The Great Discourse on the Wheel of Dhamma

Part II

THE WHEEL OF DHAMMA

PART II

(Delivered on the 6th Waxing of Thadingyut, 1324, B.E)

This discourse was delivered by us beginning on the New Moon of Tawthalin. The introduction the Discourse had taken most of our time there. We could deal only with the opening lines of the Sutta. Today we will pick up the thread from there.

"Dve me. Bhikkhave anté pabba jitena na sevitabba.

"Bhikkhus, one who has gone forth from the worldly life should not mdulge in these two extreme parts (things, practices) which will be presently explained.

And why shouldn't he indulge in these" Because the main purpose of one who has gone forth from the worldly life is to nd himself of such defilements as lust and anger. This objective could not be achieved by indulging in the two extreme things, for they will ‘only tend to promote further accumulations of lust and anger.

What are the two extreme things (parts, practices)? Delighting in desirable sense-objects, pursuing and enjoying sensuous plesasures constitute one extreme practice. This practice.is low, vulgar, being the habit of village and town folks, indulged in by ordinary common worldlings, not pursued by the Noble Ones, ignoble, unclean, not tending to the true mterests one is seeking after. Such pursuit after sensuous pleasures is an extreme (part) practice which should be avoided.

There are five kinds of desirable sense-objects: namely pleasurable sight, sound, smell, taste and touch; in brief all the material objects, animate or inanimate, enjoyed by people in the world.

Delightig in a seemingly pleasurable sight and enjoying it consitute practice and pursuit of sensuality. Here the sense-object of sight means not merely a source of light or colour that comes into

contact with the seeing eye, but the man or woman or the whole of the object that forms the source or origin of that sight. Similarly all sources of sound, smell, and touch whether man, woman or instrumental objects constitute snesuous objects. As regards taste, not only the various foods, fruits and delicacies but also men, women and people who prepare and serve them are d classified as objects of taste. Listening to a pleasant sound, smelling a sweet fragrant smell are as sensuous as enjoyment of good, delicious food, the luxury or a comfortable bed or physical contact with opposite sex.

SENSUOUS GRATIFICATION IS BASE AND VULGAR

Delighting in sensuous pleasures and relishing them is to be regarded as a vulgar practice because such enjoyments lead to formation of base desires, which are clinging and lustful. It tends to promote self-conceit, with the thought that no one else is m a position to enjoy such pleasures. At the same time one becomes oppressed with thoughts of avarice, not wishing to share the good fortune with others or overcome by thoughts of jealousy, envy, anxious to deny similar pleasures to others.

It arouses ill-will towards those who are thought to be opposed to oneself. Flushed with success and affluence, one becomes shameless and unscrupulous, bold and reckless in one's behaviour, no longer afraid to do evils. One begins to deceive oneself, with false impression (maha) of well-being and prosperity. The new informed worldling (puthujana) may also come to hold the wrong view of living soul or ‘atta’ to entertain disbelief in the resultant effects of one’s own actions, Kamma. Such being the outcome of delighting in, and relishing of, sensuous pleasures, they are to be regarded as low and base.

Further more, indulgence in sensual pleasures 1s the habitual practice of Tower farms of creatures such as animals, petas, etc. The Bhikkhus and Samanas, belonging to the higher stages of existences should not stoop low to vie with the lower forms of life in the should not stoop low to wie wi vulgar practrice of base sensuality.

Pursuit after sensuous pleasures does not lie within the province of one who has gone forth from the worldly life. It is the concem of the town and village folks, who regard sensual pleasures as the highest attributes of bliss; the greater the pleasures, the greater the happiness. In ancient times, rulers and rich people engaged themselves in the pursuit of sensual pleasures. Wars were waged, and violent conquests made, all for the gratification of sense-desire.

In modem times too, similar conquests are still being made, in some areas, for the same objectives. But it is not only the rulers and the nch who seek sensual pleasures; the poor are also arduous in the pursuit of worldly goods and pleasures. As a matter of fact, as soon as adolescence is reached, the instinct for mating and sexual gratification makes itself felt. For the worldly householder veiled from the Buddha Dhamma, gratification of sense desires appears to be indeed the acme of happiness and bliss.

