Chapter II
Contents
2.1. Helping the Victims---------------------------------------------
2.1.1. Health Care for the Pregnant Woman------------------------
2.1.2. Popular Angulimala Sutta -------------------------------------
For Pregnant Woman to Give Easy Birth---------------------------
2.1.3. Protection from the Poisonous Snakes-----------------------
2.1.4. Protection from the Burning Fire------------------------------
2.2. Health Care Special ----------------------------------------------
2.2.1. How to Eat Food for Health-----------------------------------
2.2.2. Popular Bojjhanga Sutta for
Health--------------------------
In the previous chapter I tried to explain how Buddhism is
connected with charitable works as social guide of Buddhism. It was common
sense of social guide that Buddhism can work for social welfare as taught by
the Buddha because I have met many people who are interested in Buddhism but
all of them feel that Buddhism focuses on self liberation and self interest for
spiritual purpose. However, it is not correct notion on Buddhism because I have
learned, practiced and taught as the Buddha instructed for years. I found that
the Buddha and His Teaching always bring us to the middle to be in harmony with
the whole humanity.
We must be serious with the Buddha’s Teaching because His
Teaching is not just for reading like prayer in sense of a religion but advises
us to search for knowledge and wisdom for finding a way of life in harmony with
the society anywhere in the world. Buddhism has gone with the whole society
peacefully since it started in India
over 25 hundred years ago. Nowadays Buddhism is accepted by United Nations for
the example of peace-making religion among other religions. I’m not praising
Buddhism as my own but I’m honestly talking about Buddhism as it is and its
sense of beauty for humanity.
2.1. Helping the
Victims
There are two ways of helping the victims in a certain
trouble; one is to help the victims for physical needs and another is to help
them for spiritual needs. There are a lot of people who are able to help
physical needs but a few to help spiritual needs. When you are sacrificing for
religious life, you must give up things you belong to. You have to take just
what you need. You are almost impossible to be rich in material; it is the
nature of religious life in any religions. You need to clarify your little mind
not to be dirty with dusts of defilement within you. As long as your mind is
impure, you will not be happy and healthy enough. Either happiness or unhappiness
is dependent on your mind and the way you think.
When your mind is pure, your actions and words will be pure.
When your words and actions are pure, those who are in touch with you will feel
pleasant. And they will be really happy for being with you and working with
you. This is also the way to help the victims of fear, worry, anxiety and all
negative emotions. At first we honestly have to realize that we are the victims
of our own negative emotions. If we pay no attention to our negative emotions,
we will never realize that we are ourselves victims.
I know that some people will not agree with me but it is
truth; there is nothing to say whether you agree or not. You are the victims of
your own emotions for a number of times even in a day. If you are wise, you
must say ‘Yes’ to what I have said because it is universal problems round the
world. Therefore, Buddhism teaches the way to help the victims of physical and
mental problems within us and without us.
2.1.1. Health Care
for the Pregnant Woman
Once, a man named Ahimsa was a student of university. He was
a brilliant student among the other students learning in the same university.
The rector of the university recognized that Ahimsa was a smart student and he
was supported and closely cared by the rector. The other students felt jealous
to him. They were looking for the way to put him in fault and to charge him for
doing something wrong because of his smartness and brilliant brain.
We can learn here that our won smartness is really a cause
of the victim of ourselves. We can be good, smart, brilliant and intelligent
but we can also be the object of jealousy to the others around us. Therefore, I
say we may be the victims of ourselves if we are not aware of what we are
doing. In the story he was very quick to learn everything instructed by the
rector in the class room or anywhere. He also knew his duty and responsibility
to serve his teacher or rector and the rector’s wife. He did everything
faithfully and in innocence. He did not fell any doubt about his activities to
serve the wife of the rector. However, the people around him were curious and
finding some faults to charge him for his smartness and reputation.
It was a lesson for us to learn because sometimes we do
everything doubtlessly about our activities by thinking that we are not doing
anything wrong and we do for the benefits of other people. In this story we are
reminded to be aware of any opinion of right or wrong and we have to pay
attention to what we are doing to protect ourselves from unnecessary charge and
allegation by other people.
Actually, he respected the wife of the rector and helped her
as he could whenever he was free. The rector’s wife loved him as a mother in my
opinion. Once, she kissed him tenderly. The other students who felt jealous to
him found it; they reported the story to the rector once, twice and thrice and
more. Finally, the rector felt doubt about his wife and his close student,
Ahimsa. He felt annoyed and angry for that behavior between his wife and
Ahimsa. The rector wanted to kill Ahimsa for the behavior with his wife.
