The Virtues of Dau Da. 1. Introduction Today we begin our study of the second chapter, which discusses the practices of asceticism, that is, the methods of beginning momentum. They are presented here because practicing these early methods helps us further cleanse our defilements. First of all, we need purification or purity of morality. In addition, we need to practice some of these ascetic methods so that we can at least reduce our afflictions. In this chapter, thirteen early momentum methods are presented. In this document, it is said that these thirteen early methods were allowed to be practiced by the Buddha. In the Vinaya Piṭaka and also in the Sutta Piṭaka, these practices are mentioned. They are not precepts. We practice them not as precepts but as something in addition to or alongside the precepts. There are thirteen methods in total. They are listed in the book in the second paragraph. They are: Almond robes Algae robes Tam robes Alms begging Alms-begging door-to-door alms-sitting alms-sitting food Eating from a bowl Hanh not accepting leftover food, that is, not using leftover food Alms in the forest Alms at the base of a tree Alms outside Hanh's heaven is in the cemetery. Hanh can sit wherever Hanh is (not lie down). In the Visuddhimagga, the meaning of the names is explained first and then the practices themselves are explained later. The interpretation of names is mostly related to the Pāḷi language. Therefore, the translation may be a bit clumsy or awkward. The first practice or first method is called 'algae powder'. In the time before the Buddha allowed the use of clothes offered by devotees, monks had to collect their own clothes to use. That means you have to go into places like garbage piles or graveyards or anywhere and pick up pieces of cloth that people throw away. You will have to cut off the bad parts. Then they used the good parts, put them together and sewed them into a set of robes. That is how monks obtained their robes before the Buddha allowed them to be offered by lay people. Actually, the Buddha did not refuse to allow the monks' clothes to be offered from the lay people, just because the opportunity had not yet come. Therefore, Buddha did not impose any laws. Then one time, the physician Jīvaka had two very good pieces of cloth. He went to the Buddha and requested the Buddha to accept that cloth. Then he requested the Buddha to allow the monks to receive clothing offerings from lay people. From that moment on, monks were allowed to choose whether to accept robes offered from the household or to pick up pieces of cloth and make their own robes. 2. Chalk Algae Almonds The first method of beginning momentum is called algal powder algae. That means that if a monk vows to practice this method of dau da, he must not accept robes offered from the laity. Instead, he must gather the materials for making robes and make his own robes. In this document, in paragraph 15,presents 23 sources of materials that can be used to create medicine. The first type is fabric from the cemetery. The second type is fabric from the store and so on. These are described in the Visuddhimagga. These twenty-three types are the source of raw materials for making robes for monks in general as well as for monks who practice this Dau Da method. After explaining the 23 sources of materials used to make this robe, the author explains the practice. Let's look at paragraph 19. “A set of robes is offered in the manner of 'We offer this set of robes to the monks' or is obtained from those who beg for robes (ND: that is, asking for robes instead of asking for food) is not a robe." 1 Sometimes people offer robes to monks, to the Sangha, not to individuals. Therefore, the Sangha accepted those robes. When there is enough y to divide, the division of y is carried out. A set of robes, which is offered to the Sangha and received by a Bhikkhu who practices this method of damascus, is not powdery robes. He must not use the same thing that was received as a share from the Sangha. Suppose there are ten monks living in a monastery and have ten sets of robes. One of the monks will distribute the robes to the rest. The best robe will belong to the monk with the highest hypoplasty. Then sometimes, the monks go to beg for clothes. That means you beg or collect cloth instead of food. The usual thing is that every morning we often go begging for alms. We carry the bowl and go into the village or into the city to receive or ask for food. But here, these people ask for clothes instead of asking for food. Medicine received in any of these ways is not medicine. Among the 23 types of robe materials or sources of clothing, one type is mentioned as the robe of a monk. That is, the robe is offered/given/gifted from one monk to another monk who is maintaining this early practice. For this case, we need to know a few things. In this passage around the second sentence, Venerable Ñāṇamoli misunderstands the Pāḷi words. I will explain not according to your translation. A bhikkhu is allowed to offer/gift/offer robes to (another) bhikkhu who is practicing this bhikshu practice. But if a bhikkhu who does not practice the bhikkhus (i.e. this bhikkhu does not practice the bhikkhus) offers/gives/gifts the robe to the bhikkhus who practice the bhikkhus (i.e. the bhikkhus). This bhikkhu practices the bhutaṅga practices), in the process of offering/gifting/gifting, if he