THE LIGHTMAN.

INTRODUCTIONS.

The image of the human life in the Nikāya Canon, as presented in the previous chapter, is the context in which the appearance of the Buddha in this world is of great importance and depth. If we do not look at the Buddha in this multidimensional context, stretching from the urgent and individual needs of the present to the great rhythms of the whole universe, any interpretation of We of his role are defective, incomplete. Rather than grasp the views of the classical composers, our interpretations will be influenced by our assumptions as well as those of them, even more so. Depending on the prejudices and inclination of each person, we may choose to view the Buddha as a liberal moral reformer from the degenerate Brahmanical religion, as a secular human being. with, as an extreme practitioner, as a existential psychologist, as an agnostic cheerleader, or as a prophet of any spiritualist according to his tastes. It seems that the image of the Buddha in the scriptures reflects only the view of ourselves, not the clear image of an Enlightened One.

Perhaps in interpreting a treasure of ancient religious literature, we can never completely avoid bringing ourselves and our values ​​into the subject of interpretation. However, although we may never achieve perfect transparency, we may limit our personal bias in the interpretation process by respecting what is stated in the text. When we have the attitude of honoring the canon, when we seriously examine what is written about the context of the Buddha's manifestation in the world, we will see that the texts record the mission. in the context of the vast universe. In the context of a universe without limit of time, a universe in which beings are enveloped in the darkness of ignorance, wandering and bound by the suffering of old age, illness and the dead, The Buddha appears as the "torchbearer of mankind" (ukkādhāro manussānaṃ), bringing the light of wisdom. In II, 1, His appearance on the world is "the appearance of the great eye, the appearance of great light, the appearance of greatness." After enlightenment liberates, He lightens our intellect, reveals the truth we must see and the path of cultivation leads to deliverance.

According to Buddhist tradition, Gotama Buddha is not the only one who appears in the world and disappears forever. He was a Buddha who followed many of the Past Masters and would have many other Buddhas in the future indefinitely. Prehistoric Buddhism, even in the ancient texts of the Nikāya Nikāya, acknowledges that there are many Sutras, according to a general pattern recorded in the first stanza of Mahāpadāna Sutta (DN 14, not shown in this booklet). The title "Tathāgata" (Tathagata) used for the Buddha is to indicate this basic pattern. This term means "to be like this" (tathā āgata), meaning that he comes as the past Buddhas have come; and as "go like that" (tathā gata), which means that he goes to ultimate peace, Nirvana, as Buddhas go.

Although the Nikāaka Nikāya states in any system of the world, in any age there is only one presence of the Buddha-dharma, the appearance of Buddhas attached to the operation of the universe. As a shooting star against the darkness of the night sky, from time to time, a buddhahood Buddha appears in the context of boundless space, lighting the spiritual sky of the world, bringing light to the mind. wisdom comes to those who have the ability to see the truths that He illuminates. One of the Buddha's paths called in Pāli is a Bodhisatta (Bodhisatta), Sanskrit called the Bodhisattva. According to the general tradition of Buddhism, the Bodhisattva is a person who aspires to become a Buddha in the future and is experiencing a long process of sublimation. With infinite compassion and a strong will to save sentient beings suffering from samsara, the Bodhisattva must go through many lifetimes in order to develop and perfect the virtues needed of one. the Buddha. When these virtues are fully developed, he attains Buddhahood to spread the Dharma to the world. A Buddha discovers the "ancient" path to liberation, the way in which the Buddhas of the past have passed, leading to the limitless freedom of Nirvana. After finding the way and having walked that path, He taught the fullness of humanity, so that many others could enter the path of ultimate liberation. He attained Buddhahood to spread the Dharma to the world. A Buddha discovers the "ancient" path to liberation, the way in which the Buddhas of the past have passed, leading to the limitless freedom of Nirvana. After finding the way and having walked that path, He taught the fullness of humanity, so that many others could enter the path of ultimate liberation. He attained Buddhahood to spread the Dharma to the world. A Buddha discovers the "ancient" path to liberation, the way in which the Buddhas of the past have passed, leading to the limitless freedom of Nirvana. After finding the way and having walked that path, He taught the fullness of humanity, so that many others could enter the path of ultimate liberation.
However, it is not just the function of a Buddha. The Buddha understands and teaches not only the path to the ultimate state of liberation, the perfect happiness of Nirvana. He also points out the paths to the good fortune in the world where sentient beings still yearn for. The Buddha taught the path of unity, helping the saints plant the roots of goodness to create happiness, peace and security in secular life. At the same time, he also preached the supramundane way to help sentient beings towards Nirvana. Hence, His role is greater than concentrating only on the supramatic aspects of His teachings. He is not only the mentor of the ascetic, not only a teacher of meditation and wisdom, but he is also the most profound and profound dharma teacher. He outlines and sets out the principles needed to help us have a correct understanding and a moral life, whether union or supramundane. Scripture II, 1 emphasizes this enormous dimension of the Buddha's fruitfulness, when the passage praises the appearance of the Buddha as "one, when appearing in life, appears to bring happiness to Most, peace for the majority, for the love of life, for the sake, for happiness, for peace for gods and humans.

