About Sanna (Perception) - not self

Of the five groups or aggregates, one is material and four are mind-related. These five comprise a human being.

The first one (called rupa in Pali) is approximately translated as 'materiality' and is most evident.

It is so evident that some persons think they are only their body.

Today we wish to talk about one of the five groups, the one that is called sanna in Pali.

In ordinary talk, the most elementary translation of sanna gives "perception" or, perhaps if we think of the past emotional state, we could call it "memory". In English, we can hardly use "memory" if we think about what might happen tomorrow. For example, we could not say, "I have a memory of tomorrow", rather we might say, " I have a perception of tomorrow".

Perception (sanna) is not-self.

The Buddha said: "If perception, bhikkhus, were self, then this perception would not become painful, and one would be able to say, 'Let my perception be thus, let my perception not be thus,' But since perception is not-self, so it becomes painful, and no one can say, 'Let my perception be thus, let my perception not be thus.'"

By accessing the attainment state of stream enterer (Pali: sotapan) or better, each for himself or herself, most beings can agree with Chandrakirti's Prasannapada ("Clear Words") - that the "self" is not separate from the five aggregates of rupa, vedana, sanna, sankara and vinnanam.

The body and mind is a big institution consisting of body (rupa) and four types of mind stuff, namely feeling (vedana); perception (sanna); mental formations (sankhara); and consciousness (vinnana).

Whatever arises in these five aggregates passes away.

When one is entirely free from attachment to the body and mind, one is liberated. So we cultivate strong mindfulness to attain a peaceful state and find what Westerners call "enlightenment".

There is a type of memory that misreads processes if it is untrained and coarse. This is sanna.

This error of view has to do with the way your present name and form developed through the coarse and fine, wellness or unwellness changes since this very human birth.

If you were wise, you would keep your minds empty of these errors of view by attending to the real - the present changes in wellness or unwellness events.

The foremost meanings of wellness and unwellness are simply stated if we say and know all human beings are subject to a common destiny defined by the process of birth, ageing, sickness and death.

The empty mind knows these facts; it only loses these facts when it becomes closed up with doubt.

The wrong view is to cling to or attach yourself to heavenly beings.

In the interests of our Dhamma practice, the correct view is that little benefit can arise by joining in such types of multifaith exercises where the intent is to get Buddhist practitioners to agree to an implicit atman (Creator God) basis as the correct view.

Dhamma Practitioners ought to avoid interfaith platforms using songs framed in terms of seeking to make a past time real by playing with sanna perception.

How do you train persons who feel guilty or worry about the past?

Our Students were taught the established yoga mental exercise of thinking backwards through the recollection of a particular worry.

By the time a worry has entered into a person's mind at some intensity, several low intensity events have occurred.

Most persons do not pay enough attention to their present events so they cannot pick up the "precursors" of low intensity which are caused by clinging onto something.

When the Student recalls the events of the day in reverse order, this is contrary to the natural tendency to think forward.

By this backward thinking practice, using sanna perception, worry can be overcome by not grasping what was formerly grasped.

This practice was taught by Padma Sambhava.

So let us use repetition to remember the means of access to thoughts on sanna.

In Buddha Dhamma, you may be interested to know how sanna nestles in the list or framework of the forty meditation subjects:

A. Ten entirety (totalities) (kasina)

B. Ten kinds of foulness (asubha)

C. Ten kinds of recollections (anussati)

D. Four kinds of divine abidings (Brahmavihara)

E. Four kinds of immaterial states (arupa)

F. One perception (sanna)

G. One defining (avathana)



A. The ten kinds of entirety-methods are as follows:

(1) Earth kasina

(2) Water kasina

(3) Fire kasina

(4) Air kasina

(5) Blue kasina

(6) Yellow kasina

(7) Red kasina

(8) White kasina

(9) Light kasina

(10) Limited-space kasina



B. The ten kinds of foulness-methods are as follows:

(1) The bloated body

(2) The livid body

(3) The festered body

(4) The cut-up body

(5) The gnawed body

(6) The scattered body

(7) The hacked and scattered body

(8) The bleeding body

(9) The worm-infested body; and

(10) The skeleton



C. The ten kinds of recollection-methods are as follows:

(1) Recollection of the Buddha

(2) Recollection of Dhamma

(3) Recollection of the Sangha

(4) Recollection of virtue

(5) Recollection of generosity

(6) Recollection of deities

(7) Mindfulness of death

(8) Mindfulness occupied with the body

(9) Mindfulness of breathing; and

(10) Recollection of peace



D. The four kinds of divine abiding are these:

(1) Loving kindness

(2) Compassion

(3) Gladness; and

(4) Equanimity



E. The four kinds of immaterial states are these:

(1) The base consisting of boundless space

(2) The base consisting of boundless consciousness

(3) The base consisting of nothingness

(4) The base consisting of neither perception nor non-perception



F. The one perception is the perception of repulsiveness in nutriment.



G. Finally, the one defining is the defining (analysis) of the four great primary elements.



Next to be examined are the feelings (vedana), memories (sanna), "self" images (sankhara), and also the many types of consciousness (vinnanam) that arise.

We may now realise that passively listening to our Teacher is like vacantly viewing a map. The Teacher produces nothing to be learnt; his or her words only point at what we need to produce in our minds there and then.

The great Master Nagarjuna explained centuries ago that as long as a wrong view of our aggregates (rupam, vedana, sanna, sankhara and vinnanam) exists, one is bound to the karma of cyclic existence because "self" is the root of all trouble. So cutting the root amounts to realisation of selflessness (anatta).

Today people talk so much about physical exercise; good, but what of our hearts, our minds? We need mental discipline, mental exercise, mental training.

So now let us look at the five groups from a slightly different viewpoint.

The Buddha does not ignore or neglect the body, but he gives pride of place to the human mind. Here you have the five aggregates or groups.

Only one is material, the other four are something to do with the mind. This is matter - rupa, and this is mind - vinnanam consciousness; the other three are - vedana, sanna, and sankara, and these are the contents of the mind.

You say everywhere you see things material.

