radio 26

11 October 1998

Today's program is called: The impact of ritual on important values.

To answer the challenge of the 21st Century, we must create an organisation that can not only respond to change in the external environment but which can create our future through internal change and innovation.

Change can be exciting if it is done by us but it is threatening if it is done to us.

Libraries may once have been the primary providers of information but this is no longer the case.

For example, today you can obtain free information about Buddha Dhamma from our web site at www.bdcu.org.au

We have about 100 visitors from different countries to our website each day. They download our good information.

When we post our journal BDDR (full version) there is a delay because we send it sea mail because of high airmail postage costs.

Certain key articles from our publication are placed on our website.

These approaches and strategies fit today's circumstances.

Barrett suggested there are three ways change can be managed:

1. Coping with change to survive
2. Capitalising on change to thrive
3. Creating change to triumph
4.
Our Organisation prefers the third cultural choice. This is why we set up a website culture for all Australians.

According to Schein, one of the great writers on organisational psychology, culture can be defined as:

a) pattern of basic assumptions;

b) invented, discovered, or developed by a given group;

c) as it learns to cope with its problems of external adoption and internal integration;

d) that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore

e) is to be taught to new members as the

f) correct way to perceive, think and feel in relation to those problems.

Yesterday, Members from our Centre attended a Kathina Ceremony for the Buddhist Vihara Victoria Incorporated, held at the English Language School, Noble Park.

A Kathina ceremony is an ancient Buddhist ceremony traditionally held at the end of the (Asian) rainy season, when Monks come out of a three-month retreat to accept new robes offered by lay persons.

In Australia, these ceremonies are held in October.

Although the environment in which the ceremonies are held in have changed since early times - the ceremonies can now take place in for example, community halls using modern public address systems - and circumstances are such that Monks and Nuns are driven to the ceremony, they do not need to walk, certain aspects about the ceremony have not changed.

The ceremony is still held after the rainy season, the robes offered are the same as what they were in ancient times and the words chanted during the ceremony have never been altered.

The same can be said of our annual Founder's Day, an important event in our Organisation's culture.

While the environment in which it is held can change from year to year, this year we staged a Chan Art Exhibition as part of the Day at the Dandenong Ranges Community Cultural Centre, the ceremony itself and the values and assumptions it upholds have not changed.

In the words of T.E. Deal and A.A Kennedy, "Without expressive events, any culture will die. In the absence of ceremony or ritual, important values have no impact".

The records of what are suitable ceremonies to show spectators the salient points have been written down by Buddhist historians. We have quite detailed records of how things were done in ancient times.

In Buddhist carvings depicting processions of the Sangha (the Buddhist Monks and Nuns), the way they carry their food bowl can be seen fairly clearly.

Yesterday, the procession of the various Monks walking into the hall had the same ceremonial style as a procession of Monks 1000 or 2000 years ago.

The Bahiranidana was composed in the Pali language by Buddhaghosa in the 5th Century.

The Bahiranidana is the introductory chapter to Buddhaghosa's Samantapasadika, the Commentary to the Vinaya Pitaka. The Vinaya Pitaka is the section of the Buddhist Canon dealing with what precepts the Monks and Nuns should observe. It is a commentary on morality.

This introduction was primarily meant to explain the Nidana, the " inception" or "origin" of the Vinaya. The author was anxious that no relevant detail, however insignificant, was not left out of his description.

Accordingly, laborious details concerning a Monk called Moggaliputta Tissa and elaborate details of the conversion of the people of Sri Lanka to Buddha Dhamma practice is contained in this work.

Buddhaghosa's aim was to establish the authenticity of the rules of conduct, the Vinaya, before preceding to compile its commentary.

When the Professor of Pali and Buddhist Civilisations in the University of Ceylon translated this text to the English language in 1962, he went through many, many scripts which were available and noted the variant readings.

Professor Dr. N. A. Jayawickrama's comments in 1962 were reported in Buddhist Text Information Numbers 55-58. He translated the phrase Vinayassa Bahiranidam to Vinayanidana in using the title "Inception of Discipline" in this book.

The BTI publication lists the contents translated and at part five lists the succession of the ancient teachers.

From such sources we know on what is laid down on the lunar calendar and on what moon dates the Monks and Nuns are instructed to stay at one place and intensify their study during their rainy season retreat that lasts three months.

