Why I say Buddha was an Environmentalist by Practice

Why I say Buddha was an Environmentalist by Practice

I used to say Buddha did not utter any Stanzas regarding Mother Earth.

It is true he did not utter (not his prerogative anyway) any stanzas but by practice he was an environmentalist.

Read the Brahmajala Sutta and the “View of Buddha”.

In his opening questions from Ananda Thera, before outlining his Dhamma Principles, he laid down the prerequisite disciplines (even before sitting down on a meditation session).

In those principles environmental codes are the seventh in order of preferences.

I deal with the environmental issues first, before giving an outline of the three orders of discipline (Culasila, Majjhimasila and Maha sila).

Both before and after enlightenment he lived under trees or gardens, except during the rainy season (Vassana Season).

Then if you read the seven weeks after enlightenment he sat under four different trees for five weeks except the second and fourth weeks.

Why we venerate only Bodhi, the Pipal Tree?

We got it wrong.

We have to respect all plant lives.

They have up to 17 senses more than our six senses.

He forbade damaging to seeds and plant life-to plants propagated by roots, stems, shoots, joints, budding and seeds.

He sat under four trees.

Second week, gazing at the Bhodi tree as mark of respect and the third week walking (is a good exercise not jogging) at an easy pace and contemplating.

Below is a summary of seven weeks but this piece is about the three types of discipline (Sila) for both monks and laypersons should try to practice.

What is interesting in Bramajala Sutta is before dispensing Dhamma, he gave the above essential prerequisites for preparation for Bhavana (the Meditation in practice).

This should interest the monks who carry political messages between political parties, keep elephants as pets, deal with money, property and vehicles.

This is in addition to the 28 to 32 vulgar talks, prohibited, including talking about, kings, ministers, countries, garlands, weights and measures (gold and silver) and vehicles.

I will highlight only a few which our politicians also should be interested.

They are the basics of five precepts,eight precepts and ten precepts in various combination.

I will give the order only in the smaller version of Sila.

Small Disciplines or Culasila

1. Killing (no option but to be a vegetarian if one is practicing Dhamma)

2. Stealing (honesty is the only way)

3. Sexual misconduct including homosexuality (chastity as a virtue)

4. False speech and faked news (utter only the Truth)

5. Slander and political speech (Reconcile, conduce to concord for politicians)

6. Hash speech (again for political shows in TV and Media)

7. Idle or frivolous chatter (those new guys who would intend to contest presidential elections)

8. Musical shows (this applies mainly to Maharaja Organization)

9.Wearing garland (mainly to film stars)

10.Accepting gold and silver (Maligawa and Politicians around that Palace)

11. Elephant trade (Mahinda Mama and some monks)

12. Running messages (one version of Bodu Bala Sena)

13. Buying and Selling (Perpetual treasuries)

14. Bribery, deception and fraud (Finance ministry with P.M as head and the various parliament committees)

15.False measures and weights (Gold and Silver, Suwarnavahini included-not for bread and butter)

2. Come to Middle Order Disciplines (Majjhimasila)

1.Lottery

 

2. Buying and selling MP Vehicles

3. Gambling stalls

4. Massaging stalls (Chinese and Thai investments)

5.Games including cock fights, bull fights and elephant fights

6. Boxing, wrestling and karate

7. Cricket, football (Pirith Nula before championship tournaments, is a case in point)

8. Running errands for kings and politicians

9. Debating and wrangling arguments

10. Scheming and talking

3. Now the Long and the Mahala is intriguing

1. Palmistry

2. Astrology and astronomy

3. Interpreting dreams (my specialty)

4. Predictions and omens (good and bad)

5. Auspicious times (for elections, financial dealings, weddings)

6. Fortune telling (at Anuradhapura and various temples in India)

7.Weather forecasting (BBC is found fault with giving wrong prediction for Ceylon, before cricket matches)

8. Poison craft

9. Snake craft

10. Scorpion craft

11. Bird craft (my specialty-no fruit trees for them)

12. Predicting tsunamis

13. Predicting earthquakes

14. Predicting meteorites

15. Gifts for deities

16. Miscarriages or abortions

17. Virility and impotence

18. Fire sacrifices and fire goods

19. Ointments, medicine and surgery

20. Accounting, computing, calculation, and writing using Free Linux software.

It covers everything except for begging for food for monks.

