DHAMMA PADETHA – 2. DISCARD THE OUTER COVERING, TAKE THE ESSENCE
DHAMMA PADETHA – DISCARD THE OUTER COVERING, TAKE THE ESSENCE
Those who have not much perfection (parami) or are immature and blissfully happy in the human abode think many objects to be valuable, while in essence they are not.
Things that are of no value in essence.
(1) their property or wealth
(2) their physical bodies
(3) their lives
(Jataka-ttha 4/7)
How it is thought to be valuable or as essence
(1) Those who have not much parami think that their gold and diamond, their house and property are depend able and that only their property will fulfil their social life
(2) When there occurs an accident, they let their wealth be spent but the physical body must be preserved. The physical body is more valuable than their wealth.
(3) When their lives are endangered, let the riches be spent and some parts of the body may be destroyed or impaired but life must be preserved. Life is more valuable than the riches and the physical body.
Not seeing it as the essence
Those who have accumulated parami, like the Buddha-to-be see things as follows
(1) Their riches and wealth can be destroyed by floods and storms, by fire, by evil rulers, by robbers and by enemies. They are not dependable, not lasting and are just the outer covering, not the essence.
(2) Their physical bodies are full of diseases and also can be destroyed outwardly by weapons such as swords, spears and guns any time. Although you may be well today, this month, this year, you may be bed-ridden the next day, the next month, the next year. That is why your physical body is not the essence, it is only an outer covering.
(3) The nature of the process of the phenomena of your physical body and the mind which keep arising and passing away every moment and they seem to be oppressing you and your whole life can be destroyed at any time. That is why life is not the essence, it is only an outer covering.
Take the essence from the covering.
Those who have accumulated parami like the Buddhas-to-be would take three kinds of essence from the three objects which are not the essence.
(1) From the riches, which are not the essence, they would give dana or charity and gain merit, that is, taking the essence.
The riches are material objects and can be destroyed or taken by force by the five kinds of enemies. After giving away or donating the property, the merit gained cannot be seen by the natural eye, not tangible and therefore cannot be destroyed by the five kinds of enemies. The merit gained has the ability to give good effects in a series of existences up to nibbana and is secure. Therefore, donate as much as possible so as to extract the tsence of dana merit from one’s property.
Motto: Extract from property, dana essence.
(2) Extract from the body the essence of sila merit
The physical body which is prone to the (96) kinds of diseases internally and can be destroyed outwardly by poisons and weapons is worthless. But paying obeisance to sangha who have sila, elderly people, the triple gems, (Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha), teachers and parents and also looking after them, taking the five, eight, nine precepts are carried out by the physical body. The merit gained by sila will provide all kinds of blessings which are secure in the series of existences till one reaches nibbana. Hence, one observes sila, which has been extracted from the physical body.
Motto: Extract from the physical body, sila essence.
(3) From life, which is unsubstantial, take vipassana merit which is the essence.
While we are alive during Lord Buddha’s Sasana, the merit we gain from practising vipassana meditation is secure and if circumstances are favourable, the door of woeful states (apaya) will be closed in this very life and attain nibbana. It is the most secure essence. Therefore, we must practise vipassana meditation. From the unsubstantial life extract vipassana essence
Motto: Extract from life, vipassana essence and merit.