Over the next few weeks or so, Theravadin Monks throughout the World come out of retreat and can travel.

Because the Monks and Nuns had respect for the specified times laid down in the Rules of the Order, lay persons knew where they were and could arrange between themselves the arrangements of the ritual of providing new robes.

When there are insufficient robes offered for each of the Monks to have one, the Monks decide between themselves who among them should wear the offered new robes.

So the written culture is useful to show the culture of how we do things around here and so avoid disputes.

While the gathering for yesterday's Kathina (robes giving) ceremony was organised by persons born in Sri Lanka, there is no racism evident because Monks who were born in about 10 different counties were in attendance.

Many of these Monks have become or are about to become Australian citizens.

One of the novice Monks who has just finished some training in Thailand was born in Australia.

Within the next decade, more and more native-born Australians will ordain as Monks and be trained in Australia.

We help person s change their culture to stop them from being too old fashioned.

Yet we never throw away our core morality values which are expressed in five precepts.

A most senior Monk in Sri Lanka recently passed away aged 103.

A short biography of his life appears below.

First President of the Amarapura Chapter, Former Vice-Chancellor of the Vidyodaya University, Maha Nayaka of the Sabaragamu Amarapura Saddhamma Vamsa Chapter (Rassagala sect), Tripitaka Vagishwaracharya, Agamacakravarti, Pravachana Visharada, Mahamahopadhyaya, Rajakeeya Pandita (Hon), Aggamaha Pandita (Burma), Sahitya Suri(Vidyodaya), Sahitya Chakravarti (Vidyalankara)

The Most Venerable Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Maha Thera was born on 24 August 1896 in a little village called Kirindigala in Sri Lanka. His mother had a number of dreams foretelling of her death, shortly after his birth. After His Most Venerable's birth, she handed him over to her cousin Loku Amma with the words, "Sister, I am going to die soon. This child is yours. Remember, as promised, you have to ordain him". (1)

Venerable recalls as a child a strong wish to become ordained; his family at first were not supportive of this wish. However, Venerable was determined and was ordained at 7am on 2 March 1911, at age 15.

During the next nine years Venerable studied extensively under the guidance of his Guru, Hamuduruwo. "Until I was twenty-four, my main interest was reading grammar and Tripitaka books. By that time I had finished reading most of the Tripitaka books. Out of the Pali grammar books, I had read on my own almost all the related books on kaccayana.... Because so many books had to be read, I had only two and a half hours of sleep in the night throughout those nine years." (2)

Due to Venerable's thorough application he was able to "promptly recognize any mistake in Pali, Sanskrit or Sinhalese". (3) In addition, through encouragement from his Teachers, he trained himself in English in case an opportunity arose where he could help in the propagation of the Dhamma abroad.

At 24, Venerable left to study English at Ananda College in Colombo. A special class had been organised for bhikkhus. After some time, Venerable was requested to teach Pali and Sanskrit. Venerable remarks, "the motto of this school, 'Apadana Sobhini Panna'-'wisdom illumines the character' - was also my choice". (4)

During his time at Ananda College, Venerable published his first book, Buddha Charitaya (1926), and was also involved in writing articles for newspapers and magazines.

In 1936, Venerable left Ananda and started a new Pirivena attached to Sri Sudharmarama at Thumbagoda, Balangoda. It was named Sri Dharmandanda Pirivena after Venerable's preceptor. Later, it was moved to Miriswatte,

The Sixth Buddhist Council was held in Burma in 1955. In Venerable's words, "I consider my participation at the Sixth Buddhist Council, at the invitation from Burma, as an important event in my life. The invitation from Burma was to serve on the Tripitaka Editing Board....I was appointed as the Sri Lanka representative on the Final Editing Committee". (5)

During this, Venerable skillfully highlighted some errors in the Burmese translation of certain aspects of the Tripitaka. This was appreciated and accepted by the Burmese Sangha, Burmese President, Prime Minister and Minister of Sasana.

