DHAMMA OF NIBBāNA

“This Dhamma of Nibbāna, realised by the Buddha, is the Dhamma free of torment and oppression from a variety of kilesa.”

The course of moral practices leading to the Path and Fruition (magga-phala):

(1) the Dhamma relating to charity (dāna-kathā),

(2) the Dhamma relating to morality (sīla-kathā),

(3) the Dhamma relating to happy destination such as celestial abode (sagga-kathā) and

(4) the Dhamma relating to the good path and line of conduct for the realization of magga-phala and Nibbāna (magga-kathā).

(1) Dāna-kathā

Dāna-kathā, the Dhamma concerning charity: a good deed of dāna is the cause of happiness in the present existence, in the next existence and of the bliss of Nibbāna. It is the primary cause of all kinds of pleasures of devas and humans. It is also the source of material sense objects (āramma?a-vatthus) and the wellbeing resulting from the use of these objects. For beings endangered by misfortune, it is also a good guardian, a place of safety, a resort and refuge. In the present existence, as well as in the next, there is nothing like dāna to lean on, to stand on, to cling to as a good guardian, a place of safety, a resort, and refuge.

Truly, this deed of dāna is like the gem-studded Lion Throne, for it is to lean on; like the great earth, for it is to stand on; like the rope for the blind to hold on as a support, for it is to cling to. To continue: This meritorious act of dāna is like the ship for crossing over the misery of suffering (apāyabhūmi-duggati). It is also like an army commander of valour in the battle-field since it can ward off or give relief from the danger of the enemies such as lobha and macchariya, etc. It is also like a well-guarded city since it can give protection from the danger of poverty. It is also like a lotus-flower (paduma) since it is not smeared with the dirt of unwholesomeness (akusala) such as jealousy (issā) and stinginess (macchariya). It is also like fire since it can burn the rubbish of akusala such as issā and macchariya. It is also like a poisonous snake since it is of difficult access to the unwholesome enemies. It is also like a lion king since it can free one from fear. (The donor has no need to be afraid of any enemy in the present existence, much less so in the next.) Being of enormous strength, it is like a large elephant. (The donor is blessed with good friends and associates in the present existence. He is also one who will have great physical and mental strength in the next existence.) It is like a bull (usabha) of pure white colour since it is considered by learned persons as a sign of auspiciousness auguring extreme and particular prosperity both here and hereafter, it is also like a king of aerial horses (valāhaka sindhava) since it can transport one from the evil ground of four misfortunes (vipattis) to the danger-free good ground of four fortunes (sa?pattis).

“This deed of dāna is also the good and true Path which, I, the Buddha, have walked on. It is also the one, with which, I, the Buddha, have been related to. I have performed great acts of charity, such as those of Velama, those of Mahāgovinda, those of Mahāsudassana, and those of Vessantara, when I was practising and fulfilling the Perfections (Pāramīs). In my existence as the virtuous hare, a Bodhisatta, I had completely won the hearts of the donees by giving away in charity my own body in the blazing heap of fire.” (Here, Sakka, the deva king, in the guise of a begging brahmin, had his mind fixed continually on the courage shown by the wise hare, the Bodhisatta, in his performance of generous act without any distraction. Hence the Buddha’s words, “I had completely won the hearts of the donees” is a rhetorical way of indirect saying (va?kavutti) that politely implies Sakka’s contemplation of the Bodhisatta’s boldness in dāna. Here, by means of the words: “By giving away in charity my own body,” the Buddha gave the advice thus: “The Bodhisattas, knowing too well about the merit of dāna, even gave away their lives in charity. In view of this, should the wise have attachment to an external object, bāhira-vatthu? Certainly they should not.”)

“Furthermore, the merit of dāna is capable of bringing the luxury of a Sakka, the luxury of a Māra, the luxury of a Brahmā and the luxury of a Universal Monarch (cakkavatti) in the mundane world. It is also capable of bringing the Enlightened Knowledge (Bodhi-?ā?a) of a sāvaka, of a Paccekabuddha and of the Supreme Buddha in a Supramundane world.”

