By oneself alone is evil done, by oneself alone is one defiled, by oneself alone is evil not done, by oneself alone is one purified; purity and impurity belong to one, (and) no one can purify another. Dhammapada Verse 165
Synopsis
Some misunderstand Buddhism. Some others misinterpret Dhamma. Whether it is done on purpose or out of ignorance, The result is misleading. Buddhism is a pessimistic religion. Buddhism does not encourage economic prosperity. Buddhism has secret teachings. Buddhists are idol worshippers and they pray to the departed ones.
Buddhist monks go begging for alms. Everything happens because of past Kamma. Buddha is an incarnation of God. Arahants are selfish. These are some of the concepts which have been misinterpreted. Buddhism is for those with an inquiring mind. Let’s get together to dispel these misconceptions. Come with your question and let’s have a Q&A session.
“When this is, that is. This arising, that arises When this is not, that is not. This ceasing, that ceases.” (Dependent Origination / Paticcasamuppada) (S.II.28)
In today’s session, we clarify common misconceptions in Buddhism. Whether the teachings of the Buddha are misinterpreted out of ignorance or on purpose, the result is often misleading and leads to wrongful thinking and superstition. Let us begin with the few concepts that are very popular but are often misunderstood and misinterpreted. I think each of you have your own questions so we can have a Q&A session too. If you have any other doubts, we can discuss and develop a proper understanding of the teachings of the Buddha.
1. Buddha is an incarnation of a god
Many people, especially Hindus, believe that Buddha is an incarnation of one of their gods, Lord Vishnu. The Bhagavat16 Gita states that to protect the good, destroy the wicked and to establish the righteousness on earth, Vishnu will appear on earth from time to time. According to Hinduism, Buddha is one of the many incarnations of Vishnu. With utmost respect to their belief, Buddhism does not recognise Buddha as an incarnation of a god.
There are some Buddhists who wrongly believe Buddha as an incarnation of God. Some religions recognise or have claimed certain individuals to be messengers or the son of God, or being inspired by God. In this case, Buddha did not claim to be a messenger, a son or inspired by God.
Let me tell you a story that clearly illustrates this. One day, while walking on a sandy path, a brahmin noticed a rather unique footprint. An expert in physiognomy, the brahmin studied these unique marks and concluded that the owner of the imprint was not an ordinary human being. Trailing the footsteps, the curious brahmin arrived at the place where he found Buddha sitting under a tree, looking majestic, serene and peaceful.
With great respect, the brahmin approached the Buddha and asked, “Your Reverence, are you a God?” The Buddha replied, “No, I am not a God”. Then he asked again, “In that case, your Reverence, are you a Devil?” The Buddha replied, “No, I am also not a Devil”. Then the brahmin asked the third question, “Then Venerable Sir, are you a human being?” The Buddha replied, “No, I am not a human being”.
Confused, the Brahmin asked, “Then who are you?” Here Buddha replied, “If you think I am a god, I am not, as gods have greed, hatred, delusion and many defilements. I have eradicated these defilements and uprooted them. Therefore you cannot call me a god. Devils have defilements in their minds and I have eradicated all these defilements in my mind. Ordinary human beings also have greed, hatred and delusion and I have excluded and uprooted all these defilements so you cannot call me an ordinary human being. What you can call me is an enlightened human being, a perfectly pure human being - Buddha, the Awakened One.”
The Buddha then went on, “Cultivate the things that are to be cultivated, eradicate the things that are to be eradicated, understand the things that are to be understood. Therefore, brahmin, I am Buddha, the Enlightened One, the Awakened One”. Here, it clearly shows that he did not claim to be a god or messenger of God. Therefore it is wrong to state that Buddha is an incarnation of god.
2. Praying to the Buddha
Here is another misconception. Some say that we “pray” to Buddha. As Buddhists, we do not “pray” to the Buddha. We do not “pray” to him for something or forgiveness. So, what do the Buddhists do when they go to the temple? They are paying respect and homage to the Buddha, our Enlightened Teacher. Again, some say that Buddhists worship idols, that they worship the image of the Buddha.
