[03]

Chapter three

The formation of monasteries.VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=THICH CHAN TANH.

-ooOoo-

When I went to search for the great religion, the Buddha asserted: "I will bring the light of wisdom to the life covered by ignorance of darkness. I will free my life from old age, death and all suffering" .

Due to compassion, Buddha instead of enjoying Nirvana happiness without excess medicine after witnessing, He returned to the world, sending a message of suffering to mankind. He is the Ma-ni (Muni: stateless), has become a Master to teach people to destroy ignorance. He taught his congregation as monks and nuns of the four directions (Catùdìsa Bikkhusangha), who always told his disciples to "for the benefit and happiness of the majority".

Since then, Buddhism entered. Sangha means the collective and social community. Organizing, the Sangha has quickly escaped from the meaning of giving up life, wandering and loneliness of the contemporary sects to take on a different form, in accordance with the mission of liberation. life

Now, consider the form of Sangha, from the wandering life, from the residence of a tree, a rock, a cave to a hut, a house to a monastery, a monastery; ie the process of settling into a settled life. This is a special form of Buddhist Sangha compared to other contemporary congregations.

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The above section of the book speaks of the wandering life with alms and alms, a common activity of the Sabbath delegations of all denominations of the time. Obviously we must assume that the alms of Satan is not going to every house, meeting each person to ask for a piece of almsgiving because of pity for the poor and sick, not relatives; it is not even a lazy, incompetent life that is not enough to work effectively to feed us. On the contrary, the alms here is to make a virtue of high moral significance. It is the acceptance of a poor life, no private property, no desire for materiality, alms-making is to create conditions for others to manifest from the mind, to give up their own possessions to give, to share material. For others, that is not to satisfy a compassionate, positive mentality,

The weather in India does not allow the monks to go begging for food all year round. The rainy season usually starts in mid-June and lasts for three months. Both the sky is cloudy, rain is pouring, water is flooded with roads, rising water, rivers and lakes become large. Insect centipede snakes crawl on the road, roadside, stump, porch, pavement, etc. Cultivation and trade are also stalled. In general, all normal activities are impeded, slowed or stopped completely to wait for the end of the rainy season.Therefore, the monks wandering in alms also temporarily stopped walking to hide somewhere. The shelter waits for the end of this rainy season, Brahmanism called Dhruvasìla, Jaina called Pajjusama, and Buddhism is called Vassa. Thus, settling the rainy season has been a common practice for congregations.

But Brahmanism and Jainism did not mention "living together" during the rainy season. The Brahmin scriptures only say "living in one place" (Ekatra), or "the intended residence" (Dhruvasìla). Jainism allows the teacher (Acàryopadhijàna) to live together. In the days from the establishment of the Sangha to the time when the Kinh recorded it included one thousand two hundred and fifty monks, before the settlement of the first rainy season in Truc Lam (Veluvana) of King Bimbisàra, the Congregation of the Buddha The teacher still lives wandering like other congregations.

The Bhikkhu-stilts are mostly A-la-Han, still living alone or in small groups in the forest, in the stone cave, in the huts, it is the forested people (Arannakas).

When the congregation became more crowded, some embryonic disciplines in the form of "should do", "should not do ..." then the monks from places came to gather around the Buddha to hear him. teaching and reading precepts. And when the congregation was too crowded, the gathering in one place became inconvenient because the roads were remote, because the meeting space was not enough ... so the Buddha allowed the bhikkhus according to each region, gathered together in groups, have an era, laws to recite the precepts, learn from each other ... especially since the Buddha fixed the retreat is compulsory - due to the many monks still going into the village Neighbors and street wander in the rainy season when monastic groups of the denominations are hidden, causing public opinion in the masses - the bhikkhu's consciousness has become strong, evident. Noticeable during the settling season.

To prepare for settlement, the Bhikkhu-stilts must manually build tents to reside. A set of tents are close to each other, there may be a large room for meetings, a private room or a tent in a plot of land.All are built with light, easy-to-find materials such as wood, bamboo, mud, soil, leaves ... Private tents can be put together into each room, and can be built up to a stronghold. or two floors, the type of stay as just presented is called Anvasa, in the countryside, in the forest. A type of residence called Âràma is a facility set up in urban, large, spacious, comfortable, often located in a large, beautiful garden, offered by the chief laymen for a while. term or permanent. The big and famous monasteries like Veluvana (Truc Lam), Jetavana (Ky Vien or Thang Lam), etc. are all the same.

