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THE LIFE AND TEACHING OF CHAO KHUN MONGKOL THEPMUNI AND THE DHAMMAKAYABy Terry Magness |
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CHAPTER IV (Part 2)
"Now we come to the virtues of the Dhamma. This Dhamma was well preached ('svakkhato) by the Blessed One. Those who practice it receive the greatest benefit, in this world or the next. The teaching is divided into three, as study, as meditation, and as insight knowledge. The teaching is one which when practiced is observed to bear the same results for all (sanditthiko). It is timeless (akaliko) and bears fruit at all times. It is good and those who practice it may call others (ehipassiko) to practice it for themselves because it is good. It is a teaching to be realized by oneself (opanayiko)....
"Supatipanno bhagavato savakasangho
Ujupatipanno bhagavato savakasangho
Nayapatipanno bhagavato savakasangho
Samicipatipanno bhagavato savakasangho
Yadidam cattari purisayugani
Atthapurisapuggala esa bhagavato savakasangho
Ahuneyyo pahuneyyo dakkhineyyo anjalikarniyo
Anuttaram punnakkhettam lokassa ti.
Now the virtues of the Sangha. The Order of disciples is twofold. That is, ordinary disciples, and Noble Ones. Ordinary disciples differ from the Noble Ones in that they do not possess the dhamma eye, which the Noble Ones do. Here, therefore, only the virtues of the Noble Ones are implied. There are four pairs, eight in all. The stream enterer path and fruit, the once-returner path and fruit, the non-returner path and fruit, the emancipated path and fruit.
"Now the Noble disciple concentrates his faculties, and sinks them into the centre of his body, where a bright sphere appears clear as crystal glass. He proceeds into the centre of this sphere, and passes the deva, Brahma, and the Arupa-Brahma spheres of consciousness. Then he attains the Dhammakaya form and consciousness. Then he concentrates on the sphere of dhamma which he first saw, which is the sphere of dhamma that serves as the basis for the human form. He reviews this sphere, and converts it into a disk about four metres in diameter and fifteen centimeters thick, clear as crystal glass. He seats himself upon this flattened disk, which is called Pathama Jhana.
"He then concentrates on the sphere of dhamma which serves as the basis for the deva form. He reviews this sphere, and converts it into a disk the same size as the first. The first disk vanishes, and he seats his Dhammakaya form upon this disk, which is called Dutiya Jhana.
"He then concentrates on the sphere of dhamma which serves as the basis for the Brahma form. He reviews this sphere, and converts it into a disk of the same size. The second disk vanishes, and he seats his Dhammakaya form upon this third disk, which is called Tatiya jhana.
"He then concentrates on the sphere of dhamma which serves as the basis for the Arupa-Brahma form. He reviews this sphere, and converts it into a disk of the same size as the other disks. The third disk vanishes and he seats his Dhammakaya form upon this fourth disk, which is called Catuttha jhana.
"Then from these four jhanas of form he proceeds to formless jhanas. He concentrates the Dhammakaya eye in the fourth jhana, and knows that there is something more refined to come. A fifth jhana appears, which is the infinity of space.
"He proceeds is this manner, and the jhana of the infinity of consciousness appears, the jhana of voidness appears, and the jhana of neither perception nor non-perception appears.
"This is attaining the jhanas from one to eight by direct method. Then the Dhammakaya proceeds back from the eighth jhana to the first by inverse method. He proceeds thus for seven times, accomplishing what is called jhana samapatti. As he proceed from first to the eighth jhana he penetrates the Noble Truths of Suffering, of the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the way to the cessation of suffering.
"Then the Dhammakaya (Gotrabhu) sinks to void centre and a sphere ten metres in diameter appears in its place. The Dhammakaya transforms itself into the Dhammakaya Sotapanna which observes the Noble Truths again with the Sotapanna eye. After which this Dhammakaya sinks to void centre, and a sphere twenty metres in diameter appears in its place. This transforms itself into the Dhammakaya Sakadagamin.
