion’s, compassionate, filled with wisdom and
discernment, totally responsible and only after much
deliberation, and to point out a significant factor, He asked of
His bhikkhus which was greater, the tears that were shed from
existence to existence by them while wandering this Samsara,
crying and weeping from being together with what is
displeasing, being separated from what is pleasing, or the waters
in the four great oceans? The Buddha knew and saw that the
tears shed were truly greater, further:

THE BUDDHA: Long have

have you repeatedly experienced the
death of a mother; the
the tears you have shed over the death of
a mother while wandering this long, long Samsara, crying and
weeping from being joined with what is displeasing, being
 112

separated from what is pleasing are greater

greater than the water in
the four great oceans.

Long have you repeatedly experienced the death of a father;

the death of a brother;
brother; the death of a sister; the death of a
son; the death of a daughter; loss with regard to relatives; loss
with regard to wealth; loss with regard to disease. The tears
you have shed over loss with regard to disease while wandering
this long, long time, crying and weeping from being joined with
what is displeasing, being separated from what is pleasing, are
greater than the water in the four great oceans.
oceans. Why is that?

From an inconstruable beginning comes birth. A beginning

point is not evident, though, beings hindered by ignorance and
fettered by craving are being reborn repeatedly.

Long have you thus experienced stress, experienced

experienced pain,
experienced loss, swelling the cemeteries, enough to become
disenchanted with all dependently conditioned things, enough
to become dispassionate, enough to be released.
released. (samyutta
nikaya, part ii, xv.3).

BHANTE SUVANNO: Yet we still continue to cling to, not

knowing and not realising the depth of pain we have had before.
Not knowing and not realising that we have had many families,
many parents, children, relatives, friends and enemies in as
many previous lives; thus the defilement accumulates heap on
heap on heap, again and again.
 113

We still crave to be reborn….continuing on with greater greed,

stronger emotions of anger and hatred, and still drowned in
delusions of the self; unable to rise from the depths of our
experienced suffering…dragged ever deeper into the swirling
whirlpool of defilement...unable to rise…even given the
opportunity. So sad!
 114

THE BUDDHA

The Dhamma Re-

Re-Discovered

CHAPTER SIX
Practising
Practising Extreme Austerities

With unrelenting energy he undergoes rigorous ascetic discipline,

both bodily and mentally, seeking a way to the cessation of
suffering through further suffering, till he becomes lean and
emaciated and a mere skeleton.
 115

Six Years of
of Intense Suffering
THE SCENE: Continuing in Mi Tor See

BHANTE SUVANNO: For six long years the Bodhisatta wanders

along the highways and byways of India. In the beginning, the
Bodhisatta was not yet in possession
of practical knowledge of leading a
holy life so he made his way to the
then famous ascetic Alara who was
no ordinary person. Such teachers
who had achieved jhanic attainments
served as trustworthy masters giving
practical instructions on methods of
attainments. Alara was as famous as a
Buddha in those times. He lived in
the state of Vesali and he had three hundred pupils learning his
doctrine.

The Bodhisatta first went to Alara and then to Udaka, another

famous contemporary teacher, who had higher jhannic
experiences than Alara. After learning from both of them he
discovered that he could not attain what he was seeking, which
was destruction of aversion and cessation of passion, leading to
higher knowledge and full Enlightenment and finally to Nibbana,
the end of suffering. In both cases their teachings would lead
him to Brahmic worlds, at death, where he was assured of a very
long life, after which he will again return to the human realm
and go through the whole life, death and suffering cycles again.
These were not the goals for which he had left his family. Dis-
satisfied and becoming indifferent to the practice which led only
to the Brahmic realms and not to nibbana, the end of suffering, he
went his own way to attempt to reach the undying state of
Nibbana.
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Extreme Austerities in the

the Forest
BHANTE SUVANNO: After he had left Udaka, the Bodhisatta
wandered about in
Magadha, seeking the path
to the undying Nibbana.
During his wanderings,
he ultimately found his
way to the forest of
Uruvela. In the forest he
saw the clear, flowing
river Neranjara. Perceiving
thus a delightful spot, a serene dense grove, a clear, flowing
stream with a village nearby which would serve as an alms
resort, it occurred to him:

THE BODHISATTA (pondering): Truly, this is a suitable

suitable place
for one intent on effort.

BHANTE SUVANNO: He stayed on in the forest. As yet the

Bodhisatta had not worked out a precise system of right struggle.
Austerity practices were, of course, widely known and in vogue
throughout India then. Thus without any teacher to guide him
now, the Bodhisatta pondered long, and finally he decided to go
the way of austerities.

Crushing Mind with

with Mind
THE BODHISATTA (contemplating): What if now with my teeth
clenched and my tongue cleaving the palate, I should press
thoughtt with my
down, constrain and crush the naturally arising though
mind?
 117

BHANTE SUVANNO: This extreme austerity proved very

painful for him and sweat oozed out from under his armpits, but
no superior knowledge was attained. This method led him only
to extreme suffering and not to the ending of passion and the
gaining of knowledge. Other austerity practices taken up
successively also led merely into wrong paths. He then tried…

Restraining the
the Breath
THE BODHISATTA (further contemplating): What if
if I controlled
respiration and concentrate on the breathless jhana?
jhana?

BHANTE SUVANNO: With that thought, the Bodhisatta

restrained the in-breathing and out-breathing of the mouth and
nose. With the holding of respiration through the mouth and
nose, there was a roar in the ears. There was intense bodily
suffering, but the Bodhisatta was relentless. He held the in-
breathings and out-breathings, not only of the mouth and nose,
but also of the ears. As a result, violent winds rushed up to the
crown of the head, causing pains as if a strong man had split
open the head with a mallet or had tightened a rough leather
strap round the head. Violent winds pushed around in the belly
causing great pain like being carved up by a butcher's sharp
knife. And there was intense burning in the belly as if roasted
over a pit of burning coals.

The Bodhisatta, overcome physically by pain and suffering, fell

down in exhaustion and lay still. When the Brahmas and devas
saw him lying prone, some of them said:

BRAHMAS AND DEVAS: The bhikkhu Gotama is dead.

OTHER BRAHMAS AND DEVAS: The bhikkhu Gotama is not
yet dead, he is dying. The bhikkhu Gotama is neither dead nor
dying. He is just lying still, dwelling in the state of Arahantship.
 118

Extreme Austerity of
of Fasting
BHANTE SUVANNO: Alas! In spite of all these painful efforts,
no higher knowledge was gained…the thought then occurred to
the Bodhisatta…

THE BODHISATTA: What if I strive still harder,

harder, entirely
abstaining from food?
food?

BRAHMAS AND DEVAS: (knowing his thoughts) Please, Lord

Gotama, do not entirely abstain from food. If you do so, we shall
instill heavenly nourishment through the pores of your skin. You
shall remain alive on that.

THE BODHISATTA (considering): If I claim to be completely

completely
fasting and these brahmas and devas should
should instil heavenly
nourishment through my pores and I should thus be sustained,
sustained,
that would be for me a lie.
lie.

BHANTE SUVANNO: The Bodhisatta rejected the deities offer.

Then he decided to take less and less nourishment, only as much
bean soup as the hollow of a hand could hold. Living on about
five or six spoonfuls of bean soup each day, his body reached the
state of extreme emaciation.
 119

The limbs withered, only skin, sinews and bones remained.

The vertebrae became exposed in uneven lumps and

protuberances. The widely dispersed bones jutted out,
presenting an ungainly, ghastly appearance. The gleam of the
eyes, shrunk down in their sockets, looked like the reflection
from water sunk deep in the well. The scalp had shrivelled up
like a green, soft gourd withered in the sun.

The emaciation was so extreme that if he attempted to feel the

belly skin, he encountered the spinal column; if he felt for the
spinal column, he touched the belly skin. When he attempted to
evacuate the bowel or make water, the effort was so painful that
he fell forward on the face, so weakened was he through this
extremely scanty diet. Seeing this extremely run down body of
the Bodhisatta, the people said:

SOME PASSER-BYS: The bhikkhu Gotama is a black man. The

bhikkhu Gotama has a brown complexion. The bhikkhu Gotama has
the brown-blue colour of the torpedo fish.

BHANTE SUVANNO: Alas! So much had the clear, bright,

golden colour of his skin deteriorated.
 120

Mara's Persuasion
BHANTE SUVANNO: While the Bodhisatta strove hard and
practised extreme austerity in his quest for the Deathless, Mara
came to hinder his progress.

MARA: Friend Gotama, you have gone very thin and in the
presence of death. There is little chance for you to live. Oh,
Friend Gotama! Life is better than death. If you live, you can do
good deeds and gain merits.

BHANTE SUVANNO: Happily, the Bodhisatta was able to

overcome Mara. At that time, the Bodhisatta was still working
under the delusion that austerity exercises were the means of
attaining higher knowledge. Thus, he thought:

THE BODHISATTA: This wind that blows can dry up the

waters of the river. So while I strive strenuously, why should it
not dry up my blood? And when the blood dries up, bile and
phlegm will run dry. As the flesh gets wasted too, my mind will
will
will
become clearer: mindfulness, concentration and wisdom w ill be
more firmly established.

Right Reasoning
BHANTE SUVANNO: By now it is six years that the Bodhisatta
had lived in extreme self-mortification without any beneficial
results. He began to contemplate profoundly:

THE BODHISATTA: Whatever ascetics or brahmins in the

past,
past, future and present had felt,
felt, will feel and now feel painful,
racking, and piercing feelings through practising self-
self-torture, it
 121

may equal this, my suffering, not exceed it. But, by this

gruelling asceticism I have not attained any distinction higher
than the ordinary human achievement; I have not gained the
Noble One's knowledge and vision which could uproot
defilements. Might there by another way to Enlightenment
apart from this path
path of torture and mortification?
mortification?

BHANTE SUVANNO: Then the Bodhisatta thought of the time

when, as an infant, he sat alone under the shade of a rose-apple
tree, entered and absorbed in the first jhanic stage of meditation
while his royal father, King Suddhodana, was busily engaged in
ceremonial ploughing of the fields nearby.

THE BODHISATTA: I wondered whether this jhanic method

would be the right way to the Truth!

