..续本文上一页ammock hanging over there, that takes our fancy
The essence of the pure Dhamma, imparted by each Buddha, is directly drawn from each of their hearts. But do we receive it into ours
The Lord Buddha bequeathed it with his great compassion. But do we receive it with full devotion and trust
With total mind and heart
If we merely feign acceptance of the Dhamma and later come to discard it, then it will all have been worthless. It would, in fact, have gone against the Lord Buddha”s original intention.
The Lord Buddha decided to relinquish the body on the full moon of the sixth lunar month, and made the announcement to that effect on the third month”s full moon — which is today. From that moment on, the constraints and irritations of the elements and aggregates would vanish. This is the complete passing away without remainder,7 with no more concerns or obligations to any worldly condition. This is the Dhamma transcending the world. The ultimate Dhamma.
”World” is the whole gamut of suppositions and assumptions existing in this world — the three worlds are the worlds of supposition8 and change, the worlds governed by impermanence, suffering and not-self. Whatever one”s birth or state, these three marks spin that world with confusion, and no one can bar their course. But once one has got beyond them, all concerns come to an end:
"Nicchato parinibbuto": craving totally ends, mundane suppositions are gone. It is out of this Dhamma that all the truths taught by the Lord Buddha resound. If we take this Dhamma deeply to heart in our practice, then it will ”ring and roar” in our heart. At first, it will resonate in a cool, calm and peaceful condition of heart — which are the various levels of samadhi. Then, it will reverberate with wisdom in our thinking and analysis, so that we can steadily free ourselves. Finally, it will resound in the pure9 state of complete freedom. There!
"Nicchato parinibutto": craving is totally extinguished. The source of those cravings was defilement of every sort, because it is never sated or satisfied.
"Natthi ta.nhaa samaa nadii": the waters of river and ocean can”t equal the defilement-inspired craving. They perpetually engulf the hearts of sentient beings and never run out.
How can we dry up these waters
We must bail them out using the energy of the one who practices until they eventually ebb and diminish. Draining and drawing out every day, examining every day, understanding and thereby relinquishing every day. The waters will then start to seem not quite so great. They are really only as large as our aggregates, that”s all.
But for the heart that is attached to the aggregates, this is a weighty matter. The heart doesn”t bother with any piece of land, instead it comes and seizes hold right here. This is the big issue, the hot and heavy concern. This is where the defilements scorch the heart as no other fire can, endlessly turning up the heat.
We have all heard about floods. When our lungs are flooded and congested, the doctor can drain them. But when the defilements, complete with craving, engulf the heart, what are we going to use to draw them off
We can only bring in faith, energy, mindfulness and wisdom. Thus, we must probe, examine and investigate to see things clearly, as they really are. What is being clung to
About what are false assumptions being made
And why is it that the voice of Dhamma, the aid in drawing-out, is never listened to
The defilements usually try to play smart with the Buddha. They are his adversary and must always assert their cleverness against the Dhamma and contend with it. Grasping is the defilement”s line while correcting and uprooting is the way of Dhamma. Extracting defilements with wisdom is Dhamma, and transcending them and arriving at serene happiness is the N…
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