Footprintst on the Wonderful Path to Buddhahood
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Compiled from the handwritten autobiography of Most Venerable Nā Uyane Ariyadhamma Mahāthera This book is a translation of the Sinhalese book titiled “Asirimat Budumaga Piyasaṭahan”. First Print: 2019 CE 2563 BE Can be reprinted with written permission. Inquiries: Nā Uyana Forest Monastery. Pansiyagama Melsiripura Sri Lanka 60554 Tel: 0718455332 Email: [email protected] The pdf copy of this book can be downloaded from: www.ariyamagga.org www.nauyana.org www.buddhadipa.tw www.nauyana.org.tw Strictly for Free Distribution II Galvihara, Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka III Offering May this autobiography: “FOOTPRINTS ON THE WONDERFUL PATH TO BUDDHAHOOD” of the Buddhahood Aspirant, written for the benefit of devotees, be an offering to the Noble Triple Gem! “Buddhatta kārake dhamme Sampūretvā asesato Ahampi sammā sambuddho Bhavissāmi anāgate” “I too shall complete all factors required for Buddhahood without omission and attain Sammāsambodhi in the future” We also offer this work as a gift to our Great Teacher and benefactor of all beings: The Most Venerable Nā Uyane Ariyadhamma Mahāthera! IV Deputy Chief of Śrī Laṅkā Rāmañña Nikāya, Great Preceptor, Late President and Patron of Śrī Laṅkā Kalyāṇī Yogāśrama Saṃsthā, Tripiṭakadharācāriya, Mahā Kammaṭṭhānācāriya, Śrī Jinawaṃsha Ñāṇārāma Waṃsāvataṃsha Sāsanadhaja, Saddharmavāgīshvarācāriya Buddhahood Aspirant, Nā Uyane Śrī Ariyadhammābhidhāna Mahāthera V Preface to the English Translation We feel very happy to present an English translation of the autobiography of Most Venerable Nā Uyane Ariyadhamma Mahāthera (1939-2016). Mahāthera wrote the main part of the manuscript at the request of one of his lay disciples. The Venerable agreed, but mentioned that it should not be made public during his lifetime. Accordingly, the first Sinhala Language publication of this autobiography was issued at Nā Uyana Forest Monastery on the one year anniversary of his passing away. The original title was: “Asirimat Budumaga Piyasaṭahan.” There soon arose the wish to have the book translated into other languages. Completing the English translation has required collaboration between a large number of editors, both Sri Lankan and foreign. The book is due to be released on 15th July 2019, in honour of the 60th anniversary of Mahāthera’s bhikkhu ordination. A Chinese translation of the English edition will be released on the same day. This book contains two parts. The first part is a translation of the autobiographical notes written by Mahāthera himself. He there describes in detail his life, from his youth in rural Sri Lanka to the year 2002, when he was at the height of his Dhamma activities. In the original book the notes were scanned and published directly. In this edition a selection of the original Sinhala Language notes has been watermarked on the English translation for easy identification as Mahāthera’s autobiography. Throughout the book Mahāthera’s words have been presented in a ‘sans- serif’ font (e.g. “My father cultivated rice and other crops”) while the words of editors are presented in the same font as this introduction. The second part of the book contains a selection of Mahāthera’s notes from his time at Pa Auk Meditation Centre, where he practiced meditation on five different occasions. They contain terse details about his daily routine, the meditation instructions he received and his experiences in meditation. Excerpts from Mahāthera’s Dhamma talks have also been included in this section. These notes are introduced and widely commented on by a knowledgeable Sri Lankan bhikkhu editor. Here we VI are given an insight on how Mahāthera practiced meditation under the guidance of Most Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw Āciṇṇa. Working on the translation of this remarkable book, written by such a remarkable Venerable, has given us great energy and inspiration for our own meditation practice. We hope that the reader will receive similar benefit. The editing team, Nā Uyana Forest Monastery, Sri Lanka July 2019 A Guide to the Diacritics The Pāli and Sinhala languages contain a number of letters that are normally represented with diacritics when written in the Latin script. For the most part, the diacritics have been limited to those that exist in both languages. The letter ‘ā’ is pronounced like ‘aw’ in the English word ‘saw’. The letter ‘ī’ is pronounced like ‘ee’ in the English word ‘see’. The letter ‘ū’ is pronounced like ‘o’ in the English word ‘who’. The letter ‘ṅ’ is pronounced like ‘ng’ in the English word ‘sing’. The letter ‘ṇ’ is pronounced like ‘n’ in the English word ‘centre’. The letter ‘ñ’ is pronounced like ‘nio’ in the Enlish word ‘onion’. The letter ‘ṭ’ is pronounced like ‘t’ in the English word ‘trap’. The letter ‘ḍ’ is pronounced like ‘d’ in the English word ‘drop’. The letter ‘ṃ’ is pronounced like ‘ng’ in the English word ‘rung’. The letter ‘ś’ is pronounced