The Great Chronicle of The Buddhas
by Tipitakadhara Mingun Sayadaw
Edited and Translated by
U Ko Lay and U Tin Lwin
Mara's visit to deter the Bodhisatta by feigning goodwill
Even at the time when the Bodhisatta was going forth, Mara discouraged him saying, "O Prince Siddhattha, on the seventh day from today, the Wheel-Treasure will arrive. Do not go forth." But the Bodhisatta replied with tremendous boldness thus: "O Mara, I knew that the Wheel-Treasure would come to me. I do not, however, wish to enjoy the bliss of a Universal Monarch. You go away! Do not stay here! I will endeavour to attain Buddhahood, thereby letting the ten thousand world-systems resound throughout." Since then Mara had followed the Bodhisatta for six years looking for an opportunity to dispose of him with the thought, "If thoughts of sensuality kama vitakka, or thoughts of ill-will vyapadavitakka, or thoughts of violence vihimsa-vitakka, arise in his mental continuum, I will kill him right on the spot" Up till now, for six long years, Mara could not find at all any of these wrong thoughts in the Bodhisatta. When six years had elapsed, it occurred to Mara thus: "Prince Siddhattha is of great energy. His dukkaracariya also is so strenuous. He may become a Buddha at one time or another. What if I approach him and give him some words of advice, thereby causing him to stop his practice." "Then he approached the Bodhisatta and told him of his intentions. (After his Enlightenment, the Buddha gave bhikkhus a sermon under the title of Padhana Sutta, explaining how Mara had come and persuaded him by feigning goodwill, and how the Bodhisatta had boldly retorted him. The dialogue between Mara and the Bodhisatta will now be reproduced in simple Myanmar.)
Having approached the Bodhisatta who had been repeatedly developing the Appinaka Jhana in Uruvela forest near Neranjara with the sole aspiration after Nibbana, Mara said:
"O my friend Prince Siddhattha, the whole of your body is so emaciated with the loss of flesh and blood. Your beauty and complexion have much deteriorated. Your death is coming very close; the chance of your remaining alive is very faint, only one against one thousand for death. O Prince Siddhattha, please take care of yourself so that you may live long. Longevity is excellent and commendable. If you live long, you can perform many acts of merit. You can develop your merit by observing the precepts or by performing sacrificial rites. What is the use of living thus in the forest and practising austerity so miserably and feebly without knowing whether you will be dead or remain alive. (No benefit will accrue to you.) In order to achieve your goal, Nibbana, the old traditional path is very difficult to follow; it is also toilsome and hard; It is indeed not feasible to get on and tread along such a road ."
In this way Mara said with a semblance of compassion as though he had goodwill for the Bodhisatta and as though he had pity on him. (An ordinary person might have found Mara's words persuasive.)
On being spoken to thus with a semblance of compassion by Mara, the Bodhisatta said boldly to Mara as follows:
"You Mara, you who bind up those unmindful sentient beings—Devas, Brahmas and humans—so that they may not be liberated from samsara! You have come into my presence for your own benefit and with an ulterior motive to create harm and disturbances to others." (By these words the Bodhisatta repelled Mara's visit of false goodwill.)
"I do not have an iota of desire for the kind of merit that leads to the cycle of suffering vattagami. You should have spoken thus only to those who are yearning for vattagami merit.) (With these words the Bodhisatta rejected Mara's speech that "If you live long, you can perform many acts of merit.")
"You Mara, there are those who have no confidence (saddha) at all in Nibbana; there are those who have confidence but are of feeble energy (viriya); then there are those who have both confidence and energy but are not endowed with wisdom (panna), you should discuss only with them and give encouragement to them to live long. As for me, I have absolute confidence that, if I strive enough, I shall realize even in this life Nibbana where my body ceases to exist. I have flaming energy that is capable of burning and turning into ash the grassy rubbish of defilements. I have incomparable wisdom which is like an explosive of Sakka and which can crush the rocky mountain of dark ignorance (avijja) into pieces. I also have both mindfulness (sati) and concentration (samadhi) the mindfulness that will enable me to become a Buddha who does not at all forget what has been done and spoken of over the ages gone by; and the concentration which, standing firm against the forceful wind of vicissitude, is like an engraved stone pillar that does sway in a storm. Fully endowed with these five qualities that enable one to reach the other shore Nibbana, I am working hard even at the risk of my life. With a person like me why did you want to discuss long life and why did you flatteringly encourage me to live on? In reality, it is not commendable to stay alive just for a single day in the human world for one who exerts with firm diligence and strong perseverance, who possesses insight through Appana Samadhi and who discerns thoroughly the rise and fall of the physical and mental aggregates?" (With these words the Bodhisatta posed counter threat to Mara who had threatened saying, "O Prince Siddhattha, your death is coming very close, the chance of your remaining alive is very faint, only one against one thousand for death.")
