Devotional Practice in Early Buddhism

Discussion
21

-anussati mean recollection. Mindfulness requires the object of meditation to be in the present moment, whereas you can recollect something from the past, or something conceptual (like qualities of the devas, unless you had the ability of the divine eye -dibba cakku) or something based on faith (dajagga sutta).

After stream entry, practices that clears up defilements and places the mind on wholesome state of mind is helpful. It would be possible to recollect the qualities of the Buddha easily after stream entry and that would make you want to practice further according to his teachings as well. It would also be impossible to do any other devotional practice as seeing the truth pretty much excludes any other teaching as the cessation suffering. Unshakable faith (avecca pasada) in the triple gem is 3 of the 4 qualities of a stream entrant as per EBTs.

with metta

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22

My goal with posting the above suttas was to do a quick survey. Not to prove or disprove any point. I offer the commentary below in a similar vein.

The … was just trimming the word Bhikkhus. That was the entire sutta.

The footnote on AN1.297 says
Recollection of the Buddha (buddhānussati) is the first of the six recollections described more fully at 6:10 and elaborated at Vism 197–213, Ppn 7.1–67. Here is Mp (abridged): “Recollection of the Buddha serves two purposes: giving joy to the mind and promoting insight (cittasampahaṃsanatthañ c’eva vipassanatthañca). How? When a bhikkhu develops a meditation subject like unattractiveness [of the body], his mind may be disturbed, dissatisfied, and joyless. It does not remain on track but roams around like a wild bull. On that occasion, he should put aside his basic meditation subject and recollect the excellent qualities of the Tathāgata. As he recollects the Buddha, his mind becomes placid and free from hindrances. He can then return to his basic meditation object, develop insight, and reach the plane of the noble ones. Thus recollection of the Buddha gives joy to the mind. But one can also use this meditation subject directly for the purpose of developing insight. After recollecting the Buddha, one dissects the act of recollection into the five aggregates and defines them thus: ‘These five aggregates are, in brief, the truth of suffering. The craving that produced them is the truth of the origin. The cessation efined the four truths in the preliminary portion [the stage of insight] and one step by step reaches the stage of the noble ones.”

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23

When a stream entrant sees the five aggregates he realises that the Buddha is also only the five aggregates- just a process. Hence, there is nothing there to have faith in. Yet he has unshaken faith due to that insight!

I believe that the term asaddhaka may refer to (or could be translated as) faithless, as applied to arahanths. Yet they are also said to have supreme faith, in terms of the faculty (idriya)and power (bala) of faith!

Faith itself is just the five aggregates, arising and passing away.

With metta

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24

As suggested in the Vakkali Sutta, devotional practice is to the enlightened qualities of the Buddha, rather than his gross physical form. This is why devotional practice to the Buddha can help to cultivate within oneself the qualities of enlightenment.

25

What if one uses the Buddha or his enlightened qualities as the object of one’s practice of samatha meditation?

Some meditation practices such as contemplation of a kasina object favor the development of samatha, others such as contemplation of the aggregates are conducive to the development of vipassana, while others such as mindfulness of breathing are classically used for developing both mental qualities.[6]
In the Theravada tradition there are forty objects of meditation. Mindfulness (sati) of breathing (ānāpāna: ānāpānasati; S. ānāpānasmṛti[7]) is the most common samatha practice. Samatha can include other samādhi practices as well.
Samatha-vipassana - Wikipedia

26

However much this may be the case, yet I’d say that these ‘anussatis’ at least can have far deeper effects than just make-glad the mind! :slight_smile:

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27

With all due respect to the view of ven. Thanissaro (as represented in the article), and even if it was true that devotional practice eventually delivered one to nibbana (which I don’t believe), then at this point, in my humble view, it would no longer make the slightest difference whether one is practicing devotion as a Buddhist or as something else! For it is more or less the same experience across all religions!

In fact what the ven. Thanissaro is saying seems to contradict, or at least compromise, the teaching that stream entry is the least thing that guarantees awakening. And why is that? Because I believe that devotional practice, in most cases, represents a hindrance (saņyojana) to the attainment of stream entry!

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28

How can you be certain of this?

29

I’m not certain, that’s why I said “I believe”!

But the text says that one of the fetters preventing stream entry is thinking that rituals by themselves have a purifying effect, and that therefore one becomes clung to those rituals. And judging from observing others, “I believe” that that’s precisely how most people practice devotion and that this is the reason it is so popular. After all, honest people told me outright that: “yes! It is purifying! And it is prescribed by god/lord/the powers that be/etc. And it does lead to rebirth in heaven!”

