Buddha's Principle of Relativity: Mind Body Stress

By Don G. Athukorala

Buddhas Principle of Relativity (Mind - Body Stress)

You will undoubtedly be bumping into the most philosophical of Buddhas teachings. The Principle of Relativity (Paticcasamuppada) was His first set of guidelines for freedom from suffering. Buddha found a cure for mental disorder and decided to pass on the therapy to others. He was far ahead of the times.

The theory remained puzzling for the past 1500 years or even more. However, after years of study, I think I have an answer a scientific explanation. Eureka I have found it. Buddhas philosophy is scientific, analytical and stands to reason. It reveals that we are the architects of our own problems we created them. Find out how they can be destroyed.

What is Paticcasamuppada (PS)?

As I see it, Paticcasamuppada describes a biological process that takes place when a disturbance agitates a balanced state within the body. This doctrine specifically deals with an internal sensation (ignorance) causing the brain to generate effects, both mentally and physically. This process, however, applies to almost all instances in our daily life.

Read it. You can see for yourself.

Ven Buddhaghosa misjudged the significance of PS

Visuddhimagga (The Path of Purification) is regarded among Theravada Buddhists as the authority and a classic textbook on the Buddhas teachings dealing on abstract psychological concepts. Ven Buddhaghosas interpretation of the PS is regarded as standard. It obscures the truth but nevertheless, it has been accepted for the last 1500 years, for in yet another commentary Sammohavinodani (Dispeller of Delusion) he describes PS as occurring in brief moments of time described as mind moments, but had nothing to say about it. Both commentaries are from the Tripitaka.

Referring to this doctrine Ven Buddhaghosa says: it is inherently difficult to comment on PS as the ancients did (page 599 Visuddhimagga)).

The truth, a being, rebirth linking, and Paticcasamuppada, are four things very hard to see and difficult to teach. I find no footing for support and seem to founder in a sea. Whoever learns alertly this PS, will go from excellence to excellence and when perfected, he will then escape beyond the vision of the King of Death

Heres another confusing quote: (page 600)

Buddhas teaching of PS is four fold

(1) From the beginning to the end

(2) From the middle, up to the end

(3) From the end, or

(4) From the middle, down and to the beginning

And yet another; (page 671)

Explaining his interpretation of PS on a lifetime to lifetime basis, he quotes:

There is re-birth linking, which is consciousness

There is descent into the womb, which is mentality materiality

There is sensitivity which is sense base

There is which is touched, which is contact

There is what is felt, which is feeling

This is a clear misconception of Buddhas most insightful teaching proclaimed by Him soon after Enlightenment related to mind moments, for workings of the mind are Buddhas area of specialty.

Recent interpretations in his book by P.A. Payutto tilted Dependent Origination published by Buddhadhamma Foundation, Bangkok, Thailand and by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, also of Thailand, titled Dependent Origination shed doubts on to the validity of Ven Buddhaghosas interpretation, on a lifetime - to lifetime basis. They think that this may not be the case. So why continue?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Dec 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781479731770

Don G. Athukorala

Born to a Buddhist family the author was introduced to the principles of Theravada Buddhist Philosophy from his early childhood. Was educated as a Civil Engineer, qualifications: (1) Bachelor of Science (Engineering) University of London, (2) Member of Institute of Civil Engineers (London), until his retirement as a practicing Civil Engineer (3) Honorary Life Fellow - Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka, (4) Chartered Engineer Employment Chairman, State Engineering Corporation of Sri Lanka, a State sponsored organization to function as consultants in the planning, investigating, designing and construction of industrial and engineering projects Director Head works, Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka: a UN sponsored multipurpose river diversion project for the development of irrigation, and hydro power After retirement, he migrated Down Under with his wife to call Australia his home. Studied Buddhist philosophy, - the higher teachings of the Buddha. He uncovered a hidden philosophy that was unexplained for over 1500 years and authored a book titled `Buddha's Principle of Relativity'. Explained its benefits to the Sri Lankan and Australian public on several of his talks

Book preview

Buddha’s Principle

of Relativity

Mind Body Stress

Don G. Athukorala

Copyright © 2012 by Don G. Athukorala.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Cover page design by

Radhini Subramaniam

Cover page

Ruvanvelisaya, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Originally constructed by King Dutugemunu in the 2nd century BC

Restored in the early 20th century

Don G Athukorala

Hornsby NSW 2077

Australia

Also by the Author—‘A treatise on Mind Body Stress’

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-800-618-969

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BUDDHA’S PRINCIPLE

OF RELATIVITY—MIND BODY STRESS

Book review by Arthur Thomas Ware—Author of

Inner Quest, Our Search for Happiness

Sometime they’re out in the open and readily seen.

image001.jpg

It seems the very silence does the talking. The ‘sound of silence’ is a powerful word, indeed.

