ႊToday , the lady from Norway asked a few questions on Dhamma . These are good questions . Hereby answers are presented .
1) Question:In paragraph 9 of page 11 of Burmese translation of Metta Sutta , (Sutta Nipata , Khuddaka Nikaya ) , It is said a yogi practising metta(loving kindness) meditation would have achieved the state of arahatship as yogi could have cleared all hindrance by fulfilling supramundane sila and attaining sodapatti magga nyana .
So my question would be " Is the effect of metta meditation is the same as vipassana ? And can one attain magga and phala nyanna by practising metta(loving kindness) meditation alone .
answer:The effect of metta ( loving kindness ) meditation is not the same as vipassana . Enlightenment ( Magga and phala nyanna) cannot be attained by metta ( loving kindness ) meditation . I will explain further .
The first verse of last two verses of Metta sutta , it is stated that it would be noble living if yogi is practising metta (loving kindness )meditation all the time .
Last verse "Not falling into wrong views — being virtuous, endowed with insight, lust in the senses discarded — verily never again will he return to conceive in a womb."(translation Piyadassi Thera book of protection ) . It is instruction to practise vipassana by utilizing concentration ( samathi ) attained by practising metta ( loving kindness ) meditation .
"endowed with insight" means free from wrong views . wrong views are 62 in detail and 3 in a nutshell namely wrong view of self . wrong view of permanence of essence of self and wrong view of freestanding of self . The only way to be cleared of wrong views and to be endowed with insight is to practise vipassana .
It should be interpreted that Lord Buddha instructed vipassana meditation at the end of instruction of metta ( loving kindness meditation by that last verse . And it is appropriate to say that metta sutta is the instructions for 2 different methods of meditation .
Namely 1) Metta( Loving kindness ) meditation
2) Vipassana meditation
That means a yogi should start with metta ( loving kindness ) meditation and once attained jana states by practising metta ( loving kindness ) meditation , Vipassana mediation should be practised .
Therefore Magga and phala nyanna ( Enlightenment ) cannot be achieved by jana state of metta ( loving kindness) meditation alone .To achieve Enlightenment , Vipassana meditation need to be practised by utilizing jana states achieved by metta (loving kindness) meditation .
In conclusion , Metta (loving kindness) meditation is not the same with vipassana and Enlightenment would not be achieved just by practising metta ( loving kindness ) meditation .
There are a lot of people confused between Mahayana and Theraveda Buddhism . How can it be explained the differences .
In Buddhism, there are different terms like Mahayana, Hinayana and Theraveda . The differences are so wide a subject so that explanation would be just a few gists .
A: Theraveda Buddhism is the Buddhism in which the teachings of Buddha is followed strictly without any changes .
Tipitaka is maintained in original form by means of six thingaryana (It means highest congregation of Sangha scrutinizing and making sure Tipitaka stay in its pure form ) . The pratitioners of Buddhism strictly following Tipitaka exactly is called Theravedic Buddhists . It is practised in Sri Lanka ,Burma , Thailand, Camdodia and Lao . That is why it is also known as Southern Buddhism .
B:The branch that being flexible and adapting to the host countries is called Mahayana Buddhism . One of the concepts is Enlightenment can be achieved only by Buddhahood . It is practised in Tibet , China, Japan , Korea and so on . It is also known as Northern Buddhism .
C: Hinayana Buddhism is of between these two . Not strictly following original teachings but not accepting only Buddhahood as way to Enlightenment . It was practised in India , Cashmere and . It is obsolete now . Theravedic Buddhism has nothing to do with this branch .
The most important differences between Mahayana and Theraveda Buddhism are
1) Buddha in Theraveda Buddhism is the Enlightened One from an ordinary human being by Buddha in Mahayan Buddhism is the manifestation of a universal, spiritual being.
2) In Mahayana Buddhism , Bodhisatta ( Would-be-Buddha ) become the ideal . Bodhisatta is believed as a compassionate being who is striving for common welfare and happiness of all beings . By practising transcendental virtues, Bodhisatta lessens the suffering of all beings and ultimately going to achieve Buddhahood . In contrast to this is Theraveda Buddhists believe in importance of attaining Enlightenment as a arahant .
3) Theravedic belief of attaining Buddhahood is by practising 10 transcendental virtues is very different from Mahayana belief of attaining Buddhahood by showing respect to Buddha and compassion to all beings . In short , Theravedic practice is based on Wisdom but Mahayana practice is based on Compassin .
4) Nibbana in Theraveda is a state free from all hindrance and fetters not a special being but Mahayana Nibbana is a supreme being with everlasting happiness .
Lastly) Mahayana belief is everyone can achieve Buddhahood and Theravedic belief is Buddhahood is only for a few elites .
Finally , Theravedic practice can be described in a nutshell as practising Sila , Samathi( Concentration) and Wisdom and achieving Enlightenment ( freedom from fetters or hiderance ) . Only by practising 8 Magga , Enlightenment could be achieved .
4) Boddisatta is a better being . Even shin uppagotta needed to show respect to Mara when he wished for Buddhahood . Do an Arahant need to show respect to a being who wished for Buddhahod?
Answer : In this question , It is stated that Bodhisatta is more noble than arahant so that it should be assumed that it is belief of Mahayana Buddhism .
the belief that Uppagotta is described as an arahant living in the Southern occeans is against Theravedist teaching ( as Buddha taught )" All beings arising from cause will end up perished"
in Glass Palace Chronicles ( done during the reign of King Bagyidaw ), it was critically reviewed about Uppagotta as derscribed in U Kalar Razawin ( History by U Kalar )
The story of Uppagotta conquering Mara was in Lawkapanyatti kyan . This is not part of Thingaryanar .
It is against the rule of Vinaya that Uppagotta utilizing extraordinary and supernatural powers .
In Parajica Ahtakahtar , it was described that during donation ceremony of Emperor Asoka , Arahant Eindagotta was assigned to help the King to build asokarama monastery and 84000 other monasteries .It was not described that Arahant Eindagotta needed to put down Mara .
And as an arahant , Ven. Eindagotta would not show off his extraordinary supernatural powers against the rule .
That is why most of Theravedic scholars don't believe in story of Ven. Uppagotta as described by U Kalar .
The answer should be enough for this question .
Why and when did the idea that " Buddha and Bodhisatta are more nobler than arahants ." start to flourish ?
The answer for that is as follows.
The doctrine of Bodhisatta-based Enlightenment is Mahayana in origin .
The Mahayana doctrine started as a splinter groups during the reign of King Asoka by the names of the Sthaviravadins and the Mahasanghikas). It was started due to differencein view on Vinaya but later Mahayana philosophy split completely from original Theravedic teachings . After the fall of Mauryan empire in India , more flexible , adaptable and easier to be comprehended ( not neccessarily true essence of Buddha's teaching ) Mahayana Buddhism survived under Hindu Kings while Theravedic Buddhism was wiped out from India .
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