The Bodhisatta in Theravada Buddhism by Nico Moonen (ebook reader for pc and android .TXT) 📕

    According to the Buddhavamsa and the commentary on it the Bodhisatta fulfils the basic perfection of giving by the sacrifice of his possessions; he fulfils the higher perfection by the sacrifice of any of his limbs; and he fulfils the ultimate perfection by the sacrifice of his life.[237]

    Giving must be done wisely. If, for instance, a drunkard would ask for some money, and if the Bodhisatta were convinced that his gift would be misused, then he would refuse it without hesitation.[238]

    In Milindapañha (VIII.1) the question is raised as to whether all Bodhisattas give away their wife and children. Venerable Nāgasena replied that all Bodhisattas do give them away, and not only the Bodhisatta King Vessantara. He said that the Bodhisatta had done what was difficult to do. He gave his children to be the slaves of a Brahman. He gave his wife to be the wife of another. She was a consenting party in this case, but the children lamented. He bound his children. When his son had freed himself by his own efforts and had come back overcome by fear, once again he bound him and gave him back to the Brahman. The children lamented but he did not comfort them. He showed no pity when his children were being led away.

    According to Venerable Nāgasena the devas, titans, garulas, serpents and yakkhas lauded him. He also said that there are ten special qualities of the accomplished, clever and wise Bodhisattas. These ten qualities are: greedlessness, being without desire for worldly things, relinquishing, getting rid of, not reverting to secular life, the fineness, the greatness, the incomprehensibility, the rarity, the peerlessnes of Buddhahood.

    But this gift caused anguish in others. According to Venerable Nāgasena a gift causing anguish in others might result in happiness, might be conducive to rebirth in heaven. Vessantara gave away his wife and children according to the practices of that society at that time. For them it was a custom that a father, who had a debt or had been deprived of his livelihood, might deposit his son in pledge or sell him. King Vessantara was distressed and in anguish at not obtaining omniscient knowledge. Therefore he deposited his wife and children in pledge and sold them for the sake of acquiring the treasure of the Dhamma. He thought: “I myself, practising this, will attain Perfect Enlightenment.” Vessantara gave wife and children for the sake of omniscient knowledge. And he knew that no one was able to keep his children in slavery, and that their grandfather would redeem the children.[239]

    However, Venerable Nāgasena’s interpretation can be disputed. It could be said that the gift in this case was the cause of sorrow and lamentation. Perhaps the gift was not wise, was excessive, and was not practising the middle way. The Bodhisatta is called a dispeller of fright and terror; a provider of protection; having sympathy for all living beings; one who reunited children with parents. It could be said that the gift of Vessantara did not show loving-kindness or compassion towards all living beings, including his wife and children. And the reasoning behind Vessantara’s decision is not recorded in the original text, so we do not know how or why he came to this decision about his wife and children. It could be said that Vessantara did not have special qualities since he was still a worldling. The Bodhisatta Vessantara did not yet have the ten special qualities, since he was still not perfected. The perfected qualities mentioned by Venerable Nāgasena are qualities of a Buddha, not of a Bodhisatta! I think Venerable Nāgasena was taking the Jātakas too literally. Perhaps he saw them as real, historical stories and not as illustrations. It is correct that all Bodhisattas renounce wife and children when they go into the homeless life. But that is not the same as giving them away. And if Vessantara knew previously that nobody could harm his wife and children, if he previously knew that his father would redeem the children, then his giving was incomplete, was only for a short time. And the perfection of giving would not have been fulfilled.        

    The perfection of virtue is good conduct of body and speech, accompanied by compassion and skilful means.[240] Its function is blameless conduct, or its function is to destroy unwholesome or unruly bodily or verbal actions; it is manifested as purity of actions; its proximate causes are moral shame (hiri) and moral dread (ottappa).[241]

    In former existences, being born as a human being, the Bodhisatta observed the eight precepts at fast days, honoured his parents, ascetics and Brahmins and the head of the clan.[242] He lived for the happiness of the many, as a dispeller of fright and terror. He was a provider of lawful protection and shelter, and supplied all necessities.[243] He rejected the taking of life and abstained from it. He was one who avoided harming beings by hand, by stones, stick or sword.[244]