Yes, I did all this for nearly one year except for begging for food but only a single meal (no coffee, cola and tea).

Yes I slept well without nasty dreams but I started even forgetting my bank PIN numbers.

So because this PIN number problem I gave it up and back to blogging but sparingly now.

Below is how Buddha spent 7 weeks after enlightment.

1. First seven days.

Under the Bodhi tree.

2. Second seven days

He stood at a certain distance gazing at the Bodhi tree with motionless eyes for one whole week.³

3^rd week

Did not give up the temporary residence at the Bodhi tree

4^th week

The fourth week he spent in a jeweled chamber (ratana-ghara)⁵ contemplating the intricacies of the Abhidhamma.

5. Fifth week

Under the Ajapála Banyan tree

Enjoyed the bliss of emancipation (vimutti-sukha)

6. Sixth week

Mucalinda tree

Here arose an unexpected great shower, Mucalinda, the serpent-king,⁹ came out of his abode, and coiling round the body of the Buddha seven times, remained keeping his large hood over the head of the Buddha so that he was not affected by the elements.

7^th week

Rájáyatana tree

Experiencing the bliss of emancipation and Enlightenment.

Speculative Theories and Course Correction

Speculative Theories and Course Correction

 

There are sixty one (61) theories that are considered to be Wrong Views by Buddha.

Many of them existed before Buddha and many of them are still considered to be the essence of humanity, even today.

My belief, is that the present existence of speculative theories are mostly based on Kalama Sutta’s modern interpretation of reality.

Any one new to Buddhism should read Kalama Sutta in conjunction with Brahmajala Sutta (All Embracing Net of Views).

Reading one only leads to misinterpretation of Reality.

I have discussed this before on three points.

They are;

1. Reality

2. Perception

3. The Gap or Void

Wrong perception leads to misconception and misinterpretation and the Gap or the Void is filled with the Wrong View/s.

To start with Buddhism is not a Philosophy, in the true sense of Philosophy.

If you read Prof. A.D.P. Kalansuriya’s book “The Buddha’s Discourses and Wittgenstein” he tries to correct this course and found fault with his fellow Buddhist Philosophers (they were not true thinkers but adherent to dogmas, at that time, naming them is improper).

He was trying to free the Philosophy into its own domain which is a first order discipline by definition.

(Even Wittgenstein saw this malady and called it the "Language Games" played on our minds).

In doing so he cleverly freed the Dhamma from corruption by the fellow travelers, of his age.

These modern age guys were interested in selling their books often derived from their PhD theses.

Having said, that I can now say that Buddhism is a way of life not a philosophy to trash about.

Why I say so.

The Brahmajala Sutta is meant for course correction and laid the foundation of Dhamma.

If one wants to label philosophical tenets, there are only three elements, nothing more.

1. Unsatisfactoriness (of both pain and pleasure principles)

2. Impermanence (of both mind and matter and the material world-Uppada, Thitti, Banga, Arising, Stabilizing and Falling nature of all things)

The modern rendering is “the state of flux”.

3. Impersonal nature of “Beings” and Bhava (Sansara).

Buddha is a teacher.

He laid down the cause (Kamma) and effect (Bhava).

He is not a Saviour.

He shows the path he trod on.

He has no reservations left for himself.

He is freed, so why any reservations?

There is a caveat here.

One is his/her own saviour.

On has to be diligent about the “Wrong View” or the “Wrong Path”.

There is only “One Way”.

Ekayana Maggo!

That way is “Meditation” and correct understanding of the three principles born above.

So Meditation (if one has the time and resources) is a “Way of Life” not a theory for philosophizing.

With those two out, I need to summarize the Nets of Views in brief.

There are basically three types of persons, who want to have their views heard loud and clear.

They are the Eternalists, Rationalists and Skeptics.

All are based on afterlife except one group.

There is no religion in this world that disputes the existence of afterlife except nihilists or skeptics.

Their views are either based on self realization in Jhana states or rationalization based on one’s own thinking.

