Some friends save, others destroy us

• Some friends save us, others destroy us | Buddhism with Venerable Gotami
• The Buddha's Guide for Lay Buddhists (Sigalovada Sutta)
• Wisdom Quarterly: The Buddha on toxic relationships

Death Sutra; 'The Seventh Seal' (film)

 

Buddhists invented chess? (Rules)

The Seventh Seal (Swedish Det sjunde inseglet) is a 1957 Swedish historical fantasy film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman.

 

Set in Sweden [3, 4] during the Black Death, it tells of the journey of a medieval knight (Max von Sydow) and a game of chess he plays with [Mara] the personification of Death (Bengt Ekerot), who has come to take his life.

• Buddhism in Sweden
• Origins of chess (chess.com)
• The origin of chess (Silk Road Foundation)
• All the European names of the game of chess have roots in the Persian language. French Echec and English “Checkmate” originated thanks to their Persian roots. At the same time, Buddhist pilgrims are known to have carried it towards the East. Where several versions of the games (inscribed discs placed on the intersection of the lines of the board rather than within the squares)... Where did chess come from? | CHESS KLUB

The Seventh Seal, 1957

Bergman developed the film from his own play Wood Painting. The title refers to a passage from the Bible's Book of Revelation, used both at the very start of the film and again towards the end, beginning with the words "And when the Lamb had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour" [5].

 

Here, the motif of silence refers to the "silence of God," which is a major theme of the film [6, 7]. The Seventh Seal is considered a classic in the history of cinema, as well as one of the greatest films of all time.

It established Bergman as a director, containing scenes which have become iconic through homages, critical analyses, and parodies. More

Death comes rolling at us. Are we ready?

The Simile of the Mountain, Pabbatūpama Sutta (SN 3.2)

Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in Sāvatthī.

King Pasenadi of Kosala came and respectfully sat to one side. The Buddha said to him, “Great King, where are you coming from in the middle of the day?”

“Venerable sir, there are anointed warrior caste kings who are infatuated with authority and obsessed with craving for sensual delights. They have attained stability in the country, conquering and occupying a vast territory. Today I have been busy fulfilling the duties of such a king.”

“What do you think, Great King? Suppose a trustworthy and dependable man were to come from the east. He would approach and say, ‘Please, Great King, know this: I come from the east. There I saw a huge mountain that reached the clouds. And it was coming this way, crushing all creatures in its path. Therefore, Great King, do as you see fit!’

• This extraordinary threat looms also in an Upanishadic passage: “Even if both the mountain ranges, the southern and the northern, were to rush at him determined to level him, they would not succeed in leveling him” (Kauṣītaki Upanishad 2.13, translation by Olivelle).

“Then suppose another trustworthy and dependable man were to come from the west… a third from the north… and a fourth from the south, approaching to say, ‘Great King, know this. I come from [that direction]. There I saw a huge mountain that reached the clouds. And it was coming this way, crushing all creatures in its path. Therefore, Great King, do as you see fit!’

“Should such a dire threat arise—with so grim a loss of human life when human rebirth is so preciously rare—what would you do?”

“Venerable sir, what could I do but practice the Dhamma (Buddha's Teachings), practice morality, doing skillful and profitable kamma (deeds, actions)?”

“I say, Great King, I announce: Old age and death are advancing upon you. Since old age and death are advancing upon you, what shall you do?”

“Venerable sir, what can I do but practice the Dhamma, practice morality, doing skillful and profitable kamma?

“Venerable sir, there are anointed warrior kings who are infatuated with authority and obsessed with craving for sensual delights. They have attained stability in the country, conquering and occupying a vast territory. Such kings engage in battles with elephants, cavalries, chariots, or infantries. But there is no place, no domain for such battles when old age and death are advancing.

“In this royal court there are ministers of wise counsel who are capable of dividing an approaching enemy by wise counsel. But there is no place, no domain for such diplomatic battles when old age and death are advancing.

“In this royal court there is abundant gold, both minted and unminted, stored above and below ground. Using this wealth we can bribe an approaching enemy.

• Bhūmigata is explained as “underground” at Bu Pj 2:4.2.1 (there bhūmaṭṭha). | Vehāsaṭṭha is explained as “above ground” at Bu Pj 2:4.5.1. | Upalāpetuṁ (“bribe”) is a means by which Vassakāra suggests the Vajjis can be overcome (DN 16:1.5.8, AN 7.22:12.3).

“But there is no place, no domain for such monetary battles when old age and death are advancing.

“When old age and death are advancing, what can I do but practice the Teachings, practice morality, doing skillful and profitable deeds?”

“That is true, Great King, so true! When old age and death are advancing, what can one do but practice Dhamma, practice morality, doing skillful and profitable karma?”

That is what the Buddha said. Then the Awakened One, the Teacher, summarized in verse:

“Suppose there were vast mountains

of solid rock pressed against the sky

drawing in from all sides

crushing the four quarters.

So, too, old age and death

advance upon all living beings—

warriors, priests, peasants,

menials, corpse-workers, and scavengers.

