This book, Ajaan
Lee's first, is like a catalog: In it, he gives the
full range of his teachings on the practice of the
Buddha's craft, from the observance of the five
precepts to the attainment of total liberation. Thus
the different parts are written for different people
at different stages in the practice, and the reader
is advised to read, not judgmentally, but
judiciously -- taking whatever is useful for his or
her own practice, and leaving the rest for others.
The structure of the
book, with its two over-lapping parts, is explained
by the fact that the two parts were originally
written and published separately, Part II appearing
in 1936 as The Training of the Heart, and
Part I the following year as Precepts for
Laypeople. In 1939 Ajaan Lee revised and
expanded both parts, putting them into their present
form as self-sufficient but complementary halves of
a single volume. Later, in the early 1950's, he
revised the book once more, this final revised
version being the one translated here.
Although Ajaan Lee's
teachings continued to develop over the course of
later years, the basic outlines remained constant.
Most of his later teachings are simply elaborations
on themes already given in this book. One of these
later developments, though, deserves special mention
here: It concerns the question of how a beginner
should get started in practicing meditation. Ajaan
Lee's eventual solution to this question, given in
his book, Keeping the Breath in Mind: Method II, can
briefly be stated as follows: Start right in
developing the factors of Jhana by (1) being clearly
aware of each breath, (2) evaluating and adjusting
the breath so that it is as comfortable and
satisfying as possible, and (3) letting this
comfortable sensation spread, along with a sense of
present awareness, throughout the entire body. If an
individual meditator had trouble sticking with step
(1), Ajaan Lee might recommend some of the methods
given in this book -- the repetition of the word "buddho"
in conjunction with the breath, the contemplation of
the basic properties of the body, etc. -- but these
methods were regarded as ancillary to the central
practice of keeping the breath in mind.
Yet even though
Ajaan Lee's later teachings developed new
perspectives on some of the individual themes
contained in this book, none of his later writings
have its scope or completeness. For this reason it
remains to this day one of his most popular and
esteemed works.
But for all its
scope, it is only a preliminary guide -- a map or a
mirror -- for the true craft of the heart lies, not
within its covers, but within the reader.
To quote from one of
Ajaan Lee's later sermons: "What does discernment
come from? You might compare it with learning to
become a potter, a tailor, or a basket weaver. The
teacher will start out by telling you how to make a
pot, sew a shirt or a pair of pants, or weave
different patterns, but the proportions and beauty
of the object you make will have to depend on your
own powers of observation. Suppose you weave a
basket and then take a good look at its proportions,
to see if it's too short or too tall. If it's too
short, weave another one, a little taller, and then
take a good look at it to see if there's anything
that still needs improving, to see if it's too thin
or too fat. Then weave another one, better-looking
than the last. Keep this up until you have one
that's as beautiful and well-proportioned as
possible, one with nothing to criticize from any
angle. This last basket you can take as your
standard. You can now set yourself up in business.
What you've done is learn from your own actions. As
for your earlier efforts, you needn't concern
yourself with them any longer. Throw them out. This
is a sense of discernment that arises of its own
accord, an ingenuity and a sense of judgment that
come not from anything your teachers have taught
you, but from observing and evaluating on your own
what you yourself have done."
Hopefully this book
will be of help to all those who hope to master the
craft of the heart.
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
(Geoffrey DeGraff)
Metta Forest
Monastery
PO Box 1409
Valley Center, CA 92082 U.S.A.
In the first part of
this book I will discuss virtue, before going on to
discuss the practice of meditation in the second. I
put together this first section as a cure for my own
sense of dismay. I.e., there have been times when
I've asked lay Buddhists to tell me what exactly is
forbidden by the five precepts, the eight precepts,
and the ten guidelines (kammapatha) that
people observe, and their answers have been a jumble
of right and wrong. When I ask them how long they've
been observing the precepts, some say they've never
observed them, others say "two years," "five years,"
etc. The ignorance of those who've never observed
the precepts is understandable; as for those who
have taken the precepts, there are all kinds: Some
people who've taken them for three years understand
them better than others who have taken them for
five. Some people have repeated the precepts against
taking life for three years now, and yet keep on
taking life, with no idea of what the precept is
for. Of course, there are many people who are better
informed than this, but even so I can't help feeling
dismayed because their behavior isn't really in
keeping with their knowledge. Now, I say this is not
to be critical, but simply to be truthful. For this
reason, I have put together this book as a way of
relieving my sense of dismay, and have arranged to
have it printed for distribution to practicing
Buddhists, as a guideline for honoring our Teacher
through the practice of his teachings, and for
fostering the prosperity of those teachings for a
long time to come.
In conclusion, I ask
the reader to read reflectively. Some things here
may be to your liking, others may not. But at any
rate, I feel certain that you could find it well
worth your while to bring your conduct into line
with the various teachings mentioned here.
If anything I have
written in this book is incorrect in terms of the
Dhamma, please forgive me.
The physical and
mental energy used in writing this book I dedicate
to those who have felt inspired to provide the
financial energy for its printing. As long as they
are not yet totally liberated from all suffering and
stress, may they be perceptive and discerning with
regard to everything of every sort that pertains to
their genuine welfare in whatever realm they may be
reborn.
Phra Ajaan Lee
Dhammadharo
The Forest Temple
Shrimp Canal
Chanthaburi
Part I
Mastering Virtue
There are three sets
of precepts for laypeople: the five precepts, the
eight precepts, and the ten guidelines. Here we will
discuss the five and the eight precepts first,
saving the ten guidelines for later. The five
precepts can be divided into two sorts: those
dealing with bodily action and those dealing with
speech. Normalcy in bodily action is expressed by
three precepts: refraining from taking life, from
stealing and from engaging in illicit sex. Normalcy
in speech is expressed by the precept against lying,
which involves refraining not only from lying, but
also from divisive tale-bearing, from coarse or
abusive speech, and from aimless or idle talk. As
for the precept against taking intoxicants, it fits
in with the third precept -- against illicit sex --
in that both deal with forms of intoxication.
The eight precepts
are derived from the five --and, like the five, can
be divided into two sorts. Seven deal with bodily
action: refraining from taking life; from stealing
the possessions of others; from any and all sexual
intercourse; from eating food from the period from
noon until the following dawn; from watching
dancing, singing, instrumental music, and other
shows, and from using garlands, perfumes, cosmetics,
and jewelry; and from using high and luxurious beds
and seats.
The precepts,
whether five or eight, are ultimately two: right
normalcy in bodily action and right normalcy in
speech. Sila, the Pali word for virtue and
precept, literally means normalcy -- a quality that
can be separated into either five or eight component
virtues. The eight uposatha precepts do away
with more defilements of bodily action than do
either the five precepts or the ten guidelines. The
bodily actions of a person who observes them weigh
lightly, like those of one who is ordained.
(Speaking of ordination, for women at least, it
would appear that a person who observes the eight
precepts does away with more greed, anger, and
delusion in terms of bodily action than did the
sikkhamanas (aspirants to nunhood) of the past.
Although as a novice the sikkhamana was
expected to observe the ten precepts, still when she
was about to be ordained as a nun she had to be
strict in observing only the first six). So whoever
observes the eight precepts can be said to lead one
form of the chaste life -- kala-brahmacariya,
temporary renunciation -- the only difference being
that one doesn't have to change one's mode of dress.
It's a rare man or
woman who will act in this way. Whoever does can be
counted as a person of value, a vessel for what is
wise and worthwhile, into which the practice of
concentration (samadhi) should be placed.
