The King of the Devas as Student
of the Buddha
Susan Elbaum Jootla, Middle Way (Volume 68:3 p. 129) November
1993
One of the main epithets for the Buddha is "teacher of gods and
men . Although there are many more suttas where he taught human beings, devas
often came to pay respects to the Buddha and seek his guidance. Perhaps the most
notable congregation of higher beings visiting the Buddha and the Ariya Sangha
is described in the "Maha Samaya Sutta" (Digha Nikaya 20). Then, devas
of the six celestial sensuous (kama) planes just above the human one and brahmas
of the fine material sphere (rupavacara, above the deva planes), from numerous
world systems in all directions gathered to hear the Buddha's words.
To the
modem meditator trying to purify his mind, more relevant perhaps is the very next
discourse in the Digha Nikaya, "Sakka's Questions". Here Sakka, king
of the devas of the Realm of the Thirty-three (Tavatimsa), has an audience with
the Blessed One. He had already been a loyal disciple of the Buddha for a long
time, Sakka had attended him at the time of his final birth, at the Great Renunciation,
and under the Bodhi tree, and several times proclaimed his confidence in the unique
qualities of the Tathagatha. We will study "Sakka's Questions" in which
the leader of the devas sought and found solutions to a series of profound Dhamma
dilemmas that had been troubling him. The core of this dialogue will be examined
to see what human meditators of the present day can learn from it about working
towards Nibbana.[1]
From his vantage point in the Tavatimsa celestial plane,
Sakka was a keen observer of the behaviour of human, and other classes of, beings.
He had perceived that while creatures would like to live with each other peacefully,
they are rarely able to do so. (This is certainly true nowadays too.) The first
thing he asks the Buddha is why this is so. What is it that forces humans and
gods alike to live full of hatred and hostility which brings them so much misery?
The
Buddha explains that it is due to two mental factors which exist in the minds
of all non-Ariyas: jealousy and avarice (issa-macchariya). Because of these qualities
most of the aggression of the world develops, Sakka concurs. As his aim is to
do something about this dukkha, he wants to know more. So he next asks about the
origin of jealousy and avarice: "Owing to the presence of what do they arise,
owing to the absence of what do they not arise?" One can see from this query
that Sakka already has a clear concept of cause and effect (paticcasamuppada).
When the cause is there the effect will come; remove the cause and the effect
cannot arise.
Behind jealousy and avarice, the Buddha tells the king of the
gods, lie liking and disliking, and the source of both liking and disliking is
desire (chanda). Desire as used here, is a very fundamental mental factor. Such
chanda is synonymous with greed (lobha), one of the basic root motivations behind
evil actions. It is also the second Noble Truth, craving (tanha), the cause of
dukkha.
As this is such a basic problem, Sakka wants to understand the even
deeper causes that trigger desire. The Buddha tells him it is thinking (vitakka)
that leads to desire. Although he does not specify what sort of thinking, the
Buddha here must be referring to unsystematic mental activity, the kind of random
thoughts the untrained mind indulges in. This can be seen from the next and final
link in the causal sequence. For when Sakka asks about the cause of thinking the
reply is "the tendency to proliferation". This is what brings about
thinking which leads to desire, and that brings on like and dislike. They in turn
condition jealousy and avarice and ultimately the conflicts in the day to day
lives of beings.
Sakka has more questions to ask: the next ones are more directly
practical. He is now trying to discover how to destroy this sequence that leads
to so much dukkha. He requests the Buddha to explain what a monk (or meditator,
one might add) should do to eliminate this tendency to endless proliferation of
mental activity which creates kamma, rebirth, and misery over and over again.
The
Buddha replies that one should not blindly follow after every feeling that arises
in the mind. Rather one should only pursue a feeling - be it happy, unhappy or
neutral - if doing so contributes to the growth of wholesome (kusala) phenomena.[2]
If one sees that pursuing any particular feeling, of any of the three qualities,
makes unwholesome (akusala) tendencies stronger, then one should quickly drop
that sensation, not get carried away with wanting more of it or trying to get
rid of it by any means at hand. This is very important and takes a great deal
of sustained effort.
To train the mind to eliminate the causes of dukkha, one
has to learn to observe where feelings are leading. Normally, o course, we blithely
race off after anything agreeable. Any kind of "happiness' is assumed to
be worth going-for. On the other hand, we try to shove out of mind anything painful.
