The Four Assemblies and Therava.Da Buddhism 104). 1

THE FOUR ASSEMBLIES AND THERAVA.DA BUDDHISM Prof. Bhikkhu Analayo Introduction disciples is what distinguishes a Buddhist In this paper I examine two significant tradition from a tradition that is not Buddhist. developments in the Theravada tradition According to the Lakkha1Ja-sutta, also from the viewpoint of the Pali canonical founq in the Digha-nikaya, the wheel-marks teaching that the four assemblies- bhikkhus, · on the soles of the Buddha's feet foretold bhikkhunis, male lay disciples, and female hjs destiny of being s�rr01.;mded by these lay disciples- are the necessary foundation four assemblies. (DN III 148). This makes for the Buddha's teaching to thrive. ThesP possession of four assemblies an integral, in two developments are the revival of lay fact indispensable, aspect of the Buddha's meditation and the revival of vhikkhuni ministry. A discourse in the AJJguttara ordination. nikaya highlights the rather unfortunate The Four Assemblies condition of being reborn in a "border According to the Mahaparinibbiina-sutta country", which is a country where the four of the Digha-nikiiya, the Buddha proclaimed assemblies of Buddhist disciples cannot be that he would not pass away until he had found (AN IV 226). established members of each of the four The Mahiivacchagotta-sutta of the Majjhima assemblies in being "wise, well-trained, and -nikiiya reports that, on hearing that each of self-confident", vyattii vinztii visiiradii (DN 11 these four assemblies of Buddhist disciples 104). 1 This passage makes it unmistakably had reached various levels of awakening, the lt clear that an essential foundation for the wanderer Vacchagotta decided to join the Buddha's mission of teaching the Dharma ranks of the Buddhist monastic order (MN was that bhikkhus as well as bhikkhunzs, and I 491). This stands in contrast to numerous male as well as female lay disciples, are wise other occasions when he approached and well-trained, and that they are also self the Buddha or his disciples with various . confident. questions, without the resulting discussion The four assemblies come up again in inspiring him sufficiently to want to go the Piisadika-sutta of the same Digha-nikiiya, forth as a Buddhist monk2. The message which sets the Buddha's possession of four that emerges on comparing these passages assemblies of such wise and self-confident to the Mahiivacchagotta-sutta is that even disciples in contrast to other teaching detailed replies to his questions could not traditions under the leadership of someone achieve what was eventually accomplished who is not a fully awakened Buddha (DN through the inspiring example set by the Ill 125). In other words, having these four accomplishments attained by each of the assemblies of wise and self-confident four assemblies. Prof. Analayo, Professor, Department of Buddhist Studies, University of Humburg, Humburg, Germany. The Maha Bodhi 1113 In sum, there can be little doubt that the The same Etadagga-vagga of the Pali discourses consider the four assemblies Anguttara-nikiiya also presents the female to be of fundamental importance for the lay disciples Uttarii and Sii.miivatfas foremost thriving of the Buddha's dispensation, the in meditation or in the practice of loving siisana. Their coming into being is seen as an kindness, metta (AN I 26). An example integral aspect of the Buddha's mission and for a male lay disciple accomplished in forms a distinctive mark of the Buddhist meditation is Pessa in the Kandaraka-suttaI tradition. This in turnimplies that any living who in front of the Buddha describes Buddhist tradition that orients itself on the his practice of the four establishments of mindfulness, satipafthiina (MN I 340). Other values enshrined in the Pali canon needs lay practitioners proficient in satipatfhiina to ensure that these four assemblies are in are Siriva<;i<;iha and Manad!nna, mentioned existence, and that each of these assemblies · in the Sarttyutta-nikiiya (SN V .177f). The has the opportunity to develop wisdom, to householder Citta even confutes the leader train themselves well, and in this way to of the Jains by proclaiming his expertise in become self-confident. attaining the four absorptions, jhana (SN Central for the development of wisdom IV 298). This discourse shows him to have and a way of training oneself in such a indeed become wise and self-confident, to way as to become self-confident would the extent of successfully confronting the of course be the practice of meditation. leader of the Jains in a debate situation. The canonical sources in fact repeatedly Lay Meditation refer to accomplished meditators not only In later Theraviida tradition, the among bhikkhus, but also among bhikkhunls involvement of lay disciples in mindfulness as well as Jay disciples. The Etadagga practice or the cultivation of absorption vagga of the Anguttara-nikiiya presents appears to have gradually diminished in various named bhikkhunis as foremost in favour of a stronger