Buddhism

Mankind’s wonderful treasure of wisdom is the Teachings of the Supreme Buddha. This Noble Doctrine, the Dhamma, illuminates our lives, bringing happiness and joy. Go in search of this wonderful Dhamma, lead your life accordingly, eradicate suffering and join that fortunate band of people who experience the Supreme Bliss

1. Saranagamanam
2. The sublime qualities of the Buddha
3. The Sublime Dhamma
4. The Maha Sangha
5. The Rarity of the Rebirth as a Human Being
6. Wrong View and Right View
7. The Three Ways of Collecting Merits
8. The Heavenly Worlds
9. Bad Destinations
10. The Four Noble Truths
11. Attainments of Enlightenment
12. What is Kamma
13. The Fortune and Misfortune of the Beings
14. Spontaneous Rebirth
15. Dependent Origination
16. Samsara is Dangerous
17. Do not Miss this Moment
18. Loving Kindness Meditation
19. The Value of Parents
20. The Noble Friend
21. How the World Began – Aggañña Sutta
22. Seven Suns – Saptha Sooryayuggamana Sutta

Introduction

Buddhism teaches the way of life, the reality of life that is ever existing in the world. The Buddha, the discoverer of this truth, directly talks about the main issue all the beings have to undergo: that is suffering. He most compassionately shows the path which leads to the end of suffering as well. He unambiguously points out that whoever earnestly practices His teachings will taste the bliss of Nibbāna, the freedom from suffering.

Countless fortunate beings who earnestly followed this unique, infallible path got liberated from what is called Samsara, the endless round of repeated births and deaths. That being the case, the Buddha’s teachings are not mere words but something that becomes a reality. His teachings remain as relevant today as they were in his time twenty-six hundred years ago.

This booklet is an attempt to give readers some awareness of Buddhism. The common aim arising out of this booklet is to make readers aware of the danger of this Samsara and also the rare opportunity that the readers of this booklet are blessed with to follow the teachings of the Buddha. The content will also help the readers to understand the extraordinary qualities of the Triple Gem-the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha-and all so to gain an understanding of profound teachings like Dependent Origination.

Mahamevnawa Buddhist monasteries compassionately offer noble friendship and guidance to all who earnestly seek knowledge and liberation in Gautama Buddha’s Dispensation. For all who read this book, may the word of the Supreme Buddha enhance your wisdom.

May the noble Bhikkus and lay disciples who kindly offered suggestions and contributed to the development of this booklet be blessed by the Noble Triple Gem.

“Mankind’s wonderful treasure of wisdom is the Teachings of the Supreme Buddha. This Noble Doctrine, the Dhamma, illuminates our lives, bringing happiness and joy. Go in search of this wonderful Dhamma, lead your life accordingly, eradicate suffering and join that fortunate band of people who experience the Supreme Bliss”

-Venerable Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero-

Sample Chapter

Do Not Miss This Moment

The Supreme Buddha, the great teacher of both gods and humans, preached that it is hard to be born a human being (Kiccho manussapatilābo). Rarely does a being come to the human world after having suffered in bad realms like hell for aeons. And also, out of the human beings who pass away, only a few of them are reborn again in the human world and heavenly worlds. Thus, birth as a human being is a rare thing in the world. Even rarer than the human rebirth is the appearance of a Buddha in the world (Kiccho Buddhānam uppādo). It is because it takes aeons and aeons to fulfil the required merits to become a Buddha. Just because the arising of a Buddha is rare in the world, it is hard to gain the opportunity to hear the sublime Dhamma proclaimed by a Buddha (Kiccham Saddammasavanam).

The rarest thing is the coincidence of the human rebirth and the arising of the Buddhas which is called the ‘opportune moment’ (Akkhana) in the Dhamma. Extremely rarely does a human being who rarely comes to this world encounter a Buddha or gain the opportunity to hear His Dhamma. If one understands the rarity of this moment after having wisely considered the teachings of the Buddha, then he enters the path that leads him to the end of suffering completely. However, there are eight inopportune moments that are not right occasions for following the teachings of the Buddha. They are as follows:

1. A Buddha has appeared in the world and the Dhamma leading to enlightenment and freedom from suffering is taught as proclaimed by the Buddha. But a person has been reborn in hell. The person born in hell does not get the chance to listen to the Dhamma. Hell is a place where beings are savagely punished constantly for the grave bad kamma committed when in the human world. This is the first inopportune moment for following the teachings of the Buddha.

