4. Those who hear and receive the Dharma know that their lives are transient and that their bodies are merely aggregations of sufferings and the source of all evil, so they do not become attached to them. At the same time they do not neglect to take good care of their bodies, not because they wish to enjoy the physical life of the body, but because the body is necessary for the attainment of wisdom and for their mission of explaining the Dharma. If they do not take good care of their bodies they can not live long. If they do not keep well and live long, they can not practice the Dharma personally nor explain it to others.
If a man wishes to cross a river he is very careful of his raft. If he has a long journey to make he takes good care of his horse. So if a man wishes to attain enlightenment he takes good care of his body.
Those who are disciples of Buddha must wear suitable clothing to protect the body from the extremes of heat and cold and to hide its shame, but they should not wear them for decoration. They must eat suitable food to nourish the body so that they may hear and receive and explain the Dharma, but they should not eat for mere enjoyment. They must live in houses of enlightenment to be protected from the thieves of worldly passion and from the storms of evil teaching, but they should use the house for its real purpose and not for dis- play or the concealment of selfish practices.
Thus you should value things and use them solely in their relation to enlightenment and the Dharma. You should not become attached to them for selfish reasons but only as they serve a useful purpose in carrying the Dharma to others. There- fore your mind should dwell on the Dharma even when you are living with your family. You should care for them with a wise and sympathetic mind, seeking to awaken faith in their minds by many methods.
5. Lay members of Buddha’s Brotherhood should study the fol- HOMELESS BROTHERS 63 1 lowing lessons every day: — How to serve their parents, how tc live with wife and children, how to control oneself, how tc manifest Buddha.
To best serve parents they must learn to practice kindness toward all animate life. To live with wife and children happily they must keep away from lust and thoughts of selfish com fort. While hearing the music of the family life they must not forget the sweeter music of the Dharma, and while living ir the shelter of the home, they should often seek the safer sheltei of Dhyana practice where wise men find refuge from all im purity and all disturbance.
When laymen are bestowing charity they should remove all greed from their own hearts; when they are in the midst of a crowd, their minds should be in the company of wise men; when they face misfortune, they should keep the mind tran quil and free from hindrances. When they take refuge in Bud dha, their desire should be for his wisdom; when they take ref uge in the Dharma, their desire should be to realize its truth which is like a great ocean of wisdom; when they take refuge in the Brotherhood, their desire should be to share its peaceful fellowship unobstructed by any selfish interests.
When they wear clothes they must not forget to put on also the garment of goodness and humility. When they take an injection, they must wish to discharge all greed, anger and foolishness of mind. When they are toiling on an up-hill road, they should think of it as the road to enlightenment that will carry them beyond the world of delusion. When they are following an easy road, they should guard the mind against sloth and pride and should take advantage of its easier condi tions to make a greater progress toward Buddhahood.
When they see a bridge, they must wish to tell people of the bridge of the Dharma; when they meet a sorrowful man, they should have feelings of hatred for the bitterness of this ever changing world; when they see a greedy man, they should have a great longing to keep free from the illusions of this life and to share in the true riches of enlightenment; when they see savory food, they must be on guard; when they see distaste- ful food, they should wish that greed might never return.
During the intense heat of summer, they must wish to be away from the heat of worldly desires and gain the fresh cool- ness of enlightenment. During the eold of winter, they must 632 selections from modern sources think of the warmth of Buddha’s great compassion. When they recite the sacred scriptures, they must try not to forget them and must be very earnest to put their teaching into practice. When they think of Buddha, they must cherish a deep wish to have eyes like Buddha. As they fall asleep at night they should wish that their body, lips and mind might be purified and re- freshed; when they awake in the morning, their first wish should be that during that day their minds might be clear to understand everything.
6. Laymen, although understanding that everything is char- acterized by “emptiness,” do not treat the things that enter into a man’s life lightly, but they receive them for what they are and then try to make them fit for enlightenment. Laymen must not think that the world of man’s life is meaningless and filled with confusion, while the world of enlightenment is full of meaning and peaceful. Rather, they should taste the way of enlightenment in all the affairs of the world. If one looks upon the world with eyes dimmed in ignorance, he will see it filled with error, but if he looks upon it with clear wisdom, he will see it as the world of enlightenment itself.
