Footprints on the Wonderful Path to Buddhahood

Mô tả sách

Footprints on the Wonderful Path to Buddhahood

Tác giả: Na Uyane Ariyadhamma Mahathero

Introduction

Our Most Revered Teacher, Nā Uyane Ariyadhamma Mahāthera, was one of the noblest bhikkhus of recent times. At the apex of the Buddhasāsana of Sri Lanka, he illuminated his bhikkhu life in that Buddhasāsana of Sri Lanka through both knowledge of the scriptures and practice of the Buddha’s Dhamma. He devoted his entire life to spiritual development and to serving the Buddhasāsana of the world.

Mahāthera spent his life, from early childhood, in accordance with his spiritual aspirations. After ordination he benefitted from association with monks as spiritual friends. He devoted himself to developing pāramī at the highest level—those leading to Buddhahood—and was highly respected and venerated here and abroad as a Bodhisatta in the Sāsana of Gotama the Omniscient Buddha. It has been nearly three years since he took leave of life in the human world and went back to the Brahma realm (as the thirty pāramī necessary for Buddhahood must be fulfilled continuously).

The virtuous child who arrived in the human world from the deva world, after reaching a suitable age, renounced the lay life according to his firm determinations made in previous lives. He went to Venerable Vigoda Bodhirakkhita Thera, who was at Nā Uyana Monastery at the time and ardently undertook his religious training.

He received basic training in the scriptures and practice from Venerable Vigoda Bodhirakkhita Thera and was later entrusted to Most Venerable Kaḍawedduwe Śrī Jinavaṃsa Mahāthera at Galdūwa Śrī Guṇawardana monastery, where he was ordained under the guidance of that Venerable Panḍita Mahāthera [Jinavaṃsa Mahāthera] and Most Venerable Mātara Śrī Ñāṇārāma Mahāthera, as well as other venerable teachers.

He gained a high level of knowledge and experience in the Pāli scriptures, their commentaries, sub-commentaries and other compilations. Scholars of high repute held him as unparalleled in recent times in Sri Lanka in regard to his knowledge of the Dhamma, a testament to his expertise.

Although the world did not know of his development in meditation, nor his attainments, in many instances people would call him a ‘Venerable Arahat’ or a ‘Noble One who has achieved path-fruition’ according to their assessment, based on his external appearance, demeanour, morality and delivery of Dhamma talks.

At the request of a devotee, he recorded certain details of his life and informed his monastic disciples that he was “writing down notes of important events in his life,” asking that they not be published during his lifetime.

Those notes provide hitherto unknown facts and are the only source available to us to get at least a brief view of the meditations he practiced, his meditational experiences, the Dhamma knowledge he accumulated and the impressive vipassanā knowledges he attained.

We shall present as best as we can, first the part entitled “Footprints of the Life Journey of a Buddhist Monk”, which contains biographical information written by Mahāthera himself and a brief description of his meditation practice separately. These notes have recorded extremely rare information regarding his meditation experiences.

We do not have the knowledge to give a complete analysis of the immense virtues and meditation power of Venerable Mahāthera.

May our efforts in compiling this work and the recollection of Mahāthera’s unblemished services to the Sāsana and the world, be a cause for the reader to accumulate merit!

By considering that there can be such a Noble Bodhisatta even in the present age, enabling us to associate with spiritual friends and to follow and emulate such a noble bhikkhu, may great faith in the Triple Gem and spiritual energy be generated in the reader, that he or she might seek liberation without delay!

We offer all of the merit we have accumulated in preparing this book to Mahāthera and firmly wish that it may contribute to his completing all X thirty pāramī over his next 1800 lives and his attainment of Supreme Omniscience!

Disciple monks,
Nā Uyana Forest Monastery
Sri Lanka