The ten guidelines,
unlike the five and eight precepts, don't have to be
taken as vows. Once you understand them, simply go
ahead and follow them. Altogether, they are of three
sorts; three principles dealing with bodily action,
four with speech, and three with the heart. The
three principles dealing with bodily action are: not
taking life, not stealing, and not engaging in
illicit sex or taking intoxicants (the last two
being counted as one). The four principles dealing
with speech are derived from the precept against
lying: refraining from lying, from divisive
tale-bearing, from coarse or abusive speech, and
from idle, aimless and useless chatter.
The three principles
dealing with the heart are: anabhijjha -- not
coveting the possessions of others; abyapada
-- not feeling ill will, i.e., not wanting others to
suffer misfortune; and samma-ditthi -- right
view, being convinced that the pleasure and pain we
experience come from our own good and bad actions:
Whoever does good will meet with good, whoever does
evil will meet with evil.
So altogether there
are ten guidelines. These guidelines are termed
kusala kammapatha, wise policies or clean
actions. They are policies that should be adopted
and followed -- the more constantly, the better.
Defilements related to greed will die away; those
related to anger and delusion won't have a chance to
arise. Greed arises from the thought of coveting --
the focusing of desire -- which is then expressed as
greed in one's thoughts, words, and deeds. One's
thoughts thus become restless and disturbed; one's
words and deeds, unwise and defiled. As for anger,
it arises from ill will, which then gives rise to
hostility and finally to anger, fury, and violence.
One's thoughts, words, and deeds thus become unwise
and defiled. Delusion arises from wrong views, from
ignorance of right and wrong, good and evil, making
one's thoughts, words, and deeds unwise and defiled.
So you should kill
these things off at their source. Kill off
covetousness by sharing your possessions with others
-- with your children, brothers, sisters, relatives,
friends, monks, nuns, and recluses -- which in the
long run will be to your own benefit. This is termed
generosity (dana). Kill off ill will by
developing thoughts of benevolence, compassion,
appreciation, and equanimity; and avoid detrimental
actions by observing the precepts (sila).
Kill off wrong views by associating with people who
are knowledgeable and wise, learning from them so as
to develop your own insight and discernment. This is
termed mental development (bhavana).
These are the
techniques for curing greed, anger, and delusion.
Covetousness, ill will, and wrong views are the tap
roots of defilement; greed, anger, and delusion are
the crown. The thoughts, words, and deeds that
express these qualities form the trunk and branches,
and the fruit is pain: the pain of birth, aging,
illness, and death; of sorrow, lamentation, pain,
distress, and despair. Normally, when we've eaten
the flesh of a fruit, if we don't destroy the seed,
it will have a chance to sprout and form another
tree. So it is with defilement: If we don't destroy
the seed, it will produce more fruit. Thoughts that
fasten and cling: These are the seed. People who
don't realize this, imagine this fruit to be
something tasty and delicious, and so are unwilling
to abandon and destroy covetousness, greed, ill
will, and wrong views. As a result, they spin around
in this cycle in various ways, under the influence
of these three sorts of defilement. When these
defilements arise in full force, whatever status one
may have will be shattered, whatever wealth one has
will be lost, the good opinion of others will turn
to censure, one's happiness will turn to misery,
one's friends will flee, and one's family will fall
apart -- or even if it doesn't fall apart, it will
be pained with sorrow, as if its heart had been
scalded with boiling water.
So we should kill
off these defilements by being generous with our
belongings; by observing the five precepts, the
eight precepts, or the ten guidelines; and by
practicing concentration to develop the mind, making
it firm, unwavering, and still. Once these
defilements die, then even if you've never had
wealth, you'll be wealthy; even if you've never
reached heaven, you'll attain it, constant and
unchanging, in line with the Buddha's verse on the
rewards of the five precepts:
silena sugatim yanti
Through virtue they go to heaven.
silena bhoga-sampada
Through virtue wealth is attained.
silena nibbutim yanti
Through virtue they go to liberation --
secure happiness, free from all suffering and
stress.
tasma silam visodhaye
Thus we should all purify our virtue.
* * *
Question:
At what times should the five precepts, the eight
precepts, and the ten guidelines be observed?
Answer: The five precepts and ten guidelines should be observed at all times --
without any reference to morning, evening, noon, or
night -- as constant or timeless principles (nicca-sila,
akalika-sila). As for the eight uposatha
precepts, a pattern has been established -- in line
with the varying abilities and opportunities of
laypeople -- of gathering to observe the precepts
together once every seven or eight days on the lunar
sabbath: the day of the new moon, the full moon, and
the eighth day of the waxing and waning moons --
altogether four times a month. This pattern is for
people who don't have much time or opportunity. If,
however, you have plenty of time and opportunity,
let your own conviction be your guide. Focus on
goodness, and not on the calendar, observing the
precepts on your own, making whatever day you
observe them -- no matter what the date or season --
your own personal uposatha day.
Someone might object
here, saying, "If it isn't the lunar sabbath, then
you can't say you're observing the uposatha
precepts."
"If they're not
uposatha precepts, what are they?"
"Just the ordinary
eight precepts."
"Is it good or bad
to observe the eight precepts?"
"...Good."
"And we observe the
precepts for the sake of the good, don't we? So if
we've hit the good right on the nose, what does it
matter if we've hit the wrong day?"
Here we should
translate the word "uposatha." Literally, it means
"approaching respite" from all that is corrupt and
unwise. So by definitions, if there's no respite
from corruption in your actions, then it's not
uposatha day. There's no way you can guarantee that
this or that date is an uposatha day or whatever.
Still, the pattern of observing the eight precepts
on the lunar sabbath is a good one for people who
don't have much opportunity. But if you do have the
opportunity, you shouldn't limit yourself just to
those days, because virtue, by its nature, isn't too
particular about the date.
This being the case,
we should set up gradations so that those who feel
inspired to practice can do so as they are able:
1.
The first group observes the eight precepts on each
lunar sabbath during the rainy season: three months,
four days a month, thus twelve days. This is termed
mudu, the weak level.
2. The intermediate level -- majjhima uposatha -- observes the eight
precepts on each lunar sabbath, without fail,
throughout the year: twelve months, four days a
month, thus 48 days a year.
3. The highest level -- ukkattha uposatha -- observes the eight
precepts on each lunar sabbath, and on the day
before and the day after each sabbath, without
reference to month or season: twelve months, twelve
days a month, thus 144 days a year. This is for
people of firm conviction. Or, if you want, you can
aim higher than that and observe the eight precepts
at all times and in every season, focusing on the
quality of virtue itself instead of on the
ordinances and conventions of the world -- just like
the Buddhist nuns who, in our day and times, observe
these very same eight precepts.
* * *
Virtue can be
established on one of two bases: either through (1)
making a vow (samadana-virati), as when we
repeat the precepts after a monk or novice (here it
is also necessary to learn exactly what vices and
misdeeds are forbidden by each of the five or eight
precepts); or (2) simply deciding on our own to
abstain from a particular vice or misdeed (sampatta-virati).
In other words, when you want to keep your character
pure, you can go ahead and decide to refrain from
misconduct on your own. Once virtue is established,
and you are careful to safeguard it out of a sense
of conscience so that it doesn't lapse, this is
termed samuccheda-virati: absolute
abstinence.
