Dhamma in Thailand

How has the Pali Canon been preserved and handed down to us?

2007-12-17T04:40:00.000-08:00

How has the Pali Canon been preserved and handed down to us?

The First Rehearsal is naturally the most important, as all the word of the Buddha that was collected on this occasion, memorized and handed down, was treated as settled and final. From them on, it was only a matter of retaining and preserving the word of the Buddha collected in the First Rehearsal as accurately, purely and completely as possible – in short, pristinely and perfectly. For this reason, from then on the elders preserving the word of the Buddha would focus on preservation through recitation, devolving the retention of different divisions of the teachings to different groups of monks.

On this account, the First Rehearsal is the only one which truly collected the Buddha’s teachings. In later rehearsals, the elder monks who retained the word of the Buddha simply convened to rehearse and review what had been preserved in the First Rehearsal to ensure that the teachings were pristine and prefect, i.e. complete, accurate and unadulterated.

Due to the subsequently added burden of preventing bogus teachings and ways of the word of the Buddha had an additional emphasis on applying the teachings thus retained as criteria for verifying teachings and practices claimed to be Buddhist. As a result, the Pali word sangayana when used in Thai acquired the extended meaning of purging bogus teachings and practices.

Furthermore, after a long lapse of time, some people took this extended meaning to be the central meaning of rehearsal, sometimes even to the extent that they forgot its true meaning altogether. At present, some might go so far as to misunderstand that the participants in a rehearsal will collaborate in checking the teachings in the Pali Canon to see whether the ‘views’ or ‘opinions’ expressed therein are tight or wrong – which in effect amounts to judging whether some of the Buddha’s teachings here and there are right or wrong – and then proceed to amend them. It is thus necessary to understand clearly which meaning of sangayana is or original, and which meaning is derived.

Rehearsals in the true sense of the term – assemblies where the Buddha’s teachings as handed down to us were rehearsed, reviewed, and preserved as completely, accurately, pristinely and perfectly as possible – had two stages of development. The former stage involved reciting the teachings orally, called mukhpatha ‘oral transmision’, and the latter stage – in later periods – involved writing the teachings down, called potthakaropana ‘ putting down in books’.

In the initial stage of development or the first period, which extended from thee Buddha’s time up to approximately 460 years after that, the elders preserving the Teaching would retain and pass down the word of the Buddha orally, by means of mukhapatha, i.e. learning, memorizing, and transmitting from mount to mouth. This in effect entrusted the preservation to individuals, The good thing about this was that as monks in those days were of the Buddha, they would be very heedful, taking the best care to keep the teachings pristine and perfect. The preservation of the word of the Buddha was always regarded as the top priority in maintaining Buddhism.

The preservation through oral transmission was carried out by means of recitation, which can be divided into four levels:
(a) It was the responsibility of large groups of monks to pass down the teachings through the line of teachers, called acariyaparampara ‘succession of teachers’ (also known as theravamsa ‘lineage of elders’). This was started with the initial elders since the Discipline, had his line of pupils who were successively entrusted with preserving, teaching, and expounding that particular division of the teachings.
(b) It was the main activity in a monk’s way of life to learn the teachings to acquire the basis for proper practice, which in turn would lead to the penetration of Dhamma. Which division of the teachings to specialize in was at a monk’s who were well – versed in different parts of the Buddha’s teachings in the Pali Canon. For instance, the group with expertise in the Dighanikaya including its commentaries was called Dighabhanaka ‘reciter of the Collection of Long Discoursed’. Likewise, there were Majjhimabhanaka ‘reciter of the Collection of Middle Length Discourses’, Samyuttabhanaka ‘reciter of the Collection of connected discoursed’, and khuddakabhanaka ‘reciter of the Collection of Minor Works’, and so on.
(c) It was the routine of monks in each monastery or group to assemble and perform ‘group recitations’, or chanting the word of the Buddha together. (This practice may have been the origin of the daily routine of morning and evening chanting we are familiar with nowadays.)
(d) It was the routine or daily practice of individual monks – as evidenced from the commentaries, among other scriptures – to recite the word of the Buddha when they were free from other tasks, e.g. when they were by themselves. Thus reciting the word of the Buddha was in effect a part of their daily Dhamma practice.

