Chúng ta đang sống vì điều gì?

Chúng ta đang sống vì điều gì?

Vì hạnh phúc? Mọi người trên khắp thế giới đang kiếm sống để vì thể xác của mình vì họ nghĩ rằng nó có thể mang lại hạnh phúc cho họ. Quý vị có đồng ý không ạ? Tất cả quý vị đều cần thức ăn, tất cả đều cần chỗ ở, tất cả đều cần y phục, tất cả đều cần sức khỏe. Đây là những lí do mà quý vị đang sống. Quý vị có thể nghĩ rằng quý vị cần y phục,  quý vị có thể nghĩ rằng quý vị cần chỗ ở, quý vị có thể nghĩ rằng quý vị cần thức ăn, quý vị có thể nghĩ rằng quý vị cần sức khỏe. Thật sự theo như Đức Phật của chúng ta, đây không phải điều chúng ta cần, nhưng vì quý vị có cái thân thể này, chính cái thân thể này cần y phục, cái thân thể này cần  mạnh khỏe, cái thân thể này cần chỗ ở. Quý vị đang sống vì chính mình hay quý vị đang sống vì cái thân thể này? Quý vị nghĩ như thế nào? Đây chính là lý do tôi đến Việt Nam để giúp quý vị biết được sự thật. Quý vị là nô lệ hay là ông chủ? Nhưng lúc này khi quý vị đang sống cho cái thân này, quý vị chỉ là một tên nô lệ. Trong vòng sanh tử luân hồi, quý vị rất bận rộn, bận rộn vì chính cái xác thân này. Từ sáng đến tối lúc nào tất cả quý vị cũng bận rộn cho cái thân này. Đây có phải là mục đích của cuộc sống? Liệu quý vị sẽ chết vì cái xác thân này? Nếu chỉ bằng việc cung phụng những nhu cầu của thể xác, mọi người đều chết cả. Đó là lí do vì sao chúng ta cần phải sống ý nghĩa hơn là cuộc sống mà ta đang có.

"Không bao lâu thân này,

Sẽ nằm dài trên đất,

Bị vất bỏ, vô thức,

Như khúc cây vô dụng."

Bởi vì quý vị có sự tồn tại, nên quý vị thực hiện trách nhiệm với sự tồn tài của mình. Nói cách khác, chúng ta có thể nói rằng quý vị biết trách nhiệm của mình với kiếp sống này. Chính xác là quý vị biết được trách nhiệm của mình đối với thân xác này. Bởi ..., nên chúng ta cần sống không chỉ cho thân xác này của ta, mà chúng ta cần sống cho cuộc sống của mình. Nếu chúng ta chỉ nghĩ về thân xác này, chúng ta sẽ không thể nghĩ nhiều về cuộc sống của bản thân. Quý vị có tin quý vị sẽ có sự tồn tại sau kiếp sống này? Sau khi quý vị chết, sẽ có những sự tồn tại mới đang đợi quý vị. Quý vị đã làm gì cho kiếp sống tiếp theo đang chờ đợi mình? Liệu quý vị có làm một điều gì đó cho những kiếp tới hay là quý vị đều chuẩn bị cho điều đó trong từng ngày? Thật chứ? Nếu quý vị đang thực hiện, tôi cảm thấy hoan hỉ tất cả quý vị. So với kiếp sống này, nếu chúng ta không thể đoạn tận khổ đau, có nhiều kiếp sống tương lai đang chờ đợi mỗi người. Vào giây phút cận tử của kiếp này, một cận tử nghiệp sẽ xuất hiện. Nghiệp này sẽ là nhân cho kiếp tiếp theo của quý vị. Quý vị có nghĩ rằng tất cả tài sản của quý vị có thể mang lại hạnh phúc cho quý vị vào cận tử nghiệp?

Vậy thì, loại hạnh phúc nào thì giá trị hơn và quan trọng hơn? Chúng ta cần phải suy tư về điều này trong cuộc sống của mình. Khi chúng ta hành thiền, tâm ta phóng dật rất nhiều. Hầu hết trong số những suy nghĩ mông lung đó  của quý vị là gì, là những suy nghĩ tốt hay xấu? Hãy trung thực, tốt hay xấu? Xấu. Vậy vào sát na cận tử, đối tượng xuất hiện sẽ tương tự như đối tượng khi quý vị thực hành thiền. Bây giờ quý vị còn trẻ, chưa già, quý vị vẫn còn sức khỏe, quý vị có được niệm, ngay cả trong những điều kiện như vậy quý vị vẫn không thể tập trung trên đối tượng thiền mà quý vị mong muốn. Vào lúc cận tử, khi quý vị đau ốm trầm trọng, thể lực quá suy kiệt, quý vị không có sức mạnh, không có chánh niệm, thì quý vị nghĩ thế nào, liệu quý vị có thể tập trung trên đối tượng mà mình muốn hay không? Quá khó. Vì lí do này, Đức Phật dạy rằng khi một người chết, hay khi nhiều người chết, hay khi chúng sinh chết, họ đều rớt vào bốn cảnh khổ. Có những người đang cố rèn luyện tâm của mình bằng việc thực hành, liệu số người này có nhiều không? Còn những người mà không huân tập tâm của mình bằng việc thực hành thì lớn hơn rất nhiều. Nếu quý vị không huân tập tâm mình khi quý vị còn trẻ, khỏe và có sức lực, quý vị sẽ không thể đối mặt với cái chết của mình. Chắc chắn quý vị sẽ sầu khổ vào lúc đó. Quý vị có nghĩ rằng loại sầu khổ này lại là hạnh phúc của quý vị?

