mahapajapati Gotami was the younger sister of mahamaya or maya the mother of prince Siddhartha, When Maya died mahapajapati Gotami bacame the step-mother to nfant Siddhartha, She even paid more attention to him tan to her own son nanda, lest the orphan infant prince would feel the absence of his mother. She fed and nursed Siddhartha with love and tender care. Siddhartha, too, was extremely attached to her.

She, with king Suddhaodana, did everything possible to make Siddhartha’s life happy. When Siddhartha left household-life, she lamented very much. Since then she devoted all her time to look after the rest of the family, her husband, her son, and also yasodhara and Rahula. later when nanda and Rahula became nonks, she felt extremely sad and lonely. With the death of Suddhaodana the last strong bond that kept her bound to household-life snapped. She had no more reason to remain in the household. She waited for an opportunity to meet the Buddha and obtain his permission for ordination.

This opportunity came when the Buddha visited kapilavatthu to settle the dispute between Sakkyans and neighboring kolliyasn as to the right to use water form river Rohini. On this occasion mahapajapati Gotami led a deputation of a large number of women whose husbands had become monks,. and requested the Buddha to grant them permission to be ordained as bhikkhunis. But the Buddha refused permission thinking that it would create problems in the Buddhst community.

However, Mahapajapati Gotami and her followers did not given up hope, They got barbers to cut off their hair; dressed themselves in yellow robes and went on foot to Vesali, where the Buddha was. Walking along the rough, gravel road under the heat of the scorching sun their feet were covered with dust and were full of blisters.

Once again Mahapajapati Gotami pleaded with the Buddha for permission to be a bhikkhuni. The Buddha however, refused permission again. The she approached Venerable Ananda and informed him of their plight. he intervened on their behalf and spoke to the Buddha on three occasions, and on all three occasions he refused to grant permission. Then Venerable Ananda Decided to change his approach.

He very very reverntially asked the buddha whether the women are capable of understanding the Truth. The buddha said that they are quite capable. Venerable Ananda seized this opportunity and asked the Buddha, if that is so why not they be permitted to become bhikkhunis. The Buddha agreed with Venerable Ananda and granted them permission to become bhikkhunis subject to eight important conditions.

Mahapajapati Gotami became the first bhikkhuni. She was followed by many others including Yasodhara. And Within a very shot period the community of bhikkhunis increased in number, and among them were very illustrious bhikkhunis such as Kheme, Uppalavanna and Dhammadinna.

The Buddhist community that started with five followers rapidly increased in number. Soon the news about this young teacher who preaches a new doctrine spread around the country. Young men became his disciples. He became so popular that some thought he had a magic power to win over people . Young wives feared thinking that their husbands would leave them and become Gautama Buddha’s disciples.

Within a short period there were sixty disciples who became monks, and under the guidance of the Buddha became noble individuals- Arahants. Then Gautama Buddha thought that it is the proper time to send these sixty disciples to preach the Dhamma to others. He called them together and said : “ monks, I have freed myself from all bonds. You have freed yourselves from all bonds. Now begin to go round the country preaching the Dhamma for the benefit of many , for the happiness of many, for the well- being of many. Do not two of you take the same route. Go in different directions.”

With this advice he sent them out to preach . Then Gautama Buddha himself went towards the village of Uruvela.

Throughout the next forty five years Gautama Buddha completely dedicated himself to the service of his fellow beings. He went on foot from village to village , from town preaching and teaching about suffering that exists in the world and explaining how to overcome this suffering . The Buddha was an excellent teacher and therefore he was able to teach and convince many. The Dhamma taught non – violence , peace , harmony and equality. So the people willingly followed it. Like the Buddha the Sangha also tirelessly toured the country preaching the Dhamma and brought in many new followers.

Many people from all classes and different religions became followers of the Buddha’s teaching. Soon there were many such famous disciples as Sariputta, Moggallana, Mahakassapa, Upali and Ananda. His own son Rahula, step- brother Nanda, cousin Devadatta and many other close relatives entered the Sangha comunity.

Lay followers , too, soon increased. Kings, nobles, rich merchants as well as ordinary people became followers of the Buddha . Powerful kings such as Pasenadi Kosala, Bimbisara and rich merchants like Anathapindika were his supporters. The Order of nuns also came into being .The first nun ( bhikkhuni ) was Buddha’s step-mother , Gotsmi. Within a short period even the number of nuns increased. Among the nuns were very famous bhikkhunis such as Khema, Uppalavanna, and Dhammadinna. There was also a large number of female lay supporters such as Visakha. In this manner the Buddhist community which started with five discip;es came to consist of monks ( Bhikkhu), nuns (Bhikkhuni) , lay male followers (Upasaka) and female followers (Upasika).

The rich lay supporters both male and female built a number of large temples and monasteries for the Buddha and Sangha to reside. These rich lay supporters along with the vast number of ordinary people who accepted the Buddha’s teaching provided robes, alms, dwelling and medicine for the Buddha and the Sangha.

The Buddha and the Sangha taught them the Dhamma. The lay followers to show their gratitude provided the Buddha and Sangha with all their requirements.

A long time ago in the country called Nepal, there was a kingdom called Sakya. Kapilavatthu was its capital.The king’s name was shaddhodana Gotama.He belonged to the Gotama caln.
The king had a beautiful wife whose name was Queen Mahamaya.On the full moon day of june she gave birth to a son under the Sala trees in a beautiful park called a Lumbinli.The King named his son Siddhatta.
SIDDHATTA never knew his real mother because she died seven days after his birth.
“SILDDHATTHA was raised by his aunt Mahapajapati who was also his stepmother.During his early years he lived happily with his family surrounded with luxury and comforts.
At the age of sixteen, he married beautiful Princess, Yasodhara, generally known as Bimba, whowas his own cousin. They lived a happy married life for the next thirteen years, and during that time Princess, Yasodhara, generally known as Bimba,who was his own cousin. They lived a hay married life for the next thirteen years, and during that time Princess yasodhara gave birth to a son who was named Rahula.
One day during siddhattha’s trip to the Royal Gardens, he saw four things that made him very thoughtful about life. He saw an old man, a sick person, a dead body, and a Brahmin monk, ascetic. Only the monk gave him any comfort.
He realized that even luxurious life could not bring him real happiness, and that he could not be really happy while other people were suffering. He then wanted to find real happiness, the happiness that all people could share.
When he was twenty-nine years old, on a quiet night, the prince left his palace, his wealth, his wife, and his lovely son. He became a monk and spent the next six years studying with many Brahmin teachers and practicing extreme self-denial in the forest.

