8 Amazing Attributes of the Ocean - Ajahn Dhammasiha
Update: 2020-10-15
Description
The Buddha compared 8 amazing attributes of the ocean with similar 8 marvellous qualites of his teaching:
- Like the ocean gets deeper incrementally; so our training and progress in Dhamma is gradual
- As the ocean is bound by the shoreline; so the Buddha's disciples are restraint by the precepts, which they will not transgress even for the sake of their lifes
- As the ocean will not keep a corpse, but wash it onto the shore; similarly the sangha will not tolerate an evil monk or nun, but expell them from their community
- Like all the great rivers like Ganges, Yang Tse, Mekong, Nile, Kongo, Amazon, Mississippi, Murray and Wolga loose all distinctions once they merge into the ocean; similarly once a person ordains they loose all previous distinctions by class, caste, race, nationality or ethnicity
- Although all the rivers constanly flow into the ocean, the ocean does not become fuller from that; likewise, although many attain Nibbāna, the Nibbāna element does not manifest any increase or growth
- As the whole ocean is permeated by only one unique taste, the taste of salt; so the Dhamma is suffused with only one flavour, the flavour of release
- As there are numerous valuable resources in the ocean like pearls, conches, gold, oil and gas; similarly there are manifold valuables in the dhamma like the 4 foundations of mindfulness, 4 right efforts, 4 iddhipādā, 5 faculties, 5 powers, 7 bojjhangas and Noble 8fold Path
- As there are giant being in the ocean like whales, giant squids, dragons and nāgas; so there are giant beings in the Dhamma, like stream enterers, once returners, non returners and arahants
- (Udāna 5.5)
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