You Mara, this wind in my body caused by the tempo of my exertion in practising Apanaka Jhana would be capable of drying up the water currents in the River Ganges, Yamuna, etc. Why would it not be capable of drying up the little blood that is in me, whose mind has been directed to Nibbana? Indeed, it is strong enough to dry it up. When the blood in my body, about four ambanas in capacity, has dried up on account of the oppressing wind generated by my exertion in practising meditation with a view to attain Nibbana, the bile which is of two kinds, composed (baddha) and non-composed (abaddha) and the phlegm, also about four ambanas, that covers whatever is eaten and swallowed so that no foul smell would come out; I and the urine and nutritive elements, also about four ambanas, will certainly dry up. If the blood, the bile, the phlegm, the wine and nutritive elements dry up, the flesh will certainly be depleted. When the blood, the bile, the phlegm, the urine and the flesh are all gone in this way, my mind becomes even clearer. (Such exhaustion will not make me retreat. Only because you do not know that my mind is so keen, you spoke words of 'love for life' (jivitanikanti) such as "O Prince Siddhattha, the whole body of yours is so emanciated with the loss of flesh and blood." and so on.) Not only is my mind clear but my mindfulness which is like the treasurer of a Universal Monarch, my wisdom which is like the vajira diamond weapon of thunderbolt and my concentration which is like Mount Meru are unshaken, become even more developed and steadfast.
"Although the blood and the flesh in me have been all exhausted, my mind remains cheerful and even becomes clearer and and has reached the excellent stage of the incomparable feeling which has been tremendously experienced by those noble Bodhisattas, Superb Men (Mahapurisa) and Banners of Male Folk. Though my whole body has dried up to the point of almost emitting flames and though I am thereby thoroughly exhausted, my mind is not at all inclined towards sensual objects such as my royal city with its palaces, Yasodhara, Rahula, forty thousand palace ladies and attendants and so on. You Mara, observe and investigate for yourself the purity and uprightness of the incomparable heart of mine, of a man who has fulfilled the Perfections."
(With these words the Bodhisatta demonstrated the firmness of his spirit.)
The Ten Armies of Mara
(1) "You Mara, there are objects of sensuality (vatthu-kama), animate or inanimate, and defilements of sensuality (kilesa kama) which is craving for these sensual objects; both these forms of sensuality cause those householders to become deluded so that they do not know the Truth. Therefore these two, vatthu-kama and kilesa-kama, constitute your First Army. There are householders who die worldlings (putthujjanas) amidst their own worldly belongings gihibhoga because they cannot forsake them though they know the rarity of the rise of a Buddha (Buddh'uppada dullabha) and the rarity of the life of a recluse (pabbajitabhava dullabha). As for recluses, the requisites such as robes, bowls, monasteries, parks, beds, couches, bed sheets and coverlets, which may be craved and enjoyed by them are all materials of sensuality. And there are recluses who die worldlings amidst the monastic materials of sensuality in the form of the four necessaries, namely, dwelling place, clothing, meal and medicine donated by lay people. They die in that manner because they cannot give them up though they have learnt at the time of their ordination about using the foot of a tree as a dwelling place; using robes made of rags from a dust heap as clothing; using alms-food as meal; and using putrid urine of a cow as medicine. These householders and recluses meet their hideous death on encountering Mara's First Army of sensuality (kama). (From Ledi Sayadaw's nissaya translation of the Padhana Sutta.)(2) "Ahhough they have taken up an ascetic life after resolutely abandoning gihibhoga, some tend to be disturbed and corrupted by such factors as aversion (arati) and dissatisfaction (ukkanthita) which are not taking delight in being a recluse, not taking delight in learning and practice, not taking delight in the seclusion of forest dwellings, and not taking delight in Concentration Meditation (Samatha) and Insight Meditation (Vipassana). Therefore arati and ukkanthita constitute the Second Army of yours, Mara .(Some ascetics meet their death, being drowned in the sea of Mara's Second Army.)
