Gute und lesefreundliche Erklärung über die dhutangas:
The 13 ascetic practicesThe originLong before Buddha appeared into this world, there did exist ascetic practices designed for oppressing the body in as variegated as numerous ways. Those who adopted them believed that they would enable them to get liberated from the sorrow any living being. On the other hand, others were convinced that the ultimate goal of existence lied in knowing how to enjoy it to the full and focused all their efforts on best enjoying sensuous pleasures.
From his very first teaching, Buddha categorically rejected these two paths that he qualified of « extreme paths ». In this teaching, he explains us that only the moderate path, the « middle path », can lead us to the development of wisdom and right knowledge of reality. The two extreme paths develop, on their behalf, attachments and false views, contrary to the moderate path, which enables the lessening of attachments and the development of right view.
The conduct laid down by the Blessed one for monks and nuns (the pātimokkha), for novices (the 10 precepts) and for the laity (the 5 or 8 precepts) is sufficient guidance to anyone who conveniently trains into satipaṭṭhāna. To those who wish to much more rapidly or easily reach nibbāna, he also taught a set of ascetic practices which are non-compulsory (the 13 dhutaṅgas that are not included into the vinaya), which enables to reduce one's needs to the least, thus sparing, the one who adopts these practices, from pride, greed, and aversion, which constitute the main poisons on the path to liberation (only by practising certain dhutaṅgas in daily life can we really understand this fact; results are impressing).
dhutaṅgas are not designed for superior beings, neither for inferior beings. They are beneficial for all those who are able to put them into practice. A dhutaṅga is not an extreme practice; it is a mere practice that enables the mind to be rapidly and easily purified, absolute prerequisite to the development of attention and concentration. It reduces useless impediments, such as excessive food, numerous clothes to look after, the agitation of inhabited areas, very various attachments. Provided it is conveniently adopted, no dhutaṅga does cause to arise any kind of tiredness or oppression of the body or the mind. If a dhutaṅga involves a great difficulty or a difficult effort to an individual, he shouldn't practice it, as it would become a practice extreme for himself.
Everyone is free, according to his capacities and wishes, to adopt one or several dhutaṅgas, which each comprises three levels of restriction. The aim of these practices lies in providing an environment as auspicious as possible for renunciation.
Thus, the 13 dhutaṅgas, which mean " renunciation " [to abandon (dhuta); state of mind (aṅga)], are a set of practices designed for considerably reducing our attachments, in order to reach nibbāna at the soonest, like a bird that crosses the cloudless sky on a straight line.
The 13 dhutaṅgasThere do exist thirteen ascetic practices: two for the robes, five for the food, five for the spot of residence, and one for the posture (known to be the dhutaṅga of effort). To get access to the detailed definition of a dhutaṅga, click on its definition in the below displayed board:
paṃsukūla : abandonned robes
tecīvarika : three robes
piṇḍapāta : collection by means of one's bowl
sapadānacārika : food collection without skipping houses
ekāsanika : a single meal
pattapiṇḍika : everything within the bowl
khalupacchābhattika : no longer accepting any extra food after having started to take the meal
āraññika : to remain in the forest
rukkhamūla : to remain beneath a tree
abbhokāsika : to remain on the bare earth without shelter
susānika : to remain among charnels
yathāsantatika : to sleep at the alloted spot
nesajjika : to renonce to the lying posture
The five kinds of motivationsFor the practice of dhutaṅgas, there do exist several kinds of motivations. A few can adopt one of them out of a bad purpose, in the aim of stirring up admiration around themselves, whereas others adopt one of these practices out of a genuine purpose, in order to cure themselves from kilesās, with the same state of mind into which one takes a medicine. Here are the five kinds of motivation that we can distinguish among those who adopt one or more dhutaṅgas:
1) Out of complete ignorance, without even knowing their advantages: after having merely heard the practitioners of the dhutaṅgas are of good renown, for being able to say " me, I practice the dhutaṅgas", etc.
2) For benefitting with the advantages feeding up greed, such as: for receiving a lot of gifts, for being well considered by others, for causing a great veneration to arise from others, for attracting disciples to oneself, etc.
3) Out of madness, out of complete ignorance, without being in quest for anything whatsoever.
4) Because Buddha and ariyās praise such practices.
5) For benefitting with healthy advantages, such as: the capacity to be contented with very little, weakness inherent to greed, easiness to obtain what is needed, tranquillity, detachment, etc.
Buddha disapproved the first three motivations, he only approved the last two. An individual may then adopt one or several dhutaṅgas only if he is motivated according to the fourth or fifth among these five kinds of motivations. However, a dhutaṅga is of much higher benefit if it is adopted according to the fifth motivation instead of the fourth.
