1
Attachment
By Ven. Ajahn Sanong Katapunnyo
Translated by Fuengsin Trafford
Edited by Andrew Campbell
Introduction
Attachment is deeper than anything. It is the fiber, which stems from all forms of love. The closeness to parents, children, brothers and sisters, husbands, wives, relatives and friends brings about attachment as well as care and concern towards one and other.
At the time of a departure people cannot help worrying about another's welfare. As time goes on, the attachment will increase. In the end it will be like a loop constricting their minds.
When the final moment of life comes, we are bound to be permanently separated from our loved ones. We who are left behind cannot stop being concerned about them, though their whereabouts are unknown to us. So questions arise in our mind. " How are they?" "Are they happy or unhappy?" These questions keep us imagining and guessing about all sorts of things. As a result worry and anxiety increase followed by suffering in our mind.
As we cannot find the answer of this riddle, the only way to deal with it is to try to do everything that is considered the best for them. So both correct and incorrect things have been done which later on both become doctrines and beliefs which are followed from generations to generations.
The Committee of Wat Sanghathan, June 1994
Creamation
According to the custom of cremation which was practiced by ancestors and which is followed from generations to generations, monks give sermons and chant before the actual burning of the body.
So how can all of these rituals be performed effectively so that the deceased can benefit from them?
Everybody wants to dedicate the merit for the deceased, for the deceased's refuge and remembrance. So anything possible whether it is a personification or an exposition in terms of an idea will be used, to make people realize that a dead person cannot take anything but merit with him or her. The various rituals surrounding death and cremation may be used to illustrate aspects of the Dhamma.
Creating a Sign
In the past every dying person wished to go to heaven. If he or she is a grandparent, the grandchildren who knew that the dying person had not yet realized Nibbána, would try to send him or her to heaven to pay respect to Phra Chulamani which is in a very pleasant land for celestial beings within Tavatimsa heaven under Indra, the King who rules the heaven. Indra is supposed to have received the Buddha's topknot. The day the Buddha was ordained he made a wish, "If I will become a Buddha, may the topknot never fall to the ground, but if I will not be able to realize Buddhahood, may it do so." He then cut his hair with his sword and threw the topknot into the air. At that moment Indra saw what happened and picked it up with a crystal bowl and with his power of merit turned it into a crystal pagoda called ... "Chulamani. "
There were stories in some temples about certain monks who visualized Chulamani in their meditation and who remarked how magnificent it looked and this remark was used as a model to build a pagoda. There is no pagada in the whole world, which could match Chulamani's beauty. All celestial beings gather at the Chulamani on every holy day, which falls on the 8th and the 15th of waxing moon. They will circumambulate it with lit candles. They hold the meeting for the Dhamma and above all to venerate the Buddha's topknot.
In the past Buddhists believed that heaven existed and determined to visit Tavatimsa after death. In order to get there, they tried to pass away in peace with a banana leaf envelope containing a flower, incense and a candle in their hands. At the same time they reflected on the Arahat, and reflected that they will soon be on their way to pay respect to "Phra Chulamani." This is called "creating one's own image, " to make one's mind peaceful, to visualize a scene of tranquility without other thoughts. As one is going to die one must cut all attachment, love and hatred.
Before The Last Breath
In the past when a person is going to die, he or she was told to take refuge. A banana leaf folded like an envelope, containing a flower, incense and candle, would be put in the dying person's hands. His or her mother, father, brother or sister would remind the dying relative to think of the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Sangha and the Arahant. This word later on became "Arahang." In fact one should reflect on the Buddha, the Arahat or Arahant who is beyond all the defilement and suffering from birth, old age, decay and death.
If the dying could keep reflecting on this word "Arahant" until he breaths his last, it was believed that he would have traveled the path of happiness. There was an old expression: "A celestial mansion and a royal chariot are awaiting such a person."
These sayings, which were repeated by ancestors, are still used now in order to prepare people for death. The banana leaf envelope containing a flower, incense and candle are for offering to "Phra Chulamani."
Attachment
What prevents us going to heaven? It is because we cannot go there. Where did we get stuck? It is said that three nooses, which are sometimes, called " The golden chains " tie us. The first one is around our feet. The second one is around our wrists and the last one is around our neck.