offers/gives/gifts because of or depends on the higher level of those who practice dhutaṅga, then that bhikkhu does not must be algae medicine. A Bhikkhu who practices the Dau-da practice is not allowed to use that robe. There are people who build a monastery or a building. They decided that they would offer robes to the monks who would reside in that monastery. This type of robe is not a powdery robe. Therefore, if a Bhikkhu who does not practice the Dau Da conduct offers/gifts/gifts robes to Bhikkhus who practice the Dau Da practice, he must offer/gift/gift not according to the lower lala, but must offer/gift/ Give as a personal gift. That is the meaning presented here.In Venerable Ñāṇamoli's translation, he misunderstood one word. “And in the case of the robe being offered/given/offered by a monk, the robe that is obtained (at the robe offering ceremony performed by lay people) after the Retreats.”1 Such a translation is very wrong. The Pāḷi word here is 'vassa', which can mean 'rain' or also '(a) year'. The second meaning is '(one) year'. It also means one year of being a monk (ND: 1. being a monk according to the law, 2. the word that Vietnamese people often use is 'one year'). If someone asks me “How many vassas do you have?” I would answer, “I have 41 vassas.” That means I have been a monk for 41 years (ND: a monk according to the law). When they are divided, they are divided according to the hypoplasts. Suppose there are 100 monks but only 50 sets of robes. These fifty sets of robes were divided among 50 senior monks. And the division stops there. When they have more robes, they will distribute them to the 51st monk and so on. This is how he gives offerings to the Sangha and how they are divided. When you divide, you must divide according to the lower body. The Pāḷi word 'vassa' here means the number of years as a bhikkhu (i.e. the lower number) and not 'at the end of the rainy season'. This is quite interesting, but also a bit humorous. The Pāḷi word is 'vassagga'. 'Vassa' can mean rain, year or the lower age of a monk. 'Agga' can mean the end, the end, but this meaning is rarely used. 'Agga' means edge or edge. Therefore, he (ND: that is, Mr. Ñāṇamoli) deduced that it means 'on the edge of the rainy seasons' or 'the end of the rainy seasons'. That's quite wrong. Here, 'agga' does not mean edge or edge. 'Agga' is something like a part or a quantity, i.e. the quantity of 'vassa'. And 'vassa' here does not mean the rainy season, but the number of years as a monk. Thus, when a bhikkhu who is not practicing the astapāda practice offers/gifts/gives robes to bhikkhus who practice the astāda practice, he should not offer/give/offer based on or rely on the lower organs of those monks. Bhikkhus practice the Dau Da conduct. That person must give those robes away (ND: like giving a gift). That is the case when the robe is offered/given/gifted from a bhikkhu who does not practice dūda to a bhikkhu who practices dūda. Now, if a bhikkhu who is not practicing asudha receives the robe when the lay people place it at his feet, not by offering it into his hands (i.e. the lay people place the robe). the robe is at his feet and he picks it up), if that is the way of receiving the robe and the bhikkhu who is not practicing asudha places that robe in the hands of the bhikkhu who practices as dada, then this is okay. called 'one-way purity'. When the robe is placed at the feet of the monk, it is called 'pure'. When it is placed in the hands of a monk, it is not called 'pure'. Therefore, it is 'one-way purity'. Then if the lay people offer the robe into the hands of a bhikkhu and that bhikkhu places the robe at the feet of a bhikkhu who practices the abode, this is also called 'one-way purity'. .If lay people place the robe at the feet of a bhikkhu and that bhikkhu gives it to the bhikkhu practicing the astapāra practice by placing the robe at the feet of the bhikkhu practicing the dhāda practice, then That robe is called 'pure in both directions'. The set of robes placed in the hands of a monk who does not practice dōda and then placed in the hands of a bhikkhu who practices dōda is not a very good set of robes. Let me see. It is not 'the robe of one who practices strictly or seriously'. Those who practice this dhutaṅga practice are divided into three levels: upper level, middle level and lower level. That is, three hierarchies are presented here. “Here, the person who collects robes from the cemetery is a superior person.”1 This person is a superior person. This person just picked up the robe from the cemetery. This is not possible today. It is not feasible even in our country. In ancient days, people wrapped the corpse in cloth and left it in the cemetery. The corpse must neither be buried nor cremated. Therefore, monks can pick up such cloths from the cemetery. Therefore, today with this Dau Da practice, there can be no one who practices like the superiors. “The one who picks up someone's robe and puts it away (with the thought) 'The monk will pick it up' is middle class.”2 That means someone leaves the robe somewhere so that the monks can see, so that when the monks see it, they can pick it up. If a Bhikkhu who practices the Dharma practice picks up this set of robes, he is said to be of the middle level. “The one who picks up the robe placed at his feet by another monk is a lower level.”3 Therefore, there are three levels, i.e. three ranks, in