Lý do đầu tiên mà chúng ta thực hành là để đối mặt với cái chết của mình. Đây là điều khó nhất  ta phải đối mặt trong cuộc đời. Dù cho quý vị hiện nay có xinh đẹp thế nào,  dù cho quý vị hiện nay có thông minh thế nào, dù quý vị có giàu có thế nào, hay dù quý vị có thành công thế nào, nếu quý vị không huân tập tâm mình thì quý vị không thật sự là giàu có. Quý vị chỉ giàu có về vật chất, không phải về tinh thần. Dù điều kiện sống  của quý vị có cao cấp đến thế nào, nếu quý vị không huân tập tâm mình, thì thật sự quý vị không phải đang có được điều kiện cao cấp, và điều kiện sống cao cấp không phải được quyết định bằng việc nhìn vào vị thế của người đó. Đẳng cấp của một người cần được quyết định khi xem xét về độ trưởng thành của tâm vị ấy. Nếu quý vị đang sống vì thân xác mình, quý vị sẽ phấn đấu nhiều vì tài sản vật chất. Quý vị sẽ quên việc phát triện tài sản tinh thần. Tôi nghe nhiều người Việt  than phiền rằng họ rất mệt mỏi vì phải làm việc quá nhiều. Có phải không ạ? Đó là lí do mà quý vị cần phất triển sự trưởng thành của tâm mn à. Điều dễ làm thì tốt cho tất cả quý vị, tôi nghĩ như vậy. ình. Có nhiều việc tập luyện trên thế giới này, trong số những việc tập luyện này, việc tập luyện tâm là khó khăn nhất. Quý vị thích cái nào hơn? Cái khó khăn hay cái dễ dàng hơn? Cái dễ dàng hơNhưng Đức Phật lại dạy rằng những điều khó làm lại mang về lợi lạc cho người thực hiện. Việc dễ làm thì không mang lại lợi lạc nhiều cho mỗi người. Quý vị có thật sự yêu quý bản thân mình? Quý vị có thể thực hiện những điều khó khăn hay không? Có hai điều quý vị phải lựa chọn, nghe nhạc và nghe Pháp, quý vị sẽ chọn điều nào? Nếu quý vị trả lời tôi câu mà tôi thích, tôi sẽ thấy hoan hỉ, nhưng trung thực thì, quý vị thích nghe nhạc, quý vị sẽ chọn việc dễ làm, điều sẽ không mang lại lợi lạc gì cho mình.

Thực hành thiền thì khó khăn nhưng rất lợi lạc để có được an lạc trong hiện tại và cho tương lai. Dó là điều chúng ta sẽ trải nghiệm nhưng nó không phải là mục đích. Lý do mà chúng tôi xuất gia Tỳ-kheo và thực hành thiền là vì chúng tôi muốn thanh tịnh tâm. Ai là người trung thực? Chính những vị không còn ô nhiễm là những người trung thực. Không ai có thể thực sự trung thực khi còn ô nhiễm. Nếu quý vị có tâm tham, tâm sân và tâm si, ngay cả khi quý vị cố gắng trung thực, nhưng vì ô nhiểm trong tâm ảnh hưởng mình, những ý nghĩ không tốt vẫn sinh ra. Đó là lí do vì sao với ô nhiễm chúng ta sẽ không thể là những người trung thực. Chúng ta không thể sống an lành nếu chúng ta có nhiều ô nhiễm. Đó là mục đích thực hành thiền để diệt trừ mọi ô nhiễm. Nếu quý vị muốn an lạc thật sự và một cuộc sống tương lai tốt đẹp, quý vị cần huân tập tâm mình. Liệu là do một cơ thể đẹp mà chúng ta sẽ có được một cuộc sống tương lai tốt đẹp hay là do một tâm tốt đẹp mà chúng ta có được điều ấy? Nếu quý vị muốn có được một cái tâm tốt đẹp, quý vị cần phải tập luyện. Hàng ngày thì quý vị làm sạch tâm mình hay làm sạch khuôn mặt mình? Tất cả quý vị đều muốn làm đẹp khuôn mặt mình chứ không phải tâm mình. Tất cả quý vị cần phải thanh tịnh tâm mình rất rất nhiều hơn nữa. Quý vị có nghĩ đời là khổng không? Đúng vậy. Quý vị có muông thoát khỏi khổ đau? Nếu quý vị muốn thoát khỏi khổ đau, tất cả mọi người đều cần thực hành thiền. Đây chính là một đích thật sự của chúng ta khi hành thiền, nhằm đoạn tận khổ đau. Và đây chính là sự an lạc thật sự mà chúng ta tìm kiếm trong cuộc đời này.

Món quà cao thượng cuối cùng của tôi dành cho quý vị. Tôi muốn chia sẻ món quà cao thượng này đến tất cả quý vị, quý vị có cần không ạ?  Nếu quý vị không thiện xảo trong việc đọc thói quen của tâm của các vị khác, hãy thiện xảo trong việc đọc thói quen của chính tâm quý vị. Có dễ để biết tâm của người khác chăng? Hay có dễ trong việc nhận biết tâm của mình? Ngay cả việc nhận biết tâm mình cũng là không dễ dàng, chỉ những ai nhiệt tâm mới có thể thể thiện xảo trong việc đọc tâm của mình. Nếu quý vị muốn làm nhiều việc thiện quý vị cần phải biết tâm của mình. Tại sao? Vì tất cả thân ác hành, khẩu ác hành, đều vì sự điều khiển của thân. Đó là vì sao nếu quý vị không thiện xảo trong việc đọc tâm của mình, quý vị sẽ làm nhiều việc bất thiện thay vì làm việc thiện. Đó là lí do vì sao ta phải thiện xảo trong việc thói quen của chính tâm quý vị trong phần đời còn lại.

