Bhikkhu Sumohita who was born in a divine world

Once, there was a very beautiful period of time in this human world. During that time, everyone’s merit emerged. It was the era of our Gautama Supreme Buddha. It was a golden era when the world was illuminated by the presence of Arahants and other noble disciples who had attained fruits of the Noble Eightfold Path. The extremely pure and sweet word of the Buddha was heard everywhere.

But that beautiful period ended faster than anyone realized. Everything changed quickly. The four groups of disciples of the Buddha forgot about the Gautama Buddha’s dispensation. These four groups became quite strange, and many of them aspired to be Buddhas. Some of them wished to wait for the arrival of the next Buddha, the Maitri Buddha. There were others who did not believe in a life after this one. It was a dark era on which the sun had set. It was as if a large fountain dried up. After some time, the dispensation of the Buddha became only a tradition. There was nothing beyond that.

Among those people there were some bhikkhus who liked to practice the Dhamma. They were few. They dedicated themselves to learn the Dhamma. They strived to lead a virtuous life. They firmly believed that refuge was still available within the Buddha’s dispensation. Those bhikkhus went for refuge to the Gautama Buddha and became his disciples. They believed in the details of this life and the next exactly as contained in the Dhamma. They believed in wholesome and unwholesome deeds. They regarded the dispensation of the Buddha to be a profoundly powerful path to freedom, and not a mere tradition. They lived a harmless life following the path of the Dhamma.

There was one particular elder Bhikkhu among them. He was very old, harmless, and modest. He announced aloud that refuge was available in the Gautama Buddha’s dispensation. Those who heard this wholeheartedly went for refuge to the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha. They rejected wrong beliefs.

There were two boys from the same family. They too listened frequently to the Dhamma. As well, they developed a desire to be ordained in the Gautama Buddha’s dispensation. Those two children got permission from their parents and became ordained with great confidence. Then, they received higher ordination. The eldest brother was named Bhikkhu Mohita. The youngest brother was named Bhikkhu Sumohita. Both of them did their chores and duties very happily. They learned the Dhamma well and protected the precepts well. After a short time Bhikkhu Sumohita started to become ill. His body started to get weak. Despite whatever treatment that was given, there was no sign of a turn for the better. Then, his teacher, the elder Bhikkhu, frequently taught the young bhikkhu how to contemplate the Dhamma.

“Sumohita, this is the nature of the body. It mostly consists of dangers. Our Great Teacher, the Supreme Buddha, taught us that this body is like a nest for diseases. So, would the word of the Buddha change? Therefore, he instructed us not to be drunk with our state of youth, not to be drunk with our state of good health, and not to be drunk with being alive. Why is that? It is because all those things are temporary. It is because, by not knowing this and being drunk with youth, good health, and life, many people do evil. They become negligent about doing wholesome deeds. Sumohita, we will continue in Samsāra in the same we came. Now see, we keep treating your illness with medicine. But, we have not seen an improvement. It is getting progressively worse. Besides, how many times could we have died at a young age in Samsāra? So, be afraid only of evil and unwholesome deeds. There is no point in being afraid of illnesses, suffering, aging, and death. While treating with medicine, let’s develop good qualities. That is good, isn’t it?”

Then, young Bhikkhu Sumohita listened carefully to the words of his teacher, the elder Bhikkhu. As the blowing from the fan put out the flame of the lamp offered to the Buddha, an unusual fragrance wafted around. The young bhikkhu spoke in a faint voice.

“O Bhante, I have been practicing the loving kindness meditation for a long time. But I can’t do anything properly due to this illness. My mind gets scattered and I cannot achieve any concentration. This is what is troubling my mind a little bit. I don’t think of the illness too much.”

“Very good, young bhikkhu. There is no need to be demoralized. Besides, there is no need to regret not being able to achieve concentration of the mind. Regret will not help you achieve concentration, will it? One does not become a person with good values just by concentrating the mind. There have been many noble individuals in the past who were not able to concentrate their minds. Therefore, be a person with good values. Be harmless. Bless those who take care of you. Maintain a mind free of attachment. Have a mind that is full of confidence in the Blessed One. Then you will not go wrong.”

“O venerable sir, I wonder whether this illness will worsen and I will die.”

Hearing these words of the young bhikkhu, the elder bhikkhu looked helplessly at him. He stroked the young bhikkhu’s head and blessed him.

