The Five Benefits of Morality (Sila)

1. Householder, one who is virtuous, possessed of virtue, obtains a large fortune as a consequence of diligence; this is the first benefit for the virtuous in the perfecting of virtue.

2. One who is virtuous, possessed of virtue, a fair name is spread abroad; this is the second benefit for the virtuous in the perfecting of virtue.

3. One who is virtuous, possessed of virtue, enters an assembly, whether of khattiyas (warrior/ nobles) or brahmans or householders or ascetics, he does so without fear or hesitation; this is the third benefit for the virtuous in the perfecting of virtue.

4. One who is virtuous, possessed of virtue, dies not confused; this is the fourth benefit for the virtuous in the perfecting of virtue.

5. One who is virtuous, possessed of virtue, on the breakup of the body, after death, reappears in a happy destiny, in the celestial world; this is the fifth benefit for the virtuous in the perfecting of virtue.

May all beings be well and happy & attain the fruits of Nibbana.

Suranda Weediyage

BA, Tripitakachariya, Dip in Pali/ Buddhism (Pali & Buddhist University of Sri Lanka), HNDBF,

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The Four Types of Morality (Sila)

1. Hanabhagiya sila - precept of an inferior kind:

An individual after observing Sila does not approach virtuous people but approaches people who have no morality. He does not realize that breaking the precepts and contemplates only on sensual pleasures and on all kinds of anxieties.

He does not control his eyes or guard his sense of sight, he looks at anything that can be seen. He does not guard his sense of hearing, he listens to everything; nor does he take care of his sense of smell; he takes pleasure in all kinds of sweet smell or fragrance. He does not guard his sense of touch, he takes pleasure in pleasant touch senses. Lastly, he is not guarding his sixth sense, which is his mind and would be thinking and planning all kinds of things. This kind of precept is an inferior kind of precept, Hanabhagiya sila.

2. Thitibhagiya sila - precept that is just observed:

An individual after taking the precept does not observe ascetic practices (dhutanga) or be mindful of the virtues of the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha nor the virtues of sila, nor practise tranquillity meditation (samatha kammathana) or insight (vipassana) meditation. He merely keeps those precepts. This kind of sila is known as Thitibhagiya sila.

3. Visesabhagiya sila - precept which has a special effect:

An individual after taking the precept practises samatha kamatthana (Tranquility meditation) until he develops concentration (samadhi) power. This person's precept or sila has a special effect and therefore, is known as Visesabhagiya sila. In one's country one has to keep guards, policemen and soldiers for the security of the leaders. In the same way for your security from greed (lobha), anger (dosa) and delusion (moha), kilesa enemies or defilements, you have to keep guards such as practicing recollection of the Enlightened One (Buddhanussati), radiating loving kindness (metta), reflecting on the repellent natural of a corpse (asubha) and recollection of death (maranassati). These are the guardian samatha kammatthanas and at least one of these four kammatthanas should be practiced.

It is most appropriate to practise metta kammatthana when observing precepts. By practicing metta bhavana one is desirous of other's happiness. Hence, one will abstain from taking life, stealing and other misconduct which will make others unhappy. Therefore, one's Sila is secure. That is why practicing metta kammatthana is most appropriate when one is observing precepts.

4. Nibbedabhagiya sila - precept that has a penetrating effect:

By practicing vipassana meditation a certain individual, after taking precepts tries to penetrate the darkness of defilements (kilesa), such as - lobha, dosa and moha which have been inherent in him. This person's sila is known as Nibbedabhagiya sila meaning it has a penetrating power.

Out of the four kinds of sila, Nibbedabhagiya sila which has a penetrating power is the best and most revered.

May all beings be well and happy & attain the fruits of Nibbana.