emphasis on ritual meditation, as well as in the attainments activities and the practice of supporting that result from meditation, such as the the monastic community through offerings quick gaining of direct knowledge, the and services. The revival of large scale lay divine eye, recollection of past lives, and meditation practice during the twentieth supernormal powers (AN I 25). Needless century, in particular the cultivation of to say, the fact that, for example, bhikkhuni insight, vipassanii, appears to have been in Uppalavm:z�Jii is foremost in supernormal considerable part inspired by the activities powers implies that other bhikkhunis also of the Ledi Sayiidaw in Myanmar.3 In had such abilities, albeit not to the high particular the approach to the cultivation of degree to which these had been mastered vipassanii taught by the Mahiisi Sayiidaw has by Uppalava�JIJii. There can be little doubt spread far and wide, becoming a formative that the ancient bhikkhunfs were reckoned to influence in the revival of lay meditation in have been highly accomplished meditators. the Theraviida tradition. TheMaha Bodhi 1114 The vipassana teachings by the Mahiisi in spite of initial resistance by traditional Sayadaw did not meet with undivided bhikkhus, has been successful and resulted approval from the outset. Some traditional in a range of beneficial effects. Although bhikkhus in Sri Lanka were concerned that not all of the modem applications of the method he taught did not conform mindfulness conform to the set of values to the canonical scriptures. For them this that inform traditional Buddhist practice, raised doubts about the potential of this there can be no doubt about the overall style of meditation to lead to genuine forms positive repercussions of thi� development. of realization.4 In spite of such criticism, Equipped with the possibility to cultivate however, the insight meditation as taught meditative insight,. lay disciples of the by the Mahasi Sayadaw continued to spread Theravada tradition are nowadays able to throughout Asia, including Sri Lanka itsc!f, cultivate wisdom and self-confidence in a andeventually also reached the West. In the manner that would not have been possible United States the Insight Meditation Society in the past, when they had little or even no in Massachusetts, originally founded in access to meditation instructions. 1975 by Sharon Salzberg, Joseph Goldstein, The Loss of bhikkhunf Ordination and Jack Komfield, has bten continually In addition to the loss of regular lay offering courses and instructions in the meditation practice, in the course of history cultivation of liberating insight and has the Theravada tradition also lost its bhikkhunf become a central force in the spread of ordination lineage. Introduced during vipassaniimeditation in the West. the reign of king Asoka to Sri Lanka by Among the many thousands of Sanghamitta and a group of bhikkhunfsfrom practitioners who have attended a India, at some point in the early eleventh retreat at the Insight Meditation Society century the bhikkhuni order appears to in Massachusetts was Jon Kabat-Zinn. have come to an end. This seems to have Experiencing for himself the benefits of happened during a time of warfare and mindfulness practice led him to the intuition inner turmoil that had forced many of the to promote its use in a hospital setting. bhikkhus to leave the country. According to Starting at the Stress Reduction Clinic at our present state of knowledge, at that time the University of Massachusetts Medical the order of bhikkhunfs in India had already School, this intuition became the starting become extinct and no living bhikkhunz point for the well-known Mindfulness tradition appears to have been in existence Based Stress Reduction.5 By now, interest in other Theravada countries7• in and practice of mindfulness has spread Before its eventual demise, in the early from its clinical use to a range of other fifth century the bhikkhunz ordination areas in secular society and is slowly about lineage had been transmitted from Sri Lanka to become an integral part of daily life for to China (T L 939c). In the eighth century, many US citizens.6 however, the Chinese emperor apparently Inthis way the revival of lay meditation, imposed the use of the Dharmaguptaka TheMaha Bodhi IllS Vinaya on all monastics in his realm (T L travel on public transport, but are expected 11 In 793c) . The Dharmaguptaka Vinaya is the to pay for such services themselves. legal code of one of the different Buddhist contrastshould bhikkhus accordingto the Vinaya 12 traditions that developed after the Buddha's regulationsnot possess handle or money. demise, similar in this respect to the Comparable nun traditions in Myanmar Theravada tradition and its legal code, the are the thila shins and in Sri Lanka the dasasil Pali Vinaya. The respective Vinaya texts, in miitas.n In spite of some local differences, spite of considerable similarities, show these share.

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