Happiness of the Sara.na Gamana Gaathaa

From a collection of papers left by the late Luang Paw Pa~n~naava.dh.dho

Happiness of the Sara.na Gamana Gaathaa

Literal Translation

Whoever goes to the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha refuges,
And sees the four Ariyan truths with right wisdom,
Dukkha, the arising of Dukkha, the surpassing of Dukkha
And the Ariyan eight fold path leading to the appeasement of Dukkha
This is indeed is the peaceful(1) refuge, this is the supreme refuge;
This is the refuge which having reached he is freed from all Dukkha.

(1) Calm, safe.

The Happiness of the Sara.na Gamana Gaathaa.
Chao Phra Khun Phra UpaaliGunupamaacaariya (Siri Cando Candra) at Wat Boromanivasa.

Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammaasambuddhasa.

Yo ca Buddhaa.nca Dhamma.nca1 Sa'ngha.nca Sara.na'm gato
Cattari ariya saccaani sammapa~n~naaya passati
Dukkha'm dukkha samuppaada'm dukkhassa ca atikkama'm
Ariya~ncaa.t.thangika'm magga'm dukkhuupasamagaamina'm
Eta'm kho sara.na'm khemam eta'm sara.namuttama'm
Eta'm sara.namaagamma sabbadukkhaa pancuccatii ti.

(1 Dhp. 190 Buddhavagga)

Here we will explain the happiness(khema) of the Sara.na Gamana which in ordinary language means a refuge which is excellent and truly able to dispel danger.

The gist of the above Gaathaa has a Dhamma meaning which is just right - not little, not much, not difficult, not easy, but suitable for the wisdom of one who needs it - suitable as being the true Buddha word. If one can meditate on the meaning of it clearly, truly and deeply, it may be a refuge which truly dispels Dukkha and danger also.

The essential meaning of this gaathaa may be translated as:-
"Whoever reaches the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sa.ngha, which are a refuge and a reminder (something to recollect) that can truly dispel danger, and sees the four Ariya Sacca with right wisdom, in other words seeing Dukkha, the cause of the arising of Dukkha, the freedom from Dukkha, and the path having eight parts that are the way of practice to attain freedom from Dukkha, which is the refuge of the most excellent happiness and the most supremely excellent refuge, he can them become free from all Dukkha and danger."

1/2

From here on this will be explained in such a way that it may be a way of contemplation for those who have faith in this gaathaa. There are many people who remember correctly both the meaning and the translation of it, and maybe there are some who would object that; "we have reached the Sara.na Gamana and we have know, seen and correctly remember the Ariya Sacca but we can not see any freedom from Dukkha nor from Danger."

They should be asked; "in reaching the Buddha, how have you reached? and in what way will we know in ourselves that we have reached the Buddha?"

In answer, we must understand the Buddha bhuumi before we can know, but in truth this Buddha bhuumi is vast and beyond the ability and power of Pa~n~naa to give full explanation for the whole of it. However, we shall give a little bit of explanation, enough for one's Pa~n~naa.

All of us should indeed understand that those truths are the Buddha bhuumi of the Lord Buddha. He having, established the truth in himself, the truth is an aspect of his heart, it is the deathless Dhamma.

The Lord Buddha is one who is free from Dukkha because he has gone beyond correcting (curing) the causes of the truths, and whether his life continues or ceases, there is no deed for correcting (curing). There is no instability and change (impermanence) in the Lord Buddha. Birth and death are not in the Lord Buddha and life (Jiivita) has no power to bring worry and trouble to the Lord Buddha. The Lord is thus "Ane~njo" - Imperturbable.

Dukkha comes to the Lord but he has Sukha. Death comes to the Lord but it does not touch him. For the state of the heart of the Lord Buddha is one of purity which knows no death. The eye, ear, noes, tongue, body and mind, (mano) of the Lord are still there with no deficiency.

Form, sound, smell, taste, bodily contacts and Dhammaaramma.na which are good, pleasing to the heart and desirable are still there; as also are those which are bad, loathsome and displeasing to the heart.

