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Buddhist
Publication Society Newsletter Winter 1990 No. 14 |
The Quest for Meaning
However much the
modern world may pride itself on its triumphs over the follies and foibles of
the past, it appears that the progress we credit ourselves with has been bought
at a price so steep as to throw into question the worth- of our achievements.
This price has been nothing less than the shared conviction that our lives are
endowed with ultimate meaning. Though in earlier ages men and women lived in a
space populated largely by figments of the collective imagination, they could still
claim a precious asset that we sorely lack: a firm and buoyant belief that
their everyday lives were encompassed by a penumbra of enduring significance
stemming from their relation to a transcendent goal. Present-day attitudes,
however, molded by scientific reductionism and technocratic audacity, have
combined forces to sweep away from our minds even the faint suspicion that our
lives may possess any deeper meaning than material prosperity and technological
innovation. For an increasing number of people today the consequence of this
militancy has been a pervasive sense of meaninglessness. Cut loose from our
moorings in a living spiritual tradition, we find ourselves adrift on a sea of
confusion where all values seem arbitrary and relative. We float aimlessly
along the waves of caprice, without any supreme purpose to serve as the
polestar for our ideals, as the wellspring for inspired thought and action. But just as little
as nature can tolerate a vacuum, so humankind can little tolerate a complete
loss of meaning: Thence, to escape the plunge into the abyss of meaninglessness,
we grasp after flotsam, attempting to immerse ourselves in distractions. We
pursue pleasure and power, seek to augment our wealth and status, surround
ourselves with contraptions, invest our hopes in personal relationships that
only conceal our own inner poverty. At the same time, however, that our
absorption in distractions helps us to cope with the psychological void, it
also stifles in us a deeper and still more insistent need - the longing for a
peace and freedom that does not depend upon external contingencies. One of the
great blessings of the Buddha's teaching is the remedy it can offer for the
problem of meaninglessness so widespread in human life today. The Dhamma can
serve as a source of meaning primarily because it provides us with the two
requisites of a meaningful life: an ultimate goal for which to live, and a
clearcut but flexible set of instructions by which we can advance towards that
goal from whatever station in life we start from. In the Buddha's
teaching the quest for ultimate meaning does not begin, as in the theistic
religions, with propositions about a supernatural scheme of salvation to be
assented to in faith: It begins, rather, by focusing upon an experiential
problem right at the crux of human existence. The problem, of course, is the
problem of suffering, the boundaries of which are shown to extend beyond our
immediate subjection to pain, misery and sorrow, and to encompass all that is
conditioned precisely because of its impermanence; its vulnerability, its lack
of abiding substance. The goal of the
teaching, the unconditioned element which is Nibbana, then comes to have a
decisive bearing upon our vital concerns because it is apprehended as the
cessation of suffering. Though in its own nature it defies all the limiting
categories of conceptual thought, as the cessation of suffering Nibbana
provides the final answer to our innermost yearnings for an imperishable peace,
for complete freedom from sorrow, anxiety and distress. The way that the quest
for this goal intersects with the course of our everyday life is made plain by
the Buddha's analysis of the cause of suffering. The cause of suffering, the
Buddha holds, lies within ourself, in our selfish craving conjoined with
blinding ignorance, in the three evil roots that taint our normal engagement
with the world: greed, hate and delusion. Thence the freedom from suffering
that we seek lies in the eradication of these three roots. To orient our life
towards the goal of deliverance from suffering requires that we tread the path
that leads to and merges with the goal. This path is the Noble Eightfold Path,
which brings an end to suffering and bondage by enabling us to extricate the
causes of suffering embedded in our hearts. We begin the path exactly where we
are, in the midst of error and defilement, and by clarifying our views,
transforming our attitudes, and purifying our minds, we advance by stages
towards the direct realization of the ultimate good. If
the goal towards which the path points lies beyond the pale of conditioned
existence, to walk the eightfold path is to discover within the confines of
conditioned existence dimensions of meaning previously unknown. This richness
of meaning stems from a twofold source. One is the recognition that the
following of the path brings a diminishment of suffering for ourselves as well
as others, and at the same time an enhancement of joy, mental equipoise and
peace. The other source of meaning is the conviction that the values we are
pursuing are not merely subjective and arbitrary, but are grounded in an
absolutely objective order, in the very nature of things. As
we embark on the way to the end of suffering, the final goal no longer appears
merely as a distant shore but becomes refracted in our experience as the
challenge of overcoming the unwholesome roots, and of assisting our fellow
beings to do the same. This challenge, the task of actualizing our own good and
the good of others, becomes at the same time life's inner core of meaning: to
transmute greed into generosity and relinquishment, to replace hate with love
and compassion, and to dispel delusion with the light of liberative wisdom.