One can read ones previous life (Jhana State Five) and based on these experiences some of them formulate that, since there was a past life, there ought to be an eternal life that continue after death. 

In some religions merging of self with the eternal self tend to be the essence.

Many selfs are not identified as individual entities but one of a wholesome divine entity.

The next subset in this is that there ought to be a divine creator or God.

There are at least 18 subsets based on eternity.

In this subset, it is the Maha Brahma (may be some of his retinues) who had the grandiose illusion that he was the creator of the world.

The bottom line is, when they consume these planes of lives and exit, they are often reborn in lower form of life often, even lower than human life.

It is a pity.

One who has not pursued the Jhana states to clear vision or wisdom sees these as eternal truths and postulate them as their discoveries.

They are the eternalists.

Then there are the skeptics who do not believe in afterlife.

They create the nihilistic view (only one out of 44 views).

There are 44 views (including View of the Buddha) with future life in in perspective.

This is where the category of perception comes into play.

The perception has a void in it and that gap is filled with any view out of the 62 views of reality.

The Brahmajala Sutta is an attempt at Course Correction from Eternalists, Rationalists and Skeptics, not from Divinity but for the Emancipation from ills, wills and imperfections.

That is to untangle from the tangled entanglement of the Wrong View.

That is why Samma Ditti is the first of the Eightfold Pathway.

In other words Mithya Ditti is the sure recipe for prolonging agony in the lower worlds of existence.

Once one gets his/her mind out of the Kalama Sutta and the Brahmajala Sutta one is free to delve into enormous Sutta discourses and Abhidhamma (mind you very dry in content) for clear view of Dhamma.

No part of Suttas or Abhdhamma is redundant for a wayfarer.

One either needs a true guide or one has to chose his own Sutta or Abhidamma discourses as a guide.

Please read the book of late Prof. A.D.P.Kalansuriya, if one is interested in philosophy.

It is heavy reading by the way, but that does not deter you from reading it, in small doses.  

Philosophy is more difficult than Dhamma.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes

1. Why are mosquitoes not counted on census?
They do not have voting rights.

2.What happens to a mosquito who bites a Sri-Lankan politician?
It (she) becomes completely disorientated.

3.When is the best time to check mate a mosquito?
When it is drunk.

4. Why mosquitoes avoids feeding on drunkards?
They prefer to be sober before a flight check in Or a medical check up.

5. When did the mosquitoes had a medical check up?
When the dengue team arrives.

7. Why most of the urban mosquitoes are not fully insured?
The premium has gone up.

8. What is the first thing a mosquito does when it lands on the moon?
It takes the space suit off for the first feed which it missed on the flight.

9. What happens to a mosquito who lands on a nudist camp.
She does not know where to begin.

10. What does it do when it meets a fellow mosquito in a nudist camp?
Check the sex to mate.

They are not homosexual (unlike human beings).

The following is what happens to the mosquito being after a bite.

11.What happens to a mosquito when it bites President Trump?

She (It) becomes a Megalomaniac.

12.What happens to a mosquito when it bites our P.M.R.W?

She becomes a crook.

13. What happens to a mosquito when it bites our President MS?

She becomes impotent.

14. What happens to a mosquito when it bites ex-president MR?

Her mind becomes small but body gets bloated.

15.What happens to a mosquito when it bites a Catholic priest?

She / he (no sex in heaven) gets an instant email from heaven with a request to be transferred to hell.

16. What happens when a mosquito bites Buddhist monk?

She (It) forgets to repeat its instant buzz of Stanza.

17. What happens when a mosquito bites a Buddhist nun?

It changes it sex to a male.

18. What happens to a mosquito when it bites a Muslim Priest?

She becomes a male and instantly grows a beard but forgets to wear a cap.

19. What happens to a mosquito when it bites a Hindu Priest?

Its colour changes to blue of God Vishnu.

20. What happens to a mosquito when it bites an atheist?

She develops her sense to discriminate believers and feeds only on atheists.

Altered State of Mind and Near Death Experience

Altered State of Mind and Near Death Experience

I do not want to use the medical terms like, illusions, hallucinations and delusions in this discussion since readers are ordinary guys/girls.

