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The Light of the Dhamma Vol II No 1, November, 1953 1 Vol. II No. 1 2 Electronic Publishers Notice: This work has been republished by Pariyatti as an electronic publication. All of the addresses and contact information provided in this online edition of The Light of the Dhamma are no longer valid. They have been included here for historical purposes. Questions or comments regarding this electronic publication can be addressed to [email protected] For other issues in this series please visit www.pariyatti.org/treasures PARIYATTI 867 Larmon Road Onalaska, Washington 98570 USA 360.978.4998 www.pariyatti.org Pariyatti is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the world by - disseminating the words of the Buddha, - providing sustenance for the seeker’s journey, and - illuminating the meditator’s path. 2 The LIGHT of the DHAMMA VOL. II No. 1 2497 B.E. November 1953 C.E. 3 THE LIGHT OF THE DHAMMA 1. Please regard this not just as a quarterly magazine but as a continuing service for Buddhism. Your frank criticism will be welcomed in a Buddhist spirit and if there are any questions pertaining to Buddhism that we can answer or help to answer, we are yours to command. 2. Any articles herein may be quoted, copied, reprinted and translated free of charge without further reference to us. Should you care to acknowledge the source we would be highly appreciative. 3 Foreign subscription. (including postage to any part of the world) is but the equivalent of sh 9/- (Nine Shillings) sterling per annum. HOW TO REMIT In any country subscribing to the International Postal Union, International Postal Certificates are obtainable from the post office. TRADING BANKS can usually advise, in other cases, how small remittances may be made. THE EDITOR, “THE LIGHT OF ThE DHAMMA” Union Buddha Sasana Council 16, Hermitage Road, Kokine Rangoon, Union 0f Burma 4 Vol. II 2497 B.E. November 1953 C.E. No. 1 CONTENTS Editorial Page Att± & Anatt± (by Venerable U Thittila) 6 Shrines of Burma No. 5 “Soolay Pagoda” (by U Ohn Ghine) 8 Right Protection (by Venerable Nyanaponika) 10 The Bodh Gaya Temple Act 14 Propagating the True Dhamma (by Francis Story) 18 Message in English from the Sangha of Burma 23 Message in English from the Sangha of Ceylon 27 Doctrine of Reason (by Venerable Jinananda) 29 Book Reviews 36 Notes & News 47 Glossary 51 Also in the original publication were: C±tumh± Sutta (Translated by P±li Department, University of Rangoon.) Dhammapada Commentary (Translated by P±li Department, University of Rangoon) Vipassan± Dipan² (by Venerable Ledi Sayadaw) and Messages in P±li from the Venerable Sangha of Burma & Ceylon 5 The Venerable Patamagyaw U Thittila 6 Discourse on ATT¾ and ANATT¾ (A discourse delivered by Venerable Ashin Thittila to the members of the Staff and students of the University of Rangoon.) At the time of the Buddha in India, there The qualities of hardness and softness of all were two schools of thought about Att±, the material objects are two phases of this element. Self or Soul which is the immaterial and It can be found in earth, water, fire and air, but immortal part of man. One was Nihilism which it preponderates in earth and therefore it is was known as the Uccheda system of called the element of earth. philosophy and taught that a being comes to a (2) The element of cohesion which is known complete end with its death, for at death life as the element of water because of its ends like the flame of a candle that has burnt preponderance in water though it is present in out and there is nothing more beyond that. earth, water, fire and air. It is this element which The other was Eternalism which was known coheres the scattered atoms of matter and forms as the Sassata System of philosophy and laid into mass or bulk or lump. great stress on the belief in Att±. It taught that (3) The element of heat which matures all the disbelief in existence of Att± does not tend objects of matter. Although it preponderates in towards religion and that without the belief in fire and therefore is called the element of fire it there could not be any way of salvation. it includes cold, for heat and cold are two According to this teaching, the “ Soul,” when phases of this element. Preservation and decay freed from its material limitations, would attain of all material objects are due to this element. perfect release just as the wild bird would do (4) The element of motion which is the when liberated from its trap. When the Self power of supporting or resisting. Movement and discerned its immaterial nature, it would attain vibration are due to this element. true deliverance. These four elements are inseparable and There are many people in the world today inter-related. All