However, he was a thoughtful master; immediately he thought that he should not
kill him for such stupid reason because he knew he would lose his reputation
and students who wanted to learn from him if he would have killed him.
Finally, he had a good idea to tell his student, Ahimsa to
kill thousand people and to get thousand fingers for paying as the price of his
education to his rector. It was a very bad news to Ahimsa. He told his rector
that he was born in family of non-violence and his name was the meaning of
non-violence so he did not want to kill any one. However, the rector said that
it is the only price for your education to pay me back.
Ahimsa replied nothing to his rector. He took five kinds of weapons
such as knife and so on. He entered a deep jungle and killed those who entered
the jungle, came out of jungle and walking around in the middle of jungle and
cut their fingers. He left the fingers in no recognition and he could not count
them.
In the commentary to Angulimala Sutta it said ‘He was
originally knowledgeable and memorable but the thought of killing other people
made him lose his memory so he was not able to remember how many people he had
killed and how many fingers he had cut.’(Angulimala
Sutta in Majjhimanikaya and its commentary page-228) Finally, he killed
people and cut the fingers and made them a sort of flower garland to put it on
his neck in order not to lose it again. Since then he had been known to people as the
name of Angulimala which meant the flower garland.
Here, we can learn that he was the victim of his own
intelligence, brilliant and smart brain through truly and honestly good actions
but without being aware of what he was doing. Therefore, I have often said that
lack of awareness makes us problems even if we follow a religion or practice
religious prayer or observances. The Buddha ended His speech by saying
“Appamadena sampadetha- meaning “Be perfect in awareness.” If we do everything
mindfully the best we can, we will become better in our actions and words. Here
in the story Ahimsa was not aware of what he did. Therefore, he became the
victim of himself.
Finally, when he needed the last finger, he decided that he
would kill whoever he found, even his mother. He met the Buddha because the
Buddha came to him compassionately to help him but he wanted to kill even the
compassionate Buddha for the last finger he needed. At that time, the Buddha
used His psychic power in order to preach him so that he could be tamed by listening
to the compassionate Dhamma voice of the Buddha. The Buddha was static in the
middle of a circle but Angulimala thought the Buddha was running so he was
running after the Buddha.
He shouted at the Buddha ‘Oh Samana stop,--stop.’ The Buddha
said, “Just you are running but I’m standing.” Angulimala was astonishing at
what the Buddha said because he knew the Buddha would not lie; the Buddha used
to say the truth. Now he thought the Buddha was running but the Buddha said
that He was not running. Angulimala felt strange to what the Buddha said.
Therefore, he asked thus,
‘Oh, Samana you tell me that you have stopped while you are
walking. But now, when I have stopped, you say I have not stopped. I ask you
now, about the meaning how is it that you have stopped and I have not.’ (Angulimala Sutta in Majjhimanikaya page-99)
The Buddha said in verse,
“Angulimala I have stopped forever; I have put down harming
living beings. But you have no restrain
towards living beings. That is why I have stopped and you have not.” (I bid). In its commentary having put down
harming living beings means for no violence towards the beings but with
loving-kindness, with patience and with wise attention and with harmless
actions. Therefore, we can say that the Buddha wanted us to share
loving-kindness (Metta in Pali), patience (Khanti), wise attention (Yoniso
manasikāra) and harmless actions (Nihita danda) with everyone instead of
harming our fellow beings. The Buddha really wanted to help the victims and
wanted a peaceful society among humanity.
In the verse the Buddha said “I have stopped forever”; it
means He is impossible to harm living beings because the mind of violence has
been uprooted by thorough understanding and loving-kindness, tolerance, wise
attention, and harmless attitude have been forever developed in the heart of
the Buddha. Therefore, the Buddha and his disciples who have attained the same
level of enlightenment as the Buddha did will never be possible to harm all the
living beings. Instead, they will love all the beings equally and they will all
be tolerant with everyone because they have all understood that violent actions
will make both ourselves and the society painful.
Angulimala was listening to the Buddha’s talk and he
responded thus, ‘Oh, at long last the recluse, a venerated sage has come to
this great forest for my sake. Having heard your verse teaching me Dhamma, I
will indeed renounce evil forever.’ After this verse full of Dhamma, Angulimala
took his sword and weapons and threw them away. He paid homage to the feet of
the Buddha and asked for full ordination. And the Buddha addressed him with
these words, “Come, Bhikkhu” and that was how he was ordained by the Buddha.
