Serving people and going to great nirvana
“That incomparable island, where they own nothing, where they covet nothing, I call Nirvana - freedom from destruction, death and destruction. The key to the kingdom of Truth should be sought in the depths of one’s heart.”
Dhammapada
“At the time when the moon disappeared behind the mountain, the highest of the sages went to Nirvana.”
Shakyashri
Life of the Buddhist Sangha
The first bhikkhus of the Buddha lived in huts, caves, often spent the night in the forest, under a lonely tree, in a rock crevice and other uncomfortable, but conducive to in-depth and heightened perception places.
Buddha abolished and even banned the painful self-torture that was so close to the hearts of Indian truth seekers. The outward neatness of the Buddhist bhikkhus contrasted sharply with the dirty, ash- and dung-covered Brahman ascetics. Purity and strict beauty reigned in the viharas - the first Buddhist monasteries, which first arose in two groves donated to him - Veluvana and Jetavana. Buddhist monasteries for many seemed like paradise on earth, promised oases of internal and external purity, where a tired traveler could indulge in reflection and contemplative practice without interruption” in peace and quiet.
One raja once told Buddha: “In my time I have seen many shramanas, great ascetics, living a perfect life until their last breath, but such a perfect, complete ascetic life, Lord, is nowhere like here.” met. Everywhere there is turmoil, strife, unrest: kings fight with kings, princes with princes, townspeople with townspeople, brahmanas argue with brahmanas, mother and son quarrel, father with mother, father with son, brother and sister with each other, with each other. . Here, Sir, I see monks living in harmony, bhikkhus living in unity, without strife. Nowhere, nowhere, my Lord, have I seen such a unanimous meeting as here.”
In the Dhammapada there are such lines confirming the words of the Raja: “Oh, we live very happily, non-hostile among the hostile; among hostile people we live, non-hostile. Oh, we live very happily, non-sick among the sick; among "We, the non-sick, live with sick people. Oh, we live very happily, although we have nothing. We feed on joy, like shining gods."
Raising bhikkhus
The main influence on people was exerted by the deeds of the Buddhist bhikkhus themselves: many were convinced that bhikkhus Shakyamuni actually realized the ideal of life that the sages of India had spoken about since ancient times. “Many people are vicious,” the bhikkhus repeated the words of the Teacher, “but we, the followers of the great Buddha, will endure insults, like an elephant in battle - an arrow fired from a bow.” Mercy to all is the motto of bhikkhus. He knows how much evil there is in the world, and does not want to multiply it. “Everyone trembles before punishment, life is pleasant for everyone - put yourself in the place of another. You can neither kill nor force someone to kill.”
This principle of “ahimsa” - non-harm to living things and nature, which is one of the provisions of the eightfold path of the Arya, has always found a response in the hearts of the people of India. In order to reach such a level, a gradual struggle with passions is necessary. Therefore, the Buddha said: “Whoever holds back awakened anger, like a chariot trying to get off the road, I call him a charioteer: the rest simply hold the reins.” Mastering the steps of the spiritual path was considered by the Buddha as “a certain series of gradually ascending levels. Starting with an internal determination to conquer the excitement of the transitory and vain, a person suppresses his dark, evil qualities and inclinations. He must, firstly , be kind to everyone, in the name of liberating yourself and others from the power of evil. “A true bhikkhus,” said the Buddha, “will not destroy anyone’s life. And neither fear nor other considerations will force him to abandon mercy and compassion; he is friendly and attentive to all beings gifted with life. He, a bhikkhus, must avoid lies and theft, must be chaste, truthful, must discard rudeness, greed, idle talk, and seek justice in everything.”
Some ascetics, even having received initiation from the Buddha, had old habits. For example, they frightened the population of villages with their appearance or actions. But the Buddha did not advise bhikkhus to do this. He said: “Just as a bee, landing on a flower, does not break its petals, but only takes a certain amount of nectar, so a perfect bhikkhu, appearing in a village, does not disturb its peace in any way, taking a little food for himself. food."
The teacher advised not to succumb to the insults of others and in response not to cultivate anger towards those who did not perceive and blasphemed the Dharma.
“If those who are not with us, O bhikkhus, would blame me, or the Dharma, or the Sangha, then you should not fall into anger, enmity or annoyance because of this.
If you became irritated about this, then danger would arise for you, and not for your opponents, since you would lose the ability to judge: was what they were talking about true or not?” he asked. Buddha: “It shouldn’t, Teacher,” answered the bhikkhus.
“If they begin to speak like this, then, O bhik-shu, you must explain what exactly is wrong in their judgments, and tell them: “This is wrong, this is not so, we do not approve of this.”
The Buddha taught that a bhikkhus must have not only moral perfection, but also complete self-control and awareness, and patiently endure all the hardships and deprivations of an ascetic life.
“He who meditates wisely endures cold, heat, hunger, and thirst, is not afraid of poisonous insects, wind, sun and snakes. He does not respond in kind to words of reproach, he is calm in the face of bodily suffering, in the face of the most bitter, languid torments, restless, destructive to life."
When terror or fear attacked a bhikkhus, the Buddha advised in such cases to turn to the three jewels: “I tell you, bhikkhus, this: if fear comes upon you in the forest, or under a tree, or in an empty cell , numbness, frost on the skin, then remember the Tathagata in this way: “He, Gina, is a saint, truly enlightened, perfect in knowledge and behavior, Sugata, who has known the world, unsurpassed, the tamer of the violent, the Teacher of the gods and people, the Awakened One, Bhagavat." As you remember Me, that fear, numbness, frost on the skin that will come over you will let you go.
If you don’t remember me, then remember the Teaching: “It was proclaimed for good by the Victorious Buddha, the Dharma, visible, endless, addressed to everyone, attractive, internally cognizable by the discerning.” As you remember the Dharma, the fear and numbness that comes over you will let you go.
And don’t remember about the Teaching, remember about the Sangha: “On the good path is the Community of those who listen to the Buddha, on the straight path of the Sangha of those who listen to Jina. She is worthy of veneration, very worthy, worthy of reverence. She is the highest field of merit for the world.” As you remember about the Community, that fear, numbness and other things will let you go.
