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The SixteenDreams

The Venerable Acara Suvanno Mahathera


(1920-
(1920-2007)

( transcribed by Jinavamsa)
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The SixteenDreams.

The Buddha
Foretells World Disasters

The Sixteen Dreams A Commentary


from the cassette recordings of
The Venerable Acara Suvanno
Suvanno Mahathera
(1920-
(1920-2007)

( transcribed by Jinavamsa)
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Published by Leong Yok Kee

E2L4A Selesa Hillhomes


Bukit Tinggi
28750 Bentong
Pahang

Email: jinavamsa1938@yahoo.com
Copyright by Leong Yok Kee

Any part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or


by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording without prior written permission from
the publisher.

Front and back cover by Leong Yok Kee

Title: 16 Dreams
Author: Leong Yok Kee
Buddhism - customs and practices
Buddhism - doctrines

Published in Kuala Lumpur


Printed by: Majujaya Indah Sdn. Bhd (85902-U)
68 Jalan 14E Ampang New Village
68000 Selangor Darul Ehsan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: 03-42916001
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CONTENTS

Acknowledgement 5
Foreword 6
To-day 10
Introduction 19
Part One: The Sixteen Dreams of
King Pasenadi 28

Part Two: The Dreams: First Dream 36


Second Dream 49
Third Dream 52
Fourth Dream 57
Fifth Dream 61
Sixth Dream 63
Seventh Dream 66
Eighth Dream 69
Ninth Dream 72
Tenth Dream 74
Eleventh Dream 78
Twelfth Dream 82
Thirteenth Dream 85
Fourteenth Dream 88
Fifteenth Dream 91
Sixteenth Dream 94
Direct Knowledge 99

Part Three: Conclusion 103


Epilogue 109
The Way Out 117
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The Highest Gift is the Gift of Dhamma


This Literature is for
FREE DISTRIBUTION

Grateful Acknowledgement is extended to all who have helped


in their special way to make this Dhamma Gift available to
those seeking the Truth.

To those of you who made the request to remain anonymous,


grateful thanks are also rendered and to those whom I have
missed mentioning, no less are your merits.

Thanks are very much due to you who have made donations to
the printing of this Dhamma literature; without which it will
definitely not see the light of day.

Special thanks for financial support to:


Mooi Seng and Chu, Doris, Sister Tan Teck Beng and Family,
The Dhamma Family KL, Fong Weng Meng and Family.

This Dhamma literature is compiled so ALL can share the joy


in knowing the greatest Teacher Ever: THE BUDDHA.

May all beings shared in these merits thus acquired.

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!


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FOREWORD

Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma


Sambuddhassa.

Homage To The Blessed One,


One, The Worthy One,
One, The
Fully Enlightened One.
One.

T
en years ago, to be exact in 2001, Bhante Suvanno,
retold the story of The 16 Dreams of King Pasenadi, a
prophecy of events, disasters and calamities that will
befall the world and its inhabitants in the days and years that
will follow into the future. Every one of those situations and
calamities, known by the Blessed One nearly 2600 years ago,
have already occurred repeatedly and those that have been
predicted and has not happened, will surely come to pass in the
course of time.
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The Fully Self Enlightened One, The Blessed One, The


Buddha Gotama do not reveal things that are uncertain to
happen. His revelations are always on target and absolutely
dependable and real. For His Words are neither founded on
hearsays nor on calculations and traditions of other Buddhas
before Him. His Knowledge is realised by Himself; therefore
True and Real. Through the 2600 years of history of His
Dhamma, not a single syllable of His Word had fallen flat;
every single Word has been proven correct and exact.

Each Buddha that appears is a Unique Being and His


knowledge is unique to Him alone. A living Buddha may check
to ascertain how other Buddhas before Him act in certain
situations, but His thoughts and deeds are uniquely His. Thus,
the Words uttered by a Self Enlightened One is through His
own personal knowledge, past, present and future.

One cannot begin to fathom the width, length and depth of


His personal knowledge. Thus, it was that when requested to
explain the meaning of the Sixteen Dreams of King Pasenadi,
He gave detailed predictions and explanations as to the dreams.

Events of huge calamitous consequences that have occurred in


the world today have prompted the rewrite of this very
prophetic discourse of the Blessed One; the 16 Dreams. In the
year 2001, when this book was first published, the most
disastrous event was; the September 11 attacks (often referred
to as September 11th or 9/11) where a series of coordinated
suicide attacks was unleashed upon the United States on
September 11, 2001.
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If we research the horrendous events that have destroyed


millions of human lives and billion dollars worth of property
since that fateful date, we will realised that, even with all the
electronic safeguards around airports and countries in the
world, these horrendous events have accelerated, not abated!

Let us view some notable disasters in the world.


Aleppo Earthquake (Syria 1138) - 230,000 dead.
Haiyun Earthquake (China 1920) - 240,000 dead.
Tangshan Earthquake (China 1976) - 242,000 dead.
India Cyclone (India 1839) - 300,000 dead.
Shaanxi Earthquake (China 1556) - 830,000 dead.
Bhola Cyclone (Bangladesh 1970) - 500,000-
1,000,000 dead.
Yellow River Flood (China 1887) - 900,000-
2,000,000 dead.
Yellow River Flood (China 1931) - 1,000,000-
4,000,000 dead.
Indian Ocean Earthquake/Tsunami (Indian Ocean 2004) -
230,000 dead.

Sumatra: Dec. 26, 2004 Tsunami


Even though this was the third greatest magnitude earthquake
in the world since 1990, the magnitude 9.1 is remembered for
the deadly tsunami that the undersea quake let loose. The
earthquake was felt in Sumatra, parts of Bangladesh, India,
Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka and
Thailand, and the ensuing tsunami hit 14 countries as far away
as South Africa. The death toll was 227,898. The fault line that
slipped has been estimated at 994 miles long.
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Burma: Cyclone Nargis


Cyclone Nargis struck Burma (Myanmar) on May 2, 2008, with
105 mph sustained winds and gusts of up to 135 mph. The
Category 4 storm killed more than 146,000 and left tens of
thousands more missing.

Iraq War
Saddam Hussein, the brutal dictator of Iraq since 1979, was
successfully ousted from power; his two
sons, Uday and Qusay, were killed in
fighting with coalition troops; and Saddam
himself was found hiding in a hole on Dec.
14, 2003. Tried for crimes against humanity,
Saddam was hanged on Dec. 30, 2006. He
had murdered and killed thousands in his
quest for power.

Hurricane Katrina
The Gulf Coast. Named Katrina, the hurricane roared onshore
as a Category 3 storm on Aug. 29,
2005, spreading destruction from
Texas to Florida. But it was the
subsequent failure of the levees in
New Orleans that wreaked the worst
humanitarian disaster, covering 80
percent of the city in stagnant
floodwaters for weeks. Katrina claimed 1,836 lives, mainly in
Louisiana and Mississippi, with 705 people missing.
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TODAY, (as I write this) 07th of April 2010.


Panic as Major Quake hits Indonesia

B
ANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AFP) - A powerful 7.8-
magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia's Sumatra island
early Wednesday, triggering widespread panic and
tsunami warnings but causing no major damage.

The quake struck Aceh province at the northern tip of Sumatra,


an area devastated by the massive Asian tsunami of 2004. The
people of Aceh are still traumatised by memories of December
26, 2004, when the Indian Ocean surged over the northern tip
of Sumatra after a 9.3-magnitude quake split the seabed to the
island's west. A 7.6-magnitude quake killed about 1,000 people
in the port of Padang, western Sumatra, in September last year.

Earthquake 2008 China The destruction caused by the


7.3 magnitude earthquake
that hit Haiti on 2010 January

Timeline on some major disasters


Jan 2010 12th Jan Catastrophic earthquake slams Haiti
Sep 2010 30th Sep Indonesia quake kills thousands
Apr 2009 24th Apr Mexico Swine Flu kills 60
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Sep 2008 17th Sept, China: 3 babies dead as 6200 ill from
milk formula (more deaths were later confirmed)
May 2008 12th May Earthquake death to l 50,000
Oct - 2007 23rd Oct 500,000 flee wildfires
Dec 2006 29th Dec. ship sinks in storm 600 missing
May 2006 27th May Indonesia java quakes kills 6000
Oct - 2005 27th Oct Pakistan, major earthquake kills
thousands
Dec 2004 26th Dec Aceh 9.0 earthquake leaves 212,000
dead
Aug- 2003 14th Aug France 10,000 dead in heat wave
Mar 2003 13th Mar. Hongkong 1st alert SARS (Severe acute
respiratory syndrome). Within a matter of weeks in early 2003,
SARS spread from the Guangdong province of China to
rapidly infect individuals in some 37countries around the world.
Estimates place the dead at more than 10,000

Some man-made disasters


Natural disasters are kamma related and are resultants of mans
greed and delusion in the past, occurring due to conditions
ripening. Uncountable are the disasters originating from mans
greed and delusion that will create future disasters. As mans
greed and delusion accelerates and bursts into greater hydras
with more than the proverbial nine heads, the results of such
mans unwholesomeness will be many headed, each head
spawning extra heads. The results are unpredictable. Listed are
just some samplings. Not only are the present results of such
disasters horrendous; be mindful, though, that the aftermath,
in the future will be more so, as the results of man-originated
disasters are far fetching and in most cases irreversible:
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1994. Sept. 8, Russia: Dam built to contain oil, burst and


spilled an estimated 2 million barrels of oil into Kolva River
and its tributaries.
1996. Feb. 15, off Welsh coast: Supertanker Sea Empress ran
aground at port of Milford Haven, Wales, spewed out 70,000
tons of crude oil, and created a 25-mile slick.
1999. Dec. 12, French Atlantic coast: Maltese-registered tanker
Erika broke apart and sank off Britanny, spilling 3 million
gallons of heavy oil into the sea.
2000. Jan. 18, off Rio de Janeiro: Ruptured pipeline owned by
government oil company, Petrobras, spewed 343,200 gallons of
heavy oil into Guanabara Bay.
2000. Nov. 28, Mississippi River south of New Orleans: Oil
tanker Westchester lost power and ran aground near Port
Sulphur, La., dumping 567,000 gallons of crude oil into lower
Mississippi. Spill was largest in U.S. waters since Exxon Valdez
disaster in March 1989.
2002. Nov. 13, Spain: Prestige suffered a damaged hull and was
towed to sea and sank. Much of the 20 million gallons of oil
remains underwater (future results?)
2003. July 28, Pakistan: The Tasman Spirit, a tanker, ran
aground near the Karachi port, and eventually cracked into two
pieces. One of its four oil tanks burst open, leaking 28,000 tons
of crude oil into the sea.
2004. Dec. 7, Unalaska, Aleutian Islands, Alaska: A major
storm pushed the M/V Selendang Ayu up onto a rocky shore,
breaking it in two. 337,000 gallons of oil were released, most of
which was driven onto the shoreline of Makushin and Skan
Bays.
2005. Aug.-Sept., New Orleans, Louisiana: The American
Coast Guard estimated that more than 7 million gallons of oil
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were spilled during Hurricane Katrina from various sources,


including pipelines, storage tanks and industrial plants.
2006. July 15, Beirut, Lebanon: The Israeli navy bombs the
Jieh coast power station, and between three million and ten
million gallons of oil leaks into the sea, affecting nearly 100
miles of coastline. A coastal blockade, a result of the war,
greatly hampers outside clean-up efforts.
2006. August 11th, Guimaras island; The Philippines: A
tanker carrying 530,000 gallons of oil sinks off the coast of the
Philippines, putting the country's fishing and tourism industries
at great risk. The ship sinks in deep water, making it virtually
unrecoverable, and it continues to emit oil into the ocean as
other nations are called in to assist in the massive clean-up.
2007. December 7, South Korea: Oil spill causes
environmental disaster, destroying beaches, coating birds and
oysters with oil, and driving away tourists with its stench. The
Hebei Spirit collides with a steel wire connecting a tug boat and
barge five miles off South Korea's west coast, spilling 2.8
million gallons of crude oil. Seven thousand people are trying
to clean up 12 miles of oil-coated coast.

Nuclear Disasters (More man made disasters):


Three Mile Island (America):
On an island 10 miles from Harrisburg Pennsylvania resides the
Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Station. An accident occurred
and radioactive gas and water were vented to the environment
around the reactor. At one point, radioactive water was released
into a nearby river, which is a source of drinking water for
nearby communities. No one is really sure what effects these
radioactive releases might have had on people living near the
power plant.
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Chernobyl (Soviet Union):


About 80 miles (130 km) north of Kiev, in what is now the
Ukraine, is located the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. At this
plant the worst reactor
disaster to ever occur
took place on April 26,
1986. It happened
largely because normal
reactor operations were
suspended; an
experiment was to take
place in the reactor. As a
result, normal safety
guidelines were disregarded, and the accident occurred.
However, as with most accidents of this type, it was a result of
many small mistakes adding up to create a catastrophe.

One of the great tragedies of the accident was that the Soviet
government tried to cover it up. Clouds of fallout were
traveling towards major population centers such as Minsk, and
no one was warned. No one outside the Soviet Union knew
about the accident until two days later, when scientists in
Sweden detected massive amount of radiation being blown
from the east.

The effects of the disaster at Chernobyl were very widespread.


The World Health Organization (WHO) found that the
radiation release from the Chernobyl accident was 200 times
that of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bombs combined.
The fallout was also far-reaching. For a time, radiation levels in
a Scotland were 10,000 times the norm. 30 lives were directly
lost during the accident or within a few months after it. Many
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of these lives were those of the workers trying to put out the
graphite fire and were lost from radiation poisoning. The
radiation released has also had long-term effects on the cancer
incidence rate of the surrounding population.

Future Disasters of Great Proportion


The Climate Crisis
Natural disasters have doubled in the last 20 years; and most
are linked to global warming. In fact the picture is quite grim if
the human race does not do anything, climate change will have
serious impacts.

