A wise person should do good... (study guide)

A man buries a treasure in a deep pit, thinking: 'It will be useful in time of need, or if the king is displeased with me, or if I am robbed or fall into debt, or if food is scarce, or bad luck befalls me.'

But all this treasure may not profit the owner at all, for he may forget where he has hidden it, or goblins may steal it, or his enemies or even his kinsmen may take it when he is careless.

But by charity, goodness, restraint, and self-control man and woman alike can store up a well-hidden treasure -- a treasure which cannot be given to others and which robbers cannot steal. A wise person should do good -- that is the treasure which will not leave one. — --adapted from the Khuddhaka Patha, translated by A. L. Basham

When I first came upon the above quote attributed to the American Zen Buddhist Jack Kornfield, I could understand it and state that the treasure is spiritual in nature.

Intrigued by this adapted quote from the Khuddhaka Patha, I decided to find the original, which turned out to be Chapter 8 Nidhi Kanda Sutta.

According to wikipedia, Khuddhaka Patha (Khuddaka Patha) is a collection f instructional sutras for novice monks known as a patha, which is in Pali, the liturgical language of Theravada Buddhism i.e. it is use in their sutras for their monks.

On finding the original, it was apparent that the text has all the necessary information for the Buddhist: the spiritual treasures and their result.

So here are the treasures of virtue which the Buddhist novice monk practices:

"giving, virtue, restraint, & self-control, with regard to a shrine, the Sangha, a fine individual, guests, mother, father, or elder sibling." &mdash: Khaddakapatha: 8 Nidhi Kanda / The Reserve Fund

Next comes the divine treasures which are gained by the Buddhist novice monk:

"Whatever devas aspire to, all that is gained by this. A fine complexion, fine voice, a body well-built, well-formed, lordship, a following: all that is gained by this. Earthly kingship, supremacy, the bliss of an emperor, kingship over devas in the heavens: all that is gained by this. The attainment of the human state, any delight in heaven, the attainment of Unbinding: all that is gained by this. Excellent friends, appropriate application, [1] mastery of clear knowing & release: [2] all that is gained by this. Acumen, [3] emancipations, [4] the perfection of disciplehood: all that is gained by this. Private Awakening, [5] Buddhahood: all that is gained by this." — ibid.

Additionally, the notes for the instructional sutra are very useful for understanding what is actually meant by the original word or phrase in a sutra. Often the original word or phrase was chosen to fit the accent in a metrical foot of verse.

appropriate application == proper practice of the Dhamma (Dharma)

mastery of clear knowing & release == Clear knowing = knowledge of previous lives, knowledge of the passing away and arising (rebirth) of beings, knowledge of the ending of the mental fermentations: sensual passion, becoming, views, ignorance. Release = release from the cycle of rebirth.

Acumen == acumen with regard to the Dhamma, to its meaning, to language, & to quick-wittedness. These four talents are found in some, but not all, arahants.

Emancipations == "Eight Emancipations" in Maha-Nidana Sutta (Sutra)

Private Awakening: Awakening as a Private Buddha, one who can gain Awakening without relying on the teachings of others, but who cannot formulate the Dhamma in the way a Full Buddha can.


Reference:

Originally posted October 30, 2005 at 2321H
Edited: February 10, 2013 at 2150H


Kornfield quote from: http://www.sinc.sunysb.edu/Clubs/buddhism/newsletter/news175.html

Khaddakapatha: 8 Nidhi Kanda Sutta / The Reserve Fund: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/khp/khp.1-9.than.html#khp-8

Pali: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pali

"Eight Emancipations" in Maha-Nidana Sutta (Sutra): http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.15.0.than.html

Khaddakapatha: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khuddakapatha

Virtue and Non-virtue Points to Self & Other and No-Self

Gewa == virtue

Mi-gewa == non-virtue

Virtue is when noble acts
performed spontaneously
prepare you for the good life.
Which one you for?

Avidya == ignorance
Vidya == wisdom

Ignorance is not seeing the truth;
Wisdom is seeing with a clear mind.
Which one you for?