Why is this so? Because, O bhikkhus, the Tathagata is an Arhat, a Truly Enlightened One, free from passion, free from hatred, free from delusion, free from fear, free from fear, free from panic and fright.”
"A true bhikkhu walks through the excitement of life "quiet and free", does not seek honor or respect. He has tamed all the desires of the heart, does not condemn anyone, there is no hatred in him for sinners, but there is no approval either. He radiates into the world waves of joy and friendliness, mercy and compassion, with an equal attitude towards everyone. For the complete renunciation of the joyful, knowing and contemplating the truth. Perfectly firm in spirit, not causing suffering to anyone. Perfectly finished with all passion, victory over resistance The expression of the “I” is truly the highest pleasure.”
“Never will a drop of dew rest on a lotus petal; a wise man will never cling to anything that is visible, audible and created. He who has shaken off all sinful things will not accept in greed anything that is visible, audible and created He does not seek purification through another, for nothing coming from outside pleases or saddens him*.
Nirvana, which the Buddha taught his disciples about, is the lot of the diligent and diligent. The path to it is pure contemplation. An Arhat, having cast aside attachments, free from vanity, sadness and joy, tempered in the school of self-deepening, during his lifetime joins the “unmanifested being.” Thus, he frees himself from further wanderings in the worlds of samsara.
Visiting home
The glory of the great Buddha spread like a lion's voice throughout the land of Magadha. She also reached Kapilavastu, the homeland of the Awakened One. After five years of serving people, Buddha decided to visit his native places. For him they were like places of a kind of past life.
The news of his approach brought the Shakyas into confusion: the elderly Raja Shuddhodana was glad to finally see his only son and prepared a magnificent meeting. He ordered the palace to be filled with flowers and invited numerous guests. However, among the Shakyas there were also those who did not share their father’s joy: it seemed humiliating to them to greet with such honors a beggar vagabond who had abandoned his father and betrayed his duty. Their murmur caused Shuddhodana some confusion.
Meanwhile, the Awakened One with a large retinue of bhikkhus, in constant red-dish-yellow robes, approached his hometown and settled down in a grove not far from the main gate. Having learned about this, Shuddhodana did not know what to do. His paternal feeling attracted him to immediately rush to meet his son who had passed away many years ago, but, on the other hand, he could not eliminate the wounded pride of the raj and his dislike for the bhikkhus, whom he considered as the source of his misfortune, and this stopped him. After all, kings are not bhikkhus who are free from preconceived opinions.
In the end, the father in him defeated the king, and he went to the grove to look for Siddhartha. When he and his retinue saw the prince in beggar’s rags, with a shaved head, with a begging bowl, they could not utter a word out of sadness and indignation.
The Awakened One removed the burden of the moment by demonstrating miraculous transformations. He rose into the air and sat in a yogic pose, spreading from his body thousands of rainbow rays, at the ends of which shining buddhas were formed, releasing in turn the same rays with the same buddhas sitting in a lotus, slightly smaller in size , so that the next moment all visible space was filled with myriads of buddhas pulsating with light. Then the manifestation gave way to another: his face began to change in a striking way, revealing for a brief moment the images of the predecessor Buddhas and the future Buddhas, a dazzling flame burst out of his chest, then a stream of murmuring water, a whirlwind rose, sweeping the body of Muni into many smallest parts, which after some time gathered again, forming the standing figure of the Awakened One...
People were speechless with amazement. However, even such a manifestation of power, indicating complete mastery of the secret of manifested existence, did not overcome the Raja’s prejudices. He again saw the beggar ascetic. There was no cordial conversation, and there was no increase in understanding. The confused Raja left in the most conflicting feelings. Night fell and the bhikkhus had to spend the night in the open air.
Morning came and the Awakened One, together with everyone, as if nothing had happened, went to the city to beg for alms, lowering his eyes and in complete silence. When the news of this reached Shuddhodana, there was a commotion in the house. The pride of the Shakya Raja was even more astonished; he hastened to find his son and showered him with reproaches: “Can’t we really find food for your bhikkhus?” he shouted, “don’t disgrace our glorious royal family! there were no beggars in the family!
The Awakened One calmly and calmly answered that He most of all values not blood, but spiritual kinship, and that His great predecessors, the Buddhas, also wandered, living on alms. Seeing that his father had softened, Buddha gave his consent to enter under the roof of his former home.
As soon as he entered, his wife Yashoda ran out to meet him. Seeing her husband in the clothes of a wandering ascetic-scar, she threw herself at His feet, bursting into tears. At this time, the father mourned the bitter fate of his daughter-in-law and said that from the very day of her departure she had been faithful to him and led an almost ascetic lifestyle.
As far as possible, sparing the human feelings of his former relatives, the Awakened Siddhartha Gautama spoke for a long time about the virtues and benefits of a renounced life, about the futility of worldly existence, about the causes of unrest in this world.
The spectacle was unusual and amazing. Warlike Shakyas and beggar bhikkhus were nearby. Pride, arrogance, arrogance came together with tolerance, humility and prudence. The Shuddhodana Palace had never seen anything like this. Many of the Shakyas, having left the past, heard from the former prince: “Come to me, O bhikkhus!” — put on monastic robes.
Buddha consoled Yashodhara by telling her about the predetermination of what had happened, about the inevitability for every living thing, sooner or later, to think about the eternal, indestructible abode. He told her and Shakyam about the eightfold path of the true Aryans, and not by gender and origin. He revealed to them the secrets of past births, explaining by the actions of the past the deep meaning of his and their destinies. The Buddha invited Maudgalyayana, the omniscient and wise one, to tell the ancient history of all the Buddhas and the origin of the Shakya family, which delighted those present, causing many to think deeply and fall after the story at the feet of the Teacher.
After some time, a boy approached him. All this time, he, along with everyone else, listened to the unusual wanderer, and when those looking after him were no longer able to hide from him who it was, he ran up and asked his father for the inheritance, as they told him. The father described his life in such a way that the relationship between father and son improved without intermediaries, and Rahula did not want to part with him, asking to join the Sangha. Despite some dissatisfaction with the stubborn Shakyas, “he left on his own, and even lured away the child.” He accepted Rahula into the Sang-hu, saying: “Come to me, O bhikkhus.” At the same time, the Buddha said that children can be accepted into the Sangha only with the consent of the parents.
