ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º º º BuddhaNet: Buddhist Info Network Buddha Dharma Education Assoc. º º Web Site: www.buddhanet.net PO Box K1020 Haymarket NSW 2000 º º Email: bdea@buddhanet.net Tel: +61-2-92123071 AUSTRALIA º º º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ PARABLE OF THE LOG (Darukkhadhopama Sutta) by Ven. Sayadaw U Janaka A lecture delivered in London, England - 1982 ** ** ** Today I would like to deal with the discourse that the Omniscient Buddha gave as recorded in the Samyutta-Nikaya. It is "The Parable of the Log". Once the Omniscient Buddha was sitting under a tree on the bank of the river Ganges near the city of Kosambi. 500 Bhikkhus accompanied him. So, the 500 Bhikkhus were sitting around the Buddha on the bank of the River Ganges. The Lord Buddha saw a very big log which was being carried down the river by the current. The Omniscient Buddha pointed to the log and said to the monks: "Oh, Bhikkhus, do you see a very big log which is being carried down by the current of the river?". And the Bhikkhus replied: "Yes, Venerable Sir, we see it." Then the Lord Buddha continued: "Oh Bhikkhus, if that log is caught on that bank, it won't reach the ocean. If it is submerged into the water, it won't reach the ocean. If it landed on a small island in the middle of the river, it won't reach the ocean. If it is taken away by a human being, it won't reach the ocean. If it is taken away by a Deva, it won't reach the ocean. If it becomes rotten, it won't reach the ocean. If it sank into the whirlpool, it won't reach the ocean." Here the Omniscient Buddha teaches the monks the eight faults by which the log cannot reach the ocean. Again the Lord Buddha said: "If that big log is not placed on that bank, it will reach the ocean. If it is not placed on this bank, it will reach the ocean. If it is not submerged into the water, it will reach the ocean. If it does not land on a small island in the middle of the river, it will reach the ocean. If it is not taken away by a human being, it will reach the ocean. If it is not taken away by a Deva, it will reach the ocean. If it does not become rotten, it will reach the ocean. If it does not sink into the whirlpool, it will reach the ocean." Here the Omniscient Buddha points out that if there are not any of these eight faults, the log will reach the ocean. Then the Lord Buddha said: "Bhikkhus, why does this log reach the ocean? It is because the current of the river inclines towards the ocean. So, it will reach the ocean if it has none of these eight faults. However, this is just a simile." Then one of the monks requested the Buddha to explain the simile. So, He explained His simile in this way. "Oh, Bhikkhus, by 'this bank' I refer to the six sense-doors - eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind. By the words, 'that bank' I refer to the six sense-objects - visible objects, sound or voice, smell or scent, taste, tangible things and mind-objects." The Omniscient Buddha compared 'this bank' and 'that bank' with the six sense-doors and the six sense-objects. He then continued to explain that 'sinking into the water' means being attached to any physical or mental process, or being attached to any living being or non-living thing. 'Landing on a small island in the middle of the river' means conceit, or pride or haughtiness. 'Taken by a human being' means when any Bhikkhu or Monk lives mingling improperly with the laity. 'Taken by Devas' means doing good deeds for the purpose of being reborn in heaven, the Realm of Devas or Brahmas. 'Sinking into the whirlpool' means to indulge in five kinds of sensual pleasures. 'Becoming rotten' means pretending to be virtuous when one is not actually virtuous. Although the Omniscient Buddha addressed this discourse to Bhikkhus, it is for all his disciples and all other living beings. So we can say that anyone who has none of these eight faults can reach the ocean, and that when he has reached the ocean, he has got rid of suffering. Now, let me ask you a very easy question. What does the Omniscient Buddha mean by the word 'ocean'? Does he mean the ocean of rebirths, Samsara? If you are in the ocean of Samsara, are you happy or unhappy? Have you got rid of suffering? No. So, in this discourse, what the Lord Buddha refers to by the word 'ocean' is Nibbana and not Samsara. Then what does he mean by comparing 'this bank' with the six sense-doors, namely eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind? Then again what does he mean by comparing 'that bank' with the six sense-objects - visible things, sound or voice, smell or scent, taste, tangible things and mind-objects? If you see a visible object - say if you see a brand new car which is a mahogany coloured Rolls Royce. Here the colour of the car is a visible object, your mind sees it with the help of your eye. Does the eye see the object or does the mind see it, or both eye and mind see the object? Here the word 'mind' is not used in the same sense as it is used in Western psychology because in Western psychology mind is ever-lasting, but in the psychology of Buddhism 'citta' which knows the object does not last even for the length of time for a winking of an eye. Here the word 'mind' is used in the sense of 'citta'. So, whenever we say 