NAMO TASA BHAGAVATO ARAHATO SAMMA SAMBUDDHASSA
What is Buddhism?
Buddhism is a “Belief” in the teachings of the Buddha called the Dhamma. Since it is worthy of great respect and worshiped for its nobility, it has been accepted like a kind of religion. But there is no God or Saviors in Buddhism like in other religions.
The Buddha is not the God or Savior who lives forever in heaven, controls everybody by his will, and finally saves the souls of people to heaven at the end of the world.
The Buddha is only a “Great Teacher” who lived over 2500 years ago and found out the truths of life and nature, and shown the way of liberation from the sufferings in the rounds of birth and rebirth (Samsara) to attain the Eternal Freedom (Nibbana/Nirvana).
The teachings of Buddha are preserved and propagated by his faithful follower monks called the Sangha.
One who believes in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha can become a follower (Buddhist) by taking the “Vow of Refuge” in these, but also requires to take the “Vow of Observance” in basic moral code? (Panca Sila - Five Precepts) to become a faithful Buddhist ( a man is called Upasaka; a woman is called Upasaki). Buddhists worship the three most respected Tiratana ( Ti = three + Ratana = precious things ). They are called Triple Gem or Three Holy Jewels or Buddhist Holy Trinity in simple words. The Three Jewels are: - The Buddha; The Dhamma ; The Sangha.
What do Buddhists Worship?
They are worth the respect, and worshipping for the great benefit one can get from them.
1. The Buddha as the “Discoverer and Great Teacher of Dhamma; for being a Holy Person who is free of all evils of thoughts, words and actions; the Glorious One who has many supernatural powers, and the Omniscient One who knows everything all by himself.
The Buddha left behind four kinds of objects as his replicas for the followers to worship.
These are called “cetis”, which are meant for the faithful followers to remember him by his “Noble Qualities”. People nowadays worship them in the form of consecrated idol, statues, images of Buddha, pagodas and stupas ( some enshrine religious articles).
2. The Dhamma - as the “Teachings of Buddha” which was recorded by his Chief Disciples after his passing away, known as the Pitaka “the Holy Scriptures”. Dhamma is the guidelines, which all the Buddhist follow. If not for the Dhamma, the understanding of the way to liberation will not exist.
3. The Sangha - or the community of Buddhist monks, the followers of the Buddha’s teachings who have to live with the Code of Rules, learn, follow, practice and preserve the Dhamma, and also teach them to the faithful followers. If not for their effort, the teachings of Buddha could have disappeared from the face of the earth, and the path to liberation could have been lost a long time ago. Monks who are in the process of enlightenment are called Ariya Sangha, and those still trying for it are called Samuti Sangha.
Why do Buddhists worship Tiratana?
Buddhist worship Tiratana as the following great reasons:-
1. The Buddha - for being the discoverer of the truths of life, the laws of nature, and the way to liberation from the endless sufferings of life in the rounds of birth and rebirth called Samsara. This was achieved by fulfilling the Noble Virtues of a Buddha ( Ten Supreme Perfections and Five Extremes Sacrifices) in countless number of lives in numerous world cycles in the Samsara. This was done with a great compassion for the sake of liberating the sentient beings (all living beings) by showing the correct way so that those who could follow it will be liberated from the suffering just like himself. The Buddha could have achieved the liberation for himself from a very early times as an ordinary Holy One (Arahant), without the need for fulfilling the Noble Virtues with pain and sacrifices, but he had chosen to become an omniscient Buddha who could help sentient beings to liberation.
There are nine Noble Qualities of the Buddha worthy of respect and worship:-
(1) Araham - totally free from the evils of thought, words and actions.
(2) Samma Sambuddho - have the Supreme Wisdom (Subban-nuta Nana) by which he knows everything all by himself without the help of teacher due to his Perfections.
(3) Vijja-carana Sampanno - perfect in knowledge and conduct.
(4) Sugato - teaching the truth he himself practice, and attain liberation to Nibbana.