Cầu chúc quí vị có thể tu tập thiền tin tấn nhiều và nhiều hơn nữa trong thời gian còn lại của cuộc sống quí vị. Mong cầu cho quí vị có thể sớm đoạn tận được mọi khổ đau trong kiếp sống hiện tại này.

387. "Mặt trời sáng ban ngày,

Mặt trăng sáng ban đêm.

Khí giới sáng Sát lỵ,

Thiền định sáng Phạm chí.

Còn hào quang đức Phật,

Chói sáng cả ngày đêm."

Đừng cho phép phóng dật dễ duôi. Đừng nuông chiều theo các dục lạc. Chỉ có nhiệt tâm và tĩnh giác mói có thể đạt được sự an lạc cao thượng.

Sadhu!  Sadhu!  Sadhu! Lành thay! x3

Almsgoers

Artist: Aung Kyaw Htet

"Monks, this is the lowliest form of livelihood, that of an almsgoer. A term of abuse in the world is, 'You go about as an almsgoer with a bowl in your hand!' And yet sons of good family take up [this livelihood] with compelling reason, in dependence on a compelling reason — not coerced by kings nor coerced by thieves nor from debt nor from fear nor to earn a livelihood, but [with the thought]: 'I am oppressed with birth, aging, & death, with sorrows, lamentations pains, distresses, & despairs. I am oppressed with stress, overcome with stress. Perhaps an ending of this entire mass of suffering & stress might be found!'

“Này các Tỷ-kheo, đây là nghề sinh sống hèn hạ nhất, tức là nghề khất thực. Ðây là một lời nguyền rủa trong đời, này các Tỷ- kheo, khi nói: "Ông, kẻ khất thực với bát trên bàn tay, Ông đi chỗ này, chỗ kia và đấy là nghề sinh sống". Này các Tỷ-kheo, điều mà các thiện gia nam tử chấp nhận là những vị sống vì lý tưởng mục đích, duyên với lý tưởng mục đích; không phải vì ma cưỡng ép, không phải vì trộm cướp cưỡng ép, không phải vì thiếu nợ, không phải vì sợ hãi, không phải vì không có nguồn sinh sống,  mà  với  ý  nghĩ:  "Ta  bị  chìm  đắm trong sanh, già chết, sầu, bi, khổ, ưu, não; bị chìm đắm trong đau khổ, bị đoanh vây bởi đau khổ. Rất có thể, sự chấm dứt toàn bộ khổ uẩn này được tìm ra".

Quoted: SN 22.80 PTS: S iii 91 CDB i 918 - Pindolya Sutta: Almsgoers;

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.080.than.html

What are we searching for?

Today, we have bigger houses and smaller families;more conveniences, but less time.We have more degrees, but less common sense. We have more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness. We read too little, watch TV too often, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too little and lie too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; we've added years to life, not life to years. We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers. We've conquered outer space, but not inner space. We have higher incomes, but lower morals. Are these the things which we are searching?
 We are going through this inconceivable round of rebirth, spending our time filled with worries, searching for four things to satisfy our hunger for peacefulness. Wanting to get married is the first thing. We want to live our life with our beloved wife and children in order to have peacefulness. However,we are using so much of our efforts in so many ways to face so many uncountable difficulties which are all nothing but suffering. Wealth is the second thing that we’re looking for. Although we may have become rich enough, we always think that we need something more to achieve peacefulness. However we try to remain contented much, we still try to bear the crisis as part of our search for peacefulness, too. But, this will never end even right up to the moment of our death. 
 As human nature and human instinct go, although we might have committed wrongdoings during our struggles for family and business, we want to consider ourselves as persons who are fair and straight - in other words, a mature and virtuous person. That is what we can call trying to find the Dhamma, which is the third thing that we keep searching for. Another word we may use to describe a virtuous person is GENTLEMAN. So, the real gentleman is not wealthy in riches but wealthy in Dhamma.That is what makes us fair and virtuous in order to become a real gentleman. Even though we may have come to be billionaire gentlemen with a nice and happy family in this world due to right livelihood, we still do not like to face sorrow, lamentation, pain and displeasure. That means we long to be free from such suffering and to find the true freedom with renunciation for our peacefulness. This is the fourth and the last thing which we wish and search for along this inconceivable round of rebirth. In actual fact, only wise attention and a mature mind can bring true peacefulness. Everyone realizes that no one can live forever, or stay young forever,or remain healthy forever. Actually, we are searching for Nibbana which is the supreme, true and ultimate peace because there is no aging, sickness and death there. That is why the Buddha said that LIFE IS always full of DISSATISFACTION. This is not pessimism but the truth. If there is life, there is sorrow, pain, grief, lamentation and displeasure. So,what do we do? The Four Foundations of Mindfulness can develop wise attention and make your mind mature. Thus the Buddha said:

Sorrow and lamentation’s overcoming,

for pain and displeasure’s disappearance,

for the true way’s attainment,

for Nibbana’s realization:

that is, the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.

(D.ii.9 ‘Maha•Sati•Patthana•Sutta_’ (‘Great Sutta on Mindfulness-Foundation’)

Today, we are gathered here in searching for true peacefulness through practicing the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. We wish that everyone will be able to realize the Buddha’s Teaching and that everyone will possess wise attention and a mature mind in their search. And, we also wish true peacefulness for the person who kindly invited me to come here. Furthermore, to those persons who took the responsibility in issuing the legal permission from the government, may they find peacefulness through practicing the Four Foundations of Mindfulness to attain wise attention and mature mind.

