Free Buddha Dharma ebook

Practical Vipassana Meditation Exercises
By Mahasi Sayadaw Gyi

When the Venerable Mahasi Sayadawgyi came down to Yangon Sasana Yeiktha, in 1949, he introduced the first batch of 25 yogis to the methodical practice of Vipassana meditation on 4th December 1945. At first, Sayadawgyi himself delivered the initiation talks of about 1½ hour to each batch of meditators. Later the talk was tape-recorded (27th July, 1951) and since then, it was played back to each batch of new yogis. This discourse was published in book form in 1954 and in the same year it was translated into English by yogi U Pe Thin under the noscript “ The Satipatthana Vipassana Meditation (A basic Buddhist Mindfulness Exercise’’).


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Phuttha Utthayan Makha Bucha Anusorn Buddhist park, Nakhon Nayok, Thailand to commemorate the summit between Buddha and the first 1,200 disciples.

Dhammapada Verses 133 and 134
Kondadhanatthera Vatthu

Mavoca pharusam kanci
vutta pativadeyyu tam
dukkha hi sarambkakatha1
patidanda phuseyyu tam.

Sace neresi attanam
kamso upahato yatha
esa pattosi nibbanam
sarambho te na vijjati.

Verse 133: Do not speak harshly to anyone; those who are thus spoken to will retort. Malicious talk is indeed the cause of trouble (dukkha) and retribution will come to you.

Verse 134: If you can keep yourself calm and quiet like a broken gong which is no longer resonant, you are sure to realize Nibbana, there will be no harshness in you.

1. sarambkakatha: Malacious talk. According to the Commentary it means talk belittling others.

The Story of Thera Kondadhana

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verses (133) and (134) of this book, with reference to Thera Kondadhana.

Since the day Kondadhana was admitted to the Order, the image of a female was always following him. This image was seen by others, but Kondadhana himself did not see it and so did not know about it.

When he was out on an alms-round, people would offer two spoonfuls to him, saying, "This is for you, Venerable Sir, and this is for your female companion." Seeing the bhikkhu going about with a woman, people went to King Pasenadi of Kosala and reported about the bhikkhu and the woman. They said to the king, "O king! Drive out the bhikkhu, who is lacking in moral virtues, from your kingdom." So the king went to the monastery where that bhikkhu was staying and surrounded it with his men.

Hearing noises and voices, the bhikkhus came out and stood at the door, and the image also was there not far from the bhikkhu. Knowing that the king had come, the bhikkhu went into the room to wait for him. When the king entered the room, the image was not there. The king asked the bhikkhu where the woman was and he replied that he saw no woman. The king wanted to make sure and he asked the bhikkhu to leave the room for a while. The bhikkhu left the room, but when the king looked out, again he saw the woman near the bhikkhu. But when the bhikkhu came back to the room the woman was nowhere to be found. The king concluded that the woman was not real and so the bhikkhu must be innocent. He therefore invited the bhikkhu to come to the palace every day for alms-food.

When other bhikkhus heard about this, they were puzzled and said to the bhikkhu, "O bhikkhu with no morals! Now that the king, instead of driving you out of his kingdom, has invited you for alms-food, you are doomed!" The bhikkhu on his part retorted, "Only you are the ones without morals; only you are doomed because you are the ones who go about with women!"

The bhikkhus then reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha sent for Kodadadhana and said to him, "My son, did you see any woman with the other bhikkhus that you have talked to them thus? You have not seen any woman with them as they have seen one with you. I see that you do not realize that you have been cursed on account of an evil deed done by you in a past existence. Now listen, I shall explain to you why you have an image of a woman following you about.

"You were a deva in your last existence. During that time, there were two bhikkhus who were very much attached to each other. But you tried to create trouble between the two, by assuming the appearance of a woman and following one of the bhikkhus. For that evil deed you are now being followed by the image of a woman. So, my son, in future do not argue with other bhikkhus any more; keep silent like a gong with the rim broken off and you will realize Nibbana."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Verse 133: Do not speak harshly to anyone; those who are thus spoken to will retort. Malicious talk is indeed the cause of trouble (dukkha) and retribution will come to you.


Verse 134: If you can keep yourself calm and quiet like a broken gong which is no longer resonant, you are sure to realize Nibbana, there will be no harshness in you.