Very few people will take the interest and study the condition
of this planet we call Earth, also our home. It will interest you
to know that Earths temperature has not varied more than
1C in the past 10,000 years; but in the past 100 years alone, it
has increased by 0.6C; this is leading to catastrophic disasters
all over the world.

Climate Changing Faster Than the Worst Case Scenario.


Besides the ice in the Arctic, those of the Antartica and the
mountain glaciers world wide are also melting rapidly. This
reflects the alarming rate greenhouse gases are increasing in the
earths atmosphere. Global warming is now the most serious
threat ever faced in human history.

Facts:
The World Watch Institute has concluded that livestock is
responsible for at least 51% of global warming. It cautioned
that this is a conservative figure; there may be no way to
manage the climate risk other than by replacing livestock
products with better alternatives
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Livestock raising drives 1/3 of the worlds deforestation. It uses


up 3.4 billion hectares of land for animal grazing and for
growing crops to feed the animals

Livestock gases and waste products is the number 1 source of


nitrous oxide and methane, which are 310 and 72 times more
potent than carbon dioxide respectively.

Livestock Industry produces more carbon dioxide than all the


worlds cars, trains and planes combined.

The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency makes


recommendation for Dutch and International policy. One of
their studies calculated that 80% of USD40 trillion (the cost of
halting climate change) could be saved from a global shift to a
vegan diet.

The prestigious scientific journal, Nature reports: If global


temperatures continue to rise, massive amounts of methane gas
could be released from the 10,000 gigaton reserves of frozen
methane that are currently locked in the worlds deep oceans
and permafrost. This is a major concern because its possible
that only a little warming can unleash this trapped methane.
Unzippering the methane reservoir could potentially warm the
earth tens of degrees, and the mechanism could be geologically
very rapid. Just 1C increase in temperature alone could flood
the low-lying coastlines, which include many major cities.
Further increase could trigger the release of poisonous methane
gas. Glaciers like the Gangotri in the Himalayas, provides water
to the Ganges River. Once it disappears, 400 million people
will be deprived of water.
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Dear Readers, the proverbial ice-berg is miles high and the


above list is but just a fleas head of the tip of the ice-berg; not
even the tip. It would need an encyclopaedia to enumerate in
greater detail the worlds disasters. Suffice to say that the above
very short list gives credence to the Blessed Ones detailed
exposition of the dreams of the king on that fateful day over
2600 years ago.

The Blessed One consoled the king that he, the king, had
nothing to fear from the dreams as all that he had remembered
in the dreams were to unfold themselves in the future years as
mans greed, hatred and delusion develops in the coming years
and centuries to defile the whole world within the universe,
mentally, physically and materially.

The quantum of damage of such calamitous disasters in terms


of lives lost and properties damaged is inestimable and
impossible to account. They will be astronomical and
irreplaceable. These will be the steps and sequences that will
lead inexorably to the conflagration heralding the ending phase
of this world system. This will not be the final episode in the
ending of the world. Far from it, for the Blessed One has also
taught that this supposedly final episode is but one in many
episodes. Other episodes will arise in the course of aeons; as
this episode arose from the previous oneanother will arise in
the coming aeons. Thus the world re-engages itself and we start
over again. These had occurred countless times within
countless aeons. The question will behow are we certain that
we will be fortunate enough to find substance in the coming
aeons?
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Coming back to the king, he, the king, had no necessity to


sacrifice life animals to appease whatever it was to be appeased,
as advised by the Brahmins, who, as in those days so today, like
all religious icons, will always advise thus, mostly with personal
gains in the offing. The fact of the matter is that, it is due to
wrong views of leaders, religious as well as civil that matters are
as they are today.

We will let matters be as they are and proceed to the story of


the dreams and expositions of the Blessed One in consoling the
king.

jinavamsa, June 2010


E2L4A, Selesa Hillhomes, Bukit Tinggi,
28750 Bentong
Pahang, Malaysia
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INTRODUCTION
The Venerable Acara Suvanno Mahathera
Commentary on the Sixteen Dreams of King Pasenadi

E ighty-two years of age by Chinese reckoning (this was in


2000), diminutive, calm and serene, amiably ministering
to his devotees with great compassion, the Venerable
Acara Suvanno Mahathera, the abbot of the Buddhist
Hermitage Lunas, is the embodiment of
the Buddhas Dhamma, pure and pristine.

Incidentally, Bhante had never claimed


the title of abbot; in fact he had never
claimed any identifying appellation as
regards his bhikkhu (monk) state. His
only concern was that; he knows the age
of monkhood of any bhikkhu he was
introduced to, as it was the Blessed Ones
rule that the only relevant distinguishing
difference between two bhikkhus was their date of ordination.
The latter ordained bhikkhu would have to pay respect to the
earlier. The earlier ordained bhikkhu would then address the
latter one as friend and the other would address him as
venerable sir or in Pali; bhante. This was the only
distinguishing hierarchy among bhikkhus. Thus, his lay
devotees and students will address him as; Bhante.

In his daily life, he would be barefooted all day, robed and


walking about the grounds of the monastery. The founders of
the monastery had desired that he stayed in the monastery and
tend to his duties as abbot; however Bhante had his own mind
as to how a bhihhku should employ his days. He would not be
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influenced by any situation that would put his practise of the


Dhamma and Vipassana meditation on hold. There was no
airs of importance surrounding his thoughts, speech and
deeds; there was always that open hearted smile whenever
anyone approached him.

His constant reminder to all and sundry was his saying;

Everybody wants to be a somebody.


Nobody wants to be a nobody.
If ever there is a somebody
Who knows how to be a nobody.
Then that nobody is a real somebody!

If you ever want to be a nobody


Then follow that somebody
Who really is a nobody
(Later) let go of everybody,
Even that somebody who already is a nobody;
Eventually you will be a real nobody.

This had always been his guiding watchword.

In some forty years of ministry in the Buddha Sasana (he


started preaching the Dhamma even as a lay person in his
forties) he has expounded in his own inimitable way the
Teachings of the Buddha.

His audiences have been many and varied; including the old
and the young, the illiterate and the intellectuals, and people of
different races who came to hear him, thousands have known
the Buddhas Dhamma through his talks. He speaks fluently in
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English, Hokkien and Teochew, in response to the needs of the


devotees attending his talks.

Many from different faiths and beliefs have been moved by his
eloquence and his down-to-earth exposition of the Buddha's
Teachings, so much so that they have taken the first few steps
to discover for themselves more of the Teachings. Some have
followed through and some have fallen by the wayside, but
many have been influenced by his open and earnest rendering
of the Teachings and by his example of living the Dhamma way.

People flock to hear his talks; the charisma surrounding


Bhantes Dhamma talk is a very special feature of the man or
more appropriately the monk. If one should think of the phrase
standing out in the crowd one could surely apply it to the
Ven. Suvanno. In his Hokkien rendering of the address
Upasaka and Upasika he is original, and his humour in
quoting sayings with a Malaysian flavour, has no equal.

Many of the Buddhas Suttas have at one time or another been


quoted and retold by Bhante (as he is reverently addressed).
There are many recordings of his Dhamma talks by various
devotees (many thanks and sadhus to such individuals), but
unfortunately not enough! On hand are 300 odd cassette
recordings of his talks. Many have been re-recorded on to CDs
for posterity and many are still being re-recorded. We are in the
process of transcribing more cassettes and printing such
transcriptions as books in the English and Chinese languages
for those seeking the Truth of the Buddhas Words.

This Commentary by Bhante Suvanno on "The Sixteen Dreams


of King Pasenadi" has been compiled for free distribution.
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Sources for this work are: the Jataka Tales No.77, Mahasupina-
Jataka, the Pali Dictionary of Proper Names, and Bhante
Suvannos cassette tapes on the Sixteen Dreams.

The Commentary is a timely and an appropriate rendering of


the Buddhas Teaching at this critical time of the Sasana, as in
it is found numerous predictions about the state of the world,
the Sangha and the laity in a future time as emphasised by the
Blessed One through the Dreams of King Pasenadi. It is also
timely, because traumatic and explosive events in our troubled
world indicate parallel situations to those seen in the Sixteen
Dreams.

Such newspaper headlines as (in the years 2000 thereabout):


US and British planes step up raids on Iraq, are instances of
hostility of countries against countries, the powerful against the
weak; Flood death toll, Volcano erupts causing evacuation of
cities; exemplify natural forces getting out of control; Fish
poisoned by toxic waste; indicates the dangerous environment
in which humans and animals live. All these defiled states in
our time, were known more than 2500 years ago by one single
individual, Siddattha Gotama, who became the Enlightened
One, the Buddha. We are now unfortunately, living in them!

[Now (2010), as I re-write this, the news are more passionate


and relevant to the times; such as:

Blood sport embedded in Afghan culture.


Uprising in Kyrgyzstan leaves dozens killed.
Thai Parliament stormed; chopper rescues lawmakers.
North Korea sentences American to 8 years.
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Vatican blasts critics for anti-Catholic 'hate' campaign. The


Vatican heatedly defended Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday,
claiming accusations that he helped cover up for pedophile
priests.
Heavy rains, landslides kill 95 in Rio.
Torrential rains in Rio de Janeiro have triggered landslides that
killed 95 people as rising water paralyzed traffic and suspended
most...
Official: Spate of explosions kills at least 49 in Iraq.
At least seven bombs ripped through apartment buildings
across Baghdad Tuesday and another struck a market, killing 49
people and wounding
NATO kills 27 Taliban in west.
Afghanistan's military said 27 insurgents have been killed in
ground fighting and airstrikes in a western province on Tuesday,
in what...
Maoist rebels kill at least 76 troops in India.
Maoist rebels launched a series of devastating attacks Tuesday
on paramilitary forces patrolling the forests of eastern India,
killing at...
And moreand so on]

If you read more of the various daily newspapers you are sure to
see reports of situations around the world confirming events
foretold by the Buddha through the Dreams of King Pasenadi
2600 years ago; as re-told by Bhante Suvanno; they make
interesting reading and matter for contemplation.

You will see countries in the past hundred years making


threatening noises to wage horrendous war on one another,
using horrible weapons of mass destruction. You will read
about people of different ethnic groups killing and maiming
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one another; greedy and unscrupulous people and even rulers


of countries selling life-threatening drugs to young children
questing for base sensuous pleasures. You will see people
committing incestuous acts, robberies, rapes, killings, murders
and all manner of crimes and wrong livelihood. Such
unwholesome deeds are common in this tumultuous present
world, heading towards the downward turn to the end of this
Buddha Sasana.

Chinas Cultural Revolution destroyed thousands of ancient


works of literature, objects of art and artefacts; it led to the
killing of many literary giants, the destruction of ancient
buildings and great numbers of cultural treasures that are
irreplaceable, ancient treasures that recorded the origins of a
nation, detailing the stages of development of men of
knowledge and wisdom. These events were the destruction of
established traditions that the Buddha saw in the Dreams of
King Pasenadi.

Taliban order all statues destroyed. Afghanistans hardline


Taliban rulers ordered the destruction of all statues, including a
giant eleventh century Buddha statue that is said to have been
the tallest of its kind in the world. Such acts of vandalism are
common sights and are ordered by rulers who have deposed
their legal predecessors, and whose aims are to banish all
memory of previous cultures and traditions in order to establish
their own brand of new order centred on fear and hatred, with
total disregard for established and proven values.

As if such acts of grand vandalism were insufficient to satisfy


the perpetrators of such horrendous crimes against humanity,
one group of them advocated a destructive form of socio-
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communism that fortunately for the race of humans was tested


and found wanting, in the short space of about seventy years.
The new order was destroyed and new rulers arose to take over
the task of mending the pain and suffering created by the
previous rulers. Unfortunately it is doubtful whether the
present rulers will be of any benefit to their country. However,
if one were to understand the essence of the Sixteen Dreams, it
would not be too difficult to hazard an opinion.

Not so long ago, in the aftermath of the Second World War in


1945, the Allied troops entered Europe and liberated the many
prisoners kept in concentration camps. To the horror of the
world, it was discovered that humans had been kept in
horrendous conditions and used as guinea pigs in experiments
to be conducted on them. These poor people, young and old,
males and females, suffered great deprivations and tortures at
the hands of a self-proclaimed superior race.

In the short space of three years, more than six million people
of various nationalities perished horribly for no apparent
reason except to satisfy the whims and fancies of a few leaders.
The signs of such cruelties still linger on as witnesses to
atrocities committed by humans on humans!

Russia and Germany too are outstanding examples of people


revolting against harsh measures meted out by supposedly great
men and leaders. The scenes in the Sixteen Dreams are played
out in todays environment, and appear frighteningly prophetic!

Along with these human problems we see the worlds climatic


conditions going crazy! Temperatures in some countries have
undergone significant changes. The worlds climate is heating
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up! The global environment is in crisis, reports a local


newspaper; and may in fact face a meltdown if trends are not
reversed. Environmental degradation has cost the world
billions of dollars. Natural disasters in 1998-1999 alone
accounted for over 120,000 people being killed and many
millions more displaced. Seasons of winter have characteristics
of summer and vice versa. Lands have receded in places and re-
appeared in others. The more research is conducted into the
causes of such disasters, the more questions crop up which have
no apparent answers. Even with modern technology and high-
tech equipment the countries of the world are suffering from
great droughts, famines, diseases, hunger and strife! What was
dreamed more than 25 centuries ago and explained by the
Buddha, is hauntingly coming to pass in our lifetime!

With the publication of this Commentary, it is hoped that you,


the readers, will find some answers to the many perplexing
problems and controversial situations we face and understand
the causes that condition world affairs and climatic changes
apparent in the present times.

You will be left in no doubt about the nature of the


phenomena that are the hallmark of to-day's times, and the
direction that was shaped by past actions that are largely beyond
our control at this juncture.

We are left to do the best we can with the conditions we inherit


from the actions of bygone days; knowing full well that our
deeds in the past were the instruments of those actions. Having
this knowledge and hopefully the wisdom to go with, should we
not endeavour to improve ourselves and do a better job for the
27

future? We should then be able to inherit better things for


ourselves in a future of our own making!