Siddhartha Gautama—The Buddha. Statues abound.

Here are a couple of paragraphs from my friend, Don G. Athukorala’s book, "Buddha’s Principle of Relativity—Mind, Body, Stress. Don, who is now well over eighty had been working on this volume for over ten years before he eventually ‘self-published.’ Don is a Sri Lankan and it was my privilege to help him with the editing of this very thought provoking manuscript where he purports that, Siddhartha Gautama—The Buddha—hit upon the ‘Theory of Relativity,’ which he called ‘Dependent Origination’ or Paticcasamuppada (PS) 2,000 years before Albert Einstein.

And sometimes hidden away where they’re sort of ‘discovered’

Switch off the radio, the iPod, the telly, and try sitting still in a garden. You’re ego won’t like it, of course. But show it who’s boss.

image002.jpg

His influence is once again growing.

It is not for me to say whether or not this is correct. However, we do know that Buddha’s influence today is growing by the day—and this nearly four and a half thousand years after his physical form walked this planet.

Once these statues were rare in the West, now you can find them just about everywhere.

"Walk into almost any plant nursery today and you will find both on display and tucked away in various strategic points among the leaves and flowers, statues of The Buddha. You know the one. Turn back the clock fifty years and these statues were rare indeed. Now you see them everywhere. You find them in gardens, in townhouses, on verandas of villas. They sell them in K-mart! Sell them in all manner of stores all over the world—millions of them!

But they’re very distinguishable—no mistaking who they represent.

Peace is always an internal thing.

There’s something very peaceful about this statue

Why is this so? Why, of all the garden ornaments, statues and the like had the Buddha’s image become so symbolic? It isn’t that people who are buying them are all Buddhists. No, I think it is because there is something about a man sitting quietly, eyes closed and in peaceful repose, a figure representing peace and tranquility, that captures the attention of those of us who so desire peace and tranquility in our own lives. We sense the serenity, the unspoken blessings in the ambience that a garden-statue of the Buddha provides.

Oh, and no, I’m not a Buddhist. But to get on…

Our opinions divide but we fail to realize opinions are NOT Truth.

If you go into our Hubpage Forum section you’ll find that the most numerous—and never ending—debates pertain to Religion. Everyone it seems, get upset by Religion. All manner of opinions are expressed here; sometimes quite heated opinions. But that is what they are: opinions—just as mine are here. However, one cannot help but wonder how peaceful our world would be if we took the advice purported to have come from Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha. Here, apparently, is what he had to say on this subject so dear to our hearts.

image004.jpg

Sometimes they’re very old—yes, and big!

Despite some of these statues being resented to the point of being blown up with explosives, they remain, steadfast as ever.

Buddha was a very wise old guy…

Buddha’s Advice

Do not accept anything on hearsay;

Anything by mere tradition;

Anything because it accords with your scriptures;

Anything by mere inference;

Anything because it agrees with your preconceived notion;

Anything because it seems acceptable;

—or anything because I say so.

When you know for yourself these things are moral, these things are blameless, these things when performed and undertaken, conduce to wellbeing and happiness—then do you accept and live accordingly.

You don’t get this sort of statue erected in your honour unless you’re held in very high esteem.

image005.jpg

How could you not sense the peace and tranquility radiating from this giant Buddha?

We can all make the world a happier place.

I believe that if we all did that, we would all be working towards something that would make the world we human beings inhabit, are far more peaceful, joyful and loving place. And, yes, I welcome your comments.

Reviewer’s Bookwatch: August 2012 James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief Midwest Book Review 278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575

Burroughs’ Bookshelf

John Burrough—Reviewer

Buddha’s Principle of Relativity Don G. Athukorala AuthorHouse 1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200 Bloomington, IN 47403-5161 www.authorhouse.com 9780646543154, $25.60, www.amazon.com

Buddhism is not a god-based theology like Christianity, Judaism, or Islam. Rather it is a spiritual philosophy that over the centuries has evolved into many different branches. Born into the Theravada Buddhist philosophy, Don G. Athukorala has written Buddha’s Principle of Relativity: Mind Body Stress, a 264-page compendium showcasing the Buddha’s Code of Practice’, a way of achieving better health through an ancient teaching of the Buddha relatively neglected from more than fifteen hundred years. The underlying premise is that the psychology of the mind can and does have tremendous influence and affect upon the body. Enhanced with an extended bibliography and a comprehensive index, Buddha’s Principle of Relativity" is informed, informative, thoughtful, thought-provoking, and a seminal contribution to the growing body of Buddhist literature for western readers.

