Main features in the Buddhist tradition

by Ven. Dr. Handupelpola Mahinda Nayaka Thera

Continued from march 15

Theravada Buddhists believe that the Buddha has demised, and no more. But they offer flowers, lamps, incense, sandalwood-powder, camphor, food and refreshments. This sort of practices became a tradition even among the Buddhists. But in theistic religions, that is, religions which believe in an omnipotent, all-powerful god who is the creator of the world and father of all creatures, prayer means mainly supplication to God, petitioning him, humbly asking him for guidance and protection, good health and happiness and even forgiveness for sins committed.

Idea of sin

Buddhists do not believe in such a God and there is no idea of prayer also. Buddhists believe in Kamma but there is no praying. Buddhists believe in Kamma but they know there is no superior person or agent behind it, and directing or administering. Being impersonal, it shows neither mercy nor forgiveness. Hence the idea of sin in Buddhist sense is not the transgression or disobedience of laws lay down by a God.

According to the Buddhist point of view the world does not depend upon its prosperity or progress on any external agency and it is not constructed by anyone outside. The image will help the devotee to recall the great virtues of the unsullied qualities of the Buddha. For the purpose of worship, it is even immaterial whether there is an image or not, but he may find it helpful for the concentration. Buddhists kneel before the image and pay their respect to what that image represents. They do not seek wordly favours from the image. They reflect and meditate to gain inspiration from his noble personality. They try to emulate his perfection by following his noble teachings.

Though these ritualistic practices are adopted from that of Hindus,Buddhists have given separate meanings to them. While they offering flowers they say, ‘puppham milayati yatha idham me, kayo tatha yati vinasa bhavam,’ meaning, the flowers, though they have fragrance and beauty, get fade away on the altar. In the same way my body becomes decay and finally die down. The offering of flowers and incense is a bestowal of worship. An act of homage, of adoration and of gratitude by them, though the offering have no intrinsic value.

The three fold meritorious activities, called Trividha punna kirya vattu starts from arms giving or liberality.

The two others been morality (Seela) and mental development (Bhavana). The Buddhists are very keen to practice these three meritorious activities.

1. Generosity (Dana) is practice in various ways.
2. Puggalika Dana (offering personally)
3. Sanghika Dana (offering to the community of monks)
4. Upasaka Dana (offering to the devotees)
5. Balkapattu Dana (offering food to dog and crows)
6. Abhaya Dana (Giving fearlessness)
7. Jeevita Dana (Grant of Amnesty)
8. Shramadana (Rendering free service)
9. Mataka Dana (Alms giving in memory of the death)
10. Mataka Vastra Dana (Offering of a cloth in the name of dead)
11. Atma parithyagaya (Sacrifice of life)
12. Hisa Dandeema (Sacrifice of own head)
13. Le Dandeema (Blood donation)
14. Sareeranga Prithyagaya (Donation of parts of the human body, eg. Kidney, eye etc.)

There is a common belief that giving some thing belongs to a person without greed (loba) hate, (dosa) and dilution (moha) is an act of merit. The four Danas called Puggalika Dana, Sangika Dana, Upasaka Dana, and Balukaputu Dana especially regarding the offering of food and soft drinks. In Sri Lanka mostly in the festive seasons of Vesak (May) and Poson (June) even in remote areas, people organize places of free feeding, without any difference of race, religion. etc. In most areas Hindus, Christians and Moslems participate in these activities with Buddhist. This is a charming a example of religious tolerance and communal co-existence. This sort of activities, induce and encourage the humanity. The people travelling on road for religious homage are invited and offered cooked rice, and other refreshments. That shows giving makes people virtuous.

Common practice

Generosity is a common practice encouraged by most of the religions. Buddhists practice generosity for the destruction of greed and attachment. After offering alms they perform an act of transferring merits to the dead.

They are anxious to perform grant of amnesty, rendering free service and blood donation in full moon days of religious importance.

As a way of sharing merits with the departed relatives, they offer white cloth to the community of monks and that act is called Mataka Vastra Danaya (offering of a cloth in the name of the dead). That symbolizes an offering of a robe.

Some of the monks in early days, picked up rags covering dead bodies and being cast away at cemeteries, in order to make robes. The day after day of completion of funeral rights Buddhists offer alms and it is named Mataka danaya (alms giving in memory of the dead). In the seventh day after the death, after three months, and annually they offer alms to the community of monks in the refugee camps, in the houses of aged or disabled. That has become a popular tradition among Sri Lankan Buddhists.

King Sanghabodhi of Ancient Sri Lanka sacrificed his own head for the well-being of the people. The historical descriptions described, it as a characteristic of a Bodhisatta. However homicide is not approved in the Theravada tradition though Mahayana did.

Morality or Seela is also a good tradition in the Buddhist life. Panchasila or five precepts is the basic morality assigned to their lives. The Buddha formulated five precepts which define the primary level of ethical conduct. Buddhism admonishes to live in the society, peacefully. In the culavyuha sutta, Buddha gave an advice to learn others faiths even. (Sn) “parassa ce dhamma mananujanam, balo mago hoti ninina panno” (One who does not respect other person’s faith, is a wild beast)

As a practical religion age long, there may additions and omissions. At the very start, it was only way of life, and later became a philosophy. Erecting of idols started at the time of king Kanishka (78-100 A.D) Becoming a religion, various rituals originated. In some countries, there are a few hours of music, singing and dancing with a short talk in between.

In some places Buddhism has covered with cults. Ven. Chin Kung says by the name of Buddhism some are taking advantage of the weaknesses of human nature. (Buddhism, the Wisdom and Compassion and Awakening, pp 11-12).

The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions divides Mahayana into two categories, such as, Tibeto-Mongol and Sino - Japanese. Tibeto - Mongol Buddhism sees itself as the inheritor of later Indian Mahayanist scholar - monks and places much emphasis on philosophical precision. Sino - Japanese Buddhism (Which includes Korean and Vietnamese forms) developed tradition independently of Indian Mahayana.Any tradition may claim superiority over any other by various means. Theravadins often claim to have preserved the original words of the Buddha, to which, they say, Mahayana has made unwarranted additions. Tibetan Buddhists point to the complexity of their systems as evidence that they have the fullness of the teachings in comparison with which the so-called Hindyana, which is superficially similar to thearavada, is said to be deficient.

To be continued