The Anvasa (residing in rural areas) or  Âaa (residing in the city) are the inhabitants of the country who have not yet settled down, but only stay in the rainy season. But more and more, the stay of the rainy season more and more with the number of monks and built solid, more comfortable. The Bhikkhu-stilts after three months of residence, from retired to stay in the next year to return to the old place to settle, where you find convenient, have appropriate friends ...

Each Anvasa or Anraa is an area of ​​certain scope, fixed by the lines called the outline of the world (Såàà). As a rule, the area of ​​a stay of residence is calculated according to the square. We distinguish two types of boundaries (outline world): outline the natural world and outline the world. Diamonds naturally take landmark in nature like rivers, big trees, boulders ... 1 km wide each if the area has houses of people; or wider, about two kilometers in the forest; or withdraw less than a hundred meters if in danger zone (like wild animals). Diamond world is defined as the outline of the formation through the meeting of Sangha. If you stay in a wide area, including lecture halls, rooms ... then outline about two classes; the outer ring is called the great world, nearly twenty kilometers each, including the people's houses (about the stay of the monks and nuns, only about two kilometers each). The inner circle includes the hall,

The stay of residence to settle down can be large and small depending on the group of monks living together (Âvàsika). Wanting to become a part of Sangha who has activities, interests, discipline ..., the minimum number must include four monks and no limit, the number of monks can up to several thousand.

The Bhikkhu-stilts live according to each origin, individually, decide on their own as people often call Sangha-old Wang Xa, Sang-sen Phang-amn-ly, Sangha-Xa-Xa ... The reason for having so many big, small, individual units are because the number of monks is too crowded, and there are many monks and nuns, go to places to spread the teachings, develop the Sangha in any region, still the Sangha of the four directions, has the most personality. A Bhikkhu-stilts can come from one unit to another to live, gather and in principle, the new unit has to worry about arranging and creating good conditions for the new monks to come. This is a very common occurrence in the Buddhist Congregation.

At first, a resident of the country only needed to equip the minimum facilities such as seats, seats, roofs, walls ... Due to the poverty policy, the alms-based life should reside without a storage room, no kitchen So ... Later, the number of monks was larger, there were more sick people, there was a need for a layman to cook, the more offerings of lay people, there was a place to store furniture. Living in every residence is relatively more comfortable than before.

The Anvasa (residing in remote areas), due to the unsustainable nature of being erected with light materials, due to the unprofessional hands (are monks), though requiring a lot of construction effort, It is still damaged or stolen when there are no people. In order not to lose the rebuilding of the residence, the monks often return to their old places in the rainy season next year. In order to be well-preserved in accommodation, you have to take turns to stay and look after; and due to convenience, some people stayed in the country for a long time after the settling season. Since then the settlement lifestyle has tended to form. The Anam (resident of the city) by the chief priests seem to be often spacious and comfortable, including some maids, the gathering of monks in the places more and more. The number of Bhikkhu-monks who arrived in a while is not so small that there needs to be arrangements and preparation in advance and there must be human resource mobilization, supplies, organizing activities for the settlement season. Therefore, some bhikkhus who are in charge of this work, must live here to settle down before and after the settling season and can last from year to year.

Here, the congregation's activities have changed on the formality. Settlement has formed, though almsgiving is always respected. The Anra is everywhere. It is possible to look briefly at the scene of Truc Lam monastery (Vekuvana) in Vuong Xa, offered by King Bimbisàra, clearly: The King asked for Buddha's permission and was approved for many maids (Anraika) and Supervisor (Anika-Pesaka ) to look after, take care of the temple. The number of these people came to a large town called a "Pilinda-gàma".