like ‘sh’ in the English word ‘she’. VII Introduction Our Most Revered Teacher, Nā Uyane Ariyadhamma Mahāthera, was one of the noblest bhikkhus of recent times. At the apex of the Buddhasāsana of Sri Lanka, he illuminated his bhikkhu life in that Buddhasāsana of Sri Lanka through both knowledge of the scriptures and practice of the Buddha’s Dhamma. He devoted his entire life to spiritual development and to serving the Buddhasāsana of the world. Mahāthera spent his life, from early childhood, in accordance with his spiritual aspirations. After ordination he benefitted from association with monks as spiritual friends. He devoted himself to developing pāramī at the highest level—those leading to Buddhahood—and was highly respected and venerated here and abroad as a Bodhisatta in the Sāsana of Gotama the Omniscient Buddha. It has been nearly three years since he took leave of life in the human world and went back to the Brahma realm (as the thirty pāramī necessary for Buddhahood must be fulfilled continuously). The virtuous child who arrived in the human world from the deva world, after reaching a suitable age, renounced the lay life according to his firm determinations made in previous lives. He went to Venerable Vigoda Bodhirakkhita Thera, who was at Nā Uyana Monastery at the time and ardently undertook his religious training. He received basic training in the scriptures and practice from Venerable Vigoda Bodhirakkhita Thera and was later entrusted to Most Venerable Kaḍawedduwe Śrī Jinavaṃsa Mahāthera at Galdūwa Śrī Guṇawardana monastery, where he was ordained under the guidance of that Venerable Panḍita Mahāthera [Jinavaṃsa Mahāthera] and Most Venerable Mātara Śrī Ñāṇārāma Mahāthera, as well as other venerable teachers. He gained a high level of knowledge and experience in the Pāli scriptures, their commentaries, sub-commentaries and other compilations. Scholars of high repute held him as unparalleled in recent times in Sri VIII Lanka in regard to his knowledge of the Dhamma, a testament to his expertise. Although the world did not know of his development in meditation, nor his attainments, in many instances people would call him a ‘Venerable Arahat’ or a ‘Noble One who has achieved path-fruition’ according to their assessment, based on his external appearance, demeanour, morality and delivery of Dhamma talks. At the request of a devotee, he recorded certain details of his life and informed his monastic disciples that he was “writing down notes of important events in his life,” asking that they not be published during his lifetime. Those notes provide hitherto unknown facts and are the only source available to us to get at least a brief view of the meditations he practiced, his meditational experiences, the Dhamma knowledge he accumulated and the impressive vipassanā knowledges he attained. We shall present as best as we can, first the part entitled “Footprints of the Life Journey of a Buddhist Monk”, which contains biographical information written by Mahāthera himself and a brief description of his meditation practice separately. These notes have recorded extremely rare information regarding his meditation experiences. We do not have the knowledge to give a complete analysis of the immense virtues and meditation power of Venerable Mahāthera. May our efforts in compiling this work and the recollection of Mahāthera’s unblemished services to the Sāsana and the world, be a cause for the reader to accumulate merit! By considering that there can be such a Noble Bodhisatta even in the present age, enabling us to associate with spiritual friends and to follow and emulate such a noble bhikkhu, may great faith in the Triple Gem and spiritual energy be generated in the reader, that he or she might seek liberation without delay! We offer all of the merit we have accumulated in preparing this book to Mahāthera and firmly wish that it may contribute to his completing all IX thirty pāramī over his next 1800 lives and his attainment of Supreme Omniscience! Disciple monks, Nā Uyana Forest Monastery Sri Lanka Buddha statue at Nā Uyana. X Sharing of Merit The character of one such as our Mahāthera, one of singular virtues, is very rare even to hear of in the world. To learn of the hitherto unknown good deeds and virtues of such a Bodhisatta is for the betterment of the whole world. We accordingly share all the merits accumulated by unveiling and publishing the life story of this outstanding bhikkhu with all those who, with painstaking effort, provided support in various ways according to their abilities. Only a few of them can be mentioned here. o All the Mahātheras, Theras and novices who offered suggestions and advice in preparing this work o All devotees who donated financially for the printing o The artist who designed the image of our Venerable Mahāthera o The owner of the printing press and his staff May all those who assisted and donated to this noble task in various ways, as well as all devas and other beings of the world, share in this merit.