But the meditator or monk who has Nibbana as his or her goal cannot let this process
go unchecked. For such yogis the criteria for action should only, and always,
be that is it conducive to that highest aim. Whatever feelings pull in the other
direction must be avoided and put aside as unworthy.
This is a job to be tackled
systematically. First one has to learn to see feelings as they arise without getting
carried away by them. Second, one has to consider where actions taken based on
these feelings are leading. Third, it is necessary to put on the brakes so one
does not create akusala, be it in pursuit of pleasure, in fleeing pain or in ignoring
neutral feelings. Awareness is central to each stage of this. Without clear comprehension
of feelings, their repercussions, the distinction between kusala and akusala deeds
(mental, verbal and physical) and consciousness of the ultimate goal, the "tendency
to proliferation" and all its ramifications in conflict and dukkha cannot
be brought to an end.
Sakka once again is very appreciative of the Buddha's
words and he goes on to ask more specifically about the practice of bhikkhus.
He wants to know how a monk can acquire the restraint required by the monks' disciplinary
code, the Patimokkha. The Buddha's reply is similar to the one to the previous
question. The good bhikkhu pursues only bodily conduct, talking and goals which
are conducive to kusala, to the attainment of Nibbana. He rigorously restrains
himself from all other actions, other kinds of talk and other aims.
It is interesting
to note that the Buddha in both these sections says "When I observed that"
by following such and such an action or feeling "unwholesome factors increased
and wholesome factors decreased' he knew that such an activity "was to be
avoided". "And when I observed that" by following such a feeling
or action the "unwholesome factors decreased and wholesome ones increased,
then such bodily action was to be followed". He came to this conclusion,
from personal experience. So, he explained: "That is why I make this distinction."[3]
The serious student of his teachings has to discover how to do this for himself.
Sakka
has one more question in this series about mind training. He wants to know how
bhikkhus control their senses. Again the Buddha talks of avoiding those things
which are conducive to evil while cultivating those which have positive results.
But this time it is various kinds of objects - visible, audible, olfactory, gustatory,
tangible and mental - which are to be treated this way. This is what restraint
of the senses means: discovering what kinds of objects will help take one towards
the goal and which pull one down to more suffering. The sight of a Buddha statue
would probably be of the former type for someone striving on the Eight Fold Noble
Path. A pornographic novel would be conducive to akusala.
The Buddha does not
have to elaborate this to Sakka; by now the deva understands enough to fill in
the blanks himself. The Buddha only says:
I declare that things perceived by
the eye are of two kinds; the kind to be pursued, and the kind to be avoided.
The same applies to things perceived by the ear, the nose, the tongue, the body
and the mind.
Sakka himself rounds out this section of the discourse.
The
practical aspect of this sutta can be summarised for the modem meditator this
way: Always keep the goal of the utter purification of mind before one, do not
let mind's old tendencies distract one in opposing directions. This is how to
train oneself to put an end to the tendency to proliferation, unsystematic thinking,
desires, liking and disliking, and jealousy and avarice. And ultimately all dukkha.
Sakka
has several more questions he wants clarified by the Buddha, about another matter
of concern to him - the huge variety of religious teachers (the "godmen"
or "gurus" of those days) he had seen in the world. (This section of
the discourse shows the historical precedents and roots of the plethora of sects
claiming to offer peace to an unsettled twentieth century). Sakka now genuinely
wants to learn (1) if these gurus all teach the same thing and (2) if they are
all liberated. The Buddha's reply to both questions is negative. He explains that
they do not all teach the same thing because some of them consider one thing the
truth and others consider something else to be the truth. None of them will accept
any truth other than the concept they cling to as the REAL. It follows from this
that they cannot all be fully liberated. The Buddha tells Sakka that only those
"who are liberated by the destruction, of craving are fully proficient, freed
from the bonds, perfect in the holy life, and have perfectly reached the goal".
Liberation, freedom from rebirth and dukkha, can only be attained by eliminating
its causes - craving and ignorance. There is no way to reach the goal other than
by understanding suffering and its causes and practising to eliminate the causes.
