36 (Day) Notes | Pattakamma Sutta (AN 4.61) | Sutta Study @ Buddhist Maha Vihara, Brickfields | Bhante Dr. G. Chandima

 

Lay people have to accomplish the four accomplishments—trust in the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha (saddhā), morality (sīla), generosity (cāga), and wisdom (paññā)—to fulfill the four wishes.

What is the basis for trust (saddhā) in the Buddha? How does a layperson cultivate trust (saddhā)? It is said that a layman should trust in the Buddha's enlightenment. How can a layperson trust in the enlightenment of the Buddha? Understanding the Buddha's nine great qualities allows a layperson to put their trust (saddhā) in his enlightenment. Only by comprehending the Buddha's nine noble qualities can a layperson acquire trust (saddhā)

To better understand these nine great qualities of the Buddha, it is helpful to number them.

1. accomplished (araham)
2. fully enlightened (sammā-sambuddho)
3. endowed with clear vision (8 knowledges) and virtuous conduct (15 practices) (vijjā-carana-sampanno)
4. well-gone (sugato)
5. the knower of three worlds (lokavidū)
6. the incomparable leader of beings to be tamed (anuttaro purisa-damma-sārathi)
7. the teacher of gods and men (satthā deva-manussānam)
8. enlightened (buddho)
9. blessed (bhagavā)

1. Accomplished (Araham)

The Buddha is araham because he:

-distances oneself  (araka) from mental  defilements (kilesa).,
-has vanquished the enemy (ari), particularly the mental defilements, he is thus accomplished.
 (arahanta) 

-has demolished every spoke (ara) of the rebirth wheel (ara-ham) and is therefore deserving (araha) of receiving gifts.
 (araham),
-can cause no akusala, even in secret (na raho karoti pāpāni).

2. Fully Enlightened (Sammā-Sambuddho)

The Buddha was fully awake because he discovered the true way of the Four Noble Truths. He rediscovered the Dhamma, the reality or true nature of things, the universal laws, on his own, without a teacher to guide him.

3. Endowed with clear vision (8 knowledge) and virtuous conduct (15 practices) (vijjā-carana-sampanno)

Vijjā is the word for great knowledge, and carana is the word for great practiceS that guide a good disciple to Nibbāna.

8 Knowledges (vijjā)

1. Knowledge of past existences (pubbenivāsa-ñāṇa): By this knowledge, the Buddha can see the past existences of Himself and other beings.
2. Knowledge of the deva eye (dibbacakkhu-ñāṇa): By this knowledge, the Buddha can see things at far away places, things concealed, and things too subtle for the ordinary human eyes to see.
3. Knowledge of the extinction of fermentations (āsavakkhaya-ñāṇa): This is arahatta-phala-ñāṇa which extinguishes all four fermentations
4. Insight Knowledge (vipassanā-ñāṇa): Understanding the impermanence, woefulness and unsubstantiality of all conditioned mental and physical phenomena.
5. Psychic power of the mind (manomayiddhi-ñāṇa): Power to assume various forms through mastery of mind accomplished by jhāna practice.
6. Multifarious kinds of psychic power (iddhividha-ñāṇa): Power to conjure up great numbers of various forms, human or otherwise.
7. Knowledge of the Deva Ear (dibbasota-ñāṇa): Power to hear sounds from far away places, sounds muffled up and sounds too subtle to hear by the ordinary human ear.
8. Knowledge of reading the mind of others (cetopariya-ñāṇa): The Buddha can know the mind of others in sixteen different ways.

