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.