JUNIOR PART 1

Dhamma – Revision Notes

Nalini Galmangoda
Maithri Dhamma School
Table of Contents

Important events in the life of the Buddha .................................................................................... 2

24 qualities of the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha ............................................................................... 5
The Buddha. ................................................................................................................................ 5
The Dhamma ............................................................................................................................... 5
The Saṅgha .................................................................................................................................. 6
History, reasons, results of first 3 Theravada Buddhist Councils ................................................... 7
The First Buddhist Council ........................................................................................................... 7
The Second Buddhist Council ...................................................................................................... 8
The Third Buddhist Council ......................................................................................................... 9
Introduction to the Tipitaka .......................................................................................................... 10
Names of books of Sutta Pitaka, main divisions & commentaries ........................................... 11
Different Types of Dana ................................................................................................................ 12
Different Types of Sila ................................................................................................................... 13
Ten Unwholesome Deeds ............................................................................................................. 14
Ten Wholesome Deeds ................................................................................................................. 14
Ten Meritorious Deeds ................................................................................................................. 14
Important events in the life of the Buddha
• First Affirmation (Niyata Vivarana).
• Invitation of the Devas to be born as the next Buddha.
• Queen Mahamaya’s dream and the conception of the Bodhisatta prince.
• Birth of the prince.
• King Suddhodana worship his son for the first time.
• Naming ceremony of the prince.
• Passing away of queen Mahamaya.
• Ploughing ceremony and King Suddhodana worships his son for the second time.
• Prince Siddhartha’s education.
• King Suddhodana takes actions to prevent the prince from renouncing the worldly life.
• Svayamvara ceremony and marriage to princess Yashodhara.
• Seeing the Four Sights.
• Kisa Gothami utters the Nibbutapada.
• Birth of prince Rahula.
• Renunciation.
• Mara appearing to prevent the prince from renouncing the royal palace.
• Prince Siddhartha becoming an ascetic.
• Following the teachings of Alarakalama and Uddakaramaputta.
• Meeting the five friends and practicing severe austerities for six years (Attakilamathanu
yoga/ self-mortification).
• Accepting the meal offered by Sujatha and following the middle path.
• Attaining Enlightenment.
• Spending the seven weeks after Enlightenment.
• First two converts.
• Invitation to teach Dhamma by Brahma Sahampathi.
• The first sermon and the first five Bhikkus of the Sasana.
• The conversion of Yasa and his friends.
• Sending the first sixty Arahabts to preach Dhamma.
• Conversion of the Kassapa brothers.
• Visiting Rajagaha and meeting king Bimbisara. The first offering of a monastery to the
Buddha.
• Conversion of Kolitha and Upatissa and the appointment of two chief disciples.
• Visiting Kapilavattu and preaching Dhamma to King Suddhodana and his followers.
• Visiting princess Yashodhara and citing the Candakinnara Jataka.
• Conversion of prince Nanda.
• Ordination of prince Rahula.
• Ordination of Ananda who became the Dhamma-bandagarika/ treasurer of Dhamma in
Buddha’s ministry.
• Ordination of Devadatta.
• Where He spent the first twenty years after Enlightenment
o Year 1: Benares
▪ Preaching the first sermon.
o Year 2, 3, and 4: Rajagaha
▪ Visiting King Bimbisara.
o Year 5: Vesali
▪ Establishment of Bhikkuni Sasana and passing away of King Suddhodana
after attaining Arahatship
o Year 6: Mankula Hills
▪ Performing the Twin Miracle.
o Year 7: Tavatimsa Heaven
▪ Preaching Abhidhamma.
o Year 8: Bhesakala Forest
o Year 9: Kosambi
▪ Incident with Magandiya.
o Year 10: Parileyya Forest
▪ Incident relating to the animals taking care of the Buddha.
 o Year 11: Ekanala, Brahmin Village
▪ Preaching the Kasibharadvaja Sutta
o Year 12: Veranja
o Year 13: Caliya Rock
o Year 14: Jetavana Monastary, Savatti
▪ Ven. Rahula received higher ordination.
o Year 15: Kapilavattu
▪ Death of king Suppabuddha
o Year 16: City of Alavaka
▪ Incident with the demon Alavaka
o Year 17: Rajagaha
o Year 18: Caliya Rock
o Year 19 and 20: Rajagaha
▪ Conversion of Angulimala
• Buddha’s daily routine.
• Six heretical teachers.
• Buddha’s last meal at Chunda, where He was offered Sukaramaddava.
• Buddha’s last convert, Ven. Subaddha.
• Buddha’s Parinibbana at Upavattana Sala grove.
24 qualities of the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha

The Buddha.

