Introduction to the Sutras (Sutta Nipata).VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THE WOMEN OF THE SAKYA CLAN CHAN TANH. The Sutta Nipatà is the 5th sutta, of the 15 suttas belonging to the Khuddaka Nipata, ie the Minor Sutras. The Minor Sutras include 15 sutras: Khuddakapàtha (Small Chanting of Sutras), Dhammapada (Dharma Instruction), Udàna (Self-Speech), Itivuttaka (Like Thi Ngu Kinh), Vimanavatthu (Thien Cung Sutra), Petavatthu (The Precious Ghost Story), Theragàthà (Elder Sangha), Therigàthà (Elder Ni Verses), Jàtaka (Destiny), Mahàniddesa (Great Meaning), Culaniddesa (Little Nghia Tich), Patisambhidàmagga (Without Obstruction), Apadana (The Parable of the Sutras), Buddhavamsa (Buddhist History) and Cariyàpitaka (Behavior). According to another classification, the Vinaya, the Abhidhamma and all the sutras have not been collected into the four main Nikayas, forming the Minor Canon. The followers of the School of Sutras do not accept the Khuddakapàtha, the Cariyàpitaka and the Apadana, and classify the others into the Abhidhamma Pitaka. The Madhyamikas do not accept the Khuddakapàtha, but accept the rest of the suttas and classify them into the Canon. According to Burmese tradition, four other volumes are added, such as Milindapanha, Suttasamgaha, Petakopadesa and Nettipakarana. This Sutra consists of 5 Chapters: Chapter I is Uragavagga - The Solid includes 12 sutras; Chapter II, Small Chapter includes 14 sutras. Chapter III, Great Product includes 12 business; Chapter IV Chapter Eight includes 16 sutras; and Chapter V, On the Road to the Other Side, contains 17 sutras in all. In total, this sutra has 5 chapters and 71 suttas. The peculiarity of this volume includes the sutras that can be considered as the oldest and most ancient sutras, that is, closest to the time of the Buddha. We rely on a number of factors to confirm the truly original nature of this Suttânipàta, both in terms of Literature and Content. First of all, the Suttanipàta is written in the oldest and most ancient Pali form, compared with the literary genres we often encounter in the Digha Nikayas, Majjhima Nikayas (Centrals), Samyutta Nikayas (Continued). Anguttara Nikaya (Anguttara Nikaya). Many genres close to the Vedà (Vedic) literature are found abundantly in this volume, but not found in other volumes, such as plural nouns and verbs: sitàse, upatthitàse, caralàse. The subject forms are plural and use the singular form of some nouns such as: Vinicchayà for vinicchayâni, lakkhanà for lakkhanani, mantà for manttaya. In addition, we often encounter Vedà archetypes such as Vippahàtane, Sampayàtave, unnametave which are rarely found in other suttas. Many times we see some special nouns such as the word datthu for disva, atisìt and for atikkamiand, maga for miga, tumo for so etc.. These nouns are very close to the Vedic language not found in other sutras. Thus, it proves that the Suttanipàta Collection was written in the oldest period of the Pali language, not yet refined and fluent, with many tones like the later Pali language. The ancient value of the Pali language in this volume evaluates the primitive nature of the Suttanipàta. Another factor that helps us to know the ancient value of this volume is that some of the suttas of this volume are found in other suttas, and show that the other suttas have compiled some of the existing suttas in the Suttanipàta. For example, the Seta Sutta (Sn. 548-573) is found in the Majjhima Nikaya Mi 146; The Vāsettha Sutta (Sn. 594-656) is found also in the Majjhima Nikaya M.ii. 196. In addition, the Suttanipàta volume records a few stages in the life of the Prince in search and study of the Way. These stories are very simple and simple, without mixing magic spells with very simple images. raw and beautiful. The Ordaining Sutra (Sn. 405-424) describes the meeting between the Prince and King Bimbisàra, when the Prince had just ordained. King Bimbisàra stood upstairs and looked down to see the Crown Prince going for alms. "Binh Sa Vuong saw him, Standing on the terrace, Seeing all the good signs , Ben said this." (409) After sending messengers to find the Prince's place, King Bimbisàra immediately went to meet the Prince and said: “The young man, naive, entered the world, Cao was beautiful and perfect, Thien was born in the line of Slaughter… I give you my property. Enjoy and answer.” (420-421) And the Prince resolutely replied: "The family lineage of the sun The birth family is Sakyamuni, Abandoning that