The fact is, there is only one world, — there are not two worlds, one meaningless and the other full of meaning, one good, the other bad — People think there are two worlds by the activities of their own minds. If they could get rid of these false judgments and keep their minds pure with the light of wisdom, then they would see only one world and that world bathed in the light of wisdom.
7. Laymen who believe in Buddha taste this universal purity of oneness in everything, and in that mind they feel compas- sion for everyone and humbly desire to serve them. Therefore, laymen should cleanse their minds from all proudness and cher- ish minds of humility and courtesy and service. Their minds should be like the fruitful earth that nourishes everything with- out partiality, that serves without complaint, that endures pa- tiently, that is always zealous, that finds its highest joy in serv- ing all poor people by planting in their minds the seeds of Buddha’s Dharma.
Thus the mind that has compassion on poor people, be- comes a mother to all people, honors all people, looks upon all people as his personal friends, respects them as though they were his parents. Therefore, though thousands of people have HOMELESS BROTHERS, 633 hard feelings and cherish ill-will toward lay believers, they can do them no harm, for what harm is a drop of poison in the waters of an ocean.
8. A lay member will add to his happiness by habits of recol- lection and reflection and thanksgiving. He will come to realize that his faith is Buddha’s compassion itself, that it is one thing, and that it has been given to him as a present by Buddha.
There are no seeds of faith in the mud of worldly passion, but seeds of faith may be sown there because of Buddha’s com- passion and they will purify the mind until it has faith to be- lieve in Buddha.
As has been said, the fragrant Candana can not grow in the forest of Eranda. In like manner the seeds of faith in Buddha can not grow in the bosom of delusion. But actually the flower of joy is blooming there, so we must conclude that while its blossoms are in the bosom of delusion, its roots are else- where, namely, its roots are in the bosom of Buddha, or in other words, faith in Buddha is the gift of Buddha, and grows independent of conditions.
If a lay believer is later carried away by self-pride, he will become jealous, envious, hateful and harmful, because his mind has again become defiled with greed, anger and foolish infatua- tion, but if he return to Buddha, he will accomplish an even greater service for Buddha. It is, indeed, a marvel.
PRACTISING THE SEVENTH STAGE OF BUDDHA’S NOBLE PATH S ITTING quietly with empty and tranquil mind, breathing gently, deliberately, evenly, slowly; realizing that however necessary the process of breathing is to the life of the organism, it is not the self, neither is it anything that a self can accomplish by volition or effort. It is a spontaneous activity that goes on best as we rest quietly, restraining all rising thoughts, keeping the mind fixed on its pure essence, realizing that the organism and all its activities is only a skillful device, an efficient means, which Buddhahood employs in fulfillment of its nature to emancipate and enlighten all sentient beings. As such it Is a manifestation of Buddhahood’s love and wisdom; it is Buddha- hood taking form within one’s own mind as a coming Buddha.
Sitting quietly with humble and patient mind, with earnest and disciplined mind, waiting for the clouds of karma and the defilements of the mind to clear away so that the clear bright- ness within may shine forth, illumining the mind, revealing that self is nothing, that mind-essence is everything. Sitting quietly realizing the mind’s pure essence. Realizing its all- embracing wholeness, its inconceivable purity and unity, its boundless potentiality for radiation and integration; radiation going forth in rays and vibrations of cosmic energy; manifesting itself in particles, electrons and atoms; and by the phenomena of light, heat and electricity. Integration drawing everything inward to purity and unity; the going forth and the drawing inward being so perfectly balanced that all abides in the orig- inal emptiness and silence. Sitting quietly with empty and tran- quil mind, realizing the universal emptiness and eternal silence; realizing it, but yielding to its radiating potency, continually being reborn in this Saha-world of suffering.