“Hmmm… That’s something that happens to all of us. We have to go when our time comes, whether we like it or not. But now I think you can understand the nature of the human world. It is very difficult to develop good qualities. So, don’t think of being born again in this human world. The world of the contented divinities is good. Make a determination to be born there. At least go to the world of the thirty-three divinities. Now you know the Dhamma. You have the Five Powers of a Trainee (sekha bala) —confidence, virtue, learning, generosity, and wisdom—even to a small degree. You have the merit you accumulated in this short period of time. Believe in that merit.”

At that moment Bhikkhu Sumohita’s face brightened. An innocent smile arose, overcoming the illness and pain. He called his brother, bhikkhu Mohita and asked him to turn off the fan and light the lamp again for the Buddha. Then the elder bhikkhu quickly turned off the fan and lit the lamp as well.

Bhikkhu Mohita lovingly took care of his younger brother, bhikkhu Sumohita. He gave him the medicine on time, brought his meals, and washed his robes. He frequently reminded his brother of the elder bhikkhu’s advice. When he had an opportunity, he beautifully read out aloud from the sacred Tripitaka texts for his brother, bhikkhu Sumohita, to hear.

“Dear Sumohita, how true what our teacher preaches to us is. We are born and die again and again. We don’t see this as something terrifying. We would have no help if we did not have a chance to learn these teachings of the Buddha. We are so fortunate to have become ordained. If we had stayed at home we would have been in a nonsensical world.”

Bhikkhu Sumohita closed his eyes. Agreeing with his brother, he nodded his head with difficulty. The soft light from the lamp lit for the Buddha brought a wonderful glow to the hut.

The following day, Bhikkhu Sumohita was taken to a medical clinic. The doctors were not in a happy frame of mind because the disease had not been cured by the treatment so far. They showed the patient’s medical reports to the head doctor. He reviewed the reports carefully and removed his eye-glasses.

“Venerable sir, are you related to this monk?”

“Doctor, this is my brother. I am the one who has taken care of him all along. Doctor, how is the patient’s condition now?”

“That’s what I am thinking, venerable sir. We gave him every treatment we possibly could. The disease has spread all over. Now try to do whatever you can according to the Dhamma and see. There is no need to let the young Bhante know all this. His mind may get unsettled.”

Bhikkhu Mohita’s heart started to beat rapidly. What could be done now if the medical treatment was not helping? They took the patient back to the monastery with great difficulty and got him lie down again on the bed. Bhikkhu Mohita went in to the bathroom and closed the door. He opened the tap fully to muffle the sound and wept aloud till his sadness receded. He washed his face and came out. By then, bhikkhu Sumohita had finished making up his mind. But bhikkhu Mohita was very sad. Their teacher, the elder monk, tried his best to console bhikkhu Mohita.

“Dear Mohita, have you explained clearly to your parents about the patient’s condition? I, too, called upon your home yesterday. It appears that your mother is very courageous. I think she contemplates the Dhamma well. There was no agitation in her. She talked only about the Dhamma with me. She has understood the nature of Samsāra. I am very pleased about that. That is how one should be. One should make Dhamma the only refuge. Unless we make a conscious effort to come to the Dhamma, this mass of suffering will not end automatically.

Bhikkhu Mohita listened carefully with downcast eyes. He asked his teacher with great humility, “Yes, venerable sir, but I don’t understand. How should I act in this situation?”

“Mohita, there’s nothing special to do except continuing to practice the Dhamma. You know that everyone dies. So, contemplate on death. Understand well that whatever is arisen is subject to impermanence. Live with a mind of loving kindness.”

The word of the Buddha is a universal truth. Everything that arises is subject to destruction. Fruits fall from the tree when they are ripe. At times, even the unripe ones fall when strong winds blow. Flowers bloom and die. Even the buds fall. Only the Arahants freed themselves from this nature of the world. Bhikkhu Sumohita succumbed to the nature of the world and passed away.

Bhikkhu Mohita felt the loneliness the most. Both of them had played together at home. They came together to listen to the Dhamma. They left home together. They were ordained together. They did the chores and duties together. But now one was no longer there. The elder bhikkhu advised bhikkhu Mohita to take refuge in the Dhamma and become diligent. He encouraged him a great deal.

Bhikkhu Mohita made his mind resolute and strived to practice the Dhamma continually. He fought off sleepiness and meditated with great determination. His mind gradually became tame. He was able to concentrate his mind and attain Jhānas. He succeeded in developing the concentration of his mind well up to the fourth jhana.

