On His last journey to �Kusinara�, in the company of
bhikkhus the Thathagatha came to �Pava�, and relaxed in
the Mango grove of Chunda the Smith, one who attained
the first stage of spiritual ascendant, Chunda visited
the Master, and invited Him and the disciples for dana
(meal) on the following day, at His residence. The
Thathagatha accepted His consent by silence. Chunda
prepared hard and soft-sweet rice and cakes, and a
dessert of truffles, a kind of mushroom, closer to the
surface. (�Kadaneeyam, Bojaneeyam and Sukaramaddawa).
When all was ready, Chunda announced the Master.
The Blessed One, with His followers, went to the
dwelling place of Chunda. After seeing the three
varieties of food, the Master instructed Chunda to serve
the bhikkhus with hard and soft food, and serve only the
Master with �Sukaramaddawa�. After, they had partaken of
their meals. The Thathagatha declared that, there was no
one, who could assimilate that food, except Himself, and
told Chunda, to bury the remain of �Sukaramaddawa�.
When the meal was over, the Master declared that �the
two offerings of food, the present one offered by Chunda,
prior to His Attainment of �Parinibbana�, and the
offering made by Sujatha the countess, prior to the
Attainment of Buddhahood, are of equal result; equal
merit than any other offering.� The Master praised
Chunda for his meal, and instructed His Bhikkhus to
reaffirm Chunda, the meritorious nature of his offering,
if someone happen to stir-up remorse in him by stating
that, the Thathagatha passed away, as a result of
consuming this meal.
When Buddhist practitioners consume flesh, fish and
eggs, they subscribe to a chain of sinful events, its
away of employing killing on otherwise. The supply
increases due to the demand. Oneness of life, proclaimed
by the Master, is an undisputable and observable
phenomena, today. When the Compassionate. One tabooed
killing, He stopped it at its roots. Once the Master
forbade, slaughter and sacrifice of humans and animals
to gods and devils, it was unlikely that a �Sothapanna�
like Chunda, to offer a meal of pork, when the Master
was weak, and ailing for several months, from a dire
disease. Further, had Chunda slaughtered a pig for the
last meal, it was unlikely that the Master would have
spoken thus, of his offering.The Master, having
delivered the sermon to Chunda, proceeded towards �Kusinara�.
On His way, shortly thereafter, the dire disease fell
upon the Master. It was dysentery, which was fatal. Some
believe that, this �Sukaramaddawa� was a vegetable
preparation using milk, as a dessert. The quality and
quantity of this dessert, is a subject of controversy
among the erudite, todate.
The �Deeganikaya� states that, Chunda got the pork from
the market. Again, the commentator gives more weight to
the fact that, this preparation to be of rice, mixed
with five products of the cow. Some believe that, this
was a chemical preparation, like jelly. However, these
preparations were made towards dawn, at the residence of
Chunda, and functioning of pork market, was impossible
at this time. However, the Master did not forbid his
followers to take any other meat even if they do not
hear, see on suspect that they are specially prepared
for them.
The morality of the Buddhist practice, is to accept any
food, without preference. In this case, if Chunda
offered pork, it should come as �Sukara-mansa�, as
stated for all other animal flesh, and not as �maddawa�.
When Ugga, the vesalian householder offered alms to the
Master, pork was mentioned as Sukara-mansa�. Thus, in
respect of the last meal offered to the Master by Chunda,
it was stated as �maddawa�, because it represented
truffles, and not pork.
The sickness of the Master, broke-out exactly ten months
prior to His Parinibbana. This was of �Karmic� origin,
as explained by the Thathagatha. When the �Bodhisatta�
was a physician in a former birth, He purposely
administered the wrong medicine, to the count he was
treating, whose fee was in arrears, that caused the
patient diarrhoea. This �karmic� reaction, affected the
Master in his last days. On three successive occasions,
the Master acquainted Venerable Ananda, about the time
of His passing away. When the time was close at hand,
fully conscious of His approaching, He proceeded to �Kusinara�.
The Thathagatha warned us of blind orthodoxy, and
allowed us unique intellectual freedom. Eating of flesh
is unclean. It make the body prone to disease. The
plainest, and the simplest form of natural food, is the
most beneficial. Only an �Arhanth� can reveal now, what
occurred in so distant past.
�Those living in the forest,
Peaceful and calm, of pure life,
Eating but, one meal a day,
How is it, they appear so radiant?�
(S.N.)
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Five precepts
By Daya Dahanayake
We Buddhists,
read the five precepts
at least twice a day.
When all the Buddhist
ceremonies start
all observe five precepts.
We just read them.
Without any feeling
But the five precepts are
Not just to read,
As parrots or manthrams,
They are to live a righteous life.
If one protects the
five precepts,
He�ll be a righteous man
If all the countrymen
Adhere the five precepts
They all will be righteous
men and women.
They�ll live peacefully
and happily.
If all the people, in the world
Protect the five precepts
There will be peace
In the world.
There will be no fear in them.
They can live happily.
As in Prince Dharmapala�s days.
No robbers or any harm,
any where.
No need of the three forces
No need of courts.
All can live without any fear.
So, all must try to live a
righteous life
Protecting the five precepts.
May there be peace in
the country!
We Buddhists,
පසෙලාස්වක
අව
අටවක
අමාවක
පුර අටවක