Code of Conduct for a Householder

Whom should we worship?

Sigāla, the son of a rich man of Rajagir, got up early in the morning and went outside the city. With wet clothes and wet hair, he started worshipping with folded hands all the six directions - east, south, west, and north; zenith and nadir. In those days, this was one way of worshipping and performing rites and rituals. At that time, the Buddha left Veṇuvana Vihar and went towards Rajagir on his alms round. On the way he saw Sigāla worshipping all the six directions, and asked him, "Son of a householder! What are you doing?"

Sigāla replied, "Venerable Sir! I am worshipping the directions. When my father was on his deathbed, he had instructed me to worship them without fail. He had said that this would bring happiness and peace. That is why I am worshipping the directions to honor his last wishes."

The Buddha said, "Son of a householder, according to the Noble Dhamma (Ārya Dharma), this is not the way to worship the six directions."

"Well then, Venerable Sir, please teach me the Noble Dhamma."

At Sigāla's request, the Buddha explained thus -

The 6 true directions

Lord Buddha taught young Sigāla the right way to worship the six directions according to the Noble Dhamma. He taught how one can live a life according to the Noble Dhamma and thus get safety and protection in all the six directions.

What are the 6 directions?

The following should be looked upon as the six directions - parents as east, teachers as south, wife as west, friends as north, servants as nadir, and ascetics and Brahmins as zenith.

1. Serving one's parents

One must serve one's parents in the following five ways:

1. They looked after me; so in turn, I must look after them. 2. They fulfilled their duties towards me. I also must fulfill my duties towards them. 3. They honored and maintained the family traditions. I also must honor and maintain the family traditions. 4. They gave me their inheritance. I also must be worth it and earn an appropriate inheritance. 5. I must donate reverentially for earning merits for my ancestors.

Parents served by their son in these five ways in turn, show compassion for him, and make his future bright by doing the following five things:-

1. Save him from committing sinful actions. 2. Encourage him to perform meritorious actions. 3. Teach him to develop skills in a craft. 4. Arrange a suitable wife for him. 5. Obtaining an opportunity they give him an inheritance. Thus served in these 5 ways his parents, in return, show compassion for him. This is the right way for a householder to worship the east and make oneself safe and secure.

2. Serving teachers

A student must serve his teacher in the following five ways:

1. Get up readily before the teacher. 2. Remain present whenever he is required. 3. Serve him by attending to him. 4. Associate with him. 5. Learn respectfully what he teaches.

The teacher served in these five ways, in turn, shows compassion for him and helps him in the following five ways:

1. He makes him disciplined and humble. 2. He enables him to learn correctly what he teaches. 3. He teaches him thoroughly to ensure that he grasps the essence of his teaching and dṥs not forget it. 4. He motivates him by praising him in front of his friends and colleagues. 5. He trains him to face all kinds of situations and remain secure in all the directions.

A teacher served in these 5 ways by a student, in turn, shows compassion for him in five ways. This is the right way to worship the south and make oneself safe and secure.

3. Serving one's Wife

A husband must serve his wife in the following five ways:

1. Respect her. 2. Not humiliate her. 3. Not commit any sexual misconduct. 4. Give her the resources and authority. 5. Give her ornaments and clothing.

The wife thus served by her husband, in turn, reciprocates and serves him in the following five ways:

1. Manages all the household duties properly. 2. Keeps all the family members, friends and servants happy. 3. Dṥs not become unfaithful to him. 4. Takes good care of the money and wealth earned by him. 5. Dṥs her duties skillfully and efficiently.

A wife served in these 5 ways by her husband, in return, reciprocates and serves him in five ways. This is the right way to worship the west and make oneself safe and secure.

4. Serving one's Friends

One needs to take care of one's friends in the following five ways:

1. Give to them generously. 2. Talk to them politely. 3. Help them and ensure their welfare. 4. Treat them as equals. 5. Be sincere and thus gain their confidence.

Friends, in turn, reciprocate in the following five ways:

1. Look after him when he is heedless. 2. Protect his wealth and property. 3. Give him shelter in times of danger. 4. Stand by him in difficult times. 5. Respect his family members.

Friends served in these 5 ways, in return, reciprocate in five ways. This is the right way to worship the north and make oneself safe and secure.

5. Serving Servants

One needs to take care of servants in the following five ways:

1. Give them work in accordance with their strength and ability. 2. Provide them with food and salary. 3. Look after them when they are sick. 4. Give them the same food that one eats. 5. Give them leave at the right time.

In turn, servants reciprocate in the following five ways:

1. Get up before the master and get ready. 2. Sleep only after the master has retired. 3. They don't steal, they only take what is given. 4. Do their job well. 5. Talk well of the master.

