by Chandra Edirisuriya

The Navam full moon Poya day is significant in the annals of Buddhism for
three significant events namely the appointment Venerables Sariputta and Mog-
gallana as the chief disciples by the Buddha, the
announcement by the Buddha of His Parinibbana
and the prescribing of a code of ethics for the Sang-
ha.
The Bodhisatva through his sansaric sojourn
aspired to become the Buddha or the Enlightened
One.
The 547 Jathaka stories bring out details of the
Bodhisatvas previous lives. Everyone of these sto-
ries in the Pansiya Panas Jathaka Potha, as it is pop-
ularly known portray the Bodhisatta or the Aspirant
Buddha as one who got out of dangerous, unpleasant
and tricky situations with wisdom, compassion and
sincerity resorting to righteous behaviour, strata-
gem (Samyak Prayoga) and forthrightness.
In the Nalapana Jathaka the Bodhisatta had
come to life as the king of the monkeys; he lived in
the forest at the head of a troop of no less than eighty
thousand monkeys whom he shielded from harm.
The Bodhisatta and retinue defeated the evil design
of the water-ogre (Jala Rakshasa) by drinking water
with canes.
In the Vannupatha Jataka the Bodhisatta leading a
caravan of traders save all from dying of dehydra-
tion by advising them to dig for water in the desert at
a spot where there had sprouted a clump of kusa grass (kusa thana).
The supreme example of the sagacity and judiciousness of the Bodhisatta
occurs in the Ummagga Jataka where the Bodhisatta had been born as
Mahaushada Panditha. The characters Senaka Panditha, Pukkusa, Kavinda,
Devinda and Kevatta bear striking similarity to persons of similar status in our
times.
The Angulimala Dhamanaya is a classic example of the Buddhas unsur-
passed ability to reform even a murderer. The Buddha never left everything to
Kamma. He endeavoured, for forty five years, to personally assist not only crim-
inals but also wrong doers such as Devadatta, the traumatised such as Patachara
to get over their pitiable condition.
He nursed the sick and declared that the Dhamma should not be preached to a
hungry man. This is a symbolic utterance of the
Buddha. What the Buddha really meant was that
despite karmic forces, poverty, deprivation, mis-
ery, hopelessness etc. are problems that need
solutions. He did not like to see suffering in any
form. While He preached a doctrine to help
human beings to end suffering in their samsaric
existence He also protected them by delivering
the Pariththa desana. Furthermore He laid down
admonitions for the laymen in the Sigalovada
Sutta, the Vyaggapajja Sutta, the Parabhava
Sutta etc. for them to live a life of comfort without
suffering.
In addition to the Five Precepts which the Bud-
dha wanted everyone to observe, though some
claim that He did not force anyone to follow
them, are sine qua non to lead a good life without
troubling oneself or others around oneself.
This is what civilisation is all about.
Next come the Eight Precepts, the Ten Pre-
cepts, the Ten Demerits and the Ten merits. The
eight precepts include abstaining from nachcha,
geetha, vaditha or drama, song and music. Fond-
ness of entertainment and engaging in sports
while the great majority of the people are without
the basic needs is found fault with even by the American marx, Thorstein
Veblem in his masterpiece the Theory of the Leisure Class.
It is very easy to live a life of righteousness. If one observes at least the five pre-
cepts one can save himself from a great deal of trouble, unpleasantness and sor-
row. Most of the suffering that people have to undergo in this world is caused by
breaking the five precepts.
If everyone makes a resolution on this Blessed Navam full moon day not to
break the Five Precepts, a great deal of suffering will cease.
Buddhist Era 2548 Navam Full Moon - Wednesday February 23, 2005
Significance of Navam full moon Poya day
The Angulimala Damanaya is a classic example
of the Buddhas unsurpassed ability to reform
even a murderer. The Buddha never left every-
thing to Kamma.