DITTHADHAMMA NIBBANA VADA

Even before the time of the Buddha, there were people who held the belief that heavenly bliss could be enjoyed in this very life. (Ditthadhamma Nibbana Vada.) According to them, sensual pleasure was indeed blissful; there was nothing to surpass it. And that pleasure was to be enjoyed in this very life. It would be foolish to let precious moments for enjoyment pass, waiting for bliss in future life, which does not exist. The time for full gratification of sensual pleasure is now, this very life. Such is the Ditthadhamma Nibbana Vada- Heavenly bliss in this very life. This is one of the 62 wrong views (Micchaditthi) expounded by the Buddha in the Brahmaiala Sutta of Silakkhanda in the Digha Nikaya.

Thus enjoyment of sensual pleasure is the preoccupating of town and village people, not the concem of the recluses and Bhikkhus. For them to go after sense desire would mean reverting back to the worldly life which they have renounced. People show great reverence to them believing they are leading a holy life. undisturbed by worldly distraction or allurements of opposite sex

People make the best offer of food and clothing to the recluses, denying these to themselves, often at the sacrifice of the needs of their dear ones and their family. It would be most improper for the Bhikkhus to seek worldly pleasures just like the householders, . while living on the charity of the people.

In addition, Bhikkhus renounce the world with a vow to work for release from the sufferings inherent in the rounds of rebirth and for the realization of Nibbana. It is obvious that these noble ideals cannot be attained by the Bhikkhus if they go after sensual pleasures in the manner of householders. Thus one who has gone forth from the worldly life should not indulge in delightful sensuous pleasures.

A LOW, COMMON PRACTICE

Majority of people in the world are ordinary common folk engaged only in seeking the means of living and enjoying sensuous pleasures. There are only a few, who can rise above the common crowd, who can see the Dhamma and live a holy life. It is not for them to indulge in coarse, worldly pleasures, which is the main concem of the lower class of beings.

NOT THE PRACTICE OF THE NOBLE ONES

Fnjoyment of worldly pleasures is not the practice of the \oble Ones (Anyas). One may ask here why the Ariyas like Visakha, Anathapindika and the Sakka, the king “of the celestial beings. who had already reached the first stage of the Noble Life (sotapanna) engaged themselves in persuit of sensuous pleasures. In Sotapannas,° lust and passions are not yet overcome; there still lmgers in them the incipient perception of agreeableness of camal pleasures (Sukha sannd). This pomt is illustrated in Anguttara by the example of a person who is fastidious in the habits of cleanliness, seeking shelter m a filthy place filled with excrement to avoid attack by an elephant in must.

This defiling, coarse habit being ignoble and unclean should be avoided by recluses and Bhikkhus.

NOT TENDING TO ONE'S WELFARE (ANATTA SAMHITO)

This practice does not tend to one's own welfare or well being. In the common popular view, making money and accumulating wealth, establishing a family life with retinues and a circle of friends, in short, striving for success and prosperity in this world, appears indeed to be working for one's own Welfare.

Actually however, such worldly success and prosperity do, not amount to one’s own well being. One's true interest lies in seeking ways of overcoming old age, disease and death and attaining release from all forms of suffermg. The only way to escape from all: forms of suffering is through development of morality (sila), mental--concentration (samadhi) and Insight, wisdom (panna) Onlv these, namely, sila, samadha and wisdom are to be sought for in the true interest of oneself.

Pursuit of sensual pleasures cannot lead to the conquest of old age, disease, death or all forms of suffering. It only tends to breach of morality codes, such as noncommitment of illegal sexual conduct. Seeking worldly amenities through killing, theft or deceit also amounts to violation of moral precepts. Not to speak of physical actions, mere thought of enjoyment of sensual pleasures. prohibits development of mental concentration and wisdom and thus forms a hindrance to the realization of Nibbana, cessation of all sufferings.

Failure to observe moral precepts is a sure step to the four nether worlds of intense suffering. It~is to be noted, however, that maintenance of moral character alone without simultaneous development of samadhi and pannd will not lead to Nibbana. It only encourages rebirth repeatedly in happier existences, where, however, manifold sufferings such as old age, disease and death are still encountered again and again.

Recluses and Bhikkhus, having renounced the world, with the avowed purpose of achieving Nibbana, where all sufferings cease, should have nothing to do with pursuits of sensuous pleasures, that only obstruct development of sila, sam@dhi and panna.

To recapitulate, enjoyment of sensuous pleasures is low, vulger being the preoccupation of common people of low intelligence, unclean, ignoble, not practised by the Noble Ones. It is detrimental to’ progress in sila, samadhi and pannd and thus works against the true interest of those intent on . achievement of the unaged, undeceased, the deathless - the Nibbana.

MAY HOUSEHOLDERS INDULGE IN SENSUOUS PLEASURES?