(Vi~n~naana - special knowing - knowing the causes of the forgoing Samphassa is still there.)( "Samphassa" - contacts - are still there). But it is the nature of the Buddha bhuumi to have passed beyond fighting and curing.

2/3

In other words, the external Aayatana are the causes both of good and bad in accordance with their respective functions. The internal Aayatana are the results, in accordance with their respective functions. The heart is the one who "tastes" impurity in accordance with its respective function.

They do not intermingle with the Lord and so they are "Cha.langupekkhaa". "Upekkhaa consisting of six parts". In other words, there is no disturbance (trembling) connected with the six Aaramma.nas because in truth they are the same.

Once again, in the Buddha bhuumi it is normal to know Dukkha, and to know the ceasing of Dukkha and both it's causes (hetu) and conditions (Paccaya). Because he has Aasavakkhaya~naa.na -knowing the end of the Aasavas - these Aasavas are "other" - in other words just the six external kinds of things.

Not knowing the truth in any way is Moha - faulty in the direction of Pa~n~naa. Then there arises greed (covetousness), then grasping, then drawing towards and accumulating (as garbage) in the heart, so there arises spoilt Dhaatu, sour Dhaatu. Deluded (Moha) Dhaatu arise and then they are given conventional names according to the characteristics of that Moha. Moha is then called Kaama, Bhaava, Di.t.thi Avijjaa. The Lord compared them with pickled foods, giving them the name Aasava.

Because these Aasavas are the cause, when deficiency goes in the direction of Kaama it gives rise to loving someone and gladness and pleasure in some things; it gives rise to anger, resentment, loathing, hate, sorrow and regret in some things.

The Lord Buddha had Aasavakkhaya~naa.na and therefore his Pa~n~naa knew the causes and conditions and that the external and internal Aayatanas are unreliable, changeable, and that they are causes and results of each other going round and round. They are the endless "round" ( Va.t.ta) (of Sa.nsaara).

3/4

When the Lord had been able to take hold of the causes, he diligently set himself to cure the causes until they all became results. Because in truth, when there are only results it means that the causes have already ceased to exist.

When the time comes for the dissolution of those external and internal things (Vattha), as accords with their nature, who is there to be sorrowful, sad and regretful because there is the same type of result everywhere.

When Pa~n~naa examines and grasps a cause and cures this cause it is called "Magga Samaadhi" When the result is completely manifest, it is called "Phala Samaadhi", and Aasavakkhaya~naa.na depends upon Phala Samaadhi having already arisen. This is the way of Pa~n~naa which is mixed in with Samaadhi.

The explanation given here, is given so that the Buddha bhuumi may be understood briefly, sufficient so that those who practice may be able to follow and consider carefully without going too deeply into it. When this has been understood, other aspects of the Buddha bhuumi will probably be understood according to what is heard beyond this.

Talking about the Lord Buddha as above, means the changing of our hearts so that they become transparently clean like the disk of the moon which is without blemish, the shadows (on the moon) coming only from the truths, so that they accord with the Buddha bhuumi. In changing our hearts so that they become transparently clean, we must think (meditate) in accordance with the teaching of the Buddha - in other words, just look within ourselves.

Everything whatsoever is connected with thought and desire. There is just change and turning into something other in everything of every kind. There is development and deterioration. There is grouping together and breaking apart. There is birth and ceasing. There is just noise and turmoil arising and ceasing everywhere, causing ones desiring to object to it in every situation (case).

Even if, one should have pleasures just as one would wish they would not be lasting and stable, and they are desires that are not suitable for the purpose (of what one desires). Like fire that always burns to destruction,they are in truth boring and troublesome, for the truth and beauty of the world do not last long. They are like fire-crackers or a firework display, they have power only in the chemicals and fire. They are colourful and bright and we like to watch and admire them, but in a short while (we have seen enough) and are satisfied, the chemicals are used up and the fire is at an end and the whole lot dies away and disappears.