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Words of the Buddha channel:

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Dhammapada Verse 135
Uposathika Itthinam Vatthu

Yatha dandena gopalo
gavo pajeti gocaram
evam jara ca maccu ca
ayum pajenti paninam.

Verse 135: As with a stick the cowherd drives his cattle to the pasture, so also, ageing and death drive the life of beings.

The Story of Some Ladies Observing the Moral Precepts

While residing at the Pubbarama monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (135) of this book, with reference to five hundred ladies.

Once, five hundred ladies from Savatthi came to the Pubbarama monastery to keep the Uposatha Sila vows. The donor of the monastery, the well-renowned Visakha, asked different age groups of ladies why they had come to keep the sabbath. She got different answers from different age groups for they had come to the monastery for different reasons. The old ladies came to the monastery to keep the sabbath because they hoped to gain the riches and glories of the devas in their next existence; the middle-aged ladies had come to the monastery because they did not want to stay under the same roof with the mistresses of their respective husbands. The young married ladies had come because they wanted their first born to be a son, and the young unmarried ladies had come because they wanted to get married to good husbands.

Having had these answers, Visakha took all the ladies to the Buddha. When she told the Buddha about the various answers of the different age groups of ladies, the Buddha said, "Visakha! birth, ageing and death are always actively working in beings; because one is born, one is subject to ageing and decay, and finally to death. Yet, they do not wish to strive for liberation from the round of existences (samsara); they still wish to linger in samsara"

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
Verse 135: As with a stick the cowherd drives his cattle to the pasture, so also, ageing and death drive the life of beings.

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Dhammapada, beloved and favorite teachings of the Buddha channel:

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Free Buddha Dharma ebook

The Buddha and His Teachings
By Venerable Narada Mahathera

Many valuable books have been written by Eastern and Western scholars, Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike, to present the life and teachings of the Buddha to those who are interested in Buddhism.

Amongst them one of the most popular works is still The Light of Asia by Sir Edwin Arnold. Many Western truth-seekers were attracted to Buddhism by this world- famous poem.

Congratulations of Eastern and Western Buddhists are due to the learned writers on their laudable efforts to en- lighten the readers on the Buddha-Dhamma.

This new treatise is another humble attempt made by a member of the Order of the Sangha, based on the Páli Texts, commentaries, and traditions prevailing in Buddhist countries, especially in Ceylon.

Free download here:

http://ftp.budaedu.org/ebooks/pdf/EN096.pdf

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Big Buddha Phuket, Thailand.

Dhammapada Verse 136
Ajagarapeta Vatthu

Atha papani kammani
karam balo na bujjhati
sehi kammehi dummedho
aggidaddhova tappati.

Verse 136: A fool while doing evil deeds does not know them as being evil; but that fool suffers for his evil deeds like one who is burnt by fire.

The Story of the Boa Constrictor Peta

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (136) of this book, with reference to a boa constrictor peta*.

Once, as Thera Maha Moggallana was coming down the Gijjhakuta hill with Thera Lakkhana he saw a boa constrictor peta and smiled, but he did not say anything. When they were back at the Jetavana monastery, Thera Maha Moggallana told Lakkhana, in the presence of the Buddha about the boa constrictor peta, with its long body burning in flames. The Buddha also said he himself had also seen that very peta soon after he had attained Buddhahood, but that he did not say anything about it because people might not believe him and thus they would be doing a great wrong to the Buddha. So out of compassion for these beings, the Buddha had kept silent. Then he continued, "Now that I have a witness in Moggallana, I will tell you about this boa constrictor peta. This peta was a thief during the time of Kassapa Buddha. As a thief and a cruel-hearted man, he had set fire to the house of a rich man seven times. And not satisfied with that, he also set fire to the perfumed hall donated by the same rich man to Kassapa Buddha, while Kassapa Buddha was out on an alms-round. As a result of those evil deeds he had suffered for a long time in niraya. Now, while serving out his term of suffering as a peta, he is being burnt with sparks of flames going up and down the length of his body. Bhikkhus, fools when doing evil deeds do not know them as being evil; but they cannot escape the evil consequences"

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
Verse 136: A fool while doing evil deeds does not know them as being evil; but that fool suffers for his evil deeds like one who is burnt by fire.

*peta: an always hungry spirit or ghost.

