Significance of Vap Full Moon Poya

Significance of Vap Full Moon Poya

by Premasara Epasinghe

The rainy season commenced three months ago with Esala – ‘Vassana Kalo’. It comes to an end with the Vap Poya. The ‘Katina’ season ushers in the Buddhist calendar with Vap, which is popularly known as ‘Cheevara Masaya’.

This year, Vap Full Moon Poya falls on Saturday, October 3 (today).

Vap Poya marks the offering of the ‘Katina Cheevara’ or new robes to Buddhist monks, who observed ‘Vas’ – Rainy Retreat, beginning from Esala to Vap.

‘Katina’ – ‘Cheevara Pooja’, the noble meritorious deed is considered the most sacred wholesome act a Buddhist can perform. It is known as the Great Eight Merits or ‘Ata Kusal’. The word ‘Katina’ means unbreakable. It is believed that those who participate in ‘Katina’ religious activities obtain much merit and they live a happy life in this world as well as in the other world once they depart.

It was on Vap Full Moon Poya Day that the Buddha visited the heavenly abode of Tavatimsa. In this heavenly abode, He preached ‘Abidhamma’ to the Devas of that celestial plane, which resulted in the elevation of ‘Matru Deva’ (Mother Diety) to attain ‘Sotapanna’ and 80 crores of Devas to various stages of Sainthood. Eventually, He terminated his retreat in order to descend to the city gate of Sankassapura. He informed Arahat Moggallana about his arrival. Moggallana had paid him a visit seven days before.

Vap Poya is of great significance for yet another reason. Throughout our cherished history, Buddhists have celebrated Vap on a grand scale. Temples in Sri Lanka will be filled to capacity. They will be involved in ‘Dana’, ‘Seela’, ‘Bhavana’ and thereby they accumulate merit.

Buddhist history reveals another important landmark which is connected to Vap Full Moon Poya Day; for it was on such a day that the future Buddha, Maitriya Bodhisatva, entered the order with a retinue of 500 followers.

Furthermore, Vap Poya paved the way for the arrival of Sangamitta Theri. The advent of Buddhism took place with the advent of ‘Dhammarajassa Savaka’ Arahat Mahinda Thera. King Devanampiyatissa’s sister-in-law Anula, was very keen to enter the Order of Bhikkunis. Therefore, the King made a request to Emperor Asoka to send Sanghamitta Theri.

It is clear as crystal that Sri Lanka and India had a very cordial diplomatic relationship, even at that time. It was on Vap Poya Full Moon Day that Devanampiyatissa sent Minister Maha Aritta, a close relation of Devanampiyatissa to India, for this mission. This resulted in the arrival of Sangamitta during Unduvap Poya, which is in the month of December. It records the establishment of a ‘Bhikkuni Sasanaya’ in Sri Lanka. Sangamitta brought a Bo–Sapling from the Jayasri Maha Bodhiya to Sri Lanka.

The Great King Devanapiyatissa, who propagated Buddhism, questioned Arahat Mahinda whether Buddhism was firmly rooted in Sri Lanka. Arahat Mahinda stated; "Dear King, until such time a person born and bred in Sri Lanka enters the order, holds a ‘Dhamma Sangayanawa’ and after a complete and thorough study of ‘Vinaya’ rules relating to Dhamma, then only will Buddhism be firmly established throughout Sri Lanka."

According to chronicles, this was fulfilled by Minister Aritta, who entered the order. Therefore, the establishment of Buddhism on a firm footing took place on Vap Full Moon Poya Day.

On this Vap Poya Day, Let us follow firmly the five precepts (Pancha Seela), abstain from destroying living beings, abstain from taking things not given, abstain from sexual misconduct, abstain from false speech and abstain from taking anything that causes intoxication.

May the blessings of the Noble Triple Gem and the protection of the devas be with you!