Finally he found that all those other teachers did not know how to find the truth, and that extreme self-denial was useless. He then left those teachers. Having found out that world wealth did not bring him the truth and that extreme self-denial did not bring him the truth, he decided to try a path between the two, which we call the middle way.
Six years after becoming a homeless monk , while sitting under the Bodhi Tree on the full moon night of May [Visakha the sixth lunar month] he meditated deeply. He reached the real happiness he sought, he attained the truth by his own efforts. This real happiness is called the Enlightenment. From that time on he was known as the Buddha which means the Enlightenment One or the Awakened One. The Buddha found out the truth of life. He found that life is full of problems. HPe taught the people three principles of Buddhism toguide their thoughts and actions. These principles are as follows.
Not to do any evil
To do good deeds.
To purify the mind.
Two months after the Enlightenment, he began teaching the truth, which is called the Dhamma, to his followers. Many of his followers received real happiness after following his teachings. As time went on the number of his disciples increased rapidly. Since then, Buddhism has been firmly established in India.
The Buddha wandered over all of India, preaching the doctrines of real happiness to the people for forty-five years. At the age of eighty, the Buddha felt that his end was coming closer. He went to Kusinara, and there on the full moon day of Visakha month, under two Sala trees, he passed away. He left us with his most valuable and enduring teaching and the way to find real happiness.

First two lay disciples
On the full moon of the night of May, while sitting in deep meditation under a Bodhi tree, at Gaya city, Eastern India, Siddhattha Gotama attained Enlightenment, real happiness, and became Buddha, the Awakened One. Two merchants called Tapussa and Bhallika passed by and seeing the Buddha sitting under the Budhi tree, they offered him a meal of honey cakes.
After eating the food, the Buddha talked to them about his new experience, and the two merchants became his first lay disciples, the first Buddhists. The Buddha, at the time of his enlightenment, was thirty-five years of age.
The students may have a question in mind, “What is Enlightenment ?” The answer is that enlightenment is the state of pure mind, The mind is free from ignorance, from hatred, and from craving. The mind is in the state of being enlightened and comprehending truth.
First sermon and first monk disciple
Now the Buddha was ready to begin his mission of teaching his doctrine to the people. He asked himself to whom should he first teach the Doctrine. His mind turned to his former teachers, namely, Alara Kalama and Uddhaka Rama. However, the two teachers had already died. He then recalled the five companions with whom he had lived before setting out to seek Elightenment alone. They were still at Deer Park of Isipatana(near Benares City),about one hundred miles away. The Buddha went there. At deer Park, he gave his First Sermon, during the Asalha month (full moon day of july). It was known as Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, the Turning of the Wheel of Dhamma or Truth.
After the sermon, the five ascetics Kondanna, Vappa, Bhaddiya, Mahanama, Assaji realized the Eye of Dhamma, or Truth. Kondanna realized liberation first and asked for monkhood. The five ascetics became the first Noble Disciples of the Buddha.
Missionary activity
Early one morning, while the Buddha was sitting in Deer Park of Isipatana, a young man named Yasa, who was born into a wealthy family came near by the Buddha and saw him. Upon hearing the Buddha’s teaching, he realized that life was full of dissatisfaction, problems and troubles, and asked to become a monk to find real happiness.
Soon after that, the Buddha converted Yasa’s parents and wife to Buddhism. The Venerable Yasa had fifty-four lay friends. Having learned of Yasa’s ordination, they agreed to follow him and were ordained into the order. Within a few days, Yasa and his friends became Arahants (Enlightened monks). The total number of Arahants was then sixty-one.
Preaching Movement
Seeing that there were now enough disciples to begin sharing the Truth, the Buddha told his disciples to separate and wander from place to palce to teach the truth to the people. He himself set out on a long journey for the same purpose.
Throught out the forty-five years of his mission and his limitless kindness to all human beings, the Buddha selflessly devoted his life to teaching the Dhamma, the Path leading to real happiness. He travelled widely in northem and eastern India, stopping only during the rainy season, when he and his disciples, both monks and nuns, would go into the Rains Retreat. Through the efforts of the Buddha his followers, Buddhism was firmly established in india about 588 years before the Christian Era. The Buddha (Siddhattha) was born about 623 years before Christ.
Last instruction of the Buddha
At the age of eighty, while on his way to Kusinara City, the capital of Malla State, the Buddha became ill because he ate a meal of tainted food offered by Cunda, a poor toolsmith. The Buddha told Venerable Ananda, his faithful attendant, to console Cunda, and to tell him that his food-offering, which was the Buddha’s last meal, was of great fruit and merit and that he should not blame himself for the Buddha’s illness.
The Buddha travelled to the Sala Grove of Mala State, where the Buddha told the Venerable Ananda to prepare a couch between two Sala trees. Then he laid down on his right side, still mindfull and self-possessed. The monks assembled about him.
Although he was about to pass away, when men came to him to be received into the Order, he accepted and gladdened them with a sermon on the Dhamma. Of those men, Subhadda, mendicant wanderer, a poor man, was the last one who was ordained by the Buddha. He realized Arahantship before the Buddha’s death.
On his death bed under the two Sala trees, on the full moon night of Visakha month (may), the Buddha said to his disciples;
“O Bhikkhus, you will not be left without a Teacher, because the Docteine and the Discipline. I have taught and down for you shall be your Teacher when Iam gone.”
He said again, “ decay is inherent in all component things! O bhikkhus, work out your own salvation with diligence.”
These were the last words of the Enlightened One. His face shone as luminous gold. His mind ascended to the realms of ecstasy. He realized Nibbana, theEnlightenment and passed away form the eyes of human beings forever. His teachings have remained to guide us for all time. After the passing away of the Lord Buddha, his maleand female disciples continuedteaching the Dhamma to the people and maintain Buddhism to the present time.

Dissociating fools, associating wise and paying honour to those who deserve honour- This indeed is a Blessing Supreme.

Life in a befitting place, good deeds done in the past and aspirations that are noble and high- This indeed is a Blessing Supreme.

Well learned and thoroughly skilled, disciplined and properly trained, pleasant in every utterance made- This indeed is a Blessing Supreme.

Looking after one’s dear parents and maintaining the family and wife, engagement in a decent profession – This indeed is a Blessing Supreme.

Charity as well as righteous conduct, helping relatives and blameless activities – This indeed is a Blessing Supreme.

To avoid and shun all evil and to abstain from intoxicating drinks, diligence in all matters concerned- This indeed is a Blessing Supreme.

Reverence, humility and contentment, gratitude as well as hearing of Dhamma at proper times- This indeed is a Blessing Supreme.

