The Love-song the Buddha did not rebuke

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yawares
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The Love-song the Buddha did not rebuke

Post by yawares »

Dear Members,

This Uposatha Day, please let me share with you all 'a love-song the Buddha did not rebuke'. It is in DN
21. Sakkapanha sutta (translation by Maurice Walshe). My dear friend Dr.Han Tun gave this story to me.


************
:heart: The Love-song the Buddha did not rebuke :heart:
[Presented by Dr.Han Tun, MD. @ SariputtaDhamma/JTN/Mult]


Thus have I heard. Once the Lord staying in Magadha, to the east of Raajagaha,
by a Brahmin village called Ambasa.n.daa, to the north of the village on Mount
Vediya, in the Indasaala Cave. And at that time Sakka, lord of the gods, felt a
strong desire to see the Lord. And Sakka thought 'Where is the Blessed Lord, the
fully-enlightened Buddha, now staying?' Then, perceiving where the Lord was,
Sakka said to the Thirty-Three Gods: 'Gentlemen, the Blessed Lord is staying in
Magadha...in the Indasaala Cave. How would it be if we were to go and visit the
Lord?' 'Very good, lord, and may good fortune go with you', replied the
Thirty-Three Gods.


Then Sakka said to Pa~ncasikha of the gandhabbas: 'The Blessed Lord is staying
in Magadha…in the Indasaala Cave. I propose to go to visit him.' 'Very good,
Lord', said Pancasikha and, taking his yellow beluva-wood lute, he followed in
attendance on Sakka.


And, just as swiftly as a strong man might stretch forth his flexed arm, or flex
it again, Sakka, surrounded by the Thirty-Three Gods and attended by
Pancasikha, vanished from the heaven of the Thirty-Three and appeared in
Magadha…on Mount Vediya. Then a tremendous light shone over Mount Vediya,
illuminating the village of Ambasandaa, so great was the power of the gods, so
that in the surrounding villages they were saying: 'Look, Mount Vediya is on
fire today, it's burning, it's in flames! What is the matter, that Mount Vediya
and Ambasandaa are lit up like this? and they were so terrified that their
hair stood on end.


Then Sakka said: 'Pancasikha, it is hard for the likes of us to get near the
Tathaagatas when they are enjoying the bliss of meditation, and therefore
withdrawn. But if you, Pancasikha, were first to attract the ear of the Blessed
Lord, then we might afterwards be able to approach and see the Blessed Lord, the
fully-enlightened Buddha.' 'Very good, Lord', said Pancasikha and, taking his
yellow beluva-wood lute, he approached the Indasaala Cave. Thinking: 'As far as
this is neither too far nor too near to the Lord, and he will hear my voice', he
stood to one side.


---------------
Then, to the strains of his lute, he sang these verses extolling the Buddha, the
Dhamma, the Arahants, and love:


(i) "Lady, your father Timbaruu greet,
Oh Sunshine fair, I give him honour due,
By whom was sired a maid as fair as you
Who are the cause of all my heart's delight.

(ii) "Delightful as the breeze to one who sweats,
Or as a cooling draught to one who thirsts,
Your radiant beauty is to me as dear
As the Dhamma is to Arahants.

(iii) "Just as medicine to him who's ill,
Or nourishment to one who's starving still.
Bring me, gracious lady, sweet release
With water cool from my consuming flames.

(iv) "The elephant, oppressed by summer heat,
Seeks out a lotus-pool upon which float
Petals and pollen of that flower,
So into your bosom sweet I'd plunge.

(v) "As an elephant, urged by the goad,
Pays no heed to pricks of lance and spear,
So I, unheeding, know not what I do,
Intoxicated by your beauteous form.

(vi) "By you my heart is tightly bound in bonds,
All my thoughts are quite transformed, and I
Can no longer find my former course:
I'm like a fish that's caught on baited hook.

(vii)-(viii) "Come, embrace me, maiden fair of thighs,
Seize and hold me with your lovely eyes,
Take me in your arms, it's all I ask!
My desire was slight at first, O maid
Of waving tresses, but it grew apace,
As grow the gifts that Arahants receive.

(ix)–(x) "Whatever merit I have gained by gifts
To those Noble Ones, may my reward
When it ripens, be your love, most fair!

(xi) "As the Sakyans' Son in jhaana rapt
Intent and mindful, seeks the deathless goal,
Thus intent I seek your love, my Sun!

(xii) "Just as that Sage would be rejoiced, if he
Were to gain supreme enlightenment,
So I'd rejoice to be made one with you.

(xiii) "If Sakka, Lord of Three-and-Thirty Gods
Were perchance to grant a boon to me,
It's you I'd crave, my love for you's so strong.

(xiv) "Your father, maid so wise, I venerate
Like a saal-tree fairly blossoming,
For his offspring's sake, so sweet and fair."


[Han: It seems inappropriate to sing a song that contains words like, "maiden
with fair thighs" (vaamuuru), in front of the Buddha. But the Buddha did not
rebuke it. Please see below.]