The Nikāya Nikāya Pitaka provides two views of the Buddha as a human being and needs to strike a balance between these two views, without any point of view. The correct view of the Buddha can only arise from the combination of these two views, as well as the correct view of an object that may arise when the recognition from the two eyes is incorporated into the brain. into a single image. One view, often prominent in modern Buddhist representations, shows that the Buddha as a human being, like others, struggled with the universal weaknesses of human nature. , to reach the state of an Enlightenment. After enlightenment at the age of thirty-five, He lived among us for forty-five years as an intellectual and compassionate teacher, share your realization with others and ensure that your teachings will remain in the world long after you have passed away. This is an aspect of the nature of the Buddha most clearly seen in the Nikāya Canon. Because it corresponds closely to today's unreliable attitudes to the ideals of religious belief, it has an instant appeal to those who are nourished by modern ideas.

Another aspect of the Buddha's person may seem strange to us, but prominent in the Buddhist tradition and used as a basis for popular devotion in Buddhism.Although secondary in the Nikāya Canon, this aspect appears occasionally but clearly and indelibly, despite the efforts of modern Buddhists seeking to mitigate the significance of that presence. . In this second view, the Buddha is seen as one of those who prepared for supreme supremacy in countless past lives, and in this life, determined upon birth, will accomplish the mission of a teacher. of the whole world. Scripture II, 2 is an example of how the Buddha was seen from this perspective. Here, the future Buddha from the Tusita heaven with full consciousness, entered the womb into the mother's womb. Conception and birth are accompanied by many miracles: Angels respect the infant; and soon after birth, he walked seven steps and declared his future fate. Obviously, for the editors of that sutta, the Buddha was determined to attain Buddhahood even before he became pregnant and thus the struggle for enlightenment was a battle in which the result was Predefined. The last passage of the sutta, however, returns to the actual image of the Buddha. What the Buddha saw was truly marvelous, not miracles associated with the birth and birth, but mindfulness and clear comprehension of sensations, perceptions and perceptions. The struggle for enlightenment is a battle in which the outcome is determined. The last passage of the sutta, however, returns to the actual image of the Buddha. What the Buddha saw was truly marvelous, not miracles associated with the birth and birth, but mindfulness and clear comprehension of sensations, perceptions and perceptions. The struggle for enlightenment is a battle in which the outcome is determined. The last passage of the sutta, however, returns to the actual image of the Buddha. What the Buddha saw was truly marvelous, not miracles associated with the birth and birth, but mindfulness and clear comprehension of sensations, perceptions and perceptions.

