Last week, as we all know, was Halloween and it's my first time I actually kind of joining the celebration. A couple of points struck me. First is I was reflecting how various religions, especially what are called the world religions or the great traditions, kind of adopt and adapt such celebrations and it becomes part of the religion. And that's a very important aspect of a living world religion. And I was thinking about Christmas, actually. It's not actually Christian. It's got to do with the winter solstice, and it became a very major celebration today. I was thinking of it in a good sense, in a positive sense, how, as I said, religion established themselves by adopting the ways of the people. So I was very happy to see the members of the center here.

[01:04]

kind of a celebrating Halloween in a Buddhist way, to remember our ancestors. And the second point is, I heard at least one person talking about the neighborhood, how children, young and old, would come to the door to sing Trick or Treat. And there's a kind of arrangement where If the lights are on, that means you could come in, come to the door, if the lights are off, that means we have no more suites left, things like that. And it's a very happy neighborhood, it's a safe neighborhood, it's a very good place to live in. I went to another part of Berkeley, but when I asked the person that they should celebrate Halloween, they said, oh no, it's not very safe here. So I thought, yeah, I mean, this part, this Russell Street is a very safe area, a very suitable place to live in. I'm saying this because it's got to do with our study today. It's a great blessing, it's a supreme, most auspicious fortune, or a good omen even if you like, to live in a suitable locality.

[02:15]

Now this next verse we are doing that is verse three, three in the brackets, it forms a set with the previous verse and I'll show you how the set forms in a while. Now the next point is, and having done good in the past, now at first glance this will look like past karma. One way of looking at this is, the moment we say now, it's gone, it's already in the past. So when you do a good deed, it's already in the past. That's one way of looking at it. But there's another important aspect here. It means the various good deeds we have done builds up and in due course it becomes the root or the basis for Buddhahood. People have said that, well, you know, we should not be too worried about merit, things like that.

[03:24]

Well, in a way, they are right, because too much... the idea of thinking of accumulating merit alone can cause greed in doing good deeds, and that's the wrong intention. But on the other hand, a proper attitude towards the accumulation of merit is very important on the path of Buddhahood. Now, if the intention is proper, then it is called building up one's paramitas, sometimes translated as perfection or virtues. There are special virtues of the Bodhisattva. And it's not just accumulating merit, it's actually, say for example, when you give, you give in such a way that it is so refined, so advanced, that it's very difficult to find a peer to that kind of giving. And that's the life of a Bodhisattva. So when so much of such perfection or such virtues build up, the end result is a Buddha. So this is one way of looking at this line.

[04:28]

Now the third line says, and setting oneself on the right course. Here is a kind of self-examination. What have I done in the past? If there's something wrong, let me write it. In other words, more like looking at the present in relation to the future. These three, plus the whole set of the previous verse, not associating with fools and so on, if you take that as a set, not associating with fools, but associating with the wise and honouring those worthy of honour, as one set, that is summarised as association with true individuals, satpurisa, or satpurusha in Sanskrit, The term Saparissa is very interesting here. I think many Asian philosophies have this idea of a perfect person or, well I'm using a rather sexist language, a gentleman, or a gentle person if you like, an ideal person, a true individual.

[05:42]

The term true individual perhaps is more neutral here. So the verse 2 here, 2 in brackets, or Sutani Pata 259 if you use the reference on the right hand, refers to the association with the true individual. So that's 1, and then the next 3. The following three blessings, living in suitable localities, and having done good in the past, and setting oneself on the right course. These, as a set, are called the four wheels, chakra. Now they're called four wheels because they form part of a chariot or a vehicle leading you to prosperity. That's why it says prosperity, that's what the text says. So it's a very down-to-earth teaching for laypeople here. And this section is so popular, it's quoted in a number of places in the other sections of the sutras.

[06:44]

Now let's go a little deeper here. Recently in one of my Buddhism classes, this professor told us a rather interesting point. He was talking about nature of being, nature of existence, and asking questions. He was talking about three ways of asking questions. And we can ask these three questions and we all have the same answer. And there are three very basic, very essential questions about ourselves. Where am I? What am I? What am I doing? Now all these questions, according to him, have the same answer. Now, of course, I won't be giving you the answer. You have to reflect on this. When you ask each of these questions and you think about the answers, you find that you come to the same answer. Now, there's another interesting relationship here.

[07:49]

This is my own idea. I find it connects so beautifully. Living in suitable localities. The question is, where am I? So you ask yourself, where am I? Am I living in a suitable locality? Then, having done good in the past, what am I? What am I now? Then, setting oneself on the right course, what am I doing? So now I leave it to you to relate, to reflect on this, because that aspect is very useful if you spend some time letting your mind just move around such thoughts. Like a koan, if you like. Now, of course, on a more technical level, suitable locality has quite a number of meanings, quite a number of aspects. Basically it means, in traditional terms, it means a place where there are the three jewels, the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha.

[09:05]

Let's start with the Sangha first. If there is a Sangha around, it's a very patirupa, patirupa is the Pali word or Sanskrit word, a suitable place to live in. For obvious reasons, you could practice. There's a kind of happy atmosphere. There are spiritual friends. There are no fools around, or less fools around. There are more wise people around. And there are those who are worthy of honor. So I hope you can notice the way the sutra builds up. In fact, You may get the impression that each of these items or each of these omens or blessings are separate items, but they are not really. They are different ways of looking at the same dharma. So far we have talked about eight blessings, but actually there are eight ways of looking at the same thing.

[10:09]

So, there is a sangha. we could get teachings from the Sangha, we could relate to people and be happy and so on. What about the Dharma? Well, the Dharma, where the Sangha is present, the Dharma is also present. Without the Dharma, there is no Sangha, so they're kind of connected in that way. Now, when it comes to the Buddha, it's a bit problematic for us today because we know the historical Buddha passed away. over 2,000 years ago. But then, the point is, we are living during the time of a dispensation of the Buddha. Here, dispensation or sasana means that we can still remember his teaching, and if we make an effort, we can still find the teaching. Now, what is interesting is, in Buddhism anyway, in Asian culture in general, there is really, strictly speaking, no word for religion. It is even said that the term religion is a term invented by scholars, and only scholars talk about it.

