THE TRANSCENDENTAL TRUTH A Buddhist Perspective of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Nandini Samarasinghe

My thanks go to Dr. (Mrs.) Hema Weerakoon for the foreword and editorial comments, Mrs. T. M. S. Damayanthi for her efficient typing, Mrs.S. R. Ratwatte for her assistance, Mrs. Lakmini R. Welgama and Upali Printers for the printing, all my friends for their support, my parents, sister Kalyani and her family for all what they have done - my father Mr. Sirisoma Ranasinghe who continues to inspire me even after his death, Ven. Yogavacara Rahula - Author of "The Way to Peace and Happiness", from which I have taken most of the material on Buddhism, The Triple Gem (Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha) and Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba for Peace Bestowed.

Buddhists in Sri Lanka who have earned the grace of an introduction to the teachings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba would see no basic difference in what they have learnt through precept and practice of Buddhism and the teachings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. In the promotion of the virtuous life, the cultivation of selflessness in the service of fellow beings and also in the methods of meditation, the similarity of approach is most striking.

Despite this fact, hardly any attempt has been made at an in-depth study of the similarities. Of course, a study at a mere academic level would be of little use to the followers of both the Buddha and of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. What is essential is for such a study to be penetrated with personal conviction and spiritual experience.

Nandini Samarasinghe has the qualifications necessary to bring out a book that should interest all Buddhists seeking a closer view of the teachings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. She belongs to a family deeply steeped in the traditions of Buddhism. Also she has given herself to the Sai movement with all the necessary spiritual commitment. She is a lawyer by profession attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with professional experience at International, Regional & National Level, and as such, able to give to this study the needed objectivity.

This little booklet answers a felt need. I sincerely hope that the Sai movement will not only be enriched by this work but will also be able to make further contributions of this nature.

Dr. (Mrs.) Hema Weerakoon
University of Kelaniya.

Buddhism is what was discovered, taught and practiced by one of the greatest Sages, Siddharta Gautama The Buddha in the 5th century B.C. in India. It deals with religious, philosophical, social and individual problems making the restricted definition of religion alone not appropriate. For this reason, some take Buddhism to be a religion while others regard it as a Philosophy and in modem times co-opted to the fields of psychology and psychotherapy.

Buddhi in Sanskrit means the 'Pure intellect', the mind which is free from conditional influence of emotions and defilements, and purified of all ego-conceit and traces of attachment / greed, aversion/hatred, and delusion.

On Enlightenment, the Buddha realised through his own perfected mind, the complete cycle of cause and effect, the law of karma as it pertains to the elements of mind and matter and how it operates. Although he saw that the root cause for the suffering and unhappiness which living beings experience in their lives is rooted in their own mind, he considered the human mind as capable of rising above all human weaknesses and cultivating a divine mind through his / her own efforts. By cultivating awareness and acquiring control over the operation of the mind, an individual can gradually change and destroy root causes which encourage continued worldly bondages bringing forth misery, sorrow and frustration. We all being liable to birth, aging, decay, dying and sorrow seek happiness in what is likewise liable to those conditions without realising that the utmost happiness and security lies in the Noble Quest of attaining Nibbana, the ultimate Liberation from Cycle of Birth. Siddhartha Gauthama, in his search for Eternal Peace and Happiness sat under the Bo Tree of Gay a in Uruwela with the utmost determination to achieve permanent peace. "Sol monks, being myself liable to birth, aging, decay, disease, dying, sorrow and stain, having seen the peril in what is likewise liable to the same, seeking the unborn, undying the utter most security from the bonds, did win the Unborn, Undying - Nibbana. Knowledge and vision arose in me, unshakable is freedom for me, this is the last birth, there is no more again becoming!". (Majjhima Nikaya -26)

After attaining Enlightenment and the rediscovery of the Ancient Path to Liberation, through utter compassion and love for the humanity he wandered many villages, cities, lands and Kingdoms for 45 years, imparting the knowledge of Dhamma. He advised His Accomplished Monks (Arahats) also "to go now and wander for the welfare and happiness of many out of compassion for the world, for the gain, welfare and happiness of Gods and Men. Let not two of you proceed in the same direction. Proclaim the Dhamma that is excellent in the beginning, middle and end, possessed of meaning and letter, and utterly perfect. Proclaim the life of purity, the holy life consummate and pure". This Mission of Buddha lasted till the end of His Life enfolding all without any distinction of class, caste, creed or sex, within the Aura of His boundless compassion and wisdom.

Sathya Sai Baba has declared His Mission as follows: "I have come to light the lamp of love in your hearts, to see that it shines day by day with added luster. I have not come to speak on behalf of any particular spiritual practice or Hindu Philosophy. I have not come on any mission of Publicity for any Sect or Creed or Cause; nor have I come to collect followers for any doctrine. I have no plans to attract disciples/devotees into my fold or any fold. I have come to tell you of this Universal Faith, this Divine Consciousness — this Path of Love, this Philosophy of Love, this Duty of Love, this Obligation of Love".

The first six chapters of this book examines the Teachings of Buddha and the last chapter VII, some of the Teachings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. The Teachings of Buddha had been methodically recorded by Arahat Bikkhus after his death into "Tripitaka'' and thus could be presented in a more comprehensive manner. Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba unfolds his mystery day by day and still engaged in his mission of imparting spiritual lessons to the mankind. For this reason, its difficult to present the entire Teachings of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in a nutshell, as in Buddhism, although I have tried to condense some fundamental aspects of His Teaching under five main thematic captions, i.e. Sathya, Dharma, Ahimsa, Shanthi, Prema, to which He attaches much importance. However, one may note the striking similarity in the Spiritual Teachings of Buddha and Sathya Sai Baba in precept and practice.

Except for few instances of personal experiences or observations, what is written in the following chapters are not mine. I am only repeating the Wisdom, the Truth and the Love of Buddha and Sai Baba for the benefit of seekers of Wisdom, Truth and Love; for, within the teachings of these two great spiritual Gurus lies their identity. Those aspirants who wants to know Buddha or Sai Baba could know them either through direct experience or their teachings only.

Both these great spiritual leaders were born under normal circumstances, lived a normal human life but manifest divinity through their spiritualism. Both possess unparallel love and compassion, absolute wisdom, a pure intellect, of a truly liberated soul, which is primarily responsible for the great devotion and respect revered on them by millions of people. What follows is a maiden attempt to discover the similarities of the Teachings of Buddha and Sri Sathya Sai Baba, inspite of the difference of time factor.

Hopefully, this will encourage the true spiritual aspirants to adopt boldly the path of Truth shedding away lables and tags which undermines the sanctity of these universal principles. For example. Annex I which gives an account of the Vesak celebrations is being written by a Sri Lankan Tamil Hindu. We both, though belong to Buddhist and Hindu communities are seekers of self realization who have recognized the Buddha Consciousness and His unparalleled Compassion which transcends man made barriers and re-enacted through the life of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Is not the time right for us to be awakened to the fact that no community / race / class / religion could claim proprietary rights over the Universal Principals of humanity, that almost all the great Spiritual Leaders tried to make us understand?

