A SIMPLE GUIDE TO LIFE
by
Robert Bogoda
ISBN 955-24-0125-9
Wheel Publication No. 397/398
Copyright 1994 Buddhist Publication Society
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
KANDY Sri Lanka
* * *
DharmaNet Edition 1995
Transcribed directly from BPS Pagemaker files
Formatting: John Bullitt
This electronic edition is offered for free distribution
via DharmaNet by arrangement with the publisher.
DharmaNet International
P.O. Box 4951, Berkeley CA 94704-4951
* * * * * * * *
CONTENTS
Introduction
A Simple Guide to Life
1. The Right View of Life
2. Benefits of Right Understanding
3. A Life Plan
4. Obstacles
5. Relaxation
6. Observing the Five Precepts
7. Controlling the Emotions
8. Beware of Bias and Propaganda
9. A Happy Family Life
10. The Practice of Benevolence
11. Freeing the Mind
12. Mindfulness of Breathing
13. Facing Death with Equanimity
14. The Good Buddhist
About the Author
* * * * * * * *
INTRODUCTION
Innumerable books have been written about Buddhism, but most of these
are far too exhaustive, too specialized, or too scholarly to be of
much practical help to the busy lay Buddhist in search of concise
guidance. A short, clear, and simple handbook on how to live a proper
Buddhist lay life was therefore a much felt need. The present essay
attempts to fill that gap by providing exactly what its title offers:
A Simple Guide to Life.
For easy reference the essay has been divided into short, convenient
sections. The first section is theoretical in emphasis. It attempts to
fix in the reader's mind the essential principles of the Buddha's
teaching, without complicated and sophisticated explanations. The
principles discussed here should serve as a clear-cut philosophy of
life, a framework which illuminates the meaning and purpose of the
Buddhist life. These principles will enable the lay Buddhist to
understand his or her place in the larger scheme of things, to order
priorities, and to devise a proper way to achieve them. The lack of a
clear philosophy of life, so widespread today, is largely responsible
for the steady decline in ethical standards, both individually and
socially, in Sri Lanka and in the world as a whole.
The second section is concerned with the practical implications of
adopting the understanding of existence sketched in the first section.
We here examine the visible benefits of accepting the Buddha-Dhamma as
a way of thinking and living; in this section we will also throw a
sidelong glance at what happens to a society when spiritual values are
abandoned in favour of an exclusive stress on material development.
The next two sections discuss respectively the need to draw up an
individual life plan and the obstacles likely to impede the successful
implementation of that plan. The central problem of a Buddhist lay
follower is to combine a successful lay life with Buddhist moral and
spiritual principles. This problem can be solved by organizing one's
life as a lay Buddhist within the framework of the Noble Eightfold
Path, which represents the Master's teaching in practice. Because some
degree of economic security is essential to growth in the Dhamma, the
Buddha was concerned with the material welfare of his lay disciples as
much as with their spiritual development. He did not deter them from
seeking mundane happiness, but he stressed that in pursuing mundane
goals, the lay Buddhist should take great care to avoid breaking the
basic rules of morality. These rules are summed up in the Five
Precepts of virtue, the minimum code of ethics to be followed by a
Buddhist householder. As the Five Precepts are thus of such
fundamental importance to a Buddhist lay follower, a separate section
is devoted to discussing them.
The remaining sections of the essay show how to apply the basic
principles of Buddhism to the other major areas of a Buddhist
householder's life. The essay ends with a section briefly describing
what is expected of an ideal lay Buddhist in daily life. The guiding
maxim of the entire essay is: A little well done is better than a lot
poorly done.
To sum up: The Buddha's teaching, which is unique in its
completeness, is the most rational and consistent plan for wholesome
living. It is not based on dogma or blind faith, but on facts and
verifiable conclusions. It therefore offers a reasonable way of life
which should be attractive to any thinking person. Moreover, the
Dhamma is completely compatible with the advances of modern science
and does not require clever reinterpretations to avoid clashes with
scientific discoveries.
The mere fact of accepting Buddhism intellectually, however, will
not ensure happiness and security. To yield its fruit the Buddha's
teaching has to be utilized intelligently and constructively in all
the activities of our daily life. It has to be adopted, adapted, and
applied until all its basic principles are absorbed and made habitual
by repeated practice, for a theoretical knowledge of Buddhism is
insufficient in itself.
If one wishes to make changes in the changing personality that one
now is, these changes will take time and patience. The lofty heights
of Nibbana are not to be reached by a sudden leap but by quiet,
persistent endeavour over a long period, guided by the Master's
teaching. Let us not forget that a journey of a thousand miles begins
with a single step. Daily practice, beginning with the strict
observance of the Five Precepts, is the way to orderly progress along
the path. Even a little practice every day brings the practitioner a
little nearer to the goal each day.
I take this opportunity to offer the merit of this gift of Dhamma
most gratefully and most devotedly to my parents, now no more. Such a
gift excels all other gifts: //Sabbadanam dhammadanam jinati//. May it
redound to their happiness.
* * * * * * * *
A SIMPLE GUIDE TO LIFE
1. The Right View of Life
To be happy, successful, and secure, we must first learn to see
ourselves and the world as they truly are and should then shape our
everyday activities in keeping with this view. We must also look for
solutions to our problems in terms of the relationship of cause and
effect, for the universal law of causality operates in the field of
human behaviour as much as it does in the physical world.
The foundation for a fruitful life is an understanding of the moral
law of kamma. Kamma is volitional action, action that expresses
morally determinate intentions or volitions. We need to recognize
clearly that wholesome and unwholesome deeds produce corresponding
good and bad results. As a person sows, so shall he reap. Good begets
good, and evil begets evil. This retributive power is inherent in
volitional action or kamma.
Kamma is also cumulative. Not only do our deeds generate pleasant
and painful results, but in their cumulative force they also determine
our character. The deeds we perform in any one life are transmitted to
future lives in the form of dispositions. These dispositions
constitute our character traits.
Inherent in the action is the power of producing its due result.
This happens without the intervention or help of any external agency.
Buddhism denies the existence of a Creator-God. Kamma is neither fate
nor predestination, but our own willed action considered as capable of
producing results. Understanding the kammic moral law of cause and
effect, we will learn to control our actions in order to serve our own
welfare as well as to promote the good of others.
There are ten unwholesome courses of action
(//akusala-kammapatha//), deeds which originate from the defilements
of greed, hatred, and delusion. These are: killing, stealing, sexual
misconduct, lying, slander, harsh speech, useless talk, covetousness,
ill will, and false views. Contrary to these, there are ten bases of
merit (//punnakiriya-vatthu//), deeds which spring from the virtuous
qualities of detachment, goodwill, and wisdom, and which generate
wholesome kamma: generosity, morality, meditation, reverence, service,
transference of merit, rejoicing in the good deeds of others, hearing
the Dhamma, expounding the Dhamma, and straightening out one's views.
It is lack of right understanding and ignorance of the underlying
laws of life that account for the prevalence of materialism in today's
world, even in the traditional homelands of the Buddha-Dhamma. When
people become convinced that everything perishes at death, they lose
sight of lofty ethical ideals and become indifferent to the long-range
consequences of their deeds. Their entire lives revolve around the
blind pursuit of sensual pleasures. Thus we find that today people
worship money regardless of how it is earned, hunt for pleasure no
matter where it is found, chase power and fame regardless of the cost
to their personal integrity.
Ignorance of the law is no valid excuse in a court of law, and so it
is with regard to the moral law of kamma: the law operates regardless
of whether one believes in it or not, due effects following from their
respective causes. Just as an infant will get burnt if it touches fire
regardless of whether or not it understands the dangers in playing
with fire, so those who violate the laws of morality will have to face
the consequences when their kamma ripens, regardless of whether or not
they accept the teaching of kamma.
Just as a shadow is connected with an object, so is rebirth
connected with kamma. Craving (//tanha//), selfish desire, prompts us
to do life-affirming deeds, kamma, volitional action. No force in
nature is ever lost, and moral energy is no exception. So long as
craving and ignorance remain in the mind, kamma must find expression
at death. The inevitable fruit of craving for existence is rebirth.
