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The Wheel Of Dhamma (Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta)
By Mahasi Sayadaw Gyi

Lord Buddha delivered the “Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta”, to a group of five Bhikkhus at the deer park of Sarnath, about 7 miles from Banaras, India on the Full Moon day of Waso in 623 B.C, soon after his Enlightenment on Full Moon day of Kason. This sermon is the first and most ancient one of Lord Buddha, and after it was delivered, the five Bhikkhus became Ariya Sotapanna on different days.


This Sutta is one of the most famous of all discourses made by Lord Buddha. When Mahasi Sayadawgyi, at the invitation of the Buddha Sasana Nuggaha Organization came to Yangon to teach Vipassana Meditation, the Meditation Centre was formally opened with a discourse of this sutta on 4th December 1949 when the first batch of 25 yogis were inducted to Vipassana Meditation. Whenever a New Meditation Centre was opened, this Sutta had been delivered as an inaugural discourse.


Mahasi Sayadawgyi had also delivered this discourse, in brief, on 11th July 1957 (Full Moon day of Waso) followed by another discourse on Anattalakkhana Sutta delivered during the Lent of 1957 and they were broadcasted by Myanmar Broadcasting Station.

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Dhammapada Verses 54 and 55
Anandattherapanha Vatthu

Na pupphagandho pativatameti
na candanam tagara mallika va
satanca gandho pativatameti
sabba disa sappuriso pavayati.

Cadanam tagaram vapi
uppalam atha vassiki
etesam gandhajatanam
silagandho anuttaro.

Verse 54: The scent of flowers cannot go against the wind; nor the scent of sandalwood, nor of rhododendron (tagara), nor of jasmin (mallika); only the reputation of good people can go against the wind. The reputation of the virtuous ones (sappurisa) is wafted abroad in all directions.

Verse 55: There are the scents of sandalwood, rhododendron, lotus and jasmin (vassika); but the scent of virtue surpasses all scents.

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Bodhinyana
by Venerable Ajahn Chah

Most of the talks in this collection were originally taken from old cassette tape recordings of Venerable Ajahn Chah, some in Thai and some in the North-Eastern Dialect, most recorded on poor quality equipment under less than optimum conditions. This presented some difficulty in the work of translation, which was overcome by occasionally omitting very unclear passages and at other times asking for advice from other listeners more familiar with those languages.

As regards the translations, the various translators have tried to be as exact as possible with the content of the teachings but have omitted much of the repetition inevitably arising in oral instruction. Pali words absorbed into the Thai language have, in the course of time, acquired additional meanings: e.g., the Thai “arome” refers to the Pali “ ¯ aramman ¯ . a” – sense object or mental impression, but its common meaning is “mood” or “emotion”. The Venerable Ajahn uses these words in both ways and we have translated accordingly.

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Dhammapada Verses 102 and 103
Kundalakesitheri Vatthu

Yo ca gatha satam bhase
anatthapadasamhita
ekam dhammapadam seyyo
yam sutva upasammati.

Yo sahassam sahassena
sangame manuse jine
ekanca jeyyamattanam
sa ve sangamajuttamo.

Verse 102: Better than the recitation of a hundred verses that are senseless and unconnected with the realization of Nibbana, is the recitation of a single verse of the Teaching (Dhamma), if on hearing it one is calmed.

Verse 103: A man may conquer a million men in battle, but one who conquers himself is, indeed, the greatest of conquerors.

The Story of Theri Kundalakesi

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verses (102) and (103) of this book, with reference to Theri Kundalakesi.

Kundalakesi was the daughter of a rich man from Rajagaha. She had led a very secluded life; but one day, she happened to see a thief being led out to be killed and she immediately fell in love with him. Her parents had to pay for the freedom of the thief, and they married her off to him. Although she loved her husband very dearly, her husband being a thief, was only attracted to her property and her jewels. One day, he coaxed her to put on all her jewellery and led her to a mountain saying that he wanted to make some offerings to the guardian spirit of the mountain because that guardian spirit had saved his life when he was about to be killed. Kundalakesi went along with her husband, but when they reached their destination, the thief revealed that he intended to kill her and take her jewels. She pleaded with him to take her jewels, but to spare her life, but it was of no avail. She then realized that if she did not get rid of her husband, there would be no way of escape for her. She felt she must be cautious and crafty. So she said to her husband that as they would be together only for a few moments more, she wanted to pay respect to him for the last time. So saying, and going round the man respectfully, she pushed him off the crag, taking him unaware.

