12th Issue (June, 2009) Cakkavatti-Sīhanāda Sutta (DN26): Be an Island to Yourself: Take Refuge in Your Ownself IntroductionThe Word of Gotama Buddha in the Cakkavatti-Sīhanāda-sutta (DN26) which captivates and inspires me to the utmost is reproduced as follows :
Exoteric or external teaching of taking refuge in Buddha, Dhamma and Saṅgha may be misleading or misinterpreted unknowingly some times. The learning exoteric Buddhists generally take refuge externally from the Buddha, Dhamma and Saṅgha with the hope they will be blessed from their worship bestowed upon them by an external Buddha. They erroneously regard the Buddha as an external supernatural Agent who can bless the devotees from his supernormal power (abhiññā). This is actually an incorrigible, subtle attachment in Buddhism as well as in Monotheism. The true teaching of Buddhism unravels that the exoteric worship of Buddha is a form of attachment of attachment (imagination of imagination) which actually impedes liberation (vimutti). Likewise, the true tenet of Monotheism unveils that such exoteric worship of God is the idolatry of idolatry (shirk shirk). The idolatry of idolatry is the false imagination in the unreal imagination. Succinctly put, it is mental obsessions (papañca) caused by mental fabrications. Mental fabrications are false mental constructs. The soteriological agenda of religion is to eliminate false mental constructs rooted in ignorance (avijjā). In the Mahaparinibbana-sutta (DN16), Gotama Buddha promulgates that every Buddhist must regard himself or herself as an island. He a or she must take refuge in his or her own island in order to be liberated. In other words, a Buddhist treading on the right Buddha Path must take refuge in his or her own self-development and self-cultivation of mental rectification through training in morality (sīla), concentration (samādhi) and wisdom (paññā). This noble (ariya) training is undertaken through personal development and self-cultivation of the Noble Eight Fold Path (Ariyo Ațțhangiko Maggo). This is the golden admonition of Gotama Buddha who expounds the Buddhist right concept of taking refuge in oneself in the Mahāparinibbana Sutta (DN16). Taking refuge in oneself is know one’s True Self. Knowing one’s True Self, one knows the Buddha. This soteriological message of taking refuge in one’s own island was communicated to his foremost and immediate disciples headed by Ānanda before the Goatma Buddha passed into parinibbāna. Taking refuge in oneself connotes that one ought to strive diligently, resolutely and ardently in the tranquility and insight meditation so as to develop wisdom (paññā) and virtue (sīla). The liberating or non-discriminative wisdom and virtue are the Attributes and Essence of the Buddha. Only wisdom and virtue can help one completely avert the pitfalls of committing misdeeds or evil actions or crimes. The second portion of the golden admonition of Gotama Buddha is actually the concise instruction or guide on the application of the four foundations of mindfulness (cattāri satipațțhāna). The insightful application of four foundations of mindfulness is the Buddhist meditational expedient device or skillful means (upāya) of employing Anattā (Insubstantiality) strategy to obliterate the self-centric ego superimposed by an ordinary worldling’s (puthujjana) ignorance of the Absolute Truth of Dependent Co-arising (Pațiccasamuppāda). This soteriological strategy of cattāri satipațțhāna eliminates the grasping (upādāna) upon the five aggregates (pañcakkhandhā) as this is I; this is mine; this belongs to me. The purpose of executing the Anattā (Insubstantiality) strategy of right mindfulness (sammā Sati) and clear awareness or comprehension (sampajañña) is to annihilate the illusively superimposed self-centric ego (attā or ahaṃkāra). Right Mindfulness is the 7th training aggregate of the Buddhist soteriological Dhammic faring in the Noble Eight Fold Path. The annihilation of self-centric ego through the right Mindfulness and clear awareness of the Insubstantiality or Selflessness of the five aggregates effectively destroys one’s attachment or aversion when external environmental stimuli impinge upon the six human sense faculties. The destruction of attachment and aversion obliterates the arising of the unwholesome states of greed (lobha) , hatred (dosa) and delusion (moha). These three poisons of life motivate the worldlings to commit misdeeds or evil actions or crimes. The non-arising of these three poisons of life of greed-hatred-delusion through the wisdom of Anattā prevents a practising Buddhist from committing misdeeds, evil actions or crimes. The meditation skill of the application of the four foundations of mindfulness consummates the right efforts (sammā vāyāma) of preventing the arising of evil thoughts that have not arisen and the eliminating of evil thought that have arisen. The four establishments of mindfulness are powerful spiritual defences guarding the six sense doors from being corrupted with taints or cankers (āsavas). Taints or cankers are mental impurities produced by self-centric ego. Taints or cankers condition human misbehaviours or crimes. Right efforts is the 6th training aggregate of the Noble Eight Fold Path. This completely formulated Buddhist Path shepherds a Buddhist towards soteriological goal of complete mental appeasement known as Nibbāna. Evil thoughts condition evil actions through the body, speech and mind. The application of four foundations of mindfulness invigorates the safeguarding of the Buddhist Precepts, namely the Five Precepts (Pañcasī̄las) and the Ten Good Precepts (Dasasīlas) to avert the pitfalls of human moral fallibilities and vulnerabilities. These moral weaknesses condition misbehaviours or crimes. Let’s examine more closely the right practice of the four foundations of mindfulness. ‘Contemplating upon the body, feelings, mind and mind-objects clearly aware and mindful’’ denotes that the sensual experiences of the body, feelings, thoughts and phenomena are mindfully and heedfully perceived. The mindfulness and heedfulness are supported by clearly comprehension of the Insubstantiality of the five aggregates moment by moment through the wisdom of insight. Most importantly, all