Servants served in these 5 ways by masters, in turn, reciprocate in five ways. This is the right way to worship the nadir and make oneself safe and secure.

6. Serving Ascetics and Brahmins

A householder needs to take care of ascetics and Brahmins in the following five ways:

1. Serve them with kind physical actions. 2. Serve them with kind vocal actions. 3. Serve them with kind mental actions. 4. Invite them with an open heart. 5. Take care of their material needs.

In turn, they show compassion and reciprocate in the following six ways:

1. Save the householder from committing sinful actions. 2. Inspire him to do wholesome actions. 3. Help him, keeping his true welfare in mind. 4. Teach him Dhamma that is unknown to him. 5. Clarify and help him get established in the Dhamma that is known to him. 6. Show him the path to attain liberation.

Ascetics and Brahmins served in these 5 ways by a householder, in turn, show compassion for him in six ways. This is the right way to worship the zenith and make oneself safe and secure.

If a householder follows the code of conduct explained above, he rightly worships the six directions and becomes safe and secure in all the six directions.

After listening to this discourse from the Buddha, the householder Sigāla broke all the shackles of traditions by living a life of the Noble Dhamma, and thus improved his life here and hereafter.

The discourse that the Buddha gave to the householder Sigāla was relevant not only to him, but is also very beneficial to every householder. This code of conduct, like the Noble Dhamma, is universal and eternal. It is as relevant to a householder today as it was 2600 years ago.

Another prevalent ritual - bathing in a river

With the belief that having a dip in the river washes away all sins, the Brahmin Bharadvaja sitting close to the Buddha asked him , "Would you come to the Bāhukā river to have a bath?"

In reply, the Buddha asked, "Brahmin! What will the Bāhukā river do?"

"Oh Master Gautama! Many people take the Bāhukā river to be sacred. So they go there to wash away their sins by taking a dip."

The Buddha then replied, "A fool who has committed evil deeds may forever bathe in the rivers Bāhukā, Gayā, Sundarikā, Saraswatī, Prayāga and Bāhumatī, but he cannot become pure. What can these rivers do? They can't purify a person who has performed unwholesome actions. For them who do only wholesome deeds, those rivers are insignificant, their wishes are always fulfilled. Brahmin! Have a bath within by doing good deeds. The person who dṥs not lie, dṥsn't kill any being, dṥsn't take what is not given, dṥsn't have any jealousy, and is faithful - what will he gain by going to Gayā? Even water in a small bowl is like Gayā for him.

This beneficial teaching of the Buddha became popular amongst meditators in his times and inspired saints for centuries. As a result, the following saying became prevalent in society:

When the mind is pure, then there is Ganges in the
smallest wooden bowl.

 

Dāsī Pūrṇā

Dāsī Pūrṇā was the maidservant of the famous merchant Anāthapiṇḍika. She was also a disciple of the Buddha. In the cold mornings, she had to go down to the river to bring water for her master. One day she saw a Brahmin taking dips in the cold river. When asked, he replied, "These dips will wash away all the sins I have committed in the past."

Dāsī Pūrṇā questioned him, "Who said this? This is an ignorant advice given by one ignorant person to another. If it were true that having a bath in the river will wash away all sins and one will get liberated; then all the frogs, turtles, snakes, fish, crocodiles and other beings living in the water should have been rid of sins and got liberated."

She continued, "If having a bath in the river could wash away sins, then people who kill goats, lambs, pigs, chickens and sell their meat; thieves, dacoits, cheats and all the people who commit sins; could they all get rid of their sins by having a bath in the river?"

If people were to believe this, it will encourage them to continue doing unwholesome actions.

On hearing this, the Brahmin came to his senses, gave up committing sinful actions and started walking on the right path. Whṥver came in contact with the Buddha's teaching, they realized that there is only one way to get rid of sins, and that is to become quiet at the physical, vocal and mental levels and practice vipassana to take a dip in the Ganges of Dhamma within.

When one's physical, vocal and mental actions become pure and all the impurities have been washed away, one automatically takes a dip in the Ganges of Dhamma within. This is the true Dhamma bath. This is how one can become a pure Brahmin.

After listening to this teaching, understanding its meaning and practicing it, Brahmabandhu got purified and said, "Before I was a Brahmin in name only, now I have become a true, sin-free Brahmin!"

Dear students! let us also get rid of all these false beliefs, purify our minds; and improve our present life here and life hereafter and get real peace and happiness.

Kalyanmitra,
Satyanarayana Goenka

 

Special Yearly Programme & contact

TSC (India) 18 Nov. to 3rd Dec. 2012 at Dhamma Pattana (DP), Dhamma Giri (DG) and Dhamma Tapovana (DT).