You have complete permission to utilize these reviews in any manner you deem useful for marketing and promotion.

Additionally, these reviews will be archived on our Midwest Book Review website for the next five years at http://www.midwestbookreview.com

Book Review by Prof Carlo Fonseka—Emeritus Professor of Physiology in the Universities of Colombo and Kelaniya, Sri Lanka

Buddha’s Principle of Relativity (Based on the philosophy of Dependent Arising) By Don G. Athukorala

A Scientific Approach to Buddhist Psychotherapy

From an ostensibly scientific stance, when a devout Buddhist with an impressive track record of knowledge and experience in engineering science declares that Ven. Buddhaghosa got it wrong on Paticcasamuppada or as Don calls it Buddha’s Principle of Relativity the foundational premise of Buddhist philosophy, he commands my serious epistemological attention. For I believe that scientific methodology is a surer guide to the nature of reality than philosophical speculation. Moreover, to dispute Ven. Buddhaghosa’s interpretation of a Buddhist doctrine is not necessarily to doubt a teaching of the Compassionate Buddha.

Students of Buddhism will recall that the Buddha cautioned against the error of being led, among other things, by mere reports, tradition, hearsay, authority of religious texts and speculative opinions.

Interpretation of "Buddha’s Principle of Relativity"

Ven. Buddhaghosa an Indian Hindu migrated to Sri Lanka around the 5th century AC. He is the renowned author of Visuddhimagga (Path of Purification), and Sammohavinodani (Dispeller of Delusion) which are classic expositions of Theravada Buddhism. Don notes that in Visuddhimagga, having judged that the central doctrine of Buddhism—Buddha’s Principle of Relativity (BPR) is very difficult to understand and explain, Ven. Buddhaghosa nevertheless laid it down that it is a process that applies on a lifetime to lifetime basis, that is, to past, present and future lives. In his subsequent work Sammohavinodani Ven. Buddhaghosa alludes to another possible interpretation, namely, that it applies to Mind-Moments or brain waves according to Don, but definitively rejects it in favor of the lifetime to lifetime interpretation. In Don’s judgment, it is in plumping for the lifetime to lifetime application rather than the brain wave application, which Ven. Buddhaghosa got it wrong. At any rate, for the purpose of Don’s book and its remedies, theoretical considerations demand the ‘brain wave’ application. And so the pragmatic engineer that he is, Don opts for the latter interpretation and uses it as the basis of the therapy he prescribes for the modern malady called STRESS.

In Part Three of Don’s book titled Mind-Body-Stress seeks to explain how certain mental states can generate ‘stress’ and even stress related diseases including anxiety states, depression and addiction to substances such as alcohol. On the basis of his analytical understanding of ‘Buddha’s Principle of Relativity", the author then goes on to declare confidently that the appropriate and effective remedy for such states is not MEDICATION but (Buddhist) MEDITATION.

To make his case for such therapy Don has had to re-examine the cardinal Buddhist concept of BPR and decisively reject its traditional interpretation in favor of the less established Mind Moments theory. As a devoted Buddhist he has the epistemological right to do so, duly sanctioned by the Buddha. He has ventured to formulate his treatise in terms of modern neurophysiology which he has expounded more or less accurately. As an empiricist physiologist with a special interest in how the human brain works, I can only envy the acuity, industry and daring of Don G. Athukorala’s brain!

Name of author and background

Don G Athukorala

B.Sc. (Engineering) London, Hon: Life Fellow Institution of Engineers (Sri Lanka), Former MICE (London), C. Eng Chairman, State Engineering Corporation of Sri Lanka (1977—1981) Director, Mahaweli Head works—Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka (1984—1990)

Dedication

To my parents Don Hendrick Athukorala and Dona Carolina Athukorala for the guidance afforded me to practice Buddhism and in particular Buddha’s doctrine of Paticcasamuppada.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

What is the author trying to convey?