Now, we can learn how the Buddha helped the victim in this
story. We can also see the Buddha’s compassion towards the victims. The Buddha
felt compassionate towards the killer, Angulimala and the victims caused by Angulimala.
The problems were made by the bandit, Angulimala. Therefore, the Buddha
cleverly and wisely made attempt to tame Angulimala. When he was tamed by the
teaching of the Buddha, he became softer, kinder and wiser as well. Actually,
he was a wise and a kind man but he was forced to kill people by his teacher
from university where he had studied. This is really a good lesson for every
one of us; this story reminds us to be aware of whatever we are going to do even
if our actions are right to do. He was the victim of his smartness and
brilliant brain.
Now he became a monk and followed the Buddha and practiced
as instructed by the Buddha. However, people had been suspicious about
Angulimala even when they saw him as a monk. When they met him, they were
afraid of him. Therefore, Ven. Angulimala was in problem made by him when he
was a man. He was so much in trouble for his alms and clothing and so on.
The Buddha felt deeply compassionate towards Angulimala and
those who were afraid of him. The Buddha wanted to help both Angulimala and
people who were afraid of him. Therefore, the Buddha instructed him holy words as
a medicine that was magically able to cure the pregnant woman who was not able
to give a birth. When he recited the holy words before a pregnant woman as
instructed by the Buddha, she got easier to give a birth.
2.1.2. Popular
Angulimala Sutta for pregnant woman to give easy birth
The holy words instructed by the Buddha for the pregnant
woman are thus, “Yatoham bagini ariyāya
jātiyā jāto nābijānāmi sañcicca pānam jīvitā voropetā, tena saccena sotti te
hotu sotti gabbassa- Sister since I was born with noble birth, I do not recall
that I have ever intentionally taken a life of any being. By this truth may you
be well and may your baby be well.” (I bid
page-103)
Since then, the holy words have become popular and known as
Angulimala Sutta to recite for easy birth of pregnant woman; it is often used
faithfully for the pregnant woman in Buddhist society particularly in Buddhist countries
in Asia. Therefore, in Myanmar that is one of Theravada Buddhist
countries in Asia, Sangha is devoutly and
respectfully invited by the family in which a pregnant woman is hard to give a
birth. The invited Sangha is used to reciting Angulimala Sutta for easy birth
of the pregnant woman before where she is giving a birth but the pregnant woman
must be covered by the curtain because monks are not proper to see the woman
giving a birth.
This is a good example to compassionately help the sick pregnant
woman suffering from hard birth. In my opinion a Buddhist who believes in that
good action will bring good result must help the sick and such help is also
good deed either for a Buddhist or non-Buddhist. I think Buddhists must do such
help more than others because they are instructed to believe in the law of
Kamma (cause and effect). In this story the Buddha gave us a good lesson to
learn and we can also see the Buddha’s compassion towards both Angulimala and
the pregnant women to release them form their respective suffering. And we can
see that the Buddha focused on the health care; this is one of the stories for
health care that Buddhists can do.
2.1.3. The Protection
from the Poisonous Snakes
The Buddha always considers the others kindly how to help and
how to make them happy when they are in trouble. We also have to see the time
and the background why the Buddha instructed particular holy words as
protection from danger. We should not quickly judge such holy words when we
learn some of traditional ideas of protection from Buddhism. In the time of the
Buddha there was no medical science and no sufficient knowledge on medical
science as in our time. Therefore, we can see that the Buddha was like a doctor
in the scriptures. We can see that there is medicine chapter well instructed by
the Buddha in Vinaya Mahavagga (the book of discipline). (Besajjakhandhaka in
Vinaya Mahavagga page-198 Pali in Roman)
Buddhist monastic organization was well and peacefully
established in deep jungles that were quite far away form the villages and
cities because the holy monks wanted to live in solitude and quiet environments
and wanted to practice meditation peacefully. We know very well why the Buddha
and his disciples wanted to live in the deep jungles because they all had lived
in worldly pleasure but unsatisfactorily so they renounced their worldly lives
and took the ascetic lives for spiritual quest. They searched for spiritual
satisfaction, peace, happiness, true understanding of the nature by practicing
deep meditation staying in remote jungles.