May everyone gain supreme Bliss through all that we are searching for!

With Metta,

Venerable Dhammapala

(Samathi-Vipassana meditation retreat opening ceremony speech in Long An, Vietnam, 2011) 

For one who is born

"Once, monks, there was a teacher named Araka, a sectarian leader who was free of passion for sensual pleasures. He had many hundreds of students and he taught them the Dhamma in this way: 'Next to nothing, brahmans, is the life of human beings — limited, trifling, of much stress & many despairs. One should touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the holy life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.

"'Just as a dewdrop on the tip of a blade of grass quickly vanishes with the rising of the sun and does not stay long, in the same way, brahmans, the life of human beings is like a dewdrop — limited, trifling, of much stress & many despairs. One should touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the holy life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.

"'Just as when the rain-devas send rain in fat drops, and a bubble on the water quickly vanishes and does not stay long, in the same way, brahmans, the life of human beings is like a water bubble — limited, trifling, of much stress & many despairs. One should touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the holy life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.

"'Just as a line drawn in the water with a stick quickly vanishes and does not stay long, in the same way, brahmans, the life of human beings is like a line drawn in the water with a stick — limited, trifling, of much stress & many despairs. One should touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the holy life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.

"'Just as a river flowing down from the mountains, going far, its current swift, carrying everything with it, so that there is not a moment, an instant, a second where it stands still, but instead it goes & rushes & flows, in the same way, brahmans, the life of human beings is like a river flowing down from the mountains — limited, trifling, of much stress & many despairs. One should touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the holy life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.

"'Just as a strong man forming a drop of spit on the tip of his tongue would spit it out with little effort, in the same way, brahmans, the life of human beings is like a drop of spit — limited, trifling, of much stress & many despairs. One should touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the holy life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.

"'Just as a sliver of meat thrown into an iron pan heated all day quickly vanishes and does not stay long, in the same way, brahmans, the life of human beings is like a sliver of meat — limited, trifling, of much stress & many despairs. One should touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the holy life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.

"'Just as a cow to be slaughtered being led to the slaughterhouse, with every step of its foot closer to its slaughtering, closer to death, in the same way, brahmans, the life of human beings is like a cow to be slaughtered — limited, trifling, of much stress & many despairs. One should touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the holy life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.'

"Now at that time, monks, the human life span was 60,000 years, with girls marriageable at 500. And at that time there were [only] six afflictions: cold, heat, hunger, thirst, defecation, & urination. Yet even though people were so long-lived, long-lasting, with so few afflictions, that teacher Araka taught the Dhamma to his disciples in this way: 'Next to nothing, brahmans, is the life of human beings — limited, trifling, of much stress & many despairs. One should touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the holy life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.'

"At present, monks, one speaking rightly would say, 'Next to nothing is the life of human beings — limited, trifling, of much stress & many despairs. One should touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the holy life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.' At present, monks, one who lives a long time is 100 years old or a little bit more. Living 100 years, one lives for 300 seasons: 100 seasons of cold, 100 seasons of heat, 100 seasons of rain. Living for 300 seasons, one lives for 1,200 months: 400 months of cold, 400 months of heat, 400 months of rain. Living for 1,200 months, one lives for 2,400 fortnights: 800 fortnights of cold, 800 fortnights of heat, 800 fortnights of rain. Living for 2,400 fortnights, one lives for 36,000 days: 12,000 days of cold, 12,000 days of heat, 12,000 days of rain. Living for 36,000 days, one eats 72,000 meals: 24,000 meals in the cold, 24,000 meals in the heat, 24,000 meals in the rain — counting the taking of mother's milk and obstacles to eating. These are the obstacles to eating: when one doesn't eat while angered, when one doesn't eat while suffering or stressed, when one doesn't eat while sick, when one doesn't eat on the observance day, when one doesn't eat while poor.

"Thus, monks, I have reckoned the life of a person living for 100 years: I have reckoned the life span, reckoned the seasons, reckoned the years, reckoned the months, reckoned the fortnights, reckoned the nights, reckoned the days, reckoned the meals, reckoned the obstacles to eating. Whatever a teacher should do — seeking the welfare of his disciples, out of sympathy for them — that have I done for you. Over there are the roots of trees; over there, empty dwellings. Practice jhana, monks. Don't be heedless. Don't later fall into regret. This is our message to you all."

(AN 7.70 PTS: A iv 136  Arakenanusasani Sutta: Araka's Teaching ) http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an07/an07.070.than.html

Purpose of Mirror

I heard thus.

At one time the Blessed One was living in the squirrels’ santuary in the bamboo grove in Rajagaha. At that time venerable Rahula lived in Ambalatthika. Then the Blessed One getting up from his seclusion in the evening approached venerable Rahula in Ambalatthika. Venerable Rahula saw the Blessed One coming in the distance, prepared a seat and administered water. The Blessed One sat on the prepared seat and washed his feet. Venerable Rahula too worshipped the Blessed One and sat on a side.

Then the Blessed One retained a little water in the vessel and addressed venerable Rahula. ‘Rahula, do you see this little water left over in the vessel?’ ‘Yes, venerable sir.’’So little is his recluseship, that has no shame, to tell lies, aware’ Then the Blessed One threw away that little bit of water and addressed venerable Rahula. ‘Rahula, did you see that little water thrown away? ‘Yes, venerable sir’’Thus thrown away is the recluseship of one who has no shame, to tell lies with awareness’. Then the Blessed One turned that vessel upside down and addressed venerable Rahula‘Rahula, do you see this vessel turned upside down?’’Yes, venerable sir’’Thus turned upside down is the recluseship of one who has no shame to tell lies with awareness’. Then the Blessed One put the vessel upright and addressed venerable Rahula. ‘Rahula, do you see this vessel empty and deserted?’’Yes, venerable sir’ ‘So empty is the recluseship of one who has no shame to tell lies with awareness.

