Prepared by
Evelin Halls, DipFLC
Pennie White, BA, DipEd
Abhidhamma Class No. 39, 18 March 2003
Today as part of the Abhidhamma class, we will hold a Medicine Buddha Puja for our Buddha Dhamma Teacher John D. Hughes who is critically ill.
We will follow the instructions for Medicine Buddha Practice as given by the Venerable Master Rusun.
Members are also encouraged to chant the Medicine Buddha mantra daily at their homes and bring the blessed water to offer to John in the hospital every day for 49 days.
Master Rusun prepared some blessed water for John D. Hughes. Master Rusun has advised that the water be used in the following way to prolong the life of our teacher:
Boil some water and let it cool. Add the cool water to the blessed water prepared by Master Rusan.
Pay homage to the Medicine Buddha three times.
Chant the Medicine Buddha Mantra forty-nine times, or more if you wish.
Give some of the water to John, offer some of the water to the Devas and Devatas or water plants. Keep some of the water to be used the next day.
This process is repeated for forty-nine days.
The result of this practice will be the safe recovery of our teacher John D. Hughes.
Members may attend the Medicine Buddha Puja at a time allocated each day or they may chant the Medicine Buddha Mantra at the Centre for as long as they wish when they have the time available.
Fresh flowers should be offered on John and Anita’s Mandala every day.
Fresh flowers and water, round shaped fruit and other suitable puja offerings should be offered on the main altar everyday.
As the number of Mantras chanted increases, the water becomes more concentrated.
Homage to the Medicine Buddha
NAMO BHAGAVATI. BHAISAIJYA GURU VAITUREYA PRABHA RAJAYA.
NAMO BHAGAVATI. BHAISAIJYA GURU VAITUREYA PRABHA RAJAYA.
NAMO BHAGAVATI. BHAISAIJYA GURU VAITUREYA PRABHA RAJAYA.
Medicine Buddha Mantra
NAMO BHAGAVATI. BHAISAIJYA GURU VAITUREYA PRABHA RAJAYA. TATHAGATAYA ARHATI SAMYAKSAMBUDDHAYA. TADYATHA. OM. BHAISAIJYI. BHAISAIJYI. BHAISAIJYA. SAMUDGATI. SVAHA.
Repeat 49 times or more if you wish.
Abhidhamma Class No. 39, 18 March 2003
Kaya-lahuta and Citta-lahuta
Glossary
lahuta: Pali language word most closely translated into English as lightness or agility.
Lahuta may be of three kinds: of corporeality (rupassa lahuta, of mental factors (kaya-lahuta and of consciousness (citta-lahuta). (Nyanatiloka, nd, p 90)
For this week’s Abhidhamma class we are interested in the latter two kinds: lahuta of mental factors and consciousness.
“Lahuta is lightness or buoyancy or agility. Suppressing the heaviness of the mental concomitants is the chief characteristic of kaya-lahuta; suppressing the heaviness of the citta is the chief characteristic of citta-lahuta. It is the laying down of a heavy burden.” (Mon, 1995, pp 90-91)
“Kaya-lahuta and citta-lahuta are opposed to thina and middha (sloth and torpor) which cause heaviness and rigidity in mental concomitants and consciousness.” (Mon, 1995, p 91)
“Herein, stiffening (thinanata) is stiffness (thina); making torpid (middhanata) is torpor (middha). The meaning is paralysis due to lack of urgency, and loss of vigour.
The compound thinamiddha (stiffness-and-torpor) should be resolved into thinan ca middhan ca. Herein, stiffness has the characteristic of lack of driving power. Its function is to remove energy.
It is manifested as subsiding. Torpor has the characteristic of unwieldiness. Its function is to smother. It is manifested as laziness, or it is manifested as nodding and sleep.
The proximate cause of both is unwise attention to boredom, sloth, and so on.” (Buddhaghosa, nd, XIV, 163, p 530)
“‘Because the paralysis (samhanana) of consciousness comes about through stiffness, but that of matter through torpor like that of the three aggregates beginning with feeling, therefore torpor is manifested as nodding and sleep’ (Paramattha-manjusa, Visuddhimagga Atthakatha (Commentary) 493).” (Buddhaghosa, X1V, footnote 68, p 530)
References
Buddhaghosa, Bhadantacariya, (no date), “The Visuddhi Magga”, translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Nanamoli, Singapore Buddhist Meditation Centre, Singapore, XIV, 163, p 530. (look up and include: lightness (lahuta) XIV 64, 76, 79, 133, 145; XVIII 13; XX 23, 32, 36)
Mon, Dr. Mehm Tin (1995), “The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma”, publisher Mehm Tay Zar Mon, Yangon, pp 90-91.
Nyantiloka (no date) Buddhist Dictionary, The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation, Taiwan, p 90.
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