They spare no one.

They crush all under them.

There is nowhere for an elephant to take a stand,

neither chariot nor infantry.

Mountains cannot be defeated

by diplomatic battles or wealth.

That is why an astute person,

seeing what is good for oneself,

being wise, would place confidence (faith)

in the Awakened One, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha.

Whoever lives by the Teaching

[skillful in actions of] body, speech, and mind,

is praised in this life

and departs to rejoice in heaven(s).”

• Ingmar Bergman; SN 3.25: Pabbatūpama Sutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (trans.), suttacentral.net, edited by Kalyani, Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Gandharan Buddhist Texts: Rhino Sutra

(Tan Lay) Ancient Gandharan (Proto-Indian) Buddhist text: Rhinoceros Sutra (audiobook)

• Snp 1.3: Khaggavisāṇa Sutta—Ven. Sujato (translation)

First statues of the Buddha

In the years following Alexander the Great’s conquest of the East, a series of empires rose up along the Silk Road. In what is now northern Pakistan, the civilizations in the region called ancient Gandhara became increasingly important centers for the development of Buddhism, reaching their apex under King Kaniska of the Kusanas (Kushan Empire) in the second century CE.

Gandhara has long been known for its Greek-Indian (Greco-Buddhist) synthesis in architecture and statuary, but until about 20 years ago, almost nothing was known about its Buddhist literature (Gandhāran Buddhist texts).

Buddhist Lit of Ancient Gandhara

The insights provided by manuscripts unearthed over the last few decades show that Gandhara was indeed a vital link in the early development of Buddhism, instrumental in both the transmission (Journey to the West, Monkey King) of Buddhism to China and the rise of the Mahayana tradition.

The Buddhist Literature of Ancient Gandhara surveys what we know about Gandhara and its Buddhism, and it also provides translations of a dozen different short texts, from similes and stories to treatises on time and reality.

Afghan Buddhas: The Ancient Art of Gandhara || Overlooked Art History

Afghanistan's Buddhas: The Ancient Art of Gandhara || Overlooked Art History

(Athena Art Foundation) Feb. 20, 2023: The history of ancient Gandharan art is a reminder of Afghanistan's diverse and beautiful history, in poignant contrast to its current political turmoil. 🇦🇫 Gandhara was an ancient region located in parts of present-day northeast Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan. Gandharan sculpture is characterized by its combination of ancient Greek and Buddhist styles, highly influenced by the conquest of Alexander the Great in 327 BC. #sculptor #arthistory #learnart

• 0:00-0:55 Introduction
• 0:56-1:30 Gandharan history
• 1:31-2:40 First human depictions of the Buddha
• 2:40-3:46 Other subject matter

Gandhara: Pakistan's Buddhist Legacy (exploring Taxila, Takht-i-Bhai, Shindagar (Swat)

• Takht-i-Bahi, Buddhist Afghanistan
• Mes Aynak, Little Copper Well, unexcavated Buddhist temple complex
• Buddhism in Afghanistan, Central Asia
• Buddhism in Central Asia
• Gandhāra (kingdom)
• Buddhism in Pakistan
• Ajina Tepe, Tajikistan
• Greco-Buddhist monasticism

Superiority of Solitude in Early Buddhism: "The Rhinoceros Sutta"

(Doug's Dharma) Nov. 27, 2023: Is solitary practice superior? [The best companionship is with a kalyana-mitta or "noble friend," and the second best, if no such friend can be found, is to go alone.] Let us consider the problem through a look at one of the most powerful and enigmatic early Buddhist poems, the Rhinoceros Sutra. What does it tell us, and who composed it?

• 00:00 Intro — viewer question and a poem
• 02:26 What does the poem say?
• 04:37 The central tension of Buddhist practice: solitude and community
• 08:06 Who composed the poem, when, and why?
• 09:14 Pre-Buddhist origin?
• ["Pre-Buddhist" refers to when there were only silent or non-teaching (pacceka-) buddhas, considered pre-Buddhist because the historical Supremely Enlightened Buddha (samma-sam-buddha) Siddhartha Gautama or Shakyamuni has not yet arisen in the world; however, there have been other supremely awakened teaching buddhas in the distant past. This means there were Buddhists before Buddhism even if they were not called that and a long line of at least 28 teaching-buddhas mentioned by the Buddha as having preceded him.]
• 09:59 Buddhist origin?
• 14:10 Both origins?

📙 BOOK: A Handbook of Early Buddhist Wisdom, with a foreword by Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi. 🧡 Find this material useful? Check out Dr. Doug's Patreon page and get fun benefits like exclusive videos, audio-only versions, and extensive show notes: dougsseculardharma. 🧡 Donate: paypal.me/dougsdharma ☸️ Free mini-course at the Online Dharma Institute: onlinedharma.org. 🎙Check out podcast with Jon Aaron, "Diggin' the Dharma," digginthedharma.com

✅ Books mentioned

• Bhikkhu Bodhi (trans.) The Suttanipāta: An Ancient Collection of the Buddha’s Discourses Together with its Commentaries (Wisdom Publications, 2017)
• Richard Salomon, The Buddhist Literature of Ancient Gandhāra (Wisdom Publications, 2018)
• The Buddhist Literature of Ancient Gandhara: An Introduction with Selected Translations (Classics of Indian Buddhism)

NOTE: As an Amazon associate, Dr. Doug earns from qualifying purchases. Amazon links are affiliate links where he will earn a very small commission on purchases made at no additional cost to purchaser. This goes a tiny way towards defraying the costs of making these videos. Thanks!