Buddhism affirms the continuity of the individual life-flux at
death, but denies the existence of a permanent soul. Mind is a flux of
mental processes without any persisting core, yet this flux, though
insubstantial, continues from life to life as long as it is driven on
by the thirst for more becoming. The mind of a dying person, owing to
the latent craving for continued existence, grasps at some object,
idea, or feeling connected with an action done during his lifetime,
and this grasping vitalizes an appropriate germ of life. The new form
of life may be human or non-human, in keeping with the kamma or moral
forces generated during the deceased's lifetime. The germ of life
kindled by the process of rebirth is endowed with an initial
consciousness (called the patisandhicitta) in which lie latent all the
past impressions, characteristics, and tendencies of that particular
individual. Hence death leads to birth and birth to death. Rebirth is
thus possible without a transmigrating soul.
The twin Buddhist doctrines of kamma and rebirth are the "middle
way" that provides a satisfactory answer to the problem of life. The
middle way avoids the extremes of theism and materialism, preserving
moral accountability without the problems raised by positing an
almighty yet benevolent God. A human being is the visible expression
of his or her own past action. One is born from one's past kamma,
supported by one's present kamma, and at death goes where one's
accumulated kamma leads one.
Buddhism teaches that human beings evolve according to the quality
of the kamma they have performed during their lifetime. This supplies
a rational basis for morality in place of the commandments of a
Creator-God. According to the Buddha's teachings, there can be
regression ("kammic descent") from the human plane to subhuman realms
such as the animal world, and progress ("kammic ascent") from the
human plane to the heavenly planes. Taking into account the dangers of
a fall to subhuman realms, one should always act with care. Virtue,
based on a righteous code of conduct, protects one from regression and
ensures spiritual progress.
A true follower of the Buddha accepts the moral law of kamma as
just, recognizing it as the chief reason for the many inequalities
among human beings in regard to health, wealth, and wisdom. He also
learns to face life's losses, disappointments, failures, and
adversities calmly, without complaining; for he knows that they are
the result of his own past misdeeds. If he asks himself: "Why has this
happened to me?" the answer will be expressed in terms of action and
result. He will try to solve his problems to the best of his ability
and will adjust himself to the new situation when external change is
not possible. He will not act rashly, nor fall into despair, nor try
to escape his difficulties by resorting to drink, drugs, or suicide,
as so often happens in Sri Lanka. Such conduct only shows emotional
immaturity and ignorance of the Buddha's teachings.
For a genuine Buddhist, then, one's everyday activities, by way of
thought, word, and deed, are more important than anything else in
life. A proper understanding of the Buddhist moral law of kamma and
rebirth is essential for happy and sensible living and for the welfare
of the world. In the Buddha's own words:
The slayer gets a slayer in his turn;
The conqueror gets one who conquers him;
The abuser wins abuse, the annoyer frets.
Thus by the evolution of the deed,
A man who spoils is spoiled in his turn."
(Samyutta Nikaya, Kosala Samyutta, trans. by Sir Robert
Chalmers)
Although we imagine ourselves to be a self -- a real substantial
individual -- according to the Buddha's teaching we are in reality
nothing more than a flame-like process, an ever-changing combination
of matter and mind, neither of which is the same for two consecutive
moments. All the components of our being are impermanent,
unsatisfactory, and devoid of self. Life is not a being, an identity,
but a becoming; not a product, but a process. There is in actuality no
doer, only a doing; no thinker, only a thinking; no goer, only a
going.
The Buddha teaches us how to put an end to the beginningless cycle
of rebirths in which we undergo the manifold kinds of suffering. The
way to end the cycle is by removing the causes that drive it forward
life after life. The principal cause is craving, which assumes many
forms. Craving impels a person to engage in action (kamma) designed to
satisfy the craving, yet as craving is essentially insatiable the
result is rebirth.
Craving is a powerful mental force latent in all unenlightened
beings. The cause of craving is ignorance (//avijja//) of the true
nature of life: not knowing that life is an ever-changing process,
subject to suffering, and totally devoid of a self or core. All life,
wherever it is found, bears this same nature: a process stamped with
the three marks of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and egolessness
(//anicca//, //dukkha//, //anatta//).
The Buddha realized for himself the true nature of life and through
this realization attained to something beyond life and death: a
reality that is permanent, blissful, and deathless. This state cannot
be described but has to be realized inwardly as a matter of direct
personal experience; it has to be attained for oneself and by oneself.
This ultimate reality, where thought expires in experience, is
Nibbana, the goal of the Buddhist path.
The Buddha's teachings may thus be condensed into these four
verifiable truths, called the Four Noble Truths: suffering, its cause
(i.e. craving), its cessation (i.e. Nibbana), and the way leading to
cessation of suffering (i.e. the Noble Eightfold Path). These are
eternal truths, truths that do not change and cannot change with time
and place.
The only way for us to avoid unhappiness and dissatisfaction is to
eliminate the craving that gives birth to it; for everything eagerly
sought for and clung to is impermanent. Nothing lasts forever -- no
person, no object, no experience. Whatever arises must perish, and to
cling to the perishable sooner or later ends in suffering. It is by no
means easy to eliminate craving; in fact, it is the most difficult
challenge of all. But when we do so, we will reach a state of inward
perfection and unshakable calm.
We can reach the end of suffering by cultivating the Noble Eightfold
Path in its three stages of morality, concentration, and wisdom --
//sila//, //samadhi//, //panna//. Morality purifies conduct and
concentration makes the mind calm. When the mind is calm and
concentrated, wisdom arises, clear insight, the knowledge and vision
of things as they really are. With the arising of wisdom, craving in
all its forms is forever destroyed; the flame of life is then
extinguished for want of fuel. The Unconditioned has been won --
Nibbana, which is deathless, blissful, and real.
The Noble Eightfold Path consists of the following eight factors,
inter-related and inter-connected, ordered into three groups:
Wisdom group (//panna//)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Right understanding: knowledge of the true nature of life;
understanding the Four Noble Truths.
2. Right thought: thought free from sensuality, ill-will, and
aggression.
Morality group (//sila//)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3. Right speech: abstinence from falsehood, slander, harsh speech,
and useless words.
4. Right action: abstinence from killing, stealing, and sexual
misconduct.
5. Right livelihood: avoiding any means of livelihood that involves
harm or exploitation of others.
Concentration group (//samadhi//)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6. Right effort: training the mind to avoid unwholesome mental
states and to develop wholesome mental states.
7. Right mindfulness: developing the power of attentiveness and
awareness in regard to the "four foundations of mindfulness" --
body, feelings, mind, and mental phenomena.
8. Right concentration: cultivation of one-pointedness of mind.
These eight factors summarize the Buddha's teaching and its
practice. They are the very heart of the Buddha-Dhamma. It is not
enough to know and admire the Dhamma; it must be practised in daily
life, for the difficulty of knowing what is right is nothing compared
to the difficulty of putting it into practice. We really know
something only when we do it repeatedly, when we make it part of our
nature. The practical side of the Dhamma is the threefold training in
morality, concentration, and wisdom, which collectively constitute the
Noble Eightfold Path, the "middle way" discovered by the Blessed One
for the realization of Nibbana.
Monastics and laypeople alike tread the same path. Both start from
the same foundation, right understanding; both pursue the same goal,
Nibbana. The only difference lies in the degree of commitment to the
practice and the pace of progress. But whether as a layperson or as a
monk, the systematic practice of the Eightfold Path will foster the
growth of the wholesome qualities leading to liberation -- generosity,
goodwill, and wisdom. As these qualities gradually reach maturity,
they will weaken and finally snap the fetters of greed, hatred, and
delusion which have held us for so long in bondage to the round of
rebirth and suffering.
* * *
2. Benefits of Right Understanding
1. Right understanding is the foundation for developing a proper sense
of values, so sorely lacking in our age. Without right understanding
our vision is dimmed and the way is lost; all our efforts will be
misguided and misdirected, all our plans for individual and social
development must flounder and fail. Such plans will have to be based
on the Eightfold Path with its emphasis on self-effort, self-control,
and respect for the individual.