Regulated by the monastic rules of the Sangha to lead their lives along the path of the Threefold Training, and living in an atmosphere of learning, or transmitting and seeking knowledge, for the purpose of proper practice, monks would naturally be prompted to preserve the teachings through recitation, review and cross – checking on a regular basis all along.

The following are the five precepts rendered in English and then Pali

2007-12-12T05:46:00.000-08:00

The Buddha is said to have taught the five precepts out of compassion, and for the betterment of society. Thus they are to be undertaken voluntarily rather than as commandments from a god. The precepts are intended to help a Buddhist live free from remorse, so that they can progress more easily on the Path.
The precepts are considered differently in a Mahayana context to that of the Theravada school of thought. To Theravada they are as they appear, but Mahayana schools consider this a beginers view. The reason for this is because Theravada rejects any realisation of non-duality in favour of the Pali Canon alone. In the written form, the precepts appear to be similar to the Christian commandments. However to the Mahayana schools, the first precept for example does not mean thou shall not kill. Rather, the precept of not killing highlights with deeper understanding that one cannnot see things in these terms. That is to say one cannot find anything fixed to call a victim, nor a specific entity that one can call a killer. In fact, one can find nothing fixed at all. It is this flux that the precepts point to. By engaging these precepts, one is engaging in the effort to be awake in the non conceptual, non dualistic reality.

The following are the five precepts rendered in English and then Pali:
1. I undertake the precept to refrain from taking the life (killing) of living beings.Pānātipātā veramani sikkhāpadam samādiyāmi
2. I undertake the precept to refrain from stealing. (lit. "taking what is not offered")Adinnādānā veramani sikkhāpadam samādiyāmi
3. I undertake the precept to refrain from sexual misconduct (adultery, rape, exploitation, etc).Kāmesu micchācāra veramani sikkhāpadam samādiyāmi
4. I undertake the precept to refrain from false speech (lying).Musāvāda veramani sikkhāpadam samādiyāmi
5. I undertake the precept to refrain from intoxicants which lead to heedlessness. (Can include intoxicating ideas)Surā meraya majja pamādatthānā veramani sikkhāpadam samādiyāmi

The Pali Canon and the Threefold Training

2007-12-07T19:50:00.000-08:00

On a more profound level, it is possible to develop Buddhism into part and parcel of oneself, or incorporate it into the life of each person.
Essentially, Buddhism can be seen as the resultant virtue, progress or growth, or the development of the Threefold Training in one’s life.
The sort of Buddhism that constitutes one’s life also has to rely on the Pali Canon, for Buddhism in this sense means the ability to get rid of greed, hatred and delusion, and to be able to get rid of greed, hatred and delusion, one has to train oneself in morality, concentration and wisdom .

In organizing the teachings into the Tipitaka, tradition has established a relationship between each of the three major divisions of the Pali Canon with each component of the Threefold Training as follows:
1. The Vinayapitaka as the collection of monastic rules for monks, including both the 227 training rules of the Patimokkha and those outside of the Patimokkha, constitutes the Discipline or sila ‘morality’-the training and development of bodily and verbal behaviour.
2. As a matter of tact, the Suttantapitaka encompasses all of the Threefold Training, but it has been pointed out that its main focus is on the second component of the Threefold Training, i.e. Samadhi ‘concentration’, or emotional development.
3. Finally, the focus of the Abhidhammapitaka is on panna ‘wisdom’. In contemporary parlance, the content of this pitaka are purely scholarly or academic, bringing up for scrutiny phenomena that are subtle and profound. It thus belongs to the domain of wisdom, requiring profound penetrative knowledge.

