27 April 2003: Preparing for Versak

The Buddhist Hour Radio Broadcast Archives

Buddhist Hour Broadcast 273
For Sunday 27 April 2003

This script is entitled: Preparing for Versak

Glossary:

Precept: an injunction as to moral conduct

Remorse: deep and painful regret

Buddha Dhamma shows us how to find peace and happiness. But Buddha cannot do the work for us. We must do it ourselves.

Venerable Mahinda Mahathera, at the Australasian Buddhist Convention, held in Melbourne in June 2002, said that Buddhism is a DIY religion, a 'do-it-yourself' religion.
Do you want to reach the time of death and be filled with remorse because you spent your life in vain?

In the final teaching of the Buddha, the Sutra on the Buddha's Bequeathed teaching, the Buddha said:

I am like a good doctor who understands illnesses and prescribes medicines.
Whether you take it or not is not the doctor's responsibility.
Moreover I am like a virtuous guide who points out a good road.
If he that hears it does not walk down that road, it is not the guide's fault.

On 16 May this year Buddha Dhamma Practitioners around the world celebrate Versak in many ways.

Versak is a most important occasion as it is the date that Buddha Sakyamuni was born, attained Supreme Enlightenment and passed away.

Versak is the name of a month on the lunar calendar that was used over 2500 years ago.

In the local system, it is the full moon in the month of May in our calendar. Where two full moon days occur in that month, Versak is celebrated on the second.

The Worldwide Adherents of Buddhism by Six Continental Areas, mid 2001 recorded in the 2002 Britannica Book of the Year were: Africa 139,000 Asia 356,533,000 Europe 1,570,000 Latin America 660,000 Northern America 2,777,000 Oceania 307,000 It is recorded in the 2002 Britannica Book of the Year that 5% of the total population of 6,128,512,000 or 361,985,000 persons practice Buddha Dhamma in the World.

On Versak many lay Buddhists observe 8 precepts.

Over the years, our Centre has celebrated this most important day in a similar fashion to most of the Buddhist world culture. At Versak we extend our regular practice so that we are sitting in meditation at that full moon time in synchrony with the millions of persons sitting in different lands.

The celebration of Versak is a major event at our Centre.

This year our Members will celebrate Versak by taking 8 precepts and practicing mindful action throughout the day.

Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd. Members prepare for Versak with such activities as:

1. Tidy garden completely. Make it a Heavenly Dharma Garden, desirable and acceptable to the Buddha to walk with ease and view with Blessings.

2. Clean all altars and images completely. Make them desirable and acceptable to the Dharma.

3. Clean house completely. Make it desirable and acceptable for the Sangha.

4. Arrange flowers on altars, offer light and offer incense and offer water and offer perfume. Make them desirable and acceptable for the Guru.

5. Arrange food for the day. Consider taking extra precepts.

6. Tidy up Chan Academy completely to make it desirable and acceptable to the Chan Masters.

7. Arrange texts to be chanted by the Heavenly Assembly of Bodhisattvas and Devas.

8. Make Dana offerings to Bodhisattvas and Devas and each other and the Centre's Resident Practitioners.

9. Practice patience (third perfection) for the sake of all sentient beings and your Teacher.

10. Maintain Morality (in Pali sila) to guard your future happiness.

In a special feature article 'Celebrating Our Diverse Community' in one of our local newspapers, the Yarra Ranges Journal, on 22 April 2002, journalist Shelle Neate, posed the question, How do Buddhists celebrate Easter?

Our Secretary Ms Pennie White responded, 'Easter for us is a time to intensify our practice, to practice more good things. Easter is a time that you can share with your family and friends'.

"It is also a good time to give, but then again it is a good time to give any day", said Ms White.

The article was accompanied with a colour photograph by Lucy Paolo of the Buddha altar in our Temple's main hall with Members Peter Boswell and Pennie White.

The article concluded by noting the forthcoming celebration of Versak on 16 May 2003, marking the anniversary of three major events that occurred on the same moon day: Buddha's birth, enlightenment and parinibhanna the finding of great happiness.

Over the Easter holiday period we held a Five Day Bhavana Course at the Chan Academy Australia, 33 Brooking Street, Upwey, Victoria 3158. We run Bhavana courses at our Temple four times each the year. The theme of the April Course was "Practicality in Buddha Dhamma Practice". Venerable Dhammavihari, a Sri Lankan Monk, visited our Temple and gave a Buddha Dhamma Discourse on the topic "Buddhism - an Historical Perspective - Beliefs and Practices" at 3:30pm on Friday 18 April 2003. The Venerable has been a lecturer in Buddha Dhamma at Universities in Sri Lanka since the 1940's.

