St. Xavier's Institution, Penang Buddhist Student's Society Ehipassiko 1997/98 Issue No. 2

PAGE TWO

Time Never Waits Two Main Schools Of Buddhism Lead A Normal Life And Be Happy Eight Worldly Conditions The Meaning Of Prayer The Holy Message Criticism Next Page

Time Never Waits

Time waits for no one.
Don't run after worldly delusion,
Or mistake suffering for happiness.
Soon we have to say goodbye to this world.

Several people have told me that they aspire to a wholesome mind (Kusala citta), so why are their minds not at peace? They do lots of meritorious deeds, sacrifice themselves, give offerings (Dana) and develop morality (sila),but still cannot find peace. This is because they lack of merit gained through meditation (bhavanamaya).Merit (punna) in Buddhism includes: merit gained through observing precepts (silamaya); merit gained through alms-giving (danamaya); and merit gained through meditation (bhavanamaya). The last is the best merit of all, for it was by meditation (bhavana) that the Buddha got rid of all his defilements and became the Perfectly Enlightened One (Sammasambuddha).

Make your mind as a child when playing
In a beautiful garden and fall asleep.
When you sleep, sleep as if it were your last sleep.
When you wake, wake as if it were your last awakening.
The mind will be one and only one.
Work honestly , usefully, and joyfully
Until you forget time .
You will consume time with peace and happiness.
If you work with worry, irritation, and bad temper,
You long for time to pass by.
Such a one is eaten by time.

Work for the benefit of the work itself, not for only one's own benefit. Work for the work and transfer the goodness of the result to nature (Dhamma). Don't take the good for yourself. 'Non-self' means there is no 'ours', there is no suffering or dissatisfaction. We don't want goodness, because there is no 'us'. There is only 'no-self (Anatta), nature (Dhamma), or Sabbe Dhamma Anatta - all of nature is non-self. Everything and every being belong to nature, belong to the Dhamma, not to themselves. Suffering (Dukkha) and happiness (Sukha) are also Dhamma.

If someone can give away the thing that he loves, that person's mind is very strong, for it is hard to do that. Most people want to keep the things they like, whether nice people or pleasant contacts; these are the things people look for. To relinquish the things we love or want is hard to do, and anyone who can do that has a strong and excellent mind.

Try to sacrifice and be helpful
For the good of society.
You will discover the miracles of the mind .
You will find the depth of the mind.
You will find the goodness of the mind.
You will find the Dhamma of the mind.

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Two Main Schools Of Buddhism

The real followers of the Buddha can practise this religion without adhering to any school or sect.

A few hundred years after the Buddha's passing away, there arose eighteen different schools or sects all which claimed to represent the original Teachings of the Buddha. The differences between these schools were basically due to a various interpretations of the Teachings of the Buddha. Over a period of time, these schools gradually merged into two main schools: Theravada and Mahayana. Today, a majority of the followers of Buddhism are into these two schools.

Basically Mahayana Buddhism grew out of the Buddha's teaching that each individual carries within himself the potential for Buddhahood. Theravadins says that this potential can be realized through individual effort. Mahayanist, on the other hand, believe that they can seek salvation through the intervention of other superior beings called Bodhisattas. In spite of this basic difference, however, it must be stressed that doctrinally there is absolutely no disagreement concerning the Dhamma as contained in the sacred Tipitaka texts. Because Buddhists have been encouraged by the Master to carefully inquire after the truth, they have been free to interpret the scriptures according to their understanding. But above all ,both Mahayana and Theravada are one in their reverence for the Buddha.

The areas of agreement between the two schools are as follows:

1. Both accept Sakyamuni Buddha as the Teacher.
2. The Four Noble Truths are exactly the same in both schools.
3. The Eightfold Path is exactly the same in both schools.
4. The Pattica-Samuppada or teachings on Dependent Origination is the same in both schools.
5. Both reject the idea of a supreme being who created and governed this world.
6. Both accept Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta and Sila, Samadhi, Panna without any difference.

Some people are of the view that Theravada is selfish because it teaches that people should seek their own salvation. But how can a selfish person gain Enlightenment? Both schools accept the three Yana and Bodhi and consider the Bodhisatta Ideal as the highest. The Mahayana has created many mystical Bodhisattas, while the Theravada believes that Bodhisattas is a man amongst us who devotes his entire life for the attainment of perfection and ultimately becomes a fully Enlightenment Buddha for the well-being and happiness of this world.