* * • Sitting quietly, breathing gently, deliberately, evenly, slowly; realizing that the organism if it is to become enlightened and PRACTISING THE SEVENTH SJAGE 635 brought to Buddhahood requires something more than breath- ing, namely, it requires nutrition. This need is supplied by the organism going forth in search of food which the mouth pro- ceeds to masticate and salivate, the stomach to digest, the intes- tines to assimilate the wholesome into the blood and to reject the waste. But this process of transmuting food into nutritious blood is not the self, neither is it anything that a self can ac- complish by volition or effort. It is a spontaneous activity that goes on best as we rest quietly, restraining all rising thoughts, keeping the mind fixed on its pure essence, realizing that the organism and all its activities is only a skillful device, and efficient means, which Buddhahood employs in fulfillment of its nature to emancipate and enlighten all sentient beings and bring them to Buddhahood. As such it is a manifestation of Buddhahood’s love and wisdom; it is Buddhahood taking form within one’s own mind as a coming Buddha.
Sitting quietly with humble and patient mind, with earnest and disciplined mind, waiting for the clouds of karma and the defilements of the mind to clear away so that the brightness within may shine forth, illumining the mind, revealing that self is nothing, that mind essence is everything. Sitting quietly realizing the mind’s pure essence. Realizing its all-embracing wholeness, its inconceivable purity and unity, its boundless po- tentiality for radiation and integration; radiation going forth in chemical reactions among the atoms, manifesting themselves as molecules and physical substances, and by the phenomena of dynamics, gravitation and inertia; integration drawing every- thing inward to unity and purity; the going forth and the drawing in being so perfectly balanced that all abides in the original emptiness and silence. Sitting quietly with empty and tranquil mind realizing the universal emptiness and eternal silence; realizing its unbomness, its imagelessness, its egoless- ness; realizing it, but yielding to its radiating potency, con- tinually being reborn in this Saha-world of suffering.
* * * Sitting quietly, breathing gently, deliberately, evenly, slowly; realizing that the organism, if it is to become enlightened and brought to Buddhahood, requires something more than nutri- tion, namely, it requires vital energy. To satisfy this need the muscles and glands and ganglia of the lower abdomen receive 636 SELECTIONS FROM MODERN SOURCES the nutritious blood and transmutes it into vital energy by rea- son of which the material blood becomes living tissue. But this process is not a self neither is it anything that a self can accomplish by volition or effort; it is a spontaneous activity that goes on best as we rest quietly restraining all rising thoughts, keeping the mind fixed on its pure essence, realizing that the organism and all its activities is only a skillful de- vicej an efficient means, which Buddhahood employs in the fulfillment of its nature to emancipate and enlighten all sen- tient beings and bring them to Buddhahood. As such it is a manifestation of Buddhahood’s love and wisdom; it is Bud- dhahood taking form within one’s own mind as a coming Buddha.
Sitting quietly with humble and patient mind, with earnest and disciplined mind, waiting for the clouds of karma and the defilements of the mind to clear away so that the pure bright- ness within may shine forth, illumining the mind, revealing that self is nothing, that mind essence is everything. Sitting quietly realizing the mind’s pure essence; realizing its all-em- bracing wholeness, its inconceivable purity and unity, its bound- less potentiality for radiation and integration; radiation going forth into more and more complex forms of life — protoplasm, bacteria, cellular life and organic — manifesting itself in the phe- nomena of birth, growth, reproduction, decay and death. Inte- gration drawing everything into unity and purity; the going forth and the drawing in being so perfectly balanced that all abides in the original emptiness and silence. Sitting quietly with empty and tranquil mind, realizing the universal empti- ness and eternal silence; realizing its unbomness, its imageless- ness, its egolessness; realizing it, but yielding to its radiating potency, continually being reborn in this Saha-world of suffering.
* # * * # * Sitting quietly, breathing gently, deliberately, evenly, slowly; realizing that the organism, if it is to become enlightened and brought to Buddhahood requires something more than vital energy, namely, it requires awareness. This need is supplied by the dual system of nerves and their ganglia which receive the current of vital energy and transmute it into instinctive aware- ness. By this process the organism becomes aware of its needs PRACTISING THE SEVENTH STAGE 637 and how to supply them, and of its dangers and how to pro- tect itself. But this process transmuting energy into awareness is not the self, neither is it anything that a self can accomplish by volition and effort; it is a spontaneous activity that goes on best as we rest quietly, restraining all rising thoughts, keep ing the mind fixed on its pure essence, realizing that the or- ganism and all its activities is only a skillful device, an efficient means, that Buddhahood employs in fulfillment of its nature to emancipate and enlighten all sentient beings and bring them to Buddhahood. As such it is a manifestation of Buddhahood’s love and wisdom; it is Buddhahood taking form within one’s own mind as a coming Buddha.