15 Virtuous Conduct /Practices (carana)

1. Morality of restraint(sīla saṇvara): Observance of bhikkhu precepts of restraint, Pātimokkha Saṇvara Sīla.
2. Restraint of the faculties (indriyesugutta dvāratā): Keeping watch over the doors of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind with constant mindfulness so as not to allow any demeritoriousness to enter. 
3. Knowing the proper extent regarding food (bojane matanutā): Knowing the proper extent in receiving alms-food and in enjoying it. In receiving alms-food, the Buddha considers the degree of devotion of the donor. If the devotion is strong but the gift is small, the Buddha does not scorn the gift for its smallness but accepts it. On the hand, if the gift is big but the donor’s devotion is weak, the Buddha accepts only a small amount of the gift, considering the weak devotion of the donor. If the gift is big and the donor’s devotion is strong, the Buddha accepts just an appropriate amount to satisfy His need. This is called knowing the proper extent regarding acceptance of alms-food. In enjoying the food thus collected, the Buddha never eats to the full but stops four or five morsels short of filling His stomach. More important, He never takes food without cultivating the bhikkhu's contemplation while eating.
4. Wakefulness(jāgariyā nuyoga): Wakefulness does not mean not just remaining without sleep. The Buddha spends the whole day; during the first watch of the night and the last watch of the night in meditation, while walking or sitting, thus keeping away the hindrances. This purposeful waking is called wakefulness. 
5. Confidence in the Triple Gem, saddhā.
6. Mindfulness, sati.
7. Sense of shame to do akusala, hirī
8. Sense of fear to do akusala, ottapa.
9. Wide learning (of the doctrine), bāhusacca.
10. Diligence, viriya.
11. Knowledge, paññā.
12. First Jhāna
13. Second Jhāna
14. Third Jhāna
15. Fourth Jhāna

4. Well-gone(Sugato)

The best way to translate Sugato is as "he who has reached the right destination," which means reaching the bliss of Nibbāna. So, there are two meanings here. In the first place, sugato refers to the blissful Nibbāna, the good place the Buddha reached, and in this way, it also refers to the great good that his awakening brought to the world by showing others how to follow this path. Second, when he taught, the Buddha only said things that were true, right, and good.

5. The Knower of Worlds (Lokavidū)

It did not matter how far away or close the beings from the three main worlds—the sensual, the material, and the immaterial—were to the Buddha. He could see them all in his thoughts. That's two meanings of "all worlds." The first is all the planets and other celestial bodies in our universe. The Buddha taught that there are thousands of world systems in our universe where life exists. The second is all the different levels of existence, from the underworld (apāya) to the heavenly places that are not made of matter. The Buddha had a magical power that let him show up in all of these worlds and places.

Having said that, he not only knew where everything was, but he could also see and hear anything he focused on with his thought, divine eye, and divine ear. So, he knows everything about every place and every being.

6. The Incomparable Leader of Men to be Tamed (Anuttaro Purisa-Damma-Sārathi)

Purisa-damma implies untamable, while anuttaro indicates unmatched. No one could tame all untamed beings for the Dhamma like the Buddha. The Buddha knew the most about people's proclivities and paramis (strong mental characteristics) and could tailor his teachings to them. He taught with a gesture, a statement, a long speech, or a series of talks or long instruction.

7. The Teacher of Gods and Men (Satthā Deva-Manussānam)

While ordinary people or teachers strive to contact devas to learn from them, the Buddha does the opposite. Animals from all planets, including heaven, sought his advice. High gods recognized the Buddha as a teacher who could help them. In addition to respectable individuals, ascetics, and beings from the higher heavenly regions, his listeners included assassins like Aṅgulimāla, Āḷavaka, and Nālāgiri, hundreds of robbers, cannibals, and others. By leading these beings to Nibbāna, the Buddha could provide safety. That makes him the unsurpassed teacher of men and gods.

8. Enlightened (Buddho)

It's important to talk about the main reason why the Buddha is called the Buddha. He fully and correctly understood what needed to be understood (unsatisfactoriness), let go of what needed to be let go of (the cause of unsatisfactoriness), accomplished what needed to be accomplished (the end of unsatisfactoriness), and built what needed to be built (the path leading to the end of unsatisfactoriness).

9. Blessed (Bhagavā)

Bhagavā refers to the person who uproots greed, hatred, and delusion. This, along with buddho, is the most often used name for the Buddha, sometimes constructed as buddho bhagavā. 'Blessed' is primarily a term that expresses deep respect and tribute to him as the highest of all beings in all worlds, distinguishing himself from all beings by his unique qualities such as the greatest possible dominion over his mind and body, as well as the deepest and most subtle understanding of Dhamma. This is why the Buddha is appropriately referred to be Bhagavā.