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| Monday, 26 April 2004 |
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Spiritual advancement is better than worldly sovereignty Better than absolute sovereignty over the earth, better, than going to heaven 'better than even lordship over all the worlds is the fruit of a stream-winner. - Loka Wagga - The Dhammapada The story Anathapindika, the millionaire, induced his son to hear the Dhamma from the Buddha offering him a thousand pieces of money. Tempted by the reward, he saw the Buddha, heard the Dhamma, and became a stream-winner. Thereupon the Buddha commended on the superiority of spiritual advancement over all worldly possessions. Words of wisdom by Kingsley Heendeniya Read below a selection and arrangement of words by the Buddha and his disciples. Reflect how profound eternal ideas are communicated by stringing simple words. Use them for meditation. * Some misguided men learn the Dhamma but having learned the Dhamma, they do not examine the meaning of those teachings with wisdom. Not examining the meaning with wisdom, they do not gain a reflective acceptance of them. Instead, they learn for the sake of criticizing others and for winning in debates and they do not experience the good for the sake of which they learned the Dhamma.
When speaking he speaks only Dhamma, not non-Dhamma. When thinking he thinks only thoughts of Dhamma, not thoughts of non-Dhamma. * Bhikkhus, be my heirs in Dhamma, not my heirs in material things. * The Dhamma has only one taste, that of deliverance just as the sea has only one taste, that of salt. * This generation delights in alaya, takes delight in alaya, rejoices in alaya. And it is hard to see this truth, namely the stilling of all determinations, the relinquishing of all attachments, the destruction of craving, dispassion, cessation, Nibbana. * Who seeks the sorrowless dispassion should have no loved ones in the world.... Sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair are born from those who are dear, arise from those who are dear. * Cunda, that one who is himself sinking in the mud should pull out another who is sinking in the mud is impossible. * How does one protect oneself by protecting another? By patience, harmlessness, kindness and forbearance. * A man who ties up putrid fish with blades of kusa-grass makes the kusa-grass smell putrid. So it is with those who follow fools. * But does Master Gotama go to the Bahuka River to bathe?... Bahuka ...and Gaya... A fool may there forever bathe yet will not purify deeds...It is here, brahmin, that you should bathe to make yourself a refuge for all beings. And if you speak no falsehood nor take what is not offered, with faith and free from avarice, what need for you to go to Gaya? Any well will be your Gaya. * Mahanama, there is still a state unabandoned by you internally owing to which at times states of greed, hate and delusion invade your mind and remain. For were that state already abandoned by you internally, you would not be living the home life, you would not be enjoying sensual pleasures. * When a noble disciple has seen clearly as it actually is with proper wisdom how sensual pleasures provide little gratification, much dukkha and much despair, and how great is the danger in them, and he attains to the rapture and pleasure that are apart from sensual pleasures, apart from unwholesome states, or to something more peaceful than that, then he is no longer attracted to sensual pleasures. * Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of holding. What four? Holding to sensual pleasures, holding to views. Holding to rules and observances, and holding to a doctrine of self. * The evil herein is anger and revenge; contempt and a domineering attitude; envy and avarice; arrogance, vanity and negligence. * Bhikkhus, I say that the destruction of the taints is for one who knows and sees, not for one who does not know and see. Who knows and sees what? Wise attention and unwise attention. When one attends unwisely, unarisen taints arise and arisen taints increase. When one attends wisely, unarisen taints do not arise and arisen taints are abandoned. * I do not see a single kind of form, Ananda, from the change and alteration of which there would not arise sorrow, lamentation, pain and grief in one who lusts for it and takes delight in it. * Whereon does this craving arise and flourish? Wherever there is that which seems lovable and gratifying, thereon it arises and flourishes. Whereon is this craving abandoned and made to cease? Wherever there is that seems lovable and gratifying, thereon it is abandoned and made to cease. * From one rebirth to another, one of three acquisitions of self can succeed another. That being so, it cannot be successfully argued that only one of them is true and the others are wrong. One can only say that the term for one does not fit the other two - just as with milk from a cow, curd from milk, butter from curd, ghee from butter, and fine extract of ghee from ghee. The term for each one fits only that and none of the others, yet they are not disconnected. These are worldly usages, worldly language, worldly terms of communication, worldly descriptions. * Seclusion is happiness for one contented, by whom Dhamma is learnt, and who has seen. Friendliness towards the world is happiness for him who is forbearing with living beings. Disinterest in the world is happiness for him that has surmounted sense desires. And to be rid of the conceit 'I am' - that