Disseminating the words of the Buddha, providing sustenance for the seeker's journey, and illuminating the meditator's path. July 15, 2011 A Special Edition Newsletter T h e B u d d h a ' s F i r s t D i s c o u r s e According to the Burmese tradition and the timeline used by the Sixth Buddhist Council (Chaṭṭha Saṅg!yana), July 15, 2011 is the full-moon day that marks the 2,600th anniversary of the Buddha's first discourse, the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta. This discourse was given to five ascetics, and set in motion the Wheel of Dhamma. You may read the full discourse in English here and in P!li here. A visitor to Sarnath today
After attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya the Buddha went to Sarnath where he gave his first discourse in the deer park of Isipatana. Before passing away, the Buddha told Ananda of the four places 'the sight of which should arouse a sense of urgency or emotion in the faithful (saṃvega).' Sarnath, the third of these four is where 'the Tath!gata set rolling the wheel of Dhamma'. Today a visitor to Sarnath may see the Dhamek Stupa (28.5 m in diameter and 43.6 m tall), which many believe marks the spot where the Buddha gave the first teaching. Constructed by Emperor Asoka (~second century B.C.) and further embellished during the Gupta period (fifth century C.E.) A small stone slab found by British archaeologists during the colonial period in the center of the stupa was inscribed Ye dhamm! hetuppabhav! tesaṃ hetuṃ tath!gato!ha, tesañca yo nirodho evaṃ v!d" mah!samaṇo Of those things that arise from a cause,the Tath!gata has told the cause, and also what their cessation is: this is the teaching of the Great Recluse. Dhammarajika Stupa A short distance north of the Dhamek stupa is the Dhammarajika Stupa foundation [P] believed to be built by Asoka to enshrine the bodily relics of the Buddha at the time of his re-distributing the relics from the seven original stupas and enshrining them in a number of other stupas at different places. Mulagandhakuti North of the Dhammarajika stupa are the ruins of the Main Shrine, site of the Mulagandhakuti or First Perfumed Chamber where the Buddha spent the first rains-retreat. The area between the ruins of the Mulagandhakuti and the Dhammarajika stupa is believed to be the site of the Cankama,or promenade where the Buddha did his walking meditation. Asokan Pillar A short distance to the west of Mulagandhakuti, under a flat roof and enclosed by railings, stands the 2 m high base of the Asokan pillar. The original pillar was 15 m high and
surmounted by the famous Lion Capital which can be seen in Sarnath Museum. This pillar is believed to mark the site where the Buddha assembled the Sangha comprising sixty Arahants and exhorted them to go in different directions to spread the Teaching. On the pillar is an inscription, which says: "Let no one cause a division in the Sangha." During Asoka's time, bhikkhus from many sects lived in Sarnath and it is believed that he issued this Sanghabhedaka (Cause a Schism in the Order) Edict to promote harmony among the various Buddhist sects. Mulagandhakuti Vihara About 500m east of the Dhamek stupa stands the Mulagandhakuti Vihara, built by the Maha Bodhi Society of India in 1931 under the untiring efforts of Anagarika Dharmapala, whose mission was to make all the sacred Buddhist places in India come under the care of thesangha. On the day of opening, the sacred relics of the Buddha unearthed in Taxila in 1913-14, were presented by the Director General of Archeology, representing the Government, to the Maha Bodhi Society. These Buddha relics were enshrined under the Preaching Buddha image and are taken out every year during Kathina for worship. The beautiful Ajanta style frescoes on both walls of the vihara were painted by a famous Japanese artist, Kosetsu Nosu. He took three years, from 1932-35, to complete the murals. Sarnath Archeological Museum The museum houses antiquities recovered from the ruins at Deer Park during excavations from 1905 onwards. Inside the museum, numerous sculptures of the Buddha and Bodhisatta, mostly of the Gupta period (4th-5th century AD) are displayed. Among the highlights are - the Lion Capital, the colossal Bodhisatta Image, and the Gupta period Preaching Buddha image.
Pariyatti Learning Center ~ now online We are happy to announce the new Pariyatti Learning Center (PLC), an online learning and resource center provided by Pariyatti. This online environment uses a variety of resources and learning tools. Currently, the Pariyatti Learning Center offers two courses on-line. The first course, An Introduction to Pali, includes a variety of tools to help the student learn grammar, pronunciation, declensions, as well as some lessons related to the P!li used by S.N. Goenka during a 10-day Vipassana course. Video, audio, flash cards, word searches, crossword puzzles, and quizzes support the student as he or she explores and develops an understanding of P!li, the suttas, and Buddhist theory. The second course, Exploring the Path (ETP), is an applied P!li course that involves working through selected sutta translations; this will include weekly lessons to be posted regularly for the next few years. Each lesson includes a written P!li sutta with chanting of the sutta in an audio file format followed by a customized glossary to help the student work through his or her own translation of the passage. In addition, there are extensive footnotes that add valuable information about the P!li words in the sutta, their usage elsewhere in the Tipitaka, and other interesting items of note related to the passage under study. There will also be an English translation available for each sutta, as well as other learning tools such as flash cards and quizzes for those interested in more detailed study. Each lesson is a "bite-sized" chunk, so students can choose whether to simply read the English translations or study deeply the P!li suttas.the lessons are accessible for a student with no background in P!li and there is no need to complete the Introduction lessons to participate in the ETP lessons. Additionally, the PLC has discussion forums and and online chat functionality built in. Our hope is that these interactive tools will bring a sense of community to the classes and make it more engaging for participants. You can learn more and enroll in the courses at learning.pariyatti.org Treasures at Pariyatti
The Light of the Buddha and The Light of the Dhamma This is a collection of magazines that started up in the mid-1950's in Burma, around the era of the Sixth Buddhist Council (Chaṭṭha Saṅg!yana). Each issue of these magazines contained a wide selection of articles submitted to the editors. Among the notable writers whose works were found in its pages are many Venerable Mahatheras notably Ven. Ledi Sayadaw, Ven U Thittila, Ven. Piyadassi, Ven. Buddhadatta, Ven. Nyanatiloka, Ven. Nayanaponika, and Ven. Narada, as well as lay writers such as The Honerable U Nu, Prime Minister of Burma, Mr. Francis Story (Anag!rika Sugatananda), U Ohn Ghine, U Chan Htoon, U Hla Maung and many others. Topics of these articles included updates on the Sixth Buddhist Council's recitation, various aspects of the Buddha's teachings, and practical application of these teachings in day-today life. Read more about these magazines by clicking here. To view or download the current issues Pariyatti has in PDF format, click here. Pariyatti has a blog!!"#$%"&&$'()*+&%',$-* 25.pariyatti.org Please join us as we celebrate 25 years of service!
Wonderful it is to train the mind, so swiftly moving, seizing whatever it wants. Good it is to have a well-trained mind, for a well-trained mind brings happiness. Dunniggahassa lahuno, yatthak!manip!tino. Cittassa damatho s!dhu, cittaṃ dantaṃ sukh!vahaṃ. Dhammapada 3.35