Patthana Desana 2011 Burmese Buddhist Calendar

May all living beings be Happy & Well

(Paw’s Family)

A Gift of Dhamma Free Distribution Only)

PATTHANA DESANA (Part of Abhidhamma)

The 24 modes of causal conditions teach us the true-life philosophy living in the samsara, cycle of births and rebirths. Don’t just chant, you must also learn the philosophy. I have added the life philosophy that Buddha intended to give it to all living beings What is Patthana Desana Gatha)

In chanting Parit or Patthana Gatha, let it be known that we are dealing with spirits, and not human being. In ancient time, those who meditate in secluded places will first chant “Patthana Gatha” to set a demarcation of boundary or space umbrella through which no spiritual being could penetrate to disturb the meditator. Like any Paritta sutta, like Metta Sutta”- Karaniya Metta Sutta, both monks and laity alike would chant the Gatha to alert the spirits in the environment. Chanting Pathana Gatha or Paritta sutta is a serious matter; know that all these have to deal with spirits, and misuse of chanting the Gatha like singing a song is disrespectful of the spirits in the environment.

Let it be known that Lord Buddha himself to provide protection for 500 Monks who had been haunted by the tree spirits in the forest while they set up for meditation during their rain retreat. Buddha gave them Metta sutta for their protection - ”Formulated by Buddha himself”. By chanting “Metta Sutta” and radiating their loving kindness to the tree spirits they had overcome and had appeased the tree spirits and had successfully completed their rain retreat at the same forest.

This Pathana Gatha is highly esteem by all spirits in the environment when chanted with a serious purpose with due respect paid to them.

Monks in the Goldenland preferred to chant this Gatha in Pali? Why is this Gatha so potent in providing protective boundary or umbrella? We should use proper Pali to be respectful of this Gatha.

When some one asked me, what is the meaning of each of the Patthana Desana, I thought it would be helpful for people to better appreciate and learn the Philosophy of Buddha Dhamma in real life.

Maung Paw California, USA

1.Hetu Paccaya In real life- Philosophy: To keep us standing tall, active and productive, we need all the six elements - (lobha, dosa, moha, alobha, adosa, amoha) all in balance. When we lost lobha, we lost our will or motivation to work for a livelihood. (just look at the homeless people)

2. Arammana Paccayo

In real life- Philosophy: - In life when we are starting a family, we need all the helps we can get from – parents, friends, associates to help us out to stand up right. No one is born with all the necessities in life (like Jotika the richest man in India, Sakka came down to build him a palace and unlimited wealth for him to give alms). In building a family, to buy a house for our own, we need some one to give us a loan – either parent, kinsfolk’s or bank to give us a loan

3. Addhipati Paccayo In real life- Philosophy: In a kingdom, the Universal Monarch extent his sole authority to all borderland to protect his subject; so also in a family we must have a sole authority either a father or a mother who must with concentrated attention, diligence and wisdom take charge to protect and safe guard the family members

4. Anantara Paccayo

In real life- Philosophy: Buddhist believes that when an old consciousness perishes, it instantly moves to a new consciousness and there is no time lapse in between. In real life, it is important for a family to designate a line of succession that must take over if the father should pass away or disabled. This should be made known to all family members.

5. Samanantara Paccayo In real life- Philosophy: - In every worldly matter, it is important for us to have a designated person to take over the authority of a head of household, so we don’t have any interruption of fighting for the head of the household. In America, a president has vice president standing by to take over in the event of the passing away of the president. .

6. Sahajata Paccayo

In real life- Philosophy: In the sharing of merit to friends, departed one, kinsfolk, etc. those whoever receive the shared merit receive the merit in full. In real life if we have a written will or a living trust prepared that designated person he will receive that property in full as noted in the will or trust.

7. Annamanna Paccayo In real life- Philosophy: In worldly matter, we have three elements that make a system stable. Take for a family, a couple, through its married life the two will at one time or another reach a crisis point; however when they have a son or a daughter, for the sake of their love for him/her the marriage is more stable and strong.

8. Nissaya Paccayo

In real life- Philosophy: - in real life matter, for one who put the food on the table, (either husband or wife) the one who care for the household must prepare lunch box for the husband. It is mutual responsibility of one to help the other for the household to prosper.