Rahula, the king’s huge well trained tusker, gone to the battle field, would work with his fore feet, hind feet, the fore part of his body, the hind part of his body, the head, his ears, tusks and with his tail, while protecting his trunk. Then it occurs to the elephant driver: This kings’ elephant the huge tusker gone to the battle field works with his fore feet and hind feet, fore part of the body and hind part of the body, with head, ears, tusks and tail, while protecting its trunk. There is nothing more to do to him. Rahula, just as there is nothing the king’s huge tusker gone to the battle field could not do with is limbs large and small, in the same manner, there is nothing that could not be done by one who has no shame to tell lies with awareness. Therefore you should train, I will not tell lies even for play.

Rahula, what is the purpose of a mirror?’ ‘Venerable sir, for the purpose of reflection.’ ‘Rahula in the same manner reflecting you should do bodily actions, reflecting you should do verbal actions, reflecting you should do mental actions

Rahula, when a desire arises to do some bodily action, you should reflect. Doing this bodily action, will I be troubled, will others be troubled, will both be troubled. Is this bodily action demerit?Is it unpleasant? When reflecting if you know. This bodily action will bring trouble to me, to others and to both It is demerit, it is unpleasant. If possible you should not do it. Rahula, when, reflecting, if you know. This bodily action I desire to do, will not bring me, trouble, others trouble, nor trouble to either. It’s merit and brings pleasantness. Rahula, you should do such bodily actions. Even while doing that bodily action, you should reflect. Does this bodily action give me trouble, give others trouble or does it give trouble to either? Is it demerit? Is it unpleasant? Rahula, when reflecting if you know this bodily action is unpleasant, give up such bodily actions. If you know, this bodily action does not give me, others or either, trouble. It is merit, and it brings pleasantness, Then follow up that bodily action. Rahula, having done such actions too you should reflect. Did this bodily action cause me, others, or either, trouble? Was it demerit? Did it arouse unpleassantness?. When reflecting if you know, this bodily action caused me and others, trouble, it isn’t merit, aroused unpleasantness. Then you should declare it to the Teacher or a wise co-associate in the holy life, manifest it and make amends for future restraint. Raahula, when reflecting, if you know, this bodily action did not cause me, others or either trouble. It was merit and pleasant. Then you should abide delighted pursuing such things of merit day and night..

Rahula, when a desire arises to you to do some verbal action, you should reflect thus: Doing this verbal action, will I trouble my self, others or both? Is this verbal action demerit? Is it unpleasant? When reflecting if you know, this verbal action will bring me, others and both trouble it is demerit and unpleasant. If possible you should not do it. Rahula, when, reflecting, if you know. This verbal action, if done, would not trouble either. It is merit and is pleasant. Then Raahula, you should do such verbal actions. Even while doing that verbal action, you should reflect. Does this verbal action give me, others, or either, trouble? Is it demerit? Is it unpleasant?Rahula, if it is unpleasant, give up, such verbal actions. If you know, this verbal action does not bring me, others, or either, trouble. It is merit and is pleasant. Follow up such verbal actions. Rahula, having done such verbal actions too you should reflect. Did this cause me, others, or either, trouble? Was it demerit? Was it unpleasant? When reflecting if you know, this verbal action caused me, others, and both, trouble. It is demerit, and unpleasant. It should be declared to the Teacher or a wise co-associate in the holy life, manifest it and make amends for future restraint. Rahula, when reflecting you know, this verbal action, did not cause me, others or either trouble. It was merit and it was pleasant. Then you should abide delighted pursuing such things of merit day and night..

Rahula, when you desire to do some mental action, you should reflect. In doing, this mental action, will I trouble myself? Is it demerit? Is it unpleasant? When reflecting if you know, this mental action will trouble me. It is demerit and unpleasant. Then, if possible you should not do it. Rahula, when reflecting if you know, this mental action will not bring me trouble. It is merit and pleasant. Then Rahula, you should do such mental actions. Even while doing that mental action, you should reflect. Does this mental action give me, others, trouble? Is it demerit and unpleasant? Rahula, if that is so, give up that mental action. If you know, this mental action does not bring me, others trouble. It’s merit, and pleasant Then follow it up. Having done such mental actions too you should reflect. Did it cause me, others, trouble? Was it demerit? Was it unpleasant? When reflecting if you know, this mental action caused me, others, trouble. It is demerit and unpleasant. Then you should be disgusted and loathe such mental actions. Rahula, when reflecting if you know, this mental action did not cause me, others, trouble, it was merit and it was pleasant. Then you should pursue such things of merit day and night delightedly..

Rahula, whoever recluses or brahmins purified their bodily actions, verbal actions and mental actions in the past, did by reflecting.Whoever recluses or brahmins will purify their bodily, verbal and mental actions in the future will do so reflecting. Whoever recluses or brahmins purify their bodily, verbal, and mental actions at present do so reflecting. Therefore Rahula, you should train thus. Reflecting I will purify my bodily, verbal and mental actions.

The Blessed One said thus and venerable Rahula delighted in the words of the Blessed One. .

MAJJHIMA NIKAAYA II
II. 2.1. Ambala.t.thikaaraahulovaadasutta.m-(61) Advice to Venerable Raahula At Ambalatthika.