(3) "Although some recluses have overcome that Second Army, while observing dhutanga practices of austerity and because of the very strict rules of dhutanga, which compel them to eat only what is available such as food of all kinds mixed together, some cannot eat their hearts' content (lit, they cannot eat voraciously in the manner of 'a thirsty bull quenching his thirst when led to water'); and are not satisfied and become hungry again, suffering like a crazy earthworm which writhes at the touch of salt. As thirst and hunger khuppipasa sets in they lost interest in asceticism and are obsessed with the burning desire to take food. This khuppipasa constitutes the Third Army of yours, Mara. (Some ascetics meet their death, being drowned in the sea of Mara's Third Army.)
(4) "When they are oppressed by hunger and thirst, some of them become physically and mentally weak and are at their wit's end. They become disheartened, indolent and unhappy. As weariness (tandi) sets in they do not wish to carry on asceticism they are engaged in. This tandi constitutes the Fourth Army of' yours, Mara. (Some ascetics meet their death, being drowned in the sea of MTra's Fourth Army.)
(5) "With no progress in their spiritual work and becoming lazy and despondent they begin to get bored and fall into a state of dejection. From that day as sloth and torpor (thinamiddha) sets in they take to sleeping in their monasteries, rolling from one side to the other, and lying with face downwards. This thinamiddhaconstitutes the Fifth Army of yours, Mara. (Some ascetics meet death, being drowned in the sea of Mara's Fifth Army.)
(6) "Excessive sleep through laziness causes stalemate in their meditation and dullness of their minds. Overwhelmed by craving, they become weak and confused over this or that trifle. As fear (bhiru) sets in they are shaken with fright; and with trembling hearts they mistake a tree-stump for an elephant, a tiger for an ogre. This bhiru is the Sixth Army of yours, Mara. (Some ascetics meet death, being drowned in the sea of Mara's Sixth Army.)
(7) "Although they pursue meditation after overcoming fear and regaining courage through practice, the Path to the Thina and the course of Magga have sunk deep. As doubt vicikiccha sets in they are not certain whether they are positively on the Path or not both in practice and theory. This vicikiccha is the Seventh Army of yours, Mara. (Some ascetics meet death, being downed in the sea of Mara's Seventh Army.)
(8) "Afier getting themselves rid of vicikiccha, some keep on putting efforts uninterruptedly day and night. As unusual signs from meditation appear to them, they think highly of themselves. As arrogance and haughtiness (makkha-thambha) sets in, they do not accord others their rightful place; they destroy their good reputation; they give no respects to their elders; they display overbearingness to them. This makkha thambha constitutes the Eighth Army of yours, Mara. (Some ascetic meet death, being drowned in the sea of Mara's Eighth Army.)
(9) "When they go on meditating, having eradicated makkha thambha, they see more unusual signs and became proud of their advancement. Various forms of craving and conceit (tanhaa) are likely to appear as follows: they are pleased and elated to have abundance of gifts; they are pleased and elated to witness the spread of their fame to all four quarters; they are pleased and elated to receive some marvellous gains that nobody else has ever come across; and they are pleased and elated with their fame and followers wrongfully acquired from their preaching of false doctrines and from unjust boastftilness shown through evil desire and craving to-increase their gains. The aggregates of these factors of tanha mana constitute the Ninth Army of yours, Mara. (Some ascetics meet death, being drowned in the sea of Mara's Ninth Army.)
(10) "Some recluses coming under the above ninth category practise self-praise and honour which is att'ukkaisana; they indulge in despising and condemning others which is paravarnbhana. These two, att'ukkamsana and paravambhana, constitute the Tenth Army of yours, Mara.
"You Mara, you who prevent by force the liberation of humans, Devas and Brahmas from the rounds of suffering and you whose forces are enormous! These ten factors such as kama, arati, etc., form your. comrades-in-arm. You Mara, I whose heart is not white bin totally black and whose craving is gigantic! They are also your guns, cannons, and explosives that kill every recluse or hermit in their way. Those poor worldings who possess no strong faith, will, energy and wisdbm and who lack courage are not capable of repelling your attack and escaping from it. Only those extremely adventurous heroes, whose faith, will, energy and wisdom are great, do not reckon you even as a blade of grass; they can fight and put up resistance and escape. This escape after fighting and resisting can bring about the bliss of the Path, Fruition and Nibbana away from the dangers of the swords, spears and (other) weapons that belong to the troops of the Ten Armies of yours, wicked Mara.
