Eternal India Encyclopedia

Eternal India encyclopedia

RELIGIONS

MEDITATION In Buddhism there are two kinds of meditation : 1. Samatha-bhavana: Samata is the development of one- pointedness of mind and concentration. Samadhi is the concentrated, peaceful, still and unshaken state of mind. 2. Vipassana-bhavana : Vipassana is the intuitive insight into the nature of things and leads to the realization of nibbana (enlightenment). Divine abodes/sublime states ( Brahmavihars ) Boundless States /Illimitables ( appamanna ) i. Metta : Loving kindness (direct enemy hatred, indirect enemy affection) ii. Karuna : Compassion (direct enemy cruelty, indirect enemy passionate grief) iii. Mudita : Sympathetic joy (direct enemy jealousy, indirect enemy exhilaration) iv. Upekkha : Equanimity (direct enemy attachment and aver- sion, indirect enemy callousness) Meditation on Breathing (Anapana Sati) - Meditation on the breath can be used to develop samadhi and vipassana. QUOTES Let him be strenuous, upright and sincere, without pride, (easily) contented and joyous; let him not be submerged by things of the world; let himnot take upon himself the burden of riches; let his senses be controlled; let him be wise but not puffed-up, and let him notdesire possessions even for his family. Let him do nothing that is mean or that the wise would reprove. May all beings be happy, May they be joyous and live in safety, Insight-development ( Vipassana ) Meditation in Daily Life (Bhavana) Even as a mother at the risk of her life watches over and protects her only child, so with a boundless mind should one cherish all living things, suffusing love over the entire world, above, Below and all around without limit. So let him cultivate an infinite goodwill toward the whole world. Standing or walking, sitting or lying down, during all his waking hours let him cherish the thought that this way of living is the best in the world. Abandoning vain discussion, having a clear vision free from sense appetites, he who is made perfect will never again know rebirth. — The Discourse on Loving Kindness. (Metta Sutta, Sutta Pitcikaj translation by H.J. Russell-Williams. Handa dani bhikkhave amantayami vo: Vayadhamma sankhara, appamadena sampadetha Verily, I say unto you now, O monks: All things are perishable; work out your deliverance with earnestness. (Buddha's last words) All living beings, whether weak or strong, In high or middle or low realms of existence Small or great, visible or invisible, near or far, Born or to be born, May all beings be happy.

* Vajrayana (Vehicle of the Thunderbolt or Tantrik Bud- dhism). Its followers believed that release could be best obtained by acquiring magical power which they called Vajra, thunderbolt or diamond. * The three major types of Buddhism today are : Theravada (Hinayana) (Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore and Vietnam); Mahayana (China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Vi- etnam and certain communities in Indonesia, India, Malay- sia, the Philippines, Nepal and Singapore); Vajrayana (Bhutan, Mongolia to some extent, Tibet and certain communities in India and Nepal). Note : In 1981 when the Indian population was 665,000,000 the Buddhists numbered 4,700,000. 94% follow the Thera- vada tradition and remaining 6% are Mahayanists living in the Himalayas. * The holy places ( ashtama-hasthanas ) are: Lumbini in Ne- pal (birthplace of the Buddha), Bodh Gaya (enlighten- ment), Sarnath (first preaching) and Kusinagar ( Mahaparinirvana of the Buddha). BUDDHISM Buddhism enjoyed a long existence in India. Around 186 B.C. the Sunga dynasty rejected Buddhism in favour of a new form of Hinduism. Monasteries with large endowments did not maintain their contacts with the laity and so were isolated. The resurgence of Hinduism with philosophical modes of thought and the Bhakti movement was another cause. From the 6th Cen- tury onwards, foreign invasions destroyed many of the Buddhist shrines and their community. By the 13th Century, Muslims had created an empire and converted many Buddhists to Islam. There has been an increase in the number of Buddhists, particularly in Maharashtra, in recent years as a result of conversions from the Scheduled Castes. The inspiration for this came from Dr. B. R. Ambedkar who embraced Buddhism. DAYS The four sacred days (Upasotha) in a month (new moon, full moon and the two quarter moon days) are observed as days of intense practice including meditation. The devout follow the eight precepts (asthanga sila), abstain from worldly pleasures, visit viharas and offer Dana to the Bhiksus. Vaisht ha Purnima or Buddha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti (full moon day of Vaishaka which falls usually in May) is the most sacred and important festival. This day is thrice blessed as Lord Buddha was born, attained enlightenment and entered into Maha-parinirvana. In the Mahayana Buddhist countries (China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam) the Birth is commemorated on April 8, the enlightenment on December 8 and the Death or Mahapar- inirvana on February 15 of the modern calendar. HOLY PLACES TEMPLES * Shrines at Lumbini, Bodh Gaya (Mahabodhi Temple), Sarnath (Dhamekh Stupa) DECLINE OF SACRED

■ (Wg. Cdr. S.R.)