It is noted that there are now dozens of monasteries organized in large scale to make offerings to the Buddhist congregation: Veluvanàràma (Truc Lam) near Ragagaha (Vuong Xa); Pubhàràma in the East Vuong Xa; Jìvakàrama in Rajagaha; Ambapàli-Vana in Vesali (Pi-amnesty-ly); Markathrada (Hau Trach) is near Vesali; Udambari-Kàràma (Superior-talk-grandma-ly), also known as Paribbàja Kàràma in the river Sappini, Kukkutàràma; Chositàràma; Badaritàràma, Pàvàrikàniavana; Ghosavati-àràma is in Kosambi (Kieu-thăng-di), Jetavanàràma (Kỳ-Hoàn) in Sàvatthi (Xa-Vệ), Nigrodhàràma (Ni-câu-đà) in Kapilavatthu (Ca-ti-la-guard), Isipatana ( Deer Park) in Baranàsi (Ba-la-complaint) etc ...

Among the above monasteries, three famous monasteries recorded by archaeologists have recorded and collected documents such as Jivakàrāa, Jetavanàràma and Ghositàràma. As for the other monasteries, only the name is found, others have only the old ground, some architectural traces. Here are some sketches of the above three famous monasteries, 

Jìvàkàràma (Spirit of the States-canvas)

It was a mango garden on the outskirts of Ràjagaha (Amphitheater) not far from the foot of Gradhrakuta mountain (Buddha frequented this mountain when he came to the King). The one who offered this amulet was Jìvaka, a medical doctor, who famously performed the Buddha's surgery. Many stories of Jìvaka are in Pali in the Venerable Sutra (Theravada) and in Sanskrit (Sanskrit) of the First World Friendship (Sarvastivada). Mahavagga VIII (of the Theravada) said that Jìvaka was the son of a noble named Vuong Xa named Sàlavati, discarded in a trash bin, picked up by Prince Abhaya (Jìkava means "alive" , perhaps when the baby was picked up by the trash, Abhaya uttered that. Jikva is sent to study medicine at Takkasilà, the center of contemporary scholarship. The talent of Jìvaka returned to Vuong Xa, which was very famous for his medical career, very rich. He used to take care of the Buddha's health and very much respect his grave, he also taught medicine to some monks to disciple the Buddha. His gift to the Congregation is this great monastery, built in a wide mango garden (the scriptures of Huu Bo, the jiuvaka's jutsu is the private son of a merchant's wife with King Bimbisàra. When Jìvaka, the mother put the baby in a basket, sealed and sent to the king, the king handed it over to Prince Abhaya, who was also the son of the king, adopted ...).

Archaeologists have excavated and found the ground of this monastery. It was a large area, including two large oval houses separated by a large yard. In the front there is also a large oval block. There are also large and small suites on the front and sides, arranged vertically and horizontally. Before and after, there is a large yard. Surrounded by enclosure walls. Outside, near the wall, the left side has a pottery storage cellar. There are also some iron nails, fired bricks, animal statues, raw clay pottery. The walls were probably built of stone bricks mixed with mud, and the roof was probably covered with paintings.

Jetavanàràma (Pure Land)

The monasteries are paired with the name Anàthapindika (Grade Independent) as the largest, most famous monastery. It is here that the Buddha spent nineteen seasons of settling (there are documents that say twenty-five settlements).

The people of this distant planet are Anàthapindika the chief author (Setthì) of Sàvatthi (Xa-Guard), who went to Ragagaha to work, aiming at the first year of the Buddha who is spreading here. He came to his brother-in-law's house, found that there was a bustling house in the house, he took care of partying, and asked if he knew that the family was preparing a son to make offerings to the Buddha and monks, his disciples. All night, he could not sleep; the next morning, he got up very early, when it was not morning he rushed to the Buddha's place. For the first time, he admired The Sun, at which time he woke up and was walking in the cold morning. He came to pay homage to Him, introduced himself and asked the Buddha and the disciples to come to his place the next day, to accept the Buddha's words. The next day, during the offerings of the boys, he again asked the Buddha and monks to go to Sàvatthi (Xa-Wai), where he was, to settle the rainy season next year. The request is also accepted.