What Buddha collectively set forth in his teachings are called the Dhamma, which he directly perceived and realized to be true and common to the entire universe. While explaining his discoveries. He mainly categorized them into what He called the Four Noble Truths. The following are some of Buddha's own discourses which set forth the Four Noble Truths:

"Monks, there are these Four Noble Truths, The Noble Truth about Suffering (Dukkha); The Nobel Truth of the Arising of suffering; The Noble Truth of the Ceasing of suffering; and the Nobel Truth of the Path leading to the cessation of suffering."

"And what, monks is the Noble Truth about suffering? Birth, aging, sickness, pain, sorrow, lamentation, grief, despair and death are suffering. Not getting what we desires and coming into contact with the undesired is suffering. In short, it is the five aggregates of clinging that are suffering. What are the five aggregates,

All forms or material shapes (Rupa), whether it be past, present or future, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near - That is called the aggregate of form.

Every Feeling (Vedana), whether it be past, present or future, internal or.... that is called the aggregate of feelings.

Every perception (Sanna), be it past .... that is called the aggregate of perceptions.

Every mental formation (Sankhara), be it past..... is called the aggregate of mental formation.

Every consciousness (Vinnana), be it past.... that is called the aggregate of consciousness."

These five aggregates of clinging Buddha mentioned as above are the elements which compromise the body and the mind of sentient beings and based on these five 'factors of existence' arise all the different kinds of material and mental phenomena which exist in the world thus making these five aggregates of clinging being the dukkha or suffering itself. With penetrating insight, the Buddha discerned that these very five 'elements of a being' are what living beings attach and identify themselves to regarding them as 'mine', 'myself or 'my soul'.

The First aggregate of matter (rupa) consists of all the material manifestations which are the objects of sense cognition. These include the physical body and all material objects in the world-visible objects, sounds, smells, flavors - any sense stimulus whatsoever of a material nature. Buddha undiscovered that all universal forms are compounded and derived from four basic modes of characteristics or elements which matter can assume i.e.. The earth element; which is solid, hard or soft and having extension or occupying space; the water element, which is liquid or fluid in nature and having cohesive properties; the fire element, which ranges different in temperature-hot and cold and which functions in the maturation or ripening process; the air element, which is motion or pressure and allows the movements of different parts of the universe / body.

These four basic elements are the constituents of the human and animal body and their various combinations produces their peculiar characteristics and functions of bodily life. All four elements are inherent in each manifestation of matter but one is usually predominant and stands out over the others so the object is said to be and exhibits that particular characteristics.

Buddha said to his only son "These five elements (earth, water, fire, air and consciousness) Rahula, in accordance with fact and with perfect insight, should be regarded thus; This is not mine, this I am not, this is not myself" (Majjima Nikaya 62). One should not think and conceive them as pertaining to oneself. If one does insist on clinging to these 'characteristics of matter' and grasp them as "self" belonging to his body, then he will have to suffer whatever consequences they bring, instead of becoming free from their overwhelming influence.

The second aggregate of grasping - to phenomena is vedanna, the factor or feelings or sensations that arise and pass away continually in the body and mind whenever there is sensory impingement. The Buddha said:

Monks, there are these six seats of feelings: feeling (pleasant, painful or neutral) that is born of contact with the eye; feeling bom of contact with the ear; feeling born of contact with the nose; feeling born of contact with the toung; feeling born of contact with the body (skin); and feeling that is born of contact or cognizing mental objects (memories, dreams, hallucinations, ideas thoughts etc.) From the arising of contacts is the arising of feeling; From the ceasing of contact is the ceasing of feeling"; (Sanyutta Nikaya - Ch 22..56)

These feelings are only conditioned, habit-reflex mental reactions which arise on account of sensory impingement or contact. It is these feelings or sensations constantly arising and ceasing in the body and mind that cause or condition the craving / attachment for certain objects, the aversion/hatred towards other objects and just indifferent or mental reactions to some. Most unaware, people think it is the object itself that they desire or crave. When it is seen with insight, it is the conditioned, habit reflex element of feeling which the object stimulated the mind to re-create. So, it is this mental activity of feeling which is reacted to, through force of karma, and not really the object itself.

It is these feelings and sensations that are continually arising and passing away in the body and mind which keeps the mind on its insatiable quest for sensual gratifications. We must develop our attitude of detachment and equanimity to these feelings, knowing that they are impermanent, continually changing, conditionally arising and without substantial self nature. We are not able to have the pleasant sensation at our will and we are subjected to the unpleasant ones, also which is not under our control. If we train the mind to remain equanimous when they arise, not desiring or avoiding, then we can be free from their binding influence.

The third aggregate of clinging is Sanna. This consists of the perceptions or recognitions of visible objects, sounds, smells, tastes, bodily impressions and mental objects. A perception is the peculiar characteristic of a thing or the memory, of an object - how it is normally pictured and recognized. These perceptions are also conditioned, habit - reflex mental reactions which arise on account of the six sensory contact, just as the feelings and sensations, since what one feels, that one perceives.

The fourth aggregate of clinging is Sankhara. This consist of the mental formations and latent tendencies which the mind creates and involves itself in towards objects it comes into contact with. These mental activities again, are conditioned habit - reflex reactions which the mind spontaneously produces and they include the newly formed volitions and other activities of mind as well. These sankhara are the result of our past action (karma) of body, speech and thought, and on which the present and future thoughts and actions are based. They are actually the 'stuff' of the mind from which all mental activity and the corresponding bodily activities are conditioned and developed into habits.

According to Buddhist 'Abhidhamma' there are fifty mental factors included in the aggregate of Sankhara. Some of these are attention, intention, one pointedness of mind, awareness, contact, initial thought, sustained thought, interest, desire, energy, decision, kindness, sympathy, anger, greed, ignorance, ill will, envy, egoism, worry, doubt, sympathy, laziness, shame, fear etc.

Some of these arise all the time while some arise once in while whenever the proper conditions are present, according to their function and habitual exercise. By use and repetition they gain strength to affect our thinking and actions. It is these 'Sankhara' which we must understand and recognize by our experience and learn to control. For, if is from these that all our personal weal and woe arise.

The fifth aggregate is vinnana or consciousness itself. There are six kinds of consciousness according to the six sense organs that is contacted and stimulate. Buddha explained, "Monks, consciousness is generated by conditions. Apart from conditions there is no manifestation consciousness. It is because of the appropriate condition arising that consciousness is known by this or that name. If consciousness arises because of the eye coming into contact with a visible object, it is known as eye consciousness (seeing); if consciousness arises because of the nose and odours, it is known as nose consciousness (smelling); if it arises because of the tongue and flavours, it is known as tongue consciousness (tasting); If it arises because of the body and touch objects, it is known as 'body consciousness' (touching); If consciousness arises because of the cognition of mental objects, then it is known as 'mind consciousness'.

However, it does not mean that there are six separate consciousness each one connected with its respective sense organ. It is biological role of sensory activity of consciousness which plays within the realm of the six sense spheres.

Thus, there is the including and the coming together of these five groups of grasping. These are generated by conditions. What ever among these five grasping groups is desire, sensual pleasure, affection, information, that is the uprising of 'ILL' (Dukkha). Whatever among these five groups is the control of desire and attachment the non-existence of desire and attachment, that is the ceasing of 'ILL'. (Majjhima Nikaya - 28)

In the five constituents of being, mentality - materiality occur as an interdependent state. Each of its component factors gives each other mutual support and when one falls owing to death or malfunction, the other fall too. The mentality and materiality, each on their own has no sufficient power to function.