Absorbed Concentration
BHANTE SUVANNO: Let us go back a bit into the early part of
The Bodhisatta’s infancy. A royal ploughing ceremony was held a
month or two after his birth. The king brought the infant child
along with him to the ploughing ceremony. At the ceremony the
infant was placed onto a couch under the shade of a rose-apple
tree. An enclosure was then formed by setting up curtains round
the temporary nursery with royal attendants respectfully
watching over the royal infant. As the royal ploughing ceremony
progressed in magnificent pomp and splendour, with the king
joining in the festivities, the royal attendants were drawn to the
splendid scene of activities going on in the nearby fields.
Thinking that the royal infant had fallen asleep, they left him
lying secure in the enclosure and went away to enjoy themselves
in the festivities.
 122

The infant Bodhisatta, on waking and not seeing any attendant,

sat up on the couch and remained seated with his legs crossed.
By virtue of habit-forming practices through many rebirths, he
instinctively started contemplating on the incoming and
outgoing breath. He was soon established in the first jhanic
absorption.

The attendants had been gone for some time now. Lost in the
festivities of the occasion, they
were late in returning. When
they returned, the shadows
thrown by the trees had moved
with the passage of time, but the
shade of the rose-apple tree
under which the infant was left
lying was found to have
remained steadfast on the same
spot. The infant Bodhisatta was
sitting motionless on the couch.

King Suddhodana was struck by

the spectacle of the unmoving
shadow of the rose-apple tree and the still, sitting posture of the
child. In great awe, he made obeisance to his son.

BHANTE SUVANNO: Following up on that memory, there

came the recognition that the respiration jhana practice was
indeed the right way to Enlightenment.
 123

Resumption of
of Meals
COMMENTATOR: Then it occurred to the Bodhisatta:

THE BODHISATTA: It is not possible to attain the jhanic

absorption with a body so run down.
down. What if I take some solid
food I used to take? Thus nourished
nourished and strengthened in
body, I'll be able to work for the jhanic state.

BHANTE SUVANNO: When the Five Ascetics accompanying

the Bodhisatta saw him partaking solid food, they misunderstood
his action and were disappointed. They were having the view:

FIVE ASCETICS: If living on a handful of pea soup had not led

him to higher knowledge, how could he expect to attain that by
eating solid food again?

BHANTE SUVANNO: Thus misjudging him and thinking that

he had abandoned the struggle and reverted back to the
luxurious way of life to gain riches and personal glory, they left
him in disgust and went to stay in the deer sanctuary in the
township of Benares.
 124

THE BUDDHA

The Dhamma Re-

Re-Discovered

CHAPTER SEVEN
The Enlightenment

When Siddhattha Gotama sat under the Bodhi Tree on that

fateful evening 2600 years ago and resulting from accumulated
merits acquired throughout four asankheyya and one hundred
thousand aeons (world cycles), he became endowed with perfect
paramis (perfection of morality). His mind was able to perform
and see universes millions of light years away.
 125

Eve of Enlightenment
THE SCENE: Bhante has returned to Hermitage at Lunas and
is holding his Dhamma talks here.

BHANTE SUVANNO: Very early on a full moon day 2600 years

ago, the Bodhisatta sat under the Bodhi Tree on the Bank of the
river Neranjara, at Gaya (now known as Buddha Gaya); near the big
village of Senanigama awaiting the hour of going for alms.

At the same time, Sujata was making preparations to give an

offering to the tree-spirit of the same Bodhi tree. She sent her
maid ahead to tidy up the area
under the spread of the tree. At
the sight of the Bodhisatta seated
under the tree, the maid thought
the deity had made himself visible
to receive their offering in person.
(Picture: Sujata’s Dana: First of the
Two Offerings of Greatest Merits)

She ran back in great excitement

to inform Sujata, her mistress. Sujata put the milk rice that she
had cooked early in the morning into a golden bowl worth a
hundred thousand pieces of money, covered it with another
golden bowl, then proceeded with the bowls to the foot of the
tree where the Bodhisatta remained seated and offered the bowls
into the hand of the Bodhisatta, saying:

SUJATA: May your wishes prosper like mine have.

BHANTE SUVANNO: So saying, she departed. Some time ago,

she had made a wish at this tree. Her wish for a husband of
equal rank and same caste and the first born to be a son, had
been fulfilled and thus her offering of milk rice that day was
 126

intended for the tree deity in fulfillment of her pledge. However,

later when she learnt that the Bodhisatta had gained
Enlightenment after taking the milk rice offered by her, she was
overjoyed with the thought that she had done a noble deed of
the greatest merit.

As the hour of breakfast drew near and keeping away the

offering by Sujata, the Bodhisatta went down to the river
Neranjara and had a bath, after which, he made the milk rice into
forty-nine pellets and had them for breakfast. The meal over, he
discarded the golden bowl into the river with the aspiration:

THE BODHISATTA: Let my aspiration to Buddhahood be

fulfilled today.
today.
`
BHANTE SUVANNO: Wonderfully enough, as though in
confirmation of the fulfillment of His aspiration, the bowl drifted
upstream against the swift flowing current for a considerable
distance and then sank to the bottom. Then in preparition for the
arduous task he knew was ahead of him, the Bodhisatta rested
the rest of the day in the forest glade near the bank of the river.

As evening fell, he returned to the Bodhi tree, meeting on the

way a grass-cutter named Sotthiya who gave him eight handfuls
of grass. The Bodhisatta carefully chose a spot under the Bodhi
tree and sat down cross-legged on the grass facing the eastern
direction.

THE BODHISATTA (musing): A pleasant spot soothing to the

senses
senses and stimulating to the mind to make a final effort to
fulfill my aspiration. This is my inflexible resolution:
 127

'Though only my skin, sinews and bones remain and

my blood and flesh dry up and wither
wither away,
yet will I never stir from this seat until
I have attained full Enlightenment (samma-
(samma-sambodhi)’.

BHANTE SUVANNO: Resolute and with firm determination

the Bodhisatta began meditating. So indefatigable in effort, so
unflagging in his devotion was he, and so resolute to realise
Truth and attain full Enlightenment.

At this point Mara made his appearance and contested for the
seat under the Bodhi tree with a view to opposing the
Bodhisatta's resolution and preventing him from fulfilling his
aspiration. To further his plan, he sent his three daughters to
distract the about-to-be enlightened Bodhisatta.

Mara then challenged the Bodhisatta as to His, the Bodhisatta’s

right to sit on the spot under the Bodhi tree to attain the fruit of
his quest.

Mara’s three daughters, Tanha, Arati, Raga (craving, discontent, lust) and
his army failed to prevent the Bodhisatta from attaining Enlightenment
 128

The Bodhisatta in affirmation of his right to do so by virtue of his

perfection of the Ten Paramis through the ages, invited the earth
to be his witness by touching the ground with his extended
fingers. The earth in agreement, trembled and shook.

The rooted mountains shook, the wild winds howled…

….In
….In the third watch,
The earth being still, the hellish legions
legions fled,
A soft air breathing from the sinking moon,
Our Lord attained Samma-
Samma-sambuddh…
(Light of Asia – excerpt)

Enlightenment
BHANTE SUVANNO: By invoking the virtues he had
accumulated through the ages, fulfilling the Ten Perfections, the
Bodhisatta overcame the molestations set up by Mara and his
three daughters before the sun had set. Thus was Mara
vanquished.

Now, with a perfectly pure mind, calm contemplative and

malleable, the Bodhisatta inclined his mind to knowledge of past
existences, he recollected and saw with clarity many and varied
existences in the past. He recollected one past existence, two,
three, a hundred, a thousand or many hundreds, many
thousands of existences, existences in many aeons of world
destructions and in many aeons of world development.

Thus, while in the midst of his ultimate attempt, the Bodhisatta,

recollected and saw many and varied past experiences, together
with their characteristics and related associations. Please bear in
mind, Jinavamsa, that the Bodhisatta saw with his powers and
not through wishful thinking. He recollected:
 129

THE ABOUT-TO-BE BUDDHA: In this way, in that past

existence, I was known by such a name; I was born into such a
family; I was of such an appearance; I was nourished thus; I
enjoyed such pleasures, I suffered such pains; I died in that
existence and then I was known by such a name, I was born in
this existence.

BHANTE SUVANNO: Jinavamsa, Vipassana insight allows one

to know the difference between contemplating and thinking. In
contemplation, the reality of existence is seen as a result of
contemplative meditation with mindfulness on the four
foundations; bodily awareness, feelings, mental awareness and
awareness of the teachings of the Buddha, such as the Four
Noble Truths, Noble Eightfold Path, called Dhammas. One sees
the inconsistencies of things as they keep changing and are
insubstantial without a stable entity. Whereas thinking, has no
awareness and carries on and on. It is at most wishful and does
not dwell in the present. It has no qualitive value in terms of
insight knowledge. It is a hindrance to the progress of insight,
whereas contemplation is a necessary factor and must be
cultivated and developed wisely.

Thus, in the first watch of that night, the Bodhisatta had realised
the unique psychic knowledge through which he recollected many
past events and existences and had put away completely all
wrong views and delusion.

Then in the second watch of the night, he directed his mind

towards acquiring the unique divine eye knowledge (the second
knowledge), through which he could see sentient beings on the
verge of taking conception just after death; the causes and their
results.
 130

After seeing, through the divine eye knowedge, denizens of the

woeful states (apaya) suffering misfortune, and sentient beings of
the realms of humans, devas and Brahmas, enjoying happiness in
a progressively higher and better manner, he reflected:

THE ABOUT-TO-BE BUDDHA: What kind of deeds have

these beings of the apaya done to suffer such awful miseries?
What kind of deeds have these humans, devas and brahmas
done to enjoy such progressively magnificent bliss
bliss in their
respective realms?

BHANTE SUVANNO: Then by inclining his mind towards

acquiring knowledge of rebirth of beings, he developed the
knowledge of analysing and seeing the meritorious deeds and
unmeritorious deeds which form the origins of various sentient
beings.

Thus by means of knowledge of rebirths of beings which was based

upon the unique divine eye knowledge, the Bodhisatta reviewed in
detail the past deeds of merit and demerit done by beings and
came to know them as they really are.

This divine eye knowledge (the second knowledge) was achieved by

the Bodhisatta at midnight, the second watch of that night. By
virtue of this second knowledge, the mind of the Bodhisatta
became void of the elements of ignorance and delusion which
was apt to keep hidden the passing away and arising of sentient
beings.

Then with knowledge of rebirths of beings, he was able to review

and become Enlightened as to the true facts of the past deeds by
sentient beings.
 131

Then, finally, in the last watch of the night, the Bodhisatta

directed and inclined his mind to the knowledge of the
extinction of moral intoxicants (asavas), by which he came to
truly understand asavas as they really are; the cause of asavas as it
really is; the cessation of asavas as it really is and the way leading
to cessation of asavas as it really is. He also understood dukkha
(suffering, pain, unsatisfactoriness), the cause of dukkha, the
cessation of dukkha and the way leading to the cessation of
dukkha as it really is. He then let his mind dwell on the origin of
things revolving and their dependency on conditions.