One day, bhikkhu Mohita came to the hut of his teacher. That day, a special serenity radiated from his face. He had a wonderful smile. He laid his cloth on the ground and worshiped his teacher. He sat down very calmly. A mild, cool breeze blew across. The trees that provided shade for the hut swayed rhythmically in the breeze. A beautiful butterfly flew happily to and fro in the garden outside the hut. The elder monk looked kindly at bhikkhu Mohita.

“How are you? You are practicing the Dhamma peacefully, aren’t you?”

“Yes, venerable sir. I came here because I had a very wonderful experience today.”

“Hmm, what was it?”

“I am very surprised about it, venerable sir. This Dhamma contains an amazing truth. So, venerable sir, I meditated early this morning as well. I practiced the four jhānas too, as usual. But while I was meditating I had a desire of worshipping the Great Ruwanweli Stūpa. So, venerable sir, I made a powerful determination in my mind to travel with my astral body. It was amazing, venerable sir, as if a blade of grass was removed from a plant, this astral body detached itself effortlessly from this physical body. Then, venerable sir, I was in the sky!”

The elder bhikkhu’s eyes widened. He was overjoyed. He was keen to find out more about bhikkhu Mohita’s new experience.

“So, so, what happened then?”

“Venerable sir, I traveled across the sky. O venerable sir, everything is visible. It is like someone who is above being able to look down and see everything. So, venerable sir, I went. I went very close to the Ruwanweli Stūpa. O venerable sir, the Great Ruwanweli Stūpa is very beautiful when seen from the sky. It is marvelous, venerable sir; the gods encircle the Ruwanweli Stūpa and worship it.”

“That is, were there many gods who had come? Were you able to see the inside of the Great Stūpa?”

“Were there many gods? Did you also see inside of the Stūpa?”

“Venerable sir, the inside of the Great Stūpa was not completely visible to me. I remember as if a great golden light radiated from within the Stūpa. There were lots of gods though. Venerable sir, the amazing thing is, one god kept looking directly at me and came near me. After approaching he said this.”

“O bhikkhu Mohita, have you come to worship the Great Stūpa?”

“Dear god, who are you? I like to get to know you.”

“Can’t you remember me? I am Sumohita.”

“Then, venerable sir, I was overwhelmed by this unbelievable happiness. It was my brother, Sumohita! He looked handsome and youthful. He is a god. He said this to me:
“Bhikkhu Mohita, I was born in the world of the thirty-three divinities. I come here frequently. I like to worship the Great Ruwanweli Stūpa a lot. I also worship the Great Bodhi Tree. I also worship my teacher. I got this opportunity because of the kindness he had towards us.”

“So, venerable sir, he was very happy about my meditation. He said that he would tell me about what they discuss in the divine gatherings. He said that what you say about the human world is all true. He also said that there is very little time left to cultivate good qualities in the human world.”

The elder monk looked silently into the distance. He let out a long sigh and cleared his throat. He looked into the distance again and spoke.

“Yes bhikkhu Mohita. How often have I said this? But, these people do not understand. This world is experiencing a disaster at the present time. It cannot be seen from the outside. The ability of developing good qualities is fast deteriorating in human beings. One has to realize this danger in order to escape from it. That’s when one will become diligent to develop good qualities. Even I did not understand this dangerous situation right away. It became clear gradually. It is not easy to develop good qualities. See, even getting something small can give rise to false pride. People fall into unnecessary troubles by engaging in a great struggle that is a product of their mind. Bhikkhu, I would like to remind you to be mindful. Your ability to travel with your astral body is probably something that you have got from your past existence in Samsāra. Therefore, don’t be proud of it. You should try to be more and more humble. Otherwise, in a few days, you will want to be the teacher’s teacher thinking, ‘well, I am also a special person now.’ Do not develop false pride because of your ability to talk with gods. Your brother escaped at least to this extent because he developed good qualities in a humble and harmless manner. It is because he respected his teacher’s word and had great affection for his teacher. He escaped from the four evil worlds this time. Now he has another chance to attain path-fruition. By the way, I wonder, what our Bhikkhu Sumohita’s new name is now?”

“Venerable Sir, he told me his present name. He is called ‘Sunīra’ in the divine world now.”

“Sunīra is a good name too.”

The elder monk stood up from his chair and went inside. Bhikkhu Mohita looked silently in that direction. In a little while, the elder monk came back with a sacred Tripitaka text in his hand. His face lit up with joy when reading from the sacred Tripitaka texts, like a poverty-stricken person who is delighted to receive a treasure.

