The Great Discourse on the Wheel of Dhamma

eight stages of mundane Jhanic attainments, he had personally mastered seven stages up to the Jhana consciousness dwelling on Nothingness (Akincannayatana Jhana) and was imparting this knowledge to his pupils.

Before the appearance of the Buddha, such teachers who had achieved Jhanic attainments served as trustworthy masters giving practical instructions on methods of attainments. Alara was famous like a Buddha in those times. The Theravada literature was silent about him. However, in. Lalitavistra, a biographical text of the northem School of Buddhism, it was recorded that the great teacher had lived in the state of Vesali and that he had three hundred pupils leaming his doctrine.

TAKING INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE HOLY SAGE AIARA

How Bodhisatta took instructions from the Holy Sage Alara was descnbed thus: Having gone forth and become a recluse in pursuit of what is holy and good, seeking the supreme, imcomparable Peace of Nibbana, I drew to where Alara Kalama was and addressed him thus: "Friend Kalama, I desire to lead the holy life under your doctrine and discipline." When I had thus addressed him. Alara repled, "The Venerable friend Gotama is welcome to remain in this Teaching. Of such a nature is this dhamma that in a short time, an intelligent man can realize for himself and abide in possession of what~his Teacher has realized as his own." After these words of encouragement, Alara gave him practical instructions on the doctrine.

REASSURING WORDS

Alara's atatement that his dhamma, if practised as taughi, could be realized soon by onelself as one's own was very reassuring and inspired confidence. A pragmatic doctrine is trustworthy and convincing only if it could be realized by oneself and in a short time. The sooner the realization is possible, the more heartening it will be. The Bodhisatta was thus satisfied with Alara's words and

this thought arose in him:

"It is not by mere faith that Alara announces that he has leamed the dhamma. Alara has surely realized the dhamma himself, he knows and understands it."

That was very true. Alara did not cite any texts as authority. He did not say that he had heard it from others. He clearly stated that he had realized it himself what he knew personally. A meditation teacher must be able to declare his conviction boldly like him. Without having practised the dhamma personally, without having experienced and realized it in apersonal way, to claim to be a teacher in mediation, to preach and write books about it, aftre just leaming from the texts on meditation methods, is most incongruous and improper. It is like a physician prescribing medicine not yet clinically tested and tried by him, and which he dare not administer on himself. Such preachments and such publications are surely underpendable and uninspiring.

But Alara taught boldly what he had realized himself Bodhisatta was fully impressed by him. And the thought arose in him: "Not only Alara has faith, I also have faith; Not only Alara has energy, mindfulness, concentration, wisdom, I also have them". Then he strove for the realization of that dhamma of which Alara declared that he had leamed for himself, and realized. In no time he had leamed the dhamma which led him as far as the Jhanic realm of Nothingness.

He then approached where Alara Kalama was and enquired of him whether the realm of Nothingness, which he had claimed to have realised himself and live in possession of, was the same stage which Bodhisatta had now reached. Alara replied, "This is as far as the dhammia leads of which I have declared that I have realized and abide in its possession, the same stage as friend Gotama has reached." Then he uttered these words of praise. "Friend Gotama is a supremely distinguished person. The realm of Nothingness is not easily attainable. Yet Friend Gotama has realized it in no time. It is truly wonderful. Fortunate we are that we should light upon such

a distinguished ascetic companion as your Reverence. As I have realized the dhamma, so you have realized it too. As you have learnt it, so I have leamt to the same extent as you. Friend Gotama is my equal in dhamma. We have a large community here. Come, friend, let us together direct this company of disciples."

Thus Alara, the teacher, set up Bodhisatta, his pupil as completely equal to himself and honoured the Bodhisatta by delegating to him the task of guiding one hundred and fifty pupils which was exactly half of all the disciples he had under him.

But Bodhisatta stayed at that centre only for ashort time. While staying there, this thought came to him. "This doctrine does not lead to aversion, to abatement and cessation of passion, to quiescence for higher knowledge and full enlughtenment nor to Nibbana, the end of sufferings, but only as far as the attainment of the realm of Nothingness. Once there, a long life of 60,000 world cycles follows and after expiring from there, one reappears in the Karma existences and goes through the sufferings again. It is not the doctrine of the undying I am looking for." Thus becoming indifferent to the practice which led only to the Jhanic realm of Nothingnesn he abandoned it and departed from Alara's meditation centre.