A few days after the meeting, the bhikkhus continued to follow the Enlightened One, who was now walking next to his son. Many Shakyas followed along the dusty road, wearing the clothes of bhikkhus. The future will show that they, thus, not only found an invisible abode, but also literally saved their lives from destruction in the last battle for the Shakyas. Very many took the vows of Pancasila, becoming upasakas or upasikas, like Yashoda, the former wife of the prince.
Devadatta's machinations
After visiting Kapilavastu, the Sangha was replenished with many relatives of the Buddha himself. Many of His acquaintances from childhood and youth took the vows of bhikkhus. Such were Nanda, Devadatta, Ananda and many others who joined the community immediately after the sermon in the Suddhodana palace. Two of them, his cousins, Ananda and Devadatta, subsequently began to play a very noticeable role in the life of the Buddhist Sangha: one devotedly served Him all his life to the end, the other, out of envy and bad inclinations, in every possible way interfered with the Awakened One, trying to split the Community .
“When a fool, through his misfortune, gains possession of knowledge, it destroys his lucky lot, breaking his head. He may desire an unbecoming position among the bhikkhus and power in the viharas and the veneration of other clans,” these words of the Buddha were are said specifically about Devadatta, Gautama’s cousin, who caused the Teacher a lot of grief during the entire time he was in the sangha.
What methods did he invent to belittle the Buddha in the eyes of others and increase his own importance! He offered his power to the bhikkhus, proposed to remove the Buddha from the leadership of the sangha, and tried to take his place. He started intrigues at the court of Mahara-ji of Magadha with the aim of defaming Gautama Buddha, but Ajatashatru did not agree to Devadatta’s proposals. When disagreements arose among bhikkhus or laity, Devadatta found himself in the thick of what was happening and inflated all conflicts to impressive proportions.
Buddha had a flexible mind: if conditions changed, then some of the rules governing the life of the community changed accordingly. With the advent of vihara monasteries, many rules of the forest life of bhikkhus turned out to be, if not impossible to implement, then at least unnecessary in the new living conditions. Therefore, the Buddha abolished a number of rules based on the precedents of the early wandering life, and softened the Vinaya. This was immediately regarded by some adherents of a harsh life as a departure from holiness, which Devadatta did not fail to take advantage of.
This revealed De-vadatta’s immoderation, his duality. Firstly, when he gained the trust of the former prince Ajatashatru, he and his entourage, the younger monks who were with him, were served 500 servings of rice with milk every day. Unable to resist such honors, Devadatta became proud, which was the beginning of his downfall. Secondly, having already planned a split in the Sangha, Devadatta suggested that the Awakened One introduce more severe rules into the community, including completely abstaining from eating meat and fish, not spending the night indoors, and more. Thus, Devadatta was immoderate in the most literal sense: he did not know the limit and deviated from it first in one direction - excessive overeating, then in the other - excessive fasting.
Having thus gathered the dissatisfied, numbering about five hundred, Devadatta made a demand to the Buddha: to abandon innovations, from monasteries, from sedentarism, and to return to more frequent performances of the Pratimoksha ritual. Devadatta's demands were full of jealousy for the Buddha, and an outward, formal, and dogmatic attitude toward practice prevailed.
Buddha rejected all claims of the schismatic. Devadatta did not obey and left the sangha for the forest, dragging along half a thousand ascetics. The bhikkhus, thanks to the admonitions of Shariputra and Maudgalyayana, were returned - the two great sthaviras (“elders”) had to use miraculous transformations and arrange a most interesting debate, but Devadatta himself did not abandon his criminal plans. He sent hired killers to the Buddha, but they were attacked by fear and horror, and subsequently they accepted his Teaching.
Another time, Devadatta climbed a mountain and dropped a huge piece of rock onto the Buddha and his disciples passing below. But this stone fell on two peaks leaning towards each other, so that Buddha only slightly hurt his leg.
The third time, being in Rajagriha and knowing that there was a violent elephant there, trampling people to death, Devadatta persuaded the people to let him along the narrow street along which Bhagavat would go. The Arhats and Arya first asked the Teacher to turn somewhere and evade, but the Buddha reassured them, saying that “Buddhas do not die a violent death.” After this, the Arya saints really retreated, without tempting fate, only Ananda remained, who was not yet an arhat at that time, but “simply loved” the enlightened one. He tried to shield the teacher, but Buddha asked him not to do this and to move away. When the angry elephant approached, Buddha subdued it with kindness, and the animal calmed down and approached peacefully.
The Buddha often told his disciples about the karmic reasons that led Devadatta to the evil path. These reasons were sown in distant past lives, when Devadatta, being another being, created his own karma through evil deeds in order to resist Him during the life of the Awakened One. Shakyamuni accepted him solely out of mercy, in order to soften his subsequent fate.
The activities of the Buddha, even without the machinations of Devadatta, were full of all kinds of adventures and dangers. Despite his greatest authority during earthly life, he also had other enemies who created obstacles for him.
The ferocious robber Amgulimala, outlawed because he killed every traveler he came across, after an unsuccessful attempt to intimidate the Buddha, converted to Buddhism, was accepted as a member of the sangha and peacefully ended his days as a monk.
One brahman, named Magandiya, offered his beautiful daughter as a wife to Buddha, despite the latter’s belonging to a different caste and his vow of celibacy. By his refusal, Buddha made an irreconcilable enemy in the person of the beauty he rejected: she subsequently married the king’s son and tried to take revenge on Buddha.
He had to endure a lot: false accusations from opponents, preachers of other teachings, and outright contempt from people, especially relatives and friends of the Kshatriyas, who believed that such a healthy, strong man would be better off taking up farming or some other useful work.
However, with the exception of the machinations of a relative and individual enemies, the long life of the Victorious One flowed like a powerful, pure river, confident in its greatness, carrying along smaller streams in its movement towards the great Ocean of Awakening.