This makes up the Four Noble Truths; not an abstract doctrine but something each
individual has to discern for him or herself if he/she is to come out of suffering
and reach the goal. Sakka agrees with the Buddha's statement. He remarks that
passion (probably referring to tanha by another name) pulls beings to rebirth
in happy or unhappy circumstances.
He then relates to the Buddha how he had
previously gone to various human ascetics for advice on these questions with totally
unsatisfactory results. In fact, none of the yogis who Sakka hoped to learn from
told him anything of value. Once they realised that he was the king of the gods,
one and all became his disciples, instead of the other way round which had been
his intention. He had to tell them what little Dhamma he understood at the time.
There is an amusing irony in this episode. A god went to men he thought must be
wise for answers. But, awed by his title, they assumed that Sakka must know more
than they did and would not give him the help he asked for. They asked his advice
instead.
Sakka has been delighted with this whole conversation with the Blessed
One and says that because of it he is presently experiencing a unique happiness
and satisfaction "which is not due to blows and wounds, does conduce to dispassion,
detachment, cessation peace, higher knowledge, enlightenment, Nibbana." This
is the direction he has longed to work towards. He has at least, with the guidance
of the Blessed One, been able to make substantial progress.
The Buddha then
asks what thoughts contribute to this great satisfaction. Sakka's final reply
amounts to declaring he is full of joy because he will be able to continue purifying
his mind in a human birth next and he is sure he will live a Dhamma life to the
full and attain final Awakening before many more existences elapse.
Sakka then
speaks a verse in praise of the Buddha and expressing his profoundly respectful
attitude to him. Part of it goes:
I've seen the Buddha, and my doubts
Are
all dispelled, my fears are allayed,
And now to the Enlightened One 1 pay
Homage
due, to him who's drawn the dart
Of craving, to the Buddha, peerless Lord,
Mighty
hero, kinsman of the Sun!
Sakka declares the Buddha is the unequalled teacher,
unsurpassed in any of the realms of existence. A god from a heavenly plane acclaims
the superiority of the Buddha and proclaims his homage to him.
The sutta then
spells out something that has already been evident - during this dialogue Sakka
has become a Stream Enterer, coming to really know that, "Whatever things
have an origin must come to cessation." All his uncertainties about the path
to final Awakening have been overcome by the Buddha's masterly replies to his
questions and by Sakka's own paramis bearing fruit as he applied his quick deva-mind
to what he was taught.
We too can break out of our bondage to samsara and all
its misery if we apply ourselves rigorously. Whatever feelings or objects arise
in the mind, whatever words we speak or deeds we do, all must be carefully watched
so that we only develop those which contribute to the goal of Nibbana. Anything
that helps generate detachment based on understanding the inherent impermanence,
unsatisfactoriness and conditioned, non-self, nature of all experience, will take
us forward. Whatever breeds greed, or ill will or delusion - of any sort or degree
- can only pull us back.
Let us too pay due respect to the incomparable Buddha,
teacher of gods and men, who has given us the means to conquer ignorance and craving
and so eliminate all forms of suffering forever.
Bibliography
"
Nanananda Bhikku, Concept and Reality. Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1971.
"
Rhys Davids, T.W. and C.A.F. Rhys Davids, trans. Dialogues of the Buddha. part
2. 1910. 5th edition. Reprint. London: Pali Text Society, 1971.
" Vajira,
Sister, trans. "Sakka's Quest, Sakka-panha sutta ". Intro., trans. and
comments. Wheel #10. Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1964.
" Walshe,
Maurice, trans. Thus Have I Heard: Long Discourses of the Buddha. London: Wisdom
Publications, 1987.
Notes
1.
All direct quotations from the sutta are from the Walshe translation. See bibliography
for details of translations consulted.
2. At the end of this section the Buddha
adds, "Now, of such happiness as is accompanied by thinking and pondering,
and that which is not so accompanied, the latter is the more excellent. The same
applies to unhappiness and to equanimity." This is a reference to jhana so
we do not discuss it as few modem yogis develop those absorption states.
3.
The Walshe translation (which here agrees with the older Rhys Davids one), has
the Buddha use the pronoun "I" implying that he says he had discerned
all this through his own experiences. Sister Vajira's translation in Wheel 10,
says "if one knows" indicating only that the individual has to observe
this for himself.