The Buddha detailed in the Second Noble Truth, the origin of suffering (Dukkha), and the conditions which are needed for the development and continuation of conditioned life. He relates it in the cycle of Interdependent Origination on the cycle of repeated births and deaths. The whole process of life, birth. sickness, disease, sorrow, pain, unhappiness death etc. evolved and continues because of interdependent causal condition. Everything which has come to existence in the past, now in the present and in the future, have depended, are now depending and will depend upon a whole host of interrelated and supporting conditions. All of this works out in a continuous series of compounded relation of cause and effect. The cycle of repeated births and deaths is termed 'samsara' the continuous fluctuating sea of life, in which all living beings, as long as they are immersed and shrouded in delusion and fettered by craving attachment, must revolve round and round.

In Buddha's discourse as repeated below. He explained the whole complex process.

"And to me monks, while I was yet unenlightened, there came this thought:
Alas ! This world has fallen upon trouble. There is getting born and growing old, and dying and being reborn. And yet from this suffering on an escape is not known, even from sickness and decay.

Then this thought came to me; what now being present does sickness, decay and death came to be. What conditions sickness, decay and death? Then to me, thinking according to causal (attention to cause and effect), there came to pass comprehension of insight;

Let there be birth, then there is sickness, decay and death. Sickness, decay, death are conditioned by birth.

Then to me came this thought. What now being present does birth came to be? What conditions birth? Then to me thinking according to the law of cause and effect, came to pass comprehension of insight;

Let there be becoming (fresh karma production), then birth comes to be,
Let there be grasping then becoming comes to be,
Let there be craving then grasping comes to be,
Let there be feeling then craving comes to be,
Let there be contact then feelings comes to be,
Let there be six sense-spheres then contact comes to be,
Let there be body & mind then sense spheres come to be,
Let there be consciousness (rebirth-linking); then body & mind come to be,
Let there be mental formations then consciousness comes to be, Let there be ignorance then the mental formations comes to be,

Then monks, to me came this thought; what now being absent does sickness, decay, sorrow..... death came not to be? Then to me, thinking according to causal law, came to pass comprehension of insight; from the ceasing of birth there is the ceasing of sickness, decay and death;

With the ceasing of becoming there is the ceasing of birth;
With the ceasing of grasping there is the ceasing of becoming;
With the ceasing of craving there is the ceasing of grasping;
With the ceasing of feeling there is the ceasing of craving;
With the ceasing of contact there is the ceasing of feeling;
With the ceasing of the sense-spheres ther is the ceasing of contact;
With the ceasing of name-and-form there is the ceasing of the sense sphere;
With the ceasing of consciousness there is the ceasing of name-and-form;
With the ceasing of the mental formations there is ceasing of consciousness;
With the ceasing of ignorance there is the ceasing of the mental formations;

Such in truth is the ceasing of this entire mass of suffering. Ceasing! Ceasing! At this thought there arose in me, things not learned before; Vision arose, knowledge arose. (Sanyutta Nikaya - Ch.12)

Due to ignorance, the mental-formations are kept strong and do not decrease. This produces moment to moment I Consciousness and also the rebirth - Linking consciousness at the time of death, which manifest for its use, another body in another existence for the mind to operate through, and the accumulated Karma to be exhausted. This complete the three requisite for the six fold sense - sphere so that contact can take place, which gives rise to feeling. And from feeling arises the craving, grasping and becoming for them. This fresh Karma accumulation again strengthens the mental formations which gives rise to future rebirth. Having been born into this conditioned world, we must experience the impermanence, the sickness, sorrow, suffering, confusion, decay and death that goes with it.

But with the utter fading out and non-existence of ignorance, there is the fading, the slowing, the ceasing of mental-grasping force and by and by the non-production of Rebirth Linking Consciousness. Hence no future rebirth, hence no more name and form, no sense activity, no feeling etc. Such is the ceasing of this entire mass of Dukkha!

This whole process of mind and matter sustained by the nutriments which feeds activities of the six senses. Without nutriments these activities will gradually subside and eventually cease altogether. The basic sustenance is craving. But it is due to the ego or I consciousness desire to continue, that attachment / craving is kept ever afresh in grasping and becoming.

"Monks, these four forms of nutriments are for the maintenance of beings that have come to birth and for assisting those who seek to become. These four forms are:
Material food, course or fine; contact or sensory impingement; mental striving (Karma accumulation); and consciousness.

And of these four nutriments for the maintaining of beings what is the base, the source, the condition, the cause, the birth, the origin? It is craving I declare. Craving is their base, from craving they are produced, they arise, craving cause them to be".

If there not be passion, delight nor craving as to any one of these four sustenance, then these consciousness is not established nor fruitful. Therefore, in consequence, name and form does not manifest, there mental-formations do not grow, and there is in the future no renewed becoming and rebirth, nor decay sickness, suffering and death.... this is the ceasing of the entire five fold mass of Dukkha. (Sanyutta Nikaya - Ch. 12)

The Third Noble Truth which the Awakened One experienced on the night of His Enlightenment, was the subsiding and virtually ceasing of Dukkha, the very cessation of the conditioned mind itself. By using wisdom, He destroyed all defilments in His mind and brought the deluded notion of individual 'I' to naught. His mind ceased to grasp or cling to anything; forms, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, consciousness or any of the six kinds of sense stimuli, thus did He realize Nirvana, the incomparable end of suffering. In this realization He came to know that for Him this was His last conditioned life. His consciousness, at the time of death would no longer be able to find a footing in another Samsaric existence. Thus He uttered on attainment of Enlightenment;

Whosoever, O monks, in reality understands the eye, visible forms, eye consciousness; ear, sound, ear consciousness; nose........... tongue ........ body ........ mind, mind objects and mind consciousness, such a wise one no more craves for these things.

"Whosoever is without desire or attachment, on experiencing any of these, in such a one the five aggregates of grasping come to extinction, and the rebirth producing craving, accompanied by lust and greed, finding delight now here, no there, this craving vanishes in him. This is the end of ill, this is Nibbana." (Sanyutta Nikaya - Chap. 35 & 85)

When one can sever the identification and attachment to the mind and body and relinquish the notion of a personal 'self' then the mind is not harassed and agitated by any of the assailments from outside or from within. The mind can then experience the non wordly tranquility and happiness which lies beyond the range of the six senses. This is the spiritual realm of the mind where thinking and conceptualizing activity powered by 'I' is put into abeyance, where there is no duality of a subject - object relationship.

The Buddha described 'Ten Fetters' of mental defilements which are responsible for keeping the karma energized mind in its self perpetuating and strengthening process. These ten fetters or obstructions keep the mind tightly bound and attached to the objects of the world, including being attached to itself. With these, the Karmic force is kept forever circling on the wheel of birth and death, (sansara) throughout the various realms of existence trying to keep hold of itself.

1) Sakkaya-Ditthi: This is the personality view or the belief in independent self-existence. It is the belief in some type of entity or soul which is behind the process of sensory cognition, devoid of oneself, being the owner who enjoys or hates the experience.