Sanghga is a Buddhist community. Sometimes the entire religious brotherhood is also called the same name. Initially, the same word was used to understand all of Shakyamuni’s disciples, who were reflected in mythical tales associated with Buddhism. Later, one who took the appropriate vows became a member of the Buddhist sangha - they were both lay and monastic.
Different meaning
The traditional sangha includes monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen. The presence of such a society indicates that Buddhist teachings have spread throughout the state. And at the same time, the word is used in a narrower sense, when a person takes Refuge. Sangha is a community of those who have freed themselves from the illusions of the ego.
The monks
Initially, such a community was established in the 5th century BC. He thereby provided the means for those wishing to engage in Dharma practice throughout the day, free from everyday life. In addition, the Buddhist traditional sangha has another important role: it preserves the teachings of the Buddha and spiritually supports those who follow his path.
The main nuance of monasticism in this religion is considered to be the connection with Vina, which contains many behavioral norms. For example, monks lead a chaste life, eating only before noon. The entire remaining period of time is devoted to the study of the Holy Scriptures, singing and meditation. If someone violates these provisions, they face expulsion from the community.
It is noteworthy that Tendai, the founder of the Japanese movement, reduced the number of restrictions to 60. And many schools that appeared later were completely replaced by Vinaya. For this reason, adherents of Japanese schools observe priesthood. This is not monasticism.
Restrictions
Monastic life in the Sangha means giving up most of one's possessions. What remains from the property are 3 robes, a bowl, cloth, needles and thread, a razor and a water filter. As a rule, the list is supplemented by one or two personal items.
By tradition, monks do not wear casual clothing. Initially, their robes were sewn from pieces of fabric and painted with earth. The theory has been put forward that saffron was once used in painting. But this was hardly possible, since this product was considered expensive at all times, and the monks were poor. The colors of the robes currently indicate the monks’ affiliation with one movement or another.
The monks were called "bhikkhus", which translates as "beggar". As a rule, they asked for food. And the laity fed these people in exchange for ensuring them good luck in subsequent reincarnations. Despite the fact that Indian monks did not engage in labor, with the advent of religion in Asian and Chinese countries, they began agriculture.
Myths
It is a misconception that being a member of the sangha means being a vegetarian. Indeed, a number of suras do not advise eating meat products. However, it is known that in the Pali canon, which was compiled 300 years after the Buddha's parinirvana, the latter refused to put forward vegetarianism as a requirement in the sangha. He considered it a personal choice for each practitioner.
At the same time, in a number of countries, monks, as a rule, take corresponding vows and stop eating meat. Tibetan traditions do not include such a vow. As a rule, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese monks do not eat meat, while Japanese and Tibetan monks do not necessarily take such vows.
In the Mahayana sutras, the Buddha proclaims that any lay person can achieve enlightenment. But there is a common myth in Western traditions that enlightenment is impossible outside the sangha. In the sutras there is a story about how the Buddha's uncle, a layman, achieved enlightenment by listening to the Buddha's speeches.
In the exercises
The Sangha is hailed as the third of the jewels. In the teachings there are 3 levels: arya-sangha, bhikshu-sangha, maha-sangha. The first is translated as “holy”. Arya is always considered a saint in Buddhism. And an arya sangha is a community of saints who have certain achievements and spiritual experiences. Such individuals are spiritually united, despite the fact that they do not contact in physical shells. The Sangha of this level is precisely a spiritual community, represented by people of various eras and states. Separation in time and space does not exist for them.
The Bhiksha Sangha is a monastic community. It is hardly possible to imagine how many monks and nuns there were in the most ancient monasteries. It is known that a Tibetan monastery with 500 monks was considered small. There were always many bhikkhus living in such formations.
Finally, the maha-sangha is a collection of everyone who has in one way or another gone for Refuge and follows certain instructions. These are all people who have accepted Buddhist principles or truths, regardless of what kind of life they lead. The Maha Sangha has the most representatives.
Dharma Sangha
The average person could also hear the word “sangha” in the context of the story about the young man. His real name is Dharma Sangha, he spent 6 years in meditation without food or water. The attention of the whole world, including enlightened minds, was drawn to him.
At the age of 15, the young man was inspired by the example of Buddha and sat down to meditate in the jungle, achieving deep concentration, from which he did not leave for 6 years. It is known that he was bitten twice by a snake, the poison of which can kill a person. But he bore it quite calmly. He sweated profusely, thanks to which all the poison was removed from his body.
Someone claimed that it was on this day that the young man gained enlightenment. Since 2005, people began to flock here. All the witnesses said that Dharma Sangha sat motionless, did not eat or drink, and did not move from his place. They started offering excursions here. Then the young man moved to another, quieter place.
Film crews tried several times to get close to him to find out whether the young man had really been living all this time without food and water. The Discovery Channel shot 96 hours of continuous film from the tree under which the young man was sitting, finding that he did not move during this time, despite the cold and changing weather. No supplies of water or food or pipes were found near the tree. The young man's body showed no signs of physical degradation caused by dehydration.
Sangha in Russia
At the moment, there is also its own Buddhist community on Russian territory. The head of the traditional sangha of Russia is Pandito Khambo Lama, a native of the Chita region. Under his leadership, several datsans were opened in the country, and international relations developed.
Buddhism is considered one of the most popular religions in the country. Traditionally, it is confessed in Transbaikalia, Altai, Kalmykia, Tuva and Buryatia.
In recent years, the Buddhist traditional sangha in Russia has expanded to Moscow and St. Petersburg. In these cities, the number of Buddhists is 1% of the total population, and there is a tendency for the number of followers of this world religion to increase.
Story
It is known that the roots of the Buddhist Sangha in Russia go back to antiquity. The first mention of Buddhists in Rus' dates back to the 8th century. It was associated with the country of Bohai, located in the Amur region. It was a state created under the influence of Chinese and Korean traditions. His religion was Buddhist. Its Tibetan form spread to Russia in the 17th century. When the Kalmyk tribes accepted Russian citizenship, this trend spread among the Buryats. At that time, Tibetan lamas were fleeing political events in their homeland.