✅ Video mentioned: The Early Ideal of the "Lone Buddha" or Pacceka-buddha — • The Early Ideal of the "Lone Buddha"...

✅ Sutta mentioned: suttacentral.net/mn122/en/sujato

Webpage: dougsdharma.com. Facebook: onlinedharmainstitute. Mastodon: mindly.social/@dougsdharma. Instagram: dougsdharma. Threads: threads.net/@dougsdharma. Thumbnail photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

❤️ Thanks to Patreon Patrons: Anonymous (3) John Oborne DunJing Jimmy Maa Debbie Mattison Fine Art Steve H. Ron Peat Matthew Smith Shantha Wengappuli Karma_CAC Jorge Seguel Christopher Apostolof GailJM Brett Merritt David Bell T Pham VCR Upayadhi Andi and Erik ATGuerrero686 Michael Scherrer khobe schofield Alex Perdomo Benji Forsyth Blaze Way Sonny Flink Steve Marlor Joy L Lee Andrew Tom Anthony Tucker Karlee R Ethan M Billy in Singapore Olivia Otter Carl Lennartson xiao mao Jeff Harvey Andrew Ingrouille Kenneth Grandchamp Doug Fonner Rene Gariepy Russell Needham Smoggyrob Mac Roja Bernardo Clémence Ortega Douville Kwan Alex Scott Johnston Richard J Beninger Nathanael O. Arnquist SaturnianMandala Trin P Letesa Isler Dorien Izel Robert Paterson Jake Tobiason Louvenia Ortega Steve S. Richard Rappuhn Sarah Kress John Aaron Paul Niklewski Kong Ing Kai Dave Gorman rhys reed Osanda Wijeratne Billy Scarlett Farrow

• Gandhara: A Forgotten History by Jay Vardhan Singh
• Tan Lay; Doug's Dharma; Dhr. Seven and Amber Larson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Theravada Buddhism: original Dharma

Sutra: Going Along with the Stream

SUTRA: Going Along with the Stream

How can we rise above?

(AN 4.5) “Meditators, there are four kinds of people found in the world. What are these four? There is:

1. the person who goes along with the stream;
2. the one who goes against the stream;
3. the one who is inwardly firm; and
4. the one who has crossed over and gone beyond, the [worthy one] who stands on high ground.

(1) “Who is the person who goes along with the stream? Here, one indulges in sensual pleasures and performs unskillful deeds (karma). This is called 'the person who goes along with the stream.'

Could I rise above and overcome ignorance?

(2) “Who is the person who goes against the stream? Here, one refrains from indulging in sensual pleasures, refrains from performing unskillful deeds. Even with pain and dejection, weeping with a tearful face, one lives the complete and purified spiritual life. This is called 'the person who goes against the stream.'

(3) “Who is the person who is inwardly firm? Here, with the utter destruction of the five lower fetters, some person is of spontaneous rebirth [in some superior world or other], due to attain final nirvana (nibbāna) there without ever returning from that world. This is called 'the person who is inwardly firm.'

Blissful and at ease

(4) “And who is the one who has crossed over and gone beyond, the noble one who stands on high ground? Here, with the destruction of the taints, some person has realized for oneself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered in it, one dwells in it. This is called 'the person who has crossed over and gone beyond,' the noble person who stands on high ground.

“These, meditators, are the four kinds of persons found in the world.”

Those people who are unrestrained in [pursuing] sense pleasures,

not free of lust, indulging in sense pleasures here,

repeatedly coming back to rebirth and old age again,

immersed in craving, are “the ones who go along with the stream.”

Therefore, a wise person with mindfulness established,

not resorting to sense pleasures and unskillful deeds,

gives up sense pleasures even if it is painful to do so:

they call this person “one who goes against the stream.”

One who has abandoned five defilements,

a fulfilled trainee, unable to fall back,

attained to mind’s mastery, with faculties composed:

this person is called “one inwardly firm.”

One who has comprehended things high and low,

burned them up, so they are done and exist no more:

that sage who has lived the supreme spiritual life,

reached the end of the world (samsara), is called

“one who has gone beyond.”

• Do our companions matter? Samseva
• Bhikkhu Bodhi (trans.), suttacentral.net, edited by Dhr. Seven, Aṅguttara Nikāya, Numerical Discourses, The Book of the Fours (AN 4.5), Wisdom Quarterly

The Jewel Sutra (Ratana Sutta)

.

All beings gathered here

from earth and aether

may we all be happy at heart

to listen carefully to what is said.

