On
March 14, 2006, the
Sanghata will be recited on the very spot where in India where it was
first uttered by the Buddha: at Vulture's Peak itself, in
Raja-griha. We invite you to join us to contribute your own voice
wherever you are, as a group of pilgrims and the
translator of the Sanghata bring the words of the Buddha
back to the very place from which they were first released on this
earth. March
14, 2006 is the Day of Miracles, and also a
full moon day on which a lunar eclipse will take place, making
this event particularly potent. For more information on this and other
Global Sanghata Recitation Days in 2006,click here
In the Words of the Sanghāta:
The Blessed One spoke:
“Sarva-shúra, this Sangháta sutra
reveals
treasuries of merit. It pacifies all that is delusional. It makes the
lamp of all Dharmas blaze brightly. It defeats all the wicked maras. It
makes the abodes of all the bodhisattvas blaze brightly. It brings
about the complete accomplishment of all Dharmas.”
- Ārya Sanghāta Sūtra
Guide to Reciting and Reading
Seeing Sutras as Direct Antidotes to Delusions
Buddha taught every
single Mahayana sutra as an antidote to one of our
delusions, as the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual master Pabongka
Rinpoche explains. As we hear, recite or read a sutra taught
by the Buddha, that sutra is working to counteract one of the
disturbing emotional afflictions—such as anger, jealousy,
attachment, pride or ignorance.
When listening to Buddhist teachings, it is recommended to
receive
the teaching with an awareness of oneself as a patient, in
need of the medicine of the Dharma. In the case of reciting or reading
the Sanghāta Sūtra, maintaining
an awareness of oneself as deluded and of the Sanghāta as the
direct antidote to one's delusions can help make the recitation or
reading a much
more powerful and beneficial experience.
During or after your recitation or reading, you may wish to
reflect—what delusion
might the Sanghāta
Sūtra counter for you? Attachment? Pride?
Jealousy?
Laziness?
Ignorance? Self-cherishing? Something else?
Even as the long-lasting benefits of the sutra continue on, when
we recite the sutra at
different points in our lives, the effect it has on our minds can also
shift. The
word of the Buddha is not static; based on our shifting karma, we hear
it differently as it adapts to match our needs and abilities. In this
way, the Sanghāta
'grows' with us.
At
some times, the Sanghāta
will act to counteract one delusion, while at another time
the
same sutra may
be an antidote to a completely different negative mental state. Thus,
even while the sutra has long-term benefits that continue on, each time
we recite we can have very different experiences and receive different
benefits, all from the same marvelous sutra.
For example, we may find ourselves expecting to understand
everything in the Sanghāta—an
expectation that the Sanghāta
seems determined not to meet. In this case, if we are
surprised that we are unable to
understand every single word of the teaching that comes from the
infinite mind
of the Buddha, we might reflect that the Buddha taught the Sanghāta and left
it in the world for us, in order to diminish our pride. (For
more on the experience of confusion when reading the Sanghāta,go to
our
Guide for Readers.)