Jinavamsa, June 2010


E2L4A Selesa Hillhomes, Bukit Tinggi
28750 Bentong,
Pahang
28

PART ONE
THE SIXTEEN DREAMS OF KING PASENADI

Namo tassa Bhaghavato Arahato Sammasambuddhassa!


Sammasambuddhassa!
Homage to Him, the Exalted One, the Worthy One,
the Fully Enlightened One!

Bulls first and trees and cows and calves,


Horse, dish, she-
she-jackal, waterpot,
A pond, raw rice, and sandalwood,
And gourds that sank and stones that swam
With frogs that gobbled up black snakes,
A crow with gay-
gay-plumed retinue
And wolves in panic-
panic-fear of goats!
29

B
HANTE SUVANNO: In the 45-year ministry of the
Buddha, royalties, princes and princesses, ascetics,
leaders of other faiths, male and female devotees of
noble standing, high-born brahmins, travellers, common laity,
slaves and so-called untouchables caste made up His followers.
Many became enlightened and reached arahantship; others
took up the robes and became members of the Holy Order of
the Sangha. Even nagas (dragons), devas and gods from the
heavenly realms and the ten thousand world systems were
known to have descended on to the world at different times to
hear His Dhamma!

*More of King Pasenadi in Samyutta Nikaya; Pt.I: Pp.77-78/


Pp398para.199/Pp 401 para211-212/ Pp405 para.233-
234/Pp407para238/ Pp410.para257/Pp.449para457/ Pt.II.
Pp.1380/Pp.1795/Pp.1938 para241/

BHANTE SUVANNO continues: Among the highest of the


nobility were famous kings and queens,
and among the kings one name stood out
above the rest: King Pasenadi of Kosala,
whose father was King Maha Kosala. He
had a very successful education away from
home and did so well that his father
being very pleased with his proficiency in
the various arts, made him King on his
return to the kingdom.

As a ruler King Pasenadi gave himself wholeheartedly to his


administrative duties and valued the companionship of wise
and good men. He was a contemporary and became a supporter
of the Buddha and much devoted to Him quite early in his
reign. In fact he was the same age as the Buddha and they knew
30

each other when both were quite young and in the early years
of the Buddha's ministry. Being very respectful of the Buddha
King Pasenadi would bow his head at the feet of the Buddha,
covering them with kisses and stroking them whenever they
met. It became his habit to make regular visits to see the
Buddha to discuss various matters, spiritual and personal as
well as affairs of state.

One night the King had a series of sixteen dreams and


surprisingly could remember the details of them after
awakening. This was a remarkable feat and could be attributed
to the fact that he could have been a Bodhisatta perfecting his
paramis, so that the purity of his mind enabled him to recall the
dreams. It would be difficult for an ordinary person to
remember two or three dreams in one night, let alone sixteen
dreams.

Today I would like to share with you the Sixteen Dreams of


King Pasenadi and what they portend.

The Kings Fears


BHANTE SUVANNO: This story about sixteen troubling
dreams was told by the Blessed
One while at Jetavana. In the last
watch of one night, the King of
Kosala, who had been sound
asleep all the night, dreamed
sixteen vivid dreams and woke up
in great fright and alarm as to
what they might portend for him.
31

So strong was the fear of death upon him that he could not stir,
but lay there huddled up on his bed. When dawn came, his
brahmins and ministers came to him and with due obeisance
asked whether his majesty had slept well.

I could not sleep well, the King announced sorrowfully; for


just at daybreak, sixteen troublesome dreams have put me in
great fear! Tell me my ministers, what do those sixteen dreams
mean.

We shall be able to judge on hearing them, the brahmins


pompously replied.

Then the King told them his dreams and asked them what
these visions would entail for him. The Brahmins then fell to
wringing their hands!

Why wring your hands, brahmins? inquired the King.


Sire, these are evil dreams.
What do they portend? asked the King.
One of three calamities; harm to your kingdom, to your life or
to your riches.
Is there a solution, or is there not?
Undoubtedly these dreams in themselves are so threatening as
to be without remedy; but nonetheless we will find a remedy for
them based on our studies and learning?
When, where and with what do you propose to avert this evil?
Wherever four roads meet, we would offer sacrifice, sire.
Ministers, the King in his terror immediately consented, my
life is in your hands; make haste and work my safety.
32

Realising that the occasion had presented them the opportunity


to enrich themselves at the expense of the King's anxiety, and
knowing that large sums of money and large supplies of food of
every kind will be required, the exultant Brahmins happily bid
the King have no fear and departed from the palace to organise
the sacrifice.

Outside the town the Brahmins prepared a great sacrificial pit,


and they began to purchase a host of four footed creatures and
a multitude of birds; all these were to be perfect in form and
without blemish, thus, expensive. Before long and in line with
their greedy scheme, they still discovered something lacking and
back they kept coming to the King to ask for more money for
their project.

The king gave willingly, and finally when 4000 animals of all
kinds were purchased by the Brahmins, a day was appointed for
the sacrificial ceremony.

Fortunately for the King, his chief queen,


Mallika, entered the scene at this time
and seeing the preparations for the great
sacrifice, enquired of the King the
reason for such activities.

Queen Mallika, the daughter of a


garland maker, was a beautiful and good
woman and was dearly loved by King Pasenadi. When in
difficulty he would consult her, knowing that she had great
wisdom. He had great trust in her judgements.
33

Their association began one day when she was sixteen. While
on her way to the garden with some companions and carrying
three portions of sour gruel in a basket, she met the Buddha
and after paying her respects to Him, offered the gruel to Him.
The Buddha, seeing her wrapt in joy, smiled. Ananda, His
personal attendant, seeing the Buddha's smile, enquired the
reason and the Buddha replied that on that very day Mallika
would be made chief queen.

It happened that on that very day King Pasenadi, having waged


war on his nephew, Ajatasattu,* the son of King Bimbisara, and
being defeated was passing by and attracted by the voice of
Mallika, entered the flower garden. She, seeing him coming and
noting his weariness, seized his horse's bridle and spoke kindly
to him. The King, after questioning her and ascertaining that
she was not a married woman, dismounted and was made to
rest for a while on her lap. Shortly, having rested sufficiently he
entered the town and took her to her own home.

*[King Ajatasattu was King Pasenadis nephew, son of his sister and
King Bimbisara, ruler of Magdha. War broke out when Pasenadi and
Ajatasattu both laid claim to the prosperous village of Kasi, situated
between the two kingdoms].

The same evening he sent a chariot for her and with great
pomp and honour brought her to the palace and set her on a
heap of jewels and anointed her his chief queen. From that day
onwards she was the beloved and devoted wife of the King. In
the course of time she too became a devoted follower of the
Buddha. There are many stories of the devotion of Mallika to
the Buddha and He had mentioned that she was one of the
seven persons whose acts of devotion bore fruit in this life and
whose fame reached even to the gods.
34

On a visit to the Buddha, she enquired why some women were


beautiful, others plain, some rich and others poor (AN: Book of
Fours-VII-197). The Buddha explained that if a woman has the
nature of being ill-tempered, irritable, jealous and slow to give
alms; such a one would become poor and of ill-favour wherever
she may find rebirth. A woman, however, who is seldom angry
or agitated even under great provocation but is generous, such a
one would become beautiful and rich on rebirth. Mallika then
declared her intention to be sweet and gentle in temper, never
revengeful or harbouring a grudge but always amiable and
generous.

In another instance, when she and the King were having a


conversation, he, loving her very much, asked her if anyone was
dearer to her than her own self. She is quoted as saying that she
loved none as much as she loved herself. Not expecting this
answer, he replied that the same was true of himself, but was
evidently piqued at her unexpected answer. So he went to the
Buddha and related the story. The Buddha explained that
Mallika had spoken only truly and well. The Buddha then
addressed him in verse:

Having traversed all quarters with the mind,


One finds none anywhere dearer than oneself.
Likewise, each person holds himself most dear;
Hence one
one who loves himself should not harm others.
Samyutta Nikaya I. Ch.3/392.

The King, who loved the queen very much, told her about the
dreams and the recommendations of the brahmins. Realising
the motives of the brahmins and fearing the results of the
35

unwholesome action he was about to perpetrate, she suggested


that he should refer the matter to the greatest Brahmin, the
Buddha.

But has your Majesty consulted the Chief Brahmin both of


this world and the world of the devas?
Who, pray, may he be, my dear? asked the King.
Know you not that supreme personage of the world, the all-
knowing and pure, the spotless master brahmin? Surely, He, the
Blessed One, will understand your dreams. Go and ask Him.

Hearing this, the King acquiesced and went with her to seek
audience with the Blessed One. After due venerations, Queen
Mallika informed the Blessed One of the reason for their visit;
that the King was about to sacrifice a great number of lives to
counter the supposedly evil portent of his dreams. Having
confirmed with the King that that was what he had planned to
do the Blessed One requested the King to relate his dreams.
36

PART TWO: THE DREAMS


THE FIRST DREAM

THE KING: Lord, in my dream, I saw four black bulls


coming to the Royal Courtyard from the four cardinal points
with outward signs of waging great conflict. A great multitude
of the population had flocked to the Royal Courtyard in
expectation of the conflict. But the bulls only made a show of
fighting; they roared and they bellowed and finally went off
without fighting at all. Lord, I am fearful and anxious, what
does this mean?
37

THE BLESSED ONE: Great King, your dream is not of


concern in your lifetime; but relates to events in the distant
future.
future. Therefore you have nothing to worry about as it
does not affect your good self or your kingdom. In the
distant future, leaders and rulers of nations and countries
will have become
become dictatorial and unprincipled;
unprincipled; peoples
peoples of the
world too will have become self-
self-centred and unprincipled
unprincipled.
ncipled.
When the world has become perverted,
perverted, when morals are
slack;
slack; where corruption of values rule the day,
day, signs of rain
will be there but rain will not fall; crops shall wither and
famine shall be all over the countries.
countries.

Even as the rain clouds gather


gather from the four quarters of the
the
heavens and great thunder and lightning are everywhere,
everywhere, as
if for rain, and in anticipation of heavy downpour, people will
hastily cover and protect their crops and properties;
properties; like
like the
bulls in your dream, that appear to be preparing for a great
fight and fight not,
not, so shall the clouds recede without
without
raining. In the future people will pray for rain; however, the
rains will not come and drought will be on the land; this is the
essence of your dream.

But no harm from this dream


dream shall come to you or your
kingdom. What the brahmins said and advised was only to
get themselves a livelihood.
38

BHANTE SUVANNO COMMENTS: From


the very unfathomable beginning of their
existence, humans and other living beings of the
world have lived as dictated by their emotions
of greed, anger and delusion. Some call this self
preservation. Such self-centred, unwholesome
negatively induced emotions, repeatedly applied through
endless time, will burdened the world with unwholesome
energies.

Through countless aeons, these energies, repeatedly brought on


and tempered with increasing unwholesome emotions will
remain in akasa (space). Good or evil. These energies do not
dissipate; they change form! These growing, increasingly defiled
energies will nudge the delicate balance of the seasons and
climates.

Slowly but surely, natures tolerance will be tested and it will


react; weakly and hesitatingly, initially.but taking on greater
ferocity as the negative and unwholesome energies gather
greater volume and strength. The critical balance being upset,
nature will run amok, as it were, and natural disasters will be
wreaked onto the world. This is the natural cause and effect of
deeds, evil or good, performed with volition. We are the
architects of our own destruction.

Conditioned by their greed, hatred and delusions, human kind


have been responsible for creating suffering and hardships for
themselves and others of their kind, begetting endless, deep
rooted defilement within their minds. Natural atmospheric
energies heavily burdened with negative energies of these
defilement, will cause the forces in the universe to be out of
39

sync thus affecting the natural environments, and natural


phenomena such as the temperature and the quality of
nutriments for humanity in their struggle for life will be
affected badly.

The seasons too will become unpredictable resulting in


unexpected upheavals in the worlds atmosphere. Even when
the rain clouds gather, thunder peals, lightning flashes and the
signs of rain and storms are evident, yet they subside and pass
away and the expected rain does not fall.

Thus, crops and produce are not forthcoming. When it is time


for dry weather, yet the skies drench the earth with torrents of
rain, flooding and destroying crops and produce. These
happenings are not rare and occasional, but as humans
deteriorate in their morality, natural phenomena too become
unpredictable, thus causing great difficulties and suffering.

When humans pollute the atmosphere with accumulated greed,


hatred and delusion, the defiled energy becomes endemic and
the world is gradually engulfed in the atmosphere so created. In
time to come, the Blessed One said, such a world will be
consumed and destroyed by the fire of its own creation. When
defilement increases and becomes uncontrollable, the world
will experience great flooding.

In this year (2010) and for many years in the past, scientists
have monitored and studied the natural phenomena round this
globe we call earth and have come to many conclusions that are
direct results of human greed.
40

The United Nations have studied and come to the conclusion


that natural disasters have doubled in the last 20 years, and this
have been attributed to global warming. They discovered that
earths temperature have not varied by more than 1.8 F or
1C in the past 10,000 years; but in the past 100 years alone, it
has increased by 1.1 F or 0.6 C, and this has lead to
catastrophic disasters all over the world.

Further bad news; the World Watch Institute has concluded


that livestock is responsible for at least 51% of global warming.
Due to this global warming, massive amounts of methane gas
under the seas and oceans will be defrosted and will accelerate
the warming of the earth.disasters will be of unprecedented
proportion.

Reflecting on all these happenings will lead one to appreciate


the dreams of King Pasenadi and the explanations rendered by
the Blessed Oneeven 2600 years ago. How did He know? This
is no wild guess or estimation. His wisdom and knowledge goes
way back to the past and way ahead into the future. This is the
reality of the State of Enlightenment; the Enlightenment of the
Supreme Being, the Buddha, the Blessed One is unique in one
singular time period called the Buddha Sasana. He is The One;
there is no other in this singular period, thus, His knowledge
and mental capacity has no equal.

