TODAY IS MEDIN POYA DAY

Discipline of mind, body and word is paramount

By Ven. Balangoda Jinarathana thero

Buddhism is a religion that reveals the reality of the world. This reality came to be known as Buddhism after Lord Buddha realized the truth. Lord Buddha himself hesitated to introduce this truth to human beings living in this world as mentioned in the ‘Maha Wagga’, human beings live with their minds made up on various concepts. It is a difficult task trying to explain the truth to people who believe that the world and everything about it is eternal. However, Lord Buddha thought that the truth which he realized must not sink in the layers of time, and disappear without anyone benefiting from this realization, therefore, he decided to meet and preach it to the five monks,’Pas Waga Thawusan’, at Isipathana, Benares.

Empty space

Let us first understand what the world is, before we analyze it according to the Dhamma. Man and other living beings are living in an empty space filled with earth, trees and stones.Among them there are human beings who have the ability to think and perceive various concepts about this. They see and show the world according to the concepts they have in their minds and as a result, this space with trees and all other living beings are divided into many worlds in the human mind according to these concepts. Acharya Nagarjuna, analyzing this said
‘Living beings accept their individual concepts as the world’. He took the ‘kusala akusala kamma’, taught in Buddhism, to explain this.
“Worms that arise in a toilet as a result of their akusala karma (bad karma), according to them this dwelling is a haven. This is according to their concepts and this idea remains about kusala karma. It is ‘Janaka Karma’, which determines the birth of a living being, as the world.
According to this definition, the world is only a concept in one’s mind and one might find his or her vocabulary insufficient to explain it. So there are many worlds in the minds of people based on their understanding. Thus according to Buddhism, the world is only a thought that arises in the mind.
Rupavachara and Arupavachara chiththas that are referred to in Buddhist philosophy are a result of the purity of the mind. Those who haveattained these chiththas also view the world using their own definitions. Once they complete their lives, they are re- born in this same world according to reincarnation and not in Brahma worlds. They develop their minds and generate chiththa powers while still living in this empty space and depending on their chiththa powers, they are re-born in this world as great (brahma) people. The word ‘Brahma’ means great and philosophers created symbolic ‘Brahma’ worlds to show that it is great.
“Who has created the concept that this is a ‘world’?. It is not any god, but human beings and all other living beings. The good and bad deeds or ‘kusala’ and ‘akusala’ have been basic facts in this regard. Lord Buddha used the words ‘chethana’ and ‘sankara’ to introduce this. “Chethana han bhikkawe kammang wadami” “Avijja pachchaya sankara”
“monks, the thought is the karma. Because of ‘avijja’ (unawareness) ‘sankara’ dawns on a human being by words to the body and the mind is what generates it. The co- existence of the mind, word and the body in this universe is the reason for life. According to Buddhism, it is very difficult to control one’s senses and this causes no good to the person and the world as a whole.

Observance

Lord Buddha has taught the observance called ‘sanvara’ or ‘pahaana’ which recommends ‘samadhi’ to the mind and ‘seela’ to word and body. These three must go parallel in practical life.

“Kayena sanvaro saadhu
Saadhu vachaya sanvaro
Manasa sanvaro saadhu
Saadhu sabbaththa sanvaro”

The discipline of the mind, body and word is very important. All living beings in the world, including humans, run wild because of lobha, dwesha and moha taking control of the mind and body . The five senses motivates this and as a result living beings commit the ten akusala karmas. The first two stanzas of the ‘yamaka wagga’ of the ‘Dhamma padaya’ starting with ‘Mano pubbangama dhamma’ explains how the mind acts as the cause for all kusala and akusala.
“Chiththena niyathee loko” the mind makes the world move ahead is really very meaningful. Buddhism explains that the thoughts generated in the mind puts that person himself and the world in trouble and confusion.

“Seele pathitthaya
Naro sapagnno
Chiththang pagnnacha bhavaye”

This verse explains that an intelligent man behaves in Seela and improves his Samadhi and Pragna. It is natural that confusion and clashes arise in the world from time to time due to the activities of the human mind. This will end when individuals achieve the purity of mind or the chiththa parishuddhi.
The major obstacle encountered in this task is the process of reincarnation or sansara in this so- called world. This is explained well when one thinks of ‘Thanha’. Finishing this will get us liberation or nirvana.
Lord Buddha didn’t make any specific attempt to find a world and taught that the world is in the human mind itself. ‘Dukkha’, the truth of the four noble truths in Buddhism, explains the nature of the world and ‘nirodha’ truth explains the end of it.
Therefore the world and its changes are all in the minds of living beings who are in the endless journey of sansara. Buddhism is based on the purpose of ending this cycle.