All are unstable (Anicca), turning into (something else) everywhere. When one has examined and clearly seen the instability of the world, one must turn and look into the teachings of the Buddha. Is there anything that is unstable and untrue in it? There are things which were seen (above) to be unstable and changeable and there are the teachings of the Lord Buddha, which are unchanging respectively. That which is stable, lasting and constant is such as Siila, Samaadhi and Pa~n~naa which is the teaching of the Lord Buddha, and they are stable things, true things, lasting and constant.

When one is quite clear in one's mind that Siila, Samaadhi and Pa~n~naa are the teachings of the Lord Buddha and are always stable things and true things, then one should alter one's bodily actions, speech and heart so that they become Siila, become Samaadhi, become Pa~n~naa and become stable, true and in accord with the teaching of the Lord Buddha.

All those things which we saw to be unstable and the stable things are intimately mixed together. Those things which are seen to be unstable are shadows (or reflections) of the stable things, for the things which are unstable and untrue cannot display themselves. The stable, true things are thus the ones that are able to display themselves so that they can be seen. It is just that the one who looks at them does not understand and only wants to go an look at the unstable and untrue things. In other words, one wants old memories (Sa~n~naa) to look at and therefore one sees only things which are unstable and untrue, which accord with the story of one's old memories.

When one wants to look at stable, true things, one should turn one's mind to be acquainted with Dukkha, and with the ceasing of Dukkha as well as it's causes and conditions.
5/6

What is Dukkha? We are Dukkha.
What are we? The heart (mind) is what we are.
What is the heart? The "Centre" is the heart.
What is the "Centre"? It is amongst the Khandas.

Daatus, Aayatanas, Indriiya, Ariya Sacca, Pa.ticcasamuppaada. In other words, that knowledge is the "Centre". If that is so, is not that knowledge Dukkha?

That's it! That knowledge is Dukkha, and also Sukkha, and also neither Dukkha nor Sukha - which means "Vedanaa".

What are the causes (hetu) and conditions (Paccaya) that cause knowledge to be Dukkha, or Sukha, or neither Dukkha nor Sukha?

The eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and form; sound, smell, taste and things which contact are both the causes and the conditions that make knowledge to be Dukkha, or Sukha, or neither Dukkha nor Sukha. Which means that Vedanaa arises from Aamisa (things which lure the heart). In other words, external objects are the cause - which is called Aamisa dukkha and Aamisa sukkha. Dukkha and Sukkha are of equal value and have the same amount of Raaga. Someone who longs for the Buddha bhuume does not want Aamisa dukkha and Aamisa sukkha.

This means that when form, sound, ... things that cause contact are cause; the eye, ear, ... body, are bound to be the result. Then these in turn become a cause and the heart is the result so that Dukkha, Sukkha or Upekkaa arise in the heart - and because they flow (in) from the cause, from then on they become a " Dhammaarama.na" pair of the heart1.
(1 i.e. the object + the Venanaa form a pair in the heart.)

Because Dukkha and Sukkha are (then) the owners (in charge) of the heart - the heart then changes and becomes a cause, - in other words, it is the basis of Tanhaa and Upaadaana, and immediately the eye, ear, ... body, become the result, and then they in turn become the causes of Form, sound, ... things which contact (sic) which are the results. And they whirl around like this endlessly.
6/7
Even if one follows them and searches for their beginning or ending, one will hardly be able to fine it and all one meets will be Dukkha. This heart lets Micchadi.t.thi come in to be its owner - and this means - not knowing what the Aaramma.na are up to, just this is called Micchadi.t.thi. In other words, old Sa~n~naa always waits (ready) to compare (thoughts and imagination) and to whisper so that (sic) any given time, that thing is seen as good, that thing as bad, that thing as pleasant and satisfying, that one as unpleasant and unsatisfactory, that person is a relative, that one is a friend, they are there, we are here, we have a fever, we are in pain, we are good, we are bad, we are beautiful, we are hansom, we can, we are spoilt, we will recover, we will die. All these are the story of delusion which accords with one's old Sa~n~naa, and this is entirely Micchadi.t.thi and Samudaya (the origin of Dukkha). One makes the causes and so one gets the results, which are nothing but Dukkha.