Patience, obedience and the sight of holy sages, participation Dhamma discussions at proper times- This indeed is a Blessing Supreme.

Self control, noble life, realisation of the Nibbana as well – This indeed is a Blessing Supreme.

A sorrowless, stainless and secure mind that remains unshaken before vicissitudes of life– This indeed is a Blessing Supreme.

Conducting themselves in this manner they remain victorious in all spheres and attain happiness everywhere- To them these indeed are Blessings Supreme, ETAM MANGALAM UTTAMAM.

The Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha are the Three Refuges (TISARANA). These are the Three Gems (TIRATANA).

The Buddha is the compassionate, wise Guide, the Torch Bearer, the Teacher who clearly shows the way to those who are willing to follow the advice. He is a noble sage, a noble saint, an Arahant. He is a perfectly Enlightened One. He has perfected both wisdom (vijja) and conduct (carana). He has been successful in achieving a good destiny. He knows the whole world. He is the teacher of all beings. Because of all these qualities the Buddha is a very Fortunate Being.

The Dhamma contains the Truth of the solution the Buddha discovered for the problems faced by man. It is out of compassion for the people in the world that the Buddha preached this Dhamma. This well preached Dhamma is pleasant in the beginning, pleasant in the middle and pleasant in the end. This Dhamma brings about immediate results for those who practise it diligently. This Dhamma is open to all and invites you to ‘come and see’. It certainly protects those who diligently follow it. It leads one to the noblest of goals, to Nibbana. To reach this goal the wise people have to realize this Dhamma by themselves.

The Members of the Sangha and the heirs to this Dhamma. They are the treasurers, the teachers, the propagators of this Dhamma. The monks are the best example of those who closely and truly follow this Dhamma. They are well established on the correct path. They deserve honour, respect and veneration.

All Buddhists have confidence in the wisdom if the Buddha, in the truth of his teaching and in the worthiness of the Sangha. This is why all Buddhists go to the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha for refuge. This is why the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha are called the Triple Gems of the Buddhists.

When a Buddhist declares:
I Take Refuge in the Buddha,
I Take Refuge in the Dhamma,
I Take Refuge in the Sangha,

He makes known his confidence, respect, honour and veneration to these Three Refuges. He declares his intention to take these Triple Gems as the ideals to be followed. With this declaration he undertakes to conduct himself in accordance with these Three Refuges as long as his life lasts.

Venerable Sariputta and Venerable Moggallana were the two chief disciples of the Buddha. They belonged to two rich Brahmin families. As laymen Sariputta was named Upatissa and Moggallana was named Kolita. They were very close friends.

As rich young men they enjoyed life, going to carnivals, theatres and other places providing entertainment. However they gradually began to feel that the happiness they got from these forms of entertainment is not real happiness. So they began to search for a higher kind of happiness. They went to a famous religious teacher called Sanjaya and studied under him.

One day Upatissa saw Venerable Assaji, one of the first five ascetics who became monks, going round begging for alms. Upatissa was very pleased with the outward behaviour of Venerable Assaji. So he waited for an opportunity and asked Venerable Assaji about his teacher and the doctrines he followed. Venerable Assaji was a new monk. Therefore he explained briefly the Dhamma he knew and about the teacher whom he followed.

“My teacher is the Buddha. He speaks about the arising of all things. He explains the causes that lead to this arising and explains also how these things that have arisen come to an end.”

Uptissa at once understood the true meaning of the teaching (Dhama) and the greatness of the teacher (Buddha). He was so please that he hurried to meet his friend Kolita to inform him about teaching and the teacher.Both Upatissa Kolita Wanted to become disciples of the Buddha. They informed their teacher and became monks under Gutama, the Buddha. After becoming monks Upatissa was known as sariputta and kolita as Moggallana. They Practised the Dhamma under the guidance of the Buddha and soon became noble saints, Arahants. The Buddha himself declared these two venerable monks, Sariputta and Moggallana, as his two chief disciples.

Both of them were ideal monks possessing great wisdom and compassion. They set an example for other monks by perfecting virtue (sila), concentration (samadhi) and wisdom (panna). They cared for other monks and looked after them. Both of them helped to spread the Dhamma.

Venerable Sariputta was a very methodical monk. He was always concerned about cleanliness. He swept and kept his dwelling place clean and neat. He was an extremely grateful and respectful monk. Before going to sleep at night he used to find out the direction in which Venerable Assaji would be, and then clasp his hands and worship that direction as a mark of respect to his first teacher who taught him the Buddha-Dhamma. Though he was one of the two chief disciples he took advice given even by very junior monks. One day a novice advised him pointing out that he had not worn the robe properly. Venerable Sariputta very humbly accepted the advice and immediately draped the robe properly. He was so thorough with the Dhamma that he was known as the Commander-In-Chief of the Dhamma (Dhammasenapati)

Before he passed away he preached to his mother who was a very strong follower of Brahmanism and converted her to Buddhism.

Venerable Moggallana was very well known for his ability to perform miracles. Through this ability he made many converts. Along with Venerable Sariputta he guided the monks and helped to maintain unity among them. Both of them passed away before the Buddha.

The Story in Brief
After the Buddha’s death, his disciples continued to spread Buddhist Era’ two Buddhist councils were held to protect and preserve the purity of Buddha’s teachings.
The First Council
Tradition tells us that the First Council was held by 500 Arahants (saints or enlightened persons) at Rajagri (Rajagaha) city three monts after the Buddha’s dath. The purpose of the Council was to fix the doctrine and the discipline ass taught and laid down by the Buddha. The council was headed by Venerable Maha Kassapa (Kassayapa), and with the sponsorship of King Ajatasattu of Magadh State. The events (meeting) lasted seven months.
The Second council
One hundred years later, there occurred an important even which was a turning point in the history of Buddhism. At that time, a group of monks called Vajjiputta, at the town of Vesali, were lcaking in discipline. The elders of the Order tried to correct their views and practices. They ignored the advice of the elders.
As a result, 700 Arahants held the Second council at Vesali to revise and confirm the Buddha’s Dhamma. Buddhism, then, was divided into two schools of thought: Hinayana or tTheravada, and Mahayana. The elders of the Council belonged to the Theravada school; meanwhile the Vajjiputta monks developed the Mahayana school.
The third council
After declining for many years, Buddhism flourished again during the reign of King Ashoka of India (Third Century B.C. To purge the undisciplined monks and preserve the pure teachings of the Buddha, the Third Council was held at Pataliputtra city. At present, it is Pattana city, a Capital of the Bihar State of India. It was held under the leadership of Venerable Moggulliputta Tissa and under the sponsorship of king Ashoka, the Great. There were 1,000 Arahants participating in this Council.
After the Council , nine missions of elders were sent by King Ashoka to preach the Dhamma in the different states of India and foreign countries. This was the first time that Buddhism had spread out of India. Buddhism went on to become one of the four great religions in the world along with Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam.
At the present, there are two traditions of Buddhism
namely:
1.Theravada Buddhism and
2. Mahayana Buddhism
Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. Presently this Buddhist practice is spreading in Australia, Europe, North America, and Canada. Mahayana Buddhism was spread to North India, Tibet, Mongolia, Soviet Union, China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. This Buddhist practice is also spreading in European and American countries including Canada.

