..续本文上一页hi and paññā, for all practical purposes, he or she is a Buddhist”. And if a Buddhist doesn”t practice sīla, samādhi and paññā, I feel sorry for him or her!

　　My first Vipassana course introduced me to the teachings of the Buddha and transformed my life forever. His logical, practical, pragmatic, universal and non-sectarian teaching pulled me like a magnet. There was nothing objectionable in it. I had been hearing about and talking about the eradication of defilements and purification of mind. When I started observing sensations, initially there were moments of doubt, “How is this going to help me

　　” But very soon I realised that by observing sensations, I am working at the root of the problem. I was actually walking towards the goal of full liberation. Whatever Sayagyi taught me was not merely to develop devotion or to satisfy the intellect though both are important. He taught me the way to know the truth at the experiential level. What convinced me and gave me results here and now was the experience of the truth through bodily sensations. The Buddha”s teaching is akāliko.

　　I feel very fortunate that I was born in this land of Dhamma. I feel very fortunate that I came in contact with Sayagyi U Ba Khin. Here was a person who had the technique in its pristine purity. Sayagyi was a saintly person who taught with great compassion without expecting anything in return.

　　Now the same teaching is attracting people from all over the world. Vipasssana courses have been held in about 70 countries and people from more than 130 countries have participated in the courses. Why are people from all over the world getting attracted to the Buddha Dhamma

　　The teaching of the Enlightened One is so simple and yet so deep. He has explained his teachings in a few words:

　　Sabbapāpassa akaraṇaṃ, kusalassa upasampadā;

　　Sacittapariyodapanaṃ,etaṃ buddhāna sāsanaṃ.

　　(Dīgha Nikāya, II, Mahāpadānasutta)

　　Etaṃ buddhāna sāsanaṃ. This is the teaching of all the Buddhas, not just that of Gotama the Buddha. Everyone who becomes the Buddha will teach nothing but only these three: sabbapāpassa akaraṇaṃ — abstain from all unwholesome actions, evil actions, sinful actions; kusalassa upasampadā — perform wholesome actions, pious actions; and sacittapariyodapanaṃ — keep on purifying your mind, keep on purifying the totality of your mind. That”s all. So simple and yet so deep, so profound.

　　At the surface level it looks so simple. Any religion worth the name will say: “Abstain from sinful action.” Every religion will say that. “Perform good actions.” Every religion will say that. “Purify your mind.” Every religion will say that. Then what was unique about the Buddha

　　 Let us understand.

　　If it was just a question of giving sermons, then the Buddha stands on the same level as other religious teachers. But the Buddha does not merely give sermons. He gives us a way, a technique, a practice by which one can actualise those sermons to enable one to live the life of Dhamma.

　　To live the life of morality is acceptable by one and all at the intellectual level: “Yes, I must live a life of morality. I accept it.” Or one accepts it at the devotional level because the Buddha said so or the founder of this religion or that religion says so and: “I am from that particular sect, from that particular religion, from that particular tradition. Therefore, I must live a life of morality.” One accepts this at the devotional level. One accepts this at the intellectual level. “I must perform wholesome actions, good actions. I must purify my mind.”

　　But it is so difficult to accept it at the actual level, the experiential level. The experiential level is missing and if that is missing, everything is mi…

《The Universal Appeal of the Buddha Dhamma: A Personal Experience》全文未完，请进入下页继续阅读…