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由 Nalorakk » 2020-12-07, 14:43
我在前言中曾提到，《以吉祥帶來的保護》也會談《慈經》與《蘊經》，後來卻完全投入《吉祥經》的寫作。《慈經》與《蘊經》都談慈愛或友善；這也是佛陀教法中非常重要的法，值得另作彙編與觀察思惟。
受篇幅所限，我在此略去不談。當今世界迫切需要慈；只要觀察當前世界情況，便會明白。我們人類不只對同類殘酷、有害而暴力，也如此對待動物與自然環境。慈在菩薩道十波羅蜜中也扮演重要角色，列為第九項慈波羅蜜（mettā-pāramī）。
慈又是四梵住之首。四梵住就是慈、悲、喜、捨（mettā, karuṇā, muditā, upekkhā）。在四聖諦之後，這是第二組應當培育的重要法。
所以，這裡只概略談慈，以及與它相反的瞋、恨、惡意等法。多數人若能培育四梵住，地球就會成為天堂。《增支部》的《慈經》中，佛陀說明修習、培育慈能得到十一種利益：
1. 安眠；
2. 安寤；
3. 不作惡夢；
4. 為人所愛；
5. 為非人與天神所愛；
6. 天神守護；
7. 不為火、武器、毒物所傷；
8. 心容易得定；
9. 容顏明淨安詳；
10. 臨終不迷亂；
11. 死後投生梵天界。
慈的反面是瞋（dosa）。佛陀在《增支部》AN 7.64〈瞋怒經〉中，說明瞋怒的七種過患。
瞋怒的人
「瞋怒者容貌醜陋，睡眠不安；獲得利益，卻使它轉成損失，並以言語、行為造成傷害。受瞋怒壓倒的人毀掉自己的財富；因瞋而狂亂，毀掉自己的名聲與地位；親戚、朋友、同事都避開他。身壞命終後，此人投生苦界、惡趣、下界、地獄。」
「瞋怒者不知道自身利益，也看不見法；被瞋征服的人處於一片黑暗。他把惡行當成善事而樂在其中；但瞋怒消退後，又像被火焚燒般受苦。瞋怒蔓延時，人變得暴躁，沒有慚，沒有對惡行的畏懼，言語也不恭敬。對受瞋怒壓倒的人，沒有任何光明可言。」
接著，佛陀說明受瞋支配而作出、事後令人悔恨的行為：
「瞋怒者殺父、殺母、殺害聖者，也殺害凡人。人因母親的奉獻才得以看見世間，平凡的瞋怒者卻能殺死這位給予生命的人。」
「一切眾生都像自己一樣，最珍愛自己；然而，瞋怒使人狂亂，能以種種方式殺死自己：用刀劍、服毒，或以繩自縊。瞋怒者造作殺害眾生與傷害自己的行為，卻不知道自己已經毀滅。」
佛陀清楚提醒我們瞋怒的本性，其結果十分可怕。現代人類歷史中，瞋對人類痛苦造成的巨大影響清楚可見，例如 911 事件、許多恐怖活動、中東的多場戰爭等。為何這些不幸事件不斷發生在人類身上？因為多數人不知道業的法則；即使知道，也更相信神，而非自然法則。因此，他們不負責任，也不知道如何解決問題。
幾年前，伊朗發生一件真人真事；英國廣播公司廣播節目《展望》（The Outlook）曾提到這起事件。故事很有意思，也滋養人心。
一名青年追求一位美麗女子，遭她拒絕。青年因瞋怒、仇恨，在她回家途中把強酸潑向她的臉。可以想見，悲劇發生後，她須承受多少痛苦與困難。後來，犯罪青年依伊斯蘭法律受罰，似乎不是依一般刑法。行刑之日，女子須親自把強酸潑到那人的臉上。罪犯跪在她面前，請求原諒、寬恕。她遲疑了一會兒，兄長便想代她懲罰那名男子；最後，她決定原諒、赦免他。她作出了正確決定。
人生中沒有任何事偶然發生，也不是神所創造。今生，她以色身償還了自己的業債；如果又採取以牙還牙的刑罰或報復，問題便永不終止，兩人未來仍會繼續受苦。〔可參看以色列與巴勒斯坦的衝突。〕
仇恨不能以仇恨克服，以牙還牙不能解決問題；一切惡劣手段只會使問題更加嚴重。即使兩人因過去世而有深仇大恨，也會在這裡終止。這名女子勇敢地做了正確的事，擁有高尚的心。
佛陀在《法句經》第223偈說：「以慈勝瞋，以善勝惡，以施勝慳，以真實語勝妄語。」
這首偈與今日世界關係密切，也能帶來許多利益。今日世界充滿殘酷與暴力，所以需要慈。
食物鏈中的毒害，以及空氣、水、土地的污染不斷增加，所以需要善。今日世界的經濟與政治充滿保護主義與自私，所以需要布施。今日的政治、政府與領袖中，可見許多說謊者，因此他們必須說真話。