The two basic character istics of a Buddhist. One is his taking refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha the TISARANA- with confidence. The other is his observation of the Five Precepts – PANCASILA.

A perso who, out of confidence, accepts the Buddha as the perfect teacher who could guide, the Dhamma as the perfect teaching to be practised and the Sangha as the perfect example to be follwed, takes them as his refuges a long as his life lasts. After that he begins his spiritual journey leading to the ending of dukkha by his undertaking to observe the Five Percepts. This is because moral conduct or virtue, Sila forms the first lap in his forward march towards mental culture, Samadhi and wisdom, Panna. he begins this journey by earnestly declaring his intention to observe the Five Precepts which contain the minimum moral duties expected of a lay Buddhist.

He says:

1) I undertake to observe the precept regarding abstention from killing – panatipata veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami-
2) I undertake to observe the precept regarding absten – tion from anything not given. – adinnadana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami-
3) I undertake to observe the precept regarding absten- tion from indulging in unlawful sexual relations.. – Kamesu micchacara veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami-
4) I undertake to observe the precept regarding absten – tion from speaking lies. – musavada veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami-
5) I undertake to observe the precept regarding absten- tion from taking intoxicating drinks. –surameraya majjhapamadatthana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami-

The Five precepts are of personal as well as of social significance. A man is basically a private individual; but at the same time he has to be concerned not only about himself but also about the society in which he lives. All his actions influence the society and all actions of the society influence him. It is because of this mutual influence that an individual should lead a life that is beneficial to himself as well as to the society. observance of the Five Precepts helps to lead such a life.

The First Precept is about abstention from killing. Though his precept means abstention from killing any living being, its main focus, however, is on human beings. The Buddha teaches that life is very dear to all. E everyone has the right to live safely. This is a basic human right, and each member of the society should help to safeguard this right. The First Precept acknowledges this basic human right and makes everyone, who follows the teachings of the Buddha, to uphold this right. If each and every member undertakes to abstain from killing, then every member of the society will be abstain from killing, then every member of the society will be able to enjoy his basic right to safe living. The Second is about the safety of personal property. This, too, is a basic human right. When one declares to abstain from taking anything that is not given to him, it directly assures the safety of personal property of other members. When each and every member of a society agrees to uphold this precept naturally there will be no fear of losing one’s personal possessions. In a society where there is no stealing all members will be able to live with peace of mind enjoying their personal property. They will enjoy the Bhoga-sukha, the happiness of being able to enjoy one’s possessions without any obstructions.

Family is the basic unit of the society . The unity and strength of the society depends on the unity and strength of each family. It is mostly the women folk, specially the mother, that helps to strengthen the family unity. Therefore, to protect the family, protection of women in the family is very important. The Third precept is mainly aimed at protecting happy family life. This precept makes one undertake to refrain from indulging in sexual relations with women who are under the protection of others. A wife is under the protection of a husband, daughters are under the care and protection of parents, brothers and other elders. Similarly, unmarried females are under the custody of other elder members. Any attempt to have sexual relations with such protected female members is unlawful. Such attempts lead to severe conflicts and will certainly ruin families. A society in which there is no safety of family life is bound to decline.

The Fourth Precept is regarding telling lies. The Buddha has said that a person who is capable of telling lies is capable of any other crime. Though this precept is mainly about abstention from telling lies, it covers all forms of abuse of speech namely, lying, tale-bearing, harsh-speech and idle-talk. Speech is a unique power of man. It is an asset as well as a liability. The Buddha’s advice is to use speech carefully and speak what is right. If this is not possible one should observe golden silence.

Abuse of speech leads to misunderstandings, quarrels and even to murders. Proper use of speech brings about friendship, harmony, mutual understanding and co-operation. Therefore one should always be truthful; he should always try to speak good of others, what is beneficial to to others; never should one use harsh speech that units the feelings of others; never should one engage in idle-talk which does no good to anyone.

Addiction to intoxicants has always been a major social problem. This is more so now. Buddhism clearly points out that all intoxicants cause physical ailments and mental confusion. Besides, addiction to intoxicants courses loss of wealth loss of shame and reputation; it increases quarrels quarrels and conflicts. Intoxicants damage the brain, cause inactivity carelessness. They are called ‘maddening substances’. Buddhism is most concerned about the ill-effects intoxicants have on an individual’s intellect. They blunt the intellect and prevent the development of insight that enables one to see things as they truly are.


Abstention from these five wrong-doings is only the negative side of the Five Precepts . There is a positive side, too. While abstaining from killing one should do everything possible to make others live happily. While refraining from stealing, one should practice giving (dana).While abstaining from unlawful sexual relations one should even regulate one’s lawful sexual relations . While abstaining from speaking what is untrue , one should always be truthful, speak in appreciation of the good qualities of other , use pleasant speech and always engage in meaningful talk .While abstaining from intoxicants one should consume only what is not harmful to one’s physical and mental health.


Thus it is seen that the observance of the Five Precepts is beneficial to oneself , and to the whole , will contribute to make the world a pleasant place to live in.

mahapajapati Gotami was the younger sister of mahamaya or maya the mother of prince Siddhartha, When Maya died mahapajapati Gotami bacame the step-mother to nfant Siddhartha, She even paid more attention to him tan to her own son nanda, lest the orphan infant prince would feel the absence of his mother. She fed and nursed Siddhartha with love and tender care. Siddhartha, too, was extremely attached to her.

She, with king Suddhaodana, did everything possible to make Siddhartha’s life happy. When Siddhartha left household-life, she lamented very much. Since then she devoted all her time to look after the rest of the family, her husband, her son, and also yasodhara and Rahula. later when nanda and Rahula became nonks, she felt extremely sad and lonely. With the death of Suddhaodana the last strong bond that kept her bound to household-life snapped. She had no more reason to remain in the household. She waited for an opportunity to meet the Buddha and obtain his permission for ordination.