(2) Sīla-kathā

(Since only dāna performers can observe sīla, the Buddha taught sīla-kathā immediately after dāna-kathā. To elucidate: Dāna is giving away in charity of one’s own property for the welfare of the donees or in order to honour them. This being so, he who practises dāna is a noble individual who really desires the welfare of beings and there can be no reason at all for him to kill another or to steal another’s property. And so, since only he, who practises dāna, can, in fact, observe Sīla, the Buddha’s sīla-kathā immediately follows dāna-kathā.)

Sīla-kathā, Dhamma words concerning Morality: “The good deed of sīla is for beings to lean on, to stand on, to cling to, to be well guarded by, to be shielded by, to approach, and to take refuge in. This good deed of sīla is the one, with which, I, the Buddha, have been related to. I have observed and guarded it without any breach and interruption in the endless and infinite number of existences, such as the existence as Sa?khapāla Nāga King, Bhuridatta Nāga King, Campeyya Nāga King, King Sīlava, Mātuposaka Elephant King and Chaddanta Elephant King and others.”

Truly, for the welfare of this present existence and of the next, there is nothing like sīla for leaning on, standing on, clinging to, for being guarded by, for being shielded by, and for taking refuge in. There is no ornament like the ornament of sīla, no flower like the flower of sīla, and no perfume like the perfume of sīla. Furthermore, all humans, together with devas, are never tired of seeing one bedecked with the flowers of sīla, scented with the perfume or sīla and adorned with the ornaments of sīla.

(3) Sagga-kathā

(In order to show that happiness in the abode of devas is the result of good deeds of sīla, the Buddha taught the Dhamma concerning the abode of devas (saggakathā) immediately after sīla-kathā.)

Sagga-kathā, Dhamma words concerning the abode of devas: The Abode of devas is desired and adored by everybody. It heartens and exhilarates all. In the abode of devas, one can have constant joy and bliss. Cātumahārājika devas enjoy the divine bliss for nine million years, calculated in human terms. Tāvati?sa devas enjoy it for three crores and six million years (36 million years).

(4) Magga-kathā

After teaching the bliss of the divine abode, the Buddha was to teach immediately magga-kathā, the Dhamma concerning the noble path, ariya-magga, in order to show that even divine bliss is perpetually oppressed by kilesa such as rāga, and to show that, since the ariya-magga is entirely free from kilesas, it cannot be oppressed by it. So, for teaching the magga-kathā, the Buddha taught initially the Dhamma, describing the defects of sensual pleasures (Kāmāna? ādīnava-kathā) together with the Dhamma describing the advantages of Renunciation (Nekkhamme ānisa?sa-kathā), beginning with monkhood that leads to freedom from kāmagu?as and ending with Nibbāna, as both Kāmāna? ādīnava-kathā and Nekkhamme ānisa?sa-kathā form the means of realisation of the magga.

Kāmāna? ādīnava and Nekkhamme ānisa?sa-kathā

“This so-called bliss of the abode of devas also has the nature of impermanence (anicca). It has the nature of instability (addhuva). One should not have desire and attachment for such bliss. The material objects of sensual pleasure are, in fact, more of misery than of pleasure. These material objects of sensual pleasure are made up of pleasure, which is the size of a gu?jā seed, but they are full of defects which is the size of Mount Meru.”

(As already reflected upon and realized by Him at the time of His renunciation of the world,) the Buddha elaborated thus on the defects of sensual pleasure, on the vulgar state of things adhered to by ignoble persons but avoided by noble ones, and on the way beings were oppressed and made miserable by sensual pleasure.

And then, inasmuch as there was abundance of defects in sensual pleasure, the absence of defects and the paucity of suffering in renunciation (nekkhamma) beginning with monkhood and ending in Nibbāna.