Monday, 5 January 2015

LEARN
Dhammapada
(Dhammapada)
 

__________
 
TAM TERMS AND TEAM GI oi
TAM RULES
     Want to practice according to Buddhism, Buddhists want to become yourself time to have even wanted to become a Buddha and the Buddha will be voluntary, knowing yourself available Buddhahood so confident that he will become a Buddha. Who was the practice, though rich or poor, whether intelligent or ignorant, young and old. Tu as soon as possible. Tu simply means "modify" a pretty bad fix, fix a bad beat, edit ignorance into enlightenment ... Monastery at home, religious society, religious temple, where also.     
 
     Want to practice Buddhism, the first step in the path is " Refuge ". Regulation is returned. Y is the refuge. Refuge is returned to the refuge. Having all three return so called " Three Rules ". It is a refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha.
     Buddha, Dharma and Sangha are the three things most precious Buddhist, so-called " Jewels ". Privacy is precious. The work of the first steps in Buddhism is " Three Refuges ", ie to the temple, please do get in celebration of Buddha's disciples, and would like to ordain monks.
     Cardinal one other specialized ascetic religion, taught his disciples to find refuge in the mountains, forests etc .. to escape suffering. Buddha advised that fear that god mountain refuge, refuge in the forest gods and temples at the same time it is not the ultimate refuge place, not a safe refuge. Refuge like suffering intact. In contrast to seek refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, open mind to understand the "Four mysterious truth" (Four Noble Truths), understanding "Eight true path to follow" (eightfold) to get rid of all that suffering. Refuge so new attempt to be freed:
 (Dhammapada 188-192)
Humans fear of terror
So many places to find refuge in a hurry
The other mountain gods, the other forest
Or where trees, beer towers, temples and shrines
Where does rely peace
Refuge so annoying lingering brain,
If refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha
Particularly promoted intellectual mystery
Understanding the Four profound:
Knowing that earthly suffering is,
Understanding the origin of suffering another,
Know the way to go is then cut off suffering
Know a great Eightfold
Eight human right path to follow
Refuge place that subliminal
Safety, freeing hundreds of agonizing.
     1. We need to return students to rely on the Buddha. People before hearing the Dhamma, live in ignorance, as people get lost in the dark. Want to light and go to the right path, need to change direction, turning under the guidance of the Buddha, which is considered the guru. Buddha is the highest teacher pointed out the path to liberation. This is the " Refuge Buddha ", also called" Namo Buddha ". Namo Buddha is often spoken off the " Buddha bless you . " Namo Buddha is speaking Sanskrit, means "At the heart worship the Buddha".  
     I officially became a Buddhist after-life refuge ceremony. A Buddhist refuge, or find refuge in the Buddha, not to pray or hope to extricate himself out of hand their behalf. Buddhist belief that the full set on Buddha-like faith placed in the patient's physician, or placed where the teacher's role. We must constantly reflect on Buddhism, meditation on the virtues of the Buddha:
(Dhammapada 296)
The disciples of the Buddha
On the night awakening to that thinking
Think of the Buddha of compassion
A memorial early heart late attendance.
     2. Having returned to the light of the Buddha, they must follow the teachings of Buddha, listening to the teachings of Buddha. Dharma is the only way. This is the " Refuge France ". Regular meditation on the Dharma, meditation on the characteristics of the Dharma, ie the teachings of the Buddha:
(Dhammapada 297)
The disciples of the Buddha
On the night awakening to that thinking
Think about Dharma compassion
A memorial early heart late attendance.
     3. When the Buddha was alive when he heard the Buddha's teachings. When the Buddha had passed away when he heard the preaching of monks. Increasing the monk, who was ordained practice, sacrifice private life mission to preserve the teachings and doctrines taught commend to others. "Sangha" is the Buddhist monastic community, representing Sravaka you have followed the correct path and become a living example. When " The Y Tang , "we need to constantly reflect on the Sangha, reflect on the virtues of the Sangha, the noble church Disciples of the Buddha:
(Dhammapada 298)
The disciples of the Buddha
On the night awakening to that thinking
Think about the Church of compassion
Monks and religious harmony early night.
 
ABOUT TEAM
     The second step after the ceremony refuge is the precept, that is to follow the words of the Buddha prohibition, which the monks had preached after the ceremony refuge. There are five commandments, called in gender or " Five Precepts ". People found refuge center has stepped up the ladder of liberation, but otherwise kept the army gi ới is just the first step a step and stopped. In the world not taken the strong progress on the path of liberation, but also bring order, joy, peace to the family, nation, society. The five precepts are precepts'm really happy to create individual and mass.
     For people at home, Buddha advised to keep the five precepts. In the world there is " no killing, no lying, no stealing, no sexual misconduct and not drinking drunk ". Those who committed this year's World dig miss his virtue, leaving lose the fresh root, then dug graves, their roots deep into the ring misfortune, cling, cling to life samsara , never get out of this world full of suffering. Buddha taught that we should try to avoid actions deeds above. Many devotees who have complained that it was difficult to keep them in the world, because every person has one or two world does not hold. Listen to the story, the Buddha taught that the world is not any less important than gender. All instructions are hard to keep, but to hold it fully before being freed:
 (Dhammapada 246-247)
Who can practice killing
Speaking cheating, adultery character
Drunkenness, theft, damage the body
Live life like endless misfortune
As soon as the human realm
Dig miss his virtue.
     1. Do not kill t inhibition is not killing, not harming the lives of people and animals . Must have compassion injured every species.
     A group of "six monks' dependence should direct their elderly housing dispute win, attack another group consists of" seven eleven ", Buddha or the story, the promulgation of the rule relating to the prohibition assault or kill others because everyone is afraid of punishment and are valued life:
 (Dhammapada 129)
Fear rather sticks, swords
Fear of death hand how bad life
Think your heart hearts
Do not be killed or kill bad people.
 