For virtue to be
kept pure depends on two factors: perseverance and
the four Sublime Attitudes (benevolence, compassion,
appreciation, and equanimity). An example of keeping
the precepts through perseverance would be: Suppose
you're accustomed to killing animals. If you decide
to observe the precepts, you hold off for a day or
so, but you have no strong sense of perseverance to
get you through. Once you get past your self-imposed
time limit, you go back to your old ways. Observing
the precepts through perseverance in this way means
to exercise self-control so as not to commit
whatever misdeeds you've been accustomed to.
Question:
Is there any value in observing the precepts in this
way?
Answer: There can be -- as far as that particular day is concerned. Seeing the
light every once in a long while is better than
never seeing it at all.
To observe the
precepts through the Sublime Attitudes, though,
means to wish for the happiness of other living
beings, to sympathize with the fact that no one
wants to suffer, that we all desire well-being and
freedom from harm. Once you realize this, and a
sense of compassion arises, you wouldn't dare
transgress the precepts you've undertaken. Observing
the precepts through benevolence in this way bears
powerful rewards.
Whoever puts virtue
fully and completely into practice can aspire to any
attainment: rebirth as a human being, rebirth in
heaven, or nibbana. Such a person can aspire
to a beautiful appearance and voice, fragrant
aromas, delicious tastes, delicate sensations, and
delightful moods. To have virtue is to have wealth:
The five precepts are equal to 50 pounds of gold
bullion; the eight precepts, 80 pounds; the ten
guidelines, 100. Actually, moral virtue is something
valuable beyond price. Virtue and generosity, taken
together, are the qualifying factors for rebirth as
a human being and rebirth in heaven. Virtue,
generosity, and the development of the mind through
meditation are the qualifying factors for nibbana.
So we should all try to find the time to perform
those actions that will lead to our true welfare in
the coming future.
* * *
Before taking the
precepts, first pay respect to the Triple Gem -- the
Buddha, the Dhamma (the Truth he taught), and the
Sangha (those of his followers who attained that
Truth) --
Araham
samma-sambuddho bhagava
The Blessed One is Worthy & Rightly
Self-awakened
Buddham bhagavantam abhivademi
I bow down before the Awakened, Blessed One.
(bow down)
Svakkhato bhagavata
dhammo
The Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed One.
Dhammam namassami
I pay homage to the Dhamma
(bow down)
Supatipanno
bhagavato savaka-sangho
The Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples has
practiced well.
Sangham namami
I pay respect to the Sangha.
(bow down)
Now the group will
chant the standard morning service. If you don't
know it, simply remain silent. When the group has
finished, it will chant the request for the precepts
in unison. Again, if you don't know it, remain
silent. The request for the five precepts is as
follows:
Mayam bhante
ti-saranena saha pańca silani yacama
Venerable sir, we request the five precepts
together with the Three Refuges.
Dutiyampi mayam
bhante... yacama
A second time...
Tatiyampi mayam
bhante... yacama
A third time...
The request for the
eight uposatha precepts:
Mayam bhante
ti-saranena saha atthanga-samannagatam uposatham
yacama
Venerable sir, we request the eight-factored
uposatha observance together with the Three Refuges.
Dutiyampi mayam
bhante... yacama
A second time...
Tatiyampi mayam
bhante... yacama
A third time...
Then repeat the
phrase paying homage to the Buddha:
Namo tassa bhagavato
arahato samma-sambuddhassa
(three times)
Homage to the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the
Rightly Self-awakened One.
And then the phrases
for taking refuge in the Triple Gem:
Buddham saranam
gacchami
I go to the Buddha for refuge.
Dhammam saranam gacchami
I go to the Dhamma for refuge.
Sangham saranam gacchami
I go to the Sangha for refuge.
Dutiyampi buddham
saranam gacchami
A second time, I go to the Buddha for refuge.
Dutiyampi dhammam saranam gacchami
A second time, I go to the Dhamma for refuge.
Dutiyampi sangham saranam gacchami
A second time, I go to the Sangha for refuge.
Tatiyampi buddham
saranam gacchami
A third time, I go to the Buddha for refuge.
Tatiyampi dhammam saranam gacchami
A third time, I go to the Dhamma for refuge.
Tatiyampi sangham saranam gacchami
A third time, I go to the Sangha for refuge.
This finished, the
monk who is officiating will say,
Ti-sarana-gamanam nitthitam ("The taking of the
three refuges is now completed"). You say, Ama,
bhante (Yes, sir). Now repeat the precepts after
him (translations are given below):
1.
Panatipata veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
2. Adinnadana veramani sikkhapadam
samadiyami
3. Kamesu micchacara veramani sikkhapadam
samadiyami
(If you are taking the eight precepts replace this
with:
Abrahma-cariya veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami)
4. Musavada veramani sikkhapadam
samadiyami
5. Sura-meraya-majja-pamadatthana veramani
sikkhapadam samadiyami
(If you are taking
the five precepts, stop here. If you are taking the
eight precepts, continue:
6.
Vikala-bhojana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
7. Nacca-gita-vadita-visuka-dassana
mala-gandha-vilepana-dharana-mandana-vibhusanatthana
veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
8. Uccasayana-mahasayana veramani
sikkhapadam samadiyami
If you are taking
the uposatha precepts, the monk will announce the
duration of the uposatha period. Repeat after him:
Imam
atthanga-samannagatam
Buddha-pańńattam uposatham
Imańca rattim imańca divasam
Sammadeva abhirakkhitum samadiyami
(which means: I
undertake to maintain, perfect and pure for today
and tonight, this uposatha observance formulated by
the Buddha and composed of eight factors.)
The monk will
counsel heedfulness and announce the rewards of
observing the precepts:
Imani attha
sikkhapadani accekam rattin-divam
uposathasila-vasena sadhukam rakkhitabbani
(These eight
training rules are to be well maintained for the
entire day & night of the Uposatha period.)
(you say, Ama
bhante (Yes, sir.)) The monk will continue:
Silena sugatim yanti
silena bhoga-sampada silena nibbutim yanti tasma
silam visodhaye
Through virtue they
go to heaven.
Through virtue wealth is attained.
Through virtue they go to liberation Thus we should
all purify our virtue.
This ends the taking
of the precepts.
* * *
The precepts
translated are as follows:
1.
I undertake the training rule to refrain from taking
life.
2. To refrain from stealing.
3. To refrain from illicit sex. (This is for those who are taking the five
precepts. The precept, Abrahma-cariya..., for
those taking the eight precepts, forbids all forms
of sexual intercourse.)
4. To refrain from speaking falsehood.
5. To refrain from taking intoxicants.
6. To refrain from eating food during the period from noon until the
following dawn.
7. To refrain from watching shows (e.g., dancing, singing, instrumental
music) and from ornamenting the body with flowers,
scents, cosmetics, or jewelry.
8. To refrain from using high and luxurious beds and seats. "Luxurious"
means having a stuffed cushion or mattress. "High"
means more than ten inches high. Armchairs and
couches with arms, however, even if they are more
than ten inches high, are not prohibited by this
precept.
* * *
The precepts,
whether five or eight, have two foundations. In
other words, for them to be broken, they must be
transgressed by either (1) the body in conjunction
with the mind, or (2) speech in conjunction with the
mind. A precept transgressed unintentionally with a
bodily action is nevertheless still intact. Say, for
instance, you cut a tree or gather flowers to place
on an altar, and it so happens that the insects
living in the tree or flower stem die. You had no
idea they were there in the first place. In this
case, your precepts are still intact because you had
no intention in mind for them to die. As for verbal
acts, suppose that you speak hurriedly, and what you
end up saying is different from what you had meant
to say, out of either carelessness or inattention.