“Ah! Here it is, the Sōtānudata Sutta. This discourse is in the Fourth Nipāta in the Anguttara Nikāya. It says that if one who cultivates the sekha bala, the result will be birth among divine beings.”
“So, venerable sir, shall I tell you more?”

The elder monk looked at Bhikkhu Mohita and smiled. He looked over his eyeglasses and nodded his head in agreement.

“Venerable sir, then the god, Sunīra told me that the divine council is going to meet on the next Poya full moon day. Apparently, Sakka, lord of the gods, is going to make a special statement on that day. He said that he will tell me about that as well. He asked me to come to the Great Ruwanweli Stūpa on the next half-moon day following the Poya day using my astral body.

The elder monk was very happy that day. He touched the sacred Tripitaka books with great affection. When happiness swelled within him, he would kiss them, worship them, and put them on his head. He reflected that it is better to develop good qualities harmlessly according to one’s understanding rather than engaging in empty arguments. His happiness was magnified because he could now see the Noble Truth explained in the words of the Buddha being proven to be true right in front of his eyes.

It was a half-moon day. Groups of people were gathered at the Great Ruwanweli Stūpa reciting stanzas melodiously. They venerated the Great Stūpa with affection and walked around it chanting verses of veneration. There was a great spiritual fragrance around the grounds of the Stūpa and the stone slabs were full of flowers. The view of the Great Stūpa was majestic, like the great Mahameru Mountain rising from the earth. It was as if the great rock, Kailāsa was rising from Lake Anothaththa. This is where two quarts of the Blessed One’s relics are enshrined within the image in a reclining posture.

Two Bhikkhus were offering flowers to the Great Stūpa and melodiously chanting the great qualities of the Buddha. They were none other than the elder bhikkhu and bhikkhu Mohita who had come to venerate the Great Stūpa. They offered flowers and a bowl of water to our Gautama Supreme Buddha with great confidence. Then, they sat beside the Great Stūpa and worshipped it. They recited verses of protective blessings. They became quiet and started to meditate.

Bhikkhu Mohita was very happy that day because he had come to worship the Great Stūpa with his teacher. His mind became concentrated quickly and progressed up to the fourth jhana. His astral body separated from his physical body according to the determination he had made earlier. Then he was in the sky. He worshipped the Great Stūpa while encircling it. While he was looking around wondering why the god Sunīra had not come yet, he saw a bright light appeared in the distance. A form took shape as the light came nearer. It was the god Sunīra. He had some beautiful flowers in his hand this time. The god Sunīra looked at Bhikkhu Mohita and smiled happily. He encircled the Great Stūpa three times and offered the flowers to the Stūpa. Afterwards, he went directly towards the elder Bhikkhu. The elder Bhikkhu was meditating with his eyes closed. The god Sunīra worshipped his teacher with great devotion and came near Bhikkhu Mohita.

“Venerable sir, I am extremely happy today. I am in this present state due to our teacher. He showed us the right path. He explained the truth to us. He showed us the words of the Buddha. We had some good fortune. As a result, we were able to be ordained under the guidance of our teacher. He always told us to practice the Dhamma harmlessly. He told us not to become drunk as a result of receiving the Four Requisites. Bhikkhu Mohita, I now know a few details of my past lives.”

“O divine one, I would very much like to know about you. After all, you were my younger brother in the human world.”

“In fact, venerable sir, I was a divine being living in a tree before I became a human. I lived in a forest. There was a large banyan tree there. I lived in it. There were four bhikkhus who practiced the Dhamma in that forest. They had a very serene demeanour. I liked that very much. I too developed a liking to be ordained. That is how I came to the human world.”

Their ways were so peaceful I wanted so much to become a monk like them. That is how I got that human life as your brother.”

“If that is so, divine one, why did you die at a young age?”

“That is it, venerable sir, that’s the way of this Samsāra. It was because of wrongdoing on my part. I had killed animals sixteen lifetimes ago. I have been born in hell and have suffered a lot. I had to face the remaining consequences of the unwholesome act of killing living beings in thepreviouslife. I got ill and suffered a lot. Now, the consequences of those unwholesome acts are over.
“Divine one, you said that you would tell me details about the council of divine beings.”

“Yes, venerable sir. Look, look, venerable sir, can you see in that direction? Can you see that large group in black, a vast army moving in a line? See, they are not even looking in this direction. They are against merit. Look carefully and notice how they are going with faces turned away from this direction. Can you see?”

