Saturday, February 21, 2015

Academy Awards: Oscars (sutras on fame)

Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven, Seth Auberon, Ashley Wells, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly; H. Hecker
The Academy Awards, when Hollywood pats itself on the back with golden Oscar statues.
We're hot, so hot. Well, not you. You're going down, but I'm coming up. Jennifer Lawrence (the new Artemis) and Anne "Crew Cut" Hathaway at Academy Awards with Oscars (WN).

 
Fame!
Not Oscar, but the Buddha (Debdamone/flickr)
I want to win an Oscar! How can the Buddha or Buddhism help me? Well, reader, there are two things. One, think karma. What is the karma (action) that results in fame, riches, beauty, and influence, as well as rebirth in an even better world than this, happiness here and happiness hereafter? Two, what are the Four Bases of Popularity (Sigalovada Sutra, DN 31)? Hollywood, based as it is on popular opinion, is not only about whom you know, but how many people like you. It's all about ratings, a literal popularity contest. Get a lot of likes, and Hell Town can put you up in lights.

Glory, but the wrong kind: Burma Military Academy Gate, Pyin Oo Lwin, in the police state the ruling junta calls Myanmar (marcopolosrhino.com/marcopolosrhino/flickr.com).
 .
 The Four Bases of Popularity
Who is hospitable, and friendly,
Liberal, and unselfish,
A guide, an instructor, a leader,
Such a person to honor may attain.

Generous, of sweet speech, helpful to others,
Impartial to all, as the case demands --
These Four Winning Ways
Make the world go round,

As the linchpin in a moving cart.
If these in the world were to not exist,
Neither mother nor father would receive
Respect and honor from their offspring.

Since these Four Winning Ways
The wise approve in every way,
To eminence they attain,
And praise they rightly gain.

The Buddha holding mudra (Ponz666/flickr.com)
Wow. I never knew the Buddha had so much to say to ordinary worldlings obsessed with pleasure, money, beauty, longevity, and power. Well, reader, now you know. One time the multi-millionaire Buddhist Anathapindika -- not his real name just his epithet like nearly everyone in the ancient texts all called by their doings, what they are remembered for, rather than their birth name -- asked the Buddha (AN 4.62): Give us a teaching, we who are in the world and wishing to succeed, what can you tell us?

And the Buddha taught, as he had much to say for ordinary success in the world and dealing with the day-to-day joy of being a human. Buddhism is about the path to enlightenment in this very life, but not everyone aims for that. Most would seem to be happy to do well, be safe, and get to some heaven or other. Those are legitimate goals, not the ultimate goal, but very common wishes:

Instructions to the multimillionaire
Hellmuth Hecker, Anathapindika: The Great Benefactor (edited by Wisdom Quarterly)
Golden Buddha reclining into the bliss of nirvana (Tu Linh/kwanyinbuddha/flickr.com)
 
(AN 4.62) The Buddha then said to Anathapindika: "Housefather, there are these four kinds of bliss to be won by the householder:
  1. the bliss of ownership,
  2. the bliss of wealth,
  3. the bliss of debtlessness,
  4. the bliss of blamelessness.
"...A person has wealth acquired by energetic striving, amassed by strength of arm, won by sweat, lawful and lawfully gotten. At the thought, 'Wealth is mine acquired by energetic striving...,' bliss comes, satisfaction comes, This, housefather, is called, 'the bliss of ownership.'
 
"...A person by means of wealth acquired...both enjoys wealth and does meritorious deeds with it. At the thought, 'By means of wealth acquired...I both enjoy my wealth and do meritorious deeds,' bliss comes, satisfaction comes. This, housefather, is called 'the bliss of wealth.'
 
"... A person owes no debt either small or great to anyone. At the thought, 'I am free of debt, small or great, to anyone,' bliss comes, satisfaction comes. This, householder, is called 'the bliss of debtlessness.'
 
