Buddhist Texts ( a Sampler )

Believe it or not I am quite familiar with the various Scriptures of the World Religions. There are so many "words of God" out there it is sometimes difficult to know where to start. Of course, once you decide which is to be your own "word of God" (normally of the culture you have been born into) then the exact interpretation of it must be determined. Which is the right one, the one that tells us "the only way" to please the Sky God?

No end to "holy" books. Is this where we find life?

Well, the Bible at one point declares that many "search the scriptures daily for in them they think they have life". At which point the theologians step in and relate such a verse to its context, and often in doing so succeed in defending the primacy of scripture. Pretty circular, with no way out, round or through. 

There is a zen story of a group of monks transporting a chest load of their scriptures across the dangerous mountain passes of their country. They are caught out by a snow storm and must camp for the night. Cold, they take out the "holy" texts and burn them to keep warm. Ah, now that's the spirit!

There have been various book burnings throughout the history of the world ( for various reasons )

In Christianity, as I understand it, there is the Word as Text, and there is the Living Word. Though the former should witness to the latter, more often than not it merely witnesses to itself and the self appointed "heralds of the spirit" then appear, often complete with a collecting cup.

Anyway, I digress.  Just to add that for me the Living Word is Reality-as-is. Reality, our Cosmos, is the only "revelation" and its truth is freely available, found anywhere at any time. 

Well, a couple of samplers from the Buddhist Texts, two that I personally have found to be a guide across the muddy waters of samsara. Texts that the Buddha said were for passing over and not for grasping in his famous "parable of the raft", a parable that has much to do with what has been called the "silence of the Buddha".

The Buddha's silence can sometimes be pretty verbose

Here, from the Middle Length Discourses, Sutta 63:-

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatti at Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery. Then, as Ven. Malunkyaputta was alone in seclusion, this train of thought arose in his awareness: "These positions that are undeclared, set aside, discarded by the Blessed One — 'The cosmos is eternal,' 'The cosmos is not eternal,' 'The cosmos is finite,' 'The cosmos is infinite,' 'The soul & the body are the same,' 'The soul is one thing and the body another,' 'After death a Buddha exists,' 'After death a Buddha does not exist,' 'After death a Buddha both exists & does not exist,' 'After death a Buddha neither exists nor does not exist' — I don't approve, I don't accept that the Blessed One has not declared them to me. I'll go ask the Blessed One about this matter. If he declares to me that 'The cosmos is eternal,' that 'The cosmos is not eternal,' that 'The cosmos is finite,' that 'The cosmos is infinite,' that 'The soul & the body are the same,' that 'The soul is one thing and the body another,' that 'After death a Buddha exists,' that 'After death a Buddha does not exist,' that 'After death a Buddha both exists & does not exist,' or that 'After death a Buddha neither exists nor does not exist,' then I will live the holy life under him. If he does not declare to me that 'The cosmos is eternal,'... or that 'After death a Buddha neither exists nor does not exist,' then I will renounce the training and return to the lower life."

Then, when it was evening, Ven. Malunkyaputta arose from seclusion and went to the Blessed One. On arrival, having bowed down, he sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One, "Lord, just now, as I was alone in seclusion, this train of thought arose in my awareness: 'These positions that are undeclared, set aside, discarded by the Blessed One... I don't approve, I don't accept that the Blessed One has not declared them to me. I'll go ask the Blessed One about this matter. If he declares to me that "The cosmos is eternal,"... or that "After death a Buddha neither exists nor does not exist," then I will live the holy life under him. If he does not declare to me that "The cosmos is eternal,"... or that "After death a Buddha neither exists nor does not exist," then I will renounce the training and return to the lower life.'

"Lord, if the Blessed One knows that 'The cosmos is eternal,' then may he declare to me that 'The cosmos is eternal.' If he knows that 'The cosmos is not eternal,' then may he declare to me that 'The cosmos is not eternal.' But if he doesn't know or see whether the cosmos is eternal or not eternal, then, in one who is unknowing & unseeing, the straightforward thing is to admit, 'I don't know. I don't see.'... If he doesn't know or see whether after death a Buddha exists... does not exist... both exists & does not exist... neither exists nor does not exist,' then, in one who is unknowing & unseeing, the straightforward thing is to admit, 'I don't know. I don't see.'"

"Malunkyaputta, did I ever say to you, 'Come, Malunkyaputta, live the holy life under me, and I will declare to you that 'The cosmos is eternal,' or 'The cosmos is not eternal,' or 'The cosmos is finite,' or 'The cosmos is infinite,' or 'The soul & the body are the same,' or 'The soul is one thing and the body another,' or 'After death a Buddha exists,' or 'After death a Buddha does not exist,' or 'After death a Buddha both exists & does not exist,' or 'After death a Buddha neither exists nor does not exist'?"

"No, Lord."

"And did you ever say to me, 'Lord, I will live the holy life under the Blessed One and [in return] he will declare to me that 'The cosmos is eternal,' or 'The cosmos is not eternal,' or 'The cosmos is finite,' or 'The cosmos is infinite,' or 'The soul & the body are the same,' or 'The soul is one thing and the body another,' or 'After death a Buddha exists,' or 'After death a Buddha does not exist,' or 'After death a Buddha both exists & does not exist,' or 'After death a Buddha neither exists nor does not exist'?"

"No, Lord."

"Then that being the case, foolish man, who are you to be claiming grievances/making demands of anyone?