(Dhammapada 130)
Fear rather sticks, swords
Childhood love life, longing life
Think your heart hearts
Do not be killed or kill bad people.
     First, do not kill the respect of fairness. We, who also considered his life is precious. All animals are precious body of our network as we know suffering and also as people. Th stasis two, do not kill the Buddha nature is respected equally. We each species but different shape, which is a co-Buddhahood. Murder is murder creature Buddhahood. Tuesday killing is not nurturing compassion. Compassion is totally selfless love. This is one of the core elements of Buddhism.
      Buddha was walking I saw a bunch of kids with sticks beating a snake. He asked why, they said fear of snake bites. He advised:
 (Dhammapada 131)
Who needs for his happiness
Which knife sticks harm perfidious
Makes the shattered lives,
His afterlife is no such joy.
     The evil is not living the life of anxiety that also killed in the mood of fear and ignorance. Relive all the evil done in life, with the mood of fear and anxiety, he died in the realm of evil reborn as animals, hungry ghosts and hell. The good life after death will be reborn into the realm of healing because when near death often relive the good things we do in life, think about the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha always guided his life gentle and friendly guide Upper:
(Dhammapada 132)
Who needs for his happiness
Do not stick a knife harm perfidious
No harm to life,
In my next life I will happily immensely.
 
     Not killing and e In order to avoid causal retributive hatred. If we have sown daily hatred for humans and animals accumulated a long time, the block was home to more power unfairly us, that we were about to kill it. The more closely now, as his work to suffer.     
     A young man carrying a name that means "consecrated". He fishermen. The Buddha taught that it is not by hurting other beings, for the life of organisms, have feelings like humans, animals, which can become sages, was noble:
 (Dhammapada 270)
Beings murdered constant
Sages where its value is the name,
No more killing creature
New sages really worthy extremely
 
     Buddha'd recommend beings destroy hatred and spread kindness to all beings to be harmonious life together was always prohibited disciples harm to others:
 