Modern Lodestars

Further to a request for talks on lust, hatred and delusion, we shall today begin by looking at some distinctions The Buddha makes between the three.
The Buddha says: Lust is a lesser fault and fades away slowly; hatred is a great fault and fades away quickly; delusion is a great fault and fades away slowly.
The Texts explain that greed or lust is a lesser fault in two ways: 1. In the eyes of the world (loka), and 2. In terms of kamma-vipāka. The Texts explain that according to the world there is nothing wrong in, for example, parents giving consent to their children getting married, even though lust is involved. And the Texts explain that if when married one observes the third precept, kāmesu micchācārā veramanī sikkhāpadaŋ samādiyāmi, which means that one is content with one’s partner, then there is for that reason no rebirth in the lower worlds. In other words, there is greedy and lustful conduct that according to the standards of civilized society is acceptable, and that kind of conduct does not lead to serious akusala kamma-vipāka; it does not prevent us from having a good rebirth.

Thus, a man may work very hard because he wants to become rich and have a big house, big car, big business, and be a big shot: so long as he fulfills his ambition in honorable ways, and his general conduct too is honorable, the world does not condemn his greed for wealth and prestige, in fact, the world praises him. The Buddha too explains that honorably earned wealth is the first of the four types of bliss available to a layman, namely the bliss of having. And the bliss of having is, of course, requisite to the second bliss, namely the bliss of giving. Many of The Buddha’s patrons were rich, some of them kings, and all over the world, even today, there are rich people who do good with their wealth, for example, the king of Saudi Arabia.

But greed is only a lesser fault within the limits allowed by civilized society. In societies that are less civilized, or in uncivilized people, greed and lust is very dangerous. This can also happen with the man who works hard in an honorable way. As he gets richer so can he get greedier, and as he gets greedier so can he begin to forget to be civilized. With money comes also power, and then there are further dangers.

Although The Buddha explained that lust is a lesser fault, He also explained that it fades away slowly. The Texts explain that lust is as hard to remove as oily soot, and that lust for particular objects or a certain person may persist throughout life, even through several lives. That is why people can follow each other through many lives: it is because of attachment and clinging. Lust is eradicated only at arahantship.

Hatred, on the other hand, was explained as being a great fault that fades away quickly. It is in the Texts explained as a great fault in the eyes of the world. It causes anger and because of anger we misbehave in body, speech and mind towards other people, such as our parents, brothers and sisters and even monks. In terms of kamma-vipāka, the mind that is consumed with hatred is a sub-human mind, and that is why if we die in anger we will have a sub-human rebirth. And hatred is why we commit the five garuka kammas (weighty kammas):killing father, mother, an arahant, with malice wounding a Buddha or causing a schism in the Sangha. The kamma-vipāka of acts of hatred can be an unhappy rebirth, and the weighty kammas are certain to lead to eons in the hottest of hells.

Usually, however, hatred fades away quickly because it has immediately unpleasant results. The intelligent person who has done something out of hatred will have remorse and know that his hatred does not make him feel happy: hence the universal and very wholesome institution of saying ‘I am sorry’. But very often people do not say: ‘I am sorry’, and ‘Please forgive me’, because of pride. For example, the proud mother or father may expect their children to apologize for being rude to them, but they will never themselves apologize for being rude to their children. Their pride is rooted in the third unwholesome root, delusion.

The Buddha explained that delusion is a great fault and fades away slowly. Delusion is, of course, the most serious of the three, because delusion accounts for acts committed out of lust and greed; delusion accounts for acts committed out of hatred; and delusion accounts for acts committed out of delusion. The Texts explain that acts of delusion are, as in the case of hatred, condemned by the world and lead to unhappy rebirths.

When the Texts say that greed and lust bridled by the third precept is accepted by society, and that acts of hatred and delusion are condemned by society, they are referring to the civilized societies of the Ganges valley in ancient India. When we read the ancient Pāli Texts, we notice that the people in those societies, whoever they were, kings and queens, ministers, headmen, Brahmins, farmers, fathers and mothers, housewives, even prostitutes, executioners and bandits, they knew what was kusala and what was akusala. That is why we read about prostitutes who offered food to monks, and who ordained as nuns; bandits who offered food to monks and who ordained as monks; Brahmins who went to argue with The Buddha and then touched their proud head to the ground and took refuge in Him; and even King Ajjātasatu, who had killed his own father, King Pasenadi, one of The Buddha’s chief patrons, he went to see The Buddha, and became a chief patron like his father. In the civilized societies of ancient India, people did evil things just as people do it today, but they knew it was evil. They had the wise men as their lodestars, and they would seek out the wise men, ask them questions, listen and reflect. That is the difference between a civilized and uncivilized society. How can a society call itself civilized if it has no wise men or women, or if it does, but does not listen to them?

The world can only condemn acts of delusion if the world can discriminate between kusala and akusala: that is, if the world possesses some degree of right view (sammā ditthi). Four of the factors that constitute right view are namely

1. To know what is akusala,

2. To know the root of akusala,

3. To know what is kusala, and

4. To know the root of kusala.

If the world has no idea about or respect for these things, if it has too much wrong view (micchā ditthi), it may instead of condemning acts of akusala praise them. When our delusion is aggravated by wrong view, we do wrong, thinking it is right. That is infinitely more dangerous to us and our fellow human beings than when our delusion is not aggravated by wrong view, and we do wrong, knowing it is wrong. If, for example, the world we live in views alcohol as a good thing, people will deludedly praise us for serving champagne at our children’s weddings. And in such a world, liquor is viewed as stylish and sophisticated, indeed, in some parts of the world it is considered indispensable to good and normal living. If the world we live in regards tax evasion as not being theft, then people will not condemn the man whose wealth depends on deception, but ask for his advice. If the world we live in views the embryo or foetus in the womb as something other than human life, then doctors and social workers will out of what they think is compassion advise some mothers to have an abortion, and the electorate will for the same reason have made such a practice legal and acceptable.