When they try to practice meditation, they will do for
themselves at first. Later after they have practiced meditation well enough, and
after they have reached a certain extent of wisdom through practice, they will
help those who need it to practice. I also do for myself first and I will do
for the other as well when I’m proficient in understanding to deal with my own
suffering. Actually, meditation is like a sort of subject to learn for
understanding. If you do not understand your major subject well enough, you
will not be able to help the others who need your aid. Therefore, many of
Bhikkhus went to the deep forest and practiced meditation in noble silence to
attain the truth.
They would have to face some wild animals or poisonous
snakes, when they were in the forest. Particularly they found the poisonous
snakes and some of them were bitten by such snakes. Therefore, the Buddha
instructed them some holy words as a discourse to recite for driving such
poisonous snakes by sharing love and kindness with them. The Buddha said that
there were four kings in the species of snake: Virūpakkha, Erapatha, Sabyāputta
and Kanhāgotama. They are all included in the families of powerful dragons.
Under these four kings of the snake, there are four kinds of poisonous snakes;
they are:
(1)
Katthamukha,
the group of the snakes that make the person tough as a flat wood when one is
bitten by them.
(2)
Putimukha,
the group of snakes that make liquid flow from the person who is bitten by
them.
(3)
Aggimukha,
the group of the snakes that make the person hot in the whole body when one is
bitten by them.
(4)
Satthamukha,
the group of snakes that make the person cut into pieces when one is bitten by
them.
Actually, I have no knowledge about the snakes because I
have never been in the area of deep forest since I was young. However, I have
tried to practice Vipassana meditation in different forests at least for three
months in each year since last ten years. Even then, I had never met any kind
of snake in where I had been to. When I spent in the forest
of Shan State in Myanmar, I found some kinds of
poisonous snake; yet I have not known the name of the snakes.
Since then, I’m really interested in the snakes to know
which kind of snakes they are. And I tried to look at the Buddhist scriptures
and learn from them to find the suggestion of the Buddha and his disciples about
the snakes and how they had experienced with the poisonous snakes in their time.
Now the Sutta that I’m going to explain in my writing is the famous discourse
specially instructed as a medicine or a remedy to protect people from the
poisonous snakes. It is like a saying, ‘Prevention is better than cure.’
In the discourse the Buddha started,
“Virupakhehi me
mettan mettan Erapathehi me,
Sabyaputtehi me
mettan mettan Kanhagotamakehi ca.”
May my love (Metta)
be shared with Virupakkha?
May my Metta be
shared with Erapatha,
May my Metta be
shared with Sabyaputta,
May my Metta be
shared with Kanhagotama.
Khandha Sutta in Anguttranikaya
v-I page -2.72
In this Sutta (discourse) actually, the Buddha taught us to
share our love and kindness even with poisonous snakes. The discourse reminds
me to love even the snakes when I recite it in forest where I’m now in Shan State.
I’m easy to stay together with snakes in the same forest when I’m used to
reciting this discourse realizing its meaning clearly. This discourse is like a
sort of injection into my heart and my blood when I recite it knowing its
meaning. Then, I’m all right even with poisonous snakes without scaring.
In the discourse the Buddha advised us to love the snakes to
be as friends because the Buddha used this discourse for lives until he has
attained the final enlightenment. He has experienced with the practice of this
discourse in good benefit. When you feel love towards the snakes, you will feel
nothing negative with snakes. You have to practice this discourse continuously
for longer period until you have been used to it. Then, you will truly feel
confident in the sense of love towards the snakes in any kind; and you will
feel no dangerous even if they are with you very closely. Philosophically, the
energy of love makes a good relation between you and the poisonous snakes when
you are used to practicing it. The emotion of anger is like poison and the
emotion of love is like medicine to prevent from the poison.
Now I use it as a medicine to protect myself form the
poisonous and I teach people who practice meditation with me in the forest to
listen to this discourse understanding its meaning. Every mediator faithfully
follows as I instructed everyday when they come to mediate with me in the
forest. They have been all right as yet; they have not found any snakes during
their meditation retreat in my forest monastery. Meditation retreat has been
conducted for 4 years and opened for 7 days’ retreat in each year. The specific
time is during New Year festival of Myanmar; it is in April. Almost
hundred and fifty people join meditation retreat for 7 days. I’m happy to see
them and to practice with them. Sometimes a few foreigners join the retreat for
more than 7 days in the forest meditation retreat with me.