The three sutras in paragraph 3 are biographical accounts consistent with this natural standpoint. They provide us with a portrait of the Buddha that is completely real, clearly natural, prominent in its ability to convey deep psychological insights, without much technical description. In Proverbs II, 3 (1), we read about his leaving his family, studied with two famous Zen masters, disappointed in their doctrine, his solitary struggle and posed victory of immortality. Scriptures II, 3 (2) fill in the gaps of the story with details of the ascetic practices of the Bodhisattva, somehow not mentioned in the previous sutras. This text also describes the classic of the experience of enlightenment concerning the attainment of the four stages of meditation - the profound meditative states, followed by three vijjās or tryssas: Understanding the past lives, the knowledge of death and rebirth of sentient beings, and the knowledge of the destruction of gonorrhea. While this sutra gives us the impression that the last spontaneous spontaneous resolution in the mind of the Buddha, Scripture II, 3 (3) corrects that impression with the account of the Bodhisattva in the past When enlightened, have a deep reflection on the suffering of old age and death.Later, he traces the causes and conditions of this suffering by a process that involves, at each step, "careful attention" (yoniso manasikāra, as thought) leading to "bliss" (paññāya) abhisamaya). This examination culminated in the discovery of interdependent origination, thus becoming the basis of His doctrine. knowledge of the death and rebirth of beings (celestial enlightenment) and the knowledge of the destruction of the gonorrhea or (smuggled). While this sutta gives us the impression that the last spontaneous spontaneous resolution in the mind of the Buddha, Scripture II, 3 (3) corrects that impression with the account of the Bodhisattva in the past When enlightened, have a deep reflection on the suffering of old age and death. Later, he traces the causes and conditions of this suffering by a process that involves, at each step, "careful attention" (yoniso manasikāra, as thought) leading to "bliss" (paññāya) abhisamaya). This examination culminated in the discovery of interdependent origination, thus becoming the basis of His doctrine. knowledge of the death and rebirth of beings (celestial enlightenment) and the knowledge of the destruction of the gonorrhea or (smuggled). While this sutta gives us the impression that the last spontaneous spontaneous resolution in the mind of the Buddha, Scripture II, 3 (3) corrects that impression with the account of the Bodhisattva in the past When enlightened, have a deep reflection on the suffering of old age and death. Later, he traces the causes and conditions of this suffering by a process that involves, at each step, "careful attention" (yoniso manasikāra, as thought) leading to "bliss" (paññāya) abhisamaya). This examination culminated in the discovery of interdependent origination, thus becoming the basis of His doctrine. While this sutra gives us the impression that the last spontaneous spontaneous resolution in the mind of the Buddha, Scripture II, 3 (3) corrects that impression with the account of the Bodhisattva in the past When enlightened, have a deep reflection on the suffering of old age and death. Later, he traces the causes and conditions of this suffering by a process that involves, at each step, "careful attention" (yoniso manasikāra, as thought) leading to "bliss" (paññāya) abhisamaya). This examination culminated in the discovery of interdependent origination, thus becoming the basis of His doctrine. While this sutra gives us the impression that the last spontaneous spontaneous resolution in the mind of the Buddha, Scripture II, 3 (3) corrects that impression with the account of the Bodhisattva in the past When enlightened, have a deep reflection on the suffering of old age and death.Later, he traces the causes and conditions of this suffering by a process that involves, at each step, "careful attention" (yoniso manasikāra, as thought) leading to "bliss" (paññāya) abhisamaya). This examination culminated in the discovery of interdependent origination, thus becoming the basis of His doctrine. He traces the causes and conditions of this suffering by a process that involves, at each step, "careful attention" (yoniso manasikāra, as mind reason) leading to "bliss" (paññāya abhisamaya). This examination culminated in the discovery of interdependent origination, thus becoming the basis of His doctrine. He traces the causes and conditions of this suffering by a process that involves, at each step, "careful attention" (yoniso manasikāra, as mind reason) leading to "bliss" (paññāya abhisamaya). This examination culminated in the discovery of interdependent origination, thus becoming the basis of His doctrine.

It is important to emphasize that, as presented here and elsewhere in the Nikāya Nikāya, doctrine does not signify the elevation of the bond of all things, a clear, precise representation of the dependent model arises, upon which suffering arises and ceases. In the same text, the Buddha stated that he had discovered the path of enlightenment when he found a way to end this arising cycle of birth.Thus, the realization of the cessation of dependent origination, not merely the discovery of the causal aspect, has led to his enlightenment. The image of the ancient city, presented in the later part of the sutta, illustrates that the Buddha's enlightenment is not a unique event, but a rediscovery of the "ancient path" of the past Buddhas. have been through.

