By Bhikkhu Shravasti Dhammika
Reference from this link
http://www.venvicitta.com/2011/03/blog-post_03.html
Preface
This book was first written in 1987 in response to the increasing
interest in Buddhism amongst Singaporeans. To my surprise and delight,
it has turned out to be very successful. The Buddha Dhamma Mandala
Society, Singapore, alone has printed 30,000 copies and it has been
translated into several languages including Tamil, Chinese, and Nepali.
Requests to for copies have come from as far away as Australia,
Argentina, and the Seychelle Islands. In July this year, I visited a
remote hermitage high in the Himalayas in Ladakh only to discover that
the abbot had not only read Good Question, Good Answer but also greatly
appreciated it. All this had convinced me that this little book's
style and contents has filled an important need and that revision and
enlargement would enhance its value, hence this new edition. Those
wishing to reprint "Good Question, Good Answer" or translate it may do
so without writing for permission. However, we would appreciate it if
you send us two copies and let us know how many copies have been
printed.
Ven. S. Dhammika
Singapore 1991
What is Buddhism?
The name Buddhism comes from the word 'budhi' which means 'to wake
up' and thus Buddhism is the philosophy of awakening. This philosophy
has its origins in the experience of the man Siddhartha Gotama, known as
the Buddha, who was himself awakened at the age of 35. Buddhism is now
2,500 years old and has about 300 million followers worldwide. Until a
hundred years ago Buddhism was mainly an Asian philosophy but
increasingly it is gaining adherents in Europe, Australia and America.
So Buddhism is just a philosophy?
The word philosophy comes from two words ‘philo’, which means ‘love’,
and 'sophia' which means 'wisdom'. So philosophy is the love of wisdom
or love and wisdom, both meanings describe Buddhism perfectly.
Buddhism teaches that we should try to develop our intellectual capacity
to the fullest so that we can understand clearly. It also teaches us
to develop love and kindness so that we can be like a true friend to all
beings. So Buddhism is a philosophy but not just a philosophy. It is
the supreme philosophy.
Who was the Buddha?
In the year 563 B.C. a baby was born into a royal family in northern
India. He grew up in wealth and luxury but eventually found that worldly
comforts and security do not guarantee happiness. He was deeply moved
by the suffering he saw all around and resolved to find the key to human
happiness. When he was 29 he left his wife and child and set off to
sit at the feet of the great religious teachers of the day to learn from
them. They taught him much but none really knew the cause of human
suffering and how it could be overcome. Eventually, after six years
study and meditation he had an experience in which all ignorance fell
away and he suddenly understood.
From that day onwards, he was called the Buddha, the Awakened One.
He lived for another 45 years in which time he traveled all over the
northern India teaching others what he had discovered. His compassion
and patience were legendary and he had thousands of followers. In his
eightieth year, old and sick, but still happy and at peace, he finally
died.
Wasn't it irresponsible for the Buddha to walk out on his wife and child?
It couldn't have been an easy thing for the Buddha to leave his family. He must have worried and
hesitated for a long time before he finally left. But he had a choice, dedicating himself to his family or
dedicating himself to the whole world. In the end, his great compassion
made him give himself to the whole world. And the whole world still
benefits from his sacrifice. This was not irresponsible. It was
perhaps the most significant sacrifice ever made.
The Buddha is dead so how can he help us?
Faraday, who discovered electricity, is dead, but what he discovered
still helps us. Luis Pasteur who discovered the cures for so many
diseases is dead, but his medical discoveries still save lives.
Leonardo da Vinci who created masterpieces of art is dead, but what he
created can still uplift and give joy. Noble men and heroes may have
been dead for centuries but when we read of their deeds and
achievements, we can still be inspired to act as they did. Yes, the
Buddha is dead but 2500 years later his teachings still help people, his
example still inspires people, his words still change lives. Only a
Buddha could have such power centuries after his death.
Was the Buddha a god?
No, he was not. He did not claim that he was a god, the child of a
god or even the messenger from a god. He was a man who perfected
himself and taught that if we follow his example, we could perfect
ourselves also.
If the Buddha is not a god, then why do people worship him?
There are different types of worship. When someone worships a god,
they praise him or her, making offerings and ask for favors, believing
that the god will hear their praise, receive their offerings, and answer
their prayers. Buddhists do not indulge in this kind of worship. The
other kind of worship is when we show respect to someone or something we
admire. When a teacher walks into a room we stand up, when we meet a
dignitary we shake hands, when the national anthem is played we salute.
These are all gestures of respect and worship and indicate our
admiration for persons and things. This is the type of worship Buddhist
practice. A statue of the Buddha with its hands rested gently in its
lap and its compassionate smile reminds us to strive to develop peace
and love within ourselves. The perfume of incense reminds us of the
pervading influence of virtue, the lamp reminds us of light of knowledge
and the flowers which soon fade and die, reminds us of impermanence.
When we bow, we express our gratitude to the Buddha for what his
teachings have given us. This is the nature of Buddhist worship.
But I have heard people say that Buddhists worship idols.
Such statements only reflect the misunderstanding of the persons who
make them. The dictionary defines an idol as "an image or statue
worshipped as a god". As we have seen, Buddhist do not believe that the
Buddha was a god, so how could they possibly believe that a piece of
wood or metal is a god? All religions use symbols to express various
concepts. In Taoism, the ying-yang is used to symbolize the harmony
between opposites. In Sikhism, the sword is used to symbolize spiritual
struggle. In Christianity, the fish is used to symbolize his sacrifice.
And in Buddhism, the statue of the Buddha also reminds us of the human
dimension in Buddhist teaching, the fact that Buddhism is man-centered,
not god-centered, that we must look within not without to find
perfection and understanding. So to say that Buddhist worship idols is
not correct.
Why do people burn paper money and do all kinds of strange things in Buddhist temples?
Many things seem strange to us when we don't understand them. Rather
than dismiss such things as strange, we should strive to find their
meaning. However, it is true that Buddhist practice sometimes has its
origin in popular superstition and misunderstanding rather than the
teaching of the Buddha. And such misunderstandings are not found in
Buddhism alone, but arise in all religions from time to time. The
Buddha taught with clarity and in detail and if some fail to understand
fully, the Buddha cannot be blamed.
There is a saying:
If a man suffering from a disease does not seek treatment even when
there is a physician at hand, it is not the fault of the physician. In
the same way, if a man is oppressed and tormented by the disease of
defilements but does not seek the help of the Buddha, that is not the
Buddha's fault. -- JN 28-9
Nor should Buddhism or any religion be judged by those who don't
practice it properly. If you wish to know the true teachings of
Buddhism, read the Buddha's words or speak to those who understand them
properly.
If Buddhism is so good why are some Buddhist countries poor?
If by poor you mean economically poor, then it is true that some
Buddhist countries are poor. But if by poor you mean a poor quality of
life, then perhaps some Buddhist countries are quite rich. America, for
example, is an economically rich and powerful country but the crime
rate is one of the highest in the world, millions of old people are
neglected by their children and die of loneliness in old people's homes,
domestic violence and child abuse are major problems. One in three
marriages end in divorce, pornography is easily available. Rich in terms
of money but perhaps poor in terms of the quality of life. Now if you
look at some traditional Buddhist countries you find a very different
situation. Parents are honored and respected by their children, the
crime rates are relatively low, divorce and suicide are rare and
traditional values like gentleness, generosity, hospitality to
strangers, tolerance and respect for others are still strong.
Economically backward, but perhaps a higher quality of life than a
country like America. But even if we judge Buddhist countries in terms
of economics alone, one of the wealthiest and most economically dynamic
countries in the world today is Japan where 93% of the population call
themselves Buddhist.