In 1741, a decree was issued by Siberian government officials. He established the permissible number of datsans and lamas on the territory of the Russian Empire. This was not official recognition of this world religion, but at the same time it made the Buddhist clergy legitimate. It was officially recognized by Catherine II in 1764, when the post of Pandit Hambo Lama was established in the Russian Empire. In the 19th century, the practice of these religious teachings was recognized as legal.
But when during the Soviet years, in the 1930s, there were several uprisings in datsans against the new government, the USSR began to fight Buddhism. In 1941, not a single datsan remained in the country, and the lamas were repressed. It was officially recognized that this was done with the aim of destroying the Japanese sabotage network.
The Pravda newspaper published articles about how Japanese intelligence officers pretended to be Buddhist preachers and opened datsans, creating bases for further sabotage. Japan acted as patrons for peoples who from time immemorial followed Buddhist traditions, which were now prohibited on the territory of the USSR. This country actively attracted the Mongols and Buryats to its side. Many monks on Russian territory were dissatisfied with the actions of the Soviet authorities. They came into contact with representatives of Japanese intelligence and the army. Stalin took harsh repressive measures.
Renaissance
Religion began to revive on Russian territory in 1945, after Japan was defeated in the war, and believers asked to build the Ivolginsky datsan. And the Soviet government agreed to this. This datsan became the residence of the lama, the head of Soviet Buddhists.
At the same time, the state allowed representatives of certain nationalities to be Buddhists. If Buddhism was accepted by representatives of other nations for whom it had never been traditional, the authorities treated them negatively, considering them dangerous. And they often hid underground until the end of the 20th century. But with the liberalization of society and the collapse of the USSR, the situation changed radically.
After the collapse of the USSR
In 1990, more than 10 datsans opened throughout the country, and construction began on several more. In 1996, the new Charter introduced the concept of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia. She became a member of the World Fellowship of Buddhists. Includes several organizations and centers associated with this world religion.
It should be noted that at the moment in the Russian Federation there is still no centralized institution that would unite all the Buddhists of the country. There are separate communities associated with different directions.
Current situation
At the moment, Buddhism is becoming more and more popular among the indigenous Russian population, as well as representatives of other nationalities. In the Russian Federation, Buddhism is officially proclaimed 1 of the 4 traditional religions for the country, along with Islam, Judaism and Orthodoxy.
The number of Buddhists in the country is about 1,000,000 people. Datsans are increasingly appearing in areas that are not traditional for Buddhist movements in the country. It is known that datsans opened in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Samara, and that the current trend is that the flow of people into them is increasing.
Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, with permission from Chagdud Gonpa Foundation
MIRROR OF LIBERTY (episode): number 14
Chagdud Gonpa Foundation
In liberating ourselves and others from the circle of suffering, we depend on someone who has already achieved liberation. That's why we follow Buddha as our guide. He is like a cartographer who has already traveled to the places we would like to visit and shows us how to get to our destination. Dharma, the teachings of Buddha, is how to get there, like a map. Those who preserve this teaching in an unbroken lineage, the Sangha, are our companions on this journey. They support us on the path, protect us and prevent us from straying from the right path. Our Sangha friends facilitate our connection with the Dharma and our practice until we achieve awakening.
The Buddha's blessings arise from his attainment of the Three Kayas, the three aspects of the enlightened mind; the blessings of Dharma arise from eternal truth; the blessings of the Sangha are in its members, in their pure one-pointed intention as they walk together along the path.
The Tibetan word for Sangha is gedun. The first syllable in it means virtuous or good, the second means “to yearn for” or “to strive for.” Thus, members of the Sangha are those who love virtue and who perform and maintain good deeds. Those who try to transform their bad habits, purify the negative ones and cultivate good actions, benefit others at the level of mind, speech and body.
We in the Sangha are flawed; if we were, then we would not need to follow the spiritual path. Because we all need help, we are heading in the same direction. The foundation of the Sangha is that each of us decides to follow the path of Buddhadharma, and follows it single-pointedly until we reach the ultimate goal, awakening. When climbing a mountain, we can get to the top in different ways.
If we started with one path, then decided that it was not good and started another, and then again decided that the next one would be better, we will never begin to progress. To get to the top, we must find the path that suits us best, but the important thing here is that we must move step by step and not change the path.
By recognizing that samsara is illusory and like a dream, and that those who have not realized suffer in this dream through their faith in the concreteness of their experience, we cultivate great compassion and the desire to help others awaken. But first we must awaken ourselves - climb to the top of the mountain - this is how we apply the spiritual path.
By developing the ability to liberate others, we follow the short path of the Vajrayana. Through initiation into the mandala by the Vajra Master, we were introduced into the pure nature of phenomena and accepted the same responsibilities and goals as the Vajra Master. Those who have received this introduction and practice the transformation of ordinary deluded perceptions through constant recognition of this pure nature are members of the Vajrayana sangha. Through such meditation one can quickly reach the highest peak.
Sangha as a training ground
The Sangha embodies two absolutely certain qualities. The first is direct recognition of the perfect nature of the mind, which gives rise to the second, liberation from illusions, confusion and poisons of the mind, that is, from the causes of suffering.
Those who possess these qualities, as well as fully understand and support the vows of refuge, realize and bring this into life, on the path, are not quite ordinary people. As true members of the Sangha, they are dedicated to non-harm and helping others as much as they can. We can rely on their example, as well as their leadership and guidance.
We in the Sangha need to realize that others look to us as helpers and role models in how we apply the Dharma in our lives. We must never go astray to prevent anyone from getting lost.
We must develop faith, devotion, respect, friendship and support both among ourselves in the immediate or inner Sangha, and with others in the greater Sangha, which includes practitioners of the Buddhist tradition throughout the world and especially the four Vajrayana schools who have the vows of Refuge and Bodhichitta .
Regardless of which Buddhist tradition we follow, we have received the blessing of the Three Jewels - Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, through any spiritual teacher who carries the pure and unbroken lineage of the Buddha's teachings, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the incarnation of Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, in human form, and many other manifestations of enlightened beings.