For example, you meant to say three words, but ended
up saying four; you meant to tell the truth, but
what you actually said was false. Since it was
simply a verbal act, and you didn't have it in mind
to speak misleadingly, your precepts are still
intact.
A breach of the ten
guidelines can be effected with one of as many as
three factors: the body in conjunction with the
mind, speech in conjunction with the mind, or the
mind acting alone. In other words, a transgression
of any sort in thought, word, or deed has to be
intentional for there to be a breach in one's
virtue, because the intention -- the will to abstain
(cetana-virati) -- forms the essence of
virtue. This can be checked against any of the
various precepts. Intention is the essence of
virtue; aspects of virtue apart from that intention
are simply its expressions and applications.
The intention that
qualifies as virtue is the will to abstain in line
with the five or eight precepts. As for the
precepts, they give expression to the intention,
while the rules that detail exactly what actions are
forbidden by the various precepts indicate the scope
of its application. Virtue is normalcy. Normalcy and
right equilibrium in word and deed is expressed by
the five precepts and eight uposatha precepts.
Normalcy and right equilibrium in thought, word, and
deed is expressed by the ten guidelines.
The statement that
intention is the essence of virtue is supported by
the passage in the Canon where the Buddha says,
cetanaham bhikkhave
kammam vadami
The intention, monks, is what I maintain to be
action.
* * *
Virtue, as practiced
by Buddhists in general, can be summarized into
three categories: hina-sila, gocara-sila
and anagocara-sila.
1.
Hina-sila means simply obeying the precepts.
For instance, the first precept tells you not to
kill, so you hope to gain merit by looking out for
the lives of others, not causing them to die. The
second precept tells you not to steal, so you hope
to get some good out of taking care of the
possessions of others, not causing them to
disappear. The third precept rules out illicit sex,
so you go around looking out for other people's
spouses and children. The fourth precept rules out
lying, so you go around looking after other people's
ears by not putting lies in them. The fifth precept
rules out alcohol, so you do your part for other
people's liquor bottles by not making them go empty.
The same holds true for the other precepts.
Practicing virtue in this way is tantamount to being
a watchman for other people's goods. You put
yourself on the level of a slave or hired cow-hand.
Whether you observe the five or even the eight
precepts, this is classed as the lowest level of
virtue, or as silabbatupadana, attachment to
external forms of goodness.
2. Gocara-sila means making sure that the mind occupies itself only
with good intentions, such as thinking of ways to
act that will be wise and meritorious. Whether your
thoughts deal with the past or the future, with
visual objects, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile
sensations, or ideas, you are careful to keep them
in line with wise intentions, not letting them fall
into ways that are corrupt or ill-considered.
3. Anagocara-sila means keeping the mind in the present, not letting
it wander among distracting thoughts. You are
mindful and alert, keeping watch over the mind so
that it stays exclusively in the present. This
is virtue -- when virtue reaches a state of normalcy
-- the sort of virtue worthy of heaven and
nibbana.
The virtue that is
careful not to break the precepts can counter the
cruder forms of greed. The virtue that guards the
mind's train of thought, keeping it from traveling
in the area of shoddy intentions, can do away with
anger and aversion. The virtue that enters into the
present -- i.e., virtue in a state of normalcy --
can do away with delusion. Thus we can say that
virtue can do away with the cruder forms of
defilement, i.e., certain levels of greed, anger,
and delusion.
* * *
To continue with the
service for the lunar sabbath: Now you have the
opportunity to hear a sermon. The request for a
sermon is as follows:
Brahma ca
lokadhipati sahampati
katańjali andhivaram ayacatha
santidha sattapparajakkha-jatika
desetu dhammam anukampimam pajam
(The Brahma
Sahampati, lord of the world,
With hands palm-to-palm before his heart
[approached the Lord Buddha and] requested a
blessing:
There are beings here with only a little dust in
their eyes.
Please teach the Dhamma out of compassion for them.)
Now compose your
thoughts and keep them fixed on absorbing the
nourishment of the Dhamma. Once the sermon is
finished, you may proclaim yourself to be a lay
adherent of the Buddha, as follows:
Aham buddhańca
dhammańca sanghańca saranam gato
I have gone to the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha
for refuge.
Upasakattam desesim bhikkhu-sanghassa samukkha
I have declared my adherence in the presence of
the Bhikkhu Sangha.
Etam me saranam khemam
Etam saranam-uttamam
This is my secure refuge,
This is my highest refuge
Etam saranam-agamma
Sabba-dukkha pamuccaye
This is the refuge, having gone to which,
One is released from all suffering & stress.
Yatha-balam careyyaham
Samma-sambuddha-sasanam
I will follow, as well as I am able
The teachings of the Rightly Self-awakened One
Dukkha-nissaranasseva
Bhagi assam anagate
So that in the future I will have a part
Of the escape from suffering & stress.
(Women should
substitute gata for gato,
upasikattam for upasakattam, and
bhaginissam for bhagi assam.)
The Pali word for
adherent, upasaka (fem. upasika),
literally means "one who is close." There are ten
qualities looked for in adherent: five activities to
be refrained from and five qualities to possess. The
five to be refrained from are:
1.
selling weapons,
2. selling human beings,
3. selling animals to be killed for food, or
the flesh of animals that one has killed oneself,
4. selling intoxicants,
5. selling poison.
The five qualities
to possess:
1.
conviction,
2. observance of the precepts,
3. belief in nothing but the principle of
kamma -- that those who do good will meet with
good, those who do evil will meet with evil,
4. an unwillingness to look for merit in ways
excluded by the Buddha's teachings,
5. performance of merit in ways particular to
the Buddha's teachings.
To possess these
qualifications means by definition that one is an
adherent to generosity, virtue, and meditation.
* * *
Now that the service
is over, you should take the opportunity to develop
peace and respite of mind. Don't let the day go to
waste. Take the word buddho as your
meditation exercise. To be intent on repeating the
word buddho in your mind is one form of
concentration (samadhi). Discernment (pańńa)
means thorough comprehension of all fashioned and
conditioned things. The value of discernment is that
it abandons all forms of defilement. Virtue,
concentration, and discernment: These qualities form
the heart of the Buddha's message, which we should
all try to develop to the best of our abilities.
Now we will pose a
number of questions dealing with virtue and
concentration as a way of further elaborating on
these topics.
* * *
1.
What are the benefits of observing the precepts?
What are the drawbacks of not observing them?
2. What is meant by virtue?
3. How many kinds of virtue are there?
4. What is the essence of virtue?
5. What is needed for virtue to be maintained?
1.
To answer the first question: People observing the
precepts can perceive the following benefits as far
as this lifetime is concerned: They are not
distrusted or despised by people at large; they can
enter with confidence into the company of sages and
people in general. After they die, they are sure to
qualify for rebirth on the human plane at the very
least. For these reasons, virtuous people are not
willing to let their virtue be defiled.
Another answer is
that virtuous people are admired throughout the
world. Why is this so? Because no one in the world
likes abuse, not even the least little bit. Not to
mention good people, even thieves and robbers
complain about people who have no principles, as
when they get together to commit a robbery: The
members of the band are sure to find fault with each
other because of the hardships involved in what
they're doing. Still, they go ahead and do it, out
of their own ignorance, stupidity, and lack of
judgment.