Buddha statues are only but a symbol of the Buddha. We do not believe that any Buddha statue made of brick and clay can possess any supernatural power. It is just an image that helps us better concentrate as it represents the great qualities of the Buddha. So when a devotee bows down and pays respect in front of the Buddha’s statue, he is not praying or worshipping an idol with special powers.
When Buddhists visit the temple, they pay respect mentally, verbally and physically. We engage in devotional practices like bowing. Before we started this Dhamma talk, we all paid respect to the Buddha with three bows. This is the way we pay our highest respect to the teacher or parents in Eastern culture. In bowing, five points of our body come in contact with the ground - our knees, hands and forehead. When we bow with perfect mindfulness – thinking, I pay my respect to the Buddha, the Perfectly Enlightened One - this becomes a form of meditation.
3. Things Buddhists do at the temple
We recite Gatha or Stanzas, Sutta or Discourse. Contained in these utterances or verses is the Dhamma, the teachings of the Buddha. Buddhists are supposed to learn the meanings of what they are chanting. As we chant and contemplate upon the Dhamma, we cultivate mindfulness. When we recite Homage to the Buddha, we contemplate on the great qualities of the Buddha, His teachings and the noble communities of monks that make up the Triple Gem.
4. Offerings
When we offer light, flowers and incense, these offerings become symbolic representations of our meditation. When we offer light, we aspire for wisdom and to dispel darkness of delusion - “May I have the wisdom to dispel the darkness (delusion) from my mind”. When we offer flowers, we understand that despite their beauty and fragrance, these flowers are subject to change and will eventually fade away.
Just as our body will one day fade and die, as well as separate us from our loved ones. In doing so, we meditate upon the law of Anicca or Impermanence. Fragrance from burning incense symbolises the great virtuous qualities of the Buddha. When we offer incense, we aspire to develop great virtuous qualities like those of the Buddha. These are devotional practices which are helpful psychologically, mentally and physically, so as to develop ourselves on the path of Enlightenment. Thus, these devotional practices should not be misconstrued as merely idol worshipping.
5. Buddha statue
Another popular misconception is on the topic of Buddha statues. Some devotees ask, “Bhante, can you please open the eyes of the Buddha statue before I place it in my home?” This is again a misconception as they believe that the eyes of the statue must be ‘opened’ before we can start paying respects. There is no such thing in Buddhism. These beliefs may have evolved from religious and historical exchanges that have become interwoven into local culture over time.
The statue itself does not have any power. Do not have this misconception and become ignorant and foolish. These Buddha statues can be made of brick or even gold but it is only a symbol or image that represents the great Teacher. Please understand that this has never been the teaching of the Buddha. True power of the spiritual life is generated in your mind. When you set up a small Buddha shrine at home, it becomes a special place for you to practise meditation and chanting, and develop yourself on the path of the Buddhahood.
The statue of Buddha is very helpful as it reminds us to behave with utmost respect. We are mindful of everything we think, say or do, out of great respect for Buddha. We watch our mind and conduct as if the Buddha is right here with us. We come again to the topic of praying. Some say Buddhists pray to the departed ones. Buddhists do not pray, and do not believe in offering food and drink for the benefits of the departed ones.
Instead, Buddhism practises “sharing of merits” with the departed. So what is sharing of merits? Merit is a term for positive wholesome kammic energy that we generate in our mind whenever we do wholesome actions.
From the Buddhist point of view, the whole universe is made up of energy forms. We believe energy can be transferred from one being to another. A human being is in essence a collected and compounded form of forces and energies. Beyond death, what goes from this life to the next life is also energies. So whether they are living or dead, energies can still be shared.
Therefore, Buddhists do not pray but instead share the merits with their departed ones. Suppose your father and mother passed away, and when it is time for you to commemorate their death anniversary after a year or two, what do you do? You have the picture of your mother or father, and you light up a lamp and offer some flowers. By offering these flowers or by lighting up a lamp, you are paying respect to them like you are paying respect to the Buddha. You should not misunderstand that you are praying to the departed father or mother.
