The Buddha’s Phone Number
8755444 — The Tathagata
Tathagata was a term coined by the historical Buddha to describe himself.
Tatha (pronounced tat-ha) means 'thus.'
Gata (pronounced ga-ta) means ‘gone.’
So a literal translation of Tathagata is 'thus gone' Or 'in this way gone.'
I had to look up what 'thus' meant (-:
Bearing in mind what ‘thus’ means it could perhaps be translated as "gone in this way.” Or “gone as a consequence of this.”
It can become a bit of a koan because if you add an 'a' in front of 'gata,’ it becomes ‘agata’ which means 'arrived.'
So another meaning of Tathagata could be 'thus arrived'
Or it could mean 'thus gone and arrived.' Or ‘gone and arrived in this way.’
It's an interesting play of words.
In the suttas, it says even the wisest of the wise can’t fully comprehend the mind of the Tathagata.
It’s like when you look at the ocean stretching as far as the eye can see, up to the horizon and beyond in all directions. You can’t see where it begins or where it ends, it’s vastness is hard to describe in words or contain. That is like the mind of the Tathagata. A mind liberated from greed, hate, and delusion.
On a different note I went out for a walk along the seafront today. Jackdaws, pigeons, crows, and seagulls came to greet me. I am always amazed how they remember me. I have not been out for a long time.
They always know me. Whatever clothes I’m wearing, whether my head and beard is shaven or growing long, in the midst of a crowd, the birds always recognise me. Which is amazing because I honestly can’t always recognise them, they all look very similar to me, there’s some that I’m friends with and known a long time, but if they’re in a group I often can’t tell them apart.
Mind you I can be the same with humans sometimes. People I have met before but haven’t seen in years I can walk past in the street and not recognise them. I think it’s because our faces gradually change over the years and when you’ve not seen a person for a long time it can be hard to recognise them when you see them again.
So how do birds do it? I don't know. Perhaps they see more than we do because their eyes have an extra cone that we don’t have.
It’s interesting. There’s waves of light all around us that humans are ignorant of, that other living beings can see and use to communicate with one another. It’s like another world all around that is invisible to us.
Birds are smart. I have heard stories of a seagull that stands outside a shop pretending to have a broken wing so people will feel sorry for it and give it food. I have heard that this has become a common behaviour for gulls now.
They are real characters, a lot like us.
It is sad they are in decline. There’s not much for them to eat in the wild anymore. They’re now on the red critically endangered list.
So much sea-life has disappeared here. Even the molluscs are getting fewer each year. There’s something very wrong with the ocean at the moment. I think it’s pollution and overfishing.
And… on a different note.
The Four Right Efforts
1. One generates the desire to prevent unwholesome states arising by making effort, rousing energy, exerting one’s mind and striving.
2. One generates the desire to abandon unwholesome states that have arisen. By making effort, rousing energy, exerting one’s mind and striving.
3. One generates the desire to generate wholesome states of mind. By making effort, rousing energy, exerting one’s mind and striving.
4. One generates the desire for the continuance, non-disappearance, strengthening, increase, and full development of wholesome states. By making effort, rousing energy, exerting one’s mind, and striving.
— The Buddha
I have been thinking about right effort today. In particular, the first right effort: prevention.
How do you prevent an unwholesome state arising?
In the suttas it advises us to avoid unwise attention to the fault, and unwise attention to the beautiful.
This can be tricky because I notice sometimes I automatically pay unwise attention to things, and then I remember the instructions in the suttas and abandon the unwise attention; but it can feel involuntary at times and happens so fast. It is a training.
I wonder what wise attention is?
Answers on a postcard to PO Box 8755444
(No don't, that PO Box is made up. Use the comment box instead it's much easier.)
Interestingly, the number 8755444 is a way to remember the 37 requisites of enlightenment.
8 - The noble eightfold path.
7 - The seven factors of awakening.
5 - The five spiritual faculties.
5 - The five spiritual powers.
4 - The four bases of power/success
4 - The four right efforts
4 -The four foundations of mindfulness.
These are said in the suttas to be sets of qualities that are conducive to awakening.
I have been listening to Ajahn Sona’s talks on the 37 requisites of enlightenment. (available on his YouTube channel or on podbean, or your favourite podcast platform.)
He came up with a great way to remember the 37 requisites. He says to imagine them as the Buddha’s phone number.
The Buddha - 8755444
'Eight, seven, double five, treble four.' That's how I say it in my head.
This works for me. It’s a neat memory device that brings a smile.
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