Suranda Weediyage

BA, Tripitakachariya, Dip in Pali/ Buddhism (Pali & Buddhist University of Sri Lanka), HNDBF,

surandalk@gmail.com

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The 32 types of unskillful talks ( Dethis Katha )

The 32 types of unskillful talks ( Dethis Katha ) :

A lay devotee must refrain from 32 types of unskillful talks after observing eight or ten precepts or any kind of Uposatha Sila as these talks of the ordinary people not conductive to good, to giving up, to detachment, to cessation, to appeasement, to knowledge, to enlightenment. They are:

1. Raja katha - Talk about kings,

2. Chora Katha - Talk about robbers,

3. Mahamachcha Katha - Talk about ministers,

4. Sena Katha - Talk about armies,

5. Bhaya Katha - Talk about fears,

6. Uadda Katha - Talk about wars,

7. Anna Katha - Talk about eatables,

8. Paana Katha - Talk about drinks,

9. Waththa Katha - Talk about clothes,

10. Mala Katha- Talk about flowers,

11. Ghanda Katha - Talk about scents,

12. Knathi Katha - Talk about relations,

13. Yana Katha - Talk about Vehicles or conveyances,

14. Gama Katha - Talk about villages,

15. Nigama Katha - Talk about hamlets,

16. Nagaralankara Katha - Talk about towns,

17. Janapada Katha - Talk about states,

18. Eththi Katha - Talk about women,

19. Shura Katha - Talk about heroes,

20. Sura Katha - Talk about intoxicants,

21.Visika Katha - gossip at the street corner and

22. Kumbattana Katha - gossip at the well,

23. Pubba Petha Katha - Talk of those dead and gone,

24. Narnatta Katha - various useless talk apart from these 32.

25. Lokaikika Katha - Talk about the beginning of the world,

26. Samuddakkaikika Katha - Talk about the ocean,

27. Shaswatha Ditti Katha - Talk about eternal soul after death,

28. Uchcheda Ditti Katha - Talk about annihilation of soul after death,

29. Wuridi Katha - Talking about others prosperity,

30. Hani Katha - Talking about others debacle or less fortune,

31. Pancha Kama Suka Katha : Talking about various sensuous pleasures,

32. Attakilamathanuyogi Katha - Talking about Self mortification as a form of liberation.

By engaging in these 32 types of talks, one will develop greed (lobha), ill-will (Dosa), ignorance (Moha) which are hazardous to the eight fold path or Nibbana. There fore one must abstain from these 32 types of talks & engage in 10 types of useful talks Preached in Rathavineeta Sutta in Majjima Nikaya which will be discussed in the next post.

May all beings be well & happy and attain the fruits of Nibbana.

Suranda Weediyage

BA, Tripitakachariya, Dip in Pali/ Buddhism (Pali & Buddhist University of Sri Lanka), HNDBF,

surandalk@gmail.com

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The suitable & unsuitable during Fasting

The suitable & unsuitable during Fasting : 

"Vikalabhojana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami" or undertaking the precept to refrain from eating at the forbidden time (i.e., after noon) will limit food intake to the hours between dawn and noon.The practice of not eating in the afternoon is a very old tradition mentioned in the earliest Suttas & included in many precepts like Eight Precepts of the lay devotees ,etc. 'Food' here refers to things like cooked grains; sweets made from flour, beans, etc.; fish; meat; fresh milk and sour milk;... fruits, tubers and all 'main course' foods.

After observing this precept of fasting, one should not eat fruit — which is food — after midday, they can drink the 'fruit juice' any time throughout the day. However, When preparing fruit juice, it is important that to be well strained so that no pulp or fruit particles remain, for the fruit itself counts as food and so can not be consumed in the afternoon.

Juices made from any large fruits like — Palmyra fruit, coconut, jack fruit, breadfruit, bottle gourd, white gourd, musk melon, water melon, and squash considered unsuitable as it would fall under the same class as the juice of grain. From this judgment, large fruits such as pineapple or grapefruit, could not be consumed in the afternoon.

