I will be posting weekly newsletters generally on Sundays. Every other week will be an update about any new translations or other content that’s been added to the website (https://canon.dharmapearls.net). The other two weeks will be a newsletter called Dharma Notes in which I write an essay about some Buddhist topic or previous translation that seems interesting to me.
This week’s Dharma Notes issue looked at the expression “all sentient beings rely on food to survive” as it occurs in the Ekottarika Agama. And how it somehow pertains to a squirrel named Maryetta who lives in Los Angeles.
“From this day forward, I will be broadly generous with ascetics, brahmins, and the four divisions of the saṅgha . Whoever comes from those other religions and trainings with requests, I won’t be able to give it to them.”
The Buddha chides the King against this type of discrimination:
“Great King, don’t think that. And why? All sentient beings survive because of food. Without food, they will die.”
A lot of great wisdom in the suttas seem to get buried under discussions about jhānā, nibbāna, etc.; completely overlooking the great ethics and genuine goodness found in the sutras.
So it’s always a nice change to listen to this side of the sutras.
(Although, it’s interesting to note Buddha both saying this and then afterwards in SĀ 6.28-31 Ten Things that “All sentient being rely on food.” is to be abandoned? What would be the meaning of this?)
Hope to hear more interesting stories from Agamas - and from Maryetta!