When you see matter your eyes come into contact with perceivable objects. All those objects that we see are things material. So the world means just the sense objects. Right? When you go deeper you see here there's colour, and those colours give a shape.

And we get sounds. When two things come together, we get a sound.

So two materials come together and you get a sound.

Smell. Certain pollens come to your nostrils and you get it.

Then here again, your tongue.

You get something material.

And touch. So the entire world is the world of matter. Then we have the world within - this mind and its contents.

See the difference. Today, man with a brain weighing only 3 lbs. has done marvellous things. He has brought under control air, space, gone to the moon. Human beings are not gods, not Brahmas, but just this one fathom long body with a brain and consciousness.

Let us talk about control in fact and fiction.

The more a person tries to control the external world, the more difficult he or she finds it to control himself or herself - that is the problem today.

Please note when the Buddha talks about men he infers the same for women.

The Buddha says, "Man may conquer hundreds and thousands of people in the battlefield. What a waste to conquer thousands and thousands of people if you cannot conquer yourself."

What a waste to bring about a change in the environment without a change inside us.

So bhavana (meditation) brings about a change inside us. That is the aim of meditation, to look within.

Things are not simple in the real world; they are simple only in fantasy worlds.

It is not easy to understand ourselves.

When two persons come together there are really six persons, although it sounds rather paradoxical.

Each person as he sees himself, each person as another person may see him, each person as he or she really is.

Each person thinking "I am so and so, I am so and so" depending on his or her ego, his or her so-called "I". You may live together, eat together, work together, sleep together, do everything together, but still you may not understand the other person.

So, in meditation we are trying to find out the real person.

So when you sit down to meditation, am I a man or a woman?

These are only concepts. These disappear; the man/woman business.

You find there is a body in flux. It is not something stationary, something stable and fixed.

All the time it is changing. You cannot knock in the same place again, scientifically speaking, because the particles of matter there, the particles of matter here, the environment, all are changing in vibration.

If you learn physics, it is very easy to understand the Buddha's flux theory.

So everywhere is changing.

When you sit down, all concept disappears.

We just see here a conflux of mind and body. A body flux and a mind flux.

So it's a conflux flowing together. So what is this matter and mind?

Just this body is matter and mind.

Scientifically speaking, matter is something tangible or perceptible. But not mind.

Say a thought now comes, a thought of love. You cannot touch it. It is not something material. But there is a way of seeing the thought. Use the mind.

A thought sees a thought.

In meditation you see.

Now there comes a thought of love; pure love; loving-kindness (in Pali: metta).

Who sees it? A thought sees a thought. Now it disappears, now it reappears.

You become aware of all these things in meditation. All concept disappears.

When you are in meditation, you may entertain an ugly thought; an unpleasant and unwholesome thought.

You need not get upset, it is very natural.

So in meditation, when thoughts come you don't struggle with them.

Just use bare awareness, bare attention.

Don't be a judge, don't praise or condemn the thought.

Just the thought, the thought, the thought - come back here. With bare awareness, use bare awareness.

People don't know how to see a sunset.

The best way to see a sunset is just to be there, bare attention. That's the best way to see the sunset.

So when you start thinking about the colours and all that, so you see you are distracted, you're distracted, not seeing the sunset.

When we do the meditation - breathing meditation - then it's not so easy, you know.

When you try to concentrate, your mind will wander and wander. We know of great meditators.

Sometimes they think that at times they find it difficult to keep their concentration.

Just for five minutes.

That is the nature of mind, but you get used to it. Then keep away the other thoughts and go on with meditation.

The meditation that the Buddha emphasised again and again, was mindfulness.

You know about this discourse on mindfulness.

Be mindful of everything. Be mindful.

Practice it, then you get used to it. Then you see the advantages.

Persons today, because they don't have mindfulness, must create trouble for themselves unnecessarily.

Because of this lacking of mindfulness they get all sorts of troubles.

You can run mindfully without tension. You go driving your car. You come to traffic lights.

Most persons, you know, when they see green turning to amber, they get agitated. "Oh it is red."

Impatient. It is red. So the best thing to do, the sensible thing to do when you see red is to not get agitated.

There's a little rest for you. Leave the wheel, take a deep breath, you see, and patiently wait for the green. No tension. So there are little things that we have to cultivate mindfully.

Also, when we talk about meditation, there is what we call the "Brahma Viharas" - the four sublime states:
Loving kindness, compassion, appreciative or altruistic joy and equanimity.

These four sublime states we call the art of noble living.

This is some meditation that we all must cultivate.

Persons do not know how to love. Their love is so selfish, so that is not love.

"I" and the "My" and the "Mine", that is selfish.

Let your good thoughts go to all.

May all beings be well and happy, may all beings be well and happy.

No bond, no attachment with others is the way to lighten and widen the mind.

Now parents love their children. There are hundreds and thousands of children.

But when her child is in trouble, she feels so much agony, mental agony. That is why when you are separated you feel sad.

The Buddha says to be separated from the loved is dukkha, meaning suffering.

This can be found out. It cannot be said exactly in words but it can be known.

Sanna is one of the mental factors and the jhana, it is staying with one object. The meditator can use one of the forty meditation objects mentioned earlier.

It is best if you ask a qualified Teacher what suits you best.

Some may use kasina, some may use loving-kindness, and at the highest level some objects cannot send the mind to the highest level.

For example, contemplation of the 32 body parts can give only first jhana, and loving-kindness can give only third jhana. These are general rules to guide you.

If you get too high, you may not understand sanna with ease.

For the fourth jhana, if you want to get it, you must change your object but if you start with kasina, the coloured disc, you don't need to change it or, if you start with anapanna, you don't need to change it.

The perception or sanna, the mental factor, is not significant in that consciousness.

But other mental factors are more powerful and it maybe also more powerful but in the original text no one can mention the importance of sanna.

For those more technically proficient in Pali terms we remind you that there is not only sanna, there are also phassa, vedana, sanna, ekaggata, jivitindriya, manasikara. These mental factors are also associated with any consciousness but they are not entitled to be called jhana.