Wrong view is always associated with greed and lust. Wrong view feeds on sensuality, and the Texts say it is the most reprehensible of all akusala mind states.2 Why? Because how is one to better oneself if one thinks that the wrong is right and the right is wrong? It is like taking poison, thinking it is medicine: indeed, insisting that it is medicine. Knowing poison to be poison is right view, and when there is right view the drinking of alcohol is not praised or admired, or considered stylish and ‘cool’. Wise people know that alcohol leads to muddle-mindedness, which leads to akusala kamma. That is why abstinence is the fifth precept. If we are drunk, it is much more likely that we will kill or harm other beings, that we will steal, commit adultery etc. and tell lies. The person who drinks will even deny that he drinks.

Even among thieves there used to be a certain element of right view, in that they had a ‘code of thieves’. They considered it unacceptable, for example, to steal from children or to use threats or violence. Why? Because, although they were thieves, they knew theft was wrong. When caught, they would not call in the psychologist and sociologist to say that they were the innocent victims of past circumstances. They would go to gaol, serve their sentence, and when released would either give up theft, or be extra careful not to get caught again. In so far as they committed acts of theft, thieves in the past were deluded, but insofar as they knew it was wrong, they were not deluded, did not have wrong view. This means that there is akusala kamma and kusala kamma: one with wrong view and one without. Let us then look at the time when The Buddha explained this to the actor Tālaputa. Tālaputa was the director of a famous troupe of actors. He told The Buddha that in the acting profession there was the ancient view that an actor is reborn among the laughing devas.

Tālaputa asked The Buddha what he had to say about that view. The Buddha told him not to ask. But Tālaputa insisted, and when he asked a third time, The Buddha said: In the theatre or at a festival, beings who are not yet free from lust, who are bound by the bondage of lust, are entertained by an actor with things of a lustful nature (rajanīyā), which excite them even more strongly to lust (rāga). Here, The Buddha is analysing the actor’s craft. In this case, the actor excites his audiences with lust.

The Buddha said, in the theatre or at a festival, and we can today say, ‘In the theatre, at a festival, on film in a cinema, on videos and CDs and on TV.’ Just as actors and actresses in ancient India made a living by exciting their audiences with lust, so do actors and actresses today make a living that way: it is called ‘entertainment’, includes pop singers etc. and is a multi-billion and multinational industry. The excitement of lust is indispensable also in the fashion and advertising industry. All these industries excite their audiences with lust for material things such as the actor and model’s material bodies, their clothes, their hairdo etc. But excited is also lust for their feelings and other mental states. The modern soap opera, for example, focuses on only the emotional goings-ons of the characters: that is why people all over the world become addicted to soap operas. But lust is not the only mind state that actors excite in their audience. In the next part of His analysis the Buddha said: In the theatre or at a festival, beings who are not yet free from hatred, who are bound by the bondage of hatred, are entertained by an actor with things of a hateful nature (dosanīyā), which excite them even more strongly to hatred.

The excitement of hatred is high priority in the modern entertainment industry. Cinema audiences pay hard-earned money to delight in fear loathing, dislike etc. excited in them by scenes of explicit and gratuitous graphic violence, of people on the screen who are frightened, screaming, crying, running, getting wounded and killed because of fires, floods, earthquakes, drought and famine, war, dinosaurs, spiders, snakes, sharks, cannibals, bandits, lunatics etc. The more fear excited in the audience, the better the ratings, and it is not uncommon now for children to have nightmares because of a film they have seen.

But lust and hatred are not the only mind states that actors excite in their audiences. Closing His analysis of the actor’s craft, The Buddha says: In the theatre or at a festival, beings who are not yet free from delusion, who are bound by the bondage of delusion, are entertained by an actor with things of a delusive nature (dosanīyā), which excite them even more strongly to delusion.

Delusion is also excited in the case of lust and hatred, of course, but there are elements in entertainment that are purely delusive, such as fantastical, imaginary things. A very large proportion of modern entertainment is far removed from reality: fantastical, futuristic worlds with technological time-travel and visits to other universes, and fantastical beings like Superman, Batman, superhuman masters of martial arts.

Fantastical entertainment by imaginary non-human actors is colossal, that is, in the fantasy worlds of the animated cartoons industry. Here, the professionals work on the drawing board. The fantastical characters of Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Tom and Jerry etc. have proliferated into thousands of cartoon characters that pervade every aspect of modern life and inhabit the minds of modern citizens, particularly modern children. Go into the room of a child in one of the sensually developed countries and be overwhelmed by the volume of commercially produced delusion that is such a child’s world: toys, pictures, music, videos, games, even clothes and food. The results of this culture exist already in the form of children, youths

and former children and youths who have become mentally disturbed: who have lost touch with reality.

The advertising industry uses fantastical beings to make their customers believe the sales products have a friendly little self. Computer programs are made to look as if the computer has a self, with beings inside who help us, communicate with us, and have feelings; processed food is sold in packages with little beings on, who also communicate with us, and the multinational fast-food restaurants all have fantastical beings that welcome the customers and make them feel at home. Grown-up people decorate their homes, their cars and even their clothes with such toys, because they are ‘cute’. But, every time we look at a ‘cute’ toy, watch a cartoon or smile at the being in the computer, the mind is darkened by delusion.