Itipi so bhagavā – The Buddha in fact is:

Arahaṃ – The exalted one.

Sammā sambuddho – The truly realized one.

Vijjācaraṇasampanno – The one who follows what he says.

Sugato – The well-gone one.

Lokavidū – The knower of the true nature of world.

Anuttaro – The peerless one.

Purisadammasārathī – The incomparable leader of people.

Satthā devamanussānaṃ – The teacher of deities and men.

Buddho bhagavāti – The Buddha, the blessed one.

The Dhamma

Svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo – The Dhamma is well spoken by the Buddha.

Sandiṭṭhiko – It gives good results in this very life.

Akāliko – It is beneficial at any time.

Ehipassiko – It is very clear.

Opanayiko – It leads us to the real freedom.

Paccattaṃ veditabbo viññūhīti – It should be understood by the wise individually.

The Saṅgha

Supatipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho – The disciples of the Buddha are on the real path.

Ujupaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho – They are honestly on the middle path.

Ñāyapaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho – They are on the path leading to the realization of
Nibbāṇa.

Sāmīcipaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho – They are extremely suitable for communication.

Yadidaṃ cattāri purisayugāni – They consist of four pairs of noble individuals and

Aṭṭhapurisapuggalā – eight greatest persons.

Āhuṇeyyo – They are worthy of offerings.

Pāhuṇeyyo – Worthy of hospitality.

Dakkhiṇeyyo – Worthy of donation.

Añjalikaraṇīyo – Worthy of salutation with folded hands.

Anuttaraṃ puññakkhettaṃ lokassāti – The incomparable field of merits to the world.

History, reasons, results of first 3 Theravada Buddhist Councils

The First Buddhist Council

Time: 3 months after the Buddha’s passing away

Place: Saptapanni cave on the foot of Vebhara rock in Rajagaha

Duration: 7 months

Royal Patronage: King Ajasatta

Presiding Monk: Ven. Arahat Maha Kassapa

Number of Participants: 500 Arahats

Reasons: Unethical sayings of Ven. Subaddha.

To preserve the Buddha’s teachings

Results: Entire teachings of the Buddha were gathered and divided into two baskets as
Dhamma and Vinaya.

Different sections of the Buddha’s teachings were given to different Arahants for
future preservation by memory (Start of Bhanaka tradition)

Purification of the Order.

The Second Buddhist Council

Time: 100 years after the first council

Place: Valukarama in Vesali

Duration: 8 months

Royal Patronage: King Kalasoka

Presiding Monk: Ven. Sabbakami Thero

Number of Participants: 700 monks

Reasons: 10 unlawful points put forward by Vajji monks by relaxing some Vinaya rules

Results: Declaring the 10 points of Vajji monks as unlawful.

Reciting and purifying the entire Dhamma and Vinaya.

Vajjiyan bhikkus separated from the Order and came to be known as

Mahasangika.

Those who purified the Dhamma came to be known as Sthaviravadians.

Start of Mahayana Sect.

Eventually the Order was divided into 18, comprising of 12 Sthaviravadians and 6
Mahasangikavadians.
The Third Buddhist Council

Time: 218 years after the Buddha’s passing away

Place: Asokarama in Pataliputra

Duration: 9 months

Royal Patronage: King Asoka

Presiding Monk: Ven. Moggaliputta Tissa

Number of Participants: 1000

Reasons: To protect the Dhamma and the Order of Sangha from other heretics.

Results: Purifying the Order by expelling 60,000 heretics who entered the order for
personal gain and honor.

Completing the Abhidhamma Pitaka by adding the last bookKatavattuppakarana,

by Ven. Moggaliputta Tissa Thero

Sending Buddhist missionary groups to 9 countries including Sri Lanka.

Introduction to the Tipitaka

• All the teachings of the Buddha were gathered and divided into three sections (baskets)
over the first Three Buddhist Councils.
• This division was completed by adding the last book to the Abhidhamma Pitaka after the
Third Buddhist Council.
• The Three Sections (Baskets) are known as the Tipitaka (Ti + Pitaka = Three + Baskets)
• They are;
o Sutta: Contains all the discourses preached by the Buddha. It includes five main
books.
o Vinaya: Contains all the Vinaya rules, offences and relevant punishments. It
includes five books namely Pārājika Pāli, Pācittiya Pāli, Mahāvagga Pāli,
Culavagga Pāli, Parivāra Pāli
o Abhidhamma: Contains 7 books.
• Tipitaka was carried to the future generation by monks who carried these teaching
through memory (Bhanakas).
• It was written on Ola leaves at the Fourth Buddhist Council.
• Pali commentaries were written later for the better understanding of these books in the
Tipitaka mainly by Ven. Buddhagosa, which was a very important event in the history of
Buddhism.
Names of books of Sutta Pitaka, main divisions & commentaries

Book Pali Commentary

Digha Nikāya, the long discourses. Sumangala Vilasini by Ven. Buddhagosa

Majjhima Nikāya, the middle-length

Papanca Sudani by Ven. Buddhagosa
discourses.

