M19: The Infinite Compassion of Buddha
 

Hi all,

The Dvedhavitakka Sutta seems to have a special charm. It looks like the Buddha is teaching with his heart full of loving kindness and compassion to all us as one reaches the sutta final remark explaining a simile given earlier:

The man who desires the welfare and relief of the wild animals is a synonym for the Thus Gone One, worthy and rightfully enlightened. The peaceful path that brings peace and mental calm is a synonym for the Noble eightfold path: such as right view, right thoughts, right speech, right actions, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.

Thus bhikkhus, I have opened peaceful path, that brings mental peace and calm, the vicious path is closed up, the male decoy is removed, the female decoy is destroyed.

What a Teacher could do out of compassion for his disciples, that I have done,

There are roots of trees and empty houses. Bhikkhus, concentrate do not be negligent and repent later. This is our advice to you.

The Blessed One said thus and those bhikkhus delighted in the words of the Blessed One. When reaching this final closing, and having gone through the entire discourse, there is a feeling of great release, a kind of compassive advice given with the most sweet words the Buddha has.

The world seems to be always angry, for whatever reason; because of that, the opening instructions capture our attention immediately:

"Bhikkhus, when I was a seeker of enlightenment, this occurred to me: What if I arranged my thoughts in two folds. So I arranged these sensual thoughts, angry thoughts and hurting thoughts in one fold., and arranged the non-sensual thoughts, non-angry thoughts and the non-hurting thoughts in the second fold. The single phrase of "this occurred to me" feels like if we were in companion of a wonderful friend and teacher that has found pace for the troubled mind.

Seems he gives two similes for two different levels of achievement:

The first goes like this:

"When angry thoughts are thought and discursively thought, they drive out non-angry thoughts, that mind bends to angry thoughts.

When hurting thoughts are thought and discursively, they drive out non-hurting thoughts, that mind bends to hurting thoughts.

Like the cowherd, in the autumn months protecting the the thick corn. would thrash the cattle, check them and turn them out. What is the reason?

The cowherd knows the danger and the blame that he has to face on account of it. Bhikkhus, in the same manner, I saw the danger of defiling demeritorious things, and the benefits and purity of non-sensual. thoughts" A second level of achievement seems to be depicted as follows:

Bhikkhus, whatever thoughts are thought and discursively thought, to that the mind bends Bhikkhus, when non- sensual thoughts are thought and discursively thought, they drive out sensual thoughts, that mind bends to non- sensual thoughts.

When non-angry thoughts are thought and discursively thought, they drive out angry thoughts, that mind bends to non-angry thoughts.

When non- hurting thoughts are thought and discursively thought, they drive out hurting thoughts, that mind bends to non-hurting thoughts.

Like the cowherd, in the last month in Summer, when all the corn is stored at the end of the village protecting the cattle, would be only mindful of them, in the shade of a tree or in the open.

Bhikkhus, in the same manner, the bhikkhu has only to be mindful of these meritorious things. However there is a section that I could not well realize: http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...s/dontknow.gif

When I abide diligent to dispel, non-hurting thoughts arise. Then I know, this non-hurting thought has arisen to me, it is not injurious to me, not injurious to others and not injurious to either. It is not a destroyer of wisdom, not in the side of trouble and conductive to extinction.

If these thoughts are thought and discursively thought, throughout the night I do not see any fear on account of it. If these thoughts are thought and discursively thought, throughout the day, I do not see any fear on account of it. If these thoughts are thought throughout and night and day, I do not see any fear on account of it.

Yet when these thoughts are thought and discursively thought too long, the body gets exhausted. When the body is exhausted, the mind is disturbed, the disturbed mind is far from concentration. Is the Buddha indicating meditation even for not getting obsessed with non-harming thoughts? http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...s/confused.gif

Any comments?

http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ilies/grin.gif

Hi,

Great post Thaanks !

Its a bit late here in New York but here goes...

I think the Buddha is teaching us balance. Any thoughts, even virtuios ones can become harmful if we become obsessive about them or attach to them.

Meditation helps us to maintain our minds in an open and flexible way and to act in accord with the Dharma Teachings without becomeing lost in the process of "Thinking".

More tomorrow

All the Best

hi KA

my impression of this passage is the giving up of thought entirely and abiding in still silent mind

kind regards

http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ilies/grin.gif

Thanks KarmaYeshe and Element for giving completeness to the Sutta.

http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...lies/hands.gif

Even the reading of the words captures some of the peace ... thanks Element - after a busy day and so much stimulation and information exchange it is lovely to come home to your post.

I agree with this. Thinking loving, kind thoughts, doing good deeds and feeling joy and happiness is really not the ultimate goal of our practice. Obsessing over the goodness of our thoughts and deeds is merely the other side of the coin. So while the Buddha says that morality lays an essential foundation for wisdom, we should eventually find equanimity. Equanimity does not disturb the mind. Besides, a truly balanced compassionate mindset arises ultimately from letting go imho.

In "Self Acceptance and Equanimity" Ajahn Sucitto has the following to say:

''Equanimity is the widest and most still register of the heart. While based on empathy, its response to what it meets is to hold whatever feeling, perception or activity arises in a wide and non-reactive space.

Equanimity is a rare quality because our normal response to ourselves and others is to pick at the flaws and to polish and relish the good. This is natural enough, but where equanimity pays off is in meeting situations and conditions that we seem unable to change: the destructive or pointless habits of others, or the irritating phobias and reactions that arise in our mind.

Without equanimity, we either get frustrated to the point of anger or despair, give up and lose faith, or we gloss over our confused habits with denial. Equanimity retains empathy – it’s not indifferent but it is absolutely patient.

When meeting the good, we notice the sense of the skilful and the brightness that it causes – but we don’t get giddy and driven by perfectionism to always expect the best from ourselves or others. With the bad, we notice how that is, without getting lost in wounding and blaming. In both cases, we lessen the potential for suffering and stress."


http://www.cittaviveka.org/transcrib...%20Sucitto.pdf