Why is it that you don't often hear of charitable work being done by Buddhists?
Perhaps it is because Buddhists don't feel the need to boast about
the good they do. Several years ago the Japanese Buddhist leader Nikkho
Nirwano received the Templeton Prize for his work in promoting
inter-religious harmony. Likewise a Thai Buddhist monk was recently
awarded the prestigious Magsaysay Prize for his excellent work among
drug addicts. In 1987 another Thai monk, Ven.Kantayapiwat was awarded
the Norwegian Children's Peace Prize for his many years work helping
homeless children in rural areas. And what about the large scale social
work being done among the poor in India by the Western Buddhist Order?
They have built schools, child minding-centres, dispensaries and small
scale industries for self-sufficiency. Buddhist see help given to others
as an expression of their religious practice just as other religions do
but they believe that it should be done quietly and without
self-promotion. Thus you don't hear so much about their charitable work.
Why are there so many different types of Buddhism?
There are many different types of sugar: brown sugar, white sugar,
rock sugar, syrup and icing sugar but it is all sugar and it all tastes
sweet. It is produced in different forms so that it can be used in
different ways. Buddhism is the same: there is Theravada Buddhism, Zen
Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism, Yogacara Buddhism and Vajrayana Buddhism
but it is all Buddhism and it all has the same taste - the taste of
freedom. Buddhism has evolved into different forms so that it can be
relevant to the different cultures in which it exists. It has been
reinterpreted over the centuries so that it can remain relevant to each
new generation. Outwardly, the types of Buddhism may seem very
different but at the center of all of them is the Four Noble Truths and
the Eightfold Path. All major religions, Buddhism included, have split
into schools and sects. But the different sects of Buddhism have never
gone to war with each other and to this day, they go to each other's
temples and worship together. Such tolerance and understanding is
certainly rare.
You certainly think highly of Buddhism. I suppose you think your religion is right and all the others are wrong.
No Buddhist who understands the Buddha's teaching thinks that
other religions are wrong. No one who has made a genuine effort to
examine other religions with an open mind could think like that either.
The first thing you notice when you study the different religions is
just' how much they have in common. All religions acknowledge that
man's present state is unsatisfactory. All believe that a change of
attitude and behaviors is needed if man's situation is to improve. All
teach an ethics that includes love; kindness, patience, generosity and
social responsibility and all accept the existence of some form of
Absolute.
They use different languages, different names and different symbols to
describe and explain these things; and it is only when they
narrow-mindedly cling to their one way of seeing things that religious
intolerance, pride and self-righteousness arise.
Imagine an Englishman, a Frenchman, a Chinese and an Indonesian
all-looking at a cup. The Englishman says, "That's a cup.” The
Frenchman answers, "No it's not. It's a tasse.” The Chinese comments,
You're both wrong. It's a pet.” And the Indonesian laughs at the others
and says "What fools you are. It's a cawan.” The Englishman gets a
dictionary and shows it to the others
saying, "I can prove that it is a cup. My dictionary says so.” "Then
your dictionary is wrong,” says the Frenchman "because my dictionary
clearly says it is a tasse.” The Chinese scoffs at them. "My dictionary
is thousands of years older than yours, so my dictionary must be
right. And besides, more people speak Chinese than any other language,
so it must be a pet.” While they are squabbling and arguing with each
other, a Buddhist comes up and drinks from the cup. After he has drunk,
he says to the others, "Whether you call it a cup, a tasse, a pet or a
cawan, the purpose of the cup is
to be used. Stop arguing and drink, stop squabbling, and refresh your
thirst.” This is the Buddhist attitude to other religions.
Is Buddhism scientific?
Before we answer that question it would be best to define the word
'science'. Science, according to the dictionary is: "knowledge which can
be made into a system, which depends upon seeing and testing facts and
stating general natural laws, a branch of such knowledge, anything that
can be studied exactly". There are aspects of Buddhism that would not
fit into this definition but the central teachings of Buddhism, the Four
Noble Truths, most certainly would. Suffering, the First Noble Truth
is an experience that can be defined, experienced, and measured. The
Second Noble Truth states that suffering has a natural cause, craving,
which likewise can be defined, experienced, and measured. No attempted
is made to explain suffering in terms of a metaphysical concept or
myths. Suffering is ended, according to the Third Noble Truth, not by
relying on upon a supreme being, by faith or by prayers but simply by
removing its cause. This is axiomatic. The Fourth Noble Truth, the way
to end suffering, once again, has nothing to do with metaphysics but
depends on behaving in specific ways. And once again behavior is open to
testing. Buddhism dispenses with the concept of a supreme being, as
does science, and explains the origins and workings of the universe in
terms of natural law. All of this certainly exhibits a scientific
spirit. Once again, the Buddha's constant advice that we should not
blindly believe but rather question, examine, inquire and rely on our
own experience, has a definite scientific ring to it. He says:
"Do not go by revelation or tradition, do not go by rumor, or the
sacred scriptures, do not go by hearsay or mere logic, do not go by bias
towards a notion or by another person's seeming ability and do not go
by the idea 'He is our teacher'. But when you yourself know that a
thing is good, that it is not blamable, that it is praised by the wise
and when practiced and observed that it leads to happiness, then follow
that thing."
So we could say that although Buddhism in not entirely scientific, it
certainly has a strong overtone and is certainly more scientific than
any other religion. It is significant that Albert Einstein, the greatest
scientist of the twentieth century said of Buddhism:
"The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should
transcend a personal God and avoid dogmas and theology. Covering both
natural and spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense arising
from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual and a
meaningful unity. Buddhism answers this description. If there is any
religion that would cope with modern scientific needs, it would be
Buddhism."
Basic Buddhist Concepts
What are the main teachings of the Buddha?
All of the many teachings of the Buddha center on the Four Noble
Truths, just as the rim and spokes of a wheel centers on the hub. They
are called 'Four' because there are four of them. They are called
'Noble' because they ennoble one who understands them and they are
called 'Truths' because, corresponding with reality, they are true.
What is the First Noble Truth?
The First Noble Truth is that life is suffering. To live, you must
suffer. It is impossible to live without experiencing some kind of
suffering. We have to endure physical suffering like sickness, injury,
tiredness, old age and eventually death and we have to endure
psychological suffering like loneliness, frustrations, fear,
embarrassment, disappointment, anger, etc.
Isn't this a bit pessimistic?
The dictionary defines pessimism as 'the habit of thinking that
whatever will happen will be bad,' 'or 'The belief that evil is more
powerful than good.' Buddhism teaches neither of these ideas. Nor does
it deny that happiness exists. It simply says that to live is to
experience physical and psychological suffering, which is a statement
that is so obvious that it cannot be denied. The central concept of most
religions is a myth, a legend or a belief that is difficult or
impossible to verify. Buddhism starts with an experience, an irrefutable
fact, a thing that all know, that all have experienced and that all are
striving to overcome. Thus Buddhism is truly a universal religion
because it goes right to the core of every individual human being's
concern with suffering and how to avoid it.
What is the Second Noble Truth?
The Second Noble Truth is that all suffering is caused by craving.
When we look at psychological suffering, it is easy to see how it is
caused by craving. When we want something but are unable to get it, we
feel frustrated. When we expect someone to live up to our expectation
and they do not, we feel let down and disappointed. When we want others
to like us and they don't, we feel hurt. Even when we want something and
are able to get it, this does not often lead to happiness either
because it is not long before we feel bored with that thing, lose
interest in it and commence to want something else.