perceptions are mindfully noted without superimposing the illusory self-centric ego upon the human personality. In other words, there is no whatsoever grasping (upādāna) upon the five aggregates. Letting go all attachment and aversion is heedfully and vigilantly executed moment by moment. The mind is said to be purified if and only if it is not directed and empowered by the illusory self-centric ego or it is not corrupted by grasping of Iness or mineness. Self-centric ego creates the false view of self-identity (sakkāyadițțhi) of Iness (Ahaṃkāra) or Mineness (Mamakāra). ‘Put aside hankering and freeting for the world’ instructs that the practioner does not grasp upon or cling to the five aggregates as this is I; this is mine; this belongs to me. In other world, the Insubstantiality or Selflessness (Anattā) of the human personality as well as the Unity of the multiplicity of the world is recognized or acknowledged mindfully with complete clear awareness of all sensual activities moment by moment . The Anattā strategy of right mindfulness and heedfulness is aimed as depersonalizing the five aggregates as this is not I; this is not mine ; this does not belong to me. Depersonalization of the five aggregates is non-alienation of the human personality from the cosmic Unity of Existence. Everything or every being is an integral part of the larger whole. No discrete entity exists. The Unity of Existence of Interconnectedness and interrelatedness among all things or beings is the only timeless Reality veiled by the apparent separate multiplicity. The Unity of Existence is the right knowledge of Anattā or Pațiccasamuppāda. The Anattā strategy of mindfulness meditation (satipațțhāna-bhāvanā) annihilates the ego self in sitting, walking, standing, lying and in all forms of daily activities. Consequently, the practice of the four foundations of mindfulness makes the practioner fully aware of the pitfalls of the slightest moral flaws through heedless grasping or clinging. In this way, the four foundations of mindfulness becomes the most powerful Buddhist self-defence system of heedfulness or vigilance against the commission of misdeeds or evil actions or crimes. All the six sense doors are well guarded so that the mind is not tainted with cankers (āsavas). The practice of cattāri satipațțhāna is moral self-protection through complete moral heedfulness or vigilance. Self-protection is not selfish protection. It is moral self-rectification, personal development and self-cultivation. Self-cultivation is self-control, ethical improvement and wisdom development heading towards human perfection. Human perfection is innate human potentiality existing in all human beings. Self-enlightenment or Gnosis is the self-redemption or resurrection of the innate perfection in Man. All world’s great religions are the teaching of unveiling the intrinsic supremacy of Man. Buddhism is no exception. It is common aspiration of any genuine spiritual practioner to strive on diligently, resolutely and ardently to arrive at the final station of human perfection in wisdom and virtue. In the Mahāparinibbā̄na-sutta (DN16), before the parinibbāna of Gotama Buddha, he admonished his disciples to strive diligently for Nibbāna. Nibbāna is the state of human perfection in wisdom and virtue. Likewise, in Monotheism, all lovers of God are commanded by God to see God and to be born of God. To see and to be born of God is to resurrect the innate human perfection in wisdom and virtue. Human perfection in wisdom and virtue is not only the highest self-protection, it is also the first class human asset that can transmit the authentic message of the Buddha to others to illuminate the world. It is this self-protection that safeguards others. Moral self-protection safeguarding others is the protection of others. Protection of others is protection of the interests, welfare and wellbeing , rights of an individual, a community, a society, a nation and the world at large. Oneself and all others are the systemic parts of the larger whole of systemic unity of existence. When an individual is taught to cease his or her conduct of misbehaviour or the commission of crimes, the whole family, the society, the nation and the world benefit from the systemic unity of existence. This is so because every human being is a systemic contigent condition of the systemic unity of existence of the entire human family. Conversely, badly or evil behaviour of any individual create a systemic risk or risks that may erupt into a systemic crisis or even catastrophe that harms the whole human family. For instance, the development of systemic risks rooted in human cravings, selfish impulses, laxities and irresponsibilities of some fallible individuals have harmed many innocent victims in the 2008-2009 global financial crisis. The entire human family of the global village is being negatively affected. Another concrete example of the failure to protect the security of the treacherous sea off the Horn of Africa by Somali government has facilitated the pirates menacing the security of the international waterway. The treacherous piracy does not merely affect adversely the balance sheets of the victimized shipping or logistic companies alone. They affect the regular incomes of families, businesses and governments of international trading nations. GNP (Gross National Product) is closely related to GNH (Gross National Happiness) for underdeveloped, developing and developed nations. In the Satipațțhāna Saṃyutta (SN19), Gotama Buddha promulgates the golden rule of life thus : Protecting oneself, one protects others. Protecting others, one protects oneself. Being nice to others is being nice to oneself. Cessation of misbehaviours and crimes protects oneself and others. Satipațțhāna is not only a means of moral restraint. It is also expedient means (upāya) to develop wisdom of insight (vipassanā) into the eternal Truth of Impermanence (Aniccatā), Insubstantiality (Anattatā), and Suffering (Dukkha). When satipațțhāna is consummated in the form of wisdom of discernming the Truth, the wise will not commit any more misdeeds or evil actions or crimes through immoral heedlessness and negligence. References:
   
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