(Dhammapada 300)
The disciples of the Buddha
On the night awakening to that thinking
After spending about great joy:
Do not harm little something for everyone.
     Some monks were attained, from the forest back almost Buddha. A young woman, has ever quarreled with her husband left home, and also to the cloud forest that parents want to return. He saw her husband took his wife into the forest to find, find his wife followed the Arahat. He envy, beating monks dust bag, although his wife wholeheartedly defend insistent. Monks do not anger, not rage. When the next temple, the other monks saw the wound went to inquire and disbelief upon hearing the story. Buddha or compliment that went well:
 (Dhammapada 405)
Who does not stick knife violence
While exposure beings in life
Despite the strong, weak as that
No injury or claim killing
Brahmins really worthy.
     Do not kill the big two counts of violation from the following: M OT is killing the future Buddha frustrating, because the Buddha said: "All beings are Buddhas future." Two people are killed many lives upside down, eat the wrong people many lives, because in doing Bodhisattva Vow said: "All beings are six paths of our relatives, our parents, and students have died in more lives many lives. "                                                                                                                                                                    
     The killing is not in this life will extend compassion, is a major factor to cultivate the Buddha and is nowhere choice but to heal the economic approach "Cross Kamma Act" has k In order : "All beings Dear all; Except for routine cleaning anger; The body is generally healthy; Life expectancy is long; Often angel h to hard support; Sleep and no evil m cancellable ; Unless all the animosity; From fall into the three evil paths; After his death, was born in the heavens ".
     2. No stealing ie not taking the material resources owned by others without their consent. Buddha forbid theft due respect for justice, respect for equality, respect for private property rights, eradicate greed, nurturing compassion and avoid karmic revenge. While trying to flee from the action of theft Buddhists also develop ethical integrity, honesty and integrity.
     An Arhat on the street begging for a piece of fabric is wind falls below ground, just pick up the owner noticed the fabric piece, tri shouted that he stole. He explained that he had no intention of stealing cloth and handed back to the owner. But other techniques to bring your story heard, and he laughed at him. The Buddha explained that you Arhat is not as long as the theft of:
 (Dhammapada 409)
So whenever any one time
Not that people do not take things for
Long or short, small or large
Whether good or bad, whether damaged or healthy
Brahmins really worthy.
     Do not take the people, do not take what is not given, but instead took her longer to bring alms to the needy. If space involved theft, but giving it back to the classics, "Cross Kamma Act" is the fresh approach as follows: "Money can not balance wars robbing victims or confiscated by the authorities, who flooding drift, fire and children squander; To be more people trust; Do not be deceived, deception; Near and far have praised his upright heart; The heart is peace, not fear anything because of the damage; When the dead are born to heaven. "
     3. No sexual misconduct are not married or married to someone else's . lifestyle indiscriminate sexual promiscuity of humans will destroy the family institution. Although the official marriage, but if not timely communication, not in place and not insofar as it was considered adultery.
          I lay Anathapindaka of a handsome young man, often act adultery, or pursue a wife. Many times he was arrested, but the king forgave because of family reputation. Finally the family led him to ask the Buddha counsel. The Buddha taught that adultery is bad karma. He also spoke to him about the disastrous consequences of bad habits, adultery, stating disasters waiting who distractions adultery, stating four misfortune will come to those who let loose under the other spouse:
 (Dhammapada 309)
Let loose under the spouse who
Prone to four accidents causing death insecurity:
King brought sin itself,
Sleepless night, disheveled heart
Relatives contemptuous ridicule
Death to hell where damnation.
     A memory Buddha: "The heart hug craving as well as torchbearers who go against the wind, decided arms fire victims". Buddha forbid adultery is mu watch it sure v ệ happy family, revenge and retribution avoid evil, avoid doing evil vicious animals, avoid being punished:
(Dhammapada 310)
Take unfortunate for himself,
Fall as the Beast. The sexual pleasure spending
So is fear on every side,
Add severely punished the king himself,
So to keep the body and mind
Spouses who do not commit adultery Prodigal
     Particularly for ordained, the Buddha should definitely quite lewd. Since fornication is going to the oppressed people communicate, rebirth in samsara. Ai heavier the more tightly bound, the pain so that growth. The motivation is love si, original title in ignorance, selfishness to love. So, just make yourself craving and suffering. If the love is blocked or denied the love turned into hatred. If love is satisfied, the more passionate, blind. Buddhist teachings in order to escape the pain, but the main cause of suffering is craving. Thus, Buddhism teaches so away from craving and praising people away from craving. Director Ph ailings recommend only enjoy the pleasures so noble spirit, moral.
     When she nuns Arhat The other was a man before her injury, rape, bhikshus started wondering Arahat you can be sensual temptation, feel the sensual pleasures not anymore. The Buddha explained the status of this position is "no attachment Brahmin sensual":
 (Dhammapada 401)
The person craving escapism
No longer responsible for anything long term
Like drops of water elapse
There was sticky lotus leaf on board
Or put a needle mustard
No more sticking above is no,
Brahmins worthy star!
 
     Home people want to see results, as directed, to thoroughly rid of sensuous body as well as mind. Shurangama said: "The heart sex without exception, they can not work out of the ceiling." As for the house, Buddha prevent sexual misconduct, prevent s tension promiscuity, adultery.
     No sexual misconduct and will be happy to keep the net profit as Kinh "Cross Kamma Act," said: "Six units (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind) are integrity; Then subtract all of the negativity, harassment; No one dared to infringe couple children; Being well-known, who lives praise ".
     4. Do not say untruthful is not a lie , avoid language expectations. Just right for what has been done, the right to the truth have seen, heard only. Lie, just to relieve suffering in cases of danger to people and new things do not sin, because such a practice is "compassion".
     One time the pagan priests are jealous of the Buddha should concoct stigmatize him. They asked a female student posing as loyal as they used to come back and sleep in the temple Member States where he resides. Shortly after this she said was pregnant with him. She padded belly and then come to the temple to publicly defame him. But the cunning been discovered. People drove her away. Just out of the temple land her smoking crack falling into hell. Buddha said: "One who has trampled the fact that there is evil not dare to do, did not think of evil in the afterlife". He read the verses after referring to slander the woman:
 (Dhammapada 176)
Who violate the teachings and,
Who popular words uttered long fraud,
Who believe there is life after,
How evil, evil where they fear
Ready made, there is a reluctance to spend.
     To discredit the Buddha, a sect hire a woman pretending to say "frequents Member States where Buddha temple residence and spent the night here with you." Shortly after they hired thugs drunk and lie in wait to kill this woman buried under piles of garbage near the Buddha Net loss for creating the petitioners suspected bad for him. Later, he was hired to kill the king ordered screening, caught, they confessed everything. Kudos Buddha did not hurt. When preaching about the evils of fraud, Buddha "The language or prospects who deny wrongdoing but will fall into misery, death will fall into hell":
 (Dhammapada 306)
Say cunning lie,
How then do not deny, or not
Who creates this business
Dead to avoid the damnation of hell where
How long the villainy. .    
     The laypeople have studied Buddhism should say right time, the right time, say useful, ethically, to avoid talking nonsense, nonsense talk. He does not lie, it was the following benefits under the Business "Cross Kamma Act": "Mouth often clean aroma; The world and human, are natural beloved; Do not mistake the words and fun; Wisdom wins, none more; To be entitled to the will and pleasure as three are now clean. "
     5. Do not drink alcohol and other intoxicants. Buddha ban alcohol because mu the stationary preserve the intellectual seeds and prevent the causes birth to sin. RU ou do people lose control, lose wise and could not keep the four presented above.
     For those laypeople, good practice, is the precept. Keep enough in the world. " Five Precepts "is fundamental, is the minimum for a moral man, a life worthy of human beings, with dignity, dignity. Five Precepts of Buddhism is the moral standards for mankind in general. That is a lesson that ordinary citizens of any society, a country that wants prosperity, the mighty can not be overlooked. If the Three Refuges is the foundation, the Five Precepts is the year of the ladder laypeople to step down to Sainthood. In the first step, if possible Buddhist vows to keep the five precepts, the better, if not as much bound to keep the world in the world should try to keep a few that I found practicable. But did vow to keep the world does keep loyal.END=VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=THICH CHAN TANH.THE MIND OF ENLIGHTMENT.WORLD VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST ORDER=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=GOLDEN LOTUS MONASTERY=THE EIGHTFOLD PATH.NAM MO SAKYA MUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.5/1/2015.