In jhana paccayo, these five factors are entitled to be called jhana paccayo.

Much clarification is required for advanced Students from reading say, the Teacher Sayadaw Dipaloka's texts when he explains in fine detail to students who ask the technical questions about mental states.

Although we are saying the same thing, they are arising and passing away at any moment.

For the more advanced listeners, we remind you that everything is not the same thing. They are new ones.

Although the name is the same, everything has changed at any moment.

Nimitta is pannatti, it cannot change, but the arammanika, any consciousness and all mental factors are replaced with new ones.

Sanna also is replaced.

Sanna is only one of the concomitant mental factors.

Looking to the imagined future, it is perhaps more likely than unlikely that a pessimistic thought array (sanna) appears: "I shall be content if I go to heaven birth next life".

For most religious persons, the prospect of acquiring a heaven birth next life would not be termed a pessimistic outlook.

Our Teacher has no intention of disparaging the intellect or motives of other practitioners in using this method, because our Teacher's polemic cannot accede to a Student's view that most common persons would disagree with the use of the word "pessimistic" in referring to a next life heavenly situation.

It is because they lack a precise English nomenclature for this "common" view, because the "next-after-next" life expectations suggest that the process state be termed at least: "hidden pessimism".

You need to overcome "pessimism".

If this (sanna) perception is nourished and believed as a statement of (absolute) truth; it can be seen why persons may relinquish the perception that "contentment " is possible to attain here and now in the present human life.

Students were invited to generate sufficient merit by practice to set aside, as a Dhamma obligation, to understand the error-in-view, and understand that holding such a view (even for those desirous of birth in the Pure Land) is not in accord with Buddha Dhamma Vajrayana. "Self generation" and/or "generation in front" is needed to vanquish such "pessimism".

In some deva worlds, the devas do not care for all basic precepts.

Why would a clear-headed person wish to join a kingdom of beings who hold less than five precepts?

If a person's former life before this human life was as such a deva or devata, by habit, he or she may practice "atman-adhesion" and hope to "return" to that state.

For complex subjects there are different solution sets generating ways of looking at things within the Buddha Sasene.

Depending on your disposition, you would be wise to think about the views of the two Indian Schools on "self generation"

There were two Indian schools maintaining the identity of "self generation" and "generation in front".

The first Indian school held that without first separately contemplating "self generation" one convinces himself or herself that he or she (a "self") is transported to the centre of the mandala of powdered colours, or of the painted one, that is "accomplished" in the "generation in front".

Having been transported to the centre of the mandala, the person generates the "matrix of natures" and the four factors of becoming.

In the Tibetan Snags rim, this "matrix of natures" is the same as "realm of space" (in Pali: first arupa, meaning formless, jhana).

He or she generates further practices until he or she leaves through the east gate of the mandala.

He or she then presents offerings to the Guru or deity and sees himself or herself as identical to the Guru or deity and receives initiation.

The second Indian school held that if one were to do it that way there would be no method of contemplating the "spheres of purification", namely birth, death, and the intermediate state, or of contemplating with direct comprehension their concordant natures.

The first method may encourage a person to reinforce their "self" rather than understand the Buddha Dhamma.

In the second Indian school, the Guru or deity is in the centre of the mandala and the practitioner makes offerings, praises, enjoyment of ambrosia (heavenly food) and, having understood anatta, abides in the centre of the mandala.

He or she then generates first arupa jhana (the "matrix of natures") and the four factors of becoming.

Students were warned that the jeopardy of using these practices with conceit is, if persons visualise themselves and appear by siddhi to be as elevated yogis with multiple bodies, they may forget that their root ground "being as five groups" is still continuing in human birth.

There are cases when persons use a form of dreamtime practice to talk to or dance with heavenly beings.

It is important to remember that inexact forms of practice of dream yoga are still a "human" dreaming.

One Tasmanian native practice was to watch a soft, kindly looking eye.

With higher clarity of vision this turned out to be like a European horse. There were no European horses in Tasmania in ancient times.

Most forms of careless, inexact practice turns out to be like cheap calico - the dye fades quickly.

There is some safety in supposing and/or remembering that all events seen, even with celestial eye, or heard, even with celestial ear, are merely like "clouds" of iddhis sourced from our human birth.

These things are of such a nature that they happen outside this fathom-long body so, no matter how attractive they appear, they cannot provide a basis to bring us the present contentment we are looking for.

Persons must take care not be duped by these iddhi matters and turn away from playing with them.

When the significance of the practice of renunciation of playing with these things is known, each for himself or herself, then the process method that leads to the true experience of contentment becomes trustworthy.

We then come to the position where we get on with living the holy life as a reality as one who can be truly human.

Students who have not practised mindfulness of the body thoroughly and repeatedly may assert that since all conditioned things are transitory, why should they bother to try a method to "gain" contentment because their past experience showed whatever contentment they materialised in the past changed to "loss".

So it is customary for most persons to have hesitancy arise which expresses itself as: "Is there any technique that will lead me to contentment in a form that can be relied upon?"

Our challenge is to invite Students to attend to learning at the Centre for the rest of their life and then apply what has been learnt within their own Temples or homes or workplaces.

It takes most persons time to understand why this transfer of teaching is of benefit.

Sometimes, if they have practised something similar in past lives a few persons may resolve such reservation speedily.

Such persons can do this because they have qualified by myriad generous actions in his or her past (Pali: kusala kamma) which means they belong to the "genius" student classification having powerful antecedents which can fruit to give the arising of the right contentment.

However, for most students, it is questionable if a firm resolution of this type of question could arise by serendipity.

The sought-after contentment is the outcome of a suitable process.

Supporting factors for this practice include verbal recitation of the Mangala Sutta.

Another supporting factor is a condition for the mental recitation and the mental recitation is for the penetration of the characteristics as in the texts.

Provided a person follows the Dhamma, he or she shall triumph by finding the process of obtaining right understanding of reality.

Mindfulness is a common element in all Dhamma processes.

The subject matters taught needs to be and must be based on our own experience using words in your internal dictionary.

