Meritorious Sons, Daughters, and Devotees,
We are very fortunate to learn about the knowledge of the
Supreme Buddha, had an extraordinary knowledge to see past lives of beings. In
the Bhayaberava Sutta the Buddha
tells us how he gained the knowledge to see his own past lives:
When my mind was concentrated, purified, bright, clear, free
from defilements, open, soft, steady, and unshakable, I directed my mind to the knowledge of recollecting my past
lives. I recollected my various past lives, that is one birth, two births…five,
ten…fifty, a thousand births, many eons of the cycle of information and
destruction of this earth. In one life I had such a name, belonged to such a
clean, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such an appearance. Such was
my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such the end of my life.
Passing away from that life, I was reborn in another place. There too I had
such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food,
such my experience of pleasure and pain, such the end of my life. Passing away
from that state, I was reborn here. I remembered my different past lives in
every detail. This was the first knowledge I attained in the first of the
night. My ignorance was destroyed, light arose, which happens in one who is
mindful, passionate, and firm. Next the supreme Buddha gained th knowledge to
see how other beings travel in this cycle of samsara, one life to another,
because of their good and bad actions.
When my mind was concentrated purified, bright, clear, free
form defilements, I directed my mind to gain the knowledge of the passing away
rebirth of beings. With my divine eye which is purified and surpassing, and I discovered
how they are inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate
in accordance with their karma: beings who committed bad conduct of body,
speech and mind, who insulted noble ones, held wrong views and did bad deeds because
of it, with the brake-up of their body, after death, have been reborn in a bad
destination, the lower realms, in hell. But those beings who committed who did
not insult nobles ones, who held right views and did good deeds because of it,
with the break-up of the body, after death, have been reborn in good
destinations, in the heavenly world.
Therefore with my divine eye, which in purified and surpassing
the human eye, I saw beings passing away and reborn, and I discovered how they
are inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate in
accordance with their Karma.
The Supreme Buddha is the knower of all worlds. He knows the
qualities of the all the worlds and the way beings are born in these different
worlds, as he explains in the Maha
Sihanada Sutta:
“Sariputta, there are five types of beings. What are the five?
- Hell beings
- Animals
- Ghosts
- Human beings
- Gods.
I understand hell, and the path and way leading to hell. And
I also understand hell, and the path and way leading to hell. And I also understand
how people who will be born in hell, on the breaking up of the body, after
death, reappear in a state of misery, in an unhappy destination, miserable, in
hell.
I understand the animal world, and the path and way leading
to the animal world. And I also understand how one who has entered this path
will, on the breaking up of the body, after death, be reborn as an animal.
I understand the
realm of ghosts, and the path way leading to the realm of ghosts. And I also understand
how one who has entered this path will, on the breaking up of the body, after death;
reappear in the realm of ghosts.
I understand human beings, and the path and way leading to
the human world. And I also understand how one who has entered this path will,
on the breaking up of the body, after death, reappear among human beings.
I understand the gods, and the path and way leading to the
world of the gods. An I also understand how one who has entered this path will,
on the breaking up of the body, after death, reappear in happy destination, in
the heavenly world.
And most fortunately, noble disciples have opportunity to escape
from all worlds by attaining Nibbana/ Nirvana. The Supreme Buddha is the only
teacher to show the way to Nibbana/Nirvana.
I understand Nibbana/Nirvana, and the path and way leading
to Nibbana/ Nirvana. I also understand how one who has entered this path will,
by realizing it for himself with direct knowledge, here and now enter upon and
abide in the liberation of the mind and liberation by wisdom that is taintless
with destruction of taints.”
Here the Supreme Buddha explains the happiness of the
heavenly world with a smile:
By investigating a person mind using my psychic powers I understand
how that person behaves. This person having behaved in such a way, on the
dissolution of the body, after death, will reappear in heavenly realm. Later
on, I see that he has reappeared in heavenly realm and is experiencing exclusively
pleasant feelings. Suppose there was mansion and it had an upper closed off,
protected, with shutters on the windows. It had a couch with blankets and
sheets, spread with a deer skin, covered by a canopy and with red pillows at
both ends. Then a man, burnt and exhausted by hot weather, tired, dry and thirsty,
headed to that place in hopes of resting in the mansion. A wise person then
sees thirsty man who has taken the path towards the mansion and realizes that
the path that man is on will lead him to that mansion.
Read these stories very carefully. Think about your own life
and how you can apply lessons these devas have learned from their good behavior
in the human world. May these Stories help you to develop a desire to do wholesome
actions in your precious human Life.
May you practice generosity. May you keep the precepts well.
May you control your bad thoughts. By practicing Dhamma, may you attain rebirth
in the heavenly worlds.
May all of you realize the Four Noble Truths in this Gautama
Buddha’s dispensation.
Article by Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero
[Note: This is very short little. You can get more information via investigation through "Vimana watthu']
[Note: This is very short little. You can get more information via investigation through "Vimana watthu']
