SECBH%CUNYVM.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu (02/28/91)
THE BUDDHA'S WAY
by H. Saddhatissa
George Allen & Unwin
Judging from my persoanl experiences and from what I have seen
in various computer news groups, while there is a widespread interest
in Buddhism, many people get bogged down in books which assume a
rather sophisticated level of prior knowlege. I believe this is
especially the case where meditation concerned.
For many years Walpola Rahula's book, "What the Buddha Taught", has
been something of a standard introduction to Buddhist thought and
practice. One drawback of this book, however, is that it does not
include instruction on meditation. Ayya Kemma's (sp?) book, "Being
No One, Going Nowhere" is also a good beginning, and it is more
informal in tone and does spend time on meditation technique.
I believe that "The Buddha's Way" by H. Saddhatissa, available for
the first time in paperback, may be the most suitable text yet for
a beginner - though even a practicing Buddhist could read his
thought-provoking comments on the Precepts with benefit, I feel.
Saddhatissa has divided his book into three sections: Basic
Principals, Philosophy and Meditation. Each is about thirty pages
in length and the text portion of the book totals a neat 129 pages.
Saddhatissa was born in Sri Lanka and was educated in a
Buddhist college and became a member of the Sangha in 1926.
He has published several books on Buddhism and has taught in many
centers in Asia, Europe and America. His style is very straight-
forward and extremely economical. His explanations are succinct
and he poses many questions and suggests lines of thought which
turn the reader back to himself.
The section Basic Principles begins with a brief life of the Buddha
and a presentation of his teachings. He then goes on to discuss
the "minimum requirements", as it were, for becoming a Buddhist -
Taking Refuge. He presents the Three Jewels as being in nature of
guides, rather than as authorities. This section closes with
two chapters on Buddhist ethics. The first of these chapters presents
the negative injunctions, that conduct which it is wholesome to
refrain from. The following chapter refers to the positive goals
of Buddhist ethics.
In some Zen writings and in talks I have heard at Zen centers, the
Precepts are sometimes presented as something in the nature of the
products of one's practice. Saddhatissa takes the traditional
view that the Precepts, and sila (morality) in general, is a basis
upon which a stable practice is built.
In the section, Philosophy, he give brief discussions of the Four
Noble Truths, and includes not only the traditional topics of
anicca, anatta, and dukkha (impermanence,
not-self and unsatisfactoriness) but the teachings on karma/vipaka
and the 12 nidanas/rebirth as well. These chapters are very short,
but very concise. This section closes with a presentation of
the Fourth Noble Truth, the Eightfold Path. I thought that is
was especially well done, and his emphasis on the steps of the
Path as awarnesses could be a fruitful approach for anyone.
The Mediation section begins by covering the preliminary considerations
-- a place, time, posture, breathing. He then mentions the
various tradtional subjects for meditation: the unwholesome and
wholesome character-drives; two methods of mediating on metta (loving-
kindness); the four character-correcting subjects of the Three
Jewels, the human body, death and metta.
For those who are looking for a concise presentation of the two
approaches to meditation, samatha and vipassana, the chapters on
these subjects are extremely helpful.
Samatha he defines as the meditation on fixed objects, either internal
or external. The use of kasinas (coloured discs) and mandalas,
anapanasati (recollection of in-breathing and out-breathing), mantras
and nimittas as objects of the mind are covered. He also speaks
in a very down-to-earth fashion on the jhanas ("trance" state) and
the development of psychic powers.
Vipassana or Insight meditation is based on mindfulness and uses
moving objects for meditatin, again, either internal or external.
He uses the term "analysis" in discussing the vipassana approach,
however that word alone may give an incorrect impression. He
adds:
"The various truths or insights that arise during the practice
of vipassana are not 'known' by the rational, intellectual,
mind but by experience. One does not think about anicca, work
it out, and decide that it must be true; this intellectual
activity is stimulating and necessary, but it is not vipassana
meditation. Instead, one watches the arising and passing away of
the meditation subject until suddenly there is anicca--and
there is no 'me' separate from it."
For those who are concerned about the necessity of having a
meditation teacher, Saddhatissa points out while a teacher is most
helpful (and he mentions various pitfalls that one may encounter
without a guide), nevertheless a disciplined student, he says,
can begin without a teacher and that at the appropriate
time the opportunity for a teacher will be there.
I feel that Saddhatissa has provided a solid departure point
on the fundamentals of Buddhism in this fine book for anyone who
is seriously interested in beginning meditation.
He closes with this comment:
"A German monk once remarked: 'One must strengthen the ego
before one can get rid of it'. Too often we are tempted
to adopt the theories and ideals of Buddhism, or of any
religion, as a defence against the slow, painful process
of adolescence...If we begin with a state of hatred,
rejection and despair, we cannot pass immediately from
this extreme and begin to cultivate the highest virtue
of non-attachment. We should then merely pass from an
active neurotic state to an equally neurotic passive
state. There is a necessary intermediary stage where love
replaces hatred, acceptance replaces rejection, and faith
replaces fear."
With this closing, I think, he brings his book full circle to
make clear again the relationship between the the Precepts and
the Eightfold Path and meditation.
I feel this would be an excellent book for anyone interested in
exploring Buddhism.
Jack Carroll