Put simply, the Second Noble Truth says that getting what you want
does not guarantee happiness. Rather than constantly struggling to get
what you want, try to modify your wanting. Wanting deprives us of
contentment and happiness.
But how does wanting and craving lead to physical suffering?
A lifetime wanting and craving for this and that and especially the
craving to continue to exist creates a powerful energy that causes the
individual to be reborn. When we are reborn, we have a body and, as we
said before, the body is susceptible to injury and disease; it can be
exhausted by work; it ages and eventually dies. Thus, craving leads to
physical suffering because it causes us to be reborn.
If we stop wanting altogether, we would never achieve anything.
True. But what the Buddha says is that when our desires, our craving,
our constant discontent with what we have and our continual longing for
more and more does cause us suffering, then we should stop doing it. He
asks us to make a difference between what we need and what we want and
to strive for our needs and modify our wants. He tells us that our needs
can be fulfilled but that our wants are endless - a bottomless pit.
There are needs that are essential, fundamental and can be obtained and
this we should work towards. Desires beyond this should be gradually
lessened. After all, what is the purpose of life? To get or be content
and happy.
What or where is Nirvana?
It is a dimension transcending time and space and thus is difficult
to talk about or even think about. Words and thoughts being only suited
to describe the time-space dimension. But because Nirvana is beyond
time, there is no movement and so no aging or dying. Thus Nirvana is
eternal because it is beyond space, there is no causation, no boundary,
no concept of self and not-self and thus Nirvana is infinite. The Buddha
also assures us that Nirvana is an experience of great happiness. He
says:
"Nirvana is the highest happiness". (Dhammapada 204 )
But is there proof that such a dimension exists?
No, there is not. But its existence can be inferred. If there is a
dimension where time and space do operate and there is such a dimension -
the world we experience, then we can infer that there is a dimension
where time and space do not operate - Nirvana. Again, even though we
cannot prove Nirvana exists, we have the Buddha's word that is does
exist. He tells us:
"There is an unborn, a not-become, a not- made, a not-compounded. If
there were not, this unborn, not-made, not-compounded, there could not
be made any escape from what is born, become, made, and compounded.
Therefore is there made known an escape from what is born, made, and
compounded." -- Ud 80
We will know it when we attain it. Until that time, we can practice.
What is the Fourth Noble Truth?
The Fourth Noble Truth is the Path leading to the overcoming of
suffering. This path is called the Noble Eightfold Path and consists of
Perfect Understanding, Perfect Thought, Perfect Speech, Perfect Action,
Perfect Livelihood, Perfect Effort, Perfect Mindfulness, and Perfect
Concentration. Buddhist practice consists of practicing these eight
things until they become more complete. You will notice that the steps
on the Noble Eightfold Path cover every aspect of life: the
intellectual, the ethical and economic and the psychological and
therefore contains everything a person needs to lead a good life and to
develop spiritually.
Buddhism and the God-idea
Do Buddhist believe in god?
No, we do not. There are several reasons for this. The Buddha, like
modern sociologists and psychologists, believed that religious ideas and
especially the god idea have their origin in fear. The Buddha says:
"Gripped by fear men go to the sacred mountains,
sacred groves, sacred trees and shrines". -- Dp 188
Primitive man found himself in a dangerous and hostile world, the
fear of wild animals, of not being able to find enough food, of injury
or disease, and of natural phenomena like thunder, lightning and
volcanoes was constantly with him. Finding no security, he created the
idea of gods in order to give him comfort in good times, courage in
times of danger and consolation when things went wrong. To this day, you
will notice that people become more religious at times of crises, you
will hear them say that the belief in a god or gods gives them the
strength they need to deal with life. You will hear them explain that
they believe in a particular god because they prayed in time of need and
their prayer was answered. All this seems to support the Buddha’s
teaching that the god-idea is a response to fear and frustration. The
Buddha taught us to try to understand our fears, to lessen our desires
and to calmly and courageously accept the things we cannot change. He
replaced fear, not with irrational belief but with rational
understanding.
The second reason the Buddha did not believe in a god is because
there does not seem to be any evidence to support this idea. There are
numerous religions, all claiming that they alone have god’s words
preserved in their holy book, that they alone understand god’s nature,
that their god exists and that the gods of other religions do not. Some
claim that god is masculine, some that she is feminine, and others that
it is neuter. They are all satisfied that there is ample evidence to
prove the existence of their god but they laugh in disbelief at the
evidence other religions use to prove the existence of another god. It
is not surprising that with so many different religions spending so many
centuries trying to prove the existence of their gods that still no
real, concrete, substantial or irrefutable evidence has been found.
Buddhists suspend judgment until such evidence is forthcoming.
The third reason the Buddha did not believe in a god is that the
belief is not necessary. Some claim that the belief in a god is
necessary in order to explain the origin on the universe. But this is
not so. Science has very convincingly explained how the universe came
into being without having to introduce the god-idea. Some claim that
belief in god is necessary to have a happy, meaningful life. Again we
can see that this is not so. There are millions of atheists and
freethinkers, not to mention many Buddhists, who live useful, happy and
meaningful lives without belief in a god. Some claim that belief in
god’s power is necessary because humans, being weak, do not have the
strength to help themselves. Once again, the evidence indicates the
opposite. One often hears of people who have overcome great disabilities
and handicaps, enormous odds and difficulties, through their own inner
resources, through their own efforts and without belief in a god. Some
claim that god is necessary in order to give man salvation. But this
argument only holds good if you accept the theological concept of
salvation and Buddhists do not accept such a concept. Based on his own
experience, the Buddha saw that each human being had the capacity to
purify the mind, develop infinite love and compassion and perfect
understanding. He shifted attention from the heavens to the heart and
encouraged us to find solutions to our problems through
self-understanding.
But if there are no gods how did the universe get here?
All religions have myths and stories, which attempt to answer this
question. In ancient times, when many simply did not know, such myths
were adequate, but in the 20th century, in the age of physics, astronomy
and geology, such myths have been superseded by scientific fact.
Science has explained the origin of the universe without recourse to the
god-idea.
What does the Buddha say about the origin of the universe?
It is interesting that the Buddha’s explanation of the origin of the
universe corresponds very closely to the scientific view. In the Aganna
Sutta, the Buddha described the universe being destroyed and then
re-evolving into its present form over a period of countless millions of
years. The first life formed on the surface of the water and again,
over countless millions of years, evolved from simple into complex
organisms. All these processes are without beginning or end, and are set
in motion by natural causes.
You say there is no evidence for the existence of a god but what about miracles.
There are many who believe that miracles are proof of god’s
existence. We hear wild claims that a healing has taken place but we
never get an independent testimony from a medical office or a surgeon.
We hear second-hand reports that someone was miraculously saved from
disaster but we never get an eyewitness account of what is supposed to
have happened. We hear rumors that prayer straightened a diseased body
or strengthened a withered limb, but we never see X-rays or get comments
from doctors or nurses. Wild claims, second-hand reports and rumors are
no substitute for solid evidence and solid evidence of miracles is very
rare.
However, sometimes unexplained things do happen, unexpected events do
occur. But our inability to explain such things does not prove the
existence of gods. It only proves that our knowledge is as yet
incomplete. Before the development of modern medicine, when people
didn’t know what caused sickness people believed that god or the gods
sent diseases as a punishment. Now we know what causes such things and
when we get sick, we take medicine. In time when our knowledge of the
world is more complete, we will be able to understand what causes
unexplained phenomena, just as we can now understand what causes
disease.
But so many people believe in some form of god, it must be true.
Not so. There was a time when everyone believed that the world was
flat, but they were all wrong. The number of people who believe in an
idea is no measure of the truth or falsehood of that idea. The only way
we can tell whether an idea is true or not is by looking at the facts
and examining the evidence.