Saṁyutta Nikāya, the connected discourses. Sarattha Prakasini by Ven. Buddhagosa

Anguttara Nikāya, the numerical discourses. Manoratha Purani by Ven. Buddhagosa

Khuddaka Nikāya, the minor collection (There Eight Commentaries were written for
are 18 sub sections to this) Kuddhaka Nikaya
• Khuddakapatha
• Dhammapada Jathakattakata, Dhammapadattakatha and
• Udana Paramatta Jothika by Ven. Buddhagosa
• Itivuttaka
• Suttanipata Paramatta Dipani by Ven. Dhammapala
• Vimanavatthu
• Petavatthu Saddhammapajjotika by Ven. Upasena
• Theragatha
• Therigatha Saddhamma Prakasini by Ven. Mahanama
• Jataka
Madhuratthavilasini by Ven. Buddhadatta
• Niddesa
• Patisambhidamagga
Visuddhijana Vilasini by an unknown author
• Apadana
• Buddhavamsa
• Cariyapitaka
• Netti
• Petakopadesa
• Milinda Panha
Different Types of Dana

• Dana means charity or generosity.

• It is the first of the ten perfections (Paramitha), ten meritorious deeds (Dasa Punyakriya)
and ten royal righteous actions (Dasa Rajadhamma).
• It is also said as a characteristic of a Sappurisa (good person) in Maha Mangala Sutta.
• There are three main types of Dana, namely:
o Amisa Dana
o Abhaya Dana
o Dhamma Dana
• Amisa Dana means giving Catu paccaya (food, cloths, medicines and shelter) to monks
and giving money and other things to lay people. A person will gain Ayu, Vanna, Sukha,
Bala and Panna (long life, beauty, happiness, strength and intelligence) by giving amisa
dana.
• Abhaya Dana means giving life or saving the life or dispelling someone’s fear from
danger. A person who gives abhaya dana will have no enemies.
• Dhamma Dana is the highest gift of all gifts. Teaching dhamma, writing books on
dhamma and helping someone’s spiritual development comes under dhamma dana.
Patipatti puja like observing sila and meditation also comes under this category.
Different Types of Sila

• Sila means morality.

• It is the first of the Trishiksha (Three-fold Training or the path to spiritual development),
namely Sila, Samādhi and Paññā (morality, concentration and wisdom).
• The first step in having spiritual development is to have discipline in your actions done
through body and speech. So Sila is developing discipline in your actions.
• There are four types of Sila given for different types of individuals.
o Bhikku Sila – Morality of monks
o Bhikkuni Sila – Morality of nuns
o Samanera Sila – Morality of novices
o Gahattha Sila – Morality of householders
• The last type of morality refers to the precepts that lay people should follow. It includes:
o Five precepts (Nithya Sila for lay people)
o Ajiva Atthamaka Sila
o Eight Precepts (Uposatha Sila/ Atthanga Sila)
o Ten Precepts (Dasa Sila)
• Samanera Sila should be observed by anyone who is willing to enter the order. It
includes observing the ten precepts.
• Bhikku Sila (Adhi Sila) should be observed by the monks who get the higher ordination
(upasampada) after the age of twenty. It includes:
o Patimokkha Sanvara Sila – 227 rules of the Vinaya Pitaka
o Indriya Sanvara Sila – Morality regarding self-restraint
o Ajiva Parisuddha Sila – Morality regarding the purity of livelihood
o Paccaya Sannissita Sila – Morality regarding the use of necessities in life
• All the precepts should be observed after taking refuge in the Triple Gem.
• Observing precepts doesn’t mean the recitation of them daily. It means following them
in your day to day activities. Then only the first step of spiritual development can be
achieved and move on to the next stage Samadhi.
Ten Unwholesome Deeds

1. Killing

2. Stealing Physical Actions

3. Committing Adultery

4. Lying

5. Slandering
Verbal Actions
6. Harsh Words

7. Frivolous talk

8. Greed

9. Hatred Mental Actions

10. Wrong View

Ten Wholesome Deeds

Refraining from the above 10 actions come under the ten wholesome deeds.

Ten Meritorious Deeds

1. Dana
2. Sila
3. Bhavana
4. Apacayana
5. Veyyavaca
6. Pattidana
7. Pattanumodana
8. Dhammasavana
9. Dhammadesana
10. Ditthajukamma