DHAMMA PADETHA – 32. LET SADDHA BE ALWAYS FIRM

DHAMMA PADETHA – LET SADDHA BE ALWAYS FIRM

   All Buddhists rejoice in doing merit. While doing merit one’s mind is clear, calm and kindly disposed because of saddha. When one is fully endowed with saddha, one can accomplish dana, sila, bhavana meritorious deeds. One’s mind is clear and is delighted. Saddha is the most basic factor to practise dana, sila and bhavana. Also the most basic factor to reach nibbana. That is why Lord Buddha had said saddha should always be established firmly in our continuity of consciousness.

      (Saddha Sadhu Patitthita)

      Saddha means faith or confidence, is a combination of two words, belief and clarity. Belief in Buddha, dhamma and sangha, kamma and the effects of kamma, and clarity of the conscious mind.

      According to perfection (parami) of a person there are four kinds of saddha.

      (1) Agama Saddha – the belief that is in the continuity of consciousness of Buddhas-to-be (Bodhisatta)

      (2) Adhigama Saddha – the belief that is in the continuity of consciousness of ariyas such as sotapanna.

      (3) Okappana Saddha – the belief that is firm in the triple gems by puthujjana

      (4) Pasada Saddha- Revering the appearance and believing.

      (1) The Buddha-to-be, ever since in the presence of Dipainkara Buddha, resolved to attain Buddhahood. He believed firmly that he would definitely be the Buddha. This firm belief Saddha could not be erased in any plane wherever he was reborn and under any circumstances.

      Could Practise the Ten Paramis and Thirty Elaborated

      Because of the belief (saddha) that he would undoubtedly become Buddha.

      (a) With the exception of his body he gave away his wealth and property which is danaparami

      (b) Donating his limbs which is danaupaparami

      (c) Donating his body and life which is danaparamattha Parami

      He practised these Paramis to the full.

      Could Practise the five kinds of great generosity

      Because of the belief that he would become the Buddha for certain.

     (a) giving away the luxury of kings, emperors and universal monarchs which is most difficult, known as dhanapariccaga

     (b) giving away his own children known as puttapariccaga

     (c) giving away his wife known as bhariyapariccaga.

     (d) giving away his hands, legs, big and small parts of his body known as angapanccaga.

     (e) giving away his body and life known as jivitapariccaga

      He could practise these five great generosities.

      In this way he could practise the ten Paramis and thirty expansions and five kinds of generosity without consideration, because of his firm belief (Saddha) that he would definitely become the Buddha. This is the firm saddha in the mind of the Buddha-to-be.

      (2) The faith of a noble person (ariya puggala), such as sotapanna, in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha will never be erased under any circumstances, in any plane or life. It cannot be destroyed by any opposition. It stays firmly.

      At one time while the Lord Buddha was residing at Veluvana monastery, a poor leper Suppabuddha became a sotapanna after listening to Buddha’s sermon. At that time the king of the celestials said “Suppabuddha you are so poor and also suffering from leprosy. I wish to save you. Say that there is no benefit in believing Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. I will give you as much property as you wish.”

      Being a sotapanna and having a firm faith in Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, Suppabuddha threatened the king of the celestials, ‘you are a fool and have no shame. I do not wish to speak to you” Thus, a sotapanna’s saddha which is firm cannot be destroyed even by the King of the Celestials.

      (3) A puthujjana’s faith in the Triple gems is the unstable saddha of puthujjana Buddhists. It is not as firm as the saddha in the minds of ariyas. It can be destroyed due to various reasons in this life. It can also be destroyed in future lives. Even people with supernormal powers cannot protect the saddha of puthujjana from destruction. It must be protected by oneself.

      At one time Lord Buddha was residing at a rural place known as Kundadhana. At that time, one of the devotees of Ashin Maha Moggalana invited Lord Buddha and other sangha to have the next day’s morning meal at his house. At the same time Ashin Sivali’s mother, the Princess Suppavasa having been pregnant for seven years and took seven days to deliver Ashin Sivali with great difficulty, wish to offer birthday meals to Lord Buddha and sangha for seven days, sent her husband the prince to invite Lord Buddha.

      Lord Buddha seeing the benefit in future sasana by accepting Ashin Sivali’s birthday offering, and since there were two invitations, Lord Buddha sent Ashin Maha Moggallana to tell his disciple to offer on the 8th day, after seven days.

      Ashin Maha Moggallana went to his disciple’s house and postponed the invitation. The dayaka said, “Reverend Sir, within these seven days if you can take the responsibility of

     (1) my life

     (2) my wealth and property

     (3) my saddha

      I will postpone till the 8th day.”

      This is how Ashin Maha Moggallana replied: “I can take the responsibility of your life and property but I cannot take the responsibility of your saddha not to be destroyed. You yourself must take the responsibility for your saddha not to get destroyed. “For a puthujjana’s saddha not to be destroyed even an Etadagga with supernormal powers, A shin Maha Moggallana, cannot take the responsibility. You yourself must keep it firm.

      (4) To revere outward appearance and have Saddha is a very weak and inferior kind of saddha which can be wrongful. To revere after seeing the appearance, to revere after hearing the voice, to revere after seeing the way one wears the clothes are all inferior saddha which is not firm.

      At one time Lord Buddha was residing at Pubbarama monastery. At that time King Kosala came to pay homage to Lord Buddha. While King Kosala was seated near the Enlightened one, he saw some naked , some half clad titthiya carrying their requisites going along the path near Pubbarama monastery.

Seeing these naked titthiya, King Kosala thought that they bad extinguished kilesa and bave become arahants, clasped his hands and bowed. After the titthiya had passed he approached Lord Buddha and said that he believed those people who had passed by to be arahants, Lord Buddba replied “It is difficult for a king like you to know whether a person is worthy of reverence”.

To know whether a person is worthy of reverence one must consider the following four factors

     (1) by staying together

     (2) by staying together for a long time

     (3) having the reasoning power yourself to find out whether the person is worthy of reverence

     (4) having the wisdom to decide whether the per son is worthy of reverence or not.

     Motto: Stay together for long, reason with wisdom and will know directly whether worthy of reverence.

Among the four kinds of saddha only the saddha of Buddhas-to-be and saddha of the ariya puggala are firm. The remaining are unstable kind of saddhas. To have a firm saddha you must be an ariya puggala like sotapanna and to be a sotapanna you must practise satipatthana vipassana meditation. Therefore, if you wish to have a firm saddha in your mind you must practise satipatthana vipassana meditation.