    He made himself beloved through pleasing speech and beneficial behaviour.[245] He became an adviser to the people both in worldly and in spiritual matters.[246]

    He became the foremost in skilful behaviour in deed, word and thoughts.[247] He rejected harsh speech. He spoke what was blameless, pleasing to the ear, agreeable, reaching to the heart, pleasing and attractive to the multitude.[248]

    He rejected wrong livelihood, lived by right livelihood, refraining from cheating with false weights and measures, from bribery and corruption, deception and insincerity, from wounding, killing, imprisoning, highway robbery, and taking goods by force. He gave up wrongful living and took a pure and righteous course. He cast aside harmful things, working only for the good of people.[249]

    The Bodhisatta must first purify his own virtue. Herein, virtue is purified in four modes: (1) by the purification of one's inclinations; (2) by the undertaking of precepts; (3) by non-transgression; and (4) by making amends for transgressions.[250]

    According to the Commentary on the Buddhavamsa the perfection of virtue exists among others in fulfilling the rules for monks.[251] The life of a monk is not mentioned in the Lakkhana Sutta. Laymen too can lead virtuous lives.

    The perfection of renunciation is renouncing sense pleasures. The Bodhisatta practices non-greed. He sees the dangers of a home life, for his ability to practice the Pāramīs is limited and restricted by wife and children and by crafts and occupations. He recognises the unsatisfactoriness in sense pleasures; his mind is inclined towards solitude and peace. He avoids sensuality with the dread of misconduct or a sense of spiritual urgency. He adopts the ascetic life and through calmness (samatha) he gains all meditative absorptions (jhānas).[252]

    The Bodhisatta practises renunciation for the purpose of perfecting his virtue.[253] This perfection is not mentioned explicitly in the Lakkhana Sutta. But in fact it is included in other perfections, such as generosity, virtue and patience.

    The perfection of wisdom is the comprehension of the general and particular characteristics of dhammas, accompanied by compassion and skilful means.[254] It has the characteristic of sabhāva, seeing things in their true nature; its function is visayo: to illuminate the objective field or to shed light on all objects of sense; it is manifested as asammoha (non-confusion); its proximate cause is samādhi (concentration), or its proximate cause is the four noble truths.[255]

        The Bodhisatta wishing to accomplish the perfection of wisdom, should avoid the causes of delusion. These causes are: discontent, languor, drowsiness, lethargy, delight in company, attachment to sleep, irresoluteness, lack of enthusiasm for knowledge, over-estimation of oneself, non-interrogation, not maintaining one's body properly, lack of mental concentration, association with dull-witted people, not ministering to those possessed of wisdom, self-contempt, discrimination, adherence to perverted views, athleticism, lack of a sense of spiritual urgency, and the five hindrances; or, in brief, any states of confusion which should be avoided by applying effort to learning as well as to the jhānas.[256]

    The Bodhisatta considers both merit and non-merit. He rejects the bad and takes the good.[257] For the purpose of non-confusion about what is good and bad for beings, he cleanses his understanding (paññā).[258] Through wisdom the Bodhisatta practises skilful means in providing for the welfare of beings.[259]

    In former existences, being born as a human being, he became a teacher to the people about their welfare, about Dhamma, explaining it to them and being a bearer of welfare and happiness to beings, a dispenser of Dhamma.[260]

    He became a skilled exponent of a craft, a science, a way of conduct or action. He learnt fast the skills that harm no living beings.[261]

    He approached ascetics or Brahmins and asked: “What is good, what is bad.” He asked what is blameworthy and what is not. He asked what will lead to lasting sorrow and harm, and what to lasting happiness.[262]

    He considered the welfare of people and knew the nature of each, knew each one himself, and knew how each one differed: “This one deserves such-and-such, that one deserves so-and-so,” so he distinguished them. He knew what each one deserved.[263]

    He desired the welfare of the many, their advantage, comfort, freedom from bondage, thinking how they might increase in faith, morality, learning, renunciation,  Dhamma, wisdom, wealth and possessions, in their ownership of livestock, wives and children, servants, workers and helpers, relatives, friends, colleagues and acquaintances.[264]

    Through the perfection of wisdom the Bodhisatta sees things objectively, in their true nature. He avoids