All beings, heed:

Love human beings,

who day and night make offerings

and please protect them diligently.

There is no wealth here or beyond,

no sublime jewel found in heaven,

that equals the Enlightened One.

This sublime jewel is the Buddha:

By this truth, may all beings be well!

Cessation, dispassion, deathless, sublime

attained by the Scythian Sage in samādhi --

without equal is that Dharma.

This sublime jewel is the Dharma:

By this truth, may all beings be well!

The purification praised by the Buddha Supreme

is said to be the “absorption with immediate fruit.”

No equal to that absorption is found.

This sublime jewel is the Dharma:

By this truth, may all beings be well!

The eight individuals praised by the wise

are the four pairs of the Awakened One’s disciples,

worthy of offerings and all other courtesies.

For what is given to them is abundantly fruitful.

This sublime jewel is the Noble Saṅgha:

By this truth, may all beings be well!

I go for guidance to the Teacher, the Teaching, and the successfully Taught (tricycle.org)

.

Dedicated to the Buddha’s dispensation,

strong-minded, free of craving for sense,

they have attained the aim, plunged into deathless freedom

and enjoy a cooling they have thus gained.

This sublime jewel is the Noble Saṅgha:

By this truth, may all beings be well!

As a boundary-post set firmly in the ground

is unshaken by winds of the four directions,

I say a supreme person is just this way,

who knows-and-sees the enlightening truths.

This sublime jewel is the Noble Saṅgha:

By this truth, may all beings be well!

Those who fathom the enlightening truths [sacca]

taught by the one of deepest wisdom

do not undergo more than seven rebirths

even if they are extremely negligent.

This sublime jewel is the Noble Saṅgha:

By this truth, may all beings be well!

When they attain the eye of wisdom,

they give up three things:

personality view, skeptical doubt, and

any clinging to rules or rituals.

They are freed from four miserable planes

and cannot do six heinous (karmic) actions.

This sublime jewel is the Noble Saṅgha:

By this truth, may all beings be well!

Even if they do some unskillful deed

through body, speech, or mind,

they are unable to conceal it,

which is said of those who have seen the Truth.

This sublime jewel is the Noble Saṅgha:

By this truth, may all beings be well!

As a tall forest tree springing flowers

in the first month of summer

he taught the supreme Dharma

leading to cessation, to ultimate freedom.

This sublime jewel is the Buddha:

By this truth, may all beings be well!

The knower, giver, and bringer of the sublime

taught the most sublime Dharma.

This sublime jewel is the Buddha:

By this truth, may all beings be well!

The past is ended, nothing anew is produced:

Their minds hanker after no future rebirth.

Spent seeds desire no growth,

The ever-mindful become as still as this lamp.

This sublime jewel is the Noble Saṅgha:

By this truth, may all beings be well!

All beings gathered here

of earth and aether,

the Enlightened One is honored by devas and humans!

We honor the Buddha! May all be safe!

All beings gathered here

of earth and aether,

the Enlightened One is honored by devas and humans!

We honor the Dharma! May all be safe!

All beings gathered here

of earth and aether,

the Enlightened One is honored by devas and humans!

We honor the Noble Saṅgha! May all be safe!

• Dhr. Seven (trans.), Kalyani (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

The Buddha: magic, ESP, miracles (sutra)

Kevatta (Kevaddha) Sutta: What the Buddha was like

A Central Asian king, Scythia

(DN 11) Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One (the Buddha) was staying at Nalanda in Pavarika's mango grove.

Kevatta the householder approached the Blessed One, bowed, and sat respectfully to one side. Sitting there he said:

"Venerable sir, this [city of] Nalanda is powerful, both prosperous and populous, filled with people who have confidence (faith) in the Blessed One. It would be good if the Blessed One were to direct a monastic to display a miracle of psychic power from his superior human state so that Nalanda would to an even greater extent have confidence the Blessed One."

When that was said, the Buddha said this to the householder:

"Kevatta, I don't teach the monastics in this way: 'Come, monastics, display a miracle of psychic power to the lay people [Buddhists] clad in white.'"

A second time and third time, Kevatta the householder repeated his request.

"Kevatta, there are these three miracles which I have declared after having directly known and realized them for myself. What are they? They are:

1. the miracle of psychic power,
2. the miracle of telepathy, and
3. the miracle of instruction.

• Buddhist psychic powers: abhinna
• The Buddha on magic: iddhi
• Four Roads to Power: iddhi pada

The Miracle of Psychic Power

Supernormal: Science (Dr. Radin)

"What is the miracle of psychic power? There is the instance of a disciple who wields manifold psychic powers.

• Having been one, he becomes many.
• Having been many, he becomes one.
• He appears, and he vanishes.
• He goes unimpeded through walls, ramparts, and mountains as if moving through space.
• He dives in and out of the earth as if it were water. He walks on water without sinking as if it were dry land.
• Sitting cross-legged, he flies through the air like a winged bird.
• With his hand he touches and strokes even the sun and moon [Surya and Soma], so mighty and powerful.
• He exercises influence with his body even as far as the brahma worlds.