[11:17]

So what has happened is, in modern terms, we use the word sāsana for religion. But sāsana simply means teaching, or news, if you like. Sāsana. So kind of, the Buddha comes and teaches. That's good news. And it's something to be practiced. So, the Buddha has come, his teaching is still there, and we also know in traditional Buddhism that the teaching is more important than the Buddha. Even the Buddha himself has said that many times in the text. For example, when the Buddha passed away, and Ananda was approached by the chief minister of Magadha, Now, he is a politician, so he is rather curious how such a big movement like the Sangha managed to maintain unity. Someone should write a study on how the politicians made use of the Buddha in his own time, actually.

[12:24]

There are some other interesting points which I don't think I can go into today because of time constraints. So, this Chief Minister, I.S. Ananda, who is our leader now? With the Buddha having entered nirvana, or having attained nirvana, or parinirvana to be more exact, has he appointed anyone? Another replied, no. And then how do you govern yourself? Then another said, well, the Dharma is our principle. It's our refuge. So, in other words, the Dharma is what decides, or rather, what maintains the unity of the Sangha. Now, the word Dharma here has got at least two meanings. The word Dharma has got so many meanings in it. In fact, it's one word with the most number of meanings in Buddhism, and maybe in any language. Basically, the first meaning is Buddha Buddha's teaching. The second meaning is the rules of the Vinaya. But basically, it's the spirituality that governs the Sangha.

[13:28]

So in that sense, the Sangha is not a political body. It's a body that is governed by this spirituality with the arrival of the Buddha in our history. Now we are, if we broaden our idea of space, living in a suitable locality in this very world. Because the Buddha was born into this world, this world with the six realms. But there are certain interesting details here, which I'll go into right now. We talk about space, we must also talk about time. there are what I call eight inopportune times or eight opportune moments that could deprive us of that suitable locality, that could prevent us from knowing the Dharma, from meeting the Buddha, from benefiting from the teachings of the Dharma. The first is to be born in a hell state, because that realm is full of suffering.

[14:32]

Then another one is the animal kingdom, which is very cyclic, Animals go through a kind of instinctive cycle of being born, eating, resting, mating, dying, and the whole cycle starts, and that's all they do. Then there's the hungry ghost realm, another kind of suffering world. It's very difficult for them to benefit from the teaching. Then there is a special realm called the realm of the non-conscious beings, Asanya Sutta. This is one of those higher realms where through some kind of meditation this person dies in meditation and He's reborn in this realm where consciousness is suspended. There's no thinking going on at all. And the moment one thought arises, this being is reborn in another realm. So on that level, there is no activity, no mental activity. So there's no listening to Dharma either.

[15:35]

Another place which is not opportune is, according to the tradition of the commentaries anyway, and also in the Nikayas. Nikayas are the early Buddhist texts, Pali texts. That is, the fifth inopportune time is to be born in a remote border country where it's difficult to meet the Buddha or come to the teachings. Now, the sixth inopportune time or place is very interesting. To be born in the middle country, that's where the Buddha was born in India, middle country, but holding wrong views. And seven, to be born in the middle country but being born foolish and dull. And of course, number eight is when there are no Buddhas around. There are times when no Buddhas arise in the world. So that is, of course, not a suitable locality. But then, of course, There are Bhajika Buddhas, or Pratyeka Buddhas, as Mahayana call them.

[16:42]

These are beings who have an understanding of the Dharma, but for some reason, maybe the lack of ability of communicating in terms of language or skill of teaching, they're not able to teach others. They teach, but people just do not listen. People probably just laugh at them or make fun of them. So now we come to the question, when or why does the Buddha arise at a certain time, like in our own time? Here again, there's some very interesting tradition. According to the Buddha Vangsa commentary and also the Jataka, there are five great investigations made by the Buddha to be the Bodhisattva. Now, whether the Bodhisattva actually made this or not, of course, we do not know. But that's what tradition says. Anyway, these five investigations certainly make sense. It shows that it makes sense for the Buddha to arise when these five conditions are present. Otherwise, the teaching will not take effect.

[17:45]

Now, what are the five investigations made by the Bodhisattva before he is reborn into this world? By the way, where does he make this investigation from? Right now, the next Buddha is in a heaven called Tushita. the heavens of the contented day of us, Tushita. So when the right time comes, he will survey with his divine eyes whether all the five points are complete. So the first investigation is the time. Is the time right? Now when is the time right? First of all, when the lifespan of human beings are not too long. Now, when I say too long, according to the text, the lifespan of human beings can go as long as a few hundred thousand years, according to the Indian text. Why doesn't Buddha arise at that time? Because then the people will not believe in impermanence, because the lifespan is so long, and they have very great difficulty in perceiving brevity of life.

[18:55]

On the other hand, the Buddha also will not arise when life is too short, because then there is no time to grasp the teaching. It can be as short as 5 to 10 years struggle, not 5, 10 years. This is mentioned in one of the long suttas of the Digha Nikaya. So there is this kind of fluctuating lifespan of human beings. Well, of course, I don't know whether human lifespan now is kind of lengthening or shortening. Probably it varies from place to place. But it seems that during the Buddha's time, 2,500 years ago, the lifespan was just right. That's about 120 years. 120 years is a traditional number. So that's the first condition. Second condition is the country. he will choose the right country.

[19:57]

What kind of country would that be? It should be central, and I suppose India is kind of central. If you look at the map of the ancient world, China, one big civilization, then Greece. Europe was not civilized yet, nor America. You've got the Middle East. So India is kind of in the center. Now just to kind of have a footnote here, It's one of the things I've thought about which I've not read anywhere about past Buddhas and India. We hear about the many past Buddhas and yet they're born in the same place every time. And yet we have no records of this, of the past Buddha. Another interesting point is in the ancient texts, India is always referred to as Dvipa. in Sanskrit or deeper in Pali, which means island. But we know India is not an island.

[21:00]

It's a subcontinent. But if you study geology, paleogeography or whatever you call it, tectonic movements of mountains and of the earth, India was an island. Now, this kind of struck me as something really interesting, but I've not found anyone who could discuss further with me the implication of this interesting fact. India is somewhere down south, near Africa, or somewhere near Antarctica. Now, this is wild, very wild speculation, very un-Buddhist. My feeling is that there was a time on that island, that little continent of Duipa, There were people like us dwelling millions of years ago, and there was a Buddha, or maybe Buddhists. And then some great catastrophe occurred. And then, who knows, there was a bomb or something, and the whole of human civilization was gone.

