 |
|||
Quote: Most Endangered Most Forgotten |
|||
 |
|
||
| The TDE Collection | |||
 |
|||
| Realisation: The Bird That Flew Too Far | |||
 |
Dharma practice does not require faith in any god, while every god requires faith in Dharma practice. - Stonepeace |
||
| It is recorded in the Kevatta Sutta that a monk once wondered where the four great elements of earth (extension), water (cohesion), fire (heat) and wind (motion) cease without remainder? He then concentrated his mind such that he was able to approach the gods of the nearest heaven. Coming to the retinue of the Four Great (Heavenly) Kings, he asked, 'Friends, where do these four great elements... cease without remainder?' The retinue replied that they do not know the answer, that the Four Great Kings, who are higher and more sublime should. So, the monk approached the Four Great Kings to asked his question. To that, they replied that they do not know, that the gods of Tavatimsa, who are higher and more sublime should. This went on and on, as the monk next consulted gods of Tavatimsa, its king Sakka, the gods of Yama, the god Suyama, Santusita, the Nimmanarati gods, the god Sunimitta, the Paranimmitavasavatti gods, and the god Paranimmita Vasavatti, who then advised him to approach the gods of the retinue of Brahma. |
|||
| When the monk reached the gods of the retinue of Brahma, he asked them the same question, to which they said that they too do not know the answer, but that 'there is Brahma, the Great (Maha) Brahma, the Conqueror, the Unconquered, the All-Seeing, All-Powerful, the Sovereign Lord, the Maker, Creator, Chief, Appointer and Ruler, Father of All That Have Been and Shall Be. He is higher and more sublime than we. He should know where the four great elements... cease without remainder.' When the monk asked where he was, Maha Brahma appeared, to whom the monk asked his question. Maha Brahma replied, 'I, monk, am Brahma, the Great Brahma, the Conqueror, the Unconquered, the All-Seeing, All-Powerful, the Sovereign Lord, the Maker, Creator, Chief, Appointer and Ruler, Father of All That Have Been and Shall Be.' The monk repeated his question, 'Friend, I didn't ask you if you were Brahma, the Great Brahma, the Conqueror, the Unconquered, the All-Seeing, All-Powerful, the Sovereign Lord, the Maker, Creator, Chief, Appointer and Ruler, Father of All That Have Been and Shall Be. I asked you where these four great elements... cease without remainder.' However, he received the same reply for the same question - for two more times! |
|||
| After his third time, Maha Brahma took the monk by his arm aside and said, 'These gods of the retinue of Brahma believe, "There is nothing that the Great Brahma does not know. There is nothing that the Great Brahma does not see. There is nothing of which the Great Brahma is unaware. There is nothing that the Great Brahma has not realised." That is why I did not say in their presence that I, too, don't know where the four great elements... cease without remainder. So you have acted wrongly, acted incorrectly, in bypassing the Blessed One (Buddha) in search of an answer to this question elsewhere. Go right back to the Blessed One and, on arrival, ask him this question. However he answers it, you should take it to heart.' As such, the monk swiftly disappeared from the heaven to reappear before the Buddha to ask the same question. The Buddha replied that seafaring merchants once released a shore-sighting bird, which flew to various directions in search of land, the failure of which would lead it back onboard. In the same way, the monk's search for the truth brought him back to him. He commented that his question should be rephrased as so - 'Where do water, earth, fire, and wind have no footing? Where are long and short, coarse and fine, fair and foul, name (mind) and form (matter) brought to an end (transcended)? And the answer to that is - [enlightened] consciousness without feature, without end, luminous all around: Here water, earth, fire, and wind have no footing. Here long and short, coarse and fine, fair and foul, name and form are all brought to an end. With the cessation of [the activity of] consciousness each is here brought to an end [of suffering in Nirvana].' |
|||
|
This incident clearly exemplified how the Buddha's wisdom surpasses that of all gods. As such, one of his traditional titles is 'Teacher of humans and gods'. It also illustrates how Maha Brahma, despite being a god with great merits and certain virtues, had great pride, such that he wished to conceal his faults.(But he might have improved since.) Yet, despite his embarrassment, he came to acknowledge the Buddha's superiority. Often seen as the equivalent of the central diety of god-centric faiths, Maha Brahma was a god who came to mistaken and assert himself as an omniscient and omnipotent creator of the universe when he was reborn into an empty heaven with a very long life. He also saw himself as the heavenly father of humans when they manifested naturally via karmic rebirth, who possess an eternal heaven, to whom he invites them to enter for eternal life. However, neither that heaven nor his own life is everlasting due to the limits of their merits. The Buddha, being truly the highest and most sublime, could discern the existence of even higher heavenly planes, each of which lasts longer and has even more sublime beings. Yet, none of them offer refuge that is as safe and sound as the Buddha's teachings. Don't fly too far in search of liberation and rest. Come back to the Buddha! – Shen Shi'an: http://facebook.com/shenshian |