The term Hinayana (Small Vehicle) and Mahayana (Great Vehicle) are not known in the Theravada Pali literature. They are not found in the Pali Canon (Tipitaka) or in the Commentaries on the Tipitaka.

Theravada Buddhists follow orthodox religious traditions that had prevailed in India two thousand five hundred years ago. They perform their religious services in the Pali language. They also expect to attain the final goal (Nibbana) by becoming a Supreme Enlightened Buddha, Pacceka Buddha, or an Arahant (the highest stage of sainthood).The majority of them prefer the Arahanthood. Buddhists in Sri Lanka, Burma, and Thailand belong to this school. Mahayanists have changed the religious customs. Their practices are in accordance with the customs and traditions of the countries where they live. Mahayanists perform their religious services in their mother tongue. They expect to attain the final goal (Nibbana) by becoming Buddhas. Hence they honour both the Buddha and Bodhisattas (one who is destined to be a Buddha) with the same respect. Buddhists in China, Japan and Korea belong to this school. Most of those in Tibet and Mongolia follow another school of Buddhism which is known as Vajrayana. Buddhist scholars believe that this school inclines more towards the Mahayana sect.

It is universally accepted by scholars that the terms Hinayana and Mahayana are later invention. Historically speaking, the Theravada already existed long before these terms came into being. Theravada, considered to be the original teaching of the Buddha, was introduced to Sri Lanka and established there in the 3rd century BC., during the time of Emperor Asoka of India. At that time there was nothing called Mahayana. Mahayana as such appeared much later, about the beginning of the Christian Era. Buddhism that went to Sri Lanka, with its Tipitaka and Commentaries, in the 3rd century BC., remained there intact as Theravada, and did not come into the scene of the Hinayana-Mahayana dispute that developed later in India. It seems therefore not legitimate to include Theravada in either of these two categories. However, after the inauguration of the World Fellowship of Buddhists in 1950, well-informed people, both in the East and in the West, use the term Theravada and not the term Hinayana, with reference to Buddhism prevalent in South-east Asian countries. There are still outmoded people who use the term Hinayana. Although different schools of Buddhism held different opinions on the teachings of the Buddha, they never have any violence or blood-shed for more than two thousands years. This is the uniqueness of Buddhist tolerance.

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Lead A Normal Life And Be Happy

In explaining the teachings of the Buddha, certain people have unfortunately created a wrong impression that the Buddha has advised all His followers to give up all worldly possessions and lead an unprofitable life without necessity of either working or earning a living and without experiencing any form of worldly pleasure. (Such a view has gained currency amongst quite a number of people who are under a complete misapprehension about the Buddha's Teachings). On the other hand we must understand that renunciation is the most important aspect to have peace in the mind. But that should be done through the realisation of the fleeting nature of worldly pleasures. Instead of advising His followers to lead an inactive life without doing any form of work, the Buddha, in His discourse on the `Four Kinds of Happiness' which man can experience, clearly indicated that a man must work hard in order to acquire wealth and property to lead a happy Buddhist way of life.

The first kind of happiness comes when a man, by his hard work and strenuous efforts, has managed to accumulate some wealth and property, for the well-being of the family, and this kind of happiness is encouraged by the Buddha. This attitude gives the lie to the view that a man should not have worldly possessions.

A second kind of happiness is the pleasurable experience gained by man in his ability to spend or make use of his hard-earned wealth for his own benefit and that of his family. The man enjoys life without violating religious principles or causing harm to others. This is considered by the Buddha as part of a Buddhist way of life and it is contrary to certain erroneous views that a man should not have worldly possessions. Of course when one decides to renounce the world and become a monk, then he gives up all his worldly possessions. But the Buddha did not suggest the ordinary laymen do the same thing.

A third kind of happiness is the happiness experienced by a man who is completely free from debt. The Buddha also advised that a man must know how to adjust his expenditure in accordance with his income. A man should not be dependent on others for his daily sustenance-except in emergencies.

The fourth kind of happiness, considered as the highest level of happiness, is the realisation by a man that he has been able to earn and accumulate his wealth and property without in any way causing harm or injury to others. Such happiness is deemed by the Buddha to be remarkable experience during this life and hereafter.

These various types of happiness were described in certain discourses uttered by the Buddha in regard to the economic life of a man. Hence such views are definitely contrary to the misconceptions held that man should not live a worldly life. The Buddha even advised his followers to be careful in looking after their hard-earned wealth, to be frugal and to lay something by for the rainy day. It is clear therefore that the Buddha certainly did not want everybody to discard their worldly lives and retire to the jungle for meditation.