So if Buddhists don’t believe in gods, what do you believe in?
We don’t believe in a god because we believe in man. We believe that
each human being is precious and important, that all have the potential
to develop into a Buddha – a perfected human being. We believe that
human beings can outgrow ignorance and irrationality and see things as
they really are. We believe that hatred, anger, spite and jealousy can
be replaced by love, patience, generosity and kindness. We believe that
all this is within the grasp of each person if they make the effort,
guided and supported by fellow Buddhists and inspired by the example of
the Buddha. As the Buddha says:
"No one saves us but ourselves,
No one can and no one may.
We ourselves must walk the path,
But Buddhas clearly show the way". -- Dp 165
The Five Precepts
Other religions derive their ideas of right and wrong from the
commandments of their god or gods. You Buddhists don't believe in a
god, so how do you know right from wrong?
Any thoughts, speech or actions that are rooted in greed, hatred and
delusion and thus lead us away from Nirvana are bad and any thoughts,
speech or actions that are rooted in giving, love and wisdom and thus
help clear the way to Nirvana are good.
To know what is right and wrong in god-centered religions, all that
is needed is to do as you are told. But in a man-centered religion like
Buddhism, to know what is right and wrong, you have to develop a deep
self-awareness and self understanding. And ethics based on understanding
are always stronger than those that are a response to a command.
So to know what is right and wrong, the Buddhist looks at three
things - the intention, the effect the act will have upon oneself and
the effect it will upon others. If the intention is good (rooted in
giving, loving and wisdom), if it helps myself (helps me to be more
giving, more loving and wiser), then my deeds and actions are wholesome,
good and moral. Of course, there are many variations of this. Sometimes
I act with the best of intentions but they may not benefit either
myself or others. Sometimes my intentions are far from good, but my
actions helps others nonetheless. Sometimes I act out of good intentions
and my acts help me but perhaps cause some distress to others. In such
cases, my actions are mixed - a mixture of good and not-so-good. When
intentions are bad and the action helps neither myself nor others, such
an action is bad. And when my intention is good and my action benefits
both myself and others, then the deed is wholly good.
So does Buddhism have a code of morality?
Yes it does. The five precepts are the basis of Buddhist morality.
The first precept is to avoid killing or harming living beings. The
second is to avoid stealing, the third is to avoid sexual misconduct,
the fourth is to avoid lying and the fifth is to avoid alcohol and other
intoxicating drugs.
But surely it is good to kill sometimes. To kill disease-spreading insects, for example, or someone who is going to kill you?
It might be good for you. But what about that thing or that person?
They wish to live, just as you do. When you decide to kill a
disease-spreading insect, your intention is perhaps a mixture of
self-concern (good) and revulsion (bad). The act will benefit yourself
(good) but obviously it will not benefit that creature (bad). So at
times it may be necessary to kill but it is never totally good.
You Buddhists are too concerned about ants and bugs.
Buddhists strive to develop a compassion that is undiscriminating and
all-embracing. They see the world as a unified whole where each thing
and creature has its place and function. They believe that before we
destroy or upset nature's delicate balance, we should be very careful.
Just look at those cultures where emphasis is on exploiting nature to
the full, squeezing every last drop out of it without putting anything
back, conquering and subduing it. Nature has revolted. The very air is
becoming poisoned, the rivers are polluted and dead, so many beautiful
animal species are extinct, the slopes of the mountains are barren and
eroded. Even the climate is changing. If people were a little less
anxious to crush, destroy and kill, this terrible situation may have not
arisen. We should all strive to develop a little more respect for life.
And this is what the first precept is saying.
The Third Precept says we should avoid sexual misconduct. What is "sexual misconduct"?
If we use trickery, emotional blackmail, or force to compel someone
to have sex with us, then this is sexual misconduct. Adultery is also a
form of sexual misconduct because when we marry we promise our spouse
that we will be loyal to them. When we commit adultery we break that
promise and betray that trust. Sex should be an expression of love and
intimacy between two people and when it is it contributes to our mental
and emotional well being.
Is sex before marriage a type of sexual misconduct?
Not if there is love and mutual agreement between two people.
However, it should never be forgotten that the biological function of
sex is to reproduce and if an unmarried woman becomes pregnant it can
cause a great deal of problems. Many mature and thoughtful people think
it is far better to leave sex until after marriage.
But what about lying? Is it possible to live without telling lies?
If it is really impossible to get by in society or business without
lying, such a shocking and corrupt state of affairs should be changed.
The Buddhist is someone who resolves to do something practical about the
problem by trying to be more truthful and honest.
Well, what about alcohol? Surely a little drink doesn't hurt!
People don't drink for the taste. When they drink alone it is in
order to seek release from tension and when they drink socially, it is
usually to conform. Even a small amount of alcohol distorts
consciousness and disrupts self-awareness. Taken in large quantities,
its effects can be devastating.
Drinking a small amount wouldn't be really breaking the precept, would it? It's only a small thing.
Yes, it is only a small thing and if you can't practice even a small
thing, your commitment and resolution isn't very strong, is it?
The five precepts are negative. They tell you what not to do. They don't tell you what to do.
The Five Precepts are the basis of Buddhist morality. They are not
all of it. We start by recognizing our bad behavior and striving to stop
doing it. That is what the Five Precepts are for. After we have stopped
doing bad, we then commence to do good. Take for example, speech. The
Buddha says we should start by refraining from telling lies. After that,
we should speak the truth, speak gently and politely and speak at the
right time. He says:
"Giving up false speech he becomes a speaker of truth, reliable,
trustworthy, dependable, he does not deceive the world. Giving up
malicious speech he does not repeat there what he has heard here what he
has heard there in order to cause variance between people. He
reconciles those who are divided and brings closer together those who
are already friends. Harmony is his joy, harmony is his delight, harmony
is his love; it is the motive of his speech. Giving up harsh speech his
speech is blameless, pleasing to the ear, agreeable, going to the
heart, urbane, liked by most. Giving up idle chatter he speaks at the
right time, what is correct to the point, about Dhamma and about
discipline. He speaks words worth being treasured up, seasonable,
reasonable, well defined and to the point".
Rebirth
Where do beings come from and where are they going?
There are three possible answers to this question. Those who believe
in a god or gods usually claim that before an individual is created,
he/she does not exist, then he/she comes into being through the will of a
god. He/she lives their life and then, according to what they believe
or do in their life, they either go to eternal heaven or hell. There are
others, humanists and scientists, who claim that the individual comes
into being at conception due to natural causes, lives and then at death,
ceases to exist. Buddhism does not accept either of these explanations.
The first gives rise to many ethical problems If a good god really
creates each of us, it is difficult to explain why so many people are
born with the most dreadful deformities, or why so many children are
miscarried just before birth or are still-born. Another problem with the
theistic explanation is that it seems very unjust that a person should
suffer eternal pain in hell for 60 or 70 years of non-belief or immoral
living. Likewise, 60 or 70 years of good living seems a very small
outlay for eternal bliss in heaven. for what he/she did in those years
on Earth The second explanation is better than the first and has more
scientific evidence to support it but still leaves several important
questions unanswered. How can a phenomenon so amazingly complex as
consciousness develop from the simple meeting of two cells, the sperm
and the egg? And now that parapsychology is a recognized branch of
science, phenomena like telepathy are increasingly difficult to fit into
the materialistic model of the mind.
How does the mind go from one body to another?