At that time I have to instruct them this discourse with
historical background to be serious with it. In the time of the Buddha one monk
was bitten by a poisonous snake and died of it when he was in Jetavana
monastery. The Buddha said that he would not have died if he had practiced
Khandha Sutta which is telling us to develop love with snakes. The Buddha said,
“Now every monk must study Khandha Sutta as a protection from the poisonous
snakes and must practice as instructed in it.” (Khandha
Sutta in Vinaya Cūlavagga page 2. 110)
Nowadays those who are faithful in Khandha Sutta use as
spiritual medicine for someone who is bitten by the poisonous snakes. They
faithfully recite this Sutta before the person bitten by the poisonous snakes;
it becomes a spiritual healing in the Buddhist countries of Asia.
It is also one of the ideas of health care for social welfare from Buddhism and
helping the victims of poisonous snakes. Buddhism will not leave alone those
who are in trouble.
We know that one must be physically and mentally healthy to
say that one is absolutely well. If one is physically healthy but mentally
quite sick, how we can say that one is absolutely well. I believe that physical
illness should be cured by the doctors for general diseases but mental illness
needs spiritual aid such as listening to some discourses according to their
faith and practicing as instructed in the discourses. Even if Buddhism is not
absolutely a religion there are some effective holy Suttas to protect their
mental illness by reciting and listening to them. Buddhist people strongly
believe in them as protection from some dangerous phenomena such as ill lucks,
car accident and so on. It is now working as a social welfare particularly in
Buddhist countries. I also do it to help the victims of troubles spiritually
feel better and I have seen them that they feel serene and happy to listen to
the recitation of some holy Suttas when they are sick. I also feel we need to
do it for the social and spiritual welfare according to their respective
faith.
2.1.4. The Protection
from Burning Fire
In Buddhist countries they believe in another Sutta named
Vatta (quail) Sutta that can protect them from burning fire when they listen to
the recitation of Vatta Sutta. In my opinion we can go to help the victims of
burning fire according to the Sutta. Of course, there is nothing to do in just
recitation of holy Suttas with burning fire. And the fire will not be gone out immediately
even when you recite the holy Sutta before the burning fire. However, with
allowance of this holy Sutta you can help the victims of the fire by reciting
the holy Sutta for the spiritual welfare of the victims but you should also
practice charity (Dana) for those who are in trouble of fire as social welfare.
It will not be wrong according to Buddhism that believes in the law of cause
and effect (Kamma).
We have to agree with the people who try to do good deeds
for humanity because Buddhism is not a subjective religion but it is objective
and not a sectarian religion but universal one. Buddhism is not interested in
any sort of conversion form one religion to another but it is interested in
wisdom that can transform the miserable to the happy ones. However, we can do
nothing for true wisdom just by being converted to another religion but we have
to try to practice the way taught by the Buddha or as they are taught in their own
faith.
Even in this holy Sutta named Vatta Sutta nothing will
happen just by listening to the Sutta but you have to know the meaning to clear
up your faith on the holy Sutta so that your faith becomes stronger by
understanding the meaning clearly. In the story the baby quail on which there
was no hair even it had wings could not fly but it was surrounded by forest
burning fire. The baby quail (Vatta in Pãli) could not walk even though it had
legs and it could not fly even though it had wings because it was too young.
But its parents flew away from the burning forest. The Vatta (the quail) was
the Buddha-to-be. It had nothing to protect itself from the forest fire. The
quail solemnly affirmed the truth within itself.
Therefore, the quail said,
‘Atthi loke silaguno
saccan soceya nuddya,
Tena saccena kahami
saccakiriya muttamam.’
There is the quality
of morality, the truth, and purification,
The quality of love
and compassion; I will solemnly affirm this truth.
(Vattapotaka Sutta in
Cariyapitaka page-97)
When Vatta, the Buddha-to-be solemnly affirmed the truth,
the forest fire was gone out by this truth. Therefore, Buddhist people believe
that the recitation of Vatta Sutta will protect them when they are used to
practicing according to the Vatta Sutta. Buddhist monks also faithfully join the
recitation of Vatta Sutta when they are invited by the family to recite the
Sutta for the protection from the fire burning particularly in summer time in Myanmar.
This is good example to do as social activity for social
welfare. It is also good to please Buddhist people when they are in need. In my
own opinion we can go to help the victims of the fire and encourage them when
they are really in need of help. They are happy to see their holy monks for
helping them in certain way. Buddhism will not be wrong to help the victims of
some disasters because the main attitude of Buddhism towards the fellow beings
is loving-kindness (Metta) and compassion (Karuna). Actually, charitable work
is based on loving-kindness and compassion.
