अΣO אن冬宮 Programme: Asalha Puja
119.11.11;67;3o1
Asalha Puja - falls on the full moon of the eighth lunar month (July) and is also
very important. It was on this day that the Lord Buddha preached His sermon to
followers after attaining enlightenment. The day is usually celebrated by merit
making, listening to a monk’s sermon, and joining a candle lit procession
during the night.
20. The Buddha's First Teaching
The
Buddha's first teaching was called the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta,
which means the Turning of the Wheel of Truth. It was given on the full-moon
day of July, called Asalha.
This
discourse was given to the five ascetics who were his former companions, at the
Deer Park in Isipatana (now called Sarnath), near Benares, India. Many devas
and brahmas (angels and gods) were present to listen to the discourse.
The
Buddha started the discourse by advising the five ascetics to give up two
extremes. These were indulgence in sensual pleasures and the tormenting of the
body (self-indulgence and self-mortification).
He
advised against too much sensual pleasure because these pleasures were base,
worldly, not noble and unhelpful in spiritual development. On the other hand,
tormenting the body was painful, not noble and also unhelpful in spiritual
development. He advised them to follow the Middle Way, which is helpful in
seeing things clearly, as they are, and in attaining knowledge, higher wisdom,
peace, and enlightenment or nirvana.
The
Buddha then taught the five ascetics the Four Noble Truths. They are: the truth
of suffering; its cause; its end; and the way to its end. Everything in this
world is full of suffering, and the cause of suffering is craving. The end of
suffering is nirvana. The way to the end of suffering is via the Noble
Eightfold Path.
The
Buddha said that he was enlightened only after he understood these Four Noble
Truths.
The
Noble Eightfold Path has eight parts or factors:
1. Right
understanding means to know and understand the Four Noble Truths.
2. Right
attitude means to have three kinds of thoughts or attitudes:
(i)
Thoughts of renunciation or an attitude of "letting go".
(ii) Thoughts of goodwill to others, which are opposed to ill will.
(iii) Thoughts of harmlessness, as opposed to cruelty.
(ii) Thoughts of goodwill to others, which are opposed to ill will.
(iii) Thoughts of harmlessness, as opposed to cruelty.
3. Right
speech deals with refraining from falsehood, such as telling lies or not
telling the truth; tale-bearing or saying bad things about other people; harsh
words and frivolous talk such as gossiping.
4. Right
action deals with refraining from killing, stealing and sexual misconduct.
5. Right
livelihood deals with the five kinds of trade which should be avoided in
order to lead a noble life. They are: trading in arms (weapons), living beings
(breeding animals for slaughter), intoxicating drinks and poison.
6. Right
effort has four parts using meditation:
(i) To
try to stop unwholesome thoughts that have arisen
(ii) To prevent unwholesome thoughts from arising.
(iii) To try to develop good thoughts
(iv) To try to maintain good thoughts that have arisen
(ii) To prevent unwholesome thoughts from arising.
(iii) To try to develop good thoughts
(iv) To try to maintain good thoughts that have arisen
7. Right
mindfulness is also fourfold. It is mindfulness of the body, mindfulness of
feelings/sensations, mindfulness of thoughts passing through the mind and
mindfulness of Dharma.
8. Right
concentration is one-pointedness of mind as developed in meditation.
These
eight factors can be grouped into three smaller groups, as follows:
Sila (morality)
right speech,
right action, right livelihood.
Samadhi
(concentrated mind in meditation)
right
effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
Panna (wisdom)
right
attitude, right understanding.
These
three — morality, concentration and wisdom — are the three stages on the path
to mental purity whose object is nirvana. These stages are described in a
beautiful verse:
To
cease from evil,
To do what is good.
To cleanse one's mind:
To do what is good.
To cleanse one's mind:
This
is the advice of all the Buddhas.
b) Religious Significance 1,
2, 4
After spending seven weeks at the
seven places in Bodhgaya following his Enlightenment, the Buddha decided to
teach the Dhamma he had
realized to the Five Ascetics, namely: Kondanna, Vappa, Bhaddiya, Mahanama and Assaji, who had served him for six years, but left after he abandoned
the path of self-mortification. He arrived at Deer Park or Isipatana in modern day
Sarnath on the full-moon day of Asalha, exactly two months after Wesak. When they saw the Buddha coming in the distance they decided not
to welcome him, but as soon as the Buddha approached they found themselves
unable to keep their pact and began to serve him. The Buddha was able to
convince them of his Attainment. That very night, the Buddha delivered the
historic First Sermon, the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta or Discourse on Turning the Wheel of Dhamma, which led to Kondanna attaining the first stage of sainthood at the end
of the discourse. The remaining four ascetics attained the first stage of
sainthood successively over the next four days. Later, the Buddha preached to
them the Anattalakkhana Sutta or Discourse on the Characteristics of Non-Self, hearing which
they attained Arahantship or final sainthood.