Sunday, 4 January 2015

The Buddha said, "I teach one thing and one thing only: suffering and the end of suffering," which is the ultimate goal of Buddhism. In his first sermon at Deer Park, he taught the Four Noble Truths of the existence of suffering, the cause of suffering, that the cause if suffering can end, and the path to the end of suffering. This doctrine, expounded by the Buddha in his major discourses and expanded upon in expositions by his closest disciples, underlies the basic Buddhist teachings that have evolved since his time.

THUS HAVE I heard. The Blessed One was once living in the Deer Park at Isipatana (the Resort of Seers) near Baranasi (Benares). There he addressed the group of five bhikkhus [monks]:
"Bhikkhus, these two extremes ought not to be practiced by one who has gone forth from the household life. What are the two? There is devotion to the indulgence of sense-pleasures, which is low, common, the way of ordinary people, unworthy and unprofitable; and there is devotion to self-mortification, which is painful, unworthy and unprofitable.
"Avoiding both these extremes, the Tathagata ["Thus-Perfected One"] has realized the Middle Path: It gives vision, it gives knowledge, and it leads to calm, to insight, to enlightenment, to Nibbana [Sanskrit: Nirvana]. And what is that Middle Path. . . ? It is simply the Noble Eightfold Path, namely, right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This is the Middle Path realized by the Tathagata, which gives vision, which gives knowledge, and which leads to calm, to insight, to enlightenment, to Nibbana.
"The Noble Truth of suffering (Dukkha) is this: Birth is suffering; aging is suffering; sickness is suffering; death is suffering; sorrow and lamentation, pain, grief and despair are suffering; association with the unpleasant is suffering; dissociation from the pleasant is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering - in brief, the five aggregates of attachment are suffering.
"The Noble Truth of the origin of suffering is this: It is this thirst (craving) which produces re-existence and re-becoming, bound up with passionate greed. It finds fresh delight now here and now there, namely, thirst for sense-pleasures; thirst for existence and becoming; and thirst for non-existence (self-annihilation).
"The Noble Truth of the Cessation of suffering is this: It is the complete cessation of that very thirst, giving it up, renouncing it, emancipating oneself from it, detaching oneself from it.
"The Noble Truth of the Path leading to the Cessation of suffering is this: It is simply the Noble Eightfold Path, namely right view; right thought; right speech; right action; right livelihood; right effort; right mindfulness; right concentration. . .END= NAM MO SAKYA MUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).WORLD VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST ORDER=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=GOLDEN LOTUS MONASTERY=THE EIGHTFOLD PATH.NAM MO SAKYA MUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.5/1/2015.

Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta - Setting the Wheel of Truth Rolling.