The power to carve or melt stone?

"Then someone who has confidence and conviction in him sees him wielding manifold psychic powers... exercising influence with his body even as far as the brahma worlds. He reports this to someone who has no confidence and no conviction, saying to him, 'Isn't it awesome, isn't it astounding, how great the power, how great the prowess of this wandering ascetic? Just now I saw him wielding manifold psychic powers... exercising influence with his body even as far as the brahma worlds.'

"Then the person without confidence, without conviction, might say to the person with confidence and conviction: 'Sir, there is a charm called the Gandhari Charm by which the ascetic wielded manifold psychic powers... exercising influence with his body even as far as the brahma worlds.'

"What do you think, Kevatta? — Isn't that what the one without confidence, without conviction, would say to the one with confidence and conviction?"

"Yes, venerable sir, that's just what one would say!"

"Seeing this drawback to the miracle of psychic power, Kevatta, I feel horrified, humiliated, and disgusted with the miracle of psychic power.

The Miracle of Telepathy

The Buddha's grace and charm

"What is the miracle of telepathy? There is the instance of a wandering ascetic who reads the minds, mental events, thoughts, and ponderings of other beings, other individuals [saying], 'Such is your thinking. Here is where your thinking is. Thus is your mind.'

"Then someone who has confidence and conviction in him sees him reading the minds... of other beings... He reports this to someone who has no confidence or conviction, saying, 'Isn't it awesome, isn't it astounding, how great the power, how great the prowess of this wandering ascetic? Just now I saw him reading the minds... of other beings...'

Real Magic (Dr. Dean Radin)

"Then the person without confidence and conviction, might say to the person with confidence and conviction: 'Sir, there is a charm called the Manika Charm by which the ascetic read the minds... of other beings...'

"What do you think, Kevatta? — Isn't that what the one without confidence and conviction would say to the one with confidence and conviction?"

"Yes, venerable sir, that's just what one would say!"

"Seeing this drawback to the miracle of telepathy, Kevatta, I feel horrified, humiliated, and disgusted with the miracle of telepathy.

The Miracle of Instruction

'Tis better to teach the Path to pure freedom

"What is the miracle of instruction? There is the instance of a wandering ascetic who instructs in this way: 'Direct your thought in this way. Do not direct it in that way. Attend to these things in this way. Do not attend to them in that way. Let go of this. Enter and remain in that.'

"This, Kevatta, is called the miracle of instruction.

"Furthermore, there is the instance of a Wayfarer (Tathagata, the Buddha) appears in the world, worthy and rightly awakened by his own efforts. He teaches the Dharma admirable in the beginning, admirable in the middle, admirable in the end.

"He proclaims the pure life [of wandering asceticism, monasticism] both in its particulars and in its general essence, flawless, surpassingly pure.

"A householder or householder's offspring, hearing the Dharma, gains conviction in the Wayfarer and reflects, 'Household life is cramped, a dust laden path. The gone forth [from the home to the left home] life is like the open air.

Conscious Universe (Dr. Radin)

"It is difficult living at home to practice the pure life totally flawless, totally pure, shining like a polished shell. What if I were to shave off my hair, put on saffron robes, and go forth from the home life to the left home life?'

"After some time, that person abandons a mass of wealth, large or small, leaves a circle of relatives, large or small, shaves off hair, puts on saffron robes, and goes forth from the home to the left home life.

"When one has thus gone forth, one lives restrained by the rules of the Monastic Code (Vinaya), seeing danger in even the slightest fault.

"Consummate in virtue, one guards the doors of the senses, is possessed of mindfulness and alertness (vigilance and clear comprehension, sati-sampajanna), and is content. More

What is the "Gandhari Charm"?

Maitreya Buddha as Central Asian king, Himalayas

Gandhāra is a person's name, a place (country, mahajanapada) in which in one Jataka Tale the Bodhisatta was reborn as its king, the name of a mountain in the Himalayas (Himavā, J.vi.579), and also the name of the script (Kharosthi) and language of the region (modern Afghanistan/Pakistan). So by adding -vijjā ("charm") we can begin to piece together this explanation:

Gandhārī-vijjā is listed in G.P. Malalasekera's Buddhist Dictionary of Pali Proper Names: "A charm whereby one could become invisible and multiform [shapeshift], pass through all obstacles, through earth and water [USO, UFO, UAP], and touch the sun and moon (D.i.213) [suggesting advanced extraterrestrial technology].

"Elsewhere (J.iv.498) the charm is mentioned as being only useful for the purpose of making oneself invisible.

"The Theragāthā [Attestations of Enlightened Elders] Commentary (I.51f) distinguishes a Lesser and a Greater. [The Brahmin] Pilinda-vaccha knew the former and thought that the Buddha would teach him the latter. The charm enabled him to travel through the air [vimana, UFO, flying saucer, levitation?] and read the thoughts of others.

• 

  Sakka sends us to keep an eye on your progress.