Before achieving parinirvana, the Buddha prophesied that in times of decline he would manifest as spiritual friends and teachers. Even just prostrating before the burnt bones of one who has received the four lines of Dharma teachings generates immeasurable merit. On the other hand, seeing or dwelling on the shortcomings of members of the Sangha detracts not only from our refuge vow, but also from the Bodhisattva vow. Losing our pure vision of the inner Sangha destroys our commitments at a deep level - this is so in the Vajrayana.
What should we do to keep the Sangha strong? First, we must understand that practicing the Dharma means correcting our own mistakes and changing our own mind. As humans, we have flaws. Just as brothers and sisters in a large family learn to live in harmony with each other, we learn to help and support each other in the Sangha. If we are crossing a river holding hands and someone falls, we should not leave him there; we'll pick it up and keep going.
Simply listening to Dharma teachings is not enough to completely transform yourself. There is a method in the teaching, and we begin to cultivate compassion within ourselves. If someone in the Sangha is rude to us, instead of responding in our usual way, being sarcastic, angry, prickly, or holding a grudge, we practice compassion. As Dharma practitioners, we apply our understanding of karma to difficult situations, understanding that those who upset others create negative karma. And if instead of criticizing, we try to help, then we do good. And in this way we clear the karma of the mistakes we have previously made.
There are times when we are upset or irritated. Sometimes our body is not right. Sometimes our subtle energies are upset and our mind is agitated. Sometimes we just get out of bed on the wrong foot. We must realize that all these emotional disturbances are not permanent, they will pass like clouds in the sky - just be patient until they go away.
We must not add fuel to the fire. If an irritated person says something annoying, we must be patient and remain respectful. We should not prolong or somehow correct the situation, rather we should wait until the person calms down and then talk to him. We should always focus on how to help others rather than how to benefit ourselves.
When anger arises, the best thing we can do is to drop it. But if we cannot do this, then we wait patiently and he eventually disappears. Because Sangha members should not dwell on anger for months and years, they should not damage relationships because of resentment. If we try again and again to develop love, compassion and patience, then gradually we will make progress in our practice. Like grains of barley in a sack that have been peeled off by rubbing against each other, members of the Sangha working together are able to purify the obscurations and poisons of their minds, and by collaborating, learn and grow.
The world will not change for us. At the very beginning of our journey on the path of Dharma, we realize that what needs to be changed is our own mind - that our mind is the place of training. We find that there is nothing in Samsara or Nirvana that is beyond the mind; everything grows from it. Our interaction and service to the Sangha is like a mirror that reflects our mind back to us, how we use Dharma methods to correct ourselves. If we find that we are responsible for conflict situations, then we usually have to ask ourselves, “Why am I reacting this way?”, “Why am I holding on to these things?” By transforming the poisons of the mind as they arise, we learn to work more effectively with our circumstances, and to live in accordance with the spiritual purpose of our lives.
In the beginning, the Sangha is like a collection of sacred objects, such as statues, in a bag. They inevitably clang against each other. If people try to benefit only themselves, then this will completely devalue their spiritual aspirations. On the other hand, if they try to be patient, respect and love others, and have compassion, then these qualities will spread and benefit everyone around them. And when they do anything in the world, where there are few conditions for spiritual practice, they will have well-established habits of patience and kindness. They will not lose them in tense situations. In this way, the Sangha provides a training ground for applying the Dharma in the larger world, which is the true arena for our practice.
Benefits from the Sangha
Those who accept the teachings of the Buddha are the children of the Buddha's Speech. Those who recognize the true nature of the mind are children of the Buddha Mind. One day we took refuge, received Buddhist teachings and entered the path. Our situation is no longer common; something has changed.
Like an insect trapped in a milk bottle, flying around in circles without hope or help, we eventually discovered that the only way out was through the hole in the neck of the bottle. By taking refuge, by listening to teachings, by exercising the mind, we poke a hole in cyclical existence. We'll finally get out. For a Buddhist, the practice of samsara is not endless.
Taking refuge vows gives us access to the Sangha, but only if we rely on and have the same spiritual goals. If we take Refuge but don't actually accept the ideals of the Sangha, we are like someone who has hidden something rotten under the rug, and when someone else smells it, insinuates that it is someone else's problem. But it is our own fear, hope and selfishness that are the cause of this disgusting smell.
As new practitioners, we are like children holding on to their mother's skirt. We find great support in those practitioners who have recognized the nature of mind. This is the quality of those members of the Sangha whom we strive to be like and to whom we strive to hold on. If we watch them, we can see how to control our mind, how to regulate our speech and how to behave.
If we see someone reciting a mantra, we remind ourselves to practice to help others. If we see someone helping another person, meditating or working beyond their limitations, we imitate them. If we are always aware of the good qualities of our fellow Sangha members and follow their example, and at the same time recognize our own shortcomings and work to reduce them, our practice will improve.
Because spiritually we are just learning to walk, the legs of our practice are still extremely unstable. When children learning to walk watch adults walking, they think they can do the same, but they often stumble and fall. It helps them to have their hand held because it is more stable than when they stand on their own. Often, something said by a Sangha friend will resolve uncertainty in our practice and prevent us from going in the wrong direction or taking a big detour. Just one remark can stop us and put us back on track.
By controlling the mind, maintaining moral integrity, being attentive, careful and diligent, we gain the respect of other members of the Sangha. But we must also be careful not to develop pride in being part of the Sangha. Instead, we must remind ourselves that we are on the path with the Sangha because we are not yet awakened. We have poisons of the mind that need to be purified by practice and constant checking of the actions of body, speech and mind; Do we reduce the negative and increase the good?
Another benefit of practicing with the Sangha is the multiplication of merit through group effort. For example, if someone recited a mantra a hundred times, then he or she has accumulated (or has accumulated) merit from reciting the mantra a hundred times. But if ten people repeated a mantra a hundred times, then each of them accumulated the merit corresponding to repetition a thousand times.
Moreover, just as something can be done quickly and well if there is a person with the necessary skills, and just as loading becomes very easy if there is a person in the team who is stronger than others, so spiritual practice is enhanced by the presence of advanced practitioners. The Buddha said that when in a group of five members of the Sangha, one is the embodiment of a Bodhisattva, the pure aspiration of a Bodhisattva, the intention and qualities give rise to an increase in the virtues of other practitioners.