(5) Lokavidu - for knowing all about the three worlds i.e. - of the living beings, - of the universe, and of the karmic forces and their effects on the living beings.
(6) Annuttaro-purisa dhamma-sarati - for knowing the right way to teach and tame all types of man and deity.
( 7) Satha deva manussanam - a great teacher of man and deity in showing the right way.
(8) Buddha - for discovering the Noble Truths and Noble Paths, the way to Nibbana.
(9) Bhagava - for having the supreme powers and glories to correct the wrong ones.
2. The Dhamma - The teachings of the Buddha during his life time were noted by a group of Chief Disciples (Agga-savakas). Soon after his passing away, the remaining Chief Disciples gathered together and consolidated the teachings, and delivered these to 500 follower monks to memorize them by recitation, like a living library. It became a tradition for the follower monks to save the Dhamma by oral communication for couturiers. Finally it became recorded in writing as Pitaka or Holy Scriptures. It contains three divisions, hence it was known as Tipitaka which means Three Baskets (of Dhamma). It contains 84000 units of teaching in three main divisions
I.Vinaya Pitaka (the Basket of Disciplines)- 21000 units.
II. Sutta Pitaka (the Basket of Instructional Sermons) - 21000 units.
III. Abhidhamma Pitaka ( the Basket of Higher Doctrines) - 42000 units.
There are six Noble Qualities of the Dhamma worthy of respect and worship
(1) Savakkhato Bhagavata-dhammo - for being the teachings given by the Buddha himself.
(2) Sanditthiko - for having the power to benefit the follower even in this very life.
(3) Akaliko - for the ability to give a continuous rise of spiritual wisdom in a meditator.
(4) Ehi-passiko - can invite anyone to come and try to get convinced.
(5) Opa-ney-yiko - for being a precious teaching worth keeping in one’s heart (mind).
(6) Piccattam veditatbo - for the ability to give the Noble Ones fruition in enlightenment to see Nibbana.
3. The Sangha - the community of monks forms the faithful followers with a mission to live according to Code of Rules (Vinaya) rigidly; learn the scripture, practice meditation, and teach the Dhamma to lay people. Sangha are the custodians and teachers of Dhamma, and because of their great effort Buddhas’s teachings are still existing today as the only source to get the liberation to Nibbana.
There are nine Noble Qualities of Sangha worthy of respect and worshipping:
(1) Suppati panno bhagavato savaka sangho - for being the faithful followers of the Buddha practicing in good conduct to get rid of evils of thought, word and action.
(2) Ujupati panno bhagavato savaka sangho - for being the faithful followers of the Buddha practicing the Dhamma by the Middle Way.
(3) Nayappati panno bhagavato savaka sangho - for being the faithful followers of the Buddha practicing to attain the liberation to Nibbana.
(4) Samicippati panno bhagavato savaka sangho - for being the faithful followers of the Buddha living in good conduct and practice towards the Noble Paths.
Cattari Purisa-yugani Attha Purisa-puggala - the four pairs of persons, and the eight individuals ( Sangha who are in four stages of enlightenment ) are worthy to accept
(5) Ahu-neyyo - accepting the offerings brought from far away places.
(6) Pahu-neyyo - accepting the offering which is meant for a special guest.
(7) Dakkhi-neyyo - accepting the offering for the person to get merit.
(8) Anjali-karaniyo - to be greeted by obeisance (kowtowing).
(9) Anuttaram punnakkhetam lokassa - to give merits from charity, just like a seed sown
in the fertile soil ( will finally give fruits).
The Five Anando-ananta ( Five Pillars of Boundless Gratitude)
1. Buddhaguno Anando - (Gratitude of the Buddha is boundless)
2. Dhammaguno Anado (Gratitude of the Dhamma is boundless)
3. Sanghaguno Anando (Gratitude of the Sangha is boundless)
4. Mata-pitu-guno Anando ( Gratitude of mother and father is boundless)
5. Arcariyaguno Andando (Gratitude of teachers is boundless)
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