Going over this dependency of things with their various

combinations of causes and effects repeatedly, he attained the
Noble Path complete with the All Empowering Knowledge of All
Things possessed only by a Buddha (sabbannuta nana) and
became the Supremely Self-Enlightened Buddha just before
dawn of the next day.

Reflections After
BHANTE SUVANNO: When the Bodhisatta sat down under the
Bodhi Tree on that fateful evening 2600 years ago, because of
accumulated merits performed throughout four asankheyya and
one hundred thousand aeons (world cycles), he was endowed
with perfect paramis (perfection of morality). His mind was able
to perform and see universes millions of light years away.

These super powers enabled him to see his various past

existences. With this power of knowledge of past lives, he saw
his immediate past existence of Santusita Deva and going
backwards from it, he recollected also in backward order many
existences and world cycles prior to it. He observed, all the
while, various world cycles which waxed and waned during
periods of eighty-four thousand world cycles; he saw world
 132

systems being destroyed by fire and water and being gradually

built up again with debris of the disintegrated worlds.

With the exercise of the power of divine eye, he studied human

beings on the verge of death and at the moment of conception in
their next existences. He saw the base and the noble, the
beautiful and the ugly, the happy and the miserable. He saw the
base ones who committed evil by deeds, words and thoughts; by
reviling Noble people, by holding wrong views; being reborn in
miserable states. He saw the good individuals, by good deeds,
words and thoughts; not reviling the Noble people and by
holding right views, reborn in the happy realms of Devas and
Brahmas.

Thus, he came to know the existence of different world systems,

varying ages of the worlds; various types of beings inhabiting
these worlds in separate realms.

With the attainment of the all empowering knowledge of all

things the Bodhisatta had found out that there were only the
phenomena of mind and body; (nama and rupa), and that in all
abodes and at all times, the phenomena of nama-rupa, is in a
state of change.

Through the divine eye knowledge, he had understood also the

causes and effects of deeds done by individual beings reborn in
various abodes.

BHANTE SUVANNO (continues): Now, at the beginning of the

third watch of the night, he began to correlate his findings by
dwelling on the Twelve Factors of Dependent Origination,
Paticcasamuppada, and beginning with the Contemplation of
Mind and Body, he realised Vipassana insights by which he
 133

discerned the Rising and Falling of Mental and Material

phenomena.

By repeatedly reviewing the Doctrine of Dependent Origination

in forward and backward manner, he developed higher and
higher Vipassana insights one after another until he attained the
magga and phala nana of the First Path sotapatti. With the
attainment of sotapatti magga, the Bodhisatta was completely rid
of the three defilements; Wrong View of a self, Doubts, Rites
and Rituals; these defilements would never again arise in the
Bodhisatta’s mind.

Then with the simultaneous realisation of the all empowering

knowlge of all things, the Bodhisatta had finally attained the state
of a Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, Sammasambuddha.

Prince Siddhattha attained Supreme Enlightenment

and became the Buddha

BHANTE SUVANNO: Beginning from the time when he

prostrated himself at the feet of Dipankara Buddha, the Bodhisatta
had endeavoured to develop and accumulate merits through
fulfillment of moral perfection. (see the Ten Perfections) which are
 134

difficult to accomplish by ordinary men, without making any

wish for pleasure of any realm of existence whatsoever as the
fruits of his meritorious deeds.

When the accumulation of merits from the perfections and good

deeds over the long period of four asankheyyas and one hundred
thousand world cycles bore the greatest and noblest fruit; the
attainment of Buddhahood, at dawn on a Full Moon 2600 years
ago, it is only natural that there arose repeatedly exulting joy
(piti). This joy, thus arising repeatedly, the Buddha uttered forth,
as was the established custom with all the omniscient Buddhas,
after achieving Buddhahood, the following verse of intense joy.

THE BUDDHA::
Through many a birth in existence wandered I,
Seeking, but not finding, The builder
builder of the house.
Sorrowful is repeated birth.
O! Householder, thou art seen.
Thou shall build no house again.
All thy rafters are broken. Thy ridge-
ridge-pole is shattered.
Mind attains the unconditioned.
Achieved….
Achieved….is
….is the end of craving.

BHANTE SUVANNO: The Buddha said that he had to wander

round and round samsara in search of the builder of the house,
this body and mind had suffered greatly as a consequence because
he had not discovered the carpenter of this house, the body, the
five khandhas (aggregates). Now, after a relentless search, he
announced that he had discovered, with his own intuitive
wisdom, the creator of the five khandhas. It was found to be none
other than the craving, residing not outside, but within the
recesses of his own mind.
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The rafters of this self-created house are the defilement such as

greed, anger, delusion, pride, wrong views, doubts, laziness,
restlessness, moral shamelessness and moral fearlessness.

The ridge-pole that supports the rafters is ignorance, the root

cause of all defilement. The shattering of the ridge-pole of
ignorance by various successive insights, and ultimately results
in the complete demolition of the house, the mind attains the
unconditioned state, Nibbana, the supreme peace, the Final
Emancipation.

Having become a fully Enlightened One, he spent seven days

under the Bodhi tree and seven days each at six other places
enjoying the bliss of the fourth state of Fruition (arahantship).
After that, the Buddha went back to the goat-herd's banyan tree
on the fiftieth day and contemplated the Dhamma which he had
rediscovered and pondered thus:

THE BUDDHA:
With difficulty have I apprehended the Dhamma.
There is no need to proclaim it now.
This Dhamma is not easily understood
by those who
who are overcome by lust and hatred.
The lust-
lust-ridden, shrouded by the mass darkness,
do not see this Dhamma, which goes against the stream,
abstruse, profound, difficult to perceive and subtle.
subtle.

COMMENTATOR: Eventually His mind turned into inaction

and not to teach the Dhamma (as we have seen earlier). Eventually,
after a request from the Maha Brahma Sahampati, He relented and
the first thought was; who would be able to understand what He
had to impart. Thus:
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Who Should Benefit?

BHANTE SUVANNO: The Buddha now pondered as to whom
it would be easy to teach the Dhamma.

THE BUDDHA (seated under the tree, considered): To whom should I

teach the doctrine first?
first? Who would
would quickly comprehend the
Dhamma?
Dhamma? There is Alara Kalama, learned, skilled, intelligent
and has
has long been a person having but little
little dust of defilement.
defilement.
What if I teach the doctrine to Alara Kalama first? He would
quickly comprehend this Dhamma.
Dhamma.

DEVA (however, a deva addressed Him): Lord, Alara Kalama had

passed away seven days ago.

BHANTE SUVANNO: Then knowledge and vision arose to the

Buddha that Alara had indeed passed away seven days ago and
had, by virtue of his jhanic achievements, attained the Sphere of
Nothingness; the State of Immateriality.

THE BUDDHA (in great compassion): Great is the loss to Alara

of Kalama family.

BHANTE SUVANNO: The Buddha is showing great

compassion, as Alara was mentally and spiritually developed to
have readily understood the Teaching of the Buddha. He could
have gained the Path and attained Arahantship instantly and
attain Nibbana and not be reborn again in samsara; but his early
demise had deprived him of this unique opportunity. He will
find rebirth again after his kammic life span had ended in the
sphere of Nothingness, the state of Immateriality. He will have
to start his journey again as it were. In the Sphere of
 137

Nothingness, where only mental states exist without any forms,

he could not have benefitted even if the Buddha had gone there
and taught him the Dhamma. The life span in the Sphere of
Nothingness is very long, being sixty thousand world cycles.
After passing away there he would appear again in the human
world, but would miss the Teachings of the Buddhas. As a
common worldling again, he would do the rounds of existence,
sometimes sinking to the nether world to face great sufferings.
Thus the Buddha bemoaned that the loss to Alara was very great
indeed.

BHANTE SUVANNO: Then the Buddha thought of teaching the

Dhamma to Udaka, a previous teacher. Again a deva addressed
the Buddha:

DEVA: Lord, Udaka Ramaputta had passed away last night.

BHANTE SUVANNO: Knowledge and vision arose to the

Buddha that the hermit Udaka had indeed died the previous
night in the first watch and by virtue of his jhanic achievements
had attained the state of neither Perception nor Non-perception
(Neva-sannana-sannayatana Brahma Plane). This sphere is also a
state of immateriality, a formless state and its life span extends to
eighty-four thousand world cycles, but the Dhamma cannot be
heard there. On appearing again in the human world, Udaka
could instantly attain Arahantship if he could but listen to the
Dhamma because he was already so highly developed.
Unfortunately, he would not get such an opportunity again,
having missed it by dying one night too early. The Buddha was
thus moved again to utter in pity:

THE BUDDHA (with great compassion): Great is the loss to the

hermit Udaka.
Udaka.
 138

BHANTE SUVANNO: Thus, two great Samatha Teachers, Alara

Kalama and Udaka Ramaputta missed the unique opportunity to
attain Nibbana.

Then, the Buddha thought of the Five Ascetics who had been His
companions, and upon reflection He saw that they were then
residing in the Deer Park at Isipatana in Benares, and He resolved
to go to the Deer Park.

Meeting With Upaka

BHANTE SUVANNO: The Buddha decided to walk all the way
to Isipatana, as he knew that by so doing, he would meet Upaka.
The Blessed One then set out for Benares.
Some previous Enlightened Ones had
made the same journey by means of
miracles. The Buddha Gotama, however,
proceeded on foot for the purpose of
meeting the naked ascetic Upaka on the
way, to whom he had something to
impart.

The Blessed One had not gone far from the Bodhi Tree on the
way to Gaya (six miles) when he came upon the naked ascetic
Upaka, a disciple of Nataputta, leader of the Naked Sect. On
seeing the Blessed One, Upaka addressed him:

UPAKA: Your countenance, friend, is clear and serene; your

complexion is pure and bright. In whose name have you gone
forth? Who is your teacher? Of whose teaching do you profess?
 139

THE BUDDHA:
I am One who has overcome all . . .Who
.Who knows all,
all,
I am one who has overcome all, I am detached from all things;
Having abandoned everything,
everything, obtained emancipation,
By the destruction of desire.
Having
Having by myself gained knowledge, Whom should I call my
master? I have no teacher, One like me is not,
In the world of men and gods, None is my counterpart.

BHANTE SUVANNO: Upon this great news Upaka wondered

whether the Blessed One had gained Arahantship.