'mind' you should know that the object does not last even for one millionth of a second. We can also use the word 'consciousness' which at times may be better than 'mind'. So, this consciousness or mind knows the object, but the eye does not know it. Without the eye, does consciousness see the object? No. With the help of the eye, one of the six sense-doors, consciousness, sees the object. For example, here you see a brand new Rolls Royce car. In this case, there is a visible object and there is the eye which makes the mind or consciousness see the object. If you see this brand new Rolls Royce car, how do you feel? You may feel that it is better for you to have one. If it is your own car, it will give you much pleasure. Then you are attached to it because you see it. Why do you see it? Because there is a visible object, the car, and there is the eye. The car is one of the 'six sense-doors'. When the eye contacts the colour of the car or the form of the car, there arises consciousness that sees the car but that consciousness of seeing does not stop there. It goes further. It thinks, "Yes, it is my car, a very good car, a new car. I bought it yesterday; it cost $40,000." In this way, you are attached to that Rolls Royce car. That means that you are attached to a non-living thing because of its colour - a visible object - and because of the eye. So you are attached to the car. Suppose you park it on the side of the road and a person hurriedly drives his car past yours and scratches the door of your car. Then, what do you feel? You feel angry. Why are you angry? Because it is your car. It means that you have attachment "Lobha" and anger "Dosa". Do "Lobha" and "Dosa" give you happiness? No, they give you unhappiness "Dukkha". Then do you know why you have this "Dukkha"? Your suffering and unhappiness arise because you yourself are 'kept on this bank' as well as on 'that bank'. That attachment arises with the help of the eye, so you have that suffering because of the eye which keeps you on 'this bank'. If you are attached to the car with the help of your eye, could you reach the ocean, Nibbana? No. Because you will be clinging to 'that bank' as well as 'this bank', you won't reach the ocean. What then does the Omniscient Buddha refer to by the word 'log'? With what does He compare the log? He compares it with Khandha or a human being. "Khandha" means the five aggregates of mental and physical phenomena. Because you do not see the five aggregates as five aggregates of mentality and physicality you are attached to them: so you won't reach the ocean. If, however, you see the five aggregates as the five aggregates of mentality and physicality, then you will not be attached to them; then you will reach the ocean. That Rolls Royce car you bought yesterday for $40,000; if you see it as a Rolls Royce car, then you are attached to it; but if you see it as a material process or "Rupakkhandha" or aggregate or materiality, you won't be attached to it. Then you won't be unhappy when this car is scratched on the side because you don't take it as a valuable Rolls Royce car. What the Lord Buddha means by 'sinking into the water' is "attachment" - desire, craving, greed, lust, love. If you are attached to any living being or non-living thing, you won't be able to reach the ocean. Then, 'landing on a small island' means conceit, pride or haughtiness. If you are proud of, or conceited about your wealth, or your rank, then, that conceit delays you in your attainment of Nibbana. Being conceited, you are unable to realise the mental and physical processes in their true nature and you will take your bodily and mental process to be a person, a being, an Atta, or a you. Then there will arise many other defilements such as anger, lust, greed, hatred and so on. So, if you 'land on a small island' you won't be able to reach the ocean because you aren't able to realise natural process as natural process, or your five aggregates as just natural process. "If the log is taken away by a human being, it won`t reach the ocean." This refers to Bhikkhus. Supposing a Bhikkhu does not do his work, that is, learning scriptures, practising meditation, delivering sermons, leading his disciples to the right path and making them meditate for their salvation, he mixes with the laity in an improper way; such a Bhikkhu is 'taken away by a human being'. Then he will be unable to reach the ocean. He will be attached to those people whom he is improperly associating with and so much attached to worldly affairs that he won't be able to realise Dhamma - bodily and mental processes - as just natural process; he won't be able to realise the Three Characteristics of mental and physical process which are, as you know, Anicca, Dukkha and Anatta - impermanence, suffering and no-soul or no-ego. If he is unable to realise these Three Characteristics of mentality and physicality, he will be so strongly attached to worldly affairs that he won't 'reach the ocean'. Then, 'taken away by Devas' - The Omniscient Buddha said, "If the log is taken away by a Deva, it won`t reach the ocean." This means that if you perform any wholesome or meritorious deeds such as charity, virtue or observing moral precepts and meditation with a view to being reborn in the realm of the Devas or Brahmas then