188: Thirteen Questions to the Buddha

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Nammo tasabhavato rahato samma sambu dasa namo tasabhagwato rahato samma sambu dasa nammo tasabhagwato rahato samma sambu dasa Tirabara Buddhism series Dhamma talk number eleven. The topic is thirteen questions to the Buddha. This was taking place when Buddha was alive. One day the Buddha was in the kingdom of Alvi. And he came across or near to a big banyan tree. In the scripture it said that's a residence of a yakat, alawakat. Yakat means like big giant, powerful, short-tempered, conceited being. Alawaka is his name. Probably it's stated that way because this is the yakat from the kingdom of Aloe. So he's called Yakat Alawaka. Even though you say this Banyan Steve was the residence of this Yakat. Actually, he didn't live in that tree. Let's say it is like more like a gateway to his residence. But that's a let's call it a mailing address for us who can see the penion tree. At that time, this Alaqah was at the Mount Himalaya attending a Yakak conference. That shows that these beings, these Rums, they still have the structures, just like we do in our human rum. Conference to attend, likes and dislikes, my territory, your territory, and so on. But anyway, the retinues, like his wives and attendants, when they saw Buddha, they wanted to pay homage to him, so they invited him in to the residence. They were paying homage. During that time, Alvaka came back from the conference and saw Buddha at his residence. He was really angry. And he tried with all his power and might and whatever the power that Yakat possessed to throw the Buddha out of his resident. But he didn't succeed, he couldn't do anything. So he thought about something. The answer were lost for so long. Because these thirteen questions were asked to the Buddha, one Buddha before the Buddha Gautama. By his ancestor, probably great great great grandfather. They got the answers and they handed down through generation after generation. Between one Buddha and the next Buddha, there's a long big gap. So during that time the answers were lost. But this Alawaka, he used these thirteen questions whenever a holy-looking person, holy person, or a wise person passed by his residence, will stop them and ask them to torture them. Nobody could answer. So he decided I will ask these 13 questions and torture this Buddha. He was quite convinced that Buddha won't be able to answer it. So these 13 questions are asked by his great great great grandparents to the Buddha Kasapat, who was preceding Buddha from the Buddha Gautama. And the questions are as follow. What in the world is the most valuable treasure or object? The Buddha answer simply verifiable faith. That was the answer. So this faith, this sadha, it cannot be destroyed by flood, fire, government and kings, or thieves and robbers, or people who hate you. These are the five great enemies of men. Flood, fire, government, thieves, and people who hate you. They can't be destroyed by these five enemies. Due to sadda, one approaches the wise and listens to what they teach the Dharma. And Sadha is the seed of generosity, morality, concentration, and mental development. All these things starts with sadha. Sadha is believing and having an interest in doing wholesome things. That sadha is the most precious, most valuable treasure in the world. Second question. What kind of practice brings one happiness? The Buddha answer was simple. Dhamma practice. And when we say Dharma, it is far wide and far and wide range. So let's narrow it down. Most suitable for this question. Dharma is avoiding ten unwholesome actions that produce suffering. Ten unwholesome actions that produce suffering. Just to make a quick statement about it, it's refraining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, three physical, lying, slander, rude and frivolous talks, four bubble actions, covigiousness, ill will, and wrong view, three mental unwholesome actions. Those are the ten unwholesome actions. And if you engage with them, suffering follows. Suffering is produced. They are the key to produce suffering. But engaging in ten wholesome actions. But think about it, just by reframing ten unwholesome actions, you don't produce any suffering. So there's a peace in the environment. And even within yourself, you don't want, and you don't have to be guilty, you don't have to look around your back, who is following me and chasing me. That already gives you great peace. But there's another ten more that can actually produce happiness. Protecting others from hurt and harm. Giving and sharing, dulling truth, harmonious and polite, and beautiful speeches. Developing loving kindness, compassion, and having a correct view. Those will bring happiness to one who practice these ten wholesome actions. That's number two. The third question is what is the sweetest of all tastes? The Buddha answer was through. The lies come out of your mouth. The fourth question is: how would one live the best life? It is living with the knowledge or living with the wisdom, knowledge or wisdom that is always based or associated with cause and effect. Causal relationship. This is the cause, this is the effect. If you do this, this is the consequences. If you do that, that is the result. Meaning that you are fully aware of your actions before you do it. Based on cause and effect, based on what you are going to do and what kind of result will produce suffering or happiness. By knowing ahead before your actions, there's consequences. Buddhist faith is a faith that can be verified by oneself. Later with practice and experience. To overcome the floodplain, what is this floodplain? The floodplain of sense desire, karma guna. We live, everybody, every one of us live with sense desire, great desire for good form, good sound, good smell, good taste, good touch, good everything that you can experience with your five senses. That five senses is referred here as a floodplain, a hidden meaning question. To overcome the floodplain of sense desire, one must cross with faith, sattha. And here, faith in what? Faith in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, the three jewels, and also faith in karma, cause and affair. If you have these things, you can cross the floodplain of sense desire. Number six. With what would one cross the sea, large body of water, the sea or the ocean? The answer was simple. Hatefulness. By being not forgetful. Or you can say by being mindful of all that one sees, one hear, one smell, one