Another answer is
that people who observe the precepts work for the
prosperity of this world and the next. Most of us
overlook this aspect of virtue. Wrong looks right to
us, and we think that observing the precepts retards
progress, that people who observe the precepts are
old-fashioned and behind the times, or that the
precepts make it impossible to earn a living. All of
these views have no basis in truth. Exactly how do
the precepts retard progress? Consider this
carefully: The nature of the world is that not a
single person likes to suffer. Even common animals
don't set their sights on pain. So to be virtuous
means not to ruin the world, but to protect it and
help it advance. When the Buddha established the
precepts, he did so not merely in line with his own
opinions, but rather in line with the ways and
opinions of people throughout the world. How can we
know that this is so? We needn't ask the Buddha
himself; we can consider the matter on our own:
(a) Take a simple
example, like killing: Fishermen make their living
by killing, and some of them end up making money by
the fistfuls from it. Still, they complain about the
hardships of their work and sometimes they even fall
in the ocean and drown. The fact that they complain
about their work shows they don't like it. As for
the fish, they don't like it either. Even gnats and
mosquitoes don't like being abused. So why do we
abuse them? Because we haven't associated with wise
people. We see the harm and the pain, yet we still
go ahead and do it out of our own darkness and
delusion. This is one example to show that the
Buddha established the precepts in line with the
views of the world.
Example (b):
Stealing, Is there anyone in the world who likes it?
If the world liked stealing, there probably wouldn't
be laws forbidding it -- and what human society
doesn't have such laws? The fact that we have these
laws shows that we don't like stealing. Even things
about to be stolen don't like to have people steal
them. Animals, for instance, when they're cornered
by thieves, will try to run away. Thieves and
robbers usually complain that their work is hard --
always having to lurk and keep out of sight, going
without food and sleep. The fact that they complain
shows that they don't like their work. So why do
they do it? Because they haven't associated with
wise people. Wrong looks right to them because of
their own darkness and delusion.
Example (c):
Adultery. Who in the world likes it? Go ask those
who do it, and they'll complain that they suffer
from it. Ask those who are done to, and they'll
complain that they suffer from it and don't like it.
Sometimes they end up killing themselves. This shows
that the world doesn't care for it. So why do people
do it? Because they haven't associated with wise
people. Wrong looks right to them, and so they bring
about the ruin of the world. They get fined or put
in jail, and get into difficulties with their
families, knocking one another over the skull just
for the fun of it. To do wrong in this way will
bring tears to a parent's eyes and ears, and trouble
to the hearts of the authorities. These are things
that bring about the ruin of the world.
Example (d): Lying.
Is there anyone in the world who likes it? When a
person is lying, he has to be wary out of fear that
others will find him out. When he's about to lie, he
suffers in trying to figure out how to get away with
it. Once he's lied, he suffers out of fear that no
one will believe him. A person who is lied to has to
question and cross-examine, out of fear that what
he's heard may not be true. Even small children
don't like to be lied to. Say that a child is crying
for its mother, and its father lies to it, saying,
"There -- your mother's coming." When it doesn't see
its mother, it'll cry without stopping. Why? Because
it can't trust its father. But not to mention human
beings, even animals don't like to be lied to. Say
that we take some cooked rice and lure a dog with
it. Once it sees the rice, it'll think we're going
to feed it, so it comes prancing up with its rear
high and its tail wagging -- but instead of feeding
it, we take the rice and run off. If we do this
three or four times, after that it probably won't
come, because it knows we're lying. This shows that
no one likes lies. So why do people lie? Because
they haven't associated with wise people. Wrong
looks right to them, and so they cause the world to
degenerate.
Example (e):
Alcohol. There is one who likes the drinking of
alcohol. People who brew it complain of their
difficulties: that it's a losing business, that
they're afraid they'll be seen by the police or
cheated by their customers. People who drink alcohol
complain that it makes them dizzy, or that it eats
up their salaries and leaves them poor. I have yet
to hear anyone extol drinking as a way to health,
wealth, and happiness. If people who drink really
thought it were good, they probably wouldn't come
back to drinking plain old water or eating plain old
food again. Once people get drunk, they start acting
rowdy and disgusting in ways that people in general
neither praise nor admire. Even their own families
get disgusted with them, and they themselves
complain that they're in debt or don't have enough
money to spend, which shows that they themselves
don't like or admire their habit.
In some places the
government, acting out of concern for the public
well-being, has established laws to prevent the
damages that come from the drinking of alcohol. (I
personally have wondered whether the money the
government makes from taxing alcohol is enough to
cover the damages caused by people who drink. I
doubt that it is, but this is simply my own opinion.
You might want to consider the matter for yourself.
One common example is when people get together to
drink -- either legal whiskey or bootleg -- and get
to talking: One bottle of whiskey, and maybe one of
them ends up killed. The pittance the government
gets from the bottle of whiskey is probably nowhere
near enough to pay for the costs of tracking down
the guilty parties in a case like this.)
Thus the Buddha saw
the evils in this sort of behavior: that it causes
the world to degenerate and hampers people from
making a living. A drunk person, for instance, can't
do any steady labor. All he can do is brag. I don't
mean to be critical here, but it's something I've
often seen. For instance, when a farmer has his
neighbors over to help harvest his rice, they'll
make plenty of noise, but when you go to take a look
at their work, you'll find the rice scattered all
over the place.
Once I came across a
well dug at a crazy angle, but when I peered down at
the water, it looked clean and fresh. So I said to
the owner, "The water looks good. Why didn't you do
a good job of digging the well? Was it because you
ran into a rock? Or a tree root? When was it dug?
Who dug it? Did you do it yourself, or hire someone
to do it for you?"
So the owner
answered, "I had some friends over to help dig it."
"How did you get
them to dig so deep? It must have cost a lot of
money."
"I served whiskey
until we were all good and drunk, and then we got
down to digging the well, which is why it ended up
so crooked."
This goes to show
how liquor can spoil a job.
All of the examples
I've mentioned here -- brief, but enough to serve as
food for thought -- show that the world doesn't like
these things, that they cause damage and loss,
putting money, labor and people to waste. And this
goes to show that the Buddha forbade these things in
line with the views of the world. Not one of the
precepts runs counter to those views. This being so,
which one of the precepts retards progress or
creates trouble?
Then why don't
people perceive this? Because they haven't
associated with wise people, and so wrong looks
right to them. They go counter to the world, and
suffer for it. The Buddha taught in line with the
aspirations of the world, for the progress of people
and nations. If people were truly to abstain in line
with the precepts, life on earth would be happy in
the visible present.
This ends the
discussion of the first topic, the benefits and
drawbacks of observing and not observing the
precepts.
2. The second question -- "What is meant by virtue?" -- can be answered as
follows: The Pali word for virtue, sila, means
normalcy. "Normalcy" refers to a lack of deviation
in thought, word, and deed, while "lack of
deviation" refers to the act of not doing evil with
one's deeds, not speaking evil with one's words, and
not thinking evil with one's thoughts: in other
words, abstaining from three types of harmful bodily
action, four types of harmful speech, and three
types of harmful thought. The three bodily actions
to be avoided are taking life, stealing, and taking
intoxicants and engaging in illicit sex. To avoid
these things, not letting the body deviate in their
direction, is for the body to be in a state of
normalcy. The four types of speech to be avoided are
lies, divisive tale-bearing, coarse and abusive
speech, and idle, aimless chatter. To keep one's
speech from deviating in the direction of these
things is for speech to be in a state of normalcy.
For thought to be in a state of normalcy means (a)
not coveting the belongings of others, (b) not
feeling ill will toward those people or living
beings whose actions are displeasing, and (c)
viewing things rightly: seeing that all living
beings fare according to their actions -- those with
good intentions will meet with good, those with evil
intentions will meet with evil -- and that no one
aspires to suffering. Once you see things in this
way, maintain this viewpoint. Don't let it deviate
into ways that are wrong.