2) Vicikiccha: This is sceptical doubt and uncertainty as to the true nature of the body and mind and the world. It is doubt about the effectiveness of Dharma practice.

3) Silabbata-Paramasa: This is belief that certain external rites and rituals can be an effective means of inner mental purification and spiritual salvation, devoid of any personal effort.

4) Kama-raga: This is sensuous lust or desire and attachment to the sense objects which stimulate the mind into action. It is the strong attraction and desire for what one perceives as pleasant and beautiful.

5) Patigha: This is repugnance, resentment, anger, ill-will and hate. It is the tendencies in the mind which react this way towards certain sense stimuli when contacted.

The above five are the lower fetters which arc the main obstacles in binding the mind to this world. They prevent one from attaining higher realizations. The following five are called the higher fetters. They are more subtle in their manifestation and they are the last ones to be eliminated before full liberation or enlightenment is attained.

6) Rupa-raga: This is greed, desire or attachment to be reborn in one of the five material realms or worlds (rupa-loka). These are heavenly realms where the life span is long and blissful. It is a hindrance, however, to spiritual advancement to be attached to these, as Dharma cannot be practiced in these realms.

7) Arupa-raga: This is desire to be reborn in the immaterial or formless realms where exist only very lofty, expansive, formless state of mind. Even the life span here is also very long, they are also impermanent states, created by certain concentration techniques. There is no possibility, in practising Dhamma towards spiritual upliftment in these states.

8) Mana: This is self-conceit and pride which is the most deep rooted of all the ten fetters along with ignorance.

9) Uddhacca: This is mental excitation and restlessness which never allows the mind to rest or become completely still.

10) Avijja: This is ignorance or delusion, of the Four Noble Truths (suffering, its cause, its cessation and the path leading to cessation) the strongest obstacle to liberation.

It is these ten fetters which must consciously worked on, undermined, eradicated and rooted out through continuous and diligent wisdom and meditation. They cannot be eradicated by mere wishful thinking and thus wisdom has to be used to root out these defilements. They can be cut off only through meditative awareness applied in the course of one's daily life, whether as a monk in seclusion or a lay person living in the material world. This constitutes one's Dharma practice. (They can be rooted out either quickly or slowly, depending on the strength of one's attachment, ignorance, accumulated Karma and effort.)

The Buddha described four progressive stages in the refinement and purification of these ten fetters. All of these stages must be realised or passed through by the earnest disciple, to attain the final Nirvana of never being reborn into any sansaric realm.

In diligent meditation one must reflect on the impermanence and soullessness of the five aggregates of clinging and develop a dispassionate and detached attitude towards them. When the seven factors of Enlightenment are developed, there will come the first complete cut off of the conditioned mind, leaving only the unconditioned, unborn, the direct experience of Nirvana.

This will probably last for only an instant but nevertheless, the realisation is such that it destroys the first three fetters. This stage of mental purification is called 'Sotapatti' or stream entry. It literally means 'entering the stream', the stream of wisdom -mind which flows and ends in the final Nirvana or liberation. The three fetters that are destroyed will no longer be a binding hindrance in one's Dhamma practice. The mind at this point is now assured and destined to attain the complete destruction of the remaining seven fetters and full enlightenment only in a matter of time. This is said to be of the most, seven rebirths. However, it could be before the end of that present life itself if sustained efforts were maintained.

This first realization is also considered the most difficult to attain. It requires tremendous effort to go against the momentum of normal thinking and break through the delusion of "self" or 'I-consciousness'. Because of the extreme level of purity of the karmic force at this stage, it is impossible for it to remanifest in any one of the lower realms of suffering. It is impossible for that individual to commit one of the evil deeds which would result in such a rebirth.

"Monks, the Noble disciple who, by destroying the three fetters and blessed with four qualities, is a stream-winner, who has passed utterly beyond all fear of a woeful rebirth, not doomed to the downfall; he is assured and bound for full enlightenment. What are the four qualities he is possessed with? He is blessed with unwavering faith and confidence in Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha (those who have won the vision) and equipped with the clear, bright, unsoiled virtues which are praised and dear to the Noble ones, virtues that lead to concentration of mind and mental-composure.

Monks, there may be a change in the four great primary elements of Earth, Water, Fire and Air, but there can be no change (rebirth in lower realms) for the Aryan Disciple blessed with unwavering faith and unblemished virtues which are dear to the Aryans". (Sanyutta Nikaya Ch. 55)

After one has entered the stream, what is left to do is to continue working on undermining and destroying the remaining seven fetters. This is done by continued meditation as before and purifying the mind of sense desire, attachment, illwill and aversion. When these have been reduced significantly, the second stage of mental purity is reached. This is called the 'Once Returning' state (Sakadagami). This is because the Once Returner, has only one more rebirth to go in the human realm, at the very latest before attaining final Nirvana.

When one has succeeded in completely annihilating all traces of sensual desire and aversion, one attains the third stage of mental purity called 'Never Returning' (Anagami). Upon death the mind will manifest in a pure abode, one of the havenly realms and from there will attain the final Nirvana. Thus it is called Never Returning, never to return to this world.

If a persevering wise one succeeds in destroying the remaining five fetters even in that life, he experiences the full liberation of mind. This is called Arahatship. An Arahat abides in the full attainment of Nirvana, a perfect saint. In this last stage the karmic-force which had been circling the rounds of birth and death since beginningless time, is completely depleted. All traces of desire, attachment, aversion and 'I' conceit have been destroyed without remainder. The holy life has been lived, done is what was to be done, there is nothing more in the way of mental purification left to do. Ended is the cycle of becoming, laid down is the burden. The Arahat is one with the Dhamma.

In this process of mental purification the main idea is to eradicate by wisdom the feeling of 'I' or separation. Along with this the rest of the defilements will gradually fall away. When one attains 'Stream entry' the illusive notion of 'I' has been fully penetrated and understood. The person in his mind sees and knows that there is no individual separate 'self' in or about the body or in mind in ultimate truth. Nevertheless, relatively there still remains a subtle remnant of 'I' persisting in his / her consciousness.

With progress along the final stages of the path, this subtle tendency to think 'I am' which is exhibited in times of sudden surprise or fear is gradually eradicated. This process of 'I' purification is given in the following simile by the Awakened One, the Buddha.

"Suppose monks, there is a dirty soil cloth and the owner gives its to a washerman and he rubs it smooth with salt-earth, or Lye or Cow dung, and rinses it in pure clean water. Now, though that cloth be utterly cleaned, yet there remains about it, still lingering the smell of salt-earth, Lye or cow-dung. The washerman returns its to the owner and he lays its up in a sweet-scented box for a time. Thus the smell that hung about and was not removed is now utterly removed.

Even so, though an Aryan Disciple has put away the five lower fetters, yet there remains in him a subtle remnant from among the five grasping groups, a subtle aroma of 'I consciousness' of the lurking tendency to think 'I am', which was still not removed from him - now that is removed in Arahatship." (Sanyutta Nikaya - Ch. 22 & 89).

The Fourth Noble Truth detailed out by Buddha describes the way to live, think and meditate which will enable a person to bring the whole mass of Dukkha to an end. It is accomplished by a gradual and interdependent practice of eight aspects of mainly mental training. It leads to a gradual slowing down, calming and eventually ceasing altogether by one's deluded karmic-energy.