When wrong views prevail we will operate with a perverted sense of
values: we will fling ourselves into the blind pursuit of wealth,
power, and possessions; we will be obsessed by the urge to conquer and
dominate; we will pine for ruthless revenge; we will dumbly conform to
social conventions and norms. Right views will point us towards an
enlightened sense of values: towards detachment and kindness; towards
generosity of spirit and selfless service to others; towards the
pursuit of wisdom and understanding. The confusion and moral lunacy
now prevalent in the world can be eased, if not eliminated, if the
path of the Buddha is followed. Right livelihood and right action, for
instance, can help us avoid the conflicts that result from a wrong way
of life and wrong action, thereby enabling a society to live in peace
and harmony.
Although in the affluent countries of the West people now enjoy high
standards of goods and services, the inward quality of their lives
does not bear evidence of a corresponding level of improvement. The
reason for the poverty of their interior life is the neglect of
spiritual values. When materialism erodes the higher spiritual
dimension of life, a plunge into moral nihilism is bound to follow. We
see this in the alarming statistics characteristic of materialist
society: in the increased rate of suicide, in the explosion of crime,
in the proliferation of sexual offenses, alcoholism, and drug abuse.
This shows that a one-sided stress on material development in a
pleasure-seeking society is ultimately self-destructive, like a piece
of iron that is devoured by the rust arising from within itself. Even
knowledge and discipline on their own are not adequate, for without
moral ideals they may turn a society into nothing more than a
mass-scale workshop or military camp. It is only the cultivation of a
proper sense of values that can make society cultured and civilized in
the true meaning of those terms.
2. Having right understanding will enable us to recognize that
worldly values are man-made and relative. These false worldly values
lead people astray and make them suffer in vain. A Buddha teaches
authentic values, real values, values that are grounded in timeless
truth. A Buddha first realizes for himself the true nature of life,
then he reveals to blind worldlings the Dhamma, the eternal law of
righteousness and truth. This Dhamma includes the Four Noble Truths
and the principles of kamma and rebirth. Any values that deviate from
these principles, no matter how widely they may be accepted as the
common norm, are worthless and deceptive. While those whose minds are
shrouded in wrong views will be deceived by them, one with right view
will realize their hollowness at once.
3. Seeing that life involves incessant change and that it is subject
to many forms of suffering, one with right understanding learns to
live simply and to regulate desire. A wise and virtuous person is
moderate in his desires and follows the middle way in all matters.
Understanding the close connection between craving and suffering, he
will realize the importance of holding desire in check by simple
living. One with right understanding is aware that real happiness is
an inward state -- a quality of the mind -- and should therefore be
sought inwardly. Happiness is independent of external things, though
of course a certain degree of material security is necessary as a
basis for inner development.
We require only four basic kinds of physical sustenance: wholesome
food, clothing, shelter, and medicine. Complementary to these, we have
four mental needs: right knowledge, virtue, guarding the doors of the
senses, and meditation. These are the two sets of basic requisites for
leading a lofty life. Living simply, without superfluous possessions
and entanglements, leads to contentment and peace of mind, releasing
time and energy to pursue higher virtues and values. It is pride and
vanity that keep us tied to false goals, and the smaller the mind, the
greater is the pride.
4. Buddhism upholds the objectivity of moral values, for its ethics
is based on the law of cause and effect in the moral sphere, and this
law, like the physical law of gravity, is an unvarying truth valid for
all time. Good deeds and bad deeds will produce their respective
pleasant and painful fruits regardless of the views and wishes of the
people who engage in them. Recognizing the objectivity of the moral
law and the undeviating connection between deeds and their results, a
person with right view will abstain from wrong actions and adhere to
the standards of wholesome conduct embodied in the Five Precepts of
virtuous conduct (discussed below).
5. As instability is inherent in life, the most unexpected things
can happen. Therefore the wise Buddhist recognizes the need to control
his feelings. When calamity comes, we must face it calmly, without
lamenting or falling into despair. The ability to remain equanimous
amidst the fluctuations of fortune is a benefit of right
understanding. We should understand that everything that happens to us
happens because of causes and conditions for which we are ultimately
responsible. Similarly, as we obtain some degree of emotional control,
we will be able to discard irrational fears and worries. The seeming
injustices of life, grievances, emotional maladjustments, etc., are
all explained fully and rationally by the law of kamma and rebirth. By
understanding this law, we will see that, in the final analysis, we
are the architects of our own destiny.
6. A further fruit of right understanding is the ability to look at
people, things, and events objectively, stripped bare of likes and
dislikes, of bias and prejudice. This capacity for objectivity, a sign
of true mental maturity, will issue in clearer thinking, saner living,
a marked reduction of susceptibility to the pernicious influence of
the mass media, and an improvement in inter-personal relationships.
7. One with right understanding will be able to think for himself.
He is able to make up his own mind, to form his own opinions, to face
life's difficulties armed with the principles of reality taught by the
Buddha. The true Buddhist will not be a moral and intellectual coward,
but will be prepared to stand alone regardless of what others say or
think. Of course, he will seek advice when necessary, but he will make
his own decisions and have the courage of his convictions.
8. Right understanding will give us a purpose for living. A lay
Buddhist must learn to live purposefully, with a worthy aim -- both an
immediate aim and an ultimate aim, the one fitting harmoniously into
the other. To be truly happy we require a simple but sound philosophy
of life. Philosophy is the keen desire to understand the nature of man
and our destiny in the universe. It gives life a sense of direction
and meaning. Without one, we either dream our way through life or
muddle through life. A clear-cut philosophy makes life meaningful and
fruitful, enabling us to live in harmony with our fellows and with the
natural environment.
* * *
3. A Life Plan
To make the best use of our human potential, we need not only a
practical aim in life, but a life plan for achieving that aim. The
preceding two sections of this essay show the groundwork for
developing a proper sense of values, the values essential for gaining
happiness, success, and security within the mundane life and for
progressing towards the ultimate goal of the Buddhist path, Nibbana.
While we walk along the path to liberation, as laypeople we have to
live in the world, and our immediate objective will be to make our
life in the world both a means to worldly success and a stepping-stone
to final liberation.
To accomplish this, we must organize our life within the framework
of the Noble Eightfold Path. We can best realize our immediate aims by
drawing up an individual life plan in keeping with our powers and
circumstances. This life plan must be realistic. It must envisage a
realistic development of our innate potential, steering us towards the
fullest actualization of our possibilities.
At the start, we require an honest understanding of ourselves. It is
pointless to devise a workable life plan on the foundation stone of
grandiose delusions about our character and abilities. The more we
find out about ourselves, by self-observation and self-examination,
the better will be our chances of self-improvement. We should ask
ourselves how far and to what degree we are generous, kind,
even-tempered, considerate, honest, sober in morals, truthful,
diligent, energetic, industrious, cautious, patient, tolerant, and
tactful. These are the qualities of a well-developed Buddhist, the
qualities we ourselves should emulate.
We need to improve ourselves wherever we are weak. A little practice
everyday is all that is necessary. We should remember that the more
often an action is performed, the easier it becomes for us to perform
it in the future and the stronger becomes the tendency to do it again
and again until it becomes a habit, an ingrained part of our
character.
Our life plan should cover all the main areas of a normal
householder's life, including occupation, marriage, the procreation
and raising of children, retirement, old age and death. The happiness
of lay life consists in finding out exactly what one can do and doing
it well. A clear mental picture of a practical aim in life and a
realistic sketch of the steps needed to achieve that aim will help
guide us to the fulfilment of our ideal. We tend to become what we
really want to be, provided we act realistically and effectively to
realize our aim.
* * *
4. Obstacles
The following five states are likely to prevent or block the success
of our efforts to lead the upright life of a Buddhist lay follower.
They are called by the Buddha the five mental hindrances
(//pancanivarana//) because they close the doors to both spiritual and
worldly progress. Although the Buddha originally taught them as the
main obstacles to meditation, with a little reflection we can see that
they are equally detrimental to success in our mundane undertakings.
1. The first of the five hindrances is //sensual craving//,
obsessive hankering for possessions or for the gratification of the
senses. While the lay Buddhist will seek wealth and possessions as an
integral part of mundane happiness, he will also be aware of the
limits to be observed in their pursuit.He will recognize that if one
obtains wealth and position by unjust means, or becomes excessively
attached to them, they will become a source of misery and despair
rather than of joy and contentment. Money alone cannot solve all our
problems. Many people never learn this, and spend their time and
energy accumulating wealth and the so-called "good things" it can buy.