Sitting quietly with humble and patient mind, with earnest and disciplined mind, waiting for the clouds of karma and the defilements of the mind to clear away, so that the pure bright- ness within may shine forth illumining the mind, revealing that self is nothing, that essence of mind is everything. Sitting quietly realizing the mind’s pure essence. Realizing its all- embracing wholeness, its inconceivable purity and unity, its boundless potentiality for radiation and integration; radiation going forth in instinctive will-to-live, to-enjoy, to-propagate; becoming manifest in instinctive acts of greed, lust and self- assertion; and in the phenomena of natural selection, varia- tion, conflict, suffering and survival. Integration drawing every- thing inward to unity and purity; the going forth and the drawing in being so perfectly balanced that all abides in the original emptiness and silence. Sitting quietly realizing the uni- versal emptiness and eternal silence. Realizing its unbomness, its imagelessness, its egolessness; realizing it, but yielding to its radiating potency continually being reborn in this Saha- world of suffering.
# # * # # * Sitting quietly, breathing gently, deliberately, evenly, slowly; realizing that the organism, if it is to become enlightened and brought to Buddhahood requires something more than in- stinctive awareness, namely, it requires consciousness and dis- crimination. This need is supplied by the system of sense or- gans and the lower mind, which in contact with their appro- priate fields receive the current of nervous energy and awareness and transmute it into sensations and perceptions, which the 638 SELECTIONS FROM MODERN SOURCES lower mind proceeds to unite, to name and to discriminate, from which arises consciousness and the ideas of self and not-self. But this process of transmuting nervous energy into conscious- ness and the idea of self is not the self, neither is it any- thing which a self can accomplish by volition or effort. It is a spontaneous activity which goes on best as we rest quietly, restraining every rising thought, ignoring every risen thought, keeping the mind fixed on its pure essence, realizing that the organism and all its activities is only a skillful device, an ef- ficient means, which Buddhahood employs in fulfillment of its nature to emancipate and enlighten all sentient beings and bring them to Buddhahood. As such it is a manifestation of Buddhahood’s love and wisdom; it is Buddhahood taking form within one’s own mind, as a coming Buddha.
Sitting quietly with humble and patient mind, with earnest and disciplined mind, waiting for the clouds of karma and the defilements of the mind to clear away so that the pure bright- ness within may shine forth, illumining the mind, revealing that self is nothing, that mind-essence is everything. Realizing the mind’s pure essence. Realizing its all-embracing wholeness, its inconceivable purity and unity, its boundless potentiality for radiation and integration; radiation going forth in discrimina- tion of thoughts relating to self and not self, that awaken likes and dislikes; and the phenomena of desire, grasping, acts of greed, lust, hatred, to be accumulated in memory, habits and karma. Integration drawing everything inward to unity and purity; the going forth and the drawing in being so perfectly balanced that all abides in the original emptiness and silence. Sitting quietly realizing the universal emptiness, the eternal silence; realizing its unbornness, its imagel'essness, its egoless- ness; realizing it, but yielding to its radiating potency being continually reborn in this Saha-world of Suffering.
Sitting quietly, breathing gently, deliberately, evenly, slowly; realizing that the organism, if it is to become enlightened and brought to Buddhahood, requires something more than con- scious discriminations, namely, it requires intellection and knowledge. This need is supplied by the upper mind, the cere- brum, which receives the stream of conscious discriminations and transmutes them into intellectual knowledge. By this the PRACTISING THE SEVENTH STAGE 639 mind becomes aware that the myriad, myriad things which the senses perceive and the conscious mind discriminates and thinks about are empty and transient — dreams that have been caused by its own greed, anger and infatuation, as conditioned by karma and the mind’s defilements, and as expressed by body, lips and mind; it becomes aware that the only reality is the mind’s pure essence, the dharma of whose self-nature is the ultimate prin- ciple. It becomes aware that as ultimate principle, mind is irradiant, going forth in discriminations of thought that mani- fest themselves in activities and appearances of form and phenomena. It becomes aware that mind as ultimate principle is also integrant drawing all these differentiations into more and more harmonious relations and into final identity with itself. It becomes aware that mind, whether as essence, as principle, as activity and manifestation, is of one undivided sameness.