THE BUDDHA:
I, indeed, am the Arahant in the world
The teacher with no peer,
The sole Buddha, supreme,
enlightened
All passions extinguished, I have
gained Peace, Nibbana.
Nibbana.

UPAKA: Where then are you bound for and on what purpose?

THE BUDDHA:
To start in motion the Wheel of Law,
I go to the Kasis town.
In the world of blind beings,
I shall beat the drum of the Deathless.
 140

UPAKA (with doubt): By the manner in which you profess

yourself, are you worthy to be an infinite Conqueror?

THE BUDDHA: Those are the Conquerors who, like me,

have reached the extinction of cankers. I have vanquished all
thoughts, ideas and
and notions of evil.
evil. For that reason, Upaka, I
am a Jina, a Conqueror:
Conqueror: A Victorious
Victorious One.
One.

BHANTE SUVANNO: Upaka belonged to the sect of naked

ascetics under the leadership of Nataputta who was addressed by
his disciples as Jina, the Conqueror. The Blessed One in his reply
explained that only those who have really extinguished the
cankers, eradicated the defilements, like him, are entitled to be
called a Jina.

Truth Is Not Seen When Blinded By Misconception. After this

declaration by the Blessed One that he was truly an infinite
Conqueror, the naked ascetic Upaka muttered:

UPAKA (not believing): It may be so, friend…it may be so…

BHANTE SUVANNO (continues): Upaka shook his head and

giving way to the Blessed One, went on his journey.

Jinvamsa, you have to note carefully this event of Upaka's

meeting with the Buddha. Here was Upaka coming face to face
with a truly Enlightened One, but he did not realise it. Even
when the Blessed One openly indicated that he was indeed a
Buddha, Upaka remained skeptical because he was holding fast
to the wrong beliefs of the naked ascetic sect; his conditioned
mind-set did not allow him to see another view.
 141

In these days too, there are people who follow wrong paths,
refuse to believe and change for the better even when they hear
about the proper method of practice. They show disrespect to
and talk disparagingly of those practising and teaching the
proper method. Such misjudgments arising out of false
impressions or opinions should be recognised and mindfully
discarded. Thus, if a mind is not developed and is not soft and
malleable it just cannot be expected to recognise the truth. A
mind stilted and non-malleable is a stubborn and unchanging
mind and not a Vipassana mind.

Even though he did not evince complete acceptance of what the

Buddha said, Upaka appeared to have gone away with a certain
amount of faith in the Buddha, as he came back to the Buddha
after some time. After leaving the Buddha, he later got married
to a hunter's daughter, and when a son was born of the
marriage, he became weary of the household life and became a
recluse under the Blessed One. Practising the Buddha's teaching,
he gained the stage of Once-returner, an Anagami. On passing
away, he reached the Realm of Sudassa Heaven, (Brahma World),
where he soon attained Arahantship. Foreseeing this beneficial
result which would accrue out of his meeting with Upaka, the
Blessed One thus set out on foot on his long journey to Benares
and answered all the questions asked by Upaka.

JINAVAMSA: As other duties are calling, Bhante Suvanno

prepares to return to the Hermitage in Lunas.
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THE BUDDHA

The Dhamma Re-

Re-Discovered

CHAPTER EIGHT
The First Discourse
Bhikkhus, these two extremes ought not to be practised by one
who has gone forth from the household life. What two? There is
addiction to indulgence of sense pleasures, which is low, coarse,
the way of ordinary people, unworthy and unprofitable; and
there is addiction to self-mortification, which is painful,
unworthy and unprofitable.
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The Five Ascetics

Ascetics
THE SCENE: Hermitage in
Lunas:
(Right; Bhante’s Suvanno’s
original kuti in Lunas)

BHANTE SUVANNO: After

the planned meeting with
Upaka, the Blessed One
continued on His way. On
completing the week-long
journey from Gaya to
Isipatana, the Buddha found that He still had one more obstacle
to overcome; the Five Ascetics were not prepared to look upon
Him as a teacher. When they, whose chief was Kondanna,
perceived the Buddha afar off, they consulted:

KONDANNA: Friends, here comes Gotama the Bhikkhu. We owe

him no reverence, since he has returned to a free use of the
necessaries of life, and has recovered his strength and beauty.

BHANTE SUVANNO: As he
approached they refused to show
Him reverence and criticised Him
for reverting back to a life of luxury.
The Buddha declared that He had
not reverted to a life of luxury, but
was now the Tathagata, fully
Enlightened, who could teach the
Path to the Deathless. The Five
Ascetics protested and refused to
hear more.
 144

But the Buddha perceived their thoughts, and concentrating that

love wherewith He was able to pervade the whole world, He
directed it towards them. Thus, they could not adhere to their
resolve, but rose from their seats and bowed before Him in all
reverence and prepared Him a seat.

Not knowing that He had attained Enlightenment, they

addressed Him as 'Brother.' The Buddha, however, announced
His Enlightenment, saying:

THE BUDDHA: O Bhikkhus, do not address

address me as 'Brother’,
for I have become a Buddha of clear vision even as those
who came before.

BHANTE SUVANNO: Finally, the Buddha asked them if they

had ever known Him to claim enlightenment before, and with
that the Ascetics had to acknowledge His claim. Now prepared
to listen, they sat around Him respectfully, intent on learning the
way to the goal of the holy life.

Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
(Samyutta Nikaya LVI.11)
 145

The Wheel of Dhamma

Dhamma
BHANTE SUVANNO: It is precisely at this auspicious moment
culminating a hugely lengthy process, covering aeons in time, of
a very arduous training by a Unique Being, that the First Sutta,
The Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta is delivered.

This long, long awaited moment had finally arrived: On the full-
moon evening of July, just when the sun was about to set in the
west and the moon had arisen in the east…

The whole universe awaited expectant knowing that…..the

Blessed One would begin to set in motion the Wheel of Dhamma
…Brahmas of great powers, Heavenly Deva Kings, all other
classes of brahmas and devas, myriad hosts of Celestial beings are
at the sides and everywhere in the air where there is an empty
space, awaiting breathelessly as the Buddha approach the seat
prepared for Him by the Five Ascetics…not a single noise
disturbed the air, not a single whisper could be discerned…all
creatures were awed by the presence of so many wondrous
fragrances and auras of great beings around them and in the
midst of all these radiantly colourful rays… walked another
whose brightness surpassed all those great rays around them,
singly and in combination…

As the Buddha walked mindfully through the Heavenly flowers

covering the ground, more were gently drifting down from on
high. Celestial fragrances, sweet and pure were breathed
in…there was peace and quiet all around…slowly…and
mindfully…

The Buddha took the seat that had been prepared for Him by the
Five Ascetics, and began to speak… Setting in Motion the Wheel
of Dhamma!
 146

THE BUDDHA: Bhikkhus, these two extremes ought not to

be practised by one who has gone forth from the household
life. What two? There is addiction
addiction to indulgence of sense
pleasures, which is low, coarse, the way
way of ordinary people,
unworthy and unprofitable;
unprofitable; and there is addiction to self-
self-
mortification,
mortification, which is painful, unworthy and unprofitable.
Avoiding both these extremes, the Tathagata (The Perfect
One) has realised the Middle Path; it gives vision, gives
knowledge, and leads to calm, to insight, to Enlightenment and
to Nibbana.

The Noble Eightfold Path

COMMENTATOR: Factors leading to the Middle Path:
1. Right Understanding 5. Right Livelihood
2. Right Thought 6. Right Effort
3. Right Speech 7. Right Mindfulness
4. Right Action 8. Right Concentration

1. The First factor is Right Understanding; understanding the

true nature of existence, and the moral laws governing the
same. It is the right understanding of the Dhamma, in
particular the Four Noble Truths.
2. The Second factor is Right Thought; a pure state of mind,
free from sensual lust, anger, ill will and delusion.
3. The Third factor is Right Speech. It consists of words which
are not false, not harsh, not scandalous, not frivolous but
rather words that are truthful, mild, pacifying and wise.
4. The Fourth factor is Right Bodily Action; abstaining from
intentional killing or harming of any living creature;
abstaining from dishonesty, taking others’ property,
abstaining from unwholesome sexual activities.
 147

5. The Fifth factor is engaging in a Right Livelihood that will

not bring harm and suffering to self and to other beings.
6. The Sixth factor is Right Effort. It is the Fourfold Effort
which we make in overcoming old and avoiding fresh bad
actions by body, speech and mind; and the effort which we
make in developing fresh actions of righteousness, inner
peace and wisdom, and in cultivating them to perfection. In
other words:
• Effort to avoid unwholesome thought or action, which
has not yet arisen.
• To abandon unwholesome thought or action that has
already arisen.
• To develop wholesome thought or action that has not
yet developed.
• To maintain wholesome thought or right action that has
already developed.
7. The Seventh factor is Right Mindfulness or alertness of
mind. It is the ever-ready mental clarity in whatever we are
doing, speaking, or thinking and in keeping before our mind
the realities of existence, i.e. the impermanence,
unsatisfactoriness and insubstantiality of all forms of
existence.
8. The Eighth factor is Right Concentration of mind. Such a
kind of mental concentration is meant, as is directed towards
a morally wholesome object, and always bound up with
right thought, right effort and right mindfulness.

Thus, the Eightfold Path is a path of morality, mental training

and wisdom, which is the Middle Path realised by the Tathagata
which gives vision, knowledge and leads to calm, to insight, to
Enlightenment and to Nibbana.
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The Four Noble Truths

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: The First Noble Truth:
The Noble Truth of Suffering:
• Birth is suffering,
• ageing is suffering,
• sickness is suffering,
• death is suffering,
• association with the unpleasant is suffering,
• dissociation from the pleasant is suffering and
• not to receive what one desires is suffering.
In brief the five aggregates subject to grasping are suffering.

The Second Noble Truth:

The Noble Truth of the Origin (cause) of Suffering:
It is this craving (thirst) which produces re-becoming (rebirth)
accompanied by greed, and finding fresh delight now here and
now there, namely craving for sense pleasure, craving for
existence and craving for non-existence (self-annihilation).

The Third Noble Truth:

The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering:
It is the complete cessation of that very craving, giving it up,
relinquishing it, detaching and liberating oneself from it.

The Fourth Noble Truth:

The Noble Truth of the Path to the Cessation of Suffering:
It is the Noble Eightfold Path, namely: Right Understanding,
Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood,
Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration.