This way is called the NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH. It is so called because it leads the one who practices to experience and abide in the permanent end of suffering, the Noble realm of Nibbana, the state of everlasting peace and happiness, even in this life itself. It is an art of 'Living in Meditation' in all of one's activities of life.

When Venerable Sariputta asked the Buddha, "But is there any path, any approach to the realization or experience of Nibbana?"

The Awakened One replied: "There is such a path Noble Friend, there is such an approach. It is the Ariyan (Noble) Eightfold Path, for the realization of Nibbana, i.e., Right view, Right thought, Right speech, Right action, Right living, Right effort, Right mindfulness and Right Concentration. Such friend is this path, this approach to the attainment of Nibbana, and a proper occasion for earnestness too" - (Sanyuta Nikaya Ch. 38.1)

The Buddha used the term 'Divine vehicle' to explain the importance of the Eight Fold Path to Enlightenment. "Divine vehicle, Ananda is a term that may be applied to this very Ariyan Eightfold Path, unsurpassed for its conquest in the fight against the defilements of mind."

In the very first discourse after Enlightenment, the Buddha who learnt through his experience, advised the seekers of Truth not to go to the two extremes ought not to be cultivated but to follow the Middle Way - The Nobel Eightfold Path.

"There is devotion to indulgence of pleasure in the objects of sensual desire, which is inferior, low, vulgar, ignoble, and leads to no good; and there is devotion to self-mortification, self-torment, which is painful, ignoble, and leads to no good.

The Middle Way discovered by a Perfect One avoids both these extremes. It gives vision, it gives knowledge, and it leads to peace, to direct acquaintance, to discovery, to Nibbana. What is the middle way? It is simply this Noble Eightfold Path." (Sanyutta Nikaya - Ch. 56)

These eight conditions if cultivated and made much use of, conduce to that state in which no further shore and nor hither shore exist. Few are they of mortal men who have reached the further shore. They who follow in the Teaching of the Norm expounded well, they reach the shore and pass the realm of death so hard to cross.

When ignorance leads the way, by the reaching of evil, unprofitable states, shamelessness and recklessness follow in its wake. In one who is swayed and obstructed by ignorance and is void of sense, then the wrong, unwholesome view gets scope. Unwholesome view gives rise to unwholesome thought, unwholesome speech, unwholesome action, unwholesome living, unwholesome efforts, unwholesome mindfulness and unwholesome concentration.

"But when knowledge leads the way, by the attainment of wholesome, profitable states, the sense of shame and selfrestraint follow. In one swayed by knowledge (of the four Noble Truths) and of good sense, then wholesome view has scope. The right view gives scope to right thought, right speech and Right concentration". (Sanyutta Nikaya - Ch. 45)

What is the Right or Wholesome view (Samma-Ditthi)? This consists of the proper understanding of the impermanent nature of all material and mental phenomena which make up the Conditioned World. It is called Right or Wholesome because its view or way of seeing things according to the reality, leads to Peace and happiness and unconfusion in one's life. In short, it is the proper understanding of the Four Noble Truths. The Buddha explains it as follows:

"On two things monks, does this world generally base its view - on existence and non-existence. He who with right insight sees the arising of the world as really is, he does not believe in the non-existence of the world. And he who with right insight sees the ceasing of the world as it really is, he does not believe in the concrete existence of the world.

Grasping after systems, imprisoned by dogmas is this world, for most part. He who does not go after, does not grasp at, does not take his stand on this system - grasping, this dogmatic belief, this mental-bias, such a one does not say; "It is my soul I am this". He who thinks; That which arises is nothing but ill (Conditioned Phenomena); that which ceases is nothing but ill; such a one has no doubts, no perplexity. In this manner knowledge not borrowed from others (direct, intuitive knowledge) comes to him. 'All exists', is one extreme and 'Nothing exists' is the other extreme that one must try to avoid with right view and insight". (Sanyutta Nikaya Ch. 27, 90)

Now monks, this Dhamma taught by the Tathagata is unrefuted, untarnished, unblamed, uncensored by intelligent people. And what is that Dhamma? There are these five elements; the elements of earth, water, fire, air, and the element of consciousness.

There are six fields of sense-object impression; the fields of eye, ear, nose tongue, body and the mind objects.

There are these eighteen mental approaches; the pleasant, the painful, the neutral feeling which arises upon eye-contact, upon ear-contact, upon nose-contact, tongue contact, body contact and mind-contact with their respective objects. These are the eighteen mental approaches to sensory experience.

There are these Four Noble Truths which is the Dhamma taught by the Tathagatha, which unrefuted, untarnished, unblamed and uncensored by intelligent people. Based on the five elements (mentioned above) there is descent into the womb (rebirth). Such descent taking place, there comes to pass the development of name-and-form (a new body and mind). Conditioned by name-and-fbrm, the sixfold sense sphere is complete; this gives rise to contact. From contact arise feeling.

"Now it is for him who feels (pleasure, pain and subsequently gets attached and craves, grasps and becomes for them) that I make known the Four Noble Truths. This is suffering; This is the origin of suffering (craving); This is the cessation of suffering (Nibbana); This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering (the Noble Eightfold Path). These Four Noble Truths are the Dhamma taught by the Tathagata which is unrefuted untarnished, unblamed and uncensored by intelligent People. This is the right view ". (Anguttara Nikaya 3.5, 61)

Once the Right view has gotten scope, is acquired, the initial things to be undertaken in the 'skillful living' is to begin to redirect the haphazard patterns of manifesting one's bodily actions, speech and thought. Through the Right view of Life, one understands that cruel, harsh, spiteful speech and thoughts and actions are unwholesome, unskillful and unprofitable because of their karmic consequences. So wholesome thinking is undertaken to be consciously or skillfully developed and made to become automatic.

Wholesome thinking means to quit thinking along the lives of personal selfishness, what one can get or do for himself alone. It means to abandon thoughts of cruelty, anger, ill-will, greed, envy, jealousy, covetousness, and sensuous lustful thoughts. These thoughts, if thought about and subsequently acted upon and carried out in speech and action of body, would result in physical or mental harm either for oneself or others, or both.

Wholesome thought also means to deliberately and consciously cultivate thoughts of the direct opposite quality, to comfort and replace those negative ones. That is to say - one must deliberately cultivate thoughts and genuine feelings of unselfishness, of kindness, compassion towards all living things no matter what their status or place in existence. One should cultivate thoughts of contentment, wanting little, giving up unnecessary desires and bad habits. Instead, one should reflect and think about inner calm, tranquillity and the happiness of non-worldly Nibbana. In general wholesome or Right thought means to cultivate and practice thoughts in accordance with the Right view which was acquired.

Right or wholesome speech is practiced by abandoning all types of cruel, hard, abusive language directed towards others; to abandon tale-hearing and gossiping about others, telling what evil things that they have done, out of spitefulness or revenge; to abandon empty, vain prattle talk etc. Wholesome speech means to cultivate and practice speaking about their shortcomings, practicing kind, gentle, courteous and thoughtful well timed speech, pleasing words; to speak what is true in accordance with fact when at the proper time its presented. Right speech also means to speak about things which conduce to contentment, dispassion, mental-calm and Nibbana, to speak in accordance with Right View and Right Thought.