Therefore, Buddhism can do helping people when they are in
need; it is a sort of social work. Therefore, we can go to the people who are
on fire to help and we can recite Vatta Sutta for the people as a sort of
protection from fire burning. In my experience in Mandalay Sangha is usually
invited by the families to their homes for the recitation of Vatta Sutta to
protect them from fire burning particularly in New Year festival of Myanmar.
Therefore, it is a social activity in Buddhism.
2.2. Health Care
Special
In Dhammapada the Buddha said,
“Arogyaparamā lābā
Santutthi paraman dhanam,
Vissāsa paramā ñātī,
Nibbana paraman Sukhan.”
The greatest of all
gains is health; contentment is the greatest wealth;
Close friend is the
greatest relative, Nibbana is the greatest bliss.
(Dhammapada v-ii
Pasenadikosalavattu page-265)
When we see such talk from the mouth of the Buddha, we will
see how wonderful the Buddha is. Most of the people know the Buddha is
spiritual master who is interested in deep understanding of meditation; of
course, it is not wrong but the Buddha is also interested in social welfare
which is based on spiritual development. When you systemically learn the
Buddha’s teachings with a well-trained and competent master in Pali scriptures
and practice, I believe that you will see so many interesting advices from the
Buddha to our day-to-day life. Therefore, I feel grateful to the Buddha and His
teachings to our humanity.
In my opinion people should learn Buddhism as a subject to
promote life quality because Buddhism is not like a religion telling you to
believe in a certain God but it is telling you how to lead life not by superfluous
prayer but by understanding yourself. We know very well that we do not
understand ourselves; this is the reason why we have to believe in a certain
religion. Buddhism always points out us to see things as they truly are by a
close watch but we feel it is difficult and almost impossible. Therefore, we
want to believe in something else to be helped in time of need. Buddhism does
not advise this way but advises us to do things mindfully. I feel it is what we
really need and it is very much fundamental to the whole humanity.
In the Buddha’s advice “Greatest of all gains is health” we
can see that the Buddha is serious with health. The commentary to that word
explains more about it. If there is no good health, even good wealth will be
nothing. It is true because wealth can mean nothing when we are not well
enough. There are so many people seriously sick with good wealth. They are
almost dead because they can do nothing other than waiting to die on the heap
of good wealth.
2.2.1. How to Eat
Food for Health
In the story, the king of Sāvatthi, Pasenadi Kosala was not
well enough by eating too much when he came to the Buddha for a certain reason.
He could not keep himself balance because the food he ate made him not healthy.
The Buddha realized what happened with him. Then, the Buddha preached him thus,
“Manujassa sadā
stīmato, mattan jānato laddhabojane,
Tanukassa bhavanti
vedanā, sanikan jīrati āyupālyam.”
Always mindfully
eating, realizing moderation of the food
Makes man healthy and
slowly old keeping long life.
(I bid)
When he heard this advice, he felt so pleased and wonderful
to listen to it. However, he could not keep it in his memory. Therefore, he
told his nephew sitting next to him to learn it and memorize it. His nephew did
it well. His nephew asked, ‘How shall I do with this advice, Lord Buddha?’ the
Buddha replied thus, “Recite this advice before the king eats the last lump of
food when this is said, the king will throw the last lump of the food away
realizing the meaning well.” this is the way to reduce his meal for healthy
life. So we know now how the Buddha advised us to eat meal for good health. The
Buddha praised taking rice soup and its benefits to our condition. (Vinaya Mahavagga page-221)
Once the Buddha said, “When
one helps the sick, it will be the same as you help Me.” Such unique word
of the Buddha actually encourages Buddhist people to help the sick kindly. You
can build a hospital for helping the sick; you can donate medicine; you can
donate some money to the patients. This is good for social guide. But you need
real education of Buddhism and the education of philosophy as well to learn
comparative knowledge. In my understanding Buddhism teaches the way to attain
final enlightenment; you cannot attain it within one day. Therefore, you have
to plan the way to the final enlightenment by doing good deeds to fulfill your
knowledge, wisdom and understanding for the attainment of it. Therefore, if you
are Buddhist, you have to do every good deed to fulfill best wishes into your
heart for systematic attainment of Nibbana.