In 1959, Venerable appointed the work of the Pirivena to his pupil, Pundit Dharmamurthi Thera, and moved to Colombo to take up the post of Professor of Mahayana Buddhist Studies at Vidyodaya University. Later, he held the post of the Dean of the faculty of Buddha Dhamma studies. Venerable had planned to leave the University after a short period but when he realised that "some University lecturers were giving wrong interpretations of the Buddha Dhamma, to the bhikkhus" he decided to serve there longer. He spent about ten years at the University. (6)

Venerable resigned from his position with the University and returned to the Balangoda Pirivena to concentrate on his meditation practice. Since he was a novice, Venerable practised anapanasati meditation and for a while, he practised pranayama. However, in his later years, four times a day, he directed his mind towards jhana meditation. Venerable practised samadhi bhavana and vipassana and became proficient in knowing what is Path and what is not Path. The outcome of his practice was that he could state, without doubt, that "no mundane pundit has got even one thousandth of the knowledge about the World that a "Stream Entrant" has". (7)

Venerable tells of an interesting incident whereby, in his own words, Mara came to hinder his meditation progress by attacking him in the form of a poisonous snake.

"I realized something then. Our books mention instances, where Vasavarti Mara or his followers put obstacles on the path of those whose meditation, they suspect, was becoming successful. Earlier, when my meditation was becoming effective, I was made to attend a religious ceremony, thereby ruining my progress. Now when I was determined to devote my whole life to meditation a serpent was sent, to obstruct it. All these were obstacles to my meditation. "He is behind the enemies of Buddhism who weaken the Buddhists and strengthen the non-Buddhists."(8)

Venerable had the opportunity to travel to countries such as America, Canada, England, Scotland, France and Denmark to teach the Dhamma. Venerable comments on his observation of the West.

"In those countries, people take to meditation first . . . Many Europeans become Buddhist as a result of meditation." (9)

Venerable was asked to comment on the following:

"Is it necessary to make a definite wish to get the results of a kusala karma (wholesome action)".

Venerable's reply: "People who perform kusala karma (wholesome action), like giving (generosity), need not necessarily make a wish to enjoy Worldly comforts, as a result of that karma.

Danam khalu sabbavena - sagga manusa bhogadam
Parinama vaseneva - hoti mokkhupanissayam

This is a well-known stanza. Not only with dana (generosity) it is the same with sila (virtue). To get Worldly or heavenly comforts, it is not necessary to make a wish. A kusala karma (wholesome action) has the potential to bring about good results. When you take some medicine, it is not necessary for the patient to make a wish, for it to be effective. The medicine has the power to cure the illness.

After performing a meritorious deed, there is no harm if you make a wish. But of course, if you would like to direct the results in a particular way, it is appropriate to make a wish.

Parinama is maturity. Parinama vaseneva hoti mokkhupa nissayam. One who practises generosity aims at eradicating greed, hatred and delusion. Here the person gets rid of them temporarily. But if a wish is made, "May this be a help to eradicate greed, hatred and delusion completely," that is directing maturity (parinama) towards liberation (Nibbana). Attaining Arahanthood is complete eradication of greed, hatred and delusion. Aiming at this state means maturing of merits. For this, a wish should be made as mentioned earlier". (10)

Most Venerable passed away at 11.30pm, 18 July 1998 in Sri Lanka. Although the Most Venerable had indicated to one of our Monk Patrons that he wished to visit our Centre, his advanced age did not permit a physical visit. Our Teacher has indicated that the Most Venerable's mind had been kind enough and powerful enough to reach out and grant blessings to our Centre. Our Members look forward to meeting this Most Venerable in his next birth.

May all beings be well and happy.

Saddhu Saddhu Saddhu

J.M.H. & J.D.H.

Reference

1. Ittepana Dhammalankara Thera, Venerable Balangoda Ananda Maitreya The Buddha Aspirant, 1996, Mahendra Senanayake Sridevi, Dehiwala, p. 3.
2. Ibid p. 23.
3. Ibid p. 23.
4. Ibid pp. 30-31.
5. Ibid p. 40.
6. Ibid p. 47.
7. Ibid p. 133.
8. Ibid p. 80.
9. Ibid p. 83.
10. Ibid pp. 115-116.
Further Reading: Ven. M. Nanda, 1996, Met-Silila (Birth Centenary Felicitation Vol.), Saruodaya Vishva Lekha, Ratmalana, Sri Lanka.

May you be well and happy.

This script was written and edited by John D. Hughes and Leanne Eames.

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