Island.lk

SAVE THE CHILDREN FROM SUICIDE

SAVE THE CHILDREN FROM SUICIDE

By Shalika Ranaweera

The future of this country are the school children and their well being is very important to the society. Some incidents taking place in the schools already shows a bad signal and our school children are not really in a position to handle some of the problems on their own.

It is a pathetic situation that the students see the best option available as committing suicide for small issues.

To get the opinion regarding this situation the Daily Mirror contacted some professionals in the field of education yesterday.

Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana

Dhanapala Wijesinghe, Senior Lecturer, Department of Sociology, University of Sri Jayawardanepura

The socialization of children is the main reason for this problem. Socialization is the way how we train a child to behave in an accepted manner in society and direct them to a good life style.

It is a life long process and through the socialization we develop the personality. Socialization trains the people to integrate with society. Integration is an important fact because it is the pathway to learn how to live in society and adopt the conditions prevailing in society.

There are different levels of integration. If the student’s level of integration is low he or she would not interact properly in society and try to lead a solitary life. They prefer being alone than in a company.

If the level of integration is high they tend to lead highly committed social lives abiding by norms and customs. High levels of integration help them to build their personalities and they are capable of sharing their good and bad. As they have enough people around them they have the chance of sharing all their problems. Even before taking a critical decision like committing suicide they would discuss their problems with friends.

But solitary confined children take unto themselves and develop an egoism. To avoid this type of incidents, parents must develop a strong relationship with their children. Weak integration reflects the weakness prevailing within the family.

Family should be one entity and share everything within the family. Then children develop confidence in their parents and they would divulge all their problems to the parents. Other than this the idea of freedom has been misused in society. Earlier in our traditional society parents had a control over the children and allowed them certain freedom. Society had been able to make an impact on the children’s behaviour as well.

But the Western concept on freedom is controversial to this. Children are given much more freedom and parents think that they should not intervene into children’s problem.

I personally believe that the parents should be more inquisitive and look into what their children are up to. If not, the children would enjoy their freedom in a wrong manner.

It is a fact that the weaker integration with the family and society would persuade them to make their own decisions. Their solitary life would lead to several psychological problems and breaks the psychological equilibrium. That also disturbs the tolerance levels of the students.

When it escalates into higher level, students tend to get various ideas. Some retrieve, some commit suicide, that depends on the level of experience they have received.

To solve these type of problems, the best option is that we as adults should not allow children to become solitary in their lives. Parents must be watchful about their children’s behaviour and should be aware of their associates.

Parents and teachers should observe the children carefully and assist them to solve their problems in an appropriate way. There should not be any secrets in the family and the children would not fear to come up with their problems.

A highly integrated child would never commit suicide because when he/she takes the decision all the relationships, loving and affectionate people in the child’s surrounding would come to their mind. That would definitely avoid those hasty decisions taken by them.

Deputy Principal, Royal College, Colombo

Students took those hasty decisions because they did not have the strength to solve their own problems.

The media is responsible for the repetition of these incidents. They highlight those incidents and figures as if those who committed suicide are heroines. That sets a bad example for those weaker students. Sometimes the TV channels narrate the story while performing suicide. But it is not the proper thing that they should do. Media must correct the wrong in it.

Teachers are there to correct students and they should point out their mistakes.

All students do not have the same capability to bear problems. That might be due to the way they were brought up in the family. Any way the schools are there to leverage those shortcomings.

At the same time parents should be helpful in solving the problems of the children and they must not exert pressure on them. Parents must not try to achieve what they could not through their children.

Through counselling there is a possibility of solving the student’s problem. Parents should develop a friendly environment at home as well.

Ajith Liyanage – Businessman

Now both the students and the parents are busy and they live in their own world. Earlier the situation in our families was different and the parents had enough time to listen to their children. Parents were willing to sacrifice anything for the sake of their children. Now the children live away from their parents and they see each other rarely. So the child has no way of sharing their problems with the parents, thereby the children are isolated in their own world and there is nobody to direct them in the correct path.