這首偈也談到貪、瞋、癡三不善根，以及與之相反的無貪、無瞋、無癡三善根。只有善法能保護自己與他人。因此，佛陀在《相應部》的〈色達迦經〉中說：「保護自己與他人的方法，是忍耐、不傷害、慈愛與同情。」
那位伊朗女子並不懂佛法，卻以忍耐、不傷害、慈愛、同情與寬恕，保護了企圖毀掉她的青年；同時，她也保護自己免受未來的危險與痛苦，也就是業果。
若徹底研讀《吉祥經》，便會知道第六項吉祥「正確引導自己」（atta-sammā-paṇidhi）最為重要。它會影響今生與來世，後面一切吉祥都以此為依。觀察這項因素或原因，能得到許多洞見。
不正確引導自己，人人都會走向墮落；正確引導自己，則會走向進步與快樂。每個嬰兒來到人間時都很天真，既不是壞人也不是好人；但這並不表示他的心完全清淨，其中仍有潛伏的煩惱。孩子年幼時，最容易依正確、善的方向訓練教育。
如此，孩子在童年與長大以後，都能繼續發展並引導自己。無論知道與否，有兩件事是每個人都不能逃避的：業的法則與教育。
業有不善業與善業，教育也有不善教育與善教育；兩者彼此相連。不善教育導向不善業，善教育導向善業。不善之道是衰敗之路，善之道是進步之路。
在以兩個嬰兒說明兩種教育以前，先須認識壞人與好人的德行、行為。佛陀在《中部》MN 110〈小滿月經〉中談到這一點。
壞人與好人
壞人不知道誰是壞人、誰是好人，也就是愚癡；好人則知道誰是壞人、誰是好人，也就是有智慧。
壞人有七種惡劣德行：
1. 無信；
2. 無慚；
3. 無愧；
4. 少聞；
5. 懈怠；
6. 失念；
7. 劣慧。
其中，無信最重要的一點，是壞人不相信業的法則。少聞是不了解佛法，尤其不知道道德。懈怠的要點，是不努力使自己成為好人。失念在此指造惡而不行善；他如此浪費生命與時間。
他的行為如下：
1. 與壞人交往；
2. 像壞人一樣起意；
3. 與壞人商議；
4. 像壞人一樣說話；
5. 像壞人一樣行動；
6. 持壞人的見解；
7. 以壞的方式布施。
8. 他與具有上述七種惡劣德行的人交往。
9. 他起意傷害自己、傷害他人，或傷害雙方。
10. 他商議如何傷害自己、他人，或雙方。
11. 他說妄語、離間語、粗惡語與綺語。
12. 他殺生、不與取、欲邪行，也飲用麻醉品。
13. 他持以下見解：沒有布施，沒有供養，沒有祭祀；善惡業沒有果報；沒有此世與他世；沒有父母；沒有投生的眾生；也沒有善良有德者，能以自己的智慧證知諸世間。
14. 他把原本要丟棄的東西送給別人，認為布施沒有果報，態度不敬而且漫不經心。
壞人的一切行為都與十不善業相連，所以身壞命終後，將投生地獄或畜生趣。
好人有七種良善德行：
．有信
．有慚
．有愧
．多聞
．精進
．有念
．有慧
好人的行為與壞人相反，這裡不必重複。好人身壞命終後，投生善趣或天界；在人與天神之中都能獲得殊勝成就。佛陀也以五戒及善、不善法來區別壞人與好人。品質低劣的壞人不持五戒，具有十不善業，而且鼓勵別人同樣去做。
人的巴利語是 "manussa"，也含有以慈悲為本的高尚心意。英文 "humanity" 則有仁慈、體貼、同情的意思。所以，每個人都可判斷自己究竟是人，還是野獸。
可以比較兩個嬰兒：一個接受不善教育，另一個接受善教育。出生時，兩人都只是天真、普通的嬰兒；由於教育方式不同，後來的人生便截然不同。
第一個孩子 → 接受不善教育 → 成為卑微之人 → 壞人 → 無用之人 → 惡人 → 罪犯 → 死後 → 投生苦界。
第二個孩子 → 接受善教育 → 成為好人 → 善心之人 → 智者 → 高尚之人 → 死後 → 投生善趣，或終結苦。
以上因果關係只是概括的說明。
我很確定，所有父母都希望子女成為善良、有智慧、高尚的人；沒有父母希望孩子成為惡人、罪犯。如果真有人希望得到惡果，他必是瘋狂或不正常的人。我這樣說，是因為觀察世界各地的情況，便能看見人類的瘋狂與失常。
若以四層樓的建築為喻，可把教育概分為四種或四個層次：
1. 家庭層次；
2. 學校層次；
3. 社會層次；
4. 宗教層次。
其中，第一層家庭教育是基礎，也是最重要的一層。地基若不良、不穩，其餘各層也沒有希望；就像四層樓建築，地基出了問題，整棟都會倒塌。這也如《吉祥經》最初的吉祥 —— 不親近愚人、親近智者。