Buddhists usually do meritorious deeds in the names of the departed ones and there are four steps to share merits: First and foremost, sharing merit begins in our mind. We need to have a compassionate, pure and positive mind which is free from defilements at that moment we do the meritorious deed. With lots of good thoughts in our mind, we do a meritorious deed. The second step is when we do a meritorious deed, we become very happy. The mind becomes very powerful and luminous. This luminous power of the mind is known as merits. Having done a good deed, what do we do next?
The third step is with a happy mind, we think of the departed mother or father or other departed ones, and radiate our collected thoughts towards the departed ones and share these merits. May they be well and happy! Keep on thinking and radiating this way. This is mind to mind communication and radiation of our own mental energy. This is what we call ‘sharing of merits’ with departed ones. The fourth step is after sharing merits, you should rejoice having shared these merits. We should not misinterpret this act of gratitude and compassion by thinking that Buddhists pray to the departed ones. Buddhists pay respects to the departed loved ones like they do with their parents and teachers, remembering them with respect and gratitude.
6. Alms rounds
Another very popular misconception is that Buddhist monks beg for alms. Buddhist monks do not beg. They are not supposed to beg at all, as they are not supposed to ask for anything from anyone except under specific circumstances. According to the Vinaya, a monk can only make a request to his parents and very close relatives and/or a devotee who offers as such, “Venerable Sir, if you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask from me.”
If the said individual makes this offer to a monk, only then is the monk allowed to make a request from that individual. This request must also be made under special conditions and circumstances. Other than that, monks are not supposed to make any requests. Have you seen monks walking from house to house, carrying their alms bowls? You do not see it in Singapore but in countries like Thailand, it is a common sight.
What do the monks usually do? They carry their alms bowls and go from one house to another in noble silence. They stand in front of the house for a short period of time, maybe for a few minutes, and if someone offers something to the monk, then the monk silently accepts it. If not, he moves on. When he accepts the food, he wishes success to all, blesses the devotee and goes to the next house. When he thinks he has collected enough food, he returns to the monastery. This is the practice of going for alms.
7. Merits sharing
There is a superstition related to the sharing of merits. Some Buddhists believe that the blessing service for joyous occasions such as weddings and birthdays should not include the sharing of merits for the departed ones. This is a common misconception among some of the Sinhalese and Chinese devotees at our temple. There is nothing in Buddhism that associates itself with these superstitions. Buddhism always encourages sharing of merits out of goodwill and compassion. Whether it is your wedding day, birthday or any other important event, it is a day for you to remember your departed beloved father, mother and other loved ones. It is perfectly alright to share the merits with them.
8. Buddhism is a pessimistic religion
The list of misconceptions is abounding. Some people say that Buddhism is a pessimistic religion. Some think that Buddhism is a world-renouncing religion, that it does not encourage economic prosperity. This is not true. Another common misconception is that everything happens because of kamma. Some may believe that children are born because of the parents’ kamma.
Since I invited all of you to this Q&A session, perhaps you may have your own questions to clarify. We will spend the rest of our time clarifying these misconceptions. I just brought up these few points as a way to start this discussion session. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to ask as I open this session for Q&A.
Question 1: One of the commonly-asked questions from my friends is: Can a Buddhist eat meat?
Bhante’s Answer: Buddhists are supposed to uphold the five righteous principles. First of the principles is “I undertake the precept to train myself not to kill any living beings”. This precept itself establishes the right to live of every living being. Regardless of circumstances, Buddhists are always against violence and killing.
With this understanding, being vegetarian is not compulsory but encouraged. Buddha did not make it a rule to either lay people or ordained communities of monks or nuns that they should be vegetarians. Venerable Devadatta requested Buddha to make it a compulsory Vinaya rule for all the monks and nuns to be vegetarians. Buddha rejected it and replied that if monks wish to be vegetarian, they can observe the practice. If they do not want to, then they do not have to observe it.
The reason given here by Buddha is stated in a discourse known as Jivaka Sutta. Jivaka was a royal doctor who asked the Buddha, “Venerable Sir, is it alright for the monks to consume meat or fish?”