[22:02]

And for that reason, there are no traces left of our past civilization in the Buddha's time. But yet, there are certain traces of memory from the devas, from the divine beings, like Lord Sakran or Indra. He remembered a few lines from the previous Buddha's teachings, for example. So there are some interesting things to think about in case you discover something new in that line. I've got science to back me up anyway in this case. Now, coming back to a country. So India is a kind of central place. And you remember in our previous study, the first study, I mentioned about the Axial Age. It was also the time when people were curious. They were asking a lot of questions. Urbanization was going on and they were wondering what's the meaning of life and so on. So India was one of those areas where this was going on. Now, then Let me just... Then we choose the right family.

[23:20]

Now in the case of the family, it will be the most well-known or in a way the most powerful family in that area. So in this case, the Kshatriyas were the ones who were having domination at that time. The Brahmins were not so strong. I don't have a map of India here, but if you look at India, it's somewhere in the middle Gangetic plains. That's where Buddhism is. And that's where the Kshatriyas or the noblemen were strong. This is where you have the four castes, the caste system. So the Brahmins, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas and the Sudras. These are the four castes. The Brahmins are the priests. They were the ones who introduced this caste system. But the Kshatriyas or noblemen, the rulers, they were the ones who were in ascendant in that place. So the Buddha was born into that family. Then the Buddha would choose the family.

[24:22]

the right family, and of course in this case it was Sri Lodhana's family because he was a virtuous person and perhaps there are other reasons which I will not go into tonight and finally the right mother now this is very interesting this explains in a way why Queen Mahamaya died seven days after the Buddha was born or Prasiddhata was born there's some speculation here So one way to explain it, why she died so young, is because the Bodhisattva chose a woman who would die seven days after his birth. Now why, one may ask. One possible explanation is that if the Buddha had had a brother, you can imagine the implication of that. the brother would feel, would be a kind of successor or feel kind of almost as important as the Buddha and very problematic. So that's one possible explanation. So anyway, Queen Mahamaya died seven days after giving birth to this very special child. But anyway, the point is that all these five conditions came together to create the right, the opportune

[25:31]

juxtaposition of events and space for this very important moment in our history. That everything should be right in the manner of speaking. So, to be born in a suitable locality is quite a big thing, to have a Buddha in that space. Now these six realms here, at the top you have the devas, then going clockwise you have humans, animals, hell beings, praetors or hungry ghosts, nasuras. This is one way of summarizing the various realms of existence. There are a number of other ways. There are two ways of looking at them. One is the actual geographical locations, for example, if we see animals moving around. That's not really important for Buddhists. The more important approach to the sixth realm is what I call the meditative planes.

[26:33]

In other words, these six realms can actually be experienced right here and now. For example, right now as we talk, if you enjoy this study, as I enjoy teaching it, then we are, at least for moments, in the heavenly realm, the deva realm, in the manner of speaking. Actually, we could if we are kind of happy and feel good about it. When we begin our discussions, arguments, and use a lot of our rational aspect of our mind, we will be in a human world. And if we are full of greed and desire and lust, especially when we rush for things in the supermarket or something like that, or whatever, when we are more involved with more mundane activities, we could fall into the animal world. And especially when we do not get what we want, and we really thirst for it, and we go on doing that until it becomes a habit, then we are actually hungry ghosts.

[27:41]

In a way, Halloween is especially for hungry ghosts, for the Buddhists. They are the beings who are suffering and who would, according to Buddhist tradition, be visiting you at your doorsteps because they are your past relatives, hoping you to have a good thought for them, saying some nice words in their name. And when they hear that, for some strange reason, this joy arises in them and their suffering is lessened. I mean, this makes sense, right? I mean, we're always curious what people are telling about us behind our backs. So if we happen to hear something good, and we're not supposed to hear that, and we feel good about that, so the hungry ghost is something like that. Tradition describes hungry ghosts as horrifying beings, big, huge body, but thin as a leaf, with a mouth so tiny, very tiny, like the size of a pinhead, And it's always hungry, but it's incapable of satiating its fierce hunger. The moment the preta touches food, it bursts into flames or becomes filled.

[28:50]

It's just unable to take that food, and it suffers that way. Or if it manages to swallow it, it turns to charcoal. There are lots of macabre stories about such suffering beings. Basically it means an insatiable appetite for things and we suffer as a result. That is the Preta Syndrome. So these are very interesting psychological types actually. And if you really examine what's going on in society, you can actually see such beings all around us. But do be careful not to publicly identify them. You might end up in the hell. That's where pain and suffering are very real. When you feel great pain over an extended period, and you say, oh, this is hell. Or you say, this is heaven. There you are. Now, the asuras are very interesting beings too. Now, asura, a meaning, it's like in Latin, meaning not. Not sura.

[29:51]

Sura means kind of brave. The name for the sun is surya, meaning kind of It's got to do with courage. The sun shines forth brilliantly. So asura means... It has been translated as anti-god. They are the kind of fallen angels, to use a western term. They were devas before, but they fell from that state through a lack of mindfulness. So the story went that they were all the time at war with the devas, the asuras and the devas. Now, some scholars actually say that these are past memories of some tribes, probably Assyrians, because Asura and Assyrians are very close. The Assyrians, they lived further to the west of India. They attacked India and they were at war with the probably the Aryans in India.

[30:54]

So there's this deep memory of the past how there was this ongoing battle. Anyway, that is probably the root of the story. But what is important here is these terms have become psychological types which are helpful in describing certain states that we sometimes fall into. Now these Asuras are very fierce beings, very aggressive, not bothering about human values. They see people as as statistics, as objects to be taken advantage of, and they'll use any means to entice people into whatever they want them to do. So these are the Asuras. They, if you like, you can say the heartless politician or businessman, they will be in that state. So this kind of simple diagram kind of reminds us not to fall into those states. I want to describe the states very briefly. It doesn't mean that to be in deva realm is the best, not necessarily so.