The next aspect of the Noble Eightfold Path which must be undertaken at the outset is that of Right or Wholesome Action. This means abstaining from the immoral, unwholesome, negative karma producing actions of; killing all living beings. to abstain from stealing or taking others property without their permission, to refrain from telling lies and deceiving speech, to refrain from unlawful sexual relations and to abstain from taking intoxicating drinks and drugs which makes you loose proper control over one's sense and help commit the above unskillful deeds.

These are the five basic moral restraints called 'The Pancha Seela' or the Five Precepts, which the Buddha laid down to be observed by anyone who desires spiritual development and calmness of mind. These precepts are observed based on understanding the law of cause and effect. Each action we perform will have a reaction. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". This means that what you do will rebound to you in some form.

The next to be incorporated with right action, is the practice of right livelihood. One should not be engaged in any occupation or modes of earning one's livelihood that are connected with any of the five unfruitful actions mentioned above - eg: raising animals for slaughter; manufacture or sale of arms for warfare; manufacture or selling of intoxicating liquor and drugs; involved in establishments where gambling or illicit sex are performed.

These five aspects of training in the Noble Eightfold Path are undertaken and practiced conscientiously in order to cut down and calm the excessive wantonness and unruliness of the mind and body. These help to restrain and to redirect one's energy in a direction of higher living, values and aspirations, beyond those of more selfish pleasure grasping and ego gratification. These initial steps will prepare one for the higher training in mental development. Without this initial preparation of one's attitude and outlook towards- life and its purpose, there can be no successful, genuine advancement in Spiritual Awakening and the end of suffering.

When one has got the negative exuberance of mind tamed and cooled down to a certain extent, he can further introduce to the practice the right effort. The Buddha has divided this right effort into four parts. The first is that we become aware of the thoughts going though our mind. Any unwholesome, unprofitable, unskillful states steaming from selfish greed, hatred, lust, pride, conceit, envy, jealousy etc. must be detected as soon as they arise in the mind. We should not give into them but immediately reject them, and uproot them knowing that they are detrimental to our well being and spiritual progress.

The second part is to keep those negative, unprofitable states from arising again in the future: This is best accomplished if one is diligent and successful in the first part - detecting and eliminating them as soon as they arise, not giving them a chance to grow and over spread the heart. In this way, they will eventually stop coming into one's mind altogether.

The Third aspect of Right Effort is to cultivate wholesome profitable, skillful states of mind which normally do not arise in one's mind. This is very much the same as the wholesome thinking. This is best done in conjunction with the getting rid of negative thoughts. When they arise you immediately replace them with wholesome thoughts of the opposite quality.

The fourth aspect is to make these good, positive states of mind grow great and continuous so that the negative states do not have any opportunity to arise. This is the Noble Effort, and in conjunction with this, the seventh step of the Eightfold Path, Right Mind fullness must be cultivated and continuously exercised. For, without awareness of what is going on in your mind and what your body is doing, the Right Effort could never grow to be successful, to achieve what it is meant to, namely putting an and to suffering.

Right Mindfulness in one sense, is being aware and alert to what you are doing and what is going through your mind from moment to moment. But Right Mindfulness is more than just being aware of these things. We must come to know the true nature of the conditioned mind and body and to understand through direct, intimate observation, the working and interaction of these two. We must see the five aggregates of clinging and the sensory cognition process as merely a conditioned, fleeting sequence of phenomena devoid of any permanent indwelling soul or owner, that is controlling or directing anything. We must cultivate an attitude of detachment based on the wisdom derived from seeing their true nature, and transcend the attachment, bondage, confusion, frustration and pain that ignorance and infatuation to them brings.

The Right Mindfulness is outlined and detailed out by The Buddha in the Four Foundations of Mindfulness as described in the Sati Patthana Sutta. It has been described by the Awakened One of being the direct and sure way to mental purification and the acquiring of wisdom. These Four Foundation of mindfulness cover the most important aspects in the practice of mental purification in Buddhism. 'Monks, suppose there is a border town with strong fortifications, strong walls and towers, and having but a single gate. Over that gate is posted a wise, shrewd and watchful warden who keeps out strangers and welcome friends. As he patrols all around that town in due order, he might not notice a crevice in the wall or a hole just big enough for a cat to skip through, but he would think whatever men or creatures of any size who enter or go out of this town, all of them must do so through this single gate.

By whomsoever, the four foundations of mindfulness are neglected, by them also is neglected the Noble Eightfold Path for the Right complete destruction of ill. By whomsoever the four foundations of mindfulness are undertaken and developed, by them also is undertaken and developed the Noble Eightfold Path for utter destruction of ill. Would one guard oneself, then the foundations ofmindfulness should be cultivated and developed.

"Would one guard others, then the four foundations of mindfulness should be cultivated and developed. Who guards himself guards others: who guards others guards himself." (Sanyutta Nikaya, Ch.47)

The Four Foundation of Mindfulness as described by The Buddha in the Satipattana Sutta, are:

a) A noble disciple lives contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful, having overcome covetousness and grief concerning the world;

b) He lives contemplating feeling in the feelings, ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful.....;

c) He lives contemplating mental states in mental states, ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful....;

d) He lives contemplating mental-objects in mental objects, ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful, having over come covetousness and grief concerning the world.

The last aspect of the Noble Eightfold Path is called 'Samma Samadhi' - Right Concentration. This is the gradual practice of calming and stilling the mind from its habitual tendency of wandering here and there wherever it pleases. The mind normally jumps from sense stimulus to sense stimulus, never satisfied with one thing more than just briefly, continuously being attracted to one thing after another.

Right Concentration is to bring the fluctuations of consciousness to a state of calm and tranquillity or one-pointed unification composed. In this state the mind is free from any outside disturbing influences so that nothing can disrupt or infect its calm and blissful nature. Awareness becomes like a clean, spotless mirror which simply and passively reflects the presence of anything that comes into its range. It does not comment on what is there, or like it or dislike it or try to analyze it. In this state insight can be quickly developed because the waves of clouding thought are stilled enough for one to clearly experience and see what is happening in the subtle levels, in the normally unconscious process of sensory perception. One can perceive the activities and true nature of the sixfold sense-sphere and the five aggregates quite clearly. Right Concentration (Samma Samadhi) is not an end practice in itself, but is practiced in order to facilitate the arising of insight and to sharpen the awareness.

Sila - Virtue or moral conduct which consists of right speech, right action and right livelihood.

Samadhi - Concentration which consists of right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration

Panna - Wisdom or understanding which consists of right view and right thought

Thus, we can bring the entire practice together as Morality, Concentration and Wisdom. To be virtuous to be calmed, to be controlled, is Morality. A mind well established within that control is Concentration. Full and perfect knowledge within the activity in which we are engaged is Wisdom. The Path to Peace in brief therefore is Morality, Concentration and Wisdom.

