Preface to the First Edition More than two thousand years have passed since the Buddha, the Sākyan prince who showed the path to nibbāna, the founder of the Sangha, the most exalted and incomparable one, attained parinibbāna. The Burmese capital of
Mandalay has fallen, its king dethroned, and the sun has set on Burma. The country is now ruled (by the British) from London in England, a European land. Now, there is in Mandalay an association founded by a group of modern educated Burmese. They are conversant in foreign languages and devoted to the discussion, preservation, and propagation of the Buddha’s teaching. The Honorary
Secretary of the association is Maung Thaw, a clerk in the office of the Inspector of Schools. A tireless worker, Maung Thaw discussed religion with various non-Buddhist religious teachers and debated some knotty problems. He recorded several points raised on those occasions. He wanted an authoritative decision on the problems, so he approached the Venerable Mahāvisuddhārāma Sayādaw, an eminent leader of the Sangha in Mandalay. This Venerable Sayādaw found the questions profound and subtle like the ones put by Sakka, Lord of the Tāvatimsa realm, to the Buddha. He remarked that such questions deserved to be tackled by Ledi Sayādaw of Monywa, who is not only learned, but has led an exemplary religious life. He accordingly sent a letter to the Venerable Ledi Sayādaw, with Maung Thaw’s questions, for solution. Although it was usual for Ledi Sayādaw to reply to religious questions immediately, on the present questions, received through the Venerable Mahāvisuddhārāma Sayādaw, he took time to answer them. He wanted to be thorough. He considered the questions in the light of various arguments, collated authorities on the points he wanted to make, and added his own illustrations. He did not merely answer the questions. It was his intention to give a practical course on the development of insight. This alone can root out personality view, the ego, the so-called “self” that has possessed all sentient beings throughout samsāra. So, here we have an exposition on the Excellent Man (Uttamapurisa) leading to enlightenment along the three stages of comprehension that penetrate the real nature of psychophysical
phenomena. |