Thus I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Benares in the Deer Park at Isipatana (the Resort of Seers). There he Buddha's Sermon addressed the bhikkhus of the group of five.
"Bhikkhus, these two extremes ought not to be cultivated by one gone forth from the house-life. What are the two? There is devotion to indulgence of pleasure in the objects of sensual desire, which is inferior, low, vulgar, ignoble, and leads to no good; and there is devotion to self-torment, which is painful, ignoble and leads to no good.
"The middle way discovered by a Perfect One avoids both these extremes; it gives vision, it gives knowledge, and it leads to peace, to direct acquaintance, to discovery, to nibbana. And what is that middle way? It is simply the noble eightfold path, that is to say, right view, right intention; right speech, right action, right livelihood; right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. That is the middle way discovered by a Perfect One, which gives vision, which gives knowledge, and which leads to peace, to direct acquaintance, to discovery, to nibbana.
"Suffering, as a noble truth, is this: Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering, sorrow and lamentation, pain, grief and despair are suffering; association with the loathed is suffering, dissociation from the loved is suffering, not to get what one wants is suffering — in short, suffering is the five categories of clinging objects.
"The origin of suffering, as a noble truth, is this: It is the craving that produces renewal of being accompanied by enjoyment and lust, and enjoying this and that; in other words, craving for sensual desires, craving for being, craving for non-being.
"Cessation of suffering, as a noble truth, is this: It is remainderless fading and ceasing, giving up, relinquishing, letting go and rejecting, of that same craving.
"The way leading to cessation of suffering, as a noble truth, is this: It is simply the noble eightfold path, that is to say, right view, right intention; right speech, right action, right livelihood; right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
"'Suffering, as a noble truth, is this.' Such was the vision, the knowledge, the understanding, the finding, the light, that arose in regard to ideas not heard by me before. 'This suffering, as a noble truth, can be diagnosed.' Such was the vision, the knowledge, the understanding, the finding, the light, that arose in regard to ideas not heard by me before. 'This suffering, as a noble truth, has been diagnosed.' Such was the vision, the knowledge, the understanding, the finding, the light, that arose in regard to ideas not heard by me before.
"'The origin of suffering, as a noble truth, is this.' Such was the vision... 'This origin of suffering, as a noble truth, can be abandoned.' Such was the vision... 'This origin of suffering, as a noble truth, has been abandoned.' Such was the vision... in regard to ideas not heard by me before.
"'Cessation of suffering, as a noble truth, is this.' Such was the vision... 'This cessation of suffering, as a noble truth, can be verified.' Such was the vision... 'This cessation of suffering, as a noble truth, has been verified.' Such was the vision... in regard to ideas not heard by me before.
"'The way leading to cessation of suffering, as a noble truth, is this.' Such was the vision... 'This way leading to cessation of suffering, as a noble truth, can be developed.' Such was the vision... 'This way leading to the cessation of suffering, as a noble truth, has been developed.' Such was the vision... in regard to ideas not heard by me before.
"As long as my knowing and seeing how things are, was not quite purified in these twelve aspects, in these three phases of each of the four noble truths, I did not claim in the world with its gods, its Maras and high divinities, in this generation with its monks and brahmans, with its princes and men to have discovered the full Awakening that is supreme. But as soon as my knowing and seeing how things are, was quite purified in these twelve aspects, in these three phases of each of the four noble truths, then I claimed in the world with its gods, its Maras and high divinities, in this generation with its monks and brahmans, its princes and men to have discovered the full Awakening that is supreme. Knowing and seeing arose in me thus: 'My heart's deliverance is unassailable. This is the last birth. Now there is no renewal of being.'"
That is what the Blessed One said. The bhikkhus of the group of five were glad, and they approved his words.
Now during this utterance, there arose in the venerable Kondanna the spotless, immaculate vision of the True Idea: "Whatever is subject to arising is all subject to cessation."
When the Wheel of Truth had thus been set rolling by the Blessed One the earth gods raised the cry: "At Benares, in the Deer Park at Isipatana, the matchless Wheel of truth has been set rolling by the Blessed One, not to be stopped by monk or divine or god or death-angel or high divinity or anyone in the world."
On hearing the earth-gods' cry, all the gods in turn in the six paradises of the sensual sphere took up the cry till it reached beyond the Retinue of High Divinity in the sphere of pure form. And so indeed in that hour, at that moment, the cry soared up to the World of High Divinity, and this ten-thousand fold world-element shook and rocked and quaked, and a great measureless radiance surpassing the very nature of the gods was displayed in the world.
Then the Blessed One uttered the exclamation: "Kondanna knows! Kondanna knows!," and that is how that venerable one acquired the name, Anna-Kondanna — Kondanna who knows.END=NAM MO SAKYA MUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).WORLD VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST ORDER=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=GOLDEN LOTUS MONASTERY=THE EIGHTFOLD PATH.THICH CHAN TANH.THE MIND OF ENLIGHTMENT.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.5/1/2015.

Sarnath,India :Where Buddha gave his first sermon .

Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma- 3
         
Sarnath(Isipatana in Pali), from Saranganath, means "Lord of the Deer" and relates to another old Buddhist story in which the Bodhisattva is a deer and offers his life to a king instead of the doe the latter is planning to kill. The king is so moved that he creates the park as a sanctuary for deer. The park is still there today.
The Buddha went from Bodhgaya to Sarnath about 5 weeks after his enlightenment.
After attaining Enlightenment the Buddha, leaving Uruvela, travelled to the Isipatana to join and teach them. He went to them because, using his spiritual powers, he had seen that his five former companions would be able to understand Dharma quickly. While travelling to Sarnath, Gautama Buddha had to cross the Ganges. Having no money with which to pay the ferryman, he crossed the Ganges through the air. When King Bimbisāra heard of this, he abolished the toll for ascetics. When Gautama Buddha found his five former companions, he taught them, they understood and as a result they also became enlightened. At that time the Sangha, the community of the enlightened ones, was founded. The sermon Buddha gave to the five monks was his first sermon, called the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta. It was given on the full-moon day of Asalha Puja.[5] Buddha subsequently also spent his first rainy season at Sarnath[6] at the Mulagandhakuti. The Sangha had grown to 60 in number (after Yasa and his friends had become monks), and Buddha sent them out in all directions to travel alone and teach the Dharma. All 60 monks were Arahants.
Several other incidents connected with the Buddha, besides the preaching of the first sermon, are mentioned as having taken place in Isipatana. Here it was that one day at dawn Yasa came to the Buddha and became an Arahant.[7] It was at Isipatana, too, that the rule was passed prohibiting the use of sandals made of talipot leaves.[8] On another occasion when the Buddha was staying at Isipatana, having gone there from Rājagaha, he instituted rules forbidding the use of certain kinds of flesh, including human flesh.[9] Twice, while the Buddha was at Isipatana, Māra visited him but had to go away discomfited.
After attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya the Buddha went to Sarnath; and it was here that he preached his first discourse in the deer park to set in motion the 'Wheel of the Dharma'. It is one of the most holy sites as in this place the stream of the Buddha's teaching first flowed.
At this place, the Buddha encountered the five men who had been his companions of earlier austerities. On meeting the enlightened Buddha, all they saw was an ordinary man; they mocked his well-nourished appearance. "Here comes the mendicant Gautama," they said, "who has turned away from asceticism. He is certainly not worth our respect." When they reminded him of his former vows, the Buddha replied, "Austerities only confuse the mind. In the exhaustion and mental stupor to which they lead, one can no longer understand the ordinary things of life, still less the truth that lies beyond the senses. I have given up extremes of either luxury or asceticism. I have discovered the Middle Way". Hearing this the five ascetics became the Buddha's first disciples.
Gautama Buddha started teaching not to debate but for the advantage of and out of compassion for human beings. He explained the middle way which avoids extremes, the Four Noble Truths, and prescribed the Eight-fold path. The Four Noble Truths are: 1. There is suffering; 2. Suffering has a cause; 3. The cause is removable, and 4. There are ways to remove the causes. So as to remove the causes the Buddha prescribed an Eight-fold Path: Right speech, Right action, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right mindfulness, Right concentration, Right attitude and Right view.
A Monastic tradition flourished for over 1,500 years on the site of the deer park at Sarnath. In the third century BC Ashoka erected a column 15.24 m in height which had four lions as its capital which is now treasured in the archaeology museum. The lion symbolises both Ashoka's imperial rule and the kingship of the Buddha. The four-lion capital was adopted as the emblem of the modern Indian republic. The last and largest monastery constructed before the Muslim invasion was Dharma-Chakar-Jina Vihar, erected by Kumardevi, wife of King Govinda Chandra, who ruled over Benares during 1114 to 1154. In 1194 AD, Kutubuddin Aibak, the Muslim conqueror, leveled the city to the ground. Sarnath became a forest of debris below which the historical ruins remained buried. Of the two great stupas which adorned the city only the Dhamekha remained which is of the 6th century.

Introduction to Gautama the Buddha.

Siddartha Gautama (563-480 BC) was born as a prince in a small state in northern India in what is now Nepal. According to legend, several soothsayers predicted that if he stayed home he would become a universal king, but if he left he would become a Buddha. His mother died after one week, and Siddartha was brought up by her sister. His father surrounded him with every luxury. At the age of 16 Siddartha married Yasodhara, his cousin of the same age, and spent his time in the pleasure gardens of the palace.

When Gautama was 29 he saw the four signs which led to his renunciation of the world---first, an old person, then a sick person, then a corpse being carried to a funeral, and finally a begging monk in a yellow robe. Gautama began to contemplate the meaning of life with its inevitable decay, suffering, and death; like the monk he too must find a solution to these problems. Therefore he decided to renounce everything, and he left the palace immediately after the birth of his first son.

For a while he sought enlightenment by mortifying the flesh; fasting and eating only one seed a day, he became so thin that his bones stuck out. Weak from hunger, he fainted and almost died. Then he decided that this was not the way to enlightenment. He began to beg for food and concentrated on meditation. When he gave up the austerities, his five companions in spiritual aspiration left him in disgust.

One day when he was 35 he sat under a banyan tree with the resolve not to get up until he was enlightened. Perceiving that Siddartha wanted to pass beyond his control, the tempter Mara and his armies attacked him in various ways, but each time Gautama concentrated on the ten perfections (charity, morality, renunciation, wisdom, effort, patience, truth, determination, universal love, and equanimity) and received divine protection. Mara tried to persuade him to give up his struggle and live. However, Gautama identified the ten armies of Mara as follows: lust, dislike for the spiritual, hunger and thirst, craving, laziness, cowardice, doubt, inflexibility, glamour, and finally exalting oneself while despising others. Gautama said that by conquering these one could attain bliss and that he would rather die than be defeated. Mara retired, and Gautama went into deeper meditation, realizing his former lifetimes, becoming clairvoyant, and intuiting the psychological insights that became his principal teachings.

At first people did not know what to call him and asked him if he was a god, a devil, an angel, a person or what. Gautama replied simply, "I am awake." Thus he became known as the Buddha, which means the awakened one or the enlightened one.