Exploring the Wheels
Early
Western Buddhists. Edited by Francis Story (Wheel No. 42/43) Recently a
group of international intellectuals tried to find a phrase that would describe
our present times, in the way that historians write of The Age of Reason, or
The Baroque Era, or The Industrial Age. But a metaphor for today would have to
include the atrocities of genocide, the fear of a nuclear apocalypse, the
destruction of the earth's resources, the mass migration of refugees, as well
as space exploration and scientific technology. It would need to account for
the changes in artistic forms, the devaluation of ethics, and the increasing
loss of traditional values, all from a global perspective. Lance Morrow in Time
states: "In a world of blindingly accelerating change, language can no
longer fashion its metaphors fast enough to stabilize people with a spiritual
counterlife, and so self-knowledge may deteriorate to a moral blur .... The
eyes do not have time to adjust to either the light or the dark." In the early years
of this twentieth century, a similar situation existed. New modes of artistic
expression were taking place, reflecting the changes of the times: a strong
reaction against the materialism of the 19th century, the ferment caused by
Darwin's theory of evolution, a revolt against the traditional religious
teachings which were found inadequate. These changes took place within a
setting of increased anxiety due to political insecurity, and the mounting
tensions of pre-world war instability. A need was felt for some teaching that
would reconcile the material and the spiritual aspects of life, and for several
renowned intellectuals Buddhism fulfilled that need. The Buddhist Review was founded in 1909, and for the first time
articles were written by Western Buddhists in the language of the West. These
writers were pioneers, and as pioneers, dared to express their beliefs
fearlessly in the face of not merely criticism, but sometimes open hostility.
They carried on, writing with earnestness, with sincerity, with integrity. In Early Western Buddhists Francis Story
has compiled excerpts of their writings from The Buddhist Review 1909-1914. What is of great interest to us today is
the way in which these writers applied the ideas Of Buddhism to their own
situation, and the way they could, through Buddhism, see beyond the current
problems, focusing instead on the problems which beset man in every historical
age, in every human situation. These essays were written "yesterday,"
but they could have been written today - or tomorrow. The editor, J.E.
Ellam, introduced this editorial in the first issue of the magazine: The most striking
phenomenon of our times, a process which has been going on for more than a
decade, is the growing confusion in
the Religious Thought of the West. With the weakening of theological dicta has
proceeded an indifference to the higher, more spiritual aspects of life,
together with tendencies towards gross superstitions which find their
expression in diverse, and most unhealthy forms of heterodoxy.... The Buddhist
method is now, as it has ever been, to refrain from the condemnation of other
modes of thought, but simply, gently, yet with emphasis, to set forth its own
teachings ... An article by Mrs.
Rhys Davids which appeared in the same issue raises these points: Well, it is one
thing to talk about achievements of modern science and advance of modern
thought, and another thing to claim for this age in general that it is imbued with the scientific spirit, or that the
views and conduct of the average man or woman are governed thereby.... Hence
any movement of thought will have, more and more, to cope with the scientific
spirit, and will stand or fall largely by its sanction. And hence all who call
themselves Buddhists, or who are interested in spreading a knowledge of
Buddhist doctrine or, at least, the spirit of that doctrine, should look into
this claim that is made for it.. War was imminent in
the early years of this century, and indeed, seems to be established as a
permanent feature of the twentieth century. Marr Murray in his article
"The Basis of Peace" writes: What is War but the
direct result of the sensual glorification of the ego? Victory, lordship,
empire and the rest of them prove upon examination to be composed of nothing
but the gross lust of the great "I am," decked out with the flimsiest
of tinsels; and like all lusts, they serve but to pile misery upon misery.
World Peace must therefore arise from the subjugation of the ego, from the
higher thinking and higher doing of humanity; in other words, an advance in
morality must be the forerunner of Peace. These excerpts
reveal the anxieties of their age: the decline of spiritual aims, the advances
of science, the aggression of man. But their anxieties are our anxieties, too.
In "The Value of Buddhism to the Western Mind" Victor E. Kroemer
writes of the root of these problems - and its solution: What is the use of
seeking solutions for problems in directions that only intensify the causes by
destroying the effects, when in philosophical Buddhism we have a clear
statement of all the causes which produce all the troubles and sorrows of
existence? The cause of sorrow is desire, the cessation of sorrow is attained
by conquering love of self and lust for life! Apply this to any Western
problem, and there is the antidote. People will continue to have sorrow as
long as their minds are centred in the causes that produce sorrow, and will be
released from sorrow when the causes of the cessation of sorrow are found and
practised. True, sorrow in the larger sense is an outcome of manifested
existence, and here again the antidote to sorrow lies in the cessation of
birth and death; the overcoming of the desire for manifested existence. The twelve articles
in this collection cover such topics as karma, Buddhism and society, Buddhism
on a day-to-day basis, the need for a personal evolution, and meditation. The problems which
these writers faced in 1909-1914 are the problems which we face now, eighty
years later. Or perhaps they are the same problems - but different, for now the
swift-moving current of change moves ever faster. But the solutions to the
problems faced then are the same solutions to the problems of today, solutions
which are found in the never-changing perennial teachings of the Buddha.
