The splendour of Asia: The story and teaching of the BuddhaBeck, L. Adams (Lily Adams)
Religion
The splendour of Asia: The story and teaching of the Buddha
Beck, L. Adams (Lily Adams)
Buddha (The concept)
And at this point some would ask the Blessed One for exercises in
meditation and to each he assigned what suited best their characters.
And then all did obeisance to the Perfect One, and dispersed to the
places where they were in the habit of spending the night or day, some
to the forest, some to the foot of trees, some, in meditation, to the
heavenly places.
And the Blessed One, then entering his chamber, would, if wearied, lie
down for awhile, not sleeping but mindful and conscious and on his right
side, as a lion takes his repose. And when refreshed he rose, and sent
his gaze through the world (for to the Illuminated this is possible), to
see who it was possible he might aid.
And after this, the people of the village or town near which he might be
dwelling assembled, again in their best robes, and he, approaching with
majesty, took his seat on the Buddha-mat in the little audience hall,
and declared the doctrine to his hearers who sat before him rapt in
hearing.
And when they had made obeisance and departed it was the custom of the
Perfected One to bathe himself, and after that to assume his tunic and
girdle, and throwing his robe over his right shoulder to go into his
chamber and there fall into deep meditation, and after that was the rest
of the day given to the monks who assembled, coming from here, there,
and everywhere, to question the Blessed Lord and ask his instructions or
plead for a sermon and all this he very gladly gave, so consuming the
first watch of the night.
And during the middle watch of the night he would commune with the
blessed spirits of the Universe, they drawing very near him in the true
accord.
And the last watch of the night he divided into three parts, and weary
with much sitting he paced up and down considering many things, and in
the second part would enter his chamber and rest, and in the third,
seated, send the diamond-clear ray of his perception through the world
that he might commune with any soul who needed that communion.
And thus were spent the days of him who had attained the _Paramitas_,
the Ten Perfections.
And if there be any who would know of the ten, these are they.
Almsgiving, morality, long-suffering, manliness, meditation, mystic
insight, resolution, strength, knowledge, and skill in the choice of
means.
In all these was our Lord perfected. And above even these in Love. For
hear the teaching of the Lord:
“As a mother, even at the risk of her own life, protects her son, her
only son, so let the disciple cultivate love without measure toward all
beings. Let him cultivate toward the whole world above, below, around, a
heart of love unstinted, unmixed with differing or opposing interests.
And let a man maintain this mindful love whether he stands, walks, sits
or lies. For in all the world this state of heart is best.”
For the Lord, the Blessed One, taught that this love must increase until
the wide Universe is suffused with its radiance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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