"You Mara, I would like you to know me as follows: 'This Prince Siddhattha, as befitting a noble man, a true hero, on arrival on the scene of a battle field, never takes a single step backward; he is indeed a feathered commander who wears the flowers of courage on his head, the flowers of munja grass taken to be a good omen and the truly heroic, victorious flag and banner. (It used to be customary for a valiant warrior, who knows no retreat, to fasten some munja grass on his head, on his banner (flag) or on his weapon to indicate that he is a brave man who would never withdraw. Such a military officer was called a 'feathered commander' in olden days.) If I have to withdraw from battle and to be defeated by you and remain alive in this world, it will be shameful, ruinous, disreputable and disgusting. Therefore regard me as one who firmly believe thus: 'It is far better to die on the battle field than to concede defeat to your force.'
"Because in this world certain ascetics and brahmins who went to the battle front of kilesa putting on the yellow robe and equipping themselves fully with the requisites as their martial harness but who are without strength are overpowered by your tenfold great Army. Thus they are like those who without the light of such virtues as morality, etc., happen to have entered into darkness they are oppressed by your tenfold Army, Mara, they can by no means know the road of the jewelled Wheel of Dhamma namely, the seven factors of Enlightenment a (Bojjhanga) which is the excellent Path taken by Buddhas, Pacceka-Buddhas and other Noble Ones to attain Nibbana. (Therefore I would like you to take me as one who would fight and vanquish your tenfold Army and raise the flag of victory.)"
On hearing the valiant words thus spoken by the Bodhisatta, Mara departed from that place being unable to utter a word in reply.
Questionable points
In this chapter on dukkaracariya. the points which may be raised are: "Was the Bodhisatta incapable of becoming a Buddha without practising dukkaracariya?' (That is to say, "Is Buddhahood attained only through the practice of dukkaracariya?" or "Is Buddhahood unattainable without the practice of dukkaracariya?")
The answer is: "With or without dukkaracariya, the Bodhisatta could become a Buddha because he had completely fulfilled the Paramis, cagas and cariyas."
"If Buddhahood was possible without dukkaracariya, why did he practise it laboriously?"
Partly because he wished to demonstrate his incomparable energy to beings including Devas and Brahmas and partly because he had considered that his heart would be filled with joy on recalling the virtues of his energy some time after his attainment of Buddhahood, the Bodhisatta practised · dukkaracariya laboriously. To give an example: a king who has earned kingship by virtue of customary succession, without warring with anybody but while remaining in the main palace, cannot rejoice as does a monarch who wins a kingdom after gathering his forces and fighting two or three battles and crushing his opponents. True, he who ascends the throne after engaging in war two or three times and coming out triumphant views his audience while enjoying the luxury of his kingship and reflects on his energetic deeds; he feels immensely happy thinking, "I have acquired this royality by doing such and such a thing at such and such a place and by killing such and such an enemy in such and such a manner." In the same way, the Bodhisatta practised dukkaracariya laboriously because he wished to demonstrate his incomparable energy to beings including Devas and Brahmas and because he had considered that his heart would be filled with joy on recalling the virtues of his energy some time after his attainment of Buddhahood.
Another answer: Dukkaracariya was also practised out of kindness to help future disciples by setting an example. To elaborate: Those future disciples who come to know of the Bodhisatta's practice of dukkaracariya would contemplate:
'Even the Blessed One attained Omniscience only after undergoing the practice of dukkaracariya though he had fulfilled the Perfections for four asankhyeyya and a hundred thousand aeons. What to speak of us! We would perhaps attain the Knowledge of the Path (Magga-nana) only if we could exert ourselves in meditation." Discerning the truth they would become convinced that meditation Exertion (padhana viriya) is something worth-making.
When they are thus convinced and exert themselves, they will be able to put an end to birth, old age and death (Nibbana). Therefore the Bodhisatta practised dukkaracariya out of kindness to future disciples by setting an example to them.
It was usual for each and every Bodhisatta to practisedukkaracariya at least for seven days in their last existence; our Buddha also was able to do it and accordingly practised it for six years. But he became a Buddha not because of his dukkaracariya. In fact, he attained Buddhahood only through the Middle Practice (Majjhima Patipatti). The Bodhisatta practised dukkaracariya to show the world with Devas by way of contrast at the outset that it was not the way leading to the knowledge of the Path.
Though other Bodhisattas engaged in dukkaracariya for a far shorter period of seven days at least or of a month or so at most, our Bodhisatta had to do so for six years as a result of a verbal misdeed committed by him when he was Brahmin Jotipla, very proud of his birth, during the life time of Buddha Kassapa; he uttered very harsh words then: "How can this shaven-headed realize the Knowledge of the Path and Omniscience. Enlightenment is something that is very difficult to achieve!" (Majjhima Tika)
No comments:
Post a Comment