Hello, I have a question for my Dhamma friends. What are the ways to protect Dharma? What are the ways to destroy Dharma? What are the ways to distort Dharma? How can we securely pass the Dharma to the next generations? There are many people now spreading misinformation about the Dharma. Have you ever thought about this problem?
1 Like
The first step is carefully learning the teachings so that we know what the Buddha really taught. Then we are in a position to help.
5 Likes
As long as people practice satipatthana the dhamma can not disappear. It is only when people stop practising satipatthana that it disappears. Don’t have to do much. Just learn some dhamma memorise it and live it.
2 Likes
yes there is some of similar cases that I have been dealing with ?
I have been looking into some of the newer Dhamma movements and teachings in Sri Lanka lately, In which I’m starting to wonder whether we’re seeing the emergence of something quite different from the traditional Theravada approach.
I’m not trying to attack anyone here. I’m genuinely trying to understand what is happening.
A few names that keep coming up in the discussions I’m following are the late Ven. Waharaka Abhayaratanalankara Thero, Ven. Walasmulle Abhaya Thero, Ven. Handapangoda Niwatapa Thero, and Ven. Meevanpalane Siri Dhammalankara Thero, as well as teachings connected with Jethavanarama monastery and figures such as Dr. Gayani Ranasinghe, a woman who is becoming famous among the Sri Lankan community for teaching the same kind of Dhamma. I think she is connected with Ven. Meevanpalane Siri Dhammalankara Thero, whom she always refers to as an arahant although am not sure.
What caught my attention is that some of these teachings seem to give very different meanings to basic Pali terms. The anicca/aniccha issue is particularly interesting. I’ve come across criticisms that anicca is sometimes explained through an + iccha resulting in an interpretation of anicca as something like not according to one’s wishes, where an = without/not and iccha = wish, desire, volition, what one wants
rather than the normal meaning of anicca as impermanent/not permanent.
Some of these interpretations are presented as a return to the original Dhamma , rather than as new interpretations. That’s what makes the issue especially interesting to me.
Because if someone says, This is what the Buddha originally taught, and the traditional interpretation is wrong, then surely the claim should be testable against the Pali canon this is one of the ways to protect true dhamma.
1 Like
Waharaka movement and puredhamma.net: warning see here also
1 Like
This appears to be a setup for a Sutta quote and maybe even copied from elsewhere.
The first and most basic thing is to use proper Pāḷi words like Dhamma.
Use Dhamma instead of Dharma.
Dharma is Sanskrit while Dhamma is Pāḷi. We should not confuse the two. Sanskrit is indicative of Mahayana and other traditions. Pāḷi is true to Theravāda, although some other breakaway sects like those who are “suttanta-only” or “ebt” (often both), also use Pāḷi, or mix with Sanskrit.
The Suttas below will answer your question while also addressing one aspect that @RobertK posted in response.
13. saddhammappatirūpakasuttaṃ
saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṃvattanti.
“Kassapa, these five qualities lead to the confusion and disappearance of the true Dhamma.
katame pañca?
Which five?
idha, kassapa, bhikkhū bhikkhuniyo upāsakā upāsikāyo satthari agāravā viharanti appatissā, dhamme agāravā viharanti appatissā, saṅghe agāravā viharanti appatissā, sikkhāya agāravā viharanti appatissā, samādhismiṃ agāravā viharanti appatissā – ime kho, kassapa, pañca okkamaniyā dhammā saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṃvattanti.
Here, Kassapa, monks, nuns, male lay followers, and female lay followers dwell without respect and without reverence for the Teacher; they dwell without respect and without reverence for the Dhamma; they dwell without respect and without reverence for the Saṅgha; they dwell without respect and without reverence for the training; they dwell without respect and without reverence for concentration. These five qualities, Kassapa, lead to the confusion and disappearance of the true Dhamma.
pañca khome, kassapa, okkamaniyā dhammā saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṃvattanti.
“Kassapa, these five qualities lead to the establishment, non-confusion, and non-disappearance of the true Dhamma.
katame pañca?
Which five?
idha, kassapa, bhikkhū bhikkhuniyo upāsakā upāsikāyo satthari sagāravā viharanti sappatissā, dhamme sagāravā viharanti sappatissā, saṅghe sagāravā viharanti sappatissā, sikkhāya sagāravā viharanti sappatissā, samādhismiṃ sagāravā viharanti sappatissā – ime kho, kassapa, pañca dhammā saddhammassa ṭhitiyā asammosāya anantaradhānāya saṃvattantī’’ti.
Here, Kassapa, monks, nuns, male lay followers, and female lay followers dwell with respect and with reverence for the Teacher; they dwell with respect and with reverence for the Dhamma; they dwell with respect and with reverence for the Saṅgha; they dwell with respect and with reverence for the training; they dwell with respect and with reverence for concentration. These five qualities, Kassapa, lead to the establishment, non-confusion, and non-disappearance of the true Dhamma.”
This sutta too.
6. tatiyasaddhammasammosasuttaṃ
** 156. ‘‘pañcime, bhikkhave, dhammā saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṃvattanti.**
156. “Bhikkhus, these five things conduce to the confusion and disappearance of the True Dhamma.
katame pañca?
Which five?
idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhū duggahitaṃ suttantaṃ pariyāpuṇanti dunnikkhittehi padabyañjanehi.