To keep one's
thoughts, words and deeds in a state of normalcy and
equilibrium like this is what is meant by virtue.
The word "equilibrium" here, though, doesn't rule
out all action; it rules out only the types of
action that cause one's words and deeds to move in
ways that are wrong. Apart from such deviations,
whoever has the energy to perform work of whatever
sort in making a living is free to do so, because
the precepts of the Buddha aren't lazy precepts or
faint-hearted precepts, down-and out or
bump-on-the-log precepts -- i.e., precepts that
don't let you do anything at all. That's not the
sort of thing the Buddha taught. As for speech,
whoever has anything to say that is free from harm
is free to go ahead and say it. The precepts of the
Buddha aren't mute precepts or dumb precepts;
they're precepts that let you speak what is proper.
And as for the mind, whoever has ideas that will
lead to knowledge or ingenuity in making a living is
free to think them through. The Buddha didn't forbid
this sort of thinking. He forbade only those things
that are harmful, because the basic principle of
virtue in Buddhism is to abstain from what is evil
or crooked in thought, word, and deed, and to
develop what is upright and honest in thought, word,
and deed. This shows that the Buddha taught to
abstain from those things that ought to be abstained
from, and to do those things that ought to be done.
This point is substantiated by such factors of the
Noble Path as Right Undertaking and Right
Livelihood. But most of us believe that to maintain
the precepts confines you to a monastery and
prevents you from making a living or even wiggling a
finger. This belief is wrong: counter to the
Buddha's teaching and detrimental to the progress of
the world.
To maintain the
precepts -- to be virtuous -- means to keep one's
words and deeds in a state of normalcy. Whatever
work virtuous people perform is pure. The wealth
they obtain as a result is solid and lasting.
Whatever virtuous people say -- no matter how much
they speak -- won't grate on the ears of their
listeners. It can bring fortune their way, as well
as leaving the ears of their listeners soothed.
Whatever virtuous people contemplate, if it's a
difficult job, it will become easier; if it's an
object to be made, it may become beautiful, all
because of the very principles of virtue. Most of
us, though, tend to be too contemptuous of virtue to
put it to use in our work and activities, which is
why we act as a deadweight and can't keep up with
the progress of the world.
A person whose
thoughts, words and deeds are not governed by virtue
is like a person covered with germs or soot:
Whatever work he or she touches is soiled and will
rarely succeed in its aims. Even if it does succeed,
its success won't be lasting. The same holds true
for speech: A person whose speech isn't consistently
virtuous will usually be distrusted and despised by
his listeners. If he tries to talk them out of their
money, it will come with difficulty; once he gets
it, it won't stay with him for long. And so it is
with the mind: If a person doesn't have virtue in
charge of his heart, his thinking is darkened.
Whatever projects he contemplates will succeed with
difficulty and -- even if they do succeed -- will be
neither good nor lasting.
People who want to
keep their thoughts, words, and deeds in a state of
normalcy have to be mindful. In other words, they
have to keep check over their actions in all they do
-- sitting, standing, walking, and lying down -- so
they can know that they haven't done anything evil.
A person who doesn't keep his actions in check is
like a person without any clothes: Wherever he goes,
he offends people. There's even the story of the man
who was so absent-minded that he went out wearing
his wife's blouse and sarong, which goes to show
what happens to a person who doesn't keep his
actions in check.
A person who doesn't
keep his speech in check is like a rice pot without
a lid. When the water boils, it will overflow and
put out the fire. A person who doesn't always keep
his thoughts in check -- thinking endlessly of how
to make money, of how to get rich, until he loses
touch with reality -- is bound to do himself harm.
Some people think so much that they can't eat or
sleep, to the point where they damage their nerves
and become mentally unbalanced, all because their
thinking has nothing to act as a basis, nothing to
keep it in check.
Thus people who lack
mindfulness can harm themselves, in line with the
fact that they are at the same time people without
virtue.
This ends the
discussion of the second topic.
3. The third question -- "How many kinds of virtue are there?" -- can be
answered as follows: To divide them in precise
terms, there are five kinds, corresponding to the
five precepts, the eight precepts, the ten
guidelines, the ten precepts, and the 227 precepts.
To divide them in broad terms, there are two: The
virtues for laypeople on the one hand, and for monks
and novices on the other.
From another
standpoint, there are three: those dealing with
bodily action, those dealing with speech, and those
dealing with the mind.
From another
standpoint, there are two: primary virtues (adi-brahma-cariya-sikkha),
i.e., the five basic precepts that have to be
studied and observed first, such as the precepts
against taking life; and then, once these are
mastered, the next level: mannerly behavior (abhisamacara)
dealing with personal conduct in such areas as
having one's meals, etc.
From still another
standpoint, there are two sorts of virtue: mundane
(lokiya) and transcendent (lokuttara).
Transcendent virtues can be either the lay virtues
or the virtues for monks. If a person, lay or
ordained, has attained true normalcy of mind, his or
her virtues are transcendent. The virtues of a
person who has yet to attain the normalcy of
stream-entry, though -- no matter whether that
person is a layperson or a monk, strict in observing
the precepts or not -- are merely mundane. Mundane
virtues are by nature inconstant, sometimes pure and
sometimes not; some people who observe them go to
heaven, others who do go to hell. The transcendent
virtues, however, are constant and lead straight to
nibbana. They are virtues that can rule out rebirth
in the four realms of deprivation (apaya-bhumi).
The virtues of a
person who has reached the transcendent level are
the genuine virtues taught by the Buddha, which are
nobler and more valuable than all other virtues. The
mundane virtues, even the 227 precepts of a monk,
are no match in quality for the five virtues of a
lay Stream-enterer: That's how valuable the
transcendent virtues are. Why is it that a
Stream-enterer's virtues are constant, while those
of ordinary run-of-the-mill people aren't? Because
Stream-enterers have shed self-identification (sakkaya-ditthi)
once and for all through the power of discernment.
What does their discernment come from? From having
developed concentration, making the mind firm to the
point where discernment arises and washes
self-identification away for good. They've seen the
harm that comes from being deluded about the mind
and body, and can realize that these things aren't
the self. They've investigated the body until
they've seen that it's nothing but the four physical
properties (dhatu), that they didn't bring it
with them when they came and won't take it with them
when they go. Thus they are able to let it go,
without attachment or false assumptions.
(a) If we view the
body as our own, we become possessive of it and are
unwilling to expend it in ways that are wise and
worthwhile. We get stuck on the level of physical
pleasure -- and that pleasure is what kills off our
merit and welfare. When physical pain arises, that
pain is what kills off the merit we should make.
This can be classed as a form of panatipata
(taking life): using pleasure and pain to kill off
the merit and welfare that living beings are looking
for. This is one aspect of self-identification that
Stream-enterers have abandoned.
(b) Adinnadana:
Stream-enterers don't fasten onto the body as being
their own, because they've realized that it's
nothing but a compound of the four physical
properties, that these properties are part and
parcel of the world and can't be taken from it. As a
result, they don't try to cheat or swindle the world
by laying claim to its properties as being their
own, and in this way they abandon another aspect of
self-identification.
(c) Kamesu
micchacara: Stream-enterers have seen the harm
that comes from sensual preoccupations -- sights,
sounds, smells, flavors, tactile sensations, and
ideas. Whatever is right to indulge in, they indulge
in; whatever isn't, they don't. This means that they
don't misconduct themselves with regard to sensual
matters. Thus they abandon another aspect of
self-identification.
