Main features in the Buddhist tradition

by Ven. Dr. Handupelpola Mahinda Nayaka Thera

Drums and conch shells are widely used by Sri Lankan Buddhists as their religious nuance. I am not going to discuss about music, but some philosophical idea behind it. You may have heard the saying ‘empty vessel makes the most sound.’ The empty space of the drum or the conch shell produces the music sound.

Contionued From 06.04.2010

Vietnam recieved Buddhist traditions from the rest of the South East Asia around 1st century AD, and from China between the 6th and 17th centuries. The South East traditions have formed a Hinayana base for Vietnamest Buddhist practice supporting a superstructure of Chinese Mahayana, chiefly Zen (Vietnamese thien) the Th’ao-Du’o’ng tradition, a form of the Chinese Sung Dynasty synthesis, imported in the 11th century had great influence on the character of Vietnamese Buddhism as a harmony of Zen (emphasizing wisdom) and Pure Land (emphasizing compassion) an indigenous form of Lin-chi Vietnamese, Lam-Te) was founded by Lieu-Quan (1743) and became the dominant tradition. All traditions were merged into the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (Vietnamese, Viet-Nam Phat-Giao Thong-Nhat Giao-Hoi) in 1963.

World peace through faiths

I like to relate a story from Zen Buddhism. A lady peeped through the window. She saw four men getting wet in the rain outside the house. The lady invited them to come into the house and warm up their bodies. But they refused saying that it was not a good conduct to enter into a house where a lady was all alone. The husband came with two children. Wife told about the men getting wet outside the house. Knowing the full story, husband too peeped outside and invited the four men to come into the house. That time they told it is better to invite one individual and if suitable other three too can follow him. The names of the men were Prosperity, Success, Peace and Unity. Lady of the house suggested calling Prosperity, because they are very poor. The husband was of opinion to invite Success. The son argued that it was boring living without Peace in the house. The younger child daughter asked the father bring Unity to the house. Others also approved that idea. The father of the two children asked Unity to come. The other three told we all can unite when Unity is in.

Before we call for world peace we should have unity in all small groups, families, villages, countries and even within the religious groups as well as among religions.

The teachings and messages of great religious teachers, who were founders of world religions, were primarily aimed at alleviating sufferings and bringing peace and happiness to all mankind through the application of moral and ethical conduct and righteous living. Today, however, world religions have developed into massive organised impersonal institutions with the result that the original teachings of their respective founders which expound simplicity, restraint, truthfulness and selflessness have been so eroded or neglected that hardly any influence remains over for their followers. The moral content of religion and its peace promoting spiritual values are clouded by the more attractive materialistic values. Many of the followers of world religions have ignored or slighted the injunctions of their religious teachers in order to seek power, fame and other material gains for their personal aggradisement. Such abuse tends to pollute the minds of many modern religionists and causes unhealthy competition and barriers amongst different religious groups as well as within the same religious community.

Welfare activities

The holding of fellowship meetings, the institution of community service programmes and other social and welfare activities whereby all religionists, working hand-in-hand for a common humanitarian cause, to uplift the lot of the more unfortunate ones in society, would serve as a means for a common bond of friendship transcending religious differences and creating a spirit of mutual appreciation and respect to inter religious peace and harmony.

The world peace is the other theme of the present forum. Much of the dark clouds - of turmoil and global problems - can be traced to the decline of religion and the rise of materialism. The mad pursuits of worldly pleasures, power and possessions have led to all forms of moral degeneration, discrimination and prejudices, even to the extent of justifying the mass destruction of mankind.

Some of the so-called modern entertainments have been so enacted that they arouse the animal instincts and carnal emotions of the viewers. Under the influence of such intoxication, the viewers often lose control of their senses and do things against their better judgement, by violating the peace and happiness of innocent people in order to satisfy sensual indulgence. They lose their normal way of thinking, and refuse to listen to others, even though they realise that they are ruining their lives as well as the lives of others.

The more people get into the rat race - for the sake of sensual pleasures, power, fame and ‘glory’ - the more distractions and confusions they experience, the more will they contribute towards the contradictions which the world is in today.

On the one hand, people are afraid of wars; on the other hand, they go all out to prepare for it! They talk a lot about achieving peace and yet they distribute misery! Although the world is getting more and more crowded each day, man is feeling lonelier and lonelier! The more leisure hours they have, the more restless they become! Although they are equipped with all kinds of knowledge to get safely to the moon, yet they know not how to live safely on earth! Such are the confusions and contradictions of modern man living in the space age.

Confusion arises as long as the taints of delusion are present in the minds of man. Along with the other mental defilements, the delusion in man blinds him from the ability to see and understand the true nature of things or the ultimate realities of life.

The imbalance between material and spiritual development is the course of gross confusion and dilemmas faced by the modern world. Mrs. Rhys Davids said: “The love and goodwill between man and man is set forth in domestic and social ethics, in the Singalovada Sutta with more comprehensive detail than elsewhere.”

To my opinion the faiths can do this - introducing love and goodwill in between man and man.

Drums and conch shells are widely used by Sri Lankan Buddhists as their religious nuance. I am not going to discuss about music, but some philosophical idea behind it. You may have heard the saying ‘empty vessel makes the most sound.’ The empty space of the drum or the conch shell produces the music sound.

The Buddha said that all conditioned phenomena are impermanent. What are conditioned and unconditioned phenomena? We see through the simile of space and form. You can notice the space in this room. The most people notice furniture, wall and people etc. not the space but in order to notice the space, you withdraw your attention from the things, and bring your attention to the space. This does not mean getting rid of the things or denying the things their right to be there. Outside the wall is also we notice the space. We have blocked and hindered the existence. The objects in this room can excite, repel or attract. But the space has no quality that excites, repels or attracts. In this way you can understand the nuance between the space and form. The form constantly changes but not the space. Thing usually subject to change are called ‘conditioned’ phenomena.

Universal love should be ‘unconditioned’. In other words, not changing and as a noblest relationship like the love of a mother towards her children. We should cultivate a ‘love’ of that nature towards others devoid of caste, creed, religion, nationality and any other differences.

Just as a mother, her own child,
The only child, protects, with her own life,
In similar manner, towards all beings
One should develop an unlimited thought of loving kindness.
(Mata yatha, niyam puttam,
Ayusa ekaputtam anurakkhe,
Evampi sabbabhutesu
Manasam bhavaye aparimanam).
May, those afflicted with pain be free from pain,
May, those afflicted in fear be free from fear,
May, those afflicted in grief be free from grief,
May, all beings be so.
(dukkhappattaca niddukkha bhayappattaca nibbhaya
sokappattaca nissoka hontu sabbepi paninam).

Concluded