If your internal dictionary lacks 2nd order and 3rd order thought, this must be attended to before analytical reflection upon the constituent parts of the body can gather the insight and reveal the fact that they are devoid of ANY permanent self.

These days, if you measure the appropriate height of your adult body you find it a metric measurement between, say, 1.4 to 1.7 metres or between 5 to 6 feet. The measure is about one fathom = six feet. A few persons may be taller than one fathom.

To understand why mindfulness of body is a basic practice that must be done, you must direct attention and locate the actual volume of your own body.

This is why Ajaans, such as Taungpulu Tawya Kake Aye Sayadaw, refer to the key discourse by the Buddha:

" Oh! Rohitatha. I do not preach that the cessation of the world of suffering can be done without attainment or nirvana.

Within this fathom-long body, with its thoughts and emotions, I declare is found the world, the origin of the world, the cessation of the world and the path leading to the cessation of the world".

Many Blessings appear from other options within that framework.

For more detail refer to The Minor Readings, Pali Text Society, Oxford 1991. ISBN 0 86013 023 1, translated by Bhikkhu Nanamoli.

May all beings develop mindfulness.

May all beings develop understanding about sanna.

May all beings be well and happy.

This radio script was written and edited by John D. Hughes and Leanne Eames.

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"The gift of Dhamma excels all other gifts".

Mahayana Arya Amoghapasa Hrdaya Sutram - Mantra Puncak Teratai Dari Hyang Arya Amoghapasa - Om Padmo Ushnisha Vimale Hum Phat

Demikianlah yang telah kudengar. Suatu kali Sang Buddha sedang berdiam di puncak Gunung Potalaka yang dihiasi dengan pohon-pohon permata, di istana Arya Avalokiteshvara bersama-sama dengan 1.800 Bhikshu Sangha.Hadir juga lebih dari 1 biliun Bodhisattva dan para dewa dari tempat kediaman murni. Ia membabarkan Dharma bagi Mereka Semua.

Kemudian Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara bangkit dari tempat duduk-Nya dan berjalan menuju Sang Buddha. Berlutut di atas tanah dengan bahu kanan-Nya terbuka, lalu merangkapkan tangan, berkatalah Ia, "O Yang Dijunjungi Dunia! Aku memiliki sebuah Dharani yang disebut dengan Amoghapasa Hrdaya yang Aku terima dari Tathagata Lokendraraja pada masa 91 kalpa yang lalu di Dunia Loka-avalokana.

Kegunaan khusus dari Dharani ini adalah untuk memurnikan karma buruk yang timbul sebagai akibat menganiaya para Bhikshu Sangha Yang Agung, Pratyeka Buddha, Bodhisattva, dan Buddha, dimana perbuatan
ini akan menyebabkan seseorang terjatuh ke Neraka Avici.

Pemurnian itu akan menjadi manjur bila seseorang setelah mengakui kesalahan-kesalahannya mengikuti Uposadha Vrata dari Amoghapasa dan menjalankan kedelapan Sila serta melafalkan dharani ini berkali-
kali. Mereka yang membaca dharani ini tujuh kali dengan benar pada tanggal 8 penanggalan candrasengkala akan dianugerahi oleh dua puluh kualitas bajik berikut ini:

1. Ia akan terbebas dari segala jenis penyakit.
2. Bahkan meskipun penyakit itu disebabkan oleh karma, maka ia akan lenyap dengan segera.
3. Ia akan menjadi terkenal dan disukai semua orang.
4. Tubuhnya akan menjadi rahasiah.
5. Ia akan memperoleh banyak harta kekayaan.
6. Harta kekayaannya tidak akan diambil oleh pencuri.
7. Tidak dapat dirusak oleh api.
8. Tidak dapat dirusak oleh air.
9. Tidak dapat disita oleh raja atau pemerintah.
10. Segenap tindak tanduknya akan menjadi sempurna.
11. Bebas dari lima ketakutan pada air dengan teriakan terus-menerus diri sendiri.
12. Melenyapkan segenap gangguan.
13. Kepribadiannya tak akan tercela.
14. Terbebas dari ketakutan terhadap dakini.
15. Kesusahan tak akan bertambah.
16. Tidak mati oleh karena senjata, api, atau air.
17. Para dewa akan melindunginya.
18. Ia akan memiliki cinta kasih dan belas kasih.
19. Kegembiraan.
20. Ketenagan hati dimanapun dia akan dilahirkan.

Disamping itu, dia juga akan menerima delapan kualitas berikut ini:

1. Saat meninggal akan diterima oleh Yang Arya Avalokiteshvara dalam wujud seorang bhikshu.
2. Akan meninggalkan dengan tenang.
3. Tangan dan kakinya tidak akan gemetaran, ia tak akan memiliki pandangan salah.
4. Tubuhnya tak akan menghasilkan kekotoran dan air kencing.
5. Tiada gangguan dari udara.
6. Ia akan diberkahi dengan kesadaran dan kewaspadaan.
7. Ingatannya tak akan melemah.
8. Tak akan meninggal dengan wajah menghadap ke bawah.
9. Tidak akan meninggal karena kemalangan berat.
10. Akan terlahir di manapun ia ingin untuk dilahirkan dan,
11. Akan selalu berhubungan dengan para kalyana mitra.

Seseorang hendaknya melafalkan tiga kali dan menghindarkan diri dari makanan-makanan yang tidak baik seperti daging, minuman keras, bawang merah serta bawang putih. Seseorang hendaknya melakukan yang terbaik untuk menyebar luaskan Dharani ini seluas mungkin. Seseorang hendaknya membebaskan diri dari kekikiran dan iri hati. Ia akan menjadi seorang Bodhisattva apabila melimpahkan jasa pahala dari pelafalan Dharani ini demi semua makhluk.