沒有最初這些吉祥，其餘各項便不可能成就。今日學校教育只為證書、生計、職業與地位而教，教師與學校忽視道德教育；過去，教師也有責任教導學生成為善良、有道德的人。
社會層次的教育更複雜、廣泛，包括各類媒體、周遭的人與環境。現代人必須非常小心，不能像大多數人一樣盲目跟隨。舍利弗尊者昔日導師的話確實正確：愚人多於智者。
為什麼？要成為善良、有道德、有智慧、高尚的人，需要大量教導、訓練與實踐；要成為愚人，卻不必任何教導、訓練，因為未經調御的心通常樂於不善事物。
無染的事物不能賺錢，染污的事物卻很容易賺錢；我們必須既聰明又有智慧。今日許多社會問題與痛苦，都和媒體有關。
最後一層宗教教育也十分重要，不能輕忽。它能使人的整個生命大幅改變，可能轉向善，也可能轉向不善。多數宗教都教人成為善良、有道德的人；但切勿誤解自己的宗教，或假借宗教之名傷害別人。也不應被任何危險、有害、足以毀掉人生的邪教欺騙。
佛法與其說是宗教，不如說是教育，因為佛陀教法中沒有創造者；它以心或人為中心，談科學家努力探索的自然法則與自然現象，不以迷信或超自然事物為基礎。佛法可由直接經驗驗證，也可在每個人的日常生活中實踐，所以非常實際，與人最為貼近。從出生至死亡，乃至整個輪迴，你始終與它一起生活，卻從未真正認識、了解它；它就是心。
了解佛法與自己的心，便知道應如何行為、如何生活，使生命富有成果；也能處理、解決許多人類問題與痛苦。這四種教育彼此相連、互相支持。
家庭教育若能成功，其餘各層便會變得比較容易、順利。每個人來到人間後，第一位老師就是父母，尤其以母親最為重要。所以，女性對人類的和諧、和平、快樂乃至生存，都負有極重要的角色、職責與責任。一位善良、聰明、有智慧的母親，能以善的教導與訓練養育孩子，使孩子成為善良、仁慈、有智慧、高尚的人。
若沒有適當、正確、明智的教導與訓練，每個人都會自行其是；今日這種情況比以往更多。多數兒童都由各類媒體教導、訓練。
想到母親，有一個真人真事深深觸動我。在澳洲，有一位西方青年生來沒有雙臂、雙腿；父母，尤其是母親，把他養育成人，直到他娶了一位年輕貌美的華裔女子，並有了自己的孩子。
可以想見，母親為兒子經歷了多少困難與心理痛苦。她可能二三十多年日復一日，以耐心、愛、同情與關懷照顧兒子，什麼都得替他做。在我看來，她不只是一位好母親，也是一位好老師。在她引導下，青年勇敢克服一切困難與問題，似乎過著快樂喜悅的生活。憑母親的福德，他有機會遇見一位好妻子；妻子也具備高尚母親那樣的德行。兩位女性都為這個不幸的人奉獻了自己的生命。
幾年前，臺灣則發生一個負面故事。1999 年，一場強震襲擊臺灣，一名年輕女子被埋在瓦礫下；獲救後，雙腿嚴重受傷，必須從膝部截肢。她有一個年幼孩子。事故後，丈夫拋下她與孩子逃走；這是多麼殘酷、自私的人！這是欲貪的表現，不是慈。所以，所有母親都能使人間成為如天堂般更好的地方。
我最後想觀察的是污染與環境問題。人類不必要地過度沉溺欲樂，使地球瀕臨毀滅；如今已到關鍵時刻。人類正以驚人速度污染地球。若不迅速解決氣溫上升的問題，許多自然災害與危險都在等待出現。今日人類就像以下本生故事中的愚鴉。
愚鴉與死象
《蘇那迦本生》（第529則）中，菩薩是阿陵陀摩王，蘇那迦則是婆羅門，也是菩薩的朋友。後來，他離開菩薩，成為獨覺佛。國王一直沉溺欲樂，直到年老；獨覺佛蘇那迦前來教他捨俗，國王便成為苦行者。蘇那迦的一項教導如下。
一頭死象順恆河漂向大海。附近飛行的烏鴉看見後，便停在屍體上，用喙啄食象肉、飲象血。填飽肚子後，烏鴉沒有飛走，反而隨屍體沿河繼續漂流。
烏鴉想：「這是我的大福運；以後不必再找食物了，足夠我吃一輩子。」牠一直留在上面，飢餓時吃肉，口渴時飲血。
愚鴉就這樣隨屍體被河水帶到海岸附近。此時如果牠離開屍體飛走，便能保住性命；可是，牠貪著肉味的欲樂，仍隨屍體漂向大海。屍體也逐漸腐爛，最後解體。愚鴉這時才察覺危險，試圖飛走，卻已看不見海岸；最後精疲力竭，墜入海中，成了海洋生物的食物。
今日人類正處於關鍵點。若繼續污染地球與環境，最終都會像那隻愚鴉。有些政治人物、科學家、經濟學者、商人等，或許以為自己有權力、財富與世間知識，能逃離危險與災難；但危險來臨時，人人都會為生存、安全互相爭鬥。
今日人類無限貪求名聲、權力、財富與欲樂，如同飲用鹽水，喝得愈多愈口渴。貪婪、欲貪、欲樂也是如此，永遠不能使我們知足、滿意；若沒有根律儀，反而製造愈來愈多問題與痛苦。
