[laperuzdfhami]

I have lost sleep many nights on following question.
Please clarify if any one can.

Did Guatam Buddha sleep after he received enlightment under the Boddhi tree?
Is there any Sutra or reliable literature available clarifying this above point?

hotu

[nannysuetle]

Thus have I heard. At one time the Lord was staying at Uruvela, beside the river Nerañjara at the foot of the Bodhi Tree, having just realized full enlightenment. At that time the Lord sat cross-legged for seven days experiencing the bliss of liberation. Then, at the end of those seven days, the Lord emerged from that concentration

Bodhi Sutta: The Bodhi Tree ***

[greekbeast]

I have lost sleep many nights on following question.

Why?

Human beings sleep, why would the Buddha not?

[wentscat]

The Buddha mentions sleeping in this sutta:



AN 3.34 Hatthaka Sutta: To Hatthaka (excerpt)
On Sleeping Well in the Cold Forest


On one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Alavi on a spread of leaves by a cattle track in a simsapa forest. Then Hatthaka of Alavi, out roaming & rambling for exercise, saw the Blessed One sitting on a spread of leaves by the cattle track in the simsapa forest. On seeing him, he went to him and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side.

As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One, "Lord, I hope the Blessed One has slept in ease."

"Yes, young man. I have slept in ease. Of those in the world who sleep in ease, I am one."


http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipit....034.than.html

[moredasers]

Why?

Human beings sleep, why would the Buddha not?

I had done 10 day vipassana course earlier in an ashram.
we empty our body of sensations by awareness meditation for nine days.
We fill our body on 10th day by goodwill and love. The reason is that once we leave the Ashram, Mara will harm us if we are empty.
We common people loose our awareness in sleep.

Guatam Buddha after enlightment was completely empty. And it will be very dangerous for him, if he sleeps and loses awareness as mara will destroy his enlightment.

So from my point of view perfect enlightment on this earth with live surroundings of mara is either not possible or the person concerned should always be in awareness. Conclusion is that Guatam Buddha never slept after enlightment.

I wish to get clarified on this point.

hotu

[Duseshoug]

I had done 10 day vipassana course earlier in an ashram.
we empty our body of sensations by awareness meditation for nine days.
We fill our body on 10th day by goodwill and love. The reason is that once we leave the Ashram, Mara will harm us if we are empty.
We common people loose our awareness in sleep.

Mara cannot destroy enlightenment, if he could it wouldn't be enlightenment.

If you were doing a Goenka 10 day vipassana course then the idea is not to empty the body of sensations but to fully feel sensations.

Where did you get the idea that Mara will come and harm you in your sleep? I think you are worrying about things you needn't, Mara I think is most probably a personification of our own delusion not a separate being.

It's not uncommon for people on intense meditation to be lucid for periods of sleep so I wouldn't be surprised if the Buddha was much of the time

[Tauntenue]

Mara cannot destroy enlightenment, if he could it wouldn't be enlightenment.

If you were doing a Goenka 10 day vipassana course then the idea is not to empty the body of sensations but to fully feel sensations.

Where did you get the idea that Mara will come and harm you in your sleep? I think you are worrying about things you needn't, Mara I think is most probably a personification of our own delusion not a separate being.

It's not uncommon for people on intense meditation to be lucid for periods of sleep so I wouldn't be surprised if the Buddha was much of the time

Long back I had done many Vipassana courses at Igatpuri under Goenka.

IT IS VERY HARD FOR ME TO BELEIVE THAT GUATAM BUDDHA SLEPT AFTER ENLIGHTMENT.

In my view he rested lying down and went in awareness meditation automatically.
The translators have assumed that he slept. They could never visualise no sleep state.

In fact I would rather feel that Guatam Buddha was always in lucid state of sleep as you have explained.
If you take a step further, you can say he was always in awareness even when he was lying down both at day time and night time. His body in old age required rest due to walking.