The text only says that "one who has gone forth from the worldly life should not indulge in sensuous pleasures." The question, therefore, arises whether ordinary householders who remain amidst the worldly surroundings could freely pursue sensuous pleasures without any restraint. Since the gratification of sense desires is the preoccupation of common people, it would be pointless to enjoin than from doing so. But the householder intent on practising the Noble Dhamma, should advisedly avoid these pleasures to the extent necessary for the practice. Observance of the five precepts requires abstaining from commitment of sins of the flesh. Likewise, - possession of worldly goods should not be sought through killing, theft or deceit.

FOUR KINDS OF INDULGENCE IN WORLDLY ENJOYMENTS

In Pasadika Sutta of Pathika Vagga, Digha Nikaya, Buddha had stated four kinds of indulgence in worldly enjoyments.

"Sunda, in this world there are some foolish, ignorant people who promote their own enrichment by the slaughter of animals ... Cattle, pigs, chicken, fish. This practice constitutes the first form of indulgence in worldly enjoyments.

Theft, dacoity and robbery constitute the second form of indulgence in worldly enjoyment while deceitful means of eaming one's livelihood constitute the third. The fourth form of indulgence embraces other means beside these three, by which worldly wealth is gamed.

The Sutta stated that Buddha's disciples, Bhikkhus, were free from these indulgences. Lay people in observing the eight precepts and ten precepts have to maintain chastity and abstain from partaking of food after midday, dancing and singing, all these being forms of sensuous pleasure.

When one is engaged in meditation practices, one has to for go all kinds of sensuous enjoyments just like the Bhikkhus who have gone forth from the worldly life because they tend to hinder the develpoment of sila, samadhi and panna. A meditator, even if he is a layman, must not, therefore, indulge in worldly enjoyments.

This should suffice regarding one form of extreme practice, namely, indulgence in worldly enjoyments.

PRACTICE OF SELF-MORTIFICATION

Practice of self-mortification, which forms the other extreme practice results only. in self-torture and suffermg. It is not the practice of the Noble Ones, hence ignoble, unclean and does not tend to one's own welfare and interest. This extreme practice should also be avoided.

Self-mortification which leads only to suffering was practised by those who held the belief that luxurious living would cause attachment to sensual pleasures, and that only austerity practices denying oneself, sense-objects such as food and clothing would remove the sense-edesires. Then only the eternal peace, the state of the unaged, undiseased, the deathless could be achieved. Such was the belief of those who practised self-mortification.

METHODS OF SELF-MORTIFICATION

Good Bhikkhus cover themselves with robes, and clothings for decency and to shield themselves from heat and cold, from insects, flies and mosquitoes. But self-mortifiers go about without any clothing; when the weather is cold, they immerse themselves under water; when hot, they expose themselves to the sun, standing amidst four fire-places, thus subjecting themselve, to heat from five

directions. This is known as five-fold penances by heat.

They have no use for regular beds, lying on the naked ground for resting. Some of them resort to lying on prickly thoms covered only by asheet 6f clothing. There are some who remain in a sitting posture for days, while others keep to standing only, neither lying nor sitting down. A form of self-infliction 1s to lie hanging down, suspended from a tree branch by two legs; to stand straight on one's head in a topsy-turvy posture is yet another.

Whereas it is the normal habit of good Bhikkhus to assuage hunger by partaking of food, some self-tormentors completely cut off food and water. There are some who eat on altemate days only, while others eat once in two days, three days etc. Some practitioners abstain from food for 4 days, 5 days, 6 days, 7 days; some even for 15 days on end. Some reduce their meal to just one handful of food, while others live on nothing but green vegetables and grass or on cow excrement.

(In Lomahamsa Sutta, Ekanipata Commentary, it is stated that the Bodhisatta himself followed these practices in one of his existences, 91 world-cycles, ago. He realized his mistakes when he saw signs of furture miserable life as death approached. By abandoning the wrong practices he managed to attam the deva world.)

All such self-imposed penances constitute self-mortification. (Attakilamathanuyoga). These practices were followed by Niganda Nataputta sects long before the time of the Buddha.

The present day Jains are the descendents of the Niganda Nataputta. Their practice of self-mortification was commonly acclaimed and well-thought of by the multitude in those days. Hence wh~ the Bodhisatta gave up austerity practices and resumed partaking of normal meals, his intimate colleagues, the group of five Bhikkhus for-sook him, misjudging that the Bodhisatta had given up the right practice, nght exertion, (padhdnavibbhanta) and that he would. not attain Enlightenment.