The first sermon included here are the words of the Buddha when he spoke in the deer park at Benares as recorded in the SAMYUTTA-NIKAYA V:420, one of the collections of the SUTTA PITAKA, the largest of the "three baskets" of early Buddhist texts. Hearing this brief discourse, the five previous companions, who were at first skeptical of Buddha's new claims, were convinced and became the first five "perfected ones" in his order.

The order of monks or disciples grew, and soon the Buddha was sending out 60 of them in different directions to spread the teachings. The Buddha fulfilled his promise to return to talk with King Bimbisara after his enlightenment, and he was converted also. Although his father, King Suddhodana, did not like the idea of the Buddha begging for food, he accepted it; many of his relatives became followers also. Some of the wealthy built monasteries for the order.

Ananda, the Buddha's cousin and closest disciple, pleaded that women be allowed to join the order, and finally the order of nuns was established. Another cousin, Devadatta, wanted to become the Buddha's successor; but when he was rejected, he tried three times to kill Gautama but failed. Then Devadatta tried to split the order. However, two of the greatest disciples, Sariputta and Moggallana, were able to persuade those who had followed him to return to the Buddha. Devadatta became ill; but as he was dying, the Buddha forgave him.

When he was about 80 years old, the Buddha became seriously ill himself but felt that he should not die until he had prepared the order for his departure. Thus he fought off the illness. Ananda asked for instructions, but the Buddha said that he had not presented "the closed fist of the teacher." In other words, he had not held back any of the teachings. Not even Sariputta nor Moggallana were to be his successor; rather everything was to be decided by majority vote. He suggested that they take refuge in the teachings, but they might abolish minor rules if they wished.

Finally the Buddha instructed a friend named Cunda to prepare him a meal, which was either pork or mushrooms trodden by pigs; the leftovers were to be buried, and the other monks were to be given something else. Soon after eating this meal, the Buddha became very sick with violent pains. The Buddha declared that Cunda was to be honored as equal to the one who had given him the last meal before his enlightenment. Finally he asked the monks three times if they had any questions, but none of them spoke. Then the Buddha said his last words, "Transient are all conditioned things. Work out your salvation with diligence." The body of Gautama was cremated a week later, and an argument over the relics of the Buddha was settled peacefully by dividing them into eight portions.


 

The Buddha's First Sermon

English version by Sanderson Beck

These two extremes, monks, are not to be practiced
by one who has gone forth from the world.
What are the two?

That joined with the passions and luxury---
low, vulgar, common, ignoble, and useless,
and that joined with self-torture---
painful, ignoble, and useless.

Avoiding these two extremes the one who has thus come
has gained the enlightenment of the middle path,
which produces insight and knowledge,
and leads to peace, wisdom, enlightenment, and nirvana.

And what, monks, is the middle path, by which
the one who has thus come has gained enlightenment,
which produces knowledge and insight,
and leads to peace, wisdom, enlightenment, and nirvana?

This is the noble eightfold way, namely,
correct understanding, correct intention,
correct speech, correct action, correct livelihood,
correct attention, correct concentration,
and correct meditation.

This, monks, is the middle path, by which
the one who has thus come has gained enlightenment,
which produces insight and knowledge,
and leads to peace, wisdom, enlightenment, and nirvana.

Now this, monks, is the noble truth of pain:
birth is painful; old age is painful;
sickness is painful; death is painful;
sorrow, lamentation, dejection, and despair are painful.
Contact with unpleasant things is painful;
not getting what one wishes is painful.
In short the five groups of grasping are painful.

Now this, monks, is the noble truth of the cause of pain:
the craving, which leads to rebirth,
combined with pleasure and lust,
finding pleasure here and there,
namely the craving for passion,
the craving for existence,
and the craving for non-existence.

Now this, monks, is the noble truth
of the cessation of pain:
the cessation without a remainder of craving,
the abandonment, forsaking, release, and non-attachment.

Now this, monks, is the noble truth
of the way that leads to the cessation of pain:
this is the noble eightfold way, namely,
correct understanding, correct intention,
correct speech, correct action, correct livelihood,
correct attention, correct concentration,
and correct meditation.

"This is the noble truth of pain":
Thus, monks, among doctrines unheard before,
in me insight, wisdom, knowledge, and light arose.

"This noble truth of pain must be comprehended."
Thus, monks, among doctrines unheard before,
in me insight, wisdom, knowledge, and light arose.

"It has been comprehended."
Thus, monks, among doctrines unheard before,
in me insight, wisdom, knowledge, and light arose.

"This is the noble truth of the cause of pain":
Thus, monks, among doctrines unheard before,
in me insight, wisdom, knowledge, and light arose.

"The cause of pain must be abandoned."
Thus, monks, among doctrines unheard before,
in me insight, wisdom, knowledge, and light arose.

"It has been abandoned."
Thus, monks, among doctrines unheard before,
in me insight, wisdom, knowledge, and light arose.

"This is the noble truth of the cessation of pain":
Thus, monks, among doctrines unheard before,
in me insight, wisdom, knowledge, and light arose.

"The cessation of pain must be realized."
Thus, monks, among doctrines unheard before,
in me insight, wisdom, knowledge, and light arose.

