..续本文上一页e third part of Dhamma: paññā, wisdom, insight, purification of the mind at the deepest level. We have a vast canvas with the spectrum of the entire Indian spirituality and we see so many teachers announcing the same thing: “Come out of craving, come out of aversion. Don”t indulge in craving and aversion towards sensual objects.” But when we go deeper in this subject, we find that the Buddha”s contribution was unique. No other teacher could reach the depth that the Buddha reached. The path he showed takes everyone to that depth.

　　The Universal Appeal of the Buddha Dhamma : A Personal Experience - II

　　- by S. N. Goenka

　　(The following is the concluding part of the lecture given by Goenkaji at the Fourth World Buddhist Summit, Yangon, Myanmar on 10 December 2004. It has been adapted for the Newsletter.)

　　One can purify the mind at the surface level. One can even purify the mind at a little deeper level. But the way to purify the mind at the deepest level, at the root level, was missing. The Buddha discovered how to eradicate all the anusaya kilesas (latent mental impurities). The roots of these impurities have to be taken out. So long as these kilesas are there, as explained in the Chain of Conditioned Arising (paṭiccasamuppāda), craving (taṇhā), clinging (upādāna) and the process of becoming (bhava) follow. One keeps on rolling in misery; one cannot come out of misery. One may keep on taking births in very high celestial or brahmic planes. Still, one is living in the field of suffering.

　　The anusaya kilesas are the seeds of bhava. They give rise to one bhava after another, one bhava after another. One does not come out of misery as long as the anusaya kilesas are not eradicated.

　　The Buddha said that Dhamma is paripuṇṇaṃ. Nothing else needs to be added. The entire Dhamma is included in it. Nothing is missing. In these three-”sīla, samādhi and paññā-”nothing is missing. Dhamma is parisuddhaṃ-”so pure that nothing needs to be removed. Nothing needs to be taken out and nothing else needs to be added. It is complete and pure-”kevalaparipuṇṇaṃ parisuddhaṃ.

　　Now we see that Vipassana, this technique of the Buddha, has travelled round the world. Intellectuals, scientists, engineers, doctors, psychiatrists-”all have learnt it and benefited from it. People from different sects come to these courses: Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jains, Jews, Parsis, Sikhs, and Buddhists. Even people from communities that have been traditionally opposed to the Buddha, when they come to Vipassana courses, find it acceptable.

　　This is the beauty of the Buddha”s teaching. It is so simple, pragmatic, universal, and acceptable to all. One just practises sīla, samādhi and paññā. Enough. It is so pure that nothing needs to be taken out. Nobody can point out anything wrong in sīla. Nobody can point out anything wrong in samādhi. Nobody can point out anything wrong in paññā.

　　The essence of the Buddha”s teaching-”sīla, samādhi and paññā-”is acceptable to all. This is because all religions have an inner core, an inner essence that focuses on the purification of mind. All religions also have an outer shell that is concerned more with appearances, festivals, rites, and rituals. So long as one gives importance to the inner essence, it doesn”t matter if the outer shell differs from one religion to another. However, when the outer shell is given all importance, the inner core is lost and a religion fails to bring peace and harmony. The Buddha”s teaching helps to live according to the inner essence. It gives benefits here and now.

　　I benefited so much from the practice of Vipassana that I started reading the words of the Buddha as per my tea…

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