O, Bhagava! Izinkanlah Aku mewariskan DharaniNya di hadapan Sang Tathagata serta kumpulan Sangha yang terdiri dari Bhikshu, Bhikshuni, Upasaka, Upasika, demi kebaikan semua makhluk. Lalu Sang
Buddha berkata demikian, "Wahai, Makhluk Suci! Inilah waktumu untuk menyebarkan Amoghapasa Dharani. Aku sangat menghargai tindakan ini. Silakan lafalkan. Ini akan menyenangkan semua Bodhisattva dari
ketiga kurun waktu.

Lalu Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara mengembangkan belas kasih-Nya bagi semua makhluk dan melafalkan Amoghapasa Hrdaya Dharani sebagai berikut:

Om amogha-padma-pasa krodhakarsaya praveshaya maha-pashupati-yama- varuna kuvera brahma-vesa-dhara padma-kula-samayan hum hum.

Mantra Agung yang hanya dengan melihat saja langsung menghapus seratus ribu kalpa dari karma buruk, maka ucapkanlah

Om Hanu Phasa Bhara Heye Svaha

Mahashri Sutra - Sutra penghapus kemiskinan

Demikianlah telah ku dengar. Pada suatu ketika, Sang Pemenang Yang Sangat Berbakat, Bhagavan Buddha, sedang bersemayam dengan abadi di surga Sukhavati. Kemudian Sang Bodhisattva Mahasattva, Sang Raja Yang Kuat, Yang Maha Mulia Avalokitesvara memutar ke arah Sang Buddha, pergi ke tempat Bhagavan Buddha menetap, bersujud di Kaki Bhagavan Buddha, menundukkan kepalanya menyentuh tanah, dan melakukan pradasikna mengelilingi Bhagavan Buddha sebanyak tiga kali, duduk di salah satu sisi.

Lalu Sang Mahashri, Bhagavan Buddha menyabdakan kata-kata ini kepada Sang Raja Yang Kuat, Yang Maha Mulia Avalokitesvara:

"Jika ada Bhikku yang telah ditahbiskan sepenuhnya, Bhikkhuni yang telah ditahbiskan sepenuhnya, Bhikkhu baru, Bhikkhuni baru, atau siapapun harus datang untuk mengetahui, menjaga, membaca, menulis, atau menyebabkan orang lain menulis Dua belas Nama Mahashri, maka, kemiskinan mereka akan dihapuskan, dan mereka akan menjadi kaya.

? Selain itu, semua perkumpulan dari satu mandala juga akan berdoa demikian juga bagi mereka dengan cara yang sama, semua yang mereka ucapkan, akan terkabul."

Kemudian Sang Pemenang Yang Sangat Berbakat, Bhagavan Buddha, menganugerahkan dua belas nama Mahashri, yakni:

(Ji Qing - 吉慶) : Merayakan Kemujuran

(Jixiang Lianhua - 吉祥蓮華) : Sripadma / Padma kemujuran

(Yan shi - 嚴飾) : Yang Berhiaskan Agung

(Ju Cai - 具財) : Harta

(Baise - 白色) : Sita / Putih

(Da mingcheng - 大名稱) : Yang Bernama Agung

(Lianhua Yan - 蓮華眼) : Padmanetra / Mata Padma

(Da Guang Yao - 大光曜) : Cahaya Agung

(Shishi zhe - 施食者) : Yang Berdana Makanan

(Shi yin Zhe - 施飲者) : Yang Berdana Minuman

(Baoguang - 寶光) : Ratnaprabha / Cahaya Permata

(Dajixiang - 大吉祥) : Mahasri / Kemujuran Agung

Sekarang Aku babarkan Dharani Mahasri :

SYAD-YATHEDANA DZINIGRINI SARVA-ARTHA-SADHANI
SHASHINA-ALAGA-SHIMANA
NASHAYA SIDDHANATU-MANTRA-PADEY SVAHA
OM BIGUNI-BARAMASU-BHAGE SVAHA

artinya;

Dia yang kaya akan Kemuliaan

Dia yang dibungkus Kemuliaan

Penguasa Bunga teratai mekar

Sang Putri Kekayaan

Dia yang Putih

Dia yang Terkenal

Mata Bunga teratai

Dia Membuat Berbagai hal Terjadi

Dia Sang Cahaya Besar

Dia yang Memberi Makanan

Dia yang sepenuh hati Memberi Permata murni Mahal

Dia yang Gilang gemilang

Jika setiap orang melafalkan ini tiga kali, mereka akan menjadi Pemenang yang mengatasi semua keadaan yang tidak baik. Mereka akan diberkahi dengan keberuntungan sempurna.Mereka akan menjadi yang terberkahi dengan tidak mengenal letih akan kekayaan.

Lagi pula setiap orang akan memberikan sikap hormat tinggi, dan menganggap mereka sebagai anak kandungnya sendiri, akan membuat mereka bahagiah, dan akan bertindak sesuai dengan perintah mereka.

Jika seseorang tetap membaca ini terus-menerus, kemudian bahkan dewa brahma menimpakan tindakan kemurkaannya, orang itu tidak akan terluka, dan akan datang untuk melayani Banyak Buddha!

Sang Pemenang Yang Sangat Berbakat menyabdakan kata-kata ini, dan Sang Bodhisattva Mahasattva, Sang Raja Yang Kuat, Yang Maha Mulia Avalokitesvara merasa gembira. Dia dengan jelas memuji sabda Yang Maha Mulia, Sang Pemenang Yang Sangat Berbakat.

[mvn install] How To install Jar File Into Maven Local Repository?

There are cases that you need to issue Maven’s command to include a jar into the Maven local repository manually:

1. The jar you want to use doesn’t exist in the Maven center repository.
2. You created a custom jar, and need to use for another Maven project.

Example

For example,  spring4gwt.jar , a popular third party Java library, which is used to bridge spring and gwt, but it’s not available in the Maven center repository.

In this tutorial, I will show you how to install the “spring4gwt.” jar into your Maven’s local repository.

mvn install:install-file -Dfile=C:\spring4gwt.jar -DgroupId=com.google.code -DartifactId=spring4gwt -Dversion=0.0.1 -Dpackaging=jar

Demo.