APPROACHING THE SAGE UDAKA

After leaving that place, the Bodhisatta was on his own for sometime, pursuing the supreme path of Tranquility to reach the Undying state of Nibbana. Then the fame of Ramaputta, (the son of Rama, the disciple of the sage Rama) Udaka reached him. He drew to where Udaka was and sought to lead the religious life under the dhamma and discipline of the sage Rama. His experiences under the guidance of Udaka, how Udaka explained him the dhamma, how Bodhisatta was unpressed with the doctrine, and practised it. how he realized the dhamma and recounted to Udaka what he had gained, were described in almost exactly the same words as before

We have, however, to note carefully that Udaka Ramaputta. as his name implied, was a son of Rama or a disciple or of Rama

The sage Rama was accomplished to go through all the eight stages of Jhana and reached the highest Jhanic realm of Neither Perception nor Nonperception: But when Bodhisatta reached where Udaka was, ‘ihe old sage Rama was no more. Therefore in asking Udaka about Rama's attainments, he used the past tencse "pavedesi". "How far does this doctrine lead concerning which Rama declared that hehad realized it for himself and entered upon it?"

Then there is the account of how this thought occurred to the Bodhisatta: "It is not only Rama who had faith, industry, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom. I also have them." There is also this passage where it was stated that Udaka set him up as a teacher."You know this doctrine and Rama knew this doctrine. You are the same as Rama and Rama was the same as you. Come, friend Gotama, lead this following and be their teacher." And again the passage where the Bodhisatta recounted "Udaka, the disciple of Rama, although my companion in the holy-livng , set me up as his teacher.”

These textual references make it apparent that the Bodhisatta did not meet with the sage Rama, but only with Rama's disciple Udaka who explained to him the doctrine practised by Rama. The Bodhisatta followed the method as described by Udaka and was able to realize the stage of Neither Perception nor Non-perception. Having leamt the doctrine himself and realized and entered upon the realm of Neither Perception nor Non-perception like the sage Rama, he was requested by Udaka to accept the leadrship of the company.

Where Udaka resided and how big his following was, was not mentioned in the literature of the Theravadins. But Lalitavistra, the biography of the Buddha, of the Northern Buddhism, stated that Udaka's centre was in the district of Rajagaha and that he had a company seven hundred strong. It is to be noted that at the time of meeting with the Bodhisatta, Udaka himself had not attained the ~ Jhanic realm of Neither Perception nor Nonperception yet. He explained to the Bodhisatta only what stage Rama had achieved. So when the Boddhisatta proved himself to be the equal of his master

by realizing the stage of Neither Perception nor Non-perception, he offered the Bodhisatta the leadership of the whole company. According to the Tika, (Sub-commentary) he later strove hard emulating the example set by the Bodhisatta, and finally attained the highest jhanic stage of Neither Perception nor Non-perception.

The Bodhisatta remained as a leader of the company at the centre only for a short time. It soon occurred to him:"This doctrine does not lead to aversion, to absence of passion nor to quiescence for gaining knowledge, supreme wisdom and Nibbana but only as far as the realm of Neither Perception nor Non-perception. Once there, along life of 84,000 world cycles is enjoyed only to come back again to the existence of sensual pleasures and be subjected to much suffering. This is not the doctrine of the Undying I long for." Then becoming indifferent to the doctrine, which leads only to the realm of Neither Perception nor Non-perception, he gave it up and departed from Uddaka's centre.

PRACTISING EXTREME AUSTERITIES IN URUVELA FOREST

After he had left the centre, the Bodhisatta wandered about the land of Magada, searching on his own the peerless path of Tranquility, the Undying Nibbana. During his wanderings he came to the forest of Uruvela near the large village of Senanigama In the forest he saw clear, water flowing in the nver Neranjara. Perceiving thus a delightful spot, a serene dense grove, a clear flowing stream with a village nearby which would serve as an alms resort, it occurred to him: "Truly this is a suitable place for one intent on effort" and he stayed on in the forest.

At that time the Bodhisatta had not yet worked out aprecise system of right struggle. Austerity practices were, of course, widely known and in vogue throughout India then. Conceming these practices. three similes came to the mind of the Bodhisatta

THREE SIMILES

A log of sappy wood freshly cut from a sycomare tree and soaked in water cannot produce fire by being rubbed with a similar piece of wet sappy wood or with a piece of some other wood. Just so, while still entangled with objects of sensual desires such as wife and family, while still delighting in passionate pleasures and lustful desires arenot yet quieted within him, however strenuously someone strives, he is incapable of wisdom, insight and incomparable full awakening. This was the first simile that occurred to the Bodhisatta.

