Sunatha, Dharetha, Caratha Dhamme
Listen to, bear in mind and abide by the Dhamma
There are certain feelings of human beings that even a number of words may fail to express. Love, sympathy and happiness gained through either material pleasures or spiritual attainments are some of them. Negative feelings or evil states of mind like anger, hatred and revenge can also be inexplicable at times. However, a musician might be able to compose a melody, a song or set a rhythm; an artist might express it through a picture, a painting, a diagram or a graph; a writer might succeed in presenting a literary description or a story and a poet would create a poem to bring such feelings to light.
Contineud from 20.10. 2011
AAs a result of studying the function of the human mind and behaviour patterns, one might notice how either a particular picture, word, idea, view or opinion can be seen or interpreted from various angles by each individual. For instance, something which is good for one person might not be good for many others. At the same time, there are the less fortunate and helpless ones who are unable to communicate properly. The deaf, dumb, blind, disabled and the abnormal fall into this category. However, even among them you find those who are talented in certain fields like Music, Art and Literature.
Sympathy
There are certain feelings of human beings that even a number of words may fail to express. Love, sympathy and happiness gained through either material pleasures or spiritual attainments are some of them. Negative feelings or evil states of mind like anger, hatred and revenge can also be inexplicable at times. However, a musician might be able to compose a melody, a song or set a rhythm; an artist might express it through a picture, a painting, a diagram or a graph; a writer might succeed in presenting a literary description or a story and a poet would create a poem to bring such feelings to light. As such, the advances in music, art and literature have paved the way for people to think and look at life in a more creative and meaningful manner. It has also given vitality to one’s leisure time.
Now, let me narrate another story that took place during the Buddha’s time. It is with regard to a particular Brahmin named ‘Udaya’. One day, early in the morning, rising from His meditation the Blessed One happened to see through His Divine Eye that the Brahmin had already acquired the capacity to realise the sublime truth. So, wearing the robes and bowl in hand, the Buddha visited the Brahmin Udaya’s house in quest of alms.
Seeing the Buddha standing in front of his house the Brahmin welcomed Him and placed some delicious food in the Blessed One’s bowl. Having received the food in silence, the Enlightened One made His way back to the monastery. The following morning too, the Buddha visited Udaya Brahmin’s house on His alms-round. Then also the Brahmin served Him with some food. When the Buddha visited the same house on the third day, a particular unwholesome thought happened to occur in the Brahmin’s mind: ‘Having become attached to taste this recluse is coming again and again.’ The Blessed One could read his thought immediately.
Thereupon the Buddha addressed the Brahmin Udaya in this manner:
Again and again the farmers sow seeds,
Again and again showers the rain,
Again and again the country folk harvest cereal and grain.
Again and again the beggars beg,
Again and again the donors practise charity,
And thereby become born in heaven again and again.
Again and again the cows are milked,
Again and again the calf, the offspring approaches its mother,
Again and again living beings get terrified and frightened
(by decay, old age, illness and death),
The ever ignorant is conceived in a mother’s womb again and again.
Again and again revolve birth and death,
Again and again the carcass is carried away to the cemetery,
There’s no more rebirth to one who has realised the path,
Thus, the wise one is not subject to existence
Again and again
Accordingly, the Brahmin ‘Udaya’ grasped the essence of the Exalted One’s Words and became extremely happy and content over it along with the acquisition of a higher stage of mind. He happened to express his joy of realising the Truth to the Blessed One in the following manner:
Darkness
”It is excellent, Sir, as one might set upright what has been upside down, or disclose what has been covered, or show the way to one who had gone astray, or bring an oil lamp into the darkness so that those with vision might see visible shapes, even so in many a technique have the teachings been made clear by the Lord. Hereupon I seek refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha.
May the Blessed One nominate me as an ‘Upasaka’ from today onwards right throughout”. (Sn 335)
the Brahmin Udaya’s conviction and the complete transformation attributing to the ‘Great Compassion’ of the Buddha are depicted in the story. It also reveals to us the power of words explicitly.
After all, we should pay heed to the advice, instructions and criticisms of other people as it would give us a clue to correct our own faults or mistakes and to broaden our knowledge little by little. And it is depicted in one of Sir William Shakespeare’s sayings ‘Give every man your ear, but few your voice’, So, let’s join hands to live up to this ideal from this moment itself.
‘Sunatha Dharetha caratha Dhamme’
Listen to, bear in mind and abide by the Dhamma’.
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