FGS NZ YAD Buddhism College Class 4 – Eight Great Realisations and the Story of Mahakasyapa and Aniruddha
As everyone completed their final stretch for a strenuous week, 17 YAD members gathered together for the third class of FGS Youth Buddhism College on the 10th of October. The class commenced with another peaceful meditation guided by Thomas, allowing everyone to take a moment to breathe consciously and find clarity in the present moment.
Larry then excitedly shared the story of one of the ten great disciples of the Buddha, Mahakasyapa. He was born to a wealthy Brahmin family in the village of Magadha Kingdom. Mahakasyapa did not find joy in materialism, and when he expressed his desire to practice a religious life, his marriage was soon decided with Subhadra. However, Mahakasyapa and Subhadra mutually expressed their wishes to practice a religious life on the night of the marriage. After Mahakasyapa's parents had passed, he decided to renounce the world and was deeply moved by Buddha's teachings.
One day Mahakasyapa saw Buddha sitting under the tree and quickly expressed, "Lord Buddha, my great teacher, please take me as your disciple." Mahakasyapa attained enlightenment seven days after he was ordained as a monk under the Buddha.
To this day, it is understood that Mahakasyapa's lead his life as a strict practitioner of austerities, and he was the appointed leader of the Sangha after the Buddha entered Nirvana. When we mindfully progress our life with the implementation of 'Three Acts of Goodness and Four Givings' (3G4G), we can plant seeds into the field of merit and lead a life free from grief – and only content. As Venerable Hsing Yun has shared himself: "As long as the root is not rotten, a plant can blossom in wasteland. As long as we persevere, we can revive a hopeless situation."
"From Mahakasyapa's story, I saw the desire for truth, perseverance in faith, and dedication to heritage. From listening and sharing the stories of the ten great disciples of the Buddha, I learned different virtues from them. These virtues will guide my future learning and make me stronger and wiser," shared Larry. Allen also shared his thoughts about his gratitude towards Mahakasyapa's teachings and wishing to persevere and look forward to the future despite the dire lockdown situation due to the pandemic.
Carol led the second half of the session sharing the teachings of Aniruddha, that was also a Sakya Prince. He was one that was deeply respected for being able to restrict his desires, however not the desire to sleep during Buddha's lectures. Buddha reprimanded and explained to Aniruddha that "those who have the desire to sleep, are like clams in their shells who overslept for a thousand years and miss the dharma of the Buddha." To which Aniruddha regretfully decided that he would not sleep and insidiously lost his sight.
The Buddha taught Aniruddha the Vajra Samadhi, and due to his diligence, Aniruddha gained enlightenment and obtained the powers of the heavenly eyes. With such capabilities, he could see again and also into heaven and hell. When Aniruddha questioned Buddha about practising the path of enlightenment and attaining Nirvana, Buddha shared the Sutra of Eight Realisations of Great Beings:
- Realise the world's impermanence
- Realise that excessive desire causes suffering
- Realise that the mind is insatiable, adding to its transgressions and mistakes
- Realise that laziness leads to downfall
- Realise that ignorance gives rise to the cycle of birth and death
- Realise that poverty and suffering leads to only more of the same
- Realise that the five desires bring nothing but trouble
- Realise that life and death are like flickering flame, and that suffering is endless
"I must diligently practice the teachings of Abbess and Venerables to achieve quality and efficiency in my life. Furthermore, I must continuously reflect on my actions to make improvements," shared Carol. It is with diligence, and most importantly, mindfulness that we are able to understand the world around us in its truth. As Venerable Master Hsing Yun emphasised: 'Intention is the core of all conscious life. Conscious intention colors and moves everything.'
To bring the session to an end, Carol led a Kahoot game with questions so that everyone could participate and recollect their learning. Furthermore, Venerable Rulian expressed her thoughts. "Mahakasyapa was one of Buddha's favourite disciples, as he reflected the epitome of Asceticism. He did not just receive alms from the wealthy but also those who were poor to ensure that everyone had the opportunity to gain merits. No matter how difficult the obstacles, he surpassed them as he consciously practised Buddhism."
Venerable Rulian continued to share the importance of mindfulness: "From Aniruddha life teachings, we learned that Abbess and Venerables aim to help YAD and the community to cope with tragedies and obstacles they face in life by striving to do their best. We must also gain wisdom from the Diamond Sutra to better understand the Eight Great Realisations. For one, it is because of impermanence; we must cherish our presence."
Lastly, the session came to an end after Lucy and Carol gracefully sang the song written by Venerable Hsing Yun, 'Love and Peace' both in English and Mandarin. As the chorus approached, YAD supported and shared their appreciation for the two members by using the torch function on their phones and excitedly waving their hands through zoom.
Carol shared: "Today, we had an interesting and meaningful Buddhism class. I'm happy to be a part of it, and I appreciate that the YAD gathered for this online session in the temple. I felt super nervous when I did my presentation, but I know that it is good training." After collaboratively dedicating a prayer to Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva for safety from the coronavirus outbreak, the session harmoniously concluded, with everyone once again smiling from ear to ear and filled with wisdom.