This opportunity came when the Buddha visited kapilavatthu to settle the dispute between Sakkyans and neighboring kolliyasn as to the right to use water form river Rohini. On this occasion mahapajapati Gotami led a deputation of a large number of women whose husbands had become monks,. and requested the Buddha to grant them permission to be ordained as bhikkhunis. But the Buddha refused permission thinking that it would create problems in the Buddhst community.

However, Mahapajapati Gotami and her followers did not given up hope, They got barbers to cut off their hair; dressed themselves in yellow robes and went on foot to Vesali, where the Buddha was. Walking along the rough, gravel road under the heat of the scorching sun their feet were covered with dust and were full of blisters.

Once again Mahapajapati Gotami pleaded with the Buddha for permission to be a bhikkhuni. The Buddha however, refused permission again. The she approached Venerable Ananda and informed him of their plight. he intervened on their behalf and spoke to the Buddha on three occasions, and on all three occasions he refused to grant permission. Then Venerable Ananda Decided to change his approach.

He very very reverntially asked the buddha whether the women are capable of understanding the Truth. The buddha said that they are quite capable. Venerable Ananda seized this opportunity and asked the Buddha, if that is so why not they be permitted to become bhikkhunis. The Buddha agreed with Venerable Ananda and granted them permission to become bhikkhunis subject to eight important conditions.

Mahapajapati Gotami became the first bhikkhuni. She was followed by many others including Yasodhara. And Within a very shot period the community of bhikkhunis increased in number, and among them were very illustrious bhikkhunis such as Kheme, Uppalavanna and Dhammadinna.

Wishing to attain that state of supreme peace
The skilled one should his virtue increase;
Efficient should he be; straightforward and upright
Disposed to agree, very gentle, humble downright.

Contented, easily supportable, in basic needs including food,
Having duties few, and practicing a simple livelihood
With all senses under control, careful and discreet
He should never be attached to families through greed.

He should never do even the slightest wrong
For which the wise would censure him with words strong.
He should wish, ‘May all be comfortable and secure;
May all be happy, with their minds made pure”

Whatever kinds of living beings that are there
Weak or strong, long, big or of size medium and fair,
Quite shot, very small whether bulky in size they are
Whether they are seen or not seen with eyes bare,
Whether living close be or not living close anywhere
Whether they are already born or seeking to be born somewhere
The one skilled in good and seeking that peaceful state
Should always wish for their happiness and welfare.

One should not by any means deceive another,
Nor should he ever look down upon the other
Let no one through anger and ill-will swear
For the downfall, harm and suffering of another
Just as a mother would guard her only child with care
Risking her own life in a manner bold and dare,
Even so he should develop boundless kindness of heart
Towards all living beings that are here and everywhere.

let boundless kindness of heat spread all round
All over the world with no exception found
High above, down and far across the world
With neither hatred nor enmity, keeping kindness under check and hold.
Whether one stands or walks around
Sits or lies down, wakeful with the mind sound
In all such postures he should be with mindfulness firm
This indeed is the “Sublime State here”, this they confirm.

Never filling prey to views that are not right
Having developed virtue and possessing sharp insight
Giving up greed for sense-pleasures, allowing none to remain
Such a person is certainly not destined to be reborn again.

Emperor Asoka was a famous ruler of India who came to the throne somewhere around 268 B. C. originally he seems to have been a follower of either the Jain religion or Ajivaka religion.The Buddhist tradition is that he developed an interest in Buddhism after he met the young Buddhist novice monk called Nigrodha He is considered the ideal Buddhist king who clearly demonstrated how the teaching of the Buddha , both concerning general virtue and the norms that should be observed by a righteous ruler, could be put into practice. His seryice to Buddhism is two-fold . He helped to spread and establish Buddhism throughout his Maurya Empire . He also contributed to make Buddhism known outside India .
As a ruler he treated all his subjects like his own children. He openly declared that all his subjects are his children , and that his desire is to see them working in unity to achieve success in this world and in next . He was totally dedicated to work for the well-being of his subjects. He was always accessible to the people. His subjects could meet him at any time without even a prior appointment , if they had any urgent matter to inform him. Following the concept of Cakkavatta-raja (Universal King) given in Buddhist books ,he extended his compassion and protection not only to the people , but also to birds and beasts . Being disgusted with war and bloodshed , he practised non-violence (ahimsa). He stopped the slaughter of animals for food even in his own palace .
His concern and compassion for people and even animals was such that he established hospitals for both . He planted numerous kinds of trees that he thought were useful for both human beings and animals . These trees provided not only fruits, but also shade and shelter.
He seems to have been very thorough with his knowledge of Buddhism. He picked up most suitable suttas and displayed them in his inscriptions, so that the people could read and try to follow them. He tried to encourage people to develop good, cordial social relations as taught by the Buddha in the Sigalovada Sutta. He advised the people regarding how to lead a happy and contented life.
His tolerance was such that he never looked down upon any religion. In one of his Edicts he says:
“One should not honour only one’s own religion and condemn the religions of others. One should honour other religions for whatever reason they are worth . By doing this, one helps one’s own religionto grow and serves other religions also. In honouring only one’s own religion and condemning other religions one will be digging the grave of one’s religion and also doing harm to other religions. Whosoever honours one’s own religion and condemn other religions certainly does so with great devotion to his own religion thinking, ‘I will glorify my own religion’ . But ,by doing this he only harms his own religion . Therefore, unity and harmony is good . Let all listen and willing to listen to and be willing to the religions taught by others.”
While protecting and propagating Buddhism he helped other religions also . He gave up harmful practices such as hunting ; and instead went on pilgrimages to sacred places. On such pilgrimages he looked into the problems of his subjects and took immediate steps to solve as much of their problems as he could. He appointed special officers called Dharmamahamatras to be in charge of religious affairs and to see to the religious needs of the people. They monitored all religious activities and their success and kept the Emperor informed about all such activities .It is said that he erected a large number of shrines and monasteries and provided all the requisites for the monks.
One of his greatest contributions is the patronage given to the Third Council held under the Chairmanship of Venerable Moggaliputta Tissa .He extended his co-operation to Venerableb Moggaliputta Tissa to cleanse the Sasana, to rehearse the Dhamma-Vinaya and Abhidhamma, and above all to send Buddhist missions to countries beyond his vast empire and even to countries beyond the sea. The history says that it was he who was greatly responsible for taking steps to establish Buddhism in Sri Lanka. It is said that Emperor Asoka, before the coming of the Buddhist mission to Sri Lanka, sent a personal request king Devanampiyatissa, requesting him to embrace Buddhism as he himself did. Tradition also says that it was he who was responsible in sending his own son, Venerable Mahinda, and daughter Sanghamitta Theri to Sri Lanka. Later Emperor Asoka obliged even by sending a branch from the sacred Bodhi tree.
Thus it is seen that he was a great Buddhist Emperor and that it was he who was greatly responsible for making the world share the teachings of the Buddha.