Think of it being like radio waves. The radio waves, which are not
made up of words and music but energy at different frequencies, are
transmitted, travel through space, and attracted to and picked up by the
receiver from where they are broadcast as words and music. It is the
same with the mind. At death, mental energy travels through space, is
attracted to and picked up by the fertilized egg. As the embryo grows,
it centers itself in the brain from where it later broadcasts itself as
the new personality.
Is one always reborn as a human being?
No, there are several realms in which one can be reborn. Some people
are reborn in heaven, some are reborn in hell, some are reborn as hungry
ghosts and so on. Heaven is not a place but a state of existence where
one has a subtle body and where the mind experiences mainly pleasure.
Some religions strive very hard to be reborn in a heavenly existence
mistakenly believing it to be a permanent state. But it is not. Like all
conditioned states, heaven is impermanent and when one’s life span
there is finished, one could well be reborn again as a human. Hell,
likewise, is not a place but a state of existence where one has a subtle
body and where the mind experiences mainly anxiety and distress. Being a
hungry ghost, again, is a state of existence where the body is subtle
and where the mind is continually plagued by longing and
dissatisfaction.
So heavenly beings experience mainly pleasure, hell beings and ghosts
experience mainly pain and human beings experience usually a mixture of
both. So the main difference between the human realm and other realms
is the body type and the quality of experience.
Buddhism offers the most satisfactory explanation of where beings
come from and where they are going. When we die, the mind, with all the
tendencies, preferences, abilities and characteristics that have been
developed and conditioned in this life, re-establishes itself in a
fertilized egg. Thus the individual grows, is re-born and develops a
personality conditioned both by the mental characteristics that have
been carried over. And by the new environment, the personality will
change and be modified by conscious effort ;and conditioning factors
like education, parental influence and society and once again at death,
re-establishing itself in a new fertilized egg. This process of dying
and being reborn will continue until the conditions that cause it,
craving and ignorance, cease. When they do, instead of being reborn, the
mind attains a state called Nirvana and this is the ultimate goal of
Buddhism and the purpose of life.
What decides where we will be reborn?
The most important factor, but not the only one, influencing where we
will be reborn and what sort of life we shall have, is karma. The word
karma means action and refers to our intentional mental actions. In
other words, what we are is determined very much by how we have thought
and acted in the past. Likewise, how we think and act now will influence
how we will be in the future.
The gentle, loving type of person tends to be reborn in a heaven
realm or as a human being who has a predominance of pleasant
experiences. The anxious, worried or extremely cruel type of person
tends to be reborn in a hell realm or as a human being who has a
predominance of painful experiences. The person who develops obsessive
craving, fierce longings, and burning ambitions that can never be
satisfied tends to be reborn as a hungry ghost or as a human being
frustrated by longing and wanting. Whatever mental habits are strongly
developed in this life will continue in the next life. Most people,
however, are reborn as human beings.
So if our lives are determined by our karma, can we change it?
Of course we can. That is why one of the steps on the Eightfold Path
is Right Effort. It depends on our sincerity, how much energy we exert
and how strong the habit is. But it is true that some people singly go
through life under the influence of their past habits, without making an
effort to change them and falling victim to these unpleasant results.
Such people will continue to suffer unless they change their negative
habits. The longer the negative habits remain, the more difficult they
are to change. The Buddhist understands this and takes advantage of each
and every opportunity to break mental habits that have unpleasant
results and to develop mental habits that have pleasant and happy
results. Meditation is one of the techniques used to modify the habit
patterns of the mind as does speaking or refraining to speak in certain
ways, and acting or refraining to act in certain ways. The whole of the
Buddhist life is a training to purify and free the mind. For example, if
being patient and kind was a pronounced part of your character in your
last life, such tendencies will re-emerge in the present life. If they
are strengthened and developed in the present life, they will re-emerge
even stronger and more pronounced in the future life. This is based upon
the simple and observable fact that long established habits tend to be
difficult to break.
Now, when you are patient and kind, it tends to happen that you are
not so easily ruffled by others, you don’t hold grudges, people like you
and thus your experiences tends to be happier.
Now, let us take another example. Let us say that you come into life
with a tendency to be patient and kind due to your mental habits in the
past life. But in the present life, you neglect to strengthen and
develop such tendencies. They would gradually weaken and die out and
perhaps be completely absent in the future life. Patience and kindness
being weak in this case, there is a possibility that in either this life
or in the next life, a short temper, anger and cruelty could grow and
develop, bringing with them all the unpleasant experiences that such
attitudes create. We will take one last example. Let us say that due to
your mental habits in the last life, you came into the present life with
the tendency to be short-tempered and angry, and you realize that such
habits only cause you unpleasantness and so you make an effort to change
them. You replace them with positive emotions. If you are able to
eliminate them completely, which is possible if you make an effort, you
become free from the unpleasantness caused by being short tempered and
angry. If you are only able to weaken such tendencies, they would
re-emerge in the next life where with a bit more effort, they could be
eliminated completely and you could be free from their unpleasant
effects.
You have talked a lot about rebirth but is there any proof that we will be reborn when we die?
Not only is there scientific evidence to support Buddhist belief in
rebirth, it is the only after-life theory that has any evidence to
support it. There is not a scrap of evidence to prove the existence of
heaven and of course evidence of annihilation at death must be lacking.
But during the last 30 years parapsychologists have been studying
reports that some people have vivid memories of their former lives. For
example, in England, a 5 year old girl said she could remember her other
mother and father and she talked vividly about what sounded like the
events in the life of another person. Parapsychologists were called in
and asked her hundreds of questions to which she gave answers. She spoke
of living in a particular village, in what appeared to be Spain. She
gave the name of the village, the name of the street she lived in, her
neighbors’ names and details about her everyday life there. she also
tearfully spoke of how she had been struck by a car and died of her
injuries two days later. When these details were checked, they were
found to be accurate. There was a village in Spain with the name the
child had given. There was a house of the type she had described in the
street she had named. What is more, it was found that a 23 year old
woman living in the house had been killed in a car accident five years
before.
Now how is it possible for a five year old living in England who had
never been to Spain to know all these details? And of course, this is
not the only case of this type. Professor Ian Stevenson of the
University of Virginia’s Department of Psychology has described dozens
of cases of this type in his books. He is an accredited scientist whose
25 year study of people who remember former lives is very strong
evidence for the Buddhist teaching of rebirth. (See "Twenty Cases
Suggestive of Reincarnation and Cases of Reincarnation Type", University
Press of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA, 1975).
Some people might say that the so-called ability to remember former lives is the work of devils.
You simply cannot dismiss everything that doesn't fit into your belief as being the work of devils.
When cold, hard facts are produced to support an idea, you must use
rational and logical arguments if you wish to counter them -- not
irrational and superstitious talk about devils.
You say that talk about devils is superstitious. Isn't talk about rebirth a bit superstitious too?
The dictionary defines superstition as a belief, which is not based
on reason or fact but on an association of ideas, as in magic. If you
can show me a careful study of the existence of devils written by a
scientist I will concede that belief in devils is not superstition. But I
have never heard of any research into devils; scientists simply
wouldn’t bother to study such things, so I say there is no evidence for
the existence of devils. But as we have just seen, there is evidence,
which seems to suggest that rebirth does take place. So if belief in
rebirth is based on at least some facts, it cannot be a superstition.
Well, have there ever been any scientists who believe in rebirth?
Yes. Thomas Huxley, who was responsible for having science introduced
into the 19th century British school system and who was the first
scientist to defend Darwin’s theories, believed that reincarnation was a
very plausible idea. In his famous book "Evolution and Ethics and other
Essays", he says:
"In the doctrine of transmigration, whatever its origin, Brahmanical
and Buddhist speculation found, ready to hand, the means of constructing
a plausible vindication of the ways of the Cosmos to man....yet this
plea of justification is not less plausible than others; and none but
very hasty thinkers will reject it on the ground of inherent absurdity.
