Pali friends,

The imagery of the island in the Pali Canon mostly has to do with the practice of Satiupatthana and is closely connected with a meaning of ekaayana (the direct way for one by oneself to the onenesss of mind, etc). One is born alone, one meditates alone and leaves this body alone. Nothing dreary here, but a liberating fact. In between, there is the Sangha of joyous saints and saints to be (faith-followers and dharma-followers).

Please read the remarkable Cakkhu Sutta (S 25.1).

Anyway, coming back to the "island" image. Without liberating wisdom, we are all islands unto ourselves, separated by the waters and floods (ogha) of defilements. When all these floods are drained, we are all really a huge conjoined continent punctuated by glorious peaks and hills, an Indra's net of living beings.

The Buddha gives truly wondrous imageries.

Sukhi

Piya


--- Ong Yong Peng <yongpeng.ong@...> wrote:

> Dear Piya, Liz and friends,
>
> thanks for the well-researched reply, Piya. Liz, this last advice of
>
> the Buddha may sounds uncomfortable to people used to John Donne's
> words, as I quote:
>
> No man is an Island, entire of itself.
> http://www.online-literature.com/donne/409/
>
> Please allow me to share my thoughts.
>
> John Donne is not entirely wrong with his statement. No man can be
> separated from the world in which he lives. An individual or even a
>
> community cannot live in isolation. Forget about the capital 'I' in
>
> Island, and put aside the Christology behind it, this statement is
> compatible with the Buddhist concept of interdependence. Everyone
> relates to each other, our very existence relies on others providing
>
> the necessities of survival. And each one is a contributing factor
> to
> the society we live in.
>
> If Donne's statement explains interdependence, what about the
> Buddha's advice: Be an island unto yourselves? The answer: it about
>
> self-reliance. It is a very profound concept in itself. We can even
>
> use it to explain the foundation ideology of Mahayana! First, be an
>
> island unto yourselves, then be an island unto others. That's a
> Bodhisatta, a person who seek liberation and happiness, not just for
>
> himself or his flock, but for all.
>
> Of course, as Piya has mentioned, it is 'island'. But, even if it
> is 'lamp', the underlying concept here is self-reliance.
>
>
> metta,
> Yong Peng.
>
>
>
> --- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, Piya Tan wrote:
>
> > In the Buddha's final exhortation at his parinibbaana, he tells
> us "...to be islands unto yourselves..." (Diigha Nikaaya 16, Pt. 2,
>
> Verse 33)
>
> The Diigha Commentary explains atta,diipa as meeting to "dwell,
> having made the self [yourselves like an island in the great ocean]
>
> in the great ocean" (mahaa,samudda,gata,diipa.m viya attaana.m
> diipa.m pati.t.thita.m katvaa viharatha, DA 2:548, SA 2:268,
> 3:204).
>
>
>
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> [Homepage] http://www.tipitaka.net
> [Files] http://www.geocities.com/paligroup/
> [Send Message] pali@yahoogroups.com
> Paaliga.na - a community for Pali students
> Yahoo! Groups members can set their delivery options to daily digest
> or web only.
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>