The Buddha answered, “If a monk see, hears or suspects a living being subject to slaughter and he thinks this living being is being slaughtered to prepare his food, he should not partake in the food because his mind is already defiled.” Other than that, a monk eats to keep this body living and going on. Whenever he eats, he should remind himself that “I do not consume this food to enjoy myself or to keep this body strong or to indulge the sense faculties. I eat to keep this body alive in order to lead a righteous way of life, to practise the Dhamma, to help others to practise.” This is the purpose of food to a monk or a nun.
We have to understand that the Buddha always encouraged vegetarianism, which is not compulsory. As for your question on whether Buddhists can consume meat, there is no specific rule that prohibits eating meat. But remember, it is always encouraged that you consume foods without violating any of the precepts, without breaking or harming other living beings directly or indirectly. You may not kill, but some people can argue that when you eat meat, you are indirectly supporting killing. There is no rule even for ordained disciples to be vegetarians but it is always encouraged.
On the other hand, those who go to “live” seafood restaurants to order this crab or that fish are directly responsible for killing. This is clearly negative kamma, an act that produces unwholesome kammic energy. If Buddhists eat fish or meat that have already been prepared, we cannot say that person is creating negative kammic energy and violating a precept even though we can argue that indirectly that person supports killing.
Question 2: On the topic of eating meat, as Buddhists, we are taught not to kill. Therefore, it is very difficult to reconcile the lack of a rule to prohibit the consumption of meat yet we are encouraged to be vegetarians. Is it like saying “You can kill but you are encouraged not to kill”. These two doesn’t reconcile and I think it disturbs a lot of Buddhists in that sense.
Bhante’s Answer: It is very clear we do not encourage any form of killing, whether directly or indirectly. This is a precept and we must always strive to uphold this principle. I do not want to use the word “prohibited” because in Buddhism, we do not have laws. The practice of precepts is motivated by oneself through right understanding. Why do we use the word ‘encourage’ here? It is because when we say Pānātipātā vēramani sikkhāpadam samādiyāmi - we observe the precept to train oneself not to kill. It is not “Thou shall not kill” as it is not a law.
The Buddha reasoned that it is good and worthy for a wise human being to refrain from killing. Why? Just as we do not wish to be killed, other living beings also do not wish to be killed. Just as we do not like to be tortured and harmed, other living beings too do not want to be tortured and harmed. Therefore as intelligent and compassionate human beings, it is wise for us to refrain from killing. Killing generates dark, unwholesome kammic energy. This in turn brings harm and danger for yourself in this life and lives to come. Besides, it has been seen that killing almost always brings disaster and calamity to society. It is very well understood that this is not a rule, but a training precept that we undertake with the right understanding.
In the same token, vegetarianism is encouraged in Buddhism but is not compulsory. Why? If you make it compulsory, Buddhism will be confined to a small minority. Suppose today you are not a vegetarian, but the door is still opened to you to practise Buddhism. You start your practices, cultivate precepts and learn to meditate. In time, you start cultivating great compassion and love in your mind. Eventually you will develop a higher consciousness and reflect upon how consuming meat and fish is in fact encouraging killing. This realisation will gradually lead you to become a pure vegetarian out of great compassion and wisdom.
Consider this: If being vegetarian is made compulsory, many people will not be given a chance to develop the path of understanding Buddhist teachings, and eventually change. This is why Buddhism opens its doors to all, including criminals and murderers. Whatever evil, wicked, immoral and unwholesome things you have done in your life, Buddhism still keeps the door open to all.
That is why Angulimala, during Buddha’s time, who killed almost a thousand people, eventually realised his mistakes and became an enlightened monk. Vegetarianism is not even compulsory for Buddhist monks and nuns. If Buddha made vegetarianism compulsory for a monk or nun, they might not be able to practise. Buddhism encourages the interdependence of the community of monks, nuns and lay people. This allows the opportunity to learn and practise the Dhamma. So if the devotees offer fish, the monks had to accept fish as food to survive. If a monk were to insist on being vegetarian, he may not be able to survive as vegetarianism is not part of the diet of the local community where the monk is living in.
