Post # 33 - ‘Sathyakkriya’ Part 2- How it is done?

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When it comes to a  ‘truth’ there is nothing more certain than the virtues of the noble triple gem- virtues of the Buddha, virtues of Dhamma, and virtues of Sanga (Arahants, including all those who come within the qualification of Ariya Maha Sanga), to contemplate on. So we will use this as the means to practice Sathyakkriya (the power of truth). Thus this Sthyakkriya will be done along with the meditation practice of contemplation on the virtues of the noble Triple Gem - Buddhanu Sathi Bhavana; Dhammanu Sathi Bhavana  and Sanganu Sathi Bhavana which is a part of the 40 methods of Serenity meditation  described in the Pali Commentary for developing concentration.

Step 1

When you practice Sathyakkriya by using contemplation on the virtues of the Noble Triple Gem, unlike its use in serenity meditation, it is best to recollect those virtues that have inspired you during your different exposures to Dhamma and have got impressed in your memory. Why it is in your memory is because they have been found to be significant by you and therefore has been retained in memory. In other words they are close to your heart and you have some ownership or belonging to them. Reciting a known stanza on the other hand about virtues of the Buddha (Budu Gunna  gayana), is also good (eg. Eithi Pisso or any other), but it might sometimes become a mechanical recitation than something coming out with more mindfulness, and will not be as effective as your own recollections. It might therefore be safer to use both methods if you have a doubt, given that you have the time to spare. That is, first recall from memory the Virtues of the Buddha as you know them (does not matter how much, but what is important is what is impressed in your mind) and then follow up with a known recital. You will then as a practice of Sathyakkriya, observe and endorse that these virtues are true.

It is good if the recollection is made in some rational sequence such as –first Boddhisatta Guna (virtues of the person before attaining enlightenment), then Buddhu Guna (his virtues upon attainment of enlightenment) and thereafter Sammma Sambuddha Guna (the virtues of the enlightened one, after having taught his new found Dhamma that made him a Buddha, to be understood by others) in that order. Then you observe with determination that, “the virtues that I recollected are true and I remind myself that they are true”.

At the beginning what might be recollected can be small but it does not matter, so long as they are actually coming from your memory. As you keep repeating this regularly, the list will expand and you will be surprised as to how much of it keeps coming up. In addition what virtues that you have come to know anew from listening to Dhamma or reading the Dhamma, can also be included in the same sequence.

There are many benefits apart from the Sathyakkriya aspect, of doing this meditation like this. First by contemplating on the virtues of the Buddha you begin to see the incomparable greatness of this teacher and your trust (saddha) in him begins to increase. Also when these virtues keep coming up in your mind regularly you tend to emulate them to the best of your ability and thus become a good person who is more acceptable in society. Also in this exercise or recalling from memory the details of a chosen subject which has been stored at various times at various memory locations, you begin to train your mind to respond similarly in other situations as well. This skill will help you to deal with many situations in life by readily recalling earlier instances where you had dealt with similar ones. This is particularly useful for the student preparing for exams. Their need at the time of writing the exam or responding to oral examination is to be able to recall selectively what they have gathered as knowledge on the particular subject during the preparatory period without missing out anything. 

You may construct your list of Buddha’s virtues carefully with due diligence so that you have ownership to your meditation subject and make it a live list so that you can update it regularly.  

A similar process can be followed for the virtues of Dhamma and virtues of Sanga to make the meditation subject complete. 

Step 2

After this, it is good to do a little meditation on loving kindness and goodwill to all (Mettha Bhavana), compassion and well wishing to all those in distress (Karuna Bahavana), experiencing altruistic joy in seeing other’s happiness (Mudhita  bahawana) and equanimity (Uppekka bahawana). This will help to enhance the purity of the mind at that moment as a support to Sathyakkriya.