愛（taṇhā，渴愛）的本性難以認識，因為它伴隨樂受；它難以放下，披著朋友的外衣把人套住。我們就像以下故事中的奴僕。
你擁有多少？又需要多少？
一位非常富有的地主對奴僕說：「我可以把土地送給你，但有一個條件。你從這裡開始，盡力往前跑；一直跑到停下為止，沿途這整片土地都歸你。」
奴僕因貪婪而飛快奔跑，直到疲憊；但他貪心很重，仍不斷對自己低語：「還不夠，不要停；還不夠……」於是繼續奔跑。
最後，跑了很遠之後，他過度疲勞、呼吸困難，倒地當場死亡。地主就在原地挖了一個六英尺長、三英尺寬的坑，把屍體放進去，說：「你的價值就只有這麼大。」然後把他埋葬。
故事中，地主代表愛（taṇhā），也就是渴愛、貪婪與欲貪；奴僕則是今日多數人。連這麼小的一塊地，多數人最後也得不到，因為遺體會被火化，化為烏有。所以，人其實什麼也不擁有。
人赤裸、空手來到世間，也將赤裸、空手離去。不過，有一件事可以確定：必然帶著自己的業果；業果才是唯一真實的財產。
也有一個審判日，業這位法官會作出以下判決：
1. 投生為雞 —— 對瘋狂追求名聲、權力、財富的人而言，公雞代表愛；
2. 投生為蛇或眼鏡蛇 —— 對瞋怒、仇恨、惡意強烈的人而言，蛇代表瞋；
3. 投生為豬 —— 對愚癡、笨拙的人而言，豬代表癡。
這種審判日必定會到來，不會有其他結果。
註：公雞、蛇、豬三種動物代表貪、瞋、癡，取自藏傳佛教的緣起圖；它與莫哥禪師的圖相似，但有許多差異。我不知道佛陀本人是否曾在經中用動物譬喻三不善根。一般而言，臨終心充滿愛、貪婪、欲貪者會投生餓鬼；充滿瞋者投生地獄；充滿癡者投生畜生趣。
《創世記》的創造論與進化論都尚未成為自然法則，只是人的推測；進化論略勝一籌，因為科學家以事實與研究為基礎。佛陀說明五種定律，也就是自然的程序或過程：業定律（kamma-niyāma）、心定律（citta-niyāma）、法定律（dhamma-niyāma）、種子定律（bīja-niyāma）與時節定律（utu-niyāma）。
不只在人身上，動物身上也可看見三不善根。我的精舍附近有一座池塘，有些人買了烏龜放生在那裡。最初牠們害怕我，一看見我便跳入池中；在這方面，牠們比人更聰明，因為人明知危險，卻仍接近各種污染與自然災害。
過了一段時間，烏龜感覺我不會傷害牠們，便靠近我。我每天餵食，其中一些變得很貪心，像多數人一樣；有些得不到想要的東西，便發怒，甚至咬我的腳趾，像某些領袖發動貿易戰、軍備競賽等。
所以，佛陀說凡夫是瘋狂的。人類需要的精神病院，甚至多過一般醫院。今日新疾病，包括大流行病毒，比以往更多；人把責任推給傳播疾病的動物。疾病可以有許多原因，主要的一項卻是人心。
我們也可看見，果樹與蔬菜所得的病比以往更多；這同樣由污染與劇烈氣候造成，不只影響自然環境，也影響人與其他生物。若不治療瘋狂的心，人類便沒有希望。
因此，每個有幸來到人間的人，都不應以貪、瞋、癡造作不善業；這些不善法必定傷害自己與他人。相反，我們必須善用這一珍貴生命，為自己與他人行一切善，這才是正確之事。
如此，我們既保護自己，也保護他人，包括自然。每個人都有義務與責任照顧、保護我們的地球母親及其自然環境，使其免於毀滅。如此，才能把這座美麗而未受傷害的地球，留給人類的後代。
A Postscript
__ In my introduction, I had mentioned about the Metta Sutta and the Khandha Sutta in this Protection with Blessing. But I was carried away by the Mańgala Sutta, alone. The Metta and the Khansha Suttas are about loving-kindness or friendliness. It was also a very important Dhamma in the Buddha’s Teaching. It should be had its collections and contemplation.