If we observe the principles of morality, concentration and wisdom as expounded in the Pali Canon, our lives will become like the Teaching itself, thereby as if preserving Buddhism survive. Wherever we are, there will be Buddhism. Whichever place we visit, Buddhism will reach there as well.
This is called Buddhism existing at the consummate level of preservation. Once the Pali Canon has been incorporated into a person’s life, it does not merely exist in letter.
However, before Buddhism can be incorporated into individuals. the Pali Canon must first be there to contain and maintain the Teaching, Even when our practice progresses, we need to consult the monks who have learnt from the Tipitaka, or from the ones who have learnt from their predecessors who in turn have learnt from the Tipikata. The teachings may have been passed down dozens of generations like this to us. If we can read Pali, we can consult the Pali Canon ourselves. If we cannot, we have to ask the learned monks for help. After we have obtained the required knowledge about the teachings, we can then practise properly to cultivate ourselves in morality, concentration, and wisdom.
In short, we Buddhists rely directly upon the Pali Canon by applying the teachings therein so that our practice will bear fruit in real life.

The Pali Canon and the three true doctrines

2007-12-07T19:49:00.000-08:00

From another perspective, what Buddhism is all about can be summarised in three words: Pariyatti, Patipatti, and Pativedha, or the three true doctrines.

Pariyatti refers to the word of the Buddha that we study, through the Pali Canona, without which the Buddha’s teachings could never reach us. We can say that the Pariyatti is the result of the Pativedha and is also the basis for the practice (Patipatti) of Buddhism.

After achieving he result of his own practice, the Buddha proclaimed the Teaching, based on his own experiences. The word of the Buddha thus became our Pariyatti, i.e. what we have to learn. However, when we regard the Pariyatti as the result of the Pativedha, we exclusively refer to the Pativedha of the Buddha, i.e. the result of his own practice and the result of the practice accepted by the Buddha, but not that of any yogi, hermit, ascetic, recluse, anchorite, preacher, cult leader, or founder of another religion.

Without learning the Pariyatti or what the Buddha taught, our practice would be misguided, mistaken, and deviant from the original Teaching. If our practice was wrong, whatever result wee achieved could not be correct. And if we deceived ourselves with our own findings that were erroneously taken to be true, there could be no way for the Pativedha to ensue.

Hence, without the Pariyatti as basis, the Patipatti and the Pativedha would also fail to materialize. All would collapse together.
To put it simply, from the Buddha’s own Pativedha came our Pariyatti, which we learn and which provides the basis for our practice (Patipatti). When we practise properly, we will achieve the Pativedha just as the Buddha did. As long as this cycle still goes on, the Buddha’s Teaching will survive.
The Pariyatti that was derived from the Buddha’s Pativedha and provides the basis for all Buddhists to practise is to be found in the Pali Canon.
From this perspective, then, if we are to preserve the Pariyatti, Patipatti and Pativedha, we will have to preserve the Pali Canon.

Whether we trichotomise the Teaching into Pariyatti-saddhamma, Patipatti-saddhamma, and Pativedha-saddhmmam (i.e. the three true doctrines), or sometimes dichotomise it into Pariyatti-sasana and Patipatti-sasana (i.e. the two dispensations), it all boils down to the Pali Canon as the basis. Thus if we can preserve the Canon, so can we preserve Buddhism.

The Pali Canon and the Four Assemblies

2007-12-07T19:22:00.001-08:00

The Buddha once said he would enter the Final Nibbana only when all the Four Assemblies, namely monks and nuns-whether they were elders, middlings or newly ordained ones-together with laymen and laywoman-celibate and married alike-were endowed with the qualities of worthy custodians of the Teaching, as follows:
1. They must be well-versed in thee teachings of the Buddha and have proper conduct in accordance with the teachings;
2. They must be able to teach others, having learnt the teachings and conducted themselves well;
3. They must bee able to able to confute false doctrines, or teachings that are distorted or different from the original Doctrine and Discipline, when such teachings arise.
Not long before the Buddha’s demise, Mara the Evil One approached him and pointed out that the Four Assemblies were already endowed with the desired qualities mentioned above-which was as if the precondition the Buddha had earlier set for his own Final Nibbana. When the Buddha saw that was indeed case, he immediately agreed to take the Final Nibbana and therefore relin-quished his will to live on.

This saying of the Buddha in effect entrusted the Teaching to the Four Assemblies. But care must also be taken as to what type of Buddhist is worthy of this task.

