The-Universal Appeal of the Buddha Dhamma A Personal Experience

Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammāsambuddhassa!
[Excerpts from a lecture Goenkaji gave at the “Fourth World Buddhist Summit”, Yangon, Myanmar December 9 to 11 2004. Two more parts of this lecture will be published in the upcoming newsletters. The original texts have been published in the book “Pilgrimage to the Sacred Land of Dhamma,” VRI 2009.]
Most Venerable Saṅgha and Dhamma friends:

Let me first thank the organizers of this conference for kindly inviting me. I would also like to congratulate the organizers for choosing Myanmar as the host for the Fourth World Buddhist Summit that aims at uniting the followers of the Buddha in order to spread the peaceful message all over the world. We unite and make a collective effort not to dominate the world, not to exploit the world, not to boast the supremacy of one religion over another but to help in a great conversion of humanity—conversion from bondage to liberation, from cruelty to compassion, from discord to concord, from misery to happiness. This is the Buddha’s way. The Buddha spread the message of peace and harmony. Emperor Asoka helped to disseminate it further in many countries. And today I am happy to see the World Buddhist Summit is working in the same direction for the benefit of many.

Apparently it seems that there are many divisions of the followers of the Buddha but the differences are superficial. All these branches follow the same basic principles of the Four Noble Truths including the Noble Eightfold Path and the Paṭiccasamuppāda, the Chain of Conditioned Arising. I am very happy that this effort is getting a new impetus in this Summit in Myanmar.

Myanmar is my motherland. I was born here. In some families as in my family it was a tradition to bury the umbilical cord in the ground of the building where one is born. My umbilical cord is buried here in the soil of Myanmar. A part of me will always remain with the soil of Myanmar. It is not my motherland just because a part of my physical being has become one with the soil of Myanmar—it is also my spiritual motherland. Myanmar gave me two births. And the second birth is more important for me because I got Dhamma here. As the bird has got two births: one birth coming out of the mother's womb, and the second birth coming out of the shell of the egg, so my mother gave me the first birth, and Sayagyi U Ba Khin gave me the second birth—I received Dhamma, broke the shell of ignorance and a new Goenka came out of it.

I remember the first time I met my teacher Sayagyi U Ba Khin. I had great attachment to my beliefs. I had many misgivings about the teaching of the Buddha. Sayagyi knew that I was a leader of the local Indian Hindu community. He asked me, “Do you Hindus have any objection to sīla—a life of morality, to samādhi—mastery over the mind and to paññā—wisdom to purify the mind?” How could I object! How could anybody object! He continued, “Well, this is what the Buddha taught. This is all I am interested in and this is all that I am going to teach you.” How can anyone have objection to sīla, samādhi and paññā? Years later when I started teaching Dhamma to those who came from diverse religious backgrounds, I used the same way as Sayagyi to explain Dhamma to them.

Sayagyi’s interpretation of Dhamma was universal and non-sectarian. He was not interested in converting me to “Buddhism”. He used to say, “For me if someone follows sīla, samādhi 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.

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 so much compassion without expecting anything in return.

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

Sabbapāpassa akaraṇaṃ, kusalassa upasampadā. Sacittapariyodapanaṃ, etaṃ buddhāna sāsanaṃ.

Etaṃ buddhāna sāsanaṃ. This is the teaching of all the Buddhas. Not just 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 the mind, keep on purifying the totality of mind. That's all. So simple, and yet so deep, so profound.

To live the life of morality is acceptable to one and all at the intellectual level: “Yes, I must live a life of morality. I accept it.”

But it is so difficult to accept at the actual level, the experiential level. The experiential level is missing and if that is missing, everything is missing. When someone becomes a Buddha. he discoveres and shows the way to totally purify the mind.

Now the first part of Dhamma, is sīla: abstain from sinful actions.

