Eight Marvelous Qualities – Eight

(8) “Just as the great ocean is the abode of mighty creatures… so also this Dhamma and Discipline is the abode of mighty creatures, such as these: the stream-enterer and the one who is on the way to realizing the fruit of stream-entry, the once-returner and the one who is on the way to realizing the fruit of once-returning, the non-returner and the one who is on the way to realizing the fruit of non-returning, the arahant and the one who is on the way to arahatship. This is the eighth wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline.

“These, bhikkhus, are the eight wonderful and marvellous qualities in this Dhamma and Discipline, seeing which bhikkhus delight in this Dhamma and Discipline.”

Then, on realizing its significance, the Lord uttered on that occasion this inspired utterance:

Eight Marvelous Qualities – Seven

(7) “Just as the great ocean contains many precious substances, various precious substances… so also this Dhamma and Discipline contains many precious things, various precious things, such as these: the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right endeavors, the four bases for successful accomplishment, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven enlightenment factors, and the Noble Eightfold Path. This is the seventh wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline…

“Uposatha Sutta: The Observance Day” (Ud 5.5), translated from the Pali by John D. Ireland. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 13 June 2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.5.05.irel.html .

Comment: Next we’ll take a look a the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right endeavors, the five powers, and the rest. Hooray – quite a few more days worth of topics! To your happiness – Mark

Eight Marvelous Qualities – Six

(6) “Just as the great ocean has one taste, the taste of salt, so also this Dhamma and Discipline has one taste, the taste of liberation. This is the sixth wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline…

“Uposatha Sutta: The Observance Day” (Ud 5.5), translated from the Pali by John D. Ireland. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 13 June 2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.5.05.irel.html .

Comment: This is often quoted or misquoted out of context. To you happiness – Mark

Eight Marvelous Qualities – Five

(5) “Just as, although the rivers of the world flow into the great ocean and showers of rain fall from the sky, no lessening or filling up of the great ocean is evident, so also, although many bhikkhus attain final Nibbana in the Nibbana-element with no residue left, no lessening or filling up of the Nibbana-element is evident. This is the fifth wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline…

“Uposatha Sutta: The Observance Day” (Ud 5.5), translated from the Pali by John D. Ireland. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 13 June 2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.5.05.irel.html .

Eight Marvelous Qualities – Four

(4) “Just as whatever great rivers there are… on reaching the great ocean lose their former names and identities and are just called ‘the great ocean,’ so also (those of) the four castes — nobles, brahmans, merchants, and workers — having gone forth from home to the homeless state in the Dhamma and Discipline made known by the Tathagata, abandon their former names and identities and are just called ‘recluses, the followers of the Sakyan son.’ This is the fourth wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline…

“Uposatha Sutta: The Observance Day” (Ud 5.5), translated from the Pali by John D. Ireland. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 13 June 2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.5.05.irel.html .

Eight Marvelous Qualities – Three

(3) “Just as the great ocean does not tolerate a dead body… and casts it up on dry land, so also whatsoever person is immoral, wicked, of impure and suspect behavior, secretive in his acts, no recluse though pretending to be one, not practicing the holy life though pretending to do so, rotten within, lustful and corrupt, the Order does not associate with him, but when it has met together soon throws him out. Even though he may be sitting in the midst of the Order of bhikkhus, yet he is far from the Order and the Order is far from him. This is the third wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline…

“Uposatha Sutta: The Observance Day” (Ud 5.5), translated from the Pali by John D. Ireland. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 13 June 2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.5.05.irel.html .

Eight Marvelous Qualities – Two

(2) “Just as the great ocean is stable and does not exceed the limits of the tide-line, so also my disciples do not transgress a training rule laid down by me for disciples even for the sake of their lives. This is the second wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline…

“Uposatha Sutta: The Observance Day” (Ud 5.5), translated from the Pali by John D. Ireland. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 13 June 2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.5.05.irel.html .

Eight Marvelous Qualities – One

“Similarly, bhikkhus, there are eight wonderful and marvellous qualities in this Dhamma and Discipline, seeing which bhikkhus delight in this Dhamma and Discipline. What are the eight?

(1) “Just as the great ocean gradually shelves, slopes, and inclines, and there is no sudden precipice, so also in this Dhamma and Discipline there is a gradual training, a gradual course, a gradual progression, and there is no sudden penetration to final knowledge. Since, in this Dhamma and Discipline there is a gradual training,… this is the first wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline, seeing which bhikkhus delight in this Dhamma and Discipline.

“Uposatha Sutta: The Observance Day” (Ud 5.5), translated from the Pali by John D. Ireland. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 13 June 2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.5.05.irel.html .

Dhamma, the Taste of Liberation

(2) “Just as the great ocean is stable and does not exceed the limits of the tide-line, so also my disciples do not transgress a training rule laid down by me for disciples even for the sake of their lives. This is the second wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline…

(3) “Just as the great ocean does not tolerate a dead body… and casts it up on dry land, so also whatsoever person is immoral, wicked, of impure and suspect behavior, secretive in his acts, no recluse though pretending to be one, not practicing the holy life though pretending to do so, rotten within, lustful and corrupt, the Order does not associate with him, but when it has met together soon throws him out. Even though he may be sitting in the midst of the Order of bhikkhus, yet he is far from the Order and the Order is far from him. This is the third wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline…

(6) “Just as the great ocean has one taste, the taste of salt, so also this Dhamma and Discipline has one taste, the taste of liberation. This is the sixth wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline…

“Uposatha Sutta: The Observance Day” (Ud 5.5), translated from the Pali by John D. Ireland. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 13 June 2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.5.05.irel.html .

Comment: Buddhism Lite – we’ll talk about the taste of liberation and leave about the bits about training rules and morality. To your happiness- Mark

Eight Marvellous Qualities of Dhamma – One

“Similarly, bhikkhus, there are eight wonderful and marvellous qualities in this Dhamma and Discipline, seeing which bhikkhus delight in this Dhamma and Discipline. What are the eight?

(1) “Just as the great ocean gradually shelves, slopes, and inclines, and there is no sudden precipice, so also in this Dhamma and Discipline there is a gradual training, a gradual course, a gradual progression, and there is no sudden penetration to final knowledge. Since, in this Dhamma and Discipline there is a gradual training,… this is the first wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline, seeing which bhikkhus delight in this Dhamma and Discipline.

“Uposatha Sutta: The Observance Day” (Ud 5.5), translated from the Pali by John D. Ireland. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 13 June 2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.5.05.irel.html .