is the greatest happiness of all. Renewal of hopes for the New Year: Hope springs eternal in the human breast Buddhist Mirror by A. G. S. Kariyawasam "Hope springs eternal in the human breast" As nicely expressed in the afore-quoted line from Alexander Pope, we humans live in constant hope, which keeps on becoming renewed till we reach the end of our lives. As Buddhists we all hope to realise Nirvana, as the unconditioned and changeless state and thereby free ourselves from this ever-recurring cycle of birth and death called Samsara. All our merit-making acts have this ultimate state of freedom as our final hope. Some of our hopes come true while some do not. In the former case we become happy while becoming dejected in the latter case. General election and New year The optimists can regard themselves lucky here because the pessimists are not so lucky as they would find it impossible to "live in hope" in this manner. However, that is their lot and choice. We thought of saying this much on our almost involuntary habit of "living in hope" because this year's month of April became eventful in two significant ways as it marked a general election and the traditional Sinhala-Tamil new year, both of which occasions make people entertain renewed as well as altogether new hopes for a better future. With the general election bringing about a new government too people's hopes become multiplied in a big way. These two situations have thrown the Sri Lankans into a "nation of hopefuls" with such hopes presenting themselves in galore. Let us first take the case of the new government, which the people in general hope to be better than what it replaced. What are these hopes that the citizens of this country have become hopeful to be fulfilled by the new government? What are their renewed hopes with the new establishment? Self-aggrandizement Some of these hopes, the basic ones in the current Sri Lankan context, would be creating ethnic harmony in the country, easing the cost of living, solving the unemployment problem, developing country in general, generating transparency and wide honesty in public life etc. - in short all the welcome and desirable changes necessary for a welfare state. Building on the good and rejecting the unethical would comprise the required philosophy in a nutshell. A sad political tradition has been building up in this country for some time now that the politicians of the day have a tendency to hunt for positions, power, glory, a life of indulgence etc. thereby making politics a field of activity for self-aggrandizement in every aspect. How many of our politicians can claim to have put country before self, before party, before one's clique and before everything else? It is their bounden duty to rise above petty and narrow objectives of self-interest if they wish to be genuine politicians. Otherwise let them not take to politics. There is a well-known truism regarding governments coming from Erskin May that "people get the government they deserve". This is a highly meaningful statement encapsulating almost every aspect of politics and governance. Righteous rulership In the Buddha's day there were two main systems of governance in India as monarchical and republican. Without showing preference to either system the Buddha taught 'righteous rulership' where the rulers were expected to gain rulership legitimately and righteously (dhammena rajjam labhitvaa) and also to continue governing accordingly. The relevant duties of rulership were promulgated by him in two main concepts as 'ten duties of rulers' (dasaraja-dharma) and the 'seven conditions of welfare' (sapta-aparihaniya-dharma), the former preached to kings and the latter to republicans. In both these political philosophies there is a basic theme common to both, which is the concept of political righteousness (dharmista raajya) as the main ingredient. This is the universal norm of rulership advocated by the Buddha. Dharma, as a matter of fact, is the standard of judgement for any human activity wherein means should always justify the ends. Realization of even good ideals by unfair means is never recommended in Buddhism. Norm impersonal People expect an elected government to subserve its end by righteous means according to this common norm of the Dhamma, which should be impersonal in its execution in that the ultimate sovereignty rests not on any individual like 'king', 'president' or 'prime minister' or any other human or divine individual ruler or even an organisation governing the State, but on Dhamma itself as the State. The individuals manning the state should run it selflessly in keeping with the dasa-raja-dharma and the sapta-aparihaniya dharma mentioned earlier. As these are comprehensive systems of governance they may be briefly explained here. The first among the ten rajadharmas in liberality or Dana which highlights the fact that it is the primary duty of the state to look into and do the needful for those citizens in need of help, mainly economic. According to the classical Indian concept of kingship too, the state should look after the citizens with a parental attitude towards them and, as in any society, there are the poor and the needy, who very often make the bulk of the population, it is the bounden duty of the state to provide for their needs as a welfare measure. The second requirement is morality or sila which means that the elected leaders must be men of high moral character at least after the assumption of office. They should observe at least the five