But this process of transmuting discriminated thoughts into intellection and knowledge is not the self, neither is it any- thing that a self can accomplish by volition or effort; it is a spontaneous activity that goes on best as we rest quietly, re- straining all rising thoughts, ignoring all risen thoughts, keep- ing the mind fixed on its pure essence, realizing that the or- ganism and all its activities is only a skillful device, an efficient means, that Buddhahood employs in fulfillment of its nature to enlighten all sentient beings and bring them to Buddha- hood. As such it is Buddhahood’s love and wisdom becoming manifest; it is Buddhahood taking form within one’s own mind, as a coming Buddha.
Sitting quietly with humble and patient mind, with earnest and disciplined mind, waiting for the clouds of karma and the defilements of the mind to clear away so that the pure bright- ness within may shine forth illumining the mind, revealing that self is nothing, that mind-essence is everything. Sitting quietly realizing the mind’s pure essence. Realizing its all- embracing wholeness, its inconceivable purity and unity, its boundless potentiality for radiation and integration; radiation going forth as pragmatic thoughts concerning social relations, ethics, industry, economics, politics; going forth as scientific research as to the origin, the nature and the laws of physical things; going forth in philosophical speculations as to the na- ture of the soul, life after death, eternal life, a personal God, 640 SELECTIONS FROM MODERN SOURCES Universal Self; all of which tend toward multiplicity, complex- ity, confusion, unrest of mind and pride of egoism; to karma and rebirth in the Saha world. Integration drawing everything toward unity and purity and peacefulness; the going forth and the drawing in being so perfectly balanced that all abides in the original emptiness and silence. Sitting quietly realizing this universal emptiness and eternal silence. Realizing its un~ bornness, its imagelessness, its egolessness; realizing it, but yielding to its radiating potency, continually being reborn in this Saha-world of suffering.
# * # # * # Sitting quietly, breathing gently, deliberately, evenly, slowly; realizing that the organism, if it is to become enlightened and brought to Buddhahood, requires something more than intellec- tual knowledge, namely, it requires wisdom. Knowledge about Truth is not Truth itself; if one is to attain wisdom, he must realize Truth itself, and that requires another process than intellection, namely, it requires intuition. By intuition the mind becomes identified with Truth and attains wisdom by it- self becoming Truth. But this process transmuting intellection into intuition, and knowledge into wisdom, is not the self, neither are all the processes of the body and mind working to- gether harmoniously a self; they are after all only an aggrega- tion and concatenation of fortuitous causes and conditions and are not a self, nor are they anything that a self can accomplish by volition or effort. It is only a spontaneous activity that goes on best as we rest quietly, restraining all rising thoughts, ignoring all risen thoughts, keeping the mind fixed on its pure essence, realizing that the organism with all its activities, is only a skillful device, an efficient means, which Buddhahood employs in fulfillment of its nature to emancipate and en- lighten all sentient beings and bring them to Buddhahood. As such it is a manifestation of Buddhahood’s love and wis- dom;, it is Buddhahood taking form within one’s own mind as a coming Buddha.
Sitting quietly with humble and patient mind, with earnest and disciplined mind, waiting for the clouds of karma and the defilements of mind to clear away so that the pure brightness within may shine forth, illumining the mind, revealing that self is nothing, mind-essence is everything. Sitting quietly realizing PRACTISING THE SEVENTH S,TAGE 641 the mind’s pure essence! Realizing that the mind’s pure essence is the Universal Essence that is prior to everything, that em- braces everything, that is everything; and realizing that what is mind is Buddhahood. Sitting quietly realizing that this life of birth and death with all its greed, anger and infatuation is the pure essence of mind and the Bliss-body of Buddhahood; that all the outer things of manifestation and form and phenomena are unreal and imaginary; that all the inner things of desire and aversion, of fear and anger, of infatuation and pride of egoism are unreal and imaginary; that all the activities of the mind dis- criminating this and that, big and little, good and bad, self and not-self, are unreal and imaginary; that all the states of the mind, its judgments and feelings and emotions, are unreal and imaginary; that only the mind’s pure essence is real and abid- ing, and that is Buddhahood abiding in blissful Peace.