The word Karma (Kamm in Pali) means action or volition. Karma is generally used as a designation of the Law of Cause and Effect operating through actions. It is the conscious, intended actions a person performs by his physical body, verbal speech and his thoughts. The impression or memory of these actions or Karma, are recorded so to speak in the subconscious mind. We used these accumulated tendencies as an extended base for our present and future decisions and actions of body speech and thought. These are the Karma resultants of the residual impressions of all our past Karmic activity. Because of this we are conditioned to experience the sense objects of this world and to feel, desire, crave, grasp and become in a similar manner as in the past. Thus we get enmeshed and rooted in strong habit patterns of bodily actions, verbal speech and thinking, from which it is difficult, but not impossible, to get free.

Thus, we see that Karma, the Law of Cause and Effect, is a strict accountant. It sees to it that each person will not escape the results of his deeds. The reason for this being that, the accumulated residue of these deeds and thoughts, in turn become the very storehouse or basis for our future experiences. Each person weaves his own web of fate, whether good or bad, pleasant or painful. Each person is the architect of his own future.

The Law of Karma creates the appropriate fitting, future circumstances to accommodate a being's mental vibrations at the time of death. If the mind is one with hate, lust, greed, etc. then accordingly it is attracted to and manifests the conditions which will satisfy itself in these pursuits. If the mind is one with love, compassion, kindness, detachment, happiness, etc. then in the same way, it will be attracted to and manifest itself in the appropriate conditions.

"Where there have been deeds, Ananda, personal weal and woe arise in consequence of the will (intention) there was in the deed. Where there has been speech, where there has been thought, personal weal and woe arise in consequence of the will there was in the speech, in the thought. Either we ourselves, Ananda, plan those deeds conditioned under (the influence of) ignorance and craving, from which arise personal weal and woe, or others plan those deeds that we do (under their urging or suggestion) because of ignorance and craving, from which arise personal weal and woe.

Either we do them deliberately or we do them unwittingly (not knowing the consequences), or we plan and do it, or others plan it and we do it, from which arises personal weal or woe.

In all these cases ignorance is followed after (because of ignorance these deeds are done). But, from the utter fading away and extinction of ignorance and craving (by wisdom), those deeds, speech, thoughts, Ananda are not performed from which would bring one personal weal and woe."

All of our past actions of body, speech and thought, all of the feelings, perceptions, mental formations etc. that we have ever experienced, have left this impression in our subconscious life-continum. The normal person however, is usually too occupied with busying himself and paying too much attention to the present world about him, or he is creating fantasies about the future. In this way, the access to his subconscious memory, wherein lies all these impressions form the past, including past lifetimes, is extremely limited and confined. This is why most people can not remember much of their past, five or ten years before, except for main experiences, let alone the impressions from previous lives. Nonetheless, they are still impressed in the subconscious.

Even today in several countries like India. Tibet and Sri Lanka there are quite a few people who remember one or more lives which they had. Some of these have been described in very precise detail and have been closely examined and verified to be extra - ordinarily accurate (Case for Rebirth, by Francis Story, wheel publication. B.P.S. Kandy. Sri Lanka)

If at the time of death, a person is still involved in the Karma producing process of craving, grasping and becoming, then this built up grasping-force (the Sankhara) will manifest for its use in another existence, another body with sense organs. At the moment of death the mind normally is attracted to a plane of existence which accords or matches the personality or the accumulated habit tendencies. This consciousness which arises at the last moment before death takes an object normally produced in the mind or which is induced from outside, as its sign of destiny (gati Nimitta) or drawing card. This sign of destiny is usually in accordance with the strongest habitual tendencies which were exercised during the lifetime now finishing. It usually conditions the realm of rebirth where the mind will remanifest accordingly.

Sometimes however, this sign is the result of some heavy negative / positive action which was committed one, two three or even more lifetimes previous to this one. But only now it is coming to the surface to determine the future plane of existence.

This consciousness termed 're-linking consciousness'. which manifests in another existence, carries with it so to speak, all the sankharas or habitual tendencies of the mind that were accumulated in the past due to ignorance and grasping, and which are now exhausted.

On the night of Buddha's Enlightenment, when He was in deep meditation. His awareness was free of all outside disturbances and mental wandering. Perfectly stilled and quiet. He then had access to His entire store-house of karmic impressions from the past. Thus He was able to recall perfectly, in exact detail all of His previous actions of body, speech and thought, all of His experiences right back to the moment He was born. Then He even could recall the last thought in His previous life (the re-linking consciousness) and He continued right on in reverse order remembering each and every thought, feeling, perception and action He had ever performed.

He could recall backwards in this fashion through hundreds and thousands of his past existence as his mental energy of karmic-force at that time being under the delusion of 'self', traversed the infinite rounds of birth and death. The following is an account and vivid description given by Buddha Himself as to how He realized directly all of this on the night of His Awakening.

"Thus, with the mind composed, quiet purified, quiet clarified, without blemish, without defilement, grown soft and workable, fixed immovable, I directed my mind to the knowledge and recollection of former habitations. I remembered a variety of former habitations thus; One birth, two births, three.... a hundred thousands births and many an Aeon of the world's integration and disintegration. Such a one was I by name having such and such a family, having such and such a colour, so was I nourished, such and such pleasant and painful experiences were mine, so did the span of life end. Passing from this, I came to be in another state where such a one was I by name having such and such pleasant and painful experiences, so did the span of life end. Passing from this I arose here. Thus did I remember many diverse habitations in all their modes and detail. This monks, was the first knowledge realized by me in the first watch of the night. Ignorance was dispelled, knowledge arose, darkness was dispelled, light arose, even as I abided diligent, ardent, self-resolute and calm.

Then with the mind composed......, I directed my mind to the knowledge of the passing hence and the arising of beings. With the purified Deva-vision surpassing that of normal men, I saw beings as they pass from this plane (die) and course to be reborn; 1 comprehended that beings are mean, excellent, comely, ugly, well-doing, beautiful, according to the consequences of their deeds and I thought; Indeed these worthy beings who were possessed of wrong conduct in body, speech and thought, scoffers at religious men, holding wrong views-these, at the breaking up of the body the body after dying, have arisen in a sorrowful state, a bad bourn, the abyss niraya-hell. But these worthy beings who were possessed of good conduct in body, speech and thought, who sought instruction and advise from wise men, practicing what is good, having right views, incurring deeds consequent on those right views - these beings, at the breaking up of the body after dying, they have arisen in a good bourn, a heavenly World. Thus did I see with purified Deva-vision surpassing that of men, the arising and passing away of beings according to their Karma. This was the second knowledge realized by me in the middle watch of the night. Ignorance was dispelled " (Majjhima Nikaya - 4)

The Buddha has accredited the cause or condition for all of this running and faring on from existence to existence, from this world to the next world to be sensuous craving, hatred and delusion. This He illustrated as follows :

"People take to the evil way in deeds, words and thoughts; and thus at the dissolution of the body after death, they fall into a downward state of existence, a state of suffering, into perdition, and the abyss of hell. But this is the misery of sensuous craving, the heaping up of suffering in the future, due to sensuous craving." (Majjhima Nikaya - 13)

"Monks, there are three root conditions involved in the doing of actions, namely; greed, hate and delusion. The action that is done out of greed, out of hate, out of delusion that has arisen through greed, hate and delusion, produced by greed, hate and delusion - this action will ripen wherever the being is reborn; and whenever the action ripens, there the being reaps the fruit of the action, be it in this life or in the next life, or in future lives.