Therefore because of space, I will leave it out here. Metta is urgently needed for today world. If we observe the current situations of the world, we can know this point. We human beings are not only cruel, harmful, and violent to fellow men but also animals and natural environments. The important role of metta is also evident in the ten perfections (paramis) of the Bodhisatta path as the 9th perfections (metta parami).
It also includes in the four divine abodes (Brahmavihara) as the first one; i.e., loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity (metta, karuna, mudita, and upekkha). After the Four Noble Truths, these are the second important dhammas which should be developed.
So, here I will only mention metta and its opposite dhammas of anger, hatred, ill-will, etc. for just in a gist. If the majority of human beings can develop the four divine abodes, the Earth will become a Heaven. In the Metta Sutta of Ańguttara Nikāya, the Buddha mentioned the eleven benefits gained by a person who cultivated and developed metta. These are;
(1) one sleeps well,
(2) one wakes up happily,
(3) one does not have bad dreams,
(4) one is pleasing to human beings,
(5) one is pleasing to spirits and deities,
(6) deities protect one,
(7) fire, weapons and poisons do not injure one,
(8) one mind easily becomes concentrated,
(9) one’s facial complexion is clear and serene,
(10) one dies without confusion,
(11) after death one can take rebirth in the Brahma World.
__ The opposite of metta is dosa (anger, hatred). The Buddha mentioned the seven faults of anger in the Ańguttara Nikāya.
The Angry Person:
“ An angry person is ugly and sleeps poorly. Gaining a profit, he turns it into a loss, having done damage with words and deeds. A person overwhelmed with anger destroys his wealth. Maddened with anger, he destroys his status. Relative, friends, and colleagues avoid him. This person on the break-up of the body, after death, reappears in the plane of deprivation, the bad bourn, the lower realms, in hell.”
“An angry person doesn’t know his benefit and doesn’t see the Dhamma. A man conquered by anger is in a mass of darkness. He takes pleasure in bad deeds as if they were good. But later, when his anger is gone, he suffers as if burned with fire. When anger spreads, a man becomes angry; he has no shame, no fear of evil, is not respectful in speech. For a person overcomes with anger, nothing gives light.”
__ And then, the Buddha mentioned the deeds that brought remorse by anger. “ An angry person kills his father, kills his mother, kills a noble being, and kills ordinary people. It’s because of a mother devotion that one sees the world, yet an ordinary angry person can kill this giver of life.
Like oneself, all beings hold themselves most dear, yet an angry person deranged can kill himself in many ways, with a sword, taking poison, hanging himself by a rope. Doing these things that kill beings, and do violence to himself, the angry person doesn’t realize that he’s ruined.”
__ The Buddha reminded us clearly about the nature of anger, and its results were quite frightening. We can see its great impact on human sufferings in modern day human history; such as 911, many terrorist activities, many wars in the middle east, etc.
Why these unfortunate things happen to human beings continuously? Because most human beings do not know the law of kamma. Even if they know it, they have more faith in God than natural law. So they do not take responsibility and do not know how to solve the problems.
__ There was a true story that happened in Iran a few years ago. This incident was mentioned in the BBC radio program- Th Outlook. It was interesting and food for our heart. A young man was chasing a beautiful young woman. She rejected his proposal. Out of anger and hatred, he threw acid on her face when she was on her way back home. We can imagine how much suffering and difficulties she had to go through after that tragedy. Later the young man who committed the evil crime was due to punishing with the Islamic Law (It seemed to be not with the criminal code). The day when the criminal was brought into justice, the young woman had to throw acid on the man’s face.
The criminal kneeled in front of her and asked forgiveness and a pardon. She was in hesitation for a while. Therefore her brother wanted to come in punished the man on her behalf. At last, she decided to forgive and pardon him. She had made the right decision. In our life nothing is happening by chance or created by God. In this life, she had to pay back her kammic debt with the physical body. If she used the tit-for-tat punishment or revenge, the problem would never end. Both of them will continue to suffer in the future to come. (See Israel and Palestinian Conflict).