[31:55]

Human realm is the best. Because even in the deva, deva realm is like I said before, like an extended holiday. You're kind of, you're quite happy then, you say, oh, I'm not going to listen to the dharma today, I'm quite happy the way I am. But in the human realm, you kind of, you have that, it's easier to make that choice. So the human realm is patirupa, that is the best locality to live in. So this is a very interesting set of blessings. Now the next set of blessings is verse 4, possessing the best learning and craft. By the way, any questions before I go on? Yeah, I have some questions. I'm confused about the relationship between the human and the animal realm.

[32:58]

And I find myself experiencing resistance to the idea that the animal realm is somehow less, on a lower place in some hierarchy, is how it sounded to me, like you were describing it. And I think that the qualities that you ascribe to the animal realm, lust and desire, and those things have a lot to offer us, and I get confused when you place them in a place that seems like they're less valid somehow. No, it's not a question of validity here. Actually, well, whoever introduced this diagram, when the Buddha taught about these various realms, he did not create, first of all, he did not create these realms. What he's saying is, well, we study the situation and from there we look for those various points which either put those beings in an advantage or at a disadvantage.

[34:01]

Now it's obvious that, for example, animals are easily trapped by human beings. And they are, in many ways, at the mercy of human beings. It is we who have the choice of treating them well or not, eating them or not. So, in that sense, they are less fortunate. they can't communicate with other kinds of animals as we can with other kinds of people of different races, for example. But they can communicate somehow within the same species, perhaps. Yes, I agree. How do you know that they can't communicate outside of their species? Well, I don't know. Perhaps I'm wrong there. But the basic point is that they are suffering more misfortunes than we are. That is, I think, quite clear, isn't it? But of course, there are cases where certain kinds of more intelligent animals, like elephants and... Well, I remember the elephants who kind of, when they listened to the Buddha, they tried to meditate.

[35:11]

But the Buddha said, no, I mean, animals just... It's beyond animals to meditate. So, in other words, animals, according to Theravada anyway, animals cannot get enlightened. But of course, the Mahayana way not to say even stones can get enlightened, but I won't go into that tonight. Technically, I mean, the mind of the animal is such that they cannot go into the kind of concentration that human beings can. Now, I don't know how that happens. That's what the sutras say anyway. I have a perception of God that meditates with me. Yeah, I suppose they have the appearance of meditating, but it's difficult to know the mind. That's true, but that's true of humans. Anyway, animals... Well, I don't know whether you feel consoled if I say the Prince Dato's horse, Kantaka, for example, when it died, was reborn in the heavens of the 33.

[36:13]

And there was this elephant which looked up at the Buddha in the forest. This elephant too was born in the same heaven. But one thing is sure, a human being has very great feelings for other beings, like animals. So I suppose that's another wonderful quality of human beings. Yes, Alan? Which one did you miss? What do you have? Right time, right country, right family, right mother. Family, is it there? I said that. Clan. Clan, yes. So actually, perspective on the... there's a class bias built into this language.

[37:22]

Yes, like I said, when I started this series of talks, we are talking about Pali Buddhism, which is a very old Buddhism, where everything is kind of very traditional in a lot of history about it. So we are talking about a very special situation in India. It's not transcendental, not at this point when we describe all these events. In a way, it's very Indian in background. We're talking about a historical happening. Then from there, we kind of take it as a springboard to higher levels of reflection. Yes, I would say it is a class system in those days because that was pre-Buddha time, pre-Buddhist. I always have trouble with the word. quotes right. So what you're born to the wrong family clan, mother to the wrong mother, etc, etc. Then what are you condemned to? But I think there are people who are born in that kind of situation.

[38:23]

Then they won't be Buddhas. They'll probably be the Buddha's right-hand monk or left-hand monk or become Ananda or... But it just seems so deterministic. No, this is... you've got to put it in the right direction. We're looking at it from now, you see, after it has happened. We're not saying that this is what's going to happen. Then again, you know, maybe there are other ways of looking at it. I'm only quoting Indian tradition. So this is a problem in studying some of these ancient texts. They tend to be culture biased a bit. But like I said, we have to reflect what it means, what it points to. And perhaps I might even be wrong in quoting this text. Well, you know, one of the things I think is that people hear this and they automatically make the assumption that it has universal language, but it's coming out of a certain context. And we're trying to see it in a larger context. And so, you know, it's a trap to get all hung up on what we think the limitations of the language or the text is, you know, to get stuck there.

[39:29]

But we need to look at it in a larger sense and not get all hung up on what the cultural sort of overlay was on the text when it was written. Whenever a religious teacher is born, he has to be born in some sort of context. And then later this context gets expanded and it gets interpreted by different people. So the idea of this part, this approach, is to give a historical sense. The time when the Buddha was born was not a very good time. There was a caste system and so on. So he had to assume that kind of birth. Now the Mahayana go on to say actually the Buddha never really appeared in all those... whenever we are putting it as his Nimanakaya, that's only his manifestation. He was not really all that. I think that you'd be quite familiar with from the Mahayana tradition. But here we're talking about the Buddha as a human being.

[40:33]

Because there's this cosmic drama which is going to be acted out. So it seems as if he was meant to be, as it were, by the later teachers, to portray him as being born in the best that Indian society at that time could offer. And then he renounced the world. So that is supposed to be dramatic. Because anyone who would give up so much, there must be something worthwhile giving up for. So there's this kind of cosmic drama. The whole cosmic stage is there. And that's why we're looking at it anyway. Now let's go on a bit. Possessing biased learning and craft or inner-transitioning skills. Now here we are talking about right livelihood. And there are two kinds of livelihood, two ways of looking at this line.

[41:37]

One is the arts and crafts of the household, that is people like us, and the other one is those of the homeless ones, or houseless ones, that is the renunciates, the monks. In the case of the Well, I did not elaborate on the case of the householders, but in the houseless arts, or those of the monastics, there are... In other words, the question here is, what is the right work of a monk or a nun? What sort of job should he or she have? So here it says, one has gone forth, works on the four requisites. and understands the nature of the four requisites. To live, we need only these four requisites as far as the monastic is concerned, that is, food or alms food, clothing, that's the robes, and shelter, and medicine or health.