Trustees workshop - 3rd Dec. to 4th Dec. 2012 at DG.
A.T. Workshop - 3rd Dec. to 6th Dec. 2012 at DT
A.T. Meeting - 7th Dec. to 9th Dec. 2012 at DG and DT.

Note: 1. All Centre Teachers and Area Teachers must ensure that 2-3 active Trustees from their respective centres/areas should attend the Trustees workshop planned in Dhamma Giri on 3 and 4 Dec. 2012. These Trustees may attend TSC course and stay back for the 2 day workshop. To register for this workshop please send details on <info@giri.dhamma.org>

2. Asst. teachers workshop which was scheduled to be held in Dhamma Giri on 24 Oct. 2012 has now been changed to 3 Dec. to 6 Dec. 2012 at DG. To register for this workshop please send details on <info@giri.dhamma.org>

3. To register for the A.T meeting, please send your details (name, age and area) by email to atmeeting2012@gmail.com

 

Corpus Fund for the Global Vipassana Pagoda

A Corpus Fund is being established for uninterrupted management of the Global Pagoda to ensure that it is maintained successfully in future without any outside pressure. This wonderful holy monument should remain intact for thousands of years as a token of gratitude towards Sayagyi U Ba Khin and Myanmar for maintaining the Dhamma in its pristine purity and sending this valuable gift back to India. This Corpus Fund cannot be utilized by any individual for personal gain. The interest earned from this Fund, deposited in a Government Bank, will be utilized, as per the rules, for maintenance of the Pagoda and meeting the daily expenditure of the Pagoda.

Details for sending your donations are given below:

Donations through Core Banking (within India)

Donations to "Global Vipassana Foundation" can now be remitted from anywhere in India through any branch of the Bank of India under core banking system.

Global Vipassana Foundation

Axis Bank India, A/C. NO: 911010032397802
SWIFT CODE: AXISINBB062, IFSC CODE: UTIB0000062
MICR CODE: 400211011, BRANCH: Malad west branch, Mumbai-400064.

Donations from outside India can be remitted through

SWIFT transfer to Bank of India

SWIFT Transfer details are as follows:

"Global Vipassana Foundation"
Name of the Bank: J P Morgan Chase Bank
Address: New York, US,
A/c. No.: 0011407376, Swift: CHASUS33.

Cheque/Draft may be sent to the following address:-

Global Vipassana Foundation,
Regd. Office – Green House, 2nd Floor, Green Street, Fort, Mumbai – 400023
Phone – 022-22665926

 

 

Pali Course, Year 2013, At Global Pagoda, Mumbai

Non Residential Courses (Pali Grammar, Sutta, Vipassana Theory etc)

Medium of Teaching - Pali-English, Pali-Hindi/Marathi; Duration of the course - 01/02/2013 to 30/09/2013 (8 Months- once a week classes); Application Form Availability -1st to 20th January 2013 at VRI, Global Pagoda; Last date Submission - 20/01/ 2013.

Residential Courses (Pariyatti & Paµipatti)

30 Days Basic Pali-Marathi:

Duration of the course - 01/01/2013 to 31/01/2013; Last date Submission - 01/12/ 2012.

30 Days Advanced Pali-Hindi (only for those who did Basic course at VRI)

Duration of the course - 01/05/2013 to 31/05/ 2013; Last date Submission - 01/04/ 2013; Visit for downloadable application -www.vridhamma.org.

90 Days Intensive Pali-English:

Duration of the course - 01/07/2013 to 30/09/2013; Last date Submission - 15/05/ 2013; Visit for downloadable application - www.vridhamma.org.

POSTAL ADDRESS: Vipassana Research Institute (VRI), Global Vipassana Pagoda, Next to Esselworld, Gorai Village, Borivali (West), Mumbai 400091.

FOR QUERIES CONTACT: Dr Sharda Sanghvi E-mail: s_sanghvi@hotmail.com, Telephone: (+91)9223462805 & (+91) 22 23095413. Office telephone (10 am to 6 pm): (+91) 22 33747560, Mrs. Baljit Lamba: (+91) 9833518979; Mrs. Alka Vengurlekar: (+91) 9820583440

