Dr. Most Venerable
Mirisse Dhammika Nayaka Thero

“Those who worship me with flowers, do not venerate me properly. People who engage in the principles of Dhamma, venerate in the actual way.”
(Dhammapadatthakatha – Dhammarama Waththu)

Thousands of bhikkhu congregated around the Buddha, when it was announced that the Parinirwana of the Buddha would take place in three months time. In the meantime, Bhikkhu Dharmarama commenced meditating with the intention of attaining the Arahathhood before the Buddha Parinirwana happens Bhikkhu Dharmarama was called when he was inquired why he was saying away from other bhikkhus and living in isolation, he answered with all respect. ‘The Buddha, I still have defilements. I want to attain arahathhood which was sermonized by you. So, I am following the way as shown.” When further he said that he was trying to contemplate on the ultimate language the Buddha hailed him saying ‘Sadu, Sadu’. Moreover, the Buddha explained that he considered that people who worship him by offering flowers and incense do not pay the exact homage but stressed that the highest reverence to him is to engage in principles of Dhamma. The following stanza of Dhamma was preached by the Buddha.

“A bhikku would not deteriorate in obtaining the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment, if he did meditation on tranquility and insight, comprehended, developed and practiced Dhamma, devoted to Dhamma, in addition to that, refreshed the memory he has on Dhamma, quite often.”

This narration on Dhamma is a suitable Dhamma advice for everybody including you and me. The Buddha preached the same idea to the bhikkhu Vakkali. Young Vakkali, who was attracted to the outward appearance of the Buddha, became a monk with the sole intention of obtaining the privilege of closely looking at the Buddha. Even after ordaining as he was continuously gazing at the physical appearance of the Buddha, the Buddha advised him, not to get attracted to a body consisted of foulness with thirty two impurities but to contemplate on ultimate sense. Ultimate sense is synonymous with Patichchasamuppado: Dependent origination. Many people among us, engage in material homage, which was not duly admired by the Buddha but, praised contemplating and following the ultimate sense. This does not mean that material homage should not be carried out. It is quite significant to engage in devotional observances such as offering flowers, lighting lamps and chanting gatha in order to obtain and enhance faith, and also to refrain from doing five misdeeds or sins. It also helps as the first step to follow the virtuous conduct, to concentrate and to exercise on wisdom to clear the way towards Dhamma and also to make the mind commie to the way of Dhamma. Although minimum number of people embark and follow the way which helps to eliminate the woeful sansara by practicing meditation on insight as preached by the Buddha, many people halt at paying material homage. Those who say that they have embarked on practicing insight, cannot be properly affirmed that they have done so, as it can be noticed that they have split into various groups in order to achieve their worldly targets, ambiguously. Among many Suthra which teach the progress path of Dhamma, Maha Sungnatha Suthra takes an important role. The following can be seen in the above suthra.

“Bhikkhu Ananda, I have not seen any visual body, on which a person is deeply attached with lusty clinging, that does not make him grief-stricken along with lamentations and to make him have a melancholy feelings, when the said body is converted into a different from and change completely.”

Hence, the Buddha sermonized the four groups: Bhikkhu, Bhikkhuni and the upasaka and upasika adherents not to generate thoughts on visual bodies and also not to depend on sources that make unwholesome defilements, but to live and strive to eliminate the cankers that are rooted in the inner-most mind to gain super mundane attainment. For ordinary people and monks who properly understand the above Dhamma sermon, firstly, should be virtuous in bodily actions and speech. This sate of behavior can be called as “Seela”. It is important to be in a state of seela as this state initiates fear to do, not only the smallest but also even the minute misdeed through understanding. The Buddha sermonized in the Sonadanda Suthra as follows.” The meaning explains as, ‘Wisdom gets cleansed by seela while seela is purified by wisdom”. Hence, one who enters the realm of Buddhism either in the state of a monk or a lay devotee should adequately have to a virtuous behavior: have a moral excellence in character. For people who practice customs and traditions related to Buddhism without possessing a virtuous character and behaviour in ‘Three doors’: mind, speech and body, can not have proper benefits of paying homage to the Buddha. It is admirable if the customs and traditions can be carried out with a proper understanding of the value of having a virtuous behaviour. Yet, it can be noticed that there are numerous ‘clinging’s and conflicts’ arising while performing customs and traditions related to Buddhism, now a days giving way to cause greed, pride and infatuation. There are people in the society who say that they offer alms as habitor a custom, observe sill to fulfill a custom and also perform certain acts to aquiver merits as to follow customs and traditions.

The genuine homage to the Buddha is to act in accordance with the ultimate sense preached by him. It is important to eliminate hindrances such as sensual desire in order to enthusiastically follow the way to secure the seven factors of awakening. It is significant to obtain nine chief kinds of insight knowledge by gaining the knowledge consisting in contemplation and contemplation of dissolution by starting from the purification of morality along with maintain all the stages of purification. Without following the above mentioned noble path, people whose minds are shaded with deep greediness, anger, fury, jealousy, and ungratefulness and also people who always conceal their own misdeeds but repeatedly look for the mistakes of others with destructive criticism, quite unfortunately, do not have the opportunity to understand Dhamma. One should be whole heartedly sincere to oneself. In other terms, one should be able to relinquish oneself. Relinquishing does not mean to be neglecting one’s cleanliness and to be bodily filthy or not taking are of one’s physical health, or giving up education and profession or abandoning household activities. All the above mentioned mundane activities should be done as required within the sphere of a virtuous behaviour in a peaceful manner. Yet, one’s mind should be accomplished with an understanding hat the five bundles of aggregates called ‘I’, always endure on the three characteristics of existence: Impermanence, suffering and non-self. Moreover, a state of clinging should not be formed either by one self or through any external object. While maintaining ‘I’ conventionally, with keeping the superiority of the Buddha always at the forefront, Dhamma should be contemplated and memorized to understand that, according to the real truth, there is actually nobody or nothing called ‘I’. Hence, ‘the real abandoningoneself’ can be understood. This state gives rise to willing by restraining the mind, speech and body to do the five misdeeds and also to do the ten unwholesome acts. In addition to that, clinging would not take place for anybody or anything even if they are encountered, conventionally. This condition would not give rise to conflicts with anything or anybody you dislike or feel unpleasant of Gathering of Karmic Volition would be weakened. Mindfulness, clarity of consciousness, having energy, super mundanepaths, path for concentration should be understood. A person who was engaged in external Pujas combined with material homage, for a long-time in his life-time, would be able to understand what the genuine homage to the Buddha is, by going through the sermon preached, regarding DhammaramaThero.