family, King, I left home. I have no desire , For all kinds of desires, Seeing danger in sex, Abandoning them, is peace; I will go, diligently, My Will is glad.” (423-424) The next Purgatory speaks of the Devil's temptation. When the Prince sat under the Bodhi tree to practice, the Devil approached and said in a kind voice: “You are sick, you can't use your color Your house is almost dead, A thousand parts, you are dead; Only a part is still alive. Live, live better, Will do merits.” (426-427) The prince answered slowly, but no less energetic: “Evil kin, what have you come here for? With small merit, I don't need it! This is faith, diligence, And I have wisdom, So I am diligent Why do you ask that I live." (431-432) And the Crown Prince expressed his determination to fight: “Oh, Ma Nu Ci! This is your army, This is the battle army Of the Kaha clan, The coward will not defeat you Whoever conquers you will be lost. I carry Munja Grass Strong, worthy of life. I would rather die in battle than live in defeat." (439-440) And in the end, the Evil One was defeated by the Crown Prince's courage and walked away lamenting: "For seven years I followed in the footsteps of the Blessed One, Unable to find fault Speaks the Blessed One mindfully, Like a crow flying around, A stone like a heap of fat." “Can there be anything soft? Could there be anything sweet? Can't find the sweetness The crow flies away from there! Like a crow pecking at a rock, I abandoned Gotama." (446-448) The third story is about the hermit Asita (A Tu Da) guessing the generals for the Crown Prince. Asita saw that the gods were happy and asked the reason. The gods replied: “In the land of Lumbini In the village of the Sakyas, There was born a supremely unsurpassed Precious Bodhisattva . He was born, brought peace and happiness to mankind, so we celebrate the heart is very happy. He, the supreme being , He, the supreme human being, the human Ox-King Superior to all living beings. He will turn the wheel of Dharma, In the forest of hermits, Roaring the roar of a lion , Mighty , devouring beasts." (683-684) Master Asita immediately went to Kapilavatthu to see the Prince. "After seeing the crown prince, Shining like a flame, Pure like an Ox Star Moving in the middle of nowhere Shining like the sun Amidst the clear clouds in the sky Hermit rejoices in great joy ." (687) When he saw the crown prince shining as bright as the sun, when he thought of the prospect of the Dharma being preached, and when he thought of his old and weak fate, At-Da burst into tears. “When he thinks of his own Fate , Fate is not good, he sheds tears”… (691) Before the worries of the Sakyas, the ascetic Ata eased his worries: Seeing them Like and worry The hermit replied: I do not see misfortune Befall the Prince For that (Prince), Obstacles will not exist. This position is not low, Do n't worry about anything. This crown prince will attain the Supreme Bodhi fruition, Will turn the wheel of Dharma Seeing supreme purity For the sake of compassion, For the happiness of many, And the holy life To be widely propagated Long life for the rest of life not much In the midst of His life I will be doomed. I will not listen to the Dharma The sage needs incalculable So I am sad, Unhappy and suffering." (692-694) The fourth element that confirms the antiquity of this Sutra is that certain sentences, some examples, some images are depicted, which have become folk aphorisms. The great sea is silent. The water slot is noisy. Something is loud. What is full is quiet. These examples show us that those who know little talk a lot, those who know a lot are often silent like the following two verses: "Learn the streams of water, From the ravines and the deeps The ravines flow with noise The great sea is full of silence." (720) "What is empty screams, What is full, is silent, Stupid like a clam with water, The wise are like a full pond." (721) For those who talk often, disaster will arise from the mouth, as the verse aptly describes below: "Every human being is born, Born with a hammer in his mouth, A fool who speaks nonsense, Cuts himself off." (657) The following image, which seems to be satirical, refers to the crows who saw the stone mistakenly for a piece of fatty meat, came to peck to find something sweet, when they realized they were wrong, they flew away. The verse satirizes the devil who followed the Buddha to find an opportunity to harm him, and in the end he could not harm him, so he left. “Like crows flying around the