But in fact, the more they acquire the more they want. Such people can
never find happiness. A lay Buddhist must be moderate in all things.
Extreme desires -- for riches, the enjoyment of sex, liquor, the
ostentatious display of one's success -- are sure signs of internal
insecurity, things to be avoided.
2. //Ill will// or hatred, the second hindrance, is the emotional
opposite of desire, yet it is an equally potent obstacle to personal
development. Because we are attracted to desirable things, we are
repelled by what is undesirable. Like and dislike are the two forces
that delude the world, leading people astray into conflict and
confusion and drenching the earth with blood. Both are born of
ignorance. Desire colours everything in tinsel and drives us to
acquire what we want. Hatred colours everything black and drives us to
destroy what we suspect is inimical to our interests. The best way to
overcome hatred is by cultivating lovingkindness, explained later in
this essay.
3. //Indolence and mental inertia// is the next hindrance, the
obstacle to strenuous effort. The lazy person is not inclined to
strive for correct understanding or high standards of conduct. He is a
drifter or a dreamer, easy prey to the thieves of craving and hatred.
4. //Restlessness and worry// are twin hindrances very much in
evidence today. Restlessness is manifest in the agitation, impatience,
thirst for excitement, and unsettled character of our daily existence.
Worry is the guilt and remorse that one feels when one broods sadly or
regretfully over an evil deed that has been done or a good deed left
undone. The best remedy for a lapse or transgression already committed
is to decide never to repeat it; the best remedy for neglecting to do
good is to do it without delay.
5. The last hindrance is //doubt//. Doubt is the inability to
decide, the lack of resolution that prevents one from making a firm
commitment to higher ideals and from pursuing the good with a steady
will.
These five hindrances are great handicaps to one's progress. They
deprive the mind of understanding and happiness and cause much
unnecessary suffering. By cultivating the five cardinal virtues --
confidence, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom -- and by
constant effort one can reduce their harmful influence.
* * *
5. Relaxation
Modern life is full of stress and strain. Therefore relaxation is a
necessary ingredient of happiness. By understanding the causes of
stress and by regulating these causes, we can live calmly even in the
midst of strenuous activity.
Hard work without tension never killed anyone. Why is it then that
some people always work anxiously and feverishly? Generally, such a
person is driven by craving, by intense desire. He wants to achieve
his goal so eagerly, with such avidity, that he simply cannot rest
until he gets it; or he is so fearful of losing something he prizes
that he cannot relax and enjoy the present moment; or he is driven by
resentment against those who obstruct his thirst; or he is constantly
hankering after power, position, and prestige on account of some
irrational need to prove his worth to himself and others.
If a person wants to avoid stress and strain, then he will have to
train his mind to view everything he encounters -- persons, objects,
events, and experiences -- realistically, as transient phenomena,
dependently arisen through conditions. He should reflect upon them in
terms of the three characteristics -- as impermanent, unsatisfactory,
and without a self. Doing so will help to reduce the investment of
self-concern in these phenomena, and thereby will reduce the craving
and attachment for them. He should also avoid anger, anxiety, and
pride -- the thoughts of "me" and "mine" -- since such emotions are
productive of stress and strain. When one adopts this attitude to
life, one will discover greater detachment, deeper calm, more durable
peace of heart even amidst the same situations that previously
produced nothing but stress and worry. The key to managing stress is
through the disciplining and mastery of the mind.
One can also reduce stress by forming good work habits. One should
confine oneself to doing one thing at a time, since attempts to juggle
multiple tasks only lead to poor results in all of them. One should
keep work and leisure separate. One should work in a relaxed frame of
mind, repeatedly reminding oneself during the course of the day that
one can accomplish more work and better work if one works calmly and
intersperses one's routine with breaks.
The following additional disciplines will also be helpful in
combatting stress and tension:
1. Keeping the Five Precepts conscientiously. The feeling of guilt
increases stress. By observing the precepts, a person leads a
blameless life and thereby enjoys freedom from the nagging sense of
guilt that harasses one who violates the basic rules of morality. A
guilty conscience is a vexing companion during the day, an
uncomfortable bed-fellow at night.
2. Sense control. The mind is constantly attracted to pleasant sense
objects and repelled by unpleasant objects. Wandering recklessly among
the objective fields, it becomes scattered and distraught. By guarding
the sense doors, this wasteful agitation is checked. The mind becomes
calm and settled, and as a result one experiences an unblemished
happiness.
3. Meditation. Meditation, or //bhavana//, purifies the mind. As the
mind is gradually cleansed, one can see with greater clarity the true
nature of life. One then becomes increasingly detached from worldly
things and develops an equanimity that cannot be shaken by the
fluctuations of fortune.
4. Cultivating the four sublime attitudes. The four sublime
attitudes (//brahmavihara//) are lovingkindness, compassion,
altruistic joy, and equanimity. These are enlightened emotions that
reduce the stress and strain of daily life, improve interpersonal
relationships at home and in the workplace, promote racial accord and
amity, help in the development of an even mind, and increase calm and
inner peace.
5. One final piece of practical advice: Time, energy, and funds are
limited, while wants are unlimited. Therefore a person must have a
sense of priorities. A lay Buddhist, in particular, must be able to
discriminate: to know what is really essential to a wholesome life;
what is desirable but not urgent; what is trivial and dispensable; and
what is detrimental. Having made these distinctions, one must pursue
what ranks high in the scale of priorities and eschew what ranks low.
This will enable one to avoid unnecessary waste and worry, and help to
promote balanced, frugal living.
* * *
6. Observing the Five Precepts
The minimal code of ethics followed by a lay Buddhist is the Five
Precepts of virtue (//pancasila//). These precepts are moral rules
voluntarily undertaken to promote the purity of one's own conduct and
to avoid causing harm and suffering to others. Evil conduct is harmful
to oneself and others and strengthens the defilements of greed,
hatred, and delusion. To engage in unwholesome activity is not merely
a matter of free choice: it is a violation of the cosmic moral law
entailing inevitable suffering both in this life and in future
existences. The opposite of evil conduct is virtue (//sila//). Virtue
involves the avoidance of immoral deeds by voluntarily accepting
ethical principles of restraint. Virtuous action springs from the
three wholesome roots of non-attachment, goodwill, and wisdom. By
undertaking moral precepts one pledges to regulate one's conduct in
accordance with these three virtuous qualities.
The Five Precepts are as follows:
1. To abstain from killing living beings;
2. To abstain from taking what is not given, i.e. from stealing;
3. To abstain from sexual misconduct;
4. To abstain from false speech;
5. To abstain from intoxicants and harmful drugs.
Following the Five Precepts also implies shunning the five kinds of
occupation forbidden to a lay Buddhist: trading in arms, in human
beings (i.e. including slavery and prostitution), in flesh (i.e.
breeding animals for slaughter), in intoxicants, and in poisons.
Virtue, though formulated negatively in the precepts, is not a mere
negative state. To the contrary, it is most decidedly a powerful
mental achievement. To observe the precepts conscientiously in one's
daily life brings a simultaneous growth in mental purity, skilfulness,
and wisdom. Refraining from killing, for example, increases compassion
and lovingkindness for all living beings, two of the "sublime
attitudes" extolled by the Buddha. Honesty gives courage, generosity,
and love of justice. Sexual restraint results in physical strength,
vitality, and keenness of the senses. Truthfulness makes for
uprightness. Avoiding intoxicants and stupefying drugs promotes
clarity of mind. Finally, mindfulness is essential to observing all
the precepts, and one's constant effort to maintain the precepts in
turn issues in an increase in the clarity of mindfulness.
The habitual practice of the Five Precepts leads to increased
self-control and strength of character. The mind that succeeds in
controlling desire, even to a slight degree, gains in power. Desire is
a force every bit as real as electricity. When desire is uncontrolled,
allowed to run riot, it expends itself in the pursuit of things that
are harmful to oneself and others. The Buddha's teaching, far from
encouraging the proliferation of desire, counsels us in the methods by
which we may harness, divert, and sublimate the powerful force of
desire and use it for worthy ends.