Hatred cannot overcome with hatred. Tit-for-tat cannot solve the problem. All the evil methods make the problem becomes worse. If both of them had strong grudges which came from their past lives and it would be ended here. The young woman did the right thing with courage and had a noble heart.
__ The Buddha said in the Dhammapada; Verse 223: “Conquer the angry one by loving-kindness; the wicked one by goodness; the stingy one by the generosity and the liar by speaking the truth.” The above verse has a lot of connections and benefits for today world. A lot of cruelty and violence in today world that we need metta.
A lot of poisoning going on in the food chains, air-water-earth pollutions that we need goodness. A lot of protectionism and selfishness in today world economics and politics that we need generosity. In today world politics, governments, and leaders; we can see many liars, and it is necessary that they should speak the truths.
__ The verse also talked about greed, anger, delusion the three unwholesome roots and their opposite three wholesome roots non-greed, non-anger, and non-delusion. With the only wholesome dhamma, one can protect oneself and others. Therefore the Buddha said in the Sedaka Sutta, Samyutta Nikāya; “the way of protecting others and oneself is with patience, harmlessness, loving-kindness, and sympathy.”
The.
Young Iranian woman did not know the Buddha Dhamma. But she followed the way of protecting the young man who wanted to destroy her with patience, harmlessness, metta, sympathy, and forgiveness, and also at the same time protecting herself from the future dangers and sufferings (i.e., kammic consequences).
__ If we study the Mańgala Sutta thoroughly, the 6th blessing of directing oneself rightly (atta-sammā-panidhi) is the most important one. It can affect this life and future life to come. All the other following blessings are depending on it. If we contemplate on this factor or cause will have a lot of insight.
Everyone without directing oneself rightly will lead to downfall. And by directing oneself rightly will lead to progress and happiness. When every baby comes into this human world is innocent and neither bad nor good. But it does not mean that the mind is pure. It has latent defilements within it when children are young easy to train and educate them in the right and wholesome directions.
So that the children in their childhood and later grown up they can continue to develop and direct themselves. There are two matters every human being cannot escape or run away from it, i.e., the law of kamma and education, either we know it or not.
__ There are unwholesome kammas and wholesome kammas. In the same way, there are unwholesome educations and wholesome educations. These two things are connected. Unwholesome education will lead to unwholesome kamma. Wholesome education also will lead to wholesome kamma. The unwholesome ways are the path to degeneration.
The wholesome ways are the path to progress. Before we discuss the two kinds of education with two babies, first should know the qualities and behaviors of bad and good persons. It was mentioned by the Buddha in the - Shorter Discourse on the Full-Moon Night- Cūlapunnama Sutta (Majjima Nikāya).
Bad Person and Good Person
The bad person does not know about the bad and good persons (i.e., foolish). But the good person does know about the bad and good persons (i.e., wise).
The bad person has seven bad qualities;
(1) no faith,
(2) no shame and
(3) no fear of wrongdoing,
(4) unlearned,
(5) lazy,
(6) forgetful and
(7) unwise.
Here the more important point on no faith is a bad person not believe in the law of kamma. He is unlearned means no knowledge about the Buddha Dhamma. The important point is he does not know morality. The important point on laziness is not making an effort to become a good person. Here forgetful is doing bad things and not doing good things. In this way, he is wasting his life and time. He behaves in the following ways;
(1) He associated with bad people,
(2) he wills as a bad person,
(3) he counsels with bad people,
(4) he speaks like a bad person,
(5) he acts as a bad person,
(6) he has the views of a bad person,
(7) he gives the gifts in a bad way.
(1) He associated with bad people who have the above seven qualities.
(2) he wills for his affliction, for others and both.
(3) he counsels for his affliction, for others and both.
(4) he speaks the false speech, malicious speech, harsh speech, and gossip.
(5) he kills living beings, takes what is not given, misconducts in sensual pleasure (i.e., sexual misconducts and consumes intoxicants)
(6) he holds the following views;
There is nothing given; nothing offered, nothing sacrificed, no fruits or results of good or bad actions, no this world and another world, no father and mother, no being reborn, no good and virtuous people who realize by knowledge and know the worlds.
(7) he gives the gifts to people what is to be discarded, with the view of no results, without respect and carelessly.
__ All the actions of a bad person are connecting with the ten unwholesome actions (10-akusala dhammas). So after his death, he will be born in the hell or animal world.
__ A good person has seven good qualities; he has faith, shame, and fear of wrongdoing, who has learned, energetic, mindful, and wise.
Good person behaviors are the opposite of a bad person. So it is no needs to be mentioned here again. A good person on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappears in the destination of good persons, or gods. He has greatness among human beings and gods.