2. A Buddha has appeared in the world and the Dhamma leading to enlightenment and freedom from suffering is taught as proclaimed by the Buddha. But a person has been reborn in the animal realm due to bad Kamma. Animals though they happen to hear the Dhamma do not understand the Dhamma as they have no intelligence at all. This is the second inopportune moment for following the teaching of the Buddha.

3. A Buddha has appeared in the world and the Dhamma leading to enlightenment and freedom from suffering is taught as proclaimed by the Buddha. But a person has been reborn in the ghost world owing to bad Kamma. There, ghosts are incessantly suffering from thirst, hunger, and other rigorous punishments and they have confused minds. Therefore, they do not have capacity to understand the sublime Dhamma. This is the third inopportune moment that is not right occasion for following the teachings of the Buddha.

4. A Buddha has appeared in the world and the Dhamma leading to enlightenment and freedom from suffering is taught as proclaimed by the Buddha. But a person has been reborn in a certain order of long – lived devas (in the order of non-percipient devas who cannot see, hear, notice and feel anything). Those devas, therefore, miss the rare chance of getting liberated from suffering. This is the forth inopportune moment that is not the right occasion for following the teachings of the Buddha.

5. A Buddha has appeared in the world and the Dhamma leading to enlightenment and freedom from suffering is taught as proclaimed by the Buddha. But a person has been reborn in the outlying countries (beyond the Indian subcontinent) where bhikkus, bhikkhunis, male lay followers, and female lay followers do not travel. Therefore, that person born in far off countries do not hear the Dhamma. This is the fifth inopportune moment that is not the right occasion for following the teachings of the Buddha.

6. A Buddha has appeared in the world and the Dhamma leading to enlightenment and freedom from suffering is taught as proclaimed by the Buddha. A person has been reborn in the central part of the India where the Buddhas appear, but he holds wrong view: there are no results in giving, there are no results in helping and giving service to others, there are no results in veneration and making offerings, there are no fruit and result in good and bad kamma, there is no place called ‘this world’, there is no place called other world, there is no special person called mother, there is no special person called father, there are no beings who are born spontaneously, there are no good and virtuous recluses and brahmins in the world who have conquered this world and the other world by themselves through their own knowledge. Such a person is never prepared to listen to the Dhamma and therefore misses the great opportunity. This is the sixth inopportune moment that is not the right occasion for following the path of the Dhamma.

7. A Buddha has appeared in the world and the Dhamma leading to enlightenment and freedom from suffering is taught as proclaimed by the Buddha. A person has been reborn in the central part of India where the Buddhas appear, but he is unwise and unable to understand the meaning of the Dhamma. This is the seventh inopportune moment that is not the right occasion for following the path of the Dhamma.

8. A Buddha has not arisen in the world and the Dhamma leading to enlightenment and freedom from suffering is not taught as proclaimed by the Buddha. But a person has been reborn in the central part of India, and he is wise, intelligent and able to understand the meaning of the Dhamma. Though he is a wise person, a Buddha has not arisen to teach the Dhamma. This is the eighth inopportune moment that is not the right occasion for following the path of the Dhamma.

(Akkhana Sutta – AN 5)

The Supreme Buddha mentioned that there is only one opportunity and only one unique opportune moment for following the path of the Dhamma leading to Nibbāna. That is; a Buddha has arisen in the world and the Dhamma leading to enlightenment and freedom from suffering is taught as proclaimed by the Buddha, and a person has been reborn in the central part of India where Buddhas arise and His Dhamma is taught. That person is wise, intelligent and able to understand the meanings of the Dhamma. This is the only one unique opportune moment to follow the path of the Dhamma and realise its ultimate goal of Nibbāna.

Anyone who has gained the opportunity to hear and read this Dhamma leading to freedom from suffering is of course a fortunate one. He has the rare chance of building confidence in this Dhamma, thereby following the path to the end of suffering. Therefore, regardless of what you are and what you believe it is good to take the initiative as soon as possible before the moment slips by. Those who miss this moment grieve when they are reborn in hell and regret for a long time like a merchant who has missed a profit. The Supreme Buddha also said that those who have failed in the good Dhamma will long experience endless suffering in the round of birth and death.

May all who hear and read this message of the Buddha strive hard and make the best use of the moment and get liberated from all the suffering forever!