A Manual of the Excellent Man (Uttamapurisa Dīpanī)

By Ledi Sayadaw

Preface to the First Edition

More than two thousand years have passed since the Buddha, the Sākyan
prince who showed the path to nibbāna, the founder of the Saṅgha, the most
exalted and incomparable one, aained parinibbāna. The Burmese capital of
Mandalay has fallen, its king dethroned, and the sun has set on Burma. The
couny is now ruled (by the British) om London in England, a European
land. Now, there is in Mandalay an association founded by a group of modern
educated Burmese. They are conversant in foreign languages and devoted
to the discussion, preservation, and propagation of the Buddha’s teaching.
The Honorary Secretary of the association is Maung Thaw, a clerk in the
office of the Inspector of Schools. A tireless worker, Maung Thaw discussed
religion with various non-Buddhist religious teachers and debated some kno
problems. He recorded several points raised on those occasions. He wanted
an authoritative decision on the problems, so he approached the Venerable
Mahāvisuddhārāma Sayādaw, an eminent leader of the Saṅgha in Mandalay.
This Venerable Sayādaw found the questions profound and subtle like
the ones put by Sakka, Lord of the Tāvatiṃsa realm, to the Buddha. He
remarked that such questions deserved to be tackled by Ledi Sayādaw of
Monywa, who is not only learned, but has led an exemplary religious life.
He accordingly sent a leer to the Venerable Ledi Sayādaw, with Maung
Thaw’s questions, for solution.
Although it was usual for Ledi Sayādaw to reply to religious questions
immediately, on the present questions, received through the Venerable
Mahāvisuddhārāma Sayādaw, he took time to answer them. He wanted to
be thorough. He considered the questions in the light of various arguments,
collated authorities on the points he wanted to make, and added his own
illusations.
He did not merely answer the questions. It was his intention to give a
practical course on the development of insight. This alone can root out
personali view, the ego, the so-called “self” that has possessed all sentient
beings throughout saṃsāra. So, here we have an exposition on the Excellent
Man (Uamapurisa) leading to enlightenment along the three stages of
comprehension that peneate the real nature of psychophysical phenomena.

The Venerable Ledi Sayādaw’s Reply

This is addressed to Maung Thaw.
Maung Thaw’s petition, with the Venerable Mahāvisuddhārāma
Sayādaw’s endorsement, reached me on the tenth waxing day of Tabaung,
1261 Burmese Era (9th March, 1900 AD). It contains:
 i. maers on docinal aspects that need to be explained;
 ii. an expression of your desire to ain for the development of insight;
 iii. a request to show how one may advance om being a blind worldling
to become a wise and virtuous person.
A blind worldling (andhaputhujjana) is one who has no “eye” of knowledge
(of the Dhamma); a virtuous ordinary person (kalyāṇaputhujjana) is one who
has the “eye” of knowledge.
There are four kinds of eyes of knowledge, namely:
 1. the eye of right view;
 2. the eye of learning or scriptural knowledge;
 3. the eye of insight acquired through mental development, which is
right view on the threshold of supramundane knowledge;
 4. the eye of right view or supramundane knowledge.
Outside the Buddha’s Era, when the teaching of the Buddha has fallen
silent, a virtuous person who has developed concenation and has the first
right view, can be called a virtuous ordinary person. However, during the
times of the Buddha’s teaching (Buddhasāsana), neither the first nor the second
kind makes a virtuous ordinary person. One can be called a virtuous ordinary
person only by gaining right view through insight, having understood the
elements (dhātu) and the causative law (paccaya), thus dispelling personali
view (sakkāyadiṭṭhi) and doubt (vicikicchā).
Such a person may develop supramundane knowledge, the fourth kind
of eye, in this very life. Failing that, he or she may aain to that knowledge
in the next life as a deva. If not, he or she may become a Solitary Buddha
when the Buddha’s teaching has fallen silent in the world. If one has the
foundation for enlightenment, one will very easily realize the Dhamma under
the teaching of a future Buddha as a human being or a deva. While the
Buddha’s teaching is extant (as at the present), only one who aains insight
knowledge is called a virtuous ordinary person. Meritorious deeds such as
almsgiving (dāna) and virtue (sīla) are not sufficient to deserve that status.
Nor is any amount of scriptural learning. This is not a flaering description
of a virtuous ordinary person; the scriptures say so.

Regarding your request for some cardinal principles in the Buddha’s
teaching to be borne in mind that can withstand any onslaught by heretics:
If it were only for discussion among our own compaiots, a reference to
a good authori would suffice; practical illusations may not be necessary.
However, when it comes to the logician or the practical experimenter,
espousing a different religion, scriptural authori will not suffice. With such
people, cogent explanations supported by verifiable evidence are necessary
to silence them. That being my main consideration, coupled with the
Venerable Mahāvisuddhārāma Sayādaw’s endorsement on your zeal in this
field, I have based my answers to your queries on the Khandhavagga Saṃyua.
I have elaborated on it so that you can gain a clear grasp of the groundwork
of Buddhism. To this end I have used plain Burmese. Profuse illusations
are given on absuse topics for beer comprehension.
Do not feel that it is thin on Pāḷi quotations. Too many quotations om
the texts, I am aaid, will mar my arguments. With dependence on Pāḷi, it
would be difficult to present a passable lecture, let alone silence the challenge
of alien religions. There is not much point in formal lectures; what is
important is to acquire the eye of insight-knowledge. The sle is terse because
the elucidation of my theme requires direct speech. Perhaps at certain places
it might prove too terse for you. That is because I have been burning the
midnight oil for an early reply to you.
So, I would ask you first to read it alone. Only if you have followed it,
should you show it to others. If you have any stumbling blocks, refer them
to the Venerable Mahāvisuddhārāma Sayādaw, and not to anyone else. When
King Bimbisāra of Rājagaha sent a book on the Dhamma to King Pakkusāti
of Taxila, he added a warning not to open it in ont of others. If you have
understood my answers, wish to preach to others and would like to add
quotations, you can ask the Venerable Mahāvisuddhārāma Sayādaw, showing
him where you wish to add them. Otherwise, you may write to me. If there
are any points that are unclear to you, write to me without delay.

Ledi Sayādaw
2nd Waxing day of Kason, 1262 BE
29th April, 1900 CE

Link download: A Manual of the Excellent Man.pdf