Virtue is the first stage in the development of the Noble Eightfold
Path; as explained above, it comprises the path factors of Right
Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood. The energy conserved by
virtue is then used for the practice of the second stage,
concentration of mind, which in turn is the soil for the growth of
wisdom.
The observance of the Five Precepts is a voluntary act which each
individual must take up on his or her own initiative. The Buddha did
not formulate the precepts as commandments, nor did he threaten anyone
with punishment for violating them. However, this much has to be said:
The Buddha perfectly understood the workings of the universe, and he
proclaimed the inviolable moral law of cause and effect: good deeds
beget pleasant fruits, evil deeds beget painful fruits. The Five
Precepts are the guidelines the Buddha has bequeathed us to steer us
away from evil conduct and towards the lines of conduct that will
prove most beneficial for ourselves and others. When we mould our
actions by the Five Precepts, we are acting in accordance with the
Dhamma, avoiding future misery and building up protection and
happiness for ourselves and others both here and in the hereafter.
Thus the closer we live to the Five Precepts, the greater will be the
blessing power of our lives.
* * *
7. Controlling the Emotions
An emotion is a state of deep feeling, an "inward stirring" which can
act as a motivation for action. Emotions are often associated with the
instincts, the inborn tendencies to act in specific ways in specific
situations. Human beings are conditioned to a very great extent by
their emotions, by their likes and dislikes. Too often their emotions
are biased by self-interest and egotism, even to the extent that they
overwhelm sense and reason, compelling us to act in ways that, in
saner moments, we regard with dismay.
Emotions generally arise in response to the spontaneous evaluation
of perceptions. A person evaluates his or her percepts -- of another
person, an object, a situation -- as desirable or undesirable, as
helpful or as threatening. On the basis of this evaluation an emotion
will arise in response to the situation: desire for those things
positively evaluated, aversion or fear towards those things seen in a
negative light. Emotions may be harmful, such as lust, anger, and
fear, or wholesome, such as sympathy and compassion. While desire and
aversion are the prototypes of the unwholesome emotions,
lovingkindness and compassion are outstanding examples of emotions
that ennoble us and elevate human nature.
People vary widely in their emotional development and in the range
and strength of their emotions. While one person is passionate and
impulsive, another is cool and reflective; while one is quick to
anger, another is patient; while one is emotionally impassive, another
is capable of running through a wide range of emotions in less time
than a finger snap. One important reason for these differences is that
each individual brings along a different kammic inheritance of
tendencies and character traits from previous lives. Whether emotions
are repressed or expressed, indulged in or sublimated, depends on a
combination of factors: innate temperament, family background, and the
ethos and traditions of the larger society.
We cannot grow in the Dhamma or find happiness without some degree
of emotional control. A person who easily gets angry spoils his own
happiness and disturbs the peace of mind of others as well.
Instinctive emotions are the raw material of character. If an
instinctive impulse is misdirected or repressed, much harm and
suffering may ensue. But if the energy that is normally channeled into
this emotion is redirected towards a worthy object, the force of the
emotion will be sublimated in a way that results in great benefit to
oneself and to the community. For the Buddhist, the worthiest of all
ideals is the attainment of Nibbana; hence it is the quest for this
ideal that has the capacity to absorb and transform our emotional
life. Such a noble ideal has the power of evoking and harmonizing all
our emotional energies so that they guide us towards the realization
of our ultimate good.
Without deliberate effort, emotions will not be under the direct
control of the will. The Buddhist training aims at mastering the
emotions. The first step in gaining such mastery is the observance of
the Five Precepts. Practising the precepts in everyday life will help
us to control the grosser forms of craving and emotion. The next step
is to train the mind to control the emotions just as they begin to
arise. This is accomplished by mindfulness: by objectively watching,
with close attention, the emotions that arise and swiftly ascribing a
name to them, a mental label thus: "mind with lust," "mind with
anger," "mind with jealousy," "mind with sorrow," etc. Once we have
named the emotion, we are then in a better position to let it go,
without being swept away by it. The moment one calmly registers the
fact that one is angry -- when one is aware of the fact that a mind
with anger has arisen -- one then ceases to be angry. A mind that is
occupied with the wholesome thought of mindful awareness has no scope
within it simultaneously for an unwholesome thought of anger.
This same procedure should be adopted with any other harmful emotion
that arises. At the start it may prove helpful if, during the course
of the day, one mentally repeats to oneself a formula such as: "What
am I feeling now?" or "What am I thinking now?" and immediately
answers the question thus: "I am feeling angry," or "I am feeling
jealous," etc. We should also investigate, even later, when and why
anger -- or any other adverse emotion -- overwhelmed us //then//, and
thus avoid such situations and responses in the future.
By patient and persistent practice we can gradually gain control
over our harmful emotions. The discipline and effort involved is
worthwhile, for it will bring greater harmony internally -- in one's
own mind -- and externally, in one's relations with others. The key to
such control is firm adherence to the basic precepts of morality and,
above all, mindfulness of one's own thoughts and emotions.
* * *
8. Beware of Bias and Propaganda
Buddhism teaches the need for clear thinking, self-control, self-help,
and meditation. Although each human being is endowed with a mind, very
few of us use that mind to think for ourselves. The great majority of
people today allow others to do their thinking for them.
The mind absorbs a great deal of poison from the outer environment
by continuous exposure to suggestions from others. This mental
passivity has become especially baneful with the development of the
mass media. Radio, television, and newspapers, pulp journals and
tabloids, blare their messages at us every minute of the day, and
their power of penetration is reinforced by the ingrained human
disposition to accept what we are told and to comply with what we are
urged to do. Bombarded left and right by ten thousand inducements, we
no longer think our own thoughts, feel our own emotions, or initiate
our own actions; instead, we think as others want us to think, feel as
others want us to feel, act in ways that will win the approval of our
peers and superiors. The pull of the crowd has become irresistible.
Every time we open a newspaper, turn on the radio, or sit down
before the television set, we are immediately subjected to propaganda,
advertising, and subtle social suggestions. This is done daily,
deliberately and systematically. All these media are teaching us to
suspend our capacity for thought, or if we are to think at all, to
think as they would like us to think. Newspapers, for instance, seek
to command assent not only by their editorials and opinion columns,
but by their layout, language, and lines of emphasis.
Those who exploit the media in this manner are generally small but
powerful groups: the owners and sponsors of the media, advertising
agencies, the masters of commerce. Such people are motivated primarily
by self-interest, greed for wealth and power, a sense of
self-importance. Often they play dominant roles in various walks of
life, including politics, business, law, medicine, and education.
Among the general public the role of reason tends to be subordinate to
that of emotion, while mental inertia and indifference make the
conquest of reason easier. Hence, by shaping public opinion through
the manipulation of the media, a small minority is able to control the
majority.
Those who comprise this small but powerful minority all have
something to sell. Commercial advertisements make us want more and
more goods that bring us no real happiness, no real peace of mind. We
are told that our felicity depends on having a radio, television,
video player, stereo set, and computer games. Yet, however much we
deck ourselves with all these instruments of diversion, we still feel
our lives painfully lacking.
The speed, power, and efficiency of all these technological and
social developments within a purely materialistic society such as ours
has led to a rising incidence of stress disease and mental breakdown.
Those who do not crack under pressure find other escape routes, such
as drugs, alcohol, and psychotic cults, while for those who cannot
cope at all there remains the last resort: suicide, which has reached
alarming proportions in our midst.
How then is a Buddhist to protect himself or herself from the
baneful influences to which we are everywhere exposed in the modern
world? As lay Buddhists we should always adopt a critical attitude
towards the written and spoken word and should always apply
mindfulness to protect ourselves from being emotionally swayed by
those who seek to win our favour. We should stand back from the topic
under review and examine it objectively from all angles. Only after
appraising the alternatives should we arrive at a decision or
evaluation.
When we hear a particular opinion being voiced, we should make an
effort to find out who the writer or speaker is, what interests he or
she represents, including political affiliations, religious leanings,
and social background. We should also never forget that there are at
least two sides to any issue, and that we are more likely to arrive at
a correct stand if we first give unbiased consideration to both sides.