2.2.2. Popular
Bojjhanga Sutta for Health
Now I’m going to explain Bojjhanga Sutta which is instructed
as medicine for the sick people. The historical background of this Sutta was
Ven. Mahā Kassapa. When he stayed in the cave named Pippali, he was sick. The
Buddha went to him and preached Bojjhanga Sutta for Maha Kassapa’s health. The
Buddha started thus:
“Sattime Kassapa
Bojjhanga maya sammadakkhata bhavita bahulikata abhinnaya sambodhaya nibbanaya
samvattanti. Katame satta?
Sati sambojjhango kho
Kassapa maya sammadakkhata bhavita bahulikata abhinnaya sambodhaya nibbanaya
samvattanti.
Dhammavijaya
sambojjhango kho Kassapa maya sammadakkhata bhavita bahulikata abhinnaya
sambodhaya nibbanaya samvattanti.
Viriya sambojjhango
kho Kassapa maya sammadakkhata bhavita bahulikata abhinnaya sambodhaya
nibbanaya samvattanti.
Piti sambojjhango kho
Kassapa maya sammadakkhata bhavita bahulikata abhinnaya sambodhaya nibbanaya
samvattanti.
Passaddhi kho Kassapa
maya sammadakkhata bhavita bahulikata abhinnaya sambodhaya nibbanaya
samvattanti.
Samadhi kho Kassapa
maya sammadakkhata bhavita bahulikata abhinnaya sambodhaya nibbanaya
samvattanti.
Upekkha kho Kassapa
maya sammadakkhata bhavita bahulikata abhinnaya sambodhaya nibbanaya samvattanti.”
(Patthamagilana Sutta in Mahavagga
Samyutta vol-v page-5-75)
Here is translation
from Pali into English:
These seven enlightenment factors are, Kassapa, well
expounded by me; they should be developed, and much developed for direct
knowledge, for penetration and for Ultimate Peace.
The enlightenment factor of mindfulness is, Kassapa, well
expounded by me; it should be developed and much developed for direct
knowledge, for penetration and for Ultimate Peace.
The enlightenment factor of investigation on Dhamma is,
Kassapa, well expounded by me; it should be developed and much developed for
direct knowledge, for penetration and for Ultimate Peace.
The enlightenment factor of effort is, Kassapa, well
expounded by me; it should be developed and much developed for direct
knowledge, for penetration and for Ultimate Peace.
The enlightenment factor of joy is, Kassapa, well expounded
by me; it should be developed and much developed for direct knowledge, for
penetration and for Ultimate Peace.
The enlightenment factor of serenity is, Kassapa, well
expounded by me; it should be developed and much developed for direct
knowledge, for penetration and for Ultimate Peace.
The enlightenment factor of concentration is, Kassapa, well
expounded by me; it should be developed and much developed for direct
knowledge, for penetration and for Ultimate Peace.
The enlightenment factor of equanimity is, Kassapa, well
expounded by me; it should be developed and much developed for direct
knowledge, for penetration and for Ultimate Peace.
When we learn this Sutta, we can see that the Sutta advises
us to practice mindfulness as a factor of enlightenment. In my opinion the
person who has practiced mindfulness to a certain extent should recite for
healing the sick. I do not think the recitation of the Sutta will make the sick
effective or better or recover soon when the person who has never practiced
mindfulness recites for the sick because he does not know the value of
mindfulness. Therefore, his faith will be weak without understanding the value
of practice of mindfulness. The Buddha, the young monk Cunda, Ven. Maha
Kassapa, Ven. Maha Moggalana are all those who have perfectly practiced
mindfulness within themselves and perfectly realized the value of mindfulness.
In my opinion it will be better if we can practice mindfulness according to the
Bojjhanga Sutta.
Soon after hearing this Sutta from the Buddha, Maha Kassapa
became better and recovered. Therefore, this Bojjhanga Sutta has been known to
the Buddhist people as remedy for the sick people since it started from the
time of the Buddha. The Sutta made not only Maha Kassapa better in condition
but also the Buddha and Ven. Maha Moggalana better and recovered soon after
they had listened to it. That is why Buddhist people are faithful to listen to
the Bojjhanga Sutta from their holy Sangha when they are sick at home or in
hospital.
We have to understand the time and the background at the
moment when this Sutta was allowed to recite for health because there was no
doctor in the forest at the time of the Buddha and His disciples. Therefore,
when they were sick, they needed a sort of healing in the mind. The Buddha
recited Bojjhanga Sutta first for Maha Kassapa to make him better from his
illness. Maha Kassapa became better soon after listening to this Sutta. The
second was the Buddha Himself so the Buddha told the young monk, Sunda to
recite Bojjhanga Sutta for the illness. The Buddha became recovered as soon as
possible after listening to it.