“Actually, divine one, who are they?”

“Venerable sir, that’s the army of Māra. They arouse people’s defilements such as lust and hatred and live on these defilements. They don’t like people being virtuous. They are very deceitful. Many people who leave the human world these days are born in their army. They are very deceptive and pounce as a group.”

“So, divine one, why do you talk about them in the divine council?”

“Why not? The divine council met on the last Poya full moon day as well. That day we talked about this. Venerable sir, haven’t you heard about the god Sakka?”

“Yes, I have heard a bit about him.”

“Venerable sir, he is the true king of gods. He is our great king. He is almost unknown among human beings in the human world now. He is a true mass of good qualities and values. He is an extraordinary king filled with the qualities of compassion and loving kindness. He is a wise and humble monarch. He is a great source {goldmine?} of good qualities and values. He is a king who makes gods happy. Even that great, noble king spoke in this way with great sadness about what is happening to the human world.”

“Dear gods, what our Blessed One preached is exactly what is happening to the world. The human world is declining rapidly now. The earth is being covered by a great black haze. The army of Māra is getting increasingly powerful. Many areas of the earth have already come under the complete grip of Māra’s army. Those areas are not visible to us. They are covered by a great black haze. Only a very small area like the land of Sri Lanka is left. The only thing left is for the army of Māra to possess the minds of human beings. The army of Māra takes control of human minds in the same manner that human minds are used to. They use the principle of killing two birds with one stone.”

“Dear gods, now it’s not easy for humans to develop good qualities. One experiences some misfortune that causes good qualities to be lost. When that person gets entangled in that misfortune, his good qualities disappear little by little, until he ends up where he used to be. It is so tragic. Now it is rare for humans to be reborn in the divine world. At the time the Buddha’s dispensation flourished a large number of humans were reborn in the divine world. But, what is the situation now? Unwholesomeness has become powerful—jealousy, intense hunger for power, obsessive desire for control, revenge, unscrupulous acts, disloyalty, scorn, misleading people, boastfulness, insults, deceit, abnormal lust, abnormal hatred, and abnormal delusion. These are the things that have covered human minds. Dear gods, look at this terrible state prevailing in the human world.”

“The entire divine council was sad upon hearing this. The entire council was shaken by these poignant words.

‘Oh! The fate of humans who have rejected the refuge of the Triple Gem!
Oh! The fate of humans who took refuge in false views!
Oh! The fate of humans who are arrogant!
Oh! The fate of humans who are in the grip of non-humans!
Oh! How the army of Māra is taking over the world!
Oh! It is sad! It is sad!’

“God Sakka was silent for a moment and then addressed the gods again.

“Dear gods, every word preached by our Blessed One is true. They are indeed true! Gods, now see when the good qualities of humans decline, their lifespans are declining as well. The taste of the earth is disappearing. Humans are becoming fond of rough foods mixed with millet now. They are living with great mutual distrust. They are engaged in building extremely potent weapons. They will start fighting wars in a dangerous way in the near future. Dear gods, we used to call the human world heaven at the time of our Blessed One. Oh, that heaven no longer exists. The human world is completely different now. It is becoming unsuitable as a place for noble humans to live. It is becoming an abode of ignoble humans who are evil, lowly, ignorant, and ungrateful. Dear gods, all of you were born here by the power of the good qualities you protected in the human world. Do not be drunk with the divine lifespan you obtained by the power of your merit. Do not be drunk by your divine complexion. Do not be drunk by divine pleasures. Do not be drunk by your divine power. Recall only the advice of the Blessed One. Be diligent in focusing your mind on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. Strive to attain the state of stream entry. Do not allow yourself to fall into a lower birth than this. If that happens, you will lose everything.”

“Dear divine one, are there lots of gods practicing the Dhamma in the world of the thirty-three divinities?”

“Yes, venerable sir. But, unlike the human world there is no opportunity of becoming ordained. However there are gods who observe the precept of being celibate. There are many gods who have attained path-fruition. Therefore, the Dhamma of our Blessed One is found there.

“Dear divine one, do you think the Buddha’s dispensation will not last for long in the human world?”

