Most Venerable Bhante Walpola Piyananda's 80th Birthday Celebrating - Collected Essays
Collected Essays of Bhante Walpola Piyananda Celebrating His 80th Birthday. Ven. Walpola Piyananda Nayake Maha Thera has chosen to dedicate his life to sharing the teaching of the Buddha in the Western World, knowing that it has so much wisdom to offer; not an easy task for someone coming from a foreign background. However these articles reflect his ability to make a great impact on the American Community. He has helped many people and monks new to this country in many ways throughout the years, He has helped these monks to establish Dharma Centers in various parts in this country. Venerable Walpola Piyananda is an extraordinary monk and dharma teacher who exemplifies wisdom, compassion and selflessness. He has made a profound impact on numberous individuals and communities worldwide through his teachings and service. On his auspicious 80th birthday, I express my deepest gratitude to Venerable Walpola Piyananda for his remarkable contributions and limitless love. Ven. Walpola Piyananda Maha Thero has been a pioneer in establishing Theravada Buddhism in America and developing knowledge of the Buddha Dhamma through radio and promoting education to uplift the children of his native Sri Lanka. As a Theravada monk, he has manifested a sense of caring with wisdom and compassion by providing hospitable spiritual and physical shelter at his Los Angeles monastery. Bhante, as he is affectionately known, is a teacher with a great breadth of interests spanning from the origins of Buddhism to how Western people could apply the teachings, Dhamma, into their daily life. I have known Bhante since we were students at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)…. This edition of his collected works is an important contribution for Western readers.
Collected Essays of Bhante Walpola Piyananda Celebrating His 80th Birthday. Ven. Walpola Piyananda Nayake Maha Thera has chosen to dedicate his life to sharing the teaching of the Buddha in the Western World, knowing that it has so much wisdom to offer; not an easy task for someone coming from a foreign background. However these articles reflect his ability to make a great impact on the American Community. He has helped many people and monks new to this country in many ways throughout the years, He has helped these monks to establish Dharma Centers in various parts in this country. Venerable Walpola Piyananda is an extraordinary monk and dharma teacher who exemplifies wisdom, compassion and selflessness. He has made a profound impact on numberous individuals and communities worldwide through his teachings and service. On his auspicious 80th birthday, I express my deepest gratitude to Venerable Walpola Piyananda for his remarkable contributions and limitless love. Ven. Walpola Piyananda Maha Thero has been a pioneer in establishing Theravada Buddhism in America and developing knowledge of the Buddha Dhamma through radio and promoting education to uplift the children of his native Sri Lanka. As a Theravada monk, he has manifested a sense of caring with wisdom and compassion by providing hospitable spiritual and physical shelter at his Los Angeles monastery. Bhante, as he is affectionately known, is a teacher with a great breadth of interests spanning from the origins of Buddhism to how Western people could apply the teachings, Dhamma, into their daily life. I have known Bhante since we were students at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)…. This edition of his collected works is an important contribution for Western readers.
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Rahula said in his book, What the Buddha Taught, “Practically the whole
teaching of the Buddha, to which he devoted himself during 45 years,
deals in some way or other with Noble Eightfold Path.” Therefore,
it is important to look into at least a few of the factors of the Noble
Eightfold Path in order to understand this link more comprehensively.
The Buddha refers to two paths. One is the wrong path
(miccha patipada) and the other is the right path (samma patipada).
The Noble Eightfold Path begins with Right View, which is the right
path for not only monks and nuns, but also for lay men and women as
well. The Buddha says that he sees no single factor so responsible for
the suffering of living beings as wrong view (miccha ditthi), and no
factor so potent in promoting the good of living beings as Right View
(samma ditthi). This is common to both the laity and the Sangha.
• The first factor, Right View (samma ditthi), focuses our
mind in the right direction for the practice of a moral
life.
• The second factor, Right Intention (samma sankappa),
draws our attention for changing the way we think.
Here we begin to change our thought from selfishness
to selflessness.
• The next two factors, Right Speech (samma vaca), and
Right Action (samma kammanta), help to bring changes
in our verbal and physical actions.
• Right Livelihood (samma ajiva), which is the fifth factor
of the Noble Eightfold Path, is defined as abstention
from morally reprehensible means of livelihood, such as
trading in weapons, slaves, animals (for meat production),
poisons, and intoxicating drinks. Obviously, it is only
the laity who follows these five trades as a means of
livelihood; therefore, this definition is made by taking
only the laity into consideration.
Thus, all of these explanations show that the ethical teachings
embodied in the Noble Eightfold Path are meant for both secular and
spiritual paths. They are very closely linked, and the moral qualities
enshrined in the Path are intended to ensure three main functions,
namely: happiness in this life, well-being in the life after, and the
realization of Nibbana.
3
Buddhism: The Link Between Sri Lanka and Thailand
The Sri Lankan Background
In order to understand the relationship between Sri Lankan and
Thai Buddhists, we should have a general idea of Buddhism in both
these countries. Buddhism was introduced into Sri Lanka by Arahant
Mahinda, son of Emperor Asoka (247-201 B.C.E.). He brought not
only Buddhism but also Buddhist culture. The Sinhalese kingdom
progressed as a nation after embracing Buddhism. Sinhalese literature,
art, architecture, education, ethics, economics, and politics developed
under Buddhist influence. Buddhism became the state religion in Sri
Lankan from the 3rd century B.C.E. until the fall of the Sinhalese
kingdom in the 19th century C.E. Ancient Sinhalese people believed
that legal possession of the throne was the exclusive right of Buddhists
and that the selection of kings was subject to approval by the Sangha.
However, due to Portuguese and Dutch manipulation of the
divided kingdom in the late 17th century, monks found it necessary
to engage in agriculture, medicine and fortune-telling. Therefore,
monks of the Vimaladharasuriya period (1684-1706 C.E.) gradually
became corrupted in their struggle for survival. During that time there
appeared a young monk named Walivita Saranankara who was dynamic
in thought and action. Following his advice, King Kirthisri Rajasingha
(1747-1798 C.E.) sent ambassadors to Thailand to bring monks who
would revive the purity of religious practices.
Thailand
Mahayana Buddhist missionaries from Kashmir (in the north
of India) undertook travel to Southeast Asia, including Java, Sumatra,
and Cambodia, in the 8th century C.E. When the king of Sumatra,
Sri Vijaya, extended his power to Molucca (in present day Malaysia),
he strongly encouraged the propagation of Mahayana Buddhism to
southern Thailand, starting in 757 C.E.
Over 200 years later, the kings who belonged to the
Suriyavarmam dynasty ruled Cambodia and the south of Thailand
(1002-1182 C.E.). These kings promoted Mahayana Buddhism
with a strong mix of Brahmanism. Hence, the Mahayana Buddhism
of southern Thailand became mixed with Hinduism. Meanwhile,
Theravada Buddhism was introduced in the north of Thailand by King
Anawratha of Burma. This king had received Theravada Buddhism
from the monk Shin Arahan Mon, who had contact with Sri Lanka
(1044-1077 C.E.).
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