Rock like a heap of fat. “Maybe something soft?” “What could be sweet?” (447) "Can't find anything sweet Crows fly away Like a crow pecking at a rock I abandoned Gotama." (448) Another verse about the waves that do not arise in the middle of the ocean, tells us that the liberated person is always calm and quiet, like the following verse: "As in the very center of the ocean, The waves of the sea have no birth, The sea ​​is completely still, So too, bhikkhu, Standing still, without wavering, There is no impatience, Excitement in the midst of life." (920) The Buddha advised those who left home, should live alone, diligently practice, like a rhinoceros with only one horn, living alone in the forest. “Due to closeness and communication, Sincerity is born, Depending on affection, this Suffering can arise. Seeing harm, Born of affection, Live alone Like a one-horned rhinoceros." (36) “Like a deer in the mountains, Nothing is bound, Goes where it wants to find food, Like the wise, Seeing freedom and freedom, Live alone Like a one-horned rhinoceros.” (37) When the Buddha preached and introduced his new religion, he had to deal with two very powerful social systems that were prevailing in Indian society at that time, namely the Samana organization and the Brahmin organization. Each system has a number of cardinals leading the congregation, with different and sometimes contradictory doctrines and methods of practice. The Buddha boldly removed what he considered an obstacle to human enlightenment and liberation, and charted his own special new path. First of all, the Buddha did not accept the life of a monk, but also guessed numbers, guessed dreams, divination, and ate the food brought by the verse: "I have no use for Food from chanting, O Brahmin, This is not the Dharma, Of the wise. All Buddhas renounce, Singing verses." (480) "Don't use spells, Anthava Vedà, Do n't organize dream predictions, Look at signs and see the stars, May My disciples, Don't guess the cries of animals , Do n't cure diseases, don't give birth, Don't practice charlatans." (927) The Buddha also did not accept praying for auspicious omens. The gods asked the Buddha how to get good omens (Mangalam), the Buddha replied with 48 good deeds, because only good deeds are the ultimate good omen, as the Mangala sutta aptly describes: "Do not approach the foolish As close to the wise , Paying homage to the worthy Is the supreme good omen." (259) “Study many good professions, Train well, learn Speak well. The ultimate auspicious omen.” (261) "Taking care of mother and father Nurturing wife and children Working in a job without trouble, Is the ultimate good omen." (262) “Giving alms, practicing the right Dharma, Taking care of relatives, Doing karma, without error, Is the supreme good omen.” (263) “Cease, abandon evil, Conquer passion for wine, In the Dharma without distraction, Is the supreme good omen.” (264) “Respect and humble yourself Knowing enough and being grateful At the right time, hearing the right Dharma Is the ultimate good omen.” (265) Thus, the Buddha rejected belief in auspicious omens and encouraged doing good deeds, for good deeds are the ultimate auspicious omens. Taking it a step further, the Buddha did not accept the views of the Brahmins, believing in the theory of life and death that he was the most respectable caste, just because he was born from the mouth of Brahma and therefore the Sassara castes. The imperial capital, Vesak and Thu Da must respect and serve the Brahmin class. The Buddha opposed this conception of life and stated that only through actions can one's value be judged, whether a person is worthy of respect or not. “Poverty is not because of birth. Pham Chi is not born, Due to practice, becomes mean, Due to practice becomes Pham Chi." (136) "Not born of life (*) Called Brahmin! Not born of life, Called a Primordial Brahmin by action, Called a Right Brahmin by action . (Central Bo Kinh) (*) life expectancy: birth Taking a step further, the Buddha rejected the theories, the philosophies, because they cannot lead people to liberation and peace. There were 63 popular treatises in the Buddha's time, and the Buddha rejected them, because they only fueled controversy: "The ascetics argue, There are 63 theories, The discourses are written in Y here, the ideas arise." (538) "He who dwells in the ant, Viewing that view is supreme In the world, puts that view In the supreme position, He says it all, Others are inferior , Hence not beyond the controversy