|||
| How so-called almighty can a so-called creator be, if he cannot even convince all of his so-called creation not to doubt his so-called existence? - Stonepeace |
|||
| Share Articles & Comments: comment@thedailyenlightenment.com | More Realisations | |||
| Excerpt: The Great Bliss Prayer for Birth in Pureland | |||
 |
What greater bliss can there be, |
||
| Wherever one is born within cyclic existence [Samsara, of cycles of birth and death], whether it is a high or low birth, one must have weariness in thinking that one never departs [permanently] from suffering. One should therefore pray strongly for transference to the Pureland of Great [Ultimate] Bliss [where one can train to be the best Bodhisattva bound for Buddhahood]. It says in The Great Bliss Prayer to be Reborn in the Pureland of Amitabha: |
|||
| 'The suffering of the lower realms is unbearable. The happiness and bliss of gods and humans always become impermanent. May my mind have fear of this. From beginningless time till now, I have wandered in the Samsara for so long. May I have weariness for this [so as to renounce it for Pureland]. Even if I am born from one human birth to another human birth again and again, still the four great rivers of suffering of birth, aging, sickness and death are experienced in an uncountable way. In the negative time of degeneracy [Dharma-diminishing Age], there are so many obstacles. This happiness and bliss of gods and humans is like food that is mixed with poison, so may I not have desire for even one single hair of this. |
|||
| 'All relatives, food, wealth and suitable companions are impermanent, like magic and dreams. May I never have attachment for even one single hair of this [even as I treasure loved ones]. The land, water, country, mountains, houses and everything are like the land, water, country, mountains and houses existing in dreams. May I recognize that they have no [absolute] reality. From the inescapable trap of this ocean of existence, like a criminal escaping from prison, may I escape to the Pureland of Great Bliss without ever looking back.' 'Thus, just like that, by remembering the meaning, pray to accomplish transference. |
|||
| A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar
Thinley Norbu Get it at Awareness Place shops or Amazon | More Excerpts |
|||
 |
|||
| Links | |||
A Tit for a Tat: |
|||
| More | Share: comment@thedailyenlightenment.com | |||
 |
|||
| Events | |||
| View or subscribe http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Dharmanews/messages for faster & latest news | |||
| Talks & Classes | |||
| [PJS] From 17/1: Basic Buddhism Course (20 Lessons) [PJS] From 17/1: Basic Meditation Course (20 Lessons) [SBWS] 19/12: Talk on Positive Thinking: You Are What You Think [APWC] 15 or 16/12: Happy Kids Dharma Workshop [WP] 13/12: Phra Ajaan Thanissaro Talk & Meditation Session [SBF] By 15/12: Sunday Dharma Class for Ages 7-16 (Chinese) [PKS] Sat/Sun School 2010 Enrolment & Holiday Activities |
|||
| Youth | |||
| [OBCC] 24-27/12: HAPPITeen Camp II kmsYM: GUM Dec: Make a Wish 10/12: Living with Quarterlife Crisis 17/12: Hear the Music Within Us 25/12: 88 Buddhas Repentance Prayer kmsYM: 31/12-1/1: Spiritual Countdown to 2010 [NUSBS Weekly] What's on | Dharma Camp, Facebook M'sia: 10-13/12: INCOVAR camp: xCITE! |
|||
| Pujas, Initiations & Retreats | |||
| [ODS] 25-27/12: 100 Million Mani Recitation Retreat | Carpool [PKS] 31/12: New Year Celebrations: Aspiration Lamp Offering, Bell Resonance, 88 Buddhas Repentance Chanting [PKS] 19-26/12: Shuilu Fahui [PKS] 6-14/12: 8-Precepts Retreat at Bodhgaya [KYCL] Nov-Jan Activities | Zen Meditation Retreats |
|||
| Misc | |||
| [DDM] 30/1-7/2: Awakening Camp: Life’s Destination, Have I Found It? [CASonline] Drepung Loseling Khensur Rinpoche's Dharma Program [CASonline] Nov Issue: Kaleidoscope of Treasures [CASonline] Feature: Tantra - Final: Generation Stage [CASonline] Special Notice: The Six Arm Mahakalas [APWC] 9-11/12: Story Box Workshop for Kids [AP/PKS] Enrichment Courses [PKS] 1/1: Alms-Offering Chinese Events More Events after 09/12 Events/Notices RSS | World |
|||
 |
|||
| Notices | |||
| Misc | |||
 [VSS] Now at Bookshops & Newstands: Singapore Vegetarian Food Guide [VSS] 08/12: Latest Newsletter | Vege Outlets | Support VSS] 12/12: Anyone Can Cook Vegetarian! : Lila's Delightful Desserts [PKS] Counselling Service Sg: Enhance Your Campus Life with Buddhism [MPTR] Something Every Day About Everyday Things (From creator of TDE) |
|||
| Volunteers | |||
| [SBCF] Dharma Volunteers for Inmates [MaitriPals] Volunteer Recruitment: Caring for HIV/AIDS Patients |
|||
| Jobs | |||
| [PMT] Program Officer [PKS/ Bright Hill Evergreen Home] Project Exec, Retail Exec, Customer Service Officer, Youth Officer, Volunteer Officer, Education Officer, Cook, Kitchen Asst, Laundry Asst Chinese Notices More Notices after 09/12 |
|||
| To subscribe to the above, email thedailyenlightenment-subscribe@yahoogroups.com TDE-Weekly is a free ndependent Buddhist inspiration e-newsletter. You can support us by contributing news, articles, running costs and encouraging friends to join. Change of emails, contributions, suggestions and queries are welcomed at tde@TheDailyEnlightenment.com. The information within the articles need not represent TDE's views.The copyrights of the articles belong to the authors. |
|||