The first chain signifies our property whether it is a house, money or land. Happiness, suffering, worry and anxiety are connected with property. Everyday this chain is tying people who have money and who are attached to it. So they loose their freedom. As long as they are human beings who do not donate money to a useful cause, the noose will be very tight. This is called "being Incapable of cutting the attachment." They will be imprisoned all their lives. Some people are so burdened by their wealth that they have no time to take precepts or go to the temple to listen to the Dhamma. Their concern for money and property is greater. One who Possesses more is more attached. One who has little is less attached and one who has nothing has no attachment at all.
The second chain, which ties people around their wrists, represents the attachment between wives and husbands. At the wedding ceremony, a white cord is tied around the bride and groom' s wrists together as a symbol of their union. Thus the attachment is formed and they will not be able to leave each other. Concern and worry follow as a result. They are tied together until their dying days. In other words, they have to live together until the end of their lives. This is the chain of suffering.
Sometimes people are happy but now and again they are miserable because husbands and wives have to live together all the time. This can be compared with a tongue, which clashes with teeth. In the long run there will be more suffering than happiness because everyone cannot attain the state of one pointed-ness of mind.
This kind of attachment, which leads to unhappiness is called " The chain around the wrists." It is so tight that people cannot free themselves. They are so distressed that they cannot go to the temple to take precepts and listen to the Dhamma. Therefore people are tied by two chains which are so tight that they finally loose their freedom.
The third chain is around one's neck. It is called "Rahulam Bhandhanam" which means a noose around the neck. The Buddha had a son called "Rahula." When Princess Yasodhara Bimba gave birth to the baby, a royal attendant went to inform the Buddha (then Prince Siddhattha) and asked him to visit his lovely new born son. The Prince immediately exclaimed "Rahulam, Rahulam!" which meant a noose around the neck.
"The noose is permanently around my neck, so I cannot go anywhere. From now on I am a father who faces a very serious responsibility."
Though the Buddha was a young man, he had the wisdom to realize what the bond meant. He knew that he was completely bound by the three chains. The one around his feet represented his throne. The one around his wrists represented his wife and the one around his neck represented his son. The last chain was so tight that the attachment would still be with him after his death. It is said that if one cannot cut these ties, one will never realize Nibbána. So it is absolutely necessary to cut them.
People nowadays are tied more firmly by the three chains as time goes on. Sometimes instead of having just one chain around their wrists, they go out to look for more.
Cutting The Tie
As it has been explained earlier we can say that attachment, worry and sorrow are so powerful that they can affect our mood and permeate our consciousness thus preventing illumination and peace of mind. Our present grief is caused by attachment.
Even if we have attachment, we can develop mindfulness of the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Sangha and death. We envisage that it is impossible to take anything with us even our own body after death. The only thing that will accompany us is the merit. First of all, the chains must be cut. The one around our feet can be cut by donating money to a useful cause. We can give a quarter of our money to charity so that it will be recalled later.
Instead of worrying about our attachment to property, we are worried about our temple. Instead of worrying about our children and grandchildren, we are worried about monks, nuns and Anagarigas or think about the precepts, giving and meditation. We then have two children. The one, which is at home, is the worldly child and the one at the temple is the spiritual community.
Therefore monks call every layperson "Yome." The monks who are ordained will call anyone who visits the temple whether a man or a woman "Yome." We also have another tie, which is the attachment to the spiritual community.
We have the connection through practicing generosity, taking precepts and meditating. These practices can cut some braids, and from three braids only this one will be left. Otherwise, worldly attachment will be too tight to be able to free oneself.
Some people have never been to the temple. They know nothing about the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha. Before they die, if they are reminded to think of the Arahat, they cannot recollect. Some people are preoccupied by their evil deeds. Some thinks about animals! Some reflect on their past actions which worry them. People who have a tendency to perform de-meritorious deeds will eventually visualize their previous un-skilful actions before death.
Haunting Oneself
The Buddha taught us to avoid evil and to do good. He also told us to abstain from wrong actions such as killing animals, drinking, gambling, adultery and oppressing others, as they will produce awful mental images which will disturb our mind and leave us without peace. As soon as we sit down to contemplate on the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha, these images will be replaced by unpleasant forms and faces. These bad images will affect our mind and take away peace and tranquility. For example, one who is frightened of ghosts is likely to be haunted by himself or herself always. When darkness falls, unwholesome scenes will appear in front of the person and consequently he or she will be convinced that they are either ghosts or other horrible things.