What is important here is the purity of your mind! Have you heard of Adolf Hitler? Hitler was a vegetarian. The point that I am making is that one can be a vegetarian but still be evil, wicked and unwholesome. In spite of being a vegetarian, Hitler’s mind, actions and words were impure, and he brought a lot of destruction to the world. On the other hand, there may be people who are not vegetarians, but do not harm or kill living beings. Whatever he eats, his mind is full of compassion, goodwill and friendship. Which one is more superior in the practical sense? Just because someone is vegetarian does not mean he is pure. Likewise, it does not mean we discourage vegetarianism. The emphasis is on the qualities of the mind!
Question 3: Can you elaborate more on the understanding of the word “Equanimity”?
Bhante’s Answer: The word “equanimity” here means “balanced mind”. In the world that we live in, we face eight worldly conditions no one can escape from. These are known as: Lābha - Gain, Alābha - Loss, Yasa - Fame, Ayasa - Infamy, Pasamsā - Praise, Nindā - Blame, Sukha - Happiness, and Dukkha - Pain
Lābha and Alābha refer to the gain and loss of material wealth. Yasa and Ayasa mean that there are people who will praise us and there will also be people who will attempt to destroy our reputation. Pasamsā and Nindā means there will be people who abuse and scold you and there will also be people who praise you in your presence. There will also be those who speak well about you and there are others who talk bad about you behind your back.
Sukha and Dukkha refer to the happiness and pleasure, and physical and mental suffering you experience in this world. All these are known as the eight worldly conditions everyone faces.
When we face these eight worldly conditions, our mind is often thrown into frenzy, making us mentally and sometimes even physically unstable. When we develop equanimity, we develop a healthy and balanced mind that cannot be easily shaken or disturbed. Maintain this balance of mind when you come across the ups and downs of mortal life. Equanimity is not something you achieve by simply observing, but by cultivating the mind through meditation. One purpose of meditation is to achieve equanimity.
Equanimity is also a factor when your mind is developed at different stages of jhana. Equanimity is one of the factors that is developed in the fourth Jhana level. The mind is developed through meditation and when your mind has achieved the fourth Jhana, a very refined level, equanimity becomes a powerful factor here. Equanimity is a quality that potential Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have to cultivate to attain Enlightenment. It is a quality that we can develop not only through meditation but also by understanding the Dhamma in our day-to-day life. In everyday life, we need equanimity. Whether you are in the office or with your family, you can start to cultivate gross level equanimity and eventually work towards refining this through deeper insight meditation.
The word “equanimity” or “Upekkhā” is used here, but on a different level. Equanimity is the seventh factor in the seven factors of Enlightenment. I hope you now understand the importance of equanimity. We should not mistake equanimity for indifference. It is a positive attitude and mental state, not a negative one.
Question 4: In Christianity, God is the creator and Adam and Eve were the first human beings God made on earth. In Buddhism, we believe that whatever we do in this life will determine the rebirth of our next life, for example, as an animal or a human being. From the Buddhist point of view, how did life first come about?
Bhante’s Answer: In Buddhism, we do not dwell on the origin of life. Yes, many religions talk about the first cause. Instead, Buddhism talks about Condition Genesis, the theory of Paticca Samuppāda, the nature of interdependence. Buddhism recognises this whole universe is interdependent. In this interdependent arising process, not only one cause but many causes can come together to create something. Often, there is a cause which becomes the effect and effect subsequently becomes the cause for the next sequence of events to come.
In this way, it goes round and round. In this process and complex web of cause and effect, it is impossible to define the first cause. As such, Buddhism does not concern itself with the first cause related to life or the origin of the universe as it is impossible to see the beginning of this circle of existence. According to the Buddha, we have been wandering in this circle of existence for a vast period of time. Buddha gave an example of a person looking to find the beginning of his existence.
Suppose this great earth is reduced to small clay balls and one man kept these clay balls aside, one by one, and one clay ball represented his father, and he kept another one aside that represented his father’s father, and another one aside that represents his father’s father’s father. In this way, he will go back to find out his origin. Buddha said sooner or later, this great earth will be used up, but still, that person will still not be able to find the beginning of his own origin.