[42:41]

So as long as the monastic or the renunciate knows the nature of these four supports, that they are meant to support life, and are not meant to be kind of accumulated and bought and sold, things like that. Anything that will hold this person back, that would be wrong livelihood. But understanding the nature of this supports that, for example, robes are meant to be worn to protect ourselves from the heat and the cold, from insects and so on. This is a daily refraction. Food is taken for the sake of health so that you could practice. shelter in the same way, and medicine too. So that's the right livelihood for a monk. But in a way, if we apply this understanding of the four supports to the lay society on the wider scale, I think the impact can be very great. I mean, this is what ecology is about, really, about not wasting, understanding the purpose of

[43:49]

basic supports of life. I see, for example, in Cal, a very strange way of dressing. They wear torn-up jeans. And I don't think they're poor people. I may be wrong, but the impression I get is they felt guilty about being rich, maybe. I mean, I read somewhere that is guilty feeling of being rich, so they tear off their pants and show they're a little poor. Or to enjoy the feeling of being poor. It's become a fashion. And I don't think that's in good taste, really. So we do not reflect why we do that. We just want to be different, maybe. And then again, one day the fashion may change, goes back to other kinds of dress. So that certainly is not in this category.

[44:52]

Now here we notice that vast learning is also a blessing. In fact, these two terms, they go together as one set. Now, another way of looking at this is a kind of balanced education, the sciences and the arts going together, not separation. The British system in which I was raised has a separation of streaming. You're either a science stream or art stream. So I ended up in the science stream, because I don't like counting. I'm not very good in maths, so I prefer literature and English, so I ended up in the art stream. Actually, I chose to be in the art stream. Through the exams, I was actually selected for the science stream and I had this quarrel with my principal. I said, I want to be in the art stream. Why can't I be in the art stream? So he said, because you got good marks, he said. I thought it was very bad reasoning. If I had good marks, surely I have the choice of stream. So by some arrangement, my name was in the science stream but I was in the art stream.

[45:59]

Because by then I had an inkling in my mind that I would be becoming a monk. So I said, what has maths got to do with being a monk? I went to languages and literature so that I could communicate clearly what I know of Buddhism. So anyway, Buddhism does encourage vast learning. So this is what we're doing right now anyway. The next point is being well-trained in discipline. Well, here it's obvious, isn't it? The word is Vinaya, discipline. So for the household, again, we have two levels, householder and the renunciate. In the case of the householder, you have the precepts or you have the ten virtues. The ten virtues or sometimes they're called the ten wrong cause of actions, the opposites, ten wholesome ones, ten negative ones. They are the kind of elaboration of the five precepts. Three wrong actions of body, four wrong actions of speech, and three wrong actions of mind.

[47:04]

What are the three wrong actions of body? Killing, stealing, and illicit sex. Then speech, lying, slander, Three wrong actions of the mind, covetousness, ill will, false view. As I said, these are actually the five precepts elaborated into the more refined categories. Now for the householder, you have the sets of monastic rules which are very detailed. So here, The idea of discipline here, of course, is to prepare yourself for the next stage in this sutra, that is mental development, which we'll be doing next week. So, but again, if you look carefully at this particular verse, first of all, there is learning. So what is learning for? It's to bring upon ourselves some kind of discipline. And discipline, another way of looking at it is the focusing of your energy.

[48:10]

in a wholesome way towards a wholesome direction. And one way that our energy could be lost, one way we could become indisciplined is through words, wrong use of words, wrong use of language. Sometimes one word could kind of spoil the day or, well, it could spoil our whole life sometimes. And if you are in a high position of power, you could start a war. So, human beings have this very terrible command over language. I suppose animals, no matter how well they communicate, they still do not start wars. They do not build bombs. In that sense, I suppose they are better than human beings, in a way. but human beings can destroy each other just through language. And not surprisingly, the third line in this verse says, using words that are well-spoken, subhāsita.

[49:20]

This word subhāsita has a very important meaning. There are occasions when this term subhāsita actually means Buddha word. Whatever is well-spoken is Buddha word. Well here means it promotes outer discipline, inner discipline, and higher attainments. So it's a total space of spirituality. So, well spoken. It leads you to this three-dimensional totality of spirituality. And this is the most auspicious fortune. Now this category is still what is called a very social aspect of daily life. And for the next point, supporting mother and father, providing the welfare of children and wife, and sustaining conflict-free livelihood.

[50:26]

We're still on a very mundane level at this point. In fact, more than half the sutra talks about simple things like this. Now before we discuss this particular verse, I'd like to give you some idea on what I call the six directions. These are social directions. There's a beautiful story behind this particular diagram, this diagram on the chart here. The story went like this. There was this rich man who is a very faithful Buddhist a buddha follower. There were no buddhists in the buddhist time. We call them buddha followers. The word buddhist is a new term actually. Now he couldn't get his son to go for the various dharma talks. So on his deathbed, he decided to use a skillful means on the son.

[51:26]

He told the son, after I'm dead, you must honor me. by going to the river, washing yourself clean, and then standing up in the open, pay honour to the six directions, the gods of the six directions, and you will do me honour then. Of course, the son felt dutiful to do that, because the father, that's the father's last wish. He was a really wise father, as you will soon discover. So there he was, dutifully standing in the open, dripping wet, and worshipping the six directions. In each of these directions there are gods of various names. And that's when the Buddha comes along. And the Buddha talks to this young man and says, his name is Sigala. Sigala, what are you doing? Of course, the Mahayana text will tell you, Buddha already knows what's going to happen. You see, in the Theravada, he doesn't know. He's a teacher, right?

[52:30]

Even though he knows everything. If he knows everything and nothing happens, we have nothing to learn anyway. So the important thing is that it happened. So Buddha went and this young man replied, well my father passed away and he told me to do this, to pay honor to the six directions. And the Buddha said, well, you're doing it the wrong way. Do you know what really the six directions are? Do you know what your father really meant? Of course, the young people those days kind of rather, they do respond to such comments from the Buddha. I suppose the situation would be different today if it happened in Berkeley, I suppose. But anyway, it was the Buddha. And the Buddha went at the right time. So the Buddha said, OK, I will tell you what the Sixth Direction really means, and listen. And this young man listened. He says, now, in India, in ancient cosmology, they start with the East.