Awareness (sanity), altered state of awareness and insanity are better terms.

In near death syndrome, an altered state of awareness is common but most is easily forgotten, if traumatic but remembered with colorful stories if the experience (altered state of awareness) is pleasant.

In between these two extremes of Domanassa and Somanassa feeling or states many different states can be induced by drugs, alcohol, anaesthesia and meditative experiences.

This piece is to highlight the Acid Base imbalance that can be induced in meditative practice involuntarily.

Alcohol and over 18 hour starvation (much less time in kids) can bring about ketosis or disruption of acid state balance of the body and mind.

But ketone is a metabolic substitute for glucose.

In the brain the coconut oil with medium chain fatty acids can supplement and augment ketone pathway better than alcohol. 

 

So do not fear eating Sambol and coconut milk curry if you have a long work schedule without food. 

By the way, even patient with Dementia (there cognitive function) are benefited by a diet rich in coconut oil.

So I advice the coconut treatment to the corrupt politicians in the parliament (all parties new and old are included).

This treatment is with a strong Kithul Polla when they come for the next round of elections, since their nuts are stronger than coconuts.

So in addition to promoting Ceylon Tea give a push to the Coconut Industry and ban Yappies who vandalize coconut states for property development.

Now simple withholding of breathing (this can happen in a wrongly guided meditation) for few minutes causes carbon dioxide narcosis or acidosis that can alter one’s cognition and awareness.

This is not Jhana induced.

Hyperventilation can produce, alkalosis the opposite of acidosis.

This also can happen in meditation due to excitement of reaching a Jhana state or simply due to agitation and anxiety.

The bottom line is validating the effect of meditation should not be left to checking the blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol.

They are poor indicators of wellbeing.

The best indicator is the Acid Base Status which anaesthetists test as a routine in developed countries, since the damage they do to the brain (post operative complications) is substantial.

In that sense the altered states in NDE are directly related to imbalance in acid base balance and not due to divine intervention and often due to medical mishaps (that causes the patient to be transferred to an Intensive Care Unit) which helps the doctors to hide behind.

Our brain is not adopted to high mountain climbing (causes mountain sickness due to hypoxia) or deep sea diving (causes decompression syndrome) so do not volunteer for space travel which the private companies are offering for stupid but rich people.

Read my article on (very old one) physiological effects in space in the wider web.

Postscript;

I do not advice meditation for diabetes patients and both low and high thyroxin levels can have mental symptoms.

Emancipation

Emancipation

Emancipation=the fact or process of being set free from legal, social, or political restrictions; liberation

I was on a self imposed hibernation for nearly one year and want to emerge out of it, to the real world of entanglement.

One reason of my hibernation was the US election and Faked News Saga.

The whole digital world paranoia (Snowdon saga) and the unwanted digital surveillance was my beta noire.

I knew of this covert American, Russian and the latest entry China’s digital surveillance, long before (I do computer forensics and the Kali Linux type infiltration) American (Washington Post) News exposed it.

I called it “Digitally Zeroing” which I tried from 2014 (but could never achieve it-it is a dangerous addiction but the real reason for the hibernation was truly personal and has no relationship to the Internet).

As a preparation, I gave up fish keeping but entered into new environmental study, the Water Lilies to pass the time.

I see no reason for offering flowers at the alter (weddings, garlanding politicians etc) and an antithesis to insect and animal kingdom (honey birds included), instead of uttering the Gata which states the fundamental importance of impermanence in Buddha’s words.

I did not read any books (TV, Media and daily Papers) or indulged in writing (stopped finishing of the three books, I started few years ago, mind you boring medical stuff, no loss to my limited clientele) and said no to everything (including alcohol-prices not the indulgence) except basic food which we loved (food quality has gone down drastically under the new regime but prices going up by the minute).

It was absolutely invigorating and slept well in spite of the mosquitoes (it is the mosquito net I worship now) and bit of Metta (how can one meditate with this mosquito music buzzing) Meditation.

I also discovered that the some of the feel good hormones do not work (if you have a tot after the meditation session), if one sip of spirits is taken in.

The only substitute for feel good hormone is chocolates (I eat them plenty) that over score meditation by 300% (the effect of meditation).