Past and Future
As 1989 draws to a
close, we can look back over the past year with a thought of satisfaction that
in spite of the tumultuous events that have been ravaging Sri Lanka, we have
pot lost heart but to the contrary have become more firmly committed to our
mission of disseminating the Dhamma. Delays have been frequent and at times
frustrating, but to the best of our ability we have endeavoured to adhere to
our regular schedule and to fulfil our service to our many members and friends.
We feel consoled by the numerous letters of concern we have received from abroad
and are glad that we could maintain our full quota of serial publications and
issue several full-size book publications as well. Over the past year
the material quality of our publications has continued to improve, as several
of our readers have pointed out in their correspondence with us. For this we
have to thank in particular two people - one a young friend from West Germany
who has helped us immensely with typesetting equipment, the other our Colombo
printer, Mr: M. Karunaratne, who always attends carefully to our printing
requirements. Among the books we
released this year were two new titles. One is Jack Kornfield's Living Buddhist
Masters, long recognized as an important source book on modem Theravada
Buddhist meditation and a work we are proud to issue under the imprint of BPS.
The other new title is Bhikkhu Bodhi's translation of the Samannaphala Sutta
and its commentaries, The Discourse on the Fruits of Recluseshlp. This book,
like the author's previous translations, will be welcome by serious students of
the Dhamma, from whom it merits close and careful study. We also reissued two
titles that had been unavailable for some time - Nyanatiloka Mahathera's
invaluable Buddhist Dictionary and Last Days of the Buddha. The last is our
translation of the Mahaparinibbana Sutta, now removed from the Wheel series and
issued instead in a handsome small-book format which makes it a worthy
acquisition and a - lovely gift. Looking to the
future we are happy to inform our readers that we have a fine lineup of titles
scheduled for the coming year. We will begin the Wheel series of 1990 with a
collection of essays on a key Buddhist virtue - Dana: The Practice of Giving
-which will include Dr. Lily de Silva's comprehensive textual study of the
subject. In midyear we will issue a tract on insight meditation long
unavailable in the West, Satlpatthana Vlpassana, by the late Mahasi Sayadaw of
Burma. And we will conclude the year with an important translation recently
discovered among the papers of the late Bhikkhu Nanamoli - The Discourse on
Right View, the Samma Ditthi Sutta and its commentary. We regret that owing
to minor technical problems we were not able to issue the Udana this past year,
as we intended; but now the problems have been solved and the book is at the printers,
to appear very soon, we hope. We are confident that this new translation of the
Buddha's "Inspired Utterances" by John Ireland will make a wonderful
addition to every reader's collection of Buddhist books and will earn for it
the veneration it so much deserves. Later in the year we plan to publish a
beautiful collection of texts on the qualities of the Buddha - Buddha, My
Refuge - drawn from the Pali suttas by Bhikkhu Khantipalo. We receive many
orders for several standard publications of ours that to our regret have gone
out of print. Particular mention may be made of three big titles - big both in
importance and in substance - The Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga), The Manual of Abhidhamma (Abhidhammattha Sangaha), and The Path of Freedom (Vimuttimagga). Be assured that we are doing our
best to get these books back in print as soon as we can. The Visuddhimagga is being recomposed from
scratch in a new edition printed with sharp and clear types. The first proofs
have already been corrected - the most daunting stage - and we hope the book
will be available again in early 1990. The Manual
of Abhidhamma is being revised and corrected for a new improved edition of
enhanced accuracy. The Vimuttimagga may
be delayed until the end of the year, but it will eventually reappear. We extend to all of
our readers our sincere thanks and appreciation for bearing with us patiently
as we operate with limited facilities in a strife-torn country under conditions
that at times have appeared very uncertain. We are grateful to you for your
staunch support both moral and financial, and we look forward to serving you
with literature on the Dhamma that will measure up to the highest standards of
authenticity, accuracy and personal relevance. We enjoy very much receiving your comments on our
publications and suggestions for Improvements, so please do not hesitate to
write to us. A Pali Glossary
During his lifetime
the great English scholar-monk Van. Bhikkhu Nanamok compiled a Pall-English Glossary of Buddhist Technical
Terms, drawn from his extensive readings in the Pali Canon and
commentaries. This glossary consists principally of (1) Buddhist doctrinal
terms, and (2) words and word meanings not found in the Pali Text Society's
Pali-English Dictionary. It consists of about 100 pages in typescript, and
gives not only English renderings but textual references, etymology, and