Here, bhikkhus, monks learn a Suttanta incorrectly, with ill-arranged words and phrases.
dunnikkhittassa, bhikkhave, padabyañjanassa atthopi dunnayo hoti.
For a Suttanta with ill-arranged words and phrases, bhikkhus, the meaning is also difficult to comprehend.
ayaṃ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṃvattati.
This, bhikkhus, is the first condition that leads to the confusion and disappearance of the True Dhamma.
‘‘puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, bhikkhū dubbacā honti, dovacassakaraṇehi dhammehi samannāgatā, akkhamā appadakkhiṇaggāhino anusāsaniṃ.
‘‘Furthermore, bhikkhus, monks are intractable, endowed with qualities that make them intractable, unenduring, and not receptive to instruction.
ayaṃ, bhikkhave, dutiyo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṃvattati.
This, bhikkhus, is the second condition that leads to the confusion and disappearance of the True Dhamma.
‘‘puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, ye te bhikkhū bahussutā āgatāgamā dhammadharā vinayadharā mātikādharā, te na sakkaccaṃ suttantaṃ paraṃ vācenti; tesaṃ accayena chinnamūlako suttanto hoti appaṭisaraṇo.
‘‘Furthermore, bhikkhus, those monks who are learned, who have preserved the tradition, who are Dhamma-bearers, Vinaya-bearers, and Mātikā-bearers, do not diligently teach the Suttanta to others; upon their demise, the Suttanta becomes uprooted and without refuge.
ayaṃ, bhikkhave, tatiyo dhammo saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṃvattati.
This, bhikkhus, is the third condition that leads to the confusion and disappearance of the True Dhamma.
paṭhamasaddhammasammosasuttaṃ
saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṃvattanti.
154. “Bhikkhus, these five qualities lead to the confusion and disappearance of the True Dhamma.
katame pañca?
Which five?
idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhū na sakkaccaṃ dhammaṃ suṇanti, na sakkaccaṃ dhammaṃ pariyāpuṇanti, na sakkaccaṃ dhammaṃ dhārenti, na sakkaccaṃ dhātānaṃ dhammānaṃ atthaṃ upaparikkhanti, na sakkaccaṃ atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammaṃ paṭipajjanti.
Here, bhikkhus, monks do not listen to the Dhamma respectfully, do not learn the Dhamma respectfully, do not retain the Dhamma respectfully, do not examine the meaning of the retained Dhamma respectfully, and do not practice the Dhamma in accordance with the Dhamma, having understood the meaning and the Dhamma, respectfully.
ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca dhammā saddhammassa sammosāya antaradhānāya saṃvattanti.
Bhikkhus, these five qualities lead to the confusion and disappearance of the True Dhamma.
The best thing to do is to read from the beginning of the series. Not all are listed:
Use this link here:
2 Likes
The spread of wrong dhamma will always happen. The only thing we can do is learn for ourselves and read the commentary and abhidhamma. When we teach, we should teach correctly. We have created this Classical Theravāda group for this purpose.
I have found that debating with non-followers is useless. They never change and their philosophy which is founded on rejection of proper texts and unwillingness to learn about the real Dhamma. They have already decided what is right for themselves.
There is some light at the end of this tunnel.
Mainstream Theravāda countries have “Real” Dhamma followers that outnumber the fringe “English” speaking Dhamma that you might wrongly believe “dominates” the English speaking Theravāda world. It is growing, but it is mostly in the English speaking realm. It is however, seeping into these Theravāda countries.
The real Dhamma is quite strong. Fringe and shock value dhamma triggers the algorithm. The “algorithm” is now how anything spreads, whether it be news, gossip or Dhamma. As people seek a growing audience, they will seek out the preaching of shock-value Dhamma. Pay little attention to it. It is not worth the energy. Just spread the right dhamma by learning correctly and practicing while you can.
3 Likes
We need the commentaries translated into English and other languages. That is key. Many suttas already are translated to a variety of languages. They are often being completely, often willfully, misinterpreted though. The commentaries help prevent this. There will always be the charlatans, and the dunning kruger people who, bafflingly, claim that even the commentaries support their made up dhamma, but that hopefully wouldn’t be the norm. The commentaries should smooth things out for the majority of people learning the dhamma.
2 Likes
Tipiṭaka Pāḷi Reader has all commentaries and nearly all subcommentaries translated into English (and Vietnamese). Go ahead and read. I recently saw some Thai Forest Tradition monks quoting the commentaries. That is a big win. As I said before, the commentaries are more difficult to read, and I hate to say this myself, but a lot of the complexity is not needed.
So, I think what happened was that people were annoyed at the process of trying to understand the Pāḷi of the commentaries, and when they finally got the meaning, they were biased and annoyed. And thus, this is what we have today. Hopefully, things will change when people read the books. All in all, a great majority of the important texts have been translated for years, even centuries: Visuddhimagga, Dhammapada Stories, and Jātaka Stories.
1 Like
This is wonderful, Venerable, thank you. I was unaware of such a resource.
And while I’m at it…
BTW: I modernized the website…take a peek.
2 Likes
Excellent, Venerable, much appreciated.
“niccam” means permanent. Anniccam means impermanent. That is the correct derivation of the term. So I think wishful thinking to think it has anything to do with “iccha”
1 Like