The Words of the Blessed One was delivered 2600 years ago
when there was not even paper to write them on. The Words
were delivered by the Mouth of the Blessed One and orally
passed on; and finally after many centuries were they written
down. The Words are still applicable as though they are fresh
41

and new. These are not words of prophecy; these are Words of
Realitythey will come to pass as told.

In todays time, where moral values are lax and dictated by


sensual gratifications from all things, rulers, kings, presidents of
countries and those wielding power will, in their ignorance,
compound the situation with self-serving and wrongful actions
that will only serve to increase unwholesome *energies.

[*Apropos to this context of energy, it would be good to bear in mind that any
form of energy is neither created nor destroyed. It can be stored and can be
moved from place to place, it can also be transformed from one type to another
type. During all this moving and transforming the total amount of energy never
changes. Thus, wholesome an unwholesome energies can be interchanged,
where the whole total can either be predominantly of one type.]

Governments will plan and develop weapons purportedly for


self-defence but in actuality these weapons are able to destroy
other governments, who will in their turn develop weapons of
defence and advance further; developing greater and more
powerful weapons of destruction. These weapons will be able to
destroy massive areas and population.

Countries will test their weapons and their readiness to go to


war and defend themselves. They will pollute the atmosphere
with their weapons and equipment! They have no desire to
initiate positive thoughts and deedsthey do not wish to
distinguish right from wrong. They will not respect one
another's integrity; they only wish to further their own interests;
the powerful will dominate the weak. Further disasters will
ensue and earthquakes and typhoons and other calamities of
vast proportions will be the order of the day and will wreak
untold suffering on mankind
42

Thus, are the results of greed, hatred and delusion; they are
destructive and unstoppable, leading to conflagration and end
of different phases of the world. The world as we know it has
gone through many phases of destruction; we are at the age of
nuclear destruction; many types of living species have come and
gone; the destruction of the human race is not particularly
significant; we are but another phase of evolution. The Blessed
One had indicated so.

However, it is the cumulative effects of countless existences and


the passing away of multitudes of humanity that create what is
known as kamma. Kamma is very profound and generally it is
of two types.

One is individual (or personal) kamma. This is the result of


actions performed by the individual, whether good or bad.

All forms of defilement create kamma in the present existence


and future rebirths and is cumulative. Such accumulation is
known as overflowing kamma or collective* kamma, and to give
a simile, it can be compared to the overflowing of boiling rice.
When rice begins to boil, it overflows. The results of this form
of kamma are felt even when a being to be is in the mother's
womb during pregnancy. Overflow of good kamma, conditions
good things to the parents; unwholesome ones conditions
unwholesome things, even at the embryo stage of the being to
be born. Kamma of this nature is powerful and relentless and
will cause upheavals in natural phenomena such as climate,
weather, temperature, the winds and such like.

* This brings us to the question of collective kamma. Each mans kamma is his
own individual experience. No one can interfere with the kamma of another
beyond a certain point; therefore no one can intervene to alter the results of
43

personal kamma. Yet it often happens that numbers of people are associated in
the same kind of actions, and share the same kind of thoughts; they become
closely involved with one another; they influence one another. Mass psychology
produces mass kamma. Therefore all such people are likely to form the same
pattern of kamma. It may result in their being associated with one another
through a number of lives, and in their sharing much of the same kind of
experience. Collective kamma is simply the aggregate of individual kamma, just
as a crowd is an aggregate of individuals. (Francis Story: The Wheel
Publication Vol.XII)

The Blessed One says that unmindful thoughts, words and


deeds create defilement in the mind; as these thoughts are not
pure, speech and action too cannot be wholesome either. He
further said that the tendency in human beings to do evil deeds
has always been more prevalent than doing wholesome deeds.
This is due to peoples increasing greed, hatred and delusions,
the three major causes of suffering.

The four bulls were setting the stage for a fight but contrary to
everyones expectations they did nothing! Just as in a drought,
when water is short, rain clouds gather and lightning flashes as
though it is about to rain, but the storm peters away. The
weather changes often and becomes unpredictable.

Long ago, good harvests were gathered from the fields every
year, but nowadays harvests are decreasing. When produce is
not forthcoming from our own country, we normally can buy
what we need from other countries; but this is not possible
when the overflowing kamma affects the whole world and
universe, since neighbouring countries also suffer from poor
harvests. Such are the results of overflowing kamma, causing
the weather and natural conditions to become unbearable and
oppressive.
44

China, India and Bangladesh --just to name a few -- are facing


difficult times looking after their own people. They are not self-
sufficient any more. Family planning is being practised by all
these countries to check the population explosion. Why? Food
and other necessities of life are difficult to come by. Demand
outstrips supply by such a wide margin that prices are pushed
up, sometimes beyond the reach of the poor masses. Poverty is
growing alarmingly.

The average age of mankind has also declined. In the Blessed


One's time the average life-span was 100 years and even as long
as 120. The Blessed One said that due to the failure of
mankind to develop purity of mind, a shorter life-span would
result; for every 100 years of failure to purify our minds, the
average life-span would drop by one year. As we are now 2500
years from the time of the Blessed One our life-span will
therefore average 75 years.

We should be aware that these insidious events are by no


means accidental but result from the overflowing kamma of
many individuals in the extremely long time-span of continual
rebirths. Thus the results of accumulated unwholesome deeds
are overflowing into the present time and into the future, and
we are faced with the changing patterns of the natural
environment. We can never be sure that what we have planned
in relation to the seasons can come to pass.

We hear of global warming, the Alps are melting, and even


the Southern Hemisphere is warming too. We read that this is
slowly depleting the snow and ice in New Zealands Southern
Alps. The mountain chain has lost 40% of its ice mass since
1860. Permafrost holding together the highest peaks in the
45

European Alps and other European mountain ranges is melting


and threatening alpine villages and ski resorts with devastating
rock-falls and landslides. This year, 2001, British scientists have
for the first time detected ominous signs of the ice thinning in
western Antartica. The continents biggest glacier, which has
been systematically measured for the last eight years has lost a
10m thickness of ice and retreated 5km inland. If the thinning
continues at that rate, the entire glacier could disappear into
the ocean within a few hundred years. Thus we can see that
climatic conditions will play a great part in the lives of humans.

At the other extreme we hear of: two hurt in China


earthquakes, aftershocks shake Indias quake zone,
earthquake jolts Central Asia. In some areas which are
earthquake prone, quakes are known to be measuring 6.4 to 7.1
on the Richter scale and killing thousands of people. Nor
should we forget the disasters caused by typhoons, strong winds
and waves that regularly kills thousands of humans across the
world all the year round.

From the daily newspapers we read, Asia: low ability to adapt


in much of the region. High temperatures, drought, floods
and soil degradation are likely to diminish food production in
arid, tropical and temperate parts of Asia. Northern areas may
see an increase in productivity. Rises in the sea level and more
intense tropical cyclones will displace tens of millions of people
in low lying coastal areas of temperate and tropical Asia.

Australia and New Zealand present a more mixed picture. The


impact of global warming on some temperate crops may
initially be positive but this will probably alter with further
climatic changes. Much of the region may dry out, but there
46

will also be more intense heavy rains and cyclones elsewhere,


resulting in flooding, storms and wind damage.

Europe will suffer storm and drought hazards. Alternating heat


and snow may damage crops and produce. In Africa again heat
and drought will damage crops, thus reducing food supplies, etc.
In Latin America, North America and the Polar regions, in fact
all over the world, one can see daily disasters occurring.

On the other hand if man had practised wholesome and pure


living, the overflowing kamma of good deeds should have
created good conditions, positively regulating the climate and
the seasons; thus natural phenomena, like rains, winds and the
seasons would be beneficial. It is only when natural conditions
are well regulated that everyone can plan. Their festival days
will be celebrated at the proper time. Planting and harvesting
will also be well timed so that produce and essential supplies
will not run short.

When essential commodities are in short supply because of


unnatural forces the rich will have more than their share, as
they will be hoarding for the lean times ahead and the poor will
be left with much less or nothing at all. The result will be
robberies, thefts, burglaries and other crimes, thus polarising
the haves and the have-nots.

The rich will suffer as they will be the object and target of
thieves, robbers and the desperate poor. The poor will rise
against the rich and civil unrest will ensue; the government will
step in to regulate the situation. Thus the rich and the poor will
suffer in different ways.
47

The adverse conditions happening in one country will affect


neighbouring countries as by contagion. Everyone will be
caught up with the needs of their families. The destitute will
rob and pillage; rich and poor will suffer, the poor will plunder
the rich; the have-nots will take from the haves by force of arms.
Countries will try to take from other countries for their own
welfare. War will be the result.

The situation will further deteriorate as the leaders of


government will be profiteering and aiding their friends in
corrupt practices. When governments themselves are in trouble,
how will they hope to cope? The rich will be the target of
governments in their efforts to salvage the situation but also to
enrich corrupt officials. Greed, hatred and delusions will again
further strengthen their hold on mankind. Thus the round of
defilement will never stop and the present age will be worse off
than previous ages.

Such adverse results of overflowing kamma will be interpreted


as "heaven's will" by people; from individuals to families, from
families to states, from states to countries and from countries to
other countries, unrest will spread like a disease and become
endemic, causing chaos everywhere.

War is disastrous and if nuclear weapons are used vast numbers


of people will perish. In time to come there will be empty
houses and deserted streets as man's greed, hatred and
delusions will create chaos in the world.

On the morning of 11th of September 2001 two hijacked planes


from American airports were used to crash into the World
Trade Centre in New York, killing almost 4,000 people,
48

including the pilots and passengers in the planes. The damage


to property and the threat to world peace resulted from an act
of anger perpetrated by people who held strong grudges against
the leaders of the American nation. Anger cannot be appeased
by hatred said the Blessed One*. Thus from the evils of man
through the ages and aeons, the results of their overflowing
kamma are moving inexorably.

In the time of the last rebirth of the Bodhisatta as King


Vessantara, his kingdom was more at peace than the
neighbouring countries, as due to his near perfect paramis at
that time, the rebirths of beings into his kingdom were from
higher realms. His paramis was the cause of attracting beings of
like nature to him.

Hatred never ceases through hatred in this world;


world;
through love alone they cease.
This is an eternal law.

Dhammapada-Yamaka Vagga 5.
49

THE SECOND DREAM

THE KING: "Lord, in my second dream, I saw many tiny trees


and shrubs bursting through the soil and when they had grown
scarce a span or two high, they flowered and bore fruits! Thus
was the picture of my second dream."
50

THE BLESSED ONE: Great King, as in your first dream


you shall have nothing to fear; your dream has no bearing
bearing on
you today. It tells of events in the future when the world has
fallen into decay and when men are short-
short-lived.

In to the future, the passions shall be strong; quite young


girls shall go to live with men and it shall be with them after
the manner of women, they shall conceive and bear children.
The flowers typify their issues and the fruits their
offsprings.

BHANTE SUVANNO COMMENTS: In the


times to come unrest and unwholesome deeds
will be rampant. People will not have the
tendency to do good as they do not get much
material benefits from such deeds. There will be
shortages of the basic necessities of life, of food and other
things. The people will have short life-spans and they will marry
very young.

Wind-born diseases and water-born diseases will become


pandemic. There will be pestilence and natural disasters;
plagues of locusts, typhoons, hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic
eruptions and all sorts of natural calamities will occur. Lack of
proper hygiene, health facilities, food and medicines, and the
general ignorance of the populace will exacerbate the dangers to
the people and cause hardship and suffering. Evidence of such
disasters can be seen all over the world.
51

In the year 2001, much of Europe went through the throes of


foot-and-mouth disease affecting cattle and other livestocks.
This has a tremendous fallout effect on the whole of the
economy. To stem the outbreak of the disease, thousands of
cattle had to be destroyed in European countries, especially
Britain. Various diseases are affecting people all over the world.
One disease unknown twenty years ago - AIDS - has claimed
millions of lives and is still spreading disastrously in Southern
Africa, India, Eastern Europe and elsewhere.

As nutritious food becomes scarce, people will get smaller in


size, but their sensual desire will still be there and they will try
harder to satisfy them. Men and women will get together at
younger ages, marry and beget children. They will be living like
animals, without respect for their elders and good people; they
will do anything that gives them pleasure. Thus they will
develop unwholesome characters and become short-lived.

As natural phenomena will be unpredictable and destructive,


and diseases endemic, plants, grass and shrubs will not grow
well and animals too will find it difficult to survive. All will be
affected. Animals will be fighting for survival as will humans in
their own way. Killings and all sorts of atrocities will be
committed, as the decay of moral values will be unchecked. In
this age of turmoil rebirths of beings from lower realms will
predominate.
52

THE THIRD DREAM

THE KING: Lord, I saw cows suckling the milk of calves which
they had borne that self same day. This was my third dream.
What will come of it? asked the King.
53

THE BLESSED ONE: This dream too shall have its


fulfilment only in days to come, when respect shall cease to
be paid to age. For in the future, men showing no reverence
for parents or parents-
parents-in-
in-law, shall themselves administer the
family estate and if such be their good pleasure, shall
bestow food and clothing on the old folks, but shall withhold
their gifts, if it be not their pleasure to give.

Then shall the old folks,


folks, destitute and dependent, exist by
favour of their own children, like cows suckling calves a day
old.

Here again, Great King, you shall have nothing to fear; for
your dream will only be relevant in future times.

BHANTE SUVANNO COMMENTS: After giving birth the


cow suckled its own baby's milk! It should be the calf suckling
the mother cow's milk! This is to say that a day
will come in the future the Blessed One explained,
when young people will fail to pay due respect to
their parents; not only will they not respect their
parents, they will not place much importance on
family values and will not be concerned about their aged
parents welfare, but instead use them as menials.

When the old parents are unable to earn their own living any
longer, they will be treated like slaves working for their keep,
even in the houses of their children. Their needs are
54

subordinated to their childrens convenience. There is no


feeling of filial piety. The children will treat their parents as
baggage to be tolerated, showing them no love at all.