BHANTE SUVANNO: The Buddha had discovered this Path

fully and completely, so He could boldly claim to be fully
Enlightened. We must develop the path until we also realise the
end of suffering. There is a huge difference between
 149

understanding theoretically and realising practically. No one

needs to be told that pain, disease, old age, not getting what one
wants, etc., are suffering; it is obvious. However, our
understanding is neither right understanding, nor clear
understanding.

So that we may develop the Noble Eightfold Path, Morality

has to be perfected, Concentration has to be deepened,
Mindfulness has to be firmly established, Effort has to be
roused and made vigorous and Thoughts have to be turned
away from worldly desires.

Only then can we gain the right view that can penetrate
suffering properly. When the suffering of conditioned existence
is clearly understood, we will definitely want to be liberated
from it. No one wants to be liberated from happiness; they want
to enjoy it as much as possible, but sensual enjoyment is just
suffering concealed by delusion.

The Buddha continued by explaining that as long as He had not

fully understood, eradicated, realised, and developed these Four
Truths, He did not claim to be Enlightened.

THE BUDDHA: But when my knowledge of seeing things as

they really
really are was quite clear concerning the Four Noble
Truths, then I claimed to have realised the Matchless,
Supreme Enlightenment in this world with its
its gods, with its
Maras and Brahmas, in this generation with its recluses and
brahmanas, with its Devas and humans.
 150

A vision
vision of insight arose in me, Unshakeable is the
deliverance. This is the last birth. Now there is
is no more re-
re-
becoming (rebirth).

The Very
Very First Arahant
SCRIPTUAL TEXT: This is what the Blessed One said. Being
pleased, the Five Ascetics delighted in the Blessed One's
statement. And while this Discourse was being spoken, there
arose in the Venerable Kondanna the dust-free, stainless vision
of the Dhamma:

KONDANNA (realising the Dhamma): Whatever is subject to

origination is all subject to cessation!

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: And when the Wheel of the Dhamma had

been set in motion by the Blessed One, the earth devas, devas of
the realm of the Four Great Kings, the Tavatimsa devas, the Yama
devas, the Tusita devas, the Nimmanarati devas, the
Paranimmitavasavatti devas, the devas of Brahma's company and all
other hosts of celestial devas raised a cry: At Baranasi, in the Deer
Park at Isipatana, this unsurpassed Wheel of the Dhamma has
been set in motion by the Blessed One, which cannot be stopped
by any recluse, Brahmin, deva, Mara, Brahma or anyone in the
world.

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: Thus at that moment, at that instant, at

that second, these cries of wonderment and joy, synchronised in
perfect timing spread as far as the Brahma-worlds in all ten
thousand-folds; and in complete unison all the world-systems
shook, quaked, trembled and immeasurable glorious radiances
appeared in the worlds surpassing the divine majesty of the
devas. Then the Blessed One uttered this inspired utterance:
 151

THE BUDDHA: Kondanna has indeed understood!

Kondanna has indeed understood!

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: In this way the Venerable Kondanna

acquired the name "Anna Kondanna; Kondanna Who Has
Understood."

BHANTE SUVANNO: Thus, was the Wheel of the Dhamma

set in motion and thus, the first arahant came into existence in
a world where all living beings can benefit from the re-
emergence of the lost Dhamma, re-discovered; thus was the
beginning of the Holy Sangha, with the Buddha at its Head.

This was a moment of great joy for all living beings….for the
Buddha’s triumph gave hope to all living beings, regardless of
race or creed, that each and everyone too is capable of reaching
the pure state of total freedom from suffering and thus able to
tread the path leading to total emancipation, Nibbana; for what
the Buddha taught is a way of life of morality and
wholesomeness for the good of all beings, gods and man.
 152

THE BUDDHA

The Dhamma
Dhamma Re-
Re-Discovered

CHAPTER NINE
Returning Home

While human beings, devas and brahmas were admiring the six
different hues in great awe and astonishment, the Buddha
continuously emanated the twin miracles: the flow of water
from his right eye and the blaze of flame from the left. On seeing
these miracles, the Sakyan elders were overcame with sincere
humility and paid homage profoundly to the Buddha.
 153

Returning Home
SCENE: Mi Tor See
Bhante has taken up abode here for the time being, as he needs
medical attention regarding a badly burnt patch of skin on his
shank.

BHANTE SUVANNO: For more than six years, from the time
the Bodhisatta had gone forth, been enlightened and begun to
spread the Teaching in Magadha until He had many disciples and
followers, the Buddha had not gone back to visit Kapilavatthu,
His birth place, even once. The Buddha subsequently visited
Kapilavatthu in response to a request from King Suddhodana, His
father.

Initially nine parties had been sent to invite the Buddha and all
had stayed and never returned to Kapilavatthu. The king then
sent a tenth party consisting of court ministers. Of this tenth
group, Kaludayi was the leader. He was a friend of the Buddha
and was born on the same day.

Later, Kaludayi reached the Buddha, listened to a Discourse and

became an Arahant. Together with all his retinue, they seek
acceptance as monks, after which he formally invited the
Buddha to journey to Kapilavatthu.

The Buddha, accepting the invitation, set off on His journey with
a company of monks numbered 20,000 and in two months
reached Kapilavatthu. Arriving, He stayed at the park of a Sakyan
Prince by the name of Nigrodha. It was a place that the Sakyan
rulers had offered to the Buddha for His stay. The royal
relatives, including King Suddhodana himself, were there to
receive the Buddha.
 154

Dispelling Conceit
BHANTE SUVANNO: However, the Sakyan elders were
reluctant to pay homage to the Buddha who was of the age of
their nephews and sons. Therefore, they put the Sakyan children
nearer to the Buddha and they themselves sat at the back, which
move they believe would obviate the need to pay due respect to
the Buddha.

JINAVAMSA: Bhante, was it of great importance for the

relatives to pay homage to the Buddha?

BHANTE SUVANNO: The Lord Buddha did it out of

compassion for His relatives, Jinavamsa, it was of great value for
His relatives to do that. For the Buddha knew that should they
hold wrong views and fail to acknowledge the Buddha’s
Enlightenment with humility, they would be creating
unwholesome kamma for themselves. Thus, in order that His
older relatives realise their need to venerate and pay homage to
An Enlightened One, He decided to demonstrate the powers of a
Buddha.

Thus, Jinavamsa, with this in mind, He then created a Great

Jewelled Walk in the sky to dispel the conceit of the Sakyan
relatives and walked thereon to and fro so as to display the
miraculous powers of the Buddha. The devas and brahmas from
the ten thousand worlds came en mass and paid homage to the
Buddha.

While walking, the brilliant rays of white colour were emitted

from the body of the Buddha. The rays were so brilliant that the
whole universe was illuminated splendidly. While the audience
was beholding the Buddha with great awe and veneration, many
coloured rays from His body were emitted continuously.
 155

At the same time, the Buddha continuously emanated the twin

miracles: the flow of water from His right eye and the blaze of
flame from the left. On seeing these miracles, the Sakyan elders
were overcame with sincere humility and paid profound
homage to the Buddha. Then King Suddhodana said:

KING SUDDHODANA: O, Venerable Son! When I made you

pay homage to my teacher, Asita Kaladevala the recluse, on the
very day when you were born, your two feet flew aloft and
rested on the recluse's head. When I saw that I paid homage to
you for the first time.

On the day of the royal ploughing ceremony, you were sleeping

shaded by the tree. Though the time passed and the sun moved
westward, the shade over you did not move at all. I found you
still sitting below the shade, absorbed in meditation. When I saw
that I paid homage to you for the second time.

Oh Venerable Son! Now, today, I come to behold your

miraculous power which I have never seen before. And so I pay
homage to you for the third time.

Consoling Yasodhara
BHANTE SUVANNO: When the Buddha paid His first visit to
Kapilavatthu after the Enlightenment, and on the morning of the
second day of that visit, He went on alms round. He took His
bowl and set out on His round. The news spread:

THE NEWS: Prince Siddhattha is going from house to house to

receive alms in the city where He used to ride in a chariot
attended by His retinue. His robe is a red cloth, and He holds in
His hand an earthen bowl.
 156

BHANTE SUVANNO: On hearing the strange rumor, the king

went out quickly and when he met his son he exclaimed:

SUDDHODANA (very upset tone): Why do you disgrace me? You

know that I can easily supply you and your bhikkhus with all the
food they want?
THE BUDDHA: To go for alms is the custom of my race.
SUDDHODANA: But how can this be? You are descended from
kings, and not one of them ever begged for food.
THE BUDDHA: Great king king,
ing, you and your race may claim
descent from kings; my descent is from the Buddhas in ancient
times. They only lived on alms.
alms.

BHANTE SUVANNO: The king became quiet.

THE BUDDHA: It is customary, O king, when one has

discovered a hidden treasure of the most
most precious jewel, one
offers it to his father. Let me, therefore present this treasure
of mine to you.
you.

BHANTE SUVANNO: The Blessed One then recited the

following stanza:

THE BUDDHA: Arise from dreams and delusions, Awaken

with open mind .Seek
.Seek only Truth.
Truth. Where you find
find it, Peace
also you will find.
find.

BHANTE SUVANNO: The king then conducted the Buddha

into the palace where the ministers and all the other members of
the royal family greeted Him with great reverence. But
Yasodhara, the mother of Rahula, did not make her appearance.
 157

After the Buddha had finished His meal in the palace, which He
took at the invitation of Suddhodana, all the ladies of the court,
with the exception of Yasodhara, went to pay obeisance to Him.
She declined to go, saying that if He believed in her virtues the
Buddha would come to her. The king sent for Yasodhara, but she
replied:

YASODHARA: Surely, if I am deserving of any regard,

Siddhattha will come and see me.

BHANTE SUVANNO: The Blessed One, having greeted all His

relatives and friends, asked:

THE BUDDHA: Where is Yasodhara?

Yasodhara?

BHANTE SUVANNO: On being informed that she had declined

to come, He rose straightway and went to her apartments. The
Buddha cautioned His disciples, Sariputta and Moggallana, whom
He had asked to accompany Him to the Princess's chamber, not
to be overly critical of Yasodhara.

THE BUDDHA: I am free,

free, the
the princess, however, is not as yet
free and not having seen me for a long time, she is extremely
sorrowful and unless her grief be allowed its course, her heart
will break. Should she touch the Tathagata, the
the Holy One,
do not prevent her.
her.