each of these thirteen abode practices. . Therefore, there are three classifications for practitioners. The benefits of the practice are presented here. “He actually practices in harmony with the necessaries.”1 There are four types of necessaries for monks – clothing, food, shelter and medicine. They are called necessities. When a bhikkhu depends on clothes picked up from the cemetery and so on, he is said to be practicing in harmony with the instructions given for this type of necessaries (requisites). “That person abides in the first type of inheritance of the Noble Ones.” The reference here is A.II.27 (ND: Anguttara Nikaya, Volume 2, page 27 of the Pāḷi edition of the PTS. Readers may refer to the Anguttara Nikaya, Chapter Four Dharmas, Uruvelā Chapter, Knowing Enough ). There are four legacies of superior people. These are being satisfied with whatever clothes one gets, being satisfied with whatever food one gets, being satisfied with whatever residence one gets, and practicing meditation. That's for the monks. These are called 'the four legacies of the Noble Ones'. The commentator said, “That person abides in the first type of inheritance of the Noble Ones.” It is being satisfied with whatever clothes you have. 3. Conduct of Three Medicines The second method of starting momentum is conduct of three garments. There are three robes for monks. If a Bhikkhu only uses three robes, then he is said to be practicing this monkhood. Let me show you these three robes. This is internal medicine. This is the left shoulder robe. It is twice the size of the internal medicine. These are the two robes we often use every day.There is another robe called 'saṅghāṭi' in Pāḷi. It has two layers. We call it 'monk robe'. It has more parts or compartments than the other robe. That robe has only five parts or chambers. We call them 'compartments'. This medicine may have about 25 chambers. Student: Who made these robes? Lecturer: Currently, lay people make and sell them. Sangha robes (Saṅghāṭi) are often used as blankets. It has two layers, so in winter we use it as a blanket. The Buddha allowed the use of these three robes. When he wanted to allow the robes to be used, the Buddha himself used the robes. The scriptures record that, on the coldest day of the year, probably in December, he showed his face in one robe, probably at night. He tried and He could endure with one robe in the first watch. Then He felt cold. So, He put on another robe. He was able to keep his body warm until the second watch. Then He put on another robe. That robe could keep His body warm until the third watch. At the end of the third watch, he felt cold again. So, He put on another robe. Therefore, there are four robes in total. Bhikkhus are allowed to use these four robes. These four robes become three, because the two robes are merged into one. Currently, we have three robes. A bhikkhu who uses only three robes – no additional robes, no robes to change – is called a dhutaṅga bhikkhu. Student: I have a question. If someone wants to become a monk and wants to live a strict life, it may be very difficult. Buddha did not live in Alaska (ND: an American state where the climate is very cold and harsh). Lecturer: That's right. You see I'm currently wearing this shirt and this hat. I would never use these in Burma. We have to adapt to the weather where we live. Buddha lived in India. India is not as cold as the United States or like Alaska. We must slightly correct some of the things He taught. Perhaps the idea here is the minimum amount of clothing you can live with. The meaning here is minimal. Some monks may have ten or twelve sets of such three robes. Actually, there is no need to have that much. The essential need you need here is just a set of three clothes. The meaning here is like that. In ancient days, monks had to dye their own robes. At the time of dyeing the robe, the monk first dyes the inner robe (also known as the lower robe) or the left shoulder robe (also known as the upper robe). The inner medicine means the smallest medicine. After dyeing one of the robes, he should wear it around the waist and dye the other. That is, when dyeing robes, he wears one robe and then dyes another robe. These two robes can be worn as the upper robe or the lower robe at that time. After dyeing, he wears the dyed robe and dyes the remaining robe and so on. This means that while dyeing the robe, the inner robe and the left shoulder robe can be used to wrap around the waist to cover the lower part. as the inner robe. That is, the monk wears one of these two robes to cover the lower part and dyes the other robe.After dyeing that robe, use it to cover the bottom and dye the other robe. A monk is not allowed to use a monk's robe wrapped around his waist to cover his lower body (as mentioned below). This is mentioned here in paragraph 24. 