[53:36]

The mandala faces the East. The East, the direction of the rising sun, are your parents, because they are the ones who bring you into life. They are the gods. They are your first teachers. So that's the East. So the Indians get their bearing by facing the rising sun. So that's the East. It's called the Front Direction. And then you've got the Right Hand Direction, which is the South. The Left Hand Direction, which is the North. The Back Direction and so on. So the East are the parents. And the West is the direction at the back are your family, wife and children. Or if you're a woman, your husband and children. Then the North are your teachers. North has a special meaning, uttarai means above, are your worldly teachers, professors and lecturers and so on, whoever.

[54:41]

Then the South are your friends. The Nether are the servants, those who serve you. and the Zenies are your spiritual teachers. So these are the six directions of social relationship. Then the Buddha went on to describe how this relationship should be. I'll read to you a brief passage here which is taken from the wedding puja which we used back in Malaysia and as part of the puja for the blessing of the couple to be married we read this very brief passage here. on the six directions, but here especially the Western Quarter because it's got to do with the duties of the husband. Now I know I'm going to get into trouble reading this I think, I said the husband because it's very sexist at that time. So I leave it to you to balance this up in modern times. We were talking about a passage which comes from over 2,000 years ago.

[55:45]

The Western Quarter, the Blessed One said this Mother and father are the east at the front. Teachers are the south on the right. Children and wife are the west behind one. And friends and colleagues are the north on the left. Servants and workers are the nether down below. Virtuous sages and priests, the zen is right above. A capable householder and a family should honour these directions. In five ways should a husband attend to his wife as the western quarter. By honouring her, by being courteous to her, by being faithful to her, by handing over authority to her, by providing her with ornaments. In five ways should a wife thus attended to as the Western Quarter be kind to her husband thus, her household work is to be well managed, by hospitality to relatives of both sides, by being faithful to him, by watching over the goods he brings,

[56:48]

and by skill and industry in all her duties. In this way the Western Quarter is protected by him and made safe and secure. The wise men endure with virtuous conduct, gentle and eloquent in honouring these quarters, humble and not self-important, such a one would fame achieve." This passage, maybe it should be discussed by you all at the right time. and kind of, they need to be interpreted because these are culture-bound texts. We are talking about the Dharma for the householder here. We're not talking about Abhidharma or some other passages relating to meditation. So once we talk about social conditions, it is Indian. So you have to give that space and you got to kind of readjust it to our society today. some of the points probably might even be inapplicable here at this point but it points to certain truth and this is our task to discover what that what where the moon lies and know that their fingers pointing so one very important aspect of human beings is how we relate to others so

[58:04]

If we understand this relationship, then it's a great blessing. Now, I wish I could go into this a bit more, but I have a bit more to go. But anyway, I'll leave this to any questions. Easier that way, I think. Now, how do you feel about this line that says supporting a father and mother? That is very easy for me to talk in the East because we have Confucianism, we have Buddhism, which talks a lot about the virtues of parents, but what about America? How do you feel when you hear this line where they say it is a great blessing supreme, an auspicious thing to support parents? Anyone like to say anything?

[59:08]

The silence is stunning, isn't it? Well, I think it's very important to support your parents. They support you. So you have to support them. If you're supporting them, positive situation. And by supporting your parents, then you can reach out into the broader community and support people outside your family. Expand the circle. I just remembered one very interesting remark made by our religious studies teacher today. He was talking about Buddhism. I mean, my classmates were telling me, why don't you go up there and speak?

[60:16]

I said, no, I want to listen to him. I want to know how well do they know Buddhism, so that I have an idea of what's going on in the States, where Buddhism is concerned. Now, he made a very interesting remark. He was talking about how the Buddha saw the four sides, how Prince Siddhartha saw the four sides. And he says he was reflecting on this. And he said, We in America today, we do not see the four sides. We do not understand the Buddha. We have great difficulty understanding Buddhism because we have managed to hide all the four sides, the three sides at least. We do not see old people. We put them in old folks home. We rarely see sick people because the moment they are sick, they are whisked off to the hospital. and when they are dead, they are whistled to the crematorium and they have cosmetic makeup, things like that.

[61:20]

And we don't see very much holy people around. They dress just like anyone else, most of them. So for that reason, it's very difficult to really understand the nature of impermanence and the various teachings the Buddha is trying to tell us. So in a way, parents remind us of that rather, in a way, frightening truth of impermanence. Now, one interesting point is the word for parents in this is Mata Pitu. And I think you can guess who comes first. Mata, mother. Mother, father is the word for parents. And in Buddhism, A mother is said to be the friend in the house, not the father. So the woman has a special place there in a way. I don't know whether the Buddha was making a very radical remark by saying that in those days.

[62:22]

Anyway, the basic point here is we should come to terms with certain people in our life which are very important to us. Our connection. I think that's that five thing. can be said. The rest I kind of let you reflect on. Providing the welfare of wife and children, I mean this is obvious. We might say that the family is very important. And then comes the livelihood. So this has got to do with family life actually. Conflict-free livelihood is one definition of right livelihood. Now, there are so many things we can talk about right livelihood today, especially in this area of America, we talk about ecology and things like that. There are three important points to remember when we get involved with Right Lovelyhood or what makes Right Lovelyhood.

[63:44]

That we should not conflict with ourselves, with others, with the environment. These three awarenesses are very important. But the first important point is it does not conflict with you, how you feel. So if you are happy with the job, then no matter how good the job is, it is not good for you. So that's one... Yeah, because enjoying your work is very important. Then again, you've got to examine why you're enjoying it. It should not conflict with others, other people, other living beings. Because if it does, there's one point missing, it's not complete. And again, if it does, I'm sorry, it's not in conflict with others, but it is in conflict with nature. I mean, the company you are running is exploiting nature or causing pollution, then again, it is not conflict-free.

[64:51]

So that's the meaning of the term here. Is conflict a fairly accurate translation of the word? Well, the original term is anakula. It means something like to be faulty, to be at odds with things, it means wrong. So I thought conflict would be a very good term. Because of suffering, things like that. These are called, they are pregnant terms, because one Indian word has got so many terms, it's so difficult to get one English word that's kind of complete. So you've got to create new terms sometimes, or form compounds, like conflict-free. in today's understanding. Now then we have giving and living a Dharma life, supporting relatives, blameless actions.

