- Dhammapãda verse 354:
The gift of Dhamma surpasses all gifts,
The taste of Dhamma surpasses all tastes,
Delight in Dhamma transcends all delights,
Freedom from craving ends all suffering. - Spiritual partner. Literally, “one’s partner in developing the spirit-
ual perfections (pãramï)”.
Most living beings have an individual, usually of the opposite sex,
with whom they have maintained an intimate, personal relationship
spanning countless lifetimes over many eons of existence. Life after
life, those couples who share a deep spiritual commitment will recon-
nect and renew their relationship, assisting each other to develop one
or another aspect of spiritual perfection. Such a devoted companion
is considered to be essential for the eons-long quest to become a fully-
enlightened Buddha, as Gautama Buddha’s own story illustrates:
In a past eon of the world, as a forest-dwelling ascetic named
Sumedha, he threw himself at the feet of an earlier Buddha, Dïpankara,
and resolved to become a Buddha himself in the future. As he made this
vow, a young woman bearing incense and flowers stepped forth joyously
to congratulate him. He immediately rejected her support, saying that
as a forest-dwelling ascetic he was determined to live alone. Dïpankara
Buddha then cautioned the young ascetic, telling him that every aspir-
ant to Buddhahood had a spiritual companion (pãda-paricãrika) who
was his inseparable partner throughout the long, arduous journey to
perfection. After that, through countless lives, the Bodhisatta and his
spiritual partner labored and sacrificed together for the benefit of other
living beings as they traveled the Path of Awakening. - Knowledge of wisdom (paññãñãõa). This is a reference to the sixth
and last of the “special knowledges” (abiññã): knowledge of the total
extinction of the citta’s “outflows” (ãsavakhayañãõa), and signifies the
attainment of Nibbãna. - The brahmavihãras are the four “sublime” or “divine” abodes that
are developed through the practices of loving kindness (mettã), com-
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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