'The robe has many pieces' refers to the saṅghāṭi robe. “But he is not allowed to wear a robe with many pieces around the waist.”1 This robe is not allowed to be used as an inner robe (or lower robe), even for temporary use. Sangha robes (saṅghāṭi) should not be used as internal robes at any time. “This is a duty to be done while residing in the village.”2 That means in the village or near the village. “But that person is allowed to wash and dye both robes (ND: that is, the inner robe and the left shoulder robe) at the same time if in the forest.”3 That person may not wear anything at all, but because he is in the forest, he should that person can do so. “However, he should sit near (the robes) so that, if he sees a stranger, he can pull the yellow robe over himself.” Student: Why is this color used? Lecturer: I think this color is easy to find and it is considered suitable for monks who have renounced family life. This color is actually between yellow and brown. No specific color is mentioned, but it must not be bright yellow. It must not be blue. It should be between yellow and brown. We get the dye from the bark of a tree or from the core of the jackfruit tree. I asked people here (ND: in the United States, the area where Mr. Sīlānanda preached these things) if they knew what a jackfruit tree was and they said no. Jackfruit is similar to breadfruit5. The outer shell of jackfruit has thorns, but not very sharp. It is a tropical fruit. The inner core of that tree is dark brown. We take the core from it, chop it into small pieces and cook it. From there, we get the dye. When the cloth is dyed with that dye, its color will be the same as the color of these robes. A Bhikkhu who practices this Dharma practice can have a fourth robe, or in other words, a fourth piece of cloth. It is mentioned here. It is called shoulder cloth1. It was just a piece of cloth, one span wide (vitthārato vidatthi) and three arms long (dīghato tihattha). It is a piece of cloth that is worn around the body - to keep warm and also to absorb sweat, preventing sweat from wetting the outer garment. Therefore, only this fourth type of robe is allowed for this monk. 4. The conduct of begging for alms The next first step is the conduct of begging for alms. If a monk practices this practice, he must beg for alms every day. That person must not accept any invitation to receive food. There are fourteen types of food that are not allowed. In paragraph 27, this almsgiver should not accept the following fourteen types of food: meals offered to the Sangha, meals offered to designated bhikkhus (There is a bhikkhu The monk is responsible for appointing monks to receive food. He can appoint a particular monk to receive food at the home of a particular lay person.That type of food is called food offered to the designated bhikkhu), invited meal, meal offered by meal ticket (i.e. according to the ticket), semi-monthly meal (Article 1). that means once every fortnight. Some people offer food every fortnight), the meal is offered on every Uposatha day (ie the same as above, but occurs on a moon day). full moon – ND: the 15th day, and new moon day – ND: the 29th or 30th day), meals every first day of the first half of the month (ie the day after the full moon day – ND: the 16th day, and the day after the new moon day – ND : day 1), meals are offered to monks coming from afar, meals are offered to monks who are going away, meals are offered to sick monks, meals are offered to monks who are sick, meals are offered to monks who are taking care of sick monks, meals are offered to a particular residence (i.e. a particular monastery (vihāra), meals are offered at the main house (i.e. the first house in the village), and the meal is offered sequentially (i.e. everyone takes turns offering the food or meal).1 These are the fourteen common foods. The meal that a monk who practices dhutaṅga practice must not accept. He must go outside for alms and only receive food from the houses he goes to. There are also three levels of frustration with this early momentum practice. “A strict monk accepts offerings both from the front and from the back.” Do you understand? 'From the front and from the back' means – suppose the bhikkhu is standing in front of this house. If he is standing in front of this house and if a person from the house at the back offers food, then it means 'food from the back' and 'food from the front' means food from the next house. Thus, a monk strictly practices accepting offerings from both the front and the back. “That person gave the bowl to the lay people to receive the bowl while he stood outside the gate.”2 That person stood in front of the house door. Everyone came out and said, “Please give us your bowl. We want to put food in your bowl.” That person will hand over his bowl to them. Doing so is permissible for him. “But he does not receive food by sitting (and waiting for food to be brought) on that day. The average person also receives food by sitting (and waiting for food to be brought) during that day; but he did not agree or promise to wait to receive the alms offered the next day.”3 He did not promise to wait the next day. “The easy-going person agrees or accepts the food (brought as an offering) the next day and the day after that. Both of the latter two types of monks miss out or miss out on the joys of an independent life or a life of freedom.”1 You know that sometimes I cannot do what I want to do because I have accepted the invitation of someone and I have to be at that place. The meaning here is the same. “Both the latter two classes of Bhikkhus miss or miss out on the joys of an independent life or a life of freedom.Perhaps there is a lecture about the legacy of the great men in a certain town. The follower of the superior said to the remaining two: 'Hey friends, let's set out and listen to the Dharma'. One of the remaining two said: 'Venerable sir, a lay person told me to sit (and wait) here,' and the