Before arriving at a conclusion, one should gather all the relevant
facts, maintain a calm mind free from emotional excitation, and
prevent oneself from being swayed by preferences and anger, praise and
blame. The same principle of objective thinking should also be applied
to other matters in everyday life.
If we properly understand the working of kamma and rebirth, we will
recognize that no one can be alike, and thus we will also avoid
drawing comparisons; for this is a world of comparisons as well as of
propaganda. The only meaningful comparison that one should make is
between the person that one was a month ago, a year ago, or a decade
ago, and the person that one is now: physically, intellectually,
morally, and financially. If there has been no improvement, or
insufficient improvement, one should inquire why this is so and remedy
one's deficiencies without delay. If this annual stocktaking is done
regularly, it will be most beneficial. Putting aside pride and
prejudice, revising one's values and outlook, one will then lead a
simpler, saner, and happier life.
* * *
9. A Happy Family Life
For the adult it is natural to love one person of the opposite sex.
The lay Buddhist will recognize that there is nothing "sinful" or
shameful in sex, and hence will not suffer from a guilt complex over
sexual desire. At the same time he or she will be aware that sexual
desire, like any other form of desire, must be regulated and
controlled to avoid harm to oneself and to others.
In a successful marriage the contracting parties must realize that
love is a sentiment far wider than sexual attraction. If one person
really loves another, he or she has to learn to give without expecting
anything in return. Only in this way can the problem of sex be solved
satisfactorily. Further, the would-be partners should ask themselves,
"What do I expect of my partner?" and should find out objectively to
what extent the prospective partner has the requisite qualities. One
might enlist the help of a trustworthy, balanced friend who has known
the would-be partner for some time and might be in a better position
to offer a correct evaluation. There are obvious dangers in being
one's own marriage broker. Too often one is inclined to endow the
would-be partner with qualities and virtues that she (or he) clearly
lacks in the eyes of the unbiased observer. This danger has to be
frankly acknowledged, for disillusionment might otherwise set in
sooner or later, and then the stage is set for marital discontent and
misery.
No doubt, in married life sex is important, but it must be kept in
its proper place, as an expression of marital love. Sex is by no means
the sole concern of married life; only when it is subordinated to
personal love and affection does sexuality provide a truly satisfying
emotional experience. Above and beyond sexual compatibility, a happy
marriage calls for mutual understanding and adjustments, for
sacrifices and selflessness, for tolerance and patience. Married life
becomes truly a blessing rather than a curse when it is viewed as a
partnership of two persons who are committed to think more of the
partnership than they do of themselves, who are ready to make the
mutual effort necessary to attain harmony and contentment.
Most married couples hope to have children. Children differ, for
each brings his or her own kammic inheritance from many past lives, a
kammic inheritance that includes potential tendencies that set the
general tone and trend of the child's character. This fact indicates
both the responsibilities and the limitations of the parents in the
upbringing of their children.
The child spends most of the formative years of his or her life at
home, and early in life learns to follow by imitation the values and
lifestyle of the parents. Schools and other influential agencies
cannot supplant or replace the parents. Buddhist parents should
recognize their solemn obligation to serve as models for their
children. They should therefore regularly observe the Five Precepts
and show their children by example that the Dhamma yet lives and rules
their daily lives. Parents must be aware that the child has immense
potentials for both good and evil, and thus must fulfil their
responsibility to help the child to develop his or her potential for
good and to check the potential for evil. It is only if parents bestow
their loving care and attention on their child that the child will be
able to satisfy the hopes and aspirations of the parents.
The Buddha has advised parents to guide their children, to supply
their needs, to see to their education, to give them in marriage at
the proper time, and to attend to all other aspects of their
well-being. Unfortunately, however, many parents today do not
discharge these duties, with the result that too often children go
astray. Responsible Buddhist parents must be prepared to forgo their
own pleasure in order to attend to the upbringing of their children.
They must realize that the home influence is ultimately what matters
most in forming the child's character, outweighing all other outside
influences to which the child may be exposed. In areas where the
parents lack adequate expertise, they should be prepared to consult a
non-technical manual on proper child rearing.
The first five years of a child's life are the most crucial in the
formation of his or her character, and it is at this stage that they
are most susceptible to the influence of the parents. Thereafter the
needs of the child change, and will continue to change radically at
different stages of development. Parents should remember this and meet
the new needs as they arise.
In the early years three factors are essential for balanced and
wholesome growth: parental love and affection; a stable home
environment; and scope for creative activity and personal initiative.
Young children learn largely by imitation. If parents show emotional
maturity, avoid quarrels, respect and trust each other, and do
likewise with their children, then the children will develop
characters that are sound both morally and psychologically. When the
child is brought up with love and understanding, with insight into his
or her changing needs, nourished with high ideals and lofty
aspirations, then he or she will have a secure foundation upon which
to build a character and a future. In this way the very first steps
along the Buddha's path will have been well planted.
Adolescence is a period of stress and strain, when children may be
inclined to rebel against parental authority. It is therefore at this
stage that the greatest love and understanding are called for. In
adolescence, as the sexual instinct awakens, sensible Buddhist parents
should be capable of guiding their children and helping them to adjust
to the changes taking place in their bodies and their lives. When
children ask their parents questions about sex, the parents should be
ready to answer them calmly and briefly in a matter-of-fact way, just
as they would answer any other question. If parents are unable to tell
the adolescent children the facts of life in an unself-conscious
manner they might give them a suitable book to enable them to instruct
themselves about the subject. Above all, in this age of sexually
provocative entertainment, irrespo
sible promiscuity, and an exploding
AIDS epidemic, withholding vital information is not a means of
protecting the youngster but of exposing him or her to danger.
When parental control, supervision, and proper guidance are lacking,
the children often incline to delinquency and drugs. Parents should
therefore take greater interest in their children, should spend more
time with them, should know how they use their leisure, and should
make the acquaintance of their friends. Real problem children are few;
it is only problem parents who are many.
As the child reaches maturity it is the duty of the parents to help
him wisely choose a suitable career as well as a mate, but the child's
wishes in these spheres have to be respected. To order the young
person about as if he or she were still a child is only to invite
trouble.
Since we live in a world of keen competition in many areas of life,
wise Buddhist parents will limit the size of their family in order to
give their children the best. In developing countries like Sri Lanka,
where the rate of reproduction is generally higher than the rate of
production of real wealth, this is a necessary measure to eliminate
poverty, especially among the working classes in both town and
countryside, whose families are generally large with many dependants.
Buddhism is not opposed to population control, except by means of
abortion, and with the world's resources dwindling today under dense
population pressure, Buddhist parents should recognize the need for
family limitation to ensure the best for the children.
In a country like Sri Lanka it is the duty of the state to
popularize family limitation by making freely available safe,
effective, and inexpensive methods of birth control. Production that
is centred on the population at large -- rather than on enhancing the
wealth of a privileged few -- using appropriate technology, with just
distribution of resources and extensive family planning, will increase
real wealth and help to improve the quality of life of the masses,
provided they also cultivate a wise sense of values. Otherwise they
will always remain poor.
The moral and spiritual edification of the children should accompany
their physical and emotional development. As they grow up, parents
should teach them the essentials of the Buddha-Dhamma, using simple
language and everyday examples. They should explain the working of the
moral law of kamma and rebirth, should instruct them in the proper
rules of conduct, and should clarify the reasons for practising virtue
in daily life. Furthermore, in a Buddhist country children should be
regularly taken to the temple, especially on quiet days. They should
be enrolled in Dhamma school if such is available, and should be
encouraged to ask their questions and discuss their problems with wise
and virtuous bhikkhus. The Dhamma, after all, is intended to guide us
in how to live this very life we are leading now. It is the art of
happiness here and now, and the path to deliverance in the hereafter.
Materialism is steadily eroding traditional values, moral,
spiritual, and social. The influence of materialism now reaches even
the remote villages, the ancient strongholds of the Buddhist way of
life. But young people who have been rightly brought up by Buddhist
parents to discover the value of the Dhamma for themselves are
unlikely to be led astray.