On the way back to Sàvatthi, meeting an Anàthapindika also exclaimed: "Be prepared, monasteries, monasteries, be prepared. A Buddha has appeared in the world. I have invited You and You will return Here "(Culla Vagga VI, 4.8 - Minor). At Sàvatthi, he kept looking for a suitable place to stay for the Buddha and the Bhikkhu-stilts and finally realized that the garden of Prince Jeta was the most ideal, he immediately asked to buy. The owner of the garden, which was already too rich, did not need money, but also jokingly raised a high price. Anàthapindika is right and prepared to meet price conditions. But Prince Jeta changed his mind again, refusing to sell the garden. The incident must be brought before the praetorian and Anàthapindika is processed for the purchase of the garden. He drove every gold cart to spread the ground like a covenant condition, only the places where the trees were not spread, he went to ask how the master's intention was because the contract did not mention this point. The admiration for the sincere heart of the fake, the prince ignored the above details, giving up the trees (which is often recorded in the Sutra in the Sutra, part of the Buddha's Pratyekabuddy is "at the garden. of the Monk, the tree of the Crown Prince - the momentum (Monk's Degree, the Long-life, or the Single-Life Class), then the head of the monk built a massive, fully-equipped monastery: enough all kinds of rooms, lecture halls, kitchens, warehouses, toilets, promenades, open wells, wells with lids, beaches, bathrooms, lakes ..., each of which is built into many pieces. .. (these details are recorded in Mahà Vagga III, 5,6).

Jetavana is still a monastery that lasts for hundreds of years. By the fifth century after the Western calendar, when Dharma from China to India went to Jetavana, this place was still a small monastery, probably built on an old background and the mage also talked to the people. monks here. Two hundred years later, the magician Xuanzang came to Jetavana, then it was all ruined, only two stone pillars, each twenty-five meters tall by King Asoka (A-sex, reigned from 264 - 227 before the West calendar) built on the east side of the temple.

It should also be noted that when mentioning Jetavana, one does not forget a nearby stay of a famous female mentor, a very devoted guardian of the Buddhist congregation, Migàramàtà (Lộc Mẫu). When staying at Sàvatthi, the Buddha is at Jetavana and here too.

Ghositàràma (Tinh vi Cu-la-la-la)

This monastery is in Kosambi (Kieu-thieu-di) built by the head of Ghosita. Ghosita and two other colleagues, Kukkuta and Pàvàriya, all adored the monks. One day listening to the Buddha and his congregation to Sàvatthi, all three did not mind the distant roads, going north, to Kosala, to Sàvatthi to come to see the Buddha and hear the Dharma. They became disciples of the Buddha and returned, each of them built a large monastery to offer Buddhist congregation, invited the Buddha and the monks to come to Kosambi to speak.

Perhaps the monastery built by Ghosita is the largest and most stable. Here the Buddha preached many important sutras. This monastery is also a continuous stay of monks and nuns to more than a thousand years later destroyed by the Hung army invaded Kosambi.

In 1955-1956, the University of Allahabad dispatched G. R Sharma to the head of an archaeological mission unearthed in Kosambi (now Allahabad district) and found a vestige of the monastery.

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As mentioned, the Anvasa and Anraa are both residents of collective character, though it may be a collection of a group of friendly monks, friends, but still the nature of the four-way Sangha. It is natural for a monk in Avàsa or Anra to go to another Sangha unit for living. This certainly hinders the organization and organization. Again, once you have agreed to live together, organize into an Sangha unit, the members stick together in activities, gather, understand each other, learn, guide each other, Since then the progress of cultivation has been more favorable and when moving to the form of settlement, it is more difficult for the monks to enter the Sangha unit. This is the foundation of the Lena, the monastery or the academy.

First of all, Lena means private accommodation, Sanskrit is called Layana, the verb word of the Li verb, means shelter. Later, it was difficult to distinguish the characteristics of the contents of Avara, Anra, Lena, which were some of the words of the Lena category, such as Vihàra, Addhaya, Pàsàda, Hammiya, Guhà ... All of which were used to indicate shelter The first is a low-lying wood, bamboo and leaf tent in the forest to avoid the wind, cold, hot, angry animals ... during the settled season of a monk. Vihàra is used to refer to the whole hut near each other of monks, a group of monks, meaning no different from that of Anvasa discussed. Vihàra in the Buddha's time is probably not as big as the Anra, because in the Culla Vagga IV, it is mentioned that a fake man in Rajagaha built sixty Vihāra in just one day.