The rules to develop human values in Buddhism are simple. One must work hard and be conscientious. One must not waste one's time unnecessarily, idling away doing nothing. Even regarding sleep, one must be rational by keeping it the minimum necessary for health. One should not give lame excuses that either the day is too hot or too cold for the alloted work to be done. Be constructive and conscientious in whatever you do. It was recorded that the Buddha himself was the most energetic and active religious teacher who has ever lived in this world. During his forty five years of noble service to mankind, it was reputed that He only slept for a period of two hours each day. He travelled all over the country advising people how to lead a noble way of life.

Knowing well that there are human frailties and shortcomings, the Buddha advised His followers to be careful in associating with people. Certain so-called friends are far from being friends- ever ready to cheat and swindle. A certain western scholar once concocted a prayer:- "O Lord, please protect me from my friends. I know how to protect myself from my enemies." The Buddha advised us to understand who our friends are. In associating with people, we must try to understand their character, temperament and mood.

One of the golden rules to lead a good life is to have a balanced livelihood- without in any way going to extremes. The Buddha does not advise us to torture our body or our mind in the cause of religion. We can practise our religion as rational beings. Do not overdo things. We should not forget the most important aspect of life- our spiritual development. The teachings of Buddha can be categorised into three ways: happiness for this life, happiness for the hereafter and happiness for the ultimate achievement- Nibbana. In the pursuit of these three kinds of happiness, a man can achieve dignity and nobility.

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This ill balanced world is not absolutely rosy not is it totally thorny. The rose is soft beautiful and fragrant but the stem is full of thorns. An understanding person will not be infatuated by the beauty of the rose but will view it as it is. Knowing well the nature of the thorns, he will view them as they are and will take the precaution not to be wounded.

They are four desirable and undesirable prevail in this world. They are gain (labha) and loss (alabha), fame (yasa) and defame (ayasa), praise (posamso) and blame (ninda), happiness (sukha) and pain (dukkha).

• Gain and Loss

  In the course of our lifetime, we would definitely confront with gain and loss. We will gain a lot of things such as money, house, jewelry, friends and etc. But we must realize that all these things will not lost because nothing permanent. One day, we might lose all we have gained.

  Gain produces some pleasures which average men seek. In this competitive and chaotic happiness though material, does conduce to health and longevity.

  The problem arises in the case of loss. Gain can be bear smilingly but not to the losses. More often than not they lead to mental derangement and sometimes to suicide. It is under such adverse circumstances that one should exhibit moral courage and maintain a balance mind. All have ups and downs while battling with life. One should always be prepared for the losses in particulars. Then there will be loss disappointment.

• Fame and Defame

  Fame be welcome, defame we dislike. Fame gladdens our mind, defame disheartens us. We desire to become famous. To get famous, some are ready to pay any price. These are human frailties. Most people do even a good action with an ulterior motive. Selfless person who act disinterestedly are rare in this world. Most worldlings have something up their sleeves. How many are perfectly pure in their motives?

  We need not hand for fame. If we are worthy of fame, it will come to us unsought. True indeed, we feel very happy when our fame is spread far and wide. But we must realize that fame, honour and glory only lead to the grave. They vanish in thin air.

  What about defame? It is not palatable to the mind. We are undoubtedly pertubed when unkind defamotary words pierce our ears. The pain of mind will be greater when the so-called report is unjust and absolutely false. It take a long time to build up a good reputation. But the hard earned good name can be ruined in a short time. We must realize that all of us are not exempt from criticisms attacks and insults.

  It is needless to waste time in correcting the false reports. The enemy is gratitude when he sees that you are hurt. If you are indifferent, such misrepresentations will fall on dead ears. What we should do is to try to lead blameless noble life and try to cultivate non- attachment.

  Great men are indifferent in fame and defame. They are not upset when they are criticized or maglined for they work and not for fame. They are indifferent whether others recognized their services or not. "To work they have the right but not to the fruit thereof".

• Praise and Blame

  Praise and blame are true more worldly condition that affect mankind. It is natural to be elated when praised and to be depressed when blamed. Amidst praise and blame, the Buddha says, " The wise do not exhibit either elation or depression."

  Praise, if worthy, is pleasing to the ears, if unworthy, has in the case flattery, though pleasing, it is deceptive. A word of praise goes a long way. By praising a little , a favour can be easily obtained.

