Ayya Khema - Visible Here and Now: The Buddhas Teachings on the Rewards of Spiritual Practice
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Visible Here and Now: The Buddhas Teachings on the Rewards of Spiritual Practice: summary, description and annotation
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The suttaincluded here in the translation by Bhikkhu Bodhicontains the Buddhas teachings in response to questions posed by King Ajatasattu. Why, the king asked, should we give up the satisfactions of worldly life and devote ourselves to meditation? What are the tangible benefits to be gained from following the Buddhas way? In answering this question, the Buddha provides a compact synopsis of the entirety of the spiritual path, and Ayya Khema expands on this with her characteristic approachsimple, direct, experiential, and loving.
An important aspect of the sutta is an account of the eight meditative absorptions, or jhanasstates of mind that bring joy, serenity, and peace and that open the way to clarity and liberation. Ayya Khema, who was herself adept at the eight absorptions, confidently leads the reader to, through, and beyond the jhanas, following the Buddhas plan. Her words have the effect of inspiring us to roll up our sleeves and get to work so that we may grasp the insights, accomplish the meditative goals, and become enlightened to the highest extent of our talents and efforts.
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S HAMBHALA P UBLICATIONS , I NC .
Horticultural Hall
300 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
www.shambhala.com
1999 by Scherz Verlag (Bern, Munich, Vienna) for the Otto Wilhelm Barth Verlag
English translation 2001 by Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Translation of the Smaaphala Sutta by Bhikkhu Bodhi from The Discourse on the Fruits of Recluseship: The Smaaphala Sutta and Its Commentaries (Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society, 1989), 1989 by Bhikkhu Bodhi. Reprinted by kind permission of the Buddhist Publication Society.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Khema, Ayya.
[Frchte des spirituellen Lebens. English]
Visible here and now: the Buddhas teachings on the rewards of spiritual practice / Ayya Khema; translated by Peter Heinegg; edited by Leigh Brasington; with a translation of the Smaaphala Sutta by Bhikkhu Bodhi.
p. cm.
ISBN 1-57062-492-5
eISBN 9780834844360
1. Spiritual lifeBuddhism. 2. MeditationBuddhism. 3. Reward (Buddhism) I. Heinegg, Peter. II. Brasington, Leigh. III. Bodhi, Bhikkhu. IV. Tipitaka. Suttapitaka. Dighanikaya. Samaaphalasutta. English. V. Title.
BQ 5612. K 44413 2001
294.3444dc21
00-058328
a_prh_6.0_140138095_c1_r0
C ONTENTST HE F RUITS OF S PIRITUAL L IFE :
Smaaphala Sutta
| P REFACE |
W HEN MY TEACHER , THE R EVEREND NARMA M AHTHERA , was asked once which of the many discourses of the Buddha he thought particularly important, he answered: the Smaaphala Sutta, the discourse on the fruits of spiritual life. If you could get to know only one discourse, he explained, that should be the one. It contains the whole path of purification, meditation, and understanding that the Buddha taught and that leads to complete enlightenment.
So when we use this discourse (the second one in the long collection of the Buddhas discourses) as a guide for our spiritual development, it can shed a meaningful light on many questions that often seem difficult to us.
All those who have collaborated with me on this book and to whom I owe a debt of thanks will be happy if these explanations light up the way for a few men and women.
Ayya Khema
Buddha House
July 1997
| T HE F RUITS of S PIRITUAL L IFE Smaaphala Sutta |
Translated by B HIKKHU B ODHI
T HE S TATEMENTS OF THE M INISTERS
1. Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Exalted One was dwelling at Rjagaha, in Jvaka Komrabhaccas Mango Grove, together with a large company of twelve hundred and fifty bhikkhus. At the time, on the fifteenth-day Uposatha, the full-moon night of Komudi in the fourth month, King Ajtasattu of Magadha, the son of Queen Videha, was sitting on the upper terrace of his palace surrounded by his ministers. There the king uttered the following joyful exclamation:
How delightful, friends, is this moonlit night! How beautiful is this moonlit night! How lovely is this moonlit night! How tranquil is this moonlit night! How auspicious is this moonlit night! Is there any recluse or brahmin that we could visit tonight who might be able to bring peace to my mind?
2. Thereupon one of his ministers said: Your majesty, there is Praa Kassapa, the leader of an order, the leader of a group, the teacher of a group, well-known and famous, a spiritual leader whom many people esteem as holy. He is aged, long gone forth, advanced in years, in the last phase of life. Your majesty should visit him. Perhaps he might bring peace to your mind. But when this was said, King Ajtasattu remained silent.
37. Other ministers said: Your majesty, there is Makkhali GoslaAjita KesakambalaPakudha KaccyanaSajaya BelahaputtaNigaha Naputta, the leader of an order, the leader of a group, well-known and famous, a spiritual leader whom many people esteem as holy. He is aged, long gone forth, advanced in years, in the last phase of life. Your majesty should visit him. Perhaps he might bring peace to your mind. But when this was said, King Ajtasattu remained silent.
T HE S TATEMENT OF J VAKA K OMRABHACCA
8. All this time Jvaka Komrabhacca sat silently not far from King Ajtasattu. The king then said to him: Friend Jvaka, why do you keep silent?
Jvaka said: Your majesty, the Exalted One, the Worthy One, the perfectly enlightened Buddha, together with a large company of twelve hundred and fifty bhikkhus, is now dwelling in our Mango Grove. A favorable report concerning him is circulating thus: This Exalted One is a worthy one, perfectly enlightened, endowed with clear knowledge and conduct, accomplished, a knower of the world, unsurpassed trainer of men to be tamed, teacher of gods and men, enlightened and exalted. Your majesty should visit the Exalted One. Perhaps if you visit him he might bring peace to your mind.
9. Then get the elephant vehicles prepared, friend Jvaka. Yes, your majesty! Jvaka replied. He then had five hundred female elephants prepared, as well as the kings personal bull-elephant, and announced to the king: Your majesty, your elephant vehicles are ready. Do as you think fit.
10. King Ajtasattu then had five hundred of his women mounted on the female elephants, one on each, while he himself mounted his personal bull-elephant. With his attendants carrying torches, he went forth from Rjagaha in full royal splendor, setting out in the direction of Jvakas Mango Grove.
When King Ajtasattu was not far from the Mango Grove, he was suddenly gripped by fear, trepidation, and terror. Frightened, agitated, and terror-stricken, he said to Jvaka: You arent deceiving me, are you friend Jvaka? You arent betraying me? You arent about to turn me over to my enemies? How could there be such a large company of bhikkhus, twelve hundred and fifty bhikkhus, without any sound of sneezing or coughing, or any noise at all?
Do not be afraid, great king. Do not be afraid. I am not deceiving you, your majesty, or betraying you, or turning you over to your enemies. Go forward, great king! Go straight forward! Those are lamps burning in the pavilion hall.
T HE Q UESTION ON THE F RUITS OF R ECLUSESHIP
11. Then King Ajtasattu, having gone by elephant as far as he could, dismounted and approached the door of the pavilion hall on foot. Having approached, he asked Jvaka: But where, Jvaka, is the Exalted One?
That is the Exalted One, great king. He is the one sitting against the middle pillar, facing east, in front of the company of bhikkhus.
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