  [Devas from the "Realm of the Thirty-Three," or Tavatimsa, and the Realm of the Regents of the Four Directions are said to be able to do these things when they surveil earthlings and their progress in sila, samadhi, and insight into the Dhamma (morality, unification of mind, and penetration of the Buddha's Teachings). This would seem to be accomplished by hovering in a vimana every fortnight and reporting the results to Sakka King of the Devas (aka Śakra, Shakra, Indra) in the Hall of Truth (Sudhammā) in Tavatimsa Heaven. "Gandhari" in Wikipedia]

Buddhaghosa (DA ii.389) explains that the charm was so called either because it was invented by a sage named Gandhāra or because it originated in Gandhāra. More

• What is the Buddhist Path to Enlightenment?
• Ven. Thanissaro (trans), Kevatta Sutta (DN 11) edited by Dhr. Seven and Amber Larson, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly; G.P. Malalasekera, Buddhist Dictionary of Pali Proper Names

Enlightenment from seeing impermanence

Sometimes the Buddha signaled he was teaching.

What is "enlightenment"? It is awakening (bodhi) to the Truth and thus being set free. Indeed, the ultimate truth sets one free, making it possible to let go and not cling to all of our attachments. That's good. I want that. How do I get that? If one saw the "true nature of reality" (ti-lakkhana), one would let go of all things and be set free. One need not "try" to let go. That doesn't work. The heart/the mind turns away from all things on seeing the Truth. It lets go, like a feather of plastic bag recoils when dropped into a fire. It does it all on its own. We need only find the Truth the Buddha pointed out.

What is impermanence (anicca), that quality which seeing it for even an instant one might gain a tremendous store of merit (punya, kusala-karma) superior to the greatest generosity and giving? What is impermanence, that quality by which perceiving one might be able to finally let go? What is impermanence?

It's saddening that so many people misunderstand the meaning of this Buddhist term and therefore roll their eyes thinking that the Buddha was not saying anything remarkable to talk about impermanence.

What is NOT impermanence (anicca)? There was a newly built house that, after a time, started to deteriorate (fall apart) and decay (turn to dust), until years later there was no trace of it. That's what the Buddha was talking about just so he could say, "we shouldn't be attached or cling to it"? No, no, no.

We are the Three Fates, the Strange Sisters, and it's time to get enlightened with the Buddha.

.

If this were all the Buddha meant, there would little reason to say it. Yawn. He would be uttering a commonplace, a dull observation, a nearly pointless thing to mention. Yet, in one place he says that seeing "impermanence" for an instant, for the duration of a finger snap, generates more merit and skillful karma than heaping gifts and offerings on everyone as a ruler with everything to give.

This one realization (knowing and seeing) is that heavy, that good, that beneficial. We should all strive to see it for it is of great fruit beyond what we can imagine. He is not talking about the realization that eventually a house will collapse, or this body will give out, or a relationship will go sour.

One would generate that tremendous quantity of merit by insight (vipassana) if one penetrated the real meaning of anicca, which is "radical impermanence," knowing it and seeing it. For this, one has to gain a glimpse of reality. What is "reality"? Aren't houses, bodies, and relationships reality? No, all of these are illusory.

Pa Auk Sayadaw taught Susila and Seven edited.

"Reality" is behind all things and means "ultimate materiality" and "ultimate mentality" -- the mundane stuff (what we call reality) at the level of particles (kalapa) and mind-moments (cittas) -- the elements of physics and consciousness -- which are constantly hurtling toward destruction.

• So important is this to see and realize that the Buddha made it his final utterance, "All things are hurtling towards destruction; work out your liberation with diligence."

Details (Sayalay Susila+Seven)

Sometimes a very strong jolt or shift can so emotionally jar and mentally shake us down to our foundation that, for a precious moment of clarity, there is an opportunity to understand the Three Marks of All Existence -- that every conditioned thing (which is everything other than nirvana, which is known as the amata or "deathless" and asankhata or the "unconditioned") is impermanent (anicca), disappointing (dukkha), and impersonal (anatta).

Seeing how things are constantly liable to change and go even though we wish for them to stay and remain unchanged, we are disappointed, pained, aggrieved, dissatisfied, and it leaves open the possibility that we see they are not ours, not me or mine, not  under our control, not personal.

But no one's interested in philosophical details (Abhidhamma); we want general stories (suttas)!

Dhammapada verses and parables

1. Impermanence (anicca)

無常品第—Samuel Beal (trans. into archaic British English), Dhr. Seven (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

How Sakka became a stream-enterer

Reborn in Tavatimsa (Realm of the Thirty-Three)

The first parable in this section of the Dhammapada relates that [the person who is now] Sakka, King of the Devas (aka Śakra, Sakka Devanam Indo, Indra, Magdha of Macala, Saint Michael the Archangel), was once reborn in the womb of a mule that lived in the household of a potter. The mule's task as a beast of burden was to turn the potter's mill.

The mother mule, overjoyed at the prospect of becoming pregnant and finally expecting a baby, kicked up her heels in joy and accidentally broke all the potter's pots.