“Venerable sir, consider this, did it take very long for the Gautama Buddha’s dispensation to disappear from India? How many invasions of false views came to Sri Lanka from time to time? The dispensation of the Buddha was harmed by all those attacks. Even the noble ordination lost its meaning.What we have now is a temporary resurgence. This is the only opportunity to cultivate good qualities. Before too long, there is a possibility of Sri Lanka being overcome by an inhumane religion based on false view. They search for all solutions with the sword. That force based on false view is spreading around the world like a fire. That is the force of Māra. The dear land of Lanka will soon become its victim. A very powerful army of nun humas are around that force. They will not even leave room for a human to be reborn among the gods. It is because one who is reborn among the gods gets the opportunity of gaining path-fruition. This is why they are against it. The force of Māra is dead against someone escaping from Samsāra.

“Oh, divine one, isn’t there a way to save humans from this terrible fate?”

“Venerable Sir, it’s like this. There is a small number of people among humans who have sincerely taken refuge in the Triple Gem. For this reason alone, they have shame and fear of committing evil. They collect merit and develop good qualities. The gods among us as well, are ones who protected the five precepts, sought refuge in the Triple Gem, and developed good qualities while in the human world. Those gods are making efforts to save humans from this terrible fate.”

“Let’s assume that a dangerous flood is coming. The floodwaters are rushing at great speed submerging villages and towns. Hundreds of thousands of people are trapped by the floodwaters and swept away. A group of safety personnel arrive on the scene and try their best to save those people. But not everyone can be saved from the perilous flood. Most of the people perish and a few escape. Now there is a dangerous flood in the human world. It is the great flood named lust. An extremely large group of people is being swept away by it. They are also being swept by the flood of false views and political upheaval. If one does not understand this well it is difficult to avoid becoming a victim. Venerable sir, this is how our god Sakka explained it to us.”

“Dear gods, please help the human world as much as you can to accumulate merit. We will have the chance to help the human world only for a short time more. Even now human beings don’t have a big understanding about doing meritorious deeds. Humans don’t know that loving-kindness is a very powerful meditation. If one properly develops a mind of loving-kindness, he will become a noble person through that alone and pave the way to develop many good qualities. He will become very patient and be skillful at withstanding anything. He will be skilled at bearing responsibility like a strong bull that is able to pull the weight of a hundred carts. However, dear gods, because the minds of human beings are frequently possessed by the army of Māra, humans are not allowed to do even meritorious deeds continuously. Then humans condemn merit and say that merit causes Samsāra to become longer due to rebirth in the divine worlds. They claim that this is an obstacle in the path to Nibbāna. Alas, humans lacking in wisdom are deceived by these false ideas compatible with Māra. So, they reject the opportunity to accumulate merit. Alas!”

“Oh, divine one, I like to ask you another question. Is it difficult for people to practice insight meditation these days?”

“Venerable sir, insight meditation is the development of wisdom. There needs to be a well-matured power of merit in humans in order to develop insight meditation. But even if this is not possible, if one can, with great confidence, memorize dependent origination, the meditation on the sense bases, and the meditation on the aggregates, and reflect on them with confidence, the respect for the Dhamma develops within him. He accumulates the merit of retaining the noble teachings of the Blessed One in exactly the same way. It will help him to acquire the wisdom of understanding the Dhamma quickly in a lifetime that is near. It will also help him to practice non-attachment in this life. Insight meditation is the method mostly practiced by the gods. But, venerable sir, wise consideration in accordance with Dhamma is essential in order to understand the Dhamma. Wisdom is developed through wise consideration in accordance with Dhamma. Oh, venerable sir, wise consideration in accordance with Dhamma is rarely found in humans at the current time. They argue each other on dhamma principles. That is not wise consideration in accordance with Dhamma. One does not develop wisdom through these arguments. It does not lead to the eradication of unwholesomeness. It does not lead to the development of wholesomeness. They continue to build arguments. They argue these points in a subtle way. They show off the results of these arguments as realization. They harm their respect for the Dhamma too. They create their own puzzles. They solve these puzzles by themselves. That is their Dhamma. Humans in the current times don’t like to accept the Dhamma of the Blessed One as is. In the end, they have neither wise consideration in accordance with Dhamma, nor respect for the Dhamma, nor refuge in the Triple Gem. They have just an empty theory of their own making. Venerable sir, this is what has happened to many people today.”

Bhikkhu Mohita was surprised. His brother did not discuss the Dhamma with such skill when he was living as Bhikkhu Sumohita. He thought that because his brother was born among the gods due to the power of his merit, his ability to think had become this sharp. Bhikkhu Mohita wanted to ask more questions from the god.