Sitting quietly realizing that all the changes and processes of the body and mind that are going on with no volition or effort on our part are bringing the organism into perfect Oneness with Buddhahood. Sitting quietly realizing this perfect Oneness: — realizing its all-embracing wholeness, its inconceivable unity and purity, its boundless potentiality for Wisdom and Compassion; Wisdom going forth in individuations of Ignorance and discrim- inations of knowledge that eventuate in multiplicities of thought, desires, activities, karma, rebirth in the Saha World of suffering. Compassion drawing everything together eventu- ating in the patient endurance of suffering, the awakening of faith, mind-control, clearing insight, maturing of karma, birth in the Pure Land, attainment of Buddhahood. The going forth and the drawing in being so perfectly balanced that all abides in the original emptiness and silence.
Sitting quietly, realizing the basic emptiness and eternal silence; realizing its unbomness, its imagelessness, its egoless- ness. Realizing that in its perfect purity and unity there is neither self nor not-self, neither Ignorance nor Enlightenment, neither a Saha World of Suffering nor a Pure Land of Bliss, but, potentially, all are present in fullness. Realizing that in its perfect unity this Saha World of Suffering is the Pure Land of Bliss; realizing that what is radiation is integration, that what is Wisdom is Compassion. Wisdom-Compassion urging one to yield to its radiating potency that it may go forth for the 642 SELECTIONS FROM MODERN SOURCES enlightenment of all sentient beings; Compassion-Wisdom sup- porting one as he advances along the Bodhisattva Stages, sub- mitting to its integrating potency, for the sake of Buddhahood. In the long last, having yielded to Compassion and submitted to Wisdom, attaining Buddhahood — its highest perfect Wisdom, its unceasing Compassion, its blissful Peace; becoming Pure Essence — its emptiness, its silence.
ALL HAIL! THE BLISS-BODY OF BUDDHAHOOD!
Namo Sambhogakaya Buddhaya.
(To be memorized and repeated daily ) SUMMARY OF BUDDHA’S DHARMA SUMMARY OF BUDDHA’S DHARMA Introduction T HE Buddha’s Dharma ought not to be considered as a system of philosophic or intellectual thought, much less as a system of ethical idealism. Strictly speaking, even less is it a religion based upon authority. It is simply a way of life which Buddha called the Eightfold Noble Path and the Middle Way, and which he said would lead him who followed it to emanci- pation of body, to enlightenment of mind, to tranquillity of spirit, to highest Samadhi. That is, it is a system of mind- control leading to highest perfect cognition. He did not make it up — it is the record of his own experience under the Bodhi- tree, when he himself attained Enlightenment.
The summary is introduced by what is known as the Twelve Nirdanas, or the Chain of Simultaneous Dependent Origina- tions (paticca-samutpada). Then he taught the Four Noble Truths upon which he based the Eightfold Noble Path. These are all briefly summarized.
The Twelve Nirdanas i. Because of Ignorance (avidya) the principle of individ- uation as discriminated from Enlightenment which is the prin- ciple of unity and sameness the primal unity becomes divided into thinking, thinker and discriminated thoughts by reason of which there appear the “formations” of karma.
2. Because of these “forms” (samsara), the principle of con- sciousness emerges.
3. Because of the principle of consciousness ( vijnana ), men- tality and body emerge.
4. Because of mentality and body (nama-rupa), the six, sense minds and organs appear.
5. Because of the six sense minds and organs (shadayat- ana), sensations and perceptions arise.
6. Because of sensations and perceptions ( spasha ), feelings and discriminations arise.
fit ■>:!?: 646 SELECTIONS FROM MODERN SOURCES 7. Because of feelings and sensations ( vedana ), thirst and craving arise.