BHANTE SUVANNO: When news had spread that the Buddha

was on His alms round, Yasodhara had looked out of her window
to see if it were true. She had seen the Buddha, and was so
struck by the glory of His personality that she uttered eight
verses in His praise.
 158

Yasodhara now sat in her room, dressed in plain garments with

her hair cut. When the Buddha entered, she was, from the
abundance of her affection, like an overflowing vessel, unable to
contain her love. Forgetting that the man whom she loved was
the Buddha, the Lord of the World, the Knower of Truth, she
clung to His feet and wept copiously.

Remembering, however, that Suddhodana was present, she felt

embarassed, and rising, seated herself reverently at a little
distance. The king apologised on her behalf and said:

SUDDHODANA: Her display of affection arises from her deep

love, and is more than a temporary emotion. During the seven
years that she has lost her husband, when she heard that
Siddhattha had shaved His head, she did likewise; when she
heard that He had left off the use of perfumes and ornaments,
she also refused their use.

Like her husband, she too had eaten at

appointed times from an earthen bowl
only. Like Him, she too had renounced
high beds with splendid coverings, and
when other Princes asked her in
marriage, she replied that she was still
His. Therefore, grant her forgiveness.

BHANTE SUVANNO: The Buddha

spoke kindly to Yasodhara, telling of her
great merits inherited from former
lives. She had indeed been again and again of great assistance to
Him. Her purity, her gentleness, her devotion had been
invaluable to the Bodhisatta when He aspired to attain
enlightenment, the highest aim of mankind. And so pure had
 159

she been that she desired to become the wife of a Buddha. This,
then, is her kamma, and it is the result of great merits.

Her silent grief had been deep and sorrowful, but the
consciousness of the glory that surrounds her spiritual
inheritance increased by her noble attitude during her life, will
be a balm to her that will transform all her sorrows into heavenly
joy.

On the seventh day of the Buddha's visit, when he left the palace
at the end of his meal, Yasodhara sent Rahula to him saying:

YASODHARA: That is your father, go and ask Him for your

inheritance.
BHANTE SUVANNO:
Rahula followed the
Buddha, and, at the
Buddha's request, was
ordained by Sariputta. The
account of this event is
given in Scriptural Texts
(Vin.i.82.)

In later years, when the

Buddha allowed women
to join the Order, Yasodhara became a nun under Maha Pajapati
Gotami, His stepmother who looked after Him when His own
mother passed away seven days after His birth.

Yasodhara was one of the four disciples of the Buddha who

possessed supernormal powers, the others being Sariputta,
Moggallana and Bakkula. She could, with one effort, recall one
asankheyya and one hundred thousand kappas (AA.i.205). Before
she passed away she attained the state of arahanthood.
 160

Just before her death, at the age of seventy eight, she took leave
of the Buddha and performed various miracles. Eighteen
thousand arahants nuns, companions of Yasodhara, also died on
the same day.

Numerous stories are found in the Jataka Commentary in which

Yasodhara is identified with one or other of the characters with
being with the Bodhisatta throughout His training.
 161

THE BUDDHA

The Dhamma Re-

Re-Discovered

CHAPTER TEN
The Final Days

Ananda, whatever bhikkhu or bhikkhuni, layman or laywoman,

abides by the Dhamma, lives uprightly in the Dhamma, walks in
the way of the Dhamma; it is by such a one that the Tathagata
is respected, venerated, esteemed, worshipped and honoured in
the highest degree.
 162

The Final Days

THE SCENE: Hermitage, Lunas
Continuing the Discourse.
BHANTE SUVANNO: The year 623BC is memorable as it
brought in a unique event that taught man to manage his mind.
Mind is the fore-runner of man’s thoughts, speech and deeds; if
man is able to manage his mind he will be able to wisely choose
a path that brings him no ill. A well managed mind has limitless
potentials. Man will be able to see the realities of his existence
and be able to determine meaningful directions, where once he
sees only dreams and delusions that bring him meaningless and
sorrowful fruit.

This unique event was the arrival of a being who we now know
as the Buddha. He made the world a different place altogether.
He gave man a way to reach the highest heights of
achievements. He taught and showed man the way to Nibbana.

He rediscovered the path of the Dhamma leading to the

eradication of universal suffering. With great compassion he
spent forty-five years teaching the path and this has helped
millions of people realise the realities in their lives.

Even today this path is helping humanity, and will continue to

do so provided the Teachings and Practices are maintained in
their pristine purity.

BHANTE SUVANNO: Jinavamsa, we now can see the final

playout of the greatest Drama the world has ever known and
will ever know. This Drama is the last piece in a patchwork of
events that culminates the successful Aspiration made by the
Ascetic Sumedha four asankheyyas and one hundred thousand
world cycles ago.
 163

Let us see this Drama as it unfolds scene by scene in front of our

very eyes. Many important and significant events that affect our
lives and existence, now and in future lives are made known at
this time. We must pay careful attention to this final episode in
the Lord’s life, because it will be a really long time before this
Drama will ever happen again in this present world system.
When it does, we may not have sufficient good merits to be
around.

The Announcement
BHANTE SUVANNO: Coming to eighty years of age and at the
end of His kammic lifespan, after almost half a century of
teaching, the Buddha had long since passed on all that was
necessary for attaining the Path. He had said very clearly that He
was not a “closed fisted” teacher and that His teachings were not
of the secret kind. During this final period His primary concern
was to impress on His followers the necessity of earnestly
putting into practice those very same Teachings.

Finally, while on one of His journeys, the Buddha was reminded

by illness that the time had come for Him to leave the world and
thus at a place called the Capala Shrine the Buddha made the
announcement to Ananda.

THE BUDDHA: Ananda, today at the Capala Shrine the

Tathagata has renounced his will to live on.

BHANTE SUVANNO: One can imagine how Ananda must be

shocked and grief struck as he hears the Buddha’s
pronouncement! But appeal as he did, the Blessed One’s mind
had been made up for He admonished:
 164

THE BUDDHA: Ananda, have I not taught from the very

beginning that with all that is dear and beloved there
there must be
change, separation and severance? Of that which is born,
come into being, is compounded and subject to decay, how
can one say: 'May it not come to dissolution!'

There can be no such state of things. And of that, Ananda,

which the Tathagata has finished with, that which he has
relinquished, given
given up, abandoned and rejected; His
His will to live
on; the Tathagata's word has been spoken once and for all:

Before long the Parinibbana of the Tathagata will come

about. Three months hence the Tathagata will utterly pass
away. That
That the Tathagata should withdraw his words for the
sake of living on; this is an impossibility. So, then, Ananda,
Ananda, let
us go to the hall of the Gabled House, in the Great Forest.
ANANDA (Sadly and grief struck): So be it, Lord.

BHANTE SUVANNO: Then the Buddha, with Ananda, went to

the hall of the Gabled House, in the Great Forest, and there he
said to Ananda:

THE BUDDHA: Go now, Ananda, and assemble in the hall of

audience all the bhikkhus who dwell in the neighborhood of
Vesali.
ANANDA: So be it, Lord.

BHANTE SUVANNO: Ananda did as he was told and then,

respectfully standing at one side of the Buddha, he announced:
 165

ANANDA: The community of bhikkhus is assembled, Lord. Now

let the Blessed One do as he wishes.

BHANTE SUVANNO: The Buddha then entered the hall of

audience, and taking the seat prepared for him, he exhorted the
bhikkhus, saying:

THE BUDDHA: Now,

Now, O bhikkhus, I say to you that these
Teachings; the
the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, the Four
Right Efforts, the Four Constituents of Psychic Power, the
Five Faculties, the Five Powers, the Seven Factors of
Enlightenment and the Noble Eightfold Path.

These
These Teachings bhikkhus, of which I have direct knowledge,
which I have made known to you, and which you should
thoroughly learn, cultivate, develop and frequently practise,
that the life of purity may be established and may long endure,
for the welfare and happiness of the many, out of compassion
for the world, for the benefit, well being, and happiness of
gods and men. So, bhikkhus, I exhort you:

All compounded things

things are subject to diss
dissolution.
olution. Strive with
earnestness.
The time of the Tathagata's Parinibbana
Parinibbana is near. Three
months hence the Tathagata will utterly pass away.
 166

BHANTE SUVANNO: The Buddha’s final advice:

My years are now full ripe, the life span left is short.
Departing, I go hence from you, relying on myself alone.

Be earnest, then, O bhikkhus,

bhikkhus, be mindful and of virtue pure!
With firm resolve, guard your own mind!
Whoso untiringly pursues the Dhamma and the Discipline
Shall go beyond the round of births and make an end of
suffering.

BHANTE SUVANNO: After His announcement, the Buddha

continued visiting towns and villages till he decided to enter
Bhoganagara. Our story continues from here.

The Last Meal

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: When the Lord had stayed at Bhoganagara
as long as he pleased, he spoke to the Venerable Ananda:

THE BUDDHA: Come, Ananda,

Ananda, let us go to Pava.
ANANDA: So be it, Lord.

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: And the Blessed One took up his abode at

Pava together with a great community of bhikkhus, and stayed in
the Mango Grove of Cunda, a metalworker. When Cunda came to
know that the Blessed One had arrived at Pava, and was staying
in his Mango Grove, he went to the Blessed One, and having
respectfully greeted him, sat down at one side, and the Blessed
One instructed Cunda in the Dhamma, and roused, edified, and
gladdened him. Then Cunda spoke to the Blessed One:
 167

CUNDA: May the Blessed One, O Lord, together with the

community of bhikkhus please accept my invitation for
tomorrow's meal.

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: And by his silence the Blessed One

consented. Sure, then, of the Blessed One's consent, Cunda rose
from his seat, respectfully saluted the Blessed One, and keeping
his right side towards him, took his departure. And Cunda, after
the night had passed, had choice food, hard and soft, prepared
in his abode, together with a quantity of sukara-maddava, and
announced it to the Blessed One:

CUNDA: O Lord, it is time, the meal is ready.

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: Thereupon the Blessed One, having got

ready, took bowl and robe and went with the community of
bhikkhus to the house of Cunda, and there sat down on the seat
prepared for him. And he spoke to Cunda:

THE BUDDHA: With the sukara-maddava you have prepared,

Cunda, you may serve me; with the other food, hard and soft,
you may serve
serve the community of bhikkhus.
CUNDA: So be it, Lord.

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: And with the sukara-maddava prepared by

him, he served the Blessed One; and with the other food, hard
and soft, he served the community of bhikkhus. Thereafter the
Blessed One spoke to Cunda:

THE BUDDHA: Whatever, Cunda, is left over of the sukara-

maddava,, bury that in a pit. For I do not see in all this world,
with its gods, Maras, and Brahmas, among the host of
 168

ascetics and brahmins, gods and men, anyone who could eat it
and entirely digest it except the Tathagata alone.
CUNDA: So be it, O Lord.