Like the doctrine of evolution itself, that of transmigration has its
roots in the world of reality; and it may claim such support as the
great argument from analogy is capable of supplying".
Then, Professor Gust Stromberg, the famous Swedish astronomer,
physicist, and friend of Einstein also found the idea of rebirth
appealing:
"Opinions differ whether human souls can be reincarnated on the earth
or not. In 1936 a very interesting case was thoroughly investigated and
reported by the government authorities in India. A girl (Shanti Devi
from Deli) could accurately describe her previous life (at Muttra, five
hundred miles from Deli) which ended about a year before her 'second
birth'. She gave the name of her husband and child and described her
home and life history. The investigating commission brought her to her
former relatives, who verified all her statements. Among the people of
India reincarnations are regarded as commonplace; the astonishing thing
for them in this case was the great number of facts the girl remembered.
This and similar cases can be regarded as additional evidence for the
theory of the indestructibility of memory".
Professor Julian Huxley, the distinguished British scientist who was
Director General of UNESCO believed that rebirth was quite in harmony
with scientific thinking:
"There is nothing against a permanently surviving
spirit-individuality being in some way given off at death, as a definite
wireless message is given off by a sending apparatus working in a
particular ways. But it must be remembered that the wireless message
only becomes a message again when it comes in contact with a new,
material structure - the receiver. So with our possible
spirit-emanation. It would never think or feel unless again "embodied"
in some way. our personalities are so based on body that it is really
impossible to think of survival which would be in any true sense
personal without a body of sorts. I can think of something being given
off which could bear the same relation to men and women as a wireless
message to the transmitting apparatus for mind".
Even very practical and down-to-earth people like the American
industrialist Henry Ford found the idea of rebirth acceptable. Ford was
attracted to the idea of rebirth because, unlike the theistic idea or
the materialistic idea, rebirth gives you a second chance to develop
yourself. Henry Ford says:
"I adopted the theory of Reincarnation when I was twenty six.
Religion offered nothing to the point. Even work could not give me
complete satisfaction. Work is futile if we cannot utilize the
experience we collect in one life in the next. When I discovered
Reincarnation it was as if I had found a universal plan I realized that
there was a chance to work out my ideas. Time was no longer limited. I
was no longer a slave to the hands of the clock. Genius is experience.
Some seem to think that it is a gift or talent, but it is the fruit of
long experience in many lives. Some are older souls than others, and so
they know more. The discovery of Reincarnation put my mind at ease. If
you preserve a record of this conversation, write it so that it puts
men’s minds at ease. I would like to communicate to others the calmness
that the long view of life gives to us".
So the Buddhist teachings of rebirth does have some scientific
evidence to support it. It is logically consistent and it goes a long
way in answering questions what the theistic and the materialistic
theories fail to . It is also very comforting. What can be worse than a
theory of life that gives you no second chance, no opportunity to amend
the mistakes you have made in this life and no time to further develop
the skills and abilities you have nurtured in this life. But according
to the Buddha, if you fail to attain Nirvana in this life, you will have
the opportunity to try again next time. If you have made mistakes in
this life, you will be able to correct yourself in the next life. You
will truly be able to learn from your mistakes. Things you were unable
to do or achieve in this life may well become possible in the next life.
What a wonderful teaching!
Meditation
What is meditation?
Meditation is a conscious effort to change how the mind works. The
Pali word for meditation is 'bhavana' which means 'to make grow' or 'to
develop'.
Is meditation important?
Yes, it is. No matter how much we may wish to be good, if we cannot
change the desires that make us act the way we do, change will be
difficult. For example, a person may realize that he is impatient with
his wife and he may promise himself, "From now on I am not going to be
so impatient" But an hour later he may be shouting at his wife simply
because, not being aware of himself, impatience has arisen without him
knowing it. Meditation helps to develop the awareness and the energy
needed to transform ingrained mental habit patterns.
I have heard that meditation can be dangerous. Is this true?
To live, we need salt. But if you were to eat a kilogram of salt ;it
would kill you. To live in the modern world you need a car but if you
don’t follow the traffic rules or if you drive while you are drunk, a
car becomes a dangerous machine. Meditation is like this, it is
essential for our mental health and well-being but if you practice in
stupid ways it could cause problems. Some people have problems like
depression, irrational fears or schizophrenia, they think meditation is
an instant cure for their problem. They start meditating and sometimes
their problem gets worse. If you have such a problem, you should seek
professional help and after you are better then take up meditation.
Other people over reach themselves, they take up meditation. and instead
of going gradually, step by step, they meditate with too much energy
for too long and soon they are exhausted. But perhaps most problems in
meditation are caused by 'kangaroo meditation'. Some people go to one
teacher and do his meditation technique for a while, then they read
something in a book and decide to try that technique, then a week later a
famous meditation teacher visits town and so they decide to incorporate
some of his ideas into their practice and before long they are
hopelessly confused. Jumping like a kangaroo from one meditation
technique to another is a mistake. But if you don’t have any severe
mental problems and you take up meditation and practice sensibly it is
one of the best things you can do for yourself.
How many types of meditation are there?
The Buddha taught many different types of meditation, each designed
to overcome a particular problem or to develop a particular
psychological state. But the two most common and useful types of
meditation are Mindfulness of Breathing (anapana sati) and
Loving-kindness Meditation (Metta bhavana).
How do you practice Mindfulness of Breathing?
You would follow this easy steps: the four Ps: place, posture,
practice and problems. First, find a suitable place, perhaps a room that
is not too noisy and where you are not likely to be disturbed. Second,
sit in a comfortable posture. A good posture is to sit with your legs
folded, a pillow under your buttocks, your back straight, the hands
nestled in the lap and the eyes closed. Alternatively, you can sit in a
chair as long as you keep your back straight.
Next comes the actual practice itself. As you sit quietly with your
eyes closed you focus your attention on the in and out movement of the
breath. This can be done by counting the breaths or watching the rise
and fall of the abdomen. When this is done, certain problems and
difficulties will arise. You might experience irritating itches on the
body or discomfort in the knees. If this happens, try to keep the body
relaxed without moving and keep focusing on the breath. You will
probably have many intruding thoughts coming into your mind and
distracting your attention from the breath. The only way you can deal
with this problem is to patiently keep returning your attention to the
breath. If you keep doing this, eventually thoughts will weaken, your
concentration will become stronger and you will have moments of deep
mental calm and inner peace.
How long should I meditate for?
It is good to do meditation for 15 minutes every day for a week and
then extend the time by 5 minutes each week until you are meditating for
45 minutes. After a few weeks of regular daily meditation you will
start to notice that your concentration gets better, there are less
thoughts, and you have moments of real peace and stillness.
What about Loving Kindness Meditation? How is that practiced?
Once you are familiar with Mindfulness of Breathing and are
practicing it regularly you can start practicing Loving Kindness
Meditation. It should be done two or three times each week after you
have done Mindfulness of Breathing. First, you turn your attention to
yourself and say to yourself words like "May I be well and happy. May I
be peaceful and calm. May I be protected from dangers. May my mind be
free from hatred. May my heart be filled with love. May I be well and
happy." Then one by one you think of a loved person, a neutral person,
that is , someone you neither like nor dislike, and finally a disliked
person, wishing each of them well as you do so.
What is the benefit of doing this type of meditation?
