The Value of Buddhism in the Present Day Society
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THE VALUE OF BUDDHISM IN THE PRESENT DAY SOCIETY Today’s society is becoming increasingly strife torn. You just note – mounting natural disasters caused by group bad kamma and man made problems and troubles caused by not practising wholesome deeds. What can be the root of all this chaos? The 3 defilements – craving, hatred and ignorance – in every one of us. How can we overcome them? Simply, obtain the Buddha Dhamma knowledge, get acquainted with It and gradually practice It. Sakyamuni Buddha has sounded the clarion call of human liberty through His Dhamma to all living beings. Although He preached the Dhamma over 2550 years ago, It has still retained Its freshness, purity and effectiveness and will do so in the future. Truth [Sacca] is that which is and is an incontrovertible fact. Buddhism has indicated to Its lay disciples [Upasaka and Upasika] that there are 4 such Noble Truths – all associated with man. The 4 Noble Truths exist irrespective of whether the Buddha exists or not. It takes a Buddha to reveal the Noble Truths to the ignorant world. The First Noble Truth touches on Dukkha. We must comprehend that no living being is devoid of sorrow so long as he is subject to the cycle of Samsara. To the one who sees things as they really are, the world holds no real happiness. What we term ‘happiness’ is just the gratification of some of our desires. Suffering comes about when we are subject to birth [jati], decay [jara], disease [vyadhi] and death [marana] which are the main causes of sorrow. There are instances when weak ignorant folks are compelled to terminate their lives for being unable to face unpleasant circumstances like disease, death and so on. Buddhism is neither totally pessimistic nor wholly optimistic. On the contrary, it teaches the truth that lies midway between them. While stressing on the truth of suffering, Sakyamuni Buddha suggested a way to cast away this suffering and obtain the Highest Happiness. The Second Noble Truth deals with the Cause of Suffering which is Craving. The Dhammapada states, ‘From craving springs grief, from craving springs fear; For one who is wholly free from craving, there is no grief, whence fear?’ Suffering exists so long as there is craving [Tanha] which comes in 3 forms namely, craving for all sensual pleasures [kammatanha], attachment to the view of Eternalism [bhavatanha] and attachment to the view of Nihilism [vibhavatanha]. The Third Noble Truth is the complete Cessation of Suffering – Nibbana [Bliss Supreme]. The Fourth Noble Truth is the Path leading to the cessation of Suffering – the Noble Eightfold Path. The Path veers away from the extremes of self mortification that weakens one’s intellect and self indulgence that retards one’s spiritual advancement. The 8 factors of the Path are: 1. Right Understanding [Samma Ditthi] is the knowledge of the 4 Noble Truths. One gets to comprehend things as they really are. It also makes one understand oneself as one really is. 2. Right Thoughts [Samma Sankappa] are of 3 kinds : a] Thoughts of Renunciation [Nekkhamma Sankappa] are opposed to lustful desires. b] Benevolent Thoughts [Avyapada Sankappa] promote good-will c] Thoughts of Harmlessness [Avihimsa Sankappa] promote Loving kindness These thoughts tend to purify the mind of His followers. 3. Right Speech [Samma Vaca] deals with refraining from falsehood, slandering, harsh speech and idle talk. Wherever one goes, one will be looked on with respect and trusted if one practises Right Speech. 4. Right Action [Samma Kammanta] touches on the refraining from taking life, stealing and unchastity. One will be considered a fool by the wise if he performs wrong deeds; a person practising a proper moral code of conduct is a ‘true’ human 5. Right Livelihood [Samma Ajiva] deals with the 5 kinds of trades which every lay disciple should avoid being trading in weapons, people, breeding animals for slaughter, intoxicants and poison. Weapons promotes violence and killing, slavery and slaughtering of animals promotes and gives untold sufferings to all the living, intoxicants dulls the mind and keeps us from the true realities of life and poison promotes the shortening of life before the end of the actual life span of the persons. Hypocritical conduct is cited as wrong livelihood for monks. A Buddhist lay disciple should give a helping hand to others along the Middle Path but not help them to stray from it. 6. Right Effort [Samma Vayama] is fourfold; the endeavour to : a] discard evil that has already arisen b] prevent the arsing of unrisen evil c] develop unrisen good d] promote the unrisen good that has already arisen. The Maha Janaka Jataka can be cited as an example. 7. Right Mindfulness is the mindfulness regarding the body, sensations, mind and Dhamma. The practice of Right Mindfulness is most important before practising concentration and Right Concentration. 8. Right Concentration / Meditation [Samma Samadhi] is one pointedness of the mind [ekagata].
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Transcript of The Value of Buddhism in the Present Day Society
8/6/2019 The Value of Buddhism in the Present Day Society
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