8. Because of thirst and craving (trishna), grasping and clinging appear.
9. Because of grasping and clinging ( upadana ), conception takes place.
10. Because of conception ( bhava ), the continuing process of existence goes on.
xi. Because of the continuing process of existence (jeti), growth, sickness, old age, decay and death take place.
12. Because of sickness, old age and death (jana-marana ), “sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair arise. Thus arises the whole mass of suffering.” In all this “No doer of the deeds is found.
No one who ever reaps their fruit.
Empty phenomena are there.
Thus does the world roll on.
No god, no Brahma, can be found.
No maker of this wheel of life.
Empty phenomena are there, Dependent upon conditions all.”
The Four Noble Truths 1. The universality of suffering.
2. The cause of suffering rooted in desire.
3. By ending desire, suffering comes to an end.
4. The way to end desire and hence to end suffering, is to follow the Eightfold Noble Path.
The Eightfold Noble Path 1. RIGHT IDEAS: the Twelve Nirdanas and the Four Noble Truths. Not only should one understand them but he should make them the basis of all his thinking and understanding of life, he should make them the basis for a life of patient and humble acceptance and submission.
2. RIGHT RESOLUTION: He should make it the purpose of his life to follow the Noble Path. In loyalty to this pur- pose he should be willing to give up anything that is contrary to it, or which hinders his progress. He should be willing to pay any cost of comfort, or self denial, or effort, in order to SUMMARY OF BUDDHA’S DHARMA 647 attain its goal. He should not do this for any selfish motive but that he might devote the merit of its attainment to all animate life. And finally he should make his great Vow (Pranadana) not to enter Nirvana until all others may enter with him.
3. RIGHT SPEECH: Speech is the connecting link between thought and action; words often obscure the Truth within one’s own mind, and often give a false impression to those that hear them. It is important therefore, that one should restrain his speech. It should always be characterized by wisdom and kindness. Undue loudness, over emphasis, and excitement should be avoided. Speech should not be prompted by prej- udice, fear, anger, nor infatuation, nor self interest. Careless, idle and flippant words should be avoided. All invidious dis- tinctions, and discriminations, and dogmatic assertions and neg- ations, should be avoided. Words that are liable to cause hard feelings, such as repeating scandal, mean or angry words, words that deceive or cause misunderstandings, or that tend to arouse passion and lust, should never be uttered. In general speech should be limited to asking and answering necessary questions, and because speech is so easily conditioned by crowd psychol- ogy, all formal speech before groups, audiences and crowds should be avoided.
4. RIGHT BEHAVIOR. Besides behaving according to the general rules of propriety, one should be especially careful to keep the Five Precepts: — Not to kill but to practice kindness and harmlessness toward all animate life. Not to steal or covet what does not belong to one, but to practice charity and going without things oneself. Not to commit adultery but to prac- tice purity of mind and sexual self-control. Not to lie but to practice honesty and sincerity in thought, word and deed. Not to partake of alcoholic drinks or drugs, or anything that weak- ens one’s mind-control, but to practice abstinence and self- control.
The reason that Buddha made keeping the Precepts so im- portant was not so much for ethical reasons as for its bear- ing on mind development and its goal of the attainment of highest cognition and enlightenment. One can not progress toward this high goal if he is living a wicked or self-indulgent life. Even the keeping of the Precepts is only a beginning, for as disciples advance on the Path and undertake the homeless 648 SELECTIONS FROM MODERN SOURCES life, there are other five Precepts that must also be observed, namely, Not to use ointments or condiments and not to eat between meals. Not to wear jewelry or expensive clothes, but to practice humility. Not to sleep on soft beds but to resist all tendency to sloth and sleepiness. Not to attend entertain- ments, dances, concerts or to take part in games of chance; keeping the mind at all times under strict control. Not to have anything to do with money or precious things, but to practice poverty.
5. RIGHT VOCATION. One must not engage in any busi- ness or profession that involves cruelty or injustice to either men or animals. His life must be free from acquisitiveness, deceit or dishonesty. He must have nothing to do with war, gambling, prostitution. It must be a life of service rather than a life of profit and indulgence. For those who wish to devote their entire attention to attaining enlightenment it must be a Homeless Life, free from all dependence or responsibility for property, family life or society.