Dr. Tin Win - With a pure and open mind

Thiha Commander

"Shiha, think carefully and do what is right. It is good for people like you, who are prominent in the world, to think carefully and do what is right."

(Vinaya, Mahamavagga, 6- Besajjakhandaka, Thihasanaopati Vattahu)”

The region often referred to as the Mizzima region in Buddhist literature is the Indian subcontinent. It is so vast that it can be called the Indian subcontinent, and because of the Himalayas, the vast mountain range, and the beautiful forests and mountains, it has been inhabited by various ethnic groups since ancient times.

The tribes that settled there combined the various beliefs they brought with them and the existing beliefs in the region they settled in, forming various unique religious sects. That is why the Indian subcontinent is often referred to in Western literature as the birthplace of religions and beliefs.

Before the Buddha's enlightenment, various sects existed. Even after the Buddha's enlightenment, those sects still existed. Ahokambo

The great leaders of the sect who speak well are called heretical leaders.

There are various sects among these great heretics. These sects existed only at the time of the Buddha. Some young people think that they no longer exist. They still exist in various forms today. There are also doctrines like the Nigannas that I will describe now. The Nigannas' doctrine that water, earth, trees, fruits, and flowers have life still exists today. The increase in the number of practices is due to the new information from the doctrines that came with the new peoples who entered the Indian subcontinent.

In the story about the Thiha warrior that I will tell you now, the Thiha warrior was a disciple of a great monk of the Niganda sect. There are many stories like that. Thithas are also good at organizing people with good words. They often organize people who are famous. Famous people, powerful monks, influential people, and wealthy people worship them, so they are more popular with the common people.

This is the nature of every era. The Thiha commander was not a random commander. He was a commander who had the privilege of attending the parliament of the Licchavi princes.

Whenever the princes met in the assembly, the general heard the princes of the Sakyans talking about the Buddha who had become a Buddha. What kind of Dhamma did the Buddha preach? How did the monks of the Buddha live? What was the glory of the Buddha? The general heard the princes of the Lakshavīs, the disciples and servants of the Buddha, talking about it many times.

The Thiha chief gradually became interested in what the other princes were saying. One day, the Thiha chief, who was interested in what the other princes were saying, went to his teacher Nigantha and said that he wanted to go and see the Buddha himself. He wanted to ask questions and study. It seemed that he wanted to go because he was a disciple of the teacher Tithi. Where would the monastery be located? He probably thought that he wanted to go to study for himself.

The lay monk Niganna, who was not a man of strong faith, was afraid that the general would follow the Buddha. That was why he forbade him from going. After his teacher had stopped him from going twice and three times, the general could no longer control himself from going. That was why he did not ask his teacher for permission and went to the Buddha.

When I came to the Buddha, I heard that the Buddha had a philosophy of non-action. He preached the Dhamma about not doing anything. He was known to have taught his disciples and followers about not doing anything. He asked me the question of whether those who spoke like that were correct or not.

The Buddha said, “Sis, I preach that you should not do any bad deeds, words, thoughts, or deeds that are not wholesome. I preach that you should do good deeds, words, thoughts, or deeds that are wholesome. I instruct my disciples with these teachings.” The Buddha preached the following teachings.

The general Thiha understood the Dhamma that the Buddha had preached at once and became very respectful to the Buddha. Therefore, he began to revere him and from that day on, he prayed to the Lord to consider him as a devotee who would worship the Three Jewels with utmost respect and devotion throughout his life.

In response to this request, the Buddha gave the warning mentioned in the title of this article: “Think carefully and do what is right. It is good to think carefully and do what is right for those who are prominent in the world like you.”

The Venerable Thiha was very pleased to hear the Buddha's warning. He had seen and known the heretics' lack of restraint, or rather their attempts to make a show of it without any reason. When he had been a disciple of the heretics, the Kattatha teachers had gathered, raised banners, and gone around the city of Vesali proclaiming that the Venerable Thiha had become their disciple. Since he had been proclaimed like that, the Venerable Thiha must have felt that something was wrong with the intelligent person.

The general explained the difference between the way the heretics did and the way the Buddha said it was good to do it thoughtfully. Then the disciple worshipped the Three Jewels for the second time, and said, "From today on, consider me a devotee of the Buddha for the rest of my life."

The Buddha said, “Siha, your house has been like a well for the Niganthas for a long time. Know that it is worthy to offer alms to the Niganthas who come to your house.” Hearing these words, the general Siha became more and more devoted to the Buddha.

He was told by his teachers and his community of teachers, the venerable Gotama, that he should only give to me, not to others. He should only give to my disciples, not to others' disciples. Only giving to me will bring benefits. Only giving to my disciples will bring benefits, but giving to others will not bring benefits. Similarly, I have heard that giving to other people's disciples will bring benefits. Unlike what I have heard, I am very pleased to hear that the disciple is urging him to give to the nigannathas as well.

As for the matter of offering the Nigannas, the disciple will know the circumstances and the time, O Lord. The Buddha said to the disciple, "Thus, for the third time, consider the disciple to be a devotee of the Three Jewels from this day forward for the rest of his life." I have read the Buddha's words to the general Siha before. There is a similar story. This story is about a disciple of the Nigannas named Upali Thukyve. He went to the Buddha to debate the Buddha's teachings. Their teacher did not want to let him go. Because he had already lost many of his disciples. Upali went because he thought that he could debate the Buddha's teachings, and that he had their support to debate.

After hearing the Buddha's teachings, Upali, who wanted to compete with others, realized that their own teachings were not worthy of competing with the Buddha's profound teachings, and so he became a disciple of the Buddha. The Buddha rebuked Upali in the same way that he had rebuked the general Thiha. Upali, like the general Thiha, was very happy.

Upali did not allow the Nigannas into his house. They prepared food and drink outside the house. When he wanted to see him, he went out and met him, but he did not bow down to the Nigannas. His eyes of understanding had been opened, and he had already distinguished between those to whom he should pay respect and those to whom he should treat with ordinary respect.

The Buddha said, “Think carefully and act. It is important for people like you to think carefully and act wisely.” A person who is famous is known for whatever he does.