Buddhists can qualify as worthy custodians of the Teaching only when there is a scripture from which to learn and understand the authentic Doctrine and Discipline in the first place.
So in this sense, the Pali Canon is the guiding principle for the Four Assemblies and must exist alongside them, providing the basis for their becoming worthy custodians of the Teaching.
These two sides-preservers of the Teaching and the Teaching to be preserved-are mutually dependent. In order for the Teaching to survive and bear fruit, it is the Four Assemblies to become as such and benefit from the Teaching, it is the Doctrine and Discipline preserved in the Pali Canon that serve as their guiding principles.

The Pali Canon and the Four Assemblies

2007-12-07T19:22:00.000-08:00

The significance of the Pali Canon

2007-12-07T19:18:00.000-08:00

The significance of the Pali Canon in the maintenance of the Teaching can be appreciated more when the Pali Canon is seen in relation to other components of Buddhism.

The Pali Canon and the Triple Gem
The principal reason for the paramount importance of the Pali Canon is that it is where the Triple Gem, also the Three Refuges for all Buddhists, is preserved:
1. The Pali Canon is the dwelling place of the Buddha. As mentioned earlier the Dhamma and Vinaya are our Teacher on the Buddha’s behalf after his Final Nibbana. From this perspective, we Buddhists can still have an audience with the Teacher in the Pali Canon even though he passed away over 2,500 years ago.
2. The Pali Canon performs the duty of the Dhmma. It is through the Pali Canon that we can get to know the Dhamma and Vinaya, i.e. the Buddha’s teachings. The Dhamma and Vinaya are simply abbreviated as the Dhamma. When we need something to symbolize it, it is the Tipitaka that is often used.
3. The Pali Canon is where the Sangha is accommodated. The Sangha owes its existence to the rules laid down by the Sangha can be ordained and remain in their monkhood only because of the Vinaya.

The Vinayapitake contains the rules and regulations for the maintenance of the Sangha. Conversely, the Sangha is entrusted with the duty to preserve and keep alive the Teaching. The Sangha is thus close attached to the Tipitaka.

To sum up, the Triple Gem has to rely on the Pali Canon to manifest itself to the populace of the world, starting with the Buddhists themselves. The Pali Canon is therefore important as the vehicle through which the Triple Gem becomes known. Preserving the Pali Canon is in effect maintaining thee Triple Gem, which is also maintaining Buddhism itself.

Abstract of The Pali Canon

2007-12-07T19:01:00.000-08:00

The Pali Canon refers to the set of scriptures in which the Buddha’s teachings, the Dhamma ‘Doctrine’ add Vinaya ‘Discipline’, are enshrined. The Pali term Tipitaka ‘three baskets [of teacgubgs]’ denotes the three major divisions of the Canon

As the Buddha clearly stated that the Dhumma and Vinaya were to succeed him as Teacher after his passing, it follows that the Pali Canon is in effect where Buddhists can still have an audience with their Teacher and learn his Teaching even though he passed away over 2,500 years ago.

The First Rehearsal, whose purpose was to collect and organize the word of the Buddha, did not take place until three months after his demise. As it was conducted by an assembly of 500 Arahant elders (thera). This event also gave rise to what is now known as Theravada Buddhism. During the rehearsal, once any given portion of the teaching was agreed upon, it was chanted in unison by the assembly, The text chanted was thereby formally endorsed as the model to be committed word for word to memory and to be passed on to others and handed down to posterity.

The teachings thus orally transmitted were first written down during the Fourth Rehearsal, conducted in Sri Lanka around B.E. 460.

The Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism, after two and a half millennia and six major rehearsals, has been generally recognized as the oldest, most original, most complete, and most accurate record of the Buddha’s teachings still available today.

As the ultimate authoritative reference, the Pali canon provides the standards or criteria for judging whether a given teaching or way of practice truly belongs to Buddhism. It is thus the duty and responsibility of all Buddhists to preserve and protect the Pali Canon which is crucial for the survival of Buddhism, and hence also for the welfare and happiness of the world.