Date	Course site	Age (years)	Registration
7-10	Dombivili	10-16	5 & 6-10
7-10	Ulhasnagar	10-16	5 & 6-10
7-10	Matunga	10-16	5 & 6-10
14-10	Sanpada	10-16	12 & 13-10
21-10	Ghatkopar	10-16	19 & 20-10
21-10	Goregaon	10-16	17 & 18-10
28-10	Airoli*	10-16*	26 & 27-10*
4-11	Dombivili	9-16	2 & 3-11
4-11	Ulhasnagar	10-16	2 & 3-11
4-11	Matunga	9-16	2 & 3-11
11-11	Sanpada	10-16	9 & 10-11
18-11	Ghatkopar	10-16	16 & 17-11
18-11	Goregaon	10-16	14 & 15-11
25-11	Airoli*	10-16*	23 & 24-11*
2-12	Dombivili	10-16	30-11 & 1-12
2-12	Ulhasnagar	10-16	30-11 & 1-12
2-12	Matunga	10-16	30-11 & 1-12
9-12	Sanpada	10-16	6 & 7-12
16-12	Ghatkopar	10-16	14 & 15-12
23-12	Airoli*	10-16*	21 & 22-12*
16-12	Goregaon	10-16	12 & 13-12

 

Course Timing: 8:30 am to 2:30 pm.
Registration Timings:11 am to 1 pm on the specified numbers and dates for each location.

Course Venues:
Ghatkopar: SNDT School, New Building, Cama Lane, Ghatkopar (W), Opp Vidyut Society, Mumbai 400086. Tel: 25011096, 25162505. Goregaon: Vipassana Counselling & Research Centre, Siddharth Municipal General Hospital, Goregaon (W), Tel: 2624-2025 & 98690-23884. Airoli: Saraswati School, Sector 5, Airoli, Mob. 09833193318, 9969267720, 9892565765. Sanpada: Navi Mumbai Mahanagar Palika School, Sector 5, Sanpaada. Tel: 7738649821. Dombivili: K B Vira HighSchool, Near Muncipal Office, Dombivali (E) Mob. 9930301594. Matunga: Amulakh Amirchand High School, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, New SNDT College, King's Circle, Matunga (CR), Tel: 25101096, 25162505. Ulhasnagar: 703-A Block /1405, Gokul Nagar, Behind Netaji School, Near Mahesh Granite, Tel. 9970755130, 8976225967.

Anushaktinagar	Fourth Sundays	98690-16885
Ulhasnagar	Second Sundays	94225-50489

Please call two days in advance for registration.

NB *Please bring cushion. *Please register on the specified phone numbers. If unable to attend after registration, please inform in advance. *Please arrive on time for the course.

Venerable Guruji and Mataji visit Myanmar

Venerable Guruji and Mataji are going to Myanmar ---their Birth-place and Dhamma-place on 21 December, 2012. There they will meet Dhamma sons and daughters as also acquaintances and friends. There will also be a group meditation in Shwedagon Pagoda and some Dhamma discourses by Venerable Guruji.

One- day Mega Course in the presence of Venerable
Gurudev on the occasion of Sharad Purnima

28 October, 2012 Sunday, Time: Morning 11:00 a.m. to Afternoon 4:00 p.m. at the large dome of 'Global Vipassana Pagoda'. To avoid any inconvenience in this Mega Course kindly ensure your booking. Contact: Mobile:09892855692, 0982855945, Phone No.: 022-28451170, 33747543, 33747544 (Phone booking: Everyday from Morning 11:00 am to Evening 5:00 pm)

E-mail Registration : oneday@globalpagoda.org;
Online Registration: www.vridhamma.org

Note:- You are also advised to come via Bhayender as it is going to be an extremely low tide that day.

Karmakāṇḍa men ulajhakara, bhūlā citta virāga;
Ghāsa phūsa sangraha kiyā, tattva sāra ko tyāga.

You remained entangled observing different kinds of rites and rituals but you did not purify your mind of defilements. You accumulated only the refuses and not the kernel.

Pāpa chā gayā ṥīṥa para, liye dharama kī āṛa;
Mata bigāṛa nija loka ko, mata paraloka bigāṛa.

In the name of Dhamma you committed sin after sin. Now be careful. Do not ruin your life here and the life hereafter.

Mala mala dhoya ṥarīra ko, mana nā dhoye chail;
Nhāye Gaṅgā Gomatī, rahe bail kā bail.

You washed your body all right, time and again you did so but you never cared to purify your mind. So even if you take dips in the Ganges and Gomatī, what will they do? you will not be free from sins. You will remain a fool to think you have washed away your sins.

Jage Gaṅgā dharama kī, pāpa ukhaṛatā jāya;
Nirmala nirmala citta men pyāra umaṛatā jāya.

Only when the Ganges of Dhamma will arise, sins will be washed away. Only in a pure and sinless mind, love will begin to overflow.

Edited and published by R. P. Yadav for VRI, Igatpuri 422 403 and printed at Akshar Chitra Press, 69B-Road, Satpur, Nashik 422 007

Posted at Igatpuri, Dist. Nashik, Posting Day: Purnima of every month
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REGISTERED NO. NSK/232/2012-2014

PRINTED MATTER

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