- “In this teaching, the Buddha’s “final instructions”, how should
we understand the word sankhãra? What kind of phenomena does it
refer to? We could take it as referring to external phenomena, or inter-
nal phenomena, and we wouldn’t be wrong in either case. But at that
moment, we can be fairly certain that his final instructions at that
final hour were for practicing monks with high levels of spiritual attain-
ment, from Arahant on down. So I would think that the main point
the Buddha was emphasizing then was the internal, mental phenom-
ena which form thoughts in the mind and so disrupt the mind at all
times. He taught that the arising and ceasing of these mental phenom-
ena should be investigated with diligence – in other words, they should
be constantly investigated using mindfulness and wisdom. These phe-
nomena encompass the entire cosmos!
“We could, if we wanted, interpret the word sankhãra to mean
external phenomena – trees, mountains, animals, people – but that
would not be consistent with the spiritual level of the monks gathered
there. Nor would it be keeping with the occasion: the Buddha’s last
moments before his Parinibbãna when he gave this exhortation to the
Sangha – the ultimate teaching at his final hour.
“Thus the Buddha’s final exhortation concerning conditioned phe-
nomena, given as he was preparing to enter Parinibbãna, must refer to
those phenomena which arise exclusively within the heart. Once we
have clearly understood these inner phenomena, how could we help but
understand their basis, what they arise from? For to do that we must
penetrate into the well-spring of the cycle of rebirth – the avijjã-citta.
This is the way we discover the crucial point. Those disciples of the
Buddha who had already reached that level had to know this. Those
who were approaching it in stages, but had yet to fully realize it, still
knew this clearly because they were already investigating the matter.
Thus the Buddha’s final instructions to them, which were given in the
middle of such a momentous event.”- comments by Ãcariya Mahã Boowa
- Sa-upãdisesa-nibbãna, meaning “Nibbãna with the physical and
mental components of personality (i. e., the 5 khandhas) still remain-
ing”, is the Nibbãna experienced by the Arahant during his lifetime.
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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