C:\Users\guetampan\bluerock\workspace\mweb-1.0>mvn install:install-file -Dfile=C
:\Users\guetampan\bluerock\workspace\mweb-1.0\spring4gwt.jar -DgroupId=com.googl
e.code -DartifactId=spring4gwt -Dversion=0.0.1 -Dpackaging=jar
[INFO] Scanning for projects...
[WARNING]
[WARNING] Some problems were encountered while building the effective model for
com.bluerock.mweb:mweb:war:1.0-SNAPSHOT
[WARNING] 'build.plugins.plugin.version' for org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-inst
all-plugin is missing. @ line 223, column 12
[WARNING] 'build.plugins.plugin.version' for org.codehaus.mojo:build-helper-mave
n-plugin is missing. @ line 177, column 12
[WARNING]
[WARNING] It is highly recommended to fix these problems because they threaten t
he stability of your build.
[WARNING]
[WARNING] For this reason, future Maven versions might no longer support buildin
g such malformed projects.
[WARNING]
[INFO]
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
[INFO] Building mweb 1.0-SNAPSHOT
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
[INFO]
[INFO] --- maven-install-plugin:2.3.1:install-file (default-cli) @ mweb ---
[INFO] Installing C:\Users\guetampan\bluerock\workspace\mweb-1.0\spring4gwt.jar
to C:\Users\guetampan\.m2\repository\com\google\code\spring4gwt\0.0.1\spring4gwt
-0.0.1.jar
[INFO] Installing C:\Users\GUETAM~1\AppData\Local\Temp\mvninstall137699429999557
0548.pom to C:\Users\guetampan\.m2\repository\com\google\code\spring4gwt\0.0.1\s
pring4gwt-0.0.1.pom
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
[INFO] BUILD SUCCESS
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
[INFO] Total time: 1.089s
[INFO] Finished at: Tue Jan 08 16:06:54 SGT 2013
[INFO] Final Memory: 5M/121M
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
C:\Users\guetampan\bluerock\workspace\mweb-1.0>

To check whether the file is in your maven folder, open your maven repository directory, in windows it should be under your {user directory}\.m2\repository. Following is the screenshot:

Now the spring4gwt.jar is ready to use. add the following into your pom.xml

<dependency>
        <groupId>com.google.code</groupId>
 <artifactId>spring4gwt</artifactId>
 <version>0.0.1</version>
</dependency>

Bhaisajyaguru Buddha

☆ Om Guru Lian-sheng Siddhi Hum
☆ Namo Suvarnaprabhasauttamaraja Sutra
☆ Om Sarasvatyai Svaha

圖 / Pic ： 藥師佛心咒 The Mantra of Medicine Buddha by Yamantaka999

Translated by Lian-hua Jun Shian



☑ Bhaisajyaguru-abhisecani-dharani ( Yao-shi Guan-ding Zhen-yan ) yang terdapat dalam jajaran Dasaculadharani atau 10 Dharani Pendek di Buddhisme Tiongkok, merupakan Mantra Mula dari Bhaisajyaguru-vaidurya-prabha Tathagata, sering disebut secara singkat sebagai Bhaisajyaguru-mantra ( Yao-shi Zhou ). Merupakan salah satu mantra yang sering dijapakan oleh umat Buddha, apalagi di saat sedang menderita sakit.

☑ Menurut Bhaisajyaguru Sutra, ada dua manfaat mantra ini :
1. Mendengar Nama Agung Bhaisajyaguru dapat mengikis pelanggaran dan terlahir di Negeri Buddha.
2. Menekuni Sadhana Bhaisajyaguru dan tekun menjapa Mantra , menyingkirkan penderitaan dan sakit penyakit.

"…… Saat Bhaisajyaguru-vaidurya-prabha Tathagata memperoleh Bodhi, …… usai membabarkan mantra ini, bumi berguncang, memancarkan cahaya terang, semua derita sakit penyakit para insan tersingkirkan, sehingga para insan memperoleh ketenteraman. …… Hendaknya sadhaka berkumur , kemudian dengan sepenuh hati menjapakan mantra 108 kali kepada makanan, atau obat, atau air minum, kemudian diberikan kepada si sakit, maka segala penyakitnya akan sirna. Bila memiliki suatu harapan, dengan tulus melafalkannya, maka akan terkabul. Sehat dan panjang usia ; Kelak meninggal dunia akan terlahir di Negeri Buddha tersebut . . . . . . demikianlah memperoleh perlindungan Para Buddha, segala harapan terpenuhi, sampai terealisasinya Bodhi."

Oleh karena inilah, Sadhana Bhaisajyaguru Buddha dan Mantra Nya sangat populer di Tiongkok, Jepang, Korea dan Tibet.


☑ Dari kutipan diatas dapat diketahui bahwa cara penjapaan mantra ini adalah : Menjapakannya 108 kali pada makanan, air maupun obat, kemudian diberikan pada si sakit.

☑ Bhaisajyaguru Mantra ada pembagian untuk Mantra Besar dan Mantra Kecil, atau disebut juga Mantra panjang dan Mantra pendek, juga dinamakan sebagai Mantra Mula dan Mantra Hati. Mantra Mula Bhaisajyaguru dapat dibagi menjadi Lima Bagian :
1. Bersarana, Memuji, Berseru dan Mengundang
2. Demikianlah bunyi Mantra-nya :
3. Kalimat Utama Mantra.
4. Kalimat Permohonan.
5. Akhiran.

Dengan demikian , pemetaannya :

1. Bersarana, Memuji, Berseru dan Mengundang

Usai memuji dan menghaturkan hormat pada Sang Bhagavan , kemudian melafal dan memuliakan Nama Agung : Bhaisajyaguru-vaidurya-prabha-raja Tathagata Arahate Samyaksambuddhaya.

1.Namo Bhagavate Bhaisajya-guru-vaidurya-praba-rajaya Tatagataya Arhate Samyaksambudaya 2. Tadyatha

1. Sembah sujud dan bersarana pada Bhagavata, Tathagata Guru Obat Raja Terang Lazuardi, Arahat Samyaksambuddha 2. Demikianlah bunyi mantranya ：

Namo : Sembah sujud, bersarana
Bhagavate : Yang Termulia di Seluruh Penjuru Semesta.