All these sīlas are quite acceptable at the logical level, at the rational level, at the intellectual level. Yet people do not lead the life of sīla. Even those who understand that: “I must live the life of sīla. Sīla is so important for me. A life of morality is so good for me, so good for others.” And yet, one does not live a moral life. Why? The Buddha understands it properly. Why? Because one has no control over the mind. One is not the master of one's own mind.

Therefore the Buddha teaches the second part of Dhamma: samādhi. The mastery over the mind. Again the Buddha’s samādhi differs from those taught by the other teachers. He teaches sammā samādhi.

All right, one has practised samādhi. One has developed the mastery over the mind. One is living a life of sīla and is not performing any unwholesome action that will disturb the peace and harmony of other beings. One has developed samādhi. But if there are impurities at the depth of the mind, anusaya kilesas (sleeping volcanoes of impurities at the deepest level of the mind), one does not know when one of these sleeping volcanoes will erupt. One will again get overpowered by the impurity and will again start living a wrong life.

The Bodhisatta Gotama realized this. He practised all the eight jhānas, lokiya-jhānas. He realized that even after perfecting these jhānas the impurities at a very deep level of the mind were still not eradicated. Unless these deep-rooted impurities are destroyed, one cannot be a liberated person. So he worked for the third part: paññā, wisdom, insight, purification of the mind at the deepest level.

One can purify one’s mind at the surface level. One can even purify one’s mind at a little deeper level. But to purify the mind at the deepest level, at the root level, this was missing. The Buddha discovered how to take out all the anusaya kilesas. The roots of impurities have to be taken out. So long as these saṅkhāras are there, as explained in paṭiccasamuppāda; taṇhā, upādāna and bhava follow—bhava after bhava. One keeps on rolling in misery, one keeps on rolling in misery. One cannot come out of misery. One may keep on taking birth in very high planes, brahmic planes, rūpa-brahmalokas, or arūpa-brahmalokas. But still one is living in the field of suffering. The anusaya kilesas are the seeds of bhava. These saṅkhāras give 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 claims that his teaching (Dhamma) is paripuṇṇaṃ. Kevalaparipuṇṇaṃ. 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.

And now we see that Vipassana, this technique of the Buddha, has travelled round the world. Intellectuals, scientists, engineers, doctors, psychiatrists — they have learnt it and experienced it. People from different sects come to these courses—Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jains, Jews, Parsis, Sikhs etc and, of course, Buddhists. Even people from communities who 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, acceptable to all. One just practises sīla, samādhi and paññā. Enough. And 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, rituals etc. 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 the importance, the inner core is lost and a religion fails to create peace and harmony. The Buddha’s teaching helps to live according to the inner essence. It gives benefits here and now.

If more and more people in the world start calling themselves Buddhists, how will they benefit? Yes, if they start practising sīla, samādhi and paññā then yes, they will surely get the best fruit of the Buddha's teaching. If one calls himself a Buddhist, but does not practise sīla, does not practise samādhi, does not practise paññā, how will one benefit from the teaching of the Buddha?

Listening to discourses or reading scriptures is very good. Kālena dhammassavanaṃ etaṃ maṅgalamuttamaṃi . And to discuss Dhamma is wonderful—kālena dhammasākacchā etaṃ maṅgalamuttamaṃii. But if one just keeps on discussing and debating, discussing and debating, and one doesn’t practise Dhamma, then it doesn't work. One has to start taking actual steps on the Path. If one doesn’t take steps on the path of Dhamma, one doesn’t get the fruits of Dhamma.

The Buddha teaches Dhamma, the law of nature, the universal law of nature, which is applicable to one and all. And he teaches it in a simple language and in lucid manner. When we don't practise it we make a philosophy out of it and we start fighting: “Your belief is wrong. My belief is all right. Your belief is wrong, my belief is correct.” What do we gain? Even if my belief is all right, very good, yet I don't practise, then what is the use of this belief?