The Blessed One reminds us that all things are impermanent,


and thus peoples views are constantly changing. Some younger
people, having had good values taught them by their parents,
are still sincerely concerned about their parents and are filial,
but in the future, views will change for the worse due to greed
and competitive living.

At that time the young will be pointing their fingers at their


parents and saying that, "You have given birth to us, so it is
your responsibility to ensure that we live a good life. They will
say that it is the duty of the parents to care for them and they
will think that criticising their parents is the right thing to do. If
circumstances are not in their favour they will blame their
parents as they consider it the duty of their parents to give them
all the comforts of life as their right. Theirs are incorrect views.
When unwholesome views and wrong attitudes are widespread,
people's morality tend to be corrupted due to three main causes;
namely:

Firstly, lust in such people is very strong and controls their


activities. Men and women find all sorts of ways to amuse
themselves and constantly push themselves to impress their
peers and their spouses by showing off their material gains.

Secondly, there is unbridled and lawless greed. Men will


fight and compete for even the smallest thing. They compete to
get more wealth, more possessions, better facilities; they will
scheme to get the extra dollar. Thieves in desperation will rob
55

and kill for meagre sum of money. We read in the newspaper


very often about such cases. A recent news report was headed
boy bludgeoned to death over non payment of ransom; many
such irrational actions are happening in many places.

Thirdly, the younger generation finds more pleasure in


unwholesome actions than in wholesome ones and, being
brought up with wrong values, they vacillate from this idea to
that, never keeping to good and wholesome principles; thus
with their confused and ignorant minds, they will retrogress to
low moralities.

These are times of excessive defilement in human beings owing


to rebirths of beings whose previous existence was in the lower
realms of animals or peta. Such rebirths, though coming into
the higher human realm will retain the characteristics of the
existence where they originated, along with the tendencies of
their origin in the lower realm. The conditions at the present
time are for births of human beings from the lower realms.
There will be only a very small percentage of good births, as
those from previous existences in the heavenly realm, who due
to the ending of good kamma will pass away and conditioned
by the quality of their remaining kamma, find rebirth on the
human plane or the apaya (lower) realm.

All mothers will wish to have good babies; good in the sense
that such rebirths are from beings that had their previous
existence in a better plane. The Blessed One said that it is
possible if the mother-to-be fulfils the following four
conditions:
56

Firstly, the mother-to-be must possess wisdom, not the


wisdom of scholarly achievement and such like knowledge, but
the wisdom to understand how to keep a wholesome life-style,
such as doing dana developing her sila by observing precepts.
This will prepare her to be in the correct condition to accept
any rebirths from a wholesome being.

Secondly, she should observe the five precepts as her daily


guide she should: not kill, not steal, not indulge in sexual
misdeeds, not lie, not use harsh words and not consume
intoxicating drinks or substances like drugs.

Thirdly, she must cherish family values and be respectful


towards her elders and her husbands relatives. As an example,
many years ago a bride would be afraid of not having a kind
mother-in-law. She would make inquiries as to the type of
mother-in-law she has to live with. But in these modern days, it
is the mother-in-law who enquires about the type of daughter-
in-law she will have to live with. Being modern, her daughter-in-
law may be a career woman and may have more financial and
social standing than her husband. Thus she will expect, even
demand, respect from her husband's family. Values have
changed.

Fourthly, the mother-to-be must be a very devoted, loyal


and faithful wife and keep herself pure and dedicated to her
husband.

Thus a small number of mothers of good character create the


conditions for rebirths of beings from happy and higher planes
of existence.
57

THE FOURTH DREAM

THE KING: Lord, in this dream, I saw men unyoking a team


of work oxen, sturdy and strong, and in their stead setting
younger oxen to draw the load. These younger oxen, proving
unequal to the task laid on them, could not budge the heavy
load and stood stock still, so that the wagons moved not on
their way.

How would this have effect on me or my kingdom, Lord?"


58

THE BLESSED ONE: As in all your dreams, Great King,


fear not, this one too will have no bearing in the present
times. Your dreams are harbingers of mankinds descend to
immorality in the future, when their moral values shall
deteriorate through
through their greed, hatred and delusion; when
governments, kings and rulers shall be unprincipled.

For in the days to come, those unprincipled kings and rulers


of kingdoms and countries shall not honour or pay respect
to their wise and skilful mentors who have
have shown wisdom,
experience and forthrightness in their thoughts, speech and
deeds. People of such proven principles shall not be
appointed by them to the courts of law and justice.

Instead, these unprincipled kings and rulers shall honour


those young and inexperienced and appoint them to preside
in the courts. And these latter, ignorant of statecraft and
lacking in experience, shall not be able to bear the burden of
their duties or to govern, and due to their incompetence,
they shall be unable to accomplish
accomplish their tasks
tasks; and in their
impatience and frustration,
frustration, they shall then throw off their
yoke of office.

The kings and rulers being unable to manage will request


the wise and experienced ex ministers to resume their duties.
59

Whereupon these aged and wise lords having in mind how


they were passed over and despised are reluctant to do so
and shall decline to aid, saying: "This is of no concern of
ours, we are outsiders; let your chosen ones see to it."
those
Hence, they shall stand aloof and ruin shall come to tho se
kings and rulers on every hand.

It shall be even as when the yoke was taken away from the
team of sturdy and strong work oxen and laid onto the
young ones, who were not strong enough for the burden.
burden.

BHANTE SUVANNO COMMENTS: In the


future ahead, there will be those who curry favour
that shall be rewarded to high offices, usurping
the elderly and experienced administrators.
However, these younger and inexperienced
people will not have the wisdom and experience to cope with
the affairs of the country, internally or externally; under stress,
they will make terrible blunders, and then the older ministers
will be needed to return and help sort out the mess.

The rulers and the governments unable to manage, will try to


recall these old experienced administrators. However, these
elders having been slighted, will refuse to be involved again.

So the country governed by such inexperienced people without


the experience of the deposed older generation will come to no
good and will be enmeshed in ruin, and the rulers and kings
and even the people will suffer.
60

In future the world will decry and deride the older generation
and honour and look up to the younger generation though they
have not enough experience, and they will chose the younger
generation to lead them; these new people will be found
wanting; the young will pick their cronies to help them and
being badly trained these people will make poor administrators,
thus worsening a situation already ruined by the incompetence
of the new young administrators.

The better way would be for the young people to learn from the
older people. They can share in the running of the country, till
they are capable of handling the job by themselves.

However, in the future only the young and inexperienced, who


are not willing to learn, will be in charge, thus the situation is
like "unyoking a team of draught-oxen, sturdy and strong and
setting young steers to draw the load; and the steers, proving
unequal to the task laid on them".

The young filled with hot blood, greed and pride, not taking
their responsibility seriously and filling their pockets and bags
with corruption, will run the country to ruin. By their irrational
ways they will destroy the country. Those who cook curry know
that they need old coconut to be added to it and not new
coconut as the old coconut will have the better taste.
61

THE FIFTH DREAM

THE KING: Lord, I saw a horse with a mouth on either side,


to which fodder was given on both sides and it ate with both
mouths. This was my fifth dream. What shall come of it, Lord?
62

THE BLESSED ONE: Great King, fear not, this


this dream too
shall have its fulfilment only in the future,
future, in the days of
foolish kings, who
who shall appoint covetous men to be judges.

These base ones, fools, despising the good, shall take gold
and silver from both sides as they sit in the seat of
judgement and shall be filled with this two-
two-fold corruption,
even as the horse that ate fodder with both mouths.

BHANTE SUVANNO COMMENTS: The horse


gobbled up food with both mouths as fast as
possible. In future, those wielding power will be
young and inexperienced and they will be like the
horse with two mouths, as, driven by greed and
delusions, they will appoint ministers to their liking who offer
them bribes, so that theirs will be a corrupt rule. They and their
ministers too will be arrogant and they will accept bribes from
one to the other.
63

THE SIXTH DREAM

THE KING: "Lord, I saw people holding out a well-scoured


golden bowl worth a hundred thousand pieces and begging an
old jackal to urinate therein. And I saw the beast doing so. This
was my sixth dream.
64

THE BLESSED ONE: Great King, this dream too shall only
have its fulfilment in the future. For in the days to come,
foolish kings, though
though sprung of a race of wise kings,
mistrusting the families of the old nobles,
nobles, shall not honour
them, but exalt in their
their stead the low-
low-born. The
The nobles shall
be brought low and the low-
low-born shall be raised to lordship.

Then shall the great families be brought by their need to


live by dependence on the upstarts. In order to survive, the
nobles shall offer the low-
low-born their daughters in marriage.
And the union of the noble maidens with the low-
low-born shall
be like unto the urinating of the old jackal in the
the golden bowl.

Great King, you have nothing to fear as these are events of


the future and
and will have no bearing on you.

BHANTE SUVANNO COMMENTS: The jackal urinating


into a golden bowl symbolises the degradation of
established competent and noble administrators
replaced by administrators who are young, low
quality people.

Not only do ignorant people replace them, but also all the
noble administrators will have their ranks, positions and
properties stripped away and taken over by the incoming ones.
Having been so used to their lives of luxuries and nobility, these
nobles find it difficult to survive the change in their station.
They are unable to make a living for themselves. They are
65

reduced to finding means to survive. They will then marry off


their daughters to the lowborn new administrators so that they
can at least take advantage of the positions of their son-in-law
and be assured of a living.

Thus, in future the lowborn will be marrying the daughters of


the nobles due to this change in the world situation.
66

THE SEVENTH DREAM

THE KING: Lord, a man was weaving rope and as he wove he


threw it down at his feet. Under his bench lay a hungry she-
jackal which kept eating the rope as he wove, but without the
man knowing it. This is what I saw in my seventh dream. How
will it affect my kingdom and I, Lord?
67

THE BLESSED ONE: Great King, This dream shall not


bring you harm or jeopardise your kingdom in any way. It
foretells of events far into the future when moral
moral values have
disintegrated and women shall lust after men; they shall
constantly seek sexual gratification.

In their wickedness and abandonment to vices these women


shall consume strong drink with their lovers; they shall flaunt
their sexuality heedlessly
heedlessly and be careless of even the most
pressing of their household duties. They shall wantonly
waste the assets and property of their husbands; they are
as though devouring their husbands
husbands wealth as fast as their
husbands acquire them, even as the hungry jackal
jackal under the
bench ate up the rope of the rope-
rope-maker as he wove it.

BHANTE SUVANNO COMMENTS: The Blessed One


revealed that family morals will have disintegrated
in the future (which is now); so much so that
husbands and wives will not be respectful of each
other; husbands will be oppressed by their wives;
wives will take advantage of their husbands
wealth. Women will be greedy and lustful. They will squander
away their husbands earnings and property by their wanton
ways. Unfaithful wives will make wrong use of their husbands'
resources and property, and squandered away the family
resources. They will be desirous of sensual pleasures; drinking
and gambling with their lovers and generally leaving their
homely duties unattended.
68

In the distant future, women will be in the forefront in the


delusional goal of sensual pleasures. Women will play a more
leadership role in society; even now you can see that more and
more women are having careers in the commercial world and
are replacing men in important and responsible jobs.

They also entertain and rarely are housebound. In time to come


the men will be left with lesser opportunities to work.
Changing values and conditions will make women take on
more responsible jobs and in marriage they may become the
bread-winner. Husbands will eventually end up as house-
husbands.
69

THE EIGHTH DREAM

THE KING: "Lord, I saw at a palace gate a big pitcher which


was full to the brim stood amid a number of empty ones. And
from the four cardinal points and from the four intermediate
points as well, there kept coming a constant stream of people of
all the four castes, carrying water in pipkins and pouring it into
the full pitcher.

And the water overflowed and ran away. But nonetheless they
still kept on pouring more and more water into the overflowing
vessel, without a single man giving so much as a glance at the
empty pitchers. This was my eighth dream. What does this
dream mean, Lord.
70

THE BLESSED ONE: Great King, this dream too shall not
have its fulfilment until the future. For in days to come the
world shall grow weak and decay; kingdoms shall grow weak;
its kings shall grow poor and niggardly; the foremost among
them shall have no more than 100,000 pieces of money in his
treasury.

Then shall
shall these kings in their need set the whole of the
country-
country-folk to work for them; for the king's sake shall the
toiling folk, leaving their own work, sow grain and pulses and
keep watch and reap and thresh and garner; for the king's
sake shall they plant sugar
sugar-
ugar-cane, make and drive sugar-
sugar-mills,
and boil down the molasses; for the king's sake shall they lay
out flower-
flower-gardens and orchards and gather in the fruits.

And as they gather in all the diverse kinds of produce they


shall fill the royal garners to overflowing,
overflowing, not giving so much
as a glance at their own empty barns at home. Thus it shall
be like filling up the full pitcher, heedless of the quite empty
ones.

However, Great King, you have nothing to fear from this


dream, as the events foretold of another
another time in the future.
71

BHANTE SUVANNO COMMENTS: In the


days to come, the combined power of negative
energies will bring the world to a tumultuous state.
Countries will become quite destitute due to poor
management by new administrators appointed by
self centred and greedy rulers. These inexperienced
administrators, appointed by those in power, will be taxing the
citizens in many forms to fill the government coffers, and so
heavy will be the burden of taxes that the people will have no
means to better themselves. This is the result of corrupt views
in the management of the peoples welfare.

People in power choose to appoint these inexperienced


administrators and reject the older and more experienced
administrators due to fear of losing power to the wise. With the
resulting inadequate administration, the country is left near
penniless; thus shall the rulers enact more oppressive laws to
replenish their penniless state. When reading the news and if
you are discerning, you will realise which are the countries that
are fulfilling this projection by the Blessed One. Thus, are the
prophetic words of the Blessed One come to pass.