According to Buddha, in this process of moving from one realm to the next, we have been born and deceased countless times. We have wandered for such a long time and if someone were to collect the bones of a single person in this cycle of existence, the pile of bones will be greater than the highest mountain on this earth. In this process, we have cried and lamented a lot when we lost our mother, father and loved ones. If someone collected these tears, the amount of tears will be greater than the water of the greatest ocean. This is why Buddhism never talks about the beginning of the universe or beginning of this cycle of existence. Some may not be satisfied with this explanation.
Among them was a monk named Malunkyaputta. He had asked Buddha 10 questions which Buddha chose not to answer. Right from the beginning, no one has been able to answer these questions. In the future, no one can give the answers either. At most, there will be speculation. Even with such advanced science and technology, scientists have not been able to fully establish the beginning of the universe. Instead Buddha explains clearly about Condition Genesis. It is a process when cause becomes effect and effect in turn becomes the next cause.
In this intricate, complex web, how we can find the beginning? Some religions do mention about the beginning, but Buddhism instead focuses on the present. The essence of Buddhism is to find a solution to cease this “wandering” way of life between different realms. It is because of greed, hatred and delusion that we continue to drift across different realms. Buddhism teaches us how to eradicate greed, hatred and delusion and bring this wandering to an end. The end of all the suffering and misery is perfect Enlightenment.
Question 5: Buddha is born in the form of a man and some rituals can only be performed by men, for example, the holding of relics or offering the five colours. Is it because Buddhism feels that men are superior to women?
Bhante’s Answer: In the history of Buddhas, we have not come across any female Buddha. We only come across male Buddhas. It is always a man that becomes a Buddha. The Theravādan tradition also maintains this concept. However, it is recognised that both men and women can become enlightened if they cultivate the great qualities of being a Buddha. There is no discrimination in gaining Enlightenment. But when it comes to Supreme Buddhahood, it is said both men and women can cultivate the great qualities (the 10 Perfections) in order to become supremely enlightened.
Eventually in the final birth as a bodhisattva to attain enlightenment, it is said that person will be born a male and thus will attain enlightenment as a man. The simple reason is that this is a male-dominated world, so even if a woman becomes a Buddha, she may not be able to establish the Dispensation, i.e. the Orders of the Monastics.
The importance of the Sammā Sambuddha or the Supremely Enlightened Buddha can be recognised in two ways. The Supremely Enlightened Buddha is the re-discoverer of the lost path, or the one who rediscovers the Truth (the Dhamma). Next, they are the ones who proclaim to the world and establish the Dispensation again. This is the unique purpose of the Supremely Enlightened Buddha. There are three types of Buddha; the Arahant Buddha, the Pacceka Buddha and the Sammā Sambuddha. Arahant Buddha follows the instructions of the Supremely Enlightened Buddha. Monks, nuns and lay people who become enlightened are known as Arahant Buddhas.
The word “Buddha” means enlightened. Arahants are also enlightened beings and there is no discrimination between male or female. They can all become enlightened. The Pacceka Buddha is also known as “Silent Buddha”. When the teachings of the Supremely Enlightened Buddha cease to exist, these Silent Buddhas will arise, especially in the gloomy, dark period of the universe where no one knows of the Dhamma. These Pacceka Buddhas will rise in the human world, even though this path is lost and the teachings of the Buddha have disappeared from the world. Even though the teachings have disappeared, there will still be a few who will find this path. They become enlightened alone but cannot propagate the Dhamma as the world is too steeped in materialism and delusion to accept the Dhamma.
So they gain enlightenment and pass away. They are known as “Silent Buddhas”. Why are they known as silent? Because no one knows they have attained enlightenment. They are mostly human beings although other beings too can become silent Buddhas. Sammā Sambuddha, or the Supremely Enlightened Buddha, is unique beings who rise after a long, long period of time. Their sole purpose is to discover the truth and establish the Dispensation, to make it known to the world. They make the Dispensation ‘alive’ again and establish a proper way for humans to follow and to attain Enlightenment. Bodhisattvas are beings cultivating to become Sammā Sambuddha.