“Dear divine one, I would like to know about this too. Some humans nowadays are learning the Abhidhamma with great effort. Will they be able to eradicate unwholesomeness, develop wholesomeness, and develop good qualities through that?

“Dear Bhikkhu Mohita, it is possible in the divine world. There is a reason for that. The state of mentality-materiality of gods is very fine. As a result, they are able to see the subtle mental states well. They are able to see well how subtle thoughts arise in extreamly fine mental states. This is beyond the ability of humans in the current world. All they do is remembering the exposition of the aspects of mind according to a mathematical method. They will able argue logically according to that method but there is no development of good qualities. Venerable sir, mindfulness in contemplating the mind, contained in the discourse on mindfulness, is what is helpful for humans in the human world. There are many details about that in Sutta discourses. Instead of practicing mindfulness in contemplating the mind, humans are trying to understand something that belongs in the domain of gods. The only result that many people end up with is empty conceit. They lose the virtue of humility. They try to show off that they know the Abhidhamma and condemn others. They collect a lot of demerit. After death they join the army of Māra.

“Oh divine one, instead of making gains it looks like humans are experiencing setbacks in all respects. What will happen to humans when Buddhism vanishes one day?

“Venerable sir, only those who have found refuge in the Triple Gem will escape. They will be born in the divine world. Nothing can be done for the others. This is the nature of Samsāra. An extremely large proportion of the population in the human world is living with negligence. They are caught in the grip of Māra. Venerable sir, the concept of one god is the most powerful in the world today. This is the belief in only one creator god. This is an extremely dangerous, blind faith. When Buddhism vanishes everyone will have no choice but to be under the control of that dangerous blind faith. Then, all of mankind will be under the sole control of Māra. How could there be an opportunity to develop good qualities again? They will go down a path of decline.”

“Why, venerable sir, can’t you remember, this is what our Blessed One preached in the Cakkavatti-Sīhanada Sutta? What’s happening to the human world is what the Blessed One preached at that time. Human values and qualities are continually deteriorating. They will decline even more. The human lifespan will go down to ten years. Then there won’t much of a difference between the human world and the animal world. Then, humans will acquire a brutish animal-like perception and start killing each other. So, venerable sir, with humans heading for an era like that, is it a wonder that the human world is in decline?”

“O divine one, does that mean that humans are having a difficulty in recognizing good qualities?”

“That is correct, venerable sir. Though everyone talks about good qualities, they don’t recognize these qualities within themselves. If someone recognizes good qualities and strives to develop them even with difficulty, such a person will experience well-being. One should cultivate good qualities within oneself. Not being envious of others’ progress is a good quality. Being happy to see others’ gains is a good quality. Being pleased to see others living well is a good quality. Feeling heartfelt sorrow at seeing others facing troubles and misfortune is a good quality. Not hating others is a good quality. Not retaliating when attacked by someone is a good quality. Being obedient to good advice is a good quality. Patience is a good quality. Respect for elders is a good quality. Respect for teachers is a good quality. Respect for parents is a good quality. Humility is a good quality. Accepting both victory and defeat with equanimity is a good quality. Helping the common good is a good quality. Those who make an effort to develop good qualities such as these will invariably get very beneficial results after death.

“Oh, divine one, what are the benefits you have received because you have been born in a divine world?”

Then the god Sunīra circled around. He started to laugh. When the god Sunīra laughed white, blue, yellow, and red light radiated from him.

“Dear venerable Mohita, now see, because I was born among the gods I can come like this to worship the Great Stūpa. I can talk with you. Besides, I develop my insight meditation these days. I found it difficult to attain concentration when I was in the human world. I used to try hard in those days. I was not discouraged because I could not attain concentration. Now my mind becomes focused easily. Insight is developing gradually. When I am practicing walking meditation I can see well how subtle mental states keep changing. I can also see how this fine divine body keeps changing. To be honest, venerable sir, I did not understand any of this with such clarity while I was in the human world. It is now that I understand the value of practicing the Dhamma in the human world.”

“Meritorious divine one, are there many gods who protect precepts?”

“Venerable sir, why do you question thus? They were born as gods because they protected the precepts in the human world. It is because they had confidence in the Triple Gem. It is because they overcame miserliness and gave to others. It is because they learned the Dhamma. It is because they developed wisdom. It is because they spread loving-kindness. So, after being born in the divine world, would those gods give up the noble qualities that brought them divine pleasures? No, they strive to develop them even further.”