So in these tumultuous times the property and riches are


requisitioned by the government and rulers; all incomes belong
to the government. This situation is as pouring water into one
single pitcher and leaving the rest unattended. Even when the
rulers coffers are full to overflowing with wealth, their greed
demands more and the peoples welfare is ignored.
72

THE NINTH DREAM

THE KING: Lord, I saw a deep pool with shelving banks all
round and overgrown with five kinds of lotuses. From every
side two-footed creatures and four-footed creatures flocked
thither to drink of its waters. The depth in the middle was
muddy, but the water was clear and sparkling at the margin
where the various creatures went down into the pool. This was
my ninth dream.
73

THE BLESSED ONE: Great King, this dream too shall not
be detrimental to you or your kingdom, for the events shall
be a reality
reality only in the future, where kings and rulers will be
as dictators; they will not show mercy or compassion to their
subjects. They will rule with iron hands and crush their
subjects by taxes and bribes. They will rule as they please
and execute judgements
judgements based on bribes.

Unable to pay the oppressive taxes and bribes, the people


shall abscond from the villages and towns, and take refuge
upon the borders of the realm; the heart of the land shall be
a wilderness, while the borders will teem with people; even as
the water was muddy in the middle of the pool and clear at
the margin.

However, Great King, you have nothing to fear from this


dream, as these events are in the future times.

BHANTE SUVANNO: In future the dictatorial


rulers of the country, covetous of the wealth of
the people, will create great difficulties for the
people and will use all means at their disposal to
ensure that everything is taxed; thus no one
would wish to stay in the towns as they will have to endure the
oppressive taxes. They will be driven to outlying areas or forest
and empty land and will forge a new way of life, so that the
urban areas will gradually become empty and deserted!
74

THE TENTH DREAM

THE KING: "Lord, I saw rice boiling in a pot without getting


done. By not getting done, I mean it looked as though it was
sharply marked off and kept apart, so that the cooking went on
in three distinct stages. A part was sodden, another part hard
and raw and the last part just cooked to a nicety. This was my
tenth dream,
75

THE BLESSED ONE: Great King, the events in your dream


dream
give warning of the future, when the
the world will be in decay.
decay.

In the first stage, kings, rulers and all their cohorts and
townspeople will become
become unprincipled,
unprincipled, lacking in moral
integrity and
and overcome with greed. even the religious and
the supposedly holy people too will become unprincipled
and lacking in moral integrity.
integrity.

In the next
next stage, their very guardian deities, the spirits to
whom they offer sacrifices, the spirits of the trees and the
spirits of the
the air too will be infected with the same
unwholesome moral decay.
decay.

The very winds that blow over the realms of these immoral
kings and rulers shall grow cruel and lawless; they shall shake
the mansions of the skies and thereby kindle the anger of
the spirits that dwell there, so that they will not suffer rain to
fall; or if it does rain, it shall not fall on all the kingdom at
once, nor shall the kindly shower fall on all tilled and sown
lands alike to help them in their need.

And as in the kingdom at large, so in each and several


districts and villages and over each separate pool or lake,
the rain shall not fall at one and the same time on its whole
76

expanse; if it rains on the upper part, it shall not rain on the


lower; here the crops shall
shall be spoilt by a heavy downpour,
there wither due to drought and here again thrive apace with
kindly showers to water them. So the crops sown within the
confines of a single kingdom, like the rice in the one pot,
shall have no uniform character.

However,
However, Great King, you have nothing to fear from this
this
dream. The events will unfold only in the future.
future.

BHANTE SUVANNO COMMENTS: In years


to come, (as in now), throughout the whole world
there will be people in different categories of
economic development, some will be worse off
than others; there will be small pockets of
prosperity and more of poverty. Greater suffering will be their
lot in the undeveloped areas of the world.

As in King Vessantra's time, his kingdom was the better one,


whereas his neighbours were experiencing difficulties. There
will also be insufficient food for many countries and the people
will have to consume food meant for animals and so on.

In the villages and outlying areas some will have a good harvest,
some not; some will have a surplus and some will have famine.
All forms of life, the holy life and the laity will be corrupted
and robbers and thieves will abound. The Blessed One said that
even their very guardian deities shall be caught in the streams of
corruption in the world. Their inequities will be so great that
they shall shake the very foundations of the heavenly mansions!
77

These inequities will become so strong that they will unbalance


the character of natural phenomena, causing changing patterns
of weather and resulting in unusual winds and rains. The
weather will be inclement, irregular and in some cases,
unprecedented and may even be disastrous. The population will
feel the full fury of storms and rains; sometimes they will be
blessed by unusually fine weather and sometimes by neutral
weather. They will not know what to expect.
78

THE ELEVENTH DREAM

THE KING: Lord, in my eleventh dream I saw people


exchanging precious sandalwood worth 100,000 pieces of
money for sour buttermilk. How shall this affect my kingdom
or me?

100,000 pc.
79

THE BLESSED ONE: This dream too shall not have its
fulfilment till the future,
future, in the days when my Teaching is
dying away. For then, there will appear many greedy and
shameless monks, who due to their greed shall teach and do
the very things I warned against!

They will misconstrue my true teachings and by meaningless


fine words and sweet voices adapt it to please and pander
to those laity, who too prefer such meaningless fine words
and who will after hearing the fine words and sweet voices,
offer the shameless monks fine robes and expensive gifts.
Such false teachings of these false and shameless monks
will not lead to Nibbana, freedom from suffering .

The only thought of these shameless monks as they teach


by fine words and sweet voices is to induce their listeners to
give them fine robes and expensive gifts.

Other monks too


too shall be sitting and standing along roads
and highways; at street corners, at the doors of kings'
palaces and so forth; who shall stoop to teach for money,
alas, for mere pittance. These false and shameless monks
will be as those traders in your dream who
who will exchange
precious sandalwood worth 100,000 pieces for worthless
sour buttermilk.
80

Thus, Great King, you have nothing to fear from this dream,
for it is an event that will appear in the future when the world
is in jeopardy.

BHANTE SUVANNO COMMENTS: Sadly, the


days that the Blessed One spoke about has arrived
and we do find situations as described. The noble
calling has gone astray; wrong Dhamma is being
taught!

Junior monks will not know how to show and pay respect to
senior monks; only a few noble teachers will have the personal
experience of attainment to teach; the majority will teach from
book knowledge. Such monks become intellectual monks,
depending only on their book knowledge and are not capable
of drawing from their own practical experience. The quality of
teaching will be poor and inadequate, so that few will want to
meditate, not even samatha meditation let alone Vipassana
meditation. Monks will be gambling the numbers game and
forgetting their rules of behaviour; many will ignore their
precepts. Unfortunately, lay people will totally disregard the
precepts.

There will not be sufficient numbers of monks who teach with


practical experience; as such they teach will not be able to guide
learners into advanced meditational practices.

People have to bear with low and degrading values practised by


some members of the Sangha and they will have great difficulty
keeping the precepts and following a holy life. They have no
inclination to practise meditation, as the monks and
meditation teachers are teaching the Dhamma for the sake of
81

material gains. They will fail to do dana and find no cause to


venerate the holy brotherhood, not knowing that such
unwholesome deeds will lead both to the apaya regions. Some
will continue practising and offer dana to the holy brotherhood,
but this too they will find difficult without proper guidance.
82

THE TWELFTH DREAM

THE KING: Lord, I saw empty pumpkins sinking in the water.


How will this affect my kingdom and me?
83

THE BLESSED ONE: Great King, fear not, this


this dream too
shall not have its fulfilment till the future, in the days of
unrighteous kings, when the world is perverted. For in those
days shall kings show favour not to the scions of the nobility,
but to
to the low-
low-born only; and these latter shall become great
lords, whilst the nobles sink into poverty. Alike in the royal
presence, in the palace gates, in the council chamber and in
the courts of justice, the words of the low-
low-born alone (which
the empty pumpkins
pumpkins signify) shall be established, as though
they had sunk till they rested on the bottom.

So, too, in the assemblies of the Brotherhood, in the


greater and lesser conclaves and in enquiries regarding
bowls, robes, lodgings and the like, the counsel only
only of the
wicked and the vile shall be considered to have saving power,
not that of the modest Brethren. Thus everywhere it shall
be as when the empty pumpkins sank.

BHANTE SUVANNO COMMENTS: In the


days to come those inexperienced and who are
ignorant will be the ones administering the
country and the experienced and wise will be
rejected and cast aside. In all branches of the
government, the established and experienced ones will be
neglected and slowly their beneficent influence will wane and
they themselves will disappear from the scene.
84

The Noble calling too will teach and practise the wrong
Dhamma. The poor quality of their teaching and the inferior
quality of their practice will not be conducive to the practise of
meditation. Their conduct will not encourage the practise of
Vipassana meditation and the monks will instead encourage
dana (meritorious giving), chanting of suttas and all forms of
rites and rituals. Monks will be gambling on the numbers game
and discarding their rules of conduct, and their not well trained
devotees will follow suit. They too will disregard and abandon
their precepts as well. Young monks will fail to respect their
elders and teachers in correct ways. Few monks will be inclined
to practise their true calling as the desire to have material gains
will be their top priority. Thus, very few teachers will have the
personal experience of attainment to pass on to their devotees;
the majority will teach from book knowledge.

The future of the Sasana will be bleak. Now that we are in the
human realm due to our past good deeds, and being in this
Blessed Ones Sasana, we should in all earnestness learn and
practise the proper Dhamma. Young and old must practice
diligently with a good teacher and not waste this rare
opportunity. Should we pass away without gaining some
Dhamma knowledge in this existence we will never know in
what time frame and into which realm of existence we shall be
born at our next rebirth. We are standing at the edge of a great
precipice. The choice is ours to distance ourselves from it or to
be pushed over the edge.
85

THE THIRTEENTH DREAM

THE KING: Lord, I saw huge blocks of solid rock, as big as


houses, floating like ships upon the waters. What shall come of
it?
86

THE BLESSED ONE: Great


Great King, fear not, this
this dream too
shall not have its fulfilment until such times as those of which
I have spoken come to pass. For in the distant days ahead
unrighteous rulers shall show honour to the low-
low-born, who
shall become great lords, whilst the nobles
nobles sink into poverty.
Not to the nobles but to the upstarts alone shall respect be
given.

In the royal presence, in the council chamber or in the courts


of justice the words of the nobles learned in the law (and it is
they whom the solid rocks signify) shall drift idly by and not
sink deep into the hearts of men; when they speak, the
upstarts shall merely laugh them to scorn, saying; "What are
these fellows saying?"

So, too, in the communities of bhikkhus, those bhikkhus


who are practising well will not
not be deem worthy of respect
and their words will not be taken seriously, but drift idly by
even as the rocks floated upon the waters.

BHANTE SUVANNO COMMENTS: With this


direct knowledge, the Blessed One revealed to the
King that far into the future, the knowledgeable,
wise and experienced people ruling the country
will be rejected and their places will be taken over
by incompetent upstarts who are ignorant in the ways of ruling
a country. These incompetent rulers will know only how to
87

enrich themselves and do not care for the country's well-being.


The nobility and the righteous people will be forgotten.

In the Sangha too, good and virtuous monks will be rejected


and driven from the people's monasteries and temples and in
their place will be clever monks who are good at raising money
for the development of the temples. They run the temples and
using their influence, reap money for the temples and because
of this they are welcomed and invited to stay on for lengthy
periods.
88

THE FOURTEENTH DREAM

THE KING: Lord, I saw tiny frogs, no bigger than minute


flowerets, swiftly pursuing huge black snakes, chopping them
up like so many lotus-stalks and gobbling them up. What effect
will this have on myself or my kingdom?
89

THE BLESSED ONE: Great King, be not anxious, for this


dream too shall not have fulfilment in your time, but in the
days the days to come, such as those of which I have spoken,
when the world is decaying.

In the coming future times shall men's passions


passions be strong
and their lusts hot to the extend that they shall be
subservient to the very youngest of their wives. At these
young wives disposal shall be slaves and hired servants,
oxen, buffaloes, cattle, gold, silver and everything that is in
the house.
house.

Should the poor husbands request an accounting of his


properties, he shall be told in no uncertain terms to mind his
own business and not be inquisitive as to what is or is not in
her house. And in such ways, the wives with abuse and
goading taunts shall establish their superiority over their
husbands as over slaves and bondsmen.

Thus, these younger wives are likened to the tiny frogs no


bigger than flowerets gobbling up the big black snakes.

thiss
However, Great King, you have nothing to fear from thi
dream as such events will happen in the future when the
world is in jeopardy.
90

BHANTE SUVANNO COMMENTS: Mens


lustful passions will be their downfall. They will
be intensely occupied in lustful pleasures with
young girls of tender age and in acquiring many
young and pretty wives. Their priorities will be
looking for young girls to pamper their lust. Because of greed
and lust young girls will initially humour them, but will later
take advantage of the men, not fearing or respecting them as
husbands.

In indulging their own desires, men will indulge and pamper


their young wives, not wanting to question or reprimand them
for their demanding actions.

When the men are totally enmeshed in their indulgence, the


young wives will have control of their wealth and property and
will use them as they please without compunction, just as the
minute frogs chased and gobbled the black snakes.

The signs of such times and situations are everywhere if one


care to observe. In such ways are the morals and values of the
world backsliding to unwholesomeness. Such negative values
will spawn other relative values; the road to negative results will
then be wide open, leading to disasters and calamities.
91

THE FIFTEENTH DREAM

THE KING: Lord, I saw a village crow in which dwelt the


whole of the Ten Vices*, escorted by a retinue of those birds
which, because of their golden sheen are called Royal Golden
Mallards. What shall be the outcome of this dream?
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THE BLESSED ONE: Great King, this dream too shall not
have its fulfilment till the future, till the reign of weakling
kings. In days to come kings shall arise who shall know
nothing about governance of their country and are unethical
and immoral in thoughts, words and deeds. Anxious to
maintain their status,
status, they shall promote and surround
themselves with underlings who are undesirable and ignorant
elements, shutting out the nobles and loyal ministers.

These nobles shall be reduced to being at beck and call of


the ignorant favourites, as when the crow had Royal
Golden Swans for a retinue.