[65:58]

Here again, it's the same area of blessings. Usually when we talk about Buddhist virtues, giving or dharma comes first. But here, in a way, you can say that up to this point, all that we're talking about has to be done in one way or another. And there are two kinds of giving. Material giving and non-material giving. Giving of food, drinks, clothing, sending boxes of makeup, cosmetics to Bosnia and so on, some material gifts. They are the simpler forms of giving, very easy to do. I remember when I was giving Dharma talks in Malaysia, mentioning this a couple of times, the first practice of generosity, the first very very basic practice is to get rid of what you do not want, namely the rubbish in the house.

[67:03]

That's the first very basic act of generosity, because if you accumulate rubbish in the house, you're not generous at all, you're causing pollution. That sounds a bit odd though, but believe me, I think generosity should start there. You should be generous with the rubbish first, and get rid of them, throw them away, clear them in the right place. That causes pollution. Well, I mean, get rid of them in the right place, in the right way. Then you start giving things that you have a lot of, especially things you do not need. Then you start giving things that are of value to you. I remember I had the habit of giving away Buddha images I've been worshipping at my main shrine, because that saves me a lot of trouble from having to go through the process of chanting over it again. Because sometimes they get this video and they say, please blast this for me. You know, that sort of talk is very common back home. They say, oh, we have been bowing before this image for years and it is a sacred image.

[68:09]

You can just use it right away. And that saves me a lot of trouble having to go through the whole Chang thing. I'd rather read a dharma book. And I don't have to tell this person off in any way. So that's one way out of the problem. Why is that? Just because you didn't have an image, you didn't have to do chanting or bowing? No, whatsoever. I can't really put in a new one after that. That's right. Or... No, that part I didn't tell him. Because then the next person comes, I give that image. But usually I like those images and I feel good when I say, oh, this person spent more time worshipping and will be better, I think. Anyway, so here we see a kind of gradual refining of the feeling of the joy of giving. Because you give what you have enjoyed. So there is joy there. It represents joy. You give that joy. I think that's wonderful. So in that sense, giving, compassion, is balanced with wisdom.

[69:15]

In that sense. So, of course there are other points you can raise like giving things that people need and so on. But still these are material things. Despite all this, the greatness, the virtue of such giving, the gift of Dharma is still the highest. This is because you are giving this other person a key. So, in other words, you are teaching this person the method of how to overcome suffering or dukkha. There's a saying that I once heard. If you give someone a bowl of rice, you feed the person for just one occasion. The hunger is only gone for one occasion. But if you teach the person how to plant rice,

[70:18]

He can feed himself for the rest of his life And I also remember another... I was challenged by an evangelist once More than once More than once, but this particular occasion was interesting He came to me and he said My Lord is a saviour You're drowning in a sea of suffering, he's come to save you I said, I wish he would have said that because I mean, that's not the way we Buddhists think. Our Buddha teaches us all to swim, so that we don't need a lifeguard there. We don't drown when we swim. We learn how to talk, how to swim. Then I was never invited to any more... But I was actually, I was serious about it. I mean, that's what Buddhism is about, if you kind of extend the analogy. We are taught how to swim in this ocean of suffering, samsara, and I think that's very beautiful.

[71:23]

So, giving the Dharma is to teach others to swim in this ocean of suffering, not waiting on the shores, is anyone drowning? No. I think we should teach them before they start drowning. And you yourself should live the Dharma life Here, the Dhammacharya And it is from this line that I got this term Dhammachari which I thought is a very good word to describe us We are not Buddhists but we are Dhammacharis All those who practice I think are Dhammacharis We fare along the Dharma way, live the Dharma life if you like Now this term is used in the text like terms like Buddhist, Buddhism, they are kind of related terms then supporting relatives now here relatives they come at this point it's really strange because one would feel that relatives should be put before parents, isn't it?

[72:34]

because they are kind of less important but here they are put after giving My feeling is that you tend to relate to them easier than your parents, that's why I'm looking at it. And you tend to have more of them too, so in a way, you can be trying to deal with all of them. It needs more effort. According to the ancient Indian tradition, when you say relatives, it means you can go back seven generations. Those are regarded as relatives. How many generations? Seven generations. And this is, I suppose, the Indian way of talking. Now, just some mundane advice given here.

[73:36]

How do we help them? How do we help our relatives? According to one's means, with sustenance, clothing, grain, etc., when they are stricken by loss of property and in time of sickness. And this is supposed to be meritorious, with your blessings. Why, you may say? Well, sometimes helping our relatives can be difficult because we can't say no. We'd rather be far away when we need help. But then, I think what is wonderful is this feeling that there is a human being out there that they need help and you stretch your hand out. Most people, they would help anyone except their relatives. I think that's rather strange. The Tibetans, for example, have a meditation. They say, well, meditate in such a way that you treat everyone as your mother. I don't remember whether they say you treat everyone as your father. Probably they did too, I think. The point of this is, if you could relate in that way, in Tibet anyway, because the feeding of this, feeding towards the mother is very, very deep.

[74:45]

Perhaps in America, this meditation should be changed to treat everyone like your best friend, I suppose. I do not know what term to use. It depends on how you relate to people. So if you could do that, then you find, well, everyone is my sister, my brother, or good friend, then you have the special kind of link. So this goes on to build a Sangha feeling. Because if you're not able to relate to your relatives, it's very difficult to build a Sangha spirit. Another way of looking at this is the way of a renunciate. Now I find it easier for me because once you renounce, you do not have relatives but on a higher level, everyone is your relative. Whoever comes within eyesight of you, within earshot, are your relatives. You have to treat them like your relatives or even better than your relatives.

[75:50]

When there are problems, you counsel them for example. So I think it should be reflected in that way. If you feel that thinking that someone is a relative and you find difficult helping that person so, then apply the doctrine of non-self, that this person is not your relative, and then help this person. You'll find it's easier, I think. I'm just trying to rationalise some of these problems in the United States of parents and relatives. blameless actions. Anamajani Karmani. Now here is a very traditional way of saying, keep up your practice, basic practice like if you do not meditate every day at least on the full moon, new moon days or quarter moon days, the poshada or uposatha, the moon days. This is a lunar calendar in the baggies. Once a week more or less. Now

[76:54]

I got this from the Anguttara Nikaya, which is quite a traditional text. Keeping the observance, that is the Poshara, the moon day. Doing social services, planting gardens and groves, making bridges, etc. This is regarded as blameless actions. These are very simple. These are only examples given in the text. Planting gardens and groves. Now trees are mentioned again and again in the Buddhist texts. So today we begin to see how important trees are. The fifth precept talks against taking drugs and intoxicants and today we know the problem. The eighth precept has one rule which talks about not wearing scent. And I see in the Spirit Rock, for example, Specialist Chair say, do not use sand here and so on. It's all there.