"It has been realized."
Thus, monks, among doctrines unheard before,
in me insight, wisdom, knowledge, and light arose.

"This is the noble truth
of the way that leads to the cessation of pain":
Thus, monks, among doctrines unheard before,
in me insight, wisdom, knowledge, and light arose.

"The way must be practiced."
Thus, monks, among doctrines unheard before,
in me insight, wisdom, knowledge, and light arose.

"It has been practiced."
Thus, monks, among doctrines unheard before,
in me insight, wisdom, knowledge, and light arose.

As long as in these four noble truths
my due knowledge and insight
with the three sections and twelve divisions
was not well purified, even so long, monks,
in the world with its gods, Mara, Brahma,
its beings with ascetics, priests, gods, and men,
I had not attained the highest complete enlightenment.
This I recognized.

And when, monks, in these four noble truths
my due knowledge and insight
with its three sections and twelve divisions
was well purified, then monks,
in the world with its gods, Mara, Brahma,
its beings with ascetics, priests, gods, and men,
I had attained the highest complete enlightenment.
This I recognized.

Knowledge arose in me;
insight arose that the release of my mind is unshakable:
this is my last existence;
now there is no rebirth.END=NAM MO SAKYA MUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).WORLD VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST ORDER=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=GOLDEN LOTUS MONASTERY=THE EIGHTFOLD PATH.THICH CHAN TANH.THE MIND OF ENLIGHTMENT.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.5/1/2015.

Teaching at Sarnath After attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya the Buddha went to Sarnath; and it was here that he preached his first discourse in the deer park to set in motion the 'Wheel of the Dharma'. It is one of the most holy sites as in this place the stream of the Buddha's teaching first flowed.
At this place, the Buddha encountered the five men who had been his companions of earlier austerities. On meeting the enlightened Buddha, all they saw was an ordinary man; they mocked his well-nourished appearance. "Here comes the mendicant Gautama," they said, "who has turned away from asceticism. He is certainly not worth our respect." When they reminded him of his former vows, the Buddha replied, "Austerities only confuse the mind. In the exhaustion and mental stupor to which they lead, one can no longer understand the ordinary things of life, still less the truth that lies beyond the senses. I have given up extremes of either luxury or asceticism. I have discovered the Middle Way". Hearing this the five ascetics became the Buddha's first disciples.
Gautama Buddha started teaching not to debate but for the advantage of and out of compassion for human beings. He explained the middle way which avoids extremes, the Four Noble Truths, and prescribed the Eight-fold path. The Four Noble Truths are: 1. There is suffering; 2. Suffering has a cause; 3. The cause is removable, and 4. There are ways to remove the causes. So as to remove the causes the Buddha prescribed an Eight-fold Path: Right speech, Right action, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right mindfulness, Right concentration, Right attitude and Right view.
A Monastic tradition flourished for over 1,500 years on the site of the deer park at Sarnath. In the third century BC Ashoka erected a column 15.24 m in height which had four lions as its capital which is now treasured in the archaeology museum. The lion symbolises both Ashoka's imperial rule and the kingship of the Buddha. The four-lion capital was adopted as the emblem of the modern Indian republic. The last and largest monastery constructed before the Muslim invasion was Dharma-Chakar-Jina Vihar, erected by Kumardevi, wife of King Govinda Chandra, who ruled over Benares during 1114 to 1154. In 1194 AD, Kutubuddin Aibak, the Muslim conqueror, leveled the city to the ground. Sarnath became a forest of debris below which the historical ruins remained buried. Of the two great stupas which adorned the city only the Dhamekha remained which is of the 6th century.
The Dhamekha Stupa
Dhemekha StupaThis is the most conspicuous structure at Sarnath. Colonel Cunningham bore a shaft from the top centre of the stupa and discovered a stone tablet on which an inscription is written with the word Dhamekha, and mentions that this is the spot where the Buddha delivered his first sermon. Dhamekha seems to be a distorted form of Dharma Chakra which means turning the wheel of the Dharma. It is also said that at this spot the five ascetics who left Gautama Buddha in Bodh Gaya used to live in huts. The original stupa was constructed by Ashoka. The present size of the stupa is 31.3 m high and 28.3 m in diameter. The lower portion of the stupa is covered completely with beautifully carved stones. The design consists of a broad band of Swastika (fylfot) carved in different geometrical patterns with a finely chiselled lotus wreath, running over and below the swastikas.
The Dhamekha stupa is considered to be the sacred place where the voice of Buddhism was first heard. Many dignitaries of Buddhist countries visit this place for circumambulation of this sacred stupa and to worship the Buddha. Tibetans Buddhist circumambulate it chanting the mantra 'Om mani padme hum'. The first discourse of the Buddha was on the 'Wheel of Law'. The wheel symbolises samsara (world), the eternal round of existence which goes on and on, life after life because of ceaseless cravings and desire.END=NAM MO SAKYA MUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).WORLD VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST ORDER=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=GOLDEN LOTUS MONASTERY=THE EIGHTFOLD PATH.THICH CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.5/1/2015.