THE TRIPITAKA

The Sanskrit term Tripitaka and the Pali term Tipiotaka both denote the Buddhist Canon or the collection of the sacred Buddhist texts. In this collection, which is in the Pali language, is contained all discourses preached by the Buddha.

The Buddha spent forty-five years [reaching to the people. The Discourese he nade were well remembered by his senior Arahant disciples. They with great care and dedication learnt them by heart and preserved them in memory.

At the earliest stage the Buddha discoursed mainly on doctrinal matters or Dhamma. His instructions regarding disciplinary matters, too, were included in these discourses. Later, when the number of monks increased it became necessary to formulate numerous rules regarding discipline. These disciplinary rules, too, were separately memorized by Arahant discipes. As all these were spoken by the Buddha they came to be referred to as the “words of the Buddha” or Buddhavacana. This is the tem by which the teachings of the Buddha were known at the beginning. As these teachings contained matters relationg to both doctrine (dhamma) and discipline (vinaya), they were collectively referred to as Dhamma-Vinaya. The term buddhism is an English term used by Western writers to name the whole teaching of the buddha, its practice as well as numerous rites and rituals related to it.

During the life-time of the Buddha these teachings remained scattered. At the First Council, held three months after the passing away of the Buddha, these were rehearsed and systematically arranged by senior Arahant disciples of the Buddha.

Discipline was regarded as the life-code of the Sasana (dispensation). Therefore, all the rules of discipline (vinaya) were collected and properly arranged as if in a ‘basket’ (pitaka). hence, this was called the Vinaya Pitaka. A group of senior Arahant disciples headed by Venerable Upali was entrusted with the task of preserving the Vinaya Pitaka in memory and passing it on to the future generation.

The Buddha’s discourses on Dhamma are in descriptive, narrative style (sutta). These discourses, too, were collected and arranged under five different divisions (nikayas). This arrangement was done mainly based on their length, similarty of the subjects discussed in them, and so on. These five divisions are:

1) Digha Nikaya, 34 long discourses
2) Majjhima Nikaya, 152 middle length discourses
3) Samyutta Nikaya, 2859 short discourses
4) Anguttara Nikaya, 2308 short discourses
5) Khuddaka Nikaya, an assorted collection of a number of texts such as the Dhammapada, Jataka, Thera-theri gatha etc.

As all these discourses are in Sutta-style the whole collection was called the Sutta Pitaka .The Vinaya Pitaka and Sutta Pitaka were once again rehearsed at the Second Council . Along with these two Pitaka there grew another type of religious literature . This was the result of the attempts made by the learned monks to pick out the more philosophical teachings in the Sutta-Pitaka and present them separately .These learned monks felt that the Sutta-style was not suitable to present the philosophical teachings of the Buddha.They wanted to present them in a precise style, devoid of all unnecessary description.
By the time of the Third Council there were six such compilations.A seventh was added by Venerable Moggaliputts Tissa. These collections, along with the Vinaya and Sutta Pitakas were rehearsed at this Council.This new collection was named Abhidhamma Pitaka, collection or basket containing the “special” or “supplementary”(abhi) Dhamma. With this addition the Buddhit Canon come to be known as the Tripataka, literally meaning the “Three Baskets”.
The Tripataka was handed down orally by Arahant monks who great care to preserve it the present from. For the first time it was written down around 80 B.C. in SriLanka, at a temple called Aluvihara. This temple exists even at present.
Parallel to this Pali Tripitaka of Theravada school, other schools of Buddhism also had their Canons . These were in Sanskrit language .Unlike the Pali Canon , the Sanskrit Canon is not completely extant. The available texts show similarities as well as differences among them.

Writer: S.K. BARUA

Buddhism may have come to Bamiyan of Afghanistan soon after 260 B.C when Emperor Ashoka of India occupied this reign But the impetus to build the great monuments arose during the reign of king kanishka, the ruler who in the 2nd century A.D made his estate covering the northern part of Indian subcontinent and Afghanistan, for a while the most powerful realm in central Asia kanishka who belonged to kushans, a dynasty of central Asian origin was also a great devotee of Mahayana Buddhism and spent vast sums on devotional works.

(2) In a valley in the remote mountains of Afghanistan king kanishka constructed the world’s Largest Buddha statue 53 meters tall. Forming the parts of the southern slope of Hindu-kush Mountain, the Great statue was sheltered and curved from the rock. The standing figure of this Buddha-statue, that raised the massive right hand in the protective gasture of Abhayamudra and drapping of robe on the left shoulder, reflect those of this dynasty’s great Art centre at Gandhara, in what is now the valley of Peshawar in north western Pakistan. On the same cliff- side 1200 meters to the east another seated- Buddha statue 35 meters height was also constructed, that looks over the valley of Bamiyan, 18 miles away from the main town.

Also the mighty caves were cut and curved out of solid rock from the stupendous Hindu-kush Mountain to establish cave monasteries. The Buddhist monks adopted in an itinerant life and moved from place to place from caves to rock-cut dwellings, for their missionary work. Thus on the cool and peaceful hills as in Bamiyan rose number of marvelous cave-monasteries surrounding the hilly places of Afghanistan.

In 632 A.D a scholarly pilgrim, Hsuan Tsang from china visited Bamiyan and wrote that the Great-Buddha statues glistened with gold and jewels, providing a picturesque country side with one of the world’s most impressive artistic mouments. The valley of Bamiyan is a place of serenity where the pounding stress of urban and industrial life seems very distant. A place to draw tourists certainly. During the main tourist season the weather remain temperate and the altitude being about 2600 meters.

The pilgrims Hsuan Tsang may have stayed in one of the remarkable cave monastery, cut into the cliff-side surrounding the seated Buddha statue. The system of this man-made cave comprise individual monks cell, sanctuary, meeting room connecting corridoor around a central point. The ceiling of some of the chambers are made up of false beams carved in a pattern used by the inhabitants of Pamir Mountain. The facade screne intact with the structure of the cathedral, produce light, streaming through, to illuminate the interior of the cave sanctuary.


It was never thought of any danger from man’s violence to these open-air, Great monumental statues. But a thousand years later, there seems to be a menace that the natural process could seriously damage the Buddha statues. Great shifts in temperature, erosion by wind and by water seeping down from the surface of the plateau where the cliff-side supports the statues may cause a damaging crack.