* * *
10. The Practice of Benevolence
The desire to do good, to bring about the happiness and well-being of
others, is effectively cultivated in Buddhism by the systematic
practice of the four "sublime attitudes" (//brahmavihara//):
lovingkindness (//metta//), compassion (//karuna//), altruistic joy
(//mudita//), and equanimity (//upekkha//). By cultivating these
qualities a Buddhist can gradually remove the mental defilements such
as hatred, cruelty, and envy, and bring into being the most exalted
virtues. The sublime attitudes elevate human beings to a divine-like
stature; they break the barriers that separate individuals and groups;
they build bridges more solid than those constructed of stone and
steel.
1. //Metta// is goodwill, lovingkindness, universal love; a feeling
of friendliness and heartfelt concern for all living beings, human or
non-human, in all situations. The chief mark of //metta// is a
benevolent attitude: a keen desire to promote the welfare of others.
//Metta// subdues the vice of hatred in all its varied shades: anger,
ill-will, aversion, and resentment. The Buddha said:
Hatreds do not cease through hatreds
Anywhere at anytime.
Through love alone do they cease:
This is an eternal law.
(Dhp. v. 5)
This stanza is of special significance to us in this nuclear era
when the most appalling destructiveness has erupted all over the
globe. Peace will never be achieved by meeting force with force, bombs
with bombs, violence with retaliation. //Metta// or lovingkindness is
the only effective answer to violence and destructiveness, whether by
conventional weapons or nuclear missiles.
2. //Karuna// is the attitude conveyed by such terms as compassion,
sympathy, pity, and mercy. Its basic characteristic is sympathy for
all who suffer, and it arouses a desire to relieve or remove the pain
and suffering of others. //Karuna// helps to eliminate callousness and
indifference to others' woes. It is the direct antidote to cruelty,
another vice common in the world today. It is compassion that prompts
one to serve others selflessly, expecting nothing, not even gratitude,
in return.
3. //Mudita// is altruistic joy, appreciative joy: the desire to see
others rejoicing in their happiness, the ability to share the
happiness and success of others. This attitude is the complement of
//karuna//: while //karuna// shares the sorrow of others, //mudita//
shares their joy. //Mudita// is the direct antidote to envy. Envy
arises over the good fortune of others: it resents those who achieve
position, prestige, power, and success. But one who practises
//mudita// will not only be happy when others do well, but will try to
promote their progress and welfare. Hence this attitude is of vital
importance for achieving social concord and peace.
4. //Upekkha//, the last of the four sublime attitudes, is
equanimity. //Upekkha// establishes an even or balanced mind in an
unbalanced world with fluctuating fortunes and circumstances: gain and
loss, fame and ill-repute, praise and blame, pleasure and pain.
//Upekkha// also looks upon all beings impartially, as heirs to the
results of their own actions, without attachment or aversion.
//Upekkha// is the serene neutrality of the one who knows.
The constant, methodical, and deliberate cultivation of these
sublime virtues in everyday life transforms the attitudes and outlook
of the practitioner. They should be the foundation of all Buddhist
social action, as well as of individual and collective peace and
harmony. Buddhist social welfare work may take many forms, but what is
most essential is the spirit in which it is performed. This spirit
should be marked by the subordination of the private good to the good
of the whole. For Buddhist social work to be of real value, action
should spring from genuine love, sympathy, and understanding for one's
fellow humans, guided by knowledge and training. Welfare work should
be the perfect expression of compassion, untouched by condescension,
washed clean of pride -- even of the pride of doing good. It should be
a sheer manifestation of the brotherhood of all human beings.
The four sublime attitudes should be diligently cultivated with
unremitting effort by every true follower of the Master. These
qualities never become obsolete. They convey a universal message which
transforms us into universal human beings.
* * *
11. Freeing the Mind
Mind occupies the pre-eminent place in Buddhism, for everything that
one says or does first arises in the mind as a thought. To have a
well-trained mind is indeed to possess a treasure. When a person
trains the mind, turns inward to examine and cleanse his own mind, he
will find therein a vast storehouse of happiness. Real happiness is a
quality of the mind which has to be sought and found in the mind. The
Buddha teaches that non-attachment to worldly pleasures is a greater
happiness than the enjoyment of worldly pleasures. Nibbana is the
highest happiness, the happiness of relief from suffering and from
repeated birth, and this happiness is only to be attained by freeing
the mind from its defilements.
The misguided worldling thinks otherwise. In his view the enjoyment
of sensual pleasures is the only real happiness. He forgets, however,
that sensual happiness arises merely from the gratification of desire,
and thus that this happiness must fade when the desired object is
obtained. Nor will the multiplication of desires make sensual pleasure
permanent, for there is no permanence in the passing. The pursuit of
sensual pleasures ends only in restlessness and dissatisfaction.
The aim of Buddhist mental culture is to gain direct intuitive
knowledge of the real nature of existence by systematic training of
the mind through meditation. This practice issues in detachment and
thus frees the mind from its delusions. Meditation leads the mind from
the pain-laden things of the world to the sorrowless, transcendent
state of deliverance, Nibbana. The basic cause of rebirth and
suffering is ignorance of the true nature of life. We consider what is
passing, unsatisfactory, and empty to be permanent, a source of true
happiness, and substantial. This delusion sustains the craving for
more existence and leads to the accumulation of kamma. Meditation is
designed to lead step-by-step to the dissolution of these delusions
and thereby to freedom from the grip of craving.
There are two kinds of meditation recognized in Buddhism: the
development of tranquillity (//samatha-bhavana//), which emphasizes
concentration, and the development of insight (//vipassana-bhavana//),
which emphasizes wisdom. These two types of meditation respectively
correspond to the second and third groups of the Noble Eightfold Path,
the concentration group and the wisdom group. Concentration means
one-pointedness of the mind, the ability to fix the mind on a single
object to the exclusion of all else. Concentration is not an end in
itself, but to be developed primarily because it is the basis for
wisdom, the ability to see things exactly as they are. It is this
wisdom that frees the mind from bondage.
To train the mind is not at all easy, for the mind has long been
accustomed to flow in the channels of greed, hatred, and delusion;
through ages we have relished sense pleasures, raged with anger,
wallowed in torpor, fidgeted restlessly, and vacillated with doubt.
Such habits are indeed difficult to break. Moreover, it is the very
nature of the untrained mind to wander from one idea to another. Thus
when the meditator sits down to begin the practice, strange thoughts
may dance before his mind. To overcome these disturbances, the Buddha
has taught five methods of expelling distracting thoughts:
1. Develop a good thought opposed to the distracting one; for
example, develop a thought of lovingkindness to expel a thought
of hatred.
2. Reflect on the evil consequences of distracting thoughts; for
example, ill will or anger may lead to harsh words or an exchange
of blows, to making enemies, or to something worse.
3. Turn the mind away from the disturbing thought and fix it on
some beneficial idea or towards some useful activity.
4. Trace the cause of the uprisen evil thought and reflect on
whether it will serve any useful purpose.
5. Struggle directly with the evil thought to crush it and subdue
it.
At the outset meditation will be a continual effort to pull the mind
back whenever it strays from the subject of meditation. It will seem
impossible to focus the attention on the selected subject for more
than a few seconds at a stretch. With continued practice, however, one
will refine one's skills until one can keep the mind focused steadily
and calmly on the chosen topic for increasingly longer periods. Then
the practice becomes more engaging, more rewarding, and also less
tiring. Eventually one's efforts will culminate in one-pointedness of
mind, //samadhi//.
With the attainment of the one-pointed mind, the meditator turns
this pure, steady, clear mind to the contemplation of existence
itself. This marks the beginning of //vipassana-bhavana//, the
meditative development of insight. The meditator mindfully
investigates his own compound of the "five aggregates." He sees that
the body, or form, is made up of changing physical qualities, while
mind itself consists of fleeting mental factors: feeling, perception,
mental formations (intentions, emotions, thoughts, desires, etc.), and
consciousness. He sees that these all occur in mutual dependence, all
in a flow. There is no substantial self, no immortal soul within them
to be called "I" or "mine." As the impermanence, the
unsatisfactoriness, and the selfless nature of the five aggregates
become manifest to the meditator, he realizes that nothing conditioned
is worth clinging to; for everything conditioned is fleeting, and in
the fleeting it is impossible to find stable happiness. This is
//panna//, wisdom, the third and final stage in the Noble Eightfold
Path.