When one practises Dhamma, one experiences oneself that the entire phenomenon is nothing but interaction of mind and matter. At the apparent level it looks so solid, so substantive, so lasting. This is paññatti; it appears to be so. The Buddha’s teaching is journey from paññatti, the apparent to paramattha, the ultimate truth. One has to go beyond the apparent to reach the ultimate truth. This is what Vipassana is—paññattiṃ ṭhapetvā visesena passatī’ti vipassanā. When one looks within, one starts to realize that everything in the field of mind and matter is impermanent (anicca). Everything keeps changing.

Whatever keeps changing cannot be a source of lasting happiness. One realizes that whatever happiness one experiences, sooner or later, turns into unhappiness. Unhappiness is inherent in transient happiness. As one continues on the path one realizes that suffering is inherent in every experience in the field of mind and matter: yaṃ kiñci vedayitaṃ taṃ dukkhasmiṃ.

As one observes the phenomenon objectively, the way the Buddha taught, one will find that there is no solidity. One’s own investigation of the mind-matter phenomenon leads to the discovery that everything is mere vibration. Sabbo pajjalito loko, sabbo loko pakampito. The entire universe is nothing but combustion and vibration, vibration. There is no lasting substance in it. One has no control over it. There is nothing that one can point out as “I” or “mine” or “my soul”

The experience of anicca at the experiential level changes saññā to anicca-saññā which naturally leads to anattā. This leads to the experience of the nibbāna.

Aniccasaññino hi, anattasaññā saṇṭhāti, anattasaññī asmimānasamugghātaṃ pāpuṇāti diṭṭheva dhamme nibbānan'ti.

Galileo discovered that the earth is round. He also discovered that the earth is rotating on its own axis. Some believed, some didn't believe. Later on people accepted it. The fact is fact. The earth was round even before Galileo. The earth was round at the time of Galileo. The earth remains round after Galileo. Newton found out that there is a law of gravity. He announced it. The law of gravity was there even before Newton, at the time of Newton, and will remain after Newton.

Similarly, the law of paṭiccasamuppāda was there—even before the Buddha or at the time of the Buddha or after the Buddha. This is the law of nature.

The Buddha said:
Uppādā vā tathāgatānaṃ anuppādā vā tathāgatānaṃ, ṭhitāva sā dhātu dhammaṭṭhitatā dhammaniyāmatā idappaccayatā.

Due to ignorance (avijjā) one does not know what is happening within the framework of nāma-rūpa, mind and matter. Every moment there is some sensation or the other, throughout the body. Wherever there is life, there is a sensation. When all these six sense doors come in contact with their respective objects: there is a vedanā, phassa-paccayā vedanā. If one does not have the ability to feel the vedanā, how can one understand vedanā-paccayā taṇhā.

The vedanā is there all the time. It arises and passes away, it arises and passes away. One keeps on reacting to it. If it is pleasant one reacts with lobha. If it is unpleasant one reacts with dosa. This is what one is doing the whole life. And one is creating more and more misery for oneself. One keeps on multiplying one’s misery, multiplying one’s misery. Look, there is a way to come out of misery. Vedanā-nirodhā taṇhā-nirodho. Taṇhā-nirodhā, upādāna nirodhā iii One reaches the stage where one transcends the field of mind and matter.

I feel very fortunate that I was born in this wonderful land, the land of Dhamma. I am very fortunate to be born in a country where the teaching of the Buddha is maintained in its pristine purity. Vipassana—how it should be practised—is maintained here in its purity.

And I feel very fortunate that I came in contact with a saintly person who taught so compassionately without expecting anything in return.

Now Vipassana is spreading round the world. Whether one is from Myanmar, from India, from another Theravada country, from a Mahayana country or from any other part of the world; the most important thing is to take actual steps on the path of Dhamma.

May all of you get the opportunity to taste pure Dhamma at the experiential level! May all of you come out of your misery! May all of you enjoy real peace, real harmony, real happiness, real happiness!

Bhavatu Sabba Mangalaṃ!