Chaminda Dandeniya – A graduate

Now the society is more complicated and the students have more exposure to the world, they have to spend more time out of the family in a tuition class or in a boarding house, thereby the students build up unnecessary relationships that puts them in the wrong path.

Vindya Wickramanayake – Teacher

Students are weak in their thinking and they should develop their advance thinking. They should share their problems with the parents. It is definite that the school supports us in building our personality but the most important fact is family bond between parents and children. If that bond is high children would have courage to solve the problems in a better way.

Roshini Perera – Audit Trainee

Students must develop good relationship with their families. Now the competition is high and students have no time to communicate with their parents. The parents are also busy and they let their children grow in their own way, thereby parents do not know the friends of their children and this leads to many of these problems.

Mayasiri Dias – Driver

These incidents occurred due to the inborn weakness of the students.

They are not in a position to think far and get their own decisions correctly. These types of incidents are common in the city.

In rural areas the family bond is high and children do not take decisions haphazardly.

Dailymirror.lk

Mind and Brain

Mind and Brain

Andrew OLENDZKI

There are generally two approaches to understanding the relationship between the mind and the brain. By mind we mean the subjective side of things, the full range of lived experience, both conscious and unconscious, including such things as thought, cognition, memory, desire, emotional states, and even perhaps the sense of transcendence.

By brain we refer to the objective side, the physical stuff between our ears, with its complex architecture of inter-related neurons and the electro-chemical processes activating and connecting them.

One approach regards the two as basically identical. In this view all subjective experience not only depends upon but also consists of brain activity, and when we have fully mapped out the functions of the brain we will have explained the mind.

The other approach considers the mind to be much more than the brain, extending far beyond the merely physical in both scope and capability in ways that the current scientific models either have not yet conceived or a just beginning to glimpse.

In this view there are of course parallels between brain activity and subjective states, but the one does not entirely explain the other. Traditionally (both east and west) this non-physical perspective on consciousness that are outside the matrix of physical cause and effect.

This view has been steadily retreating before the advances of neuroscience, but recent iterations of it are looking to the new physics for ways of articulating a deeper and more fundamental relationship between mind and matter than formerly imagined.

In Buddhist terms the question comes down to whether all consciousness is conditioned, as the consciousness of the grasping aggregates surely is, or whether consciousness might also be conceived in larger, even unconditioned, terms.

Such is the case in some of the later forms of Buddhism, like the Mahayana and Vajrayana, but there are many in the Theravada who see it this ways as well. The issue turns on how we construe the word “unconditioned” (asankkhata), which is regularly employed as a synonym for nibbana.

If everything is conditioned and nibbana is the one state that is unconditioned, then surely awakening consists of at least glimpsing if not deeply experiencing a form of consciousness well beyond conditioned phenomena and thus beyond the mere brain.

On the other hand, the term “unconditioned” is most plainly defined only as the absence of greed, hatred, and delusion (as in the Asankhata Samyutta, 343), consciousness is specifically declared to be conditioned (Majjhima 38) and nowhere, at least in the Pali texts, do we find the (oxymoronic) phrase “unconditioned consciousness.”

Either some are making too much of consciousness, or others are making too little of it. As I understand the early teachings, the Buddha was trying to steer us to a middle way of approaching this issue, a way between what he called eternalism and annihilationism.

It is tempting, both in ancient and contemporary tradition, to essentilize consciousness or ascribe to it a status well beyond “that which appears” in experience when a sense object or a mental object is cognized by means of its corresponding organ.

http://www.dailynews.lk

Significance of Katina

Significance of Katina

Premasara Epasinghe

The rainy season commenced three months ago with Esala - “Vassana Kalo”. It comes to an end, with the Vap Poya. Katina season ushers in the Buddhist Calendar with Vap, which is popularly known as Cheevara Masaya.

Vap poya marks the offering of the Katina Cheevara or new robes to Buddhist monks, who observed “Vas” - Rainy Retreat, beginning from Esala to Vap.