of the world." (796) "Those who want to argue After entering the assembly, They attack each other, They call each other stupid What makes it high, It also harms it, Yet it still speaks arrogantly." (830) "Not from knowledge From tradition, from wisdom Not from precepts, Purity is brought." (839) "You were fanatical, Did not lead to purity Because you were biased, With wisdom and view." (910) After rejecting superstition, wrong views, traditions, good omens, treatises, sacrifices, fire sacrifices, etc., Buddha himself built his own path to liberation and enlightenment. And the collection of Suttanipàta shows us how the verses describing the Buddha differ from the current pagan teachers. First of all, he is the one who has eyes, cakkhumantu, has the dharma eye that sees all: "Buddha really has eyes For all dharmas. (161) "The one whose eyes appear in this world and in the heavens, Sweeping away all gloom, Solitude attaining peace." (956) "He is perfectly enlightened, O Brahmin, has eyes to see In all dharmas." (992) The Buddha is someone who has a clear vision, a thorough understanding, sees suffering in doctrines, accepts no theories, seeks truth, he finds inner peace. “With Me there is no talking! This is how I say it, After carefully observing Clinging in dharma In all views. I have no attachments, I see a store of Tranquility in my heart." (837) "He who has cut off birth, No more sowing , Has ceased , No longer wants to be born, Called a hermit Alone walking in silence, The hermit has seen the Path of Tranquility." (208) The lifestyle introduced by the Buddha was a life of a hermit, Mani, who had abandoned his family and lived without a home, without any abode. "Intimacy, born of fear, Abode of dust, No abode, no body Image of a hermit." (207) One who has subdued craving and craving, not letting craving dominate. “He lives far away from All things in the world… Like a lotus with thorns, Born in water, Unaffected by water and mud Attached to and wet with body, Thus the hermit Speaks peacefully, free from greed, Free from desire and life, Clinging and absorbing.” (845) A hermit has no shortages, no views, no wrong views, renounces doctrines, and has no arguments with anyone in the world. "It is to him that neither Self nor not-self is empty. He has cleansed, All wrong views in the world." (787) “Some say This is the truth, Witness says to others, It is empty of falsehoods. Due to such clinging, We argue and fight, Why is the ascetic. Not saying the same word.” (88) “Residing with equanimity, being mindful, Not thinking of oneself as human. Better than people, inferior to people, he is not impulsive." (855) Living a life of detachment, without attachment to anything, the hermit lives a life of non-being, without "I"; without "mine", practice selflessness well. "He has no children, Animals, fields, possessions, Nothing to grasp, It's me, it's not me." (858) "Whoever has nothing, Nothing, does not grieve, Does not go to dharmas He calls peace." (861) "Don't think: 'this is mine' Don't think: 'this is yours' He has no self No sorrow, no self." (951) Through the practice of selflessness, the hermit comes to inner peace: "Remain peaceful From within, There is no self, From where there is no-self." (919) And the final destination of the spiritual path, for the hermit, is "Silent Nirvana". "Abandoning lust, this wise bhikkhu, Attests to immortality, purity, Nirvana, permanent residence!" (204) It is worth noting that this volume contains a number of sutras that are very popular, and are recited regularly by the monks of the Theravada countries, such as the Ratanasutta (Precious Sutra), the Mangalasutta (the Good Sutra) and the Mettasutta Sutta. The Compassion Sutra). In addition, there are many suttas that are concise, meaningful, and praise the hermit's life, highlighting the feature of this sutta as exalting in the life of a monastic aspirant, such as the Snake Sutra, the Hermit Sutra, and the Sermon Sutra. Rahula, Dhammika, Nàlaka, Parabhida, Tuvataka, Attadanda, Sàriputta. These suttas deal largely with hermitage, and as such highlight the peaceful spiritual context that this Book of Sutras emphasizes in a particular way.END=NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).WORLD VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST ORDER=BUDDHIST DHARMA WHEEL GOLDEN MONASTERY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THE WOMEN OF THE SAKYA CLAN CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.9/12/2021.