Eventually this type of person will always have fear and suspicion. He or she can be compared with someone who is so burdened with guilt from evil deeds that concentration of mind leading to mental strength cannot be gained. Fear cannot be overcome when that person has no Dhamma and thus no refuge.
If we have morality and concentration development, the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha in mind, we will not have fear and horrible mental images. The Buddha will be reflected upon instead. Fear will be overcome and the frightening forms, which are imagined to be ghosts, will disappear. Only the Buddha image is perceived.
There will be both good and bad signs visualized before passing away. The person who is meritorious will visualize good signs, the other person who has accumulated bad kamma in this life will visualize bad signs.
The Way To Heaven
It can be illustrated that the reason behind putting the banana leaf envelope into the dying person's hands is to show him or her the way to heaven. Nowadays there is not enough time to do it because people have no mindfulness. In former times they did not go to the hospital. Before passing away, their children used to surround them and put the envelope in their hands for an offering to Chulamani, at the same time they would say "Mother, Arahant, Father, Arahant" so as to remind the dying person of the Buddha. Those dying would say "Look after your brothers and sisters well. Everything is already divided. I am going now. I cannot stay alive anymore."
Naturally the children and grandchildren did not wish their relatives to die but the five aggregates could not last any longer. Some dying people would announce something like: "The royal chariot has arrived with someone to fetch me. A mansion and a royal chariot are waiting. The celestial beings are very beautiful. Somebody has already come to take me with him so I cannot remain here any longer." Some people said that the celestial being came three times for them but they postponed the journey by expressing their wish to perform a meritorious deed first. They finally went after the third time. The ritual of cremation is performed to symbolize the way the dead person is led away from this life.
Yome, you have noticed that during cremation in Bangkok, the coffin is put on a royal chariot drawn by a monk, holding an incense and a candle which both signify the Dhamma, the Buddha's teaching. Therefore the Triple Gem will lead the procession. The white sacred cord is tied to the coffin. The cortege must circumambulate the crematorium either from right to left or from left to right according to the Abbot's idea. If it is from left to right, they must go around three times which symbolize the Triple Gem.
Having morality, generosity, meditation and the Triple Gem as refuges, the coffin will circumambulate the crematorium from left to right. This is called "Human prosperity going to heavenly prosperity and then to successful attainment of Nibbána." If it is from left to right, it must be led by a monk who embodies morality and the taking of precepts. In some temples there is no room to circumambulate the place of cremation.
How can a monk lead?
He will give a sermon encouraging morality. For a layperson who takes five precepts, he or she will be guided to heaven by his or her ethical conduct. They will not have to go to hell. When one follows the monk's teaching, it can be compared with physically following him in any direction he goes. In fact it is the five precepts, which take the lead. For anyone who is ordained as a nun with eight precepts, after her death it is said that she is shown the way by the eight precepts. A monk will walk in front, holding the sacred cord, which is tied to the coffin. She is supposed to go to a higher realm such as Nimmanarati or Paranimmitavasavatti heaven.
If one can attain a state of absorption during meditation, one will reach the Brahma world. Furthermore, when one develops intuitive vision and manages to cut the three chains, greed, anger, delusion, love, hatred, attachment to children, property, wives and husbands, it can be said that one has realized the state of Nibbána. Freedom will be gained from loosening the grip of the three chains.
In front of the funeral procession are representations of the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha who represent morality. Being led around, behind the guide of morality signifies that if one follows the precepts, one will be on the right way. So it is necessary to be led after death.
The Cycle Of Birth And Death
So the body is tied by a sacred cord at the ankles to stop the feet spreading out, around the wrists with hands joined together for the same reason. A banana leaf envelope containing a flower, incense and a candle is put in the hands. If the dying person can put his or her hands together, it is believed that he or she has a high degree of mindfulness, which will enable such an individual to go to heaven. If the person does not know how to pay respect to the Buddha, his or her hands will be put together in the manner of veneration. So bended hands are clasped together.