In Sarnath too, the Buddha converted
the rich man Yasa and his 54 friends, who also became Arahants. Later, the Buddha despatched them in various directions to
propagate the Dhamma, with
each to go a separate way. Thus Sarnath became famous as the place of the First Sermon, as well as the founding of the Sangha (Monkhood).
The meaning and
significance of Sangha
The Sangha forms the third component of the Triple Gem. Sangha members
represent the embodiment of the Dhamma and they have been, by and large,
responsible for the preservation and promotion of the religion, both during and
after the time of the Buddha.
Two months after his enlightenment the Buddha began
his teaching mission by delivering the first sermon, called the Dhammacakkappavattana
Sutta, to a group of five ascetics, who were his former associates. They
were Kondañña, Vappa, Bhaddiya, Mahanama, and Assaji. At the conclusion of the
discourse, Kondañña is said to have attained the "Eye of Truth,"
i.e., realized the Dhamma and achieved the first of four stages of transcendent
spiritual attainment. With that, the Sangha came into being, bringing to
completion the Holy Triple Gem. This happened on the full moon day of the month
Asalha (eighth lunar month).
Literally, Sangha means community. In its broadest
sense, the term covers both the lay and the monastic communities. From the
doctrinal perspective, it refers to those who have achieved any of the four
stages of transcendent spiritual attainment. Such Sangha members are known as
'noble disciples' (ariyasangha). Technically, these are called Sotapanna
(Stream Enterer), Sakadagami (Once Returner), Anagami
(Non-Returner), and Arahanta (Worthy One). These noble disciples
constitute the Sangha of the Triple Gem; they are Sangha by virtue of their
special attainments. Thus anyone who has attained to that higher level is
qualified to be included in this category of Sangha.
From the perspective of the Vinaya (Discipline),
Sangha refers to a community of monks (bhikkhusangha), specifically a
group of four or more monks, who are required to be present at certain
ecclesiastical rites where a quorum of monastic members is needed. This is the
Sangha according to the Vinaya definition, but not necessarily as part of the
Triple Gem. Thus there are two categories of Sangha, namely, Noble Sangha and
Conventional Sangha. Of course, individual monks may belong to both if they are
so qualified. Kondañña and his colleagues, and many of their contemporaries,
were some of these noble monk disciples.
However, because the role of the monks is so distinct
and prominent, the term Sangha is often used exclusively in reference to the
community of monks and does not cover the laity as in its broader sense. In the
Theravada tradition, especially, this term is never used in connection with the
lay community.
When Kondañña gained the Eye of Truth, he became the
first member of the Noble Sangha. When he was ordained a monk, he became the
first member of the Conventional Sangha. Thus, the conclusion of the first discourse
marks the beginning of the Noble as well as the Conventional Sangha of
disciples.
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Buddhist Festivals are always joyful occasions. Typically on a festival
day, lay people will go the the local temple or monastery and offer food to the
monks and take the Five Precepts and listen to a Dharma talk. In the afternoon,
they distribute food to the poor to make merit and in the evening join perhaps
in a ceremony of circumambulation a stupa three time as a sign of respect to
the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha. The day will conclude with evening chanting of the
Buddha's teachings and meditation.
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Asalha Puja (known as Asanha
Bucha in Thailand, Thai: อาสาฬหบูชา) is a Theravada Buddhist festival which typically takes place in
July, on the full moon of the eighth lunar month (July 21 or 22, 2013, depending on
location). Asalha Puja, also known as Dharma Day, is one of Theravada
Buddhism’s most important festivals, celebrating as it does the Buddha’s first
sermon in which he set out to his five former associates the doctrine that had
come to him following his enlightenment. This first pivotal sermon, often
referred to as “setting into motion the wheel of dharma,” is the teaching which
is encapsulated for Buddhists in the four noble truths: there is suffering (dukkha); suffering is caused by craving (tanha); there is a state (nirvana) beyond suffering and craving; and
finally, the way to nirvana is via the eightfold path.
Whatever differences there may be between various schools and traditions of
Buddhism, they all revolve around the central doctrine of the four noble truths.
This first
sermon is not only the first structured discourse given by the Buddha after his
enlightenment, it also contains the essence of all his subsequent teaching. At
the end of the talk, one of the five participants recounted his understanding
of what had been said and asked to be received as a disciple, a request the
Buddha granted, thus establishing the first order of monks.
The sermon in the Deer Park as depicted at Wat Chedi Liem, Thailand
The day is
observed by donating offerings to temples and listening to sermons. The following day is known in Thailand as Thai: วันเข้าพรรษา Wan
Khao Phansa; it is the first day of Thai: พรรษา vassa,
the Theravada rains retreat.
In
Indonesia, this festival is centered at Mendut Temple, near Borobudur.
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