When he heard this, the Lord said: "Pancasikha, the sound of your strings
blends so well with your song, and your song with the strings, that neither
prevails excessively over the other. When did you compose these verses on the
Buddha, the Dhamma, the Arahants, and Love?"


"Lord, it was when the Blessed Lord was staying on the bank of the River
Neranjaraa, under the goat-herd's banyan tree prior to his enlightenment. At
that time I fell in love with the lady Bhaddaa, bright as the sun, the daughter
of King Timbaruu of the gandhabbas. But the lady was in love with somebody else.
It was Sikhaddi, the son of Maatali the charioteer, whom she favoured. And when
I found that I could not win the lady by any manner of means, I took my yellow
beluva-wood lute and went to the home of King Timbaruu of the gandhabbas, and
there I sang these verses: [Verses as above]


***********
:heart: Love Buddha's dhamma,
yawares/sirikanya :heart:
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BubbaBuddhist
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Re: The Love-song the Buddha did not rebuke

Post by BubbaBuddhist »

I'm going to remember this song next time I go a-courtin' and set it to music to play on my piano. :tongue:

BB
Author of Redneck Buddhism: or Will You Reincarnate as Your Own Cousin?
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yawares
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Re: The Love-song the Buddha did not rebuke

Post by yawares »

BubbaBuddhist wrote:I'm going to remember this song next time I go a-courtin' and set it to music to play on my piano. :tongue:

BB

Dear BB,
Oh please let me know the result...please let me listen to this music too :anjali:

yawares
Jeffrey
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Re: The Love-song the Buddha did not rebuke

Post by Jeffrey »

I recently ran across this sutta and am curious why the Buddha did not rebuke Pancasikha. I thought perhaps because the Buddha already knows Pancasikha is the messenger boy sent to get the Buddha's attention, and so simply says "nice job" in order not to insult someone simply doing what he was told (and so he can get on with the more important matter of teaching the god Sakka, with whom his discussion takes up the remainder of the sutta).
daverupa
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Re: The Love-song the Buddha did not rebuke

Post by daverupa »

The Buddha seems to have skillfully avoided criticizing the content, given that the intent seems to have been praise, even if the execution left something to be desired. (Hmm...)
  • "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

    "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.

- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]
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yawares
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Re: The Love-song the Buddha did not rebuke

Post by yawares »

Jeffrey wrote:I recently ran across this sutta and am curious why the Buddha did not rebuke Pancasikha. I thought perhaps because the Buddha already knows Pancasikha is the messenger boy sent to get the Buddha's attention, and so simply says "nice job" in order not to insult someone simply doing what he was told (and so he can get on with the more important matter of teaching the god Sakka, with whom his discussion takes up the remainder of the sutta).
Dear Jeffrey,

You might be right. As for me, I never doubt anything about Buddhas...I absolutely/ultimately respect/love Buddhas more than anyone in this world....and next next world...forever :heart: :anjali:
A song/picture for you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuD2PMhni_I" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Image

yawares :anjali:
plwk
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Re: The Love-song the Buddha did not rebuke

Post by plwk »

Image
:o OMG! A bling bling Buddha! :lol:
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Kare
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Re: The Love-song the Buddha did not rebuke

Post by Kare »

BubbaBuddhist wrote:I'm going to remember this song next time I go a-courtin' and set it to music to play on my piano. :tongue:

BB
Better use a vina, as the pali text says, instead of a piano. But what is a vina? In modern India the vina is an instrument (or rather a class of instruments) with strings along a neck (with or without frets), so it is understandable that some translators use the word "lute". It seems, however, that in earlier time the vina might just as well have been a harp, similar to the Burmese harp.

http://www.4to40.com/music/article_prin ... nstruments" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Image


So the next time I go a-courtin' I will set this song to music to sing and play on my harp. :D
Mettāya,
Kåre
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yawares
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Re: The Love-song the Buddha did not rebuke

Post by yawares »

Kare wrote:
BubbaBuddhist wrote:I'm going to remember this song next time I go a-courtin' and set it to music to play on my piano. :tongue:

BB
Better use a vina, as the pali text says, instead of a piano. But what is a vina? In modern India the vina is an instrument (or rather a class of instruments) with strings along a neck (with or without frets), so it is understandable that some translators use the word "lute". It seems, however, that in earlier time the vina might just as well have been a harp, similar to the Burmese harp.

http://www.4to40.com/music/article_prin ... nstruments" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Image


So the next time I go a-courtin' I will set this song to music to sing and play on my harp. :D
*********
Dear Kare,
I really like the picture of Indian_Musical_Instruments :smile:
And I must tell you that you look pretty much like one of my favorite SAS pilots :smile: 'Captain Knudsen'...he's a big/tall guy with white hair/pale blue eyes...he's so friendly/nice...I love Scandinavian people. :heart:

yawares

yawares
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