If you do Loving Kindness Meditation regularly and with the right
attitude, you will find very positive changes taking place within
yourself. You will find that you are able to be more accepting and
forgiving towards yourself. You will find that the feelings you have
towards your loved ones will increase. You will find yourself making
friends with people you used to be indifferent and uncaring towards, and
you will find the ill-will or resentment you have towards some people
will lessen and eventually be dissolved. Sometimes if you know of
someone who is sick, unhappy or encountering difficulties you can
include them in your meditation and very often you will find their
situation improving.
How is that possible?
The mind, when properly developed, is a very powerful instrument. If
we can learn to focus our mental energy and project it towards others,
it can have an effect upon them. You may have had an experience like
this. Perhaps you are in a crowded room and you get this feeling that
someone is watching you. You turn around and, sure enough, someone is
staring at you. What has happened is that you have picked up that other
person’s mental energy. Loving Kindness Meditation is like that. We
project positive mental energy towards and it gradually transforms them.
Do I need a teacher to teach me meditation?
A teacher is not absolutely necessary but personal guidance from
someone who is familiar with mediation is certainly helpful.
Unfortunately, some monks and laymen set themselves up as meditation
teachers when they simply don’t know what they are doing. Try to pick a
teacher who has a good reputation, a balanced personality and one who
adheres closely to the Buddha’s teachings.
I have heard that meditation is widely used today by psychiatrists and psychologists. Is this true?
Yes, it is. Meditation is now accepted as having a highly therapeutic
effect upon the mind and is used by many professional mental health
workers to help induce relaxation, overcome phobias and bring about
self-awareness. The Buddha’s insights into the human mind are helping
people as much today as they did in ancient times.
Wisdom and Compassion
What do the terms wisdom and compassion mean in Buddhism?
Some religions believe that compassion or love (the two are very
similar) is the most important spiritual quality but they fail to
develop any wisdom. The result is that you end up being a good-hearted
fool, a very kind person but with little or no understanding. Other
systems of thought, like science, believe that wisdom can best be
developed when all emotions, including compassion, are kept out of the
way. The outcome of this is that science has tended to become
preoccupied with results and has forgotten that science is to serve man,
not to control and dominate him. How, otherwise could scientists have
lent their skills to develop the nuclear bomb, germ warfare, and the
like. Religion has always seen reason and wisdom as the enemy of
emotions like love and faith. Science has always seen emotions like love
and faith as being enemies of reason and objectivity. And of course, as
science progresses, religion declines. Buddhism, on the other hand,
teaches that to be a truly balanced and complete individual, you must
develop both wisdom and compassion. And because it is not dogmatic but
based on experience, Buddhism has nothing to fear from science.
So what, according to Buddhism, is wisdom?
The highest wisdom is seeing that in reality all phenomena are
incomplete, impermanent, and not self. This understanding is totally
freeing and leads to the great security and happiness, which is called
Nirvana. However, the Buddha doesn’t speak too much about this level of
wisdom. It is not wisdom if we simply believe what we are told. True
wisdom is to directly see and understand for ourselves. At this level
then, wisdom is to keep an open mind rather than being closed-minded,
listening to other points of view rather than being bigoted; to
carefully examine facts that contradict our beliefs, rather than burying
our heads in the sand; to be objective rather than prejudiced and
partisan; to take time about forming our opinions and beliefs rather
than just accepting the first or most emotional thing that is offered to
us; and to always be ready to change our beliefs when facts that
contradict them are presented to us. A person who does this is certainly
wise and is certain to eventually arrive at true understanding. The
path of just believing what you are told is easy. The Buddhist path
requires courage, patience, flexibility, and intelligence.
What is the point of Buddhism if only a few can practice it?
It is true that not everyone is ready for Buddhism yet. But to say
therefore that we should teach a religion that is false but easily
understandable so everyone can practice it is ridiculous. Buddhism aims
at the truth and if not everyone has the capacity to understand it yet,
they perhaps will be ready for it in their next life. However, there are
many who, with just the right words or encouragement, are able to
increases their understanding. And it is for this reason that Buddhists
gently and quietly strive to share the insights of Buddhism with others.
The Buddha taught us out of compassion and we teach others out of
compassion.
What, according to Buddhism, is compassion?
Just as wisdom covers the intellectual or comprehending side of our
nature. Like wisdom, compassion is uniquely human quality. Compassion is
made up of two words. 'co' meaning together and 'passion' meaning a
strong feeling. And this is what compassion is. When we see someone is
in distress and we feel their pain as if it were our own, and strive to
eliminate or lessen their pain, then this is compassion. So all the best
in human beings, all the Buddha-like qualities like sharing, readiness
to give comfort, sympathy, concern and caring - all are manifestations
of compassion. You will notice also that in the compassionate person,
care and love towards others has its origins in care and love for
oneself. We can really understand others when we really understand
ourselves. We will know what’s best for others when we know what’s best
for ourselves. We can feel for others when we feel for ourselves. So in
Buddhism, ones own spiritual development blossoms quite naturally into
concern for the welfare of others. The Buddha’s life illustrates this
very well. He spent six years struggling for his own welfare, after
which, he was able to be of benefit to the whole of mankind.
Isn’t it selfish to say that we are best able to help others after we have helped ourselves.
We usually see altruism, concern for others before oneself, as being
the opposite of selfishness, concern for oneself before others,.
Buddhism does no see it as either one or the other but rather as a
blending of the two. Genuine self-concern will gradually mature into
concern for others as one sees that others are really the same as
oneself. This is genuine compassion. Compassion is the most beautiful
jewel in the crown of the Buddha’s teaching.
Vegetarianism
Buddhists should be vegetarians, shouldn’t they?
Not necessarily. The Buddha was not a vegetarian. He did not teach
his disciples to be vegetarians and even today, there are many good
Buddhists who are not vegetarians.
If you eat meat you are indirectly responsible the death of a creature. Isn’t that breaking the first precept?
It is true that when you eat meat, you are indirectly and partially
responsible for killing a creature, but the same is true when you eat
vegetables. The farmer has to spray his crop with insecticides and
poisons so that the vegetables arrive on your dinner plates without
holes in them. And once again, animals have been used to provide the
leather for your belt or handbag, oil for the soap you use and a
thousand other products as well. It is impossible to live without, in
some way, being indirectly responsible for the death of some other
beings. This is just another example of the First Noble Truth, ordinary
existence is suffering and unsatisfactory. When you take the First
Precept, you try to avoid being directly responsible for killing beings.
Mahayana Buddhists don’t eat meat ...
That is not correct. Mahayana Buddhism in China laid great stress on
being vegetarian but both the monks, laymen and women of the Mahayana
tradition in Japan and Tibet usually eat meat.
But I still think that a Buddhist should be vegetarian.
If there was a man who was a very strict vegetarian but who was
selfish, dishonest and mean, and another man who was not a vegetarian
but who was thoughtful of others, honest, generous and kind, which of
these two people would be the better Buddhist?
The person who was honest and kind.
Why?
Because such a person obviously has a good heart.
Exactly. One who eats meat can have a pure heart just as one who does
not eat meat can have an impure heart. In the Buddha’s teachings, the
important thing is the quality of your heart, not the contents of your
diet. Many Buddhists take great care never to eat meat buy they are not
concerned about being selfish, dishonest, cruel or jealous. They change
their diet which is easy to do, while neglecting to change their hearts,
which is a difficult thing to do. So whether you are a vegetarian or
not, remember that the purification of the mind is the most important
thing in Buddhism.
Good Luck and Fate
What did the Buddha teach about magic and fortune telling?
The Buddha considered such practices as fortune telling, wearing
magic charms for protection, finding lucky sites for buildings,
prophesizing and fixing lucky days to be useless superstitions and he
expressly forbade his disciples to practice such things. He called all
these things 'low arts'.