Scripture II, 4, continues the story of Scripture II, 3 (1), which I have divided in two versions of the path of the path of enlightenment of the Bodhisattva. Now that we have returned to the story of the Buddha after enlightenment, he considered whether it is important to share his realization to the world. Right at this moment, in the middle of a story written in a very natural and convincing passage, a god named Sahamati Devi descended from the heavens to ask the Buddha to travel, teach the Dharma because Benefit those who "have little dust in their eyes". This scene is literally interpreted, or is it a symbol that reflects thoughtful thinking in the Buddha's mind? It is difficult to provide a definitive answer to this question; Perhaps that event could be interpreted as happening at both levels at the same time. In any case, the Brahma at this point marks a shift from the reality of the first verse to the mythic symbolism. This transformation once again underscores the importance of the spiritual meaning of Buddha's enlightenment and his future mission as a teacher.

The last of the Brahman's invocation was accepted by the Buddha to preach the Dhamma. He chose the first to receive his teachings as the five previous masters who were formerly fellow practitioners with him. The story culminated in a brief statement that if they lived up to his teachings, they would attain immortal Nirvana. However, Scripture II, 4 does not say the specific teachings the Buddha communicated to them when he met them. Those teachings were recorded in the first sermon, entitled "Zhuan Falun."

This scripture is presented in Scripture II, 5. The sutra begins when the Buddha announces to the five hermits that he has discovered the "Middle Way", which he identified as the Noble Eightfold Path. Based on what was said in the biography above, we can understand why the Buddha started the sermon this way. Five hermits initially refused to acknowledge the Buddha's enlightened and ignorant statement, claiming that he had renounced the noble purpose of returning to luxurious life. Therefore, at first he had to assure them that he never returned to a pampered life. He found a new approach to enlightenment.This new approach, he told them, remained faithful to the renunciation of sexual pleasure, but also avoided physical abuse in vain and ineffective. Then,He explained to them the true path to liberation, the Noble Path, avoiding the two extremes. From there, the light of wisdom arises and culminates in the destruction of all bonds, which is nirvana.

After defeating their misunderstanding, the Buddha declared the truth he had realized on his enlightenment night. It is the Four Holy Truths. He not only clarifies each truth and briefly defines its meaning, but also describes each truth from three angles. These are the three transitions of the French wheel, which are mentioned in the later part of the sutta. For each truth, the first is the wisdom illuminating the particular nature of that noble truth. The second shift is the knowledge that every noble truth requires a special task to be undertaken.Therefore, the first noble truth, the truth of suffering, must be fully understood;The second truth, the truth of the source of suffering, is craving, which must be eliminated; The third truth, the truth of the cessation of suffering, must be realized; And the fourth truth, the truth of the path, must be cultivated. The third passage is the confirmation that the four tasks related to the Four Noble Truths have been fulfilled: the truth of suffering has been fully understood;craving was excluded; the end of suffering has been realized; And the path to end suffering has been completely cultivated. Only after he has understood the Four Noble Truths in three transmissions and twelve modes, can he assert that he has attained complete enlightenment.

The Zhuan Falun illustrates again the fusion of the two aspects presented earlier - the practical aspects and the myths of cosmic mythology. The subject progresses almost through the natural reality until we reach the end. When the Buddha completed the sermon, the mythical cosmic meaning of the event was emphasized by a sutra showing the gods in each heavenly world welcome the sermon and loudly announce the good news to the gods. in higher heaven. At the same time, the entire universe vibrates tremendously and a generous, generous aura emits the whole world, surpassing the light of the gods. Then, at the end of the sutta, we turn from the glorious scene back to the ordinary human realm, to see the Buddha congratulate him as he has dharma, Eyes are no longer exposed to dust. In a moment, the light of the teachings was given to the disciple by the master, to commence the journey across India and around the world.END=NAM MO SHAKYAMOUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=THICH CHAN TANH.THE MIND OF ENLIGHTENMENT.VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=GOLDEN LOTUS MONASTERY=AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.5/9/2017.