Timeless Wisdom for Modern Challenges: The Six Recollections
In today's fast-moving, demanding world, we very often get caught up with endless tasks and distractions, often struggling to maintain balance in our lives and inner peace. The Buddha taught pragmatically on how one can live such a life of purpose amidst chaos with the practice of mindfulness. The Mahanama Sutta offers some timely wisdom in the form of practice of Six Recollection Meditation, so easily applied in our modern life-even for the busiest of lives.
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Sakyans at Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Tree Park. Now on that occasion a number of bhikkhus were making a robe for the Blessed One, thinking that with his robe completed, at the end of the three months (of the rains residence), the Blessed One would set out wandering. Mahānāma the Sakyan heard about this, approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:
"Bhante, I have heard: 'A number of bhikkhus are making a robe for the Blessed One, thinking that with his robe completed, at the end of the three months (of the rains residence), the Blessed One will set out wandering' Bhante, with all our various engagements, how should we dwell?"
"Good, good, Mahānāma! It is fitting for you clansmen to approach the Tathagata and ask: 'Bhante, with all our various engagements, how should we dwell?'
"Mahānāma, a person with faith succeeds, not one without faith. An energetic person succeeds, not one who is lazy. One with mindfulness established succeeds, not one who is muddle-minded. One who is concentrated succeeds, not one who is unconcentrated. One who is wise succeeds, not one who is unwise. Having established yourself in these five qualities, you should further develop six things.
1. "Here, Mahānāma, you should recollect the Tathagata thus: 'The Blessed One is an arahant, perfectly enlightened, accomplished in true knowledge and conduct, fortunate, knower of the world, unsurpassed trainer of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One. When a noble disciple recollects the Tathagata, on that occasion his mind is not obsessed by lust, hatred, or delusion; on that occasion his mind is simply straight, based on the Tathagata. A noble disciple whose mind is straight gains inspiration in the meaning, gains inspiration in the Dhamma, gains joy connected with the Dhamma. When he is joyful, rapture arises. For one with a rapturous mind, the body becomes tranquil. One tranquil in body feels pleasure. For one feeling pleasure, the mind becomes concentrated. Mahānāma, you should develop this recollection of the Buddha while walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. You should develop it while engaged in work and while living at home in a house full of children.
2. "Again, Mahānāma, you should recollect the Dhamma thus: 'The Dhamma is well expounded by the Blessed One, directly visible, immediate, inviting one to come and see, applicable, to be personally experienced by the wise. When a noble disciple recollects the Dhamma... Mahānāma, you should develop this recollection of the Buddha while walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. You should develop it while engaged in work and while living at home in a house full of children.
3. "Again, Mahānāma, you should recollect the Sangha thus: 'The Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples is practicing the good way, practicing the straight way, practicing the true way, practicing the proper way; that is, the four pairs of persons, the eight types of individuals this Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples is worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of reverential salutation, the unsurpassed field of merit for the world. When a noble disciple recollects the Sangha, Mahānāma, you should develop this recollection of the Buddha while walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. You should develop it while engaged in work and while living at home in a house full of children.
4. "Again, Mahānāma, you should recollect your own virtuous behavior as unbroken, flawless, unblemished, unblotched, freeing, praised by the wise, ungrasp, leading to concentration. When a noble disciple recollects his virtuous behavior, Mahānāma, you should develop this recollection of the Buddha while walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. You should develop it while engaged in work and while living at home in a house full of children.
5. "Again, Mahānāma, you should recollect your own generosity thus: 'It is truly my good fortune and gain that in a population obsessed by the stain of miserliness, I dwell at home with a mind devoid of the stain of miserliness, freely generous, openhanded, delighting in relinquishment, devoted to charity, delighting in giving and sharing.' When a noble disciple recollects his generosity, ... Mahānāma, you should develop this recollection of the Buddha while walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. You should develop it while engaged in work and while living at home in a house full of children.
6. "Again, Mahānāma, you should recollect the deities thus: 'There are devas [ruled by the four great kings, Tāvatimsa devas, Yama devas, Tusita devas, devas who delight in creation, devas who control what is created by others, devas of Brahma's company, and devas still higher than these. There exists in me too such faith as those deities possessed because of which, when they passed away here, they were reborn there; there exists in me too such virtuous behavior... such learning ... such generosity ... such wisdom as those deities possessed because of which, when they passed away here, they were reborn there. When a noble disciple recollects the faith, virtuous behavior, learning, generosity, and wisdom in himself and in those deities, on that occasion his mind is not obsessed by lust, hatred, or delusion; on that occasion his mind is simply straight, based on the deities. A noble disciple whose mind is straight gains inspiration in the meaning, gains inspiration in the Dhamma, gains joy connected with the Dhamma. When he is joyful, rapture arises. For one with a rapturous mind, the body becomes tranquil. One tranquil in body feels pleasure. For one feeling pleasure, the mind becomes concentrated. Mahānāma, you should develop this recollection of the Buddha while walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. You should develop it while engaged in work and while living at home in a house full of children."
The Mahanama Sutta reminds us that among life's turmoil, mindfulness, faith, and reflection are our guide to inner calm and clarity. Interweaving these timeless practices into the fabric of modern life enables us to nurture a closer connection to ourselves and to the world around us, ensuring that the wisdom of the past will continue to light up the way ahead.
References:
"This article is based on The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Aṅguttara Nikāya by Bhikkhu Bodhi, Sutta: AN 11:12, Mahanama Sutta."
Namo Buddhaya!
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