"Malunkyaputta, if anyone were to say, 'I won't live the holy life under the Blessed One as long as he does not declare to me that "The cosmos is eternal,"... or that "After death a Buddha neither exists nor does not exist,"' the man would die and those things would still remain undeclared by me.

"It's just as if a man were wounded with an arrow thickly smeared with poison. His friends & companions, kinsmen & relatives would provide him with a surgeon, and the man would say, 'I won't have this arrow removed until I know whether the man who wounded me was a noble warrior, a brahman, a merchant, or a worker.' He would say, 'I won't have this arrow removed until I know the given name & clan name of the man who wounded me... until I know whether he was tall, medium, or short... until I know whether he was dark, ruddy-brown, or golden-colored... until I know his home village, town, or city... until I know whether the bow with which I was wounded was a long bow or a crossbow... until I know whether the bowstring with which I was wounded was fiber, bamboo threads, sinew, hemp, or bark... until I know whether the shaft with which I was wounded was wild or cultivated... until I know whether the feathers of the shaft with which I was wounded were those of a vulture, a stork, a hawk, a peacock, or another bird... until I know whether the shaft with which I was wounded was bound with the sinew of an ox, a water buffalo, a langur, or a monkey.' He would say, 'I won't have this arrow removed until I know whether the shaft with which I was wounded was that of a common arrow, a curved arrow, a barbed, a calf-toothed, or an oleander arrow.' The man would die and those things would still remain unknown to him.

"In the same way, if anyone were to say, 'I won't live the holy life under the Blessed One as long as he does not declare to me that 'The cosmos is eternal,'... or that 'After death a Buddha neither exists nor does not exist,' the man would die and those things would still remain undeclared by me.

"Malunkyaputta, it's not the case that when there is the view, 'The cosmos is eternal,' there is the living of the holy life. And it's not the case that when there is the view, 'The cosmos is not eternal,' there is the living of the holy life. When there is the view, 'The cosmos is eternal,' and when there is the view, 'The cosmos is not eternal,' there is still the birth, there is the ageing, there is the death, there is the sorrow, lamentation, pain, despair, & distress whose destruction I make known right in the here & now.

"It's not the case that when there is the view, 'The cosmos is finite,' there is the living of the holy life. And it's not the case that when there is the view, 'The cosmos is infinite,' there is the living of the holy life. When there is the view, 'The cosmos is finite,' and when there is the view, 'The cosmos is infinite,' there is still the birth, there is the aging, there is the death, there is the sorrow, lamentation, pain, despair, & distress whose destruction I make known right in the here & now.

"It's not the case that when there is the view, 'The soul & the body are the same,' there is the living of the holy life. And it's not the case that when there is the view, 'The soul is one thing and the body another,' there is the living of the holy life. When there is the view, 'The soul & the body are the same,' and when there is the view, 'The soul is one thing and the body another,' there is still the birth, there is the aging, there is the death, there is the sorrow, lamentation, pain, despair, & distress whose destruction I make known right in the here & now.

"It's not the case that when there is the view, 'After death a Buddha exists,' there is the living of the holy life. And it's not the case that when there is the view, 'After death a Buddha does not exist,' there is the living of the holy life. And it's not the case that when there is the view, 'After death a Buddha both exists & does not exist,' there is the living of the holy life. And it's not the case that when there is the view, 'After death a Buddha neither exists nor does not exist' there is the living of the holy life. When there is the view, 'After death a Buddha exists'... 'After death a Buddha does not exist'... 'After death a Buddha both exists & does not exist'... 'After death a Buddha neither exists nor does not exist,' there is still the birth, there is the ageing, there is the death, there is the sorrow, lamentation, pain, despair, & distress whose destruction I make known right in the here & now.

"So, Malunkyaputta, remember what is undeclared by me as undeclared, and what is declared by me as declared. And what is undeclared by me? 'The cosmos is eternal,' is undeclared by me. 'The cosmos is not eternal,' is undeclared by me. 'The cosmos is finite'... 'The cosmos is infinite'... 'The soul & the body are the same'... 'The soul is one thing and the body another'... 'After death a Buddha exists'... 'After death a Buddha does not exist'... 'After death a Buddha both exists & does not exist'... 'After death a Buddha neither exists nor does not exist,' is undeclared by me.

"And why are they undeclared by me? Because they are not connected with the goal, are not fundamental to the holy life. They do not lead to disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, calming, direct knowledge, self-awakening, Unbinding. That's why they are undeclared by me.

"And what is declared by me? 'This is suffering,' is declared by me. 'This is the origination of suffering,' is declared by me. 'This is the cessation of suffering,' is declared by me. 'This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of suffering,' is declared by me. And why are they declared by me? Because they are connected with the goal, are fundamental to the holy life. They lead to disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, calming, direct knowledge, self-awakening, Unbinding. That's why they are declared by me.

"So, Malunkyaputta, remember what is undeclared by me as undeclared, and what is declared by me as declared."

That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, Ven. Malunkyaputta delighted in the Blessed One's words.

And, after that marathon (congratulations if you made it through, even more so if you too are "delighted") a much shorter extract, this from the Culasaropama Sutta of the Majjhima Nikaya, or - in English - The Shorter Discourse on the Simile of the Heartwood of the Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha:-

So this holy life.......does not have gain, honour, and renown for its benefit, or the attainment of virtue for its benefit, or the attainment of concentration for its benefit, or knowledge and vision for its benefit. But it is this unshakeable deliverance of mind that is the goal of this holy life, its heartwood, and its end.

Seek the heartwood