Buddha-Dhamma Buddhadasa Archives

Home
Up
Inner Ecology - 1
Publications
Legacies
Hard to Believe
Messages of Truth
Retreat Talks
Notebooks
Glossary
Anapanasati
Pali Suttas
Santikaro

Legacies I Would Leave With You

All of the above are legacies of a material or ceremonial kind. They make up the first part of the "Legacy" I wish to leave behind.

Following, are more abstract or spiritual legacies that I have studied, researched, observed, experimented with, and tested in practice. As they have given satisfying results, I summarize them here point by point and leave them with you as more of my "Legacy." 

 PART II: Legacies Spiritual & Intellectual 

Legacy 42:

"Buddha — The Knowing, Awakened, Fully Blossomed One — is the opposite of "Saiya," which means being asleep, uncertain, startled, and upset all the time. Whether we are "Buddha" or "Saiya" differ absolutely in just this respect.

These days, having a Buddha image to bow to or hang around the neck can be either superstition (saiyasastra, believing it to be a protective holy object or magically powerful) or Buddhism (Buddhasastra, a reminder or, at most, an object for paying respect). Buddhists must be on our guard not to lose the honor of Buddhists by becoming "Animists."

Having the Buddha as a "good, noble friend" (kalyanamitta) is something we must regard with great interest, as befits his words: "through relying upon me as a good noble friend, beings subject to birth, aging, illness, and death will escape from birth, aging, illness, and death." We turn around and claim only that we have birth, aging, illness, and death as our nature and cannot go beyond birth, aging, illness, and death. This repudiation of the Buddha is most pitiful.

The Buddha as understood by most people usually becomes a Himalayan mountain range that obstructs the Dhamma for them because theirs is the Buddha of clinging (upadana) and according to their own particular attachments and biases. Instead, one ought to understand the Buddha in line with reality.

The Lord Buddha spoke in both people language & Dhamma language. We must listen carefully. For instance, he spoke in people language saying "self is the refuge of self," but elsewhere, speaking in Dhamma language, he said, "one's self doesn't really exist." If we don't listen carefully, we won't understand a word and will think he is contradicting himself. If we know how to listen in Dhamma language, there won’t be any contradiction or conflict. This is merely one example.

The Lord Buddha said, "Whether in the past or now, we teach only the matters of dukkha and the remainderless quenching of dukkha." Thus, we had better not waste any more time in studying, questioning, and debating matters other than these two essentials.

The Lord Buddha didn't waste time fighting against or trying to get rid of old beliefs and teachings from before his time, he simply proclaimed his own perspectives that were better, more true, and more beneficial, so that his listeners could reasonably choose for themselves. Consequently, no tragedies occurred as happened to certain other Teachers and Prophets.

That people concoct Buddhas, Dhammas, and Sanghas according to their personal views creates many problems and misses the real Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha. The Heart of the genuine Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha is cleanliness, clarity, and calm through being free and void of any odor or meaning of "I" and "mine."

Saiyasastra is the "Creed of Sleeping" (through avijja, ignorance), while Buddhasastra is the "Creed of Awakening from Sleep" (through vijja, wisdom). So be careful of activities concerning Buddha images and amulets, for there are those that are Buddhasastra and those that are Saiyasastra, depending on whether a person regards them with vijja or with avijja and upadana.

The true principles of practice need not extend over the kind of lifetimes that end in coffins. They are exclusively sanditthiko and akaliko, that is, immediately apparent to the mind that acts and receives the results of the actions. The later aspects are just material by-products experienced by ordinary Thicksters.

The thing which is called "Self" is merely an illusion (maya), that is, merely a sensation that arises in the mind when concocted by tanha (desire influenced by avijja, ignorance), through which it appears in the mind naturally and automatically. It is merely a misperception caused by the thing called "upadana" (clinging) which comes from tanha. It is not a real or true self, but is only a sensation blowing hot and cold, yet with an intensity such that the experiencer takes it to be "self."

Distinguishing four understandings of Dhamma makes a comprehensive study of Dhamma convenient: understand Nature itself, the Law of Nature, Duty according to the Natural Law, and the Fruits which come from practicing that Duty, until able to live life in harmony with Nature and without any problems.

"Dhamma" has many meanings. If we focus on only one, let it be the Duty which is performed correctly regarding the practitioner's situation, according to the Law of Nature, leading to peace for everyone, no matter the time or place.

All Practical Dhammas (Dhammas to be practiced) fall into two categories: Dhamma tools and Dhamma fruits. Sila, samadhi, and pañña (moral responsibility, mental integration, and wisdom) are Dhamma tools; magga, phala, and nibbana (paths, fruitions, and Nibbana) are Dhamma fruits. The Dhamma tools can be further divided into two kinds: primary Dhammas such as the four satipatthana (foundations of mindfulness) and the supplementary Dhammas such as the four iddhipada (paths to success) and the four sammappadhana (right strivings). You ought to know these Dhammas so they can be applied correctly according to the circumstances of practice.

You ought to turn every piece and particle of your work into Dhamma through the mindful clarity and awareness (sati-sampajañña) that Duty itself is Dhamma, fulfilling Duty alone is practicing Dhamma. Then you will have Dhamma with you in all movements, at all times, in all places. All your work will be as enjoyable as playing sports. Already happy in the moments you work, you need not indulge in pleasure houses, night life, and addictions.

Dhamma is the thing called " the Duty of all living things," that which they must do to survive both physically and mentally, both for their own sake and for that of society. Even when translating this word as "teaching," "learning," or "practice," the important understanding is still in its being the duty of salvation. Whenever duty is done, that is Dhamma practice.

The Dhamma in the temple and the Dhamma in the rice field is the very same Dhamma when they are carried out as rightful duties for genuine survival-salvation.

Three things that are Nirananda (Eternal), Amitabha (Endless Light), Amitayu (Endless Life), Akata (Unmade), Amata (Deathless), and Asankhata (Unconditioned): the Law of Nature, Voidness, and Nibbana. These three have no creator. Even God can’t create them because they themselves have the same status as God.

Genuine Buddhist Art is not material art as is generally understood, but is the system of mindful and wise action that marvelously quenches dukkha within the hearts of beings, as the Buddha said, with beauty and splendor in the beginning, middle, and end.

Dhamma is the Correct System of Practice for One’s Humanity, every step and stage of one’s evolution, from birth until death, both for one’s own benefit and the benefit of others. In short, Dhamma is Duty, the True God that helps save us all.

Dhamma exists to help us live in the world victoriously above the world. It’s not for us to flee from the world, but to be above any influence of the world, so that we no longer drown in the world. Being "above the world" is usually taught in such a way that everyone misunderstands and thinks we must flee the world, abandon the world, and throw away the world, in a way that has no value for anyone.

1 - 20 | 21 - 41 | 42 - 62 | 63 - 83 | 84 - 104 | 105 - 125 | 126 - 146 | 147 - 167 | 168 - 189