Some other words used to refer to Lena are synonymous with Vihàra as stated. Addhaya, Pàsàda, Hammiya, Gùha ... often differ only slightly in the architectural way: Pàsàda refers to a large, high-rise architecture; Hammiya is like Pàsàda but the top floor is a room built like the last floor of a tower;Guhà is a large stone boulder architecture or laterite ... mimicking natural caves. The two forms of distinction are brick-built Vihāra, mostly located in northern India and later built by large stone rocks, laterite rocks in southern India. Both types are large monasteries and institutes.

It can be said that the nouns used to refer to the stay of the monks mentioned above are many more and the meaning of each noun has changed over time. People often do not pay much attention to distinguish each type of residence of the Buddhist congregation, because no matter what kind of residence, the practice, study practice, dharma still includes enough.

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The development on the form, manifested by the establishment of so many residents, including many of these types is not actually to improve the material life of the monks, but not even to show off Buddhism. , although both of these ideas are not in the minds of some Buddhists due to the devotion of a genuine religion, suitable for them. This is just a natural organization of a community that is always youthful and fresh. And the life of monks in the Congregation always shows a spirit of simplicity, meekness, high bar, and poverty. It is clear in the "Four y" law that the Hoa told the new monk in the ordination ceremony: to use clothing with chalk algae, live by alms, sleep under a tree, use medicine to cure from herbs. A Bhikkhu-stilts always remembers the Buddha's word warning that although it can be sheltered in a sheltered home, such a residence is very dangerous, easily causing rotten for the road to gather. In the case of being offered, the Bhikkhu-stilts are only allowed to receive just enough things of clothing, food, shelter, medicine ... in the spirit of self-sufficiency, meagerness, tran1h all luxury facilities. The Buddha taught:

"... As I shaved off my beard, put on a robe. You should do the same, leave your property, leave your loved ones, shave your hair, wear a saffron, leave your family and live your life. homeless." .

Every monk disciple of Buddha knows how many people who leave the luxurious way of life but live a life of poverty and transparency: Xa-profit-waving, Items-contemplation-Da, Amnesty, Nai-tra-peace-la Ratthapàla), La-la-la, Dai-ca-lettuce, A-nan, etc. ... How many people have asked the Buddha for permission to live alone in the forest ... It is because of the lonely life in the forest that the monks feel that the peacefulness of Buddha's teachings is easy. In the Elder Sangha (Theragàthà), we see how many are the verses praising life close to nature. Here are some sentences, quoted by Kimura taiken (Originally Buddhist thought  - translated into Au Duong Bao Ton's Chinese version):

"The wind blows cool, the sky is clear; the mind is flattened, my heart is calm. The tree shines. The stream is curled around, the gibbons are staggering." fun.

"A beautiful trail of raindrops, looking up at the sky, flashing, thunder and thunder.

"A Bhikkhu-stilts entered into the mountain of samadhi meditation. All the worldly pleasures are not equal to this joy of solitude.

"In the late night rain falls, the mountains are dim, roaring beasts.

"A Bhikkhu-stilts entered the mountain of samadhi meditation. All the pleasures of the world are not equal to this calm joy.

"In the deep forest or in the cave, my heart is calm, not afraid, not sad." Contemplation is contemplative - Enjoying the world with this peaceful joy ... "(Theragathà)

Thus, the life of settling in the monasteries of the bhikkhus is because of the desire to enter the world of salvation, to cultivate with the teacher, with you, in accordance with the development situation of an organized religion. But the alms of the alms and the alms is the basis of a Buddhist priest.

Due to the settlement, entry, Buddhism has grown, supported by the masses. The bhikkhus have brought France to life, and the Buddhist Sangha's lifestyle and teaching routine has a great influence on society. Buddhism, due to its activities in the midst of society, contributes some new features to Indian civilization and culture and to all humanity. And, it can be said that Buddhism has formed a new culture. END=NAM MO SAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.GOLDEN AMITABHA MONASTERY=AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.13/5/2019.