[77:56]

Today it's applicable. It's so important today. So these are some of the things which come under the category of blameless actions. Making bridges. Why? To ease movement of people, to give them comfort to whatever good they are trying to do. There was one beautiful story about building a bridge. This story was such that there was no time to build a bridge and the Buddha was coming. So this person saw that there was this puddle on the ground the Buddha is going to come I suppose the Buddha could have kind of gone the other way but we're talking about a very special person here so he saw the Buddha coming with 500 monks behind him and there was this puddle and he turned himself into a bridge he lied down on the ground in the mud and let the Buddha walk over him

[79:09]

I remember this story of Sir Walter Raleigh with his cloak. But I told myself, Walter Raleigh, eat your heart out. Here we have Sumedha, the future Buddha, putting his whole body down there. And the Buddha is supposed to walk over him. Now whether the Buddha actually walked over his body or not, I don't remember reading that part. But the Buddha did make a prediction that this very person Sumedha would in the future time become the Buddha Gautama. So there were great sacrifices made by the Buddha in previous lives as a Bodhisattva. That was his great faith that he made use of his body to good purpose. and he's a bridge for us now. In fact in Jainism, now what we call Buddha, in Jainism they call a bridge maker, Tirthankara. So he's a bridge for suffering beings to cross over.

[80:14]

So that's another way of, a beautiful way of calling a teacher. So these are auspicious These are signs of most auspicious fortune. Now, all these points, as you see, they are still very mundane aspects of our practice. In fact, they deal with what is called the moral conduct aspect. If we look at the blessings in terms of numbers, the first verse, which we have studied beginning with not associating with fools, then the three qualities in that particular verse They deal with what is called tractability, the readiness to learn, to receive a teaching, to prepare oneself in a social way, the social basis of a Dharma-based life. Then the second verse, living in suitable localities, past goods, setting oneself on the right course,

[81:22]

This has to do with proper psychophysical environment, again preparing yourself for a Dhamma-based life. These are all social aspects. Then the third verse, being vastly learned, craft, well-trained discipline, words well-spoken, this has got to do with proper education. So these three sets, these three verses with its ten sets of blessings or mangalas, They have to do with what's called tractability, the readiness to learn. There is a very beautiful reflection here which I'd like to share with you. This is the special virtue of Rahula, the Buddha's son. His special quality, some of the great monks of the Buddha's time have got a special quality. His special quality is this unrelenting desire to learn. Sikkha Karma.

[82:24]

It seems that, according to his story, he would get up every morning and scoop up a handful of sand in his hand and reflect, may I today, he's a very young child at that time, may I today learn as much as there is sand in my hand. It's a very beautiful image of a learner. And I think it's something for us to reflect. This is one of those images I use also. Maybe, I'm at number 5 on the Enneagram, that's why. Collecting knowledge all the time. Then, the next section is social ability. The basis for a Sangha-spirited society. Previously it is a Dharma-based life, then this next stage is Sangha-spirited society. That is the The fourth verse, beginning with supporting mother and father, and welfare of children and wife, conflict with livelihood, this has got to do with healthy family life.

[83:33]

And then the last verse we did today, Giving, living a Dharma life, supporting relatives, blameless actions, this has got to do with healthy social life. So healthy family life, healthy social life. So if you look at your diagram on page 8, you find that there is a kind of logical sequence in how the mangalas or how the blessings are actually listed. Now I leave the last few minutes for any questions or discussion. One thing about Dharma study is that it's never complete They should instigate you to think Then to relate to what's going on around you in real life Sometimes you may feel that this explanation is not good enough And I think that's a very good reflection because then you begin to seek There must be another way of looking at this

[84:49]

And I think that's very important. And sometimes when you least expect it, the relationship arises in you when you look around what's going on. Is this analysis Well, most of it is traditional, but I think you probably know when I... I mean the classification. Oh. Basically, the classification of the modelers. Well, I made a note at the top if you notice. Oh. Yeah. A number of attempts at classifying the 38 auspicious signs have been made in recent times, especially two well-known ones by Mangala U Batan, a Burmese, and R L Soni, both Burmese.

[85:59]

And there's a book, Soni 1978, there's a book on the Mangala Sutta itself. And here follows the author's own classification of the bunglers according to a three-fold training, the three jewels and the four-brown wiharos, here called the social demotions. So I've studied the two methods mentioned here, and I thought to kind of summarise in my own way. So yours has reference to theirs? They may have their reasons for classifying in their own way, but I thought the Silas Samadhipanya would be kind of more systematic. Any other questions?

[87:06]

If not, then we'll end here and close with a recitation. And I think today we'll do a short reflection. We have gathered here to reflect on the various blessings in a somewhat traditional manner. And the time has come for us to reflect on these various things we have imbibed today, not merely accepting them on the word level, but letting them rise to our speech level and our thought level especially, so that they become a real part of us, in a way we understand them more clearly. Such reflection itself is the basis of the very simple basis of our daily practice. And by the truth of such words, may our wisdom increase, and our practice be more wholesome, and our realization more complete.

[88:21]

I recite a special verse of the traditional verse of dedication of merit. And if you like, you could earlier thoughts of loving-kindness in the process to those near and dear to you. So yatha sabhiti oiwa chantu sabha rogo vinasatumati bhavatu antarayo sukhi diga yukho bhava abhivadena silisa nityam buddha pachaina chataro dhamma vadhanti ayuvanna sukham balam Bhava tu sapa mangalam rakham tu sapa devata Sapa buddha nubhavena sada suthi bhavantute Bhava tu sapa mangalam rakham tu sapa devata Sapa dhamma nubhavena sada suthi bhavantute Bhava tu sapa mangalam rakham tu sapa devata Sapa sangha nubhavena sada suthi bhavantute Sadhu

[89:42]

Thank you for your presence. Thank you.

[89:51]

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