Bhaisajya-guru : Guru Obat ( Guru yang memberikan tuntunan dan Dharma yang memulihkan bagai obat yang mujarab )
Vaidurya-prabha : Cahaya Terang Lazuardi ；
Rajaya = Raja dan akhiran YA yang bermakna penghormatan pada nama yang dimaksud.

Tathagataya : Yang Seakan-akan datang ( Tak Datang dan Tak Pergi )
Arhate : Yang Patut Dipuja Dihaturi Persembahan.
Samyaksambuddhaya : Yang Sadar Sempurna.

2. Tadyatha : Demikianlah bunyi mantranya.

3. Om Bhaisajye Bhaisajye 4. Bhaisajya Samudgate 5. Svaha

Artinya ：

Om : Aksara permulaan mantra. Kesadaran Tertinggi Semesta. Tubuh-ucapan dan Pikiran insan dan Buddha yang tiada berbeda hakekat.
Bhaisajye : Obat / Pengobatan , Yang Memulihkan.

4 . Kalimat Doa :
Biasanya sebelum akhiran sebuah mantra, akan ada sebuah kalimat doa yang menguatkan untuk tercapainya realisasi. Dimana dalam mantra ini sendiri, kalimat tersebut membuat terciptanya sebuah makna : "Bangkitkan, aktifkan kekuatan Buddha Guru Obat Yang Memulihkan segala sakit penyakit , derita para insan."

Bhaisajya adalah Obat , akhiran A berganti menjadi E bermakna seruan , menjadi aktif.
Samudgate adalah bermakna membangkitkan, memunculkan, merealisasikan.

Pemetaan Samudgate : Sam + ud + gate
SAM : Bersama
UD : naik, bangkit.
GATE : Pergi, menyeberang.

Jika diperhatikan lebih detail, mantra ini sangat dekat dengan Para+sam+gate ( Bagian dari Mantra Prajnaparamita )

5. Akhiran : Svaha , merupakan akhiran mantra yang paling umum, bermakna mangala dan terealisasi.

☑ Mantra Hati Bhaisajyaguru Dalam Buddhisme Tiongkok.
Mantra Bhaisajyaguru dibagi menjadi Mantra Panjang dan Mantra Hati, Mantra Panjangnya adalah seperti yang telah kita uraikan diatas.
Yang paling umum di Buddhisme Tiongkok, Mantra Hati berasal dari mantra utama dalam mantra panjang diatas :
Om Bhaisajye Bhaisajye Bhaisajya Samudgate Svaha
Secara harafiah dangkal, maknanya adalah : Om ! Obat ! Obat ! Bangkitkan Obat ! Svaha !
Dalam artian : Wahai Bhagavan Kesadaran Tertinggi Alam Semesta, Kau adalah Obat Pemulih, Pulihkan ! Bangkitlah kekuatan Pemulihan dari segala derita samsara , untuk realisasi melampaui samsara. Svaha !

☑ Mantra hati Tibetan .
Mirip dengan Mantra Hati versi Buddhisme Tiongkok, namun terdapat penambahan :
Tadyatha Om Bhaisajye Bhaisajye Maha-bhaisajye-raja Samudgate Svaha.
Secara dangkal harafiah : Om ! Obat ! Obat ! Raja Maha Obat ! Bangkitlah ! Svaha
Dalam artian : Wahai Bhagavan Kesadaran Tertinggi Alam Semesta, Kau adalah Obat Pemulih, Pulihkan ! Bangkitlah kekuatan Agung Raja Pemulihan dari segala derita samsara , untuk realisasi melampaui samsara. Svaha !

☑ Mantra Negeri Buddha Sebelah Timur

Dalam Buku Pengulasan Sutra Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, Mahaguru Taixu menjelaskan :
"Ada dua manfaat utama Sutra ini : "
1. Mencabut segala rintangan karma.
2. Dua-belas Yaksasenapati yang memberikan manfaat pada para insan.
Oleh karena itu , Sutra ini juga dijuluki sebagai Sutra 12 Yaksa Senapati Memberikan Manfaat Bagi Para Insan.

Kata "Mencabut segala rintangan karma." yang diungkapkan oleh Mahaguru Taixu, membuat kita teringat akan Mantra yang sering disebut sebagai Wang-sheng-zhou ( Sukhavativyuha Dharani ) dimana nama harafiah nya secara lengkap adalah :
"Mantra Agung Mencabut Rintangan Karma Mula Untuk Memperoleh Kelahiran di Tanah Murni." yaitu sebuah Dharani dari Amitabha Buddha dari Negeri Buddha sebelah Barat.

Sedangkan Bhaisajyaguru Dharani atau Yao-shi-zhou dari Buddha di Negeri Buddha sebelah Timur memiliki manfaat yang mirip.


☸ ☸ ☸ ☸ ☸ ☸ ☸ ☸ ☸


☑ 漢地佛教十小咒中的〈藥師灌頂真言〉，是藥師琉璃光如來的根本咒，常被簡稱為〈藥師咒〉。它是佛教徒經常誦持的幾個咒語之一，尤其是在有病苦時。

☑ 據《藥師經》，誦持此經咒的功德有二：
一、聞說藥師名號即得滅罪往生。
二、修藥師法及持藥師咒，可除病離苦。

「…… 彼藥師琉璃光如來得菩提時，…… 說此咒已，大地震動，放大光明，一切眾生，病苦皆除，受安隱樂。…… 應當一心，為彼病人，常清淨澡漱，或食、或藥、或無蟲水，咒一百八遍，與彼服食，所有病苦，悉皆消滅。若有所求，至心念誦，皆得如是；無病延年；命終之 後，生彼世界，…… 如是便蒙諸佛護念，所求願滿，乃至菩提。」

因此藥師法與咒在漢地、日、韓、西藏等地相當盛行。

☑ 由上文可知此咒的持法為：對食物、藥、或水持咒一百零八遍，再讓病人服食。當然，「常清淨澡漱」的基本醫療處置，也是必要條件之一。其功效如上經文所述為：除病離苦，所求皆得。 　