However, as in the other dreams, you have nothing to fear


at the present time, as the events foretold in this dream will
take place when the world is lost to deceit,
deceit, greed, hatred
and delusion.

*Ten kinds of vices or immoral conduct: (1) injuring or killing living beings; (2)
taking or destroying animate or inanimate property which is not freely given;
(3) committing sexual misconduct; (4) telling lies; (5) backbiting and malicious
lies; (6) using abusive language; (7) taking part in frivolous conversation; (8)
covetousness; (9) malevolence; (10) wrong views, .(Ref: The Manuals of
Buddhism: Magg. Dip.)
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BHANTE SUVANNO COMMMENTS: In the


future ahead, corrupt leaders will appoint people
of doubtful character to administer the country.
Because of their ignorance these appointees will
seek the counsel of their own kind and ignore the
wise, as they are afraid that the wise may usurp their authority.
Such advisers, being the same feeble-minded people as the
leaders, will bring the established ruling class to ruin. The wise
and knowledgeable will have to defer to the new rulers so as to
be able to earn their living.

Here again, we can observe that all these are realities as we see
countries being run by rulers who are unable to make correct
decisions for the betterment of their people, but instead carry
out advice of their friends who have self interests at heart, thus
bringing their countries to war and ruin.
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THE SIXTEENTH DREAM

THE KING: Lord, it always used to be panthers that preyed on


goats; but I saw goats chasing panthers and devouring them;
munch, munch, munch! Whilst at bare sight of the goats afar
off, terror-stricken wolves fled quaking with fear and hid
themselves in their fastnesses in the thicket. Such was my
dream. What harm shall this dream bring me or my kingdom?
95

THE BLESSED ONE: Great King, have no fear, for this


dream too shall not have its appearance till the future, in the
reign of unrighteous kings.

In the coming days


days of the future, the low-
low-born shall be made
royal favourites and be raised to lordship, whilst the nobles
shall sink into obscurity and distress.

Gaining influence in the courts because of their favour with


the king, these upstarts shall unjustly claim the properties
and ancestral estates of the old nobility. And when these
nobles plead their rights before the courts, these favourites
of the king will have them beaten, tortured, taken by the
throat and cast out with words of scorn, such as: "Know
your place,
place, fools! What? Do you dispute with us? The king
shall know of your insolence and we will have your hands and
feet chopped off and other punishments applied!"

Being threatened thus and fearing for their lives, the


terrified nobles shall affirm that their
their properties really
belong to the overbearing upstarts and will tell the
favourites to accept them. And the nobles will return home
and there cower in the agony of fear.
96

Likewise, evil monks shall harass the good and worthy monks,
till these good monks,
monks, finding none to help them, shall
escape to the jungle.

This oppression of the nobles and of the good monks by


the low-
low-born and by the evil monks shall be like the goats
chasing the wolves.

BHANTE SUVANNO COMMENTS: In the


days of the future, the world will be managed by
those who are low-born and without scruples.
They will be practising adhamma and their sole
objective, driven by the wrong view of self, is to
enrich themselves. Their motivation will be greed and hatred,
as they are deluded in their views of the real values of life. As
rulers of the land they will use all means at their disposal to
confiscate and possess the wealth and properties of their
citizens. They will be corrupt and treat the citizens as a source
of accumulating wealth.

Those of the citizens who dare to protest their losses and resist
the take-over of their legitimate rights and property will be
severely dealt with, till there is no opposition to the desires of
the rulers. The measures inflicted on those resisting their
objectives of wealth will be so draconian that the true and
rightful owners will meekly surrender to save themselves. Thus,
the world will come to this sorry state in the future.

The community of monks will be infiltrated by those who are


not practising the correct teachings of the Blessed One. As a
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whole the community will degenerate. At that time the


Buddhas Dispensation (Sasana) will be administered by those
members who desire only for material gain and personal fame.

Thus, it will be akin to the scaring of the wolves by the goats.

THE BLESSED ONE: O bhikkhus,


bhikkhus, those bhikkhus who
point out what is not Dhamma as Dhamma, who point out
what is not the Discipline as the Discipline, and what is the
Discipline as not the Discipline, who point out what is not
uttered
uttered by the Tathagata as uttered by the Tathagata and
what is uttered by the Tathagata as not uttered by the
Tathagata,
Tathagata, the conduct of such bhikkhus causes loss to
many folks
folks, misery to many folks
folks, loss and injury and misery
to deva and mankind. Moreover, such
such bhikkhus heap on
themselves great demerit and cause the disappearance
disappearance of
this true Dhamma. (Anguttara Nikaya, the Book of the Ones)

THE BLESSED ONE further advised the King: It was not


truth, it was not love for you that prompted the brahmins to
proclaim
proclaim as they did. No, it was the greed for gain and the
cunning that is bred of covetousness that shaped all their
self-
self-seeking utterances.

Thus did the Blessed One revealed the essence of these sixteen
dreams adding:
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THE BLESSED ONE: You, Great King,


King, are not the first to
have these dreams; they were dreamed by kings of bygone
days also; and then as now the brahmins found in them a
pretext for sacrifices; whereupon at the advice of the wise
and good, the Bodhisatta was consulted and the dreams
were explained
explained in just the same manner as they have been
explained now.

BHANTE SUVANNO explains: This was not


the only time throughout the ages that the
Blessed One had been asked to clarify the dreams;
many have dreamed these same dreams and had
sought clarification about these dreams from the
then Bodhisatta, and the Bodhisatta had also revealed the
essence of these dreams then.

These dreams throughout the ages and now of King Pasenadi


had been known by the Blessed Ones direct knowledge and is
not seen by Him in a vision or other psychic phenomenon. The
direct knowledge of a Buddha is beyond a mere humans
concept of how knowledge is gained. During one of His
Discourses to His ordained disciples; monks or bhikkhus, He
gave a hint of this direct knowledge that was within His grasp.
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DIRECT KNOWLEDGE
A HANDFUL OF LEAVES

BHANTE SUVANNO: The Blessed One was


once living at Kosambi in a wood of simsapa trees.
He picked up a few leaves in His hand, and He
asked the bhikkhus:

THE BLESSED ONE: How do you conceive this, bhikkhus,


which is more, the few leaves that I have picked up in my
hand or those on the trees in the wood?

THE BHIKKHUS: Lord, the leaves that the Blessed One has
picked up in his hand are few; those in the wood are far more.

THE BLESSED ONE: So too, bhikkhus, the things that I


have known by direct knowledge are more; the things that I
have told you are only a few.

Why have I not told them? Because they bring no benefits,


no advancement in the Holy Life, and because they do not
lead to dispassion, to fading, to ceasing, to stilling, to direct
knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbana.

That is why I have not told them. And what have I told you?
This is suffering; this is the origin of suffering; this is the
100

cessation of suffering; this


this is the way leading to the
cessation of suffering. That is what I have told you.

Why have I told it? Because it brings benefit, and


advancement in the Holy Life, and because it leads to
dispassion, to fading, to ceasing, to stilling, to direct
knowledge,
knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbana.

So bhikkhus, let your task be this: This is suffering; this is


the origin of suffering; this is the cessation of suffering; this
is the way leading to the cessation of suffering. [Samyutta
Nikaya, LVI, 31]

THE BLESSED ONES DIRECT KNOWLEDGE

BHANTE SUVANNO: The Blessed One has


numerous names of adoration enumerating His
virtues; among which are (in Pali):

Iti Pi So Bhagava Araham Samma Sambuddho,


Vijja Carana Sampano, Sugato, Lokavidu,
Annuttaro Purisa Dhamma Sarathi
Sattha Deva Manussanam
Buddho Bhagava Ti.
101

He is Indeed the Exalted One, Far from Defilement, Perfectly


Self Enlightened, Fully Possessed of Wisdom and Excellent
Conduct. One Who Has Proceeded by the Good Way;
Knower of the Worlds, Unexcelled Trainer of Tameable Men,
Teacher of Deities and Men. The Awakened One, the Lord
Skilled in Teaching The Dhamma.

Among many other appellative titles and honorifics, Knower of


the Worlds sums up the source of His direct knowledge. The
explanation of the dreams of the king is from direct knowledge
He has possession of due to His acquisition of Enlightenment;
Self Enlightenment. He has knowledge no one will ever have,
unless it is the next Buddha. Thus, the essence of direct
knowledge is knowledge gain from enlightenment, through
seeing and knowing things as they are.

The Enlightenment gained was through a long process of


training, not only in this life, but through many life times
across the vast span of world cycles; to be exact; four
assankheyya and a hundred thousand world cycles (see
Dhamma Rediscovered).

This direct knowledge is a result of Vipassana meditation. In


the course of Vipassana meditation, the mind is eradicated of
defilement accumulated through aeons in time and through
Vipassana, wisdom arises that will show plainly who this self
we call I, he, she is. A series of other wisdom and
knowledge will arise, setting free the mind from defilement and
gaining deep and vast knowledge that exceeds the amount of
leaves on the trees in the forest.
102

DIRECT KNOWLEDGE OF NON-SELF


The unique knowledge in the Blessed Ones Dhamma is the
knowledge of the truth of non-self. Non-self is direct knowledge
derived from a triangulation of three mental abstracts which
cannot be achieved by any form of study except through the
practice of Vipassana meditation. This is a direct knowledge
from contemplating on insights of mind. In this form of
practice the individual develops a form of concentration known
as momentary concentration; this form of concentration allows
the individual to contemplate and be mindful of phenomena
that are realities in life, that is, contemplate on things that are
arising from feelings, from the body, from the mind and from
realities of nature, called dhammas.
103

PART THREE:
CONCLUSION
Thus did the Blessed One explain the dreams of King Pasenadi;
and Bhante Suvanno has shown us how the modern trends in
life were envisioned in the Sixteen Dreams.

The dreams 2500 years ago describe the disintegration of the


moral values of the world in what was then the future. We see
the happenings depicted in the dreams clearly and vividly and
we can find situations throughout the world today paralleling
those in the Dreams of King Pasenadi. The dreams that came to
the King was in fact, the Blessed One said, not the only
occasion that it had happened, there were numerous occasions
where the dreams had happened to other kings and the
selfsame dreams had been heard and explained by the then
Bodhisatta.

The present trends in human activities and life styles are


conditioning human rebirths towards lower realms of existence
in future rebirths. The damage done is deeply rooted and of so
vast a magnitude, through such a lengthy span of time, that to
reverse it would be impossible. However as individuals we can
gain some reprieve by bearing in mind and acting on the basic
teachings of the Blessed One: do not do evil, do good and
purify the mind.

Though living in conditions so unwholesome and defiled, one


should strenuously avoid, and not be influenced by, the dross
and dirt around. By understanding the true nature of
defilement and its effects on the universe and its environment,
one can learn to live in a manner that keeps one away from the
104

defilement enmeshing almost everyone at this and every


moment.

The Blessed One saw the difficulty in teaching the Dhamma


because of its profound nature and the vast numbers of sceptics;
even so, he decided that for the good of the few, he would
endeavour to enlighten them. His Enlightened compassion
enabled him to recognise and teach those who were ready to
accept the Dhamma.

Thus, though we are in an environment of filth and dross we


should still practise good and wholesome habits to avoid the
defiled state.

The Blessed One has taught us three ways of living away from
the defiled state we are caught in, these are:

1. Keep the precepts


2. Practise Vipassana meditation
3. Know and live according to the Dhamma

1. Keeping the precepts; that is developing morality (sila in


Pali).

These are observing the precept of abstaining from:

- killing any living beings.


- taking what is not given.
- committing sexual misconduct.
- telling lies.
- taking any intoxicant or drug that causes forgetfulness.
105

By constant contemplation and being mindful of the intent of


the precepts, one tends to be aware of the moral quality of
ones thoughts, speech and actions; thus one will act with
restraint. One will then be guarded in thought, speech and
action. In this way one will be able to develop a noble morality
in ones life, reducing in ones own small way the defilement
around the environment. Keeping the Eight Precepts* on
certain Uposatha* days will be of great spiritual benefit.

* The additional three of the Eight Precepts are:


1. to refrain from eating at the wrong time, the wrong time
being between noon and the following dawn.
2. to refrain from dancing, singing, music and going to
entertainments, which are stumbling blocks to
wholesomeness; and to refrain from wearing garlands,
using perfumes and beautifying the body with cosmetics.
3. to refrain from sitting or lying down on seats or beds with
legs over the limit and on large seats or beds, and from
using intricate or detailed bed coverings.
*Holy days.

2. Practising Vipassana Meditation.


THE BLESSED ONE: Bhikkhus; there is only one way
to the purification of beings, for the overcoming of
sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of pain
and distress, for the attainment of the right method and
for the realisation of unbinding; in other words the four
foundations of mindfulness. (Mahasatipatthana Sutta)

Thus as the Blessed One said, there is only one way for the
purification of the mind and that is through the practice of
106

Vipassana Meditation; that is mindfulness of our bodily


actions, our feelings, our minds and the mental objects arising
due to workings of the mind. We should therefore spend time
to learn and practise meditation on a regular basis.

When we have attained to Vipassana Insights, we would have


direct knowledge to some extend. Direct knowledge is not from
hearsay, books, tradition or some elderly supposedly wise
person; it is knowledge gained by oneself by seeking inwards
rather than outwards. A pure mind is a miraculous mind; it is
all encompassing and profound; it sees all and knows all, it
leads to Nibbana; freedom from all suffering.

3 Know and practise the Dhamma *(so as to gain wisdom;


panna in Pali)

(*Dhamma: the word Dhamma encompasses a wide spectrum of meanings. It


is applied variously to signify: nature, law of nature, the law of truth,
conditions, quality, property, characteristic, function, practice, duty, object,
things, ideas, phenomenon, doctrine or teachings of the Blessed One, Buddhist
scriptures; the whole universe is Dhamma. Usually when the word is written
with a capital D, it relates to the teachings of the Blessed One.)