Step 3

As a third step you might also recall as many as possible the merits that have been acquired by you, that come to your mind (Punya Kamma and Kusala Kamma).  We may call this a Punyanu Sathi Bahavana which can also be done as a Sathyakkriya. That is observing that the wholesome effects of these meritorious deeds are true. It is important that these are real situations and where possible recollect the actual happening or relive the event. As in the previous bahavanas, what you can recollect here at the beginning will also be limited but will keep expanding as you recall more of it when you do this regularly.

It is customary in Buddhist practice that after such an exercise to invite the deities to partake in this merit. This will enable them to recall such merits that they have accumulated in their samsaric journey. It is said that by these recollection the deities will make such merits come to the fore from their dormant states in the mind and enhance the fortunes that they already enjoy, as a consequence. Thus the favours of such deities will be more forthcoming than before to the meditator who was responsible for triggering the process in the minds of the deities.

You may therefore prepare a complete recital on the above lines to the best of your recollection. This can be updated regularly as you recall more. Then, following the recital, make a determination as a Sathyakkriya. 

This may go as follows:

“The virtues of Buddha, the virtues of Dhamma and the virtues of Sanga that I recollected are true. If they are true, may the power of this truth and the blessings of the deities who partook in the merit, help me to fulfill my following wish & etc.. & etc. & etc   …….?

Whatever the outcome may be, this practice will certainly give you a lot of mental relief and comfort which will help you to cope with worrying afflictions.  

Post # 32 - “Sathyakkriya”- The Power of Truth….Part 1

Are you visiting this Blog for the first time? It would be good if you could read the Post # 1 to know about this Blog. Thereafter read the posts in sequence for the best benefits. 

This Post may be more relevant to the devout Buddhist. This Blog so far has dealt with Buddhist practice targeting liberation from the samsaric cycle and has attempted to rationalize the practice based on the fundamental truths discovered by the Buddha. However we see that when a devotee who treats Buddhism somewhat as a religion is afflicted by worldly problems, the tendency is to resort to some spiritual redress. This comes from deep rooted traditions. Most religions, particularly the theistic religions, advocate a practice to pray to God for solace in such situations, which gives them mental relief and comfort and helps them to cope. The Buddhist devotee however does not have a similar remedy and therefore tries to also rely on practices adopted from other religions.  

It is the nature of our life that we experience ups and downs in our fortunes. On the down side we experience from time to time grief, despair, anxiety, fear, illness, uncertainty, doubt, loss, defeat etc. We have learned to cope by looking at their causes and trying to remedy them. When there is a particularly distressful situation affecting us, we normally resort to remedy the situation by dealing with the perceived causes. Eg. When there is illness we try to give the right medicine, after studying the symptoms and ascertaining the cause. This is taking the necessary actions that are known in the conventional worldly life. The Buddhist devotee however in addition tends to resort to some form of spiritual remedy.

There is a practice advocated by Buddhist Monks in their Dhamma sermons called, Sathyakkriya- the power of truth, to overcome distressful situations when they arise. How this works, I don’t fully know. To give a scientific explanation is also beyond me. But it is said that in many instances good results have been achieved by resorting to this practice.

There are instances in Buddha-Dhamma where there is reference to Sathyakkriya and how it has worked in certain situations. Rathana Sutta, Angulimala Sutta and most of the other Pirith Desana are demonstrations of this practice. These recitation are based on a ‘Truth’ and an ‘Adhisthana’(a determination). It goes as follows: …”as this is the truth,  then, by the power of this truth, may this happen…”.  Most of the time it’s the virtues of ‘Buddha’, of the ‘Dhamma’ and those of the ‘Sanga’ (the noble ones) that are chosen as the subjects of Truth.  The Adhisthana in these recitations is a setha santhiya (well being) for the listeners.

Of the many ways as to how this may be happening, I can think of the following to give you some pointers to help you to understand this better and come to terms with it if your are planning to try it out.