you will be taken away by the Devas to their realm. If this happens would you reach the ocean? No. If your purpose of doing these meritorious deeds is to be reborn in the Realm of the Devas or Brahmas, your deeds will lead you to those higher planes of the world and then you will be reborn as a Deva, a shining one, and you won't be able to 'reach the ocean'. Deva means 'one who shines' so, if you become a Deva, you will be very attached to yourself because your body is very shiny and you won't be able to reach the ocean. "If the log sinks into a whirlpool, then it won't reach the ocean." This means, if you are indulging in sensual pleasure, you won't reach the ocean. Here is also "attachment". If you are attached to what you see, what you hear, what you smell, what you taste, what you touch, and what you think about, then you are submerged into a very big 'whirlpool'; so you won't be able to reach the ocean. Do you agree on this point? Because the doctrine of the Buddha is so very rational, logical and natural, I am sure that you agree with Him on this point! Then the last one - 'becoming rotten'. If the log becomes rotten, it won't reach the ocean. That means if you pretend to be a virtuous person when you are not, you 'become rotten' and will 'not reach the ocean'. You won't reach Nibbana. The Omniscient Buddha said, "If you have none of these eight kinds of faults, you are certain to reach the ocean because you will be carried there by the 'Middle Current' of the river." What then is the 'middle current'? It is the 'Noble Eightfold Path'. If you develop the Noble Eightfold Path, you are not kept on 'that bank' or 'this bank', you are not 'submerged into the water', you won't 'land on a small island', you won't be 'taken away by humans, or Devas', you won't get into a 'whirlpool', you won't 'become rotten'. Then you are certain to reach the ocean - Nibbana. You must try to develop the Noble Eightfold Path so that you do not have any of these eightfold faults. What should you do to develop this Noble Eightfold Path in you? "Sila", that is morality, is the foundation, the basic requirement. What should we build up on the Sila? Concentration. Then what should we build on this structure? "Panna" - insight, enlightenment. Then how can you develop these three trainings - Sila, Samadhi and Panna? It is very easy and a very simple to develop this Noble Eightfold Path which consists of Sila, Samadhi and Panna. This is to know yourself or just know your bodily and mental processes as they really are. That is all. Watch any action or movement of your body and mind as it really is or as it really occurs, without analyzing it, without thinking about it and just paying bare attention to what is happening to your body and mind as it really is. But you have to do it perseveringly and persistently; you must insist on observing whatever arises in your body and mind as it really is. That is all. If you use any intellectual knowledge or preconceived idea in this awareness of your bodily and mental process then you go astray. If you use any intellectual knowledge or intellect with the preconceived idea while you are aware of a bodily or mental process, then your mind is not well concentrated and you will not be able to realise bodily and mental phenomena as they really are. When you observe or watch any activity of body and mind as it really occurs, then gradually your mind becomes concentrated on any process that is observed. Then the concentration becomes deeper and stronger. Your mind is purified from Nivarana or hindrances such as Kamacchanda, Vyapada, Thina-Middha, Uddhacca-Kukkucca and Vicikiccha. 'Kamacchanda' means sensuous desire. 'Vyapada' means ill-will. 'Thina-Middha' means sloth and torpor. 'Uddhacca-Kukkucca' means restlessness and worry or remorse. 'Vicikiccha' means doubt. If you have one of these five hindrances in your mind, your mind is defiled, it is not purified. When your mind is not purified, then your insight-knowledge is not penetrating. Only when the mind is purified from these five hindrances, can your insight-knowledge become penetrating. When it is penetrating you will be able to realise bodily and mental process, first in their specific characteristics and secondly in their general or common characteristics. Thirdly, because they have been realised in these two levels of Right Understanding, bodily process and mental process cease to exist through the Enlightenment; then you have attained to the Cessation of Suffering - Deliverance. However, it is only through deep concentration, when you are observing any mental or physical process, that you are able to rightly understand the process of material and mental phenomena with the three levels of the Right Understanding. The first level of the Right Understanding is realisation of specific characteristics of materiality and mentality. The second is realisation of general or common characteristics of Materiality and Mentality. The third is realisation of the Four Noble Truths - Dukkha, the origin of Dukkha, the cessation of Dukkha and the way leading to the cessation of Dukkha. So, to purify the mind we need the Noble Eightfold Path. To realise mental and physical processes and their specific characteristics, we need the Noble Eightfold Path. To realise bodily and