(d) Musavada:
Stream-enterers have seen the absolute truth that
doesn't lie. In other words, they've seen the four
Noble Truths and so have abandoned another aspect of
self-identification.
(e) Surameraya:
Stream-enterers are not intoxicated or heedless with
regard to sights, sounds, smells, flavors, tactile
sensations, or ideas. Thus they abandon another
aspect of self-identification.
This is called
virtue on the level of discernment. Once this level
is reached, the more common forms of virtue become
constant and lasting, because self-identification
has been shed through the power of discernment. As
for silabbata-paramasa ("groping" with regard
to precepts and practices), Stream-enterers no
longer grope in their behavior, because they've seen
for sure that it's right. And as for vicikiccha
(uncertainty), they've abandoned all doubts
concerning the value of discernment, their way of
life, and their path of practice: They no longer
wonder as to whether they're right or wrong. Once
they can do this, they set themselves apart from
mundane virtues. Mundane virtues are inconstant
because they lack discernment. Why do they lack
discernment? Because we don't practice concentration
in the heart, and so we take stubborn possession of
the body, latching onto it and wrongly assuming it
to be the self, to the point where even the
slightest touch from mosquitoes or horseflies, sun
or rain, can cause our goodness to wither and die.
Transcendent virtues
are thus supreme; mundane virtues are not yet
lasting. As to whether virtue will be transcendent
or mundane, the matter lies entirely with the heart.
A dull-witted heart,
lacking discernment,
Latches onto the body,
But once it dies, it doesn't get to eat the meat
Or sit on the skin --
It'll choke on the bones.
Lacking training, it lies sunk in pain.
But a trained heart
gives rise to discernment,
Lets go of the body,
Discards it at death without regret.
Having seen the truth,
It's called noble, supreme.
This ends the
discussion of the third topic.
4. To answer the fourth question -- "What is the essence of virtue?" -- we
first have to distinguish the essence of virtue, the
intention to abstain (cetana-virati), from
the expressions of virtue, which are of three kinds:
sampatta-virati, samadana virati and
samuchheda-virati. These three are called
expressions of virtue because they follow on the
precepts.
Sampatta-virati
means to restrain one's behavior on one's own,
without taking a vow -- for example, going out into
the wide open fields or into the forest and seeing
an animal that would be good to kill, but not
killing it, for fear of the sin; or seeing another
person's belongings that would be good to take, but
not taking them, for fear of doing evil.
Samadana-virati
means to take the precepts as a vow -- either on
one's own or repeating them after another person --
and then being careful not to violate them.
Samuccheda-virati
means to keep one's precepts pure and unblemished,
regardless of whether or not one has taken them as
vows.
For these
expressions of virtue to be pure or impure depends
on a number of minor factors arising from the
exercise of thought, word, and deed that either run
counter to these expressions (thus blemishing them)
or are careful to follow them (thus keeping them
pure).
As for the essence
of virtue -- "essence" here meaning the chief agent
or determining factor -- the essence is the heart
that wills to abstain from harm in thought, word, or
deed -- the five forms of harm, the eight, the ten,
or what-have-you -- and is mindful to keep the mind
in a state of normalcy. Thus there are two kinds of
virtue: pure virtue, i.e., spotlessness in thought,
word, and deed; and blemished virtue, i.e., virtue
torn into pieces or cut into holes. For example, to
observe two precepts but to break three that come in
succession, is virtue torn into pieces. If the
precepts that are broken don't come in succession,
this is called stained virtue or virtue cut into
holes.
This is how to
develop a bad character. People of bad character do
have virtue, but they don't take care of it. They
don't make the effort to maintain the precepts and
so let evil come flowing in through their words and
deeds. Stained virtue, torn virtue, and virtue cut
into holes: Even though these are classed as evil,
they're still better than having no virtue at all.
To have torn virtue is better than having no virtue
to tear, just as wearing torn clothes is better than
wearing no clothes at all. Everyone born has virtue
built into them; the only exceptions are those who
have died.
If this is the case,
why do we have to observe precepts? To observe
precepts means that we take the virtue we already
have and cleanse it, not that we go gathering the
virtues that grow on monks and novices.
We've already seen
that virtue means a mind with sound intentions;
blemished virtue means a mind with unsound
intentions. This is enough to show that all of us in
the world have virtue, because who doesn't have a
mind? Even crazy people have minds. The only person
without a mind is a corpse. Any and every human
being who breathes in and out has virtue, the only
difference being whether or not that virtue is pure.
As the Buddha said to his followers,
cetanaham bhikkhave
kammam vadami:
The intention, monks, is what I maintain to be the
action.
An evil intention
blemishes virtue. A good intention helps keep it
pure. This ends the discussion of the fourth topic.
5. The fifth question -- "What is needed for virtue to be maintained?" --
can be answered as follows: Virtue here means purity
of virtue. For purity to be firm and lasting depends
on the support of causal factors, just as a new-born
child depends on the support of its parents to
survive and grow. If its parents feed it plenty of
food, it will escape from the dangers of
malnutrition and grow to be healthy and strong; if
they underfeed it, it'll become thin and frail. In
the same way, for virtue to be maintained depends on
our being mindful and alert: These two qualities are
the guardians of purity. At the same time, we have
to nourish virtue and give it food. If it isn't fed,
it'll wither away and die. Even if it has
mindfulness and alertness watching over it, it can
never grow plump, just as a child who has parents
but isn't fed is sure to waste and wither away. For
virtue to grow strong requires food, and the food of
virtue is:
a.
metta -- good will, love for oneself and all
others, hoping that all living beings will be happy;
b. karuna -- compassion for oneself and others, hoping that we will
all escape from suffering;
c. mudita -- appreciation, ungrudging delight in the goodness of all
living beings;
d. upekkha -- equanimity, letting go in those cases where we should
remain indifferent, being unruffled -- neither
pleased nor upset -- where we are no longer able to
be of help, as when an executioner is beheading a
criminal who has broken the law.
These four Sublime
Attitudes are the food of virtue.
Mindfulness is the
father,
alertness, the mother,
And the "immeasurables" are the food.
Whoever can do this
will have virtues that are fat and strong. In other
words, when good will, compassion, appreciation, and
equanimity are expressed in thought, word, and deed,
then virtue will be firm and lasting and will head
straight toward nibbana. This translates as
fat virtues, plump virtues, rich virtues, the
virtues taught by the Buddha Gotama. Whoever can't
do this will end up with poor virtues, sickly
virtues, orphaned virtues, withered-and-wasting-away
virtues.
To have virtue is to
have character,
To have character is to have wealth,
To have wealth is to be happy;
The happiness of virtue is something supreme.
Virtue is an
adornment that can be worn by people of every
variety. Young and old alike are attractive when
wearing it, for no matter who wears it, it never
looks incongruous or out-of-place, unlike external
ornaments. External ornaments look good only in the
right circumstances, but virtue can be worn at all
times. Whoever can maintain virtue will escape from
danger and animosity in this life and the next. For
this reason, people of discernment are careful to
safeguard their virtue. People without discernment
go looking for chains: golden chains for snaring
their wrists, ankles, necks, and earlobes. Even if
they watch after them carefully and wear them only
on the right occasions, they still can't escape from
harm -- as when a thief rips off the chains, tearing
their ears, scraping the skin from their arms and
legs. Consider, then, just how much good comes from
external adornment.
