|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 2 May 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
May 4 is Vesak Full Moon Poya: Teaching an end to suffering "O bhikkus! Vayadhamma sankhara appamadena sampadetha" - Maha Parinibbana Sutta (O bhikkus! Transient are all component things. Strive on with diligence). This is the last exhortation of the Buddha to his disciples. by Aryadasa Ratnasinghe
Three months before his passing away, the Buddha addressed his disciples saying "I have delivered discourses to you during these 45 years. You must learn them well and treasure them and, at the same time, you must practise them and teach them to others. My years are now full ripe. I will have to leave you soon. You must be earnest, mindful and pure of virtue. Whoever untiringly pursues my teaching, he will go beyond the cycle of rebirth and death and will make an end to suffering." Buddha passed away at the age of 80 years, having carried out his missionary activities for 45 years, wandering from place to place, regardless of heat and cold. His two chief disciples, Ven. Sariputta and Ven. Moggallanna had pre-deceased him. So was Ven. Rahula and Yasodara. He decided to breathe his last, not in famous cities like Savatti or Rajagaha, where his activities were centered, but in a distant and insignificant village like Kusinara in Pava, the kingdom of the Mallas. At Pava, on the way to Kusinara, Buddha and his disciples were entertained for a meal by Cunda, a goldsmith. With great fervour, he prepared a special delicious curry containing 'sukaramaddhava'. However, only Buddha ate it and he requested Cunda to bury the rest in the ground, without giving it to others. According to Commentary, 'sukaramaddava', is the flesh of wildboar (a male swine), neither young nor too old, but not killed intentionally for the sake of the Buddha, ('pavattamamsa'). Some scholarly interpreters have expressed the view that 'sukaramaddhava' was a kind of mushroom (Psalliota comestis), an edible fungus also known as 'boars' delight. After taking the meal the Buddha suffered from lohithapakkandika' (dysentery), a disease associated with the frequent passage of bloody faeces (now confined to bacillary dysentery due to infection with bactrium dysenteriae). Though extremely weak and seriously ill, Buddha determined to leave for Kusinara, his planned destination (a distance of 6 miles from Pava). According to Commentary, Buddha has chosen Kusinara, to breathe his last, for three reasons: (i) to preach the Mahasudassana Sutta (the story of the Buddha in his previous existence as king Suddhassana, told by the Buddha on his death-bed), in order to inspire people to be more virtuous by word and deed, (ii) to convert Subaddha, his last disciple, who could not have been converted by any other person than himself, and (iii) to enable Dona, a brahmin, to distribute the relics peacefully among his followers. Subaddha was a wandering ascetic, and having heard the news that Buddha would attain Mahaparinibbana, in the last watch of the night, thought of seeing him, and proceeded to the Upavattana 'sal' grove of the Mallas, and inquired from Ven. Ananda whether he could see the Buddha. Having obtained permisison, he went to meet the Buddha and said: "There are these ascetics and priests, O Gotama, who are leaders of congregations, such as Purana Kassapa, Makkhali Gosala, Ajita Kesakambali, Pakuda Kaccayana, Sanjaya Bellattiputta and Niganta Nathaputta. Have they all, as they themselves claim, thoroughly understood or not, or have some of them understood and some not?" 'Trouble not yourself' Addressing Subaddha, Buddha said "Trouble not yourself as to whether all or some have understood or not. I shall teach you the doctrine. Listen and bear it well in mind." Subaddha then praised the Buddha for his lucid exposition of the noble Dhamma (doctrine), and seeking refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha, expressed his desire to join the Order. he was the last personal convert of the Buddha. The statue of the Buddha showing his Mahaparinibbana, and hewn out of rock, is found inside the Rangiri Dambulla vihara, built by king Valagambahu alias Vattagamani Abhaya (104-77 BC). A replica of it is found at the Gal Vihara, also known as Uttararamaya, in Polonnaruwa, built by king maha Parakrambahu (1153-1186). According to legend, the reclining Buddha statue at the Rangiri Dambulla vihara, was the work of God Visvakarma, who was present to witness the passing away of the Buddha, and knew in what lying posture he breathed his last. The king contemplating on how to make the statue, sought divine help and fasted for three days. On the fourth day, he had a dream and was told not to worry over it, and workmen would come to finish the job, and to entrust the work to them. So it happened that a few men came to meet the king and asked whether they would be of any use to him. The king remembered the dream and told them to make a statue of the Buddha in reclining position to show how the Buddha passed away. The following morning, the king went to see the progress, but he found the men missing and the work completed. The Ven. Ananda desired to know what they should do with the body of the Buddha. The Buddha said, "Do not engage yourselves in honouring the remains of the Tathagata (Buddha always identified himself thus). Be concerned about your own welfare to become an Arhant (Ariya Puggala)" The eight 'Ariya Puggala' or noble ones are those who have realised one of the 8 stages of holiness, i.e. the 4 supermundane paths (magga) and the 4 supermundane fruitions (phala). Summed up, the 4 noble individuals are the Stream-winner (Sotapanna), the Once-Returner (Sakadagami), the Non-Returner (Anagami) and the Holy One (Arhant). 'Devote yourselves to your own welfare' The Buddha continued, "Devote yourselves to your own welfare. Be heedful, be strenuous and be intent on your own good. There are wise warriors, wise brahmins, wise householders who are firm believers in the Tathagata. They will do honour to the remains after my body is cremated. When the Ven. Ananda began to weep, Buddha told him "Do not grieve, do not weep, do not feel sorry over my bereavement. Have I not already told you that one day we have to separate and divide and sever ourselves from everything that is dear and pleasant to us?" After admonishing Ven. Ananda, the Buddha ordered him to proceed to Kusinara and inform the Mallas of the impending death of the Buddha. When they heard the sad news, they came weeping with their wives and children, young men and maidens, to pay their last respects to Buddha. When the time came for the Buddha to pass away, he rested on the couch placed between two 'Sal' trees. His disciples were around him watching him in perfect silence. The Buddha attained, to the first Ecstasy (Jhana). Emerging from it, he attained, in order, to the second, third and fourth Excstacies (the four 'Arupa Jhanas'). Emerging from the fourth Ecstasy, he attained to the 'Realm of Infinite Space' (Akasanancayatana), then to the 'Realm of Infinity of Consciousness' (Vinnanancayatana), then to the 'Realm of Nothingness' (Akincannayatana), then to the 'Realm of 'Neither Perception nor Non-Perception' (N'eva sanna na sannayatana), and finally attained 'the Cessation of Perceptions and Sensations (Sannavedayita Nirodha). As a man he was born, as an extraordinary man he lived, and passed away as Buddha. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
Vesak full moon poya commemorates the Buddha's Mahaparinibbana, which
took place in 543 BC (i.e. 2,548 years ago). He was the perfect embodiment
of all virtue that he preached, and his philosophy is the most perfect the
world has ever seen. He was born to dispel the darkness of ignorance ('avijja'),
and to show the world how to get rid of suffering and sorrow, decay and
death, and all the worries and miseries of mankind until the cessation of
rebirth, which ends with the attainment of Nibbana.
