BUDDHISM HANDBOOOK Intermediate Level Atammayatarama Buddhist Monastery BUDDHISM HANDBOOOK Intermediate Level The Buddhapadipa Temple, 14 Calonne Road, Wimbledon, London SW19 5HJ First published 2012 The Buddhapadipa Temple would like to thank the Royal Dhamma Studies Office and Mahāmakut Educational Council, Bangkok, Thailand, for allowing use of their materials in this handbook. Editor Phrakru Samu Lom Consultant readers Ron Maddox, Andrew Brown Editorial coordination Patricia Barylski and Geoffrey Newman OBE Cover photo by Sutas Amornsuddhi Printed by Lotus Press, Poole, Dorset 2 Contents Preface.......................................................................................5 Introduction................................................................................6 1 Buddhist proverbs.....................................................................7 On the self (Attavagga)......................... ............................7 On action (Kammavagga)...................................................8 On forbearance (Khantivagga)............................................9 On wisdom (Pāññavagga)..................................................10 On association (Sevanāvagga)...........................................12 2 Dhamma subjects....................................................................14 Sets of two..................................... ..............................14 Sets of three..................................................................15 Sets of four......................................................................20 Sets of five.......................................................................26 Sets of six........................................................................28 Sets of seven...................................................................30 Sets of eight....................................................................31 Sets of nine.....................................................................32 Sets of ten......................................................................35 Sets of twelve.................................................................36 3 Life stories of the Buddha’s disciples................ .......................41 1 Venerable Aññākoṇḍañña............................................42 2 Venerable Uruvelkassapa Thera...................................44 3 Venerable Sārīputta Thera...........................................45 4 Venerable Moggallāna Thera........................................47 5 Venerable Mahākassapa Thera.....................................48 6 Venerable Mahākaccāyana Thera.................................50 7 Venerable Mogharāja Thera.........................................51 8 Venerable Rādha Thera...............................................52 9 Venerable Puṇṇamantānī Thera...................................53 10 Venerable Kāludāyī Thera...........................................54 11 Venerable Nanda Thera..............................................54 12 Venerable Rāhula Thera.............................................56 13 Venerable Upāli Thera.............................. ................58 14 Venerable Bhaddiya Thera............................... .......59 15 Venerable Anuruddha Thera.................... ...............59 16 Venerable Ānanda Thera............................. ...........61 17 Venerable Soṇa Kolivisa Thera.................... ............63 18 Venerable Ratthapāla Thera..................... .. ...........64 19 Venerable Pindola Bharādvāja Thera.......... .............65 20 Venerable Mahāpanthaka Thera.................. ...........66 3 21 Venerable Cūlapanthaka Thera...................... ........66 22 Venerable Sonakutikañña Thera.............................67 23 Venerable Lakunataka Bhaddiya Thera...................68 24 Venerable Subhūti Thera.......................................68 25 Venerable Kankhā Revata Thera............................69 26 Venerable Kondadhāna Thera................................69 27 Venerable Vangīsa Thera.......................................70 28 Venerable Pilindavaccha Thera...............................70 29 Venerable Kumārakassapa Thera............................71 30 Venerable Mahākotthita Thera................................72 31 Venerable Sobhita Thera........................................73 32 Venerable Nandaka Thera......................................73 33 Venerable Mahākappina Thera...............................74 34 Venerable Sāgata Thera........................................74 35 Venerable Upasena Thera.....................................75 36 Venerable Khadiravaniya Revata Thera..................76 37 Venerable Sīvalī Thera..........................................76 38 Venerable Vakkali Thera.............................. ........77 39 Venerable Bāhiya Dārucīriya Thera........................77 40 Venerable Bākula Thera........................................78 4 Observation of Uposatha Days..........................................79 Introduction...........................................................79 What is Uposatha?....................................................79 The Triple Gem........................................................80 Uposatha observance............................................86 Three categories of observance.............................88 An Uposatha story................................................88 The eight precepts of Uposatha morality...................90 Brief descriptions of the eight precepts..................91 The Uposatha Sutta................................................93 How to undertake the Uposatha precepts.................95 Three types of Uposatha.........................................97 The benefits of Upsatha Sīla....................................98 5 Useful terms..................................................................99 6 Useful resources............................................................101 4 Preface The Buddhapadipa Temple and other Buddhist foundations have for many years offered introductory courses in Buddhism. A growing number of people who have attended these courses and gained from them have requested an intermediate course on Buddhism to deepen their knowledge and practice. This book aims to offer resources for such an intermediate course. It follows the Curriculum of Dhamma Studies for Secondary Level as set out by the Royal Dhamma Studies Office of Thailand. Originally published in Thai, the Curriculum also has an English edition, but the translation is often unclear, creating a need for other resources for an English- speaking audience. Materials from various sources have been brought together in this handbook, and useful books and websites for further reading are listed at the back. This handbook, which is not intended to be read straight through from start to finish, can be used in various ways. For example, the Buddhist proverbs in the first part of the book could form the basis for group discussion, providing an opportunity to explore the meaning of these proverbs and the relevance they have for our everyday lives. Alternatively, they could be used for essay writing, in which several proverbs are discussed within the wider context of Buddhism. The thirty-two proverbs included here are only a small selection, and those meeting together might bring other Buddhist proverbs from internet sites or books. Buddhist proverbs might, thus, form a part of each class. The Dhamma subjects in the second part of the book might likewise serve as a starting point for wider discussion of the Dhamma. For example, the first of these in the ‘sets of two’, the practice of mind development, might open a discussion of the two types of meditation, samatha and vipassanā: how they differ; what sort of person might be best suited to each; whether one might start with either one and proceed to the other. The experiences that people have had in their practice of meditation could form part of the discussion. The sections of the book on ‘Life stories of the Buddha’s disciples’ and the ‘Observation of Uposatha days’ likewise lend themselves to a further and deeper exploration of Buddhism and its history as well as the practical development of self training in one’s own life. Selections from each of these might be covered at each meeting. The resources brought together in this book include publications that are now out of print or difficult to obtain. The Buddhahadipa Temple is very grateful to those who have allowed their work to be shared. The hope is that this handbook is just a beginning – that the material collected together here will prove helpful in developing an intermediate course in Buddhism, that those who use it will benefit from it, and that it will be improved upon and expanded in the years to come. Introduction 5 This handbook is intended for English speakers who want to go beyond the preliminary stages in their study of Buddhism. It is for those who are already familiar with the story of the Buddha and such key teachings as the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. It is based on the curriculum followed throughout Thailand by lay people studying Buddhism at the secondary level. Annual examinations are held in Thailand and in Thai temples outside Thailand, including the UK. This handbook can be used to study for such examinations, or simply to gain a greater understanding of Buddhism. The examination at the intermediate level generally consists of four parts as set out below (though the form of the exam is subject