In the century following Hsuan Tsang’s visit Yakub-ibn-Lath, a Muslim ruler belonging to a local Iranian dynasty seized Bamiyan in 871AD and took-away the ‘Idol’ and the Sanskrit religions manuscripts to Baghdad, the then seat of the caliphate for research work.

In the 13th century AD a conqueror Cenghinz khan from Mongolia, succeeded in capturing Bamiyan after a great loss of man-power. He avenged it by ordering annihilation of all living being in the vicinity. Thus Bamiyan was utterly destroyed. In time new settlements arose, but the valley was never again a place of cultural and commercial importance, of course the great statues and empty cave sanctuary remained and endured till the end of 20th century AD.

Some time around 1940 at the invitation of the Afghan Government, a team of Indian experts were working on reinforcing the statues and their artistic restoration. They have errected a brick buttress against the rock face, just to the west of the seated Buddha statue, to prevent the collasp of the cracked stair-ways linking the cave sanctuary and completed all the repair works within the specific time.

Later the Afghan Government called on UNESCO to study how Bamiyan could be made into a major Tourist attraction. Two UNESCO experts visited Bamiyan in July 1970 and drawn a detailed plan and submitted it to the Afghan Government They have recommended the restoration work for the routes and conserve the ruins of Shahr-I-Zarak and shahr-i-gulgula and the construction of a good road, linking Kabul and Bamiyan and if possible the road should extend to the beautiful Lake of Band-I-Amir not far from the valley. And also an upto-date residential Hotel may be constructed for the tourists. They have firmly urged that the agricultural economy in the valley be maintained, protected and aided. It is only through the farming of the local people that Bamiyan can remain a living place and not turn into a lifeless open air museum.

Implementing such an ambitious plan would require technical and material aid from many countries. The United Nation should also be asked to finance the project.

Unfortunately a few years latter, king Zaheer shah of Afghanistan was dethroned and a civil war broke out through out the country. The war prolonged till to day and the destruction of men and materials were committed by different groups of the terrorists.




At the end of the 20th century, to the astonishment of the entire world and the Buddhist-world in particular, a group of Muslim religious fanatic of Afghanistan surprisingly destroyed the two Great Buddha statues of Bamiyan by firing heavy machine guns and highly explosive grenades. They were motivated to destroy the tourist spot of Bamiyan, so that the remote area of the Tranquil valley will prevail silence forever. And no tourist will ever assemble to visit such an impressive artistic site of Bamiyan. By committing such a criminal offence, they have successfully conformed their safe and most secured shelter in that remarkable cave- monastery.

Basically all these criminal acts committed by the Afghan terrorist group were to divert the attention of the world and take time to formulate their original plan. Just three months after the destruction of the Buddha statues i.e, on 11-9-2001 AD the well–trained suicide squared of the terrorist group high-jacked two PAN-AM Boeing Aircrafts and took control of the cock-pit and crushed head on to the Tween-Tower of the Washington D.C, killing more than two thousand innocent public.

In retreat the US. Commando Pilot launched the most sophisticated rockets and made heavy Bombardment and destroyed all-most all the cave monasteries of the Afghan hilly places, killing thousands of terrorists that took shelter in those cave sanctuary.

Buddhism and women

In ancient India the position of women dose not appear to have been a very happy one. Generally women seem to have been looked upon as being inferior to men. And, at times they were considered as being on the same level as the Sudras, wiew appears to be that they had to be under the care of parents in their childhood, under the protection of husbands in their youth; and in their old age they had to be under the control of their sons. Therefore, it was thought that they fo not deserve any freedom. Their main role was considered to be that of housewives, managing the affairs in the house according to the wishes of their husbands.

Even as a wife the life of a woman was often miserable. This was specially so when she had the misfortune of being a co-wife. Jealousies and conflicts between co-wives were a common feature in ancient Indian society. The widw’s plight was still worse. Normally, a window was noit allowed to remarry. It is said that a widow had to kill herself by jumping into the funeral pyre of her husband.

Women did not have educational freedom. Education was not considered as being of any importance to women. Their religious freedom, too, was restricted. As they had only little freedom, their chances of performing meritorious religious rites, too, were very limited.

Generally a woman was considered a burden on the family because the males had to bear the responsibility of looking after her. Besides, she was incapable of performing religious rites for the well -being of the departed parents, and therefore, she was considered as being of little use. This is why the birth of a female child was considered as a sign of misfortune in a family. Parents prayed for the birth of sons, both to carry on the family name and traditions and also to perform the necessary religious rites for their benefit when they are dead and gone. How miserable the father felt at the birth of a daughter is seen from the event connected with King Pasenadi Kosala. When this King was informed that his queen gave birth to a daughter he come to the Buddha and lamented. The Buddha had to pacify him saying that good daughters are as good as good sons.

Buddhism dose not consider women as being inferior to men. Buddhism, while accepting the biological and physical differences between the two sexes, dose consider men and women to be equally useful to the society. The Buddha emphasises the fruitful role the women can play and should play as a wife, a good mother in making the family life a success. In the family both husbands and wives are expected to share equal responsibility and discharge their duties with equal dedication. The husband is admonished to cansider the wife a friend, a companion, a partner. In family affairs the wife was expected to be a substitute for the husband when the husband happened to be indisposed. In fact, a wife was expected even to acquaint herself with the trade, business or industries in which the husband engaged, so that she would be in a position to manage his affairs in his absence. This shows that in the Buddhist society the wife occupied an equal position whit the husband.

The Buddha’s advice to the King Pasenadi Kosala, who was a close devotee of his, clearly shows that Buddhism dose not consider the birth of a daughter as a cause for worry and despair.

Buddhism does restrict neither the educational opportunities of women nor the religious freedom. The Buddha unhesitatingly accepted that women are capable of realizing the Truth, just as men are. This is why he permitted the admission of women into the Order, though he was not in favour of it at the beginning because he thought their admission would create problems in the Sasana. Once women proved their capability of managing their affairs in the Order , the Buddha recognize their abilities and talents, and gave them responsible positions in the Bhikkhuni Sangha. The Buddhist texts record of eminent saintly Bhikkhunis, who were very learned and who were experts in preaching the Dhamma. Dhammadinna was one such bhikkhuni,n Khema nad uppalavanna are two others.

The theri-gatha contains numerous stanzas that clearly express the feelings of joy experienced by saintly bhikkhunis at their ability to enter the Order and realize the Truth.