Actually, Bojjhanga Sutta was instructed by the Buddha as
medicine or remedy for the sick people in the time of the Buddha because there
was no medical science as in our time. However, there was the education of
traditional medicine at that time. The Buddha instructed one medical chapter in
Vinaya Mahavagga. In that chapter we found that the famous traditional
physician named Jīvaka was a very skillful one for any disease. He could do
even surgery for a woman who suffered from a chronic head ache. He was offered
as a royal physician to work in palace.
He also venerated the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha so
he became Buddhist and he took care of the Buddha and the Sangha when one of
them was sick. When he was a student of medicine at a university, once his
teacher told him that he should go to the forest with some tools to find a
plant that was not medicinal. He obeyed his teacher’s suggestion and
immediately went to the forest and searched for the plant not medicinal.
Finally, he found no plant medicinal. He came back with this message to his
teacher and his teacher agreed with him and his teacher thought that he was
good enough in medical knowledge. Since then he had been allowed to work as a
physician. (In Vinaya Mahavagga)
However, Buddhist people who believe in the Buddha and His
teachings are all ready to follow the Buddha’s advice faithfully; it is not a
strange thing because we are all easy to follow the master we believe in. Therefore,
Buddhists want to listen Bojjhanga Sutta instructed by the Buddha for good
condition when they are sick and the Sangha who are invited to their home for
recitation of the Bojjhanga Sutta has to go to recite it for the spiritual
healing.
The Sutta shows us how the Buddha paid attention to the
health care of the people even in His time. Why I’m saying seriously about the
Buddha’s attitude towards the peoples’ health care is that there are very few
people who know that the Buddha advised us health education but there are so
many people who know the Buddha as a meditation master. I feel sorry that
people do not understand the Buddha and His compassionate teachings as good as
possible. The Buddha is not a religious master but the Master of nature and
universal truth.
Once again, no one will be able to understand the essence of
the Buddha and His teachings correctly by reading some books. You need to find
a competent and a well-trained master but who has seriously practiced it
properly and quite correctly. Scholars can do nothing with the essence of the
Buddha’s Teaching; they need practice. Actually, Buddhism is like science
because it teaches both theory and practice as science does in its sense.
Buddhism will never treat you in a way of religion and will never instill the
idea of blind faith into your brain. You need to learn Buddhist teachings
seriously with a good-hearted master so willing to help you for understanding
but not for money of living. In this chapter I try to deal with the opinion of
human benefits for good condition as taught by the Buddha in Buddhist
scriptures.
Of course, when you become a monk, you will want to practice
meditation to perfect your own morality, concentration and wisdom that can lead
you to the goal of Ultimate Peace. If you go that way, you will have little
chance to do charity for the human benefits or social welfare. However, the
Buddha did not teach you to be selfishly isolated and to physically run away
from the society. Loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy and equanimity
are well expounded to practice in daily life. Therefore, we need to find the
way to help humanity kindly and generously as we are almost impossible to live
alone in the interdependent network of global family.
Actually, I’m a monk who loves to practice meditation. I
love living in the natural forest. I love living alone for certain period and I
also want to share my time with people who want to practice meditation with me
in the forest. In my opinion we have to do everything good for humanity and
their welfare. I cannot stand when I see someone in misery. At least I want to
give my noble wish to that one in misery. It will be a great deal of
contribution to the suffering person even if I have no money in my hand.
Nowadays there are ample accesses to enter social work to help the people who
are in need of help because you can find there are different ways for suffering.
We need just knowledge and education to work for social welfare. The
compassionate Buddha will never blame us for helping people to see better
condition. The Buddha is also the master who teaches the way to free from
suffering.
Now I’m conducting meditation retreat for at least two
hundred people including some foreigners in the forest because I love
meditation practice and I also believe it is the technique to heal
psychological suffering which is worse than physical illness and also it is a
medicine of protection from diseases in my experience. When we practice
Vipassana meditation, we can see things impossible are possible before our
eyes. Sometimes, meditation practice is able to cure even serious diseases
unbelievably. Therefore, I strongly believe that meditation technique is a
great contribution of medicine to humanity and it can also work noble social
activity for human welfare. We have to observe noble silence when we take
meditation retreat in my forest. It is also a sort of social activity for me.
by Ashin kelasa
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