__ The Buddha distinguished a bad person and a good person with the five precepts, also with the unwholesome and wholesome dhammas. A person inferior to a bad person is; he does not have the five precepts, and he has the ten unwholesome dhammas. He encourages others to do the same things.
The Pali word for human is manussa, and it bears the meaning of a noble mind with metta and karuna (loving-kindness and compassion). The English word of humanity is the quality of being kind, thoughtful, and sympathetic. So everyone can decide himself as he is a human or a beast?
__ We could make a comparison with two babies; one was educated with the unwholesome ways and the other with the wholesome ways. When they were born into this world, both were innocent and ordinary babies because of the two different ways of education that their lives were quite different.
The first child→ with unwholesome education → becomes a small person → a bad person→ a useless person → an evil person → a criminal → after death → to a painful existence.
The second child→ with wholesome education →becomes a good person → a good-hearted person → a wise person → a noble person → after death → to a good existence or end dukkha.
The above cause and effect relationships are only in general or roughly.
__ I am quite sure; all parents will want their children to become a good-hearted, wise, and noble person. No parents would want their children to become an evil person and a criminal.
If anyone desires of the bad results, then he or she is a crazy or an abnormal person. I say this because if we observe all the situations around the world and could see the craziness and abnormality of human beings.
__ We can roughly divide education into four types or levels compare with the four stories building. These are;
(1) family level,
(2) school level,
(3) society level,
(4) religious level.
Among them, the first level of family education is the foundation and the most important one. If the foundation is not good and unstable, the other levels also become hopeless. It was like the four stories building. If the foundation is going wrong, all the others will crumble down. It was the same as the first blessing in the Mańgala sutta- Not association with the fools and association with the wise.
Without these first blessings and the others are impossible. Nowadays the education at the school level only teaches for certificates, for livelihood, profession, and status. The teachers and schools neglect the moral education. In the past teachers also had the duty to teach their students to become a good and moral person.
Education at the society level is more complex and extensive, including all the media, mediums of the people and surroundings. For today modern men they were to be very careful about them. We cannot follow them blindly as the majority of people — the saying of Ven. Sariputta’s former teacher was quite true.
There are more foolish people than wise people. Why is that? It needs a lot of teaching, training, and practice to become a good, moral, wise, and noble person. To become a foolish man, you do not need to teach and train him. The untrained mind is usually taking pleasure in unwholesome things and matters.
Undefiled things do not make money, and defiled things easily make money. We need to be intelligent and wise. Today a lot of social problems and sufferings were connecting with them-- the media. The last level of religious education is also very important. We cannot take it lightly.
It can change our whole life dramatically, either wholesome or unwholesome. Most religions teach people to be a good or moral person. It is very important not to misinterpret one’s religion and in the name of religion for harming others. We should not be deceived by any cult religion which could be dangerous, harmful, and ruined one’s life.
__ The Buddha Dhamma is more like education than religion because there was no creator in the Buddha’s teachings. It is on mind centered or man-centered teaching and about the natural laws and phenomena which scientists try to discover. It is not based on superstitions and supernatural.
It can be proved by direct experiences, and workable in everybody’s daily life. So it is very practical and the most closest to human beings. You are always living with him from birth to death in the whole of samsara, but you never know and understand him, which is the mind.
__ By understanding the Buddha Dhamma and our mind, we can know how to behave, conduct, and live a fruitful life. We can also deal with and solve a lot of human problems and sufferings. These four types of education are connected and mutually supporting.
If we can deal with education in family life successfully and the others become easier and smoother.
__ Everyone comes into this human world, his or her first teacher is the parents, especially and importantly for the mother. Therefore woman folks have the most important role, duty, and responsibility for the human race for harmony, peace, and happiness, even for human survival. A good, intelligent, and wise mother can look after the child with wholesome teachings and training and brings her child becomes a good, kind, wise, and noble person.
Without proper, right, and wise teaching and training, everyone will go his or her own way. Nowadays, this happens more than before. Most children are taught and trained by many kinds of medium.
Thinking about mothers, there was a true story which had a strong impact on my heart. In Australia, there was a young westerner born without both arms and both legs. His parents, importantly the mother, brought him up until he married a young Chinese beautiful woman and had a baby of his own. One can imagine the difficulties and mental suffering the mother had gone through for her child. It might be for over twenty or thirty years looking after her son day in day out every day with patience, love, sympathy, and concern.
She had to do everything for him. It seemed to me she was not only a good mother but also a good teacher. Under her guidance, he overcame all the difficulties and problems courageously. He seemed to be happy and joyful with his life. With the merit of his mother, he had the chance to meet a good wife who also had the quality like his noble mother. Both women sacrificed their lives for an unfortunate person.