"Whereas some religious men, while living off food provided by the
faithful make their living by such low arts, such wrong means of
livelihood as palmistry, divining by signs, interpreting dreams,
bringing about good or bad luck, picking the lucky site for a building,
the monk Gotama refrains from such low arts, such wrong means of
livelihood".
Then why do people sometimes practice such things and believe in them?
Because of greed, fear and ignorance. As soon as people understand
the Buddha’s teachings, they realize that a pure heart can protect them
much better than bits of paper, bits of metal and a few chanted words
and they no longer rely on such things. In the teachings of the Buddha,
it is honesty, kindness, understanding, patience, forgiveness,
generosity, loyalty and other good qualities that truly protect you and
give you true prosperity.
But some lucky charms do work, don’t they?
I know a person who makes a living selling lucky charms. He claims
that his charms can give good luck, prosperity and he guarantees that
you will be able to pick three numbers. But if what he says is true then
why isn’t he himself a multi-millionaire? If his lucky charms really
work, then why doesn’t he win the lottery week after week? The only luck
he has is that there are people silly enough to buy his magic charms.
Then is there such a thing as luck?
The dictionary defines luck as 'believing that whatever happens,
either good or bad, to a person in the course of events is due to
chance, fate or fortune'. The Buddha denied this belief completely.
Everything that happens has a specific cause or causes and there must be
some relationships between the cause and the effect. Becoming sick, for
example, has specific causes. One must come into contact with germs and
one’s body must be weak enough for the germs to establish themselves.
There is a definite relationship between the cause (germs and a weakened
body) and the effect (sickness) because we know that germs attack the
organisms and give rise to sickness. But no relationship can be found
between wearing a piece of paper with words written on it and being rich
or passing examinations. Buddhism teaches that whatever happens does so
because of a cause or causes and not due to luck, chance or fate.
People who are interested in luck are always trying to get something,
usually more money and wealth. The Buddha teaches us that it is far more
important to develop our hearts and minds. He says:
Being deeply learned and skilled; being well-trained and using
well-spoken words - this is the best good luck. To support mother and
father, to cherish wife and child and to have a simple livelihood - this
is the best good luck.
Becoming a Buddhist
What you say so far is very interesting to me. How do I become a Buddhist?
Once there was a man called Upali. He was the follower of another
religion and he went to the Buddha in order to argue with him and try to
convert him. But after talking to the Buddha, he was so impressed that
he decided to become a follower of the Buddha. But the Buddha said:
"Make a proper investigation first. Proper investigation is good for a well-known person like yourself."
"Now I am even more pleased and satisfied when the Lord says to me:
'Make a proper investigation first.' For if members of another religion
had secured me as a discipline they would have paraded a banner all
around the town saying: 'Upali has joined our religion.' But the Lord
says to me: Make a proper investigation first. Proper investigation is
good for a well-known person like yourself."
In Buddhism, understanding is the most important thing and
understanding takes time. So do not impulsively rush into Buddhism. Take
your time, ask questions, consider carefully, and then make your
decision. The Buddha was not interested in having a large number of
disciples. He was concerned that people should follow his teachings as a
result of a careful investigation and consideration of the facts.
If I have done this and find the Buddha's teaching acceptable, what would I do then if I wanted to become a Buddhist?
If would be best to join a good temple or Buddhist group, support
them, be supported by them and continue to learn more about the Buddha's
teachings. Then, when you are ready, you would formally become a
Buddhist by taking the Three Refuges.
What are the Three Refuges?
A refuge is a place where people go when they are distressed or when
they need safety and security. There are many types of refuges. When
people are unhappy, they take refuge with their friends, when they are
worried and frightened, they may take refuge in false hopes and beliefs.
As they approach death, they might take refuge in the belief in an
eternal heaven. But, as the Buddha says, none of these are true refuges
because they do not give comfort and security based on reality.
Truly these are not safe refuges,
not the refuge supreme.
Not the refuge whereby one is
freed from all sorrow.
But to take refuge in the
Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha
and to see with real understanding
the Four Noble Truths.
Suffering, the cause of suffering,
the transcending of suffering and
the Noble Eightfold Path that leads
to the transcending of suffering.
This indeed is a safe refuge,
it is the refuge supreme.
It is the refuge whereby one is
freed from all suffering.
Taking Refuge in the Buddha is a confident acceptance of the fact
that one can become fully enlightened of the fact that one can become
fully enlightened and perfected just as the Buddha was. Taking Refuge in
the Dhamma means understanding the Four Noble Truths and basing one's
life on the Noble Eightfold Path. Taking Refuge in the Sangha means
looking for support, inspiration and guidance from all who walk the
Noble Eightfold Path. Doing this one becomes a Buddhist and thus takes
the first step on the path towards Nirvana.
What changes have taken place in your life since you first took the three refuges?
Like countless millions of others over the last 2500 years, I have
found that the Buddha's teachings have made sense out of a difficult
world, they have given meaning to what was a senseless life, they have
given me a humane and compassionate ethics with which to lead my life
and they have shown me how I can attain a state of purity and perfection
in the next life. A poet in ancient India once wrote of the Buddha:
To go to him for refuge, to sing his praise, to do
him honor and to abide in his Dhamma is to
act with understanding.
I agree with these words completely.
I have a friend who is always trying to convert me to his religion. I
am not really interested in his religion and I have told him so but he
won't leave me alone. What can I do?
The first thing you must understand is that this person is not really
your friend. A true friend accepts you as you are and respects your
wishes. I suspect that this person is merely pretending to be your
friend so he can convert you. When people are trying to impose their
will on you they are certainly not friends.
But he says he wants to share his religion with me.
Sharing your religion with others is a good thing. But I suggest that
your friend doesn't know the difference between sharing and imposing.
If I have an apple, I offer you half and you accept my offer, then I
have shared with you. But if you say to me "Thank you, but I have
already eaten" and I keep insisting that you take half the apple until
you finally give in to my pressure, this can hardly be called sharing.
People like your 'friend' try to disguise their bad behavior by calling
it 'sharing', 'love', or 'generosity', but by whatever name they call
it, their behavior is still just rude, bad manners and selfish.
So how can I stop him?
It is simple. Firstly, be clear in your mind what you want.
Secondly, clearly and briefly tell him so. Thirdly, when he asks you
questions like "What is your belief on this matter?" or "Why don't you
wish to come to the meeting with me?” clearly, politely and persistently
repeat your first statement. "Thank you for your invitation but I
would rather not come".
"Why not?"
"That is really my business. I would rather not come."
"But there will be many interesting people there."
"I am sure there will be but I would rather not come."
"I am inviting you because I care about you."
"I am glad you care about me but I would rather not come."
If you clearly, patiently and persistently repeat yourself and refuse
to allow him to get you involved in a discussion he will eventually
give up. It is a shame that you have to do this, but it is very
important for people to learn that they cannot impose their beliefs or
wishes upon others.
Should Buddhists try to share the Dhamma with others?
Yes, they should. And I think most Buddhists understand the
difference between sharing and imposing. If people ask you about
Buddhism, tell them. You can even tell them about the Buddha's teachings
without their asking. But if, by either their words or actions, they
let you know that they are not interested, accept that and respect their
wishes. It is also important to remember that you let people know about
the Dhamma far more effectively through your actions than through
preaching to them. Show people the Dhamma by always being considerate,
kind, tolerant, upright and honest. Let the Dhamma shine forth through
your speech and actions. If each of us, you and I, know the Dhamma
thoroughly, practice it fully and share it generously with others, we
can be of great benefit to ourselves and others also.