A theory not too complex to understand

PART ONE—Mind

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Buddha’s philosophy is scientifically perfect

1.1 The mind

1.2 Memory

1.3 The holistic theory of the Mind

1.4 Homeostasis and how it relates to psychology

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 The Principle of Relativity—

feed in and feedback processes

2.1 Mind moments or brain waves

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 The Control Centre

3.1 Consciousness and Focusing

3.2 Focusing

PART TWO—Mind/Body

CHAPTER FOUR

Mind/body contact

4.0 Emotions and Sense Bases

4.1 Mind/Body

4.2 Emotions

4.3 Sense Bases

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0 Mind/body Effector

5.1 Creating Relationships

PART THREE—Mind/Body/Stress

CHAPTER SIX

6.0 Feelings, Craving, and Attachment

6.1 Feelings and relaxation

6.2 Feelings cause addictions and craving

CHAPTER SEVEN

7.0 Existence and Understanding

7.1 Bhava—Existence

7.2 Understanding

7.3 Understanding paves the way for a thought

7.3 Genes are past memories

CHAPTER EIGHT

8.0 Stress, relaxation and tension-release

8.1 Stress is good for you

8.2 Relaxation and stress release

8.3 How to reduce stress

8.4 Stress Related Disease

CHAPTER NINE

9.0 PERCEPTION IS ABOUT CHANGE

9.1 Perception

9.2 Persuasion

9.3 Reinforcement

CHAPTER TEN

Conclusion

Bibliography

Glossary of Pali Terms

INTRODUCTION

Buddha’s Principle of Relativity—(Mind—Body—Stress)

What is the author trying to convey?

I request you, valued reader to understand Buddha’s philosophy according to the Theravada tradition. I will be dealing with the scientific awareness of Eastern philosophy of 2500 years.

A theory not too complex to understand

You will undoubtedly be bumping into the most philosophical of Buddha’s teachings. The Principle of Relativity was one of His first set of guidelines for freedom from suffering. Buddha found a cure for mental disorder and decided to pass on the therapy to others.

He was far ahead of the times.

This Principle is explained in the deeply complex teachings of the Buddha—in the Abhidhamma. The details were far too difficult for most average people to understand, but fortunately the discussions, clarifications, and examples mentioned in the Sutras made it possible to practice His teachings and attain Nirvana—the ultimate aim of Buddha’s philosophy. So that did not pose a problem.

The theory remained puzzling for the past 1500 years or even more. However, after years of study, I think I have an answer—a scientific explanation. Eureka—I have found it. Buddha’s philosophy is scientific, analytical and stands to reason. In this book is an interpretation based on my knowledge of science. It reveals that we are the architects of our own problems—we created them. Find out how they can be destroyed.

The Buddha Image

Walk into almost any plant nursery today and you will find both on display and tucked away in various strategic points among the leaves and flowers, statues of The Buddha. You know the one. Turn back the clock fifty years and these statues were rare indeed. Now you see them everywhere. You find them in gardens, in townhouses, on the verandas in units. They sell them in K-mart! Sell them in all manner of stores all over the world—millions of ‘em!

Why is this so? Why, of all the garden monuments, statues and the like has the Buddha’s image become so symbolic? It isn’t that the people who are buying them are all Buddhists. No, I think it is because there is something about a man sitting quietly, eyes closed and in peaceful repose, a figure representing peace and tranquility, that captures the attention of those of us who so desire peace and quality in our own lives. We sense the serenity, the unbespoken blessings in the ambience that a garden-statue of the Buddha provides.

You see, we all want peace. We all want—at some subtle level—to know what the Buddha knew. Maybe, in reading through this book, you will come somewhat closer to that knowledge.

Now I want you to imagine a state of mind wherein you’re always happy, always peaceful, focused: a state wherein you have no worries. You are free of stress, craving or heartache. Here depression is simply an abstract concept, and here both it and dementia are things that can never happen—to you, anyway. In this mind-set all is beautiful, tranquil, and serene. Also in this state, children would have no troublesome problems, no ‘attention deficit syndromes.’ For they, too, would always be happy, joyfully focused, free of behavioural troubles and filled with a wholesome zest for living. That would indeed be ideal—wouldn’t it?

But we know that, by and large, in the majority of adults and children, this is not the case. Such an idealist dream is not realized. Stress, tension, anxiety, worry, inability to concentrate, and fears of all manner, are extant in the world. Anger is rampant. This is the