other said: 'Venerable sir, I have agreed or promised to accept the gift. It's really tomorrow.' So, both of them are losers, disadvantaged people or underdogs.” Both of them did not have the opportunity to listen to the Dharma. “The remaining person (ND: that is, the person who practices according to the superior) just goes for alms in the morning and then he goes to enjoy the taste of the Dharma Jewel.”2 Let's read about the benefits. “Actually, he practices in harmony with this necessity because of the saying 'Renunciation depends on the use of alms'; He abides in the second type of inheritance of the Noble Ones; whether his existence is independent or not dependent on others; it is the type of necessity recommended by the Buddha as follows 'No value, easy to find, blameless'; laziness is eliminated; keeping one's life pure; the practice of the secondary precepts of the Pāṭimokkha Precepts is perfected (These secondary precepts say that you must go for alms. When you go for alms, you must be mindful); he is not supported by another person (i.e. he is not dependent on another person); he helps others; arrogance is abandoned; the desire for taste substances is controlled; The precepts (1) about eating in groups, (2) about replacing one invitation to a meal with another, and (3) about good conduct, are not to be violated.” Here too, the translator (ND: that is, Mr. Ñāṇamoli) misunderstood a word. This sentence refers to the three precepts or rules for monks. The first rule states that, if a group of monks are invited, they must not come together as a group to receive alms. They are allowed to go one by one, not in a group. 'A group' here means four or more monks. 'To replace one invitation to a meal with another' means to accept the latter invitation. For example, someone comes to me and offers me food. Then another person came (later) and invited me to eat food. If I accept the second invitation and then accept food from the second person, I violate this rule. That is what is meant here. 'Substitution' here means not receiving food from the first person but receiving food from the second person. That's why we have to be careful with invitations. This must be done according to the rule that whoever invites first accepts the invitation. We are not allowed to show favoritism, rejecting previous invitations to accept later invitations. 'Good conduct' is not actually good conduct. Venerable Ñāṇamoli misunderstood the word 'carita'. There is a rule that prohibits monks from visiting families before or after eating food at a private house.Suppose I am invited to eat food at a private house. Before consuming food at that house, I must not visit another house. And after consuming food at that private house, I must not visit another private house. If I want to visit, I must inform another monk – “Venerable sir, I will visit that house.” If that person informs another monk nearby, it is okay. If there is no Bhikkhu nearby to announce or he does not announce at all, before or after consuming the offered food at home, he violates the law. This rule in Pāḷi is called 'carita'. 'Carita' can mean good conduct. It also means going here and there. Here we use the second meaning, which is to visit. Violations of these three rules are mentioned here – accepting food in groups, accepting invitations later, and visiting (other) homes before or after consuming food at the invitation (using food). If you go begging every day, you don't have to worry about any of these three rules. You will not violate any of these three rules because you do not accept invitations, but only beg for alms. Thus, there is no violation of these laws if you practice the alms-drinking practice every day. 5. The conduct of alms from house to house The next first step is the practice of alms from house to house. That means that if a bhikkhu practices this ascetic practice, he must not skip a single house. Suppose that person goes begging for alms on a road. If there are ten apartments on that road, he must stop before all ten apartments. That person must stop in front of each apartment. That person must not skip any apartment to go to the next apartment. That is the meaning of the phrase 'begging for alms from door to door'. The commentator here presents a piece of advice. First of all, he must look carefully to see if the road is wide or safe. If it is cramped or unsafe, one should take another route. If he does not receive food every day from a certain fixed house or certain fixed houses, he can consider those houses as 'not houses'. He can ignore those houses because they do not offer food to him every day. In that case, that person can ignore it. Let's look at the benefits in paragraph 33 about the third or fourth line. “He avoids the dangers of being supported by a family.”1 This sentence is not correct here. He (ND: that is, Mr. Ñāṇamoli) always made this mistake. “He avoids the dangers of frequenting families.” A monk who frequents families is considered a bad monk, a monk with bad conduct. But if he goes begging for alms, he does not have to visit them. He avoids the dangers of being intimate with families or lay people.END=NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).GOLDEN ZEN BUDDHIST MONASTERY=VENERABLE THICH CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.14/5/2024.VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=VENERABLE THICH CHAN TANH.