__ There was also a negative story which happened in Taiwan some years ago. A severe earthquake struck Taiwan in the year of 1999. A young woman was buried under the rubble. After she was rescued, she both legs was severely injured that both legs had to be amputated from the knees down.
She had a young child. After the incident, her husband ran away by leaving her behind with the child. What a cruel and selfish person? This was the sign of lust, not metta. Therefore all mothers can make this human world to become a better place like a Heaven.
__ The last thing I want to end my contemplation is about the pollutions and the environmental problems. We human beings are unnecessary over-indulgence in the sensual pleasure that the Earth is on the brink of destruction. Now we are arriving at a crucial point.
Human beings are polluting the earth at an alarming rate. Now, if we do not quickly solve the temperature rising problem, many natural disasters and dangers are waiting for us to appear. Nowadays, human beings are like a silly crow in the following Jataka story.
The Silly Crow and The Dead Elephant:
__ In the Arindama Jataka, the Bodhisatta was the king Arindama. Sonaka was a brahmin and a friend of the Bodhisatta. Later he left the Bodhisatta and became a solitary buddha (Paccekabuddha). The king was over-indulgence in sensual pleasure until his old age. Sonaka- the solitary -buddha came to the king and taught him to renounce the world and became an ascetic. One of his teachings was as follow.
A dead elephant was floating down the Ganges River to the sea. A crow flying nearby saw it and perched on the dead body, pecking it with its beak and ate the flesh and drank the blood. The crow after filling his stomach, instead of flying away, he continued to follow with the carcass along the river.
The crow thought; “This is a great fortune to me. I don’t need to find for food anymore. This will be enough for my whole life.” He stayed with it, and when he hungry, he ate the flesh, when thirsty he drank the blood.
Therefore the silly crow and the carcass were carrying down by the river until near the seashore. At that time if the crow was leaving in the carcass and flew away, he could save his life. Instead, he was clinging to the sensual pleasure of the flesh that he was carried away towards the sea.
The carcass also became rotten, and at last, it was fallen apart. At that time, the silly crow became aware of the danger and tried to fly away. But he could not see the seashore, at last, became tired and was fallen into the sea water. He became the food of the sea creatures.
__ Today human beings are at a critical point. If we are continued polluting the earth and the environments we all would be ended up like the silly crow. Some might think (i.e., politicians, scientists, economists, business people, etc.) they could run away from the dangers and disasters because they have the power, wealth, and worldly knowledge. At the time of in dangers and all would be fought each other for survival and security.
__ Today human beings are very greedy for fame, power, wealth, and sensual pleasure without limit. It was like drinking the salty water, with more drinking become more thirsty. Greed, lust, sensual pleasure are like this and never give us contentment and satisfaction. Instead, it creates more and more problems and sufferings if we are without the restraint of the senses. Tanhā-craving nature is difficult to know because of its pleasant feeling. It is difficult to give up and ensnare human beings under the guise of a friend. We are like the slave in the following story.
How much do you own and need?
__ A very wealthy landowner told his slave. “I’ll give you some lands, but there is one condition. You have to run across this land as far as you can from here until where you stop. All this stretch of land will become your property.” Therefore the slave ran very fast out of greed until he was tired. But he was very greedy and whispering himself as; “Not enough yet. Don’t stop. Not enough yet…” and he was continuing in the running.
__ At last, after a long distance, he became overtired, short of breath, collapsed and he died on the spot. The landowner dug a pit of six feet by three feet on the same spot and put the corpse therein and said these words-“You only valued this much.” And then he buried him there.
__ In this story, the landowner is tanhā (craving, greed, lust.) The slave is the majority of nowadays human beings. Even this small piece of ground becomes impossible for most people because they all will be cremated and become nothing. So human beings own nothing.
They came to this world naked and empty-handed and will leave here also with naked and empty-handed. But one thing is very sure; they inevitably have to carry the kammic results with them. These kammic results are their only real properties. There is also a Judgment Day. The kamma Judge will make the following verdicts-
(1) you take rebirth as a chicken (for someone who crazy for fame, power and wealth which is tanhā represents the cock),
(2) you take rebirth as a snake (a cobra) (for someone who has strong anger, hatred, ill-will which is dosa and it represents the snake,
(3) you take rebirth as a pig (for someone foolish and stupid which is delusion, and it represents the pig). This kind of Judgment Day will be sure to come and not otherwise.
__ Therefore everyone has a good opportunity coming to this human world should not create unwholesome kammas with greed, hatred, and delusion. All these unwholesome dhammas are sure to harm oneself and others. Instead, we must use this precious life to do all good for oneself, and others are the right things to do.
In this way, we protect oneself and protecting others, including nature. Every human being has the duty and responsibility to look after and protect our mother Earth and its nature from destruction. In this way, we can leave this beautiful Earth unharmed for our human generations.
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