This is why, traditionally, the Sangha practices together. The benefits of the combined actions of the Sangha not only come from our sitting on the meditation cushion, but also from everything else we do during those times when we are not self-centered, but rather break through self-grasping and act for the benefit of others. By performing every action with pure intention, we overcome our selfishness. Our obligation is to continue to practice in this way until samsara is empty.
In the Sangha, we all have the great fortune of being protected by the Three Jewels. We have Vajrayana initiations, teachings and methods that reveal the true nature of the mind. We should never think of the sangha as a random group of friends, but treat every practitioner with the utmost respect.
Every moment together is a precious opportunity that is a great source of joy. When we practice, train, redirect our body, speech and mind, we remain very close to others; without any barriers. We are here not only reaping the benefits of Sangha support, but also investing in this support ourselves. We go through this life together and will meet again in future lives. This mandala will not be separated until Awakening.
With developed pure aspiration, obligatory formal practice and dharma activity with the Sangha, we dedicate merit not only to fellow members of the Sangha, but to all sentient beings. First of all, we dedicate our practice as a single mandala and our actions of body, speech and mind, to eliminating obstacles to our life, with the aspiration that life will not be interrupted even for a day.
For the practitioner, every day contains an opportunity for practice and great achievement. In addition, we dedicate our merit to ensure that all living beings have good health and well-being, that love and compassion arise within them, and that they are able to practice the Vajrayana methods and achieve the full realization of the absolute truth.
In this way, we can serve the Sangha on an internal level, as well as through pure intention, prayers and good wishes.
, “assembly, multitude”) is the name of the Buddhist community. The term may be used to refer to religious brotherhood in general. In a narrower sense, it is a host of beings who have achieved a certain degree of enlightenment.
In the broad sense of the “Buddhist community,” the term “fourfold sangha” is used: a community of monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen. This is a community, the presence of which, for example, indicates the prevalence of the Buddha’s teachings in a country or region.
In a narrow sense, for example when taking Refuge, it is recommended to understand Sangha as the Liberated Sangha, a community of saints freed from the illusion of “ego” beings.
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Monastic tradition
The community of monks and nuns and the Sangha were originally established by Gautama Buddha in the 5th century BC to provide a means for those who wished to practice the Dharma all day long, free from the restrictions and responsibilities of everyday life. The Sangha also has the function of preserving the original teachings of the Buddha and providing spiritual support to Buddhist communities.
A key feature of Buddhist monasticism is adherence to the Vina, which contains a complex set of rules of behavior, including complete chastity and eating only before noon. Between noon and the next day, a strict order of scripture study, chanting, meditation. Violation of the rules entails punishment up to and including permanent exclusion from the Sangha. The founder of the Japanese Tendai school decided to reduce the number of rules to about 60. Many schools emanating from Tendai abandoned the Vinaya completely. Therefore, as a rule, in Japanese schools there is priesthood, not monasticism.
Monks and nuns may only own a minimum of possessions due to their renunciation attitude (ideally three robes, a begging bowl, cloth, needles and thread, a razor for shaving the head, and a water filter). In practice, they often have several additional personal items.
Traditionally, Buddhist monks eschew ordinary clothing. The clothes were originally sewn together with rags and dyed with earth. The idea that the robes were dyed with saffron seems unlikely, since it was and remains a very expensive commodity, and the monks were poor. The color of modern clothing varies depending on the school (saffron is characteristic of Southeast Asia, Theravada and Mahayana, burgundy is used in Tibet, gray in Korea, black in Japan, etc.)
A word usually translated as monk bhikkhu in Pali or bhikkhus in Sanskrit. Female form - bhikkhunis or bhikkhuni. These words literally mean "beggar", which is traditional for monks to beg for food. In most places this became the rule, people fed monks in order to obtain merit that would ensure them luck in the next life. Although monks did not work in India, when Buddhism appeared in East Asia, monks in China and neighboring countries began to engage in agriculture.
The idea that all Buddhists, especially monks and nuns, practice vegetarianism is a Western misconception. Some sutras discourage eating meat, while according to the Pali canon, which scholars believe was compiled more than 300 years after the Buddha's parinirvana, the Buddha unequivocally rejected the proposal to impose vegetarianism on the Sangha. Therefore, the Theravada tradition (
The Sangha, or spiritual community, is the third of the jewels. According to Buddhist tradition, there are three levels of sangha: arya sangha, bhikkhus sangha and maha sangha. Understanding the meaning of each of these terms will allow us to more fully understand what the Sangha is in the traditional sense of the word.
Arya Sangha
The word arya as part of the expression arya-sangha literally means "high-born" and, in a broader sense, "saint." In Buddhist terminology, arya always means holiness as “contact with the transcendental.” Therefore, the arya-sangha is called so because it consists of saintly persons (arya-pudgala) who have certain transcendental achievements and experiences common to all of them.
These people are united on a spiritual level, but they may well not be in physical contact, because they are united by a commonality of spiritual experiences. At this level, the Sangha is a purely spiritual community, a collection of individuals from different parts of the world and different eras, sharing the same spiritual achievements and experiences, which removes space-time separation for them.
According to the general basis of beliefs and doctrinal positions adopted by all the different schools of Buddhism, there are four types of saints as follows: stream-enterers (srotaapanna), once-returners (sakri-dagamin), non-returners (anagamine) and arhats. They created a spiritual hierarchy that mediates between Buddhahood and ordinary human unenlightenment.
The path to Enlightenment, as taught by the Buddha, can be divided into successive stages in various ways. However, the main division is considered to be three large stages: ethics (Sanskrit - sila, Pali - sila), meditation (samadhi) and wisdom (Sanskrit - prajna, Pali - rappa). Wisdom, the final stage, comes in the form of flashes of insight that illuminate the nature of reality. These flashes of insight are not conceptual, they are immediate and intuitive. They usually occur during deep meditation.