"...The noble disciple [enlightened follower] is blessed with blameless action of body, blameless action of speech, blameless action of mind. At the thought, 'I am blessed with blameless action of body, speech, and mind,' bliss comes, satisfaction comes. This is called 'the bliss of blamelessness.'
 
"Such, housefather, are the four kinds of bliss to be won by the householder..."

Five things rare in the world
The Buddha in wood (Daklub/flickr)
(AN 5.43) "There are, O householder, five desirable, pleasant, and agreeable things that are rare in the world. What are those five? They are:
  1. long life,
  2. beauty,
  3. happiness,
  4. fame, and
  5. (rebirth in) a heaven.
But of those five things, O householder, I do no teach that they are to be obtained by prayer or by vows. If one could obtain them by prayer or vows, who would not do it [and have them]?
 
"For a noble disciple, O householder, who wishes to have long life, it is not fitting to pray for long life or take delight in so doing. One should instead follow a path of practice that is conducive to longevity. By following such a path, one will obtain long life, be it divine or human.
 
"For a noble disciple, O householder, who wishes to have beauty...happiness...fame, (rebirth in) a heaven, it is not fitting that one should pray for them or take delight in so doing. One should instead follow a path of practice that is conducive to beauty...happiness...fame...(rebirth in) a heaven. By following such a path, one will obtain beauty, happiness, fame, and (rebirth in) a heaven."
 
Row of golden heroes, previous buddhas, Thailand (Chanarthip Siriviriyapoon/flickr)
  
SUTRA: Fame, Gain, and Offerings
Wisdom Quarterly based on Ven. Thanissaro translation "The Turtle" (Kumma Sutra, SN 17.3)
Quid pro quo: Sleep with me, and I'll make you a star! ("American Dad"/Seth MacFarlane)
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Caveat emptor: Yeah, right, dummy! I lied!
At one time the Buddha was residing in Savatthi in the Kingdom of Kosala, where he addressed the monastics: "Meditators, gains, offerings, and fame are a cruel thing, a harsh and bitter obstacle to the attainment of that unexcelled liberation from all bondage.
 
"Once [upon a time] a large family of turtles had lived a long time in a lake. One turtle said to another, 'My dear turtle, do not go to that area.' Nevertheless, the turtle went to that area, and because of that a hunter lanced it with a harpoon. So injured the turtle went back to the first turtle. The first turtle, seeing it coming from afar, said: 'I hope, dear turtle, that you did not go to that area.'

"'I went to that area, dear turtle.'
 
"'Then I hope you have not been hurt or harmed.'
 
"'I have not been hurt or harmed, but there is this cord that keeps dragging around behind me.'
 
"Dear turtle, you are hurt, you are harmed! It was because of that cord that your father and grandfather fell into misfortune and disaster. Now go, dear turtle. You are no longer one of us.'
 
"The 'hunter,' meditators, represents Mara [Cupid, Eros, Kamadeva]. The 'harpoon' represents gains, offerings, and fame. The cord represents delight and passion. Any meditator who relishes and revels in gains, offerings, and fame that have arisen is called a meditator lanced by the harpoon, who has fallen into misfortune and disaster. Mara can do with that person as he wills. That is how cruel gains, offerings, and fame are -- a harsh and bitter obstacle to the attainment of the unexcelled liberation from all bondage.
 
"So train yourselves: 'We will set aside any gains, offerings, or fame that have arisen, and we will not let any gains, offerings, or fame that have arisen keep our minds/hearts consumed.' That is how you should train yourselves [for the sake of gaining liberation, enlightenment, nirvana in this very life]."
 
Five Reasons for Getting Rich
Wait! The Buddha approves of people being rich, enjoying money, and human pleasures?
 