Meritorious deed

Katina - Cheevara Pooja, the noble meritorious deed is considered as the most sacred wholesome act a Buddhist can perform. It is known as the ‘Great Eight Merits or Ata - Kusal. The word Katina means unbreakable. It is believed that those who participate in Katina Religious Activities obtain much merit and they live a happy life in this world as well as in the other world once you depart.

It was on Vap Full Moon Poya Day the Buddha visited the heavenly abode of TAVATIMSA. He spend seventh rainy season since HIS enlightenment. In this heavenly abode He preached Abidhamma to the Devas of that celestial plane, which resulted in the elevation of Matru Deva (Mother Deity) to the attain Sotapanna and Eighty crores of Devas to various stage of Sainthood. Eventually, HE terminated his retreat in order to descend near the city gate of Sankassapura. He informed his arrival through Arahat Moggallana who paid him visit seven days before.

Grand scale

Vap poya is of great significance for yet another reason. Throughout in our cherished history, Buddhist celebrated Vap in a grand scale. Temples in Sri Lanka will be filled to the capacity. They are involved in Dana, Seela, Bhavana and thereby they accumulate Merit.

Buddhist history reveals another important landmark which was woven with Vap Full Moon Poya Day.

This sacred event occurred during the following month, November - IL. The future Buddha, Maitriya Bodhisatva, entered the order with a retinue of 500 followers on the Vap Full Moon Poya Day.

Order of Bhikkunis

Further, Vap, Poya paved way for the arrival of Sangamitta Theri. The advent of Buddhism, took place with advent of. “Dhammarajassa Savaka” Arahat Mahinda Thera.

King Devanampiyatissa’s sister in law Anula, was very keen to enter the Order of Bhikkunis. Therefore The King made a request to Emperor Asoka to send Sanghamitta Theri.

It is clear as crystal, Sri Lanka and India had very cordial friendly Diplomatic Relationships, even at that time.

It was on Vap Poya Full Moon Day Devanampiyatissa, send Minister Maha Aritta, a close relation of the Devanampiyatissa to India, for this mission.

This resulted in the arrival of Sangamitta during the Unduvap Poya which fell on the month of December.

It records the establishment of Bhikkuni Sasanaya in Sri Lanka. Sangamittas brought a token of gift the Bo - Sapling of Jayasri Maha Bodhiya to Sri Lanka.

Buddhism questioned

The Great King Devanapiyatissa who propagated Buddhism questioned Arahat Mahinda whether Buddhism firmly rooted in Sri Lanka.

Arahat Mahinda stated “Dear King, until such time a person born and bred in Sri Lanka enter the order, holds a Dhamma Sangayanawa, and after complete a thorough study of Vinaya Rules relating to Dhamma, then only Buddhism will be firmly established throughout Sri Lanka”.

According to chronicles, this was fulfilled by Minister Aritta, who entered the order. Therefore, the establishment of Buddhism on a solid firm footing took place on Vap Full Moon Poya Day.

Buddhism is a plan for living in such a way as to derive higher benefit from Life. It is a religion of wisdom, where knowledge and intelligence predominate. The Buddha did not preach to win converts but to enlighten listners.

http://www.dailynews.lk/

Solace in wilderness > Buddhist prose

Buddhist prose:

Solace in wilderness

Sachitra Mahendra

Siddhartha was about to give it up. It was sore in every way.

Wilderness was dark, yet he could hear and feel rustle of soft leaves. He looked up to watch clouds leaving the moon alone. Moon was skeletal a tad with a few days and nights to reach its ripe plane.

He had to look downcast in an instant, because what pierced through his neck and eyes was painful. His body was aching all over. He shifted body on terrain, a bed of leaves, and leaves of course gave out a little shriek as if it hurt them a lot. Ruins of these woods fitted Siddhartha enough, only if he could get wise to right muse.

He knew he could touch his spines from the front, he dared not. He was feeble, he dared not to contemplate on it. He has been with this tough mission now for six odd years.