[Enladalusange]

IT IS VERY HARD FOR ME TO BELEIVE THAT GUATAM BUDDHA SLEPT AFTER ENLIGHTMENT.

hi

this may be the case but your SUPERSTITION is irrelevent. whether Buddha did sleep or did not sleep, Mara cannot destroy enlightenment

the scriptures state, of the arahant:

And how, monks, is that monk one who has removed the cross-bar? Herein the monk has abandoned ignorance, has cut it off at the root, removed it from its soil like a palmyra tree, brought it to utter extinction, incapable of arising again.

MN 22 kind regards

[Nppracph]

hi

this may be the case but your SUPERSTITION is irrelevent. whether Buddha did sleep or did not sleep, Mara cannot destroy enlightenment

the scriptures state, of the arahant:



kind regards

I am wrong. I agree that Mara cannot destroy enlightment and thanks for clarification.

But Guatam never slept is at (my present stage) is very relavent. And this is my original question. I am in a very strange state at present and answer to this question will very much help me.
Sorry for my persistence.

[aceriscoolon]

IT IS VERY HARD FOR ME TO BELEIVE THAT GUATAM BUDDHA SLEPT AFTER ENLIGHTMENT.

Here is another sutta which mentions the Buddha sleeping:



SN4.13 Sakalika Sutta: The Stone Sliver


I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Rajagaha at the Maddakucchi Deer Reserve. Now at that time his foot had been pierced by a stone sliver. Excruciating were the bodily feelings that developed within him — painful, fierce, sharp, wracking, repellent, disagreeable — but he endured them mindful, alert, & unperturbed.

Having had his outer robe folded in four and laid out, he lay down on his right side in the lion's posture — with one foot placed on top of the other — mindful & alert.

Then Mara the Evil One went to the Blessed One and recited this verse in his presence:

"Are you lying there in a stupor,
or drunk on poetry?
Are your goals so very few?
All alone in a secluded lodging,
what is this dreamer, this sleepy-face?"

The Buddha said.....

"I lie here,
not in a stupor,
nor drunk on poetry.
My goal attained,
I am sorrow-free.
All alone in a secluded lodging,
I lie down with sympathy
for all beings.

Even those pierced in the chest
with an arrow,
their hearts rapidly,
rapidly
beating:
even they with their arrows
are able to sleep.

So why shouldn't I,
with my arrow removed?

I'm not awake with worry,
nor afraid to sleep.
Days & nights
don't oppress me.
I see no threat of decline
in any world at all.

That's why I sleep
with sympathy
for all beings."


Then Mara the Evil One — sad & dejected at realizing, "The Blessed One knows me; the One Well-Gone knows me" — vanished right there.


http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipit....013.than.html

[DoctorDulitlBest]

Following on from the above sutta #10 and.....

"That's why I sleep
with sympathy
for all beings"
....possibly doing some Metta practice before bedtime might be helpful for a peaceful night's sleep.

[StivRichardOff]

Long back I had done many Vipassana courses at Igatpuri under Goenka.

IT IS VERY HARD FOR ME TO BELEIVE THAT GUATAM BUDDHA SLEPT AFTER ENLIGHTMENT.

In my view he rested lying down and went in awareness meditation automatically.
The translators have assumed that he slept. They could never visualise no sleep state.

In fact I would rather feel that Guatam Buddha was always in lucid state of sleep as you have explained.
If you take a step further, you can say he was always in awareness even when he was lying down both at day time and night time. His body in old age required rest due to walking.

It's possible you are right, when the mind is free from that which causes Dukkha it doesn't need to rest as much but the body still does, however I would still call this sleep.

The thing is either way it makes no difference to you and me here and now, don't lose any sleep over it.

[Hmwmzian]

I am in a very strange state at present...

Buddha was serene & mind tranquil in mind. if you feel your mind has awakened & your mind is not sleeping, if your body & mind remain serene & tranquil then that is fine. as Goofaholix said, when the mind is free from that which causes Dukkha it doesn't need to rest as much

but if your body & mind are agitated then this may not be full enlightenment but some kind of emotional release

kind regards

[spamkillerf]

My guess is he slept. I am not too sure if deep samadhi states have the same biological effects on the body as sleep. Although the metabolism certainly slows down in meditation, it is hard to determine if the effects are the same and one could sustain just by attaining to these states rather than sleep.