It turns out that in spiritual life nothing comes at once, everything happens gradually, step by step. Slow and systematic progress is required at all stages. So we find that insights come in different degrees of intensity. You may experience a faint flash of insight (if your meditation is weak, it will not give you more), or you will have a very bright, powerful flash of insight that illuminates the hidden depths of reality. Types of saints differ in the intensity of their insight.
This poses an important question: how is the intensity of insight measured? Traditionally in Buddhism, insight is measured in two ways: subjectively, by the number of spiritual shackles (Pali - samyaojana, there are in total “ten shackles” that chain us to the wheel of life in which we rotate) that it can break; and also objectively, by the number of rebirths coming after achieving a given level of insight.
Those who entered the stream.
Saints of the first level are called those who have entered (lit., “fallen”) into the stream (srotaapanna), which will gradually lead them to nirvana. Those who entered the stream developed a level of insight sufficient to break the first three of the ten shackles. Let us dwell on these chains longer than on the others, since they concern us most directly.
The first bond is called satkayadrsti (Pali - sakkayaditthi), which means “personal view”. It is twofold. The first is called sasvata-dristi. According to him, the self-identity of a person remains unchanged after death. This is the traditional belief in the immortality of the soul, any form of it. We, they say, have a soul (an unchanging self-identity, ego), which is different from our body and remains after our death (it either goes to heaven or is reincarnated). What is essential here is precisely that the soul is unchanging (like a kind of spiritual billiard ball that rolls forward without changing); it is not a process, but an existing something. Another type of “personal view” is this: after death comes oblivion: death is the end of everything, everything is stopped by it (the traditional term is “uccheda” - literally suppression). In other words, according to this belief, the mental side of life ends at the moment of death, along with the physical, material one.
According to Buddhism, both are extreme and incorrect views. Buddhism teaches a middle view: death is not the end of everything in the sense that with the death of the physical body there is no complete cessation of mental and spiritual processes; they continue. But this is not the continuation of the existence of an unchanging soul or ego. What lasts is nothing other than the mental process in all its complexity and constant variability and fluidity. From a Buddhist point of view, what continues after death is, as it were, a stream of mental events.
The second bond is vicikitsa (Pali - vicikiccha), which is usually translated as "skeptical doubts" and sometimes as "indecision." This is not the "good faith doubt" that Tennyson said:
“Really, there is more faith in honest doubt,
than in half of the religions."
It would be more accurate to say that vichikitsa is an unwillingness to come to a certain conclusion. People are hesitant, they would rather sit on the fence, they don’t want to jump to either side. They remain in this indecision, are not united with themselves, and do not try to do so. As for the question of posthumous existence, today they think one thing, and tomorrow - completely different. They don't take the trouble to figure it out thoroughly and think everything through clearly. And such complacency in hesitation is a shackle that, according to the teachings of the Buddha, must be destroyed.
The third bond is called silavrata-paramarsa (Pali - silabbata-paramasa). This term is usually translated as “attachment to rites and rituals,” which, however, is completely incorrect. The literal meaning of the word silavrata-paramarsha is “taking ethical rules and religious injunctions as an end in itself.” Sila here is not a ritual at all, but a moral precept or rule (if, for example, it is said that, according to the teachings of the Buddha, one cannot take a life, then this is a sila, a moral rule). Vrata is a Vedic word meaning vow, observance of a religious precept. The element that turns the expression silavrata-paramarsa into a term for "fetters" is paramarsa - "clinging". Thus, together it is “taking moral rules, even (good) religious precepts, as an end in themselves, clinging to them in themselves.”
This brings us back to the parable of the raft. As I already said, the Buddha likened the Dharma to a raft that transports us from this shore of samsara to that shore of Nirvana. Dharma in all its aspects, the Buddha taught, is a means to an end. If we begin to think that moral rules and religious precepts - even meditation or the study of sacred texts - are self-sufficient, then they will become our fetters, and the fetters must be broken. Thus, these fetters arise when religious practice and injunctions are viewed as an end in themselves. They are very good as means, but they themselves are not the end.
These are the first three fetters. One becomes a stream-enterer, therefore, by understanding the limitations of the “I”, the need for certain obligations, as well as the relativity of all religious practices and prescriptions. Upon reaching the stage of entering the stream, according to the Buddhist tradition, no more than seven rebirths remain in the wheel of life, and maybe less. Stream entry is thus an important stage of spiritual life. One can say more - this is spiritual conversion in the true sense of the word.
In addition, stream entry is achievable for every serious Buddhist and should be considered as such. There is no use in meditating lukewarmly and somehow following the five precepts, looking sideways at Nirvana. One should seriously believe that it is quite possible in this life to break the three shackles, enter the stream and firmly embark on the path to enlightenment.
Returning one day.
Saints of the second level, “once returning” (Skt. sakrdagamin), are those who will return as a person to earth only once; they broke the first three of the shackles and greatly weakened two more: the fourth, i.e. “the desire to exist in the sensory world” (kama-raga), and the fifth is “hostility” or “anger” (vyapada). These shackles are very strong. Breaking the first three is comparatively easier, because they are “intellectual”, so they can be broken by pure intellect, in other words, insight. And these two are emotional, rooted much deeper, and it is much more difficult to break them. Therefore, even weakening them is enough to become a one-time returner.
A few explanations about these two fetters. Kama-raga is the desire or urge to attain sensual existence. It takes a little reflection to realize how strong this urge is. Imagine that all your senses suddenly shut down. What state will your mind be in then? This will be experienced as a terrible deprivation. And your only motivation will be to regain contact with others, the ability to see, hear, smell, taste, touch. By thinking about this, we can understand to some extent how strong our craving for sensory existence is. (We know that at the moment of death we will lose all our senses - we will neither see, nor hear, nor smell, nor taste, nor touch. Death is torn away from all this, and the mind finds itself in a terrifying emptiness - “terrifying” for those who seeks contact with the outside world through the senses.)
The fourth bond is strong and difficult to loosen; so also the fifth, anger (vyapada). Sometimes we feel as if a source of anger has entered us, looking for an outlet. This happens not at all because something happened and made us angry, but because anger is always in us, but we are only looking for a target around us into which it could be directed. This anger is deeply rooted in us.