BUDDHA CATU PARISA FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL

IS A THERAVĀDA BUDDHIST TEMPLE ORGANIZATION.  WE BELIEVE IN THE THERAVĀDA TRADITION, WHICH PURPORTS TO FOLLOW THE TEACHING OF THE ELDERS OF THE FIRST SANGĀYANA (FIRST BUDDHIST COUNCIL), DATING BACK TO THE 6TH CENTURY B.C., NOT LONG AFTER THE PARINIBBĀNA (ATTAINING FINAL NIBBĀNA, OR ENLIGHTENMENT, AT PASSING AWAY) OF GAUTAMA BUDDHA (THE BUDDHA).  WE AS THERAVĀDINS BELIEVE THAT STRICTLY FOLLOWING THE RULES OF MONASTIC DISCIPLINE, SET FORTH IN THE VINAYA PITAKA, AND STUDYING OF AND ADHERENCE TO THE TIPITAKA (ALSO KNOWN AS THE PALI CANON) IS THE PATH FOR THE INDIVIDUAL TO DEVELOP THEIR MIND AND EVENTUALLY, AFTER MANY LIVES, ATTAIN THE STATE OF NIBBĀNA IN WHICH A PERSON IS FREE OF DEFILEMENT AND MENTAL EFFLUENTS, HAS ABANDONED ALL FETTERS THAT BIND THE MIND TO THE CYCLE OF REBIRTH, AND IS THUS NOT DESTINED FOR FURTHER REBIRTH.
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CATU PARISA (THE FOURFOLD COMMUNITY) & OUR DUTY

WE BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD COMPLY WITH THE DUTY OF THE CATU PARISA (THE FOURFOLD COMMUNITY) STATED IN THE MAHĀPARINIBBĀNA SUTTA, IN WHICH THE BUDDHA SAYS THAT HE WILL NOT PASS INTO PARINIBBĀNA UNTIL THERE IS A FULLY FLOURISHING CATU PARISA (THE FOURFOLD COMMUNITY) WHICH CONSISTS OF BHIKKHUS AND SĀMANERAS (MONKS AND NOVICE MONKS), BHIKKHUNĪS AND SĀMANERĪS (FEMALE MONKS AND FEMALE NOVICE MONK), UPĀSAKAS (LAYMEN), AND UPĀSIKĀS (LAYWOMEN) WHO ARE:

"ACCOMPLISHED, TRAINED, SKILLED, LEARNED, WELL-VERSED IN THE DHAMMA, TRAINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DHAMMA, CORRECTLY TRAINED AND WALKING THE PATH OF THE DHAMMA, WHO WILL PASS ON WHAT THEY HAVE GAINED FROM THEIR OWN TEACHERS, TEACH IT, DECLARE IT, ESTABLISH IT, EXPOUND IT, ANALYZE IT, MAKE IT CLEAR: UNTIL THEY SHALL BE ABLE, BY MEANS OF THE DHAMMA, TO REFUTE FALSE TEACHINGS THAT HAVE ARISEN, AND TEACH THE DHAMMA ACCOMPANIED BY WONDERS (SAPPĀTIHĀRIYA DHAMMA) " 

WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE BUDDHA-SĀSANA (BUDDHISM) IS COMPLETE ONLY IF ALL THE FOUR DIVISIONS OF THE FOURFOLD COMMUNITY ARE IN EXISTENCE AND UPHOLD THEIR SPECIFIC DUTY.  A LACK OF ANY ONE OF THE FOUR DIVISIONS RESULTS IN INCOMPLETENESS OF THE CATU PARISA.  ONE OF OUR TEMPLE'S MAIN GOALS IS TO REVIVE, PROMOTE, SUPPORT, AND ESTABLISH A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR BHIKKHUNĪS (FEMALE MONKS) AND SĀMANERĪS (FEMALE NOVICE MONKS) .  IN THE TIPITAKA, THE BUDDHA EXPLICITLY STATES THAT WOMEN ARE AS CAPABLE OF ATTAINING EACH OF THE FOUR STAGES OF ENLIGHTENMENT AS MEN, AND CAN FULLY ATTAIN NIBBĀNA.

THE PATH TO NIBBĀNA

WE BELIEVE THAT THE PATH TO NIBBĀNA (ENLIGHTENMENT) LIES IN TAKING REFUGE  IN TIRATANA (THE TRIPLE GEM, WHICH IS ONE GEM WITH THREE ASPECTS: BUDDHA, DHAMMA, AND SANGHA) AND, ABOVE ALL, COMMITTING TO STUDY, LEARN, RESEARCH, PRACTICE AND REALIZE THE DHAMMA.  WE BELIEVE THE DHAMMA IS OUR ULTIMATE AND INFALLIBLE AUTHORITY FOR OUR FAITH AND PRACTICE UNTIL REACHING NIBBĀNA BECAUSE: (I) BUDDHA AND SANGHA ARE THE ONES WHO FULLY EXEMPLIFIED THE DHAMMA; (II) WHILE THE BUDDHA HAS REACHED PARINIBBĀNA MORE THAN TWO THOUSAND, FIVE HUNDRED YEARS AGO, THE DHAMMA, WHICH ENCOMPASSES THE PATTERNS OF REALITY AND COSMIC LAW-ORDERLINESS DISCOVERED BY THE BUDDHA, AS WELL AS THE TEACHINGS OF THE BUDDHA CONCERNING THE PATH TO NIBBĀNA, HAS BEEN PRESERVED AND IS AVAILABLE TO US.