Maha Buddhavamsa鈥擳he Great Chronicle of Buddhas
by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw | 1990 | 1,044,401 words
This page describes The Nine Supreme Attributes of the Sangha contained within the book called the Great Chronicle of Buddhas (maha-buddha-vamsa), a large compilation of stories revolving around the Buddhas and Buddhist disciples. This page is part of the series known as the Dhamma Ratan膩. This great chronicle of Buddhas was compiled by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw who had a thorough understanding of the thousands and thousands of Buddhist teachings (suttas).
Part 8 - The Nine Supreme Attributes of the Sangha
Suppa峁璱panno bhagavato 蝉腻惫补办补sa峁僩ho 耻箩耻辫辫补峁璱辫补苍苍辞 bhagavato 蝉腻惫补办补sa峁僩ho, 帽膩yappa峁璱panno bhagavato 蝉腻惫补办补sa峁僩ho 蝉腻尘墨肠颈辫辫补峁璱辫补苍苍辞 bhagavato 蝉腻惫补办补sa峁僩ho. 驰补诲颈诲补峁� catt膩ri purisayug膩ni a峁弓hapurisa puggal膩 esa bhagavato 蝉腻惫补办补sa峁僩ho 腻丑耻苍别测测辞 p腻丑耻苍别测测辞 诲补办办丑颈峁噀测测辞 a帽jal墨karan墨yo 补苍耻迟迟补谤补峁� pu帽帽akhetta峁� lokassa.
(The 笔腻濒颈 text of the nine supreme attributes of the Sangha) Its meaning:
(1) The community of the disciples of the Buddha, i.e. the eight classes of the ariya Sangha, take up the bhikkhu practice well, and hence are 蝉耻辫辫补峁璱辫补苍苍辞.
(2) The community of the ariya disciples of the Buddha are endowed with straightforward uprightness (耻箩耻辫辫补峁璱辫补苍苍辞) because they follow the straight Middle way.
(3) The community of the ariya disciples of the Buddha strive to attain 狈颈产产腻苍补, hence they are 帽腻测补辫补峁璱辫辫补苍苍辞.
(4) The community of the ariya disciples of the Buddha are endowed with correctness of practice, being ashamed to do evil and abhorrent to do evil, being always mindful, and controlling their conduct, even being prepared to die rather than lose morality, hence they are 蝉腻尘墨肠颈辫辫补峁璱辫补苍苍辞.
The disciples of the Buddha, the Ariya Sangha consisting of eight categories of disciples in four pairs. These really great persons:-
(5) - are worthy of receiving offerings brought even from afar; (腻丑耻苍别测测辞)
(6) - are worthy of receiving offerings specially set aside for special guests; (p腻丑耻苍别测测辞)
(7) - are worthy of receiving offerings made for the sake of 狈颈产产腻苍补; (诲补办办丑颈峁噀测测辞)
(8) - are worthy of receiving obeisance by the three worlds; (补帽箩补濒墨办补谤补峁嚹珁辞)
(9) - are the incomparably fertile soil for all to sow the seed of merit; (pu帽帽akhetta峁� lokassa)
Miscellaneous Notes
厂腻惫补办补蝉补峁単丑腻: The eight classes of ariyas are 厂腻惫补办补蝉补峁単丑腻 in their true meaning. However, the virtuous bhikkhus are also called, in an extended meaning, 厂腻惫补办补蝉补峁単丑腻 since they also follow the Teaching of the Buddha obediently. The word 鈥�蝉腻惫补办补鈥� is defined as: 鈥�Sakacca峁� su峁嘺nt墨ti 蝉腻惫补办补鈥斺�攈e who listens (the Teaching) respectfully.鈥� Here, 鈥榯o listen respectfully鈥� means to live up to the Teaching that will lead to arahatship. According to this definition, only ariyas are 厂腻惫补办补蝉补峁単丑腻 in the true sense and worldlings are called 厂腻惫补办补蝉补峁単丑腻 as an extended meaning. (Listening respectfully is accomplished only by the arahats who have accomplished the noble Practice. However, worldlings who are on the noble Path are sure to attain arahatship and so they are also called 厂腻惫补办补蝉补峁単丑腻 in an extended sense of the word.)
Sangha: the community who are of the same moral standard. Hence 'Sangha' in the true sense refers only to ariyas. This is because ariyas have their morality based on magga and are of the same purity just as a bullion cut up in two pieces in the middle are of equal value.