Knowledge such as this kind is called: knowing Dukkha and both its causes and conditions of it.

Previously it was said: Knowing the cessation of Dukkha and both its causes and conditions. What is this?

Knowing and seeing which are connected with (Sampayutta) Sammaadi.t.thi~naa.nadassana, which is the ~naa.na of the Buddha only. Others cannot know or teach, but only know following, see following, teach following and practise following truly the guidance in the teaching of the Lord Buddha.

In the Vibha.nga of Sammaadi.t.thi, it says: "Dukka ~naa.na'm dukkhasamudaya ~naa.na'm dukkha nirodhe ~naa.na'm dukkha nirodhagaaminii pa.tipadaaya ~naa.na'm" - knowing Dukkha, dukkha samudaya, dukkha nirodha, and the practise for attaining nirodha - knowing and seeing in this way is called Sammaadi.t.ti. Knowing and seeing which is connected with this Sammaadi.t.ti is what is called: knowing the cessation of Dukkha and both it's causes and conditions.

From here on, we will explain in accordance with the shadow which is cast from the light of the foregoing words of the Buddha (Buddha bhaasito) - enough to be a way of contemplation for Buddhists who wish to go further into the truth. Because where it says: "knowing the cessation of Dukkha and both it's causes and conditions," this is very deep (profound).

The causes and conditions of the ceasing of Dukkha are the eight factors of the path (Magga). This "Magga" means a way or path, but not a way on which one goes by vehicle or on foot. It is a way of practice by means of body, speech and heart - but it does not have the characteristics of coming and going.

To say that Sammaadi.t.ti, for example, is the way and that body, speech and heart are the ones that walk along it, and to say they have the characteristics of going is not right. On the other hand, to say that body, speech and heart do not go and do not walk along it, but that they just make Sammaadi.t.ti, for example, come, so that one increasingly has it and it is increasingly present within one and thus to say that it has the characteristics of coming, is also not right.

In truth, this world is filled with Dukkha, Samudaya and Nirodha, each respectively, which are together with us, and also with seeing wrongly and seeing rightly respectively, which are together with us here. So that one cannot "go" or "come" for the reason that they fill the world in which we live together with them.

Therefore the Yogavacaara, who searches for these truths need not go wandering, searching in various countries, for wherever he is he should search for them there. In other words, he searches for them just within himself, for wherever he lives the Ariya Sacca are there. In brief, they dwell in the heart which accords with the words of the Buddha that:
"Mano pubbangamaa dhammaa manose.t.thaa manomayaa":
The heart is there before all Dhammas, the heart is supreme, they are brought to completion by the heart.

But the reader must not wander away from the subject, because this heart can go into all the four Bhuumi, whereas here we are only considering the Ariya Sacca meaning of Dhamma.

In other words the meaning of "the heart knowing the heart",
of knowing purity to be a thing of the heart,
of knowing those (afore mentioned) objects (va.t.thu) to be the instrumental cause of "hooking" and attaching to be the Sa.myojanas,
of knowing the breaking of the Sa.myojanas - in other words, the breaking of the "hooking", attaching, composing thoughts and imagining - which is purely of the heart.

8/9

In knowing within the heart1,
(1Lit: in knowing the parts of the heart)
the heart stops still, calm, quiet and normal, devoid of the Aayatana which add - or, devoid of the Sa.myojanaas hooking and attaching - both internally and externally, and one feels in oneself that one is pure, and one knows that the eye, ear, ..., body are pure also, and that form, sound, ..., things which contact are pure also. In other words, one sees truly and one sees what the truth is in all ways.2
(2.i.e. through all the senses and in all objects)
Instability (impermanence) and falsity drop away and disappear, and it all makes sense and fits in with what was said before, that Dukkha will cease because of the ceasing of the cause. But this ceasing is not nothing (Sa~nya), for it is the coming about of a result - which means just that all those things become pure.