This massive development is global; helps keep people’s mind intoxicated with fantasy far removed from reality, and is considered one of the many blessings of science and technology. Fantasy is by modern child-psychologists considered paramount to a happy child. As we can see, the only difference between modern entertainment and the entertainment in ancient India is volume, depth and sophistication. But the elements of entertainment, and the effect they have on people’s minds remain unchanged. People who are involved in entertainment are excited by lust, hatred and delusion, and excite lust, hatred and delusion in their audiences. What is the kamma vipāka? It depends. The Buddha said to Tālaputa: Thus, being intoxicated and careless himself, having made others intoxicated and careless, with the break-up of the

body, after death, he [the actor] is reborn in the ‘Hell of Laughter’. And remember, The Buddha is not speculating here, He is talking about what He has seen for Himself.

Here, The Buddha is talking about the actor who is intoxicated with the delight of entertainment, and who for that reason is careless in his conduct of body, speech and mind. For that, he is reborn in the ‘Hell of Laughter’. But this is not all. The kamma performed by the actor can be aggravated by wrong view. The Buddha says: But should he [the actor] hold such a view as this: ‘If an actor, in the theatre or at a festival, entertains and amuses people by counterfeiting the truth, then with the break-up of the body, after death, he is reborn among the laughing devas’, that is a wrong view on his part.

The wrong view is not a question of believing that one will be reborn in such-and-such aplace; it is a question of believing that it is kusala to entertain people by counterfeiting the truth, exciting lust, hatred and delusion in them, and making them intoxicated and negligent of good conduct in body, speech and mind: it is, in other words, to not know how harmful such activities are to oneself and the world. That is why The Buddha closed his analysis by saying to Tālaputa: For a person with wrong view, I say, there is one of two destinations: either hell or the animal realm. At these words, Tālaputa burst into tears, and The Buddha said: ‘I told you not to ask.’ But Tālaputa’s answer was: ‘I am not crying, Venerable Sir, because of what the Blessed One said to me, but because I have been tricked, cheated and deceived for a long time by those actors of old in the lineage of teachers . . . .’

Why had Tālaputa been tricked, cheated and deceived? Because his lodestar had been the wrong view brought down through the lineage of actors. He had allowed his livelihood to be guided by a lodestar that would lead him to hell or the animal kingdom. Some of the prominent lodestars in the modern age are film stars, pop stars and other stars in the entertainment industry. Actors, who on screen kill, steal, commit adultery, tell lies and drink alcohol, become rich and famous, win prizes, and are praised, admired, emulated and even interviewed in newspapers, magazines and on TV. They are in the modern world viewed as ‘cool’. Not only can one buy a T-shirt with a picture of one’s favourite film star, indeed one can wear the T-shirts in public. Film stars and pop stars generate fan clubs and even cults, especially among children, but also among youths who attend university and among adults who hold a job, have children, vote at the elections and can stand for election.

The news, which might educate us about the realities of saŋsāra, tends also towards entertainment. For the global networks, the news is not so much a question of education as a question of the latest sensational images to excite lust, hatred and delusion in the viewers, with the enumeration of bald facts as legitimacy: in-depth analyses do not excite. And scenes from wars and natural and unnatural disasters are fitted in between advertisements for the latest flashy car, the latest trendy beer, the latest junk-food, and the latest fantastical film. The viewers’ minds remain gripped by delusion. The goings-ons on TV account for a very large proportion of modern social intercourse, even in the family, and the minds and lives of modern children are practically ruled by the media: the television is the modern universal altar that cuts across the creeds. Sitting in front of the box with images and sounds that excite lust, hatred and above all delusion is considered a good and normal way to make use of one’s rebirth as a human being. Indeed, a society where most people do not spend many mindless hours every day in front of the box is viewed as ‘backward’, ‘underdeveloped’, ‘primitive’, ‘uncivilized’ and poor: a ‘third world’ country.

But one of the first things that happen to people who have done some serious meditation is that they stop enjoying such entertainment. Why? Because once one has meditated the arising of lustful, hateful and delusory mind states becomes as clear as an inkblot on white paper. The meditator acquires the ability to see the akusala elements that are entertainment, and see how the mind becomes drugged with excitement and delusion.

And Tālaputa? What happened to him? Well, the very fact that he had been reborn in one of the civilized societies of ancient India, at a time when a Buddha was there; that he sought out The Buddha and asked him a question; that he listened with respect and attention; and that he understood the truth of The Buddha’s analysis to such an extent that he burst into tears, tells us that his pāramīs were ripe. And indeed, Tālaputa took The Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha as his new lodestar: he requested ordination, received ordination, and after a number of years of hard work, and much struggle, Tālaputa became one of the arahants. There are in the Pāli Texts, fifty-five verses that are Tālaputa’s, wherein he describes his struggles and subsequent success. I shall close this talk by quoting the thirty-fifth verse. This is Tālaputa the arahant speaking:

Tanhā, avijjā ca, piyāpiyañca;
Subhāni rūpāni, sukhā ca vedanā;
Manāpiyā, kāmagunā ca vantā.
Vante ahaŋ āvamituŋ na ussahe.


Craving, unknowing, the liked and the disliked;
Delighting in forms and pleasing feelings too;
Dear pleasures of the senses: all have been vomited.
Never to that vomit can I make myself return.
(Tag.XIX, v. 35 (Forest Meditations, by Bhikkhu Khantipalo: BPS)

May we all choose the right lodestar, and be led to vomit, and led to never return to the vomit of, lust, hatred and delusion.
Thank you.
(Talks by Ekacco Bhikkhu)