9. Upanissaya Paccayo: In real life- Philosophy: In real life, it is the head of the household who must try hard to keep the family in harmony and prosperous; as a result all family members are happy and well.

10. Purejata Paccayo

In real life- Philosophy: In real life, in a family there is a need for one to set a role model; if the father is a doctor, his children, son or daughter, will follow the family role model and become a doctor.

11. Pacchajata Paccayo In real life- Philosophy: Living in this world, there are families whose head of the household passed away very early in his youth, in such a case the surviving children must struggle to earn his own living at very early age in life, or be an orphan )

12. Isevana Paccayo

In real life- Philosophy: - In real life- Philosophy: In life there is a natural learning process we called repetitive learning; to keep repeating it and commit it to memory or repeating several times in writing it, finally you will remember any difficult passages or formulae. Buddha said this is a natural way of learning. Like in science, you need to reproduce the same result several times to convince yourself and reviewers of your discovery.

13. Kamma Paccayo In real life- Philosophy: - In life, in a family tree we need a good gene, generally a brilliant physician will produce in his family bright and brilliant children. In the spiritual sense, Buddhist believes that only a wholesome kamma could bring you to a blissful state of existence. Buddhist believes that a wholesome kamma in the present will bring forth a blissful future state of existence.

14. Vipaka Paccayo

In real life- Philosophy: - Vipaka is the resultant – in life if you do good to friends and associates, this very good-will action would bring forth good action in return. It is a natural process, they all will return you the favor.

15. Ahara Paccayo: In real life- Philosophy: - In real life, if you see an aged old person that needs help, please help him because he truly needs outside support for his subsistence. If you see your parents are getting old, try to see whatever you can do to help them. To do that you must have cetana (volition). (remember you do it only through your volition (cetana)

A16. Indriya Paccayo

In real life- Philosophy:- in real life, in a family, we must have a distribution of work, mother takes care of cooking, daughter takes care of cleaning and the son takes care of lawn mowing, and father bring in food to the table. This is the same as governing a kingdom with works distributed to several ministers.

17. Jhana paccayo In real life- Philosophy: - In life you cannot keep living in a village not knowing what is going on in Washington; go to Washington and see how our senators and congressmen are doing their governmental work. Don’t let people call you ignorant country folks.

18. Magga Paccayo

In real life- Philosophy: - the fruit of your good action (kamma) will bring you to blissful state; where else the fruit of evil action will bring you to woeful state. If you work hard to become a doctor you will in due time enjoy the dignity and comfort of your hard work.

19. Sampayutta Paccayo: In real life- Philosophy: - in real life in any work using groups of people to assemble a product, you need every one in the group to work as a team, we say you must be a team player to succeed in science discovery. Team players are highly appreciated in a small science Laboratory or any assembly work. (see auto-assembly work, we need them all to move in syn and bring forth the final product).

20. Vippayutta Paccayo

In real life- Philosophy: - one should cooperate and work as team, each should contribute its own expertise and when all good expertise are put together we could bring forth an excellent product. Same as in a family, when each member contributes his respective work, the family is said to be in harmony and happy family.

21. Atthi-Paccayo In real life- Philosophy: - in real life, a family will grow prosperous while the primary breadwinner is strong and healthy and with diligent and hard work to support the family. If the head of the household is unhealthy or weak or unskillful and cannot earn a good living, that family could not grow. .

22. Natthi Paccayo

In real life- Philosophy: - In a family, whenever a father is in foreign tour of duty, mother must pick up the work to keep the family going without any interruption in family daily routine. It also affords mother the opportunity to shine forth.

23. Vigata Paccayo In real life- Philosophy: - In a family whenever the head of the family, the father is disable, either the mother or the eldest son or the daughter must take this opportunity to lead the family. The sun shines during the day; during the night it allows the moon to shine forth.

24. Avigata Paccayo

In real life- Philosophy: - in a family, father lives long and work hard and see to the family that all his children are grown up and equipped with a prosperous career on their own. This is one happy family of good fortune where every member is prospering and happy. This is similar to a great ocean that gives all the marine creatures prosperity and happiness.