"The Dhammakaya Sakadagamin penetrates the Noble Truths with the Sakadagamin eye. After which it sinks to void centre, and a sphere thirty metres in diameter appears in its place. This transforms itself into the Dhammakaya Anagamin.
"The Dhammakaya Anagamin penetrates the Noble Truth with the Anagamin eye. After which it sinks to void centre, and a sphere forty metres in diameter appears in its place. This transforms itself into the Dhammakaya Arahatta.
"Clear as crystal is the Dhammakaya now. First the Sotapanna was able to abandon the defilements of belief in a permanent self, because it observed the body to be only a temporary abode, in no time breaking up, consisting only of elements fused together making name and form; that if grasped as self then the self was destined to pain. It was impermanent, painful, and impersonal. The Dhammakaya form was the form leading to permanence, happiness, and selfhood. Because of this penetration into truth, the Sotapanna passed from false beliefs. No doubt remained because the Dhammakaya had already been attained, disposing of the lower mundane forms. No doubt remained regarding the Triple Gem, because the Dhammakaya was itself the Triple Gem. And since it was itself the Triple Gem, there was no more need for pernicious rites outside the Triple Gem, because such rites bore no wholesome fruit. Thus the Sotapanna abandoned pernicious rites.
"Then the Sakadagamin disposed of crude sensuality and malice after penetrating the Noble Truths. The Anagamin disposed of refined sensuality and malice. And the Arathatta disposed of attachment to form and formless jhanas, pride, restlessness, and ignorance.
"This is what is implied when it is said that the Noble One has accomplished well (supatipanno), neither too loose nor too taut, but proceeding along a middle path avoiding both extremes. And accomplished uprightly (ujupatipanno) and straight, straight along the path to Nibbana, not faltering aside. And possessing the knowledge (nayapatipanno) whereby release is attained. And accomplished to the best of the ability (samicipatipanno).
"Because of this, not for other reasons, are these Noble Ones worthy of our attendance (ahuneyyo), worthy of our offerings (dakkhineyyo), worthy of our salutations (anjalikaraniyo), the most excellent field of merit (punnakkhettam) in this world in which to sow.
"This ends the virtues of the Sangha....
"Now that we know the method of practice, it is our duty to ponder on what we are to do. Are we to only repeat the words 'Itipiso bhagava araham....' and nothing more? The Blessed One has said that there are two ways of paying respect due: the way of burning incense sticks and prayers, and the way of concentrating the mind. And the Blessed One has given honor to the second rather than to the first. This implies clearly that he wished us all to meditate rather than to burn incense sticks.
"Even in this period, so long after the departure of the Blessed One into Nibbana, there is no clause which forbids that those who practice in his footsteps shall not receive the same results, for it is said 'akaliko, which means that the practice of the dhamma bears results at all times. All those Noble Ones in the beginning were only ordinary human beings, even the Blessed One himself, not devas or brahmas from elsewhere. That they could raise themselves up to be Noble Ones was because of practice alone. The way has clearly been shown by the Blessed One. The only thing left for us is that we practice or that we do not. It is not enough that we recite with our lips 'Itipiso bhagava' or just recall the virtues of the Blessed One. It is our highest duty to follow in his footsteps. And this is achieved by the four roads to power (iddhipada), by zeal, (chanda), by energy (viriya), by reflection (citta), and by investigation (vimamsa).
"It is necessary to practice meditation until the Dhammakaya is attained. The Dhammakaya is in hue like crystal glass. Because of this is it called the Buddha Ratana. All dhammas distilled out of this Dhammakaya are called the Dhamma Ratana, being its heart. The mental field of this Dhammakaya is called the Sangha Ratana. All these three are not separate but are a unity, because those who attain the Buddha Ratana, at the same time also attain the Dhamma and the Sangha Ratana.
"It is with the Dhammakaya, not the normal eye, that the Triple Gem is realized. It is the way by which it is reached. It is the only genuine way by which the Triple Gem is reached. And this practice and this attainment is not beyond the ability and nature of human beings because even in this period of time many are those who have attained to this Dhammakaya. Those who have so attained are filled with bliss of body and mind. You may ask them for yourselves; so that you may understand what the result is once you have reached the Triple Gem.
