Ambapali

[Guest guest]

Instead of making vain attempts to speculate about the Imperishable,

Buddhists try to understand the fact that they are strongly attached

to perishable things. While meditating on their sad plight, they

realise that it is their craving for the perishable that prevents

them from realising the Imperishable. One cannot think about the

Imperishable. Neither can it be sought after nor invited.

 

Buddhist philosophers have wisely avoided trying to describe Nirvana.

Is it really possible to describe it with anything like accuracy? Any

description of Nirvana will only remain a mass of meaningless words,

except for Arhats who have actually attained that exalted state.

Seeing the impossibility of conveying the details of his attainment,

the Buddha approached the question negatively by stating what Nirvana

is not. " That abode, " declared the Buddha, " is unborn, uncreated,

unmanifested and unconditioned. "

 

Is there anything in the entire universe that never changes and lasts

forever? Even the sun and stars will someday burn themselves out. Is

there any living being that is not subject to decay and death? All

things and all beings have a transitory nature and hence are

impermanent. Only the truth relating to impermanency is permanent.

Ambapali perfectly comprehended the doctrine of Anicca (impermanence).

 

Not only the external world but also the inner world of consciousness

is caught up in a whirlpool of ceaseless alteration. Past memories,

thoughts, feelings and sensations keep vying with one another to rise

to the surface. Thoughts come and go with lightning speed so that it

is extremely difficult to keep pace with even a few of them. The

constituent elements of consciousness race across the substratum of

pure awareness, creating in the process the illusion of `mind'. The

bundle of thoughts, collectively taken, give the fictitious

impression that there is such a definite and concrete thing as the

mind.

 

Just as illusory as the concept of `mind' is the concept of `I'.

Whereas both `mind' and `I' appear to exist, in actual fact they are

made up of different elements. `Mind' and `I' are only aggregations

which by themselves have no real and independent existence.

 

According to the doctrine of Anatta (no-self), there is no permanent

self-existing ego either within the ever-changing bodily and mental

phenomena or outside them. This teaching is closely related to the

above-mentioned principle of Anicca (impermanence). Since the ego is

only a temporary grouping together of attributes, it does not

actually exist in itself. There is a popular Buddhist maxim that

there are in fact only bad qualities, but not bad people. The feeling

`I am' or `I exist' is the prime cause of our samsaric bondage. We

are foolishly inclined to believe that the `I' is the doer; that it

is the `I' that suffers; that the `I' treats others kindly or

unkindly; that the `I' is reborn after death; and finally, that the

`I' finds Liberation.

 

This doctrine has been clearly explained in the Buddhist classic

Visuddhi Magga (Path of Purity).

 

" There is suffering but no sufferer;

 

There are deeds but no doer of deeds;

 

Nirvana is, but not one who enters it;

 

The path is, but no traveller thereto. "

 

Anatta or egolessness is the central teaching of Buddhism. Whereas

many Buddhist teachings can be found in other philosophies and

religious systems, this particular doctrine is the distinguishing

feature of Buddhism. Consequently, the Buddha has been called the

Anattavadi or Teacher of Impersonality.

 

Now, Ambapali's painful awareness that her body was no longer

sexually attractive and aesthetically beautiful enabled her to have

practical experience of the Noble Truth of Suffering (Dukkha); by

contemplating the distressingly shocking changes that her once-

charming body had undergone, the law of impermanence (Anicca) dawned

upon her; and ultimately, her crowning understanding that there was

absolutely nothing within her entire body or mind that did not fade

away and die, made it possible for Ambapali to grasp the profound

truth relating to no-self or egolessness (Anatta). She saw with great

clarity that everything within her whole body and mind must sooner or

later end up in nothingness for nothing is permanent. Thus the

imperishable peace of Nirvana came by Ambapali.