"Juice drinks made out of the freshly squeezed juice of sugar cane, lotus root, all fruits except grain, all leaves except cooked vegetables, and all flowers except the [bassia latifolia] are also allowed according to the Mahaavagga pali in vinaya pitaka. Apart from these things 'tonic-medicines' (sattaahakaalika) can also be consumed at any time.

* Juices made from of small fruit items like Mango, apple, avocado, wood apple, lime, orange, bananas, etc, even tea, coffee without milk powder are some examples for suitable during this period.

May all beings be well & happy and attain the fruits of Nibbana.

Suranda Weediyage

BA, Tripitakachariya, Dip in Pali/ Buddhism (Pali & Buddhist University of Sri Lanka), HNDBF,

surandalk@gmail.com

http://www.thebuddhadhamma.wordpress.com

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The Buddhist view on Killing for Self Protection & Mercy Killing

The Buddhist view on Killing for Self Protection & Mercy Killing 

The Buddha has advised everyone to abstain from killing. If everybody accepts this advice, human beings would not kill each other. In the case where a person's life is threatened, the Buddha says even then it is not advisable to kill out of self-protection. The weapon for self-protection is loving-kindness. One who practises this kindness very seldom comes across such misfortune. However, man loves his life so much that he is not prepared to surrender himself to others; in actual practice, most people would struggle for self-protection. It is natural and every living being struggles and kills others for self-protection but kammic effect depends on their mental attitude. During the struggle to protect himself, if he happens to kill his opponent although he has no intention to kill, then he is not responsible for that action. On the other hand, if he kills another person under any circumstances with the intention to kill, then he is not free from the kammic reaction; he has to face the consequences. We must remember that killing is killing; when we disapprove of it, we call it 'murder'. When we punish man for murdering, we call it 'capital punishment'. If our own soldiers are killed by an 'enemy' we call it 'slaughter'. However, if we approve a killing, we call it 'war'. But if we remove the emotional content from these words, we can understand that killing is killing.

According to Buddhism mercy killing too cannot be justified. Mercy and killing can never go together. Some people kill their pets on the grounds that they do not like to see the pets suffer. However, if mercy killing is the correct method to be practised on pets and other animals, then why are people so reluctant to do the same to their beloved ones?

When some people see their dogs or cats suffer from some skin disease, they arrange to kill those poor animals. They call this action, mercy killing. Actually it is not that they have mercy towards those animals, but they kill them for their own precaution and to get rid of an awful sight. And even if they do have real mercy towards a suffering animal, they still have no right to take away its life. No matter how sincere one may be, mercy killing, is not the correct approach. The consequences of this killing, however, are different from killing with hatred towards the animal. Buddhists have no grounds to say that any kind of killing is justified.

Some people try to justify mercy killing with the misconception that if the motive or reason is good, then the act itself is good. They then claim that by killing their pet, they have the intention to relieve the unhappy animal from its suffering and so the action is good. No doubt their original intention or motive is good. But the evil act of killing will certainly bring about unwholesome results. The Buddhist religion cannot justify mercy killing as completely free from bad reaction. However, to kill out of necessity and without any anger or hatred has less bad reaction than to kill out of intense anger or jealousy.

On the other hand, a being (man or animal) may suffer owing to his bad kamma. If By mercy killing, we prevent the working out of one's bad kamma, the debt will have to be paid in another existence. As Buddhists, all that we can do is to help to reduce the pain of suffering in others.  Buddhism can never accept these arguments because it is not how the killing occurs that is important, but the fact that a life of one being is terminated by another. No one has any right to do that for whatever reason.

May all beings be well and happy & attain the fruits of Nibbana.

Suranda Weediyage

BA, Tripitakachariya, Dip in Pali/ Buddhism (Pali & Buddhist University of Sri Lanka), HNDBF,

surandalk@gmail.com

http://www.thebuddhadhamma.wordpress.com

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