Dhamma Laddha Vipassana Centre, Ladakh

Dhamma Laddha, in Kashmir, northern India, is situated in the beautiful high-altitude desert of Ladakh (3700 mtrs), about 95 km from the district capital Leh. Dhamma Ladda (meaning 'where Dhamma is given and received') completed its first Vipassana course - a 3-day course for old students from 15th to 18th August 2013. A 10-day course was next held from August 21 to September 1, 2013. Nine female, 25 male students and four Dhamma servers participated in this course. The Ladakh Vipassana Trust (LVT) was formed in 2006, and has an office in the main market of Leh where weekly group sittings are regularly held. With extremes of temperatures (-40'C to + 35'C) in Ladakh and electricity shortages, environment-friendly innovative technologies are being used in Dhamma Laddha to maintain reasonable temperatures indoors. Construction is half-complete and progressing, but has reached a stage sufficient to enable courses to be held. All are welcome to sit and serve in Dhamma Laddha.

Assistant Manager for Dhamma Giri

A rare Dhamma service opportunity is there for a competent and experienced meditator to serve in Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri. The work involves assisting the centre manager in general administration. He will be offered a suitable honorarium. Please send your application, along with your bio-data (including details of Vipassana courses sat and served) to : The Manager, Vipassana International Academy, Dhammagiri, Igatpuri 422403, Dist. Nashik, Maharashtra. E-mail info@giri.dhamma.org

Teachers

1. Mr. M. A. Subramanian, To serve as Centre Teacher for Dhamma Setu, Chennai
2-3. Mr. Norm and Mrs. Colleen Schmitz, To serve as Centre Teachers for Dhamma Simanta, Thailand

Senior Assistant Teachers

1-2. Mr. Jeff and Mrs. Jill Glenn (JJG), To serve as Centre Teachers for Dhamma Kunja, Washington
3-4. Mr. Gregory and Mrs. Patricia Calhoun (GPC), To serve Colorado, USA
5. Mr. Frank Mettler, Igatpuri
6. Mr. Sheldon Klein, USA
7. Mr. Amy and Mrs. Rashmi Shanker, USA
8. Ms. Ginger Lightheart, USA

NEW APPOINTMENTS

Assistant Teachers

1. Mrs. Archana Sekhar, Bangaluru
2. Mr. H. Kenchappa, Bangaluru
3. Mrs. Surekha Addiga, Secunderabad
4. Mr. Harishnath Addiga, Secunderabad
5. Mr. Thakarshi Shethia, Mumbai
6. Mr. Philip Wilkins, Australia
7. Ms. Isabelle Fournier, Canada
8. Mr. Lin Deng, China
9. Mr. Jian Ping Liu, China
10. Mr. Min Xia, China
11. Mrs. Yan Liao, China

Children’s Course Teachers

1. Mr Adhish Sangani, Mumbai
2. Mr Mukesh Chaudhri, Banaskatha, Gujarat
3. Mr Kintu Gadhvi, Ahmedabad
4. Mr Ananth S., Coimbatore
5. Mr Vikram Muthu, Coimbatore
6. Mr Muthamil Vendan, Erode
7. Mr Venkatesan S R, Salem
8. Mrs Nalini R, Chennai
9. Mrs Kamini Puri, Gwalior
10. Ms Mukda Thongnaitham, Thailand
11. Ms Rewadee Kongtiem, Thailand
12. Mr Pornpaj Sansuchat, Bangkok
13. Mr LIU Xiaofeng, China
14. Mrs Li Bin, China
15. Mrs Qian Jia Rui, China
16. Mrs Song Yue, China
17. Mrs Zheng Feng Nv, China