During his Dhamma talk the Venerable said:
Next full moon is Versak.

Why is Versak a very important full moon day? A young student said to the Venerable, "Buddha was born on that day". Venerable said, "Very good. What more." The boy said, "He died on that day". "Oh", said Venerable Dhammavihari. Venerable Dhammavihari replied, "He became the Buddha on that day." The Buddha was enlightened on that day and this makes it a great day. Do you think you will survive if you take eight precepts on this day?

The Venerable spoke of the importance and power of precepts kept by Buddhist practitioners.

He said it is good to honour the Buddha with flowers, music, water, rice, food if you also remember the precepts. "The real way to honour the Buddha is to keep the precepts and live what he said", explained Venerable Dhammavihari.

The Venerable said the precepts are Universal Ethics of Good Living. He also said that those precepts are so good, about fifty years ago, the United Nations brought in the Declaration of Human Rights.

The first right is that every human has the right to live. The first is about respect for life, in Pali, panatipata.

The second one is: the right of people to possess what they have earned. This is adinnadana, that is, respect for property. The third of the Buddhist Precepts concerns gender relations: women have the right to be free. The fourth rule is honesty. Not engaging in dishonesty or fraud--this is our fourth precept. Drugs are very difficult to control. They are against all governments.

If we don't have the five precepts to refrain from these things we are a menace. These are the basic things. The five precepts are one gear. There are many gears in Buddhism. The eight precepts better go to a lower gear. Everyone needs to now and again know when to change your gear. Buddhism has a very good system of changing gears. Five plus three.

Do you know what the next three precepts are? Five precepts are for everyday living. Eight precepts are better. So on the full moon day take eight precepts for how many hours 12... no... for no less than 24 hours. Say, "I do not take my dinner on that day". That is the test--can you control your eating habits? You like to watch dancing. On this day do not watch entertainments. And tell your wife not to come rolling your eyes at you. If your man does not do this at least once a month he is not worth a pinch of salt.

On Versak make up your mind to observe eight precepts for twenty-four hours. A lady said, "Too long". Venerable Dhammavihari replied, "What are you talking about. You want to do for six hours." Start from morning till next morning one day per year. Think about the precept not to have dinner. Not to eat after 12 midday. And also not to play with the teddy bears and electric blankets. I will not go for comfortable bedding. Can you sleep on a plank?

Test your strength. It is not very difficult. For one day. If half a dozen people do this when I leave Melbourne this is good. Do it. You have got to make up your mind. You are not going to do this for twelve hours. If you think a person wearing white clothes is sila, that is not enough. Why do you want to do all these things? That this life is not good enough so you can get a better life next time. Do not take a risk. Taking the eight precepts. You can do this once a year. You can do this once a month.

If sila is practiced, then people will say of the Buddhists, they are generous, they are not cruel, they lend a helping hand. No matter what your nationality, Australian or Sri Lankan or whatever it be, no matter wherever you live or wherever you are, human nature can be made good, or better than what it is. Find Buddha as your guide.

When asked what ought a mother to do when keeping the eight precepts once per month and at the same time looking after their family, the Venerable advised that the parent can still look after the family, including preparing the meal.

He then said to the young boy, on this day you can say to yourself, mum is taking eight precepts, I will help her and wash the dishes. This is a very simple thing. Everybody in the home can do it to a greater or lesser degree. That would in the first instance make you happy, and the world will be a safer place for people to live in and it will be much more fun, because of the observance of sila, good relationships between people. The eight precepts (in Pali and English) observed in the Theravadin tradition while on retreat are:

Panatipata veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami I undertake to observe the Precept of refraining from killing any living being.

Adinnadana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami I undertake to observe the Precept of refraining from taking what is not given.

Abramacariya veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami I undertake to observe the Precept of refraining from any kind of intentional sexual behaviour.

Musavada veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami I undertake the Precept of refraining from false speech.

Sura-meraya-majja-pamadatthana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami I undertake the Precept of refraining from taking intoxicants causing heedlessness. Vikala-bhojana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami I undertake the Precept of refraining from eating after midday.

Nacca-gita-vadita-visuka dassana-mala-gandha-vilepana-dharana-mandana-vibhusanatthana-veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami I undertake the Precept of refraining from entertainment, beautification and adornment.

Uchasayana-mahasayana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami

I undertake the Precept of refraining from sleeping on a high or luxurious bed.

The observance of precepts helps keep the mind in a peaceful state. Precepts are the basis for the cultivation of stability, which is in turn the basis of wisdom.

