Buddhist Spectrum

Why do we hate?

Professor Sunanda Mahendra

Hatred will never cease through hatred in this world. But by love alone will hate be ceased. This is an eternal law.

This saying which appears in Dhammapada is a reminder for all times in many human problems. May it be politics, business, academic, scientific or any other field we come across people individually as well as in groups hating each other over various matters. When a person or a group hate another person or a group the areas of hatefulness could be visualized in a meaningful manner.

Non-hatred leads to inner flowering. Picture by Lakshan Maduranga

I hate him and all his kith and kin for plundering over wealth.
I hate him for standing in my way disallowing me to reach the goal I desired so much.
I hate him for making my life full of suffering.
I hate him for preventing me from getting the position I wanted.
I Hate him for misleading me, and making me suffer.

These are some verbal utterances one can observe in the ultimate analysis of the way the term 'hatred' is used in the human society. The term 'I' can be substituted as 'we' in the analysis.

The Buddha once exclaimed that if an individual can certainly refrain from hating, whatever the circumstances are he can achieve the highest for form of being unhated or

live in a state of being without hatred. The concept is laid down in Dhammapada:

Susukam vata jivama
Verinesu averino
Verinesu manussesu
Viharama averino

The Buddha had the custom of advising most rulers of his time on the subject of hatred. One of the chief factors the Buddha laid down was the fact that hatred springs out of not knowing the worth of living. As the Buddha said if a person feels that he hates another it is due to his own fault, for not knowing himself or herself.

This was visualized in the severe harm brought about by the hateful queen Magandhiya when she out of a severe sickness of hatred burnt 500 pious queens alive. Queen Maganidya was blind to the worth of life led by Queen Sama and her retinue. More examples could follow. There lived hateful Brahmins who plundered the wealth of other Brahmins to lead a better life.

But the Buddha declared that the wealth earned by cruel and hateful manner is worthless. We come across scholars who hate the achievement of their fellow mates or would be scholars. But as pointed by the Buddha it is worthless on the part of the so called scholars to pose themselves as real scholars when their hearts burn with fires of hatred.

King Ajasatta, who killed his father to grab the ruling power, is depicted as an epitome of cruelty and hatred. But on the realization of his grave offence later Ajasatta repented and confessed his possession of the devil named 'hatred'. King Ajasatta was not a born hater and killer. He was induced to that level by Ven Devadatta, the arch enemy of the Buddha. "You kill your father and be the ruler of the kingdom, I will kill the Buddha and obtain the Buddha's kingdom" were the hateful words of Devadatta which presumably induced Ajasatta.

The nature of hatred can never be explained in simple terms. It lies like a sleeping dragon in one's mind. If the dragon is made to drive away through the great spread of wealth through loving kindness to all creatures there will be no hatred even an iota of it. But human beings lie in such conditions that they are made to awaken the hateful dragon all the time. If one were to sit and contemplate how the nature of hatred could be calmed down, the time spent will not be a failure. Achieving the serenity will prevent the advent of the hatred.

The Buddha underlines three major factors that go into the making of a wise man. They are firstly a person who is not an impediment to others, a person who is not hateful and a person who is not afraid. The stanza goes as follows:

Na tena pandito hoti
Yavata bahubhasati
Khema averi abhayo
Panditoti pavaccahti

'I hate him' and 'we hate them' are two usages we often come across in various social events. If we were to analyse the communication meanings, we may see a tiny layer of disagreement which eventually grows up and spreads like a cancer into a state of being hateful.

This nature and attitude may bring disastrous results to a person in his day to day life. Hatred, anger and ill will are matters to be taken seriously. Our likes and dislikes and leanings should not be made to end up in anger and ill will culminating in hatred. In Yamaka Vagga of the Dhamapada the Buddha outlined the following ideology.

Akkochi man avadi man
Ajini mam hasime
Yatannaupanaihanti
Veram tesupasammati

'He abused me, he beat me, he defeated me, he robbed me' (In those who do not harbour such thoughts hatred is appeased). The Buddha's constant advice to his followers, both lay and clergy, is not to retaliate but to practise patience at all times, all plans even under provocation. We often fail to bear criticism of others resulting in the birth of anger ill will culminating in hatred. As such we should cultivate asking one question. Will hatred take me anywhere?