Date	Course site	Age (years)	Registration
First Sunday	Dombivili	10-16	2 days befor Course
First Sunday	Ulhasnagar	10-16	2 days befor Course
First Sunday	Matunga	10-16	2 days befor Course
Seond Sunday	Sanpada	10-16	2 days befor Course
Seond Sunday	Andheri	10-16	2 days befor Course
Third Sunday	Ghatkopar	10-16	2 days befor Course
Fourth Sunday	Airoli	10-16	2 days befor Course
23-3	Goregaon	10-16	20 & 21-3-2014
20-4	Goregaon	10-16	17 & 18-4-2014
25-5	Goregaon	10-16	22 & 23-5-2014
15-6	Goregaon	10-16	12 & 13-6-2014
20-7	Goregaon	10-16	17 & 18-7-2014
24-8	Goregaon	10-16	21 & 22-8-2014
21-9	Goregaon	10-16	18 & 19-9-2014
19-10	Goregaon	10-16	16 & 17-10-2014
21-12	Goregaon	10-16	18 & 19-12-2014

2 Day Residential Anapana Course for Children: (age 13 to 16 Only for Boys) 31-5 to 1-6-2014, (age 13 to 16 Only for Girls) 2 to 3-6-2014 Bhiwindi: Naik Foundation Padaga village (Bhiwandi) Mumbai Nasik Highway (N.H.3) After Padaga Toll Naka, Near Pallavi Hotel, For Registration call 022-25162505 (Registration After 26th October Only)

Course Timing: 8:30 am to 2:30 pm.
Registration Timings: 11 am to 1 pm on the specified numbers and dates for each location.

Course Venues:
Goregaon: Vipassana Counselling & Research Centre, Siddharth Municipal General Hospital, Goregaon (W), Tel: 2624-2025. Dombivili: K B Vira HighSchool, Near Muncipal Office, Dombivali (E) Mob. 9930301594. Ulhasnagar: 703-A Block /1405, Gokul Nagar, Behind Netaji School, Near Mahesh Granite, Tel. 9970755130,

Matunga: Amulakh Amirchand High School, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, New SNDT College, King's Circle, Matunga (CR), Mob. 98201-50336. Sanpada: Navi Mumbai Mahanagar Palika School, Sector 5, Sanpaada. Tel: 7738649821, 9699862322, 9223300575, Andheri: Mayfair Meridian Meditation Hall, Ceaser Road, Off S.V. Road, Amboli, Near St. Blaise Church Andheri, Mob. 9820459449. 9664782244, 9699668642. Ghatkopar: SNDT School, New Building, Cama Lane, Ghatkopar (W), Opp Vidyut Society, Mumbai 400086. Tel: 25011096, 25162505. Airoli: Saraswati School, Sector 5, Airoli, Mob. 9892565765.
Please call two days in advance for registration. NB *Please bring cushion. *Please register on the specified phone numbers. If unable to attend after registration, please inform in advance. *Please arrive on time for the course.

One-Day Mega courses in Global Vipassana Pagoda for 2014;

Special one-day courses (for old students) will be held in the main; dome of the Global Vipassana Pagoda, on the following Sundays, from 11; am to 4 pm

Health permitting, Mataji will be present during these courses:

1) Sunday, May 18, 2014, to mark Buddha Purnima
2) Sunday, July 13, 2014, to mark Gratitude Day,
3) Sunday, September 28, to mark the first death anniversary of revered Principal Teacher S. N. Goenkaji. & Sharad Purnima.
Recorded discourses of Goenkaji will be played at 3 pm. Non-meditatorsare welcome to attend these discourses. Vipassana students are requested to attend these courses only after registration: (between 11 am and 5 pm) on (022) 28451170 , 33747501 - ext: 9; (022) 33747543; (022) 33747544. Online registration: www.oneday@globalpagoda.org

 

Edited and published by R. P. Yadav for VRI, Igatpuri 422 403 and printed at Akshar Chitra Press, 69, B-Road, Satpur, Nashik 422 007 15 April, 2014

Posted at Igatpuri, Dist. Nashik, Posting Day: Purnima of every month
WPP POSTAL LICENCE NUMBER – AR/TECHNO/WPP-04/2012-2014

REGISTERED NO. NSK/232/2012-2014

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Email: info@giri.dhamma.org;
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