It was at Versak in 1955 when our Teacher John D. Hughes came to good recollection of Buddha Dhamma due to good things done in the past times.

It was not too early or too late for him to develop the resources and skills needed to help persons find the Buddhist Path.

At Versak, in 1955 Christian Era, evidence suggests that there were only two Noble persons in Australia. Today, it is of consequence, for the well being of many, that there are several persons living in Australia who have attained that true mark of Buddha Dhamma, Dhamma Eye.

That is, they have attained stream entry access (sotopan) or better.

John worked for many years to educate himself and gather the set of teaching skills and resources he needed to begin to set up the practical aspects and materiality needed to teach.

After teaching for some time, our Teacher founded the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd on his birthday, 9 September 1978 and it was incorporated on the 21st July 1980.

On 10th May 1980, the original Members of this Centre recorded Pali chanting at the Ethnic Radio Station 3EA.

Zarna Somaja read a sutta in the Hindi language. This recording was played by 3EA on the morning of Versak, 29th May 1980.
That evening, a Puja was performed at our Centre.

It is a matter of record that Buddha awoke to full knowledge under the full moon in the lunar month of Versak under the Bodhi Tree, a member of the fig family of trees.

He had spent many years sitting at the feet of great religious Teachers of the day to learn from them. They taught him a lot but none of them really knew the causes of human suffering and how it could be overcome.

Eventually, after 6 years Study and Meditation (bhavana) he had an experience in which all ignorance fell away.

He certainly understood, from that day on the Vesak Full Moon, he had a feeling that his mind was empty and clear which gave him some sort of wisdom.

The clear mind helped him to understand the future, the past and now. He knew ahead of time what was going to happen. He was called the Buddha, the Awakened One. He lived for another 45 years.

During that time, he travelled to Northern India teaching others what he had discovered. His compassion was legendary and He made thousands of followers. In his 80th year, he was old and sick but still happy and at peace he finally passed away. We have a Bodhi tree at our Centre in Upwey for more than 10 years. Since then we have planted others.

The seed from this tree came from the original tree under which the Buddha sat in India in ancient times.

We are not sad that Buddha passed away at another full moon in the month of Versak.

Accordingly, throughout the Buddhist world, millions of persons hold special remembrance services on the full moon in May.

Common practice among Buddhists at Vesak is to make offerings of light, flowers, perfumed smoke, and also to participate in Buddhist chanting.

Buddhists understand clearly the idea of these offerings and recitals by devotees is not to please the Buddhas but to please themselves.

The notion behind generosity is to remove the quality of greed within the devotee. However, Buddhists should not satisfy themselves by simply offering something in the name of the Buddha or merely reciting some verses of Suttas and think that their duty is done and completed.

To become good Buddhists they have to do something more: that is to correct themselves by following the advice given by the Buddha.

One should not think that by just offering something to the Buddha one's sins could be washed off.

The Buddha explained that when a man or woman keeps the Uposatha day with the eight qualifications, they may arise, on the breaking up of the body after death, among the retinue of the Devas, whose life span is over 900 million years. (Anguttara N. Kaya IV).

Such Deva births are impermanent. An eternal heaven does not exist permanently anywhere.

The Buddhist goal is Nibbana. Nibbana is not a kind of heaven where a transcendental ego resides; but it is attained when the necessary conditions are fulfilled.

It is for self-realization (paccattam veditabbo) by Buddhists.

The result of practice is refreshing and healthful and something you would hardly believe unless you have experienced it for yourself.

The real benefits of this observance explain why this practice continues to last over 2500 years.

May you have the diligence to practice the Buddha Dhamma with vigor.

May you have the confidence to keep five precepts every day of every year.
May you be refreshed as a result of your practice.

May you resolve to keep eight precepts this Versak this year.

May you quickly overcome any obstacle to keeping 8 precepts on Versak this year.
May you be well and happy.

The authors and editors of this script are Julian Bamford, Pennie White and Leanne Eames

References:

1.Sutra on the Buddha's Bequeathed Teaching, Translation into Chinese by Tripitaka Master Kumarajiva of Yao Qin Dynasty (ca. A.D.400), Provisional Translation into English by The Buddhist Text Translation Society, Dharma Realm Buddhist University, City Of Ten Thousand Buddhas (1999 )

2.Video of the Australasian Buddhist Convention, Melbourne, June, 2002, produced by the Buddhist Foundation of Victoria, Australia

3.http://www.bdcublessings.net.au/radio85(88a).html

4.http://www.bdcublessings.net.au/radio273

5.http://world.tbsn.org/us/PLS/Journal/jrnl1099/ucchusma.html

For more information, contact the Centre or better still, come and visit us.