It is but a chain in retrospect: renunciation, encounter with teachers Alara Kalama and Uddaka Rama Putta, outsmart them, penance and Siddhartha is now an ascetic through with absolutely nothing, save disappointment caked all over his face.

Is truth something that cannot be dug out? Or is there a thing called truth that exists actually?

Siddhartha rested his back against the tree. He set eyes on his mind's reel. His princely life at the palace. Soft-spoken father Suddhodana, seven days of infancy with mother Maha Maya, tender stepmother Prajapathi Gothami, caring wife Yasodhara, stubborn cousin Devadatta and friends faded in and out. He did not regret leaving them behind, that happiness would not last. But memories kept on stirring Siddhartha's peaceful mind.

A moment passed on. The rustle of soft leaves ceased inch by inch. It was uneventful, Siddhartha did not notice as yet - until the dark crept away too.

Siddhartha has never seen such a stony footpath before. It was dazzlingly lit, soothing Siddhartha's strained eyes. He could see a figure walk that footpath. Is it a hallucination, or just an offshoot of a tired mind, Siddhartha was at a loss.

That figure turned out to be a heavenly spirit. Her face betrayed her middle-age, but it was adorned with splendid features. She got closer and placed her divine hand on his head.

Maha Maya spoke up. Siddhartha closed his eyes to concentrate.

"Siddhartha my son. I fought many a time in this cycle of births to own the womb that bears the greatest being of this eon.

"I ached many a time to hear saints prophesy my son would conquer the cycle of births. It is no simple thing, my son, O the Greatest One. Prove them right. Be firm and solid, make me worthy to have borne you."

When he opened his eyes at length, he noticed she was gone. The woods were dark once again, with the rustle of soft leaves reigning the woods. Whether the footpath existed or not, Siddhartha was not sure in this dark.

He contemplated about holy life. He tried out everything. He cannot return to lay life. He doesn't want to. He knew penance would not help him discover the true meaning of this life. He was feeling tired again, and in a little while a tired Siddhartha dozed off.

Then it came to pass again. The dark crept away and the rustle stopped. He made out the figure this time: Prajapathi Gothami treading soft toward him.

She virtually followed her sister Maya, place the hand on Siddhartha's head.

"Siddhartha, my son. I fought many a time in this cycle of births to mother the greatest being of this eon. So rare O the Holy Being, is your birth in this world. Oh the Greatest Man of the earth do not turn back. Make me worthy to have mothered you. O Great Being make me worthy."

Then he watched Gothami walk back into the darkness slow and solemn, the footpath shrinking away.

It was the third watch of that night. Siddhartha was feeling like waiting for another guest.

He witnessed the footpath for a third time. He had a keen eye on the figure. He knew it should be no one else but Yasodhara, at length.

His memories raced back to those days of sweet-nothings. They aroused no emotions. They flared up no fires of lust. It was a long looked-forward-to meeting. He was amazed about his determination not to look back at her and their kid in the renunciation.

He was strong, and Yasodhara's presence made him feel even stronger. It now wove a spiritual link between them, anyone could hardly analyze this bond. He listened attentively to her soft voice seemingly frail but teemed with inspiration.

"Siddhartha, you are precious. You have that legacy buried deep beneath your soul. Exhume that and pass me down that legacy.

"O great being, I need you, this whole world needs you. Do not give up, do not turn back. Do not come back to me empty handed. Do not let evil hang over you. Be brave Siddhartha, for you can."

Siddhartha watched her make way back. The three most important women in his life, come at the darkest hour to rekindle the drained-down hopes of a great sage.

He knew it will be his strength to curve and bend his mind as he wishes. He knew it will be the strength to be the shield against the three tempting daughters of Mara.

He watched the sun rise - which he would liken to the wisdom later on - and invade the woods,. He was blessed feeling the sunrays touch the ground..

That dawn was a moment of solace in wilderness. Because wisdom was about to dawn upon him. He took a decision. It is a steady journey from the dark into the light; that footpath he was certain he would never turn back.

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