Wisdom Quarterly: American Buddhist Journal: How I became the "King of the Gods"

Friday, October 3, 2014

How I became the "King of the Gods"

Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Crystal Quintero (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly; Ven. Weragoda Sarada Thero (trans.), Treasury of Truth: Dhammapada Text, BuddhaNet.net)

The War in Heaven ("heaven" being near-Earth space): Sakka King of the Devas overpowers the Titan "demon" Vepacitti, like St. Michael and the Dragon, like Satan, Lucifer, or any misbehaving "son of god," Sanskrit devaputra (Tadolini).

Golden Buddha in the Thai Buddhist kingdom, land of Theravada (Manuela Jedinger)

Mindfulness Made [Sakka] King of the "Gods" (Devas)

Illustrated Dhammapada: 2(7) The Story of Magha (Verse 30)

Sakka (St. Michael) watches over Earth

While residing at Kutagara Monastery near Vesali, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to Sakka (Indra/Archangel Michael/San Miguel), King of the Devas.

A Licchavi prince named Mahali living in Vesali, hearing the Buddha recite the sutra entitled "Sakka's Question," thought to himself: "The Supremely Enlightened One has described the great glory of Sakka. Has the Buddha seen Sakka?

"Or has he not seen Sakka? Is the Buddha acquainted with Sakka? Or is he not acquainted with Sakka? I will ask him!" So the Licchavi prince Mahali drew near to the Exalted One, saluted him, sat down to one, and said:

"Venerable, has the Exalted One seen Sakka King of the Gods?" - "Yes, Mahali, I have indeed seen Sakka King of the Gods." - "Venerable, it must certainly have been a counterfeit of Sakka for, venerable, it is a difficult matter to see Sakka King of the Gods." - "Nevertheless, Mahali, I know Sakka King of the Gods, I know what qualities made him Sakka, and I know by the cultivation of which qualities Sakka attained Sakkaship."

[Magha became a Sakka, that is, achieved the status of occupying the station of a Sakka. In Buddhist cosmology, this station is not limited to this world system but exists in other world systems as well, just as the posts of Maha Brahmas, World Monarchs (chakravartins), and buddhas (supremely enlightened teachers) exist elsewhere. But what is a world system? That is unclear but likely refers to a planetary system with a star (sun), of which their are countless in addition to ours, or a galaxy, of which their are countless extending out in space like bubbles in all directions, or possibly universes in the multiverse.]

"Mahali, in a previous state of existence (former lives, previous rebirths) Sakka King of the Gods was a human being, a prince named Magha; therefore, he is called Maghava.

"Mahali, in a previous state of existence Sakka King of the Gods was a human being who gave gifts; therefore, he is called Purindada.

"Mahali, in a previous state of existence Sakka King of the Gods was a human being who gave alms assiduously; therefore, he is called Sakka.

"Mahali, in a previous state of existence Sakka King of the Gods was a human being who gave a dwelling-place; therefore, he is called Vassava.

The Buddha teaching his biological mother, Maya Devi, reborn in World of the Thirty-Three

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"Mahali, in a previous state of existence Sakka King of the Gods was a human being who could think of as many as a thousand things in an instant [not simultaneously but sequentially, for that is the nature of thinking and how discrete cittas function in the process of consciousness for living beings, which are so fast they can seem simultaneous but are not]; therefore, he is called Sahassakkha.

"Mahali, Sakka King of the Gods has a titan (asura) maiden named Sujata as wife; therefore, he is called Sujampati.

"Mahali, Sakka King of the Gods holds sway as king [King of Kings] and lord [Lord of Lords] over the [ruling] Gods of the Thirty-Three (i.e., on a planet or celstial plane called Tavatimsa, "The World of the Thirty-Three"). Therefore, he is called King of the Gods (devānam indo, chief or king of the devas).

Sakka's chariot of the gods (WQ)

"Mahali, Sakka King of the Gods iin a previous state of existence as a human bieng took upon himself and fiulfilled seven vows. Because he undertook and fulfilled these seven vows, Sakka [Magha] attained Sakkaship [the status of a Sakka, rulership, which may last thousands or hundreds of thousands of years but is nevertheless a temporary post].

"Now what were these seven?

'So long as I live, may I be the support of my mother and father.
So long as I live, may I honor my elders.
So long as I live, may I speak gentle words.
So long as I live, may I never give way to backbiting.
So long as I live, may I live the life of a householder with heart free from taint of avarice, generous in renunciation [letting go] of what is mine, with open hand, delighting in liberality, attentive to petitions, delighting in the distribution of alms.
So long as I live, may I speak the truth.
So long as I live, may I be free from anger. Should anger spring up within me, may I quickly suppress it.'

"Mahali, Sakka King of the Gods in a previous state of existence undertook and fulfilled these seven vows. Because he undertook and fulfilled these seven vows, Sakka attained Sakkaship."

The Buddha said, "In a previous birth Sakka was [re-]born as Magha. During that birth with 30 companions he built roads and resting places for the benefit of the community [particularly, the spiritual recluses who as wandering ascetics who overnight in these salas, or pavilions, which also served as gathering places for general meetings]. His unflagging effort brought him into the exalted position of 'king of the devas, and he recited this stanza:

The Brahmin youth Magha through mindfulness was reborn as chief of the devas. Therefore, mindfulness is always praised, whereas sloth and distractedness are always condemned.

Maghava appamadena devanam setthatam gato appamadam pasamsanti pamado sada garahito: "Maghvava, through mindfulness, leadership reached [and] was born chief of the devas, so mindfulness is always praised and sloth and unmindfulness always condemned."

COMMENTARY

Devas and titans in space (wiki)

Pamado garahito sada: Those who lag behind are "condemned" because the lethargic (those overtaken by sloth and torpor) cannot achieve their goals, be they worldly or spiritual. Distractedness (lack of awareness) is, of course, always censured, deprecated by those "noble" (entered into the ennobling stages of enlightenment). Why? It is because lack of awareness, on the one hand, is at the root of all calamities. Every calamity, whether a state of human adversity or rebirth in a worse state, a path of subhuman woe is, indeed, based on unawareness (nescience, ignorance, spiritual blindness).

Mindfulness: on the other hand -- whether as bare awareness in the present moment or as a set of systematic contemplations leading to liberating insight -- is at the root of all success.

Maghava: a synonym for Sakka King of the Gods (the "gods" referring only to the devas of the Realm of the Four Great Kings, the World of the Thirty-Three, and earthbound fairies/spirits/angels overseen by one of the four regent-devas, that is, one of the Four Great Sky Rulers (catumaharajika-devas).

Devas: literally, shining or sporting ones, are a class of beings with subtle physical bodies invisible to the naked eye. They live in the celestial planes in space as well as in the human plane alongside humans and animals, tending to avoid interaction instead resorting to quiet woodlands and undisturbed areas.

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