Skandha == the five aggregates

When one believes he has wisdom
while faith in self and other is strong,
ignorance coalesces
in each of five simple steps of
form, sensation, perception,
impulses, and consciousness.
Thus is suffering understood
within the context of experience.

Experience thus prepares
each of us to realize
primordial wisdom,
the mind pure and serene.
All it takes is meditation.

Atman == self and other
Anatta == no-self

Smash faith in self and other
until it is like finely ground sesame;
this is the essence of no-self.
This is the reason for meditation.
Which one you for?

:updated 20111127.1041

Notes on the Female Buddha Tārā

Known as Jetsün Drolma in Vajrayana (Tibetan Buddhism) and Ārya Tārā in India, Tara is the female Bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhsm. She appears as the female Buddha in Vajrayana.

She is the "mother of liberation" who represents the virtues of success in work and achievements, which is one of the eight parts of the Eightfold Noble Path, right livelihood.

In Japan she is called Tarani Bosatsu, and Tuoluo in Chinese Buddhism, where Kuan Yin is more popular.

On Tara, HH the Dalai Lama said:

• There is a true feminist movement in Buddhism that relates to the goddess Tārā. Following her cultivation of bodhicitta, the bodhisattva's motivation, she looked upon the situation of those striving towards full awakening and she felt that there were too few people who attained Buddhahood as women. So she vowed, "I have developed bodhicitta as a woman. For all my lifetimes along the path I vow to be born as a woman, and in my final lifetime when I attain Buddhahood, then, too, I will be a woman."

Within the Buddhist tradition Tara is bodhisattva, deity, and saviouress.

As deity, she personifies the perfection of wisdom (Prajnaparamita). As bodhisattva, she personifies compassion and action. As saviouress, she is the Mother of Buddhas.

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References

Female Buddha Taras Mantra: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ibm1QysfhgQ
Wikipedia entry for Tara: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tara_(Buddhism)
Prajnaparamita: http://thenewheretics.wordpress.com/2009/07/08/the-perfection-of-wisdom-in-eight-thousand-lines/

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is not just a word or a discourse by the Buddha, but a meaningful state of mind. It means we have to be here now, in this very moment, and we have to know what is happening internally and externally. It means being alert to our motives and learning to change unwholesome thoughts and emotions into wholesome ones. Mindfulness is a mental activity that in due course eliminates all suffering.

-Ayya Khema, "Be an Island"

For this old fool, mindfulness is a state of mind experienced in the present moment, aware of what is on his mind, in his heart, and happening around him.

As a result, he becomes aware of his motives, and changes harmful thoughts and emotions into beneficial ones.

How so? By meditating on eliminating harmful thoughts as they arise and creating beneficial thoughts.

For harmful thoughts lead to suffering, and beneficial ones lead to happiness.

Eventually, mindfulness eliminates suffering.

Unwholesome thoughts and emotions refers to the unwholesome actions known by the Buddhist term, klesha.

Also included are the five hindrances of desire, anger, sloth-torpor, restlessness-craving and doubt.

Then there is lust and craving.

This is followed by the ten defilements and unwholesome roots; greed, hate, delusion, conceit, wrong views,doubt, torpor, restlessness, shamelessness, and recklessness.

Then comes the round of defilements: ignorance, craving and clinging.

Finally there are the three poisons: ignorance, attachment, and aversion.

According to what the Buddha said, doing these unwholesome actions cause suffering. To change these unwholesome action into wholesome action is to NOT DO THEM.

In their place, the devotee practices virtues such as the Four Immeasurables: loving-kindness or benevolence, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity (compassionate evenmindedness).

With regard to equanimity, it is described as mental stability in the face of changes of a person's circumstances. Regardless of whether she is rich or poor, the devotee displays evenness of mind, an enduring freedom of mind, For equanimity complements the other three virtues.

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Klesha: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kleshas_%28Buddhism%29
Four Immeasurables: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmavihara
Equanimity: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upekkha