These Buddhas are the ones who always appear as men. Eventually it may change, when a female-dominated world arises. A female Buddha can then establish the Dispensation. For now, the most probable reason is that in a male-dominated society, it makes sense for a man to establish the Dispensation. No reason was given in the Dhamma and when we study the chronological history of Buddhas, they were all men.
Question 6: I was told that Guan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) is one of the many manifestations of Buddha, is that right?
Bhante’s Answer: This Q&A session is based on Early Buddhist point of view. As such, I will not elaborate on the different interpretations of Theravāda, Mahayana or Vajrayana traditional schools. Although I am from the Theravāda tradition, I will focus on the early teachings of the Buddha.
Today‘s Q&A session is in reference to basic and original Suttas available in Pāḷi. From this point of view, Bodhisattva means “one who is cultivating to become enlightened”. “Bodhi” means enlightened, and “Sattva” means living being. Whoever cultivates to become a Perfectly Enlightened Buddha, that person is known as Bodhisattva. In this context, Bodhisattva may be among human beings or divine beings or they may be gods in other realms. Whatever realm they are living in, they dedicate themselves to cultivating the ten great qualities of a Bodhisattva.
Therefore from this early Buddhist point of view, Bodhisattvas are not yet recognised as enlightened beings, but are cultivating to become enlightened. If they wished so, they can easily be enlightened by following the teachings of the Buddha. But their vow is to be a perfectly enlightened Supreme Buddha. To achieve that perfectly enlightened Supreme Buddhahood, they cultivate these great qualities for an incalculable period of time. From the early Buddhist point of view, Bodhisattva is not yet seen as enlightened. But remember, “Enlightened” here refers to one who has eradicated greed, hatred and delusion. We do not mean one who is intelligent.
Sometimes when I give Dhamma talks, and at the end of the talk, someone will say, “Thank you Venerable for your enlightening talk”. It basically means making people understand. It does not mean that we have eradicated greed, hatred and delusion.
Question 7: Bhante, you teach us the five Precepts and encourage people to keep to it. How about choosing one from these five Precepts to keep it? Can we do that?
Bhante’s Answer: These five Precepts were established by the Buddha for human beings to create a noble, civilised society where everyone can live peacefully and harmoniously. Today, there are countless human beings who do not keep these five Precepts. Suppose one does not practise five Precepts, but practises only four Precepts. This person is still greater than someone who practises three or two Precepts. Even if a person only practises one Precept, this person is still better than others who do not practise any. Our target, advice and suggestion are to keep the five Precepts. If you cannot keep the five Precepts, at least try to have four Precepts. Even one Precept is still better than none.
Question 8: But is it good to choose from the five Precepts or try our best to keep the five Precepts?
Bhante’s Answer: You should try your best to keep and follow the five Precepts, not blindly but with the right understanding. Having convinced yourself, and not because somebody asked you to or because the Buddha said so - but because you fully understand why the Buddha said so! Having realised it yourself, you will find it easier to follow when you understand the reason and benefits of practising it.
Of course, Buddhism recognises there are four realities in the world: Kiccho manussapaṭilābho To be born as a human being is difficult Kicchaṃ macchāna jīvitaṃ To lead a righteous way of life is difficult Kicchaṃ saddhammasavanaṃ To come across the teachings of Buddha is rare as it may one day disappear from the world Kiccho buddhānaṃ uppādo The arising of a Buddha is also equally rare
So, among the four rare and difficult realities of the world, leading a righteous way of life is one of them. It is true when people say it is difficult to practise Buddhism because it is for you to train yourself to become a most supreme and noble human being on the earth - One who is completely free from greed, hatred and delusion, and is full of compassion and wisdom. That is why you need a lot of patience to cultivate.
Question 9: I have encountered Dhamma talks almost everywhere but never at a funeral. I have attended quite a few Buddhist funerals where the monks (be it from Mahayana or Theravāda traditions) come, chant and then leave. This actually creates a misconception of Buddhism. Can you please explain why is Buddhism unlike Christianity where the pastor conducts a sermon and explain the teachings from the Bible?
Bhante’s Answer: I am very sure you have not attended a funeral conducted by the monks of this temple. In our tradition, conducting a Dhamma talk is a must at a funeral. Whether you come to the temple to offer food to the monks at breakfast and lunch, during wedding or birthdays for blessings, we take every opportunity to teach the Dhamma. In our Sri Lankan culture and tradition, we have Dhamma talks everyday at the funeral wake up to the hour before cremation in addition to the usual chanting. On the seventh day after cremation, the family will organise a special Dhamma talk in their house which is known as “Matakabana”, a seventh day Dhamma talk.
In the third month, they organize another Dhamma talk known as “Matakabana” in memory of the departed. When the year is up, another Dhamma talk, and then from there we have annual Dhamma talks. We can try to inculcate this practice to other traditions to encourage them to do the same. In fact, the time during a funeral is the most suitable to talk about the Dhamma.
Question 10: Bhante, you started the talk mentioning about God and also on a few other occasions. Am I right to assume that Buddhism does not believe in God?
Bhante’s Answer: By the word ‘the God’, do you mean the Creator God? (Reply from audience: I do not know, as God is so loosely used).
Maybe we need to explain on the concept of god in Buddhism. Buddhism does not accept the concept of a Creator God. This is the almighty being believed to have made human beings including the planets and this universe, and everything that happens is dependent on the will of this Creator God. In a way, you can call Buddhism an Atheist religion. Instead, we believe that there are many beings other than human beings. We use the Pāḷi word ‘Deva’ for these divine beings, sometimes referred to as gods. However these divine beings are not Creator Gods.
These divine beings are living beings, like you and me. Anybody can be born as divine being if you do good, be good and practise good. Buddhism recognizes 31 Realms of Existence. Out of the 31 Realms of Existence, four realms are recognized as unhappy lower realms. The other 27 realms are recognized as happy, pleasurable realms. Except the human realm, the other 26 happy realms are known as divine realms. Beings are born in these realms based on the wholesome kammic energy that they cultivate and accrue in their lifetime.
However, like all other realms, life in the divine realm is not permanent. After their kammic energy is depleted, these beings may be born elsewhere. In spite of their wholesome kammic energy that has resulted in them being born in the divine realm, these divine beings are not free from greed, hatred and delusion. Divine beings are not necessarily more intelligent than human beings. There can also be very ignorant divine beings. Divine beings are like human beings. Some can be virtuous or wicked, with different types of character and temperament. Just because they are born in the divine realm does not mean that divine beings are more superior.
The only difference is that their lifespan is longer than ours and they are more superior to us when it comes to happiness and gratifying their sense faculties. As far as wisdom, intelligence and morality is concerned, humans and divine beings are on equal ground. Buddhism recognises that a morally upright human being who cultivates virtuous qualities may be highly respected by divine beings. Nowhere in Buddhism are human beings considered inferior and divine beings superior. We are always moving from one realm to the other realm. Today you may be a divine being, tomorrow you may be born as a human being or even an animal. Today you are a human being and tomorrow after death, you may be born as divine being or even a hungry ghost. It does not mean that since one is born in this realm, one will be there forever. It all depends on the kammic energy. This is the Buddhist concept of gods. But remember, we do not accept the concept of a Creator God. If somebody asks if Buddhists believe in God, you should say, “The concept of god in Buddhism is different” and explain. Because if you say we do not believe in god, or even accept the concept of god, you are wrong. You need to elaborate and clarify this misconstrued god concept in Buddhism. Before explaining, you need to understand what the other party means by “God”. If it is a Creator God or Almighty God who is eternal, all powerful and who created everything in the universe, then we do not subscribe to this idea. However, Buddhism recognizes the existence of divine beings that have various kinds of power and qualities and are subject to kammic energy like all other beings.
Selected Dhamma Talks in 2011 by Venerable K. Rathanasara Sri Lankaramaya Buddhist Temple 30C, St. Michael Road Singapore 328002