The potter, angry, took a stick and beat the mule to such a degree that the newly-formed fetus was destroyed. The prospect of offspring was cut off. On this occasion, the Buddha repeated these lines:

“Whatever exists (samskāra, formations) is without endurance.

Hence, we have the term 'flourishing' and 'decaying.'

A human is born then dies.

Oh, what happiness is escape from this cycle

(this miserable condition of ever arising and perishing)!

For the life of humans is but as clay vessels made in a potter's mill;

formed with such care, they are all destined to break apart.”

Sakka [in an emotional and receptive state remembering that former rebirth], hearing these wise words, was able to enter the first path (magga) of Buddhist enlightenment (called "stream entry") and obtain peace.

The king loses his beloved queen-mother

On a certain occasion the Buddha was residing in Savatthi (Śrāvastī). King Pasenadi (the Rāja Prasenajit) had been celebrating the funerary and cremation rites of the queen-mother, aged more than 90 years.

Returning to his royal city, he visited the forest grove where Buddha was staying and respectfully saluted him.

About this the great teacher said (after inquiring as to the reason for the king's visit): “There are four things, O king, which from the first until now have been the causes of constant anxiety and fear to humans:

1. the fear of old age,
2. of disease,
3. of death, and
4. of loss (the grief that comes as a consequence of death).

Alas, the life of a human is but as the perishing of things we see all around us: Today they flourish, tomorrow they are gone. Just as the waters of the five rivers are ever flowing on incessantly day and night, such is the case with a human. Life is ever ebbing away.” Then the World-Honored one spoke these words:

“As the waters of a river ever hasten on and flow away and, once gone, never return, so is the life of a human. That which is gone knows not any return.”

The Buddha further expounding on this subject resulted in the king and his attendants dismissing their grief and, filled with great joy, they entered the “Paths.”

• [These are the supramundane Paths and Fruits, the various stages of enlightenment, usually counted as four, but admitting a few more intermediate degrees in the first two stages. They are contrasted in the earlier Path to Freedom (Vimutti-magga) and the later Path of Purification (Visuddhi-magga), with the former making more sense but the two not really differing except in additional details left out of the latter.]

The cowherd fattens his cattle

On a certain occasion, when the Buddha was abiding in the Bamboo Grove near Rajagaha (Rājagriha, modern Rajgir, India, the Royal City Ringed by Seven Hills), he had been teaching in the city and was returning homewards with his followers when he met a man driving a herd of fatted cattle towards the gates of the city.

On this the World-Honored One took up the subject and said the following:

“As a person with staff in hand goes along tending and pasturing cattle, so are old age and death. They also watch over the life that perishes.

"And of all whom they watch over, there is not one of whatever caste or class, male or female, rich or poor, who shall not in the end decay and disappear.

"Every day and night takes from the little space given to each one born. There is the gradual decay of a few years, and all is gone, as the waters of a pool are cut off (or become exhausted).”

The Buddha, having arrived at the grove, washed his feet, and arranged his robes, sat down. On this occasion, Ānanda respectfully asked the Buddha to explain the inspired verses he had just uttered.

The World-Honored One explained that the oxherd they had just seen sent the cattle forth day by day to feed in the pasture order that, when fattened and conditioned, they might be killed one by one.

“Such,” he explained, “is the fate of all that lives; it flourishes for a moment then dies.” On this utterance, more than 200 of his hearers (in the audience) obtained spiritual powers, let go, and became arhats (fully awakened ones).”

I've lost my precious daughter!

On another occasion, the Buddha was residing in Savatthi, in the garden donated by the multi-millionaire (Anāthapindika) when a certain celibate renunciate (brahmachārin or sannyasin), having lost his only daughter, who was 14 or 15 years of age and very beautiful and much beloved, being nearly deprived of reason because of his grief, came to see him

The celibate man had heard news of how wise this Holy One, the Buddha, was. So he came to see him and state the cause of his great unhappiness. On hearing this the teacher took up a sutra (discourse) by saying: "Brahmachārin, there are four things in the world that cannot permanently endure. What are these four?

1. Thinking we have obtained something and that it will last, we must find that it will actually not continue.
2. Being rich for a time, we must find that we will be deprived of it and impoverished again.
3. Being united and in agreement, there will be division and separation.
4. Being strong and healthy, there will come death."

Then the World-Honored One added these lines:

“What appears permanent will perish;

what is high will be brought low;

where there is agreement, there will come division;

wherever there is birth, there will be death."

On [penetrating the truth of] this, that celibate man awakened [to the first stage of enlightenment], and asking for and receiving the saffron robes of a wandering ascetic (bhikshu), he in no long time became an arhat.

The sexy courtesan wishes to be a nun

Once when the Buddha was residing on Vulture's Peak (Gridhrakūta Hill), near the City of Rājagaha, there was a certain famous courtesan in the city called “Lotus" (Pundarī, Padma, Lien-hwa).