With the development of wisdom, ignorance ceases in all its forms
and shades. Craving and kamma, the fuel for the flame of becoming, is
exhausted, and no more fresh fuel is supplied. Hence the flame of
existence burns out for lack of fuel. When such a person who has
reached the goal passes away, he no longer takes rebirth in any realm
of becoming. He has attained Nibbana, the Deathless.
* * *
12. Mindfulness of Breathing
Mindfulness of breathing (//anapanasati//) is an excellent subject of
meditation particularly useful to the busy layperson, as it can be
practised safely by anyone, anywhere, at any time. To practise this
type of meditation, one should first adopt a seated meditation
posture. Those who can sit comfortably in full lotus or half-lotus
posture may adopt those positions; those who find this difficult may
assume any cross-legged sitting posture that enables them to hold
upright the upper part of the body; those who find even this difficult
may sit on a straight-backed chair. The torso should be held erect but
not stiff; the hands should be placed one over the other on the lap;
and (for those who sit in a chair) the feet should rest on the floor.
The meditator should then breathe calmly and naturally, mentally
following the whole breath in and out without a break in
attentiveness. At the outset one should simply breathe in and out
without reflecting about it. One may fix the attention on the nostrils
or upper lip, wherever the breath is felt most distinctly as one
breathes in and out. There the attention should remain.
As one proceeds with the observation of the breath, one becomes more
and more deeply concentrated upon it. One then feels light in body and
mind, very calm and peaceful; one may even feel as if one were
floating in the air. When strong calm is established and the mind
becomes one-pointed, one may then turn one's attention towards the
development of insight (//vipassana//), aiming to gain direct insight
into the true nature of existence. This type of meditation, when
successful, leads by stages to the realization of Nibbana.
Apart from its ultimate benefits, mindfulness of breathing has an
immediate value that can be seen in one's daily life. It promotes
detachment and objectivity. It allows one the mental distance needed
to arrive at wise decisions in the countless difficulties of daily
life. Regular practice of this meditation brings increased
concentration and self-control, improved mindfulness, and is also
conducive to healthy and relaxed living.
* * *
13. Facing Death with Equanimity
Death is the only absolutely certain thing in life, yet how many of us
plan for it and prepare ourselves adequately in advance to face it
calmly? All human beings must die. The body disintegrates, breaks
apart, and turns to ashes and dust. The only thing we own that remains
with us beyond death is our kamma, our intentional deeds. Our deeds
continue, bringing into being a new form of life until all craving is
extinguished. We are born and evolve according to the quality of our
kamma. Good deeds will produce a good rebirth, bad deeds a bad
rebirth.
The materialistic view that a human being is merely a biological
result of the union of sperm and ovum which utterly terminates in
death is inadequate as a total explanation of human life. Nature and
nurture, heredity and the environment, cannot by themselves explain,
for example, why twins born of the same parents, physically almost
identical, enjoying equal privileges, brought up in the same
environment, often exhibit widely different characteristics, mental,
moral, and emotional. Moreover, science would meet difficulties
accounting for the existence of infant prodigies and the recollection
of past lives, particularly by children.
A realistic Buddhist, knowing that death is inevitable, plans for it
and trains himself to face it with equanimity. He also knows that the
best way to plan for death is to lead a virtuous and upright life.
Thus the devoted Buddhist regularly observes the Five Precepts,
performs many kind and generous acts, and endeavours to lessen his
greed and hate. The fact that one has led a blameless life will be an
added solace and source of strength at death. The fear of death then
loses its force and sting.
In preparing for death, a householder should fulfil his obligations
to his family, to others, and to his religion. In practice, this means
leaving behind a sufficient income for one's family, making out a
proper last will, planning one's own funeral arrangements, and
providing funds for the maintenance of virtuous and learned monks who
observe the rules of discipline and who can preach the correct Dhamma.
The Buddha teaches his lay followers, as well as the monks and nuns,
that they should often reflect on the inevitability of death: "Death
is certain, life is uncertain" (//maranam niyatam, jivitam
aniyatam//). These words are a clarion call reminding us of the need
to put our own house in order, morally and philosophically, without
delay, and to face each day as if it were our last. The world of today
would indeed be a happier and safer place to live if people the world
over would only pay heed to this call.
* * *
14. The Good Buddhist
The preceding sections of this essay will help the Buddhist lay
follower to understand, from a practical angle, the main points of the
Buddha's teachings as they bear on the conduct of daily life. Constant
practice of these principles will ensure that they are built into his
character, enabling him to develop into a well-rounded human being, a
centre of sanity in a confused world adrift in fashionable
philosophies full of empty promises.
At the very minimum a lay follower of the Buddha must keep the Five
Precepts, which enables him to develop virtue in regard to his bodily
and verbal behaviour. But one should not stop with this. One who seeks
the true perfection of happiness must also attend to the cultivation
of the mind. One must be mindful of the arising of unwholesome states
such as greed, anger, and delusion, and know how to deal with them
effectively when they threaten to throw one off balance. One should
proceed even further and attempt to cultivate the mind systematically
through the practice of meditation for tranquillity and insight.
The society in which we live is a reflection of the minds of the
human beings who have created that society. If our society has become
corrupt, rife with immorality, and destructive of the higher
potentials of human nature, that is because the people who comprise
that society have allowed themselves to drift into corrupt and immoral
states of mind. The quality of a society inevitably rests on the
quality of the lives led by the persons who make up that society. One
single individual may not be able to change the whole society for the
better. But each one of us can, at any rate, transform the world of
our own mind.
How is this to be done? By observing the Five Precepts flawlessly,
by being as mindful as possible in everyday life, by cleansing the
mind of its blemishes, by cultivating the four sublime states, by
meditating energetically every day, by listening to discourses on the
Dhamma and clarifying one's doubts about the teaching. By following
these guidelines one is sure to reap their fruits: peace of mind,
contentment, the absence of inner conflicts even in the midst of our
confusing and chaotic world.
A good Buddhist should ever seek the opportunity to do deeds of
mercy, kindness, and charity. He should be keen on helping those less
fortunate than himself. When practising giving, however, one should
give with discrimination, as the Buddha advises: //viceyya danam
databbam//. Thus the most needy will be benefited with the things they
need most.
A good Buddhist should set apart a few minutes every day to review
the day's happenings, and to see whether or not he has strayed from
the Master's teachings. If so, he should inquire why he has done so in
order to avoid a future repetition. Methodical reading on the Dhamma
will also help one to put the whole of life into the right
perspective. It is a useful habit to read daily an inspiring discourse
of the Buddha, such as the Mahamangala Sutta, or to recite some verses
of the Dhammapada and reflect for a few moments on their relevance to
one's own life. Doing so will help one to forget one's trifling
worries and troubles, to clarify one's thinking, and to recall the
ultimate values and truths upon which one should build one's life.
The Buddha's teachings consist of virtue, concentration, and wisdom.
Only with their practice will the Buddha-Dhamma flourish; when they
are neglected, the Buddha-Dhamma will decline. This fact should always
be remembered by those who are anxious to avert the decline and
disappearance of the Sasana. As religion withers the world over, more
and more attention is paid to empty rites, rituals, and ceremonies,
while little or no attention is paid to the actual practice of the
principles of religion as they bear on real life. It is this, however,
that matters most.
By following the above guidelines, a good Buddhist will grow in all
aspects of the Dhamma. These guidelines will help to mould one's whole
personality, to instil the true principles of the Dhamma into one's
understanding, to train the emotions and to discipline the will. Doing
so will conduce to the ultimate best interest of oneself, and help one
to make one's life a blessing for others as well.
May you and I and all other beings
be well and happy.
* * * * * * * *
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robert Bogoda was born in 1918 in Colombo, the business capital of Sri
Lanka. His secondary education was cut short by the sudden demise of
his father, which compelled him to work at a modest job as a teacher.
While engaged in teaching, he obtained by self study the B.Sc. (Econ.)
and M.Sc. (Econ.) degrees from the University of London, specializing
in Social Administration. Now retired, he pursues his interests in
Buddhism and social welfare. The essay "A Simple Guide to Life" was
written against this background.
* * * * * * * *
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DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
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