The five factors that ought to be developed by a practitioner of the dhutaṅgas
A practitioner of the dhutaṅgas who is in the position of doing such practices (he undergoes a good state of health, etc.), who is honest and who has nibbāna as goal, is worthy to be worshipped by the brahmās, devas and humans.
Here are the five factors which each practitioner of the dhutaṅgas should develop:
To be without greed.
To know how to be contented with very little.
To really want to get rid of kilesās.
To remain on a calm spot.
To no longer wish any extra existence in whatsoever world and conditions (in other parlance, wishing parinibbāna).
The first factors are against greed. They contribute in eliminating sensory desires. The might whose the last of these factors is object can be cultivated by means of wisdom.
Through alobha we eliminate pratices that are meant for developing sensory desires (kāmasukhallikā nuyoga), and through amoha, we eradicate all practices that oppress the body (attakilamathā nuyoga).
Buddha congratulates those who adopt the dhutaṅgas by fully developing the above mentioned five factors.
According to another commentary, the factors needed to the practice of dhutaṅgas are:
saddhā, faith, confidence.
hirimā, the fact to be afraid or ashamed of evil deeds.
dhitimā, the fact to be calm, self-possessed and concentrated on one's deeds.
akuha, the indifference towards notoriety, renown, consideration on others' behalf.
atthavasī, the fact to have the realisation of dhamma as unique aim.
alobha, straightforwardness.
sikkhākāma, the fact to be naturally and constantly virtuous.
aḷhasamādāna, the fact to prevent oneself from breaking one of these practices.
anujjhānabahula, the fact not to criticize others, even if they are at fault.
mettāvihārī, the fact to constantly remain filled with benevolence.
A serious practitioner of the dhutaṅgas has to be conveniently rooted into one of these ten factors. The one who knows how to stick to it is in the position to reach nibbāna.
The elements that ought to be avoide:
- pāpiccha, to want unhealthy things.
- icchāpakata, to oppress one's mind through desires.
kuhaka, to try to draw consideration from others.
luddha, covetousness, cupidity.
odarika, to be abusively preoccupied by one's food.
lābhakāma, to want to get involved into numerous matters.
yasakāma, to want to have many disciples, to want to be worshipped by many people.
kittikāma, to want notoriety, a great renown.
If a bhikkhu practises the dhutaṅgas according to one or several of these eight points, he will certainly be subject to criticism and contempt on others' behalf. He even risks to experience some disabilities during his next existence, such as ugliness, malformation, a severed limb, if it is not the realm of hells. That's why one should strive for developing the needed factors, and to avoid those who are detrimental.
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ariyās and the dhutaṅgas
ariyās are beings who have inevitably practised the dhutaṅgas in this life or in a former rebirth. To have one's pāramīs sufficiently matured for the realisation of the dhamma, the practise of the dhutaṅgas is therefore inevitable. For this reason, we can say that " the practice of the dhutaṅgas is the path of ariyās ". The dhutaṅgas even constitute a training particularly auspicious to the realisation of nibbāna, given the fact that they offer the best conditions for the training into the 8 maggaṅgas – the basis of satipaṭṭhāna (the path that leads to nibbāna) – on one hand, and for the detachment from all obstacles to this training on the other.
There do exist numerous bhikkhus who are renown for their practice of the dhutaṅgas. Among others, in Buddha's time, regarding the practice of the āraññika and paṃsukūla dhutaṅgas, Venerable Mahā Kassapa was particularly renown (besided recognised by Buddha as being the best practitioner of the 13 dhutaṅgas of his sāsana); then were particularly renown for the observance of the āraññika dhutaṅga: Venerable Revata (in the forest of Khariravaniya), Venerable Tissa and Venerable Nāgita; was particularly renown for the observance of the dhutaṅga linked with the obtention and consumption of food: Venerable Mitta; were particularly renown for the observance of the nesajjika dhutaṅga: Venerable Sāriputtarā, Venerable Mahā Moggalāna, Venerable Cakkhupāla, etc.
These arahantas – such as all arahantas who practise the dhutaṅgas – haven't gone through the difficulties of these practices for their own benefit, as they no longer have anything to obtain for themselves (an arahanta has, by definition, no more ambition, neither motivation). They have practised the dhutaṅgas with the only aim of favorably making an example, inciting to the observance of this noble practice other bhikkhus who see them or would come to hear about them.
All Buddhas have also practised the dhutaṅgas in a remarkable manner, at one or several moments of their last existence. Thus, wise people, imitating Bouddha, put into practice one or several of these dhutaṅgas.
* Johann "resignierend": Atma schaffts zur Zeit einfach Körper und Mittel gemäß nicht. Vielleicht mag sich jemand dessen annehmen. Gut wäre es es zu tun.
http://en.dhammadana.org/sangha/dhutanga.htm und Links zu den einzelnen Übungen.