mental phenomena, we need the Noble Eightfold Path. To realise the Four Noble Truths, we need the Noble Eightfold Path, which is the 'middle current' of the river. On the night when the Omniscient Buddha was about to pass away, He was reclining on the bed prepared for Him in Kusinara Park. At the first watch of the night, Subhadda, a mendicant, came to Him and asked some questions. "Venerable Gotama Buddha, I have followed a variety of doctrines taught to me by various teachers. They all said that they know all and that they are Arahants. Is what they said 'true'?" The Omniscient Buddha put the questions aside and admonished Subhadda: "Subhadda, whether they know all or not does not matter. It is not concerned with your salvation, with your deliverance; so I won't answer this question. My time is approaching. I don't want to give the answer to this question. But I will teach you what is important for your emancipation. Listen to me attentively." The the Buddha said: "Subhadda, in any doctrine in which the Noble Eightfold Path is not found there will not be any Samana." Here 'Samana' means one who has calmed or destroyed all defilements. It means that if there is no Noble Eightfold Path in a doctrine, there is no one who has destroyed defilements by following it. If there is a Noble Eightfold Path in a doctrine, there will be someone who has destroyed defilements by following it and got rid of suffering. So, if you follow any doctrine in which you do not have to develop the Noble Eightfold Path you are sure not to destroy defilements and get rid of suffering. Then the Lord Buddha said: "Subhadda, only in my doctrine or in my Sasana, there is a Noble Eightfold Path to develop. So, there is Samana only in my Sasana or in my doctrine." This discourse expounded by the Omniscient Buddha to Subhadda fits in with the discourse on 'The Parable of the Log', because a person who does not develop the Noble Eightfold Path, is sure not to reach "the ocean", or Nibbana. If he develops the Noble Eightfold Path, he is certain to reach the ocean of Nibbana because he will not be kept on 'that bank' or 'this bank', and so on. The Omniscient Buddha gave us the way to develop this Noble Eightfold Path; that is the technique of Mindfulness of what is arising at the moment as it really is. When you feel pain on your back or on your knee, you must observe that pain as it really is. You must not try to make it go away. You must not make it disappear because the pain will help you to attain Nibbana. In other words pain is the key to the door of Nibbana. So, if you feel a painful sensation you are very lucky. Why? That pain will lead you to the Cessation of Suffering because the pain is one of the five aggregates to be thoroughly realised. What kind of aggregate is it? It is an aggregate of sensation. The aggregate of sensation, which is the truth of suffering, is to be thoroughly understood. If we realise this painful sensation in its true nature - in its specific as well as in its general characteristic - we see it as just a natural process arising and passing away from moment to moment. It does not last even a second. Then, through the realisation of this pain or aggregate of sensation, you can attain Enlightenment by which you can destroy all defilements and get rid of suffering. That is why I said if you feel a painful sensation you are very lucky. Why? Because you have a mental process together with a physical process to watch, to observe and to realise. That pain gives you a very good opportunity for realisation of its true nature, that leads you to the cessation of Dukkha - Nibbana. It is here needed to explain the specific characteristics of mentality and physicality and their general or common characteristics. The specific characteristics of mentality and physicality here mean that every mental or physical process has its own specific characteristics which have nothing in common with any other mental or physical process. You know 'Lobha' - greed, craving, desire, lust, attachment - ('Lobha' covers all the meanings of these words in English). Lobha has its own characteristics or specific characteristic which does not belong to any other mental or physical process. What is that? I think you know because you have had experience in meditation as well as studying the scripture. What is the specific characteristic of 'Lobha'? If you have love or desire for that Rolls Royce car, will you then go away from that car and never approach it? Or am I right in saying that because you have a desire for the Rolls Royce car, you will not run away from that car? Will you rather approach it, because you are attached to it? Am I right? How? If you have 'Lobha' for this car, you are always attached to it. So here we know what the characteristic of Lobha is: Lobha has the characteristic of clinging. Does 'Dosa', "anger" have the characteristic of clinging? No. 'Dosa' has the characteristic of rudeness. 'Lobha' draws things towards it. 