precepts and become exemplary, both in their public and private lives, unless they set the example in that manner, ordinary citizens cannot be expected to follow moral principles. How many of our leaders today can claim to belong to this category of the morally exemplary elite? Let them turn the searchlights inward and reform themselves for their as well as other's well-being. Making sacrifices The third requirement is making sacrifices or paricchaga which requires the leaders to make various sacrifices for the sake of the people. Instances for such philanthropic behaviour would be those like foregoing personal comforts, gains, name, fame etc. for the sake of the community. Here too, what mostly happens is just the opposite of what should be, for the majority of those who take to politics today do so to obtain these very things at the expense of the general public! Lack of self-sacrificing leaders has been a major contributory factor for most of our present-day ills. Next comes integrity or ajjava which too is fast becoming a rarity today. A genuine leader should act without resorting to what Buddhism has identified as "the four incorrect courses of action" or the four-fold agati which are personal favouritism (chanda), acting through hatefulness (dosa), through cowardice (bhaya) or through delusion (moha) in their dealings with the ruled. If leaders can act free of those four improper ways the majority of our problems would disappear from our midst. Gentleness and non-anger Gentleness or maddava which comes next is also a sine quo non for all elected leaders. Without being harsh, crude and rude or dictatorial, all leaders should temper their mandatory firmness with compassion. Sensual restraint or an austere living style is recommended as the next required trait of any leader. Genuine leaders are generally not given to extravagant and luxurious living styles thereby setting a worthy example to the people at large. Self-indulgence is certainly a disqualification for any leader. Non-anger or akkodha as the next qualification demands that leaders should not bear grudges and animosities towards their political opponents. In the current political parlance this would mean not resorting to 'political victimisation', which vicious practice disqualified a true leader. This abominable practice has today become responsible for much hateful or even murderous behaviour in the realm of politics. The eighth quality called for is non-violence or avihimsaa the value of which has assumed topmost significance today. If politicians resort to 'underworld tactics' to remain in power, it can lead to counter-violence from the people and a whole country can become engulfed in a violent conflagration. Not mere negative avoidance of violence but taking positive measures to promote peace and harmony in the country should be the aim of the elected leaders. This would be the best antidote to the today's menace of widespread terrorism as well. Non-obstruction or avirodhataa The ninth is patience or khanti without which no leader can do justice to his or her responsible position. A leader's role is one in which challenges, hardships, reactionary opposition, insults, threats etc. can emerge on the way in facing which one should be able to maintain one's cool and face bouquets and brickbats with equanimity. The tenth is non-obstruction or avirodhataa which highlights a common flow in today's politics. It is the habit of opposing for the sake of opposing and thereby sabotaging even constructive schemes coming from the opposition. Elected leaders are expected to respect and accommodate the wishes of the people irrespective of their source if those wishes are for the common good. The Buddha's advice to the Republicans are summarised in the Seven Conditions of Welfare (sapta-aparihaaniya-dhamma) as recorded in the Mahaparinibbana Sutta of the Digha Nikaya. These are: i. meeting regularly to discuss matters, ii. meeting in harmony, breaking up in harmony and continuing to work in harmony, iii. following the principles of administration authorised by tradition without abolishing them or replacing them, iv. honouring the elders considering them as worth listening to, v. do not forcibly abduct others' wives and daughters compelling them to live with them, vi. honouring the religious shrines as traditionally done, both at home and abroad, vii. making proper provision for the clergy so that they can live without want and need. The two sets of instructions to politicians as so far briefly enumerated and discussed are valid for all times and climes, with occasional amendments when necessary. As the cry for cleansing the political life of our country has become quite loud presently, let us wish and hope that they would benefit from these traditional but eternal values. President's code In this backdrop let us welcome with open arms President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga's move to lay down a code of conduct for our Ministers. It actually updates the code from Buddhist sources so far discussed by introducing guidelines for today's new situations. The use of vehicles, personal staff and security personnel, foreign travel, appointments and transfers and office maintenance are the aspects in which power-abuse is widely present. Let our leaders turn a new leaf and live moderate lives as taught in Buddhism as one of its basic teachings. |
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* This is the proper way of defining 'practice according to Dhamma'.