  What about blame? The Buddha says, " In this world, there is none who is free from blame." Blame seem to be a universal legacy to mankind.

  The deluded and the wicked are prone to seek only the ugliness in others but not the good and beautiful. One may work with the best of motives and the outside world often miscontrues him and will impute motives never even dreamt of. One may serve and help others to the best of one' ability. But, later he deluded world is so constituted that those very person that one has helped until find fault with him, blemish his good character and will rejoice in his downfall.

  Insults are the common lot of humanity. Even the Buddha was blamed and insulted for many times. The more you work and the greater you become, the more you are subjected to insult and humiliation. For example, Jesus Christ was insulted humiliated and crucified. Knowing all this, we should not be angry or upset when we are blamed or insulted. We should think that we are given an opportunity to practise patience.

• Happiness and Pain

  Happiness and pain are the most powerful factors that affect mankind. What can be endured with ease is happiness, what is difficult to bear is pain. Ordinary happiness is the gratification of a desire. No sooner is the desired thing gained, we desire some other kind of happiness.

  Can material possessions give are genuine happiness? Can dominion over the whole world produce true happiness? Are emperors and kings always happy? Real happiness is found within and is not defined in terms of wealth, power, honours and conquests. The topic of happiness will be discuss further in the next article- Lead A Normal Life and Be Happy.

  All living beings are subject to pain and suffering. "Birth is suffering, decay is suffering, disease is suffering, death is suffering, to be associated with hated person is suffering, to be separated from beloved persons is suffering, not to get what one desires is suffering. In brief, the five aggregates of attachment are suffering."

  When we subject to disease, we must bear it at any cost. We must console ourselves thinking that have escaped from a more serious disease. When we are separated from our beloved ones. We must try to understand that all association will end in separation, realizing the nature of impermanence. Here is a good opportunity to practise equanimity.

  Even the Buddha, an Enlightened One, who has destroyed all defilements had to endure physical suffering caused by disease accidents.

Amidst gain and loss, fame and defame, praise and blame, happiness and pain, let us try to maintain a balanced mind.

- The Buddha

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The Meaning Of Prayer

Man is not a fallen creature who begs for his needs as he awaits mercy. According to Buddhism, man is a potential master of himself . Only because of his deep ignorance does man fail to realize his full potential. Since the Buddha has shown this hidden power, man must cultivate his mind and try to develop it by realizing his innate ability.

Buddhism gives full responsibility and dignity to man. It makes man his own master. According to Buddhism, no higher being sits in judgement over his affairs and destiny. That is to say, our life, our society, our world, is what you and I want to make out of it, and not what some other unknown being wants it to be.

Remember that nature is impartial; it cannot be flattered by prayers. Nature does not grant any special favors on request. Thus in Buddhism, prayer is meditation which has self-change as its object. Prayer in meditation is the reconditioning of one's nature. It is the transforming of one's inner nature accomplished by the purification of the three faculties - thought, word and deed. Through meditation, we can understand that 'we become what we think', in accordance with the discoveries of psychology. When we pray, we experience some relief in our minds; that is, the psychological effect that we have created through our faith and devotion. After reciting certain verses we also experience the same result. Religious names or symbols are important to the extent that they help to develop devotion and confidence.

The Buddha Himself has clearly expressed that neither the recital of holy scriptures, nor self-torture, nor sleeping on the ground, not the repetition of prayers, hymns, charms, mantras, incantations and invocations can bring the real happiness of Nibbana.

Regarding the use of prayers for attaining the final goal, the Buddha once made an analogy of a man who wants to cross a river. If he sits down and prays imploring that the far bank of the river will come to him and carry him across, then his prayer will not be answered. If he really wants to cross the river, he must make some effort; he must find some logs and build a raft, or look for a bridge or construct a boat or perhaps swim. Somehow he must work to get across the river. Likewise, if he wants to cross the river of Samsara, prayers alone are not enough. He must work hard by living a religious life, by controlling his passions, calming his mind, and by getting rid of all the impurities and defilements in his mind. Only then can he reach the final goal. Prayers alone will never take him to the final goal.

If prayer is necessary, it should be to strengthen the mind and not to beg for gains. The following prayer of a well-known poet, teaches us how to pray. Buddhist will regard this as meditation to cultivate the mind:

'Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers,  but to be fearless in facing them.  Let me not beg for stilling of my pain,  but for the heart to conquer it.  Let me not crave in anxious fear to be saved,  but for the patience to win my freedom.'

