So now you have paid respects to two of the four holy sites that Lord Buddha recommends.
We pay respects to the place of enlightenment,
The place of the Mahaprabhannibbana.
In a few more days we will go to the place where the Bodhisattva was born.
And after that we will go to where he set the wheel of Dharma turning.
There was quite a lot that happened around the time of the Mahaprabhannibbana.
So I'll begin reading.
I just want to check one last thing.
Yesterday I asked,
We went straight to the Mahaprabhannibbana temple.
It was quite busy.
We just had an hour after a long time in the bus.
And I asked how many people felt peaceful in moments.
Half the people did.
This morning we had nearly two hours in there.
In that time I'm interested to know how many people had peaceful meditation at some point in the morning session.
Raise your hands.
Yeah,
Very good.
Anybody feel sad?
Very good.
You all understand the deathless.
So we're picking up.
Lord Buddha has just told Ananda that his attainment of Mahaprabhannibbana is unnegotiable,
Destined,
Fated,
Definitely going to happen.
Because he relinquished the will to live.
And Ananda asks him three times,
Please live until the end of the age.
And the Buddha replies,
It is impossible for the perfect one to go back on those words.
Let us go to the hall with the pointed roof and the great wood,
Ananda.
Even so,
Lord,
The Venerable Ananda replied.
And when they went,
The Blessed One addressed the Venerable Ananda,
Ananda,
Go and summon all the bhikkhus in the neighborhood of Vaishali to meet in the service hall.
Even so,
Lord,
The Venerable Ananda replied.
When he had done that,
He informed the Blessed One.
The Blessed One went to the service hall,
Sat down on the seat made ready,
And he addressed the bhikkhus thus.
Because I have now taught you things that I have directly known,
These you should thoroughly learn and maintain in being,
Develop and constantly put into effect so that this holy life may endure long.
You should do so for the welfare and happiness of many,
Out of compassion for the world,
For the good and welfare and happiness of gods and men.
And what are these things?
They are the four foundations of mindfulness,
The four right endeavors,
The four great efforts,
Sometimes translated as,
The four basis for success,
The five spiritual faculties,
The five spiritual powers,
The seven enlightenment factors,
And the Noble Eightfold Path.
I have taught you these things having directly known them,
So that's called the 37 Bodhi Paki Adhammas,
37 wings of awakening.
These you should thoroughly learn for the good and welfare and happiness of gods and men.
Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus.
Indeed,
Bhikkhus,
I declare this to you.
It is in the nature of all formations to dissolve,
Attain perfection through diligence.
Soon the Perfect One will attain final Nibbana.
The Sublime One having said this,
The Master said further,
Ripe is my age and little life remains to me.
I leave you and depart.
My own refuge is made.
Be diligent and mindful.
Be virtuous,
Oh bhikkhus.
With thoughts well concentrated,
Keep watch over your hearts.
Who lives out diligently this dharma and discipline will leave the round of rebirths and make an end of pain.
So he's just got a few more months to live and as we can see Lord Buddha continues to carry out his duty impeccably.
Training the monks,
Explaining the dharma and the discipline,
And also saying that to practice diligently is also of benefit for gods and humans.
He also says very clearly,
I've done my work.
I'm liberated.
Now you make sure you attain that same goal.
After that he went to a place called Bandhagama and he often gave this talk on the dharma to the bhikkhus.
Such is virtue,
Such is concentration,
And such is understanding.
Siyala,
Samadhi and banyan.
Concentration fortified with virtue brings great benefits and fruits.
So that's your samadhi,
Practicing your samadhi on the foundation of keeping your ethical precepts.
Understanding fortified with concentration brings great benefits and great fruits.
So that's your contemplation,
Your bhavana on the foundation of a stabilized concentration.
The heart fortified with understanding becomes completely liberated from taints,
From the taint of sensual desire.
The taint of being,
The taint of views,
And the taint of ignorance.
That's another way the Buddha describes the way ignorance and delusion,
Greed,
Hatred and delusion are destroyed through the practice of siyala,
Samadhi and banyan.
When the blessed one has left it,
Bandhagama.