S.K. Barua

Every religion has certain sacred objects of devotion in which the followers are exported to have confidence. it is the fervent belief in this sacred objects which awaken the religious impulse in a man and which in turn inspire him to lead a religious life. In Buddhism, the solemn assertion of truth, based on absolute truth, is a spiritual power, formulated to avert the impending catastrophe and also to word-off the influence of evil sprits dispel fear and ailment.
The motive power an assertion of truth (Satya Kriya is mind-force. The strong aspiration of a man is bound to achieve its desired results. Firm determination and a strong will could therefore fulfill a man’s wish. Of course, to produce the desired effect the assertor should be a person of moral integrity and he should possess the particular virtue on which he relied to make the assertions.
To bring this creative force into practice, it is of primary importance for us to understand the nature of powers of life all about, to learn the most suitable method of using them, to acquire knowledge of the best way to combine them together so that the motive power we seek may dawn within our heart.
We can attain the highest state of mental development by an earnest effort, but it is to note that we cannot always force the effort or energy, form ourselves despite our resolve . Energy (Vijja) can only arise if the right conditions are present. The motivation to do good and cease to do evil are the factors that can stimulate the energy. In this way we can employ a mighty mind force by right understanding for our own welfare and that of all beings.

It is the highly developed mind force that led Prince Siddharta, in his last struggle to attain the enlightenment. Underneath the Bodhi Tree at Uruvela he sat, with a firmed determination “Let my flesh and blood dry up, my skin, ligaments and bones, but from this seat, i rise not till the perfect Enlightenment is attained”
Ultimately, he won, and in winning that last flight, Prince Siddhartha become the Buddha, a fully Enlightened One . There are in our holy Tripitaka many instances were Arahants had done the acts of truth. Our jataka book is rich in acts of truth . In same jataka we find that, the mother of Bodhisatta made an assertion of truth to revive her only son who was in death bed, resulting from a lathel does of poison. Her act of truth ran thus , If it be true that sama lived virtuously and spokes the truth and nursed his poisons night and day, may it over power the poisons strength and may our darling Son not die. Sama did not die, he was restored to life . Here the assertor and the assertee possesss the sama virtue. In maha Sutasoma jataka , the Bodhitta made an assertion of truth which brought solace and comfort to those who were in imminent peril of life.Here Bodhisatta stands the ideal example of truth .It was his persistent aim never to deviate from the path of truth. This is the potency of the act of truth . Eversince Angulimala joined Bhikkhu Sangha , he had maintained such a high sense of purity of life , so much so that , he was able to relieve the pains of a young mother and effect a safe delivery ,by making the following act of truth ,Since my birth in Buddha’s Order (Sangha) ,O sister ,I know not that i have intentionally killed any living being . By this truth may . You be well , may the child you bear be born well. It is an intance no ted for it’s peculiar circumstance and the act of truth attributed to the Arahanta , Angulimala . The twenty-three Paritran Sutras (Discourse of Protrcrion) found scattered in five Nikayas of the Sutra Pitaka , are a from of Satya Kriya (Act of Truth) of depending on the truth for protection, justification or attainment. Devotion to these discourse and full concentration of mind to the recitation, tend to stimulate the potrntial energy in man . A person who recites or listens to these sayings of Buddha, with complete confidence or Sadda, will acquire such a virtuous State of mind that may enable him to conquer any civil influence.

The Ratana Sutra (Jewel Discourse) is one of the most supreme act of truth among the many acts of truth perfotmed by the Buddha. The occasion for the assertion of truth was originated in the City of Visali when the country was ravaged by famine and epidemic. Buddha visited the place and directed the Bhiddshu Sandha to recite the Ratana Sutta and asked them to sprinkle the holy water from His alms bowl. In all there are twelve acts of truth in it, each act of truth emphasizes the distinctive virtues of the Buddha; the Dhamma and the Sangha. (Tripple Gem). At the end of each stanza buddha blessed every one saying, “BY THIS ACT OF TRUTH MAY ALL BEINGS BE HAPPY AND BLISSFUL.” At the end of the proceedings a welcome shower fell upon the city to the great relief of the Citizons, Great was the rejoicing in the land!
It is the Solemn assertion of truth, a mighty mind-forcer and it’s potential energy that bring relief to the sorely tormented Vijjis of Vaisali.
The mind of a person given to just passion and execssive indulgence in pleasure of the senses is really defiled. If a person harbors ill-will toward others, he is far from purity, Ravenge malice pride, intolerance, self-gratifi. caption and other fallings of that nature are the defilements of mind. These defilements take hold of the mind. and keep the mind under thir sway. As such, the mind-force of a common person is comparartively low. The mindforce of a person who has suppressed the defilements by wisdom is more power ful. And the mind force of the coppassionate Buddha, who has exter-minated and rooted out all defilements is indeed the most powerful. It has the power to penetrate the cosmos and go beyond the confines of time and space to the unconditioned.
The vices latent in a man seem to be almost natural and spontenous, and it is equally true that every vice possesses it’s opposite sterling virtue. Greed, hatred and delusion (lobha, dosa, moha) which are the deepest roots of human sorrow, must eventually be ower come and eliminated through coltivation of virtue, contemplation and wisdom (Sila, Shmadhi and Panna). The four other vices namely Dosa (Anger), Himsha (cruelty), lssa (Jealousy) and the attachment to pleasurable and aversion of non-plea-surable are the evil forces which can be subdued or eleminated by cultivationg the sublime virtues. Metta (lovingkindess), karuna (copassion), Mudita (Appreciable joy)and upekka (Equenimity) are collectively termed as Brahmavihara. These four sterling virtues tend to elevate man. if cultured throughly, it chn subdue all defilements and can transform a man into a supermen. The sublime state of mind has the power to counteract all hostile influences. The cossation of attachment to self and eradication of all defilements are the final goals of Buddhism. To atain the highest state of mental development, the first step to practive is the moral conduct (sila) which consists of trainging oneself to restrain from killing, stealing, adultery, falsespeech and intoxicating-drind (Pancha Silla). The second step to practice is mental training by concentration of mind (Samadhi and thirs step is the practice of the highest knowledge (Panna or wisdom) which when carefully cultivated, lead a man from darkness ton light, from passion to dispassion and from turmoil to tranquillty.
Meditation develops the power of mind, it sharpens the willpower by which the meditator
chn penetrate into the subtle problems of life. By cultivating the seven fold purification (shpta visuddhi) as illustrated in the visuddhi magga, a devotee can purify his know-ledge or attain wisdom through seven successive stages.
Hence, this is the only way through which one could manage to attain the potential energy to get rid of his sufferings and maintain peace and hurmony ny using his effort and wisdom.

SABBE SATTA SUKHITA HONTU
MAY ALL BEINGS BE HAPPY.