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28-500: The Samaññaphala Sutta ("The Fruit of Contemplative Life") is the second discourse ( Pali , sutta ; Skt. , sutra ) of the Digha Nikaya . In terms of narrative, this discourse tells the story of King Ajātasattu , son and successor of King Bimbisara of Magadha , who posed the following question to many leading Indian spiritual teachers : What is the benefit of living a contemplative life ? After being dissatisfied with

56-497: A lay follower of the Buddha. The king then confessed that he himself had killed his own father so as to become king. The Buddha replied: The Buddha subsequently declared: "... Had [King Ajātasattu] not killed his father [King Bimbisara ] — that righteous man, that righteous king — the dustless, stainless Dhamma eye would have arisen to him as he sat in this very seat." Pali Too Many Requests If you report this error to

84-557: A non-Buddhist becomes a Buddhist lay disciple by repeating the ancient formulas for the Three Refuges and the Five Precepts in response to the formal administrations of a monk or by himself in himself or in front of a Cetiya or an image of the Buddha. Newborns of Buddhist parents are traditionally initiated by being brought on their first outing to a temple on a full-moon or festival day where they are presented to

112-534: A question?" "Ask what you want to ask, King." The King asks, "Bhante (Teacher), there are a number of skills and talents, such as: elephant-drivers, chariot-drivers, horse riders, archers, palanquin bearers, army commander's adjutants, royal officers, soldiers, warriors with elephant's courage, heroes, fighters, troops in deer-skin uniform, slaves, cooks and chefs, barbers, bathers, bakers, florists, launderers, weavers, crafters, potters, mathematicians, accountants, and many other skills. In their current life, they enjoy

140-400: A regular basis at temples and presided over by the temple master or his deputy, and one would not ask a random monk or nun to perform the ceremony.) The monastic and disciple then engage in a dialog, with the monastic asking questions and the disciple answering. The monastic asks the disciple if he has paid respects to the six directions and if he has the relevant permissions. The monk will ask

168-495: A series of questions that ensure the practitioner has not committed grave offenses and is both physically and mentally fit to receive the precepts. The monastic explains the benefits of the precepts as well as the negative consequences of breaking them, and asks if the disciple is prepared to accept them and remain dedicated to the Triple Gem. Next, the monastic asks the disciple if to follow additional habits to prevent breaking

196-528: A simplified type of kasaya. In the Early Buddhist Texts ( SN 17:23), the Buddha said that a devoted lay disciple should foster the wish to become like Citta and Hatthaka , while devoted bhikkhus should aspire to equal Sāriputta and Mahāmoggallāna . They are the model standards are set for lay people and monks. Of the ten instructive discourses contained in the Citta Saṃyutta , three of

224-602: Is observing the Eight Precepts on an uposatha day. In the Chinese tradition, both upāsakas and upāsikās are permitted to wear robes for temple ceremonies and retreats, as well as home practice. Upāsakas and upāsikās wear long sleeved black robes called haiqing (海青), symbolic of their refuge in the Triple Jewel. A brown kasaya called a manyi (缦衣) worn outside the black robes is symbolic of their upholding of

252-869: The Dhamma . The five vows to be held by upāsakas are referred to as the " Five Precepts " (Pāli: pañcasīla ): In the Theravada tradition, on Uposatha days, devout lay practitioners may request the " Eight Precepts " from monastics (Pali: uposathaṃ samādiyati ). It was a widespread practice in Chinese Buddhist communities as well, and is still practiced. The eight precepts is a list of precepts that are observed by lay devotees on observance days and festivals. They include general precepts such as refraining from killing, but also more specific ones, such as abstaining from cosmetics. These precepts were probably based on pre-Buddhist sāmaṇa practices. Since

280-549: The Triple Gem . Asked how one is a "virtuous lay follower" ( upāsako sīlavā ), the Buddha replies that one undertakes the Five Precepts . Asked how one practices being a lay follower "both for his own benefit & the benefit of others," the Buddha states that one is consummate oneself in and encourages others in the consummation of: conviction ( saddhā ); virtue ( sīla ); generosity ( cāga ); visiting monks ; and, hearing, remembering, analyzing, understanding and practicing

308-572: The Triple Gem . In both the Chinese Ch'an and Japanese Zen traditions, a ceremony of taking refuge in the Triple Gem as well as the receiving of the precepts (受戒 Hanyu Pinyin : shòujiè ; Japanese : jukai ) is a type of lay ordination. The ordination procedures for receiving precepts in the Chinese tradition are laid out in the fourteenth chapter of the Sutra on Upasaka Precepts (優婆塞戒經受戒品第十四). The disciple hoping to receive

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336-576: The Buddha was currently staying in the physician's mango groves. The King immediately agreed to go there. After preparing the elephants and his followers, the King rode to the mango groves. Yet, upon arriving on the Groves, the King was suddenly overcome with worry and doubt. The hairs on his body even stood up as he felt an agonizing fear. He asked his physician nervously and suspiciously, "Are you not deceiving me, Jivaka? Do you not betray me and hand my life to

364-525: The Hall, he had difficulty in spotting where the Buddha was. To his king's aid, Jivaka answered that the Buddha was sitting on the back of a pillar, surrounded by his disciples. The King then approached the Buddha and gave his salutation. Then, while standing, he saw how the Monks sat in silence, calm like a still, waveless lake. He exclaimed: "Can my beloved son, Udayi Bhadda, possess such calmness and composure as

