Last Days of the Buddha - Maha parinibbana Sutta (Digha Nikaya Sutta 16)
"And what, Ananda, is that teaching called the Mirror of Dhamma, possessing which the noble disciple may thus declare of himself? I go for refuge to the Buddha (Teacher) : "In this case, Ananda, the noble disciple possesses unwavering faith in the Buddha thus: 'The Blessed One is an Arahat, the Fully Enlightened One, perfect in knowledge and conduct, the Happy One, the knower of the world, the paramount trainer of beings, the teacher of gods and men, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.' I go for refuge to the Dhamma (the Buddha's Teaching) : "He possesses unwavering faith in the Dhamma thus: 'Well propounded by the Blessed One is the Dhamma, evident, timeless, inviting investigation, leading to emancipation, to be comprehended by the wise, each for himself.' I go for refuge to the Sangha (the monks community/not any particular monk) : "He possesses unwavering faith in the Blessed One's Order of Disciples thus: 'Well faring is the Blessed One's Order of Disciples, righteously, wisely, and dutifully: that is to say, the four pairs of men, the eight classes of persons. The Blessed One's Order of Disciples is worthy of honor, of hospitality, of offerings, of veneration -- the supreme field for meritorious deeds in the world.' "And he possesses virtues that are dear to the Noble Ones, complete and perfect, spotless and pure, which are liberating, praised by the wise, uninfluenced (by worldly concerns), and favorable to concentration of mind. 10. "This, Ananda, is the teaching called the Mirror of the Dhamma, whereby the noble disciple may thus know of himself: 'There is no more rebirth for me in hell, nor as an animal or ghost, nor in any realm of woe. A stream-enterer am I, safe from falling into the states of misery, assured am I and bound for Enlightenment.'" The Four Great References Maha parinibbana Sutta (Digha Nikaya Sutta 16) & Anguttara Nikaya Sutta 4.180 7. And there the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: "Now, bhikkhus, I shall make known to you the four great references. Listen and pay heed to my words." And those bhikkhus answered, saying: "So be it, Lord." 8-11. Then the Blessed One said: "In this fashion, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu might speak: 'Face to face with the Blessed One, brethren, I have heard and learned thus: This is the Dhamma and the Discipline, the Master's Dispensation'; or: 'In an abode of such and such a name lives a community with elders and a chief. Face to face with that community, I have heard and learned thus: This is the Dhamma and the Discipline, the Master's Dispensation'; or: 'In an abode of such and such a name live several bhikkhus who are elders, who are learned, who have accomplished their course, who are preservers of the Dhamma, the Discipline, and the Summaries. Face to face with those elders, I have heard and learned thus: This is the Dhamma and the Discipline, the Master's Dispensation'; or: 'In an abode of such and such a name lives a single bhikkhu who is an elder, who is learned, who has accomplished his course, who is a preserver of the Dhamma, the Discipline, and the Summaries. Face to face with that elder, I have heard and learned thus: This is the Dhamma and the Discipline, the Master's Dispensation.' "In such a case, bhikkhus, the declaration of such a bhikkhu is neither to be received with approval nor with scorn. Without approval and without scorn, but carefully studying the sentences word by word, one should trace them in the Discourses (Suttas) and verify them by the Discipline (Vinaya). If they are neither traceable in the Discourses (Suttas) nor verifiable by the Discipline, one must conclude thus: 'Certainly, this is not the Blessed One's utterance; this has been misunderstood by that bhikkhu -- or by that community, or by those elders, or by that elder.' In that way, bhikkhus, you should reject it. But if the sentences concerned are traceable in the Discourses (Suttas) and verifiable by the Discipline (Vinaya), then one must conclude thus: 'Certainly, this is the Blessed One's utterance; this has been well understood by that bhikkhu -- or by that community, or by those elders, or by that elder.' And in that way, bhikkhus, you may accept it on the first, second, third, or fourth reference. These, bhikkhus, are the four great references for you to preserve." "Whatever Dhamma-Vinaya I have pointed out and formulated for you, that will be your Teacher when I am gone." In the Maha parinibb�na Sutta (Digha Nik�ya Sutta 16), Then the Blessed One said to Ven. Ananda, "Now, if it occurs to any of you -- 'The teaching has lost its authority; we are without a Teacher' -- do not view it in that way. Whatever Dhamma-Vinaya I have pointed out and formulated for you, that will be your Teacher when I am gone." This is a very important statement the significance of which has been overlooked by many Buddhists. Because many Buddhists have not heard this advice or grasped its significance, they search far and wide for a teacher; a teacher they can be proud of and brag about his attainments, etc.. Some even travel halfway round the world or more in such a search. These people create personality cults based on the perceived goodness of the teacher rather than on the Dhamma-Vinaya itself. http://www.mahindarama.com/e-tipitaka/Digha%20Nikaya/dn-16.htm http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/digha/dn16.