The concept of non violence was propagated by the Buddha as a measure to alleviate the outburst of anger and hatred. The concept of non violence is taught in order to gauge one's ownself. Mahatma Gandhi was one of those who practised it and exhibited the degree in which it could be applied.

For petty political and economic matters, nations are seen hating each other. Perhaps the time is ripe to apply the Buddha's teaching in its fullest sense in order to gain and reap the benefits of creating a non-hateful world of nations.

Brahmana Sutta:

To two brahmins

Translated from Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Two brahman cosmologists went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, exchanged courteous greetings with him. After an exchange of friendly greetings and courtesies, they sat to one side. As they were sitting there, they said to the Blessed One, "Master Gotama, Purana Kassapa - all-knowing, all-seeing - claims exhaustive knowledge and vision: 'Whether I am standing or walking, awake or asleep, continual, unflagging knowledge and vision is established within me.'

He says, 'I dwell with infinite knowledge, knowing and seeing the finite cosmos.' Yet Nigantha Nataputta - all-knowing, all-seeing - also claims exhaustive knowledge and vision: 'Whether I am standing or walking, awake or asleep, continual, unflagging knowledge and vision is established within me.' He says, 'I dwell with infinite knowledge, knowing and seeing the infinite cosmos.' Of these two speakers of knowledge, these two who contradict each other, which is telling the truth, and which is lying?"

"Enough, brahmans. Put this question aside. I will teach you the Dhamma. Listen and pay close attention. I will speak."

"Yes, sir," the brahmans responded to the Blessed One, and the Blessed One said,

"Suppose that there were four men standing at the four directions, endowed with supreme speed and stride. Like that of a strong archer - well-trained, a practiced hand, a practiced sharp-shooter - shooting a light arrow across the shadow of a palm tree: Such would be the speed with which they were endowed. As far as the east sea is from the west: Such would be the stride with which they were endowed.

Then the man standing at the eastern direction would say, 'I, by walking, will reach the end of the cosmos.' He - with a one-hundred year life, a one-hundred year span - would spend one hundred years traveling - apart from the time spent on eating, drinking, chewing and tasting, urinating and defecating, and sleeping to fight off weariness - but without reaching the end of the cosmos he would die along the way (Similarly with the men standing at the western, southern, and northern directions).

Why is that? I tell you, it isn't through that sort of traveling that the end of the cosmos is known, seen, or reached. But at the same time, I tell you that there is no making an end of suffering and stress without reaching the end of the cosmos. "These five strings of sensuality are, in the discipline of the noble ones, called the cosmos. Which five?

Forms cognizable via the eye - agreeable, pleasing, charming, endearing, fostering desire, enticing; sounds cognizable via the ear... aromas cognizable via the nose... flavors cognizable via the tongue... tactile sensations cognizable via the body - agreeable, pleasing, charming, endearing, fostering desire, enticing. These are the five strings of sensuality that, in the discipline of the noble ones, are called the cosmos.

"There is the case where a monk - quite secluded from sensuality, secluded from unskillful qualities - enters and remains in the first jhana: rapture and pleasure born of seclusion, accompanied by directed thought and evaluation. This is called a monk who, coming to the end of the cosmos, remains at the end of the cosmos.

Others say of him, 'He is encompassed in the cosmos; he has not escaped from the cosmos.' And I too say of him, 'He is encompassed in the cosmos; he has not escaped from the cosmos'

(Similarly with the second, third, and fourth jhanas, and with the attainment of the dimensions of the infinitude of space, the infinitude of consciousness, nothingness, and neither perception nor non-perception).

"Furthermore, with the complete transcending of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, he enters and remains in the cessation of perception and feeling. And, having seen (that) with discernment, his fermentations are completely ended. This is called a monk who, coming to the end of the cosmos, remains at the end of the cosmos, having crossed over attachment in the cosmos."

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