"Now it is not enough to penetrate to the Dhammakaya, because there is much more to be done. We must proceed deeper and deeper, void into void, on and on. We are looking for ourselves, remember? There is no end to delusion until that purity is reached which no Mara can disturb, having passed beyond. Therefore proceed from the crudest to the most refined of Dhammakaya forms, deeper and deeper, beyond counting. From base, nucleus, level, moment, part, seed, and offshoot. As long as there remain seeds of defilement, Mara can perturb the mind. As long as the end of these selves has not been reached one remains a slave, neither a master nor free.
"Therefore, on and on, into the centre of the voidness. Not only into the void centre, but right into the sphere of mindfulness (satipatthana), of morality (sila), of concentration (samadhi), of wisdom (panna), of release (vimutti), and the perception and knowledge of release (vimutti nanadassana). This is the middle way avoiding both extremes. This is magga and phala. The way of path an fruition accomplished by all Buddhas and Arahattas of old. Causal void into causal void, cause and void, void and cause, cessation of cause. Right in the centre, void into void, without residue. Void into void, the end of cause, the causal limit. Deeper and deeper into the deepest limits of voidness to be reached, extinguishing the crude, entering the refined, to the limit. Remember, we are looking for our self. We pay homage to the Blessed One and his Noble disciples because they accomplished this. This is nirodha, cessation. This is the genuine, the refuge of the world. Those who know this know true, have won through. This is magga citta, magga panna.
"It is said in the Mahasatipatthana Sutta: Idha bhikkhave kaye kayanupassi viharati attapi sampajanno satima vineyya loke abhijjana domanassam. Which is to say: Bhikkhus, a disciple in this dhamma and discipline dwells in this contemplation, penetrating form in form, earnest and aware, and puts an end in this world to frivolousness and grief. And not only penetrating form in form, but feelings in feelings (vedanasu vedanupassi), consciousness in consciousness (citte cittanupassi), and mental essences in mental essences (dhammesu dhammanupassi)....
"Perceive and know. Seeing is not knowing, knowing, is not seeing. Do not mix them up, each has its separate use. See form in form, from the human form and its refined counterparts up. See the deva form, the Brahma form, the Arupa-Brahma form, the Dhammakaya form up to the most refined of Arahatta forms. This is seeing form in form.
"Perceive feelings in feelings. Happiness, suffering, neither happiness nor suffering. How to see feelings? Happiness is seen as a clear sphere, as big as the moon, as small as a seed. Suffering is seen as a dark sphere, the same in size, big as the moon, small as a seed. Neither happiness nor suffering is seen betwixt the two, neither clear nor dark, big as the moon, small as a seed. See with the Dhammakaya eye, from the human up to the Dhammakaya form. This is seeing feeling in feeling.
"Perceive consciousness in consciousness. How to see consciousness? Consciousness is also seen as a sphere, big as the moon, small as an eye, from the human up to the Dhammakaya. This is seeing consciousness in consciousness.
"Perceive dhamma in dhamma. How to see dhamma? Dhamma is also a sphere, the sphere of dhamma which goes to form the human form, the sphere of dhamma which goes to form the deva form, the brahma form, the Arupa-Brahma form, the Dhammakaya form. Sphere in sphere, dhamma in dhamma, big as the moon, small as a seed. This is seeing dhamma in dhamma.
"Perceive with the Dhammakaya eye. Kaye kayanupassi.... ekayano ayam bhikkhave maggo: Which is to say, this is the only way, O Bhikkhus, which Ieads to the purification of creatures, to passing beyond sorrow and lamentation, to the destruction of grief and despair, to the attainment of the Method, to the realization of Nibbana....
"Let us use this as our formula and guide. When we have heard this dhamma do not think it is easy to hear it. Ever since we became bhikkhus, samaneras, upasakas, upasikas, have we ever heard this dhamma? Therefore practice what you have heard, do not lose the opportunity you have had in being born human beings, the opportunity of being born in the Buddha Sasana....
"This was his exhortation, concluding by calling down blessings on them all."