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Nikayas is also known as Agama Sutras in the Mahayana Buddhism Nowadays, the Buddha's teachings are often referred to as Tipitaka or Tripitaka (Three Treasuries), although they were called "Dhamma- Vinaya" by the Buddha in the discourses. In Maha parinibb�na Sutta (Digha Nik�ya Sutta 16) & Anguttara Nik�ya Sutta 4.180, the Buddha specifically refers to Dhamma as the Suttas (discourses). Vinaya is the disciplinary code of monks and nuns. In the Nik�yas, it is also implied that the Suttas are "Saddhamma" which means "true Dhamma". In Anggutarra Nikaya 8.51,(Refer also to The First Sangha Council-The Thera Mahakassapa has made the blessed Buddha's message to endure 500 years - from the Mahavamsa book) the Buddha warned that the true Dhamma would remain unadulterated for 500 years after his passing into Nibb�na. Thereafter, it will become very difficult to distinguish the true teachings from the false. Why? Because although many of these later books contain a lot of Dhamma, some adhamma (i.e. what is contrary to the Dhamma) are added here and there. These alterations scattered throughout these texts are only noticeable if one is sharp and very well versed in the earliest suttas. Otherwise, one would find it very difficult to distinguish the later books from the earlier ones. Analogy to Gold Trading In this same Sutta, the Buddha likened this situation to gold trading. He said that at that time people still wanted to buy gold because only pure gold was being sold in the market. But one day, people would make counterfeit gold of such quality that it would be indistinguishable from real gold. Under these circumstances, people will become wary. They will be reluctant to buy gold because they are afraid what they buy may be counterfeit gold. In the same way, the Buddha said in the future the Dhamma would become polluted. When that happens, it will be very difficult to distinguish the true Dhamma from the false, and people will lose interest in the Dhamma. Therefore, we must take the trouble to find out what is the true Dhamma, and not become confused. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Anguttara Nikaya Sutta 5.88 (The Buddha Gave Us This Warning For The Future) It is possible that a world-renowned monk of very senior status, with a huge following of lay & monastic disciples & who is highly learned in scriptures, can have wrong views. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Sure this is not the word of that Exalted One, Arahant, the Fully Enlightened One "In this case. "Monks, a monk might say : "Face to face with the Exalted One, your reverence, your reverence, did I hear it; face to face with him did I receive it. This is Dhamma, this is Vinaya, this is the Master's teaching." Now, monks, the words of that monk are neither to be welcomed nor scorned, but without welcoming, without scorning, the words & syallables are to be closely scrutinized, laid beside Sutta & compared with Vinaya. If, when thus laid beside Sutta & compared with Vinaya, they lie not along with Sutta & agree not with Vinaya, to this conclusion must ye come: Sure this is not the word of that Exalted One, Arahant, the Fully Enlightened One, & it was wrongly taken by that monk. So reject it, monks. Maha parinibb�na Sutta (Digha Nik�ya Sutta 16) & Anguttara Nikaya Sutta 4.180 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- The Disappearance Of The Discourses That Are Words(Sutta) Of The Buddha http://www.mahindarama.com/e-tipitaka/sn20-7.htm "� in the course of the future there will be monks who won't listen when discourses that are words of the Tathagata -- deep, deep in their meaning, transcendent, connected with emptiness -- are being recited. They won't lend ear, won't set their hearts on knowing them, won't regard these teachings as worth grasping or mastering. But they will listen when discourses that are literary works -- the works of poets, elegant in sound, elegant in rhetoric, the work of outsiders, words of disciples -- are recited. They will lend ear and set their hearts on knowing them. They will regard these teachings as worth grasping & mastering. "In this way the disappearance of the discourses that are words of the Tathagata -- deep, deep in their meaning, transcendent, connected with emptiness -- will come about. Therefore, monks, train yourselves thus: To these very Suttas will we listen, give a ready ear, understand, recite and master them." Samyutta Nikaya Sutta XX.7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- The Cause The True Dhamma Does Not Last A Long Time http://www.mahindarama.com/e-tipitaka/an7-56.htm "�when a Tathagata has become totally unbound, the monks, nuns, male lay followers, & female lay followers live without respect, without deference, for the Teacher (The Buddha); live without respect, without deference, for the Sutta(The Buddha's Teachings)... the Sangha (community of The Buddha's disciples and not any particular monk)... the Training(Vinaya/Discipline/Virtue)... concentration (samadhi/Jhanna in meditation)... heedfulness; live without respect, without deference, for hospitality. This is the cause, this is the reason why, when a Tathagata has become totally unbound, the true Dhamma does not last a long time" (Anguttara Nikaya Sutta VII.56, Samyutta Nik�ya Sutta 16.13) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- In Buddhism there are no dogmas or beliefs that one has to accept on blind faith without question http://www.mahindarama.com/e-tipitaka/an3-65.htm (Dhammapada, 115) Better it is to live one day seeing the Supreme Truth than to live a hundred years without ever seeing the Supreme Truth. http://Dhammapada.Buddhistnetwork.com http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Dhammapada2all ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- 'Monks, those monks who point out what is not Dhamma as Dhamma,-such conduct of theirs is to the loss of many folk, to the misery of many folk, to the loss, the injury, the misery of devas and mankind. Moreover, such beget great demerit & cause the disappearance of this TRUE Dhamma. Those monks who point to Dhamma as not Dhamma ... who point to what is not the Discipline as the Discipline... to what is the Discipline as not the Discipline... who point out things not uttered & proclaimed by the Tathagatahim as having been uttered by him...... who point out what was uttered and proclaimed by him as not having been so uttered & proclaimed... who point out something not practised by the Tathagatha as having been practised by him... and the reverse... who point out what was not ordained by the Tathagatha as having been ordained by him... and the reverse... such monk' conduct is to the loss of many folk, to the misery of many folk, to the loss, injury and misery of devas and mankind. Moreover, such monks beget great demerit and cause the disappearance of this true Dhamma' - Anguttara Nikaya Sutta 1.10 http://Dhammapada.Buddhistnetwork.com http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Dhammapada2all ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/S27xlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Noble Eightfold Path: Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration, Right Livelihood Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZenForum/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