 The Point no. 1:

What we have and what we experience are effects due to causes. They are commonly referred to as 'Kamma Vipaka'. Buddha-Dhamma is also very clear that this experience or happening is not due to one effect based on one cause, but an aggregation of many effects (bundle of effects) due to a bundle of causes. It is never linear as one cause and one effect as some of the older religions in India taught or what modern science adopts as the basis to explain phenomena. Buddha-Dhamma explains that, if that was so, then there would be no need to do anything but wait for things to happen due to old Kammas. There would be no possibility of applying any present actions to mitigate the effects of past Kammas, to fashion out our future and seek ultimate liberation. So the basis of the teaching is that what we experience now and those that we will experience in the future are due to causes from the past and the present actions combining with the past ones. They together act as a bundle of ‘causes’ to give rise to a bundle of ‘effects’ in the present and in the future..

So we are encouraged to do things now to add to the existing  bundle of ‘causes’, so that they will reshape the ‘effects’ that we will experience now and in the future.

Point no.2

Things that happen around us and things that we experience (effects) are not due to past Kamma alone. Buddha-Dhamma explains that they are due to one or more of the following abiding laws or principles (Niyamas) that operate in the universe. They are Dhamma Niyama (laws of nature), Ettu Niyama (laws of seasons), Beeja Niyama (laws of genetics), Kamma Niyama (law of causes and effects) and Chitta Niyama (happenings determined by a mind).

What is relevant for us in this exercise of Sathyakkriya, are the last two Niyamas. A ‘mind’ can think and act which can result as an ‘effect’ or experience. It is clear from our own experiences what this statement means. What I now experience (my endowments, my accomplishments, my problems, the lot) are due to my Kammas from past lives and what my ‘mind’ made me do in this present life.  I brought along some abilities (paramithas) from the past lives, and my mind applied what I learnt and studied in this life and also the minds of my parents made me do things that gave rise to the present accomplishments and results. While the actions of one’s own mind will be the primary driver, the next most effective mind that can influence is that of a parent or a family member.

When there is a particularly distressful situation affecting someone or some people, they first resort to remedy the situation by dealing with the perceived causes. This is their first action looking for relief. In addition they  may also resort to Sathyakkriya as supplementary actions, as demonstrated in Rathana Sutta and Angulimala Sutta etc. When you have sufficient saddha (trust and confidence) in the teaching and try this out in the correct manner,  you will begin to get the initial mental relief and some hope that the spiritual act - the power of truth, also is helping you. Any results  arising from the effects of the power of truth if they do happen will be a bonus..

In a situations where the subject person is unable to do a Sathyakkriya himself/herself, then by the principal of Chitha Niyama (the doings of a mind) the next best person or persons to do this is, one’s own parents or family who can make a genuine and truthful wish for relief. 

I expect this can serve as an explanation as to why we do Sathyakkriya and how it can work. Hope the devotee with sufficient saddha will get the necessary inspiration and motivation to try this out.

The way I have learnt how Sathyakkriya is done will be in the next Posts to follow.  

Post # 31-Updating the Dhamma Blog.

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Dear Dhamma Friend,

This visit of yours, along with the 27500 visits to the site by others as of 2nd May 2024, signifies the growing interest in this site. The stats show that these visits have ranged from Canada to New Zealand.  So far this site was not linked to any search engine, therefore these visits are based on sharing of the link by word of mouth, from one friend to another which makes these numbers very significant. This therefore gives me encouragement to continue my research to update the contents to improve their qualitative usefulness. It also vindicates my objective of starting the Blog as a platform to share Dhamma knowledge with well meaning friends.

I am continually updating the contents in the Blog by reading and listening to Dhamma from recognized sources. It might be good if you could once in a way recheck the blog posts to see whether there are any new refinements in them that you might like to reflect on?.

One of the useful methods for this exercise for me is to get feedback from well meaning friends like you.

Could you therefore help by putting any comments you have in respect of any Post either as a clarification that is needed on what is already there or as an addition to the contents or as a  correction to the contents, so that I can research on the comments and leave some response there. To do this you will need to scroll to the bottom of the page where there is a provision for posting a comment. By clicking on this you will have the space to write something in. Your comments will also enable other visitors to benefit from them and share in the discussion. This way you will be participating in Dhamma Dana (the act of giving Dhamma Knowledge) which is a very meritorious act.

Your friend in Dhamma