'Dosa' expels from it. So this clinging is the specific characteristic of 'Lobha' - Rudeness is the specific characteristic of 'Dosa'. Physical and mental processes which constitute a so-called person are Pathavi Dhatu, Apo Dhatu, Tejo Dhatu, Vayo Dhatu, Akasa Dhatu and Vinnana Dhatu. How many elements are included in this so-called person? There are six. What are they? They are earth, water, fire, air, space and consciousness. Of these six elements, Pathavi Dhatu, the element of earth, has hardness and softness as its characteristic. This characteristic belongs only to the element of earth, not to the element of water, not to fire, not to air; so that is the earth's specific characteristic. When a meditator has obtained deep concentration of mind, his mind is purified; then he begins to realise the specific characteristics of mental and physical processes. So, when you observe your abdominal movement, a physical process, as taught by the Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw in accordance with the Discourse of Maha Satipatthana Sutta and when your concentration is good enough you begin to realise the rising and falling movements very clearly. Motion of movement is the characteristic of the wind or air element. When you rightly understand this rising movement or falling movement very clearly and very penetratingly, you are not aware of the form of your body or abdomen, you have lost the sense of your bodily form. What you are realising at that moment is just the movement - upward movement and downward movement. Then you begin to realise the specific characteristic of the air element - Vayo Dhatu. What, then, are the general common characteristics of material and mental phenomena? Those are, you know, Anicca, Dukkha and Anatta - Impermanence, Suffering and No-Soul or No-self nature. Every mental state, emotional state and every physical process has these three characteristics. So they are common characteristics because they belong to every mental and emotional state and physical process. After you have passed two stages of insight-knowledge, you come to realise the three common characteristics of mentality and physicality. The insight-knowledge is known as "Knowledge of Comprehension". This insight-knowledge comprehends all these general characteristics of mental and physical phenomena. When your insight-knowledge becomes mature because you practise studiously and your mindfulness becomes continuous, uninterrupted and constant for the whole day, with better and deeper concentration, you are sure to go through all the stages of Insight with your personal experience of them. Then your bodily and mental process that notes it - cease to exist. Then you get into the Cessation of compounded things, Sankhara. There, at the moment you get into the state of Cessation of all Sankhara, compounded things, you have abandoned attachment, the cause of Suffering, because you have rightly and perfectly understood Dukkha. So, the Truth of Suffering has been perfectly understood. The Cause of Suffering, attachment, has been abandoned at that moment. The Truth of the Way leading to the Cessation of Suffering, that is the Noble Eightfold Path, has been developed. So you have got the state of cessation of compounded things - Sankhara. Here you reach the third level of Right Understanding, that is, the Enlightenment, by realising the Four Noble Truths. Then you reach 'the ocean' because you have been carried away by the 'middle current' - the Noble Eightfold Path. You are not kept on 'this bank' nor 'that bank'. You are not 'submerged into the river'. You do not 'land on the island'. You have reached the ocean. This is my brief explanation of the discourse of the Parable of the Log, expounded by the Omniscient Buddha. After the Lord Buddha had delivered this discourse sitting under a tree on the bank of the River Ganges, there was a cowherd who was listening to the discourse. His name was Nanda. He was very pleased with the discourse and wanted to be 'carried away' by the 'middle current' so he approached the Lord Buddha and requested Him to ordain him as a Bhikkhu. "Venerable Sir, I am afraid of being kept on 'that bank' or 'this bank' or 'submerged into the river' so I want to be 'carried away by the middle current' and to 'reach the ocean'. Please be kind enough to ordain me as a Bhikkhu so that I can develop the Noble Eightfold Path." Then the Omniscient Buddha said, "No, boy, you are a cowherd. You have a duty to drive your cows back home. You should entrust them to their owner. Unless you do that, I cannot ordain you." So the cowherd did as the Omniscient Buddha said. Then he returned to the Buddha. Then the Omniscient Buddha ordained him a Bhikkhu. Then, Bhikkhu Nanda went into a forest, a secluded place, and developed the Noble Eightfold Path by being aware of all mental and physical phenomena that were arising moment to moment. Because he was willing to be 'carried away by the middle current', he meditated strenuously; then in a very short time, he was carried away by the 'middle current' and reached the ocean of Nibbana. Why did Bhikkhu Nanda reach the ocean of Nibbana? Because he had none of those eightfold faults and was carried away by the 'middle current' of the Noble Eightfold Path that runs towards the 'Ocean'. So, I would like you to remember what the Lord Buddha repeatedly said: "Be MINDFUL of what is happening at this moment as it really is, or be AWARE of what arises in your body and mind as it really is. Then all of you will be 'carried away by the middle current' and attain Nibbana, the Ocean." * * * * * * * 25th July, 1982