She was most beautiful in form and incomparable in grace. This woman, wearing of her way of life, resolved to join the Buddha and become a female wandering ascetic (bhikshunī). Accordingly, she proceeded towards the place where he was on the peak, having half ascended the hill, she halted awhile at a fountain of water to drink.

While lifting the drink to her hips, she saw her beautiful face reflected in the fountain. She could not help but notice her incomparable beauty, the brightness of her complexion, her glossy hair, her graceful figure. Seeing herself, she changed her mind and said:

"Shall one born so beautiful as I was leave the world to become a recluse? — No! I'd rather have my fill of pleasure and be satisfied."

Making her new resolution — she was ready to turn around and go home.

Meanwhile, the Buddha, perceiving what was happening and knowing that Lotus was ready (possessed the necessary and sufficient causes and conditions) to realize the truth that would set her free, magically transformed himself into a beautiful female, infinitely more attractive and charming than Lotus.

Passing her on the road as they walked in the same direction, Lotus the courtesan was astounded by the beauty of the stranger. So she asked her, “Where do come from, fair lady? Where is your family from? Why are you traveling alone without attendants?”

How did you get so beautiful?

Hearing this, the stranger replied, “I am returning to that great city over there, and although we are unacquainted, let us join company and walk together.”

Accepting the offer, they went on their way until they came to a spot along the road, where they sat down to rest. At length, after a long and charming conversation, the beautiful stranger rested herself on Lotus' knees and fell asleep.

Girl, you've changed, no longer hot like before.

After a time Lotus the courtesan, while gazing at her companion in admiration, was amazed to behold her form entirely changed. She had become as loathsome and repugnant as a corpse. Her face was pallid, her teeth had fallen out, hair had dropped from her head, and insects had begun feeding on her squalid flesh.

Aghast at the sight and frightened, Lotus ran away, heading toward the Buddha exclaiming, “How transient is human beauty!” She hurried back in the direction of the hill, where the Buddha was dwelling, and having arrived, she cast herself at his feet. She related to him all that she had just seen. The Buddha addressed her:

"Lotus, there are four things that will always cause disappointment and sadness.

1. That someone, however beautiful, must age;
2. that one, however firmly established in life, must die;
3. that one bound by the closest ties of a relationship and affection, must nevertheless be separated from those one loves; and
4. that wealth, heaped up in profusion, must nevertheless scatter and be lost.”

Then the World-Honored One added:

“Old age brings with it loss of bodily attraction;

through decay and disease a person perishes;

with body bent and flesh withered,

this is the end of life.

What use is this body when it lies rotting

beside the flowing river Ganges?

It is but the prison-house of disease

and of the pains of old age and death.

To delight in sensual pleasures,

greedy and self-indulgent,

is but to increase the load of unskillful karma,

forgetting the great change that must come:

The inconstancy of human life.

With no son to depend upon,

without father or brother,

Death presses at the door — 

without a friend (or relation)

to look toward for aid.”

The courtesan hearing these words was able to see that life dwindles like a flower, that there is nothing permanent but nirvāna [the deathless, unconditioned element beyond all things]. So she requested permission to become a female wandering ascetic. It was readily granted, and she donned the saffron robes and soon became an arhat.

And all the rest [devas and humans] who heard the words of the Buddha were filled with inexpressible joy.

Four yogis vow to seek and destroy the Demon of Impermanence

In days of old when the Buddha was dwelling in the Bamboo Grove near Rājagaha, teaching the Dharma, there was a certain celibate renunciate (brahmachārin) and his three brothers who had obtained some spiritual perception. They thereby knew that after seven days they would die.

Realizing this they said, "By our spiritual power we can overturn heaven and earth, touch the sun and moon, move mountains, and stop the flowing torrent; yet, for all that, we cannot stop death.”

Then one said, “I will seek out in the depths of the ocean this Demon of Impermanence and destroy him!”

Another said, “I will tear Mt. Sumeru in half and enter it to seek out this Demon of Impermanence to destroy him.”

Another said, “I will mount [a flying transport] into remotest space to seek the Demon of Impermanence and destroy him!”

Another said, “I will enter the bowels of this earth [enter the hollow realm of Agartha] to seek and destroy him!”

The king of the land, having heard of these men, went to the Buddha to inquire with respect to this.

The World-Honored One explained that there are four things which, while we are in the world, cannot be escaped:

1. It is impossible to avoid rebirth in some form or other;
2. Having been reborn, it is impossible to escape aging;
3. When old, it is impossible to escape infirmity and disease;
4. Under these circumstances, it is impossible to escape death.

Then he added these verses:

“Neither in space, nor in the depths of ocean,

nor in the hidden caverns of the mountain,

nor in any other place can death be escaped.

It is by knowing this and reflecting upon it

that a wandering ascetic (Buddhist monastic)

is able to overthrow all of Māra's Army

and obtain liberation from rebirth and death.”

• T 211.1: 無常品第一Samuel Beal (trans. into old British English from Sanskrit and Chinese sources of the Agamas), suttacentral.net; updated into modern American English and Pali by Dhr. Seven (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly, Fall 2024