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The Holy Message

When I contemplate lives
In their various moves and motions,
I see them as friends in sufferings:
Through birth, old age, sickness and death.
All lives are like one,
One in their desire to rid pain
And obtain a happy goal.
So, we should humbly remind ourselves
To act, speak, and think in such a way
That it won't exploit and hurt others.
We should do everything for the sake of their benefit,
Happiness and security.
Devote our merits for the lives of others.
Humbly extend love and compassion.
Increase your mental power and contentment.
Fill your heart with good will,
Pure and full.
Let your heart be thus overflown.
Also contemplate the transitoriness of things.
See that things are hard to hold.....
That there is no such thing as self,
We or ours
Within this world of conditionings.
Contemplate until you can relinquish them,
Until you fully realize
The true nature of non-self.
When void occurs in your heart
And the feeling of attachment is thrown away,
You'll find more strength to help
And to sacrifice.
You will live only for the sake of giving,
Of purging
And uprooting egotism,
Leaving the heart filled with benevolence,
Wisdom and compassion,
Ready to help people out of suffering and anguish,
Ready to impart Dhamma,
The holy message
From one life to another life,
So that all can be relieved
And freed from anxiety.

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Criticism

Points to remember about criticism -

• Criticism doesn't work
• People rarely blame themselves
• If you blame other people, they blame you!

Don't Be Afraid of Criticism

There is so much good in the worst of us,
And so much bad in the best of us,
That it will behold any one of us,
To find any fault with the rest of us.

- R. L. Stevenson

Sweetness is sickness, bitterness is medicine. Praise is like an excess of sweet which causes sickness. And criticism is like a bitter pill or a painful injection which cures sickness. We must have the courage to welcome criticism and not to be afraid of it.

"The ugliness we see in others
Is a reflection of our own nature."

A man's individual life, circumstances and world are a reflection of his own thoughts and beliefs. All men are mirrors reflecting according to their own surfaces. All men, looking at the world of men and things, are looking at the mirror which gives back their own reflections.

Even a rose has flaws. But why examine the flaws when you can pay homage to its flower? And then there are these lines of Bolton Hall:

I looked at my Brother with the Microscope of Criticism,
And said, "How coarse my brother is!"
I looked at him through the Telescopes of Scorn
And I said, "How small my brother is!"
Then I looked in the Mirror of Truth
And I said, "How like me my brother is!"

These thoughts help us tremendously to understand our nature.

Each individual world, and in his circumstances he beholds a reflection of his own character and inner thought life. Until man understands that his individual world and circumstances are but the effect of his own thoughts and beliefs, he remains a victim of circumstances. When, however he realizes this great truth, he will become free.

Man is false and deceitful, not merely in relation to others, but to himself as well. We project the evil within us on to an innocent fellow man, and vent our hatred on that person.

How nice it is, if you can attend to your own affairs without too much interference with others business. Here is an advice given by the Buddha:

"One should not regard the faults of others things done and left undone by others, but ones' own deeds of commission and omission."

Again the Buddha says: "He who is observant of others' faults, and is always irritable, his own defilement increase. He is far from the destruction of defilement."

"The noble swerve not from the right path, left happen what may and crave no longer after worldly joys. The wise remain calm and constant in mind alike in joy and in sorrow."

No one can live in this world without being blamed and criticized by others. Buddha says: " People blame others for their silence. They blame those who talk much and those in moderation. There is therefore no one in this world who is not blamed." Further He says, " There never was, nor will there be, nor is there new anyone who is wholly blamed or praised." Not all those who criticize you are your enemies. You can make use of the opportunity to find out your own weaknesses which you yourself cannot see.

You should not give up good work just because of criticism. If you have the courage to carry out your good work in spite of criticisms, you are indeed a great man and would succeed everywhere.

If You Must Criticise....

PRAISE FIRST. If I say to you, "You're looking great. Your hair is immaculate, your shirt is beautiful and so are your trousers. Your socks match. The only place you might improve is with your shoes. Your shoes need a clean," You probably wouldn't take much offence. You would feel that I am on your side.

Praise is the sugar which makes the medicine palatable. People are delicate creatures with short memories.

Strength and Courage Let me not pray to be sheltered from danger, but to be fearless in facing them. Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain, but for the heart to conquer it. Let me not crave anxious fear to be saved, but hope for the patience to win my freedom.

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