analytical enumerations. At the BPS we are
now entering this glossary on computer disk with the intention of issuing a
printed edition, which we believe will be highly useful for Buddhist scholars
and students of the Pali texts. Our problem is that we have no clear idea of
how much demand there will be for such a glossary - rough estimates of the need
range from 25 copies to 10001 Thus we are unsure how many copies to print, or
even what method should be used to print it. To give us some idea
of the extent of the interest in this glossary, we would be grateful for your
cooperation. If you would be interested in acquiring this glossary for
yourself, please drop us a note to
Inform us. If you know of others who also might be interested, let us know
approximately how many others. Your response to this request is not an order,
but you will be given priority consideration when the glossary does become
available. Address your reply to The Editor at the BPS address. Thank you. Guidelines to Sutta Study
When the Buddha had
finished expounding his first discourse, there took place an event which bore
within itself a momentous significance. This event is described very succinctly
in the sutta, so succinctly in fact that a hasty reader might even skip over
it, yet upon its occurrence hung the future fate of the Buddha's mission in the
world. The description immediately follows the exposition of the discourse,
though it refers to the event as having taken place at some unspecified time in
the course of the sermon: "While the discourse was being expounded, there
arose in the venerable Kondanna the spotless, immaculate vision of the Dhamma:
"Whatever is subject to arising is all subject to cessation. This event, the
arising of the "vision of the Dhamma" in the venerable Kondanna, was
the obtaining of the first noble path, the path of stream-entry, which is also
the first glimpse of enlightenment. The goal of the Buddha's teaching, perfect
freedom from all defilements, cannot be achieved at a single stroke but must be
approached in four stages of realization - the four paths of stream-entry,
once-retum, non-retum and arahantship. Each of these paths eliminates a fixed
quantum of defilements, thereby making accessible a corresponding degree of
liberation designated the "fruit" of the path. Although the fourth
path eradicates the subtlest residue of defilements and thence brings the
practice of the Dhamma to completion with the "taindess deliverance of the
mind," the attainment of the first path precipitates the most important
inward transformation in the practitioner, which sets him irreversibly in the
direction of liberation. This path receives its name, stream-entry, because with
its attainment the disciple enters the stream of the Dhamma, which will lead
without fail to the final goal in a maximum of seven lives. Those who have not
reached this path remain puthujjanas, worldlings or
commoners, still subject to all the
uncertainties of aimless wandering in samsara. But with the attainment of the
path of stream-sentry, the practitioner undergoes a new spiritual birth,
entering the fold of the Buddha's noble disciples. The sutta describes
the attainment of the first path by way of its most distinctive characteristic,
as an experience of vision, "the spotless, immaculate vision of the
Dhamma." This vision, emerges from the insight contemplation of the three
characteristics - impermanence, suffering and not self - through which the venerable
Kondanna must have passed rapidly while he listened to the Buddha's discourse.
When this current of insight reaches its climax, it penetrates the
unconditioned element, Nibbana, simultaneously fathoming the radical
impermanence of everything conditioned: "Whatever is subject to arising is
all subject to cessation." The next portion of the sutta involves a shift
in attention. So far the focus has been on the Buddha teaching the five
ascetics, highlighting the concrete human framework within which the Dispensation
unfolds. Now the focus shifts to the vaster cosmic and universal dimension of
the teaching. When the discourse is completed, the gods in each tier of the
celestial hierarchy, who must have also been attending to the sermon, raise a
cry which they hear t. from the gods of the lower tier, until the same cry
resounds through the heavens up to the Brahma-world: "The matchless Wheel
of the Dhamma has been set rolling by the Blessed One, not to be stopped by any
recluse or brahmin or by anyone in the world." The ten-thousandfold world
system shakes and rocks and quakes, and a great measureless radiance appears
surpassing the divine splendour of the gods. Then, just as
suddenly as the sutta's spotlight had been expanded to take in this panorama of
celestial glory, with equal suddenness we are again brought back to the
concrete human dimension with the Buddha's joyful exclamation: "Kondanna
has understood! Kondanna has understood!" For the Buddha this one event,
almost eclipsed by the cosmic epiphany, must have been a cause of deep
consolation. It confirmed his trust that with all their imperfections human
beings could comprehend the Dhamma, and thence that his sojourn in the world as
a spiritual teacher would in time bring forth abundant fruit.
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