So let me say I’m not certain, but I firmly believe what I said is true! :slight_smile:

30

There are different kinds of devotional practice:

31

I’m not against devotional practice, I never said I was!! All I said is that it is often mistaken for what suffices for deliverance, and that, when done with ignorance (which is most of the cases), it becomes a hindrance rather than a support. And this is all only my beliefs by the way, other devotional ritualistic practitioners will hesitate not for a moment to declare that it is me who is ignorant!

–

So one of the most evident things you’ll notice about those qualities of Buddha is precisely the absence of ritualism, superstition, and devotion to traditional age-long stuff!

32

This is from the Dhammapada:

Those disciples of Gotama ever awaken happily who day and night constantly practice the Recollection of the Qualities of the Buddha.
http://www.bodhicitta.net/dhammapada.htm

You could, month by month,
at a cost of thousands,
conduct sacrifices
a hundred times,
or
pay a single moment’s homage
to one person,
self-cultivated.
Better than a hundred years of sacrifices
would that act of homage be.
You could, for a hundred years,
live in a forest
tending a fire,
or
pay a single moment’s homage
to one person,
self-cultivated.
Better than a hundred years of sacrifices
would that act of homage be.
Everything offered
or sacrificed in the world
for an entire year by one seeking merit
doesn’t come to a fourth.
Better to pay respect
to those who’ve gone
the straight way.
Sahassavagga: Thousands

This is some of several instances in the Dhammapada in which recollection of the Buddha is endorsed as a Buddhist practice.

As far as I know, the Dhammapada was compiled in order to make accessible the Buddha’s most important teachings.

33

Have you tried using the Buddha or his enlightened qualities as a meditation object in your own practice?

34

Yes, I have.

36

That’s good.

37

As it says in the Dhammapada, we are what we think. If you keep your mind focused on the Buddha’s enlightened qualities, those qualities will develop within oneself.

38

Indeed. For example, recollecting the Triple Gem can dispel fear: SN 11.3.

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39

There is a passage in DN 16 when the Buddha was about to pass away, the twin sala trees shower their blossom flowers to honor the Buddha, but it isn’t the highest veneration and worship, the highest worship for the Buddha is practicing according to Dhamma:

Now at that time the Twin Sal Trees were full of flowering blossoms, outside of flowering time, and they were sprinkling down on the Realised One’s body, showering down, pouring down on the Realised One in worship. Also the Divine Coral Tree flowers were falling from the sky, and they were sprinkling down on the Realised One’s body, showering down, pouring down on the Realised One in worship. Also Divine sandalwood powder was falling from the sky, and was sprinkling down on the Realised One’s body, showering down, pouring down on the Realised One in worship. Also Divine music played in the sky in worship of the Realised One. Also Divine songs played in the sky in worship of the Realised One.

Then the Gracious One said this to venerable Ānanda: “The Twin Sal Trees are full of flowering blossoms, outside of flowering time, and they are sprinkling down on the Realised One’s body, showering down, pouring down on the Realised One in worship. Also the Divine Coral Tree flowers are falling from the sky, and they are sprinkling down on the Realised One’s body, showering down, pouring down on the Realised One in worship. Also Divine sandalwood powder is falling from the sky, and is sprinkling down on the Realised One’s body, showering down, pouring down on the Realised One in worship. Also Divine music plays in the sky in worship of the Realised One. Also Divine songs play in the sky in worship of the Realised One.

But it is not in this way, Ānanda, that the Realised One is honoured, respected, revered, worshipped, or esteemed. But that monk, nun, layman, or laywoman, Ānanda, who lives practising the Teaching in accordance with the Teaching, correct in their practice, living in conformity with the Teaching, he honours, respects, reveres, worships, and esteems the Realised One with the highest worship. Therefore, Ānanda, thinking: ‘Let us live practising the Teaching in accordance with the Teaching, correct in our practice, living in conformity with the Teaching,’ this is how you are to train, Ānanda.”

40

Thanks. I read somewhere when someone thinks 'there is no God’christians think that person is thinking about God (in the negative), therefore believes in him… or something to that effect. In EBT Buddhism thinking of the Buddha doesn’t = Nibbana or Pure Land, does it now? I read just yesterday that according to a Mahayana sutta it leads to Pureland, only to become a Bodhisattva and be reborn anywhere (including hells) to save beings stuck in samsaric suffering. Is this right?

with metta

41

Yes, indeed.

Pāli word “sati” means “remembrance”, “keeping in mind”:

https://dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4299&p=167808#p167808
https://dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?p=387615#p387615

When the word “mindfulness” was coined by Thomas Rhys-Davids, it had such a meaning. However, due to semantic shift nowadays the meaning of “mindfulness” has drifted to “bringing one’s attention to experiences occurring in the present moment”, far away from the Buddhist meaning of “sati”.

Remembrance of the Buddha leads to jhana, as described in Mahanama sutta, and thus fulfills an important role on the Path.

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