“Dear divine one, we accumulate merit and share them with the gods. We seek the protection of the gods. So, do the gods who rejoice in our merit protect us?”

“Venerable sir, this is how it works. Gods become delighted and happily rejoice in the merit when someone makes offerings and worships the Triple Gem with great confidence. Gods performed meritorious deeds while they were in the human world and obtained divine pleasures by the power of that merit. Gods rejoice in merit. But, there is a serious flaw in the human world nowadays. The development of noble qualities in the human mind is not that powerful. That is the flaw. As a result, the merit that is generated in the mind becomes weak. Therefore, humans these days have to strive very hard to generate merit.”

“Humans these days get some degree of protection from gods. But it is not like it was during the time of the Buddha. This is explained well in the Ātānātiya Sutta. The gods of the four great kings came to see the Blessed One on Gijjakūta Mountain and promised that they would protect the four groups of disciples. During that period, the four groups of disciples—monks, nuns, male lay disciples, and female lay disciples—had wholeheartedly sought refuge in the Triple Gem with the aim of gaining the help of the Gautama Buddha’s dispensation. It is not like that now. Most people do not have the refuge in the Triple Gem. The four groups of disciples exist nominally. As a result, protection will be gained only by the few who are honestly established within the Triple Gem and recite the Ātānātiya protective chant frequently. This only applies if one is not subject to the effects of powerful kamma. It will not be easy to get close to the human world in the future as it is getting covered by a thick black haze. Gods associated with humans like friends in the time of the Buddha. But nowadays, it is titans who associate with humans.”

“O venerable Mohita, looks like it’s time for me to leave now. Please tell my teacher that I worship him regularly. Tell him that everything that he said is correct. Tell him that I am indebted to him. Tell him that well-being definitely accrues to those who respect the words of their teacher and develop good qualities. There is one other special thing to mention. Tell him that this is the last lamp light emanating from the great, marvelous tower of light that illuminated the world, the sacred dispensation of the Supreme Buddha. O venerable sir, there is something else. As well, tell our mother and father to come and join the gods like me. Then, please tell everyone you know not to miss this final opportunity. I will leave now, venerable sir.” The god Sunīra said “Namo Buddhāya” and gazed at the Great Stūpa. He disappeared in a little while.

Bhikkhu Mohita opened his eyes slowly. He stood up from his meditation. He worshiped the Great Stūpa and his teacher, the elder monk. The elder bhikkhu was waiting very eagerly to find out details of his pupil’s splendid achievement. A refreshing coolness was felt due to the mild breeze that blew around the Great Stūpa. The fragrance of flowers spread everywhere. A group of devotees encircled the Great Stūpa carrying incense and chanting the great qualities of the Buddha. The waning moon glowed in the distant sky. The stars sparkled intermittently adding a wondrous beauty to the dark sky.

“Mohita, what happened today? Did you meet our young bhikkhu Sumohita?”

Bhikkhu Mohita’s eyes glowed with happiness. He looked relaxed and had a pleasant smile that spread across his face.

“Yes, venerable sir. That divine nature is difficult for us imagine. The god Sunīra’s has a remarkable realization. My brother was skilled in those days but not as skilled as he is now. If divine lives are this amazing, I wonder how amazing the lives of noble disciples who have attained path-fruition could have been. So, venerable sir, this is how the god Sunīra explained.”

Bhikkhu Mohita told his teacher everything that the god Sunīra had told him. The elder monk listened to everything, looking at Bhikkhu Mohita with unblinking eyes. When it ended, the elder bhikkhu lifted his head and looked at the Great Stūpa. He looked with great reverence and affection all the way from the pinnacle of the Great Stūpa to the terraces around its base. He reminded himself that this Great Stūpa contains two quarts of the relics that remained after the cremation of our Supreme Buddha, the one who preached the path that provides humans the protection of birth in good destinations and escape from Samsāra. He worshiped the Great Stūpa again with great affection. Then he sat down, closed his eyes, and raised both his hands and venerated the Great Stūpa. He recited this stanza in a very melodious voice.

“Ye keci Buddhan saranam gatāse
Na te gamissanti apāyan
Pahāya mānusan dehan
Devakāyā paripūressantī’ti”

‘If someone goes for refuge to the Supreme Buddha with confidence
They will not be born in the four bad destinations
When they leave these human bodies
They will fill the divine world!’

Sadhu…! Sadhu…! Sadhu…!

By Most Venerable Kiribathgoda Gnānānanda Thera