All defilement arises because of ignorance. By ignorance, the


Blessed One really meant not knowing the real core of suffering,
the cause of suffering, and He taught that there is a way out of
this suffering. Thus we must learn:

The Four Noble Truths


The Noble Eightfold Path
The Law of Dependent Origination
Kamma
Rebirth
107

These are the basic truths that one should be well-versed and
practised in, that will be essential in wiping away the ignorance
from one's mind and enable one to avoid evil and do good,
thus purifying the mind. It is only through contemplation and
the practice of meditation that one can gain such insight, and
though it may appear an easy matter, it will require great
determination to understand and practise the core of such
spiritual development.

The above are the three forms of trainings that will raise us
above the levels of living in the mundane field of defilement
generated by uncountable unwholesome actions, which are
unfortunately, done by our neighbours, closest and dearest and
ourselves. One must be able to rise above the level of
defilement before one is capable of rescuing others, thus said
the Blessed One.

So to the King and to us, the meaning of the Sixteen Dreams


has been unfolded and explained; the King was also informed
that there were other instances where people had the same
dreams through the ages before him, which the then Bodhisatta
too had interpreted as warnings. We are thus left with the
uncomfortable knowledge that what the Blessed One forecast
in explaining the dreams will, alas, come to pass in our own
time and it is left to each one of us to find our own way to the
path of freedom. For the Blessed One has said:

"by oneself is evil done and by oneself is one defiled;


by oneself is evil not done and by oneself is one purified;
purity and impurity depend entirely on oneself,
no one can purify another." Dhammapada 165
108

The Blessed Ones through the infinity of ages have shown the
way, unfortunately few will attempt the crossing and fewer
reach the other shore.
109

EPILOGUE
Hell on Earth; that was the headline in a local newspaper
some 65 years ago. This cry originated in Japan after the tragedy
of the bombing of Hiroshima. Atomic warfare was unleashed
on Hiroshima with a bomb that had a force equal to 4.6 tons
per square yard! The power of the bomb reduced homes to
piles of cinders in seconds. Fire consumed whole
neighbourhoods and fanned incendiary updrafts that tossed
burning timber miles skyward! Roof tiles burnt and melted.
The surfaces of gravestones melted and oozed to the ground.
People were burnt by the instant heat to unspeakably painful
deaths.

A woman standing outside a bank was reduced to vapour; only


her form on the building remained. In pain and desperate for
relief, many victims pitched themselves into city rivers. A man
riding a bike across a bridge was instantly transformed into a
charcoal statue. Many who survived the super heated atomic
blast lost body parts: ears, eyes, lips, and so forth. Blank
expressions of survivors seemed to go beyond pain and relief; to
a realm of chaos and confusion suggesting that more then their
flesh had been seared! Screamed one Hiroshima victim: This is
hell on earth. Such painful creams echoing in peoples minds,
reverberating throughout Japan or possibly the world will long
remain, recalling this tragic occasion. Many or should we say
almost all of the dead were innocent victims of the ambitions of
the rulers. Mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, brothers
and sisters, whole families and their dependants, friends and
neighbours, young and old in fact all manner of people in all
walks of life in Japan died horrible deaths, as a result of
decisions made by a minority of the countrys leaders desiring
to conquer their neighbours to impose their will on them!
110

A great blast of superheated air toppled much of the city


creating a holocaust in an instant, killing 80,000 residents,
many vapourising as though in some dreadful science fiction
episode! Before the Japanese leaders could come to grips with
the attack on 6th August, their enemies dropped another atomic
bomb on Nagasaki! 40,000 residents died just after 11.00am on
9th August. This bomb and the one on 6th August brought a
swift end to the war. Japan, devastated by the bombs,
surrendered on 15th August 1945.

Damage to human lives and property was so enormous that it


was impossible to account for it in numbers. Fallout from the
bombs was not limited to the pernicious spread of radioactive
particles. There was profound cultural, political and emotional
impacts too. Humanity for the past half century has struggled
with its conscience to cope with the results. Victims of the war
have suffered and some are even now suffering bodily and
mental scars of the hellish bombings!

That was more than 65 years ago!

Fast forward in Sept 11th, 2001; actions born of hatred and


delusions have extended world conflicts and made them grow
in intensity to engulf the whole world. Specifically on 11th of
September 2001, two commercial planes, hijacked in flight,
were deliberately flown to smash into two skyscrapers known as
The World Trade Centre in America, killing all on board. On a
normal day, as many as 50000 tenants and visitors used to be in
those buildings. It is now known that almost 4000 people of
more than 80 nationalities perished in the attack. A third
hijacked plane crashed into the defence headquarters of the
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American nation, known as the Pentagon, in Washington,


killing hundreds.

Soon after this episode, rulers of many countries together with


their allies declared war on the suspected perpetrators of the
planned attacks.

But who are the real perpetrators of such horrendous crimes,


volunteering and planning to annihilate huge numbers of
people, themselves included, without blinking an eye -- or did
they close their eyes?

Greed, hatred and delusions are the true perpetrators of all


those horrendous crimes. The origin of the crimes was in the
deluded minds of the leaders of countries whose objectives were
to improve the wealth and position of their own particular
countries; such individual objectives could be and usually are in
direct opposition to those of countries, hence resulting in anger
and hatred. The leaders rational is that they are out to improve
their countrys lot and secure the safety of their people. These
are their stated reasons, but in reality they have their own
agenda to fulfil.

Some countries are ruled by dictators who in most cases,


usurped powers and position from the legitimate rulers earlier.
Some have leaders that were elected by the people who chose
them because of the material gains that the leaders had
achieved for their countries. In their ambition the motives of
these elected leaders are dictated by greed, hatred and delusion;
thus their regimes are founded on unwholesome ethics.
112

In one way or another, in subtle and abstract forms, incidents


and situations that happen round us locally as well as in the
wider world are reminiscent of one or several of the Sixteen
Dreams, singly or together,

In the First Dream, we are warned of the chaotic situation that


will be our lot in days to come. The slow but assured
deterioration of human morality in our world is shown to us in
the Kings Dreams; from the disarray of the weather, affecting
mans comfort and security, to the need to possess and enlarge
his domain. His greed, spurred on by delusions of his greatness
and hatred for others who thwart him in his efforts, drive him
on to great heights of conquest. If he does not get what he
wants anger helps to rationalise his greed.

A person once told me that she would never try metta


meditation again as it made her gentle and calm. She could not
handle this calm and gentleness as she needed the energy of
anger to help her achieve her goals in life! Anger was a very
important part of her, without which she could not function
effectively. Most people are like that. Necessity is the mother of
invention. Here the necessity is to find means, fair or foul, to
have more than enough, to gain advantage over others, to
achieve material sufficiency and eventually feeds the ego with
delusion.

With the need to achieve these unwholesome materialistic


objectives, the mind will work its devious ways to come up with
the necessary tools to achieve these ends. Thus the rot of
humanity had its beginning in the very centre of mans
existence, the mind. The rot has its innocent beginning in a
little greed: just that little bit more of whatever and the doors of
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greed are opened; the nagging and weak wholesome defences


are over ridden. The initial successful acquisition of material
gains will spur the achiever further; more of such successes will
create powerful egos and delusions, spurring further efforts.

Sometimes though, things dont go well and anger will replace


feelings of success. The greater the failure, the greater the
degree of anger and frustration, engendering efforts with
greater intensity and concentration.

In most cases the goal has been lost sight of, the need to gain
and to satisfy the ego becomes a greater quest. The importance
of I replaces other considerations. Delusions and anger take
hold of the person and irrational actions based on wrong views
are the results. The unspoken threats are there; Do you not
know who I am, how dare you.. or We are the strongest
people in the world; how dare you

From a lone individual, the greed goes one step up to the family
level and soon to the state level and country level. Everyone
soon gets involved in the greed and each one will desire a small
piece of the pie, then a larger piece of the pie, then the whole
pie! Each and everyone will be vying for the same pie, desiring
ever bigger portions. In the process, ethical and moral values
such as honesty and sincerity, kindness and goodness are left
behind, to be replaced by opposite values. One does not gain
material benefits from kindly and goodly actions, so the great
struggle goes on. Men and women take opposing stances.
Women use their wiles on men to reach their goals. Men will
exploit women and use them for their own ends. Young and
old take up different positions. Each one wants to surpass the
other in terms of achieving material gains. Towns compete;
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each will rival the others to achieve material possessions.


Jealousy and greed come to the fore. Anger helps them to stay
on track to ensure that they are not bettered. The motto of the
day will be to kill or be killed; silent and dangerous guerrilla
warfare develops among friends/associates and citizens of the
world. Soon the environment shows signs of pollution, from
minds as well as from the atmosphere. From such polluted
minds and conditions many unwholesome actions result.
Wrong views will be born from such conditions, leading to
wrong leadership in the struggles. Leaders harbour warped
views based on material gain; their actions are based on such
ignorant views and understanding.

Governments join in; countries join in the wars of greed. Greed


and delusions sprout up everywhere. Very few wholesome oases
exists in these deserts of greed, anger and delusions; the three
greatest insidious destroyers of human minds! In these fields of
greed, anger and delusions, nothing remains sane; good seeds
do not grow in such soil. There will be a small population of
people with little dusts in their eyes, while others with greed,
hatred and delusion in their eyes will elect leaders who are able
to pander to their erroneous views; leaders who advise caution
and restraint are not to their liking as these do not achieve the
results demanded by angry minds. Restraint brings calm and
rational action; however heated minds will want satisfaction to
gratify their egos and peers, while those who do not agree to
unwholesome actions keep to the background afraid of being
trampled in the mad rush.

Vengeful actions cause irreparable damage and escalate wrong


actions to higher phases. Rulers and leaders will seek devious
means to prevent others from being ahead of them in achieving
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what they themselves are attempting to achieve; they will also


set up defensive measures to protect themselves from harm,
which they themselves have planned to unleash on others.
Defensive measures can be double-edged swords as they can
also be used as offensive weapons; thus the race to be powerful
enough to prevent dangers to self and to be able to destroy
others at will, becomes the greatest of human quests.

This review shows the effects of accumulated greed, delusions


and hatred through aeons and lifetimes, which are what the
dreams foretell. Through the ages, leaders have never been as
powerful as they are now. A leader or leaders (or in the context
of the Dreams a ruler or rulers) are in possession of facilities
that can destroy nations by a fingers pressure, arming and
delivering powerful weapons unknown and unheard of in the
time of the Blessed One. Such weapons are easily available in
the possession of many such leaders and they will not hesitate
to utilise their extreme powers when advised that they should
do so, to prevent dangers to their nation and to their own
positions as wielders of power.

THERE IS MORE
Nature is upset and is conditioned to re-act to mankinds
unparallel quest for power and material gains.

The year is 2010 and more happenings that point the direction
humanity is conditioning the world to become. Scientists who
are concerned with the worlds environment and have studied
the conditions that has brought earth to the state that it is in at
present time, know that there is very little that humans can do
to reverse the damaging trend that has been set in motion
through humans desire for progress.
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Their voices of protests are seldom taken with the seriousness


the situation demands.

Volcanic eruptions of great magnitude is now unleashed on


numerous countries; calamities no one ever dreamed about is
being enacted in front of our eyesbetter still we have invented
various ways where we can see our own destruction.

As the Blessed One said in times gone by, unwise people


choosing low quality leaders will be the scene in later years, as is
the case now. The majority of humans will be living their lives
based on wrong and unwholesome values, thus acting as
predicted in the Sixteen Dreams. Only a few have little dusts
in their eyes; sadly the voices of such people will not be heard,
rather the strident voices of unreason will drown out the sane
utterings. The Blessed Ones are never wrong!

The Blessed One said:

Hatreds never cease through hatred in this world;


through love alone they cease,
this is an eternal law.

Dhp. Yamaka Vagga No.5


117

THE WAY OUT


With the Blessed Ones forewarning in the dreams, what then
should ordinary worldlings do to avoid falling into the obvious
dangers ahead?

As in all things Dhamma, the Blessed One never leaves us in


doubt as to the way out. Let us take the case of the Four Noble
Truths.

The Blessed One taught that all life is suffering; to be born is


suffering, to be old is suffering, to be sick is suffering, to die is
to suffer; this is the First Noble Truth. Further, He gave the
cause of suffering; that it was due to greed that suffering arises;
this is the Second Noble Truth. In the Third Noble Truth, He
taught that there is a way out of this suffering and thus, in the
Fourth Noble Truth He gave us the solution; walk the Eightfold
Noble Path as the way out of suffering.

Knowing the dangers ahead, we have the advantage of the


direct knowledge and foresight of the Blessed One to show us
the way out of this present and future dangers. We neglect this
advice at our own peril!

Thus Ends the Exposition of the Sixteen Dreams


By
The Blessed One

May all Beings take Heed and Practise Heedfulness,


The Path of Deathlessness
118
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Back cover

Thus did the Blessed One explain the dreams of King Pasenadi;
and Bhante Suvanno has shown us how the modern trends in
life were envisioned in the Sixteen Dreams. The dreams 2500
years ago describe the disintegration of the moral values of the
world in what was then the future. We see all the happenings
depicted in the dreams clearly and vividly and we can find
situations in the world today paralleling those in the Dreams of
King Pasenadi. The present trends in human activities and life
styles are spiralling down towards lower realms of existence in
future lives. The damage done is deeply rooted and of so vast a
magnitude, through such a lengthy span of time, that to reverse
it would be almost impossible. However as individuals we can
extricate ourselves by bearing in mind the basic teachings of the
Blessed One: do not do evil, do good and purify the mind.

The future of the Sasana will be bleak. Now that we are in the
human realm due to our past good deeds, and being in this
Blessed Ones Sasana, we should in all earnestness learn and
practise the proper Dhamma. Young and old must practice
diligently with a good teacher and not waste this rare
opportunity. Should we pass away without gaining some
Dhamma knowledge in this existence we will never know in
what time frame and into which realm of existence we shall be
born at our next rebirth. We are standing at the edge of a great
precipice. The choice is ours to distance ourselves from it or to
be pushed over the edge.

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