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: And what remained over of the sukara-

maddava he buried in a pit. Later after another discourse from the
Blessed One, he departed. A little while later, a dire sickness fell
upon the Blessed One, and he suffered sharp and deadly pains.
But the Blessed One endured them mindfully, clearly
comprehending and unperturbed. Then the Blessed One spoke
to the Venerable Ananda:

THE BUDDHA: Come, Ananda, let us go to Kusinara.

ANANDA: So be it, Lord.

Clearing of the
the Waters
SCRIPTURAL TEXT: On the way the Blessed One stopped at
the foot of a tree. And he said to the Venerable Ananda:

THE BUDDHA: Please fold my upper robe in four, Ananda,

and lay it down. I am weary
weary and wish to rest awhile.
ANANDA: So be it, Lord.
THE BUDDHA (sitting down): Please bring me some water,
Ananda. I am thirsty and wish to drink.
ANANDA: Lord, a great number of carts, have passed over, and
the shallow water has been cut through by the wheels, so that it
flows muddily. But the Kakuttha River, Lord, is close by, and its
waters are clear, pleasant, and cool. There the Blessed One can
quench his thirst and refresh his limbs.
 169

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: But a second time the Blessed One made

His request, and the Venerable Ananda answered Him as before.
Only after third time did Ananda acquiesced:

ANANDA: So be it, Lord.

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: Ananda took the bowl and went to the

stream. The shallow water, which had been cut through by the
wheels had settled and became clear, pure and pleasant.

ANANDA: (carrying the water to the Blessed One): Marvellous and

most wonderful indeed is the power and glory of the Tathagata!
For this shallow water, which had been cut through by the cart
wheels, became clear and settled down, pure and pleasant. Now
let the Blessed One drink the water.

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: And the Blessed One drank the water.

Pukkusa the
the Malla
COMMENTATOR: Now, it so happened that one, Pukkusa of
the Malla clan, a disciple of Alara Kalama, was passing by on his
way from Kusinara to Pava. He met the Buddha and render
respect and after listening to a discourse, he offered two sets of
robes, one of which the Venerable Ananda arranged about the
body of the Blessed One. But when the set of robe was arranged
upon the body of the Blessed One, it became as though faded,
and its splendour dimmed.

ANANDA: Marvellous it is, O Lord, most wonderful indeed it

is, how clear and radiant the skin of the Tathagata appears!
 170

THE BUDDHA: It is so, Ananda. There are two occasions,

Ananda, when the skin of the Tathagata appears exceedingly
clear and radiant. Which are these two? The night, Ananda,
when the Tathagata becomes fully enlightened in
unsurpassed, supreme Enlightenment, and the night when the
Tathagata comes to his final passing away into the state of
Nibbana in which no element of clinging remains.

And now today, in the last watch of this very night, Ananda, in
the Mallas' Sala Grove, in the vicinity of Kusinara, between
two sala trees, the Tathagata will come to his Parinibbana. So
now, Ananda, let us go to the Kakuttha River.
River.

At the
the Kakuttha River
River
SCRIPTURAL TEXT: Then the Blessed One went to the Kakuttha
River together with a great community of bhikkhus. He went
down into the water and bathed and drank. Coming forth from
the water, he went to the Mango Grove, and there spoke to
the Venerable Cundaka, saying:

THE BUDDHA: Please fold my upper robe in four, Cundaka,

and lay it down. I am weary and would rest awhile.
CUNDAKA: So be it, Lord.

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: The Blessed One lay down on his right

side, in the lion's posture, resting one foot upon the other, and so
disposed, mindfully and clearly comprehending, with the time
for rising held in mind. The Venerable Cundaka sat down right in
front of the Blessed One.
 171

Relieving Cunda's Remorse

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: The Blessed One spoke to the Venerable
Ananda:

THE BUDDHA: It may be,

be, Ananda, that someone will cause
remorse to Cunda,
Cunda, saying: 'It is no gain to you, friend Cunda,
but a loss, that it was from you the Tathagata took his last
alms meal, and then came to his end.' Then, Ananda, the
remorse of Cunda should be dispelled after this manner: 'It is
a gain to you, friend Cunda, a blessing that the Tathagata
took his last alms meal from you, and then came to his end. For,
friend, face to face with the Blessed One I have heard and
learned: There are two
two offerings of food which are of equal
fruition, of equal outcome, exceeding in grandeur the fruition
and result of any other offerings of food. Which two?

The one partaken of by the Tathagata before becoming fully

enlightened in unsurpassed, supreme Enlightenment;
Enlightenment; and the
one partaken of by the Tathagata before passing into the
state of Nibbana in which no element of clinging remains.

By his deed,
deed, the worthy Cunda has accumulated merit which
heavenly
makes for long life, beauty, well being, glory, heav enly rebirth,
rebirth,
and sovereignty. Thus, Ananda,
Ananda, the remorse of Cunda
should be dispelled.
 172

Final Resting Place

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: Then the Blessed One addressed the
Venerable Ananda:

THE BUDDHA: Come, Ananda, let us cross to the farther

bank of the Hirannavati, and go to the Mallas' Sala Grove,
Grove, in
the vicinity of Kusinara.
ANANDA: So be it, Lord.

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: And the Blessed One, together with a

large company of bhikkhus, went to the further bank of the river
Hirannavati, to the Sala Grove of the Mallas, in the vicinity of
Kusinara. And there he spoke to the Venerable Ananda:

THE BUDDHA: Ananda, prepare a couch between the twin

sala trees, with the head to the north. I am weary,
weary, Ananda, and
wish to lie down.
ANANDA: So be it, Lord.

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: And the Venerable Ananda did as the

Blessed One asked him to do. Then the Blessed One lay down on
his right side, in the lion's posture, resting one foot upon the
other, and so disposed himself, mindfully and clearly
comprehending.

At that time the twin sala trees broke out in full bloom, though it
was not the season of flowering. The blossoms rained upon the
body of the Tathagata and dropped and scattered and were
strewn upon it in worship of the Tathagata; celestial mandarava
flowers and heavenly sandalwood powder from the sky rained
down upon the body of the Tathagata and dropped and scattered
and were strewn upon it in worship of the Tathagata. The sound
 173

of heavenly voices and heavenly instruments made music in the

air out of reverence for the Tathagata. The Blessed One spoke to
the Venerable Ananda:

THE BUDDHA: Ananda, the twin sala trees are in full bloom,
though it is not
not the season of flowering. The
The blossoms rain
upon the body of the Tathagata and drop and scatter and
are strewn upon it in worship of the Tathagata; celestial
celestial coral
flowers and heavenly sandalwood powder from the sky rain
down upon the body of the Tathagata and drop and scatter
and are strewn upon it in worship of the Tathagata. The
sound of heavenly voices and heavenly instruments makes
music
music in the air out of reverence for the Tathagata.

Yet it is not thus, Ananda, that the Tathagata is respected,

venerated, esteemed, worshipped and honoured in the highest
degree; but
but whatever bhikkhu or bhikkhuni, layman or
laywoman, abides by the Dhamma,
Dhamma, lives uprightly in the
Dhamma, walks in the way of the Dhamma; it is by such a one
that the Tathagata is respected, venerated, esteemed,
worshipped and honoured in the highest degree.

Therefore, Ananda, thus should you train yourselves: 'We

shall abide by the Dhamma, live uprightly in the Dhamma, walk
in the way of the Dhamma.'
 174

The Grief of the

the Celestial Beings
SCRIPTURAL TEXT: At that time the Venerable Upavana was
standing before the Blessed One, fanning him. And the Blessed
One rebuked him:

THE BUDDHA: Move aside, bhikkhu,

bhikkhu, stand not in front of me.
ANANDA (thinking and wondering): This Venerable Upavana has
been in attendance on the Blessed One for a long time, closely
associating with him and serving him. Yet now, right at the end,
the Blessed One rebukes him. What now could be the reason,
what the cause for the Blessed One to rebuke the Venerable
Upavana, saying: 'Move aside, bhikkhu, stand not in front of me?’

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: And the Venerable Ananda told his thought

to the Blessed One.

THE BUDDHA: Throughout the tenfold world-

world-system,
Ananda, there are hardly any of the deities that have not
gathered together to look upon the Tathagata. For a
distance of twelve yojanas around the Sala Grove of the
Mallas in the vicinity of Kusinara there is not a spot that could
be pricked with the tip of a hair that is not filled
filled with powerful
deities.

These deities, Ananda, are complaining: 'From afar have we

come to look upon the Tathagata. For rare in the world is the
arising of Tathagatas, Arahats,
Arahats, Fully
Fully Enlightened Ones.
 175

This day, in the last watch of the night, the Tathagata'

Tathagata'ss
Parinibbana will come about; but
but this bhikkhu of great powers
has placed himself right in front of the Blessed One,
concealing him, so that now, at the very end, we are prevented
prevented
from looking upon him.' Thus,
Thus, Ananda, the deities complain.

ANANDA: Of what kind of deities, Lord, is the Blessed One

aware?

THE BUDDHA: There are deities, Ananda, in space and on

earth, who are earthly-
earthly-minded; with dishevelled hair they weep,
with uplifted
uplifted arms they weep; flinging themselves on the
ground, they roll from side to side, lamenting: 'Too soon has
the Blessed One come to his Parinibbana! Too soon has the
Happy One come to his Parinibbana! Too soon will the Eye
of the World vanish from sight!'
sight!'

But those deities who are freed from passion, mindful and
comprehending, reflect in this way: 'Impermanent are all
compounded things.
things. How could this be otherwise?'

Four Places of
of Pilgrimage
BHANTE SUVANNO: At the end of the above dialogue Ananda
remarked to the Buddha that, it was the tradition after any
annual rain retreats, the bhikkhus would usually set out from
wherever they were to see the Blessed One, and those bhikkhus
who were with the Buddha were able to benefit from these visits
by associating with those very revered bhikkhus who came to
have audience with the Blessed One. But, after the Blessed One
 176

had entered Parinibbana they will no longer have that gainful

association with visiting bhikkhus.

However, the Buddha advised that there are four places that a
pious person could visit and look upon with feelings of
reverence that would serve the same purpose of gainful
association. These are where:

1. the Buddha was born (Lumbini).

2. the Buddha became fully Enlightened (Buddha Gaya).
3. the Buddha set rolling the Wheel of the Dhamma (Isipatana).
4. the Buddha passed away into Nibbana (Kusinara).

ANANDA (further asked): How should we act, Lord, respecting

the body of the Tathagata?