It is just as with unhurt and unspoiled seeds, damaged by wind and sun, healthy and well preserved, which after being sown in rich soil and a well prepared ground, will owning to plentiful rain shoot up, attain growth and full development." (Anguttara Nikaya - 111.33)

We can however, begin now to check and control the present input of fresh unwholesome karma which would give rise later to pain or discomfort. We can also lesson the affect of past unwholesome Karma.

"Because of the way sentient beings are distributed throughout the Samsaric realms, the Buddha has declared its rare and difficult to obtain a rebirth into the world of human beings." (Sanyutta Nikaya. Ch - 20.2)

The human realm of existence is the only place of all the various sansaric realms in which a being can successfully be in the practice of Dharma, in order to free himself from the incessant rounds of birth and death. This is because in the lower realms - hell, the world of ghosts and disembodied spirits, and the animal world, the suffering is too great and the ignorance of those beings is too thick to be able to practice things such as morality and meditation which are necessary for Dharma practice. In the heavenly worlds there is too much sensual pleasure and preoccupation, those beings see no need to practice meditation because they see no suffering, not realizing it is temporary.

In the human world there is a balance of both pleasure and pain, and humans have the ability to reason out and experience what is unwholesome and what is wholesome from the cause and effect point of view through their intelligence. We also have the opportunity to came into contact with the Dharma teachings and to visit wise and spiritually evolved persons who can guide and inspire us.

"When we realize the Dhamma, wherever we sit we know Dhamma, wherever we are we hear Buddha's teaching. When we understand Dhamma, the Buddha is within our mind, the Dhamma is within our mind, and the practice leading to wisdom is within our own mind. Having the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha within our mind means that whether our actions are good or bad, we know clearly for ourselves their true nature. It was thus that the Buddha discarded worldly opinions, he discarded praise and criticism. When people praised or criticized Him He just accepted it for what it was. These two things are simply worldly conditions so He was not shaken by them. Why not? Because He knew suffering. He knew that if He believed in that praise or criticism they would cause him to suffer." (A taste of freedom, P.38, Yen. Ajahn Chah). Likewise, we should make the best use of this life by earnestly making the effort to study and put into practice the various essentials of Dharma-morality, mental purification and spiritual development. This will steadily accumulate and secure us from the possibility of rebirth into the lower realms of misery and will lead us eventually to Enlightenment and liberation from Sansara.

"Thus is Nibbana realizable even during life-time, Immediate, inviting one to come and see for himself,And comprehensible to the wise, In so far as one has realized the complete extinction of greed, hate and delusion. It is this for that Nibbana is realizable, Immediate and experienceable by the wise." (Anuguttara Nikaya 3, 55)

The Buddha, through his teachings revealed the exact path to absolute liberation. His teachings had brought peace, harmony and happiness to innumerable beings, both human and otherwise throughout the centuries. What is repeated in the foregoing chapters, as taken from his wonderful Dhamma, if practiced diligently will definitely lead to Nirvana (ultimate liberation) in which the mind is purified of all clinging, craving, aversion, ego-conceit and ignorance here and now breaking the unending chain of life, suffering and death.

The obvious question that arises is, why one goes to see Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, when there are such skillfully drafted guidelines for spiritual upliftment? Particularly so, when Buddha's teachings stand good against the test of time even today as in the 5th century B.C.

My first meeting with Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in 1978 was an accident. That particular visit to India was an outcome of the earnest devotion to the Relics of Buddha from Kapilavasthupura (Buddha's Birthplace in India) which was kept in Sri Lanka for the Buddhists to pay Homage over a period of one month. In my quest to worship the Relics of Buddha I found a living Buddha - for which I am eternally grateful to Sathya Sai Baba, as now I do understand that nothing is an accident / coincidence with Him.

For the last nineteen years, I have silently witnessed the unfolding of His Divine Drama. Now, my watchful mind recognizes each day of my life as a part of His subtle Divine Play designed according to my own karmic force. The incidents to confirm this are too numerous to illustrate. Yet, I thought of giving one such experience which is of direct relevance to this booklet on Bhagavan & Buddha. It had been my cherished dream to celebrate Vaishaka Buddha Poornima at the Lotus Feet of our Beloved Swami who is personally to me and to many other Buddhist Devotees, is The living Buddha. Bhagavan made this dream of mine come true by granting permission in 1994 to celebrate the 1995 Vaishaka Buddha Poomima. I hurriedly wrote, the 1st edition of this book to mark the occasion which also coincided with Bhagavan's 70th Anniversary of present Avator-hood. Swami graciously Blessed and distributed the little booklet through the Brindavan Office to all devotees present for 1995 Vesak. With Bhagawan's permission, this edition I wanted to be given to Sathya Sai Publication Trust for His 70th Birthday. But when it was to be printed only that particular file in the computer could not be retrieved. The diskette was sent to many computer experts in town but no one could work on the file and finally I arrived in Puttapathy tor the Birthday celebration minus the books.

The 1996 Vesak was better organised. We had a Bo Tree as a backdrop to Swami's Chair to remnisance the attainment of Buddha hood under the Bo Tree. The Vaishaka Buddha Poomima was celebrated on the 15th of May and on the 16th Morning when Swami called us for a group interview, I had the cover photograph of this book ready with the Manuscript for His Blessings.

For those who have not experienced Him this could be a mere co-incidence. But of course the millions of devotees who have directly experienced the Divine May a of this Avatar of Love will not doubt the computer file getting locked up till the most appropriate. Photograph comes as Sai Baba makes every devotee understand in very simple terms the subtle link between the Particular and the General (the Individual and the Divine).

The few illustrations I could provide to confirm His Divinity definitely do not give me credence to identify who Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is. The depth of His personality is beyond my limited human capacity to explain. Unless and until one personally experiences Him it is difficult to even guage Him. Only through His Teachings and the life He leads as an example of His Message one could even partially understand Him. Thus, given below are some excerpts from 'who is Sathya Sai Baba' as appeared in Summer Showers in Brindavan 1974.

"Born on 23rd November 1926 in the village of Puttaparthy, Andhra Pradesh, into a pious Hindu family, and showing no symptoms which indicate any particular religion or sect, with no specific mark on his face indicative of any particular caste, he appears quickly in a moment and vanishes equally quickly, then suddenly comes into your presence, wearing a robe that comes right down to his feet and sometimes covers his feet and sometimes does not cover his feet......"

It is easy to say that Bhagavan Baba was born on 23 Nov. 1926 at Puttaparthy, that His parents were Venkappa Raju and Easwaramma, that at the time of His birth auspicious events occured, that He did His schooling in Bukkapattanam, that He displayed extreme kindness to all beings, that He reacted to the social evils and worked for their eradication etc. That He, at the age of 14, threw away His school books, left His home and announced that He is Sathya Sai Baba & that He belongs to the world etc. But all this tells us nothing. It is like being asked to describe the taste of the drink & our elaborately describing the cup that contains it. It does not in reality tell us who Sathya Sai Baba is nor what He does. It does not tell us of His omnipresence when He responds to the desperate calls of the devotees from thousands of miles away, of His Omniscience when He reads you like an open b