forms of matter are primarily who hold the latter view. They say that the Self, composed of these elements, every material Att±, is indefinable, beyond all apprehension, object being a combination of them in one that it is neither body nor sensation nor proportion or another. But as soon as the same perception nor the mental activities nor the matter is changed into different forms the consciousness and that it is something which composite things are held to be mere lies behind all these. If one were to assume the conceptions presented to the mind by the existence of such a “something behind”, then particular appearance, shape or form. there is no reason why there may not be another A piece of clay, for example, may be called “something behind”, behind that “something cup, plate, pot, jar and so on, according to the behind”. And so one would fall into an endless several shapes it assumes but these objects can series of such. be analysed and reduced into fundamental According to Buddhism, apart from mind elements which alone exist in an ultimate sense. and matter, N±ma and R³pa, which Constitute The terms, cup, plate and so on are mere the so-called being, there is-no such thing as conceptions which have no separate essential an immortal Soul, Att±, which lies behind them. substance other than the elements. According Matter, R³pa, is the visible form of invisible to the Abhidhamma Philosophy there are qualities and forces which are known in P±li as twenty-eight types of material qualities which Mah±-Bh³tas, essential elements. They are constitute the physical body of an animate fourfold: being, but just to show the primary elements (1) The element of extension which is the on which the other twenty-four material fundamental principle of Matter. It is this qualities are based, only the four Mah±-Bhutas, element which enables objects to occupy space. are mentioned here. 7 Mind, N±ma namely the characteristic of Anatt±, the absence Mind which is the most important part in a of a permanent, unchanging self or soul. It is being, is essentially a stream of consciousness this doctrine of Anatt±, no-soul, for which and it can be expressed by the word “Thought”. Buddhism stands and on which Buddhism Thought, however, is not simply a physiological differs from other religions. If the wheels and function but a kind of energy, something like axles, the floorboards and sides, the shafts and electricity. Thoughts and radiations of currents all other parts are removed from a cart what of thought are mental elements of the mental remains? The answer is “nothing”, and the world which correspond to the four material combination of all these parts is called a cart. elements of the physical world. A being is In exactly the same way the combination of essentially the manifestation of its thought- the five aggregates is called a being which may forces which are in a state of flux. assume as many names as its types, shapes, forms and so on may vary according to the If the forces of the thoughts are developed mode of physical and mental changes. they become by their degree of perfection finer and higher energies of thought, and if they are If there is no Att±., the self or soul, what is it further developed they become sufficiently that moves from life to life, changing all the strong to overcome the gravitational sphere of time until it enters into the state of Nibb±na the earth. The currents of thoughts which are which is the only unchanging Reality ? not capable of overcoming the gravitational The answer is the uninterrupted process of sphere of the earth, remain within that sphere psycho-physical phenomena or the composition of the earth, within the circulation of all things. of the five aggregates which is called a being. But they will form a new type of life, so a The process of this psycho-physical current of thought, though subject to change, phenomenon called a being is constantly is not lost; it will continue its life and manifest moving and changing like the current of a river itself in a new being of some kind according to (Nadisotoviya). This state of constant change, its tendencies. In this way this circulation of Anicca, is also one of the three fundamental life and death goes on forever until and unless characteristics of phenomenal existence. What it is checked by the development of the mind. is constantly changing cannot be restful, The Buddha’s analysis of the mind shows peaceful or satisfactory. The unsatisfactory that the mind consists of the four mental nature, a state of unrest or non-peace, Dukkha, aggregates, namely (1) The sensations or is the other fundamental characteristic of all feelings of whatever kind (vedan±), (2) the phenomenal existence.
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