As for virtue, when
it encircles our thoughts, encircles our words, and
encircles our deeds, who can destroy it, what thief
can steal it, what fires can burn it away? After we
die, we'll enjoy ourselves in heaven, as guaranteed
by the verse,
silena sugatim yanti
silena bhogasampada
silena nibbutim yanti
The attainment of heaven, wealth and nibbana all
depend on virtue.
silam loke anuttaram
Virtue is unexcelled in the world.
candanadinam
gandhanam sila-gandho anuttaro
Among all scents, such as sandalwood, the scent of
virtue is supreme.
silo rahado akuddamo
Virtue is like a limpid pool.
sukham yava jara
silam
Virtue brings happiness to the end of old age.
silam yava jara
sadhu
Virtue is good to the end of old age.
Thus all who aspire
to goodness that is limpid and pure should be
diligent in nourishing their virtues to the full
with the four Sublime Attitudes. Having done this,
whoever then aspires to the middle part of the Path
-- concentration -- will attain quick results.
This ends the
discussion of the fifth topic.
* * *
1.
How does one go about practicing concentration?
2. What benefits come from practicing it?
3. How many kinds of concentration are there?
4. What is needed for concentration to be maintained?
5. What is the essence of concentration?
1.
The first question -- "How does one go about
practicing concentration?" -- can be answered as
follows: The first step is to kneel down with your
hands palm-to-palm in front of your heart, and
sincerely pay respect to the Triple Gem, saying as
follows:
Araham
samma-sambuddho bhagava
Buddham bhagavantam abhivademi (bow down)
Svakkhato bhagavata dhammo
Dhammam namassami (bow down)
Supatipanno bhagavato savaka-sangho
Sangham namami (bow down)
Then showing respect
with your thought, words, and deeds, pay homage to
the Buddha:
Namo tassa bhagavato
arahato samma-sambuddhassa
(three times)
And then take refuge
in the Triple Gem:
Buddham saranam
gacchami
Dhammam saranam gacchami
Sangham saranam gacchami
Dutiyampi buddham
saranam gacchami
Dutiyampi dhammam saranam gacchami
Dutiyampi sangham saranam gacchami
Tatiyampi buddham
saranam gacchami
Tatiyampi dhammam saranam gacchami
Tatiyampi sangham saranam gacchami
Make the following
resolution: "I take refuge in the Buddha, the Pure
One, completely free from defilement; and in his
Dhamma -- doctrine, practice, and attainment; and in
the Sangha, the four levels of his Noble Disciples,
from now until the end of my life." Then formulate
the intention to observe the five precepts, the
eight precepts, or the ten guidelines -- according
to how many you are normally able to observe --
expressing them in a single vow. For those observing
the five precepts:
Imani pańca
sikkhapadani samadiyami
(three times)
For those observing
the eight precepts:
Imani attha
sikkhapadani samadiyami
(three times)
For those observing
the ten precepts:
Imani dasa
sikkhapadani samadiyami
(three times)
For those observing
the 227 precepts:
Parisuddho aham
bhante parisuddhoti
Mam buddho dhammo sangho dharetu
Now that you have
professed the purity of your thoughts, words, and
deeds toward the qualities of the Buddha, Dhamma,
and Sangha, bow down three times and sit down. Place
your hands palm-to-palm in front of your heart,
steady your thoughts and develop the four Sublime
Attitudes: good will, compassion, appreciation, and
equanimity. To spread these thoughts to all living
beings without distinction is called the
immeasurable Sublime Attitude. A short Pali formula,
for those who have trouble memorizing, is:
"Metta" --
thoughts of good will (benevolence and love for
oneself and others, hoping for their welfare),
"Karuna" --
thoughts of compassion (for oneself and others),
"Mudita" --
thoughts of appreciation (taking delight in one's
own goodness and that of others),
"Upekkha" --
thoughts of equanimity (imperturbability with regard
to those things that should be let go).
This finished, sit
in a half-lotus position, right leg on top of the
left, your hands placed palm-up on your lap, right
hand on top of the left. Keep your body straight and
your mind on the task before you. Raise your hands
in respect, palm-to-palm in front of the heart, and
think of the qualities of the Buddha, Dhamma and
Sangha: buddho me natho, dhammo me natho, sangho
me natho (The Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha are my
mainstay). Then repeat, buddho buddho, dhammo
dhammo, sangho sangho. Return your hands to your
lap, and repeat one word -- buddho -- over
and over in your mind, at the same time focusing on
your in-and-out breath until your mind settles down
into one-pointedness.
This is the
beginning step in practicing concentration. If
you're steady and persistent, the desired results
will appear in your heart. For people who are really
intent, even just this is enough to start seeing
results. Those who don't see results either aren't
intent on what they're doing or, if they are intent,
aren't doing it right. If you're intent and you do
it right, you're sure to reap rewards in proportion
to the strength of your persistence.
This ends the
discussion of the first topic.
2. To answer the second question -- "What benefits come from practicing
concentration?" -- A person who practices
concentration benefits in the following ways:
a.
The heart of a person who practices concentration is
radiant, steady, and fearless. Whatever projects
such a person may contemplate can succeed because
the mind has a solid footing for its thinking.
Whatever work such a person may undertake will yield
results that are substantial, worthwhile, and
long-lasting.
b. Whoever has trained the mind to be steady and firm will be solid from
the standpoint both of the world and of the Dhamma.
A solid heart can be compared to a slab of rock: No
matter whether the wind blows, the rain falls or the
sun shines, rock doesn't waver or flinch. To put it
briefly: the eight fetters, i.e., the eight ways of
the world (lokadhamma) -- gain and loss,
status and disgrace, praise and censure, pleasure
and pain -- can't chain the heart of a person who
has concentration. The five weevils, i.e., the five
hindrances (nivarana) -- sensual desires, ill
will, drowsiness, restlessness, and uncertainty --
can't bore into such a person's heart.
c. A heart made firm is like a tree with solid heartwood -- Indian rosewood
or teak -- which, once it has died, is of use to
people of ingenuity. The goodness of people who have
trained their hearts in concentration can be of
substantial use, even after they've died, both to
themselves and to those surviving, an example being
the Buddha who -- even though he has nibbana-ed --
has set an example that people still follow today. A
person who practices concentration is like someone
with a home and family; a person without
concentration is like a vagrant with no place to
sleep: Even though he may have belongings, he has
nowhere to keep them.
A person with a mind
made firm in concentration, though, has a place for
his belongings. In other words, all major and minor
acts of merit and wisdom come together in a mind
that has concentration. A person without
concentration is like a softwood tree with a hollow
trunk: Poisonous animals, like cobras or crocodile
birds, will come and make their nests in the hollow,
laying their eggs and filling the hollow with their
urine and dung. When such a tree dies, there's no
use for it but to throw it into the fire. If people
haven't trained their hearts with concentration, all
the defilements -- greed, anger and delusion -- will
come and make their nest there, causing harm and
pain. When these people die, they are of no use
except as food for worms or fuel for a pyre.
d. A person without concentration is like a boat without a dock or a train
without a station: The passengers are put to all
sorts of hardships.
Concentration is not
something exclusive to Buddhism. Even in mundane
activities, people use concentration. No matter what
work you do, if you're not intent on it, you won't
succeed. Even our ordinary everyday expressions
teach concentration: "Set your heart on a goal."
"Set your mind on your work." "Set yourself up in
business." Whoever follows this sort of advice is
bound to succeed.
But apart from
mundane activities, whoever comes to put the
Buddha's teachings into practice is sure to perceive
the great worth of concentration. To be brief: It
forms the basis for discernment, which is the
central principle in the craft taught by the Buddha,
the craft of the heart. "Discernment&quo
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