That instability and falsity are still there and can display themselves, is because we still have not reached stability and truth, and Dukkha can still occur because we are still a basis for Dukkha (Dukkha self). And Anattaa can be apparent to us just because we ourselves are stil Anattaa.

If we had been able to reach stability and truth, Dukkha would have ceased, Anattaa would have ceased and there would probably only remain stability and truth, which are aspects of the Buddha bhuumi and are just the shadow which comes from Sammaadi.t.thi.

The meaning of, "knowing the ceasing of Dukkha and also the causes and conditions of it," which was said above, has now been explained.

~Naa.nadassana - the knowing and seeing of this Dukkha, the cessation of it and both its causes and conditions, this is called Sammaadi.t.thi. When Sammaadi.t.thi has arisen in someone, if he then contemplates or considers (thinks) anything it is Sammaasa.mkappo. 9/10 If he says anything it is then Sammaavaacaa. If he does any bodily action it is then Sammaakammanto. In whatever way he gains his livelihood, that is then Sammaa aajivo. If he puts forward effort in any activity it is then Samaa vaayaama. If he establishes Mindfulness (Sati) in any Aaramma.na it is then Samaa sati. If he establishes the Citta in any Aaramma.na it is then Sammaasamaadhi. And this is the practice of the Ariya Magga.

When one has gone along in accordance with the factors of the path, from what things should Dukkha arise?! Whoever knows Dukkha and the ceasing of Dukkha and both the causes and conditions of it, is said to have brought himself to the state of Siila, Samaadhi and Pa~n~naa and so he is called, one who has attained to the Ti-rata.na which is the immediate and genuine happiness and ease of the Sara.na gamana.

When one knows in oneself quite clearly that one is in the state of Siila, Samaadhi and Pa~n~naa, who will grow old, who will get sick in pain, and who will die? Can the truth cure pain and death?

Pa~n~naa - knowing and seeing - Dukkha, the ceasing of Dukkha and both its causes and conditions - this is the Buddha gu.na. The Dukkha, the ceasing of this Dukkha and both its causes and conditions - this is the Dhamma gu.na. The practices which are followed until there arises the knowing and seeing in accordance with the Parama Buddha vaada (the supreme way of the Buddha) - this is the Sa'ngha gu.na. Therefore the Ti-rata.na are said to be interlinked together as one, as it says in the Vakkali Sutta: "Yo dhamma'm passati so ma'm passati" - which means: "whoever sees Dhamma sees me".

Whoever reaches Buddha, Dhamma and Sa'ngha with knowing and seeing in this way should be considered to have attained the happiness and ease of the Sara.na gamana. It is the refuge that can truly free one from Dukkha and fear as in the above words of the Buddha1 -
(1At the beginning of the Desana)
and in accordance with the "Ariyadhana gaathaa"2
(2 Lit: the Ariya wealth gaathaa)
in the part where it tells of the four kinds of Ariyan "wealth", thus: "Yassa saddhaa Tathaagate ... etc." the meaning being:
10/11
1. Who has firm faith in the Lord Buddha.
2. Who has Siila that is loved and praised by those who are Ariya.
3. Who has complete confidence (faith) in the Sa'ngha.
4. Who sees the Dhamma truly -
- this is the excellent Ariyan wealth.

Because faith in the Buddha is the cause, the Siila of that person is Ariyakanta siila3.
(3 Siila that is loved and praised by those who are Ariya)
Because this Siila which is lovely and praiseworthy is the cause, and (because) he has found happiness and contentment in himself - for there is no reason why things should trouble him - there arises confidence (faith) in the Sa'ngha, in other words, " Supa.tipanno".

Because faith in the Sa'ngha is the cause, he is one who sees true in Dhamma. Seeing true in Dhamma means that he has seen his own way, he has faith in himself and he has come to the end of doubts regarding the teaching of the Lord Buddha.

The Lord, therefore praised such a person saying:
"Adaliddoti ta'm aahu amoghantassa jiivita'm" -
that person is one who is not in difficulty, not in want, and his life (Jiivita) is not lacking in virtue and value.

EVAM Thus is the way of it.
(Thus it is.)