392-456: The Monks show me now?" The Buddha asked him, "If so, Your Majesty, how do you direct your mind towards compassion and love?" " Bhante , I love my son very dearly, and I wish for him to possess the calmness as like the monks have now." The Monarch then prostrated himself towards the Buddha, clasped his palms in salutation to the monks, and then proceeded to sit on the Buddha's side. The monarch then asked, "If my teacher doesn't mind, may I ask you

420-399: The Triple Gem, and the monastic will then ensure the disciple is prepared to take on all (as opposed to only some) of the precepts. If the disciple commits to accepting all the precepts, and recites them with the monk, then he has finished his lay ordination. The chapter closes with a description of consequences of breaking the precepts and the obligations that one must take on after receiving

448-567: The Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.226 via cp1108 cp1108, Varnish XID 258320191 Upstream caches: cp1108 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 11:00:29 GMT Upasaka In the Pali Canon 's Jivaka Sutta , the Buddha is asked, "Lord, to what extent is one a lay follower ( upāsako )?" The Buddha replies that one takes refuge in

476-440: The adjacent table.) The king found each of these answers to be dissatisfying: "Just as if a person, when asked about a mango, were to answer with a breadfruit; or, when asked about a breadfruit, were to answer with a mango." The Buddha then elaborated on his perspective regarding the benefits of the contemplative life, moving from the material to the spiritual: Upon hearing the Buddha's explanation, King Ajātasattu declared himself

504-472: The answers provided by these other teachers, the king posed this question to the Buddha whose answer motivated the king to become a lay follower of the Buddha. In terms of Indian philosophy and spiritual doctrines, this discourse: Thanissaro Bhikkhu refers to this discourse as "one of the masterpieces of the Pali canon ." Upon a bright uposatha night, King Ajātasattu, monarch of Magadha Kingdom , who

532-467: The discourses deal with the questions posed by Citta to the bhikkhus, three of them are queries put to Citta by the bhikkhus, and four refer to personal events. Another famous male lay follower is Anathapindika . Regarding female disciples, the most important figures are Khujjuttarā (foremost in teaching Dharma) and Visakha (foremost in generosity). In the Vajrayana tradition, a well known Upasaka

560-584: The eight precepts are often upheld on the Buddhist uposatha days, they are called the uposatha vows or one-day precepts in such context. They are considered to support meditation practice , and are often observed when staying in monasteries and temples. In some periods and places, such as in 7th–10th-century China, the precepts were widely observed. In modern times, there have been revival movements and important political figures that have observed them continuously. In traditional Theravada communities,

588-437: The enemies? How come it happens that there is not a single sound heard at all, not even coughs or sneezes in the huge group of 1,250 Sangha monks?" To answer his majesty's paranoia, the physician calmly reassured the monarch, "Do not worry, your Majesty. I am not lying, or deceiving, or betraying you to your enemies. Proceed on, your Majesty! There, in the Hall, where the lights are lit." The King proceeded and when he entered

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616-444: The precepts first pays respects to the six directions, which represent their parents, teacher, husband or wife, friends, religious master and employees (traditionally servants). Honoring the six directions is a "means fulfilling one's reciprocal responsibilities in each of these relationships". A person who has honored these relationships and paid his respects to the six directions must then receive permission from his parents to accept

644-432: The precepts, to discourage others from breaking them, and to avoid excessive attachment to the five skandhas . If the practitioner is prepared, the monk asks the disciple to practice all the advice for six months while remaining under the monk's regular observation. If, after six months, the disciple has upheld the precepts well, he may ask the monastic for formal taking of the precepts. The disciple will then take refuge in

672-452: The precepts. Traditionally, in India, upāsakas wore white robes, representing a level of renunciation between lay people and monastics. For this reason, some traditional texts make reference to "white-robed lay people" ( avadāta-vassana ). This practice can still be found in contemporary Theravadin temples, especially during the occasion when a non-Buddhist converts to Buddhism or when one

700-414: The precepts. If they agree, he informs his spouse and those under his employment. Traditionally, the disciple would then get permission from his king. This last procedure is no longer widely observed. The disciple, having paid his respects to the six directions and having the relevant permissions, may now ask a monastic to help him receive the precepts. (In modern times, these ceremonies are normally held on

728-439: The precepts. Unlike monastics, they are not permitted to regularly wear robes outside functions other than temple activities or Buddhist disciplines. Some Japanese laity can also be seen wearing a rakusu , a short cloth worn around the neck of Zen Buddhist laity. Another form is the wagesa , a short surplice in the form of a strip of brocade fabric worn around the neck, with the temple mon emblazoned on it. It also acts as

756-751: The real fruits of their skills. They support their life, their family, parents, and friends with their skills in happiness and welfare. They donate high-valued gifts and offerings to the Brahmins and the ascetics, giving them rewards of a joyful next life in heaven, and other joys. Can the Bhante instruct me in what are the real benefits of a contemplative life in this current life?" The Buddha then replied, "Your Majesty, have you ever asked this question to any other teachers, brahmins, or ascetics?" The King replied by repeating what each of six revered ascetic teachers allegedly told him. (These responses are summarized in

784-430: Was in the mood to hear a Dhamma discourse, asked his ministers if there was any worthy teacher "who might enlighten and bring peace to our mind." The ministers in turn suggested that the monarch visited a variety of teachers, all of whom the King rejected by being silent. But when the King's physician, Jivaka , who was silent all the time, was asked if he could suggest a teacher to visit, the physician quickly replied that

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