☑ 藥師咒有大咒與小咒之分，或稱長咒與短咒，又名根本咒與心咒。茲將藥師根本咒分成下列五部份，並逐句解釋其意。
（1）歸敬呼請文
（2）即說咒曰
（3）咒語主文
（4）祈願祝禱文
（5）結語

《藥師咒》分段逐字解析

(1) 歸敬呼請文：

在禮敬世尊之後，以藥師佛的全名「藥師琉璃光王如來．應供．正等覺」來禮敬藥師佛，做為歸敬呼請文。

簡易羅馬拼音：
1.namo bagavate baisajya-guru-vaidurya-praba-rajaya tatagataya arhate samyaksambudaya 2.tadyata
傳統漢字音譯：
1.南謨 薄伽伐帝 鞞殺社 窶嚕 薜琉璃 b剣漹C喝囉闍也 怛他揭多也 阿囉喝帝三藐三勃陀耶 2.怛姪他
簡易漢字音譯：
1.那摩 拔軋哇貼 百沙加 姑魯 外丟里牙 普拉巴拉夾牙 塌塌軋塌牙 阿爾哈貼 三藐客三菩達牙 2.塌地牙踏
咒語漢語翻譯：
1.禮敬世尊．藥師琉璃光王如來．應供．正等覺！2.即說咒曰：

南謨(namo)是南無，禮敬、歸命之意；薄伽伐帝(bhagavate)是世尊；合起來是：禮敬世尊。

鞞殺社(bhaisajye)是藥；窶嚕(guru)是師；薜琉璃(vaidurya)常簡稱為琉璃；b剣漹C(prabha)是光；喝囉闍也 (rajaya)來自raja，是王；ya是梵文與格字尾，表示禮敬的對象，合起來是：藥師琉璃光王。

怛 他揭多也(tathagataya)來自tathagata，是如來；阿囉喝帝(arhate)來自arhat，為應供或阿羅漢。三藐三勃陀耶 (samyaksambuddhaya)為正等覺、正等覺者之意，英文為one who has attained to complete enlightenment。合起來是：如來．應供．正等覺；為常見的如來稱號。

(2)即說咒曰：
「怛姪他(tadyatha)」是咒語的重要分水嶺，在型式完整的咒語中，此句之前為歸敬呼請文，之後是咒語的中心內容；意思是即說咒曰，英文常譯為It runs like this。

簡易羅馬拼音：3.om baisajye baisajye 4.baisajya samudgate 5.svaha
傳統漢字音譯：3.唵 鞞殺逝 鞞殺逝 4.鞞殺社 三沒揭帝 5.莎婆訶
簡易漢字音譯：3.唵 百沙傑 百沙傑 4.百沙加 三木的軋貼 5.刷哈
咒語漢語翻譯：：3.唵！藥！藥！ 4.藥生起來！ 5.刷哈！

(3)咒語主文：
唵(om)是咒語中心內容常見的起始句。鞞殺逝(bhaisajye，百沙傑)來自bhaisajya，藥之意。咒語用字精簡，往往只是幾個單字，幾乎不用完整的句子。

(4)祈願祝禱文：
在咒語主文及結語間，常會有一段祈求本咒成就的祈願祝禱文。本咒此段可說是「祈求生起能解除眾生病痛的藥」之意。
鞞殺社(bhaisajya)是藥，三沒揭帝(samudgate)來自samudgata，出生、出現、成就之意；英文為risen up, come forth, appeared, begun等意。

梵 文屬印歐語系，用英文比用中文易解讀。三沒揭帝(samudgate)的字源是sam+ud+√gaj (gate)。sam的英文是together；ud是up；gaj是go之意，而梵文gate為英文的gone，因此samudgate的英文為 gone up together或risen up together之意。細心的讀者也許會想起心經的咒語中也有sam與gate，即波羅僧揭諦(para+sam+gate)。各種咒語用字常相同，多學 幾個咒語就會發現學習梵文咒語並不難，因多半的字都通用而易認得。

(5)結語：
莎婆訶(svaha)是咒語最常見的結尾語。有吉祥、成就之意。

☑ 漢傳心咒
藥 師咒有大咒、小咒之分；大咒就是上文所說的咒語全文。小咒即心咒，其內容在漢、藏、日各有不同說法：漢地流通者，即上述咒語主文「唵」之後的部份： 「唵！鞞殺逝，鞞殺逝，鞞殺社，三沒揭帝，莎訶！om bhaisajye bhaisajye bhaisajya samudgate svaha」（意為：唵！藥！藥！藥生起來！刷哈！）。

☑ 藏傳心咒
藏傳的〈藥師小咒〉類似漢傳的用法，但咒文較長，且依傳承 尚有長短之分，長的為：
tadyatha om bhaisajye bhaisajye maha bhaisajye bhaisajye raja samudgate svaha，意為：唵！藥！藥！大藥！藥王！生起來！刷哈！可見咒文有四次的bhaisajye。短的則少了一次，即少了raja之前的 bhaisajye，而只有三次，亦即將「大藥、藥王」併稱為「大藥王」。流通的音樂帶以三次的較常見。
通行藏傳發音與梵文念法不同，其心咒念成 deyata om bekanje bekanje maha bekanje raja samudgate soha。不同之處在deyata, bekanje與soha。藏傳何以如是發音的理由，我留在下幾期的藏傳阿彌陀小咒一文中再談。


☑ 《東西方淨土咒》

太虛大師在《藥師經講記》中說：此經的二大功效為：(一)拔除一切業障。(二)十二神將饒益有情；是故此經亦名《十二神將饒益有情經》。

太虛大師所說的「拔除一切業障」，讓人想起前幾期介紹過的，俗名為〈往生咒〉，原名為〈拔一切業障根本得生淨土神咒〉的西方淨土阿彌陀佛咒，其與俗名〈藥師咒〉的東方淨土藥師琉璃光如來咒，有相當類似的名稱及功效。