Now to the topic today.

If you are not a physicist do not read beyond this point.

I listened to two of the YouTube discussions on various topics like holographic world, world of information, the computer universe and the quantum physics.

Nothing about dark matter, black holes and expanding or contracting universe in their discussion.

It was a mess and a tangled entanglement to me (who was very good in mathematics and physics from young age).

I thank myself for not taking up those fields and indulging in mediocre medicine (not psychology, the biggest entanglement of the modern world, including modern interpretation of Buddha’s words).

I went to sleep confused but woke up fully invigorated with a dream.

The moment I woke up, I momentarily remembered and meditated on late Prof. A.D.P.Kalansuriya.

He was the one who introduced me to the basics of philosophy.

He used to say these guys do not come out of the box and entanglements.

The dream illustrates his core theme "out of the box thinking".

The dream goes like this.

It was in an American Institute of repute or ill repute (which way you look at them).

The professor standing had four students.

He boxed them in a square not in the Cat Box of uncertainty.

Each one of them is one of the four sides of the square.

Each one has to go high up in his field of thinking to expand the probability aspect of his or her core value (unfortunately all were males and not a single female).

What it does is to make the square bigger but if any one of them goes faster than his fellow beings the square becomes distorted by laws of physics and not of mathematics (which is the bottom line of Western physics).

Ultimately it became a sphere, not a circle and busted out of our universe and entered another universe.

Unfortunately, the dream ended there and I woke up to explore the other universe but I wasn’t there in reality.

This is what we call the Western reductionist point of view but in reality it expanded out of control in the discussion quoted above.

This dream amused me a lot and took the book “The all embracing Net of Views (Brahmajala Sutta)” out to read.

But in this type of situation what one should really do is to drop all the views (that is what Ana Pana Sati Meditation teaches you) one by one and enter into the void (Sunnatta) which frees one from the tangled entanglement.

If one can goes to the furthest end (very difficult scenario) that is what is called emancipation (liberation may not be the correct term) in Buddhism.

It sets one free to the bondage of attachment and is not a void at all.

Healing and Healing Power

Healing and Healing Power

Yes, healing power is a myth.

You are born with it and it is more often than not interfered intentionally or unintentionally.

Often doctors and their attendants are to be blamed.

Let me state a few facts.

Healing power is inborn and fast in the faetus.

Placenta more so than in the faetus.

Any derangement in the faetus, it leads to fibrosis before immune cells are formed or associated with minor congenital abnormalities.

I have done some research work on the placenta and yet to figure out the exact mechanism.

There is a very large nano-molecule called fibronectin and I have coined the name molecular glue for its eternal virtue.

It is both a healer and a protector molecule.

I call it a protector since it can attenuate immune reactions orchestrated by the placental mechanisms.

Do not confuse this with fibrin which can be seen without a microscope.

Healing is faster in kids and slower in the elderly.

In the elderly, it is compounded by metabolic syndromes, poor blood and nerve supply.

Healing is faster in the head and it gradually slows down as one reaches the foot.

The bottom line is any injury heals by itself within 6 weeks the most, unless it is interfered with by an external agency (doctors, their attendants, more so in this country by the well wishers).

Now how one can apply this knowledge.

I will give you few stories.
 

First and foremost one has to give a psychological booster.

I undertake to heal by a fixed time scale.

I add two weeks one upfront and one afterward (usually 10 days in the beginning and 4 days at the tail end of the healing process).

I add 2 weeks and it is a farce by the nature.

But I have my reasons.

Often, they have gone to quack healers.

I need to assess the damage done.

I clean it myself (never delegate) with liberal quantity of saline and never with soap and water.

Water is hypotonic and causes intense pain and hypertonic saline deforms young and dividing cells.

The detergent in soap is antithesis to healing.

It dissolves the cell membranes and the cells bust in no time.

Of course, the soap can be used to clean the normal parts.

The nurse if attending has to count the swabs used and disposed and I estimate the volume of saline used.

That is to make the viable cost in private practice.

Never use antiseptics but rarely Betadine (an iodine solution, good antiseptic and very expensive and never in thyroid patients).