Even if the sycamore log is not soaked in water but is still green and sappy being freshly out from the tree it will also not produce any fire by friction. Just so, even if he has abandoned the objects of sensual desires such as wife and family and they are no longer near him, if he still delights in thoughts of passionate pleasures and lustful desires still arise in him, he is incapable of wisdom, insight or full awakening. This is the second simile.

According to the Commentary this simile has a reference to the practices of Brahma dhammika ascetics. Those Brahmins led a holy ascetic life from youth to the age of forty eight when they went back to married life in order to preserve the continuity of their clan. Thus while they were practising the holy life, they would have been tainted with lustful thoughts.

The third simile concems with dry sapless.logs of wood not soaked in water. These logs of dry wood will kindle fire when rubbed against one another. Similarly, having abandoned objects of sensual desires and weaned himself of lustful thoughts and cravings, he is capable of attamimg wisdom, msight and full awakening, whether he practises extreme austerity or whether he strives painlessly without torturing himself.

EXTREME AUSTERITY OF CRUSHING THE MIND WITH THE MIND

Of the two methods open to him according to the third simile, the Bodhisatta considered following the path of austerity. "What if now with my teeth clenched and my tongue cleaving the

palate, I should press down, constrain and crush the naturally arising thought with my mind."

The Pali text quoted here corresponds with the text in the Vitakka Sandhana Sutta. But the method of crushing the thought with the mind as described in the Vitakka Sandhana Sutta was one prescribed by the Buddha after attaining Enlightenment. As such, it involves banishment of lustful thought which arises of its own accord by taking note of its appearance as an exercise of Vipassana meditation in accordance with the Satipatthana Sutta and other similar texts. The method of crushing the thought with the mind as described here refers to the practical exercises performed by the Bodhisatta before he attamed the knowledge of the Middle Path and is, therefore, at variance with the Satipatthana method.

However, Commentary interpretation implies suppression of evil minds with moral mind. If this interpretation were correct, this method, being concordant with Satipatthana Sutta and other texts, would have resulted in Fnlightenment for the Bodhisatta. Actually, this method led him only to extreme suffering and not to Buddhahood. Other austerity practices taken up afterwards also led the Bodhisatta merely into wrong paths.

Austerity practice followed by the Bodhisatta at that time appeared to be somewhat like that of mind annuhilation being practised nowadays by followers of a certam school of Buddhism. During our missionery travels in Japan, we visited a large temple where a number of people were engaged in meditational exercises. Their meditation method consists of blotting out the thought whenever it arises. Thus emptied of mind (mental activity), the end of the road is reached, namely, Nothingness 1.e-Void. The procedure is as follows:- Young Mahayana monks sat cross-legged in a row, about six in number. The master abbot went round showing them the stick with which he would beat them. After a while he proceeded to administer one blow each on the back of each meditator. It was explained that while being beaten tt_was possible that mind disappeared altogether resulting in Nothingness. Truly a strange doctrine.

This is in reality annihilation of thought by crushing with mind; presumably the same technique employed by the Bodhisatta to crush the thought with the mind by clenching the teeth. The effort proved very painful for him and sweat oozed out from under his armpits but no superior knowledge was attained then.

JHANIC ABSORPTION RESTRAINING THE BREATH

Then it occurred to the Bodhisatta:- "What if I controlled respiration and concentrate on the breathless jhana." With that thought, he restrained the inbreathings and outbreathings of the mouth and nose. With the holding of respirations by the mouth and nose, there was a roar in the ears due to the rushing out of the air just like the bellows of a forge making a roaring noise. There was intense bodily suffering. but the Bodhisatta was relentless. He held the inbreathings and outbreathings. not only of the mouth and nose. but also of the ears. As a result, violent winds rushed up to the crown of the head, causing pains as if a strong man had split open the head with a mallet, as if a powerful man were tightening a ough leather strap round the head. Violent winds pushed around in the belly causing misery like bemg carved up by a sharp butcher's knife. And there was intense buming in the belly as if roasted over a pit of live coals. The Bodhisatta, overcome physically by pain and suffering, fell down in exhaustion and lay still. When the deities saw him lying prone, they said, "The monk Gotama is dead." Other deities said, "The monk Gotama isnot yet dead, he is dying." Again other deities. said, "The monk Gotama is neither dead nor dying. He is just lying still, dwelling in the state of Arahatship." Inspite of all these painful efforts no~ higher knowledge was gained.

EXTREME AUSTERITY OF FASTING

So it occured to him:-"What if I strive still harder entirely abstaining from food." Knowing his thoughts, the deities said, "Please, Lord Gotama, do not entirely abstain from food; if you do so, we shall instill heavenly nourishment through the pores of your skin