Philosophy, wisdom and enlightened

Philosophy- study of nature and the meaning of existance, how people should live.

To know other is wisdom.

To know onself is enlightened.

India, former name is Jambudvipa, rose- apple land, is the great country and it has a long history. This very India was known as Mejjhimadesa, middle land also. In this great country, there were many religious teachers were born, had grown up and had taught their dharma, liberated ways. And many people follow them what they like, choise and live accordance with their ways.

Around 6 century B.C, in the Bihar state, eastern part of the country, Maharvira and the Buddha had aroused with their many thousands of followers. Above the two great persons had found the two great religions: Jainism and Buddhism. In that state, the two great religions were contemporaries and exist together at the same time.

For that one example is: the Buddha want to benaras to preach his first Dharma- liberated ways. While the Buddha was travelling to benaras, He met sadhu- Upaka, a disciple of the Maharvira. Mahavira was the founder of Jainism. Not only above two religions were born in this country, India but also Hinduism, Sikhism and Animism and so on.Therefore, this country, India was known as the land of religions.

The Buddha had travelled throughout the Ganga valley after he had attained His enlightenment. The Buddha had preached his Dharam- liberated ways for forty five years in this very country, India. Not yet this, the Buddha found Samgha community, the group of monks, in his very life’s time.

The Buddha had pointed out the three things to his disciples to follow:

1. Morality 

2. Concentration 

3. And wisdom. 

The morality was found in vinaya pitaka, disciplinary session, which was laid down by the enlightened one, for male monks and female monks in his Order.

In Second one concentration is middle stage which was found in suttanta pitaka. Especially, in this second session Buddha’s method and other contemporary thoughts were taught in around 6 century B.C in India.  

In the last one is the most important, in this session we can find the four noble truths, noble eight paths and mind and matter which are more popular than other two. In the western world, everyone pursues, as a method which can solve the mental problems, insight mediation, vipassna. This vipassana searches and mentions the things as they are really are, like a science, in a world.

Here, I want to quote a paragraph from the book ‘’What Buddhists believe’’ by Ven. K. Sri Dhammananda, Sri Lankan monk:

“According to the Buddha, one must first seek to understand one’s own mind. This was to be done through concentration which gives one profound inner wisdom or realization. And this insight is to be gained not by philosophical argument or worldly knowledge but the silent realization of the illusion of the self.”

The monks served those three things, as they were taught by the Buddha, until present century 2011. Above three things will be maintaining in the future generation.

After passed away of the Buddha, in India there were some educations centers have arisen.

Nalanda education centre and

Vikramasila education centre.

Above two learning centers were the main Mahavihara- education centers to learn for students who came to here from different countries: some students are from china, some are from Tibet, some are from Sumatra, now it was Indonesia, and some are from the southern part of India. These two learning center are the ancient universities of India.

In these two educations learning centers had been found in many departments and arts: Chinese, Tibetan, pali. Sanskrit etc. And archeology, astrology, pathology, ayuvedas and so on, were taught.

Therefore, in these educations learning centers were full of the different students from different countries, like a colorful rainbow and, it radiated from those two centers to all parts of the world.

In the session 2011-2012 at Annamalai University at philosophy department inaugurates Ph.D course for Buddhist monks. The philosophy department has accepted ten Myanmar monks, as Ph.D students. Philosophy and Buddhist methods will work on the path which leads to the peace and harmony for all human beings in the world.

2011 is the great occasion of The Annamalia University, as the its 86^th  Anniversary and  its education trip, will discuss about the global education in different views from different universities and professors, and hoping the better ways to all students  came to Annamalai University, education centre, from other countries for their education trip.

Thank you very much

Presented by:

Ven. Neyadhamma( mandalay)

        M.A, PhD (thesis) 

Department of philosophy. 

Annamalai University Chidambaram city, India.