After this, she had no desire to return home. She left all her jewellery hanging on a tree, and went on her way, without any idea where she was going. She happened to come to a place of some Paribbajikas (female wandering ascetics) and she herself became a Paribbajikas. The Paribbajikas taught her all their one thousand problems in sophistry; being intelligent she mastered all of them within a short time. Then her teachers told her to go out into the world and if she should find somebody who could answer all her questions, to become a pupil to him. Kundalakesi went throughout the length and breadth of Jambudipa, openly challenging everyone else to compete with her. Accordingly, she came to be known as "Jambukaparibbajika."

On one occasion, she came to Savatthi. Before entering the city for alms-food she made a mound of sand and stuck a branch of eugenia on it, her usual sign of invitation to all others to take up her challenge. Thera Sariputta took up her challenge. Kundalakesi asked him a thousand questions and Thera Sariputta answered them all. When his turn came, he asked her just this, "What is the one? (ekam nama kim)." Kundalakesi could not answer, so she asked Thera Sariputta to teach her the answer to the question. Thera Sariputta replied that she should first become abhikkhuni; so she became a bhikkhuni, by the name of Theri Kundalakesi. Within a few days, she became an arahat.

Soon after this, the bhikkhus asked the Buddha, "Could it be possible for Bhikkhuni Kundalakesi to become an arahat after listening to the Dhamma only a little?" They also added that this lady had fought and won a victory over her husband, who was a thief, before she became a paribbajika.

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Verse 102: Better than the recitation of a hundred verses that are senseless and unconnected with the realization of Nibbana, is the recitation of a single verse of the Teaching (Dhamma), if on hearing it one is calmed.

Verse 103: A man may conquer a million men in battle, but one who conquers himself is, indeed, the greatest of conquerors.

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The Only Way for the Realization of Nibbāna

The only way, bhikkhus, is this path, for beings' purification, for sorrow and lamentation's overcoming, for pain and displeasure's disappearance, for the true way's attainment, for Nibbāna's realization: that is, the four foundations of mindfulness(cattāro sati∙paṭṭhānā).

'Mahā∙Sati∙Paṭṭhāna∙Suttaṃ' ('The Great Mindfulness-Foundation Sutta')

In The Only Way for the Realization of Nibbāna, the Most Venerable Sayadaw gives a brief summary of the practice necessary for such realization, namely samatha and vipassanā. He bases his discussion on the first section of the ‘Mahā∙Sati∙Paṭṭhāṇa Sutta’, the in&out-breath section of ‘The Great Mindfulness-Foundation Sutta’.

In the preface (pp.1-23), the Sayadaw discusses the ‘Mahā∙Sati∙Paṭṭhāṇa Sutta’ within the context of other suttas where The Buddha discusses the practice necessary for realizing Nibbāna. Afterwards, the Sayadaw discusses the in&out-breath section of the sutta within the context of the remaining sections of ‘The Great Mindfulness-Foundation Sutta’. Afterwards, the entire in&out-breath section is quoted (pp.25-26). And there is a brief discussion of how one progresses from mundane samatha and vipassanā to supramundane samatha and vipassanā (p.27).

The Sayadaw then discusses in practical detail The Buddha’s instructions on samatha in the in&out-breath section of the ‘Mahā∙Sati∙Paṭṭhāṇa Sutta’, beginning with Ever mindful he breathes in; ever mindful he breathes out; ending with ‘Tranquillizing the body formation, I shall breathe in ’: thus he trains. ‘Tranquillizing the body formation, I shall breathe out ’: thus he trains; this being the four stages of development for attaining the four jhānas (pp.28-36).