THE BUDDHA: Do not hinder yourselves, Ananda, to

honour the body of the Tathagata. Rather you should strive,
Ananda, and be zealous on your own behalf,
behalf, for your own
own
good. Unflinchingly, ardently and resolutely you should apply
yourselves to your own good. For there are, Ananda,
Ananda, wise
nobles, wise brahmins and wise householders
householders who are devoted
honourr to
to the Tathagata, and it is they who will render the honou
the body of the Tathagata.

Ananda's Grief
SCRIPTURAL TEXT: Then the Venerable Ananda went into the
vihara, leaned against the doorpost and wept:
 177

ANANDA (weeping): I am still but a learner, and still have to

strive for my own perfection. But, alas, my Master, who was so
compassionate towards me, is about to pass away!

THE BUDDHA: Where, bhikkhus, is Ananda?

A BHIKKHU: The Venerable Ananda, Lord, has gone into the
vihara weeping and lamenting.

THE BUDDHA (to the bhikkhu): Go, bhikkhu, and say to

Ananda, 'Friend Ananda, the Master calls you.'
THE BHIKKHU: So be it, Lord.

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: That bhikkhu went and spoke to the

Venerable Ananda as the Blessed One had asked him to, and the
Venerable Ananda went to the Blessed One, bowed down to him,
and sat down on one side.

THE BUDDHA: Enough, Ananda! Do not grieve, do not

lament! For have I not taught from the very beginning that with
all that is dear and beloved there must
must be change, separation,
and severence? Of that which is born, come into being,
compounded, and subject to decay, how can one say: 'May it
not come to dissolution!'? There can be no such state of
things.

Now for a long time, Ananda, you have served the Tathagata
Tathagata
with
with loving-
loving-kindness in deed, word and thought; graciously,
pleasantly, with a whole heart and beyond measure. Great
good have you gathered, Ananda! Now you should put forth
energy, and soon you too will be free from the taints.
taints.
 178

Bhikkhus, the Blessed

Blessed Ones, Arahats, Fully Enlightened
Ones of times past also had excellent and devoted attendant
bhikkhus, such as I have in Ananda. And so also, bhikkhus, will
the Blessed Ones, Arahats, Fully Enlightened Ones of
times to come.

Go now, Ananda, to Kusinara

Kusinara and announce to the Mallas:
'Today, Vasetthas, in the last watch of the night, the
Tathagata's Parinibbana will take place. Approach, O
Vasetthas, draw near! Do not be remorseful later at the
thought: "In our township it was that the Tathagata's
Parinibbana
Parinibbana took place, but we failed to see him at the end!"
ANANDA: So be it, Lord.

BHANTE SUVANNO: So then Ananda prepared himself, and

taking his bowl and robe, went with another bhikkhu to Kusinara
to announce to the Mallas the coming Parinibbana of the Blessed
One. At this time the Mallas, being the rulers of the country, had
gathered in the council hall for some public business. Ananda
approached them and having done the usual courtesies made
the announcement as the Blessed One had taught him.
Immediately the Mallas were shocked and in despair, for they
had truly followed the Buddha’s teachings closely; and this was
the scenes of sadness that swept over them:

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: The Mallas, some, with their hair all

dishevelled and in despair, wept; flinging themselves on the
ground, they rolled from side to side, lamenting: "Too soon has
the Blessed One come to his Parinibbana! Too soon has the
Happy One come to his Parinibbana! Too soon will the Eye of the
World vanish from sight!"
 179

The Last Convert

BHANTE SUVANNO: You may just imagine, Jinavamsa, how
fast the news spread regarding the passing away of the Lord
Buddha. A certain wandering ascetic Subhadda living in Kusinara,
heard it and thought to himself:

SUBHADDA (thinking): I have heard it said that the arising of

Tathagatas, Arahats, Fully Enlightened Ones, is rare in the world.
Yet this very day, in the last watch of the night, the Parinibbana of
the ascetic Gotama will take place. Now there is in me a doubt;
but to this extent I have faith in the ascetic Gotama, that he could
so teach me the Dhamma as to remove that doubt.

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: Then Subhadda went to the Sala Grove,

and told Ananda his thought.

SUBHADDA: Friend Ananda, it would be good if I could be

allowed into the presence of the ascetic Gotama.

ANANDA: Enough, friend Subhadda! Do not trouble the

Tathagata. The Blessed One is weary.

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: Yet a second and a third time Subhadda

made his request; both times Ananda refused him. The Blessed
One heard the request, and He called out to Ananda:

THE BUDDHA: Stop, Ananda! Do not refuse Subhadda.

Allow him into the presence of the Tathagata;
Tathagata; for
for he will ask
for the sake of knowledge, and not as an offence.
offence. And the
answer I give him; that
that he will readily understand.
ANANDA: Go then, friend Subhadda, the Blessed One gives you
leave.
 180

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: Then Subhadda approached the Blessed

One and greeted him courteously. After pleasant and civil
greetings, Subhadda seated himself at one side and addressed the
Blessed One:

SUBHADDA: There are, Venerable Gotama, ascetics and

brahmins who are heads of great companies of disciples, who
have large retinues, who are leaders of schools, well known and
renowned, and held in high esteem by the multitude, such
teachers as Purana Kassapa, Makkhali Gosala, Ajita Kesakambali,
Pakudha Kaccayana, Sañjaya Belatthiputta, Nigantha Nataputta.
Have all of these attained realisation, as each of them would
have it believed, or has none of them, or is it that some have
attained realisation and others not?

THE BUDDHA: Enough, Subhadda! Let it be as it may,

whether all of them have attained realisation,
realisation, as each of them
would have it believed, or whether none of them has, or
whether some have attained realisation
realisation and others not. I will
teach you the Dhamma, Subhadda; listen and heed it well,
and I will speak.
SUBHADDA: So be it, Lord.

The Lion's Roar

THE BUDDHA: In whatsoever Dhamma and Discipline,
Subhadda, there is not found the Noble Eightfold Path,
neither is there found a true ascetic of the first,
first, second, third,
or fourth degree of saintliness.
 181

But in whatsoever Dhamma and Discipline there is found the

Noble Eightfold Path, there is found a true ascetic of the
first, second, third, and fourth degrees of saintliness.
saintliness.

Now in this Dhamma and Discipline,

Discipline, Subhadda, is found the
Noble Eightfold Path; and in it alone are also found true
ascetics of the first, second, third, and fourth degrees of
saintliness. Devoid of true ascetics are the systems of other
teachers. But if, Subhadda, the bhikkhus live
live righteously, the
world will not be destitute of arahats.

BHANTE SUVANNO: So it was that Subhadda, requested for

ordination which the Buddha granted straightaway. From then
on Subhadda went into seclusion; and being heedful, ardent, and
resolute in his practice, he soon attaineed arahantship. Thus it
was very opportune for Subhadda to be the final pupil of the
Lord.

Parinibbana - Final Exhortation

THE BUDDHA (to Ananda): It may be, Ananda, that to some
among you the thought will come: 'Ended is the word of the
Master; we have a Master no longer.'
longer.' But it should not be so
considered.

For that which I have proclaimed and made known as the

Dhamma and the Discipline, that shall be your Master when I
am gone.
 182

Ananda, whereas now the bhikkhus address one

one another as
'friend,' let it not be so when I am gone. The senior bhikkhus
may address the junior ones by their name, their family name,
or as 'friend'; but the junior bhikkhus should address the
senior ones as 'venerable sir' or 'your reverence.'

If it is desired, Ananda, the Sangha may, when I am gone,

abolish the lesser and minor rules.
rules.

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: The Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus:

THE BUDDHA: It may be, bhikkhus, that one of you is in

doubt or perplexity as to the Buddha, the Dhamma, or the
Sangha, the path or the practice. Then question, bhikkhus!
Do not be given to remorse later on with the thought: 'The
Master was with us face to face, yet face to face we failed to
ask him.'

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: But when this was said, the bhikkhus were
silent. And yet a second and a third time the Blessed One asked
them; for a second and a third time, the bhikkhus were silent.
Then the Blessed One said to them:

THE BUDDHA: It may be, bhikkhus, out of respect for the

Master that you ask no questions. Then,
Then, bhikkhus, let friend
friend
communicate it to friend.

SCRIPTURAL TEXT: Yet still the bhikkhus were silent.

 183

ANANDA: (addressing the Buddha): Marvellous it is, O Lord, most

wonderful it is! This faith I have in the community of bhikkhus,
that not even one bhikkhu is in doubt or perplexity as to the
Buddha, the Dhamma, or the Sangha, the path or the practice.

THE BUDDHA: Out of faith, Ananda, you speak thus. But

here, Ananda, the Tathagata knows for certain that among
this community of bhikkhus there is not even
even one bhikkhu who
is in doubt or perplexity as to the Buddha, the Dhamma, the
Sangha
Sangha or the path of the practice.

For, Ananda, among these five hundred bhikkhus even the

lowest is a stream-
stream-enterer, secure from downfall, assured
assured and
bound for enlightenment.
enlightenment.

Behold,
Behold, bhikkhus, I exhort you: All compounded
compounded things are
subject to disappearing.
disappearing. Strive with earnestness!
earnestness!
Appamadena Sampadetha!

BHANTE SUVANNO: Dear readers those were the Last Words

of the Tathagata; as the Buddha says we too re-iterate; strive
with earnestness… The Blessed One further said and gave this
assurance.
 184

The Buddha’s Assurance of Attainment

THE BUDDHA: Indeed, whoever is practising these Four
Foundation of Mindfulness for Seven years,
years, or for: six years,
five years, four years, three years, two years or one year,
year, or
for, seven months, six months,
months, five month, four months, three
months, two months, a month, half-
half-a-month,
month, or for seven days;
he may expect one of two result:

Highest knowledge here and now, or if there still be a

remainder of clinging, the state of non-
non-returner.

BHANTE SUVANNO: Thus ends our short discourse and as the

Buddha said: Over there are forests and trees, abandoned houses
and caves, meditate lest you regret. For there is only this one
way to the purification of beings leading to total freedom from
suffering….By Way of Satipatthana Vipassana.

A Final Word
JINAVAMSA: In the compilation of so much material, much
has been left unsaid as the vast amount of time that the Lord
Buddha spent in His Discourses; but the sole purpose of this
book and in essence the sole purpose of the Lord’s teachings was
to rid ourselves of the defilement we have gathered for so many
lifetimes…the goal of which is to practise Vipassana. If this book
has achieved that goal … then we wish you…”Appamadena
Sampadetha…”
 185

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