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Ajahn Chah, Buddhist teacher of Thai forest meditation of Theravada Buddhism channel:


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Vangisa Bhante:

Dear Deva, you are sitting on the back of an elephant that is huge and all white. You travel from park to park, surrounded by goddesses, shining brightly in all directions like the star Osadhi.

What kind of meritorious actions did you do when you were in the human world?

That deva, delighted at being questioned by Arahant Vangisa, gladly explained what he had done that resulted in such great happiness.

Deva:

In my previous life, I was a man in the human world. I was a lay disciple of the Buddha. I abstained from killing, stealing, taking intoxicants, and lying. I was content with my own wife, and did not even think of other women. I offered things with a very happy mind.

Because of these meritorious deeds, I have been born as a very beautiful deva and enjoy all the wonderful things that delight my heart.

Great Bhante, those were the meritorious deeds I did to have such a beautiful body which shines brightly in all directions.

Vv 5.11 Dutiya Nāga Sutta: Second Elephant Mansion

Dhammapada Verses 137, 138, 139 and 140
Maha Moggallanatthera Vatthu

Yo dandena adandesu
appadutthesu dussati
dasannarnannataram thanam
khippameva nigacchati.

Vedanam pharusam janim
sarirassa va bhedanam
garukam vapi abadham
cittakkhepam va papune.

Rajato va upasaggam
abbhakkhanam va darunam
parikkhayam va natinam
bhoganam va pabhanguram.

Atha vassa agarani
aggi dahati pavako
kayassa bheda duppanno
nirayam so papajjati.

Verse 137: He who does harm with weapons to those who are harmless and should not be harmed will soon come to any of these ten evil consequences:

Verses 138, 139 & 140: He will be subject to severe pain, or impoverishment, or injury to the body (i.e., loss of limbs), or serious illness (e.g., leprosy), or lunacy, or misfortunes following the wrath of the king, or wrongful and serious accusations, or loss of relatives, or destruction of wealth, or the burning down of his houses by fire or by lightning. After the dissolution of his body, the fool will be reborn in the plane of continuous suffering (niraya).

The Story of Thera Maha Moggallana

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verses (137), (138), (139) and (140) of this book, with reference to Thera Maha Moggallana.

Once, the Nigantha ascetics planned to kill Thera Maha Moggallana because they thought that by doing away with Thera Maha Moggallana the fame and fortune of the Buddha would also be diminished. So they hired some assassins to kill Thera Maha Moggallana who was staying at Kalasila near Rajagaha at that time. The assassins surrounded the monastery; but Thera Maha Moggallana, with his supernormal power, got away first through a key hole, and for the second time through the roof. Thus, they could not get hold of the Thera for two whole months. When the assassins again surrounded the monastery during the third month, Thera Maha Moggallana, recollecting that he had yet to pay for the evil deeds done by him during one of his past existences, did not exercise his supernormal power. So he was caught and the assassins beat him up until all his bones were utterly broken. After that, they left his body in a bush, thinking that he had passed away. But the Thera, through his jhanic power, revived himself and went to see the Buddha at the Jetavana monastery. When he informed the Buddha that he would soon realize parinibbana at Kalasila, near Rajagaha, the Buddha told him to go only after expounding the Dhamma to the congregation of bhikkhus, as that would be the last time they would see him. So, Thera Maha Moggallana expounded the Dhamma and left after paying obeisance seven times to the Buddha.

The news of the passing away of Thera Maha Moggallana at the hands of assassins spread like wild fire. King Ajatasattu ordered his men to investigate and get hold of the culprits. The assassins were caught and they were burnt to death. The bhikkhus felt very sorrowful over the death of Thera Maha Moggallana, and could not understand why such a personage like Thera Maha Moggallana should die at the hands of assassins. To them the Buddha said, "Bhikkhus! Considering that Moggallana had lived a noble life in this existence, he should not have met with such a death. But in one of his past existences, he had done a great wrong to his own parents, who were both blind. In the beginning, he was a very dutiful son, but after his marriage, his wife began to make trouble and she suggested that he should get rid of his parents. He took his blind parents in a cart into a forest, and there he killed them by beating them and making them believe that it was some thief who was beating them. For that evil deed he suffered in niraya for a long time; and in this existence, his last, he has died at the hands of assassins. Indeed, by doing wrong to those who should not be wronged, one is sure to suffer for it."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Verse 137: He who does harm with weapons to those who are harmless and should not be harmed will soon come to any of these ten evil consequences: