Those Who Believe In Mysterious Performance Are Not True Buddhists

Those Who Believe In Mysterious Performance Are Not True Buddhists

By Ven. Horowpothane Sathindriya Thera –

“This Dhamma that I have discovered is deep, hard to see, hard to understand, peaceful and sublime, not within the sphere of reasoning, subtle, to be experienced by the wise. But this generation delights in adhesion, takes delight in adhesion, and rejoices in adhesion. For such a generation this state is hard to see, that is, specific conditionality, dependent origination. And this state too is hard to see, that is, the stilling of all formations, the relinquishment of all acquisitions, the destruction of craving, dispassion, cessation, Nibbana.”

“Surveying the world with the eye of a Buddha, the Blessed one saw beings with little dust in their eyes and with much dust in their eyes, with keen faculties and with dull faculties, with good qualities and with bad qualities, easy to teach and hard to teach, and a few who dwelt seeing blame and fear in the other world”

Above mentioned profound words of the Buddha which stated twenty-six centuries ago explicitly reveal and bring to light the authenticity and the purity of the Buddha-Dhamma. These words are more than enough to understand the essence of what the Buddha realized and compassionately encouraged us to practice.

For Buddhism, numerous interpretations and expositions have been given by foremost scholars and prominent intellectuals who have immensely studied Buddhism in the globe.

However, twenty-six centuries ago, DHAMMA-VINAYA is the exclusive and peculiar word the great Master, the Gotama Buddha has pronounced and proclaimed for the reality or the truth he founded.

Some scholars have characterized and distinguished the teachings of the Buddha as a way of life and philosophy. It is beyond modern philosophy and psychology.

It is the Path of Purification and Path of Freedom. Freedom from bondage to liberation. Freedom from cruelty to compassion. Freedom from misery to happiness. This is the essence and principle of Buddhism.

It is impossible to define and describe what Buddha said in few words. As a Buddha, he has delivered innumerable discourses in his 45 years of incumbency.

DHAMMA – the truth – is what he realized and pointed out as advice for all who want to get rid of suffering.

VINAYA- discipline- is what the Blessed One compassionately constituted as disciplinary codes and standards of behaviour for those of his followers who go forth from home life to take up the quest for release in greater resolution and enthusiasm.

In the present, so-called Buddhist countries and born Buddhists wherever they live, even abroad, they have added their own cultural aspects and practices with Buddhism.

Some cultural values and ethnic practices are acceptable and admirable. Some of them are controversial and inconsistent with what the Buddha said.

We are in the climax of the development of science and advancement of technology now. We call it is the New Millennium and Digital Age.

Specially, we are in a global village now. Whatever it happens in any part of the world will swiftly fly and spread all over the world in a nanosecond.

Our young generation is well equipped with the knowledge of modern science and well advanced in nanotechnology. When they curiously question and challenge us to find what exactly the great master the Buddha said. Now outdated rites and rituals are critically questioned and severely challenged by youth. If it is not compatible and agreeable with the true words of the Buddha, we are lost for words.

We should be wise and mindful when we perform some cultural rites and rituals in the name of Buddhism.

In Buddha Dhamma, generosity, morality, and practice of mindfulness are the key and paramount factors should be practiced for lay followers of the Buddha. Morality, tranquillity, and wisdom are the prime and leading qualities that monks and nuns (lifetime dedicated disciples of the Buddha) should practice. It is commendable that there are virtuous and exemplary monks and lay disciples are in our society, but they are silently and devotedly practice according to Buddha’s instructions.

Unfortunately, now Buddhism has been politicized and modified by some hypocritical politicians and monks who support corrupt politicians to make innocent citizens fool and mislead. It is completely contrary to what the Buddha said.

Unfortunately, most born Buddhists think and accept what these hypocrites do, but in Buddha-Dhamma there is no room at all for these blind faiths and beliefs.

Be wise to understand what the Buddha said and be honest to be a pragmatic disciple of the Buddha.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious respiratory and vascular disease. It is currently an ongoing global pandemic. There are no proven vaccines or specific treatments for COVID-19 yet, though several are in development. Preventive measures are the only precautions at this high-risk situation. The magnitude of spreading and transmission is massive, unimaginable and unpredictable.

Selfishness is the prime and leading hindrance and impediment to this pandemic disease rapidly spreading all over the world. Everyone should be kind and compassionate.

Diligently follow the rules and guidelines and observe the advice given by health professionals.

In order to contain and mitigate this transmission, none of them applied or performed any religious or mysterious activity in New Zealand and Australia, except following preventive measures.

India is the country which numerous mysterious performances are massively and extensively practiced but now they are in grave and critical situations.

Blessing ceremonies and performing religious activities would be helpful for mental health and psychological comforts but for virus or any other disease need to find proper medical treatment.

Once the Buddha said:

“Bhikkhus, the mind is luminous, but it is defiled by adventitious defilements.”

We need to investigate ourselves and scrutinize ourselves. Introspection is the paramount factor in Buddha-Dhamma.

Be mindful of what you think, what you speak and what you do.

In Samyutta Nikaya, the connected Discourses of the Buddha, The Dhamma is defined thus:

“The Straight Way’ that path is called,

And ‘fearless’ is its destination.

The chariot is called ‘unrattling’,

Fitted with wheels of wholesome states.

“The sense of shame is its leaning board,

Mindfulness its upholstery;

I call the Dhamma the charioteer,

With right view running out in front.

“One who has such a vehicle-

Whether a man or a woman-

Has, by means of this vehicle,

Drawn close to Nibbana.”

We should endeavour to perform wholesome activities which our great spiritual teacher encouraged us to carry out and perform.

Wholesome deeds will pave the way to innermost peace and happiness.

May all beings be well and happy.

Those Who Believe In Mysterious Performance Are Not True Buddhists

COMMENTS

Ferryman / November 8, 2020

Just because of a few, it is best not to extrapolate over the entire spectrum of Buddhists or any other group, for that matter. There are many in the silent majority who do not display their adherence publicly to the true philosophy, and just as the philosophy itself requires, calmly go their way.

It is in times of crisis that all these fervent prayers and idol worship results, as a throwback when our ancestors worshipped gods of thunder and lightning and every god of ” whatever”, because of fear. Now new forms of god have been instituted, so the people in fear, worship, or revere, in the hope that something good will come. It is in the nature of things that some percentage of any event or catastrophe will be favourable, and that is ascribed to divine intervention, while the ones that still remain unfavourable, are given various excuses to absolve the god. So in a bad storm, some will escape and then the devout say, “Thank God”, but those severely affected will just mourn.

So it is fear and hope that drives one to seek interventions, and the final situation is summed up as Clutching at a straw.
It is NOT only in SL that people are misled by delusions of external interventions.
See this: https://youtu.be/vyZpJX7Ww0M

Lasantha Pethiyagoda / November 7, 2020

 11 0

Mythology and superstition have been very successfully exploited by the Sri Lankan ruling class in cahoots with the major industrialists for many decades now. Although there are now 24 hours “Buddhist” channels on radio and TV, Buddhist practice is at an all-time low. It is in this backdrop, that the minister of health, who leads a body of professionals steeped in a scientific study (ie western medicine and allied sciences) who openly and blatantly attempts to fool the gullible masses that pots of water and plastic are thrown in rivers will destroy the covid-19 monster. It demonstrates the lengths these desperate individuals would go to keep the people roundly cheated.