(AN 5.41) "Householder, there are five reasons for getting rich. What are the five?
  1. "...A noble disciple with riches gotten by work and zeal, gathered by the strength of the arm, earned by sweat of brow, justly obtained in a lawful way, makes oneself happy, glad, and keeps that happiness. One makes his parents happy, glad, and keeps them so. So likewise one's spouse and children and servants.
  2. "...When riches are thus gotten, one makes friends and companions happy, glad, and keeps them so.
  3. "...When riches are thus gotten, ill-luck... is warded off, and one keeps one's goods in safety.
  4. "...When riches are thus gotten, one makes the five oblations to kin, guests, spirit, rulers, and devas.
  5. "...When riches are thus gotten, the noble disciple institutes offerings of lofty aim, celestial, ripening in happiness, leading heavenward, for all those recluses and good persons who abstain from pride and indolence, who bear all things in patience and humility, each mastering self, each calming self, each perfecting self.
"Now if the wealth of that noble disciple, heeding these five reasons, comes to destruction, let that person consider in this way: 'At least I have heeded those reasons for getting rich, but my wealth has gone!' -- thus one is not upset. And if one's wealth increases, let one think, 'Truly, I have heeded those reasons and my wealth has grown!' -- thus one is not upset in either case."

The Dung Beetle
Wisdom Quarterly translation based on Maurice O.C. Walshe (Pilahaka Sutra, SN 17.5)
I'm much cooler than other bugs (NPR)
At one time the Buddha was dwelling in Savatthi, where he said: "Meditators, gains, offerings, and fame are a cruel thing, a harsh and bitter obstacle to the attainment of the unexcelled liberation from all bondage. Suppose there were a dung beetle [or cesspool], an eater of dung, full of dung, engorged with dung, with a huge pile of dung in front of it. It on account of that would look down on other beetles: 'I eat dung, am full of dung, engorged with dung, with a huge pile of dung in front of me!' Similarly, a meditator -- overwhelmed by gains, offerings, and fame, with mind/heart consumed -- puts on robes and carrying bowl and cloak goes into a village or town for alms. Having eaten there until filled, full of almsfood and invited again for the next day, one returns to the hermitage and, in the midst of a group of monastics, boasts: 'I have eaten my fill, as much as I like, I am full of almsfood, and have been invited again for tomorrow. I am a recipient of [all my requisites] robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinals for curing illnesses. These others, however, have little merit, little influence. They are not recipients of robes, almsfood, lodgings, or medicinal requisites.' Conquered by gains, offerings, and fame, mind/heart consumed, one looks down on other well-behaved meditators. That will be for this worthless person's suffering and harm for a long time. That is how cruel gains, offerings, and fame are, a harsh and bitter obstacle to the attainment of the unexcelled liberation from all bondage.
 
"Thus train yourselves: 'We will set aside any gains, offerings, and fame that have arisen, and we will not let any gains, offerings, or fame that have arisen keep our minds/hearts consumed.' That is how you should train yourselves."
 
The Jackal
Wisdom Quarterly (Sigala Sutra, SN 17.8)
I got this mange problem. It's driving me crazy, the itching, scratching, shedding.
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I was itching and scratching! (buzzfeed.com)
In Savatthi. "Meditators, gains, offerings, and fame are a cruel thing, a harsh and bitter obstacle to the attainment of the unexcelled liberation from all bondage.
 
"Have you heard the jackal howling in the last hours of the night?"
 
"Yes, venerable sir."
 
"That jackal is suffering from mange [a painful skin condition]. It finds no pleasure whether it goes to a bluff, the foot of a tree, or the open air. Wherever it goes, wherever it stands, wherever it sits, wherever it lies down, it is sunk in misery.
 
Canine heaven (theinspirationroom.com)
"In the same way, a certain meditator is conquered by gains, offerings, and fame, with mind/heart consumed, and finds no pleasure whether in an empty dwelling, the foot of a tree, or the open air. Wherever one goes, wherever one stands, wherever one sits, wherever one lies down, one is sunk in misery. That is how cruel gains, offerings, and fame are, a harsh and bitter obstacle to the attainment of the unexcelled liberation from all bondage.
 
"Thus train yourselves: 'We will set aside any gains, offerings, or fame that have arisen, and we will not let any gains, offerings, or fame that have arisen keep our minds/hearts consumed.' That is how you should train yourselves."
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