Cover with absorbent material (not available in this country) and a swab on top and ask them to come back after 10 days.

If things warrant 10 day supply of standard antibiotics in full course (they only buy 3 day supply and that is what is intended by me).

Case one

This was a poor farmer from Maiyanganaya.

Bitten by a snake while harvesting (cutting) paddy.

The tip of the ring finger gone and bone exposed but healthy.

He was covering his finger with his handkerchief.

I took the handkerchief and put it in the dustbin and said no handkerchief until I tell you. 

Bit of authority (psychological in part) and get the compliance well attended, on the first day.

I told him in eighty weeks (8) it will be all back to normal minus the tip.

Did the cleaning and and put the sterile absorbent stuff and anchored it safely.

Gave a sling and he has to wear it with hand upwards (prevent oedema an inherent anti-healer).

Antibiotics yes with the bone exposed.

Strict instruction “No handling of the wound” and a postprandial blood sugar on the day of the next arrival in 10 days.

He was not pleased and wanted to come back in three days.

Said No and “No Charges” for the first visit. 

He could pay for the second visit in 10 days. 

I wanted him to come back to me; not go to another guy.

He has to buy only the antibiotics from the nearest pharmacy.

Sure enough he came back, the bone that was exposed was almost covered with skin.

I was pleased.

Skin cover is essential for healing.

(If you want to know about in depth healing go to a burn unit and see for yourself. It is a different kettle of fish).

Come back in another 10 days.

In three visits it was all but healed.

Healed in 40 odd days and he did not have to come back for the last visit.

I had two bonus weeks as intended.

 

Case Two

It was simple matter, a carpenter had got his thumb trapped in a machine.

He came with the wound exposed with part of the skin of the tip of the thumb missing.

Where is the skin?

My opening question.

Put it in a bin.

Go back and bring it and no treatment without it.

He came back with the skin, curled up and dry.

I put it in a saline dish and told him to sit there until I am ready to put it back.

With difficulty, I figured out the orientation (finger prints were not useful).

10 days antibiotics, a sling and come back in 10 days.

Thumb is important and any infection whole hand is gone.

Well this was the fastest healing, in two weeks he was OK.

I was a miracle healer for him.

Case Three

The case three was bizarre.

Wound in his leg diagnosed as a non-healing squamous cancer.

I looked at the pathologist report and tore it to pieces.

I told him, I can even heal cancers but I need three months.

His problem was he was a mild diabetic (on oral diadetic treatment) with a wound.

He has to come daily for insulin and post insulin blood sugar which I changed to once in three days when the correct estimate of Semilente was made.

Yes, it took three months to heal and he always came back to me.

I was a cancer healer in his mind.

 

 Fourth Case

 

The fourth case illustrated the most bizarre episode.

One should not live near to a hospital or far away places like Maiyanggana.

Both have adverse effects on healing.

She was an old lady.

The words got round I was a healer.

I told her I cannot treat her.

She asked why?

No answer from me.

My reason was if I took over this case, the attendant doing the wound dressing in the nearby General Hospital would be very cross with me.

Besides she was related to him.

I get all this information from the nurses.

I never ask probing questions.

Then with one of the nurses insistence, I took over her treatment.

First the post-prandial blood sugar was normal and that was a bonus.

The tendons of the back of her leg muscles were exposed and it was deep and skin cover was all but nothing.

The attendant had done all the damage to the granulation tissue.

Stuffed it with absorbent material which I got as a gift from the pharmacy when I left New Zealand.

She has to have strict bed rest and out only for toilet.

No antibiotics.

See me in 10 days or if the absorbent material is smelly.

She came back in 5 days, it was in good shape early signs of skin growing but redressed the wound all the same with new absorbent material.

Come back in 10 days.

This went on till the skin cover was complete and my absorbent material was over. It was very tender skin cover and I told her it will take another six months for the skin to be rough and do not come back to me if she injures it again. 

She never came back and it was my last healing session.

Episiotomy
Word of caution about the incision that is made at the time of normal delivery to prevent perineal injury.
Please do not get a raw intern to stitch it up (they can learn it elsewhere) since most of them have no idea.
Demand a senior guy in attendance, if your GP is not available, to finish the job.