Thathagatha darshanaya by Master Siriwardana

IN SEARCH OF TRUTH…

Based on the teachings of an Awakened Master.
Translator’s note

This work is an English rendering of Ms. W. G. G. A. Piyawathie’s book entitled “In search of Truth”. A word by word translation was not attempted, because the idioms of Sinhala and English languages are essentially different. Ms. Piyawathie has cleverly captured in this book her Master’s teachings. I have added a few insights as appropriate.
I give below a few salient features of her Master’s teachings, on which her book is based. a) He promotes ‘looking within’ and ‘self inquiry’ from the word go. There is no way the Ultimate Truth can be ‘seen’ by mastering the knowledge of the external world. Buddha said ‘arising and the ceasing of the world’ is within this fathom long body. b) There is a difference between ‘knowledge’ and ‘wisdom’. The former leads to learning and scholarship. The latter leads to liberation. c) He skilfully disentangles the pure Buddha word from concepts, rites and rituals woven around Buddhism over centuries. Much of these have their origin in Vedic and Hindu religions. He respects tradition for its contribution to social good and harmony. But questions their relevance to final liberation. d) He shows the limitations of the senses to unravel the deeper Truths of life. He illustrates how the illusory
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mind, backed by the ‘Ego’ leads us on a wrong track. He emphasizes the need to liberate ourselves from the illusory mind, rather than the vain attempt to purify it. e) He offers dynamic interpretations to symbols and parables found in ancient art and literature. Siddhartha Yasodhara, Kalagola in Ummagga Jatakaya etc., have relevance to us insofar as they point to our inner states of mind. f) He emphasizes the need to ‘see’ for oneself the Truth of Existence without wasting our efforts on analysis or speculation.
I enjoyed my involvement in this exercise. It was a great experience.