taste. Touch and imagine. Being heedful of all these things. In other words, that's the every moment of your life. One can cross the ocean. And here the ocean means sansara. Rounds of birth and death. Birth and death, birth and death, sansara. You can cross the ocean of sansara, birth and death by being heedful at every moment. Engaging with any senses. The six senses. Stressed. We got burned out. We suffer. That's a part of our life. We always have problems to solve. Situation to handle. That is stress. That is suffering. But the answer was diligence. And persevering. First of all, when these things come in, you have to persevere. You have to be able to stand. And then diligence put a lot of great effort. Diligence and perseverance. One overcome the difficulties and suffering of life. Number eight. How would one purify oneself? By washing the mind with understanding, with the wisdom. Our mind is always polluted with lobat, dosa, and moha. And you have to wash these away with wisdom. One a little more specific. Knowing or understanding what is wholesome and what is unwholesome. Sounds simple, but not that. There are a lot of tricky little spots. And also understanding what is suitable and appropriate in terms of time, place, a person. You must have a you must have an acute awareness of it. And always discerning right from wrong. It's a different version of wholesome and unwholesome. Right from wrong, good and bad. That is how one can purify oneself. If you know this thing, you will have no faults. You can't be blamed. That means you are purified. Number nine, how would one attain wisdom? By having chanda. Chanda is wanting, wishing. By having chanda or desire to know, by having desire to listen and by having desire to understand the arhatta dhamma. In other words arhatta maga and arahatta palat arahant pat and arahant fruition that brings liberation that brings nibbana. But to have all these things you must have the chandak. Very specifically it is dhamatchand. Dhamma chandak. Desire or wish to know the Dharma. That's number nine. Number ten, how could one achieved mundane wealth? So this shows that these questions cover the whole spectrum from the little safety and wealth, richness, best life to up to Nippana, a whole spectrum. How could one achieve mundane wealth? The wealth we know, houses and cars and families and monies and jewels and goals and so on. The answer was by choosing the right method in one's livelihood. We all have a livelihood. If you don't have it, one must choose a right livelihood. Not only choosing a right livelihood, you must know what is the most efficient method to do that job, that livelihood. Right method. Not just only choosing. Once you got there, you are not the only one. There are many. You must be the initiator. You must be the initiator means forerunner. You're ahead of the pack. That kind of a spirit. You must keep yourself there, initiate. And also persevere. Because once you go on there, nothing is really going smoothly as one wish or expect. There are little bumps, road bumps. Those times one must be able to persevere. And most of all, you must be resolute. Resolute means nothing could change your focus and attention and the direction. And you must do all these things with great effort. If you have all these things, all the ducks in a row, you will gain great wealth in your life. Number eleven, how would one establish a good name or fame? It is just by having sincerity and truthfulness. Your fame will spread. In a different take, we can say, if you deliver every promise you make, you'll be famous. You'll be well known. Oh this guy, if he say it, you can count on his words. He delivers. That's truth. That's sincerity. That's how one can gain. Or establish good name and fame. Twelve. How would one gain many friends? These are all in this life. Gaining fame, wealth, friends, attendance. How would one gain many friends? Simple. By giving and sharing. Don't you like anybody who gives you gifts? Not only gifts, don't you like anybody who gives you attention? That's attention is also a gift. Generosity. Time and a focus upon you. That is generosity, act, generous act of that person. You like those things. The same thing if you do for others. If you are generous to others, if you are giving and if you're sharing and if you give attention, those people will love you. And the last one. Question number 13. How would one have happiness in the next life? See, these 13 questions cover every aspect. Right in this life, everything we need and want. Right in the next life. And also the end of the journey. The end of Sansara. It covers the whole spectrum in a very short, precise 13 questions. So, how would one have happiness in the next life? By living with truth. Truth is a very important factor in Buddhism. Sissa, truth. By living with truth, by living with self restraint. You're not jumping and hopping on any pleasure that's comes along. Restraint, forbearance, having wise attention, yonisomanasikara, and all endeavors and having doing a lot of acts of charity. If you do these things, in short it's dana sila bhavana. You will have a very happy next life. Your next life will be existent, will be good and happy one. And after Buddha answered these 13 questions, Aloaka is a very smart fellow. He has an absolute belief of faith in the Buddha. And he said, wherever I go, wherever I go, not only staying in the place, I will live with the Buddha Dharma and Sangha. In his heart, in his mind, I will talk about the Buddha Dharma and Sangha. I will spread the qualities of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. That's what he said. Because before that the Buddha said, now you go and ask anybody, whoever you want, the answer to these questions. And if anybody can answer better than this, let me know. And then Alvagar said, no. I have met the enlightened Buddha. He had given me the answer. I don't need to ask anybody. And he said, wherever I go, I will spread the words of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. In other words, Alavaka became Sotapana. The stream winner, the first noble person. That rough, angry, scary giant become the tame, polite and noble giant. So that is an Alavaka Sutta. We just improvise into our little modern day tones and words. May all of you be able to practice the Buddha Dharma for the goodness of this life, for the goodness of next life, and therefore the goodness of passing and crossing over the ocean of sansara and attain nibbana as soon as possible. Thank you very much.