The Sayadaw then discusses in practical detail The Buddha’s instructions on the four stages of vipassanā. First Thus he abides contemplating the body in the body internally, or he abides contemplating the body in the body externally, or he abides contemplating the body in the body internally and externally; this being direct know­ledge and contemplation of ultimate materiality and ultimate mentality through the elements contemplation section of the ‘Mahā∙Sati­∙Paṭ­ṭhāṇa Sutta’, as well as the sections of consciousness-, feelings- and dhammas contemplation (pp.37-60). Second He abides contemplating originating phenomena in the body; or he abides contemplating perishing phenomena in the body; or he abides contemplating [both] originating&perishing phenomena in the body; this being the direct know­ledge and contemplation of causal and momentary rise&perish (pp.61-65). Third Or mindfulness that ‘there is the body’ is established just sufficient for knowledge, sufficient for mindfulness; this being the higher mundane vipassanā knowledges, prior to the realization of Nibbāna (p.66). Fourth And he abides independent, and does not cling to anything in the world; this being the supramundane realization of Nibbāna (p.67).

The Sayadaw describes each stage of samatha and vipassanā in terms of the Noble Eightfold Path, and he describes vipassanā in terms of the full knowledges described by The Buddha as necessary for realization of Nibbāna, quoted and discussed in the preface. Their mutual correspondence is shown in a table (p.69).

Tables describe the phenomena that make up ultimate materiality (pp.41-45) and mentality (pp.51, 53, 56-59) as described by The Buddha, and their correspondence to the various classifications given by The Buddha in earlier quoted suttas (p.71): the five aggregates (p.72), twelve bases (p.73), eighteen elements (p.74), and four Noble Truths (p.75).


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A Buddhist temple in South Korea in Autumn

Dhammapada Verses 104 and 105
Anatthapucchakabrahmana Vatthu

Atta have jitam seyyo
ya cayam itara paja
attadantassa posassa
niccam sannatacarino.

Neva devo na gandhabbo
na Maro saha Brahmuna
jitam apajitam kayira
tatharupassa jantuno.

Verses 104 & 105: It is better indeed, to conquer oneself than to conquer others. Neither a deva, nor a gandhabba, nor Mara together with Brahma can turn into defeat the victory of the man who controls himself.

The Story of the Brahmin Anatthapucchaka

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verses (104) and (105) of this book, with reference to Anatthapucchaka, a brahmin.

On one occasion, a Brahmin by the name of Anatthapucchaka came to the Buddha and said to him, "Venerable Sir, I think that you know only the practices that are beneficial and not the practices that are unbeneficial." To him, the Buddha answered that he also knew the practices which were unbeneficial and harmful. Then the Buddha enumerated six practices which cause dissipation of wealth; they are: (1) sleeping until the sun has risen, (2) habitual idleness, (3) cruelty, (4) indulgence in intoxicants which causes drunkenness and negligence, (5) sauntering alone in streets at unearthly hours, and (6) sexual misconduct.

Further, the Buddha asked the brahmin how he earned his living, and the brahmin replied that he earned his living by playing dice, i.e., by gambling. Next, the Buddha asked him whether he won or lost. When the brahmin answered that he sometimes lost and sometimes won, the Buddha said to him, "To win in a game of dice is nothing compared to a victory over moral defilements."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
Verses 104 & 105: It is better indeed, to conquer oneself than to conquer others. Neither a deva, nor a gandhabba, nor Mara together with Brahma can turn into defeat the victory of the man who controls himself.

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Living Dhamma
By Ajahn Chah

This is a collection of nine transcribed Dhamma talks given by Ajahn Chah to the lay community as well as to the monastic community in Thailand.

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The Noble Eightfold Path
The Way to the End of Suffering
by
Bhikkhu Bodhi

The essence of the Buddha’s teaching can be summed up in two principles: the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. The first covers the side of doctrine, and the primary response it elicits is understanding; the second covers the side of discipline, in the broadest sense of that word, and the primary response it calls for is practice. In the structure of the teaching these two principles lock together into an indivisible unity called the dhamma-vinaya, the doctrine-and-discipline, or, in brief, the Dhamma. The internal unity of the Dhamma is guaranteed by the fact that the last of the Four Noble Truths, the truth of the way, is the Noble Eightfold Path, while the first factor of the Noble Eightfold Path, right view, is the understanding of the Four Noble Truths. Thus the two principles penetrate and include one another, the formula of the Four Noble Truths containing the Eightfold Path and the Noble Eightfold Path containing the Four Truths.

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View from Bai Dinh Pagoda tower viewing Bai Dinh Buddhist temple, Ninh Binh, Vietnam, one of the largest Buddhist temple complex in southeast Asia.